Seth’s eyes went cold, his expression darkening.

What level of shamelessness was this?

How dared they feel entitled to his treasures?

’They are mine and mine alone. I’d like to see who’d force me to hand anything over.’

Henry and Helen could feel the dreadful change in the atmosphere, but they remained relatively unfazed.

Helen, already guessing what was going on in Seth’s mind, spoke with concern.

"Younger brother, you asked me to give you advice. I am willing to, if you will listen."

Seth looked up at her, wearing a frown. He remained silent but listened nonetheless.

Helen’s gaze flickered with apprehension as she spoke.

"The family isn’t the same as when you left it. The moment the origin connected to the Earth, something unbelievable happened."

Helen paused, arranging her hair behind her ears. Her voice quivered as she continued.

Even Henry’s expression was grim.

"You have been to the ancestral hall, so you must have seen the pictures hung on the walls. The pictures of ancestors, presumably late.

Well, it turns out most of them are not so dead. I don’t know how, I can’t even fathom which methods were used, but they are indeed alive and kicking.

I’ve seen them with my own eyes. I overheard Father telling Mom that the ancestors had been patiently waiting across centuries for the day of the apocalypse before they could show their faces."

Helen stared at Seth, her eyes dead serious. "This is my advice, younger brother: no matter what they ask of you, please just comply.

No matter how strong you believe yourself to be, you are not their match. Not currently."

With that, Helen went silent, turning her gaze to watch the view beyond the tinted windscreen. Her solemn demeanor communicated clearly that she wasn’t going to speak any further.

Seth frowned. It was just as he had predicted.

There was more to things than met the eye. Helen’s speech had just confirmed this.

’But it doesn’t make sense. If they are so strong, why can’t they go clear corruption zones?’ Seth was perplexed.

No matter what angle he viewed the situation from, the corruption zones were ticking bombs, and now was the best time to clear as many as possible before they reached perfect completion.

Even if the Duskreavers prioritized their own interests above all else, it still made more sense for them to focus on clearing corruption zones — it would mean more territory for them.

’What am I missing...’ Seth’s mind wandered with all sorts of possibilities.

But he still couldn’t get it. Unless these guys were frauds, it didn’t make sense.

He decided not to stress his mind any further...

The limousine quietly entered the giant gates that led to the Duskreaver estate.

Solemn silence reigned in the car, and after a few more minutes the vehicle slowly came to a halt before a magnificent mansion.

Carrying both the artistic taste of modern and ancient designs, the mansion stood at a staggering 68 meters high. Not only was it tall, it was spread wide enough to contain 156 rooms, 17 kitchens, and 8 halls.

It was painted a mix of gold and milky white, the giant doors leading within engraved with the proud crest of the family.

Seth stepped out of the limousine and stared up at the magnificent construct hulking and sprawled before him.

But he didn’t feel awe or happiness. He frowned. He hardly had good memories about the family house.

Seth and the other two were led into the mansion by maids, who carried them along a path Seth was all too familiar with.

They were heading to the meeting hall.

He was tense. What would these old ancestors look like?

Were they truly as strong as Helen said?

Seth was actually in doubt. From what he had sensed from his elder siblings — though impressive, from their gaits and the conscious control of strength when interacting with regular items like door handles — he could tell they were at the very least on the edge of maxing out their stats.

While that was impressive, in Seth’s eyes they were weaklings, unable to arouse a hint of danger from his instincts.

And in Seth’s opinion, a weakling couldn’t tell the strength of someone vastly stronger than them.

After all, once the gap in strength crossed a threshold, it went past what they could fathom — just like staring at the sun and the moon from the Earth and assuming they were the same size.

Very soon they were before the doors of the meeting hall.

A maid reached for the ringed doorknob and pulled the massive doors wide open...

A torrent of aura washed over Seth. His pupils constricted and quivered.

He froze in place as he stared within the hall.

’This feeling...’

He had believed he had overestimated these people as much as possible, but what was this?

His instincts were practically screaming for him to bow. His cells stifled under an aura of something far superior.

The faint pulse of Will that always emanated from Seth’s body dared not leave the confines of his being.

His heartbeat sped up, sweat matting his back.

The twins had long stepped into the hall, leaving Seth frozen in place. They bowed and announced as they arrived before the council.

"We have brought him as requested, Elders," their voices rang in unison.

The hall remained silent for a few seconds. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The place was akin to a presidential conference hall, with seats arranged in a circular curve, leaving a space at the center, which was the forefront where five figures sat.

All the other members kept mute, wearing solemn, reverent expressions.

If one discerned clearly among the crowd of people sitting behind these five, one would realize these were big shots — former tyrants of the Duskreavers.

Howel Duskreaver, Ashley Duskreaver, Bron Duskreaver, Cowel Duskreaver, William Duskreaver — legend after legend, a grand total of twelve.

The Twelve business behemoths of the secular world. It was said that combined, all five individuals controlled 17.8% of the Western economy.

To these figures, the likes of Seth’s father, Simon Duskreaver, were merely juniors. After all, they were of the same generation as Seth’s grandfather, who sat in their ranks.

But now all these reputable figures sat silently behind five hooded figures, not daring to speak unless spoken to.

There had been a complete shift in hierarchy the moment the ancestors arrived.

A subconscious tilt in power now rested in the court of these mysterious five.

Suddenly, a raspy voice rang from one of the hooded silhouettes.

"Well now, step in, young one. We don’t have all day."