Chương 38: Home

Joe arrived outside Heliopolis a few hours after leaving Glasgow and found himself staring in awe. The city was massive, far beyond what he had expected. The simple vine border he had planted before was gone, replaced by towering twenty-foot walls and a shimmering blue magical barrier. The sheer scale of the place was staggering; it had to be the size of London, at least.

"How the hell are they managing this place? How many people are here now?" Joe muttered aloud. Inside the barrier, the skyline was a patchwork of architectural styles, a fusion of fantasy and history. Skyscrapers pierced the sky, rising alongside Aztec pyramids and Roman-style structures. Some buildings looked straight out of a fantasy novel, their twisting spires and elaborate carvings peeking over the walls. It was breathtaking. Joe ran, following the outer wall heading north, searching for an entrance.

A part of him was tempted to jump straight over; he still had his City Protector title, after all. He figured the barrier might let him through, but in the end, he decided to enter like a normal person for once instead of making some overdramatic chuuni entrance. He soon spotted a gated archway, but as he approached, one of the nearby guards suddenly ran off. Two others rushed toward him, stopping just in front of him before bowing deeply.

"Welcome back, City Protector," they said in unison. Joe blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before just shrugging. Someone must have informed them of his return.

"Please, no bowing, gentlemen," Joe said.

"I'd like to enter as quietly as possible, thank you."

"Of course. Right this way, sir." One of the guards led him through the gated entrance, past the shimmering barrier, and into a small building just inside the walls.

"Sir Kairos left instructions for us, should you return through this entrance," the man explained before disappearing into the building. A few moments later, the guard reemerged, clearing his throat.

"Joe, you bastard, hurry the fuck up and get to the centre." Joe laughed. It was good to be back. Joe didn't rush. Instead, he took his time, soaking in the city as he walked. Heliopolis was even more impressive up close. Everywhere he looked, people bustled through the streets, their faces filled with purpose and determination. Almost every building seemed occupied, and Joe guessed the population had to be in the millions by now.

Eventually, he reached a massive park, a large open space with sparse patches of grass and people scattered around planting seeds. It had potential, but it still looked… bare. Joe hesitated for only a moment before sitting down in the middle of the park. With a flick of his wrist, he got to work. He activated Nature's Flourish, sending a surge of life into the soil. A soft tingling sensation prickled at the back of his mind, an odd, familiar feeling, like someone was watching him from above.

So, someone knows I'm here, huh? Joe decided to ignore the invisible watcher for now; he had work to do. What was supposed to be a few minutes of helping out turned into thirty full minutes of flourishing. By the time he was done, the entire park had transformed. Towering fruit trees stretched toward the sky, lush green grass rolled across the earth, and vibrant flowers bloomed in every direction.

The once-empty park was now teeming with life, and the people who had been wandering through earlier stood frozen in awe. And then came the children, laughing, running, playing in the fresh, open space. The air filled with excited chatter, and Joe smiled. He brushed himself off and continued toward the city centre. After his third such stop to boost a park with Flourish, a familiar voice called out in exasperation.

"How long does it take you to walk through a city?" Joe looked up just in time to see Sarah jumping off a small jeep, her arms crossed, a mix of frustration and amusement on her face.

"Sarah!" Joe shouted, running toward the blonde woman. He wrapped her in the biggest bear hug he could manage.

"It's good to see you too," she mumbled into his chest, hugging him back. When Joe finally released her, she gasped for air.

"Sorry," Joe chuckled as he gestured toward the park behind him.

"Got a little distracted by the poorly-looking plant life." Sarah turned, surveying the freshly flourishing landscape.

"... Whoa. I missed your green thumbs." She held out a hand, a folded map materializing in her open palm. She waved it with a sparkle in her eye.

"I have a map of all the parks in the city. If we hurry, you could hit them all by the end of today." Joe grinned.

"That may be the best idea I've heard all week." Sarah laughed.

"Then let's go!" It took them the rest of the day to hit almost every park in the entire city. By the time they were done, Heliopolis looked more vibrant and alive than ever before. Just before nightfall, they finally arrived back at the City Pillar, back home. Joe whistled as he took in the new and improved houses.

"Wow. I like what you've done with the place. The rugs look amazing." Sarah beamed.

"Thanks! I spent a whole week on the interior design. Wait until you see the kitchen." She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. Joe took in the space, admiring all the ornaments and furniture. Statues of elephants, zebras, lions, and tigers lined the shelves, along with paintings of waterfalls and fairies. He even caught sight of something that looked like a unicorn outside the window. He turned toward a small wooden figurine on a nearby cabinet.

"What is that?"

"A Hoopoe," Sarah said.

"You can find them in Africa and Asia." Joe picked it up, running his fingers over the intricate carving.

"The woodwork is incredible. Who made these?"

"Some of the city's woodworkers," Sarah said.

"Thanks to the City Pillar shop, we have a lot of people with basic professions now." Joe nodded approvingly.

"That is great. Sounds like things are really coming together here."

"They are," Sarah said, her voice warm.

"Especially since Hak took care of all the big Beasts. I never thought I'd see such a peaceful time again." She smiled, then clapped her hands together.

"Anyway, everyone will be back soon. I need to prepare dinner. If we'd known you were coming today, we would've had one of the city chefs cook." Joe grinned.

"Come now, Sarah. I'll take care of the cooking." He made his way into the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves.

"I even have some new recipes to try out. I picked up a bunch of spices from the Caribbean I've been meaning to use." Sarah just shook her head and smiled. She remembered the last time Joe had cooked for them; it was still the best meal she'd ever had. Joe sat at the dining table inside Sarah's house, his brow furrowed as he glanced around. Everyone was here: Kai, Sarah, and Hak, of course. Nadine and Shaznin. Two new faces, Vanessa and her sister, Amara.

But what had his face scrunched up in confusion was the seating arrangement and the unsaid implications behind it. Kai sat next to Sarah, which he expected, but there was something different about their closeness. More casual, more familiar. That wasn't the biggest surprise, though. Vanessa sat beside Hak, feeding him fruit. Joe's brain stalled for a moment. Had he missed something important? And why had no one mentioned it?

After several minutes of staring in disbelief, Joe finally erupted, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Okay, someone, please explain, when the hell did all of you start dating?!" Sarah grinned, poking Kai in the side.

"See, I told you he'd notice." Joe stared, dumbfounded, as Sarah continued.

"Kai and I started the day you left. Hak and Vanessa have been together for about two months. Hak was a little slow on the uptake, so I had to give them a nudge." Sarah continued. Hak scoffed.

"Hey, I was not slow! I was just focused on levelling." Joe turned to Kai, expecting an explanation. Kai only blushed harder, stuffing his face with food as if it would protect him. Joe shook his head.

"What about you guys?" He gestured at Nadine and Shaznin.

"Surely you haven't fallen into the trap of entanglement."

"We are both single," Nadine said between mouthfuls of food. Joe let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.

"Good. Thought I was the only sane person left for a moment."

"Amara is also single," Nadine added. Joe froze, slowly turning to stare at her. He was no fool; he knew exactly what she was implying. But he was not about to take the bait. Instead, he grabbed a fruit from the bowl and stood.

"Good. You stay single as well, Amara. Don't let these people corrupt you with their nonsense about pairing up." As he walked toward the door, he muttered, "I swear I saw a unicorn earlier."

"He's named Hercules," Shaznin said.

"I'll introduce you." Joe stopped mid-step, spinning around.

"Wait, you're telling me there's actually a unicorn here?"

"Yes, it's quite the story." Shaznin got up and motioned for him to follow.

"I'll explain on the way." Joe narrowed his eyes, still processing this absurd revelation.

"Since when have you been the talkative type?" Shaznin giggled.

"Oh, you know, I'm just coming out of my shell," Joe, still sceptical, followed her outside, bracing himself for what would no doubt be another ridiculous tale. The story wasn't all that special. It turned out the 'unicorn' was actually a Beast found in a hidden glade in Wales. The city had some people who received a Beast Tamer class upon hitting level fifty, and the first thing Sarah did when she found out was offer them rewards for taming some of the creatures.

They weren't unicorns at all, but rather One-Horned Doths, still impressive to look at and surprisingly friendly. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Joe spent some time getting acquainted with Hercules and chatting with Shaznin about her life in the city. It was a peaceful conversation, a welcome break after everything that had happened. Eventually, the conversation waned, and Joe excused himself.

Heading out in search of Kai and Sarah, he was itching to check out the City Pillar shop they'd mentioned. He wondered what kind of things he could purchase there. He had a mountain of credits burning a hole in his proverbial wallet. It didn't take long for the two to find him, but Sarah beat him with a question of her own before he could ask.

"Joe. What happened to your egg?" Joe winced, realizing he'd completely forgotten to tell them about it. About that. He pulled her aside, and with a somber look, he quietly recounted the events of that tragic day. Sarah's face fell.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears welling in the corners of her eyes as she hugged him.

"Excuse me a moment." Then, without another word, she disappeared upstairs. Kai sighed.

"I'll go make sure she is okay. She's probably remembering…" He trailed off, not finishing his sentence, then followed after her. Of course, that would bring up bad memories for her, Joe realized. He vowed to get her something nice in respect, next time he saw her. With the City Pillar shop now out of the question for the moment, Joe instead took a walk through the city. By now, night had fallen, and the glow of street lamps and lanterns bathed Heliopolis in warm, golden light.

Buildings shimmered, the bustling life of the city continuing well into the night. It was a sight to behold. The following day, Joe sat inside one of the parks near the city centre, deep in thought. Lately, he had noticed a subtle shift in his thinking. Ever since he started dumping all his free points into Dao Knowledge, his perception and way of thinking had changed. Everything intrigued him, not in a simple, passing curiosity kind of way, but as if the entire world had become a puzzle waiting to be solved.

It was especially prominent in battle. He remembered his fight with Goros vividly. Every movement the Brutandel made, every step, every twitch of muscle, Joe had observed, dissected, and analysed. He wasn't just reacting to attacks anymore. He was breaking them down, unraveling the logic behind them. And now, looking back, he was almost sure that if he tried, he could imitate Goros's footwork to some degree. Just from seeing it once.

That kind of ability went far beyond anything his Intelligence or wisdom stats had ever given him. Those only helped with mana manipulation and skill proficiency. This was something else. Hidden stats must be some kind of cheat code the system created. That thought sent Joe spiralling into more questions. Were there more hidden stats? If so, how could he unlock them? Were they unique to each person? Or was everyone stumbling around in the dark, picking things up by luck and trial and error?

Damn system, expecting people to just figure this out without guidance. He wished he had someone to ask, a mentor or something. But instead of answers, he had experiments. He wanted to test something with Flourish. Lately, he had noticed something odd: new flowers and plants appearing whenever he used it. Ones he didn't recognize. That gave him an idea. Closing his eyes, he focused on the stream of energy that entered his body when he used the skill. It still felt so alien. Completely different from mana.

Like oil and water, two substances that didn't mix, but seemed to flow in cohesion perfectly. When the energy from Flourish entered the ground, he felt it pushing mana out of the way. Not in a violent, repelling way, like opposite magnet poles, but rather as if it were simply clearing space. The mana drifted away from the plants, trees, and grass. But inside his body? It flowed effortlessly. His internal mana remained untouched. It was as if his body were a perfect conduit for performing the skill.

And then it clicked. That must have been the goal of the Bloodline Gate.

"My body was turned into the perfect conduit," Joe muttered to himself. Whatever the reason, it seemed to have worked out for the best, for now, at least. He turned his attention back to the energy flow, concentrating it on one spot. Instead of letting it spread out like a wide river, he forced it into a small, faster, more concentrated stream. It felt like his mind had become a tube, narrowing the flow. The difference was immediate. The grass around the area grew taller, fuller, more vibrant.

Encouraged, Joe pushed further. He pictured a flower in his mind, a purple tulip. He held onto that image, focusing entirely on bringing it to life. At first, nothing happened. But then, as the seconds ticked by, a single blade of grass thickened, twisting into a stem. A small purple bud appeared at the tip, swelling and darkening. Slowly, almost hesitantly, the petals unfurled, revealing the delicate bloom within. Joe released the skill and took a deep breath. Sweat dripped down his face in waves.

The amount of concentration it had taken to grow a single flower was exhausting. But as he looked at the tulip, a deep sense of peace settled over him. It had been worth it.

"What is that?" Kai's voice came from over his shoulder.

"Perfect timing," Joe said, plucking the purple flower carefully by its stem.

"A gift for Sarah, an apology for the heavy conversation yesterday." Kai took the flower and turned it in his hands, his eyes widening slightly.

"Whoa, the smell is intense. But it feels… calming."

"It should keep growing if you plant it somewhere near your house. The soil there is still filled with my profession's energy."

"Will do. I'll go find her now. She doesn't have anything important to do today." Joe nodded.

"Thanks, but before you go, can I check out the Pillar shop? Can I buy things for myself? Or is it just city stuff like buildings?" Kai shrugged.

"Your title should give you full access; go anytime. There's tons of stuff, but a lot is expensive, millions of credits, but you can buy potions and items of all sorts. It's a lot."

"Great, I'll go check it out now," Joe said, grinning.

"Any weapons and gear? A Quarterstaff, maybe?"

"Shit, I almost forgot," Kai exclaimed. He raised a hand, a staff materializing in his grip.

"Sarah had this commissioned last week. I told her how you lost your weapon, and she wanted to make sure you had something decent. We have some good weaponsmiths here." Joe took the staff, feeling its weight and balance. It was sturdy, smooth, and perfectly crafted.

"She had it made from a mix of metals I forged and one of your vines," Kai added.

"It should be pretty good until you find something better." Joe activated Identify. Identify: Quarterstaff of forging - This quarterstaff was made from a mix of a titanium alloy and a Farmer's Vine root. The two strong alloys fused to create a one-time creation from sheer luck. This staff is highly durable. +20 Vitality +20 Endurance Joe smiled, blinking away the sting of an unexpected tear. The stats on the staff weren't anything special, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he had a quarterstaff again.

"Dude, if Sarah ever gets bored of you, give her my number," Joe joked as a tear finally rolled down his cheek. Kai groaned.

"I hate you so much." Laughter rang out through the air. Joe twirled his quarterstaff as he approached the City Pillar. His skill, Diabolical Quarterstaffmanship, hummed in the back of his mind. Oh, how he missed that hum. The area around the City Pillar was completely different from when he last saw it. The pillar itself was now housed inside a massive building, a sleek, well-lit structure filled with shelves stacked with books. The place felt more like a library than a city management centre.

At the heart of the room, the city Pillar floated just a couple of inches above the ground, pulsing softly. To the right, two large wooden desks sat covered in notebooks and documents, with chairs arranged neatly around them. Amara sat at one of the desks, writing furiously, barely noticing his entrance.

"Hey, Amara, I'm just here to check out the shop," Joe greeted. Without looking up, she replied, "Sure. Let me know if you need help. Use the panel on the left. The one on the right is for communications."

"Got it," Joe nodded, quickly turning away so as not to disturb her focus. He placed his hand on the left panel, and a holographic window popped up before him. Navigation was intuitive, much like his system menu. He browsed through the options, his mind brimming with curiosity. First, he checked the potion section. A long list of buff potions, healing elixirs, and mana restoratives filled the screen. One, in particular, caught his attention: Clarity Potion.

'Grants the user heightened perception and observational clarity for thirty minutes.' Joe hesitated. That sounded interesting… but redundant. With his hidden stat, Dao Knowledge, he already had a heightened awareness of the world around him. He kept scrolling. Nothing else stood out. Joe shifted his focus to the tools and equipment section, which was far more extensive than expected. It had everything from carpentry kits to blacksmithing tools, but his interest lay elsewhere: the kitchenware.

The kitchen section was filled with an impressive array of pots, pans, and utensils, some made from materials he had never even heard of. Unlike potions, which started at a few thousand credits each, the cooking gear was relatively cheap. Without hesitation, Joe bought a handful of frying pans, knives, and a full set of utensils. Next, he checked out the food section. More importantly, the seeds. His eyes lit up as he saw a massive list of almost one hundred different seeds available for purchase.

He didn't even bother reading through them; he simply bought one bag of every single seed in the store. Ding. Ding. Ding. A cascade of notifications flooded his mind as his storage ring filled with seeds. It took almost a full minute before the endless dings finally stopped. Satisfied, Joe turned his attention to something else: vehicles. Kai and Hak had mentioned that they were saving up for a flying vehicle to visit the other City Pillars and improve trade.

Right now, many of the City Pillars' functions are still locked due to their unfinished reintegration. If they wanted to exchange goods and intel without being restricted by the Pillar's limited communication capabilities, they'd need their own transport. Joe opened the vehicle section and immediately gawked at the prices. The cheapest land vehicle was a speed boat-looking thing with wheels, listed at one million credits. It had a top speed of three hundred kilometres per hour. Faster than Joe could run.

It would let him cross Europe in just a few hours. Then his eyes landed on the flying vehicle Hak had talked about. It had the same boat-like design, but with wings on the sides and stabilizing sail at the rear. Two jet engines jutted out from the back. The roofed cabin had seating for thirty passengers, and its built-in shielding could withstand any F-grade attacks. Its top speed? Four hundred kilometres per hour. Its price? Twenty-eight million credits. Joe bought it.

A special storage ring materialized before him. He plucked it from the air and examined it. A ship storage ring. It had some extra room for storage, though slightly less than his current one. That sparked an idea. Storage rings. He almost slapped himself for not checking sooner. He searched the store again, and, sure enough, there was a whole section for storage rings. Prices started at one hundred thousand credits and went up to five million for the largest one.

Joe bought a two-million-credit ring, which had four times the capacity of his current one. Transferring his inventory was instant. One mental click, and everything was neatly moved. Joe turned to Amara.

"Do you have a storage ring?"

"I don't, why, whoa!" Amara yelped as she caught the ring Joe tossed her way. Her eyes lit up.

"Thank you, but you..." Joe raised a hand, cutting her off.

"Don't worry, it's yours. I just upgraded my own." Before she could protest, he returned to the panel and purchased ten more storage rings, each worth one hundred thousand credits. Then, with a grin, he made one final purchase, a mini version of the flying ship he'd bought earlier. This one was designed for up to five people and cost him ten million credits. Satisfied, he left the building. Millions of credits poorer, in search of his friends. Now that he was back, finding them was easy.

His mini-map covered the whole city. He spotted Hakeem on a training ground with Vanessa, while Kai and Sarah watched from the sidelines.

"Yo." Joe greeted them casually as he approached.

"Hak, come here a sec; I have something for you guys." Once they were all gathered, Joe tossed the storage ring containing the flying ship to Hakeem. Hakeem caught it, surprise soon lighting his face.

"Dude. Holy shit. How did you afford this? Wait, never mind. Forget I asked. Thanks, man." Joe shrugged.

"No problem. I thought it would be helpful to you guys. And what else do I have to spend credits on?"

"One last thing," Joe added.

"I'm gonna hit the coast for a day. See if I can find any signs of my sister. So I'll swing by after that before I head out again."

"You just can't stay still for more than a day, can you?" Hakeem said with a chuckle.

"Not really."

"Good Luck, man," Kai said. Before Joe could leave, Sarah grabbed his arm, pulling him aside.

"Come with me for a second," she said, her voice softer than usual. Joe let her drag him along for a bit before asking.

"What's up?"

"I wanted to show you the headstone, Kai, and I planted for Kayley. We put your flower next to it." A tear rolled down her cheek. Joe squeezed her hand gently.

"Sure, I'd like that a lot." They walked, chatting quietly, until they entered a small clearing behind Kai and Sarah's house. It was a beautiful spot, filled with lilies and azaleas. The small headstone sat in the middle, with the purple flower Joe had given Kai growing beside it. A thin vine from the flower had already wrapped itself around the stone. Sarah gasped.

"Oh my god. Did you make it do that?" She pointed at the vine. Joe shook his head.

"No. I had no idea it would do that." Sarah walked the final steps to the headstone. She knelt, gently caressing the vine and the stone. Joe stood back, watching in quiet respect. He felt calm as he watched her vigil, a moment of remembrance for her daughter. An hour later, Joe left Heliopolis, heading east in search of his sister.