The Family's Future Is in Your Hands!

At dusk.

The clouds at the horizon burned like fire.

The ground was littered with the corpses of countless demonic beasts. The beast tide, which had lasted several days, had finally ended.

Flying through the air atop his shield, Li Qi lowered his head and looked at the people in the defensive zone below. It's finally over.

Compared with the surrounding defensive zones, casualties in his area had been minimal. Only a few people had died in the beast tide, largely because he had continually rescued others.

Those people had all died on the first day of the beast tide, when the demonic beasts had been most numerous and the fighting most intense.

"After several days of fierce fighting, it's time to reap the rewards."

Looking at the demonic beast corpses before the first line of defense, Li Qi murmured softly.

For weaker tribes, those demonic beast corpses were valuable materials. The corpses of ninth-stage apprentice-level demonic beasts in particular were difficult to obtain under normal circumstances, and could only be acquired in large numbers after a beast tide.

"Twelve! Thirteen!"

Li Qi called his two younger brothers and headed back to the family with them. They had no intention of participating in the distribution of materials that followed.

They performed well during this beast tide. Once they've completed their first beast-tide trial, they'll be considered adults and qualified to receive names of their own.

On the way back, Li Qi looked at his two exhausted younger brothers and felt greatly relieved.

As warriors, those two brothers were at the average level for the family, possessing the physical qualities of sixth-stage apprentices.

Someone like Li Qi, who could suppress planetary-level demonic beasts even at the apprentice level, had never existed in the Ross Family before. He was a special case.

Especially after obtaining the Sky-Breaking Sword, he had killed two planetary-level demonic beasts during the beast tide. Even planetary-level warriors might not have achieved such results.

After returning to the family, his two brothers first underwent physical examinations before their parents took them home. After washing up, they would consume Purple Orange Fruits and fall asleep, restoring their condition and healing any hidden injuries they might have suffered.

"Eleven! Well done!" Garibuel came over and praised Li Qi. "Twelve and Thirteen are merely physically exhausted. They aren't injured."

"I think Eleven protected Twelve and Thirteen too well!" Derrick walked over. "For Twelve and Thirteen, such a first beast-tide trial may not have been a good thing."

"How is that not a good thing?" Eldest Father Huo Lu arrived as well. "I believe Eleven did nothing wrong.

"Not every child has Little One's and Eleven's talent and strength. Seventh Brother, your way of thinking is too extreme."

Looking at Derrick, Huo Lu sighed inwardly. Seventh Brother's personality is too stubborn. Perhaps that is what affected Eleven as well...

Hearing this, Derrick shook his head slightly and said nothing more before turning and leaving.

Watching his father's departing back, Li Qi also felt that his father's approach to education was problematic.

For example, he had been made to serve as a patrolman while still only an apprentice. He had heard that his father had once taken his eldest brother onto the grasslands to fight carnivorous demonic beasts.

"Eleven, the person your father admires most is your Second Father." Huo Lu patted Li Qi on the shoulder. "He believes that only by letting you experience the cruelty of the grasslands can you become true powerhouses and change Kuka Planet's current state in the future."

"Change Kuka Planet's current state?" Li Qi was puzzled.

"Yes, change Kuka Planet's current state." Huo Lu said wistfully, "That is what Second Brother wants to do."

Li Qi did not understand. Second Father wants to change Kuka Planet's current state? Why?

"All right, don't think too much about it. Go back and take a proper bath." Huo Lu slapped Li Qi on the back and joked with a smile, "I can smell you from here. You stink!"

"Huh?"

Chased away with a slap, Li Qi raised his hand and sniffed himself. There really was a bit of a smell.

After returning home and washing up, the somewhat hungry Li Qi went to the family dining tent. He had barely taken a few bites when he heard Eldest Father's voice.

"All adult members of the family, meeting!"

After swallowing the food in his mouth, he headed toward the family's main tent.

All of the family's adults who were currently present had gathered there. Even Twelve and Thirteen, who should have fallen asleep after completing their first beast-tide trial, were there.

The moment Li Qi entered the spacious main tent, he sensed that something was wrong.

The three people at the far end of the tent were all stunned, grief written across their faces.

"Show everyone the recording." Grandfather Royce gestured to his eldest son, Huo Lu.

Huo Lu stepped forward a few paces and activated the projection from the communicator on his wrist.

A screen appeared, along with the blood-stained face of a handsome young man!

"Big Brother!"

Seeing that familiar face, Li Qi's heart clenched with a terrible premonition!

"I am Ailik Ron Royce. If you find this recording, please pass it on to my family."

The moment Ailik spoke in the recording, everyone watching felt their hearts tighten!

The image shook, and only part of a bloodstained garment appeared on the screen. Ailik was placing the communicator recording the video some distance away.

As Ailik stepped aside, a woman lying on the ground appeared on the screen, covered by a pink blanket.

She had a delicate, beautiful face, but her complexion was pale and bloodless. Only the trace of blood at the corner of her lips marred that beauty.

She lay there quietly, like a sleeping beauty whom no one could bear to wake.

"Daya!"

Looking at the beautiful woman lying silently on the ground, her name surfaced in Li Qi's mind.

Why has Daya become like this?

From what he could see, Daya was most likely...

Ailik returned to the screen and carefully gathered the prone Daya into his arms.

"The United Training Camp was attacked by a demonic beast horde led by several stellar-level demonic beasts. At their head was a stellar-level demonic beast that possessed a domain!"

Ailik spoke from the screen, his tone lifeless.

Li Qi was horrified. Several stellar-level demonic beasts! And one of them has a domain! How is that possible?!

The United Training Camp was located in the heart of the grasslands, where mid- to high-level planetary demonic beasts roamed. Demonic beasts newly advanced to the planetary level generally operated in the inner regions.

At regular intervals, the United Training Camp assigned trial missions, sending its students out in teams to hunt planetary-level demonic beasts!

With such systematic hunting, even if stellar-level demonic beasts were born, there should have been no more than one or two.

How could several stellar-level demonic beasts appear, with one of them even comprehending a domain?!

Ailik's voice came again. "Daya is dead. Like the others, she died in the demonic beasts' attack.

"Many instructors fled. Only a few remain fighting the stellar-level demonic beasts. They won't be able to hold on much longer..."

Boom!

Before he could finish, a massive explosion rang out from the screen.

Ailik glanced to the side, then continued toward the screen. "For a time, I hated Father deeply!

"I hated him for refusing to flee when facing a cosmic-level enemy, for insisting on staying behind when there was clearly no hope left..."

He lowered his head and gently stroked his lover's hair. His voice was bitter, yet relieved. "Now, I understand."

Roar!

A demonic beast's roar sounded.

Ailik ignored it, his voice filled with apology. "I'm sorry, Grandfather! Seventh Father!

"And to all of you, my family! I have failed your expectations."

He carefully laid his lover down, as though he feared that even the slightest movement would wake her.

Clang!

Ailik rose to his feet, reached beyond the screen, and pulled out a greatsword before turning and resting it on his shoulder.

With the greatsword on his shoulder and his back facing everyone, only half of his bloodstained face was visible. "I am going to do something worth giving my life for!"

After giving Daya one final tender look, crimson light began spreading from the front of his body, rapidly extending like blazing flames until it covered him entirely!

Boom!

Like flames exploding, the crimson light spread outward from Ailik, instantly enveloping the entire room!

The air twisted within the crimson light. Every object was scorched by the searing heat, wisps of green smoke rising from them.

Before the crimson radiance consumed the room, Ailik's final words reached everyone's ears!

"Eleven! The family's future is in your hands!"

The first volume ends tomorrow.