Coming Home

Beneath the setting sun, a winding river flowed through a vast green grassland. A wooden bridge crossed it, and golden sunlight bathed the riverside cottage. The scenery looked like something straight off a desktop wallpaper.

Garen leaped down from the Golden Sun Eagle's back and gazed at the cottage in the distance.

"Ten years have flown by. I'm back. I wonder how my parents are doing."

As he pushed open the courtyard gate, he heard his mother's voice.

"You're back. Dinner's just ready. So, did Old Sam keep from lowballing you on the Level Six Magic Crystal Core this time?"

"???"

Garen had thought his mother had seen him and was talking to him, but it seemed he'd misunderstood. She thought his father had come home.

"A few days ago, a letter came from the Dawson Chamber of Commerce. Our son said he'd applied to graduate and was coming home. I can't believe he's graduating so soon. You won't have to..."

At that moment, his mother reached the gate and saw Garen. Her voice cut off.

After studying him for a moment, she blinked back tears.

"Mother, I'm home."

"Son, is that really you?"

Irene looked at the young man standing before her, nearly six feet three inches tall. She could still make out the features he'd had as a child.

"Mother, Father isn't home yet? I brought you something nice."

Seeing his mother reminded Garen of the Phoenix Blood Fruit. It was a treasure that could improve one's affinity for Fire-style magic. He'd gained more than three hundred experience points from eating just one. It was definitely something special.

"My son has grown up. He even knows to bring me a gift."

Irene smiled warmly.

They went inside, and Garen took ten Phoenix Blood Fruits from his Space Ring and arranged them neatly on the table.

"Are these... Phoenix Blood Fruits?"

Irene stared at them in disbelief. Treasures like the Phoenix Blood Fruit were priceless and virtually impossible to find.

According to legend, there was only one Phoenix Blood Fruit tree on the entire Yulan Continent. It grew in the innermost part of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, a forbidden region for humans. Even Saint Realm experts might not make it out safely.

"How... how did you get these?"

Irene was bewildered. She was so confused that she didn't even notice how the Phoenix Blood Fruits had suddenly appeared.

After all, Space Rings were usually only owned by Saint Realm experts.

Though Garen wrote home while he was at the academy, his letters mostly talked about his daily life and studies. He rarely mentioned his personal strength, usually just glossing over it.

"Ah, don't worry about that for now. I'll explain everything to you and Father when he gets back. Try one first and see if it works. I have plenty more."

At Garen's urging, Irene sat cross-legged and ate a Phoenix Blood Fruit.

When Garen ate one, the system refined it instantly. But after Irene swallowed hers, she couldn't control the immense energy within it. Fiery-red magic power poured from her body, and her skin turned red.

It looked dangerous as she absorbed the fruit's energy, but Garen wasn't worried at all. He'd seen how powerful the Phoenix Blood Fruit's restorative abilities were. The Golden Sun Eagle had been badly beaten and covered in blood, but after eating a few fruits, it had recovered in no time.

Half an hour later, his father, Clark, returned. After exchanging greetings, father and son sat nearby to keep watch over Irene.

It wasn't until late at night that Irene finished absorbing the fruit's energy. Garen could feel that her aura had grown much stronger.

"The Phoenix Blood Fruit is incredible. I broke through a minor stage in one go. I've reached the middle stage of Level Seven Mage."

Irene said excitedly.

A Level Seven Mage was a true high-level mage, and advancing even one minor stage was incredibly difficult. A breakthrough could be blocked at any moment by a bottleneck, and many people remained stuck for the rest of their lives.

Garen was delighted, too. His mother was thirty-six and already a middle-stage Level Seven Mage. Even in the imperial capital, she'd be considered a genius. Mages advanced far more slowly than warriors, but it wasn't impossible that she might reach the Saint Realm one day.

"Mother, put away all these Phoenix Blood Fruits first. I have something very important to tell you both. You should brace yourselves, so you don't get too much of a shock."

Seeing Garen's serious expression, Clark and Irene both looked curious.

"The truth is, our family belongs to one of the Four Ultimate Warriors—the Tiger-Striped Warriors."

Before Clark and Irene could react, Garen transformed.

A tiger-headed humanoid appeared before them.

They'd prepared themselves for a surprise, but they hadn't expected anything so shocking.

Clark and Irene were both stunned by the invisible pressure radiating from Garen.

"One of the Four Ultimate Warriors, the Tiger-Striped Clan? No wonder... no wonder..."

Once he came to his senses, Clark suddenly understood. The Four Ultimate Warriors had left behind countless legends on the continent, sung by countless traveling minstrels. They'd heard a few of those stories themselves.

"Father, Mother, my Tiger-Striped Warrior transformation has now reached the Saint Realm."

With that, he ended his transformation and took the Tiger Stripe Secret Manual from his Space Ring.

"Father, try cultivating with this Tiger Stripe Secret Manual and see if you can manage it."

"All right. The Saint Realm! I can't believe I, Clark, have a son in the Saint Realm! Hahaha!"

His father happily took the Tiger Stripe Secret Manual but didn't rush to start cultivating.

"It's too late tonight. Let's eat first. The food's gone cold, and you've only just come home. We can't let you go hungry on your first day back."

After his mother reheated the food, the family enjoyed dinner together. Then Garen went to bed. He hadn't had a proper rest in days, and at last he could relax for a while and spend time with his parents.

The night passed peacefully. The next morning, Garen woke naturally. After a quick wash, he found that his mother had already prepared a lavish breakfast.

Just as they sat down to eat, his father returned from outside.

"Ah, I tried several times, but failed each time. I guess my bloodline isn't strong enough."

His father spoke with some regret.

"Father, it's all right. I've heard the bloodlines of the Four Ultimate Warriors can be awakened through special methods. We'll find a way someday."

"Mm, there's no hurry. I never expected much."

His father composed himself.

As they ate together, Garen casually asked, "Father, Mother, I've always wondered about something. You're a Level Six Warrior and a Level Seven Mage, respectively—I found that out when I got home yesterday—so why are we living here?"

"Your father and I talked about it last night. We can tell you a lot of things now. I was actually a princess of the Mosa Principality in the Chaotic Territory. Your maternal grandfather was the former king of the Mosa Principality, a powerful peak Level Nine Warrior. Your maternal grandmother was a Level Eight Fire-style Archmage, and you have an uncle."

"The Mosa Principality lies at the southern edge of the Chaotic Territory, next to the Luo'ao Empire. The two dozen or so principalities on either side are effectively controlled by the Radiant Church and the Dark Church. Your grandfather had a very forceful personality, and he had several powerful Level Nine Warriors serving him. Since the unwritten rules of the Yulan Continent forbid Saint Realm experts from participating in wars, the Radiant Church and the Dark Church were both reluctant to bite off such a tough piece. They also treated the Mosa Principality as a buffer zone, and the two sides lived in peace."

"But more than ten years ago, something happened within the Radiant Church. I don't know what, but they suddenly became aggressive, and a large number of new Level Nine experts emerged within the church. They attacked the Mosa Principality and tried to wipe us all out. Your maternal grandparents died at the hands of the Radiant Church while protecting me so I could escape."

"Fortunately, your uncle had graduated from the O'Brien Warrior Academy and gone traveling around the continent. He wasn't in the Mosa Principality and escaped that disaster. For some reason, the Radiant Church kept sending experts to capture me afterward. While I was fleeing, I met your father. We fell in love, and he was willing to live here with me. We've stayed here ever since."

Looks like I got a contract. Thanks for all the recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. I was just running out of things to read. I still think Coiling Dragon is great, but I've read it several times already, so I decided to write some fanfiction to pass the time. I haven't planned out what happens next; I'll just write whatever comes to mind. Hahaha...