He spent some time with his friend before finally retiring to his room.

Although his body was strong, he could not defy the natural law of sleep. As a result, after returning to his room with nothing urgent to do, he lay down and soon fell asleep.

However, he woke up a few hours later, and by then, it was already the middle of the night.

After a brief moment of thought, he decided to phone the Hunter Association and request their assistance.

He wanted to find suitable C- or B-rank danger zones to clear so he could raise his level. At the same time, he also needed some lower-ranked zones that his friends could handle.

When he called the first time, there was no response.

The second time yielded the same result. Even after several more attempts, including the fifth call, nothing changed.

When the call finally went through, there was still no response on the other end.

"Even at midnight, the Hunter Association is still as busy as when I left?"

If he had not been there just a few hours ago, he would have assumed that his call was being ignored.

But having seen the place earlier and witnessing how much of a beehive it was, he quickly understood the reason.

He heaved a sigh.

It seemed he would have to go to the Hunter Association himself tomorrow.

"Stressful."

He let out an even louder sigh and returned to his bed.

Nonetheless, just before he drifted back into slumber, his ear and danger sense picked up on something. Or rather, someone.

The presence was approaching at an incomprehensible speed.

Alert, he sprang up from the bed and instinctively began to prepare his useful skills through telepathy, ready to engage in combat at any moment.

His gaze locked onto the window, the direction from which the unseen energy was approaching, and his focus sharpened to the extreme.

"Be at ease."

The sudden voice came from behind him, calm and composed.

He turned toward its owner with a dumbfounded expression.

Standing there was a handsome middle-aged man with long, bright red hair cascading down his shoulders.

He was dressed entirely in black, complemented by a brown leather coat that gave him a regal and authoritative appearance.

Norian Sterling.

Before Marlon could say a word,

Norian asked, "Can you fly?"

Marlon shook his head.

There was no change in Norian's expression. "How fast can you learn a skill?"

"Automatically."

This time, Marlon noticed a faint hint of amazement flash across Norian's face, but it vanished just as quickly as the man regained his composure. Norian retrieved a skill book from his inventory and casually tossed it toward Marlon.

[ Flight, B-rank… ]

He did not need to read the description. The name alone was self-explanatory.

The familiar option to learn the skill appeared, and without wasting even a second, he accepted it.

In an instant, his mind was flooded with data. How to fly, how to maintain balance, how to adjust direction, how to accelerate, and everything else related to flight.

At the same time, his body absorbed the information as though it had always been there.

Even though he had never flown before, he felt as if he had been practising the skill for a long time.

With an excited expression, he gently lifted off the ground with ease.

"Good."

Norian spoke calmly before turning and strolling toward the window, which was already open.

"Follow me."

He flew out effortlessly and gestured for Marlon to follow.

Although Marlon was confused by the sudden visit and unexpected command, he trusted Norian Sterling. Without hesitation, he followed after him.

Marlon's flying speed was considerably slower than Norian's, forcing the middle-aged hunter to reduce his own pace so Marlon could keep up.

====

The two of them arrived at a familiar building shortly before dawn.

As they landed on the doorpost, the door flung open, and a young boy with silver hair rushed outside at a speed completely unmatched for his age. He wrapped his arms around Marlon and hugged him tightly.

"Big brother Marlon, you're back."

He looked up at Marlon with bright eyes.

Marlon smiled gently in response.

Using inspection discreetly, his expression shifted into one of astonishment when he discovered that Stormis was now level 70, a D-rank hunter.

Even so, he still could not see Stormis' talent or blessings, as they remained marked with question marks.

"You've grown very strong."

Stormis separated from the embrace and took a few steps back.

He crossed his arms and studied Marlon with a serious expression.

"Would you like to spa—"

Before he could finish his obvious request, a hand suddenly covered his mouth.

"Mrs Victoria, it's nice to see you again."

Marlon greeted her with a smile. To be honest, he was relieved that she had arrived at such a perfect time.

Victoria nodded at him, then offered Norian a small bow as a sign of respect before inviting both men into the house. Stormis followed behind them with folded arms and an exaggerated pout, his stubborn grumbling inaudible but very clear.

Marlon's mind was filled with questions.

Why was he here at Axel Storm's place?

Had Axel Storm finally decided to share the information he had been hiding?

Or was this related to the mission?

Unable to restrain his curiosity any longer, he asked about Axel Storm's whereabouts.

Stormis answered instead, his voice filled with clear displeasure as he explained that his father had not yet returned from the Hunter Association.

'No wonder…'

The answer immediately explained why no one had responded to his calls earlier.

Victoria led them into a finely decorated dining room where steaming hot delicacies were already laid out across the table.

At the sight of the exquisite dishes, his stomach, which had been calm moments ago, suddenly protested with a low growl.

Fortunately, Stormis was in the middle of a tantrum, so no one noticed.

"Please make yourself at home."

Victoria said with a warm smile.

Marlon returned the smile and expressed his gratitude before taking a seat.

Norian sat beside him, and the two of them began to eat.

The food was incredible. It surpassed even the meals he had eaten at five-star restaurants.

Before he realised it, he was eating faster, as though the taste would disappear if he slowed down.

Victoria watched his reaction with a proud smile.

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