Chapter 73: Twelve Pillars
The moment Marcus placed his hand on Amon’s shoulder to pat him, he stiffened, and a stifling sensation filled his throat.
It was as though he might die at any moment.
He had felt this feeling moments ago, only it hadn’t been as intense as this.
Just as the suffocating sensation grew even more terrifying and Marcus felt he might collapse at any moment, Kayla’s voice echoed through the room, warm and gentle.
A slight smile formed on her previously displeased expression.
"Why don’t you invite your brother in?" she said to her husband.
Amon paused for the briefest instant, reining in his killing intent.
However, he had already marked his brother dead in his heart.
Not only for touching him, but more importantly, for harboring thoughts about his daughter.
The moment Kayla’s voice echoed, Marcus felt the suffocating pressure recede like a retreating tide.
He broke out into a cold sweat, stunned that he had almost died just now.
Everything felt far too surreal.
Amon stepped aside, allowing Marcus to enter.
Marcus walked into the sitting room.
The atmosphere felt warm and filled with love.
He glanced around, briefly taken aback by how modest their home was. It was starkly different from the lavish mansions back at the family estate.
Yet somehow, it felt far more comforting than he had anticipated.
He cleared his throat, his thoughts becoming increasingly vivid.
Then he turned to Kayla and spoke with a smile.
"Actually, your husband came from the Miraclad Family. In this world of hunters, we were one of the earliest hunter families to be formed."
Marcus smiled faintly.
"Perhaps you’ve heard of the Twelve Pillars."
Kayla’s eyes widened slightly.
Of course she had.
Every citizen knew of them.
The Twelve Pillars were the twelve strongest awakened factions in the country, organizations that had protected humanity from countless dungeon disasters since the early years of the awakening era.
"The Miraclad Family is one of them," Marcus continued calmly.
"Not only that, we’re among the oldest. Long before most awakened families existed, the Miraclad Family was already standing at the forefront of humanity’s battles."
His voice carried a trace of pride.
"For decades, government officials, guild masters, and even S-rank hunters have attended our gatherings. Our influence extends far beyond what ordinary people imagine."
Only then did Kayla fully understand what kind of family Amon had originated from.
Hearing his words, Kayla’s eyes flashed with surprise.
This was the first time she was hearing about her husband’s family background.
Normally, whenever she asked him, he was always vague about it or simply stated that they were dead, something she had never completely believed.
However, because she too carried no memories of her own family, she had eventually chosen to set the matter aside and stop pressuring him.
Now, it seemed they weren’t actually dead.
She couldn’t help but wonder why her husband had chosen to keep it from her.
’Coming from such a high-ranking family, could it be that a mortal girl like me was unworthy of being Amon’s wife? Was that why he chose to hide everything from me?’
The thought made Kayla’s heart ache faintly.
Still, she forced herself to remain calm as Marcus continued.
"Unfortunately," Marcus paused before giving Amon a brief glance, "your husband failed to awaken and was ultimately cast out from the family."
’So that’s the reason...’
Kayla’s eyes widened slightly as understanding dawned on her.
Amon remained seated with a calm expression, seemingly unbothered by the ongoing conversation.
In his mind, however, he had already begun formulating a plan.
Marcus noticed that Kayla had digested his previous words and finally revealed what he considered the good news.
"However, there’s a chance for your husband to be welcomed back into the family."
"What chance?" Kayla asked, raising a brow in surprise.
"Well..." Marcus hesitated briefly before speaking evenly. "Your daughter."
"We can test your daughter, and if she possesses the talent to become an awakened, you and your husband will be welcomed into the family with open arms."
Marcus paused before adding casually,
"Of course, opportunities like this are exceedingly rare."
His fingers tapped lightly against his knee.
"The family head personally reviewed your daughter’s file before approving this invitation."
Kayla’s expression changed slightly.
Marcus noticed and continued.
"Do you know how many people would sacrifice everything for a chance like this?"
His smile remained polite.
"Entire awakened clans have spent decades attempting to establish connections with the Miraclad Family."
He glanced toward Amon.
"Yet despite being cast out, your family has been offered an opportunity that countless people would envy."
The meaning behind his words was obvious.
Accept the invitation.
Do not refuse.
Because refusing would be considered an insult.
An insult the Miraclad Family would remember.
Hearing those words, Kayla’s eyes trembled with shock.
She stared at Marcus, noticing the calm smile on his face, the look of a man who believed he held everything under control.
In that instant, she understood the hidden intentions behind this visit.
They wanted to take her daughter away.
Kayla frowned.
She would never allow anyone to take her daughter from her.
But could they really refuse?
She and her husband were weak, unawakened mortals.
Resisting the pressure of a powerful awakened family was practically impossible.
Especially when that family was the Miraclad Family, one of the strongest awakened families in existence and among the very first to stand at the forefront when dungeons descended upon the world.
Kayla bit her lip, understanding the predicament they were facing.
Marcus noticed the change in her expression, and his smile deepened.
As expected, the couple was trapped.
He stood up calmly, concealing the satisfaction in his eyes.
With a casual wave of his hand, he produced something resembling a neatly folded invitation and extended it toward her.
"In one week’s time, the family head will be hosting a banquet to celebrate his hundredth birthday. You two are invited, along with your daughter. During the ceremony, her talent will be evaluated."
His voice lowered slightly.
A subtle threat lurked beneath the surface.
"Please try not to disappoint the family head. Everyone will be alerted of your arrival beforehand."
The moment those words left his mouth, Amon stood up.
His killing intent surged violently, towering toward the heavens.
For the first time since Marcus arrived, he found it difficult to suppress the urge to kill him.
How dare anyone threaten his family?
Whether subtle or direct, no one was allowed to threaten his family.
Not even gods.
Amon briefly observed his wife’s reaction.
Kayla’s expression had already returned to her usual professional smile.
She accepted the invitation from Marcus with calm, steady hands.
"Alright. Thank you. My husband and I will take a plane and arrive on time. Please rest assured."
Unwilling to endanger her family and fully aware that the three of them were merely mortals in the eyes of such people, Kayla ultimately agreed.
Later, she would discuss everything with her husband and make sure nothing went wrong.
Hearing her response, Marcus smiled.
"You’re a smart woman, Mrs. Kayla."
With that, he spoke one final sentence before leaving.
"I’ll be on my way. We’ll be expecting you."
As he left the house, Amon watched him with a cold expression.
Based on the warnings from his Danger Sense, Marcus had not come with good intentions.
In essence, if Amon’s daughter failed to awaken, they would settle everything at once and erase the family completely, leaving no possibility of survival.
Amon could already infer that much.
It was the reason they had been invited to the banquet in the first place.
At first, Amon had no intention of going.
Then he remembered something.
That’s right...
The Miraclad Family was one of the oldest families in this world.
They should possess secrets regarding the ancient eras before dungeons ever existed.
Amon suspected they might even know something about the coming destruction.
If that were true, why weren’t they doing anything about it?
Or perhaps they already were.
If his guess was correct, then the easiest way to uncover the truth was to visit the family himself.
Only the family head would possess the answers he sought.
A cold light flashed through Amon’s eyes as he made a decision within his heart.
It seemed he would have to pay his family a visit this time.
The only question was whether he would be going alone or...
"It seems we have to attend the birthday banquet," Kayla said with a wry smile, her gaze still fixed on the doorway where Marcus’s silhouette had disappeared.
Amon looked at her.
"You don’t have to worry."
Kayla let out a soft laugh.
"How can I not worry? That man practically threatened our family to our faces."
"I know."
"He belongs to one of the strongest awakened families in existence, Amon."
"And?"
Kayla stared at him for a moment before shaking her head helplessly.
"Sometimes I genuinely wonder where your confidence comes from."
Amon reached out and gently held her hand.
"Wherever we go, nothing will happen to you or our daughter."
His voice was calm.
Yet for some reason, it carried an unquestionable certainty.
Kayla lowered her gaze to their intertwined fingers.
The anxiety in her heart eased slightly.
After a brief silence, she squeezed his hand back.
"Then let’s face it together."
A faint smile appeared on Amon’s face.
"Together."
