Bright and early, Ethan floored it to 160 mph, zooming down the empty streets until he pulled up at a towering skyscraper.


    He hung around up there for a solid two hours before heading back down.


    "Man, looks like I gotta sue somebody."


    Ethan shrugged, kinda shocked that the real-world ckwood family drama was this intense. Out with the old, in with the new— the new head honcho was ying favorites, funneling his allowance straight to his own kids...


    "Guess I''ll head back and figure it out."


    ncing at his phone, Ethan noticed the time had really flown by, and the ckwoods were in the midst of major changes.


    He frowned, pocketing his phone.


    Suddenly, the sky cracked with the sound of breaking air, and he looked up.


    Above the skyscraper, about thirtywyers in suits were flying on swords, whipping out some high-tech psychic gear.


    From the clouds, Ethan caught snippets of a conversation.


    "Tell the rest of ourpany, Mr. Kieran orders us to surround ckwood!"


    "Go tell the governor, the head of ckwood is suspected of murder... no, conspiring with alien bug tribes."


    "Check if any of our clients are in jail, tell them to get ready. The boss wants to discuss something, don''t ask why. If you do, just say the jail might get deadly soon, we''ve got business to handle."


    "You think this is a raid? Heck no, we''re off to court, we''re a legitw firm!"


    Yeah.


    Looks like they were off to help with thewsuit.


    With these justice-drivenwyers on his side, getting his allowance back seemed pretty solid.


    Ethan''s worries eased, and he headed home with a relieved smile.


    "Finally, I can chill with the system!"


    ...


    "Wee back, Commander."


    Back home, the sun was shining bright, and Lisa''s smile was even brighter, "Commander, you could''ve just called, no need to go yourself. Oh, and Mr. Jackson from Psychic Sanctuary 7, Miss ra from 39, and Mr. Leo from 92 stopped by, wanted to see you."


    "I had to make the trip, or they''d think I was dead."


    Ethan grinned, "I''m off to y some games in my room. Give all the good food to Mr. John, I''ll just make do with some spaghetti. If anyonees looking for me, just say I''m not home. I owe too many favors already, can''t afford to rack up more. Once things settle down outside, they''ll stoping."


    "Got it, Commander." Lisa nodded and left.


    Ethan quickly headed to his room and plopped down on the couch, legs crossed.


    After hustling around for five hours,ing home and staring at hisputer screen felt like it had been five years.


    In the game "Cultivating Psychic Powers Family Simtor," the ckwood estate had transformed drastically. What started as a humble cabin now boasted six houses and several other buildings.


    The action list was packed with updates.


    "Luna has sessfully given birth to a daughter, named ''Olivia ckwood''!"


    Now three years old, Olivia was energetically running around the yard.


    Lucas, another of the children, was now ten. Ethan was thrilled because, thanks to some herbal pills improving his talents, Lucas''s Psychic Constitution had reached 62, and his cultivation level had soared to the thirdyer of Foundational Energy.


    "Psychic Arts Manual: Progress 12%."


    The other two kids were doing well too. Eight-year-old Amelia, despite her lesser talents and even after consuming a special psychic-enhancing pill, hadn''t managed to push any of her Psychic Constitution stats over 50. Yet, she had still reached the firstyer of Foundational Energy, especially with a unique trait she possessed.


    "Trait: nt Affinity"


    "Born with a keen intuition for nting and cultivating nts, significantly increasing sess rates."


    Despite a severe drought, perhaps due to Amelia''s presence, the vegetable garden remained unaffected and the nts thrived.


    Then there was Julian, previously the most gifted. His mixed Psychic Constitution had three attributes over 50. Although only six, he had already be a firstyer Psychic.


    Compared to the early days when Nathan was all alone, ckwood was now bustling with life.


    However, perhaps due to her age, Luna hadn''t be pregnant again.


    That wasn''t much of an issue, though. After all, she had already delivered four kids, a true heroine, and Ethan couldn''t really ask for more.


    As Ethan moved the mouse over to Nathan''s name in the member list, the screen shifted.


    Ethan frowned.


    In the room, Nathan, who had reached the sixthyer of Foundational Energy after five years of cultivating psychic powers, was now lying in bed with one leg wrapped in bamboo splints and secured with white cloth.


    "Nathan"


    "Status: Severely Injured"


    Despite Ethan''s busy morning, he had kept an eye on the game screen.


    Over the years, Nathan had proven to be one of the most dedicated members of the ckwood family, frequently traveling to the Silver Iron Forest and bringing back meat while never forgetting his duty to teach the children.


    But life is never smooth sailing for anyone.


    "In the 15th year, Nathan went to Forest Town to sell exotic beast materials. On the way, he saved a child about to be hit by a reckless young noble on horseback. Seeing Nathan''s skills, the young master of Forest Town Heath tried to recruit him."


    "Nathan, citing his need to care for his children, politely declined and thus incurred the wrath of Dexter Heath, who sent an eighthyer Foundational Energy master to severely injure Nathan."


    "Damn it."


    Ethan clenched his teeth in anger. He had been monitoring the situation when the incident urred and had used ''Forebearer''s Love'' to save Nathan''s life!


    "Just a close call, and my precious descendant, whom I''ve nurtured for fifteen years, almost died!"