Return of the Mythic Bloodline

Chapter 485: Family time

The world was turning chaotic. First came an official duel between two S-Rankers, an event that had never happened before. Then a Black Gate suddenly appeared during the Orientation of young awakeners, followed by a Dungeon Break in San Francisco with a continent-level Boss Monster.

There was one man at the centre of all these insane events.

Raj Singh, a registered E-Ranker who had been in a comatose state until just a month ago.

However, no one thought of him as an E-Ranker anymore. Not after what he did in the Black Gate, and definitely not after witnessing him defeat an anomaly monster that had wiped out an entire squad of S-Rankers.

The media had gone restless trying to get his interview. Countless conspiracy videos from YouTubers were already being uploaded, linking Raj to the monsters of the Gates and to literal Grim Reapers, owing to his strange power of controlling souls.

There were two more figures becoming hot topics on social media: Nymeria and Ume. They had appeared out of nowhere and stopped a literal ballistic missile as if it were a toy. People were already linking them to angels because of their godly appearances and the enchanting powers they wielded.

And yes, they, along with the Singh family, had completely vanished from the public eye.

---

Beep!

"Aren’t they exaggerating things a little too much," I sighed, turning off the TV where the journalists were actively discussing us.

"Hey, I was watching that," Aryan snarled from the bed.

"Just stay put, old man," I said, pressing against his injured sides. "Focus on your healing."

"Y-you fucker! That hurts!" He snapped, throwing a punch at me. It struck empty air as I easily dodged by stepping back.

"Raj, stop bullying your brother," a soft voice reached my ears.

"Yes, tell him, Maa," Aryan said with a smug look.

Maa entered the hallway, holding Inayat in her arms, where Aryan’s bed was placed. I was sitting on the sofa beside him. Sister Aisha was in the kitchen preparing dinner.

We were staying in the guest house provided by the American Awakeners’ Association. Well, calling it a guest house was an understatement.

It was a luxurious, sea-facing villa on a remote island. Perched on a cliff, it featured sleek modern architecture with floor-to-ceiling glass walls that offered breathtaking ocean views. Inside, the open-plan living space had polished marble floors and elegant contemporary furnishings. The fully equipped chef’s kitchen was stocked with premium ingredients, and the five spacious en-suite bedrooms were pure comfort. There was even an ocean-facing balcony, a private spa, an outdoor yoga pavilion, and lush tropical surroundings that made it feel more like a billionaire’s retreat than a simple guest house.

They sure hadn’t held back in providing accommodations and helping us avoid the media. Well, it was natural given the enormous blunder they had made.

If Ume and Nymeria hadn’t intercepted the nuclear missile, the destruction would have been unimaginable.

I didn’t blame them for it. Desperate situations call for desperate measures. It was a sacrifice of the few to protect the many. I understood their reasons, even if I didn’t agree with them.

For me, the people close to me matter the most. I would never choose the world over them.

---

"Don’t talk to me. I still haven’t forgiven you for scaring us," Maa retorted at Aryan.

"Inayat also hates Papa," Inayat pouted from Maa’s arms, glaring at him with her large, adorable eyes.

"Exactly!" I added salt from the background.

"Maa..." Aryan whimpered. "I’m really sorry..."

He turned to Inayat. "Innu baby, come to Papa."

"Hmph. Papa was gone for a hundred years. Inayat has forgotten who Papa is," she retorted, shaking her head vigorously, her little braids adorably swatting her bunny-like face.

She obviously had no awareness of anything that had happened in San Francisco. She was simply angry because he had abruptly abandoned their holiday trip the moment the Black Gate emerged.

"Ack! Innu, how could you..." Aryan whimpered, dramatically clutching his chest.

"Hahaha, that’s what you get for making my Inayat worry," I laughed in amusement.

"Fu-fucker, whose fault was it that I had to run back to India," Aryan muttered, nearly tearing up as he suffered through the bullying.

Sister Aisha and Maa had obviously cried rivers when I came back carrying Aryan unconscious. However, from the moment he woke up, both had been giving him the cold shoulder for worrying them to death.

Sister Aisha hadn’t exchanged a single word with him. And I, naturally, was enjoying every bit of his misery.

I rose from the sofa, extended my arms toward Inayat, and said in a soft tone, "Forget about the old man. Come to Uncle Raj, my lovely niece."

She turned, gave me a silent look, then puffed her cheeks out like a bloated balloon.

"Hmph!"

"Eh?" I raised an eyebrow and quickly moved to the side she had turned her face toward.

"What happened, cutie?"

"Hmph!"

I darted to the other side.

"Inay—"

"Hmph!"

"Now, what have I done to deserve this."

She didn’t answer. She wrapped her arms around Maa and announced, "Uncle Raj didn’t come with us on the trip. Inayat didn’t see him for two hundred years. Inayat has forgotten Uncle Raj even more than Papa."

"Is that so... then I suppose I’ll have to find a new niece and give her the gift I bought for Inayat. Sigh... what a pity," I released an exaggerated sigh.

Inayat slowly turned her head, peeking through Maa’s embrace in what she clearly considered a very sneaky manner.

What she saw in my hand was a beautiful white princess dress, almost identical to the one Cinderella wore on TV.

"Whoah, a princess dress!" She gasped, scrambling down from Maa’s arms and sprinting toward me.

"Give me," she said, thrusting both hands forward.

"Why should I? You’ve already forgotten me," I answered with a shrug, raising my arm just high enough that the dress hovered barely out of her reach.

"Inayat remembers Uncle Raj! He is my White Knight," she blurted, hopping repeatedly, grasping for the dress.

"That’s more like it," I said with a satisfied smile, lowering my arm.

She immediately snatched it, hugged my leg tightly, and exclaimed, "Thank you, Uncle Raj! Inayat loves Uncle Raj!"

"And me?" Aryan asked, easing himself into the conversation.

The smile vanished from Inayat’s face. She fixed him with a sharp glare and asked, "Who are you?"

That was the final nail in the coffin.

I could see him shattering into countless pieces right before my eyes.

While he remained stunned, Inayat ran inside the room to try on her dress. Meanwhile, I helped Sister Aisha and Maa set the dishes and plates on the dining table.

"Brother Raj, take these dishes to that man," Sister Aisha said, handing me a plate.

"Sure."

I placed a small bed table on Aryan’s lap before setting down his dinner.

"Here, old man. Have your dinner."

Just as I was about to turn away, he grabbed my wrist and whispered, "Hey buddy, please help your brother. They’re all treating me like a dog. Tell me, how do I calm them down."

Now, I felt a little bad for him. If I turned him down now, he would definitely break into tears.

"Well, Maa isn’t that angry at you. You know how she is. A few sweet words and she’ll come around easily."

"Yeah, Maa is the kindest. I’ll coax her in no time. And for Inayat, I can give her gifts like you did. But tell me, how do I calm your sister-in-law?"

He was the one with a child, yet the idea of giving his own daughter a gift had only occurred to him after watching me. I was genuinely worried about him now. Once Inayat grew up, he was in for a world of scolding and beating.

I released a sigh, pulled him closer, and whispered, "When you go into the bedroom, give Sister Aisha a snicker... snicker... and if she gets angry, then snicker... snicker... or else snicker... snicker..."

With each word that entered his ear, his face turned redder, his eyes growing wider.

"Y-you bastard. How could you even think of something like that?" He gasped. "Y-you can’t be my brother. Raj was never such a pervert."

"Tch, I was wrong to share my secret techniques," I muttered, stepping away. "It’s a miracle you even had a daughter with how gullible you are."

"Hey, that’s rude!"

I ignored him and turned to walk away.

"Hey, wait." He called out again. "Are you really sure it’ll work?"

The corner of my lips curled upward.

I turned back, slipped my hand into my pocket and opened a small inventory hole.

"Of course it will," I said, placing a packet into his chest pocket.

"What is this?" he asked, confused.

"The same thing you slipped into my pocket when I went on that trip with Jasmine," I said with a wink. "Let Inayat grow up a little more before you start planning for another child."

His face was now a sight to behold. I had always wanted to get back at him for that. And now, finally, I had returned the favour.

While he sat frozen, I let out an amused laugh, tapped his shoulder, and returned to the dining table.

We were halfway through dinner when Aryan revealed in a calm tone, spooning up a mouthful of rice, "Maa, did you know Raj has girlfriends. Two of them."