The sun hung low in the skies above the Magnus estate, casting long shadows over its winding marble paths and skybound gardens. After answering every question thrown his way by his family—his abrupt disappearance, the mysterious spatial rift, the journey across galaxies, and his battles beside Valeris and Veyra—Asher finally asked for something of his own.
But to return to the place he truly called home.
The old outer mansion, perched near the edge of the estate grounds, was still there. Not touched by renovations or noble vanity. A wide garden sprawled around it, half-wild, half-tended. And in its heart stood the one person he had missed more than anyone else.
She was kneeling by a flowering bush, pruning crimson blossoms with gentle care. The wind rustled her long silver-fox tail, and her ears twitched faintly before she even heard his footsteps.
"Asher…" she whispered before she'd even turned.
He didn't say anything.
He just walked forward.
And before she could rise fully to her feet, he dropped to his knees and hugged her tightly.
Emily froze, caught off guard—but then her arms came around him, pulling him close in a warmth no court could ever offer. Her hand brushed through his hair as it had when he was young.
"You've grown," she murmured, voice thick. "You've really grown."
"I'm sorry," Asher said softly. "I should've come back sooner. I tried… but so many things happened."
"You don't have to explain," she said, still holding him. "You're here now. That's enough."
When they finally pulled apart, Emily looked him over with a critical eye—just as she used to when checking if he'd been in a fight again. Her aura had matured. Once only at Legendary Rank, she now radiated a calm, dense presence—Peak Soul Rank, stable and refined.
"You've become a fine man," she said proudly. "But you still look like that hungry boy I found sneaking out of his lessons."
Asher chuckled, wiping at the corner of his eye. "You were always more of a mother to me than… well, you know."
Emily's expression dimmed briefly but softened as she touched his cheek.
"You never needed to say it. I always knew. And I loved you as my own."
Asher gestured behind him as Valeris and Veyra stepped forward, both bowing their heads respectfully.
"These are my wives," he said. "Valeris and Veyra."
Emily's eyes widened slightly. "Wives? Two of them?"
"She insisted," Veyra said with a sly smile, motioning to Valeris.
Valeris snorted. "He can't handle just one of us anyway."
Emily laughed, genuinely and warmly. "Then I see not only have you grown powerful… you've grown lucky."
"I also came with a gift," Asher said, reaching into his spatial ring. "You always said you were too old to start chasing rank-ups. I think it's time we proved otherwise."
He revealed a crystal vial filled with golden-red essence. Emily's breath caught. Even without sensing it directly, her instincts knew—this wasn't normal medicine. It was pure bloodline essence, laced with ancient beast signatures and high-tier soul harmony.
"You… you want me to take this?"
"It'll awaken your deeper lineage," Asher said. "You're a golden fox beastwoman. This will help evolve your bloodline—maybe even bring you to World Rank someday. You deserve it."
Emily stared at the vial, then at him.
"You spoil me too much."
"You raised me," he said simply. "This is the least I can do."
The old mansion behind them still stood, worn but sacred, filled with memories of scoldings, shared meals, and quiet nights under starlight.
"Also, I'm hungry," Asher said, his voice dropping into a boyish grumble.
Emily blinked, then narrowed her eyes playfully. "Hungry, are we? After returning home like a ghost and making an old woman cry?"
He gave her a sheepish grin. "Guilty."
"Hmph." She crossed her arms. "Fine, Young Master. I'll cook your favorite—"
"Don't call me that," he interrupted gently, stepping forward and placing a hand over hers. "Just call me Asher. That's enough."
Emily paused, eyes softening. Then she smiled, the corners of her mouth turning up with that same mischievous warmth she always had. "As you wish, you naughty boy."
He chuckled at that—because it was exactly how she used to scold him when he snuck sweets from the kitchen or skipped sword practice.
And truthfully… he didn't mind it one bit.
Asher stepped into the main hallway of his old estate—a quiet stillness settling around him the moment the door slid open.
It was almost surreal.
The walls were still etched with the same crimson-gold runes that pulsed faintly in tune with the Magnus bloodline. The twin dragon chandeliers still hung high above the grand foyer, their glass wings catching the sunlight just like they did when he was young. Even the smell in the air—clean stone and burning incense—was the same.
His boots echoed softly as he walked across the polished floor. He paused beside the old column near the sitting room, brushing his fingers against the shallow scratch marks he'd once made during a sparring match with Valen, one of the older guards who used to train him.
"I thought they would've remodeled this place after I disappeared," he muttered to himself.
Behind him, Emily smiled quietly as she followed at a short distance. "The family left it untouched. No one had the heart to change it. Even your mother refused to turn this estate over to the court caretakers."
Asher nodded, his throat tight. "It's like time froze here…"
He moved through the lounge, trailing fingers across the back of a velvet couch, then into the study, where the tall shelves still bore the books he'd barely finished. His old training sword still hung mounted on the far wall, slightly tilted to one side—just as it had always been.
"Everything's just… the same," he whispered.
Emily stepped beside him, her voice gentle. "It waited for you. We all did."
Asher turned to look at her—and for a moment, the weight of all the years he'd spent away, the pain and struggle, the blood and power—it all felt small compared to the warmth of this room. Compared to the feeling of home.
He gave her a grateful smile.
This chapter is updated by Novel~Fire. (n)et
She patted his arm. "Now sit down and rest. You're home… and dinner's going to be ready soon."