CHAPTER 232: CHAPTER 231 - WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD?

The wind whistled low through the cave as Raven and his group returned from Arietta’s divine domain.

Back in the real world.

Real stone. Real gravity. Real air—grimy, mineral-tinged, and utterly refreshing.

Jessy rolled her shoulders with a pop. "Okay, okay, I’m convinced—divine mana is cool and all, but I missed this dusty dump."

"You said that last time," Siris said, side-eyeing her with a smirk.

"Yeah, well, this dusty dump has vibes," Jessy replied.

Graye yawned loudly as she flopped onto a rock like a lazy cat. "So, uh... is it just me, or was phase two more exciting? I swear I could continue to do the second phase for as long as I can."

"Well, yeah. You would need forever to learn anything other than a straight slash, anyway," Clara quipped.

"I’m a fire genius. I don’t need anything other than my fire."

No one spoke against it, as it was the truth.

She was a fire genius.

With her long silver hair swaying behind her, Selena walked toward Raven. "We have powered up a lot in the first phase, and then in the second phase, we have stabilized our power and learned new tricks. So, what would be the next stage?"

Raven smiled, letting her come and hug his right arm as he sat on a boulder, asking. "Why the hurry?"

"Well, we are merely curious." Clara stepped to his left, hugging his other hand.

"You say it like you haven’t already guessed it," Raven chuckled.

It was then that a body hugged Raven from behind, clinging onto him like a spider. "Is the next phase related to stabbing?"

Raven sighed as he heard that question. "You want another stabbing party?"

"Yes!" Siris’s reply was instant, making Raven wonder just how much this girl loved stabbing.

"So? Is there stabbing?" Siris repeated.

"Well, fortunately for you, it has some stabbing," Raven replied, shaking his head.

Siris, however, giggled at those words, wondering whom she would be stabbing.

It was then that Alex raised a hand. "Question: Do you think the lava pants I left in the divine realm will solidify by the time we return there?"

"I don’t think they would even be there," Raven shrugged. "Arietta creates a new domain every time, so the next time we go to her, it will be a new place."

Alex’s eyes widened in horror. "No! They were my masterpieces!"

The big guy fell on his knees, feeling all of his efforts going down the drain.

Squeak!

Nibbles, sitting atop his head, patted him, making him stare at his hand. "You think I can make them again?"

Squeak!

"You also want me to make one for you?"

Squeak!

"Yes! I will make you a crown as well!"

Squeak!

"Of course, a specter is a must!"

Squeak!

.....

...

.

As the chat continued, the others merely observed, exchanging glances, as it was fun to watch a human talk to a squirrel.

Jake sat in a corner, pulling his hood lower with a sigh. A rare gesture for him, but even he looked mildly entertained.

"Yes, yes. I’m back. How are you?"

It was then that another voice was heard, and as everyone turned to the source, they deadpanned.

It was Lia, talking to one of the floral beds she had made last time they were here.

They all realized that they had another one like Alex in their group now.

Lia, after mastering her powers, could converse with plant life as casually as if she were talking to humans.

They all shook their heads as they saw her talking to the plant, telling it about all they had been through.

"I don’t know what she gets from talking to plants. I say we stab them all," Siris muttered, still hanging on Raven’s back like a koala.

"Hm?" Clara frowned at her words, trying to appear clueless. "Weren’t you saying that you were going to learn the plant language the last time I saw you with Lia?"

"Ugh," Siris groaned, as if she had eaten the worst meal on the planet. "Don’t even talk about it. It was so hard to learn it that I stopped trying!"

"I didn’t know you were so quick to give up." Raven raised a brow.

Siris, however, hugged him tighter. "It was too hard, Raven."

"Yeah? How so?"

"I had to learn what twitch meant. Like, how can I differentiate if it wasn’t the wind twitch and the plant twitch?"

The group went quiet again.

After all, her words were true.

All of them had tried learning the plant language in their spare time but failed.

The cave was quiet again, save for the voices of Alex and Lia talking to their respective partners.

Then came the click of heavy footsteps.

Rhythmic. Measured. Familiar.

All heads turned—not in panic or tension, but in casual curiosity.

Argon Von Vaise stepped into the cave.

Tall, silent, and wrapped in a dark navy cloak, his presence was like someone had just opened a side door into the battlefield. Not hostile—just a reminder that power was present.

Selena gave him a polite nod. "Hello, father-in-law."

"Patriarch," Clara also nodded, making Argon nod back.

The Vaise Patriarch strode inside, glancing around the cave with a neutral expression. He stopped only once—at the center—eyeing the half-unpacked bedrolls and half-eaten snacks.

He didn’t even glance at Alex or Lia, as he was already used to the group’s antics.

He merely locked his eyes with Raven.

"Welcome back," he said. "I see your group is... still normal. As normal as you’ll ever get."

"Were you waiting for us or something?" Raven asked, his expression curious.

Argon shook his head. "No. But I came to check."

"Check?" Siris tilted her head, still on Raven’s back.

"Last time, you people were gone for one week. So, I wanted to check if it would be the same this time," explained Argon, making everyone nod.

"Well, it looks like your guess was right," Raven smiled.

Then, there was a short silence as everyone braced for a dad joke, but there was nothing.

Argon didn’t tell any dad jokes.

This made Nibbles, still talking to Alex, pause and raise a sign: "No dad jokes today?"

After another bout of silence, Raven finally asked something informative. "How’s the world?"

Argon folded his arms. "Alive. Busy. Cleansing."

Selena tilted her head. "Cleansing?"

Raven narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"

Argon met his gaze evenly. "The Vaise family has officially entered demon hunting mode. I issued the order after the last attack. Every clan member capable of combat is now eliminating demons and their followers wherever they’re found."

Clara’s expression sharpened. "What was the King’s stance?"

"He can do nothing when the Vaise moves, especially when it is for a just purpose," Argon replied, his expression arrogant for once. "The Royal Knights are useless. The Vaise have taken control of the kingdom’s borders, major cities, and strategic checkpoints. We are the security now."

Jessy blinked. "Damn."

Siris muttered, "So you became the police?"

"We became the executioners," Argon replied flatly.

The cave went quiet for a second.

Rufus suddenly raised his hand. "What about the Ashen Expanse?"

Argon glanced at the stone around them, as if inspecting it for tremors. "Still the same. But there had been some strange movements in the inner ring. Corrupted beasts moving in clusters. Possibly coordinated."

"That’s new," Raven murmured.

"Which is why I stayed behind," Argon continued. "Only a few of us remain here—myself included. If anything goes wrong, someone strong has to be on the front lines."

Selena’s brows furrowed. "You’re taking on all of this... alone?"

"No," he said, then paused. "Just mostly."

Alex, who had stopped talking to Nibbles when the important topic was raised, crossed his arms. "That’s super dramatic and badass. Ten points."

Argon raised a brow. "Are those redeemable for silence?"

"Nope!" Alex grinned.

Clara groaned. "I feel a dad joke incoming..."

Argon didn’t flinch. "One of the Elders asked me how bad the demon threat was. I told him it’s like my cooking."

Everyone blinked.

"...And?" Raven prompted.

Argon deadpanned, "Burnt beyond saving, but still somehow keeps coming back."

There was a beat of silence—then Jessy snorted.

"Oh my blades," Siris wheezed. "Did he just roast himself and the demons?!"

Graye slapped the rock she was sitting on. "That’s... that was good!"

Even Jake cracked a tiny smile, while Selena raised a brow. "Wow. Humor from the man who breathes intimidation. Miracles happen."

Nibbles dramatically flipped a sign: "10/10. Best dad joke so far."

Argon blinked, his eyes filled with surprise. "Did you guys like it?"

He had seen them groan at his jokes, but it was the first time he had seen them laugh.

"Well, it was good," Raven nodded.

"Should I tell one more?" He tilted his head, as if he were thinking deeply about that question himself.

But Raven shook his head. "No, I think one was quite enough."

Others nodded, and again, the cave was engulfed in silence.

That was until Argon moved toward the back of the cave and sat near the wall, crossing his legs like a silent monolith.

"I assume you guys returned to rest again."

Before others could even reply, he added with a straight face, "So sleep well. I’ll be your bodyguard... free of charge. Normally, my protection costs a fortune."

There was a beat of silence—then Rufus snorted.

"Wow," Siris deadpanned. "He just advertised himself like a premium subscription."

Jessy facepalmed. "Vaise Security™—first month free!"

Even Raven smirked. "Next thing you know, he’ll start handing out business cards."

Without missing a beat, Argon calmly reached into his cloak and flicked an actual small, embossed card onto the ground.

It read: "Argon Von Vaise – Corrupt beasts and Demon Hunter, Patriarch, Occasional Babysitter."

The group lost it.