Nie Yan logged out of the game as usual, drank a cup of nutrient solution, and was about to start studying and exercising when suddenly he heard hurried knocking on the door—bang, bang, bang.
Not knowing who it was, Nie Yan stood up and opened the door. Two familiar figures came into view—it was his parents coming back!
Nie Yan’s father looked very similar to him, and although he was only in his forties, he already had quite a bit of gray hair. He wore a crisp suit, and his tall, upright posture naturally exuded a military bearing. Nie Yan’s mother had been a beauty in her youth, but time had left its mark with wrinkles around her eyes. Still, she radiated a noble and graceful aura, very different from the average housewife. Perhaps that was why she often felt out of place among relatives and friends.
Nie Yan’s parents looked exhausted and travel-worn, clearly having not slept for several days.
“Dad, Mom,” Nie Yan felt a lump in his throat, tears welling up in his eyes. So much had happened across lifetimes, and seeing them again stirred up a mixture of joy and sorrow.
“Xiaoyan, I’m sorry for leaving you alone at home,” his mother hugged Nie Yan, her voice choked with emotion. They had no choice but to leave him behind. “Mom and Dad are back now.”
“It’s okay, Mom and Dad. I understand. I’m just glad you’re both safe,” Nie Yan replied. He understood their difficulties. Reborn, he was no longer the ignorant fool he used to be. Seeing his parents again was a gift from heaven.
“You’ve grown taller and stronger, Xiaoyan,” his mother said affectionately.
“You two haven’t slept in days, so go rest first.”
Nie Yan seemed much more considerate than before. Looking at his son, Nie Yan’s father, who usually wore a stern expression, now showed a trace of tenderness and warmth.
“I told you boys should learn to be independent. You spoil him too much. Without us around these past few days, Nie Yan has matured a lot,” Nie’s father said with a cheerful laugh.
Nie’s father was a rigid man, and the two had never had much communication, so when Nie Yan was young, he always felt a certain distance from his father. However, after being reborn, Nie Yan now understood that a father’s love was simply expressed differently than a mother’s.
The family was finally reunited. Nie Yan’s mother was surprised to discover that Nie Yan could now cook, and his cooking was quite good, which brought her great comfort. It seemed that during their absence, Nie Yan had indeed learned to be independent, becoming more grounded and stronger in physique than before, which made them both deeply relieved.
At dinner, the atmosphere was warm and joyful. The feeling of happiness reminded Nie Yan, who had lived two lives, once again how precious happiness truly was. A strong conviction slowly grew within him—he must become strong enough to protect this family.
“Let’s invite Achen to have dinner with us. He’s helped us a lot these days and has gone through a lot with us,” Nie’s mother said. Achen was Nie Yan’s cousin, someone very close to Nie Yan’s family, and had been with Nie Yan’s parents during their absence.
“Don’t meddle. He’s finally home after a long time. Let him spend more time with his family,” Nie’s father scolded gently.
Nie’s mother smiled, thinking it made sense.
“We should also repay the money we borrowed from Luo Ming and others,” Nie’s father said. Back then, Luo Ming and others had given him a hard time when he borrowed the money. Now he had returned triumphant, finally able to hold his head high. The money earned at the border was enough to repay all debts and ensure the family’s comfort. Moreover, he had made the right connections and would soon start his company, with a bright future ahead.
“I’ve already paid back the money,” Nie Yan said. Thinking of those relatives, he felt a cold sneer rise within him. From today onward, he would ensure his parents cut all ties with these so-called relatives.
“What did you say?” Nie’s father was stunned. Nie Yan had already repaid the debt?
“While you were away, Uncle and others came several times to demand payment. I had no choice but to borrow some money from Yaozi to settle the debts,” Nie Yan explained.
“Despicable! That bastard Luo Ming!” Nie’s father’s face turned icy cold as he slammed the table hard. Although Nie Yan had shown no outward reaction while speaking, Nie’s father could imagine how much humiliation his son had endured. When they left Nie Yan behind, one of the reasons was because the border was too dangerous, but another was to reassure Luo Ming and others. Yet during their absence, those people had actually come to demand debts from a child left alone at home, forcing Nie Yan to borrow money from classmates to repay them. It was simply too much— even a clay Buddha would have its limits.
Nie’s mother was also furious. Luo Ming was Nie Yan’s maternal uncle—how could he do such a thing!
“Since the debts are all repaid, let’s just forget it. From now on, we’ll cut all ties with them—we don’t have such relatives in our family! But we must repay Yaozi. Let’s invite him for a meal sometime. We owe him a lot for his help,” Nie’s father said. He felt deep guilt toward Nie Yan. Fortunately, Nie Yan had matured. If he were still a fragile 18-year-old, the experience could have left lasting psychological scars.
“Okay, I’ll call Yaozi tonight and invite him over tomorrow,” Nie Yan said. He had been thinking about why Luo Ming and others had come to collect debts. Perhaps it had something to do with that woman, Lin Jia. But since the matter had passed, there was no need to dwell on it. The debt collection had directly led to his parents cutting ties with those relatives, so naturally, when his father started the company, these so-called relatives wouldn’t be allowed in. In a way, Lin Jia had actually done Nie Yan a favor.
“When should we invite Old Lin and Old Liu over? They also helped us a lot this time,” Nie’s father said. Compared to those relatives, these old comrades-in-arms were far more reliable.
“Yes,” Nie’s mother nodded in agreement.
The family talked late into the night.
“Mom and Dad, you should rest early. You’ll need energy tomorrow,” Nie Yan said. Although he was technically in his twenties, he had to pretend to be a responsible 18-year-old to please his parents.
“You should also rest early,” Nie’s mother gently patted his head, saying affectionately.
Although Nie’s father didn’t say much, Nie Yan could feel the joy in his heart.
Back in his room from the living room, Nie Yan lay on the bed. His parents were back. This feeling was extremely comforting. Today was the most peaceful day he had felt since his rebirth. He glanced at the helmet quietly lying beside the bed. There would be many things in the future, but everything was steadily progressing. No matter what, he would never allow his family to follow the same tragic path again.
For the next three days, Nie Yan spent his nights in the game completing task instances and his days accompanying his parents visiting relatives and friends. Luo Ming, his aunt-in-law, and his aunt were exceptions—many other relatives had supported them during their hardship. His parents visited several of these relatives, invited Tang Yao for a meal, visited Uncle Lin and Uncle Liu, and also met Nie Yan’s cousin Achen.
Only on the third day did Nie’s father start busily preparing for the company. They had finally made the right connections, and if they didn’t set up the company quickly, the connection might be lost.
Registering a company wasn’t complicated. With a stable business and a few employees, it could already operate. Nie’s father was entering a highly profitable business with no market worries—someone on the other side would ship goods, and the state would purchase them at a high price. That was why in his previous life, Nie’s father had accumulated a vast fortune in just one or two years. Of course, once the company expanded, it would also engage in legitimate businesses, though those were merely for appearances.
Things went smoothly for his father at first, so Nie Yan could focus on the game, Faith.
Re-entering the game, he checked the task progress: 11997/12000.
Only three more to go for this stage. Nie Yan continued killing headless knights as usual. He had long become numb to it, and soon finished off three more.
System: You have completed task progress 5 and received the Intermediate Demon Hunter title.
This task was truly difficult. If there were another task progress 6, Nie Yan would definitely go crazy. He checked the Intermediate Demon Hunter’s status attributes: Reputation with all human nations increased by 12, all dark creatures within 10 yards have their attributes reduced by 20%, and the skills Intimidate and Deterrence are granted.
Intimidate: Causes the target creature to enter a state of fear and paralysis for 2 seconds within a 3-yard range.
Deterrence: When used, drives away nearby monsters for 10 minutes. Ineffective against monsters more than 20 levels higher than the user.
Intimidate was a short-range control skill, quite useful for both player combat and monster killing. As for Deterrence, it was quite handy when grinding monsters. Most importantly, with the Deterrence skill, he might finally be able to explore the temple at the center of the Illusory Realm.
The rewards for titles such as Novice Death Slayer, Intermediate Death Slayer, and Advanced Death Slayer were decent but not particularly impressive. It was only when the titles progressed to Novice Demon Hunter and Intermediate Demon Hunter that the rewards became truly valuable!
Nie Yan checked his reputation. He already had 19 reputation points with Carol, and adding the 12 from the title, he now had a total of 31. Now, even with a red name, returning to Carol City wouldn’t be a problem—he wouldn’t be killed by the guards!
Immediately afterward, Nie Yan received another task.
System: Congratulations on completing a round of tasks. Strength +10, Agility +10, Intelligence +10.
System: Task Progress 6, Kill level 30 or higher undead creatures, 0/50000.
When Nie Yan saw the words “Task Progress 6,” he almost had the urge to kill someone. But seeing that it wasn’t about headless knights, he exhaled in relief. This task required killing 50,000 undead creatures of level 30 or higher, but it didn’t specify that they had to be killed here—he could also complete it elsewhere. He wondered what rewards the Advanced Demon Hunter title would bring. Was the Advanced Demon Hunter the highest, or was there something beyond it?
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