Ethan's responses were calm and brief—anyone with even a shred of emotional intelligence could detect his indifference.
Carl Preston certainly picked up on it. But despite recognizing Ethan's guarded attitude, he kept his smile intact and refrained from speaking further.
The elevator ride continued in silence.
Soon, they reached the seventh floor. As the doors slid open, Ethan stepped out without acknowledging Carl in the slightest.
Lisa and Mia, carrying Dilumon, followed close behind.
Once the elevator closed and continued upward, Carl's smile faded.
"He's very guarded… Looks like I'll need to wait for another opportunity to make contact," Carl mused internally.
His appearance was just a brief interlude.
Once on the seventh floor, Ethan quickly located the office to complete the promotion formalities.
The Hunter Association's staff worked efficiently. In just a few minutes, they had processed Ethan's upgrade. He was now officially a One-Star Hunter.
Just as Ethan prepared to leave, a staff member approached and said respectfully, "Mr. Wells, the Chairman heard you were here and asked me to personally invite you to meet with him."
"…Alright," Ethan replied with slight surprise, but nodded after a brief pause.
Though he didn't know exactly why Chairman Isaac wanted to see him, the man had offered guidance early in his journey. Refusing the invitation wouldn't be right.
"Ethan, we'll wait for you downstairs," Lisa said, also a bit surprised.
But the staff member quickly added, "Ladies, the Chairman requested that both of you accompany Mr. Wells."
Upon hearing this, Lisa and Mia exchanged a glance, then turned back to Ethan.
With a smile, he said, "Let's go. We'll go together."
Under the staffer's guidance, Ethan, Lisa, Mia, and the ever-curious Dilumon—still disguised as a harmless pet—took a private elevator straight to the top floor.
There, they entered a spacious lounge area and met Chairman Isaac in person.
"Come in, everyone. Please have a seat," the Chairman greeted them warmly.
The room resembled a peaceful tea parlor more than an office. Isaac sat calmly on a sofa, sipping tea. As the group entered, his eyes swept across each of them.
He recognized Ethan and Lisa, pausing briefly on Mia—and lingering a little longer when his gaze landed on Dilumon in her arms.
Once seated across from the Chairman, Ethan smiled. "It's been a while, Chairman. You haven't changed a bit."
He had a habit of analyzing a person's aura when meeting them. Upon entering the room, he immediately observed Isaac's energy.
Though the Chairman seemed to only emit the simplest form of aura, the quality was astonishing. Compared to others' misty aura, Isaac's was dense—like flowing mercury. Clearly, his depth was immeasurable.
"Haha, I'm just an old man now," Isaac chuckled, pouring everyone a cup of tea. "You young ones have the real edge these days."
While Ethan observed Isaac's aura, Isaac was quietly evaluating them all as well.
Since the Hunter Exam, both Ethan and Lisa had grown by leaps and bounds.
But Ethan… his progress bordered on unreal. It had only been a few months since they last met, yet it felt like he'd matured by decades.
Everyone accepted their tea with gratitude and took a sip.
Ethan replied with a grin, "You're being modest. If your advantage were only age, I wouldn't have to work this hard just to keep up."
Isaac smiled knowingly, then said, "I heard you ran into some trouble on Meteor Street?"
Ethan nodded. "That's true. I've been focusing on criminal hunts recently. Meteor Street has plenty of them, so I went to investigate. But they weren't too thrilled to see me, and things escalated from there."
Isaac's tone turned playful. "That wasn't just a small dispute. They even sent the Meteor Chase Team after you—and now, they've been wiped out. If this keeps up, it could spark a full-scale war."
Ethan leaned back with a small smirk. "Is that why you called me up here?"
"Exactly," Isaac said, his voice more serious now. "You're still young. Meteor Street is more complicated than it looks. If you want to test your strength, it's best to choose the right opponents."
Ethan fell into thought.
He was well aware of Meteor Street's complex connections—especially after their recent confrontation.
It was a harsh environment, designed to forge survivors. And those survivors often became elites.
Many major forces recruit from Meteor Street. Even the Zoldan family employs servants from there—including the matriarch, Kira Zoldan.
With so many rising talents coming from one place, it's no surprise Meteor Street built an intricate web of alliances across the world.
Even global powers like the World Council (V5) have ties to it.
That's why provoking Meteor Street doesn't just mean facing one group—it means risking the wrath of a massive network of influential connections.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 advance chapter in PATREON
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