Moonwater Estate – Residence No. 32
In the quiet training chamber beneath his newly purchased manor, Aeron sat cross-legged, immersed in thought.
"Now, there's no pressure at all."
The overwhelming suppression he once felt upon reaching the Unfettered Realm back in the Martial World—like a whale stranded on land—was now gone.
"Is this… the difference in world boundaries?" Aeron mused.
The Martial World had a much lower ceiling. Its structure couldn't contain beings like him without resistance. It even punished such existence with invisible oppression. But here, in the main world—the Universal Human Alliance—there was still room to grow.
He remembered stories of those top-tier evolvers, the kind who could fly across star systems and shatter moons with ease.
This world was vast, far beyond what his previous realm could accommodate.
Having fully restored his strength over the past few days, Aeron casually connected to the virtual world through consciousness.
He appeared in a digital representation of Canglan Star's living district. The streets were lined with cafes, bars, and rest areas. Citizens wandered casually, chatting or browsing virtual kiosks.
Despite the seemingly low traffic, Aeron wasn't surprised.
With a base population of 50 billion, and one second-level citizen per few hundred thousand people, Canglan Star still had around 300,000 second-level citizens.
Add in the evolvers—who also had access to the virtual net—and the place remained alive, though filtered to keep the environment stable.
Aeron strolled into a sleek corner bar, sat alone, and ordered a cocktail.
He took a sip. The taste and sensation were astonishingly real.
"Impressive…" he murmured.
The sensory simulation was flawless. Without the awareness of his real body, he would've thought this was reality. No wonder the virtual world access was restricted. Maintaining such a high level of fidelity for billions of people would be unsustainable.
After a quiet moment, he exited the simulation and returned to the real world.
"Now that my power is fully restored, it's time to visit the Evolutionary Association and receive official certification."
It was standard policy within the Alliance: any evolved citizen must register with the Evolutionary Association to remain compliant.
Aeron made an online appointment for the next morning.
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The Next Day
Over breakfast, Aeron prepared to head out. His mother, Evelyn, looked up from the table.
"Aeron," she began softly, "your father might've gotten a little carried away. He told the relatives about your evolution status… and now they want to host a family dinner."
Aeron raised an eyebrow. "A dinner?"
Evelyn smiled apologetically. "They want to meet you. Celebrate. You know how your father likes to show off."
His father, Gareth, cleared his throat and chuckled awkwardly. "It wasn't supposed to become a whole thing. But your uncle helped us in the past—it's only fair to show up."
Aeron nodded. "It's alright. I'll be there."
He understood their intentions. His sudden rise from ordinary student to evolver was a major class leap, especially in a society where social status dictated one's future.
"Wait! What family dinner? Is there dessert?" his little sister blurted out excitedly, her eyes sparkling.
The tension broke into laughter.
---
After breakfast, Aeron left the house, heading toward the Evolutionary Association.
Halfway there, his communicator buzzed.
"Hello, is this Mr. Aeron?" came a nervous woman's voice.
"Speaking," he replied.
"I'm with the Evolutionary Association. You scheduled a registration today. We weren't informed you were a second-level citizen, so the standard process wasn't prepared. I sincerely apologize!"
She sounded panicked. It was clear she'd only just run a scan of his ID.
Aeron shrugged. "No worries."
The woman nearly sobbed with relief. "Would you allow us to send a car for you? It's protocol for second-level citizens."
If a second-level citizen were mishandled, her job—and her future—would be over.
After a short pause, Aeron gave his location. "I'm near Solaris Street. Waiting at a cafe."
"Understood! A car is en route!"
Aeron ended the call and stepped into a nearby coffee shop to wait.
Just minutes later, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Aeron? What are you doing here?"
(E
nd of Chapter 20)
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