Chapter 114: Seriously Injured Snow, Aella missing

Please, don’t let anything happen to them...

Jackson’s thoughts spiraled out of control as he rushed through the house, his mind filling with increasingly horrifying possibilities.

"Mother! Aella!"

His voice echoed through the rooms, but no answer came.

He searched the living room first, his eyes darting across the overturned furniture and shattered decorations. The familiar sofa had been pushed out of place, a wooden table lay broken on the floor, and fragments of glass glittered beneath the sunlight streaming through the windows.

There were traces of blood everywhere.

Jackson’s breathing grew heavier.

He rushed into the kitchen, then the dining room, throwing open doors and searching every corner. He checked the bedrooms, the bathroom, and even the small storage room at the back of the house.

Nothing.

Neither his mother nor his little sister was anywhere to be found.

Worse still, there was no sign of Snow Farcry, the Silver-Rank hunter he had hired to protect his family.

Where was he?

Where were they?

With every passing second, the uneasiness in Jackson’s chest grew heavier, pressing against his heart until it became difficult to breathe. The house was familiar, every corner etched into his memory, yet the destruction surrounding him made it feel like a place he had never seen before.

Who had done this?

Who had dared to enter his home and lay their hands on his family?

Countless names flashed through his mind.

The Desolate Troop.

Bloodwing, that old wretch who had already caused him so much trouble.

And anyone else who might have mistaken his family’s kindness for weakness.

Jackson’s hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms.

"I swear, if any of you have dared to lay a hand on them..." His voice trembled with barely restrained fury. "I will..."

He couldn’t finish the sentence.

A sudden movement caught his attention as he entered another room.

Two figures lay motionless on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood.

Jackson stopped dead.

For a moment, his mind refused to process what his eyes were seeing.

Then he recognized them.

"Mother...?"

Rose Morning Dawn lay on her side, her clothes stained dark red. Her face was deathly pale, and her body remained completely still. Nearby, Snow Farcry lay sprawled across the shattered floor, his clothes torn and blood soaking through them.

The surrounding room had been devastated.

The walls were cracked, the furniture reduced to splinters, and deep gouges scarred the floor. Several sections of the wall had been smashed inward, leaving chunks of plaster and broken wood scattered across the room. The sheer extent of the destruction suggested that a fierce battle had taken place here.

Yet neither of the two people Jackson had found was moving.

And Aella was nowhere to be seen.

A chill ran down his spine.

"No..."

He stumbled forward, his legs suddenly feeling heavier than they had a moment ago.

"No, no, no..."

Jackson dropped to his knees beside his mother and gathered her limp body into his arms. He barely noticed the blood soaking into his clothes or the sharp edges of broken debris pressing against his knees.

"Mom, wake up!"

He shook her gently at first, then more desperately when she failed to respond.

"Mom! Please, say something!"

His voice cracked.

"Please..."

But Rose remained motionless, her head resting against his arm.

The silence was unbearable.

Jackson stared at her pale face, searching for some sign that she was still alive. A flicker of movement, a change in her breathing, anything that could reassure him that he hadn’t lost the person who had raised him.

For one terrible moment, the worst possibility took shape in his mind.

She’s dead.

The thought struck him like a blade through the chest.

Jackson’s entire body went cold.

Then he shook his head violently, refusing to accept it.

No. That’s impossible.

His mother couldn’t be dead.

Not like this.

Not while he was away, chasing strength and opportunities at the academy.

A wave of regret crashed over him, overwhelming the fury that had consumed him moments earlier.

Why did I leave?

Why didn’t I stay home?

If he had remained here instead of going to Golden Radiance Academy, would things have turned out differently? If he had been present when the attackers arrived, could he have stopped them? Would his mother still be standing in the kitchen, preparing a meal? Would Aella still be safe inside her room?

He had spent the past month pushing himself to become stronger, enduring one dangerous battle after another because he wanted to protect the people he loved.

He had reached the absolute peak of the Third Sequence.

He had defeated powerful monsters, slaughtered hundreds of goblins, and acquired treasures that ordinary Awakened could only dream of possessing.

But what was the point of all that strength if he couldn’t even protect his own family?

What good was becoming stronger if the people he cared about could be taken from him while he was away?

Jackson lowered his head, his shoulders trembling.

For the first time in a long while, he felt utterly powerless.

Then, through the haze of panic, a thought suddenly cut through his despair.

The Golden Brush!

Jackson’s body stiffened.

He quickly wiped the blood from his mother’s face with a trembling hand and focused his attention on her.

He had to know.

He had to know whether she was still alive.

Gathering what little composure he had left, Jackson activated the Golden Brush and examined her status window.

A translucent display appeared before his eyes.

[Name — Rose Morning Dawn]

[Age — 42]

[Talent — Heart of the Overflowing Vitality (Sealed)]

[Realm — Early First Sequence]

[Spiritual Force — 2.9]

[Mana/Physique — 2.7]

[Current Status — Traumatic, unconscious]

Jackson’s eyes locked onto the final line.

Unconscious.

He read the word again, almost afraid that he had misunderstood it.

Then he read it a third time.

His mother’s status window showed no indication that she was dead.

The tension that had constricted his chest eased slightly, and he released a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

"Thank goodness..."

His voice was barely audible.

She was alive.

His mother was still alive!

The realization didn’t erase his fear, nor did it explain what had happened, but it gave him something to hold on to. He hadn’t lost her. Not yet.

Jackson carefully lifted Rose into his arms and carried her toward the living room. He gently laid her on the large sofa, supporting her head with a cushion before checking her condition again.

Her breathing was faint, and her body appeared terribly weak.

He couldn’t afford to waste time.

Using a clean cloth and some water, Jackson carefully wiped the blood from her face and hands. He checked for visible wounds, his eyes moving rapidly over her body as he tried to determine the extent of her injuries.

Every second felt painfully slow.

Once he had done what he could, he immediately opened the Virtual Network.

His fingers moved quickly across the interface as he searched for a suitable healing item. He didn’t care about the price. If a particular elixir could improve his mother’s condition, he would buy it regardless of how much it cost.

Within moments, he found what he needed.

A Rank One Vitality Elixir.

Jackson purchased it immediately.

The bottle materialized in his storage space, and he retrieved it without hesitation. The elixir inside glowed faintly beneath the transparent glass, its concentrated vitality intended to help restore a weakened body.

He removed the cap and crouched beside the sofa.

"Mom, please hold on a little longer."

Jackson gently supported her head, carefully opening her mouth before slowly pouring the elixir between her lips.

He watched anxiously as she swallowed the liquid.

For several seconds, nothing appeared to happen.

Jackson’s heart tightened again.

Then he noticed a subtle change.

The pallor of Rose’s face began to recede, and her breathing gradually became more regular. The faint spiritual fluctuations surrounding her body also stabilized, no longer as erratic as before.

The elixir was taking effect.

Jackson watched every small change, unwilling to look away even for a moment.

Gradually, some of the tension left his face.

His mother was recovering.

Not completely, and certainly not enough for him to relax, but the improvement was unmistakable.

He carefully adjusted the cushion beneath her head and remained beside the sofa, his eyes fixed on her face.

Only after confirming that her condition had stabilized did he allow himself another breath.

But his relief was accompanied by a fresh wave of uneasiness.

Snow Farcry was still unconscious.

Aella was still missing.

And the house looked as though a battle between powerful Awakened had torn through it.

Jackson’s expression hardened as he looked toward the ruined doorway.

Whoever had done this had entered his home, injured his mother, and taken his little sister away.

His hands slowly clenched.

He didn’t know who the culprit was yet.

He didn’t know where Aella had been taken.

But he would find out.

And when he did, he would make certain they regretted ever setting foot inside his home.

Only after confirming that his mother’s condition had stabilized did Jackson finally turn his attention to the other figure lying in the bloodstained room.

Snow Farcry.