Chapter 122: Cooking

If there was no sufficiently safe place left in Sector Sixty-Seven, then his only option would be to move his family to another sector.

But that was easier said than done.

Human territory was no longer what it had once been. The world had undergone a complete transformation, and most of Earth’s landmass had fallen under the occupation of monsters from other worlds. What remained of humanity’s territory was concentrated in the former Asian continent, which had been divided into seven massive sectors.

Sector Sixty-Seven was one of them.

Compared to the other territories, it was relatively peaceful, situated far away from the frontlines where humanity’s forces constantly clashed with the invading monsters. It was precisely because of this relative safety that so many Awakened and their families had settled here.

The moment Jackson considered moving to another sector, however, he immediately dismissed the idea.

The Goldenstace family.

They were the ones responsible for his father’s death. Moving his family to another sector might inadvertently draw their attention, especially if someone began investigating his sudden departure. He had spent years keeping his distance from them, and he wasn’t about to expose his family simply because he couldn’t find a suitable place to stay.

No matter how much he considered the possibilities, he couldn’t come up with a better solution.

In the end, Jackson decided to put the matter aside temporarily and turned his attention toward the Virtual World. There had to be some information available about protecting one’s family, especially considering how many Awakened lived under the constant threat of attacks.

Initially, he hadn’t expected to find much.

To his surprise, however, he quickly discovered that he wasn’t the only person concerned about the safety of his family.

Countless lengthy discussions had been posted across the Virtual World. Some users shared their personal experiences, others offered advice, while many debated the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of securing one’s family.

Jackson browsed through several of them.

Unfortunately, most suggestions were either impractical or required resources beyond what an ordinary Awakened could afford. Some recommended purchasing heavily guarded residences, while others suggested hiring powerful hunters to act as permanent bodyguards.

Neither option was particularly appealing.

The former required an enormous amount of money, while the latter could easily become a liability if the hired hunters were ever compromised.

Just as Jackson was about to give up, a particular post caught his attention.

The title was rather inconspicuous.

Becoming a Union Representative…

Jackson’s eyes lit up slightly.

“The Union?”

Dean Maxwell had only recently told him about this organization, and now he was unexpectedly coming across information related to it. Before their conversation, Jackson had barely heard the name, let alone understood the organization’s influence.

Curious, he opened the post and began reading.

The more he read, the more interested he became.

According to the information provided, becoming a Union Representative came with a significant privilege. The Union would extend protection to the representative’s immediate family members, placing them under the organization’s security network.

And the Union was no ordinary organization.

It was a coalition formed by humanity’s most powerful forces, bringing together the major organizations and institutions that governed the surviving human territories. Its influence extended across the sectors, and even the Hunter Association and major academies operated under its broader authority.

Having one’s family protected by such an organization was undoubtedly a tremendous advantage.

Jackson closed the window and leaned back in his chair.

This might actually work.

If he could become a Union Representative, he wouldn’t have to worry about leaving Sector Sixty-Seven or exposing his family to the Goldenstace family. More importantly, the Union’s backing would provide a level of protection that even powerful corporations would have to think twice before challenging.

But there was one problem.

According to Dean Maxwell, the Union’s recruitment process would only begin in January.

There were still four months to go.

Jackson frowned slightly.

It seemed he would have to find another way to protect his family until then. He couldn’t simply leave them vulnerable for the next four months and hope that no one would make another move.

Still, at least he had found a possible long-term solution.

After putting the matter aside, Jackson closed the Virtual World interface and settled down to meditate.

There were more immediate matters demanding his attention.

His cultivation.

He focused his mind, gradually gathering his spiritual force and directing it through the pathways required by the Meteor Climbing Stance. Having already mastered the first part, he was now working toward understanding the second.

Perhaps he possessed an unusual talent for this particular art, or perhaps his exceptional spiritual force provided him with an advantage. Whatever the reason, his progress had been remarkably smooth.

At his current level, Jackson could effortlessly divide his spiritual force into ten distinct strands.

Each strand could independently control a different object, allowing him to manipulate ten objects simultaneously without interfering with one another. His control had become considerably more precise, and even when all ten strands were active, he could maintain their movements with relative ease.

It was a significant improvement over his previous mastery.

Jackson continued practicing, gradually refining his control and attempting to push the limits of what he could accomplish with the technique.

Time passed without him noticing.

By the time he finally opened his eyes, the daylight outside had begun to fade.

The orange glow of the setting sun streamed through the half-open window, casting long shadows across the room. The earlier rain had finally stopped, leaving behind the faint scent of wet earth and damp vegetation. Outside, the constant noise of construction had also subsided, suggesting that most of the major repairs had been completed.

At some point during his meditation, Snow Farcry had quietly taken up position outside the room.

She stood guard without making a sound, her attention fixed on the surroundings.

Neither Jackson nor Snow exchanged any words.

Inside the room, Rose and Aella remained asleep. Neither had shown much movement, but Jackson had a feeling they would wake up soon.

He glanced at the two sleeping figures before slowly getting to his feet.

He had already spent enough time sitting around.

Without wasting another moment, he began moving.