Chapter 68: Snow Farcry

"Not again..."

Jackson was just about to turn his head away when something caught the edge of his vision.

A faint shadow flickered past the corner of his eye.

It was so quick that an ordinary person would have dismissed it as a trick of the light. Jackson, however, had spent far too much time fighting for his life to ignore such a subtle movement.

His expression changed instantly.

Without wasting another second, he pushed off the ground and bolted toward the window.

The moment his figure disappeared through the opening, a gust of wind swept into the room, disturbing the curtains behind him.

Jackson landed outside and immediately scanned the surroundings.

Unfortunately, he was already too late.

The faint shadow had vanished completely.

"Damn it! These people are slippery as rats..." Jackson cursed under his breath as his eyes swept across the nearby buildings, rooftops, alleyways, and surrounding gardens.

Nothing.

There was no obvious movement, no suspicious figure lingering in the open, and no trace of the person who had been watching his house.

His expression gradually darkened.

He didn’t know whether his identity had been exposed or if something else was going on, but this wasn’t the first time he’d noticed suspicious people lingering around his house.

At first, Jackson had simply ignored them.

After all, the Golden Radiance District was home to countless powerful families and Awakened. It wasn’t strange for people to pass through the area or observe their surroundings. There was no reason to become paranoid over every unfamiliar face.

But as the one-month deadline approached, the situation had changed.

The number of suspicious figures had increased.

And now, someone had actually been monitoring his house closely enough for him to notice.

Jackson’s gaze became cold.

What if these people weren’t simply observing him?

What if they were waiting for him to leave?

The thought immediately brought his family to mind.

Unlike him, his mother and younger sister were ordinary people. They possessed neither the strength nor the combat experience necessary to defend themselves against an Awakened.

If someone genuinely wanted to deal with him, attacking his family while he was away would be far easier than confronting him directly.

Jackson’s fingers slowly tightened.

He had spent so much time thinking about protecting himself that he had almost overlooked the more obvious weakness.

His family.

He stood silently for a while, his mind rapidly running through the possibilities.

The first possibility could probably be ruled out.

His identity had not been exposed.

At least, he was confident of that.

Whenever he interacted with other people, he had been extremely cautious. For anything related to the Hunter Association or other official matters, he had always used his pseudonym. Even his identity as Bitter Rain had remained carefully separated from his real identity as Jackson Von Maximus.

There was little reason for anyone to connect the two.

Jackson’s eyes narrowed.

Then another possibility surfaced.

Could this be retaliation from the Silver-Rank hunter?

His expression gradually turned colder.

After learning about the Desolate Troop leader’s elder brother, Jackson had already considered the possibility that the man might come after him.

A Silver-Rank hunter was undoubtedly troublesome.

However, considering the enormous distance between Sector Sixty-Seven and Sector Nine, Jackson hadn’t expected the other party to act so quickly.

Unless...

Jackson’s eyebrows twitched.

Maybe that fellow really loved his younger brother.

The thought was so absurd that Jackson almost laughed.

Still, considering how irrational people could become when their emotions were involved, he couldn’t completely dismiss it.

After thinking for a moment, Jackson shook his head.

"No, this won’t do..."

Regardless of who was behind the surveillance, continuing to ignore it was simply too dangerous.

He couldn’t guarantee that the person watching his house would remain harmless.

More importantly, he couldn’t afford to take the safety of his mother and sister for granted.

Jackson took one final look at the surrounding area before returning to his room.

Once inside, he closed the window and immediately sat down in front of the virtual network terminal.

His fingers moved rapidly as he began searching for information.

If someone really was targeting his family, he needed a way to protect them without exposing his own identity.

Although no one would dare to attack openly within the Golden Radiance District, Jackson had learned enough about the world to understand one simple truth.

Rules could discourage people.

They could not stop everyone.

And when it came to his family, Jackson wasn’t willing to gamble on the assumption that everyone would obey them.

Just as Jackson was searching through the virtual network, he came across a security agency that provided professional protection in exchange for money.

"Bulletdom Security Agency..."

Jackson’s eyes paused on the name.

He recognized the organization immediately.

Bulletdom Security Agency was operated by one of the most famous Legendary-Rank hunters on the planet, Bulletdom himself. According to the rumors circulating throughout the Hunter Association, he was regarded as the strongest Legendary-Rank hunter alive.

Whether the rumors were completely accurate or not, there was no denying that Bulletdom’s name carried enormous weight.

An organization established by someone at that level naturally had a reputation to match.

Jackson browsed through the available security services, carefully examining the different protection packages before finally settling on one.

A Silver-Rank hunter.

He wanted someone strong enough to deal with most threats that might appear around his home, yet professional enough to understand the rules governing the Golden Radiance District.

The moment Jackson saw the price, however, his face twitched.

It was expensive.

Very expensive.

For an ordinary family, hiring a Silver-Rank hunter for an entire month would be an astronomical expense.

Even for Jackson, the amount was enough to make his heart ache.

Still, after a brief hesitation, he gritted his teeth and paid the full amount.

Money could be earned again.

His family’s safety was another matter.

A few seconds later, the payment was successfully processed.

[Ding! Your security request has been accepted.]

[A Silver-Rank hunter from Bulletdom Security Agency will arrive at your registered residence within one hour.]

Jackson stared at the message for a moment before finally relaxing.

A faint sense of relief spread through his chest.

The efficiency of the agency was even better than he had expected.

If professionals of this caliber were watching over his family, there shouldn’t be any accidents.

At least, that was one less thing he needed to worry about.

...

Jackson was enjoying dinner with his family when his communication device suddenly vibrated.

He glanced down at the incoming message.

The Silver-Rank hunter from Bulletdom Security Agency had arrived.

Little Aella noticed his expression and leaned closer.

"Big brother, could it be that they’re here...?"

Jackson looked at her and simply nodded.

He had already discussed the matter of hiring a Bulletdom Security Agency hunter with his family.

At first, Mother Rose had strongly opposed the idea.

She couldn’t understand why Jackson was willing to spend such an enormous amount of money on something she considered unnecessary.

After all, they lived in the Golden Radiance District.

It was one of the safest areas in Sector Sixty-Seven, heavily protected by powerful Awakened. Who would dare to openly attack a family living here?

But Jackson had refused to compromise.

When Mother Rose remained stubborn, he had no choice but to tell her about the incident involving the Desolate Troop.

The moment she heard that someone connected to the group was a Silver-Rank hunter, the color drained from her face.

For a brief moment, Jackson could see genuine fear in her eyes.

Before that fear could turn into panic, however, he quickly reassured her.

"There’s no need to worry, Mom. I’m leaving for Golden Radiance Academy tomorrow. Once I’m there, I’ll be in an even safer environment. Besides, I’ve already arranged protection for you and Aella."

Only after hearing his explanation did Mother Rose finally calm down.

She let out a long sigh, though the worry in her eyes hadn’t completely disappeared.

Now that the hired hunter had arrived, Jackson pushed back his chair and stood.

"I’ll go meet her."

He walked toward the main entrance.

The moment he stepped outside, his gaze landed on a figure standing quietly in front of the house.

The woman was around six feet tall and wore a complete set of Rank Three armor.

The armor covered her body from head to toe, its metallic surface reflecting the surrounding lights. A faint pressure radiated from her body, subtle but impossible for Jackson to overlook.

She was a Silver-Rank hunter.

As Jackson approached, the armor’s helmet suddenly split apart.

The metallic plates slid backward with a soft mechanical sound, revealing the face beneath.

Jackson stopped for half a second.

A beautiful woman stared back at him.

Her features were sharp and refined, but there was no warmth in her expression. Her eyes were cold and indifferent as she briefly looked Jackson over before giving him a simple nod.

Jackson was momentarily stunned.

Then a cold, professional voice reached his ears.

"Mr. Jackson, I believe the corporation has already told you about me, but allow me to introduce myself once again."

The woman maintained a perfectly straight posture.

"My name is Snow Farcry. From today onward, I will be responsible for protecting your family for one month. If you wish to extend the service, please remember to pay the additional fee."

Her introduction was brief and straightforward.

There was no unnecessary politeness, nor was there any attempt to flatter him.

More importantly, Jackson noticed something else.

There was no disdain in Snow’s eyes.

She knew he was only a Bronze-Rank hunter, yet she didn’t treat him as though he were beneath her.

That alone reassured Jackson.

Although humanity lived in a modern civilization filled with laws, technology, and institutions, Jackson knew better than most how cruel the world could become outside the safety of those structures.

Ultimately, strength still determined one’s position.

High-Rank hunters possessed powers that ordinary people could barely comprehend. Some of them had spent decades climbing through the ranks and had long since developed an arrogant view of weaker Awakened.

A Bronze-Rank hunter and a Silver-Rank hunter were not viewed as equals.

Yet Snow showed none of that arrogance.

Her professionalism made Jackson’s impression of Bulletdom Security Agency rise another level.

"Thank you for coming," Jackson said.

After the introductions were finished, Jackson invited her inside.

"You can join us for dinner if you haven’t eaten yet."

Snow shook her head.

"No need. I’ll begin my duty immediately."

Her answer was so direct that Jackson was slightly surprised.

Still, he didn’t insist.

He simply nodded.

"Then I’ll leave my family in your care."

Snow gave another short nod.

"I understand."

With the matter settled, Jackson returned inside.

He finished dinner with his family, then returned to his room.

Tomorrow was the day Golden Radiance Academy would officially open.

There was no reason to waste the final night.

Jackson sat cross-legged on the floor and slowly closed his eyes.

His breathing gradually became steady.

One breath.

Then another.

The noise of the outside world slowly faded away as he entered meditation.

Throughout the night, Jackson remained completely still, silently refining his magical power and preparing himself for the days ahead.

Time passed unnoticed.

Eventually, darkness began to retreat from the world outside.

The first rays of dawn slipped through the window and landed across Jackson’s face.

His eyelashes trembled slightly.

Then his eyes opened.

A sharp glint flashed through them.

A new day had arrived.

And with it, he now had to leave for Golden Radiance Academy.