It was the sixteenth of December, the first day of winter break for school. I previously told my parents that my friends and I had an overnight study group. With some skills, they readily believed. Now, however, I had to go back home.

It was finally the day of making pancakes. I told my parents a few friends were coming over. Next, I went to the store with Bella and brought the other girls out to help shop. We got all the necessary ingredients, and I grabbed a couple of herbs. Our farming has been replicated quite a few times by Annie in Persephone, so there was an overabundance.

I returned home and secretly used my spiritual fire, instead of the stove, to begin cooking. We laughed about how we were doing it in secret. Anywhere else, we wouldn't have hidden it.

We had a lot of fun eating pancakes as a family, especially once my mom and sister, who was home from college, joined in the fun.

The next thing we went to do was to buy a Christmas tree. Kylee and Krystal were upset, as they couldn't help. Aurora, although she didn't directly say it, appeared to also want to put up a tree.

We first went to the farm to pick our tree. I offered to cut it by myself, so I went out and used my mana manipulation to create a blade and shot it through the trunk, easily severing it. I also added a slight amount of SF, to protect the bottom and keep the tree alive. It didn't even require a single point of HE.

Mana blade

Level: 1

MP use: 20

SF use: 5

Description: Create a sharp blade of spirit force and mana, slicing out towards an enemy

I picked up the severed tree and carried it as if I was lifting paper. I could carry over two tons if I really tried, so it was nothing for me.

My mom looked very shocked, realizing my hidden strength. I quickly edited her memory to show me dragging the tree back, after > it a couple times back to the house.

We soon realized we had no ornaments to adorn the tree with. Luckily, there was a shop about thirty minutes away. I called my new mafia friends to see if they knew about it. Upon recognizing who I was, the Don immediately got in contact with some subordinates. He must have thought I was crazy. I told him I'd pay him one gold bar for as many ornaments as he could get. He quickly agreed and took one for himself. I also told him, after I meet the henchmen, I'll give them thirty gold coins, each the weight of a dollar coin. That would equate to roughly forty thousand dollars.

It only took an hour for them to dump at least forty thousand boxes in front of me, filled with ornaments. I didn't ask how they acquired them, but I paid the men for their service before taking most boxes to Persephone.

I left two boxes to bring home, along with what I thought was a box of white lights. It turned out to be blue. I told my mom I would exchange them at the store, but she didn't want to waste any time. Bella, Emily, my mom, and I spent the rest of the day decorating the blue-lighted tree. Finally, my father arrived home from his trip. He would remain home until after the new year. It was his job to put the angel on top of the tree.

As he did so, I noticed a faint glimmer surround the tree.

"Bella, did you see that?" I asked through our thought link.

"Yes. It looked like it was the effect of some sort of rune. Spiritual force can do something similar, so I can tell what it did. The current tree won't die unless the rune's removed."

I wanted to see what the rune itself looked like, so, after Bella distracted the other family members, I quickly tried to use my > to look for it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the original rune. I did leave a combination of three small light runes on top of the tree, causing it to glow.

When my father saw, he looked nervous. He quickly brought us all to the dinner table to show us some exciting trinkets he had picked up. When he said he forgot something in the other room, I saw, with my demon eyes, that the rune seemed to vanish. I was perplexed, trying to figure out how he could possibly use runes. I dismissed the idea quickly, as there were other explanations. I could have not supplied enough energy, the small light rune combination could have been unstable, I unconsciously set the rune to only last a certain amount of time.

One of the trinkets my father showed us had mana. When we were young, he used to buy us souvenirs and let us choose one each. This time, he did it again. I, of course, picked the mana-laden object. Emily chose a sculpture of the Eiffel Tower.

Early that night, when Bella and I were alone in my room, I looked over the item again. It was a small twig. The mana seemed to stick to the outside of it, and, on closer inspection, I saw a tiny runic combination. The first rune, an elementary mana trap rune, was the only one I knew.

Other than the runes, the twig was utterly ordinary. It made me wonder why it was included in the treasures. I must have confused my father by picking it. As such, I listened to his conversation with my mother.

"He picked it," my father said.

"I saw. Maybe, the disruption was also caused by him," my mom replied.

"That's not possible," my father explained, "even with an awareness, he is definitely unable to use skills, let alone such an advanced-level one like that. It must have been my mistake."

"But he chose it," my mother persisted.

"I know, but that doesn't mean anything. Maybe, he liked the stick more than the other little things I gathered."

"I guess you have a point, Daniel."

"I know what I'm talking about," he boasted.

At that point, I stopped listening to them, and Bella and I went to Persephone. There, I reconnected with the other girls. I surprised them by telling them we would now decorate our own tree. Even Aurora couldn't hide her smile.

I went to a random forest and cut down a tree in the same manner, which instantly regrew. I then brought a bunch of ornaments.

The tree was replanted, and I changed some settings regarding it so that it was protected and would never die. I also increased its height. Since we could all fly, the tree being four-hundred meters high wasn't a problem. We also had enough ornaments.

Throughout the night, we decorated the tree. This time, for lights, we used bulbs with the small light rune. I added the runes, Bella transported the bulbs to the tree, Aurora strung them together, and Krystal and Kylee quickly rounded the tree, putting them on.

For ornaments, we each took a specific section. We also seemed to each like a particular type of ornament. I chose ones representing different landmarks on Earth. Aurora chose the ones that looked like crystals or stalagmites. Bella chose the bulb-type ones. Kylee chose plant-based ornaments, with Krystal choosing animal-themed ones.

Together, we began putting each on its own branch, not using any powers besides flight since that would hamper the experience.

When the morning came around, we had finished most of the decorations. We had also finished hanging tinsel and hanging up some decorations around a house.

The following morning, Bella and I went back home. My mom wanted us to go caroling, so we eventually agreed. Somehow, Emily got out of it and stayed at home.

Before we could begin, my mom said we had to make cookies. As such, our morning was spent baking. We brought the cookies with us as we caroled around the town. Everyone was overjoyed at this cute little act of kindness. We spent so long doing so that it turned into evening. We stayed up late, together, watching classic Christmas movies until the early hours of the morning.

While everyone else slept in, Bella and I returned to my spiritual world to finish up the last few preparations. We also brought the other girls some homemade cookies.

They ate the cookies, and, soon after, Annie stopped by. She had some good news. She was working on a device that connected my senses with Persephone. Now, after giving Persephone permission, those who had to wait patiently in this world would be able to hear, see, and, if needed, smell the world around me.

In the morning, we again went back to my house on Earth. I was enjoying this peaceful time period without having to worry about the dungeon. Soon after, my mom called me down.

"What's up, mom?" I asked.

"Roberto, I just got your report card," she announced.

"How did I do?" I asked, sounding worried.

"You got A's in everything! Great job!"

"Thanks, mom."

My dad joined the conversation, telling me I had to start thinking of colleges. I hadn't given them much thought, trying to find out more about the great catastrophe and going to the dungeon to become stronger. I realized that I did not know when the Great Catastrophe would come, so I still had to think about it.

"There's a lot to choose from," I said.

"First, let's have you check your standardized test score on the computer," my father directed

I followed the directions on the card he handed me, showing me how to pull it up. I got a thirty-six and a twelve on writing, scoring the highest possible marks.

"With that score, you can get into any college you want!" my mom said.

"He still needs something to showcase his talents," my dad began explaining. "With no special circumstances, he still may not get into all of them."

"I can still try," I told my parents. It didn't matter, with the dungeon. I could always get more gold to pay for whatever I wanted. I could even control the whole mafia.

"Daniel, have you noticed many of our neighbors have been moving lately? Yesterday, there were a lot of packed boxes in everyone's house." my mom said.

"I talked with the Jeffers yesterday. They said some billionaire wants to build something here, so he's paying them all off."

"I wonder what's going to come. Maybe, it will be a mall."

I, of course, knew the real reason. I could also see moving trucks coming and going, signifying each house emptying. In the spell books I'd gained so far, there was an interesting fence-like barrier spell. I wanted to try modifying it. First, I told my parents I was hanging out with some friends. Next, I visited those I hired and had them give me the deeds. With both settled, I was ready to try.

I used some wood from Persephone, and the first thing I did was add heavenly energy into each stake. With the special wood, I tried using my mana to make a connection between them, like how the spell worked. It was difficult to deduce the inner workings of a spell, but, originally, this was F- ranked. It was really simple and small.

After the connection was established, I reinforced it quite a few times, with both HE and MP. I then slowly separated the planks of wood. I added establish prison, energy trap, unbreakable, mana trap, and sealing runes in combination to each individual plank. There almost wasn't enough space to fit them all!

I found the maximum distance between planks, half a meter, and again reinforced the bonds between them. I set planks one-by-one at the edge of my soon-to-be territory. Finally, I set up the rest of the original spell. A dome rose up around the space, and I added space runes to fix some irregularities. The dome also extended below the soil, creating a sphere. I could control entrances and exits through the barrier, and I set it up to be very restricting. Only accompanied by someone from my family would people be allowed entry. I would remotely control exiting rights so that I could protect my family inside the dome. Even projectiles and weapons would have to be stronger than the energy infused to bypass my control.

I also set the weather to be normal but also block foreign particulate matter. Water could enter and exit normally, as long as it was relatively pure—minerals were fine.

I also set up logging to know every time someone entered or exited the space. The people who had yet to move would be able to exit but not reenter again. There would be no way to tell why, and they would basically be forced into selling.

The best part was the stakes were actually inside of the barrier and not directly inline.

Heavenly fence projection

Level: 1

Rank: Unknown, self-created (UU)

MP use: 3000/10 kilometers

HE use: 200/10 kilometers

Description: creates a fence barrier sphere, controlling entrance, exiting, and weather; allow, block, exclude, and notify levels of control

This time, it was a spell—not a skill—that I created! It was also beneficial for this particular situation.

Now that I had further protected my family, I walked back home.

In furtherance of the lie, I told my parents I ran into the billionaire.

"The billionaire told me he likes our house where it is, and, as such, will not be buying us out. I'm glad, as I wouldn't want to move," I explained to them.

"But our house is so small!" Emily complained.

"Nothing we can do about it," my mom said. "It's not like we personally know the guy."

That ended the conversation and ensured that my parents wouldn't try to pack up our house. Soon after relaying the news, they got a call from someone down the street. The person told them that, oddly, they could not get anywhere near their house. There was a fence blocking their way. They even called the police, who were also baffled by the phenomenon.

My family seemed interested, so we took a drive over. I also explained the situation to Bella over our thought link.

Obviously, we passed back and forth through the barrier once we arrived.

"I don't feel anything," my mom commented.

"Neither do I. Are they going crazy?" Emily asked.

My father, however, didn't say anything. He took some device out of his pocket and went over to a wood plank.

"This wasn't here before," he said. "Look at the strange engravings. Maybe, it's some sort of trick."

"By the neighbors?" I asked.

"No, by someone, or something, much worse than everyday pranks," he said, looking grim.

"I don't know why this is happening, but we should stay in the area for a while. Only I will leave. Everyone else, stay put," he commanded.

"Can my friends leave?" I asked. "They're close by, and I want to make sure they're okay."

"They also shouldn't go near the fence planks," my father said, thinking of a solution. "I'll get some beds from the neighbor's houses. Is that okay with you?" he turned to those on the other side.

"Yes, we can't use them anyway. I guess we really must sell our house to those men, now," one of the neighbors said.

I called the rest of my family out, and my father and I brought them beds. With some memory editing, I convinced my father to let us all stay in my room. It was cramped, with all of us staying together, but we could easily go back and forth to Persephone and the dungeon in this situation.

While talking to them about my father's reaction, Aurora thought it was very odd.

"He was able to find the plank and notice it had something to do with the barrier. He also wasn't surprised when we got near it, which is strange for someone who can't have knowledge of magic. I think something may be up with your father," she explained, trying to hide the worry on her face.

"Don't worry," I responded. "The barrier will only allow the actual family members to pass through, so I know he's genuinely himself—not an imposter or imitation. We can also fight whoever tries to cross," I reassured her.

That night, I decided to stay in bed for a little while and listen in to hear what my parents were discussing.

"Daniel, did you notice anything? You seem worried," my mom asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. I saw the planks. Something is trying to clear the area, not letting other people pass."

"Why would they do that? Others shouldn't be able to come here," my mom asked.

"I don't know how they did it, but I believe the billionaire is fake. He must be targeting me and isolating you all. I won't back down, though. Those planks are nothing to me. I can easily undo it."

Now, I was even more confused. Why would someone target my father? How did he know about the fence barrier I setup? What did he mean when he said that he could undo my magic? Questions just kept piling up while I kept listening in.

My mother asked, "Then who did Roberto run into?"

"It may be the mastermind trying to get close to me. I checked Roberto, and I'm even surer. I can't sense his soul at all, which must mean this enemy is way more powerful than me. Whatever he did to my son, I won't forgive him! This barrier must only be meant to deter the people of this planet, so it isn't their full power. Maybe, multiple beings came together to get back at me."

"Will Roberto be okay?"

"Even with my skills, I can't say for sure. If it comes to it, I will give myself up so he'll remain safe. Of course, I'll protect my son."

"I hope it never comes to that."

"So do I. Emily's already left, but it seems like the enemy isn't interested in her. Maybe, she hasn't been around me enough for them to know we're related."

"You think it's best if she's gone somewhere else for now?"

"Yes, I think that's for the best. Have her sleep over a friend's house. With Roberto's friends here, we should be able to keep him in the house. I have some measures setup for protection, so I'll activate them shortly. This house will be our stronghold."

"Do you think we should tell him?"

"Let's leave it as it is for now. We won't tell him unless we have to. He should remain normal for now."

"If you say so. I'm worried, though, that he may notice something wrong with his soul."

"How would he even be able to tell the soul is real?"

"Good point, but what if it's poisoned?"

"that would require at least basic-level soul techniques," my father explained.

"Basic soul techniques" sounds oddly familiar. I have it! How does my father know about it?

"But with whomever we're facing…" her voice trailed off.

"If I find signs of it, I can try to detoxify it. As a master soul refiner, I should be able to find a way. With some artifacts I collected in my spatial ring, I'll at least be able to visualize his soul. First, I'll activate the rune formations around the house. It shouldn't take too much MP."

Everyone else in my room could hear what was going on. They were just as confused as I was. How was it that an ordinary human knew about runes? Not only that, he could even activate them! Master soul refiner sounds like a class, so how could he possess it? We spent the rest of the night quietly discussing it, unable to come to a satisfactory explanation.

A few hours later, I could sense with my mana that a large number of runic combinations were activated around the house, proving that my father could actually use runes.

I decided to try and peer into his status. > was too low-level to look into complete statuses, and my > couldn't make sense of it correctly. I remembered my current authority level, similar to a general in the dungeon. I went back to my personal space there and asked the system. Even though he wasn't an explorer, I hoped something would still show up.

"System, by my authority, compel the status of my father, Daniel," I commanded.

[level seven authority confirmed. Information for explorer of Draconis Locum Sanctum Est with ID 9991 displayed]

What kind of a planet is that? Why does my father have a dungeon ID, and why is the planet different?

Name: Daniel

Level: 103

Class: master soul refiner, elder runemaster

MP: 5240

Skills: intermediate soul refining techniques Lv 5, intermediate soul techniques Lv 6, basic rune techniques Lv 9

*Further skills, stats, information locked for authority level seven*

After it was displayed, another message came through.

[Notice: banned from dungeon. Ban ID: Alpha-Sierra-4857194 Reason: *locked for authority level seven*. Would you like to lift permanent ban? Yes/no]

Before I could answer, Victoria suddenly appeared in front of me.

"Follow me," she said.