“I am home!” Miles said in his heart. No one was waiting for him inside, as expected. He just walked to his old room. The walls, the hallway, the smell… Everything was the same since he left. He felt some sort of yearning and disappointment.

The room was clean, so one could see the room was cleaned regularly. Miles walked to the safe in the room and opened it with the old combination. With a click safe opened and inside there were seven orbs. These orbs were given by his family. But Miles didn't take them with him when he left the mansion.

At the time he left them inside the safe and left the safe open. But someone must have left them there and closed the safe in case he wanted them back someday, but Miles wouldn’t.

“Oh, if it isn’t little brother!” A crisp voice came from the door with a condescending tone. “Why are you back? You realized your mistake and here to take back the orbs we gave you?”

“Marcela, as irritating as ever.” Miles turned and smiled at his sister. She was as beautiful as ever. Blue eyes, raven hairs falling to her wrist, and slim body. She had that charm turn men's heads when she walked. “I don’t need these toys to survive. Unlike you, I like to depend on myself.”

“Humph, you still as stupid as ever. Are you sure you want to go against me? You haven’t forgotten how I punished you right?” She snorted and asked.

“Marcela, aren’t you pitiful? While there is nobody around you, can you really hurt me?” Miles smiled and walked by Marcela. Just as he passed her, he turned and said “Since I am back, let’s get along.”

Miles wasn’t worried about Marcela anymore. Not because he was confident and got arrogant over the last half a year, but he didn’t care anymore. Miles knew how to lose, and get back on his feet after losing and try again. He would just work harder and get stronger until no one else could threaten him.

He walked to the small laboratory where he would find his mother. Since she summoned him, Miles had to show himself, or he would get a mouthful.

He walked to the basement and opened the lab door. Inside there were hundreds of different devices working. Evelyn Cross was between them, working on something. She was too busy to notice Miles. Miles walked to her desk where she would record her findings.

“Remember here buddy? This is where I met you for the first time.” Miles said as he sat on the desk. He was only four at the time, and Evelyn was recording her failure and decision to delete Coin’s source code. At the time Miles stopped her.

It has been more than 12 years.” Coin answered. As an AI, he of course still had the data of the day. He even knew the weather of the day.

Miles sat at the table and waited for his mother to finish her experiment. After waiting more than thirty minutes, Evelyn raised her head and looked at Miles. A smile blossomed on her face right away, as she sprinted to Miles's side. “You are finally here, I missed you!” Evelyn hugged Miles.

“I missed you too, mom. Sorry for not coming back for so long.” Miles said with heartbreak. He didn’t want to upset his mother, but he had to leave the mansion.

“It is okay, as long as you are fine,” Evelyn said as she was still hugging Miles.

“What are you working on?” Miles asked curiously after their hug broke.

“I am working on artifacts.” Evelyn answered with her brows furrowed, “How are they formed? Has someone created them? We know humanoid monsters have some wisdom, but can they forge weapons? Then what about technological artifacts? Are they formed just like orbs in their bodies? What is their main function, and why are they rare? Can they be further improved?” She listed many questions in a row.

Miles decided to help his mother a little bit and talked about random things. “Since orbs are inside monsters’ brains, they must be organic parts created through circumstances we are not sure about. Humans also carry natural elements, but it comes naturally to us. For example, we are formed of carbon, iron, calcium, and many other elements. And we forge swords from iron. So orbs can also be organic parts formed from alien elements we haven’t discovered yet.

Artifacts can or can’t be the same as orbs, but if they are the same as orbs and if they are naturally formed, then they can merge with monsters. Then it is also possible for them to be merged with humans.” Miles couldn’t test this theory, so he could help his mother to research it. He merged with an orb and gained abilities. If so, merging with artifacts should be possible too. After all, the artifact dug out from the Vampire was a pair of eyes, and the vampire was using them to see. If it was true, then his mother would find it somehow. It would also help Miles, but if she couldn’t, at least it would somehow inspire her.

Evelyn’s eyes widened as she looked at Miles with her mouth agape. “This kind of thinking is revolutionary!” She exclaimed and ran back to her machines. Miles could only shake his head and left the lab. When she dove into work, no one could pull her out.

Miles walked into his room once again and tried to avoid his Grandfather’s study. He didn’t want to be alone with Mercer, Cruel Heart, Cross. He tiptoed and got into his room before closing the door. He looked at the machine at the corner. It was like a bed with a cover on top. It was a virtual computer that would send a person's consciousness to the virtual world. There, the person could do many things.

Miles mainly used it to spar with others back in the day. But since he couldn’t afford it for his house, he hasn't used it ever since he left the house. He walked to the machine and entered once again.

“Welcome back, Powerless Lord!

Would you like to use the same account?” The woman's voice asked as the screen appeared in front of him. Miles rolled his eyes. Such a lame nickname.

“Create a new account!” Miles said as the black screen in front of him changed, and his body started to orbit around itself. If he wanted, Miles could use his own features, or he could change some of the things.

Miles didn’t change anything but added a mask over his face to hide his identity, then chose a new account name. “What should I use?” Miles pondered over it, then decided to use “The Marooner, but it is already taken.”

I can’t fake the Marooner anyway, since I can’t use lightning powers inside the machine, I can only take another name. “How about Thousand kills in Thousand miles?”

“Hmm, not bad.” Miles nodded his head and approved his decision. As soon as he finished signing up, the machine measured his body and even checked his superpowers. If he wanted, Miles could scan his orbs as well to use them in the virtual world, but he of course wouldn’t scan his precious double elemental orb. As soon as he did that, Mother AI would lock onto him.

After waiting less than a minute, his stats appeared in front of him.

Punch Strength: 303

Max Speed: 132 Km/h

Reflex: 133

Superpower: Monster Eyes