I Ascend Alone-Chapter 117: Ahn Mirae Part III

Leon, who had settled onto the couch across from us, didn't look the least bit apologetic. "She asked."

Mirae set her cup down on the table with a soft clink. "So, I heard it wasn't just Leon. Dorian Grant and Selene Voss were there too."

My lips tightened. That fight flashed through my mind like lightning—uncontrolled chaos, the darkness rising too fast, too deep. My power had surged beyond what I could rein in. I hadn't just fought. I'd unleashed.

"Yeah..." I muttered, my voice quiet. "I wasn't exactly myself that day."

Mirae didn't speak right away. She studied me, not with judgment, but with a kind of clinical curiosity—the kind of look only a top-tier hunter and seasoned researcher could manage.

Leon watched the exchange quietly.

"You lost control," Mirae said simply, but not unkindly.

I nodded. "I did."

There was a short silence.

"And now?" she asked, her tone shifting slightly. "Do you feel like you've got it under control?"

My eyes dropped to the floor for a second before lifting again to meet hers. "It's... better. But I'm not going to lie and say it's perfect."

Mirae hummed thoughtfully, tapping a finger on the armrest. "Power like that—it's not meant to sit quietly inside someone. It wants to move. It pulls. I've seen it before. Not like yours exactly, but close enough to know how dangerous it can get when the wielder's not anchored."

I said nothing.

Then she added, more gently, "But you don't seem like someone who's given up trying to hold on."

Leon gave a faint nod beside me, as if to silently agree.

I exhaled slowly. "I'm not proud of what happened in that chamber. But I'm doing everything I can to never let it happen again."

Mirae tilted her head, studying me for another beat.

"Good," she said finally. "Because if you ever try to punch a hole through my husband again—"

Leon raised an eyebrow, amused. "He never got that far."

"I'd make sure he doesn't ever get that far," Mirae finished, smirking slightly at me.

I couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. "Noted."

Leon chuckled too, leaning back. "She says that now, but she's the one who punched a hole through me once. Training accident."

"Your ribs healed," Mirae replied sweetly.

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"Three weeks later."

She turned to me with a smile. "Anyway. Welcome to the house, Ryzen. I mean that."

I nodded with a grateful smile. "Thanks. It's good to be here... really."

Leon glanced between the two of us, a flicker of warmth in his eyes.

For the first time in a long while... it really did feel like home.

-

The next morning arrived with a sky painted in soft blue and streaks of sunlight filtering through the windows. City-A's usual hum stirred in the distance—cars passing, voices blending, a gentle breeze threading through the trees.

I stood by the entrance, lacing up my boots when Mirae came down the stairs, dressed casually in jeans and a white hoodie, her long black hair tied into a loose ponytail. She looked around the front hallway, eyes glinting with something between nostalgia and curiosity.

Leon followed close behind, tugging on his jacket. "You sure you don't want to rest more? Jet lag might hit later."

Mirae waved a hand dismissively. "I've been cooped up in research labs and hunter barracks for years. I need sunlight. Fresh air. Chaos. City-A style."

Leon gave me a sideways glance. "Translation: she wants to shop, complain about new buildings, and criticize traffic design."

Mirae smirked. "Don't forget overpriced coffee."

I chuckled, stepping outside with them. "Sounds like a tour guide's worst nightmare."

She grinned. "Perfect. Let's go."

-

The city streets were immaculately clean, with sleek pedestrian lanes woven between vertical gardens and curved glass storefronts. Mana-fused drones floated overhead in tight formations, maintaining surveillance and atmospheric readings. Public transportation here was near-instant, using portal hubs spaced across major sectors. But we opted to walk—Mirae insisted.

As we strolled past, Mirae's eyes sparkled with something like wonder. "This place used to be all concrete and half-rebuilt buildings. Now look at it—layered walkways, hardlight displays, mana-conductive roads... even the trash bins are enchanted."

Leon smirked. "Yeah. City-A's the benchmark now. Even the Hunter HQ here runs on a hybrid AI-Arcana system."

Mirae glanced over at a patrol of Arcane Enforcers—Hunter-grade automatons in polished black plating and glowing blue lines—marching silently down the boulevard.

"You weren't kidding."

We passed by a series of commercial hubs, their massive curved holoscreens displaying footage of current raid statistics, dungeon breach reports, and Hunter leaderboards. A familiar face flashed for a second—Leon's name listed in the top five. Mirae gave him a nudge with her elbow.

"Still holding the record for solo clears, huh?"

Leon just gave a modest shrug.

The scent of freshly baked mana-bread and skewered flamebeast meat drew Mirae's attention next. She made a beeline for the food vendor, dragging Leon and me along. Within seconds, she had three skewers and a grin on her face.

"I missed this kind of stuff. Field rations in Korea are miserable."

"You were the one developing half of them," Leon muttered.

"I know," she said unapologetically between bites. "It was sabotage."

Eventually, we found ourselves in one of the upper-level viewing plazas, a tranquil platform lined with benches and glowing mana-trees. From here, the entire core of City-A stretched before us—arcologies reaching into the sky, airships weaving between them like birds in flight, and far below, mana-conduits pulsing gently beneath transparent streets.

Mirae leaned against the railing, letting the breeze catch her hair.

"This place feels like something out of a sci-fi fantasy dream," she murmured. "It's beautiful."

Leon stepped beside her. "Took a decade of rebuilding, innovation, and about a hundred billion credits."

She gave a small laugh. "Worth it."

Then she glanced at me again, eyes softening slightly. "So... how long did you say you've been back here again?"

I shrugged, tone casual. "A few months now."

Leon's expression was unreadable, but the nod he gave me then carried weight.

As Mirae turned back toward the city, she sighed softly. "Alright. You've both shown me the skyline. Now show me something ridiculously overpriced that I don't need but will absolutely buy."

I glanced at Leon. "Weapons district?"

He groaned. "Please no."

Mirae beamed. "Yes."

And with that, we were off again—into the heart of the city, where gleaming steel, ancient arcana, and boundless potential all lived side by side.