Blake was currently at a site inspection in Montclair.

His company was preparing to establish a distribution house there. While Montclair wasn’t the most populated city in Guhang, it still connected several important settlements, making it a valuable location strategically.

"Hm?"

His attention shifted when his phone vibrated.

Pulling it out, he noticed the call wasn’t actually a call but a message from Lara, his secretary, who was currently overseas on a business trip.

There was only a short line attached alongside a link.

Related to Kyle.

That alone was enough to make Blake focus completely.

The link redirected him to a short video showing the collapsed section of an industrial building.

Blake frowned instantly.

If Lara believed this had something to do with Kyle, then he had no reason to dismiss it lightly.

Without wasting time, he contacted someone from the CPB and quickly received the full report.

{Yes, sir. It happened this morning. By the time we arrived, he was already leaving the area. Honestly... he looked pretty roughed up after the fight.}

The moment the call ended, Blake immediately dialed another number.

Naturally, it was Kyle.

....

"Guh, stop talking for one second," Kyle groaned while holding the phone away slightly. "At this rate, I’m just going to hang up."

{Try it and I’ll personally come there. Five minutes is all I’d need.}

"I’m listening," Kyle surrendered instantly, having no desire to get scolded face-to-face.

A soft smile appeared on Amanda’s lips as she stirred the food quietly, already able to imagine exactly what Blake was saying on the other side.

{Your first day there and you already end up in an incident. Then you go into a rift raid without armor or weapons. What exactly was the plan? Conducting an interview with the monster?}

"Man..." Kyle rubbed his forehead helplessly. "I genuinely didn’t expect to get dragged into a rift raid on my first day. But thinking about it now... I probably should’ve seen it coming."

After all, he only had ten days left before officially joining the academy.

Every single day mattered right now.

{Are you with Amanda right now?}

"Yeah... wait, how do you know?" Kyle asked in confusion. Amanda hadn’t made a single sound since he picked up the call.

{Just a guess. Now hand the phone to her.}

Kyle let out a sigh and rose from the chair, only for Amanda to immediately warn,

"No entry into the kitchen!"

Clearly, she had no intention of letting him discover what she was cooking.

Kyle instantly covered his eyes with one hand and slowly walked toward her with the other arm stretched out in front of him.

Amanda burst into laughter at the ridiculous sight.

Honestly, she could’ve just walked over to him herself.

Still smiling, she took the phone from his hand. "Yes, Brother?"

Kyle stepped back afterward and deliberately turned around, refusing to ruin the surprise for himself.

From behind, he could hear Amanda humming softly as she listened, sounding oddly attentive, as though Blake was assigning her some important mission.

"Okay, I understand... Ah, I won’t nee... well, alright. Yes, yes, I get it. Ehe."

A few moments later, Amanda walked back over and handed the phone to Kyle.

"Here." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Kyle glanced at the screen.

The call was still connected.

Placing the phone back against his ear, he asked suspiciously, "What exactly did you tell her?"

{Nothing much. Just go wherever she takes you. Since Lara isn’t in town, I’ve assigned her the responsibility of buying you proper gear.}

Kyle let out a quiet sigh.

Well, he had already been planning to buy equipment sooner or later, so he couldn’t really complain.

"Alright, I understand."

{Good. Now, if you—}

"Blake."

Kyle spoke just as Blake seemed ready to end the call.

{Yes?}

Kyle glanced toward Amanda before lowering his voice slightly. "This sudden visit from Uncle and Aunt... do you know anything about it?"

{Ah, that.} Blake paused briefly. {Yeah, actually. I spoke with Uncle earlier today. They’re specifically coming here to meet you.}

Kyle frowned immediately. "Why me?"

{Meeting you is probably just the excuse.} Blake sounded slightly hesitant now. {Honestly... I think Father called him over for something else.}

That hesitation instantly caught Kyle’s attention.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"What?" he asked. "Is there something you’re hiding from me?"

Blake remained silent for a few moments before finally speaking.

{It’s nothing serious. Well... if you want, you can come over for a few hours and meet them. You and Sean used to get along pretty well back then.}

Kyle’s shoulders slumped slightly.

"Yeah... that’s true," he admitted quietly. "But I’m not really sure."

{Then don’t force yourself.} Blake’s voice softened a little. {Just do whatever feels right to you. And for now, focus on eating properly and getting some rest.}

Kyle gave a quiet hum in response.

A second later, the call disconnected.

Kyle returned to his seat just as Amanda asked,

"Is someone coming over?"

"Yeah." He leaned back slightly. "Mom’s elder brother is visiting with his family. I used to be pretty close with them, but now..." He exhaled softly. "I don’t know. My schedule’s become so hectic lately that I don’t think I’ll even have the time to properly meet them."

Between his hours at the base, training, and streaming, nearly every part of his day was already occupied.

Even weekends weren’t really weekends anymore.

Amanda listened quietly before giving a small nod of understanding.

"So we’re going shopping now?" Kyle asked, deliberately changing the topic. "Do you know any place that sells equipment for Nightwalkers?"

Amanda nodded immediately. "There are only a few reliable places around here, and I know someone who can get you exactly what you need."

Kyle leaned farther into the chair. "The problem is, I don’t even know what I need yet."

This whole world was still new to him.

Honestly, until recently, the mere thought of wearing armor would’ve made him cringe.

Amanda smiled faintly at his reaction. "Don’t worry. She’ll understand without you having to explain much. She’s the best when it comes to equipment and gear."

Kyle’s brows rose slightly.

Amanda sounded unusually confident about this person.

Well...

He supposed there was only one way to find out.