"You've become strong. If your parents were still alive, they'd be very proud of you," Ursa said. Her voice was filled with regret and pain as she remembered her late masters.
At some point, her eyes turned red and teary. She groaned softly.
"T-They'd be very proud of you."
Cecilia just looked at her master sadly. She quickly hugged Ursa, trying to comfort her broken heart.
"Ja-Ja."
Rocky looked at the maid with an unreadable expression. It was hard to describe what he was feeling at that moment.
Rage or helplessness or sadness… maybe all of them.
He took a long breath, trying to steady himself. He had no time to cry or complain about anything.
There were still many things waiting for him.
He still had many loved ones.
An invisible burden that only Rocky could handle.
"Now, we need to have a serious talk, Ursa… No need to avoid my question. Just answer me… What happened to my big sister? I'm not a kid who acts recklessly."
Ursa wiped away her tears, then gazed at Rocky's steadfast face. It reminded her of Rocky's father.
She hesitated for a while before speaking.
"Actually, I didn't want to tell you about this because I made a promise to your big sister. However, I don't want the young mistress to keep pushing herself into danger anymore. And… I think I'd regret it if I let her continue living like that."
She continued.
"Your big sister made a deal with the branch clan. She's serving them. She supports them in clearing dungeons with her ability."
She added in a painful voice,
"In exchange, you and your little sister get to live in peace."
Rocky's face twisted in disbelief after hearing everything from Ursa. He completely understood what his big sister had been doing.
She possessed an incredible beast that could help other beasts level up faster, without caring about their thoughts or moods.
She had helped him before, which explained why, even with his trash taming ability, his beast still reached level 70.
He understood what kind of miracle her beast was—yet it carried a huge flaw.
The more she used her ability, the more her lifespan dropped.
For him, her ability was nothing but a curse. But to the Clan, it was a blessing.
By sacrificing her entire lifespan, the Stephens Clan might obtain forces strong enough to overwhelm the other great Clans.
At that moment, he finally understood why Jeff and his underlings were able to level up so quickly in such a short time.
(Those fucking bastards were using my big sister's lifespan to level up.)
He clenched his fist in fury to the point that his nails dug deep into his palm, blood dripping to the ground.
Ursa sensed his rage and quickly grabbed his hand to comfort him. But when her eyes met his, she shivered — they were completely hollow.
Yet, she still felt one thing from them.
Pure murderous intent was subtly concealed in his eyes, making her afraid to her core and dropping her to her knees.
Suddenly, he smiled, causing Ursa to get goosebumps… it was a calm yet terrifying smile.
"We'll leave this place. There's no need to stay here anymore."
Ursa hesitated for a moment before saying,
"But we still need money from the branch clan to pay your tuition… It's an immense amount."
Rocky replied,
"No need to worry. I have a lot of money… but I have a mission for you."
The next moment, he handed a pouch to the maid.
"Before that, we need to buy something to eat. You're not looking well."
Ursa smiled warmly when she felt his concern. She was sure Rocky had worked hard to earn this money, but it was fine.
They could always earn more in another way, even if it was difficult.
She took the pouch, then instantly frowned in disbelief when she felt its weight. She opened it.
"Two thousand gold coins? H-How did you earn this?"
Her voice was filled with bewilderment. That amount of money was equal to what the branch clan gave them in an entire year.
Rocky answered calmly,
"The Plant Association… I've already become one of them. From now on, you'll live there."
Ursa's eyes widened in disbelief. The Plant Association… an organization that was on par with the great Clans. In the current situation, it was even stronger than the Stephens Clan.
"Y-You have the talent to become a plant scholar?" she asked, stunned.
Rocky shrugged.
"First, let's leave this place."
***
After they arrived at the Plant Association, Rocky asked Walter to find a proper place for them.
In the Plant Association, there was a win-win business model.
He would apply for a fifty percent profit share to display his merchandise in their market. It would become a huge source of income for him, especially since he could occasionally create new pills thanks to his skill.
He assigned Ursa the mission of managing the money he would earn from selling pills.
The plan had already formed in his mind.
By taking first place in earnings within the organization, he would slowly gain an important position that no one could shake.
At some point, he might even use their power… An organization on par with the great Clans could directly confront the Stephens Clan.
He needed a firm backing that the branch clan could never touch. Only then could he save his sister from those bastards without having to face them head-on.
However, the most vital thing was still to become stronger.
Because he was no longer the son of a great Clan, he couldn't enter high-quality dungeons without their permission. But there were always harsher options.
He would choose high-risk green dungeons. They were on par with high-quality ones, and his beast could level up at a ridiculous speed there. Most importantly, he didn't need anyone's permission since they were unmanaged—which also meant they were extremely dangerous.
But did he even have the right to choose at this point?
No.