There was no need to discuss his decision with his undead.
With their current intelligence, they wouldn’t understand him anyway.
Michael conveniently dismissed Blue to the Netherworld, along with any other undead that could be sent there—except for Lucky and the High Human Mage.
Though he planned to evolve his undead soon, he wasn’t in a rush.
Since leaving the site where Ace and Lia were, hours had passed. It would soon be dawn in both of his worlds.
Before it was too late, Michael wanted to transport the few undead that couldn’t be unsummoned back to the real world while Lucky and the High Human Mage stood guard.
With a plan in mind, he didn’t waste time executing it.
What he hadn’t expected, however, was that just as he finished transporting his undead back to his community and returned to his room, a knock came from his door.
Michael, who was just about to sit down after quietly closing the window, paused.
“Are you awake, Michael?” A soft voice came from the other side.
It was Aunt Mia.
Mentally exhausted, Michael wasn’t as alert as usual and hadn’t sensed her approach immediately.
He glanced at the undead orc stationed in his room and dismissed her.
Though he would have to summon her again later to guard him—making the action seem wasteful—his mana in this world was nearly full.
On a normal day, he wouldn’t worry about such small expenditures, so he couldn’t be bothered now either.
“Come in, Aunt Mia,” he said.
His voice was soft, yet it seemed to travel far and nowhere at the same time, reaching Aunt Mia’s ears clearly.
Aunt Mia had just woken up and was still sleepy.
Even with the help of the two summons her nephew had given her—making life undeniably easier—things were still stressful.
Not physically, per se, but mentally, it was a lot.
Unfortunately, everyone around her was likely feeling the same way. Even if she wanted to share her thoughts—something she rarely did—she couldn’t.
Michael had given her a task, and after he convinced her, and after everything she had seen and come to understand, she took it seriously.
He wanted them to move out—for their own benefit.
Putting everything else aside, Woodstone City wasn’t exactly an ideal place to live now
It had only been two days since the chaos, yet the significance of what had happened had already revealed a lot to those who understood the situation.
For one, she realized that big cities weren’t just big because of their economy, technological advancements, or social development.
The supernatural world played a major role.
And it made sense.
Look at Michael.
People always said that becoming a supernatural was a path to wealth, but few understood how it actually worked.
Yet in less than two weeks since awakening, her nephew could send her a million like it was nothing.
She was wise enough to know that Michael was probably special even among supernaturals.
As an adult, she understood that true equality didn’t exist, but that didn’t change the reality in front of her.
Why would someone with so much money not want to enjoy it?
Of course, bigger cities would be more appealing than backward ones.
To a certain extent, she was right.
But she was also wrong.
Cracks were the foundation that determined the quality of a location in Aurora.
That wasn’t to say cities couldn’t be big without high-level cracks—it wasn’t uncommon.
And yes, the quality of supernaturals in those cities wouldn’t necessarily be bad.
After all, aside from the Federation working behind the scenes to manipulate things, how many rich people wouldn’t want to enjoy their wealth?
Sometimes, location itself was a luxury.However, the current situation left Aunt Mia feeling conflicted.
Every family hoped their children would be talented in cultivation, and having an Awakener among them was seen as a blessing.
When Michael first Awakened, it was the best news she had ever received.
It still was—but after everything she had witnessed these past few days, she had come to understand that not everything was sunshine and prosperity.
Sometimes, gaining something meant sacrificing something else.
She could feel it—her family and Michael growing a little more distant day by day.
It wasn’t that their relationship was turning bad, but things were changing.
She was happy for everything that had happened to Michael, yet at the same time, she felt a quiet sadness.
“Come in, Aunt Mia,” came a familiar voice from the other side of the door.
Instantly, she became a bit more awake.
After a brief hesitation, she softly opened the door.
Inside, Michael sat, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp despite the exhaustion in his expression.
The dim lighting in the room cast soft shadows on his face, making him look more mature than his years.
Aunt Mia stepped inside, closing the door behind her.Aunt Mia sat down at the edge of his bed. She hesitated for a moment before speaking. “You’ve been busy. More than usual.”
Michael nodded. It wasn’t as if he could deny it.
Still, he felt he should say something. It seemed like it wasn’t just him adapting to his new reality and the changes that came with it—his family was, too.
But before he could speak, Aunt Mia beat him to it.
“There’s no need to explain,” she said gently, offering a small smile. “I know you’re busy.”
She paused, studying his face. Even without him saying anything, she could tell—he was tired. Not just physically, but mentally.
“I just hope you’re taking care of yourself,” she continued. “No matter how strong you become, you’re still… you. So be careful, Michael. Be safe.”
Michael didn’t respond right away. For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then, he exhaled softly.
“I will,” he said, his voice steady. “I promise.”
Aunt Mia nodded, satisfied, but the worry in her eyes didn’t fade completely.
However, she hadn’t forgotten the real reason she came to see Michael. Now that she had the chance to talk to him before he got busy with that other world—the one they said Awakeners had access to—it was better to settle some things now.
“I’ve found a new location for us to move to,” Aunt Mia revealed.
*****
Read author’s note.