On the same day. At night.
When Silas's mother and sister returned from their work in Eternal Ascendancy, they went to freshen up.
Just as they finished, they saw Silas walking toward them, saying, "Log back into the game and join Dad's player lobby. Hurry!"
His mother and sister were confused. They asked why.
But Silas only said, "Just come quickly. We're waiting in the lobby."
Saying this, Silas went to his separate room and logged in.
His mother and sister sighed, exchanged glances, and logged back in too.
They accepted the invitation and appeared in Silas's father's player lobby.
The moment they arrived, they saw over 30 people gathered there.
They didn't recognize anyone.
They both looked at Silas and his father for an explanation.
His father laughed brightly and said, "You can't recognize them because they're in their player outfits. Even I didn't at first. Look—here, this person in witch clothes is my aunt from my father's side. And this one in monk robes is my uncle from my mother's side…"
He slowly introduced each one.
Silas's mother greeted them warmly after learning their real identities.
But inside, she shouted, "Why didn't they tell me beforehand? I should have been prepared!"
Her current outfit was that of a teenage girl—cute, youthful, and completely mismatched for a 40-year-old woman greeting relatives.
If she had known, she would have bought something more appropriate.
Now she was stuck saying hello to everyone familiar while dressed like this.
It was really embarrassing.
She silently decided to give both her husband and son a piece of her mind later.
For now, she kept smiling politely.
On the other hand, Silas's sister wasn't affected at all.
She simply said, "Hello everyone," while her father was still introducing people, then fell silent.
She walked straight to her brother and asked quietly, "What happened?"
She didn't bother glancing at the people staring at her. She ignored them completely.
She knew those looks well—jealousy, judgment, gossip. She had built strong endurance against them long ago.
When Silas heard her question, he only replied softly, "Sis, please wait a little. Dad will tell everyone."
His sister nodded and agreed to wait.
She turned her attention to her mother, who was awkwardly greeting relatives.
She realized her mom was likely feeling embarrassed about her teenage-girl outfit. Her mood darkened.
She smacked Silas on the back of the head and said, "You little… couldn't you tell us beforehand? It's okay if you didn't tell me, but you should've at least warned Mom. Look how uncomfortable she is now."
Silas clutched the back of his head and cried out in a low voice, "Sis!! You should control your strength—you're a cultivator now, but I'm not!"
Hearing this, his sister gave him one more light smack—this time gentler.
"You should've thought about it before inviting us here. I thought you had a surprise for us, but all I see is this bunch of people."
The lobby had already gone quiet. Everyone heard the smacking sound and the siblings' bickering.
They watched curiously—no one tried to stop it. They simply enjoyed the family drama.
Only Silas's parents stepped forward.
His father said, "Both of you, stop fighting. Mary, I told you not to hit your brother. Why are you bullying him?"
Mary didn't reply. She just "humph"ed and turned her head away.
When Silas's father saw her reaction, he sighed and said, "Okay, enough introductions for now. Let's talk about the real reason we're all here."
Mary and her mother leaned forward eagerly, wanting to know why everyone had gathered.
Silas's father smiled widely and announced, "Let me tell you—Silas got an invitation from the Central Academy!"
Mary and her mother listened quietly. Their faces stayed calm—almost neutral—until the very last words: "Central Academy."
Even if Silas had been admitted into the India Concord, they wouldn't have been surprised.
But this?
This changed everything.
They weren't just surprised. They were shocked. It was on a completely different level.
Their eyes snapped to Silas, searching for confirmation.
Silas met their gaze and nodded once—simple, steady.
That small nod was enough.
They believed.
Inside, joy exploded. They almost burst with excitement.
But they held it in tightly—surrounded by so many relatives, they couldn't let it show.
They only gave him a gentle pat on the back, nothing more.
The others in the lobby quickly crowded around, offering congratulations.
Silas heard every word, felt every fake smile.
Their praise rang hollow—empty, laced with envy or forced politeness.
But he didn't care.
His family's silent pat, their proud eyes—those mattered.
No one else's words ever had.
That indifference toward others hadn't come from nowhere.
From the age when most children played freely with friends, Silas had already started noticing.
It wasn't a superpower.
It was simple observation.
He compared the warmth, the honesty, the real care in his family's attitudes, words, and actions… to the way others behaved around him.
He began feeling the truth behind their voices—the jealousy, the hidden resentment, the shallow flattery.
Children mostly focus on enjoying their life instead of unnecessary things.
But Silas became quite perceptive because of those same "unnecessary" things.
He stopped caring what they thought. Their fake smiles doesn't waver him. Nor their hidden emotions.
His family was happy.
That was enough.