Chapter 189: The Great Family?
Chapter 189
Doris remained standing at the edge of the crater, watching Alex silently.
For several seconds, neither of them said anything. Alex’s head remained lowered as he stared at his bloodied fists. The pain in his body was still as intense as ever, but it was nothing compared to the emptiness that had quietly settled inside his chest after the whole ordeal that had just happened not too long.
Then Doris slowly walked toward him. She didn’t really say anything comforting like everything was going to be alright or that it wasn’t the end of the world.
Instead, what she did was to simply place one hand gently on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.
She knew there were moments when words could make things worse rather than better. Sometimes, the best thing a person could do was simply remain there and let the other person know that they weren’t alone.
So she stayed beside him in silence, even though he didn’t react.
Soon, after a little while passed, Alex eventually stirred and took a long breath. He gradually loosened his clenched bloodied fists. Then he raised his head and looked toward the direction where the convoy had disappeared.
His expression was still heavy, but the overwhelming rage that had consumed him earlier had at least finally begun to settle.
"Doris."
"Yes, Alex?"
Alex remained silent for a moment before asking,
"What exactly or should I say who exactly are the Great Families?"
Doris’s expression gradually turned serious almost immediately after he said that.
"The Great Families..." She sighed softly. "I really don’t know much about them. But what I do know is that they are extraordinary families with wealth and influence on a scale so great that ordinary people can’t even begin to imagine. Their power extends far beyond ordinary things like businesses and politics."
"They possess enormous military influence throughout the country, connections with the high ranking governments like the president and the likes, powerful Awakeneds, and resources that most families could never hope to acquire in a thousand years."
Alex listened quietly.
Doris continued.
"They are so powerful that even families ranked far above the Kade family are no match for them. The gap is just too wide."
Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"How powerful are we talking about?"
Doris looked at him.
"Well, for a family to officially be recognized as a Great Family, they must meet certain conditions."
She paused briefly.
"First, they must have at least one Master Realm Awakened protecting the family."
Alex’s expression became slightly more serious. That requirement alone was already terrifying. Caelan had demonstrated just how frightening a Master Realm Awakened could be. And from what he even said, there were less than a hundred Master Realm Awakened in the entire world.
Doris continued.
"Second, their total assets must be worth at least tens of trillions of dollars."
Alex’s eyebrows rose.
"Wait? Did you just say tens of trillions of dollars?"
"Mm-mm."
Doris nodded.
"That’s why there are so few of them. Wealth alone isn’t truly enough. Likewise Power alone isn’t enough either. They need both. That’s why a Great Family is both feared and respected. Even the president himself doesn’t dare upset them."
Alex remained silent as he processed the information.
"So how many Great Families are there?"
"Only two."
Doris’s answer came without hesitation.
Alex looked at her.
"Only two?"
"Yes."
Doris nodded.
"The first is the Von Aurelian family."
Alex’s expression darkened slightly.
"Nyx and Jade’s family."
"Exactly."
Doris’s voice became slightly quieter.
"The Von Aurelians have existed for generations and possess influence in numerous industries around the world and are the main military power of the country. Their main family is located on their private island, where most of their important members reside."
Alex didn’t say anything.
He already knew enough about them to understand that the family wasn’t anything close to ordinary. After all, Caelan alone had been enough to make him feel completely helpless.
"And the second family?"
Doris’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"The House of Blumonté."
Alex repeated the name quietly.
"Blumonté..."
"Yes."
Doris nodded.
"They are the only other family that has managed to reach the same level as the Von Aurelians. And aside from Von Aurelian and the house of Blumonté, I do know that other powerful countries around the world also have their own Great Families. Some possess one while the highest I’ve ever heard of, China, has three."
Alex fell silent. Because what else could he do other than that. But for some reason the name Blumonté stuck to his mind.
"Do you know why Nyx was kicked out of her family?"
Doris shook her head.
"I have not a single clue why. Boss Nyx never told me."
"Not even you?"
"Yes, not even me." Doris lowered her gaze slightly. "I’ve followed Boss Nyx for years, but there are certain things she has always kept to herself. Whatever happened between her and the Von Aurelians was one of them."
Alex didn’t respond.
He had already suspected that Nyx hadn’t told Doris everything, but hearing it confirmed made the situation even more complicated.
If whatever had happened was serious enough for the Von Aurelians to disown Nyx, then why had her grandfather suddenly changed his mind? And why had another Great Family suddenly become involved?
Alex rubbed his forehead.
There were simply too many unanswered questions. Before he could say anything else, footsteps suddenly came from behind them.
Alex turned around.
Several people were walking toward him.
They were the workers and attendants who had been trapped inside the mansion earlier. The same people he had rescued before the building collapsed.
As they reached him, they all stopped. Then, almost simultaneously, they bowed deeply, causing Alex to freeze.
The house maid stepped forward.
"Mr. Alex..." She said, with her voice trembling slightly. "Thank you. If it weren’t for you, we would all be dead by now."
The other attendants nodded.
"Thank you."
"Thank you for saving us."
"We won’t forget what you did."
Alex looked at them awkwardly. He hadn’t expected this. He scratched the back of his head.
"Uh..."
For someone who had just fought a Master Realm Awakened, survived being thrown through a mansion, and then punched a massive crater into the ground, he suddenly found himself completely unsure of what to say to a group of grateful employees.
"You don’t really have to thank me."
He eventually said.
"I just did what anyone else would have done."
Doris glanced at him. She clearly knew that wasn’t true. Most people would never have even thought of saving others while severely injured. After all, this was not some kind of movie but real life. But she didn’t say anything.
The house maid smiled faintly.
"Still, thank you sir. We will all remember what you have done for us."
Alex nodded awkwardly.
"Yeah... you’re welcome."
The group eventually stepped aside, allowing Alex to pass.
He looked around the ruined estate one final time. There was nothing left for him to accomplish here tonight.
"I’ll be going, Doris, but before that I think I should probably tell you something first."
Doris nodded.
"Tomorrow, we’ll figure out everything." He paused briefly. "We will need to discuss how to handle Nyx’s businesses, her underworld empire, and everything else while she’s gone."
"Understood."
Doris followed him for several steps before suddenly stopping.
"Uhm Alex..."
Alex stopped and looked back. Doris stared at him for a moment before asking softly.
"Are you really sure you’re okay?"
Alex looked at her. He was quite far from being okay? But he just forced a small smile and said quietly.
"Yeah. I’m fine."
Doris knew immediately that he was lying. But she didn’t expose him. Alex turned around and continued walking.
"Alright, I will be going now."
"Well then, till tomorrow. But don’t you dare do anything stupid when you get back."
"I won’t, I promise."
After saying that he left. However, instead of returning back home, Alex eventually changed direction.
He needed somewhere else. Somewhere quiet, where he could think and calm down after everything that had just happened today.
The secret spot he had discovered about a week ago immediately came to mind. It was hidden deep within the mountains, far away from the noise of the city.
After walking for quite some time, Alex eventually reached it.
The moment he stepped through the trees, the familiar scenery appeared before him. A small crystal-clear lake rested between the mountains, with its surface reflecting the now setting evening sun.
The surrounding vegetation was lush and untouched, while a gentle breeze moved through the tall evergreen trees. This place was as peaceful as it was enchanting and serene.
Alex stood there for several seconds.
"This place..."
He sighed.
"This is probably exactly what I need."
He walked toward the lake. His clothes were still torn and covered in dirt from his battle with Caelan. Blood had dried across parts of his body, while several bruises were still visible. But he barely noticed any of it while on his way here.
A familiar tiny little figure suddenly appeared beside him in a flash of blue light. It was the chibi version of the system and she looked unusually concerned.
[Alex...]
Alex glanced at her.
The tiny chibi version of the system floated beside him, her usual playful expression nowhere to be seen.
[You look pretty terrible]
Alex gave a tired smile.
"Thanks."
[You know that wasn’t a compliment right?]
"I know." Alex looked at the lake before saying quietly. "I want to go to the training realm."
The system immediately shook her head.
[Absolutely not]
Alex looked at her.
"Why no?"
She pointed at him.
[It is because you are in no condition to fight right now. You’re injured, angry, emotionally unstable, and exhausted. Fighting in that state against powerful foes is dangerous]
Alex sighed.
"I just need something to vent all my anger and frustration on. And fighting seems like the only solution"
[Sigh. I can’t deny you access to the training realm but I just want you to not go there and fight recklessly in this condition. Please]
Alex stared at her for a moment before finally sighing.
"Fine."
He looked down at himself. Only then did he realize just how terrible his clothes looked.
"At least I should probably clean myself up. I look like a mess right now."
He slowly stepped into the warm lake. The water immediately covered his feet before reaching his knees and waist as he advanced further. But that at the end, the water only reached his chest because that was how deep it was.
The moment he closed his eyes and fully let himself go, Alex could feel the cool and refreshing warmth of the water spreading across his body, easing some of the tension in his muscles.
For the first time since Nyx and Jade had left, his body finally began to relax.
For quite some while the entire place remained completely silent. Then several minutes later, Alex’s ears twitched as he heard something.
Splash!
His eyes opened and turned his head.