Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

Two days later, Soren found himself back at the awakening bureau.

He had already stabilized his cultivation and even gone on three raids, but today his focus was entirely logistical. The bureau had finally completed its initial research on the monolith, and he was here to negotiate the official ownership and rights regarding the anomaly.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait in the main lobby for long. Almost as soon as he stepped through the entrance, he was welcomed by Administrator Veyra herself. Her presence alone drew a few curious glances from nearby hunters and staff, signaling the importance of the meeting and her status.

”Good to see you, Soren,” Veyra said, offering a professional nod before gesturing toward the secure elevators. ”The research team wrapped up their primary analysis ahead of schedule. We’re heading upstairs now to meet with the head of the Kalmira Awakened Bureau to discuss the details.”

Soren nodded, falling into step beside her as they moved through the polished corridors toward the secure elevator bank.

As they walked, Veyra looked over at him, her expression a mix of professional curiosity and genuine interest. ”How has your experience with the bureau membership been so far? Have you been utilizing the benefits fully?”

”It’s been great,” Soren replied with an appreciative nod. ”Especially the internal shop. The prices for cultivation materials and gear are significantly lower than anything you can find out on the open hunter market.”

Veyra smiled, a look of quiet professional pride crossing her features. ”Good to hear. We strive to provide our hunters with the best possible environment to grow and sustain themselves. After all, your safety directly translates to the city’s stability.”

She paused briefly as they reached the elevator, pressing the button for the top executive floors. Before the doors slid open, she glanced back at him. ”Have you given any thoughts to upgrading your membership tier?”

Soren shook his head smoothly, offering a polite but firm response. ”No, I haven’t really had the time lately, and my current tier is pretty good for my needs right now.”

”Fair enough,” Veyra said, gesturing for him to step into the elevator ahead of her. ”But let me know if you change your mind. The higher tiers also unlock direct access to more gates and priority access to rare resources. It’s an option always open to someone of your caliber.”

Soren nodded. ”I will keep that in mind.”

As the elevator began its smooth ascent, the professional atmosphere inside the cabin shifted. Veyra hesitated briefly, looking away for a fraction of a second before facing him with a slight furrow in her brow.

”Mr. Soren... I wanted to apologize for the recent incident,” she said, her tone softening into genuine regret. ”I couldn’t step in to help you or visit you while the investigation was ongoing. I wanted to mobilize our branch’s legal team right away, but the higher-ups explicitly told me that everything was under control and ordered me not to intervene.”

Soren shook his head smoothly, offering her a reassuring expression. ”No, you don’t have to apologize for that. Thank you for worrying about my situation regardless. Thankfully, it all got resolved without any further incident.”

”That is true,” Veyra agreed, letting out a small, weary sigh. ”But it is still a shame. We lost a few very promising hunter candidates all because of one culprit’s actions.”

Soren chose to remain silent, offering no verbal comment on her observation. He knew exactly who she was talking about. She was undoubtedly referring to the remaining members of Team 14, who had received severe disciplinary punishments for assisting Garin Vale in his malicious scheme. The academy had expelled them entirely, and the bureau had slapped them with a three-year ban from all hunter activities, including entering any licensed gates. On top of that, they were currently serving three months in a juvenile correctional facility to rehabilitate their psychological baselines.

This might have looked lenient on the surface, but the reality was different. They had received a lesser punishment primarily because they had also become victims of Garin’s extreme actions during the final moments; they had turned themselves in, fully cooperated with the investigation, and acted as key witnesses to expose the truth.

If they could genuinely endure this hardship, a consequence entirely born from their own poor choices, and truly reflect on their actions, they might actually have a chance to reform. With the right guidance during their time in the correctional facility, they could still turn their lives around and eventually become good hunters and decent people.

However, his internal reflections were abruptly disrupted by a soft chime. The elevator ground to a smooth halt, and the heavy doors slid open to reveal a carpeted, high-security executive hallway.

”Follow me,” Veyra said, stepping out into the corridor.

Soren stepped out behind her, his shoes sinking slightly into the plush, sound-dampening carpet. The corridor was quiet, lined with dark wood paneling and minimalist mana-lighting that gave the entire floor an air of heavy authority.

Veyra led him to a set of double frosted-glass doors at the very end of the hall.

Stepping inside, Soren found himself in a spacious, sunlit office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Kalmira skyline. Behind a massive mahogany desk sat a middle-aged man, meticulously reviewing a floating holographic document. He possessed sharp, neat white hair and a well-groomed white beard that added a striking sense of discipline to his strong jawline.

As the man looked up, Soren felt a sudden, inexplicable prickle of familiarity.

There was something in the sharp structure of the man’s eyes and the subtle, commanding tilt of his brow that looked strangely reminiscent of someone he knew.

Curious, Soren discreetly activated Investor’s Insight.

A subtle, translucent ripple passed over his vision, and a detailed status screen materialized, instantly stiffening Soren’s posture in surprise.

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Name: Craig Marron

Status: Healthy

Age: 43

Rank: 6th Circle (Mid Stage)

Current Mana Level: Very High (1,735,878)

Ability: Sovereign Aura

Mental State: Analytical, Highly Curious

Investment Value: High

Potential: 7th Circle (Estimated)

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’He’s her relative?!’