Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

”Ryan, I understand exactly what you’re going through,” Soren started, his tone calm yet serious. ”In fact, I’m in a similar position myself and have already experienced the terror firsthand. Honestly, I barely made it out alive. If it wasn’t for outside help, I would already be dead, and Ethea would be gone.”

He looked directly at Ryan, letting the brutal truth hang in the air for a moment.

”I hope you never have to experience that kind of helplessness. But we both know how indifferent reality is to what we want. I’m not going to sit here and give you false hope or spin some fake comfort just to make you feel better. The truth is, we can’t afford to be caught off guard. We have to be as ready as possible for the absolute worst.” Soren leaned back slightly, crossing his arms. ”Before I give you my advice, though, I need to know one thing. How much time do you think you have left before things get critical?”

Ryan shifted uneasily, calculating the timeline in his head. ”I’m not entirely sure... but if I had to guess, I’d say I have about five or six years.”

”That’s a decent amount of time,” Soren muttered, though the line of his jaw remained tight. He took a slow breath, thinking. ”Five or six years gives us some room to work with. Originally, I had two suggestions in mind for you. But after hearing your situation and the fact that you have a few years to build a foundation, a third option has opened up. Do you want to hear them?”

Ryan’s eyes instantly lit up, his posture straightening as he gave a sharp nod.

”The first option,” Soren said, raising a finger, ”is to actually go through with what you’ve been considering: drop out of the academy entirely. You could register as an independent hunter, join a party, find a reputable guild, or even join the Bureau. It means throwing yourself completely into the hunter lifestyle. It’s high-risk, it’s brutal, and your parents will definitely hate it, but real combat is the fastest catalyst for growth. You’d be forcing yourself into constant life-and-death situations, which is exactly what triggers rapid adaptation.”

”Furthermore,” Soren added, ”if you choose this path, I’ll leave the management of the Monolith entirely to you. That way, you will continue to cultivate faster, and it’ll keep providing you with a very nice passive income to support your family. Then, once I’ve taken care of my own problems out there, I’ll return. We can team up, face whatever threats come your way together, and make sure both of our families stay protected.”

Ryan listened intently, evaluating the proposal, before gesturing for Soren to continue to the next one.

”The second suggestion is actually one I just came up with right now. It’s going ahead with the transfer to Etenia Academy. In fact, if you choose this, I’ll personally help you with it.” He paused, letting the contrast sink in. ”But once again, we would utilize the Monolith to your advantage, and you would enter that academy with a completely different mindset. Instead of treating it like a standard school path, you treat it purely as a resource and learning hub. You utilize their high-tier library, their secure training facilities, and their elite networks to grow as fast as possible, while completely ignoring the typical social or academic distractions. It provides your parents with the peace of mind they seek, while enabling you to access all the benefits the academy offers.”

Soren hesitated before adding, ”And honestly, I also have a selfish reason for suggesting this. My sister was supposed to enroll there, and perhaps she is already accepted. So, I thought... well, I was hoping you could help me look out for her.”

He realized his mistake and chuckled self-deprecatingly. ”I must sound pretty ridiculous right now. Here I am giving you life advice, yet I’m already turning it into a favor for myself. Sorry-”

”No, it’s okay.” Ryan waved his hand to dismiss the apology. ”It’s the least I could do after everything. Besides, keeping an eye on her wouldn’t be an issue at all. But...” He paused, clearly showing anticipation on his face. ”What about the third option?”

”The third option is...” Soren’s expression grew entirely serious, the lightheartedness from a moment ago vanishing completely. ”You just have to come with us.”

Ryan blinked, caught off guard.

”However, you need to know what you’d be signing up for,” Soren continued, his gaze locked onto the younger man. ”Our destination isn’t certain yet, and we are guaranteed to face extreme danger, likely far worse than the Seventh Circle Gate from the other day. We will be stepping onto a path where one wrong move could mean the end for any of us.”

”...”

”If you want, you can also bring your family along, but there is a very real chance they could get swept up in the crossfire and get injured or even worse... perish.”

”...” Ryan’s gaze turned ice-cold, and he looked down, his fists clenching so hard his shoulders trembled at the word ’perish’.

”...If you’re willing to take these risks,” Soren added softly, breaking the tension, ”then you are more than welcome to join us. I will personally do everything in my power to ensure both your and your family’s safety. Furthermore, we will also travel, fight, and grow stronger together.”

”...”

Ryan remained quiet, the inner storm still raging behind his stoic face.

”You don’t have to give me an answer right now,” Soren continued. ”Take your time to think it over. We won’t be leaving immediately, so you have until our departure to decide.”

Soren leaned back, letting out a soft sigh. ”And keep in mind, these three are just the paths I managed to come up with. They aren’t your only choices, and there might be far better options out there suited to your situation. So don’t feel boxed in by what I’ve suggested.”

He gestured vaguely with his hand. ”For instance, you could choose to step into the spotlight, reveal the true extent of your talent and powers, and draw the attention of the real powerhouses. An Emperor, a Sovereign, or if you’re extraordinarily lucky, even a Paragon could take notice and offer to make you their disciple. Under someone like that, your safety and growth would be guaranteed.”

”In the end, the choice is entirely yours.”