Chapter 97:A Moment's Rest
Philip soared through the dawn sky, streaking across western Nigeria with arcs of lightning trailing behind him. His body still hummed with the aftershock of battle, raw power thrumming beneath skin hardened by the Supreme Body. He could have teleported but he wanted to calm down the bloodlust around him
When he returned home, the sun was already high in the sky. Though his body still hummed with faint divine echoes from the battle in Ibadan, his heart was steadier. For now, the fire of vengeance had cooled his siblings were safe, his parents were alive, and the immediate threat had been eradicated.
He stepped through the reconstructed threshold of the house. Already, workers had begun clearing debris under the oversight of one of the Philip Group's trusted site managers. The destroyed sections of the house Amaka's room, parts of the roof, and the living room would be fully rebuilt within days.
Amaka was sitting on the couch, now dressed casually in a bright yellow top and jeans, eating from a bowl of fruit while reading something on her tablet. Her aura was still faintly tinged with the light mana that now coursed through her body, stabilizing after her earlier breakthrough.
Philip walked in and smiled faintly.
"You'll be staying with me for now," he said without preamble.
Amaka looked up, blinking in surprise.
"Why?"
"I'm sending Mum and Dad abroad for a while," Philip replied, his tone even but firm. "They've always wanted to travel the world. Now's the perfect time to give them that chance. And… I don't want them here until things are stable."
Amaka's expression softened.
"You think the Church will try again?"
Philip nodded.
"They will. And next time, it won't just be gutterborns. I'd rather have you near me where I can protect you properly. I'm also reinforcing the wards around my own house. For now, it's the safest place."
At that moment, Nathaniel walked in from the kitchen, a mug of coffee in his hand. He looked more rested after the chaos of the past two days but still carried a lingering tension in his shoulders.
"You're sending Mum and Dad abroad?" he asked.
"Yes," Philip said. "I already booked the tickets. Europe first Paris, Rome, London, wherever they want to go. From there, they can take their time."
Nathaniel frowned slightly.
"You're not going to awaken them?"
"Eventually," Philip replied calmly. "But not yet. I want them to enjoy normal life a little longer at least for a few more years. Once they're awakened, things change forever. They'll lose that freedom."
Nathaniel sighed and nodded.
"Fair enough."
"But I've marked them," Philip added. "I left a part of my spirit in them. If anything happens, I'll know instantly and I can teleport to them from anywhere."
Both siblings fell silent for a moment, the weight of what they'd endured still fresh in their minds.
Nathaniel eventually stood.
"I'll head to my place. I'll oversee the house repairs personally. It's about time I checked on my own apartment anyway."
Philip gave a faint smile.
"Good. And tomorrow, we resume as normal."
Nathaniel chuckled.
"'As normal.' After everything? You're serious?"
Philip's smile widened slightly.
"Yes. We can't let this shake us. Our enemies thrive on fear. We go back to work our companies, our projects. The world keeps turning."
Nathaniel shook his head, amused, and left to get ready.
Later that morning, Philip drove to his office a. The roads were bustling again, the tremors from the Ibadan incident already fading into the background noise of city life. News reports speculated about a "minor earthquake" .None of them truly understood what had happened.
At the office, he walked through the familiar halls, employees greeting him with a mix of respect and nervous awe. His recent rise in the awakened world was no longer a secret among those in the know rumors of a new demigod in Nigeria were spreading fast.
But Philip showed no sign of arrogance. He spent the morning reviewing contracts, attending a meeting with division heads, and making quiet adjustments to the company's security policies.
By afternoon, his mind drifted back to two unfinished matters.
First Dr. Remi. The battle with the abyss-possessed Odii had shown Philip how valuable having a stock of potent alchemical potions could be. He needed to arrange a proper partnership with the renowned alchemist someone who could provide him with healing elixirs, mana supplements, antidotes, and even offensive concoctions.
Second the Adebodes.
Philip owed them thanks. If not for the healing potions they'd provided during the emergency, Nathaniel and Amaka's recovery would have taken far longer. He also needed to properly acknowledge their help it was good to build alliances, especially among Nigeria's strongest awakened families.
That evening, after reviewing the final documents for his parents' flight, Philip stood on the balcony of his penthouse overlooking the Lagos skyline.
The city was alive beneath him. Distant sirens wailed, horns honked, lights glittered on the water.
He took a slow breath.
The days ahead would be harder than ever. The Church of Darkness wouldn't sit idle. The High Priest had been destroyed, but that was just the Nigeria branch. There would be retaliation. There would be war.
But for now his family was safe.
He would rebuild.
And the next time the darkness came…
He would be ready.
Later that afternoon, the family gathered quietly. Their parents, none the wiser about the battle beneath Ibadan, were surprised but delighted when Philip casually suggested an all-expenses-paid world trip.
"Paris? Rome? Japan?" their mother asked excitedly, already daydreaming.
Philip nodded. "Go wherever you like. No limits."
Their father looked at him, suspicious but unable to refuse. "You're sure everything's fine here?"
Philip smiled. "More than fine."
The arrangements were made quickly private flights, visas expedited through Philip's contacts.
By the following week, they would be gone safe and protected under layers of spatial wards and hidden talismans Philip had personally prepared.