10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZvydKCNMO
When Kael and Zephyros arrived at the manor’s massive gates, the guards struck their spears against the ground in salute. Kael was mesmerized as he looked up at the structure. His uncle’s manor had seemed enormous to him, but this place... Zephyros’s manor looked like a mere nursery wing next to Vaelmon’s main palace. The architecture practically screamed "Power."
The gates opened slowly, and they were greeted by Elowen. Seeing Zephyros first, a warm motherly glow appeared on her face. "Ah, my son! Welcome home. You finally remembered to stop by," she said, stepping toward him. Just then, she noticed Kael standing behind Zephyros, curiously scanning the surroundings. Her steps faltered; her eyes narrowed.
"Zephyros... Who is this young man beside you?"
Kael stepped forward politely and gave a slight bow. "Ah, Lady Elowen, my name is Kael. I am very pleased to meet you."
The moment Elowen heard the name "Kael," she froze. "Kael? You..." her voice trembled. Zephyros smiled and interjected, "Yes, Nerya’s son, Kael. I don't remember when you last saw him, so it's no wonder you didn't recog—"
Before Zephyros could finish his sentence, Elowen lunged forward, pulling Kael into her arms and pressing him to her chest. "Ah! Look at how much you’ve grown! You’re a young man now! I can’t believe it... Your eyes... They are just like your mother’s, shining with that same honey color!"
At that moment, a deep, resonant voice echoed from the depths of the manor, making the walls vibrate. "Elowen! Who are you talking to at the door so heatedly?"
Vaelmon appeared, walking with heavy, deliberate steps. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing Zephyros. "Zephyros? What wind blew you here? You usually look for any hole to crawl into just to avoid this place."
Zephyros shrugged with a teasing smirk. "Father, can’t I come to see my own family? Maybe I just missed you; is that so impossible?"
Vaelmon was about to respond when he noticed the boy Elowen was still hugging tightly. His brow furrowed, his sharp eyes scanning Kael. "Elowen, who is this child? A recruit for the guards?"
Elowen pulled back excitedly and gestured toward Kael. "Dear, this is Kael! You didn't recognize him, did you? Our little Kael!"
"Kael?" Vaelmon’s eyes instantly locked with Zephyros’s. Zephyros simply nodded. Vaelmon stood directly in front of Kael.
Kael was shaken by the sheer presence of the man standing before him. He thought to himself, "So this is a Head Mage... 8th Circle... The aura he radiates is so dominant that even the air feels heavy. Truly terrifying power." Struggling to keep himself from trembling, he spoke: "H-hello, sir. I am Kael... Pleased to—"
Vaelmon suddenly burst into laughter, reaching out with a massive hand to grab Kael by the scruff of the neck and pull him into a rough embrace. "Ha ha ha! Look at our little Kael! A grown man! Ah, that Nerya... She hasn't brought my grandson to see us for so long that we almost took you for a stranger on the street!"
With Vaelmon’s unexpected warmth and his use of the word "grandson," the tension inside Kael vanished instantly; his heart felt warm. Vaelmon tucked Kael’s head under his arm like they were old pals and ruffled his hair. "By the way, call me 'sir' one more time and we'll have a problem, lad. You will call me 'Grandfather'!"
Elowen added with a smile, "And please don't call me 'Lady Elowen,' sweetie. There's no need for such formality when your Grandmother is right here."
Kael gave a bashful smile. "Alright... Grandfather, Grandmother," he managed to say.
When they went inside and sat down, the atmosphere grew a bit more serious. Zephyros began to explain the terrifying creature that had entered the city. Vaelmon stood up in shock. "An Echidmer? What is that monster doing in the heart of the city? Are the guards sleeping, or are they too lazy to leave the barracks?!"
"Calm down, father," Zephyros said gravely. "We believe someone intentionally let it in. The Kingdom is investigating the matter." Elowen asked anxiously, "Was there much loss of life?"
Zephyros pointed at Kael with a proud grin. "Lucky for us, Kael was there. He split the creature right down the middle; the beast was on the ground in two pieces before it even knew what hit it. It was a bit too 'clean' for an amateur job, I must say."
Vaelmon and Elowen looked at Kael in disbelief. Vaelmon had already noticed the sword at Kael's waist, but he wondered to himself, "How could this boy have killed that massive creature in a single strike?" He fixed his gaze on Kael. "Kael, what is your power level right now?"
Kael stood tall and replied, "I just reached the 4th Circle, Grandfather."
The look of surprise on Vaelmon’s face didn't fade for a second. "Ha ha! Of course! I wouldn't expect anything less from my grandson! But wait a minute... Didn't we seal your cursed dark magic? Are you using a second magic, then?"
Zephyros stepped in. "Kael uses fire magic, father. By the way, it seems the artifact you placed years ago has lost its power. We had a very difficult time on the road. For now, we are keeping his powers sealed with this ring."
Vaelmon stroked his beard. "Hmm, fire magic... How strange. Our entire lineage is usually born with powerful wind magic. I suppose your father Abaddon must have been a dual-magic user; it must have come from him. If you used wind magic, I could have taught you some very powerful techniques, but fire isn't bad either."
Zephyros leaned in and whispered to Kael with a chuckle: "You're lucky you don't have wind magic, lad. My father's training isn't training; it's practically medieval torture." Vaelmon scowled. "I can hear you, Zephyros!"
"By the way, father, I’ve enrolled Kael in the academy. He’ll learn most things about magic more systematically there."
Vaelmon approved. "Ah, very wise. Kael, you've turned 15 then... How time flies."
Elowen brought fresh treats and tea from the kitchen. As the conversation deepened, Vaelmon suddenly stood up. "Kael, come outside. Your grandfather is curious to see just how strong you’ve become."
Elowen tried to intervene. "Dear, the boy just got here, let him catch his breath!" Kael stood up eagerly. "It’s no problem, Grandmother. Training with my Grandfather would be the best kind of education for me."
Vaelmon’s eyes sparkled. "Ha! That’s the spirit I want to see! I like your enthusiasm, lad!"
When they moved to the training grounds, Zephyros and Elowen moved to the side to watch. Vaelmon stood in the center of the wide arena and looked at Kael. "Alright then, show me what you've got!"
Vaelmon suddenly directed his dominant aura toward Kael. Kael felt as if tons of weight had suddenly dropped onto him; his bones felt like they were cracking under the pressure. He had trained many times with Master Grimm and Pyros, but he had never felt a pressure this crushing, this soul-stifling.
Vaelmon smirked. "What's the matter, lad? Can't you move?"
Kael took a deep breath with great difficulty, feeling as though his lungs were collapsing. This pressure wasn't gradual; it hit him all at once like a shockwave. Gritting his teeth, he gripped his sword, stood upright, and took his stance. "Grimm Sword Formation, 2nd Step: Breath of the Crimson Dragon!"
Flames erupted from Kael’s sword, forming the shape of a massive dragon that roared and lunged at Vaelmon. Vaelmon didn't even move from his spot; he simply raised his hand and flicked the air as if dismissing a fly. The dragon dissipated into the wind with a simple gust.
Kael realized the gravity of the situation once again. He took his position once more, this time loading his mana to its full capacity. "Grimm Sword Formation, 3rd Step: Rise of the Flaming Soul!"
An intense aura of fire enveloped his body and his blade. Simultaneously, he created fiery projectiles floating in the air around him. After loading his mana into his blade to the very last drop, Kael launched himself toward Vaelmon like a cyclone of fire, along with the projectiles.
Vaelmon was surprised to see Kael controlling the projectiles while simultaneously launching a combined sword attack. "Not bad... But insufficient!"
Vaelmon extended his index finger slightly and sent a shockwave of wind toward Kael. All of Kael's projectiles were erased in mid-air, and the fire aura he had created shattered. Hurled backward, Kael barely managed to regain his balance and stand firm.
Kael had used almost all his cards, yet he hadn't been able to make even a scratch on the immovable mountain before him. Deep down, Vaelmon had reminded him once again how weak he truly was; after all, an 8th-circle giant was no match for him. Even though this was just a simple test for Vaelmon, Kael felt frustrated.
He had one more technique that Grimm had taught him—one that even Zephyros hadn't seen yet—and he decided to use it. He extended his sword forward and entered a completely different, static stance. He took a deep breath; at that moment, the air around Kael began to evaporate, and his mana started to fluctuate wildly. This technique consumed all the mana in the vicinity and briefly suspended the laws of physics. Grimm had warned him; a 14-year-old body was still too weak for this technique, so he had cautioned Kael not to use it unless absolutely necessary.
Zephyros stood up as he saw the mana field forming around Kael. "What is this? This mana density...?" Vaelmon was also staring in surprise, trying to make sense of what Kael was doing.
When the mana field was ready, Kael took one last deep breath.
Kael lunged from his spot with the speed of a shockwave. He was so fast that, for a moment, he completely vanished from the onlookers' sight. While Zephyros and Vaelmon were trying to figure out where Kael had gone for that split second, Kael suddenly appeared right in front of Vaelmon. Just as he was about to swing his sword at the sharpest angle...
Vaelmon held the blade with his bare hand, caught between his fingers. Kael’s eyes widened in shock. "This... How is this possible?"
At that moment, all of Kael’s energy was drained, the strength in his legs gave out, and he collapsed where he stood. Panting for breath, he lifted his head. "Wow... Grandfather... You really are incredibly strong. You didn't even take a single step throughout the whole fight... And look at me, I'm too exhausted to even get off the ground."
Vaelmon knelt beside Kael and placed a hand tenderly on his head. His gaze was full of pride. "You fought well, lad. You exceeded my expectations by far. To be able to fight without surrendering under the pressure of an 8th-circle mage while only being at the 4th circle is a massive feat in itself."
Kael thought his grandfather was just saying those things to make him feel better, but he didn't realize just how sincere and genuine Vaelmon’s words were.
ns216.73.216.141da2
and then Add to home screen.