The Reynold Family?
Kael frowned. As someone well-versed in the Continent's Stormwind Leaderboard, he was no stranger to the Reynold Family's reputation—a prestigious magical lineage within the Maider Kingdom, renowned for their influence. Rumors even suggested they boasted tenth-tier mages among their ranks.
But…
Kael's gaze sharpened as it locked onto Lucian. Sparing him was out of the question.
After all, his mask could still conceal his identity. Even if he was currently within Maider Kingdom's borders—effectively the Reynold Family's domain—he had no intention of leaving loose ends.
Lucian was like a starving wolf: relentless and unpredictable. Letting him live would only invite future ambushes.
Seeing the icy resolve in Kael's eyes, Lucian's pupils contracted. He instinctively stepped back, but Kael's magic had already sealed his fate.
With a swift raise of his staff, Kael unleashed a surge of lightning. Lucian's body convulsed as countless bolts ravaged him—his vision darkened permanently.
Lucian was dead.
His corpse stiffened, lifeless. Then, a mysterious rune emerged from his body, woven from intricate spell formations.
Kael's heart sank. "A magical crest!"
This was the Reynold Family's mark. Its activation meant they would immediatelylearn of Lucian's death.
"Damn it. Just as he warned." Suppressing his unease, Kael retrieved Lucian's spatial ring. A quick inspection revealed a trove of treasures—most notably, dozens of magic crystals, nearly all from eighth-tier or higher beasts.
Magic crystals were precisely what Kael needed most now. A flicker of satisfaction crossed his mind as he fed them to the sapling.
In moments, the crystals dimmed, drained of all energy. Kael winced—this haul had been worth hundreds of thousands of gold coins...
Still, Kael found solace in the fact that the sapling had grown noticeably taller, now reaching up to his waist.
"If I had a tenth-tier beast core—or something even higher—this sapling might transform into a full-fledged tree in one go!" Kael mused. Unfortunately, tenth-tier cores were exponentially rarer and more valuable than ninth-tier ones.
"That Black Venom Powder Lucian used earlier... Thankfully, I reacted fast enough to hold my breath. Otherwise, I might've been in real trouble." A frown creased his brow as he reflected on the close call.
Lucian hadn't been reckless. Armed with the toxin, he'd been confident in ambushing Kael to seize the Water Dragon's legacy.
But Kael's mastery of alchemy and poisons was virtually unrivaled across the continent.
"The Tower of the Fallen... the Reynold Family..." Kael muttered, a chill settling in his chest. These were the two formidable forces he'd now antagonized.
The Tower of the Fallen, though powerful, was a shadowy organization of Darkwing Mages—operating far from the light and currently too distant to pose an immediate threat.
As for the Reynold Family... While they boasted tenth-tier mages and immense influence, Kael felt no fear. His mask would shield his identity.
Even if a tenth-tier expert could see through Toms' crafted disguise, they'd only detect the mask itself—not Kael's true appearance. On that front, Kael was confident. That old swindler Toms was surprisingly reliable.
"Still, I'm in Maider Kingdom now. Caution is key." With that thought, he expanded his spiritual sea. "I haven't checked The Book of Immortality yet. Who knows what's changed?"
Having broken through to the ninth tier, the ancient tome had finally undergone another transformation.
As his psychic senses unfurled, Kael could perceive the shifts within the book's pages. And what he found left him awestruck—The Book of Immortality had evolved in ways far beyond his expectations.
"So many ninth-tier and higher spells—especially the lightning-based ones I need!"Kael was thrilled. Lightning magic was now his trump card, but without proper incantations, it would be useless.
Yet The Book of Immortality had granted more than just spells.
As Kael mentally flipped through its pages within his spiritual sea, his eyes suddenly gleamed with realization. **"Blacksmithing!"**
Yes, the tome now brimmed with advanced forging knowledge!
In an instant, streams of text flashed through his mind, flooding him with expertise that felt as natural as breathing—ready to be wielded at will.
"Blacksmithing."
Long ago, The Book of Immortality had bestowed upon him master-level forging skills. But now, after his breakthrough to the ninth tier, that knowledge had ascended to Grandmaster-tier—on par with his alchemy mastery.
Even better, forging no longer demanded grueling physical exertion. With his enhanced fire-attribute magic control and strengthened physique, Kael could personally craft weapons and armor with ease.
"The Book of Immortality's knowledge just keeps expanding." A satisfied smile curled his lips. The prospect of becoming a Grandmaster Blacksmith was exhilarating.
"And there's one more prize this time…"
His grin widened as he lifted a staff—
Lucian's Magical Crystal Staff.
The weapon shimmered with gem-like clarity, its radiant purity a testament to the unparalleled magic crystal at its core.
"This crystal's purity is unimaginable—packed with such dense magic that it outclasses even the one on Master Ethan's Azure Sea Staff!" The comparison amused him.
Without a doubt, this staff was priceless.
If Old Ethan ever laid eyes on this staff, his eyeballs might just pop out of his skull.
Kael's smile deepened with satisfaction. Though killing Lucian had carried immense risk, the payoff was undeniable—this Magical Crystal Staff was precisely what he needed.
Despite his monstrous mana reserves, Thunderfire Gaze strained even his limits, its consumption overwhelming. With this staff, Kael could finally ease that burden.
This breakthrough had brought immense rewards. After a brief pause to steady himself, Kael retrieved two long-stored ingredients from his spatial ring: Ancient Mossand Moonlit Tree Leaves.
That's right—he was brewing Elixir of Life.
A single drop of this legendary potion could heal near-fatal wounds. Rumors even claimed it could resurrect the dead, though Kael dismissed that as exaggeration. Still, its actual potency was undeniable.
With a vial of it, he'd essentially gain an extra life.
As a Grandmaster Alchemist, concocting the elixir was child's play—especially with all materials prepared. His cauldron hummed as he channeled alchemist's essence into it, the air vibrating with energy.
One by one, he added the ingredients, refining them with meticulous care…
Soon, a vial of faint green liquid shimmered before him.
Success.
Kael carefully stored the Elixir of Life in his spatial ring. Then, with a final glance at Lucian's corpse, he vanished from the scene.
Maider Kingdom's territory was no place to linger.
The Reynold Family had likely already detected Lucian's death and begun their manhunt. Kael raced onward, covering dozens of miles in hours until he reached a secluded area.
Lefay Territory was now less than a day's journey away.
Just as he allowed himself a moment of respite—a sound up ahead froze him in his tracks…