Dozens of days had passed since Kael killed Lucian. Kael estimated that he couldn't conceal the truth much longer—the Reynolds Family could come knocking at any moment.
Before that happened, every bit of strength he could gain mattered!
The soldiers, Finn, and the others had begun meditating to stabilize their energy. It was clear that the Winged Serpent Blood had greatly benefited them, steadily elevating their power. Additionally, the serpent-scale armor provided full-body protection, further bolstering their defenses.
A flicker of emotion passed through Lone Wolf's eyes. He understood that Kael was preparing to confront the Reynolds Family, and he couldn't suppress a surge of excitement. His long-awaited vengeance was finally within reach!
"Lone Wolf, I leave this place in your hands," Kael said with a slight frown. "Handle everything else. I'm returning to the Tower of Hope now."
Lone Wolf nodded. Kael had full confidence in his ability to oversee the situation.
A glimmer of hope shone in Lone Wolf's gaze. He knew exactly why Kael was entering the Tower of Hope—he was attempting to break through to Level 10! Silently, he prayed for Kael's success. If Kael could truly reach Level 10, the impact would be immeasurable.
A Level 10 mage could annihilate an entire army with a mere gesture!
Sitting cross-legged at the highest floor of the Tower of Hope, Kael overlooked the entirety of Laphie City. The people below looked like ants, bustling about in their tiny lives.
It was evening. Rolling clouds blazed with molten gold as the sun dipped below the horizon—a breathtaking sight. Gazing at the Laphie Territory, which had undergone earth-shaking transformations in such a short time, Kael felt a deep sense of accomplishment.
He retrieved the Winged Serpent's Gallbladder, now fully processed and exuding a medicinal fragrance. The gallbladder was only the size of a palm, yet it was crystalline and translucent, nothing like an ordinary serpent's organ. This was truly the most refined essence of the Winged Serpent's body.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Kael swallowed it whole.
The moment it touched his tongue, an icy chill spread through him.
A tidal wave of energy erupted in Kael's chest and abdomen, frigid and overwhelming. Had he not been strong enough, a mage below Level 8 would have been frozen solid by the gallbladder's elemental frost the instant they consumed it!
Indeed, not just anyone could ingest the Winged Serpent's Gallbladder. Without sufficient strength, the sheer cold energy within it would turn the consumer into a block of ice.
But Kael had more than enough power—he had nothing to fear.
The gallbladder's energy surged violently within him. Every magic channel in Kael's body flared open, voraciously absorbing the serpent's essence.
"Truly worthy of a century-old Winged Serpent's essence—this gallbladder's power is immense. Right now, even a single exhale from me could frost over this entire floor of the magic tower," Kael mused silently.
This very fact demonstrated just how vast the energy contained within the Winged Serpent's Gallbladder was. Kael, however, remained patient. With his magic channels fully opened, torrents of energy surged relentlessly into his body.
Kael had already been a hair's breadth away from Level 10. Now, with the gallbladder's aid, he advanced further, brushing against the barrier of Level 10.
But breaking through to Level 10 was no easy feat. Mages at Levels 8 and 9 were collectively known as Arcane Magi, while those at Levels 10 and 11 bore the title of Saintly Magi—an entirely different realm of power.
To Kael, it felt as though an immense stone gate stood before him, immovable no matter how hard he pushed. Even with his full strength, he could only barely crack it open by a sliver.
"Damn it, the barrier to Level 10 is far more stubborn than I imagined," Kael gritted his teeth, a flicker of shock passing through him.
The mana within him roared like a tidal wave, relentlessly battering against his limits. Yet despite multiple attempts, Kael could only make the slightest progress—the barrier refused to yield further.
"I refuse to believe I can't break through!" Fueled by sheer defiance, Kael gathered his mana once more and hurled it against the invisible barrier.
BOOM!
A deafening metaphorical crash echoed within him. The "stone gate" in his body shuddered visibly, loosening ever so slightly. A spark of triumph flickered in Kael's mind. Though he hadn't fully shattered the barrier, its weakening was undeniable. If he persisted, Level 10 would be his!
Gritting his teeth, Kael launched wave after wave of assaults, channeling every ounce of his mana while harnessing the gallbladder's lingering energy for one final push.
Over and over, he expended every drop of his power, scouring his limits with relentless fury.
Beads of sweat dotted Kael's forehead. His breathing grew ragged, his face paled slightly—the toll of repeated breakthroughs was pushing him toward his absolute limit.
Yet, he refused to give up.
Gritting his teeth, he made one final attempt.
BOOM!
This time—the barrier within Kael shattered completely!
That's right. The mana in Kael's body underwent a qualitative transformation, surging forth like a torrential flood, expanding with unprecedented might.
Kael had broken through his limits, his power erupting as he ascended to Level 10 in one decisive leap!
Level 10!
Less than a year after arriving in this world, Kael had become a Level 10 mage—a Saintly Magus! Even the legendary Orlando of the Stars had never achieved such a feat!
Kael felt the titanic surge of mana within him, the raw power of Level 10 manifesting. The Tower of Hope trembled, its deafening reverberations echoing far into the distance, reaching even the distant crowd below.
An entire day had passed since Kael entered the tower. Now, hearing its thunderous roar, the people below erupted in exhilaration.
The Lord of Laphie City had become a Level 10 mage!
A mage of this caliber, at such a young age, was unheard of across the entire continent—a rarity among rarities!
Every citizen of the Laphie Territory sensed Kael's breakthrough. Shock gave way to unbridled celebration, the streets nearly descending into frenzy.
But none felt it more acutely than Ethan, who had been inside the Tower of Hope, tinkering with the Arcane Crystal Cannon.
Midway through adjusting the cannon's finer mechanisms, he was nearly knocked off his feet by the sudden, overwhelming wave of mana.
The fluctuations were unmistakably Kael's—but this terrifying intensity…
"Bloody hell! The kid actually broke through to Level 10?! Are you kidding me? How is anyone supposed to compete with this?!" Ethan's eyes bulged, his shock reaching unprecedented levels.
"I didn't become a Level 10 mage until my forties—and even then, I was hailed as a prodigy! But this brat… He's been studying magic for less than a year! Damn it all, what kind of monster did I pick up?!" Wiping cold sweat from his brow, Ethan muttered in sheer disbelief.
As the person who knew Kael's origins best, Ethan could only marvel—just how were other mages on the continent supposed to measure up to this absurdity?
Kael remained unaware of the tremendous commotion his breakthrough had caused. For now, he was wholly immersed in the exhilaration of his ascension.
Reaching new heights of power filled him with profound satisfaction.
The might of Level 10 was incomparable to Level 9. Kael savored the vast difference—the elements around him thrummed with unprecedented vitality. With just a flick of his staff, he could command them to react, even summon an elemental storm at will.
Such overwhelming power!
The sheer exhilaration of this strength left Kael invigorated. As a Level 10 mage, he had now joined the ranks of the world's true powerhouses.
"Now that I've reached Level 10, I should theoretically be able to construct my own 'Minor World'... though I hardly need to now." Kael smiled faintly. He had already forged his Minor World long ago.
But with his newfound strength, he could expand its scope dramatically.
Currently, Kael's Minor World spanned roughly a hundred meters. At Level 10, he could extend it to a full kilometer. More crucially, he still possessed the Carefree Water—a treasure that could further nourish the Life Tree, strengthening the foundation of his Minor World!
"Water begets wood. The effects of Carefree Water will surely surpass even the Earth's Essence!" Kael mused silently.
Retrieving the Carefree Water, he watched as pristine droplets shimmered within the crystal vial. Carefully, he poured them onto the Life Tree's roots.
The moment the flawlessly pure liquid touched the tree, it reacted instantly—its form surging with vigorous growth!
…