The Reynolds Family had long been a thorn in Kael's side, a constant looming threat. Like a starving wolf lurking in the forest, they could pounce at any moment, ready to tear into him.
So why wait? Better to strike first!
Kael's voice, resonant as a tolling bell, echoed across Mooncrest City, instantly setting the streets abuzz. Crowds surged forward—the timid watching from afar, the bold daring to edge closer, though none ventured within a hundred meters of Kael.
"In all my decades, I've never seen anyone dumb enough to provoke the Reynolds. This brat's got a death wish," sneered a street vendor.
"Don't be so sure. Maybe the kid's got an ace up his sleeve," another interjected.
"An ace? At his age, he's what—an eighth or ninth-tier mage at best? Even with tricks, he's no match for Patriarch Orc, a tenth-tier powerhouse!" Someone else scoffed. On this continent, strength ruled supreme. By that logic, the boy was already a corpse.
The consensus was clear: Kael's audacity was suicidal. Of all enemies to pick, why the Reynolds?
"Reynolds cowards! Still hiding in your shells? Come out and face me!" Kael's voice, sharp and commanding, pierced through the city.
No sooner had his words faded than a roar erupted from the manor:
"You dare insult the Reynolds name? You're digging your own grave!"
Kael's senses tingled. A searing pillar of magical fire erupted from the estate, its energy so refined it morphed into a flame-wreathed beast, snarling as it lunged at him!
In the blink of an eye, the inferno was upon him—too fast to dodge.
Simultaneously, a figure shot out from the manor: a young man in his twenties, handsome with features eerily similar to Lucian's. Clearly, another direct descendantof the Reynolds line.
The young man's strength hovered around the peak of the eighth-tier, his gaze brimming with murderous intent. This spell was his full-powered strike, aimed squarely at annihilating Kael.
For an eighth-tier powerhouse, he indeed had the arrogant capital to stand out among the Reynolds' younger generation—not just within the family, but even among the continent's rising talents. Only slightly inferior to Lucian, he was undoubtedly a key investment for the Reynolds.
Unfortunately for him, compared to Kael, he was hopelessly outmatched.
Did a mere eighth-tier brat truly think he could challenge Kael?
Kael's eyes chilled. With a slight flick of his staff and a quick incantation, a purple lightning orb materialized before him. The orb spiraled outward, slicing through the air with a piercing shriek.
BOOM!
The lightning sphere cleaved the flaming beast clean in half, scattering bursts of sparks. In an instant, the flames snuffed out, while the residual purple lightning rammed into the young man!
The attack was too fast to evade. His pupils dilated in horror as the electricity surged toward him.
The Reynolds youth never stood a chance. His body convulsed once before collapsing, charred black and smoldering.
A peak eighth-tier expert, obliterated by a casual spell from Kael!
This was the might of a tenth-tier mage—and Kael hadn't even tapped into his full power. In his eyes now, eighth-tier opponents were ants. Even dozens or hundredsof them couldn't threaten him.
One move. One kill. The Reynolds' prodigy was already dead.
The spectators gasped collectively.
"What just happened? Who the hell is this kid? He just one-shot a Reynolds! Wasn't that guy a peak eighth-tier mage?"
The onlooker trembled. An eighth-tier elite could at least harass a ninth-tier mage—how had he fallen so easily? Unless...
The onlookers were utterly terrified, murmuring among themselves: "Gods... That was Linton, Patriarch Orc's son! Now that he's dead, that reckless kid's going to be torn to shreds by Orc himself!"
"After the Reynolds' first heir, Lucian, died unexpectedly, Linton became their new hope. And now this... Who dares tug the tiger's whiskers like this?" Though their voices were hushed, every word reached Kael's ears.
The young man Kael had just killed was none other than a core disciple of the Reynolds—another genius successor after Lucian. Ironically, both Lucian and Linton had now fallen to Kael's hands.
The crowd's fear deepened. This youth had truly crossed the line, slaughtering a Reynolds heir in broad daylight.
A core disciple's death meant blood feud. There would be no mercy, no quarter given.
Yet a few sharp-eyed observers began to reconsider. Kael's ruthless efficiency and unfathomable strength suggested he might actually have a plan against the Reynolds...
"You dare provoke my family and murder my son, Linton? Arrogant brat! Today, I'll send you to the underworld to keep him company!"
A thunderous roar erupted from the manor, its oppressive aura silencing the entire crowd.
The spectators froze.
Kael's expression hardened.
The main players had finally arrived.
A mage in pale blue robes stepped forward—a man in his fifties, his face stern, eyes blazing with unbridled killing intent. Grief flickered across his features as he glanced at Linton's corpse, but when his gaze locked onto Kael, only pure malice remained.
This was Patriarch Orc, head of the Reynolds Family!
Beside him stood the middle-aged man from earlier, his scrutiny of Kael equally piercing and lethal—Carman, the newly ascended tenth-tier mage.
The duo's sheer presence was overwhelming, like twin mountains bearing down on the crowd. Those nearby shuddered, their breath catching in their throats.
"The Patriarch is here... That kid's done for."
"Who's the man behind him? His aura feels unfathomable..."
Kael's heart chilled. Having gathered detailed intelligence on the Reynolds, he recognized Patriarch Orc at once—a peak tenth-tier mage, whose strength needed no elaboration.
But the other man? No intel whatsoever.
This had to be the Reynolds' hidden trump card, and it put Kael on high alert.
Patriarch Orc is one thing—a peak tenth-tier expert, no surprise there. But this middle-aged man... His power is also formidable, likely another tenth-tier powerhouse. However, he seems newly advanced, his foundation shaky. His mana lacks the terrifying density of a seasoned tenth-tier mage.
Kael's keen spiritual sense allowed him to dissect Carman's strength instantly. Though the man had reached the tenth-tier, he fell short of even the baseline for that rank.
Yet even so, the pressure was immense.
Two tenth-tier experts standing together? That alone was enough to make Kael feel prickling unease. The threat was undeniable.
"Kid, your talent is undeniable, but your recklessness will be your downfall. To reach the tenth-tier at your age... Had you waited a few more years, our Reynolds Family might've truly faced ruin." Carman sneered, though inwardly, he was shaken by Kael's prowess.
"What? Tenth-tier? That brat's a tenth-tier mage?!"
The crowd gaped, their eyes bulging as Carman's words sank in. Staring at Kael, they could barely process the revelation.
How old was this kid?! A tenth-tier mage already? By the gods, where's the justice in that?!