When the academy's exam marathon was over, Kael walked down the hallways of the dorm where he would be spending his new life. As he checked the room number in his hand and opened the door, he came face to face with a young man who was putting his belongings away.
Kael: "Hello, I—"
Before Kael could finish his sentence, his roommate jumped up from his seat and shook his hand.
"Ah, hello! You're that kid with the four rings everyone's been talking about, aren't you? Wow, what a coincidence! I've ended up as roommates with the school's most popular kid. I'm Rota, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Kael set his belongings down on the floor next to his bed in surprise.
"Nice to meet you too, but... what do you mean by 'everyone's talking about'? I'm not popular or anything—this is my first time at the academy."
Rota burst out laughing. "You've got to be joking, man! You're the second 'Fourth Ring' at the academy. Everyone's talking about you. Plus, that Thalendir thing... How you humiliated that elf—known for his arrogance—in front of the whole school is the talk of the town."
Kael shook his head. "I didn't mean to humiliate anyone."
"Whatever, it's done now," Rota said, lowering his voice slightly.
"But let me warn you,Kael; Thalendir comes from a noble elven family. He'll never hesitate to use his family's connections to get back at you."
Kael recalled his master Zephyros's warnings about the noble elves. He sat down on his bed with a deep sigh. He thought to himself,
"I hope I can graduate from the academy without any trouble."
Rota asked curiously,
"By the way, where are you from? I don't know your last name, but..."
Kael: "I'm from a small village in the Eastern Kingdom. That's all."
"Ah, I see," Rota said with a smile.
"That's my favorite thing about the academy; they accept anyone with talent, regardless of their lineage. That's how it should be. We're all human at our core; the only thing that sets us apart is the family heritage flowing through our veins."
"By the way, I forgot to introduce myself; I'm Rota Firrep. I'm a Star Mage."
Kael was surprised. Star Magic was extremely rare; the last time he'd seen an example was when they went to the kingdom's capital to visit Zephyros's friend.
"So you're a special-class mage, then?"
"Yes," Rota said proudly. "My father uses Light Magic; he's a seven-ringed mage who works at the kingdom's church. I've always looked up to him—my goal is to become a master mage like him."
Kael fell silent at these words. The arrogant and domineering Light Mages his mother had spoken of bore no resemblance to the father Rota described. For a moment, he drifted off into the distance, lost in his mother's sorrowful tales.
"Kael..."
"Hey Kael! Are you there, buddy? You've zoned out."
Kael blinked. "I... I'm a little tired, Rota."
"You're right, today was exhausting. I want to sleep too, but I can't close my eyes because I'm so excited about tomorrow's first lesson. Just think, tomorrow is the first...
"Kael?"
Kael had already stretched out on his bed and fallen into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Kael got up early and went out for a run. His master had always reminded him that he needed to train his body, and that physical strength was just as vital as magic. If he wanted to achieve his goals, he couldn't afford to be lazy for even a single minute.
Meanwhile, far away in the Demon Realm, there was great commotion. Abaddon had been promoted to a higher noble rank due to his successes at the border. The kingdom had granted him control over the Gelam region, which had been under creature invasion for many years. This meant the people could finally live in peace. However, for Abaddon, this new responsibility meant being even further away from Nerya and Kael.
When he returned to his father's side, Mezrathus embraced his son with pride.
"Well done, Abaddon. Like your brothers, you have brought great success to our family."
"Thank you, Father."
"Well, has the region been completely cleared?"
"It's mostly cleared, Father. We've dealt with most of the high-level creatures. I'm having a strong wall built to prevent any new infiltrations into the region."
Abaddon paused for a moment, a deep longing appearing in his eyes.
"Father, I..."
"I know, my son," Mezrathus said calmly.
"You want to see your wife and son. Rest assured, I'm in constant contact with Vaelmon. Your son has enrolled in the Eastern Kingdom's academy. Nerya's sister has taken good care of Kael in your absence; they told me the boy has reached the 4th Ring."
Abaddon's eyes widened in astonishment.
"The 4th Ring? Kael is just a 15-year-old boy!"
Mezrathus laughed. "What are you surprised about? You reached that level at age 9."
"But Dad, we're demons. We adapt to magic much faster than humans."
"Don't forget, Abaddon; Kael is half-demon. Plus, he's Vaelmon's grandson and carries the blood of the Krowel house. You can't even imagine what that combination is capable of."
Abaddon felt both proud of his son and regretful that he hadn't been able to see him. Just then, his two loyal aides, Zagan and Malphas, entered the room. They knelt and bowed in greeting.
"Lord Abaddon, as you requested, we have investigated your son's situation and brought you the information," Zagan said.
Mezrathus furrowed his brows. "Abaddon? What exactly is this information?"
"Father, because I was worried about Kael and Nerya's safety, I asked my aides to keep an eye on them."
"Does Nerya know about this?"
"No, even if there were a problem, she might not tell me the truth to spare me worry. There should have been someone protecting them while I was away.
" Abaddon turned to Malphas. "I ordered you not just to gather information, but to protect them secretly. Why did both of you come? It would have been enough for one of you to bring the news."
Malphas was breaking out in a cold sweat; he seemed speechless. Abaddon's voice echoed off the mansion's walls:
"I'm asking you—have you swallowed your tongue?!!"
Malphas flinched and dropped to the floor. "M-my lord, your son is in good health... He's a very strong child, just as befits our master's son—"Zagan cut Malphas off and interjected.
"Lord Abaddon, I must tell you the truth."
"Speak, Zagan! I'm listening!"
"Your son and your wife were in different places when we arrived. I sent Malphas ahead to follow Kael. I was scouting the area to avoid being noticed. When I reached Malphas..."
Abaddon shouted angrily: "Spit it out already!"
"M-my lord... When I reached your son, Kael was lying on the ground, covered in blood."
Silence... A deadly silence filled the room. Abaddon and Mezrathus's eyes widened in horror. Malphas, trembling with fear, banged his forehead against the floor.
"What?!"
Abaddon said, his voice sounding more anxious than ever.
"My son... Covered in blood?" He turned to his father.
"Father, you told me he was fine! Did you lie to me?"
Mezrathus was shaken as well.
"Impossible! I just spoke with Vaelmon; he said everything was fine—how could this be?"
Zagan interjected in a timid voice
"S-sir, I intervened immediately... I healed your son's wounds with demonic magic..."
Abbadon:
"What happened, then? Did someone attack him?" he asked in a worried tone. Zagan remained silent.
Abbadon was so enraged by Zagan's silence that, in the blink of an eye, he teleported right next to him and grabbed him by the throat.
"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION, ZAGAN! SPEAK!"
Zagan was choking; his voice came out with great difficulty.
"Y-your Highness... Malphas... Malphas wanted to test your son's power... There was a small duel between them..." he said.
In that moment, the air in the room suddenly grew heavy. Abaddon's aura erupted in an uncontrolled burst. The mansion's windows shattered, and the ground began to shake. The surroundings were shrouded in pitch-black, dense, and suffocating energy. His eyes no longer looked human—they glowed a blood-red, like those of a pure-blooded demon.Abaddon flung Zagan aside and turned to Malphas. Malphas was too terrified to speak. "M-my lord, I was just—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Abaddon's hand swept through the air, sending Malphas flying to the other end of the mansion. Smashing through walls and dragged for meters, Malphas finally crashed into the massive wall behind him, creating a huge collapse. Blood was gushing from his mouth. As he struggled to get back up, Abaddon appeared above him in an instant.
"My lord... Please forgive me... My intention was not to harm your son—"
Abaddon grabbed Malphas again and hurled him to the other corner of the room. Even Malphas's superior demonic regenerative power couldn't keep up with the speed of Abaddon's blows. Malphas's ribs were shattered. Abaddon grabbed Malphas's head by the hair and lifted it into the air as he lay in a pool of blood.Abaddon's face was as expressionless and terrifying as that of a death angel.
"Give me a single reason why I shouldn't kill you right now, Malphas!" he shouted. His voice shook the entire palace. "You were one of my most trusted soldiers! HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING TO MY SON?!"
Abaddon's fury had descended upon Malphas with full force.