The night before the Golden Gala was heavy with the scent of impending rain. Clouds choked the moon, casting the city of Silverwood into a deep, suffocating darkness.
Kael stood on the rooftop of a dilapidated warehouse in the outer district, three miles from the Academy. He was dressed in black, blending perfectly with the shadows.
Below him, in a narrow alleyway, five figures waited.
SYSTEM SCAN
TARGETS: RED JACKALS (MERCENARY GROUP)
LEADER: "BUCK" - LEVEL 45 (C-RANK LOW)
SUBORDINATES: 4x LEVEL 30-35 (D-RANK)
Sophia's intel had been accurate. The Vane family wanted him dead before he could step foot in the Gala.
Buck, a massive man with a bald head and a jagged scar running down his neck, paced impatiently. He wore heavy plated armor and carried a broadsword that hummed with a dull, red energy.
"He should have passed by now," Buck grumbled, his voice like grinding stones. "Are you sure the kid takes this route to the transport station?"
"Positive," a thinner rogue whispered from the shadows. "Our contact at the Academy said he leaves tonight to pick up his suit."
Kael smiled coldly from above.
He didn't attack immediately. He observed. He needed to understand their formation. The four subordinates were positioned at the alley's exits, creating a kill box. Buck stood in the center, the bait and the hammer.
C-Rank. That was the problem. The gap between Level 26 and Level 45 was significant. Buck likely had more mana, better stats, and combat experience.
But Kael had something they didn't expect.
He had no honor.
Kael reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, jagged stone he had found in the Training Forest. He infused it with a sliver of Lightning Manipulation.
Zzt.
He tossed the stone to the far end of the alley.
CLACK.
The stone skittered across the pavement.
"Movement!" one of the subordinates hissed.
Three of the mercenaries turned toward the noise, weapons raised. Buck tensed, his hand tightening on his broadsword.
"Now," Kael whispered.
He dropped from the rooftop.
He didn't land in the center of the group. He landed behind the lone mercenary guarding the rear exit—a Level 32 woman with dual daggers.
She turned just in time to see a pair of glowing blue eyes.
"Wh—"
TELEKINESIS: CRUSH
Kael didn't punch her. He simply clenched his fist in the air. An invisible force slammed into her throat.
CRUNCH.
Her neck snapped instantly. She dropped to the ground, gasping for air she could no longer breathe.
XP GAINED: 110
Before her body hit the floor, Kael was already moving. He placed his hand on her chest.
DEVOUR
The body dissolved into ash.
MANA ABSORBED: 80ABILITY ROLL: FAILED
"ELARA!" Buck roared, spinning around.
He saw Kael standing over the pile of ash, his hand still smoking.
"You..." Buck's eyes widened, then narrowed into slits. "You're the target? You're just a kid."
"I'm your death," Kael said, his voice calm.
"Get him!" Buck bellowed.
The remaining three mercenaries charged.
Kael didn't panic. He activated Strength Enhancement and Speed (derived from his leg strength).
He became a blur.
The first mercenary, a spearman, thrust his weapon forward. Kael sidestepped, grabbed the spear shaft, and pulled the man off balance.
HEADBUTT.
CRACK.
The mercenary's nose exploded. Kael kneed him in the gut, doubling him over.
DEVOUR
Ash.
XP GAINED: 105ABILITY ROLL: SUCCESSABILITY ACQUIRED: SPEAR PROFICIENCY (GRADE F)
"Monster!" the second mercenary screamed. He was a fire mage. He hurled a fireball.
Kael didn't dodge. He raised his hand.
ENERGY PROJECTION: NEGATE
A distortion field appeared in front of him. The fireball hit the field and dispersed harmlessly into the air.
"What?!" The mage stumbled back.
Kael flicked his wrist.
LIGHTNING: ARC
A bolt of blue lightning jumped from his fingers, striking the mage in the chest. The man convulsed and fell.
DEVOUR
Ash.
XP GAINED: 115
Three down. One subordinate left. And Buck.
The last mercenary, terrified, looked at his boss, then at Kael. He dropped his sword and ran.
"Coward!" Buck screamed. He hurled his massive broadsword at the fleeing man. The sword spun through the air like a rotary blade, slicing the man in half before embedding itself in the wall.
SPLAT.
Kael stared at Buck. Now they were alone.
"You're an arrogant one," Buck said, cracking his neck. He pulled a pair of iron knuckles from his belt. They glowed with a red, pulsating light. "Killing D-Ranks is easy. But me? I'm C-Rank, boy. I've killed men twice your size."
Buck roared and charged. He was fast—faster than Kael expected for his size.
LEFT HOOK.
Kael blocked with a telekinetic shield.
BAM!
The impact sent Kael skidding back ten feet. His arm vibrated with pain. The sheer force of a C-Rank was terrifying.
"I'm going to crush your skull and mail it to the Vane family!" Buck laughed, advancing.
He unleashed a flurry of punches. Each one was heavy enough to shatter concrete.
Kael was on the defensive. He dodged and blocked, but his mana was draining rapidly.
MANA: 800/1200
He's too strong physically, Kael analyzed. I can't match him strength for strength.
Buck wound up for a massive overhead smash. The air pressure alone made the dust swirl.
"DIE!"
As Buck brought his fist down, Kael stepped forward.
Into the danger zone.
Buck's eyes widened. "Suicide?!"
Kael took the hit. He raised his arms, coated in Hardened Skin, and caught Buck's fist with his own hands.
BOOM!
The ground beneath them exploded. Kael felt the bones in his forearms creak—pop—pain shot through him.
But he smiled.
"Got you."
Buck was committed to the punch. His center of gravity was compromised. He was off-balance.
TELEKINESIS: PULL (LEGS)
Kael yanked Buck's feet toward him violently.
Buck lost his footing. He toppled forward, face-planting into the dirt right in front of Kael.
Kael didn't hesitate. He placed his hand on the back of Buck's exposed neck.
LIGHTNING: OVERLOAD
BZZZZZTTTTT!
He poured 300 mana points into a single, sustained discharge. The lightning coursed through the conductive iron knuckles, frying Buck's nervous system instantly.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Buck screamed, thrashing as smoke rose from his armor.
Kael kept the current flowing until the screaming stopped. Until the body went limp.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATIONC-RANK TARGET ELIMINATEDXP GAINED: 500LEVEL UP!LEVEL 26 → 28LEVEL 28 → 29
The rush of energy was intoxicating. Kael panted, his arms hanging limp as his regeneration kicked in, mending the micro-fractures.
He looked down at Buck's unconscious body. He wasn't dead. Not yet.
Kael knelt beside him.
"You were going to kill me for money," Kael whispered. "But you're worth so much more to me as fuel."
DEVOUR INITIATED
The process was slower with a C-Rank. The mana density was thicker, harder to break down. Kael gritted his teeth as the energy flooded him, violent and hot.
CONSUMPTION COMPLETE
MANA ABSORBED: 300
ABILITY ROLL: 30%ROLLING...
ROLL SUCCESS!
ABILITY ACQUIRED: IRON SKIN (GRADE: D)
DESCRIPTION: TEMPORARILY HARDEN SKIN TO THE DENSITY OF IRON. (MERGED WITH HARDENED SKIN - UPGRADED TO GRADE: D+)
Kael stood up. He felt the new density in his skin. It was a subtle change, but it felt like he was wearing a second, invisible layer of chainmail.
He looked at his status.
LEVEL: 29 (D-RANK PEAK)
MANA: 950/1350
He dusted off his clothes. The alley was filled with ash and the smell of ozone.
"The Vane family sends their regards," Kael muttered to the empty air. "I'm keeping the change."
He walked out of the alley, disappearing into the night. He had a suit to pick up, and a girl to break.
The Next Evening.
The atmosphere in Lyra's private dorm room was tense. It was the night before the Gala, and she was a nervous wreck.
"What if my mom doesn't show up?" Lyra paced, holding two ties against Kael's chest. "What if she sees me with you and freaks out?"
Kael stood still, letting her fuss over him. He was wearing a simple black suit that hugged his lean frame, but Lyra insisted on "fixing" it.
He looked at her. She was wearing a silk robe, her hair tied up, her face flushed with anxiety.
"Lyra," Kael said softly.
He caught her hands, stopping her pacing.
"Stop."
She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with anxiety. "I can't. I want everything to be perfect. You worked so hard to get this invitation, and if my family ruins it—"
"Let them try," Kael said. His thumb brushed over her knuckles. "I didn't win the tournament to impress your mother. I did it to stand next to you."
Lyra's breath hitched. "Kael..."
"I don't care about the Vane family. I don't care about the politics," he lied smoothly. "I just want one night where I'm not fighting. One night where I can just be... yours."
The word hit her like a sledgehammer. Yours.
"Yours?" she whispered.
Kael stepped closer, eliminating the distance between them. He could feel the heat radiating from her skin. He could hear the rapid beat of her heart.
"I have nothing, Lyra," he murmured, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "No family. No name. No money. All I have is this power... and you."
He reached up, cupping her face. She leaned into his touch instinctively, her eyes fluttering shut.
"You are the only person who has ever been kind to me without wanting something in return," Kael said. "You saved me from the streets. You gave me a reason to fight."
He leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear.
"I want to belong to you, Lyra. Completely."
Lyra trembled. The walls she had built, the propriety, the fear of her mother—it all crumbled under the weight of his dark, intense affection.
"Kael..." she breathed, clutching the lapels of his jacket. "I... I feel the same. I've never felt like this before. It's scary."
"Don't be scared," Kael said. He tilted her chin up, capturing her gaze. "I'll protect you. From everyone. Even your mother."
He leaned in and kissed her.
It wasn't a gentle, tentative kiss. It was hungry. Possessive. He kissed her like she was the only source of air in a suffocating world. He poured all his manipulation, all his charm, into that single act.
Lyra melted into him, her hands sliding up his chest to wrap around his neck. She moaned softly against his lips, surrendering to the feeling.
Kael pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against hers. Both of them were breathing heavily.
"Stay with me tonight," Kael whispered.
It wasn't a question.
Lyra hesitated for a fraction of a second—a lifetime of upbringing telling her it was wrong. But then she looked into his eyes—those broken, beautiful eyes—and she knew she couldn't refuse him.
"I'm yours, Kael," she whispered back.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
MANIPULATION STATUS: CRITICAL MASS ACHIEVED
TARGET: LYRA LOCKWOOD
MENTAL STATE: OBSESSED / DEVOTED
BOND LEVEL: ROMANTIC SOULMATE (MANIPULATED)
Kael smiled internally.
The trap is set.
He led her toward the bed. Tomorrow, he would walk into the Gala with her on his arm. He would stand in the same room as Silas Lockwood.
And Silas would have no idea that the boy holding her daughter's hand was the very monster she had tried to bury.
Tomorrow, the real hunt begins.