Kael stood before the bathroom mirror, splashing cold water on his face. The events of the night had settled into a calm, predatory focus. He had secured the daughter. Now, he had to survive the mother.
SYSTEM INTERFACE: SHOP UNLOCKED
He pulled up the blue screen, his eyes scanning the list of available items. The currency was XP—the very life force he had stolen.
Tier 1 Mana Potion: 50 XP
Skill: Basic Sword Mastery: 200 XP
Item: Origin Mask (Consumable): 500 XP
Skill: Presence Concealment (Passive): 1000 XP
His eyes lingered on the Origin Mask. Description: Temporarily alters the user's mana signature frequency, making them unrecognizable to previous identification methods. Duration: 24 Hours.
Silas had said his mana felt familiar. That was a fatal risk. If she compared his signature to the old records of Subject 704, the game would be over.
"Purchase," Kael thought.
A cool sensation washed over him, followed by a subtle static in his veins.
TRANSACTION COMPLETE. XP
DEDUCTED: 500.
CURRENT XP: 800.
He checked his status. His mana signature now felt slightly… generic. Like watered-down wine. It lacked the distinct "taste" of his old self. It would pass a casual inspection.
He dressed in the spare clothes Arthur had kindly left outside the door—a simple white shirt and black slacks that were slightly too loose, but they would do. He rolled up the sleeves, revealing his forearms.
When he stepped back into the bedroom, Lyra was dressed in a modest sundress, though the hickeys on her neck were clearly visible. She looked terrified.
"Kael," she whispered, wringing her hands. "She's in a bad mood. We can skip breakfast..."
Kael walked over to her and cupped her face, his thumbs brushing her cheeks. He activated [Soul Binding], sending a wave of artificial calm and affection into her mind.
"We face her together, Lyra," he said softly. "You are not a child anymore. You are my woman. Show her that strength."
Lyra took a deep breath, her spine straightening. The trembling stopped. "Okay. For you."
He offered his arm. She took it, gripping him like a lifeline.
They descended the grand staircase.
The dining room was a study in minimalist wealth. A long mahogany table sat in the center, polished to a mirror shine. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the estate's manicured gardens.
Arthur sat at one end, hiding behind a newspaper. Silas sat at the other, sipping black coffee. She was already dressed for work in a sharp, charcoal business suit, her hair pulled back in a severe bun. She looked like she had never slept, never aged, and never felt a moment of weakness in her life.
Kael and Lyra entered.
Silas didn't look up. "You're late," she stated flatly. "Sit."
Kael pulled out a chair for Lyra, a gentlemanly gesture that felt like a slap in the face to Silas's authority, before taking his own seat across from her.
The table was laden with food—eggs, bacon, exotic fruits, and pastries. Kael's stomach growled. The regeneration and the sex had burned through his calories. He reached for the bacon immediately.
"So," Silas said, placing her cup down with a sharp clink. "The stray has an appetite."
Kael took a bite, chewing slowly. He met her gaze. He didn't look down. He didn't look scared.
"I'm a growing boy, Mrs. Lockwood," Kael said. "And the Academy training is rigorous."
"Training," Silas scoffed. "Is that what you call luck? I watched the recording of your fight with Julius. Sloppy. You rely too much on brute force. Against a C-Rank with a brain, you'd be dead."
"That's enough, Silas," Arthur murmured from behind his paper. "The boy won. Give him some credit."
Silas shot her husband a look that could have frozen hellfire. Arthur shrank back.
She turned her attention back to Kael. Her eyes were analyzing him again. Picking him apart.
"You have no family," she began, her voice probing. "No history. No registration in the Global Awakened Database before six months ago. That is... convenient."
"I was off the grid," Kael lied smoothly, having rehearsed this story. "My parents were travelers. Cultists, actually. They didn't believe in the System. They died in a dungeon break in the outer zones. I survived."
"Cultists," Silas mused. "That explains the mana instability. But it doesn't explain your face. Or your tenacity."
She leaned forward. The pressure in the room spiked. B-Rank mana pressed down on Kael's shoulders. It was heavy, suffocating, trying to force him to submit.
"Look at me, boy," Silas commanded. "Do you know who I am?"
"You are the head of the Lockwood family," Kael said, fighting the pressure with his own will. His mana core spun, resisting the crushing weight. "And a renowned researcher."
"I research bloodlines, Kael," she whispered, her voice taking on a dark, seductive quality. "I study the architecture of the soul. And when I look at you... I see a riddle."
She stared deep into his eyes.
Kael felt a tendril of mana reach out, trying to brush against his mind—a surface scan. It wasn't an attack, but it was invasive.
Warning: Mental Intrusion Detected.
Kael didn't flinch. He let the Origin Mask do its work. To Silas, his mana would feel like a chaotic, generic mess—the hallmark of a low-level, untrained Awakened.
"You see a D-Rank who got lucky," Kael corrected her, his voice hard. "And your daughter's boyfriend."
Silas froze.
The word hung in the air. Boyfriend. It was such a mundane, civilian term. But coming from him, it was a declaration of territory.
Lyra reached under the table and squeezed Kael's hand tightly. She drew strength from his defiance.
"Mom," Lyra said, her voice clear. "I've made my choice. I'm keeping Kael. I don't care what the Whitmores say, or what 'political value' I have. I'm done being traded."
Silas looked at her daughter. She saw the stubborn set of her jaw. The fire in her eyes.
Silas had seen that look before. In the mirror, years ago.
A rebellion.
Silas stood up abruptly. The chair screeched against the floor.
"Fine," she said, her voice returning to its cold, business-like tone. "Keep your pet, Lyra. But if he impedes your studies, or if his 'bad luck' touches this house..."
She looked at Kael.
"I will personally ensure he disappears."
She picked up her briefcase. "Arthur. I'll be at the facility until late. The Hart representatives are coming to inspect the new Dungeon Anchors. Don't wait up."
She walked out without another word. The heavy front door slammed shut.
Silence returned to the room.
Arthur sighed, folding his newspaper. "Well... that could have gone worse."
Lyra slumped in her chair, letting out a huge breath. "She's terrifying."
Kael watched the car leave through the window. He took another bite of bacon, chewing thoughtfully.
"She's strong," Kael said. "But she's distracted."
He had noticed something. Silas had mentioned the Hart family.
The Harts.
His mother's family. The ones who had hunted Elena. The ones who wanted the Ageless Physique.
They were coming here.
SYSTEM ALERTNEW QUEST GENERATED: THE INHERITANCEINTEL: THE HART FAMILY IS INTERESTED IN THE LOCKWOOD FACILITY.OBJECTIVE: GATHER INTELLIGENCE ON THE HART FAMILY'S CURRENT GOALS.REWARD: ???
Kael smiled inwardly. The enemy of his enemy was a tool.
He turned to Lyra. "Lyra, darling."
She looked at him, exhausted. "Yeah?"
"Your mother mentioned a private library? Or a study? I need to borrow some books on Mana Theory. My education was... lacking."
Lyra nodded immediately. "Sure. It's down the hall. Dad has the key, but I know where he hides it."
Kael stood up. "I'll be right back."
He walked out of the dining room, his steps purposeful.
The Lockwood Estate was his playground now. And with the Harts coming, the chaos would provide the perfect cover for his next move.
He found the study. It was a large room filled with shelves of leather-bound books and a massive oak desk.
Kael closed the door and locked it.
He didn't care about the books.
He walked straight to the desk and placed his hand on the wood.
DEVOUR: RESIDUAL TRACES
He wasn't trying to eat the desk. He was trying to eat the information left behind by Silas's touch. The lingering mana imprints of her work.
Flashes of thought entered his mind. Random, fragmented.
...Mana density levels......Subject 704 failed......The Physique needs a catalyst......Whitmore wants the boy dead......Hart family wants the Dungeon Key...
Kael gasped, pulling his hand back.
He had struck gold.
She's working with the Whitmores on a new experiment. And the Harts are looking for a Dungeon Key.
He looked around the room. He needed to find that Key. If he could steal it, he could lure the Harts, the Whitmores, and Silas into a trap of his own design.
But first, he needed to level up. He was still too weak.
He walked to the window of the study, looking out at the garden.
He saw a gardener trimming the hedges. A D-Rank worker.
Kael's stomach growled again.
"Breakfast was good," Kael whispered, his eyes turning black with hunger. "But I need a second course."
The hunt never ended. It just changed locations.