In a luxurious room, Adele spun a circular paperweight on her desk, her purple hair falling over her sharp, annoyed gaze. Her fingers tapped impatiently, and her lips curled in frustration.
"Mariana, should I contact the team?" she snapped, barely hiding her irritation.
"You should have patience, Young Miss. Patience is the key to success," Mariana said smoothly, nudging the monocle on her left eye with a smirk.
Adele gritted her teeth, her thoughts swirling. First, she had moved out of the main estate to gain her freedom. Then, she had reached out to one of the Elders.
Veydrin's power rested in the hands of five Elders—pillars of the entire family.
The Grand Commanders of the Blue Knights, the Black Knights, and the Red Lights. Then there was her uncle, Ramos Veydrin. And lastly, Grant Veydrin, the old monster responsible for testing and qualifying heirs.
Grant was one of Adele's strongest backers, someone she had carefully contacted in advance. He was in charge of the Trial of Awakening. For most people, awakening was a simple process—sit down, focus, and get your pathway.
But Veydrin's awakening was different. If you couldn't pass the trial, you weren't qualified to awaken at all. It was better to stay weak forever than to awaken and become a disgrace.
That was the only reason that bastard Kael was still alive.
"That lucky piece of shit," Adele muttered, her eyes flashing with hatred.
She slammed her hand on the table, glaring at Mariana. "Why did he have to mess things up? Everything was going perfectly!"
"You should have listened to me, Young Miss," Mariana said softly, her voice like silk.
Adele clenched her fists. "I should've killed him when he was weak. I was too naive."
Mariana smiled, extending her hand. "It's okay, Young Miss. But don't be naive again. The power struggle is a brutal war, and out of everyone, you cannot afford to be soft."
"I know that. I made a mistake previously," sighing Adele stood up and walked towards the window.
A vibrant view appeared in her eyes.
Vast land under the sky laid the base of power and authority.
People would love you, they would adore you, kiss your feet in respect. Bow in fear and awe.
That's the essence of power and authority.
It was intoxicating and heart-throbbing that soothed one soul craving for power.
Once you have felt the glory you can't help but crave and she wasn't willing to take any chance to throw away the position she gained.
As she looked outside, a sudden thought struck her mind.
"Bring me a paper. I need to send a letter."
"Whom do you want to send the letter Miss and for what purpose?"Mariana asked in confusion.
In response, she saw Adele grinning evilly.
"I am not the only one who wants his demise so why should I always be worried? Let's share the woes."
"Also don't forget that there is a girl more desperate than me, wishing for Kael's demise."
In the Qualification Palace.
Ardo hid in the shadows, his breath shaky as he controlled his undead from a safe distance. His fingers trembled as he watched Kael tear through his minions like they were nothing.
Skeletons lunged at Kael from all sides, their rusted swords slashing through the air. But Kael moved too fast. His body blurred, dodging attacks with unnatural ease.
His fist crashed into a skeleton's ribcage, shattering it instantly. Another undead swung a mace, but Kael caught it mid-air and crushed the bony arm holding it.
Ardo's eyes widened in pure horror.
He could barely believe what he was seeing.
"How is he moving this fast?! An unawakened shouldn't even have stats above one!"
His breathing turned ragged. His mind raced, trying to find some kind of logic.
"Even with a high blessing or a rare bloodline, the highest starting stat should be around five… But this…"
His eyes followed Kael's every movement.
"He's moving like an E-rank knight... This isn't humanly possible!"
Ardo grabbed his hair, pulling at it in panic as his undead were slaughtered, one by one. Kael didn't just kill them, rather he destroyed them brutally and mercilessly.
Some were torn apart, others shattered like glass.
It was like watching a monster play.
Ardo swallowed hard, his hands shaking. As he muttered curses under his breath, he noticed Kael had stopped moving and then snapped his head towards him.
His stomach churned in shock.
Kael wasn't fighting anymore. He was just standing there.
Looking right at him as if staring deep into his soul.
"H…he…isNt looking,,, at mi? Ardo's voice quivered in panic as he saw Kael smiling and spoke.
Ardo's heart nearly stopped and he felt his balls jumping out from his mouth.
He jumped back, almost falling over.
How? There was no way Kael could see him!
He was hidden by layers of spells, tucked away in the shadows.
But those eyes… that smile.
Kael stared for a long moment before turning away and heading to the next floor.
Ardo gasped, clutching his chest. His heart pounded so hard he thought it might burst. That look, that maddening look had sent ice through his veins.
"It was a coincidence… Just a coincidence…" he whispered to himself, trying to steady his breathing.
But deep down, he felt as if he wasn't.
Whatever happened just now had scared the shit out of him.
His hands fumbled as he grabbed his communicator, desperate to warn the others.
"This man isn't human. We can't test him one by one. Everyone needs to work together to bring this monster down!"
His fingers shook a bit as the scene of Kael looking at him flashed in his mind.
He shook his head pressed the button
But just as he was about to speak—
"Coincidence… Coinc…"
A voice whispered softly like a lullaby sung by a devil right next to his ear.
Then hand rested on his neck.
Ardo's entire body locked up. Goosebumps crawled across his skin. His breath hitched. His heart stopped.
Slowly, painfully, he turned his head and spotted Kael looking at him with a maddening smile.
His face was twisted into a ghostly, nightmare of an expression. His eyes gleamed with pure madness, wide and unblinking, his smile stretching far too wide.
"Not everything is a coincidence….Kekekkeke!"
The whisper sent an unbearable chill down Ardo's spine.
"H-H-how—?! No… No… NOOOO!"
His scream barely left his throat before—
The sound of tearing flesh echoed in the darkness followed by a deadly heavy silence.