According to the little cat, she was of dragon bloodline—a rare hybrid dragon-cat.
Creatures with draconic heritage typically possessed extraordinary abilities. True dragons, for instance, were born with at least ninth-tier strength, and adult dragons reached around the eleventh tier, making them undisputed overlords of the continent.
But this little cat in front of him? Kael had serious doubts. A greedy, narcissistic furball like her seemed anything but reliable.
Yet, at this critical moment, he had no other choice but to rely on her power!
"I can cast an illusion to distract him briefly, but it won't last long! You'll have to seize the opening—this young lady's life is in your hands now!" the little cat said with uncharacteristic solemnity.
"Got it." Kael nodded, his expression turning grave. It seemed she wasn't bluffing after all.
Their exchange happened in mere seconds. Meanwhile, Kael was pouring every ounce of his strength into escaping the encroaching Aquatic Prison. The crushing walls of water loomed closer, sending waves of dread through him.
"Break through!" Kael roared, unleashing his domain in a desperate counterattack.
At the same time, the small sapling within his domain radiated vibrant emerald light—streams of life energy surged into Kael's body, replenishing his stamina and fueling him with boundless power.
"Shatter!" Kael's staff flashed as he unleashed:
"Thunder Dominion!"
The sapling's glow refined Kael's mana, amplifying the spell's destructive force beyond its usual limits.
In an instant, lightning erupted across a thousand-mile radius.
The wrath of the thunder god descended.
Countless bolts of lightning streaked through the sky, their fury so intense that Zev's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.
"What in the—?! Since when does lightning magic exist?!" Zev's voice cracked with disbelief.
How could anyone wield such power? From initial shock to outright denial, Zev struggled to comprehend that the world could produce a mage this terrifying—this brimming with potential.
In his heart, Zev couldn't help but curse Lucian—just what kind of monster had that fool provoked?! This was like kicking a hornet's nest!
Kael's potential was so terrifying that even Zev, a seasoned tenth-tier mage of many years, felt his scalp prickle with dread.
If this boy were allowed to grow unchecked… the consequences would be unthinkable!
Kael's gaze was icy as lightning erupted from his staff. At this moment, he resembled an ancient thunder god, his terrifying power concentrated at the tip of his wand. The lightning surged like a shockwave, crashing into the watery prison with a deafening BOOM—blasting a massive hole through it and allowing Kael and the little cat to escape.
"Thank the heavens…" Kael gasped, relieved that the sapling had proven its worth in the nick of time. Its boundless vitality washed over him, replenishing his mana and fortifying his body.
Who knew the sapling could be so miraculous? It was an unexpected boon—not only could it become the foundation of Kael's future miniature world, but it also granted him immense power.
But now wasn't the time to study it. Though they'd narrowly escaped Zev's Aquatic Prison, the murderous chill in Zev's eyes had only sharpened, his killing intent now laid bare.
With a cold smirk, Zev raised his staff, preparing an even more horrifying spell.
Tenth-tier Dual-Element Magic—
"Twin Dragons of Earth and Flame!"
A deafening draconic roar echoed as Zev began his incantation. His hair whipped wildly in the wind, his robes flapping violently as he hovered midair, weaving an intricate chant.
"Damn it, a dual-element spell?!" Kael, who had an expert's grasp of magical syllables, paled. He urgently nudged the little cat. **"Now! Use your ability!"**
The little cat nodded solemnly. At this critical juncture, it didn't hesitate to unleash its trump card.
"Mist of Illusion!"
In a flash, the cat leaped from Kael's shoulder, releasing a thick, grayish smoke!
The mist was unnaturally dense, utterly impervious to dispersion, and it instantly obscured Zev's vision.
Zev's heart lurched. He'd locked onto Kael with his mana, but this bizarre smoke abruptly severed the connection—his magic couldn't penetrate it at all. In other words, his target had vanished!
Zev's incantation cut off abruptly as Kael's presence disappeared without a trace.
"Damn it all!" Zev's mind raced with panic. If Kael escaped now, he'd become a catastrophic threat in the future!
Seizing the opportunity created by the little cat's Mist of Illusion, Kael fled at breakneck speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, Zev was left flailing blindly, the stubborn gray smoke clinging to his vision like a curse, reducing him to a frantic, disoriented mess.
By the time the mist finally dissipated, Kael was long gone—not a trace remained.
"That damned brat!" Zev's eyes burned with murderous fury. **"To think he'd slip through my fingers like this… And he's wearing a disguise too! A face can be hidden, but not a body's build. I'll mobilize the entire family to hunt him down—there's no way he can evade the Renaults' reach!"**
Even as he spoke, Zev didn't slow his search, scouring the area with paranoid intensity, half-convinced Kael might still be lurking nearby.
But while Zev raged in vain, Kael and the little cat had already made their escape.
Kael pushed his speed to unprecedented limits, his mana draining recklessly—yet he didn't care. The sapling in his domain continuously replenished his stamina, soothing his exhaustion bit by bit.
Only when they were safely distant did Kael finally allow himself to exhale in relief.
"We owe you one, furball," he said to the little cat perched on his shoulder.
The wind howled around them as the cat clung tightly, her earlier panic now replaced by smugness. **"Of course! If not for this young lady's quick thinking and signature move, you'd be roasting in hell right now!"**
"If it's so useful, why didn't you use it earlier?" Kael grumbled. The smoke had been bizarrely effective—yet she'd waited until the last possible second.
The little cat sprawled lazily across Kael's back, utterly spent. **"Using Mist of Illusiontakes a huge toll! Besides, you didn't even offer me gold as a reward! And… well, I kinda forgot in the heat of the moment."**
Kael rolled his eyes. Yeah, that last part's the real reason.
"Gold coins? How many do you want?" Kael asked, amused.
"Five!" The little cat immediately raised a paw, her eyes sparkling with anticipation—only to backtrack instantly. **"No, ten!"**
Kael nearly facepalmed. He'd assumed her raised paw meant at least five thousandgold coins, yet here she was haggling over a measly ten.
"I'll give you fifty," he declared with a wave, feigning grandeur.
"Really?!" Stars practically materialized in the cat's eyes, twinkling wildly.
This furball's standards are pathetically low. Suppressing a laugh, Kael promptly handed over the coins. The little cat piled them up and flopped onto her makeshift golden bed, purring in ecstasy.
Kael smirked. He'd expected her to demand a fortune, but a few dozen coins had done the trick.
"Come home with me, and I'll have a golden nest custom-made for you," he offered casually.
"What?!" The cat's pupils dilated into saucers as she nodded furiously. **"This young lady is... is living the dream!"** She wriggled blissfully, drowning in imagined luxury.
Hook, line, and sinker. Kael's smile turned sly. With the cat's assistance, treasure hunting would become effortless—her innate ability to detect valuables and cast Mist of Illusion made her indispensable.
Yet as he celebrated his successful recruitment, a shadow crept over Kael's thoughts.
The Renault Family.
There was no avoiding it now—he'd made a mortal enemy of one of the Maed Kingdom's most powerful noble houses. Zev's failure to kill him today would only make the Renaults redouble their efforts to uncover his identity...
"I need to grow stronger. Strong enough to crush the Renaults—down to their last brick."