The Carefree Water dripped onto the roots of the Life Tree, and instantly, radiant light pulsed from the roots as they absorbed every drop. The tree's bark gleamed with an intense luster, and the Life Tree surged upward, growing at an astonishing rate.
"Incredible speed!" Kael couldn't help but marvel.
The Life Tree expanded rapidly—its canopy, once barely a hundred meters wide, now stretched nearly a kilometer in mere moments. As it grew, so too did the boundaries of his Minor World!
Truly worthy of the legacy left by the Water Dragon, Kael had a premonition: this tree could continue evolving indefinitely, perhaps even one day forming a divine realm of its own…
In other words, the Life Tree possessed limitless potential.
Yet, as the tree absorbed every last drop of the Carefree Water, Kael couldn't suppress a pang of regret. This tree was a bottomless pit! The Carefree Water was exceedingly rare, its value immeasurable—and now, not a single drop remained. He sighed deeply.
"What a pain. This tree is even more of a glutton than Alaric!" Kael shrugged. The Life Tree's growth demanded vast amounts of 'nourishment', and each resource it required was a priceless treasure. While monster cores were relatively easy to obtain, magic crystals like the Carefree Water and Earth's Essence were vanishingly rare.Even with all of Kael's extraordinary encounters, he had only ever stumbled upon these two treasures.
Now, the Life Tree towered over a kilometer tall, its gigantic canopy blotting out the sky, as if it had become the very heavens of this Minor World.
"Magnificent…" The tree stood proud and unshakable, its trunk like a celestial ladder piercing the clouds. In an instant, it had transformed into a true colossus.
Kael pondered for a moment. "I still have one more thing—a Level 10 Winged Serpent Core." He retrieved the lustrous serpent core and fed it to the Life Tree as additional nourishment.
The tree grew again, though this time, the progress was far slower, and the increase in size far less dramatic.
"It seems that from now on, only cores of Level 9 or higher will significantly boost its growth. What a headache." Kael frowned briefly before relaxing. After all, he could already feel the Life Tree's boundless vitality flowing into him—with this power, his combat strength would soar to new heights.
The life force contained within the tree was unimaginable. Even if Kael suffered near-fatal injuries, so long as they weren't instantly lethal, the tree could rapidly restore him to full health.
Kael meditated quietly for a while, fully acclimating to his newfound power, before finally stepping out of the Tower of Hope.
Outside, the crowd had gathered, awaiting his emergence.
"Kael, you…" The moment he appeared, all eyes locked onto him. Everyone could sense something different about him now.
Though Kael's mana was completely restrained, the difference between his Level 10 strength and his previous Level 9 power was like heaven and earth. Yet, he had perfectly contained that overwhelming energy, making him appear no different from an ordinary person—not even like a mage at all.
And that very fact made him seem all the more unfathomable.
Among the crowd, Ella—likely the strongest of them all—felt the most shaken. To her, Kael's casual movements now carried the weight of an unshakable mountain.
If, back when Kael was Level 9, she had dared to cast spells against him without hesitation, now, facing him in battle would leave her hesitant—perhaps even too intimidated to raise her staff and chant!
This invisible pressure was far more terrifying, far more daunting.
And it wasn't just Ella. The others sensed it too, their eyes flickering with awe and excitement.
"My Lord… have you truly reached Level 10?" Lone Wolf's voice trembled, his barely suppressed excitement unmistakable. To him, Kael's growth meant his vengeance was one step closer!
"Yes." Kael gave a slight nod.
Lone Wolf clenched his fists, struggling to contain his emotions. Kael had actually broken through to Level 10!
A Level 10 Saintly Magus! Perhaps the youngest on the entire continent!
The way the crowd looked at Kael had completely transformed. At his age, achieving Level 10 meant he had the potential to become a Legendary Magus—or even an Archmage!
An Archmage… The mere thought of such a title left them speechless with reverence, something they could only gaze up at in awe…
Kael's gaze swept over the crowd as he smiled faintly. "My advancement to Level 10 must remain confidential. This information cannot be leaked—is that clear?"
"Senior Brother, this is wonderful news! We could use this to boost your prestige. Your reputation in the Laphie Territory—no, across the entire Eastern Continent—would soar overnight. Why keep it secret?" Grace asked, puzzled. She had already been planning to leverage Kael's breakthrough for political gain, so his insistence on secrecy confused her.
Kael chuckled, understanding her perspective. But his reasoning was simple: he needed the element of surprise to uproot the Reynolds Family—a thorn in his side.
Among the group, only Lone Wolf fully grasped his intentions. Now that Kael had reached Level 10, he had no more reservations. Since everyone present was part of Laphie Territory's inner circle—his most trusted allies—he laid out his plan without hesitation.
"So you're planning to take down the Reynolds Family…" Grace murmured, realization dawning.
A shadow of concern flickered across Amelia's brow. She knew of the Reynolds Family's might and couldn't help but worry for Kael.
"We are now locked in a life-and-death struggle with them. Grace, mobilize all our resources. From today onward, monitor every move the Reynolds Family makes—no detail is too small to ignore," Kael commanded.
"Understood! Leave it to me, Senior Brother!" Grace nodded vigorously. Despite her youth, she was shrewd and capable, immediately grasping the urgency of the situation.
The little kitten (or rather, the self-proclaimed "Dragon Pride") leaped onto Kael's back, meowing excitedly: "Heh, so you're finally going to fight that gloomy mage from last time? This lady supports you! Crush him! I, in the name of the Dragonkin, shall aid you!"
"Hey, furball—get over here!" Finn called out.
"Call me Long Aotian!" The kitten flicked her tail dismissively, oozing arrogance.
The crowd collectively facepalmed.
With roles assigned, everyone sprang into action—gathering intelligence, tracking the Reynolds Family's movements.
Thanks to the growing number of merchant caravans traveling between the Empire of Gui and the Kingdom of Mide, Kael now had a perfect network of informants.
Slowly but surely, the Reynolds Family's activities fell under his surveillance.
All preparations were complete. Now, they only needed the right moment to strike.
Just then, Kael received another piece of good news.
"Kael, I've contacted the merchant groups—almost none of them had any Solarite. But luck was on our side! I stumbled upon a major caravan that had a small stockpile and managed to secure some!" Finn reported excitedly first thing in the morning.
Kael's eyes lit up. Solarite! This meant he could finally begin constructing the Arcane Crystal Cannons! If successful, it would tip the scales further in his favor!
However, the amount Finn brought back was meager—only a few kilograms at most.Kael wasn't sure how many 'Arcane Devices' this could produce, let alone how many cannons.
He immediately summoned Ethan.
The old mage barreled down from the Tower of Hope at breakneck speed, so fast it left Kael momentarily stunned. Ethan snatched the Solarite from Kael's hands, then broke into a wide grin: "Genuine Solarite! Excellent, absolutely excellent! Shame there's so little, but it's enough for me to forge about ten Arcane Devices—enough to build over a dozen Arcane Crystal Cannons!"
Over a dozen cannons!
Kael was more than satisfied. A dozen cannons would effectively add a dozen Level 9 combatants to Laphie Territory's forces!
Ethan, cradling the Solarite like a treasured prize, scurried off in high spirits, disappearing into the Tower of Hope to tinker.
A few days later, over a dozen Arcane Crystal Cannons were deployed across Laphie Territory.
The territory's strength grew by leaps and bounds daily—a transformation so drastic it defied description.
"Senior Brother, we've got news on the Reynolds Family!" That day, Grace arrived with a grave expression, urgency lacing her words.