It was no wonder Mia and Zorath the Silent were stunned. The revelation was simply too astonishing.
Kael's extraordinary magical talent was already well-known—his youth yet peak tenth-tier strength had even eclipsed the Holy Temple's pride, the prodigy Einar. That alone spoke volumes about his monstrous aptitude. But now, he claimed to also be a Grandmaster Alchemist?
Damn it all! Mia's mind reeled. Where's the justice in this? She had dedicated over a decade to alchemy, yet only reached the rank of Senior Alchemist—a title she'd been proud of, given how few on the continent achieved it, let alone while maintaining her own formidable magic prowess. But Kael…
This kid wasn't just a peak tenth-tier mage—he was a Grandmaster Alchemist too! She couldn't help but imagine his training regimen. He's barely twenty-something! How is this even possible? The thought made her flush with embarrassment. Comparing her own twenties to his… it was downright humiliating.
What Mia and Zorath didn't know was that Kael's alchemy skills weren't just at the Grandmaster level—he was an Arch-Alchemist, a tier beyond. And that wasn't all. His mastery extended to other disciplines like blacksmithing, all at terrifyingly high levels. Not to mention his fluency in Draconic and Elvish…
"Ah, just luck," Kael said with a dry cough, noticing their dumbfounded stares. "Alchemy is… profound."
He'd anticipated this reaction, which was why he'd downplayed his rank. Explaining the truth would only invite endless questions—and he couldn't be bothered.
Mia and Zorath exchanged glances, then shook their heads in wry resignation. Better not measure ourselves against this monster. Redirecting their focus, they turned to the overgrowth within the Dark Sanctum.
Amidst the weeds, rare herbs were indeed plentiful.
The trio began their search. Kael's expertise was immediately apparent—he identified each herb at a glance, their distinct features standing out vividly to his trained eye. Most ended up in his spatial ring, though only because he deliberately held back to let Mia and Zorath claim a few.
Otherwise, the two might've walked away empty-handed.
Watching Kael's effortless harvest, Zorath and Mia could only sigh in admiration. Even Mia had to concede: Kael was undeniably a Grandmaster Alchemist.
After some time, the rare herbs in the area had been nearly exhausted, divided among the three of them. Kael had reaped the most bountiful harvest—several more Skeleton Blooms and a variety of other rare herbs, enough to brew numerous potent elixirs. The Skeleton Blooms, in particular, were invaluable. They could be distilled into "Skeleton Potion," a concoction so fearsome that even experts beyond the tenth rank trembled at its mention.
Kael was thoroughly satisfied with his gains.
"Heh, not a bad haul!" Zorath the Silent grinned, clutching a handful of herbs. His knowledge of botany was limited, so his spoils were the meagerest of the trio. Still, he was more than pleased—snagging herbs worth over a hundred thousand gold in such a short time was nothing to scoff at.
"Shall we inspect those stone pillars now?" Mia suggested. The six towering pillars were the most striking feature of the Dark Sanctum, and at their center lay what appeared to be a magic circle—undoubtedly hiding secrets.
Kael nodded warily. "Let's go."
As they approached, Kael's sharp eyes caught the intricate details of the blood-red magic circle etched into the ground between the pillars. Its design was unnervingly complex, adorned with eerie, crimson patterns that pulsed faintly, as if stained with actual blood. The sight sent an involuntary shiver down their spines.
"A magic circle, just as I thought!" Zorath's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Upon closer inspection, Kael realized something startling—the circle still radiated mana. Despite the millennia that had passed, the enchantment remained active!
"This is a summoning-type trigger circle," Kael murmured, his voice tense. "Likely laid by mages of the primordial era. The moment we step into the center, it'll activate. Who knows what kind of monstrosity it'll call forth." Summoning circles were a common defensive measure among ancient mages. If they could dismantle this one, the trio might uncover the sanctum's deepest secrets.
Zorath, a warrior with little expertise in magic, merely scoffed. "Heh! With three powerhouses like us, what's there to fear?" His temper flared, and without hesitation, he lunged forward, a massive warhammer materializing in his grip. "Let's see what this damn thing summons!"
With a thunderous roar, he brought the hammer crashing down onto the central pillar!
Battle Aura surged, exploding outward.
The stone pillar emitted a dazzling radiance as mana churned violently. The blood-red magic circle flared to life, and with a deafening roar, a massive, tentacle-like appendage burst forth from the circle!
"Damn it, what the—?!" Zorath the Silent's expression darkened. He could sense the immense power sealed within the magic circle—this was indeed a monstrous beast of terrifying caliber.
The enormous tentacle stretched nearly eight meters long and two meters thick, covered in grotesque suction cups that made it look even more horrifying. As it writhed, more of the creature emerged, revealing its full form—a gigantic black octopus! But unlike any octopus Kael had ever seen, this one was colossal, its body and eight writhing tentacles spanning over ten meters in total. Had it been in the ocean, it would've been a true leviathan of the deep.
"An eleventh-tier magical beast!" The little cat perched on Kael's shoulder hissed, immediately sensing the creature's oppressive aura.
"An eleventh-tier Octopoid, a water-elemental beast," Mia murmured, her staff rising in readiness.
An eleventh-tier beast could pose a threat, but Mia wasn't overly concerned. In fact, Zorath the Silent alone could handle it.
"Hey, Zorath," Kael suddenly spoke up, a faint smile on his lips. "How about you take a break?"
"What?" Zorath shot him a puzzled look. "You want to fight this thing solo?" This was an eleventh-tier Octopoid—was Kael really confident?
Kael's smile deepened. He was currently at the peak of the tenth tier, his combat prowess bordering on the eleventh. Of course, breaking through to the next tier wasn't easy—it required fusing a second elemental affinity. Still, he wanted to test just how close he was to that threshold.
"Let me give it a shot," Kael said.
"Fine." Seeing Kael's unwavering confidence, Zorath relaxed his battle stance. He'd witnessed Kael's strength before—even if he couldn't kill the Octopoid, he could at least hold his own for a while. If things turned dire, Zorath and Mia could always step in.
"ROAR—!"
The Eight-Clawed Octopoid let out an earth-shaking bellow, its eight massive tentacles erupting from the magic circle like spears. They spread outward in all directions, forming a sinister net that descended upon Kael with terrifying speed.
Kael's eyes flashed. With a swift flick of his staff, he cast a protective shield around himself before launching into the air.
"Starburn Annihilation!"
A searing brilliance erupted from his staff, its radiance so intense it seemed to scorch the heavens themselves. At its peak, a crimson moon materialized above the staff's tip—
The Crimson Moon Sigil!
Both Mia and Zorath the Silent gasped. Kael had actually comprehended the Crimson Moon Sigil? No—just days ago, during his duel with Einar, he hadn't mastered it yet. That meant… he'd grasped this profound arcane symbol in mere days?!
Mia could only shake her head with a wry smile. What even is this monster…
Starburn Annihilation was one of Kael's most rigorously trained spells—a tenth-tier fire magic. But now, with his flawless control over fire elements, he wielded it as naturally as breathing. Merging with the flames, he summoned plumes of frostfire, a mutated variant that erupted from the ground in towering pillars, each one lashing at the Octopoid with devastating force!
Though technically a tenth-tier spell, its power brushed against the eleventh tier, the inferno so vast it truly lived up to its name—"Starburn Annihilation."
The Octopoid shrieked in pain, its roar reverberating through the sanctum. Kael's strike had wounded it, enraging the beast further. In retaliation, all eight tentaclessurged toward Kael like whips, sealing off every possible escape route in a deadly, inescapable cage!