The Eight-Clawed Octopoid's tentacles were monstrously thick, their suction cups generating a terrifying pulling force. Kael couldn't help but feel relieved—the lake here had long dried up, and this battle wasn't taking place underwater. Had it been otherwise, with only his fire element fused, he'd have stood no chance against this beast.
But now…
As the eight tentacles surged from all directions, Kael blinked backward dozens of meters in an instant. At the same time, his eyes flashed with the Thunderflame Pupils!
BOOM!
Lightning and frostfire intertwined, their combined power doubling in intensity as they roared toward the Octopoid, searing its flesh! The electricity sent violent tremors through the beast's body, while the frostfire inflicted fresh agony. Though the Octopoid's hide was incredibly tough, it lacked the scaled armor of a creature like the Winged Serpent, leaving its defenses vulnerable to Kael's assault.
The Octopoid howled in pain, translucent blood oozing from its wounds. The injury only drove it into a deeper frenzy. Its remaining tentacles thrashed wildly, shaking the entire Dark Sanctum. Zorath the Silent and Mia seized the chance to retreat to a safe distance, watching the battle with sharp eyes, ready to intervene at any moment.
"Kael's magic is downright bizarre," Zorath muttered, shaking his head. "To think he can shred an eleventh-tier beast's defenses so easily…"
Mia nodded grimly. The Thunderflame Pupils' raw power was one thing, but their near-instantaneous activation was what made them truly terrifying.
"First, I'll take one of your arms!" A cold glint flashed in Kael's eyes as he raised his staff. The Silver Star Sigil flared to life, summoning a storm of lightning.
"Violet Blade of Thunder!"
Crackling energy converged, condensing into a blade-shaped arc of purple lightning. Nearby debris levitated, pulled by the electromagnetic force. Then—a flash! The spell tore through the air, striking like a guillotine.
SNAP!
The violet lightning sheared clean through one tentacle, splitting it in two!
The Octopoid roared in fury and agony. Losing a tentacle was akin to a warrior losing an arm—unbearable pain. Its remaining seven limbs lashed out with even greater violence, shaking the sanctum violently. Rubble rained from the ceiling as the entire structure groaned under the assault.
Kael, however, paid no heed to the collapsing surroundings. His focus was entirely on evading the Octopoid's remaining seven tentacles. A single direct hit from those monstrous limbs would spell serious trouble.
Zorath the Silent watched Kael's relentless dodging and grew restless. "Is the kid struggling? The Octopoid is an eleventh-tier beast, after all—no pushover."
Mia shook her head, stopping Zorath from intervening. "Haven't you noticed? Kael's dodging, but he's completely in control. Those tentacles can't touch him."
Taking a closer look, Zorath realized she was right. Kael's movements were blindingly fast, his spellwork seamless. He was weaving through the attacks with effortless precision!
In truth, Kael was using the Octopoid as a whetstone—testing the gap between his peak tenth-tier strength and the eleventh tier.
"Starburn Annihilation!"
Spell after spell erupted from Kael's staff, severing yet more tentacles. Gradually, under the stunned gazes of Zorath and Mia, Kael seized control of the battle, turning the tide in his favor!
"This kid… not just a magic prodigy, but a combat genius too," Mia murmured, her eyes gleaming with admiration. Kael's battle instincts were extraordinary.
In reality, Kael's innate talent for combat wasn't peerless. But his relentless experience—every breakthrough forged in life-or-death struggles—had honed him into a warrior of terrifying adaptability.
With a swift motion, Kael summoned flames through his fused fire affinity. The inferno swirled around him, frostfire licking at the air, his advantage now undeniable. The Octopoid—an eleventh-tier beast—was losing to him!
Fear flickered in the creature's eyes. Six of its tentacles had already been severed. For the first time, it felt dread toward this human, whose raw power shouldn't have matched its own.
BOOM!
Thunderflame Pupils!
Kael unleashed the dual-elemental assault once more. The Octopoid shrieked, its attempt to flee cut short as the devastating fusion of lightning and frostfire engulfed it whole.
The beast's massive body convulsed, then stilled—slain by Kael's hands.
Zorath let out a dry laugh. "Brother Kael, at this point, you could probably hold your own against an early eleventh-tier expert." He sighed inwardly. Freaks like Kael and Einar—true once-in-an-era geniuses—could defy tiers even at their peak tenth rank.
Of course, "holding his own" was the operative phrase. True eleventh-tier experts had their own trump cards—actually killing one would be far harder.
Kael wiped the sweat from his brow. The battle had drained him considerably. "I just had the right advantages," he admitted. "In water, I'd have been the one running from that thing." Zorath's praise didn't inflate his ego; he was too busy dissecting the fight. This marked his first true clash with an eleventh-tier opponent.
Against an early eleventh-tier expert, he could likely ensure his survival—but securing victory? That remained a tall order.
With the Octopoid dead, Kael smirked at Mia and Zorath before channeling mana to extract its magic crystal. The gem—as large as a bowl and radiating an azure glow—was a genuine treasure. An eleventh-tier crystal could drive countless warriors and mages to madness across the continent.
The energy contained within dwarfed that of a tenth-tier crystal by severalfold, its sheer potency leaving Kael in awe.
He fed it to the World Tree in his pocket dimension. Yet the tree, like an insatiable abyss, only grew marginally after absorbing the crystal. Now towering thousands of meters tall, the World Tree anchored Kael's miniature world—a realm already surpassing most eleventh-tier creations in scale.
"With the Octopoid dealt with, we can proceed," Mia said with a smile.
As Kael disposed of the beast's carcass, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. For an eleventh-tier creature, its value was surprisingly limited. Beyond the magic crystal, little of use remained—a far cry from the Winged Serpent's bounty.
Then, the little cat's voice piped up by his ear: "Kael! I memorized that big octopus! Now I can transform into it!"
Kael's eyes lit up. He'd nearly forgotten—the cat's mimicry ability. After witnessing the Octopoid, it could now replicate the beast! Delight surged through him, mingled with deepening curiosity about the feline's origins. No ordinary magical creature possessed such a power—at least, none he'd ever heard of.
"Let's see what's hidden at the center of these pillars!" Zorath the Silent strode forward eagerly, then suddenly paused. "Huh—two large chests!"
Kael followed curiously, spotting the pair of gold-inlaid rosewood chests resting at the base of the central pillar. Their contents remained a mystery.
"Top-tier magic gems! And weapons!" Zorath threw open the first chest, its interior glittering brilliantly. It was packed with exquisite magic gems and an assortment of arms and armor.
Zorath's eyes bulged. "We're rich! Absolutely rich! This many premium gems, plus these weapons—some are even enchanted!" So-called "enchanted weapons" were gear imbued with magic, like the Darkmoon Divine Armor Kael had acquired from the Water Dragon's treasury. On the continent, such items were considered top-tier—though they paled in comparison to the half-finished Holy Light Artifact Kael had obtained from the Reynolds family.
Still, this was a windfall. Kael estimated the haul's value at over three million gold coins. But more than the weapons, he coveted the magic gems. As his power grew, each breakthrough demanded vast quantities of gems to fuel his cultivation. Even with his current wealth, his reserves were dwindling.
The trio swiftly divided the spoils—a substantial reward by any measure.
"There's still the other chest." The first chest's contents hadn't fully satisfied Kael. His gaze shifted to the second, and Mia and Zorath mirrored his anticipation.
Kael stepped forward and lifted the lid.
As the chest creaked open, all three leaned in—only to find no piles of treasure. Inside lay just a single parchment scroll.
"A scroll? Ugh, I was hoping for something better." Zorath's disappointment was palpable. Kael, however, merely shrugged and unrolled the parchment. Its surface was dense with text. A quick skim later, his expression stilled—then a flicker of excitementcrossed his brow. He'd clearly discovered something.
This Dark Sanctum did hold secrets after all. Kael smirked. Of course—this palace was a relic of the primordial era. If this was all it offered, it'd be downright pathetic.
"What is it?" Councilor Mia noticed Kael's shift in demeanor.
Kael handed her the scroll. "See for yourself."
Mia's eyes darted across the text—then widened. "This… this mentions magic imprints left behind by some of the primordial era's most powerful figures?!"
Indeed, buried within the parchment's cryptic script was a bombshell revelation: this palace housed legacy imprints from legendary ancient masters!