Kael's mind raced as he keenly felt the urgency for greater power—only by mastering stronger forces could he truly control his own destiny.
Now undoubtedly on the Renault family's kill list, he needed a strategy to counter their threat.
With Levitation Flight pushed to its limits, Kael sped toward the territory of Lefay.
On his back, the little cat purred in bliss, already daydreaming about her future golden nest.
"By the way, furball, what's your name?" Kael asked with a smile, realizing he'd never asked.
"This young lady was alone from birth—no name," the cat replied, her tone tinged with melancholy. Though born with innate abilities, she'd struggled to survive countless beast attacks while wandering solo.
"How about... Mewmew?" Kael suggested.
"Absolutely not! That's hideous!" Her head shook like a rattle drum in vehement refusal.
"Then what do you want?"
"With my noble dragon bloodline, I demand a majestic title worthy of my peerless brilliance!" She waved her paws dramatically. "I've decided—I shall be called Long Aotian!"
Kael's body lurched mid-flight, nearly tumbling from the sky.
After intense negotiations (and vetoing the absurdly grandiose "Dragon Overlord of Heaven"), they settled on **"Lucky"**—a name the cat grudgingly accepted after Kael bribed her with promises of extra gold filigree on her nest.
As they crossed into Lefay's borders, Kael's eyes widened.
"The changes... are staggering."
Though he'd been gone mere months, Lefay City had transformed beyond recognition.
Most astonishing were the three colossal forests now encircling the city—his planted Sinsblooms had fully matured, defying the longstanding myth that the Lefay Plains could never sustain vegetation.
However, the growth of these three forests was accelerating at an alarming rate. If left unchecked, the Sinblooms might soon spread across the entire Laffey Plains.
But Kael had a solution. He could concoct a potion to inhibit plant growth, thereby curbing the spread of the Sinblooms.
Kael's gaze turned toward Laffey City. The city was even more bustling than before, with merchant caravans coming and going in an endless stream—many of them renowned trading groups and noble families from the ancient Empire of Gui.
The streets of Laffey City were alive with noise and excitement, a far cry from the desolate scene of the past. The transformation was so dramatic that it left Kael utterly astonished.
In the past, Laffey City's population had barely numbered in the tens of thousands, and the place had been in decline. Yet now, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, the population had multiplied several times over, and the city's prosperity was undeniable.
Kael blinked in disbelief. When he had left, he could never have imagined Laffey City would one day look like this. Even though he had resolved the underlying issues hindering its development, this level of progress was beyond anything he had expected.
"Who could have governed Laffey City so brilliantly? Lone Wolf? No, that can't be. Lone Wolf's military prowess is unmatched, but managing internal affairs isn't his forte. At best, he could barely handle it—there's no way he could have achieved something this remarkable." Kael was baffled. Whoever had brought such order and prosperity to Laffey City must have been a true master of governance.
Yet no matter how hard he racked his brain, Kael couldn't figure out who it might be.
Jett and Lone Wolf were out of the question, and the others were even less likely. Could it have been Vesper and Toms, those two old-timers?
Kael shook his head, still puzzled. There was no point in speculating—he'd find out soon enough once he reached Laffey City.
"Little Ji, we're here," Kael said.
The kitten didn't even glance at him, tilting its head up with an air of arrogance. "Call me Dragon Heaven!" It was clearly displeased with Kael's choice of address.
Kael sighed. This little cat had quite the personality…
"Do you still want that golden nest or not?" Kael coughed lightly, resorting to his trump card.
The kitten's eyes lit up, and it huffed. "Fine, this young lady will reluctantly accept your term of address. Where's the golden nest? I want to see it." The kitten was practically vibrating with impatience.
"Once we get home, I'll make it for you right away!" Kael chuckled.
"Home? Where's your home?" The kitten's eyes gleamed as it stared intently at the distant Laffey City.
"Laffey City is my domain. I'm a hereditary count of the continent," Kael replied with a faint smile.
"A count? This is your territory?" The kitten's mouth watered as it muttered to itself, "This young lady has hit the jackpot—to think I've ended up with a hereditary human count! No more worries about food or shelter for the rest of my life…" The kitten resolved to stick close to Kael, its new lifelong meal ticket—unaware that this had been Kael's plan all along: to lure in this little feline.
Laffey City was now right before him. Kael entered the city without hindrance—though guards stood watch at the gates, none dared to stop him.
The Tower of Hope loomed tall in the distance. A thought struck Kael—Amelia and Ella were likely inside, deep in their training.
"I should check the Tower of Hope."
With that, Kael surged forward, his body cutting through the air as he soared toward the tower.
But the moment he approached, an of magical energy erupted from the Tower of Hope.
It was immense.
Kael's heart pounded. This power far surpassed even Zev's! No—compared to this, Zev's magic was like an insignificant speck, utterly dwarfed by the sheer force radiating from the tower.
How is this possible? Who could be inside?
Kael was stunned. The Tower of Hope housed a mage of unfathomable strength. The strongest he knew of was Ella—when he left, she had been at the peak of the eighth tier. At most, she might have advanced to the ninth tier by now. But this? This was beyond anything she could ever achieve.
Then… what is happening?
A thousand possibilities flashed through his mind—until a flicker of flame suddenly ignited atop the tower.
Brilliant light erupted.
Magic roared like thunder.
A crushing pressure descended.
Kael felt his spiritual energy completely suppressed, his mind reeling under the force.
"Kael! There's a terrifyingly powerful mage in that tower—far stronger than that dark-robed one!" The little cat, sensing the overwhelming power, let out a fearful whimper.
Kael already knew.
Just as Kael was racking his brain in confusion, a booming voice echoed from the top of the magic tower:
"Who dares trespass upon the Tower of Hope?"
The voice was instantly familiar. Kael's eyes lit up in recognition.
"Master!" he called out in relief.
It was none other than the old mage, Ethan!
No wonder the magical energy radiating from the tower was so vast and terrifying—Ethan had arrived at last!
"Hmm…?" A murmur of surprise drifted down from the tower—undoubtedly Ethan's voice. Kael's doubts vanished, replaced by sheer delight. With Ethan here, the Laffey territory now had a true powerhouse standing guard!
Long ago, when Kael had first arrived in Laffey, he had sent word to Ethan, urging him to come. Yet the old mage had delayed his journey—until now.
The oppressive spiritual pressure weighing on Kael dissipated instantly, allowing him to enter the tower. The little cat, too, let out a sigh of relief, having been thoroughly shaken by the earlier display of power.
Inside the tower stood Ethan, flanked by Ella and Amelia, both deep in their cultivation.
The old mage looked exactly as Kael remembered—unchanged. His long white beard and flowing hair belied none of the frailty of age. His voice remained vigorous, his movements sharp and agile.
The moment Kael stepped inside, Ethan's eyes gleamed with astonishment.
"You've already advanced to the ninth-tier mage?"
Ethan's shock was understandable. Less than half a year had passed since Kael left Flamereach Academy, yet his strength had soared exponentially. When he departed, he had barely reached the seventh tier—now, he stood at the ninth!
At Ethan's words, Ella and Amelia froze in unison. They knew full well that Kael had been at the mid-eighth tier when he left. How could he have broken through to the ninth tier in such a short time?