Chapter 268: The Price of Fire

ARC 3: LEGACIES UNBOUND

Three weeks passed.

The IGF private training facility on Planet Bibliotheca was everything the IGF had promised—and more.

Kael sat cross-legged in the center of a cultivation formation arranged with precision. 40 high-grade mana stones formed the outer ring, their crystalline surfaces pulsing with dense, refined energy. 100 mid-grade mana stones formed the inner rings.

The formation hummed—vvvvrrrr—a constant, low frequency that vibrated through the floor and into his bones.

The mana density inside this room was equivalent to cultivating inside a mid-grade mana stone itself. The IGF had spared no expense. The walls were lined with absorption runes that prevented mana leakage, and the ceiling was embedded with compression arrays that kept the energy concentrated directly around the cultivator.

Combined with Kelvin’s pills—Heaven’s Breakthrough Pills and Body Essence Pills taken on a strict rotation—the results had been substantial.

Kael opened his eyes.

THRUM!

A strong soul power fluctuation rippled outward from his body. The mana stones in the formation flickered. The air in the room shuddered—whump—as his soul core pulsed with new intensity.

[Cultivation Breakthrough Confirmed: Mana Heart Rank 4]

[Soul Cultivation Breakthrough Confirmed: Mid Soul Core Realm]

Kael extended his soul sense.

Forty-one meters... forty-two... forty-three... forty-four...

Forty-five meters.

Nice.

His lips curved. A forty-five-meter soul sense radius was exceptional for Mid Soul Core. Most cultivators at this stage managed 30 meters at best.

If he could improve his soul power further, he could inscribe runes much faster. Rank 5 Runemaster techniques required precise soul control—the kind that only improved with depth and range of perception. His runes were more powerful that any normal rank 5 rune due to his dense soul power.

Kael stood. His joints popped—pop-pop—as he stretched. Three weeks of intense cultivation. His body felt dense, compact, thrumming with refined mana.

He walked to the corner of the room where a small table held his belongings. His communication device. A status report from his territories. And sitting in a padded case—ten Void Crystals, each one pulsing with that distinctive, light-swallowing darkness.

He’d obtained the final crystal from Planet Aurethys. The Guardian main base had been heavily secured, but three-star clearance had granted him access to their resource vault. The crystal had been catalogued as a confiscated artifact from the House of Crimson raids. He’d signed for it, provided his Guardian credentials, and left without complication.

[System Notification: System Evolution in Progress.]

[10/10 Void Crystals integrated. Evolution completion: 8 months remaining.]

[During evolution, Host has access to: Status Panel, System Storage.]

[During evolution, Host does NOT have access to: System Shop, Technique Purchases, Skill Upgrades.]

[Evolution cannot be accelerated.]

Eight months.

Kael had prepared for this. He’d stocked up on everything he needed before initiating the evolution—pills, techniques, equipment. But eight months without access to new resources from the System would require careful management.

Because right now, there were more immediate concerns.

Five days. Just five days before the Inheritance Ground opened.

The gate to the Inheritance Ground was located on Planet Verenthos in the Halcyon Galaxy—a star system bordering the Skyfall Galaxy. Travel time from Planet Bibliotheca was approximately two days.

Kael was reaching for his cloak when the training room door opened.

Hiss.

Ravenna Silva walked in.

Her green hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her clothing was tailored to emphasize curves that she clearly knew she had. Her green eyes locked onto Kael with a predatory expression.

"Leaving so soon?" Ravenna asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Kael pulled his cloak on without looking at her. "I’d rather be anywhere than with you, vixen."

Ravenna pressed her hand to her chest. "Ouch." She smiled. "That breaks my heart."

Her smile widened.

This woman had been trying to seduce him for three weeks.

Kael liked women. He liked them a lot. But Ravenna Silva gave him a definitive no no.

The Silva family. Not direct enemies of the Vorns. But the Silvas were known throughout the Thirteen Worlds for being cunning. Exceptionally, dangerously, almost pathologically cunning. They didn’t fight wars. They orchestrated them. Every gesture, every word, every alliance was calculated twelve steps ahead.

A Silva in your bed wasn’t a lover. It was a liability and a ticking time bomb.

No thank you.

Kael secured his cloak and gathered his belongings. "Time to go."

Ravenna’s smile faltered slightly. "I could tag along. Keep you company on the trip to Verenthos."

Kael turned. "You have your own ship, Ravenna."

She held his gaze for a moment. Then she shrugged, her smile returning.

"Your loss, Vorn."

She turned and walked out. Her hips swayed deliberately. Kael looked away.

Absolutely not. My eyes have to be purified now.

The corridor outside the training facility was busy. Students from multiple academies occupied the IGF base—those who had qualified for Inheritance Ground access and had arrived early to prepare.

Kael spotted familiar faces as he walked toward the landing pads.

Michael Weston stood in an outdoor sparring ring, his Angelic aura shimmering faintly as he practiced alone.

Zara Moror.

And Cassian Vale leaned against a pillar near the landing area. He looked up as Kael approached.

"Leaving already?" Cassian asked.

"Two days to Verenthos. I want buffer time."

Cassian pocketed his watch. Click. "Mind if I tag along?"

Kael studied him for a moment. Cassian Vale was one of the few people Kael genuinely trusted in combat.

"Get in," Kael said.

They boarded Kael’s ship. Brody was already in the cockpit, his dark Vorn Guardian Knight uniform crisp. He turned as they entered.

"Sir. Coordinates set for Planet Verenthos."

"Yeah. We’re departing immediately."

Kael paused. He reached into his storage ring and pulled out a communication token. He pressed it and spoke into it.

"Yuki."

Her voice came through immediately. "Sir."

"Return to the Thirteen Worlds. I need you watching over my territories while I’m at the Inheritance Ground."

A pause. "Understood."

Click.

Between Lira, Vyra, and Bruski, his cities were defended—but Yuki’s presence ensured nothing stupid happened.

The ship’s engines roared to life.

RUMBLE...

The vessel lifted from Planet Bibliotheca’s surface, climbed through the atmosphere, and broke into open space.

WHOOSH.

Stars stretched into lines as the ship accelerated.

Kael settled into the common area. Cassian sat across from him. He reached into his storage ring as a pot and teac cup appeared on the table. He poured tea from the pot.

Clatter.

Cups on saucers.

Kael took a sip. "Where’s Yenna?"

Cassian replied. "We’ll probably meet the rest of the group on Planet Verenthos. Yenna’s already en route with Rue and Sage since the Sterling family is close to the beast planet of the foxes."

"The rest of the group are also probably coming."

Cassian paused. "Karacus isn’t coming."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"The Drakemore family is in the Central Universe. Even with a fast ship, it would take at least a year to reach the Central Universe from here." Cassian sipped his tea. "His family summoned him back."

Kael nodded.

"So it’s us and the girls," Kael said.

"Us and the girls," Cassian confirmed with a smirk.

Kael stretched his legs

Then Cassian spoke again.

"When we get to the Inheritance Ground, I’ll need your help to find something."

Kael opened one eye. "Oh?"

"Something specific. Something that should be hidden deep inside the Inheritance Ground." Cassian continued. "I’ve been researching the location for months with future sight and mys system’s help. I have coordinates. But the Inheritance Ground is unpredictable. I need someone I trust watching my back."

Kael smirked. "What do I get in return?"

Cassian set down his teacup.

Click.

He looked at Kael directly.

"I’ll provide you the method and technique to tame a Heavenly Flame."