Chapter 284: Reunion

Kael traveled alone.

Three days had passed since he left Cassian at the Clock Emperor’s stairway. The Void Realm stretched endlessly in every direction—bioluminescent forests giving way to rocky plains, then to marshes that glowed with eerie phosphorescent light. The landscape never stopped changing. Each region felt like a different world entirely.

He hunted along the way.

Most beasts were unremarkable—Foundation Establishment creatures that died in a single strike. Their souls dissipated before the Netherworld Soul Locking Flag could absorb them.

On the second day, he found something worth chasing.

[Abyssal Thornsire — Mana Heart Rank 7. Unique species. Soul-affiliated beast.]

The creature stood in a clearing—four meters tall, resembling a cross between a stag and a thorned reptile. Its body was covered in dark violet scales that pulsed with faint soul energy. Antlers grew from its skull, condensed soul crystals that flickered with blue-white light. Its eyes were hollow but somehow tracked movement.

A unique soul beast which was rare and valuable.

Exactly what I need.

The Thornsire sensed him. It turned, its soul crystal antlers blazing. A pulse of soul energy shot outward—WHUUUM—invisible to normal perception but Kael’s soul sense caught it clearly.

He raised his Soul Shield. The pulse deflected.

The Thornsire charged.

WHOOOSH.

Its body moved like smoke—phasing between physical and soul states. One moment solid, the next translucent.

Kael swung his Shadow Slayer blade. SLASH. The blade passed through its transluscent form—whoosh—cutting nothing.

It phases. Like the soul wraiths.

The Thornsire’s antlers swept downward. Kael dodged but the tip grazed his shoulder.

He activated Lightning Body. His speed doubled. The Thornsire phased again, but Kael tracked it through soul sense—its soul signature remained solid even when its body didn’t.

The moment it resolidified—flicker—Kael struck.

"RAISHŌTON!"

SHHK!

The Shadow Slayer blade—coated with lightning, gravity, and soul power—pierced through the Thornsire’s neck. The combined energies tore through its soul-infused flesh. The crystal antlers shattered—crack-crack—and the beast screamed.

HNNNH—

A sound like breaking glass mixed with wind. Its body collapsed. Thud.

Kael pulled the Netherworld Soul Locking Flag from his system storage. The cloth unfurled and the runes flickered. The Thornsire’s soul emerged—larger and denser than the previous beasts, pulsing with soul energy that lingered for a full five seconds before beginning to fade.

The flag absorbed it.

WHOOSH.

The soul was pulled into the pocket dimension. Kael felt it settle—stronger than the others. A proper addition.

Five out of one hundred.

On the fourth day, Kael spotted a familiar face.

Mason Croft. He was moving quickly through a canyon, his solar energy manipulation crackling faintly around his fists. He looked bruised. His combat attire was torn in several places.

Kael watched from a ridge above. Mason didn’t notice him.

He looks like he’s heading somewhere specific.

Kael considered calling out but he did not really have a close relationship with Mason.

Kael continued north.

On the fifth day, Kael entered a mountainous region.

The terrain shifted dramatically—jagged peaks rising hundreds of meters, connected by narrow ridges and deep valleys. Waterfalls cascaded between cliffs, feeding rivers that carved through the stone. The ambient mana here was denser than the forests—heavier, more compressed.

Kael’s soul sense swept the area.

A familiar mana signature.

Kael stopped as his eyes widened slightly.

That’s—

He followed the signal through the mountain pass, down a winding trail, and into a valley where a river cut through bare rock.

Rue sat by the riverbank.

Her silver-white hair was loose—damp, clinging to her shoulders. Her combat attire was bloodstained and torn. She’d been washing the blood from the fabric in the river, wringing it out and draping it over a rock to dry. What remained on her body was a thin layer of inner fabric—clinging to her skin, soaked through, leaving little to imagination.

Her nine tails lay spread behind her.

Then she sensed him.

Her head snapped up. Her tails went rigid—swish—then began wagging furiously.

Swish-swish-swish-swish.

"KAEL!"

She launched herself at him. Whoosh. Her arms wrapped around his neck. Her body pressed against his. Through the thin soaked fabric, Kael could feel everything. Her breasts flattened against his chest, the fabric doing nothing to hide their shape.

Kael’s arms caught her instinctively. He held her up as her legs wrapped around his waist.

"I missed you so much!" Rue pressed her face into his neck. "So so much!"

Kael smiled. "I missed you too."

She pulled back—her golden eyes glistening, a wide smile on her face.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" she asked.

"I picked up your mana signature."

Kael then set her down on his lap. "What happened to you?"

Rue’s expression shifted—embarrassment mixed with exhaustion.

"I’ve been alone since we entered. The gateway scattered me into a frozen tundra region. I spent three weeks fighting through ice beasts and blizzards just to get out of there." She gestured at her torn attire. "Everything I had was destroyed. I’ve been traveling on foot ever since."

"How did you get here?"

"I’ve been trying to find Sage." Rue’s tails curled around herself. "Fox-kin of Royal Bloodline have a connection—we can sense each other’s general direction. Like a compass. Sage is that way—" she pointed east, "—very far. She must have landed on the other side of the Void Realm."

Kael studied her. His Spirit Eyes flickered—flicker—analyzing her cultivation.

She’s grown. Significantly.

"You’ve been cultivating," he said.

Rue nodded with a proud smile. "The beasts in the tundra were strong. Fighting for my life every day pushed me forward." She paused. "I’m almost at Rank 7."

They set up camp by the river. Kael gathered dry wood from a nearby thicket while Rue attempted to start a fire using her fox fire.

Rue carved beast meat from a creature she’d killed earlier—a Mana Heart Rank 3 mountain goat. She skewered the meat on sticks and held them over the fire.

Ten minutes later, she handed Kael a skewer.

He took a bite.

Chew... chew...

He spat it out.

Ptoo.

"What the heck, Rue. Never cook again," Kael said flatly.

Rue scratched her head with a wry expression, clearly embarrassed but not surprised.

"Sage said the same thing," she murmured.

Kael took over. He seasoned the meat with dried herbs from his system storage, adjusted the fire’s heat with precise gravity manipulation, and turned the skewers at exact intervals. The fat sizzled—sizzle—and the aroma shifted from burnt to savory within minutes.

He handed Rue a skewer. She took a bite.

Her eyes widened.

Glow.

"Kael, this is amazing!" She took another bite—chew-chew—her cheeks puffing out. "You can cook?! Since when?!"

"I had to learn. Aria can’t cook either."

Rue ate ravenously. Her tails wagged contentedly. Swish-swish.

Then she went quiet. Her hands moved to her cheeks—cupping her face as eyes became dreamy.

He can cook. He fights like a monster. He’s handsome. He’s powerful. He’s going to cook for me every day when we get married.

Her tails curled around herself excitedly.

I wonder what kind of wedding we’ll have. Fox-kin tradition or human tradition? Both? His mother’s family—wait, his mother died. I’ll handle the arrangements myself. Sage can be the maid of honor. Aria can—no, Aria would probably try to kill me at the altar. Maybe I should—

"Hey, Hey, Rue?"

She blinked. Ah! Her face turned crimson.

"Y-Yes?"

"What’s will you? You’re making a weird face."

"No I’m not!" She looked away, tails fluffing defensively.

Kael shrugged. He didn’t press.

They ate in comfortable silence. When the fire dimmed—crackle... crackle—Rue scooted closer. She pressed against his side, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Goodnight, Kael," she murmured.

"Goodnight."

Within minutes, her breathing slowed. Hhhh... hhhh... Asleep. Her tails tightened around him—squeeze—holding him in place possessively.