NOVPUBKael’s stance shifted, his muscles coiling, ready. His eyes locked onto Jagger, unblinking. Laura, standing at his side, clenched her fists. "What do you want?" she demanded, her voice sharp as a blade.
Jagger tilted his head slightly as if considering whether to answer. Then, with a faint chuckle, he spoke. "Moonstone."
Laura’s lips parted, ready to fire back, but before she could, Kael took a step forward, cutting her off. "No." His voice was quiet but firm. "That’s not your real reason for coming. Your real target was never me."
Jagger’s smile widened, a glint of amusement flashing in his aged eyes. "What do you think then?"
Kael replied calmly. "You want to take me to your headquarters. Not for the Moonstone. Not for some meaningless trade." His gaze never left Jagger’s. "You want leverage over my sister, who is currently imprisoned by you guys."
A flicker of surprise flashed across Shiera’s face. She turned sharply, looking at Kael. "Mia?"
Jagger chuckled, a slow, deliberate sound. "Ah… so that Angel paid you a visit."
Kael said nothing.
Jagger sighed, shaking his head. "Gabriel tried to breach our headquarters. Thought he could storm in, sword in hand, and free dear little Mia." His voice carried a mocking lilt as if amused by the very idea. "He failed. Overestimated his own strength. Underestimated ours."
Kael’s jaw tightened, his fingers twitching at his sides. He had the urge to catch his throat and crush it right away, but he knew when was not the correct time.
Jagger then clasped his hands together and continued, tone lighthearted, almost casual. "So, let’s make this simple and not make any roundabout on the matter. You have two choices." He lifted the index finger.
"One—you come with me. Peacefully. Help us convince your sister to release the Monarch of Darkness from his seal." He gave a small shrug as if discussing a minor inconvenience. "Do that, and you both go free. No harm done."
Then, his second finger rose. "Or two—you refuse." His smile thinned, and he added, his gaze flickering over the others, one after another. "I kill everyone but you, here, and take you as my prisoner. In both methods, you will come with me. So, whether you want to come voluntarily or come in pain, I’ll leave it up to you, Moonstone."
For a moment, the entire campsite became silent. No one spoke.
Kael held his ground, his thoughts moving fast. This man—Jagger—wasn’t strong enough to defeat him if he intended to run away. But what about others? There’s Laura and Shiera—his wives who couldn’t escape, and then there’s Nadia, his grandmother, who might be safe as she is immortal as long as her heart is in that wooden chest of hers. However, he still cannot put her in danger.
Even after the fight, what does he get? First of all, his secret will be revealed to his wives. Secondly, he still wouldn’t be able to know where Mia is. As for capturing this fellow, it is impossible. He could kill him if he goes all out, working together with the energy clone and using the sword of Zurin, but he cannot capture a Supreme Being like Jagger.
Well, there was that mysterious artifact that could suppress everyone’s mana in the surroundings, but he didn’t know whether it would work on this person or not. When Brianna used it against him, it didn’t work; it only worked against Laura. That’s because he had greater reserves than Brianna. Likewise, even if he assumes that the artifact will work, this old man still has greater reserves than him. So, he wouldn’t count on it too much.
With Mia’s life at stake here, too, Kael knew that he had no choice but to cooperate. Or atleast act like it until he gets her location.
In the end, Kael spoke firmly. "I’ll go with you. Show mercy on my companions."
Jagger smiled. "You made a quick but wise decision."
"No…" Laura’s hand then swiftly shot out, grabbing his wrist in a vice-like grip. She looked afraid and filled with panic. "You’re not going anywhere."
Her body moved before her mind could even process what she was doing. She turned to Jagger, her emerald eyes burning with desperation. "Take me instead. Mia was a close friend of mine. She will listen to my words."
Kael, however, gently moved away her hand and smiled. "For once in your life, trust me when I say I will be fine."
As Laura paused in surprise, staring at her husband, Kael shifted his gaze to the old man and said. "Let’s go."
Meanwhile, Shiera, who had been watching in silence, felt a strange feeling in her heart.
Kael—the reckless, foolish, weak man she had always dismissed—stood firm, his golden eyes unwavering even before a Supreme Being. He wasn’t groveling.
He wasn’t begging. He wasn’t pleading for another way. He was just… accepting it. Most importantly, she didn’t feel like he was giving up. She felt determination.
Meanwhile, Jagger, watching the scene with mild amusement, hummed. "Oh? You’re rather cooperative."
Kael turned to him. "If you must take me, then at least do so without hurting them. Since I don’t think they would be as cooperative as me, I ask you to knock them out. Gently."
Laura’s grip tightened again. "Kael, don’t—"
Jagger exhaled through his nose, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "With pleasure."
It wasn’t an explosion. It wasn’t even a strike. There was no sound, no flash of energy—just an invisible force, impossibly fast, impossibly precise.
Laura’s body tensed—her eyes widened— Then everything went black. One by one, they collapsed. Shiera barely had time to process what was happening before her vision blurred, her knees giving out beneath her. "Ugh…"
Leiza, mid-step, dropped without a sound. Even Nadia, from inside her tent, slumped against the fabric, unconscious before she could even react.
And just like that, Kael was the only one left standing.
He then shut his eyes, concentrating on his tattoo. In an instant, he summoned the spectral wolf.
"Oh! That’s a top-grade beast companion…" Jagger couldn’t help but comment as he stared at the spectral wolf, growling at him. His eyes gleamed in curiosity. "Where did you find such a treasure, Moonstone?"
Kael shrugged, giving him a cold stare. "It’s not your business. Let’s go." Stepping forward, he glanced at the wolf, sending a telepathic message to the beast. "Nyx, you will stay here and protect them. We will stay connected all the time. Maybe we won’t be able to communicate, but as long as we stay connected, assure Laura and others that I’m alive for sure."
The spectral wolf let out a whimper as if it didn’t want its master to leave it like that. But in the end, it stood in its spot, watching Kael walk into the portal with the old man.
As soon as Kael walked out of the portal, he felt the soft echo as his boots landed on the polished stone floor.
The air here was thick, not with dust or decay, but with mana. It was quite rich.
The prayer hall stretched wide before him, its towering stone columns reaching into the darkened heights of the vaulted ceiling. Flickering torches lined the walls, their glow casting jagged shadows across the intricate carvings of old gods and forgotten histories. At the far end, an enormous idol loomed over the hall—a humanoid figure with the head of a wolf, or perhaps a jackal, its hollow eyes staring blankly ahead.
Before the idol, a lone figure knelt in prayer.
The man was small in stature, his form slightly hunched beneath the weight of his deep purple and gold robes.
Jagger, still beside Kael, took a step forward and spoke, his voice reverent yet edged with familiarity. "Supreme Pontiff."
The kneeling man stirred. Slowly, he rose to his feet and turned.
Kael met his gaze and felt something cold crawl up his spine. The Supreme Pontiff’s eyes—dark, ancient, endless—locked onto him, piercing straight through skin and bone, peeling away pretense, burrowing deep into his very being.
It was a deep penetration as if the latter were gazing at his soul. Kael had felt this sensation only a couple of times before. Both times, only one thing in common. The other party was a demigod.
And now, he felt it again. "The mana reserves I can sense from him is off the charts. Far higher than Jagger. This is a powerful one." Kael’s fingers twitched at his side. He didn’t let his body tense, didn’t let his breath hitch, but his mind whirred with calculations. If it came to a fight, could he win?
His instincts whispered a truth he already knew. He was sure that even if he wielded the Sword of Zurin to its very limits and worked alongside the energy clone, he still had a minute chance of staying alive.
The Supreme Pontiff’s lips curled ever so slightly—not a smile, not quite—just the barest flicker of acknowledgment. "Interesting," he murmured. His voice was calm, yet it carried across the vast hall as if spoken directly into Kael’s ear.
Kael held his ground, keeping his expression neutral. "I assume you already know who I am."
The Supreme Pontiff’s gaze didn’t waver. "Indeed." His fingers traced the golden embroidery on his sleeves as if in thought. "The son of the Late Moonstone Saintess. You didn’t look like Cynthia at all. Well, at one glance. But when I see you closely, I can see that your eyes resemble her."
Kael’s jaw tightened slightly. Earlier, this old man with the alias Jagger also talked about his mother. Both of these fellows talk about his mother as if they met her before.
The Supreme Pontiff then took a slow step forward to take a closer look at Kael, leaning his face toward his body. Kael stiffened up for a second.
The priest’s expression remained unreadable, but there was something almost… amused in the way he observed him. "Hmm… no wonder my Rank-2 Clown failed," he mused, voice quiet yet laced with curiosity. "Even the King Clown returned in failure."
Kael remained silent, his golden eyes unwavering. Jagger wondered what it meant.
The Supreme Pontiff studied him for a moment longer, then tilted his head slightly. "Tier-9, is it? A recent breakthrough… That’s quite a coincidence with the fact that Assassin K was originally at peak Tier 8, but our King Clown mentioned that he is at Tier 9…" He let out a small chuckle. "Based on the coincidences, I wonder… are you perhaps, K?"
Jagger stiffened beside Kael.
His expression flickered with shock as his eyes darted toward Kael. He didn’t know?
The Priest then chucked, continuing. "So, you sleep with the Queen’s daughters during the day and then oppose her during the night? Cynthia must be proud to have such a son."
