NOVPUB
Chapter 31 - The Reason For The Fall
Kael came from the sky and landed on the ground on one knee. He gasped for air, sweat dripping from his forehead like a stream of a river.
"Damnation! Dragon Breath is cool and all, but it fucking hurts," he muttered, rubbing his throat while cursing. It felt like he had sucked all the air out of his lungs, leaving them dry and burning.
It also took a toll on his throat, since that was the area where the mana truly gathered before transforming into the majestic Dragon Breath.
[You are weak, Master.]
"I know. You don't need to remind me of that," Kael grumbled, standing up while still rubbing his throat. "I'll go full hunting mode after this."
[Actually, you might rank up after killing this guy.]
Kael stopped in his tracks and asked in confusion, "How come?"
[You have the 3x increment perk, which gives you three times the normal Soul Power, allowing you to rank up quickly. You would've probably ranked up earlier if you weren't a Legendary Dragon.]
Only then Kael remembered the perk he had gotten after evolving into the Legendary Dragon. There were so many things he received that he had forgotten something so important.
A smile formed on his face as he looked at the bloodied Stephen. But he suppressed the temptation to kill him just yet, he still needed answers from him, after all.
Kael went down the crater and dragged him out mercilessly. Stephen was at D-Rank, so he had enough vitality that this wouldn't kill him so easily.
He continued dragging him through the destroyed forest back toward the valley, while noticing how dim the surroundings had become after dusk.
Soon, he reached the valley and found Kiona resting against Seth's belly. Though her complexion had improved, she was no longer in a weakened state, at least.
He also noticed the five corpses lined before her. Four of them were Fanged Lions, finished off by the twin lions, and one was the charred, half-mangled corpse of Steve.
Ignoring them, he shouted, "Yo, look who I got here?"
Kiona jumped to her feet upon hearing his voice and looked at him. Seeing Stephen in his sorry state, a satisfied glint passed through her eyes as she nodded lightly at him.
'She's trying to act reserved to cover up her emotions, huh?' Kael noticed but didn't point it out.
He threw Stephen against the cliffside, making him cough up blood and groan in pain. It was enough to confirm that he was alive and that was all Kael wanted.
He took a seat on a rock and said, "I know it may sound like I'm trying to make false promises, but I'm saying this in the name of Goddess Dawnfire."
Stephen stirred awake and raised his head, hope rising in his mind. "W-What?"
"I'll release you if you answer all of my questions and tell everything truthfully without hiding anything," Kael smiled gently and pointed behind him. "And I promise they also won't kill you. I swear it in the name of Goddess Dawnfire."
Kiona's body trembled slightly at his words, as she turned to look at him in confusion. She had a lot on her mind, but she stayed silent.
It wasn't her place to talk, after all.
On the other hand, Stephen couldn't contain his excitement despite his terrible injuries. The moment that terrifying attack had struck him, he had already considered himself dead but it seemed the Goddess truly hadn't abandoned him.
"May the Goddess bless your benevolent heart," Stephen tried to draw the symbol of Goddess Dawnfire on his chest, but his hand was too injured, so he could only pray through words.
Then, he sighed and said, "We are fellow humans and also fellow believers of Goddess Dawnfire so I trust you on that, brother..."
Kael just smiled at his words and said, "Kael. The name's Kael. I just have a few questions I need answered before I release you, so please cooperate."
Stephen made himself as comfortable as possible against the rocky wall, clutching his belly, and nodded. "I will try my best."
"Good, then please explain how you managed to do everything so far?" Kael asked, genuinely curious about how Stephen had planned it all. "Tell me everything about your plans."
Stephen inhaled the cold air and began explaining the events he had orchestrated to reach his goal. They weren't all that different from what Kael had guessed.
At the end of his explanation, Kael clapped and said, "Respect, brother. You've got a good head on your shoulders. I'm impressed."
"Haha! Thanks," Stephen chuckled lightly, which made him cough up blood once more. He noticed Kael standing up to help, but shook his head in denial.
He didn't want that man anywhere near him.
"All right, next question, why were you so hellbent on catching her?" Kael asked.
Stephen hesitated before finally speaking, "Because of her Epic-Stage Fire Affinity."
While Kael just raised an eyebrow, the lion family was shocked to the core. They couldn't believe that the very thing that brought glory to their pride became the reason for their downfall.
Although the pride hadn't been certain of the exact stage of her affinity, they had always known it was unusually high. Her mere presence had drawn the attention of surrounding prides, many of whom had begun reaching out with friendly intent.
Everyone knew that Kiona would grow up to become a powerhouse unlike anything seen before in their circle of prides. It was also the reason the Alpha had chosen her as the next Alpha, despite her being a woman.
It had been an unprecedented achievement for them. They believed they could finally achieve the greatness their ancestors had once known while serving the Beast God.
But the blessing had turned into a curse. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Kiona couldn't hold back any longer, and her legs gave out beneath her. Before she could hit the ground, Kael caught her gently.
"I'm here," he said softly.
His strong arms provided the warmth she needed, and his smile created a serene atmosphere in her heart. It calmed and relaxed her.
She bit her lip and lightly bobbed her head up and down.
Kael helped her sit beside him and slowly stroked her red hair, thinking to himself, 'Well, that was within expectations. Even if you don't want to antagonize the world, just your presence will do that for you.'
