No sign of Dorian or even Rakha.
Kai waited near the crocodile-infested water, listening to the deep roaring from them like it was white noise. He gave them a day, and when there was no sign of those two, he could only assume the worst.
"Dorian…" He stared at the Blue Void hovering above like a silent sentinel.
A thought came to his mind.
Had he shown no mercy and confronted Abigail about her betrayal, using her to deal a blow to Team Coeus, perhaps things wouldn't end this way. Or maybe had he ignored Abigail and let her be killed, things would've gone smoother.
It was his idea to bring her in, not Dorian.
And it worked in their favor for a while since she's a healer, but he should've heeded Dorian's suspicion and acted more. "No, I did the right thing. I gave her the chance until the very end," Kai leaned his head against the tree. "Bella always said to be kind first. If the other person betrayed my kindness, then I can be bad."
A dangerous flicker sparkled inside Kai's eyes.
One that showed no sign of the usual softness.
"Now that she had betrayed me, there will be no more chances," Kai stood up.
He inhaled deeply and walked away.
Inside his mind, the picture of what Team Coeus did to the fallen students was displayed as clear as the day. He also recalled what Dorian said to him, that Team Coeus doesn't deserve to be spared from merciless actions.
Anything humane is reserved for humans, not animals.
And in honor of Dorian, that's exactly what he's going to do.
Kai settled in a new spot far away from the battlefield and spent the entirety of the next day absorbing as many mana ores as he possibly could. He used the mana from them to continue developing the Intima layer of his blood vessels.
Despite what happened, his plan hadn't changed.
Just that he was now all alone to execute it.
Intercepting the crate didn't go as planned, but he still got something out of it.
And now that he was alone, the entire sixty-one mana ores are his to absorb.
Once again, he was overwhelmed by the same scorching sensation spreading across his body, starting from his heart. His constitution wasted no mana, and the rate of absorption would be classified as terrifying.
In under half an hour, he had already absorbed more than ten.
His body was akin to a dehydrated person in a desert, and the mana was the refreshing oasis.
It greedily absorbed everything without stopping.
Normally, Supernals would need to take a few rests to settle the mana they absorbed—but it doesn't seem to be the case for Kai. It feels like, as long as he has the chance, he could devour all the mana ores in Ixos without needing a break.
And eventually, the snap happened.
Swoosh—!
Mana seeped out of Kai's skin and exploded in a pulsating breeze.
It gently splashed across the area, scaring the birds singing above.
Kai looked at his hand and clenched it a few times, properly feeling the increase in strength.
He's now at the rank of a Grade 1 Awakened or the Early Awakened rank.
According to Professor Hera's notes, the trait of a Grade 1 Awakened Supernal is their abnormal regeneration, allowing them to properly enter the realm of superhuman. A shallow cut caused by mana will only need a few seconds to heal.
Only grievous damage would be able to overpower the regeneration.
Normal sickness would also no longer affect Grade 1 Awakened Supernals. Common cold, migraine, food poisoning, or even allergies are no longer a problem. Minor infections would also be negated in most cases, which was extremely useful.
Reaching this rank is important for Kai as he can now take on more risky attempts.
But he still has more mana ores to go, so why stop here?
Somewhere along the way, the toll of tempering his body so much is starting to catch up. It felt like a heartburn—and he was now down to his last ten Mana Ores. "I can feel it. Just a little bit more, and I might reach Grade 2."
Kai bit his lower lip.
He decided to risk it, "Here goes nothing."
Clutching another mana core in his hand, he siphoned the mana and tempered his blood vessel again.
At the third mana ore, a painful frown marred his face.
At the fifth, blood leaked out of his mouth.
And at the ninth, his face was already pale from pure bodily and mental exhaustion.
Moreover, he might also be suffering from internal bleeding.
But since he already made the decision to go through this, he endured the pain and kept going.
Inside, he could vaguely feel his blood vessels contracting and easing like a muscle that was being exercised. The tempering of the Media is already nearing completion. All that was left were those near his heart.
Right at the last mana ore, his eyes shot open, revealing two obsidian spheres.
Swoosh—!
Another surge of mana exploded from his body.
But this time, the aftershock was stronger, flattening the bushes around him.
Even the animals that were further away from him sensed the change in the air—the heat that was coming from him, and immediately ran away, with their tails tucked. Kai's senses were overwhelmed for a good moment until the rampaging mana inside him calmed down.
Once his consciousness returned, the change was felt immediately.
Unlike the Intima, tempering the Media has a more straightforward effect.
It allowed the Supernal to control their mana better, allowing for quicker imprint casting or even basic physical empowering. But what Kai needed the most was the physical boost. He's now far stronger than he was earlier.
Normally, the physical boost heavily depended on the Patron God.
Ares would give more strength to his Supernals, while Poseidon would give durability.
But right now, Kai felt his increase was spread evenly.
And he couldn't resist opening his status window.
…
[Status]
Name: Kai #####
Rank: Grade 2 Awakened
Bloodline: First Son of the Primordial Night
Primordial Lock: 1
Legacy Skill: Deep Slumber
Legacy Imprint(s): Nigh-Phantom, Dark Discharge
Ending: Perfect Slash, Stone (Incomplete)
Path: God of Doom — Perion the Golem Ending
Ending Fragment: Stone (20 / 20 Exp)
Useable Exp: 6.7
Quest: Explore the House of Night
…
[Physical Stats]
Strength: 19
Speed: 19
Dexterity: 37
Constitution: 31
Mana: 90
…
"Other than my strength and speed, all my other physical stats are more than thirty now." Kai stared at the screen and naturally rested his attention on his mana section. "And though it's higher from the start, my mana rose sharply by seventy points."
Just this spread alone made it clear that mana is his Patron God's forte.
But he couldn't help but wonder how this compared to the other high-rating Patron God.
Zeus, for instance, also specializes in mana, so he was curious.
"Also, with the Ending of Stone, I think my strength and constitution are even higher than that," Kai thought aloud, recalling how, even though his physical stats remained the same, Perfect Slash allowed him to cut through trees.
So, in hindsight, the Ending of Stone also has the same effect.
His physical stats are beyond what the status window showed.
It's the same thing as a blade.
An untrained person couldn't slash through stacks of bamboo—but an expert could with the exact same sword.
"Okay, this is good enough," Kai nodded and stood up.
It's time for him to make his moves.
Kai made his move.
His body was now lighter and faster. And with his mana reserve doubling, there was no need for him to keep a mental note on watching how long he uses the Nigh-phantom, saving some mana in case he got into a fight.
But his breakthrough wasn't the only reason for this ease in his body.
Now that he knew what he needed to do and had accepted it, everything became easier.
No more weight. No more worry. He was free of the burden weighing down his mind. It felt like a portal had opened inside him. Not to another world, but to a place that existed only to hold him up.
Mind. Soul. Everything.
For the first time, he no longer needed to hold back.
To hell with other people. It's freeing in a way to know so definitively what needs to be done. To know what he has to do to survive. His feet were moving flawlessly. His mind focused. It's a miracle how impactful determination and acceptance can be to a person.
And later that night, another confirmation came to greet him.
Kai heard a collective shouting from a few people. He hid well and watched as a group of four students wearing dirty gold armbands walked around and made as much noise as they possibly could.
One student at the center was holding up two wooden stakes.
And impaled on each tip was the head of a student.
Kai's heart dropped to his stomach, and he unconsciously held his breath.
Fortunately, it was not Dorian, but it was someone he knew.
Rakha.
That bastard who was tough to kill fell, and his head is now a trophy boasted by Team Coeus. Despite their differences, Kai felt a pang to see him in this state.
Kai knew they wanted to lure him, but it didn't matter.
What Team Coeus did only made him even more certain.
Death to all of them.
He'd certainly avenge those who fall.
The night whispered to Kai through the whistling wind. A secret language that he somehow could understand. He knew what the night wanted, and he decided to follow it. And soon, he found the chance he needed.
An opportunity provided by the night.
"Let's return the favor…" Kai smirked as his presence disappeared into the darkness.
…
"Watch each other's back," Wolf said, warning the students he was commanding, along with Matilda right beside him. "Many of us have already died, and we can't lose more. If you feel endangered, return to me and report."
Hearing this, the students nodded and spread around in pairs.
"I'll join them with her," Matilda gestured towards Abigail.
But Wolf stopped them.
"No," He shook his head, eyeing Abigail up and down like she was a snack. Then, a grin crept to his face. "She'll be coming with me. It's going to be a long night, and I might need… some pleasant company."
"You're not Lion," Matilda met his eyes unwaveringly. "And I already claimed her."
"I still don't believe that you killed that Lesser Angel," Wolf turned to head inside a tent they had already set up behind him. "Just know that after we found the Awakened Monster, I'll be searching for his corpse. And if I don't find him… You're dead."
Matilda turned and walked away, "Let's go."
"Y-Yes…" Abigail nodded and chased after her.