Chapter 139: Rank 7
The wind blew strongly, spreading like an invisible song that traveled across the horizon. Its murmur mingled with the deep sound of the water, which resonated in the ears.
High above, several birds soared through the sky, their wings spread wide, carried by the currents, drawing ephemeral figures against the infinite blue. Every turn, every glide, seemed part of a natural and perfect choreography.
Further down, on the surface of the river, the blood dolphins emerged in majestic leaps. Their shiny bodies arched in the air, forming splendid arcs that captured the light, as if they were embroidering red flashes on the red canvas of the river. Each leap was a moment of pure beauty, a free and harmonious dance that united sky and water in a single movement.
A ship with two tall masts advanced steadily across the waters. Its triangular sails, taut under the force of the wind, looked like spread wings propelling it proudly forward. The dark, sturdy hull withstood the incessant rocking, rising and falling to the rhythm of the raging waves of the River of Blood.
On either side, two figures contemplated the landscape. One was a young man with an ordinary face, black eyes, and a mask of coins covering his mouth. His dark hair fell over a black and white yukata with a floral pattern around the edges. Next to him stood another young man of supernatural beauty, with gem-like blue eyes and silvery hair that absorbed the light, wearing a white yukata with floral prints.
They were Kael Medici and Michel Abraham.
About a week had passed since they escaped from Mount Dubhu and claimed the inheritance of the Lord of the Stars. Time had passed calmly, like the lull before a storm. Now, he found himself on the deck of a merchant ship sailing the deep waters, heading toward the Holy Empire.
Why the Holy Empire?
The answer was simple, but the implications were immense. Kael had several unfinished business in the cradle of this world’s religion. Above all, because there was a unique object there, one that, according to his memories, would allow him to ascend to the Seventh Heaven and gain access to the mythical River of Time.
The River of Time... An existence shrouded in myths and disputes. It had never been confirmed by actual evidence. Over the centuries, countless scholars, families, and sects debated its authenticity, and although no one had proven its existence, they had also been unable to completely deny its trace. Many agreed that, if it truly existed, the entrance must be found in the Seventh Heaven, known in ancient times as the Gate of Life and Death.
Countless theories circulated around that mystery. None managed to shed light on it. And yet, in Kael’s heart beat a certainty: his rebirth was intimately linked to that enigma. Every fragment of memory, every vision of his past life, whispered to him that the River of Time was not an illusion.
Therefore, he did not hesitate to set off for the Holy Empire. He had nothing to lose by trying, and what he could gain was incalculable. To claim the Gate of Life and Death.
Furthermore, his memories gave him a clarity that no one else possessed. Deep within his memory, the words of his past life echoed: that inheritance was not a simple treasure, but a legacy left by the True Creator.
Kael closed his eyes. The ship moved slowly, rocked by the waves, but in his mind the future unfolded with precision. The Holy Empire would not be his final destination. It was merely the first step on the path that would lead him to challenge life and death.
Pushing his thoughts aside, Kael headed toward the room. His mind was focused on a single goal: today he felt he could finally reach rank 7. That step was not simply a promotion; it represented a qualitative change, both in his body and in the essence of his mana. It was the boundary between the ordinary and the extraordinary.
"Where are you going?" Michel asked, noticing Kael walking away with a firm step.
"To my room," Kael replied, without turning around or stopping. His voice was brief and curt, and he immediately continued walking.
Silence returned to the hallway. Each step echoed with a calmness, as if nothing else existed but the door that stood before him.
Just as he was about to enter the room, the door opened from the inside. The wood creaked softly, and before Kael could take the next step, a woman stepped out first.
She was beautiful.
She had jet-black, silky hair that fell over her shoulders, enhancing her beauty. Her eyebrows were thin, her eyes red like a red eclipse. Her skin was white as snow, and her lips were pink and tender. She wore no makeup. She wore black clothes and had a fresh and simple aura.
As for her appearance, she could be described as a unique beauty.
Kael paused, watching silently. His thoughts, focused on rank 7, did not dissipate, but he recognized the woman in front of him as Audrey Augustus, the third princess of the kingdom of Aragon.
Kael stopped looking at the beautiful woman. He didn’t pause for a moment, and only gave her a slight bow before continuing on his way with the calmness of someone who didn’t need to explain anything.
Princess Audrey Augustus watched him leave; her brow furrowed slightly, like a slight crack in her impeccable demeanor. That man wore a mask of money, and yet the gesture had been too natural, too confident. It did not seem like the behavior of just any stranger.
Did he recognize me? The thought crossed her mind. It’s most likely... I must meet with him as soon as possible.
She was convinced that he had recognized her, but that seemed inconceivable. Her identity was a secret; only two people knew she was a princess, and that knowledge had been obtained recently. For a stranger to look at her and reveal that certainty in his attitude... that could only mean that he was no ordinary man.
Her expression changed. The delicate beauty of her face hardened in an instant, like a statue covered in a layer of frost. Her lips curved slightly downward, and a cruel, icy, piercing gleam appeared in her red eyes.
Princess Audrey Augustus no longer looked like a dazzling woman. Her beauty remained intact, but it was now tinged with a dangerous aura. Beneath that facade, she was not a delicate flower, but a royal snake, patient and venomous, waiting for the right moment to strike.
In the silence of her mind, one conclusion grew stronger: this man must be investigated, tested, and, if necessary, eliminated.
...
Standing in the room, with the constant murmur of the river filling his ears, Kael couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t a warm or sincere smile, but a slight curve that held anticipation.
He hadn’t expected to meet that woman so soon, and yet fate had decided to bring them face to face.
This encounter was definitely unexpected. For Kael, it was almost ironic: he would never have imagined that he would travel alongside the very woman who, in the future, would become the Blood Queen, a name that alone would be enough to freeze the hearts of her enemies.
In his memory, that woman was more than just a title: she was a presence who ruled with an iron fist and unparalleled cruelty. The mere mention of her name was enough to strike terror into anyone who dared to oppose her.
She was not simply a beautiful woman. There was something deeper in her presence: an aura of cruelty. Deep within her demeanor, Kael sensed the same temperament that ran through his veins: unshakable calm, ambition, and a will that brooked no weakness.
A reflection. A dangerous resemblance.
Kael closed his eyes for a moment, as if enjoying the irony of the moment. Before him was not a delicate flower, but a force destined to stain history with blood.
The river continued its course, indifferent, while two beings of the same dark nature coincided on the same boat.
...
Moments later, Kael was sitting in the lotus position with a bag full of mana stones beside him.
The time had finally come to reach rank 7.
With a serious expression, he brought his consciousness to his core, where his sea of mana was practically steel red in color, but there were also many greenish bronze parts, characteristic of rank 8.
With a single thought, he began to refine his mana essence, which began to form large whirlpools, while the level of the mana sea began to decrease greatly over time.
Not long after, the mana sea was about to dry up completely.
Kael, without opening his eyes, raised a hand and took a mana stone. He absorbed it without hesitation.
One... Two... Five... Ten... Twenty.
With each one, the sea stabilized a little more and the level returned to its limit: 100%.
But it didn’t stop.
As soon as it stabilized, it began refining its mana essence again. This time with greater intensity, with greater demand. The entire sea began to burn in a silent collapse. Its entire core vibrated.
And then, finally...
Crack!
A sharp sound echoed in his mind. It didn’t come from outside, but from deep within himself.
The greenish-copper veins cracked and dissolved, as if they had never been there. In their place, the entire sea of manna took on a uniform, metallic, red-steel sheen.
Kael slowly opened his eyes. There was no emotion in his pupils.
He had reached rank 7.