A pact. One year.Edwin Valmar walked away with a steady step, eyes filled with unshakable certainty. In exactly one year, he swore, Kael Draven would lie defeated — and dead.Kael Draven’s potential was unlike anything Edwin Valmar had faced before. The kid’s talent was frightening, unmatched. But could he really break through the Evolution Realm in a year? Could he possibly reach Edwin Valmar’s level in such a short time?Edwin Valmar wouldn’t believe it for a second.Malcolm Draven and Sebastian Vance exchanged glances as they watched him leave. Something about the pact unsettled them. Everything had been arranged — so why bind oneself to a challenge so bold, so one-sided?Did Kael Draven truly believe he could pull this off?Even these seasoned warriors found it hard to swallow. Sebastian Vance exhaled slowly. “Brother Draven… why make life harder than it needs to be?”Kael Draven bowed slightly. “Thanks to Your Highness, Crown Prince Sebastian, and Senior Malcolm Draven for your

On the Hundred Battles Ranking, even a single step up or down could mean a huge gap in strength.Kael Draven was confident he could take down Damien Draven. But the One-Armed Blade King? That was another story. The difference between seventy-seventh and seventy-eighth place wasn’t just a number—it was a dangerous chasm in skill. Enough to keep anyone wary.And then there it was. The Purple-Winged Blood Golden Lion. Crimson fur, wings the color of deep amethyst, muscles rippling under a body over two meters long. It radiated raw, untamed power. And yet, facing such a beast, the One-Armed Blade King didn’t flinch. Every swing of his massive blade hit with precision, relentless, unstoppable.Kael Draven’s eyes narrowed. He could feel the momentum radiating from the Blade King’s strikes. This wasn’t just a skill—it was an obsession. A battle maniac’s aura that could crush any first-tier Eryndor warrior.Momentum. The kind of force that evolved warriors alone could wield.Well… mostly. Now

Something inside Kael Draven shifted again—small, quiet, but irreversible.This world chewed people up and spat them out. Backstabbing and schemes were as common as cobblestones. Sure, raw power mattered. But being able to bend, adapt, and survive mattered just as much. That thought carved a new, colder edge into him. He felt it settle—ruthless and steady—behind his calm eyes.Kael Ardon watched him with a slow, almost approving smile. “I heard about what you did,” he said flatly. “You’re unusual. Tell me—ten years ago, why couldn’t your inner energy run on its own?”Kael Draven shrugged. “I don’t know.”Kael Ardon considered him for a beat. “Weird. Still, I respect the sticking-to-it. Not everyone would have kept going.”Kael Draven only smiled and said nothing more.Starcloud City lay under a bruised sky. Five great powers balanced the city on a precarious scale: the Starcloud royal family, the Fifth-Rank Draven clan, the Sterling clan, the Hawthorne clan, and the Duskbane clan. Out

Kael Draven understood Sebastian Vance perfectly.In ten days, it would all come down to life or death.Because of that looming duel, he didn’t leave Starcloud City. Instead, he found a modest inn and settled in, keeping a low profile. Somewhere quiet, somewhere he could focus.“Master, the Purple-Winged Blood Golden Lion has been fully refined. Soon, I’ll slowly transfer its power into your body,” his companion said.Kael Draven nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. With Eldric and the blood pool inside the Dragon Seal Space, the essence of any spirit beast could be transformed into pure, untarnished power.This power would strengthen him steadily. But he knew the risk. Absorb it all at once, and even a single misstep could blow him apart.He didn’t dwell on cultivation for now. Breaking through to a higher level in such a short time? Nearly impossible.Instead, he focused on alchemy. With the beast pill in hand and all the ingredients for a Rejuvenation Pill ready, he rented th

“Kael Draven, don’t think I’m bullying you. If you have a spirit beast, now’s the time to summon it.”Shameless. Cowardly. The moment Vaughn Sterling spoke, the crowd’s disdain was palpable. Everyone knew he had a spirit beast companion. In the Innate Realm, he was nearly untouchable.But that was reality.“Too much talking,” Kael Draven replied, cool and steady, his gaze unwavering.“Kael Draven, your arrogance will be your downfall. Ten moves—that’s all it’ll take for me to show you how far behind you really are.”Before Vaughn Sterling could finish, Kael Draven moved. In a single arrow-like step, he lunged forward. The Profound Heaven Finger shot out of his hand, slicing through the air like a streak of lightning before his body even arrived.Vaughn Sterling didn’t flinch. Barehanded, he moved in perfect sync with the Wind Demon Wolf. The wolf was a blur, moving so fast the eye could barely catch it, leaving only afterimages as it circled Kael Draven from behind. Together, they stru