The hypersonic jet sliced through the stratosphere, leaving the turbulent clouds far below. Inside the cabin, the silence was absolute, broken only by the low hum of the mana engines.
Kael sat in the center of the plush leather aisle, his eyes closed. He wasn't sleeping. He was feeling.
The [Void Shard] was active, the black metal of the gauntlet rippling like oil on water. It was hungry. It had tasted A-Rank mana when it shattered Victor's sword, and now it demanded more. It was a parasite attached to his soul, feeding on his own energy reserves in exchange for power.
"System," Kael thought. "Analyze synergy between [Void Shard] and [Gravity Manipulation]."
SYSTEM ANALYSIS
Analyzing...
Ability 1: [Gravity Manipulation] (Grade A).Nature: Bending of space-time curvature.
Ability 2: [Void Shard] (Tier-1 Weapon).Nature: Consumption and spatial distortion.
Synergy Detected: HIGH.
Theoretical Technique: [Singularity Slash].
Description: Compressing gravity into a microscopic point on the blade's edge, then releasing it via the Void's consumption property.
Result: An attack that bypasses physical durability by erasing the space the target occupies.
Mana Cost: Extreme.
Kael opened his eyes. He looked at his right hand. He flexed his fingers. The gauntlet creaked.
"Show me."
A holographic projection appeared in his mind—a simulation of a target dummy. Kael visualized the movement. He imagined pulling gravity into the tip of the blade, creating a point of infinite density, and then thrusting.
The simulation showed the dummy imploding.
"Expensive," he muttered. "But lethal."
He stood up. He needed to test the weight of the weapon in motion.
He moved to the open space at the back of the cabin. He began to move through the forms of the [Infinite Blade Arts]. It was a dance of death—fluid, sharp, and utterly silent.
With every swing, the air distorted. The [Void Shard] didn't just cut the air; it swallowed the light around it, leaving trails of darkness in its wake.
Slash. Pivot. Thrust.
His new arm—the one regenerated from Morgan's essence—responded perfectly. Perhaps even better than the original. The nerves were sensitive, the muscle fibers dense.
"You move like a ghost, Master."
Kael stopped. He turned.
Morgan was watching him from her seat. She had changed out of the torn clothes from the previous night. She now wore a sharp, business-casual outfit—dark slacks and a white silk blouse. The bruise on her neck was concealed by a silk scarf, but the collar beneath it was still active, pulsing with a dull violet light.
He dismissed the gauntlet. It flowed like liquid shadow back into the bracelet form. "How long until we arrive?"
"Two hours," Morgan replied, checking her tablet. "We are currently over the Midwest Dead Zone. The sensors are picking up large mana signatures below—likely a herd of Land-Leviathans migrating."
Kael walked over to the window. He looked down. The earth below was a patchwork of green forests and grey ruins. From this height, the apocalypse looked peaceful.
"And Neo-Veridia?"
"The city is on high alert," Morgan said. "The Royal Announcement from the Hart family has caused ripples across the continent. The Guilds are mobilizing. Security has been tripled at all major hubs."
Kael's eyes narrowed. The Royal Announcement. Sarae Hart.
"How is Sarae connected to Neo-Veridia?"
"The Hart family holds significant influence there," Morgan explained. "They own shares in the major tech-Guilds. If Sarae is making a move, it will likely involve the West Coast factions."
"Then we need to be careful," Kael said. "I'm not ready to face him yet. But I will be."
He sat back down. The movement had stirred the blood in his veins.
SYSTEM ALERT
Warning: Bloodlust Timer.
Time Remaining: 36 hours.
Current Status: Agitated.
Host's heart rate is elevated. The Dhampir instincts are reacting to the high altitude mana density.
A sharp pang of hunger shot through Kael's stomach. It wasn't a hunger for food. It was a deep, hollow ache in his teeth and his throat. The [Dhampir Evolution] was demanding its tax.
He looked at Morgan.
He could hear her heartbeat. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. It was a rhythmic, intoxicating drum. He could see the pulse in her neck, throbbing beneath the skin.
"You're staring," Morgan said softly. She didn't look up from her tablet, but he could see the flush rising on her cheeks.
"Come here," Kael ordered.
Morgan set the tablet down immediately. She unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up, walking over to him. She stopped in front of his chair, her head slightly bowed.
"Yes, Master?"
Kael reached out and pulled the scarf away from her neck. The bruise from his hand was fading, but the bite marks from the previous night were still visible. The slave collar glowed softly.
"The thirst," Kael said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "It's getting harder to control."
Morgan's breath hitched. She reached up and undid the top button of her blouse, exposing her collarbone and the smooth column of her throat.
"I am yours to drink, Master," she whispered. "Use me to sate your hunger."
Kael grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap. She straddled him, her weight pressing down on his thighs.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said, a rare moment of calculation breaking through the hunger. "I need you conscious for the landing."
"I can take it," Morgan murmured, tilting her head back. "I am A-Rank. My blood regenerates faster than you can drink it."
That was all the invitation he needed.
Kael leaned forward. His lips brushed against her skin, cold and soft. He kissed the pulse point gently, feeling the rush of life beneath.
Then, he bit down.
"Ah!" Morgan gasped, her hands gripping his shoulders.
The taste was electric. Morgan's blood was rich, fortified by years of biological enhancement and mana saturation. It tasted like copper and ozone, spiked with the sweetness of pure vitality.
[DEVOUR: BLOOD ROUTE]
The system activated, optimizing the intake. The rush was immediate. The headache from the altitude vanished. The fatigue from the training dissolved.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Dhampir Evolution Progress: 22%.
Bloodlust Timer: Reset to 48 hours.
Temporary Buff: [Sovereign's Vigor] - +10% to all stats for 3 hours.
Kael drank deeply, his throat working rhythmically. Morgan trembled on his lap, soft moans escaping her lips. The pleasure-pain of the feeding triggered her conditioning, her body reacting instinctively to his dominance.
"Yes... drink... fill yourself..."
After a full minute, Kael pulled back. He licked the wound, his saliva containing a trace of regenerative properties from his own abilities, sealing the puncture marks instantly.
Morgan slumped against him, panting. Her eyes were glazed, her face flushed with a mixture of exhaustion and ecstasy.
"Thank you, Master," she breathed into his ear.
Kael pushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"Clean yourself up," he said, though his tone lacked its usual harshness. The hunger was sated, leaving behind a cold clarity. "We land soon. I need you to be the CEO, not the slave, when we step off this plane."
Morgan straightened, taking a deep breath. The haze cleared from her eyes. The mask of the corporate queen slid back into place.
"Understood. I have already contacted the local branch. A car will be waiting at the private terminal. No customs, no scans."
"Good."
Kael looked out the window again. The sun was beginning to dip, casting long shadows across the landscape.
"Alaric Vance," Kael said. "Do we have a location?"
"Not an exact one," Morgan admitted. "He moves constantly to avoid the Guilds who want to conscript him. But... there is a place. A club in the Undercity called 'The Aether'. It's a neutral ground for high-level rogues and independent contractors. If he is anywhere, he'll be there."
"Then that is where we start."
Neo-Veridia: The City of Glass
The descent was breathtaking.
Neo-Veridia wasn't just a city; it was a monument to humanity's defiance against the System. Rising from the ruins of the old world, it was a sprawling metropolis of gleaming skyscrapers, neon holograms, and floating platforms.
Huge mana-shields shimmered in the sky above the city, protecting it from aerial monsters. Massive elevators connected the ground level—the Undercity—to the gleaming spires of the Upper Districts.
The jet banked, circling the central tower.
"Look at it," Kael murmured. "A cage of light."
"It's the safest city on the West Coast," Morgan said, fastening her seatbelt. "But safety has a price. The Guilds tax everything. The surveillance is absolute."
"Let them watch," Kael said. "They won't see me coming."
The jet touched down on a private landing strip jutting out from a mid-level platform. The engines whined to a halt.
Kael stood, adjusting his coat. He tapped the [Void Shard] bracelet, ensuring it was concealed.
"Ready?" he asked.
Morgan nodded. She looked like her old self—powerful, composed, dangerous. But Kael could see the truth. The collar around her neck, hidden by the scarf, was the only reality that mattered.
"Let's go find our blacksmith," Kael said.
They walked to the exit. The door hissed open, and the dry, mana-charged air of Neo-Veridia rushed in.
It was time to forge a legend.