Kael hit the ground grinning like a madman.
"Verde!"
He lurched upright so fast that white pain ripped through his ribs and shoulder. His vision flashed black. He sucked air through clenched teeth and nearly folded back to his knees.
The woman caught him before he fell.
"You idiot." Verdis Morcroft frowned as she steadied him. "How in the abyss did you end up here? And why were you provoking that phoenix? Were you trying to die?"
Even half-masked in shadow and bloodstained silk, she was unmistakable.
Tall.
Deadly.
Beautiful enough to ruin men.
Her dark green robes clung to her curves like wet leaves over a blade. Long black hair spilled over her shoulders. Her eyes held the same poisonous amusement Kael remembered from their drunken oath-brotherhood feast at Vane's Summit.
And that mouth—
Gods.
Kael abruptly remembered a peach grove, too much wine, her breath on his neck, and himself fleeing like a terrified fool before things went much farther.
Heat crawled up his face despite the blood drying on his skin.
He quickly explained everything that had happened since leaving Vane's Summit—the journey to Mirekeep, the undead war, coming to the Great Verdant Vale for bamboo, the rainbow silk, the phoenix attack.
When he finished, he thumped his chest.
"Well... it all worked out in the end. Good thing I ran into you."
Verdis stared at him.
Then she smacked the back of his head.
"Worked out?" she snapped. "If I hadn't recognized you in time, my companions would've shredded you alive along with that bird."
Kael's grin vanished.
He remembered the masked cultivators, the formation, the screaming phoenix trapped inside it like prey in a butcher's hook.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
"Wait..." he said slowly. "Why did they drag me here in the first place?"
Verdis clicked her tongue.
"You nearly ruined everything."
"What everything?"
"We were hunting that phoenix."
Kael blinked. "Why?"
"To harvest its brain marrow."
He stared at her.
"That sounds extremely illegal."
"It probably is."
"What do you need phoenix brain marrow for?"
Her playful expression disappeared.
The silence stretched.
When she finally spoke, her voice had gone quieter.
"We're saving someone."
"Who?"
Kael leaned forward immediately. What kind of person was important enough for Verdis to risk provoking something like that?
But she shook her head.
"Little brother... there are things you're safer not knowing."
That only made him more curious.
But her tone warned him not to press further.
So Kael changed subjects.
"How's Lady Perelda? Grimhog? Everyone else?"
Verdis smiled again.
"Fine. We all gathered two nights ago. Grimhog spent half the night whining that life hasn't tasted the same since you stopped feeding him spirit pills."
Kael barked out a laugh.
That giant idiot bear.
For a moment he could almost smell roasted meat, wine, and campfire smoke from better nights.
His smile faded into something softer.
"I miss that."
Verdis studied him.
"You really liked being with us?"
Kael looked at her like she'd asked whether breathing was enjoyable.
"Of course I did."
Her red lips pressed together.
Then she asked softly—
"That night in the peach grove…"
Kael froze.
"Oh no."
Her eyes narrowed with dangerous amusement.
"Why did you run?"
His heartbeat exploded.
Memory slammed into him—
moonlight through blossoms
wine-slick lips
her hand sliding beneath his robes
his own terrified sprint into the woods
Kael turned red enough to rival fire Vitae.
"That night was... late."
Verdis blinked.
Then slowly smiled.
"Is that so?"
She leaned closer.
"If it happens earlier next time…"
Her lips hovered near his ear.
"Will you run again?"
Kael's ears burned.
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Verdis clicked her tongue.
"Coward."
Kael panicked.
He looked up—
and nearly lost his soul.
Her cheeks were flushed.
Her eyes half-lidded.
She looked genuinely irritated... and unbearably beautiful.
Words escaped him before his brain caught them.
"I won't run next time."
Silence.
Then Verdis smiled so brightly it nearly killed him.
She leaned close enough for him to smell flowers and venom.
"You said you're staying in Mirekeep, yes?"
Kael swallowed.
"At Lord Ashford's estate."
"In a few days..." she whispered.
"Should I visit you?"
Then her tongue lightly brushed his earlobe.
Kael nearly died.
His knees weakened.
His spine turned to soup.
"No!"
The answer came far too fast.
Verdis stepped back.
Her expression darkened instantly.
Kael felt death approaching.
"N-no—I mean—Mirekeep is dangerous!"
He waved his arms frantically.
"The Bone Legion attacks constantly. Lord Ossian could strike the city at any time."
He pointed toward the bamboo forest.
"That's why I came here. We need Warding-Vase Bamboo to make arrows for the city."
Her expression softened again.
"Oh?"
She tilted her head.
"So that's why you don't want me visiting?"
Kael nodded aggressively.
That was only half true.
The other half involved his master, Selene, several possible executions, and an enormous amount of screaming.
Verdis snorted.
"I'm not afraid of skeletons."
She crossed her arms proudly.
"If they attack, I'll kill them for you."
Kael lowered his voice.
"These aren't normal skeletons. Their leader is Lord Ossian—the Bone Ancient—"
"I should go."
She cut him off completely.
Then she pointed toward the dead phoenix.
"That creature guarded the Ancient Reed. If the people of this valley discover it's dead, they'll hunt everyone responsible."
She stepped backward.
"You should leave."
Kael opened his mouth.
He still wanted to beg her not to come to Mirekeep.
Instead she winked.
"Wait for me, little brother."
Then she vanished.
No footsteps.
No sound.
Just gone.
Kael stood frozen.
Cold sweat poured down his back.
She was a six-hundred-year-old scorpion spirit.
If she actually appeared at Lord Ashford's estate—
If Selene saw—
If his master found out—
He might genuinely die.
He was still imagining several horrible endings when he heard someone screaming his name.
"Kael!"
He whipped around.
Selene burst through the bamboo like a storm.
Her hair was wild.
Her face was streaked with tears.
The moment she saw him alive, she broke into a full sprint.
Kael laughed in disbelief and ran toward her.
Then caught her in his arms.
She crashed into him so hard they nearly both fell.
A second figure emerged from the bamboo.
Hadrian Corvel.
And the moment Hadrian saw Kael alive—
his face twisted in utter disbelief.
Then he saw the dead phoenix.
His jaw nearly hit the ground.
Selene didn't care.
She grabbed Kael's face and kissed him again and again.
Forehead.
Cheeks.
Eyes.
Lips.
Wild desperate kisses fell like rain.
Kael kissed her back just as fiercely.
They had been separated less than half an hour.
It felt like returning from the dead.
Selene trembled in his arms.
"I thought…" she sobbed.
"I thought you were gone forever…"
Kael kissed tears from her cheeks.
"I'm alive."
She shoved him back and began frantically inspecting him.
"Where are you hurt?"
"I've still got both arms and both legs."
"This isn't funny!"
She searched his body in panic.
Then noticed blood on his temple.
Her face went white.
She pulled out a silk cloth from inside her robes and carefully wiped the blood away.
Kael was hurting everywhere.
But he smiled anyway.
"I'm fine."
Her eyes reddened.
"You absolute idiot…"
Kael suddenly remembered something.
"The rainbow."
He started patting himself.
"That rainbow cloth looked beautiful. I thought it would make you an incredible dress—"
Selene burst into tears again and slammed herself back into his chest.
Kael wrapped both arms around her.
For a moment, the world disappeared.
Then Hadrian ruined everything.
"How are you alive?!"
Kael slowly turned.
Ah yes.
This bastard.
"And what happened to the phoenix?!"
Kael looked at him lazily.
"Your eyes decorative?"
Hadrian nearly choked.
"How did it die?"
Kael shrugged.
"It fought the Little Saint-Lord for three hundred glorious exchanges before dying from exhaustion."
Selene blinked.
Hadrian stared.
"That's impossible!"
Kael straightened proudly.
"The depth of my power exceeds mortal understanding."
Hadrian looked ready to tear his own hair out.
"That bird was over a thousand years old!"
Kael smirked.
"A true master hides his strength."
Hadrian stared at him.
"No... no... impossible…"
Kael folded his arms.
"Then you explain how it died."
Hadrian opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Then his eyes narrowed.
He noticed the shattered skull of the phoenix.
A hole had been punched into its head.
His expression shifted.
Does he have some terrifying hidden Ward-Treasure?
Kael followed his gaze.
Then immediately moved.
He rushed to the phoenix corpse, opened the Wardian Satchel, muttered the activation phrase—
—and the gigantic corpse vanished inside.
Hadrian nearly screamed.
"What are you doing?!"
Kael looked offended.
"I killed it. It's mine."
His pulse thundered with excitement.
A thousand-year spirit beast.
Feathers.
Bones.
Talons.
Blood.
Brain matter.
Every inch of it was treasure.
He had just become absurdly rich.
Hadrian looked like he wanted to vomit.
Then he suddenly shouted—
"Do you even understand what you've done?"
Kael blinked.
Hadrian pointed toward the distant Ancient Reed.
"That phoenix was the sacred guardian of this valley. Protector of the Ancient Reed itself."
His voice dropped.
"If the people here learn you killed it…"
He dragged a finger across his throat.
Selene paled immediately.
"Kael didn't mean to kill it."
She grabbed his arm.
"We should leave now."
Kael grimaced.
"But we still need the bamboo."
Hadrian's expression shifted repeatedly as he thought.
Finally he exhaled.
"We've already come this far."
He straightened his robes.
"I'll go negotiate for the bamboo."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"You?"
Hadrian forced a smile toward Selene.
"The young master of this valley is an old friend of mine."
Kael nearly laughed.
Of course he said that.
Selene looked worried.
"If you were seen with us... will you be blamed too?"
Hadrian looked deeply moved by her concern.
Kael nearly gagged.
"I'll be fine."
Hadrian turned serious.
"If I secure the bamboo, they'll need time to harvest it. I may not return until evening."
He looked directly at Selene.
"Stay hidden."
Then he glanced at Kael.
"With certain people around, trouble tends to appear."
Selene nodded seriously.
"I'll watch him."
Kael lowered his head and pretended obedience.
Hadrian scanned the horizon.
"Two or three miles south lies the Jadebelt Mere."
Selene gasped.
"I've heard of that place!"
Her eyes lit up.
"My mother said it's one of the most beautiful places in the world."
Hadrian nodded.
"Wait at the outer shore."
His expression turned grave.
"Do not approach the Ancient Reed."
Selene agreed immediately.
Hadrian left.
The moment he disappeared into the bamboo—
Kael's mood improved dramatically.
No Hadrian.
No posturing.
No fake noble speeches.
Just him and Selene.
Perfect.
They headed south through the endless bamboo sea.
The forest was impossibly dense.
But the Ancient Reed rose so high into the heavens that it served as a natural guide.
Kael laughed, joked, and clung to Selene the entire walk.
The journey felt completely different without Hadrian nearby.
Then Selene suddenly narrowed her eyes.
"Tell me the truth."
Kael froze.
"What truth?"
She stared at him.
"How did that phoenix really die?"
Kael's smile weakened.
Unfortunately—
Selene knew exactly how strong he actually was.
He sighed.
There was no fooling her.
So Kael began telling her what had really happened.
The fall.
The chase.
The masked cultivators.
The trap.
The phoenix's death.
Everything.
Everything except Verdis.
That secret stayed buried—for now.
Selene stared at Kael as they walked through the endless sea of bamboo, her expression caught between disbelief and fascination.
"That's... strange." Her brows drew together. "Who do you think those masked people were? And why would they go through all that trouble just to kill that phoenix?"
Kael kicked aside a fallen bamboo leaf and shrugged.
"No idea."
And at that moment?
He truly did not care.
The deeper they traveled into the Great Verdant Vale, the more unreal the world became. Towering walls of emerald bamboo rose on every side like cathedral pillars. Sunlight poured through swaying leaves in long golden shafts. Strange glowing insects drifted through the air like floating embers. Tiny white-furred animals scattered through the underbrush as the pair passed.
Everything smelled alive.
Fresh water.
Rain-wet wood.
Blooming flowers.
It was hard to care about conspiracies when he was alone with Selene in a place that looked like it had been stolen from the dreams of gods.
Selene glanced at him sideways.
"I'll say this much." Her lips curved faintly. "At least now your story makes sense."
Kael blinked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She snorted.
"I was wondering how someone with your pathetic level of strength managed to kill a thousand-year spirit beast."
Kael stopped dead.
His face darkened.
"Pathetic?"
Selene kept walking.
"Yes."
Kael stormed after her.
"You always look down on me!"
She looked over her shoulder, amusement dancing in her eyes.
"Do I?"
"One day," Kael declared dramatically, jabbing a finger at his own chest, "I'm going to shock you so badly your jaw hits the floor."
Selene laughed softly.
"Fine."
She leaned closer, eyes glittering.
"I'll wait."
Kael's heart stumbled.
That look.
That damn look.
It made him feel like an idiot and a conqueror at the same time.
He folded his arms.
"I know what you really think."
"Oh?" she asked sweetly.
"You think I'll never amount to anything."
Selene's smile widened.
"I think—"
"What?"
"That you're not hopeless."
Kael brightened.
Then she finished.
"You're just a complete fool."
Her laughter rang through the bamboo forest.
Kael let out an outraged howl and lunged at her.
Selene had clearly expected it.
She slipped away like flowing water, light on her feet as she darted deeper into the forest.
"Hey!"
Kael tore after her.
"You come back here!"
Their chase sent birds exploding from branches and frightened small creatures fleeing into the brush. Their laughter echoed through the endless green as they ran without direction, without caution, without a care in the world.
And then—
The forest vanished.
They burst from the bamboo line and stopped so suddenly they nearly stumbled into each other.
Before them lay a breathtaking lake of flawless jade-colored water.
At its center stood an island covered in vibrant green grass.
And rising from that island—
was the Ancient Reed.
Kael's breath caught.
The thing was monstrous.
Its trunk alone was wider than a fortress tower. Its height vanished into the heavens themselves. Endless branches spread outward, casting shadows over vast stretches of water.
And from its middle—
a river of seven-colored light flowed into the sky.
The rainbow.
The same one Kael had nearly died stealing.
Selene stood frozen.
Her eyes shone.
"The Jadebelt Mere..." she whispered.
Then she laughed in pure delight.
"We made it."
Kael craned his neck upward until it hurt.
Even then, he couldn't see the top.
"One of the nineteen great ley-veins..." he muttered. "Even the Dream Nest at Vane's Summit looks small compared to this thing."
Selene's voice softened.
"My mother said this was one of the most beautiful places in the world."
She stared at the lake.
"She was right."
Green light reflected across her face.
Her skin looked like polished ivory beneath it.
For a moment, Kael forgot how to breathe.
Then he remembered the rainbow.
He frowned.
"How does a bamboo tree make a rainbow?"
Selene gave him a flat look.
"It's a divine treasure tied to a ley-vein."
She spread her hands.
"Why wouldn't it make a rainbow?"
Kael opened his mouth.
Then shut it.
Fair point.
Selene rushed toward the shore and dropped to her knees.
"Kael! Come here!"
He joined her.
She scooped water into her hands and splashed her face.
Her body shivered.
"Oh..."
Her voice turned soft.
"It's freezing."
Kael stared at the water.
Then at her.
Then back at the water.
A dangerous thought entered his mind.
He smiled slowly.
"That water looks amazing."
Selene nodded.
"It does."
Kael leaned closer.
"Imagine how good it would feel to actually get in."
Selene hesitated.
Kael pressed harder.
"We've been walking forever."
"Yes..."
"You're sweating."
"A little."
"You should wash up."
Selene narrowed her eyes.
Kael immediately regretted existing.
"What exactly are you trying to do?" she asked.
"Me?" he squeaked. "Nothing."
She continued staring.
Kael's ears turned red.
After a long silence—
Selene smiled.
"Fine."
Kael blinked.
"What?"
"We'll swim."
His soul nearly left his body.
That had worked?
That easily?
He was so overwhelmed with victory he almost laughed aloud—
Then Selene's expression abruptly changed.
Her eyes widened in alarm as she stared behind him.
"What is that?"
Kael spun around in panic.
"What?! Another phoenix?!"
His Crucible suddenly trembled.
His Vitae sealed shut.
His entire body went limp.
He collapsed face-first into the grass.
Selene giggled.
"Men and women should keep some distance."
Kael's eyes bulged with fury.
She had sealed his channels.
"And since there's no privacy here..." she continued brightly, "this is safer."
"You—"
"You can bathe later."
"You evil—"
She dragged his limp body beneath a shaded patch near the shore.
Then she gently patted his face.
"Be good."
Her voice turned soft.
"I won't take long."
Then she skipped away toward the water while humming.
Kael lay there helplessly.
Murderous thoughts filled his mind.
Then he heard fabric rustling.
His imagination immediately became his greatest enemy.
Then came soft splashes.
Then a quiet sigh from Selene.
Then another.
Kael nearly died.
He strained his eyes.
Saw nothing.
"This is torture..." he groaned.
He thought about every time Selene had tricked him.
There were too many to count.
He clenched his teeth.
"When she comes back... I'm getting revenge."
Time passed.
Too much time.
"Selene!" he shouted.
No response.
"Are you done yet?!"
Nothing.
"It's my turn!"
Silence.
Kael's irritation slowly turned to concern.
The sounds from the water had completely stopped.
His heart tightened.
Had something attacked her?
Hadrian had warned them about dangerous beasts.
"Selene!"
Still nothing.
Panic rose.
Then—
something stirred inside him.
A strange force moved through his body.
Not normal Vitae.
Something else.
Something he had never felt before.
Kael stilled himself and focused inward.
The mysterious energy flowed through his sealed channels like molten light.
A moment later—
his restriction shattered.
Vitae surged back through his body.
Kael shot to his feet.
He ran toward the shore.
He found Selene's clothes neatly hanging from a bamboo branch.
His pulse pounded harder.
"She's still here..."
He looked toward the island.
Then toward the Ancient Reed.
Understanding hit him.
"She climbed it."
Ignoring Hadrian's warning, Kael snapped several bamboo stalks and threw them onto the water.
Using the Ground-Sprint Art, he raced across the floating stalks and reached the island.
Then he climbed.
Higher.
Higher.
And higher.
Until—
he found her.
Kael froze.
Selene floated peacefully in the water below, resting against a broken bamboo trunk.
Completely unaware.
Completely bare.
Moon-pale skin glistened with droplets of water.
Dark hair clung to her shoulders.
She looked less like a woman—
and more like something divine that had wandered into mortal sight by mistake.
Kael swallowed so hard it hurt.
She was resting with her eyes closed.
Completely defenseless.
Completely breathtaking.
His earlier worry was instantly burned away by far less noble instincts.
Then his eyes widened.
The rainbow silk.
He pulled it from the Wardian Satchel.
The shimmering fabric shifted through endless colors in his hands.
"This much should be enough for clothes..." he muttered.
"And Peria gets half."
He tore off a portion and stored it away.
Then he poured Vitae into the remaining silk.
The rainbow hardened and extended like a living whip.
Kael grinned.
Then lashed downward.
Selene's eyes snapped open at the sharp whistle above.
Too late.
The rainbow wrapped around her waist.
She gasped.
Then screamed as she was yanked from the water.
A shower of crystal droplets exploded into the air.
Her body arched helplessly as Kael reeled her upward like a fisherman hauling in the greatest catch of his life.
Then she crashed into his arms.
Warm.
Wet.
Slippery.
Perfect.
Selene panicked and struggled wildly.
"Kael?!"
He tightened his grip.
"You little fox."
Her eyes widened in shock and embarrassment.
"You—how did you break the restriction?!"
Kael grinned like a criminal king.
"Trade secret."
The rainbow silk slithered around her body as he tightened its hold.
Selene trembled violently.
Her face turned scarlet.
"You shameless beast—"
"You tricked me first."
"That doesn't justify this!"
"It absolutely does."
She looked up—
and froze.
There was something dangerous in his eyes.
Something playful.
Something hungry.
Kael lowered his face close to hers.
His voice dropped into a rough whisper.
"Now…"
His smile vanished.
"I'm going to make sure you regret teasing me."
Selene's breath caught.
And despite her protests—
her body melted against his.