Thalion arrived in his room, his body trembling as though he were back on that first night, hiding up in the trees. The eerie sensation clawed at him, leaving no doubt in his mind—the system’s voice had clearly meant Kael when it hinted at where to place the spy crystal. But why? Why would Kael, someone he trusted, plot against him? He forced himself to see the situation in a positive light: at least he now had some warning. If he could survive F-grade, the title would make him one of the strongest beings around.

"Alright, calm down. Focus. You can still chase your dream of becoming immortal," Thalion muttered under his breath, clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. It was official now—if the system itself was helping him, then something truly massive was looming on the horizon. The only way forward was to act decisively. He had to get that crystal into Kael's room without delay.

The crystal’s design would make things easier; it adhered to any surface and blended seamlessly into its surroundings. Without hesitation, Thalion activated his communication crystal and reached out to Kael, his voice steady despite the storm raging in his mind. "Can I come by? I’d like to talk before I leave with Annie."

As he made his way to Kael’s quarters, Thalion focused on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, using it to center himself. When Kael opened the door, his familiar, easy smile didn’t soothe Thalion's unease.

"Nice to see you. How can I help you?" Kael asked, ushering him inside. The warmth of the entrance hall, with its crackling fire and familiar wooden furniture, felt almost stifling in contrast to the tension gnawing at Thalion’s chest.

They sat down before the fireplace, the golden light casting flickering shadows across the room.

"I just wanted to make sure it’s really okay for me to leave. You and the others won’t be in danger, right?" Thalion asked, his tone casual, though his every sense was on high alert.

"No," Kael replied, waving a hand dismissively. "With the supplies I’ll get from the system shop, we’ll be fine. Go focus on yourself and get that water form."

Thalion nodded but pressed further. "I meant more about trouble from Michael or Garrick. Are you sure they won’t try anything while I’m gone?"

Kael sighed and leaned back, his expression unreadable. "I might as well tell you now. Can I get you something to drink?"

"I’ll take a beer," Thalion said, masking his intentions. He wasn’t thirsty, but it would give him the opportunity he needed.

"Ah, beer—always a good choice," Kael said with a chuckle as he stood and turned toward the bar. The moment his back was turned, Thalion acted. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he threw the spy crystal toward the towering twenty-meter-high ceiling. It struck true, adhering to the surface and shifting to a near-invisible white, blending perfectly into the architecture.

Kael returned moments later, handing Thalion the beer, and they resumed their conversation.

"Garrick is desperate to get out of the second district," Kael admitted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Looks like I’ll have to grant his request."

"Maybe it won’t be so bad," Thalion offered, keeping his tone neutral. "You’ve got plenty of strong guards now. Those who joined us last time were capable fighters."

Kael nodded but frowned. "I’m not worried about an immediate takeover, but I don’t want Garrick gaining too much influence either."

"Understandable," Thalion said, taking a sip of his beer. "And what about Michael? How’s that situation going?"

Kael’s expression darkened. "Not good, honestly. If you could do something like you did with the shapeshifters, it’d be a huge help. With my backing, you’d be untouchable."

At that moment, Thalion’s instincts screamed in alarm. Kael’s assurance of protection felt hollow, a thin veneer over something darker.

"Maybe in the future," Thalion replied smoothly. "For now, I’ll be away for a bit, but I can try to return sooner if needed."

Kael waved him off. "No rush. Just don’t stay away too long—two weeks isn’t much time before we’re teleported to the fourth stage."

Thalion nodded. "That shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll see you before then."

As he left Kael’s quarters, Thalion’s mind raced. He had placed the crystal successfully, but the encounter had only deepened his unease. Kael’s reassurances rang hollow, and Thalion’s sense of impending betrayal grew stronger.

His next stop was the storage room to collect the blood vials. He couldn’t risk leaving them unattended while he was away. Activating the spy crystal, he monitored Kael’s room, but so far, all he saw were mundane conversations about construction plans.

After securing the blood, Thalion made his way to Zyra’s shop. The air in the small apothecary was heavy with the scent of herbs and elixirs. Zyra greeted him warmly, handing him the plants she had prepared. But even her cheerful demeanor couldn’t dispel the dark feeling that coiled in his chest whenever he saw her. It was there, as persistent as ever—the same oppressive sensation he felt around Kael, Kai, and Sylas.

Anger simmered beneath the surface as Thalion left the shop. After everything he had done for them, his so-called friends were plotting against him. The betrayal stung, but he couldn’t let it derail him. His dream of eternity loomed larger than any personal grievance. Whatever it took, he would achieve his goal.

He met Annie in front of the gate. The sun was low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the cobbled road.

"Hey, Thalion, are you ready to go?" Annie asked, her voice bright and cheerful.

"Yeah, we can go. Can you fly, or do we have to walk?" Thalion replied, his tone sharper than he intended. He mentally chastised himself—Annie wasn’t one of the betrayers.

"Yes, we can fly, but what I do is more like surfing," Annie said with a grin, her excitement almost contagious.

"Awesome. I always loved surfing before the system," Thalion said with a nod. He tried to match her enthusiasm, though his thoughts were elsewhere. "On another note, what will your position be with the blue robes?"

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"Pretty high! My patron assured me that the princess herself will assist me," Annie said, practically glowing with excitement.

"That’s great. So, the chances that the water form I get is one of the strongest beasts in the ocean are pretty high, right?" Thalion asked, allowing himself a small smile.

"Yeah, don’t worry. We’ll get you something amazing," Annie laughed. She reached into her bag and pulled out a folded brown robe. "I also brought you these, so they don’t recognize you."

"Good thinking. I completely forgot," Thalion admitted, taking the robe and draping it over his arm.

With a swift transformation, Thalion became Eagly, a sleek, predatory bird with feathers shimmering in the fading light. He shot into the sky, his powerful wings slicing through the air. Annie followed closely, standing atop a winding river of water that arched and twisted through the sky like a serpent. Her pace wasn’t as fast as Eagly’s, but her control and manapool were impressive—unlike Sylas, she could maintain her speed for hours.

Thalion used the long flight to his advantage, channeling his focus into completing the third stage of wind tempering. He summoned a strong whirlwind directly in his path and dove through it repeatedly, each pass leaving his body more attuned to the wind’s flow. The progress was exhilarating, the power intoxicating.

By the time they reached the ocean, the sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of deep blue and gold. The city near the shore, one they had attacked in the past, came into view briefly before they soared out over the open water. Far ahead, a majestic palace rose from the sea, its spires catching the moonlight like polished gemstones. It took another hour to reach the structure, and when they arrived, its scale left even Thalion momentarily awed.

The palace towered over three hundred meters tall, its base merging seamlessly with the ocean. Its harbor bustled with activity; ships docked while blue-robed figures moved with purpose among the piers. Thalion landed on the harbor, transforming back into his human form and pulling the brown robe over his shoulders. No one paid them much attention—they were expected. His suspicions were confirmed when a young man hurried over, bowing briefly.

"Welcome, Lady Annie. Princess Seraphina is waiting for you," the man said, barely sparing Thalion a glance.

"Thank you. Let’s not keep her waiting," Annie replied, her tone light but respectful. Together, they followed the man into the palace.

As they stepped through the towering twenty-meter gate, the scene inside took Thalion’s breath away. The palace wasn’t just a building—it was an entire city. It stretched vertically for hundreds of meters, with buildings that seemed to grow organically, like stone trees climbing toward the heavens. There were no streets, only rivers flowing with crystalline water, guided by glowing blue runes etched into the walls and suspended stones.

The man led them to one of these rivers, a fast-flowing stream that climbed upward, defying gravity. "Place your hand in the river to travel to the upper layers of the city," he explained. Without waiting for a reply, he dipped his hand into the water and vanished, swept away by the current.

"Do you have any water skills?" Annie asked, a note of concern in her voice.

"Not really. I’ll fly up—it shouldn’t be too hard to follow the river," Thalion murmured, already preparing himself.

"Okay," Annie said simply, then stepped into the river. She disappeared in an instant, leaving him alone.

"Damn, could’ve given me a second to prepare," Thalion muttered under his breath. With a burst of telekinetic energy, he launched himself upward, matching the river’s twisting path as it climbed through the palace. The journey was disorienting but exhilarating.

Eventually, they reached another massive gate, where the young man was already waiting, bowing deeply as they approached. He gestured toward yet another monumental door, this one ten meters high and intricately carved with golden runes. Before they could knock, the door swung open.

They stepped into a throne room so grand it made every Earthly palace seem like a child’s playhouse. The vast chamber was adorned with opulent tapestries, crystalline chandeliers, and murals that seemed to shimmer with life. Yet the room was empty, save for another man, dressed impeccably, who approached with measured steps.

"Please follow me," the butler said, his voice polite but devoid of warmth. He guided them toward the right side of the hall, where a smaller—though still enormous—door stood. This one, four meters tall, was inscribed with golden runes that glowed faintly under the ambient light.

The butler pressed his hand against the door, and it swung open effortlessly. Beyond lay another hall, smaller yet no less magnificent. At its center was a massive pool, its surface dotted with glowing blue pearls that emitted a soft, ethereal light. The atmosphere was serene, almost otherworldly, as if the room existed outside the bounds of time.

In the middle of the pool was the most beautiful woman Thalion had ever seen. "Took you long enough, Annie," Lady Seraphina said. "Is your companion the one who freed you and killed countless of Nerissa's slaves?"

Thalion didn’t get a bad feeling when he looked at the woman, not like with Kael and the others, so he simply said, "Yes, that was me. How did you find out so quickly?"

"It was more of a guess. So, you are Thalion. I’ve heard much about you," Seraphina said, slowly stepping out of the pool with a grace that didn’t seem human.

"Okay, that’s impressive. I think we never talked about it," Thalion commented.

"It’s easier than you think. Nerissa gave me a very special description of you, and I’ve never heard of anyone else using blood spears as weapons," Seraphina said, now completely out of the pool.

"So, are we good?" Thalion asked, puzzled. But the feeling he got was that they were good; it even felt like the princess liked him.

"Of course, we are. You must be the strongest human from earth I’ve encountered so far," Seraphina said in a delightful voice. "I have a meal prepared for us. You must be hungry from the long flight."

"Thank you, I am indeed very hungry," Annie said.

"Wonderful. Please follow me. I want to hear everything about your adventures, and we need to talk about your training plan," Seraphina said while guiding them to another golden door.

<--

Evelyn feared for her life as she let Vorlok eat out of her hand. Of course, she wasn’t doing this willingly. Kargul had said it was very important for bonding and becoming good friends. She didn’t want to point out that this advice came from an orc who had just fed the turtle with vodka and beer for a whole day.

If she hadn’t healed the poor turtle from time to time, it might have died. To his luck, it seemed Kargul was right, as Vorlok very carefully ate out of her hand. Evelyn could only remember how the turtle had devoured the vine horse. She would just be a little snack for it.

"Oh, such a good boy," Kargul said while patting the turtle’s head, which was how he rewarded Vorlok these days.

Vorlok turned out to like head pats a lot and leaned into the orc’s hand.

"I think it’s time, Vorlok. From this day on, you will never wear chains again," Kargul cheered, removing the chains from the flying beast.

"You sure that’s a good idea?" Evelyn asked. "What will you do if Vorlok just flies away?"

"Nothing, because it will never happen. We’re friends, and friends always help each other. Isn’t that right, Vorlok?" Kargul said while taking the chains off and slapping the turtle on the back.

"So, with that crystal, can you freely fly through the shield of the base?" Kargul explained while laying a necklace with the crystal Kael had given him around the turtle's neck. Surprisingly, Vorlok continued hovering a meter above the ground.

"You sure that’s a good idea?" Evelyn repeated, still frightened by the giant turtle’s head only a meter in front of her. "What will you do when Vorlok eats me while I’m sleeping?"

"Nothing, because it will never happen. You forgot, Vorlok is your friend too, and I think he really likes you," Kargul announced proudly.

"Gods, please help me," Evelyn thought. She knew she’d never sleep peacefully with a giant sky turtle freely flying through the room they shared. What could she say to get away?

"Oh, I totally forgot that Sylas wanted my help with a midnight hunt," Evelyn lied while slowly moving toward the door.

"Great idea, Eve! Tonight, will be the first day we hunt together! Don’t worry, Vorlok—you can divebomb into the ground as much as you want. Eve here will heal you up in moments," Kargul announced, hugging both the turtle and Evelyn at the same time.

"Tonight’s hunt will be glorious!" Kargul roared.

"Oh god, what have I done?" Evelyn thought as sweat ran down her back.