Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Under Siege
Overwhelmed by a surge of anger, Kael lost control of his aura for an instant as it crushed down on all of Tempest.
Drawing the attention of its residents, who broke into panicked murmurs that swept across the city like wildfire.
***
"Holy shit! What the hell is that?"
"You feel it too? Which bastard decided to unleash their aura on us? I can’t breathe..."
"Me too. It also feels entirely different from the young lord’s. Who else could be this strong that the force of their aura is so... imposing?"
"I don’t know..."
"Then why the hell did you reply to my question?"
"I thought..."
Just as the murmurs grew intense, one figure among the crowd suddenly yelled as if his life depended on it, pointing toward the sky where two figures hovered atop a mystical treasure.
"Look! I think the source of the overbearing aura is coming from there!"
"Who are those people? I’ve never seen them before in Tempest."
"Could it be... they’re powerhouses from beyond?"
"No shit, genius. Who else in Tempest has a mystical flying treasure?!"
"Aw man, no need to be so mean. I was just voicing my thoughts. Why do you think they came here? What do they want from us?"
As the crowd sank into a frenzy, the panic welling inside them growing with every passing second, they watched with awe as a black-robed youth streaked across the sky with the help of ominous blood-red wings.
His figure blurred from their sight until he landed atop one of the city walls, level with the new intruders.
A few figures in the crowd were shocked by the sight. If that still wasn’t enough proof of the young lord’s monstrous strength and potential, he could also fly.
Though not as flawlessly as A-rank beings who could hover mystically through the air without any outward aid, the skill he used had to be of an extremely high level, given the smoothness of his control and the heights and speed he could achieve with it.
Truly an astounding sight.
The figure in question, however, paid little attention to their thoughts. Something else occupied his mind.
With his enhanced senses, he was able to hear the two figures conversing atop the mystical treasure even from several thousand meters away.
As they went over the motions of recruiting some supreme genius and spoke of eradicating the entirety of Tempest to serve as a lesson to future generations foolish enough to defy powers they did not understand.
Even with everything he had anticipated, Ulric couldn’t help but be surprised by a few things.
He had anticipated that killing Valeria would come with consequences. That was why he had stayed, even as the academy selections drew nearer with each passing day. He simply hadn’t expected the consequences to be this dire.
What if he had already departed?
Would that have meant the two figures would have wiped out all of Tempest?
The thought alone caused his blood to boil as rage flickered across his expression.
It would have rendered all the effort he had spent over the past few months preparing the Greyson Residence and Tempest for his departure completely futile.
But that didn’t matter.
He was here now.
Casting his appraisal on the two figures, a faint smile spread across his face as his brows arched slightly.
With a single glance, he could tell the green-robed figure was a peak C-rank being. The sheer thickness of mana surging through his body was overwhelming.
If he had to compare the difference in mana potency between him and Thunderblade, the gap was ghastly. At least a few hundred times over.
It seemed the gap between a low C-rank and a peak C-rank was on an entirely different level than he had anticipated.
Perhaps others would have been terrified by such a realization.
But when it came to Ulric, the smile on his face only widened as a single thought circled through his mind.
Was he strong enough to grant him the blood-boiling battle he so yearned for?
He mused before shaking his head slightly in disappointment as he stared at the system panel before him.
[Kael Malgrave]
[Level 99 Human] (Peak C-rank)
[Threat Level: Medium]
[Strength: Fire-based attacks]
[Weakness: Darkness & Lightning attacks]
For a peak C-rank being, Ulric was a little surprised the threat level only amounted to Medium.
He had expected at least High, considering the amount of mana he could sense surging from the figure.
But now, looking back, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
Even with all his power, it seemed he had still underestimated the full extent of his abilities.
He had yet to refine his body and power enough to uncover their true depths.
But he was getting closer every day.
Still, even with all that, it wasn’t what truly piqued his interest.
When his gaze fell upon the grey-robed figure, a tinge of uncertainty flashed across his eyes as he attempted to appraise him.
[Name: ???]
[Level: ???]
[Strength: ???]
[Weakness: ???]
Aside from reminding him that his appraisal skill was long overdue for an upgrade, it also highlighted the grey-robed figure’s monstrous strength.
If he could see through a peak C-rank being but not this man, then there was only one explanation.
The figure had stepped into the elusive B-rank realm.
Unlike the green-robed figure, whose aura was unleashed for all to feel, the grey-robed elder was different.
Before, Ulric might have mistaken him for an ordinary mortal.
But he knew better now.
Having learned his lesson from the old man, he understood that true power did not always reveal itself.
Despite not radiating mana outwardly, he could feel it contained within the elder’s being, refined to an astonishing degree.
The more he observed, the more understanding dawned on him.
If C-rank beings borrowed mana from the world around them, then B-rank beings seemed more like conduits, naturally channeling it as an extension of themselves.
With the terrifying processing speed of his mind, Ulric deduced all this within a few short seconds.
All while weighing the words of the two figures before finally speaking.
"Be careful not to choke on your aspirations," he muttered, having already pieced together a rough understanding of their plans.
Then, after a brief pause, his gaze shifted toward the green-robed figure as the feral grin on his face widened.
"I’ve been waiting for you, Kael."
