"Are you sure about that? What about his aura breath? From what we know, some Mythic or even Primordial beasts can trace it, right?" Nythra's voice rang like warning bells to Solune. She had thought they had covered every precaution.
Kaelvir's face tightened. A Mythic or Primordial beast? Even the possibility chilled him. He didn't know their exact strength, but instinct screamed they were not weak.
He looked between the two women. "What kind of beasts are these Mythic and Primordial ones?"
Solune tilted her head. "Young lord… are you not aware of the beast rarity system?"
Kaelvir shook his head.
"The system is divided into seven tiers," Solune explained patiently. "The lowest, the Common Beast, has weak bloodlines and limited potential. Above them are the:
Uncommon Beast: smarter, with minor elemental abilities.
Rare Beast: noticeably stronger, able to challenge mid-tier cultivators, often with unique traits.
Epic Beast: elite predators with advanced abilities, capable of assuming human form after cultivating enough.
Legendary Beast: exceptional and rare, able to naturally reach high realms and surpass most cultivators. Their human forms are stable, though faint beast traits may remain.
Mythic Beast: evolved from Legendary. They can take perfect human form—or retain traces of their beast nature if they wish. Immensely stronger than cultivators of the same level, and dangerously cunning."
Kaelvir listened like the doors to another world had opened before him. "And… Primordial?" he asked eagerly.
Nythra smiled. "Those are said not to exist in this world. No one has ever confirmed meeting one—or if they did, they didn't live to tell the tale. But stories say a Primordial Beast is a once-in-an-era entity. Either born rare or evolved from Mythic. They can take human form from birth, wield reality-bending powers, and influence the cosmos itself. They are… unmatched."
A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. "So, master… how unlucky would you feel if such a beast was after you?"
Kaelvir shivered. "So… what do we do about this?"
Solune only shook her head.
His gaze darted to Nythra, still smiling as though everything was unfolding according to her schemes. Kaelvir narrowed his eyes, then suddenly grabbed her hands.
"Great aunt… please save me! Tell me what you want, and this little brother will do it. I can even work like a cow for you!" he said shamelessly, rubbing her hands with exaggerated affection.
Nythra froze. All her sly calculations collapsed at once. She hadn't expected the young lord to be so utterly shameless. She yanked her hands away, flustered. "You… you are a young lord! Don't you have dignity?"
Kaelvir grinned. "If I asked nicely, would you have told me? Now, tell me how to get rid of this aura, or I might just touch you in places you'd rather not admit." He leaned forward, face shamelessly lewd.
Nythra sneered, ready to put him in his place. She calmly raised a finger to strike him—yet Kaelvir only paused for a heartbeat before continuing, his hand inching closer to her chest.
Her eyes widened. Why isn't he stopping?! Why is he still moving?! She tried to dodge—only to realize she couldn't move at all. Bound.
Kaelvir stopped a breath away, lips curling into a wicked smile. "You can't hurt me, right?"
She stayed silent.
"And you can't move, either," he added, before letting out a sigh of relief. His face returned to normal. "Good. That means there's a rule binding you."
Solune's eyes flickered with surprise—and disappointment. "So, you weren't really trying to touch her. You were testing us."
Kaelvir met her gaze. "Our situation is… special. I've never even heard of seedbound like you. I had to know if I could truly trust you with my life. Now I know—you can't harm me."
Nythra fumed at being tricked. But Kaelvir softened, smiling apologetically. "Even though you're mischievous, I didn't mean to play you too hard. Let's get along better in the future, alright?"
Her lips twitched. His sincerity was disarming, and finally, she nodded.
"So, how do we fix this aura breath problem?" Kaelvir pressed.
Nythra exhaled. "After your mutation, your aura breath became chaotic and more potent. I'm the only one who can extract it."
"Why only you and not Solune?"
"Because it aligns with my elements, not hers." Solune nodded silently in confirmation.
Kaelvir turned back. "Then… how do we start?"
Nythra hesitated. "Master… close your eyes."
Suspicious, Kaelvir obeyed.
She waved her hand in front of his face, still not trusting him after his earlier trick. So she placed her palm over his eyes, shifted her mask aside, and leaned in.
Soft lips pressed against his.
Kaelvir froze. Electricity shot through him. Before his mind could spiral, a force tugged at his very core, pulling threads of chaotic aura out of his mouth. It continued for long moments until the warmth of her lips withdrew.
Her mask slipped back into place. She removed her hand. "You can open your eyes now. It's done."
Kaelvir blinked, staring at her concealed face. What… was that feeling? He glanced at Solune, but her mask revealed nothing. Checking his body, he found no change. "So now… nobody can track me?"
Nythra nodded.
Relief washed over him. "Finally. I can sleep in peace." He waved lazily toward them. "If you want to stay outside, fine. Just don't get seen. Otherwise, you're welcome back in my dream sea." With that, he drifted off.
---
Outside the clan, the city buzzed. Merchants haggled, laughter spilled from taverns, music and shouting filled the night air. The moons of Soneth—three of them—hung in a triangular sequence above, silver light bathing Dreamtide.
A shadow streaked across the sky. Moonlight revealed a striking figure—long black hair, fox ears twitching, eyes glowing pinkish-red. She sniffed the air, frowning.
"How… how could his scent disappear?" she muttered, astonished. In all her years, she had never lost a mark.
Her brows knit. "Does he know I'm tracking him? No… impossible. Nobody knows when I track." Still, her lips curved into a smile. "Not bad. At least I know you're here. Let's see how long you can hide." Her figure melted into the city streets, vanishing like a shadow.
---
Far away, in the patriarch's courtyard, Zar's eyes snapped open. He gazed into the void.
"Who was that? Did the phenomenon draw reclusive experts out?" His frown deepened. "The city won't be peaceful… not anymore."
Sighing, he closed his eyes again, returning to cultivation.