The night air burned—not with fire, but with tension.
Kael stood atop a jagged cliff overlooking Ashfall. Below, the town remained unaware of the storm gathering above it. Yet Kael felt every pulse of approaching qi—the disciplined, deadly aura of cultivators far beyond ordinary men.
Rion crouched beside him, face tense, eyes scanning. "They're coming faster than expected."
Kael's gaze narrowed. "Good. Let's see what the empire really fears."
A sudden flash tore through the clouds.
The first hunter landed in the clearing below—tall, armored, with eyes like molten silver, carrying twin blades engraved with suppression runes. His aura screamed Sovereign-tier cultivator, trained not for battle against ordinary martial artists, but beings like Kael.
Behind him, three more descended, each carrying relics designed to counter different gene types: fire, shadow, and mental disruption.
Kael's body tensed. Harvester stirred within him, shadows coiling like serpents.
> Target prioritization: Dragon Hybrid.
Engagement probability: 92%.
Kael smirked. "Then let's give them a lesson."
The first hunter raised his blades, and the air shimmered. Flames and qi converged in a dome of suppression.
Kael's heart raced—but not in fear. Excitement. Focus. He activated the Dragon Hybrid fragment partially, letting molten scales ripple beneath his robe, golden eyes burning like twin suns.
Rion watched from the edge, threads ready, as Kael struck.
Dragonfire Strike: A wave of molten energy hurled toward the lead hunter, melting the suppression dome halfway.
Mental Disruption: Kael subtly distorted the hunters' perception, making one misjudge his positioning.
Harvester Shadows: Flickering darkness slithered along Kael's periphery, striking at the hunter's flank with silent precision.
The first hunter staggered but did not fall. His twin blades cut through the shadows and flames like they were nothing.
Kael's eyes narrowed. They're elite for a reason.
Kael whispered, activating Harvester fully for a brief moment. Shadows solidified into a secondary form, striking independently, forcing the hunters to divide attention.
Rion grunted, flanking Kael, sending thread strikes that restrained two of the secondary hunters.
Kael's mind raced. He had only one fully awakened fragment—the Dragon Hybrid—and Harvester, partially manifested. To win, he needed perfect coordination, treating himself like three warriors at once.
> Harvester: Distract.
Dragon Hybrid: Strike heavy.
Kael (original): Mental disruption + positioning.
The plan was risky. One mistake, and the hunters would overwhelm him.
A hunter lunged with blades forged from otherworld alloy, sharp enough to pierce most cultivator defenses. Kael sidestepped, but the strike grazed him, burning through the Dragon Hybrid's molten scales. Pain shot through his shoulder—but Harvester reacted instantly, shadows enveloping the strike, redirecting the hunter backward.
Rion's threads tore through another hunter's wrist, forcing him to drop a relic.
Kael's Dragonfire coiled, exploding in a controlled wave, forcing the remaining hunters to retreat slightly.
They were fast. Precise. Coordinated. But Kael was faster. Smarter.
The lead hunter recovered first, eyes blazing. He raised a hand, summoning a suppression orb that pulsed with pure energy.
> This is it, Kael thought. Time to escalate.
He released the Dragon Hybrid fully. Molten scales erupted across his body, wings flaring as the forest ignited around him. Harvester extended shadows like tentacles, coordinating attacks that Kael couldn't have executed alone.
The hunters screamed—not from pain, but from recognition.
> Not human. Not fully. Impossible power.
Flames, shadows, and disruption converged in a single, devastating wave.
The lead hunter was flung into the cliffside, his suppression orb shattered. Two others fell, groaning. Only one remained, and even he hesitated, sensing something beyond calculation.
Kael exhaled, heat radiating off him. Harvester dissolved back into shadow, and the Dragon Hybrid receded, leaving Kael standing among scorched earth and shattered trees.
Rion approached, wide-eyed. "That… that was insane."
Kael wiped sweat from his brow. "And that was just the beginning."
Far beyond the forest, a figure watched from the imperial capital—silent, masked, and immobile.
> Subject Kael Viren confirmed as Avatar-class anomaly.
Dragon Hybrid fully manifested.
Immediate containment recommended.
Another message flashed nearby, unseen by mortals:
> Otherworld faction active. Alert: Kael Viren exceeds projected growth.
Kael did not know yet. But his actions had already sent ripples far beyond Ashfall.
The empire and its enemies now knew his name.
And they would not forgive what he had done.