Oppression of the Moonlit Mage

About an hour earlier, in the Rein manor, Kian was working on his artifacts when the protective artifact he had given Aqua broke down. His wide mana sense, connected to Aqua's artifact, alerted him immediately. The urgency of the situation was clear.

Kian turned to Allen, his tone sharp yet composed. "Young Master Aqua is in danger. I'm heading to the capital. Take care of things here."

Without wasting another moment, Kian cast flight magic, his silver hair shimmering under the lights of the manor. He combined it with teleportation magic mid-air, moving at an astonishing speed toward the artifact's signal. Unlike Aqua, Kian's Blink magic had an extensive range. He traveled vast distances with ease, covering ground in leaps fueled by high-speed flight magic.

For an hour, Kian surged forward, his focus unwavering as the circular artifact guided him to Aqua's location. When he reached the cave the artifact pointed to, the oppressive air hit him immediately, filled with a malevolent mana signature. His green eyes glowed faintly in the night as he extended his mana sense to the surroundings. With precision, Kian teleported everyone outside the cave—the kids, the guards, even the man and Morbid. The oppressive mana dispersed slightly as they emerged under the open moonlit sky.

The man and Morbid stood stunned, their composure shaken. Claire, watching from a distance, hoped it was her mother. But what she saw surprised her: Kian's formidable figure standing with an unshakable presence.

An aura of suppressive mana spread through the area, suffocating and heavy. Kian's eyes, sharp and resolute, scanned the injured group. He teleported Aqua near him and knelt beside him, his expression softening for a brief moment. "I'll take it from here," he said quietly but firmly.

Turning his gaze to Claire and Emilia, Kian retrieved healing potions from his subspace artifact. His voice carried both authority and reassurance as he handed them the potions. "Take these and give them to the others who are injured. Take care of Young Master Aqua."

Claire hesitated, her worry evident. "Will you be fine?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Kian smiled—a small, confident expression that carried unshakable resolve. "I can handle someone like them easily," he replied calmly.

Standing tall, Kian moved forward, his silver hair gleaming under the moonlight, his green eyes glowing like emerald flames against the night sky. Each step carried an air of inevitability, as though nothing could stop him.

Morbid and the man felt the weight of Kian's mana suppression bearing down on them. Fear flashed across their faces as they struggled to stay upright. The man, still clutching Darkness, dared to act as Kian teleported closer. Summoning what courage he had left, the man raised his weapon in a futile attempt to attack. But before he could strike, Kian raised his hand, and the man was lifted into the air by telekinesis. He hung there helplessly, suspended under Kian's oppressive will.

"You're trying to attack me with Darkness?" Kian asked, his tone icy and cutting. "Without a contract, it's not even a grade 1 sword. Did you beat Young Master Aqua that much to force the contract?"

The mana suppression around the man increased as he struggled to form words. "I... I..." he stammered, his voice barely audible under Kian's pressure.

Before the man could finish his sentence, Kian cast ice magic. Massive spikes formed instantly, freezing the man in mid-air, his expression frozen in terror as he was immobilized in place.

Kian turned toward the monsters. His expression grew darker, his voice filled with cold disgust. "How vile. You're worse than Count Froy to use humans to create such abominations."

Morbid, still under Kian's suppressive mana, attempted to speak but could barely form words. "You... You..." he croaked, his voice strained and weak.

Kian didn't hesitate. With a simple gesture, he lit the monsters aflame, the roaring fire consuming them entirely. The seemingly 8th-circle-level creatures burned with ease under Kian's power, their existence wiped out in seconds.

Morbid, desperate to retaliate, tried to summon more monsters. But Kian sensed his intentions immediately. With a flick of his wrist, Kian sealed the cave entirely, breaking Morbid's connection to the monsters. His expression remained cold and indifferent, his silver hair glowing like moonlight against the dark backdrop. He turned to Morbid, his gaze sharp, and froze him completely with his ice magic.

From a distance, the group watched in astonishment as Kian dismantled the enemies effortlessly. Claire and Emilia, holding the healing potions, were speechless. The others who had regained consciousness stared in awe at the scene before them.

Casial, confused yet relieved, finally spoke. "What just happened? We're outside now—and who is that man?"