Evelyn groans as a sharp ache pulses through her head, as if she's been struck.
She hears someone calling her name and shakes her head, trying to push through the fog.
With great effort, she opens her eyes—and can't believe what she sees.
Kieran sits across from her, his forehead bloodied, one eye swollen shut.
"Evelyn, are you okay?" he asks weakly.
She stares at him, stunned, and mumbles, "Why are you here?"
Then she notices his arms and legs are bound to a chair bolted to the floor.
She looks down and realises the same—her own limbs are tied tightly with coarse rope.
Memory floods back in a rush.
She had taken the forested path—her usual road had been blocked, and that one was the shortest alternative.
While driving, she'd passed Kieran jogging along the side of the path.
Then her tires had burst—sharp, deliberate.
Moments later, masked men with guns had surrounded her car.
She'd stepped out, helpless—her car wasn't bulletproof.
And as soon as she did, a syringe jabbed into her neck from behind.
Then darkness.
Now, this.
Kieran repeats, "Are you okay?"
Evelyn nods slowly. "Yes... They took you too?"
Kieran sighs. "I saw the men surrounding your car, all armed. Before I could even call the police, someone hit me from behind. I woke up just before you did."
Evelyn glances around and sees they're in a wooden room, old and broken, with shattered furniture tossed against the walls and dust thick in the air.
They sit bound in the centre, ropes tight around their limbs—but the kidnappers are nowhere in sight.
She turns to Kieran. "Did anyone come to talk to you?"
Kieran shakes his head. "No one came—but don't worry. My bodyguards will start searching once they realise I didn't return."
Evelyn nods faintly. "Adam will too."
They fall silent, minds spiralling in separate storms.
Evelyn wonders why she was taken—was it for ransom, or was it for the Key?
If it's money, there's a high chance she'll make it out alive.
But if it's for the sealed Key of her family, then she knows—without hesitation—they'll sacrifice her.
She matters, yes, but only to this generation.
Her bloodline is the purest now, but someone equally gifted—or more—will rise in the next.
But if the Key is handed over, there will be no next generation.
Axerus would tolerate enemies, traitors, even rival clans—but never the release of the Twelve Sealed Families or the Demon Hunter Club.
For her family's future, Axerus must remain sealed.
Her greatest worry isn't herself—it's Adam.
He hides his emotions well, but she's seen them—in the quiet way he cooks for her, in how he cares for every little thing when she stays at his house.
If the kidnappers are here for the Key, and Adam tries to save her—or take revenge—he'll stand no chance.
Merin senses a car ahead, along with several people nearby.
He slows down, listening, and when he catches part of their conversation, he steps out of the trees.
The men notice him instantly—three raise their guns while the fourth speaks urgently into his phone.
Merin doesn't even flinch.
Guns like those can't pierce his skin.
He walks toward them calmly, and as they recognise him, they lower their weapons at once.
He hears the man on the phone say his name—"Merin."
Closing his eyes, Merin spreads his field across the area, searching for any clue, any remnant of what happened.
He detects faint footprints near the driver's side of Evelyn's car.
The dirt path should hold plenty of traces, but the real difficulty is knowing which marks matter.
The ground is overwhelmed by countless overlapping footprints.
So he pushes his field beyond the road, scanning the forest on both sides.
On the right, he finds broken grass and bent branches—clear signs of movement.
Small plants crushed, twigs snapped.
People walked that way.
He opens his eyes and looks to the right.
Before he can move, a bodyguard steps toward him, and at the same time, he senses Cassie and Patrick approaching from behind.
The bodyguard holds out a phone. "Mr. Taylor, madame wants to speak with you."
Merin takes it. "Hello?"
A woman's voice answers. "Can I call you Adam?"
"Yes," Merin replies.
Her voice trembles. "Please help me find my son…" she breaks down, sobbing, "I'll give you anything you ask."
Merin answers calmly, "If I find him with her, I'll try—but my first priority is Evelyn."
"Yes, yes, please…" she cries.
He ends the call and returns the phone.
Turning to Cassie, he says, "Inform the police."
Then he vanishes in a flash—his full speed tearing him into the forest like the wind.
After some time, Merin emerges onto a wide dirt road and notices fresh tire tracks curving ahead.
He follows them until they lead onto a paved road, then the trail disappears.
Cars pass by, too many, too fast, their tires wiping out what little was left.
He scans both directions, but without any sign, he can't tell which way they went.
Just then, his phone rings.
An unknown number appears on the screen.
He answers. "Hello?"
A voice responds, firm and familiar. "Adam, I'm Evelyn's father."
Merin's face tightens. "Uncle, I'm sorry. I failed to take care of her."
"We'll talk about that later," the man says. "Someone claiming to be the kidnapper called, demanding one billion credits."
Merin's tone sharpens. "Did they give proof?"
"No," the man replies. "But they said they'll send it in a couple of hours—and after that, we're to transfer the ransom to an account they'll provide."
Merin nods to himself. "Then what do you need me to do, Uncle?"
"If you can find her before then, that would be best," Evelyn's father says. "But if not… I want to be there when they release her."
After a few more words, they end the call.
Merin takes off running in one direction, following his instincts, until he spots a vehicle charging station.
He slows, scanning the area, and spots a camera mounted on a post, its lens pointed toward the road.
He walks straight to the nearby security building and knocks on the door.
A uniformed guard opens it. "Sir, what do you need?"
"I want to see footage from this evening," Merin says calmly.
The guard glances inside at his partner, then back at Merin. "Sir, we can't allow—"
Merin releases a wave of pressure.
"I'm not asking."
The guard at the door stumbles back, his face pale, legs trembling from the weight of Merin's aura.
Merin steps inside, closes the door behind him, and withdraws his pressure.
The second guard has already fallen from his chair.
Merin looks at him and says, "Play."
The guard nods hastily, scrambling back into his seat and typing on the keyboard with shaky fingers.
Merin stands behind him, eyes locked on the screen as footage begins to play.
Cars stream past in ones and twos, but none of them match what he's looking for.
Earlier, on the dirt road, he saw three sets of tire marks—likely from three large vans.
But on this footage, not a single large van has passed since then.
Which means they didn't take the main road.
Merin nods once, turns around, and walks out.
Then he runs back the way he came, wind roaring behind him.
He crosses the large dirt road and continues deeper until, minutes later, he halts.
Another dirt path branches off, bearing the same van tire tracks.
Without hesitation, he turns and enters.
Darkness doesn't hinder him—his field paints everything in perfect clarity.
Soon, a large compound emerges ahead, quiet and still.
Merin withdraws his field immediately, wary of any upper realm martial artists that might sense it.
He approaches slowly, already aware of the hidden cameras perched in trees.
Using the blind spots, he reaches the wall without trouble.
With a light jump, he lands on the electric wire lining the top.
The current crackles—but his body absorbs it effortlessly.
He jumps again, landing soundlessly inside the compound.
Too easy.
That confirms it—no cultivators of high realm strength are present.
Just an ordinary kidnapping.
He spreads his field again, this time focused.
In an instant, he locks onto Evelyn's presence—and Kieran's, right beside her.
The compound is one large building with only two rooms.
They're in the rear.
Merin circles quietly to the back, sticking close to the shadows along the wall.
He takes out his phone and sends the compound's location to Evelyn's father and Cassie.
Then he raises his finger and points at the wall.
With precise control, he shapes his fire into a rainbow-colored beam.
It shoots silently from his fingertip, slicing cleanly through the wall.
The beam retracts before piercing too deeply.
He carves a square large enough for a person and pulls the cut section free without a sound.
Then he steps inside the dim room, his feet silent.
He looks at the two shocked figures tied to chairs.
And says, "What are you both talking about?"
They freeze, startled by the familiar voice, then realise it's Adam.
Evelyn says, "Adam, you came."
Merin steps forward and slices through the ropes binding them.
"Let's go," he says.
Kieran asks, "What about the kidnappers?"
Merin, already stepping out, replies, "Let the police handle them. If I deal with them, they won't survive."
He leads them to the parked vans and opens the driver-side door.
Evelyn climbs into the passenger seat while Adam takes the back.
She glances at him and asks, "How are you going to start the car without a key?"
Merin smiles, presses his palm over the ignition, and sends a controlled surge of electricity through it.
The engine hums to life.
Before leaving, he calmly walks to the other two vans and blasts precise holes through their engines, making sure they won't start without full replacements.
Returning to the driver's seat, he steps on the accelerator, then hurls a ball of fire energy at the building's door.
It explodes inward, trapping anyone inside.
Then he fires another blast at the compound's main gate, tearing it open and launching the debris into the sky.
As they roar down the dirt road, they come face-to-face with incoming police cars.
------
Melissa and Chris walk down the hallway and knock on the door, hearing someone inside.
They step in silently, closing the door behind them.
The room is lined with glass panels on three sides, offering a sweeping view of the city below.
Both bow low before the man sitting in a chair facing the window.
Melissa speaks first, "Sir, they've been rescued."
Chris adds, "Kieran is with them now, eating at a restaurant."
The chair turns.
The man is Tristan, but his irises are now purple, and his aura has entirely changed.
"I told you," he says coldly, "you're going the wrong way."
His voice carries a weight it never had before.
"Why kill an Upper Unification Realm martial artist and involve the city? It's excessive. It draws too much attention."
He stands slowly.
"All we needed to do was kidnap the girl and send her out of the city. Separation was the only goal."
Melissa and Chris exchange a glance, then say in unison, "You're right, Count."
Tristan's body has been overtaken by a Demon Count—specifically, an Illusion Demon, one of the upper demon races.
Their goal was never to serve a demon occupying Tristan.
It was the other way around.
Tristan glares. "I told you to call me Tristan."
They nod quickly.
"If the route's ready, we'll send her out today," he continues.
Melissa answers, "The ceremony's preparations aren't complete yet. Moving her too early would raise the risk. She must be alive for the ritual."
Tristan exhales, a low hum.
"Then tell your superiors—I've done what they wanted. Now it's time they start looking into what the goddess's minions are planning."
Melissa and Chris bow again and, without turning their backs, walk slowly out of the room.
-----
The next morning, while Merin practices in the backyard, he hears voices coming from inside the house.
He doesn't release his field to check—just stops, wiping sweat from his brow.
The space feels small now, not enough for practising the intricate movement needed to comprehend level six fire and ice.
He thinks of the compound where Evelyn and Kieran were rescued—a perfect, isolated place for cultivation.
But before he can leave, the back door creaks open and Evelyn calls, "Dear, my parents have come."
Merin turns and walks toward the house.
He enters and follows her into the living room, where Evelyn's father, mother, and Cassie are seated.
Stepping inside, he bows slightly and says, "Sorry. I failed to protect her."
They talk.
Merin asks about the bodyguards meant to follow Evelyn.
He learns that after she crossed a road and the light changed, they were delayed, then a poison bomb was thrown into their car.
Both guards died.
They speak for a couple of hours before Merin excuses himself and returns to his practice.
That evening, the police arrive.
According to the investigation, a local gang had discovered Evelyn's identity and tracked her for months before making their move.
A week later, Evelyn advanced to the Qi Condensation Realm.
Merin began training with her—if she had reached this stage earlier, the kidnappers wouldn't have stood a chance.
News of Evelyn's breakthrough spread quickly, and soon her friend Cassie and even Kieran began training with Merin once a week.
A month later, on November 20th, 1145, Merin's lotus entered nirvana—his old lotus collapsed to give birth to a new one, and his strength rose by thirty per cent.
On December 26th, 1145, he comprehended the seventh level of fire and ice knowledge.
On March 5th, 1146, he completed a low-level research task entirely on his own.
Using the resources earned from that task and the merit exchanged at the research institute, he reached the eighth level of fire and ice comprehension on May 12th, 1146.
On June 18th, 1146, Evelyn advanced to the True Energy Realm.
That night, the seal on her blood weakened, and her demon was released—she transformed into a werewolf.
Her martial arts cultivation vanished, but her power didn't fall.
Instead, her demon hunter cultivation soared, reaching the peak of the Demon Hunter Realm, with a breakthrough into the Demon Conjurer Realm expected at any moment.
On August 2nd, 1146, Merin reached the ninth level of fire and ice comprehension.
At that level, he experienced an unprecedented moment—he sensed that fire and ice were intrinsically connected.
It wasn't surprising.
From the beginning, he had known that fire and ice, with lightning between them, were expressions of Karst Energy, whose true nature was temperature control.
On September 9th, Merin gently disengages from Evelyn while the sky remains dark—an hour still before sunrise in this season.
Today, he has a mission outside the city.
He enters the bathroom, washes up, and comes out to find the bed empty.
Hearing soft sounds downstairs, he understands—she's cooking.
He descends, hugs Evelyn from behind, and trails kisses along her neck.
An hour later, Merin leaves the house, takes a taxi to the city gate, and meets the mission issuer—a woman named Sasha.
She owns a quartz crystal mine outside the city, but for six months, mining has been halted.
Miners occasionally fall unconscious—not all, but enough to spread fear and stop work.
They tried multiple methods without success, and a week ago, they posted the task at the Karst Energy Research Institute.
In this world, everything is influenced by Karst Energy in one way or another.
Ultimately, they turned to the experts.
Merin boards their huge, armoured car, and they begin the drive out.
He gazes out the window, thoughtful.
After returning, he plans to propose to Evelyn.
Her studies are complete—she awakened her demon blood and will soon head to the Mysterious Palace for further cultivation.
Before that, he wants to make her his wife, since they may not see each other as often afterwards.
The place lies beyond Nova Super City, a six-hour journey by car—daily visits would be impossible.
Merin smiles, confident of success—Evelyn won't reject him.
For the past nine months, they've lived together like a married couple.
All that's missing is the legal bond.
As Merin's car drives away from the city, a man seated by a café window lifts his phone and makes a call.
"He left."