Kael and Amelia stepped into the Ancient Ruins, where everything remained as familiar as before. The concentration of magical elements here was denser than in the outside world, making cultivation significantly more efficient.
However, their purpose this time wasn't training. For Kael, this would likely be his final visit to the ruins—so he intended to take away as much as possible.
To that end, he and Amelia had specially prepared several spatial rings, ensuring they could carry more treasures.
"So, what exactly are we taking from here?" Amelia asked.
Kael smirked mysteriously. "I have a plan. But first, let's head to the Unicorn Rhinos' territory."He already had a grand scheme in mind—one that, if successful, would secure his future standing on the continent.
Though Amelia didn't know the specifics, she nodded obediently, and the two set off toward the Unicorn Rhinos' domain.
Amelia was more familiar with the ruins' layout than Kael, especially since she had previously drawn a map of the area—now proving highly useful.
This time, their entry point was entirely different from before, much closer to the Unicorn Rhino territory, so they reached it swiftly without exhausting themselves.
"We're nearing the Unicorn Rhinos!" Kael grinned.
The Unicorn Rhinos' territory spanned the eastern region of the ruins, the largest and most dominant faction within. Locating it was effortless for Kael and Amelia, their path well-trodden.
As they approached, the deep roars of Unicorn Rhinos echoed around them. The familiar sound filled Kael with warmth—it had been a while since he'd seen Alaric, that gluttonous old friend of his.
Exchanging a glance with Amelia, Kael caught snippets of conversation among the rhinos.
"Brothers, save that piece of meat for me! Little Three, you better grill it properly!" The unmistakable voice belonged to Alaric, the Unicorn Rhino. Though still some distance away, his booming roar carried clearly to Kael's ears, sparking a flicker of delight in his eyes.
"Yes, Boss!" another Unicorn Rhino promptly responded.
"Little Three! That's not how you grill meat! You have to keep flipping it—ugh, now it's burnt!"Alaric's voice rose in a dramatic wail, like a pig being slaughtered. "You're hopeless, Little Three! You'll never compare to my great friend Kael. Ah… I kinda miss him. His grilled meat was perfect…"
The moment Alaric said this, Amelia shot Kael an amused glance, prompting him to cough awkwardly.
So Alaric still remembers me—though apparently, it's my cooking he misses, not me personally.Kael shrugged.
As soon as they stepped into the Unicorn Rhinos' territory, multiple auras instantly locked onto them. The rhinos were nothing if not vigilant.
"Who goes there?"
"Daring to trespass into our domain? You've got a death wish?"
In an instant, the entire Unicorn Rhino clan was alerted. Dozens of massive figures surged forward, their powerful auras pressing down on Kael and Amelia.
Kael remained unfazed—his strength now rivaled an eighth-tier powerhouse. But Amelia, despite being at the peak of the seventh tier, paled under the pressure. Each Unicorn Rhino was at least eighth-tier in strength—a terrifying force.
Then, an even mightier presence descended upon them.
Alaric.
"WHO?!" His thunderous roar shook the earth as he charged forward, his eighth-tier peak power unmistakable.
Kael had to reinforce his magic resistance just to withstand the force of Alaric's voice. Soon, the massive rhino's figure came into view.
Alaric skidded to a halt, eyes widening. "Kael?!" He could hardly believe it—hadn't he just been talking about him?
"Hah! I, the great Alaric, truly am the Light God's favored one!" Grinning, he lumbered forward excitedly. "Kael, you're back! Come on, I've got a whole pile of meat waiting to be grilled—"
Kael gave a wry smile as he watched Alaric's excited expression. This glutton... I don't even know what to say about him.
Shaking his head, Kael replied, "We're here on important business this time. The grilling can wait."
"What? Did those Darkwing Mages come back to cause trouble again?" Alaric immediately tensed, his voice sharp with suspicion.
"No, of course not," Kael reassured him. "The matter with the Darkwing Mages was settled long ago. This time, I want to explore the ruins further and gather as many treasures as I can before leaving. It'll likely be my last visit here."
Beyond the eighth tier, the stronger one's power grew, the more the spatial forces of the ruins would reject them—an immutable rule of this ancient realm. Kael wasn't exaggerating; this truly would be his final opportunity.
"Huh?!" Alaric's enthusiasm deflated instantly. "You mean… you're never coming back?"
When Kael confirmed it, Alaric's mood plummeted. Gone was his earlier excitement, replaced by genuine sorrow. Touched, Kael realized just how deeply Alaric considered him a friend.
"Ugh… I, the great Alaric, finally made a true friend, only to lose him forever… How tragic! And this stupid ruin is so boring—I've always wanted to see the human world. It must be so much more exciting!" Alaric sighed, his voice thick with longing.
Kael's eyes gleamed. "You want to go to the human world?" Perfect. Just as I suspected. His plan might actually work!
"Of course I do! But we can't leave…" Alaric grumbled dejectedly.
"What if I told you… I could take you with me?" Kael grinned.
"WHAT?! You can get us out? Kael, you're not lying to me, are you?" Alaric's massive eyes widened—first in shock, then in unrestrained joy.
Kael chuckled. Truthfully, he'd been considering this for a while, unsure how to broach the subject. But now that Alaric had brought it up himself, things couldn't have gone smoother.
"Yes, I have a way," Kael said, taking a deep breath. "I possess a treasure—an infinite contract space. As long as you form a pact with me, I can take you out of here."
Amelia, standing nearby, was momentarily stunned before quickly realizing Kael was referring to Moonlight Dusk. She was well aware of its existence—Kael had never kept secrets from her.
Kael had discovered that the contract space within Moonlight Dusk was boundless, meaning he could form pacts with an unlimited number of magical beasts.
In the Southern Jara Continent, most humans could only contract one beast due to the limitations of their contract space. But Kael was different—Moonlight Dusk's space was vast enough to be practically infinite, freeing him from such constraints.
With a snap of his fingers, Kael summoned Scarlett from the contract space.
Gesturing toward her, he explained, "This is one of my contracted partners. As long as you form a pact with me, all of you can enter my contract space, and I can take you out of here!"
This was Kael's grand plan—
To "smuggle" the entire Unicorn Rhino clan out of the Ancient Ruins!
In truth, the Unicorn Rhinos didn't even need to form contracts with Kael. Just like the Frostbearhe had previously tossed into Moonlight Dusk's space, Kael could freely manipulate its interior. However, since he intended to bring these rhinos into the outside world, he needed insurance—contracts were the safest guarantee.
While Kael trusted Alaric, the same couldn't be said for the rest of the Unicorn Rhino clan.
And so, this was Kael's scheme. If successful, he would instantly gain over a hundred eighth-tier enforcers under his command!