Chapter 242: Promotion
The chamber remained silent as the weight of Kael’s intelligence settled over the assembled elders and family members. Clara’s expression gave nothing away, but Kael could see the gears turning behind those cold eyes.
He wasn’t finished.
"Additionally," Kael continued, his voice carrying clearly through the chamber, "a few days ago, the Draven clan launched an attack on Gra-Khazul territory."
Murmurs erupted immediately. An attack on a sovereign territory was an act of war.
Kael raised his hand, and the murmurs died.
"The Dravens deployed a boundary disruptor—a device that temporarily deactivated the tribe’s ancestral barrier. The window lasted approximately twenty minutes before the tribe managed to restore it."
He paused, letting the implication sink in.
"The attacking force consisted of four Late Spirit Soul soldiers, ten Mid Spirit Soul soldiers, and over one hundred Mana Heart realm soldiers."
The elders’ faces paled. That level of force wasn’t an assassination squad—it was an invasion army. The Dravens had committed significant resources to this operation.
"Most of those soldiers are likely dead now," Kael said flatly. "Once the barrier was restored, every Spirit Soul cultivator trapped inside had their power sealed and significantly reduced. The tribe slaughtered them like sheep."
A grim satisfaction settled over the chamber. Dead Draven soldiers meant weakened Draven position.
"During the attack," Kael continued, his gaze sliding briefly to Felix, "I encountered Cassius Draven—the eighth child of the Draven clan head. I was only able to escape thanks to the valiant rescue of the servants my dear brother Felix so thoughtfully provided."
Felix’s diplomatic smile didn’t waver.
Inside, Felix was seething. He knew exactly what Kael was doing—publicly crediting him for a rescue that was supposed to be an assassination. The servants he’d sent hadn’t been there to protect Kael. They’d been there to ensure he died.
And now Kael was rubbing salt in the wound by pretending to be grateful.
Kael’s lips curved slightly as he turned back to Clara.
"I was ultimately able to escape with my life thanks to the timely arrival of Lady Sophie and my personal Pillar Knights."
"The tribe lost at least one thousand members in the attack," Kael concluded. "This has completely severed any possibility of the Gra-Khazul allying with the Dravens. They will never trust the Draven clan again."
He met Clara’s eyes directly.
"Which opens a perfect door for the Vorn family to step in as their new ally. And thanks to the intelligence I gathered, we now hold a monopoly on the timing of when their inheritance ground will open."
Silence.
Lady Clara leaned back in her throne. Her expression remained composed, but something had shifted in her eyes.
Impressed.
Cassius Draven was known throughout the Thirteen Worlds. Late Mana Heart realm at thirty-four years old. A genius with blue grade talent and an obsession with the soul path that made him unpredictable and dangerous. Most cultivators in Kael’s position—a Rank 3 Mana Heart realm against a Late Mana Heart opponent—would have died within seconds.
Kael hadn’t just survived. He’d gathered critical intelligence, secured a political advantage for the family, and manipulated the situation so thoroughly that Felix’s assassination attempt had become a public demonstration of Kael’s resilience.
Clara was also aware—because of course she was—that Felix’s "generous" decision to send servants had been nothing more than a thinly veiled murder attempt. Too bad for Felix that Kael had seen through it from the beginning.
Clara exhaled slowly.
"Due to the performance of the sixth son of the Family Head," Clara’s voice rang through the chamber, "the 14th Shadow, Kael Cassian Vorn, is hereby promoted to Shadow Rank 7."
The chamber erupted.
Not with cheers—with outrage.
Several elders whose children had just been displaced from their Shadow positions shot to their feet. One elderly man with a gray beard slammed his palm against the armrest.
"This is absurd! My son spent twelve years earning Rank Seven! This boy has been a Shadow for barely six months!"
"Jumping seven ranks at once is unprecedented! It insults every Shadow who earned their position through years of service!"
"The boy clearly manipulated the situation for personal gain—"
"Enough."
Clara’s voice cut through the noise like a blade.
Her aura exploded.
The pressure that filled the chamber was crushing—dense, heavy, suffocating. Kael felt his knees want to buckle despite his Tier 4 body cultivation. The elders who had been complaining froze mid-sentence, their faces going gray, their bodies trembling under the weight of Clara’s presence.
This wasn’t just soul pressure. This was something more—something that made the air itself feel like it was trying to crush the life out of everyone in the room.
Kael stared, momentarily stunned. He’d felt Vice Principal Dubois’s aura before—had even been subjected to her telekinetic pressure during the space test. But Clara’s aura was on a similar level, perhaps even denser.
As expected of the Second Lady of the Vorn family, he thought. Mother of Victor. The woman who produced the first Sword.
The complaining elders dropped back into their seats, heads bowed, silent.
Clara’s aura receded as if it had never been. Her expression hadn’t changed.
"The promotion stands," she said calmly. "Further objections will be noted and addressed privately. Does anyone else wish to speak?"
Silence.
"I thought not."
Clara’s attention returned to Kael.
"In addition to your promotion, you will receive the following rewards. In two to three years’ time, when the inheritance ground of the Gra-Khazul tribe opens, you will be sent there as part of the Vorn delegation. This is both an honor and a responsibility—do not disappoint."
Kael bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, my lady."
Internally, he was unbothered. He didn’t actually need this reward—he could use Finesh’s identity to enter the inheritance ground whenever it opened. Before leaving the tribe, he’d left a letter with Goran explaining that Finesh was traveling to the outside world to gain experience and would return before the inheritance ground opened. The reputation he’d built as Finesh would ensure his welcome.
But there was no reason to tell Clara that.
"Furthermore," Clara continued, "the tax on your established city is reduced from thirty percent to fifteen percent, effective immediately."
Kael’s eyes flickered. That was significant—fifteen percent more revenue meant faster expansion, more resources, greater independence from family allocations.
"You are also granted the rights to expand your territory into the four regions surrounding Starfall City. However—" Clara’s gaze sharpened, "—this means you may clash with siblings who hold claims to those regions. Any conflicts will be resolved according to standard family protocols. Do not expect preferential treatment."
"Understood, my lady."
"Is there anything else you wish to report?"
"No, my lady."
"Then you are dismissed."
Kael bowed and turned to leave. As he walked toward the chamber exit, he could feel the weight of dozens of eyes on him—envy, resentment, calculation, fear. The elders who’d complained were staring at their hands, humiliated. Felix’s eyes were cold enough to freeze fire right now.
Diana watched him pass with her usual detached curiosity.
The doors closed behind Kael, and the oppressive atmosphere of the chamber faded.
He walked through the administrative wing’s corridors, his mind already processing the implications of his new position.
His path took him toward the eastern section of the administrative complex—Cassandra’s territory.
As he walked, a thought occurred to him.
He hadn’t seen Isabella or Sebastian in a while. Isabella had been managing her own affairs somewhere—probably one of the outer territories she controlled. Sebastian had been even more invisible, which was unusual for someone who typically complained so loudly.
Probably still sulking about being irrelevant, Kael thought with a smirk.
He pushed open the door to Cassandra’s wing, where servants immediately moved to greet him.