Chapter 262: The Familiar Streets
The spaceship descended through Planet Morir’s atmosphere. Kael stood at the viewport, watching the surface below come into focus—endless stretches of green and silver forests broken only by occasional cityscapes.
It had been two years since he last walked these streets.
"Brody," Kael called over his shoulder.
The Origin Realm Rank 3 master sat in the pilot’s chair. He turned his head slightly, his weathered face patient. "Sir?"
"You’re staying with the ship."
Brody nodded without argument.
Yuki appeared beside Kael, her expression as cool and unreadable as always. She wore fitted dark combat attire, her ice-blue hair pulled back in a simple tail.
The ship touched down at the edge of a commercial district. Kael stepped onto the ramp.
Yuki followed a half-step behind, her eyes constantly scanning rooftops, alleyways, faces.
They turned down a narrow street lined with warehouses and small offices. Kael’s lips curved as he spotted the building at the end of the block. No signage except a small, faded plaque by the door:
Morir Import-Export
Yuki stopped. She stared at the building, then at Kael.
"Are we actually in the right place?"
Kael smiled. "The first time I came here, I thought the same thing." He gestured toward the unremarkable facade. "You’d think a secret organization would at least try to look less like a shipping company."
"It looks like a shipping company," Yuki said flatly.
"Exactly."
He pushed open the door.
The moment they crossed the threshold, Yuki’s eyes narrowed. The interior did not match the exterior—not even close. What should have been a cramped office space stretched into a massive hall, at least three times the building’s outer dimensions. Desks lined the walls, each occupied by handlers coordinating shipments and communications. Alcoves led to back rooms pulsing with faint runic light. The air hummed with compressed mana.
"Spatial expansion arrays," Kael explained, noticing Yuki’s expression. "Rank 6 runic formations embedded in the foundation. They fold internal space without affecting the exterior footprint. The arrays create a dimensional overlap—the interior exists partially outside normal space, anchored by the runic framework. To anyone scanning from outside, this building is exactly what it claims to be. Inside, it’s something else entirely."
Yuki studied the arrays visible along ceiling beams. "It seems to be a very big organisation."
The hall was busy. People moved with purpose.
Then a figure materialized before them.
A young elf man, tall and lean, with sharp features and pointed ears. He wore a simple dark uniform with a silver insignia on the collar—a shield crossed with a sword, wreathed in stars.
Kael’s smile widened. "Hello, George. It’s good to see you again."
George smiled back. "You cheeky brat. So you finally decided to show your face."
They shook hands. Kael’s Spirit Eyes flickered for a fraction of a second.
Early Spirit Soul Realm.
Last time, George was Mana Heart Rank 8. Now he’d crossed the threshold.
"Two years, George," Kael said, releasing his hand. "You look like you’ve been busy."
George snorted. "Busy is an understatement. But you—" his eyes swept over Kael, lingering briefly on the subtle pressure of his mana—"you don’t exactly look like you’ve been resting either. Mana Heart Rank 3 already?"
Kael shrugged. "I had motivation."
"Motivation. Right. Is that what we’re calling it now?"
Bruno appeared from a side corridor, and the conversation shifted. He crossed the hall in long strides and clapped Kael on the shoulder.
"The prodigal son returns," Bruno said. "Thought you forgot about us."
"I tried," Kael said. "But you’re surprisingly hard to forget."
They settled into a back room. George poured tea from a pot.
Kael studied Bruno as they sat. Late Mana Heart now, with body cultivation at Tier 4 Late.
Bruno had been refining his body cultivation techniques. His ability wasn’t the kind that won battles on its own. So he compensated. Body arts integrated into combat, physical techniques layered with precision.
He’s better than me at utilizing body cultivation, Kael thought.
"So," George said, settling back. "Heaven’s Gate won the inter-academy tournament. You personally ranked second among all participants. I heard your name in Guardian briefings more than once."
"Briefings?" Kael raised an eyebrow.
"You’re a two-star guardian, Kael. People notice."
Bruno leaned forward, his eyes drifting toward the far end of the room where Yuki had positioned herself. She stood with her back against the wall, arms folded with a cold expression.
Bruno asked, "Who’s the ice cold beauty?"
Kael smirked. "Have you fallen in love? I thought you were just a brute."
Bruno snorted.
"She’s my guardian knight. Spirit Soul Rank 9."
Bruno’s eyebrows rose. Rank 9. He looked at Yuki again with new appreciation.
George chuckled. "Sometimes I forget you’re from one of the most powerful families around. A Spirit Soul Rank 9 guardian knight.
A comfortable silence followed. Then Kael set down his teacup, and his expression shifted—just slightly. The warmth remained, but beneath it, something harder surfaced.
"Hey," he said. "I’m sorry I wasn’t here for Grey’s burial rites."
George’s smile faded. He looked down at his tea before meeting Kael’s eyes. "Grey knew the risks. We all do. He died doing what he believed in. That’s more than most people get."
"He was a good man."
"He was. And yes—he is missed."
Kael nodded slowly. "And Lyra?"
"Lady Lyra is still with her master," George said. "She hasn’t been back to this base in months. Her training is...."
"It would have been nice to see her," Kael said quietly.
George studied him for a long moment, then leaned forward. "Kael. Why are you here? You haven’t registered for a guardian mission since Hevaria. I know you’re not just here to chat."
Kael reached into his storage ring and withdrew a small object. He placed it on the table.
A Void Crystal.
George’s expression tightened. He recognized it instantly. Every House of Crimson base they’d raided during the Hevaria crisis had contained these crystals. They were the mechanism used to teleport abducted civilians across planets—funneled directly to sacrificial sites on Hevaria where a high demon had been awakened through mass slaughter.
"I need more of these," Kael said.
George exhaled slowly. "We don’t have any here right now." He paused, thinking. "There’s a Guardian main base on Planet Aurethys. That’s where our higher-tier resources are stored, including recovered Void Crystals. But—" he looked at Kael pointedly—"you’re a two-star guardian. Access to that base requires at least three-star status."
Kael’s jaw tightened. "So I need to rank up."
"You need to complete one more three-star mission," George confirmed. "Your achievements during Hevaria were already evaluated as a three-star contribution. So you have one. You need one more."
"Is there a three-star mission available here?" Kael asked.
George shook his head. "None currently. But you can go to Planet Khalil. It’s not too far—a few hours by standard transport. They regularly post three-star missions there."
Bruno shifted in his seat. "I’d go with you, but we’re buried in operations right now. Three galaxies’ worth of logistics, and half our handlers are out on assignment."
George nodded. "He’s right. We can’t travel right now. Planet Aurethys is three galaxies away anyway. Even if we could, you’d still need the rank to access the base. I’m a four-star guardian and Bruno is three-star, but our current operations won’t allow either of us to leave."
Kael sighed. He’d hoped this would be simpler.
George pulled a small crystal slab from his uniform and tapped it. A holographic display flickered to life, showing two sets of coordinates.
"The first is Planet Khalil," George said. "Go there, complete a three-star mission, report back to any Guardian base. The second is Planet Aurethys. Once you’re three-star, that’s where you’ll find what you need."
He transferred the coordinates to Kael’s communication device.
Kael pocketed the device and stood. "Thank you, George. Bruno."
Bruno gripped his hand. "Don’t be a stranger this time."
Kael smiled.
George walked them to the door.