It was then, in the depths of that well of frustration, that his instinct pulled him toward the only thing he still felt was his own.
He closed his eyes.
'Status.'
The familiar interface appeared before him.
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[Fallen System]
Name: Cairen Veyrith
Age: 16
Bloodline: Fallen Human (Grade 3), Fallen Narakai (Grade 3), Fallen Elthar (Grade 3)
Titles: *** ******** ***
Cultivation: 2º Stage of the Affinity Awakening Realm
Passive Abilities: Narakai Physique
Active Abilities: Spiritual Eyes
Fallen Abilities: Shackles of the False Genocider, The Serpent's Plague, Veil of Blindness
[Missions] (+)
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Nothing had changed drastically. His physical body was purer, his comprehension expanded, but the system didn't show it. The core of his strength remained the same.
He still needed to finish tempering his body with fallen energy to solidify his foundation and finally be able to absorb Qi.
It was the next crucial step, the key to stop being a mere beginner and step firmly onto the path of cultivation.
That was when he noticed it. In the corner of the interface, where usually only the mission panel existed, a small icon was blinking softly.
"A new mission? That's actually great!"
A faint thread of genuine excitement, the first in a long time, coursed through him. The system was unpredictable and never helped when he asked for it.
But it was a real source of power, a ladder to climb in a world that constantly tried to crush him.
A new mission meant a new direction, a new goal, and most importantly… a reward.
He focused on the icon.
[Side Mission: Break through to the Qi Accumulation Realm.]
{Reward: Random Fallen Bloodline (Grade 2)}
Cairen held his breath.
A new bloodline. And not just any, but one of the grade 2. If the grade 3 bloodlines he possessed, the Narakai and Elthar lines, were already powerful enough to inspire terror and grant him an advantage, then what could a higher-grade lineage do?
This changed everything. Yes, he would rely on the system.
While Ling and the king saw him as a tool, something under their control, the system offered him a path toward explosive evolution without anyone noticing.
They expected him to simply accept it. They truly underestimated the hunger of the Fallen.
A cold, determined smile formed on Cairen's lips. The capital might be a new cage, and Ling his jailer, but inside that cage, he would cultivate. He would train. He would shatter the limits imposed by others, and one day, he'd find a way to break the seal left by Sela.
As he sank deeper into thought, silently plotting how to accumulate power away from Ling's eyes, a subtle change stirred his senses.
The constant hum of the ship, which sliced through the clouds with a smooth roar, began to fade.
Its speed decreased, and a sensation of descent filled the air.
Curiosity overcame resignation. He approached the elegantly carved window of his chamber and looked down.
And then he saw it.
His breath caught briefly.
Beneath him, stretching as far as his eyes could see, was the capital of the Rhyne Kingdom.
It wasn't just a city, it was a monumental sculpture carved in white marble.
The buildings were tightly clustered yet arranged in perfect forms, each avenue seemed wider than a river. Every square was a vast lake of polished stone.
Slender, elegant towers dotted the horizon, their spires glimmering and reflecting the sunlight.
Canals of crystal-clear water wound through the city, mirroring the pure white of the structures and the blue of the sky.
It was truly breathtaking.
And at its heart, crowning a mountain seemingly raised for that sole purpose, stood the castle.
It was less a construction and more an extension of the mountain itself.
Immense, colossal, a fortress of towers made from the same radiant white stone, though laced with others that pulsed with a soft light.
Arched bridges ran across, connecting distant spires. Hanging gardens cascaded down the mountain slopes in waves of vibrant vegetation.
It was a vision of power, order, and absolute beauty, but also a fortress impossible to invade by ordinary means.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Ling's voice came from his side, soft and tinged with possessive pride. He hadn't even heard her enter.
Cairen, still mesmerized by the sight, replied without thinking. His voice was a whisper, filled with awe.
"Yes… it is."
Only when the words left his lips did he realize. He turned abruptly and met Ling's gaze.
She stood beside him, also looking at the capital. On her face was that same habitual smile, one that was both beautiful and unsettling.
She shifted her gaze from the window to him, satisfaction gleaming in her expression.
"Yes, this is your new home. And who knows, in the future, all of this might be yours…" She stepped back, her posture returning to that of the commanding princess.
"Now. Prepare yourself. We will speak with the King, my father, right after we disembark at the castle's dock."
Cairen looked at her for a long moment. The image of the majestic capital still burned in his eyes.
The place that embodied the power controlling him. The initial admiration faded, replaced once more by cold reality.
He was a forced guest.
He simply nodded, his face inevitably following the princess's command, masked in neutrality.
He decided to go along with the flow, at least for now.
He would meet the king and accept his fate as a "fiancé" before them. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, he would focus on the system's mission and on severing the bond with Ling.