The guildhall still smelled of blood.
The floor was scrubbed, the bodies were burned, but Kael knew the memory lingered in every stone. The attack from the Merchant Council had left scars on more than just the walls.
Many of the freedmen whispered fearfully now. Some were ready to run, others clung to him with blind devotion. His women tried to be strong, but Kael could see the worry in their eyes when night came.
He could not let that happen again.
"Power," he muttered to himself, standing alone in the training hall. "I need more power."
Chains slithered from his body like restless snakes. Some were strong and sharp as spears, others thinner, twitching like whips. He had used them in battle, yes, but too often he had relied only on rage and instinct. That would not be enough against what was coming.
The system's voice echoed in his head.
[New Training Path Available: Chain Mastery.]
[Would you like to begin?]
"Yes," Kael whispered.
---
The air grew heavy.
The training hall darkened, shadows spreading until the torches looked faint and weak. Then the system's chains appeared—vast, spectral things, thicker than tree trunks, coiling through the air like titans. They circled him slowly, their iron links glowing faintly red.
[Chain Mastery Trial Begins.]
[Objective: Learn to control, not just unleash.]
The first test was balance.
Kael willed the chains outward, but they moved like wild beasts, smashing into the walls, cracking stone, nearly hitting him as they whipped back. Sweat ran down his face as he struggled to command them.
He remembered the battle—the moment Aurelia had been grabbed, the helpless rage that had nearly cost him everything. His chains were strong, yes, but blind strength was a weakness.
"Obey me," he growled, planting his feet.
The chains slowed. They resisted, tugging like stubborn wolves, but slowly, they curved around him in a circle, floating steady. He forced them to rise, then to bend, then to weave.
It felt like learning to move new limbs. Each mistake cost him pain. Every time his focus slipped, a chain smacked into him, leaving cuts and bruises across his chest. But he gritted his teeth and kept going.
Hours passed.
---
When dawn broke, Aurelia came into the hall, carrying water. She gasped when she saw him—shirtless, drenched in sweat, his body marked with fresh wounds. The chains circled him now in smooth arcs, wrapping, coiling, snapping at invisible enemies.
"Kael," she whispered, setting the water down. "You're hurting yourself."
He gave her a faint smile. "No. I'm forging myself."
She bit her lip, torn between scolding him and admiring him. Then she walked closer, her fingers brushing the bruises on his chest.
"Then let me at least heal you after," she said softly.
---
But Kael was not done.
The second trial was speed.
The system conjured illusory enemies, shadows darting in from every side. They moved faster than men, faster than assassins. Kael's chains had to intercept them before they reached him.
At first, he failed. The shadows cut through, slicing his skin, stabbing his sides. Each wound felt real, even though it faded quickly. His frustration boiled.
Then he remembered the Council's captain, the enchanted sword cutting through his chains. He remembered Aurelia screaming, her throat nearly slit. Rage flared, but he caught it before it consumed him.
Not rage. Focus.
He slowed his breathing. His chains lashed out, not wildly, but with precision. One caught a shadow mid-strike, another swept two aside, another formed a wall before him. His body moved like he was dancing with them.
Soon the hall was filled with whipping iron, moving faster and faster, until the shadows could not touch him at all.
The system chimed.
[Chain Mastery: Level 2 Unlocked.]
[New Ability: Chain Guard – Automatically deflects one fatal strike per battle.]
Kael dropped to his knees, exhausted but grinning. "Yes… this is it."
---
Later, Selene entered the hall with Nyra. They had been watching him train in secret.
"You're pushing yourself too hard," Selene said, frowning. "We need you alive, not broken."
Nyra chuckled, stretching like a cat. "No, he's right. He needs this. If the Council sends stronger assassins next time, raw lust won't save us. We need a monster. And that's what he's becoming."
Kael looked up at them, his eyes burning. "I won't let them touch you again. Any of you. To protect this family, I'll tear this city apart if I have to."
Selene's frown softened. She knelt and pressed her forehead to his, whispering, "Then I'll fight at your side until the end."
---
The nights grew harsher.
Kael trained until his chains bled sparks, until his muscles screamed. Sometimes Aurelia or Selene stayed to heal him. Sometimes Serana came, whispering prayers as she licked the sweat from his body, treating him like a god in the making.
And sometimes, the training became more than just combat.
The system rewarded him when he bonded deeper with his women—through passion, through trust, through the heat of their bodies. After one night of fierce, desperate love with Aurelia, Kael felt his chains grow sharper, his senses keener. After corrupting Serana further, he gained insight into shadow movement.
It was becoming clear: his strength would always grow from both battle and bed.
---
By the end of the week, Kael stood in the training hall again, his chains swirling around him in perfect harmony. They weaved into walls, spirals, even weapons of their own. His body bore scars, but his eyes were steady, sharper than before.
The system spoke.
[Training Complete.]
[Chain Mastery: Level 3.]
[New Ability: Chain Dominion – Manipulate multiple chains independently as if they were extra limbs.]
Kael clenched his fist. The chains snapped to attention, forming a throne behind him. He sat, the iron links rising like a crown.
"Now," he murmured, "I'm ready to strike back."
---
Outside the hall, Selene and Nyra exchanged a look.
"He's changing," Selene whispered. "Faster than I thought."
Nyra smirked, her fangs flashing. "Good. Let the Council pray to their gods. Ours is already here."
And in the shadows, Serana watched too, her lips curling into a smile. Her master was growing stronger… and the cult would soon learn what it meant to awaken a man like him.