Kael's body surged with Lightning Force, amplified by the refined mana of Mana Resonance. On the battlefield, he was nothing short of a walking catastrophe.
What made him truly terrifying was his physique—forged by Thousand-Year Ice Essence, it bore no resemblance to a typical mage's fragility. Though no match for Amelia's warrior strength, he far surpassed these bandits. Coupled with his Domain, he moved with lethal precision—a mobile war engine.
He saw no need to summon Scarlett or the Unicorn Rhinos. This skirmish was trivial for him and Amelia alone.
Kael's gaze swept the dozen riders surrounding him. Their faces paled as an inexplicable pressure locked their limbs—as if the very air had turned to lead.
What… is this?
Then—action.
A flicker of cold intent, and Kael struck. Lightning arced like a scythe, reducing the men to ash before they could blink. No resistance. No screams. Just instant annihilation.
"Peak seventh-tier? No… Even eighth-tier experts might not match this horror!" Amir, the bandit vice-captain, stood frozen, his confidence shattering. At thirty, he'd brushed against the eighth-tier threshold, surpassing ordinary peak seventh-tier warriors. Yet this boy…
Though also at the seventh-tier peak, Kael's power transcended tiers. It rivaled—no, surpassed—the eighth-tier elites Amir had encountered.
"How… is this possible?"
Before Amir could process the absurdity, Amelia descended like a Valkyrie. Her Frost Battle Qi, refined under Kael's guidance, unleashed devastation.
The Nomad Bandits—elite as any imperial corps—might as well have been straw dummies. In moments, a dozen more fell to her blade.
Amelia's ferocious battle qi sent a chill through Amir's spine. His shock deepened—not just at the thunder-god-like youth, but now at this breathtakingly beautiful woman who was also a near-eighth-tier powerhouse.
"Retreat! Now!" Amir barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.
His order triggered an impeccably coordinated withdrawal. The Nomad Bandits moved with drilled precision—falling back in formation, covering each other's retreat, leaving no openings. This was no rout, but a tactical disengagement.
"Fleeing?" Kael's eyebrow arched. In a flash of lightning, he intercepted their path. The deafening crackle of thunder reverberated, sapping the bandits' morale. Fear, raw and primal, flickered in their eyes.
A single clash had laid bare the truth: Kael and Amelia's might dwarfed anything they'd faced. Only years of discipline kept their swords raised.
To them, Kael was more terrifying than any eighth—or even ninth-tier expert they'd encountered.
What do men fear most?
The unknown.
Kael's Domain and mysterious lightning defied all conventional warfare. None on the continent wielded such power. Those who neared him fell instantly, reduced to charred corpses without exception.
Faced with this unnatural horror, retreat wasn't cowardice—it was survival.
Even Kael was impressed. To maintain formation under such assault... Just who is the mastermind behind these bandits?
Such tactical brilliance could rival any continental army commander.
But admiration didn't stay his hand.
Lightning lashed out like whips, Mana Resonance amplifying the devastation. Another dozen bandits collapsed mid-sprint.
Amir's face twisted. With a gritted-teeth roar, he broke from the ranks—the sole one daring to challenge Kael head-on.
Yet Kael's gaze remained icy, indifferent. Amir might as well have been a gnat.
On the contrary, Kael focused on dismantling the bandit foot soldiers. With precision, he knocked each rider off their Frosthorn Steeds, eliminating them while ensuring the prized mounts remained unharmed.
His intent was clear: he wanted those steeds.
This was no small fortune—nearly a hundred tamed Frosthorns, each worth over 10,000 gold. Combined, they represented a staggering million-gold windfall.
These bandits are richer than I'd imagined. As the nominal lord of Lafei, Kael couldn't help but scoff. They've got deeper coffers than I do.
Every steed was now his property. It didn't matter how formidable the Nomad Bandits' leader was—this was his territory now. No one plundered here without consequence.
His gaze flicked to Amir's desperate charge. With a slight sidestep, Kael effortlessly evaded the man's killing strike.
"He predicted my move?!" Amir's shock was palpable, but he had no time to dwell. Gritting his teeth, he lunged again.
"Overestimating yourself." Kael's frown deepened. The gap between them was vast—Amir's persistence was less a threat and more an irritating fly.
A mere flick of his wrist, and his Domain clamped down. The crushing pressure sent Amir hurtling backward, skidding over a dozen meters before he barely regained his footing, his face ashen.
Kael arched a brow. He'd held back, intending to capture Amir alive—yet the man had resisted his Domain's restraint better than expected.
Slightly more resilient than I thought.
But resilience alone wouldn't save him.
Power gaps were absolute.
And right now, Kael fought like an eighth-tier sovereign.
With a flick of his hand, Kael unleashed two razor-edged bolts of lightning. The attack was too swift for Amir to evade. A choked grunt escaped him as his body lurched midair before crashing heavily to the ground.
Tendrils of black smoke curled from Amir's scorched form—the aftermath of the thunderstrike. Yet his formidable cultivation had spared him from death, leaving him severely wounded instead.
Kael hoisted Amir up like a ragdoll. Leaderless, the bandits finally descended into chaos. Seizing the opportunity, Kael and Amelia carved through their ranks unimpeded. Within moments, the entire raiding party lay defeated.
Only the Frosthorn Steeds remained, their animal instincts rendering them docile and awed in Kael's presence.
With the battle concluded, Kael gestured for Jett to approach.
The commander scurried over, his soldiers suddenly standing taller, their eyes wide with newfound vigor.
"Lord Earl, your might is peerless! The Sacred Council's wisdom shines through—appointing you as Lafei's lord was their most brilliant decree!" Jett's voice trembled with reverence. Any prior skepticism about Kael had evaporated, replaced by awe. This young man is terrifying—utterly untouchable. Only one phrase fit now: a future without limits.
Just then, Amelia approached, dragging a bound figure. "Kael, we have a survivor—seems to be one of the bandits' captives."