CHAPTER 31: KAEL’S FALL.

[Blood Claw Slash]

Elias activated the skill as he swung his gauntlet-covered arm toward Kael’s position. A translucent red claw burst out, tearing through the air with scorching speed. Kael, still dizzy and in pain from the soul rebound, couldn’t react in time. Even if he had noticed it coming, the distance was too short and the attack was far too fast for him to dodge.

BOOM!

The energy claw slammed into Kael’s chest. His armor cracked like shattered glass under the impact, and the force launched him off his feet. He flew backward through the forest, crashing through one tree, then another, until his body finally slammed into a thick trunk with a heavy crunch. The bark split where he hit, and the trunk dented inward before his body dropped limply to it.

Elias let out a satisfied smile. He had landed a solid hit—exactly what he had aimed for. But he wasn’t done yet.

"Now!" he shouted.

At that signal, the undead dire wolf leaped into action from the side. Its eerie green eyes glowed as it opened its massive maw wide.

AWOOOO!

The howl echoed across the battlefield, and in the blink of an eye, a focused sonic wave burst out from its mouth, blasting forward with crushing force.

Kael, dazed and barely conscious, was still slumped against the tree. At the last second, his instincts screamed, warning him of the incoming attack. His body tried to move, but he was too weak. All he managed to do was raise his arms to cover his chest.

It wasn’t enough.

FWOOM—

The sound wave hit him like a hammer of pure force. His crossed arms shattered instantly. The energy tore straight through him, punching a gaping hole in his torso and blasting through the tree behind him.

Kael’s eyes widened in shock, his expression frozen in disbelief... then dimmed.

His body slumped. Life left him before he even hit the ground again.

---

[You have killed Kael, Level 8 Human.]

[You have received: +5 Extraction Points (EP), +40 Exp Points, +20 Karma Points (KP).]

---

[Ding!]

✅ Quest Update: "Claim What’s Yours"

Objective 1: Eliminate the Parasite Threat

Progress: 1/2

Remaining Threat: Veran

Special Bonus Activated – First Inhabitants Secured

---

Elias exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing as the notifications flashed in front of him. He looked down at Kael’s lifeless, blood-soaked body lying near the broken tree.

Something felt strange.

"The system gave me the kill," Elias muttered as he glanced at the dire wolf. "But it was the wolf’s sonic attack that finished him..."

His brows furrowed in thought. Then, after a brief pause, realization struck.

Of course.

Vael was a summon—a true undead summon capable of growth and evolution and as a result of that when Vael claimed a kill, the system diverted part of the reward to him for his own development.

But the dire wolf? It wasn’t like Vael. It was just a regular undead puppet, completely bound to Elias’s will.

It couldn’t evolve. It couldn’t grow stronger on its own. Everything it did—its power, movement, and even its intent—came from Elias himself.

Which meant... its kills were technically his.

That was the difference between an undead summon and an undead puppet.

Elias smiled to himself as his gaze shifted to the second notification—the one that made the corner of his lips lift slightly.

First Inhabitants Secured.

Just as he had suspected.

Kael had been the head of the operation—the strongest one. He was the one who had the ability to brand and enslave people using the slave imprint. Veran, on the other hand, had always seemed different. From the way he spoke, the way he moved... Elias had guessed that Veran was some common slave trader. He likely had noble blood or strong ties to powerful people—just enough influence to make an illegal slave operation run smoothly right under the law’s nose.

So while Kael handled the dirty work—capturing and enslaving the victims—Veran worked behind the scenes, keeping them protected from any outside interference. He kept the authorities distracted while the slave trade thrived in the shadows.

But now Kael was dead.

And with his death, the slave imprints he had placed on the victims were finally broken.

That meant Elias had fulfilled a key part of his mission—to free those enslaved within his territory and secure his first batch of true inhabitants.

He couldn’t help but feel satisfied of this progress.

---

Meanwhile, back in Elias’s territory...

The day was going like any other. The enslaved men and women scattered around the area some sat in silence, others whispered among themselves. But then, something strange stirred within them.

A warm, strange sensation bloomed deep within their souls.

They all froze.

A stillness spread across the camp. Every person stopped what they were doing as a calm wave washed over them.

And then... something lifted.

An invisible weight that had always been there in the back of their minds... was suddenly gone.

"W-What was that?" a woman asked quietly, pressing her hand to her chest.

"Did anyone else feel that?" a man said, his voice filled with confusion.

"I-I think... something just changed," another woman whispered, her voice trembling, eyes shining with tears.

They all looked around at each other—faces filled with fear, hope, and disbelief.

"Is... is the imprint gone?" one voice asked softly.

"It can’t be..." someone replied. "Does this mean... we’re free?"

For a moment, no one dared to say anything else. It was as if speaking too loudly would shatter the moment.

Then a younger man, maybe in his late twenties, suddenly stood up.

"That young lord!" he shouted. "He left with Kael earlier today. He must’ve killed him! That’s why... that’s why we’re free!"

Gasps broke out from the crowd.

"It makes sense!" someone else added. "Kael was the one who enslaved us. If he’s dead..."

"He’s dead," another finished, almost in disbelief. "It’s the only explanation."

"But... how?" a woman asked, voice full of doubt.

They all knew how powerful Kael was. Every single person here had been captured by him. He had broken them. So how could that boy... that Elias... defeat him?

But before any more questions could be asked—

THUD.

A shadow moved at the edge of the building.

All heads turned.

Vael stepped forward from behind the structure, walking calmly and confidently. He carried something over his shoulder like it weighed nothing.

It was Veran.

Unconscious. Limp. Defeated.

A gasp rippled through the people.

No one could say a word. Their jaws dropped. Their eyes widened.

It was true.

Even Veran had been captured.

And then, someone finally whispered, "He really did it..."

"Lord Elias... killed Kael..."

"He... freed us."

A silence followed, but not for long.

Cheers broke out.

"He did it!"

"He killed that monster!"

"We’re free! We’re finally free!"

Laughter, tears, shouting—joy erupted in every direction. They hugged, screamed, and cried.

"All hail Lord Elias!" a man shouted with all his heart.

"All hail Lord Elias!" another followed.

Soon, they were all chanting together. Loud. Proud. Grateful.

"All hail Lord Elias! All hail Lord Elias!"

Vael, still holding Veran over his shoulder, glanced at the joyful crowd with a crooked grin.

They had no idea, he thought.

You’ve all underestimated Master...

---

Meanwhile, back in the Embergrove Forest...

Elias stood silently before Kael’s broken corpse, his arm stretched out over the lifeless body as he activated his extraction talent.

[Advanced Extraction Triggered.]

Choose one item to extract:

▸ [+20 Attribute Points]

▸ [Skill Book – Flame Slash (Uncommon)]

▸ [Memory Fragment]

▸ [Trait – Tenacity (+5% Defense when HP 30%)]

Elias narrowed his eyes as he stared at the floating notification.

This was... different.

Usually, his extractions were more straightforward—trigger the skill and accept whatever came out. It was all based on luck. But this time was clearly different. Though it still followed the "get what you get" format, now he had to choose only one from the list.

Was it because he had used extraction on a human?

He didn’t dwell too much on the why. Instead, his focus turned to what was in front of him.

The first option he dismissed immediately.

Flame Slash.

It might be useful to someone else, but not to him. Elias fought with his fists, and this was clearly a sword-based skill. It had no place in his current combat style.

That left the Trait, Attribute Points, and Memory Fragment.

He frowned slightly.

"System," he called out, "What exactly is a Memory Fragment?"

[A Memory Fragment contains pieces of knowledge, thoughts, or experiences from the source. Value may vary—it could include maps, secrets, or important information. Or... it could be trivial.]

"Hm..." Elias rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "So it’s a gamble."

That was all he needed to make his choice as his scanned his options once more, the trait wasn’t bad either—Tenacity. But it only activated when his HP dropped below 30%.

That kind of effect could easily be replaced later with better gear or a defensive skill.

Compared to that... +20 Attribute Points was raw power—something that would benefit him in every fight.

He had made his decision.

Are you sure you want to extract: [+20 Attribute Points]?

Yes / No

"Yes."

[Extraction Complete.]

You have received: +20 Attribute Points

Elias gave a satisfied smile.

Now that was worth it.

He looked around the battlefield—splintered trees, scorched ground, and deep claw marks everywhere. It was clear a fierce fight had taken place here.

He let out a long breath.

"Time to go," he muttered, turning away from Kael’s lifeless body.

The dire wolf followed silently at his side, ever loyal, as they began walking back toward the edge of his territory.