CHAPTER 172: THE FUGITIVE OF THE CLAN!

The horn boomed through the forest.

That sound was a signal for the hunt.

Kael’s breath hitched as he realized what it meant. The Celestial Guards had joined forces with Cecelia’s family guards.

One of the Celestial Guards stepped forward.

"Hey boy! Surrender yourself now! To defy the Celestial Guards means to seek your own death!"

Kael’s eyes widened. (Celestial Guards?).

(What are they doing here? They should be stationed near the Imperial Capital at the Council of Clan, not in Arcadia’s southern borders. Why are they chasing me, too?)

One week earlier, the matter of Kael had already reached the ears of the highest powers.

The Erianlia, still fuming over their lost treasure, had gone before the Council of Clans.

Their representative, a stern-faced noble named Halric, stood at the centre of the living room.

"Honorable Council," Erainlia said, bowing slightly. "We come not to beg, but to demand what is just. A criminal named Kael has violated the rules of noble law. He has stolen the Sealed Box, a relic entrusted to our bloodline since the age of the ancestors. Such an act cannot be forgiven. To break into the sanctum of a noble house and steal its heirloom is no mere crime—it is rebellion against order itself."

The Council of Clans, made up of the most influential families, understood the gravity of his words.

"A theft of this scale was not only a personal insult to the Erianlia family, but also a strike against the traditions that upheld noble authority. If one boy could do this and escape, others might follow. The precedent was dangerous."

Representative of Council of Clan, Halric, leaned forward. "And what do you expect of us? Your guards are many. Why have you failed to capture that man yourself?"

Erainlia’s expression tightened, but he bowed again. "We have searched every road, every village, every shadow, but the boy is elusive. He wields powers we did not anticipate, and there are whispers that he trains in arts long forgotten. He cannot be underestimated. Thus, we humbly request that the Council lend us the authority of its celestial guards. With their aid, Kael’s capture will be swift and certain. In return, once Kael is apprehended, we vow to hand him over to the Council’s judgment. His fate will not rest in our hands alone, but in the authority of the Clans themselves."

A murmur spread among the Council.

The celestial guards were no ordinary force. To deploy them was no small decision.

Halric spoke again.

"So be it. For the crime of breaking the noble laws and stealing the Sealed Box, Kael is declared a fugitive of all Clans. The celestial guards will join your own men in the hunt. If he is found, he will be brought here in chains."

Erainlia nodded, giving an evil smile and bowing down slightly.

(...Since all the soldiers are here... this is the perfect time to test it.), Kael thought.

His hand tightened around the hilt of his normal sword. A dark, cold energy rippled from within him, like chains being broken.

It wasn’t his power alone, this was something he had learned, stolen from forbidden memories in the abyss from the future.

The skill used by the Abyss Warden of Demons.

He closed his eyes briefly, steadying his breathing, then opened them.

A deep violet glow ignited in his pupils, and a pressure surged outward. The river churned unnaturally, its waters swirling into an unnatural spiral.

The guards hesitated, their confident stance faltering as they felt the shift in the atmosphere.

Their instincts screamed danger.

Kael’s voice came low, almost a whisper, yet it carried across the field like a storm.

"Abyssal Cyclone..."

The earth shook violently. A roar of wind erupted. From Kael’s body, a swirling vortex of dark wind and shadow burst forth, its pull dragging soil, stones, and even trees into its spiraling fury.

The cyclone towered upward, black and violet arcs of energy snapping within its walls.

Guards screamed as the pull yanked them off their feet, armor clanging helplessly.

Some tried to resist, planting their weapons into the ground, but the sheer force ripped them free and flung them skyward.

Their bodies were shredded within the spinning vortex, blood mist scattering through the storm.

The banners of the Celestial Guards snapped and tore apart, their proud insignias swallowed by the darkness.

The proud formation collapsed into chaos, men scattering, shouting, and being sucked into the storm of death.

Kael stood at the eye of it all, hair whipping wildly, his face lit by the unholy glow of the cyclone.

"I am not your prey," he said. "I am Kael Ashford, and if you are stopping me, i can’t stop the future wars"

The cyclone raged, tearing through the forest, and the once-proud soldiers found themselves reduced to helpless figures against the abyssal winds.

But even as he stood victorious, Kael’s chest ached. The Abyssal Cyclone drained his strength, threatening to tear at his body as much as his enemies.

This wasn’t a skill a normal human should even be using.

Yet Kael knew The Celestial Guards being here meant that the world itself was turning against him.

With a single release of his skill, Kael unleashed a devastating force that swept through the battlefield like a raging storm.

The blast of power hurled soldiers off their feet, slamming them against the ground and scattering their weapons in every direction.

The once orderly formation of armored men collapsed instantly into chaos—shields cracked, spears snapped, and the sound of groans filled the air.

Though the sheer might of the skill could have killed them outright, Kael’s control was precise.

He had no desire to take their lives. Instead, he chose to injure them, making sure each strike left them unable to fight but not beyond recovery.

Some guards clutched their broken arms, others struggled to breathe after the wind was knocked out of them, and many lay writhing in pain, their bodies bruised and battered.

They had expected bloodshed, but instead, they witnessed a display of power that showed Kael’s dominance without unnecessary slaughter.

He glanced around at the groaning soldiers and muttered under his breath, "This is mercy. Next time, I won’t hold back."

So Kael ran away to the southern village. All his strength and mana were exhausted.