“Are you ready?”
Kael questioned with a light smile on his face. Vitaria momentarily glanced at Cirri, then, as if to taunt her even further, she jumped into Kael’s arms and,
“I am.”
“…”
Cirri’s mouth twitched. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off the Fox’s face, but she couldn’t do anything because Imperia was sitting on top of her head.
In the end, she just closed her eyes, and Vitaria, who knew she had won, cuddled into Kael’s embrace and,
“Yes, Father~”
She answered with an adorable smile on her face.
Kael, who continued to ruffle the fur ball in front of him, smiled and then formed a portal.
“Let’s go, then.”
A determined look appeared on his face as the portal formed.
He had been stuck with the Tempest Sanctum for more days than he anticipated, so he wanted to clear the new place faster than that.
“We wish you luck, Father. Please be careful inside.”
Igni spoke in his mature voice.
Kael patted his head as he nodded at him, then, after saying goodbyes to all his children, he walked inside the portal and stepped into a completely different world.
“…Beautiful.”
Vitaria commented, mesmerized by everything she was seeing.
And Kael couldn’t help but agree.
The place was indeed beautiful,
Perhaps the most beautiful place he had ever laid his eyes upon.
The sky was a soft blend of pink, gold, and lavender, like a never-ending sunset. Trees with glowing silver leaves swayed gently in a calm breeze. The grass beneath their feet shimmered like velvet, and the air smelled of sweet fruit and warm sunlight.
It was completely different from the Infernal Crucible and Tempest Sanctum.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Almost… suspiciously peaceful.
Kael looked around, just as mesmerized as Vita, but then,
“Something’s different here.”
Vitaria, who had been cuddling and rolling around in her father’s arms, suddenly commented as she moved and jumped onto Kael’s shoulder instead.
“What is it?”
Kael questioned. He was already on alert.
“I… do not know.”
Vitaria shook her head.
“Something’s weakening my perception here.”
“Your perception…?”
Kael frowned.
He didn’t feel anything.
His senses were still as sharp as they normally were.
And as if to prove that,
“Be careful.”
Kael’s expression suddenly changed as he assumed his battle stance the moment he sensed a presence behind him. He turned around, his ear picked up the sounds of footsteps and, very quickly, a being revealed itself.
A Fox.
An extremely beautiful Fox. She had long, silky fur that glowed with soft colors of white, blue, and purple. She had five large, fluffy tails that sparkled like they were made of light. Her silver eyes shined with curiosity as she stared at Kael and Vitaria.
The moment Kael saw her, he recognized what she was.
A Dreamveil Kitsune.
Beings he had studied a lot. After all, Vitaria’s egg was actually a Dreamveil Kitsune’s egg before he used his ability on it.
Of course, this didn’t mean Kael let his guard down. He prepared himself for a battle as his eyes turned golden and a screen appeared in front of him.
[Name: Luna]
[Race: Dreamveil Ki*@#!#]
[Ran!@#$$]
[Ag#@$-]
[Lev!@!#]
[Streng$#%#]
[Agili@#@#]
[!@@#$$$]
[#@#$]
…
‘What…?’
Kael frowned in confusion, and very quickly, he recalled Vitaria’s words.
‘Something’s weakening my perception here.’
‘Is this what she was talking about?’
He wondered in his head. For now, however, he kept his eyes on the Kitsune with a wary look on his face. He would react the moment she would make a move.
But then,
“I have never seen the two of you. Who are you?”
The Kitsune questioned, her beautiful silver eyes shining with even stronger curiosity.
‘A Kitsune who can talk…?’
Kael blinked, somewhat surprised.
Dreamveil Kitsune were Epic Ranked Beasts. They couldn’t talk with humans. The anomaly made him even more wary.
The Kitsune, on the other hand, completely ignored his wary stance as if she didn’t understand it. She walked toward him, wanting to know more about the two beings in front of her.
“Stay there.”
Kael spoke in a stern voice.
“Hmm?”
The Kitsune frowned.
“Why?”
She questioned, and Kael…
He had no clue how to deal with the situation.
What do you mean, why?
This was their first meeting. Isn’t it normal to be wary of each other?
No wait, wasn’t she a little too carefree?
Although she had stopped because Kael told her to, her confusion was still clear.
“Why do you two not want me to get closer?”
“…Why do you want to get closer?”
Kael questioned back.
“Because I want to talk…?”
The Kitsune tilted her head in confusion.
“Talk from there.”
“But it’s too far. Talking isn’t fun this way.”
“We are talking just fine, aren’t we?”
“…You are right.”
The Kitsune agreed.
“So? Who are you? How did you get here?”
She questioned. To her, it didn’t matter how they talked; she was more curious about the two.
And as if on cue,
A screen appeared in front of Kael,
[Everveil’s Lullaby]
[Mission: Learn the Truth.]
[Mission Description:]
[In the World of Everveil, the Dreamveil Kitsunes, the Masters of Illusion, live in harmony. Walk among them, learn their ways, and awaken the power to shape what others see—to show what you wish them to see. Only then, through crafted lies, can the hidden truth begin to shine.]
[Time Limit: None]
[Note: You will still be sent back after 24 Everveil Hours, but you can continue from where you left after you return.]
[Completion Reward: Echo of Everveil]
…
‘Huh…’
Kael raised his eyebrow.
‘So I don’t have to fight here?’
He glanced at Vita, who seemed confused as well. The little Fox shrugged at her father, telling him that she was out of ideas.
So, for now, Kael decided to trust the system screen and,
“My name is Kael, she is my daughter Vitaria, and…
I am here to learn the Truth.”
At his words, the Kitsune tilted her head,
“You are here to…
Learn the truth…?”