After spending enough time with his family, Kai finally stepped out of his house.

However, his father had been waiting for him outside the house to his surprise. There wasn’t anyone that saw him off because he wanted to go before dawn.

“Dad?” Kai raised his eyebrows and glanced to his side, finding a man who calmly leaned his back to the wall while looking at the dark sky.

“As expected… You are really my son. Even I would have gone at this time since no one will expect it and there won’t be any unnecessary tears.” James smiled and closed his eyes.

“Ehm. I’m sorry.” Kai scratched the back of his head and looked down.

“It’s fine.” James patted Kai’s right shoulder. “I’m not going to stop you. I will take care of your mom to make sure she is not sad. Though, I believe the girls can do it just fine.”

He stepped forward and turned to him with a serious expression. “I won’t talk much and put more burden in your heart right now.”

However, James soon found himself not having any more words to say and came to a halt. He clutched his head and sighed, “What did I want to say again…”

Kai only smiled at him and waited until he finished, albeit the only thing he got was just a hug. The hug was tight and filled with emotions that seemed enough to convey what he wanted to say.

There was even a tinge of responsibility placed on his heart.

Kai didn’t know why but tears started forming in the corner of his eyes. “Thanks, Dad.”

“I am your burden, but I don’t want to bring you down because of my selfishness. I can’t do anything in this war other than believing my son. Whatever you do, Dad will always be proud of you.” James patted Kai’s back and slightly tightened his grip.

He didn’t want Kai to go. He didn’t want Kai to bear all this burden. He only wanted Kai to live his life happily. All these thoughts were conveyed to him, but the fact that he didn’t say any of those meant he trusted Kai.

He trusted his son to be able to finish his duty by leaving this place. He believed his son was able to bear all this burden. He wished his son to live happily after everything was over.

And Kai, who received such a hug, smiled from ear to ear as he said, “Thanks, Dad. I’m going.”

“Yes, be careful on the way. We will always be waiting for you at this place.” James released him and patted his shoulders a few times before taking a step back.

Kai smiled and made a bit of distance between them. After taking another look at his house and his dad as if seeing his family, he snapped his finger and summoned the Teleportation magic circle.

“See you soon, Dad.” Kai smiled as the light from the magic circle began to swallow him, carrying him to another place.

Kai took a deep breath and looked at his surroundings with a smile. He arrived in the middle of nowhere and could only see trees and ruined buildings.

There were many magical beasts who spotted him, but before they could do anything, he already used teleportation again.

“Just a few teleportations away…Emulda Kalan. I’m coming.” Kai smiled.

Another reason why Kai decided to go before dawn was due to the different timezone. As soon as he reached his destination, he covered his eyes from the blinding sun that was almost above his head.

However, the people inside seemed to have noticed his presence too and quickly came out. The ones that greeted him were none other than Aston and Arba.

“My King.” The two dropped to their knees with their right hand on their chest and the other behind their back.

Kai smiled and nodded. “Yes. I have told you about my purpose in coming here, right?”

“Yes. Everything is ready. The ritual can be done immediately. Though, you may need to prepare yourself because your body is not powerful enough to withstand the real power of the Crown Jewel,” Aston explained with a calm expression, trying to see Kai’s reaction.

“I only have one year. Do you think it’s enough?” Kai asked without hesitation. He wasn’t someone who was too optimistic, so he quickly cut to the chase to see whether it was possible or not.

“It’s barely enough. Arba has prepared a training menu for you and it’s assumed you can gain enough resistance after five months. The ritual itself is around six months long since we need to let the energy from the Crown Jewel flow into you gradually.”

“There is also a need for adjustment,” Arba added and thought for a moment. “You may also need to grow accustomed to your power soon.”

“According to our information, there is a little gap between you and Neptune as long as you gain the Crown Jewel. After all, the majority of your power comes from the jewel instead of yourself.”

“It deserves its name, I guess.” Kai nodded in agreement.

“Yes. The only way you can close the gap is by controlling your power and using it efficiently. Unfortunately…” Aston closed his eyes and sighed.

“Neptune has lived far longer than I do.” Kai’s expression turned grim, knowing the gap between them was hard to surmount. Even so, he didn’t want to give up and clenched his fists. “There is still another way.”

Arba nodded in understanding. She said, “Yes. By using it creatively, you will be able to defeat him. At least, the chance is higher than controlling your power in an old-fashioned way. But it’s easier said than done, especially since you only have one month left when the time comes.”

“I know. This is why I am planning to do it in an unconventional way.” Kai smiled and raised his hand. “I have no plan to lose. Besides, I have an idea where to go. I will require your assistance though.”

“We are ready to go through hell for humanity’s survival.” Arba and Aston answered at the same time. “We shall support you in everything you do.”

Kai smiled. “Thanks. Let’s enter first to talk about this topic further. There are a few questions I want you to answer first and several matters to discuss.”

“Understood.” 

*****

Author’s Note: Sorry for the wait, I’m back.. There is an important announcement in the .