Kaien stepped into a moonlit clearing, the cool forest air brushing against his sweat-drenched skin.
A chaotic aura rippled softly around him, a black-red mist that sparkled like distant stars.
In his arms, Moki quivered, worn out but still alive.
The little fox had singed fur in patches, with flickering sparks barely clinging to his whiskers.
Kaien looked down at him, caught between annoyance and a smirk.
"You really are one troublesome furball… next time, could you give me a heads-up before jumping into the abyss with me?" he muttered
Moki let out a tired grunt and bumped his head against Kaien's chest, curling up tighter in the embrace.
Kaien chuckled, a crooked grin spreading across his face.
"Alright, alright. Rest up for now. We're gonna need all your sparks later."
He looked up. The moon hung above, bright and cold, like a watchful eye. Its glow reflected on the jade tablet behind him, which seemed to radiate a faint light — a quiet promise of greater power and darker challenges ahead.
Without a moment's thought, Kaien turned his back to it.
"One nightmare at a time," he murmured as he walked on.
---
He glided through the forest like a shadow, each step light and free despite his tiredness.
Sometimes he paused to admire a glowing spirit mushroom or playfully flick a pebble at a scurrying bug — little acts of curiosity that stood out against the raw power buzzing beneath his skin.
The world felt more vivid now. The rustling of leaves, the hoot of an owl echoed through him. His senses — spirit, physical, and something else entirely — had sharpened after that last inner sea battle.
>Trust no sect. Laugh louder, or be devoured.The system's warning echoed in his mind. Kaien clicked his tongue.
"Trust no sect? That's easy. I can barely trust myself not to die of boredom," he scoffed.
He continued walking, weaving through wispy curtains of mist. Ahead, he sensed something different: a swirling mix of moonlight qi and a faint hint of spiritual poison.
Moki stirred in his arms, his nose twitching.
"You smell that too, huh? Looks like someone's having a little dance with a snake…"
He followed the scent until he came to a lake so still it mirrored the night sky. Moonmist Lake.
Lotus leaves glimmered on the surface, their petals dripping with spiritual dew. The air tasted cool and a bit metallic, thick with latent energy.
Kaien gently set Moki down on a dry patch of moss.
"Rest here. If I get eaten, don't forget to mourn me for at least five seconds before finding a new idiot to tag along with," he joked.
Moki growled weakly, though a tiny spark popped from his fur in response.
Kaien's eyes sparkled with mischief as he moved forward.
From the water's edge, he spotted her; a figure standing on a pale rock jutting into the lake.
She seemed ethereal, almost unreal.
Long silver hair shimmered like falling moonlight, and her robes flowed around her like drifting clouds, a slender sword resting lightly at her side. Her gaze was sharp and unwavering, focused on something beneath the lotus leaves.
Kaien tilted his head, smirking.
"Great. A moon fairy doing sword ballet with the fish…"
Suddenly, the water exploded.
A massive serpent shot up, its body covered in scales that reflected the moonlight. Two long black horns curled backward from its head, and green venom dripped from its fangs.
Without hesitation, the woman moved. Her blade flashed, slicing through the air with a thin arc of moonlight. The serpent screeched, scales splitting and spraying misty blood across the water's surface.
But it didn't die. Instead, it twisted, coiling around the rock and lunging forward again.
Kaien felt something stir in his chest — a playful itch.
"Should I just sit back and clap… or join the fun?"
Before he could decide, Moki stumbled up behind him, letting out a weak but urgent bark. Sparks crackled along its tail, eyes locked on the serpent.
Kaien sighed, raising his hands in mock surrender.
"Fine, fine. You're a terrible audience, you know that?"
He stepped lightly forward, his aura flickering to life around him. Black-red qi and faint lightning crackled from his palms, taking on shifting, claw-like shapes.
The serpent lunged at the woman again, but Kaien was quicker. He dashed across the mossy stones, each step impossibly light.
The woman turned sharply as he reached her, icy blue eyes widening.
"Who—" she started.
"Save the welcome speech! Watch your head!" Kaien interrupted cheerfully.
The serpent hissed, scales rattling. It snapped forward again, jaws wide open.
Kaien's fingers curled into a claw, and he thrust it into the serpent's lower jaw.
Chaotic energy erupted, black and red lightning blasting from his palm and racing through the beast's skull.
The serpent shrieked, its body convulsing violently. It tried to pull back, but Kaien pushed deeper, laughing.
"What's the matter? You don't like my handshake?!"
With one last convulsive shudder, the serpent crashed back into the water, steam rising from its cracked skull.
Kaien stood there, dripping, eyes gleaming with amusement.
The woman gazed at him in stunned silence, her sword still raised but trembling slightly.
Kaien turned, tilting his head with a casual grin.
"You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost… or worse, an unpaid debt collector."
The woman didn't move. Her moonlight aura still shimmered faintly around her blade, reflecting the pale glow of the moon.
"That energy… demonic… but also…" she murmured, unable to finish.
Kaien wagged a finger at her.
"Ah-ah-ah, no spoilers! Let's not ruin the mystery all at once," he teased.
Moki stumbled onto the rock then, panting heavily but glaring fiercely at the woman, daring her to attack.
Kaien glanced at him and let out a soft laugh, crouching to scratch the fox's ears.
"Relax, little thunderball. She doesn't seem like she wants to fight anymore."
Slowly, the woman lowered her sword. Her eyes studied Kaien's chaotic aura — wary, curious, and a flicker of something else... intrigue.
"I am Seira Moonveil… disciple of Moonshadow Pavilion," she finally said, her voice steady though her hand still trembled a bit. "Who… what are you?"
Kaien straightened up, smirking as moonlight played across his golden eyes.
"Who am I? Hmm… let's say… a former office slave who laughed his way to hell and came back for seconds," he replied, his tone light but with an unearthly echo.
Seira's eyes narrowed, her grip tightening again.
"You… you are dangerous."
Kaien's grin widened into a razor-thin smile.
"Only to those who deserve it."
The lake fell silent around them, the last ripples fading into a smooth calm.
Above, the moon hung lower, as if leaning closer to listen to the quiet conversation that might determine the fate of entire sects.
Kaien let out a soft laugh, shaking droplets from his fingers.
"Well, Miss Moonveil… since we've shared such a lovely moonlit performance, how about some tea? Or would you prefer to keep glaring at me until sunrise?"
Seira stared at him, her sword wavering between attack and retreat.
Kaien leaned a bit closer, his grin bright.
"Come on… I promise I don't bite first."