Chapter 125: 125:I Just Love This Feeling Of Despair

Kael stood in the middle of the training yard, the cold wind biting at his skin, but the warmth of the fight kept his blood boiling. The soldiers around him hesitated, their hands gripping weapons, sweat dripping despite the freezing temperature. Berat lay in the snow, groaning, his shoulder twisted unnaturally from Kael’s "healing" session.

Kael stretched his arms with a grin. "Come on, you bastards. You were all talking big just a moment ago! Where’s all that confidence now?" His voice carried over the yard, filled with mockery and amusement. His wild, unhinged smile made even the hardened mercenaries flinch. "Or do you need me to break a few more bones before you find your balls?"

Some of the Northern soldiers chuckled, entertained by Kael’s antics, while the Sparves soldiers were dead silent, eyes darting between Kael and Berat’s crumpled form.

A few mercenaries exchanged uneasy glances, but one finally stepped forward—a towering brute with a scar running down his cheek.

"You think you’re something special, huh?" the man sneered, gripping his axe. "You’re just a cocky brat with a big mouth!"

Kael tilted his head, his grin widening. "Oh? And you’re the dumbass who thinks he’s a badass? Let’s fix that delusion, shall we?"

With a blur of movement, Kael lunged. The brute barely had time to swing his axe before Kael ducked under it, his fist crashing into the man’s ribs with a sickening crack. The mercenary staggered back, wheezing, but Kael didn’t stop. He kicked the man’s knee, forcing him to drop to one leg, then grabbed his head and slammed it into the frozen ground.

"Fuck!" someone in the crowd gasped as the brute’s body twitched. Kael stepped back, dusting off his hands, his face twisting into an exaggerated frown. "Damn, I was hoping for a challenge. That was just sad."

A murmur spread through the soldiers. Some were excited, others horrified. No one had expected Kael to be this brutal, this unhinged.

Kael turned, arms outstretched. "Who’s next?!"

Silence.

"Come on!" Kael barked. "Is this what the North has to offer? A bunch of limp-dicked cowards?"

That was enough to provoke them. A group of three stepped forward, each wielding weapons—a spear, a sword, and a pair of daggers. They didn’t wait for Kael to taunt them. They attacked all at once.

Kael laughed. "Now this is more like it!"

The first soldier lunged with a spear. Kael twisted to the side, grabbing the shaft and yanking the man forward, slamming an elbow into his gut. The soldier gasped, doubling over. The second came in with a sword, aiming for Kael’s head. Kael ducked, grabbed the fallen soldier’s spear, and jabbed the blunt end into the swordsman’s throat. He collapsed, choking.

The last one, the dagger user, hesitated for a split second.

Kael grinned. "Big mistake."

He threw the spear like a javelin. The soldier dodged, but that’s exactly what Kael wanted. He was already behind him. With a kick to the back of the knee, he brought the man down, then grabbed his wrist and twisted until the dagger clattered to the ground. The soldier screamed as Kael kept twisting.

"Come on, scream louder!" Kael taunted, tightening his grip. "Maybe someone will come save you!"

A loud crack echoed in the air. The soldier collapsed, his arm bent at an unnatural angle.

Kael exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Fucking weaklings."

The remaining soldiers hesitated, some stepping back. The ones who had cheered for Berat looked like they’d swallowed nails. Even the ones who had been mocking Kael earlier were dead silent.

Kael looking at them laughed,"I just love this feeling of despair."

........

From above, Albert and Robert watched everything unfold. Albert’s jaw clenched. "This... This is fucking insane." His voice was barely above a whisper. "This isn’t normal..."

Robert, arms still crossed, narrowed his eyes. "No. It’s not."

Albert gritted his teeth as he looked down at the chaos below. The mercenaries were either groaning in pain or lying unconscious, blood pooling beneath them. And at the center of it all was Kael, standing with that damn grin, eyes wild with excitement.

"What the fuck?!" Albert hissed. "This bastard just awakened a month ago! How the hell is he this strong?!" His fingers dug into the stone railing, his jaw clenched so tight it hurt. "This makes no goddamn sense... This shouldn’t be possible..."

Robert, arms crossed, remained silent. His cold gaze followed Kael as he toyed with his opponents, effortlessly dodging attacks, striking with brutal precision. Every move was calculated, every strike designed to break—not just bodies but spirits. It wasn’t just strength; it was madness, a kind of battle hunger that sent shivers down even his spine.

Kael grabbed a soldier by the throat, lifted him off the ground, and slammed him into the dirt like a ragdoll. The crowd flinched. Laughter rumbled from Kael’s chest. "Come on, I thought you dumbasses were better than this!" His voice dripped with mockery, eyes gleaming like a wolf in a pen of sheep.

Albert swallowed hard. "He’s... enjoying this?"

Robert closed his eyes briefly, recalling the first time he met Kael. Something about him was off. Not just his attitude, not just his arrogance—something deeper. A difference that Robert still couldn’t define. But one thing was certain.

Kael wasn’t normal.

Opening his eyes, Robert looked beyond the walls. The cold wind bit at his face, the vast frozen land stretching endlessly. His people—the Frosts—had once ruled this land as undisputed kings. Their bloodline carried the power of ice and water, making them invincible in the snow. And yet, despite their might, they had lost.

Their ancestor had faced Veydrin’s founder and been defeated. That battle had sealed their fate, binding them to Veydrin in eternal loyalty. But loyalty came at a cost. Their isolation, their refusal to leave the North, had weakened them over generations. Their numbers had dwindled. Their strength had faded. And Veydrin’s rulers had let it happen, afraid the North would one day rebel.

Robert exhaled, his breath a cloud of white in the freezing air. "At least things are different now," he muttered.

Albert turned sharply. "Huh? Father, what did you say?"

Robert didn’t answer. He simply shook his head, his voice firm. "Guide them properly, Albert. Don’t let our forces weaken. We can’t afford to lose men fighting among ourselves not when the real threat is still out there."

Albert looked back down at Kael, still standing in the bloodied snow, grinning like a lunatic, daring the next fool to challenge him.

Albert scoffed. "I will stop this now.’

Robert said nothing. But deep inside, he knew,Kael might just be exactly what the North needed right now.