It had been two days since the Valeborne family moved back into their original mansion villa, all because of Caelum. And now, it was time. Time to show his father, Lord Alaric, undeniable proof that he had completed his coming of age mission.
The Valeborne Family Rule:
When a member of the Valeborne family completes the coming of age mission assigned to him, he is granted one wish by the Patriarch.
That's right. Lord Alaric was now bound to fulfill one thing Caelum desired. Whether it was fame, ancient family treasures, money, freedom, hierarchy, or something else entirely_the possibilities were endless.
But Caelum had already made his decision.
He walked confidently through the hallways toward Lord Alaric's office. The marble walls practically screamed royalty, glistening under the high chandeliers. Security had been visibly tightened since their return_sleek, suited guards stood stationed around the villa like statues carved from authority itself.
Knock knock!
Caelum knocked twice and waited.
"Come in," came Lord Alaric's calm voice.
Caelum entered.
As always, Veron_Lord Alaric's ever-present butler, stood at his side like a silent shadow.
"Caelum," Lord Alaric began, his voice uncharacteristically gentle, "do you need something?"
"Yes, Father," Caelum replied, stepping forward and handing him a red envelope.
Lord Alaric accepted it with a mildly skeptical expression. He opened it slowly, then read through the contents in silence.
His eyes lit up halfway through the document. He paused briefly to glance at Caelum, then continued reading until the end. Once finished, he handed the envelope to Veron without a word.
"Congratulations, Caelum," Lord Alaric said, smiling faintly. "You've passed your coming of age mission."
"Thank you, Father."
"Well then…" Lord Alaric leaned back slightly, "what is it you wish for as your reward? This old man will do his best to grant it." A light chuckle followed his words.
Caelum closed his eyes and acted as if deep in thought for a moment.
Then, he opened them.
"I want to leave the Valeborne household," he said clearly. "I wish to travel the world."
Veron's reaction was instant. His eyes widened with open surprise, though he kept his composure. Lord Alaric remained still for a few seconds, clearly pondering something internally.
"What do you hope to achieve by traveling the world?" he finally asked, his voice laced with genuine curiosity.
"I'm not entirely sure yet," Caelum admitted. "But I know I want to grow stronger than ever before. That much is certain."
Each word came from him with quiet determination_no hesitation, no doubt.
"If this is truly your wish… then I won't stop you," Lord Alaric said flatly. "But let it be known: this request will not count as your coming of age mission reward."
"Really?" Caelum's eyes lit up. "Thank you so much, Father!"
"When you've decided on a worthy wish for your reward, tell me. And I'll do my best to fulfill it," Lord Alaric said, his tone calm but firm.
Caelum bowed respectfully, a rare smile on his face, then left Lord Alaric to his thoughts.
Moments later, Caelum descended the stairs, intending to head out and visit the Valeborne GeneX business skyscraper_the business currently being managed by Vinicius.
But just as he was passing the lounge area, something on the massive wall-mounted screen caught his eye.
The 85-inch television was switched on, and a breaking news segment was just starting.
Channel Super Crore brings you Breaking News…
The news intro tune played.
The screen transitioned to a live broadcast. A female news caster stood in front of what looked like a collapsed four-story building, emergency lights flickering behind her, chaos in the background.
She had neatly tied brown-blond hair and wore a blue suit paired with a matching skirt. Her serious tone matched the urgency of the scene.
Monarchical disciples could be seen behind her, rushing to manage the situation and rescue any survivors from the wreckage.
But none of that was what truly caught Caelum's attention.
No, it was the grotesque creature lying far behind the reporter's left side_clearly dead, thick dark blood oozing out of it and staining the concrete.
The beast was green-skinned, covered in large, grotesque scales, and had a sharp, beak-like structure protruding from its mouth. It didn't look like anything natural.
It looked like a mutation.
The news caster spoke quickly:
"Yet again, another mutation outbreak has occurred, this time at a public market in downtown Ukraine. The victim of the spontaneous mutation has been identified as Kuro Nakamura, a Japanese immigrant working in electronics."
She paused briefly to catch her breath before continuing.
"Thanks to the quick intervention of Enforcers, the damage was minimized. Only seven people were confirmed dead, and thirteen injured. A stark contrast to the usual average numbers we've seen."
She took another breath before delivering her closing statement.
"We can't thank the Enforcers enough_they continue to keep Europe safe on behalf of the Monarchs."
Her expression darkened slightly.
"Still, the rate of spontaneous mutations has been steadily increasing over the past three months_with six separate outbreaks occurring in just the last three days alone."
And with that, the live stream ended.
Channel Super Crore news outro tune plays...
Caelum stood there, rooted to the spot, staring at the screen even after it went black.
That news report had triggered something_a memory buried deep inside him, from the previous Caelum. It rose like a ghost through the fog of his mind… and it wasn't going away.
Spontaneous Mutation: This was a bizarre phenomenon that had begun occurring throughout Europe. The first recorded case took place three months ago in Germany, where a train station worker, just about to clock out for the night, suddenly began hyperventilating.
Moments later, he transformed into something monstrous_something utterly inhuman. His body swelled to three times its original size, his eyes turned reptilian, and his skin became a luminous, unnatural shade of blue. The worst part? He had gained the supernatural ability to manipulate wind.
Soon, similar Spontaneous Mutation cases began cropping up across Europe like wildfire. And what made these mutated humans even more terrifying was the fact that they retained, and in some cases amplified, their supernatural abilities even after their transformation.
In response, the Enforcers had been working around the clock across all sectors, striving to contain this outbreak. Numerous research projects were launched in hopes of uncovering its root cause.
So far, there was one grim certainty: anyone who undergoes a Spontaneous Mutation cannot be turned back into a human_they must either be restrained indefinitely or killed.
Enforcers: These are Disciples officially sanctioned by the Monarchs to kill. They patrolled cities day and night, crushing crime and criminals with divine authority. These warriors fought not only within the cities, but also defended civilization from beasts beyond the city walls.
Caelum had previously worked alongside a specialized division of Enforcers under his Monarchical sector_The Draco Enforcers.
Selira Valeborne, his sister, was currently an Enforcer in training.
Caelum snapped back to his senses, an expression of bittersweet joy and deep melancholy etched on his face. He had planned to travel through Ukraine_or perhaps across all of Europe_in search of his four most elite disciples. The problem? He had no idea where to start.
But now, after remembering this disturbing phenomenon_the Spontaneous Mutation, he suddenly had a direction.
Not just a plan… but an opportunity.
An opportunity to rise again.
To announce to the world that Darius Drakenhart_The Draco Monarch had returned.
This was going to be thrilling...
News of Caelum's decision to temporarily leave the Valeborne household spread like wildfire. Vinicuis, overwhelmed with emotion, couldn't hold back his tears. The employees at the Valeborne GeneX tower wished him a safe journey with heartfelt sincerity. Thanks to Caelum's generosity in securing free trade routes, global connections, and an abundance of funding and resources, they vowed to push the company to the very top.
Three days later.
It was finally time for Caelum and Anna, to leave the Valeborne estate.
Of course, he wasn't going without Anna.
All the family members were present outside, including the entire mansion staff, lined up in reverence.
"Have a safe trip, Lord Caelum!" the staff chorused, their collective voices echoing through the serene woods.
Lady Seraphina and Lord Alaric stood at the forefront of the grand estate to see Caelum off. True to his nature, Lord Alaric wasn't one for emotional displays. He offered no hug, no lengthy farewell, only one simple command:
"Don't die. And make sure you return stronger than all your siblings."
As for Lady Seraphina, her heart was a storm of worry beneath her calm exterior.
Anna had agreed to write monthly letters detailing Caelum's travels and progress, addressed directly to Veron, Lord Alaric's loyal butler.
Theron and Lucien_secretly_felt relieved. With Caelum gone, the pressure lifted from their shoulders.
But for Aeris… it was devastating.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clung to her favorite sibling. To her, Caelum was the most hardworking, intelligent, and kind-hearted of them all. She didn't know when_or if_she'd ever see him again.
As for Selira, Caelum had left her something personal: a sealed letter, with instructions not to open it until after his departure. She couldn't shake the feeling that this entire journey was part of Caelum's grand design.
Caelum would continue selling roughly 500 Static Runes each month through the Paladin Merchant Guild, splitting the profits with his parents. This arrangement made them immensely pleased, but deep down, they had always hoped Caelum would become more than just the brains behind their empire.
Screech!
Anna slowly eased the car down the driveway, with Caelum in the passenger seat. They picked up speed as they hit the open road.
The journey had begun.
Their destination? A hotel near the heart of Germany_the country where the Phoenix Monarch resided. And more importantly, the birthplace of the Spontaneous Mutation outbreak.
The source of the phenomenon had to be there.
After hours of driving and stopping occasionally for drinks, they were on their final highway, just minutes away from crossing into Germany, when something disastrous occurred.
Traffic.
A massive jam. Vehicles were stretched out for miles ahead. To the right side of the highway stood a world-renowned shopping complex: Whalemart.
Caelum and Anna grew bored crawling through the congested road, so Caelum pulled out his phone and began scrolling through the TikTak app.
That's when it happened.
"Ahhhh!!"
The sound of panicked screams rang out.
From Whalemart.
People were pouring out of the massive mall, trampling over each other in pure chaos.
All eyes turned toward the scene, but before anyone could process what was happening_things got worse.
Kpash!!
The front-facing glass wall of Whalemart exploded outward as a monstrous creature burst through, its massive head shattering the glass with brutal force.
The beast was unlike anything they had ever seen.
It was stunningly white, covered in glistening scales like marble armor. Its claws were long and jagged. A terrifying row of blood-stained teeth dripped red, hinting that it had already claimed victims inside.
Screeeee!!!
It let out a piercing shriek that shattered the air. Then, without hesitation, it lunged forward and headbutted a passenger bus trapped in traffic.
The bus was only a few vehicles ahead of Caelum and Anna.
Crash!!
The massive vehicle toppled over, crashing down the slope of the highway and slamming into a building across the road. Alarms blared as debris scattered across the asphalt.
Chaos erupted.
Phones came out. Cameras turned on.
The world was now watching.
Screeee!!!
The monster roared again, louder and more primal this time.
"Fucking hell," Caelum muttered under his breath.
But despite the destruction and carnage, a sharp smile flickered across his face.
This was it.
His moment.
The Mutilation Arc... finally begins.