"Next are the National Mages. One of them can defend an entire country. Their presence alters geography. Then Continent Mages. Their spells can fracture tectonic plates. They don't duel. They erase."
"Planet Level Mages," he continued, "are few. Each one could end a world. But after that come the Interplanetary Mages. They move between planets using willpower. Gravity bends around them."
Vael's voice deepened.
"Eclipsed Mages are the ones who hold solar power. They burn brighter than stars. Then Inter-Ecliptic Mages. They can shatter systems. Entire constellations react when they awaken. Then Galactic Mages. Each one rules as a god in their corner of the cosmos."
Ren could barely speak. Vael didn't stop.
"Inter-Galactic Mages bend galaxies. Cosmos Level Mages? They reshape universes. But even they are not the end. There are those who believe beyond this universe... are more universes. More laws. And beyond that?"
He looked into Ren's eyes.
"No one knows. Only a whisper. A shadow in the silence. A level beyond the end."
Silence fell.
Only the wind moved, brushing lightly through the grass where Elara remained hidden. Her hands trembled.
Ren's lips moved slowly.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Vael stepped closer, his tone now quieter than before, yet heavier.
"Because you're not meant to be part of the Arkenhall. You're meant to break it. This truth is your inheritance. Now tell me..."
He extended a hand.
"Do you still want to fight with me? I am currently on planet level. And you are still on sky level."
Ren didn't answer.
Not yet.
The sun dipped below the treeline, casting golden streaks across Kullon Lake. In its reflection, the water shimmered like a cracked mirror. Still crouched behind the tall reeds, Elara watched through narrow gaps in the grass. Her breath was silent. Her body still. But her heart raced.
Ren stood frozen across the shore, his eyes locked on Vael.
"You..." Ren's voice was low, uncertain. "You're on Planet Level already?"
Vael didn't respond immediately. He simply lowered his hand and turned toward the lake, as if the calm surface helped him think. When he finally spoke, his voice had lost all of its sharpness.
"Yes. But that's not why I brought you here."
His back was straight. Hands folded neatly behind him again.
"You asked why I told you everything. About the stages. The levels. The truths Arkenhall kept buried. But that was only the beginning."
Ren didn't speak. He waited.
Vael tilted his head back and stared at the sky, the faint stars beginning to blink into view.
"There was once a civilization that existed long before the current age. One that never recorded its name. One that never needed to. Because everything they created... lived without needing memory."
Ren's brow creased. Elara shifted slightly behind the grass, trying to remain hidden.
"It was them," Vael said. " I heard about them too. They built magic into the bones of planets. Into the wind. Into the very light of stars. But they went too far. They touched something they should not have. But why are you telling me about that? It's also necessary to know?"
He turned his head slightly, his voice dropping.
" Yes, it's necessary to know bcz everything is connected to them. What is happening now, what happened and what will happen. They found a form of life not from this world. Not from any known realm. It was not born. It did not grow. It consumed. It infected thought, swallowed will, and replaced it with something... cold. Something hollow."
Ren's hands clenched at his sides. "A parasite? I heard about that some parasites live eternal life. If they have suitable host."
Vael nodded once.
"Yes, A mana parasites. They transformed their life in to parasites. It moves through mana. It reaches into the mind and devours everything that makes you human. Then it wears your face. Their primary host is mana and for reproduction second host is mana users or living beings who capable to use mana. After reproduction they spread in near surroundings through nose and ears."
A quiet breeze swept across the lake. The surface rippled.
Elara stared at Vael. She didn't breathe.
Vael stepped forward again, slowly.
"This thing... this parasite... it's not just one. It's a species. A corrupted legacy of that ancient civilization. Once they are lived on the Qiyun but they left this planet after they reach certain technology. The technology that still dreams of us. At one day they failed to control parasites. It burrowed into their world where they currently live and shattered it from the inside. Their creations swallowed them. Like before mana discovery, humans produced so much waste and pollution. Their creations lead them near to destruction."
He looked over the lake's surface like he could see another world through it.
"And now... it's here. It has found Qiyun."
Ren's breath caught.
"How? How you know about it?"
"We don't know in starting. But after research we came to this conclusion. And to prove this Mage King returned. He told us entire story about this. The one civilization exist far away from this planet and they send this parasites."
"Mage King. The first magician of the earth. I heard that he lost somewhere and years passed but no a single clue found about them. But now he returned." Ren spoke.
Vael's eyes flicked toward Ren, then back to the sky.
"Whatever the reason, it's here. And it has begun."
He turned fully to face him now.
"It infects through mana exposure. It hides. It waits. Then it turns mages into husks. Puppets. Vessels of chaos. The Arkenhall... was the first to fall."
Ren's mouth opened slightly. His voice cracked.
"No... that can't be true..."
"It is. You've seen the signs. Haven't you wondered why some of your comrades changed? Why some vanished without a trace? Why others came back different?"
Ren took a shaky step back. His heart pounded.
Vael continued.
"The upper council knew. Not all of them... but some. And when we found out... when we saw how many were already infected..."
He lowered his voice.
"There was no choice."
Elara's eyes widened behind the grass.
"You killed them?" Ren said, barely a whisper.
Vael's face didn't move.
"We had to. Once the infection spreads too deep, they're not recoverable. Even the most powerful healing magic can't reach them. It's not physical. It's... spiritual. A corruption of thought. Of soul."
Ren stared into the ground.
Vael let the silence stretch, then spoke softer.
"Do you remember the ones you looked up to? The ones who trained you?"
Ren flinched.
"They died fighting infected. We couldn't save them either. But they died on their feet. Not as husks. They would've wanted that."
Images flashed across Ren's mind. Echoes of laughter. A hand on his shoulder. A firm voice giving him guidance. Then blood. Fire. Screams. Their faces blurred. Their names caught in his throat. He turned his head away.
"And Yato? His team?" Ren whispered.
Vael's face tightened.
"Gone. Some infected. Some torn apart trying to rescue others. He held the line until the last. That's all I can tell you."
Ren closed his eyes.
"Why now?" he asked. "Why tell me this now?"
"Because," Vael said, his voice quieter than before, "you need to know what you're stepping into."
He paused.
"And you need to know about your parents."
Ren's head shot up.
Vael's eyes dimmed, as if the memory hurt him.
"They were good. Strong. Brave. They tried to protect what little they could. But they were infected during the first wave. At a time when you were you were taken permission to go home."
Ren staggered, fists clenched. Elara's mouth parted slightly. Even from a distance, she felt the sharpness of the words.
"No..." Ren breathed. "You're lying."