CHAPTER 372: CHAPTER 372: OLD AGE

The soft blue light shining from above dimmed, taking away its levitating property.

Ruda and Olivia stood calmly, not bothering to hide their auras. They were both at the tier 4 stage.

Olivia’s body had the faint traces of the power of Fortune flowing all over her chubby body.

Flickers of purple lightning constantly appeared on Ruda’s leather jacket, like tiny purple snakes.

As for the man standing between them.

The man was tall, almost the same height as Commander Bibi who was seven feet tall.

The man’s face was exquisite. He had straight golden-blonde hair that was combed neatly. The edge of his hair fell to the length of his neck, giving him a refined and sophisticated aura that also contained a hint of wildness and an untameable attitude.

His blonde beard was trimmed well, covering his jaws, chin, and a bit above his upper lips, adding to his overall handsomeness.

His nose was shaped like a downward-pointing arrow and his eyebrows were arranged like two swords hanging on a wall.

The man raised his head slightly as he took in a deep breath. With the dimming of the soft blue light, the real complexion of his skin was revealed clearly. It was a light and healthy tan.

The attire he wore was quite unique, he wore a simple white suit. Everything was white, his shoes, tie, and wristband.

The attire had a modern feel to it, similar to the office suits from modern-day Earth.

Although the attire was simple, it easily made him stand out amongst the rest of the group.

"Your Majesty," Marcus spoke as he approached the man from the side.

The man was none other than Kael, the King, the golden lion, the Primordial Lion, and the cause for the commotion in heaven.

"Where are they?" Kael asked telepathically. His voice was deep and majestic, causing the spiritual plane to vibrate a little.

His terrifying spiritual wave had swept the whole wooden pyramid in front of them and he had not sensed the presence of any living thing within.

Marcus didn’t answer as he did not know where they were. He wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place. The only person who should have escorted Kael here was Commander Bibi and his wolf guards.

Marcus was simply here because Kael had requested that they both come before heading for the meeting with the other caste leaders.

Now, Marcus couldn’t imagine a world where he would refuse such a request. He wasn’t afraid of saying no, he just didn’t know what Kael would do.

The Kael that Marcus had agreed to work with two years ago seemed different from the current Kael.

Back then, Kael still tried to hide some undesirable traits.

But now, a lot of frustrating things had happened and Kael had become less tolerant of many things.

Over the last years, he had proven time and time again that he absolutely hated it when things didn’t go his way.

Normally, there probably wasn’t anyone who would like it when things didn’t go their way but that was life.

But Kael was extreme, ruthless, and capable of shocking violence without warning.

He may look calm right now and wore the white suit, looking like an angel, but he wasn’t an angel.

Gone were the days when the golden lion would even try to be likable. Now, he just wanted things to go the way he wanted or he would burn the whole world down to prove a point.

At least, he had people like Priya and N’bayé to keep him in check and prevent him from going down in a spiral.

Marcus had seen it for himself, being a king wasn’t easy. He even suspected that the elephants were the reason for the king’s worsening attitude toward everything.

After all, they were the main reason why Kael hadn’t yet achieved world domination.

Marcus wasn’t complaining though, he even preferred Kael the way he was right now. Despite the negative vibes, one couldn’t deny that Kael had gotten more efficient in managing the machine of a kingdom.

With the kind of existential pressure on both of them with their identity as Primordials, Kael’s current state of mind was necessary.

"We’re here,"

A telepathic wave brushed upon their minds from a distance.

Kael frowned, his beautiful golden eyes flashing strangely with latent killing intent.

Space distorted around them as Kael snapped his fingers. Instantly, the whole group was teleported, unable to resist Kael’s spatial control.

The next time they appeared, they were standing in front of a peculiar peach tree. The peach blossoms fell from the branches silently, painting a melancholic scene for everyone.

This tree was at the edge of the island, planted at the edge of a cliff. The afternoon sun hung brightly in the sky and the breeze blew softly.

"Kael," Nalii’s voice came from the other side of the tree, the side that faced the cliff edge and the open waters.

Kael walked around the big peach tree, ignoring the pink petals that fell on his broad shoulders.

Marcus and Commander Bibi looked at each other, confusion evident in their eyes. Still, they followed their king.

Kael’s sight rested on a strange scene.

Nalii stood close to the edge of the cliff. Her arms were placed together, preventing her long blue gown from blowing harshly in the wind.

Next to her was a grave. It had already been dug out and a heap of dirt was placed beside it.

The grave was big, clearly not for a human body.

On the other side of the graveyard was an old lion, standing nearly six feet in height, it was a tier 3 fire lion.

But this Lion was old and frail. His body was weak and his limbs shook. One could tell that this person was not too far from his grave.

However, the grave was not dug out for this elderly fire lion. The owner of the grave was already in it.

Kael glanced at the elderly fire lion then swiftly ignored him. He walked up to Nalii, his feet moving with purpose and discipline.

"Welcome," Nalii greeted with a soft smile. She could feel the tension in the air. From the corners of her eyes, she saw that the elderly fire lion was staring intently at Kael without blinking.

Kael nodded. At the same time, Marcus, Bibi, and the rest walked up to Kael and stood around the grave.

Ruda and Olivia stared at the elderly fire lion with mixed expressions. They recognized him, how could they not, this was their father.

This fire lion who looked like he was just a few minutes away from death was the King’s father.

How time flies.

"How did it happen?" Kael asked as he looked into the dug-out grave. His voice lacked the concern and empathy that would be required in his case. Anyone could tell that he was doing the bare minimum to act like he cared.

Inside the grave, another tier 3 lion lay motionless. It was a Veggie Lion. Green fur and a single unicorn-like horn on its head.

The lion was positioned on its left side, its limbs pushed against its body so that it lay in a fetal position. The tail was curved around its back and its head was laid inward.

Looking at the dead lion eight feet below, Kael sighed. All of a sudden, the atmosphere became sorrowful.

This lion was someone Kael did not particularly like, but at the end of his life, Kael had no hate for him either.

This dead lion was Uncle, the same Uncle he had known when he was a cub. His father’s brother.

"He just...died," Nalii said, sighing.

It was a pity, truly.

Uncle had been claimed by old age.

Kael looked up at his Father, the former leader of the Hot Lion Pride. He saw the look of defeat and the quiet acceptance of his fate.

He knew that his time was coming. How low the mighty had fallen.

This was the same lion that served Kael his first challenge, and also his first defeat. The memories flashed through his mind quickly.

He remembered how his father had almost killed him because he seemed like a threat to the pride and his position.

And through all of that, Uncle had been his right-hand guy.

It was a sad story, but it was expected. Kael felt a little bit of pity for this Lion father of his. After all, it was because of him that Kael survived many dangers including that Hyena attack years ago.

Who would have known that Pavel would betray his own father and take over the pride for himself?

Father and Uncle were already getting old by the time they got into the tier 2 stage. The Origin Essence only gave them some extra time.

Before that, Pavel, Kael’s elder brother who had assisted their father in ruling the pride as a side man, took the opportunity to rebel.

His father was already getting old, so it wasn’t unexpected that he eventually won. Father and Uncle were not chased out of the pride, but it was a humiliation.

The lionesses who had once fawned over Father now flocked to Pavel’s side.

When they were found, Pavel had already led the pride to another territory and had abandoned Father and Uncle to die.

Luckily for them, they evolved to tier 3 at the last minute, allowing them a little extension of life. Alas, their time was up.

They had taken too long on the journey of evolution and death finally caught up to them. Uncle was first, and Father was sure to follow soon after.