Dilan didn’t understand everything the man was saying, but for some reason… he wanted to stay with him. He wanted to forget all the pain his family had caused him. This man—this vampire—had given him the chance to use magic without hurting the poor souls trapped in the Ark.

Maybe they were considered monsters… but this vampire was showing him that these “monsters” could be more human than actual humans. And no one deserved to have their soul drained for eternity.

In just one day, Kaius had given him something his family hadn’t in years—something Dilan vaguely remembered from his earliest childhood. Something he remembered… but couldn’t name.

Kaius let go of him and headed to the bedroom to change clothes and take Dilan to the hot springs. But Dilan suddenly stood up and ran to hug him.

Kaius was stunned.

In the story, Dilan couldn’t stand being touched—let alone hugged. He remembered how Dilan used to get angry when people tried. Kaius had hoped Dilan would be able to do this someday… but he thought it would take years.

He remembered that boy—full of pain and resentment toward his own blood.

Kaius held him in his arms, embracing him like a father comforting his child after a nightmare. They both cried. Kaius cried because Dilan wasn’t as broken—mentally or physically—as he feared. And Dilan cried for the love he had never received.

They stayed like that for a few minutes. Then Kaius understood… and rephrased his question.

—Dilan, would you like to stay… and be my family?

Dilan didn’t want to let go. But he did, just enough to answer.

—Yes, sir Kaius.

Kaius thought about it. He had a younger brother—but he knew they’d never reconcile. Nicolas would never cling to him like this. In fact, he doubted Nicolas even cared. Kaius wasn’t a saint either. He knew that, following the story, he’d have to kill many people. During his early years as a vampire, he had committed massacre after massacre—until the Milter incident, when he was forced to control himself.

What angered him most was that Nicolas played the hero… even though he had a dark past too. He was the one who turned Kaius—along with the vampire friend he had.

—Dilan, if you want… you can call me brother.

Dilan hesitated for a moment, then said:

—Brother Kaius.

Kaius, in his mind, was screaming like a fangirl—or fanboy—at how adorable Dilan was. He told him to get ready, because they were going to the hot springs. It was already around 10 a.m., and he didn’t want Dilan to miss the chance to enjoy them properly.

They took a few minutes to get ready, since they had to go in their underwear. They packed towels, and Kaius brought the bathrobes. They headed to the springs.

When they arrived, Kaius helped Dilan into the water, then stepped in himself. He wondered:

Did Dilan really live here before? Did he ever get to enjoy these waters?

—Dilan, did you live here before?

—Yes, with my previous family.

—Did you ever get to enjoy these springs?

Dilan looked at him for a moment. Then he remembered.

Yes, he had. At first, his family didn’t know about the place. He used to sneak away at age seven—when he refused to practice the magic they forced on him. He’d talk to the souls in the Ark.

But one day, his sister followed him there. From that moment on, the place became a nightmare. Whenever he refused to practice, sometimes the man he called father… sometimes the woman… would drown him in the springs. They’d hold him down until his skin turned red—or until he agreed to use magic. Most of the time, it was the former.

That’s why he did what he did. Though deep down, he wished he had finished the job. That was what scared him most about himself—that he had nearly killed his entire family, with help from the spirits of the Ark.

He had always had a connection with them. But he didn’t want the souls to be used until extinction. Maybe it was because they had always treated him better than his own family.

He couldn’t wait to speak with them again.

He was lost in thought… until he heard a soft chime. He turned toward Kaius and saw a glowing square appear from the ring.

—Dilan, look at this. This is my magic. Come, I’ll show you.

Kaius wanted to teach him. He also knew Dilan could see the souls of the Ark when they were used—so he’d know this was different.

Dilan approached, eyes wide with wonder. It looked like one of those online stores his mother used to browse for international cookbooks. It was amazing.

Even more so when he saw the wallet in the interface—it had what Kaius called Clints. There were 20,000 in the account.

But what shocked him most was when Kaius clicked the currency conversion option. He couldn’t believe it.

He even heard Kaius say—

—I think I went overboard with the quality.

It had totaled two million dollars. After taxes, he’d be left with 1.8 million. The money was transferred directly to the bank account linked to the ring—his now older brother’s account.

Kaius, meanwhile, was horrified and relieved at the same time. When he closed the ring, he hadn’t expected that to happen. He thought it was a glitch in the system or the magic. But then he remembered: when you create an item with quality level 9, it’s almost guaranteed to become legendary or omega tier. Those were worth far more.

He promised himself he’d never create materials carelessly again. He’d have to learn how to minimize the quality of the gems he could produce. Still, thanks to that money, he now had the confidence to enter the housing section of the store.

He browsed through mansions that looked like castles inside—but outside, they resembled crooked, rundown cabins. That was exactly what he wanted. If he had to hide Dilan, he needed discretion. And it had to be a house Dilan would enjoy too.

They spent some time browsing together. Dilan was fascinated by everything in the catalog. The one that caught his eye was a three-story Victorian-style house. The entrance had a white oak porch, and the property included kilometers of forest, a planting area, and access to a lake where magical creatures danced.

Dilan wouldn’t be alone.

It was the simplest listing they’d seen, but it still cost 5,000 Clints. That was too much for Kaius. Even though he could use the money the god had deposited, he didn’t want to withdraw that much.

He checked the house’s specifications to see if there were payment plans. Then he remembered—he wanted to build the house himself, to install protective stones and the crystal heart.

Maybe the house was sold without protections or expansion spells. If so, he could implement everything he wanted. And as much as he wanted a custom home, he wouldn’t have time to build, adapt, and protect it within a year. But if he had the shell, maybe he could finish in eight months.

He contacted the seller and asked if the house could be sold without the expansion spell or protections. While waiting for a reply, he played with Dilan in the springs, stroking his hair and even teaching him some elemental magic.

Dilan learned quickly. He said he loved it—and that it was easier than the magic his old family had forced on him.

That’s when Kaius decided to tell him the first truth he needed to hear.

—Dilan, there’s something you need to know. It’s the first thing I’ll tell you. My magic is natural. Theirs is known as profane magic. You can speak to them and accept help if they offer it—but you can’t force them. Do you understand?

Dilan paused. If the magic they used was profane to nature itself… maybe that’s why he was forbidden from using the natural magic Kaius possessed.

While he thought, Kaius received a message from the seller. It said yes—the house could be sold without the expansion spell or protections. That dropped the price to 20,000 Clints.

Kaius was satisfied. He could cover the difference from the god’s deposit—just $200,000. He accepted the deal, transferred the money, and received the house’s location. It was one town away from his birthplace, so he could visit Dilan often—or even stay with him a few nights.

He’d wait for the two days to pass. He also needed to check if that horrible prison had truly been destroyed—and make sure no one came looking for Dilan. At least not yet.

They stayed in the springs a while longer, then returned to the cabin. That day, Kaius gave Dilan the books on magical history and the nature of magic itself—explaining why he could use it.

Dilan finished the history book by lunchtime. It was 4 p.m., and he kept asking questions while Kaius cooked lasagna. That’s when he learned about the curse and the other magical creatures that inhabited the world—and how most of them hated his kind, known colloquially as generational sorcerers.

While they ate, Kaius thought about how he could destroy that place. He knew his magic had fractured it, but he didn’t want to use that spell again. If he did, he didn’t know what catastrophic effect it might have on the real world.

He didn’t want to expose Dilan to anything from that world—or risk someone finding him before the house was finished.

Then he remembered: he could also create magical weapons. Maybe he could forge one capable of breaking the core of that world.

He contacted the god to ask how to create weapons. The reply came with a congratulatory message:

[THIS IS THE GUIDE TO CREATING WEAPONS. HANDLE IT CAREFULLY—THIS WILL BE HEAVIER THAN THE MINERALS YOU CREATED. I TOLD YOU TO BE CAREFUL WITH MINERAL CREATION. I’VE INCLUDED A GUIDE TO CRAFT MINERALS OF DIFFERENT RANKS, SINCE CASS DIDN’T DO IT—HE’S VERY CARELESS. AS A VAMPIRE, YOU’LL NEED A MASSIVE BLOOD RESERVE OR TRY ANOTHER METHOD. OH, BY THE WAY—I’M DIVENAEL, BLACKSMITH AND SKY MAGIC EXPERT. YOU CAN ASK ME ANYTHING. ALSO, THANK YOU FOR SAVING AN EYE AND TEACHING HIM THE TRUTH. CONSIDER THIS A REWARD.]

—Dilan, I’m going to talk to someone. Don’t be scared.

—Okay.

Dilan said, still eating his lasagna.

Kaius thought about how to destroy something like that. Maybe instead of weapons or that spell, he could use a tracking spell—and destroy the world by breaking its heart.

—Could you give me a spell to destroy it? Or a tracking spell? Or both?

[THAT’S MUCH SIMPLER THAN THE OTHER THINGS. I’LL GIVE YOU THE KNOWLEDGE—YOU ONLY HAVE ONE DAY.]

—Also… I want to ask if you can protect Dilan. Just in case something escapes from that world.

[AGREED. I’LL SEND CREATURES TO GUARD HIM. YOU CAN ALSO USE THE HOUSE’S SEALING SPELL. AND IF YOU BREAK THE WORLD’S HEART, NOTHING WILL EVER ESCAPE AGAIN.]

Kaius now had to tell Dilan he’d be leaving for a few hours.

—Dilan, listen. I have to go for a couple of hours. You can’t come with me—I’m going to the world where they imprisoned you. I have to destroy it. But if, for some reason, I don’t come back… I need you to take my wallet and leave this place. Okay?

Dilan was terrified. That kind man would have to return to that horrible place. He didn’t want it to swallow Kaius like it had swallowed him.

—No… I don’t want you to go.

—Dilan, I promise I’ll come back. Our house is ready.

Kaius knew Dilan wouldn’t be happy. But he also had to see if that woman could be hurt by the Ark itself—and the magic she trusted so blindly.

And he couldn’t wait to find out.