The Invincible Full-Moon System

Rex lost his ability to sense the bleak aura in this spirit form.

But that doesn't mean he couldn't sense fear.

Or rather, that doesn't mean he doesn't have a way to do so.

Inhaling deeply, he picked up a peculiar scent, one that was very pungent and unique.

Fear.

Considering that the Dream Market was a place that put anyone in a dream-like state—guided only by the minions of this place—there's no way someone would feel fear. All of them were made happy here, so there's no chance for them to escape.

Unless a certain someone saw what he did to Xina.

And that person could only be one of two things.

Someone who controls the Dream Market or someone who wasn't influenced by the Dream Market.

Since this place came from a Fragmented Spirit Genesis, the caster is not here.

So, it can only be the second one.

Someone who the Dream Market did not influence, and that someone could only be one person.

Kaelthar.

"I smell fear… Is that you, Kaelthar?"

Rex glanced over his shoulder with a devious smirk marring his face, scanning the space behind him in search of someone who seemed out of place. And through the System's scanning feature, he found one, someone who was running as if his life depended on it.

"Found you."

Swoosh!

Locking onto that person, Rex leaped away with speed.

He sprinted on all fours like an animal, vaulted onto the stall's canopy, and scrambled up to the building only with his claws, weaving above the crowd as the System's scan tracked the fleeing figure. It didn't take long before he closed the distance.

Once the figure came into view, Rex's eyes narrowed.

Kaelthar, or the person whom he assumed to be Kaelthar, is a young man wearing loose garments.

His black hair was long and silky, a trait that no commoner would possess.

A simple scan showed that he was a Master Immortal Spirit, too—but nothing remarkable, assimilated with a basic Echo, the Fleeting Echo—that wasn't even an original one. Rex stepped onto the roof hard and made a high leap.

Crash!

"Waah!"

Kaelthar yelped and fell backward when Rex suddenly landed hard right in front of him.

He looked at Rex with fear.

Showing that he was certainly the person who was emanating the scent of fear from earlier.

Not even wasting a single second, he turned around and tried to run away.

But a hand forcefully grabbed his hair and yanked him back.

"Arggh!"

Kaelthar dropped to the ground again, but this time, Rex's foot already pressed against his chest.

He initially struggled to break free, but he gave up when he couldn't.

"Who are you, demon spirit?! Did those leechers send you here?!"

"Are you really Kaelthar?"

Rex looked at him with a brow raised, finding the real Kaelthar hard to believe.

Judging from his stats window, his name was certainly Kaelthar, but someone who came from the Sky City shouldn't be this powerless and weak. Not to mention, there was no superior air around him—one trait that all Sky People were known to have.

"Someone who was sent to capture me, and you can't even recognize my face? Pathetic!"

Hearing this, Rex raised an eyebrow.

But his focus soon shifted to Kaelthar's leg, and without a beat, he stomped on it.

Crack!

"Rargghk!!"

Kaelthar screamed at the top of his lungs, reaching for his right leg that was broken from the stomp.

It was his first time treating as badly as this.

"Do you know what you've done?! Do you think you can escape your punishment for hurting me?!"

"Hmm? It seemed you still don't get your situation."

Rex raised his foot again, aiming to stomp Kaelthar's other leg.

But this made Kaelthar quickly raise both hands and whimper, immediately retracting his bravado.

Even though both of them were at the same rank, Rex's high-grade Soul Artifacts, two already in the manifestation state, and also his Werewolf form that emphasized his physical prowess, Kaelthar had no chance against him.

He was easily suppressed.

"What do you want from me?! If you want to take me back, you have to do it over my dead body!"

"Don't tempt me. I'm already frustrated as is because of this stupid place."

Rex grabbed Kaelthar by his hair and pulled him away, heading to the nearest tavern.

Brak!

Moments later, Rex threw Kaelthar into a private room, sending him crashing onto the wooden sofa.

He closed the door behind him and sat down on the wooden sofa across.

"Sit down properly."

"And what if I don't?"

"I'll break your arms if you don't."

Almost immediately, Kaelthar sat up properly while still hissing in pain from his broken leg.

For a moment there, the two sat in silence, staring at each other.

Rex was the one to finally break the ice.

"Only answer with the truth from now on. If you lie, I'll do exactly the same to you as I did to that woman. Do you understand?" Rex clasped his hands in front of his face, his eyes narrowing. "Don't test me. If you lie, I will know."

Hearing this, Kaelthat swallowed harshly.

'He's different than the others. Where the heck do those leechers find him?'

Despite his reluctance, he nodded his head in obedience.

Not because he wanted to tell the truth, but because Rex's eyes showed that he meant what he said.

If he tries to lie, he will die.

Seeing the nod, Rex leaned back, trusting Kaelthar to do the right thing.

"Who are you to the Sky City?"

"Huh? You don't know who I am? Then why are yo-"

"Answer the question. This conversation is to give clarity to me, not to you. You will do well to keep that in mind."

Obedience.

Somehow, that's what Kaelthar feels from only Rex's glowing molten eyes.

He didn't need to speak as his eyes alone were answer enough.

But with the addition of his voice, Kaelthar felt small and weak under his gaze.

Like a prey that was one mistake away from death.

"I'm going to ask again, who are you to the Sky City?"

"I'm the youngest heir of the Main Gatekeeper within the Skillian Divine Court, the Grandmaster of the South."

"Are you well-connected?"

"Everyone wanted a piece of me, so yes, you could say that."

"Do you know Devoratar Tridan?"

"Devoratar Tridan? Is he a Tridan?"

Rex tilted his head, confused.

"What's a Tridan?"

"I mean, is he from the Tridan Clan? If so, I knew their patriarch, or at least their soon-to-be patriarch, who would be replacing the Gatekeeper title of the Tridan Clan."

Rex didn't know whether that was true or not, but he assumed it was true.

He distinctly remembered Devo's last name to be Tridan, so he must come from the Tridan Clan.

And since Kaelthar knew about it, then he's good enough to be used.

"Good, I have a favor to ask of you. If you do this, I'll help you get out of here and free you from Duke Lorcan's grasp. I'm the only one who can help you."

Rex offered with confidence.

All he wanted was to locate Devo so that he'd know where to look, even if he was declined when he got into the Sky City. People with extreme power like theirs would be arrogant, and there's no chance that they would allow Rex to look around their space.

It would be disrespectful for them.

However, if he knew where Devo was exactly, that could be negotiated.

Instead of being elated, Kaelthar looked at Rex weirdly.

"You really aren't here for me. You should've done your research better."

"And why is that?"

Rex frowned, finding that his offer didn't seem to be enticing to Kaelthar.

And he had no choice either, as there was no time for him to be thorough, as time was running out.

Instead of answering, Kaelthar stood up and walked out of the private room.

Rex didn't chase after him.

He didn't need to.

Nothing on Kaelthar's face showed that he was going to run away.

And true enough, he came back with a tankard in hand and slammed it on the table.

Kaelthar stared at Rex for a good moment, drank the entire tankard while maintaining eye contact, and then placed it down again with a hard thud. He exhaled in refreshment, and then smiled, "You're wrong for thinking this is a prison. I wanted this, and Duke Lorcan provided it."

Hearing this caught Rex off guard.

He was still under the assumption that this Dream Market is a prison meant to lock Kaelthar.

But seeing how he was free to do as he wished without being influenced, he should've seen this coming.

"Then, in that case…"

Rex's eyes narrowed.

Even before he spoke the words in his mind, Kaelthar knew.

Since an offer with the promise of freedom is not working, Rex will try the opposite way.

A threat.

However, before he could speak the words, a voice seeped into his ears.

"Rex, wake up!"

Rex turned, looking at the empty space beside him where the voice came from.

It was a familiar voice, Princess Davina's voice.

"You should go back."

Confused, Rex looked at Kaelthar again, questioning what he meant by that.

But Kaelthar only smiled cheekily.

And without warning, the surrounding darkened, and Rex was now lying on the cold ground.

He was immediately greeted by Princess Davina, looking down at him with concern.

Rex sat up in surprise and looked around, only to find that there was no Dream Market.

Even the trapdoor was now seen again, directly above him.

Beside him, there was someone sitting on a single chair in this dark place, Kaelthar.

Was that all a dream?

From the looks of it, the Dream Market enveloped the entire space in this dark room, and he had been caught in its influence the moment he began to fall. In truth, the sleep spell had already taken hold, and everything he saw happened in his mind.

But seeing how the corner of Kaelthar's lips were curling, it was clear that it wasn't only a dream.

Their conversation was real, Rex could deduce that much.

A kind of connected dream derived from the Dream Market.

Other than him, there were a few others who were sprawled on the ground, sleeping in peace.

"Tch, I got tricked, huh?"

Rex shook his head.

Hadn't it been for his stunt and Princess Davina, he would probably have stayed there longer than he could afford.

"Come out, we need to leave."

Princess Davina broke the silence, already leaping out to the trapdoor with ease.

Realizing that Princess Davina was there, Rex looked down at his body.

He could only sigh in relief when he saw that he was in his human form.

Had he stayed in his other form, his identity would've been exposed.

Once he recovered, he looked up, recalling the hint of worry on Princess Davina's face, which was quite uncharacteristic of her, who was usually cold and detached. Rex quickly followed after her. He ascended the spiraling structure—noting that the people were all gone, and stepped outside right after Princess Davina.

Once he was back at the peak of the massive monolith, Rex saw a crowd gathering.

All of them were looking into the distance, and Abras was among them.

"What's going on? I thought you'd be gone. I thought you were joking when you said you'll wait."

Rex turned to Princess Davina, who was already about to get down from the monolith.

"We'll talk after we leave."

"Huh?"

Instead of following her, Rex turned to the crowd, who seemed to be whimpering in worry.

He approached them and looked into the distance.

As he was about to utilize the System's scanning feature, his eyes widened.

A sudden rush of pressure weighed down on his shoulders.

It was a monstrous presence, one that could even make his legs tremble.

"Rex, come now!" Princess Davina called, abandoning her honorifics. "We need to leave right now if we want to survive. It's a Voidal Monarch!"

"A Voidal Monarch…?"