Chapter 324: Chapter 324. I dabble
"I dabble," Kailen merely shrugged.
However, his words caused shocked expressions to appear on the faces of Everlong and Esimo.
"I was honestly shocked on seeing the video. When the elder at the runesmith society mentioned your results, as he was berating his sister, I couldn’t help but be extremely surprised."
Everlong sighed deeply. The more she thought of Kailen’s accomplishments, the more she felt like this guy was some sort of anomaly. It was public knowledge that this freak, apart from being an alchemist, was also delving into runesmithery.
According to Anaya, even she had been shocked by the considerable progress he had been making for a newbie runesmith.
Was this the level of progress that Anaya spoke about? She doubted it! If that were the case, Anaya would have probably been extremely dramatic about it—more than she was when telling them about his progress.
This meant that Kailen had improved again, and at an insane pace. How did this guy’s brain work? How was his body made?
There were those who defied common sense and were hailed as geniuses from a young age—just like herself and Ashton. But Kailen... he didn’t just defy common sense. He was something else entirely. And he was humbly bragging that he dabbled? If dabbling meant the insane results he had obtained, then what were those serious runesmiths meant to say? Were they not failures at the craft?
Her brother had been right about him. Someone like that would definitely become a hegemon in the universe if nothing accidental happened. And they had been very fortunate to make him an ally—or, if she was right, a friend—instead of an enemy.
Ashton also shook his head helplessly. "A runesmith skill proficiency of 99 percent, completed exams in 6 seconds. You look like some protagonist conjured straight out of some novel."
Kailen sighed and shook his head at their dramatic reactions.
"Anyway, it’s good for our society. Speaking of the Society, Vesper Locke came to look for you," Everlong added.
"When?" Kailen asked.
"Yesterday. Just as you and Everlong concluded, he came around," Ashton added.
Kailen nodded and probed, "Did it go according to plan?"
Everlong added, "Yeah, as we expected, he suggested that you assist him on a mission."
On hearing those words, a glint of ruthlessness flashed through Kailen’s dark, enigmatic eyes. Everlong and Esimo did not fail to notice this.
Whatever Kailen had planned for Vesper would definitely not end well. But could he really pull it off? This was Vesper Locke we were talking about. He was ridiculously strong. They were worried for his safety.
"Are you sure you want to handle this alone?" Esimo asked.
Initially, he had joined the society to spite his sister. But he had to admit that after getting to know Kailen a bit, he realized the guy treated the society members very well. He didn’t cut corners to cheat them, even going as far as increasing the discounts of the alchemical products sold to the society members, in turn helping them boost their strength.
The society also had over-the-top training facilities that most members would not have been able to afford on their own. According to a recent conversation Esimo recalled having with Pan, who had been a member of the Arcane Society before joining the Sword Tribunal Society, the other societies had worse treatment for their members in terms of discounts for alchemical products, use of training resources, and other perks.
Yet, Kailen’s treatment of the society members was extremely good. Whatever his personal reasons were for investing so much in them, it didn’t change the fact that he had helped many transform their lives for the better.
Esimo had therefore come to admire Kailen for that. Kailen may be a cold and ruthless individual to his enemies, but he clearly knew how to show gratitude to his allies. This was a trait of straightforwardness and honesty that Esimo had come to appreciate.
He admitted that he was starting to see Darkhaven as a friend; else why would he be so concerned about him?
Kailen was touched by their genuine concern. He knew they were sincere. He had a skill for recognizing that kind of thing, after all. However, he wouldn’t do anything without thinking it through.
"Speak of the devil," Kailen said as he noticed Vesper’s message on the holographic screen of his ID slot. Vesper had just sent him the coordinates of their meeting place. He had taken Kailen’s number from Everlong a day prior. This was why he had been able to contact him.
"He texted you?" Everlong asked with concern.
"Yeah." A glint of ruthlessness flashed through Kailen’s eyes. A mysterious glint flickered before he replied, "Don’t worry. Tell Lian Yu and the others that I’ll be back with the situation taken care of. As a matter of fact, he’s not the only person I’m planning to take care of today. You guys should be in for a surprise very soon."
With that, Kailen turned into a streak of light and bolted off, leaving Everlong and Esimo behind with worried expressions on their faces, praying for his safety.
Esimo stared at Everlong for a while with a softened yet complicated expression and sighed.
"I think we should talk about what happened between us, Everlong."
Everlong revealed a shade of pink on her cheeks. She was still coming to terms with the occurrence.
"Right... let’s find a quiet place after we close from the lecture and talk about this," Everlong replied in a low tone, as if trying to hide her face in shyness from Esimo.
Esimo nodded, chuckling lightly at her reaction, then asked Everlong, "Anyway, did you think he noticed anything?"
"Who, Kailen? I don’t think so," Everlong replied. "After all, everyone practically knows we are childhood friends, so you and I leaving my apartment early in the morning may not be surprising. I’m more concerned about how the whole thing suddenly occurred. Like you said, we need to talk about this and see the way forward."
The duo parted ways after these words, each heading to their various lectures with their own thoughts in mind. What had occurred between them was something they both hadn’t seen coming, but strangely, it felt pleasant.