ã€ŠAscension of the Dark Seraphã€‹


 Chapter 1 1: Unloved

    Lucivar staggered back as a vicious punch landed squarely in his stomach.

    It was wintertime, and he was hunting in a forest but he was unfortunate enough to meet the worst person to meet after managing to land a deer. "I''ll be taking this¡ªyou do not need it as much as I do. After all, I''m a Hybrid, and you''re not"

    A bald-headed man said, grabbing the deer by its antlers and pulling it his way.

    Even though the deer was big and heavy, it seemed to weigh no more than a feather to him.

    Recovering from the punch, Lucivar smiled, "Ah, yes, I understand..."

    Even though he had been hunting for hours on end from the first sight of the sun to the peak of the day to get that deer, he didn''t resist when the bald man, claimed the deer. He only put on a smile as if everything was alright.

    However, this reply somehow displeases the bald man.

    His face darkens, he approaches quickly, grabs Lucivar''s head, and squats.

    "Is that an appropriate response from someone who is nothing more than a dog, like you?"

    "Eh...?"

    It was then Lucivar watched in horror as the bald man''s index finger transformed into a green plant and stabbed him in the chest. Almost instantly¡ªhis body tensed and dropped. His eyes and veins bulged grotesquely as waves of excruciating pain coursed through him.

    "Raarrgghkk!!" He screamed in utter pain.

    The agony tore through his very being, as blood began to pour from every orifice.

    All the snow around him was stained crimson from his blood.

    "Seems like you still don''t know your place," the bald man looked at Lucivar nonchalantly and reached out his hand to tap Lucivar''s face a couple of times¡ªcondescendingly. "A dog could only bark so now... bark. Bark if you want the pain to stop"

    Lucivar, convulsing on the ground, forced himself to look at the bald man, "It hurts..."

    Venom was creeping up to his face already, turning the veins in his neck a sickly green.

    "I SAID BARK!" the bald man shouted angrily.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar forced out a bark through his painful grunts, "Grhkkh... W-Woof!"

    Only then did the bald man laugh aloud, finding the situation to be funny.

    He turned around to leave and brought the deer with him.

    "Don''t worry, the pain is temporary. See you later," He waved his hand as he left.

    Minutes later.

    Lucivar panted heavily, as he lay on the snow-covered ground¡ªhis medium-built physique, athletic¡ªand balanced was now covered in blood. Now the coldness from the snow stings, creating stabbing sensations to his opened wounds.

    Soon, the pain disappeared, "Ah... I forgot, he already became a Hybrid," He muttered wryly.

    A Hybrid is someone who has successfully unlocked the dormant bloodline inside of them.

    Some powerful Hybrids who stood at the very top had eminent bloodlines within them, also referred to as named bloodlines such as Dracula the Dark Prince, Naamah the Whisperer of Sin, and even Chi Long the Inferno King.

    Becoming a Hybrid would make them surpass normal people in everything.

    Strength, agility, reaction time¡ªliterally everything was pushed to an extreme inhuman level.

    Depending on the grade and purity of the bloodline, the changes vary from person to person.

    In addition, they could also have special abilities like the bald man used earlier.

    Not many people have the chance to become a Hybrid, so a Hybrid has a very high standing.

    Lucivar would be twenty-one this year, and that would also mean, it would be his last try to awaken his dormant bloodline, and become a Hybrid or fall to the lower class for the rest of his life.

    Being a normal person is not a problem for Lucivar personally, but not for his condition.

    Not if he wanted to keep the warmth of his family.

    ''I hope I can awaken my bloodline. No, I need to awaken my bloodline,'' He thought resolutely.

    Grabbing a handful of snow, he wiped the trace of blood on his body before his amber eyes, golden and brighter than normal with a tinge of exhaustion turned to his bag on the side. He checked the content and found a meager amount of mushrooms, acorns, and crickets.

    "I don''t think Mother will be satisfied with this," Lucivar mused exasperatedly.

    All of this was the only thing left after the bald man took his deer.

    Nevertheless, Lucivar clapped his face and smiled, "No matter, I''ll make it up tomorrow!"

    Deciding not to lament, staying positive, he headed back to the city with slow strides.

    Against the cold wind blowing directly to his face, he coursed through the forest on the city''s west side. A snowy forest with towering white firs, their identical forms made it quite hard for some to know where they were going.

    But not for Lucivar who has been going to this forest to hunt for years.

    It took him a full hour to reach the city''s entrance, a robust wall of compact stone.

    Entering the city¡ªhe coursed through the street and saw a flabby man, being tied to a wood pole while being lashed by a wooden rod. It was a sight that was normal for Lucivar, this was normal for a slave city under the reign of the Supreme Titan House, the House of Ashbourne.

    A rule dictating the appearance and weight of all citizens exists here in Veegend City.

    Anyone who looked fat or above a certain weight would be severely punished.

    Reaching his house¡ªa humble house crafted from wood and bricks with smoke gently rising from the chimney, Lucivar knocked on the door and entered, "I''m home," He announced with a slight tremble to his tone, knowing the result of today''s hunt.

    Coming from the living room was a middle-aged woman with sharp features and brown hair.

    She was Lucivar''s mother.

    Despite that fact, she wore a tightened, cold mask face¡ªher eyes were devoid of warmth.

    Ignoring Lucivar, his mother went straight to take his bag and opened it to see its contents.

    "Useless¡ªabsolutely, useless. You can not even get your hands on meat?!" Lucivar''s mother barked, pointing viciously at Lucivar''s face. "Do you expect us to eat this? Do you want us to starve to death?!"

    It has been like this ever since his father was killed after offending a Hybrid.

    His mother became depressed after that incident.

    Even though his mother was never the one to show love, it has never been this bad.

    Lucivar had been enduring all of the beatings and curses on the outside in silence, knowing that his mother was like this. His family was in a bad spot after the incident¡ªand he did not want to make it worse by creating more trouble outside.

    "I will make sure to get meat tomorrow, ma''am" Lucivar replied, trying to calm his mother.

    But his hand was quickly swatted away, "Don''t touch me, you''re filthy"

    "Come on, Mom, what do you expect?" Suddenly, a voice came from the other room before a fifteen-year-old boy appeared. He is Edward, Lucivar''s brother. "I''m sure he tried his best but it only amounted to that much. As always his best is not enough. Look at him¡ªhe is not even a Hybrid at his age"

    Clicking her tongue, his mother grabbed Edward and brought him to the kitchen.

    Lucivar could only watch them left in a daze.

    Both of them didn''t question the bloodstains across Lucivar''s body, and that''s normal.

    "Edward saved me from Mother''s scolding, is he starting to warm up to me?" He mused.

    Humming happily, undisturbed, he took off his jacket and went to the backyard.

    His backyard was open and quite big, it was used for potatoes but it was empty now as they were harvested before winter came. Lucivar went to kneel beside the door, right in front of a pet bowl and waited there patiently.

    As he waited, he couldn''t help but think about what Edward said earlier.

    It was true that he hadn''t become a Hybrid, but his mother and Edward didn''t help either.

    Several times he had been offered to participate in a pre-awakening training and all of those times he declined because the training was held in another city for a month, and he couldn''t leave his family for that long.

    But he couldn''t defend himself using that, it''s not right to be calculative with his family.

    "Or maybe I''m just talentless..." He mused in ridicule.

    Thirty minutes passed, and his Mother came out and poured potato soup into the pet bowl.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar smiled, "Thank you, ma''am"

    Not even responding, his Mother only cast a disgusted look and went back inside.

    It was a bad treatment, this is no way for a human being to be treated but Lucivar could not find himself to say anything. Since he failed to awaken his bloodline three times in a row his family, especially his Mother turned cold towards him.

    All Lucivar hoped was that he would become a Hybrid tomorrow night during his last test.

    Maybe then, the kindness he showed them would be repaid.

    Maybe then, they would eventually become a happy family once again.

    "Oh, I got three potatoes today, that''s one more than the usual!" He cheered.

    Taking it as nothing but a good sign, Lucivar started devouring the potato soup heartily.

    Moments later, when the sun was setting.

    "I should sell the crickets first before going to the cathedral"

    Lucivar walked through the street with a bag strapped on his back, and a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He saw the date on his phone earlier, and it was the last day of November¡ªthe day before the day that everyone in the city hates¡ªthe Black Kalends.

    Every first day of a new month, the Ashbourne House expected a sacrifice from the people.

    As a slave city under their reign, it was their priority duty to meet this quota.

    In exchange for this submission, the city would be protected from the Primordials.

    An alien race that sought to rule the world from hundreds of years ago.

    People who were chosen by the city to be the sacrifice are called Death Volunteers, and with no exception, Lucivar always brought flowers to give to these Death Volunteers¡ªas a sign of gratitude and respect he had for them.

    He crafted the bouquet of flowers himself, believing it a necessary gesture in his eyes.

    "Uncle Johnny, I''m here to sell some crickets!"

    "Oh, Lucivar, I''m surprised that you are here and still as vibrant as ever"

    "What do you mean, Uncle? It''s not like I''m sick or anything"

    Lucivar stopped by a merchant stall, the regular place he came to sell the result of his hunt.

    Despite being confused by the remarks from Uncle Johnny, he didn''t put it to mind and gave away his crickets. As Uncle Johnny went to take his money to pay¡ªLucivar saw a young girl sitting behind the stall, drinking hot tea.

    It was Uncle Johnny''s daughter, Kathya, she''s about eleven years old.

    "Kathya, do you want a flower?" Lucivar asked, handing her a flower.

    But with an utterly unimpressed face, Kathya raised an eyebrow, "I think you need it more,"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s smile froze but Uncle Johnny came to the rescue.

    "Here''s the money," He said, handing over a pouch of gold coins.

    Just as Lucivar was about to grab the pouch, Uncle Johnny held onto it and gave him a slight peculiar gaze, "Also¡ªthanks for everything you''ve done. It''s going to be lonely without a man like you around here"

    Lucivar took the pouch, but he now had a frown on his face, "U- Uh... thanks?"

    After that exchange, Lucivar began to feel uneasy.

    Uncle Johnny was talking to him as if he was going to die, but that shouldn''t be the case.

    "What is there to worry about? All Death Volunteers are the elderly or the sickly," He mused.

    In a couple of minutes, Lucivar reached the Basilica of Strength, a massive cathedral with the God of Strength statue¡ªabove the entrance. Not a lot of people were here¡ªbut almost all of them were crying, presumably the family of the Death Volunteers.

    Giving a polite bow, Lucivar went inside, to the Offering Dome where he met the priest.

    Seeing Lucivar, the priest was startled, "Are you delivering your usual bouquet?"

    "Of course, why are you so surprised, Father Bellomond?" Lucivar asked back, confused.

    Judging from Lucivar''s answer¡ªFather Bellomond knew exactly that he was still oblivious to what was happening, "Didn''t you see the vote? It''s young master Arkan''s birthday today, and he wanted the last one to be young, not the usual elderly. It''s either you and Bianca¡ªand I''m sorry to say this, but I think you''re going to get chosen,"

    Lucivar felt his eardrums turning dampened, and the noise around him became subaqueous.

    He looked at Father Bellomond, asking if he was serious.

    As a response, Father Bellomond took out his phone and showed the ongoing vote.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar wasted no time and ran out of the cathedral¡ªstraight to his home.

    ''I''m going to be chosen...? But why? Why is everyone choosing me and also Bianca?''

    Remembering his past years of being good to everyone and anyone in his surroundings, he couldn''t fathom how, out of hundreds of thousands of people, living in the city¡ªhe was the one being chosen.

    It was too cruel, he shouldn''t be suffering this fate.

    He also didn''t want Bianca to be chosen too, she was his childhood friend.

    Nevertheless, the situation is not right.

    Arriving at his home¡ªLucivar was about to enter his house¡ªbut stopped, when he saw a car parked outside. Only officials could have a car, and there were not many officials living in this city so he knew whose car it was.

    Entering the front door silently, he clung to the wall and heard a conversation.

    He peeked from the corner and saw that it was his mother who was talking to the governor.

    "Bianca and Lucivar are both young, but Bianca is younger..."

    "Stop beating around the bush governor, tell me what you want"

    "People are divided into two, those who voted¡ªand those who don''t want to vote. We could not expect the result of the vote but I went to Bianca''s family¡ªand Bianca was able to show the aptitude to awaken her dormant bloodline while Lucivar hasn''t. He''s about to be twenty-one, and the chances of becoming a Hybrid at that age... is minuscule at best"

    "So? Do you want me to offer that thing as a willing Death Volunteer regardless of the vote?"

    "Yes, that''s what I''m here for, but not without compensation. If you agree to this¡ªthe city will compensate your family handsomely, and Bianca''s family even offered to do all in their power to compensate you too,"

    "Done, I''ll take it. I was planning to get rid of that useless thing anyway"

    "A-Are you being serious? Will you regret it? Tomorrow is Lucivar''s last test, no?"

    "He would fail again, so I don''t bother to hope. He''s not even my real son, I don''t care"

    Bam!

    Lucivar''s mother and the governor were startled when they heard a banging sound.

    It was very loud, and it came from the front door.

    Exchanging a meaningful look¡ªboth of them ran outside, and looked around, only to find a bag on the snowy ground. Upon seeing the bag, Lucivar''s mother nodded, gesturing that it belonged to Lucivar.

    Realizing that Lucivar eavesdropped on them, the governor''s expression soured.

    He took his phone and called someone, "Search the city and find the kid, he escaped"

 Chapter 2 2: A Kind Heart

    Lucivar ran through the street, tears welled up in his eyes.

    He heard what his Mother had said earlier and he couldn''t believe it.

    Not to mention, there was no hesitation on her part, she willingly sold her son for money.

    ''I''m not her son...? No, she''s only saying that out of anger''

    ''Does she not have any hope for me...?''

    ''Does having power matter that much? I tried... I really tried to be as good as I could''

    ''But why can''t Mother see it? Is power all she could think of? Can''t she settle with me?''

    Countless questions swirled inside Lucivar''s mind as he ran, but they were left unanswered.

    Even though Lucivar knew that his Mother began to dislike him because of the fact that he couldn''t awaken his bloodline at his age¡ªhe didn''t expect her to dislike him, this much. He heard what he heard, but he didn''t want to believe it.

    As Lucivar ran, heading to the forest, he could feel an ache in his heart with every step.

    Ignoring the onlookers, he went straight out of the entrance.

    Knowing that he would be chased by the guards¡ªLucivar decided to hide in the forest with nothing on him. Tomorrow is the day the Dark Volunteers were picked up by the servants of the governor to be brought to the castle.

    Lucivar was planning to get past that day before coming back at a later date.

    He was very scared.

    Even though the House of Ashborne stated that the Dark Volunteers were only a mandatory gesture that the city was still subservient¡ªthere were no Dark Volunteers, who managed to come back after being chosen.

    It was stated that the Death Volunteers weren''t going to come home.

    All people assumed that they were dead, and there was no reason to think otherwise.

    Upon entering the forest, Lucivar looked back over his shoulder.

    His pupils dilated in fear when he saw several guards in crimson uniforms come out running.

    It was fortunate that none of them are a Hybrid, but there soon will be.

    Huff... Huff... Huff...

    Panting heavily, Lucivar stopped behind a tree and slid down to the ground in exhaustion.

    Running in winter is a problem, his lungs get colder with each heave.

    Catching his breath, Lucivar took out his phone from his pocket and opened the lock screen.

    He was then instantly greeted by the voting screen, and saw two names there¡ªhis, and also Bianca''s. Below their names written in big letters were their age and the number of votes and surprisingly, the number of votes for both of them was quite far apart.

    Bianca''s votes were sitting at around sixty-nine thousand, while he was at ninety-nine.

    A thirty-thousand difference, which was quite a big gap.

    "I don''t understand... How could this much pick me? I tried to be a good citizen¡ªand helped all in need, and this is what I was repaid with?" Lucivar muttered, clutching his phone tightly. He was the role model of a good citizen, he aided everyone who needed help, no exceptions.

    Compared to Bianca, who was extremely cold to others, he was more likable to people.

    Even then, the majority of the city still voted for him to be sent to his death.

    Looking at his number consistently rising, Lucivar could only chuckle in ridicule as more tears flowed down his cheeks. He supported his forehead, looking at the screen helplessly. Lucivar could feel anger boiling inside, but it quickly got overpowered by helplessness.

    In frustration, as his vote was still rising, he clicked Bianca''s picture and voted for her.

    Not that it would matter, so he did it to vent the little anger he had.

    Just then, it abruptly hits him, "If I hide here, then doesn''t that mean Bianca would be taken?"

    As much as he was afraid, he didn''t want Bianca to suffer because of him.

    It would be better if Bianca ran with him, but there''s no way he could bring her here.

    "What should I do...?" He muttered silently, stressing at his situation.

    Checking the surroundings, he found that the guards were nowhere to be seen.

    He was quite deep inside the forest, and there were ferocious beasts around here so none of the guards would reach him. He''s the only one who knows that this place is safe, none of the dangerous beasts came to this area for some unknown reasons.

    "Okay," He wiped his tears away. "I''ll surrender myself tomorrow, I''ll not let Bianca suffer,"

    Despite the fear, he was not going to let Bianca bear the responsibility of him running away.

    He would be chosen in the end, so it''s his fate to be sacrificed.

    Under exhaustion, anger, and helplessness, his body began to take a hit in fatigue.

    Slowly, his eyelids became heavier, and he drowsed into the dreamland.

    An unknown amount of time had passed¡ªand as Lucivar woke up, his eyes widened fully as he took in a deep inhale. Snow already submerged most of his body, but he thought nothing of that and checked his phone.

    It was already about three in the morning, and the pick-up team would come at five.

    "I need to hurry back..." Lucivar muttered and stood up.

    Out of sheer curiosity, he checked the voting screen again before going.

    But in the next second, his breath was caught in his throat seeing an unexpected result.

    Instead of him being chosen, Bianca was the one chosen.

    Somehow, overnight, the vote for Bianca was catching up and eventually surpassed his.

    Lucivar did not know what to feel, about this¡ªthere was relief, that he was not the one being chosen as the last Death Volunteer, but there was also guilt and pity for Bianca. As he looked at the vote once again, he realized something.

    "I... I beat her by one vote...?" He muttered in absolute shock.

    Gritting his teeth, Lucivar ran back to the city with all his might, the Offering Dome in mind.

    Pushing himself through the thick snow, that reaches above his ankle, he made his way back to the city in a hurry. His eyes show signs of unwillingness, as he moves through the snow, "I can''t believe my vote, out of anger¡ªbecame the detrimental vote! Even if she ends up being the one chosen, I don''t want it to be because of my vote!"

    "No... even if it''s not because of my vote, I don''t want her to be chosen!" He added.

    It took him longer to reach back the city even though he was exerting all of his strength.

    Upon entering the city, all onlookers'' eyes were on him.

    Just as expected, the guards that he passed didn''t try to catch him as he was not chosen.

    Even the deal his Mother made couldn''t go through as he hid throughout the night.

    But even then, the people whom he was close to cast him a contemptuous gaze.

    All seemed to somehow blame him for this situation.

    In the nick of time, Lucivar managed to reach the cathedral which was already packed but he didn''t mind the crowd and went straight to the Offering Dome. Reaching there¡ªLucivar burst into the room, surprising everyone inside.

    He scanned the room and found Bianca, the priest, and the other nine Death Volunteers.

    "Lucivar...? What are you doing here?" Father Bellomond asked.

    Catching his breath with sweat dripping across his form¡ªLucivar looked at Bianca, who was already pale, and frightened before fixing his eyes on Father Bellomond, "Tell the Ashbourne House... Bianca requested the Rite of Fate"

    Father Bellomond gasped when he heard this, he was surprised that Lucivar knew that.

    "There''s no point, Bianca is not a fighter, she wouldn''t pass the rite," He shook his head.

    Gritting his teeth, Lucivar then pointed at himself, "Then I''m going to come with her!"

    "A- Are you sure? You''re not chosen, Lucivar..." Father Bellomond asked.

    "Yes, I''m sure! It''s young master Arkan''s birthday, and it was rare for Death Volunteers to ask for the Rite of Fate, I am sure that he would accept it. Please¡ªFather, tell them that," Lucivar pleaded, he was not going to let this go through.

    After a moment of deliberation, Father Bellomond eventually accepted.

    It was only then that Lucivar made eye contact with Bianca, and he smiled assuringly at her.

    Sometime later, Lucivar and Bianca were now inside a carriage alone.

    Not a single word came out of their mouths, the air was tense, and that was natural.

    "Why did you come back? I know you know what the governor suggested," Bianca asked.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar looked down as the pain from hearing that was still burning inside his chest. Additionally, since Bianca''s family offered to pay his Mother, then that means they also agreed that he was the one who was more suited to be sacrificed.

    Out of anything, he should be angry at her and her family right now for doing that.

    Regardless of their relationship, he should be cursing and shouting at her.

    "I don''t know..." Lucivar mused, whisperingly. "I always cared for you like a sister. At the time, it just seemed to be the right thing to do. You can not expect me to do nothing while you got chosen and be brought away"

    Bianca''s blue eyes widened when she heard his answer.

    She looked at Lucivar in shock, she couldn''t believe that he would go to such lengths.

    Even though it was true that in the last couple of years, it was Lucivar who sneaked a portion of his hunt to give to her family when they were struggling despite risking being cursed¡ªand beaten by his own mother, she thought that he was doing it out of pity.

    Never once did she think that Lucivar thought of her as a younger sister.

    "You''re too kind for your own good..." Bianca uttered inaudibly.

    However, tears began rolling down her cheeks as she began to cry out loud, venting it all out.

    Lucivar, who saw her crying loudly, panicked and tried everything to assure her that she was going to be okay. It kept going until the carriage eventually came to a stop, and the backdoor was opened.

    "Come out, we''re here," a rough-looking guard instructed sternly.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar held Bianca''s hand, which was extremely cold, and led her out.

    Both of them stepped onto the street and found a massive castle to their right.

    An eerie castle behind a square-shaped steel fence¡ªeach tip forming a menacing blade. Its massive door was shrouded in darkness. Dead trees lined the path leading to the entrance, their skeletal branches casting ghostly shadows on the snowy road.

    It was then they were led to the entrance of the fence, along with the other nine.

    As they waited, Lucivar could feel Bianca''s hand shaking violently.

    She was scared, extremely scared.

    "Don''t worry, if we work together, we will come out in no time," Lucivar assured.

    Soon, the door of the castle was opened¡ªand two massive guards came out of it.

    Judging from their towering stature, twice the height of a man, they were definitely Hybrids that awakened the Titan bloodline. Even their imposing, bulging muscles¡ªseemed ready to burst through their armor.

    Both looked strong, and they were also highly trained.

    Not only were they strong, but they were also respected and sponsored.

    Any Hybrid in the city is highly respected as they are the backbone of the entire city.

    Not only did they protect the city from external threats¡ªbut they also fulfilled the quota that was given by the House of Ashbourne to the city. If the quota of Hybrids is not met¡ªthe city would be neglected or even abandoned.

    If that happened, the city would not be saved from usurpers or worse.

    Because of that, a Hyrbid with any bloodline has a high standing.

    And any normal person, who awakens a titan bloodline will have a very bright future.

    The House of Ashbourne would guarantee their lives and ensure their future.

    Not even saying anything, the two titan guards opened the entrance and stood on the side.

    Lucivar¡ªand Bianca''s bodies trembled¡ªnobody had ever stepped out of the castle grounds once they entered. Outside of the line was life and the inside was death. Other than the two, the other Death Volunteers entered without much thought.

    Gulping harshly, Lucivar nodded and stepped towards the entrance.

    But he felt resistance as Bianca was rooted in her spot.

    "It''s okay, Bianca, we can go through this together," Lucivar assured again.

    Just then¡ªBianca began crying once again, her pliant and innocent face was now a mess.

    She was too scared to move.

    However, as Lucivar was about to console her and persuade her to go inside before the titan guards forced them, he saw Bianca''s gut-wrenching crying face¡ªwith tears and snot mixing freely in an ugly display.

    Upon seeing her crying profusely, Lucivar clenched his jaw tightly.

    He promised himself inwardly that he would do anything to save them both from this.

    ''I''ll make sure we both survive this ordeal''

    ''Or... should I just convince the guards to take only me? I''m a hunter, I might succeed alone''

    Just then, through her sobs, Biance forced out two simple words, "I''m sorry..."

    "Huh...? What do you-" Before Lucivar could finish his sentence, he felt a force pushing him.

    Caught off guard, he fell backward, still maintaining eye contact with Bianca.

    "He was the one who asked for the Rite of Fate, so that means he willingly volunteered!"

    "W- What...?"

    It happened so fast, and Lucivar couldn''t wrap his head around what just happened.

    He looked around and found that he had fallen inside the castle grounds.

    An aching pressure lingered on his chest, the spot where he''d been pushed throbbing with a dull, bruised sensation. Lucivar then looked back at Bianca¡ªclear disbelief, was written over his shocked countenance.

    "B- Bianca...?" He called, his voice was trembling and tinged with dread.

    Instead of responding, Bianca turned her face away in shame, still rooted in her spot.

    Lucivar stood¡ªhis gaze never wavering from Bianca''s eyes. He moved towards the entrance with stiff steps and called her name for the second time. But, as he neared the entrance, the two titan guards crossed their massive spears in an inverted X-shape, barring his way.

    Only then did he come to his senses and realize what Bianca had done to him.

    Bianca pushed him to his death.

    "W- Why...?" A question escaped his mouth, he was disappointed and scarred.

    Upon hearing this¡ªBianca bit her lower lip, her shoulders kept heaving up and down, as she was still crying profusely, "I''m still twenty years old..." She began¡ªher voice light, and meek. "I still have hope to become a Hybrid, so it''s you who was fit to be a sacrifice. I appreciate all your help for me and my family but I don''t want to die, Lucivar..."

    Like a sharp blade, her words sliced through his heart and tore it to shreds.

    He could see his Mother betraying him, but Bianca? Lucivar would never seen it coming.

    As soon as he took a step forward¡ªhe coughed blood as an iron fist punched him in his gut.

    Lucivar sprawled on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain.

    Giving no more time for their emotional talk¡ªthe titan guards pulled Lucivar, who had turned dull and powerless, into the castle. All Lucivar could see, as he was being dragged away was Bianca crying, shedding crocodile tears.

    Before long, the door closed shut, swallowing him in darkness.

 Chapter 3 3: Good No More

    "Change into your chosen attire, and be out in ten minutes,"

    A titan guard instructed before tossing Lucivar into a room and closing the door shut.

    Lucivar lay still on the ground for half a minute before weakly pushing himself up.

    Remaining in a prostrate position, he began to pour his emotions out as he cried, he couldn''t believe, that he ended up in this position, "All I wanted to do was to do the right thing... How can I end up this way? Isn''t goodness the only thing that never fails? What happens with you reap what you sow?!"

    His sobs echoed through the chamber he was in.

    Each sob mingled with the soft, wavering sounds of torches and candles in the background.

    It took him a moment to collect himself and make peace with his fate.

    Upon standing up, he saw a dress form at the center of the room with his supposed attire.

    Having no other choice, he began to change.

    Several minutes later, he stood in front of a mirror and saw how he looked.

    As opposed to his plain clothes earlier, he now wore a white tunic, with black piping and gold accents, cinched by a black belt. Over it, a sleeveless surcoat with a golden crest fell to mid-thigh. A white cloak embroidered in the same contrast, and high black boots with gold lacing completed his look.

    For someone who was about to die, he was given such a fancy and proper attire to wear.

    Outside, he met with the same titan guard and was given a couple of potion vials.

    He took the initiative to drink the potions, before he was led to another path¡ªseparate from the other Death Volunteers. Not only him¡ªbut another old man was brought along with him, and he seemed to be as scared as Lucivar.

    Upon emerging at the end of the path, Lucivar was greeted by a breath-taking sight.

    Before him was a massive maze of stone, and he was looking at it from an elevated position.

    Just then, the ground rumbled and Lucivar saw eight entrances, were opened on the edge of the maze. Coming out of it were the eight other Death Volunteers, fully equipped in armor. All were shoved into the maze.

    Having no other choice, the eight Death Volunteers moved forward, into the maze.

    Lucivar was confused as to what is the purpose of this, but his eyes widened, when he found another gate was opened, and sprinting out of it was a shadow moving into the maze with an astonishing speed.

    It didn''t take long before he realized that the shadow turned out to be a monstrous beast.

    "GRAAGHH!! HELP ME!!"

    "NO, WAIT!! RAGHKK!!"

    Mercilessly, the monstrous beast tore anyone that it encountered in the maze.

    Arcs and spurts of blood exploded sky-high right after the shout of the frightened.

    Just like the rumors, the Death Volunteers were all dead, but Lucivar couldn''t even begin to guess that they were used, as entertainment as even the titan guard seemed to be amused by their deaths, cheering and clapping at the gore.

    ''How can he enjoy the sight of others'' suffering? Is this what happened to Death Volunteers?''

    Naturally, both Lucivar and the old man paled at the sight of this.

    Lucivar heard from a drunkard who worked with the governor that there''s a rule stating that a Death Volunteer could use the Rite of Fate to be freed¡ªonce again. He thought that there would be tests to achieve this, but from the looks of the beast, it would be impossible.

    In no absolute chance that Lucivar could defeat that beast, not in a million years.

    Everything happened in a blur after that.

    All of the Death Volunteers in the maze were killed, and the beast savored their corpses.

    Soon, it was Lucivar and the old man''s turn.

    Unlike the other eight Death Volunteers, they were led to another place¡ªthe castle, seemed to be way bigger inside compared to what it seemed from the outside. Reaching a gate¡ªthe old man and Lucivar were given to choose a weapon of their choice.

    Lucivar took a spear, while the old man took a sword.

    After picking their weapon of choice, the titan guard left them alone in front of the gate.

    Even though the situation was dire, Lucivar still had hope that he could somehow win against the beast. He was expecting that the two of them would be pitted against the beast, and the one who survived would be freed.

    ''I hope there will be a timer, me and him would have a chance in that case,'' He pondered.

    Faced with no other path, he decided to try his best to survive.

    Unlike him, the old man beside him was already repenting, praying to have his sins forgiven.

    Creak!

    Just then, the gate was lifted with a loud mechanical sound and exposed an arena.

    Lucivar and the old man stepped into the arena with cold feet and waited for their opponent who would come from the gate, opposite of them. Glancing to the side¡ªLucivar could see a pulvinar, ''Young Master Arkan must be watching from there...''

    It was then, another loud mechanical sound resounded.

    Firmly gripping the handle of the spear in his hand, Lucivar gazed ahead resolutely.

    Eventually, the other gate was opened, revealing an empty darkness.

    Sweat could be seen dripping on the side of Lucivar''s face, as he waited for the earlier beast to come out. But instead of a beast, he could hear the echoes of footsteps. Lucivar raised an eyebrow before he gasped, seeing that a muscular man walked out from the other side.

    He was tall and robust with a shaved head, and his skin was a shade of a pale red.

    As he came out, he cracked his knuckles menacingly with a wide evil grin.

    ''A- A Hyrbid?! I need to fight a Hyrbid with a Titan bloodline to be freed?!'' Lucivar paled.

    Despite being hopeful earlier, that hope was vanquished at the sight of the Hybrid.

    "I''m surprised someone from a low-grade slave city, like yours, knew about the Rite of Fate," the man said as he stopped a distance away. "I applaud your bravery, and for you to survive this, you have to go through me. Forgive my candor, but I must admit a certain fondness, for torturing others. So pardon my smile"

    Before starting, the man gave a bow toward the pulvinar.

    He then gets into his fighting stance, with one clenched fist extended further than the other.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar and the old man pointed their weapons ahead albeit with trembling hands. A Hybrid is far above a normal human¡ªeven those who awakened the lowest-ranking bloodline would be five times stronger than a normal person.

    For a Hybrid with a titan bloodline like him, he must be ten or even twenty times stronger.

    Time halted momentarily, and the tension rises with each second.

    Lucivar could feel his adrenaline kicking in, the impulse of life, and death, and he put all of his focus onto the man''s fists. Soon, a loud gong sounded the start of their bout, and also in that very second, the man vanished.

    "Kaargghk!!"

    Hearing a painful grunt, Lucivar looked to his side and found the old man coughing blood.

    Surprisingly, the old man was near him¡ªit seemed the old man ran towards him for cover.

    In a blur, the man was able to punch a hole through the old man''s stomach.

    Staring at the old man, right in the eyes¡ªthe man smiled, "The young master would not be in any way entertained by an old man like you. Stay there and wait for death to pick you up," He said before pulling his arm out savagely.

    Brak!

    Just like that, the old man fell to the ground, gasping uncontrollably.

    He was bleeding profusely, and death was nearing for him.

    But as the man was about to shift his attention to Lucivar, he saw a glistening object coming from his side. It was a flying spear, and the man was surprised by this. Despite being caught off guard, the man was able to slap the spear away with the back of his hand.

    "Hmm...?" the man''s brows furrowed when he looked down.

    As soon as he deflected the spear, he saw Lucivar sliding and was already very low.

    Knowing that this was his only chance, to deal a detrimental blow, Lucivar grabbed the old man''s sword and swung it at the man. His aim was clear¡ªthe man''s throat. He gambled at this strike to save his life.

    Under the extreme pressure of the moment, instincts took over his body.

    Slash!

    However, his eyes widened seeing that the man reacted in time, narrowly avoiding the blow.

    Even though the tip of the sword did not find its mark¡ªit still sliced a straight line, from the man''s stomach up to his chest, drawing blood, in a crimson line. ''So close! I was so close to taking him down! My opportunity, I wasted it!''

    Crack!

    "Huargghkk!" Lucivar''s eyes bulged¡ªhe got kneed hard on the chest.

    He could even hear the sound of his ribcage breaking loudly before he fell, paralyzed.

    "Good, you must be good at hunting," the man mused, praising Lucivar, genuinely. "I was told to entertain the young master so thank you for giving that kind of stunt. But now that it failed¡ªit''s my turn now..."

    Lucivar was lifted by the nape and then punched squarely in the guts.

    Blood gouged its way out of his mouth as he was sent rolling meters away.

    Since he failed to kill the man earlier, his chance of staying alive was now gone.

    Used as entertainment, he was rag-dolled across the arena¡ªpunched, kicked, and stomped.

    No mercy was given to him.

    ''I''ve always been the one who tried to do good, and I''ve been trivialized because of it''

    Bam!

    ''But I always tried to keep positive, and hope someday they will treat me differently''

    Bam!

    Pinned on the wall, he got punched squarely in the jaw, knocking a few teeth off his mouth.

    Trying to push himself up, he tried to look around but his vision was covered in blood.

    Sensing something coming from behind¡ªhe tried to look over his shoulder with his crimson vision and found a bare foot, heading straight to his stomach. He got kicked in the guts and flew a couple more meters to the side.

    ''I tried doing as much good as possible, prioritizing others, and now... this is where I ended''

    Crack!

    "HAAARRGGGHH!!"

    Lucivar screamed at the top of his lungs in agony and clenched the dirt desperately.

    His right arm was broken as the man pulled on it with a brutal yank.

    A sickening crack echoed through the air as his bone shattered.

    Under the extreme pain, he pressed his head against the ground hard, gritting his teeth hard.

    Because of his internal wounds, his entire teeth were coated in blood already.

    ''Even when I''m sick, even when I''m wounded, I still help everyone without complaining''

    ''How could everyone be so selfish?! After all I''ve done, they still think only of themselves!''

    ''Rather than face their own fears and responsibilities, they''d rather sacrifice me!''

    ''My own mother¡ªthe one, who should protect me, sold me out for a handful of coins. And Bianca¡ªI even thought of sacrificing myself for her but she pushed me! How could she do this to me?! Scared? I''m scared too! She doesn''t fucking deserve to be saved!''

    Brak!

    Lucivar was stomped on the back by the man, forcing him to cough more blood out.

    ''Power. It''s always about power! In this world, nobody sees the person behind the strength!''

    ''Everyone will salivate at power, they''d sell their souls for the taste of it!''

    ''No matter how much good anyone did, no matter how much good I did, it is all meaningless!''

    "It''s over," the man said as he lifted Lucivar off of the ground, showing his broken body at the pulvinar, at the young master. Seeing this, the silhouette inside stood up and left, satisfied by the sight.

    Only then that the man threw Lucivar against the wall, and went to take the sword.

    He''s going to kill Lucivar with the sword that managed to wound him.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, gazed up to the ceiling helplessly¡ªhis chest heaved unevenly.

    ''Nobody is up there in the sky, nobody is calculating my karma and rewarding me for it''

    ''Nobody is going to help me other than myself!''

    Cough!

    More blood crawled its way out of his mouth.

    ''For once, I want to be selfish. For once, I don''t want to be the one sacrificed!''

    ''I''m going to survive this... I swear I will make my own second chance''

    Just then, as he swore those words in his mind, he caught sight of a string made of energy.

    A trail of pure white energy.

    Struggling to look down he saw white energy emanating from his chest, trailing towards the old man teetering on the brink of death on the side. Simultaneously, another trail¡ªdark and foreboding with a tint of red came out from his chest and connected with the man who was slowly approaching with a sword in hand.

    He couldn''t understand what was happening, but it seemed he was inclined to choose.

    To have the power to save himself and the old man or the power to kill the Hybrid man.

    ''I should save the old man... No, what do I want to do right now?''

    Upon facing a choice, Lucivar tried to think for himself.

    Had it been the Lucivar from yesterday, he wouldn''t hesitate to choose to have the power to save himself, and the old man. But now, that was not his choice, he was not going to choose the path to light.

    Lucivar did not need long to make a decision, his eyes turning to the Hybrid man.

    "I... I want to kill him!"

    Reaching Lucivar, the man stood towering and raised the bloodied sword above his head.

    "Hmm...? Who is crying?" the man frowned in confusion.

    He could hear an ethereal cry of a woman, but he couldn''t deduce where it came from.

    Not wanting to delay this any longer, with young master Arkan already leaving, he decided to end Lucivar, with a swift slash to the neck. With a lethal glint¡ªthe man swung the sword in a powerful arc.

    But as the sword was about to hit, Lucivar caught it in the middle of its arc.

    Following that¡ªhe raised his gaze to look at the man, showing his glowing golden eyes.

    A swirl of divinity could be seen swimming inside his pupils.

    Seeing this, the man widened his eyes in shock, "What in the world...?"

    Out of nowhere, the man''s vision tilted sharply¡ªand as he processed the sudden shift¡ªhe realized Lucivar had seized his face. Panicking at the strange development, he struggled to break free, but Lucivar''s grip remained unyielding, tightening with crushing force.

    ''Where did this strength come from?! He was helpless against me before!'' the man thought.

    He couldn''t believe the amount of strength Lucivar was exerting right now.

    A Hybrid with a Titan bloodline like him excels in strength, so this was extremely shocking.

    Just then, the man widened his eyes when he saw the bright golden color of Lucivar''s eyes begin to take a shift, corrupted by a crimson hue. Moreover, a halo of the same color began to manifest above his head.

    Coupled with the soulless gaze that Lucivar was wearing right now, the man was terrified.

    "Do you also want to sacrifice me...?"

 Chapter 4 4: Reborn

    In the Rite of Fate process, one needs to go through the test given by the Ashbourne House.

    Only then would the Dark Volunteer be freed, only then would Lucivar get out.

    Since the test, given to him was a gladiatorial battle against the Hybrid man¡ªthere was only one way he could go through this and that was the death of his opponent. Resolved in doing what he wanted, he did exactly what was needed.

    "You... You are the same as them. You also wanted to sacrifice me"

    "W-Wait! You can''t kill me, I am the servant of Young Mas-"

    Krkk!

    Giving no chance for the man to finish his sentence, Lucivar tightened his grip.

    "As you said, you like torturing people... so let''s see how you like being tortured yourself"

    Splash!

    Brutally, Lucivar grabbed the man''s shoulder and tore his entire left arm right off.

    It was somewhat easy to do with his newfound strength.

    "Kyaargghk!!! How-How dare you fucker do this to me!" the man screamed in agony, the pain he felt from his left arm being torn off was beyond, what he could take. He hissed¡ªand even teared up as blood gushed out of the torn arm.

    However, this sight encouraged Lucivar to grin even wider and lean his face closer.

    "Oh...", He rasped menacingly. "Now I''m starting to see why this is fun for you"

    Splash!

    Giving no mercy¡ªLucivar tore the man''s limbs one by one as the man''s scream reverberated through the entire arena, he was already crying¡ªthe agony did not stop. It stopped when he was nothing but a torso surrounded by severed limbs and a pool of blood.

    Looking at the result of his action, an odd warm sensation permeated Lucivar''s chest.

    He didn''t know what that sensation was, but it was there and felt great.

    "S-Stop this... I beg you," the man mumbled weakly.

    Even in his limbless state right now, a powerful healer could still patch him up to normal.

    But Lucivar had no intention of sparing him as he squatted down.

    "If I''m in your position, will you show me mercy?" He asked, his expression contorted evilly.

    Receiving no answer back from the man, Lucivar scoffed.

    Not hesitating, he gripped the man''s adam''s apple tightly and ripped it out gruesomely.

    He didn''t turn as blood squirted onto his face.

    Complete and utter shock could be seen in the man''s face at what Lucivar did.

    However, the man''s consciousness didn''t last long as the light was vanquished from his eyes.

    Lucivar threw the bloody feature to the side and looked at the blood in his hand.

    His hands were trembling uncontrollably, he had taken another person''s life for the first time.

    Despite the thought of killing was scary¡ªat this moment the trembling of his hands was not because of fear, shock, or even guilt. It was excitement. For the first time¡ªLucivar, did what he wanted, not for the sake of others.

    "My arm was supposed to be broken..." He muttered, shifting to his right arm.

    In a flash, his wounds were healed and he returned back to normal.

    Not to mention, Lucivar was surprised to see his body cloaked by a foreign energy.

    It was gold with a very light tint of crimson, emanating an assuring but deadly air.

    "Did I awaken a bloodline...? I never heard someone awakening their bloodline like this before¡ªand if I did, what is my bloodline?" Lucivar mused to himself, the sight of the energy should indicate that he had become a Hybrid.

    But that energy, slowly dissipated in the next second until it vanished completely.

    "Krhkk- Help..."

    Upon hearing a choking, weak voice¡ªLucivar raised his gaze and looked at the old man, who was not too far away from him. He was still clinging to life, and is now, choking on his own life essence.

    Slowly, Lucivar straightened his back and approached the old man.

    He then knelt down and inspected the poor elderly.

    Considering that the old man only had a hole in his stomach from being punched¡ªhe could still survive if he was brought to a healer or a doctor. Lucivar was now healed, and he could carry the old and bring him to help.

    However, Lucivar only watched the old man with steady eyes.

    Earlier, the old man tried to reach him to use him as a shield against the Hybrid man.

    Unfortunately, the Hybrid man was already aiming for him from the start.

    ''Despite his age, just like the others, he also wanted to sacrifice me,'' Lucivar pondered.

    It was then that his expression grew icy cold.

    "You have lived long enough," Lucivar said raspingly as he extended two fingers¡ªclosing the old man''s eyelids. He was not going to help the old man, even if the old man begged. "Now it is my turn..."

    Moments later.

    Expecting two bodies, a titan guard with two sacks in his hand opened the gate.

    "You got cut by a normal man, pathetic, Dorian. Seems like I was more suitable to be the one entertaining, young master Arkan," the titan guard, entered the arena, but stopped when the sight before him didn''t quite match what he anticipated.

    As opposed to Dorian, waiting for him, the last man standing was not him.

    Lucivar was sitting on the other end of the arena, leaning against the wall, patiently waiting.

    Seeing the titan guard, he stood up, his escort had arrived.

    On the other hand, the titan guard sprinted, and checked on the Hybrid man, Dorian who had his body torn to pieces. His eyes widened in shock and subconsciously¡ªhe turned to look at Lucivar who was now already standing by him.

    "D- Did you do this?" the titan guard asked in utter disbelief.

    Hearing the stupid question, Lucivar tilted his head, "Give me the money and set me free,"

    "As stated, a Death Volunteer who passed will be rewarded and set free" He added.

    Frozen in the moment, the titan guard couldn''t grasp what had happened. He could not come to understand, how a normal person had defeated Dorian¡ªa one-star Acolyte Hybrid. Even if the titan bloodline he awakened was of small proportions, he would never lose.

    For him to lose, the stars must''ve been aligned¡ªall factors must go badly for him to lose.

    Questions and doubts swirled in his mind, and he knew Lucivar knew the answer.

    But he couldn''t mutter a word.

    Lucivar''s eyes seemed to freeze his body, an icy gaze that rendered him immobile.

    As if he were hypnotized, numbly, the titan guard nodded his head, "Y- Yes..."

    ...

    Creak...

    Under everyone''s surprised gaze, when the sun was up, the fence of the castle was opened.

    Each of the onlookers covered their mouths in shock at the sight of a man leaving the castle, escorted by a titan guard¡ªand stepped a foot out of the castle''s premises. Nobody has ever come out alive, but one finally did.

    "Lucivar? Why is he being escorted out?"

    "Hmm? How is he there in the first place, the one chosen was Bianca"

    "I saw what happened, Bianca pushed him inside and he became the chosen one"

    "Then how in the world is he out? Nobody has ever come out"

    Ignoring the banters and gazes of others, Lucivar made his way back home.

    He was still in his bloodied attires, but unlike before, he was now holding a big sack of gold.

    Along the way¡ªhe passed Uncle Johnny''s merchant stall which was filled with people lining up. But through the cracks, Kathya saw Lucivar walking with an absent look¡ªand she made her way towards him.

    "Brother Lucivar!" She called, stopping him in his tracks.

    She stood in front of Lucivar and observed his attire and the messy condition he was in.

    "I saw your carriage passing earlier this morning¡ªdid you not go to the castle? How did you get out?" Kathya asked¡ªwith her innocent voice. "Father always said that Death Volunteers would never come back, so I thought I would never see you again"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar placed his hand on her head, "I only got lucky,"

    "Here, buy something you wanted with this" He added, handing a couple of gold coins.

    Kathya''s eyes sparkled at the sight of the gold coins, "I can buy a lot of candies with these!"

    As he did that, Lucivar continued his walk but stopped a couple of steps ahead.

    "Kathya," He called, glancing over his shoulder. "Who did your father vote, me or Bianca?"

    Putting on a puzzled look, Kathya thought for a moment before she remembered, "It was you¡ªFather chose you, I''m sure. But Brother Lucivar, why are you asking a silly question? You''re older, and you''re still not a Hybrid, so naturally Father chose you"

    Lucivar had his eyes widened slightly at the response, but then, he chuckled to himself.

    "Right... I''m being silly today" He replied before continuing his walk.

    A great war happened in the past, between the rebellion force, against the Supreme Houses, that ruled the entire world, the House of Vampire, Titan, Dragon, Demon, and Fairy. All five of them ruled a huge portion of the world, and they viewed others as nothing but second-rate.

    Using their powers, they dominated politics, positions of power, and every resource.

    Sick of the treatment, the rebellion force, plotted and tried to overthrow their reigns.

    Naturally, the Supreme Houses took a huge blow from this.

    But barely, they managed to turn the war and defeat the rebellion force to the roots.

    All people, who supported the rebellion were branded, and their home city was rendered to a slave city that must abide by the dictation of the ruling Supreme House. Moreover, at the age of sixteen, their young generation would all be assessed if they had awakened any bloodline.

    People who awakened a bloodline and became a Hybrid need to be assigned to an academy.

    And all academies are located in the heart of the reigning Supreme House.

    Even though they were forced to leave their family, their family will be treated like heroes.

    Some would be instantly put into a high position in society¡ªfor producing a Hybrid offspring.

    Because of that, Lucivar''s position instantly dropped when he failed to awaken a bloodline.

    It was the reason that even Uncle Johnny chose him instead of Bianca to be sacrificed.

    Lucivar arrived back home but there was not a glimpse of happiness on his face even though he almost died hours ago, all he had, was this empty hollow feeling inside his heart¡ªhe even felt loathed at the sight of the house.

    Upon taking a deep breath, he twisted the handle and stepped inside, "I''m home..."

    Surprised, his Mother and brother rushed to the door and saw Lucivar.

    Both were surprised to see Lucivar''s condition¡ªbut his Mother, instantly snapped, with veins bulging on her neck, "You ungrateful child! Why did you run away?! If you are useless already, you should''ve gladly sacrificed yourself and let us have the compensation! Aren''t you the one who said that you love us? Then why did you run?"

    "I could''ve bought some potions and elixirs so that your brother would become a Hybrid with the money, but you ran away! Now what are we supposed to do? We couldn''t get the money, it''s already too late!" She added exasperatedly, pointing a finger at Lucivar''s face.

    In annoyance, Edward added, "Seems like you don''t want to see me succeed like yourself,"

    "You''re an asshole, Lucivar," He added sharply.

    However, in the next second, Lucivar silenced them, "I awakened my bloodline today..."

    Almost instantly, the rowdy atmosphere turned extremely silent.

    Both Edward¡ªand his Mother looked at Lucivar blankly before their eyes began to widen in surprise, none of them expected to hear that, "W- What...? Oh, is that so? Then that''s great, it''s about time you contribute to the family. What do you want for dinner today?"

    "When will you be leaving for the academy, big bro? I have a suggestion," Edward added.

    Seeing them change so quickly, Lucivar laughed out loud.

    Even though it started light, it became humorous laughter in a couple of seconds.

    Brak!

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar grabbed his Mother by the throat and pinned her onto the wall.

    Donning a maniacal smile he leaned in closer towards his Mother who was surprised and also terrified, she had never seen him, wearing such an evil look, "I almost died today¡ªyou do not know that. But I realized something there. I dedicated my entire life to making you happy, not even letting out a moan for everything, that you''ve done to me, and this is what I get. I wasn''t acknowledged as a Human being by you throughout those years but now you do? So I say no more, I will live only for myself from now"

    "I hear a whisper, a whisper from my heart... Do you know what it said, Mother?" He asked.

    Upon hearing this, his Mother whimpered, shuddering in fear.

    Grinning even wider, Lucivar leaned in to whisper, "It said you''re not family..."

    Crack!

    Not even hesitating, he snapped his Mother''s neck, killing her with a simple twist.

    He thought that it would be harder to do, but it didn''t.

    Edward screamed when he saw this, his eyes bulging in utter surprise at seeing what Lucivar did to their Mother. He knew that Lucivar was as soft as cotton¡ªno way that he was capable of violence, so this caught him completely off guard.

    Scurrying to his Mother''s corpse, Edward embraced her and cried silently.

    In anger, he glared at Lucivar, "How could you do this to Mother?! Have you lost your mind?!"

    "She was the one who raised us! She didn''t deserve this!" He added heartbreakingly.

    Looking at Edward, Lucivar smiled acutely.

    Even though he was heartless to Lucivar, there was true love for his mother in his eyes.

    Something that Lucivar didn''t have in common.

    "You grew up with a Mother, her warmth, and kindness shaped you," Lucivar replied, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, as he looked at Edward. "But I grew up with a lunatic... I already lost my mind a long time ago"

    After saying that, Lucivar reached his hands and gently held Edward''s head and chin.

    With a sudden yank, Lucivar broke his neck, killing him painlessly.

    Upon doing that, he leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground.

    Only after doing the deeds did he slide down and sit against the wall beside the corpses.

    "I had to do this," He muttered tiredly. "for my own sake..."

 Chapter 5 5: Forgiveness

    Lucivar wanted to start fresh, he had begun hating what he once was.

    Seeing how his Mother and Edward were treating him once again reminded him of the pain.

    He didn''t deserve them¡ªno, both of them didn''t deserve him.

    Opening the door to his room, he was met with an extremely small room that was the size of a utility closet. He could not sleep, with both of his legs fully stretched. Usually, he slept in a sitting position.

    Pausing for a moment, he turned around, deciding to go to Edward''s room.

    Contrary to his bedroom, Edward''s bedroom is a proper one.

    It has everything a bedroom needs starting from a proper bed, a cabinet to put books in, and even a TV in the corner. Lucivar could only sigh lightly, it has been quite some time¡ªsince he last entered this room.

    Not lamenting on the past, he sat on the soft bed and took something from his pocket.

    A gold ball with a tinge of red that was not of material essence but intangible energy instead.

    Gold energy swirled, and intertwined with chaotic vigor to create this sphere, and it emitted a mysterious pulling force, toward Lucivar¡ªdriving him in with an almost primal or magnetic allure.

    Lucivar found this after he killed Dorian before, it came out of his corpse.

    "Seems like only I could see this," He mused.

    Earlier as he was escorted out, the titan guard didn''t ask about this gold sphere.

    He didn''t even spare a glance even though the sphere was very eye-catching.

    Because of that, Lucivar came to the conclusion that only he could see it.

    "Is it tied to the natural energy of my bloodline?" He muttered, inspecting the sphere closely.

    Since a Hybrid is practically seen as a higher form of a Human, it has always been a hot topic across the world. Lucivar knew a Hybrid is comprised of six ranks, and each rank was further differentiated into one to five stars.

    Neophyte, Acolyte, Chrysalis, Savant, Paragon, and King were the ranks in order.

    Additionally¡ªin order to get stronger, Lucivar knew that the Hybrid would have two options, at least in the lower ranks. One is to absorb external energy from external energy sources¡ª such as beast egos or power crystals, or the second method is producing more of their own bloodline''s natural energy.

    Lucivar has no access to detailed knowledge, so he only knows up to that point.

    He didn''t know anything about natural energy, or the method to absorb external energies.

    "I don''t even know how to check what kind of bloodline I have..." Lucivar muttered wryly.

    Just then, he looked at the cabinet and saw Edward''s book collections.

    Deciding to look through the books¡ªhoping to find something helpful, Lucivar could only be left disappointed as most of them were comics, or novels. It was wrong for him to expect his little brother to use the money that Lucivar earned to buy something useful.

    Feeling exhausted from all the things that happened today, he lay on the bed.

    Lucivar stayed there and looked at the ceiling in contemplation.

    "I need to leave the city," He mused resolutely. "I killed my own Mother and brother, and soon people would start to question and find out about this. I need a fresh start¡ªbut before that, I need to settle one last matter"

    Since he had the money, he could live somewhere else and start a new life.

    He also needs to enroll in an academy.

    Anyone who was caught being a Hybrid and didn''t enroll in an academy would be punished.

    Even a death sentence is a possibility, so Lucivar needs to enroll in an academy.

    But before he left the city for good and did all of that, he still had one thing to do, "Bianca..."

    Morning passed and came the blackness of the night.

    In front of a particular house, a family of three could be seen walking back to their home and the three seemed to be extremely close. Bianca was one of them¡ªand the man, who looked to be her father was wrapping his arm over her with a bright smile.

    Similarly, the middle-aged woman wearing a thick coat also seemed to be in a good mood.

    How could they now? Their daughter who was supposed to die today survived.

    It was the reason why they were out until late at night to celebrate.

    "Remember kiddo¡ªyou are not at fault for sacrificing Lucivar," Bianca''s father whispered¡ªas the family of three walked toward the door of their house. "Even though Lucivar helped us go through tough times, especially with me being sick, it''s within your right to sacrifice him,"

    "After all, you still have a chance to become a Hybrid, while he''s not," He added assuringly.

    Bianca still felt guilty, it was written all over her face.

    Just then, her mother swooped in, and held her face gently, "Listen to your father, he is right you know. Despite his wrongdoings in the past, he''s still the former governor, so Lucivar was probably helping our family to be on his good side"

    "Even though he''s now gone, we could still repay him by helping his family" She added.

    Upon hearing this, the guilt began to lessen in Bianca''s heart.

    Persuaded, her mood was lifted, especially seeing how they had a productive day, today.

    As her parents went to their room, Bianca headed upstairs to her own room.

    She was very happy today, it has been quite some time since the family went out so she was really happy today. Opening the door to her room¡ªshe quickly took off her beanie, revealing her flawless golden hair.

    Bianca hummed and took off her outerwear, but she froze when she put down her jacket.

    "Must be quite a celebration to be back this late..."

    A voice suddenly greeted her, and she could instantly tell from the voice who it was.

    Her body stiffened, she didn''t want to believe it¡ªbut she had to check so she slowly turned.

    Only when she saw a silhouette of a man, on the single sofa in the corner of her room, utterly covered in darkness that her heart drop to her stomach. From the bright amber eyes, and the messy hair, she could instantly tell who it was.

    "L- Lucivar..." She uttered, her tone tinged with dread and fear.

    It was as if she had seen a ghost, Lucivar shouldn''t be here, he was supposed to be dead!

    Upon seeing her trembling uncontrollably, Lucivar slowly stood up from the sofa.

    "Stand- Stand back! I''ll scream if you come closer!" She threatened.

    But even then, Lucivar didn''t mind her threat and advanced slowly¡ªeach of his steps made a thudding sound, that sent an electric shock through Bianca''s body, paralyzing her. As Lucivar came closer, Bianca only stared at his chest, unable to make eye contact.

    Only when he stood directly in front of her, she whispered, "How are you here...?"

    "I awakened my bloodline and completed the Rite of Fate¡ªsomething that you would know if you were there," Lucivar replied¡ªhis voice was throaty and rasping. "But I have you to thank. Had you not pushed me, I would have stayed blind to the truth. The truth that only the selfish and evil are rewarded in this world,"

    Even though it had been mere hours since they last talked, Bianca could feel it clearly.

    She could feel the air coming from Lucivar was different, it was more, malignant.

    It was almost as if she was facing an entirely different person.

    Bianca''s lips trembled, and she paled at the realization that Lucivar was not the same man he once was. Out of the utter fear she was feeling, her knees gave out. She was now kneeling in front of Lucivar like the scaredy cat she was.

    "Are you going to kill me?" She asked, forcing out the words stuck in her throat.

    Considering his standing now, it was a valid question.

    Now that Lucivar was a Hybrid, he could kill a person and get little to no blowback.

    If he wanted to, he could kill Bianca right now and receive no consequence.

    However, Lucivar''s answer was not as Bianca expected, "No..."

    Surprised by the answer, Bianca raised her gaze to meet Lucivar''s. Seeing the ice-cold face he was wearing right now, tears began to flow down her cheeks. It hurts her to see the face that always smiled at her turned this dark at the sight of her.

    "Will... Will you forgive me?" She asked, slowly understanding how wrong what she did was.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled and cackled, but he shed a single tear.

    He was teetering between the desire to laugh at her question and the pain it caused him.

    Just then, he stopped, and the room returned to its silence.

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar''s hand whipped, delivering a vicious slap across Bianca''s face.

    Pah!!

    Bianca''s eyes widened, her right cheek was red and throbbing from the burn.

    "I forgive you..."

    Hearing those words¡ªBianca turned while having her hand on her burning cheek but saw no sign of Lucivar, only the sight of her gaping window. She stood up and ran to her window, but couldn''t find Lucivar anywhere.

    He was already gone, and this was probably the last time she would see him.

    Just like that, the day passed.

    After confronting Bianca for one last time, Lucivar went back home and got some shut-eye.

    Early in the morning, when the sun was still shy from appearing¡ªhe was already packing his clothes in a hurry. He was emotional last night and needed some time to sleep it off, but now he needs to move fast.

    Lucivar realizes one thing as he recalls the Rite of Fate that happened yesterday.

    He realized that it wasn''t meant to be won.

    No matter how much he thought about it¡ªpitting a normal person against a Hybrid is not in any way, a fair fight. Obviously, the House of Ashbourne made that supposed rule as a joke, no Death Volunteers would come out alive.

    Because of that, Lucivar knew that he was going to be captured sooner or later.

    As he was packing, he suddenly stopped, he heard footsteps approaching.

    "Darn it! Who is coming to visit this early in the morning?" Lucivar muttered and checked.

    However¡ªas soon as he peeked from the window at his front door, he instantly ran back to Edward''s bedroom with sweat, beginning to drip down his forehead. It was three men¡ªand from their attire, they were the city guards.

    "My survival must reach the governor already, I need to go!" He uttered and took his bag.

    Even before the guards could knock on the door, he had already left through the backdoor.

    Despite it being earlier, there were a lot of people outside.

    Most of the people around his neighborhood were hunters, so they were up early to hunt.

    "Hey, Lucivar! I heard you volunteered, how did you get out?"

    "Oh, it''s Lucivar? It was noble of you to volunteer, but did you change your mind?"

    Lucivar tried his best to keep a low profile as he made his way into the back gate, but he was quite popular around here, everyone knew him. Concerned, he looked at his house and found the three guards were already looking in his direction.

    Without thinking much, he decided to run with all his might, darting to the city''s back gate.

    "Stop him!"

    "Don''t let him get away!"

    People were momentarily confused and Lucivar managed to reach the back gate thanks to it.

    Since the guards at the back gate were also not aware of what was happening¡ªhe managed to run through them, and dart into the forest. But the three city guards, quickly followed after him, their speed was incredibly fast.

    Bang!

    Bang!

    Lucivar covered his head when he heard loud banging sounds echoing.

    Glancing over his shoulder, his eyes widened, "All three of them are Hybrids?!"

    He thought that they were city guards, but it seemed they were not, they were the servants of the Ashbourne House instead. As expected¡ªthe House of Ashbourne sent people to him disguised as normal city guards to capture him.

    Donning a city guard''s attire was aimed to not scare him away.

    But he saw right through their intention.

    One of the guards had his fingernails hardened and fired it at Lucivar like bullets.

    An inhuman ability that only a Hybrid would have.

    "Can I even escape them...?" He mused, his heart pounding in his chest.

 Chapter 6 6: Master Tobias

    Lucivar panted as he ran through the forest once again.

    He felt like he had been running through this forest multiple times already¡ªbut none was as bad as this one. Jumping past a fallen tree¡ªhe yelped when splinters of wood, rained down on him as another bullet missed him by an inch.

    It had been more than five minutes of being chased.

    No matter what he tried to do, he couldn''t shake the three guards from his tail.

    "Come on... Come on..." Lucivar gritted his teeth¡ªhe was trying to activate his power like the time he did to kill Dorian. He tried to feel the energy he felt before, and even tried to close his eyes as he ran, but none of his attempts worked. "How did I do it last time?!"

    Bang!

    "Krahhk!" Lucivar grunted in pain as he grabbed his shoulder.

    One bullet managed to hit him, and as he looked back, he saw the three guards were close.

    Unlike the two at the front, who were sprinting ahead¡ªthe one at the back, was firing bullets at Lucivar to prevent him from running. Not even getting a moment of a breather, Lucivar was hit for the second time on the leg, causing him to stumble and fall.

    He groaned in pain, and blood began to flow and seep out of his clothes.

    Even then, his eyes were still flickering with determination.

    ''I killed a Titan Hybrid. I would be executed if I was caught!'' He thought grimly.

    Searching for ways to get out of this sticky situation¡ªLucivar darted his eyes left¡ªand right before his gaze fell on a hand-size, red-dotted black beetle. Seeing that particular insect, he quickly grabbed it and crushed it.

    Its blood was golden and sticky, and Lucivar scooped it with his right hand.

    "Come on kid, young master Arkan is asking for you,"

    "Don''t resist, you won''t escape"

    Lucivar turned and threw the two guards the black beetle''s blood, smearing it on them.

    Both men were stunned before that stun turned to anger.

    "Motherfucker!"

    "Why you little... come here!"

    Hoot! Hoot! Hoot!

    Out of nowhere, dozens of creatures fell down from the sky, landing on the two guards.

    It was the Fire-tailed Monkey, they lived in groups and were rather docile, but they really liked, the taste of the red-dotted black beetle''s blood, for some reason. Using them as a diversion, Lucivar got up and continued his escape.

    Despite the wounds, he could still run¡ªhe attributed it to the ploy of his adrenaline.

    ''The river! I could lose them using the river!'' Lucivar pondered.

    He now had a destination, he would try his chances of losing his pursuers on the lake.

    For a moment there, Lucivar was free from being shot, as it seemed the three men were busy dealing with the Fire-tailed Monkeys that were physically strong. But he knew that it wouldn''t be long before they caught up to him.

    Rumble!

    Just then, the sky suddenly rumbled with a thunderous crack.

    As if fate itself was against Lucivar, it started to rain.

    It started mildly at first, but the rain became a downpour in mere seconds.

    Each drop of the rain, that landed on Lucivar''s fresh wounds, sent a stinging pain through his nerves, causing him to grit his teeth harder and harder. He was nearing the river so he began to pick up his pace, especially when he could hear the distant sound of the three guards.

    ''Just after that big tree it''s the river, I can make it!'' Lucivar thought resolutely.

    But as soon as he passed the river, his eyes widened.

    Despite being a hunter for years and practically knowing the outskirts of the forest well¡ªhe was not perfect as he forgot the river flowed through a narrow valley. Not expecting a steep descent, the ground falling away sharply beneath his feet, Lucivar fell down.

    He rolled roughly across the valley, hitting rocks and drowned branches along the way.

    Lucivar could feel a couple of his bones ruptured from the rough fall.

    Even as he came to a stop and wanted to stand up, he felt a sharp pain stabbing his chest.

    "There! I see him!"

    Upon hearing a voice, Lucivar looked up and saw the three guards were already on their way down towards him. Pushing himself up¡ªhe ignored the pain, and the blood dripping from his forehead and moved to the river, ''I don''t want to die yet... I had only become a Hybrid, I don''t want it to end like this!''

    Relying on his willpower, he dragged himself towards the river slowly.

    But the three guards had enough of him.

    Kaboom!

    Out of nowhere, the ground beside him exploded, sending him hurtling to the side.

    Everything became blurry when his head crashed against a rock¡ªhe didn''t know what made the ground explode but it did. Prone on the snowy ground, Lucivar tried to see where he was but the world was spinning.

    Seemed like he hurt his eardrums too as a sharp, high-pitched ringing assaulted his senses.

    However, he could still subtly hear the sound of footsteps approaching.

    Lucivar lay motionless, every muscle in his body betraying him.

    He tried to move, still determined to reach the river and let its stream bring him away¡ªbut it seemed the fall had paralyzed him or his body had simply taken too much damage. However¡ªdriven by the burning determination inside of him, his power came back.

    Unconsciously, his eyes began to glow with the same light as before.

    It was not as intense as before, but it was there.

    But his vision got worse as it was marred by the crimson trail of blood drizzling from his own forehead into his eye, painting the world, in a red haze. As he lay there¡ªbreathing heavily in wait for the three guards to strike, a warm liquid suddenly drenched his body.

    A scream followed, but it was dampened, and it could''ve been his ears playing tricks.

    Summoning all his remaining strength, he tried to force himself up.

    Lifting his bloodied gaze, instead of the three guards, he was only greeted by one.

    Blood seemed to be smeared across the guard''s face¡ªthough Lucivar could not be sure if it was real, or a phantom from his damaged vision. He saw the guard¡ªextend his hand toward him with a light smile playing on his lips.

    "It''s okay," the guard said. "Take my hand..."

    Lucivar''s mind raced, trying to comprehend what was happening.

    He couldn''t understand what the guard was saying or why is the guard smiling at him.

    But before he could make sense of it all, darkness claimed him, and he passed out.

    ...

    As consciousness slowly returned, Lucivar could feel that his surroundings were warmer.

    He seemed to hear a flickering fire, cackling, which should be the source of this warmth.

    Slowly opening his eyes, he was greeted by an unfamiliar, wooden ceiling.

    In the next second, however, Lucivar''s body tensed¡ªhe recalled being pursued by the three guards through the forest. But a soft hand gently held his chest, preventing him from getting up from the bed.

    "Easy there, dear, your body is still recovering..." A feminine voice caressed his ears.

    Glancing to the side, Lucivar saw a female stranger.

    She was holding a wet cloth with a bowl of warm water placed beside her.

    Her flawless, wavy blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, and despite the faint lines that were marking her face¡ªher beauty remained, breathtaking. Even her pliant smile, made him feel that he was safe beside her.

    Just then, a baritone voice snapped him out of his trance, "Seems like you''re awake,"

    Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman stood up and left the room.

    Lucivar then saw a middle-aged man sitting with one leg crossed near the fireplace, his gaze was unwavering. The man''s medium-length hair, was combed neatly to both sides, framing a scar that crossed his left eye, now completely white and blind.

    His proper black morning coat and polished leather gloves spoke of nobility.

    And a glinting golden pocket watch completed his embellished look.

    "My name is Tobias, and I''m sure you have a lot of questions," Tobias said and smiled lightly.

    He went ahead to pour a glass of water before giving it to Lucivar, which Lucivar didn''t drink.

    Lucivar didn''t know who Tobias was, he was not going to accept anything he gave.

    As Tobias pulled his chair to sit beside the bed, Lucivar kept his eyes on him, and vaguely, he remembered, the incident from before. "You''re the guard I saw, before I passed out... Are you the one who saved me and brought me here?"

    "Yes," Tobias nodded, keeping his assuring smile. "I am that guard"

    But instead of feeling assured, Lucivar moved away from him out of cautiousness.

    "What do you want?" He asked.

    Tobias chuckled lightly seeing how he acted, "What do you mean what do I want?"

    "You want something from me, or else why would you help a stranger" He replied knowingly.

    Lucivar feels a strange mix of gratitude and unease.

    No matter the circumstances, it was peculiar for a guard of the Ashbourne House to defy his master''s orders to save him, instead of capturing him. Moreover, Tobias'' words were kind, he also looked kind, yet something about him made Lucivar feel he wasn''t as he appeared.

    "I saw the corpses..." Tobias suddenly said¡ªmaking the air seem choking. "and I know, what kind of man you are. Something must''ve happened to you. A man like you, would not do that without a reason. Also, you''re right, I saved you because I want something back"

    As soon as Tobias said that, Lucivar became alert, fearing for the worst.

    However, Tobias smiled wider in return, "But that doesn''t mean I would force you to do it"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar had his eyes widened slightly.

    But he soon collected himself, "Then tell me what you want, and don''t lie to me"

    "I''ll try my best to be as honest as possible," Tobias smiled. He paused briefly to arrange the words in his mind while looking at Lucivar intently¡ªbefore he asked, "Before I tell you what I want, I want to know what you want. So tell me, what do you want to do right now?"

    Lucivar didn''t instantly answer when he was asked about this, he took a moment to think.

    "For now, I want to live freely," He finally replied.

    As if expecting Lucivar to answer with that, Tobias nodded and clasped his hands together.

    "To live freely, you need strength. Do you have the strength?" Tobias asked.

    Unlike the question before, Lucivar was silenced by this one knowing that he didn''t have it.

    Knowing the answer through his expression alone, Tobias continued, "You have a rare gift¡ªLucivar. You killed a Hybrid with a Titan bloodline when you just awakened your bloodline. It was an impressive feat, nobody could do that"

    "And I need someone like you for something in due time. But in the meantime, I could provide you with the path you need to develop your bloodline and become stronger. More than that, I will also give you a home, and people that you can learn to trust" He added.

    Listening to this, Lucivar found it to be too good to be true.

    ''I''m worried about this ''something'' he needed me for'' Lucivar pondered in concern.

    Knowing exactly what Lucivar was thinking, Tobias assured, "If you reach the state that you want with my help, the cost of paying me back would be nothing, you have nothing to worry about, you will still make your own choices and be free"

    Intertwining his hands together, Tobias then leaned forward with a serious expression.

    "So, you have two choices," He said calmly. "You can either accept the proposal I''m offering, or I can drop you off at the nearest city to start fresh, and fend for yourself. I won''t force you into anything, the choice is entirely yours..."

 Chapter 7 7: New Family

    Being shoved with two choices, Lucivar looked down and contemplated deeply.

    ''I still don''t know what he wanted, he only said he wanted something from me'' He pondered, stealing a glance at the patiently waiting, Tobias. ''But he didn''t seem to be a bad guy, no... it might be precisely what he wanted me to think so he can fool me''

    Still feeling the lingering burn of the pain he suffered yesterday, he couldn''t trust anyone.

    Lucivar also had made a promise to himself that he would think only for himself.

    Nobody appreciates the goodness of others, he learned that already.

    ''He might kill me if I choose the second option, to be set free, but I don''t sense any malicious intent from him. Is he really letting me choose this? Even if he didn''t kill me, will I be free?'' He pondered further, weighing the pros and cons of picking the second choice.

    Regardless of what Tobias wanted, he was still a fugitive of the Ashbourne House.

    Even if Tobias let him go, there''s no guarantee that he would be safe.

    As one of the Five Supreme Houses¡ªthe House of Ashbourne, has a large territory under its reign, spanning two continents. If Lucivar wanted to escape from them, he would need to go pretty far and he doesn''t have the resources to do that.

    Moreover, the Ashbourne House was very strict on any offenses done in a slave city.

    If he decided to hide, he would need to live in hiding for the rest of his life.

    On the other hand, he could take Tobias'' offer to start fresh and learn to be strong.

    Everyone respects strength, and Lucivar tasted its tip against his family and also Bianca.

    Not to mention, he also needs strength if he wants to defend himself and survive.

    Clenching both of his fists, Lucivar still couldn''t fully trust Tobias as even his own mother and the person he thought of as a little sister, betrayed him, "If I choose to stay with you... will we go far away from here? From anywhere near the House of Ashbourne?"

    "After I''m done with my matters, we will go to the House of Valerius'' territory," Tobias replied.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes glistened, "The Vampire''s territory?"

    "Yes, I have a place there that I call home, and we will all go there," He nodded firmly.

    Knowing this fact, Lucivar kept himself composed even though he was excited inside.

    This was his opportunity to reach freedom¡ªhis one-way trip to get away from the House of Ashbourne and start his new life. Even though the Five Supreme Houses worked together, it was not entirely the case.

    ''I''ll go along with him for now,'' Lucivar pondered inwardly as he looked at Tobias intently¡ªhe was pretending to weigh his decision. ''When we''re there, I''d find the perfect time, to escape. Plus, I also need some guidance to be a proper Hybrid''

    Nodding his head, he finally answered, "I''ll stay with you, I don''t have a home out there..."

    Listening to his answer, Tobias was happy, it could be seen through his wide smile.

    "Don''t worry, I will not make you regret your decision. Come..." Tobias said as he stood up, "I will introduce you to the others, your potential friends. You recover quickly¡ªmaybe because of your bloodline so you should be able to walk"

    As Tobias went out, Lucivar quickly searched the entire room.

    His eyes then landed on his previous clothes neatly placed on a small table.

    Reaching for its pocket, he sighed in relief when the gold sphere was there, it wasn''t missing.

    Even his pouch was on the table, everything he owned was there.

    A moment later, Lucivar was brought outside, following Tobias closely from behind.

    Just as he expected, he seemed to be in a house, a big one at that.

    It was not lavish or anything, most furniture here was made of wood¡ªbut the place was, as big as a mansion with what seemed to be an inner yard at the center. His room was located on the side of the yard, and now, he was brought to the main room.

    Upon entering the main room, a spacious square-shaped room, there are people there.

    From a brief sweep, there are at least nine of them.

    Amongst these nine people, excluding the middle-aged woman he saw earlier, three of them were older than Lucivar, probably in their late twenties to early thirties¡ªtwo of them, were a lot younger, while the last four were Lucivar''s age.

    One person, in particular, a woman around his age, caught Lucivar''s eyes.

    She was breathtakingly beautiful, with sharp facial features and a toned, fit body. Dark hair, with front strands¡ªdyed deep purple cascaded over one shoulder. As Lucivar stepped into the room, they made eye contact, her purple eyes shifted toward him.

    Compared to everyone present, she starkly stuck out.

    Realizing that she was squinting at his gaze, Lucivar averted his gaze elsewhere.

    "Meet the new member of our family," Tobias introduced¡ªpresenting Lucivar to the others.

    All eyes immediately focused on Lucivar as he said that and feeling the intensity in all of their gazes, Lucivar bowed a little out of nervousness, "Hello, my name is Lucivar, Lucivar Asarafall¡ªpleased to meet you all"

    Upon his introduction, Tobias patted his back to help him loosen up.

    "Lucivar¡ªfrom this moment on, they will be your friends," He said, surprising Lucivar greatly. "Like you, they are all Hybrids¡ªeach has something unique, like you do. Go, and get to know them. Me and my wife will prepare dinner so everyone, be nice to Lucivar alright?"

    Naturally, seeing Tobias and the middle-aged woman leaving, Lucivar sweats profusely.

    He could feel the air was tense, almost as if he was not welcomed here.

    Just then, however, the moment Tobias and his wife left, a short medium-built man sitting on the sofa leisurely, instantly stood up¡ªand went over to him. He grabbed Lucivar''s hand, "My name is Mirel, pleased to meet''cha! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me"

    Before Lucivar could respond, another one suddenly stole both of his hands.

    It was an energetic muscular man¡ªhis brown eyes were sparkling as he looked at Lucivar.

    "You look strong, do you want to have a go with me? A friendly bout?" He asked.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled wryly, "A- A bout...? Do you mean fight?"

    "Hmm, hmm!" the man nodded excitedly. "Fighting or wrestling, whatever you want to call it"

    "Or do you want to arm wrestle to start?" He asked again, gripping Lucivar''s hands tightly.

    Out of nowhere, the muscular man got his head slapped by Mirel hard¡ªforcing him to clasp his head, with his hands, "Go and play with your toys, Bakar" Mirel said, before he smiled at Lucivar apologetically. "Do not mind that battle-maniac blockhead, he is a Troll Hybrid¡ªand he became super energetic like that after becoming a four-star Neophyte,"

    Pursing his lips, Bakar sulked and went to the side and hugged a worn-out punching bag.

    It seemed the punching bag that was the toy Mirel was referring to.

    He lamented in solitude as nobody wanted to go along and play with him.

    Lucivar could only nod his head in understanding.

    Any Hybrid would bear the burden of their bloodline''s constitution, including behavior.

    Just then, a blond-haired woman with chubby cheeks came from the side.

    She approached Lucivar with steady steps and gently clasped his hand, "Ah... I''m sorry about this" She apologized, seeing a small bruise, on Lucivar''s hand. "Bakar could be quite rough at times, but he''s not a bad person, I can attest to that!"

    It seemed Bakar''s strong grip from earlier left a bruise on his hand.

    "No, there''s no need for you to apologize," Lucivar replied, seeing the woman sobbing.

    Even though it was not her fault, her eyes were shedding a couple of tears.

    Coming from the side¡ªMirel introduced, "Lucivar, meet Nerissa. She is a Siren Hybrid, and is also the princess of our family" Then, leaning closer to Lucivar''s ear, he whispered. "Also, you should let her heal your bruise. If you reject her¡ªshe''ll cry all night, and trust me, you will not get a wink of sleep if that happens"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar confined his desire to pull his hand away from Nerissa.

    From the way Mirel said it, he really meant what he said.

    Not stopping at that, Lucivar could suddenly feel a tickling sensation on his nape despite the fact that Nerissa, was healing his hand by blowing on it. But his entire body was frozen solid, when two arms suddenly came and embraced him from the back.

    Lucivar looked to his left shoulder and found the face of an alluring woman there.

    She was hugging Lucivar from the back and lazily put her cheek on his shoulder.

    In addition to that, she was very close!

    Even her womanly scent, sweet and spicy vanilla scent, was overwhelming his nostrils.

    Not to mention Lucivar could feel two soft pillows against his back, turning his face red.

    "Hmm... you smell nice," She whispered, sniffing Lucivar''s neck directly.

    "Let go of the man, Ravenna, you''re making him uncomfortable," Mirel intervened seeing that Lucivar''s face was already¡ªas red as a tomato. But then he sighed seeing that Ravenna was not heeding his words, "Meet Ravenna, as you might already realize she is a bit... touchy. Oh, she''s also a Crimson Rakshasa Hybrid,"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar stole a glance at Ravenna, ''No wonder her eyes are bright red''

    More than that, she also has red whiskers like a cat.

    Ignoring the introduction, Ravenna turned to look at Lucivar, "Uncomfortable...?"

    "Seems like he was enjoying it rather than being uncomfortable," She added, trailing her long index fingernail lightly across Lucivar''s cheek. "By the way, you look cute¡ªwhat bloodline do you have to make you this good-looking?"

    Upon hearing her soft whispers brushing against his ear, Lucivar gulped harshly.

    He never had a woman get this close to him, not even his mother.

    "My bloodline...? I don''t know, I unlocked it recently" Lucivar replied truthfully.

    Not expecting that Lucivar was a new Hybrid considering that he looked to be at the ripe age of twenty, Ravenna was surprised. But clearing his throat¡ªMirel assured, "So you''re new? Do not worry, Master will help you determine your bloodline"

    "Master" Lucivar muttered, raising an eyebrow.

    Remembering that he was new, Mirel clarified, "I mean Tobias, we called him Master here,"

    Unlike what he had expected, the others were very friendly toward him.

    Other than the ones who came and introduced themselves¡ªthere were still the young ones, Lily and Thomas, and also the three others, Darwin who is a skinny man with a meek air, the extremely bulky man, Bob, and also the beautiful woman, Leandra.

    Ravenna, Bob, and Darwin were way older than Lucivar, around the late twenties to thirties.

    While Leandra, Mirel, Bakar, and Nerissa were the ones around his age.

    Even as he became accustomed to these people he would be temporarily living with, he did not get the chance to talk with Bob, Darwin, and Leandra. All three of them, left¡ªas Lucivar was talking with the others, bringing Lily and Thomas with them.

    Just like that, the day passed, ending with a dinner with all of them present.

    It was akin to a welcoming dinner for Lucivar into the family.

    During the bleak morning the next day, Lucivar woke up abruptly.

    He stood up intending to go make his coffee, but stopped when he realized where he was.

    "Oh, right... I don''t need to go hunting anymore, my family is dead," He mused.

    Since he had been hunting for years and woken up way before dawn, it became a habit of his¡ªone that would be quite troublesome to get rid of. Lucivar tried to sleep again, but he could not, his mind was already awake.

    A couple of hours later while he struggled to sleep, he woke up when the door was knocked.

    Feeling considerably better than the day before¡ªhe rose from bed and opened the door to find Tobias waiting outside. Confusion clouded his thoughts, it was still very early. However¡ªhis surprise deepened as he saw the yard bustling with the others exercising.

    "Go change into your uniform in the closet, I''ll wait outside," Tobias said.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar did as he was told and came outside.

    As opposed to joining the others, he was brought into a confined room, and it was empty.

    Only a couple of wooden weapons are displayed on the side, and the ground is sand.

    "I''ll help you start your Hybrid journey¡ªbut first, I have a question," Tobias said, as he closed the door of the room. "In order to start your journey, you need to feel your bloodline''s energy called ether. So tell me, what stimulated your bloodline to activate?"

    Lucivar frowned when he heard this, and he recalled the times his power was riled.

    "I''m not sure, but I could feel it rising when I''m near death...?" He answered.

    Just then, as soon as he said that¡ªTobias'' entire aura changed into a fierce one, and Lucivar could feel the aura choking him. Not to mention, he also saw Tobias getting into a stance, his fighting stance, "W- What are you doing...?"

    "What else? I''m going to stimulate your bloodline, of course" Tobias replied, smirking lightly.

 Chapter 8 8: Supernatural Ego

    Lucivar was now wearing the uniform like the others, a fitting red shirt and black pants.

    Seeing the others were exercising together and the fact that he was wearing the exact same uniform, as them¡ªLucivar was expecting to do some sort of exercise, with them. Tobias was probably going to teach him one-on-one before he could join the others.

    Now he realized it seemed he was half right.

    It was true that Tobias would tutor him one-on-one, but not for teaching him to exercise.

    Tobias, who had carried a patient air around him, suddenly changed.

    As he raised both fists and adopted his fighting stance¡ªthe air around him sharpened like a forged blade. His expression stiffened into one of deadly¡ªseriousness. Even for a complete amateur like Lucivar¡ªwho had never raised his fist until recently, he could feel Tobias had a lot of fighting experience.

    Just meeting Tobias'' gaze alone, his capability for violence was palpable.

    It was suffocating, and Lucivar felt a chill run down his spine.

    "Defend yourself the best you can," Tobias suddenly commanded with a stern voice.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar snapped out of his trance and was about to say something, but he could not get it out of his mouth, as he saw Tobias, making his move. Expertly, Tobias cut the distance between them in an instant with a single step.

    Leaning back instinctively as Tobias closed in, Lucivar saw Tobias swinging his left fist.

    He was aiming for Lucivar''s face.

    Reacting to this attack, Lucivar raised his arm to block, and to his surprise, he succeeded.

    But in the next instant, his eyes bulged as he collapsed to his knees, clutching his stomach in utter pain. Saliva dribbled from his mouth, as he gasped for breath, pain permeating from the gut blow Tobias had delivered with his knee.

    "Don''t focus on the pain, probe your inner body for any sign of warmth," Tobias instructed.

    Lucivar tried to do that, but ignoring the pain was not an easy thing to do.

    Pausing for a moment, Tobias went to the side and took a wooden sword from the stack.

    "My wife is a good healer¡ªso we can go all out and maximize this training," Tobias said as he went to stand, in front of Lucivar again¡ªbut this time, a wooden sword in hand. "At any point, if you want to stop before I say so, tell me, and I''ll drop you off at the nearest city"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar gritted his teeth, ''I can''t get kicked out of here, I need to endure!''

    Despite struggling, he slowly climbed back to his feet.

    "Good," Tobias smiled when he saw this. "I will also explain the fundamental things you need to know, as a Hybrid, so listen carefully. Unlike the others¡ªyou are extremely new, you need to learn a lot before you can catch up to any of them,"

    As he said that, the training continues with Lucivar on the receiving hand.

    He was beaten black and blue by a wooden sword.

    Other than that, Tobias explained that right now Lucivar could be called a first-star Neophyte Hybrid, the weakest possible rank as he had only recently become a Hybrid. Furthermore, he also told Lucivar that the weakest out of the others was Bakar, a four-star Neophyte.

    In order to cultivate his power, he needs to feel his bloodline''s energy inside.

    An inner energy that''s normally called Ether.

    Lucivar would first need to locate his Supernatural Ego, the core of a Hybrid, to do this.

    Upon successfully feeling his Ether and using it to locate his Supernatural Ego¡ªhe would be able to determine, what kind of bloodline he unlocked through the shape of his Supernatural Ego, and only then could he truly be called a Hybrid.

    He would be called a Hybrid then, because only then would he learn his first innate ability.

    Of course, a recently awakened Hybrid is stronger than a normal Human, but they were not a true Hybrid, if they could not use any abilities, associated with their bloodline. Following that, to advance to the second star, he would then need a proper absorption technique to start.

    As promised, Tobias would provide him with the necessary technique.

    Bam!

    Eating a blow to the face, Lucivar got sent rolling back and stopped on the wall.

    He coughed a mouthful of blood and sat there unmoving.

    "Other than that you should also try and figure out the constitution your bloodline brings. For instance, a new Vampire Hybrid would instantly have a hunger for blood. Naturally, the purity of the bloodline would determine how strong the hunger will be¡ªbut all Vampire Hybrids will have that hunger," Tobias explained, brandishing the wooden sword that was decorated with bloodstains.

    Gazing at Lucivar, Tobias found that he was not moving and was weak already.

    Even then, Lucivar had his eyes closed and was trying to feel his supposed bloodline energy.

    However, no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t feel anything.

    It was as if the spark that had gotten to him back against Dorian was never there.

    "Leandra managed to feel her Ether minutes after I started training her but you''re no Leandra it seems," Tobias mused, and went to the side to place the wood sword back¡ªgesturing that the training for today was over. "We''ll continue this tomorrow, no point in going further"

    Opening his eyes, Lucivar gazed at the leaving Tobias.

    For some reason, hearing what Tobias said made him angry, it was the same as his Mother.

    He had always been compared to other people who became a Hybrid early, and he had been undermined by his mother through that, just like what Tobias was doing right now. Somehow, the stinging pain across his body becomes numb.

    ''I''m not letting myself be undermined again, I''m going to make him focus!'' He thought.

    Putting down the wooden sword, Tobias heads to the door with light steps.

    "Go to my wife to be healed. After you cover, Mirel will help you exercise" He said leisurely.

    But as his hand was on the door handle, a figure with glowing eyes appeared behind him.

    Bam!

    Tobias blocked a punch from behind and glanced over his shoulder.

    "Oh...?" A smile crept to his face when he saw Lucivar strike him from behind and his glowing eyes¡ªfilled with power showed that he was tapping, into his bloodline. "Do you have more in you? It was too soon to call it quits, then"

    Parrying the punch, Lucivar was pushed back as Tobias turned to face him.

    In the next second Lucivar pounced again, sending a series of attacks of his own.

    Alas, his attacks were clumsy and full of holes as he was not trained for combat whatsoever, but Tobias could see, that his overall strength exploded. Receiving the attacks¡ªTobias, kept himself on the defense and observed what Lucivar had to offer.

    Bam!

    Blocking a punch from the side, Tobias raised an eyebrow, feeling the strength behind it.

    Despite being on guard, he was pushed several meters to the side from blocking that punch.

    ''Strength-wise, he is as strong as when Bakar became a Hybrid, perhaps even stronger''

    However, as Lucivar''s attacks became even more frenzied, Tobias kicked him away.

    "Don''t let emotions control you, take control," He said as he realized Lucivar was completely overwhelmed by anger and was not thinking¡ªforgetting what this bout was about. "Haven''t you realized it yet? Your bloodline is activated, try feeling it now"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar widened his eyes, he didn''t realize that his power was active.

    Fearing that it might be deactivated in a moment, he quickly closed his eyes.

    He focused on locating the source of his power¡ªfeeling the warmth, radiating from his solar plexus. Opening his eyes, Lucivar quickly turned to Tobias and said, "I found it, it''s right here¡ªthe source of the warmth is coming from here"

    Pointing at the spot, Lucivar informed Tobias about his findings.

    Nodding his head, Tobias went over to him and told him to sit down and relax.

    "Close your eyes," Tobias said as he stacked both of his hands on Lucivar''s nape. "I''m going to open, your inner eyes. Focus on the location of your Supernatural Ego¡ªand do not waver from it. If your inner eyes are opened, you''ll find yourself inside your Inner Chamber¡ªwhere your Supernatural Ego lies. It should be a statue"

    Lucivar nodded and closed his eyes.

    It was completely black, but he could feel an intense heat coming from his nape.

    Seems like Tobias was infusing energy into him.

    As Tobias instructed, Lucivar kept his focus on his solar plexus and before long, he could see something through the darkness of his closed eyes. It was far and blurry, but it got clearer as the heat on his nape grew intense.

    Just like blinking his own eyes, he slowly began to grasp what he was seeing right now.

    More than that, Lucivar was surprised when he could move.

    Looking down at his body, he realized that he had now taken a golden astral form.

    Even though Tobias said that he was going to open Lucivar''s inner eyes¡ªthe inner eyes, that Lucivar expected, were nothing like this, he was expecting to only be able to see, not be able to move around like this.

    Nevertheless¡ªLucivar looked around and found he was inside some kind of small room.

    Judging from the holy engravings on the wall, the room seemed to be inside of a church.

    It was dusty with rubbles littering the floor.

    "Hmm... there''s no windows or anything," Lucivar mused but then his eyes landed on a statue at the center of the room. It didn''t take the shape of a being, or anything like that¡ªit took the shape of an egg instead.

    Approaching closer, he circled the statue and inspected it.

    As he noticed earlier, the statue was shaped like an egg, but its exterior was jagged and also uneven. Lucivar tried to touch the statue and found that it was made of rock¡ªhe knocked on it a couple of times and found that it was extremely dense.

    It even hurt his knuckles by doing that.

    Moving back to see the full view of the statue¡ªhe realized the odd shape wasn''t part of the egg itself but rather, objects tightly embracing it. At first glance¡ªthese objects looked like a series of arms or limbs.

    But he soon discerned they were not arms.

    "No, they were not arms, they are wings..." Lucivar muttered in surprise.

    As opposed to arms, the egg was embraced tightly by wings.

    Despite realizing that they were wings, he still couldn''t tell what kind of bloodline he had.

    Moreover, these wings, seemingly avian, were intricately carved to appear as if they were the guardians protecting the egg. Lucivar marveled at the level of detail of the features, each line meticulously etched, giving the impression of a living creature frozen in time.

    Such a sight was both mesmerizing and unsettling.

    Lucivar could feel that his bloodline was not a normal one.

    Precisely because of that he still felt uneasy.

    "Five pairs of feathered wings," He muttered, counting the wings. "Ten wings..."

    Lucivar couldn''t help but frown, he didn''t know what kind of being had ten wings.

    For starters, there were a lot of bloodlines that had wings such as Griffins, Harpies, and even the mighty Dragons, but the statue had ten wings, protecting the egg. It was only then¡ªthat his eyes widened at a possibility.

    "Do I have the bloodline of an Angel...?" He mused, sucking in a cold breath.

    His eyes widened when the egg vibrated with golden energy and it shot into the ground.

    Swoosh!

    Five intricate golden lines could be seen spreading on the floor like snakes, each heading in a different direction. Lucivar followed the golden lines¡ªbefore he gasped when he realized the statue of an egg was not the only thing inside his Inner Chamber.

    On the sides of the chamber were five statues, each starkly different than the others.

    "So... which one is my Supernatural Ego again?"

 Chapter 9 9: A Fierce Fight

    Lucivar found five statues beside the statue of an egg at the center.

    Confusion was evident on his face as he viewed these statues.

    He was quite sure Tobias never mentioned having multiple Supernatural Egos like this.

    Additionally, unlike the statue of an egg at the center¡ªthe other statues, were shrouded in a shifting veil of inky blackness. As Lucivar tried to focus, these statues remained obscured by an unseen force that distorted their features.

    No matter the angle he looked at the statues from, discerning their shapes was impossible.

    Seems like the identity of these statues couldn''t be unveiled.

    Despite his curiosity about the other five statues, he focused back on the egg statue.

    Although winged bloodlines are abundant, having ten wings excluded all of them except one.

    His face paled at the realization that his bloodline was not the normal one.

    ''I was happy to become a Hybrid¡ªand I was hoping my bloodline would be at the very least, good but an Angel is too much...'' He pondered¡ªgulping harshly as reality sank in. ''Out of all, why did it have to be the Angel bloodline?''

    Not to be misunderstood, the Angel bloodline is extremely strong.

    Compared to the bloodlines of the Five Supreme Houses, it was up there with them.

    Having the divine power to smite evil and stand for justice, the Angel bloodline is in fact one of the strongest there is, but there''s one massive problem. Leading the rebellion force, back during the Great War was none other than Angel Hybrids themselves.

    All Angel Hybrids has the tendency to do good, it''s their innate constitution.

    Due to that, the one leading to the overthrow of the corrupt Five Supreme Houses is them.

    As a result, anyone who has the bloodline of an Angel is killed.

    Joining forces, the Five Supreme Houses led a crusade to genocide all Angel Hybrids.

    No Angel Hybrids have been heard ever since, but Lucivar was sure that there are Angel Hybrids out there, as a bloodline to become a Hybrid was not as simple as being passed down¡ªit was more complex so there is a chance a random person out there¡ªhas Angel bloodline.

    But the reason for them not being heard was probably because they were killed.

    Refocusing on the statue, Lucivar stepped back with a pale face.

    His feeling right now was a mix of excitement, and fear¡ªexcited, that he has a very powerful bloodline and scared that he was going to be killed if found out, "I need an excuse, I can''t tell Tobias that I have multiple Supernatural Egos and an Angel bloodline..."

    Never mind that¡ªLucivar was still confused as to how he had the bloodline of an Angel.

    "I killed a man, someone who has an Angel bloodline shouldn''t be able to do that," He mused.

    Of course, not that an Angel Hybrid couldn''t kill another person but the reason must be just.

    Killing Dorian, Lucivar''s reason was that he wanted to kill him.

    It was not because of something good like saving the old man.

    Just as he was contemplating deeply, he realized, that he was already back in the real world with Tobias standing before him¡ªlooking at him questioningly, "So? What''s your bloodline? I assume you saw your Supernatural Ego already"

    "Uh..." Upon hearing this, Lucivar stuttered as his mind raced. "It''s the Gargoyle bloodline"

    "But I''m really not sure" He added with a fake smile, trying to lie.

    Looking at Lucivar intently, Tobias squinted his eyes, "If you''re not sure, I''ll give you a book to search the shape of your Supernatural Ego¡ªto make sure, that it''s really the Gargoyle. But, if you don''t want to do that I can peer inside your Supernatural Ego as long as you let me"

    "No, no, no, I can do it," Lucivar waved his hand. "I''m not going to burden you with that,"

    Despite the brief pause, Tobias eventually nodded.

    "How about a name? Below the statue, there might be a name" He added.

    Lucivar tried to recall the egg statue but he shook his head, "No, there was no name"

    "If your Supernatural Ego is named then you are gifted and the purity of your bloodline would be quite high, check it once again later," Tobias explained with clarity before he strode to the door. "Go exercise with the others now. Every morning, you and I will have this small session. Even though you could see your Supernatural Ego now you still need aid to sense your Ether, so we''ll continue until you no longer need help"

    As he said that, Tobias left the room, leaving Lucivar alone covered in sweat and blood.

    But his mind was still fixed on his weird and surprising Inner Chamber.

    "I don''t see a name but I have six statues including the egg," He smiled wryly.

    Lucivar then leaned back on the wall and looked above, resting his fatigued body.

    "What am I going to do now...?" He mused exasperatedly.

    Moments later after lunch.

    Lucivar cleaned himself and sat on the edge of the bed with a heavy exhale.

    He had been exercising for hours with the others, and his body was sore from top to bottom.

    However, he was not complaining as he had a soft bed to rest his tired body.

    Compared to sleeping in the cramped space of the closet, he would rather exercise this hard and sleep, on a proper bed. Now that he finished his routine with the others¡ªhe has time for himself before the next training comes.

    It would be meditation and sparing next, the routine in this house was quite intense.

    Lucivar lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

    First of all, he felt completely surreal, his life took a drastic turn in mere days.

    A couple of days ago, he was still hunting in the forest for his family¡ªand now he somehow was lying on a soft bed inside a stranger''s house¡ªand became an Angel Hybrid, "Life could be surprising at times, I never expected this..."

    Just then, however, he felt hollow inside, sad, but no tears came down.

    Reality dawned on him as he had lost his family¡ªhe had killed his family and was now alone.

    Despite being necessary, his Mother and Edward were still his family.

    And now, they both are gone forever.

    Lucivar stayed silent in hollowness for minutes before he could finally collect himself.

    Sitting up, he grabbed the book on the table.

    It was the Bloodline Encylopedia that Tobias gave to him to make certain of his bloodline.

    Reading through the book, he couldn''t find the egg statue in the book.

    He also couldn''t find any mention of any Hybrid having multiple Supernatural Ego in them.

    "Guess I really have the Angel bloodline..." Lucivar mused to himself.

    Just from that alone, Lucivar was more certain about his unlocked bloodline.

    As opposed to feeling elated as he now became what he always wanted, a Hybrid, he felt no happiness at all knowing the challenges to his survival. He couldn''t let anyone be aware that he has an Angel bloodline or else he''s dead.

    Upon thinking that, Tobias'' words rang inside his head.

    "To live freely, you need strength."

    Resolving in becoming stronger, Lucivar sat on the floor and closed his eyes.

    He was going to try and feel his bloodline''s energy, his ether once again.

    Time flew by as he meditated and searched for the same warmth he felt earlier.

    But it was now time for the night training.

    Lucivar was standing in the yard again, but he was now standing in a makeshift arena on the side, with the ground being sand. He looked around, and found everyone was there¡ªand for some reason, the atmosphere was very tense.

    Only the sound of flickering torches could be heard filling the background.

    Even Mirel had his gaze straight, stiff from the tension.

    "Since today is the weekly tournament, we''ll start at the very bottom," Tobias suddenly said.

    He was standing at the center of the arena with both hands behind him.

    Glancing over at Lucivar, he then added, "Lucivar, you will be excluded from this tournament for now. But after the tournament is done¡ªit will be your turn so take in as much as you can from the others"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded before the tournament started.

    First to step to the center were Bakar and Nerissa.

    ''I never saw a fight between Hybrids before,'' Lucivar thought, feeling the rush of excitement to watch his first Hybrid fight. ''I heard from the main cities¡ªthat there are TV channels, that showed a battle between Hybrids but there are none on my TV''

    Even though the topic of Hybrid was hot in his home city, only a few had seen a Hybrid fight.

    Mainly because there are only a small amount of Hybrids living in the city.

    Due to that, Lucivar was quite excited to watch a fight between Bakar and Nerissa.

    "Get ready,"

    As Tobias signaled to the two, both Nerissa and Bakar got into their battle stances.

    Pssh...!

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar gasped when he saw steam rising from Bakar''s body, as if he were on fire. The aloof air around him, instantly transformed into a fierce one. At the same time¡ªNerissa, activated her power, a subtle blue hue emanating from her shoulders as water began to form.

    ''How in the world...? I thought only an Acolyte could use innate skills!'' He thought in shock.

    Both were still in the Neophyte rank and yet they both could use skills.

    "Start!"

    Upon the starting signal from Tobias, Bakar instantly dashed with unbelievable speed.

    He closed the distance in an instant and prepared to swing at Nerissa.

    All of the veins in his right arm bulged as he charged for a punch.

    Splash!

    Bakar delivered a devastating punch without pulling anything back, but his fist only struck the ground¡ªsending sand flying in all directions. Nerissa had deftly dodged the blow, she ducked down with her glowing blue eyes staring straight at Bakar''s eyes.

    Her blonde hair fluttered as she countered with a powerful uppercut.

    Bang!

    It was a powerful uppercut blow containing enough force to knock Bakar off the ground.

    Lucivar had his jaw dropped when the tender Nerissa packed that much punch.

    Not stopping at that, the water on her shoulders moved quickly like a serpent, and whipped at Bakar''s face, the sound of the impact was brutal as he got sent hurling away, crashing to the barrier.

    ''I didn''t even realize a barrier surrounds us,'' Lucivar pondered inwardly.

    Seems like Tobias had prepared the yard for this bout.

    Swoosh!

    Recovering quickly, Bakar dashed forward again but this time, he managed to avoid Nerissa''s water striking at his face and rolled on the ground. Nerissa was then stunned when she felt a hand gripping her ankle.

    "I got you now," a triumphant smile spread across Bakar''s face.

    He lifted her by the leg and slammed her into the ground with immense force.

    Its impact was so hard that Lucivar was forced to turn away, fearing for Nerissa''s condition.

    Anyone who got slammed like that would definitely have a broken body.

    Just as expected, Nerissa coughed a mouthful of blood as she felt the air in her lungs was forced out from the impact. But then¡ªshe puffed her chubby cheeks and looked at Bakar, with a newfound light.

    Suddenly, Bakar saw Nerissa becoming bigger and also heavier.

    However, all of that was nothing but an illusion conjured by Nerissa to free herself.

    Caught off guard, Bakar got struck in the chest and hurled to the barrier once more.

    Nerissa didn''t relent in her opportunity to seize the offense, she continued her assault, using Bakar''s body like a ball. Each strike sent him crashing into the barrier¡ªonly to bounced back and be struck again.

    Bam!

    Bam!

    It was a repeated flow, overwhelming Bakar one-sidedly.

    As Lucivar observed from the side, he paled at the sight, ''Is she trying to kill Bakar...?''

    Eventually, Bakar fell to the ground and coughed a mouthful of blood before Nerissa pointed her water, as if it was an extension of her hand with a slightly annoyed look on her face, "Do you give up?"

    "I give up," Bakar conceded. "But I didn''t know you could do that, that''s unfair!"

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa quickly knelt down and checked Bakar''s body for wounds.

    "I''m sorry, did I go too hard? I''m really sorry," She apologized repeatedly.

    Seeing this, Tobias gestured to Nerissa, "Nerissa is the winner, she retains the sixth place!"

    "S- Sixth place...?" Lucivar muttered as he sucked in a cold breath. "So you''re telling me that Nerissa, as strong as she is to be able to defeat Bakar like that is the second weakest...?"

 Chapter 10 10: Completely Outclassed

    Lucivar sucked in a cold breath.

    Currently, eight people are attending this night''s training including him.

    So if Nerissa who had won against Bakar was in sixth place then that means Nerissa was the second weakest right after Bakar. She could send an adult man around eighty kilos flying and yet she was only the second weakest.

    Even though Lucivar knew he was the weakest, the gap between him and the others was far.

    He was dawned with that realization, these people are freakishly strong.

    ''Now I wonder what place Leandra was on, and what kind of bloodline does she has?''

    Glancing to the side, Lucivar saw Leandra standing with an upright spine and a cold face.

    Unlike the others, she seemed to be composed for this tournament.

    Just then Tobias announced the second fight, and it was Mirel against Leandra.

    Both of them stepped to the center and faced each other, and the others seemed to be quite excited to see the fight between them which made Lucivar also excited. He glued his eyes on both fighters with interest.

    "A fight for the fourth place, get ready..." Tobias looked at the two fighters and announced.

    Now Lucivar''s question was answered.

    From the looks of it, Leandra was in fourth place while Mirel was in fifth.

    Similar to the starting point of the previous match¡ªMirel, and Leandra get into their fighting stance and activate their powers. Mirel''s eyes began to flash with yellow lightning, cracks of energy spreading from his arms and slowly coursing down his body.

    ''Mirel has the bloodline of a Yellow Lightning Elemental'' Lucivar mused inwardly.

    He talked with Mirel about it during yesterday''s dinner.

    In stark contrast, Leandra''s eyes glowed a deep purple but her form remained unchanged.

    No manifestation of power accompanied her glowing eyes, but the sheer pressure emanating from her was immense. Even Lucivar¡ªwatching from the sidelines, felt the weight of it which caused him to gulp in apprehension.

    Looking at the two, Tobias nodded, "Start!"

    At the signal to start, Mirel clenched both his fists tightly and unleashed a roar.

    His body burst forward with a blast of lightning, as he charged toward Leandra with amazing speed, inhumanly fast. No normal human could accelerate, as fast, as he did. Making his first move, he stomped the ground hard and forcefully clapped his hands.

    Blitz!

    Mirel''s clap created a fan-shaped lighting shockwave that swiftly flew at Leandra.

    In a defensive move, Leandra squinted her eyes as a translucent purplish barrier blocked the attack entirely, she was unscathed. But Mirel was relentless, he did not slow down his speed and gathered a concentration of yellow lightning in his right arm.

    Going through the purplish barrier, he grabbed Leandra''s wrist forcefully.

    She tried to lean back but she was not faster than Mirel.

    Gripping her wrist tightly, he controlled his lightning power to infiltrate Leandra''s form.

    It was an attempt to stun or paralyze her momentarily.

    "Oh, Mirel managed to touch her, that''s impressive!" Bakar commented from the side.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna also smiled, "His lighting had gotten stronger"

    But to the surprise of the onlookers, and even to Mirel''s shock, Leandra''s arm vibrated, with intense purple energy, effortlessly nullifying the yellow lightning. Clicking his tongue in utter frustration, Mirel quickly went down.

    He showed that he was trained in martial arts as he went for a fast dragon tail sweep.

    Capitalizing on his speed, he tried to catch Leandra off-guard and knock her down.

    But again his effort was thwarted as Leandra managed to react and leaped above the sweep with utter calmness, her movement was graceful, and effective, with no waste. Mirel couldn''t react fast enough as Leandra delivered a swift kick to his stomach.

    Mirel stumbled back, yet another kick to the face disoriented him further.

    Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth because of the second kick.

    As Mirel regained his focus and opened his eyes¡ªhis eyes widened when he saw Leandra''s hand, poised to flick his forehead. The moment she did, Mirel was hurled like a comet to the other side of the makeshift arena, slamming onto the barrier.

    It was a sight that made Lucivar''s jaw drop, he couldn''t believe a flick could be that strong.

    Before making contact, he saw a wave of energy that amplified Leandra''s flick briefly.

    A burst of energy that sent Mirel flying away.

    Glancing to the side, Lucivar saw Mirel was dazed and struggling to rise.

    Despite his best efforts, he fell back down to the ground, defeated to unconscious.

    "Leandra is the winner, she retains her fourth place!" Tobias announced.

    Just like that, Leandra won against Mirel without breaking a sweat.

    She looked at the unconscious Mirel on the side for a couple of seconds before nodding.

    From the looks of it, she was making sure that Mirel stayed down.

    "Lucivar!" Tobias suddenly called¡ªand the sound of his name being called made Lucivar''s heart skip a beat before pounding hard. "Get in the arena, you will be sparring against her, make sure to give it your all"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra looked at Tobias with a frown, "Master...?"

    "Don''t use any of your abilities, but don''t hold back either," Tobias instructed sternly.

    Despite being unwilling, knowing that Lucivar was barely a Hybrid, Leandra didn''t complain and turned to face Lucivar. On the other hand, Lucivar stood up¡ªand went to the center of the arena with the others giving him a thumbs up.

    It was clear that he was not going to win, and the others'' expressions showed that.

    Nervously, Lucivar stood on the opposite of Leandra and raised both of his fists.

    Pausing for a moment, Tobias then announced, "Start!"

    Leandra remained on her spot passively instead of going in instantly like the others.

    Just then, she asked to make sure, "Are you ready?"

    "Huh?" Lucivar was caught off guard, but he soon focused again and nodded. "I''m ready"

    As soon as he said that, Leandra lowered his stance slowly.

    In the next second, Lucivar''s eyes widened in complete shock, ''She disappeared?!''

    Bam!

    ''I got hit...?!'' Lucivar''s eyes trailed downward, only to find Leandra was already right beneath him and landed a powerful blow on his chin, sending his senses reeling. ''Oh, no, I can''t focus¡ªshe got me good!''

    Upon receiving that hit, the world spun around him, his vision blurred with disorientation.

    Lucivar struggled to maintain balance, but he could feel that he was falling down.

    A second strike then follows, this time to his throat.

    It cuts off his breath and causes him to choke, forcing him to grab his throat instinctively.

    Despite wanting to at least hold on longer, he was no match for Leandra as through the haze, he caught a glimpse of her natural purple eyes¡ªglistening with determination. Before Lucivar could muster a defense, she launched her foot at his face.

    Everything went black after that, he didn''t feel anything as the world darkened.

    An unknown amount of time passed, and Lucivar gasped and woke up on a bed.

    "Good morning sleepy head,"

    Upon hearing this voice, Lucivar turned and saw Mirel lying on a bed opposite his.

    Not even needing any explanation, Lucivar knew what had happened as his face burned red.

    Seeing this Mirel laughed out loud, but hissed in pain from a sharp sting on his head that was wrapped by a bandage, "No need to feel embarrassed dude¡ªLeandra is the strongest out of the four of us. Darwin, Bob, and Ravenna are stronger than her¡ªonly because they are older, and have more time to train"

    "Even so, I didn''t even last five seconds against her" Lucivar muttered out of embarrassment.

    He wouldn''t even be surprised if that was the fastest match in this house.

    "It''s okay, everyone starts somewhere," Suddenly, another voice intervened in their banter, it came from Tobias'' wife sitting on the side, Delilah. She walked over to Lucivar and sat by his bed with a warm smile, "Leandra is a hard worker, so if you also train hard, you will reach her level in no time"

    "Ah..." Lucivar scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yes, I will work hard too"

    Delilah rubbed his head gently with a light giggle, "Unfortunately, you should rest for now"

    "Since you were injured when you arrived here, you have not fully healed from your previous injuries yet, so it has become worse now. I suggest taking a couple of days to rest. Rest well so you can go back to train again," She added before excusing herself to prepare lunch.

    Even as Delilah left, Lucivar still fixed his eyes on the door.

    He could even still feel the weight of her soft hand on his head.

    It somehow felt nice for him, being around Delilah is very comforting.

    "Woah, woah... She''s Master Tobias'' wife you know, we can''t have you like her," Mirel teased.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s face was flushed instantly.

    "What are you talking about? It''s not like that"

    "Oh, it''s totally like that. I could see it in your flowery eyes, you had a damn crush on her!"

    "Shut up, I''m not talking about this"

    Moments later, Lucivar was looking at the ceiling drowsed in his own thoughts.

    On the other hand, Mirel was bored as he played with his yellow lightning.

    Out of sheer curiosity, Lucivar turned to Mirel and asked, "Say, what''s Leandra''s bloodline?"

    Lucivar knew the others'' bloodlines already, but he didn''t know Leandra''s bloodline.

    He knew that Bob had a Black Orc bloodline, and the Albino Werewolf for Darwin, but he still didn''t know what Leandra''s bloodline was, as she hadn''t said more than a few words to him, much less tell her bloodline.

    "I never heard her say specifically, but I''m sure she''s some sort of a Witch," Mirel replied.

    Expecting Mirel to know, Lucivar was a little bit surprised to find that Mirel didn''t know.

    Knowing what Lucivar was thinking, Mirel elaborated, "Just like you¡ªit hasn''t been that long, since Leandra came to us. She came around March I think, so she''s the second-newest after you. Me and the others spent years already with Master Tobias"

    Not wanting to talk about Leandra, Mirel decided to ask, "Hey, tell me your story"

    "My story?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow in confusion.

    Mirel nodded repeatedly in response, "Yes, your story. How did Master Tobias find you?"

    Even though it still stings to remember¡ªLucivar, decided to tell his story, excluding all of the betrayal he suffered from his Mother and also Bianca. He only told Mirel that he had become a death volunteer and killed a Titan Hybrid.

    Listening to the story attentively with interest, Mirel leaned back and clicked his tongue.

    "Of course, they''d do that, those cowards are losers," He commented.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar chuckled, none has dared to say that to the Five Supreme Houses.

    "Do you perhaps hate them?"

    "Duh... Who doesn''t? All of them acted bossy after the Great Separation, a bunch of losers"

    About five decades ago, there was a world event called the Great Separation.

    Since anyone can remember¡ªHumanity has fought against beings from another dimension that were called Crossers. It was an unending war¡ªwith one side defending, and the other side on the offense.

    But as more people became Hybrid, the Crossers were being pushed back.

    Humanity became better and better, adapting and getting stronger.

    Fearing for the worst, the Crossers decided to make one powerful combined attack.

    A dimensional slash that splits the entire world into two, separating them with an unpassable warp wall that cuts off any access from one side to the other side. It was done to focus all of the Crossers'' efforts on one side, the stronger side before taking care of the rest.

    Lucivar was on the left side called the Light World, and the right was called the Dark World.

    Despite the name, the Light World was the weaker side of the world.

    Not to mention it has regressed so much after the Great Separation.

    It gained its nickname because the Crossers focused their attacks east from the poles.

    Even before the Great Separation, most attacks were focused there.

    Because of that, the right side of the world was heavily guarded.

    All of the Five Supreme Houses'' forces, were heavily gathered there, so when the world was separated, the left side was left with only the small branches of the Five Supreme Houses. It was because of that the left side was considered the weaker side.

    Many considered the Five Supreme Houses on the left side as false rulers.

    Each one of them was only a small branch of the real Five Supreme Houses.

    Mirel was probably referring to them as losers because of that.

    "If I got stronger, I''d destroy them and create my own House for sure," Mirel dreamed.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled wryly as that was a great ambition.

    But then again, they still walked the same path, "In that case, let''s get stronger together"

    "I also wanted to be strong and be free," Lucivar added.

    Donning the same spirit, Mirel nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, let''s get stronger together"

 Chapter 11 11: Achieving the First Step

    It was already nighttime again.

    Mirel spent the whole day meditating, playing with his yellow lightning, and sleeping.

    On the other hand, Lucivar was tortured as he couldn''t do anything but lay on the bed. There were a couple of books in this room, and he decided to read them, as that was the only thing he could do right now.

    Despite trying to feel his ether a couple of times, there was simply no reaction.

    He still needed Tobias'' help to do that.

    No matter how hard he tries right now it would end as a futile attempt.

    Currently, it was already midnight, and Lucivar had already put down the books hours ago.

    He tried to sleep to optimally recover, but he was having trouble sleeping.

    Just the sight of his eyes moving under his eyelids was enough to tell that he was awake.

    "Eugh... I can''t sleep," Lucivar opened his eyes and sighed.

    Silently glancing to the other bed he found Mirel was sleeping soundly, he was even drooling.

    Each time he closed his eyes he was met with both his Mother and Edward, the memories of them were keeping him awake¡ªand it did not help when they were cursing at him for ending their lives short.

    "Even in death, they are still blaming me," Lucivar smiled acutely.

    Deciding to take some fresh air to help him sleep, Lucivar groaned as he got out of bed.

    He stepped out into the hallway and was instantly glad that he did.

    Since the room was still near the inner open yard, the fresh wind of the night was breezing.

    Lucivar stretched his sore body and took a walk around the place.

    Nobody was awake during this hour as they were waking up early every day to train, and due to that Lucivar was keeping his steps light, so that the others were not disturbed. However, a weird sensation hit him when he made a turn to the main room.

    A warm sensation came out of nowhere, assaulting the area above his stomach.

    Remembering that it was the spot of his Supernatural Ego, Lucivar''s eyes widened.

    "I tried to sense it throughout the day, and now it decided to be activated...?" He whispered, a little bit annoyed by this situation. But before he could utter another word of complaint his eyes caught sight of a dark string appearing from his back and went into the warm area, the spot of his Supernatural Ego.

    Such a sight was not the first time for Lucivar, he saw the same string back against Dorian.

    But back then there were two strings, white and dark, now there was only the dark one.

    Lucivar moved back, weirded out when the string swayed as if it was alive.

    He made a couple of weaves to see if the dark string would break, but it didn''t, and only then did he turn around¡ªto see where the dark string, came from. Looking at the string¡ªthat was going in a direction and making a turn on the corner, Lucivar was confused and also curious.

    It was said that a Hybrid would inherit their bloodline''s constitution, and this might be his.

    "Hmm..." Lucivar contemplated with a frown. "Where did it come from?"

    Assuming that it was a tangible string, Lucivar tried to pull on the dark string, but he couldn''t touch it, his hand penetrated through it. Having no other choice¡ªhe followed the dark string and he eventually reached a secluded and smaller hallway.

    Due to the layout of the house, he didn''t even know there was a hallway here.

    Lucivar gazed ahead and found that the hallway was leading to a single door at the end.

    Moreover, the door was slightly opened as if someone had forgotten to close it fully.

    Seeing the dark string was coming from there¡ªLucivar hesitated, before he eventually went to the door, and checked what was in there. As he approached the door slowly, a strange air of tension filled the air, causing his heart to pound inside his chest.

    An inexplicable nervousness gripped him, growing stronger with each step.

    Not to mention, there was this weird heat brushing against his skin.

    Halfway to the door, he froze, startled by a high-pitched, grating noise of steel emanating from the other side. It sounded like a sharp piece of metal, being dragged across another, surface of metal, "What am I doing? It''s probably nothing"

    Nothing seemed out of place since he came here, so he might be overthinking it.

    Being exposed to betrayal, his mind was searching for the bad things about this place.

    Just a few steps away from the door, he hears it¡ªa sound of breathing.

    Not the soft, rhythmic kind of a person, but a rough, guttural noise that was throaty.

    Ignoring the beads of sweat on his forehead due to the oppressive atmosphere, Lucivar had enough¡ªand went in to reach for the door. But, as soon as his hand was about to reach the handle, he was grabbed from behind by a hand.

    "Waah!" Lucivar yelped, completely startled by the touch.

    However, he soon recovered and rubbed his chest realizing that it was Delilah.

    "Come, you shouldn''t be here," She said with a hint of distress.

    Lucivar took a glimpse through the crack on the door and found a working table with papers inside the room, it looked normal¡ªbut he trusted his ears to know that there was something more inside.

    Not to mention, the dark string went through the door, lingering inside the room.

    Despite his curiosity, Delilah had already pulled him and brought him away.

    Both of them rushed away from the door and the hallway, going back to the inner yard.

    Only when they reached there that Delilah lets go of Lucivar''s hand.

    Lucivar observed Delilah who seemed to be a little bit put off because of his antics, she was in need of a couple of seconds to steady her breaths. Patiently waiting, Delilah finally turned to look at him, "You shouldn''t be there, it''s not safe there"

    "Why? I heard noises from inside so I was curious" He replied, trying to pry for an answer.

    Since Delilah was this stressed, that room must''ve been a big deal.

    Upon hearing his answer, Delilah could only sigh to calm her nerves, "You shouldn''t be there, that room is Tobias'' work room. His profession changed from time to time, and now, he had a job to transport a dangerous beast. Fortunately, you didn''t seem to get hurt..."

    Naturally, this came as a surprise as that was not as Lucivar expected.

    ''Tobias did tell me he had something to do here before leaving, that animal must''ve been it''

    ''But its breaths... they don''t sound like a beast to me''

    Realizing that he was in the wrong, Lucivar bowed, "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have gone there"

    "It''s alright, at least you''re okay," Delilah messed his hair with a pliant smile, but then she was curious, about something. "Lucivar¡ªwhat are you doing out of your room? I told you that you need a lot of rest"

    Scratching the back of his head, Lucivar replied shyly, "I couldn''t sleep, so I went for a walk"

    Delilah was stunned by his response.

    She was expecting that he felt pain somewhere, but turns out it was only this.

    Smiling warmly, she guided Lucivar back to the clinic room and tucked him onto the bed.

    Confused, Lucivar went with the flow as Delilah sat on the edge of the bed, "If you''re having trouble sleeping, allow me to help you" She said as she gently rubbed Lucivar''s head, before clearing her throat and beginning to sing.

    It was not a complicated song, Delilah only hummed while still rubbing Lucivar''s head.

    Her voice was melodious as if crafted to serenade the heavens.

    Lucivar had never experienced such a sensation, such warmth, such love, her singing carried an unprecedented relaxation to his soul and heart. She hummed softly, her melody caressing his eardrums and calming his entire body.

    Like a mother soothing a young child, her song began to induce drowsiness.

    Under a mere minute, he had succumbed to sleep, lulled by her heavenly voice.

    One last sensation Lucivar felt before drifting into the dream world, was a plump peck on his forehead before Delilah''s voice rang inside his mind, "Every time you have trouble sleeping, I will always be here to help you. Sleep well..."

    Days passed in a blur after that incident.

    Lucivar wondered what the dark string meant, but it never appeared again after that night.

    Because of that, the night of the incident slowly faded deep into his mind.

    His days were spent in a fixed routine after he recovered.

    He trained together with the others, ate together, and slept with Delilah''s help.

    Every single time he tried to sleep alone, he was assaulted by the same visions of his mother and Edward. But Delilah''s voice wiped them from his mind, he could sleep peacefully, and his days were better thanks to her.

    Moreover, because of their routine, Delilah realized another thing.

    No matter how late he slept, Lucivar always woke up around three in the morning.

    She realized it by chance when she needed to wake up early and found Lucivar was awake.

    Knowing that something was wrong with him¡ªDelilah added to her routine to wake up early, and give Lucivar something to do before training started. Lucivar was shocked to find Delilah putting a lot of effort into helping him despite being strangers.

    It made him feel quite welcomed and loved in this place.

    Currently, it was morning, and Lucivar was meditating under Tobias'' supervision.

    Sharpening his focus as he dwelled inside his mind, Lucivar tried to find the same warmth in his solar plexus once again¡ªas Tobias had taught him that he could be considered as being able to feel his ether independently if he could open his inner eyes without external aid.

    And if he was able to do that, he could finally draw his ether to strengthen his body.

    During the past month, it had been perilous, fraught with failed attempts.

    Even then, Lucivar felt himself drawing closer to the elusive goal with each day of training.

    Now, with great effort, he subtly sensed the ebb and flow of his natural energy, a connection to his inner eyes, that had previously evaded him. It was like grasping for the end of the rope in the dark.

    His mind reached out, his consciousness extending toward this newfound connection.

    As he tried harder, the sensation grew more tangible, until finally, he grasped it.

    At that moment, Lucivar felt a surge of clarity as he was pulled into the same church again.

    His Supernatural Ego, the egg one lay at the center, shimmering in the darkness.

    "Yeah!!" Lucivar shouted in celebration.

    He punched the air multiple times out of excitement, as all the beatings he endured against Tobias finally paid off¡ªthis was his first step to getting stronger. Smiling from ear to ear, he got out of the place and returned to reality.

    Only then did he look at Tobias, and similarly, Tobias smiled in understanding.

    Not even needing the words, he knew that Lucivar completed his first step.

    "Come," Tobias spread both of his arms to the side. "Give me your best shot, kid!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised an eyebrow in confusion before Tobias explained, "Feel the power inside of you and let it guide you to strike me. I''m sure you want a form of payback for the beatings I''ve given you throughout this month, now is the chance"

    Lucivar''s eyes glistened when he heard this, he did want to hit Tobias at least one time.

    Standing up, he did exactly as Tobias said and let his power guide him.

    In a sparkling display, his right fist glowed with a radiant light before he swung for a punch.

    Giving Lucivar the chance to hit him, Tobias put his guard down and let Lucivar punch him in the stomach. But the moment the punch connected¡ªboth of his pupils dilated as he did not expect the force of the punch to reach this high.

    Bam!

    Crash!

    Tobias was hurled, blasting through the wall behind him, and crashed into the inner yard.

    He lay there, groaning in pain from the punch.

    On the other hand, Lucivar''s eyes widened as he looked at what he caused.

    "E- Eh...? Did my punch really cause that?" He gasped in shock.

 Chapter 12 12: Yellow Dungeon

    Upon managing to open his inner eyes, Lucivar could feel something within him changed.

    He could feel every fiber of his being refreshed and morphed stronger.

    It seemed what Tobias said earlier was true, the mark of someone becoming a real Hybrid is by being able to open their inner eyes alone without any external aid as the moment Lucivar did that, his bloodline started to influence his body.

    From the start, Lucivar expected that he would get stronger, but not to this extent.

    Anticipating to push Tobias several steps, his punch blasted Tobias through the wall instead.

    Soon Lucivar snapped out of his daze and ran to check on Tobias.

    Naturally, the loud sound of the wall shattering attracted the others'' attention.

    All of them were in the inner yard doing their usual morning exercise, but they stopped when they saw Tobias crashing onto the ground near them. It caught all of them by surprise¡ªsuch a situation was surreal.

    But as they heard Tobias groaning, they all came back to their senses.

    Just as Lucivar was about to check on Tobias out of concern¡ªhis pupils dilated as he caught something moving on his periphery. He glanced to the left and found that it was Leandra and in the next second, he was thrown to the side.

    "Karghkk!" Lucivar choked, feeling a strong pressure tightening his windpipe.

    Opening his eyes, he was greeted by Leandra''s vicious purple eyes.

    Realizing that Lucivar was the one who hurled Tobias through the wall, Leandra wasted not a single moment and tackled him, grabbing him by the neck. Continuing with a vicious swing¡ªLeandra throws Lucivar against the wall as if he were a doll.

    Upon impact, Lucivar gasped, the air in his lungs forcibly expelled.

    Seeing that Leandra was charging in for a punch, he quickly rolled his body to the side.

    Crash!

    Lucivar managed to very narrowly dodge the attack.

    If he hadn''t been able to react to Leandra before, now he could perceive her attack.

    But his eyes widened in horror as he saw Leandra''s fist punched through the wall, sending a few pieces of it flying. Her purple energy, that had been serene and graceful during her fight with Mirel now flared viciously, exuding raw power.

    ''She''s a Witch, right? I never knew a Witch could fight this fiercely!'' Lucivar complained.

    A Witch should use spells, not fist-fighting like this.

    Gazing at Lucivar with killing intent, she pulled her fist out and power walked towards him.

    "Just wait a minute, it''s a misunderstanding!" Lucivar shouted, waving his hands.

    He scrambled to his feet and tried to explain himself, but Leandra was not listening to him.

    Bam!

    In a swift dash, she landed a powerful kick to his back that felt like it broke his spine.

    Before Lucivar could react, she pounded him with both fists clenched together, driving him to the floor. Due to the impact, blood forced its way out of Lucivar''s mouth¡ªspraying and dying the ground red.

    ''At this rate, she''s really going to kill me!'' Lucivar pondered critically.

    Even though it was a misunderstanding, Leandra did not hesitate to take him down.

    Gritting his bloodied teeth, Lucivar''s eyes began to shimmer with a golden light as he tried to remain conscious. In that moment of desperation, with Leandra standing right beside him, he saw a dark string of energy emerge from Leandra''s body, arcing towards him.

    It was the same one as that night, but Lucivar had no time to contemplate.

    Out of his instinct to survive, he followed the guide of his ether once again.

    Not even minding the changes on Lucivar, Leandra lifted her foot and stomped him.

    But moving in a weird manner, Luicvar''s body spun as he managed to dodge that stomp and get back on his feet. Following his instinct, his right fist began dazzling with power before he delivered a counterattack.

    "I said it''s a misunderstanding..." Lucivar mused raspingly.

    Seeing Lucivar charging a punch, Leandra was surprised but she could still react in time.

    Just before Lucivar''s punch connected, she had already crossed her arms.

    Bam!

    A minuscule explosion of energy exploded from the point of impact.

    Leandra was pushed back several meters before coming to a halt when she hit a tree behind her. She was still pushed back even though she tried to resist the force, which came as quite a surprise to her and the onlookers.

    All of them were surprised as this was the first time Lucivar showed his power.

    Rather, this was his first time to be able to show his power.

    Despite wanting to resume straight, she stopped after taking a step.

    Reaching for the corner of her mouth, Leandra frowned when she realized she was bleeding.

    A trickle of blood was drawn despite her taking the punch through her guard.

    "Stop!" Before the situation escalated¡ªTobias shouted from the other side of the inner yard, standing with the help of Ravenna and Mirel. "Stop attacking him, Leandra, as he said, it was a misunderstanding"

    "How can that be a misunderstanding?" Leandra asked, her tone was cold and sharp.

    Upon hearing this, Tobias sighed, "It''s his first time using his power, he could not control it"

    Just as Leandra was about to refute, a sudden siren rang across the entire place.

    It blared so loud that it irritated the ears, instantly de-escalating the situation, as everyone''s attention was pulled towards the piercing sound. Lucivar winced¡ªlooking in the direction of the noise, which seemed to be coming from outside.

    Caught off guard by the loud siren, the once tense atmosphere dissipated.

    Not even wasting a single second, the others ran outside alongside Tobias.

    Seeing this, Lucivar was about to run after them but he saw Leandra walking towards him.

    Raising his guard in case she tried to attack him again, Leandra instead looked at him with an unwavering gaze, and whispered, "This is not over. You hurt Master Tobias, and I''m not going to let you off easily"

    Lucivar wanted to defend himself, but Leandra already sprinted away after she said that.

    "Just what is her problem?" He mused in annoyance before also running.

    As he reached outside of the house¡ªLucivar found the others were gathered outside of the fence and utter chaos assaulted the entire place. Judging from the style of the houses¡ªit is clear that they were still in a slave city, but not Veegend City.

    Observing around, Lucivar frowned, ''It''s even worse than Veegend City...''

    Unlike the buildings, and roads in Veegend City¡ªthis place was filled with bland houses, and also dirt roads covered in thick snow. In Lucivar''s opinion, this place couldn''t be considered a city, more like a small town instead.

    "Run! A dungeon is opened!"

    "Go and make barricades around the dungeon! We need to do it quickly!"

    "Nah, fuck that! I''m ditching this stupid place!"

    Lucivar approached the others who were also observing the situation.

    But now they knew what was going on, it seemed there was a dungeon opened nearby.

    Crossers would attack through summoning portals that connect their two worlds together, but it was rare to find a newly opened portal, in the Light World, so this situation was quite unfortunate.

    Realizing this, Tobias glanced over to Delilah with a meaningful look.

    Nodding her head¡ªDelilah closed her eyes before her warm energy coalesced and gathered into her eyes. Eventually, she opened her eyes and looked around before she fixed on a spot, west from their position, "It''s a yellow dungeon, and there are around three proselytes"

    Dungeons were differentiated by their colors.

    In order from weakest to strongest, there were yellow, blue, green, purple, and red.

    Depending on their color, the energy limit that allowed crossing to their world would vary.

    Since the one that appeared was yellow¡ªit shouldn''t coughed beings stronger than Acolyte rank. Normally, especially in a place, as remote as this village¡ªthe Crossers would probably be within the Neophyte Rank so Lucivar and the others could handle them.

    Upon hearing this, Tobias turned to the others, "Okay, this a good chance for all of you,"

    "Since the town is small¡ªno Hybrids were living here except for us. I still need time to finish my matters, so I can''t risk, moving from here. It''s only a yellow dungeon and there are three proselytes at least. Go and handle the dungeon, treat this as field training" He continued.

    Despite breathing heavily, Tobias explained the situation with great clarity.

    All of the others nodded determinedly, all except for Lucivar.

    He had never gone ahead and fought with Crossers, so he was a little bit nervous about this.

    ''No, with my current power, I should be able to handle myself...'' He pondered resolutely.

    It was a Hybrid''s duty to deal with dungeons¡ªand Lucivar is not going to shy away from it.

    At least he knew if he hesitated now, he wouldn''t get stronger.

    "Stick close to me, I''ve dealt with a yellow dungeon once before this," Mirel, who was helping Tobias earlier, approached Lucivar. "Since you seem to have already unlocked your power¡ªit should be easy for you to keep up"

    Lucivar nodded before all of them, except for Lily and Thomas, sprinted towards the portal.

    Out of everyone, Darwin was surprisingly leading the group.

    "Me, Ravenna, Bob, and Leandra will be going inside the dungeon to search for the Teal Coin, while the rest will stay behind¡ªand find the three proselytes. Remember to start from those who are suspected by many" Darwin said with a commanding tone.

    Despite his regularly meek aura, he seemed to be an excellent leader in this situation.

    All of them nodded and split into two groups.

    Now, Lucivar was left with Bakar, Mirel, and Nerissa to search for the three proselytes.

    In an instance such as this when a portal is opened, Hybrids must search for the Teal Coin of the portal, which is essentially an energy core, located on the opposite side of the portal¡ªor the proselytes, people who are corrupted by the Crossers'' energy, and became a link so that the portal could stay open.

    Destroying the Teal Coin will close the dungeon instantly.

    On the other hand, killing all associated proselytes will make the portal close in a day.

    Since the Teal Coin is usually hard to find, most of the time killing the proselytes is the way.

    Lucivar and the others sprinted through the rough road, passing the panicking people.

    "Let''s split into two groups, I''ll go with Lucivar," Mirel announced.

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa and Bakar nodded before the two took a separate path together.

    Following closely behind¡ªLucivar looked around, but was distracted when he saw how fast Mirel was moving. His legs were like a blur, coursing through the road with incredible speed¡ªbut what''s more shocking was the fact that Lucivar could keep up.

    He looked down at his legs and saw that they were also moving in a blur.

    Ever since becoming a Hybrid, this was truly the time he felt the changes in his strength.

    It was exhilarating, the wind rushing against his face was enjoyable.

    "Remember, we are looking for anyone who has discoloration in their veins. Usually, the vein discoloration happens around their arms, or legs¡ªbut there are still some exceptions," Mirel explained, reminding Lucivar what to search for. "Be careful, they could also hide it"

    Lucivar nodded before the two picked up their pace, and reached near the dungeon.

    Seeing the yellow dungeon at the city square, Mirel nodded.

    No Crossers managed to get out, it seemed Darwin and the others intercepted them first.

    "Proselytes are usually near the portal when it is opened¡ªwe should scour the area and look around to see if there are commotions," Mirel said as he darted to the right side while Lucivar went to the left, separating to cover more grounds faster.

    A few minutes later, Lucivar found a commotion among ten people in front of a tavern.

    Upon getting closer, he found a woman crying, circled by the other people.

    Compelled to intervene, Lucivar ran towards them to check what was going on.

 Chapter 13 13: The Last Naivety

    Darwin said earlier that they should focus on the suspected ones first.

    A crowd of people pointing in one direction is most of the time, pointing in the right direction.

    If someone was suspected by a lot of people, it boosted the likelihood they were a proselyte, Lucivar understood this, so he decided to investigate. As he approached the commotion, the situation became clearer.

    As he deduced earlier, he could discern a gathering of ten people, all of them men.

    He could hear their voices raised in an intense mix of anger and accusation.

    "Stop lying you rotten bitch, I saw you last night going around that area. It''s you, isn''t it?!"

    "Now there are three people who said they saw you, don''t even try to deny it!"

    "No, please... I- I was"

    "It''s no use, we''re going to burn you and close down the portal you wench!"

    Lucivar observed from the side and saw a frail woman with light brown hair, neatly braided, now disheveled from her struggles at the center of the encirclement. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she attempted to flee.

    But each desperate effort was met with a cruel shove, sending her stumbling back.

    Her sobs were audible even over the men''s harsh shouts.

    She tried once more to break through, her movements frantic and fueled by fear, but the men were unyielding, as they played with the ropes, to tie her up. With a violent push¡ªthe woman was thrown to the ground, her frail form crumpling upon impact.

    "Fine, if you want to make us trust you, strip!"

    "Yeah, that''s right, strip! Show us that you''re not corrupted then we''ll let you go"

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar''s heart pounded in his chest as his male instinct came into play.

    He clenched his fists and made his way through the encirclement roughly.

    Some of the people were surprised, and angry, by Lucivar pushing them to the side¡ªand the one at the very front pointed at him, veins bulging on his neck, "Who the fuck are you, boy?! I suggest you get away from her if you want to live!"

    Not even minding the man, Lucivar stood tall with the woman behind him.

    Being shadowed, the woman slowly looked up and saw Lucivar was protecting her.

    Despite not knowing who she was, he came to defend her, and it surprised her.

    "Acting a hero will not make you look cool, boy, get out of the way!"

    "She''s struggling for bread for years so her mental state is a wreck, the Crossers got to her"

    "Don''t defend her, she''s the proselyte!"

    Lucivar gritted his teeth when he heard this, the fact that these people pointed at the woman because she was struggling made him angry. Even though mentally weak people, were prone to be influenced, there needs to be solid proof.

    In retaliation, his eyes shimmer with a golden light as he sweeps his gaze to the crowd.

    Glowing eyes were the telltale sign of a Hybrid.

    And as a result, the crowd backed away in fright realizing that Lucivar was a Hybrid.

    "I''m a Hybrid, I''ll take control of the situation. All of you should run. My friends, all Hybrids are dealing with the portal, right now" Lucivar said with a cold tone¡ªmaking eye contact, with all the men present one by one.

    Not expecting this to become like this, the people stepped back before making a run for it.

    Only when they all were gone did Lucivar deactivate his power.

    Glancing over to the woman, who was still sobbing, he could only sigh inwardly, ''They were not wrong, this woman could be one of the proselytes. But I''ve been helping others in need all my life, I can''t let it be if there''s even a small chance she might be innocent''

    Lucivar had promised himself to try and be a little more self-centered.

    He doesn''t want to be selfless and be stepped on again.

    But his habits were not easy to break¡ªespecially when the woman''s situation was much like his back in the city. A struggling individual who wanted to be sacrificed for the greater good of the people.

    Kneeling down, Lucivar checked on the woman, "Are you okay...? You''re safe now"

    "I- I''m okay," She replied, wiping her tears even though they were replaced almost instantly.

    Bowing deeply until her forehead touched the ground, she added, "Thank you, great sir"

    "No need to thank me," Lucivar replied, giving her a light smile.

    Just then¡ªLucivar snapped his neck to look over his shoulder, when a piercing scream could be heard echoing from the portal''s direction. His eyes widened when he saw monstrous dog-like creatures pouring out of the portal.

    Unlike normal dogs, these ones have muscular bodies, rippling with unnatural strength.

    In addition, they also have long and sharp fangs glinting menacingly.

    All of them attacked anything that moved, creating even more chaos and panic.

    Realizing the immediate danger¡ªLucivar quickly grabbed the woman''s wrist, "Come on!" He urged, pulling her along, as he began to run. ''I need to bring her somewhere safe, I could not possibly fight with her around!''

    Seeing that the woman had recovered, he stopped and turned, "Go on without me!"

    However, as he said that, his eyes picked up a movement in his periphery.

    Glancing over to the side, he saw one of the creatures land on the roof of a nearby house in a rough manner, its gleaming eyes darted left and right. Eventually, its eyes locked onto his, before it growled and bared its fangs.

    Lucivar could see a predatory intelligence in its gaze.

    He knew that it had singled him out as its target.

    Even though he had seen numerous portals in his lifetime and the monsters that came out of them, he had never fought them directly. Lucivar only watches from afar, as the Hybrids take care of them.

    But now that he was about to fight, he couldn''t help but sweat.

    It was true that Tobias also trained him to fight, but he had only been training recently.

    Fighting for real was entirely different than training.

    Roar!

    Not even waiting for him to be prepared, the fierce beast leaped from the rooftop in the next heartbeat, claws extended, and fangs bared. Acting instinctually, Lucivar pushed the woman to the side with a desperate shove.

    Lucivar was tackled with immense force, they rolled across the ground in a tangle of grunts.

    He could feel the creature''s hot breath on his face, and its claws raked dangerously close.

    Summoning all his strength, he kicked the creature off of him.

    Seizing the opportune moment, he got back on his feet and dashed to a nearby signpost, yanking it out of the ground. A quick glance back confirmed the creature was charging at him, so he wasted no time in swinging the signpost toward it.

    Crash!

    It was a direct hit, wood splinters flew everywhere as the creature was thrown to the side.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar panted heavily in shock.

    Even though he had seen the impact of his strength, from how he blasted Tobias out of the wall, he still hadn''t gotten used to it. His hit was enough to throw the creature crashing into the nearby house.

    But he was forced to focus again when he saw the creature stand up and shake its head.

    Deciding to be the one to attack, Lucivar dashed ahead fearlessly.

    "Raargghh!" He screamed.

    Clenching his fist, he tried channeling his ether to his fist but grunted at a sharp pain.

    He hadn''t adapted to controlling his ether proficiently.

    Reducing the amount of channeled ether greatly, he gritted his teeth and swung his fist.

    Bam!

    Unlike before, this hit broke the creature''s skull and planted it into the wall.

    Lucivar didn''t stop there.

    Fearing that the creature would get up again, he pounded it with a barrage of punches, each blow more powerful than the last until the wall of the house gave way beneath his attacks. It took a considerable amount of blow before he was satisfied and ceased his assault.

    Only when he was sure that the beast would not rise again did he stop.

    Stepping back, he panted heavily, his knuckles dripping with the blood of the beast.

    "I''m running low on ether after those punches..." Lucivar muttered inwardly.

    As this was his first ever fight, as a Hybrid¡ªhe was being careless, and he could feel that his ether was running low, from his excessive use. It would not take too long before he ran out of ether and became severely weakened.

    Fatigue was catching up to him from that reckless barrage of punches.

    "Kyaaahh!"

    Before he could take a breath, a piercing scream drew his attention.

    It was a high-pitched scream of a woman¡ªand without hesitation, he rushed to the source, fearing that it might be the woman he saved earlier. As he feared, he found the woman who was now cornered by two more of the monstrous creatures.

    With a burst of speed, Lucivar sprinted towards them, his eyes glowing brightly.

    Lucivar threw his body, and body-slammed the two creatures from the side, his momentum sending them crashing into a heap¡ªacross the snowy ground. But the impact reverberated through his body, and he coughed a mouthful of blood, pain flaring across his limbs.

    "Get out of here, I''ll take care of them while you run," He said as he forced himself to stand.

    Blood could be seen trickling down his arm, he was undoubtedly wounded.

    Just then, a chilling sight stopped him cold.

    His eyes widened in surprise as he saw a dark trail of energy, the one that appeared on the night when he stumbled to Tobias'' work room, emerging¡ªcurving back and snaking toward his vision from behind.

    Its presence stuck unease to Lucivar''s heart as he glanced over his shoulder.

    Stab!

    A sudden sting caused Lucivar to grunt, a warm sensation spreading from his stomach.

    He looked down, eyes widening as he saw the tip of a blade protruding from his abdomen.

    Shocked, he turned to look behind him and saw the woman he saved earlier clutching a knife with its blade piercing through his back. Glancing at her chest area, he saw her veins bulging and blue, throbbing beneath her unbuttoned shirt and even spreading to her face.

    For a fleeting moment, Lucivar caught a glimpse of a smile on her face.

    A twisted expression of satisfaction.

    But as their eyes met, her smile faltered, replaced by a mask of innocence as she trembled.

    "I- I don''t know what happened," She said, her voice shaking. "It''s not me! You- You trust me, right? It''s not me that did it, but something in me! I would never stab a Hybrid" She continued¡ªbut the corner of her lips was struggling to not curve upwards as she looked at the blood.

    Upon hearing the insincere words that didn''t match her expression, his reasoning vanished.

    One could see that happening directly through his eyes which were fixed on the woman.

    His eyes, once filled with determination, grew cold and indifferent.

    Growl!

    One of the creatures lunged at him from behind, but Lucivar already anticipated the attack. It happened quickly, he swung his arm¡ªand elbowed the creature in the face without breaking his gaze from the woman.

    Lucivar''s focus remained unyielding, locked onto her without a care for his surroundings.

    But the woman shuddered as he didn''t even hide his murderous intent.

    "Of course, you wouldn''t. I trust you..."

    Splash!

 Chapter 14 14: Angel Constitution

    Lucivar had already reminded himself about what Darwin said earlier.

    If a lot of people are pointing in one direction, then there''s a high chance of it being right.

    But he got swayed by his emotions once again and ignored that.

    He mistakenly defended a proselyte and was stabbed in the back, ignoring the red flags the woman was showing. First of all, the people earlier had a reason to suspect her. Secondly, it should''ve been obvious that she was the proselyte when the dog creatures cornered her as opposed to instantly attacking and killing her.

    All of the Crossers could tell who the proselytes were, they could sense them.

    Naturally, they wouldn''t harm the proselytes in any way possible.

    Seeing that the dog creature instantly struck him earlier, he should''ve been suspicious as to why the two dog creatures didn''t instantly attack the woman. Even her scream earlier was a fake one to lure him there.

    Realizing how much of an idiot he was, Lucivar chuckled loudly, ridiculing himself.

    Had it been a different situation, he would''ve died right here.

    However, it seems like fate had given him the chance to learn from his deadly mistake.

    Splash!

    Giving his appreciation to the lady of fate in his heart, Lucivar punched the woman so hard on her chest that it caved in, propelling her away. A proselyte could get stronger with each victim they took, but the woman failed to kill her first victim.

    So she was still a normal Human, there''s no way she could endure Lucivar''s punch.

    In a dramatic display, her body heaved to the wall.

    Blood sprayed everywhere as her body was squished and broken before falling to the earth.

    Only then that Lucivar fall to a knee, his body wracked with stress and pain.

    He panted heavily, sweat dripping across his battered form.

    Despite surviving a nearly fatal slash to his chest during a hunt in the past, the pain he felt back then seemed insignificant compared to now. Every fiber of his muscles, ached with a twitching soreness, and his skin was marred with scratches.

    Moreover, the forceful collision with the two additional beasts earlier had left him wrecked.

    Even then, his mind was thrown back to the incident earlier.

    ''So the dark trail of energy from earlier is not a hallucination of mine,'' Lucivar pondered, he now had a slight idea of what that thing, meant. ''It appeared four times already: my fight in the Rite of Fate, Tobias'' workroom, Leandra''s attack¡ªand now this. Is it responding to any killing intent...?''

    Contemplating those four instances'' likeness, Lucivar reached that conclusion.

    It was the best answer he could think of.

    Moreover, he became more firm with that conclusion remembering that when he was chased by the three guards of the Ashbourne House¡ªthe dark trail didn''t appear because they were not aiming to kill him, they were trying to capture him instead.

    ''But what is its condition...? Is there a range? Is there a limitation?'' Lucivar thought further.

    All he could deduce right now was the dark trail would appear when a killing intent appeared.

    Since the woman did not harbor killing intent until he turned his back, the dark trail of energy came too late, and he was stabbed in the back. As long as the other person, was hiding their killing intent, the dark trail wouldn''t appear.

    Other than that, it was still vague.

    However, there''s one thing for sure, ''It must be the constitution of an Angel, my constitution''

    Busy with his train of thoughts, Lucivar was caught off guard by a sudden growl from behind.

    Glancing over his shoulder, he saw one of the dog creatures lunging at him¡ªits canine teeth bared and ready to kill. In his distraction, he had forgotten there were two of these creatures and the second one was still very much a threat.

    ''Oh, no! It''s too close!'' Lucivar thought in crisis.

    Realizing he couldn''t react in time, he braced himself to sacrifice one of his arms.

    As the creature was about to seep its teeth into him, however, it halted abruptly as if there was an invisible force restraining it. Surprised, Lucivar turned his head and saw a figure on the side, her eyes glowing with power.

    "Leandra..." he breathed, a mixture of relief and unwillingness in his voice.

    Stumbling to this place, Leandra saw what was happening and trapped the dog creature with her abilities, immobilizing it mid-attack. Despite the beast struggling, it couldn''t break free. In a brutal manner, Leandra gripped her hand and crushed the creature into a ball.

    Splash!

    Only then that her power release the creature as it fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

    Upon doing that, Leandra walked towards him slowly.

    Despite their confrontation, Lucivar decided to do the right thing, "Thanks, you''re a savior"

    Not even responding, Leandra observed his condition.

    But then¡ªher eyes slightly widened when she saw a carcass of the dog creature on the side and also the corpse of a woman¡ªnot too far from them, ''Did he manage to kill a bronze-rank beast and kill one proselyte alone...? His bloodline must''ve been very strong''

    At this realization, she clicked her tongue in displeasure.

    "If I weren''t here, you''d be dead. Go back, you''re still weak" She said in a cold tone.

    Lucivar could only smile in annoyance, even though he thanked her, she seemed to be more annoyed because of it. Donning a mocking smile, he then added, "If you did your part better¡ªI wouldn''t be in this situation in the first place"

    Surprised by this comment, Leandra gritted her teeth and glared at him, "What did you say?"

    "What? Am I wrong?" Lucivar taunted, shrugging his shoulders. "If you and your team didn''t mess up, and protected the portal better, none of these creatures would come out. I''m sure Darwin told you to get out to help suppress your team''s mistake, isn''t that right?"

    "Or was it your fault that these creatures came out?" He added, squinting his eyes.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra''s expression darkens but no answer comes out.

    Leandra was supposed to be inside the portal.

    Now that she was here, Lucivar was quite certain that something had gone wrong inside.

    Judging from Leandra''s expression now, it seemed he was right.

    She was the one who made the mistake.

    "I have ''being weak'' as an excuse, what do you have?" Lucivar asked again as he stood up.

    Leandra had a lot to say, the words were climbing through her veiny neck but she decided to turn her gaze away and storm to leave. She could feel her blood pressure increasing, and her veins would burst if she stayed any longer near Lucivar.

    Seeing her leaving, Lucivar smirked, "Heh, no answer. I guess I hit the right spot"

    As he refocused on the situation, Lucivar noticed a glow inside the dog creature Leandra had killed earlier. His eyes lit up¡ªwith recognition. "An ether core! I have heard it''s rare for beasts to have them. This must be my lucky day."

    A Hybrid could get stronger through cultivating their Supernatural Ego using ether.

    However, some Hybrids had a very difficult method of amassing a lot of ether.

    Fortunately for them¡ªthere are other ways to amass ether, and that is through absorbing it, from external energy sources such as an ether core. Naturally, at the sight of the ether core, Lucivar wanted to take it for himself.

    It was then, however, he thought of something, ''I should focus on the portal first''

    Pausing for a moment, a mysterious smile crossed over to his face.

    "Ah, I might be able to find the remaining proselytes with this power of mine..." He muttered.

    Moments later, the entire town lay deserted.

    Only a couple of distance screams could be heard resonating through the air.

    Volunteers for searching the proselytes and killing them to close the portal or unfortunate souls who had been left behind, or attacked by the dog creatures were the only ones who were still in the town.

    Because of that, the streets were eerily empty as if they had been abandoned long ago.

    Such was the life of a town that wasn''t even considered a slave of the Five Supreme Houses.

    No reinforcement would come to help them.

    "P- Please, someone help me..."

    On one particular street, a man with both legs broken completely crawled along the ground, crying out in agony. Behind him followed another man¡ªhis clothes were already ripped, and coated in blood.

    Blue veins bulged conspicuously across his exposed skin.

    Marking him unmistakably as a proselyte.

    Donning a devilish smirk, the proselyte stomped on the man''s back hard, causing him to let out a painful scream as his spine broke with a sickening crunch. Pain was dripping from the scream evidently as the man was paralyzed.

    Savoring the man''s scream as delightful, the proselyte mounted the helpless man.

    Gripping the knife in his hand, he began stabbing repeatedly.

    He laughed maniacally, as blood sprayed everywhere¡ªeach stab was filled with a frenzy of bloodlust and perverse pleasure. Before the man could die, the proselyte did not stop there and drilled his hand into the stab wound on the man''s back.

    Following that, he closed his eyes as the blue veins pulsated with more and more power.

    It seemed like the proselyte was absorbing the man''s life force and making it, his.

    "What happened? I thought you were better than me in anything?" the proselyte ridiculed.

    But the man couldn''t answer as he was being drained to death.

    Only when the man''s painful scream faded did he stop, the scene around him was already turned into a crimson mess. Standing up with an intoxicated look, the proselyte closed his eyes as his discolored veins spread even wider.

    Inside him was a surge of swelling rejuvenation.

    His muscles contracted and bulged as newfound strength coursed through his veins, he was becoming stronger, and stronger with each kill. His horrific act had not only satiated, his own twisted desires but also made him stronger.

    "Not bad... I should''ve become a proselyte sooner" he muttered, licking his lips savagely.

    Upon calming down, the discolored veins turned to normal once again.

    Aside from the blood, he looked like a normal person.

    Just then, however, he turned to the side when he heard a voice in the distance.

    "Help! Someone, please help me! I''m wounded, I can''t go on any longer!"

    Realizing another prey had come to his doorstep, the proselyte grinned and dashed away.

    Peeking from the corner of the street, the proselyte saw a man who seemed to be extremely wounded¡ªas he was drenched in blood. He was dragging himself through the main street¡ª looking left and right in search of help.

    Seeing this, the proselyte savored the thought of killing the man brutally.

    But as he was about to do that, he stopped, "Hmm... is this a trap? He''s being too obvious"

    Everyone knew that in case of an incident such as this, they shouldn''t show any weakness or signs of wounds to not be targeted by a proselyte that was hiding amongst them. However¡ª this man was shouting for help instead.

    It made the proselyte hesitate, fearing that this might be a trap.

    Of course, there''s a chance that panic made the man desperate, but it''s too risky.

    "No, there''s a high chance that this is a trap. I''ll find another one," the proselyte mused.

    Just then, however, when he looked back at the wounded man, his eyes widened completely when he realized, that the wounded man, was nowhere to be seen. It made his heart¡ªskip a beat as he could feel a bad premonition hovering around him.

    A shiver ran down his spine when a whisper suddenly seeped into his ears.

    "Found you..."

 Chapter 15 15: Outshined

    Nobody uses such a tactic anymore.

    All the people knew, that they should keep quiet and tried to exit the premises when a portal was opened. If they are wounded¡ªit is best for them to stay silent, or hide somewhere, until help comes.

    Or be a hero and die silently, giving no food for the proselytes to grow stronger.

    Shouting and crying for help would only attract the proselytes hiding amongst the sheep.

    Because of that, people tend to not shout and scream if they are deserted.

    It was also precisely why there were no Hybrids that used a wounded person tactic to attract proselytes to them, the proselytes still retained a thinking mind aside from their feral aptness to support the Crossers and kill anyone against the Crossers.

    Doing that would be too obvious, it was akin to advertising that it was a trap.

    However, that was not a problem for Lucivar.

    Now that he knew a little bit about his constitution, he was going to experiment with it.

    Since the dark trail of energy was responding to killing intent, he did not need the proselytes to come to him. All he needs is for the proselytes to see him as a potential prey and he could let the dark trail show him the way.

    He didn''t need to wait for long as a proselyte took the bait.

    "Bloody hell, how in the heck did you manage to get behind me?!" the proselyte shouted.

    Lucivar smiled, "I''m a Hybrid and I sensed you here,"

    Upon hearing this¡ªthe proselyte instinctively leaned back, when he realized Lucivar, turned out to be a Hybrid. Beads of sweat drizzled down the side of his face as a wave of complete nervousness washed over him.

    Although he had managed to become a proselyte, he was once a normal Human.

    Even the mere mention of a Hybrid terrified him.

    He knew all too well how powerful a Hybrid could be, even the weaker ones.

    Sensing the proselyte''s nervousness, Lucivar raised an eyebrow, "Why are you sweating?"

    "Are you hiding something?" He added, but his voice was now whispering.

    Fearing that Lucivar might know what he really was, the proselyte shook his head vigorously, trying to steady his trembling voice, "No, I... I''m just afraid and lost but I wanted to help when I heard someone crying for help"

    "Oh, I''m trying to lure the proselytes. I could sense killing intent, that''s why," Lucivar replied.

    Upon hearing this, the proselyte gulped harshly.

    His heart pounded faster as Lucivar stepped closer to him in a composed manner.

    Leaning in, Lucivar whispered, "Don''t bother pretending, I know what you are..."

    Slash!

    Making an abrupt move¡ªhe swung a knife that was used by the woman earlier to stab him, slicing the proselyte''s throat but not deep enough to kill. Caught completely off guard¡ªthe proselyte leaps back while clutching his bleeding neck, "You sly bastard!" He cursed.

    As the pain surged through him, the blue veins resurfaced on his skin.

    Prominent around his chest and neck area.

    Panic filled his eyes as he realized he was exposed, and there was no escaping this fight.

    ''Since that woman manipulated me into thinking that she was innocent, I''ll pay back what she did to this proselyte. I was trying to kill him with that strike, but he caught on. No matter, I will surely kill him'' Lucivar pondered, not hiding his killing intent.

    Compared to the woman, he knew that this proselyte was stronger.

    But he shouldn''t be too strong for Lucivar.

    Responding to his killing intent, the dark trail emerged, but it came from his body instead.

    It trailed ahead and connected with the proselyte, forming a bond.

    Unknown to Lucivar, there was a dangerous flicker flashing in his eyes as he thought that.

    It happened quickly, yet it didn''t leave the proselyte''s eyes, and it terrified him.

    Lucivar could see the fear in the proselyte''s eyes, and he knew this was the perfect time for him to strike. A deer that becomes scared at the sight of a hunter¡ªits movements would be predictable.

    For experienced hunters, sometimes it''s better to announce themselves before striking.

    Since Lucivar had been a hunter for years, his body instinctively reacted to the sight of fear.

    Gripping the knife tightly in his hand, he dashed at the fearful proselyte.

    It was all done in his head, before his body moved, but from the proselyte''s perspective¡ªhe moved with resoluteness and force, closing the gap between them in an instant. A sight that made the proselyte stumbled back in fear.

    But as Lucivar was about to end his life, another blow struck from the side.

    Crash!

    Mirel came in swiftly and punched the proselyte, his fist enhanced with yellow lightning.

    At the same time, he blocked Lucivar''s swing and stopped it in its tracks.

    "Stop!" Mirel suddenly said. "He''s the last of the proselytes, you can''t kill him yet!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised an eyebrow, confused.

    "If you kill him right now¡ªa barrier covering the portal will appear, and Darwin''s team will not be able to come out, so we will have to restrain him until they come out," Mirel explained¡ªhe almost had his heart dropped to his stomach when he saw Lucivar struck.

    Realizing this, Lucivar straightened his posture, "Oh, I didn''t know that. I''m sorry,"

    "Don''t be. We didn''t tell you because we thought you wouldn''t be this capable" Mirel replied.

    Pressing his elbow, against Lucivar''s stomach teasingly, he whispered, "Here I thought I need to look over you. Instead of needing my help¡ªyou managed to locate, a proselyte! If I did not interfere, you would definitely take him down. How are you able to locate him quickly?"

    "Luck, I guess..." Lucivar replied with a wry smile.

    Cheerfully, Mirel slapped his back, "Don''t be so modest, you''re incredible!"

    "Even though proselytes aren''t that strong, at least those who came from a yellow portal and were still toddlers like the ones here, it''s still impressive for you to do this. Master Tobias, will definitely reward you for this feat" He added, laughing aloud.

    He didn''t expect Lucivar to do this well in his first-ever portal situation.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was also smiling inwardly, ''This is my second proselyte though...''

    Mirel didn''t know, but this was his second proselyte.

    Had he known about that, he would definitely be shocked to his core.

    ''If I could sense killing intent, won''t I have a natural advantage to find proselytes?'' He mused.

    Being able to locate proselytes fast is nothing sort of needed throughout the world as finding the Teal Coin is much harder, and more dangerous. Portals should be closed down as quickly as possible. Not only the reason to minimize the damage, but also to stop the irritation of the dimensional fabric in the area.

    If the dimensional fabric thins, it would be easier for the Crossers to open another portal.

    Let that develop and this area would become a stronghold for them.

    Because of that portals needed to be tackled as soon as possible.

    Lucivar could capitalize on this, but he still needs to be discreet.

    ''I don''t know if finding proselytes easily is identical to Angel Hybrids...'' He thought.

    Glancing to the side at the proselyte that got knocked out by Mirel''s punch, Lucivar frowned.

    Aside from using the earlier method to find the proselytes, he was also using it to gauge the range of his ability. And from the looks of it, the range was quite far as the distance from his spot to the proselyte''s spot was about a hundred meters.

    Even then, the dark trail appeared from the proselyte and notified Lucivar of his location.

    Seems like he would need to experiment more to fully learn his ability.

    Moments later¡ªDarwin, and his team, finally left the portal when they heard all three of the proselytes had been captured. Even until the very end, they can not find the supposed Teal Coin and will settle on taking out the proselytes instead.

    Despite the portal will not close instantly, it would in twenty-four hours.

    Additionally, a barrier would form to block the portal''s entrance.

    Because of that, they could focus on taking out the remaining dog creatures in the town.

    It was already nearing night when they finished clearing the town.

    Upon gathering with the others, Lucvar realized he was the only one who sustained wounds.

    Since it was a Yellow Portal, the lowest there is, the others were fine.

    Lucivar and the others stood in a line before the mansion¡ªtheir forms were upright as if they were in the military, but their expressions were a mix of anticipation and curiosity. Tobias was standing at the front door, beside him was a pile of glowing crystals around a dozen in total.

    Each one pulsing and shimmering with a mesmerizing yellow light.

    These were the ether cores harvested from the dog creatures around the town.

    Now, Lucivar knew that they were called power crystals.

    Until now, Lucivar had been unaware of the name of these crystals, his knowledge of Hybrid matters was still in its infancy. Among the dozen¡ªone crystal in particular, caught his eye. It was glowing with a different color than the others¡ªthis one emitted a vibrant blue light, and radiated a noticeably stronger energy.

    Obviously, the blue power crystal was a higher version than the rest.

    As opposed to whoever finds it getting it, Tobias would be distributing these power crystals.

    It would be based on their contributions in handling the portal.

    Not wasting words in this distribution, Tobias took all of the power crystals and headed over to them. As Tobias walked past the left-most person¡ªDarwin, he placed three yellow power crystals on Darwin''s hand before continuing.

    Seeing this, Darwin''s expression slightly twitched as he didn''t get the blue power crystal.

    Even though he was the leader, he didn''t gain the most contribution.

    Following that, Ravenna and Bob gained two yellow power crystals each.

    Despite that their eyes were all fixed on the blue power crystal¡ªeach wondering, who would be the one to get it if it was not them. Tobias walked past Leandra, Mirel, Nerissa, and Bakar, without giving the blue power crystal to any of them.

    In the end, Tobias stopped in front of Lucivar, holding the blue power crystal in his hand.

    Soon, he handed it to Lucivar with a smile, "You did a good job, Lucivar"

    Upon seeing this, the others had their eyes widened as they couldn''t believe that out of all of them, Lucivar was the one to get the blue power crystal. Curious¡ªDarwin voiced out the one question everyone has in their mind, "Master, what did he do to be rewarded with that?"

    "He got two of the proselytes, that''s why" Tobias replied leisurely.

    On the other hand, the others widened their eyes when they heard this.

    All of them knew how sly the proselytes could be to hide their identity, so for an amateur like Lucivar to find two was quite shocking. Everyone looked at Lucivar with the same reaction, it was hard to believe what Tobias said.

    But since Tobias was the one who said it then it must be true.

    "The last proselyte was found and killed by my wife, so all of you are outshined," He added.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar could only put a wry smile at Tobias.

    ''Come on, is that really necessary? Do you really have to phrase it like that...?'' He pondered.

    As soon as Tobias said that, he could already feel the unfriendly gazes stabbing him.

 Chapter 16 16: Absorption Technique

    Lucivar was surprised, but his face remained composed as he already guessed this.

    He found two of the three proselytes, naturally, he was the best contributor.

    It was not that much of a surprise for him for Tobias to give him the blue power crystal, but the way Tobias phrased it made him sweat a little. Out of anything, he shouldn''t belittle the others like this.

    Even though Lucivar was facing forward, he could feel the others'' daggering gazes.

    As a newcomer, he was sticking out a little bit too much.

    Out of anything, being the common enemy of this group was the last thing he wanted.

    Unlike the others who were giving him the heat of jealousy, Delilah who was standing behind Tobias could not help but gently place her hand over her heart, smile softly, and give Lucivar an approving nod.

    Seeing her congratulating him in the background made Lucivar smile a bit.

    He has never felt this warmth spreading in his chest from seeing Delilah''s gentle gesture.

    "Dismissed!" Tobias eventually declared before the others went back inside.

    Lucivar was also doing the same thing but before he could get into the mansion, Tobias was signaling for him to stay behind. Only when the others were inside did Tobias, tap him on his shoulder, "Good work, Lucivar. Seems like you''re tougher than you look"

    "Ah... It''s nothing, really. Luck help me out today," He replied with humility.

    Seeing him being modest, Tobias laughed and nodded his head repeatedly.

    But then, Lucivar asked in concern, "Are you okay, Tobias...?"

    Upon hearing this, Tobias was confused for a moment before he realized Lucivar was hinting at the incident earlier, "I''m alright¡ªthere is no need for you to worry. My wife patched me up and I''m good as new now. Anyway¡ªgo inside. Now that you can feel your ether, it is time for you to start your Hybrid journey"

    "Since you''re lately close with my wife, she''ll teach you the absorption technique" He added.

    Almost instantly, Lucivar''s face reddened in embarrassment.

    Over the time he was here, Delilah had been singing him to sleep to overcome his problem.

    He relied heavily on Delilah, and he could easily fall asleep thanks to her.

    Giving a playful wink at Lucivar, Tobias headed out instead of going back into the mansion.

    It left Lucivar and Delilah alone in front of the mansion.

    Seeing Delilah''s face, Lucivar recalled what had happened with the woman from earlier.

    Because of that incident, he couldn''t help but see Delilah in a different light.

    ''Is she really doing this out of goodwill or will she also stab me in the future...?'' He thought.

    As he thought of that, however, he shook his head, deciding to not think about it.

    Feeling a little bit awkward as Mirel''s, and Tobias'' teasing words played in his mind, Lucivar didn''t move from his spot and stood there stiffly. He felt like steam was coming out of both of his ears as they began to redden too.

    Just then, however, he was startled when his head was pulled into an embrace.

    Delilah pulled him into her embrace and rubbed his head gently, "I''m proud of you,"

    Listening to this, Lucivar felt a sharp sting stabbing his heart.

    ''Is this how it feels...? To be loved?'' He thought and buried his head on Delilah''s shoulder.

    Both of them stayed for a moment there before heading inside.

    Since Delilah was going to be teaching the absorption technique, both walked side by side, heading toward Lucivar''s room. To fill the silent gap, Lucivar asked, "Did Tobias need to say that I outshined them like that? I do not think the others are accepting that well. What if the others began hating me because of that?"

    "Are you suffering from success already?" Delilah giggled in amusement.

    Leandra dominated when she first joined the group.

    Now Lucivar also did the same thing, triumphing over the others with relative ease.

    "He chose that word on purpose," Delilah finally said. "It sparks rivalry¡ªand rivalry is needed to make a healthy training atmosphere. He wants you all to grow stronger, so sparking rivalry is perfect for your development. If anyone tries to harm you or anything¡ªyou can report it to me or Tobias, and we will help you"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded his head.

    Even though he was thinking that the others would hate him, Delilah took it a step further.

    ''She''s looking very ahead... what if someone tried to kill me?'' Lucivar pondered.

    Knowing how much Tobias meant for the others through their reactions¡ªwhen he mistakenly punched Tobias too hard, with Leandra even trying to kill him, it was not a stretch to consider someone might go as far as trying to kill him out of sheer jealousy.

    Soon, the two managed to reach Lucivar''s room.

    It seems like the others were also in their rooms, absorbing the power crystals.

    "Oh! I forgot to bring the absorption technique book," Delilah suddenly yelped¡ªholding her head as she couldn''t believe she forgot to take it. "Lucivar, can you go and take it from me? It''s in Tobias'' workroom, and it''s the blue book, you''ll know when you''re there"

    Lucivar hesitated when he heard this, "Is it really okay for me to go there?"

    Remembering that there was a deadly animal in there, it was a reasonable question.

    "It''s already been moved, you''ll be fine," Delilah assured.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded and headed to Tobias'' workroom to take the book.

    Moments later¡ªLucivar arrived at the door leading to what was supposedly Tobias'' personal workroom. He still remembered the eerie and foreboding sensation he felt on the night of the incident, and being near this door made his heart pound in his chest.

    But unlike that time, there was no dark trail of energy signaling a killing intent.

    As Delilah said, the animal must''ve been moved somewhere.

    Probably because Lucivar almost stumbling to it that the dangerous animal was moved.

    Sucking in a deep breath, he twisted the door handle and pushed the door open, only to find a regular workroom. It was extremely tidy, with a personal chimney and a small bed, showing Tobias sometimes slept here.

    Other than that, there was only a wooden table, a chair, and tons of books.

    All of the books were neatly placed on the bookshelves surrounding the room.

    "Blue book, blue book, blue book..." Lucivar scanned the rows of books and found the one he was looking for easily. Lucivar took the blue book and saw the title of the book, The Versatile Blooming Hyacinth Technique.

    Grabbing the book, he was about to make his swift leave but stopped mid-way.

    His eyes were pulled to a book that wasn''t neatly placed on the bookshelf.

    It was weirdly jutting out.

    Since the entire room was extremely tidy, this book was sticking out like a sore thumb.

    Curious, Lucivar took the book with beautiful white and golden color¡ªbut when he checked the title, his eyes widened. It was titled Preliminary Angel Bloodline¡ªit was very convenient for this book to be here, falling to his lap.

    For some reason, it felt like someone put this here for him to find.

    But Lucivar, excited, considered it nothing but good luck.

    "I should have a couple of minutes," Lucivar muttered¡ªas he checked the door before he sat on the chair and placed the book on the table. He skimmed through its contents and found it filled with different images and explanations of the Heavenly Runes.

    Supposedly, these Heavenly Runes could be found in the Angel Hybrid''s Supernatural Ego.

    A telltale of the kind of power that lies within.

    However, some Angel Hybrids, might not have one¡ªit varied depending on the purity of their bloodline. It was explained in the book¡ªthe Heavenly Runes dictate the power differentiation of the Angel Hybrids.

    Realizing that he might need this, Lucivar wanted to read more, but time was running low.

    ''Should I borrow it? But Tobias might realize...'' He hesitated.

    After a moment of deliberation¡ªhe tucked the book under his shirt, tidied the bookshelves, and left the room. He planned to consume its content as soon as possible and return it right before Tobias realized it was missing.

    Lucivar rubbed the book in excitement as this book might really help him.

    Upon reaching back to his quarters, he saw Delilah sitting patiently on the chair.

    It made him feel guilty a bit for letting her wait for too long.

    "Did I take too long?" He asked apologetically.

    Delilah, as gentle as she always was, shook her head, "It''s okay, it''s not that long"

    Now that the book was here, she started from the basics and taught Lucivar the theoretical context of the absorption technique. She patiently showed Lucivar¡ªthe crucial parts of the book and helped Lucivar visualize the path his ether would take.

    In order to use the technique, he needs to mimic the technique sequence using his ether.

    A Hybrid''s Supernatural Ego has varying ego points.

    Also, their ego points determined whether they could use strong techniques or not.

    Based on Delilah¡ªa less talented Hybrid would have 5 ego points, while the ones¡ªwho are talented would have from 10 to 20 points. In this particular case with the Versatile Blooming Hyacinth technique, it was a Silver-rank book requiring 6 ego points.

    Lucivar would need to check how many ego points he has, and he would do it later.

    Soon, after he learned the theory, it was time for practice.

    "Open your inner eyes, and try making the sequence of the technique you learned using your own natural energy on your Supernatural Ego," Delilah instructed as Lucivar sat on the bed in a meditative position. "If you succeeded, petals of Hyacinth would begin to form around your Supernatural Ego and there will also be a vessel as big as a finger connecting it to the ceiling of your Inner Chamber"

    Lucivar nodded before he went to open his inner eyes.

    Upon his inner eyes opened, he was awakened back in the same chamber of a church.

    At the center was his Supernatural Ego, the same as before.

    Striding over to his Supernatural Ego, Lucivar went ahead to check the wings embracing the egg¡ªas opposed to checking the number of ego points, he had, "From what I read before¡ª there should be a Heavenly Rune engraved somewhere on the Supernatural Ego''s wing..."

    Since the Heavenly Runes dictates the power of the Angel Hybrid, he wanted to know his.

    Knowing would help him understand his power more easily.

    But after checking every nook and crevice of his Supernatural Ego, he couldn''t find one.

    "Did I not have one? No, that can''t be... even my Supernatural Ego is elaborate and detailed, I am quite sure the purity of my bloodline is high so there should be one" He muttered¡ªbut he couldn''t find any.

    Sighing in defeat, as he might not have one, Lucivar focused back on the training.

    Lucivar stood in front of his Supernatural Ego and placed his hand on it.

    Breathing a couple of times, to steady his focus, he slowly channeled his natural energy, and his Supernatural Ego was responding to him, vibrating with a golden hue. Grunting lightly, he pushes himself and channels more ether into it.

    Swoosh!

    Upon doing that, Lucivar stepped back and saw the scene unfold.

    "Delilah said I only need to do this and count how many glowing points I have" He mused.

    In order to know how many ego points he has, he only needs to stimulate the statue.

    Just as expected, glowing points began to surface on his Supernatural Ego.

    As Lucivar counted the glowing points, his eyebrows began to slowly dip, into a frown when the glowing points appeared non-stop, "One... two... five... eight... ten..." He counted, yet he was not done yet.

    More glowing points appeared on the wings of the statue which made him gasped in shock.

    "How many ego points is that...?" He uttered in disbelief.

 Chapter 17 17: First Angel Wing

    Lucivar took a couple of steps back in surprise.

    He was expecting to have at least around 8 to 10, if a talented Hybrid, has at least 10, but he easily surpassed that number. Before him, the ego points were displayed clearly¡ªand with a quick counting, there were 20, in each of the four upper wings, 10 in the four below, and 5 in the last two wings.

    It was a spectacular sight, and he couldn''t help but smile at this.

    "Doesn''t this mean I''m super, super, super talented?!" He exclaimed, excitement in his voice.

    Not stopping at that, Lucivar saw 20 more appear on the egg''s surface.

    So in total, he has 150 ego points.

    Eventually, the ego points dimmed once again, returning to be invisible to the naked eye.

    Despite the ego points already fading¡ªhe could still feel his heart pounding hard inside his chest. Lucivar still couldn''t believe that he had that many ego points, "Though I have a lot, I can''t let that get inside my head. I''m still weak..."

    Remembering how Leandra easily dealt with the dog creature, he frowned.

    Had Leandra gone ballistic on him, she would''ve been able to crush him as easily as that.

    Calming himself from the excitement within, Luciviar put on a serious expression, before he sat in front of his Supernatural Ego in a meditative position. He channeled his energy, and a small glowing orb instantly appeared at the center of his Supernatural Ego.

    It was located right at the center of the egg, and the other 20 ego points also shimmered.

    Using the statue as a map, he began to make the six-point sequence.

    Only by making the unique six-point sequence could he activate the absorption technique.

    Guiding his energy to make the sequence, feel like blowing a marble, through a maze¡ªeach pull requiring precision and patience. However, the fight from earlier where he was forced to use his power made forming the sequence easier.

    Soon, he completed the six-point sequence of the Versatile Blooming Hyacinth technique.

    As Delilah had explained, Hyacinths began to form around his Supernatural Ego.

    It was as if it were soil.

    Beautiful yellow flowers sprouted, covering nearly the entire statue.

    Keeping his energy active, a vessel or a long tube protruded from the top of the statue and it reached, toward the ceiling of the Inner Chamber. Unlike the finger-sized protrusion¡ªDelilah mentioned, his was the size of an arm.

    Only when it was connected to the ceiling, did Lucivar pull out of his Inner Chamber.

    Lucivar woke up in his room, and he turned to Delilah on the side.

    Her eyes lit up with approval when she saw him nodding at her, smiling in success.

    Upon seeing this, Delilah quickly handed Lucivar the blue power crystal.

    "Now feel the energy inside the crystal¡ªfeel its amount, and flow, and think in your head to absorb it all through your fingertips," Delilah instructed, encouraging Lucivar to focus again, and he instantly did as he was told.

    Closing his eyes again, yellow roots began to come out of Lucivar''s fingertips.

    It latched onto the blue power crystal and began to absorb its energy.

    "Good, do not rush, absorb it slow, and steady," Delilah continued, paying close attention to the amount of energy Lucivar was absorbing. "Guide the absorbed energy through the tube connected to your Supernatural Ego, and gently swirl it until it blends with your ether"

    Several hours had gone by, and Delilah was already sitting on a chair on the side.

    Lucivar was already getting the hang of absorbing the energy.

    "He''s a fast learner..." She mused inwardly. "He should reach 2-star Neophyte shortly,"

    On the other hand, Lucivar was absorbing the energy from the crystal quite well, and he was reeling at the sensation of his Supernatural Ego¡ªbeing forged stronger by the energy. As he continued to draw in the remaining energy, he began feeling a slight discomfort in his back.

    It was nothing at first, but that discomfort gradually turned into a burn.

    At the start, it started mildly but grew hotter and rapidly became unbearable.

    "RAARGGHHK!!!"

    Unable to hold back the burning pain, Lucivar screamed, curling backward on the floor.

    He felt his back burning as if he was being cooked, his golden ether also went out of control.

    Naturally, Delilah rushed to help him, desperate to see what was wrong.

    "Lucivar, talk to me, where is the pain coming from?" She asked, rolling Lucivar to face up but this made him scream even louder. Panic, she quickly rolled him, in the opposite direction, "I''ll check your Supernatural Ego, but you have to let me in, can you do that?"

    As opposed to answering or giving a cue, Lucivar pushed Delilah away instead.

    Veins across his body were bulging and throbbing painfully.

    Just as Delilah wanted to rush back and calm his rampaging energy, she was shocked to see blood splatter onto her face. Lucivar''s skin around his left shoulder blade area abruptly burst open, and his screams intensified.

    ''It''s my bloodline, I think it''s reacting to something!'' Lucivar pondered inside his head.

    Upon realizing that, he feared that Delilah would know about his Angel bloodline.

    He didn''t want her to know.

    "Get out! I want you to get out!" Lucivar yelled, telling Delilah to leave.

    Not wanting to leave him in this situation, Delilah wanted to say something but Lucivar''s eyes suddenly turned towards her, displaying the glowing golden light in them, "I said get out! I do not want you here! Don''t come in until I tell you!"

    Feeling compelled, Delilah with her ragged breath left the room and locked the door.

    Lucivar felt immense relief when she left the room.

    Pressing his forehead against the wooden floor hard while gritting his teeth, he tried to make sense of what was happening. In reflex, he returned to his Inner Chamber¡ªand there he saw that the left top wing of the egg statue was beginning to flare open.

    "A- Am I growing my first wing...?" He muttered in aghast as he saw this.

    Seeing the wing was slowly flaring, he was sure that was the case.

    Gritting his teeth so hard that a couple of his teeth broke to endure the excruciating pain¡ªhe crawled toward his Supernatural Ego. As he reached its base and looked up, he was met with a glowing rune on the flaring wing.

    He recognized it almost instantly as it was the first rune he had seen in the book.

    It was the heavenly rune of Generosity.

    Swoosh!

    But then, the rune began to change, shifting from a golden glow to a greenish light, morphing into another rune, that Lucivar didn''t recognize. Still reeling from the pain¡ªhe forcefully went back to reality and scrambled to retrieve the book he had hidden under the bed.

    Frantically, he searched for the unknown rune as the pain kept climbing higher.

    However, he couldn''t read, the pain was already too much.

    Even though he had already tasted the pain of almost dying, this one was utterly different.

    Suddenly, he was pulled back, into his Inner Chamber, confronted once again by the turning rune that was now shaped like a verdant glowing diamond. Exhausted, sweating¡ªand dizzy from the pain, Lucivar''s last vestiges of willpower kept him conscious.

    As he watched, the unknown rune began to manifest a levitating green writing near it.

    A word in a language he could understand.

    Only then did Lucivar realize what the unknown rune was.

    The written word was ''Mischief'' in deep, green light.

    Realizing what the unknown rune meant struck him like a hammer, no Angels has that kind of power, but the weird instances and different paths he took¡ªit was all connected to this new realization.

    He was not a normal Angel, his power was not the light¡ªhe was corrupted.

    At that conclusion, Lucivar endured the pain alone in his room.

    It lasted more than five painful minutes, easily the most painful moment throughout his life.

    Eventually, like all things, the excruciating pain came to an end, leaving Lucivar drenched in a mixture of sweat and blood. Slowly, the burning sensation faded, but he was already fatigued beyond measure.

    Lucivar lay on the floor for several minutes, trying to regain his strength.

    He looked at the wall blankly, glad that it was over.

    Strugglingly, he pushed himself off the ground but a steaming sound emanated from over his back, causing a sharp sting that forced him to hiss and stop. It was not as painful as before¡ªso it was not that bad.

    Managing to stand on both feet, Lucivar looked around the room, now a chaotic mess.

    All the furniture was misplaced.

    It seemed in the moment of pain, he kicked, grabbed, and tossed everything he could reach.

    Stumbling to the mirror in the corner, he looked at his reflection.

    Nervous, Lucivar took a deep breath and turned to examine his left shoulder blade, and was surprised at the sight of a grievous tear marring his skin, and a small limb covered in pristine emerald feathers protruded from the wound.

    Unlike what he expected, it was only half the length of a finger.

    If Lucivar was unsure before, he was sure now that he was indeed an Angel Hybrid.

    "Just as I suspected¡ªa wing," He mused in a whisper, inspecting the juvenile appendage. "I feel much stronger than before¡ªprobably because I''ve reached the second-star Neophyte. Does that mean the wing grew as my power increased?"

    Earlier, Lucivar had felt that he was nearing a breakthrough as he absorbed the crystal.

    Since he was at rock bottom, it was not a surprise he broke through that quickly.

    But he didn''t expect that his breakthrough would cause this.

    A Hybrid would complete their bloodline''s characteristics as they grew stronger, but this was too fast¡ªeven for the most talented Hybrid. Lucivar was showing characteristics of an Angel too fast, and that was not good.

    "How do I hide this now...?" Lucivar muttered inwardly, the wing was also still steaming.

    As he was busy inspecting his newly grown wing¡ªfully focused on his new look, Lucivar did not realize that the door handle was twisted¡ªand someone stepped inside. He was startled when a voice greeted him from behind, "L- Lucivar...?"

    Instinctually, Lucivar snapped his neck around at the sound of a familiar voice.

    His heart skipped a beat, when he saw Delilah, standing in the doorway¡ªher eyes wide with shock as they locked onto the small wing protruding from Lucivar''s back. She was extremely worried earlier, and when the painful screams finally receded¡ªshe decided to check on him.

    But this was beyond her expectations, she didn''t expect Lucivar to be an Angel Hybrid.

    Not hesitating, Lucivar''s eyes glowed as he dashed at Delilah.

    Lucivar grabbed Delilah by the collar, yanked her into the room, and slammed the door shut.

    He then proceeded to knock her legs and pin her on the ground, his hand gripping her neck, poised to tear her jugular if needed. Nobody could know his secret, not even Delilah. If word got out, he would be hunted down and killed.

    In a burst of emotion, Lucivar looked at Delilah murderously, ''I need to kill her...''

 Chapter 18 18: Importance of Ego Points

    Firming what he needed to do, Lucivar placed both hands on her neck to choke her to death.

    He wanted to put strength into his hands, but the expression on Delilah''s face¡ªresigned and accepting made it impossible. He tried desperately multiple times, but he couldn''t muster the strength to crush an ant, let alone choke her to death.

    Frustration surged through him.

    In the entire mansion, Delilah was the one who connected with him the most.

    She had helped him through his sleeping problems and was proud of his accomplishments when he bested¡ªthe others earlier. But she had not listened. Delilah had to barge into the room and find his secret, his secret that he wasn''t a Garogyle Hybrid but an Angel Hybrid.

    Bam!

    In a fit of anger, Lucivar punched the floor right beside Delilah''s head.

    "Why...? Why did you come inside?! I told you to wait until I called you!" He shouted angrily.

    He already told her to wait until he called, but she didn''t listen.

    Delilah''s unwavering eyes held no fear, only concern for Lucivar despite the punch.

    She then shed a tear and smiled gently, "It''s okay, you can do it if you want to..."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar began to hyperventilate.

    Eventually, his grip loosened, he released Delilah and rolled off, collapsing beside her.

    Seeing this, Delilah rubbed her neck, eyes never leaving Lucivar, filled with understanding rather than anger, for him trying to kill her. She understands why Lucivar was about to do, what he was about to do.

    Minutes later, both of them were now sitting on the bed.

    Delilah already had a bowl of water on her lap, wiping the blood from Lucivar''s body.

    Naturally, silence hung heavy between them because of the earlier incident.

    "I do not know what happened in your past, that made you hard to trust," She suddenly said, while tending to him. "And I know no matter what I said¡ªI can''t change that but regardless, I will say this... No matter what, I will keep this from anyone. I''ll even help you hide it"

    "E- Even from Tobias...?" Lucivar asked, his voice slightly trembling.

    Hearing him talk, Delilah smiled warmly and nodded, "Yes, even from Tobias"

    Lucivar''s lips quivered as he heard her words.

    His face was a storm of emotions on the brink of exploding, as he stared at Delilah, sensing the genuine truth in her promise. Despite something inside of him preventing him, from fully trusting her, he knew she would keep her word.

    Tears streamed down his face as Delilah pulled him into her embrace.

    Even when he killed his family, he didn''t cry, but in Delilah''s presence his emotions exploded.

    "I''m... I''m scared," Lucivar said, pouring out the truth.

    Giving him the care and love he deserved, Delilah rubbed his back as he let it all out, sobbing into her shoulder, releasing the burden he had carried inside, "It''s okay, I am here... Whatever it is scaring you, I will always be there for you. Let it all out, I''ll listen to all your troubles"

    Under the powerful moment, Lucivar stayed in her embrace for a moment.

    He then also finally confessed what made it hard for him to fall asleep.

    Even though Delilah helped him sleep, she never asked what was haunting him.

    But it didn''t seem fair to Delilah¡ªas she had been an immense help¡ªand due to that, Lucivar found it in him to tell her what had happened to him before Tobias found him. Lucivar told her about his family, and how they treated him.

    It was all in the past, but the mental scar was deep within him.

    After that, Lucivar lay on Delilah''s lap, staring at the ceiling while she gently rubbed his hair.

    Despite the silence, the moment was profound¡ªcalming to the heart.

    "Are there really Gods up there?" Lucivar asked the question that emerged in his mind.

    Delilah smiled lightly, "Why do you want to know that?"

    "I tried to do good all my life but I was repaid with bad things and ended up here, I''m starting to think everything I hoped by doing good is futile..." Lucivar muttered, closing his eyes as all the bad things that happened in his life flashed in his mind.

    Upon hearing this, Delilah''s hand stopped suddenly.

    She then answered, "What does your question have to do with your predicament? No matter what the answer to that question was, it wasn''t important. Karma is the balance of the world¡ªas long as one does good, karma will provide fortune and it will always pay what was due"

    "Even if there were no Gods, doing good will never be futile as you say" She added.

    Delilah then hummed Lucivar to sleep as he needed to rest his body after their conversation.

    Lucivar also needs to rest as he will need it for tomorrow.

    He didn''t realize when he fell asleep, but Delilah saw that he fell asleep pretty fast.

    Exhaustion made him fall asleep quickly.

    Brushing his hair gently with her fingers, Delilah looked at Lucivar''s face before the moment from earlier flashed inside her mind. It was bizarre¡ªand she was uneasy recalling what had happened earlier.

    Even then, she felt pity for Lucivar as his story was tragic.

    "Your true self and your Mother are fighting inside of you," She whispered, feeling pity for the poor Lucivar, as his story was very sad. "I can see them struggling, don''t let your Mother win. Persevere... let your true self win"

    Click!

    As she said that, Delilah was startled when she heard a soft sound coming from the door.

    She gazed at the door before her eyes widened, "Who was that...?"

    A day passed, and as always¡ªLucivar woke up extremely early and found that Delilah, was nowhere to be seen. Naturally, he felt uneasy as she might tell Tobias¡ªbut that uneasiness was wiped away when he saw a full bandage on the base of the bed.

    Seeing this, he smiled as it must''ve been Delilah.

    But then, he sighed and looked at his own two hands, ''I can''t kill Delilah...''

    ''I couldn''t bring myself to do it. If she hadn''t been so kind, I would''ve been killed'' He sighed.

    Despite promising himself to be more selfish, changing his nature is hard.

    Lucivar could only try to forget about it and move on.

    Not wasting a single second¡ªLucivar used the bandage to wrap the wing tightly before he wore his training clothes. He had time to kill before the morning exercise starts, and he was going to check his new power.

    "I still hadn''t gotten an innate ability, I only used my ether to enhance my fist," He mused.

    Just like Leandra''s telepathic ability, a Hyrbid would gain an ability from their bloodline.

    Once again, this depends on the purity of the bloodline but it was rare for a Hybrid to get not a single ability, from their bloodline. Lucivar was expecting his¡ªbut it seemed he still needed to be even stronger to unlock his first ability.

    Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took the Preliminary Angel Bloodline book under the bed.

    He still remembered the weird morph of his heavenly rune clearly.

    Even then¡ªhe was already quite sure the book wouldn''t have anything about the unknown rune as it didn''t seem like an angelic power. As expected¡ªwhen he read through the entire length of the book, he couldn''t find anything regarding the Rune of Mischief.

    "It''s more like a Demon rather than an Angel, what am I really...?" Lucivar mused inwardly.

    Naturally, the wing showed that he was an Angel Hybrid.

    But on the other hand, the Rune of Mischief engraved on his first wing said otherwise.

    "Regardless of what I really am¡ªI reckoned this has something to do with my awakening. I saw two trails of energy back then, and I chose the dark one. I think my angelic power was responding to that choice of mine" He muttered firmly.

    Lucivar still had a lot of questions in his mind, but he was sure he was not normal.

    He was different compared to the other Angel Hybrid.

    If he wanted the answers to all of his questions, there was only one thing to do.

    "I need to get stronger..." Lucivar nodded, that is what he was going to do.

    Since he already promised himself to be more selfish as to not be the one sacrificed, his only way to achieve that, was to get stronger, exactly like what Tobias said. Only the strong could be free, the weak don''t have any voice.

    Firming his resolution, Lucivar went to lock the door and sat on the bed again.

    "Should I learn the technique in the book or cultivate?" He mused inwardly.

    He saw that there was a preliminary spell an Angel Hybrid could use called Radiant Burst.

    But even then, he decided to take the gold sphere Dorian dropped and cultivate.

    Now that he had learned an absorption technique, he could try using it on this gold sphere.

    Making the same sequence as before, yellow roots began to protrude out of his fingertips as he began absorbing, the gold sphere. At the first strand of energy, from the gold sphere¡ªhis eyes widened in shock.

    "It''s way denser than the blue power crystal, much denser..." He gasped in utter shock.

    Lucivar could also feel the connection he had with the energy from this gold sphere.

    An energy that was tailored only for him to absorb.

    Surely, this was his natural energy, providing more effectiveness compared to the absorbed external energies from crystals or other energy sources. Moreover, Lucivar didn''t even need to swirl the energy as it instantly blended with his Supernatural Ego, strengthening it.

    Due to that, the gold sphere the size of a fist was gone in a mere minute.

    His blue power crystal was still half even though he already absorbed it for hours.

    But this gold sphere was gone in a mere minute and provided much more energy.

    Looking at his hand, Lucivar clenched it a couple of times in disbelief, "I reached the second-star Neophyte yesterday¡ªbut I can feel it, a couple more of those gold spheres and I''ll reach the third-star Neophyte rank for certain. Just what is that gold sphere? How do I get more?"

    Despite the mystery behind the gold sphere, he knew that it was tailored for his ether.

    And he swore to find out how to obtain it more as that would be his ticket to strength.

    Later that night, Lucivar and Mirel were resting after a spar.

    "Phew... I guess that blue power crystal had done some good work on you, huh?" Mirel said.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled wryly, "I reached the second-star Neophyte already,"

    "Figured, you''ve become much stronger. Of course¡ªyou wouldn''t be able to beat me without proper knowledge in martial arts, but you''re quite good without proper training," Mirel replied, rubbing his nose pridefully.

    Naturally, Lucivar chuckled as he got beaten badly during the spar.

    He might get stronger, but he was still incomparable to the others.

    Just as the two were resting, Lucivar, suddenly remembered something, "Oh, I''m still unclear about something. Delilah said that enough ego points would help in casting abilities or skill¡ª but what is the deal with having many ego points?"

    Since he had 150 ego points if all wings were flared, Lucivar was curious about this.

    Even now, he has 20 ego points already.

    Despite his fatigue, Mirel turned to the side and drew something on the snowy ground.

    Since the barrier needs to be repaired, snow seeped through to the yard today.

    He created twelve dots which signifies the energy points.

    "Let''s use me as an example. Let''s say that I have twelve ego points, and in order to cast the Lightning Empower ability, I need to make a six-point sequence," Mirel explained, connecting six dots together. "There are still six more ego points that are free at that exact moment that I could use. So, as I used Lightning Empower¡ªI could simultaneously cast another ability say Paralyze that also requires a six-point sequence"

    "So more ego points means I could use more spells simultaneously?" Lucivar asked.

    Mirel nodded in response.

    But then, he continued, "More ego points mean more spells to use, but there''s more. What if I did the six-point sequence for the Lightning Empower two times? Since I have twelve, I could do that if I want to"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned as he didn''t quite follow.

    Seeing this, Mirel smiled, "If I made the exact sequence two times, then the power doubled!"

    "With my Lightning Empower ability, I could easily crack a rock, as big as a car. If I cast it two times? I could easily crack twice the size of the rock. Now¡ªimagine if I have some ridiculous amount such as sixty ego points, how strong would my ability be?" He added as a finale.

    On the other hand, Lucivar gasped as that would mean Mirel''s ability would be destructive.

    As he saw Lucivar''s amazed expression¡ªhe laid back on the ground chuckling, "Of course, it is not that simple, there''s a limit as to how many times my body could endure. But simply put, having more ego points would make you a stronger Hybrid overall. Moreover¡ªyou could also exploit your free ego points to lessen the ether cost of casting a skill, the usage is not limited only to that, there are many other use cases"

    "Don''t think too much about it for now. Do you even have an ability yet?" He asked.

    Lucivar shook his head, "Nope, I still don''t have any, not even one"

    "Don''t fret about it, you could learn some once we get into an academy" Mirel replied.

    Confused about this, Lucivar turned to look at Mirel in confusion, "Academy? When?"

    "I was lucky enough to overhear Master Tobias'' conversation with Delilah¡ªbut after his deal in this town was done, we would go to the Supreme Vampire House''s territory¡ªand enroll in an academy there. To help us develop I think..." Mirel explained nonchalantly.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar was stunned when he heard this, "Huh, we''re going to be students?"

 Chapter 19 19: Departure

    Bang!

    Bang!

    Bang!

    "Mirel, wake up! Get ready, Master Tobias said we''re going in an hour!"

    Lucivar banged on Mirel''s door, he was the earliest to wake up so Delilah asked him to wake up the others. It was time for them to leave the town for the House of Valerius'' territory as it seemed Tobias'' work in the town was done.

    It has been more than a week since the incident regarding his first wing.

    He had been accustoming himself to his newfound strength and was doing very well.

    In addition to that, Bakar, Ravenna, and Mirel had been teaching him martial arts.

    Since he was basically untrained for combat, throughout his life, he learned many things from them. Bakar taught him the fundamentals of striking and blocking, Mirel taught him numerous ways to close the distance and defense, while Ravenna taught him advanced footwork.

    Overall, he was not the same anymore, he had grown considerably stronger.

    Even though he still couldn''t even defeat Bakar¡ªthe weakest out of the others, he could tell that he had gotten way stronger than before. It was only that the others were freaks as well, it would be hard for Lucivar to catch up to them.

    As he knocked on the door some more, Mirel finally woke up and shouted, "Alright, alright!"

    "Delilah said if you sleep again, you''ll be left behind!" Lucivar replied and moved on.

    He proceeded to wake up the others, who were all grumpy from being woken up so early.

    Eventually, Lucivar reached a particular door and before he could even knock on the door, it suddenly swung open, revealing Leandra who had already woke up but was still in her black pajamas.

    Both of their eyes met, and there was tension in the air.

    Giving nothing but a glance, Lucivar didn''t say anything and walked over to another door.

    Leandra and Lucivar had this weird tension after the day of the yellow portal.

    It was natural as Leandra tried to kill him, and they both also had an argument after that.

    "Are you not going to say anything to me?" Leandra suddenly asked.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar pivoted his body to the side to look at her coldly, "No,"

    Leandra clicked her tongue in displeasure¡ªseeing that Lucivar was having an attitude and was even looking at her with such coldness in his eyes, as if she was not the senior, in this place, ''Isn''t he the one who was supposed to apologize to me? I know I tried to kill him but that was because he attacked Master Tobias. We''re going to be in the same academy, and he''s treating me like this? I''ll not help you even if you beg me later''

    Gazing at Lucivar in silence, she squinted her eyes with curiosity filling her eyes.

    She started to be interested in Lucivar ever since that night.

    ...

    It was the moment right after Tobias distributed the resources from the yellow portal.

    Leandra went out of her room in a bad mood, "I forgot to apologize to the others..."

    She massaged her forehead as her mistake haunted her mind.

    Remembering that it was her fault for not being able to properly barricade the western part of the forest inside the yellow portal, causing the dog creatures to slip past her¡ªand break into the town, she intended to apologize to Darwin, Ravenna, and Bob.

    After all, Lucivar won the contribution battle because of her mistake.

    Had that not happened and they found the Teal Coin, Lucivar wouldn''t have won.

    "More importantly, Master Tobias must be disappointed in me..." She bit her lower lip lightly.

    Leandra clicked her tongue as the thought of disappointing Master Tobias disturbed her.

    But as soon as she stepped out of her room¡ªhowever, her attention was pulled to the door across her room. It was Lucivar''s room, and Delilah came out of there, with what seemed to be blood on her face.

    Upon seeing this, Leandra reacts and instinctively hides behind a pillar, ''Why am I hiding?''

    As she thought of that, she peeked at Delilah and found her panicking.

    She wanted to ask what was wrong, but she could feel that it would be a bad choice.

    Even though everybody practically knows that Delilah has been helping Lucivar¡ªin dealing with his issues, this situation doesn''t seem to be the case. She looked both concerned and also afraid.

    "Just what is happening in Lucivar''s room...?" Leandra uttered lightly.

    ...

    Back to the present.

    Leandra thought about that night, but she still couldn''t find the answer to that.

    Of course, there was no chance she would ask Lucivar directly.

    ''I''ll ask Delilah later,'' Sighing lightly, she was about to enter her room again but stopped.

    She suddenly hears a commotion.

    "R- Ravenna! Your... Your clothes, they''re not there! You''re not wearing any clothes!"

    "Huh? I sleep naked, silly. Is that a problem?"

    "It''s not, but it became a problem when you open the door without wearing something first!"

    "A problem? Oh, I see, did I wake up your junior? Good morning, mister junior"

    Overhearing their conversation, starkly different in tone and atmosphere, Leandra was a little bit annoyed inside, ''Why am I being like this? I don''t care about his relationships at all, there''s no need for me to be like this... but why is he getting along with the others?''

    Deciding to ignore them, she flicked her hair and took a step inside her room.

    But once again, she stopped mid-track.

    "Oh, you cutie pie... Am I the first naked woman you see? Come here you, don''t be shy"

    "Please don''t do this, we''re not even married!"

    "Let''s worry about marrying later, and focus on taking care of that hard thing in your pa-"

    "Hey!" Having enough of the commotion, Leandra rushed towards the neighboring room with thumping steps, and slammed the door open. "This is a fucking respectful household so stop this indecent act at once!"

    Moments later.

    Several carriages complete with their drivers could be seen parked in the front yard.

    Before getting on the carriage, however, Tobias called them to gather in the main room as he would be briefing them. Lucivar and the others were now sitting on the sofa or the ground as Tobias stood before them in his formal attire that of a noble.

    Making a sweep with his eyes, Tobias looked at each one of them before clearing his throat.

    "Today, we''re going to make our way to Sunhold City, an independent city within the Valerius'' territory," He announced with a firm tone. "As some of you might already know¡ªall of you are going to be applying to an academy of my choosing"

    Upon hearing this, the others nodded as all of them already knew about this.

    Even Lucivar already knew, Mirel mentioned it to him.

    ''I''ll see how the city looks and make my escape there,'' He pondered, scheming for his escape already. No matter what¡ªhe would pave his own path, so that he could focus on himself. But as he thought of that, his eyes landed on Delilah on the side.

    Realizing that Lucivar was looking in her direction, Delilah gave him a faint smile.

    Seeing her made him waver, ''Let''s just see how this goes...''

    "But unlike what you might expect¡ªyou are not going to enroll in the academy, as students," Tobias continued, surprising the others who were expecting them to be normal students. "As opposed to being students, all of you would aim to become the academy''s hunters instead"

    Listening to this, Lucivar frowned and asked Mirel, "What are academy hunters?"

    "Rejects, I think. If I''m not mistaken, the academy hunters are those who almost made it into the academy, and they could redeem themselves to be students of the academy by proving to the institute that they are worthy," Mirel replied, also frowning in confusion.

    He didn''t expect Tobias to ask them to be academy hunters.

    Knowing that they all have questions¡ªTobias continued, "Of course, the academy is a place to learn¡ªbut all of you have learned from me the way of a Hybrid, the academy''s curriculum would do you no good. Instead¡ªyour goal is to show practical skills in fighting the Crossers, and shutting down portals"

    "For now, your goal is to get stronger than your current self," He added.

    Shifting his gaze to Darwin, Ravenna, and Bob, Tobias said, "All three of you, would need to be strong enough to complete a B-rank mission¡ªwhile the rest would be a C-rank mission. Only then would I give you your next objective. Remember, I''m doing this to help you all get stronger, your strength is the top priority"

    Upon hearing this, the others nodded in understanding.

    Even though none of them was aware of what a C or B-rank mission was or how hard those missions would be, they were all determined to achieve that. Lucivar scanned the room and found the others were extremely determined.

    It was clear that they held Tobias in high regard, and would do anything he said.

    Guess they are all the same as me, owing their lives to Tobias.

    Despite already being here for a month, none of the others had told him about how they got to meet with Tobias. It seemed they were all keeping it a secret, and from that alone Lucivar could tell the others were the same, saved by Tobias.

    Regardless of Tobias'' agenda, he did save lives, and that''s all that matters.

    After the briefing, they depart for the Sunhold City.

    Unlike Veegend City, Lucivar''s home city, Sunhold City was not a slave city so it was entirely free from the monthly or yearly sacrifice, such as the Death Volunteers. It was a city reigned under Viscount Cassius, and located near the border between the Ashbournes'' territory, and also the Valerius'' territory.

    In addition to that, the city was extremely developed.

    ''I heard the roads in free cities are not dark when it''s night, I wonder how they do that...''

    Looking out of the carriage, Lucviar began to daydream.

    Of course, other than Hybrids being a hot topic everywhere in his home city¡ªthe developed lifestyle in free cities, was also a topic of discussion. He was curious about street lamps¡ªhe heard the roads in free cities used that to keep the road bright even if it was night.

    Back in his home city, the road was extremely dark when it was night.

    Since the torches couldn''t reach far, it was hard to navigate if the sun was already down.

    Due to that, activities began to dwindle the moment the sun was down.

    Both excited, and curious about Sunhold City¡ªLucivar leaned his head back as he could not wait to reach the city. Delilah sat beside him, her familiar scent lulling him into a very drowsy state but his eyes jolted open at the sight of something.

    Delilah was tidying the contents of her bag, and Lucivar caught a glimpse of her phone.

    "Wait, you have a phone?" He asked curiously.

    His eyes were fixed on Delilah''s white flip phone with a rose sticker on the back.

    Upon hearing this, Delilah stopped what she was doing and turned to him, "I have one, I am not from an independent city, but Tobias was¡ªand he gave me this one. It has one contact number, Tobias'' number"

    "Cool, mine can only be used for announcements from the mayor," Lucivar commented.

    Rubbing his head gently, Delilah smiled, "We''ll get you one after we get there"

    Lucivar was excited about this prospect, but he couldn''t endure his sleepiness any longer.

    Being near Delilah made him sleepy.

    Tobias said that the journey would take weeks if not months depending on their luck.

    Since they were going to cross bandits'' territory, they might be intercepted.

    But being Hybrids, they were not afraid of small groups of bandits.

    As the carriage moved out of the town, rocking left and right due to the bad terrain covered in snow, Mirel took out a ukulele and began playing a song. He lilts notes of a cheerful song, lifting spirits and inviting smiles from the others.

    Even Leandra slightly smiled when Bakar''s voice broke when he joined in to sing the song.

    Mirel''s song lightens the atmosphere, he has a natural charm in this kind of thing.

    On the other hand, Lucivar looked at them having fun before he leaned his head back tiredly.

    With nothing to do, he decided to give in to the sleepiness.

    ...

    An unknown amount of time passed, and when Lucivar woke, it was already night.

    He had slept for hours, too comfortably nestled in the carriage.

    Looking around, he saw Mirel, Leandra, and Bakar who were inside the same carriage asleep as well. Seems like all of the singing¡ªand laughing earlier, made them tired. Groaning lightly, Lucivar stretched and took a deep breath of fresh night air.

    "I guess I''ll meditate, I still have a little bit of the blue power crystal to absorb," He mused.

    Just as he thought of that, his breath was caught in his throat.

    A frown crept to his face as he leaned forward upon hearing noises that sounded like people.

    Checking the road behind the carriage, Lucivar saw a family of three coming out from a small cave and waved at them¡ªseemingly stranded and needing a ride. He rubbed his eyes to see if he was still dreaming but he wasn''t.

    ''Let''s ignore them...'' Lucivar pondered as he leaned back.

    However, his expression clearly states that he was troubled by his decision to remain silent.

    At that moment, a voice rang from the side, "Stop the carriage!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar glanced to the side and realized that it was Delilah who said that.

    Not even waiting for the carriage to stop, Delilah got down and headed to the family.

 Chapter 20 20: Fire Primordial

    "Delilah, we shouldn''t stop, they might be lures for bandits!" Lucivar quickly got down.

    He was surprised to see Delilah stopping the carriage like that.

    Upon hearing this, she stopped, and looked at Lucivar, "I can see it in your eyes, you wanted to help them, right?" She asked, smilingly gently. "How could I ignore these people if you put on that kind of look?"

    "Ah... but still" Lucivar has no words to answer.

    It seemed his desire to help them was too transparent for Delilah to instantly see.

    Glancing over to the carriage, he found the others were still fast asleep. Peeking at the front carriages¡ªhe saw that all of them stopped, but none of them came out. It was only him and Delilah outside.

    Not having any option, he quickly went over to Delilah.

    She was already talking with the people, a family with one child no older than ten years old.

    "Bless you, lady for helping us. Our horses broke loose and we were stranded,"

    "Don''t thank me. It was his desire to help you"

    "Thank you, kind sir. We really appreciate your help"

    Lucivar gave them a light nod, he was holding the handle of his strapped knife while looking around in alert. He still feared this to be a trap by the bandits so he needed to be ready. But it seemed that was not the case, the area was silent.

    Under Delilah''s guidance, she brought the family towards the carriage.

    She''d probably put them in the middle carriage that has room for them.

    ''Nothing, it seemed they were not a trap,'' Lucivar muttered, the area is clear, and the family doesn''t seem to be suspicious as well. All of them acted as if they were really stranded. Yet as he thought of that, however, his eyes widened completely.

    Swish!

    Lucivar suddenly saw a dark trail snaking across his vision from the side.

    It came out of nowhere and it caught him off guard.

    Almost instantly, he snapped his neck in the direction of the dark trail and saw an ember.

    It leaped from below and was approaching quickly.

    "Wake... Wake up!! Something is coming!" Lucivar shouted at the top of his lungs.

    He grabbed Delilah by the arm and pulled her out of the way.

    Despite being unfocused from a long sleep, he knew what he was seeing.

    In addition to that, he also heard something approaching fast from the rear of the carriage, it whistled through the air like a banshee''s scream. Before the others were fully awake¡ªa loud and resounding explosion pierced their eardrums.

    Kaboom!

    Lucivar''s heart pounded hard as his vision took an abrupt turn.

    For a brief moment, gravity felt nonexistent.

    It didn''t take long for him to realize that he and Delilah had been hurled back hard.

    Everything happened so quickly, that no one could react properly, not even Lucivar, who had anticipated the blast. Delilah hugged his head right before they made brutal contact with the snowy ground.

    Both of them rolled viciously, the sheer force eroding their skin from the relentless friction.

    "Kargghk!" Lucivar grunted in pain as he came to a halt after hitting something hard.

    He was left dazed and breathless by the impact.

    Pain throbbed in his back as he recovered from the impact.

    Raising his gaze, he saw that they were on a secluded road, barely wide enough for a single carriage to pass, behind the other carriages. On the left side¡ªthe ground abruptly fell away to a steep, dizzying drop¡ªthe bottom, darkness far below obscuring the depth of the fall.

    Moreover, he saw flames and destroyed carriages not too far from him.

    All carriages were in flames, and the horses pulling them died, two of the horses were near.

    Some were burnt to a crisp while the others had its neck broken.

    Not to mention, the family of three that Delilah and he tried to help were burnt to crisps.

    Lucivar gritted his teeth at this situation.

    ''Who attacked us? Is it bandits? A Hybrid? Who?!'' Lucivar pondered, wracking his brain.

    Before he could assess the situation¡ªhis danger sense kicked him, into survival mode, as he grabbed Delilah on the side, and leaped away at the exact same time as another explosion in the background resounded, flames soaring sky-high.

    Mercilessly, the intense heat sang the air around them, and debris flew like deadly shrapnel.

    Adrenaline sharpened his senses as he checked Delilah, "Are you okay?"

    "Yes, I''m okay, I''m okay..." She replied, coughing blood a couple of times.

    It seemed she was hurt from crashing into a rock earlier.

    Holding Delilah close, Lucivar scanned the area for the source of the attack, but he couldn''t see anyone around. He found the other carriages also in the same situation, but he frowned when Tobias'' carriage at the very front was also destroyed.

    ''Did his carriage also get attacked?! Where is he?!'' He thought again, concerned.

    Just then, however, his body stiffened when something landed near the edge of the cliff.

    Slowly glancing to his left¡ªhis eyes bear witness to a dire spectacle coughed forward from the heart of the Crossers'' world. He saw a figure, that was clearly not a human striding with nonchalance, its hands ablaze with flames, the same flickering inferno burning its eyes.

    Despite coming from a slave city, he knew what this creature was.

    Its light red skin and the fiery-slitted gem embedded in its chest marked it unmistakably.

    It was the very thing Humanity was fighting against.

    Beings that governed the other world the same as humans governed this world.

    "It''s a Primordial! A Fire Primordial!" Mirel shouted.

    He came out of the rubble of the destroyed carriage and also saw the Fire Primordial.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar gasped in shock as he couldn''t believe that a Primordial was right before his very two eyes. The Primordial, is a race that dominated the Crossers'' world, there are many types of them depending on the elements they could control.

    On that note, the one in front of them right now is a Fire Primordial.

    Even though it was young, it was very strong, around the five-star Neophyte or even higher.

    "Where are the older ones?! We need them!" Mirel added urgently.

    He was begging for Darwin, Ravenna, or Bob to help as they were the strongest.

    Compared to him¡ªLeandra, who was fine as she was able to shield herself from the impact, looked to the other side and realized that Tobias'' carriage was destroyed. Panicking, she did not waste a single second and head over there, searching for Tobias.

    She left Lucivar, Mirel, Bakar, and Delilah behind out of concern for Tobias.

    Just then, however, the Fire Primordial swept its gaze and locked onto Delilah.

    Its eyes then flickered as it made a move.

    Boom!

    Creating small explosions underneath its feet¡ªthe Fire Primordial dashed with lightning-fast speed, aiming for Delilah. Before it could reach close¡ªLucivar, managed to stand in the way, his pupils dilating in alert.

    Seeing that the Fire Primordial was about to attack, he quickly crossed his arms.

    Bam!

    Crash!

    Like swatting a fly, the Fire Primordial slapped Lucivar out of the way.

    He coughed a mouthful of blood as his body slammed and bounced off against the wall.

    Stumbling to keep on standing, he gasped for breath hard.

    ''It''s incredibly strong,'' He pondered, covering his bloody mouth. Glancing over to his left arm, he saw that it was bruised¡ªhis bones almost broke from blocking that powerful attack. ''Why is it aiming for Delilah? Did it realize she was the healer?!''

    Even from a simple slap, Lucivar could feel that it was way stronger than the others.

    Backing up Delilah, both Mirel and Bakar activated their powers.

    In the blink of an eye, Bakar''s body swelled even bigger¡ªand he reached the Fire Primordial who was about to punch Delilah with its fiery fist. Expertly, he parried the punch, and circled around the Fire Primordial, bear-hugging it from behind.

    Following that, Mirel appeared before the Fire Primordial, his hands charged with lightning.

    Blitz!

    Pulling nothing back, he electrocuted the Fire Primordial, trying to paralyze it.

    Zapping the Fire Primordial with all his might, Mirel''s entire body crackled with lightning, even his fingertips turning into pure energy¡ªwhich caused him excruciating pain. But as the entire process continued, the lightning began to weaken.

    Mirel poured every ounce of his ether reserves, but the Fire Primordial remained unfazed.

    It was directly looking into Mirel''s eyes undisturbed.

    Bakar, caught in the same electrical storm, endured the agony in hopes for Mirel to succeed.

    However, it was in vain, their effort failed miserably.

    Casting a menacing smirk, the Fire Primordial''s body ignited¡ªits flames overpowering Mirel''s lightning. In the next second, its body exploded with fierce intensity¡ªhurling Mirel and Bakar away, rolling across the ground, scratched by the wooden remnants of the carriages.

    Lucivar watched this from the side in horror, ''It dispatched both of them easily...''

    Seeing that both Mirel and Bakar were taken down easily was disheartening for Lucivar.

    He knew what the two were capable of, both of them were stronger than him.

    Even then, the Fire Primordial swatted them as if they were nothing.

    Stumbling forward, Lucivar could feel pain across his body but then, his eyes caught sight of a foreign energy bringing about warmness to his body. It lasted for a few seconds, and when it ended, his eyes widened, "My wounds... they were healed"

    Only then did he realize who the energy belonged to, Delilah''s.

    After dispatching the two, the Fire Primordial swept its fiery gaze and fixed on Lucivar.

    It seemed its attack from earlier hadn''t ended Lucivar as he remained standing.

    Before the Fire Primordial could take a step, a rock flew through the air and hit its head.

    Frowning, the Fire Primordial glanced to the side and saw Delilah with a rock in her hand.

    Glaring firmly at it, Delilah threw another rock but was blocked.

    Rather than being threatening, she was being annoying for the Fire Primordial.

    Putting Delilah in its eyes as priority, the Fire Primordial pointed its hand forward and charged a spherical fire poised ready to blast Delilah to oblivion. Despite the grave situation¡ªshe was not even remotely afraid.

    Delilah looked over to Lucivar on the side and said through voiceless words, "Go, run!"

    It was obvious that she was sacrificing herself to make a window for Lucivar to go grab the others and run. But that act did the exact opposite thing from what Delilah wanted, instead of running away, adrenaline rushed through Lucivar''s bloodstream.

    His eyes glowed with intense golden energy, ''I''ll rip it... I''m going to rip its body to pieces!''

    Responding to his emotions, his bloodline went into overclocking mode.

    Just as the Fire Primordial was about to end Delilah, it stopped and turned to the right.

    Brak!

    Lucivar lunged, attempting for a tackle and pushing the Fire Primordial over the edge.

    But the Fire Primordial easily thwarted the effort, catching him by the neck and lifting him up.

    Feeling his windpipe being crushed¡ªLucivar, gripped the Fire Primordial''s arms with both of his hands to no avail. He even punched it desperately, but its iron grip was unyielding, it was not budging whatsoever.

    Stealing a couple of glances down, Lucivar gritted his teeth as the fall seemed to scare him.

    Seeing the fear on his face, the Fire Primordial smirked in ridicule.

    It then went to the side and dangled Lucivar over the edge, threatening to let him fall.

    In addition to gasping for breaths through a choked throat¡ªLucivar''s eyes widened in fear as he saw the non-existent ground, below him. Despite becoming way stronger, he might not be able to survive the fall.

    "No!" Delilah screamed and hit the Fire Primordial multiple times desperately. "Let him go!"

    Even then, her hits were nothing for the Fire Primordial.

    Delilah might be a healer, but her strength was not even close to other proper Hybrids.

    Her punches were more like a desperate attempt.

    "Kyaargh!" She yelped when she was slapped away, stumbling back helplessly.

    As the Fire Primordial did that¡ªit focused back on Lucivar, and let go of his neck, letting him fall to his death. In its gaze, Lucivar was not worth dying with its hands. Additionally, it might be more amusing to watch him fall to his death.

    But as it did that, its eyes widened when something wrapped around its neck.

    The Fire Primordial looked down and found multiple leather straps wrapping around its neck.

    Horse bridles.

    Upon seeing this, it gritted its teeth in anger and glanced over its shoulder.

    It was then met with Lucivar''s daunting smirk, it was his doings.

    Earlier before he made the tackle, Lucivar had taken the straps from the dead horses and hid them in his clothes. From the very start¡ªhe was determined to push the Fire Primordial, over the edge to buy time for the others to come help.

    Instead of panicking, he acted as if he was scared from the fall to inspire the Fire Primordial.

    Lucivar was smiling inside when it brought him to the edge.

    He used his false fear and ''desperate struggle'' act as a mask to wrap the bridles together.

    Only when the Fire Primordial let go of his neck did he bring out the bridles.

    No matter what, he wouldn''t let Delilah be killed in front of his eyes.

    "I don''t know why you attacked us, but I''ll make sure that''s a mistake!" Lucivar barked with a savage smile on his face, looking at the Fire Primordial like a lunatic. "Let''s continue this little bout down there, shall we? It''ll only be you and me"

    Furious at this ploy, the Fire Primordial tried to burn the leather straps.

    But since Lucivar tied a lot together, it was enough for him to make one last all-out pull.

    Exerting everything he has¡ªLucivar was able to pull the Fire Primordial off the edge, as both of them fell into the darkness. On the other hand¡ªDelilah quickly ran to the edge and looked down in worry, "Lucivar!!" She screamed.

    She couldn''t believe Lucivar was the one who sacrificed himself like this.

    Even if he survived the fall, there was still the Fire Primordial, his chance for survival is slim.

 Chapter 21 21: Internal Battle

    Delilah screamed at the top of her lungs, when she saw Lucivar, pulling the Fire Primordial to the edge, intending to fall together. She was trying to buy time for Lucivar to help the others and escape but he instead made the heroic act.

    Looking at Lucivar falling with a smile on his face, Delilah shed a tear, "It''s my fault..."

    She blamed herself for being too close to Lucivar.

    It was a deep fall, there was a huge chance that Lucivar might not survive the fall.

    On the other hand, the Fire Primordial could easily sustain the fall.

    Even though there was doubt inside of her heart that he would survive the fall, Delilah shook her head, and looked over her shoulder¡ªher eyes searching for the others, "No. If there was even a small chance Lucivar survived the fall, I need to help him"

    Not losing hope yet, she swiftly went to the others, aiming to bring them back to their feet.

    But before she did, she gazed to the other side with tears overflowing her eyes.

    "Tobias, where are you...?" She whispered.

    In the next second, however, her eyes widened, "No... Oh, no, no, no. Please don''t do this"

    Meanwhile, Lucivar plummeted from the steep drop alongside the Fire Primordial.

    He could feel the heat radiating from the Fire Primordial was scorching his skin, as even the bridles already snapped¡ªand burnt. Feeling that he might die from the heat, before the fall, Lucivar pushed it away from him.

    Swoosh!

    Pulled by gravity his fall accelerated, the wind was whistling hard into his eardrums.

    Eventually¡ªLucivar crashed through multiple branches and leaves¡ªtheir frail forms breaking and transforming into sharp wooden swords under his weight that scratched and stabbed his skin, wetting his clothes in crimson.

    ''Seriously, what am I doing...?'' Lucivar pondered inside his head.

    His body was becoming battered, and bruised as he went down.

    Despite his vow to be more selfish, and think only for himself, his body acted on pure instinct and he found himself making this foolish, sacrificial act, ''Maybe because it was her. I couldn''t stop myself from acting like this''

    Crash!

    Lucivar''s body crashed against the earth, blood forced its way to squirt out of his mouth.

    It had only been a month, but Lucivar had already seen Delilah as his mother.

    She had become more of a mother to him than his own biological mother, who treated him as if he was not a person for years. Delilah had reignited his fragile hope that there were good¡ª genuinely good people in the world.

    Perhaps being good once again wouldn''t hurt.

    After all¡ªdoing good is not useless, karma will always pay for what it was due, eventually.

    Or at least, that was what Delilah said.

    ''But I can''t do that...'' He pondered as he shifted his eyes to the side at the sound of a groan.

    Unlike him, the Fire Primordial was completely fine from the fall.

    It suffered only minor wounds at best.

    Getting back to his feet once again, the Fire Primordial glanced over to Lucivar.

    As opposed to ending Lucivar, it smirked and looked up above again, his intention was clear.

    Seeing this¡ªLucivar''s eyes bulged and glowed with fury, as it was clear the Fire Primordial was about to go back to the others. He didn''t want that to happen and at that moment, his eyes widened at the sight of a dark trail of energy piercing out of his chest.

    It seeped out like a worm and connected to the Fire Primordial.

    He knew that this was his innate ability as an Angel, to sense killing intent.

    However, this was the first time this dark trail appeared from within instead of from outside.

    ''Is it... Is it responding to my killing intent too?'' Lucivar thought in surprise.

    Despite his recovery, he was slapped back to reality again when the Fire Primordial began to blaze with fire once again. He tried to get up and stop it, but his body was not responding to him, he was paralyzed.

    Lucivar wants to use his last bit of ether, but the wound makes him unable to tap his power.

    No matter how badly he wanted to move, he couldn''t.

    ''Come on, move!!'' He screamed inside his mind, glaring at his unresponsive body.

    Swoosh!

    But then¡ªamid Lucivar''s internal struggle, trying his best to force his battered body to move, he abruptly stopped, and was stunned, when a radiant silhouette suddenly appeared, formed from fragments of light a distance away from him, right beside the Fire Primordial.

    Its form was crafted entirely of pure light.

    Additionally, its graceful curves suggested a feminine figure with elegant wings folded on her back, hinting at the likeness of an Angel. However, her true nature, was impossible to discern through the blinding luminescence.

    Her only discernible features were the soft, glowing outline of her body and her faint halo.

    Seeing this, Lucivar was confused, thinking that it must be an illusion.

    Perhaps even worse, he might be dying right now and began hallucinating this silhouette.

    "Do you want to draw upon your power...?"

    Out of nowhere, a dulcet and soft voice penetrated Lucivar''s ears.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar could only turn his head to look at the silhouette as his body could not be moved. In his mind, he was still wondering whether he heard it right¡ªeven then, there was no harm in believing it right now, "Yes, if you know how to do it, tell me!"

    "I''ll repay you with anything you want!" He added desperately.

    "Dispell your negative emotion, focus on the positive," the voice replied. "Focus on the good"

    As the voice said that, Lucivar saw a white trail of energy coming out of his chest.

    It hovered before him and shot upwards, piercing the forest''s canopies.

    Seeing the two trails of energy, one was white while the other was dark, Lucivar recalled the incident of his bloodline awakening¡ªhe was also confronted with the same situation then. It was happening to him again.

    "Don''t focus on your desire to kill, focus on saving her," the voice continued.

    Lucivar looked up at the white trail of energy, presumably connecting him with Delilah.

    "Focus on good...?" Lucivar muttered, his heart swayed.

    But then, flashes of his past emerged and devoured his mind like dark clouds.

    Gritting his teeth, his eyes glowed brighter, as he glared at the silhouette of light¡ªflickers of the color green could be seen in his eyes, "I have tried to be as good as possible in the past, and where did that get me? I''m not going back to that route again!"

    "It''s the darkness talking, do not let it control you..." the voice answered.

    Unlike her tone before, she now bore concern and sadness.

    Surprisingly, she began crying, crimson tears began to drizzle down her cheek.

    "Control me? No, this is the decision I made," Lucivar replied, his body began to radiate with more and more energy as he turned to the Fire Primordial once again. Compared to before¡ª he now could see a golden sphere forming within the Fire Primordial''s body.

    It was the same exact gold sphere that provided him with immense ether he got from Dorian.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar smiled, his eyes flashed with the desire to absorb it.

    Slowly, he regained the strength to stand.

    "Besides, it doesn''t matter what my intentions are¡ªit doesn''t matter which desire I was fixed on," He whispered, his smile turning savage as he forced himself to stand with his murderous eyes fixed on the Fire Primordial, "If I rip that thing apart, Delilah would be saved, and I would also get stronger after I get my hands on that"

    Seeing this sight, the silhouette cried even harder, and more tears overflowed her eyes.

    "Don''t do this... If you do this, there will be no turning back," She warned.

    Lucivar was not disturbed, causing her to be desperate, "You''re not destined to be like this!"

    Gritting his teeth, Lucivar pushed himself to his feet despite his trembling legs.

    He was blatantly ignoring the words from the silhouette of light.

    But as he stood up, Delilah''s voice echoed in his mind.

    "Persevere... let your true self win"

    He was only half-asleep, and her words were engraved into his mind deeply.

    Recalling those words, Lucivar began to waver again, he gritted his teeth in contemplation.

    "Fine, I''ll listen to whoever you are this one time only," Lucivar eventually said, he decided to do as he was told, and tried to focus only on saving Delilah, not his desire to kill, hoping that the power within him would respond.

    His ether reserve was exhausted, but he still needed to fight to buy time for the others.

    Lucivar began to focus, calming himself while still fixing his gaze on the Fire Primordial.

    But then, his eyes widened when a figure came from the side.

    "Lucivar!" Delilah rushed towards him, and following her were the others plus Ravenna.

    Upon seeing this, however, Lucivar''s eyes bulged in anger as he couldn''t believe that Delilah had come back, when he sacrificed himself to buy time, "No! Go back! Run!! Don''t get close, don''t waste the chance I gave you! Leave!!"

    Realizing that Delilah and the others were not stopping, Lucivar gritted his teeth hard.

    Glancing to the Fire Primordial, it was already posing to attack.

    Just like earlier, its eyes were fixed on Delilah, especially seeing the others were healed.

    "Protect Delilah! It''s aiming for her!!" He shouted at the others.

    Nodding their heads, the others sprinted towards the Fire Primordial, while Delilah, headed over to him with concern plastered on her face. Knowing that he needed to move now¡ªhe gazed intently at the white trail of energy.

    ''Focus on saving her, focus on saving Delilah!'' He screamed inside his mind.

    As he tries desperately to draw his power to save them, he feels warmth beginning to spread inside Supernatural Ego¡ªand surprisingly, his depleted ether begins to be filled, again. As he was about to move, Delilah managed to reach him.

    She grabbed his hands and held them tightly before beginning to inspect Lucivar for injuries.

    "Don''t worry, I''m here, and I would not le-"

    Splash!

    Lucivar listened intently to Delilah, staring into her sparkling blue eyes¡ªanger brewing within him for her reckless return to help him when she was supposed to run away instead. But thenhis entire body stiffened when Delilah abruptly stopped mid-sentence, followed by hot and red liquid spraying onto his face.

    For a moment, Lucivar felt his blood run cold as he saw the vibrance in Delilah''s eyes waver.

    His eyes gradually widened when she coughed, blood flowing from the corner of her lips.

    At the sight of this, his expression paled.

    In a heart-wrenching moment, he slowly looked downward, fixing on a burning hand brutally protruding, from Delilah''s chest. His heart sank¡ªas he turned to see the Fire Primordial was standing directly behind her, its flaming arm having pierced through her.

    Seeing this, the silhouette of light wanted to help but a deep green energy stopped her.

    "Release me, you Devil!" She shouted, struggling to break free to no avail.

    Eventually, her entire form was devoured by the forceful green energy and she vanished.

    Her disappearance made the entire place dim in Lucivar''s vision.

    Mirel, Bakar, and Ravenna clung desperately to the Fire Primordial''s burning arm.

    Despite the scorching pain they were suffering, they were holding onto its arm with their all.

    All of them tried to stop the attack, but their efforts ultimately failed.

    None of them was able to stop the Fire Primordial''s advancement, leading to this situation.

    "D- Delilah...?"

 Chapter 22 22: Rune of Mischief

    Lucivar called out Delilah''s name in a whisper, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

    He received no answer in the form of words.

    As opposed to words coming out of her mouth, his eyes widened further when he watched a cascade of blood pouring out¡ªthe flow worsening, with each passing second. The blood fell to the ground, creating a crimson pool that was becoming bigger and bigger.

    Eventually, the crimson pool touched Lucivar''s hand.

    It was fresh and warm, and the warmth felt scorching against his skin.

    Seeing this, Ravenna gritted her teeth and kneed the Fire Primordial in the stomach.

    She did it repeatedly¡ªtrying to weaken the Fire Primordial before she let out a fierce cry, as she maneuvered to its back. Grabbing its arm and chin, she exerted all her might, pulling the Fire Primordial back along its arm out of Delilah''s chest.

    Splash!

    A bloody, gaping hole on Delilah''s chest was left behind.

    As the arm was freed, Delilah''s body weakened with no support, and she fell to the ground.

    Lucivar stared ahead in a daze, he saw her fall but his eyes remained straight ahead.

    He was stunned in his place, unable to move.

    Even if he wanted to, he couldn''t¡ªhis body was frozen.

    Time seemed to dilate around him, and everything happened in slow motion.

    He saw the battle between the others and the Fire Primordial before him unfolded at a crawl, and the background noises, faded away¡ªleaving only the sound of his pounding heart. It did not last long, turning quickly into a ringing sound that overwhelmed all other sounds.

    Like a stab to his heart, what he feared had come true.

    He didn''t want Delilah to come back because of this exact reason.

    Despite the others holding onto the Fire Primordial''s arm and body, attempting to stop it from striking Delilah¡ªthey had all failed. The Fire Primordial''s explosive movements had caught all of them off guard.

    ''What happened...?'' Lucivar pondered as he lowered his gaze.

    As he looked to the ground, he was greeted by Delilah sprawled on the ground, bleeding.

    Her life force was slipping away.

    ''I already bought time, why did she come back?''

    Upon seeing that Delilah was not moving anymore, Lucivar''s breath grew heavy and his own vision blurred. The world around him felt distant¡ªand all he could do, was hold Delilah in his arms, embracing her tightly.

    Several tears fell from his eyes as he hugged Delilah''s weak body firmly.

    His embrace was an excuse for him as he couldn''t bear to see Delilah''s current state.

    ''My chest... it feels so tight. Did I also get pierced...?''

    As he thought of that, a sudden scream pierced his eardrums through his dull senses.

    ''I hear screaming. It''s so loud, so... raw. Did the others get hurt too?''

    ''Or did someone witness this horror? I could hear the agony and sadness in their scream''

    ''Their throat must''ve hurt from screaming like that, wait, my throat... hurts''

    Just then, however, Lucivar came to a heavy realization.

    ''It''s not someone else. It was me. I''m the one screaming...''

    Overwhelmed by the shock, and grief at Delilah''s death, that happened so quickly, Lucivar''s body acted on its own. He screamed at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down profusely to soak Delilah''s clothes.

    His cry showed no sign of stopping as tears consistently fell.

    Lucivar had never screamed this loud, he never screamed to this extreme extent.

    Even now, his voice was already hoarse, and blood was flowing out of his mouth and nose.

    Having been starved of any form of love from his family, he had finally found a glimpse of the love he had unconsciously sought¡ªonly for it to be cruelly snatched away. He was not ready for this, but it had already happened.

    Meanwhile, Ravenna and the others were still battling the Fire Primordial.

    She was the one leading the attack and bringing the battle to a standstill.

    Due to exerting her power and pulling nothing back, her body already morphed inhumanly.

    Ravenna grew whiskers, her fingernails were now sharper, and she even had a red tail.

    It was the display of the Crimson Rakshasa bloodline.

    Parrying a strike from the Fire Primordial, and kicking its chin with a nimble somersault¡ªshe glanced sideways and saw Lucivar''s condition. Recognizing the peril, she urgently shifted to Mirel on the side, "Mirel, go to Lucivar and make him snap out of his shock! We can''t win, we should retreat and regroup with the others!"

    Killing the Fire Primordial is possible, but Ravenna chose not to do that.

    ''If a Fire Primordial is here, there must be an open portal nearby'' She pondered, frowning.

    Surely, the Fire Primordial came from somewhere.

    Knowing that there was a possibility of a nearby portal Ravenna decided to retreat first since if there were more Primordials, they would be in trouble and trapped in a fight to the death. If it was her alone, she would be fine, she could flee but the others might go down.

    She couldn''t risk them dying to kill the Fire Primordial, the best way is to retreat first.

    Delilah was gone¡ªthey failed to protect her, but they could not afford to lose more than her.

    And that includes Lucivar.

    Otherwise, this attempt at rescue would be in vain.

    Upon hearing this, Mirel nodded his head and darted away.

    Reaching beside Lucivar, Mirel felt a deep stabbing pain in his heart when he saw Delilah''s lifeless body. His pain deepened at the sight of Lucivar¡ªtightly embracing her body, while screaming and crying as if he had lost the most important thing in the world.

    He knew how close Lucivar was to Delilah.

    It was definitely heartbreaking for him to watch Delilah killed in front of his eyes.

    A few tears forced their way out of his eyes¡ªbut he quickly recovered, knowing that Bakar and Ravenna couldn''t hold off the Fire Primordial for long. Reaching out to snap Lucivar out of his trance, Mirel''s hand stopped midway.

    "L- Lucivar...?" He called, tilting his head in confusion and worry.

    Pshh...

    He saw thick green energy begin to steam out of Lucivar''s body, making him glow subtly.

    Mirel took a step back unconsciously when Lucivar began to chuckle forebodingly, the sound growing more intense¡ªuntil it turned into an all-out laugh. Even though he was the closest to Lucivar, he had never seen the look in Lucivar''s eyes like this.

    It was as if Lucivar was not the same person.

    He could see a palpable wickedness in Lucivar''s eyes that sent shivers down his spine.

    A yearning for malice that struck fear into Mirel''s heart.

    ''Ah... I should''ve known that it would end like this. In this world, the good was punished while the evil was rewarded,'' Lucivar pondered, laughing aloud, as his mind began to break. ''Focus on the good? What benefit would that bring? Fuck that, I am going to repay what it had done to Delilah. I''m going to make it feel what she suffered''

    ''Karma...? Delilah was wrong. Good people didn''t gain fortune, they were punished instead''

    Upon being determined for revenge, Lucivar witnessed something forming before him.

    A gathering of radiant light that forms a symbol.

    Looking at this levitating symbol, he came to the realization that it was the Rune of Mischief.

    Soon, the light vibrated and shed its golden brilliance into a beautiful emerald color, catching and enchanting Lucivar, with its beauty. He felt a substantial pull toward the rune, as soon as it fully formed, beckoning him to grasp it.

    Enthralled, Lucivar reached out, and to his surprise, he could hold the rune.

    He could hold it as if it were a tangible object.

    Putting strength into his grip he crushed the Rune of Mischief in his hand¡ªshattering it into green smoke, dense with ether that infiltrated every part of his being, rejuvenating his body with newfound power.

    Swoosh!

    In an instant, the pain he felt across his body from the fall lessened greatly.

    Lucivar didn''t know if his wounds were healed or if his body becoming numb.

    Mirel watched in astonishment, as Lucivar''s eyes glowed with a sinister green hue¡ªsignaling something massive was about to happen. He instinctively created distance from Lucivar, and that proved to be the right move.

    Crack!

    With a sudden, violent burst, the skin on Lucivar''s back tore apart, revealing jagged, skeletal structures thrusting outward with a sickening crack. Bones splintered from his flesh, each of the shards dripping with blood.

    Sinew and muscle latched onto the growing bones right before Mirel''s eyes.

    It formed the gruesome beginning of a wing.

    Each movement was accompanied by the sound of tearing flesh and snapping cartilage.

    Ultimately, feathers began to grow, covering the entire structure.

    Swoosh!

    Mirel''s eyes widened as he bore witness to a magnificent green wing on Lucivar''s back.

    "I thought he was a Gargoyle Hybrid but this? This is not a Gargoyle''s wing," He gasped.

    Just then¡ªMirel used both of his arms as cover when a gush of wing brushed past him, and in the next second, he found Lucivar was already gone from his spot. He glanced to the side and saw Lucivar going straight at the Fire Primordial.

    Clang!

    Meanwhile, Bakar got slapped away and was hurled to the tree on the side.

    Seeing the Fire Primordial was aiming to deliver the final blow, charging a fireball to blast the disoriented Bakar¡ªRavenna nimbly came from below, and pushed the Fire Primordial''s hand up, causing the ball of fire to be fired into the sky.

    Both of them were locked in a power struggle, with Ravenna being slowly overpowered.

    In terms of raw strength, she would lose out as her bloodline was not gifted in strength.

    However, her eyes widened when a green light came approaching from the side.

    Bam!

    Crash!

    Ravenna was startled when the Fire Primordial was suddenly replaced by a foreign figure.

    It got body-slammed by the figure with a single green wing, sending it crashing into a big boulder, in the distance. Looking at the figure attentively, Ravenna recognized him, it was Lucivar who had changed drastically.

    Paying no mind to her shocked gaze, Lucivar advanced slowly toward the Fire Primordial.

    His eyes dripping with murderous intent.

    The Fire Primordial, initially surprised to see Lucivar alive, when he should be in his dying breath, quickly pointed its hand and fired a fireball. In response¡ªLucivar raised his hand, halting the fireball mid-air, and with a flick of his finger, redirected it to the side easily.

    Confused and alarmed, the Fire Primordial launched more fireballs.

    Boom!

    Boom!

    Each met the same fate, being deflected away before they could reach Lucivar.

    Having enough, Lucivar flapped his single wing, closing the distance swiftly and grabbed the Fire Primordial''s wrist¡ªmaintaining eye contact as if he was staring directly into its soul. In a panic, the Fire Primordial summoned flames with its other hand.

    But Lucivar caught that wrist too.

    And to its horror, the Fire Primordial saw its flames shift from a blazing red to a sinister green, as Lucivar exerted control over the fire, somehow. It tried to regain control over the fire, but it was impossible to do.

    "Feel it... feel the pain she endured because of you..." Lucivar rasped.

    With a final, overpowering move, he forced the Fire Primordial''s own flaming hand to move towards its chest. Under the stunned gazes of the onlookers¡ªthe green flames, scorched through the Fire Primordial''s chest, causing it to scream in agony.

    "Raaarggghh!"

    Taking pleasure in its scream, Lucivar continued.

    He made a gaping, fiery hole in the Fire Primordial''s chest, giving it a slow and painful death.

    Only when the scream receded did he stop.

    As soon as he did, Lucivar grabbed the Fire Primordial''s head and ripped it off its body.

    Blood squirted like a fountain as he looked at the Fire Primordial''s head in his hand.

    Upon doing that, Lucivar stood back up and glanced over to the others.

    His eyes were still glowing emerald, and more importantly, they were still murderous.

    A palpable change happened, the realization changed him¡ªand now he was not the same.

 Chapter 23 23: I Will Remember

    Upon the death of the Fire Primordial, the forest returned to its silence once again.

    Danger should''ve ceased to exist now but that was not the case.

    Ravenna, Mirel, and Bakar bear witness to the unbelievable show orchestrated suddenly by the newest member of their family. Lucivar stood meters away from them¡ªhis body, facing away but his eyes were fixed on them.

    His green wing stretched to the side, intense with a massive amount of ether.

    Each one of them stared ahead silently, fearing to breathe under Lucivar''s murderous gaze.

    If a pin drops here, it will be heard instantly due to the choking silence.

    Confusion mixed with fear coursed through them as they didn''t know what to do.

    "Lucivar... It''s over, he''s already dead" Mirel was the first one to speak.

    He knew Lucivar was only being like this because of his anguish.

    At the sound of Mirel''s voice¡ªbeckoning him to snap out of his trance, Lucivar''s murderous eyes, an unnatural pair of green jewels shifted and locked intensely onto him. Just the gaze he gave alone made Mire''s heart pound in his chest uncontrollably.

    Mirel could see no trace of the Lucivar he knew within those green depths.

    Only a burning desire for malice and blood.

    "Don''t say another word," Ravenna whispered from the side¡ªpulling Bakar towards her and gesturing Mirel to come close to her. "He''s unstable. Since the Fire Primordial is dead¡ªlet''s go back and get Lucivar later when he calmed down"

    Upon hearing this, both Mirel and Bakar nodded in understanding.

    Agreeing on what to do, all three of them began to move back as slowly as they could.

    It was clear to their senses that Lucivar would attack them if they made a sudden movement.

    Keeping her eyes locked onto Lucivar, Ravenna was ready to react in case he attacked.

    However, they were making good progress in getting away from Lucivar slowly¡ªthat is until she heard a light grunt, coming from her side. Bakar was hurt from the attack he suffered to his stomach earlier, and thus a grunt escaped his mouth when he stumbled.

    Only then did Lucivar pivot around, his fierce eyes locked onto Bakar.

    Ravenna instantly rushed towards Bakar when she saw this.

    A couple of steps was all she needed to reach Bakar, but when she glanced to check Lucivar, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Lucivar''s hand was already inches away from her face¡ªready to hurt her.

    Caught off guard, Ravenna and the others couldn''t react in time.

    Just as Ravenna was preparing herself for the pain, Lucivar''s hand never reached her.

    Someone stopped him, grabbing him by the wrist.

    Glancing at the figure to the side, relief washed over Ravenna, "D- Darwin!"

    Not even minding her¡ªthe muscles inside Darwin''s arm bulged, as he gripped Lucivar''s wrist firmly. Lucivar tried to retaliate, but he was even faster. He pulled on Lucivar''s arm, and made a seamless trip to one leg.

    Before Lucivar knew it he was already pinned on the ground, his arm was locked on his back.

    Regardless of how much he struggled, he couldn''t overpower Darwin from his position.

    His line of path was facing straight towards Delilah''s body¡ªand that made him more frenzied to the point that Darwin, had no other choice but to knock him out. Channeling his ether onto his hand, he karate-chopped Lucivar''s nape.

    Everything was rapidly becoming dark from Lucivar''s vision.

    But even then, his eyes were fixed on Delilah as he kept on struggling until the very end.

    A single tear drizzled down his eye before he eventually passed out.

    Darwin released Lucivar¡ªwatching as the green wing retracted painfully into Lucivar''s back, leaving nothing but a tearing wound. Only then did Darwin turn to Delilah''s lifeless body, and inhaled sharply, "What happened...?"

    Moments later.

    "How in the world did this happen, Darwin?" Mirel asked, messing his hair in frustration.

    Darwin has achieved the rank of Acolyte¡ªand his senses were extremely acute thanks to his bloodline as an Albino Werewolf, so naturally he should''ve sensed this coming. But instead of that, they were ambushed, resulting in Delilah being killed.

    On the side, the others were grieving with Nerissa crying profusely in Ravenna''s embrace.

    Upon hearing this, Darwin clicked his tongue, "I don''t know, I don''t know how this happened"

    "I remembered meditating in my carriage but when I woke up, the carriages were destroyed and were burning in flames with Bob¡ªand Tobias knocked out beside me. It does not make sense, but that''s what happened" He added, clenching his jaw tightly.

    Mirel became angrier when he heard this, "How in the fuck did all of you got knocked out?!"

    "I was blasted by the explosion but I''m fine! There''s no way you''re not fine!" He barked.

    From his point of view, Darwin''s explanation didn''t make sense at all.

    Darwin, Bob¡ªand Tobias were stronger than him so it doesn''t make sense for them to easily be knocked out like a bunch of weaklings like that. Bakar then turned to face Ravenna, "You, you''re in the same carriage as Darwin and Bob but you managed to reach us. What''s up with that?"

    "I was disoriented from the blast but I didn''t pass out like the others," Ravenna replied.

    Bakar''s eyes flickered, "Then you must know what happened to them!"

    "Of course¡ªI tried to check the situation after I recovered," Ravenna gritted her teeth before she answered. "I saw both Darwin and Bob already passed out on the ground with Tobias on their side¡ªbut he also passed out soon after. I brought all three of you away from the flames before I went to search for the others and met with Delilah"

    "So are you saying Tobias did this?"

    "Of course not, when did I say that? Why would he even do that for, Delilah died!"

    "Then make it make sense! All of this doesn''t make fucking sense!"

    "I don''t know, why are you blaming it on me? Maybe you drugged us to get rid of Lucivar, he outshined you so you probably did this to kill him but the Fire Primordial came, and attacked us first"

    "Really? We''re going that way now?"

    "STOP!

    Frustrated at the others who were arguing fiercely, Nerissa intervened, stopping them.

    She then glared at each one of them in utter disbelief.

    "Is this really the time to be arguing?" She asked¡ªtears, flowing down her eyes. "Regardless of what happened, it already happened. I get it, we are all grieving but shouldn''t we focus on the present? Tobias was burying Delilah, we should be helping him. Not to mention Lucivar¡ª he was already awake but hadn''t said a single word"

    Under Nerissa''s scolding, the others were silenced.

    Naturally, their emotions began to come out as Delilah was like a mother to them.

    Just like Delilah to Lucivar, she has always been there for them.

    On the other hand, a distance away from the others was Lucivar, sitting on the ground.

    Currently, he was already back on the road where the carriages were ambushed.

    It seemed like the others brought Lucivar back here when he was unconscious.

    He was looking at his palms that were still stained by Delilah''s blood in silence, the pain in his heart was unbearable but there was no emotion on his face. His tears already dried up, and it leaves only a cold expression on his face.

    "Easy there, dear, your body is still recovering..."

    "I''m proud of you"

    "Are you suffering from success already?"

    In his silence, Delilah''s soothing voice rang inside his head, amplifying the pain in his heart.

    His time with her was brief but it was impactful.

    Other than Delilah showing him what it felt like to be loved, she also made him remember the past. She was exactly like him in the past, trying to be helpful to those around. But in the end¡ªshe also ended up on the same road as him.

    Due to trying to be good, she was sacrificed, and now she was no longer here, dead.

    Good is not rewarded in this world, and Lucivar truly believes it now.

    Maybe he was punished because sometimes, inside his head, he wanted to lash out his pent up emotions to his family but Delilah was pure. She has no such tendency and even then she was still punished.

    As he thought of that, Lucivar''s eyes were pulled to something to his right.

    Something buried underneath what was left of the carriages.

    Grunting lightly as his wounds were still not healed, he stood up and went over to it.

    Pushing aside the wooden fragments, he squatted down and took a phone.

    Its screen was cracked, and no matter how many times Lucivar tapped on the screen¡ªit was not responding. Flipping the phone, he saw a rose sticker on the back. It was Delilah''s phone, and as he saw the sticker, her voice rang again in his mind.

    "I will always be there for you. Let it all out, I''ll listen to all your troubles"

    Lucivar gripped the phone tightly and rose to his feet again.

    Just then, he heard footsteps coming from the side¡ªit was Tobias.

    He came back from burying Delilah''s body.

    Even though it was night, and everything was dark, the moonlight showed that Tobias'' eyes were sunken, his clothes disheveled, and his steps unsteady as he walked absent-mindedly down the road.

    It was clear that he was a wreck right now, haunted by Delilah''s recent death.

    Lucivar was not awake when Tobias first saw Delilah''s lifeless body, but he was sure that it had been extremely tough for Tobias. His appearance alone shows that he had been crying but was trying to be strong.

    As Tobias neared him, Lucivar looked down, "I''m sorry... I should''ve protected her"

    Upon hearing this, Tobias paused his steps and shook his head weakly.

    "No," Lucivar suddenly felt Tobias placing a hand, on his shoulder¡ªprompting him to raise his gaze. "I should''ve protected her, but I didn''t," Tobias continued with sadness in his voice. "Do not make her death burden you. It''s good that you''re alive. I know my wife well... she wouldn''t be able to live with herself if any of you died trying to save her"

    "Let only me carry the burden for her death," He shook Lucivar''s body lightly as he said that.

    Giving a faint smile, Tobias continued ahead, "Come, we need to keep moving,"

    "Tobias," Lucivar suddenly called, stopping him in his tracks.

    Tobias looked over his shoulder and saw Lucivar holding a phone in his hand, "It''s Delilah''s, I assume you want it as a memento to remind her. Here, take it. It''s broken from the crash but you should hold onto it"

    Listening to this, Tobias smiled again, "Keep it, I think you''re the one who should hold onto it"

    Giving no further explanation, Tobias walked away.

    On the other hand, Lucivar looked at the phone for a good couple of seconds before he put it in his pocket, and cast one last glance to the side¡ªin the direction where Tobias, supposedly buried Delilah, "I''ll make sure your death is not in vain¡ªDelilah. I will remember what I learned here,"

    As Lucivar uttered that, his eyes widened slightly.

    In the distance, there was a faint trail of white energy there connecting to him.

    But he quickly shook his head, knowing that he must be seeing things, and followed Tobias.

 Chapter 24 24: Frostholm Town

    Because of the ambush, their carriages and most of their belongings were destroyed.

    In addition to them, Lily and Thomas survived.

    From the bloodied scratches marring their bodies, the two kids seemed to get flung away as their carriages were blasted by the Fire Primordials but fortunately, they didn''t seem to be in a bad condition, only got scratches and bruises here and there.

    Of course, both of them were crying from the pain, but the others couldn''t do anything.

    Delilah was not around to heal them.

    Just minutes after the incident and Delilah''s absence was already impacting them.

    Bob resorted to comforting the two kids while the others focused on their bad situation.

    Now that their carriages were destroyed and the horses killed, the group was facing trouble against the cold winter that was getting colder, as the night deepened. Not to mention their supply was burnt completely.

    Aside from their coins, nothing else survived the flames.

    Going through to their destination would be extremely hard for them now.

    Most were thinking of going back to the town but Tobias had another idea.

    He knew a nearby town a couple of days away so the plan was to go there and resupply.

    Lucivar only listened to them bantering and followed them from behind in silence, he was still not over the incident that happened to them earlier and frankly speaking¡ªmost of the others were the same as him.

    Only Darwin and Ravenna could continue on strong, discussing plans with Tobias.

    As he was walking in silence, he felt something warm from his side.

    In reflex, as he was still alert from what had happened, he leaped to the side and pivoted his body to the direction of the warm sensation¡ªwith both of his fists, raised. Lucivar feared for another Fire Primordial ambushing them.

    Even the others looked over at him, also becoming alert from how he reacted fiercely.

    But there was nothing, there was no attack.

    "Lucivar, are you okay?" Tobias asked from the very front in concern.

    On the other hand, Lucivar was gazing ahead to the darkness with both of his eyes widened.

    Only when Tobias called him for the second time did he snap out of his daze.

    Easing his tense body, he looked over to Tobias and waved his hand apologetically.

    "I''m sorry, it''s nothing" He replied lightly.

    Upon hearing this, Tobias and the others looked at him for a couple more seconds in concern before they continued to move forward. Lucivar sighed lightly before he looked at the radiant golden sphere beside him.

    As it turns out, the warm sensation he felt was coming from this golden sphere.

    It was the exact golden sphere filled with ether that he gained from Dorian.

    However, compared to the last one, this one was bigger, about the size of his own hand.

    A frown crept to Lucivar''s face as he looked at this golden sphere, "I got it again, but how did I obtain it? I need to know¡ªthere must be a connection between this incident and Dorian. No gold sphere appeared when I killed those dog creatures or the proselyte"

    Knowing that this was his path to becoming stronger, he must crack this mystery.

    He pondered for a moment as the others began to fade in the distance.

    Lucivar recalled that he didn''t do anything in particular with the way he killed them, but there must be something he missed, if only now, did he gain a golden sphere, "Does this thing only appear when I kill those who are stronger than me?"

    Naturally, this was the best guess he could come up with.

    Both Dorian and the Fire Primordial were stronger than him while the others were not.

    "Or is it my intention...?" Lucivar thought further.

    He didn''t forget about the silhouette of light he saw earlier, wanting him to avert his intention from something bad to something good. It was aligned with the options he was given, during his bloodline''s awakening.

    Regardless if it was the first one or the latter, he couldn''t be sure for now.

    "I need to test it out," He nodded firmly. "when we reach the town I''ll try it out"

    Deciding on what to do, he sprinted and chased after the others.

    A couple of days passed by gruesomely¡ªit was hard to walk through the road, in wintertime without much to shelter them from the cold. If it started to blizzard then they would be done but fortunately, the weather stayed consistent.

    Remembering the foreign emerald power, Lucivar wanted to check his Inner Chamber.

    However, his ether was exhausted completely.

    Because of that, he couldn''t activate his inner eyes and enter his Inner Chamber, and he also couldn''t absorb the gold sphere as using the Versatile Blooming Hyacinth technique required ether that he didn''t have.

    Replenishing his ether was no good either.

    He still hadn''t learned any meditation technique to do that so he was completely stuck.

    Unlike the others who could meditate, he could only rely on his body''s natural replenishment.

    Soon the group caught sight of a glimpse of society in the distance, they saw torches lining the end of the road and heard the bustling sound of people. Smiles bloomed on their faces, they had finally reached the village after a hazardous couple of days.

    Desperate for a warm place to rest, they quickened their pace.

    As they got closer to the town, Lucivar saw carriages and carts lining up to enter the town.

    From the looks of it, the town was more developed than their previous town as it had many guards clad in steel armor patrolling the walls with bows strapped on their bodies, and also about a dozen guarding the entrance.

    Lucivar''s eyes were fixed on the town before he saw Tobias slowing down deliberately.

    He let the others go past him and walked beside Lucivar.

    "Remember, this town is still under the Ashbourne House, so you need to be extra careful to not attract any attention to yourself. Leave the talking to me¡ªand don''t let others know you are a Hybrid" Tobias whispered while still keeping his gaze straight.

    As he said that, he handed over a black scarf, gesturing for Lucivar to wear it as a hood.

    Eventually, the group queued to enter the town.

    It took about fifteen minutes before it was their turn to be inspected.

    From the looks of it¡ªthe town guards charged, a silver coin per adult, and fifty bronze coins for those who are under sixteen. Tobias stood at the very front and put on a friendly smile¡ª "Good evening, I''m here to rest and resupply for our journey"

    Upon hearing this, the assessing guard looked at Tobias up and down.

    "You don''t seem to be poor enough to come here by foot," the guard commented.

    Tobias smiled acutely¡ªbefore he gestured at the others behind him, "A tragedy struck us¡ªa group of bandits ambushed us and we lost all of our belongings. We came only with our lives and coins so here we are"

    Casting a glance at Leandra, the guard smirked, "I''m surprised those bandits let you go"

    Seeing this, Tobias went ahead and covered Leandra with his body.

    Despite already trying to hide amidst the group, her beauty was too eye-catching.

    Sneering, the guard moved on as there were others behind them.

    "How many of you are there and how long are you planning to stay?"

    "There''s ten of us. We''ll stay for a couple of days"

    "Are there any Hybrids?"

    "Only me and-"

    As Tobias was handling the security process, Lucivar observed the guards in interest.

    ''I can feel it, all of them are Hybrids and they were not weak either,'' He thought, sensing their forms were radiating, with ether. Unlike his home city, there were many more Hybrids here, ''If a town of this size has this many Hybrids then what about the capital city?''

    Just as he was observing the place, Lucivar''s eyes landed on a couple of posters on the wall.

    Immediately after spotting the posters, he pulled his hood lower to hide his face better.

    His heart pounded inside his chest as he read the notice offering ten imperial coins that were equivalent to ten thousand gold coins, for capturing an Angel Hybrid¡ªdead or alive. Since he had never gone out of his home city that was about to be abandoned¡ªfrom the low turnover rate of Hybrids to people¡ªLucivar was not aware of this.

    No such poster was placed in his home city.

    Such a sum promised generational wealth in a small city or a life of luxury in the capital.

    It was an irresistible allure for anyone.

    Worse still, the adjacent poster was a wanted notice bearing his name and a magically drawn sketch of his face. Though not perfectly accurate, the depiction highlighted his unmistakable¡ªunnatural bright golden eyes. Lucivar has a hundred gold coins bounty on his head.

    Knowing the bounty on his head, he gulped harshly.

    "Don''t worry, you would be fine. Just stick close to me," Mirel whispered from the side.

    He also saw the posters seconds ago.

    Also stealing a glance at Lucivar was Leandra, she saw the posters and couldn''t help to look over to him as she saw his name was plastered on a wanted poster. Soon enough, the check was finished and Tobias gestured to them to follow him.

    Since there was nothing to check with them having nothing, they were granted inside.

    Lucivar felt immense relief when he managed to go past the security.

    If he stayed there any longer¡ªhe could feel that his heart would explode from pounding too hard. Tobias instantly scanned the town¡ªsearching for a hotel to book a room, and let them all rest before they continued their journey again.

    Just then, however, Lucivar''s heart sank to his stomach.

    "Hey, you there, stop!" A guard shouted from behind.

    Upon hearing this, the entire group pivoted back, their pulses quickening as a pair of guards approached. All of them tensed when the guard leading the group had his eyes on Lucivar¡ª fearing that he might be recognized from the water poster.

    Deciding to do something, Mirel stepped forward, intercepting the guards.

    "Is there something wrong, officers?" He asked politely.

    Seeing this, the guard leading the group pointed at Lucivar, "I need to talk to him,"

    Mirel wanted to say something more¡ªbut he knew that if he blocked the guards further¡ªhe would be too suspicious. Glancing over to Tobias, Mirel saw him nodding, gesturing to let the guards pass.

    Reluctantly, he stepped aside as the guards headed over to Lucivar.

    As the guard stood before him, the others unconsciously held their breaths.

    All of them anticipated for the worse as it seemed the guard saw a glimpse of his face.

    Even for a proper town guard, a hundred gold coins was a lot.

    Gazing at Lucivar, the guard tilted his head and asked, "Lift up your head, kid"

 Chapter 25 25: Making A Deal

    Lucivar could feel his heart pounding like a war drum.

    He hadn''t recovered his exhausted ether and was now defenseless.

    Feeling that all focus was on him with nobody to help, he took a deep breath and raised his face to look at the guard standing before him. If the guard saw his unnaturally golden eyes, Lucivar would definitely be recognized as the wanted man.

    Gazing into the guard''s eyes, Lucivar gulped seeing a frown appearing on the man''s face.

    "Your eyes..." the guard uttered, his eyes gradually widening. "I''m surprised, I''ve never seen someone''s eyes being¡ªas emerald green as that. Is it the influence of your bloodline? Or is this some kind of sickness?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned, "Emerald green?"

    "He''s born that way, he''s not a Hybrid," Tobias quickly intervened from the back.

    Finding nothing was wrong, the guard nodded and handed over a coin pouch to Lucivar.

    Looking at this pouch in confusion, soon Lucivar realized that it was his pouch.

    "A thief was standing behind you, and took your coins. I heard you guys were ambushed by a group of bandits, you should be more careful with your money" the guard explained, pointing at a restrained man in haggard clothes near the entrance.

    Since this was his first time traveling, Lucivar was not aware of the dangers.

    He didn''t even feel that his pouch was taken.

    "T- Thank you," He bowed slightly before the guard nodded and turned to leave.

    Immediately after the guards were finally gone, the group exhaled in collective relief.

    Just the thought of Lucivar being recognized had weighed heavily on them, any recognition would have labeled them all as accomplices¡ªlanding them in serious trouble. Knowing how strict the Ashbourne House was, it wouldn''t be surprising if they were executed.

    As a house of Titan Hybrids, they took pride in their tyranny and reputation.

    Fortunately, disaster had been averted.

    Now that they were in the clear¡ªTobias quickly took charge, drawing everyone''s attention back to the task at hand, finding a safe place to rest. Mingling with the people on the busy street, the group made its way in search of a hotel.

    Along the way, Lucivar followed them silently as the incident earlier still confused him.

    "How did my eye color change? Did that guard see it wrong?" He mused inwardly.

    But then, he frowned at the thought of a possibility, "Or did he plan to arrest me later...?"

    Earlier, Lucivar had already checked the color of his eyes through a mirror being displayed in one of the stalls on the street and found that it was still the same bright amber color, his eye color didn''t change.

    Due to that, he suspected that the guard might want to lower his guard and arrest him later.

    It was a possibility so he decided to be alert.

    Even though the others would probably help, he wasn''t sure now.

    ''All of them were treating me good or passively before but now that they know I am an Angel and also, a wanted person¡ªit would be naive to think they would stay that way towards me,'' He thought, stealing a glance at the others, in front of him. ''No killing intent at least, so that''s good''

    Just as he was inspecting the others, his eyes landed on Leandra.

    Several steps in front of him¡ªstanding beside Bakar, was Leandra, and she seemed to feel a little bit uncomfortable from the attention, she was drawing. All who caught a glimpse of her, couldn''t help but steal another glance.

    It applied to men and women alike.

    Men were reeling over at her while the women were casting palpable jealousy.

    Leandra pulled her hood lower over her face, trying to mask her striking beauty that was still able to attract stares despite her disguise. Her unease was evident, a weird sight for Lucivar who was used to seeing her composed no matter the situation.

    ''She''s not as bulletproof as I thought,'' Lucivar thought.

    Eventually, the group stopped in front of a hotel.

    Tobias and Ravenna went inside to secure a room while the others remained outside.

    On the side, Bakar positioned himself in front of Leandra, using his broad frame to shield her from prying eyes¡ªthough his effort, was not entirely effective. Lucivar was standing a short distance away from Leandra, waiting patiently for Tobias.

    Just then, however, his attention was drawn to the nearby conversation.

    A conversation that was difficult to ignore.

    "Hey, hey, look at that girl over there"

    "Woah, she''s a beauty. Both her eyes and her hair were purple, she must be a prostitute"

    "Should we get her? I''d bet her underwear is also purple"

    "Keep your voice down, she came with a group. If we want to get her we need to be smart"

    "Alright, alright"

    Lucivar stayed silent, and glanced over his shoulders silently, only to see three men wearing the same armor as the town guards. One of them has a red band wrapped around his arm, a possible indication that he is of a higher rank, a captain.

    Upon seeing them, a peculiar glint crossed Lucivar''s eyes as he averted his away.

    A small smirk crept to his lips as he fixed his hood, ''They''ll do...''

    On the other hand, Leandra squinted her eyes when she saw Lucivar''s small smirk.

    Later that night.

    Tobias booked three rooms for them to stay in during their brief stop here, in this town¡ªone for himself, another for the guys, and the last one for the girls. Inside the girls'' room, Nerissa was lying on the bed while playing with Thomas and Lily who were sleeping peacefully.

    Both of them looked cute in their sleep and she couldn''t restrain herself from pinching them.

    Just then, the door swung open as Ravenna stepped inside.

    Seeing her coming back, Nerissa sprung up and sat on the edge of the bed, "How was it?"

    "We''re going to be here for two or three days," Ravenna replied, sitting on the chair tiredly as she sighed. "I tried telling Master Tobias to stay a little longer and allow himself to mourn but he refused, saying that we would be late for the academy''s admission if we stayed longer"

    "I know he''s lying though, I can tell" She added, massaging her forehead.

    Delilah had just died a couple of days ago so Tobias was definitely hurting right now.

    However, he said he was fine, or at least pretended that he was fine.

    As the two were talking, Leandra came out of the bathroom wrapped in a white towel.

    "Go ahead, Ravenna, I''m done," She said and went to wear her clothes.

    Before Ravenna could take her turn to shower, Nerissa, stopped her, "Wait, you are not done yet! How about Lucivar? Did you go to the boys'' room? No matter what, if he has a condition related to his bloodline, we should know... that is if he''s willing to tell us"

    Even Nerissa has heard what had happened with Lucivar against the Fire Primordial.

    His power was prone to go berserk and they needed to know how to deal with it.

    "I went to the boys'' room but Mirel told me that he went out for a bit to purchase something," Ravenna replied, shaking her head. "We''ll talk about this with him later. For now we should let him be, he was holding Delilah when she died after all..."

    As soon as she said that, Leandra went over to the door, "I''m going out,"

    "Are you okay going out alone? I can accompany you to be safer..." Nerissa proposed.

    But Leandra didn''t stop and waved her hand, "I can handle myself"

    Meanwhile, on the street near the town''s main entrance.

    Lucivar stood across the street, his gaze fixed on the inn that buzzed with life in front.

    His expression betrayed a hint of nervousness, displaying that he was about to do something that was dangerous, but with a deep breath, he took out a gold coin¡ªsteeling himself before he crossed over the street, heading to the inn.

    Upon entering the inn, he was met with a joyous atmosphere.

    He was met with the raucous sounds of laughter, drunken banter, and the playful yelps of the women entertaining the customers, the air was thick with the scent of ale, and sweat. Paying no mind to the place, Lucivar scanned the room in search of someone.

    Soon his eyes were locked onto a guard seated in the corner, flanked by two of his friends.

    Not even hesitating, he made his way to the bar.

    "Give me three drinks," He said to the bartender, tossing over a gold coin to the table.

    At the sight of the gold coin, the bartender''s smile blossomed, "Coming right up!"

    Lucivar got his change, and grabbed the three big cups with one hand before he approached the guard''s table. He grabbed a lady who seemed to be a barmaid by the waist with his other hand and settled the drinks down on the guard''s table.

    Instinctively, the guards looked up, startled by the unexpected gesture.

    "Since this seat is empty, I''ll take it," Lucivar sat down, placing the barmaid on his lap.

    Seeing this, and also the fact that they didn''t recognize Lucivar to be from around here¡ªthe guards exchanged looks with each other before one of them, the guard who Lucivar kept his eyes on drew his sword a little from its sheath, "Are you lost? Don''t be brazen boy, this is not the place to do that"

    "Really?" Lucivar looked around, viewing the chaos. "I thought this is exactly the place"

    "Lady, get off of him, I''m beginning to be concerned for his safety," the guard added.

    Feeling the tension, the barmaid stood up and left in a hurry out of fear.

    On the other hand, Lucivar¡ªnot deterred from the threat, laughed, "Really? I am a lot more concerned, that no ladies were accompanying this table, so I thought I''d help. If you do not like the barmaid then I apologize"

    Brak!

    Another guard kicked the table in anger, "Are you saying that we can''t get girls?"

    "If it''s the barmaid then of course you can," Lucivar replied in hubris.

    Just then, sensing that Lucivar had an intention for coming to talk to them, the guard across Lucivar leaned closer, and asked with a warning tone, "Tell me why you came to talk to us¡ªI know you want something"

    "I''m here to make a deal about a certain girl with purple hair" Lucivar finally said.

    Upon hearing this, the other two guards exchanged confused looks, their frustration starting to build. But the guard in conversation, squinted his eyes when he heard what Lucivar said¡ª knowing exactly the girl he was talking about.

    He gestured to his friends to stop as he asked, "You''re with her, aren''t you?"

    "I caught you glancing our way earlier. Are you here on her behalf?" He added mockingly.

    "No, it''s the opposite" Lucivar chuckled, and also leaned forward. "I heard what you''re talking about with your friends¡ªand I could help you to achieve that, how about it? Interested now?" He asked, a smile playing on his lips.

 Chapter 26 26: First Dark God

    Naturally, the guard wasn''t really sure if Lucivar could be trusted.

    Even though the allure of pinning Leandra under him was very tempting.

    He was amongst the purple-haired woman¡ªLeandra''s group, so he might be coming here to give the guard a lesson for talking badly about one of their own. In fact, the guard suspected him for that exact reason.

    Moreover, Lucivar could be blood-related with Leandra as far as the guard was concerned.

    Seeing the doubt on the guard''s face, Lucivar reached out of his pocket.

    At the sight of him, reaching for his pocket¡ªthe other two guards instantly, reached for their weapons but Lucivar stopped, gesturing that he was not trying to do anything. He moved his hand a little bit slower and took out a purple item.

    Upon seeing this item, however, the guard in conversation''s eyes gleamed as he laughed.

    "I knew it, she wore a purple panty too!" He mused in hubris.

    Lucivar took out a purple panty from his pocket, displaying it clearly for the guard to see.

    "She was a bitch who acted as if she was a young mistress when she''s nothing but a burden, I hate her, and I''d really like to see her downfall," Lucivar explained, his expression turned into a vicious one. "Helping you do what you want to her is also me helping myself"

    Donning a lecherous smile, the guard tried to reach for the purple panty.

    But Lucivar pulled it away and shook his head.

    "I came here so that you would help me, I can''t have you being satisfied with only this, right?" He said¡ªa light smirk playing on his lips. "So do you want my help or not? If you want to then come to the stables, I will be waiting there. If you don''t show up in ten minutes¡ªI''ll leave and you will never get my help again"

    After saying that, Lucivar simply stood up and turned around.

    He stopped before he made his way to exit the inn, "Oh, also, take off your armor"

    "I don''t want any attention drawn toward me," He added before he made his exit calmly.

    Even though the guard didn''t follow him from behind, he had a triumphant smirk on his face.

    Moments later he was already sitting inside a small stable beside the inn on hay bales in wait for the guard earlier, "Nobody aside from the couple behind the stable was around and I very much doubt those two would be aware of their surroundings. But still, I should made it quick"

    On Lucivar''s hand was a cutting-edge knife that he stole from Mirel.

    Closing his eyes, he channeled his ether and tried to cover the entire knife with it.

    Surprisingly enough, he was able to do that rather easily.

    Upon opening his eyes again he saw that a very thin layer of ether taking the form of golden light was covering the blade of the knife. Even though they were wobbling¡ªnot gripping the blade firmly, it should be enough.

    "I have the element of surprise but he''s also a Hybrid, this is necessary," Lucivar muttered.

    Since he enhanced the knife, his accumulated ether was depleted once again.

    Nevertheless, he couldn''t pass up the chance he was given.

    Just then, he raised his head and looked ahead.

    It hadn''t been even two minutes and he already heard footsteps approaching the stable.

    "He''s impatient, that''s good," Lucivar muttered as he saw through the cracks in the wooden walls that the guard was approaching, and he was not in his armor but a simple brown tunic instead.

    Lucivar couldn''t hide his smile anymore as he went over to the side.

    On the other hand, the guard¡ªa middle-aged man with short blonde hair rubbed both of his hands together in excitement, anticipating what was to come. He even power walks to reach Lucivar, the faster he is the faster he''s going to get his hands on that beauty.

    "I''ll sleep on a warm bed tonight! She''s going to warm it for me" He smacked his lips.

    Entering the stable, he looked around, trying to find Lucivar.

    Sweeping his eyes across the entire stable, he couldn''t find Lucivar¡ªhe only found a couple of horses chewing on hay. He had rushed here to catch Lucivar before he changed his mind, but it seemed the guard was a tad too late.

    "Damn it, I should''ve gone with him. Why am I hesitating anyway?!" He cursed aloud.

    Hesitation made his chance of sleeping with a beauty slipped away.

    Putting both of his hands on his waist in frustration, his eyes burned, with determination, "I''ll find him tomorrow, he should still be here. Even if he changed his mind, I will force him to tell me what he knows to get that woman on my bed!"

    As soon as he said that, however, a sudden chill prickled his skin.

    Instinctively, he glanced to the left, sensing a presence standing right behind him.

    A figure with glowing golden eyes loomed behind him and before he could react, a steel knife plunged into his neck, silencing his shout in a gurgle of blood. Despite the stab, the vitality of a Hybrid could not be underestimated.

    He rolled forward, gasping, and turned to see the attacker.

    Lucivar was the attacker, and he had already shut and locked the stable door behind him.

    Fury surged in the guard''s veins as he glared at Lucivar, his finger pointing ahead.

    "You''re a Hybrid!" He shouted in utter shock, but his expression tightened as he pressed and held his bleeding neck. "I should''ve known! You''re doing this to pay back to me, you pathetic fool! Killing me will be your greatest mistake!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar shook his head, "I didn''t lie, I didn''t come to you for payback"

    "I did this because you''re a suitable person for my experiment..." He added.

    Lucivar rushed ahead, fixed on finishing the guard off before he made a ruckus.

    Driven by sheer survival instinct, the guard''s muscles swelled bigger as they were filled with ether¡ªgiving him the strength to deliver, a powerful kick to Lucivar''s stomach¡ªa desperate move to push him away.

    Lucivar was sent crashing into a wooden pole from the force.

    His crash startled the horse behind him into a panicked neigh.

    Gritting his teeth, he raised his gaze with his hand holding his throbbing stomach.

    "He''s strong..." He mused inwardly, the strength of a Hybrid is not to be underestimated even in near death. Even then¡ªLucivar wasn''t worried, watching the guard crawling to the back of the stable, "but he wouldn''t last long."

    From the cracks, the guard could see the couple outside of the stable, dwelling in lust.

    Both ignored the world and focused on their intimate moment.

    Seeing them, the guard tried to reach them, trying to get their attention but it was futile.

    Lust is a powerful motivator, the desire to reproduce was the purpose of all living beings, a motivator that made humans¡ªcomparable to animals. Achieving it rewards anything¡ªwith pleasure beyond measure, and it was also the reason why the guard was here.

    However, unlike the successful influence of lust, that bound the couple outside, the guard''s lust guides him not to the ultimate pleasure, but to his end instead. He could only reach out his hand towards the couple as Lucivar approached from behind.

    No scream came out of his mouth, only blood.

    Lucivar then grabbed the knife from behind and pulled it across the guard''s neck.

    Blood splurted out to the wall, dangerously close to the couple.

    But both didn''t realize, too busy intertwining their tongues and groping each other''s bodies.

    On the other hand, Lucivar pulled the guard''s corpse away and wiped his sweat.

    As opposed to looking at the guard''s corpse, his eyes were fixed on another thing beside the corpse. A sphere but unlike the golden sphere, he anticipated, this one was green, "I''m doing this to know how to get the gold sphere, but now I got a green one instead"

    From the very start, he aimed to kill this guard to cross one of the two probabilities.

    Killing a stronger opponent might give him the gold sphere, but it seemed that was not it.

    Lucivar bent down intending to inspect the green sphere further but as soon as he touched it¡ªit hummed ominously, the energy within trembling with malevolence. He could feel it from a simple touch.

    Suddenly, the green energy surged into his body, and Lucivar collapsed to his knees.

    His breaths were ragged and shallow as pain tore through his senses.

    All of the pain he was feeling, radiated from his solar plexus, where his Supernatural Ego was located. His ether swelled rapidly¡ªhe could feel his body recovering all ether that it had lost, and even more¡ªsurpassing its usual limits.

    Against such an overwhelming sensation, Lucivar could barely endure it.

    It felt like the container of his ether was being overfilled and forced to stretch bigger.

    He didn''t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

    Feeling this prompted Lucivar to quickly open his inner eyes and enter his Inner Chamber.

    His ether was overflowing so he could open his inner eyes.

    Soon, the familiar dark chamber greeted him.

    But now the egg statue at its center was sizzling with the green energy.

    "Just what is happening...? Do I have a different ether too?" Lucivar stared at it in confusion.

    Even though the fact that the green energy was within his Inner Chamber, shows that it was also his ether, his ether should''ve been the golden light, not this green, evil energy, "But this energy feels familiar... this is the exact same energy that took me over back then"

    Recalling the night when Delilah was killed, he realized that this energy was the same.

    It was the same as back then.

    In the next second, however, he shielded his eyes as a green shockwave erupted from the egg statue¡ªshaking the entire chamber. When he looked forward again, he saw a glowing green line beginning to form on the ground, stretching from the egg statue towards a dark and shrouded statue to the left.

    Lucivar fixed his eyes on the green line, snaking its way through the floor.

    As this green line touched the statue, the dark clouds veiling it began to dissipate slowly.

    Gazing upwards, Lucivar saw a horned helmet atop the statue''s head being revealed.

    He didn''t recognize any bloodline for having a horned helmet like this.

    Moreover, a written name at the base of the statue glowed in the same eerie green light.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar''s heart pounded as he approached, desperate for clarity about his bloodline. As he reached close enough to read the name, a gasp, escaped his lips¡ªhe could not believe what he was seeing.

    It was written in an unknown language but soon shifted to writings that he could understand.

    Expecting to be a named Angel, he was in for a great surprise instead.

    "No way, this statue is not an Angel... How can it be in my bloodline?" Lucivar muttered.

    His eyes couldn''t avert away from the name at the base of the statue.

    A name that anybody practically knows.

    "Loki the Sly One"

 Chapter 27 27: Such Irony

    In the world of Hybrids, Supernatural Ego was everything.

    A brain to the body is exactly what the Supernatural Ego is to the Hybrid, the core that holds and develops the Hybrid''s power. From the Supernatural Ego¡ªone can discern, what kind of bloodline resides in their bodies, tell the grade of the bloodline, and also the level of purity of the supposed bloodline.

    Vampires, Dragons, and Titans were some of the few red-grade bloodlines.

    Even if one has those red-grade bloodlines, they would be further classified by purity.

    Naturally, those with higher purity would be stronger than the rest.

    One who has a high level of bloodline purity would have a named Supernatural Ego.

    Hybrids with a high-grade bloodline were few, Hybrids with a high level of bloodline purity were also few¡ªbut Hybrids with both a high-grade bloodline, and a high level of bloodline purity were even fewer.

    Dracula, Naamah, and even Cacus were some of the famous named Supernatural Egos.

    All of them belonged to extremely powerful and famous heroes among Hybrids.

    Even then, they were all merely powerful beings passed down in stories.

    None of them were literal Gods.

    Because of that, Lucivar couldn''t believe what was written on one of his Supernatural Egos.

    He rubbed his eyes going for a second look to make sure what he was reading was right, and he was not wrong, the glowing green writings mentioned the name ''Loke the Sly One''. At that realization, Lucivar looked back at the statue before he fell on his bottom.

    It couldn''t be described how incredibly wrong this situation was.

    Knowing that the statue was of Loki''s bloodline, his view of it drastically changed.

    "H- How is this possible...? I have the bloodline of an Angel¡ªAN ANGEL!" Lucivar uttered out loud, voicing out what was inside his shocked mind. "Not only did a named Supernatural Ego of a God is unheard of, but it was a God that was not angelic at all, an Evil God! This can''t be right!"

    Lucivar wouldn''t be this shocked if his bloodline was of the Demons.

    But he was the opposite of a Demon with Loki''s bloodline.

    "Does this mean Loki was an Angel before, or does it mean I''m not an Angel? Ah¡ªwhat in the heck is happening, I don''t understand!" Lucivar messed his hair, his mind couldn''t understand what was going on with his bloodline.

    He only became more and more confused the longer he thought about this situation.

    Nevertheless, there was one thing that became clearer.

    Now Lucivar knew that the malevolent power he felt that took over him when he embraced Delilah''s body belonged to this statue, Loki''s statue. It was the power that helped him take down the Fire Primordial, and also the power that the green sphere earlier contained.

    He could feel the similarity with the green energy Loki''s statue slightly emanate.

    "If that''s the case then doesn''t that means..."

    Just then, however, his eyes widened as he stood up and went over to the egg statue.

    He gazed at the Rune of Mischief on it and also the green energy line on the floor repeatedly.

    Putting the pieces together¡ªLucivar came to a realization about the green sphere, "God Loki as its nickname indicated, was a deity who was fond of trickery. Instead of obtaining the gold sphere I aimed for, I got the green sphere, instead. Did he reward me for successfully tricking the guard?"

    Lucivar aimed for the guard to experiment with ways to obtain the gold sphere.

    From killing the guard he knew that the gold sphere didn''t come from killing stronger people.

    So that means he could obtain it through his intentions, bad intentions to be exact.

    Since he gained a gold sphere from Dorian, his intention to kill and the will to act upon it must be the reason, he gained the gold sphere. Lucivar was quite certain, about this¡ªespecially at the realization that one of his Supernatural Ego was the God Loki.

    But now he stumbled with another thing entirely.

    Not only manifesting bad intentions in general, but he also got rewarded for doing trickery.

    "In the end, I''m also destined to do evil things," Lucivar muttered as he looked at his own two hands. "Deep inside, I still want to be a good person. But in order to be a good person, I need to be strong. In order to be strong, I need power. In order to have power, I need to be evil"

    "Such irony..." He muttered, flashes of his fresh past crossed in his mind.

    Despite the path was not as expected, he wouldn''t shun it.

    At this moment, he wanted to do anything he could in order to not let the past repeat itself.

    Averting his attention from his memories that left a bad taste in his mouth¡ªLucivar glanced over at the egg statue, and touched, its surface. Closing his eyes briefly, he felt the swirling ether in it before opening his eyes, "I''ve become stronger. I feel my ether was increased"

    From absorbing the green sphere, the amount of ether inside his Supernatural Ego swelled.

    It was not a lot but definitely noticeable.

    "I need to absorb another gold sphere to know exactly how comparable the increase brought by the green sphere to it," Lucivar pondered out loud. He was a second-star Neophyte at the current moment, a small realm higher than when he first absorbed the gold sphere.

    Due to that, the increase would vary, and telling which one is better is hard for him to do.

    Only when he absorbed another gold sphere would he know.

    Nodding his head, Lucivar, cast one last glance at the statue of Loki, still shrouded in dark clouds with only his horned helmet visible. After that¡ªhe swept his gaze towards the four other unknown statues.

    "I activated Loki''s statue by doing trickery, maybe it could be done to the others as well..."

    Lucivar exited his inner chamber and opened his eyes.

    Glancing around, he was still in the same position with the guard''s corpse beside him.

    "Aren''t they taking their time to enjoy the moment too much...?" Lucivar said¡ªdumbfounded as the couple was still mingling on the back. Sighing to himself, he went ahead and stripped the guard''s armor and hid the corpse.

    He didn''t need to dispose of it as he was not going to stay in the city for long.

    Checking and addressing his clothes, he stepped out of the stable.

    But he stopped mid-track when a voice startled him.

    "I thought you were some pervert with a panty in your pocket, I guess I was wrong"

    Lucivar frowned when he heard this, he recognized the voice, as he glanced at the source of the voice¡ªfinding Leandra was leaning on the wall beside the door with her arms crossed. It seemed she was watching him do what he did.

    Standing upright, she continued, "I don''t need you to do this. I don''t need your help"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar turned to face her and smiled.

    "I didn''t do it for you," He replied in a high tone.

    As soon as he said that, his smile instantly vanished, showing that it was a fake smile.

    Giving no more of his attention to Leandra, he turned away to leave.

    "Is this your true self? Killing others for fun?" Leandra once again halted him with her words.

    Pivoting around for the second time, Lucivar raised an eyebrow before she continued, "If you are not doing this for me then you are doing this for fun. You don''t take any of his equipment, and you didn''t take his Supernatural Ego, so what''s in it for you if it is not for the goodness of helping me?"

    "Killing is a crime and you''ll be imprisoned if this gets out" She added in a particular tone.

    Lucivar grimaced when he heard this, "Is that a threat...?"

    Upon that question¡ªthe air between them crackled with tension as if the very atmosphere had been set ablaze. Lucivar and Leandra were locked in a staredown, the intensity of their stare alone enough to make the air shimmer.

    Lucivar''s question hung in silence, unanswered, but her silence spoke volumes.

    Naturally, he took Leandra''s silence as a yes.

    His ether, fully replenished from absorbing the green sphere''s energy, began to surge.

    Slowly, his golden eyes began to burn with a fierce light.

    Responding to his ether being prepared for battle, the air thickened, bracing for what seems to be, an inevitable clash. But as the tension reached its breaking point¡ªLeandra closed her eyes and raised her hands, a gesture of surrender that eased the tension between them.

    "Calm down, I was only testing," Leandra said, appeasing the situation.

    Seeing that Lucivar was still on-guard, she continued, "Because of your display of power, the others were worried, that you might go berserk like that again, so the others wanted to know the catalyst that made you like that. I''m checking if anger was the catalyst or not"

    Despite still distrustful, Lucivar dispersed his ether and turned around again.

    "Don''t worry, that won''t happen again," He said assuringly.

    After saying that, Lucivar left the premises and went back, leaving Leandra behind.

    Keeping her eyes on his disappearing back, she eventually sighed and shook her head.

    "He still didn''t answer my question..." She mused, casting a look at the stable.

    Leandra could tell that he was telling the truth when he said he didn''t do it for her sake, but that made her even more curious as to what was the reason he did it, "The others who saw what happened to him that night, were convinced he was an Angel Hybrid but I do not think someone with an Angel bloodline would do something like this"

    Days slipped by after the incident, with Lucivar itching to obtain another gold sphere.

    But he refrained from doing so, the risk was too great.

    Another killing in this town would surely draw the attention of the guards so he curbed his darker impulses. Not to mention, Leandra has been keeping an eye on him. She frequently visited the boys'' room, citing the noise in the girls'' quarters as an excuse to linger.

    However, what she was doing was obvious.

    Other than that, the guard''s corpse hadn''t been found which was unexpected.

    Lucivar spent his days meditating peacefully because of that, consolidating his ether as well as refining his Supernatural Ego with the accumulated energy. Currently¡ªLucivar was within his Inner Chamber, inspecting the egg statue''s wing.

    Due to his training and a little bit of Tobias'' help, the wing flared more than before.

    Even in a foreign place, Lucivar didn''t stop training.

    He was getting stronger steadily.

    Just earlier, Tobias told him that it would take a talented Hybrid, years¡ªto reach the five-star Neophyte rank but in a mere month, Lucivar was already at the second-star, and was nearing the third-star.

    Knowing his bloodline, he expected no less.

    Speaking of bloodline, Lucivar glanced over to Loki''s statue and inspected it once again.

    It was still surreal for him to realize that he had the bloodline of a God.

    Suddenly, Loki''s statue blurred for a second, causing him to look down and shake his head.

    "I must be tired, let''s rest for the day. Tomorrow is our day to depart," He mused.

    Deciding to end the training for today, as he needs to wake up early tomorrow, Lucivar exited his inner chamber and lay down on his bed. Mirel, Bob, and Darwin were in this room, all were sleeping together on one bed.

    Finding that the others were asleep, Lucivar turned to face away and tried to sleep as well.

    But the next morning, his eyes shot open at the sound of a loud crash.

 Chapter 28 28: Lokis Trial (1)

    Lucivar sprung from bed, startled by a loud crash that assaulted his eardrums.

    Glancing to the side¡ªhe frowned, "Hmm...? Where are the others?" He asked inwardly seeing that the others were not on the bed with him. Confused about the situation, another crashing sound resounded from outside, pulling his attention.

    Before he could react, a violent impact sent him crashing to the opposite wall behind him and slid down to the floor as the window beside the bed shattered¡ªalong with part of the wall. A steel pipe had speared through the room, embedding itself in the ceiling.

    Fortunately, no one had been near the window.

    If someone had then they would''ve been gruesomely impaled by the steel pipe.

    Lucivar looked over to the shattered wall¡ªeyes wide with shock. Carefully, he moved across the bed and peered through the massive and jagged opening on the wall. The street outside was eerily empty, the early morning darkness still clinging to the air.

    "Where is everyone...?" He muttered to himself.

    The commotion should''ve woken the entire neighborhood, yet not a single soul was seen.

    Shifting his gaze to the side, Lucivar''s heart lurched instantly.

    He saw a wave of green energy barreling toward him with terrifying speed, and he barely had time to tilt his head, and duck, the force of the impact sending him hurtling, through the air. It was sudden, and he realized now that he was falling.

    "Argghh!" Lucivar hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud.

    Even though he fell straight from the second floor, he was fine, the pain was minuscule.

    "Something is wrong," He mused as he climbed to his feet again.

    Naturally¡ªthe first thing that came to mind was that the town guards knew what he did and were now apprehending him. But there was no one around. Lucivar looked in the direction of the attack, and he saw a figure standing in the middle of the deserted street.

    "Isn''t that..." Lucivar frowned, he recognized the figure. "No, that can''t be. It''s not possible"

    Upon seeing this figure, Lucivar''s heart pounded as he leaped over the fence.

    His eyes locked on the mysterious form.

    As he stepped into the center of the street, right across the figure, the figure''s details became clearer, and his eyes widened in disbelief. He wasn''t mistaken, the figure was exactly who he thought, "D... Delilah?" He whispered, his voice trembling in shock.

    Delilah stood before him, dressed in the same clothes she wore when she died.

    Even the torn fabric at the center of her chest was there.

    But there was no gaping wound there, it was as if she had never died in the first place.

    Her expression was so cold, it was unlike the Delilah Lucivar knew, he did not even know that she could wear such a mask. Soon, Lucivar shook his head, dispelling his shock, and focused on the greenish energy enveloping her from head to toe like a shroud.

    Despite the sight rekindled his hope that she might not be dead, he needed to think straight.

    He saw Delilah die with his own two eyes.

    Moreover, the green energy was familiar to Lucivar, and it was not Delilah''s power.

    "It felt the same as the green sphere, Loki''s power..." Lucivar muttered and squinted his eyes, realizing that this might be a ploy, from the bloodline within him. He knew from Mirel, that the bloodline of a Hybrid could grant skills through various means.

    Some could instantly know and use the skill and some only know and need to train to use it.

    Other versions of this skill bestowal exists and this was definitely one of them.

    "The God of Trickster... this must be a test I need to pass to obtain his skill" Lucivar nodded.

    Lucivar''s attention snapped back to Delilah as she made her move.

    Making a fierce stomp¡ªshe launched herself toward him, her hand crackling with a vicious surge of energy. Lucivar barely leaped back in time as she struck the ground where he had stood, leaving a deep fissure that made him swallow hard.

    ''One punch and I''ll definitely be killed!'' He exclaimed inside his head.

    Seeing what the force of Delilah''s punch did to the earth, his bones would''ve been shattered, and even outright kill him. Gritting his teeth, Lucivar spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction, with Delilah close on his heels.

    Knowing this was a test, Lucivar frantically scanned his surroundings for anything.

    A clue or anything that could help him pass this test.

    If Loki had indeed orchestrated this as a test, there had to be a way out. But, a small part of Luicvar could not shake the nagging doubt that Loki might be doing this purely for the cruel thrill of watching him struggle with a challenge that had no solution.

    Still, there was no other choice¡ªfighting Delilah head-on would be suicide.

    As he glanced over his shoulder, he slightly felt relieved.

    Although Delilah possessed ridiculous strength, she wasn''t impossibly fast, just a little faster than him. That¡ªat least, he could manage. Rolling to the side, Lucivar avoided another blow, only to have his back slam into a wooden fence.

    Regaining his composure, he raised his gaze to look at Delilah but was stuck elsewhere.

    His eyes caught a glimpse of something glowing green in a second-floor window across the street. Something is in that room¡ªand it might be something he needed but he had no time to investigate.

    Looking to his left, he saw a few heavy boxes began to tremble.

    Lucivar soon realized that it was Delilah''s doings.

    In the next moment, the boxes flew at him with deadly force.

    Since there was no time to get out of the way, Lucivar channeled his ether and punched the first box and parried the rest. He made a rough defense that worked¡ªand quickly leaped as Delilah charged past him, crashing into a tavern.

    Making use of this chance, Lucivar climbed the house across the street.

    He opened the window forcefully and entered inside, only to find a man was there.

    But the man was emanating this green light, and Lucivar could feel that something within him was reacting. Following his instinct, he approached the man with quick steps as the man was crawling back in fear.

    "Don''t come closer! Please... go away!" the man pleaded, tears welling in his eyes.

    Even then, Lucivar didn''t stop and squatted in front of the man.

    Lucivar reached out his hand to grab the man''s wrist but out of nowhere, the man smiled in a devious manner when he saw Lucivar was near. The man took out a knife and tried to kill him by stabbing him in the neck, but Lucivar caught that.

    From the incident with the proselyte before, he had already learned to always be ready.

    And now, the man''s sudden move didn''t surprise Lucivar.

    Swiftly, Lucivar knocked the knife out of the man''s hand¡ªgripping his wrist, with an ironclad hold. As he did, he felt something unusual¡ªcoalescing energy, ether, within the man. On top of that, Lucivar felt like he could control it too.

    Trusting his instincts, Lucivar began to draw the ether from man in a steady stream.

    His instinct began to create a fifteen-point sequence, activating the ego points within him.

    As opposed to costing ether, doing this only strained his physique.

    To Lucivar''s surprise, the man showed no signs of pain, only mild discomfort.

    Glancing down at his hand, he saw the man''s ether pulled, and seeped into his skin¡ªand as the process continued, Lucivar felt no changes at all. He didn''t feel any increase in power as he did this.

    It was as if the energy was being transferred without effect.

    He kept doing this until the man''s body dissipated into nothingness, evaporating like mist.

    But as soon as that happened, Lucivar heard a piercing howl echoing from outside, a cry that sent a shiver down his spine, followed by a thudding sound. Pivoting around quickly¡ªLucivar saw that Delilah was already in the room with him.

    Her eyes were staring at him murderously with a surge of energy sparkling in them.

    Lucivar gulped as he had nowhere else to go, trapped here in this room.

    Seeing that Delilah was poised to strike, Lucivar gritted his teeth to make his stand here.

    Channeling his ether into his arm to empower his punch¡ªhis eye flared open when he felt another pool of ether¡ªthat he could take energy from within him. All ether came from the Supernatural Ego, and this came from there too, but its source was different.

    ''This didn''t come from the egg statue, this came from Loki''s statue!'' Lucivar pondered.

    At that realization, Delilah struck, making a savage swing towards him.

    In retaliation, Lucivar did the same and met her fist head-on, pouring everything he could.

    Boom!

    Both of their fists collided, and Lucivar instantly coughed a mouthful of blood as the bones in his knuckles cracked, and shattered. It was clear that his strength was not on the same level, as Delilah.

    Despite the excruciating pain, he tried to fight back.

    Just then, he felt the same sensation he felt when he touched the man earlier within Delilah.

    Pushed to the corner, Lucivar did the same exact thing.

    He siphoned Delilah''s ether, claiming it as his own.

    And with that accumulated energy he channeled it into his fist, creating a sudden swirl of his golden power around it. In the next instant, the point of impact between their fists erupted in a violent explosion.

    Kaboom!

    Lucivar breathed heavily, his right fist was in a mangle of dangling flesh.

    Gazing ahead, he found that he was still rooted in his spot, while Delilah was nowhere to be seen. He looked at his fist in shock, "This... I think this is my first skill. I could absorb others'' energy and use it for myself. Wait... isn''t that what I did against the Fire Primordial?"

    Thinking back to that moment, he remembered being able to deflect the fireballs it threw.

    Moreover, he could even corrupt its fire and turn it green.

    Though he didn''t know the exact usage, this skill must''ve been what he had used back then.

    Feeling the remaining absorbed energy within him, separate from his ether, he found that there was still some remaining. Drawing upon that energy¡ªa green energy appeared and swirled on his hand.

    Surprisingly, Lucivar saw that the energy was mending his mangled fist.

    In a few seconds, the energy healed his fist to normal.

    "Not only could it enhance my ether, but it could also heal my wounds. This energy is really strong, a versatile energy..." Lucivar muttered in shock, he was mesmerized by this energy, the energy from his newly acquired skill.

    Healing his fist used the remaining energy, and the green swirl disappeared.

    Focusing back on the situation, Lucivar looked around with a frown.

    "I already learned the skill, but the test is still not over? What''s more to this?" He mused¡ªand leaped, and landed on the street again. A few paces to his left was the supposed Delilah, she was badly wounded.

    Clenching his jaw, he approached Delilah, expecting that he would need to kill her.

    Just then, however, he was greeted by another surprise.

    A surprise that it wasn''t Delilah who lay on the street, but another person instead.

 Chapter 29 29: Lokis Trial (2)

    Lucivar was faced with another unexplainable situation.

    His face contorted into shock as the one who lay on the ground was not Delilah but someone who Lucivar didn''t want to meet at least not now or in the near future. Instead of Delilah¡ªthe one on the ground was Bianca instead.

    "B- Bianca...?" He whispered in disbelief.

    Upon hearing her name being called, Bianca turned and met Lucivar''s gaze.

    She wanted to say something but averted her gaze to her right arm which was non-existent, it was severed, and bled profusely in a constant¡ªand steady stream. Bianca sobbed, as she saw this, the pain made her whimper in pain, "Lucivar, it hurts..."

    Deg!

    His heart thumped hard when he heard her plea for help.

    Instinctively, Lucivar stepped forward, his body burning with the desire to help her.

    Just like back then, his body still responded to Bianca''s painful voice.

    Snapping out of his trance, knowing that this was not real, Lucivar managed to stop himself after taking a step forward. His entire body was trembling as he fought back the urge to aid Bianca right now.

    "No, this is not real. Just how do I end this? How do I pass this test?!" Lucivar muttered.

    He gritted his teeth and darted his eyes left and right in search of a clue.

    But his attention was pulled again when Bianca''s cry became harder, "Help me, Lucivar," She pleaded further with a painful voice. "Please, forgive me for what I did and help me... It hurts, it really hurts!"

    Lucivar tried to keep his gaze away from Bianca.

    He feared that if he saw her in pain, he wouldn''t be able to restrain himself to help her.

    Suddenly, a vibrant green light appeared on his periphery.

    Glancing at that green light, Lucivar bore witness as a clone of himself made of energy came to Bianca''s aid, crouching down and helping her mend her severed arm. He watched this in a trance as he couldn''t understand what was happening.

    But for some reason, the sight of his own clone helping Bianca made him uncomfortable.

    It was as if he was looking straight at his past, innocent self.

    Only then that Lucivar''s expression shift into a realization, and what comes after that strong realization was a grim-dark look¡ªas he approached the clone and Bianca with steady steps¡ªhe stopped directly behind the clone, and his eyes were now humming with a green hue.

    "Ah... I get it" He mused as he looked down at the scene.

    Most times, looking at things from an observer''s angle would show the bigger picture.

    A third point-of-view is most times the clearest angle.

    Lucivar now could see that while the clone was trying his best to stop the bleeding¡ªBianca''s innocent expression contorted into a cruel one. As the clone tried to be good, she dwelled on the prospect of stabbing him in the back.

    Being a good person is not rewarded in this world.

    Karma was broken from the gore and cruelty of the world, and it rewarded only the bad.

    If it was not broken, Lucivar wouldn''t need to go through what he suffered.

    If Karma was real, the innocent Delilah wouldn''t end up in a tragedy.

    Surely, there was something wrong.

    "I want good people to be rewarded, and bad people to be punished so Karma needs fixing, I don''t want others to suffer the same fate as me and Delilah," Lucivar mused as he stepped in the clone''s position¡ªevaporating it instantly. He then stretched his hand towards Bianca and grabbed her by the face, activating his new skill, absorbing what ether she had left.

    As he did this, Bianca struggled kicking her feet and moving her body in a fierce struggle.

    She tried to push his hand away with her only arm.

    Not only that, she even tried scratching and punching, but it was no use.

    Lucivar had steeled his heart and mind as he watched Bianca struggle with cold eyes.

    He absorbed Bianca''s ether to the last drop causing her into an ether exhaustion state, being unable to move her body an inch, and dying slowly. But instead of letting her be¡ªLucivar put more strength into his hand to crush her face.

    "There''s only one way to fix Karma..."

    "Lucivar! Let go of me- kyaah!!"

    "In order to fix Karma¡ªI will aspire to become the most vile and evil being the world has ever seen. So cruel that even Karma couldn''t ignore me. So cruel that Karma has no choice, but to give me misfortune thereby fixing it once and for all..."

    Crack!

    Bianca''s face exploded with a sickening crack.

    Blood splashed and drenched his hand, clothes, and face, dying them crimson.

    Upon doing that, Lucivar took a deep breath and stood up before he scanned the place.

    "Is this what you want?!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

    Expecting the world to return to normal¡ªLucivar was caught off guard by a laugh that grated through the silence. A raspy, uneven cackle that echoed as if it came from a being steeped in deep malice.

    The kind of sound that crawled under his skin.

    It began as a slow, wheezing growl before erupting into sharp, dry chuckles.

    Lucivar''s eyes darted around¡ªsearching the source of this laugh, but it came from nowhere, and everywhere at once. He was only accompanied by the eerie emptiness of the street. But then, his senses suddenly flared, alerting him to a presence behind him.

    Spinning around, he was greeted by an otherworldly sight.

    A figure made entirely of green energy, the same energy that seemed to suffuse this place.

    The figure was a hunchback draped in regal robes from head to toe¡ªa staff in its right hand topped with a wolf''s head. Jutting from its crown was a pair of horns, that lent an air of dark reverence to its appearance.

    With slow, deliberate steps, the figure advanced toward Lucivar.

    Each movement sent ripples of unease through him.

    As the figure was several steps ahead of him, it slammed its cane against the earth, creating a reverberating sound like steel on stone. Lucivar had never once seen this figure before but he knew, deep in his bones exactly who it was.

    "Do you know what I want, child...?" the figure asked in a low tone.

    Upon hearing this¡ªLucivar''s expression tightened, as he felt an insurmountable of weight on his back as he stood before the figure. He could feel that if the figure didn''t let him, he would not be able to remain standing.

    "What does the God of Trickster want, isn''t it obvious?" He answered, trying to maintain his composure before a God. "Of course, you just want to have a fun watch¡ªand me killing my old self and tricking others is a fun watch"

    A smile peeked from underneath the hood the moment Lucivar said that.

    Instead of answering, Loki pointed down, "Humble yourself before me, kneel..."

    Not giving a second to think, Lucivar felt a powerful pulling force that forced him to kneel.

    "Since you are my descendant¡ªI am obliged to reward you for your efforts," Loki said as he stood before Lucivar¡ªplacing his hand gently above Lucivar''s head. "This will be one out of many encounters we are scheduled in the future, and this will be my gift to you"

    Lucivar was fixed in place but he soon felt a warm sensation permeating his head.

    In the next second after that, however, his eyes rolled back.

    His mind was suddenly assaulted by a torrent of information, an overwhelming flood that was able to strain, every fiber of his brain. It was as if a thousand voices, were whispering secrets directly into his skull, forcefully injecting knowledge he had never possessed.

    Naturally, the pain was excruciating, a throbbing agony that threatened to split his head.

    But, through the blinding pain, clarity began to emerge.

    Like a dark mist parting to reveal hidden truths.

    Lucivar understood now, the ability he had twirled earlier, was called Greedy Grasp, a fifteen-sequence innate ability that required no ether to activate. It was an ability that allowed him to siphon the energy of others, be it ether or any other form, and make it his own.

    This stolen energy would pool within a vessel inside him, a reserve he could tap into at will.

    It would take the form of strands, maxed at five strands.

    The energy was versatile, able to empower his other abilities, corrupt energy-based attacks, or even heal him from grievous wounds. However, the ability had its limitations. The vessel in him had a finite capacity, and for the Greedy Grasp ability to work, he needed to make direct contact with his target.

    But those limitations would diminish as he grew stronger.

    After what felt like an eternity, Loki released him.

    Lucivar stumbled at the sudden absence of pressure, collapsing exhaustedly to the ground.

    His body was drenched in sweat, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

    Gazing at the false sky above¡ªa smile crept to his face as he realized that he gained his fist ability, and it was bestowed upon him by a God nonetheless. He was getting stronger, and it wouldn''t take long before he achieved what he set out to achieve.

    Just then, he abruptly sat up when he heard Loki pivot and begin to walk away.

    His footfalls echoed in the eerie silence.

    Not even looking back, Loki spoke, "What I want is different than what my power wants..."

    Confusion knitted Lucivar''s brow when he heard this as he tried to decipher what Loki meant by that. But determination quickly replaced it as he asked the question burning in his mind, a question that only a God like Loki would know the answer to.

    "Karma... Is it true that it was broken?" He asked, begging for an answer.

    Upon hearing this, the wolf-head cane stopped as Loki stopped.

    "Hmm... Karma," He mused before he pivoted sideways to look at Lucivar. A smile poked out of his hood once again, displaying rows of white teeth, "A question that you need to find the answer to yourself but I can say this¡ªKarma, it''s not quite as you expected..."

    Clang!

    Before Lucivar could respond, a resounding clang reverberated through the air.

    Almost in an instant, everything around him¡ªthe entire city disintegrated into green energy.

    It steamed and swept by an invisible wind.

    In the blink of an eye, Lucivar found himself back in his Inner Chamber, facing Loki''s statue.

    He looked up and saw the statue''s eyes glowed with a faint greenish light before everything returned to normal, leaving Lucivar alone, after what had happened, "No matter¡ªI''ll find the answer to it myself"

    ...

    Just like that, the day of their departure arrived without incident.

    Since Tobias had already restocked supplies and rented carriages, they could continue.

    Dressed in a new set of black tunic and pants, with a recently bought dagger strapped to his side¡ªLucivar prepared to head down to join the others, loading the carriages. But as he was about to leave, a sudden grip on his wrist yanked him back into the room.

    Before he could react, a fist collided with his face, knocking him to the floor.

    Grunting lightly, Lucivar raised his gaze and saw a person standing towering before him.

    "What do you want, Darwin?"

 Chapter 30 30: Darwins Threat

    Lucivar fell and hit his back against the wall before looking up at Darwin with a frown.

    Aside from Darwin and him, the others were already loading the carriages.

    "What do you want, Darwin?" He asked, frowning.

    In the last couple of days staying in this hotel, Lucivar realized that Darwin has been giving a bad vibe towards him but he thought that Darwin was being like that because of the tragedy when his bloodline took over him.

    Given a couple more days, Darwin would probably be at ease again.

    But it seemed that was not the case.

    "I need to have a word with you," Darwin said, his meek demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar climbed to his feet, wiping the blood on the corner of his mouth, drawn from the cheap punch, he received earlier, "Then say it, I know you''re waiting for the others to leave to talk to me"

    Compared to Lucivar, Darwin has a smaller statue as he is more skinny than beefy.

    His bones were visible through his skin, almost signaling malnourishment.

    Nevertheless, the gap of power between them was large, Lucivar had felt it firsthand before.

    "Since you don''t seem to mind it, I''ll be blunt," Darwin said, squinting his eyes. "I want you to leave us for good. I can''t stand having you here, jeopardizing our safety. Not only are you an Angel Hybrid, but you''re a fugitive and also a killer..."

    Lucivar frowned when he heard this.

    He had guessed that Darwin was going to talk about this, but the killer part surprised him.

    "Do you think I wouldn''t know what you did?" Darwin raised an eyebrow¡ªsneering. "It seems you have forgotten that I''m a Werewolf Hybrid. I''m attuned with the night, and my senses are sharper than you can imagine"

    In response, Lucivar shrugged his shoulders, "I did that to protect Leandra,"

    "If I didn''t, that guard would''ve made trouble to get her" He added, lying with a straight face.

    Even though he did that to experiment with his bloodline''s power, the fact that the guard was aiming for Leandra¡ªcould be a solid reason for him to do that. Spending time with this family is enough to tell him that they care for each other, and this excuse might work.

    Surely, he was somewhat right to use that reason as Darwin paused for a second.

    But then, he answered, "Nevertheless, I want you to leave"

    "I don''t care how you do it, but I want you gone before we reach the academy. If you want, I''ll help you to escape without saying goodbyes. Don''t worry about the aftermath, I will handle it and give reasons to the others," He continued before the air around him changed. "But..."

    Lucivar saw Darwin''s eyes narrowed, flashing white as his shoulders hunched.

    A barely unrestrained growl seeped out of his mouth as his lips peeled back slightly, showing a set of elongated, deadly fangs. Lucivar averted to Darwin''s hand, and saw his veins pulsing visibly beneath his skin.

    "If you don''t leave until then, I''ll make sure you sorely regret that," He threatened menacingly.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar asked, "What would Tobias say if he knew this?"

    "Didn''t I tell you earlier? I said I''ll handle it" Darwin replied.

    As Darwin''s voice faded into the background¡ªthe tension between the two intensified, their fierce eye contact unbroken, stuck in a deadly struggle of pride. The air grew so thick, that it became choking, every muscle fiber in their bodies twitching, ready for the inevitable clash.

    Just as the moment teetered on the edge of violence, the door swung open abruptly.

    Leandra poked her head inside, breaking the charged silence.

    Her gaze shifted between them, taking in their rigid postures that seemed out of place.

    "What''s going on here? What''s taking you two so long?" She asked, her voice light but filled with curiosity. "Tobias is asking for you two. We''re ready to leave, the carriages were loaded while the two of you were having your boy''s talk"

    Naturally, her unexpected entrance defused the impending confrontation.

    Both Darwin and Lucivar were silently trapped by the tension she had unwittingly strewed.

    Smiling wryly, Darwin scratched the back of his head.

    "Ah... Is that so? I''m sorry¡ªLucivar was asking me questions about his difficulties. But, it was over now, you came at the right time" Darwin''s aggressive posture returned back to his usual diffident, "Come, let''s go down"

    Deciding to end their conversation, Darwin pushed and brought Leandra out of the room.

    Just before he left, he cast another look at Lucivar, a clear warning.

    Not idling inside the room, Lucivar stepped into the hallway and glanced over to the side.

    "Are you really coming to check on us because of Tobias?"

    "Why do you even ask that?"

    "Ah... I''m sorry, I misspoke"

    "If you wanted to know why I''ve been hanging in your room¡ªit was because of Lucivar. He''s still unstable, and I feel like I should keep an eye on him"

    "Right..."

    Lucivar watched Darwin and Leandra walking side by side as they headed down to meet the others, but his eyes were fixed on Darwin''s back who was oblivious that a dark trail was now connecting him and Lucivar.

    Hearing their conversations, however, forced the corner of Lucivar''s lips to curl into a smirk.

    "Oh, so that''s how it is..." He grinned, his eyes glistening with an evil light.

    A moment later.

    Reaching the others who were already near the gate of the town, Lucivar saw two carriages waiting for him. Mirel waved, motioning for him to join in, the second carriage, however¡ªhis attention was drawn to Darwin, standing behind the first carriage.

    He was looking down while a robed woman was holding his hands.

    From the looks of it, the woman seemed to be chanting a spell.

    Mirel glanced in the direction, where Lucivar was looking, and realized that he was looking at Darwin, "Since we took a stop in this town, we need to go through a dangerous woods called the Purple Haze Forest. Darwin''s constitution as a Werewolf Hybrid made him emit an air that scares prey and attracts predators so Tobias hired that woman"

    "She would suppress Darwin''s constitution and also bless the carriage," He explained.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar asked, "So Darwin needs to stay in his carriage at all times?"

    "Most likely, her blessing is not a perfect solution" Mirel replied.

    After explaining that, Mirel gestured for him to come inside the carriage.

    "Come closer, come closer! Rare herbs and potent hexes, the best of the best you could find only here! Potions to cure, powders to allure¡ªfind what your heart desires or fears!"

    Just as Lucivar was about to enter the carriage, he stopped and glanced at a stall.

    A middle-aged, rough-looking woman was selling all kinds of things.

    Seeing the displayed items that were colorful and eye-catching, Lucivar squinted his eyes as he turned, and went over to that stall, "Hold on¡ªI''m going to check if she sells any jackets. It wouldn''t take long"

    "Hey, she''s an alchemist! Are you bli- whatever" Mirel sighed, seeing Lucivar ignore him.

    A couple of minutes later, Lucivar came back with a black jacket wrapping his body.

    He was quite resistant to the cold winter, but seeing the others were wearing one, he bought one for himself. Lucivar entered the carriage and found aside from Mirel there was Bakar and also Leandra¡ªit was the same lineup as before.

    Glancing to a spot on the left, it was where Delilah sat in the carriage before.

    Lucivar sighed, shook his head from the uneasiness, and entered the carriage.

    "What are you doing there, Lucivar?" Mirel asked.

    Similarly, Leandra also raised an eyebrow, "Aren''t you supposed to be sitting there?"

    As opposed to taking a seat beside Mirel and Bakar on the left side of the carriage¡ªLucivar went, and sat beside Leandra instead, "Isn''t this spot empty? I can sit here, right? Or do you prefer me not to?"

    At the questions, Leandra was at a loss for words.

    Eventually, she averted her gaze away, "Do whatever you want"

    "Really? I thought we were friends¡ªhow could you choose her instead of me?" Mirel pouted. "I know Leandra is pretty and all, but doesn''t our friendship mean something? Just give me a heads up if you''re going to replace me for Leandra!"

    Hearing this, Lucivar rolled his eyes, "Stop acting like a heartbroken girl, it''s not that deep"

    "Bakar, can you believe this?!" Mirel turned and hugged Bakar, asking for reinforcement.

    Oblivious to what was happening, Bakar''s eyes flashed with excitement, "Are we wrestling?!"

    Pah!!

    "You battle maniac, idiot!" Mirel slapped Bakar''s head. "Is fighting all you can think of?!"

    "But fighting is fun..." Bakar sobbed, rubbing his throbbing head.

    Days passed in a blur as the group continued their way toward Sunhold City.

    Nothing happened, the journey was uneventful but the air grew heavy and gloomy quickly.

    Delilah''s sudden death still weighed on their hearts, casting a pall over the entire group that even with Mire''s relentless attempts at entertainment couldn''t fully dispell. They grieved not only for her loss, but also for Tobias¡ªwho would now face the burden of caring for Thomas, and Lily alone, with no one by his side.

    Since the others are going to be academy hunters, they wouldn''t be able to stay with him.

    He would be completely alone.

    Though Mirel assured them Tobias had friends who would support him, the sadness lingered.

    One that was troubled by this the most was Leandra, her face tells it all.

    Currently, night had fallen, and while Bakar, and Mirel meditated, polishing their Supernatural Egos¡ªLucivar stared out at the snowy road, Delilah''s broken phone clutched in his hand. His thoughts were a whirlwind, lost in deep contemplation¡ªso much so, that he didn''t notice the gaze coming from Leandra from the side.

    "You still haven''t told me why you did it" Suddenly, Leandra broke the silence.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar snapped out of his daze and turned to her.

    Knowing what she was talking about, he leaned his head back.

    Pausing for a solid moment, he then replied, "I was sacrificed by my hometown despite being good to all of them¡ªbecoming a tribute for the birthday of an important young master of the Ashbourne House. I swore that I would look out only for myself after that incident, doing only the things that benefit me, and what was better than killing someone like that to start?"

    "So you killed him for the sake of your growth?" Leandra asked again.

    Lucivar nodded slightly, "But that''s not all,"

    "I was a good person, at least, I thought that I was a good person, and it''s hard to get rid of my habits," He continued before turning to look at Leandra¡ªdirectly in her unnatural purple eyes. "My selfless habits that is..."

    "You mean...?"

    "Yes, I also did it to protect you"

    Leandra''s eyes widened in shock, completely unprepared for Lucivar''s direct answer.

    Not to mention, the edge of Lucivar''s pinky finger touched Leandra''s hand.

    It sent an electric throughout her body, paralyzing her in place.

    For a moment, she was caught in a trance, his intense eye contact seeming to melt the very coldness in the air around them. A sudden warmth spread across her face¡ªand she quickly averted her gaze, making a dismissive glance to the side.

    She huffed quietly, struggling to regain her composure.

    But she couldn''t find words to reply while the silence between them only grew more intense.

    Not to mention, the weight of Lucivar''s gaze lingered, burning against the side of her face.

    Just as the tension threatened to overwhelm her who could not find her words¡ªthe carriage came to a slow stop, breaking Lucivar''s intense focus and allowing her a moment to breathe, "Go and check what''s wrong, Master Tobias might need some help"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded and stepped down from the carriage to check.

    On the other hand, Leandra held her burning cheeks with both hands.

    "What''s wrong with me?" She mused, her face was already as red as a tomato. "No... What''s wrong with him? He''s usually cold¡ªand reserved but he became open and... like this. I don''t really know what''s inside his mind, really"

 Chapter 31 31: Did you two make up?

    Lucivar glanced back at the carriage with a cunning smirk plastered on his face.

    ''It was shockingly going smoothly, I could end it before we passed this forest if I play it right.''

    Recalling Leandra''s reaction, he nodded firmly before averting his gaze away.

    As Lucivar focused on his surroundings, the scene unfolded with startling clarity. He found himself in a labyrinth of towering trees, their thick trunks jutting skyward like sentinels of a forgotten world.

    Not to mention, their leaves were an unnatural shade of deep purple.

    All of them shimmered eerily in the dim light, casting an otherworldly glow over the place.

    Lucivar was looking around as if he were a kid being brought out for the first time.

    He never knew that a forest could be this magical.

    Looking down¡ªthe ground beneath him a stark contrast of white blanketed in purity, yet it was dotted with withered, purple leaves, that had drifted down like remnants of an ancient curse, while the pressure from his step made the ground subtly glow with a purple light.

    A blend of color that created a hauntingly beautiful tapestry, one that he had never seen.

    Just then, the awe of the moment was abruptly shattered as his gaze snapped.

    He saw Tobias coming out of the carriage, followed closely by Nerissa.

    Both of them headed to the side before noticing Lucivar.

    "Is there something wrong, Tobias?" Lucivar approached and asked.

    Upon hearing this, Tobias shook his head and explained, "We are at the edge of the Purple Haze Forest¡ªand danger would spike as soon as we got into the inner area of the forest. I want us to be alert to any possible attack from beasts. No bandits here."

    As opposed to having something wrong, this brief stop was a heads-up from Tobias.

    Glancing to the side, Lucivar saw Ravenna coming down as well.

    She was taking her weapon, a pair of daggers, and also strapping a bag of supplies on her.

    "Is Ravenna going somewhere?" Lucivar asked curiously.

    Tobias nodded, pivoting towards Ravenna, "Yes¡ªshe will be scouting ahead and alerting us for any potential encounter with powerful beasts. From the locals¡ªthe beast we need avoid was the Astral Snow Leopard, it''s a three-star Acolyte-rank beast"

    Lucivar gulped harshly when he heard this.

    A three-star Acolyte-rank beast is extremely strong for their line-up.

    Even Ravenna, Bob, or Darwin combined wouldn''t be able to beat it.

    "Don''t worry about me, cutie pie, I''m going to be fine" Ravenna commented from the side.

    Just then, she gave a nod to Tobias before she sprinted ahead, making a hard turn to the left and disappearing into the forest. As a Crimson Rakhsasa Hybrid, she was nimble and was no doubt able to fend for herself even if she encountered the Astral Snow Leopard.

    Averting his attention from Ravenna, Tobias continued, "In a couple of hours, we would camp and let the horses rest. If we are on track¡ªwe should pass this forest tomorrow, midday." He said, checking the map in his hand.

    "Oh, and also, we would be taking turns sleeping. A pair would be on the lookout" He added.

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa was about to volunteer but Lucivar was faster.

    "Me and Leandra would be the first to be the lookout," He said and turned.

    Tobias'' eyebrows were raised at the suggestion, knowing full well that Leandra and Lucivar were not getting along because of the misunderstanding¡ªthat resulted in a clash between them, he was surprised that Lucivar suggested this, "Have you asked Leandra?"

    "I can accompany you. Please don''t ask her, I don''t want you two to fight" Nerissa added.

    Not heeding her, Lucivar glanced over his shoulder and called, "Leandra!"

    Both Nerissa and Tobias exchanged a look as the two knew that this would end up badly, the only one Leandra listened to was Tobias. Other than him, Leandra is basically indifferent, and even hostile, so this was definitely a ticket to a disaster.

    Surprised to hear her name being called, by Lucivar nonetheless, Leandra came down.

    She then approached them, totally confused as to what was going on.

    On the other hand, Nerissa and Tobias felt their hearts pounding.

    Nerissa, in particular, the sight of Leandra approaching made her extremely nervous.

    She didn''t want to see the two of them fight again, it was awful.

    "What is it? Did something happen?" Leandra asked, stopping right beside Lucivar.

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa smiled dryly, "U- Uh, well... it''s not a big deal, really"

    "I''m volunteering us both to be the first pair to be the lookout, that''s fine with you, right?" In a nonchalant tone, Lucivar said truthfully about the situation, and as both, Nerissa¡ªand Tobias feared, Leandra looked at him in surprise before that surprise turned into a frown.

    Expecting Leandra to lash out at him, Nerissa prepared to separate them.

    But in the next second, her eyes widened in surprise.

    "Fine, I don''t feel like sleeping anyway," Leandra crossed her arms, averting her gaze away.

    "Eh...?"

    "Oh, what''s this? Did you two make up?"

    Nerissa was absolutely stunned, she was not expecting Leandra to be as accepting as this.

    It was the same for Tobias, he was also caught off guard by her response.

    Just then, Lucivar laughed, pressing Leandra''s head with his hand, "Something like that"

    "Get your hands off of me!" She retaliated.

    Leandra grabbed Lucivar''s hand and twisted it, putting him in an arm lock.

    "You know that there are ways to react to being embarrassed other than violence, right?"

    "Who said I''m embarrassed? I''m only teaching you to not touch me lightly"

    "Oh, please... does that mean your tomato face earlier was also you not being embarrassed?"

    "Shut up! I have a mild fever from the cold, that''s all!"

    Under the surprising revelation that Leandra accepted Lucivar''s one-sided decision¡ªTobias let the two be the first one to be on the lookout. Both of them didn''t seem to be sleepy, thus giving them this task should be perfect.

    Meanwhile, Nerissa went back to the carriage, she was experiencing an error in her mind.

    "Both of them tried to kill each other... Now they are close... Kill... Close... Kill... Clo-"

    "Well, I''ll be sleeping then, wake me up if something happens"

    Both Lucivar and Leandra nodded as Tobias went inside the carriage.

    As soon as Tobias was out of their view, Leandra turned around.

    "I''m going to take my jacket, I''ll take yours too. Yours is the black one, right?" She asked.

    Lucivar nodded before Leandra went to the carriage.

    It was only then that Lucivar glanced over his shoulder, smiling inwardly, ''He saw that alright,''

    Moments later, the night was extremely silent with only the occasional howl in the distance.

    Even though it was snowing, there were some predators that were still lurking around.

    Ditching hibernation, favoring more hunting than reserving their energy.

    Striding at the left side of the carriages¡ªLucivar glanced to the right and saw Leandra was walking on the opposite side, away from him. Realizing that he was looking at her, Leandra, rolled her eyes and went further ahead, letting the carriage barring Lucivar''s gaze.

    Lucivar smiled wryly at this as it was his fault.

    He was being touchy with Leandra in the past hour using all kinds of reasons.

    Because of that, Leandra was now keeping her distance from him.

    ''Going more than this would probably make me act too suspicious, I should be content with this much'' Lucivar pondered¡ªlooking at the glowing green energy, swirling on his hand. He has been using his new ability, the Greedy Grasp on Leandra.

    Due to her emotions being a mess, she didn''t realize that Lucivar was absorbing her energy.

    Alas, Lucivar was absorbing little by little so that she wouldn''t notice.

    And surprisingly enough, it worked, he could feel that the versatile energy was half full.

    It would be better if he could absorb her energy through other means¡ªbut the ability could only work if he was touching the target, there''s no other way, at least not now, ''The Greedy Grasp used fifteen ego points, that''s more than twice than the absorption technique Delilah taught me so it must be really strong. But I don''t know if this was enough...''

    Lucivar wanted more in order to be safe, but he could gain more than this.

    Going to absorb Mirel''s or Bakar''s energy would''ve been too suspicious.

    Both of them should be really alert after the incident with Delilah.

    One touch and they would definitely wake up.

    ''I know how powerful the ability was but I haven''t really tested it that much. I only tried using the versatile energy a bit to lift the carriage a little earlier¡ªbut that only used a strand of the versatile energy'' Lucivar pondered, deliberating his next move.

    At this moment, he has three strands of versatile energy.

    One strand is enough to double his strength.

    But that was it, Lucvar only knew up until that point, he hadn''t tried using more than that.

    Not that he didn''t want to but he never had the chance to use that much.

    Gaining strands of versatile energy through the Greedy Grasp ability is hard to do.

    Just then, however, Lucivar''s attention was pulled to the left, seeing something moving.

    He squinted, his gaze narrowing as the bushes to his left rustled, swaying back and forth.

    Instinctively out of sheer preservation, his hand moved to the hilt of his dagger, ready in case something struck out of the bushes. As he searched for the cause of the rustling bushes¡ªhe caught sight a pair of animalistic eyes peering from the thicket.

    For a brief moment, their gazes locked.

    But the eyes vanished as quickly as they appeared, causing the bushes to rustle once again.

    A smirk tugged at the corner of Lucivar''s lips at the sight of this.

    Not hesitating, he gazed over to the carriages, ensuring the others were still asleep.

    Satisfied¡ªno sign of the others being awake, Lucivar slipped around to the other side where Leandra stood on watch. She was rubbing her arms with her hands because of the cold, that bites through the jacket she was wearing.

    "I''m going to check on something, I''ll be back" Lucivar whispered.

    He already turned to leave before Leandra could process what he said to her.

    Upon realizing what Lucivar just said, Leandra swiftly went over and saw him going into the dense bushes, "Lucivar!" She called whisperingly. But Lucivar ignored her, and disappeared from view.

    Stopping at the front of the bushes, Leandra''s brow furrowed with suspicion.

    "If this is one of your annoying ploys, stop it, I''m not going to fall for it" She said, annoyed.

    But even after waiting for a brief moment, Lucivar didn''t answer.

    At this point, Leandra gritted her teeth anxiously.

    As someone stronger, it would be reckless to let him go alone, she wouldn''t have a reason, to tell Tobias if something would''ve happened to him. With a resigned sigh she followed Lucivar into the bushes.

    Oblivious to her, there was someone watching her from the front carriage.

    From the gaze the person was giving, hate and fury were palpable.

 Chapter 32 32: Playing the Heart

    Unwillingly, Leandra pushed through the thick bushes.

    Her frustration grew with each silent step.

    She initially thought that this was another of his ploys to tease her, which he somewhat liked to do suddenly. Something felt off about him, but this was not the time to think about that. It was worrying that Lucivar hadn''t answered her calls.

    "Aren''t we supposed to keep a lookout around the carriages?" Leandra mused sarcastically.

    Lucivar had no reason to stray this far.

    If he saw a beast then he should''ve informed the others, not doing something like this.

    Confusion gnawed at her¡ªbut she pressed on, drawing her sword from its sheath in case of danger. Leandra followed the clear trail Lucivar left behind, in the snow, though the distance he covered made her click her tongue in irritation.

    She swore to give Lucivar a lesson for straying without telling her the reason.

    ''He''s going too far... is she chasing something? But why?'' Leandra pondered.

    Glancing to her back, she realized that she had ventured at least a hundred meters, from the carriages, perhaps even more. She followed the trail until it ended abruptly beside a massive tree as if Lucivar vanished like a ghost.

    Frowning, she scanned the area, searching for any sign of Lucivar.

    Of course, she wanted to call for him but doing so would only attract beasts towards her.

    She was put in a spot, not knowing what to do.

    Just then, however, her senses picked up something from behind.

    "Surpr-!"

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar came out of his hiding from behind¡ªwanting to surprise Leandra, but his smile froze when he felt a cold touch on his neck. Looking down, he saw Leandra''s sword was touching his neck.

    Realizing that it was him, Leandra managed to react in time, stopping the arc of her blade.

    Both of them made eye contact for a brief second awkwardly.

    Pah!!

    Leandra raised an eyebrow when suddenly¡ªa cloud of fine white sprinkles¡ªthat danced like snowflakes in the air, rained down on her, released from a small, enchanted scroll in Lucivar''s hand with a soft pop.

    "Surprise? Hehe~"

    "Are you out of your mind?!"

    In a burst of anger and annoyance, Leandra snapped, pointing at Lucivar''s face.

    "Do you really think this is a good time to do something like this?" She asked¡ªfuming with an insurmountable frustration, as she was worked up, over nothing. "Had I not stopped in time¡ª your head would''ve rolled on the ground!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled wryly, trying to calm Leandra down, "My bad, my bad..."

    "I was only taking a stroll. You''re staying away from me, and I''m bored" He added.

    Leandra rolled her eyes as she couldn''t believe the reason was that, not to mention it wasn''t her fault that she did that, since Lucivar couldn''t stop playing, "Don''t tell me you also bought that thing from the stall earlier? What even is that?"

    "It was a party popper, the lady gave it to me free from buying the jacket" Lucivar replied.

    Sighing light, Leandra sheathed back her sword, "Come, let''s go back"

    Just as she said that¡ªhowever¡ªshe stopped when she saw Lucivar looking at her through a frame he made with his fingers. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you doing now? Are you not done playing around like a kid?"

    "Now that I look at you closely, you''re like an extension of this forest" He muttered lightly.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra tilted her head in confusion.

    Lucivar smiled as he elaborated, "Both your hair and eyes blended with this forest, it was as if you''re the fairy queen¡ªof this forest. Now I know why the men in the town, were ogling at you wherever you go"

    From Lucivar''s point of view, the forest and Leandra were one.

    Her deep purple hair that was let loose fluttered gently against the brushing wind, the same exact color as the leaves of the trees in this forest. And her purple eyes¡ªit was as if looking at them was the window to see the real beauty of this forest.

    Almost instantly, Leandra''s face reddened as she was caught off guard by this compliment.

    Earlier, she also thought the forest was very beautiful.

    It matched her eyes and hair perfectly.

    "D- Don''t say something like that, I don''t like it," Leandra said, turning her bashful face away from Lucivar''s intent gaze. "Hearing you say that doesn''t make me happy at all, so stop, I do not need your compliment"

    Even though her lips said that¡ªher reaction and body language were the complete opposite.

    She remained gazing away with her arms crossed under her breasts.

    Even when she heard Lucivar closing in, she stayed put.

    Just then, a sparkling item fell from the top and into her vision.

    It was a slender steel chain that caught the moonlight with a subtle sheen.

    Suspended from it was a small wooden pendant, carefully carved into the shape of a cat, the wood, had been painted a deep¡ªmidnight black, the sleek silhouette of the feline, exuding a quiet elegance.

    A simple necklace, but Leandra was absolutely surprised and also confused by this.

    So much that she turned to look at Lucivar with wide eyes.

    "I saw it earlier and was reminded of you since you''re a Witch Hybrid," Lucivar said with a low baritone voice. "the lady said that the pendant, was carved of wood from a holy ancient tree, it represents a new start"

    "A new start...?" Leandra muttered, completely enthralled by the moment.

    Both of her eyes were fixed on Lucivar''s bright golden eyes.

    Leandra didn''t even realize that her back was already against the tree, with Lucivar''s body extremely close to her, "Yes, a new start¡ªa new start to our relationship. Since we started off badly, I want this to reset our relationship for the better. I''m not going anywhere so this was necessary"

    Realizing that she was sandwiched, she snapped from her trance and pushed Lucivar away.

    She made a forceful shove and turned her face away, trying to hide her blush.

    "Ah, really..." She bit her lower lip, running her fingers, through her hair in frustration. "You are going too far now, there was no need for you to do this. If you just tell me that you want to let the past be the past, I''d be happy to forget our bad start"

    But as she said that, she raised her gaze to look at Lucivar once again.

    Leandra then stretched her hand, "Even so, I''ll accept the necklace..."

    "Oh, I was about to give it to Ravenna thinking that you don''t wa-"

    "Just shut up and give me the damn necklace"

    Raising both hands innocently, Lucivar handed over the necklace as Leandra put it away.

    Upon giving that, Lucivar stood there without saying anything.

    Confused, Leandra turned in the carriage''s direction¡ªthey should get back for real this time.

    But as she was about to do that, her eyes widened when she saw a shadow.

    Bam!!

    Lucivar was hurled to the other side, scraping off the snow along his path.

    On the other hand¡ªLeandra''s breath was caught in her throat when he saw Lucivar thrown suddenly across the ground, sprawling meters away on the side as he rubbed his throbbing bruised chin.

    "Go back to the others, Leandra. I need to speak with Lucivar,"

    Leandra''s gaze snapped to the man who had appeared from nowhere¡ªDarwin.

    But this was not the meek Darwin she knew.

    His beastly side had taken over, his breath ragged and eyes brimming with murderous intent.

    Even his once frail body now pulsed with raw power, muscles bulging as ether surged within his veins. It was a transformation she hadn''t anticipated¡ªanother shock on a night that was already full of surprises.

    Rage ignited within her, burning away any hesitation, "What is the meaning of this?!"

    "Darwin, you aren''t supposed to be out like this!" She added fiercely.

    Upon hearing this, however, Darwin''s predatory eyes slowly turned towards Leandra¡ªa clear warning that he wasn''t in the mood to be refuted, "I said go back to the others. Lucivar, and I have an unfinished business"

    "Go, Leandra, this has nothing to do with you" Lucivar added.

    Despite her confusion and the warning, Leandra walked to Darwin''s front, barring his way.

    Looking straight at Darwin, she unsheathed her sword, "Let''s go talk to Master Tobias,"

    Seeing her defending Lucivar, Darwin''s face paled as he couldn''t believe this.

    On the other hand, beyond Leandra¡ªhe could see Lucivar, smirking at him¡ªwhile wiping the blood on the corner of his mouth. Naturally, the sight of this taunting smirk made Darwin lose his mind as his eyes turned bloodshot.

    He couldn''t stand seeing this, "Then so be it..."

    Immediately after he said that Darwin''s fingernails elongated, turning into black steel claws.

    As an Acolyte-rank Hybrid, he could make small transformations according to his bloodline.

    Compared to Lucivar and Leandra, he was way stronger than them.

    Leandra lowered her stance, sweating a little as she was going to fight Darwin, but as Darwin was about to make a move, all of them snapped their heads to their right, as a creature came out and ambushed them.

    Reacting quickly, Darwin and Leandra leaped away as the creature crashed into the tree.

    Crash!

    Surprisingly, the three tilted slightly from the force of the beast''s impact.

    Such a sight caused both Leandra and Darwin to widen their eyes in shock.

    Before them stood a massive feline, its pristine fur shimmering with a power hidden within its body. The creature''s long, sharp fangs gleamed ominously¡ªand its eyes¡ªmilky white as if it was blind, added to its terrifying presence.

    Steaming white vapor curled from its body, giving it an ethereal, almost ghostly appearance.

    Not to mention, the energy radiating from this beast was very threatening.

    Leandra and Darwin gulped harshly as there was no mistaking it, they had unluckily stumbled upon the most dangerous predator of the forest¡ªthe Astral Snow Leopard. Compared to the dog creatures that came from the yellow dungeon, this was levels above that.

    A level that the three of them couldn''t possibly beat.

    In front of such a beast, their only option was to flee.

    Momentarily disoriented from the crash, the snow leopard shook its head.

    It then turned, surveying its prey with lethal intent.

    Even its tongue was jutting out and lick its lips, savoring the meal that was about to come.

    After a few careful sniffs toward Leandra, and Lucivar, it shook its head and pulled back, it was as if the snow leopard was disgusted by them. Changing target¡ªits gaze locked onto Darwin, its hackles rising in clear hostility.

    Upon seeing this, Darwin clenched his teeth in alert.

    He cursed his luck for being the one targeted even though his bloodline was suppressed.

    Despite being in the same realm as the Astral Snow Leopard, he knew that beasts, had a raw strength that far surpassed Hybrids. A beast like this Astral Snow Leopard could probably be comparable to having the strength of the strongest of Acolyte-rank Hybrids.

    A direct confrontation would mean certain death.

    As the beast advanced slowly, Darwin instinctively took a few steps back.

    ''Not good, I''ll deal with this later. For now, I need to flee back to the others,'' He pondered.

    Just then, however, he noticed Lucivar behind Leandra, waving mockingly at him.

    Darwin''s eyes bulged¡ªthe smirk on Lucivar''s face was a clear indication, that this was not a regular encounter. Their encounter with the Astral Snow Leopard was not a coincidence, ''It''s him! He''s the one behind this?!''

 Chapter 33 33: Love Bait

    Ignoring the vicious cracks and crashes from behind, two figures could be seen running with all their might, heading to the main road. Lucivar, and Leandra were running back to the road so that they could inform the others and ask for their help.

    However, that desire to help was only fixed on Leandra alone.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, has another desire.

    From the moment Darwin threatened him to leave for good, Lucivar had already decided¡ªto get rid of him. He couldn''t leave right now¡ªthe group gave him shelter from prying eyes and there was also the fact that he became attached to this place because of Delilah.

    Naturally, Darwin''s confrontation was not something unexpected.

    He was expecting this after the fact that he was an active fugitive was known.

    But Lucivar had never anticipated being confronted by Darwin out of all people.

    Initially, he thought Mirel would confront him as he has no filter between his mind and mouth.

    He knew a bit about Lucivar''s background but maybe the danger became real to him now.

    Other than him¡ªRavenna was also someone who flashed in his mind. She was also, as blunt as Mirel, but none of them came to him. Even in the last couple of days¡ªLucivar didn''t really feel the others had changed much.

    Of course, that is aside from Leandra, but she was keeping an eye on him for another reason.

    Seeing that the others didn''t seem to mind about his background¡ªLucivar came to the fixed conclusion, that they also had a similar background to him. If Tobias saved them from death, then all of them must''ve had a big problem that led them to that situation.

    Just as he thought of that, Darwin came and confronted him instead.

    It came as a surprise, and Lucivar suspected that Darwin had another reason to do this.

    Lucivar was confused until at the peak of their tension, Leandra came to intrude on them.

    Almost instantly, Darwin''s demeanor changed back to that of a meek person.

    Even though he acted like that to the others too, there was a peculiar light, in his eyes, as he looked at Leandra. It was only then that everything made sense to Lucivar, the actual reason Darwin wanted him gone was not because of his or the others'' safety.

    No, he was in love with Leandra instead, and Lucivar was getting close to her.

    Because Leandra caught him killing the guard, she had been keeping an eye on him.

    It was unclear what her reason for doing that, but Darwin realized this.

    He was not a fool, he could tell that Leandra was in their room for Lucivar.

    Misunderstanding brewed, inside his head, and for a one-sided love, his mind traveled to the darkest and worst situation that probably made him mad in the head. It was easy for him¡ªto misunderstand Leandra''s attention on Lucivar as a love interest when in reality, it was not.

    Knowing that¡ªLucivar decided to make use of Leandra.

    He deliberately approached Leandra with fake love and swayed her into his motion.

    All of that was done to push Darwin nearer and nearer to the edge and when Lucivar gave Leandra the necklace earlier and said that he was not going anywhere was when Darwin''s thread to logic and reasoning in his mind broke, and he launched his attack.

    Of course, Lucivar knew Darwin was watching and deliberately said that.

    ''Had he not come out after I said that, I would''ve kissed Leandra but it seemed there was no need. He took the bait,'' Lucivar pondered with a nasty grin, he wasn''t going to let himself be sacrificed once again.

    If anyone needs to be sacrificed, then it should be the others, not him.

    "Are we sure that we should leave him? I could''ve helped him while you go tell the others"

    "Darwin is strong, you''ll only be in the way. Besides, that''s the Astral Snow Leopard"

    Gritting her teeth, Leandra nodded and hastened her pace.

    Just then, Lucivar looked around and noticed that they were halfway back to the carriages.

    He deliberately lured Leandra quite far because he needed time to execute his plan.

    Knowing that the forest was filled with dangerous beasts¡ªhis plan was to lure Darwin, out of the carriage, and have a beast attack him. The ''party popper'' he used on Leandra earlier was not exactly that, it was a beast repellent instead.

    Even though Darwin would draw the beast''s attention to him, Lucivar needs to play it safe.

    Since Darwin''s bloodline was suppressed earlier, he bought this as a guarantee.

    Now, he needs a reason for Leandra to go ahead by herself.

    Pondering for a moment, he pulled out his dagger and slashed his heel with it.

    Slash!

    "Argghk...!" Lucivar fell to one knee, hissing in pain.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra turned around and saw him on the ground, "What happened?!"

    "Go on without me, my leg hurts..." Lucivar replied.

    He rubbed his heel¡ªblood could be seen trickling down his hand, dying the white snow with his lifeblood. Seeing this, Leandra wanted to help him but he stopped her instantly, "Go! Just go! I''ll catch up to you, Darwin wouldn''t have much time!"

    Gritting her teeth, Leandra unwillingly nodded before she sprinted away in haste.

    As soon as she disappeared, Lucivar stood up nonchalantly and cracked his neck.

    He was not hurt at all, the cut he made was small but enough to convince Leandra to go.

    Glancing over his shoulder, he smirked evilly, "I better hurry and finish him off..."

    Meanwhile, on the source of the commotion.

    Darwin leaned heavily against a tree, his claws slick with blood, both his own, and the Astral Snow Leopard''s. He had fought fiercely, but the beast''s raw strength had overwhelmed him, it was hardly a fight.

    Now, with a deep wound searing his side, he staggered through the forest.

    Somehow, he managed to escape the beast''s deadly grasp and buy time to breathe.

    But he knew it wouldn''t be long before the beast found him again.

    "Arggh..." He grunted in pain, lifting up his hand, and saw a deep wound crossing his belly. It was a simple slash from the beast¡ªthat did this, "Lucivar... I should''ve fucking knew he was not going to go away! He even dared to make a move on Leandra, I''ll never forgive him!"

    "Leandra is mine, mine!!" He growled, his entire body was fuming in anger.

    From the moment he laid his eyes on Leandra, he knew that she was the only one for him.

    She was beautiful and strong, undeterred by anything.

    In Darwin''s mind, she was definitely his Luna, he could feel it in his heart.

    Everything was going smoothly until Lucivar came and somehow stole Leandra''s attention.

    "She never cared about the others, so why now? Why Lucivar?!" He gritted his teeth.

    Grunting in pain, Darwin left a red trail in the snow, a stark contrast against the pristine, and the mesmerizing purple leaves above. Despite his agony¡ªhis desire to kill Lucivar burned in his mind, he swore he would survive and make Lucivar pay for this.

    Looking in the carriage''s direction, he smiled brutally, "He must think I''m dead..."

    Roar!!

    Upon hearing an echoing roar, Darwin looked back, his heart skipped a beat at the roar.

    It was close, the Astral Snow Leopard was close.

    Just then, his eyes flickered with hope when he spotted an old stone ruin ahead.

    "After I lose that stupid beast, I''ll come back to the others and expose him" Darwin swore.

    Seeing the promise of shelter, he spurred forward in haste.

    Darwin forced himself to jog, using the tree trunks to push ahead¡ªbut as he neared the front of the old ruin, a shadow darted toward him from the corner of his eyes. He turned sharply to the right, his eyes widening in shock as Lucivar launched his ambush.

    "Don''t think I''m done with you yet!" Lucivar laughed, his eyes glowing golden.

    Swish!

    His dagger, glowed with the same light, brimming with ether¡ªand the sheer power radiating from the blade was astonishing. It caught Darwin, by surprise, as he didn''t know Lucivar had this much strength, ''It''s almost as strong as my attack! How?!''

    In an instant, Lucivar closed the distance with a simple dash.

    Darwin had no time to dodge, his reflex was lacking in his wounded state.

    Slash!

    Feeling a burning sensation crossing his body, his eyes widened as the blade slashed across his torso¡ªsending a spray of blood into the air as he got thrown back hard and crashed into the snow, coughing a mouthful of blood.

    Even as he lay on the ground, gazing at the beautiful canopy of the forest, he was stunned.

    He couldn''t believe Lucivar''s attack managed to wound him this much.

    Knowing that Lucivar wasn''t even able to defeat Bakar, who was far weaker than him, Darwin couldn''t believe he was being defeated like this. The cold bit into his wound and he struggled to rise, but it was too late.

    Lucivar''s boot pressed down on top of his wound, pinning him to the ground.

    His eyes gleamed with malice, the same malice he had at the incident of his rampage.

    "So this is your plan all along," Darwin barked, grabbing Lucivar''s foot with both hands but he was too weak to push it away. "you''re planning to kill me and have Leandra for yourself? No! I will not let that happen! Do you think you would get away with this?!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar pulled back, surprised by Darwin''s reaction greatly.

    But seeing the seriousness in his eyes, Lucivar laughed out loud.

    He couldn''t contain his laughter as this situation was extremely ridiculous.

    "What the fuck are you laughing at?!" Darwin shouted¡ªfuming with anger.

    Even though he was wounded beyond measure, he was regaining his strength bit by bit.

    As a Werewolf Hybrid, he has the ability to regenerate, but Lucivar is not worried.

    "Since you are appointed by Tobias to be the leader¡ªI thought you were smart, no..." Lucivar paused, rearranging his words. "I guess this is how powerful the power of love is, even a man like you became this dumb because of it. I know because I was once in your boots"

    "What are you saying, fucker?! Is that not what you''re planning to do?!" Darwin retorted.

    Lucivar shook his head, forcing Darwin''s clouded mind to turn its gears.

    "As you might already realize¡ªI''m killing you because you threatened me, that''s something I can''t let slide. But do you really think I am also doing this because I want Leandra? A woman who tried to kill me because of a simple misunderstanding? Of course not"

    "I approached Leandra to lure you here you moron" He said, chuckling in between words.

    Upon hearing this, Darwin''s expression froze.

    He thought that Lucivar was trying to steal Leandra, but turns out he was wrong.

    Squatting down in front of Darwin with a contorted, sadistic face, he grabbed Darwin''s hair.

    "I''m doing this for myself, I''m not going to be sacrificed again..." He added, menacingly.

 Chapter 34 34: Blinded By Jealousy

    Love wields a power like no other.

    In the hands of the true and mutual, it carves a path through darkness.

    But when unreturned, that power turns inward¡ªthe fiercest would of all is jealousy¡ªa bitter storm that rages within, festering in the heart that beats alone. It clouded the mind from the ability to see the truth.

    Lucivar knew from the start that Darwin''s hostility towards him was different.

    It didn''t come from safety''s sake.

    As a man who had once loved and betrayed, he knew blindness doesn''t only affect the eyes.

    Bianca''s betrayal was still unpleasantly fresh in his mind as if it happened yesterday.

    He knew what love and care could do to a man.

    From a simple observation, he knew Darwin''s hostility came from jealousy.

    ''Just as I decided to do after that incident, I should''ve avoided Leandra the most'' He thought.

    Lucivar was already firmed to keep a distance from Leandra.

    A beautiful woman and also a nosy one like Leandra would attract endless trouble.

    Even a simple walk through a new town, made the group, the center of attraction because of her, and that alone showed how much attention Leandra was pulling. Not to mention, Lucivar even got an experiment target because of her.

    Because of her, he decided to use the guard as a test experiment.

    One that he regretted doing solely because Leandra caught him in the act.

    She now has a reason to keep an eye on him.

    However, that should not be a problem now with his fake antiques of a new relationship.

    Meanwhile, Darwin looked at Lucivar, completely frozen.

    He was struck by the revelation, crashing over him like a tidal wave.

    How could he have been so blind? The pieces fell into place, each one a dagger of realization stabbing at his pride. He had been an utter fool to think that Lucivar, was courting Leandra. It should''ve been obvious to him but he was blinded by the flames of jealousy.

    From the very start, Lucivar had no genuine interest in her.

    Leandra was a beauty, one that could sway even the most disciplined of men.

    Of course, that naturally took effect the first time Lucivar laid his eyes on her.

    But that brief infatuation had vanished the moment Leandra tried to kill him.

    From then on¡ªLucivar had been cold toward her, never acknowledging her presence, never even sparing her a glance while he greeted the others daily. Darwin should have known that something was amiss when Lucivar suddenly became friendly with Leandra.

    Jealousy has clouded his judgment, a jealousy born from Leandra''s attraction to Lucivar.

    And now, here he was, wounded and cornered, the price of his folly.

    Despite his mistake as he shouldn''t have taunted Lucivar from the start, knowing well that he was an Angel Hybrid who had a tendency to lose control¡ªhe wasn''t going to die here. He bit down on his lower lip so hard it bled, glaring at Lucivar with a fury that set his blood ablaze.

    Even though he made the wrong move, losing to Lucivar would be a scar to his pride.

    He was the strongest in the family, his end should be more dignified than this.

    Lucivar noticed the change, raising an eyebrow in a mild surprise.

    Bam!

    Before he could react, Darwin lunged, headbutting Lucivar square in the nose.

    His nose bled instantly as the blow staggered Lucivar backward.

    Seizing the moment¡ªDarwin grabbed Lucivar by the leg and with a roar of raw power¡ªlifted him off the ground as if he were weightless. With a primal snarl, Darwin swung Lucivar ahead¡ªslamming him into the ground, the impact driving the air from Lucivar''s lungs.

    As an Albino Werewolf Hybrid and also an Acolyte-rank Hybrid, his strength was enormous.

    Being slammed like this, Lucivar felt his back almost broke.

    Had Darwin been in full strength there was no doubt Lucivar would go down from this alone.

    But Lucivar smiled faintly through the pain.

    ''I guess I should''ve expected this much, he''s the strongest out of all of us,'' He pondered.

    Landing a swift kick to Darwin''s chin, he freed his foot and rolled back.

    Squatting meters away, he wiped the trickle of blood from his nose and readied to battle.

    He planned on using the Astral Snow Leopard to weaken Darwin.

    In the end, however, he would be the one landing the finishing blow, he wanted it to be him.

    Or at least, that is what he was hoping to achieve, and now is the time.

    ''I used one strand of Loki''s ether on the slash earlier, I still have four more to go'' Lucivar was really curious¡ªas to how effective the strands from the Greedy Grasp ability were. He could not try it out before, but now he has the perfect training partner.

    Darwin was a perfect target he could try this on.

    Not only was Darwin the strongest, but he was also angered so his combat ability lessened.

    ''I don''t need to be afraid of him'' Lucivar mused as he rose to his feet.

    "Raarggh!!"

    Ignoring the scar on his stomach that was still bleeding, Darwin rushed ahead.

    His feet stomped the snow heavily as closed the gap between them.

    Pulling back his arm, charging for a punch, Lucivar also rushed ahead and did the same thing¡ªsuppressing his fear of a direct clash, with Darwin. Goden ether flowed into his right arm in a smooth manner before a tinge of green rushed inside, causing it to become chaotic.

    Lucivar used one strand to meet Darwin''s punch head-on.

    Bam!!

    Upon their punches connecting, the snowflakes around them were pushed away.

    Despite pouring his all into that punch, Lucivar was still blown back from the collision.

    ''He''s strong... It feels like the bones in my right arm were breaking,'' Lucivar gritted his teeth¡ª surprised by the force of Darwin''s punch, that blew him back. ''I used one strand and I am still overwhelmed. One more clash like that and I''m sure my arm would be broken!''

    On the other hand, Darwin was also experiencing the same shock inside his head.

    ''W- What...? I should''ve punched through him¡ªbut I was stopped? My punch could only push him back a little? I''m an Acolyte Hybrid and he is barely a Neophyte Hybrid!'' Darwin looked at Lucivar with shock in his eyes.

    He expected more from the punch but the result was shocking.

    Averting his gaze back ahead, Lucivar saw Darwin''s shocked expression and smirked.

    Even though he lost the clash, the power from his punch was definitely surprising.

    It could be seen through Darwin''s face, dripping with disbelief.

    Darwin coughed up a mouthful of blood¡ªfrustration gnawing at him as he struggled to keep himself upright, from overexerting himself. The weight of his predicament was crushing¡ªhis thoughts were chaotic but his focus snapped to the side when he heard a deafening roar.

    A roar that was unmistakable¡ªthe Astral Snow Leopard was near, far too near.

    Instinctively, his eyes widened in fear.

    But that moment of distraction was all Lucivar needed.

    Capitalizing on Darwin''s foolish action, he closed the distance in an instant, his movements were not perfect as he slipped because of the snow but got the job done. Gripping his own dagger tightly, Lucivar poured every last drop of his remaining ether into the blade.

    Shing!!

    Its edge glowed golden under his ether''s influence.

    Lucivar didn''t stop there, he drew upon two strands of Loki''s ether, feeling the rush of power flood through him. The dagger thrummed with energy, as he drove it upward, in an uppercut, the blade slicing through Darwin''s protective ether like it was nothing.

    Feeling a burning sensation in his chest, Darwin gasped in horror.

    He witnessed the dagger pierced his chest.

    Blood sprayed from his mouth, and his body was flung back, landing near a tree behind.

    Darwin slumped to the ground, his lifeblood pooling in the snow beneath him, staining it red.

    On the other hand¡ªLucivar, watched the scene. with a cold smile¡ªhis plan, was working too smoothly. Now he knew two strands of Loki''s ether had boosted his power by at least twenty percent from using one strand, more than enough to overpower the wounded Darwin.

    Naturally, if Darwin had been at full strength, he would''ve lost badly.

    But at this moment, two strands were sufficient to finish him off.

    It was also at that moment did the Astral Snow Leopard emerged from the bushes.

    Compared to before, it was more menacing, probably due to a couple of scratches it endured from fighting Darwin earlier. Lucivar made eye contact with the massive cat and smirked, "I''m not going to take your food big kitty, I''m a good guy"

    Upon hearing this, the Astral Snow Leopard growled at him.

    Nevertheless, it wasn''t coming close as Lucivar''s scent was extremely bad for it.

    Lucivar raised both of his hands and slowly backed away from Darwin.

    On the other hand, Darwin, gargling at his own blood glared at Lucivar, "Co- Come back!"

    "Kill me! Fin- Finish me off!" He added, there was a hint of fear in his voice.

    He would rather be killed instantly than be eaten alive by the Astral Snow Leopard.

    But this made Lucivar''s smirk spread wider as he turned around to leave.

    From the back¡ªDarwin shouted at him, desperately asking him to finish him off, but Lucivar ignored him completely and vanished into the bushes, ''I still need to go back to where I was or else Leandra would be suspicious''

    "Raargghkk!!"

    Growl!

    Lucivar walked away with calmness despite Darwin''s tortured voice behind him.

    He didn''t feel any kind of remorse, this was the path he had chosen.

    "Oh, and also..." Lucivar raised his hand when Darwin''s scream turned into silence.

    Just then, something radiant pierced through the air, and landed right on his palm, it was the golden sphere he gained, "So that''s how it is... Darwin had no intention to kill me, at least not until earlier, when he realized I trapped him. But even if he harbored no intention to kill me¡ªI could still gain this gold sphere through my desire to kill others"

    Unlike the ones he gained earlier, killing Darwin was different.

    Lucivar planned to kill him, the moment he threatened him, and that sparked the familiar dark trail of energy, but this one came from him and connected to Darwin instead of the other way around, and he was still able to gain the gold sphere.

    It seemed no matter which way or another, if a killing intent was involved, he could use it.

    Pivoting his attention to the gold sphere, Lucivar''s eyes sparkled.

    "Hoh... It''s even bigger than before¡ªdoes that mean I''m rewarded more, for desiring to kill others? Must be if one of the statues inside of me belonged to Loki," Lucivar muttered, but then he noticed something odd in the gold sphere. "It was tinged with Loki''s energy?"

    "This is getting interesting..." Lucivar grinned, clutching the orb tightly.

 Chapter 35 35: Tip of Modernity

    Lucivar now knew what he needed to do to gain his natural ether and grow stronger.

    He only needs to align his intention before killing another person.

    If he only defended himself from someone who wanted to kill him, he wouldn''t be rewarded.

    On the other hand, if he set his intention to kill before killing another person then the rewards are all his. Despite having the bloodline of an Angel, Lucivar was corrupted thus the only way for him to get stronger is through doing what pleases the statues inside of him.

    Currently, he only knew two methods, killing intent and also trickery.

    Killing intent should please whatever the egg statue was, his Supernatural Ego¡ªwhile doing trickery, would please Loki. Gaining the gold sphere provided him with the ether to progress to a higher realm while the green sphere expanded his ether reserve.

    ''It also seemed to increase my mastery...'' Lucivar pondered inwardly.

    In addition to expanding his reserve, the green sphere also seemed to increase his mastery.

    He could feel controlling his ether was easier than before.

    Of course, there might be a chance that he was only getting used to using ether but that was unlikely, as the increase in mastery, was too rapid. Loki was known to be¡ªa master of magic, maybe that was why the green sphere gave these benefits.

    Focusing back on the sphere in hand, Lucivaar smiled.

    Expecting to obtain only the gold sphere, Lucivar was surprised when the sphere he gained was not a gold sphere, or a green sphere, but a perfect mix of the two. Half of it was green, and the other half was gold.

    Since he intended to kill Darwin and manipulate him, this was his reward.

    "Getting my hand on one of these really felt good," Lucivar muttered. "I might get addicted..."

    Putting the sphere away, he quickly sprinted away into the bushes.

    On the other hand, Leandra has come back alongside Bob, Nerissa, Bakar, and Mirel.

    All of them learned of the situation and instantly made their way to the scene, but the lack of sound of battle¡ªtroubled them. It was either Darwin, who brought the battle away, or worse, he was killed already.

    None of them expected Darwin to win against the Astral Snow Leopard.

    It was too strong for even someone like Darwin to win alone.

    Leandra, leading the group halted when she saw a figure, crawling on the ground in pain.

    Upon seeing this, she quickened her pace, "Lucivar!"

    "What happened to you?!" She added in concern, seeing that he was worse than before.

    Taking a couple of heavy gasps at the question¡ªLucivar looked at Leandra, and the others before he replied, "I tried to turn around to help Darwin but slipped¡ªand hurt myself pretty badly so here I am but I suggest you continue, it has been silent for a moment now"

    Nodding in affirmation, Bob led the group and went past them quickly.

    On the other hand, Leandra stayed behind.

    Her eyes then landed on a wound on Lucivar''s wrist, "How did you get that?"

    Raising an eyebrow, Lucivar looked at where Leandra was directing before his eyes slightly widened at the sight¡ªof bloodied claw marks. It seemed Darwin, managed to scratch him, presumable when he stabbed his dagger earlier.

    Keeping his composure, he replied, "The fight attracted other beasts, I met one earlier,"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra frowned a little.

    It was clear that she was a little bit weirded out by this but she eventually nodded.

    Lucivar and Leandra went back to the carriages, finding Tobias waiting for them alone there.

    At the sight of them¡ªTobias instantly straightened his posture and put both of his hands, on his waist, looking at Lucivar with squinted eyes. He was clearly pissed, his face remained the same but the air around him was different.

    Slowly, Leandra helped Lucivar lean against the carriage as the two faced Tobias.

    "Explain," Tobias said with a cold tone.

    Given this question, Lucivar stole a glance at Leandra and found her entire body trembling in fear, as she kept her gaze down to the ground. Oddly enough, when it comes to Tobias¡ªshe was always extra like this.

    Lucivar could only sigh lightly as it seemed it was up to him to explain.

    "I noticed earlier that my relationship with Leandra was troubling everyone¡ªso I brought her away for a bit to clear the air, between us," Lucivar replied, the words flowing smoothly from his mouth. "It''s not even five minutes, and we unluckily met the Astra Snow Leopard. Darwin must''ve seen us and followed. I''ll take full responsibility for this mistake..."

    Upon hearing this, Tobias looked over to Leandra, "Is that true?"

    "Y- Yes, master..." She replied meekly.

    At her answer, Tobias could only massage his forehead, this was truly unlucky.

    "Let''s hope Darwin is okay and we''ll start from there," Tobias eventually said, pivoting away.

    On the other hand, Lucivar stole a glance at Tobias and smiled inwardly.

    He already thought of an excuse for this question and it seemed his excuse was working.

    Just then, however, Lucivar''s eyes sparkled at the sight of a green orb emerging from Tobas'' chest and fell to the snowy ground with a light thud. At the sight of this, he checked Leandra and Tobias to see if they also saw this flaming orb.

    Seeing no reaction from them, he deduced that he was the only one who could see it.

    ''Green, so it must be Loki''s doings,'' Lucivar pondered.

    As Tobias and Leandra averted their attention to where the others'' direction, Lucivar silently went to the side and grabbed the orb. Surprisingly, the orb suddenly glowed upon his touch, and shapeshifted into a small item.

    Reaching for the item, Lucivar took it and found that it was a ring with an emerald gem.

    It was forged from gleaming steel that twisted and coiled like the roots of ancient, enchanted staffs. Each strand of metal seemed alive, and at the center, where the roots converged sat a radiant green gem, its surface smooth and flawless.

    Feeling a strange pull towards the ring, Lucivar wore it on his index finger.

    Almost instantly, Lucivar''s eyes rolled back as a torrent of information seeped into his brain.

    He was convulsing slightly for a couple of seconds before he recovered.

    Upon recovering, he looked at the ring with a newfound light as he now knew what the ring was capable of. The ring was called the Gleipnir''s Echo¡ªand it has a myriad of abilities, the more he feeds it but for now¡ªthe ring increases his ether reserve¡ªand grants two abilities called Snare and Green Shroud.

    Snare is a mind attack, allowing him to bind a target with illusion chains, slowing them down.

    Green Shroud, on the other hand, is a concealment ability.

    As long as his use of ether didn''t exceed the threshold, nobody would deduce how strong he was¡ªat least, until he wanted to show it, ''Not only did I gain the sphere, but I could also gain an item like this...?''

    Soon a smile crept to his face, ''No matter how I think about this, I''m not normal, am I?''

    About ten minutes later.

    Just as Lucivar, Tobias, and Leandra were waiting while protecting the carriages, the others emerged from the bushes. Bob was leading the ground, and their expressions were all grim, a natural reaction to their findings.

    Despite their rigorous search, they were only able to recover a piece of Darwin''s clothes.

    It was bloodied, showcasing that Darwin was most likely to be dead.

    Not even his corpses were left behind.

    After losing Delilah, the group now lost another member, their strongest nonetheless.

    Tobias didn''t show any reaction, and asked the others if they were okay¡ªbefore going back into his carriage¡ªto resume their journey. Even though the loss of Darwin was a big deal for them, the forest is dangerous still and they have to keep moving.

    Of course, the others blamed Lucivar for what happened.

    But even then, Mirel and Leandra were able to help him, attributing this tragedy to bad luck.

    Despite both of their efforts, the air around them remained choking.

    Lucivar¡ªdeciding that he would be understanding, decided to leave the carriage and walked the rest of the way, as well as keeping an eye, on the carriages. He walked a couple of paces behind the back-most carriage, in the cold.

    It was tiring to do this but Lucivar didn''t mind.

    All of them mainly blamed Lucivar out of their impulses not because of a strong reason.

    None of them could really point at Lucivar as there were no traces pointing at him.

    Lucivar knew that this was temporary, his plan to take out Darwin was quite flawless.

    Other than Leandra¡ªnone of them would suspect him for orchestrating this and in Leandra''s condition¡ªshe wasn''t in any way able to trace it back to him, ''Since when did I become good at this? Must be a side effect of my corrupted bloodline and having Loki inside of me''

    Even though he was in this situation, he was not complaining at all.

    Taking out the colorful sphere from his pocket, he began to eagerly absorb it.

    ...

    Some time later.

    Lucivar panted slightly, the exhaustion of days on foot weighing on him.

    But even then, he kept his distance from the others.

    He gave them space to mourn without his presence inciting unwanted emotions from them.

    Darwin''s death hit them hard, almost as deeply as Delilah''s loss had.

    Everyone was gloomy still, save for Bob, who remained stoic as the new leader.

    As the carriages rounded a mountain bend¡ªthe sound of splashing water reached Lucivar''s ears, a welcome relief, from the oppressive silence. The air here was different, fresher¡ªway more rejuvenating compared to the biting cold of the snowy forest they had left behind.

    Continuing ahead, a stunning lake appeared, its surface sparkling like a thousand diamonds.

    Added by the sunlight, it became a sight to behold.

    Beyond it, a massive city loomed, dwarfing the towns Lucivar had seen in his entire life.

    Naturally, this was no ordinary city.

    "It looked more like a fortress than a city," Lucivar muttered silently.

    A colossal dome encased the entire city¡ªprotecting it from the searing sun and any airborne threats. Lucivar marveled at its size¡ªit had to house millions. This was Sunhold City, the sole destination of the group.

    Excitement bubbled with him, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

    He gazed ahead at the sprawling metropolis like a child in a candy shop.

    Then¡ªhis attention was drawn downward, as he stepped onto a smooth¡ªdark grey surface, an asphalt road. The texture underfoot was foreign, Lucivar had never seen a road this good. It was only then that the carriages halted.

    Curious, Lucivar approached Tobias'' carriage.

    But his breath was stuck in his throat as he realized they had reached a junction.

    Whoosh!

    Before him, strange vehicles sped by, not powered by horses or other animals, but only metal¡ªcars and motorcycles, some open-roofed with lavishly dressed drivers whose hair whipped in the wind.

    Such a sight was surreal.

    Lucivar felt out of place as their carriages were nothing compared to the fast machines.

    Of course, there were a few other carriages on the road¡ªbut they were pulled by powerful beasts that were even stronger than the Astral Snow Leopard. Moreover¡ªthey were vastly outnumbered by the roaring cars and motorcycles.

    Lucivar''s eyes widened further as he noticed lights lining the road on both sides.

    He ran to the nearest one and looked up at how tall it was.

    Even though they were off right now, he knew these must be the modern torches exclusive to the grandest of cities, street lights. Reaching his hand, he touched the tip¡ªof modernity before a smile crept to his face, "So this is a free city, the Sunhold City..."

 Chapter 36 36: Sunhold City

    Sunhold City is one of the capitals under the House of Valerius.

    An independent city that was not inhibited from the progression of the world and civilization.

    No ransoms and no sacrifices, they were free from the cruelty of the darker side.

    Compared to Veegend City, and also the small town Lucivar and the others were staying in¡ªSunhold City was a paradise, it was lavish, massive¡ªand most importantly, safe from threats of the wild or even the Crossers.

    Unlike the House of Ashbourne, the House of Valerius focused on Vampire Hybrids.

    It was known throughout the continent¡ªthat the Valerius family members¡ªwere among the most beautiful people across multiple continents. Being a Vampire Hybrid doesn''t only make one extremely strong, but their constitution also reconstructs their faces¡ªto make them the most beautiful version of themselves.

    Because of that, the Vampire bloodline is the favorite for aspiring Hybrids.

    Even as the carriages lined to enter the entrance, Lucivar saw the people here were clean.

    All wore clothes that were vibrant in colors, not the plain white, brown, or black tunics¡ªwhile the guards were in matching bright red uniforms. Not stopping at that, Lucivar and the others marveled upon entering the city.

    Other than Tobias, the others came from slave cities.

    Not once had they ever stepped into an independent city such as this one.

    Moreover¡ªalong the way, Tobias had described to them what Sunhold City would look like so they had a rough idea of what the city would look like, but even then the actual city was even more breathtaking than what they had pictured in mind.

    Lucivar poked his head out of the carriage and glanced skyward.

    Aside from the translucent dome shielding the city, the packed buildings caught his eye.

    It wasn''t made of bricks, stones, and wood but glistening materials akin to the materials used in the chamber of the Gods. Additionally, the height of these skyscrapers was shocking, their peaks stabbed the sky, a testament to Human advancement.

    Other than that, people were packed here, on the side of the road, or even in the sky.

    Yes, some of them were flying above¡ªpowerful Hybrids.

    Some were mounting flying beasts while some were capable of flying on their own.

    Upon seeing these Hybrids, Lucivar could not help but dream of himself flying like them.

    As an aspiring Angel Hybrid, he would''ve eventually been able to sprout his own wings¡ªand soar through the sky, ''Someday... I have the bloodline of a literal God coursing in my veins¡ªI am sure I''ll reach that height. All I need is the determination to reach it, no matter what...''

    Knowing his path to power, Lucivar smirked.

    Even if he needs to drag down others to attain strength, he would gladly do so.

    Looking down at his hands, he clenched it a couple of times, feeling the power within him.

    He had already absorbed the mixed sphere he had gained.

    Earlier last night, his Supernatural Ego hummed as his power surged¡ªa sign that Lucivar had broken through to the three-star Neophyte rank. Killing Darwin gave him a fat sphere, he was getting stronger steadily.

    But what he lacks is the information to compare himself to the Hybrids at his rank.

    ''I''ll ask Tobias later after we reach his home.'' Lucivar nodded.

    Just then, Mirel tapped him a couple of times, "Hey, hey! Look! What the fuck is that?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar take a look before he sucked in a cold breath.

    Other than the massive buildings, there was another wonder in the far distance, a floating island that had a crimson waterfall¡ªthat showered whatever was underneath it. From the looks of it, that floating island must belong to the House of Valerius.

    It was the ruler of the city''s place, the likeness of the castle back in Veegend City.

    From the front, Tobias smirked knowing that the kids definitely had their breaths taken away.

    No infrastructure in the slave cities could match the ones here.

    Looking at his pocket watch to check the time¡ªTobias, looked back ahead, and gestured for the driver to move faster, "If we''re quick enough, they should be able to be tested before the day is out. Even though I have high hopes for the kids, Lucivar... he is different, I need to hold onto him tighter"

    Moments later when the sun was directly above their heads.

    Lucivar arrived at their destination.

    Surprisingly enough, Tobias'' home was located at Sector 4 on Darkblood Street.

    Sunhold City was divided into Sectors 1 to 5, and the higher the number, the closer it was to the House of Valerius'' embassy¡ªthe home of the person governing this city. Sector 4 was a little bit close to the embassy, reserved only for those who have power.

    An elite neighborhood.

    Because of that, it was surprising to know that Tobias'' home was located in this sector.

    Even though it was far away from the main road, it was still in Sector 4.

    Finding that the carriages had stopped, Lucivar stepped down from the carriage and looked around, finding that there was nothing, but a road and trees in the surroundings. But¡ªwhen he turned to look at his back, he was caught off guard by what he saw.

    Just like him, the others also gasped in surprise.

    Mirel was the most surprised, he pointed ahead and turned to Tobias, "Is this your house...?"

    "No, I borrowed it," Tobias smiled as he took down their belongings.

    Poised before their very eyes was a mansion with a massive front yard decorated with trees, tall fences of marble and stones enhanced with ether, intricate lamps¡ªand two fountains on either side of the small road leading to the mansion.

    Lucivar could feel from the start that Tobias had an air of noble.

    His air was different, it was refined and elegant, a stark contrast to those in slave cities.

    But Lucivar wasn''t expecting Tobias to have this kind of place he called home.

    ''It was way bigger than the governor''s house or even the castle back home...'' He pondered.

    Such a mansion could only be owned by an aristocrat.

    "Wow... Is this really your house, master?"

    "So soft, the carpet is so soft... Oh, this place even has marble pillars inside!"

    "Even the walls looked robust, I want to try punching it through"

    "How come you kept this to yourself, master? I think we have the right to know"

    Even though they already prepared themselves to step inside the mansion with the exterior in mind, the others were still unable to hide their surprise¡ªas the interior didn''t lose out. As someone who hasn''t tasted luxury in their entire lives, everything surprised them.

    Seeing the excitement in their eyes, Tobias could only smile and shake his head.

    "Go and have a look around," He finally said, waving his hand.

    Upon hearing that, Mirel instantly dashed in a direction without hesitation, laughing aloud.

    "Mirel, calm down! No need to run around!" Tobias exclaimed.

    However, his warning did nothing as Mirel already disappeared into the other rooms.

    Just like Mirel, the others also decided to look around, now that they gained permission from Tobias. Some explored the first floor while the rest explored the second floor, wanting to see if the mansion had anything more surprises to offer.

    Everyone left Tobias in the foyer, everyone except for Lucivar.

    Realizing that Lucivar was still here, Tobias asked, "Do you need something, Lucivar?"

    "I want to test out my strength before the academy, where can I do that?" He asked.

    Tobias was stunned for a second, he didn''t expect Lucivar¡ªto want to go back to train when they had only arrived at the mansion. But even then¡ªthis made him smile, "I''ll have someone take you to the training chamber and your room. Also¡ªwe are leaving in a couple of hours so don''t take too long and clean yourself"

    Knowing that they arrived on time, Lucivar had expected this.

    Just as the two were talking, several figures came from the other room.

    Each of them was dressed in a red and white maid outfit, and there were fifteen of them.

    Striding into the foyer with light steps, and an upright back, these maids create a line¡ªto the side before bowing at Tobias respectfully, "Welcome back, Master Tobias!" All of them said in a union.

    Upon hearing this, Tobias nodded before he averted his attention to Lucivar.

    "Pick one out of them to be your personal maid," He instructed.

    Lucivar swept his gaze across the maids, who were all beautiful women, capable of luring the primal desires of men. Soft skin that was slightly gleaming¡ªdelicate features framed by their hair, and eyes that sparkled with a quiet allure.

    However, despite their feminine allure, he shook his head, "Don''t need one,"

    "Just tell me where my room and the training chamber is," He added.

    Pausing for a second, Tobias then told him the way before he nodded and went on his own.

    Coursing along the wide hallway, Lucivar''s mind was filled¡ªwith thoughts, ''If Tobias has this kind of home here¡ªdoesn''t that mean he was a Vampire Hybrid? Nobody knew what kind of Hybrid he was, and him being a Vampire Hybrid is the most likely case''

    As he thought of that, Lucivar stopped and glanced over to the massive windows to his left.

    He turned and viewed the front yard and the sunlight absent-mindedly.

    "I was intending¡ªto flee from this family after we arrived at Sunhold City¡ªand it should have become easier, now that Delilah was not here," Lucivar muttered silently, pondering about his next moves.

    But then, Delilah''s death flashed in his mind, causing him to frown hard.

    "I should find out more about Tobias," He firmed his mind. "If he was indeed a Vampire Hybrid then he must''ve had a big influence here and I could use that if I got into trouble. Considering the nature of my ether, I''ll surely get into trouble sooner or later"

    Moving once again, Lucivar eventually reached his supposed room.

    He stood in front of two massive doors.

    Just as he was about to push open the door, he frowned and his ear closer.

    Lucivar could hear muffled sounds coming from the inside¡ªmoaning sounds that came from his supposed room¡ªand instinctively, his hand rested, on the handle of his dagger. Counting to three in his mind, he silently pushes open the door.

    Peeking into the room, he found a maid sitting on the bed, facing the other way.

    She was leaning back and her hand was moving, she seemed to be doing something.

    But Lucivar couldn''t see what she was doing from this angle.

    Deciding to check what she was doing, Lucivar stealthily got into the room and crept closer to the maid. He unsheathed his dagger, expecting for the worse. Keeping his distance, from her¡ªLucivar peeked at what she was doing without her knowing.

    However, what he was expecting was far from reality.

    As he cautiously peeked at what she was doing, a mix of disbelief and exasperation washed over him. Lucivar let out a light sigh, lowering his weapon, and massaged his forehead when he realized the maid was lost in her own private moment.

    She was covering her mouth with her other hand, muffling her moans.

    For better or worse, she was masturbating, slightly wetting the bed''s edge and also the floor.

    "Ekhhmm..." Lucivar cleared his throat, leaning back on an antique dressing table.

    Upon hearing this, the maid turned and made eye contact with Lucivar.

    It was silent for a few seconds as the maid froze, but when she realized what was happening¡ªher eyes widened in utter shock before she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Pervert!!"

 Chapter 37 37: Walking Ether Pouch

    "Kyaah! Pervert!"

    Scrambling to grab anything that she could reach¡ªthe maid threw pillows at Lucivar with the shallow hope that somehow he would be knocked out by it. But that did close to nothing, and the maid was at a loss when she ran out of ammunition.

    In a hurry, she grabbed a comb on the desk and pointed it at Lucivar.

    "Stay back!" She exclaimed, acting as if the comb was a knife.

    Lucivar was at a loss for words, "I didn''t even move"

    "Just stay where you are and tell me how did you get inside!" the maid barked once again.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was utterly bewildered, his brow furrowed and he glanced around as if trying to piece together the question. He then answered¡ªin perplexity, "Uhh... I went in through the main door?"

    "Oh... the balls perverts have these days," the maid scoffed, her hands trembling.

    Massaging his forehead as the maid still misunderstood the situation or was trying to agitate him deliberately, Lucivar cleared up her confusion, "Stop pointing that damn comb at me. I''m with Tobias, we arrived minutes ago, and he said this is my room"

    "I can use this comb to slice yo- wait... Tobias? Master Tobias?" Her body froze at the name.

    Seeing realization kicking in, Lucivar nodded his head.

    Slapping her forehead as she wasn''t aware that Tobias was coming today, the maid panicked and her expression paled¡ªwanting to rush outside to see if it was true. But as she headed to the door, Lucivar grabbed her by the arm.

    Forced to stop mid-way, the maid glanced towards him and their eyes met.

    Now that they were close, Lucivar could get a good look at this maid.

    Her features were delicate, framed by an oval-shaped face, with long, well-defined eyebrows that arched gracefully above her large, expressive eyes. Initially, Lucivar thought her hair was white in color but upon closer look, it was white with a tinge of pink.

    Additionally, her figures were blessed.

    It was supple with its full, rounded breasts and gently curved bottom.

    A figure that hinted maturity, she was possibly around thirty years of age, on the older type.

    "D- Do you need something?" the maid asked stutteringly.

    Due to Lucivar''s intense and sharp gaze, she felt her entire face was burning.

    Upon hearing this¡ªLucivar recovered from his inspection and said, "You masturbated in my room, threatened me with a comb, and called me a pervert... now you want to hurry out and leave without saying anything?"

    Recalling what had happened, the maid''s face reddened like a tomato once again.

    She barely has time for herself and today was her limit.

    But to think that she would be caught, by a stranger nonetheless, she cursed herself inside.

    "Kyaah!" the maid yelped as she was pressed against the wall.

    No way out, she was blocked by Lucivar''s arm while her other arm was pinned above her.

    "Please don''t tell this to Master Tobias..." She whispered meekly.

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow when he heard this, smirking inwardly as he gained a weakness.

    He then asked softly, "What''s your name?"

    "Sabrina..." the maid, Sabrina answered, keeping her gaze low.

    Despite her composure on the outside¡ªit was a whirlwind on the inside, ''I''m wet and I forgot to wear my underwear again. Ahh... He saw me, he saw me doing that kind of thing, what am I going to do? More importantly, what is he going to do?''

    ''Why is he pinning me on the wall? D- Did he get excited seeing me?'' She thought.

    Peeking at Lucivar, she saw that he was looking at her intently.

    Under such piercing gaze, Sabrina felt weak on both her knees, and she let out an accidental moan, when her private part, touched Lucivar''s leg that was in between her legs. Against her own volition, her hand rested on Lucivar''s chest naturally.

    She already leaned forward, letting her body lean against Lucivar''s.

    Being trapped in this situation, she wouldn''t be able to retaliate if Lucivar made a move.

    But that move never came as the man turned away, going for the door.

    "Clean up the mess in two minutes, I don''t want your scent to linger inside my room," Lucivar said as he grabbed the door''s handle. "If you''re finished come to the training chamber¡ªI will be waiting for you there"

    Not even waiting for a reply, Lucivar left, leaving Sabrina alone in the room.

    "H- He didn''t do anything...?" Sabrina uttered in disbelief. "Is he a eunuch? How could he?"

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Lucivar stood rooted on his spot.

    It was unexpected to meet with Sabrina in that circumstances but he was glad that he did.

    Not because of the obvious reason, of course.

    Looking at his hand, Lucivar could feel that he had five strands of Loki''s energy again.

    Earlier when he pinned Sabrina on the wall he realized that she was also a Hybrid, so he tried to absorb her ether through the Greedy Grasp ability to replenish his versatile energy strands but was surprised in the next second.

    Lucivar only needs a few seconds to gain five strands.

    He had used his ability on Leandra but replenishing five full strands was a hassle.

    It took time and focus but not if he did it with Sabrina.

    "How is this possible? I was planning on gaining one or two strands from her, but instead got a full five strands instead, in mere seconds nonetheless!" He muttered inwardly, gazing back at the door once again, smirking. "Seems like I got myself a walking ether pouch"

    Moments later.

    Lucivar entered the supposed training chamber at the very edge of the mansion.

    It was isolated and close to the backdoor.

    Pushing the door open, Lucivar was greeted by an expansive empty room.

    From a glance, the room spanned the size of two or three houses combined, its vast expanse dominated by a sleek interplay of black, and silver. The floor was covered in matte black, and it absorbed the light in a way that made the space feel both intimate and formidable.

    And the large windows inside the room made the place fresh and not choking.

    Along the walls, a variety of weapons crafted from hard black rubber were displayed.

    In the corner, two roughed-up training dolls stood silently.

    Just the scratches and dents on the hinted at countless hours of grueling practice.

    At the center was an elevated platform used¡ªas an arena but what pulled Lucivar''s attention the most was a particular spot, on the wall to his left. It looked like a massive mirror but when he got closer to it he realized that it was water instead.

    Curious, he touched the surface and saw his touches ripple through the entire thing.

    It was exactly like a body of water with shallow depth and on the wall.

    "Hmm... what is this?" He questioned aloud.

    Immediately after he muttered that the door was opened again and Sabrina came in.

    She was panting heavily and needed to take a breather for a couple of seconds.

    "I only told you to clean up, why are you that tired?" Lucivar commented.

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina raised a finger¡ªas she tried to catch her breath before she stood upright and responded, "I need to take off the bedsheet and hide it from Teresa, she was the head maid here"

    "Just confess to her that you masturbated," Lucivar replied, shrugging his shoulders.

    But this made Sabrina roll her eyes, "I still have some decency"

    "Decency? You?" Lucivar chuckled, looking at the water''s surface still. "I''m really surprised"

    Sabrina, punched the air multiple times, shadowboxing while image beating Lucivar up, but she instantly stopped¡ªand averted her gaze elsewhere when Lucivar turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

    "Tell me about this thing, what does it do?" Lucivar finally asked.

    Approaching hurriedly, Sabrina explained, "It''s a Reflection Meter to gauge your strength"

    "To use it, you only need to punch it directly," She added.

    Lucivar instantly rolled his sleeves, this was exactly what he wanted, to test his strength.

    Before he could punch the Reflection Meter, Sabrina stopped him and asked, "For the record, may I know what your current rank is, master? It would be helpful for me to explain the result, if I knew what your rank was"

    "Second-star Neophyte," Lucivar replied nonchalantly.

    However, a playful grin crossed Sabrina''s face when she heard that.

    ''Second-star Neophyte, huh... I''ll set the Reflection Meter to display one rank lower, than his actual rank. It''s a harmless prank, a little payback for earlier,'' She pondered mischievously, it still stings that Lucivar left her without doing anything.

    Since it was a tool, there was a setting that Sabrina could tweak.

    By increasing the hardness of the Reflection Meter, it would lower the power input.

    Nodding her head, she went over to the setting panel below and tapped a couple of buttons.

    As she stood back up, Lucivar asked, "Is it good now? Can I hit it?"

    "Of course, give it your best shot, master!" Sabrina cheered.

    Even though Lucivar was a little bit suspicious as the air around her changed into a friendlier one, when she tried to stab him with a comb earlier, he decided to ignore it¡ªand focused on delivering the punch.

    Sharpening his gaze, Lucivar clenched his fist tighter, causing his muscles to bulge.

    Only when he was ready, he swung his fist with all his might.

    Splash!

    Lucivar''s fist slammed into the water''s surface, sending a surprising shockwave of ether that blasted through the Reflection Meter. The once-calm water erupted into massive ripples, the waves were violent enough that it threatened to spill over from the sheer force of his strike.

    He held nothing back in that punch, using all five strands he gained from Sabrina.

    Since he could easily replenish it now, there was no need to be stingy.

    Upon witnessing this, Sabrina''s breath caught in her throat¡ªher body freezing as the impact echoed, like a thunderclap. It felt like the sound of Lucivar''s punch, knocked the soul straight out of her body.

    Stiffly, she turned to the Refection Meter to check the result.

    For a moment, the device calculated the strength.

    In the next second, her eyes widened as the water shifted from baby blue to yellow.

    Not stopping at that, something even more startling happened¡ªthe yellow hue darkened, a tint of blue bleeding and mixing into it. Sabrina sucked in a cold breath, utterly stunned. She was not expecting this kind of result.

    ''I might''ve set it wrong...'' Sabrina muttered and went ahead to check the setting again.

    But then she realized that there was no mistake, the setting was correct.

    On the other hand, Lucivar waved his aching hand, the unexpected hardness of the surface having stung more¡ªthan he anticipated. He then turned to Sabrina, curiosity sparing within his eyes, "So, what''s my result? Yellow with a tinge of dark blue, what does that mean?"

    Despite being questioned, Sabrina was still in shock, her hearing dampened.

    ''He''s a second-star Neophyte but has the strength of a first-star acolyte...? Is he a monster?''

 Chapter 38 38: Bloodhaven Academy

    Sabrina wanted to prank Lucivar but she was the one stunned instead.

    As a second-star Neophyte Hybrid, the amount of strength Lucivar exerted was shocking, he was as strong as a Hybrid one rank higher than his current state. Even for a Hybrid with a red grade bloodline, that kind of feat was extremely rare.

    Not to mention, the hardness of the Reflection Meter was set to be higher than normal!

    ''Had it been normal, what would the measurement be...?'' She thought in disbelief.

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

    Realizing that he was waiting, Sabrina cleared her throat, "It reads the first-star Acolyte rank"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded as the result was within his expectations.

    Considering that he managed to stalemate a clash with Darwin, he expected this result.

    Seeing that Lucivar was not surprised by the result, Sabrina bit her lower cherry lip¡ªin utter vexation, "But how are you that strong?! I even set the surface to be harder purposefully, so that the result would be lower than your actual strength!"

    Just as she said that she slapped and covered her mouth.

    On the other hand, Lucivar squinted his eyes.

    Caught red-handed, Sabrina exposed an innocent smile, sweating slightly.

    Not expecting her to be this petty, Lucivar, pinched her cheek¡ªand pulled on it, causing the poor maid to whimper from her burning cheek, "I''m sorry~ I was still annoyed and thought of a little prank, I won''t do it again huhu"

    "Are you even an actual maid? I''ll report this to Tobias for sure," Lucivar threatened.

    But this made Sabrina plead further, putting on a puppy face, "Don''t do that,"

    Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure but then his eyes caught sight of a green energy, it was seeping out of Sabrina''s cheek, that was pinched. He observed this green energy¡ªand saw it being absorbed by his ring, the Gleipnir''s Echo.

    It was Loki''s ether, a small amount of it came out of Sabrina''s cheek.

    Pulling his hand away, Lucivar looked at the ring in contemplation, ''So that''s how you feed it,''

    ''it feeds on mischief, I should do this often,'' He nodded in affirmation.

    All he knew about the ring was that it would become stronger the more he fed it but he didn''t know how to feed it until now. Nodding his head, Lucivar replenished¡ªthe versatile energy to five strands once again by absorbing Sabrina''s ether before he turned away.

    He faced the Reflection Meter and gave it a go one more time.

    However, unlike before, he didn''t use any strands of versatile energy, only his ether.

    Bam!

    He punched the Reflection Meter and the water turned bright yellow.

    "Now is four-star Neophyte rank," Sabrina uttered but then frowned. "Huh...? I feel weak"

    Glancing over his shoulder¡ªLucivar found her falling to the ground because her knees gave out. It was definitely because of him sneakily absorbing her ether but that wasn''t a problem for him, he got what he wanted¡ªhis versatile energy strands were full.

    ''It''s more like her problem for being too defenseless,'' Lucivar shrugged and left the room.

    Moments later, Tobias gathered everyone and told them to apply to an academy.

    An academy called the Bloodhaven Academy.

    Since the assessment of Hybrids could happen at any time along the proper age, entries to academies are open all year round. For an Acolyte-rank Hybrid¡ªthe age limit was nineteen for high-caliber academies so Lucivar and the others weren''t going to the top academies.

    Instead of the top, they were going to go to a second-rate academy.

    Bloodhaven Academy was located on the outskirts of sector 3 and was also the go-to place if aspiring Hybrids, were rejected by the top academies. Upon arrival through taxis¡ªLucivar got down before he looked around¡ªit was somehow packed.

    "What''s going on? Is the academy offering free food?" Mirel commented.

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa chuckled, "We''re not in a small town anymore, there''s no way..."

    Ravenna glanced to the side and saw a poster there.

    Reading the poster¡ªshe shook her head, and sighed, "The daughters of a celebrity, were applying to the academy today, these people came here to see and cheer them. Just why does it have to be today?"

    Having no other choice, the group mingled through the crowd.

    Along the way, Lucivar looked around and couldn''t help but gasp as the academy alone was as big as a small town. Entering through the main gate, they were now within the academy''s ground with multiple buildings in front of them.

    Unlike the outside, the academy grounds were not crowded, only students here and there.

    And the students rode bikes here as the buildings were far apart.

    Glancing to the side, there were multiple figures with the exact same features standing idly.

    Judging from their attires, they should be butlers and could help the group to enroll.

    Approaching one of them, Ravenna stepped forward.

    "Excuse me, could you tell me which building I should go to for enrollment?" She asked.

    It was then the figure in a black butler outfit turned, catching the others off-guard when they saw the butler''s appearance. Initially, they thought these figures were people who work here but it turned out to be a living puppet powered by an ether core.

    Lucivar saw one of these from the training chamber, but this one was more sophisticated.

    Even though its face was a smiling mask, its movements were back with sentience.

    On its chest was a name tag on a crimson frame, Kalvin.

    "New students, how exciting!" the puppet, Kalvin said, enthusiastically. "Please, allow me¡ªto guide you. My name is Kalvin and I am a homunculus of the Bloodhaven Academy, a pleasure to meet you all"

    Despite being caught off guard, Ravenna smiled back and nodded, "We''ll be in your care"

    Kalvin brought them along to the nearest building, the Admissions Center.

    Riding a bike with the others ahead of him, Lucivar gazed at Kalvin and also the other Kalvins that he met along the way, bowing a little, when they met his gaze, ''A homunculus, there was such a thing? I never knew. On top of that, they seemed to be able to handle themselves too''

    "Slow down, the back seat is uncomfortable to sit on you know," Leandra complained.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar glanced at her, sitting in the backseat of the bike.

    "All that training and you couldn''t ride a bike?"

    "Are you going to mock me until we get to the center?"

    "If you don''t want to be mocked by me, don''t ride with me. Bakar or even Kalvin is free"

    "Fine, just mock me all you want. Bakar stinks and that puppet is weird"

    Eventually, the group reached the Admissions Center and was attended by a normal person.

    Kalvin only escorted them and went back to his position once again.

    It took about half an hour to go through the admissions¡ªand register them to enroll in the academy, the person in charge of them was moving slowly and frankly didn''t seem to care about them thus taking a long time.

    Fortunately, the paperwork was done.

    Since this was a second-rate academy, the requirements to enter were not strict.

    As long as one could pay the tuition then they could enroll.

    Of course, there were anomalies when the potential student was too weak to be groomed¡ª but that was a rare case. Normally, one only needs to pay for the admission fee and go for a couple of tests before being able to be enrolled.

    Tobias said that he would only cover the admission fee and gave the money to Ravenna.

    It wasn''t weird for him to do this as they were not here to become students.

    Other than that, everything went smoothly.

    However, the person in charge did say that the quota for the academy was almost full.

    Due to the publication of the celebrities who were enrolled in this academy, others decided to apply so the quota was thinning rapidly. Unlike in normal times, being accepted is harder now because of the competition for a small quota.

    ''Everything was aligned for us to become academy hunters, Tobias planned this'' He thought.

    Considering that they weren''t here to become students, the events unfolding were too much of a coincidence¡ªand Lucivar was quite sure this was Tobias'' doing. All they needed¡ªto do now was not be too spectacular to be given the opportunity to be academy hunters.

    Lucivar was now in the waiting room, a cold room with sofas and carpets.

    Golden lights decorated the room through chandeliers and the kind, there was a bar serving refreshments on the side, and there was also calming music in the background. It was lavish¡ªthe most lavish place Lucivar had been in.

    Compared to his house of wood and bricks, this place was in an entirely different realm.

    Almost as if he was in a different world.

    He was alone because the others had gone ahead before him.

    ''I thought smartphones were special, everyone here has it'' Lucivar glanced around.

    All of the participants here in this room were playing with their phones, only he didn''t.

    Deciding to try his luck, driven by his curiosity¡ªhe scoots over to the man, sitting not too far from him on this long sofa. Peeking at the man''s smartphone, Lucivar tapped on his shoulder¡ªmaking the man take off a white bead machine from his ear.

    "What''s up?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

    Gesturing at the smartphone, Lucivar asked, "What are those titles for?"

    "Huh? I''m listening to notify, isn''t that obvious?" the man frowned, the application he used for music was basically the only one that everyone uses. But then, it clicked on him, "Are you not from around here? A slave city?"

    "Oh, yeah... I''m from a slave city quite far fro-"

    "Damn commoner, how dare you, a slave talk to me? Get away now or you''ll regret it"

    Lucivar was caught off guard by this reaction¡ªhe had never been to a big city like this so he did not know that the people here were like this. Glancing around¡ªnumerous eyes looked at him with judgment, talking behind his back after realizing that he was a slave.

    ''I only asked a question... I should''ve known,'' He mused and went back to his original spot.

    Several minutes later, his name was called.

    Lucivar got into a room and was greeted by an expansive room with three weird items at the center and three judges sitting behind a long desk at the opposite end of the door. Gestured by the woman in an office dress to step forward, he did as he was told.

    He stood at the center and faced the four judges.

    Knowing from the banter of participants outside, Lucivar could guess that these four were the professors of the academy. In a normal test, the participant would try to impress these four professors as there might be a chance that they would be tutored directly.

    Being taken in by one of these professors would make the participant their disciple.

    A disciple would gain a lot of tempting benefits.

    One of them was resources, the professors would invest in their disciples.

    Across the four professors, Lucivar''s eyes were fixed on two of them¡ªthe middle-aged man with a serious look, exuding a dominant air called Victor who was nicknamed the Sky Piercer¡ªand a young woman in her twenties with silver hair, Clara, nicknamed the White Ghost.

    Both of them were said to be the strongest and also the most influential.

    Even then, Lucivar shrugged his shoulders, ''I don''t know why Tobias didn''t tell us to be taken in as a disciple from one of those two and instead told us to become academy hunters¡ªbut I am sure he has his reasons,''

    Just then, he straightened his back and introduced himself, "Lucivar Asarafall,"

    "I am a second-star Neophyte-rank Harpy Hybrid!" He said with a clear voice.

    Compared to introducing himself as a Gargoyle Hybrid, he goes with a Harpy instead.

    Lucivar has a small green wing protruding out of his back¡ªit was a feathered wing so saying that he was a Gargoyle Hybrid, would raise suspicion. He also had consulted about this, with Tobias, and he said to go with a Harpy.

    Harpies has colorful wings and that would be more believable than Gargoyle.

    Of course, there was a chance¡ªthat his bloodline would be checked but Tobias assured him otherwise. Nodding his head, Victor then gazed at Lucivar with both hands clasped together¡ªinspecting the candidate before him.

 Chapter 39 39: Academy Tests

    Checking Lucivar''s paperwork briefly, Victor glanced over to Clara and found her completely disinterested, leaning back on her chair¡ªwithout any intention of dealing with Lucivar. Since the paperwork stated that he came from a slave city, she lost interest instantly.

    Not that there were no promising candidates from slaves though.

    Sighing lightly, Victor gazed at Lucivar and explained, "Lucivar, we are going to judge your potential and see whether you are fit to be a part of our academy. There would be several simple tests, do your best to impress us,"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded in understanding though he wasn''t going to comply.

    "First of all, put a drop of your blood on the chalice," Victor commanded.

    Lucivar glanced to the side and found a big white chalice made of marble to his left, it was as tall as a young kid, around his waist height. He went over to the chalice, and saw a blade was placed there.

    Knowing what to do, he took the blade and cut the palm of his hand with it.

    He placed his hand above the chalice and squeezed it, letting a drop of his blood fall into the crystal-clear water inside the chalice. As he did that, Victor explained, "The water will reflect your bloodline grade. Just like the order of dungeons, the lowest is yellow, and the highest is red"

    Realizing what was being tested, Lucivar''s heart skipped a beat.

    ''Shit, if that''s the case wouldn''t the water turn red?'' He pondered in concern.

    If that happened there was no doubt he would be taken in¡ªas a student or even a disciple, there was also a chance that his exact bloodline would be tested. Lucivar would be in deep trouble if that was the case.

    Victor and the other professors squinted their eyes, catching Lucivar''s nervousness.

    All of them leaned forward a little to see the color of the water.

    Shingg...!

    Processing the dropped blood, the water gleamed for a brief moment before changing color.

    Naturally, finding that Lucivar was acting weirdly, the professors were filled with anticipation, but when the color changed fully, they scoffed inwardly. As opposed to purple or even red, it was only pale green which meant Lucivar''s bloodline was at a low green grade.

    Each of them was left disappointed.

    Similarly, Lucivar was also stunned as this was not as expected.

    But seeing the slightly flickering ring of his¡ªhe smiled, ''Loki must''ve liked me a lot,''

    Lucivar shrugged, his act of taking down Darwin must''ve impressed Loki.

    Gesturing for Lucivar to go back to the center once again¡ªVictor continued, "Now we want you to channel your ether and create any object with it, make it as vivid as you possibly can¡ªyou can start when you are ready"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar took a couple of seconds to steady his breath.

    He then raised his hands and began channeling his ether.

    A golden glow permeates through his hands, an unnatural color for a Harpy Hybrid.

    Lucivar focused intently, he had never attempted to create anything with his ether before, he only used it to boost his attacks¡ªor temporarily strengthen himself. Now, under the watchful gaze of the academy''s professors, he needed to form something tangible.

    Something that could reflect his control over his ether.

    Frankly speaking, he had no idea what to make, so he allowed his ether to flow freely.

    He trusted his instincts completely.

    Slowly, the ether began to take shape, gleaming strings of golden light, coalesced into a bit-long object in his grasp. As the light dimmed¡ªa plain golden stick emerged. The professors, unimpressed, exchanged glances and sighed.

    All of them didn''t know why but today''s candidates seemed to all be meager.

    It was never as bad as this.

    Lucivar''s creation seemed underwhelming, the test he had done was made¡ªto reveal both a candidate''s ether control and the nature of their bloodline. Those with good alignments often manifest good items such as delicate flowers or crystal doves¡ªneutral alignments tend to be on the meager side such as mirrors or balanced scales, while dark alignments bloodline most of the time crafted weapons or other sinister things.

    A plain stick indicated a neutral bloodline.

    But its lack of detail suggested poor ether control, Lucivar was below mediocre at best.

    One professor, an elderly man draped in a heavy robe, frowned.

    ''Something was off...'' He pondered inwardly.

    Lucivar was adjusting the stick oddly, almost positioning it in front of himself with a sense of purpose as if he was hiding something. Intrigued, the old professor decided to investigate¡ª perhaps there was something worth seeing.

    With a soft incantation, he cast a spell, manifesting an ether eye on the room''s ceiling.

    An angle that allowed him to observe Lucivar from behind,

    Upon peering through the eye, his breath caught¡ªthe back of the stick, wasn''t as plain as the front side. It was an intricately carved serpent, its scales were so vivid and lifelike they seemed to shimmer and move.

    A coiling serpent that was poised as if ready to strike at any moment.

    Meeting the serpent''s emerald eyes, those two gems gleamed blindingly and following that, the old professor''s heart pounded as his spell broke¡ªshattered by his sudden loss of focus because of the serpent''s eyes.

    He was so shocked that his seat was pushed back from his twitch.

    It made a heavy grazing sound, attracting the attention of the other professors.

    "Is there a problem, Professor Aeldric?" Victor asked.

    Another professor also added in concern, "You are sweating, should we take a break?"

    "Ah... no, it''s okay," Professor Aeldric assured with a light smile, he then turned ahead again and found Lucivar was also looking at him, intently. At the sight of this, he reached¡ªfor the robe''s collar, feeling tightness there. ''Should I tell the other professors¡ªabout this? He was not a neutral alignment, that serpent could only be created by those of evil alignments''

    Having an evil alignment bloodline is not a problem, but they would be monitored heavily.

    Bad incidents happen when the bloodline takes over forcefully.

    Due to that, those who have evil alignments bloodline would be kept under the radar.

    ''It was incredibly detailed too, the ether was creating the backside¡ªof that golden stick in harmony, making the serpent look alive. Who is this kid?'' Professor Aeldric thought further, he became slightly wary of Lucivar.

    Lucivar was far from ordinary, this boy from a slave city carried a hidden depth.

    As Professor Aeldric was lost in thoughts, he refocused and saw Lucivar was already starting the next test, it was the ether reserve test. He only needs to place his hand on a magical orb, and the orb will do the rest.

    Unlike the chalice earlier, this orb scanned Lucivar''s ether before a robotic voice echoed.

    "Second-star Neophyte Rank. Ether reserve: D-grade"

    Just like the earlier result, Lucivar''s reserve was not anything spectacular.

    He was slightly below normal, the normal Hybrid would have a C-grade ether reserve.

    ''One more and I''m done,'' Lucivar thought, he could feel immense relief approaching him with one more test to go. In all the tests he had done, he pulled back a lot to gain a meager result¡ªhe should be bad enough to not gain a spot and be thrown to the academy hunter.

    Even then, he felt slightly uneasy with the way the old professor was looking at him.

    But he shook his head, attributing it to a hallucination from his unease.

    Lucvar stepped into the machine, a tight, metallic enclosure brimming with displays and also monitors on all sides. The entry closed behind him, bars resembling claws locking into place, trapping him inside as soon as he turned around.

    He could still see the professors through the gaps, observing him intently.

    But the cramped space made his breathing shallow, he couldn''t even move his arms.

    Rumble...!

    With a low rumble, the machine activated.

    This was no ordinary machine, it was designed to specifically measure the purity of Hybrids'' bloodline, something the previous white chalice test had failed to do accurately. Lucivar was a little worried, his bloodline should be very pure since he has a heavenly rune carved on his Supernatural Ego''s first wing.

    Since everything had gone smoothly, however, he trusted that Loki would help him again.

    Just like earlier, Loki definitely would help him.

    Swish!

    Flashing lights whirred to life, scanning Lucivar, from every angle¡ªthe holographic readings began spinning around the exterior, and he watched the purity bar climb. Fifty percent, then sixty percent, but then it kept rising.

    Sweat broke out on his forehead, this wasn''t supposed to happen.

    ''Come on, Loki. I need to be low-key, I don''t need unnecessary attention!'' Lucivar pleaded.

    Even with his plea, the percentage surged past seventy, then eighty, reaching ninety percent in a blink. Panic held him as the bar neared one hundred, and the gaze the professors¡ªwere giving him began to shift in a direction he didn''t want.

    Beep!

    Beep!

    Suddenly, warning beeps filled the air¡ªerror messages flashed red on every screen.

    Before Lucivar could react, the machine malfunctioned.

    Sparks flew, and the metal structure groaned.

    Boom!!

    In the next instant, the machine exploded, sending sharp shards¡ªof steel, shooting in every direction, stabbing into the walls. Silence fell over the test aula as he stood unharmed at the center of the wreckage.

    Lucivar checked the aftermath stiffly before he turned towards the professors'' direction.

    Each one of them was motionless, staring in disbelief at the destruction, and also at the kid from a slave city, who was supposed to be less than mediocre. Scratching the back¡ªof his head, he asked wryly, "So... did I fail?"

    Moments later.

    Despite trying to be seen¡ªas untalented so that he would be put to the academy hunter category¡ªLucivar fails miserably at the last test, he curses himself, and also Loki for not aiding him in hiding his bloodline''s purity.

    High bloodline purity means the Hybrid would have a lot of innate ability.

    Learned abilities through spellbooks are very useful but in terms of compatibility and power, the learned abilities would always lose to innate abilities. Because of that, Hybrids with high bloodline purity would always be preferred.

    ''Would Tobias kick me out if I failed...?'' Lucivar pondered, messing up his hair in frustration.

    He had decided to follow Tobias and grow stronger for now, and this incident was not good.

    Not wanting to give up¡ªLucivar''s eyes flickered, with determination, ''No, even if I am highly favored by the academy, I could still negotiate to be accepted as an academy hunter. At this point, might as well make them favor me by showing off. Hmm... how do I do that?''

    Deciding to do the opposite, Lucivar raised his gaze.

    He was now standing in front of a building, it was a dorm for potential students.

    After finishing his test, he was told¡ªto go to this building, as the announcement, whether he would be accepted or not needed a day to be finalized. Because of that, he would be staying in this building for a day.

    Just like him, the others were also sent here.

    But for all potential students to be told to stay a day in the academy, it was quite odd.

    Lucivar looked around warily, ''The academy has something in store for sure,''

 Chapter 40 40: Foreigner Treatment

    Meanwhile, in a room within the academy''s main building.

    A group of people walked inside and sat at a round table¡ªtheir attires suggested¡ªthat they were professors. Naturally, these professors are the judges from before, they had finished in testing the new candidates'' abilities.

    It took them a full day to finish the entire process, longer than usual.

    Because of the sudden spike of people being attracted to their academy, they''ve been busy.

    "That took such a long time to finish," Clara stretched¡ªfeeling a bit sore, from sitting all day. "It was because of those twins, they share their plan to apply to our academy in their socials¡ªI guess it''s good exposure for us"

    Aeldric nodded in agreement, "Our academy score is dropping, this is certainly good for us"

    Just then, Victor intervened with a firm tone, "But only a few are exceptional"

    Despite the increase in number of candidates, the quality dropped compared to the previous.

    "Even though that''s true, the exceptional ones, were quite dazzling. Those twins for example, despite only being nineteen were already at the four-star Neophyte rank and had a red grade bloodline, light and dark fairies" Clara replied enthusiastically.

    No Fairy Hybrids were in their academy, these twins were a big deal for them.

    "Yes, we would definitely accept them. Although it''s a shame that the older one was the only one, who has a named Supernatural Ego, the younger one''s bloodline purity was lackluster in comparison to her sister," Another professor said regretfully.

    Aeldric leaned back, resting his frail and old body, "Nevertheless, the twins are precious"

    "Speaking of exceptional, what about that kid, Lucivar?" Victor added.

    Upon the mention of Lucivar''s name¡ªall of the professors sitting at the round table instantly recalled what had happened earlier. His bloodline purity was so pure, that the machine broke down, it was the third time this happened throughout the academy''s history.

    Recalling that moment, Aeldric''s eyes widened as he recalled what he saw.

    Despite having a meager bloodline, he knew something was up with Lucivar, he could feel it.

    Something about that kid made his heart feel uneasy.

    "Even though his bloodline purity is top-notch, his other stats are all over the place. I''d rather the other more balanced candidates, I''d say we refuse him. In case he could be something, it would be better to have him be an academy hunter" Clara was the first one to speak, voicing out her mind.

    Just as she said that the door was opened, and Kalvin stepped inside.

    "Excuse me for the intrusion, but the upperclassmen are ready," He said, bowing politely.

    Victor waved his hand dismissively, "Begin the initiation at night,"

    "As you wish, professor," Kalvin replied and left, coming and going like the wind.

    Meanwhile, on another corner of the academy grounds.

    Lucivar stood in front of a five-story dormitory located at the backside, way smaller than the other buildings but still bigger than any building back in his home city. Minimalist in design, it was essentially two structures merged, with a glass-enclosed lobby at the center.

    No fences guarded the front, just simple stairs leading to the entrance.

    Upon heading to the entrance, Lucivar was greeted by an automatic sliding door that opened by itself when he was near. He walked inside, and was given his room key by Kalvin, his room was located on the second floor.

    Heading to the right building, he followed the hallway and reached the room sections.

    He passed by the lounge and was stopped when his eyes caught someone familiar.

    "Lucivar!" Mirel waved his hand enthusiastically from a sofa.

    Seeing him, Lucivar smiled a little¡ªas the absence of someone he knew made him feel out of this place, he felt like he didn''t belong here. As he reached the sofa, Mirel gestured for him to sit and asked, "How was it? How were the tests?"

    "Ah... it''s good, I pulled back a lot," Lucivar replied, deciding to keep his failure a secret.

    Checking the place out, Lucivar was once again stunned.

    Even compared to the waiting room before, this place was mesmerizing in its own way.

    It was not more lavish but certainly more shiny with the polished marble floor and walls.

    As he was looking around, Lucivar asked, "Is there a place to train here?"

    "Come on, training already?" Mirel rolled his eyes. "Every corner of this place¡ªwas covered with something called CCTVs¡ªthe academy could watch our every move in this building. If you train and act exceptional, you''ll be accepted so relax and enjoy this place"

    Lucivar has nothing to retort with as Mirel''s excuse for being lazy was quite strong.

    But he already decided to look exceptional, so that doesn''t apply to him.

    Just then he suddenly remembered, he wanted to ask Mirel if he knew¡ªwhat the academy''s purpose was to keep them here, for a night. Before he could ask that, Mirel tugged his elbow at him while looking in a direction, "Hey, check it out, those two are the celebrities that made the crowd from earlier¡ªthey''re twins... and both of them are extremely pretty"

    "What do you think? I think they might be even prettier than Leandra," He added dreamily.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar turned and looked at the twins.

    Both of them were standing further away near the corner, their contrast striking.

    From a glance, Lucivar could already tell which one was the older one and the younger one.

    He had overhead from the staff and other candidates, that the older twin was named Elira¡ªand the younger, Thalia. Elira has cherry blossom pink hair, that framed her mature features, her frequent smiles, lighting up the conversations around her, radiating an infectious, cordial charm.

    In contrast, Thalia had sharper features.

    Most of the time, her expression remained passive, lips pressed into a firm line.

    She chose to remain silent while her sister spoke.

    As Mirel mentioned, these two were gorgeous young beauties, comparable to Leandra.

    Leandra had a more natural beauty as she wore no makeup but the twins were the opposite.

    Both of them wore light makeup, adding a touch of sparkling elegance to their features.

    Out of nowhere, Mirel grabbed his hand and pulled him.

    "Let''s introduce ourselves, it''s not fair if you''re the only one who got some action," He said.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised an eyebrow, "Me? When?"

    "You chose Leandra over me, asshole. Shut up and accompany me talk to one of them" Mirel rebutted¡ªand dragged Lucivar over to the twins. But as they neared, Mirel''s eyes flashed, in excitement when he saw Thalia stand up and go sit on another sofa. "Perfect!"

    Smiling brightly, Mirel stood in front of the pretty girl, "He- Hello..."

    "Can I help you?" Thalia asked, her expression barely changed.

    Lucivar waited for Mirel to say something but realized that the words were stuck in his throat¡ªhe lost the ability to speak in front of Thalia, frozen in place. Seeing this, Lucivar sighed, "If it''s okay, we''d like to get to know you"

    "A- Ah, right, what he said," Mirel scratched the back of his head. "My name is Mirel,"

    Smiling politely in return, Thalia replied, "Thalia, nice to meet you"

    Expecting Thalia to be disinterested, Lucivar was surprised that she was entertaining this as he knew the people here don''t like outsiders. With their plain clothes right now, their identity as bums was clear to everyone.

    Thalia then shifted her gaze towards Lucivar.

    Nonchalantly, Lucivar introduced himself shortly, "Lucivar."

    Upon hearing this, Thalia nodded before her gaze went over to their clothes.

    "Can I ask where the two of you are from?" She asked.

    Just from the question alone, Lucivar already knew where this was going.

    "B- Both of us are foreigners, we''re not from this city"

    "Where? Is it another big city?"

    "No... No in particular,"

    Realizing that the two most likely came from slave cities, Thalia smiled politely¡ªonce again and retreated herself back, "I''m sorry, I can''t get close and be friends with you. I hope both of you understand. It''s best that we do not get to know each other as our path would differ eventually, in fact, don''t ever talk to me again, please"

    Not expecting her to say something like this, Mirel''s expression froze.

    He was expecting a simple rejection but he got a vicious one instead.

    Already expecting this, Lucivar nodded, "Sorry for wasting your time, we''ll take our leave"

    "Am I really that ugly? Be honest with me," Mirel asked with teary eyes.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar chuckled as he couldn''t lie, that rejection was quite a painful one, "I should say no here but you''re quite ugly," He joked humorously. "Fortunately enough¡ªshe rejected you not because of your looks so don''t worry about it"

    "Fuck you, man, what kind of friend are you?" Mirel retorted, forcing Lucivar to laugh.

    As the two headed back to their place, Thalia looked at them from behind.

    Her eyes were particularly looking at Lucivar''s back, ''I can''t sense it, he doesn''t have an aura''

    "Is he even a Hybrid?" She mused inwardly before going back to her phone.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar had already sweated¡ªby putting in some exercises in the training area, and was now inside his temporary dorm room. Inside there was only a lavish king-size bed, cramped to the side, a learning desk, a meditation mat on the corner, and also a window viewing outside.

    It was nearing the night, the sun was already half submerged and golden.

    He had taken a shower and was drying his hair.

    Earlier he had met up with the others aside from Mirel and talked about his suspicion that the academy has something in store by keeping them here for a night. Unlike Mirel, Ravenna, and Bob had also thought the same thing.

    Awaiting the result could be done in their own homes, there was no need to stay the night.

    On top of that, Lucviar had already walked around the entire dormitory, familiarizing himself with the place, in case of an emergency. Being chased by Hybrids back in Veegend City, he learned that being familiar with the place greatly helps in perilous situations.

    Due to that, Lucivar had already made a couple of escape routes.

    Though it wasn''t perfect as Kalvin was everywhere.

    If the interior of the building has CCTVs¡ªto keep an eye on the candidates, the outside has Kalvin, but there were a couple of blindspots, "Whatever it is, it would start tonight. And the chances are high that we are still being tested, which is a good thing for me"

    Other than a hunch, some of the candidates also talked about this.

    Lucivar became even sure that they were going to be tested in some ways by the academy.

    "Since we already did some tests earlier, this test should be a practical one," He muttered in contemplation, figuring out the possibilities. But then, his periphery caught something¡ªwas moving outside from the window.

    Noticing this, Lucivar stood up and went over to the windows, still wrapped in a towel.

    He narrowed his eyes when he saw something.

    It was only then that a smirk crept to his face, "So that''s how it is... this is going to be fun"

 Chapter 41 41: Community Service Test (1)

    Lucivar came out of his room after an announcement rang across the building.

    It came from a professor, and he told the candidates to gather in the lobby as their presence was expected. Lucivar was now draped in a pristine white varsity jacket that was exclusively made for candidates of the academy.

    He was told to wear it and go down to the lobby.

    Following the crowd, he couldn''t meet up with the others as the place was packed.

    In hindsight, there should be about two hundred candidates.

    Arriving at the lobby, Lucivar saw that the candidates were already lined up in front of a man, with a big belly¡ªwho wore a neat suit and tie, another professor, from the looks of it. Joining in the line, Lucivar looked around but still couldn''t find the others.

    ''I wanted to tell the others about this but they should be fine,'' Lucivar pondered.

    Knowing the others'' strength, he didn''t need to worry about them.

    Soon, the rest of the candidates arrived and lined up, awaiting further instructions.

    Sweeping his gaze across the hundreds of young people, aspiring Hybrids who wanted to be a part of the academy, the bellied man nodded¡ªand smoked his pipe, "Good, you all heeded my summon. My name is Professor Barry, and I have called you all here with a proposition¡ªa call for community service"

    Upon hearing this, the candidates instantly burst into a discussion.

    "Huh? We''re called this late at night for only that?"

    "Community service? We paid the academy and they wanted us to work?"

    "Man, I was playing LOLA and quit the game. My win streak..."

    Listening to their banter, Professor Barry smiled, "Of course, this community service¡ªis not mandatory participation. Candidates who didn''t want to participate, could refuse. You could go back to your rooms after checking your name with Kalvin on my side," He gestured to his left where Kalvin stepped forward.

    On Kalvin''s hand was a tablet, presumably the attendance list.

    "For those who participated, you would be given academy points," Professor Barry added.

    Just as he said that, the entire lobby fell to silence once again.

    Each one of the candidates exchanged a look with another, hesitance on their faces.

    Despite the temptation¡ªof going back to their rooms and skipping this community service¡ª the candidates hesitated instantly, when the attendance list, was mentioned. All of them are fighting for the small quota and they feared to be looked at as less favorably by the academy if they skipped this because their names would be stated.

    ''I guess there was no other choice for us,'' Lucivar shrugged his shoulders.

    Although they were given the freedom to choose, it wasn''t a choice.

    It was either participate or be viewed less by the academy.

    Under the peer pressure knowing that the quota was tight, all candidates stayed behind.

    Seeing this, Professor Barry smiled and gave a thumbs up, "Good choice everyone!"

    However, the moment he said that one of the candidates raised her hand.

    Everyone looked at the person who raised her hand, and scooted over to the side a little so that Professor Barry could see who it was. At the sight of the feminine candidate, everyone recognized her instantly¡ªit was Elira.

    "Sir, I''m not feeling well," She said with a pliant smile. "I think I''m going back to my room"

    Professor Barry raised an eyebrow before he gestured towards Kalvin.

    "Okay, if you''re sick then there''s no helping it," He said.

    Pulling her pink hair over her ears, she excused herself¡ªand went to the front to check her name before going back to her room under the others'' gazes. Despite the pressure, she did not seem to be worried.

    Lucivar looked at her leaving the lobby, he didn''t find this weird at all.

    ''She has a red-grade bloodline, a Fairy nonetheless, she didn''t need to worry about getting a seat for herself in the academy as she would definitely get one. If I were her¡ªI''d also choose to not participate,'' He thought inwardly.

    As he thought that, he waited for the younger sister, Thalia to follow but she didn''t.

    Unlike her sister, she stayed behind and participated in the community service.

    It was unexpected but she must''ve had her reasons.

    Other than Elira, the other candidates stayed behind and Professor Barry finally started.

    He called the candidates one by one to take a random fold inside a bowl, written on that fold was an activity¡ªthat they would be doing in this community service for the academy. It only took ten minutes more or less for everyone to take a folded piece of paper.

    After gaining confirmation from Professor Barry, the candidates opened the fold.

    Lucivar opened his and found that he had garden cleaning, and alongside it was a map of the academy garden, and his section to clean colored in green. Seeing this, he nodded as he was happy with what he got, ''It''s deserted, this is great,''

    A moment later.

    Reaching his spot for community service with a broom in hand, Lucivar looked around.

    He marveled once again at how big the academy was.

    Even the garden seemed like a maze due to how massive it was.

    From a glance the garden seemed to be tended well¡ªthere were only a few withered leaves here and there, that needed to be cleaned. He placed both hands on his waist and searched around, "I was told that I''m partnered with someone"

    Just then, Lucivar heard footsteps coming from behind.

    It was supposed to be his partner to clean this section of the academy garden.

    ''Please don''t be the others,'' He hoped, it would be a hassle¡ªto explain if he was paired with the others. He was going to make himself look better to the academy, after all. As he turned, he cursed his luck when he recognized the person.

    Even though it was not the others, it would be better if it was not this person¡ªThalia.

    "I''m surprised you didn''t follow your sister," Lucivar commented.

    It would be too awkward if he didn''t break the ice as their section to clean was quite big.

    Going at a normal pace, this task should take about two to three hours to complete.

    Upon hearing this, Thalia didn''t answer and walked past him, "Let''s just get this over with,"

    "Fine by me," Lucivar shrugged and began cleaning.

    Ten minutes into the cleaning, Thalia was scraping the dead leaves under a bench with her broom and unintentionally put Lucivar, in her line of vision. She narrowed her gaze as there really was no ether coming from Lucivar, and it disturbed her.

    ''He must be wearing something to block his aura, but for what? He''s a bum,'' Thalia thought.

    She couldn''t understand why Lucivar would do that.

    But then, her eyebrows dipped into a frown, ''Is he that person...? No, there''s no way,''

    Not too long earlier, Thalia heard a rumor¡ªthat someone broke the testing machine, because their bloodline''s purity was too dense to be calculated. Nobody knows who, and there were a couple that caught Thalia''s attention.

    Several of them to be exact, and one of them was a woman with deep purple hair.

    She was weak, but the confidence in her eyes said otherwise.

    Now another one was added to the list, Lucivar.

    ''I thought getting into the academy would be easy, but there were unnerving individuals who came to enroll the day I came to be tested. Sister might not need to be worried but me? Sigh¡ªwhat a headache'' Thalia pondered, massaging her throbbing forehead.

    Due to these individuals, she feared that she might not be accepted.

    Just as she raised her gaze, she was greeted by Lucivar slacking around.

    His broom was not moving, he was only standing idly.

    Thalia approached Lucivar, and tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey, it would take longer if you don''t help me clean this place," She said, voicing out her disapproval before she sighed. "Are you doing this to be alone with me longer? I know you wanted to get to know me¡ªbut this is not it, this only makes me annoyed"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was at a loss for words.

    He wasn''t expecting her to come to that ridiculous conclusion.

    "Mirel was the one who wanted to get to know you, not me" Lucivar replied.

    But this made Thalia sighed exasperatedly, "That''s what they all said. Don''t even try to lie,"

    A vein popped comically on Lucivar''s forehead, pulsing as Thalia''s words hung in the air. She was shaking her head at him, convinced, that he was lying¡ªand her confidence was enough to make him want to scream at her.

    Instead, he forced a painfully stiff smile, the corners of his mouth twitching.

    ''I can kill her, right? There''s nobody around anyway, even Kalvin was not around,''

    ''Or at least, can I smack her? What''s she going to do? Report me to the professor?''

    ''She wouldn''t do that or else she would need to confess to being hit by a bum like me''

    ''Is every girl from a big city like this? I guess it''s because she''s famous''

    Lucivar was battling his intention to touch Thalia, but he managed to resist, taking in a deep breath. But before he could answer, he looked over his shoulder, sensing something, "I need to go to the toilet. It''s not going to take long, I''ll be back,"

    Not even waiting for Thalia to respond, he walked away, leaving his broom behind.

    "Hey! I''ll report you to the professor for not helping if you''re gone for too long!" Thalia yelled.

    She puffed her cheeks, pouting in annoyance, seeing Lucivar only waving his hand at her.

    Despite her burning chest from being annoyed, she had no choice¡ªbut to continue cleaning and hoped that Lucivar was not ditching his task. She swept the ground roughly, venting out her frustration to the poor, innocent broom.

    Had she put more strength into it, the broom would definitely snap.

    Just then, however, her attention was pulled to the side when she saw a shadow passing.

    Since it came from the opposite direction, it shouldn''t have been Lucivar.

    Looking around, she was completely alone and was a little bit scared, but she braced herself to check the nearby tree where the shadow darted. She approached and circled the tree, "Is there someone there? Answer me, I saw you already"

    Gaining no response, she went further to see whether there was someone.

    But then¡ªThalia''s breath hitched as a sharp glint flashed before her eyes. Moonlight caught the edge of a blade, its deadly shimmer streaking toward her. In reflex, she raised her broom to deflect the blade, only to find it got split into two.

    Realizing what was happening, her eyes widened before a kick landed on her stomach.

    "Gaghhk!" She grunted, stumbling backward, dirtying her clothes.

    Upon raising her gaze¡ªto see the attacker while clutching her stomach, Thalia was greeted by a figure in a deep red uniform that looked like a ninja. A sharp blade encased¡ªwith ether was poised ready in its hand.

    Wiping the blood on the corner of her mouth, Thalia asked, "Who are you...?"

 Chapter 42 42: Community Service Test (2)

    A ninja ambushed with a blade in hand, his presence was radiating with combat power.

    Thalia inspected the ninja¡ªwith a clear frown on her face, she was on the academy grounds so Kalvin or the academy''s authorities should have caught any intruders. Her mind¡ªwas in a mess, whirling, trying to guess who this ninja was and what he wanted.

    She glanced at her hand and clicked her tongue in displeasure, ''My weapon is in my room...''

    Coming here to do community service, Thalia didn''t bring her weapon.

    It would be weird for her to do that but she should''ve.

    But then, her eyes slightly cleared at a sudden realization, this situation was too bizarre.

    Considering that she was inside the academy garden, at the backside¡ªof the academy, the sudden appearance of this ninja was too odd so this ninja must be a part of the academy, ''It must be another test as an initiation''

    Realizing that¡ªThalia stood up and lifted her hands into her fighting stance.

    She narrowed her eyes in focus, ready to battle.

    Upon seeing this, the ninja tilted his head a little¡ªthe squint in his eyes showed that he was smiling underneath his mask. Flicking his short blade¡ªto change his grip into a reverse grip, the ninja then dashed.

    He stomped on the ground and pulled his arm back.

    In possession of nothing against the ninja''s short blade, Thalia leaned back instinctively.

    Gritting her teeth in shock, she yanked her head back, as the blade missed her throat by an inch, almost slicing her neck open. Adrenaline rushed into her blood as she waved her hand in front of the ninja''s face, summoning a mild burst of shimmering wind.

    For a moment there, the ninja was forced to close his eyes, blinded by the light.

    Taking advantage of the gap, Thalia twisted her torso and launched a spinning backkick.

    Bam!

    It struck the ninja in the stomach, pushing him a couple of steps back.

    But at the same time, Thalia felt a burn starting from her upper chest to the side of her neck.

    She reached her hand to her neck and saw that there was blood on it.

    Looking at the ninja who recovered from the kick nonchalantly, Thalia''s eyes widened as her complexion turned pale a little, ''That strike¡ªit''s almost like he was aiming to kill me. He... He is not from the academy! He''s actually trying to kill me!''

    Meanwhile, several dozens of meters from Thalia.

    Having been to the academy garden before, Lucivar knew where the lavatory was.

    He walked in a leisurely manner, taking his time to reach his destination.

    Oblivious to him, stalking him from the shadows was a figure¡ªanother ninja draped in a dark red outfit. The ninja looked at Lucivar''s back, ''His ether was¡ªso minuscule to the point that I couldn''t even feel it. I don''t get it, why did the professors send me to test him? In my eyes¡ªit was an overkill to send me, I''m a five-star Neophyte Hybrid!''

    ''At least this wouldn''t take long,'' the ninja smirked, aiming to end this as quickly as possible.

    Even though the initiation was aimed at testing the candidates, he was not going to do that.

    Instead, he was going to beat up Lucivar for fun.

    Just as he thought of that, Lucivar walked past the toilet, he kept walking straight ahead.

    Overhearing Lucivar''s conversation with Thalia, the ninja knew where he was going but he walked past the lavatory. Having enough of the stalking¡ªthe ninja, prepared to launch his attack with his bare hands.

    For safety reasons, the ninjas were prohibited from bringing a weapon.

    All they could use to test the candidates were their limbs.

    Creeping closer, the ninja prowled like a tiger but he stopped when Lucivar stopped.

    Lucivar stands perfectly still, almost unnervingly calm as if listening for something in the air.

    His sudden halt sends a ripple of tension through the ninja, and that tension intensifies when Lucivar slowly, deliberately, turns his head just slightly. The ninja frowned, ''Did he sense me? Or am I being too cautious because of what the professors said?''

    But his doubt was confirmed when Lucivar cracked a subtle grin.

    In the next second, he sprinted ahead, catching the ninja completely off guard.

    "This kid definitely noticed me!" the ninja exclaimed before he stood up and rushed ahead.

    He chased after Lucivar, who was surprisingly fast despite his minuscule ether.

    The ninja sprinted as fast as he could, his outfit fluttered against the rushing night wind, and his eyes locked on Lucivar''s back. Frustration, creased his brow¡ªhow could he, a seasoned, and a trained Hybrid lose ground to a mere second-star Neophyte Harpy Hybrid?

    To make matters worse, Lucivar''s speed surged suddenly.

    In a blink, he vanished around a corner.

    "Damn it! He shouldn''t have any innate ability, and he came from a slave city so he shouldn''t have learned any spells¡ªhow is he that fast?!" the ninja cursed under his ragged breath. He then eventually slowed to a stop at a secluded roundabout.

    Darkness loomed, the garden lamps here flickered several times before dying for good.

    Looking around the place, the ninja found eerie statues of angels¡ªfrozen mid-fall or struck down, decorating the area. Their shattered wings and faces twisted in silent agony, casting grotesque shadows.

    The statues'' eyes, once painted white, were now scraped and blackened by age.

    Even though the sight unnerved him, he tried to remain composed.

    Darting his eyes left and right, he scanned the roundabout but found nothing, not a sign of where Lucivar had gone. Realizing that Lucivar had lost him so easily, the ninja cursed¡ªhe should''ve struck when he had the chance.

    "Fuck, I''m going back..." the ninja turned, he was unwilling to stay here for a second longer.

    It scares him.

    But then as he turned around, a whisper slid into his ears, cold and unnatural.

    "Are you afraid of the dark...?"

    Upon hearing this whisper, the ninja froze, his breath caught in his throat.

    Pivoting around once again, the ninja checked his surroundings once again but there was still no sign of anyone, his heart was pounding inside his chest. Subtle chuckles echoed¡ªsettling where it came from, however, was impossible.

    "Come out, kid! Don''t hide from me!'' the ninja shouted, pointing a finger in every direction.

    Even then, he was sweating, he was starting to regret being tasked to test Lucivar.

    He might be a two-star Neophyte Hybrid, but he was not normal at all!

    Receiving no response, the ninja gritted his teeth and turned, preparing to leave as being in this darkness¡ªagainst Lucivar was not a great tactic, too many hiding spots. But then¡ªhis eyes trailed down when he found that he couldn''t move his body.

    It was only then that his eyes widened, seeing emerald chains wrapping around his limbs.

    He tried to fight the restraint but it was in vain.

    Just then, his body stiffened as he caught something glowing from his periphery, and when he turned he gasped at the sight¡ªof a figure with glowing eyes, sitting on top of an Angel''s statue, looking down at him from a high vantage point.

    It was Lucivar, he was sitting with both his arms draped over his knees.

    For some reason, the gaze he was giving made the ninja gulp harshly, his throat dry.

    "I''m an upperclassman you fool, release me or I''ll make your life in the academy a living hell!" the ninja threatened¡ªbut his voice was slightly trembling. "Don''t make me break free¡ªfrom this and teach you a lesson! I''m only here to test you, don''t make me do more!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar grinned, his eyes flashed with an evil light, "Do it then,"

    "Let''s see you break free from my spell," He added tauntingly.

    Even though these chains came from the Snare ability he gained from the ring, and he didn''t know how strong it was, since it didn''t get cast through making a combination of sequences in his Supernatural Ego, Lucivar was quite sure that it was strong.

    Though the Snare ability was said to be able to slow a target, it didn''t seem to be the case.

    From the looks of it, the ninja couldn''t move.

    Expecting that Lucivar would be pressured and release him, the ninja was at a loss for words when Lucivar challenged him instead. He gritted his teeth¡ªand tried to break free, but there was absolutely no chance.

    It restricted him hard, and even if he wanted to move, a step felt like moving a mountain.

    "How about we make a deal?" Lucivar suddenly said. "You said you came here to test me, so give me the best point you could give to the professors¡ªand I promise I won''t make your life in the academy a living hell"

    Hearing this, the ninja sneered, "Is that even a deal? Hmph?! What''s in it for me?"

    "What''s in it for you?" Lucivar pondered, tapping his chin playfully¡ªpretending to think hard before he looked back at the ninja with a murderous gaze. "How about if you don''t do it¡ªI''ll kill you right here..."

    Naturally, the words that came out of Lucivar''s mouth stunned the ninja completely.

    So surprising that he thought he had heard it wrong.

    Jumping down from the statue, Lucivar landed right in front of the ninja and leaned forward.

    "So? Your answer?" He pressed further.

    Seeing that Lucivar was being serious, a flicker of fear began to grow inside the ninja, he did not know Lucivar¡ªwas this kind of person, "You wouldn''t dare! You would not dare to kill me here! If you do, you will rot in jail for your entire life!"

    "Ah, I''m sorry... I thought he was trying to kill me, so I defended myself and accidentally killed him. I wasn''t aware that this was a test, and the academy didn''t warn me about it either," In a dramatic display, Lucivar said, his tone, was that¡ªof an innocent person, causing the ninja to look at his eyes with utter fear. "How was it? I''d say that to the academy, and I am pretty sure your death would be written off as a mere accident by then"

    Nobody was around and there were no surveillance cameras as well.

    If Lucivar did say that, there''s a high chance what he said would happen will happen.

    It was only at that moment did the ninja realized that he was not dealing with a candidate.

    He was dealing with a demon!

    Not even giving the ninja any time to breathe, Lucivar lifted his index finger and pulled the mask down, revealing the ninja''s face, "I now know your face, so don''t even try to play me either, you''d regret it"

    "Do we have a deal...?" Lucivar added, his voice deep and dripping with threat.

    Unconsciously, the ninja nodded his head repeatedly.

    Seeing this, Lucivar''s murderous gaze instantly turned back to normal, "Well, alright then!"

    Flicking his finger, the illusionary emerald chains disappeared, freeing the ninja.

    Not even wasting a single second, the ninja immediately scrambled away on all fours like a panicked animal. His limbs, trembled uncontrollably, fingers clawing at the ground in sheer desperation to get away from Lucivar.

    Tears streamed down his cheeks, his vision blurred, and saliva dripped from his mouth.

    His mind was fractured by the shock and was lost in pure panic.

    As soon as he gained his footing, he bolted, his legs unsteady beneath him as he let out a piercing scream that tore from his throat, raw and frantic¡ªechoing into the night. Lucivar, raised an eyebrow when he saw this, "That should do it, oh and also..."

    Shifting his gaze to the ground, Lucivar saw a swirling greenish energy left behind.

    He pointed his ring at it and smiled, "I''ll be taking this!"

 Chapter 43 43: Magical Mirrors

    Remaining behind where the ninja stood earlier was a lump of greenish energy.

    Threatening and scaring the ninja sent to test him rewarded him with a vast amount of Loki''s energy that he quickly absorbed through his ring. He only needs to point the ring at the lump and siphon the energy into the emerald gem.

    Lucivar wanted to cultivate his ring so that his abilities would become stronger faster.

    Now that he knew how strong his Snare ability was, that desire heightened.

    "He couldn''t even move, I''m surprised" He mused lightly.

    Upon absorbing the entire lump of green energy, Lucivar could feel the energy¡ªmassaging every part of his body with warmth. He did not actually gain stronger, but the ring did, even the subtle flash confirmed that.

    Observing the ring, something changed on the emerald gem''s surface.

    Five thin green lines, humming with a peculiar gleam could be seen.

    "Hmm...? I''ve never seen this line before, is it because of the recently absorbed energy?" He mused, rubbing the gem to see if he could get the lines off, but he couldn''t. Instead, Lucivar leaned back in surprise when the emerald gem shot out beams.

    Lifting up his gaze, he saw the beams turned into floating blobs of light in front of him.

    Swish!

    In the next second, they became blinding and shapeshifted into three magical mirrors.

    Each one was floating and also radiating with incredible power.

    Summoning three magical mirrors, in this dim part of the academy garden would definitely be a little bit suspicious, but knowing that even the spheres he gained were only able to be seen by him, Lucivar assumed that these magical mirrors too.

    He wasn''t worried if anyone saw him right now.

    Crossing his arms in front of him, he inspected the mirrors but all of them were identical.

    One different feature was the number of glowing lines above them.

    The right mirror has one glowing line above it, the center one has five glowing lines, while the left one has three glowing lines. Looking back to his ring, displaying one glowing line, Lucivar, guessed that there must be some connection between the ring''s line and these mirrors.

    It must be some sort of requirement or currency.

    Just as he thought of that, however, he was startled when something hissing fell nearby.

    He turned sharply and found a beautiful green-scaled snake, coiling on the ground.

    It fell from a statue and was now slithering towards him.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar wanted to step on it but the snake suddenly stopped and raised its head to look at him¡ªexposing its glowing green eyes, "Greetings to the Blessed Oracle, I am a servant of the Father of Lies, and am here to help you"

    Lucivar was taken aback, the snake actually talked!

    Picking his ear to check if he was hearing it right, he asked again, "Can you repeat that?"

    "I am here to help you, Blessed Oracle," the snake replied louder.

    Realizing that he wasn''t hearing things, he looked at the snake, in shock, ''How did it-? Where did it-?'' He was stunned, the night had gotten weirded suddenly. ''Its mouth didn''t even move when it talked! Sigh... at this point, I shouldn''t be surprised by this kind of thing''

    Of course, there were highly intelligent beasts that could talk.

    But a talking beast is exclusive to the strong, not a small and puny snake like this one.

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow, "Help me with what, exactly?"

    "I''ll be explaining to you what these mirrors are," the snake replied, its voice was dulcet.

    For a talking snake, it has a great voice.

    Lucivar could hear its voice non-stop because of how soothing it was.

    Even though this situation was sudden, he didn''t question it as this involved Loki, a God.

    He wouldn''t even be surprised if Loki could turn the night bright.

    Gesturing to proceed, the serpent turned to the mirrors and began, "As you understand, you could obtain a drop of Divine Blood through killing others¡ªexclusive only to killing any high-intelligence beings, though the result would vary depending on the method of th-"

    "Divine Blood? What''s that?" Lucivar intervened with the serpent mid-sentence.

    Upon hearing this, the serpent turned and replied, "It''s the spheres, those are Divine Blood"

    "Oh, so that''s what those are called," He nodded his head repeatedly.

    Not even the slightest bit annoyed by Lucivar cutting it mid-sentence the serpent continued, "Divine Blood would be merged into your body, making you stronger. But¡ªif you did mischief without killing¡ªyou would be rewarded with essences that could charge the Gleipnir''s Echo, and turned into essence bars, allowing you to open these mirrors"

    "The lines above are the cost to open the specific mirror," it added with clarity.

    Lucivar was more or less right in guessing what the glowing lines were.

    He charged one essence bar from scaring the ninja earlier.

    Scanning his eyes on the mirrors, he then asked, "What would I gain from opening them?"

    "As you can see on the markings," the snake said, nudging its head towards¡ªthe symbol at the base of each mirror. "the mirror on the right is marked with an eye symbol, it would give you an opportunity to become stronger. The left is marked with a pentagram¡ªwhich would give you, an ability, while the last one is marked with a scroll symbol, and it would allow you to make a contract with other living beings and make them your Vestals"

    Upon hearing about the last mirror, Lucivar''s eyes flickered.

    "Vestals...?" He muttered in question.

    Sensing his confusion, the snake replied, "Servants that would aid you in becoming stronger"

    Naturally, the contract tempted Lucivar the most.

    ''So if I have these Vestals, would their bad deeds be attributed to me too?'' He pondered.

    But even without asking the snake, he already knew that it was probably the case.

    He grows stronger through realizing bad intentions.

    Unfortunately, the middle mirror costs five essence bars.

    It would wipe his essence bars clean if he used that one so he dissuaded himself from that.

    ''Now I really want to unlock the other statues. If each one of them was like Loki¡ªthen every single bad thing I do would reward me with something,'' Lucivar pondered excitedly¡ªhe was liking the progression of his bloodline that seemed to contain many surprises.

    Deciding to try one out, he said, "If I want to open that one, what should I do?"

    "Point the Gleipnir''s Echo at it, and it''ll pay the price and open the mirror," the snake replied.

    Listening to this, Lucivar did exactly that.

    Swish!

    A beam of green energy shot toward the right mirror, slamming onto it with force.

    Observing this sight patiently, Lucivar narrowed his gaze when the mirror shattered after the glowing line above it was filled to the brim. In the next instant¡ªa brilliant green energy came out of the mirror and slowly slithered away.

    It flew in a direction that confused Lucivar.

    Following that, the other mirrors also disappeared, going back to his ring once again.

    "That light would guide you to the opportunity, but it wouldn''t help you understand what the opportunity really was on a silver platter, you need to figure it out yourself," the serpent said¡ªits body began to dissipate, into energy. "But I''m sure you can decipher it easily. Have fun, Father is watching, and he was entertained..."

    Lucivar looked at the snake until it fully disappeared without a trace.

    Darkness enveloped the entire place once again.

    Soon enough, a smile crept to Lucivar''s face, an evil smile that was sinister to the core.

    "As I thought, karma is ruined¡ªthe moment I started doing bad things, good things, started happening. Maybe I should step up my game, to see how far I could go," He mused inwardly before he turned and followed the light of opportunity.

    Fortunately, the light was waiting for him to follow it so he didn''t lose it.

    Lucivar followed its trail attentively and realized that he had been brought back to Thalia.

    But as he was nearing the place, his eyebrows dipped into a frown when he heard the sound of a fight nearby. He picked up his pace and peeked from the corner¡ªseeing Thalia was in a battle against a ninja.

    He knew that this community service was a fluke for the academy to test the candidates.

    Earlier, he saw a couple of ninjas hiding near the dormitory.

    It was pure luck that he saw one of them moving and thus he knew what to expect.

    Although this was not out of the ordinary, his eyes squinted when he saw the

    Lucivar''s eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene.

    Wounds marred Thalia''s body, drenching her white veracity jacket with blood, deeper¡ªand more vicious than anything he''d expect from an academy test. The ninja Lucivar had scared off earlier hadn''t carried lethal weapons, this this one was different.

    He bore a blade, and the way it had been used made Lucivar suspicious of this battle.

    Each strike from the ninja was filled with killing intent.

    Moreover, Thalia''s wounds were close to her vital points, precise and calculated, almost as if the ninja, had been actively trying to kill her. Just then¡ªLucivar, saw the light shimmer¡ªand went over to Thalia, seeping into her battered form.

    ''She''s the opportunity...? What does that even mean?'' He pondered in contemplation.

    Despite the question, he decided to put it at the back of his mind and focus on the present.

    "Kargghk!" Thalia made a misstep and was struck.

    She winced, clutching her side, her hand slick with her own lifeblood.

    On her right side, there was a fresh gash that had opened her flesh wide, and her blood was pouring out fast, ''I can''t last any longer. Where is that guy¡ªanyway? He should''ve been able to help but he''s taking his sweet time coming back''

    ''I can''t flee either, this person is definitely an Acolyte-rank Hybrid,'' She bit her lower lip.

    Thalia tried to flee multiple times, but the ninja always caught up to her.

    Her speed was not comparable, she was dragged back onto her original spot every time.

    Minutes ago, she also already tried screaming¡ªfor help but she realized that no one would hear her in this secluded corner¡ªof the academy garden. Steadying her breaths, her heart raced in fear as the ninja raised his blood-soaked blade.

    As opposed to using it again, he tossed the blade aside.

    Swish!

    In replacement of the blade, his fingers hummed with dark energy, and before her wide eyes¡ªhis fingers elongated, into blackened claws made entirely of ether, exuding a sinister glow, an innate ability.

    Seeing this, Thalia''s breath caught in her throat, "A Demon Hybrid..."

    From the ether the ninja was emanating, she recognized him as a Demon Hybrid.

    "I''ll be killing you first," the ninja said playfully. "you''re worth less compared to your sister"

    Swoosh!

    Not sparing any more seconds, as the battle had gone on long enough, the ninja rushed with incredible speed¡ªcovering the grounds between them with mere steps. His exposed eyes¡ª were glistening with killing intent as he raised his claws and struck down.

    Thalia''s heart skipped a beat as she wasn''t able to react properly in time.

    She had lost too much blood, and wasn''t able to defend herself anymore.

    Just as the claws were about to strike, threatening to tear Thalia''s flesh and kill her, the ninja was surprised when he caught sight of a rock, flying towards him like a bullet. He groaned in pain when the rock hit his forehead directly, disorienting him for a second.

    Recovering from that hit, the ninja focused ahead again but was greeted by a pair of eyes.

    In the next second, a savage uppercut landed on his chin, throwing him back.

    "Motherfucker!" He cursed, staggering back a couple of steps.

    Simultaneously, Thalia was also shocked when a robust back appeared in front of her.

    At the sight of the person, her eyes glittered, "Lucivar?!"

 Chapter 44 44: Secretly a Powerhouse

    Lucivar didn''t understand what was happening.

    It was supposed to be a test and yet Thalia was attacked with lethal intent.

    But he wasn''t going to remain idle and watch as his opportunity was killed by this man.

    Having to spend an essence bar to purchase this opportunity from Loki¡ªhe was not going to waste it. Lucivar stepped in and struck the ninja, helping Thalia from the final attack that was surely going to end her.

    Both Thalia and the ninja were surprised, not expecting someone to meddle in.

    A surprise that was caused by Lucivar''s light presence.

    "Brat!" the ninja exclaimed in anger, pointing his ether claws at Lucivar¡ªwhile his other hand rubbed his throbbing chin. "Meddling in something that you don''t know, could be dangerous, leave while I''m still playing nice"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar went to the side to grab a broom with its handle half-snapped.

    He viewed the sharp broken end and said, "Sorry, I couldn''t do that"

    "Huh...?" the ninja frowned seeing Lucivar was acting nonchalant even though he didn''t have the strength to back, his demeanor up. But then, he realized something, "Are you her guard? Guess I should''ve expected her to have at least one guard in this damn academy"

    Thalia remained silent, she looked at Lucivar''s back in perplexed, ''He''s calm, eerily calm''

    ''He is facing an Acolyte-rank Demon Hybrid, how could he be calm?'' She thought.

    A Demon Hybrid most of the time has a dangerous tendency to become violent, it was within their blood to act demonic so a lot of people were scared of Demon Hybrids. Not to mention, in order to cultivate their Supernatural Egos, they needed to kill.

    Due to that, most Demon Hybrids were sent to handle dungeons from their early stages.

    It also meant that every Demon Hybrid was used to kill beasts or even people.

    For an aspiring Hybrid like Lucivar, being calm in front of such a Hybrid was praiseworthy.

    ''Being branded as my guard would be bad for him¡ªbut I shouldn''t feel bad for being helped by him¡ªhe must want me to view him favorably by doing this to court me'' Thalia pondered, it was most likely to be the reason in her biased mind.

    Just then, however, that thought was squashed.

    "A guard? Me? No, it''ll be a hassle to clean this place alone, that''s all" Lucivar shrugged.

    Upon hearing this, Thalia''s expression froze, ''Really? That''s his reason?''

    Lucivar then grinned as his eyes flashed with a murderous light¡ªhe was saying that but his reason was different. It was to preserve the opportunity he bought earlier but now¡ªjudging from the banter with the ninja he learned that he was sent here to kill Thalia.

    In other words, he was not from the academy so he was free to do anything he wanted.

    Swish!

    Recognizing the prospect¡ªa trail of dark energy snaked from his Supernatural Ego into the ninja''s chest, connecting them together. The killing intent surged impulsively, a raw instinct that appeared without needing Lucivar''s conscious thought¡ªit flowed naturally.

    ''If I kill him right now, I will gain the gold divine blood'' Lucivar pondered, the grin on his face widening the more he thought about what he would obtain. ''I would definitely breakthrough to the third-star with it''

    Seeing the devious smile, the ninja frowned and went into his fighting stance.

    His body responded to the tense air Lucivar was emanating.

    ''I only have enough ether to fight and cast one more Snare ability, but I still have five strands in reserve. He''s an Acolyte-rank Hybrid, but he is not stronger than Darwin,'' Lucivar thought, before he gripped the broom and made the first move.

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar charged ahead, enhancing the broken broom with his golden ether.

    "If you want to die that badly, I''ll gladly help you!" the ninja shouted and swung his claws.

    Clang!

    His claws collided with the broom¡ªbut his eyes widened when the broom did not get sliced and instead, parried his claws, ''This guy, his control over his ether is insane! To think that he could enhance that damn broom to this degree''

    Using the broom as a sword, Lucivar dashed in fiercely.

    His enhanced broom flashed with ether as he unleashed a relentless series of attacks.

    Each swing was calculated, his balance steady as he''d been taught¡ªeyes locked on the part of his opponent''s form that could hurt him. Lucivar was putting what he had learned from the others to practice.

    Despite being a broom, it carried weight behind every strike.

    With each impact, the ninja was driven back helplessly, barely holding his ground.

    Panic flickered in the ninja''s eyes¡ªas he realized Lucivar''s speed and strength exceeded his initial expectations. There was no room to breathe, the assault, was unyielding, ferocious. As the ninja avoided a deadly swing, inches away from cutting his neck, his pupils dilated.

    Lucivar twisted with the momentum of his missed swing, spinning his body.

    He then cleaved the sharp edge of the broken broom in a brutal arc.

    Swoosh!

    Having no time to avoid this blow, the ninja raised his claws to block, but the impact was far more devastating¡ªthan he anticipated. His teeth gritted as the force behind the attack was able to crack his ether claws and sent him stumbling backward, landing on his back.

    ''What in the hell?! He got stronger!'' the ninja exclaimed in shock.

    Earlier in the attack, Lucivar had used one strand, which was why his attack got stronger.

    Before the ninja could recover, Lucivar was upon him, a fist driving into his stomach.

    "Guaaghk!!" the ninja grunted in pain, feeling his stomach caving in.

    Blood sprayed from the ninja''s mouth, splattering across Lucivar''s face but he has no mercy to spare. At the height of the battle¡ªhis mind traversed back to his training with the others, especially the one with Ravenna.

    ''Remember, keep an eye on your opponent''s weakness. If their footwork is off¡ªknock them off balance and strike. If they suck at defending or were caught off guard, rained them with blows. If they are bad at attacks, be on the defense and only counterattack''

    ''Use anything you can, get down and dirty as much as possible if that''d make you win''

    ''Don''t be afraid, make them afraid instead. Once they are afraid, they''ll lose''

    Lucivar remembered her words and narrowed his gaze.

    He mounted the ninja and rained down blows, each punch more vicious than the last.

    Desperation surged through the ninja as his vision blurred, his face was swelling beneath the relentless onslaught. He raised his arms to protect himself¡ªbut the strikes kept coming non-stop, battering him into the dirt.

    In a desperate move, the ninja grabbed Lucivar''s head and smashed it with a headbutt.

    A headbutt that landed on his nose, staggering him back.

    Seizing the opening, the ninja stabbed with his claws, aiming to pierce Lucivar''s chest.

    ''I need to get out of this position¡ªthis will certainly force him to get away,'' He thought.

    But as opposed to that, Lucivar didn''t retreat.

    Instead, his hand darted to the broken broom beside him.

    Gripping it in reverse, he drove the jagged sharp end down, aiming straight at the ninja''s face¡ªa move that completely caught the ninja off-guard. At that moment, he realized¡ªthat there were two choices for him.

    Either continue his attack and pierce Lucivar but suffer the broom stabbing his face, or ditch his strike and parry Lucivar''s lethal blow. In this slow motion¡ªthe ninja''s eyes widened, ''This man... he''s used to fighting to the death! No, that can''t be, this must be a fluke!''

    ''I should continue, he would definitely retreat in the last second!'' He pressed.

    However, as the broom''s sharp edge neared, Lucivar didn''t seem to back out.

    ''No way... No way he''s going to go through with this, right...?'' the ninja hesitated.

    Just then, he gritted his teeth seeing the determined grin plastered on Lucivar''s face.

    Realizing that Lucivar was being serious, the ninja surrendered¡ªand halted his attack at the last second and knocked the broom out of Lucivar''s hand. He then kicked Lucivar away, and regained his footing once more.

    "Lunatic!" the ninja exclaimed. "You''re a lunatic!"

    As opposed to what he thought, Lucivar simply thought that he could heal if he was injured.

    He was not afraid to take on attacks because of that.

    Not even responding to this comment, Lucivar''s eyes flashed with a greenish hue.

    Only then did the ninja see chains protruding from the ground and restrain his limbs.

    "An innate ability?!" He mused in shock, but quickly raised his claws¡ªto strike when he saw Lucivar was charging at him. Colliding, he managed to grab Lucivar''s hand that was holding the broom while his claws were grabbed by Lucvar.

    But this made the ninja smirked, "You made a mistake, bastard! Inner Fire!"

    Swoosh!

    Upon saying that, the ninja''s claws scorched hot, steaming Lucivar''s hand gripping them.

    He then pressed his claws forward, awaiting Lucivar to be overwhelmed by the heat.

    It was a spell of his, making his ether scorching hot.

    Despite the scorch, the ninja soon realized¡ªthat Lucivar''s hand was still gripping tightly¡ªit wasn''t weakening at all. His eyes then widened in horror when he saw his ether, comprising his claws began turning color.

    From dark black to a greenish hue, and the scorch was beginning to hurt him, the caster.

    "W- What in the world...?" the ninja muttered in disbelief.

    Lucivar expanded his strands to corrupt the ninja''s ether claws¡ªthe burn on his hand began to decrease rapidly as the ether claws were shifted to his side, "Pity for you to meet me now¡ªyour bad karma is not as strong as mine, but that must be your fate"

    Smirking, he twisted the broom and made a swift, fluid slash.

    In the next second, the ninja''s right arm was severed alongside his ether claws.

    Grabbing that severed arm¡ªLucivar gripped it and speared it into the ninja''s chest.

    Splash!

    Disbelief crossed the ninja''s face¡ªas he looked down to find his own arm piercing his chest, and his heart within. Lucivar patted him on the shoulder before he fell to his knees¡ªgasping for breath, and eventually fell to the ground.

    Similarly, Thalia looked at this in utter shock.

    Her eyes were fixed on the ninja''s corpse on the ground, creating a pool of blood.

    It was shocking to see that an Acolyte-rank Demon Hybrid was easily dispatched by Lucivar, a commoner who was supposed to come from a slave city. Lucivar pivoted around and made eye contact with Thalia, his bloodied appearance made her gulp.

    Just as she suspected, Lucivar was not what he appeared to be.

    He was secretly a powerhouse and also someone who was accustomed to killing!

    No matter how she looks at it, Lucivar wasn''t a mere commoner.

    Of course, as someone who meddles in such a mess, Thalia suspected that Lucivar would be asking her questions about this ninja. She was prepared to answer, as he saved her, notifying him of what she knows is the least she could do.

    But as opposed to that, Lucivar said, "Cleaning the garden is a hassle, so you do it"

    Immediately after he said that he turned, heading to leave.

    "H- Huh...?" Thalia was at a loss for words. "Hey! Wait a minute!"

    Not even turning, he shouted, "Don''t be ungrateful, I saved you, remember? I''m going back"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia smiled wryly, "Is that really what he was concerned about...?"

    A moment later.

    Lucivar headed back to the dormitory with a golden divine blood in hand¡ªnot as big as the one he got from Darwin, and there was not a green hue either. Nevertheless, this should be enough to propel him to the third star.

    Also, there was Thalia, the opportunity, but he decided to leave her for now.

    He would pay close attention to her to decipher what was the opportunity that involved her.

    "I could''ve healed her, there''s one more strand left but whatever," He mused to himself.

    Just as he was about to exit the garden, crossing a couple of candidates¡ªwho were mostly beaten up to a pulp by the ninjas, Lucivar stopped. His gaze turned to the side, locking on a secluded garden bench on the corner, isolated from prying eyes.

    Pausing for a second, he decided to go over and sit on it.

    Leaning against the bench, he sighed and rested his sweating body with the night''s breeze.

    Lucivar sat there in silence for a solid ten minutes with his eyes closed.

    Eventually, he opened his eyes and took out something from his pocket, a phone with a rose sticker on its back. He looked at the phone for a brief moment before he placed it beside his ear as if he were calling someone.

    He inhaled deeply before he opened his mouth.

    "Hey, what''s it like there? I''m sure it was pleasant and bright,"

    "..."

    "I decided to stay with Tobias, everyone already knew about my bloodline¡ªso there was no problem staying here. Oh... also, it is about Darwin. He... I... I kil-..." Lucivar stuttered, he was uncertain if he should say what he was about to say. "Anyway, I''m in the academy right now, and I''m sure I''ll be accepted here"

    "I saw street lights for the first time, they were way brighter than torches as I expected. A big city like this is like a different world, even the ground was smooth¡ªand firm. Also, the people here were busy with their phones all the time. I don''t have one but I''ll find a way to have one"

    "Hybrids were flying too, I want to fly someday like them with my own power-"

    "Soon enough, I''ll reach the third-star Neophyte rank-"

    "Don''t worry, I''ll always keep you updated so you won''t be bored..."

 Chapter 45 45: Mischief Doppelganger

    It was not too late at night when Lucivar got back to the dormitory.

    In fact, he was amongst the earliest candidates to finish the academy''s initiation.

    Nobody was around, the whole dormitory was quiet¡ªnot even the staff, could be seen. But then again, it was already night, and the others were probably either still getting beaten up, finishing their community service, or being treated in the infirmary.

    Lucivar headed inside and to his room.

    He was eager to absorb the gold divine blood and become stronger.

    Once he reached the third-star Neophyte rank, he might be able to challenge Bakar properly.

    Upon passing the lounge, he saw Elira sitting on the sofa with her eyes closed.

    She seemed to be meditating, the ether around her was circulating.

    "Hmm..." Lucivar paused in his tracks and pondered, his mind geared with thoughts. Deciding on what to do, he approached Elira, but stopped after a couple¡ªof steps. ''What would I even say to her? I ditched Thalia and came back? I''ll find out about the opportunity later''

    Shaking his head, Lucivar turned and headed to his room.

    On the other hand, Elira opened her eyes, she sensed that Lucivar tried to approach her.

    Catching a glimpse of him, she raised an eyebrow, "He finished it really fast,"

    Moments later.

    Lucivar was now sitting on the bed with his legs crossed, meditating in silence with the gold divine blood in his hands. Soon, the shimmering gold divine blood¡ªdimmed and vanished, it was then that he began polishing his Supernatural Ego.

    Ether swirled around the egg statue, enhancing its surface with power.

    He could tell that with the ether he gained he would achieve a breakthrough tonight.

    Besides that, his motivation also thrived because of a sudden visit minutes ago.

    Upon entering the room, Lucivar, saw a crimson bat hanging beside the window, it didn''t look normal, its eyes were moving as if there was human intelligence behind them. Surprisingly¡ªit was Tobias behind this bird.

    It must be one of his abilities, a summoning of this crimson bat.

    Lucivar became even more sure that Tobias was a Vampire Hybrid if his ability was like this.

    Not expecting them to be hogged inside the academy, Tobias was forced to summon this bat to talk with Lucivar¡ªand the others. He relayed a message through the bat, saying that, their aim was to be exceptional in taking down dungeons.

    Regardless of what needs to be done, they needed to get stronger and exceptionally viewed.

    If they were given the chance to be a member of a clan, then they would take it.

    But under no circumstances would they ever become a student.

    Additionally, Tobias also said that he would be keeping tracks of their accomplishments, and every month, he would rank them according to it. Those who ranked high would be given¡ªa customized gift from Tobias himself and also resources such as power crystals.

    Knowing that Lucivar was fired up.

    He was the weakest compared to the others but he wasn''t going to be ranked the lowest.

    Reaching the third-star Neophyte rank would allow him to do exactly that.

    It was nearing midnight, but Lucivar was oblivious to this and frankly, did not care as he had already planned¡ªto meditate all night long, until he broke through. He was engrossed in the moment and was detached from the surroundings.

    Due to that, he didn''t realize that a mark on his forehead gradually appeared.

    A glowing mark that radiated with a sinister, greenish hue.

    Had Lucivar seen this, he would''ve recognized this mark to be the Rune of Mischief.

    As the Rune of Mischief flared to life, Lucivar''s skin hummed¡ªwith Loki''s power, his full form swaying subtly as though reality itself struggled to contain him. A flicker followed¡ªbrief, and disorienting, a shard of him flashed beside his body, perfectly mirroring his posture.

    It happened again, and again¡ªbrief glitches in the air.

    Soon enough, a green, ghostly figure with Lucivar''s exact features materialized.

    Opening its eyes, the apparitions stood, stretching lazily as its ethereal shape shifted, turning into flesh, becoming as real as Lucivar himself. With a final glance back, the clone plastered a sly smile onto his lips.

    Moving in silence as a shadow, the clone slipped through the door, closing it behind him.

    No sound was made, Lucivar undisturbed, unaware of the clone''s appearance.

    Morning came, the stars above were replaced by the shy sun.

    Lucivar finished his meditation right at dawn when the sun was barely peeking, he looked at his body and took a deep breath. He was already at the edge¡ªof breaking through, one last push and the limiter would be lifted and he would achieve the third-star Neophyte rank.

    Getting up from the bed, he went to the door to double-check if it was locked or not.

    Last night he already locked it but it would not do harm to check.

    Expecting it to be locked¡ªLucivar frowned when the door was opened when he pulled on its handle, "Did I not lock it? That''s really dangerous, this is the academy..." He muttered, feeling his throat dry at the prospect of being caught.

    Unlike back at home, this was the academy, if he was caught then he would be toast.

    Sighing in relief as it was the right thing to double-check, he sat down on the floor.

    He didn''t forget to place a cover on the floor and open his clothes, before closing his eyes.

    Taking in a deep breath, he circulated his ether one more time.

    Kacha!

    In an instant, something within him broke, and a surge of power coursed through his veins.

    Just like back when he reached the second-star with Delilah, he forcefully grits his teeth as an excruciating pain assaults his back. His undeveloped wing began to burn, it grew longer, spurting blood out to drip on his body.

    Every single time he broke through to the next rank, his wing would grow alongside him.

    Now that he expected this to happen, he could endure the pain better.

    Of course, he was still twisting on the ground from the pain but not as much as the first time.

    It took a couple of minutes before the growth of his wing stopped.

    Lucivar panted heavily with sweat and blood covering his entire body, he then looked behind and found the emerald wing had grown from the length of a finger, to half an arm. It was also robust, covering it would be harder because of that.

    "I really hope it could be retracted into me or else it would be troublesome," He mused.

    Other than the growth of his wing, he also could feel his power increasing.

    Compared to before against the weird ninja, he was confident that he would be able to cast Snare multiple times more with his current, increased ether reserve. Ripping apart the sheet of the bed, he inspected it before he nodded.

    It was thick enough to be used to wrap his wing to hide it.

    Going to the bathroom to clean himself, he stopped and moved away the curtains.

    "It''s morning already, I need to make a deal to be placed as an academy hunter but who do I talk this with?" Lucivar pondered¡ªhe could only think of the professors but he was not sure which one. "I''ll visit that guy then, he must be able to help"

    Lucivar exited his room after he cleaned himself and instantly went out of the dormitory.

    Just like last night, few candidates were awake this early.

    Other than it was very early, being beaten up is also another reason to stay in bed.

    Making sure that nobody was following him¡ªLucivar exited the building and swept his gaze across the morning academy sight. He took in a deep fresh air and rubbed his hands, "Now, where should I go to find him?"

    About an hour later.

    Inside a bathroom was a man wearing a hospital gown, looking at himself in the mirror.

    His head was wrapped in a bandage, his right arm bound in a sling, fresh wounds still evident from a recent fight. Trembling¡ªhis left hand splashed cold water onto his face as he couldn''t gain a wink of sleep last night.

    Naturally, he was desperate to regain composure.

    Upon wiping his face with water, he gripped the edge of the sink with a troubled face.

    "I shouldn''t have accepted Professor Aeldric''s request¡ªthat guy is a monster¡ªand he is now aiming for me," the man muttered, grabbing his hair in frustration. "What should I do? Should I report him to the professors? No, he will come after me harder if I do that. Shit!"

    "M- Maybe... Maybe he''s had enough. But let''s keep it low for now," He sighed.

    Because of what had happened to him, his mind raced with worry.

    Swallowed by silence, and the weight of trauma¡ªhe stood in the bathroom for five minutes, his mind replaying the event that left him in this state over¡ªand over again. After a moment to calm himself down, he nodded to himself, "I''m safe here"

    Now that he was inside the infirmary of the third-year building, he should be safe.

    Taking in a deep breath, he left the bathroom, intending to find solace in sleep.

    But before he could reach the bed, a voice, seeped into his ears.

    "I''m surprised that finding you was easy. It only takes the yearbooks of the upperclassmen, and a brief trip to the student service. The staff believed me when I said I want to see what kind of great people the upperclassmen were, can you believe it?"

    Upon hearing this, the man froze, eyes wide in terror.

    Slowly turning toward the sound, his complexion drained of color, as the memories surged back like a tidal wave, his body trembling violently almost like an instinct at the side of the uninvited figure in his room, leaning on the wall in the corner.

    "Y- You...! Have you not done enough?!" the man exclaimed, moving back to the wall.

    He knocked a couple of things in his path due to how shocked and scared he was.

    Lucivar searched for the ninja he scared off last night.

    Knowing that he was definitely an upperclassman with his strength, Lucivar decided¡ªto pay him a visit in order to know, the best professor he could make a deal with, the professor who was in charge of the new students preferably.

    Now he knew this man was Andre, a third-year student.

    But he was quite surprised to see Andre being scared of him to this fierce extent.

    ''I did scare him but this reaction is a little bit much, no?'' He thought.

    As he thought that, however, Lucivar raised an eyebrow when he realized that Andre was in a bad condition. He did not remember doing this, so he must have gotten into a fight after their brief encounter.

    Straightening his back, Lucivar stood tall with a firm gaze.

    Andre pressed his back against the wall harder, wanting to burst through the wall.

    "Relax, I''m not here to do anything. I''m only here to ask a question," Lucivar said.

    Upon hearing this, Andre nodded his head repeatedly, "I''ll answer anything, please, just don''t hurt me anymore! Uh... I- I was sent to test you by Professor Aeldric, he wanted to see¡ªhow strong you are! The initiation should''ve been done, by the second-year, but I was sent to test you instead because of him!"

    Lucivar was surprised when he heard this, ''Professor Aeldric?''

    He remembered this professor, it was the one who was giving him a weird intense look.

    ''Professor Aeldric it is...''

 Chapter 46 46: Sudden Agreement

    Inside a room on the third floor of another building near the academy''s main building.

    Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on magical artifacts throughout.

    Cheerful tapestries hung beside portraits of scholars, decorating the room.

    Tall shelves brimming with worn tomes and scrolls lined the walls, while a large wooden desk held nearly stacked parchment, ink bottles, and curious trinkets. Poised behind the desk was an old man, and the opposite a young student in uniform.

    From the outside, it seemed these two were in a jovial conversation.

    Both were smiling and chuckling occasionally.

    "Here, take it. I''ll let you read the copy of Sir Zenior''s proclamation text,"

    "Is it really alright, Professor? Can I really read it?"

    "Of course, a young mind must be curious to develop, and I''m fond of development"

    Extremely excited¡ªthe student took the scroll Professor Aeldric was borrowing¡ªto him with both his hands slightly trembling. He held the scroll as if it were the most precious thing, and his expression showed that he couldn''t wait to read it.

    Recognizing that face, Professor Aeldric smiled, "Go. Give it back when you''re done"

    Upon hearing this, the student stood, bowed, and left the room.

    Professor Aeldric could only shake his head¡ªhappy to see a student, being engrossed in the chasm of history. But then, the door that was closed seconds ago was opened once again, it was the student from earlier, who poked his head inside, "Professor, someone wants to meet you. He''s not a student, he''s still a candidate. Should I let him in?"

    "Hmm...?" Professor Aeldric frowned, he was not close with any of the new candidates.

    Just then, the student continued, "His name is Lucivar Asarafall"

    At the mention of that name, Professor Aeldric''s eyes flared open instantly in shock.

    Clearing his throat and tidying his robe, he waved his hand, "Let him in,"

    Soon the student stepped aside¡ªand Lucivar walked inside the room, making a strong eye contact with the professor. He closed the door behind him before he smiled, "Professor, do you have time to spare? I have something to say"

    "Please, sit down," Professor Aeldric gestured, prompting Lucivar to sit.

    As Lucivar sat down, Professor Aeldric calmly poured himself a hot tea, the time for the tea to fill the cup, seemed to take an eternity. He then lifted the cup, and leaned back, taking a sip while looking at Lucivar silently.

    Only when he placed the cup down did he ask, "What made you come to me this early?"

    "I have a proposition to make if professor is willing to listen," Lucivar replied politely.

    Upon hearing this, Professor Aeldric raised an eyebrow, it was not an everyday thing¡ªfor a student to have a proposition for him much less a candidate, "A proposition? What kind of proposition would a candidate have to come to meet with a professor directly?"

    "I don''t want to be a student in this academy, I want to be an academy hunter," Lucivar said.

    Naturally, this revelation was mildly surprising for Professor Aeldric.

    He was fretting about what Lucivar came to meet him for but he should''ve expected this.

    From what he heard from Andre, Lucivar was not a regular Hybrid.

    Despite being a mere Acolyte-rank Hybrid and didn''t seem to be wealthy, he has a powerful ability that is able to restrain him under his belt. Not to mention, Lucivar''s aura was light and small, but that changed instantly when he exposed it.

    It was clear that Lucivar was not as what he seemed as expected.

    Even the tests, there''s a big chance he was faking them.

    "Aspiring Hybrids normally choose to become students and become stronger before going to do their duty as Hybrids and tackle dungeon, what makes you want to skip that process, and be an academy hunter?" Professor Aeldric asked.

    Enrolling in an academy and slowly becoming stronger is the safest path to growth.

    Academy Hunters are only reserved for those who are not talented enough but desperately want to enroll in the academy. Of course if the Hybrid was talented and capable enough¡ªit would be better to become an Academy Hunter.

    Not only would they gain real-battle experience, but the resources from closing a dungeon were far above the resources provided to students, especially in a second-rate academy¡ªsuch as this academy.

    However, due to the conditions against the Crossers, a law prohibited talented Hybrids from doing that.

    It wasn''t good overall, the death toll was too high in this time of crisis.

    "Personal reasons that I could not disclose," Lucivar answered with a straight face.

    Upon hearing this, Professor Aeldric nodded his head before he straightened his back¡ªand opened his drawer. Lucivar watched him curiously, not knowing what he was doing but then he took out a scroll and placed it on the desk.

    Lucivar looked at him questioningly and saw him nudge his chin.

    He prompted Lucivar to open the scroll.

    Doing as he was told, Lucivar opened the scroll before his expression turned into surprise.

    But that surprise didn''t last, replaced by a grim-dark expression.

    Out of Lucivar''s expectations¡ªthe scroll was none other than a bounty notice with a portrait of his face-alike there. It was the same one he saw in Frostholm Town, "I came across that in my research. That young man on the scroll, that was you, am I right?"

    Seeing Lucivar shaken, Professor Aeldric intertwined his fingers above his solar plexus.

    He was calmly observing Lucivar''s reaction.

    "A new Hybrid taking down a seasoned, Neophyte-rank Titan Hybrid. With that kind of power¡ªI understand why you wanted to become an academy hunter," He added¡ªdue to the tests, he was curious and did background research on Lucivar and found this.

    Keeping his gaze down, Lucivar asked silently, "Do the other professors know about this?"

    Despite the lightness of his question, there was lethal intent in his voice.

    "Oh, are you making sure you''re in the clear before killing me?" Professor Aeldric sneered, his aura then flared open, unleashing a torrent of ether¡ªthat concentrated on Lucivar. It was too strong to the point that Lucivar instantly coughed out blood.

    It felt like there was a mountain on his back, pressing him down to the floor.

    ''He''s a professor, he must be a Chrysalis or even a Savant rank Hybrid!'' Lucivar thought.

    Due to what he has been doing, the lethal intent came out of him instinctively.

    And Professor Aeldric noticed that easily.

    "Be aware of the difference in strength, boy," Professor Aeldric said, his hoarse voice intoned a warning. "If you did that to the other professor, they would''ve killed you on the spot. Do not let your youth brazenness take you to an early death"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar gritted his teeth as more blood came out of his mouth and nose.

    Even the items inside the room began shaking under the oppressing might.

    He then forced out words, "I''m sorry, it is my fault!"

    Only when those words were uttered did Professor Aeldric retraced back his aura, letting him off with only a warning. Lucivar bent down and covered his mouth, gasping for breath, ''Damn¡ªI should not let my intrusive thoughts seep out like that''

    As he recovered, Professor Aeldric was sipping his tea nonchalantly once again.

    "Breaking the machine as you did made you stand out, but with the twins around, other than me¡ªthe other professors weren''t that interested in you. Even if they are interested in you, it would be hard for them to find out about this" He said, nudging his chin at the scroll.

    Just as Lucivar initially expected, matching him with the wanted man was a hard thing to do.

    It happened in a tiny slave city, and the only ones who knew his face were those of that city.

    Other than Tobias and the others, of course.

    Not to mention, this was the territory of the House of Valerius, the Vampire''s territory.

    An entirely different jurisdiction compared to where Veegend City was located.

    Even now, the fact that Professor Aeldric knew about this was still surreal for Lucivar.

    He frowned and asked, "Then how did you find out?"

    "I have my ways that I could not disclose," Professor Aeldric smirked. "If the information that you have a bounty on your head, issued by Young Master Arkan, the son of the Ashbourne''s Head Family''s brother¡ªthe academy would be forced to hand you over to the authorities. In their hands, things often get worse before they get better¡ªthat is if they do at all"

    "We don''t want that happening, do we?" He added, his words laced with subtle cues.

    Recognizing those cues, Lucivar asked, "What do you want?"

    Certainly, Professor Aeldric wanted something from him.

    Lucivar had come here with the intention of negotiating, but this wasn''t going well.

    "I saw what you did to Andre, you have the appropriate talents so I''ll offer you this," Professor Aeldric, leaned forward. "I will assign you as an academy hunter, as you wanted. In exchange, you will be one of the representatives for the academy, in the South Hues Tournament. It''ll be held in a little bit over a month from now"

    "If you fail to meet the requirements to join, our deal is off."

    "If you fail to reach the top three in the tournament, our deal is off."

    "If you try to get back in any way against me or the academy, our deal is off."

    "So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?" Professor Aeldric finally said, smirking in triumph.

    Even though he was asking for Lucivar''s answer, the answer was already fixed.

    It was either accept or death, basically.

    Lucivar has no choice but to take this deal and try his best.

    ''He even knows what I did to Andre, but what did I do, anyway? I only scared him a bit. Also, why did not he mention anything about the ninja, that attacked Thalia? If he saw me scaring Andre, he should see me fight and kill that ninja too'' He thought, contemplating.

    A lot of questions crossed his mind but he didn''t have the answer to them.

    No matter how much he tried, he couldn''t think of an answer.

    Finally, Lucivar raised his gaze and nodded his head, "Okay, it''s a deal. I''ll do it"

    "Go along now, I have to take care of your transfer from a student to an academy hunter. You are already accepted, so I need to hurry and make the changes," Professor Aeldric waved his hand, signaling for Lucivar to leave.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar stood up and exited the room without saying anything.

    His mind was filled with thoughts thus his silence.

    Professor Aeldric pretended to write something on a piece of paper until Lucivar left, and the moment the door was closed once again¡ªhis hand stopped and he leaned back on his chair, looking at the door absent-mindedly.

    "I did what you asked," He suddenly said as if someone was inside the room with him.

    Soon, he turned to the top of the bookshelves¡ªa black animal was there.

    "Since we''re in a mutual relationship, I''m going to use him as much as I want for the academy¡ªI hope you have no qualms, with that," He added, looking at the black animal. Instead¡ªof a reply, the black animal with red eyes vanished, turning into black smoke.

    Only when the animal disappeared could Professor Aeldric breathe easily.

    "Just what did I get myself into...?"

    "And who is the one summoning that thing? To be able to infiltrate the academy without even triggering a single mechanism¡ªhe must be extremely strong or even of noble name. Anyway, at the very least I could help the academy through this,"

 Chapter 47 47: Academy Hunters

    Lucivar exited the room and halted, his hand was still on the handle.

    ''How did he know about that?''

    Anger bubbled inside of him as he felt a crippling sensation crawling from his toes, spreading and making him feel powerless. He could not understand¡ªhow the professor knew about his past¡ªthe only ones who knew about it were the people of his hometown.

    He hoped that by coming to Sunhold City, he could forget about his past and start anew.

    But the past followed him like a shadow.

    ''Power...'' Lucivar clenched his fists. ''Just like Tobias said, I can''t be free until I have strength''

    Determined, he walked away and headed downstairs.

    His mind, however, was fixed on one person¡ªThalia.

    In a month''s time, he needed to become way stronger in preparation for the tournament, and Thalia was the key to achieving that. Loki had given a hint, and it was up¡ªto him to decipher that hint.

    Coming out of the main academy building, he passed by a lot of students.

    He came out at the time of the first class, so the place was packed.

    ''I don''t think the result is already out''

    Looking at the sun that was still shyly peeking above¡ªLucivar headed back to the dormitory with a leisurely walk, he didn''t need to hurry anywhere. He passed by the canteen and came to a halt, rubbing his stomach, "I haven''t had breakfast yet,"

    Deciding to fill his empty stomach, he turned and headed inside the canteen.

    "Ma''am, what''s a Thunderdrake?"

    "It''s a dragon-like acolyte-rank beast found in the Storm Cavern Dungeon, do you want it?"

    "How much is it?"

    "100 academy points"

    "Can I pay with gold instead?"

    "Oh, you''re still a candidate? You have to pay with the academy card,"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s face dimmed¡ªhe wanted to try the Grilled Thunderdrake Steak.

    It was listed as the best-selling, and he wanted to try it.

    Seeing his face made the canteen lady take a wrap, fill it with slices of grilled meat¡ªand give it to Lucvar, "Here, it is not the Thunderdrake meat, but a Thunderhatchling. It''s free. But, you have to promise to come back here and try the Thunderdrake when you''re accepted!"

    "Woah! Thank you, ma''am! I''ll most certainly do!" Lucivar replied excitedly.

    His mouth watered at the scent of the meat''s aroma.

    Nobody was inside the canteen as it was class time¡ªso Lucivar had the place for himself.

    Excitedly, he went to take a seat at the corner and excitedly opened the wrap.

    All the fighting he did yesterday made him hungry, and this would most certainly satiate him.

    "Phew~ What a delicious meal! As expected, eating meat is the best!" He cheered.

    It took only a minute for Lucivar to devour the whole thing.

    Unlike the deer meat he normally eats back in his hometown, the Thunderhatchling meat is in a realm of its own. It was soft and tender¡ªbut more importantly, it was filled with energy. His Supernatural Ego was also cheering the same as him.

    Stepping outside felt like an entirely new experience now his stomach was full.

    Lucivar continued his way back but stopped once again when he heard something.

    A quiet sob that made him raise an eyebrow.

    Checking where the sound came from, Lucivar reached a secluded place behind the canteen¡ªit was the garbage place, judging from the rubbish littering the ground. He approached the source closer and peeked from the corner, seeing two students there.

    One of them was a student with a small stature that looked like a loser.

    On the other hand, was a tall student with blazing golden hair.

    "Is this all you have?"

    "E- Everything... that''s everything"

    "If you hide more from me, I''m going to find it so you better give it to me now"

    "I swear! T- That is the money for my tuition"

    Unsurprisingly enough, it was the typical bullying between students, nothing special.

    ''Even in a big city, this kind of thing also happens,'' Lucivar pondered.

    Seeing this scene made him recall the times he got beat up and bullied because of his good tendencies, he was suffering back then. It was hard, and his family did not care. But despite remembering that, he has no intention of helping the loser.

    In fact, he decided to remember the loser''s face, ''I might need additional pocket money''

    After giving everything he had, the loser was let go, walking to the other side.

    He was sobbing along the way, wiping his tears like a kid.

    Despite that, Lucivar stayed behind and watched the blonde-haired student.

    He only wanted to see the student''s face.

    Knowing that he has the option to make someone his Vestals, this blonde-haired student is a good candidate. Lucivar needs bad people¡ªas his Vestals or else he would not get stronger, and this student might be the one.

    In silence, the blonde-haired student counted the money.

    It wasn''t gold but paper instead.

    Upon reaching the end, he placed the money in his pocket.

    Lucivar thought he would leave after counting the money, but that was wrong entirely.

    Bang!

    Out of nowhere, the blonde-haired student''s foot shot out, striking the garbage can in front of him mercilessly. The sharp clang of metal echoed through the place, as he kicked it non-stop, harder and harder, each blow more violent than the last.

    His expression couldn''t be seen, but it was certainly twisted right now.

    In a couple of strikes, the once-solid steel can crumpled under the relentless assault.

    Dented and trashed.

    Finally, the blonde-haired student stopped, his breath ragged.

    Straightening up, he smoothed his disheveled sweaty hair, adjusted his uniform, and exhaled deeply, pulling the mask of calm back over him. As he turned to leave¡ªhe stopped, when his eyes locked onto Lucivar, who had been watching silently from behind.

    An unreadable expression plastered across his face.

    Not even saying anything, the blonde-haired man went to the other side and left.

    "Huh... he didn''t look the type," Lucivar muttered, seeing that the blonde-haired student was clean and looked charming in some way too. He didn''t seem like someone, who would extort others for money, a bully. But this made Lucivar smirked, "Interesting..."

    Moments later.

    During the peak of the day, the results of the tests came out on the bulletin board.

    Lucivar squeezed through the crowd of candidates and found his name.

    Beside it was the result, ''Academy Hunter'',

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar nodded as this was the sign that the deal was sealed.

    Professor Aeldric fulfilled his end of the deal and now he needed to fulfill his end of the deal.

    "Nice, everyone got in," Mirel muttered, finding the others were all accepted.

    It might be weird for the other candidates to see him cheering as he only got accepted as an academy hunter, but for Mirel and the others, this was¡ªan absolute win. Even Leandra, who managed to reunite with them smiled a little.

    "You don''t seem to be happy with the result," She commented, seeing Lucivar''s face.

    Recovering from his gaze, Lucivar shrugged, "It''s as expected"

    Now that the results¡ªwere out, the accepted students, academy hunters, and also the failed candidates were separated into groups, led by a professor each. Unlike the professor¡ªof the accepted students who wore scholarly robes, the professor for the academy hunters was the complete opposite.

    Instead, he looked rough and in a sleeveless combat uniform.

    He was muscular, and his arms were marred with scars.

    Most of the candidates¡ªwho were declined, and became Academy Hunters instead have a somber look on their faces, a natural reaction to not being accepted. Trying again next year wasn''t an option either, their talents were not on par, and it would stay like that forever.

    In order to get in, they could only stay and work hard as an academy hunter.

    Other than that, their other course of action was to apply to a lower-ranked academy, and be assessed once again. Since the Bloodhaven Academy was not that high either, being in lower ranked academies was unfavorable.

    Despite being given the option to leave, only a handful out of hundreds left.

    Now, the rough-looking professor swept his gaze across the new academy hunters.

    He saw most of them were slouching and saddened by the result.

    "Stand at attention when I''m right in front of you!" His voice echoed inside the lobby, startling the new academy hunters with his fierce tone, causing a lot of them to straighten their backs instinctively. "Are you sad because you''re not accepted? Angry, that you''re not chosen? Well, news flash¡ªyou''re all talentless losers!"

    "Look at them," the professor pointed at the accepted students¡ªlined up meters away from them. "that''s the future, they are going to be the one who wields power, and are favored, by the Supreme House while you, on the other hand... are to buy time for them to be stronger"

    Upon hearing this, the new academy hunters felt their hearts being clenched.

    It was painful to hear what the professor was saying.

    Even then, the Bloodhaven Academy was at the border of being worth it to become students¡ªthe students'' of other lower-ranked academies, wouldn''t be able to have a chance to work, for the Valerius Supreme House.

    A dream that all present at this moment shared.

    If there was even a sliver of desire to work for the Valerius Supreme House, they had to stay.

    Hoping that one day, they will be able to be students and graduate with a bright future.

    On the other hand, the accepted students glanced over at the new academy hunters, sighing to themselves in relief, that they had been accepted. Amongst them was Thalia, she was standing right beside her sister and also glanced over at the other batch.

    She paid no mind to the other batch until her eyes saw a familiar figure there.

    "W- Why is he there...?" Thalia muttered in shock.

    Her eyes caught sight of Lucivar standing in the midst of the new academy hunters, and that caught her completely off guard, as she knew he was strong. Even if he has a mediocre talent, she learned that the ninja who attacked her was disguising himself as an upperclassman.

    It was supposed to be an initiation from the academy to test the candidates'' fighting skills.

    Due to that, she knew Lucivar must''ve also been attacked by a ninja.

    But he was able to help her, and he didn''t seem to be injured¡ªso he must have defeated the ninja that attacked him easily. Seeing him there was really odd, the academy is not dumb, he has potential.

    Elira saw the shock plastered on Thalia''s face and raised an eyebrow.

    "Why is who there?"

    "It''s nothing, sister. Don''t mind me."

    Thalia shook her head, she didn''t tell Elira what had happened with Lucivar and the ninja.

    Despite her answer, Elira glanced over to the other batch¡ªand fixed her eyes on one person.

    She knew who Thalia was looking at.

    "Go outside!" the rough-looking professor shouted¡ªcommanding the new academy hunters to leave the lobby. Lucivar, in the mix. "What are you hesitating for? Move your legs! Run! I''m your life and death, everything I say is the rule, do you understand?!"

    "Yes, professor!"

 Chapter 48 48: Hunter Inauguration

    Academy Hunters, are the less talented Hybrids¡ªthat were forced to provide support to the important places of the city or even outside of the city. Their main job was to deal with open dungeons and close them.

    It was akin to military service before they could be reconsidered to be accepted as students.

    Blood and sweat are their payment to be reconsidered.

    Only the exceptional amongst the less talented would have the chance to be students.

    Most of the time, academy hunters would serve their time and not be accepted.

    Out of a hundred academy hunters, there would be probably only three¡ªwho would manage to change their fate and be accepted. Others would be released from their duty, as academy hunters and work with what they got.

    New academy hunters would replace them.

    Because of the nature of this position, the atmosphere was akin to that of the military.

    Even the professors exude the air of a drill sergeant.

    Lucivar and the other academy hunters were running through the academy ground, a couple of Kalvins, stationed separately were directing them to their destination, while the professor, was following and shouting at them to be faster from the side.

    In a moment, Lucivar realized that they were heading out from the academy''s back gate.

    "Eugh... my soft bed, I''m going to miss it" Mirel commented sadly.

    He was pitying that he could only sleep a single night in the comfortable and tidy dormitory.

    Clearly, the academy hunters seemed to be stationed in another compound nearby.

    Soon enough, Lucivar, Mirel, Leandra, and the other academy hunters reached what seemed to be an abandoned building. It was about fifteen stories high, and its walls, were blackened, it must''ve caught fire in the past.

    Arriving there, Kalvin signaled for them to stop before the professor went to the front again.

    "Go through the building but you can''t go around it. I''ll wait for you on the other side"

    At the instructions, many of the academy hunters frowned.

    One of them raised their hands, "Sir, is this some kind of test? If so, what is the test for?"

    Boom!

    Just then, the entirety of the new academy hunters widened their eyes when the person who asked the question, suddenly got struck by a forceful blow of energy¡ªthat sent him crashing back hard, slamming and shattering stacks of wooden planks nearby.

    He coughed out blood under the others'' gazes, his body weakly shaking from the impact.

    Upon seeing this, the others slowly turned back to the professor.

    All of them gasped when they saw the professor''s fingers were steaming.

    It was he who made the attack.

    "Didn''t I make myself clear, earlier?" He said menacingly with a baritone tone. "I am your life and death. Every word that came out of my mouth was absolute, it''s the rule¡ªit couldn''t be discussed by you bunch"

    Everyone gulped at this, they were not expecting the professor to be this ruthless.

    "I''m only going to say this one more time¡ªgo through the building but you can''t go around it. I''ll wait for you, on the other side" the professor continued, sweeping his gaze¡ªto the crowd. "Also, don''t forget to pick him up"

    As soon as he said that, the professor made a sky-high leap.

    He easily leaped over the fifteen-stories abandoned building and reached the other side.

    An inhuman feat that speaks of his power.

    Now that the professor was gone, the academy hunters began¡ªto recover from their dazes and looked at the building, in front of them. Since they were on the backside of the building, there were no windows or doors, it was totally featureless.

    Because of that, there were only two options to cross the building without going around it.

    Of course, there were supposed to be three options.

    But leaping over the entire building like the professor did is pretty much impossible for them.

    "I''ll go on ahead first," One academy hunter, a man with long green hair made his move.

    Channeling his ether, he flexed his leg muscles and leaped onto the building.

    He stabbed his sharp fingers through the concrete before he started climbing slowly, making his way to the rooftop¡ªaiming to go over the building if he couldn''t go around it. Seeing this, another one, a man with yellowish skin sprouted wings and soared to the sky.

    Others follow after them, and even Ravenna follows.

    Lucivar, Mirel, and Leandra watched from below as the others began climbing.

    Unsurprisingly, Ravenna was the first one to reach the top.

    Her bloodline as a Crimson Rakshasa allowed her to be way more agile than the rest.

    Now that she already become an academy hunter, there was no need to put on a facade.

    She could use her strength freely.

    Just then¡ªLucivar and the others looked ahead and saw Bob was also making his move. As opposed to climbing, Bob''s skin hardened visibly, and crossed by a black hue. When he was ready, he gazed ahead and sprinted at the building.

    His powerful physique as a Black Orc Hybrid allows him to blast through the wall.

    Concrete was nothing to him as he easily charged through the building.

    Multiple crashing sounds followed¡ªas his body slammed into more walls as he made his way to the other side. It didn''t take long for him to disappear, into the darkness, of the abandoned building.

    Seeing this, the other academy hunters followed, separating into two groups.

    One group climbed while the other went through the walls.

    "Which one should we go for?" Mirel asked aloud, he was looking at those who were climbing the walls reluctantly. It looked tiring to climb the entire building, especially, when the building was not a small one.

    Lucivar shrugged, "I''ll just follow Bob, it''s way easier"

    "What about that guy?" Leandra intervened, pointing at the wounded person.

    None of the others helped the poor guy sprawled on the ground weakly.

    Pondering for a slight moment, Lucivar looked around before he nodded, he went ahead to the guy¡ªand saw him gasping in pain. Blood could be seen drizzling from the corner of his mouth, and a couple of deep bruises here and there.

    "Come on, let''s get you up," Lucivar muttered and helped the guy to stand up.

    He supported the guy and went through the hole in the wall.

    Seeing this, Leandra smirked teasingly.

    "Wow... I never knew you were so benevolent or are you really being benevolent?"

    "Is that supposed to be your first reaction when I helped someone?"

    Lucivar was annoyed, it was as if seeing him doing good was a surprise for Leandra.

    Even though it was true that he wasn''t helping the guy out of kindness.

    ''It''s another test, and who knows? Maybe I need to sacrifice someone,'' Lucivar pondered.

    Just like that, the four of them went ahead, following the others.

    Since the abandoned building wasn''t only tall but big too, it took a solid three minutes for the four to go from one end to the other. Emerging on the other side, Lucivar saw the others now climbing the rubbles of another abandoned building behind the first one.

    Unlike the first one, this building was half-destroyed.

    From the looks of it, they were going to the rooftop of the second building.

    Squinting his eyes, he saw the professor waiting for them on the second building''s rooftop.

    "Man, climbing that while carrying this guy is going to be a hassle"

    Mirel took in a deep breath, he was also helping to carry the guy alongside Lucivar.

    "Surgghy..."

    "I hope that''s a sorry because I''d drag you back if that wasn''t the case,"

    "You''re not even helping, why are you so pissed?"

    Lucivar commented under his breath hearing Leandra commenting when she wasn''t helping.

    Eventually, with a little bit of a struggle, the three reached the rooftop.

    Despite carrying the guy with them, they were not the last ones to arrive as there were some hunters who were stupid enough to climb the building and couldn''t get down properly. If they aren''t confident in their abilities, they should''ve gone through the hole Bob made.

    But it seemed the desire to stick out made them take the risk.

    Standing on the edge of the rooftop, the professor gathered their attention once again.

    "Now, jump into the hole."

    Upon hearing this, the hunters looked around in confusion.

    All of them were trying to find the supposed hole the professor was talking about.

    Then, the professor cracked a light smirk and pointed to his behind.

    Seeing this, the hunters went over to the edge and tiptoed to look down from fifteen-stories high before the color from their faces was drained. Fear gripped them, the hole was¡ªon the parking spot of the building, on the ground floor.

    It was quite big, with at least around five cars stacked together in width and height.

    Even then, one bad leap and their bodies would crash against the ground.

    Despite being a Hybrid, most of them have no chance of surviving a direct fall from this high.

    Other than those who have the ability to aid them in this leap, the others were fucked if they missed the hole. But that begs the question¡ªwhat is inside the hole? It was entirely covered in darkness, nothing inside of it could be seen.

    Many wanted to believe that there would be a safety net inside of it that would catch them.

    But the chance that there was nothing made them all gulp hard.

    Asking the professor was not an option either, they all saw what happened earlier.

    As far as the hunters were concerned, the academy might want to reduce their numbers.

    "Do I need to say it again?" the professor pressured.

    Upon hearing this¡ªMirel and Lucivar turned to the side, expecting either Ravenna or Bob to make the first jump. But the two were surprised, when a voice close to them, rang, "I''ll make the first jump"

    Turning to their backs, they found Leandra tying her hair into a ponytail.

    She walked past the crowd and climbed the edge to stand beside the waiting professor.

    "Don''t miss the jump, it''ll be more work for me to clean up your remains,"

    "I''ll try my best"

    Nodding her head, she looked down at the hole and exhaled lightly.

    When she was ready, she inhaled deeply and made the jump under the others'' gazes.

    In that instant, all eyes turned to Leandra¡ªwatching anxiously as she descended toward the gaping hole in the ground. Every hunter seemed to hold their breath¡ªwondering if she could make it unscathed.

    As she neared the hole, Leandra subtly harnessed her ether.

    Her quick fall slowed¡ªher ether lessened the pull of gravity around her.

    Soon, she landed in the pit with a resounding thud, her boots hitting the ground with a hard, heavy step. Leandra''s figure disappeared into the darkness, and everyone, was silent¡ªfor a brief moment.

    It was only when Leandra''s hand, glowing purple did the hunters realize that she was fine.

    Beyond the darkness of the hole was a net made of ether that caught her.

    "Show off," Mirel sneered.

    Now that one of them had leaped, the fear of the unknown seemed to fade. One by one, the hunters followed suit¡ªNerissa, Bakar, Ravenna, and even Bob¡ªall taking their turns to jump into the abyss. It was exactly what the professor had intended.

    Mirel took the guy with him as his lightning ability would help him descend safely.

    Lastly, Lucivar also leaped right behind Mirel.

    However, as soon as he neared the hole, his eyes widened in shock completely.

    He saw the net was flickering before disappearing completely.

    "Shit..."

 Chapter 49 49: Hollowborns (1)

    Since they weren''t allowed to ask questions, the hunters leaped into the hole blindly.

    As expected, the professor was not that cruel.

    Even if there were Hybrids who did not have anything to lessen the impact of the fall¡ªthey wouldn''t get hurt because there was a springy net, waiting to catch them inside the hole. It was not a test of skill but will instead.

    It seemed that the professor was testing whether they could follow orders.

    Lucivar was no exception, he leaped down from the rooftop.

    But as opposed to having a net to save him like the others¡ªhe saw the net flickered multiple times, the ether that was creating it was dispersing. Then, the net simply disappeared as if it was never there.

    Not only Lucivar but the other who saw this were also sucked in a cold breath.

    "Hey, the net disappeared!"

    "Shit, Lucivar!"

    Mirel quickly put down the guy and rushed over to help Lucivar.

    He wanted to cushion the fall impact but he was a couple of steps too late.

    Gritting his teeth in crisis¡ªLucivar flowed a strand of Loki''s energy into his arm and punched forward. His punch created a gush of wind that visibly slowed him down in the nick of time. It was only then did he landed, on one knee and his knuckles.

    "Arggh..." Lucivar grunted, the pain from the impact assaulted his bones and nerves.

    His knee and knuckles were throbbing.

    Something definitely broke.

    Had he not lessened his speed, he would''ve definitely splattered into meat paste.

    In a breeze, Mirel arrived and knelt down beside him.

    "Bro, you alright?"

    "Not so much, that was damn unfortunate..."

    As Lucivar said that, he looked over his shoulder and found the professor was looking at him.

    Surely, the professor was the one who maintained the net.

    It was too convenient that the net suddenly went out of control when it was Lucivar''s turn.

    ''Did Professor Aeldric sent him to test me? No, he already knew what I was capable of there was no need for him¡ªto do this. This is not a test, this is a murder attempt. He hid his killing intent well from me'' Lucivar narrowed his gaze.

    Averting his gaze away, Lucivar pursed his lips, ''Thalia''s enemies, huh...''

    Lucivar was brought to the side by Mirel as the net came back again, he was now healed by Nerissa who also came rushing to him in concern. He needed to assure Nerissa that he was fine as she was already crying¡ªsuch a soft heart.

    But Nerissa''s power healed him, he was back to normal in a few minutes.

    Soon, the others came to check on him.

    Ravenna, Bob, Bakar, and Leandra came to see how he was doing.

    "We could report the professor, you know, that was really not cool,"

    "You could''ve died"

    "I don''t think the academy really cares about that"

    Upon hearing their banter, Lucivar sighed, ''Report the professor? That wouldn''t work''

    What happened earlier could be categorized as an accident.

    The professor could act stupid or apologetic and that incident would be dismissed.

    If he wanted to take down the professor, it needed to be more than that.

    Just as the others were bantering, Lucivar''s back gradually straightened as well as his eyes, gradually widened as if he had realized something. Nerissa, who was healing him, asked, "Is there something wrong? Are you hurt anywhere else?"

    "We''re surrounded..." Lucivar muttered, ignoring her questions.

    Since the surroundings were still pitch-black, it was hard to tell what was around them.

    Lucivar, however, came to the realization that they were surrounded when dozens if not more dark trails could be seen, snaking from beyond the dark, ''My angel constitution could only be triggered by killing intent directed towards me. Is this not an inauguration but a trap set to kill me?''

    Having the professor attempting to murder him, this thought instantly rushed into his mind.

    But then he calmed himself and shook his head, ''No, that''s not possible''

    If Thalia''s enemy has that much power to actually set up a fake inauguration¡ªto kill him then Thalia should''ve been dead by now so what surrounded him and the other hunters right now shouldn''t be people sent by Thalia''s enemy.

    ''But what...? What made them aim only me from this many people?'' Lucivar thought.

    Just then, however, a voice caught the entire hunters'' attention.

    "Comfortable?"

    Glancing upwards, the hunters saw the professor was right outside of the hole, looking down on them. He then cracked a smile before he flicked his fingers, and instantly after he did that¡ªthe lights blazed to life, flooding the room with harsh, glaring brightness.

    Lucivar and the other hunters blinked, their eyes adjusting to the sight before them.

    Now they stood in a vast chamber.

    But what drew their attention were the figures caged in the other rooms surrounding them.

    Humans¡ªno, things that once were human reached through the bars, mouths twisted into guttural growls, fingers gnarled. Their eyes were milky white, with a tinge of blue, hollow¡ªand lifeless.

    Blue veins pulsed beneath their skin, glowing faintly with an eerie light.

    Just one look is all it takes to recognize them as proselytes.

    Unlike the regular proselytes that could mask¡ªand blend themselves with the crowd¡ªthese proselytes were akin to zombies¡ªmore than humans. All of them had lost the ability to think, not proselytes, but hollowborns.

    Hollowborns were proselytes that were cut off from the portal they were linked to.

    It happened when the teal coin was found and the dungeon was forcefully closed.

    All proselytes that were cut off became like this, mindless monsters.

    Lucivar''s eyes darted to each one, but his face didn''t betray him as he remained composed.

    On the other hand, around him, the hunters recoiled in horror.

    "In a dungeon, anything could happen, it can''t be predicted. This is your first lesson, it''s good to get used to unpredictability, early," the professor said, smiling. "you have only one way¡ªto escape. An infiltrator is standing amongst you and only by finding that infiltrator¡ªand getting the key to the exit could you escape from that room"

    As soon as the hunters heard that, they exchanged a look at one another.

    Most of them were strangers up to this point, it would be hard to find the infiltrator.

    Clang!

    Just then, the hunters snapped their heads to the source of the metallic sound.

    All of them paled, even more, when they saw the bars locking the hollowborns were bending.

    It wouldn''t take long before these hollowborns would break free.

    Lucivar was included, he glanced around and found all hollowborns were looking at him.

    Naturally, it was clear who they would kill first if they broke loose.

    ''Shit! I''m fucked if they''re out!'' Lucivar exclaimed inwardly.

    Proselytes or even hollowborns could become stronger from absorbing vitality¡ªof others by killing them. Stronger Hybrids, would provide more vitality, and that includes the bloodline of the Hybrids themselves.

    Lucivar''s bloodline is definitely the strongest one here.

    His blood was mixed with divine blood, and he became the most tempting out of everyone.

    If the hollowborns broke out, he would be aimed first.

    Roar!

    Excited by the Hybrids that came into their den, the metal bars bent harder, overwhelmed by the hollowborns'' primal urge. Some of them even got their heads through the gap¡ªwith their salivating mouth open wide.

    One of the hunters tried leaping out through the hole in the ceiling but was blocked.

    A barrier blocked him.

    "Professor! Let us out of here!"

    "We give up! We can''t possibly find the infiltrator in such a small timeframe!"

    "Let us go! Help!"

    Chaos ensued¡ªthe new hunters began breaking down in emotions from the threat of death.

    Lucivar was the same, but he didn''t let his emotions get to him.

    ''If these hollowborns got out¡ªI could use these people as shields to buy time. But I could tell the professor is going to sabotage me in some way using his power,'' He thought calculatingly¡ªsweeping his gaze through the chamber. ''Wait, no... the infiltrator!''

    In this pressuring moment, Lucivar''s mind was clear and he came to a realization.

    ''Maybe the professor is working for Thalia''s enemy but I doubt everyone is,'' He nodded.

    Naturally, there should be a reason why Thalia and Elira enrolled in this academy, and since Lucivar knew that the twins had a powerful enemy, this academy must be a neutral or even their favored ground.

    A place where their enemy couldn''t easily reach.

    From that alone, Lucivar knew there was a high chance the infiltrator was not aiming for him.

    His only hope was to find the infiltrator but that was too hard to do.

    ''Luring the infiltrator out, however... it''s much easier,'' Lucivar smirked, tapping Mirel''s back.

    "Can you make a distraction?"

    "We''re all going to die!!"

    Not even answering Lucivar, Mirel shouted in panic, heightening the already-present chaos.

    Seeing the hunters become even more frantic, Lucivar nodded.

    He then went over to Leandra, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her away.

    "Where are we going?"

    "I need to borrow you for a second"

    Separating from the crowd that was gathered at the center, as far away as possible from the reaching hollowborns¡ªLucivar, and Leandra went closer to them instead. Close enough that the hollowborn''s hand in front of them was almost touching them.

    "Don''t get scratched by them or you''ll get the Crossers Blue!"

    Leandra warned, pulling her and Lucivar back.

    "We need to do this quick before they break out, don''t fight me this once"

    "Tell me what you are trying to do first"

    "No time, trust me in this one, or else we''re going to be in trouble"

    Biting her lower lip in reluctance, Leandra decided to trust Lucivar and followed him.

    Both of them went close again to the reaching hollowborn.

    "Make sure nobody is watching us"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra turned to look around¡ªand suddenly felt a stinging sensation coming from her hand. She checked her hand and found her ether was being pulled¡ªand absorbed by Lucivar.

    He took a huge chunk of her ether, causing her to feel weak all of a sudden.

    ''Since when did he have this ability? I didn''t know he had one''

    Ignoring the confused look Leandra was giving him, Lucivar focused on the hollowborn in front of him and grabbed its wrist forcefully. It fought back¡ªtrying to grab Lucivar''s hand instead but the grip stood firm.

    Concentrating, Lucivar used the strands from Loki''s power.

    As opposed to channeling to empower him, he decided to channel it into the hollowborn.

    ''I know the strands from my Greedy Grasp can empower, heal, and even boost my abilities¡ªbut, what if I gave them to someone else?'' Lucivar mused, smiling from anticipation. ''There''s only one way to find out!''

    Swoosh!

    Just then, a single snake of green light coursed through his arm and into the hollowborn.

    In the next second, the hollowborn suddenly stiffened.

    Soon, it metamorphosed into something unholier, and the transformation was rapid.

    Leandra looked at it in horror, ''W- What did Lucivar do to it...?''

 Chapter 50 50: Hollowborns (2)

    Leandra took a step back, she was terrified at what she was seeing.

    Her eyes could see it but her mind couldn''t register if what she was seeing was real or only a product of imagination. Following Lucivar''s touch, the hollowborn''s bones cracked with many sickening snaps, reshaping beneath its skin.

    Its body swelled grotesquely, muscle and mass piling on with unnatural speed.

    Small, pitiful whimpers escaped its mouth as coarse fur sprouted from its flesh¡ªdistorting its once humanoid form, beyond recognition. Limbs elongated, and its face turned feral¡ªis gone from scary to outright horrifying.

    Upon seeing what it turned into, Lucivar tilted its head.

    His eyes gazed at it with curiosity as opposed to fear, as if he was marveling at his creation.

    ''Woah... the strand didn''t affect it the same as me'' He pondered in marvel.

    Just then, however, the hollowborn that had turned into a furry monster akin to a wolf with a humanoid face¡ªglanced back to Lucivar. Seeing the gaze, Lucivar grabbed Leandra''s hand, and stepped back.

    Bam!

    One hit from the furry hollowborn¡ªthe metal bars bent to the point of almost breaking.

    It also attacked the other hollowborns inside the same room as it, killing them all.

    A marvelous spray of blood drew arcs in the air with each swing of its claws.

    Lucivar smiled and instantly ran back to the crowd.

    None of the other hunters had realized what Lucivar did, only a handful saw, including Bakar, Nerissa, Ravenna, and Bob. All of them looked at Lucivar¡ªwho was running towards them in shock.

    "What did you do? What could that possibly achieve?!" Nerissa asked in horror.

    Others also added¡ªhaving no clue of what Lucivar''s plan was.

    "It looked strong, I want to try fighting it..."

    "Sweetie pie... I can sniff power, I could find the infiltrator if I tried"

    Lucivar didn''t feel the need to explain himself, he was the only one who was actually in real danger here. Not only did the hollowborns want him dead, but the professor would also try and kill him.

    Even now, the professor was watching from above, waiting for the hollowborns to attack.

    Only then would he use his power to sabotage Lucivar and kill him.

    Crash!

    Just then, all attention was paid to the loud crashing sound.

    Sharply turning their gazes to the side, they saw a massive silhouette¡ªemerging from the smoke. It didn''t take long before they realized the silhouette was not a normal hollowborn, matter of fact there were no hollowborns that were shaped like this.

    "That''s not a hollowborn!"

    "Is it a crosser from a dungeon? It''s aura... it''s at least third-star Acolyte rank!"

    Hearing this, the crowd gasped, none of them was that strong.

    As of this moment, the highest rank amongst them was a four-star Neophyte rank.

    Only Ravenna and Bob were at the Acolyte rank.

    Glancing over to the crowd, scanning the faces of the new hunters, Lucivar smiled.

    ''Now... where are you? Come and show your face''

    Upon thinking that, the furry hollowborn slammed the ground with both of its massive fists, before leaping toward the crowd. Of course, its aim was Lucivar. Despite the influence from his power, the furry hollowborn still wanted to absorb his robust vitality.

    But unfortunately, Lucivar was right in the middle of the crowd.

    Boom!

    Most of the new hunters managed to avoid the attack, but they were not unscathed.

    The debris from the clash fired like bullets, crashing onto their backs.

    However, screams of horror soon echoed inside the chamber as the hunters that were in the way got squashed, creating a gnarly, blood scene. Three died, they were crushed, under the furry hollowborn''s fists.

    "Kyaaahh!"

    "Holy shit!! We''re actually going to die!"

    "Sir infiltrator, please do something! Don''t let us all die here!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar felt elated¡ªhis plan was working but the infiltrator stayed silent.

    ''Not potent enough, huh...? Let''s spike some empathy, shall we?'' He mused.

    On the other hand, the professor above looked at the scene with an evident frown.

    ''That kid, what did he do to the hollowborn? Isn''t he, a Harpy Hybrid? He shouldn''t have any ability that could turn a normal hollowborn, into that'' the professor thought¡ªhe was waiting for the right moment but this happened. ''He''s sharp, he already knew I was trying to kill him''

    Just then, however, the metal bars on the left broke with a loud metallic, snapping sound.

    Hollowborns poured out, dozens of them, charging at the hunters.

    In addition, the furry hollowborn ignored its weaker brethren and turned to the hunters too.

    As the new hunters began to prepare themselves to fight with their backs against the wall, a sudden yelp, rang. All shifted to a wounded man, sitting against the wall, who was looking at them in absolute horror.

    He was not with the group, he was left behind, closer to the incoming horde.

    "Oh, no! That''s the guy that was attacked earlier!"

    "Someone save him! He''s hurt and couldn''t move!"

    Seeing the man, the hunters recognized him as the one the professor had struck earlier.

    He was injured and was taken here with the help of Lucivar and Mirel.

    Realizing that it was the guy, from earlier, Mirel wanted to blitz himself to save the guy, but Lucivar suddenly grabbed ahold of his hand, "Do not bother¡ªyour life is far more precious. Tobias wouldn''t want you dying here. Besides, it''s too late already..."

    Upon hearing this, Mirel gritted his teeth but he also realized he couldn''t get there in time.

    Even Bob and Nerissa stopped, they were far too slow to reach the guy in time.

    On the other hand, the wounded guy was panicking.

    ''Who the fuck did this?!'' He shouted inside his head, looking at the emerald chains that were wrapping around his body, firmly holding him in place. ''I could fucking crawl but these chains appeared out of nowhere and stopped me!''

    ''Why is someone trying to kill me? I only asked a damn question!''

    Glancing over to the other side, his eyes widened seeing the horde was near.

    ''Shit, shit, shit, shit! Am I going to die here...?''

    As one of the hollowborns arrived on him, he closed his eyes before a hot sensation breezed his face. He thought that he was scratched on the face but no pain assaulted him, and as he opened his eyes, he saw a man commanding the power of fire, blocking the horde.

    His hands acted like a flamethrower, barricading the horde from advancing further.

    But from the other side, the furry hollowborn pierced through the flames.

    Swoosh!

    It glared at the man and struck, forcing him to make a dodge or be crushed.

    "Take the key in my pocket and open the door!" the man said, he was the infiltrator.

    Realizing that the inauguration had gone awry, he needed to step in.

    Upon hearing this, one new hunter rushed towards the infiltrator and took the key.

    He quickly headed to the exit and opened it with the key.

    As soon as the door was opened, the new hunters rushed in there, pushing each other.

    Amongst them, one stood unmoving from his spot, it was Lucivar.

    Finding the infiltrator was too hard to do so he opted to create absolute chaos to force the infiltrator to come out, and show himself. Lucivar knew that the academy, was prepared to deal with a couple of casualties.

    If one or two died, they would''ve been able to handle it.

    Being a Hybrid is a tough job and the candidates knew the associated risks.

    But what if the casualties were a total wipeout?

    Surely that couldn''t happen, and that probability was exactly what Lucivar used this time.

    Lucivar created this chaos, by enhancing the hollowborn to lure the infiltrator out¡ªand also protect himself from being a victim¡ªof the professor''s ploy. If the hollowborns came out by themselves and aimed him, it would be very bad for him.

    A lot of chances would appear for the professor to sabotage him without the others noticing.

    However, if the infiltrator stopped this inauguration altogether, Lucivar would be safe.

    Casting the Snare ability on the wounded guy was also an additional pressure.

    Lucivar gives the infiltrator more dilemmas about whether he should watch or intervene.

    Dying out of weakness was acceptable, but being wounded like the guy was not a fair death.

    Surely, the infiltrator would not let the guy die.

    Lucivar gambled on this and he won.

    Looking at the chaos, from above¡ªthe professor could be seen grinding his teeth, things did not go as planned. As he turned to the perpetrator, he was stunned. Lucivar was standing on his spot like a statue, and his devious eyes were directed straight at the professor.

    He stared at the professor from below, keeping intense eye contact.

    Despite the other hunters running past him to exit, and Mirel pulling on him, he didn''t budge.

    Lucivar kept staring at the professor eerily.

    Even though the professor knew Lucivar was trying to agitate him, with this, he couldn''t hold his emotions¡ªanger began to swell inside of him. Just then, Lucviar''s lips curled into a smirk¡ªsending a jolt of electricity through the professors'' nerves.

    It instantly made the professor''s face red.

    ''This kid... He dares mock me?! If only we weren''t in the academy, I''d already torn him apart!''

    Gaining a reaction, Lucivar turned and followed the other hunters outside.

    Surprisingly, Bob stayed behind and helped the instructor battle the berserk hollowborn.

    Both of them exited when the others already left the room.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar ran behind the others.

    Upon the act he did before, he gained a lot of essences that strengthened his ring.

    His eyes darted to his shoulder when he saw an animal manifested from Loki''s energy, it was the snake he saw last night. For better or worse, the snake was laughing aloud, it would have been slapping in amusement if it had hands.

    "You... You surpassed Father''s expectations, Blessed Oracle! You have a knack for mischief!"

    "If he likes it so much, then reward me or give me something"

    "Oh, Father said alright!"

    Immediately after the serpent said that Lucivar clutched his stomach.

    He clutched the spot right above his Supernatural Ego when he felt a stabbing sensation.

    Due to that, his run began to slow and he needed to take a brief stop.

    "What is happening? What did Loki do?" Lucivar asked, gritting his teeth because of the pain.

    Lucivar looked at the snake that was already on the ground in front of him, fully expecting an answer¡ªbut the snake didn''t answer, and only watched as he crumbled to the floor, gasping for air.

    Only when he was on the floor did the snake answer.

    "A reward. Just like you wanted"

    "W- What kind of reward?"

    "Father was extremely pleased by your deeds, and he decided to give you a favor. He called another one, and stimulated your other bloodlines. Usually, you would not be able to unlock, your other bloodlines before you develop at least two wings, but that is no longer the case"

    "A- Another God...?"

 Chapter 51 51: Fake Innocence

    Lucivar was breathless.

    He slumped to the ground weakly, the serpent became blurry in his eyes.

    "Yes, another God," the serpent replied¡ªits tongue hissing in excitement.

    A smile then crept onto its face as it slithered, looking down at Lucivar who was already lying on the ground, "But, to awaken this God, you must complete a task from us. The opportunity, seize it, go beyond... and you shall be rewarded"

    From those words, Thalia''s face appeared inside Lucivar''s mind.

    She was the opportunity mentioned.

    Just then, the serpent snapped its neck sharply and looked at the ceiling.

    It was unclear what drew its attention away from Lucivar.

    But whatever it is forced a reaction out of it and Lucivar saw this through blurred optics.

    ''Its face... the serpent''s face... Is it angry? Concern? I can''t really see''

    He tried his best to make the serpent''s features but couldn''t no matter how much he tried.

    Moving swiftly¡ªthe serpent''s body glowed green as it went over Lucivar''s body and climbed it, creating a bubble-like barrier around them. Lucivar, could not understand, what was going on but he saw mild sparks appearing on the barrier''s surface.

    Almost as if the barrier was clashing against something.

    It lasted a few seconds before the serpent took down the barrier.

    Pivoting back to Lucivar once again, the serpent continued.

    "For now, Father will give a small signal to awaken the God,"

    "Argghk!"

    Lucvar clutched his stomach harder as the pain spiked to an unbearable degree suddenly.

    Within his Inner Chamber, Loki''s statue hummed with a celestial might.

    It trembled for a moment before a stream of emerald energy shot toward another statue.

    A statue adjacent to Loki''s statue.

    Upon receiving the signal, the dark clouds covering the statue changed color, brightened up from within¡ªby the natural color of the statue. It was dark brown, similar to the color of wet sand.

    Only then did the statue unleash a mild shockwave, shaking the entire chamber.

    Seeing that it had finished, the serpent evaporated once again.

    Even though the pain felt like lava was swimming inside his blood vessels, Lucivar shockingly was able to persevere, without losing consciousness. He pushed himself up with a groan, his head was ringing from the incident.

    Lucivar looked at his hand and felt a different power coursing inside of him.

    It was hot like fire and coarse like sand.

    Unlike Loki''s power, this unknown power felt overbearing and ambitious.

    "As long as I become stronger, I''ll play this game," Lucivar mused aloud and stood up.

    He needed to support himself to stand straight, the pain from earlier still made his entire body throb, it would take a moment before he could recover fully. But then, the sound of rushed steps came from behind.

    It was Bob and the infiltrator who managed to hold the hollowborns and buy time.

    Even the wounded guy was brought along with them.

    Seeing Lucivar, Bob stopped and stared at him in complete silence.

    Lucivar waved his hand dismissively, "I''m okay. I''m not hurt. A little bit tired, that''s all"

    Despite never exchanging words ever, Bob went under and carried Lucivar in a princess style¡ªcatching Lucivar completely off guard. He didn''t heed Lucivar''s struggle and ran outside to safety.

    As it turns out, the hallway led them back up to the parking lot.

    Everyone was already gathered there, and that included the professor.

    Because of the traumatic event, most of them were pale, fear etched clearly on their faces.

    Death was never closer to them than today.

    However, some of them seemed to be looking in the direction of the main academy building¡ªthey had an expression of awe. Finding this sight weird, Lucivar reunited¡ªwith the others and asked, "What are they looking at?"

    "A radiant golden light appeared earlier from the main building," Mirel replied.

    Ravenna then continued, "A prodigy I heard, his breakthrough was quite eye-catching"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned in contemplation.

    But then, all attention was pulled back to the infiltrator, walking with wide strides.

    Ignoring the new academy hunters entirely, the infiltrator went over to the professor.

    "Professor, what happened in there? How can there be a hollowborn that strong in there?!"

    "I supervise the hollowborns'' preparation but that thing was never there. It wasn''t my doing"

    "What are you suggesting right now?"

    "That one over there, he did something..."

    Naturally, the professor pointed at Lucivar, who Bob was still carrying like a princess, he was evidently wounded and also did not look the part at all. This only makes the infiltrator¡ªmore agitated instead.

    "Really? How could you blame a young hunter for your mistake?"

    "Have you ever seen a hollowborn turned into that? Huh?! I''m telling you it''s that kid''s fault!"

    Gritting his teeth in anger, the professor pushed aside the infiltrator and went to Lucivar.

    Lucivar got down before his professor roughly gripped his collar.

    "Tell us what you did, confess to us how you deliberately endangered your peers'' lives!"

    Many of the present hunters stared at Lucivar with anger when they heard this.

    "E- Eh...? He''s the one who did it?"

    "Who is he anyway? And why is he doing this?"

    "We almost died, take him to the authorities!"

    Hearing the commotion from the others, Lucivar''s expression darkened.

    But it lasted only for a split second before he turned pitiful.

    "P- Professor, please... I don''t know what you are talking about"

    Under the pressure coming from the professor, Lucivar raised his trembling hands innocently, his expression was pale from fear. But seeing this, the professor, lifted him off the ground¡ªin utter anger.

    "Lies! Don''t play dumb you sly bastard, you''re smirking at me earlier!"

    Out of sheer frustration, the professor punched Lucivar in the guts hard, forcing a cough.

    Lucivar stumbled back, clutching his stomach in pain.

    He then grabbed Lucivar''s head, cocking for a punch again but was stopped.

    "Stop! Stop this nonsense!"

    Rushing from behind, the infiltrator grabbed the professor''s arm, coming to Lucivar''s aid.

    "You''re forcing him to confess to something he didn''t do! He''s nothing, but a Neophyte-rank Hybrid, how could he turn a normal hollowborn into an Acolyte-rank monster? It didn''t make any sense! This is not right!"

    "I''m bringing him with me, he needs to be punished"

    Slapping the infiltrator''s arm away, the professor pulled Lucivar away forcefully.

    But even then, the infiltrator stopped him once again.

    He grabbed the professor''s wrist as he channeled his ether, his eyes became burning orbs.

    "I''m not going to let you take him, even if it meant offending you, professor..."

    "Really? Do you really believe you can stop me?"

    A fierce staredown happened between the infiltrator and the professor.

    None of the two were willing to back away.

    Just as the tension rises to the breaking point, the professor clicks his tongue and pulls his hand from the infiltrator''s grip. Then¡ªthe infiltrator said, "If you want to bring him in, there must be a legitimate reason"

    "Fine, you want a legitimate reason?! He left behind his comrade!" the professor barked.

    He pointed at the wounded guy that Lucivar brought with him.

    Upon hearing this, the infiltrator gritted his teeth as he couldn''t find words to retaliate.

    Even though he didn''t know anything about Lucivar, the professor''s aggressive behavior was suspicious, the professor was adamant in punishing Lucivar. Something was definitely wrong here but the infiltrator couldn''t retort this one.

    "Leaving behind a comrade is punished severely, isn''t that right?" the professor grinned.

    Seeing this development, Ravenna defended.

    "If leaving a comrade is punished, then all of us should be punished," She stepped forward.

    Leandra also stepped forward, "None of us cared for that guy aside from him, I think we are the ones who should be punished. If leaving behind a comrade is guaranteed a punishment, we''re more deserving than him"

    Despite the reluctance, the other hunters couldn''t refute Leandra''s and Ravenna''s words.

    Both of them were right, the wounded guy was tended to by Lucivar.

    "No, it''s alright," Suddenly, Lucivar spoke up and got to his knees. He clasped the professor''s pants pathetically, looking down at the ground until his face¡ªwas covered from all angles, "If the professor thinks that I, a measly commoner is responsible, I''ll accept it..."

    "A commoner? There''s no way, then"

    "A Neophyte-rank commoner who could create that monster? Yeah, right..."

    "The professor must be smoking something"

    Hearing the whisperers from the other hunters, the professors'' eyes were red from anger.

    Even though he couldn''t see it, he could tell Lucivar was smiling down there.

    He was doing this to paint the professor as a bad person.

    It was true that the professor wanted to kill Lucivar, but he was really innocent in this matter.

    But nobody trusted him as Lucivar turned the hollowborn subtly.

    Sweeping his gaze across the crowd¡ªseeing that the new academy hunters were looking at him with a judgmental gaze, the professor clicked his tongue and pulled his leg away. He did not say anything and left the area.

    Hearing the footsteps going further away, Lucivar glanced to the side.

    Just as the professor expected, he was smiling deviously.

    ''He wouldn''t be able to touch me for the time being, but it would be a waste to let him go''

    Lucivar''s mind geared, concocting a plan.

    But as he did that, the infiltrator grabbed him by the shoulder and helped him up.

    "Are you okay?" He asked.

    "I''m alright," Lucivar replied, wiping his non-existent tears. "Thank you for helping me Sir...?"

    "It''s Fabio, call me Fabio. I''m Professor Fury''s assistant,"

    "Thank you, Fabio..."

    Fabio nodded and let Lucivar return back to the group.

    As he returned to the others, Lucivar whispered to clarify himself, "Don''t misunderstand, I''m forced to do this. That professor wanted to kill me for some reason¡ªand it''s not because of my background,"

    "Now that it came to this, he might aim you guys too," He warned.

    Professor Fury must''ve observed Lucivar from the start, so he knew those around Lucivar.

    It was quite tense, the atmosphere between them that is.

    But Ravenna was there to break the ice.

    "How many times should we save your ass?" She draped her arm over Lucivar''s shoulder¡ªa teasing smile graced her succulent lips. "I never knew you were a sly boy. Did I mistake your innocence?"

    "I was only protecting myself..." Lucivar replied, scratching the back of his head.

    Putting her face closer, Ravenna then whispered.

    "Can I ask for a deserving gift then?"

    "A- A gift...?"

    "For stepping up for you, shouldn''t I get a gift? How about your v-i-r-g-i-n-i-t-y?"

    Lucivar''s lips quivered when he heard that word.

    "How do you know for certain...? I might not... that"

    "I know your bloodline so you are most certainly still a baby in this kind of thing"

    Her hot breath brushed against his neck as if she was licking him directly.

    Lucivar has nothing to answer, Ravenna could see through him.

    But their moment was disturbed when Leandra separated them and stood in the middle.

    "Leandra? I never knew you already tagged him"

    "Hmph!"

    Observing this situation from behind, two women are fighting Lucivar¡ªMirel cried.

    "Bakar... when are we going to get a girlfriend?"

    "Don''t worry, Mirel, you still have me to accompany you"

    "Bro, are you straight? Your words are becoming more sus by the day"

    As the situation returned back to normal, Fabio took control of the inauguration.

    It turned out the test earlier was to assess their personalities¡ªand abilities to diversify them into the three existing groups, attackers, defenders¡ªand outcasts. Academy hunters have a responsibility to aid the city when a dungeon appears.

    For the new academy hunters¡ªthey would only tackle low-level dungeons.

    Because of that, they would be separated into teams depending on their abilities.

    Attackers and defenders are self-explanatory¡ªwhile outcasts is a versatile team.

    Other than Sunhold City, they would also be sent outside to affiliated cities.

    Most of the new hunters¡ªhad never tackled a dungeon before¡ªthus this inauguration was held, an introduction to what they would be facing daily. Ravenna and Bakar were placed in the attacker team¡ªteam Alpha. Nerissa, and Bob were the defender team, team Beta¡ªand the rest including Lucivar were placed in the outcast team, team Charlie.

    After explaining their duties, Fabio brought them to their new dormitory.

    Reaching a cave, Lucivar and the others stopped.

    Mirel, in particular, was cursing when he saw the dormitory, "I want to go home..."

 Chapter 52 52: Hunter Dorm

    Unlike students of the academy who enjoyed lavish facilities, hunters were different.

    Instead of living in a dormitory, academy hunters lived inside a cave that was dug and turned into a facility. It was still within the academy grounds¡ªand acted as a place to live and also a place to train.

    Despite the small entrance the inside of the cave was way bigger than anticipated.

    Passing the guards guarding the entrance, Lucvar and the others were greeted by the rough interior. Senior hunters in uniform exercising and training everywhere in black and red tights, some were fighting each other, some were strength training¡ªwhile some were meditating.

    The odor of sweat mixed with the air of hard work filled the entire place.

    "Man, this place looked like a prison¡ªthe sunlight only shone at the center"

    "What do you expect? We''re not students"

    "Frankly, this is better than expected"

    Following Fabio who was leading the group, they were brought into an expansive chamber.

    Nothing was inside other than a mechanical press machine at the center.

    It was planted to the short ceiling and the ground.

    Beside the mechanical press was a tattooed man who was waiting for their arrival.

    Fabio stood beside the man and looked at the group, "This here is Max, he is going to brand you as the Bloodhaven Academy''s hunters. It''s going to be slightly painful but quick. Please, step forward one by one"

    Upon hearing this, one academy hunter stepped forward to Max.

    "What''s your name?"

    "Billy..."

    "Place your arm into the hole, Billy"

    "Into the hole...?"

    Billy looked at the hole in the machine and hesitated, but he decided to do it anyway.

    He placed his arm inside, his face pale from the nervousness.

    "Don''t be shy, put it all the way in"

    "All the way in?"

    "Yes, all the way in until your shoulder. Don''t move"

    Seeing that Billy was slightly trembling Max decided to help, and hold his arm steady before he clicked a button on the side. It sprung the machine to life, and a harsh mechanical sound buzzed.

    Just then, Billy screamed in pain, surprising the others greatly.

    But even then, Max kept Billy''s arm inside the machine for about ten seconds longer.

    Only when a rough click resounded did he let go and Billy fell to the ground.

    "Look at the dreaded faces of new hunters being branded is always funny to me"

    Everyone looked at Billy and found a mark shaped like a red crystal, sparkling with a crimson light on his arm. Its edges were sizzling, almost¡ªas if the mark was branded onto Billy''s skin through hot steel.

    "Next!"

    Max called the next person, and just like that, everyone was branded with the Blood Crest.

    A moment later.

    Lucivar was walking along the hallway alone, he was searching for his room while carrying a blanket. The others already got into the room but his was nowhere to be seen, he was given the room three hundred, and it seemed to be at the very back of the cave.

    As he walked, he looked down at the mark on the back of his hand.

    It was shaped like an eye that was crying blood.

    Fabio explained that the Blood Crest was not only an identification but would also act as an activity log for the hunter, Lucivar didn''t understand what he meant by that but it should be some sort of a tracker.

    It was probably a tracker so that they couldn''t leave the academy grounds.

    Or perhaps it has something to do with tackling a dungeon.

    No matter what it is, Lucivar should be safe if he stays inside the academy''s premises.

    "My room is literally at the very back," Lucivar muttered wryly when he found his room.

    He swiped the card key to his room and pushed open the door.

    Some said that the place looked like a prison¡ªand Lucivar had never really thought like that, but when he saw his room, he agreed. His room was small, it loaded only a toilet, a small bed¡ªand an open shower in the corner.

    Even then, this wasn''t a problem for Lucivar.

    He placed his blanket on the bed and looked around, "It has the necessities, this is not bad"

    Moments later.

    Nothing was arranged for the new hunters today, it was their rest day.

    Lucivar spent his time inside his room, thinking of his next move to approach his situation.

    "I need to find out more about her but how?"

    Currently, he needs to approach Thalia and also get rid of Professor Fury.

    But out of the two, the most plausible one was to get to know Thalia so he could understand why she was marked as an opportunity by Loki. He was certain¡ªthat it had something to do with her being a celebrity, but he had to make it clearer.

    So he decided to tail Thalia when he had the chance.

    It was what he wanted but that is easier said than done.

    Nobody hunters could leave this premise without permission, and Lucivar had none.

    "I could ask Professor Aeldric for leeway..." He muttered with a sigh.

    Just then, however, his eyes darted to the side and found two rats appearing out of nowhere.

    Lucviar stood up, intending to catch the rat, and threw it out but stopped.

    "Does the Greedy Grasp ability only affect beings with ether? Hmm, let me check"

    Since the incident with the hollowborn earlier, Lucviar now realized that his ability was not only reserved for himself, it could be used on others. He became curious¡ªto know the full extent of his Greedy Grasp ability.

    Squeak! Squeak!

    Chasing the rat across the room, he managed to catch one.

    It squeaked in fear in his grasp but Lucivar ignored it.

    Gripping the rat tighter, he channeled the Greedy Grasp skill and tried it on the rat.

    Swish!

    Oddly enough, Lucivar saw that something coming out of the rat, a form of energy that made it squeal harder. He watched this process attentively, filled with curiosity, until eventually, the rat turned limp.

    As soon as that happened, Lucivar felt a gush of energy swell inside of him.

    It came out of nowhere and caught him off guard.

    "What was that?" He pondered aloud.

    Lucivar turned to look at the rat and found that it was already dead.

    "It didn''t have ether so what did I absorb?" Lucivar pondered.

    But then, he felt turbulence from his Supernatural Ego, pulling his attention.

    Sensing this chance¡ªhe closed his eyes and went to his Inner Chamber to check what was going on. Arriving there, he saw Loki''s statue was glowing. Lucivar approached it¡ªand was surprised when a flash of light came out of it.

    He was greeted by a green gem the length of a pinky.

    Compelled to grab it, Lucivar stepped forward before the gem shattered suddenly.

    It manifested two leather parchments.

    Lucivar read the left parchment before he gasped in surprise.

    ...

    [Quick Breeding]

    A natural ability that improves the sperm and makes it easy to reproduce.

    ...

    "Huh...? What is this?"

    His eyes widened in realization.

    "Is it the rat''s ability? I could absorb it?"

    Staring at the parchment, Lucivar realized now that the energy he absorbed from the rat was not ether but its life force instead or something like that. It allowed him to absorb the abilities¡ªof anything he absorbed.

    "Could I use it on other people...?" He uttered, the thought of it making his blood boil.

    Lucivar was excited at the prospect.

    Recovering from his daze, he checked the other parchment.

    ...

    [Nocturnal Vision]

    A natural ability that improves eyesight to see better in the dark.

    ...

    Not even hesitating, Lucivar chose the obvious choice, the Nocturnal Vision ability.

    He wasn''t going to pick the Quick Breeding ability, it''s not like he was planning to have many kids. Even if he somehow wanted to have many kids, he could''ve gone back and absorbed a rat to learn the ability.

    Upon touch, the parchment glowed and its energy seeped into Lucivar''s hand.

    It was an instantaneous process, his eyesight had gotten better.

    Since his Inner Chamber was quite dim, the effect was immediate, he could see way better.

    Just as he was reeling on his new ability, the door was knocked.

    Lucivar exited his Inner Chamber and opened the door, surprised to see a familiar figure.

    Sabrina.

    "Hmm? What are you doing here?"

    "Tobias assigned me as your personal maid. Move aside and let me in"

    Not even waiting for permission, Sabrina entered the small and cramped room.

    "Is it normal for students or hunters to have a personal maid?"

    "Ah... right, you''re not from the city. But the answer is yes¡ªit is normal, especially in this kind of academy. I knew you were a commoner, but don''t be too obvious. Never mind. What''s with this place? It''s so small"

    "Thought you''re the expert,"

    "I know about the city and everything in it more than you do at least"

    Considering that she was a maid, she quite has a mouth.

    But then, Lucivar''s eyes flickered, "Say, you don''t happen to know about Thalia, do you?"

    "You mean Thalia Feradith, Melody Callista''s daughter?" She asked back.

    Lucivar nodded repeatedly, it seemed Sabrina knew about her.

    "What''s this? Are you finding information to court her? Forget about it, you''re not in h-"

    "It''s not that, tell me about her family"

    Since Thalia''s mother, Callista Feradith¡ªwas a celebrity, the family''s personal life is pretty much public knowledge. She brought her name to the superstar level by being a musician, singing and playing music.

    Coupled with her exquisite grandeur as a Fairy Hybrid, she boomed in entertainment.

    Her name spread across Sunhold City.

    At the age of twenty-five, she married a powerful Hybrid and gave birth to twins.

    She left Sunhold City to follow her husband after giving birth.

    Everything was going well for her for years until about a couple of months ago.

    Recently, she has been silent after a clash happened between her husband¡ªand the heir of the Crimson Wolf Clan, a powerful clan, under the Valerius Supreme House ruled by a three-star Chrysalis Hybrid. It happened during an assault on a portal, and the media, stated their bad blood continued to grow and would most certainly end up in a duel.

    ''So the one behind the professor and that ninja is the Crimson Wolf Clan...'' Lucivar thought.

    He now roughly knows who he was standing up against.

    Knowing more made Lucivar more anxious, he needed to do something.

    If he was slow, Thalia and Elira would be dead.

    Rubbing his ring, he opened the three mirrors once again.

    Sabrina couldn''t see what was going on.

    From her perspective, Lucivar seemed to be in deep contemplation.

    But in truth, he wasn''t.

    His essence bars are maxed again at 5 from the inauguration earlier.

    ''I really need an ability badly, something that could help me get out of here...''

 Chapter 53 53: Dark Oath

    Lucivar saw the guards guarding the entrance earlier.

    Even though Fabio hasn''t explained the rules of the facility, it''s likely that hunters would not be able to leave the premises. If that''s the case¡ªLucivar would be in a pickle, he needed to crack the opportunity.

    How would he be able to do that if he was stuck here? He needed some freedom.

    Pointing his ring to the left mirror, he paid three essence bars.

    He saw the other two magical mirrors disappearing, leaving the one he chose behind.

    It shattered, exploding into a wisp of emerald energy, and shot toward Lucivar''s forehead like a bullet. Instantly, rows of information, were forcibly injected¡ªinto his mind. He had assumed he''d have a choice in the matter.

    But he didn''t, a new ability was branded into his mind.

    Recovering from the recoil, he arranged his mind and checked the new ability he gained.

    ''Ah... I thought of a perfect one but I got this,''

    Seeing the rat, Lucivar was hoping that he would gain the ability to shapeshift.

    He could turn into an animal, a rat for instance, and leave through the entrance as he liked.

    Not that the new ability was not a shapeshifting ability, it was¡ªbut not the one he wanted.

    Minor Morphing¡ªallowing him to change small aspects of his appearance such as eye color, voice, or facial features for short periods of time. It was an eight-sequence ability, much less than his Greedy Grasp ability but still quite strong.

    Activating the Minor Morphing ability, he directed the ether to his eyes.

    "Do you bring a mirror?"

    "Yes, I brought my stuff too because I''ll be living here with you."

    "Give it to me"

    "Here, don''t break it, please. It''s quite fragile and you''re quite strong"

    Not heeding her words, Lucivar took the mirror and looked at his reflection.

    Using nothing but his thoughts, while maintaining the ether in his eyes¡ªhe could change his eye color rather easily. His eye color changed from golden to deep blue, crimson, green, and end up golden once again.

    It didn''t use too much ether either.

    Moving on from that, he tried to make his nose bigger to see if it worked.

    But as he flowed the ether into his nose, his eyes widened when his nose elongated fast.

    He covered his long nose which made him look like the lying doll ninnochio.

    "What''s your bloodline? I don''t think I''ve ever asked."

    "My bloodline? In short, it''s NYB."

    "NYB? What kind of bloodline is that? Never heard of it."

    "Of course you haven''t. It stands for ''None of Your Business'' bloodline."

    Sabrina could only roll her eyes when she heard this, she couldn''t believe she fell for that.

    "Anyway, I''m going out for a bit" Lucivar stood up, heading towards the door.

    Opening the door, he stopped, and glanced back, "I wouldn''t be long. Don''t sleep in bed¡ªit''s mine. You sleep on the floor. Also, if your horny ass masturbated again, make sure to not wet the bedsheet"

    "Just leave already!" Sabrina shouted, throwing him the blanket.

    Next day.

    Lucivar and the other new academy hunters were gathered and briefed about their situation.

    Akin to the students, they have a routine to follow.

    It was not as rough as expected, the routine only comprised of morning exercise that lasted two hours, and lectures by the professor''s assistants about dungeons and dungeon-related topics, group and formation training, before they would gain their free time.

    Professor Fury was the one in charge of this place with a couple of assistants under him.

    Naturally, this made Lucivar uneasy as it was not good for him.

    Other than that, sparring matches would be held by the assistants occasionally.

    Moreover, there are also rules to follow.

    No leaving the premises, no skipping the routine, and no fighting outside of a duel.

    Pretty straightforward and easy to follow.

    If those rules were broken, the rule-breaker would be placed in the Black Box.

    Although none of the new academy hunters knew what it was, it must be something horrific.

    "Two hundred!"

    Lucivar was currently wearing a black and red training suit, sweating profusely, the morning exercise had already started, and he was now doing push-ups. He goes down¡ªto make his two-hundredth rep with relative ease.

    He was way stronger now, this exercise is nothing.

    Last night, he already made his usual trip to familiarize himself with the new area.

    Other than the main entrance, he couldn''t find any way out of this cave.

    If he wanted to leave, he needed to sneak out from the main entrance but it was impossible.

    At the very least, six guards are guarding the main entrance.

    Not to mention, they changed shifts three times a day to keep the guards on duty fresh.

    Going through there wasn''t an option.

    But as of this moment, that is the only option.

    "Two hundred and one!"

    Scanning the area while still following the instruction from Fabio, Lucivar frowned, he sensed a couple of unfriendly gazes were directed at him. He could tell¡ªbecause a couple of people were looking at him blatantly.

    None of them were even trying to hide their unfriendliness.

    Fortunately enough, they were not the seniors.

    ''Nevertheless, what did I do to draw attention? I did nothing'' Lucivar pondered.

    A couple of minutes later.

    Lucivar went to the side, he was drenched in sweat¡ªthe morning exercise had just finished.

    He went to take a plastic glass and filled it with water in the sink.

    As he brought the glass over to his mouth to drink, someone bumped him from behind hard, causing his glass to fall and spill everywhere. Seeing this, Lucivar glanced back sharply, and saw a group of hunters.

    Leading them was Blane, a man with long green hair that was tied in a ponytail.

    He has a condescending smile on his face.

    "Oops~ Sorry, I didn''t mean to do that"

    "I- It''s okay... It can''t be helped if it''s an accident"

    "Please, how about I give you mine?"

    Since the food and drink here were portioned for each hunter, this would be helpful.

    But Lucivar shook his head.

    "Don''t worry about it, you can go on ahead. I''ll clean it up"

    Lucivar denied the offer, took a cloth from the side, and kneeled down to clean the mess.

    Seeing this, however, Blane''s smile stretched wider.

    "Don''t be like that, I insist... Here, take my drink"

    "It''s ok-"

    As Lucivar was about to deny the offer once again, his eyes widened.

    He felt water being poured onto his head, trickling across the side of his face before wetting the ground beneath him. Blane tilted his glass¡ªand poured the water on Lucivar''s head¡ªhe also laughed with his friends as he did this.

    Despite garnering attention, he didn''t stop.

    Blane kept pouring until his glass was empty, before throwing the glass onto Lucivar''s head.

    "Now we''re even. After all, I gave you my portion of drink in return"

    Upon doing that, Blane and his friends walked away as if they had done nothing wrong.

    Lucivar paused for a moment.

    None of the onlookers helped him, even the assistants who were passing by ignored him.

    However, Leandra, Nerissa, Mirel, and Bakar came to him when they saw what happened.

    Ravenna and Bob were stronger so they were separated.

    "Curse these people"

    "I was also got cornered earlier, they''re doing it to us because we''re commoners"

    "What makes them special anyway? I could beat them all easily"

    Compared to the other hunters¡ªthey were all way stronger¡ªbut had their hands bound, due to the rules. Reacting to the provocation would only get them into trouble, and from the looks of it, this kind of behavior was condoned by the academy.

    As opposed to saying anything, Lucivar stood up after he cleaned the mess.

    "Sorry, I''ll be going back to my room to change"

    He pivoted to the side and walked away.

    Naturally, the others looked at Lucivar''s back, wondering what he had got himself into.

    Reaching back to his room, drenched, Sabrina was surprised.

    She quickly took a towel and helped Lucivar to dry his wet body.

    "What happened to you? Is this some kind of training drill?"

    As opposed to answering or even stopping to let Sabrina help him, Lucivar kept walking.

    He then stood underneath the shower.

    "Turn around and face the wall," He finally uttered commandingly.

    Sabrina never heard Lucivar''s voice this serious, and she didn''t say anything and did as she was told. She stood on the other corner beside the bed¡ªand faced the wall, ''Is he going to shower? So suddenly?''

    As expected, the sound of running water could be heard.

    ''If he wanted to shower, he should''ve taken off his clo-''

    Just as she thought of that, her heart skipped a beat, startled when she heard a sound.

    It was a sharp, dull sound that reverberated through the room.

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina wanted to turn and check but stopped herself, ''Is he, laughing...?''

    On the other hand, Lucivar was laughing maniacally.

    He banged his head against the wall in utter anger, hard enough to break the skin and make blood drizzle down his face, ''Those motherfuckers must''ve thought I''m a pushover because of my act. Do they really think they could do this to me...? ME?! This is his fault!''

    "Fury... I''ll kill him. I''ll fucking kill him!" He thought aloud, grabbing his face like a lunatic.

    Then, Lucivar''s eyes were drawn to a writing appearing on the white wall.

    It was written with dark energy, glowing with power.

    ''Fury... I''ll kill him. I''ll fucking kill him!''

    Lucivar tried touching the writing but he was startled when the writing emerged out from the wall, and went into his body. Soon, he felt the energy¡ªfrom the writing bind him, making him feel breathless.

    Gazing at his chest where the writing seeped into, he tilted his head in confusion.

    "It felt like the dark trail that responded to killing intent, what does this mean...?" He mused.

    But from the bind he felt inside of him, this felt like an oath.

    A dark oath, and for some reason, he sensed that failing to fulfill it would cause bad things to happen to him. But then again, he had no intention of going back on his word, Professor Fury was good as dead.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar had only changed his attire and sat on the bed in contemplation.

    Beside him was Sabrina, tending to the wound on his forehead.

    She surprisingly didn''t ask anything and only tended his wound, which was appreciated.

    In this moment of silence, Lucivar got an epiphany.

    He got up and headed to the door, the class was about to start so he needed to go.

    But other than that, he had a plan in mind, ''First, I need to find Fabio...''

    Not even saying anything, he exited the room, leaving Sabrina behind once again.

    Upon the door closing once again¡ªSabrina didn''t breathe easily and turned towards the wall on the side. She narrowed her gaze and saw a writing there, blackened as if it was written by flames.

    "Just what kind of Hybrid is he...?" She uttered lightly.

 Chapter 54 54: Falling to the Taunt

    Days passed since the first day Lucivar was accepted as an academy hunter.

    His routine was the same, including Blane messing with him.

    It has gotten worse and worse by the day.

    It started with Blane pouring water on him, but it quickly escalated.

    Soon, his friends who were only watching began joining in, messing with him, taking his food, and during the sparring session¡ªthey always chose Lucivar and didn''t hold back at all. It has been a rough couple of days.

    Lucivar wanted to fight back, he didn''t need to hold back anymore, but he couldn''t.

    He needed to keep his weak facade or else suspicions of him would grow.

    Considering that the inauguration incident was still fresh, he needed to lay low for a while.

    On top of that, there was also this sensation of being watched looming over him.

    A sensation that made him feel uneasy and strange.

    Other than that, Lucivar also saw the others were being targeted too.

    Even though it was not as bad as him since the others could retaliate, it made him think that what Mirel said was right, they were being treated like this, because they were a commoner, it was a natural thing in this big city.

    But amongst all of them, Lucivar noticed that Leandra got the worst of it.

    She was almost being bullied as much as himself.

    However, there was one thing that Lucivar found interesting.

    Other than him, Blane and two of his friends were only bullying Leandra.

    She was intercepted whenever she went back to her room, framed that she had beaten them up outside of a duel, and many more. Naturally, this took a toll on her¡ªas she was forced¡ªto constantly defend herself.

    In hindsight, it was arrogance that made the other hunters bully them.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, came to a different conclusion.

    Now knowing that Professor Fury was in charge of this establishment, they sought to win his favor by making life miserable for Lucivar, and Leandra. For some reason, Professor Fury was hostile towards Lucivar, and Leandra had earned his ire by standing up for Lucivar.

    Gaining Professor Fury''s approval would definitely help them secure a spot for themselves.

    Because of that, Lucivar and Leandra were targeted.

    A lot of people would do anything to secure their future and become students.

    Understanding his situation better, Lucivar has been training a much-needed offensive spell.

    Sabrina brought along the book about Angels.

    Because of that, he could learn and train the Radiant Burst spell.

    It was an offensive spell that allowed the caster to blast a spot or a target with ether.

    Depending on the amount of ether, this spell could knock back and hurt the target.

    However, unlike his innate abilities from Loki, the Radiant Burst was way weaker.

    It was only a four-sequence ability.

    He spent his free time after the lectures to train this and also the Minor Morphing ability.

    Currently, Lucivar is walking around the cave while waiting for the next lecture to start.

    ''Where is he? I can''t seem to find him'' Lucivar pondered.

    Other than the first day of settling as academy hunters, he hasn''t seen Fabio around.

    Lucivar feared that Professor Fury had relocated him.

    If it was true then sneaking out of here would be a lot more troublesome.

    Asking other assistants is also a no-go, they might report it to Professor Fury.

    Lucivar needed to find Fabio alone.

    Just as he passed the front entrance, his eyes darted to the right, seeing a familiar figure.

    ''Isn''t that the garbage guy, what is he doing here?''

    He saw a familiar figure, the student he saw extorting money from another student¡ªbehind the canteen. Since everyone here was wearing matching uniforms, the uniform of a student, stuck out like a sore thumb.

    Looking in the direction of where he came from¡ªit was the second floor.

    Nobody could go to the second floor besides the assistants and probably Professor Fury.

    Following the blonde-haired guy, Lucivar found that he was heading to the main entrance.

    Acting oblivious, Lucivar tried to follow the blonde-haired guy but was quickly stopped.

    A guard placed his hand on Lucivar''s chest, pushing him back.

    "What are you doing? Hunters aren''t permitted to leave until emergencies"

    "I just want to get some fresh air"

    "No, you can''t go outside. Don''t make me use force"

    Placing his hand on his holster for a taser gun, Lucivar raised both hands in response.

    He saw what this taser gun could do and he didn''t want to feel it directly.

    Even the voltage was enhanced by ether.

    It made many squeal like a girl when tased and Lucivar didn''t want to be the next barbie.

    "Alright, alright, I''m going back. Question though, how could he leave the premises?"

    "That esteemed person is a student, he has an appointment with the professor"

    "Oh, right... so any students can come and go?"

    "No more questions, get back inside"

    Lucivar was shoved back, he didn''t resist this though as he gained valuable information.

    ''So students could come and go, and that guy met with the professor...''

    Coincidentally, as he came back from the main entrance¡ªLucivar saw Fabio coming down¡ªfrom the stairs and heading in the opposite direction. He has a sour look on his face, it''s also clear that he hasn''t gotten any rest from the bags under his eyes.

    Picking up his pace, Lucivar tried to catch up with Fabio.

    He was pushing aside the hunters on his path.

    Keeping his eyes on Fabio, unwilling to lose him, Lucivar saw him make a turn.

    It was a path he had never seen before because his room was in the opposite area from this.

    Reaching the turn, he saw Fabio''s back in the distance.

    He inputted a password on a panel on the wall before the steel door was opened.

    ''Another way out? I knew it!'' Lucivar pondered.

    Seeing nobody coming out through the main entrance aside from the blonde-haired guy, he was certain, that there was another way out of this cave, but he didn''t know where. Now he found it.

    Just as he was about to check it out, however, his shoulder was pulled.

    Expecting that it was Blane, anger bubbled inside him.

    As he turned to confront Blane regardless of the consequences, he stopped mid-track.

    "Leandra?"

    "Come with me, quick!"

    She said in a hurry, there was panic on her face and also her voice.

    "I can''t, I have something to do right now"

    "Your maid... Blane and his group got to her. She needs your help!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes widened.

    "Motherfuckers!" He cursed aloud, extremely surprised by the news.

    Realizing what was happening, Lucivar rushed back to his room, he couldn''t believe that they would stoop this low to get to him. It was glaringly disturbing that the assistants, or the other hunters here didn''t help him.

    Other than Fabio, the others have no backbone to stand up against Professor Fury.

    Unknown to him, however, Professor Fury was observing him from behind.

    Professor Fury stood not too far away with a cunning smirk plastered on his face.

    "He''s a potential security breach. He now knows my stance, and I can''t have him go out and tell Thalia, and Elira about me," He muttered silently, murderous intent, flickering in his eyes, he was clearly anticipating what was about to happen.

    But at the same time, unknown to him, Lucivar sensed his killing intent.

    Moments later.

    Lucvar reached his room as he came to a gradual stop.

    "Stop fighting back! Let go!"

    "I''m your master''s master, so you should listen to me like the good little maid you are"

    "I- I can''t let you take the book, master Lucivar needs it. Anything else and I''ll let you take it"

    "I said, let go! Damn bitch!"

    On the floor in front of Lucivar''s room was Sabrina, she was holding onto a book desperately, unwilling to let go of it. Her clothes were torn in places¡ªand a couple of guys were reeling at her, deliberately tearing more parts of her clothes to expose her skin.

    She wasn''t crying, but she was desperate and helpless at the same time.

    Her face showed that clearly.

    On one hand, she couldn''t hurt the hunters but on the other, she also couldn''t let them be.

    Upon witnessing such a sight, Lucivar was reminded of himself in the past.

    He was like her once, helpless and desperate.

    Lucivar could not count how many times he was¡ªon the floor, begging others¡ªwhenever he failed to bring back food. His possession was taken out of entitlement or force, and if he ever tried to fight back, he would be the one getting into trouble.

    Seeing what was happening to Sabrina made his blood boil.

    "Don''t... they are trying to get a reaction from you and you know it. Go there¡ªand help your maid. Bring her to your room but don''t fight them"

    Noticing Lucivar''s sour expression, Leandra feared that he might do something bad.

    She tried warning him but it didn''t go through to his head.

    "Hey!"

    "Huh...? Who the fu-?!"

    Bam!

    Blane''s eyes widened when he saw one of his goons sent flying and hit the wall.

    It was sudden and when he turned, he saw Lucivar pointing a finger forward.

    He had used the Radiant Burst spell.

    Despite seeing one of them was sent flying, another one clenched his hand into a fist¡ªand charged at Lucivar. His fist glowed¡ªcharged with ether before he swung it forcefully. But it was thwarted away easily with a simple parry.

    Lucivar then pointed a finger at the guy''s forehead and cast the Radiant Burst spell again.

    Bam!

    An unseen force exploded, snapping the guy''s head back violently.

    Upon seeing this, Blane smiled triumphantly¡ªLucivar took the bait.

    It was hard to gain a reaction from Lucivar so he was getting a little bit frustrated by the day.

    But that ended today.

    Not worried at all by how Lucivar dispatched his friends easily, Blane turned proudly to face the wrathful Lucivar. Both of them stand face¡ªto face, inches away, staring at each other''s eyes intently.

    "Oh, Master Lucivar is here to save the day~"

    "If you have a problem with me, bring it to me directly"

    "I''m bored of always bullying the master, thought that I would try out a new view instead"

    Lucivar gritted his teeth, both of his fists clenched hard.

    He was tempted to use two strands of Loki''s energy and punch Blane''s head right off of his shoulders. Compared to him, who has the strength of an Acolyte rank¡ªBlane was merely a four-star Neophyte rank hybrid.

    It was true that he was amongst the strongest of the new academy hunters.

    Even possessing a spell to boast.

    But that was nothing if Lucivar took him seriously as Lucivar once did against Darwin.

    If Lucivar wanted to, he could kill Blane right now.

    Taunting Lucivar, who was holding himself back hard, further¡ªBlane raised his hand and put it in front of Lucivar''s face as if he was showing it, before he turned his torso¡ªand used that hand to slap Sabrina with a smooth motion.

    Pah!

    Sabrina yelped as her cheek burned from the slap.

    Just as he did that, Lucivar slowly grabbed him by the collar with both hands and pulled him.

    Venting out his vexation, Lucivar head-butted Blane hard on the nose.

    It forced him to stagger backward, covering his bleeding nose.

    Despite the pain, Blane pointed at him and laughed, "You hit me! He hit me!"

    Almost instantly, two guards pushed aside the onlookers and headed straight to Lucivar.

    Lucivar was put into handcuffs but he didn''t retaliate.

    "Master Lucivar! You shouldn''t have defended me, I''m only a maid!" Sabrina exclaimed.

    Had Lucivar let her be, he wouldn''t get into trouble like this.

    She then grabbed the guards'' arm pleadingly, "I''m the one at fault, please take me instead"

    "Go inside." Her body froze as Lucivar fixed her with a stern, ice-cold gaze. "This is an order."

    Almost instinctively, Sabrina let go of the guard''s arm.

    She could only watch helplessly as Lucivar was being taken away to receive his punishment.

 Chapter 55 55: Black Box Punishment

    Lucivar was cuffed and brought away by the guards in front of the onlookers.

    He didn''t retaliate and let himself be brought away.

    Despite his situation, he kept his expression stoic without any emotion.

    As he passed Leandra, he didn''t turn towards her but he heard a light whisper from her.

    "Give the signal if you''re in trouble..."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar snorted and didn''t put her words in mind.

    It made sense for him to rely on her or the others for help if he was in trouble¡ªbut he would be damned if he trust them to help him. Although they were capable, more capable than the hunters here, he rather rely on himself.

    He trusted himself more than he trusted them.

    Leandra stayed silent as she pressed her back against the wall, letting the guards pass.

    As opposed to only taking Lucivar, Blane was also taken away.

    It would be too unfair if Blane was let off the hook.

    Many hunters would be angry and chaos would ensue if Blane was freed from responsibility.

    Soon, when the guards were away, Leandra turned to the side.

    She saw Sabrina going back to the room with the book still clutched in her hand¡ªand three other guys, who were a part of Blane''s group. Narrowing her gaze, she made sure to imprint the faces of these three people into her mind before leaving the area.

    Reaching the back of the crowd, she met with Nerissa, Mirel, and Bakar.

    All three of them saw the commotion earlier.

    Mirel was the first one to speak.

    "Should we help? I''m sure that Blane guy is going to be set free later, this is only a formality"

    "Of course. Let''s meet up later this night, I remembered all of them"

    Meters away from their positions, Professor Fury crossed his arms with a smile on his face.

    Seeing Lucivar being brought in by the guards, he couldn''t hold his smile anymore.

    He ruled over the academy hunters but he couldn''t move in the open.

    It would be hard with many eyes around.

    But now, that problem was handled, Lucivar took the bait.

    As he watched Lucivar being brought away, his gaze met with Blane''s gaze.

    Managing to deliver what Professor Fury wanted, Blane was excited.

    In response, Professor Fury gave him an acknowledging nod.

    Upon doing that, he turned and went back to the second floor where his personal room was located. He entered the room which turned out to be his office and drew lines in the air with his ether, forming into runic symbols.

    Finishing the last stroke, the symbols glowed, turning into a feminine figure.

    "Why have you contacted me, Fury?"

    "I''ve handled the twin''s hidden guardian"

    "Is he dead?"

    "No, but he soon will be. You can rest assured, my lady"

    Pleased, the woman figure made of sparkling ether nodded in affirmation.

    "Can you reach the twins?"

    "Yes, I already made the arrangements. I will start the next step as soon as possible"

    "How will you reach the twins?"

    "Unlike their parents, the twins are at the end of the day, students. Knowing their parents'' condition, it''s their desire to not be an additional burden. Having good grades is definitely one way to show that to their parents, and I have a perfect way to get close to them"

    "Good, you can do anything you want but leave one alive"

    "I understand"

    Making a polite bow towards the woman figure, the communication was cut off.

    Professor Fury straightened his back again with a smirk.

    "I''ll be the one to kill that kid myself, I can''t wait..." He mused, licking his lips sadistically.

    Killing Lucivar would be his appetizer before the twins.

    ...

    Meanwhile, Lucivar and Blane were brought to another section of the cave.

    It was deeper than the rest of the facilities and dimmer.

    Since the rule stated that no fights were allowed other than in duels¡ªand these two broke that rule, they were brought away to the Black Box. Lucivar never knew the details about it but he knew the seniors were afraid of it.

    But as Lucivar walked along the hallway with flickering lights, he could tell that it was bad.

    Just the tension from going to the Black Box is already an attack on the mind.

    Eventually¡ªLucivar reached another hallway that was bigger and stretched horizontally.

    Screams of pain and fear could be heard echoing in this place.

    It seemed there were others who were punished.

    A row of small dozens of concrete confinements could be seen stretching in this hallway.

    Lucivar looked at it and saw a couple of these confinements had their doors closed.

    Meaning that they were occupied and the screams came from there.

    Sitting behind a desk was a skinny man who seemed to have no will to live.

    He lifted his gaze and saw Lucivar and Blane side by side with the guards behind them.

    "Offense?"

    "Fighting"

    Upon hearing this, the skinny man pointed to his right.

    "Punishment would be three days and set at level 2. Place them in box number 6 and 13"

    "Yes, Sir"

    A moment later.

    Lucivar was settled into box number 13 and the door to his box was closed shut.

    He was drowned in darkness.

    One and his only light source was a small hole above him.

    Both of his hands were handcuffed to the ceiling¡ªkeeping him upright in a confined space where he couldn''t even sit. A drop of water fell through the hole above him, dropping¡ªand hitting the top of his head, one drop for every three seconds.

    It was extremely cramped and uncomfortable.

    Time crawled within this confinement

    Now Lucivar knew why the seniors feared being put inside the Black Box.

    Other than the uncomfortable position and tight space, the inside¡ªof the box was hollow, it mimics a sensory deprivation chamber. Moreover, the confinement was also not only a mere box but it was a magical box.

    His ether was locked by a heavy suppression from the handcuffs around his wrists.

    It also induced nightmares whenever Lucivar closed his eyes.

    Sleeping would cause him to experience traumatic nightmares.

    Additionally¡ªthe energy from the box caused him immense phantom pains.

    It made the nightmare feel more real than normal.

    Being left alone inside this box for a prolonged amount of time, would easily make people go insane, the screams from earlier were proof of that but not to Lucivar. For him, darkness was his friend, it soothed him instead of attacking him with its claws.

    Nightmares played on repeat whenever he closed his eyes.

    He was confronted with Bianca, Edward, and his mother all over again.

    But the nightmares induced the opposite effect on him.

    Lucivar wasn''t fueled with fear but with rage instead.

    Mainly because he was only disgusted by his past self for being so gullible.

    As for the phantom pains, it didn''t deterred his mind.

    Lucivar''s mind was already rock-solid from the pain he had suffered.

    His mind couldn''t break anymore, the phantom pains made it clearer instead.

    More time has passed, it has been around ten hours but it felt like an eternity for Lucivar.

    In these hours, he recounted what he needed to do and also his ammunition.

    His focus was solely hogged by the person who was behind all of this, Professor Fury.

    Something was off with Blane earlier, he became more extreme.

    Going as far as attacking Sabrina is too much.

    Considering that Lucivar had no qualms before with Blane, this act was going overboard.

    Lucivar suspected that he was under orders.

    And earlier he sensed the killing intent, and his suspicion was confirmed.

    Professor Fury was certainly behind all of this.

    "I''m in an isolated place with no one around, I know what you''re planning, professor..."

    "My ether... it''s brimming"

    "My versatile energy... it''s brimming"

    "My desire to kill... it''s also brimming"

    "Now come, I know why you''re eager to bring me here..."

    Just as he said that Lucivar''s lips stretched into a wide smile when the lights suddenly got cut off, descending the entire place¡ªinto pure darkness. But inside his confine, his golden eyes gleamed murderously.

    It was starting but unfortunately, Lucivar was ready.

    "It''s go time..."

    ...

    Meanwhile, a couple of paces, at the entrance of the punishment sector.

    Seeing that the power went out, the skinny man stood up lazily and headed out to deal with this power outage. He walked slowly along the hallway, and disappeared, on the corner. But before long, a group of hunters emerged from that corner.

    Five of them came running, wielding medium-length blades or knives¡ªand also flashlights.

    Looking around the black boxes, the group quickly checked them one by one.

    A screen was beside each box that showed the person inside it.

    It was only then did they found the person they were looking for inside box number six.

    All of them felt goosebumps hearing the scream coming from it.

    Stumbling through the keys, they opened box number six and found Blane inside.

    He was sweating profusely and crying, the punishment was overwhelming.

    "Blane!"

    "Quick, open his cuffs and get him out of there"

    Carefully, the group brought Blane out and saw him hyperventilating hard.

    He was then given a pill that brought back life into his eyes before he looked around.

    "What the fuck took you guys so long?"

    "Sorry, the professor said that it''s better to wait a bit so that he''s also weakened"

    "Gueghk... Fine, help me up. He''s in box number thirteen"

    Of the five hunters, two had supported Blane¡ªbefore they headed to the designated box, to carry out their task, the reason why they came here for. Reaching the door, the hunters were forced to stop and exchange a tense glance, swallowing hard.

    "Is this the right one...?

    "I- I don''t know, why don''t you go check?"

    Feeling slightly worried, one put their ear on the door to listen to beyond the door.

    Nothing.

    It was absolutely silent.

    No screams, no rough breathing, no nothing¡ªas if there was nobody inside.

    Since the other hunters who were punished here were all screaming¡ªincluding Blane earlier, this was weird and quite frankly, brushed off as eerie. And because of that, the hunters were reluctant to open the door.

    Leaning on the wall nearby, Blane frowned when he saw the screen beside the door.

    His vision was hazy but it seemed like Lucivar was moving.

    But it shouldn''t be possible, he was handcuffed.

    "What are you guys doing? Open the door and stab him. He''s cuffed, he couldn''t retaliate"

    "A-Are you sure this is the right box?"

    "Yes! Why are you fucking doubting me, he''s in there!"

    All of them needed to speak up a little because the place was filled with howling screams.

    "It''s... It''s just that, there''s no scream coming from this box"

    "What...?" Blane shook his head. "No, he is inside. Just open it and get this over with"

    Despite Blane''s commanding urge, the hunters were pale¡ªthis would be their first kill and the thought chilled their blood. But to secure their spots¡ªto secure their future¡ª it was a small price to pay.

    Just as the hunters were about to open the door, a voice startled them.

    "Go ahead, open the door. I dare you"

    Gulp!

 Chapter 56 56: Reversing the Situation

    All of the hunters took a step back unconsciously when they heard the voice, coming from inside the box. It made them swallow hard¡ªbut in their minds, they were still thinking that they might''ve heard incorrectly.

    It shouldn''t be possible.

    Not even the seniors could endure the black box punishment.

    "I thought you came to kill me, not tremble at the door"

    Once again, the voice taunted, confirming that the hunters'' hearing was completely fine.

    Lucivar was indeed talking from inside the box.

    Due to the hollowness of the box and the screams, he shouldn''t have heard them coming.

    But he did.

    "He''s bluffing! Open the door and fucking kill him!! Don''t you want to become students?!"

    Reaffirming their decision, the hunters went back to the door.

    One of them was the guy who was wounded back in the inauguration, Dylan.

    Dylan was the one holding the ring of keys and he was desperately trying to put the correct key into the keyhole, through his trembling hands. He had the worst experience as a hunter, so he didn''t want to stay in this place any longer.

    If he stayed any longer, he''ll lose his mind.

    Just as he found the right key, however, his face was struck by a powerful force.

    He got hit and thrown back when the steel door flew outward with a violent force as if it was blasted from the inside¡ªsplintered off its hinges¡ªand thundering onto him. Blane, looked at this with his eyes wide open.

    It made his entire body stiff when he saw what had happened.

    Pivoting back to the box, his breath was caught when he met a pair of glowing eyes.

    Lucivar came out of the box, his steps were slow and deliberate.

    As his face came into view, Blane felt his heart thumping uncontrollably inside his chest.

    Unlike the usual face Lucivar used, a blend of a smile and also a weak character, he was now wearing a devious smile akin to the devil himself. He rubbed his sore wrists¡ªas he came out, leisurely glancing at the other hunters.

    "Oh, there are some new faces here," Lucivar muttered, looking straight at Dylan.

    Dylan wasn''t a part of Blane''s group so this was a surprise.

    "H- How did you...?" Blane was petrified.

    He couldn''t comprehend how Lucivar could know they were coming to take him out¡ªhow he wasn''t affected by the black box¡ªand also how he freed himself, from the cuffs. It should be impossible.

    Blane has never thought that it would end up like this.

    Knowing what the black box was¡ªhe thought killing Lucivar would be as easy as stabbing a defenseless man, not like this. Seeing the confusion that was palpable through Blane''s face, Lucivar smirked in satisfaction.

    It was true that the handcuffs constrained his bloodline.

    Normal Hybrids wouldn''t be able to get out of that.

    But Lucivar was far from normal Hybrids, he had Divine Blood mixed in his blood.

    Overpowering the handcuffs only needed a single strand of Loki''s power.

    "Are we having a picnic here? Or are we going to fight?" Lucivar taunted.

    Upon hearing this, Blane''s expression soured.

    "Attack him! Kill him!"

    "Raarggh!!"

    Screaming, the other hunters raised their weapons and charged at Lucivar.

    Being only a Neophyte-rank Hybrid, they had no abilities, all they could do was enhance their weapons with ether crudely. Even that was sloppy, the ether, coating their blades wobbled in an unsteady manner, barely holding form.

    Lucivar''s eyes fixed on the parts that could hurt him and moved accordingly.

    He tilted his body, parried, and dodged the incoming attacks.

    ''Noob... Compared to Bakar and the others, these guys are lower than novices'' He thought.

    No real intention behind their attacks and there were no follow-ups.

    Missing a strike caused them to stumble, and Lucivar easily tripped them because of that.

    Pointing at the fallen hunter, Lucivar channeled his ether.

    His Supernatural Ego glowed with five corresponding points as he cast Radiant Burst.

    Seeing this, the hunter looked down and saw a swirl of golden energy manifesting around his chest¡ªand when it concentrated, an explosive force of energy, struck his chest, causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood.

    It was akin to receiving a very hard direct blow to the chest.

    Under the pain, the hunter curled on the ground.

    "I''ll kill you bastard!"

    "Hyaah!"

    Lucivar turned and saw three more hunters raising their blades above their heads.

    But the three received an uppercut, a knee¡ªand a roundhouse kick in succession.

    It throbbed their face but they stood up and swung their blades like a maniac.

    On the other hand, Dylan was undecided.

    He wanted to kill Lucivar, and secure his future but seeing the others¡ªwere utterly beaten in an underwhelming fashion as if Lucivar wasn''t trying, rooted him on his spot. Questions upon questions appeared in his mind.

    And yet there was one that was bugging his mind hard.

    ''Why in the heck was he here...? How did he not get accepted as a student?''

    Considering his strength, Lucivar could easily become a student.

    He was probably even stronger than most of the new students.

    So the fact that he was here was confusing.

    Just then, however, Dylan''s eyes rounded as he came to a realization.

    Students were tasked to learn and grow strong under the supervision of the professors to be an asset to humanity. Hunters, on the other hand¡ªwere tasked to tackle dungeons and keep the Crossers at bay.

    Like military service, they are buying time for students to grow.

    Because of that, new Hybrids aspire to become students but some seek to become Hunters instead. It was because Hunters made direct contact with dungeons and in theory had more chances to obtain power crystals.

    However, this kind of Hybrid was one that had absolute talent and confidence.

    From Lucivar''s looks right now, he falls into that category.

    "He is one of them..." Dylan muttered in shock.

    As he came to that realization, Lucivar glanced and cast a smirk at him.

    In the next second, Dylan''s entire form was suddenly gripped by a powerful force.

    More than that, the sensation felt familiar to him.

    Looking down, his shock deepened when he saw emerald chains wrapping around him.

    It was the same emerald chains that pinned him at the inauguration.

    "No way... He- He''s the one who did it to me?! Then that means the professor was right..."

    Realizing this fact, a wave of dread and fear gripped Dylan''s heart¡ªhe now understood just how dangerous Lucivar truly was. Lucivar had used him to lure Fabio without hesitation and even managed to paint the professor as the villain in front of everyone.

    Seeing the fear on Dylan''s face, Lucivar licked his lips in delight.

    He took pleasure in such a sight.

    "When on earth did he get like this? He''s never like this" Blane mused.

    Watching Lucivar take on three opponents at once¡ªafter forcing one to the ground in agony, Blane was left speechless. Just days ago, he and the others had easily beaten Lucivar during sparring¡ªhe was completely a loser.

    All he could do was endure and not fight back.

    But now everything has changed.

    Now that he was confronted with this scene, he realized Lucivar was hiding his strength.

    He was holding back, in truth, he was a monster!

    Everything happened in a blur after that¡ªLucivar and the others fought in the darkness¡ªthe sound of flesh and metals echoed inside this place. It didn''t take long before Blane looked up and saw Lucivar was already standing in front of him.

    Being stared by Lucivar''s golden eyes, filled with sadistic pleasure, a chill ran down his spine.

    In a mere minute, the group of hunters were sprawled on the ground unconscious.

    "You... S- Stay away from me!"

    "Hmm? You''re the one who wanted to get up close and personal earlier, where did all of that courage go?"

    "You can''t do anything to me! You can''t! Or you''ll suffer the consequences!"

    "Consequences? Huh..."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar turned his head left and right as if he were inspecting the room.

    He then stared back at Blane with a devious smile.

    "What consequences? Do you see anyone here other than you? No. CCTVs... all of them are out. I won''t be responsible for everything that I was about to do to you because you are the one who prepared all of this... and I trust you made sure there''s no loophole for your safety"

    Blane was the one who prepared this killing attempt.

    Not only did he bring his friends to ensure the success of the attempt but he also cut off the power to make sure he did not leave a trace¡ªLucivar''s corpse¡ªand the aftermath would be presumably handled by Professory Fury''s men.

    However, now that it backfired, his safety net becomes Lucivar''s safety net.

    As Blane gradually came to realize that, the color from his face began to disappear.

    His lips were quivering as he slumped to the floor.

    Lucivar had turned into a silhouette of black with golden eyes in his vision, towering like the shadow of his own death. Even the smile on Lucivar''s face, stretched wider to the point¡ªof making him look like the devil.

    Blane''s eyes then caught sight of a dark ethereal being that manifested behind Lucivar.

    A God-like figure with horned helmets, heightening Lucivar''s aura.

    It was then Lucivar opened his mouth, and the figure mimicked his mouth''s movement.

    "You came here boasting to kill me, but have you ever even killed someone before?"

    "Have you felt the sensation of killing before?"

    Shoved by the questions, Blane was stunned, he couldn''t answer or even mutter a word.

    "No? Well I have... and killing you, I won''t lose sleep over it"

    Dylan who was still pinned down by the illusionary emerald chains watched from the side¡ªas Lucivar grabbed the helpless Blane''s head with both hands, and began doing something that was hard to watch.

    He sucked the ether from Blane''s body, absorbing it into his hands.

    Even though it was hard to watch, Dylan found that he was incapable of averting away.

    It enthralled him, the scene that is¡ªLucivar''s cruelty knows no bounds.

    A young man in his twenties like him shouldn''t have that level of cruelty.

    His was akin to an old monster that had lived for hundreds of years.

    Soon enough, the ether flowing into Lucivar''s hands twisted into something far more sinister, some different and gnarly. Moments later Blane went limp, his strength totally drained. It was so limp and weak that the moment Lucivar let go, Blane crumpled to the ground like a lifeless puppet.

    He fell to the floor with a thudding sound.

    No resistance at all.

    Just from the sight alone, Dylan gulped harshly.

    ''Dead... He killed Blane!'' He exclaimed inwardly.

    Lucivar only knocked the others unconscious but he showed no mercy for Blane.

    As soon as he thought of that, his heart skipped a beat when Lucivar turned towards him.

 Chapter 57 57: I Need You

    Dylan was now the only one left conscious of the entire group.

    He came here expecting to secure his spot but no, he only got a nightmare instead.

    Seeing Lucivar standing up, Dylan quickly lowered his gaze as his body began trembling hard¡ªhis breaths were heavy¡ªfearing that Lucivar might kill him the same way as Blane. Despite the fear, he couldn''t go anywhere, the chains were still latching onto him.

    In a couple of steps, Lucivar stood in front of him who was sitting on the floor.

    Out of fear, Dylan decided to confess first.

    "P- Professor Fury set us up, he''d make us students if we killed you right here"

    "And you believe that? Moron."

    Dylan remained silent despite the insult, he couldn''t do anything.

    "Do you want to die here?"

    "N- No..."

    "I have contacts outside and I might be able to help you be accepted as students"

    Upon hearing this, Dylan raised his gaze, surprised.

    His eyes flickered with hope.

    "In return, you could help me take down Professor Fury. You''ll leave and tell him that you, and the others tried killing me, but I held on until the power came back so you were unfortunately forced to leave. But¡ªtell him that I''m wounded. And report your conversation with him to me, I want to know everything. Can you do that?" Lucivar offered.

    Naturally, the prospect of betraying Professor Fury made Dylan uneasy.

    Professor Fury is a 1-star Chrysalis Hybrid, a powerful Hybrid.

    He might not be near the strongest professors of the academy but still.

    If the fact he turned against Professor Fury was brought to light, he would undoubtedly die.

    But then again, Lucivar did say he had contact outside who could help him.

    For Lucivar to be confident in taking down the professor, it should be someone powerful too.

    Even then, Dylan was still undecided.

    "You have a choice to make," Lucivar suddenly said, pulling Dylan''s attention back to him. "It is either Professor Fury at some point in the future if he was alive and knew about you or me at exactly fifteen seconds from now"

    Given the two options, Dylan gulped.

    Lucivar had killed Blane, he would definitely not hesitate to add another body for the day.

    "I- I''ll do it!" Dylan replied.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled, "Good. Go along now, I''ll take care of this"

    As he said that, the emerald chains broke and evaporated.

    Dylan could move once again and he didn''t waste a single second to run out of this place.

    He sprinted as fast as he could, fearing Lucivar might change his mind.

    Seeing him run made Lucivar chuckle, "Is it really fine to trust him? Of course not, but it didn''t matter. Even if he went to the professor, and told the truth of what happened, he''s still stuck, with the same problem"

    Looking around the mess, Lucivar placed his hands on his waist.

    It would be a hassle but it needed to be done.

    "I''ll just place them inside the boxes, that ward would probably not notice" He mused.

    Lucivar carried them and chained them inside the black boxes.

    All of them with the exception of Blane were still unconscious¡ªbut they would soon wake up to a great surprise with them being confined inside the black boxes. Placing Blane inside one for the last, Lucivar stepped out and looked at the control beside the door.

    He saw a dial on the side and rotated it.

    With each turn, the markings along the edge that indicate its current level increased.

    Lucivar set it to max before closing the door.

    Finishing the clean-up¡ªLucivar went back to his box, without forgetting to take the golden and green sphere that was lying on the ground¡ªhis reward for killing Blane. It was the size of a volleyball, bigger than the last one.

    "Huh, I wonder if I could reach five-star with this" He mused.

    As he said that, however, he closed his eyes.

    He only closed his eyes for ten seconds before he turned to his other hand.

    Slowly, his fingernails began to be coated with his ether and elongated.

    Golden claws, the ether made his fingernails longer and sharper.

    "Cool, this is useful at the very least," Lucivar muttered.

    Casting the Greedy Grasp skill to absorb Blane earlier¡ªLucivar was able to extract his only innate ability, called Lizard Claws. It seemed Blane was a Lizardman Hybrid. Lucivar, got an additional reward and he was not complaining.

    He was in much need of an offensive ability so this is good.

    It was then the light came back.

    Seemed like the ward had fixed the power.

    Lucivar entered the box and closed the door behind him before he cuffed himself back.

    He then proceeded to meditate, absorbing the Divine Blood he gained.

    The next day.

    Outside of the cave, a woman wearing a student uniform could be seen approaching.

    Her blonde hair reflected the sun above, making it look brighter.

    Considering that students don''t regularly come here, she must''ve come with a purpose.

    Even the guards outside instantly stood in attention at the sight of her.

    If any new students were here they would''ve recognized her instantly, it was Thalia.

    Arriving at the cave''s mouth, she went over to the guards.

    "Hello, I''m not sure but I''m searching for the Bastion of Blades. Is this it?"

    "Yes, that''s right. How can we help you, miss?"

    "I''m searching for someone called Lucivar Asarafall, I wanted to talk with him"

    Upon hearing this, the guards exchanged a look before one quickly ran inside to check.

    Thalia was brought inside and given a seat near the entrance, treated kindly while the guard checked. A couple of minutes later, the same guard came back and whispered something to a higher-ranked guard who was taking care of Thalia.

    It was only then did he went to Thalia with a polite smile.

    "Hunter Lucivar is currently being punished, his punishment will end tomorrow"

    "Punished...? For doing what?"

    "A fight between hunters, nothing out of the ordinary"

    "So I can''t meet with him, sigh..."

    Realizing that she needed to wait for one more day, Thalia sighed dejectedly.

    She didn''t know if she had time tomorrow as being a student made her extremely busy.

    A lot of things to learn, adjustments, and also training.

    But the guard quickly intervened assuringly.

    "Of course, you can. We''ll prepare the room and bring Hunter Lucivar to you. We can''t let him out for too long because of the rules, but for Miss, we most certainly can!

    "Really? Then please do"

    "Please, follow me. I''ll lead you to the room"

    Thalia was brought into a room, it was said to be a waiting room but in truth¡ªthe room fitted more to be called an interrogation room. A metal table and two chairs opposite of each other¡ªit was like being in jail.

    On it were a couple of candies in a small bowl and also two water bottles.

    Looking around the room, she couldn''t believe it.

    "Hunters lived like this? It''s so... bland and sad" She muttered, completely in disbelief.

    Naturally, this made her more confused, "Why on earth would he want to be here?"

    As she was inspecting the place, the door was opened.

    Upon seeing who came in, Thalia''s face instantly reddened like a tomato.

    She covered her face but still peeked through her finger cracks.

    A couple of guards brought in Lucivar¡ªbut since he had been punished, his outfit, was torn here and there, revealing a portion of his abs and also arms. In addition to that, Lucivar was also sweating profusely, making his skin slick.

    Lucivar was also handcuffed.

    Some Hunters bore resentment towards students out of jealousy.

    It has happened in the past that Hunters tried to kill students so this was mandatory.

    Upon meeting Thalia''s gaze, Lucivar raised an eyebrow.

    ''Man, she''s disturbing my peacetime,'' He thought, clicking his tongue in displeasure.

    He had broken through to the four-star and was on his way to five-star but got interrupted.

    "Can you leave us?"

    "Miss, do you really trust him?"

    "Yes, I do. He''s not going to hurt me. And also, take off his handcuffs. He''s not a prisoner"

    Despite the hesitance, the guards obeyed Thalia''s words.

    Both of the guards cast Lucivar a warning look before they left the room entirely.

    Lucivar rubbed the red marks ringed around his wrists.

    It was particularly bad since he was hung by the wrists in the black box.

    He could heal it with the strands of versatile energy but that would make it weird.

    Going to the table, Lucivar breathed heavily before he took a water bottle and chugged it.

    Being cramped in that box for almost a day made him extremely thirsty.

    Thalia remained silent and let him drink, as much as he wants and when he finished, she was about to say something but Lucivar pointed at the other water bottle, "Are you going to drink that?"

    Not even waiting for an answer, he took it and also chugged it until the last drop.

    "Phuaah~ That hits the spot" He nodded, throwing the empty bottle and sitting down.

    Thalia also sat down but was startled when Lucivar placed and crossed his legs on the table.

    "Have you no manner?"

    "Nope. I do whatever I want, whenever I want"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia could only sigh, she now remembered how annoying Lucivar was.

    "So, what''s with this visit? Need my help again or something?"

    "Excuse me? I''m not that helpless, thank you. I came here to say thank you"

    "I saved your life and all I got was a thank you?"

    "I''m not finished," Thalia rolled her eyes. "If there''s anything you want¡ªas long as it''s within my power, I''ll give it to you. If you want me to give in words to the professors to accept you, as a student, I could"

    "Not interested"

    "What? You don''t want to be a student?"

    "No, I don''t need to be a student. But I do need something..."

    Thalia''s eyes sparkled when she heard this¡ªshe was not the one to have debt so she would feel really bad if she couldn''t repay Lucivar in any kind of way. So knowing that Lucivar has a request made her elated.

    "It''s not hard and you have to do it now," Lucivar continued.

    At his words, Thalia felt her heart begin to race as Lucivar''s expression was very serious.

    She never saw him this tense.

    Moreover, it was not helping that Lucivar put down his legs and leaned forward.

    Almost as if he was about to say something really serious and secretive.

    "If you want, I could make sure the guards are not listening to our conversation"

    "Considerate but it doesn''t matter if they were listening"

    "What do you need?"

    Just then, Thalia''s eyes trailed to Lucivar''s finger.

    He lifted his index finger in a slow manner before pointing right at her with it.

    "I need you"

 Chapter 58 58: Scheming

    "I need you t-"

    "So all those times you deny approaching me saying that it was your friend¡ªMirel, who was the one trying to get close to me not you, all of that was a lie. I knew it, you were lying, from the very start!"

    Jumping to conclusions, Thalia averted her gaze away and fanned her red face.

    She was embarrassed that Lucivar would actually ask that.

    Even though she said anything, she didn''t expect him to ask for her like this.

    Both of them barely knew each other.

    "Look, I can''t accept that¡ªat least not now. We need to at least get to know each other first and start from there. I know you saved my life but I''m not a princess who would fall t-"

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar placed his hand above her hand.

    Thalia felt a shock of electricity from his touch, a spark of some sort but that sensation was short-lived when she saw Lucivar''s disbelief mixed with a pitiful face. He was looking at her as if she was an idiot who couldn''t be cured.

    "Do you ever get tired of carrying around all that delusional self-love?"

    "Wha-?"

    "Is it that hard back home? Did your mom and dad never praise you? You are doing great, I''m so proud of you for coming this far. Someone worthy will definitely want you in the future"

    Realizing that Lucivar was mocking her, she slapped his hand away in annoyance.

    "Then what are you trying to say?!"

    "Listen to me first, I''m not finished. I wanted to say that I need you to call Fabio here for me"

    "Fabio? Who''s that?"

    "An assistant professor here, I want you to ask the guards to call Fabio here"

    "O- Oh..."

    Unlike the redness earlier, her face became a deeper shade of red as if her face was about to explode like a volcano. She wanted to hide¡ªand never come out again, she could not believe how she leaped to that conclusion.

    If the earth could swallow her right now, that would be great.

    All she could do was cover her face for a moment, cursing herself for being ridiculous.

    "It''s alright, no need to be embarrassed. If I were you, I would also fall in love with me"

    "Eww~ I''m going to throw up"

    "I''m only following your lead, you''re the one who started this"

    "Eughh... I can''t believe I need to deal with you"

    "If you think deeply, it''s better to deal with me than be in a coffin"

    Thalia stood up and went out of the room to call for Fabio.

    Since she was a student, Lucivar knew that her request would definitely be granted.

    If she could stop the punishment and bring him here, calling Fabio would be easy.

    As expected, a moment is all it takes for Fabio to come here.

    He was fortunately still inside, not outside so the guards easily found him in his office.

    Just like before, he seemed to be exhausted and tired.

    Seeing that Lucivar was inside, when he was supposed to be in the black box¡ªFabio raised his eyebrows and looked at Thalia¡ªwho was closing the door behind him, "Why did you call me here? What is this all about?"

    "Ask him, he said he wanted to talk to you" Thalia shrugged.

    Upon hearing this, Fabio turned to look at Lucivar.

    As opposed to addressing Fabio, he gestured for Thalia to leave the room with his hand.

    "Leaving the room would make the guard suspicious. Just talk, I don''t care" She said.

    Finding that it was logical, Lucivar didn''t press further.

    He then gestured for Fabio to sit down.

    Taking a seat, Fabio inspected Lucivar and found him completely different.

    Not that his appearance had changed but the air around him was different, more refined, and sharper than before. Lucivar was a hunter in need at least from Fabio''s perspective¡ªyet that sense of desperation was completely gone.

    Leaning back on the metal chair, Lucivar started.

    "I assumed Professor Fury is giving you a hard time because of what happened"

    "Yes, but it''ll pass"

    "Do you regret helping me?"

    "No, the professor got swayed in the mood, and accused you¡ªof something you did not do. I had to step up as an assistant if the professor wasn''t in his right mind and endangered a new hunter"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled inwardly, Fabio still thought he was innocent.

    But Lucivar has no intention of correcting him.

    "So what if I told you the professor aimed to kill me deliberately"

    "I say you''re lying because he''s an honorable person who only made a mistake"

    "Hmm... trusting, I like it. But do you remember the net? Can you say that it''s accidental?"

    Fabioa recalled the inauguration, he saw the net suddenly disappear¡ªwhen Lucivar was the one, who was jumping down. Had Lucivar not done something to lessen the fall, he would''ve died and Fabio couldn''t deny this as Professor Fury controlled the net.

    Considering his control over ether, a mishap like that shouldn''t be possible either.

    Now that he thought about it, he could say that Lucivar was lying confidently.

    Such an accident was bizarre.

    "Okay, I''ll keep an open mind. If that''s true, why is he aiming you?" Fabio asked.

    If he was to believe Lucivar, he needed all the answers.

    And now, Lucivar didn''t seem to be anything special from his observations.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar stole a glance at Thalia, standing on the side, and sighed.

    "During the initiation, when the upperclassmen were sent to test us¡ªan intruder slipped in and blended in perfectly. He''s trying to kill Thalia over there," Lucivar pointed at the utterly oblivious Thalia with his thumb. "I took him down, but now his employer¡ªthe Crimson Wolf Clan, has sent Professor Fury to eliminate me and then her"

    Being dropped with a bomb, Thalia was at a loss for words.

    She looked at Lucivar from the side in absolute shock.

    "W- Wait... woah, woah, woah," She stuttered. "What are you saying right now, Lucivar?"

    Fabio stared at Thalia and found her reaction was genuine.

    It seemed like the intruder was real but Lucivar hadn''t told her about Professor Fury.

    ''Her family is in a scandal, an assassin being sent to kill her is believable'' Fabio thought.

    Seeing that Fabio was starting to believe, Lucivar leaned forward again.

    He ignored Thalia completely.

    "I need someone I can trust to do something outside," He said, with cunningness burning in his eyes. "I can''t really rely on anyone else but you. Since you seemed to be a just person, I know I can trust you because I''m going to expose Professor Fury"

    Overwhelmed by the shock, Thalia grabbed his shoulder and forcefully pulled on it.

    She wanted Lucivar to answer her.

    "What do you mean the Crimson Wolf Clan? Are you really telling the truth? They are here? That assassin was not the end of it?"

    "All I know is that the professor wants me dead so he must be sent or bribed by your enemy"

    Thalia''s eyes widened.

    Initially¡ªshe thought that something happened to Lucivar and the supposed person that he fought with, which resulted in him, being punished. She never once thought, that this had to do with her.

    Realizing this, Thalia turned to the exit, "I need to tell this to my sister..."

    But before she could leave, Lucivar grabbed her wrist.

    "What are you doing? I need to warn my sister, she needs to know about this"

    "No need to do that, you''re a student, as long as you''re inside academy grounds, it''s fine"

    "But-"

    "I can''t have you acting suspicious or Professor Fury will know and become alert. For now, we will let him think he has the upper hand. Act normal¡ªI will deal with him. He messed with me, and I don''t take something like that lightly"

    Despite her reluctance, she couldn''t say that Lucivar was wrong.

    However, for some reason, she felt a sense of trust that Lucivar would be able to handle this.

    Might be due to his confidence or the fact that he saved her once.

    "I believe you and if Professor Fury really was bribed by the Crimson Wolf Clan, I''ll help you"

    "Good, that''s what I like to hear"

    "So what do I need to do?"

    "Nothing complicated, I only need you too..."

    ...

    Upon hearing the plan, Fabio left the room with turmoil in his mind.

    He had worked with Professor Fury for years so this realization struck him hard.

    Lucivar and Thalia remained behind.

    Even though he wanted to return back to the black box and resume his meditation, he stayed behind for a bit knowing, that Thalia had something to say to him. He waited patiently¡ªwhile she arranged her thoughts.

    ''Now I''m starting to wonder what the opportunity really was about...''

    ''Is this it? Did I get dragged to this mess the opportunity? I could get stronger through this''

    ''Had it not for the opportunity, I would''ve stayed behind and checked the mirrors longer, and if it went like that, Thalia would''ve probably been dead already. She wouldn''t win against the assassin. But is that really it?''

    ''No, that can''t be it... it must have something to do with her family''

    Knowing that her family was quite influential, Lucivar was sure the opportunity was them.

    Thalia was the key to reaching them.

    Looking at Thalia, who was sitting in front of him, staring at the ground in contemplation, a smirk, crossed Lucivar''s face. But the moment Thalia¡ªstole a glance at Lucivar, that smirk was gone, replaced by a stoic expression.

    "Did you get into trouble because of me...?"

    "Yep, I almost got killed two times already"

    "Then why aren''t you mad at me?"

    "I''m mad but I chose to help you so I already partly accept the consequences"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia looked down again, fidgeting with her fingers.

    "How are you so calm...?" She uttered whisperingly, and surprisingly, tears fell down from her eyes and dropped into the floor. "I tried to be brave. Just like my sister, I tried to keep it all in, and show nothing. But I can''t, my hands are shaking¡ªI''m scared"

    Her cry heightened and the tears fell down to the floor like rain.

    Even though she tried wiping them, more seeped out and replaced what she wiped.

    Seeing how Thalia''s body was shaking uncontrollably, Lucivar wasn''t surprised.

    Back then on the night of the assassination, she seemed fine but turns out she was not.

    She gained a trauma from that.

    ''Inheritly good, huh...? Maybe she''s not meant for this world''

    Lucivar pondered and stood up.

    He stopped right beside Thalia, looking down at her sobbing profusely.

    ''I could use another drop of divine blood...''

    He tilted his head and raised his arm slowly, ether could be seen gathering to his hand.

    Just then, he placed his warm hand over Thalia''s head.

    "W- What are you doing?"

 Chapter 59 59: Who Is She?

    "W- What are you doing...?"

    Seeing Lucivar''s hand was nearing her, Thalia pulled back a little.

    It made her slightly uneasy.

    But she was then surprised when Lucivar placed his warm hand over her head gently.

    A surge of ether then seeped into her body, massaging every part of her body and also fully recovering her fatigue from academy stress. She bathed in the sensation for a brief moment before she turned to Lucivar in confusion.

    "Being scared is fine, I''m also scared¡ªthe way we handle it is what matters" Lucivar said.

    Upon hearing this, Thalia was stunned for a second.

    She then averted her gaze down again and pushed Lucivar''s hand away.

    "What''s up with you? You sounded like an old man"

    "An old man? Maybe I should''ve let you die, for my mental health''s sake"

    "I''m joking! I meant you''re the most handsome man in the world!"

    "Why thank you miss crybaby¡ªit''s about time you realized that"

    "Okay, that''s it. I''m leaving"

    ...

    On the second floor, the main office room.

    Professor Fury was sitting behind his desk dealing with his work, he was humming a tune in a good mood while writing on the papers. Considering that one of his problems had gone away¡ªit was no wonder he was in a very good mood.

    Soon, his door was knocked.

    "Come in,"

    Dylan came inside the room nervously, he was sweating as he closed the door behind him.

    "Who are you? And why have you come to me?"

    "Professor, I''m here to report to you about the task..."

    Upon hearing this, Professor Fury raised an eyebrow, knowing what Dylan meant instantly.

    "I''ll not ask where Blane was. I''ll give the spot to you, you''ll be transferred as so-"

    "No, professor. I came because we failed..."

    At Dyaln''s words, Professory Fury''s body froze, he was completely stunned.

    Considering that the plan was supposed to be flawless, he didn''t understand how it failed.

    Lucivar was in the black box and vulnerable, killing him should be easy.

    "Did the ward caught you in the act?"

    "No... everything went as planned, but he was still too strong. Strong enough to fend us off until the ward returned. I don''t know how he wasn''t weakened, from being in the black box, but I swear, he came out completely unfazed"

    As soon as he uttered his last word, Dylan felt an energy gripped him tightly.

    He was flung back onto the wall and was pressed there.

    "Professor!" He yelped in pain.

    But Professor Fury didn''t care as he stood up from his chair, his hand still stretched forward.

    Making deliberate steps to walk closer, he narrowed his gaze at Dylan.

    "So you''re telling me, five hunters ambushed him while he was in the black box and for some reason, failed...? Do you expect me to believe that? What games are you playing?"

    "I swear, professor! I wouldn''t dare lie to you!"

    "Then what about the others? Where are they?!"

    "I don''t know... I managed to slip away right before the ward came back"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Fury inspected Dylan''s expression and found no trace of lying.

    He seemed to be genuine.

    "How...? He''s nothing more than a Neophyte-rank Hybrid, how is this possible?!"

    Professor Fury wanted to vent his anger, but he stayed put¡ªnot wanting to attract attention to his office right now. He could only grab the edge of his desk¡ªcontemplating what he was dealing with.

    It shouldn''t be like this.

    He was frustrated as Lucivar was akin to an eel, weak but extremely slippery.

    A flash of Lucivar''s mocking smirk crossed his mind.

    Of course, Professor Fury wanted to rip the smirk from Lucivar''s face with his own two hands but in his current position, that would be hard to do. Doing that would only put him in a shaky boat all for the sake of his emotions.

    So he wouldn''t do that other than if the chance arose by itself.

    Even then, no matter the angle he took, Lucivar was definitely not normal.

    ''I don''t get it... a Neophyte-rank Hybrid can''t overpower the black box so how?''

    ''Where did that bitch Callista hire him from? How can a weak Hybrid be so troublesome?''

    Coughing a couple of times, Dylan then said, "He''s wounded... He should be weak right now"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Fury lifted his head.

    "Where is he right now?"

    "He should still be in the black box, punished. If you give me a chance, I could finish him"

    "No, I would be as dumb as a donkey to trust you weaklings again"

    A moment later, the door was opened again, and three people entered the room.

    Dylan recognized them, they were the other professor assistants.

    All of them are in the Acolyte-rank realm.

    Sweeping his gaze at them, Professor Fury then commanded, "I have a job for you three..."

    ...

    Lucivar spent his remaining punishment time until the very end.

    He had heard a commotion not too long ago when the ward discovered the other hunters.

    Due to the assassination attempt by Blane and his group, a couple more boxes were filled and the ward now realized that, and checked. He was definitely confused as to how more hunters were mistakenly placed here when he has no record of them at all.

    But the surprise didn''t stop there as he found Blane''s corpse inside one of the boxes.

    No visible wounds could be seen on Blane''s corpse.

    So he decided to check the dial and found that it was set to the maximum.

    A measly Neophyte-rank Hybrid wouldn''t be able to handle the black box at max power.

    Seeing this, the ward assumed Blane died because of that.

    Of course, as the ward in charge of the punishment room, he got into trouble.

    Lucivar could hear him being shouted at by professor assistants but he frankly didn''t care.

    It was his doings but without any proof whatsoever, he was free from the blame.

    He was released when his time was up.

    Just like the others, he came out while being supported, but it was all acting.

    Lucivar was completely fine, the black box was nothing.

    ''At this pace, I would win an noscar for my improving acting'' He pondered cheekily.

    Reaching outside, his eyes landed on a person waiting for him.

    Leandra was waiting for him, leaning her back against the wall.

    She was playing with her cat necklace and her eyes lit up at the sight of Lucivar.

    "I''ll take it from here," She said to the guard.

    She took over for Lucivar before the two headed back to Lucivar''s room.

    It was post-morning exercise so Leandra has some free time.

    Along the way, Leandra decided to fill the silence.

    "Are you okay?"

    "I''m not fine, the black box, how do I describe it? Painfully unique?"

    Upon saying that, Leandra nodded before she pulled him away in another direction.

    "Where are we going?"

    "Just follow me"

    Soon enough, both of them arrived at a small training room with an arena at the center.

    Lucivar looked at this in complete confusion.

    But then, Leandra suddenly pushed him with her waist to the side, causing him to fall.

    He fell directly on the arena.

    "What was that for?!"

    "Get up, I know you''re fine¡ªyou''re only pretending to be hurt"

    "How do you come to that conclusion?"

    "It doesn''t matter¡ªbut what does matter is the girl that came to visit you. Who is she?"

    "Huh...? What about her?"

    Not even clarifying what she meant by that, Leandra took her shoes off¡ªand stepped onto the arena. She stretched her arms, and waist, while walking to the opposite side of Lucivar, she didn''t say anything but her intention was clear.

    Getting up to his feet, Lucivar sweated a little, "Why does Thalia matter to you?"

    "Hmm... So her name is Thalia," Leandra muttered, cracking her knuckles.

    She completely ignored his question.

    Just then, her eyes began to glow purple, signaling her internal ether''s vicious channeling.

    Lucivar gritted his teeth, he didn''t know why Leandra was doing this.

    ''I may have gotten stronger but I don''t know about fighting her...'' He thought.

    Compared to the hunters he fought earlier, Leandra was in a completely different realm, and her bloodline, was also very strong. He may have a mix of Divine Blood in his body¡ªbut that wouldn''t help against Leandra.

    Unlike him, she has more experience in ether control.

    "Now talk, why did she come to you? What is your relationship with her?" She asked.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes flickered.

    He now realized that Leandra was jealous.

    ''I don''t know about love but I am quite sure she likes me, and that is completely my fault,'' He thought, clicking his tongue in displeasure. ''Maybe setting a boundary with her is a must but if I did that, wouldn''t she probe into my matters more? At least, if she liked me, she would''ve had a bias towards me''

    Lucivar was still undecided but he knew what he needed to avoid now.

    He needs to appease her as he still needs her to do something to take down Professor Fury.

    "My relationship with her is nothing. Mirel wanted to get close to her and I helped, she and I are purely an acquaintance" Lucivar said¡ªtrying to assure Leandra and help her calm down but he noticed Leandra''s face getting uglier with each word.

    Suddenly, Leandra lowered her stance, "Bullshit!"

    In the next instant, she charged at Lucivar, sprinting with power.

    Preparing for the clash, Lucivar crossed his arms to defend and receive a powerful punch.

    Despite blocking the punch, the force seeped into his bone as he got flung back.

    "Kahk! Damn it, Leandra! Calm the fuck down!"

    Lucivar exclaimed after getting slammed into the wall. He raised his gaze and found Leandra was already in front of him. Once again, he tried to roll away from the punch, but was halted, when a purple energy pinned him in place.

    It was Leandra''s ability, the telekinetic power of a witch.

    Unable to raise his arms in time, Lucivar ate a left hook landing squarely on his jaw.

    "Tell me the truth, tell me why she came to meet you here?!"

    "Stop hitting me then! How can I explain if you keep attacking me?!"

    Not heeding his words, Leandra charged again but this time, Lucivar retaliated.

    He used the Snare ability, his ring glowed with a greenish hue.

    Leandra looked down when she saw emerald chains wrapped around her limbs¡ªand body, but her body trembled with more ether and she broke the chains easily. At the sight of this, Lucivar was mildly surprised.

    But considering that it was Leandra, he expected this.

    He cast the Snare ability one more time.

    However, this time he enhanced it with two strands of Loki''s energy to make it stronger.

    As expected, Leandra was trapped, she couldn''t break free from this one.

    She was able to crack one of the chains but that was about it.

    Lucivar sighed in relief¡ªbut that relief was short-lived, as he suddenly saw multiple glowing orbs appearing above Leandra. Before he could say anything, sharp white projectiles shot at him in rapid succession that were shaped like stars.

    Unable to get out of the way, he was struck and pinned on the wall under the barrage.

    ''She''s still in the Neophyte rank but has multiple abilities like me! Tobias did say all of us had unique bloodlines. I can''t believe, she could keep up with me'' Lucivar thought, he coughed a mouthful of blood from the relentless barrage.

    As the attack ended, Lucivar was riddled with scars.

    In the next instant, Leandra reached him with her fist concentrated with ether.

    Just as she swung for a punch, her eyes widened.

    "That''s enough!"

 Chapter 60 60: Second Round (1)

    Leandra''s eyes widened as her punch struck something that felt like a rock.

    It was hard and unmovable.

    She kicked Lucivar and made a somersault back and landed a distance away from him.

    As she did this maneuver, her shocked gaze never left Lucivar even for a second.

    Landing perfectly on her feet, she tilted her head.

    "Did you reach the Acolyte rank too...?" She asked, disbelief dripping in her voice.

    On the opposite of her was Lucivar, his face, and torso were completely covered by a regal emerald wing. Having seen this wing¡ªLeandra was not surprised but she assumed that he could summon it when he was not in the right mind, berserk.

    Since he summoned it willingly now, she reckoned he reached the Acolyte rank.

    It was at the Acolyte rank that a Hybrid would develop a unique feature to their bloodline.

    Lucivar''s bloodline was an Angel so this made sense.

    Peeking from behind the wing, Lucivar sighed.

    Upon the visit from Thalia, he absorbed the remaining sphere¡ªhe gained from killing Blane and managed to reach the four-star. His wings grew a lot because of that, and he was very mindful to hide them from view.

    Since the academy hunter''s outfit was durable and tight, he had no problem.

    But now that his wing had grown longer, it was hard to hide it.

    "No, I haven''t," Lucivar replied vaguely. "Have you calmed down now and ready to listen?"

    Despite her reluctance, Leandra nodded and wore her shoes back.

    She only wanted to vent her anger and now that she had, her mood returned back to normal.

    Both of them went back to Lucivar''s room.

    Since there was a CCTV in this training room, they couldn''t talk right here.

    Along the way, Lucivar kept his eyes open.

    He knew Professor Fury wasn''t happy with him being alive so he needed to be careful.

    ''I only need to hold on one more attempt and this should all be over'' Luciviar thought.

    Arriving at the room, Lucivar knocked on the door.

    "Hey, it''s me. Open up"

    Upon hearing his voice, a rushed sound could be heard from the other side of the door.

    Sabrina must''ve been hectic when she heard his voice.

    Lucivar heard a clicking sound before he pushed the door open.

    But as soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by the surprising sight of Sabrina, sitting on her knees with her gaze down. She then raised a wooden stick with both hands to hand it over to Lucivar.

    "Master Lucivar, I''ll take any punishment for my wrongs"

    "Wait what? Huh? Why? When? How?"

    Hearing this, Leandra peeked inside from Lucivar''s shoulder out of curiosity.

    In reflex, Lucivar covered her eyes with his hand but she quickly slapped his hand away.

    Seeing Sabrina kneeling on the ground, she cast a judgmental look at Lucivar.

    "Really? Groveling and apologizing? You have a dominant kink?"

    "I didn''t make her do this, don''t get me wrong"

    "Sure... sure... I never expected you, out of all people to have this kind of kink"

    Clicking his tongue, Lucivar returned his gaze to Sabrina.

    "Stop this. Stand up and get inside, you''re not amending for your mistakes being like this"

    "Eh? I don''t know you have a visitor, sorry"

    "Don''t sorry me! You''re only implying that I like this and it''s fine if there''s no visitor!"

    Moments later.

    Lucivar told Sabrina to sit down facing the wall on the corner while he talked with Leandra.

    He decided to tell her about his situation with Thalia and Professor Fury.

    "So basically, you are in a life-and-death struggle, with Professor Fury?" Leandra shook her head, she was waiting to open up like this. "You do know that we''re family, right? If you had just told me and the others, we could''ve helped you"

    "Asking you guys for help? After I led Darwin to his death?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow.

    Even though the others looked and acted the same, they were definitely not.

    Some are probably blaming him for Darwin''s death.

    Of course, if they knew the truth then it''s natural to blame Lucivar as he killed Darwin.

    "Tobias united us together, he wanted us to get strong together. Even if some of us blamed you for Darwin''s death, they would never stay put, and watch you die" Leandra refuted, the others would help if Lucivar asked.

    Despite her saying that Lucivar turned away and changed the topic.

    "I do need your help. If you help me now, you can ask me for anything, I owe you a favor"

    "Favor...?"

    Leandra could only sigh.

    Even if there was no favor she would help but Lucivar wouldn''t like hearing that.

    Not at this moment.

    "Fine, I''ll help you."

    "Don''t tell the others and I need you to have full trust in me, can you do that?"

    "Yes, I can do that. Just tell me what to do"

    "Here''s what I wanted you to do..."

    Soon enough, after discussing the plan, Leandra excused herself and left the room.

    It was about time the next lecture would start and she needed to prepare.

    Lucivar also needed to get ready for the lecture.

    Other than having his wing grow to near a full stretch, reaching the four-star also increased the maximum strand he could contain through the Greedy Grasb ability. Now, Lucivar could have seven strands to use.

    Despite Leandra overwhelming him earlier, he reckoned he could now fare well against her.

    She might still hide the full extent of her power but he wouldn''t lose badly now.

    ''If I could exert the strength of a first-star Acolyte rank through the use of five strands, now I should be able to exert, the power of a second-star Acolyte rank. Not to mention, I also have the Radiant Burst spell, so I should be a lot stronger now'' Lucivar pondered.

    Even though he was quite strong, there were academy hunters here that could threaten him.

    He needed to pay attention as Professor Fury wouldn''t pull back this time.

    "Sabrina, how strong are you?"

    Sabrina, who was making a hole in Lucivar''s outfit was surprised by the sudden question.

    Nevertheless, she answered.

    "I''m a first-star Acolyte Hybrid"

    "Hmm, that''s go- wait what?! Acolyte? Did you mean Neophyte?"

    "No, I''m an Acolyte Hybrid"

    Lucivar was quite surprised, he thought Sabrina was still at the Neophyte rank.

    But then, he frowned at a realization.

    ''I used Greedy Grasp on Leandra to fill all five strands¡ªbut she did not even notice. When I used it on Sabrina, though, she went weak in the knees. Is it because Leandra''s bloodline is far stronger, with more ether? Must be...''

    He was accustomed to using the Greedy Grasp ability on Leandra.

    Due to that, she became his benchmark.

    Knowing that Sabrina is a first-star Acolyte Hybrid speaks of Leandra''s bloodline prowess.

    "Give me your hand,"

    "Hmm? What for?"

    Despite questioning his reason, Sabrina still gave her hand to him.

    Lucivar refilled the strands that he had lost from the black box incident¡ªand the fight with Leandra earlier, it took a minute before his strands were full, leaving Sabrina weak and also breathing heavily.

    After doing that, he spent his free time training his Minor Morphing ability.

    In preparation for the inevitable confrontation with Professor Fury.

    A couple of days passed since then.

    Nothing much happened aside from the regular, exercising, lectures, and sparring.

    An emergency happened yesterday, the siren blared across the place.

    Of course, the emergency rang when a portal was opened.

    But fortunately, the senior academy hunters were the ones sent to tackle it.

    Lucivar and the others still need to finish the basic dungeon and formation course.

    Other than that, his wing made him the center of attention.

    Since it has grown way bigger than before, Sabrina created a hole for his wing¡ªto fit into his outfit and made the wing practically visible to anyone. Considering that this part of the place was reserved for new academy hunters, Acolyte-rank Hybrids were very few here.

    In fact, other than Bob and Ravenna, there was only one more Acolyte-rank Hybrid.

    Unlike all three of them, Lucivar''s bloodline characteristic was jarring.

    A robust, deep emerald wing with glossy feathers.

    So he was practically the only one who had an evident feature of his bloodline.

    Also, as expected, Professor Fury was making his move.

    Even though it was hidden well, Lucivar''s constitution of an Angel comes into play.

    Keeping his Angel bloodline a secret was the best thing he did.

    Several dark trails of energy slithered and connected to him, they came from several guards, roaming the establishment. Certainly, they were tasked by Professor Fury, to keep an eye on him, and that''s expected.

    But what worried Lucivar was the fact that these guards were getting closer to his room.

    His reaction when Sabrina was bullied was uncalled for.

    Now practically everyone knew that Lucivar was quite protective of his personal maid.

    It was only a matter of time before the guards had the chance to do something to Sabrina.

    Lucivar sat on the sideline uneasily.

    Currently, it was the sparring session for the new academy hunters.

    Not the regular sparring but one that would determine their grades¡ªan assessment held by Professor Fury himself. Keeping a watch on him, Lucivar was uneasy, because he seemed to be in a good mood.

    Professor Fury didn''t even glance in his direction and that made Lucivar more uneasy.

    ''Dylan didn''t report back to me,'' Lucivar frowned.

    He glanced at Dylan who was sitting away from him through the crowd.

    Even though Lucivar had scared Dylan, he didn''t come back to report.

    But he knew that Dylan''s fear was true.

    ''So the reason he couldn''t report to me must be because he can''t, he is being watched...''

    Knowing what Professor Fury was planning is out of the picture.

    And Lucivar also didn''t want to wait.

    "Bakar Voss, the third place, stepped onto the arena"

    Upon hearing this, Bakar stood up and excitedly skipped his way towards the arena, he was always excited every time the sparring session came. He loosened his muscles and stepped onto the arena, giving a respectful bow to Professor Fury.

    Nodding, Professor Fury then asked the crowd.

    "Who would step and challenge Bakar for the third place?"

    "I would!"

    Just then, the crowd turned to the voice and found a man with his arm raised.

    It was Lucivar, daring to challenge the third place.

    Seeing him, the other academy hunters burst into a discussion.

    Most of them mocked Lucivar as he was in eighty-eighth place, a far cry from Bakar.

    From the others'' perspective, Bakar was invincible, even the second place had avoided going against him in the last couple of sparring sessions, while the first place was another monster, Nerissa.

    So the fact that Lucivar challenged Bakar was laughable.

    Lucivar quickly continued when he saw Professory Fury was about to deny his challenge.

    "I''ve gotten stronger and I want to test it out. Are you scared to fight me, Bakar?" He taunted.

    "Come on up, Lucivar..." Bakar gestured with his hand. "I''ll take you on, anytime"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Fury showed a slight sign¡ªof displeasure.

    But there was no stopping this if Bakar already accepted the challenge.

    Nodding, Lucivar stood up, climbed to the arena, and stood across Bakar.

    All of the onlookers were disinterested in this battle, knowing the result already.

    Unknown to them, they were in for a surprise.

 Chapter 61 61: Second Round (2)

    ''What is he aiming now...?''

    Professor Fury observed Lucivar climbing the arena attentively.

    He knew Lucivar was a cunning piece of shit, that could use dirty tricks to save himself.

    Despite Lucivar''s seemingly oblivious, he was aware of his surroundings.

    It was highlighted even more when Blane and his group failed to kill Lucivar.

    Somehow, he was able to sniff the danger and take care of it.

    Because of that, Professor Fury takes Lucivar seriously as he didn''t seem to be normal in any way. He really wanted to take matters into his own hands¡ªbut it was difficult considering his position, the other professors couldn''t know about this.

    Glancing over at Bakar, Professor Fury contemplated.

    For some reason, there were more freaks in the new batch of academy hunters.

    One of them is Bakar¡ªhis martial art is top-notch and his strength is incredible.

    Professor Fury was unclear about what Lucivar was planning to do by challenging Bakar¡ªbut it was certain that he was doing this for a reason as he had been passive in the last couple of days, doing nothing out of the ordinary.

    ''He did meet with Thalia. Both of them could report me but they have no proof''

    ''I could simply deny it and they would be the one who gets into trouble''

    ''So what is he doing now?''

    ''Damn it, I can''t read him. How can I not read a mere kid?''

    Rows of thoughts crossed Professor Fury''s mind, his mind was in overclock mode.

    On one side he has confidence in himself but on the other, he fears losing to a mere kid.

    Lucivar''s smirk back in the inauguration had been troubling him lately.

    Back to the arena.

    "Have you also grown stronger? I reached the four-star already"

    "Of course, you''re not the only one getting stronger. But I do think you''re quite fast"

    Lucivar and Bakar stood across each other, sharing intense eye contact.

    Just then, Professor Fury announced the match.

    "A battle for the third place, Lucivar Asarafall against Bakar Voss"

    In response to this, both went into their battle stances.

    "Ready..."

    Following the countdown, they both firmed their feet onto the floor.

    "Fight!"

    As soon as Professor Fury signaled the start, Bakar''s muscles bulged as he dashed forward.

    He clenched his fist hard and swung it at Lucivar in full force.

    Compared to the last time they battled, Lucivar didn''t opt to dodge the punch¡ªbut parry it instead. Bakar''s punch made a resounding sound as it crashed against the floor, cracking a tile before Lucivar made a right hook directly to his jaw.

    But when his fist collided, Bakar didn''t recoil, the punch barely tilted his face.

    Seeing this, Lucivar twisted his torso and made a vicious uppercut with his other fist.

    It landed perfectly, and it contained one strand of Loki''s power, lifting Bakar off the ground.

    Many of the onlookers gasped at such a sight.

    Having enough strength to lift someone as big as Bakar off the ground was not a small feat.

    One needs to have incredible strength to pull that off.

    Lucivar, however, was surprised when his leg was yanked forward.

    As it turns out, Bakar was able to grab his leg before the uppercut landed.

    Bakar smirked, the passion of battle burning in his eyes as he lifted Lucivar by his ankle as if he weighed a feather intending to slam him back down to the floor. Knowing that it would be hazardous for him, Lucivar quickly channeled his ether.

    He pointed a finger at Bakar''s face and blasted him with Radiant Burst, powered by a strand.

    Bam!

    It was strong enough to force Bakar to stumble back and free his leg.

    Lucivar landed on the floor with an evident frown.

    ''He''s very strong, I can''t compare to him in strength. I even used two strands already''

    Even so, Lucivar knew that Bakar was holding back his punches.

    Bakar has no intention of actually hurting him and that''s not what Lucivar wanted.

    Deciding that he needed to force Bakar to be serious and violent, Lucivar dashed, he was the one who went on the offensive, and closed the gap between them. He did it with confidence, his steps were deliberate and precise.

    Many of Bakar''s previous opponents were fearful of close-quarter combat.

    One hit from Bakar would knock their teeth definitely.

    But learning from Mirel, he knew that someone aggressive like Bakar was weak at defense.

    In fact, that is why Bakar lost to the others and was practically the weakest.

    Not that he was weak, but the Troll bloodline inside of him made it hard for him to hold back.

    Of course, when he learned more offensive innate abilities upon reaching the Acolyte rank, the aggressive fighting style¡ªwould benefit him. But for now, his fighting style was simply, too hard for his body to keep up.

    He couldn''t tank that much damage without the physicality of an actual Troll Hybrid.

    Seeing that Lucivar was getting close, Bakar tried punching him.

    However, he was soon surprised when emerald chains wrapped around his arm.

    It caught him off guard and his swinging motion was stopped because of that.

    ''Aim for the liver...''

    Lucivar''s eyes flashed as he struck Bakar''s liver with a solid punch.

    A punch that forced a painful groan out of Bakar''s mouth.

    It was fueled by one strand of Loki''s power, and surprisingly, Bakar fell to one knee.

    "He dropped Bakar!"

    "How is he fighting like that? It''s like he''s a completely different person!"

    Onlookers exclaimed when they saw this.

    Considering that Lucivar was mainly bullied during every spar, this was a surprising sight.

    Even Mirel was punching the air when he saw this.

    "You saw that? You saw that right? I taught him that!" He cheered in excitement.

    Leandra didn''t comment but Nerissa clapped her tiny hands lightly.

    "That''s great, Mirel... You''re a great teacher" She praised.

    Similarly, Professor Fury watched this with a dark gaze.

    Not only was Lucivar sly but now that he was a four-star Neophyte rank, he got stronger.

    No, not stronger, but now he decided to not hide his abilities.

    Channeling ether onto his fist, Lucivar infused two strands of Loki''s power into a kick.

    His kick landed squarely on the kneeling Bakar and sent him hurling to the edge.

    Bakar recovered and spat blood before turning back at Lucivar.

    "Is this going to be my win? Do you concede?" Lucivar asked, daunting a taunting smile.

    Upon hearing this, Bakar stood up with a battle maniac smile, "Alright..."

    Immediately after he said that, his already bulging muscles swelled even further and his eyes gleamed with a bronze light. Lucivar felt a wave of danger breezed over him, and he sweated a little when he saw Bakar locking in.

    ''Here he comes...'' He pondered as he raised his arms.

    Keeping his focus, Bakar stomped the ground in front of him.

    Expecting him to charge, Lucivar was startled when the ground suddenly shook.

    It knocked him off balance and only at that moment did Bakar sprinted.

    A couple of steps is all it took for him to reach Lucivar, and when he did, Lucivar quickly raised both arms to block a punch but was surprised by a fluke as Bakar kicked his legs instead, "Axe Kick!"

    Powered by his ether, the kick knocked Lucivar''s legs off of the floor.

    Lucivar screamed as it felt like his bones almost broke.

    He tried to keep his eyes open but the pain was too much, the kick was a savage one.

    Before he could react he coughed a mouthful of blood when his stomach was kneed, tossing him upwards like a ragdoll, ''I only have two strands left¡ªand I don''t know if Sabrina was able to refill it again. I knew I wanted Bakar to not pull his punches but I didn''t expect this...''

    Once Lucivar was able to open his eyes, he saw Bakar was already above him.

    Just like before, he was using one of his innate abilities, Axe Kick.

    But this time, Lucivar curled his emerald wing and used it as a shield from the attack.

    Upon impact, he was planted back to the ground.

    Blood forced its way from his mouth.

    Sensing that Bakar was coming from above with the finishing blow, Lucivar raised his hand.

    "I concede!!" Lucivar shouted.

    Upon hearing this, Bakar dissuaded from going through with the finishing blow¡ªand landed on the ground¡ªwith Lucivar lying between his legs. He then reached his hand down, "Good fight, Lucivar. Let''s do this again sometimes"

    Lucivar leaned his head back in relief before he accepted Bakar''s hand.

    He stood up, one of his feet tiptoeing due to the kick earlier.

    Glancing over to Bakar, he frowned, ''He also reached the four-star, I''m still the weakest...''

    Realizing that Bakar was still stronger, Lucivar could only smile wryly.

    Seems like the others were not playing around either, all are steadily getting stronger.

    "Winner, Bakar Voss!"

    Upon the announcement, Bakar came down and was instantly booed by Mirel.

    On the other hand, Sabrina quickly climbed the arena and supported Lucivar down.

    As Professor Fury watched this, a smirk crossed his face.

    ''Did he try to look strong but failed...? He tried to intimidate the hunters'' He thought.

    Before announcing the next battle¡ªhe turned to the side at one of his assistants on the side and gave him a nod. In response¡ªthe assistant returned the nod before he walked away, his eyes fixed on a person.

    "Do you need my ether again?" Sabrina asked.

    Lucivar nodded, he used five strands from fighting Bakar, which is more than he wanted.

    Holding her hand, Lucivar absorbed her ether.

    Sabrina was visibly becoming paler and breathing heavily from having his ether sucked.

    Keeping track of her countenance, Lucivar stopped when he was at the sixth strand.

    One more strand and his reserve would be full but he didn''t think Sabrina could take it.

    In a moment, her vitality would''ve been the one absorbed instead of her ether.

    Upon doing that, he turned to Leandra who was keeping her eyes on him.

    He gave her a signaling nod before he focused back on Sabrina.

    "Take me to one of the assistants, I''ll ask permission to rest in the infirmary"

    "Alright... hang on"

    Sabrina brought him to the nearest assistant called Namira.

    She has a cold aura around her and her skin seems to be glowing, almost translucent.

    Being an assistant, she was watching the sparring going.

    "Excuse me, I was badly wounded. Can I get permission to rest in the infirmary?"

    "I saw. Go ahead, go to the infirmary near the entrance"

    "Okay, thank you"

    Lucivar excused himself and headed to the designated infirmary.

    He had an infirmary in mind but perhaps the others were full because of the sparring.

    So he decided to take on Namira''s suggestion.

    A couple of paces behind him was Leandra, she also had somewhere to go.

    Just as she was about to ask Namira for permission, she stopped dead in her tracks, noticing something off. Namira seemed odd¡ªas if she were communicating with someone, using only her eyes.

    Following her gaze, Leandra spotted another assistant standing nearby.

    All of them gave a nod and reached for their tazer guns.

    Upon seeing this, Leandra''s eyes widened as she realized something.

    ''It''s the assistants... Lucivar wouldn''t be able to handle the assistants!'' She exclaimed inside.

    Not wasting a single second, she slipped away before Namira could see her.

 Chapter 62 62: Banshee Constitution

    Reaching the infirmary, Lucivar and Sabrina stepped inside and looked around.

    "Hello?"

    "Is there anyone here?"

    Lucivar tried calling out the doctor but there was no answer, there were also no patients here¡ªonly the empty beds, curtains, and medicine cabinets. Expecting at least a couple¡ªLucivar was slightly elated that nobody was here.

    He didn''t need help healing his wounded legs, he has the versatile energy to do that.

    Taking a seat on one of the beds, he groaned.

    "Should I call the doctor?"

    "No, you don''t need to. Just stay here, it''s good that nobody is here"

    "What do you mean good?"

    As opposed to replying, Lucivar closed his eyes.

    He channeled his ether and mixed it with a strand of Loki''s power.

    He focused it on his legs and felt the soothing energy begin healing his fractured bones.

    Only as the healing began did he answer.

    "In a moment from now, a couple of guards would come through that door and try to kill me"

    "Kill you...?"

    Ignoring Sabrina''s surprise, Lucivar continued.

    "Or capture me but either way I want you to hide but if you can help take them down, help"

    "Is this because of what you explained to Lady Leandra?"

    "Yes. I''m going to end Professor Fury once and for all, he''s getting annoying"

    Despite not knowing how Lucivar would achieve that, considering that Professor Fury, was a Chrysalis Hybrid, Sabrina didn''t ask. From her personal observation, Lucivar seemed to have two sides to himself.

    One is what he showed in public and one he kept it to himself.

    One is a pushover while the other is scary.

    Knowing that Sabrina didn''t doubt him one bit.

    She is his personal maid, it is her duty to stay beside Lucivar no matter what he does.

    Just as she thought that the door was suddenly slammed open.

    Lucivar hadn''t finished healing his legs yet and was also surprised when this happened.

    But as opposed to the guards, it was Leandra instead, panic marred her face.

    "Leandra, what''s wrong? Why are you here when you should''ve been in your position?!"

    "Bad news¡ªthe ones coming aren''t the guards but the assistants instead!"

    "What?!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar gasped in absolute shock.

    Since Professor Fury sent new academy hunters to kill him, and failed, Lucivar expected that he would send the guards¡ªon his side next. He never thought the assistants would not be a part of this knowing that Fabio was righteous and good.

    In addition, there was no way the assistants would commit a crime on academy grounds.

    Also, he sensed killing intent coming from the guards, not the assistants.

    So he thought that the guards would be the ones sent to kill him.

    However, it seemed like Lucivar underestimated Professor Fury''s influence.

    "Did they get sent here because of my fight with Bakar?" He asked.

    Leandra shook her head, "No, I think they''re the ones going after you from the start,"

    "What should we do?" She added.

    Coming across a deviation, Lucivar looked down in contemplation.

    He needed to think of a way quickly.

    Just then, his eyes flickered, "Before you go to your position, bump into them. Make sure that only one of them goes in to kill me. Even if you fail to do that, go to your position¡ªand do not mind me"

    Knowing that time was limited, Leandra nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

    She was worried that Lucivar might be unable to handle this but there was no time.

    It wouldn''t be long until the assistants reached the infirmary.

    Only when she left did Sabrina speak.

    "All of the assistants are an Acolyte-rank Hybrid, some are even at the four-star!"

    "I know..."

    "How would you beat them? All of them had developed a characteristic¡ªof their bloodline, you stand no chance! Although you could exert the strength of an Acolyte-rank, your other aspects are still undoubtedly Neophyte-rank"

    "I know..."

    Frankly speaking, Lucivar was tempted to abandon his plan and avoid this confrontation.

    His life is the priority after all.

    In fact, he came to the decision to abandon this plan.

    But before he could move from his spot, he saw trails of dark energy coming from the door.

    Despite wanting to leave, it was already too late.

    ''Tch! Loki, you should''ve given me an ability that could help me fight!'' Lucivar cursed.

    Meanwhile, outside of the infirmary.

    Striding along the hallway were three people, their formal outfits showed that they were the assistants of the establishment. Leading them was a woman, Namira, her gaze was fixed on the front, unwavering.

    As she neared a turn, she picked up her pace.

    "Keep an eye, make sure no hunters are in the area. We need to take care of his body after,"

    "All of them are in the sparring room, I doubt anyone was here. We could go inside¡ªand kill him quickly. Not that you would have a problem taking him out, but you know... to speed up the process"

    "I hadn''t seen Fabio all day, it''ll be bad if he encountered us. Just guard the corridor"

    Upon hearing this, the other two assistants nodded.

    Namira went into the corridor leading to the infirmary while the other two stood guard.

    But she was then surprised when someone bumped into her.

    "Ah... I''m sorry"

    "What are you doing here?"

    Seeing that it was a hunter, Namira frowned, this could be a problem.

    Leandra smiled apologetically.

    "I was going in for a headache but a maid told me inside that the doctor wasn''t in"

    "There are a couple of infirmaries along the way, what made you come all the way here?"

    Considering that there were a lot of infirmaries, it was odd that Leandra chose this one.

    Especially when the sparring room and this infirmary were quite far away.

    Keeping her composure, Leandra quickly thought of an excuse.

    "It''s crowded there, I felt cramped"

    "Just go ahead to the other infirmary, the doctors should be there"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra bowed slightly before proceeding her way out.

    Meeting the other two assistants, however, she tried to engage in small talk.

    Both of them taught in the lectures so she could ask them questions.

    She even faked being weak and almost stumbling down.

    However, no matter how much she tried, she was shut down and told to leave the premises.

    Leandra could only bite her lower lip, she couldn''t pull even one assistant away.

    On the other hand¡ªNamira massaged her forehead as she now needed to deal with Leandra too as she might be a potential security breach. Even then, she should take care of what was in front of her first.

    As soon as she reached the door, she channeled her ether in preparation.

    Her eyes sparkled and turned into pale white.

    Pushing open the door with her narrowing focus, knowing that Lucivar was capable enough to defend himself¡ªNamira saw that one of the beds was covered by the curtain. It seemed like Lucivar was in there from the silhouette.

    She stepped inside and the cold air from the air conditioner blew against her.

    On the side, Sabrina was startled when she saw someone was inside.

    "May I help you...?" She asked politely.

    Upon seeing her, Namira looked down and found her holding a tray of medicine.

    From the looks of it, she was trying to tend to Lucivar herself.

    "I''m here to check on Hunter Lucivar,"

    "Oh, right! Are you the doctor? He''s right there"

    Just as Sabrina was about to open the curtain, she tripped and fell alongside the tray.

    Namira pulled back when she saw this but frowned when she saw something.

    A syringe on the tray fell and stabbed her leg.

    Seeing this, she wanted to take the syringe but Sabrina beat her to it.

    Sabrina already reached for the syringe¡ªand pressed on the plunger, injecting Namira with the sustenance. Upon seeing this, Namira''s eyes turned vicious, as she slapped the syringe away, grabbed Sabrina by the neck, and lifted her off the floor.

    "Tell me! What did you inject to me you lowly maid?!" She screamed in anger.

    But as she said that, her eyes darted to the side.

    Namira saw the shadow behind the curtain moving, and bursting out of it was Lucivar.

    Instinctively, she let go of Sabrina and leaned back with her arms raised.

    Even though she was caught off guard, her reaction made it clear that she was trained.

    Unlike Blane and his friends, Namira was not an amateur.

    Despite that, Lucivar closed the distance quickly as if his legs were completely fine.

    Seeing that the center of balance was shifted heavily to her torso from leaning back, Lucivar placed his leg behind Namira''s leg and tripped her. She was surprised¡ªshe was falling¡ªand before she knew it, Lucivar already planted his fist into her abdomen.

    It was a direct hit that forced a small groan out of her mouth.

    Mounting on her, Lucivar grabbed a pair of scissors that he hid and struck down again.

    Namira might be stronger but she could die if she was caught in surprise.

    Pulling nothing back, Lucivar struck down with bloodshot in his eyes.

    Just as the scissors were about to plunge into Namira''s neck, his eyes widened in shock as her skin turned ashen, ghostly. The steel blades passed straight through her¡ªand stabbed the floor behind her.

    At that moment, Lucivar was stunned, he didn''t expect something like this.

    "Huarghkk!"

    Lucivar was hurled and slammed onto the wall, even cracking the windows as he got kicked.

    He vomited a mouthful of blood as the force from the kick was above his league.

    "You had me fooled there," Namira, whispered, as she slowly climbed back to her feet. "I also thought that you''re a harmless kid who was desperate to survive and got lucky. But the gaze you gave earlier... you''ve killed someone before, haven''t you?"

    Raising his gaze, Lucivar saw Namira grabbing Sabrina by the head and lifting her up.

    She then punched Sabrina in the chest hard before throwing her to the cabinet.

    From the looks of it, Sabrina was knocked out cleanly.

    "But I assure you, unlike those you killed before, I''m different," Namira continued. "I''m not a weakling like them. I am a four-star Acolyte Hybrid¡ªyou arrogant fool. Not even ten of you could defeat me"

    Her entire body became ghostly and translucent as she said those words.

    It was really as if she was turning into a ghost.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar cursed inside his head, ''Fuck, I don''t know her bloodline, turned out she is a Banshee. Not to mention¡ªshe developed the Banshee''s body. I do not think physical attacks would work on her''

    Just one look is enough for Lucivar to tell what her bloodline is.

    She taught in the basic dungeon course, but the hunters didn''t know what her bloodline was.

    Namira stopped right in front of Lucivar and looked down on him.

    "I''m going to enjoy killing you. You shouldn''t have poked your nose into something you do not understand. Don''t worry, after you die, I will send Thalia to accompany you to hell so that you won''t be lonely"

    Lucivar could only grit his teeth, coughing blood a couple of times.

    ''Fuck, I''m dead!''

 Chapter 63 63: A Royal

    A neophyte-rank hybrid and an acolyte-rank hybrid are incomparable.

    And that didn''t stop at only having more ether and having a physically stronger physique.

    It was mainly because the latter had developed a unique feature of their bloodline.

    For instance, the Vampire Hybrids, when they reached the acolyte-rank would develop their very first vampiric features. It could vary from having their fangs longer¡ªdeveloping vicious claws, or even blood eyes.

    Each feature would give the hybrid different abilities and talents.

    Ravenna had red whiskers and red eyes, those are the unique features of her bloodline.

    Because of that, acolyte-rank hybrids are far stronger than neophyte-rank hybrids.

    On the other hand, Lucivar was a unique case.

    He began developing his angelic wing, even before he reached the Acolyte-rank realm.

    Despite that, he was still weaker than acolyte-rank hybrids.

    His only comparable aspect was his strength.

    Just like Sabrina said, other than his strength, he was outclassed by an acolyte-rank hybrid.

    Namira has developed the body of a Banshee upon achieving the Acolyte rank.

    It was probably one of the strongest features of a Banshee.

    Lucivar wrecked his brain in the face of death, he was still trying to find a way out of this.

    As Namira approached, she stopped and stumbled a bit.

    She grabbed her head feeling her eyes begin to blur, and she was struck by drowsiness.

    Looking at her hand through a blurred optic, she frowned, ''It''s the syringe... I need to keep on circulating my ether, so that I don''t pass out. No problem, I certainly could kill him before I am overwhelmed by it''

    Despite trying to keep composed, the sustenance injected into her seemed to be a sedative.

    It made her drowsy and sluggish.

    Just as she was distracted, Lucivar tried to trip her but this time, she was ready.

    Namira lifted her leg to avoid the sweep and stomped Lucivar''s ankle.

    She stomped his ankle so hard that a sickening crack echoed.

    "Krarghk!!"

    Lucivar''s bones were crushed from that.

    An Acolyte-rank Hybrid''s reaction time was extremely quick, and that shows.

    Giving Lucivar a mocking, and condescending gaze, Namira shifted her attention to the wing protruding out of Lucivar''s back and smiled, "I am always jealous¡ªof this wing of yours. I am going to take it as a trophy, alright?"

    Upon saying that, Namira grinned evilly.

    She grabbed ahold of Lucivar''s robust, emerald wing and gripped it tightly.

    As the wing was sensitive, Lucivar immediately grabbed ahold of her arms.

    He was trying to stop her but he had no power in his grip.

    Even though Lucivar still had five strands to help him, he was hesitant to use it.

    Krrk!

    "Grrhkk!!"

    Using ether, Namira tightened her grip with the full intention of ripping Lucivar''s wing off.

    Her fingers dug deep into the feathers, drawing blood that stained the emerald color.

    But as she did that, she caught sight of an energy seeping out of the wing.

    Feeling the threat coming from it, she couldn''t help but frown.

    In the next second, Namira was blasted.

    Green energy shot out from the wing and sent her stumbling backward hard.

    Despite having a firm foothold and being ready for the blast, she lost to the blasting force.

    She looked back at Lucivar in surprise, wondering what that was.

    However, Namira was certain that Lucivar didn''t do that.

    She didn''t sense him channeling his ether to make that attack, at least it was not¡ªan ability that he consciously did. Something else reacted and pushed her back¡ªthe energy inside of Lucivar moved on its own as if it were sentient.

    Seeing this, Lucivar''s eyes mildly widened.

    He saw what happened and noticed something crucial.

    Even though this was the first time someone touched his wing and stimulated a reaction like this, the blowback wasn''t strong. Its pushing force wasn''t anything surprising, for a four-star Neophyte Hybrid.

    In fact, it was meager.

    But Namira was pushed hard as if the blow was coming from someone around her strength.

    Additionally, her ghostly skin gleamed, and a look of pain crossed her face.

    It was brief but caught his attention.

    Such a sight plastered a grin on Lucivar''s face.

    Angered at Lucivar''s grin despite his situation, Namira approached him with stomping steps.

    Fury could be seen blazing in her eyes.

    Using another of her abilities, she created a sword made entirely of white ether.

    It was translucent and extremely sharp.

    Even its tip¡ªwhich was dragged across the ground cut through the floor tiles easily.

    Leaving behind a straight trail following Namira''s steps.

    "Do you think this is funny?" She said angrily. "Fine, I''ll take it from your dead body then!"

    Just as she neared Lucivar, she saw him raising his index finger and pointing it at her.

    Lucivar''s ether could be seen flowing onto the tip of his finger.

    He was casting an ability.

    Despite that, Namira stood strong knowing that the difference between them was vast.

    "That was a mistake... aiming for my wing was a mistake"

    "Yeah? And what are you going to do about it?"

    Not even pulling back anything, the ether gathering on the tip¡ªof his index finger, suddenly swelled rapidly. It reached to the point that Namira felt a threat coming from it, Lucivar used every single strand of versatile energy in his belt.

    He used all five strands he had in reserve.

    "I''m glad you asked... this is what I''m going to do. Radiant Burst!"

    Upon chanting the ability, Namira looked down at her chest and saw a swirl of ether there.

    Sensing the danger, she lifted her sword to block the swirl of ether.

    But as the swirl exploded with force, her eyes completely widened when her ether sword shattered into a million fragments alongside her entire right arm that turned into a mist of blood, spraying across the room.

    ''What happened...?'' She pondered, feeling a burn assaulting the right side of her body.

    Namira glanced to her right and saw her sword and arm were gone.

    ''Did my sword get shattered and my arm got severed?!''

    ''How...? He''s a Neophyte-rank Hybrid, how could his ability be this strong?''

    Even though she sensed the danger, she underestimated Lucivar''s ability.

    But then again, this is a freak accident, no Neophyte-rank Hybrid could be this strong.

    Lucivar grabbed a steel leg of the bed to his side, ripped it, and quickly moved.

    He dashed forward, capitalizing on Namira''s shock to close the distance before he stabbed the sharp end of the steel leg, below Namira''s chin. It pierced her tongue, and continued all the way to the roof of her mouth.

    Despite moving with one leg, he was still fast enough.

    As he did that, Lucivar gazed directly into Namira''s eyes, chuckling like a madman.

    "Your bloodline made you untouchable from physical attacks but makes you weak against ether-based attacks, am I right?" He asked, the blowback earlier¡ªexposed this particular weakness. "Touching my wing is a mistake, and now I''ll be taking your head as a trophy!"

    Upon hearing this, Namira teared up as the pain was overwhelming.

    It was indeed her weakness.

    She is untouchable against those¡ªwho rely on physical attacks but with her ghostly skin¡ª she became more vulnerable against energy attacks. But she never expected Lucivar to be strong enough to hurt, a four-star Acolyte-rank Hybrid.

    Not giving any mercy, Lucivar put more strength to rip her head off of her body.

    Even then, Namira''s eyes still burned with life.

    Knowing that she would probably die from this attack¡ªshe quickly garnered all ether in her reserve and summoned another ether sword. Seeing this, Lucivar panicked inside and used more strength.

    He needed to sever her head before she was able to stab him.

    ''I don''t think I can! She''s going to stab me too!'' Lucivar exclaimed inwardly.

    Despite the skin around her neck being pulled and torn, he still needs more time to finish her.

    Clearly, this was going to be a death struggle¡ªwhich one of them would death take first.

    Even Namira smirked or at least tried to smirk at this realization.

    If she managed to stab him, she would''ve no problem slicing him into two pieces.

    Suddenly, two hands grabbed Namira''s head and chin from behind.

    Sabrina came out of nowhere from behind but her appearance shocked Lucivar to his core.

    Not even giving Namira time to react, Sabrina bit her throat savagely and twisted her neck.

    Coupled with Sabrina''s help, Namira''s head was severed completely.

    Blood spurted out from her headless body like a fountain, drenching both Lucivar¡ªand also Sabrina with its crimson tint. Lucivar fell backward but his eyes were still fixed on Sabrina in front of him.

    She was facing away, trying to hide her face.

    "Sabrina...?"

    Hearing her name being called, Sabrina dropped Namira''s head and wiped her mouth.

    Despite her hesitance, she turned to face Lucivar.

    It was only then that Lucivar gasped, Sabrina''s appearance underwent a mild transformation.

    Her white with a tinge of pink hair was now pinkish in color, and the same goes for her eyes.

    Additionally, her fangs were longer, and she looked more beautiful than before.

    Not that any changes in her face made her more beautiful than before, it was hard to fittingly pinpoint exactly but if Lucivar could guess, her cheeks flushed deeper, her lips took on a soft light hue, and her lashes lengthened.

    But the most noticeable was the air around her, which felt different.

    It enhanced her beauty in an almost ethereal way.

    Namira''s blood drizzled down, from the corner of her mouth¡ªand when the droplet fell from the edge of her chin Lucivar snapped out of his daze, "What are you? Are you a Vampire? Or what...?"

    Just then, Lucivar''s eyes were pulled downward at something bulging from her clothes.

    From her bottom to be exact.

    He couldn''t really tell but the outline seemed to be a heart-shape.

    Lucivar''s eyes narrowed before he came to realize from the outline that it was a tail.

    A tail that ended with a heart shape.

    Only then did Lucivar''s eyes widen in the realization of what Sabrina''s bloodline was.

    "Don''t tell me... You''re a Demon, a Succubus?!"

    "Ah, you got me,"

    Sabrina put out her tongue and scratched the back of her head.

    She was actually a maid with a Succubus bloodline.

    "Master Tobias told me to keep my bloodline a secret, but I couldn''t let you die either so here we are," She said, wiping the stain of blood on her mouth she missed before. "Now you know my secret,"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s mind clicked.

    ''No wonder she was masturbating back then, she must''ve been easily frustrated''

    Recalling their first encounter, it made sense now.

    Sabrina was cramped as a maid with no men in the house, she must be really frustrated.

    "Hold on, a Demon has an evil alignment. But I sensed nothing from you," Lucivar stated.

    Just like an Angel Hybrid that has a tendency to do good, a Demon is the opposite.

    All of them has the tendency to do evil but Sabrina didn''t seem to have that alignment.

    She could be hiding it but that would require immense willpower.

    Since Sabrina was masturbating back then, she didn''t have that strong of willpower.

    Due to that, Lucivar doubted whether Sabrina was actually a Succubus Hybrid.

    Finding that Lucivar was quite sharp, Sabrina pondered for a second in hesitation before she eventually decided to be truthful. Lucivar was her master now, after all, "I have a named ego, I''m a royal. I have no problem suppressing my evil alignment"

    "You''re a WHAT?!"

 Chapter 64 64: The Fool (1)

    "You''re a WHAT?!"

    Lucivar was taken aback, his brain malfunctioned because of the information it received.

    He was puzzled as to how a Hybrid¡ªa Demon Hybrid to be exact with a named Supernatural Ego could end up being a maid¡ªwho worked in Tobias'' household. Sabrina is certainly older, around her thirties, but she could still be a powerhouse in a clan with her bloodline.

    Many clans would want to take her in for having such a powerful bloodline.

    Not to mention, the clans under the Supreme Demon House would definitely take her.

    A Succubus is an incredible support powerhouse.

    A bloodline that excels in enhancements of both physical and spiritual.

    Sonia also known as the Infernal Mender was a powerful Hybrid with a Succubus bloodline¡ªshe is a part of the noble order, Warden of Vitalis, which was essentially the title given to the five strongest healers in the world, and is also the vice leader¡ªof the Voidwing Clan, a clean directly under the Supreme Demon House.

    She was so famous that even Lucivar from a small town knew about her.

    All of that was because she had a royal named Succubus bloodline, Marzanna.

    Sabrina could be like her if she wanted to.

    But as opposed to doing that, she willingly stayed as a maid.

    Even now she was willing to be Lucivar''s personal maid because Tobias said so.

    "May I ask what your bloodline''s name was?"

    "Ardat Lilitu. Nobody has ever had her bloodline so I don''t know who she is. Also¡ªyou don''t need to be formal with me, I''m your maid remember?"

    On the other hand, as soon as Sabrina mentioned that name, Lucivar could feel a burn in his chest. It was a mild burn from his Inner Chamber, but not from Loki''s statue. It came another statue that reacted to this name.

    ''Since whoever this Ardat Lilitu is a royal, one of the Gods in me might know who she is''

    Lucivar didn''t expect this to happen.

    He was planning to only use Sabrina to be his walking ether pouch.

    Now that he knew about this, he was tempted to make Sabrina a Vestal of his.

    But then again, Sabrina hasn''t shown any malevolent tendencies.

    It would be worthless to turn her into a Vestal if she can''t even do basic evil things.

    Lucivar focused back on Sabrina, still clutching his stomach in pain.

    "Suppressing your evil alignment, what exactly did you mean by that?"

    "It''s exactly what it sounds like, I can basically turn off my evil thoughts as easily as snapping my fingers. I also could sense the malevolence in you, I already knew¡ªthat you absorbed my ether before you told me. I''m quite strong too you know..."

    Happy with the speechless reaction that marred Lucivar''s face, Sabrina smiled teasingly.

    She wasn''t as gullible as Lucivar thought she was.

    "What? If you''re that strong, why did you feel weak from me taking a bit of your ether?"

    "Did you forget already? I''m a maid, and I''m trained to please my master"

    "You mean..."

    "Yes, I''m acting. Master Lucivar is a guy and like them, you crave the feeling of strength. And I also make sure you didn''t take too much of my ether or you''ll get hurt"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes widened.

    ''So that''s why it felt like recharging my strands took longer when I''m with Sabrina compared to when I''m with Leandra, she''s controlling the flow of her ether against me. For some damn reason, I feel like shit now...''

    Lucivar was annoyed by this, it felt like his emotions were being played by Sabrina.

    He even felt stupid for helping Sabrina back when Blane bullied her.

    She was fine and didn''t need his help.

    "Knowing this, I shouldn''t have helped you from those bullies,"

    "Aww~ Come on, you looked cool standing up for me. At least I now know you care"

    "I don''t care about you. I just don''t like my things being touched by others"

    "Sure, sure... whatever you say"

    Deciding to ignore her annoying remarks, Lucivar tried to stand up again using the bed, as a support. His stomach was still throbbing from the kick he received earlier but now is not the time to sit around.

    He still needed to clean up this mess and deal with the other assistants outside.

    "You''re a Succubus Hybrid, do you have something to help me hide my wing?" Lucivar asked.

    Sabrina approached and touched his wing with her hand gently.

    Channeling her ether, she was about to cast an ability but the moment her ether touched the wing, a frown creased her forehead. She pulled back before shaking her head, "I do not think I can, I''m sorry"

    "Wow... what a strong Hybrid you are" Lucivar ridiculed before walking past her.

    He went to Namira''s severed head and knelt beside it.

    From the looks of it, Lucivar seemed to be doing something with his gaze on the head.

    Curious as to what Lucivar was doing, Sabrina approached.

    "Master, do you want me to deal with the assistants outside?" She asked.

    Now that she didn''t need to hide her strength, she could help Lucivar in dealing with this.

    But Lucivar shook his head.

    "No, I''m going to deal with them myself. Strip her corpse and bring her clothes to me"

    "Strip her? What for?"

    "Just do as I say, we don''t have much time"

    ...

    "What''s taking Namira so long? He''s only a kid"

    "I don''t think we should underestimate the kid if the professor wanted to get rid of him"

    "Should we check then?"

    "Go check, I''ll keep a lookout"

    Both assistants waiting outside were becoming concerned.

    Namira should be finishing the kill in seconds unless of course somehow, Lucivar was able to get under her skin, and make her toy with him, that is a possibility. But it was time for Namira to end it or else the sparring session would be over and the place would be crowded.

    Creeping through the corridor nonchalantly, the assistant reached for the infirmary door.

    However, as soon as he did, the door was opened.

    From the crack of the door, the assistant was startled, rubbing his chest from the shock.

    Seeing Namira through the crack, the assistant raised an eyebrow.

    "Namira? We need to go, are you done?"

    "I restrained him. Go call the professor, I could tell he wanted to kill the kid himself"

    "We were told to kill him and place his body in the X place"

    "Just trust me on this, the professor really hated the kid. He''ll be happy if you call him"

    "Fine," the assistant nodded, checking the time. "I guess there''s still time"

    Despite wanting to get over with this, Namira is in charge so the assistant didn''t question her and went back¡ªto the other assistant outside. Seeing him coming alone, the other assistant, frowned.

    "Where is she? Where''s the body?"

    "She told me to call the professor. Wait for me here, I''ll call him"

    "Call the professor? Why is she not here then?"

    "The kid is only restrained, she needed to stay there and make sure he didn''t escape"

    As soon as he said that, the assistant jogged away.

    Even though it was logical, the assistant who stayed behind felt a little bit uneasy with this.

    He looked at the infirmary door in suspicion, something seemed to be off.

    Meanwhile, back to the sparring room.

    Professor Fury was still handling the rest of the battles, until his eyes caught sight of the assistant waving at him. Fearing that something had gone wrong¡ªhe appointed another person to take over his position.

    He headed to the assistant and went over to a secluded place, away from the arena.

    "Professor, Namira had already restrained the kid"

    "Restrained? I told you to kill him"

    "Yes, but Namira wanted to make sure whether you really wanted us to kill him or you want to kill him yourself. We still have time and if you want, you could go there and finish him off, to blow off some steam"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Fury''s eyes mildly widened for a second.

    But soon, a cruel smile bloomed on his face.

    "I guess Namira really knew me well... lead me to the kid" Professory Fury nodded.

    Even though allowing the assistants to handle every dirty work makes everything go more smoothly, the mockery¡ªand humiliation he suffered from Lucivar, overpowered his logical mind.

    Professor Fury couldn''t believe that he was having such a hard time against a kid.

    His humiliation could only be repaid through Lucivar''s blood on his own hands.

    Following the assistant from behind leisurely, he walked through the hallway and passed the onlookers without sparking any suspicion at all for leaving the sparring session suddenly. He is usually busy so this wasn''t a surprise for the hunters present.

    Going along the hallway, both of them made a turn and neared the infirmary.

    Just then, their steps came to a gradual stop at the sight of a weird sight.

    Namira could be seen halfway out of the corridor leading to the infirmary¡ªshe was bloodied, and beside her was the other assistant who had his windpipe crushed, and lay on the ground with a clear shock plastered on his face, dead.

    Upon seeing this, the assistant and Professor Fury rushed towards her.

    Before they could say anything, Namira had already pointed in a direction.

    "He went that way... I''m sorry professor, he''s had help! He went to the back entrance"

    Gritting his teeth, Professor Fury quickly turned and dashed away.

    He was cursing Lucivar inside¡ªhe couldn''t believe that three assistants were still not enough to take him down, "I should have handled this myself! Damn it, damn it, damn it! The entrance should be locked, I could intercept him!"

    Fearing for the worse, Professor Fury activated his bloodline.

    In an instant, his eyes radiated with sparkling blue light and a blue robe manifested on him.

    Stomping the ground hard, he blitzed through the hallway, leaving behind trails of ether.

    He was so fast that his legs turned into a blur.

    As a Chrysalis rank Hybrid, his muscles, bones, and tendons were enhanced greatly.

    Coupled with his bloodline, this kind of speed was not surprising.

    Reaching the back entrance, Professor Fury looked around and found nobody there.

    Clicking on the panel beside the steel door, his eyes widened seeing someone had inputted the password, a minute ago. Professor Fury''s eyes widened, ''He knew the password? How? Nobody aside from the assistants and me knew the password!''

    Not wasting a second, Professor Fury opened the steel door and rushed outside.

    Reaching outside, he closed his eyes and cast an ability.

    He placed his hand on the ground and fired a wave of ether that expanded in the ground.

    It reached throughout the surrounding area.

    Professor Fury sensed someone running not too far away from him, and knowing that it could only be Lucivar, he quickly chased after the person. A moment is all it takes¡ªfor him to catch up to the person.

    His eyes flashed at the sight of a hooded figure sprinting ahead of him.

    Seeing the professor right on the tail, the person sprinted faster.

    But this made Professor Fury pick up his pace, closing the gap between them quickly.

    "Nowhere to go, today will be the time of your death whether you like it or not, Lucivar!"

 Chapter 65 65: The Fool (2)

    Professor Fury saw the hooded figure, who was definitely Lucivar, heading to the abandoned building used for the inauguration. He stomped the ground and propelled himself forward, he would not let Lucivar escape.

    Since this is still not on the main academy grounds, it was a blind spot.

    He could kill Lucivar without any consequences.

    In fact, outside was better, there were no risks of other hunters seeing him do the deeds.

    But there would be CCTVs up ahead nearing the back gate of the academy, Professor Fury can''t let Lucivar reach that area. Then again, there was no way Lucivar would outrun him, it was simply impossible.

    Lucivar sprinted, his heavy breaths echoed through the inside of the abandoned building.

    He looked over his shoulder and saw Professor Fury entering the place.

    In slow motion, Professor Fury bends his knees, flexing his leg muscles before he makes one powerful dash that cuts through the distance between them in an instant. Showing no mercy¡ªProfessor Fury grabbed Luivar''s head and threw him to the side.

    Under the enormous force, the hooded Lucivar crashes through several walls hard.

    Concrete rocks flew everywhere as he stopped at the fifth wall.

    Prostrating on the ground, coughing blood from his mouth, Lucivar panted heavily.

    His entire body was washed over by pain, he was certain many of his bones broke from that.

    Just as the law of power states, a Chrysalis Hybrid is far beyond a Neophyte Hybrid.

    One Chrysalis Hybrid could take on thousands of Neophyte Hybrids, and it wouldn''t be close.

    Going through the holes, Professor Fury''s steps echoed like a death knell inside the building.

    "Instead of dying like a worthless meddler you are, you retaliated," He said as he approached¡ªhis voice deep with disdain and anger. "Not only that but you also humiliated me in front of the entire new hunters, and again by putting those hunters I sent to you inside the black box, forcing me to create an entire story to cover it up"

    "I must say, I''ve never had this much problem in getting rid of someone young" He added.

    Professor Fury''s feet stopped when he stood right beside the distraught Lucivar.

    Looking down at him, Professor Fury tilted his head.

    A murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

    "That bitch Callista smuggled you here to protect her daughters, smart... but it''s not enough"

    Grabbing the hood, Professor Fury tossed Lucivar away once again.

    He slammed against the wall and slid down weakly.

    Not wanting this to drag on, Professor Fury raised his hand, casting an ability.

    A portal was opened above him, and protruding out of it was a blue spear made of ether.

    "It''s unfortunate that you didn''t break down in your last moments but this is it! Die!"

    Just as Professor Fury was about to fire the spear, he stopped.

    His eyes squinted, the hood was down, and underneath it was not Lucivar, but Leandra.

    Upon realizing this, Professor Fury''s blood became icy.

    "What are you doing here? Where''s Lucivar?" He asked, his voice slightly trembling.

    Even though Leandra was one of the people close to Lucivar, he didn''t expect her¡ªto go this far to help Lucivar. She even stayed silent throughout the beatings, even though she could''ve stopped all of this if she exposed who she was from the start.

    As opposed to Leandra answering his question, a voice echoed.

    "I''m right here, little professor,"

    Glancing to his side, Professor Fury''s eyes widened fully when he saw a figure standing in the room across from him. The figure was wearing, the assistant''s uniform¡ªand was also, undoubtedly Namira in the face but aside from that he was a man with an emerald wing.

    Just the emerald wing alone shows who the figure was.

    "Lucivar...?" Professor Fury muttered in disbelief.

    Slowly but surely, Namira''s facial features melted into ether¡ªrevealing Lucivar''s face.

    It was a sight that struck Professor Fury right in his core.

    As it turns out, Lucivar possessed an ability that could morph his facial features.

    His control was immaculate enough that Professor Fury didn''t realize.

    But then again, he was indeed panicking at that moment.

    Now Professor Fury realized that the ''Namira'' that informed him earlier was Lucivar.

    From the looks of it, the real Namira was already dead.

    Gritting his teeth with the raging fury inside of him, Professor Fury screamed, and fired the spear he summoned straight at Lucivar. It rotated hard and shot ahead, nothing seemed to be able to stop its momentum.

    Instead of getting ready to confront the spiraling spear, Lucivar stood unmoving.

    Soon, a figure landed right in front of him.

    Fabio arrived and quickly fired flames from his hands like a flamethrower.

    It clashed against the spear, sparking friction of sharp ether to the surroundings ferociously.

    A clash that marred the walls with slash marks.

    "Haarghkk!!"

    Exerting everything that he had, the flames grew enormous and overwhelmed the spiraling spear, engulfing it entirely. Only then did Fabio lower his arms¡ªbut even defending against one attack from Professor Fury took a toll on him.

    His ether was drained completely.

    Upon seeing this, Professor Fury frowned.

    "So it was you, Fabio, who opened the back entrance. I can''t say I''m surprised,"

    "What you''re doing is not right, professor. I have to stop you"

    "Stop me?" Professor Fury chuckled. "Even if I''m wrong for trying to kill a new hunter, that doesn''t mean I''m wrong about that sly bastard in a kid''s body. He''s a murderer and also a monster, and you''re protecting him"

    Finding that Fabio didn''t believe him at all, Professor Fury shook his head.

    He then stared back at Lucivar who was smirking at him.

    "Is this your grand plan? Lure me out here and defeat me with the help of Fabio?" He asked. "If that''s the case then you''re a damn fool. In Bastion of Blades, nobody is stronger than me¡ªand I don''t mind killing all three of you here"

    As he said that, Professor Fury snapped his fingers.

    Instead of one, he summoned a dozen portals, all ready to fire the spiraling spear.

    Despite Fabio trying so hard to deflect one, Professor Fury could summon as much as he wanted with his bottomless ether of a Chrysalis Hybrid, "I don''t know how you break free from the black box and how you defeat Namira, but you won''t defeat me!"

    Just then, Lucivar laughed aloud, he couldn''t believe how much of a fool Professor Fury was.

    Lucivar laughed so hard that he needed to hold his stomach, he couldn''t stop.

    Even Fabio had a look of nervousness but there was no fear.

    It was almost as if both of them didn''t fear death.

    But then again, why fear death when death is not going to pick them both here today?

    "You didn''t even know that I disguised myself as Namira," Lucivar said, wiping the tears in his eyes. "and you still boasted high confidence in front of me? I guess being a professor doesn''t necessarily mean you''re smart. Fine, I''ll enlighten your squatting IQ of a brain"

    "How dare you! I''ll rip that foul tongue of yours!" Professor Fury barked back.

    He was grinding his teeth so hard that the bony sound it made reached Lucivar''s ears.

    Being mocked to this extent, his vision was dyed in red completely.

    "I successfully lured you here with the help of Fabio, and I even announced myself to you. Is that not hint enough? Hint that you are fucked?" Lucivar asked, grinning mischievously. "You see, you missed something about me. I''m quite capable myself so shouldn''t you ask yourself how in the hell someone like me got accepted as an academy hunter instead of a student?"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Fury''s eyes widened.

    Now that Lucivar said that, he wondered how Lucivar got here in the first place.

    Since the establishment of the new rule, candidates couldn''t choose to become a hunter.

    It was reserved only for those who are really not talented enough.

    However, Lucivar wasn''t exactly untalented when he was capable enough to kill Namira.

    All of the new students would definitely lose to Namira.

    So from that alone, Lucivar was incredibly talented.

    As he contemplated further, Professor Fury''s eyes widened in realization.

    Seeing this, the grin on Lucivar''s face stretched wider.

    "Yes, I made a deal with another professor. A professor that''s a tad bit stronger than you..."

    "Lies! I''ll kill you where you stand!!"

    Not wanting to hear the bullshit, that came out of Lucivar''s mouth any longer, Professor Fury channeled his ether. He combined the dozen¡ªof portals into a single portal, it multiplied the spear''s power to a new height.

    Swoosh!

    Both Lucivar and Fabioa were forced to take a step back from the gush of ether.

    It was that powerful.

    So powerful that the surrounding walls were cracking from his might.

    Even Lucivar was very surprised as to how strong a Chrysalis Hybrid really was.

    He had never seen one using an ability in his entire life.

    Finishing his preparation, Professor Fury shot the massive spear like a bullet.

    It created a booming sound as it broke the sound barrier.

    Upon seeing that Lucivar and Fabio couldn''t even react to the spear''s speed, Professor Fury laughed inwardly. He savored the future of seeing both of them pierced, and mangled by his spear, death with one shot.

    However, the future he sought never came.

    A figure came with lightning-fast speed and with one hand, slapped the spear away.

    Clang!

    Kaboom!

    Both the figure and Professor Fury made eye contact as the spear pierced through the wall to their side, and drilled into the ground. Tension crackled in the air¡ªand Professory Fury''s mind raced, trying to make sure who he was looking at was real or not.

    It took a couple of seconds before Professor Fury could finally snap out of his daze.

    His breath got stuck in his throat at the sight of the old man who deflected his attack.

    An old man who carried a scholarly, and refined air around him¡ªholding the signature wolf-head cane that would make him recognized everywhere across the academy ground. It was a shocking sight that forced Professor Fury to gulp harshly.

    Realizing that he was exposed made his throat feel dry.

    "P- Professor Aeldric, it''s not what yo-"

    Before he could finish, Professor Aeldric donned a disgusted expression.

    "Don''t..." He said, lifting his index finger. "Don''t say my name with that vile mouth of yours"

    Brak!

    Suddenly, Professor Fury fell to his knees and the ground underneath his knees cracked.

    One could see that Professor Aeldric''s finger was concentrated in ether.

    He didn''t seem to be trying but his finger was enough to put Professor Fury to his knees.

    As one of the main professors of the Bloodhaven Academy, he was amongst the strongest.

    Unlike Professor Fury, he has immense authority and power.

    Seeing that Professor Fury was pinned on his spot, Lucivar peeked from behind Professor Aeldric, and he cast the same mocking smirk at Professor Fury, the same one as when he outwitted Professor Fury during the inauguration.

    Lucivar mouthed the words ''Got you, foolish professor'' his lips moving silently without a sound.

 Chapter 66 66: Behind the Reapers Mask

    Lucivar has a piled-up resentment inside of him towards Professor Fury.

    He was being bullied and mocked because of the professor and was forced to remember his past where the same thing happened to him. Remembering a version of him that he wants to desperately forget.

    Because of that, Lucivar takes Professor Fury''s scheme personally.

    In a battle of wits, the sharpest strategy isn''t always a direct strike.

    Especially when the enemy is far stronger.

    Drawing a greater force than the enemy into the fray is usually the wisest move to pursue.

    To maneuver a higher power without the enemy knowing is often a devastating strike¡ªone that could crumble the enemy, under the influence of might they cannot match. Lucivar did exactly that.

    Knowing the disparity between him and Professor Fury, a direct confrontation is suicide.

    So he needed to have someone as strong or stronger to help him.

    Fortunately, he had one in mind, Professor Aeldric¡ªwith whom he made a deal.

    He was particularly searching for Fabio because of that, he needed someone who could get out of the cave¡ªand contact, Professor Aeldric. Since Fabio seemed to be a good guy, he''d definitely help knowing what Professor Fury was aiming for.

    However, talking with him is hard.

    Not only did Fabio is hard to find but there were also many ears around.

    Lady Luck strikes when Thalia comes to visit him.

    Her authority as a student allowed him to go over his plan with Fabio in a secure place.

    Professor Fury certainly knew that Fabio was called over into a room with Lucvar, and Thalia but he must''ve suspected that Lucivar was going to try¡ªand get help from him as a witness when the time came.

    Due to that, it was best for him to do nothing to intervene in this.

    It was particularly a must considering Thalia was there too.

    His next target would be her and Elira so he needed to maintain his distance.

    Thalia and Elira most likely knew about him because of Lucivar but that''s not a problem.

    All that matters is he has never seen near Thalia and Elira or else the incident when the twins were successfully killed could be tied back to him. He didn''t want more loopholes¡ªthat is all, but that was precisely what Lucivar wanted him to think and do.

    Because of that, he didn''t expect the battle with Bakar to be an attempt to lure him.

    Professor Fury sent Fabio away and told the other assistants to kill Lucivar in his absence.

    If that succeeded, Fabio would be dealt with too.

    He could be observed and shut down or even framed for killing Lucivar when he got back.

    Either way, Lucivar needs to die first.

    Not once did the thought of Lucivar luring him outside cross his mind.

    But then again, Lucivar had never displayed his ability to morph his facial features.

    In addition, the fact that Lucivar was not actually the twins'' protector was also hidden.

    Another layer of misconception that Professor Fury needed to take into account.

    All of those manipulations led him to here to his defeat.

    Lucivar has thoroughly destroyed him.

    Of course, the assistants being the ones sent to do the deeds were not expected.

    But Lucivar managed to meddle through that predicament.

    Crack!

    Professor Fury got slammed onto the ground by the sheer force from Professor Aeldric''s aura¡ªhis entire body was flat against the ground, and pressed hard. His aura, was icy cold, Fabio and Lucivar could feel the aura prickling against their skin.

    Still disgusted, Professor Aeldric approached slowly.

    His steps were accompanied by the steel-clanging sound his cane made against the ground.

    Looking at his back from behind, Lucivar turned to Fabio.

    "What is Professor Aeldric''s bloodline again?"

    "He''s a Lich, a low purple-grade bloodline"

    "No wonder..."

    Arriving beside the pressed professor, Professor Aeldric shook his head.

    "I never thought you could be bribed," He said in utter disappointment. "politics and personal vendettas are not allowed within the academy grounds. We, as professors¡ªensured that the pure law protecting the young generation is obeyed"

    "You broke the oath of a professor, and I will exact the consequence" He added menacingly.

    As opposed to lowering his presence, being old made him more menacing.

    Upon hearing this, Professor Fury whimpered.

    He tried to say something but the pressure was too much for him to even utter a single word.

    Blood began to seep out of his every orifice, the consequence was death!

    Just as Professor Fury was about to be crushed, Lucivar felt his breath taken away.

    In that second, his vision blurred as a dark energy seeped out of his body.

    Soon, that energy was reshaped into the dark oath he had made.

    ''Fury... I''ll kill him. I''ll fucking kill him!''

    It began pulsing like a beating heart.

    Lucivar bites down his teeth hard when the sight of it burns his insides, he clutches his chest as if he is having, a heart attack, ''Shit... I need to kill Professor Fury myself! I can feel it, if I let Professor Aeldric kill him, I''d die!''

    Raising his gaze, he garnered every ounce of his strength to let out a shout.

    "Stop!!"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Aeldric glanced over his shoulder.

    He stopped crushing Professor Fury with his ether.

    "Stop? He tried to kill you multiple times and he is also a corrupt professor"

    "I didn''t mean not to kill him,"

    Breathing easily once more, Lucivar approached, rubbing his chest.

    "I want to be the one to kill him?" He firmed.

    Professor Aeldric frowned, he gave Lucivar a look of disapproval, "No, you''re still young"

    "I insist, I want to be the one to kill him. It''s only right since I almost died by him twice"

    "Even so, you don''t need to kill him and bear its weight on your conscience"

    "Don''t worry about that, the weight is not unfamiliar to me. Just keep him down"

    As soon as Professor Aeldric heard that word, his frown deepened.

    Lucivar was basically saying that he had already gotten used to the sensation of killing.

    He stared at Professor Aeldric in the eyes, showing his desire to do this.

    Despite not feeling that letting him do this was right, Professor Aeldric could see the flash of determination in his eyes, a charm that made it hard for him to refuse Lucivar. Sighing lightly, he stepped to the side and let Lucivar deal the killing blow.

    Seeing this, Fabio quickly stepped forward.

    "Professor, are you sure about this?"

    "What do you want me to do? He almost died and refusing his request right now is not right"

    "Not right? Letting him kill someone is not right!"

    "If I refused I''m basically telling Lucivar to forgive without venting, it would impact his future"

    Hearing this, Fabio could only stand on the side with both his fists clenched.

    No matter what the professor said, he didn''t feel that this was right.

    Ignoring the discussion happening behind him, Lucivar approached Professor Fury who was still pinned on the ground, with a devious smirk playing on his lips. He then squatted beside the professor.

    Despite not doing anything at all, Professor Fury was already trembling from head to toe.

    Fear could be seen etched clearly behind the gaze he gave Lucivar.

    Professor Fury had heard a saying in his childhood.

    ''Death walks with you before it takes you. And when it''s time, the Reaper shows his face.''

    He remembered his beloved grandma saying that to him right before she passed away.

    Now, his body and soul knew that he was at death''s door.

    Professor Aeldric wouldn''t let him go and he was trapped here like a helpless lamb.

    But for some reason, the Reaper hadn''t appeared.

    Or perhaps... the Reaper had been beside him all along.

    He walked in the shadow, and when he finally revealed his face, it wasn''t a spectral figure.

    Death has many faces and for Professor Fury, it was Lucivar.

    "I allowed others... bullies to step on me for the sake of goodness. But I''ve changed, and I''ve begun hating what I once was," Lucivar whispered, leaning closer¡ªto Professor Fury. "You... you made me remember what I once was and I swore to myself,"

    "that you''d die for that" He added menacingly, his eyes were eyes belonging to a lunatic.

    Casting the Lizard Claws ability, sharp golden claws coated his fingers.

    Lucivar smiled as he observed the golden claws.

    ''A new ability deserved its first blood,'' He pondered. ''an appetizer for what''s to come.''

    "Kill him swiftly, Lucivar..." Professor Aeldric instructed from behind.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar cast a playful glance at him before he turned back forward.

    Swish!

    Doing nothing but a flick of his finger, Professor Aeldric cuts open Professor Fury''s neck with his ether, allowing Lucivar¡ªto pierce him. Gladly taking the entrance, Lucivar slowly plunged his golden claws into it.

    He savored every moment of it.

    Professor Fury whimpered, he choked as blood gushed out of his neck and mouth.

    A squirt happened, reaching Lucivar''s face, but it didn''t bother him.

    He kept pushing the golden claws into Professor Fury''s neck.

    Eventually, the claws reached the end and the life was snuffed out of Professor Fury''s eyes.

    Lucivar saw that the dark oath began trembling violently.

    It was reacting to his success in fulfilling the oath for killing Professor Fury.

    Nobody could see this but Lucivar, and he witnessed the dark oath swell in energy until it reached its limit and shattered. Lucivar covered his face with his hand and when he put it down, he saw a massive golden and green sphere in front of him.

    A golden and green sphere that was placed directly above Professor Fury''s corpse.

    Other than that there was this purer kind of dark energy that shot and seeped into his body.

    Lucivar didn''t know what happened, but the massive spheres made him smirk.

    Just from the size alone, the spheres were two times the one he got from killing Blane.

    It was a pure golden sphere and beside it was a pure green sphere.

    He obtained two spheres at the same time!

    ''So the dark oath amplified my reward, sweet!'' He thought excitedly. ''You have my gratitude, Professory Fury, you died for a good cause. The cause of making me stronger, HAHAH!''

    Moments later.

    Fabio took care of Professor Fury''s corpse alongside a couple of Kalvins.

    He needed to handle the aftermath of Lucivar''s battle with the other assistants too.

    Naturally, the guards might barricaded it so he hoped that not all academy hunters saw it.

    Lucivar glanced to the side and saw Leandra sprawled on the side.

    She was quite beaten up.

    He approached her and knelt down in front of her.

    Even though he was already right in front of her, she remained silent, only staring at him.

    "Not going to curse me or anything?"

    "No... But I''m glad I didn''t help you do this for free"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar chuckled.

    He did promise that he would owe Leandra a favor, something that he planned on fulfilling.

    "Give me your hands," Lucivar instructed, extending a hand.

    Leandra did as she was told and when she did, she could feel Lucivar''s warm ether flowing into her and mending her wounds. Her internal wounds were being healed steadily, Lucivar seemed to be capable of doing everything.

    Since he refueled his strands through Professor Fury earlier, he could heal Leandra.

    He was cursing Loki most of the time but the Greedy Grasp ability is certainly very useful.

    Just then, he glanced back when he felt someone standing behind him.

    It was Professor Aeldric.

    He looked at Lucivar sternly and said, "You and I need to have a talk..."

 Chapter 67 67: Aware of the Doppelganger

    Professor Aeldric has a lot of questions in mind.

    It could be seen through his eyes.

    Lucivar nodded and excused himself to Leandra and followed the professor to the side.

    He knew that he needed to give an explanation for this.

    Reaching a safe enough distance¡ªfrom having their conversation being heard, Professor Aeldric stopped, and turned to Lucivar. He spent a couple of seconds staring directly into Lucivar''s eyes and arranged the questions in his mind.

    "Explain to me what happened,"

    "Before that, I need to know what Fabio told you"

    "He told me that you needed help because Fury was trying to kill you, that''s it"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded and explained the situation.

    Starting from the assassin who attacked Thalia that he killed, to the killing attempt during the inauguration, the black box incident, and also the assistants'' ambush. He has no reason to lie or keep this a secret so he told Professor Aeldric everything.

    Lucivar could see the frown on Professor Aeldirc''s forehead deepened as he went on.

    But then again, an assassination attempt on academy grounds is a big deal.

    If exposed, the academy''s credibility would plummet.

    And that is also one of the reasons why Professor Aeldric was fixed on killing Professor Fury.

    ''He loved his academy, I can tell since he even asked me to participate in the tournament. It wasn''t that surprising for him to go this length,'' Lucivar pondered, seeing the professor was extremely troubled by this.

    Just then, he raised his gaze.

    "Why didn''t you tell me about the ninja? You knew that by stepping in, you''d be in trouble"

    "Huh? What do you mean? You don''t know about the ninja?"

    Considering that Professor Aeldric knew about Andre, Lucivar expected that he knew about the ninja too as the incident happened right after he dealt with Andre. So if Kalvin or anyone was watching that reports back to Professor Aeldric, they would also see the ninja.

    Lucivar was a bit confused as to why Professor Aeldric didn''t know about that.

    Upon throwing those questions, their conversation was interrupted.

    A group of people came inside the building.

    From their outfits alone, they all were definitely academy hunters.

    But amongst them, there were a couple who were restrained.

    Seeing that the ones who came were familiar, Lucivar turned to Leandra.

    She gave a confirmation nod, it was she who arranged this.

    Mirel, Bakar, and Nerissa came along with the restrained academy hunters.

    All of the restrained hunters were the ones who were helping Blane.

    With sheer excitement, Mirel skipped over, waving his hand as if he hadn''t seen Lucivar, for a long while. Mirel went over to him¡ªbut didn''t forget to give a polite bow to Professor Aeldric, "I captured those who took part in Blane''s scheme. All of them confessed already"

    "Oh, really? Is that all of them?" Lucivar asked, scanning the restrained academy hunters.

    One of them was Dylan and he was staring at Lucivar with pleading eyes.

    Glancing to the side, Mirel cringed at the sight of Professor Fury''s corpse.

    "Eughh, gross... Is that the stupid professor?"

    "Yep, he tried to kill me but failed"

    "He''s a Chrysalis Hybrid... you become more and more annoying"

    "What? How did trying to survive make me more annoying?"

    "Girls flocked around you and now you also have a halo effect? Not fair!"

    "Halo effect?"

    "Not that kind of halo effect, you know... being lucky and looking cool all the time"

    Upon hearing this Lucivar could only shake his head, he didn''t have that kind of thing at all.

    Had he not made preparation, he would''ve certainly died at Professor Fury''s hands.

    Alas, he did get lucky when Sabrina helped him take down Namira.

    "Okay, all of you listen to me," Professor Aeldric suddenly said, forcing all of them to stand in front of him in an orderly manner, including Leandra, who had gotten a bit better. "remember this well, none of this happened. Do you understand?"

    All of them nodded, they weren''t planning on telling this to anyone anyway.

    "I will deal with the academy hunters, and assistants affiliated with Professor Fury''s scheme, so you youngsters can focus on returning to your normal, supposed lives," He said before he turned to Lucivar. "And no, you can''t kill these hunters for trying to kill you"

    "What...? I didn''t even say anything" Lucivar was at a loss for words.

    He didn''t need to be singled out like that.

    Listening to this, Mirel raised his hand.

    "Then can I do it? I can do it instead of Lucivar"

    "No... Nobody is killing anyone¡ªenough blood on the academy grounds. I will expel them"

    Mirel chuckled, he was only playing around anyway.

    "Go back to your dorm now, I''ll assign a new professor to take over Professor Fury''s position and also do an investigation into this matter. I''ll also prepare a compensation for all of you to mend for this inconvenience"

    "Don''t forget to bring the affiliated hunters to Fabio, I''ll handle them after I handle this place"

    Just like that, Professor Aeldric handled the situation expertly.

    As instructed, the others returned back to the dorm.

    Lucivar grabbed Nerissa''s hand and nudged toward Leandra.

    "Can I ask you to heal Leandra? She was hurt. I already healed her a bit but just to be sure"

    "Of course. I''ll also check on you after, and you can''t refuse me. Just to be sure"

    "Alright, alright. I''ll be in my room"

    Before leaving with the others, Lucivar went back to Professor Aeldric once again.

    He still has questions that he needs answers to.

    "Professor, you still haven''t answered my question. How did you not know about the ninja?"

    "No CCTVs or Kalvins around that area, how could I know? He chose that place"

    "Then how did you know I messed with Andre?"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Aeldric turned towards Lucivar, raising an eyebrow.

    Professor Aeldric looked at Lucivar as if he was asking whether Lucivar was joking or not.

    "Stop acting like you didn''t know how I came to know"

    "I really don''t know, I messed with Andre in that garden right before the ninja incident"

    "Are you still trying to deny it? The academy has some blindspots around the garden but we are pretty packed when it comes to our buildings¡ªbarely any blindspots. One of the CCTVs caught you sneaking into Andre''s room so stop trying to deny it"

    Lucivar was completely at a loss for words.

    He did visit Andre''s room but that was exactly before he went to Professor Aeldric.

    So it was most certainly not that one.

    "Professor, are you even sure that was me?" He asked again, doubtful.

    Slightly annoyed, Professor Fury took out his phone and opened a video in his gallery.

    He then handed his phone to Lucivar, "Still trying to deny it now?"

    In the video¡ªLucivar saw a person leaping from the back side of the third-year building and into an open window of the second-floor. Due to the angle of the CCTV, it was hard to really see if it was him or not.

    But, when the person leaped, Lucivar paused it as his face was exposed for a brief second.

    ''It''s really me?'' He pondered in utter confusion, he didn''t remember doing this at all.

    Zooming on it, Lucivar''s eyes widened at the clear sight of the person''s face.

    Despite the person being undoubtedly him, the person''s face was uncanny.

    He was using a face that Lucivar never used before.

    Even though it was him in the flesh, the face and actions made it obvious that it wasn''t him.

    ''That''s definitely not me...'' Lucivar frowned.

    Lucivar handed back the phone in deep contemplation, his mind racing to figure this out.

    Although there is a possibility that someone has an ability that could morph themselves, akin to Lucivar''s Minor Morphing ability¡ªthe chances are too low. He doubted that it was another person from the Crimson Wolf Clan.

    He was quite sure that this had something to do with Loki.

    Such a perfect physical mimicry was definitely befitting of the Sly One.

    "Still going to deny it now?"

    "Ah... Yes, I only wanted to know exactly how you caught me"

    "Don''t do it again, I''m not giving you any leeway anymore"

    "I''ll keep it in mind"

    Lucivar walked away, he was still in deep thoughts.

    But he soon snapped out of it as there was only one action to find out more about this.

    It was through asking Loki himself and he would when he got back.

    Stepping out of the building, Lucivar took a deep breath and stretched his sore body.

    He did heal his wounds but the soreness was still there.

    Not to mention, he also felt a stabbing phantom pain from his crushed leg.

    One that he needed to get rid of from his conscience.

    Despite everything that had happened to him in these last days, he was quite satisfied with the result as he had now gained a massive sphere of Divine Blood. One that would give him enough power to reach the five-star or perhaps even the next realm.

    Lucivar still needs to consolidate himself after breaking through the four-star.

    However, with the green sphere increasing his mastery over ether¡ªit shouldn''t be hard.

    "Meddling in people''s business is amazing but really risky," Luciver mused. "I hope a dungeon will soon come. I want to see if I could obtain a big gold sphere, or a green sphere from killing Crossers. But I guess it would be harder to gain Loki''s power from feral animals"

    As he said that, he looked down at his hands, "My ether is exhausted,"

    "I need a meditation technique as soon as possible" He added.

    Just as he was about to go back to the Bastion of Blades, his eyes caught sight of a figure.

    Thalia emerged from the corner, she must''ve been very nervous for this day.

    ''Ah... right, I also need to figure out her situation''

    Not even going to her, Lucivar walked ahead, ignoring her presence altogether.

    Seeing that Lucivar wasn''t coming to her, Thalia clicked her tongue¡ªand ran after him.

    She stopped him by grabbing his hand.

    Lucivar glanced back at her saying nothing because there was nothing to say.

    On the contrary, Thalia seemed to have a lot to say.

    But she has no guts to look Lucivar in the eyes, she keeps her gaze down to the ground.

    "Is it done?"

    "I''m alive, aren''t I? It''s done, you''re safe"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia nodded, her grip on Lucivar''s hand tightened.

    "Are you hurt?"

    "A bit sore, but nothing that I couldn''t handle"

    "That''s good..."

    Thalia stayed silent¡ªfor a solid minute after that exchange, but she didn''t let go of Lucivar''s hand for some reason. She still gripped it tightly. As Lucivar was about to pull his hand away¡ªshe stopped him and continued.

    "I called Fabio as a favor for you but I don''t think that''s a favor enough for repaying you"

    "It''s fine, I don''t need anything from you"

    "Still, there must be something I could do for you. With this, you saved my life twice. Ask me for something, anything, please. I''ll do anything you want. Owing you made me feel guilty so ask me for something"

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow, it seemed Thalia really didn''t like owing someone.

    Finding that he couldn''t make her let go until he asked for something, Lucivar pondered.

    He tapped his chin with his finger a couple of times before an idea came to mind.

    "How about you introduce me to your sister, Elira?"

    "Eh...?"

 Chapter 68 68: Veins of Jealousy

    Thalia was taken aback, she was doing this out of her goodwill to repay what Lucivar did.

    Anything that Lucivar wanted, she would grant it as long as it was within her reach.

    But she never expected this.

    Recovering from her daze, she instantly snapped.

    "My sister? Really? That''s your damn request?!" She exclaimed loudly with a mixture of shock and anger. She knew Lucivar was quite an asshole, from the start, but this goes beyond what she initially expected.

    Asking about her sister was not a cool move, "Why do you even want to know my sister?!"

    "Hey... you said you wanted me to ask you to do something hard, isn''t this perfect?"

    "I meant something impactful for you, not setting you up with my sister?!"

    "I mean, this is quite impactful, no? Who knows, I could be your brother-in-law"

    "Not a chance! Over my dead body!"

    "Why are you even against me with Elira?"

    Pushing the conversation further bad, Thalia hits him a couple of times out of anger.

    Just the thought of Lucivar being her brother-in-law made her sick.

    "You two seemed to be awfully close..."

    As the two were playing around, a cold voice penetrated their ears.

    Lucivar''s body slightly stiffened when he heard the voice and when he turned, Leandra was there. She had her arms crossed under her chest, with one eyebrow raised, staring daggers at Lucivar.

    Seeing this, Lucivar cleared his throat.

    "Why haven''t you gone back yet, Leandra?"

    "Nerissa was healing me and I came across you two love birds"

    "I have business with Thalia, it''s not what it looks like"

    Observing their exchange from the sideline, Thalia squinted her eyes.

    ''His demeanor changed instantly...'' She noticed that Lucivar was acting differently in front of Leandra, he seemed tensed for some reason. But then again, Thalia would understand when she knew how powerful Leandra was.

    Not to mention, Thalia frowned realizing that Lucivar was friends with the purple-haired girl.

    One that she recognized to be very strong.

    Recovering from her thoughts, she saw both of them were still arguing.

    In a moment of impulse, she decided to intervene, "Who are you to Lucivar?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar and Leandra turned towards her.

    Leandra, in particular, saw a fire of passion behind Thalia''s eyes¡ªa fire that she didn''t like.

    Analyzing the question, Leandra kept eye contact with Thalia and smirked.

    "Great question, who am I to you? Can you answer her question?"

    "Uhh... a friend?"

    Stomp!

    Lucivar hissed and crouched when his toe was stomped hard the instant he said that.

    He was completely oblivious to the invisible tension in the air.

    "A close friend?"

    Stomp!

    "Fuck, why are you stomping my toe?! What did my toe do to you? What do you want?"

    "I said to tell her who I am to you"

    "I did!"

    "No, you haven''t. Tell her the truth"

    "A really, really close friend? A traveling companion? A partner? Which one do you want?"

    "Right, a partner. Nice to meet you, I''m Lucivar''s partner, Leandra"

    Finding an answer that she liked, Leandra answered, her smile turned slightly mocking.

    Seeing this, Thalia bit her lower lip.

    It was evident that Leandra''s taunts were getting into her.

    Even then, she was quick to cover her reaction with a smile.

    "Partner? I don''t think Lucivar shared that fabricated opinion of yours"

    "He''s only playing around, that''s how close we are"

    "Close, huh? If that''s the case, how come he never mentioned you?"

    "You only talked with him a couple of times and think he would open up to you? Think."

    "I heard he was punished in the black box. As his partner, what did you do¡ªto help him? If I recall correctly, you did nothing. I was the one who helped him take a quick break by calling him out"

    "It''s not that I did nothing, but I can''t. At least I''m not the one endangering his life"

    Lucivar watched the two girls throwing punches at each other through words.

    He could feel the tension rising, lasers shooting out of both of their eyes.

    But he felt like he should probably stop this before it escalated.

    "Hey, I couldn''t think of something to ask of right now but it''s going to be helpful if you start by telling me your situation. Your family problem¡ªof course," Lucivar said, snapping the two out of their word battle.

    Upon hearing this, Thalia hesitated.

    Asking such a personal question made her hesitant as it''s very private.

    "I already got dragged into your mess, the least you could do is tell me the mess I got into, right?" Lucivar pressed further¡ªhe had saved her twice already so this should be nothing. "You know, so that I know the reason if I really got killed"

    Sighing lightly, Thalia nodded, "Do you have time? Let''s go somewhere quiet to talk"

    "I don''t think I''ll be in trouble if I take the day off," Lucivar replied sarcastically.

    He glanced at the building where Professor Fury''s corpse lay as he said that.

    Just then, Leandra intervened, "I''ll be coming too"

    Thalia frowned when she heard this, clearly she didn''t want Leandra to be tagging along.

    She looked at Lucivar, asking for him to deny Leandra through her gaze.

    But Lucivar couldn''t refuse Leandra.

    He scratched the back of his head in response, "It''s fine, she could come,"

    "For your information, she did put her life on the line to lure the professor here," He added.

    Despite her unwillingness, Thalia averted her gaze away and strode ahead.

    It seemed she couldn''t get rid of Leandra.

    Meanwhile, a couple hundred meters from them, nearing the back entrance to the dorm.

    Bakar, and Mirel were bringing the restrained academy hunters back to Fabio, located at the very back was Dylan. His body was shaking and his eyes were watery¡ªscared for his future as he was going to be expelled.

    Professor Aeldric said himself that the hunters helping Professor Fury would be expelled.

    ''No, no, no... what am I going to do if I''m expelled?''

    ''I was rejected as a student and got thrown into this shit hole and now I''ll be expelled?!''

    ''Why can''t I high talent? Why can''t my bloodline be good?! Not fair, this is not fair!''

    Such a thought made Dylan dizzy and nauseous.

    To be expelled from an academy is to do something atrocious.

    Most of the time, doing a crime or misdemeanor would only result in being punished.

    It took a lot for someone to be expelled.

    Because of that, the prospect of other academies taking this Hybrid became very low.

    So low that it was practically non-existent.

    Not getting into an academy meant having no resources and that would impact his future.

    However, his entire body stopped trembling and his gaze turned into steel.

    He seemed to be determined to do something.

    Dylan raised his gaze, a glint of bloodshot flickered in his eyes.

    ''If I couldn''t be exceptional then nobody could, I''ll make sure of it...''

    ...

    Stepping back to the main academy grounds, not the secluded place that hardly has a road, Lucivar and Leandra took in a deep breath. Even the air here was different¡ªthey forgot that the Bloodhaven Academy was proper and lavish.

    "What are you guys doing? Come on, I still have classes"

    All three of them used the bicycle and went over to the canteen building.

    Many students could be seen eating and socializing there.

    Considering that Leandra''s and Lucivar''s outfits were different, they attracted gazes.

    "What are academy hunters doing here?"

    "No, more than that, why are they with Thalia?"

    "Probably her errand people, don''t mind them"

    Upon hearing the other students'' comments, especially those about Lucivar, Thalia glanced over to see if he was bothered, by them. She felt a wave of relief when she saw¡ªhe did not seem to care at all.

    Nevertheless, she still slowed her pace so that she could walk beside Lucivar.

    Soon, the three go through a door and reach a separate room.

    Looking at the hallway filled with doors, Lucivar frowned.

    "What is this place?"

    "Private rooms to eat in silence, some students used this"

    "I''ve been here before and I didn''t know the canteen had this kind of place"

    "Well, it''s only reserved for the VIP students. VIP students as being in the top fifty"

    "Oh..."

    Entering one of the rooms, the inside was a simple table and sofa seats facing each other.

    It was quite small, probably only able to host eight people at once maximum.

    Lucivar and Leandra sat beside each other while Thalia sat opposite them.

    "Before we start talking about me, do you want to eat first?" Thalia asked with a smile.

    Despite supposedly asking both of them, her eyes were directed only to Lucivar.

    It was evident that she only cared about him.

    Even before Lucivar could answer, his stomach growled, all that fighting made him hungry.

    Thalia''s smile stretched before she tapped a seamless button on the table.

    Both Lucivar, and Leandra leaned back a little when the glass table suddenly displayed¡ªand opened the menu of the canteen. It was a touchscreen, they could flip through the list with a simple swiping stroke.

    Out of the two, Lucivar was the most excited one seeing this.

    He flipped the menu left and right as if he were a kid with hyperactivity disorder.

    "What is this sorcery? An ability? Magic?"

    "No, it''s nothing like that"

    "Technology?"

    "Pretty much. You never saw this kind of thing?"

    "No, I haven''t even seen street lights, smooth roads, or cars before I arrived in this city"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia nodded.

    She had heard of the living conditions in slave cities and it was beyond bad.

    Averting her gaze down, she began picking her food.

    "I could guess the food for academy hunters is bad, so eat your fill, I''ll pay for it. To choose¡ª you only need to click the menu and when you''re done, click enter. The waiter will come with your food when it''s ready"

    "Okay, I''m going to pick the Grilled Thunderdrake Steak. I''m raring to try it out"

    "Grilled Thunderdrak Steak...?"

    Thalia could only smile, hiding the turmoil inside, that''s one of the expensive ones, ''Where in the hell did he know about that? It must''ve been that Aunty Riska, she liked to give free food to new students to attract more customers''

    "Is there a problem?"

    "No, not at all. Go and pick your fill"

    All three of them picked their food and closed the menu.

    It took about half an hour for the food to be brought by a kind waitress.

    Lucivar saw the massive blue steak on his plate exuding a wonderful aroma¡ªand stopped to appreciate such a beauty. He didn''t waste time to devour the entire thing, and ended up very full at the end of it.

    As Lucivar was picking on his teeth, Leandra also finished her food.

    She only ordered a salad so it didn''t take long for her to finish.

    One might be confused why she took longer to finish her food compared to Lucivar who was eating a steak, and the answer was that Lucivar was ravenous. He devoured the entire place in minutes.

    Gazing ahead at Thalia, she then opened the real conversation.

    "Now that we''re full, explain to us your situation. We''d like to know, I... like to know"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia sipped on her drink before placing it down again.

    She was arranging the words in her mind, there was a lot.

    It took her a moment before she finally started.

    "My father... he was the leader of the Green Tempest Clan. He¡ªand the clan, were called to clear a dungeon with the Crimson Wolf Clan. I don''t know the details, but when the raid was over, he was furious. Outside, in front of the media, my father¡ªhe struck Ragnar, the son of the Crimson Wolf Clan''s leader,"

    "Since he threw the first punch, the media twisted the story. My father was painted as a bad person because of that¡ªand as Ragnar was on the rise in fame, the story got worse. But we know those leeches wanted to devour our clan, this is all their scheme to take us down,"

    "My father is a kind person, there''s no chance he punched Ragnar without a reason..."

    Thalia looked down, a faint bitterness in her expression.

    However, hearing her confession, Lucivar smirked inwardly, ''So that''s the opportunity...''

 Chapter 69 69: Rune Bomb

    He now learned exactly the opportunity Loki was cueing him for.

    As the absolute God of magic¡ªand trickery, the opportunity Loki was showing him definitely revolved, around that area. Now that he had learned the broader picture of Thalia''s situation, he realized what needed to be done.

    Or rather, exploit.

    Knowing how Professor Fury, fell in the direction of the Crimson Wolf Clan, the clan must be very influential to make a professor commit a crime on academy grounds, and as the rival of that clan, the Green Tempest Clan must also be close to that level.

    From Lucivar''s perspective, this is a big opportunity for him to grow stronger.

    Where there''s chaos, there''s opportunity.

    If two packs of wolves are fighting, the Beta who guarded the cubs will share the glory.

    Lucivar could gain a lot if he positioned himself in the right place.

    But in order to do that, he needed the full trust of both Thalia and also her sister, Elira.

    Realizing the situation and what to do, Lucivar covered his mouth with his hand, attempting to hide the smile on his face. He stared at Thalia¡ªwho was very emotional from confessing her family''s situation in silence.

    Calming herself down for a couple of seconds, wiping her tears, Thalia continued.

    "Because of that¡ªmy mother brought us here to Sunhold City. She still has a reputation here in the city and she was using her fame to protect us from the Crimson Wolf Clan until my dad settled the situation. She has had enough on her shoulders, and now this happened,"

    "If it weren''t for you, I don''t know what would happen to us..."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar and Leandra exchanged a look.

    Both of them came from slave cities and this kind of problem was normal for them.

    People beat and even killed each other for food, this was a normal day in their lives.

    So the two of them knew what Thalia was feeling right now.

    Lucivar sighed and gently grabbed Thalia''s hands, causing her to look up in surprise.

    He then cracked an assuring smile.

    "Since I already got involved in this, how about I become your and your sister''s guardian?"

    "Eh...?"

    Recovering from her initial shock, Thalia immediately holds Lucivar''s hands tightly.

    Her eyes were shimmering with light.

    "Really? You''d do that for me? I was about to ask you the exact same thing, I''m so happy that you suggested it first!

    "Of course. As long as you are in the academy, I can be your guardian. But bear in mind, I am not from a wealthy family so if you really want me, you''ll have to pay me"

    "No problem, as long as you''re willing, I''ll do it!"

    Considering that Lucivar was able to take down Professor Fury despite the disparity in sheer strength, he was qualified to be their guardian. Not only did he have connections but he was also strong and dependable.

    He didn''t break down in bad situations and that was a trait people around their age lack.

    "But, you need to consult this with Elira first. Arrange a meeting with her"

    "Okay, I''ll keep in touch. What''s your number?"

    "I don''t have a phone," Lucivar smiled wryly. "Just come to me like you did before"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia nodded her head in understanding.

    She forgot that these two came from slave cities and thus certainly don''t have a smartphone.

    Just then, Thalia recalled something and shot Lucivar a narrowing gaze.

    "You weren''t accepting to be our guardian just to get close to my sister, were you?"

    "Of course not..."

    Lucivar let out dry laughs, scratching the back of his head.

    Moments later.

    After having a brief chat with Thalia, it was time for her class, and the three separated.

    Lucivar rode the academy bike with Leandra sitting behind him.

    He noticed that she was silent after the meeting with Thalia.

    "Are you going to talk about it?"

    "Talk about what?"

    "About why you''re silent like this? Just say it if you want to say something to me"

    Leandra paused for a couple of seconds before she eventually revealed her reason.

    "I think you should ask permission about this from Master Tobias. He told us to be stronger, to be good at taking down dungeons¡ªnot dwell in politics. I''m not saying that you can''t aid Thalia and her sister, I''m just saying to consult this with Master Tobias"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s forehead creased in contemplation.

    Knowing that Tobias might be of the Supreme House, Leandra is probably right.

    Lucivar didn''t want unforeseen consequences in the future.

    He still wanted to be a part of Tobias'' family and that''s for certain.

    "You''re right, I''ll consult it with him when I meet him" Lucivar nodded, firming his decision.

    Soon enough, the two reached back to the Bastion of Blades.

    Just as soon as the bike stopped, however, the guards guarding the main entrance sprinted towards them. Lucivar and Leandra were confused, the guards seemed to be hostile and as expected, the guards kicked them down to their knees.

    "Didn''t Professor Aeldric tell you guys what happened?" Leandra barked.

    She was furious as this was not the treatment she expected.

    "Shut up! Both of you are coming with us!" One of the guards said, holding Leandra down.

    On the other hand, Lucviar also felt the same way but he tried to remain calm.

    ''Something must''ve happened,'' He pondered with a frown.

    Being restrained with handcuffs, Lucivar and Leandra were pushed back into the cave¡ªand were led to the second floor. Since Professor Fury was dead, Lucivar wasn''t concerned, this must be because of something else.

    Lucivar and Leandra were brought into the main professor''s office.

    Upon the door opening, both were met by Professor Aeldric, sitting behind his desk.

    "Leave us."

    Nodding, the guards left the room, leaving the two behind.

    Recovering from his daze, Lucivar focused on Professor Aeldric and sensed a change in him.

    He was more tense, the air around him was choking.

    Staring directly at Lucivar''s eyes, Professor Aeldric remained silent for a full minute¡ªbefore he eventually, opened his mouth, "Since when did you know about the rune bomb? Don''t lie to me, I''m already angry as it is..."

    "Rune bomb? What rune bomb?" Lucivar asked back, utterly confused.

    Lucivar has absolutely no clue.

    As far as he was concerned, he did a good thing earlier but that changed in an instant.

    Intertwining his fingers¡ªProfessor Aeldric explained, "We found a rune bomb hidden inside Blane''s room, he had completed it, and could be detonated any time. I''m asking since when did you know about this and why didn''t you tell me?"

    "I don''t know about it, do you really think I would be this flustered if I did?"

    "Really? You don''t know anything?"

    "Yes! I was not even in the area, I don''t know anything!"

    Not even bothering to answer, Professor Aeldric turned the tablet on the desk.

    It played a CCTV footage¡ªwhere Lucivar could be seen, walking out¡ªof Blane''s room, blood decorating his hands and face, "Don''t lie to me and say that you don''t know about this. If you don''t know then you wouldn''t have bothered going to Blane''s room and killing Dylan who was about to detonate the rune bomb"

    ''Dylan...? Did he go insane from the prospect of being expelled?'' Lucivar thought.

    But then again, that was not what''s important right now.

    Lucivar was fretting more about the doppelganger.

    Compared to the CCTV footage captured before, this time¡ªthe ''Lucivar'' in the video has his face completely shown. Lucivar couldn''t give any excuse for this, the doppelganger, seemed to know that he was out and decided to strike.

    If he acted oblivious now, it would only incite Professor Aeldric''s suspicion.

    Almost instantly, Lucivar''s expression changed into a nonchalant one.

    He calmed his composure and shrugged his shoulders.

    "Dylan tried to kill me so like I said to you earlier, it was only right for me to kill him"

    "What about the rune bomb? If that thing exploded, a fourth of the cave would be destroyed. Blane and his group must''ve cultivated the rune bomb¡ªthe moment they became Hunters. It seems like they are trying to blow up, this place. If you know about this, you should have told me"

    "Don''t be mistaken. I found it through luck, I didn''t know about the rune bomb before"

    "So you''re saying you planned to kill Dylan and found him with the rune bomb luckily?"

    "Yes, that''s exactly what I''m trying to say"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Aeldric rubbed his forehead.

    On the other hand, Leandra looked at Lucivar intensely from the side.

    ''Just what is happening?'' She thought.

    Leandra was completely at a loss at the situation¡ªshe was quite sure that she spent the day with Lucivar beside her so she didn''t understand what Lucivar was saying right now. How did he kill Dylan? When did he have the time to do it? And why isn''t he surprised?

    A lot of questions crossed her mind.

    Professor Aeldric leaned back in his chair, the day had gotten worse and worse.

    It was the same for Lucivar.

    ''Blane did start to bully me from the start¡ªProfessor Fury must''ve offered him the deal from that point,'' Lucivar pondered but then a thought came to mind. ''Blane is not a good person, I am quite sure. Did he prepare the rune bomb in case Professor Fury tried¡ªto back out of his words? Maybe...''

    Soon, Professor Aeldric waved his hand, "Did you know about this, Leandra?"

    "No, professor. I didn''t know anything about this" She replied.

    Leaning forward again, Professor Aeldric then declared, "Lucivar, you will be punished inside the black box once more for killing an academy hunter¡ªeven if it was an attempt to stop the academy hunter from detonating a bomb. I''ll only punish you for a day"

    "Do as you must, professor. I don''t mind," Lucivar replied, nodding his head.

    As soon as that was settled, Lucivar and Leandra left the room.

    Both of them stopped in front of the door in complete silence.

    "Shouldn''t you explain to me what is happening now?"

    "Can I say no to this?"

    "No, you can not. I''m with you all day long, how did you have the time to do this?"

    "Sigh... I''ll explain to you when it''s done. Right now, I need to do something first"

    Despite wanting to force an answer out of him, Leandra decided to stop.

    She could only watch as Lucivar went down the stairs and disappeared.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar was punished inside the black box but that was not a problem for him.

    He needed to cultivate and absorb the spheres he gained from defeating Professor Fury, and the black box provided him with a place, to not be disturbed. On top of that, he also needs to go somewhere first.

    Closing his eyes, Lucivar channeled his ether and went into his Inner Chamber.

    Once he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar dim-lit chamber with five God statues.

    Not wasting a single second, he went over to Loki''s statue and stood in front of it.

    "Hey, Loki, you got some damn explaining to do. I thought we were getting along, but you did this to me instead. Explain or I won''t do what you want ever again¡ªand do not try to trick me into thinking that this is not you... I know this is your doing"

 Chapter 70 70: The Power of a God

    Lucivar decided to confront Loki about this directly.

    He had been doing the best he could¡ªto appease the Sly One, and if he was repaid like this then what''s the point of keeping it up? Of course¡ªhe was getting stronger by doing this but there should be a level of understanding between them.

    It would be troublesome if this happened occasionally in the future.

    Awaiting for a moment, there was no answer.

    His questions were met with complete silence and this annoyed him greatly.

    But as he was about to kick Loki''s statue¡ªhe caught sight of something odd from the statue.

    At the base of it was the name ''Loki the Sly One'' carved and glowing in a subtle emerald hue.

    Just like back when Loki''s statue was first activated, the writings were glowing emerald, but the color was different compared to now. Initially¡ªLucivar thought it was still glowing yet he soon realized that the writings were not glowing.

    ''It''s now more to being written by emerald ink, and it''s... swaying?''

    Upon taking a closer look, he realized the reason for this oddness.

    Since his Supernatural Ego is a statue, he assumed that the other God statues'' were statues, but they were not, at least not what he expected. Instead of being stone statues¡ªthese God statues were made entirely of glass.

    Now, the base of Loki''s statue was filled with emerald liquid that shaded the writings.

    "Is that the amount of Divine Blood I acquired...?" Lucivar pondered.

    He knows from the serpent that the spheres he gained were drops of Divine Blood.

    So this might be the accumulated amount of Loki''s blood he acquired.

    Lucivar squatted down, and saw that there was a marking on the statue, a threshold, and the accumulated emerald liquid¡ªalready reached that threshold. Traversing his gaze upward, he found more thresholds on the statue, akin to checkpoints.

    Just as the gears of his mind began to turn, a voice interrupted him.

    "Yes, you''ve reached the first Divine Elevation of my power..."

    Upon hearing this voice, Lucivar frowned.

    It should be Loki but his voice wasn''t the same, it wasn''t hoarse but light and dulcet instead.

    Glancing over his shoulders, Lucivar saw a figure levitating behind him.

    Loki wore a completely different form than he used before, he was now wearing the form of a slender woman with charcoal black skin, with dark green thick markings across her form. She was easily Goddess-level beauty, and she was exposing so much skin through the fabrics.

    But Lucivar knew that this was only a facade.

    A trick for the eyes.

    "I prefer your other form old man, this is unsightly" Lucivar commented.

    As opposed to being offended, Loki chuckled sweetly.

    "I like to change it once in a while, do you like it? I can match your preferences if you want"

    "Explain to me this Divine Elevation and is it tied to the doppelganger situation?"

    "So impatient, no fun." Loki lay on her side, still levitating. "Of course, it is tied. As my beloved son informs, you are quite pleasing to watch, and you''ve accumulated enough of my blood to undergo your first Divine Elevation. A test to elevate your body to be able to endure more¡ªof my power. After all, your current body is very weak,"

    "And the doppelganger is your test..." She added mysteriously.

    Loki proceeded to explain about the doppelganger.

    Based on her explanation, the doppelganger is Lucivar''s darker clone that is only filled¡ªwith malevolence. It would go around and cause as much trouble for Lucivar¡ªshowing him that it was the ''better'' version.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised an eyebrow, "So all I need to do is find it and kill it?"

    "Yes, easy, right? Not complex at all," Loki replied, her lips playing with a smile. "Oh, also, you better find it quickly. It was not supernatural, it could be seen, and caught by others. And if it was killed, you would also die"

    At those words, Lucivar looked at Loki speechlessly.

    He wasn''t expecting this at all.

    Gritting his teeth, Lucivar approached Loki with slow and steady steps.

    He stopped inches away from the levitating Loki before suddenly, he pulled on her thin fabric collar, forcing her to look directly into his eyes, "Not complex at all? Do not take me for a fool, you are Loki the Sly One, and I''ll be damned to trust your words, at face value! I know the real reason for this doppelganger"

    "It''s because you''re having fun watching me, right? You wanted problems to come to me, so that you have something to watch to lighten your boring life, isn''t that right?!" He continued, treating a God no different from any other mortals.

    Loki smirked when she heard this, "What does the reason matter?"

    "As long as you got stronger, shouldn''t that be enough?" She added.

    Crash!

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar felt something struck his gut, sending him stumbling back.

    Just as he recovered from that strike, he raised his gaze¡ªand saw Loki pointing a finger¡ªat him. A green orb concentrated on her index finger and in the next instant, it fired a green ray that struck Lucivar once again.

    Preparing to be tossed, Lucivar found the green energy enveloped his entire body instead.

    He looked down and found a layer of green energy above his skin.

    "Do you recognize that energy?" Loki asked.

    Lucivar raised his gaze and frowned, "It''s the same energy I obtained from my ability"

    Nodding her head, Loki then flicked her fingers.

    In the next instant, Lucivar could feel the energy enveloping him begin changing.

    He could still sense that this energy remained the same but something about it changed and no matter how hard he tried¡ªhe couldn''t pinpoint what. It was the same but different. "What is this? What did you do?"

    As opposed to answering his question, the smirk on Loki''s lips spread.

    Lucivar was startled when the ground underneath his feet sank in, pulling him rapidly into the ground, while Loki remained on her spot, looking down at him. He looked around¡ªand was in utter confusion.

    He saw the ground beneath him kept going down while the other areas remained still.

    It was an unnatural sight, he was being swallowed into the crust.

    Complete darkness soon swallowed him but somehow, Lucivar landed on something.

    Lucivar firmed his center of gravity before straightening his back.

    He scanned the place, and found himself within an empty void of darkness¡ªand there was a spotlight directed straight at him from above as if this was a show. Attempting to look up¡ªto find Loki, he only got blinded by the light.

    "Loki! Where am I?!" He shouted. "What does this have to do with the energy?!"

    Soon, Loki''s voice returned.

    "You seem to have a misconception about your situation," She answered, her voice echoing within this dark space. "you should be grateful. So what if I''m giving you problems to watch you deal with them as a form of entertainment? Your rewards for doing so are very high but you still have the guts to act like this? You look down on my power too much,"

    "I''ll show you what you could achieve," She added.

    Despite his expression being stoic, he wasn''t that stoic inside.

    Lucivar darted his eyes left and right, trying to figure out what Loki was going to do.

    "The energy you used all this time... it was nothing more than a mere feeble. It was¡ªso weak that it could only enhance your ability output, that''s not my power. To show you the extent of my power, let''s begin with the basics..."

    "Kraargghk!"

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar''s eyes bulged as he fell to his knees, clutching his chest hard.

    "How about inducing the illusionary pain of a heart attack? Can you feel it?"

    Searing pain assaulted his body, wrenching a gasp from his lips.

    It was excruciatingly painful that Lucivar couldn''t move his body, he could only grit his teeth.

    A flicking sound seeped into his ears.

    "How about the sensation of drowning?" Loki''s voice echoed again.

    His vision blurred and through the oppressive darkness, something shifted.

    Splash!

    Lucivar''s breath quickened but the pain in his chest disappeared in an instant, replaced by a roaring sound. A towering wall of water rushed toward him, crashing with impossible force¡ªthe impact sent him spinning, the world twisted violently as he was thrown into the abyss.

    He couldn''t breathe, water surged into his mouth, choking him as he flailed helplessly.

    Despite trying to swim up, he was dragged deeper into the black depths of the ocean.

    It was so real, he felt the biting coldness.

    Every frantic gasp pulled in more water, causing his lungs to burn.

    Then, in a blink, it was gone.

    Lucivar gasped for breaths, he was in the darkness again as if the ocean had never exited.

    His chest heaved as he coughed, expecting water but finding none.

    Unlike before, Loki stood before him, her expression cold, unreadable.

    Lucivar''s heart reached, none of what he felt was real, it had all been an illusion.

    "W- Wait, I unders-"

    "How about controlling others as puppets?"

    Before he could finish his sentence, Loki''s fingers flicked once more, and from the sky, four emerald strings descended. They latched and penetrated his body, and immensely, Lucivar felt the weight of his limbs vanish.

    He couldn''t move¡ªnot of his own will.

    Lucivar''s body betrayed him, muscles twisted by themselves as he was forced to kneel.

    Despite trying to fight back the control, it was futile.

    He fell prostrate at Loki''s teeth.

    "Still not enough? How about this one?"

    Another flick resounded.

    Lucivar''s head snapped free, and he could move¡ªjust enough to look around.

    Now he was not alone, thousands of figures, identical to him, prostrate in neat rows.

    Under his gaze, these clones rose in a deliberate movement and held a knife to their chest.

    A heartbeat later, they plunged the blades into their hearts in perfect unison.

    Blood sprayed across the invisible floor as one by one, they collapsed, lifeless.

    Following that, terror surged through Lucivar as his body sat up.

    He lifted both of his hands¡ªand posed them to stab his chest, even the knife was somehow already in his grasp. Just like before, he tried to fight it but his arms were not listening¡ªthey moved in slow, deliberate arcs, beyond his control.

    Just as the blade inched toward his chest, the flicking sound resounded again.

    Lucivar saw his arms were moving at an agonizing crawl.

    So slow that they were basically on a standstill.

    It lasted for a couple of seconds¡ªbefore Lucivar was freed from the control, the knife falling to the ground. He panted heavily, with sweat covering his whole body, before he sensed the presence of Loki in front of him.

    Lifting his gaze, he saw Loki sitting on a pompous throne of emerald and gold.

    She sat there lazily with a staff in her hand.

    "Do you understand now...? Even time is a mere concept, that I could play however I want. All of this could be your power. So please, dear Blessed Oracle. Put some respect in my name..." Loki said, her eyes gleaming with godly prowess. "Entertaining me is for your benefit."

    ~

    A/N: How is the story progressing for you? Leave your thoughts in the comments! Also, don''t forget to leave a review and vote for this book! It''ll help, like a lot!

 Chapter 71 71: Compensation

    Lucivar was too emotional in dealing with this situation.

    He was too angry, and spiteful at the prospect of death when he finally obtained, and tasted the tusk of power. Now that he knew what it felt like, he could not help¡ªbut anticipate other pleasing sensations when he achieved what he set out to achieve.

    Dying an early death was out of the picture.

    But now that Loki showed him what to expect, he realized that this wasn''t a bad thing at all.

    Albeit risking his death, he would gain the power of a God.

    People gambled with their lives for less so this is an entirely win-win situation for Lucivar.

    Not to mention, he needed this power to punch karma in the guts.

    Only by having immense power would he be able to achieve that, and his bloodline is key.

    "It was my mistake, I apologize for my brazenness," Lucivar apologized.

    He was man enough to admit his mistake, Loki was simply helping him in becoming stronger.

    Loki''s stern expression softened and the sweet smile came back to her face.

    "For what you have done to entertain me, I pardon your little outburst. You are forgiven,"

    "Even so, I''ll still make you up for this. Just watch me."

    "I love your spirit, now you''re making me eager for the show. Good luck, Blessed Oracle"

    As soon as she said that, the surroundings melted, and swayed¡ªreturning to Lucivar''s inner chamber once again. Lucivar nodded and turned around, intending to leave as he now knew what he needed to know.

    But before he left, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder.

    "I have one more question before I leave"

    "Ask away."

    "When you stimulated the other Gods in my bloodline, I saw your son¡ªthe serpent shield me from something. A blast of energy, can I know what that is?"

    Upon hearing this, Loki smiled mysteriously.

    She knew exactly what Lucivar was referring to but she was hoping he didn''t know.

    But then again, Lucivar was still aware then so this is inevitable.

    "The answer you seek, Blessed Oracle... lies not in the question¡ªbut in the blade you have yet to sharpen." She smiled mysteriously, leaning her cheek against her fist. "One day, very soon, you will find that sharpening it comes with a name"

    Lucivar frowned, "What is that supposed to mean?"

    "It''s for your future self to find out," Loki replied before she flicked her fingers.

    Not even giving more explanations, Lucivar was forced out of his own Inner Chamber.

    Opening his eyes, he found himself inside the black box once again.

    "She kicked me out of my Inner Chamber? Really? Shouldn''t I have absolute control there?"

    Lucivar could only shake his head and put on an acute smile, speechless.

    A day of punishment later.

    Upon exiting the punishment area, Lucivar was greeted by Sabrina who was sitting on the ground, sleeping while hugging her legs. Her eyelids trembled when she sensed someone was beside her and soon found that it was Lucivar.

    "What are you doing here? Why aren''t you in my room? You could hog the bed for yourself"

    "It''s improper for me to be comfortable when you''re in there being punished"

    "One of your maid etiquettes, I bet. Did Tobias teach you this?"

    "No, I was trained in a school"

    "Huh? School? Just say you''re trained by a Slave Master, no need to sugarcoat it"

    "Don''t say that out loud! It''s embarrassing!"

    As the two were bantering, Lucivar caught sight of a couple of unfamiliar hunters.

    Four of them to be exact, and the one leading them was a man with pointy ears and slightly greenish skin, a Goblin Hybrid or a variation of that. He approached Lucivar with both of his hands raised, gesturing that he was not a threat.

    "Is there a problem here?" Lucivar asked, raising an eyebrow.

    He was haggard and sweaty from being punished but that made him all the more menacing.

    "No, not at all," the man replied. "My name is Firhan, I''m a senior¡ªand I''m here to represent many others who wanted to thank you for what you did. We heard about your situation and I''m here to say that we''re grateful"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was taken aback.

    "I''m sorry?"

    "You know... for stopping the professor and those two new hunters. Some of the seniors, that include me, were forced by the professor to do things. Also, I have my sister near the room of the rune bomb so I''m really grateful for what you did"

    As he said that, Firhan bowed, followed by the other three hunters behind him.

    Lucivar took a step back, terrified of their behavior.

    ''I never planned on helping any of them. I only killed Blane because he attacked me¡ªand for Dylan, that was my doppelganger, not me'' He thought, but then the shock turned slowly into suspicion. ''No¡ªthis must be some kind of a trick. Are they lowering my guards by being kind to me?''

    Sabrina knew exactly what Lucivar was thinking about.

    It was written all over his face that he was weirded out and thought the worst.

    Due to that, she decided to step in.

    "Master Lucivar did it because it was the right thing to do but if you want to show any kind of gratitude for him, you could give it through me. As for now, master is tired from¡ªbeing inside the black box, please excuse us" She replied flawlessly.

    Upon hearing this, Firhan and the other hunters stepped aside.

    Now they realized that they were inconsiderate, Lucivar had only come out.

    Lucivar glanced at Sabrina with a questioning look but she signaled to walk past them first.

    As he made his way back to his room, Lucivar shook his head, ''I really don''t care about them, but I wouldn''t correct them either. Let''s let them think and act, however, they want and see if they are trying anything funny''

    "Stop being paranoid, they are genuinely thanking you"

    "Yeah, well... I experienced a lot of thanks that aren''t genuine so pardon me"

    Later that night.

    Lucivar was currently inside the main building¡ªof the Bloodhaven Academy, the place where the students were nurtured. He was walking through the hallway with Leandra by his side, as they made their way through the judgmental gazes of the students.

    It was not an everyday occurrence that academy hunters were spotted here.

    "Compared to our place, this place is a heaven"

    "What do you expect? There''s a reason why everyone wanted to be a student"

    Other than that, the senior students were also quite eye-catching.

    Since this was the Bloodhaven Academy, governed by the Valerius Supreme House, there were a lot¡ªof Vampire Hybrids. At least a third of the students, were Vampires, they bore striking red eyes, fangs, and pale skin.

    "Most of them are at the first-star Acolyte rank, weaker than Ravenna or Bob"

    "Of course, nobody here is stronger than Ravenna or Bob, not even the seniors."

    Leandra said that with quite a bit of conviction, she could be biased.

    But then again, Lucivar found none of them seemed to be outstanding.

    Both decided to go through the emergency stairs to go up knowing that the students would undoubtedly, give them unwanted trouble¡ªby mingling with them. Eventually, they reached their destination, the tenth floor.

    Unlike the ground floor, the tenth floor is not that crowded.

    As they pushed open the door, they found themselves greeted by a spectacular sight.

    Earlier, to compensate them for the trouble with Professor Fury, Professor Aeldric, gave them a pass to go to the academy''s library. It was more of a place to pick a spellbook, than a place to read.

    Just like the canteen, students came here to borrow spellbooks using their academy points.

    One would learn the spellbook and give them back when they were done.

    Lucivar and Leandra were given the opportunity to take one spellbook, any spellbook.

    Due to that, they were excited to see the varieties of spellbooks here.

    Approaching the receptionist, the woman looks up and recognizes who they are instantly.

    She was already told that two academy hunters were going to visit.

    "Hunter Lucivar and Hunter Leandra, am I correct?"

    "Yes, that''s us"

    "Okay, Professor Aeldric had already informed me about you two. Please follow me,"

    Grabbing a tablet from the table, she walked to the side, leading them ahead.

    Her high heels made an echoing sound with each step.

    Along the way, the woman explained to them what they needed to know about the library.

    Despite not being among the three academies in the city, Bloodhaven Academy boasts quite an impressive collection of spellbooks¡ªsurpassing the average with its vast library. Notably, it houses three rare Diamond-class spellbooks, two more than other academies.

    Structure-wise, the library is differentiated into three levels.

    It was made that way for the sake of the students.

    In order to use a spell, the Hybrid must have enough Ego Points to activate it and also have a robust bloodline that matches the class of the spell. Anyone who tries to go over the limit will be hurting themselves.

    Even then, that wouldn''t stop some Hybrids from trying for the sake of becoming stronger.

    Among the three Diamond-class spellbooks, two of them were spellbooks exclusive¡ªfor the Vampire Hybrids. But the third one is a baseless spellbook that could be used by any kind of Hybrids thus making it more valuable than most.

    Many would definitely try to use this spell but that would mean their deaths.

    One needs to have at least a high green to purple-grade bloodline to use this spell safely.

    So those who have a weak bloodline who tried would be crippled or worse.

    "Here, you can start by browsing the first level¡ªbefore going higher. Professor Aeldric said, that each of you could pick one so feel free to take anything, I''ll be on my desk," the woman said with a smile before excusing herself.

    Lucivar swept his gaze around and found the first level had about a dozen massive shelves.

    One shelf could probably display more than a hundred books.

    All of the spellbooks here are bronze-class with a small amount of silver-class.

    "I guess there''s no harm in checking these out..."

    "Yeah, I guess..."

    Upon saying that, however, Lucivar and Leandra exchanged a knowing look.

    Reading each other''s minds, both of them quickly made a turn and headed to the stairs.

    If they are going to pick one spellbook then there''s no reason to start from here.

    Confident in their bloodlines, they should do it in reverse, starting from the third level first.

    "Yeah, no need to waste our time on the first level," Lucivar muttered.

    Leandra nodded in agreement, "Let''s check the Diamond-class spellbooks first"

    Making their silent escape from the students around, Lucivar and Leandra stuck close to the wall to avoid bumping into other students. Fortunately, the stairs were located at the corner, so they should be able to avoid meeting students.

    Ascending the stairs, they easily reached the second level without much problem.

    A translucent barrier needed to be passed to reach the second level.

    It was probably a rough scan of their bloodline to make sure they were qualified.

    Not even wasting a second, they went around to go to the third level.

    But unlike before, trouble seemed to find them.

    "Hey, you two! Stop! How in the heck did academy hunters managed to get here?"

    "Tch, here we go again," Lucivar clicked his tongue in annoyance.

 Chapter 72 72: Someone you dont mess with

    Lucivar had already tasted how the citizens treated commoners or bums like him in this city, his attempt to make small talks with a candidate before the academy test was all he needed to know.

    He didn''t know about Leandra but she probably experienced the same treatment.

    If not then she wouldn''t have agreed to stick close to the wall to avoid students like he did.

    Despite their best attempts to avoid a confrontation, it was inevitable.

    "Hey, you two! Stop! How in the heck did academy hunters manage to get here?"

    "Here we go again..."

    Both Lucivar and Leandra turned and saw a student approaching them with rushed steps.

    He donned a repulsive gaze as if it was a sin for academy hunters to be here.

    Following beside him was a woman, she was reserved but her eyes were cold.

    Stopping near them, the male student looked at them up and down.

    "Who let you inside this sacred place? I''m sure there must be a mistake"

    "And you are?"

    "You don''t know me? I am the second-year''s fifth ranker, Nicholas. And I am asking you a question so you better answer if you know what''s good for you"

    Knowing that it would be bad if Lucivar got riled, Leandra stepped in.

    She stood between them with a pliant smile.

    "We are sent to go to the third level by Professor Aeldric, it''s his order"

    "Am I talking to you?" Nicholas asked arrogantly, his tone, irrefutable. "On second hand, you are quite pretty¡ªfor an academy hunter. Where are you from? Instead of being an academy hunter, why don''t you be my wife and be done with it? I''ll treat you well"

    Nicholas tried to reach for Leandra''s chin but she swatted his hand away.

    It caused him to chuckle, the fiery temperament excites him instead.

    Now, because of Nicholas, they began garnering the attention of the other students here.

    Lucivar was greatly pissed about this situation.

    He came here to get the rewards provided by the academy to rule out Professor Fury.

    But instead of getting that, he was being blocked by an arrogant kid.

    Inside, he was battling his urge to tear Nicholas apart.

    Despite not even doing anything in particular, keeping his eyes down whenever he saw other students or passed them, Nicholas came, and sought trouble, ''Woosah~ I can do this, there''s a lot of CCTVs here, I can''t do anything. Breathe... breathe...''

    As Lucivar was composing himself, Nicholas glanced at him.

    "Is he your boyfriend or something?"

    "I''m not interested. Can that go through your head? Not interested."

    Blatantly ignoring her, Nicholas walked past her and ascended the stairs.

    He didn''t forget to bump his shoulder at Lucivar as he did that.

    Stopping at the middle point of the staircase to the third level, Nicholas turned and looked at the two of them. He raised his hand and knocked on something, it was an invisible barrier¡ªit rippled from his touch like the surface of a water body.

    Not stopping at that, Nicholas pushed his hand into the invisible barrier.

    Statics of energy resisted his hand and eventually, his hand was thrown out hard.

    It packed quite a strong force as he waved his steaming hand nonchalantly in pain.

    "Both of you are lying. I know because the third level is restricted by this barrier," He said. "It could only be entered by those, with particularly strong bloodlines. Even among the Vampire Hybrids, only those who have a purity above 10% could pass through"

    "So Professor Aeldric didn''t send you to the third level," He continued, smirking.

    Glancing over to the other students who gathered around in curiosity, Nicholas was elated.

    It was obvious that he had the upper hand, he had seen through the lie.

    Descending down once again, he tapped Lucivar on the shoulder.

    "Now that you lie using the name of a professor, you''ll be coming with me, the academy does not take that kind of thing lightly," He said mockingly¡ªbefore his gaze turned to Leandra. "As for you, I could pardon you, if you agree to ditch this loser. If you lie about the professor, then this guy must really be your boyfriend"

    Both Lucivar and Leandra''s expressions darkened.

    Just from his aura alone, he was probably a three-star Neophyte Hybrid at best.

    If they wanted to, they could break this arrogant fool.

    Even so, they couldn''t resort to violence lest more problems came their way.

    On the other hand, the female student who came alongside Nicholas turned and left.

    She seemed to be disgusted by Nicholas and opted to make an exit.

    Lucivar was pressed, he wanted to go to the third level and ignored this bullshit.

    But he knew Nicholas would block him.

    ''Tch! I can''t beat him up, and the other students, are basically like him. What can I do here? I think even Leandra didn''t know what to do, she was probably struggling with her anger, and couldn''t think straight''

    Just as he thought of that, a voice boomed as a figure came through.

    "What''s going on here? What''s with the commotion?"

    Coming through the crowd was another student, a senior from the reaction of the students.

    Leandra saw this student and couldn''t help but frown.

    In her mind, if the second year was already like this then the senior would be worse.

    But for Lucivar, the arrival of this senior was completely a good thing.

    He was even smiling seeing the senior who was coming through the crowd.

    On the other hand, the senior took a glance at them before his expression paled instantly.

    It was almost as if he had caught sight of a ghost.

    "Y- You!" the senior pointed and gasped, his eyes flickered with the essence of fear.

    "Andre! It is good that you''re here!" Lucivar spread his arms, with a big smile on his face, and approached Andre. "I heard you got yourself shitting hard and needed to stay for a couple of days there, how are you? Are you recovered now?"

    Under the onlookers'' gaze, Lucivar placed his arm on Andre''s neck.

    He was acting buddy-buddy with Andre.

    "N- No, I''m not recovered yet. May I ask why you''re here?" Andre asked, his voice trembling.

    Despite wanting to keep his image in front of the others, Lucivar scares him.

    He was happy that Lucivar wasn''t accepted for some reason, but he now knows that Lucivar became an academy hunter instead. Glancing over to Nicholas¡ªLucivar replied, "I needed to do something at the third level, but your junior is blocking me. Can you tell him what''s up?"

    Shifting his gaze towards Nicholas, Andre cleared his throat, "Let him through,"

    Upon hearing this, Nicholas was at a loss for words.

    Andre was the sixth ranker of the third-year, he was not a weak Hybrid¡ªby all means, so this caught Nicholas completely off guard. He quickly descended and asked, "What do you mean, Andre? He''s nothing but a measly academy hunter"

    "Just let him pass, I''m sure he has a reason for being here" Andre replied.

    Glancing over to Lucivar, Nicholas found him smiling playfully.

    It angered him but he had no choice but to step aside.

    Lucivar thanked Andre before he went to the staircase, not forgetting to bum his shoulder on Nicholas in return. He couldn''t hurt Nicholas physically but with this, he should''ve looked like a clown right now.

    Both he and Leandra went upstairs under the onlookers'' gaze.

    All of them were confused as to what had happened.

    Andre was acting differently around Lucivar and none of them knew the reason.

    Leandra then whispered from the side.

    "How did you know that senior, Andre?"

    "I met him during the ninja test"

    "Met him? You beat him up, didn''t you?"

    "How could you think that of me, I''m quite a nice guy you know"

    On the other hand, Nicholas looked at them with spite.

    "How dare he, I''ll be enjoying what would happen next..." He mused with a mocking smile.

    Knowing that the invisible barrier was not a joke, Nicholas expected Lucivar and Leandra to be thrown back down from the impact. No chance that both of them, were able to pass the barrier''s bloodline requirement.

    Only a handful in the academy could go and borrow a spellbook from the third level.

    Most of them are the top rankers with a few exceptions.

    Surely Lucivar and Leandra who were rejected from being a student would fail.

    But as opposed to what he was expecting¡ªNicholas'' eyes widened when Lucivar dipped his finger into the invisible barrier easily. Like earlier, the static of the barrier scanned him but he didn''t receive the blow as Nicholas did.

    It was smooth, he could enter without a problem.

    Leandra was also the same, she could also pass the barrier fine.

    Realizing that they met the requirement, Nicholas felt an unbelievable amount of shame.

    So bad that he rushed ahead.

    "Nicholas! Stop! Don''t be stupid!" Andre shouted warningly but he was ignored.

    Out of shame, Nicholas grabbed Lucivar''s shoulder and stopped him.

    "If you know what''s good for you, leave the library," He said, threat dripping in those words.

    As opposed to earlier, Lucivar''s body stiffened as he slowly turned to look at him.

    "Let. Go."

    "Huh...?"

    Even though he came with confidence, that confidence, was stripped away¡ªwhen Nicholas saw the face Lucivar was making right now. It was murderous, the look of someone who has tasted blood.

    Lucivar''s face sent a death knell ringing inside his ears and alerted his instincts.

    His instincts were telling him to run away.

    Not expecting this, Nicholas slipped and fell, rolling down the stairs.

    Ignoring that fool entirely¡ªLucivar and Leandra passed through the barrier and went to the third level.

    Seeing this, the female student who came with Nicholas¡ªwho came back when Andre came to intervene, was surprised. Knowing Nicholas'' personality, she didn''t expect him to be made a fool this much.

    Glancing over to Andre, she asked curiously, "Who is he?"

    "Someone you do not mess with, for your own sake," He replied, gulping harshly.

 Chapter 73 73: Diamond-class Spell

    "Someone you do not mess with, for your own sake," Andre said, gulping harshly as Lucivar''s face that night flashed in his mind. "I know you''re strong Cathleen, but do not mess with that guy or you''ll sorely regret that decision"

    Finding that Andre was being for real, Cathleen frowned.

    She didn''t expect there to be strong academy hunters in the academy.

    If they were really that strong, Cathleen didn''t understand how they ended up here.

    Andre glanced at Leandra and sucked in a cold breath.

    "He has a friend too...? I''m sure that pretty girl is also strong as heck" He whispered.

    Cathleen''s attention was also pulled to Leandra''s back, and she rubbed her chin in thought.

    "Purple hair..." She muttered inwardly. "Oh, is that the girl Thalia was talking about?"

    Meanwhile, Lucivar and Leandra reached the third level.

    Unlike the first and second level, the third has its floor covered in soft white and blue carpet, and the sound coming from the levels below was also silenced¡ªas the entire floor was quiet and serene.

    Lucivar looked around and found three tubes that stretched from the ceiling to the floor.

    Inside of each one was a spellbook, levitating and radiating with an aura.

    "Welcome, how may I help you?"

    Out of nowhere, the homunculus, Kalvin approached from the side seeing their arrival.

    "We''re here to see and perhaps borrow a Diamond-class spellbook"

    "Right this way"

    Kalvin led the two toward the tubes with steady steps.

    Arriving in front of the left tube, Kalvin presented them with a manuscript in front of it.

    Just as they initially expected, this manuscript was the description of the spellbook.

    "Since both of you I assumed are not a Vampire Hybrid, this is the only spellbook, you could borrow from the library. Attempting to use the other two spellbooks would be dangerous so it is best to not attempt it" Kalvin explained, donning an assuring smile.

    Lucivar nodded his head, he already knew about this.

    Averting their gaze from Kalvin, the two read the manuscript curiously.

    ...

    Soul Warden

    A Diamond-class binding spell, Soul Warden is a formidable spell aimed to latch onto a target¡ªbinding their soul through an intricate sigil. The spell requires an immense amount of ether to form the mark, drawing heavily¡ªfrom the caster''s reserves. Once anchored, the mark will be eternal, persisting until the target manages to unbind it from their soul. It has three stages and the effect could vary depending on the Hybrid''s bloodline.

    ...

    Reading the manuscript, Lucivar was instantly in love with the spellbook.

    ''A spell that binds the soul? Heck yeah!'' He thought excitedly.

    Knowing that his bloodline also consists of different Gods including Loki the Sly One, he was excited to have this spellbook, as that would mean the effect of the Soul Warden spell would vary depending on which God''s power he used.

    It was the perfect spellbook for him who has multiple bloodlines in his blood.

    On the other hand, Leandra was disinterested.

    She turned to Kalvin, "Can I see the other Diamond-class spellbooks?"

    "As I said it will be dangerous for non-Vampire Hybrid," Kalvin replied. "If the Soul Warden did not suit your taste you could browse many strong Gold and Silver-class spells below. I do not recommend trying the other Diamond-class spellbooks"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra waved her hand.

    "Don''t worry about it, I''m going to be fine"

    "Very well..."

    Before going, Leandra turned to Lucivar who was still fixed on the manuscript.

    "Are you taking the Soul Warden spellbook?"

    "Yes, I am. No doubt about it"

    "I should''ve expected, soul binding spell is more suited for your taste"

    Leandra checked the other Diamond-class spellbooks, while Lucivar asked Kalvin to borrow the Soul Warden spellbook. Instead of giving the book itself inside the tube¡ªglowing with a grey aura, he was given a copy of it instead.

    He was then brought to another room behind the tubes by Kalvin.

    It was a spacious square-shaped room with what seemed to be a stone altar at the center.

    "Since Professor Aeldric gave you the permission¡ªyou could train here and hog the book for yourself for three days maximum. Food will be delivered to you through the door there to the left, and the remaining time will be displayed on a holographic clock above you,"

    "What if I want to stop before the three days are over? Will the time be saved?"

    "No, the moment you step out of the room, you will also burn your chance"

    "So I have to stay here, huh..."

    "Yes"

    "How about that altar? What was that thing for?"

    "It''s a tool to help you learn the Soul Warden spell, the instructions are written there"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded his head.

    "Is there any more question you want to ask me?"

    "No, that''s enough"

    "Understood. Now, I will start the timer. Good luck to you, Hunter Lucivar"

    As soon as Kalvin said that, he exited the room and when the door was closed, Lucivar saw the timer instantly appearing above the altar. He has 72 hours to learn the spellbook, he did know that Hybrids needed time to effectively use a new spell.

    Most would probably need weeks or even months to learn a new spell.

    Especially when the spell is a Diamond-class spell.

    Heading to the altar, Lucivar found a ball¡ªof stone embedded in the table¡ªand there was a carved-out shape there, a sigil that he suspected to be the sigil the Soul Warden spell would leave behind if it was successfully established.

    Reading the instructions on the side, it was as he expected.

    He would need to make the sigil exactly like the one on the ball to activate the spell.

    However, before he started, he read through the spellbook first.

    Just like the Versatile Blooming Hyacinth Technique¡ªthat Delilah taught him, the content of the spellbook was a manual. In the first few pages, he learned of the spellbook history¡ªand also the effect of the three stages.

    Historically, the Soul Warden spell is a complex twenty-sequence spell¡ªcreated by a strong Paragon-rank Hybrid of the White Revenant bloodline. Designed to bind the very essence of a soul, this spell was originally made to inflict physical¡ªor mental damage after establishing an unbreakable connection between the caster and the victim.

    It was not strong enough to damage other''s souls but still extremely useful.

    As for the stages, the spell consists of three stages.

    First is the Locator stage, second is the Debilitating stage, and last is the Offense stage.

    Since the spell is not unique to any bloodline and could be used by anyone¡ªthe effect would vary, but still within the stages'' scope. For instance¡ªthe spellbook mentioned that a Vampire Hybrid at the first stage of the spell would be able to locate the target if their heart raced.

    An Elven with the power of the wind could locate the target if they moved fast, and so on.

    No matter the bloodline, the first stage''s purpose remained the same¡ªto locate.

    Lucivar reads through the entire book and can''t hide his smile anymore.

    "Twenty-sequence spell...?" he mused, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "That''s five times more than my Greedy Grasp, isn''t it? I should not be surprised. Loki did say, the energy from that ability was insignificant"

    Even then, the Soul Warden is definitely an upgrade to his strongest spell or ability.

    "Not to mention, I also have an Angel and Loki''s bloodline," He whispered silently.

    Knowing that the effect would vary, he was curious as to how his two bloodlines would fare.

    Standing in front of the altar, he placed his hand above the ball and closed his eyes.

    Soul Warden spell, unlike the Greedy Grasp ability, doesn''t need direct contact.

    It could be created from a distance but couldn''t be too far.

    Returning to the Inner Chamber, he stood in front of the Supernatural Ego and focused.

    Swish...

    Channeling his ether, all twenty ego points gleamed in response.

    Lucivar recalled the twenty-sequence before he began making it¡ªconnecting one ego point to another with precision. He could feel, that making the sequence was easy, there were not a lot of hiccups.

    All of the green sphere, Loki''s Divine Blood, brought two effects.

    One is increasing his ether reserves, the other is increasing his mastery over ether control.

    Because of that, making the sequence was not hard at all for him.

    One sequence, two sequences, third sequences, everything went smoothly.

    However, that drastically changed when Lucivar reached the thirteenth sequence.

    He could see that the ether stopped mid-way, it was gradually getting harder to control, and in this sequence, moving the golden dot became extremely hard, it was as if he was pushing on a boulder with only his mind.

    Despite the increasing weight, he gritted his teeth and pushed further.

    Lucivar could feel his mind and Supernatural Ego throbbing from being exerted this much.

    "Kahkk!"

    Blood suddenly climbed to his throat and out of his mouth.

    It instantly causes him to lose focus and the ego point dimmed once again.

    He failed his first attempt spectacularly.

    "Learning a spell through a spellbook is harder than I thought," Lucivar panted heavily, this was not what he had in mind. "compared to the Radiant Burst¡ªI learned it almost instantly due to how easy it was"

    Just then, he remembered what Mirel explained to him.

    He said that higher ego points meant one could use more spells at the same time.

    Casting the same spell two times is possible but Lucivar hadn''t seen anyone doing that.

    Even the others, Lucivar had seen them fight but none of them were able to do that.

    Only then did he realize what was going on.

    "So that is it... having a high number of ego points makes it possible to do that¡ªbut the more ego points one uses, the harder it becomes" Lucivar frowned, he had not told anyone¡ªabout his Greedy Grasp ability other than Sabrina so nobody had taught him this.

    It seemed he was going to learn it the rough way.

    Nevertheless, a smirk crossed his face, "But that''s for normal people, not one like me,"

    "I have Gods inside of me," He added and closed his eyes once again.

    Lucivar made another attempt to make the twenty-sequence of the Sould Warden spell¡ªbut when he reached the thirteenth sequence, the golden dot, refused to move again. Instead of forcing through, he channeled another energy of his.

    Tapping onto the versatile energy strands, he used it on his own Supernatural Ego.

    A green beam shot from Loki''s statue and struck the egg state at the center.

    Almost instantly, Lucivar felt the golden dot become lighter¡ªand pushing through the rest of the sequences, was way easier for him. One strand was enough¡ªto allow him to achieve the twentieth sequence.

    Making the full cycle, Lucivar opened his eyes and saw his hand was glowing golden.

    He then saw the golden light carving the mark on the ball slowly.

    But as this continued, Lucivar suddenly felt his arm trembled violently.

    A rush of ether entered him and caused the glow to glow even brighter, "What''s happening?!"

 Chapter 74 74: Vision of Hatred

    His ether became rampant.

    It was impossible to control, Lucivar could only do his best to regulate it.

    But the force from the gathered ether to cast the spell kept on becoming stronger.

    Lucivar grabbed his right arm and tried to desperately keep it steady, he infused one strand to his Supernatural Ego to help him to make the rest of the sequences, yet he wasn''t aiming to make it this strong.

    "Shit, I need to cancel it!"

    Feeling his arm throbbing with power, he decided to cancel the spell altogether.

    He sensed that his arm might explode if he pushed to cast the spell.

    "I- I can''t...?" Lucivar sucked in a cold breath.

    Surprisingly, canceling the spell¡ªwas also not possible at this very moment, the ego points were already turned blinding with power. It refused to listen to his will, the spell, couldn''t be canceled, and there was no other choice but to go through with it.

    Focusing back on the ball, he found that the mark was already completed and glowing.

    In the next second, a brief pause happened before the ball exploded.

    Lucivar was propelled back¡ªand slammed against the wall, the explosion fired an expanding ring-like shockwave¡ªthat rattled the entire room. He breathed heavily, his Supernatural Ego, was throbbing hard from casting the spell.

    He raised his gaze and found the altar was destroyed.

    It turned from a proper altar to rubble, unable to withstand the explosion.

    "What the heck happened...?" Lucivar mused in confusion.

    Other than infusing a strand of versatile energy, he didn''t do anything in particular.

    He followed the instructions from the spellbook exactly.

    Just then, a serpent coiled from his behind and slithered to his shoulder.

    It was the serpent, Loki''s son.

    "Don''t think about it too much, keep practicing, and you will be able to control this amount of ether. You¡ªand the spell achieved Synchrony, your current ego points, and the required ego points of the spell are exactly the same number so the output is greatly increased. Think of it as an amplifier, a spell that requires exactly the same as your ego points is always preferred"

    "Synchrony? Nobody has ever told me that before"

    "Of course, you''re not a student so you''ll learn everything the rough way"

    "If you knew about this, why didn''t you warn me sooner?"

    "I think you know the answer to that,"

    "Ah... yes, I''m sure Loki wanted to have a laugh. Now I''m excited to see the other Gods"

    Lucivar''s voice dripped with sarcasm.

    He couldn''t even begin to imagine when all five Gods inside of him were unlocked.

    Upon knowing what he was dealing with, Lucivar returned back to his training.

    One after the other, Lucivar tried casting, and mastering the Soul Ward spell, being slammed onto the wall with each failed attempt. In addition, since he doesn''t have a technique for him to replenish his ether, a meditation technique, he asks Kalvin for ether potions.

    Fortunately, he was given a couple of them for free as per Professor Aeldric''s instruction.

    It allowed him to continue his training without taking a single break.

    Everything happened in a blur after that and without Lucivar knowing, his time was up.

    Days passed, and the time showed that he only had five more minutes.

    Sitting on the corner with blood and sweat covering his entire body, Lucivar looked up to the ceiling, and exhaled roughly, "Out of two-hundred and ninety-three tries, I finally was able to use the spell successfully once... Had it not for the strands, it would''ve taken longer. I guess, that''s how powerful a Diamond-class spell is"

    Gathering what was left of him, Lucivar chugged an ether potion inside a small vial.

    Once he emptied it, he stretched his arm to the side.

    He channeled the Soul Warden spell one last time as a mark began being burned on the wall.

    It took Lucivar almost a minute to complete the sigil.

    Once it was completed, the sigil''s shape was visible, the shape of an eye made of three lines.

    Lucivar lowered his weak arm as the sigil melted into nothing.

    Since it could only latch onto a soul, it instantly evaporated if it was placed on the wall.

    Having no more strength or stamina to do anything, he decided to pull out his phone from his pocket. Knowing that he might gain, some alone time, he brought the phone with him. He put it on his ear before began reporting what had happened from the last time they talked.

    Minutes passed and eventually, Kalvin entered from the main door.

    Upon stepping inside the room, the homunculus was slightly surprised at what he saw.

    He didn''t expect the condition of the room to reach this state, it was completely thrashed.

    ''Soul Warden spell is not an offensive spell¡ªor at least not at the initial stage, so how did he manage this...?''

    "Do you need help, Hunter Lucivar?"

    "No, I can walk myself. Has Leandra also finished her training?"

    "Yes, she already awaits you outside"

    Lucivar nodded and followed Kalvin from behind.

    But as soon as he stepped out of the room and entered the hallway, he stopped mid-track.

    His eyes were fixed on the back of a figure, a foot taller than him and more muscular.

    For some reason, the moment Lucivar laid eyes on this man, his instincts were screaming.

    In his eyes, the man radiated an aura so blindingly pure that Lucivar''s legs came to a gradual halt. He had never seen this man before, but the sheer presence of him, felt overwhelming¡ªan embodiment of light that seared the air around him.

    As the man slowly turned, Lucivar''s eyes widened in shock.

    His vision was blinded as the radiant aura intensified, crashing over him like a tidal wave.

    It was unbearable, like staring into the heart of the sun.

    Not to mention, the light wasn''t only bright, it was sharp, piercing into his skin with the force of a thousand invisible daggers. Lucivar staggered, bile rising his throat¡ªthe man''s aura did not just suffocate the air but it made Lucivar feel small and insignificant.

    Lucivar felt like he was standing before the protagonist of the world itself.

    Meeting Lucivar''s gaze, the man approached with wide, confident steps.

    He then stopped right in front of Lucivar, a slight confusion marred behind his ruby eyes.

    "Hunter Lucivar meet Caladros Evian, the senior¡ªand the first ranker of the academy. He is a Vampire Hybrid, and also the strongest Hybrid, in the academy," Kalvin introduced, moving to the side to let the two properly meet.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes kept widening in surprise.

    On the other hand, donning a confident and friendly smile, Caladros stretched his hand.

    He went in for a handshake.

    "I''ve never seen you around before¡ªI''m guessing that you''re new. As the senior, I welcomed you to the academy, and the academy is lucky to have another talent joining," Caladros said, beaming with positive energy.

    Lucivar inspected Caldaros'' appearance.

    Judging from his pale skin, ruby eyes, and fangs, he was supposed to be a Vampire Hybrid.

    But the ceiling of the third level was a glass dome, the searing sunlight, shone on them¡ªbut Caladros wasn''t infected at all. From his fangs and crimson eyes, it was obvious that he was at the Acolyte rank and had developed his Vampiric characteristics further.

    Normal Vampire Hybrids would burn under the sun but he remained completely fine.

    Lucivar then looked down at Caladros''s stretched hand for a good moment.

    His mind was racing, piecing together the person in front of him.

    As Lucivar was dwelling in his mind, a sudden torrent of memories flashed in his vision.

    It was not his memories, someone else''s.

    He felt it immediately, the subtle wrongness, the unfamiliar weight behind his eyes.

    Slowly, his vision blurred and disoriented as though the eyes were not his own.

    A barren desert stretched endlessly, the heart rippling in the distance¡ªbut his mind could barely focus on the landscape. No, it was drawn violently so to the figure in front of him, a celestial woman who stood tall and unwavering.

    She was clad in armor of gleaming silver with golden accents that glowed like molten fire.

    Flickering around her seemed to be divine energy, as though the very sky bent to her will.

    Behind her head was an artifact, a radiant disk shaped like the sun itself.

    It cast long, harsh shadows over her face, obscuring her features in darkness.

    In her hand, a golden sword was pointed at him, dripping with blood¡ªhis blood, mixed with many others that fell to her sword. The blade sizzled with a burning, golden energy¡ªbarely contained.

    Lucviar could feel the accusatory aspect of this pointing sword, ready to strike him down.

    Other than the vision and senses, Lucivar could also feel the moment.

    An unbearable anger swelled in his chest, suffocating and consuming.

    It came from deep within these foreign memories¡ªbut it was so intense, so visceral¡ªthat it threatened to split him apart. The pain was overwhelming, as strong as when Delilah''s body had lain cradled in his arms perhaps even more.

    A sensation of pure, blinding rage directed straight at this woman.

    "Your reign in this world is over," the woman whispered. "the sun will bleach your darkness"

    Responding to the woman''s taunt, Lucivar felt his tongue, moving on its own.

    "The cycle of reincarnation would not stop me, the worlds you conquered would not stop me, your inexhaustible light would not stop me!" Lucivar barked, blood gargling, in his mouth. "No matter what it would cost, even if it takes a million lives, I will have my revenge!!"

    Ignoring the threats, the woman pulled her sword and charged for a mighty swing.

    "No darkness can prevail against my light, this is the end..."

    "SUNNA!!!"

    Almost like being electrocuted, Lucivar jolted into reality, gasping for breaths.

    His expression darkened before he calmed his breathing.

    Raising his gaze, Caladros was surprised to see a bright smile had bloomed on his face.

    "I appreciate your kind gestures. It was nice meeting you," Lucivar said.

    Both of them shook hands firmly.

    However, as soon as they did that, Lucivar covered his mouth¡ªand fell to one knee, holding on to Caladros'' legs as support. Blood drizzled from the corner of his mouth¡ªmore trying to come out but was swallowed again.

    Seeing this, Leandra rushed to him from behind and helped him up.

    "I think he overexert himself from training," Caladros said.

    Leandra nodded, "Yes, I''ll bring him to the infirmary. Please excuse us..."

    Making way, Caladros moved to the side as Leandra and Kalvin brought Lucivar away.

    He frowned a little when the three disappeared from his vision.

    On the other hand, Leandra walked down the stairs and glanced at Lucivar.

    "Why did you exert yourself like this? You do know you''re burdening me ri-"

    Leandra stopped mid-sentence when she saw Lucivar''s face, he was smiling with both of his eyes bulging with bloodlust. It was the first time she saw him wearing this face, and for some reason, she felt a chill run down her spine.

    ''What''s his problem...?''

 Chapter 75 75: Wrath of a Million

    In Leandra''s eyes, there was a thick air of mystery surrounding Lucivar.

    He could be spontaneous, unpredictable, and completely out of the box in certain cases.

    Sometimes he was considerate, sometimes he was annoying, and sometimes he was cold.

    Lucivar''s behavior was all over the place.

    Seeing this side of him made her recall the time he went out of his way to kill a random guard for the sake of his personal growth, to get used to killing. But compared to back then, he was more unhinged right now.

    Just his expression alone screamed trouble.

    Lucivar alongside Kalvin and Leandra stepped out of the library.

    But when the three of them got out, Leandra saw Lucivar giving her a peculiar look.

    He was saying something.

    Understanding what he meant, Leandra turned towards Kalvin.

    "It''s okay, I can take it from here,"

    "Are you sure? I could assist you in bringing Hunter Lucivar to the infirmary"

    "No... there was no need, I can do it myself"

    Despite wanting to assist, Kalvin didn''t persist and let Leandra handle Lucivar on her own.

    Both of them then didn''t waste any time and headed to the emergency stairs.

    Immediately after the door was closed behind them¡ªLucivar''s body slipped down and fell to the ground. He breathed heavily before he vomited blood, and it was not a small amount, the sight was disturbing.

    Fortunately, Leandra''s reaction was on point.

    She channeled her natural ether to create a purple bowl, pooling Lucivar''s blood.

    It would be hard to explain if Lucivar smeared blood all over the place.

    "Tell me what happened, you can''t keep me in the dark like this if you want me to help you"

    "Then go! Don''t fucking mind me! Rgghkk...!"

    As soon as he said that, Lucivar ripped open his uniform, which was suffocating him.

    Leandra was taken aback, she could see Lucivar''s muscles and veins bulging hard, almost as if he was at the peak of a battle¡ªor suffering an immense amount of pain. His hands gripped the floor tightly, digging his nails into the tiles.

    Seeing this, Leandra knelt down and placed her hand over his exposed back.

    Upon the touch, a frown crossed her face, ''His body is burning...''

    Krrk!

    Just then, Leandra''s attention was pulled when she heard a disturbing, bony sound.

    Pulling back a little, she went to the front and saw Lucivar grinding his teeth very hard.

    It created a harsh, grating sound that was uncomfortable to the ears.

    He did it so hard that his teeth slipped¡ªsinking hard into his lower lip followed by the taste of iron flooding his mouth, as the bite tore through his skin, a thin stream trickling down his chin, but he didn''t even flinch as that happened.

    Leandra realized what Lucivar was experiencing and was trying to do.

    ''He''s forcing himself to not scream,'' She pondered.

    Making a graceful stroke with her hand, she slowly created a bubble¡ªof purple ether around them both. Once it was finished¡ªLeandra placed Lucivar''s chin on her shoulder, and hugged him, "Scream, you don''t need to hold it back now"

    As soon as Lucivar heard that, he screamed at the top of his lungs.

    It was not a scream of pain but rather, a scream of guttural anger that filled his veins.

    Lucivar felt the wrath of a million lives coursing through him and was barely able to hold on.

    He screams so loud and long to the point of dizziness assaulting his mind.

    So hard that blood seeped out of his mouth and tears out of his eyes.

    Fortunately, the bubble of ether was able to block the scream lest the entire academy heard.

    A moment later.

    Lucivar was finally able to calm down as the wrath slowly dissipated from within.

    He leaned against the wall and composed his breathing.

    ''Loki lied to me...'' He pondered.

    Suddenly, the serpent materialized and slithered down from his shoulder.

    It then looked at him with a peculiar gaze.

    "Loki lied to me..." Lucivar whispered inaudibly so as to not alert Leandra on the other side.

    Upon hearing this, the serpent shook its head.

    "No, Father never lied to you"

    "I distinctively remembered your Father saying that all of this was for his amusement"

    "Father never confirmed that this was for his amusement, you assumed that yourself"

    "But he never corrected me. Hahah~ So that''s how you''re going to play..."

    A brief silence loomed over the two of them.

    Lucivar regulated his breaths for a good moment before he looked at the serpent again.

    "Who was she?"

    "Sunna, the Sun Goddess. Details do not matter to you¡ªall you need to know is that the man called Caldaros earlier¡ªhe is the avatar of Sunna. He is the person you need to eliminate. Kill him and your joy would be endless..."

    Learning about this, the scattered dots in his mind were connected instantly.

    Caldaros was a Vampire Hybrid¡ªthat could withstand the sunlight, it turns out he possessed the power of the Sun Goddess, allowing him to bypass, Vampire''s restriction. Not to mention, the gleaming aura surrounding him must be the blessing of Sunna.

    It was strong enough to devour him entirely.

    "So back then when you shielded me from a wave of energy, was that his?"

    "Yes, Caldaros broke through another realm and the influx of power from him is dangerous"

    "Dangerous? Would it hurt me?"

    "No, but it would inform Caldaros of your origins"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar gulped, which was even worse than being hurt by the blast.

    From Lucivar''s first encounter with Caldaros earlier, he seemed to be a nice person, but that would certainly change the moment he learned that¡ªLucivar has the blood of Loki inside of him, a God with an evil alignment.

    Judging from his developed Vampiric features, Caldaros was very strong.

    Probably at the later stages of the Acolyte rank.

    If Lucivar clashed against Caldaros, he would undoubtedly get one shot easily.

    For him to have even a small chance to win, he needed to reach the Acolyte rank himself.

    As Lucivar was trapped in contemplation, the serpent studied his expression¡ªsearching for any sign of defiance to this situation. But it was hard to read Lucivar''s face¡ªhis expression, gave no clues at all.

    Knowing what the serpent was doing, Lucivar smirked mysteriously.

    "Father and I are aware that you aspire to be free but in order to be free, you ne-"

    "Power... I need power. Don''t worry, I know."

    Lucivar intervened, he knew that having strength is the only way to achieve anything.

    It was the law of the world and he already learned the lesson dearly.

    Raising his gaze, his smirk widened, "Don''t worry, I will kill that avatar for you. It''s true that I want freedom to do anything I want, to prioritize nobody but myself. But do you even know, what I wanted the most when I achieved freedom? What do I aspire to do once I''m free?"

    Upon hearing this, the serpent tilted its head in confusion.

    He didn''t know the answer to that question.

    A brutal excitement flashed in Lucivar''s eyes before he opened his mouth again.

    "Karma, I want to fix it. And the only way to do that is to be the most evil living being in this world and the countless worlds out there¡ªstrong enough that even karma wouldn''t ignore. Killing the avatar of the Sun Goddess... now that is a feat I don''t want to miss" Lucivar said, his lips curled into a sadistic smile, one that surprised even the serpent.

    Such a twisted mindset was befitting of the Blessed Oracle.

    "What a twisted Angel you are..." the serpent commented.

    Just like that, the serpent disappeared once again.

    Lucivar still has some questions, such as the person to whom the memories belonged.

    But even without asking, he already had a guess in mind.

    ''Probably an avatar of Loki that lost against Sunna''s previous avatar'' He thought.

    In Lucivar''s eyes, the avatar of Loki was pitiful and outright pathetic.

    Having Loki''s powers, tailored for manipulation, it would take an extraordinarily foolish person to lose to the Sun Goddess. To be outwitted by Sunna''s avatar, someone who''s likely blessed by the naive ideals¡ªof a hero¡ªwas a remarkable failure in itself, a feat of incompetence that defied logic.

    A failure is Loki''s avatar, that''s what he is in Lucivar''s view.

    ''I''ll show you how to use Loki''s power, senior. Watch me from above'' Lucivar pondered.

    On the other hand, Leandra watches him talk to himself in silence, rubbing her cat pendant.

    She suspected him of having an imaginary friend because of this.

    Massaging her forehead, she stood up and approached.

    Lucivar looked up, he had already recovered from what he had experienced before.

    "Are you going to tell me what happened? Or are you going to keep me in the dark?"

    "If I tell you, I''ll have to kill you. Do you want that?"

    "Just give me something, anything at all! Like how are there two of you¡ªand why are you like this when you met with that first ranker earlier? Anything! I deserved it, no? I helped you a lot already"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar sighed.

    He knew that he was being unfair when Leandra was quite reliable in a sense.

    Even though his ploy made her reliable, she did things beyond what Lucivar expected of her.

    "Fine, I''ll ease your mind a little¡ªwhat was happening to me involves my bloodline"

    "Your bloodline? How is your bloodline able to duplicate you and make you react strongly like that to that Hybrid''s presence? Is he a Demon Hybrid or something? I''m pretty sure he''s not"

    "Let''s leave it at that. I can''t say more than that"

    Leandra was frustrated, she thought their new relationship meant that they were going to be open to one another but Lucivar was doing the complete opposite. He became more friendly, yes, but he seemed more untrue than before.

    At the very least, Lucivar showed his emotions clearly before but now, he didn''t.

    "Are you going to help me go back or not?" Lucivar asked, climbing back to his feet.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra exhaled roughly.

    It was clear that there was no use pushing Lucivar further than this.

    Moments later.

    Leandra brought Lucivar back to the Bastion of Blades, their dorm.

    Fortunately, the guards didn''t say a word when both of them arrived back at the dorm.

    Seemed like the guards knew where they''d been.

    Lucivar went back to his room, taking another leave for today.

    Sabrina quickly helped him lie down on the bed when he arrived back.

    Knowing what to do, she held Lucivar''s hand and let him absorb her ether to heal.

    Other than needing to recuperate, he also needed to finish the rest of the Divine Blood, he hadn''t absorbed the spheres completely due to how massive they were. The green sphere was almost exhausted but the golden sphere was still robust.

    Later that night, Lucivar was being massaged by Sabrina.

    He was enjoying the treatment after a long day.

    Most of his wounds were healed but his stamina and ether were still exhausted.

    Just then, however, a loud siren rang across the entire dorm.

    Lucivar sprawled to his feet with a frown.

    He went to the door and stepped outside before an announcement could be heard.

    "A Dungeon has been detected! A Dungeon has been detected!"

    "Please be advised, first-year academy hunters are required to gather at the lobby"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyebrows were raised, "Oh, my first official dungeon is here..."

 Chapter 76 76: Famous

    It wasn''t that peaceful for the academy hunters lately.

    Lucivar had heard this siren a couple of times already¡ªbut only one was meant for him, and the other first-year academy hunters. But the ones called were Ravenna and Bob along with one more that are Hybrids at the Acolyte rank.

    Surely they were called to reinforce the second-year''s assault teams.

    Now, however, was the first-year''s turn.

    Considering that they were first-year and this would be their first dungeon, it wouldn''t be too hard, highly likely to be a yellow dungeon. But then again Lucivar with his new understanding of the Divine Blood wanted to test out a few things.

    So he didn''t really want to tackle a stronger dungeon as of now.

    "Are you going to be alright? I wouldn''t be there to help you in case you need ether"

    "I''ll make some preparations but hey, is that worry I heard in your voice?"

    "Me? Worried? Not at all, you must be full of yourself"

    Sabrina scoffed and turned her gaze away, denying whether she was worried or not.

    But she was too obvious, it was obvious that she was worried.

    ''Because of what had happened, her behavior towards me slightly changed,'' Lucivar thought.

    Getting up from bed, feeling refreshed from being massaged, he wore his uniform.

    Sabrina needed to help him a bit since it was quite hard to put it on with his wing on the way.

    "Seriously, you need to do something with your wing"

    "I would but it''s not like I could flick my finger and magically retract my wing with a thought"

    However, the moment he said that, the wing twisted and went into his body.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar and Sabrina exchanged a surprised look.

    "How did I do that...?"

    "You could do it this whole time?! I already stitched a dozen of your uniforms, you asshole!"

    Feeling that she had wasted her efforts, Sabrina assaulted Lucivar, hitting him repeatedly.

    It was more like venting hits rather than actual hits of course.

    Even then, Lucivar put his arm up as the hits were still annoying.

    "Had I known that, would I even be letting you stitch my uniforms? I also don''t know!"

    "Liar! I know I''m your personal maid but I barely slept because of that!"

    Not even wasting a single second more inside the room¡ªwith the angry Sabrina, Lucivar got out of his room and closed the door behind him. He could hear Sabrina''s voice still cursing at him from behind the door.

    "I really didn''t know I could do that..." He mused. "Must be because of my breakthrough"

    Upon absorbing the golden sphere entirely, he was able to break through to the five-star.

    Albeit barely having enough ether, he was now officially a five-star Neophyte Hybrid.

    It was why his emerald wing matured and probably also why he could retract it like this.

    Clicking his tongue, Lucivar put his hands in his pockets and walked away.

    He went to the lobby which was essentially the training space at the center of the cave and saw the others were there. Since the announcement said, that all first-year are called, there must be a lot of dungeons opened.

    Lucivar came across Mirel along the way and both of them lined up with the others.

    Due to what had happened, Fabio got a promotion.

    He was now the Hunter Assistant Overseer, the main assistant for the academy hunters.

    Now, donning his new title, he was the one addressing the dungeons too.

    "Separate yourself into your teams and make a group of five!"

    Upon hearing this, the academy hunters began to move and arranged themselves.

    Lucivar has a tint of tint of black on his uniform''s sleeve¡ªsymbolizing that he belongs to the outcast team. Blue is for the defender team and red is for the assault team. Naturally, he and Mirel made a group, pulling Leandra also with them.

    As the three gathered, Mirel scanned the crowd of academy hunters.

    "What about the other two?" He asked, scanning the crowd.

    Leandra also did the same and crossed her arms, "It''s probably only a yellow dungeon"

    Both Lucivar and Mirel instantly get what Leandra meant.

    All three of them were strong enough to take care of a yellow dungeon.

    Since Lucivar was good at finding the proselytes, Leandra and Mirel had no problem holding the crossers. But what the three needed to keep in mind¡ªwas that the resources¡ªfrom the dungeon would be split among the group.

    A party to tackle the dungeon was composed of one assault, defender, and outcasts team.

    It could vary with stronger dungeons but for yellow dungeon, this is the standard.

    Having the rewards split into three dungeons was already bad so splitting it into more people is going¡ªto be heart-breaking. Unfortunately, the group must consist of five people, so what better way than taking the weakest outcasts with them?

    "Lucviar, do you want to be a part of our group?"

    "No, don''t go with them. Join mine instead!"

    "All of you are going to be a burden for him, let him be with my group instead"

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar was approached by a lot of people.

    Everyone has heard what Lucivar had done, exposing Professor Fury and also getting rid of Dylan¡ªand Blane who were planning to explode the entire establishment out of their sheer frustration for not being accepted by students.

    Naturally, his public view changed drastically from a nobody to somebody.

    It was no surprise that many wanted to get close to him.

    Lucivar smiled acutely, wanting to refuse their advancements until his eyes caught the sight of two people on the corner. Both of them seemed¡ªto be the most nervous out of all, and it was clear that they didn''t have a group yet.

    Academy hunters are essentially another test to become students.

    For these two who couldn''t shine, it was clear that they weren''t going to become students.

    But those two are exactly who Lucivar was looking for.

    Going through the crowd, Lucivar made wide steps and approached the two hunters.

    Seeing him approaching, the two exchanged a look, not knowing what Lucivar was planning.

    However, when he arrived, he stretched his hand with a smile.

    "Do you guys have a group yet? If you don''t, do you want to join mine?" He asked politely.

    Upon seeing this, the other academy hunters were stunned and fell silent for a moment.

    In the next second, they exploded in cheers.

    "Kyaah~ How cool can he possibly be?"

    "Of course, he wouldn''t want to be with us!"

    "Yes, that''s right! He rather help the academy hunters who need help the most. So kind..."

    Listening to their cheers, Lucivar''s smile stiffened.

    ''Shut the fuck up, I''m not anything like that. I just want the rewards for myself'' He thought.

    He couldn''t believe that his recruiting these two hunters was mistaken as a ''good'' deed.

    It''s not.

    As opposed to a good deed, it would end up more like bullying instead.

    Confused and shocked by the sudden question¡ªthe two hunters stuttered unable to find the words to answer the question. However, both of them knew, that this was the only way, to be a part of the academy hunters sent to deal with the dungeons.

    Being excluded from this would be catastrophic for them.

    If they were left behind this one time then it would happen again, again, and again.

    First impression matters and there''s no way they''re going to pass up on this.

    "Yes! Please take care of me," One of them said and bowed.

    Upon hearing this, the other one, pressured, also bowed, "Me too, please take care of me"

    Lucivar grinned seeing this but since he was facing away, nobody saw his grin.

    Now that the groups had been made, Fabio proceeded to call the leader of each group to come forward and take a number. It was a number for the dungeon they were going to be attacking.

    Lucivar obtained the lucky number thirteen.

    His group was paired with a defender and assault team with no familiar faces.

    Once again, assumed as the leader, he was given a tablet.

    On that tablet was the description of the dungeon they were going to attack.

    As expected, it was a yellow dungeon that was situated near a slave city under the Sunhold City, called Veloria City. Based on the provided information, there should be two proselytes, and the dungeon would break soon but the people of the city refused to evacuate.

    It was stated that the people of the city were refusing because it was their beloved city.

    If the city would fall, the people would fall alongside it.

    "Hmm... what does this ''priority'' section mean?" Lucivar asked in confusion.

    Right underneath the name of the city was the priority section, and it was graded as ''High''.

    One of the hunters reached her hand, and clicked on it, opening another tab.

    It was the description of why Veloria City was considered as high.

    From the description, the slave city was considered a high priority to be saved, because the city made a great contribution to supplying nuns worshipping the Blood God. On top of that, the nuns were not normal people either.

    Due to their devotion to the Blood God, they were blessed by the ability of healing.

    A healing through the sacrifice of blood, making them very important.

    Lucivar didn''t know how strong the healing would be but it should be very strong.

    Because of their importance, another party was stationed nearby if Lucivar''s party failed.

    Never leaving his home city before, Lucivar barely knew about other slave cities.

    His home city contributed Hybrids so he thought all slave cities contributed the same.

    But he was wrong, there were other instances.

    "Seems like we got a troublesome one..." Lucivar mused with an acute smile.

    At the very bottom of the file, there was a note stamped by the Valerius Supreme House.

    "Save the city no matter the cost, even your lives. Cowardice is punishable by death."

    Upon reading this, the other academy hunters felt a shiver run down their spines.

    Not only were they sent to a troublesome city but they were also not given any choice but to succeed. If they didn''t and somehow survived, they would be executed. It was probably why there was another party waiting for them.

    Other than making sure the city was saved, the other party also acted as a spy.

    If any of them ran, they would be executed.

    ''Guess this is why the days¡ªas academy hunters were spent training and learning¡ªand also many were depressed when failing to become students. Our lives are for the students, this is what it meant...'' Lucivar pondered.

    But even then, he cracked a smile.

    Death was not that scary anymore as he had experienced it.

    ''Without pressure, there are no diamonds. How could I be strong without pressure?''

    Lucivar thought, seeing the fear on the others'' faces, and laughed inwardly at them.

    ''None of them are meant to be strong but I am.''

 Chapter 77 77: Leaving For the First Mission

    Lucivar and the others geared up as they were a part of the earliest party to depart.

    He was allowed to wear slightly better armor due to him being the leader of the party¡ªand also choosing a weapon of his choice, which led him to end up, with dual-wielding. One is a short sword while the other is a dagger.

    Remembering his fight with Namira, he dreaded a direct confrontation.

    Even his abilities weren''t fit for such a situation.

    His Snare and Radiant Burst abilities were tailored for instant kill attacks¡ªassassination.

    One is to bind someone in place while the other is to knock someone back.

    Of course¡ªhis immense ether empowered by Loki''s strands¡ªwas able to make the Radiant Burst a lethal offensive attack but innately, the ability was tailored to push someone back. It wasn''t made to explode limbs.

    Keeping that in mind, he chooses the dagger as his weapon of choice.

    As for the short sword, he picked it up because he was going to take down a dungeon.

    Daggers are short and faced against big opponents, it wouldn''t be able to cut deep enough.

    So as a backup weapon for that situation, Lucivar brought the short sword.

    It was half an arm''s length or two times longer than the dagger.

    Lucivar changed his clothes from the regular outfit to the combat outfit, which was a blend of black and red skin-tight, plated one-piece suit, with the academy''s crest on the chest. A suit that was tailored to resist slashing attacks.

    He put a couple of vials inside a bag, ether potions for an emergency.

    Albeit he tried asking Professor Aeldric¡ªfor more ether potions, he was told that he would not be sponsored again, and needed to use his own academy points. He did use quite a lot during his training but he also did Professor Aeldric a favor.

    But that only amounted to this much it seemed.

    Fortunately, he was not completely broke.

    From the ninja test, he got 250 points and an additional 1,000 bonus from Professor Aeldric.

    One ether potion cost him 50 points and he bought ten of them to be sure.

    He then used 200 points to buy two healing potions so that leaves him with 550 points.

    "What happened to your wing?" A voice pulled his attention from behind.

    It was Leandra, already fully geared.

    "Reached the five-star Hybrid. Be careful, I might beat you in our next bout"

    "Even if you are stronger, you''re still sluggish. It would take a couple more years to beat me"

    "Sluggish? I could fare well against Bakar already and you can''t say Bakar is sluggish"

    "You''ll see when the time comes..."

    Lucivar sneered before continuing what he was doing but the talk of power made his mind, wander somewhere else, ''As Loki said, the doppelganger is blocking me, from reaching the Acolyte rank. I need to take it out as soon as possible,''

    He needed to achieve this fast as he needed to kill Caldaros.

    Not only that but the hatred from the vision he received also rubbed onto him.

    Despite not doing anything to him in particular, Lucivar felt burning hatred towards Caldaros.

    A welcoming sensation as this feeling only motivated him to become stronger faster.

    Moreover, there was also the approaching tournament.

    If he failed to reach the top three, Professor Aeldric would expose him and that''s bad.

    Darting his eyes left and right slowly, Lucivar was troubled.

    ''I can feel someone is watching me, the doppelganger must be watching me through some methods. I''m worried that it might cause a ruckus while I''m away, but I think it could not go far away from me,'' Lucivar pondered.

    All of the acts the doppelganger did were done nearby.

    First, it made a move on Andre¡ªwhen Lucivar was still in the candidate dorm. Second¡ªnow that Lucivar was in Bastion of Blades, the doppelganger attacked and killed Dylan. It made it quite obvious that there was a limit to how far it could go away from Lucivar.

    So Lucivar wasn''t that worried, the doppelganger would follow him in the shadows.

    ''But even then, I''m still unsure. I needed to confirm it,'' Lucivar firmed.

    On top of that, there''s a possibility that the doppelganger could read his mind.

    As both of them are one, it''s another possibility.

    Just as he thought of that, someone entered the locker room for his party.

    He glanced towards the door and saw that it was Bakar.

    Bakar''s eyes flashed with mild excitement when he saw that Lucivar was in the room.

    "Can I talk to you for a second?" Bakar asked.

    Lucivar, confused, nodded in response and followed him to talk in the hallway.

    Upon arriving there, Lucivar raised an eyebrow.

    "What dungeon did you and your party get? You''re the leader, right?"

    "Yes, I got Katam City. You got Veloria City, I know. We''re close with each other"

    "Hmm, that''s good, we could help each other. So, what do you want to talk about?"

    Bakar looked around to make sure nobody was listening before he continued.

    "I heard you healed Leandra before,"

    "Yes, I did. Not completely though, Nerissa did the rest"

    "Right... I need your help with something"

    "What? Are you hurt somewhere?"

    Approaching closer, Bakar pulled up his shirt and showed a nasty wound on his chest.

    On his solar plexus to be exact, right above his supposed Supernatural Ego.

    "I was about to reach the five-star but I forced my body too much and this happened,"

    "Did your Supernatural Ego get hurt?"

    "Fortunately, no, but this wound has been killing me for a couple of days"

    But this made Lucivar frown in confusion.

    "Nerissa is in your team, her healing abilities are exceptional, why not go to her?" He asked.

    Bakar scratched the back of his head, "Ah... I don''t want to bother her"

    Lucivar sighed, he could see exactly what was happening.

    "Huh, you''re embarrassed, is that really what drives you to come to me?"

    "Nerissa would nag me non-stop. I rather not train for a week straight than tell her"

    "Really? You? A fighting maniac not training for a week?"

    "Just... are you going to help me or not? I really need a hand here"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar paused for a second in thought.

    He could see that Bakar was clearly hurting from the wound and he would be in trouble if the wound worsened while he was tackling the dungeon. However, Lucivar felt like helping Bakar would be him missing an opportunity.

    Something was amiss if he helped Bakar instantly, he could feel it.

    Just then, his eyes flickered with a realization.

    "Fine, I''ll help you heal it. But there would be two sessions¡ªone would be done now, and the other would be done later, maybe tonight. We''re going on the same bus, right? You said your city and my city are close"

    "Yes, but can''t it be finished right now?"

    "Like I said, I''m not as good as a healer compared to Nerissa. Stop asking for too much"

    "Okay, as long as you keep this hidden from the others"

    Lucivar nodded, before he started tending to Bakar using the versatile strands.

    He now has a maximum strands of eight from his breakthrough to the five-star.

    Of course¡ªhe wasn''t going to spend the versatile strands, without replenishing it, so he also asked Bakar for his ether. It took only five minutes and Bakar could feel the pain and became way better than before.

    But it still persists.

    As Lucivar said, he needed two sessions to be healed completely.

    "Maybe the second session would be when we got out of the bus,"

    "Agreed, I''ll see you then"

    "Okay, thanks for the help, I owe you one"

    Seeing Bakar walking through the hallway with a better posture than before, Lucivar nodded.

    ''Now that the trap is set, I''ll see how this would go,'' He pondered before turning around.

    Entering back the locker room, he continued packing his stuff.

    Out of curiosity, Leandra asked from the side.

    "What did Bakar say? It was unlike him to come to look for you like this"

    "A favor to be saved from Nerissa''s nagging"

    "Favor? What favor?"

    Not even answering, Lucivar went to the other room, the equipment room.

    He closed the door behind him, spiking Leandra''s curiosity further.

    Glancing to the side, she also met with Mirel''s gaze who was also curious the same.

    Sneaking to the door, Leandra and Mirel exchanged a look before Mirel twisted the handle of the door and pushed it open silently. Everyone was already in the locker room, and the other room was only for equipment storage.

    So Lucivar shouldn''t have any business being there unless he forgot something.

    But if that was the case, he wouldn''t close the door behind him.

    As soon as the door was opened, Mirel and Leandra heard Lucivar''s voice.

    He seemed to be talking to someone, even laughing in hubris, which was rare for him to do.

    It was a genuine laugh, almost as if he was back to being a kid.

    "Yeah, I know, right? I guess everyone was afraid to make Nerissa cry,"

    "Oh, and also, today is going to be my first time riding a modern vehicle¡ªa bus they called. I was used to riding carriages but I heard that buses could carry dozens of people! How big is this bus? I don''t know-"

    Peeking from the door, Mirel and Leandra saw Lucivar was on the phone with someone.

    "Since when did he have a phone? Did he buy it recently?"

    "No, that''s not important. Who is he talking to? He talked about Nerissa,"

    "I don''t know, maybe Master Tobias?"

    "Lucivar never talked like that with Master Tobias, it''s definitely not him"

    "Then who could it be?"

    "I don''t know..."

    Leandra squinted her eyes, wandering the person on the other side of Lucivar''s phone.

    ...

    Moments later, Lucivar and his party rode a big bug and rode out of the academy grounds.

    He looked out the windows in excitement as this was a new experience for him.

    All of the tall buildings of the city and cars passed like a blur as the bus headed to the gate.

    Soon, the bus reached outside and sped up¡ªeating up ground and passing the mesmerizing lake, right outside of Sunhold City. Lucivar kept his eye open, and kept glancing back once in a while as if he was trying to find something.

    Hours have gone by as the bus drove through the paved, smooth road.

    Before Lucivar knew it, the day had turned darker.

    But even though those hours, it was spent with him marveling at the view and sensation.

    Not even one second was wasted by him.

    Even Leandra fell asleep beside him due to the comfortable, moving vehicle.

    Finally, they found the end of the road that leads to a thick forest.

    As the driver told them before, once they reached the end of the road¡ªthey would have to resume the rest of the way by foot. One hunter who realized that they had arrived woke up the others to prepare.

    Leandra woke up, rubbed her face, and took her sword.

    She was about to wake Lucivar up but saw him already up, looking out of the window.

    A smile was plastered on his face as Lucivar caught something in the forests.

    "Ahh... I think I''m right," He muttered silently.

 Chapter 78 78: Fighting Fiercely

    Lucivar and the other hunters on the bus got down and stretched their limbs.

    It had been a long journey to get here, their bodies were sore from the long hours of sitting.

    Glancing to the front of the bus¡ªLucivar found that it was the end of the pavement road into rough dirt. Checking the map on the tablet computer he was given before their departure, he saw that they would need to walk a couple more miles to reach Veloria City.

    It was even worse than Bakar''s party which only needed to go for a mile or two.

    Upon taking their bags and gear in the trunk, the two groups were ready to continue.

    "I''ll be waiting and protecting the bus. Come straight back when the dungeon is successfully closed. Accept no hospitality from the people, all of you came here to deal with the dungeon¡ªnothing more, nothing less," the driver reminded while lighting up a cigarette.

    Even though the driver looked ordinary appearance-wise, he could handle himself.

    His task was to protect the bus from bandits or anyone who wanted to steal it.

    Conditions in slave cities were way worse.

    Desperation thrived in most of the slave cities so bandits are commonplace here.

    Nodding in understanding, the groups entered the forest.

    Since it was already getting dark¡ªthe academy hunters grabbed their flashlights and rushed through the forest, wanting to reach their designated cities before it got too late. Bakar along with his group would be able to reach their city quickly.

    But Lucvar''s group, on the other hand, not so much.

    It has been around half an hour of walking through the ascending slope of the forest.

    Bakar''s group led the way.

    And through the rows of people, Lucivar could see Bakar stealing glances at him.

    Clearly, he wanted the second session to happen as soon as possible.

    "Let''s take a ten-minute break, be mindful of the others!"

    Out of nowhere, Bakar declared, looking through the crowd and at two figures at the back.

    It was the two Hybrids, the ones Lucivar pulled to his group, Felix and Nolan.

    Realizing that they were being a burden, the two smiled apologetically.

    "I''m sorry, it has been some time since I walked this much"

    "Me too..."

    Despite the others'' reluctance, Bakar was their leader so they had no choice.

    Lucivar also said the same thing and told his group to take a break too.

    Being considerate, Mirel fired a lightning strike at two spots, creating a bonfire for the groups to gather around and block the breezing cold wind of the forest. As the groups settled, Bakar shot Lucivar a glance before he went into the woods, separating from the others.

    Since Leandra was right beside Lucivar, she saw this gesture.

    "Are you going to follow him?"

    "Maybe later. For now, I want to show you my new Diamond-class spell. Want to see it?"

    "You want to show it to me...?"

    Leandra was slightly surprised by this offer, prompting a confused look on her face.

    "Yeah, is there a problem with that?"

    "No, there''s no problem with that. Show it to me"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra plucked her hair behind her ears, slightly blushing.

    "What should I do?"

    "Give me your hand, the shape of the mark is quite cool so I''m going to make it on-"

    As Lucivar chanted the Soul Warden spell, Mirel, curious, joined in.

    "Don''t always leave me out! Instead of Leandra, make the mark on me first!"

    "Fine..."

    "What is the mark for anyway? Is it a boosting spell?"

    "Not really, it''s more lie-"

    About five minutes later, both Leandra and Mirel looked at the mark branded on them.

    It was the sigil of the Soul Warden spell that took the shape of an eye made of three lines.

    Even though golden light carved it initially, the sigil''s end result was black in color.

    "So this is a diamond-class spell? It doesn''t feel powerful"

    "Pain-wise, it felt like a sting. What does this do?"

    Just as the two were marveling at the sigil, Lucivar covered his mouth and coughed blood.

    Both Mirel¡ªand Leandra turned towards him in concern, confused¡ªas to why he was doing this if he hadn''t fully mastered it. In reality, Lucivar had already mastered the spell but it was still too strong for his current ether reserves.

    Not giving them any chance to question, Lucivar explained.

    "I only reached the first stage of the spell¡ªso that sigil could inform me where you are at all times¡ªand also sense if you''re in trouble," He said, showing a proud smile. "Good, right? It''s perfect for tackling a dungeon"

    As he said that, Lucivar took a vial from his bag and chugged it in one go.

    He threw it away, wiped his lips, and stood up.

    "Where are you going?" Leandra asked, a questioning look etched on her face.

    Lucivar turned and waved his hand, "I need to take a leak so don''t follow me"

    Meanwhile, a distance away from the groups, Bakar was leaning against a tree impatiently.

    His arms were crossed, and his index finger tapped rhythmically against his skin.

    Shooting a signal at Lucivar, he waited in silence.

    Five minutes had already passed but there was still no sign of Lucivar, and unease began to creep in. If he lingered for too long, the group would start to worry¡ªand would start looking for him.

    At that point, the second session would be aborted.

    Nerissa would find out if they forced it and he didn''t want that to happen.

    Just as he was about to return since Lucivar didn''t seem to be able to make it Bakar stopped when he saw the bushes, rustle. Coming out¡ªof the darkness was a figure¡ªand seeing this, he cheered inside.

    It must be Lucivar and when the figure came into view, it was true, it was Lucivar.

    "Heal me quickly, we should have a couple of minutes to finish this," He said.

    Lucivar kept approaching him without saying anything.

    Upon seeing this, Bakar frowned and noticed that one of Lucivar''s hands was hidden behind.

    Something was off but it''s Lucivar so it shouldn''t be anything to worry about.

    As he was about to speak again, his pupils dilated when he caught a reflection of light.

    It shone with a lethality and made a dangerous arc through the air, flashed only for a fraction of a second. Despite his wounds, Bakar was able to react albeit barely, pulling his head back as a blade sliced his chin.

    Stumbling backward, both of his eyes widened in complete shock.

    He reached for his chin and felt a sting, and that sting brought him back to reality.

    "Lucivar?! What are you doing?!" He shouted, his breaths rapidly becoming heavy.

    Had he not felt something was a bit off with Lucivar, that blade would''ve sliced his throat.

    Naturally, the fact that he almost died fueled his bloodstream with adrenaline.

    Failing the ambush attack, Lucivar raised his gaze, exposing his bright green eyes that made him look completely different, than normal. He licked the blood off of the dagger in his hand, menacingly, telling Bakar that he had no intention of stopping.

    Confused and panic assaulted Bakar''s mind, he didn''t know why Lucivar was doing this.

    ''No, I''m stronger than him... I''ll beat the answer out of him'' He firmed.

    Remembering that he was stronger, Bakar raised both of his fists, preparing to fight.

    But seeing this made Lucivar shoot a mocking smirk at him.

    Cutting through the gap between them, Lucivar suddenly blasted forward, reaching Bakar in the blink of an eye. Not having his weapon with him, Bakar used his ether¡ªto strengthen his arms, blocking a powerful slash.

    He was surprised when he lost in the clash of strength.

    Lucivar''s slash sent him off of his feet and fell backward, the force was shocking.

    Despite that, Bakar was no amateur as he made a somersault back and regained his footing.

    He raised his gaze and saw Lucivar already made another heavy slash from above¡ªhowever, this time, Bakar caught his wrist, stopping the slash entirely. Retaliating, Lucivar used his free hand for a punch but was also caught by Bakar.

    Gripping Lucivar''s hands tightly, Bakar glared at him, "Just why are you doing this?!"

    Ignoring the question, Lucivar spat at Bakar''s eyes.

    Bakar turned away, anger bubbled inside of him as he was not expecting this kind of battle.

    But as he was about to shout back at Lucivar, he was met with a powerful headbutt.

    It landed directly on his nose, breaking it and causing his eyes to tear up.

    ''Since when did Lucivar fight this fiercely? He never used underhanded tricks like this!''

    Having to spar or even fight for real against Lucivar several times, Bakar didn''t know that he could fight this fiercely. It surprised him greatly when Lucivar''s fighting style out of nowhere changed completely.

    Not stopping at that, a pushing explosion exploded on his back.

    It was Lucivar''s Radiant Burst spell.

    Bakar was forcefully pushed forward again and was met with another powerful headbutt.

    Earlier, his nose was already broken but with the second headbutt¡ªthe bones shattered.

    Hissing in pain, Bakar peeked through the splashes of blood and fixed on Lucivar.

    Realizing that Lucivar was being for real, Bakar''s right leg muscles bulged, turning as strong as iron before he made a roundhouse kick that whipped and landed on Lucivar''s face, as he fell backward.

    Receiving the direct kick, Lucivar was thrown like a ragdoll to the other side.

    Bakar landed on his back and instantly grabbed his nose.

    He was in so much pain from his shattered nose that he could barely open his eyes.

    His eyes were already swelling with tears.

    Gritting his teeth, he forced his eyes to open and glared at where Lucivar was thrown into.

    Clenching both of his fists he dashed in that direction¡ªwanting to pay Lucivar back for what he did. Regardless of the reason, he needed to be taught a lesson first as making an ambush like this was unacceptable.

    But as he looked around, Lucivar was nowhere to be seen.

    It seemed he ran away after doing all of that.

    Bakar wasted no time and rushed back to the others, knowing that Lucivar should run there.

    Upon reaching back to the others, his wrathful eyes scanned the place.

    "Where''s Lucivar?!" He shouted, eyes bulging in anger.

    Mirel was the first one to stand up, "He took a leak, what happened to you?"

    Making wide steps toward Mirel, Bakar grabbed his collar.

    "Tell me, where did Lucivar go to?!"

    "Calm down! Bakar, what''s wrong with you? Did you get into a fight?"

    "Just tell me where Lucivar went! He did this to me!"

    Just then, a figure emerged from the side, it was Lucivar.

    Lucivar zipped up his pants, returning from his private time.

    "What was all the ruckus for? I could hear someone shouting my name" He picked his ear.

    Seeing his nonchalance, Bakar got even angrier, "LUCIVAR!!"

 Chapter 79 79: Veloria City: the City of Blood

    Bakar, furious, charged instantly at Lucivar without hesitation.

    His muscles swelled and bulged, showcasing the full might of a Troll Hybrid as he charged in for a vicious swing at Lucivar who seemed to be surprised by this hostility. However¡ªbefore he could strike Lucivar, Leandra, and Mirel held him back.

    Both of them swiftly moved and stopped Bakar.

    "Calm yourself and explain what''s going on"

    "What is wrong with you?! Did your bloodline act up again?"

    Despite this, Bakar gritted his teeth and kept pushing forward, his strength was enormous.

    "Let me go! He tried to kill me!" He bared, glaring at Lucivar.

    Upon hearing this, Mirel couldn''t help but frown.

    "No, that''s not right. Why would Lucivar try to kill you? It doesn''t make sense"

    "I don''t know! Do you think I would lie about this?!"

    Knowing that Bakar was the friendliest out of the whole bunch¡ªnever treated others roughly in any way possible, even with his vigorous Troll constitution, Mirel''s frown dipped further. He was torn between which to believe but he still turned to Lucivar for an answer.

    Similarly, Leandra also turned towards Lucivar in question.

    Unlike Mirel who was completely oblivious, Leandra''s gaze was a meaningful one.

    She knew what was happening here.

    "Excuse us for a second, I''ll resolve this issue with Bakar. Keep a lookout for bandits"

    Lucivar told the others to prolong their break, before signaling for Bakar, Mirel, and Leandra to go to a more secluded place. All four of them walked to the side¡ªaway from prying eyes with Bakar still breathing like a bull.

    Reaching a far enough place, the four stopped.

    But as expected, Nerissa, who saw what had happened also came in utter confusion.

    "Nerissa, you should stay with the others in case something bad happens," Lucivar said.

    Nerissa shot him a look, "Don''t exclude me from this, I can handle it"

    Seeing that he couldn''t push Nerissa away, Lucivar sighed.

    Instantly, Lucivar became the center of attention as all were waiting for his explanation.

    From Bakar''s shouts earlier, it was clear that Lucivar attacked him.

    "Guess I''ll be entrusting you guys with this burden," He started. "I have a doppelganger"

    Now that the doppelganger has made a move on Bakar, keeping this a secret¡ªis no longer possible. So he decided to tell the others what he told Leandra, that the doppelganger has something to do with his bloodline.

    It was trying to cause as much trouble for him¡ªan evil apparition of himself.

    Lucivar also told them that the one who killed Dylan was the doppelganger, not him.

    He told them everything to earn their trust.

    Of course, he excluded everything about Loki or the other Gods inside of him.

    "So you''re using me...?" Bakar said in utter astonishment.

    "I''m sorry for using you," Lucivar apologized. "I still know little about the doppelganger and I used you to know more. I could''ve used Mirel, or Leandra, but out of all of them, I know that you could handle yourself on top of having the opportunity to use you"

    Upon hearing this, Bakar was assaulted with mixed feelings.

    On one hand, he was glad that Lucivar was not trying to kill him but on the other, Lucivar did use him to learn more, about the doppelganger, risking his life. If the doppelganger managed to execute a flawless sneak attack, Bakar could''ve died there.

    Knowing what was inside Bakar''s mind, Lucivar continued.

    "Also, you are the one who fought with me the most. So you know how I fight,"

    "It''s not fighting like you at all. It spat at me and headbutted me like a maniac"

    As Bakar said that, he covered his nose as more blood drizzled down.

    Seeing this, Nerissa quickly channeled her ether and healed him.

    She was tearing up from the sight of the wound¡ªseeing the others getting hurt pained her.

    "Please don''t do that again, don''t hide things from us..." Nerissa said, glancing at Lucivar.

    Lucivar sighed and nodded, guilt could be seen on his face.

    Going back to the topic, Mirel spoke.

    "I think you should think of a unique gesture to identify yourself when approaching us"

    "No, that won''t do. I''m sure my doppelganger is watching us right now"

    "Should we try finding it and take it down?"

    "It could hide inside the academy grounds, I think finding it will not be easy"

    "Then what should we do?"

    "Don''t worry, I''ll handle it myself. I won''t involve you guys again"

    As he said that, Lucivar tilted his head down and rubbed his forehead, stressing out.

    But then, Nerissa came and held his hand, shaking her head repeatedly with puffed cheeks.

    "No, if it''s your problem then it''s our problem. We''re a family" She said.

    Mirel nodded, "Yes, she''s right. Just tell us what we need to do to help you"

    Albeit reluctantly, Bakar also nodded, showing that he was on board.

    Leandra too, she didn''t say anything but Lucivar could feel her pinch from behind.

    Seeing them all supportive, Lucivar covered his face, seemingly emotional.

    "I appreciate you guys..." He whispered, almost inaudible but the others heard what he said.

    Upon hearing this, Mirel and Nerissa hugged him, also emotional.

    As they were making a group hug¡ªLucivar heard a small rustle seeping into his ears and the sensation that he was being watched was gone. But even then, the foreboding feeling didn''t disappear but became stronger instead.

    Amidst the group hug, Lucivar''s lips curled into a grin of unknown origin.

    Moments later, Lucivar and the others returned to their groups.

    Even though the others showed their support, Lucivar only told them, that the only thing, he wanted from them was to keep themselves safe. He didn''t need any help other than that, he only wanted them to be safe.

    Following that logic, he told them to not pull back against him if he was acting suspiciously.

    Just treat him as if he was a potential enemy, always.

    Finishing their problems, the groups continued their journey.

    Bakar''s group and Lucivar''s group separated halfway through the forest.

    It was almost midnight when Lucivar and his group saw the sight of Veloria City''s entrance.

    Unlike the robust walls that surrounded Sunhold City, unbreakable and massive, the entrance to Veloria City was nothing more than two wooden sticks on either side of a muddy road. The condition of the city was even worse than Lucivar''s hometown.

    "Man, this place is very spooky..." Mirel commented, glancing at a totem on his left.

    Lucivar also glanced at the totem and saw that the totem was clean.

    Despite the condition of the road and everything else, the totem was spotless clean.

    An obvious sign that it was cleaned regularly.

    ''Since the people of this city are religious, this totem must be their God, the Blood God...''

    Appearance-wise, the totem has the head of a skull¡ªred eyes, and is draped in a red cloak.

    Spanning on each side is a pair of bat wings, mighty and eerie at the same time.

    Lucivar led the group and entered the city with wide steps.

    Eventually, he came across a man wearing a black and white cassock, holding a skull-shaped censer. A deep scent of blood permeated from the censer, causing Lucivar, and the others to cover their noses.

    "May I help you?" the man asked, his face unseen, and his voice was hoarse like an old man.

    Lucivar nodded, "We''re academy hunters to deal with the dungeon"

    Upon hearing this, the man''s body stiffened for a second before relaxing once again.

    He nodded his head and brought Lucivar and his group to meet with the pastor.

    Along the way, the eerieness of the city became even worse.

    Bone lanterns were the only thing lighting up the street, allowing them to see the road.

    Moreover, the ground felt sticky and slippery, donning the color of an odd brown.

    Each of the houses along the road was run-down¡ªwith cracks everywhere, and didn''t seem to be inhabited. Reaching the church, Lucivar and the others got inside and were told by the man to wait as he called for the pastor.

    It took a couple of minutes before the pastor came, wearing a wide, friendly smile.

    "Thank goodness¡ªGod has answered by sending you all here. Please, let me show you your temporary lodging. Your journey to reach here, and aid us is long and hard, I''m sure you''re all tired. Come, please, I''ll show you the way"

    Hearing this, the others nodded, they would take a brief break before making their move.

    However, Lucivar quickly stopped the pastor.

    "Can he be the one to show the rooms?" He nudged at another. "I want to know the details"

    Pausing for a second, the pastor''s smile returned.

    "Of course, you must be the leader. I''ll have old priest Kaki show the lodgings" He replied.

    Lucivar gestured for the others to follow Kaki while he stayed behind with the pastor.

    As the others went to the other room, Lucivar''s eyes peered through the back.

    He saw someone peeking from a door, a woman.

    It made him frown but he kept his cool until the pastor nodded and led the way.

    "Follow me, I''ll show you the portal," He said, heading to the door again.

    Expecting the portal to be quite far away, Lucivar was surprised when he realized that the portal was a hundred meters away behind the church. Passing the wooden fence door, he gazed at the yellow portal the size of a two-story house.

    Looking at this, Lucivar nodded, the dungeon was yellow as expected.

    Shifting his gaze to the other side, Lucivar saw a group of people with the exact clothes¡ªas Kaki wore earlier, hanging nearby. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who are they? Are they here to keep an eye on the portal?"

    "Yes, somebody has to keep a lookout. It is for the good of everyone," the pastor replied.

    Lucivar approached the portal and took off his bag to take something out.

    Since he was the leader, he was given a couple of equipment to assess the dungeon.

    One of them is a measuring gun to measure the energy level of the portal.

    He simply needs to point and touch the portal with the tip of the gun.

    It was a tool to gauge when the portal would break through the concentrated energy.

    Upon reaching the 80-120 points area, the portal would break open.

    Letting the gun analyze the portal for a couple of seconds, the number 90 was displayed.

    Just as he was informed, the portal would probably break in the next couple of days.

    Of course, this measurement could only be used in weak dungeons.

    Strong dungeons would have the Primordials attacking¡ªso the portal would break whenever they wanted, there are even some strong portals that hadn''t broken even after years of them appearing.

    It was all about mind games against the Crossers for the strong dungeons.

    But for this specifically, using this measurement gun is enough.

    Nodding his head, Lucivar then put back the gun into his bag and turned to the pastor.

    "Tell me, pastor," He said whisperingly. "Does the Blood God condone the act of lying"

    "Hmm...? Of course, not. It''s a cowardly act with no honor"

    "How about the act of killing?"

    "As long as it is for the betterment of Him and to His servants, killing is allowed"

    Lucivar nodded repeatedly, his movement hinted at a slight suspicion.

    "Even if the people you killed are academy hunters?"

    "I''m sorry? I don''t quite understand what you meant by that. I, no... we are glad that you and your friends came to help us in this time of need. We have been haunted by the po-"

    "That''s a lie..."

    Lucivar intervened and stepped forward until he was inches away from the pastor.

    His eyes glowed gold, staring directly into the pastor''s eyes.

    "You lied just now, pastor..."

 Chapter 80 80: Blood Priests

    A commotion could be heard from the bedroom inside a small, humble house consisting¡ªof three rooms. Vicious whipping sounds that cut through the air could be heard, followed by a restrained, painful whimper.

    "Pray louder! Louder I say!"

    "Dear Blood God, please accept this¡ªhahkk! O- Offering..."

    Inside the room was a woman, she seemed to be a nun from the outfit she was wearing.

    But right now, the backside of her clothes was exposed, ripped. and torn¡ªexposing her back that was riddled with bleeding laceration wounds from whipping strikes. As she prayed to the Blood God, she was whipped by her husband from behind.

    "I''ve prayed enough, please dear..."

    "Are you talking back to me, huh?! I am your husband, you must do well to listen to me!"

    Her whimper and cries were ignored¡ªher husband kept going with a twisted smile.

    Despite the excruciating pain, the nun could only bite down on her lips and endure.

    It was nothing new, this has been her life for years.

    She spent her time in the church, praying to be blessed and before dark, she would return to the house¡ªto prepare food for her husband. But whenever her husband had a rough day, he would vent it out to her through this.

    Every time she felt pain and suffering, she was told to pray hard to the Blood God.

    He said that this was to help her be seen more by the Blood God, through pain and suffering.

    But the nun knows that was only an excuse.

    Living like this is hard and when she sought help from the pastor, she was declined.

    Just like her husband, the pastor said she should listen to what her husband said.

    Or else, the Blood God would never blessed her and make her one of the Blood Sisters.

    A consequence that incredibly scares her.

    "Phew~ that was refreshing. Clean up this mess in ten minutes, I want to sleep"

    Crumpled on the ground with throbbing wounds on her back, the nun nodded.

    "Hey, do you hear me?!" the husband barked angrily.

    Eventually, the nun forced out an answer, her voice trembling.

    "Y- Yes, dear... I''ll clean it up"

    "And...?"

    "Thank... Thank you for helping me"

    "Hahah~! Now that''s a good wife!"

    Despite the wounds, the nun poured water and cleaned the blood with a cloth.

    As she did this, memories of her cries and the laughter of her husband and the pastor came flashing in her mind with each stroke¡ªof the cloth on the floor. Her face dark, she had been doing this for years, and there was bound to be a limit.

    And today, that limit was touched as her hand stopped.

    "I''ll sacrifice them..." She said, her eyes red with anger. "I''ll sacrifice them for the Blood God!"

    ...

    "You lied just now, pastor..."

    Lucivar stared directly into the pastor''s eyes, a menacing smile crossed his lips.

    He could see through the bullshit that this city offered him instantly.

    Something was wrong with this city.

    As soon as he crossed with Kaki, Lucivar''s suspicion was confirmed¡ªas Kaki was evidently surprised to see Lucivar and the academy hunters. In addition to that, a dark trail also came from Kaki, connecting to Lucivar.

    Kaki bore killing intent the moment he laid eyes on them.

    From that fact alone, Lucivar knew that the condition of the village was not what it seemed.

    Hearing this, the pastor smiled sheepishly, sweat drizzling down the side of his face.

    "W- What are you saying, I''ll be damned if I lie...."

    "You are one sly bastard, I didn''t sense any killing intent from you but you see... you might be good at hiding your emotions but your people, not so much. I can see through your bullshit¡ªyou all are trying to kill us, aren''t you?"

    "That''s a ridiculous accusation,"

    Recovering from the initial uneasiness, the pastor pushed Lucivar away calmly.

    "All of us are on edge, that''s probably why my people made you feel that way" He added.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smirked, his Angel constitution is never wrong.

    "Oh, really? Then can you please show me where your other people are, I want to see them"

    "No, you can''t. It''s the middle of the night and all of them are sleeping. Sigh... Just go back to your friends, eat and rest. We''ll talk again tomorrow when your mind is clearer. I''ll not keep on entertaining this conversation"

    "Might as well tell me the real reason now," Lucivar did not let up. "If your people are on edge as you say, then all of them would be awake especially¡ªwhen the academy hunters came. If you want to lie, make it consistent"

    Upon hearing this, the pastor''s face darkened.

    It was clear that Lucivar struck a nerve.

    "Seems like you know a lot about lying, friend Lucivar,"

    "Of course, I''m not a good person myself. So if you lie again, I''ll know"

    "So you want to know the truth?"

    "Yes, that''s the only thing you could do to have a chance of survival. Going against me is-"

    Just before he could finish his sentence, two figures appeared behind him and struck.

    Lucivar, already sensing their approach, made a roll to the side, barely avoiding the attack.

    He lifted his gaze to identify his assailants and saw the people in cassocks¡ªthe very ones the pastor had assigned to guard the portal. They were the ones who attacked. And at the sight of this, Lucivar''s eyes gleamed with wild excitement.

    All of them wielded weapons forged entirely from blood.

    Naturally, Lucivar couldn''t help but laugh, thrilled by what was happening.

    "I applaud your attempts, but this level of trickery is not enough to make my heart dance, you foolish pastor!" Lucivar declared loudly, his that were bright yellow shifting to the deep shade of emerald. "Do you really think I wouldn''t notice?"

    Upon hearing this, the pastor gritted his teeth, furious at the unfolding events.

    Lucivar had anticipated the attack from these people.

    He knew that Veloria City was religious, as it was stated in the mission description, but he was sure that even for a religious city, not everybody wore cassocks like a member of the church¡ªthat was obvious in his eyes.

    Since he saw no one who wore different clothes, Lucivar realized one important fact.

    It was the fact that the city was sabotaged, probably by a member of the church.

    And from that, it was easy to tie it all to the pastor being the one behind this.

    Standing upright once again, Lucivar put down his bag and unsheathed his weapons.

    He tilted his head and turned to look at the pastor, his eyes glowing green.

    "So, should we do this the easy way or the hard way...?"

    "Kill him now!!"

    Responding to the pastor''s command, the priests rushed in¡ªtheir blood weapons ready.

    Lucivar cracked his neck and also sprinted ahead, meeting the ferocity the same.

    Clang!

    Two of the four priests swung their blood sword that clashed with Lucivar''s weapon.

    Despite swinging with full power, both of them couldn''t push through Lucivar.

    "He''s an Acolyte-rank Hybrid!"

    One screamed, expecting the academy hunters sent here to be Neophyte-rank Hybrids.

    Lucivar''s eyes gleamed with killing intent, "Where are the people of the city?"

    "I''m not telling you shit!"

    "A priest who uses cursed words? Now that''s new"

    Gritting his teeth, the two priests, put more strength¡ªbut Lucivar easily parried their blood swords, pushing them back and causing them to fall backward. As Lucivar was about to do the finishing blow, another priest came from behind.

    His sword raised high and he made a strong vertical downswing.

    A smile crossed his face seeing Lucivar''s behind was exposed.

    But as the tip of the sword was about to connect, he felt his momentum halted suddenly.

    Looking at his arm, his eyes widened seeing emerald chains wrapping around it.

    Following that, Lucivar glanced over to the priest and before he could react, used the dagger to stab him from below the chin, spurting brain matter and blood through the top. One down, Lucivar turned to the other one.

    He tried to thrust his blood spear forward but Lucivar swiveled from the way.

    Reacting, the priest gathered his arm strength and tried to cleave the spear to hit Lucivar.

    It was supposed to work, at least in his mind¡ªbut a blast of energy, suddenly caught him off guard from below, knocking him off of his feet and also propelling the blood spear upward. It was then did Lucivar closed in and grabbed him by the neck.

    "Are you going to answer?" Lucivar asked. "No? Alright then"

    "GRAARGHKK!!" the priest screamed.

    Lucivar used his Greedy Grasp ability and absorbed the priest''s vitality away to the last drop.

    Everyone including the pastor saw how the priest''s body drying up rapidly.

    And when Lucivar was done, he was no bigger than a twig.

    Upon sensing the fear, Lucivar turned and smiled but this time, the pastor gulped harshly.

    He now saw Lucivar''s smile akin to the devil''s smile.

    "Come on, at least if you''re going to disappoint me in your cunningness, be good at fighting"

    Seeing this, the two remaining priests took a step back and turned to look at the pastor.

    It was clear that both of them were scared to attack once again.

    However, knowing that letting Lucivar alive is going to be catastrophic to his plan, the pastor decided to participate in the fight. His eyes turned red with a blink before he pointed both of his open hands forward, "On me, I''ll help!"

    Nodding, the two priests charged once again even more determinedly.

    Lucivar readied himself but then he grunted, a pain infiltrated his left foot.

    A thorn made of blood pierced his foot and spread into branches, pinning him in place.

    ''How did he...?'' Lucivar frowned¡ªhe didn''t know how the pastor was able to reach him, from that distance but then his eyes widened in realization. ''It''s the mud... it''s mixed with blood, it was how he was able to do this''

    Recovering from the initial shock, Lucivar raised his weapons.

    He saw the two priests were already swinging from two different angles.

    But then, their attacks struck a barrier, catching them completely by surprise.

    Lucivar was the same and as he turned to his left, he saw Leandra and Mirel were there.

    On top of that¡ªin that moment of slow motion, he also saw the pastor¡ªwas already running away. He used the two priests as decoys to make a run for himself, knowing that he wouldn''t win against Lucivar.

    Seeing how selfish the priest was, Lucivar smiled, "Mirel, go and chase after him!"

    "Go, me and Lucivar will handle these priests and catch up," Leandra also added.

    Since he was the fastest with his Lightning Elemental bloodline, Mirel nodded and quickly ran after the pastor. He didn''t know what was happening¡ªbut Lucivar for sure wouldn''t be doing this without a legitimate reason.

    Picking up her pace, Leandra rushed to help Lucivar.

    But she frowned when a thorn protruded out of the ground suddenly.

    "Watch out, the ground is a trap!" Lucivar shouted.

    Focusing deeply, an invisible platform appeared above the thorn, allowing Leandra to step.

    She then blasted ahead.

    Sensing her incoming, Lucivar gritted his teeth and channeled the Radiant Burst spell.

    An explosion of energy knocked the two priests skywards, and before both of them could do anything, Leandra already came in with her sword. Her sword made a beautiful arc under the moon as she decapacitated the two priests with one stroke.

    Splash!

 Chapter 81 81: Vengeful Nun

    Leandra brandished her sword in a beautiful arc, she was a master of the sword and was one of the strongest people in weapon mastery amongst Tobias'' family. She was only second¡ªto Bob in raw weapon wielding.

    Her minimal movement showed that she was used to sword-wielding evidently.

    It was easy for her to decapacitate the blood priests with one gentle arc.

    Blood rained down from above.

    Lucivar was drenched by it while not even a single drop managed to touch Leandra''s clothes.

    She landed on the side with grace, her purple hair fluttering beautifully.

    "I''m going to stretch to a length and say that this was definitely on purpose"

    "No, it''s not. If you don''t want to get drenched, you should''ve tossed them somewhere else"

    "Right... of course, it''s my fault"

    Glancing over to the blood priests, Leandra lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

    None of them were Hybrids, their blood weapons were not made of ether, and despite that, they were able to match them in strength, which was quite surprising. Of course, the healer nuns are already odd but this is beyond odd.

    If Leandra had to guess, they might used a dark ritual to make themselves stronger.

    "What happened here? Why did you attack the pastor?"

    "It''s a hunch but the pastor is definitely doing something to the citizens of the city"

    "Making a sacrifice?"

    "Yes, probably. It would explain how they have their powers"

    "Is he working with the two proselytes?"

    "Maybe. For now, let''s catch up to Mirel and find where the pastor hid the citizens"

    Nodding her head, both of them sprinted towards where Mirel and the pastor were.

    Considering Mirel''s speed, he should be able to catch the pastor.

    Both of them traced the edge of the city, bordered only, by a fragile wooden fence, they ran for several minutes but found no trace of Mirel or the pastor. Along the way, Lucivar recalled something and asked, "By the way, what happened to the others? Why are you here?"

    "Sleeping pills, they were fed sleeping pills. Me and Mirel were too on guard to eat the food"

    "All of them are asleep?"

    "No, not all¡ªthe leader of the assault and defender team are guarding the others"

    Lucivar nodded, he had anticipated the pastor to do something like this.

    ''If Kaki and the pastor wanted to kill us, then who submitted the mission to the academy?''

    A thought crossed his mind.

    Since the academy hunters would only be sent to those who submitted a mission, there must be someone who sneaked and submitted the mission. If there wasn''t¡ªthe academy wouldn''t send Lucivar and his party here.

    ''Could be that woman, I should go and talk to her after this'' Lucivar nodded.

    Eventually, Lucivar and Leandra halted when they saw Mirel coming out of an empty house.

    He looked around in confusion before he sighed.

    "Did you lose him?"

    "I''m sorry, that bastard is nimble. He also knew the cityscape, I don''t"

    "Understandable"

    Despite expecting Mirel to be able to capture the pastor, Lucivar had also expected this.

    It was the pastor''s city so it would be hard to find him if he went to hiding.

    "What should we do?" Mirel asked, turning to Lucivar for an answer.

    Upon hearing this, Luciviar nodded, "Let''s go have a look around and meet back here in ten"

    Just like that, the three separated, searching for the pastor in the nearby houses.

    But as each one of them already expected, finding the pastor is an unlikely case right now.

    Having no luck in finding the pastor, the three of them came back to the church where the others were. Lucivar saw that there were a couple of dead bodies around, it seemed both, the defender and assault team were also attacked during their absence.

    All three of them entered and instantly went to where the lodgings were.

    Lucivar, however, stopped in front of the altar.

    "Aren''t you coming?"

    "I have something to check here, go on ahead without me. See how the others are doing"

    "Okay, scream if you need any help"

    Mirel walked on ahead while Leandra, cast one glance before she also followed Mirel.

    Seeing that the two disappeared into a hallway, Lucivar turned to his right¡ªand headed for the door. He pushed open the door that wasn''t even closed properly, and was greeted by a chamber.

    It was completely empty and on the corner was someone, a woman in a nun uniform.

    Lucivar probed the woman with his eyes and saw multiple bruises poking from her clothes, a weighted handcuff locking her hands tightly¡ªand seemed to be frail¡ªand malnourished. He closed the door behind him and approached the woman.

    Despite seeing him approaching, the nun didn''t whimper and stayed on her spot.

    She was sitting on the cold floor, hugging her knees.

    "Are you an academy hunter?" She asked, her voice was hoarse and weak.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar grabbed a bottle of water from his bag and tossed it to the nun.

    Lucivar gestured for her to drink while keeping his distance.

    Realizing what he was giving him, the nun quickly grabbed the bottle and chugged it down.

    Dehydration seemed to be one of her many problems.

    Once she was done drinking, the nun extended her hand, handing back the bottle to Lucivar.

    Approaching nonchalantly, Lucivar took the bottle and looked into her eyes.

    "Let me guess, you''re the one who submitted the mission?"

    "Yes..."

    Nodding his head, Lucivar then traced his gaze down at her bruised body.

    But she ignored his inspection and asked.

    "Have you come to free us? Tell me... is there salvation in your arrival?"

    "I''m here to take care of the dungeon, not deal with what was happening with your city"

    Upon hearing this, the nun''s eyes widened¡ªand she quickly groveled before Lucivar''s feet.

    She wanted to hold onto Lucivar''s legs but with her weighted handcuff, she couldn''t.

    All she could do was grab his leg with one hand.

    "Please, don''t leave us! Don''t leave me here! I beg you, kind sir!"

    "If I help your city, what good there is for me?"

    Lucivar tilted his head a little, he came here to tackle, his first dungeon¡ªand even though he was a part of the outcast team, he wanted to enter the dungeon. He wanted to see if he was able to extract divine blood from killing the Crossers.

    He didn''t come here to deal with what was going on with the city.

    Of course, he wanted to kill the pastor for attacking him.

    But killing the pastor would only give him a meager reward at best, it''s not worth it.

    If he go after the pastor and also the proselytes, he wouldn''t be able to tackle the dungeon.

    From the start, the pastor has no chance of killing him so he wasn''t petty about that.

    "Our city will repay you back with everything we have, I''ll make sure of it"

    "Who are you to promise me that? You''re nothing but a helpless nun"

    "Then would you take my body as payment?" the nun asked, her grip tightening hard.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar laughed hard, his laughter echoed throughout the chamber.

    "Do you take me for a pervert? Huh?" Lucivar asked, gazing at the nun¡ªmockingly. "Even if I was, what body are you talking about? Do you mean that body that''s nothing¡ªbut bone and skin? Nothing you have tempts me, nothing"

    Naturally, the nun has no answer, she''s desperate and her body is the only thing she has.

    Just then, however, Lucivar''s eyes caught sight of something peculiar.

    He saw a dark energy seeping out of the nun''s body like flames.

    Initially, he thought the nun was about to attack him but that wasn''t the case.

    Lucivar squinted and realized that the dark energy was similar to his Angel constitution.

    Seemed like the power inside of him favored the nun.

    Realizing that the nun was perhaps someone unique, he decided to investigate.

    Putting his hand on her chin, he forced her to look into his eyes gently.

    Despite her appearance, a stark contrast to how beautiful Leandra or even the other women around him were, he couldn''t help but praise the pale crimson color of the nun''s eyes. It was somewhat hypnotizing to see.

    "You know what? I''m feeling generous today..."

    "Really? Are you going to help me?"

    "Tell me what had happened to you. Tell me everything. I will deduce if you''re worthy of help"

    "Okay, I''ll tell you everything!"

    As she said that, the nun began her story.

    Her name was Catherine and she was birthed and lived in this city throughout her life.

    Catherine told Lucivar how her husband beat her regularly¡ªand how the pastor encouraged her husband to do it, saying that it was her duty to endure the pain and suffering. One day¡ªshe decided that she had enough.

    But on that same day, the portal appeared nearby.

    It sent a spiral of chaos throughout the city as there were no combatants amongst them.

    Even the Blood Sisters were no good, they were only able to heal someone, not fight.

    Of course, the people asked the pastor to submit a mission to the Sunhold City.

    Days passed and yet, no academy hunters came to help them.

    Many questioned this but the pastor convinced them that he had submitted a mission, but it seemed Sunhold City abandoned them despite their contribution. Somehow, the pastor was able to convince the people that they needed to fend for themselves.

    He said that the elderly, women, and children were going to be placed in a safe house.

    But Catherine, doubtful, sneaked out and decided to submit the mission for the second time.

    "I slipped away and found that the able-bodied men had been slaughtered by the pastor and his loyal priests in the Blood God''s name," Catherine explained, her voice frail. "I managed to hand the document to a friend in the neighboring city, before they caught me. I thought they would kill me but they didn''t. Turns out my husband was one of them..."

    Getting those words out seemed to be hard for Catherine, Lucivar could feel that.

    She was a victim of a cult led by the pastor.

    ''Only the women gained the blessing from the Blood God and became Blood Sisters, I''m sure the pastor was frustrated, as he felt like he should also be blessed as the leader and did this. Understandable'' Lucivar nodded, he has no right to judge the pastor.

    If he were in the pastor''s shoes, maybe he would''ve done the same thing. Who knows?

    "So? Do you want me to stop them and save the people?"

    "No..."

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow, utterly confused by her answer.

    But then suddenly, he saw Catherine looking at him with conviction and malice.

    A light behind her eyes that was familiar to Lucivar deeply.

    "Saving the people is not the priority," She continued, her voice¡ªprofound. "Please do kill my husband and make it as painful as you can... that is the sole thing that I want. Kill him¡ªthat is the priority"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar grinned, ''Oh, I can see now why she''s favored''

 Chapter 82 82: I Promised Her

    Lucivar grinned but at the same time, he was also dumbfounded.

    For a holy nun to be this vengeful, her husband must be the worst husband ever.

    He would need to push a nun a lot to make her desire something like this.

    "Is that really what a nun should be saying? Shouldn''t you forgive and move on? I mean, he''s your husband, after all," Lucivar said¡ªhe was having a lot of fun in this situation. "No matter what, this is too extreme, no?"

    Knowing that this nun is favored by his power, he wants to know her way of thinking.

    He was curious as to what made her be favored.

    If she''s very suitable, she could be Lucivar''s very first Vestal.

    "M- My husband¡ªis one of the proselytes, he''s a monster now..." Catherine confessed, tears streaming down her face. "Since he''s a monster, it''s fine to want bad things to happen to him¡ªright? I wouldn''t be punished as wanting a monster to die is not a sin"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar grinned harder.

    ''She''s broken... Her mind is very tempting, I could tailor it however I want'' Lucivar thought.

    Catherine is someone perfect to be a Vestal.

    If Lucivar played his cards right, he could gain a very twisted but productive follower.

    But then, Lucivar frowned.

    ''So the pastor is working together with the proselytes?'' He thought.

    Proselytes become stronger by killing others with their own hands¡ªsucking the vitality of others, and making it their own. They become stronger¡ªand stronger with more kills they commit, also strengthening the portal in the process.

    Normally, they would''ve done it secretly as they were weak during the initial phase.

    But in this case, with the pastor helping them, there was no saying how strong they are now.

    "I wanted to kill him, to be free from him, but I never have the guts to do that, because as you say, he''s my husband," Catherine continued, her voice shaking. "Now that he''s a monster, the guilt is not there anymore. So please, kill him for me..."

    Lucivar tilted his head before he squatted down, looking Catherine directly in her eyes.

    "I''ll help you," He said, returning the light of hope¡ªback to Catherine''s eyes. "But let me tell you one thing... a monster is not always burly and scary. In fact, a monster most of the time looks exactly like you and me"

    Such words stunned Catherine, she instantly knew what Lucivar meant by that.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar went to meet with the others in the lodgings.

    He stepped into a hall and found a lot of Hybrids sleeping on the long wooden table.

    Just like Leandra told him earlier, they were drugged with a sleeping pill.

    Leandra''s eyes lit up when she saw him but that was instantly replaced by a frown when she saw Catherine following behind him, pinching the edge¡ªof his uniform. Catherine hid behind Lucivar when she saw that there were other people there.

    Standing up, Leandra raised an eyebrow.

    "Who''s that?"

    "She''s the one who called for us and she said the pastor is working with the proselytes"

    Upon hearing this, Azka and Ruby, the leader of the defender and assault team frowned.

    "Doesn''t that mean the two proselytes here are very strong?"

    "Yes, that''s likely the case. It wouldn''t be surprising if they are at the Acolyte rank"

    "Acolyte...? Should we go back and report this to the academy?"

    Lucivar intervened, knowing that the conversation would likely go in this direction.

    "Are you backing out without even trying?"

    "Fine, we''ll try, but you and your team would be dealing with the proselytes. Our team would be going inside the dungeon. Is that alright¡ªwith you? If you don''t want to, we could always go back and report this incident"

    Naturally, this irked Lucivar but he kept his composed face on strong without breaking.

    He also felt Catherine''s grip become tighter, she didn''t want Lucivar to leave.

    "Okay, we''ll deal with the proselytes..." Lucivar finally yielded.

    Leandra and Mirel frowned, both of them were unhappy with Lucivar''s decision.

    Not only the proselytes here are dangerous, but they also want to enter the dungeon.

    It was Tobias who wanted them to be good at tackling a dungeon.

    "But since the Outcast team is taking on the more dangerous job, the haul from the dungeon, I want 60% of them," Lucivar said¡ªlooking at both Azka and Ruby sharply. "We''re putting our lives on the line, I hope you will do well to not object to this"

    Eventually, Azka and Ruby nodded, agreeing with the terms.

    Lucivar then signaled for Mirel and Leandra as the four of them headed out of the room.

    Stepping to the nave, Mirel and Leandra instantly complained.

    "Are you sure about this? We really don''t know how strong the proselytes are"

    "Also, Master Tobias wanted us to get accustomed to dungeons, this is our chance"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar picked his ears nonchalantly.

    "If you don''t want to come with me, then don''t. I''ll handle the proselytes myself" He said.

    Leandra turned to Catherine sharply, "Is it because of her?"

    "Well, you can say that. I promised her that I would take care of the proselytes"

    "Since when did you start promising others easily? We came here for the dungeon, not her"

    Realizing that Lucivar got himself into trouble, Catherine bowed herself repeatedly.

    "I''m sorry, this is my fault," She apologized genuinely.

    Having no other choice, Leandra could only massage her forehead, the deal was¡ªalready made with the others so there was no turning back either. Lucivar told Catherine to take a seat and handed his short sword.

    "I''ll be checking the place you mentioned, you stay here," He said.

    Catherine accepted the short sword and nodded.

    Upon doing that, Lucivar, Leandra, and Mirel left the church, walking down the street.

    "Where are we going?"

    "That nun told me about the safe house, the pastor tricked the people of the city to go to the safe house and locked them all there. I''m sure the proselytes, were also there, feeding on the people"

    "So should we anticipate a fight?"

    "Yes, it would be better if the proselytes instantly attacked us so we can finish this"

    Soon, the trio reached an abandoned house and entered it.

    Lucivar led the way with his senses at maximum sensitivity, attuned to any danger unseen.

    Entering the house, the wooden floor made a creaking sound from his weight.

    He swept his eyes around to see if there was anybody inside and found nothing but he could hear the distant sound of cries. Lucivar followed the sound and found himself standing in the kitchen, the source of the sound came from here.

    As he made a step, the sound his step made was dull, different than before.

    Looking down, Lucivar taps the floor right beneath him with his foot.

    Realizing that there was a secret door, he clenched his fist and punched through it.

    Just as he expected, the floor collapsed, revealing another chamber below the kitchen.

    But it was extremely dark.

    Leandra approached the hole and flicked her fingers, summoning a small purple ember.

    She tossed the ember down before the three sucked in a cold breath.

    Going down to the secret chamber through the ladder, Lucivar looked around, and inspected the place. As Catherine said, the people were here, the women, the elderly, and the children, and all of them crawled to the corner seeing someone come.

    All of them shuddered and stacked on each other, going as far away from Lucivar.

    Moreover, they were chained in place, unable to escape even if they wanted to.

    "Don''t kill us, please!"

    "Help, dear God! Help!"

    Instead of being glad, these people continued to cry and sob profusely.

    Seemed like their vision had become bad from staying in this dark place for too long.

    None of them realized the academy hunter uniform Lucivar was wearing.

    Mirel and Leandra also came down and were instantly assaulted by the scent of blood.

    A pungent iron scent that forced them to cover their noses.

    "It''s the people," Lucivar said. "be careful, the proselytes might be here"

    "How could a pastor do this? He was willing to sacrifice his people for the sake of power?"

    "People had done this for less, at least the pastor had a reason to do it"

    Leandra summoned a larger flame, illuminating the entire area to show the others that they were not the pastor¡ªor the proselytes. But, just as the light spread, a swift shadow darted toward her hand, snuffing out the flame in an instant.

    She didn''t expect that but Mirel did, he was able to intercept the shadow.

    Initially, the shadow was aiming to take Leandra''s arm but he managed to block the attack.

    "Heads up, the proselytes are really here," Lucivar said, drawing his dagger.

    Just then, however, they were surprised when a violent shaking sound came from behind.

    Glancing over their shoulders, they saw the ladder was subtly shaking.

    "Both of them got away," Lucivar said, frowning.

    Mirel clicked his tongue in displeasure, he was annoyed that the proselytes managed to slip.

    Had they taken down the proselytes here, attacking the dungeon would''ve been possible.

    All they needed to do was to secure the proselytes and go to the dungeon.

    But that was impossible now since the proselytes escaped.

    "You saved me there, Mirel," Leandra thanked.

    Upon hearing this, Mirel nodded before they focused back on the people.

    "Let''s get them all out of here first," Lucivar said as he went over to the people to help them.

    Even though these people were basically food on a silver platter for the proselytes, finding that a lot of them still survived was quite surprising. But Leandra told Lucivar that even the proselytes would need time to consume this many people.

    A couple of hours later, Lucivar and the others already secured the people.

    Instead of gathering them in the church, Lucivar, and the others decided to place them as far away as possible from the portal, on the opposite corner of where the church was. Now they needed to find the proselytes.

    Since they weren''t able to stop them initially, things had gotten more complicated.

    All three of them would be playing cat and dog with the proselytes.

    Meanwhile, as the people were being attended to, Lucivar noticed something.

    He forgot to call Catherine who was still at the church.

    "I''ll go get the nun, she''s still at the church," Lucivar said, heading towards the church.

    Upon nearing the church¡ªLucivar was about to go inside, but stopped when his eyes caught sight of a figure in the distance. Two figures to be exact, both of them were near the portal¡ªand he recognized both of them.

    Since the portal was located behind the church, he had a clear view from the front.

    Moving sneakily, he silently got close to the portal and hid behind the bushes.

    His eyes fixed on the figure who was approaching the figure near the portal, Catherine.

    Catherine was holding the short sword with her trembling hands as she approached.

    Seeing this, Lucivar smirked, "Oh, this is interesting..."

 Chapter 83 83: The Pastors Jealousy

    Catherine walked out of the church and headed to the side.

    Her eyes peered to the yellow portal and squinted when a silhouette was there.

    Recognizing who the person was, her breaths became rigid and heavy, she was so furious that it made her hyperventilate. She has always done what she could, for the church, even compared to the other nuns, she was the most diligent.

    But as opposed to having her kindness repaid in full, she was used instead.

    She didn''t know how long she stood at the corner of the church.

    Once she collected herself, she gripped her short sword and went over to the portal.

    Poised in front of the portal was the pastor, and he seemed to be doing something.

    He also seemed to be talking with someone within the portal.

    "You were the only one I thought I could rely on..." A trembling voice interrupted him.

    Glancing over his shoulder, the pastor raised an eyebrow and realized that it was Catherine.

    "What are you going to do with that blade, Catherine? Put it down before you get hurt"

    "I thought if anyone were to stand up for me, it should be you, the pastor," Catherine added, ignoring the pastor''s command as emotions built up on her face. "You were supposed to aid me! Yet you encouraged him as he beat, and beat me! Even when I pleaded for help, you did not spare me a glance and even laughed at me!"

    "How could you...?" Her face twisted with sadness and pain. "Why are you doing this to me?"

    Despite hearing the pain inside her voice, the pastor didn''t seem to be bothered by it.

    He has no remorse but what Catherine said irked him evidently.

    Pausing for a second, the pastor then gazed at Catherine again, his eyes maniacal.

    "Why, you ask?" the pastor sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "You expect me to rot in this shithole while you and the other nuns chosen to become Blood Sisters get taken¡ªto Sunhold City to live out a fulfilling life? How is that fair, huh?!"

    His voice kept on rising, fueled by the anger he had hidden for all these years.

    Upon hearing this, Catherine''s breath was caught in her throat.

    She has never seen the pastor talk and act like this.

    "You already got what you wanted!'' Catherine shouted back. "You sacrificed the men for the Blood God and obtained its power, what more do you need?! Stop this now¡ªthere''s no need to work with the Crossers and be a traitor to our world"

    Once again, the pastor chuckled before he bursts into an exuberant laughter.

    He found what Catherine said extremely funny.

    "It''s temporary..." the pastor finally said. "the power I obtained from the ritual is temporary because I''m not a damn Hybrid. I will eventually lose this power, and return to becoming a normal pastor once again, and I can''t have that. So I made a deal with the Crossers..."

    "For helping them cultivate their proselytes, they are going to give me the power I seek"

    Catherine''s expression darkens.

    She couldn''t believe that the city was destroyed all because of the pastor''s selfishness.

    "Oh, I haven''t answered your question, have I?" Laughing manically, the pastor continued. "I am making your life hell because out of the nuns, you have the highest talent¡ªto become a respectable Blood Sister. How can someone like you have such a talent, while someone like me doesn''t?"

    "So why not tie you down to a drunkard and force you to live a miserable life?" He added.

    Upon hearing this, Catherine''s heart skipped a beat.

    Her world shattered at that moment.

    Every word from the pastor''s lips felt like shards of glass, cutting deep into her chest.

    She trusted the pastor with all her heart, the one who had guided her faith, now stood before her laughing, mocking her very existence. An excruciating pain, pierced her heart¡ªas though it was being stomped into the ground, crushed by the weight of betrayal.

    It was the pastor who suggested she marry her husband.

    Both of their strings of fate are intertwined, he said.

    All of that was a lie.

    For a fleeting second, the world became muted.

    Catherine''s body trembled, not with fear, but with a surge of rage so powerful it threatened to tear her apart. Her mind screamed, but her tongue didn''t. And then, as if on instinct¡ªher hand gripped the handle of the short sword hard.

    "Raarggghh!!!" Catherine lunged at him, her scream raw and primal.

    Upon seeing this, the pastor smirked, satisfied with destroying Catherine''s entire life.

    He could see through Catherine''s eyes that he was successful.

    ''Now, for the ending blow...'' the pastor pondered and stretched both of his arms to the side.

    Regardless of what Catherine was feeling right now, this was not a novel story, she wouldn''t unlock any power to strike him down. On the contrary¡ªthe pastor, would end her right here, letting her die full of regret.

    ''I''ll kill her with her own weapon¡ªbefore I proceed to kill those academy hunters,'' the pastor thought again, anticipating the glory that awaits him in the future. ''Once I absorbed the gem¡ªeven those academy hunters wouldn''t be able to match me and the proselytes''

    Just as he thought of that, however, the pastor''s eyes caught something in the distance.

    A pair of glowing green eyes near the church.

    Squinting his eyes, he frowned when he realized that it was the Hybrid he fought earlier.

    Lucivar.

    From the distance, Lucivar was smiling eerily, striking unease in the pastor''s heart.

    He must''ve heard everything from start to finish.

    Recalling how Lucivar easily killed the priests under him, the pastor was assaulted, by a deep urge to run away. He didn''t want to deal with Lucivar right now, not when he wasn''t ready. As the pastor was making eye contact, Lucivar''s eyes flashed him.

    He was blinded for a second.

    Once he regained back his sight, he wasted no time to turn and escape.

    But he couldn''t do that, something gripped him in place.

    Looking down, the pastor saw emerald chains wrapping around his body like snakes.

    "No... wait!" the pastor exclaimed fearfully, seeing Catherine was nearing him.

    Not heeding his words, fueled by pain and anger, Catherine stabbed the pastor in the chest.

    She plunged the short sword and pushed it in deep.

    Catherine kept going until the blade was gone, embedded entirely inside the pastor''s chest.

    A burning sensation permeated from where Catherine stabbed him, forcing the pastor to grit his teeth hard. She may not awakened any power, to strike him down¡ªbut she got help from Lucivar, an external help.

    Realizing what had happened, the pastor channeled his power.

    He didn''t expect this to happen but if he were to die here, Catherine should also die.

    But as he was about to do that, the chains tightened and pulled him down to his knees hard.

    Not wanting to stop, still fueled by the anger from having her life destroyed¡ªby the jealousy of a man, Catherine pulled out the short sword, and stabbed the pastor in the neck. An utter shock could be seen crossing the pastor''s face as he grabbed ahold of his bleeding neck.

    Even in his wildest dream, he never thought he would die in Catherine''s hands.

    Slowly, he fell down to the ground, his eyes open wide.

    He crumpled to the ground and saw Lucivar still in the distance, smiling at him cruelly.

    Just from the excited smile marring his face alone, the pastor knew, that Lucivar was the one who summoned the emerald chains from earlier. Considering that he was an academy hunter¡ªthe pastor didn''t understand why he would do such a thing.

    Helping Catherine kill him should be going over the line.

    Unless, of course, he wanted Catherine to deliver the justice after Lucivar heard their talk.

    But the pastor quickly erased that from his mind.

    He could tell from the smile on Lucivar''s face, that he was not doing all of this, for something like delivering justice, no, he was doing this because he took pleasure in watching this scene unfold, a complete lunatic.

    Crawling in pain, the pastor tried to reach for Lucivar.

    Even though he knew that he would die here, he didn''t want to die at Catherine''s hands.

    At the very least, Lucivar should be the one to end him.

    Just then, the pastor''s face paled when he saw Lucivar casting him a mocking grin before he turned around to leave. He knew what the pastor wanted but he denied the pastor of it, "No, please... C- Come back! Come back!!"

    Catherine approached him, the short sword dripping with fresh blood.

    She then mounted his back, held the short sword with both hands, and stabbed repeatedly.

    Blood splattered everywhere with each stab.

    Even when the pastor was already dead, Catherine kept going, venting all of her emotions.

    Once she collected herself¡ªand was greeted by the grotesque sight of the pastor''s mangled back, she fell to the side facing the sky. It was her first time killing someone, and for better or worse, she felt relieved.

    Killing the pastor¡ªit felt refreshing.

    "Dear God, death is yours. And this death, it''s yours too..." She whispers, staring into the sky.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar walked away, deciding not to confront Catherine right away.

    ''Sometimes, it is better to give the target time to breathe, and digest what she had done,'' He pondered with a light smile. ''It would weaken their resolve without needing me to interfere. A nun who had just killed someone? Her own mind would wreck herself''

    ''Besides, the pastor is not the finale for Catherine. Her husband was...'' Lucivar nodded.

    Knowing that the plan to prepare Catherine was going smoothly, he was exuberant.

    He can put that in the back of his mind now and focus on other things.

    Other things such as the proselytes and also his doppelganger.

    Since the proselytes were hiding, finding and taking care of them would be hard.

    Now that they were already quite strong¡ªfrom feeding on the city''s people, they could stay hidden until the portal broke. Aside from a perfect opportunity to feed again, the proselytes, wouldn''t come out again.

    Lucivar would need to lure them out.

    However, it was easier said than done, he didn''t know how he would do that.

    Upon reaching back to the others, Lucivar found Leandra and Mirel seemed to be in trouble.

    Many of the people were cornering them, seemingly asking for something.

    Picking up his pace, he went over to them.

    Leandra''s eyes flashed in relief and excitement when she saw Lucivar was approaching¡ªshe was having a lot of trouble dealing with the people but it should be fine now that Lucivar was here.

    Cutting through the crowd, Lucivar reached Leandra and Mirel before he turned.

    He swept his gaze across the crowd with a questioning look.

    "What''s going on here?" He asked with a stern voice.

    Sensing the air around him, the people stopped, knowing that Lucivar was not a pushover.

    Leandra stepped forward and whispered.

    "All of them wanted to go¡ªto the church to pray but I told them they couldn''t, not when the proselytes were still around. Going to the church would risk their lives and not to mention, it would''ve been bad if the portal broke open while they were at the church"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned.

    He knew the city was religious but he didn''t expect this kind of problem because of it.

    Just then, however, his eyes flashed with a realization.

    Lucivar then grinned mischievously.

    ''I think I could use this to my advantage. Let''s give them what they want, shall we?''

 Chapter 84 84: Youre Dead, Dead!

    Leandra''s concern was logical and understandable.

    Even if the people insisted on going to the church to pray to the Blood God so that this bad nightmare would wane soon, she could not let them go there, as the church, was extremely close to the portal¡ªa hundred meters close.

    If any mishaps happened, there would be a massacre.

    Other than that, there are also the two strong proselytes hiding in the shadows.

    Since they had tasted the liberty¡ªof growing stronger through killing, there''s no doubt that they would aim for more kills. Lucivar couldn''t sense their killing intent¡ªprobably due to the fact that the proselytes were wary of him and the other academy hunters.

    He couldn''t locate them.

    But he was quite certain that the proselytes were watching them right now.

    "Do you have any idea¡ªwhat we should do?" Leandra asked. "It would be better if we could somehow lure the proselytes out of their hiding, and take them all out, but to do that¡ªwe''re going to need to use the people. I don''t know how I feel about doing that"

    Lucivar shrugged his shoulders, "We''ll just give them what they want"

    Pivoting towards the people, Lucivar stepped up, and declared, "For those who knew the risk but still wanted to pray in the church, we''ll help you. Form a group of three to five people and we''ll escort you to the church in turns"

    "We can''t protect all of you at once if you''re separated so this is the only way" He added.

    Upon hearing this, the people burst into a discussion.

    However, from their lightened expressions.

    Lucivar could tell that they were all happy with his decision.

    ''Some seek solace in solitude, some drown their fears in laughter, and for them... it''s praying''

    Just as he said that, however, Leandra pulled him back.

    "Are you crazy? We''re still in danger united like this much less separated"

    "If you decline them what they wanted, it''s going to be more problematic if they snuck away"

    "But still, we can''t even react to those proselytes'' movements..."

    "I thought you were stronger than you showed me, was that a lie?"

    "Of course not, I''m only against taking more risks when we don''t have to"

    Nodding his head as strength wasn''t a problem for them, Lucivar went over to Mirel.

    "Hey, I''m gonna need you to stay here and protect them"

    "Me? You mean me and Leandra or you, right?"

    "Nope, only you"

    "What the fuck, man?! Hundreds are here so shouldn''t at least two of us stay here?"

    "Relax, the proselytes are wary of you. Remember? You reacted to their attack so if anything, the proselytes wouldn''t come here when you''re around"

    "Fuck, that actually makes sense but man... these people give me the shivers"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar turned towards the rescued people and found many of them were chanting prayers loudly, holding their crosses, and even¡ªcutting themselves. It was the way of their beliefs and Lucivar understands why Mirel felt uneasy.

    "When would you get a girl if you''re being a scared cat like this?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow.

    Instantly, Mirel''s demeanor changed.

    He cleared his throat as his face turned stern, "Go. Trust me, I''ll handle everything back here"

    Lucivar almost burst out laughing as Mirel tried to deepen his voice to be manlier.

    But due to his higher-pitched voice than normal, it made his voice funny-sounding instead.

    "I''ll entrust you with this manly task of protection" Lucivar tapped his shoulder.

    Just like that, the prayer operation started.

    Both Lucivar and Leandra escorted group after group to the church to pray, even checking the sleeping academy hunters, who were still there. On top of that, Lucivar tried to look for Catherine but couldn''t find her anywhere.

    However, he soon found that Catherine was already amongst the group back with Mirel.

    It seemed she somehow sneaked into the group after killing the pastor.

    Once the first streak of sunlight pierced down from the sky, the escort operation stopped as the people said that praying during the day was a taboo¡ªfor their Blood God. So they would only continue when night came.

    Lucivar had the time to meet up with the other academy hunters because of that.

    He went alone to meet with them as the tools to open the portal were in his bag.

    Around nine, the other academy hunters woke up and realized that they''d been drugged.

    But it was fine, the leaders were there to explain to them what had happened.

    Most of them demanded to return and report back to the academy.

    However, with Lucivar being there, they were pressured to stay and fight.

    Knowing how strong and benevolent Lucivar was, it was hard for them to decline him.

    Because of the pressure from him, the assault¡ªand defender team launched their attack on the dungeon. Lucivar was now squatting in front of the portal and placed the Shield Breaker tool, a small explosive fragment on the portal.

    "I know the city reeks of blood but the scent on this spot is more pungent"

    "Lucivar did say that he battled with the blood priests here"

    "Oh, you''re right, I forgot about that"

    Lucivar straightened his back¡ªand went away from the portal and stood beside the others.

    He turned and nodded at both Ruby and Azka.

    Both the assault and defender teams would go into the dungeon to search for the Teal Coin and also gather anything of value, such as power crystals. Ruby and her assault team would mainly take care of the Crossers and search for the Teal Coin¡ªwhile the defender would be guarding the portal.

    Since the portal would be opened once they attack, it needs to be guarded.

    Crossers might abandon their base and pour into their world if the portal is left unguarded.

    Lucivar knew this as his first dungeon was like that, Leandra made a mistake and the beasts went into their world¡ªand massacred everyone, that they crossed. Because of that, both of the teams'' roles are as important as the other.

    Once they were ready, Lucivar pressed the detonated and the Shield Breaker exploded.

    It instantly cracked the portal''s barrier and shattered it.

    Azka and Ruby instantly commanded their teams to rush inside the moment the barrier was broken¡ªtheir backs disappeared into the dungeon. Lucivar was the only one who remained on the muddy field with his arms crossed.

    Upon their disappearance into the dungeon, Lucivar tilted his head to the ground.

    He saw a darker shade of mud there.

    Lucivar approached the darker mud but stopped when he stepped on something.

    Crouching down, he reaches for something buried inside the mud¡ªand once he pulled it out, and cleaned it a little, he realized that it was a piece of human skin, "Isn''t this spot where she killed the pastor? What happened after I left?"

    Earlier, the others were complaining about the scent of blood this city naturally has.

    A side effect of devoting themselves to the Blood God.

    Lucivar also smelled it but he was quite sure that last night, it wasn''t this strong.

    Of course that it would be stronger since the pastor''s blood was mixed in with the mud, but what troubles him was the fact that knowing Catherine''s meek nature, she should be hiding her trails.

    But she didn''t.

    ''What happened here? What did Catherine do?''

    ''Fuck! I should''ve stayed and watched instead of leaving, I''m so damn stupid!''

    Lucivar cursed himself, regretting leaving too early.

    Sighing to himself, he returned back to the others.

    Felix and Nolan had rejoined back with them after they woke up so Mirel should have a way easier time tonight, having companies to babysit the weird people of the city. Upon arriving back, Lucivar frowned.

    He only saw Nolan was there, the others weren''t there.

    "Where are the others?" He asked.

    Nolan pointed to the back of a house, "Over there, I don''t know what they were doing"

    Sensing the lingering traces of killing intent, Lucivar rushed towards the house.

    He went to the back and saw Leandra and Mirel crouching in concern.

    In front of them was the corpse of Felix, he died from having his neck sliced open.

    "What happened? Is it the proselytes?" Lucivar asked.

    Leandra shook her head, "No, it''s not the proselytes"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned as there was only another answer other than this.

    "My doppelganger...?"

    "Yes, it tried to lure Mirel first but changed to Felix. We''re too late to help Felix"

    Lucivar turned around when his emotions threatened to break when he was informed.

    His decision was also informed.

    ''I''m going to kill it tonight... tonight!'' Lucivar pondered, his eyes maniacal.

    Recovering from his inner turmoil, the dance of his darker side, Lucivar nodded.

    "Leandra, can you be the one to inform Nolan? Blame this on the proselytes"

    "Okay..."

    Even though she had some things to say, she could sense the air around Lucivar.

    It was hot and choking, something about him changed.

    Once Leandra left, Lucivar turned around.

    He looked at Mirel with a blank look, devoid of emotions.

    ''Why didn''t my Soul Warden spell activate...?'' Lucivar pondered, looking at Mirel deeply.

    But then, a realization crossed his mind.

    "Did not I tell you¡ªto treat me seriously? Every time I left, you should always, be suspicious of the one who came back. It could be my doppelganger. Aim to kill me whenever I go away and come back for your own safety"

    "I know but it''s still hard for me to do"

    "Hard...?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded in understanding as he unsheathed his dagger.

    "Maybe the reason why it''s hard for you is because you still think I''m no threat to you"

    "That''s not it, you''re my bro. How could I want to kill you?"

    Not replying through words, Lucivar cuts through the distance between them in an instant.

    Lucivar grabbed Mirel''s collar, lifted him up, and slammed him on the wall.

    Right when Mirel recovered, he already felt the icy chill of a blade touching his neck.

    "Okay, I get it! I know you''re trying to protect me but there''s no need to go this far!"

    "I need to do this so that you would understand!"

    "I understand! I won''t do it again!"

    "No, you do not understand... If you did, you would retaliate against me now¡ªbecause what made you think I''m not the doppelganger? Are you certain that I''m not the doppelganger?"

    Realizing what Lucivar was saying was right, Mirel gritted his teeth.

    His eyes flashed with streaks of lightning as he kicked Lucivar in the belly and broke free.

    Rolling across the ground, he came to a halt but realized that emerald chains already took hold of him and gripped him in place. Channeling more ether¡ªMirel managed to crack the chains but the chains recovered instantly and became more sturdier than before.

    So strong that Mirel couldn''t break free anymore.

    Of course, it was impossible as Lucivar used four strands to empower his Snare ability.

    Lucivar then approached with hurried steps and grabbed him by the collar again.

    Veins popped across his neck as he glared directly into Mirel''s eyes.

    "Do you fucking understand?! If you don''t treat me seriously, you''re dead, Mirel! DEAD!! Can that go through your head?!"

 Chapter 85 85: Any Moment Now

    Mirel''s eyelids were opened wide, he stared at Lucivar''s eyes with a shaking heart.

    He knew that the matter¡ªabout the doppelganger was a big one it already threatened to kill Bakar and almost succeeded. In his mind, he wasn''t taking this lightly at all. But knowing that he was stronger than Lucivar made him subconsciously do the opposite.

    It was now clear that he was underestimating the doppelganger.

    On a small part of his mind, he was confident that he wouldn''t get killed as he was stronger.

    But now that Lucivar rubbed his strength, he realized that he was mistaken.

    Lucivar had gotten stronger and if he managed an ambush, Mirel would likely meet death.

    Just the emerald chains that were restraining him alone show that he could be killed.

    He could likely break free if he mused more of his power but a second window is usually all it takes for the opponent¡ªto deal a decisive blow. Mirel knew that lesson, he learned that long ago from Master Tobias.

    Mirel tilted his head down grimly, ''Lucivar is doing this for my sake, I have to get it together''

    Having a flamboyant nature is good but he needs to know when to be serious.

    "I understand, you can let me go now..." Mirel uttered whisperingly.

    Seeing the change in his demeanor and voice, Lucivar loosened the grip on Mirel''s collar.

    "Are you sure you understand?"

    "Yes, I''m not going to take it lightly again. If you fail to convince me who you are, I''ll kill you"

    As he said that, Mirel made eye contact with Lucivar, there was no lie behind his gaze.

    Seeing this, Lucivar nodded, it seemed the words had gotten into Mirel''s head.

    "Good, that''s the resolve I wanted to see," Lucivar nodded firmly.

    Later that night.

    Just as discussed, Lucivar and Leandra continued their escorting operation.

    Currently, the two were escorting a group of six.

    A group that consists of two middle-aged men and three middle-aged women.

    One of them has a five-year-old son that she brought along.

    Even though it exceeded the agreed quota per group, an additional kid wasn''t a problem.

    For hours on end earlier, Lucivar and Leandra searched for the proselytes, but didn''t gain any luck, they were still hiding from sight. None of them showed their faces, not even to Lucivar''s group which should be an easy target.

    Lucivar walked behind the convoy that was heading to the church,

    He looked at the palm of his hand with an evident frown.

    ''I can feel it, my power is slowly draining because of that doppelganger...''

    Seems like aside from barring him from reaching the Acolyte rank, the existence of that evil doppelganger is also draining him of his power slowly, regressing his realm. Tonight Lucivar felt the change, he had gotten slightly weaker.

    ''Gleipnir''s Echo hid my ether so I should look harmless so why haven''t they attacked yet?''

    ''Did they see me fight the pastor or perhaps got informed? No, that can''t be''

    ''Maybe they are too wary to strike because the portal was breached''

    Raising his gaze to look at the group, Lucivar''s eyes squinted, ''I need to encourage them''

    Splash!

    "Oww~"

    "For the love of God, this mud needs to be cleansed!"

    A couple who was walking right in front of Lucivar suddenly tripped and fell into the mud.

    Both of them got mud on their clothes.

    Naturally, the group stopped when the others saw them on the muddy ground.

    Lucivar went over to them and placed his hands on their shoulders.

    A hum of green energy seeped from his hands into the couple without them noticing.

    "Are you okay?"

    "Yes, we''re fine, this is nothing"

    "It''s okay, don''t mind our clumsiness"

    Just then, Lucivar pointed at their legs with a slight concern on his face.

    "Both of you are bleeding, you''re not fine," He said.

    In response, the couple shook their heads, tore their clothes and wrapped them around their leg, right above the injury. Once they were done they stood up and showed Lucivar that they were fine before the group continued again.

    Reaching the church, the group entered to pray on the nave.

    But Lucivar stopped Leandra when she was about to get in.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Let''s give them some personal space"

    "You didn''t offer that for the others before this. Besides, it''s dangerous to leave them alone"

    "Can I have a talk with you then? Just a minute"

    "Fine, but this can''t take long"

    Albeit hesitant, Leandra followed Lucivar to the side of the church, behind a big tree.

    He never left her sight so she didn''t suspect him as the doppelganger.

    "What do you want to say to me?" Leandra asked with an eyebrow raised and arms crossed.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar who was still facing away from her, frowned.

    ''I need to make her stay here for a good moment, but how can I do that...?'' He pondered.

    Lucivar had already swore he would finish it by tonight and he''s going to do it.

    Before Lucivar could even say anything, Leandra already continued.

    "If you''re going to ask if I''m jealous because you''re close with that nun, I''m not" She said.

    Not expecting her to say this, Lucivar pivoted and looked at her in surprise¡ªbut he quickly recovered as he smiled inwardly. He was fretting on how to make her stay here but she did give him a cue instead.

    Lucivar was smiling inside as Leandra was very considerate to tell him that.

    He decided to play along with her narratives.

    "I thought so. Since you''re not jealous, I wouldn''t hold back. Anyway, we should head back"

    "Hold on, what do you mean by that? What are you trying to do with her?"

    "Her eyes are quite pretty, I like them"

    "What...?"

    Seeing the anger rising onto Leandra''s face, Lucivar waved his hand and chuckled.

    "I''m playing around. It''s nothing like that. I called you here so that we could be alone"

    "Stop talking as if we have something between us"

    "Don''t be like that. Come, sit with me"

    Lucivar went over to the spot on the ground that had grass and patted the spot beside him.

    Not expecting this tonight, Leandra turned away, blushing.

    "Why should I sit with you? It''s not like I''d want that" She said but she came and sat anyway.

    Both of them sat beside each other in silence.

    Lucivar exhaled lightly as he looked at the clear night sky filled with stars.

    Despite the situation, the night was beautiful.

    At that moment, Leandra couldn''t help but look at Lucivar''s face from the side, hypnotized by the sharp elegance of his features¡ªin the silvery starlight. The chiseled lines of his jaw along with the quiet unpredictability etched on his expression were a sight so see.

    But it was his eyes that held her, glowing golden in the vast darkness above.

    Those two eyes reminded her of rare pearls hidden in a midnight sea, hauntingly beautiful.

    "Say, are you a psychopath?" She suddenly asked.

    "Pfft...!" Lucivar choked and turned towards her. "Where did that come from?"

    "I mean how could you be innocent like this and snap in the next second in an instant?"

    "I just happen to enjoy the shock factor from the ''instant'' part and can do it easily"

    "Yep, that''s what a psychopath would say"

    Lucivar chuckled, he was conversing with Leandra calmly, but in his mind, he was waiting for the moment of the night to strike¡ªbut it didn''t seem to be striking. He needed to wait longer and that required him to occupy Leandra longer.

    More minutes passed and Lucivar already ran out of topic.

    Leandra was ready to go back but Lucivar knew that he was so close for a reaction.

    "Come on, it''s going to be bad if we went for too long," She said, standing up.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar intervened, "What''s the hurry? They''re still praying inside"

    "We should protect them, remember?" She replied nonchalantly.

    Dusting off her outfit, she walked back to the church.

    On the other hand, Lucivar was wracking his brain to try and keep her to stay here.

    ''I can''t... I need to do something or else the proselytes wouldn''t come out!''

    Having no other choice, he also stood up, rushed towards Leandra, and grabbed her hand.

    Leandra turned around with an evident frown as she didn''t understand why Lucivar was very adamant about staying here but upon turning¡ªher eyes widened completely when she felt a soft and hot thing pressed against her lips.

    It stunned her for a second but when she blinked her eyes, she came back to reality.

    But the shock only heightened as she realized Lucivar kissed her!

    A jolt of surprise sparks through her.

    Reflexively, she raised her hands¡ªready to push him away but the kiss was unlike anything she''d ever felt. It was consuming, dark, and electric. Her mind wavered, lost in the moment, and her resolve melted as her fingers slid around his neck, pulling him closer.

    Her back pressed against the wall, grounding her as the world spun away.

    Only Lucivar and the wild rhythm of their shared breath were her senses captured.

    She surrendered, drowning in the fire he''d ignited, helpless against the force of it.

    In her mind, due to the threat of the doppelganger¡ªbecoming real, Lucivar might now realize his feelings and go for it lest he or she would die tonight or in the near future. But that wasn''t reality, far from it.

    Lucivar opened his sharp eyes slowly and saw Leandra unable to fight back his moves.

    He was not surprised, Leandra was already within his grasp after Darwin''s death.

    It was already a minute since this started, Lucivar counted it on his head.

    ''Any moment now... it should happen right about, now!''

    "Someone help!!"

    Upon hearing the scream, the kiss stopped as Lucivar grinned.

    Leandra was also pulled back to reality, the scream came from inside the church.

    "Oh, no! Quick, we should he-"

    Before she could finish her sentence, her vision darkened when a solid hit struck her nape.

    Lucivar knocked her unconscious with a perfect strike, infused with three God strands.

    It packed enough force to knock Leandra out when she was caught off guard.

    He asked Nolan earlier in the morning for his ether.

    Because of that, his strands were restored to full again and ready to be used.

    Catching her body before she fell, Lucivar lifted her, put her over his shoulder¡ªand made a relaxed walk, towards the church, ''I made sure to put a small amount inside those people, it should be affecting them now''

    Entering the church, Lucivar closed the door behind him and locked it.

    He then placed Leandra on the ground before he turned to the center of the nave.

    All of the people in the group were dead, and groaning in pain among their corpses were the two figures that Lucivar and his team had been searching for, the proselytes of the dungeon in this city.

    Lucivar''s eyes gleamed with a green light as he smirked at the proselytes who were in pain.

    "You fucker! What did you do to us?!"

    "How is this possible? What happened? What did you do?!"

    Seeing the confusion, anger, and terror on their faces made Lucivar smack his lips in delight.

    "Settle down. Let''s start with¡ªa small introduction, alright?" Lucivar replied, his face devilish. "My name is Lucivar, and I have the bloodline of a God, inside of me. And now to answer your question¡ªyou absorbed a tiny portion of my bloodline. How does it feel to have the power of a God inside of you?"

 Chapter 86 86: The Real Me

    It was the plan Lucivar had created on a whim.

    He wanted to lure the proselytes and take them down so that he would have time to explore the dungeon¡ªfor himself. Having the power of a five-star Neophyte rank Hybrid, he already reached enough strength to enter a yellow dungeon.

    But to do that, he needed to take the proselytes first.

    Lucivar knew that there was only one thing proselytes of a yellow dungeon would want.

    All they wanted to do was to be stronger and stronger.

    And the only way for them to become stronger is to kill someone with their own hands.

    Knowing that fact, Lucivar decided to allow the people to be escorted to the church to pray.

    Not because he was kind enough to help them but because they would be bait.

    Lucivar wanted the proselytes to feed on the people in the church¡ªas they were separated from the rest, easy targets. His only obstruction was Leandra. He planned to get Leandra to lower her guard for two days before making a move on the third day they were here.

    Rushing it would only make Leandra suspicious, manipulation needs patience.

    However, that plan changed when the doppelganger made its move again.

    It made him decide to move on the second day which was tonight.

    Along the way when the couple tripped and injured themselves¡ªLucivar caused that and he put a sliver of Loki strand into their bodies. About a quarter¡ªof a strand inside each of them without anyone realizing it.

    He already put on the others too before going but the couple was the last.

    Just the preparation alone cost him one and a quarter of strands.

    From the class he attended back in the academy, he learned more about the proselytes.

    About how they were attracted to vitality or life force and ether or energy.

    Of course, the abundance of energy from Loki strand incites the proselytes watching them.

    Once that was set, Lucivar pulled Leandra to the side.

    He acted like a ''love bird'' to give the proselytes the time to feed on the people inside.

    All of that led him to this moment.

    Lucivar looked at the two proselytes and saw a dark trail coming out of their chests.

    Both dark trails hovered and connected to him.

    It was a sight that made his grin spread wider, ''Now you want to kill me, but it''s too late''

    Judging from their appearance alone¡ªthese two proselytes were undoubtedly stronger than the proselytes, Lucivar had taken down before. The proselyte on the left was a young man in his twenties, his arms were already muscly, veiny, and grotesque.

    Even the skin on his arms was already pale blue.

    On the right was a middle-aged man with a big belly, his right arm was a tentacle.

    Looking at the fat proselyte, Lucivar squinted, "Let me guess, you must be the husband..."

    "Hmm?!" the fat proselyte frowned. "What did you say to me?"

    "I say I don''t need the other one," Lucivar tilted to the young proselyte with murderous intent.

    Grabbing Leandra''s sword, he walked slowly towards the young proselyte¡ªthe sword in his hand began to gleam with a golden hue, as he coated it with his ether. It even hummed with power as the glow settled.

    "Stay away from me! I''ll kill you and this city for the glory of the Ancient Ones!"

    "You and your Ancient Ones could suck on this blade"

    In an instant, Lucivar dashed and made a savage downswing¡ªcreating a steely sound.

    Upon straightening his posture, the young proselyte''s eyes widened when he saw the upper part of his massive hand, which he used to intercept Lucivar''s attack slide off from its place, and before he could feel the pain, his upper face also began sliding off.

    He tried to catch his face in panic but failed to do so as his body collapsed, dead.

    Blood spurted like a fountain as Lucivar made another swing, cleaning the sword.

    "You were right, a quarter is the right dose" He muttered to himself.

    Just then, a serpent slithered from the back and to his shoulder, its tongue licking the air.

    "Did you doubt my measurements?"

    "I don''t trust you the same as I don''t trust your Father"

    "That''s why you''re the Blessed Oracle, as expected"

    Earlier before this happened, he already tried asking the serpent about Loki strands.

    Lucivar knew that one strand would make a proselyte insane¡ªand transformed them into a gnarly creature¡ªbut he didn''t know what would happen if he gave lesser or more. Because of that, he asked the serpent.

    From the serpent, he learned that the strand is too much if given to another being.

    Only those with strong bloodlines could endure the power of the strands.

    So, for proselytes, the serpent explained, giving one strand¡ªwould make them go berserk, more than one would cause their bodies to explode, and less than one would cause them a unique effect akin to them being sick.

    Despite his doubts, he decided to try it anyway and was rewarded for doing it.

    Both of the proselytes were on the ground, coughing blood.

    Glancing to the side, Lucivar could see the fat proselyte was trying to crawl away in vain.

    Blood still poured out of his mouth and the pace of his crawl was even slower than a baby''s.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you," Lucivar muttered as he approached the fat proselyte. He then stepped on the proselyte''s back¡ªand flipped him over. "Did you check the other room? Are you wondering why she''s not there?"

    Upon hearing this, the fat proselyte frowned in total confusion.

    He expected the academy hunters to save Catherine who was chained in the other room but for Lucivar to know about him¡ªand his relationship with Catherine, that''s not normal. But his eyes then widened in realization, ''Unless that bitch told him about me!''

    Seeing his reaction, Lucivar smirked as he came to realize what had happened.

    "Yes I won''t kill you because your wife would," He whispered menacingly. "Did you know how she begged me to kill you? She even offered her body to me! Hahah~! Can you believe a nun said that?"

    "No, you didn''t!" the proselyte shouted from his blood-filled mouth. "You didn''t touch her!"

    "Oh, still have strength in you fatso?"

    "She''s mine!"

    "Well, I''m here, right? So that means I accepted the deal and I had to say... It was delicious"

    "No! No, no, no!!"

    Fueled by anger, the proselyte used its tentacle arm to strike Lucivar desperately.

    His tentacle arm bulged with blue veins.

    But that attack was squashed by Lucivar stabbing the sword down.

    Hissing in pain, the proselyte glared at his tentacle arm and found it pinned to the floor.

    He tried to force it out but the pain was too much for him to handle.

    "Man, you stained me with your filthy blood" Lucivar complained, looking at his hands.

    Just then, however, his ears picked up the sound of someone whimpering.

    Lucivar frowned and looked at the corpses, he counted them¡ªand realized that there were only five of them. Realizing who the last one was, he smiled and turned to the altar where a boy crawled out.

    It was the son of one of the women in the group.

    Approaching the boy, Lucivar gestured for him to come down, "Come, it''s safe"

    "Mom told me to not trust a stranger"

    "Well, I''m not a stranger, am I? I''m an academy hunter to save you"

    "But you killed that person, I saw it, you''re bad mister"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled gently despite his blood-stained face¡ªand pointed to his behind, "That person I killed was the one, who killed your mother. I killed him in the name of justice and also a sacrifice for the Blood God!"

    Listening to him, the boy''s eyes sparkled, "Really...?"

    "Yes, the Blood God would for sure bless me for doing this. Give me your hand" He replied.

    Gaining a little bit of trust, the boy hesitantly nodded and walked down.

    He stretched his little hand towards Lucivar.

    Lucivar gently grabbed the boy''s hand with both hands and began smearing it with blood, he took the blood on him¡ªand smeared it all over the boy''s hand, "And with this, you would also gain the blessing of the Blood God as my accomplice..."

    A faint smile crossed the boy''s face as he wanted to gain the blessing too.

    Now with the blood on his hands, he obtained it.

    "Go and say goodbye to your mother, she''s in a better place now" Lucivar whispered.

    "Lucivar!!"

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar felt something gripped him tightly and threw him to the side.

    Crash!

    He slammed into the wall and bounced off of it.

    Shaking his head out of the dizziness, he looked over his shoulder and was too late to react.

    Leandra lifted him up and tackled him.

    She put her elbow on his neck and pinned him to the wall, anger on her face.

    "Did you use innocent lives to lure the proselytes? I know you wanted to go to the dungeon as much as I am but this is crossing the line... you''re going too far!" She screamed¡ªputting more strength on her elbow.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar looked at her blankly for a couple of seconds.

    He then struck Leandra''s elbow from below, freeing himself, before kicking her away.

    Leandra crashed into multiple wooden pews, breaking them apart.

    Recovering from the attack, she raised her gaze and glared at Lucivar who was still relaxed.

    "Stop being dramatic, casualties are normal in a situation like this"

    "Normal?! Normal if you try to save them but you fail! Not like this! You killed them!"

    Just as Leandra was about to strike again, she stopped when she heard crying.

    Glancing to the side she saw the boy was weeping on his mother''s corpse.

    He hugged his mother and cried profusely, the shock bloced his uncertain emotions earlier.

    "Is it worth it?" Leandra, asked again, turning back to Lucivar. "I am sure there are other ways to tackle this, to find the proselytes, your plan killed innocent lives! We came here to save the people of this city, now look at what you did"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar turned to look at the crying boy.

    He cried his heart out, clutching onto his mother''s clothes in utter pain.

    Lucivar had been doing bad things but this was the first time he saw the real consequence.

    Naturally, the people he killed before, they have families that would mourn for them.

    Seeing him becoming silent, Leandra added, "Do you see it now? This is not right!"

    But as opposed to what she expected, the exact opposite happened.

    "It''s worth it..." Lucivar mumbled lightly. "I''m sure his mother would thank me for using her"

    Leandra''s eyes widened, she couldn''t believe what she was hearing, "What...?"

    ''If the mother knew what I''m doing, she would be very thankful. For her son, for the future¡ªI am going to keep doing bad things¡ªevil things and keep being evil to exploit the loophole of the world and become stronger until I attain what I want... until karma is fixed''

    ''So that even innocent and good people could obtain good fortune''

    ''The world would have consumed her¡ªand other good people sooner¡ªor later until karma is fixed, so why not let it happen by my hand? Why not consume them first? if I achieved what I wanted, all of you would thank me''

    Smiling to himself, Lucivar then said, "I don''t expect you to understand me, but this is good"

    "All of their deaths are going to a good cause," He added.

    He then slowly turned towards Leandra who was absolutely stunned and petrified.

    His body is silhouetted by the moonlight that seeps from behind, highlighting his gold eyes.

    "Congratulations, Leandra. Now you see the new me... the real me..."

    ...

    A/N: How was the story so far? Too much or perfect? Exciting or nah?

 Chapter 87 87: Found You

    Meanwhile, Mirel and Nolan were guarding the people who were waiting for their turns.

    It took about twenty minutes to half an hour for Lucivar and Leandra to escort a group.

    And since there were still a lot of people who hadn''t sent their prayers since yesterday¡ªthey were eager to go right now. Mirel gazed at the empty street, in the church''s direction with his arms crossed.

    He was on guard after what happened with Lucivar.

    Despite supposedly being stronger than Lucivar, he now realizes that he could die.

    If he didn''t take this seriously, he would be the next victim.

    Bakar almost died, he was supposed to take this seriously from the start.

    Just then, Nolan whispered to him, "I''m going for a bit, nature''s call"

    "Don''t take too long, scream if you need help" Mirel replied.

    Separating from the group and heading away to the city''s entrance, Nolan looked around to see if there was anyone around before he nodded and opened his pants. Holding back for a long time, around half an hour, he was dying to go.

    However, as he was about to pee, he rubbed his neck¡ªfeeling that he was being watched.

    Nolan checked for the second time and found nothing.

    But he then suddenly heard rushed footsteps from the side.

    He sharply turned and widened his eyes when he saw that it was Lucivar.

    Oddly enough, Lucivar was holding a knife and was heading towards him quickly.

    "L- Lucivar, what are yo-"

    Not even finishing his sentence, Lucivar already blasted forward with the intention to kill.

    His green eyes glowed as he leaped at Nolan fiercely, his arm was crossing his torso, fueled with the power to stab Nolan with the knife. Just as he was about to strike, his eyes opened wide when he saw a streak of lightning coming straight at him.

    Static crackled through the air around him before he was struck¡ªpunched in the face.

    Lucivar was hurled back before making a backflip and landed crouching on the ground.

    "Mirel!" Nolan exclaimed when he recovered from the initial shock.

    He saw Mirel landing in front of him and unsheathed his katana.

    Despite Nolan''s shock, Mirel was completely composed as he stood strong, "Go back,"

    "Don''t say anything to the people, don''t create unnecessary chaos" He added.

    Upon hearing this, Nolan hesitated but decided to go back anyway.

    Just as Nola began running, however, Mirel frowned when he saw Lucivar smiling.

    He stood up, pointed his hand at Nolan as if it were a gun, and said, "Bang!"

    Immediately after he said that, Mirel''s eyes widened and he sharply turned to his behind.

    But he was greeted by Nolan, nowhere¡ªreplaced only by flying pieces of meat, that fell from the sky. Mirel''s expression darkened, Lucivar exploded Nolan''s body into pieces with nothing but a single spell.

    Mirel sensed the change in ether but he was too late to react.

    Pivoting back towards Lucivar, he saw Lucivar blowing on the tip of his fingers mockingly.

    "So I guess I don''t need to ask you to prove who you are to me"

    "I am Lucivar and believe me, I really am"

    "Right... I believe you. Thunder Steps!"

    Blitz!

    Casting a spell in an instant, Mirel dashed, his footsteps left behind trails of lightning.

    He managed to blow past the distance between them and struck Lucivar with his katana.

    A savage ether slash empowered by his Lightning Elemental bloodline.

    Despite his incredible explosive speed, Lucivar managed to tilt his head enough to dodge.

    Mirel''s katana was only able to cut Lucivar''s cheek, prompting him to smile.

    "Well come on, then! I''ll see how you''re going to kill me!!"

    ...

    Meanwhile, back to the church.

    Lucivar stood there with his golden eyes fixed on Leandra.

    His shadowed appearance made him look menacing, the air around him was dark, almost as if his entire body was sucking the light around him. Even though Leandra had spent more or less a month with him and getting to know him, it felt like she didn''t know him at all.

    ''I know that he was somewhat crazy but this...?'' She thought in disbelief.

    Most of the time, Lucivar was trying to survive.

    He was forced to exploit anything around him in order for him to survive.

    Although there were things that Leandra didn''t agree with how he handled things, he was in a life-or-death situation, she could not¡ªjudge him. But now, at this moment, he was not in a similar situation, he was not in a life-or-death situation.

    So for him to exploit the innocent like this was another big step for Lucivar.

    "What are you trying to accustom to now? You already accustomed to killing" She muttered.

    Lucivar tilted his head and understood where Leandra was coming from.

    She did see him trying to accustom to killing by killing that guard.

    "Now that you asked that," Lucivar rubbed his chin. "I guess I''m accustoming to being numb"

    "Numb? What do you need that for?"

    "To get stronger, of course. Power demands an unbreakable will, and I''m shaping mine"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra gritted her teeth.

    Her eyes glowed with a purple light as her power reacted to her heightened emotions.

    "No, I refuse to believe that you want to be numb. Then what was that kiss for?"

    "What about it?"

    "Is it another lie of yours? Did you kiss me only to lower my guard?"

    Lucivar didn''t answer, and his silence was enough of an answer for Leandra.

    She bit her lower lip hard, the kiss felt amazing and her feelings for Lucivar were also attuned to that, but she couldn''t believe Lucivar did that only to buy time so that the proselytes could kill the group inside.

    Slapped by the bitter truth, Leandra didn''t want to believe it.

    ''I feel something in that kiss, I won''t accept this. Changing this much for a person is certainly not possible, he hasn''t gone completely numb yet, I can still pull him out of that dark space, I can still fix him!'' She pondered, looking at Lucivar determinedly.

    On the other hand, Lucivar turned towards the church''s entrance.

    He frowned when he sensed someone before he averted his gaze back to Leandra.

    "Bring that kid and go to Mirel," Lucivar said commandingly.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra squinted her eyes, her gaze demanded an explanation.

    "You wanted to know why I did this, right? Then go to Mirel, I''ll show you," He added.

    Just as he said that Leandra could see his shadow begin to climb over his body, it was such a surreal sight that she thought she was hallucinating but she was not. Lucivar repeated his words, telling Leandra to go to Mirel before his body was swallowed and disappeared.

    Once he disappeared from his spot without a trace, Leandra snapped out of her trance.

    She quickly went over to the crying boy.

    "Come, it''s not safe here"

    "No! I want to stay with Mom, I don''t want to leave her!"

    "Okay, I''ll take your mom later. For now, you need to come with me"

    "No! I don''t want to!"

    Having no other choice, Leandra apologized and grabbed the boy before rushing away.

    She dashed out of the church and sprinted through the empty street.

    ...

    Mirel circled the doppelganger, capitalizing on his speed to the fullest.

    He realized that he was faster than the doppelganger so he mostly relied on his speed.

    Stopping at the doppelganger''s behind, he stomped the ground hard and dashed in, lightning trailed behind him as he made a slash. But the moment his katana was about to strike, a wing sprouted and blocked his attack.

    It was the same emerald wing that Lucivar had, the doppelganger is identical to Lucivar.

    Gritting his teeth, Mirel went down and made a perfect dragon tail sweep.

    A signature move of his that he perfected.

    Naturally, the doppelganger wasn''t able to react fast enough and got knocked down.

    Using another Thunder Steps spell once again, Mirel turned into a streak of lightning and came from in front where there was no protection from the wing. But that was the wrong move as the doppelganger already anticipated his attack.

    Mirel took another step forward but was surprised when the ground exploded.

    It was a Radiant Burst spell that the doppelganger did in anticipation of Mirel''s next move.

    He got knocked upward, grunting in pain before emerald chains wrapped around his body.

    ''Oh, no! I can''t move!'' Mirel exclaimed, he was restrained in the air.

    Just before he could try to overpower the chains, the doppelganger was already on him.

    Holding the knife with both hands, the doppelganger leaped from below and arrived before Mirel, with a nasty smile on his face, "Now¡ªyou die... I''ll see how that bastard oracle would react with me sitting on your corpse!"

    As he said that, he stabbed downward, aiming to disembowel Mirel''s guts.

    Since he was restrained, he couldn''t defend himself or cast a spell to block this.

    ''I''m dead!'' He screamed inside his head.

    For a moment, time seemed to slow as Mirel gritted his teeth, his eyes locked onto the knife.

    He saw the knife make a strong and lethal arc with its tip nearing his stomach.

    But when he thought that he would die and even accepted it as he deserved it for not taking the situation seriously from the start, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation from his back, and to his surprise, a hand blocked the doppelganger''s strike.

    Both Mirel and the doppelganger had their eyes wide open when they saw this.

    Shock pulsed through their minds as this was unexpected.

    Lucivar emerged from Mirel''s shadow, gazing at the doppelganger murderously, "Found you."

    Just before the doppelganger could recover from the initial shock, Lucivar cast Radiant Burst behind the doppelganger, propelling him forward. Lucivar pulled Mirel and flipped his body to make a powerful axe kick at the doppelganger''s head.

    His heel was enhanced with ether, sharpening it.

    Bam!

    Due to looking up¡ªthe doppelganger got struck in the face and crashed to the ground.

    It was a lethal axe kick that broke the bones of the left side of the doppelganger''s face.

    "Bastard oracle!" the doppelganger cursed, coughing out blood. "Tonight will be your death!"

    Lucivar landed gracefully across the doppelganger with Mirel beside him.

    He was casting a mocking look at the doppelganger.

    Recovering from the shock, Mirel looked at Lucivar in utter confusion, "How are you here?"

    "Why don''t you check your hand?" Lucivar replied, giving him a knowing smile.

    Still confused, Mirel flexed his muscles to break free from the emerald chains¡ªand checked his hand as Lucivar said. Then, he gasped, the mark from the Soul Warden spell that Lucivar put on him was glowing golden.

    Only then did Mirel understand the gist of what was going on.

    "You planned this?"

    "Of course. I told you to have the intent to kill, and that''s for a reason..."

 Chapter 88 88: Lucivar vs Lucivar

    Inside the now-empty church¡ªwith the door slammed wide open.

    "Eurgghk!!" the fat proselyte grunted in pain as he pulled out the sword stabbing his arm.

    He writhed and hissed as he did that.

    Once the sword was out of his tentacle arm, he angrily threw it away.

    "Fuck those kids!" He cursed, holding his weak and also bleeding tentacle arm. "Just what''s wrong with them? More importantly, who was that devil? He poisoned us using these damn people and proceeded to walk over us! He even touched Catherine, MY Catherine!"

    Remembering Lucivar''s horrifying face, the fat proselyte felt a shiver run down his spine.

    But mixed in his emotions was unbridled anger for Lucivar.

    He never knew an academy hunter could be or even allowed to be that ruthless.

    Grabbing the pew to his side, he tried standing up but it was hard.

    It seemed the poison or the God''s power inside of him was still ransacking his internal flow.

    "Fuck it, I need to kill someone to recover," He mused with determination.

    Just then, however, he heard footsteps approaching and stopped directly at the entrance.

    He also saw a shadow reflected on the ground.

    Upon seeing this, the fat proselyte looks up in excitement as his victim has arrived.

    But as soon as he did and saw the figure who was standing at the entrance, his entire being froze. Just from the torn nun clothes she was wearing along with her naturally red eyes¡ªhe recognized this woman, it was his wife, Catherine!

    "Catherine! It''s good that you''re here. Come, help your husband" the fat proselyte said.

    Seeing this, Catherine closed the door behind her with a loud bang.

    She then proceeded to approach her husband with steady steps.

    "Yes, yes... Come and be a good wife" the fat proselyte said, reaching his hand forward.

    As opposed to helping him, Catherine walked past him.

    Naturally, the fat proselyte was confused, but before he could turn¡ªhe felt a sharp, burning pain from the back of his knee, forcing him to fall to the ground. Gritting his teeth in pain, he turned and glared at Catherine, "What the fuck are you doing?! How could you hurt me?!"

    Fury bubbled inside the fat proselyte but his throat suddenly felt dry.

    He shuddered as he saw Catherine wearing an expression she had never worn before.

    Catherine held the sword, one hand on the handle and the other on the blade, smiling evilly at the fat proselyte. Her smile was sadistic, almost as if she was perverted¡ªto the pain she was going to inflict on her own husband.

    "Friends are alike, aren''t they?" She spoke, her voice hoarse, and haunting. "Like the pastor, you also wanted power so you got corrupted by the Crossers. Since I''m your good little wife¡ªI''ll help you get it. I''m sure the Blood God would love your pain and suffering"

    Upon hearing this, the fat proselyte''s face paled.

    And seeing such a reaction, Catherine licked the blood on the sword, horny for malice.

    ...

    Leandra panted heavily.

    She entrusted the young boy to one of the people before rushing to the sound of battles.

    Many of the people were panicking because of the sound but she assured them that it was going to be okay, even though¡ªshe was lying through her teeth. Arriving at the scene, she saw Lucivar standing in front of Mirel with another Lucvivar across him.

    Realizing that she arrived, Mirel went over to her holding his stomach.

    "What happened? Are you hurt?!"

    "Yes, the doppelganger stabbed me a little but Lucivar came out of nowhere and saved me"

    "Lucivar did...?"

    "He used the Soul Warden mark to get to me in time"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra checked the mark and found that it was humming with ether.

    She frowned and turned back towards Lucivar and so did Mirel.

    "I think it has something to do with me aiming to kill the doppelganger that he came in time, he told me to take this seriously when I talked with him earlier"

    "Kill..."

    Leandra''s mind was thrown back to when she read the Soul Warden spellbook.

    She also read the spellbook with Lucivar so she knew about it roughly.

    In the manuscript, it said that the Soul Warden spell has three stages¡ªLocator, Debilitator, and Assault. Moreover, the effects of each of the stages differ depending¡ªon the Hybrid''s bloodline.

    Since Lucivar had only learned the spell, he must only be at the Locator stage.

    ''He found the proselytes faster by acting vulnerable¡ªand he knew Professor Fury wanted to kill him instantly. Now, he told Mirel to bore killing intent, to the doppelganger. Don''t tell me... did he have the ability to sense someone else''s killing intent towards him?''

    Putting the dots together, Leandra cracked Lucivar''s ability.

    She was sharp enough to complete the puzzle.

    Upon realizing that, her eyes widened, ''So the Soul Warden spell, his was¡ªto mark someone and able to reach them if they bear killing intent towards him? Since the doppelganger is in a way, himself, Mirel showing killing intent¡ªto the doppelganger is the same as showing killing intent to Lucivar!''

    ''He used the people in the church and the proselytes to show the doppelganger that he was occupied, a chance to attack, the separated Mirel! Oh my God, he thought all of this out?!'' In absolute shock, Leandra covered her mouth.

    It was a flawless plan that he concocted on a whim.

    Leandra then frowned, ''But the doppelganger should know of his spell if they''re the same''

    ''What made the doppelganger take the risk? He must''ve done something more''

    Meanwhile, Lucivar unsheathed his dagger and played it on his hand.

    His confidence was off the charts.

    "What''s with the rough-looking face? Do you think I won''t find you?" He asked mockingly.

    Upon hearing this, the doppelganger gritted his teeth.

    He was supposed to be the composed one but at this moment, he was extremely furious.

    Seeing him grinding his teeth hard with a murderous gaze, Lucivar smirked¡ªhe was going to really enjoy destroying, this doppelganger of his, "Was it because of ''that''? Come on, you did it to me so I can also do it to you, it''s only fair"

    Being mocked even though he was a test made by Loki, the doppelganger was fuming.

    Days ago when Bakar was attacked, it wasn''t him who attacked.

    Lucivar impersonated the doppelganger, he was the one who attacked Bakar at that time.

    He did it to heighten Bakar and Nerissa''s guard so that the doppelganger has no choice, but to go with Lucivar as opposed to making a turn and aiming at those two. All was done with a purpose, nothing Lucivar did was random.

    Since Veloria City and Bakar''s city were close, the doppelganger could go there.

    But Lucivar cut out that choice from the equation.

    "I saw you having fun impersonating me, so I decided to try it out to see if it was really fun," Lucivar mocked further. "And I can see why you liked¡ªimpersonating someone, the thrill of blaming someone else for your doing is quite endearing"

    Lowering his stance, the doppelganger held the knife tightly and charged forward.

    His eyes were completely green, and he roared as he charged.

    It had enough of Lucivar''s mockeries.

    Seeing this, Lucivar smiled and accepted the challenge, charging forward with his dagger.

    Clang!

    Both of them clashed, their knife and dagger meeting at the center.

    In the next instant, the two exchanged blows, their weapons danced dangerously, flashing in the night. Both of them took turns attacking and defending while the doppelganger attacked¡ªLucivar was on the defense and the same happened when Lucivar attacked.

    Since both of them were the same, their fighting style was also the same.

    So identical that even the tip of their weapons could meet each other.

    Despite their similarities, their attacks landed, delivering cuts to one another viciously.

    Lucivar made a sweeping kick, aiming to knock the doppelganger''s feet but that attempt was dodged¡ªthe doppelganger leaped back to avoid it. At that moment, Lucivar''s eyes glowed¡ª with a greenish hue, ''It fights like me, but how about abilities? Does it have all too?''

    Deciding to try, Lucivar dashed forward and swung his fist for a punch.

    Seeing this, the doppelganger reacted the same.

    But the moment when their fists were about to clash, Lucivar infused a God strand.

    Bam!

    Both of their fists collided, creating a gush of ether shockwave, and to Lucivar''s surprise, the doppelganger also had the same idea their punch was equal in strength. However, unlike him¡ªthe doppelganger knew that they were planning the same thing and reacted fast.

    Pushing forward, he channeled his ether and thrust his knife into Lucivar''s abdomen.

    Caught off guard, Lucivar got stabbed and spat a mouthful of blood.

    It was more like a punch with the knife as the force hurled Lucivar rolling backward hard.

    Seeing this, Mirel and Leandra were about to move.

    But at the same time, Lucivar stopped and raised his hand at them, "Don''t!"

    "No matter what, this battle is mine! Even if I die here, don''t help me!" He shouted sternly.

    Leandra and Mirel were stunned, but they couldn''t help but frown.

    If the doppelganger was an exact copy, Lucivar would not be able to win without sacrificing himself in the process. Now that there were three of them here, they didn''t understand why Lucivar stopped them from helping.

    Defeating the doppelganger would''ve been easier if the three of them worked together.

    Nevertheless, Lucivar wanted to do this himself.

    ''It''s a test for me to be stronger and I want to succeed with my own strength!'' He thought.

    Call it pride but he would feel worse than death if he got help in beating this clone.

    ''I don''t like direct confrontation but there''s no other choice...'' Lucivar stood up.

    His stomach was bleeding from being stabbed but he used one God strand to heal it.

    Now, he only has three more God strands to use.

    Additionally, his ether was running low, and he had no ether potion with him.

    At best, Lucivar could only cast three to four spells more.

    Upon hearing this¡ªthe doppelganger smirked, "You will sorely regret that¡ªbastard oracle. I am made only by the better side of you, the evil side of you, there''s nothing you can think of that would win you over me"

    Panting heavily, his complexion paler, Lucivar exhaled, "Let the stronger one survive!"

    Swoosh!

    Charging ahead, Lucivar dodged a slash and brandished his dagger.

    He managed to cut the doppelganger''s fingers, the one with the ring included.

    It was his aim to restrict the doppelganger from using the Snare ability.

    Just then, the doppelganger also brandished his knife in the same arc¡ªbut Lucivar was able to dodge it in time. He got a one-up against the doppelganger yet his elation was short-lived as following the first strike was the second strike, coming from the doppelganger''s wing.

    Lucivar hissed, his left-hand fingers were also sliced, and his ring dropped to the ground.

    As the doppelganger said, their intention was the same.

    ''He enhanced the tip of his wings with ether? I could do that?'' He thought in shock.

    He never thought of doing that because it would require immense ether control.

    Each feather at the edges must be infused with ether equally.

    ''Shit! Shit! This is bullshit!'' Lucivar''s eyes bulged in rage. ''I need to beat him but... I can''t see or feel any notion of me winning this! Am I going to lose?''

 Chapter 89 89: Second God

    Lucivar bit his lower lip hard, holding his bleeding left hand.

    His eyelids were trembling uncontrollably from the pain from having four of his fingers, sliced was nothing to scoff at, this was the bloodiest battle he had ever been in. Lucivar very much hated the traditional confrontation like this, and this is the reason why.

    Raising his gaze, he saw that the doppelganger was in the same condition.

    As an exact copy of himself, the doppelganger also hated this situation.

    But even then, the doppelganger was the first one to stand.

    "I expected no less from you, bastard oracle, you tricked me to come out but in the end, you would never beat me," He said, stretching his arms to the side menacingly. "I am you and for that, you would never beat me without killing yourself!"

    "Raarggh!" Lucivar shouted furiously and rushed ahead again.

    Every step was a painful step and yet he forced himself forward, fueled by his bloodlust.

    Once again, their blades met in brutal, heavy strikes.

    Each one was slower, dripping with blood and exhaustion.

    Lucivar''s dagger carved a path across the doppelganger''s side, leaving torn flesh and a trail of searing red. In return, the doppelganger''s knife answered with a deep thrust, lodging into Lucivar''s shoulder.

    Both of them panted but they kept swinging, each swing more deliberate.

    It was clear that each swing was intended to be the last.

    Mirel and Leandra watched painfully as they saw Lucivar becoming weaker and weaker.

    Lucivar''s blade sliced across the doppelganger''s collarbone and he stumbled¡ªblood could be seen dripping down his chest. In the next second, the doppelganger replied with a more violent slash, leaving a long crimson line from Lucivar''s face to his thigh.

    "Graarggh!!"

    "Raarrgh!!"

    Gripping their weapons tightly, they struck each other and their blades collided.

    Surprisingly, their blades snapped, flying into the air.

    Not even needing a pause, both of them exchanged into a brutal fistfight, raw and feral.

    ''Stronger...''

    Bam!

    ''I want to be stronger...''

    Bam!

    Lucivar vomited blood¡ªhe was caught by a punch that snapped his neck to the side, blood and even a tooth, flew out of his mouth. It was a fierce blow, and before he could recover, a Radiant Burst spell exploded behind him.

    Knowing that would happen, he also cast Radiant Burst, pushing the doppelganger away.

    Both of them fell into the mud, coughing and groaning in pain.

    But it was clear that Lucivar was disoriented more from that last, perfect punch.

    ''How do I defeat myself if we have the same thoughts, skills, and abilities...?''

    ''How do I do... that...?''

    Pushing himself up, the doppelganger raised his gaze, and smiled when he saw that Lucivar was still on the ground, unmoving, "We both understand¡ªthat those who are evil inside are going to be favored by the world and become stronger. It was the law of the world, only the strong survive... Give up and let me take over your life, I''m the better version"

    "You''re weak because you''re not evil enough, and you can''t be the strongest if you''re not the most evil. Look at the Gods, all of them are exceptionally strong and they are all evil beings¡ªout of everyone you''re supposed to understand that" He added.

    "Sunna! She''s not evil if she''s slaying Loki''s avatars!" Lucivar refuted, gritting his teeth hard.

    Not expecting to hear this, the doppelganger was stunned.

    "Huh? Really? Is that really what you think?" Soon, the doppelganger''s stun turned into an overbearing laughter. "She''s slaying Loki''s avatars because they got in the way of her¡ªof something she wanted. You''ll see. Once Caldaros knows who you are, he''ll root you out"

    Lucivar couldn''t refute what the doppelganger was saying.

    It was true since the serpent warned him of being under Caldaros'' radar.

    "Just remember your failures," the doppelganger added as he stood upright. "your only family doesn''t love you and sold you out because of your weakness. You could''ve prevented Delilah from dying if you understood your power sooner, but you did not, once again, it was because of your weakness"

    "My evil is more developed than yours, I''m not weak¡ªthe victor is decided!" He laughed.

    Just then, however, Lucivar grimaced as he clutched the mud hard.

    He was clearly influenced by the doppelganger''s words.

    But then, his eyes widened.

    "D- Developed...?" He muttered as a sudden realization struck him.

    Several scenes flashed in his mind, giving clarity to his realization.

    "It''s not fighting like you at all. It spat at me and headbutted me like a maniac"

    Bakar''s voice rang inside his head.

    Additionally, the fact that the doppelganger was manipulated into attacking also crossed his mind. Lucivar''s eyes widened, as he slowly pushed himself up from the muddy ground, ''I get it now... Loki''s test, this doppelganger, he was meant to race me to see, which one of us can develop the most''

    Lucivar realized that the doppelganger was an exact copy of him at that moment.

    From the moment the doppelganger was formed, it was a separate individual.

    It has the thoughts and abilities of him but after that, all the development is separated.

    ''Just like the Soul Warden spell. He was fooled not because I angered him by impersonating him, but because he does not have that spell, he doesn''t know. Likewise, the doppelganger could enhance his wing and I can''t so I was caught off guard by him''

    Coming to that realization, Lucivar who was prostrating, smiled, showing his bloodied teeth.

    On the other hand, oblivious to this, the doppelganger stood before him.

    He flared his wings to the side and bent it, aiming to pierce Lucivar''s body and end this.

    Seeing this, Leandra pointed her hand forward, intending to help but Mirel pushed her hand down, "Don''t stop me, Mirel! Are you really going to stand here, and watch him get killed? Is that really what you want?!"

    "No, wait, something about him changed!" Mirel rebutted, trying to hold Leandra back.

    But as the two were fighting, the doppelganger struck.

    As his wing was about to puncture through Lucivar, however¡ªLucivar moved, throwing mud at him. Seeing mud flying to his eyes, the doppelganger turned and that made his wing miss its mark.

    Still laughing maniacally as his victory was in sight, the doppelganger threw a punch.

    His punch landed but in the next second, an excruciating pain assaulted his crotch.

    Lucivar smiled savagely as he kicked the doppelganger on his crotch.

    It was so painful that the doppelganger instantly fell to the ground, screaming in pain with his hands holding his crotch. Helped by adrenaline coursing through his veins¡ªhe stood up even with the pain.

    "That''s a cheap shot!" the doppelganger complained, glaring at Lucivar.

    But then, the doppelganger gasped when he saw Lucivar was already wearing his ring again.

    Gritting his teeth, he turned and rushed towards his ring.

    Lucivar slid and pointed his arm forward, a green spirit snake coiled around his arm and was able to whip the doppelganger''s hand in time¡ªblocking him from getting his ring. Surprised, the doppelganger looked at the spirit snake in confusion.

    Since the key was ''development'', Lucivar quickly summoned the magical mirrors.

    He spent three essence bars to buy another ability and obtained this ability, Viper Spirit.

    Now that he knows the doppelganger couldn''t obtain his new abilities, there was no need for him to hold back. Eyes laced with malice, Lucivar leaped high above and swung his arm hard, aiming to punch the doppelganger to oblivion.

    Bam!

    Caught off guard, the doppelganger ate the punch with his face.

    Lucivar''s punch was so hard that the mud underneath the doppelganger''s head splashed.

    As he did that¡ªhis entire body began humming green but he was oblivious to the change.

    Not stopping at that, Lucivar sunk his fingers into the wound on the doppelganger''s side, he pushed his fingers deep¡ªand tore the skin, causing the doppelganger to scream. But, as he did that, the doppelganger''s body melted into liquid.

    Seeing this, Lucivar turned to the side and got back-handed on the face.

    He was thrown away, rolling across the muddy ground.

    Of course, exactly like him, the doppelganger also had bought another ability from Loki.

    But as the doppelganger tried to run away, the spirit snake rushed towards him¡ªand bit his shoulder, causing him to stumble and fall. He grabbed the spirit snake hurriedly and twisted its neck, killing it instantly.

    Even then, he felt dizzy, the venom was already in his blood.

    It seemed the battle was nearing its conclusion.

    Mirel and Leandra watched this brutal fight from the sight but were startled when Lucivar on the side, began to chuckle. It gradually became louder and louder, beginning from a chuckle, and turning into an outright laughter.

    Lucivar grabbed his face with his fingerless hand, his expression maniacal.

    He could feel a tingle coming from his Inner Chamber.

    "I can feel it! Killing you is making me stronge- Karhkk!"

    Before he could say anything, he was thrown back and pinned to the house wall behind him.

    Desperate¡ªthe doppelganger grabbed a sharp wooden stick submerged in the mud and did the most sensible thing to survive¡ªenhanced it with ether and threw it at Lucivar. The sharp wooden stick stabbed Lucivar in the chest and pinned him to the wall.

    However, even then, the doppelganger shuddered when Lucivar kept laughing.

    Even with a wooden stick penetrating through his chest, he kept laughing.

    "I don''t know if I could win against you or not earlier but I was a fool," Lucivar said¡ªbreaking the wooden stick. Inside his Inner Chamber, the serpent saw the darkness of another statue was breaking. "Not a chance. I don''t care if you''re wearing my face or wielding my skills. Not a chance I''d lose, not even to myself!"

    Rumble!

    Upon hearing this, Leandra and Mirel jumped when they heard the sky thundered.

    Both of them looked up and saw a hurricane was brewing and it instantly began to rain.

    "It... It''s clear before, when did it suddenly turn like this?" Mirel mused in disbelief.

    Just minutes earlier¡ªhe was quite certain that the sky was clear, there were no clouds¡ªand the sky was filled with glowing stars. But all of that changed in an instant, storm clouds were now covering the sky, the air turned chilly suddenly, and rain began to fall.

    Something was wrong, he could feel it.

    Brought by the wind was also something rough-textured, forcing Mirel to raise his hand.

    Looking at his hand to check what it was, he frowned, "What''s this? Red Sand...?"

    On the other hand, Leandra kept her eyes fixed on Lucivar through the chaos.

    She could feel a chill run down her spine, seeing him maniacal, almost as if he were a Demon.

    Not to mention, she took a step back and gasped when she saw Lucivar''s wing grow bigger, and the feathers were flickering between the color emerald and dark bronze. Blood squirted out because of this but Lucivar didn''t seem to realize it.

    Lucivar''s eyes bulged as he became more unhinged.

    He was becoming more feral with all the blood across his body.

    "I''m weak because I''m not evil enough, you say? Your evil is more developed than mine, you say?" Lucvar snarled, each word dragging blood from his lips. "Good! If I tear you apart right here, that means I''ve surpassed your evil, right?!

    His laughter spiraled into a howl, eyes blazing with frenzied delight.

    "I am Lucivar, the Blessed Oracle!" He screamed, smiling like a lunatic. "You are just a cheap imitation of me, a mere speck pretending it can stand and withstand my darkness!"

    Immediately after he said that a lightning strike struck down.

    And for that brief, searing flash, Leandra''s breath hitched.

    Her pupils dilated¡ªreflecting Lucivar''s maniacal form, his face replaced by something primal, and royal. His eyes glowed intense gold, almost feral, and his face, was that a muzzle? Fangs glinted, sharp and predatory, while pointed, upright ears crowned his head.

    All formed in a shimmering bronze energy that seemed alive.

    But then, as quickly as it appeared, the vision was gone, replaced only Lucivar''s actual form.

    In her mind, that flash from the lightning strike revealed Lucivar''s true form.

    However, in actuality, it doesn''t, it only reveals another part of him.

    On the other hand, the doppelganger, also saw this flash, and from the way Lucivar''s wing was flickering, he knew exactly what was happening, "Did... Did another God react to him? Another one?!"

    Lucivar laughed hard and pushed himself out, freeing himself.

    He could feel his Supernatural Ego infiltrated by another energy, a new source of energy.

    Another God energy.

    Within his Inner Chamber, another statue trembled and exploded, showcasing its form.

    At the bottom, a glowing bronze writing could be seen.

    "Set, Lord of the Red Sands"

 Chapter 90 90: Youre Not My Equal

    Broken bones, severed fingers, damaged internal organs, and marred with bleeding wounds.

    If a normal person suffering from that pain, one would find them paralyzed.

    However, that wasn''t what was happening with Lucivar¡ªhe was bleeding and in pain beyond measure, but as opposed to being paralyzed, he was laughing hard. He could now see vividly the path to becoming stronger, it was right before his very eyes.

    All of his senses, mind, and desires were fixed on killing the doppelganger.

    Everything else other than this falls apart.

    Despite his body swelling, and becoming more toned along with his human fangs elongating, he did not realize it, his senses had already narrowed to the doppelganger''s hard breath and beating heart.

    As this transformation continues, a gathering of light can be seen meters away from him.

    A pure white light gathered and morphed into a woman figure.

    Had Lucivar retained his sanity at this moment, he would have recognized this woman as the one who appeared moments, before Delilah''s death. She returned and saw Lucivar in his bad state, maniacal, and lost his senses.

    Her entire body was made entirely of light but one could see the worry on her face.

    In a hurry, knowing that time was not on her side, she rushed towards Lucivar.

    "Lucivar, can you hear my voice?" She asked, caressing Lucivar''s cheek.

    But even then, Lucivar didn''t respond and kept glaring at the crawling doppelganger.

    Biting her lower lip in stress, the woman of light grabbed the halo above her head and placed it above Lucivar''s head. She chanted a few words, causing the halo to glow brightly and took ahold of Lucivar''s body.

    It shone from above, washing over Lucivar from top to bottom, cleansing him.

    For a second there, it seemed to be working as the darkness from Lucivar was rinsed.

    However, in the next second, Lucivar shook his head and returned to being feral.

    "He rejected it? He didn''t want to be pulled from the darkness?" the woman of light frowned, she could tell that Lucivar''s soul was being pulled deeper¡ªinto the darkness. "Lucivar, I beg you... you are the last of us! Don''t listen to them¡ªlisten to me! Focus on my voice! Do not kill anymore, there are other ways to become stronger and help everyone!"

    "If you fall to the darkness, there will be no more Angels!" She screamed desperately.

    Despite her tears and desperation, Lucivar didn''t answer and kept trying to stand up.

    He couldn''t hear her anymore, there was only blood in his mind.

    "You will not get away with this!" the woman of light shouted, looking around¡ªas if she was talking to someone invisible. "I''ll never stop fighting all of you! One day, believe me, one day he''s going to return to the light! Mark my words!"

    Responding to her declaration, the ground underneath her feet turned into red sands.

    She was pulled inside, the sand clutched onto her and pulled her down.

    No matter how much she struggled, she couldn''t break free.

    In a last desperate attempt, the woman of light''s form glowed brighter than ever.

    At the exact same moment¡ªas that happened, Leandra''s eyes widened when she suddenly caught sight of the woman of light, being dragged down. It was so surreal¡ªshe thought she was dreaming.

    But she wasn''t, she was fully aware.

    "Stop him!" the woman of light shouted. "If you want to help him, don''t let him kill anymore!"

    "Eh...?" Leandra was perplexed, her mind trying to grasp the situation.

    However, that moment lasted seconds as the woman of light was swallowed by the ground and disappeared. Leandra blinked her eyes and focused back on the moment. She was not sure whether what she saw was real or not but she was compelled to move.

    "Stop! It''s dangerous to get close!" Mirel shouted, seeing Leandra sprinting towards Lucivar.

    She didn''t heed his warning and did what she felt like the right thing to do.

    Cutting through the vicious rain that had become stronger, Leandra was soaked but she was able to reach Lucivar at the exact time he regained his footing. Even with her barring the way¡ªhe pay her no heed and kept stumbling forward.

    Leandra tried to reach for Lucivar but yelped when her hands got close.

    She realized that Lucivar''s body was emanating heat¡ªso hot that the rain evaporated before it touched his body. Determined, Leandra channeled her ether, and pushed her arms through the barrier.

    It was hurting her, the heat peeled her skin but she kept going and held Lucivar''s face.

    "Snap out of it, Lucivar! You''re destroying the city!" Leandra screamed.

    Realizing that he was not stopping, Leandra teared up, it was heartbreaking to see Lucivar in this state, more animal¡ªthan human. Deciding that she would go all out, Leandra, channeled her power.

    "Graarggh!" She grunted as her ether became rampant.

    Purple flashes flickered across her body, her eyes glowing as darkness seeped around them.

    As she did that, a purple star symbol appeared on her forehead, a symbol of her bloodline.

    For a second there, Lucivar was overwhelmed by her massive amount of ether.

    He blinked his eyes and regained consciousness¡ªonly to see Leandra right in front of him.

    Lucivar saw her panting heavily with her power exposed clearly, but the most surprising one was the symbol on her forehead, the purple star symbol¡ªthat he recognized. As a matter of fact, the classes had explained her bloodline.

    In class, he was told that whenever he entered a dungeon, he needed to pay attention.

    Of course, there were several things that he needed to pay attention to.

    But one of them was a Human with a purple star symbol on their forehead.

    A long-lost Hybrid taken by the Crossers, a Hybrid with the rare Star Witch bloodline, having the ability to summon a dungeon into the Crossers'' world and have an immense suppression power¡ªLucivar was shocked to realize Leandra possessed it.

    No wonder her ether reserve was so vast.

    "What are you-"

    "Don''t kill the doppelganger, I don''t want you to kill him"

    "Let me go, I need to kill him if I want to be stronger. You don''t understand"

    "I''m sure there are other ways. Just please, don''t kill it"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar looked down, he had a lot to lose if he didn''t do it right now.

    Other than having a killer stalking him constantly, he also would lose more and more of his power the longer the doppelganger is alive. Not to mention, he would also be stuck, at the Neophyte rank, which he didn''t want.

    "Let me go or you''ll be my enemy too..." Lucivar finally said, his voice laced with warning.

    Seeing the lethality behind Lucivar''s eyes, Leandra knew that he wouldn''t budge.

    And the thought of being Lucivar''s enemy¡ªit made her chest tightened.

    Despite not wanting him to kill, she didn''t want that so she decided to compromise.

    "Okay, I''ll let you kill the doppelganger," She said, moaning in between from the pain, the heat was still scorching her arms. "But if you want to kill him, you''d have to do it consciously. Don''t lose your mind to this weird power of yours"

    Lucivar scoffed when he heard this, "Fine, get out of the way"

    He didn''t know why he was listening to Leandra''s request but he said it already.

    "Here, use my knife," Leandra tilted her body, showing her unsheathed knife on her waist.

    She needs to keep her focus on Lucivar, his power is still rampaging a lot.

    If there were more stimulus¡ªshe wouldn''t be able to suppress him, which was quite a shock knowing the kind of bloodline she has. Fortunately, the doppelganger was already defeated, he wouldn''t be able to do anything to instigate Lucivar.

    As opposed to taking the knife, Lucivar pushed her away, "I don''t need it"

    Going past her, he went over to the doppelganger who was still crawling on the mud.

    The Viper Spirit''s bite sent venom coursing through him¡ªslowly paralyzing his body.

    "Stay away!" He shouted desperately.

    Lucivar grinned, "Where is all that bravado gone? I thought you were stronger than me"

    Upon nearing the doppelganger, Lucivar''s eyes mildly widened when something materialized on his hand. It was a deep red staff, made of steel, featuring glowing hieroglyphs¡ªacross its entire form.

    At the top, a stylized jackal head made of gold could be seen.

    Once Lucivar gripped it tightly, the staff¡ªemitted a faint glow of bronze light¡ªand crackled with bronze lightning. Lucivar didn''t do this, it was the now power inside of his Supernatural Ego that summoned this.

    Even then, he accepted this weapon and stumbled towards the doppelganger.

    He fell down to his knees, grabbed the doppelganger''s back, and flipped him over.

    Helpless, the doppelganger couldn''t fight back.

    Lucivar mounted on him and raised the staff with both hands, the pointy edge pointing at the doppelganger''s heart. He was delivering¡ªthe last blow, "Even if I lose now, it doesn''t change the fact that you''re weak. Deep down you still cared about these people¡ªand that weakness would be the end of us" the doppelganger said.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s arms froze in place.

    It seemed he was hesitating.

    But as the doppelganger was about to say more, Lucivar''s eyes glowed bronze.

    He tilted his head a little and looked at the doppelganger with pity.

    "You said I would never beat you without killing myself," Lucivar said, his voice filled with the essence of ridicule and pity. "well¡ªyou''re wrong. I do not need to kill myself to defeat you¡ªbecause you''re not my equal. You''re the weight I''ve already outgrown, and with your death, I am stronger"

    Listening to this, the doppelganger paled, shuddering under Lucivar''s intense, cold gaze.

    "You''re not the best of me, you''re just nothing..." He added.

    Gritting his teeth, the doppelganger was about to say something more but Lucivar didn''t give him the chance to say more, by stabbing his throat with the staff¡ªbreaking his win pipe, and silencing him for good.

    In the last breath, the doppelganger only looked at Lucivar with unwillingness.

    But death had already picked him up as his eyes dimmed.

    Upon killing the doppelganger, the storm stopped and the night sky turned clear again.

    Feeling that the enormous power coming from Lucivar disappeared, Leandra, let go of him and panted heavily. Her ether reserve almost depleted completely from keeping Lucivar at bay, and thankfully it stopped.

    Everything returned to silence once again, the city regained its peace.

    Mirel and Leandra looked at Lucivar who was unmoving.

    Just then, Lucivar''s body suddenly gushed with greenish ether, splashing like torrents.

    Lucivar laughed aloud as the doppelganger''s body disintegrated¡ªturning into Loki''s energy, empowering his body, rapidly. Something inside of him was unlocked, his wing fluttered, and in the next second, a shockwave of ether exploded outward.

    It was a strong shockwave that pushed Mirel and Leandra back.

    Once both of them recovered, they saw Lucivar was now standing upright.

    His wounds were still there but his entire body was now steaming with violent golden ether.

    Sensing the aura that his body emanated, Leandra''s eyes widened, "He... He broke through"

    "He reached the realm of Acolytes!"

 Chapter 91 91: Sutekh and Sha

    It hasn''t been that long since he was weak and helpless.

    He was nothing more than an act caught helplessly in the currents of the strong.

    But not anymore, at this moment, at this night¡ªhe had achieved his first step to power.

    Lucivar lifted and stretched his hands to the side, blood from his wounds trickled down and fell¡ªthe cold wind of the night heightened the pain and yet there was a wide smile donning his face.

    ''Never once in my life, I achieved what I set out to achieve like this,''

    ''I always prioritize others and sacrifice myself''

    ''Now, I wanted to become stronger and I achieved it. I made the big step and achieved it''

    ''For now on I live my life my way and like that doppelganger, those around me are here with me to help me become stronger,'' Lucivar pondered¡ªand slowly turned to the side, meeting Leandra''s gaze. ''and those who stand in my way should do well to move aside...''

    Leandra saw Lucivar gazing at her with a meaningful look.

    Once his lips curled slightly into a faint smile, she gulped harshly, feeling a bad premonition.

    Moving like a phantom¡ªLucivar''s form blurred and he reappeared right in from of Leandra. It shocked her how fast Lucivar had become and before she could react or do anything, a solid blow landed on the back of her nape.

    In an instant, her vision darkened and her body became limp.

    Lucivar caught her before she could fall.

    Also, Mirel came sprinting from the back, worried that Lucivar would do something to her.

    But he could sign in relief when Lucivar only knocked her out.

    Pivoting his body, he looked at Mirel, "She spent a lot of her ether to help me, she''s tired, and she needs rest. Bring her to the people to rest with them, the doppelganger is dead so you''re safe now"

    Mirel nodded, he saw how Lucivar killed the doppelganger with his very own eyes.

    "What about the proselytes?" He asked.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was stunned for a second before he smiled mysteriously.

    His eyes turned to the side as he answered, "Don''t worry about them too, they''re finished"

    Lucivar was able to convince Mirel to bring Leandra to the others and also ease the people who were probably terrified by the sound of battle, and the sudden turbulence from nature earlier.

    He was now the only one standing near the entrance of the city.

    Checking if there was anyone around, Lucivar went to sit on the side and closed his eyes.

    Knowing that the power he sensed earlier was without a doubt coming from an awakening of another God¡ªhe decided to go into his Inner Chamber to check. Once he arrived back in the chamber, he looked around.

    Coiling on the side was the serpent, hissing its tongue at him.

    "Congratulations," It said with an elated tone. "you''ve completed your first Divine Elevation"

    "Hmph! Isn''t it natural? That doppelganger test was nothing, I know I could clear it"

    "I see the second God''s air of arrogance has already flowed into you"

    Seeing that he had gotten a lot more arrogant, the serpent couldn''t help but chuckle.

    Lucivar''s triumph over the doppelganger incites his confidence that bordered on arrogance, and the second God''s nature, amplifies that. Slithering down, the serpent, led Lucivar to the statue that was now activated.

    "Is it the God Loki helped awaken?"

    "Yes, but your endearing efforts were the main driver of this awakening. Go and have a look"

    Instinctively, Lucivar inspected the statue.

    A man-jackal hybrid, holding a scepter was the main shape of the statue, it has the body of a muscular and sculpted man and the head of a jackal. It seemed to be soaring in the sky while roaring in triumph, its wings behind resemble dark, jagged lightning bolts.

    Looking at the statue was tiring, especially when Lucivar looked at its eyes.

    It almost felt like the statue looked back at him, and the pressure on his shoulders increased.

    Fatigued, Lucivar lowered his gaze and decided to view the name.

    And he squinted his eyes as ''Set, the Lord of the Red Sands'' was written there.

    "Set...?" Lucivar muttered in confusion.

    But as soon as he said that name he felt a powerful migraine assault his mind, so painful that he slowly collapsed to his knees. He lay down on the ground and saw the world spinning, the spins and shaking made him dizzier by the second.

    "I won''t say His name aloud if I were you," the serpent warned. "Just call him Sutekh instead"

    A couple of minutes passed and finally, the migraine subsided.

    "What was that...?"

    "Sutekh is quite arrogant. I''m sure, the prospect of a mortal saying his real name is repulsive"

    "Shouldn''t you warn me from the very start?"

    "Learning by doing is oftentimes more effective, I''m sure you understand"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar clicked his tongue and stood up, before returning his focus back.

    ''If I''m not mistaken, Sutekh is the God of Chaos, Storm, and Desert. Like Loki, he is known to be extremely evil, and disruptive in nature. I awakened Loki through chance and for Sutekh, I awakened him because of my efforts...? How did that happen?''

    Lucivar didn''t do anything in particular, he wasn''t aiming to awaken the Second God.

    Nevertheless, he wasn''t going to deny the power of another God.

    "Do I need to wait for it to contact me then since Sutekh is arrogant?" Lucivar asked.

    Recalling the time when he awakened Loki''s power, he distinctively recalled that Loki came to meet him personally¡ªand gave him a test, before giving him his signature ability that he now relied on, the Greedy Grasp ability.

    Initially, Lucivar expected the same thing to happen.

    But it doesn''t seem to be the case.

    As opposed to answering, the serpent remained silent while looking at Sutekh''s statue.

    From the looks of it, the serpent was waiting for something.

    "Wait...? Is that supposed to be a joke?"

    Suddenly, another voice, more feminine yet arrogant answered Lucivar, startling him greatly.

    Lucivar sharply turned towards the statue and found nothing.

    But his eyes soon fixed on a creature resting on the wings of the statue, a black cat.

    Yawning and stretching nonchalantly, the black cat straightened its posture and lifted up its chin, viewing Lucivar from a high vantage point. It stood there high and mighty¡ªits peculiar golden eyes matching the bright color of Lucivar''s natural golden eyes.

    Across all four of its legs were golden rings, making a sound every time the cat moved.

    Around its neck was a royal golden necklace and atop its head was a black headdress.

    "Who are you?" Lucivar asked, his voice loud. "Are you Sutekh''s child?"

    Considering that the serpent was the son of Loki, he expected this black cat to be similar.

    Upon hearing this, however, the black cat snarled, "Don''t lump me with that thing,"

    "My Lord is above the pleasure of the flesh, He does not have a child. I am His servant, and since you know My Lord''s name, it would be rude and arrogant of me to not give mine," the black cat said and placed its paw on its chest. "I am bestowed with the name Sha¡ªit is the most beautiful name in the universe and beyond, bestowed by My Lord directly"

    "You do well to remember that name, Blessed Oracle," the black cat added arrogantly.

    From below, Lucivar raised an eyebrow and turned towards the serpent.

    "Is it answering my question? Or am I seeing things?"

    "I believe so, it''s definitely making a cool introduction"

    "Then why in the heck is it whispering? I can''t hear anything it said at all!"

    Lucivar was flabbergasted, the black cat was at least three stories high, as the statue was massive in size, he couldn''t hear anything the black cat was saying with that volume, "Can you come down here?! I can''t hear a single damn thing!"

    Realizing that Lucivar and the serpent couldn''t hear her, the black cat froze.

    It then meowed and leaped down, landing on the statue''s foot.

    To cover her embarrassment, Sha''s face contorted in anger.

    "If you can''t hear me, why didn''t you say anything sooner!" She bared her small fangs.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was at a loss for words, "Can''t you realize how high you are? Who in the right mind would be whispering at that distance, even a dog would not be able to hear you from that distance"

    "Why would you stay there and not come down, anyway?" He added, confused.

    As a response, Sha lifted its chin again arrogantly.

    "It''s the suitable height, I can''t have you being the same eye level as me now, can I? Meow~""

    "Does that matter? Nobody is here"

    From the side, the serpent poked Lucivar with its tail.

    "I''m here?"

    "Okay, you know that''s not what I meant! Anyway, we''re getting off the fucking track!"

    Pivoting back towards Sha, Lucivar asked, "How do I meet with Sutekh?"

    "Lord Sutekh..." Sha intervened.

    Lucivar shook his head and corrected, "How do I meet with Lord Sutekh?"

    "Isn''t it obvious? You should offer something and He would answer"

    "Offer? Offer what? I don''t have anything of value with me"

    "Idiot! What else would you be offering? Lives! Offer Him lives!"

    Making an O-shape with his mouth, Lucivar nodded repeatedly, of course, the God of Chaos, Desert, and Storm wanted an offering of lives first¡ªbefore talking. But in the next instant, he snapped, "How in the fuck, should I know that? You called me an idiot¡ªas if the offering was supposed to be obvious"

    "I''m not doing this, Gandr, can you deal with him?" Sha turned away in a tantrum.

    On the side, the serpent, Gandr, smiled acutely.

    He knew that Sha would be annoying Lucivar the instant she appeared and he was right.

    Lucivar pivoted towards Gandr in disbelief, "Is she really supposed to represent Sutekh?"

    "Well, trust me, she''s way better than the other one. At least this one could accept you being on your feet. Anyway, instead of being frustrated¡ªabout her, why don''t you go out, and give your new God what He wants?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar clicked his tongue and turned away.

    As long as he could become stronger, he''d always have enough strength to deal with Sha.

    He could endure this.

    Exiting from the Inner Chamber, Lucivar returned back to the real world.

    Now that he knew the new God was Sutekh, he couldn''t help but feel more excited.

    ''Sutekh is also known for His resilience and immense physical strength, I could really use that since the Angel bloodline is lacking in strength. Even now that I reached the Acolyte rank, I''m probably still only a bit stronger than Bakar'' Lucivar thought and stood up.

    Just as he did that, however, his eyes caught sight of something.

    At the center of the muddy field before him, there were three spheres lying in the dirt.

    One was gold, one was green, and the last one was bronze...?

    Lucivar smiled when he realized that it was his first Divine Blood from Seth.

    "Let''s see what kind of power would it give me..." He mused as he went over to the spheres.

 Chapter 92 92: Bronze Sphere

    Lucivar was about to move but stopped.

    He looked down and realized that he was still in bad shape¡ªeven his right hand was still four fingers short, "I don''t know if Loki''s strands would be able to heal this severe of a wound," He mused, shaking his head.

    Other than healing small wounds, he never really tried healing severe wounds.

    Even when he healed Leandra back then, he left her most severe wounds to Nerissa.

    It wasn''t that Loki''s strands weren''t strong enough to heal severe wounds but Lucivar did not have enough strands to heal them. Greedy Grasp ability, was mainly focused on making all of his other abilities or spells stronger.

    Since he has no healing ability, he could only use its raw power to heal.

    And that alone is extensive in strands expenditure.

    "But wait, I did complete my first Divine Elevation," Lucivar thought aloud and inspected his body, once again. "I don''t feel any different, not that I noticed. I am sure the strands were a lot stronger now, I could heal my wounds but the problem is my strands were exhausted"

    Due to his battle against the doppelganger, he exhausted every strand that he had.

    He needs to replenish them.

    "I missed Sabrina already," Lucivar sighed. "If only I could put her in my pocket"

    Standing up with a groan, Lucivar went over to where the doppelganger was killed and saw a pool of green energy scattered on the ground. He pointed his ring at it, and sucked the entire green energy.

    Once it was gone, he checked his ring and found the essence bars were full again at 5.

    Lucivar used three earlier to obtain the Viper Spirit spell and now it''s full again.

    Nodding his head, he moved onto the three spheres.

    Out of the spheres, the green sphere was the biggest and the smallest is the bronze sphere.

    Lucivar put the golden sphere away, placing it inside his Inner Chamber, as he would need to cultivate with it to use it. Next, he couldn''t contain his excitement for the bronze sphere¡ªthe one that belonged to Sutekh.

    It was small, the size of an orange but when Lucivar lifted it, he was in for a surprise.

    "Holy... It''s so heavy!" He mused in shock.

    He needed to squat down and adjust his grip better to lift the bronze sphere and even then, he was still struggling, the veins and muscles on his left arm were bulging from simply lifting the bronze sphere.

    Once he lifted it, however, the entire sphere melted into bronze goo.

    As if it was a living being, it enveloped Lucivar''s entire body.

    Suddenly, an enormous weight pressed Lucivar to his knees, and giving no time for him to breathe, the bronze goo, heated up. It went from cool to hot in five seconds, and a painful shout was forced out of him.

    Like being submerged in a sea of fire, steam began to sizzle out of his body.

    His flesh was seared as the bronze goo soaked into his muscles, twisting and forcing them to harden and swell. Similarly, his tendons stretched¡ªsnapping back taut with agonizing power, that had him biting down to stifle more screams rising in his throat.

    If he let it out once again, Mirel would come to check and he didn''t want that.

    Despite being able to endure the pain of the battle earlier, this was something else entirely.

    Lucivar felt his body tremors as he gripped the mud hard, his consciousness was slipping as the pain kept on increasing by the second. Blood seeped from his pores, as the most painful process began.

    Gruesome snapping sounds echoed.

    His bones throbbed and shifted, reinforcing themselves beneath the skin.

    It was so painful that Lucivar bit down his teeth so hard that they began to bleed.

    A world of pain was delivered to Lucivar and it felt like an eternity passed before it ended.

    Once it did, however, Lucivar felt his body was anew.

    Panting heavily as his wounds worsened from the process of absorbing the bronze sphere, he lay on the muddy ground, unmoving, "I really don''t feel like going anywhere," He mused, he rather stay in the mud and sleep if he could. "But I couldn''t"

    Sitting up was a struggle, his entire body from top to bottom felt sore.

    Once he got on his feet, he checked his body and found that it was more toned than before.

    He went to the side, to see his reflection and noticed a change.

    Even though his muscles didn''t get noticeably bigger, they were more toned, and the power contained in them¡ªwas something else. Lucivar felt like if he flexed, his muscles now, there was a chance of them exploding.

    "I should hurry back and test my raw strength once again" He mused lightly.

    Lastly, his focus went back to the green sphere.

    Since he completed the first Divine Elevation for Loki, he knew that there would be a change as Gandr said. Initially, the green sphere provided him with increased ether reserve, and also increased mastery over ether.

    Now, he didn''t know what to expect from it.

    Just as he was about to absorb it, however, he made a sharp turn.

    He heard a loud crash from the distance, it came from the church''s direction.

    Realizing that he had no time to waste¡ªLucivar put the green sphere into his Inner Chamber and sprinted towards the church''s direction. He was still hurt, he was limping, but that didn''t matter, he needed to reach the church.

    Seeing him appearing from the side in a hurry, Mirel wanted to say something.

    But Lucivar didn''t let him say anything.

    He pointed his hand at Mirel instead and sucked his ether, "Don''t fight it, I need your ether!"

    "Okay, be careful though!" Mirel nodded.

    Lucivar''s Greedy Grasp ability has gotten stronger from the first Divine Elevation¡ªthe range, in particular, had increased, by a lot. He could now absorb other''s ether¡ªfrom several dozen meters away.

    Of course, the further he was from the target, the more obvious this ability becomes.

    But Lucivar didn''t need to think about that since it was Mirel.

    From Mirel, he had enough time to obtain two strands.

    One of them was used to heal a bit of his wounds while he kept the other one for later.

    Or rather, for the last reward of his plan.

    Since he might not have the time to go to the dungeon, he made sure that being here would be worth it, "And Catherine, in particular... she''s worth it. I can''t pass up this chance!" At the prospect ahead, Lucivar forced his legs to move.

    Meanwhile, in the church.

    Kaboom!

    Blasted, the fat proselyte got thrown to the other side and crashed into the wall.

    He coughed a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground.

    Pushing himself up and raising his gaze the fat proselyte shuddered at the sight of the figure across him. His wife, Catherine was a completely different person now. She wasn''t the same, harmless woman he knew.

    Not only did she have the bravery to hurt him but she also became powerful.

    Catherine''s eyes were now blazing crimson, her right hand was burning with deep crimson flames as she stared at the fat proselyte with malice. She had been torturing her husband, and for the grand finale, she wanted to show him how strong she had gotten.

    At the center of her chest was a red crystal fragment, it pulsed with alien energy.

    It was a Prime Fire Gem.

    Realizing what it was, the fat proselyte''s eyes widened completely, ''She took the Primordial Fire Gem from the pastor? It was meant for the pastor, he made the deal, so if the gem was here then does that mean... she killed him?!''

    In exchange for cultivating the proselyte, the pastor would be rewarded with this gem.

    A gem that contained the power of the Fire Primordial.

    Allowing a normal person to be a wielder of fire, rivaling even the power of Hybrids.

    Now, that exact gem had fallen to Catherine''s hands.

    "Don''t do this, Catherine, I am your husband!" the fat proselyte shouted¡ªraising his hand in utter fear. "The Blood God won''t accept His servant harming another of His servant, you will be damned for eternity if you go through with this!!"

    Upon hearing this, Catherine stopped mid-track, she hesitated.

    Despite what she had done, her loyalty to the Blood God runs deep inside her veins.

    ''If I do this, I''ll be damned for eternity...?'' She thought, her arms shaking.

    Even her flames began to grow smaller and weak, the thought of being damned by the Blood God was crippling for her. Seeing this, the fat proselyte smirked, "Stop this¡ªand I will forgive you, I will help you ask forgiveness and favor from the Blood God!"

    Catherine clenched her hands hard, assuring herself, ''No, I''ve crossed the line already...''

    Recalling what she did to the pastor, she reaffirmed her determination.

    But at the same time, she was still hesitant, fearful that she might''ve been wrong.

    Just then, however, the fat proselyte suddenly convulsed.

    Green energy began to steam from his body and caused him to growl in pain and transform.

    Catherine slowly backed away, when the fat proselyte''s form began swelling, getting bigger and bigger¡ªhis head even almost reaching the ceiling. His human form changed drastically, turning into more of a monster than a man.

    His torso turned black, his legs branched into eight root-like legs, and his arms grew longer, becoming whipping tentacles. But worse of all¡ªhis facial features twisted and disappeared, becoming featureless right in front of Catherine''s eyes.

    Seeing this, Catherine slowly stepped back, away from her husband.

    Hitting a broken wood, she fell down to her butt, her entire body shaking from fear.

    "Is this divine retribution...?" Catherine uttered and gulped. "Divine retribution for my sins?"

    Roar!!

    As soon those words left her lips, the fat proselyte now monstrous roared at her.

    Its roar cracked the walls and trembled the ground.

    Gritting her teeth, she summoned her biggest crimson fireball and hurled it ahead.

    It struck and exploded right on the proselyte''s head¡ªbut it did minimal damage, angering it more than damaging it. Fear began to seep in, as she knew that she had no chance, "I have prayed, bled, suffered¡ªeverything for the Blood God''s name, your name. And now as I took fate into my own hands, you punished me? Have I been nothing to you all along?"

    Catherine began to cry, she only wanted to be content but she wasn''t fitting for it.

    Her devotion was nothing more than farce, she was abandoned.

    Reclining to her destiny, Catherine clasped her hands together as the proselyte struck.

    Its massive tentacle hand-whipped at her at incredible speed.

    But accepting her destiny is hard, a fire burns inside of her as she prays one more time.

    "Please, don''t abandon me!!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

    Just as she shouted that, the wall to her side exploded open and a figure dashed inside.

    Cathrine''s eyes widened, enthralled at the figure who came to her rescue¡ªand slapped the proselyte''s tentacle arm, away. She blinked her eyes to look at the dashing man¡ªin front of her as tears streamed down her face.

    "His Angel...?"

 Chapter 93 93: Awakening: First Vestal (1)

    Devotion to the Blood God is the only thing in mind throughout her entire life.

    It was engrained into her blood since she was little.

    Her dream of becoming one of the blessed ones¡ªand ascending to the rank of Blood Sisters was branded into her mind, and it could only be achieved through relentless, devotion. It was the reason why she became a nun in the first place.

    A dream that flashed in her mind whenever she closed her eyes in the night.

    A dream that curled her toes in anticipation and excitement.

    She aspired to become the most devoted out of all the people in the city because of that.

    Become a Blood Sister was her destiny, that is the doctrine that kept her going.

    A reason that made her pursue her dream further¡ªthe divine light from the Blood God.

    However, that was all shattered at this moment.

    Now that she had taken her fate into her own hands, she was punished instead.

    Maybe it was already written in the scripture of her destiny, that she would die here without ever achieving what she wanted, she would die here right when she tasted the tip of power, she would die a meaningless death.

    But accepting that destiny was another thing entirely.

    She had tasted control, she had tasted power, and she wanted to live it.

    And thus, she was compelled to pray one last time.

    "Please, don''t abandon me!!" She shouted at the top of her lungs in desperation.

    Suddenly, a loud crash resounded from the side and when Catherine lifted her gaze she was greeted by a one-winged man, coming to save her. An answer to her prayer. Catherine could see that he was clearly wounded and yet he still slapped the strike away.

    Heroically, the one-winged man saved her from death.

    Not stopping at that, the man grabbed the sword lying on the ground and dashed forward.

    He leaped at the massive proselyte and stabbed the sword with force.

    It struck the proselyte hard and hurled him to the entrance, crashing outside of the church.

    Once he did that the one-winged man landed on his feet gracefully with his back turned. He was standing with his back straight like an arrow, and was gleaming with light in Catherine''s vision¡ªthe answer to her prayer.

    Just then, the man looked over his shoulder and smirked, displaying his bright golden eyes.

    His fang poked out as he did this.

    Moreover, Catherine beheld the man''s golden eyes¡ªveiled in the hue of crimson blood. His robust, and mighty wing was undergoing the same transformation, its natural color, melting away to reveal a deep, ominous red beneath.

    "His Angel...?" Catherine uttered whisperingly, her eyes widened completely.

    Seeing the likeness of the man with the Blood God, she believed that he was an Angel.

    Pivoting around, the one-winged man approached.

    As he became closer, Catherine realized that it was a familiar person, Lucivar.

    Compared to before when she first encountered him, his appearance changed drastically.

    He looked the same but his features were not¡ªcovered by a veil of magic.

    Nevertheless, it seemed her answer was already here all along.

    "Sir Lucivar..." She uttered, her voice shaking hard. "Are you His prophet?"

    Lucivar stood in front of Catherine who was slumped on the ground, looking down at her.

    His gaze was filled with mockery as he looked at Catherine.

    "As expected," He cackled. "your devotion to Him is meager best, you''re a disappointment"

    "Eh...?" Catherine was stunned she didn''t expect this at all but she soon recovered out of her trance and refuted. "What do you mean?! I''ve dedicated my entire life to Him¡ªobeying all his rules without fail! I really tried my best!"

    "And yet, in the end, your faith wavered..."

    Upon hearing this, Catherine''s breath was caught in her throat as her body trembled.

    She wanted to refute but she couldn''t say anything, Lucivar was right.

    It was true that she had been devoting herself to the Blood God, doing anything, that would please Him but in the end, her faith wavered. "Your lack of devotion caused your sufferings, all of this is the product of your doings" Lucivar added.

    "Product... M- My doings...?" She stuttered in shock.

    Countless torturous questions stormed into her mind when she was faced with reality.

    Catherine couldn''t help but wonder what if time was her real test. What if the Blood God was testing her through time? What if she was so close to getting the blessing, but the end made her ineligible for it?

    Such thought processes made her go insane, and her breaths began to come out heavier.

    Seeing her shaking, Lucivar smirked, ''A little bit more and she would devote herself to me...''

    Moving, he began to circle the helpless Catherine slowly.

    His echoing footsteps rang inside her ears, amplifying the tension in the air.

    It made her heart race uncontrollably from despair.

    "Even when you have power, you hesitated to kill that thing"

    "B- But killing another of His servants is against His rules... and he is also my husband. I fear damnation"

    "Do you think that thing is His servant...? A monster corrupted with the Crossers'' power that brought death to the devotees in this city? A few words and he managed to manipulate you. You are as weak as your devotion"

    Upon hearing this, Catherine clutched the edge of her clothes from the turmoil inside.

    Her emotions were in a complete mess.

    "You could not devote yourself to your husband fully, and you even failed to protect him from the Crossers'' power," Lucivar whispered to her ears¡ªintensifying her insecurities. "You boast that you prayed, you bled, and you suffered for Him? Tsk, tsk, tsk... this is why the Blood God has allowed your suffering to go on"

    "Your hope of getting His blessing is futile, He already abandoned you" He added sharply.

    His words were akin to daggers, they cut deep into Catherine''s very essence.

    She could feel her entire being breaking rapidly, the truth was too painful to hear.

    Despite her best, she was undoubtedly a failure through and through.

    Noticing that Catherine was already hyperventilating, clutching her head with tears drizzling down her face¡ªLucivar, could see that he had already broken her. Due to his manipulations, she was now a blank canvas once more, ready to be painted by his colors.

    As her despair grew stronger, the desire for a white knight bloomed inside of her.

    And that is exactly what Lucivar gave her.

    "But I... I have enough strength to give, enough power to share" He said whisperingly.

    His voice was tantalizing and hypnotizing at the same time.

    It prompted Catherine to instantly turn towards him with tears-filled eyes.

    "Really...? You would help me?" She asked, sobbing in between.

    Lucivar turned around and went over to the broken altar¡ªhis steps were deliberate and once he reached it, his eyes fixed on an item, "I was like you once, clinging to hope but I''ve learned the hard truth. Empathy never rescued me¡ªbeing kind never served me, being hopeful never rewarded me but being evil... now that''s something"

    Grabbing a small miniature of the Blood God''s totem, he turned around.

    He showed what he had in his hand to Catherine.

    "Your Blood God, left you weak. He made you a pawn." He said, forcing Catherine to focus on the miniature in his hand. "But I can make you a queen among mortals, I can help you attain a life you''ve always wanted"

    As the words flowed out of Lucivar''s mouth, Catherine''s heart began to react.

    Her entire life was shrouded in darkness but Lucivar¡ªhe was the only beacon of light.

    Someone who could lead her out of the darkness of abandonment.

    "Pledge yourself to me and you can change your fate," Lucivar extended his hand, which was holding the Blood God''s totem miniature. "The Blood God left you. But I am here and for what it was worth, I will never abandon you"

    Immediately after he uttered the last word, Catherine rushed to his feet.

    She looked up at Lucivar and clasped her hands together as if she was praying to him.

    Desperate to turn her life around, she yielded to the promises.

    "I want it," She begged¡ªtears streaming down her eyes. "I will follow you and devote myself to you! Power, freedom, a new life! I want it all! Please, make me yours! Show me the path to free myself from all of this!"

    Lucivar didn''t look at Catherine, he kept his eyes fixed ahead.

    "And what do I get in return?" He asked.

    Upon hearing this, Catherine''s sobs stopped, she froze at the moment.

    But soon determination flashed across her face.

    "Everything! Yes, everything I have! Give me your blessing, allow me to be in your light!"

    As soon as that answer came out of Catherine''s lips Lucivar couldn''t hide his smile anymore, he had successfully obtained what he wanted. Catherine had sold her soul to the Devil¡ªand he, he was that Devil himself!

    Shoving the miniature towards Catherine, he looked at her meaningfully.

    Realizing what he wanted her to do, she quickly channeled her power.

    She burned the Blood God''s totem miniature, rendering it into ashes in mere seconds.

    It was an act of her sealing the deal with Lucivar.

    Nodding his head, Lucivar gently placed his hand on Catherine''s head.

    Feeling that her life was about to change¡ªCatherine looked down submissively and clasped her hands once again, ready to receive the blessing she desperately wanted. Following that, Lucivar''s ring, Gleipnir''s Echo glowed with a vibrant energy.

    As he willed it, three magical mirrors appeared behind Catherine.

    Lucivar fixed his gaze on the middle mirror, the one with the scroll symbol.

    He then used all five essence bars he gathered in the ring to activate the middle mirror.

    Upon the cost being fulfilled, the mirror cracked and broke.

    It spat out torrents of green energy and gushed to Catherine''s body, seeping into each of her orifice with force. Naturally, she felt this sensation overwhelming her, and caused her eyes to glow green radiantly and her body to levitate.

    Just then, Gandr appeared on Lucivar''s shoulder, excitedly viewing the sight.

    He was always watching Lucivar from the inside.

    But this scene, in particular, is a scene he didn''t want to miss seeing first-hand.

    "Did you plan this from the very start?"

    "Not from the very start, from the moment I saw my power reacting to her"

    "In case you''re wondering, that''s the very start I meant"

    "Oh..."

    Seeing Catherine being morphed by Loki''s power, Lucivar smirked.

    He spreads his arms to the side with the same excitement and curiosity as Gandr had.

    Gandr then intervened, "Quick, bless her with a title to brand her anew!"

    Lucivar nodded his head¡ªand focused back to Catherine who was now engulfed in her own flames, mixing together with Loki''s power. She surrendered herself completely to the power, and in return, the power morphed her freely.

    "Awaken, my first Vestal!" Lucivar chanted. "I baptize you as Saintess of Emerald Devilry!"

    Swoosh!!

 Chapter 94 94: Awakening: First Vestal (2)

    Catherine floated, her flames mixed with Loki''s energy morphed her body.

    No pain was involved in the process, only rejuvenation was present.

    It felt like a cold shower after a long day of prayers, this transformation pleasured her.

    "Awaken¡ªmy first Vestal!" Lucivar''s words rang inside her ears¡ªshe knew that this was the blessing she had always wanted, the blessing that would reborn her anew. "I baptize you as Saintess of Emerald Devilry!"

    Blessed by the title, the flames devoured her entirely.

    For a moment there, Lucivar couldn''t see Catherine''s form as she was engulfed entirely.

    Her flames also turned from red to green, influenced by Loki''s powers.

    Soon, the flames were extinguished in an instant and a figure fell to the ground.

    Catherine landed on one knee, her body steamed with raw power.

    Recovering from the surge of power that infiltrated her, she slowly stood up, displaying the stark transformation that happened to her appearance. Lucivar squinted¡ªthe corner of his lips curled into a smile, "Now¡ªCatherine is no longer your name. Since you are now reborn another name is befitting,"

    "Morriva... that will be your new name" He added, pleased by what he was seeing.

    Upon hearing this¡ªCatherine, or rather, Morriva smiled, "And Morriva will be my name, Sire"

    Compared to earlier, her appearance was now more magical.

    A deep emerald color¡ªreplaced her natural, crimson eyes, boosting her gaze''s sharpness, which could make others who gazed into her uneasy. Going down, below the corner of her eyes was a straight green line that stretched all the way to her jaw like tears.

    Her Prime Fire Gem at the center of her chest also had the same color as her eyes.

    Lastly¡ªLucivar could see a glowing mark poking from her torn clothes on her left waist.

    It was the Mischief rune, surrounded by green fire that coiled to her back like a serpent.

    "I feel stronger than ever, Sir Lucivar. What happened to me?" Morriva asked.

    She looked down at her body and could feel the energy pulsing inside of her was robust.

    Lucivar smirked.

    "I gave you a blessing, and as for the details... it''s more fun for you to find out yourself"

    Just then, Gandr hissed excitedly, "Congratulations, your first Vestal is an Ascendant!"

    He looked at Morriva with complete adoration.

    "Ascendant? What''s an Ascendant?" Lucivar asked, confused.

    Upon hearing this, Gandr shook his head, "Let me educate you on this matter"

    Gandr explained that like Hybrids, Vestals also have ranks depending on the method of their ascension to Vestalhood¡ªand compatibility. From weakest, to strongest, their ranks started from Initiate, Keeper, Ascendant, Dominion, and Harbinger.

    Vestals could rise through the ranks but the starting point from each one would differ.

    Just like Hybrids, talent exists here, and Morriva awakened instantly to Ascendant.

    Of course, Lucivar has absolute control over a Vestal''s rank.

    He could ascend them higher or demote them.

    But above Keeper, the approval of the associated God is also needed on top of Lucivar''s.

    Not only was she favored, by Lucivar''s power¡ªbut her path of ascension to Vestalhood, was also immaculate. It was due to Lucivar preparing herself to become the best servant. He was so successful that even Loki approved of Morriva and allowed her to become Ascendant.

    Other than the rate of energy that a Vestal could provide Lucivar¡ªwith the higher rank they become, they also could obtain benefits for themselves. For example¡ªan Ascendant Vestal would have their innate power influenced by the associated God''s power, be bestowed with two abilities from Lucivar, and also unlock a celestial constitution.

    In Morriva''s case, she was compatible enough to unlock Loki''s celestial constitution.

    A constitution called Hereditary of Grand Magic.

    Marked by the green lines below her eyes, named Cries of the Arcana.

    Her magical prowess and energy reserve were greatly amplified by it.

    As for the flaming Mischief rune on her waist, that is a symbol that she was Lucivar''s Vestal.

    Learning about this, Lucivar was put in contemplation.

    His eyes were still gazing at Morriva probingly but his mind was somewhere else.

    ''Hmm... this opens up a lot of probabilities,'' He thought deeply. ''I need to pay attention to the person, I''m turning into a Vestal¡ªand match them with Loki. Fortunately, this time, Morriva is compatible with Loki. She has fire powers and Loki excels in magic''

    He didn''t expect Vestals to be more complex than servants.

    But then again, this would allow the Vestals to keep up with him in terms of strength.

    It would be a hassle to make new Vestals whenever his previous Vestals fall way behind.

    ''Moreover, it would definitely be a waste if the Vestal is someone¡ªlike Morriva. I invested so much in her to the point that ditching her would be a waste,'' Lucivar thought, he had already put efforts into making Morriva a blank canvas, so he was glad about this.

    Gandr then hissed again, pulling Lucivar''s attention back to him.

    "She is your Vestal now. Anything she does would influence you. If she manipulated others, you would gain more of Father''s Divine Blood. Of course¡ªthe ratio would not be compared to if you did it on your own but still, it is a bonus¡ªand she could only obtain Father''s Divine Blood,"

    Lucivar already knew this but the last part he didn''t know.

    "So you meant to say, I could also make Vestals of the other Gods?"

    "Yes"

    "I thought it was only exclusive to Loki"

    "No. Other than the Vestals, the benefits gained from the Mischief Panes are unique"

    "Each God gave me different benefits, I should''ve expected this"

    Lucivar reckoned the Mischief Panes is the official name for the magical mirrors, and those mirrors have two other benefits other than creating a Vestal¡ªgaining random abilities, and also gaining an opportunity.

    He knew that Loki had a lot of spells as the God of Trickster, so the benefits made sense.

    ''In that case, Sutekh would give me physical benefits,'' He smiled. ''I''m looking forward to it''

    "Sir Lucivar...? Are you talking to someone else?"

    "Hmm? You could see Gandr?"

    Lucivar raised his gaze and found Morriva leaning towards him, curiosity behind her eyes.

    He was talking to Gandr that he forgot Morriva was standing in front of him.

    "Gandr? I can''t see anyone but I could sense something on your shoulder" She replied.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was rather surprised.

    But Gandr assured Lucivar that since she was connected to Loki through him, she could also feel the supernatural. In order to see Gandr as Lucivar did, however, she would need to be of a higher rank than Ascendant.

    "Never mind that. Come here, I''ll give you an ability," Lucivar said, gesturing for her to come.

    Morriva didn''t question him and approached.

    Lucivar placed his hand on his head again before he channeled his power.

    He followed Gandr''s guide and bestowed Morriva the Minor Morphing ability.

    Since his breakthrough to Acolyte rank, the abilities he gained from Loki such as the Greedy Grasp, and the Minor Morphing were strengthened. His Greedy Grasp ability experienced an increase in range while the Minor Morphing became Major Morphing.

    Earlier, the long fangs and crimson wing he showed Morriva was possible because of this.

    He could now morph more than the color of his eyes and face.

    As his energy seeped into Morriva''s head, her mind was injected with new information.

    She also experienced warmth surging in her blood as she learned the new ability.

    "Use that to change your appearance to normal. I don''t think you could hide the green lines, on your face but I reckoned you could change their color to red or something," Once he was finished, he quickly instructed Morriva on what to do. "Also, your eyes, chan-"

    "Yes, I''ll change them to my natural color. Nobody would find me different," She intervened.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded.

    Pivoting around, Morriva pointed at the proselyte outside of the church.

    It wasn''t dead, it was still very much alive but was in pain from Lucivar''s strike earlier.

    "What do you want me to do with that thing?"

    "Not referring to it as your husband anymore?"

    "Don''t tease me. I renounced the Blood God thus¡ªI am a maiden once more. My past is the past, and I welcome the future''s light"

    "Good. From now on, you''ll do well to become stronger and sacrifice others for me. Nobody is allowed to cause you pain except for me and if someone did¡ªyou crush them. Your life is mine and solely for mine, is that clear for you?"

    "Yes, I understand. And I will do well to not disappoint you"

    Seeing the crooked, crazed smile donning her face, Lucivar nodded.

    He was satisfied with her expression.

    "As for the proselyte, torture it, humiliate it, I don''t care. But don''t kill it until I sa-"

    Before Lucivar could finish his sentence, his eyes blurred and he lost his balance.

    His world was spinning and before he knew it, he fell forward and lost consciousness.

    ...

    Meanwhile, within an expansive office building donned in marble floor and walls.

    A middle-aged lady wearing extravagant clothes coupled with a fur boa wrapping around her neck could be seen entering the building. Once she stepped into the lobby¡ªall eyes couldn''t help but turn towards her¡ªshe became the center of attention instantly.

    Despite her age around her forties, she has no wrinkles as if she was in her twenties.

    Her everlasting beauty enthralled everyone who caught sight of her.

    A superstar.

    Minding her business, her high heels echoed as she covered the floor with wide steps.

    But then, as she neared the VIP lift, a woman in a formal uniform approached her.

    "Madam Callista..." She greeted.

    Glancing at her, the lady, Callista stopped as she recognized this woman.

    "Maura? Is there something wrong?"

    "Madam, do you have a moment? It''s about your daughter, Thalia"

    Upon hearing this, Callista''s face instantly turned pale as worry crashed into her heart.

    Her daughters are her everything, she couldn''t bear something bad happening to them.

    "What happened to Thalia?"

    "No need to worry, madam, she''s fine"

    "Then what is it? Don''t scare me like that, talk clearly"

    "She is infatuated with a hunter named Lucivar and I believe he''s up to no good"

    Callista''s expression tightened as she gestured towards the woman with her finger.

    "Come talk with me in my office, I want to hear all the details"

    "Yes, madam."

    ...

    It was morning.

    Leandra stirred, consciousness seeping back to her.

    A relentless throbbing pulsed at the base of her skull, each heartbeat a sharp reminder of the blow that had sent her¡ªinto the darkness. Blinking against the haze, she struggled to focus, the world around her spinning in and out of clarity.

    She lifted her arm to blot out the sun shining on her face.

    But the sunlight woke her up instantly, forcing her to sit up with a sudden move.

    Recalling what had happened, she rubbed her nape and looked around.

    "Where is he?" She muttered, seeing that she was still in the midst of the people.

    Not too far from her was Mirel, and he seemed to be sleeping against a wooden plank.

    Finding that Lucivar was nowhere to be seen, Leandra stood up and rushed to the church.

    It was the only place that came to mind for her to check.

    Upon nearing the church, she gasped when she saw a massive proselyte, whimpering tiredly and surrounded by flames. She reckoned the flames were made with magic¡ªbut she did not know who summoned the flames.

    Nobody has fire prowess in their group to her knowledge.

    Going around the proselyte, she entered the church that had the front part destroyed.

    Scanning inside, her eyes stopped and widened, "Lucivar...?"

 Chapter 95 95: I Wont Wear It Again

    Leandra looked into the church and found two figures sitting beside each other inside.

    She recognized one of them as Lucivar, and he was sitting on the unbroken pew while his head leaned to the shoulder of a woman. He was slumped there, and once Leandra came closer, the woman turned towards her.

    ''Who is she?'' Leandra frowned. ''Is she the nun from earlier?''

    Due to the red lines that stretched down from below her eyes¡ªLeandra could not recognize her instantly. As she was about to ask what had happened, Morriva raised a finger and put it at the center of her lips, gesturing for Leandra not to be loud.

    Gently, she helped Lucivar to lie on the pew before she walked over to Leandra.

    She pulled Leandra outside.

    "Sir Lucivar is exhausted and wounded, I hope you would let him rest"

    "Something changed about you..."

    Instead of answering, Leandra changed the topic and squinted.

    Even though she couldn''t quite put her finger on what changed about Morriva, other than her appearance, she could tell the change. Must be the air, around her, she didn''t seem to be the same person Leandra had met earlier.

    Stunned for a moment, Morriva showed a wry, confused smile.

    But she decided to show the red crystal embedded at the center of her chest.

    "What is that?"

    "A Prime Fire Gem, the pastor made a deal with the Crossers for this and I took it from him"

    "Hmm, so that fire, it''s your doing?"

    Leandra pointed at the fire surrounding and burning the proselyte.

    Since Mirel was keeping guard on the citizens of the city lest the portal break or other unseen threats raided the city¡ªthere should be another person who was keeping this proselyte at bay.

    Moreover, Mirel has lightning power, not fire.

    Making a meek nod toward Leandra, Morriva murmured, "Sir Lucivar instructed me"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra turned around and placed both hands on her waist.

    A lot happened during this mission and in truth, her mind wasn''t able to digest everything.

    "Can you keep the flames going? I assume it''s energy taxing"

    "No, I can''t d-... I mean I can for a little bit longer"

    There was a pause in Morriva''s answer, and that caught Leandra''s attention.

    But she didn''t put it in mind, Morriva must''ve been in shock if she saw this proselyte.

    "Keep the fire going as long as you can but go back to the others, I''ll handle this"

    "I understand, then... I''ll take my leave"

    Morriva turned around and headed back to the others, she was compliant.

    "Can I ask you a question?" She suddenly stopped and turned. "May I kindly ask what kind of relationship you have with Sir Lucivar?"

    Leandra didn''t expect to be asked this¡ªbut her face clearly showed that she was displeased by Morriva''s sudden interest, "Me and him are quite close, family close. Just know¡ªwhatever he did and said to you, it was all a lie"

    Upon hearing this, Morriva smiled.

    A smile blossomed on her face when she heard the answer before she continued on her way.

    Once she was a distance away, however¡ªshe took a look back one last time to see Leandra sitting at the stairs to the church¡ªclasping her face with both of her hands. Smirking lightly, Morriva continued and left the area.

    Moments later.

    Leandra was inside the church, sitting on the broken altar.

    It had been an hour and her complicated gaze was fixed on Lucivar throughout that time.

    "Sleeping while being looked at is not pleasant, you know. Stop looking at me like that"

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar commented, his eyes still remained closed peacefully.

    Leandra was taken aback but she soon frowned.

    She had been contemplating for the last hour forming what she wanted to say to Lucivar the moment he woke up but when she heard his voice¡ªher thoughts were scattered. She forgot what she wanted to say to him.

    All Leandra could do was open her mouth but there were no words that came out.

    Before she could say anything she wanted, Lucviar already got up.

    He rubbed his eyes and stretched.

    Having to battle the doppelganger, and sustaining serious wounds, all over, he was very low on both ether¡ªand blood. Anticipating Morriva''s transformation made him excited but once that excitement died down, he instantly passed out.

    Glancing at Leandra, he sighed and stood up.

    "Have the other teams come back?"

    "No..."

    "It''s almost a day, don''t tell me they all died inside?"

    "If that''s the case, the Crossers would be pouring out of the portal by now"

    "Right... then that shouldn''t be the case"

    Despite trying to keep composed, Lucivar couldn''t deny the awkwardness between them.

    And from the looks of it, this awkwardness would not disappear until Leandra communicated what she wanted to say. But even then¡ªLucivar found it a hassle to answer her questions, it would be better if she didn''t know more.

    Nevertheless, he still needs to address this.

    "Can you forget what you saw last night?"

    "Do you believe me if I say yes?"

    "No, but it''s better that you forget it. Less trouble for the both of us"

    "I know you''re the one who attacked Bakar, you impersonate the doppelganger. And I know you used Mirel as bait to catch the doppelganger off guard." Leandra stated the facts¡ªshe paid attention and knew everything.

    But that wasn''t the end, "Also, the proselyte outside, it''s also your doing. It''s the exact same thing you did last time during the inauguration. Is this how you really are? Manipulating¡ªthe people around you for your own benefit?"

    "And?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I don''t see the problem"

    Furious, Leandra abruptly stood up, "You don''t see? They are people, not tools! Just a month ago, you were that innocent guy saved by Master Tobias. How could you change so fast? W- What happened to you? What made you end up like this?"

    Lucivar stood motionless, listening to what she had to say.

    As a couple of seconds passed, he eventually lifted his cold, calculating gaze.

    "I attacked Bakar to make him, and Nerissa alert of me. I didn''t use Mirel, I used Mirel and you since I branded you both with my Soul Warden spell, and I did that because that was the only thing I could do to catch that thing off guard and end it" Lucivar answered.

    He didn''t stutter one bit, the words flowed out of his mouth naturally.

    Almost as if he has already thought of the answer to everything.

    "For the proselyte outside¡ªI did it because that thing was the nun''s husband once. I feared she would help the proselyte so I showed her that her husband is already a monster, there''s no trace of him left" He continued.

    Of course, the last part was a lie.

    But with how smooth it flowed out and how it made sense, it was believable.

    Nobody saw what happened in the church except for Lucivar and that was an advantage.

    "Manipulations?" Lucivar chuckled. "Maybe... but at least I kept all of your safety in mind"

    "What about these innocent people?" Leandra pointed at the corpses inside the church¡ªthe people that Lucivar used to lure the proselytes. "You didn''t keep their safety in mind, none of them agreed to this"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar paused and decided to leave.

    But his hand was held once again by Leandra.

    "Both of us could get strong together without the need for this. Just tell me what happened to you that made you like this, I promise I will help you change," Leandra said¡ªher intention was pure, but nothing is pure in Lucivar''s mind.

    Everyone in this world has a fixed bias to themselves, helping others is purely superficial.

    A benefit is always present behind every kind gesture.

    Lucivar''s expression darkened¡ªanger bubbled inside of him as Leandra reminded him of his past. She even offered to change him back¡ªto what he once was, a victim of karma, and he found this repulsive.

    Slowly, he turned towards Leandra, his eyes laced with incredible coldness.

    It made Leandra step back in unease.

    His gaze seemed to be the last layer before he exploded.

    "I owe my life to Tobias and I owe being kind to Delilah. Because of that, no matter how badly I want to become stronger, I wouldn''t sacrifice you, or the others but," Lucivar pivoted, facing Leandra imposingly. "Coax me to change again and I''ll bury you like him"

    "I''ve shed the skin of my past, and I won''t wear it again," He said and left with wide steps.

    Unlike before, Leandra didn''t chase him again.

    She stood in front of the church at a loss for words, not expecting Lucivar to react like that.

    Even then, a thought came to her mind, "Him...? Who''s him?"

    Once the sun reached its highest point, the assault and defender team came out.

    All of them were riddled with wounds¡ªand some were even gravely wounded, being carried by another. Upon stepping outside of the dungeon, they basked in the pleasant sunlight, but were surprised to see the church half destroyed.

    Leandra approached them, she was the one who was nearby.

    "Is it done?" She asked, facing Ruby.

    Ruby nodded and took out a brilliant deep blue-green coin from her pocket.

    It was the Teal Coin that could close the portal instantly.

    "Fortunately, the dungeon was only filled with skeletons. There''s a lot of them¡ªhundreds or even thousands that''s why we took a long time inside," Fixing her gaze at Leandra it was her turn to ask, "What about your side?"

    Knowing that the proselytes were even harder to deal with, the condition must be bad.

    Heck, it wouldn''t be surprising if the proselytes were still roaming around.

    "As expected, the proselyte is as strong as an Acolyte rank Hybrid," Leandra replied, pointing behind her at the big burning proselyte. "Two of ours died, unfortunately, but we managed to take the proselytes down. Also, we found the people, and they are safe"

    Upon hearing this, Ruby and the other hunters gasped.

    Casualties, are normal for academy hunters¡ªbut to think that three new hunters could take down two Acolyte-rank proselytes is quite unbelievable. Then again, when they recalled the existence of Lucivar among them, it became believable.

    Not beating around the bush, Leandra turned towards a bulging bag carried by a hunter.

    "So, what about the haul from the dungeon?" She asked.

    Anticipating that Ruby was going to give a bad offer¡ªLeandra continued, "Sixty, twenty, and twenty, that''s how we''re going to split it. Sixty for my team, and twenty for yours, will that be a problem?"

    Naturally, the other hunters were displeased by this.

    Even though Leandra''s team dealt with the proselyte, they also had their share of trouble.

    But when one of them was about to speak up, Ruby raised her hand.

    "Not a problem, we''ll split it like that," She nodded.

    Finding that Ruby was cooperative, Leandra nodded before she turned to leave.

    Since the other teams were now out, it was time to kill the last proselyte.

    It was in misery and she would be ending it.

    Once Leandra was away, the other academy hunters instantly complained to Ruby.

    "Why are we splitting it to them that one-sidedly?"

    "That''s unfair! The skeletons are weak but it didn''t mean we didn''t put our lives on the line!"

    "Just what in the heck are you thinking?!"

    Ruby sighed, she already expected this but she had a good reason to do that.

    "Call it instinct," She said, gazing at Leandra''s back¡ªin the distance. "I could feel that if we refused Leandra would''ve done something to us. Something must have happened, she was ready to kill"

    "No way, there''re dozens of us. We outnumbered her, she wouldn''t do that!" Another barked.

    But this made Ruby gaze at that person sharpy.

    "We chose to tackle the dungeon¡ªbecause we''re not confident to deal with the proselytes," She said, her voice laced with seriousness. "On the other hand, Lucivar''s group doesn''t even look worried. Now, they even killed the proselytes. Do you really think we could win?"

    Upon hearing this, the other academy hunters were silenced.

    None of them could refute that fact.

    "Academy hunters would be punished if they attacked each other but if there''s nobody to tell the story, the academy can''t punish them," Ruby muttered¡ªa shiver running down her spine. "Just trust me on this, our lives are more valuable than some power crystals..."

 Chapter 96 96: End of the Mission

    Power crystals and materials were the items that needed to be excavated from the dungeon.

    It was the duty of the academy hunters¡ªor the Hybrids tasked to handle the dungeon to not only close the dungeon but also sweep clean the dungeon from its riches. Because of that, it took longer before the portal was eventually closed.

    Lucivar, Leandra, and Mirel were exempted from excavating the dungeon.

    Mostly, it was other teams tasked to do that since they chose to deal with the dungeon.

    It was silent between the three, the mission sparked a change in the air between them.

    Mirel spent the hours staring at the place where the doppelganger attacked him ever since Leandra told him about what Lucivar had done earlier. He only stared into the distance, the thoughts in his mind were unknown.

    Sprawled inside a bedroom of a nearby house was Lucivar.

    In return for saving them, the aspiring Blood Sisters of the city treated him with their powers.

    It took three Blood Sisters to heal his severe wounds.

    Once he woke up earlier, he noticed that his wounds already stopped bleeding.

    Each one of them was burnt and it was definitely Morriva''s doings, she closed his wounds while he was asleep. Because of that, the Blood Sisters have an easier time. However, the fact that he reached the Acolyte rank changed everything about him.

    Becoming stronger meant his body also developed further.

    Healing an Acolyte-rank Hybrid like him was exceptionally hard for the new Blood Sisters.

    Closing the external wounds could be done through the Blood Sisters¡ªsmearing their own blood, onto Lucivar''s wounds. But the hard part was healing his internal wounds, the Blood Sisters'' blood needed to get inside of him.

    And the only way to do that was through feeding Lucivar their blood.

    It was a nasty process and to make it worse, Lucivar also needed to focus hard.

    He needs to suppress his Supernatural Ego to allow the blood to heal him.

    Nevertheless, the hours were productive and he was nearing full health.

    Of course, throughout all of this, Morriva was present, watching over the three Blood Sisters.

    Lucivar came back earlier and found her addressing the people of the city, she wanted to be the one to replace the pastor, without even needing Lucivar to tell her to. Her initiative was a surprising move for her considering her nature.

    But with Loki''s power coursing inside of her, this made sense.

    Also, not too long ago before the excavation finished, Morriva killed her husband for good.

    Lucivar watched from the side.

    He watched as she killed her husband with a chilling smile on her face.

    One could see her eyes as a window of pure fanaticism.

    She marveled at the blood-coated knife she used to kill her husband.

    A memento of her rebirth.

    It was around twelve o''clock did the assault and defender team finished their excavation.

    Once that was done, the academy hunters had no reason to stay in the city.

    "Please, accept our deepest gratitude," A Blood Sister, representing the city said. "We know our city has caused great trouble but he has nothing to offer to you. But we''ll do our best to keep supplying Blood Sisters¡ªfor the Supreme House. In fact, we will increase the quota by five Blood Sisters this year"

    All of the academy hunters were now at the city entrance, ready to depart.

    Earlier, the people offered them services and had them stay the night.

    It was all they could offer.

    However, heeding the driver''s words, the academy hunters refused and decided to leave.

    "We''ll rely upon your message and I hope your city does well," Lucivar nodded.

    In response, the Blood Sister smiled politely.

    Lucivar then gestured with his hand for them to depart but once he turned, he was called.

    "Sir Lucivar!" A loud but saddened voice called out to him.

    Pivoting around, Lucivar saw Morriva running towards him with a gloomy expression.

    She came to a halt before him¡ªher hands clasped tightly over her chest.

    Once her gaze met Lucivar''s questioning eyes, she quickly looked down, the sheer weight of his stare¡ªrooting her in place. A hesitant silence lingered as she stood there, words forming but catching in her throat, unsure of how to begin.

    It took her a moment until she finally could the words out of her tiny lips.

    "Will I be able to see you again?" She asked, her voice light.

    Lucivar didn''t know what to expect but once Morriva said what she wanted to say, he smiled.

    He lifted his hand and placed it on Morriva''s head.

    Feeling the weight pressing over her head, she was mildly surprised, and her heart pounded.

    "Don''t worry, this will not be the last time we meet," Lucivar said, his voice surprisingly very gentle. Morriva lifted her gaze with an expectant look. "I had a feeling we would meet again soon. Besides, once you achieve your end, I will come to you"

    "Show me your worth first. Until then, you''ll be stuck dreaming again" He continued.

    Each and every word he said was filled with purpose.

    Upon saying his piece, Lucivar turned around.

    "Let''s go," He said to Leandra who was waiting for him from behind.

    As opposed to waiting, it was more of her trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

    "What did she say to you?"

    "She wanted to meet me again, to repay the favor I did for her"

    "You mean about her husband?"

    "Yep"

    "You''re not coming back, are you? She''s a widow and you know what that means"

    "Wow... that''s nasty coming from you, Leandra"

    Morriva watched attentively as Lucivar and Leandra''s figures disappeared into the forest.

    She remained there for one minute longer before she tilted her head down.

    A flash of determination crossed her face as her eyes glowed with a greenish hue.

    "I will do what you want¡ªas quickly as possible," She whispered¡ªclenching both her fists on her sides. Morriva turned around and swept her gaze across the people of the city, who were slowly dispersing. "To meet you again, I''ll show you my worth by giving you lives..."

    Back on the bus, Bakar''s group was already there.

    From the looks of it, they were already back a day or two earlier than Lucivar''s group.

    It was not that Bakar''s group was fast¡ªbut that was how it should''ve been for dealing with a Yellow Dungeon, with the kind of strength they had. Lucivar''s group was way longer because the problem was more complicated than simply closing the Yellow Dungeon.

    All because of that ridiculous pastor who was jealous of the Blood Sisters.

    On the way back to Sunhold City, Lucivar was planning to consolidate his Supernatural Ego.

    His ether was rampaging from recently reaching, the Acolyte rank, causing great distress to the others but he fell asleep again. It has been a rough couple of days, and he was very low on blood.

    Even if he wanted to, he was too exhausted to do anything other than sleep.

    Leandra was sitting next to him and she was looking at him attentively.

    He looked innocent and peaceful in his sleep¡ªleaning against the window, and breathing in a fixed, calm rhythm. Leandra couldn''t believe that this innocent face could turn feral and really unhinged like last night.

    Feeling a pang in her head from thinking about it, she leaned back her head and sighed.

    She thought that she had gotten a lot closer to Lucivar.

    But she was wrong, the closer she became the more mysterious Lucivar became.

    At this moment, she had more questions than answers about him, swirling inside her head.

    Also feeling tired and drained, she closed her eyes, the shake from the wheels going through the rough ground finally got to her¡ªand she fell asleep. Everyone was basically sleeping, the weight of exhaustion bearing on them.

    However, there was one person who was still wide awake.

    Mirel was sitting at the very back beside Nerissa and Bakar.

    His eyes were fixed on the back of Lucivar''s head poking out from his seat.

    Soon, Mirel clenched his jaw hard and pressed his fingers on the side of his forehead.

    Flashes of last night crossed his mind, the sudden attack from the doppelganger, the time when Lucivar made his point by pinning him, and even the sight of Lucivar, laughing¡ªwith wounds and blood marring his entire body.

    It was all on repeat inside his head.

    So palpable that Mirel felt like he was still on last night instead of sitting in the bus.

    His expression then darkened.

    If the others had seen his face right now, they would''ve been surprised as it was foreign.

    Mirel has never looked as serious as this before.

    Exhaling deeply, the conversation he had with Lucivar a month ago replayed in his mind.

    ''If I got stronger, I''d destroy them and create my own House for sure!''

    ''In that case, let''s get stronger together. I also wanted to be strong and be free''

    ''Yeah, let''s get stronger together''

    Recalling those moments, Mirel''s mouth pulled into a taut, angry line, the edges twitched as he recalled the memory. Even with his face half-hidden, the fury in his tightly pressed lips¡ª was unmistakable.

    "So you even went that far, Lucivar," He mused through trembling lips. "I''m pathetic..."

    Once the day got dark, the bus arrived back at the academy.

    Lucivar and Bakar who were the leaders of the group reported back to Fabio.

    Compared to Lucivar who had lost two members and about six gravely wounded¡ªBakar has no casualties but ten gravely wounded. Expecting to be scolded, Fabio nodded his head and dismissed them.

    "Are we not going to be punished?" Bakar asked once they were told to leave.

    Upon hearing this, Fabio lifted his gaze from the papers and tilted his head in confusion.

    "What makes you think that?"

    "I mean, Lucivar lost two, and a lot of my group were severely wounded. Is that not bad?"

    Fabio nodded his head, realizing where Bakar was coming from.

    As opposed to answering, Fabio tapped something on his tablet and placed it on the table.

    Both Lucivar and Bakar exchanged a look before checking the tablet¡ªonly to suck in a cold breath in the next second when they realized what it was. It was a list of the first-years that were sent on missions.

    All of them had around six deaths and the worst had three-quarters of their group dead.

    "Did they also meet a situation like me?" Lucivar asked curiously.

    Fabio shook his head, "No, most of the casualties were caused by the dungeon only"

    Realizing this, Lucivar and Bakar exchanged a look once again.

    "As far as both of you are concerned," Fabio leaned forward, maintaining eye contact. "Both of you have the best results, as I already expected. Instead of being punished, you and your groups would be rewarded with academy points. Once you get your academy card, you can access them"

    Upon saying that, Fabio waved his hand, dismissing the two shocked hunters.

    "Now leave, I''ll give you a week pending days for this great achievement" He added.

    Not even realizing it, Lucivar and Bakar were now outside, their bodies moved on their own.

    It was shocking for them to see the academy hunters having such a high fatality rate.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, could only smile wryly, ''I prepared an explanation for their deaths for nothing. Fabio didn''t even ask because of how many casualties the other groups had...''

 Chapter 97 97: Ideals of the Strong

    Days passed since the Veloria City mission.

    Lucivar and the rest of his group were given a week''s break from classes¡ªand obligations, none of them were expecting a break but they welcomed it with open arms. He spent all of his days mostly recovering from the previous battles.

    His body was still sore and his ether was also depleted.

    Making his move on Morriva, saving her, used the last bit of ether he had left.

    It was also why he passed out suddenly like that.

    Since he still did not have a meditation technique to replenish his ether, he was stuck, with the natural way of recovering ether¡ªby waiting for it to replenish automatically. Of course, this process took substantially longer.

    Because of that, he planned to use his academy points to get himself a meditation technique.

    Preferably a Gold-rank one, there should be some in the library.

    Once again, he couldn''t do that.

    He needed to wait until his academy hunter ID was finished and delivered to him.

    Even then, Lucivar didn''t mind waiting as he still had to consolidate his realm first.

    Nothing happened in the last couple of days.

    His routine consisted of waking up early in the morning, getting a massage from Sabrina to ease the soreness of his body¡ªgoing to the garden and sitting by the bench to absorb the fresh morning sunlight, training, and meditating in his room.

    Other than Nerissa, Bakar, and Ravenna who came to chat, it was peaceful.

    Lucivar opened his eyes, finishing his meditation.

    He was alone inside the room¡ªSabrina was out to do some tasks he wanted her to do.

    Raising his hand, he saw the Blood Crest was glowing.

    It grew in size and roots were spreading from it, this happened once he finished the mission.

    Lucivar asked what it meant¡ªand the guards told him that it was status.

    His status as an academy hunter would grow with each finished mission.

    He was now a senior academy hunter who had completed one mission successfully.

    Averting his attention away from the Blood Crest, he flipped his hand.

    Golden ether could be seen steaming from his body, denser and more powerful than ever.

    Focusing, he controlled the gold energy¡ªsuck them all inside his body, and trapped them.

    In an instant, his ether vanished without a trace.

    Even without the Gleipnir''s Echo''s ability, Green Shroud, he could hide his power fine now.

    "Good, I have consolidated my realm, the golden sphere quickened this process," He nodded, pleased by his steady progression of strength. Despite not knowing, how he compared to the other Hybrids, achieving this in mere days should be quite quick.

    On top of that, he now could sustain ten strands of versatile energy from the Greedy Grasp.

    A three-strand increase from seven¡ªa benefit from reaching the Acolyte rank.

    Now that the golden sphere was fully absorbed, Lucivar turned his attention to another.

    He hadn''t absorbed the green sphere yet.

    From what Gandr said, he saved it for the last as it was said that it changed.

    An increase in ether reserve and ether control mastery were the effects given by the green sphere¡ªand he was really excited to know the changes now that he passed his first Divine Elevation.

    Lucivar closed his eyes again, going back to his Inner Chamber to grab the green sphere.

    In there, Gandr was nowhere to be seen.

    But Sha, on the other hand, was licking her body above his Supernatural Ego''s statue.

    Achieving the Acolyte rank made the wings of the egg statue open a little this change is not an odd occurrence as all Hybrids experienced a change in their statue as their powers grew stronger.

    Giving no attention to the arrogant black cat, Lucivar only did what he came here to do.

    He went to the side and grabbed the green sphere before preparing to leave.

    However, things wouldn''t go that smoothly for him.

    "Hey..." Sha called, her annoying voice echoing. "Aren''t you going to greet me?"

    "Hello there," Lucivar greeted, he didn''t want to argue. "and goodbye!"

    Just as he was about to leave, his body suddenly felt like a ton, he stopped mid-track.

    All of this happened because of the words that Sha mused under her breath.

    "Fine, if you want to keep that attitude, I''ll tell my Lord to not give you his powers,"

    "Tell me what you wanted to say, there''s no need for threats"

    Upon hearing this, Sha smirked teasingly before she leaped from the egg statue¡ªand landed right in front of Loki''s statue. She looked up at it with a condescending look, "I know Loki was here first but I couldn''t help but think that you''re favoring him and underestimating my Lord"

    "What makes you say that?" Lucivar asked, he could tell that Sha was looking for trouble.

    Sha turned, her lips curled in a playful manner.

    "I mean, it''s been days in your world, and yet you haven''t even asked me or even tried to find the way to obtain my Lord''s Divine Blood." She remembered, noting how Lucivar had acted in the last couple of days. "So, are you favoring Loki? Cause if you do, there will be problems"

    A peculiar, dangerous light flashed in Sha''s eyes.

    She was warning him about these problems through her gaze alone.

    But Lucivar wasn''t disturbed.

    "Stop with this farce. I''m still recovering, you know that" He said, squinting his eyes sharply.

    Silence enveloped the entire chamber for a good minute, tension crackled in the air.

    Lucivar sweated a little, he felt like he was now a babysitter to Sha, fearing her tantrum.

    However, as the tension grew choking, Sha laughed aloud, breaking the silence, "I''m playing,"

    "No need to be tensed like that but this is still a warning though" She added.

    Sha went back to her earlier position, licking her body again.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar sighed in relief, he did not want a problem with Sutekh who was a God way above his league. He was made to feel insignificant, by Loki before¡ªand he did not want to feel helpless for the second time.

    "In that case, do you know how I obtained Lord Sutekh''s blood?" Lucivar finally asked.

    As he said that, Sha''s entire face lit up.

    It seemed she was waiting for Lucivar to ask that specific question.

    "Hmph! Since you asked the question with your own initiative-"

    ''I didn''t though, you basically forced me to ask that'' Lucivar forced out a wry, helpless smile.

    "I will tell you¡ªthe answer." She stood up¡ªand lifted her chin high. "While Loki wanted you to adopt a coward''s way of scheming to earn his Divine Blood¡ªMy Lord is way simpler and more noble"

    "And that is?"

    "Overpower..."

    Lucivar''s forehead creased with a frown, he didn''t understand what Sha meant.

    Seeing the confusion on his face, Sha sneered but explained nonetheless.

    "Making efforts to eliminate lesser beings such as your opponents are unsightly¡ªand quite a degrading act for someone of your caliber," Sha continued. "It would be an insult for My Lord. A single strike, should be more than enough. We shouldn''t lower ourselves, by engaging in an inferior and unnecessary brutality or struggle"

    Listening to this attentively, Lucivar found no nobleness from this.

    If doing that is the way to obtain Sutekh''s Divine Blood then he would be bullying the weak.

    He couldn''t end someone around his strength with a single strike without a proper scheme.

    "I know what your puny mind thinks," Sha intervened. "but only through overpowering other lesser beings could we preserve, the sanctity of our powers. And of course, there are some exceptions. But every time those exceptions occurred, you must thoroughly defeat them"

    "Only by acting like the true strong would you heed My Lord''s ideals..."

    Soon, Lucivar opened his eyes again.

    He left his Inner Chamber and was now back to his room again.

    "So that''s why I obtained the bronze sphere..." Lucivar uttered lightly.

    Recalling the battle he had with the doppelganger, he now realized why Sutekh awakened.

    Even though the battle was a great blood struggle, far from the ideals Sha described, Lucivar in the end did not waver. He knew the chances of him dying were very high¡ªeven during the last clash but his doubts were cleared.

    A spark of arrogance flared within him; he was chosen by the Gods¡ªtheir Blessed Oracle.

    It pleased Sutekh to see that he now knew his worth.

    Being the Blessed Oracle is nothing to scoff at, a mere doppelganger should be a small rock.

    And once the doubts were cleared, he became certain of his victory over the lesser copy.

    Lucivar overpowered the doppelganger, making him helpless.

    Because of that, Sutekh rewarded him with a small bronze sphere.

    Just as his mind raced with the clear realization, the door to his room was knocked hard.

    "Hunter Lucivar, open the door!" the voice from the other side called.

    Upon hearing this voice, Lucivar knew that it was the guards who were knocking.

    Standing up, he opened the door and was greeted by two guards, both has familiar faces.

    "Is there a problem?"

    "A visitor has come to meet with you, come with us"

    "Hmm? Thalia again? Can you guys tell her that I don''t want to meet right now?"

    As soon as he said that, the guards drew their guns and pointed at Lucivar.

    Instinctively, Lucivar raised his arms.

    "Woah, woah, woah... Alright, I''m going, there''s no need to point that thing at me"

    "Move, you have no right to refuse a visitor"

    Despite finding this unreasonable, Lucivar sighed lightly.

    He came out of his room and locked it behind him.

    Since Thalia was a student he couldn''t refuse if she wanted to meet with him, the academy wouldn''t let him refuse. Students are treated as a God here, while the academy hunters are expendable trash.

    Just like back when she visited, Lucivar was brought to the same room.

    People were stealing glances at him along the way.

    It seemed to them that Lucivar had gotten himself into trouble again.

    Reaching the door, Lucivar handed his handcuffed hands toward the guard and the guards wasted no time to free him. Since Thalia asked them to let him free back then he reckoned the guards would free him again this time.

    Lucivar rubbed his wrists and opened the door.

    He stepped inside and gasped when he didn''t find Thalia waiting for him there.

    As opposed to Thalia, it was someone else, someone he knew very well¡ªMaster Tobias.

    "Tobias...?" Lucivar muttered in shock.

    Tobias stood and smiled, "How are you doing, Lucivar? Is it a bad time to meet you?"

    Seeing Tobias again, Lucivar was stunned as he didn''t expect this surprise.

    ''Why is Tobias here...?'' He thought inside, but soon, recovered from the shock. ''I don''t think the others were called too so he came here only for me? If that''s the case, it must be about the mission. Did Leandra tell him what I did?''

    "Please, have a seat," Tobias gestured, seeing Lucivar was still standing by the door.

    Nodding, Lucivar closed the door and took a seat opposite Tobias.

    He sat there uneasily, he couldn''t read Tobias'' gaze at all.

    As the clock ticking clicked in his ears for a good moment, signing the passing seconds, the visitor¡ªTobias finally smiled unsettlingly. He clasped his hands together and asked, "I know everything you did and I''m quite shocked, Lucivar. I wasn''t expecting this from you..."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned as sweat drizzled down the side of his face.

    Just that alone made him gulp harshly.

    He could tell that whatever Tobias came to tell him, it didn''t seem to be a good thing.

 Chapter 98 98: Rewarded Secretly

    Lucivar was weirded out as the last couple of days have been peaceful.

    It felt the same when he was still in the small village mansion back when Delilah was alive.

    Such a peace made him feel uneasy and as expected, the storm appeared.

    Out of nowhere, Tobias came to visit him.

    He didn''t know whether Tobias came here to meet with him specifically or also for the others but nevertheless, Tobias visited with a reason in mind, it wasn''t a random visit. And, since he started off like this, Lucivar felt like he was going to be scolded.

    Lucivar kept his composure, "What did I do so bad that you''d come visit in person like this?"

    "Do you want me to say it aloud here?" Tobias asked back, mirroring Lucivar''s demeanor.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyebrows slightly dipped into a mild frown.

    Even from the very start when he was saved, he knew Tobias was a mysterious person, his face was like an enigma. A smile doesn''t mean he was happy and a gloom doesn''t mean he was sad.

    Or at least, that is what Lucivar gained from him.

    It was hard to deduce what was really inside Tobias'' mind through his face alone.

    And at this moment, he could tell that Tobias really knew everything he did.

    Lying would put Lucivar in a worse spot than this.

    So as opposed to resorting to making up a lie, he decided to avert the topic instead.

    "I have to reach the Acolyte rank since I''m chosen as the fi-"

    But in the middle of saying that, Lucivar stopped when he saw Tobias raising his index finger and pressing it against his lips, as a shadow passed over his face. A demand for silence, that prompts Lucivar to stop.

    Lucivar was confused, he didn''t understand what Tobias was doing.

    "I understand your need for strength but your way of doing it is not the right way," He said.

    Tobias then pointed at the door while continuing their conversation normally.

    Seeing this, Lucivar turned towards the door before he realized what was happening.

    ''Someone is listening outside, who?'' He returned his focus back to Tobias.

    Reaching to the side Tobias took a small pouch from his bag and placed it on the table¡ªand while doing this, he kept the conversation going, "We have established that in order to reach freedom you need strength¡ªbut to reach it, you must still adhere to some morals. Since you are under me, you must adhere to my morals"

    "Do you understand...?" Tobias asked while placing a leather parchment beside the pouch.

    "I understand," Lucivar said as he checked the pouch and also the leather parchment.

    Once he opened the pouch, his eyes were assaulted by a green light.

    Adjusting to the light, Lucivar gasped when he realized what it was.

    Inside the pouch was a shining green crystal, a power crystal!

    Lucivar had absorbed a blue power crystal before back when he outshined the others while the others gained yellow power crystals. Green power crystals are a grade higher than blue power crystals.

    Savant-rank Hybrid''s favorite power crystal is the green one.

    It could still help them reach the next ream.

    For someone who has only reached the Acolyte rank, it was extremely valuable.

    Not to mention, it was also very expensive to even purchase one.

    Realizing what Tobias had given him, Lucivar was stunned for a second before he shifted his eyes back ahead. He looks at Tobias with clear shock¡ªevident on his face, ''So he''s not mad at me...? Instead, he commended me and even rewarded me in person?''

    Lucivar was not expecting such a turn.

    Normal people would definitely be spooked if they knew what Lucivar did.

    He used innocents as bait and even manipulated those close to him for his own benefit.

    So for Tobias to reward him was completely unexpected.

    ''Unless, Leandra or whoever told him lied,'' Lucivar pondered.

    Knowing what Lucivar was thinking exactly, Tobias shot a knowing smile at him.

    Seeing this, Lucivar leaned back on his chair and corrected, ''No, he knew... certainly knew!''

    He lets out an incredulous breath as he''s worried for nothing, Tobias is not as innocent as he thought. Leaning forward again, he proceeded to check the parchment and found that it was a sequence of some sorts.

    No explanations were written on the parchment but he knew it was a spell or a technique.

    "Can you promise me to keep this in mind?" Tobias asked again.

    Lucivar smirked and nodded, "I promise, this sort of thing will never happen again"

    Upon hearing this, Tobias also nodded, he instantly knew what Lucivar meant by that.

    "Good then, you can go and tell the guards to call Leandra,"

    "It was nice meeting you, Tobias. I''ll keep your words in mind all the time"

    Grabbing his rewards from impressing Tobias with his determination to become stronger, he put them in his pocket and headed for the door. He walked out and turned to his left, seeing a familiar figure there.

    Leandra came from the corner and was surprised to see him.

    She then approached with confusion on her face.

    But Lucivar wasn''t fooled, Leandra was most certainly the one eavesdropping.

    Tobias needed to mind his words because of her, it was the reason why he acted like earlier.

    And as for Leandra, she was making an act right now.

    "What are you doing coming from there?"

    "Oh, perfect timing, Leandra. Go inside, Tobias is waiting for you"

    "Master Tobias is here? Great! It''s been a long time since I talked with him. Move!"

    She happily went past him and headed into the room, greeting Tobias excitedly.

    And of course, Tobias responded with the same gesture.

    Both of them were very close, Lucivar knew that and this wasn''t a surprising sight.

    Not minding them, Lucivar closed the door and shook his head.

    "I guess Tobias also needed to maintain his reputation with the others," He mused lightly. But immediately after he thought of that aloud, a smirk crept to his face as he placed his hand on his pocket, tapping the content inside. "At least Tobias is not a goody two shoes"

    Lucivar checked the time and saw that it was already past seven in the morning.

    He didn''t sleep last night, meditating through it so he didn''t know what time is it.

    Deciding to go to the garden, Lucivar headed to the exit.

    Academy Hunters couldn''t step out of the cave but since he was on a break given directly by Fabio, the guards did not stop him and let him through. Passing the main training ground¡ªhe looked up at the open ceiling with the sunlight shining through.

    Because of this opening, the air was fresh here, it was never cramped.

    Just then through the sunlight, he noticed an animal looking down from above.

    He thought it was a bird at first but it was a bat.

    "Since when bats roam about in the morning?" He commented with a small chuckle.

    Reaching the exit, Lucivar greeted the guards and walked past them.

    But he was stopped by one guard.

    "I''m on pending, I can go out if I want to"

    "I know, I stopped you not because of that"

    "Hmm? Then what business do you have with me?"

    "I was told to give you a message from Professor Aeldric, he said time is ticking"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned.

    He gave a nod to the guard before proceeding outside, his expression tensed.

    It took him fifteen minutes to walk from the Bastion of Blades to the garden and once he was there, he saw that there were some students here and there. Since he was late to reach here¡ªthe place was more crowded than he preferred.

    Lucivar sat on a bench in the corner of the garden near the Angel statues.

    Most of the time, this part of the place was deserted.

    He sat there, stretched his arms on the bench, and tilted his head with his eyes closed.

    Basking in the sunlight has never failed to lift up his mood.

    Other than lifting up his mood, he also used this time to think about what to do today.

    Earlier, the message from Professor Aeldric was obvious, he was telling Lucivar that time was running out¡ªwith the South Hues Tournament, approaching. A reminder that their deal is still on regardless of what he did for the academy.

    "I have not even checked the requirements for qualification..." He mused with a sigh. "It could be checked on their website¡ªwhat even is a website? Must be another terminology I haven''t heard of"

    "You could check the website from my phone, what''s the tournament called?"

    "It''s called the South Hues Tourn- Wait what?"

    Lucivar opened his eyes and was instantly greeted by the face of a woman.

    A scent of honeyed, earthy sweetness assaulted his nostrils.

    He squinted his eyes and realized that it was Thalia, she appeared out of thin air.

    "Can you leave me alone? I''m enjoying my morning peace,"

    "Nope, you''ve been avoiding me for days so I won''t"

    Going around the bench, she sat on the bench beside Lucivar and took out her phone.

    She tapped the screen multiple times before her eyes lit up.

    "To qualify for the South Hues Tournament, you need to be in the first year, an Acolyte-rank Hybrid, gain two approvals from the chief professors of your academy, and also, a sponsor," Thalia said, mentioning each, and every requirement stated on the website. "Hmm, there''s a lot of requirements for a mere first-year tournament"

    "Oh, I see why... the winning academy would ga-"

    Thalia stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Lucivar standing up from the bench.

    Initially, she was confused as to where he was going.

    But in the next second, her gaze turned sheepish at the sight of Lucivar grabbing his head with both hands and began curling and twisting dramatically, cursing himself as he did not expect the requirements to be that many.

    He thought that once he reached the Acolyte rank, he would be qualified.

    As opposed to that, there were two more requirements to fulfill.

    And the last one was incredibly hard.

    Lucivar knelt down¡ªand placed his forehead¡ªon the fountain''s edge. His hands were still on his head. He did not know what to do, "I''m fucked... I am fucked! How in the hell am I going to fulfill those requirements"

    "What are you doing? Are you a drama queen?" Thalia giggled, seeing Lucivar''s other side.

    Despite the mockery, Lucivar stayed rooted, "Go away, Thalia. I''m not in the mood"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia stood up and went over to him.

    She placed both hands on her waist and asked again, "It''s not that hard¡ªthe hardest one to complete is becoming an Acolyte-rank Hybrid. On what stars are you right now? Four? Five? If you''re around there, I could help you reach the Acolyte rank"

    "I''m already there, I''m not stressing about that. I''m stressing over the sponsor,"

    "Eh...? You are?"

    Ignoring her shocked response, Lucivar pressed his forehead harder against the hard marble.

    "How in the heck could I gain a sponsor?" He complained.

    Of course, he could ask Tobias but that would be burdening him and he didn''t want that.

    It''s his problem and he wanted to finish it himself.

    Just in case, he would probably need to talk to Tobias about this since he was here.

    Recovering from her initial shock, Thalia shook her head, "It''s not that hard to find a sponsor"

    "How?! I don''t know anyone!" Lucivar turned to look at her.

    But then, Thalia pointed at herself, "You know me, I can be your sponsor"

    "..."

 Chapter 99 99: Its A Date!

    "... I can be your sponsor"

    Lucivar was stunned, he looked back at Thalia with rounded eyes.

    Maybe due to the lack of blood or having his head struck too hard by that doppelganger¡ªhe forgot that Thalia was Callista''s daughter, a prominent figure of Sunhold City. He fussed over the prospect of finding a sponsor and forgot the great candidate right beside him.

    "Well, technically I couldn''t but my parents could" Thalia brushed her temple lightly.

    A half-smile crept in as she realized she needed to talk to her parents about this.

    Before she could even take back her words Lucivar already swooped in¡ªsitting very close to her, and placed his arm over her shoulder, "Will you be my sponsor, boss? I swear you will not regret it, I''ll win the tourny for you"

    Seeing him buttering her up, Thalia placed her hand on his face and pushed him away.

    "Now you wanted to be good to me? Hmph! It takes more than that to sway me"

    "Then what do you want me to do boss? I''ll do anything!"

    Despite having his face pushed, Lucivar didn''t move, his eyes burned with determination.

    He didn''t want to miss his biggest chance of getting a sponsor.

    "Anything? How about becoming a student and getting into my class?" She suddenly asked.

    However, before she even finished, Lucivar already stood and bowed towards her.

    "No, thank you," He refused, turning to leave. "I''ll take my chances so excuse me, I''m busy"

    "Wait!" Thalia reached out her hand, not expecting Lucivar to refuse her offer so fast. He was so fast that he was already on the corner¡ªabout to leave the garden. "I''m joking! I''m joking! I was only saying!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar immediately came back again, returning to his original spot.

    "So, what do you want boss?" He asked again, holding Thalia''s hand with both hands gently.

    Seeing the quick change of demeanor, Thalia could only massage her forehead and sigh.

    "I need to talk to my parents first about this, I can''t decide on my own"

    "No problem! As long as you helped me ask your parents, it''s good enough"

    "Fine... In exchange, you''re going to hang out with me today and you can''t refuse this"

    Lucivar pondered for a second.

    ''Since I''m still on pending, I could do this'' He nodded, deciding to accept. "Okay, I''ll go"

    Expecting Lucivar to flee again like earlier, Thalia was stunned when he accepted but a smile quickly bloomed. Her face brightened up so quickly¡ªmaking her more beautiful, than normal many would be surprised to see Thalia, who was known to be reserved and passive.

    She got up abruptly, grabbed Lucivar''s hand, and pulled him away.

    "If that''s the case, we''re going to go right now!"

    "Right now? Wait, I need to report to Fabio first! I''m an academy hunter"

    "And I''m a student, I can tell you to do whatever I want"

    "Alright, alright! At least, can you tell me where we''re going and to do what?"

    "I''m going to bring you a place where a bum like you never visited... it''s a date!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar could only resign and let Thalia bring him away.

    ...

    About half an hour later.

    Before they depart from the academy, Lucivar accompanies Thalia to meet her professor to inform her absence. Once again, her act of pulling him by his hand¡ªmade him the center of attention on top of being an academy hunter inside the students'' building.

    But then again, with the stunt he made in the library, nobody messed with him.

    Not even the upperclassmen.

    Lucivar and Thalia came out of the administration building.

    In their hands were cards, Lucivar''s was stale red while Thalia''s was white and golden.

    Both are their academy IDs.

    Glancing at Thalia''s white and golden student ID with her photo and all decorations, Lucivar sighed as he was a literal red card with only his name and the academy''s logo. Realizing his jealousy, Thalia scoffed, "Don''t complain, you''re the one¡ªwho refused to become a student and preferred being an academy hunter"

    "I know..." Lucivar muttered¡ªbefore he shook his head. "Guess academy hunters don''t even get the privilege of having their face on their IDs. I know most of us are going to die anyway but at least they should recognize the capable ones like me"

    Hearing this, Thalia rolled her eyes, "Stop it, today is all about fun! Wait here"

    Reaching the main gate, Lucivar was told to wait.

    He waited for about two minutes before a car stopped in front of him, it was sleek white and only had two doors like the bus. Unlike the bus, however, this car could only fit two people¡ª and is very short.

    "What kind of bus is this? It looks cool but inefficient if it''s only for two people"

    "For your information, this is not a bus, but a supercar. Get in, I don''t want to waste time"

    Lucivar stepped on the door and sat inside.

    Seeing this, Thalia looked at him in complete disbelief she couldn''t believe Lucivar got in the car through that, instead of opening the door. Noticing her looking at him, Lucivar, raised his eyebrow, "What? Did I do something wrong?"

    "No..." Thalia forced out an acute smile. "Not at all!"

    Recalling that he came from a slave city, she didn''t take offense and stepped on the gas.

    In an instant, the car zoomed away, leaving the academy premises, and hit the road.

    Along the way, Lucivar managed to extract their destination from Thalia.

    She said they were going to a mall called Evergreen Gallery¡ªit''s a lavish mall in sector 3 that students usually went to. Since this was Thursday, the mall shouldn''t be crowded¡ªbut there would definitely be other students here and there.

    Nevertheless, Thalia didn''t care if she was seen with Lucivar.

    Soon, the two reached the mall in about two hours.

    It should take longer but since they were Hybrids, there was a designated lane for them.

    Separate from the normal folks.

    Had it not been for that, the trip would''ve taken way longer.

    Lucivar stood with his jaw hanging to the floor, viewing the massive building in front of him.

    It was as big as a small city and it was four-story high.

    Considering the church of the Strength God in his home city was quite big already, he didn''t expect that there would be bigger buildings out there, in the world. Thalia giggled when she saw him rooted and tapped him on the shoulder, "Let''s go inside, come"

    Feeling extremely out of place, Lucivar nodded and followed Thalia behind closely.

    "First things first, we need to change. I''m sick of the academy''s uniform"

    "Anything you want boss,"

    Both of them made their way inside the mall.

    Thalia needed to take several brief pauses as Lucivar was shocked by everything he saw.

    "A telekinetic spell! How can the door open by itself automatically when we''re near it?!"

    "No, it''s not magic. It''s an automatic sliding door"

    "Why is it cold inside? Is it a self-maintaining ice spell?"

    "No, it''s because of the air conditioners"

    "Look! Floating light spelling words! I sense no energy, must be made by a high-rank Hybrid!"

    "No, it''s just neon lighting"

    A walk that should''ve only taken a couple of minutes¡ªbecame fifteen because Lucivar stopped at everything, that he had never seen before, and Thalia needed to satisfy his curiosity or else he''d stay there.

    Finally, both reached a clothing store.

    Thalia needs to drag Lucivar and even cover his eyes so that he won''t get distracted.

    "Welcome! Please tell me if there''s anything you''d like me to assist with"

    "Can you keep an eye on him for a second? Don''t let him go out"

    Making haste, Thalia walked past the clerk and looked around to get some clothes.

    On the other hand, the clerk was stunned and turned to Lucivar.

    But she was surprised when Lucivar suddenly grabbed his shoulder, his eyes smoldering.

    "Hey, can you tell me what that is? Tell me all about it"

    "A- Ah..."

    Upon Thalia coming back with several clothes for her to try on and also Lucivar, she smiled wryly at the sight of the clerk''s pleading gaze as Lucivar held her in place. She was held as hostage to answer all of his questions.

    Shaking her head as she didn''t expect this at all, she quickly approached them.

    She shoved some clothes to Lucivar and pointed at the changing room with her thumb.

    "Go and change. Pick whichever you want and wear it" She instructed.

    Minutes later.

    Thalia was standing in front of a body-size mirror, checking the clothes that she had bought.

    Since today was going to be a casual date, she opted to wear white culotte pants and paired the look, with a black off-the-shoulder crop top. Her mix of colors made it so that her golden hair was accentuated.

    A theme that made her look more outgoing with a little bit of skin to show off.

    Glancing to the dressing room, she frowned, "What took him so long?"

    "Sorry for the wait," A familiar voice suddenly rang before a figure came out, it was Lucivar. "I got distracted by the lights, I had a hard time choosing. All of the the things you picked, were weird and uncomfortable" He came out, scratching the back of his head.

    As Lucivar made his appearance, the store clerk who was assisting them gasped.

    Her eyes widened and were glued onto Lucivar, looking at him up and down in shock.

    In contrast to the academy''s uniform, which made him look restrained and uptight¡ªLucivar now wore a slightly loose white shirt and black jeans. He wasn''t wearing something special but somehow, he still managed to stand out.

    His refined muscles underneath his uniform were now exposed.

    And even those still hidden roused the imagination of the people who saw him.

    Thalia was also the same, she was frozen, mesmerized¡ªbut inside, she was glad to take him clothes shopping first before anything else. Coming out of the academy hunter uniform alone made him seem to be an entirely different person.

    "Woah, he''s cute. Is he a Hybrid? His eyes are gold"

    "I want to kidnap him"

    "Hey, lower your voice. People are going to misunderstand"

    "I don''t care!"

    Recovering from her daze, Thalia handed the clerk her debit card, "Pay for those, please"

    "O- Okay, right this way" She stuttered and brought Thalia aside.

    Now the two were walking side by side¡ªthe atmosphere between them changed instantly.

    Because of his transformation, Thalia felt nervous around him.

    ''I need to work up some sweats or else I''d be nervous all day,'' She nodded firmly.

    Looking around the place, her eyes lit up expectantly at the sight of a place.

    "Let''s go there!" She pointed at the place and scurried on ahead.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar turned towards the place in confusion before he followed along.

    He found the place quite interesting with loud music banging so he didn''t mind.

    Reaching the entrance, he glanced at Thalia.

    "What''s this place? And why are those people dancing?"

    "It''s an arcade game. People come here to have fun and play games"

    "Play games? Come on, Thalia. How old are you now? Games are for children"

    Lucivar shook his head and crossed his arms, mocking Thalia for bringing him here.

    Moments later.

    "Raargghh! I beat you! I got the high fucking score!!"

 Chapter 100 100: Interrupted by Randoms

    Thalia felt incredibly different now that Lucivar was in casual clothes.

    It made this feel more like an actual date.

    She stole a glance at Lucivar checking to see if he also felt the same thing but he wasn''t, he was the same. He was still sightseeing with great interest¡ªfinding the mall''s nuances, more interesting than the people around or even her.

    Annoyed, Thalia brought Lucivar to an arcade game.

    Doing something physical would definitely calm her nerves or else she''ll go insane.

    "Are we really doing this?" Lucivar asked, walking beside Thalia as she went to buy credits on the counter to start playing. He looked around the place¡ªand found the people here seemed to be having fun, but they looked¡ªchildish. "Games are for children, I stopped playing games when I was seven"

    "You sound like an old man," Thalia sneered. "I guess games in suburbs only include a ball"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure.

    ''Fine, I''ll go with the flow. I''ll pretend that I''m having fun to coax her,'' He thought and nodded.

    Once they got their card, both of them moved to see the games.

    But Lucivar suddenly stopped when he saw another room right beside the counter.

    From the window on the door, he saw multiple weird items inside.

    "What''s this place?" He pointed through the window.

    "Hmm?" Thalia stopped, and spared a glance at the room. "Oh, it''s the room to exchange our points for anything inside. We play the games here and based on how we do or luck¡ªwe will get points that could be exchanged there"

    Peeking inside, Thalia was pleasantly surprised, "It even has the newest phone? Cool"

    Continuing from there, the two settled at the air hockey table game.

    "Grab the paddle and try scoring, the one who scored the highest wins"

    "Alright,"

    Once Thalia swiped the card, the table blew air and a puck came out to Lucivar''s side.

    Seeing how expectant Thalia was, Lucivar sighed and hit the puck lightly.

    He watched in a relaxed manner as Thalia bent down and prepared to hit back.

    But as opposed to having the same manner, she hit the puck as hard as she could. Her hit made the puck, turn into a blur¡ªand before Lucivar understood what happened, a robotic voice echoed.

    [Score! Score! Score!]

    Covering her mouth, Thalia laughed and pointed at him cheekily, "You didn''t even react"

    "What the..." Lucivar was stunned as the puck came out again.

    Bending down again, Thalia smiled and shot a cheeky brow lift, taunting the loser.

    "Fine," Lucivar exhaled roughly. "I''ll take it seriously now"

    ...

    [Score! Score! Score!]

    [Time''s up! Blue team winner! Score: 5-0]

    "Woohoo~!" Thalia raised both her hands in triumph, cheering loudly.

    On the other hand, Lucivar was devastated¡ªhe was on the other side contemplating his life as he was beaten thoroughly without having a single chance. He tried his best but once she used her secret move¡ª''The Bumper'' where she ricocheted the puck to score goals, Lucivar was overpowered.

    "Let''s go play that one!" Thalia pointed and ran in that direction.

    Lucivar raised his gaze and saw Sha appear, sitting on the side and looking at Thalia''s back.

    She then turned back towards Lucivar and smirked, "Are you going to let her win?"

    "Of course, not. I''ll win in the next game," He replied and headed away.

    In the next hour, everything was a blurry defeat for Lucivar.

    Basketball game.

    "I beat the high score! Wow, Lucivar... you suck, you didn''t even pass the first stage"

    Racing game.

    "You ended at last place? You do know the last racer is supposed to let you win no matter what but you somehow lost against it? A total bot?"

    Fighting game.

    Defeated without landing a single hit, 3-0.

    Shooting game.

    Becoming a burden and getting killed by a dinosaur.

    It was a streak of Lucivar being beaten and teased, the entire hour was torture but Thalia on the other hand felt incredibly refreshed. She was not tense anymore, and was even laughing aloud without restraint.

    Having some credits left, Thalia scoured the other side of the arcade game.

    Her eyes then landed on a machine called, ''Boxer Pow Pow!''.

    "Oh! I think you''d like this one" She said as she went over to the machine.

    She swiped the card and a punching bag came out.

    Pivoting around, Thalia gestured towards the punching bag, "All you need to do is punch it"

    "I''ll go first," She said and moved back a little, preparing to punch it.

    Flexing her arm, Thalia swung her fist and landed a perfect punch that rattled the machine.

    Calculating her score, the numbers climbed and settled at 1,317.

    "Not quite a high score, eh...?" Thalia muttered, the high score was at 1,498.

    Even though she was aiming for the high score¡ªit seemed reaching the high score was still out of her reach. She couldn''t use her ether as the machine wasn''t made for that, there was another one that could sustain Hybrids but not this one.

    One could only use raw strength and as a Hybrid herself, her raw strength was quite high.

    Moving to the side, she turned to Luivar, "Like that, you can tr-"

    Bam!

    Not even waiting for Thalia to finish her sentence¡ªLucivar already punched the bag with his full might¡ªcreating an echoing banging sound. It was so loud that the people around turned to look at what happened.

    [Expert boxer here! A high score! Good work, champ!]

    "Raaarggh!!" Lucivar shouted and punched the air. "I beat you! I got the high fucking score!!"

    Seeing this, Thalia was stunned.

    But her lips soon curled into a wry smile, it seemed she pushed Lucivar around too much.

    All of those defeats made him frustrated and riled his competitive instinct.

    ''I guess bum or not, he''s still a guy'' Thalia thought, tapping Lucivar''s back to calm him down.

    She even turned to the onlookers who were surprised and gave them a light bow.

    Lucivar hit the punching bag so hard it echoed¡ªhe even settled a new high score at 1,800.

    As opposed to stopping, Lucivar grabbed the card from Thalia''s hand and swiped it on the punching machine again. He needed more to vent out, and he reckoned, he could still beat the high score of his earlier.

    "Move!" Lucivar pushed Thalia away and poised to punch again.

    However, right when he was about to move.

    Bam!

    Someone else punched the punching bag, stealing Lucivar''s moment.

    [Another high score! You''re on a roll, champ!]

    Lucivar looked at the man who took the punch murderously, his blood boiling like magma.

    Similarly¡ªThalia also looked at the main with an unfriendly gaze, but had her eyes widened when she saw the woman standing behind the man. A redhead with crossed arms, she was smirking at Thalia playfully.

    "Who the fuck are you? Why did you punch it?!" Lucivar thundered, his eyes blazing.

    Upon hearing this, the man gets up close and personal.

    He unfearfully smiled at Lucivar, "What are you going to do about it?"

    Just before the situation escalated, Thalia got in between them, pushing the other guy back¡ªand shot a glare at the redhead woman, "Do you have nothing to do, Abigail? Go, and pick on someone else before this gets ugly"

    "Is that your boyfriend?" Abigail asked with a teasing grin, ignoring what Thalia said.

    Thalia frowned, "And what if he is?"

    "I never thought someone uptight like you would have a boyfriend," Abigail commented.

    Seeing that it seemed she dragged Lucivar into her mess again, Thalia whispered, "Her name is Abigail, her parents are close with the governor and she''s also a Vampire Hybrid. Do not do anything rash. Let me handle this"

    "Say, why don''t we have a couple battle?" Abigail suddenly offered. "Since I''m here with mine and you somehow have yours, it would be a waste¡ªto not do it. Are you afraid? Do you need to ask permission from your big sister again or can you decide on your own?"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia clenched her fists tightly.

    Her entire demeanor changed when Abigail brought her sister into this.

    ''I need to calm down,'' She pondered, holding herself back hard. ''Lucivar is here. I can''t drag him to another problem of mine. My goal today is to have fun, and show Lucivar around, not whatever this is...''

    Just as she thought of that, however, Lucivar stepped forward.

    He went up close and personal with Abigail''s boyfriend with veins bulging around his neck.

    "Bring it on," He said, his voice laced with vexation. "I''ll take you on"

    Looking at Lucivar, Abigail smiled, "Oh... your boyfriend is quite eager, I see..."

    Moments later.

    ''Damn these randoms, I was about to start my winning streak against Thalia'' Lucivar thought.

    Currently, both of them were sitting inside a waiting room in the Hybrid section.

    It''s a place reserved only for Hybrids to play and have fun with their ether.

    Both were going to play against Abigail and her boyfriend in a game unique to this place.

    A Sheild-and-Sword Joust sport.

    One would be the shield while the other would be the sword.

    Basically, the ''sword'' would try hitting the other team''s ''sword and each successful hit would be counted as one point and the game would restart after each successful hit. Moreover, the teams could also gain two points if they managed to take the flag behind the ''sword''.

    A physical game but both sides couldn''t use spells.

    However, they could use ether to enhance their physique and dominate.

    "You don''t need to accept this you know. She''s an attention seeker, she only wanted to see a reaction from us to light up her boring life," Thalia said and sighed. "Also you are not even my boyfriend, you''ll only make it seem like you are if you do this"

    "I don''t care if she''s only taunting us or I would be mistaken as your boyfriend, "Lucivar said, his voice firm with conviction. "I saw your expression earlier, you''re angry at her for bringing up your sister and taking you lightly, aren''t you?"

    "Only for today, I''ll be on your side. So let''s crush them," He added, smiling confidently.

    Upon hearing this, Thalia''s eyes widened.

    But she quickly averted away, her attempts to hide her shyness were adorable to see.

    Thalia stood up and went to the door, "Let''s go then, it should be time"

    As she stepped out of the door, Lucivar smirked slyly and looked down at his hand.

    "I mean, doing this would gain more favor from her but other than that..." On his hand, there was a bronze marble. He obtained it, from winning against Thalia before¡ªoverpowering her on the punching machine, "I also could use this to make Sha happy"

    Nodding his head, he flicked the bronze sphere to his mouth as it melted into energy.

    Unlike the bronze sphere, this marble didn''t strengthen his body but got absorbed anyway.

    Like manipulating others, he would obtain essence energy that could be turned into, essence bars. And this must be Sutekh''s essence energy¡ªand the only reason he didn''t feel anything was because he hadn''t gotten a unique item from Sutekh.

    But even then, the essence energy he obtained would undoubtedly be stored in it.

    Lucivar could use it once he has access to it by making Sutekh happy.

    "Might not be lives yet but I could use this as an appetizer for Sutekh..."

 Chapter 101 101: Shield and Sword Game

    Lucivar followed Thalia out of the room and stepped into a circular arena.

    It wasn''t anything massive but spacious enough but there was enough space to breathe with an arena floor wide enough for physical activities¡ªbut intimate enough to see the tension, in each movement.

    He and Thalia stood at the right entrance and across them was the other pair.

    In the middle, there was a referee with a whistle around his neck.

    Glancing to the side, Thalia grabbed a wooden sword and so did Abigail.

    Both girls are going to be the swords while the guys the shields, a perfect match-up.

    "Remember, no violence is allowed," the referee, declared the rule. "sword can only use¡ªthe designated wooden sword to strike the other sword, and as for the shield, lethal strikes such as punching and kicking aren''t allowed. Also, only shields could grab the flag"

    "Is there any question?" the referee checked the two pains and nodded. "First to three wins"

    Once the referee finished, the two pairs were allowed to step inside the arena.

    "I believe, Abigail is a five-star Neophyte-rank Vampire Hybrid¡ªher unique characteristic is her Vampiric Eyes. Best not to look into her eyes," Thalia explained as Lucivar stood in front of her, preparing for the match. "I might not be as strong as her so keep that in mind"

    "As for her boyfriend, I don''t know" She added, holding the wooden sword tightly.

    Lucivar nodded, ''Seeing his confidence and his strength earlier, he must be an Acolyte-rank''

    Just as he was creating scenarios in his head, something happened.

    Suddenly, multiple obstacles emerged from the ground, creating an entirely different arena that would make it harder for the pairs to get close. Blocks of stones coated in white paint vary in size and shape.

    Immediately after these obstacles emerged, the referee rang his whistle¡ªthe match began.

    Blurry to the eyes¡ªthe guy moved as fast as the wind and as light as a feather, eating up the space between them through the obstacles, and reached Lucivar in an instant. He went in for a tackle, wrapping his arms around Lucivar''s waist.

    "I forgot to mention, I''ve played this game multiple times," the guy lifted Lucivar off his feet.

    Changing his center of gravity, his light blue ether swayed as he aimed to slam Lucivar to the padded ground. Realizing what was happening, Lucivar blinked and recovered from his daze, quickly freeing himself with raw strength in time before he was slammed.

    He used one hand to stop the momentum and pushed the guy away with his foot.

    Following that, Lucivar somersaults back to create some distance.

    As he landed, Lucivar''s gaze darted to Thalia, struggling against Abigail''s rush on the far side of the arena. She was barely managing to keep up, Abigail was stronger than her. Seeing this¡ªLucivar clenched his jaw.

    ''Tch, of course... keeping me out of the way is all this guy''s after'' He pondered.

    Since Abigail is stronger, there''s no need for him to help pressure Thalia.

    He also didn''t seem to have any intention of grabbing the flag.

    But even then, Lucivar smirked inwardly as he could feel his body was way lighter than ever.

    It was thanks to the bronze sphere he absorbed.

    "Let''s see you getting past me, hot shot. Or else the first point belongs to us" the guy said.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar squinted and instantly rushed to the right.

    He was going to go around the arena to reach Thalia but the guy anticipated his plan.

    As opposed to following Lucivar from behind, he made a cut, going left to intercept Lucivar''s path. He picked up his pace and leaped through an obstacle with a hole¡ªright when Lucivar was about to sprint past.

    Grinning, the guy shoulder charges Lucivar, expecting to stop him dead in his tracks.

    However, once their bodies collided, his eyes widened.

    ''Hmm...? I can''t push him?'' the guy gasped¡ªhe was running at full force and threw his entire body at Lucivar but he wasn''t able to budge Lucivar. His eyes then widened further when he saw the muscles bulging from Lucivar''s shirt. ''His physique is insane... Is it his bloodline?'' No, he''s an Acolyte-rank too!''

    Not wanting to lose out, the guy reached for Lucivar''s shoulder to stop him.

    But as opposed to stopping Lucivar, he was pulled instead.

    He was greeted by the strength of a pull and got pulled.

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar blasts through, causing the guy to stumble and fall.

    On the other hand, Thalia dodged a powerful vertical slash and leaped back.

    But Abigail anticipated her move and leaped forward with her.

    "Just like before¡ªyour swordsmanship is still below average," Abigail ridiculed¡ªand brought her wooden sword above her head, posing to strike the defenseless Thalia. "the first point is mine..."

    Seeing this, Thalia bit her lower lip, preparing herself to get struck.

    As the wooden sword was about to descend¡ªit halted¡ªAbigail''s eyes sharply turned to her right and saw Lucivar coming in hot. She was stunned to see this as her boyfriend should''ve been occupying Lucivar.

    ''Even so, you looked at my eyes...'' She smirked before her crimson eyes flashed.

    Lucivar''s body weakened for a second, his limbs suddenly felt cold.

    Spells might not be allowed, but an innate ability, that wasn''t offensive like this? It''s definitely allowed. Lucivar looked down, ''My blood flow is being slowed, as expected, a Vampire Hybrid is strong. But unfortunately for you, you''re facing me!''

    Instead of being slowed, Lucivar''s body burst with ether as his speed increased.

    Abigail was shocked, her ability somehow was nullified by Lucivar.

    Returning her attention back to Thalia, she continued her strike to at least secure her win.

    She needs to hit Thalia before Lucivar reaches her.

    Despite that¡ªLucivar''s burst of speed was even faster¡ªas he managed to grab the wooden sword when it reached an inch away from Thalia''s face. Seeing this, Thalia quickly recovered and struck Abigail''s face with her sword.

    Pah!

    "Hit! 1 for the blue team!" the referee whistled and announced. "Restart your positions"

    Abigail was rooted in her spot.

    She felt a burn on her cheek from being hit by Thalia''s sword.

    Glancing at her¡ªLucivar smirked and threw the wooden sword he grabbed from her back to her, "Guess the first point is not yours. Get ready¡ªI''ll be wrapping this up quickly. I am quite busy so at least make this hard, will you?"

    Upon hearing this, Abigail turned towards Lucivar, giving her a condescending look.

    "If you don''t, you''re only wasting everyone''s time" He added before turning around.

    Abigail blinked out of her trance and frowned, ''Did he really say that to me? Arrogant!''

    Once again, the two pairs returned to their respective corner.

    Realizing that Abigail was angry, the guy felt humiliated as he failed to stop Lucivar earlier.

    ''His burst of speed is sudden but my speed, and reaction are faster overall'', the guy thought, lowering his stance to get ready. ''Once the whistle blew I could reach them faster. Instead of aiming for him, I''ll take the flag. He should be forced to defend his girl''

    Firming his decision, the guy fixed his eyes on the flag strapped behind Thalia''s back.

    Every fiber of his was ready to reach the moment the whistle blew.

    Once the whistle blew, he instantly rushed forward¡ªwith Abigail keeping her distance to see what Lucivar would do. Surprisingly enough, Lucivar also abandoned Thalia and rushed like a bull, heading straight to Abigail.

    It was unexpected but the guy smirked in ridicule, ''What a fool!''

    ''He aims to race me and leave Thalia behind? She''s defenseless, this should be our point''

    Passing him the guy smirked.

    Just as he anticipated, he managed to reach Thalia first.

    Seeing this, Thalia tried to keep the guy away by slashing her sword but the guy was a realm higher than her¡ªhe was an Acolyte-rank Hybrid so he was way faster than her. Dodging one heavy swing, the guy reached forward and managed to grab Thalia''s flag.

    Clicking her tongue in displeasure, she tried striking the guy''s arm but it was too late.

    Making a forceful yank, the guy managed to take the flag from her.

    "Hmph! We win this round," He said with confidence.

    But as he said that, he snapped his head around when he heard a painful grunt from Abigail.

    Even Thalia was also pulled to the sound.

    On the other side of the arena, Lucivar was standing, facing the referee with both his hands raised, while Abigail was sprawled on the ground in pain. She was holding her arm in agony, hissing with her forehead pressed against the ground.

    Just earlier, Lucivar rushed to Abigail fully knowing that the guy would dominate Thalia first.

    Instead of trying to grab the flag from Abigail, he shoulder-charged her.

    Using one God strand¡ªhe slammed his shoulder against Abigail with full force¡ªempowered by the frustrations that were mounting inside of him from earlier. Losing the round from their flag taken would only cost them 2 points so it''s fine.

    If that happened, the score would still be 2-1 in Abigail''s favor.

    But if Abigail was hurt in exchange then gaining the other two points back would be easy.

    ''Thalia couldn''t match her but if she''s wounded...?'' Lucivar smirked inwardly.

    He let the guy pass because he was planning to hurt Abigail this way.

    Gritting his teeth in anger, the guy turned to the referee, "That''s a foul! He hurt her!"

    "It was an accident referee and I didn''t strike her," Lucivar defended innocently.

    Seeing the guy¡ªthe referee was compelled to disqualify Lucivar and that would leave Thalia alone, securing Abigail''s win. But doing that, for some reason, made him feel uneasy. Lucivar was looking at him and his gaze was making the referee uneasy.

    Gulping harshly, the referee decided, "No foul, the round goes to the red team, 2-1"

    "If the red team wanted to concede, please do tell" He added.

    As soon as that was announced, Lucivar went back to Thalia¡ªhe couldn''t hide his smirk.

    Thalia prepared herself for the third round with Lucivar standing in front of her.

    "Do you plan on doing that to her from the start?"

    "Since you couldn''t win against Abigail, I need to do something about it"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia clicked her tongue in annoyance.

    She is strong in terms of spells and ether but close combat was her weak point.

    "She could barely get up, do you need to go¡ªthat hard?" Thalia commented, seeing Abigail need the guy''s help to even stand up. Her arm seemed to be busted. "I think you dislocated her shoulder"

    "I know you like seeing her like that," Lucivar replied, stealing a glance at her. "Don''t deny it"

    "Well, how about that? You can tell me what I like just from a single date" Thalia giggled.

    Even though she was trying to hide it well, seeing Abigail in this state was indeed satisfying.

    "She deserved it," She muttered. "for what she did to Elira, she deserved this"

    Lucivar nodded, he extended his hand outward and saw a bronze marble flying towards his hand. He overpowered Abigail with one hit, that''s the reason for getting this marble, ''Now... will they continue or forfeit?''

    Just as he thought of that, the referee blew his whistle.

    "Red team has conceded the game! Blue team wins!" He announced.

    Hearing this, Lucivar sneered, ''Guess I went a little bit too hard on her''

 Chapter 102 102: One Word Away From Death

    A/N: Bonus chapter is here! Should I make a target for bonus chapters? Or is it too early?

    Comments down below!

    And happy reading~

    ...

    Lucivar and Thalia won the match.

    Both of them walked back to the arcade area, feeling more refreshed than ever.

    Abigail and her boyfriend were ahead of them, the guy needed to help support Abigail as her shoulder was hurting if it wasn''t fixed in place. It was not a flawless triumph¡ªbut Lucivar got what he wanted.

    He placed two small bronze marbles into his mouth, the ones he got from the match.

    Overpowering both the guy and Abigail rewarded him.

    ''But it''s not enough, the reward I wanted is Divine Blood. I could only gain that if I kill others and here, I really can''t do that,'' Lucivar vexed his mind was only filled¡ªwith the thoughts of getting stronger. ''Also, what''s with the dark writings back then when I wanted to kill Fury¡ªI should ask Sha or Gandr later''

    Despite the unpleasant encounter, Thalia seemed to be in a better mood.

    "Hitting her face with the wooden sword is very satisfying, she has a smack-able face"

    "Shouldn''t you keep your voice down? She''s right there"

    "Why should I? Losers can''t say anything, they should just suck it up and take it"

    As she said that, she stared directly at Abigail, sparing her a triumphant grin.

    Even though she didn''t react much, it was clear that she was angry from her sour expression.

    Feeling elated that she embarrassed Abigail, Thalia was all smiles.

    Unconsciously, she was even holding onto Lucivar''s arm.

    "Erkhmm..." Lucivar cleared his throat, casting a side eye at Thalia.

    Seeing where his eyes were directed, Thalia looked down before quickly pulling away.

    "Ah, sorry..." She shyly apologized.

    Lucivar didn''t mind, frankly, he didn''t care but Thalia in a good mood was good for him.

    Since they had their fun, they decided to leave the arcade.

    Abigail and her boyfriend were also the same, they needed to treat her shoulder.

    Upon stepping outside the arcade game place, Lucivar turned to the right and squinted his eyes. He noticed something or someone odd¡ªa woman on a phone call, ''So I am not being paranoid, I''m right''

    "Hey, tell me your name"

    A voice pulled Lucivar''s attention, he turned and saw Abigail looking at him.

    It seemed like the demand was directed at him.

    "So you could research me and mess with me in the future? No, thank you" Lucivar refused.

    Abigail paused for a moment, her gaze lingering on him.

    A question in her eyes, as if silently asking whether he was joking or not.

    Due to the technology thing, Lucivar knew that people could find other people easily but at this moment, Abigail didn''t know that he was an academy hunter¡ªfrom the same academy attended by Thalia.

    Not having his name would at least make it harder for Abigail to search for him.

    "Do you know who I am? I can find you if I want to," Abigail retorted, slightly annoyed. "I am asking only out of respect, you don''t look older than me and you''re that strong. Purely that, nothing else"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar sneered, ''Nevertheless, I won''t give it to you''

    ''Hmm... what fake name should I give her? Johnson? I guess that works,'' He pondered.

    Respect or not, it would be better for Lucivar to lie than tell her the truth.

    "My name is Lucivar Asarafall," Lucivar answered and smirked, arrogant and pride in his eyes. "You do well to remember that name so that next time you will lower yo-" He slapped his own lips, covering it before he could finish his sentence.

    Lucivar was utterly confused, he wasn''t planning to say any of that.

    Smiling, Abigail nodded, "Lucivar... For once, it sounded right"

    Getting her answer, Abigail turned to leave.

    On the other hand, her boyfriend cast one sharp look at Lucivar and followed her.

    "What''s wrong with you?" Thalia asked from the side.

    Exactly like her, Lucivar also didn''t know, "I don''t know what''s wrong with me"

    He then remembered what Gandr said to him, the arrogance and pride were the byproducts of awakening Sutekh. It was in his blood and it seemed like not saying his real name¡ªwould make him look unpretentious.

    It goes against Sutekh''s entire personality.

    ''Man, that could be a problem if Abigail wanted to kill me,'' Lucivar shook his head. ''I need to learn how to control these impulses, or else I''m going to get in trouble, next time. Loki''s was fine since it was all in the head but Sutekh?''

    Glancing to his side, he saw Thalia had her back turned towards him.

    She was crossing her arms and facing the other way.

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow in confusion.

    "Should we continue on with the day now that the randoms are not around?" He asked.

    Upon hearing this¡ªThalia flicked her hair and trotted on.

    "Hmm, let''s go," She said but her tone was now icy cold.

    Seeing this, Lucivar was completely stunned, she was happy in one second and cold like this in the next, he didn''t understand what he did wrong. However, Thalia didn''t seem to care and proceeded on ahead alone.

    Lucivar could only jog and catch up to her still puzzled by her change of demeanor.

    A little bit later, both decided to have a bite first.

    But along the way to the restaurant Thalia was raring to go¡ªLucivar was being weird.

    She noticed that he kept glancing somewhere as opposed to following her properly.

    "You hurt Abigail pretty hard so you don''t need to worry, she''s not following us"

    "I''m not worrying about that though"

    "Then why are you glancing back all the time? If you want to follow her then just say it"

    "What...? Of course, not. She didn''t seem too bad since sh-"

    In the middle of his sentence, Thalia stopped and turned to glare at him sharply.

    Lucivar quickly corrected, "I mean she''s a bitch and I want to go to the toilet"

    "Why didn''t you say that from the start? It should be around here" Thalia looked around.

    However, as she did that, Lucivar pointed at the restaurant with a red-theme interior in front of them, "That''s the restaurant, right?" He asked. "Go on ahead and I''ll meet you there, I can find the toilet on my own in fact, we walked past it earlier"

    Despite hesitating to leave Lucivar alone, Thalia eventually agrees.

    "Just don''t get lost, you don''t have a phone" She reminded before she continued ahead.

    Observing her leaving, making sure that she wasn''t going to check, Lucivar then turned, and walked leisurely in the opposite direction. He saw the corridor with the toilet sign¡ªand went there, but his steps were oddly slow.

    Lucivar stopped right beside a woman in a baggy jacket, talking to someone on the phone.

    Feeling his figure, the woman tried to ignore him but she was definitely sweating a little.

    Checking to see if the coast was clear, Lucivar nodded.

    He then grabbed the woman by the nape and forcefully pulled her to the corridor.

    Naturally, out of instinct, the woman wanted to scream but Lucivar covered her mouth.

    Lucivar dragged her and saw an emergency exit door to his right and went in there before he pushed the woman to the wall hard, causing her to moan, from the impact. It all happened so suddenly that the woman could barely react.

    "Who are you and why are you following me?" Lucivar asked with a threatening tone.

    Raising her gaze¡ªthe woman frowned when she saw Lucivar''s eyes glowing golden.

    On top of that, she also felt something poking her stomach.

    Glancing down, the woman saw an ether-coated knife pressing against her stomach.

    "If you keep this up, I''m going to report you to the Hybrid Association for violent conduct," In a relaxed manner, the words flowed out of her lips. She didn''t seem to be worried, about the knife pressing against her stomach. "and you will hang"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded as he pulled his knife away in a fancy manner.

    He spun it and sheathed it on his back.

    "Not afraid, I guess we''re going to do this the modern way," Lucivar said and pulled her.

    Pulled by her wrist outside, the woman retaliated, "What are you doing?! Let me go!"

    "I''m not following you!" She added, trying to break free.

    "Oh? So you''re following Thalia?"

    "No, I''m not! You suddenly pulled me out of nowhere!"

    "Please, don''t lie, you''re bad at this," Lucivar ridiculed. "I suspected you following us earlier but the fact that you''re outside the arcade, sitting in a coffee shop right beside made it too obvious"

    "You misunderstand! I don''t even know you!" the woman still retorted.

    Slightly annoyed that she didn''t break character, Lucivar pulled her again, "Fine, since you want to play it this way, I''ll bring you to the police, and report you for stalking. I''m sure the mall''s CCTVs would give me enough evidence"

    "Better yet, let''s go to Thalia and see if she recognizes you" He added.

    Unlike before, the woman''s expression broke as soon as she heard the last threat.

    "Okay, okay, okay!" She yelped, trying to stop Lucivar from leaving the emergency stairs. "I admit I was following you two¡ªbut I''m not planning to do anything other than watch. Don''t misunderstand"

    Lucivar stopped and closed the door once again.

    He let go of her wrist and crossed his arms, "And? Who are you exactly?"

    "My name is Maura," the woman, Maura, handed her name card. "I worked for Thalia''s mother¡ªMadam Callista, and is in charge of keeping an eye¡ªon Thalia''s daily life. Since both of you seemed close, I had to follow you"

    "So you''re her security?" Lucivar asked after reading the name card.

    Upon hearing this, Maura nodded, "And you''re still not off the hook yet, you''re still a threat"

    "But if you could let us verify you, we could hire you" She added.

    "A threat...?" Lucivar cackled. "Tell Callista that I''m the one who saved her daughter from the two assassins sent by the Crimson Wolf Clan. I''m the one who kept her daughters safe¡ªand I''m still somehow a threat?"

    "You have to understand," Maura frowned. "your motive is still unclear"

    Lucivar turned towards the exit.

    An evil smirk then climbed to his lips, "Whatever, I guess I''m playing for the wrong team"

    He said that jokingly but as soon as he said that, Maura''s expression twitched.

    In one fluid motion, she drew a dagger from inside her jacket, striking as swiftly as a coiled snake, and pressed the knife against Lucivar''s neck from behind. Yet, through it all, Lucivar didn''t flinch, he seemed utterly unbothered.

    On top of that, two more daggers made of ether manifested.

    Both pointed at Lucivar''s neck too from the front side.

    Just like Thalia and Elira, it seemed Maura was also a Fairy Hybrid.

    Maura reacted fiercely to Lucivar''s playful threat, her eyes were laced with killing intent.

    "No threats would be tolerated," She said whisperingly. "as I said, your motive is unclear and I can judge you a threat right now. Don''t think that this is a joke, Lucivar. You''re one word away from death so wipe that smirk off your face..."

 Chapter 103 103: Dark Angels

    Fairy Hybrids or in this case, Dark Fairy Hyrbids are known for their adverse spells.

    In fact, among the Supreme Houses¡ªthe Fairy Supreme House was the most versatile in terms of abilities¡ªhaving the most amount of innate abilities gained from their bloodline, making them spell monsters.

    Normal Hybrids would gain their first bloodline ability upon reaching the Acolyte rank.

    On the other hand, Fairy Hybrids would awaken an ability the moment they awaken their own bloodlines. Once they reached the Acolyte rank¡ªthey could gain three to five new abilities. It was precisely why the Fairy Supreme House was incredibly strong.

    Lucivar kept his body still, watching the two rotating daggers pointing at his neck.

    ''She''s also of an Acolyte rank'' He pondered, sensing the energy these daggers emanated. ''It wouldn''t be a stretch to say that she is a five-star Acolyte-rank Hybrid. Even with my current state, I don''t think I could take her''

    Just from the amount of ether the daggers were emanating, Lucivar deduced what to do.

    And certainly, overpowering the woman was out of the window.

    He''s fighting a real Hybrid with battle experience now, not students or academy hunters.

    "Didn''t you say earlier that this is violent conduct?" Lucivar glanced over his shoulder, he was not smirking anymore. "We are in a mall, many people are here, and you wouldn''t escape with a murder. Do you really think you could afford to kill me?"

    "Hmph!" Maura scoffed. "You forgot one important thing. You can''t get arrested but I can, the privilege of working with Madam Callista, she has a lot of connections in the association. One factor that you do not have"

    Lucivar nodded, Thalia did say that they moved back to the city because it was safer.

    It was safer because of this, Callista knew powerful people in this city.

    "If that is the case, can I at least defend myself?" Lucivar asked calmly. "After all, I was only joking earlier to get my point across. I saved Thalia and indirectly saved Elira, I reckon that I deserve a lot more than a knife to my neck"

    Upon hearing this, Maura squinted her eyes and paused.

    She lowered her dagger as well as extinguishing the ether dagger before pulling away.

    Lucivar rubbed his neck, checking to see if it was cut but it wasn''t.

    "Talk, I''m giving you a chance to convince me that you''re not a threat," Maura said coldly.

    Regardless of her suspicion, what Lucivar said was right.

    He saved the twins so at the very least, Maura is obliged to give him a chance to explain, his motive since as far as she was concerned, Lucivar might be sent by their enemies¡ªand was told to earn the twin''s trust and sabotage them.

    "I''m an opportunist," Lucivar finally said after a brief contemplation.

    Knowing he had only one chance, he chose his words with careful precision.

    Maura has a short temper and that shows from her move earlier.

    It''s best for him to not play around with someone like her.

    Pivoting around to face Maura¡ªproperly, he continued, "I came from a slave city, all of this is new to me. And as you might expect, when someone who''s only ever seen the bottom of the well finally glimpses the sky, it''s only natural for them to want to reach the soaring eagles"

    "You wanted a reward for saving Thalia and Elira?" Maura squinted her eyes.

    She had taken the time to research Lucivar''s background and found no records of him.

    It was clear that he came from a slave city from that finding alone.

    Seeing that the threatening air around Maura was slowly melting, Lucivar nodded inwardly.

    He was telling the truth, he spared his attention to Thalia, and Elira because the opportunity hinted at by Loki led him to them, ''Had it not for that¡ªI wouldn''t give a damn about them. In fact, I might even ignore Thalia that night and let her die''

    Now that he knew the twins were from a powerful clan, he was going to use them.

    Other than that, wanting something selfish would definitely lower Maura''s suspicion.

    Anyone who saved others and risked their lives in the process would be quite suspicious.

    "Yes, and if it''s possible, I wanted to meet with Madam Callista," Lucivar continued, his eyes sparked¡ªwith an opportunistic light. "She could be the one to judge me and to do that, she would need to meet with me personally, no?"

    Maura sighed, "Madam is not someone you meet easily, but I''ll deliver your message"

    "For now¡ªI will trust your words but I hope you understand that I will still be watching you," She said¡ªbefore she took a step forward, looking directly into Lucivar''s eyes, so close that her fragrant rosy perfume¡ªseeped into Lucivar''s nostrils. "And also, if you purely only want benefits, don''t play on Thalia''s heart"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar grinned.

    "Does playing her heart fall to your professional ''threatening'' description?"

    "No, not professionally... but personally"

    "Ah... I see. I''ll try," Lucivar said as he turned sideways. "but I can''t promise you that"

    Just as he said that Lucivar came out of the emergency exit.

    Maura who was pissed by his answer also followed him from behind, her face was sour.

    Once again, she tried to stop Lucivar from leaving, her hand reaching for his shoulder.

    But as her fingers grazed him, a loud, piercing scream shattered the air.

    It came from a woman, startling both Lucivar and Maura¡ªfollowed by a rising swell of frantic voices and panicked shouts. Hearing this, Maura frowned, "A dungeon? No, that can''t be, it''s not easy to pierce through the dimension here"

    Since they were at the mall, this scream of terror wasn''t normal.

    More importantly, the dome surrounding the entire Sunhold City was not only, for protective measures against the threats from outside but also from the Crossers. Another effect of the dome was thickening the dimension fabric inside the city.

    Because of that, it''s not easy for a dungeon to open inside the city.

    A part of the reason why Sunhold City could develop and is incredibly safe for everyone.

    If the Crossers really wanted to attack the city, they would need to cough out at least a high-tier green dungeon¡ªor even a purple dungeon. Across the entire Light World, the left side of the world, there were only about eleven purple dungeons.

    As for red dungeons, they were basically non-existent in this part of the world.

    So because of that, big cities such as Sunhold City are very safe.

    Immediately, Lucivar darted to the source of the sound, driven by curiosity.

    He arrived at the circular lobby within half a minute¡ªand was met with the sight of people, stopping to take a look at something. Some onlookers were taking photos, or recording the scene while shaking their heads in pity.

    Pushing through the throng, Lucivar peered at the source of the commotion.

    Near the entrance, he spotted a squad of people dressed in identical uniforms.

    About three of them were wearing a tight combat suit, and armed with firearms strapped to their body, and there was a pentagram mark on the back of their black gloves. Out of these three people, two of them were holding down a man¡ªwhile the other one was holding back a family of three, a mother with two children who were crying profusely.

    "Don''t hurt him! Don''t!" the mother cried, trying to push through.

    On the other hand, the man who was pinned down looked up to her, trying to fight back.

    But with a flash from the pentagram mark, he was electrocuted hard.

    He was stunned¡ªmaking it easier for the armed men to restrain him.

    "Who are they...?" Lucivar mused under his breath.

    Maura who was standing beside him was relieved when she saw this, she thought that it was a dungeon¡ªbut it was not, "Members of the Black Zenith Order¡ªseem like they were able to capture another one. Since three Dark Angels were here, that man must be quite strong"

    "Black Zenith Order?"

    "It''s a group of highly trained people to locate and exterminate Angel Hybrids, hence they''re called Dark Angels. It was unsightly, I''m sure¡ªbut the Angel Hybrids had it coming for them. Go back to Thalia, she must be searching for you"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyebrows dipped into a hard frown.

    Knowing that Angels were hunted everywhere¡ªhe should''ve expected this kind of thing, in a big city like Sunhold City. But it was quite a sad scene, the Angel Hybrid was being treated in a rough manner in front of his family.

    Just then, Lucivar saw the mother rushed to another man to the side.

    From the looks of it, this man in a black trenchcoat led this squad of Dark Angels.

    She grabbed his coat tightly, "Don''t hurt him! He has done nothing wrong!"

    "Please... if you let him be, I''m sure he wouldn''t do anything in his entire life!" She pleaded.

    However, the man who was standing upright with a cigarette in his hand watched the mother with cold eyes. He has no remorse behind his eyes, no pity for the broken family, "Stay out of the way or you and your children will be taken in too. Be grateful that we only took him"

    Despite that, the mother became hysterical, begging the man to let her husband go.

    Even her children were crying, both of them were still little, no more than eight.

    It was then that the man''s expression twisted, gazing at the mother as if she were a pest.

    "Stop pushing my patience..." He said whisperingly.

    Having enough of her tantrum, the man lightly pushed her to the side¡ªbut the mother was thrown back, and slammed to the wall. It seemed the man was a Hybrid, to someone flying like that would be impossible if he wasn''t.

    Seeing this, the children ran towards the mother who was knocked out cold.

    Both tried to wake their mother up but was futile.

    On the other hand, the Angel Hybrid who saw this had his eyes opened wide.

    He saw how his wife was thrown to the wall and lost consciousness.

    Coupled with the sight of his children crying, the man''s eyes glowed with a peculiar light.

    A surge of power climbed from within and his body exploded¡ªcreating a rippling shockwave that shattered the glasses in the area. Both of the Dark Angels were hurled but their reflexes were on point, immediately drew their handguns and fired a couple of bullets.

    Despite that, a barrier of holy energy blocked the bullets.

    It sparked from a glowing rune on the Angel Hybrid''s forehead as wings grew on his back.

    "Raargghk! I''ll kill you!!"

    Flapping his wings violently, he gathered an immense amount of ether¡ªand charged at the man. But as he was about to reach the man, a bullet pierced his barrier and hit his forehead¡ªwhiplashing his head back.

    One could see that the bullet wasn''t able to pierce his head but that doesn''t matter.

    In a graceful and swift movement, the man stabs a special small and thin knife into the Angel Hybrid. It was taken the shape of a cross¡ªand the blade steamed against the skin. Almost in that instant, the Angel Hybrid''s eyes widened before his wings went limp.

    Gazing at the Angel Hybrid with contempt, the man leaned closer, "Your death comes today,"

    "By order of the Valerius Supreme House and the blessing from the Blood God"

 Chapter 104 104: Bloodline Probing

    A loud banging sound echoed, startling the onlookers as well as the people further away.

    It was true that a big city like this city holds way more Hybrids, than hundreds of slave cities out there but the ratio was still not overwhelming, there was probably one Hybrid out of five people.

    Dominantly, the city was still filled with normal people.

    Gunshots or even destructions were not foreign to these people¡ªbut a gunshot in a mall like this was not an everyday occurrence. All of them were startled and once they recovered, the sight of the Angel Hybrid being stabbed greeted them.

    Seeing his wife being struck hard, the Angel Hybrid''s power surges.

    His desire to protect his family soared and he wanted to return the favor at least.

    But before he could reach the leader of the squad, a bullet streaked through the air, piercing his ether barrier¡ªand hitting his forehead. It disoriented him for a brief second yet that brief moment was enough for the leader to stab his chest with a special knife.

    It pierced cleanly like a hot knife to butter and stunned the Angel Hybrid in place.

    He tried grabbing the leader''s arm but the knife pierced deeper.

    Blood drizzled from the corners of his mouth before he looked down to his chest stiffly.

    As opposed to blood coming out, the entry wound, as well as the area around it shatters like glass, caused by the property of the special knife. Even though his desire to at least scratch the leader was flaming, his body wouldn''t listen to him.

    It wouldn''t budge, he couldn''t move at all.

    Locked in place, the leader leaned closer, staring directly into the Angel Hybrid''s eyes coldly.

    "Your death comes today," He whispered balefully as he slowly twisted the special knife. "By order of the Valerius Supreme House, and the blessing of the Blood God," Once he said that, he pulled the knife out.

    His pull also sucked the life out of the Angel Hybrid.

    Both of the Angel Hybrid''s wings went limp as he fell to his knees, dead.

    One of the children, a young boy ran to the Angel Hybrid and cried beside his corpse.

    He shook his father''s body hard to wake him up but it was futile, the Angel Hybrid was dead, and no amount of shakes could wake him up, from his eternal slumber. Lucivar was watching this from the side.

    An unreadable mask donned his face, the thoughts inside his head were unknown.

    However, his mouth moved, asking a question.

    "Explain to me as if I was an idiot... why are the Angel Hybrids being hunted?" He asked.

    Maura glanced at him, finding the question weird but remembering that he came from a slave city, she didn''t put much thought, into it, "All Angel Hybrids would develop the constitution to be good, and pursue justice. It was the effect of their bloodline that showed even way before they became a Hybrid,"

    "All of them would want the slave cities to be forgiven for their mistakes because forgiveness is the ''right'' thing to do. Naturally, the Supreme Houses would silence them¡ªand they would stop. But with each passing moment¡ªtheir desire to help would only grow stronger" Looking directly at the lifeless Angel Hybrid, Maura sighed.

    Other than being powerful, awakening the Angel bloodline is more of a curse than a blessing.

    It would only lead to an inevitable early death.

    "Basically, Angel Hybrids are ticking bombs for a revolt," She added finally.

    As Maura was explaining this, Lucivar watched as the Dark Angels tried to get the little boy off of his father''s corpse. Both started with pulling¡ªbut it soon turned into kicking, the boy cried and sobbed, calling his father.

    Lucivar scanned the onlookers and found a lot of them stayed to record the scene.

    Some were even cheering as if kicking a child no older than nine was a good thing.

    Seeing this, Maura turned around, "Come on, there''s nothing to watch here"

    As she took a couple of steps, she turned and saw Lucivar was still standing on his spot.

    "Don''t do anything stupid," Maura warned. "that family is not going to be harmed, they only need to bring the Angel Hybrid''s corpse back. Go back to Thalia, you''ve gone long enough, and she''s definitely worried"

    Despite that, Lucivar kept standing rooted on his spot, ''I know that already''

    His eyes darted left and right as if he was anticipating or waiting for something to happen.

    Just then, an old man who was also watching stepped in.

    Regaining back his youth from the fury inside of him, the old man pushed the Dark Angels hard and crouched down to the young boy. One of the Dark Angel tripped and fell, he was not ready for the push.

    Realizing what had happened, he stood up and breathed like a bull.

    He was embarrassed in front of the leader and he wasn''t happy with that at all.

    Approaching the old man, who was persuading the boy to let go, the Dark Angel stomped his way and lifted his foot. He wanted to kick the old man out of the way and in that very second¡ªLucivar moved in.

    "Don''t be stupid! I told you to let it be!" Maura called from behind but he ignored her.

    Right before the Dark Angel''s foot landed on the old man''s back, Lucivar kicked it away¡ªand saved the old man from the blow that would probably keep him in bed for months. Humiliated once again, the Dark Angel rushed to Lucivar.

    He pressed his forehead against the side of Lucivar''s face, his breaths were rough.

    So much that Lucivar could feel as if there was a fan right beside him.

    "Do you want to go? Are you obstructing the Black Zenith Order?!"

    "I''m not doing anything like that at all"

    "Then get out of the way... on second thought, I''ll move you out of the way myself!"

    "Stop!"

    Just before the Dark Angel could punch Lucivar, an authoritative voice stopped him.

    His fist halted in the air¡ªshaking from the desire to drive it into Lucivar''s smug face.

    But even then, despite his burning urge to lash out, he reluctantly held back, letting out a rough exhale, before stepping aside. ''He held himself back instantly, even though he was trembling...? Either he is remarkably good at controlling his emotions¡ªor he''s afraid. I am guessing it was the latter''

    As he thought of that, he turned his gaze ahead and met with the leader''s piercing eyes.

    ''I need to be careful, he might have something to check my bloodline'' Lucivar nodded.

    Keeping intense eye contact for a few seconds, the leader finally approached.

    His steps were steady and light but carried authority.

    Once he reached two steps away from Lucivar, he stopped and took a pause again.

    Lucivar could feel the tension building up in the air but he stood his ground.

    "Move aside," He said with a baritone voice.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded, "I will once that old man takes the kid away"

    "I''m telling you to move aside," the leader repeated. "Or I will assume you''re obstructing us from doing our work. I can see that you''re young, and also a Hybrid, it''s best for you to not get yourself into trouble that would ruin your future"

    It was a threat but Lucivar was unflinching.

    Despite the overwhelming aura radiating from the leader¡ªa clear sign of his immense power as a Hybrid, Lucivar''s legs remained strong and steady, unlike those, who usually trembled in his presence. It was a detail the leader didn''t miss.

    "Work?" Lucivar glanced over his shoulder. "I think hitting civilians isn''t a part of your work"

    "Anyone who obstructed our way would not be considered a civilian"

    "Even if the reason was clear? That old man has no such intentions to obstruct your way?"

    "We are the hand of Blood God, the knife in the hand of Blood God¡ªthe reason is considered as nothing as long as they stood in our way," the leader said decisively¡ªthere was no stutter between his words. "On second look, your eyes changed, didn''t they?"

    Lucivar frowned, he didn''t think the leader would be that attentive.

    "Angel Hybrids usually have golden eyes like yours did earlier, and now yours are green. Are you hiding something?" the leader asked as he took a step closer¡ªhis hand was already on his handgun.

    Just then, a peculiar flash glistened from the leader''s eyes.

    In an instant, his internal ether was assaulted by an intrusive and oppressive energy.

    He was certain the leader had done something¡ªa spell, perhaps, or an innate ability unique to him. Lucivar felt as if his insides were being wrecked apart, his ether flow taken over, and lost control with each passing second.

    "An ability of mine¡ªit seeped into the blood and focused on your Supernatural Ego, causing several side effects. Nosebleed, dizziness, or perhaps, even death but..." the leader glossed before he took another step, he towered in front of Lucivar. "it only took effect on Angels"

    "So, young man, are you an Angel Hybrid?" He asked again with a creepy smile on his face.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s heart pounded inside.

    Even though he was already preparing for something like this¡ªthe ability was very strong.

    Lucivar was having a hard time keeping the facade of calmness when his inside was not fine at all. It felt like if he lost focus for even a second, the ability would overwhelm him. Had that really happened, the leader would know that he was an Angel Hybrid.

    ''Hold it... hold it!'' He screamed inside his head. ''I can endure this much!''

    But even then, he was reaching his limit rapidly.

    Just as the process continued, the leader''s expression changed when a sudden blow struck his chest, and sent him screeching away until he hit the wall behind him. It was an explosion of energy that he hadn''t anticipated.

    "Leader!"

    Both Dark Angels went over to their leader, concerned etched on their faces.

    Seeing this, the leader raised a hand, telling them that he was alright.

    Slowly, he turned back towards Lucivar¡ªand felt a shiver run down his spine, at the sight of Lucivar''s aura, which had taken the shape of a snarling jackal, eyes blazing with hostility. Its presence bore such weight that the leader felt his back drenched in sweat.

    ''My ability messed with the target''s bloodline to check whether they are an Angel Hybrid¡ªor not but I''ve never gotten this kind of reaction before,'' the leader frowned, his view on Luicvar changed instantly. ''the moment my ether touched his Supernatural Ego, I was kicked out''

    ''I wanted to be sure but I underestimated his bloodline...'' the leader added.

    Despite his young age, there was a thick aura of mystery and power surrounding Lucivar.

    And the jackal''s glare made him feel insignificant for a moment.

    Focusing back on Lucivar, a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face.

    "Who is this kid...?"

 Chapter 105 105: I Hate Them

    Lucivar didn''t know what happened.

    He was struggling to endure¡ªthe leader''s ability, but then, the leader was suddenly pushed away hard. It wasn''t him but recalling the moments before it happened, Lucivar smirked, ''He touched my Supernatural Ego, didn''t he?''

    In that split second, he felt a familiar energy rattled inside of him suddenly.

    Of course, the arrogance in that energy showed that it was definitely Sutekh''s doing.

    Considering that there were five Gods inside of his Supernatural Ego with one of them being Sutekh, it became clear that the leader was pushed¡ªbecause he was offensive. Sutekh was even mad when Lucivar used his real name much less a mortal trying to touch his abode.

    Realizing that¡ªLucivar quickly used this moment to check on the little boy.

    He was still clasping onto the Angel Hybrid''s corpse, the old man''s persuasion didn''t work.

    But Lucivar knew the reason.

    Crouching down, Lucivar karate-chopped the little boy''s nape, knocking him out cold.

    "How could you do that? You might''ve hurt him!" the old man complained.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar pulled the little boy''s shirt, and showed the nasty bruise below the little boy''s nipple, right on his ribs, "He has no time. He might not feel it now¡ªbut that wound might be lethal if he wasn''t treated as quickly as possible"

    Just earlier, Lucivar noticed that a kick from the Dark Angel landed too cleanly.

    And the boy flinched but kept crying.

    Even though he seemed to be fine, Lucivar knew that the kick broke something.

    "Go and take him away, I''m done here" Lucivar continued and fled the scene.

    He headed back to Maura¡ªwho was watching what he was doing with a disapproving look, the act he did was too risky. Had the leader been in a worse mood, he would''ve done worse things to Lucivar.

    Even if Lucivar died in the process, the leader would only be reprimanded and that was it.

    Looking at Lucivar fleeing the scene, the Dark Angels wanted to pursue him.

    But the leader stopped them with his hands.

    "Grab that Angel Hybrid, our work here is done"

    "But leader, that guy is out of the line. He even attacked you!"

    "Are you objecting to a direct order?"

    "N- No..."

    Casting one final glance in the direction where Lucivar had gone the leader scoffed before turning to leave. Behind him, the two Dark Angels hurried to follow, carrying the corpse. As they exited the premises, the crowd dispersed.

    Other than the old man and another who were helping the poor family, the others left.

    All of them didn''t care and let the security deal with the poor family.

    Despite the severity of the scene earlier, it became nothing more than a story to tell for most.

    Lucivar headed back to the restaurant, there were a lot of things on his mind.

    Not only did he learn that he had the attention of Thalia''s family but he also now knew vividly the reason the Angel Hybrids were hunted and there was a special force dedicated to finding and exterminating Angel Hybrids.

    And the leader of that special force squad has a unique ability that would affect only Angels.

    "You can stop following me now or are you planning to let Thalia spot you?"

    Lucivar glanced at Maura behind him, she had been following him in silence.

    Not to mention, he could feel her gaze burning his back.

    It seemed she had something to say but didn''t know whether she should say it or not.

    "Oh, right..." Maura stopped, pulling her hood and wearing her face mask.

    But as she did that, she frowned when he saw Lucivar¡ªas opposed to going straight to the restaurant, made a turn to the corridor leading to the toilet. He seemed to be in a hurry, but Maura ignored him and went to a nearby cafe again.

    On the other hand, Lucivar entered the toilet.

    He was relieved when there was nobody inside and the toilet only had one stall.

    Unable to hold it back, he went to the sink and vomited blood.

    Lucivar did not only vomit a mouthful¡ªbut he retched a stream of blood, enough to coat the entire sink in crimson. It was a gruesome sight, almost as if he were purging his very insides, the leader''s ability was not light, it was extremely rough.

    He turned on the faucet, letting the water wash away the blood before splashing his face.

    Gazing at his reflection in the mirror, Lucivar remained silent for a moment.

    Soon, two entities appeared.

    Gandr slithered from below to his shoulder while Sha appeared on the sink counter.

    "Being a hero now? I thought you already passed this" Sha ridiculed, but she seemed angry.

    Lucivar glanced at her before returning his gaze ahead.

    "I wanted to save the boy and if I want something, I will get it"

    "Hmph! It''s a naive desire, your move earlier was too risky, you could''ve been caught!"

    Being reprimanded like this annoyed Lucivar, he would do what he wanted to do and nobody could stop him. Or at least, that was what he wanted to achieve¡ªbut right now, he could not afford to anger Sha and Sutekh.

    Even then, he knew how to get out of this.

    "So you want me, the Blessed Oracle who has the power of Sutekh to cower in fear only from a mortal? Stopping to do what he wanted to do because of a mortal?" He lifted an eyebrow¡ªtaunting Sha to answer those questions.

    Upon hearing this, Sha clicked her tongue and turned her gaze elsewhere in annoyance.

    She has no answer to that.

    Although she knew Lucivar was turning her arrogance against her, it worked flawlessly¡ªand that made her even more annoyed. Just then, Gandr intervened, "Slowing down your growth would kill you, it''s only a matter of time before your identity as an Angel Hybrid is exposed"

    "I know..." Lucivar replied, clutching the edge of the counter.

    He was lucky that Tobias and the others were accepting of what he truly was.

    But he couldn''t expect to be lucky all the time, he would definitely be exposed.

    Even Thalia¡ªhe didn''t know how she would react if she knew that he was an Angel Hybrid.

    "Pick your opponents wisely," Gandr hissed, his reptilian eyes flickered with a green light. "As of this moment, that avatar of Sunna is your opponent. All you need to do is focus on getting stronger and stronger, no need to pull more attention"

    Lucivar frowned, he could feel his blood was boiling.

    He inherited the hatred of Loki''s past avatars.

    And even the sheer mention of Sunna''s avatar made him breathe like a bull.

    "Or have you forgotten what goodness would bring to you?" Gandr added meaningfully.

    Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure, "Of course, not. I will never forget that"

    "Good, let it burn in your mind. Secure your situation and focus on killing him, power lies only to those who would go as far as they need to achieve it. And only power has the ability to fix karma as you wanted" Gandr whispered.

    Sha also added, "We have great expectations for you, Blessed Oracle..."

    Once they said that, both he and Sha exchanged a look before they vanished.

    Now, Lucivar was the only one inside the toilet again.

    Splashing water on his face once again, Lucivar headed out with hurried steps.

    He returned to the restaurant within a minute and found Thalia there, an unmistakable aura of irritation hanging around her. Her lips were pressed, into a tight line, and her face was as bitter as it was sharp.

    After waiting nearly twenty minutes, it was no wonder her patience had worn thin.

    Lucivar went into the restaurant and headed to her table.

    Seeing him approaching, she tapped her chopsticks on her plate angrily.

    "I got a stomachache, sorry about that" Lucivar apologized and took a seat in front of her.

    As soon as he said that, Thalia slammed the tip of her chopsticks¡ªagainst her plate, harder, drawing attention to their table. Lucivar gave an apologetic look at the people around before he turned at Thalia again.

    "Come on, it''s not that long, you''re overreacting" Lucivar added.

    Instead of answering, Thalia eyed the seat beside her, becoming angrier with each glance.

    Realizing what she wanted, Lucivar stood up and sat beside her.

    Now that he sat beside her, she was evidently pleased.

    But even then, she was still grumpy.

    "Did you really go to the toilet¡ªor did you meet up with that bitch again?" She asked.

    Lucivar looked at her in disbelief, he was at a loss for words.

    "How did you get to that conclusion?"

    "I mean, you kept glancing back hoping to spot her earlier. I know she''s a Vampire Hybrid and all of them are pretty¡ªbut she''s not, that pretty. I think Leandra is prettier than her, don''t you think so?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar sealed his lips, ''It''s a trap question...''

    Just from Thalia''s gaze alone, as if she were a tiger waiting for her prey to make the wrong move¡ªhe could tell that this was a trap question, ''I glanced back earlier because of Maura though, but I couldn''t say that, can I? I better say what she wanted to hear''

    "Don''t know about Leandra but you''re definitely prettier" Lucivar replied.

    He went back to focusing on the menu but he felt that Thalia''s face reddened from that.

    Lucivar was not dense enough to not realize that Thalia was interested in him.

    Her rivalry with Leandra shows that clearly.

    "I''m pretty, hehe~" Thalia smiled, the words repeated in her brain multiple times.

    But then, Lucivar suddenly continued, "Oh¡ªby the way, instead of only you, can I meet your Mother to discuss the South Hues Tournament Sponsor? It''ll be better to talk with her about that with me there so she could judge me herself"

    Not expecting this, Thalia was stunned.

    "Meet my Mother...?" She repeated, shock etched across her face.

    Lucivar nodded firmly.

    As opposed to relying on Maura to deliver the message¡ªhe reckoned that since he knew Thalia, she could arrange a meeting quicker than Maura would be able to. Not to mention, Thalia could beg Callista if she refused.

    On the other hand, Thalia was completely thinking of a different thing.

    ''Meeting mom? If Lucivar really met mom then I wouldn''t need to be discreet about this,'' She thought¡ªsmiling inwardly out of excitement. ''Elira wouldn''t be able to force me to stay away from him and more importantly¡ªI can rub this on Leandra. Telling me to take him around the city is a wrong move, girl...''

    Just like that, Thalia called her mother.

    She asked if Callista had time to meet with Lucivar and surprisingly, she had.

    More than that, Callista seemed to be eager to meet with Lucivar.

    Because of that, they would meet tonight so Lucivar and Thalia ate quickly and left the mall.

    Along the way to the exit, Thalia recalled something.

    "Did you hear the gunshot from before? You came from that direction, did you see anything?"

    "Oh, an Angel Hybrid was captured earlier, nothing too important"

    "Angel Hybrids, huh... there are still some remaining in the city surprisingly"

    "Seemed like you don''t like the Angel Hybrids"

    "Angel Hybrids killed my uncle and also two of my aunts. I''m past disliking them, I hate them. My family practically hates them so don''t talk about that in front of my mom"

 Chapter 106 106: Meeting the Feradith Family

    Lucivar offered a wry smile and nodded.

    He was wondering what Thalia''s stance on the matter was and now he knows.

    Since the Valerius Supreme House governed the city, it was no surprise most of the populace here, if not all, harbored a deep hatred for Angel Hybrids. Even in classes, the professors told them or mentioned the bad things Angel Hybrids had done.

    Mostly, they told the hunters that Angel Hybrids were kind but that kindness is their curse.

    For the sake of kindness, they rebelled and killed the innocent, kids and elders alike.

    But Lucivar didn''t buy it at face value, history was always written by the winner.

    Nevertheless, Lucivar made a mental note that Thalia shouldn''t know about his real bloodline no matter what. Exiting the mall, the two headed back to the car, but Lucivar made an abrupt stop to see the sight to his right.

    "What''s wrong?" Thalia asked.

    She turned to look and saw a pair of Hybrids, both seemed to be having a good time.

    As opposed to going to their car or anything, the pair channeled their ether and flew away.

    Lucivar watched them soar to the sky and disappear into the horizon.

    "Both of them seemed to be¡ªChrysalis-rank Hybrid," Thalia commented. "with no wings, the only way they could fly was through the use of ether and to do that, one would need to be at least at the first-star Chrysalis rank"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded and the two went to the car and departed.

    It was a two-hour long drive to reach their destination.

    Callista told Thalia that if Lucivar wanted to meet with her, she would be waiting for them at the Grand Lafayette Hotel. A six-star hotel at the center of Sector Four, it was a lavish place that was a gathering for the rich.

    She said that Elira had a performance and Callista was there to watch her perform.

    Stopping at the lobby, Lucivar walked out of the door and was greeted by the hotel building that gleamed with golden lights. It became brighter now that the day was already dark¡ªthe drive took longer than anticipated.

    Its opulent facade casts a warm glow that spills onto a line of branded cars.

    Valets, polished and swift, opened doors with practiced grace, welcoming the guests.

    Seeing the guests'' elegant attire, Lucivar felt out of place once again.

    He was still new to all of this but fortunately, Thalia was here.

    Of course, since she came from a casual date, she was also underdressed, but she was used to the atmosphere¡ªso she wasn''t feeling out of place at all. Thalia stepped along the marble floor with wide strides with Lucivar tailing from behind.

    "When is Elira''s performance? And what is it?"

    "About half an hour ago. She followed in mom''s footsteps as a pianist and a singer,"

    "Care to tell me why we stopped to eat ice cream if we''re late?"

    "No particular reason"

    "Right..."

    Lucivar could tell that Thalia and Elira didn''t seem to like each other or were in an argument.

    It seemed stopping for ice cream earlier was intentional.

    Now it was clear that Thalia wanted to avoid seeing Elira''s performance for some reason.

    Even though Thalia seemed to care for Elira¡ªconsidering that she was really annoyed by the woman from before, Abigail, it seemed the two weren''t on good terms. A complicated kind of sibling relationship and it''s normal.

    Soon, both of them reached the lounge area.

    Thalia walked inside and looked around before she found Callista who was sitting on the sofa area, Elira in her performance attire, sparkling with white¡ªand pink was sitting beside her. At the sight of them, Thalia glanced at Lucivar and nodded, signaling to follow her.

    "Mom!" Thalia opened her arms with a bright smile on her face.

    Seeing her, Callista stood up and accepted the hug.

    "How come you''re late for your sister''s performance?"

    "You know me, Mom. I''m a clumsy driver and the street is pretty crowded earlier"

    Upon hearing this, Callista shook her head gently.

    She could sense her daughters'' animosity but didn''t confront Thalia about it.

    From behind, Lucivar stayed silent but was surprised when he caught sight of a man.

    He was sitting on a single sofa and he looked very familiar to Lucivar.

    ''Isn''t that the garbage man?'' Lucivar frowned, he recalled this person, to be the man he saw, bullying another student near the garbage box. ''He got close to Elira, that fast? To be invited here...''

    Days earlier¡ªLucivar had told Sabrina to tail Elira and note her daily activities.

    As he was going to get close to Elira too, he needed as much intel as possible.

    Sabrina reported that a student was constantly trying to get close to her, an upperclassman, and that upperclassman was this guy, ''Now that I think about it, I also saw him in the cave. It is weird for a student to come visit, Thalia is the exception¡ªand he didn''t seem to know any Hunter''

    Knowing this information, Lucivar found this guy to be sketchy.

    But he kept his composure for now.

    He also made eye contact with Maura who was standing upright behind the sofa.

    Maura gave him a nod as acknowledgement and he returned it.

    Separating from her mother, Thalia turned to Elira and her eyes grew cold.

    Elira stood up, followed by the guy on the side.

    "I don''t know why you''re bringing him here to meet mom" She eyed Lucivar up and down.

    Upon hearing this, Thalia scoffed, "Same goes for you, who is he?"

    Smiling politely, the guy placed a hand on his chest and bowed, "I''m Axel, I helped Elira in her training and studies. It''s nice to make your acquaintance, Thalia¡ªand I hope you do not mind me being here"

    "He''s also at the top of his class and is favored by Professor Victor," Elira added pridefully.

    As she said that, she even cast a smirk at Lucivar, undermining him.

    Seeing this, Lucivar was at a loss for words, ''What did I do? Why is she hostile to me?''

    Just then he remembered that Thalia was supposed to ask Elira if she would agree to make him their guardian. But now that the twin sisters were in this tension, he could assume, that Elira didn''t like the idea.

    ''She''s blaming me for their quarrel?'' Lucivar forced a wry smile, this must''ve happened.

    Sparing Axel no glance, Thalia focused back on her mother again.

    She pivoted her body to the side and turned to Lucivar behind.

    "Mom, this is Lucivar," She introduced.

    Looking at Lucivar, Callista smiled and extended her hand, "I''ve heard a lot about you"

    She wore white gloves that reached her elbows, adding to her elegant air.

    Lucivar gazed at her hand for a couple of seconds, confused.

    Her palm was facing down, it didn''t seem like she was offering a handshake.

    Upon seeing this, Elira sat back down and chuckled, "He''s a total bum, as expected"

    Naturally, Thalia''s face went red from anger when she heard.

    "Kiss her hand, it''s a gentlemanly gesture" Thalia said, urging Lucivar to kiss Callista''s hand.

    Realizing what he needed to do, Lucivar held Callista''s hand and gave it a peck.

    As he did this, however, his expression was sour.

    Not that he wasn''t willing to kiss Callista''s hand but Elira''s comment is getting to his nerves.

    With that settled, everyone took their seats again, Lucivar sitting directly across from Callista as he carefully gathered his thoughts. Callista studied him briefly before breaking the silence¡ªcrossing her legs, "I heard you didn''t qualify as a student¡ªand became an academy hunter instead. Is that true?"

    Thalia wanted to answer but Lucivar placed his hand on her thigh, signaling for her to stop.

    "Yes, madam," Lucivar answered. "But I fail to qualify purposefully. I believe with my strength, I could skip the theories, and swim straight into the real world. I have some training¡ªand I''ve finished my first mission recently"

    Upon hearing this, Elira sneered.

    "Excuses. Just say that you''re incompetent," She muttered under her breath.

    Callista shot her daughter a warning look, warning her to not be like that.

    Knowing that Elira wasn''t usually like this, she was confused.

    But she didn''t put much thought into it.

    "And you''re also the one who stopped the assassin and also Professor Fury, correct?"

    "Yes, that''s correct"

    Hearing this, Thalia was stunned, Callista shouldn''t know about that.

    Even Elira also reacted the same, both of them hadn''t told Callista about that.

    Just then, Thalia''s gaze turned to Maura¡ªand realization dawned in her eyes, "Mom, did you assign her to tail us?!" She demanded. "I told you we would be fine, we can handle ourselves, you should be focusing on Dad and the bigger problems!"

    "And you almost died, didn''t you? How would that make me feel?" Callista snapped back.

    Thalia couldn''t refute it.

    It was true that without Lucivar being there, she could''ve died.

    "Madam, can we talk in private if that''s possible?" Lucivar intervened.

    He couldn''t get to what he wanted if Thalia and Elira were still here, listening in to them.

    "No need. You want to be repaid, right? I can arrange for your rewards"

    "It''s better if we talk in private. I don''t want to talk about this with your daughters around"

    As opposed to listening, Callista waved her hand dismissively.

    "I''ll pay you handsomely, you can be certain. If that''s it, you can go now" She said.

    Elira also added, "Go now, Maura will make contact with you"

    Lucivar''s expression turned sour¡ªhe tried to really be patient here but these people looked down on him so much that they were not listening. It''s true that he told Maura he wanted to meet with Callista for a reward but that wasn''t the only thing that brought him here.

    Having enough of being looked down, Lucivar clasped his hands and leaned forward.

    As he did that, Thalia sensed the change in the air around him.

    She glanced over at him and saw the air was similar to the night he fought with the ninja.

    "Let me be fucking frank with you, madam," Lucivar opened, his tone deep. His words caught everyone off guard. "I''m the one who saved your daughters, and yet you are treating me as if I''m a nobody. Not even a thank you..."

    Upon hearing this, Callista frowned but her expression turned cold.

    "I''m not accustomed to being talked to like that..." She whispered.

    Not even minding her brewing hostility, Lucivar continued, "Other than the rewards, I also came here to ask you to be my sponsor in the South Hues Tournament. I believe we could benefit each other from this"

    "The South Hues Tournament is a big tournament¡ªand it''s dominated by the top academies¡ªthe Bloodhaven Academy has never won that tournament in its entire history," Axel mused from the side with a finger on his chin.

    Lucivar nodded, "And I can guarantee to share the glory once I win that..."

 Chapter 107 107: Advertising Oneself (1)

    Elira burst into humorous laughter, so much so, that she attracted the attention of others, in the lounge. She was caught off guard when Lucivar suddenly turned serious. She could feel that her mother didn''t appreciate his words and tone.

    Considering the tension, she thought Lucivar would say something sensible.

    But turns out he was a fool who liked to play around.

    "You? Win the South Hues Tournament?" Elira mocked, wiping her tears. "Are we even talking about the same tournament? Do you even know the Hybrids who you would be up against, in that tournament?"

    "I don''t care, I will win," Lucivar replied confidently.

    His life was literally on the line.

    Seeing how the Angel Hybrid was treated earlier¡ªhe would be hunted and killed the moment the news of him being an Angel Hybrid was spread. If he couldn''t get at least, the third place, his life would end.

    Glancing over to Thalia, Elira continued to laugh, "Where did you find him? An asylum?"

    Angered, Thalia bit her lower lip and turned to Lucivar.

    "Are you really guaranteeing a win?" She asked¡ªshe was also doubtful about his declaration.

    On the other hand, Callista remained composed, watching Lucivar intently.

    "You said we could benefit each other through this, how?" She asked.

    Lucivar kept his cool despite the fury within, from the constant mockeries and explained, "I''m told that you ran here to this city after your conflict with the Crimson Wolf Clan, you''re aiming to use your fame in this city as a shield for your daughters¡ªbut that didn''t work because you are not as relevant anymore"

    Upon hearing this, Callista turned to look at Thalia.

    An ember of fury could be seen dancing within her eyes.

    In response, Thalia could only avert her gaze elsewhere.

    Since Lucivar knew this much, it must''ve been her who told him all of this.

    Nevertheless, it was not the time for scolding.

    "How do you know it didn''t work?"

    "I know because two assassins got into the academy. Also, you would be a fool to adamantly believe that your fame in this city retained the same position, after so many years away. I bet your old pals aren''t even helping you again"

    "So what are you offering?"

    "Sponsor me and I will share my win with you. A lot of promising, and powerful young Hybrids are going to be there. First-year Hybrids from the top ten academies and even the governor''s grandson would be participating. If I win your standing as my sponsor will certainly rise"

    Preparing for this meeting, Lucivar had read the tournament''s page on Thalia''s phone earlier.

    Callista remained silent, contemplating about the proposal.

    She was already fretting about this the moment she knew the assassins got through.

    ''But being able to participate in the tournament¡ªis that really what he wanted?'' In that brief moment, the gears in Callista''s mind worked. ''He''s an opportunist, winning a tournament like this would push him high, this is also a great deal for him''

    "Become my sponsor, and I will win the South Hues Tournament for you" He persuaded.

    Lucivar said the latter part with a louder voice for some reason.

    Many of the people around turned to glance at him, and this made Callista frown.

    She didn''t understand why Lucivar did that.

    "Of course, that is if you really did win the tournament," Elira intervened, defensively crossing her arms. "If you lost or even got the third place in a spectacular fashion¡ªour effort of giving you the opportunity would be a waste"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smirked and turned towards her.

    It almost seemed like he was waiting for this to happen.

    "I defeated two assassins¡ªand saved your sister, and you indirectly. If I had to brag, this was also my second month as a Hybrid and I''m already this capable and strong" He said again, he used the same loud tone as earlier.

    Squinting her eyes, Elira leaned forward, "You got helped and I don''t believe you"

    "Oh...? Do you want to help me convince your mother by testing me?" He asked cheekily.

    Elira sneered, "Bring it on but don''t blame me if I embarrassed you in public"

    Moments later.

    Lucivar and the Feradith Family moved to another room, it was underground.

    It was a Hybrid training room for the people staying in the hotel¡ªand there was an arena too for friendly bouts. Elira already changed, into a more casual outfit, while Lucivar only took off his shoes.

    Before going into the arena, Thalia stopped him, grabbing him by his arm.

    "Are you really going to go through with this?"

    "Your mother wouldn''t be convinced otherwise, so there''s no other choice"

    "Okay... but can you please go easy on Elira? She''s not really a bad person"

    "Don''t worry, it''s not like I wanted to hurt her or at least not hurt her physically"

    From the side, Elira heard their conversation and clicked her tongue in displeasure.

    ''How strong is he? I can''t sense his ether'' She pondered¡ªglancing over to Lucivar. ''If he''s an exceptional academy hunter, he should be at three-star or four-star. I''m a five-star Neophyte rank Hybrid, I''m supposed to be stronger so why did Thalia say that?''

    A minute later, Lucivar was already standing inside the arena.

    Unlike the arena in the Bastion of Blades, the arena here is more like a boxing ring¡ªcovered by an invisible ether barrier, that would protect their clash from leaking out. It was secure, it could probably withstand up to Chrysalis-rank Hybrid.

    Glancing around, Lucivar smirked inwardly when Callista wasn''t the only one watching.

    Some people who heard their conversation came to watch.

    Considering the hotel, they were all Hybrids and had the same lavishness as Callista.

    It plastered a smile on his face before he focused back on Elira.

    "So, how will you test me, big sister?" Lucivar asked, his posture was relaxed and composed.

    Elira frowned, his confident posture exuded unbelievable confidence that made her nervous.

    Other than con-artists that trained in the art of trickery, nobody would be brimming with this kind of confidence without having the ability to back it up. Before she could answer¡ªLucivar intervened, "Since I''m the stronger one here, I''ll give you one chance to humiliate me. I''ll take one attack from you and if you could push me, I''ll admit that I lost"

    "Heck, I''ll even kiss your feet if you succeed" He added hauntingly, jutting his tongue out.

    Upon hearing this, the onlookers laughed in hubris.

    All of them liked Lucivar''s boldness¡ªespecially when they recognized the one he was facing against was Elira, the superstar who had performed earlier. It would be quite fun if the young man could actually deliver.

    None of them expected to be entertained at this time of the night.

    Callista frowned when she heard this.

    Not even turning to look, she asked, "What is your prediction for this?"

    "Elira will win," Maura replied from the side, she spoke the truth, in her mind. "Lady Elira is no doubt talented, her bloodline¡ªand rank speak for themselves. But that hunter, Lucivar¡ªhe''s not normal. He''s used to violence, I can tell, and his calmness scares me"

    Recalling their encounter earlier, Maura gulped, it made her feel uneasy.

    She told herself that Lucivar was still young and inexperienced.

    But once she was faced with him and even had her blade on his throat, his demeanor didn''t change, and did not scream inexperienced. At the very least, he had been in life-and-death situations multiple times.

    "However, since he''s cocky, I reckoned Lady Elira would be able to push him" She added.

    "And you can''t find anything about his background?"

    "Other than from himself, saying that he came from a slave city, no. I can''t find anything"

    "Keep looking, there has to be something..."

    Meanwhile, Elira''s expression darkened, she was being underestimated in public.

    Exhaling roughly, she then looked at Lucivar directly in the eyes.

    "Fine," She nodded and reached her hand to the side. "I''ll bite. I''ll accept the challenge. If you can''t take one hit from me you''ll admit that you lost, and... you would also stay away from my sister, will you agree to this?"

    Thalia, angered, wanted to refute¡ªElira had no right to who she got close with.

    But Lucivar signaled for her to calm down.

    "In that case, if I win, you would also listen to a wish of mine" He added, adding a condition.

    Upon hearing this, Elira nodded, she didn''t mind that as she was going to win.

    "I''m ready," Lucivar firmed his stance and spread his arms to the side. He then pointed at the core of his abs¡ªplayfully, "Strike me right here... Do not worry about hurting me, I don''t think you can muster an attack that could wound me severely"

    Swoosh!

    Upon hearing this, Elira''s entire body flared with dark blue ether.

    Her eyes glowed with the same color, showcasing her bloodline as a Dark Fairy.

    Violent torrents of ether waved from her form, clashing against the invisible barrier, creating a static that pierced the ears. Seeing this, Lucivar acted as if he was surprised¡ªsightseeing her power as if it wasn''t meant for him.

    "Act nonchalant all you want, but I''ll make sure to make you regret this" Elira whispered.

    Just then, the flaring ether was sucked and focused onto her right hand.

    It snaked to her right hand like water streams and formed a mesmerizing, human-size scythe with its blade humming with a dark blue outline, "As a Dark Fairy Hybrid¡ªmy ether reserve is second to none. I''ve trained myself to be able to control this much ether and now I can make this..."

    "An attack from my scythe could hurt even Acolyte-rank Hybrid," She added.

    Seeing this, the onlookers were quite surprised.

    All of them could feel her ether through the invisible barrier, and she was not lying.

    "Even in the top academies, she would definitely be above average. She''s talented"

    "I think if she''s in the top academies, she could be stronger. I say she could be a genius"

    Having a power that matched the next realm wasn''t something easy to achieve.

    Elira must''ve trained crazily for her to create this scythe.

    Despite the showcase of power, Lucivar did not seem to have the intention to take back his words. In a way, it means he was still confident that he could take it. Gritting her teeth, Elira pulled her scythe back and lowered her stance.

    "Fine! Don''t be sorry when you got cut in half!" She shouted and charged her scythe.

    Once she was ready, she sprinted ahead, each step thumping against the ground.

    Reaching her range, her eyes glistened with ferocity¡ªas she swung her scythe with all her might. In the middle of the arc, Elira smiled as her scythe suddenly blared with more power and increased in speed.

    She is a Dark Fairy Hybrid, she has multiple abilities¡ªthe scythe isn''t the only thing.

    Even Lucivar was surprised, his eyes widened a bit.

    Smiling as she finally got a reaction, Elira continued her slash mercilessly.

    "Cleaving Drive!"

    Boom!

    A violent storm of ether exploded once the scythe connected, her attack, carried the power of nature¡ªthat lashed out across the entire arena. For a moment there, the onlookers could not see a single thing.

    But all of them were eager to see the result.

    Once the arena cleared up, their eyes widened at the sight.

    Callista and Maura in particular, were the most surprised.

    On the arena, Lucivar was still standing on his spot, his feet remained nailed to the ground.

    He caught Elira''s scythe with one hand, stopping it and all its ether in an instant.

    "Would you look at that, I won..." Lucivar announced, grinning savagely.

 Chapter 108 108: Advertising Oneself (2)

    Lucivar easily caught the scythe as if it were nothing.

    Out of the people who were here¡ªElira was the one who was shocked the most.

    She looked at the blade of her scythe in complete and utter shock.

    ''My scythe alone has the power of a one-star Acolyte rank I''ve tested it...'' She pondered, her mind was racing. It felt as though all her training up until now, had been meaningless. ''Fusing it with my Cleaving Drive, it should push close to a two-star Acolyte rank and yet he stopped it?''

    Elira tried pushing her scythe but Lucivar''s hand was akin to an iron grip.

    She couldn''t budge it.

    Despite the situation, Lucivar''s attention was elsewhere entirely.

    "Hoam~ Is that it? I should''ve stayed in your cozy chamber," Sha commented dismissively.

    She was above a pillar near the ceiling, yawning at Lucivar''s performance.

    Just earlier, Lucivar had asked Sha to come out to watch him.

    Other than cultivating his Supernatural Ego, his path to becoming stronger also included Sha and Sutekh, he wanted to unlock their powers. Of course, the only way to achieve that¡ªwas through giving them lives but giving a show like this might help lift their moods.

    But this didn''t seem to impress Sha.

    Fortunately, this wasn''t the part that Lucivar wanted Sha to watch.

    "I saw what you did for Loki... Me and My Lord are insulted by this mediocrity" Sha added.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s face twitched as he was getting annoyed.

    Sha and Sutekh are very hard to please due to their arrogance.

    Returning his gaze back to Elira, Lucivar then announced, "Would you look at that, I won..."

    Despite her reluctance and also her bitterness, Elira pulled back her scythe.

    It was hard to admit it but she wasn''t that unhonorable to go back on her words, "You win"

    Seeing that Lucivar had achieved triumph, Callista was mildly shocked.

    She had anticipated that Lucivar might win this¡ªthe air of confidence around him, made her ponder about that possibility but when it actually happened she was still surprised. Elira had always been the strongest out of her daughters.

    Due to that, Elira was also her pride.

    Finding that she was overpowered this much hurts her inside.

    But she couldn''t refute that Lucivar has the ability to back his pompous words earlier.

    Just as Callista was about to say something, a voice echoed from the other side.

    "I don''t think this proves that you''re strong," A fat middle-aged man smoking a cigarette said, puffing out smoke from his nose. "If anything, this only proves you''re a bully. An Acolyte-rank Hybrid, a proper one could block that attack easily"

    Lucivar turned towards the man, "Do you have a suggestion then, kind Sir?"

    Upon hearing this, the fat man flicked his fingers.

    Another person landed on the arena, a well-built man in sleeveless black shirt.

    His face was rough and serious, the type of person who takes everything seriously.

    "Here is one of my men. He''s trained properly and he just stepped into the Acolyte rank, I am sure if you fight him instead, we could see exactly how strong you really are, young man" the fat man said. "Are you brave enough to accept?"

    Upon the fat man saying that the man in the arena moved.

    He brought his fist to his open palm and pushed them together in front of his chest.

    "Arga is my name" He introduced.

    Seeing this, Callista looked at the fat man and frowned, she recognized him.

    "Isn''t he from the Trading Union? Dullan?" Maura asked.

    Callista nodded, "Yes, he''s the CEO of the Trading Union''s branch in this city. He''s powerful"

    From this alone, Maura could affirm that Dullan lived in high society.

    He was the same as Callista, close if not matching in terms of influence.

    Lucivar reached for Elira''s waist and pushed her to the side, signaling for her to go down.

    She slapped Lucivar''s hand away and huffed, "I can get down myself"

    Nodding his head, Lucivar waited for Elira to come down the arena¡ªbefore he focused back on Arga. He did the same gesture as a sign of respect, "Please, don''t go easy on me. Or else I''ll feel bad for embarrassing you"

    "Don''t go easy on me yourself, I''m a Ghoul Hybrid" Arga replied, brushing off Lucivar''s taunt.

    Once he said that, Arga crossed his arms in front of him.

    His black ether began seeping out of his skin, almost like ink due to how thick it was.

    Under the onlookers'' eyes, the skin on his hands began to darken in color and his nails which were already sharp became black claws. An Acolyte-rank Hybrid has developed, their unique bloodline characteristic, and Arga is showing his.

    Swoosh!

    A gentle but deadly wind blew from Arga''s body, brushing against Lucivar''s skin.

    Seeing this with a composed face, Lucivar tilted his head.

    "Are you finished?"

    "Yes"

    "Then it''s my turn..."

    Lucivar looked down and exhaled lightly, he would need to take this absolutely seriously.

    He needed to if he wanted to please Sha who became interested now.

    "Sutekh, Sha, this is for you..." He whispered inaudibly.

    Once he said that gnarly bone-cracking sounds echoed as his back split open.

    A single, majestic, sparkling brown wing unfurled¡ªfrom Lucivar''s back, its imposing length, stretching wide and commanding the attention of all who gazed upon it. With the wing fully extended, he began to channel his ether, delving deep into his reserves.

    Golden ether accompanied his brown wing¡ªcoming out of his body like hot steam.

    Sensing the climbing ether, Arga and even Dullan were surprised.

    "He''s a first-star Acolyte-rank Hybrid but the amount of ether he has... it''s astonishing!"

    "Who was he again? Lucivar? I''ve never heard of that name"

    "Someone like him should be known, no? He can''t come out of nowhere"

    Just as his aura reached its peak, Lucivar gritted his teeth, ''Not yet, I need to be stronger!''

    Not holding back even a bit, Lucivar used two God strands to enhance his entire body.

    Swoosh!

    Immediately, his aura exploded, pulsing like a beating heart.

    Arga was taken aback, his foot made a nervous step back as the ether coming from Lucivar was pushing against his skin hard. His eyes reflected¡ªthe brilliant gold color, not expecting Lucivar to be this capable.

    He expected Lucivar to be quite good if he was this confident.

    But reaching this extent was beyond his wildest imagination.

    ''His ether reserve... it''s equivalent to that third-star? What''s his bloodline? What grade?!''

    ''Purple? No... Red? He''s still young and he''s this strong?''

    Planting his feet firmly, Arga gritted his teeth and stood his ground.

    No matter how strong Lucivar was, he couldn''t put up a bad fight in front of his employer.

    However, the willpower he had painstakingly gathered crumbled once more as his gaze lifted to the golden ether, behind Lucivar. It began to shift, darkening into a menacing shade of the color brown, and morphed into the form of an imposing, roaring jackal.

    Just the sheer presence of this jackal made his knees feel weak.

    Feeling the pressure mounting, Arga has no other choice but to go all out instantly.

    "Black Frenzy!"

    In an instant, his ether became heavier before he charged ahead on all four like an animal.

    Lucivar lifted his head and saw Arga making his fierce move.

    Having only one chance to do this, he focused and glanced down at his fist.

    On his knuckles, the golden ether created the shape of a scarab.

    It took a lot of focus, and control to be able to do this. Once that was done, his ether quickly flowed down to his legs, and he too, charged forward. Lucivar accelerated with an explosive speed, reaching Arga in mere moments.

    Seeing this, Maura gasped in absolute shock, "How?! He''s only a first-star!"

    "He got stronger way too quick..." Thalia whispered lightly.

    Compared to back when he fought the ninja, he was now in a completely different realm.

    Nearing the point of clash, Arga''s eyes fixed on Lucivar''s right fist where ether had gathered, it was clear that his right fist was the danger¡ªbut his left fist was the first one moving, ''He is going for a feint and struck with his right. All I need to do is force him to pivot his body to the left to knock him off balance for punching with his right''

    Knowing what to do, Arga swiped with his left hand, keeping his eyes on Lucivar''s right hand.

    Slash!

    Lucivar dodged it exactly as Arga predicted, pivoting his body to the left.

    Smiling, Arga gathers the strength of his torso.

    He aims to spin his torso and make a backhand swipe at Lucivar''s head.

    As he was about to turn, time slowed down.

    Arga frowned when he saw Lucivar was also smiling at him, ''W... Why is he smiling?''

    ''It seemed he hadn''t realized it yet that if I twisted here, he would eat a swipe to the face!''

    Still confident in himself, Arga turned but saw Lucivar''s left foot glowing golden.

    Upon seeing that¡ªhe came to realize that Lucivar was aiming to sweep his legs with a lethal roundhouse kick, while he was off balance, from turning. It was fifty-fifty now, the faster one would win this clash, ''A slash to the face is more deadly than a gut punch, he''s for sure going to hesitate. I''ll reach him first!''

    "Grrghh!" Arga put everything to his speed but his world suddenly tumbled. "Eh...?"

    Just like his dash earlier, Lucivar''s foot accelerated with an explosive force.

    It took a fraction of a second for him to kick Arga''s legs and sweep him off the ground.

    Gasps filled the air as Lucivar''s kick landed with precision, the sound of Arga''s knee breaking with a sickening crack reverberating through the crowd. The powerful force launched him off his feet, his body twisting in midair.

    As Arga''s body arced downward, Lucivar''s right fist ignited with a feral blaze of ether.

    It was already drawn back and ready to unleash a devastating punch.

    ''Man... fighting like this is a lot of work but what can I do? I''m sure Sha will like this''

    Bam!

    Lucivar''s punch drilled through Arga''s stomach and slammed him onto the arena''s ground.

    He didn''t pull anything back and went all out, even his wing helped with the momentum.

    Arga could feel the force spreading through his body like a violent storm as he coughed out blood, he was slammed and bounced, flung to the corner of the arena. He slid, and stopped right in front of Dullan.

    Blinking his eyes a couple of times, Dullan sucked in a cold breath.

    He could see that Arga was knocked out, the punch sent him straight to the dream realm.

    On the other hand, the onlookers had their jaws on the floor.

    Most of them expected a long battle between similar strengths but the fight ended quickly.

    Lucivar ended Arga with a single punch.

    Pivoting towards Callista on the other side, Lucivar cracked a confident grin.

    "So... does that convince you enough?"

 Chapter 109 109: An Opportunist

    "So... does that convince you enough?" Lucivar grinned.

    His wing appeared more brilliant under the luminescent light of the chandeliers.

    Elira, Thalia, and even Callista were stunned like statues, the entirety of the Feradith Family was at a loss for words¡ªthe shock could be seen, on their faces. Not only did Lucivar beat Elira but he also beat another challenger, a trained Acolyte-rank Hybrid easily.

    Not a lot of students much less academy hunters could do what he did.

    He has monstrous talent as a Hybrid and also as a fighter.

    Frowning, the clash from earlier replayed again in Callista''s mind.

    ''I''ve seen plenty of fighters but the build-up he did was leagues above the ordinary, it wasn''t an amateur move,'' She thought, making eye contact with Lucivar. ''He gathered ether into his right fist, and feinted a left hook. He forced Arga''s attention where he wanted it, masking his true intention until it was too late''

    ''I wouldn''t be able to tell from first sight that he was a fearsome fighter'' She exhaled, finding that Lucivar, was quite a dangerous person ''Not to mention, he didn''t even use a single spell or ability, only raw strength...''

    Had it not for Elira''s provocation, she might not see Lucivar''s real capability.

    On the other hand, Lucivar turned and went towards Arga.

    He looked down at the unconscious Arga and tilted his head a little.

    Branded on Arga''s stomach was the symbol of a scarab.

    Lucivar has immense ether control due to Loki''s Divine Blood, it has been increasing to the point that he is confident in the Baston of Blades¡ªhe probably has the best control. Using that perk, he branded this symbol on Arga to show that this performance was for Sutekh.

    He saw this symbol on Sutekh''s statue so he decided to shape it like so.

    Just then, Lucivar tilted his head up to look at Sha who was still on the same pillar.

    "Is that good enough?" He asked exhaustedly.

    Other than spending a lot of ether to make that fight theatrical, he also used up all of his God strands. He used about four for aura boosting, two for explosive movements¡ªand about four in that sequence of attacks earlier.

    Since he needed to make sure to deal with Arga with one hit, he held nothing back.

    He was afraid that Arga would explode from his punch but fortunately, he was quite resilient.

    Perhaps due to having a Ghoul bloodline, his resilience was strong because of that.

    Even now, the bruises and wounds were regenerating.

    A perk for having a Ghoul bloodline.

    Looking down from above, arrogantly, Sha answered, "A commanding entrance to intimidate, overpowering the opponent with minimal effort, and even a homage to My Lord," As she said that, a smile crossed her lips. "A true performance¡ªheeding to My Lord''s ideals. Be grateful, your performance is acceptable. At least for now..."

    Once she said that¡ªshe disappeared once again.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar could only shake his head, "I guess I could only get that much..."

    Even then, he was pleased with Sha''s response.

    Lucivar helped carry Arga down the arena and checked his body, ''Sutekh''s Divine Blood is a treasure alright, it''s working miraculously. Even though I exerted everything earlier¡ªonly my ether was depleted, my stamina is still high''

    One bronze sphere was enough to enhance his physique to this extent.

    He couldn''t even imagine if he absorbed ten bronze spheres¡ªhis body might turn as strong, as steel. Placing Arga against the arena''s platform, Lucivar smiled at Dullan before he turned around, heading to the Feradith Family.

    Raising his hand, the bronze marble at the center of the arena flew towards his hand.

    It was the biggest he had ever had, the size of a tennis ball.

    Nodding his head, pleased, he threw it into his mouth and crushed it with his teeth.

    Other than the surge of unknown energy going into his Supernatural Ego¡ªthe marble oozes with water and it''s as fresh as the Nile River. Arriving back at the others, Thalia was the first one to go over to him.

    She held his hand, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

    "I don''t know you were that strong!"

    "I told you I reached the Acolyte rank recently"

    "But still, it wasn''t that long ago since you''re still barely a Hybrid!"

    Overhearing their conversation, the people around gasped once again.

    Just from that alone¡ªthey could deduce that Lucivar was still at the first-star Acolyte rank¡ª and yet he could exude the energy reserve comparable to those at the third-star. Such talent was refreshing to see.

    "Even if you''re that strong, your skills are also top-notch. We should train together more!"

    "I''m a hunter, remember? I can''t train with you"

    "Ah... right, and you''re too thick-headed to stay there instead of becoming a student"

    Lucivar offered a wry smile before he turned to the side at Callista.

    Her eyes never left him, from when he was in the arena until he came down here.

    Even though Callista was wearing a stern expression, looking at him with an unreadable face, the answer should be clear. Lucivar took Elira down and even Arga who was stronger¡ªit was clear that Callista could trust him to keep his word.

    "Mom, he already proved himself. Shouldn''t you consider him properly?" Thalia started.

    She was flocking on Lucivar''s arm proudly.

    Through the silence, Thalia nodded her head multiple times, begging for Callista to accept.

    "Come, let''s talk in private," Callista turned, heading towards the exit.

    Seeing that there were a lot of eyes fixed on them as Lucivar was the man of the night, she wanted to have this conversation away, from prying eyes. However, she stopped mid-track when Lucivar refused, "No need, we can talk here"

    Pivoting towards him, Callista was troubled, and her face showed a glimpse of that.

    But her face quickly turned to normal and composed.

    "I thought you wanted to talk to me privately,"

    "Yes, but that was earlier"

    A slight tension brewed between them, the others could feel it palpably.

    Thalia tugged his arm, "Let''s be more comfortable and get out of here,"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smirked inside as he kept eye contact with Callista, he didn''t seem to be intimidated by her cold eyes at all, "I kept your daughters safe¡ªI managed to reach the Acolyte-rank in my second month, as a Hybrid¡ªand you need me to increase your influence. Did I miss anything?"

    Callista frowned, she couldn''t believe Lucivar dared to lay out the facts like that.

    In front of these many people even those who were listening to them.

    Naturally, she grimaced, "We can discuss this in private, don''t be too cocky. It''s not healthy"

    "I think your answer should be clear," Lucivar ignored her remarks completely¡ªcontinuing on with what he was saying. "I asked Thalia to mention this to you but I decided to come here in person to meet with you out of respect, and yet you''ve been disrespecting me"

    "Lucivar!" Hearing this, Elira thundered, "I''m not denying but we can discuss this privately"

    As Lucivar talked more, the onlookers became more interested.

    Even though this was a formal event and Elira was one of the performers earlier, there were a couple of individuals here who were not really getting along with the Feradith Family. It would be bad if this continues.

    And Callista knew that, she needed to calm Lucivar down.

    Seeing the change in expression, Lucivar grinned inside, ''Here it comes...''

    "Okay..." Callista finally said." the Feradith Family, would be your sponsor for the South Hues Tournament. Now, to discuss the details of our future cooperation, would you come and talk priv-?"

    "Ah, wait a minute..." Lucivar suddenly intervened and pushed Thalia away from him.

    His expression then twisted into that of a mocking one, "I changed my mind, I don''t think that I could work with a family that is arrogant enough¡ªto disrespect their savior. So, I appreciate your offer to be my sponsor, Madam Callista, but I''ll have to refuse"

    A charge of brief stillness overtook the room, the kind that made the hair on the back of the neck stand on end. Faces froze mid-reaction, conversations died mid-sentence, every gaze fixed on the speaker.

    Callista, Elira, Maura, and even Thalia were caught off guard by this answer.

    Nobody expected Lucivar to decline Callista when he was the one asking earlier.

    It took a solid half a minute as the room was trapped in silence.

    "I forgot to mention, I''m also not a good person..." Lucivar added, straight to Callista''s face.

    Once he said that, Thalia blinked and recovered from the initial shock.

    "Lucivar..." She pushed his shoulder to make him face her. "What are you saying?"

    Giving no answer to her puzzlement¡ªLucivar turned around and faced the people that come to watch him, earlier. In hindsight, there were at least twenty of them that belonged to five to six independent groups, including Dullan.

    All of them were powerful people of the city, gathered in this special event.

    A perfect stage for Lucivar.

    Sweeping his gaze across them, he then announced loudly.

    "I declined the Feradith Family''s offer but a still open to others," He said as he walked ahead slowly, his footsteps echoing through the silence. Everyone had their attention fixed on him, "Those of you who are always last... can soon be first. Those of you who are ambitious... will see the opportunity"

    Upon saying that, Lucivar glanced over his shoulder, smirking at Callista devilishly.

    Once she saw that look, Callista immediately realized that he had planned this.

    From the moment he spoke aloud in the lounge, Lucivar wanted to pull attention to himself.

    So that he could do this.

    Callista''s expression darkened but she remained silent.

    Despite her ability to control and regulate her emotions, her body was trembling.

    It was clear that she was angry that she hadn''t realized it sooner.

    Lucivar averted his attention back to the others who were looking at him with interest.

    Smiling, he headed towards the exit, "Lucivar Asarafall, Bloodhaven Academy. Come find me"

    Raising his hand, he waved goodbye to them all and left the room.

    Once his back disappeared around the corner, leaving the others stunned¡ªMaura went over to Callista immediately after she snapped out of her trance, "Should I take care of him? I can, just say the words, madam"

    "No, you most certainly will not" Callista replied, her voice hinting at suppressed fury.

    Seeing that Callista couldn''t keep her composure, Maura frowned.

    "I know that it''s embarrassing for the family, madam, but he''s nothing more than a petty one. He is only doing this¡ªto make you come to him. Even amongst the people here¡ªyou are still the most influential, he knows he''ll be missing out if he doesn''t accept your offer" She said.

    In her view, Callista didn''t need to get worked up too much about this.

    Just ignore Lucivar and he''ll come running back to her.

    But then, Callista muttered, "You idiot, look around and say that to me again"

    Upon hearing this, Maura frowned but she complied, sweeping her gaze around the room as realization, dawned on her. She now understood the source of Callista''s anger, what Lucivar had done was far more severe than she initially thought.

 Chapter 110 110: Catastrophic Implications

    "Feradith Family? I never thought they would do something like that"

    "Mark punched Ragnar, no? I guess the media is telling the truth, their family has a tendency to push down young aspiring Hybrids. That young man saved Elira¡ªand Thalia, he was their savior but he was treated badly?"

    "The Council of the Light Concord should check if they were working with the Crossers"

    "I''ll not be voting for Elira. She''s good but if her parents are rotten, she must be too"

    Maura looked around sucked in a cold breath.

    People were casting unfriendly gazes, and talking badly right in front of their faces, not a single one of them even tried to whisper¡ªor lower their voices. All said what was in their minds aloud.

    It was only now did Maura realized what had happened.

    A single disrespect and Lucivar retaliated with full force.

    His actions were pure evil to the core.

    Callista''s body was shaking because of this, she was the first to realize what happened.

    ''He''s an opportunist to the core... he wasn''t lying'' She gritted her teeth.

    Lucivar had executed this on a whim to repay the disrespect tenfold.

    He was saying all the things he said in the lounge aloud to draw attention, he fought and also overpowered Elira and Arga to make others be invested in him, and he finished them off, with a brutal rejection in public, declining the offer.

    ''Just who did Thalia bring to me? He''s ruthless to his core and I wrongfully offended him''

    Knowing that it''s best to retreat from here, Callista turned to leave.

    She led all of them to leave and be absent from the public eye.

    Observing them leaving, Dullan flicked his fingers, calling his secretary behind him.

    "Find a way to contact that young man. Do it now" He instructed.

    Hearing this, the secretary nodded, "I''ll get to it as soon as possible"

    She went back again to make a phone call.

    Meanwhile, the Feradith Family retreated to their room on the sixth floor.

    Callista barged inside the room and went to sit on the sofa, leaning her throbbing head back.

    It was a sudden attack.

    Considering Lucivar as nothing more than Thalia''s boyfriend, she underestimated him.

    But then again, she wouldn''t be able to expect Lucivar to do something big like this.

    Following their mother, the twins came rushing into the room¡ªalso sitting on the sofa.

    None of them had the mood to talk, the day had turned for the worst.

    At the door, Axel wanted to get in but was stopped by Maura.

    "Go home, this is not the time"

    "But I cou-"

    "Go home."

    Reluctantly, Axel turned around to leave as Maura closed the door.

    She went to stand behind Callista with cold feet, not expecting how this would go.

    Callista was in a lot of trouble already and this happened.

    "He dealt three blows to our family..." Callista muttered, covering her face with her hand.

    Upon hearing this, the others turned to look at her in confusion.

    Sighing, she then explained the three blows that started this vicious down-spiral cycle.

    First, the family''s image plummeted to rock bottom.

    Lucivar twisted the situation to make him seen as a victim by using the Feradith Family''s own scandal done by Mark, the head family¡ªand also the clan leader of the Green Tempest Clan, who punched Ragnar, an aspiring Hybrid.

    He deliberately announced that he was their savior but was disrespected.

    Coupled with the fact that he was a talented Hybrid, this move became more effective.

    People don''t need to know how it happened to tilt their perception towards the family.

    As the people earlier were also influential, what happened would spread.

    It wouldn''t be surprising if the Council of the Light Concord would investigate the family.

    Since the rumor will spread that the Feradith Family had a tendency to push down young and aspiring Hybrids, the suspicion of them working, with the Crossers, would bloom. And, as the organization handling the Crossers, the Council of the Light Concord might get involved.

    Having them involved would be very bad.

    Secondly, through this, Lucivar also crushed Elira''s future.

    Earlier, Elira was performing for her debut, she was in a battle against two other contestants.

    And tonight was the last performance before the winner was chosen.

    It was an important moment for Elira.

    Now that this happened, some votes would leave Elira and that was detrimental.

    Her chances of winning would diminish drastically and even if she obtained the second place¡ªthe privilege and fame she gained would be incomparable to the first place. In the world of entertainment, image is the number one thing to preserve.

    Lucivar crushed that with ease, and that realization dawned on Elira.

    Her complexion became as pale as a sheet of white paper.

    She was on edge and was afraid that this would happen and it really did happen.

    Just those two blows alone were already crushing but there was another blow.

    "What''s the third one? There shouldn''t be another one," Elira asked, her voice meek and light.

    Elira was already exhausted from all her practice and effort up to this point¡ªand having all of that shattered by a single mistake was heart-breaking, and suffocating. Her voice became so small and tired as if she had run a marathon.

    Upon hearing this, Callista''s expression darkened.

    Her face alone showed that the last blow was the most severe.

    "Ragnar would hear about this soon enough¡ªwe can''t stop that," Callista opened¡ªher voice broke a little as the situation was pressing on her hard. "And that means you two would be in more danger, his forces would concentrate on the city"

    Maura clutched her fists hard while Elira''s body trembled, her back drenched in cold sweat.

    "So what are we going to do?" Elira muttered, looking at Callista for an answer.

    Even though she tried to be strong, this situation is too much.

    "That leads us to the third blow he did," Callista said, leaning forward and clasping her hands in front of her face¡ªpressing the edge of her fingers to between, her brows. "It''s not hard to deal with Ragnar''s forces¡ªand that is exactly what that devil was planning. He wanted us to come to him with an overwhelmingly positive proposal so that he would protect you two"

    Lucivar was ruthless and outright terrifying in the way he planned.

    He did everything that would benefit himself no matter the mental conflicts.

    From the looks of it, he didn''t value his relationship with Thalia at all¡ªhe was using her as a tool to get what he wanted. And since there was a limit as to how strong the assassins sent by Ragnar to the academy, Lucivar was basically an invincible guardian.

    Other than Professor Fury which he already dealt with, no other professors would turn.

    In a middle-tier academy like theirs, the upperclassmen were also not that strong.

    Not a lot of people could match his strength there.

    And even if there was, Lucivar would be able to protect the twins.

    "That little devil''s performance earlier wasn''t for showing that he was capable of winning the tournament¡ªhe was showing that he was capable of defending both of you," Callista added, it doesn''t feel like she was fighting a young man right now.

    More like she was fighting a ruthless old monster.

    Upon hearing this, Elira intervened desperately, "If he wants money, we could just give it!"

    "He definitely wants money to buy resources but there''s only so much we could give at this moment, and given the situation, I don''t think we have enough to satiate his greed," Callista pondered hard. "But he has no way of knowing how much we have..."

    "In that case, we could give him the minimum and pretend that it was a lot" Elira added.

    Callista agreed with her but she felt that it was not right.

    ''That devil had shown he''s not to be underestimated, he doesn''t have connections to check the exact wealth I have in possession without the consent of Mark¡ªso he must''ve prepared something'' She frowned.

    Although she couldn''t believe she was in this situation because of a kid, she must accept it.

    She couldn''t take Lucivar lightly.

    Callista turned towards Maura, "Open the South Hues Tournament website and give it to me"

    Maura nodded, taking a tablet on the side, and opened the website as fast as she could.

    Once she did, she gave it to Callista.

    Instantly, Callista navigates to the rules of the tournament and reads through the page.

    She skimmed the rules one by one until she landed on the sponsor clause.

    Reading through the entire clause meticulously, Callista tried to find any loophole and she did¡ªher face ashen as she leaned back on the sofa in defeat. Seeing her mother like this, Elira''s heart pounded, "What is it...? What did he do now?"

    "I found it..." Callista whispered bitterly. "Having a sponsor is a requirement but there were no limitations on how many sponsors, a candidate could have. Meaning¡ªhe could have as many sponsors as he wants. Meaning, we''re in for a bid war to win him over..."

    ...

    Meanwhile, outside of the lobby, Lucivar was leaning against the wall on the side.

    A devious smile was plastered on his face.

    He could tell that the Feradith Family must be in peril right now.

    "Shame... I''d really like to see their expressions¡ªespecially Callista''s face, I''m sure her cold, arrogant look was melting right now" He muttered, crossing his arms with a chuckle. "I want everything, money is the key to opening many doors, that''s the opportunity"

    Lucivar shook his head, Thalia was too defenseless.

    Along the way, he read the rules of the tournament and snooped on her messages.

    He knew about Elira''s contest, he read the rules, and he read about their family''s scandal.

    "Of course, I wouldn''t have done this because frankly speaking¡ªit is better to keep Thalia in the palm of my hand, willingly help me at the mask of love," Lucivar whispered aloud, he was not planning to do this from the start. "But the disrespect is getting on my nerves"

    It was clear that Callista looked at him as someone lesser because of his origin.

    Maura definitely told her that he was from a slave city, a commoner.

    Even though he really did risk his life to save Elira and Thalia, she looked down on him.

    And that''s not something Lucivar took lightly.

    Because of that, he opened the opportunity mirror two times to gain a hint to pay them back.

    One hint went to Dullan, lighting up his entire body while the other went to Axel.

    Just then, Gandr slithered into reality and hung on his shoulder, looking at him intently.

    "Do you regret what you did?"

    "No, I don''t. I''ll not stand disrespect"

    "You know... you should never punch above your weight but that''s exactly what you did"

    "Hmph!" Lucivar scoffed. "I also know if there''s a crack in the armor, take the shot. The weak feast while the strong are distracted¡ªand Mark, the head family is not here, so why not pick on them now?"

 Chapter 111 111: Finishing the Night

    Gandr chuckled, the path of manipulation has countless roads.

    It was a mismatch that could adapt to fit perfectly to the person, there was no clear right and wrong road. One might achieve success by going on one road while another would fail, it was all dependent on the individual.

    Punching someone stronger is most of the time, a bad move.

    But it could also be a good move that would lead to more rewards than other ways.

    Naturally, the reward would mirror the risk.

    Lucivar had taken a gamble by doing this but he had a place to lean on.

    ''I''m not sure but Tobia- No, it should be fine,'' He pondered.

    From the moment of his private conversation with Tobias, Lucivar knew that he was certainly someone capable. He suspected that Tobias came from the Valerius Supreme House, and he now was even more certain of that suspicion.

    Since he was rewarded for what he did in Veloria City, Tobias was encouraging him.

    He wanted Lucivar to keep aiming to become stronger without restraint.

    Although they had lived together and formed a close bond that felt almost familiar, Lucivar tended to believe that Tobias'' encouragement was conditional. Sure, he supported Lucivar but if things went south and Lucivar got caught, he would simply cut Lucivar off.

    Of course, there''s a chance that the exact opposite would happen.

    However, Lucivar wouldn''t count on it¡ªhe only needed to be careful and not get into trouble.

    "How about the other one? Do you regret it?" Gandr asked.

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, "Do you mean her? Regret over Thalia?"

    "Yes... she''s most likely going to hate you after tonight unless she''s too attached to you"

    "Why would I care about her? Do you think just about any girl could pull my attention?"

    "Hmm, is that you speaking or Sutekh?"

    Sensing the high-caliber arrogance in his sentence, Gandr couldn''t help but be skeptical.

    Lucivar might be saying this but deep down, he was troubled.

    "No, it''s me. I know when Sutekh and even Loki influenced my mind"

    "Ah... So basically, you''re into older women? I guess you do have mommy issues"

    "Wha-? How on earth did you come to that conclusion?!"

    "Delilah... Sabrina... and even Morriva, all of them are way older than you, no? Sometimes you forget who I am. I am a divine beast, yes, but that doesn''t mean I am not good at what Father does, I too am an observer"

    Being called out, Lucivar cleared his throat and crossed his arms.

    He averted his gaze away from Gandr.

    "First of all, I don''t see Delilah in a romantic way, she''s more like a mother. Second, Sabrina is my personal maid and also my pouch, I''m not interested in her. As for Morriva, she is skin and bone, other than her eyes, she''s not attractive. Besides, if I want a girl, there is Leandra¡ªyou know... she''s young and pretty and all"

    "Hiss~ Hiss~ Hiss~ The more you defend yourself, the worse you''ll look"

    "Shut the fuck up, since when are we talking about girls anyway?"

    Just as Lucivar said that his eyes darted to the side¡ªand saw his target coming out.

    Now that he had taught the Feradith Family a lesson, he''d move on to the next target.

    Coming out of the lobby was Axel, he must have come here with Elira and Callista, and due to their situation, he had to go home by himself. Lucivar put his hands into his pockets, and moved silently.

    Earlier, he had purchased two opportunities from the left mirror and one went to Axel.

    Axel''s opportunity light was connected with the one Thalia had.

    It was a clear indication that he had something to do with the Feradith Family.

    Or to be exact, something he wanted to do to the family.

    Sighing lightly, Axel made his way out of the hotel, walking to the sidewalk.

    He went on his phone and continued on ahead, heading to a bus station.

    Upon making a turn on the corner, Axel took out his headphones, the night didn''t end up as he predicted¡ªand now he wanted to wash the bad taste with a little bit of music. But as he was about to play a song, he stopped mid-track.

    "I''m surprised that you''re quite fast but not as fast as me it seems"

    Frowning, Axel glanced over his shoulder and saw Lucivar there, standing by the curb.

    "You again...?" Axel turned, he seemed relaxed. "Shouldn''t you be calling in a night too?"

    Despite what he did earlier, Axel doesn''t seem to be worried.

    Lucivar was smiling inside when he saw this, it would make it boring if Axel was afraid of him.

    Pivoting to the side, Lucivar approached him with steady steps.

    Multiple cars zoomed past them, they were literally on the side of the road, but Lucivar didn''t seem to care. He then leaned forward, invading Axel''s personal space, "I''m sorry that I got to them first¡ªI wasn''t planning to do it tonight"

    Upon hearing this, Axel frowned, "What do you mean by that?"

    "Oh, come on," Lucivar tapped him on the shoulder¡ªplayfully. "A man with no money getting close to a high-class woman by the pretense of teaching, what could the man possibly want other than money"

    As soon as he said that, Axel''s pupils slightly dilated.

    He remembered Lucivar was the one who saw him behind the cafeteria, extorting a student.

    It was probably why Lucivar was calling him out as a broke man.

    "Same goes for you, you approached Thalia to do what you did" Axel retorted back.

    From what Lucivar did earlier, it was clear that he was also aiming for money.

    "So you''re not denying it?" Lucivar cackled. "What are you going to do now? I am going to be the one, who would dry their pockets. I''m sure you need the money for something, and since this happened, you''re under pressure now"

    Lucivar''s words irked him to the core despite his best attempt to remain calm.

    "I don''t need you to worry about me, you won''t extract anything from me" Axel icily replied.

    "Come on, tell me who''s behind you," Lucivar leaned down, smiling in excitement. "Who are you working for? Is it the Crimson Wolf Clan? Or another faction, that wanted Callista dead, perhaps? I''ll give you a penny if you tell me the one who sent you here"

    Seeing how nonchalant Lucivar was, Axel pushed him away hard.

    He then glared at Lucivar, "You''re playing a dangerous game here, I hope you know that..."

    "So you are sent here by someone, good to know," Lucivar teased.

    Despite Axel''s warning tone, he completely ignores Axel''s words, treating them as rubbish.

    Having enough of this, Axel turned around intending to leave.

    Staying to talk with Lucviar would only make his blood boil, and considering that Lucivar was dangerous, Axel ought to stay away from him, ''He''s too dangerous, talking to him would only expose me. It''s best to leave...''

    Just as Axel was a couple of steps away, he halted once again.

    "I''m a kind person you see so I''ll give you an offer!" Lucivar said aloud from behind.

    But even then, Axel kept walking, trying to ignore him.

    "How about I give you two percent of the money I''ll get from Callista?!" Lucivar continued.

    He was relentless and knew where to poke.

    Upon hearing this, Axel stopped once again, he wanted to keep walking but the offer was too tempting for him. However, he soon shook his head, ''Dealing with him would only be bad¡ªfor me, don''t listen to him''

    Nodding firmly, Axel continued, disappearing to another corner.

    Lucivar watched this and praised his willpower, "But he stopped though, that''s good enough"

    "I''ll get to him eventually," He added and smiled inwardly.

    Because of the talk with Gandr earlier¡ªLucivar decided that he should have a backup plan but it would need time to sway Axel¡ªhe''s an essential piece if he''s really working for other factions to take down Callista.

    "Guess I''ll have to tell Sabrina to follow him," Lucivar mused and averted his gaze away.

    Just as he was about to turn, he was faced with another familiar face.

    He thought his business here was already done but it seemed it wasn''t.

    Coming from the corner was Maura¡ªand the moment she caught sight of him¡ªshe quickly approached with rough, angry steps, ''Did she see me talking with Axel? I suppose not if she only now realized me here''

    "Don''t do anything reckless, Maura, we''re in pu-"

    Pah!

    Lucivar was caught off guard when a slap landed solidly on his face, burning his cheek.

    He expected Maura to keep her cool but she didn''t.

    Glancing back at her, Lucivar was surprised to find a tear drizzling down her eyes.

    "Why did you do that?"

    "I already told you, I''m an opportunist, and Callista disre-"

    "I''m not talking about that!" Maura thundered¡ªmore tears poured down.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was at a loss for words.

    If it''s not that then what else would she be doing this for?

    Taking another step closer, Maura glared up at Lucivar, her expression a volatile mix of anger, and sorrow. Her finger trembled, as she pointed at his face, "I told you not to break her heart! She''s been through so much already, and you choose to do this in front of her...? Can you not see how much she likes you?"

    "She hasn''t said a single word since, she''s devastated!" She screamed.

    Fueled by impulses of anger, Maura slapped him again hard.

    A satisfying sound echoed, Lucivar was still registering what she was saying.

    It was shocking that Maura was fretting over that instead of the family''s situation.

    "Don''t you think it''s better to do it now? If I waited for later, it would be more painful for her"

    "Why do you need to resort to this extent from a simple disrespect? We get it¡ªyou''re angry, but this is too much. Even if you''re angry, at least for Thalia, you should be understanding! A talk would''ve ended this but you escalated things!"

    Maura once again swung to slap Lucivar but this time, he caught his hand.

    Hearing what she said, Lucivar''s face twisted into a hideous and furious expression.

    "So I should bow my head and smile, is that it?" He scoffed, looking at Maura as if she was a clown. "You fucking people... get off your high horse and step into the real world. If you can''t afford to make more enemies then don''t"

    Lucivar was furious as even now, he was still being underestimated.

    Seems like the theme of this city, the commoners from outside are treated as nobodies.

    All who came from slave cities are lesser humans in their arrogant lense.

    Sparing Maura one last disgusted look¡ªLucivar turned around to leave, "And in case you had forgotten it already, I tried to talk to Callista privately but she refused. It was not my fault that things ended this way, it was hers. Tell her, I expected a huge paycheck"

 Chapter 112 112: Blanks

    Lucivar had given Callista a chance to resolve this peacefully.

    He asked to talk privately but was refused and continued being underestimated.

    If anything, giving her a chance was Lucivar being understanding for the sake of Thalia.

    But if he continued being pressed then he wouldn''t endure it and smile like a good little dog.

    From his past of doing nothing but good things¡ªhe learned that if he only takes it and smile, people would take him for granted. Never again will Lucivar let people do that to him, if other people wanted him to be good then they would need to earn it.

    "I thought you were a good person..." Maura whispered from behind.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar cackled lightly, "What makes you think that about me?"

    "Earlier, you saved the boy... you endangered your life for that boy. If you''re this bad, why did you help that boy? One wrong move and you''d be dead, you know that, but you still chose to do it. Why...?"

    Despite deeming it reckless, the sight of him saving the boy left a mark on Maura''s mind.

    She reckoned that Lucivar was a good person because of that.

    Out of everyone, she was the most surprised by what Lucivar did right after Thalia.

    Maura knew that there was evil inside of Lucivar, his demeanor and sharp gaze showed that vividly¡ªbut she never expected Lucivar to be this heartless. She never expected Lucivar to do this when he had fun and laughed with Thalia hours earlier.

    Not expecting this question, Lucivar was silent.

    He paused for a moment and looked up to the clear night sky filled with stars.

    ''I did that because, in this world, there was good and evil. Standards that were set by society¡ªbranded in the minds of the populace. Evil people are a rival of mine, a rival whom I need to defeat¡ªso that I can hog karma all for myself. Good people are food, they are destined to die and make the evil stronger so that the battle between evil becomes more interesting''

    ''But there are some who are blanks... people who haven''t made the choice between evil and good¡ªthose who aren''t independent yet. And that little boy is one of them, he is still young, and he hasn''t made the choice''

    ''Leaving that boy to die before he could choose, it wouldn''t be fair...''

    Of course, Lucivar didn''t say the real reason out loud.

    He kept it inside and walked away, leaving Maura behind without an answer to her question.

    Explaining himself would be wanting recognition from others¡ªhe didn''t want recognition.

    From the moment he killed his family, he aimed to stay true to himself.

    And as long as he had a satisfying answer for himself, everything else didn''t matter.

    Seeing this, Maura bit her lower lip hard.

    Looking at Lucivar with an ember ablaze, she fixed her mind with determination.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar made a ten-minute walk along the street before he came to a halt.

    "Ah, shit... How am I going to go back to the academy again?" He uttered with a wry smile.

    It was his first time outside alone, he didn''t bring any money with him either.

    A moment later¡ªLucivar asked around to the passersby and managed to know the street of the Bloodhaven Academy and how to get there. He waited at the bus station for ten minutes before he got on.

    Fortunately, he had his Hunter ID in his pocket.

    A kind old man earlier told him¡ªthat since he was enrolling, in an academy, public transport would be free¡ªhe didn''t need to pay anything other than showing his Hunter ID. Lucivar did exactly that and found the old man was telling the truth.

    Seeing his ID, the driver let him inside and the car zoomed through the street.

    Lucivar took a seat beside a window and leaned his head against it.

    His ether was low and his God strands were also in the same situation.

    Defeating Arga as he did was very extensive in ether¡ªit was more theatric than effective.

    "Now that I have my ID, I should buy a meditation technique from the library" He mused.

    But then as he thought of that, he remembered the parchment Tobias gave him.

    Lucivar reached into his pocket and took the parchment out.

    It should contain a spell but it could also be other things so he decided to check.

    Opening and inspecting the parchment attentively, Lucivar counted twelve lines¡ªthat were connecting twelve ego points together. At each end of the line, there was a number¡ªit was an order that made him sure that this was a spell.

    Since he had a couple of hours to kill before reaching the academy, he decided to try it out.

    Closing his eyes, he went into his Inner Chamber.

    Arriving back in his Inner Chamber, he went to the egg statue at the center.

    Once he did, he began channeling what was left in his ether reserve¡ªand began recounting the sequences written on the parchment. He focused on the ego points on the open wing of the egg statue.

    Bit by bit, the glowing gold dot moved from one ego point to another.

    Lucivar struggled a bit as his ether reserve was very low and he could try this once.

    In order to know what these sequences are, he needed to cast them one time.

    Due to how low his ether reserve was¡ªit took three full minutes for him to reenact the whole thing and once he was finished, the ego points glowed brighter. Lucivar returned back to the real world and was ready for any mishaps.

    He only wanted to determine what the spell or technique written on the parchment was.

    Once he knew, he would cancel it.

    Since it could be an offensive spell, he needs to be ready to cancel it immediately.

    It would be bad if he blasted the entire bus and killed the people inside.

    But the worst scenario playing in his head didn''t happen, he instead saw his entire body, humming with a subtle golden aura. He trailed his eyes on the golden aura as it moved¡ª concentrating on his back.

    Lucivar was shocked when he saw the golden energy seeped out from his back like wings.

    And then, these energy wings wrapped around his body.

    ''I can hear the voices, fading...'' He thought in surprise.

    As if someone had muted the entire world around him, the noises from the people inside the bus, the videos playing on their phones¡ªor even the smooth sound of wheels disappearing, it became lighter until it was silent.

    He looked around, trying to see if the people inside stopped talking.

    However, their lips were still moving, and some were even laughing so it was not them.

    Focusing back on the golden energy, he raised and looked at his hand.

    Now that the technique was activated he could understand what it was, ''It''s not a spell, it''s a technique, a meditation technique... Tobias always came in clutch¡ªit is almost like he is here and watching what I''m doing''

    Tobias gave him one just when he needed a meditation technique.

    It wasn''t a bad technique either.

    Since it utilized twelve ego points, this is a Gold-class, pretty strong technique.

    Smiling, Lucivar could feel his Supernatural Ego being charged¡ªreplenishing his ether faster, than his natural recovery speed. But it seemed he could still make it faster. Inside this bubble¡ªthis sanctuary, his mind was relaxed.

    He was inflicted with moments of happiness from his past memories.

    All of the good things he does, that brought smiles to people''s faces.

    ''It''s reacting to my Angel bloodline, I guess Tobias tried to find a meditation technique that would be compatible with me,'' Lucivar thought but a frown soon crossed his face. ''But it is not fast enough and it''s not because the technique is bad...''

    Realizing what causes this slowness, Lucivar forcibly changed the visions in his mind.

    He closed his eyes and envisioned a different thing.

    As opposed to envisioning the good things, he envisioned the bad things he had done.

    All of the killings, the trickery, the ruthlessness he inflicted¡ªhe envisioned those things and even beyond those he hadn''t done¡ªbut would do in the future. In response to this shift, the technique adapted to it.

    Once it did, the replenishment of ether became twice faster than before.

    Lucivar smirked inwardly and began his meditation.

    A couple of hours later.

    He snapped out of his meditation when the bus came to a stop.

    Glancing to the side¡ªhe found that he had arrived, the academy street was right beside him.

    Giving his thanks to the driver, he got down and the bus took off to the next stop again.

    Stretching his body, Lucivar inhaled deeply and looked around, "I recovered 20% of my ether from three hours of meditation¡ªnot bad. I''m sure with time and as I mastered the technique, it would be faster"

    It was nice outside and the alone time was much needed.

    A lot of things happened today and it was very nice to finally be alone.

    Lucivar headed to the academy at the end of the street at a leisurely pace, he wasn''t in a hurry as the academy would not go anywhere, and he had an excuse, for being outside, ''I wonder if Thalia already reached the academy ahead of me''

    Considering her car, she had probably arrived an hour or more before him.

    But that is if she was even coming back today.

    Maura mentioned she was devastated, so it was unlikely she''d return tonight.

    Grabbing his phone from his other pocket¡ªLucivar put it against his ear.

    He wanted to tell the story of what he did today but now is not the time.

    Lucivar glanced to the side with only his eyes¡ªas he saw a dark trail coming from behind¡ªit seemed he was followed and someone wanted to kill him. He wasn''t surprised by this, in fact¡ªhe already had a guess of who it was.

    ''Not letting it go, Maura?'' He smirked in ridicule.

    Sensing the hostility coming from Maura earlier, the one following him had to be her.

    And of course, she acted out of her own accord.

    Gazing ahead¡ªhe saw that the academy was still about half a mile away, ''''Callista would not want to kill me, I''m the one who could protect her daughters so she must be on her own. Her emotions got the best of her''

    Knowing that he would not defeat Maura, Lucivar looked around.

    ''Is there any CCTVs? I''m going to stand in front of it until morning if I have to''

    But despite turning his head left and right in search of any street CCTVs, he couldn''t find any so he could only curse under his breath, his only option was to sprint the rest of the way¡ªas the street was empty.

    Keeping his composure with a phone on his ear, he tried to get as far as possible.

    Once he felt like Maura was about to strike, he immediately rushed ahead.

    "SOMEONE HELP!!"

 Chapter 113 113: Investment

    Lucivar''s senses were spot on.

    It was really Maura who was watching him from the shadows with lethal intentions.

    She saw now standing on the edge of a five-story rooftop¡ªwatching Lucivar as he stepped off the bus below and walked onto the street. Instead of tailing Lucivar from the moment he boarded, Maura had taken a direct route here and waited for his arrival.

    Unlike the bus, her sports motorcycle doesn''t need to make stops along the way.

    Once she saw Lucivar was in sight, she nodded and went down to her stomach.

    Maura aligned her sniper rifle and pointed the crosshairs directly at Lucivar''s head.

    Her finger poised on the trigger¡ªas she steadied her breathing to minimize the shake.

    Being well-prepared for waiting almost an hour for Lucivar to appear¡ªMaura was ready and had made sure that the coast was clear. She spent a good amount of time, making sure that the street was empty and there would be no witnesses.

    She marked the spots where there were people and picked a spot as a kill zone.

    On the kill zone, she would have approximately three minutes to leave after killing Lucivar.

    It was plenty of time for an Acolyte-rank Hybrid like her.

    Additionally, she also used a concealment spell, turning her body translucent like glass.

    Knowing that Lucivar was also a capable Hybrid, she decided not to take the risk, she would make sure that he would not notice. And with this spell, even if he turned in her direction, he wouldn''t be able to see her as the concealment spell also covered her rifle.

    Lucivar wouldn''t see it coming.

    Compared to the world Lucivar had been living in, the main city was vastly different¡ªthere was no need for her to come down there¡ªand attack him directly, potentially risking being exposed and caught in the process.

    In slave cities, arrows and spells were the only things that could be used from a long range.

    Both were easily sensed and Lucivar would have the time to react.

    However, a bullet enhanced with ether, on the other hand, he''s dead before he realizes it.

    "As I told you before¡ªyou can''t kill me but I can kill you," Maura whispered under her breath, she was locked onto Lucivar. "I know that this is very risky and Madam Callista would punish me for acting out but I can''t let you leave after what you did"

    If Maura were charged with murder, Madam Callista would be able to help.

    And even if Madam Callista wouldn''t help, Maura was ready to take the blame for the family.

    "Leaving him alive would make the future more troublesome. Goodbye..."

    "SOMEONE HELP!!"

    Just as Lucivar was about to step into the kill zone, he suddenly sprinted ahead.

    He even shouted loudly, trying to pull as much attention as he could.

    Even the academy guards at the entrance who were about fifty paces away still heard it.

    Four of them came out to check and saw Lucivar.

    Seeing this, Maura was at a loss for words, "How...? His senses are very sharp!"

    Despite her preparation, Lucivar was still able to sense the danger, and that alone surprised Maura to no end. Her preparation was perfect but it seemed she forgot to take into account his bloodline.

    All she knew was that he had a wing and that''s it.

    Grabbing her sniper rifle, she changed her position into a sitting one.

    Nevertheless, despite the unpredictability, she wasn''t going to stop and go through with this.

    Since she already steeled herself to take the blame anyway, this changes nothing.

    Even if she would be caught, she didn''t care.

    Following Lucivar''s sprint, she prepared to take the shot but she suddenly saw darkness.

    Maura was puzzled, she quickly pulled back from the scope to check, what was wrong¡ªbut saw a sight that made her breath get stuck in her throat. Sitting on the edge beside her was a figure who was covering the other end of her scope with his hand.

    A figure in a formal black with white stripes suit.

    One of his eyes was dark crimson while the other was pure white, seemingly blind.

    But even then, that difference made his gaze more piercing and menacing.

    ''How did he get beside me?! He''s right beside me and I didn''t even feel him?!

    Recovering from her initial shock, Maura wanted to leap away and create a distance, but was frozen completely on her spot. Her entire body wouldn''t listen to her command, it was stiff to the point that she could do nothing but remain completely still.

    Once she lifted her gaze to look at the figure again, she immediately realized the reason.

    Her body acted like this as though she were face-to-face with a devastating predator.

    So strong that her senses immediately realized that she had no chance.

    As if the only natural way for her right now was to accept death.

    Just the killing intent that was oozing out of the figure alone despite his relatively calm and composed face was choking. Soon, the figure cut his palm and lifted his hand. Blood oozes out but it soon begins to float, controlled by an invisible force.

    Showing Maura this, the figure''s lips curled into a smirk, showing his sharp canine fangs.

    Seeing this, color was instantly drained from Maura''s face, ''C-Chrysalis rank!''

    Upon reaching the Chrysalis rank, a Hybrid would gain access to their bloodline''s element.

    A natural element that the Hybrid has a natural affinity towards.

    Dragon Hybrids would unlock fire elements, Fairy Hybrids would unlock wind elements¡ªand such. No longer would they be restricted to using spells to evoke their elements, at this rank¡ªthey would be able to control it directly.

    And since the figure in front of her could control blood, then it was obvious what he was.

    "W- Who are you? And why are you protecting him?"

    "You can say that I''m an investor to the young man you''re about to kill"

    "Investor...?"

    "An investor never mourns the coin itself, gold can be replaced. It is the time spent watching the markets¡ªthe nights spent calculating the risks¡ªand the sacrifices made for the perfect moment to strike¡ªthat''s the wound that cuts deep. To lose the investment is to lose not the currency but the sacrifices and intent that cannot be refunded"

    Upon hearing this, Maura frowned and tilted her head in puzzlement.

    She didn''t understand what the figure was saying, he spoke in a way that was hard to digest.

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "I''m an investor and Lucivar is my investment, and I''m not letting a nobody like you ruin it"

    Only then did Maura understand who he was.

    ''Lucivar had a backer? Who? Isn''t he from a slave city?'' She pondered with a frown.

    Having a guardian was not surprising for someone from a slave city, but to have a guardian this strong was the odd thing. But then again, considering Lucivar''s talent and power¡ªthis should be expected.

    Not only did she miscalculate Lucivar''s bloodline but she also missed this.

    She underestimated Lucivar''s talent.

    Of course, with how strong he was, there would be someone protecting him to grow.

    "If that''s the case, why are you telling me this? Your presence would be exposed"

    "No, it won''t"

    Upon saying that, the figure rose to his feet and stood in front of Maura.

    "Now that I''m alone¡ªthere''s no one to talk to so there''s no harm in talking with a corpse is there?" the figure said, causing Maura''s heart to skip a beat. She was then grabbed by the neck and lifted off of the ground. "Say your prayers,"

    Maura smiled acutely, her blood ran cold as she understood that this was the end.

    Glancing at Lucivar who had already gone through the entrance, she sighed.

    Had she not been swayed by her emotions, she wouldn''t be here.

    "By blood, I was reformed¡ªand to the Blood God I shall return my soul and body..."

    Splash!!

    Immediately after she said that, the figure sunk his fangs into her neck.

    Blood squirted and spewed, but as opposed to falling to the ground, it pooled above them.

    Nobody saw what happened, the night kept going with one less soul in the vicinity.

    Once the last vestiges of life drained from Maura''s body, the figure released her, allowing her lifeless form to collapse to the ground¡ªcurling weakly around his feet. A faint smear of blood on his lips was the only trace of his grim act.

    He gazed down coldly, his voice cutting through the silence.

    "Lucivar can''t kill you¡ªbut I can."

    Meanwhile, Lucivar panted heavily and rubbed his throat.

    He had been shouting at the top of his lungs and running at the same time, his throat hurt.

    Even though he could feel the danger¡ªheightening, with each step, he never once looked to his behind and kept on running. Only when he stepped into the academy grounds and the air of danger disappeared did he turn to look in the direction where it came from.

    ''Why didn''t she strike? Did she have a change of heart?'' Lucivar pondered.

    It was supposed to be a good thing but now that it passed, she cursed Maura inside.

    He couldn''t believe that he was forced to scream like a little girl for help.

    "Hey, what''s wrong? What were you running from?"

    "Someone was following me earlier, I was scared"

    "I''ll call for the authorities and accompany you but you can''t be here if you don''t study here"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar showed his ID before the guards got off his back.

    Lucivar then went inside¡ªhe lowered his guard now that he was on safe ground, the night had been extremely eventful and he was extremely exhausted. He was only planning to go and coax Thalia but ended up like this.

    Sighing lightly, he grabbed a bike and cycled back to the cave.

    He longed to collapse into bed and erase the memory of tonight.

    ...

    It was the next day.

    Once Lucivar hit the bed, he instantly fell asleep and drowsed into the dreamland.

    But early in the morning, he was woken up by knocking on the door.

    Lazily turning, he reached his hand to the floor, "Sabrina, get up... check who it is"

    He did that without even opening his eyes¡ªwanting to sleep a couple of hours more but the knocking continued. Reaching with his hand again, Lucivar finally got on something¡ªand he began pushing on it as it must be Sabrina.

    Sabrina slept on the floor with only a pillow right beside his bed so it must be her.

    Finding no answer, he grabbed it hard and shook it again.

    And for some reason, it was a handful to grab.

    It felt soft and bouncy, quite pleasant to grab and squeeze.

    So pleasant that Lucivar began to fall asleep once again, squeezing the thing was very nice.

    Plak!

    Just then, however, Lucivar pushed himself up from the bed.

    He was hit by something on the back of his head.

    Looking around through squinted eyes, trying to adjust to the surroundings¡ªhe finally saw Sabrina sitting beside the bed. He rubbed his eyes to clear his view¡ªand saw Sabrina was looking at him sharply and was sitting in a weird position.

    Sabrina''s torso was twisted away from him.

    Her arms were crossed weirdly, it looked like she was trying to hide her breasts.

    "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

 Chapter 114 114: Just Like That

    Lucivar was still half-asleep, last night''s sleep was one of the best he had ever had recently.

    He dreamed of Callista leading him into a room filled with towering piles of gold coins, it was a pleasant dream and the sensation of swimming in those piles was almost tangible, it was a surreal delight.

    But, like all good things, the dream eventually came to an end.

    It was because of the annoying knocking on the door.

    As if being woken up early wasn''t enough, the unsightly sight of Sabrina''s face greeted him.

    "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

    "Hmm..."

    Despite the questions, Sabrina kept glaring at him and hid her bosom with her arms.

    "What kind of maid glared at her master early in the fucking morning?"

    "I don''t know, maybe because you fondled my chest the first thing in the morning?"

    "When did I do that? Even if I did, it was an accident!"

    "Come on, cough it out. Who did you meet in your first mission? Must be someone special to turn a dignified person under Master Tobias into a pervert! At least tell me when you want to do it, I need to prepare my heart for it you know..."

    "You out of all people, dared call me a pervert? I can tell that this bedsheet is new¡ªyou must have changed it since you locked the door yesterday and I need to wait outside for five damn minutes!"

    "It''s a safety precaution! I don''t want anyone entering your room without you knowing!"

    "Bullshit! You must''ve mast-"

    Bam!

    Just as their argument heated up, the door was banged from the outside.

    Lucivar kept eye contact with Sabrina in annoyance before he headed to the door.

    Since he was still on pending, he didn''t need to attend classes or even training, he could be sleeping all day long if he wanted to¡ªso he didn''t know why someone was knocking on the door early in the morning.

    Opening the door, a familiar face stood on the other side.

    It was Leandra, she was already in her training uniform.

    "It''s early in the morning and you''re already arguing with your personal maid?" She asked.

    Before Lucivar could answer, Sabrina intervened, "That pervert had it coming!"

    "Shut the hell up, Sabrina!" Lucivar cursed aloud. "Nobody is talking to you!"

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina pushed her lower lip into a pout¡ªshe climbed the bed, lay there, and covered her entire body with a blanket. Such a sight made Lucivar''s blood boil, she was doing this as an act of defiance, to annoy him.

    Lucivar tagged the bed so this annoys him.

    "Pervert? What is she talking about?" Leandra raised her brow.

    Sighing lightly, Lucivar waved his hand dismissively, "What are you doing here? I''m surprised you''re even coming here after what happened," He cast a playful glance at her. "Make it fast, really need to sleep a bit more"

    Hearing this, Leandra stammered, remembering what had happened days ago.

    She tried to put it on the back of her head but Lucivar brought it up again.

    "I was only wondering how did it go yesterday? Did you have fun?"

    "Hmm...? How do you know what I did yesterday?"

    Realizing that she messed up, Leandra stuttered, trying to find an excuse.

    "I- I didn''t see you yesterday so I thought you we-"

    "Stop it, I know that it''s you who told Thalia to bring me out on a date"

    "How did you know?"

    "It doesn''t matter and to answer your question, I did have a lot of fun"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra''s heart skipped a beat, it was bittersweet to hear that from him.

    She couldn''t sleep or even do anything yesterday knowing that Lucivar got on a date with Thalia, but there was nothing she could do. Just as she was about to say something¡ªshe saw a weird smile on Lucivar''s face.

    From the looks of it, he was recalling the events of last night with Thalia.

    But the smile on his face was a sly one, not tone one a person used to recall good times.

    "Lucivar..." Leandra dragged, squinting her eyes. "What kind of fun did you do?"

    "What kind of question is that? Of course, I did fun things"

    Leandra tilted her head, she kept trying to read his face to see what he really meant by fun.

    She was trying to see if he was being true or sarcastic.

    "Like eating somewhere, sightseeing cool places, doing good things, right...?"

    "Well, yes, maybe. Not necessarily doing good things but things are good for me, though"

    "Alright, that''s it, what did you do to Thalia?"

    Maybe Leandra was unsure before¡ªbut the way he phrased his last answer told her enough, told her that he wasn''t having the normal kind of fun. Seeing how happy Lucivar was after he won against the doppelganger, she could tell what kind of things he found fun.

    Instead of answering, he only spared her a smirk, "Thanks for arranging it, you''re the best"

    Once he said that he closed the door slowly.

    Leandra tried stopping the door and even banging on it but the door was eventually closed.

    She was left outside at a complete loss, "I started to regret asking Thalia to do that..."

    Upon pivoting back towards the bed, his annoyance came back.

    Sabrina was still there.

    "Hey, get down. I want to sleep some more"

    "..."

    "Get up or I''ll throw you out"

    "..."

    Not even wasting a single more second¡ªsince Sabrina, wanted to be stubborn, he wrapped her inside the blanket like a burrito and carried her over his shoulder. She struggled to break free but she couldn''t.

    Opening the door again, Leandra was startled as she was still outside.

    But Lucivar didn''t pay her any heed and placed Sabrina on the corridor.

    Once he let go, Sabrina crawled out of the burrito blanket and found that Lucivar had already closed the door behind him. She crawled to the door¡ªand banged on it, "I''m sorry! Open the door, please! Master Lucivar!"

    Despite her pleading, there was no answer.

    It was fortunate that the room was located on the corner or else this would be embarrassing.

    Knowing that Lucivar wouldn''t open the door, Sabrina slumped her shoulders.

    She glanced to the side and found Leandra there, looking at her with pity.

    "Do you want to crash in my room?"

    ...

    Meanwhile, Lucivar slept for a couple more hours before he finally had the willpower to wake up. He rubbed his eyes and sat up on the bed. Checking the time, it was around eleven¡ªand he stretched as it had been a long time since he woke up this late.

    Going to the side, he took a quick shower before he sat down again.

    Once he was refreshed, he lay on the bed again and went into his Inner Chamber.

    He deliberated for a moment there, torn between absorbing the power crystal from Tobias or examining the changes on the green sphere with Gandr. After a brief consideration¡ªhe went with the latter as he was curious.

    Since he passed the first divine elevation, he was eager to uncover the changes.

    Stepping into the silent chamber¡ªthat always has moonlight seeping from the windows, he looked around and found Gandr already waiting for him right beside the green sphere, "I am ready for the changes, show it to me"

    Gandr smiled seeing Lucivar was excited.

    "Go and absorb it as normal. Once you''re done, tell me"

    "Alright"

    It took about five minutes to absorb the entire green sphere until the very last drop.

    Just like normal, he could feel his energy reserve was expanding still.

    Glancing towards Gandr, he then stood up, "I''m done, so what''s the change? I don''t feel it"

    Upon saying that, Gandr slammed his tail onto the ground, causing the ground to shake for a little bit before Loki''s statue hummed¡ªwith a green hue. Then, under Lucivar''s eyes, the tips of the horned helmet glowed.

    It fired a beam at the ground beside Gandr.

    Lucivar covered his face with his arm, preparing for the impact but it never came.

    Lowering his arm, he found another mirror appearing in front of him.

    However¡ªunlike the magical mirrors that he could purchase using essence bars that did not even reflect anything¡ªthis one seemed to be a regular mirror. Lucivar stepped into the front and saw his own reflection.

    "Seems like I''m a little bit taller and more handsome too," He murmured.

    Ignoring Gandr''s judging gaze, he struck a couple of poses.

    He flexed his toned muscles, posing like a model he saw on the mall, amongst other things.

    Once he was done praising himself, he turned to Gandr.

    "Are you done?"

    "What? You created a mirror, my reflection is distracting you know"

    Rolling his eyes as Sutekh''s influence was taking over, Gandr slammed his tail once again.

    As opposed to summoning another mirror, Lucivar''s reflection changed instead.

    Glowing writings appeared in the mirror.

    ------

    -> Ether Mastery (High Mortal) ¡ª High

    -----

    From the looks of it, the mirror was split into two screens by a single glowing green line.

    On the left was a single option, the Ether Mastery option.

    Lucivar turned to the right and found more options listed there.

    ------

    -> Greedy Grasp (Low Mortal) ¡ª Mid

    -> Radiant Burst (Low Mortal) ¡ª Low

    -> Minor Morphing (Low Mortal) ¡ª High

    -> Soul Warden (Low Mortal) ¡ª Low

    -------

    Just from the options alone, Lucivar knew that these were the list of his arsenal.

    All of them were the abilities he could use.

    He was quite pleased with what he was seeing.

    Snare and also Green Shroud were not listed because those two were the abilities that came from his ring, Gleipnir''s Echo. Once he read this¡ªhe turned back to Gandr with one eyebrow raised, "What''s this? I''m guessing these are all my abilities and beside each one was my own mastery over it but what do ''Low Mortal'' and ''High Mortal'' mean?"

    Lucivar understood what he was seeing.

    Beside each ability was his mastery over the abilities.

    Minor Moprhing has the highest mastery because he trained on it for Professor Fury.

    Other than that, the Greedy Grasp was also higher than the rest.

    But he didn''t know what the ''Low Mortal'' and ''High Mortal'' were.

    Upon hearing this, Gandr explained, "Correct¡ªthese are your abilities and your mastery over them. As for the ''Low Mortal'' and ''High Mortal'' part, it''s the realm of your mastery. You could train an ability to perfect mortal realm or even high mortal realm¡ªbut no mortals could reach the realms above"

    "However, now you passed the first divine elevation, you could reach higher" He added.

    Lucivar frowned when he heard this.

    He didn''t know that mastery over abilities also has realms of its own.

    "Wait, you meant to tell me..."

    "Yes. In default, Father''s Divine Blood would increase your ether reserve and also your ether mastery¡ªbut now that you passed the first divine elevation, you could attribute Father''s will to increase your ability mastery however you want"

    Hearing this, Lucviar flicked his fingers.

    "As quick as that? No training needed?"

    "Above the High Mortal realm, yes, just like that..."

    "Holy, is that even allowed...?"

 Chapter 115 115: New Privilege

    Lucivar was wondering what the changes would be.

    Since it was related to Loki, he didn''t know what to expect as it could be anything.

    But now that Gandr had explained the change¡ªthe privilege of overcoming Loki''s first divine elevation, his mind went blank, he was at a loss for words. Masteries over an ability or even a spell were the display of determination and power.

    It couldn''t be cheated, Hybrids need to pay blood and sweat to increase their masteries.

    In many cases, even if a Hybrid¡ªobtained a higher-class spell, they would still use the spell they mastered. Other than the fact that it was probably still stronger, they were attached to that original spell as mastering a spell is painstakingly hard.

    Naturally, the fact that Lucivar could now bypass that process sounded like cheating.

    He felt surreal as that was an incredible privilege.

    Seeing Lucivar''s expression, Gandr scoffed as he knew exactly what was on Lucivar''s mind.

    "It''s not cheating¡ªthere''s no need to feel guilty. Just think of this as your talent¡ªyou are the Blessed Oracle so becoming strong is as expected. Besides, should you even be as surprised as this? Father is the Grandmaster of Arcane Magic"

    "I know but that doesn''t mean I would be immune to this kind of thing.

    "Fair enough"

    "Tell me how it works, exactly"

    Gandr nodded before he turned his focus back to the mirror.

    "Every time you absorbed Father''s Divine Blood, your ether reserve would expand, as normal but the ether control mastery you would normally gain¡ªwould be turned into Arcane Points," Gandr pointed at the right bottom of the mirror using his tail, the number ''zero'' was written in green there. "And you could allocate it to whichever manner you want"

    Lucivar nodded his head, the mechanism was simple enough.

    ''But this is Loki, I don''t trust that it''s that simple,'' He inspected the mirror meticulously.

    Nothing involving Loki can be trusted, he knows that much.

    "It''s simple enough," Lucivar nodded before he turned towards Gandr and squinted his eyes. "So let''s say I have one point and decided to increase my Radiant Burst spell''s mastery, how will the process exactly start? Does it hurt?"

    "Easy, the mirror would fire a beam at you, and create an identical clone of yourself that has its past altered, to be the version that has the desired mastery over your Radiant Burst spell and merge it with you. And the process doesn''t hurt"

    "You mean like a version of me from a different timeline?"

    "Not exactly, this one is a fabricated one that only served to be absorbed by you"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar felt a bit uneasy.

    Basically, Loki would create another ''Lucivar'' and alter its past to be training on the spell or ability, that the real Lucivar wanted to increase mastery over. A clone that has its entire life purposed to be Lucivar''s food.

    Since it didn''t come from a different timeline, it shouldn''t be a problem.

    Even then, Lucivar had to ask.

    "So this clone doesn''t have a real mind?"

    "Well, it has a real mind of its own so there''s a chance of it taking over your real body or even on some rare occasion causing your body to go kaboom, but nothing serious. You don''t need to be worried about the clone"

    "..."

    "..."

    "Am I hearing it right? Because if I did, I''m pretty sure I should be worried"

    "It''s rare, happening about one out of ten so there''s no need to worry"

    "One out of fucking ten?! That''s not rare at all!"

    Just as Lucivar expected¡ªthe privilege of passing the first divine elevation, was too good to be true to be bestowed on him raw. Loki had to put a little bit of absurdity to balance it out¡ª or rather because he could!

    Since he confessed to wanting to be entertained, these twists were a must for him.

    "Explain to me clearly how that would happen, don''t play with me!"

    "Alright, alright, I was pranking you. I was going to explain to you eventually"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure.

    ''It''s jealousy...'' He pondered, Gandr was never the type to play around like this.

    Normally, he was more uptight and stern, saying what only needed to be said without more words than necessary. So this was quite uncharacteristic of Gandr, and from the looks of it, Lucivar could tell that it could be jealousy.

    Having to do what Sutekh wanted back in the hotel arena, Gandr might be jealous.

    It wouldn''t even be surprising for Lucivar if Sha rubbed it on Gandr''s face.

    ''Other than that, I might be talking with Loki but that''s unlikely,'' He massaged his forehead.

    Oblivious to what was inside Lucivar''s mind, Gandr explained the privilege properly.

    Based on his explanation, now that Lucivar had gone through Loki''s first divine elevation, he endured more of Loki''s power. He could now increase his masteries through this because of that.

    As for the process itself, Gandr wasn''t playing around earlier.

    Despite the clone being created from nothing, it has an independent mind that has the exact same life experiences as Lucivar other than the fact that it trained more of the ability or spell Lucivar made target.

    It has the same thought processes and emotions even though the clone''s life was a lie.

    And of course, it also wanted power.

    From the clone''s perspective, it was betrayed by Loki¡ªand would be sacrificed, for the real Lucivar so the clone would have immense hatred and anger. Even though its emotions were toned down by Loki''s power, there''s still a chance of mishaps happening.

    On some occasions, the clone might be able to take over his body and become him.

    Or on other occasions, it could be bitter and explode Lucivar''s soul¡ªkilling both of them.

    Gandr said that the chances of this happening rely on two factors.

    One is the targeted ability or spell and also the realm Lucivar wanted to increase it to.

    The stronger the ability or spell are, the stronger the clone and that is exactly the same with the targeted mastery realm. Lucivar could further diminish the odds¡ªby investing additional Arcane Points beyond the required cost but that is if he wanted to be extra safe.

    Second, the odds would increase if he was not in the right state of mind.

    Anything bad inside of his mind would be an exploited weakness by the clone.

    It would use it to tear a hole in Lucivar''s soul and take over his body.

    Likewise, if his state of mind was strong and reinforced, the odds would diminish too.

    "So, you meant to tell me that I need to always pay extra to be safe?" Lucivar sighed.

    But this made Gandr smiled, "That''s for you to answer,"

    Just before Lucivar could ask what he meant by that Gandr expanded in size, becoming long enough to be at Lucivar''s eye level to peer into his eyes. He then added, "Ask yourself this, is it worth it to pay more to defend against yourself? Do you consider yourself harmless¡ªor do you consider yourself as dangerous...?"

    ...

    Lucivar opened his eyes, the question rang inside his head.

    "Am I harmless or dangerous...?"

    "In hindsight, the answer should be clear. I''m dangerous but..."

    He stared at the ceiling in silence, pondering about that question as his memories flashed in his head. Upon the word ''harmless'' ringing inside his eardrums, the unkind memories of him, going around helping people flickered in his mind.

    Being treated like a dog by his family doesn''t disturb him.

    Even when he was extorted and beaten for his hunting bounty, he didn''t care about himself.

    All he cared about was his family.

    If he failed to bring back food, his mother¡ªand brother would starve and he didn''t want that.

    All he ever wanted back then was to make his family happy.

    "If I could go back to the past again, could I kill them decisively?" Lucivar muttered before he looked at his hand, it was trembling hard¡ªthe thought of going back to that day again was a thorn in his heart.

    He had changed¡ªhe was no longer the same person.

    But the thought of going back to that time scares him.

    Back then, he was only able to kill his family because he wasn''t in the right state of mind.

    He was in shock and his body moved on its own.

    Had he been fully conscious, he wouldn''t be able to do that.

    Even if he went back in time, he didn''t know if he could do it.

    Just from this alone, Lucivar already knew the answer to the question.

    He hasn''t changed much, he couldn''t consider himself as someone dangerous.

    Others might think he is dangerous but his view about himself hasn''t changed much.

    Sighing heavily as if his soul came out alongside it, Lucivar opened the door and saw Sabrina was still outside¡ªcradled against the wall with a blanket covering her whole body. He looked at her and signaled for her to come inside.

    Upon seeing this, Sabrina''s eyes lit up and she instantly rushed inside.

    "I''m sorry, I won''t do it again..." She said, closing the door behind her.

    Lucivar waved his hand dismissively¡ªand sat on the edge of the bed.

    He then patted the bed next to him.

    Albeit her confusion, as it was only earlier she got into trouble for getting on the bed, Sabrina didn''t question it and sat beside Lucivar. She waited for Lucivar to explain but her eyes flared open when Lucivar laid his head on her lap.

    "Is... Is there something wrong?"

    "I''m going to meditate, lend me your thighs for a bit"

    Sabrina was completely puzzled.

    Hours ago, Lucvar was ruthless in kicking her out but now the mood around him changed.

    His change was so abrupt that she suspected that Lucivar had multiple personalities.

    But that shouldn''t be possible, something must''ve happened.

    ''What could possibly happen while I''m outside to make him act like this...?

    ...

    Several days passed and today the pending time for Lucivar was done.

    He would need to go back to class and be prepared to be deployed at a moment''s notice.

    But early in the morning when he was about to go to the garden, Sabrina came back into the room carrying a box. She placed the box down¡ªand opened it, "Did Master Tobias send you something? The guards told me you have deliveries"

    "Deliveries...? I don''t think it''s Tobias," Lucivar shook his head.

    Upon peering at the content, Sabrina frowned as inside was a neat set of sealed scrolls.

    Sabrina scanned the seals¡ªand saw that each of them had a different color and also, upon closer inspection¡ªthe seals'' design also took the shape of a family crest, each one, coming from a different family.

    "Scrolls with heraldic seals? She muttered in confusion. "Must''ve been a mistake..."

    "Nope, it''s not a mistake," Lucivar intervened. "Go ahead and open one"

    Curious as to how Lucivar could know all of these families¡ªand even have them, sent such a remarkable scroll, she opened one and read its content. As Lucivar said, it was indeed meant for him, his name was written at the very top.

    Going down to the content, Sabrina read it before she gasped in shock.

    "A contract for 10 Supreme Coins?! Are they insane?!"

 Chapter 116 116: Path of the Acolytes

    As Lucivar had predicted, his battle with Arga caught the attention of powerful people.

    Since someone like Callista was there, he reckoned the people there were of her caliber.

    And he was right.

    On top of that¡ªthe South Hues Tournament, is a highly anticipated tournament, between the academies inside the whole Sunhold City. A clash between the best of the best and there are also guest academies from other independent cities.

    It wasn''t a regular thing to involve guest academies but this year''s tournament was different.

    Other than the cream of the crop, the governor''s grandson was participating too.

    As a result, ambitious Hybrids eager to prove their strength and talent flocked to participate in the tournament. All eyes would be fixed, on this tournament, it would be watched¡ªby the entire Light World, and the winner would be rewarded handsomely.

    Not only the participating Hybrids but the academy and also the sponsor would be too.

    Naturally, the big players were searching for someone to represent them.

    Lucivar was wondering when those families, clans, and other forces would recruit him.

    And it seemed like today was the day.

    "A contract for 10 supreme coins?! Are they insane?!"

    Sabrina gasped, as she read the first contract, it came from the Dark Raven Clan, which was offering to be Lucivar''s sponsor, covering the expenses to participate in the tournament¡ªas well as giving 10 supreme coins as a downpayment and 50 supreme coins if Lucivar won.

    50 supreme coins is a staggering amount.

    1 supreme coin is equivalent to 10,000 gold coins.

    And a regular office worker in a big company would earn 5,000 gold coins a year.

    In Sunhold City''s Sector 3, a coveted area known for its excellent neighborhood, the price of houses averaged around 500 supreme coins. Even with just 10 supreme coins, Lucivar could comfortably cover the downpayment on a quality home.

    So obtaining 60 supreme coins is a lot for someone as young as Lucivar.

    As opposed to reacting like Sabrina, freaking out¡ªLucivar was unnaturally calm.

    "Open all of them and keep the best offer¡ªthe one sent by the Trading Union¡ªand also the one sent by the Feradith Family if there was one," He instructed with intention, and stood up to leave. "As for the others, throw them into the garbage"

    "Is there a limit as to how many sponsors you can have?" Sabrina asked.

    Considering that there were at least 20 scrolls, he could''ve accepted all and raked in money.

    He would easily become rich and obtain anything he wanted.

    But Lucivar wasn''t planning to do that.

    "No, there''s no limit," Lucivar shook his head and stopped in front of the door to glance over Sabrina behind. "But not anyone is worthy enough to be represented by me, I am only going to accept two or three high-quality sponsors"

    Having a lot of sponsors wouldn''t be ideal.

    It would only make his image money-oriented and that''s not a good look overall.

    On top of that¡ªthe glory if he won would be shared with his sponsors and there might be a chance that if he accepted too many sponsors, some of them would pull back as it wouldn''t be worth it for them anymore.

    Lucivar wanted to avoid that from happening.

    Because of that, keeping it at three maximum would be ideal.

    It would be the equilibrium between the sponsors'' reward and also his benefits.

    "Besides, do not be fooled by the money they are giving right now, this is only the beginning offer," He continued, smirking in delight. "At least, the offers would triple than now as we get closer to the tournament..."

    ...

    Leaving Sabrina stunned inside the room, Lucivar walked out.

    It was around five in the morning and the corridor was still empty¡ªthe classes and training wouldn''t start until seven, he had two hours to go to the garden as per usual, but he wasn''t planning to go to the garden today.

    Instead of going to the academy building instead.

    During the last couple of days, he was reading more about the forces inside the city, and also cultivating once again. He was absorbing the green power crystal from Tobias and found that his advancement was way slower than before.

    Compared to when he was in the Neophyte rank, he was progressing slower now.

    From Sabrina, Lucivar learned the method to advance through the Acolyte rank.

    A Neophyte-rank Hybrid had it simple, the process was straightforward, they only needed to channel either their natural ether or external ether to fortify their Supernatural Ego by simply infusing it. This method focused on awakening the core inside the Supernatural Ego and also gradually enhancing its strength.

    Once the Hybrid stepped into the Acolyte rank, the method of advancement changed.

    Now, the Hybrid would need to begin awakening their bloodline''s Attribute.

    In order to achieve that, the Supernatural Ego''s material must be altered.

    And that required not only a lot of ether but also an Attribute Stimulus.

    An Attribute Stimulus, contained a unique energy, that would react to a Hybrid''s Supernatural Ego, the special energy would trigger it to shed its rocky skin faster and regrew another layer of skin that was now inherited the Attribute of their bloodline.

    Since the Supernatural Ego''s core was awake, this process could happen naturally.

    Given enough time, this process would happen without needing the Hybrid to do anything.

    But the process was so long that it wouldn''t be possible for a Human lifespan.

    It was the reason why an Acolyte-rank Hybrid needs an Attribute Stimulus.

    An Attribute Stimulus comes in three grades depending on their compatibility, and the Hybrid would need to pay attention to use the appropriate Attribute Stimulus, for their bloodline, and talent, or else they risk wounding their Supernatural Ego permanently.

    Lucivar''s lackluster growth was because he hadn''t absorbed an Attribute Stimulus yet.

    So lackluster that even his second wing hadn''t grown yet.

    Deciding to take care of this problem, he was going to get himself one today.

    He was heading to the academy''s trading center and see if he could buy himself one.

    "Do you consider yourself harmless or do you consider yourself as dangerous...?"

    Along the way, Gandr''s words rang inside Lucivar''s mind.

    No matter how strong he had become compared to back then¡ªthere was a part of him that still dragging him back and keep him feeling weak. He didn''t know how to root it out, he had no clue no matter how much he tried to ponder.

    It felt like the souls of his Mother and brother were still clinging to him.

    Both of their insults were still latching onto him like a parasite.

    Just then, he stopped mid-track when his eyes caught sight of someone riding a bike.

    It was Caladaros, he was already geared up to train this early in the morning.

    Seeing him, Lucivar stopped and clenched both of his fists.

    ''I don''t know how to get rid of this weakness inside of me, I''m entirely clueless but I''m sure becoming stronger would help me in this matter,'' He nudged his chin down¡ªdeterminedly. ''And to do that, to know that I really got stronger, he''s the next stepping stone for me...''

    Not idling any longer, Lucivar turned away, pulling his attention away from Caladaros.

    On the other hand, Caladaros stopped his bike and looked to his behind.

    "What was that...?" He mused, touching his nape.

    Caladaros felt a bad premonition seconds ago but he was on academy grounds.

    It shouldn''t be possible especially since he also doesn''t have any enemies.

    Or at least, any enemies that would try actively to kill him.

    His eyes then saw a person on the other road, he took a bike at the bike station, and headed, in the other direction, heading to the main academy building. Caladaros squinted his eyes, "Is that not the new strong hunter?"

    Meanwhile, Lucivar arrived and parked the bike in front of the main academy building.

    Entering the building, he wasted no time and made his way to the trading center.

    Not a lot of students were present, only the early birds, he deliberately came at this hour¡ªso that he wouldn''t need to cross a lot of students who brought nothing but trouble. He stepped into the lift and headed to the designated floor.

    Once he was in the trading center, Kalvin helped him to browse through.

    Surprisingly enough, the purchasing process was quite easy.

    Lucivar sat on a sofa inside a big room filled with single sofas¡ªand was given a tablet where he could browse the entirety of the academy''s stash. Upon swiping his ID at the scanner, his academy points appeared at the bottom left.

    "5,100 academy points...? Professor Aeldric seemed to be generous" He mused with a smile.

    Other than giving him a chance to read any spellbook, he was also awarded with this.

    Nodding his head, he filtered the selection and searched for an Attribute Stimulus.

    Soon, Lucivar was confronted by three types.

    But even before he could read the descriptions to ensure he was choosing the right one, his eyes widened at the cost. Drawing in a sharp breath¡ªhe shook his head, "Seriously? 10,000 academy points for the cheapest one...?"

    Although he expected the Attribute Stimulus would be expensive, this was too much.

    And from the looks of it, the grade of the bloodline would determine the compatible Attribute Stimulus to use. Since Lucivar''s bloodline was a red one, the highest possible one¡ªhe would need to purchase the most expensive one, and that cost 50,000 academy points.

    "Buying it would be out of the picture then," Lucivar sighed, he came here for nothing.

    Just then, however, he remembered something.

    He didn''t want to come here for nothing so he would at least buy something.

    Lucivar''s fingers quickly operated the tablet as he searched for another item.

    ''Other than the normal weapons provided by the academy¡ªI have nothing. All of them easily break, I think I''m going to buy one that''s more durable, and suited for my power,'' He thought, searching for the weapons he wanted.

    Even though his ether was strong¡ªand was most of the time enough to handle Acolyte-rank or below opponents, having a strong weapon would make all the difference. Lucivar browsed the weapon selections and filtered the type to be daggers or short swords.

    Hundreds of selections appeared.

    And above, Lucivar saw that he could also filter the cost and the element of the weapon.

    Most selections have the blood element so Lucivar decided to filter it to blood and also wind element. He wanted his weapon to be swift and also have high penetrating power, so a short sword or a dagger with wind elements would be ideal.

    Fortunately, unlike the Attribute Stimulus, he has a wide range of selections with his points.

    "Double-fang Emerald Dagger...? This one is pretty cool"

 Chapter 117 117: Last Requirement

    Recalling the battle he had with his doppelganger, he badly needed a strong weapon.

    His ether had the ability to enhance any weapon in his grasp, even something as simple as a stick, making it stronger, and sharper. However, if the ether layer was breached, the weapon itself would shatter¡ªjust as it had during his clash with the doppelganger.

    Getting a strong weapon would help him a lot.

    Browsing through the selections, Lucivar was drowned in hundreds of weapons.

    Each of them has a simple description, that informs him about its element, the materials used to make it, and also the weapon''s ability. At the bottom, there was a section that summarized what kind of Hybrid is compatible with using the weapon and also how strong.

    Going down through the list, Lucivar saw a couple of interesting daggers and short swords.

    One has the ability to quicken the rate of blood flowing out of a wound.

    Another can create sharp noises by swinging that could shatter eardrums if close enough.

    And there''s even one who could gather blood and use it to create a blood bomb.

    A powerful Hybrid-turned-blacksmith makes¡ªeach one of these weapons, they are called Enchanters, and they hold a high social standing in society. Lucivar scanned further down, and stopped at a peculiar dagger that caught his eyes.

    From the image, the blade curved like a fang and the tip was two curving points.

    Its sharp part was bright greenish in color as if it was coated in venom.

    "Double-fang Emerald Dagger...? This one is pretty cool"

    Clicking on it, another tab was opened.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    [Double-fang Emerald Dagger]

    Price: 4,500 Academy Points.

    Grade: Blue

    Elemental Property: Wind

    Description: Made from the bone of a unique Phantom Panther, this dagger offers swiftness and precision. It''s sharp enough to pierce any Crossers from a blue dungeon and suitable to be brought to a green dungeon.

    Ability:

    Echoing Phantom ¡ª Has a roughly 20% chance to summon a wind phantom that would strike the target upon a successful hit, and make a second strike if the first strike was blocked. The chance of summoning the phantom would increase the stronger the initial hit landed.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    "4,500 academy points...?" Lucivar clicked his tongue.

    He had read through the entire tab and liked the dagger, it was a blue-grade weapon, with the capability¡ªthat match a green-grade weapon. Not to mention, it has the wind element inscribed into it that would make his strike faster.

    Also, its ability, Echoing Phantom was quite endearing.

    Since the ability was out of the box, it could catch a lot of people off guard.

    Lucivar liked it because the chances of him wounding or even killing others with the initial hit would skyrocket, as there were two unexpected follow-ups, from the phantom. It would save him the trouble of engaging in a fierce confrontation often.

    Deliberating for a moment, he finally decided to purchase it.

    He wanted to have a sturdy weapon to accompany him so this wouldn''t be a problem.

    Other than making a purchase, he considered this as an investment.

    Calling Kalvin, he showed what he wanted.

    Kalvin glanced at the item before he nodded and left to take the said item.

    It didn''t take long before Kalvin came back, and told Lucivar to proceed with the purchase at the counter. Just like the payment process in the mall¡ªonce he paid at the counter the clerk gave him a polished wooden box.

    Lucivar opened the box¡ªand saw the Double-fang Emerald Dagger inside.

    He took it and immediately felt the weight, it was quite heavy for a dagger.

    Once he appreciated the appearance of the dagger as it looked more polished, and sharp in reality compared¡ªto the image on the tablet, Lucivar played with it, seeing if there was any kind of imbalance in the structure.

    But there was none, the dagger was well crafted.

    Pivoting to the side, Lucivar made a gentle but swift swing to test the dagger out.

    He saw the sharp blade cutting through the air easily, the dagger was compact and strong.

    ''It''s heavy alright but once I swing it¡ªthe heaviness disappeared entirely, the shape made air the dagger''s friend¡ªlike a bird''s wings taking flight,'' Lucivar nodded, satisfied with this piece of bone. ''I didn''t make the wrong choice buying this one''

    Giving his thanks to the clerk, he exited the trading center.

    Glancing left and right¡ªhe saw that the corridor was still empty.

    Seeing that he still had time before the students poured in, he went to the library.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar was now sitting in front of a computer and decided to surf the internet for a bit.

    Now that he would have money, from the contracts he was going to make for the upcoming tournament, he wanted to check a few things. Since purchasing the Attribute Stimulus, was not possible here, he opted to buy it outside.

    From the Trading Union website, it would cost him 20 supreme coins to buy one.

    It was the most expensive Attribute Stimulus that was compatible with him.

    Other than that, he also tried searching for other equipment that he might need.

    He landed on firearms pages that were sold publicly, weapons that could fire a bullet so fast that it could pierce flesh or even concrete walls. Lucivar knew that this kind of thing existed, but he didn''t know there were many types.

    Just reading the long list of types alone made his eyes dizzy.

    "I remembered the governor had a gun but nothing like the ones here..." Lucivar mumbled.

    Being cramped inside of a deep well all his life, this kind of thing is interesting for him.

    Even as he learned more, more questions appeared inside his head.

    "I wonder how expensive power crystals are..."

    "Huh¡ªit costs 5,000 gold coins for a green power crystal? Tobias bought me this? It''s damn expensive! I should take my share of power crystals from the last mission, and be a lot more grateful"

    Dwelling in the moment, Lucivar didn''t realize that he had sat there for too long.

    He only realized that it had been more than an hour when the corridor became crowded.

    Seeing this, Lucivar stepped out, intending to go back to the Bastion of Blades.

    But then along the way, he stopped and glanced at a map of the academy beside him.

    Lucivar squinted his eyes, fixing on a spot before he made his way there.

    ''I''m already, an Acolyte-rank Hybrid, and I''ve dealt with the sponsor issue. Now, all that''s left is fulfilling the final requirement¡ªgetting approval from another professor,'' He resolved. With that thought, he made his way to the professor''s office on the ground floor.

    Fortunately, he remembered clearly the academy tests he did.

    Out of the four professors that were testing him, he knew who to avoid.

    Clara is hostile towards those, from slave cities, and there was no way Lucivar would obtain approval from her to participate in the South Hues Tournament and represent the academy, hell freezing over would probably be more possible than her accepting him.

    Professor Aeldric already approved him and as for the other professor, he has no intel.

    All that was left was Professor Victor.

    ''He seemed to be the most patient and powerful, I should try my luck on him''

    Soon enough, Lucivar arrived at Professor Victor''s room.

    Since classes were twenty minutes from starting, he should still be inside his room.

    Calming his pounding heart, Lucivar reached for the door and knocked on it.

    Remembering that Professor Aeldric warned him of being impolite, Lucivar wouldn''t make the same mistake. He was overpowered by Professor Aeldric easily with his aura alone¡ªbecause Lucivar bore killing intent.

    Now he was going to meet with arguably the strongest professor in the academy.

    If he made a mistake here, Professor Victor wouldn''t be as soft as Professor Aeldric.

    "Come in,"

    A voice replied from the other side before Lucivar stepped into the room.

    Compared to Professor Aeldric''s room, there were not a lot of things inside Professor Victor''s room. Color-wise, the room was dominated by black, brown, and white¡ªthe floor was a thick but soft carpet, and there was a ceiling-high glass wall behind his desk.

    Because of this glass wall, the entire room was properly lit up.

    Also, Professor Victor sitting on his chair behind his desk became a dark silhouette.

    Lucivar gulped harshly, approached the desk, and placed the wooden box beside him.

    "Hmm? Your face is familiar, who are you?"

    "My name is Lucivar Asarafall, professor"

    "Lucivar...? Oh, I heard you''re the one who rooted out that dirty pest. You have my praise"

    "Thank you, professor"

    Lucivar smiled inside, he was glad that he took down Professor Fury.

    He already left a good impression on Professor Victor, his chances are now higher.

    "So," Leaning back in his chair, Professor Victor raised an eyebrow. "Why have you come here to my office? I have a class in exactly ten minutes so tell me what you want"

    Nodding, Lucivar replied, "I want your approval for the South Hues Tournament"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Victor''s eyes slightly widened.

    But that mild surprise didn''t last long, his eyes returned back to normal once again.

    "I have already become an Acolyte-rank Hybrid and scout sponsor. All I need is your approval and I could be qualified, for the tournament. I will bring glory to this academy. It''s a promise, I will not disappoint" Lucivar continued.

    Professor Victor was pleasantly surprised once again.

    He didn''t expect Lucivar to already prepare to that extent.

    Normally, the student would be asking for approval first before scouting for sponsors.

    But Lucivar did the opposite way and that exudes his confidence.

    "Did Professor Aeldric start you on this?"

    "Ah... Well,"

    "No need to lie, tell me the truth"

    "Yes, Professor Aeldric did"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Victor nodded as he saw through this instantly.

    Sighing lightly, he intertwined his fingers together and placed his hands above his thighs.

    "I''m sorry, Lucivar¡ªthe academy has its own unwritten rules. No hunters could represent the academy so I can''t give you my approval. Also, this year''s South Hues Tournament is packed, the competition is too high for us. It''s best for us to save face and not compete"

    "Professor, with all due respect, I''m confident in my abilities. I will score us the top three"

    Professor Victor stood up and put on his coat.

    He didn''t seem to be interested even with Lucivar''s declaration.

    "You''re from a slave city, Lucivar, you haven''t seen anything yet. Believe me, you''re nothing"

    "But profess-"

    "I don''t know what Professor Aeldric was thinking but there''s no chance,"

    Upon saying that, Professor Victor walked past Lucivar and headed for the door.

    "Become a student first. Maybe next year, I''ll give you my appro-"

    Bam!

    As Professor Victor was opening the door, his eyes opened wide, when he suddenly saw the door was slammed shut. Lucivar came out of nowhere and closed the door roughly, this was a completely surprising move.

    He couldn''t believe that Lucivar would act this brazenly.

    "How dare you...? Do you want to forfeit your life?" Professor Victor asked raspingly.

    His voice was laced with threat as this was crossing the line.

    Since he was a hunter, Professor Victor could squash Lucivar right here without batting an eye, and there would be no repercussions, for killing¡ªan academy hunter. He could report death from an accident and be done with it.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, didn''t get intimidated.

    "Yeah, kill me right now if you want to. Until you do¡ªI will not let you leave until you give me your approval!"

 Chapter 118 118: Heres the Chance

    Students have a higher social status in the academy than the academy hunters.

    In most cases, the academy hunters have no choice¡ªbut to do what students ask them to do no matter how absurd it would be, as long as it''s within the academy''s scope. Likewise, above the students were the professors.

    Professors are the second highest authority figures below the headmaster.

    Other than very big decisions, they pulled the shots.

    Additionally, students and academy hunters within the academy respected them.

    Becoming a professor isn''t easy, to obtain that position one would need to contribute to the Light World heavily. Each one of the professors had done that and thus, the entire academy respected them.

    So when Lucivar did this, Professor Victor was stunned.

    He was not accustomed to being treated like this as he has never been treated like this.

    "How dare you? Do you want to forfeit your life that badly?"

    "Yeah, kill me right now if you want to. Until you do¡ªI will not let you leave until you give me your approval!"

    Professor Victor was stunned by the response.

    ''His eyes... He''s burning with the vigor of youth, he''s determined'' He thought in surprise.

    Just earlier, he was burning with the desire to teach Lucivar a lesson but that disappeared in an instant. He gazed at Lucivar''s eyes and found that they were unshakable¡ªalmost as if he was really ready to die from doing this.

    In addition, there was desperation hidden behind Lucivar''s eyes.

    Something was bothering him. and the prospect of not obtaining Professor Victor''s approval heightened the desperation. He was so desperate and afraid that his body reacted by doing something brazen.

    Glancing down, Professor Victor saw Lucivar''s legs were shaking uncontrollably.

    Even his arm, pinning the door close was trembling in fear.

    ''Why is Aeldric, fixed on this new hunter? And to make him this desperate what did that old fart have on him?'' Professor Victor remained¡ªfixated on Lucivar, he had multiple questions inside his head regarding this situation.

    Other than the purity of Lucivar''s bloodline, he wasn''t that interesting.

    Compared to the twins, he was lackluster, all because his bloodline was not of a high grade.

    So the fact that Aeldric was interested in Lucivar was puzzling for him.

    "Do you have a death wish? Do you really want to risk offending me?"

    "I''m scared of offending you¡ªeven my body is shaking as we speak. You are the strongest of the professors, respected by many, it would be weird for me not to be afraid. But I can''t fail in getting your approval"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Victor pivoted his body to face Lucivar.

    A minute already passed since his supposed class started.

    He was never late in getting into his class but even then, he stayed and inspected Lucivar.

    "Tell me one good reason why I should give you a chance" Professor Victor demanded.

    But Lucivar didn''t need more than a second to answer, "Because I have a chance to win and if I win the academy will share the glory. Heck, if you give me a chance to at least¡ªprove to you that I''m capable, I''ll mention your name in my winning speech"

    Lucivar was radiating with confidence.

    Coupled with his firm but enchanting golden eyes, Professor Victor was swayed.

    "Dreams... you are only selling dreams," Professor Victor chuckled, he could tell that Lucivar was probably using this to sell him to his sponsors. "But even so¡ªI''ll bite. I will give you one chance"

    Hearing this, Lucivar was ecstatic.

    All he needed was a chance so that he could convince Professor Victor.

    Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open¡ªand a man wearing the exact same outfit as the one Professor Victor was wearing was the one who opened the door. He was surprised¡ª when he saw Professor Victor and Lucivar by the door.

    Finding that Lucivar was not someone important, he continued what he came here for.

    "Professor, your class is waiting for you..."

    "Yes, tell the students to warm up. I will be there"

    "Also, the Hybrid Association was pressing us to send a team for the blue dungeon in Kalinan City. It has a high concentration of ether, so the dungeon should be a hard one. A lot of our¡ª hunter teams fitted for this dungeon are out except for one"

    "Whose team is it?"

    "It''s the seventh team from the third year, they could depart right now"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Victor pondered for a second.

    He then eventually nodded his head.

    "Give the mission to them," He finally instructed.

    Nodding his head, the man instantly prepared to leave, "Right away, I''ll inform them"

    Just then, Professor Victor grabbed him by the shoulder.

    "Also, bring this new hunter and his team with them," He pointed at Lucivar with his thumb.

    Puzzled, the man turned towards Lucivar and frowned, this was a blue dungeon and a new academy hunter like Lucivar would not be able to keep up. Even most of the second year¡ª wouldn''t be able to keep up.

    And worse of it all, he couldn''t tell if Professor Victor was being serious or not.

    He looked back and forth between Lucivar and Professor Victor.

    Clearing his throat, the man asked, "Is he and his team going to observe...?"

    "No, not observe," Professor Victor shook his head. "before the main team tackles the blue dungeon, his team would go first¡ªto see if they could take the dungeon down without the main team needing to do anything"

    "What...? Go first?" the man was at a loss for words.

    Professor Victor was basically saying he wanted to kill a team of new academy hunters.

    A suicide squad¡ªthis wouldn''t end well for any team from the first year.

    Before the man could retort, Professor Victor already turned towards Lucivar with a smile.

    "Here''s the chance you wanted. So, are you still confident? Are you going to take it or not?"

    Considering the difficulty of a blue dungeon, this was very challenging.

    Even a group of Acolyte-rank Hybrids wouldn''t be able to close a blue dungeon easily.

    A Chrysalis-rank Hybrid could handle a blue dungeon solo, though weaker ones¡ªhad only a fifty-fifty chance of success. Considering the wide gap that exists between a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid¡ªand an Acolyte-rank Hyrbid with one being able to control their Attributes, the ratio was shocking.

    It was that hard to close a blue dungeon.

    Even so, Lucivar smiled¡ªthis was exactly what he wanted from Professor Victor.

    "Much less going with a team, I would even dive in alone if you asked for it. I wouldn''t mind..."

    "Good. Once you close the dungeon, I will give you my approval"

    Once he said that Professor Victor walked out of his room and headed to his class.

    Now Lucivar and the man were left behind and the man was staring at him in disbelief.

    "Are you trying to gain Professor Victor''s approval for the South Hues tournament...?"

    "Is it that obvious?"

    "And you seriously going to accept his condition?"

    "Yep, not that I have a choice"

    Upon hearing this, the man was flabbergasted, he couldn''t understand what Lucivar meant.

    He has a choice, he could refuse and not participate in the tournament.

    "Do you have a death wish...? You''ll die, the reported Crossers in there are Rock Golems and Stone Orcs. If you''re thinking, that you could find the proselytes to close the dungeon, you''d be wrong!"

    "Hmm? Why is that?"

    "It had gotten strong enough to enter the dungeon, you''ll have to go inside to close it"

    Lucivar was mildly surprised by this.

    He would be lying if he hadn''t thought to kill the proselytes as that was the easiest for him.

    But it seemed he couldn''t do that.

    "Outstanding..." He muttered as a wry smile crossed his face.

    Seeing that Lucivar finally understood what he was getting into¡ªthe man nodded, "If I were you, I''d run after Professor Victor, and pull back from the challenge. You still have a lot more ahead, there''s no need to risk it all right now"

    "Nah," Lucivar shook his head. "It seemed you''ve mistaken something"

    Lucivar walked out of the room, and closed the door behind him before he spared a glance at the man again, "I am not walking into this to die... this is me trying to crawl out of the grave¡ª not falling into it"

    As he said that, Lucivar walked away.

    He needs to prepare as it seemed the departure is going to be today.

    Heading to the exit, Lucivar glanced at the man a little, smiling.

    ''Seems like there are normal people in this academy, he knew that I was aiming to participate in the tournament but he didn''t mind me representing the academy even though I''m a hunter, not a student''

    Moments later.

    Lucivar had gotten permission from Fabio to go tackle the blue dungeon.

    Even though his pending time was over, this could be considered as him doing his work as an academy hunter so Fabio didn''t fret about it too much. Now¡ªLucivar was standing in front of the Bastion of Blades with his gear and also Sabrina beside him.

    He was only wearing the academy hunter uniform, a bag behind him, and his new dagger.

    As for Sabrina, she would be coming because she was bored being cramped inside.

    Departure would be in twenty minutes so he needed to rush.

    But it seemed he was the first one to be prepared.

    "It''s so nice that we could fight together again,"

    "Really? Are you really okay with this?"

    "Of course, we should help each other. Lucivar needed help so we should help"

    "You really need to loosen up, we''re basically got dragged here"

    "Well, we could use this as training. It''s not that bad for us"

    Coming from the mouth of the cave were a couple of figures, familiar figures to be exact.

    Since Professor Victor allowed him to have a team, he decided to ask the others to come.

    He told the others that they could try to see a blue dungeon together.

    Of course, Leandra was against it as she didn''t trust Lucivar but it''s not like she had a choice, Lucivar forced her to come, in return for forcing him to go on a date, with Thalia. On the other hand, the others didn''t need to be convinced.

    All of them were excited that they could be on the same team and fight together again.

    Leandra, Mirel, and Nerissa came out of the cave.

    All three of them had different expressions once they saw Lucivar waiting.

    Leandra was annoyed, Mirel was avoiding eye contact¡ªwhile Nerissa was smiling at him.

    "Have you waited long?" Nerissa asked, smiling from ear to ear.

    Lucivar shook his head, "Not long. So, are you guys ready?"

    "Ready as much as you are, lead the way" Leandra replied, stretching her body.

    On the side, Mirel nodded, "Hmm... let''s get this over with"

    Upon seeing them ready, Lucivar wanted to turn around and lead the way but stopped.

    Nerissa grabbed his arm, "Wait a minute, there''s one more"

    "One more...? I thought I only asked you guys and Bakar" Lucivar raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

    But then, his eyes darted to the cave''s mouth before he gasped.

    Another figure stepped out.

    "A field trip, woohoo~!"

    "Ravenna?! You''re coming too?!"

 Chapter 119 119: Nihil Rift

    It was a new day and the first streak of sunlight began to seep from behind the clouds.

    A single bus was zooming through the highway, not an ordinary bus but an armored vehicle that belonged to the military rather than an academy. No vehicles could be seen across the entire highway, there was only this one bus.

    Soon, the armored bus passed a warning sign.

    ''Warning! Only military personnel and Hybrid Association members allowed!''

    Even then, the driver stepped on the gas and went past the sign.

    It had been three whole days since departure and now the bus was nearing its destination.

    "Can you like... stop touching me?"

    "And why should I stop?"

    "I don''t know¡ªmaybe because the driver kept checking on us from the rearview mirror?"

    "Let him watch, we''re not doing anything perverted anyway. Or are we?"

    Lucivar, shuddered on the seat near the mirror, like a cornered puppy¡ªthe reason? Ravenna was sitting right beside him and kept teasing him. She was bored and depressed from being separated from the others with the boring Bob so she was very excited to come.

    Once she heard from Nerissa that Lucivar needed help, she came uninvited.

    Bakar and Bob couldn''t come because of their training so only five of them were here.

    It was barely an assault team but that''ll have to do.

    Moreover, Lucivar barely saw Ravenna much less talked with her so it felt like they had not seen each other for a long time. Or at least, that''s what Ravenna felt, and due to that¡ªshe couldn''t get her hands off of Lucivar.

    "Can you at least scoot over?" Lucivar asked.

    But Ravenna pouted at him, "Do you want me to fall over? It''s already cramped as it is"

    "Fall over?" Lucivar blurted, incredulously. "You''ve got enough room behind you, to host a tea party! And your leg¡ªyour leg is practically glued on my thigh¡ªand your breathing is so close I might as well start charging rent for personal space!"

    Ravenna had been bothering Mirel on the first day.

    And on the second until now, she changes her target to Lucivar.

    She was currently pinching his bicep as if it was plushy and put her leg on his thigh, acting as if the place was cramped when the bus was bigger, and had three seats worth of space¡ªbut Ravenna chose to practically sit on Lucivar.

    "You''ve become manlier in my absence, how can I stay away from you?" She laughed.

    Lucivar could only lean against the window, "At least that''s a compliment"

    Naturally¡ªwith Sutekh''s Divine Blood, his physique has gotten better and toned.

    His muscles were now more chiseled and Ravenna noticed it instantly.

    Even though that was a good thing¡ªthis made him unable to shake Ravenna as not only was she stubborn but she was extremely strong. Her grip was so strong¡ªand all Lucivar could do was hope to arrive at their destination faster.

    No use in arguing with Ravenna, her head was as thick as a rock.

    Out of nowhere, Sha appeared above the headrest in front of Lucivar.

    Her eyes were glued onto Ravenna.

    "Be careful, her bloodline is a decent one" She warned.

    Not expecting to hear this, Lucivar frowned, "Decent...? I''m already alert, don''t worry"

    Going all-out Lucivar viewed himself as stronger than Bakar, Nerissa, and Mirel, equal to only Leandra and weaker than Bob¡ªand Ravenna. He was equal to Leandra because he sensed a change in the air around her.

    It was highly likely that Leandra had also become an Acolyte-rank Hybrid.

    He knew Bakar could accumulate his natural ether through physical exertion, but other than him, he had no insight¡ªinto how the others cultivated their Supernatural Egos. Now that he had uncovered Leandra''s bloodline, he found her bloodline might be second only to his own in sheer power.

    So it wouldn''t be surprising if she also reached the Acolyte rank already.

    ''But for Sha to warn me like this, what kind of bloodline Ravenna has?'' Lucivar pondered, he looked at Ravenna who was now resting her head on his shoulder while still playing with his bicep.

    Due to how she acted, he didn''t suspect her to have a strong bloodline.

    Several hours later, the armored bus came to a stop.

    Leandra¡ªand Nerissa came down first and stretched, the direct heat from the sunlight was a lot more pleasant outside, than inside the bus. Mirel, Ravenna, and Lucivar followed behind, it has been quite a long travel.

    Unlike the others who were stretching to get their blood flowing, Lucivar had it worse.

    His left arm was dead, it was completely numb.

    "Man, Ravenna didn''t stop playing the rest of the way. My arm is dead," Lucivar complained.

    However, he was soon distracted by the sight in front of him.

    "Is that...?" Lucivar gasped in utter shock.

    Ravenna nodded, "Yes, that''s the slash from the Great Separation¡ªthe Nihil Rift"

    Everyone knows about the Great Separation, and its product, that split the entire world into two called the Nihil Rift. But this was the first time Lucivar witnessed it first-hand, his home village wasn''t anywhere near this place at all.

    Before him was a multi-colored warp wall that stabbed into the sky and stretched the entire world. Its surface churned with unfathomable chaos, a dense, rolling maelstrom of alien-like energy that defied comprehension.

    Bolts of crackling lightning danced erratically across its length.

    Streams and waves of pulsating energy radiated outward, heavily distorting the air.

    All of the shifting, searing, and throbbing of the chaotic energy made it feel alive.

    It was a tear in the natural order of the world, a warp wall that separated Humanity for good.

    ''How far is it...? A hundred? Two hundred miles?'' Lucivar gulped, sweat kissing down the side of his face. ''It''s still very far on the horizon but I could feel the energy it exuded from here, its power is beyond anything I''ve ever seen or felt''

    Other than separating the world, the area near the Nihil Warp was completely forbidden.

    Lucivar was unclear about the matter¡ªbut he heard from rumors that the area near the warp was turned into a no man''s land, it was filled with everything, that lusted for murder. Not only Crossers but the energy from the Nihil Warp also mutated the land.

    Eerie and deadly plants, toxic waters, basically a juxtaposed of otherworldly things.

    Only inner members of the Supreme Houses could venture into that land.

    Averting his gaze away from the Nihil Warp in the distance¡ªLucivar turned to the other side, to another armored bus. It was the upperclassmen team, Lucivar heard that there was also a student who would act as a mentor.

    He and the others hadn''t gotten the time to meet with them due to time pressure.

    All of them immediately got onto their own bus and departed because of that.

    From the governor of Kalinan City¡ªthe portal was going to burst any moment.

    Because of that, the team must depart as soon as possible.

    Soon, the senior academy hunters team came out of their bus one by one.

    Lucivar didn''t recognize any of them and frankly speaking¡ªhe didn''t care about them as he was planning on finishing the dungeon without their help. Naturally, once these seniors saw the other team, their expressions turned unfriendly.

    "Hmm, there''s only six of them? No, five? I think we better prepare five graves"

    "Don''t say that, I don''t think these bums are even worthy to be buried"

    "I guess when you don''t have anything like them, death becomes tantalizing. Hahaha~!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar and the others didn''t give them much thought.

    All of them were already used to these kinds of people¡ªwho viewed themselves higher just because of being born in a big city, ''I don''t get it. How can they be arrogant when they''re so weak? Besides, even if they were higher by birthright, they still ended up here with us. Does not that make the worse?''

    Lucivar could only sigh in ridicule.

    Some might say morons are not needed in the world but they are, to be a lesson for others.

    Just as Lucivar turned his gaze away, goosebumps surged through his frozen body.

    Glancing back to the side, he sucked in a cold breath at the sight of the last person to come out of the other bus. A man with a blinding light aura around him, equipped with fangs¡ªand also ruby eyes, a Vampire Hybrid that could walk under the sun freely, Caldaros.

    Immediately, Lucivar turned his gaze away.

    He wasn''t as much suppressed by the radiant light as before, he did get stronger.

    But he could feel the rage bubbling inside of him again.

    Just the sight of Caldaros, made his blood boil to the absolute degree, the urge of wanting to attack Caldaros was barely contained. Now that he was not as suppressed made it worse, he could really attack Caldaros right now.

    Not only that, he got nosebleeds as the light was still affecting him.

    His darkness was still overwhelmed by Caldaros'' light.

    "S- Sabrina..." Lucivar called.

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina saw Lucivar was having a nosebleed.

    She instantly rushed to him.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Bring me away, I can''t hold back any longer..."

    "O- Okay!"

    Putting Lucivar''s uniform over his head¡ªan extra that she had brought in case he needed to change, Sabrina scanned their surroundings and spotted a military officer approaching from the direction of Kalinan''s City''s gate to their right.

    Without hesitation, she pulled Lucivar by the arm and strode toward the man.

    "What happened? Is there a dungeon along the way?" the military man asked in surprise.

    He saw Lucivar was bleeding from the nose.

    Instead of answering, Sabrina said, "Escort us inside and brief us on the situation"

    "Hmm?" the military man was caught off guard but eventually nodded. "Okay, come with me"

    Seeing them going with the military officer, the others exchanged a look in confusion before they followed. Caldaros looked in Lucivar''s direction and squinted before he too signaled for his team to follow the military officer.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar was finally able to get away from viewing eyes and stepped into a bathroom.

    It was an officer''s bathroom so it was quite big, but he didn''t have the time to care about that as he instantly went to the sink¡ªand wiped the blood on his face with running water. Sabrina came inside, holding a towel, and waited for him to finish.

    She stole a couple of glances at Lucivar, seemingly wanting to ask a question.

    But she refrained from doing so when she saw Lucivar''s face was red from the reflection.

    As red as a tomato.

    And from the way he was breathing roughly, he seemed to be outright furious.

    Just then, as she gathered enough courage to speak, she stopped and gasped.

    She saw a dark writing begin to form and cracked the mirror.

    Upon seeing this, her eyes widened, ''It''s the same as back then! What is this...?''

 Chapter 120 120: I Suggest You To Stop

    ''It exactly felt like last time but the reason... it was different''

    Lucivar peered at the dark writing, this time, it reflected the hate inside of him.

    During the first time something like this happened, this dark oath appeared when he had the intention to kill Professor Fury. He had thought, that this would happen if he bore an intense amount of killing intent towards somebody.

    It was also part of the reason Lucivar thought this originated from his bloodline.

    Like his ability to sense killing intent, this should also be another ability or even a part of his ability that came from his Angel constitution. But he did not bear any killing intent¡ªtowards Caldaros.

    His hatred might be riled up because of Loki''s previous avatars but that was it.

    Under no circumstance did he want to kill Caldaros right now.

    Not only was the place not suitable for doing that, with the entire city being a bastion for the military, and also having several Hybrids¡ªCaldaros was also still way stronger. So, he wasn''t planning on killing Caldaros here.

    And yet, the dark oath was etched before him, cracking the mirror.

    ''I will get our revenge and prove I''m now stronger!''

    It was the writing, Lucivar did think of that earlier but wasn''t planning to do it now.

    "Gandr, Sha, do you know what this is...?" Lucivar whispered.

    Upon saying that, Sha and Gandr appeared, inspecting the dark oath with curiosity.

    "Definitely not my Lord''s doing and not the other Gods either" Sha voiced.

    Gandr also nodded in agreement, "Whoever, or whatever did this, its origin is hard to trace. But I do remember the first time this happened, upon your completion of killing that mortal, there was an unknown power that amplified Father''s divine blood bestowed onto you"

    "So it must come from my original bloodline..." Lucivar nodded. "Is it that figure of light?"

    If the Gods weren''t the ones responsible for this then his real bloodline is the suspect.

    And anything regarding his bloodline, he attributed it to that figure of light.

    Nevertheless, Lucivar still finds the dark oath a mystery.

    All he knew was that it responded to his feelings and also would amplify the Divine Blood he would obtain from doing¡ªwhatever the settled task of the oath was. Wiping the blood once again, Lucivar shook his head, "Even so, I can''t kill Caldaros right now. It''s too risky"

    Lucivar stayed inside the bathroom for another five minutes to calm himself down.

    ''I should be fine even if I saw Caldaros again,'' He nodded.

    He was caught off guard earlier and was not ready, which was why he was like this.

    Caldaros'' light is a pain in the ass for him.

    "Are you okay now, master? The others are waiting for you, and were worried" Sabrina asked.

    Seeing Sabrina panicking and pulling Lucivar away like that would definitely worry the others.

    Lucivar nodded, "Come on, let''s go back"

    Once he was cleaned of all traces of blood and recovered from the initial shock, Lucivar and Sabrina went back to the others. Stepping outside, Lucivar realized that he was inside some kind of house that was renovated into a command office.

    Going along the corridor, he arrived in a room and saw the others were there, waiting for him.

    Naturally, the others were worried and asked what happened.

    But Lucivar, fortunately, could use the fact that he had become an Acolyte-rank ream Hybrid as an excuse and shrugged the questions. Then, he turned to look at a tough-looking man in a uniform, standing by the massive window.

    Judging from the medals adorning his uniform, he is a high-ranking military officer.

    And is probably the person in command in this city.

    "Now that everyone is here, I''ll explain the situation," the officer said and began the briefing.

    Moments later.

    "I''ll prepare the escorts to the portal, you have ten minutes" the officer commanded and left.

    Lucivar gazed outside of the window with an evident frown on his face.

    Kalinan city wasn''t a big city, in fact¡ªit was a small city hosting around 6,000 people.

    It''s one of the prosperous slave cities that dealt in trading with Sunhold City.

    Beyond the east wall were multiple rows of trenches with military men posting guards along with their vehicles¡ªfacing the massive blue portal about half a mile away. It is the dungeon Lucivar and the others would tackle.

    From the officer''s explanation, Kalinan City had become a stronghold.

    Kalinan City was surrounded by five nearby cities, hosting similar or even more people, and because of that, the city mustn''t fall to the Crossers. If the Crossers got their hands on this city, they would gain a bastion¡ªgranting them access to those five nearby cities.

    If that happened, it would be a slaughter.

    And because of that, the military concentrated some forces to defend this city.

    Having such an importance, in hindsight, the Hybrid Association should focus on this city.

    Sending a team with one Chrysalis-rank Hybrid would easily handle the dungeon.

    But instead, they sent Lucivar and Caldaros'' teams.

    And the reason for that was that Kalinan City as well as the other five cities don''t have¡ªor provide massive value for the Hybrid Association. It was said that the last time each of the six cities provided a Hybrid was five years ago.

    Even the governor of Lucivar''s home city was already fretting over missing one year.

    Five years was akin to a death sentence.

    It was only because of the trading, and resources around, that Kalinan City could stay strong and prosperous. No portals appeared around here in the last couple of years and the city felt fine.

    Now, the city would feel the result of disassociation from the Hybrid Association.

    Sending the hunters here was only a formality.

    Considering that Caldaros'' team has only three Acolyte-rank, the city is doomed.

    It was only because Lucivar volunteered that two teams were sent.

    Glancing at Caldaros, Lucivar squinted his eyes, ''He''s a student¡ªnot an academy hunter. I''m sure he has been instructed to leave, and abandon the city if things go awry. But if that''s the case, why was he sent here in the first place? If the city is low priority, why send him at all?''

    ''Is Caldaros onto me?'' Lucivar gulped.

    Something felt fishy but he couldn''t really pinpoint what.

    Just then, Caldaros approached with wide steps.

    Lucivar averted his gaze away, ''Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why is he coming to me? Okay, calm down''

    All eyes turned to Caldaros as he stopped right in front of Lucivar.

    "Do you have something to say to me?" Lucivar asked, trying to keep his composure.

    Caldaros nodded, "Your growth is quite fast, the last time I saw you¡ªyou''re still a Neophyte and now you''re already an Acolyte. You''re talented, the academy and the world would need someone like you, why waste it?"

    "I was told to come here, this is not my choice" Lucivar lied.

    But then, Caldaros tilted his head.

    He saw through that lie.

    "I know you''re here to gain approval for the South Hues Tournament" He announced.

    Upon hearing this, the others in the room sucked in a cold breath.

    "South Hues Tournament?! Is he serious?"

    "Even the upperclassmen students drop participating because of the competition"

    "Anyone who won the tournament would be awarded directly by the Valerius Supreme House¡ªand now the governor''s grandson is participating, a direct lineage from the supreme house¡ªand he still wanted in?"

    "He will be destroyed. Even Caldaros participated when he was in his first year and could not even get to the top five!"

    Caldaros spare a glance towards them sharply.

    And the academy hunter who mentioned him covered his mouth instantly out of fear.

    Likewise, Leandra, Ravenna, Nerissa, and Mirel were also surprised.

    None of them knew that Lucivar was doing this to participate in a massive tournament.

    Earlier, Lucivar only asked them for help.

    He said that he was sent to tackle a blue dungeon by a professor.

    Since they were also eager to test their strength against a blue dungeon, they agreed.

    But none of them knew about this.

    Mirel, in particular, who was silent throughout this trip looked at Lucivar''s back in surprise.

    He seemed to be the most surprised.

    Pivoting back towards Lucivar, Caldaros continued, "As you heard from them, even I, couldn''t win that tournament and this year''s competition will be way higher. The tournament was only for those fortunate with resources, you''re not a match"

    "It''s not worth risking your life taking down this dungeon," He added, seemingly genuine.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled back, "I''ll take my chances,"

    As he said that, he walked past Caldaros and gestured towards the others to move.

    Others may think that he was being reckless by doing this¡ªa blue dungeon could obliterate an Acolyte-rank Hybrid like him but he has no choice. Professor Aeldric blackmailed him and there''s no choice for him.

    Seeing how ruthlessly the Dark Angels hunted down Angel Hybrids, he has no choice.

    If he didn''t want to die then he had to do this.

    Just as he was about to step out¡ªCaldaros grabbed his hand, stopping him again.

    "I''m telling you for your own good, don''t throw your life away," Caldaros added.

    He was genuine but this for some reason irked Lucivar greatly.

    ''I never knew a goody two shoes could be this annoying,'' Lucivar pondered, with a sour face, he didn''t like this at all. He then turned towards Caldaros but this time, there was no smile on his face.

    Seeing this, Caldaros warned, "Even I can''t win, you should not participate"

    "Killing during the tournament is permissible in some situations, you could die. And if you did not¡ªthere would be other participants that are going to cripple you. It''s too competitive and risky" He added, trying to coax Lucivar out of this.

    But Lucivar already had enough.

    He needed to make a stand or else Caldaros would become more and more annoying.

    "But you forget to consider one thing," Lucivar said, a smirk crept to his lips. "I''m not you¡ªI''m better than you."

    Upon hearing this, Caldaros was stunned.

    Not in his wildest dream did he expect Lucivar to say something like that.

    Considering that he was the first-ranker, their position should be established enough.

    Lucivar was less talented than Caldaros but it didn''t seem Lucivar viewed it that way.

    Just as Caldaros was about to say something more, frowning at Lucivar''s arrogance¡ªa hand grabbed him by the shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder and saw it was Ravenna, she was looking at him with an unfriendly gaze.

    "He had made up his mind," She said before her grip tightened, causing Caldaros to frown at her surprising strength. "He wanted to participate¡ªin the tournament, and I am not going to let you force him to do something he doesn''t want to do,"

    "So I suggest you to stop..." She added menacingly.

 Chapter 121 121: White Heather

    Suddenly, the air inside the room became tense.

    It crackled like an electric current, causing the onlookers to be on their toes.

    Ravenna wasn''t hiding her hostility toward Caldaros.

    She was watching from the side and felt like she had to step in as Caldaros was pushing it.

    Everyone, the academy hunters to be exact¡ªknew that Caldaros was saying this¡ªwith good intention, he was trying to warn Lucivar of pursuing something so dangerous. In Sunhold City¡ªaspiring Hybrid practically knew about the South Hues Tournament.

    A very popular tournament that was held annually.

    Because of that, other than Lucivar and the others, everyone knew how dangerous it was.

    Since this tournament revolves around testing the potential of a new generation of Hybrids, very important individuals are also watching the tournament to scout, and recruit promising Hybrids into their families, clans, or even organizations.

    Anyone who won the tournament would shoot in popularity.

    In addition, their future was also practically guaranteed.

    Such a reward made the tournament extremely cutthroat¡ªsome youngsters are even trained from their early years for this specific tournament. Other than having a high realm, it wouldn''t be surprising if the other candidates were used to fighting or even killing.

    Candidates from big clans, families, and organizations usually dominated the space.

    Unlike normal people, their aim was to garner the attention of the Supreme House''s eyes.

    Most candidates varied in training for this tournament.

    Some were forced to be assassins, some were put in an underground arena¡ªit was varying.

    However, no matter what their backgrounds, there was a common fact about them.

    All of them are extremely dangerous.

    Because of that, not even Caldaros was able to compete with them.

    Alas, it was unclear when he became the Avatar of Sunna but the fact still remains.

    Someone like Lucivar who wasn''t trained and made to be a weapon wouldn''t be able to put up a fight against the other candidates. He would only put his life in danger¡ªand that''s the reason why Caldaros was warning him.

    Now that the governor''s grandson was participating, the competition only got worse.

    It was understandable why Caldaros went as far as this.

    However, regardless of what he was trying to achieve, he was forcing his opinion.

    Ravenna didn''t like that, Lucivar was free to choose whatever he wanted to do.

    If she didn''t even say anything to him then there''s no place for Caldaros to do this.

    "Did you not hear me? I said let go," Ravenna added raspingly.

    Feeling the grip on his shoulder tightening, Caldaros let go of Lucivar and pushed Ravenna''s hand away. He walked away from them and cast one look over his shoulder, "I did warn you. I''ll see if you can even close this blue dungeon"

    ...

    Lucivar and the others walked out of the command office.

    Several military SUVs parked outside, waiting for them, and would take them to the dungeon.

    "You don''t have to do that for me, I can handle him," Lucivar suddenly said.

    "Don''t be shy," Upon hearing this, Ravenna slapped his back in hubris, laughing cheerily. "A simple ''thank you'' would be enough for me. Besides, I am not helping you because you can not handle him but because I''m annoyed by that guy"

    "First-ranker my foot, I can take him on alone," She laughed¡ªboth hands on her waist.

    Hearing this, Lucivar smiled before trotting on ahead.

    Getting inside the very front SUV, Lucivar gave a light nod to the driver, before he sat in the front seat. Leandra and Nerissa got into this SUV too while Mirel¡ªand Ravenna went to the one behind. Ravenna didn''t want Mirel to sit alone so she went with him in that one.

    Once the three were inside, the SUV moved, going down the street.

    Along the way, Lucivar observed the city in silence.

    He could see the unrest etched on the passing citizens'' faces, it was clear to see.

    Just then, someone poked his shoulder from behind.

    Lucivar turned and realized that it was Nerissa, she seemed to be troubled by something.

    "What''s wrong?" He asked questioningly.

    Nerissa hesitated for a second, biting her lower lip in thought before finally speaking, voicing out her concerns, "Are you sure we should take on this dungeon? What if we can''t close it? It is not mandatory, should we just pass on this one?"

    "I heard the Crossers inside are Rock Golems and Stone Orcs..." She muttered meekly.

    "I''m also questioning this," Leandra double-down, also finding this extremely risky.

    Even though Tobias told them to get used to handling dungeons, this was a big leap.

    None of them had actually gone inside a blue dungeon before, the most they took down was a yellow dungeon. Although they took down a yellow dungeon, with way fewer people than a normal assault team would have, it doesn''t mean they are ready for a blue dungeon.

    "Rock Golems and Stone Orcs both have tough skin," Leandra continued¡ªgiving a rationale reason for avoiding this dungeon. "Other than Darwin and Bakar our bloodline doesn''t excel in strength. We''d be in big trouble if we couldn''t pierce their skin"

    Lucivar knew that they wouldn''t be hopeless against the Crossers.

    But if they were ever swarmed by many, it would be a disaster.

    Keeping his gaze straight, Lucivar''s expression turned stern.

    If there was any other way, then he would also avoid this dungeon, ''But there wasn''t... I need to do this or else Professor Aeldric would expose me. Should I tell them about this? No, it will be more trouble for me''

    Lucivar feared that the others would react badly if he told them.

    Having any of them budging Professor Aeldric would have a catastrophic implication for him.

    Leandra and Nerissa, in particular, were the ones he was concerned about.

    If any of those two tried to do anything to Professor Aeldric and failed, that would be the end of him¡ªso he couldn''t resort to telling them. As he was fretting about how to keep those two ¡ªthe SUV stopped abruptly.

    "Woah..." the driver mused, his gaze fixed ahead.

    Turning his attention forward¡ªLucivar realized they had reached the gate leading out of the city walls. However, a crowd had gathered, people were blocking the way. Desperate citizen were barring the path with their bodies, while military personnel struggled to push them out of the way.

    A lot of them gathered.

    From a quick glance, there should be at least fifty to sixty of them.

    "What''s happening?" He asked, confused.

    In response, the driver could only sigh, there was a look of pity in his eyes, "I think news that you are the only team, sent by the Hybrid Association was leaked. I''m guessing these people came here to find out if that''s true"

    "Can we go around them?" Leandra asked.

    Hearing this, the driver looked at the rearview mirror and shook his head, "We can''t..."

    Glancing to their behind, Lucivar and the others saw people were also barring the way back.

    But even then, the military was making a path for the SUVs to pass.

    As the SUV moved bit by bit, some of the people slipped through and began knocking on the mirror. Beside Lucivar was a middle-aged man, he was signaling for Lucivar¡ªto roll down the window.

    "Don''t open it, we don''t know what he''ll do"

    "Yeah, don''t open it Lucivar... It''s not safe"

    Upon hearing the two girls'' warning, he did the most sensible thing and opened the window.

    Instantly, when the window rolled down, the man took something out of his pocket.

    Seeing this, Lucivar was about to react as it might be indeed wrong to open the window but was soon surprised¡ªwhen the man only took out a couple of photos, "I have a wife and kid! Please, kind sir, don''t fail to close it. I know it''s selfish of me¡ªto tell you to sacrifice your life for us but I don''t know what else to do..."

    Just before Lucivar could answer, the man was tackled by a military man.

    But others swarmed to replace him.

    At least seven of them squeezed, trying to grab him and tell him something.

    Most of them were saying the same thing as the man earlier, telling Lucivar that the academy hunters were the only ones who could help them avoid this situation. Since the dungeon was right beside their city, if the dungeon failed to be closed, their city would be destroyed.

    Evacuation was possible but this is still their home.

    Leaving a home would be hard for anyone.

    From the chaos, Lucivar saw a small chubby hand poking out, holding a flower.

    It was then that the military men were able to push them aside¡ªand from the gaps, Lucivar''s eyes caught sight of a young girl no older than ten. She was about to be yanked roughly by a military man.

    But Lucivar rolled down his window more and stopped him, "Don''t touch her!"

    Upon hearing this, the military man paused for a second before letting go of the girl.

    Due to the chaos, she was sandwiched between people and her appearance became rough.

    Her clothes were crumpled and askew, seams stretched¡ªas if they''d been wrung through a mangle. Her hair stuck out in wild tufts, and there was a scratch on her cheek. Seeing this¡ªLucivar gestured for her to come.

    Meekly, the girl wiped her tears and approached with an innocent smile.

    Leandra and Nerissa felt a sting in their chest seeing the girl smiling despite her condition.

    It was as if giving Lucivar the flower was her life purpose.

    "White Heather, a flower symbolizing protection and good fortune..." Lucivar uttered, taking the flower gratefully from the young girl. He then smiled back, "What''s your name? Why are you giving me this?"

    "My name is Pippa, I want to show m-"

    Just before she could finish, a woman already pulled her from behind.

    Lucivar turned to the woman who seemed to be Pippa''s mother.

    "I''m sorry, I hope my daughter didn''t cause you any trouble"

    "What are you sorry for? There''s no need to be sorry"

    Upon saying that, Lucivar looked at Pippa again while holding the stem of white heather.

    "Go on, what do you want to show me?" He asked again.

    Hearing this, Pippa glanced at her mother before she fixed on Lucivar again, "I want to show my gratitude for trying to save us. Mister, thank you for coming here. Even if you can''t close, the portal, I am still thankful"

    Smiling at her, Lucivar waved his hand and closed the window.

    As he did that, the SUV moved again as the path was already cleared.

    "Flowers, huh..." Lucivar shook his head.

    But then, Nerissa commented from behind, "Since when are you an expert on flowers?"

    "I used to create bouquets, I know a bit" Lucivar shrugged.

    As he said that, he glanced over his shoulder again and gazed at Leandra.

    He smirked at her and asked, "So, should we not try and close the portal?"

    "Whatever..." Leandra rolled her eyes, averting her gaze away.

 Chapter 122 122: Preparation

    Pippa''s appearance helped Lucivar convince the two.

    She came in at the perfect time and now the entire group has to go through with this.

    Lucivar leaned back on his seat comfortably, his lips curled into a small smile¡ªas he now did not need to worry about the others, backing away from this. It would be a suicide mission for him to tackle this dungeon alone.

    He would still do it alone because he has no choice but it''d be better with the others'' help.

    ''Emotional attachment is oftentimes the first step to influencing someone''s decision,'' Lucivar pondered, gazing at the road ahead¡ªas the SUV headed towards the blue dungeon. Now all he needed to do was prepare.

    Along the way, Lucivar closed his eyes and went into his Inner Chamber.

    He went over to Loki''s statue and touched it, summoning a mirror.

    "Absorbing the green sphere from Morriva''s city gave me three arcane points," Lucivar noted, seeing the number three¡ªat the bottom right corner¡ªof the mirror. "I have to be really smart about this if I want to succeed"

    Increasing his ability''s mastery from low to mid costs one arcane point, mid to high costs two arcane points¡ªwhile high to perfect costs four arcane points. Once his mastery was reached high, he could reach the next realm of mastery and it costs five arcane points.

    Pretty straightforward but Lucivar has only three arcane points right now.

    He needed to increase the abilities that would help him in this dungeon.

    Contemplating for a few seconds, he settled on what he wanted to increase.

    ------

    ? Greedy Grasp (Low Mortal) ¡ª Mid -> High

    ? Radiant Burst (Low Mortal) ¡ª Low -> Mid

    ? Major Morphing (Low Mortal) ¡ª High

    ? Soul Warden (Low Mortal) ¡ª Low

    -------

    Lucivar decided to increase the mastery of Greedy Grasp and also Radiant Burst.

    He used the Greedy Grasp ability occasionally to replenish his God strands but since it was a powerful ability, increasing its mastery¡ªwas hard. The only reason he achieved mid-mastery was because of his breakthrough to the Acolyte rank.

    From that increase to mid-mastery, the range of the ability was increased.

    Making direct contact was no longer necessary.

    Lucivar only needs to be within ten meters or so to absorb someone''s ether.

    Of course, the further the person was in that ten-meter range¡ªthe less effective the ability became. So, now that it reached high mastery, the range should be exponentially increased again, as well as the absorption rate.

    Battling against the Crossers, he would definitely need to spend a lot of God strands.

    And increasing this ability''s mastery is a must.

    Other than that, he also settled on the Radiant Burst spell.

    It was his only offensive spell.

    Considering he could blow a limb with that spell amplified with the God strands, there should be no problem tearing through the Rock Golems and Stone Orcs inside the dungeon. As soon as he was finished, he opened his eyes and saw that they had arrived.

    Once the SUV stopped, Lucivar and the others got out.

    His eyes were immediately pulled toward a massive blue portal.

    It was at least the size of a two-story house, towering over everything around this open field.

    Lucivar approached the portal and placed his hands on his waist.

    "Woah~ That''s a blue dungeon for you, I can feel the energy from the other side radiating out overbearingly. I''m sure even non-Hybrid could sense the energy from the other side," Lucivar muttered, taking in the sight of his first blue dungeon.

    Soon, Ravenna, Mirel, along Caldaros'' group arrived and stepped out.

    Ravenna approached Lucivar and also looked at the portal.

    She could feel a shiver of excitement running down her spine, this was also her first time.

    "How many proselytes?"

    "One proselyte, it had gotten strong enough to go inside the dungeon"

    "We passed a cemetery earlier, there were many fresh flowers there, I''m guessing they were new and this proselyte was the cause"

    "Most definitely, he must''ve devoured more than forty people already"

    Proselytes are people¡ªwho were corrupted by the Crossers'' energy, and they also had their own classification. From the weakest¡ªthe first stage was Pawn. Once corrupted, the person would instantly become a Pawn.

    A pawn are stronger than normal humans and they also become thirsty for violence.

    Other than that, they also obtained the ability to absorb life force.

    It was the path that would make them stronger¡ªand once they absorbed enough life force, they ascended into something called Nexus. A Nexus is superhumanly strong, equivalent to Hybrids at the Acolyte or even Chrysalis rank.

    Also, they could now enter the dungeon to take refuge.

    A tactic used to eliminate the option of closing the portal without entering it.

    Normally¡ªa Pawn''s task was to kill people until the portal''s link to the world became strong enough for the Crossers to cross over. But in most cases¡ªseveral of them would be caught and killed before the link was strong enough.

    And the responsibility would fall to continue lies on the shoulder of a single proselyte.

    From the looks of it, the proselyte here was bearing that responsibility.

    "Normally, a yellow dungeon would break even before a Pawn could become a Nexus. But that was not the case, for a blue dungeon, it seems," Ravenna said as she firmed her claw gauntlets.

    Once she did that, the sharp blades hummed with heat.

    Just like Lucivar, Ravenna also bought a weapon from the academy for herself.

    "So, leader," She said playfully. "What''s our plan? Go for the Teal Coin or the proselyte?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

    "Since the proselyte was inside already, isn''t the answer, should be obvious? We should find the Teal Coin¡ªto close the portal for good. What''s good for aiming the proselyte? We would break the portal anyway to go inside" He added in confusion.

    As he was the leader of this team, he was given by the driver an item to open the portal.

    It was called Shard Breaker, a crystal-shaped item used to break the portal.

    Lucivar would use that on the portal and once the portal''s barrier breaks, it breaks.

    Meaning that either Lucivar''s team or the Crossers could go through it.

    It was precisely why the academy hunters were divided into teams based on their powers.

    At that point¡ªaiming for the proselyte would be less enticing.

    It would take time for the portal to close after the proselyte is dead¡ªand they would need to defend the portal from the Crossers still for a full day and that would be hazardous. This was precisely why the academy hunters were divided into teams based on their powers.

    If the portal was far from breaking, the target should be killing the proselytes.

    On the other hand, if that portal was breaking like this one, they should aim for the Teal Coin.

    Back in Veloria City, the reason they were split into dealing¡ªwith both targets was that there was a chance the proselytes were stronger, than the dungeon itself. But in this case, the Teal Coin should be the answer.

    Knowing what Lucivar was thinking, Ravenna chuckled.

    She turned towards Leandra, "You haven''t told him already? That''s cruel"

    "It''s not that I don''t want to tell him," Leandra shrugged and headed towards the portal.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar looked at Ravenna questioningly.

    It seemed he was the only one who was oblivious to what was going on.

    Mirel and Nerissa also knew, they weren''t as puzzled as Lucivar.

    "Didn''t you know about Leandra''s bloodline?" Ravenna asked, turning to look at Leandra.

    Lucivar nodded, "Star Witch bloodline, I know,"

    "Yes," Ravenna nodded. "And since she has that bloodline, she could open the portal without actually opening it. Unlike the Shard Breaker you''re given that shattered the portal, for either side to go through, Leandra could open a one-sided portal for only us to go through"

    Once he heard this, Lucivar nodded.

    He then turned towards Leandra.

    Now that he knew about this, he reckoned that back when they were handling¡ªthe yellow dungeon in that small town, the Crossers came way later. He thought that Leandra made a mistake that caused the Crossers to pour out.

    But it seemed the portal broke faster than anticipated.

    She did something wrong but it wasn''t entirely her fault as Lucivar thought back then.

    ''The Star Witch bloodline could open dungeons in the Crossers'' world, I guess it shouldn''t be surprising if she could also do this,'' Lucivar thought, this changes everything. But as he came to realize this, he turned towards Caldaros and his team.

    Ravenna nodded, it seemed Lucivar also realized what to do.

    Since the Star Witch bloodline was very rare, if known, Leandra would definitely be taken.

    It was too valuable and the Supreme Houses wouldn''t let her be wasted.

    As it turns out, exactly like Lucivar, she was also hiding her identity.

    ''I have the Angel bloodline as well as the Gods, Leandra has the Star Witch bloodline,'' Lucivar turned, towards the others. ''Ravenna has a strong bloodline, that even prompted Sha, to give me a warning¡ªand it should also be the case for the others...''

    Realizing this, he squinted, ''Just how can Tobias gather all of us? What does he want?''

    Shaking his head as Tobias is a man of mystery, Lucivar focused back on the moment.

    "Before you help her, what should we aim for?"

    "We should still aim for the Teal Coin¡ªthe proselyte is a Nexus and it should be cunning and dangerous. But still, we will keep an eye out for the proselyte. It should know where the Teal Coin was"

    "Good decision," Ravenna nodded. "I so happen to be good at torture"

    Knowing how nonchalant and playful she was, this came as a shock for Lucivar.

    He never expected her out of all people to be good at torture.

    Once the plan was solid, Lucivar approached Leandra and took out the Shard Breaker from his pocket. It was shaped like a crystal with a brilliant blue hue. He stopped directly beside Leandra and asked, "Are you ready?"

    "Yes, I''m ready" Leandra nodded.

    Since her bloodline was too valuable, Lucivar needed to pretend to open the portal with her.

    Caldaros and his team shouldn''t know that she has the Star Witch bloodline.

    Just as Lucivar was about to pretend to use the Shard Breaker, Leandra stopped him.

    "By the way, just so you know, I haven''t told you about my bloodline because I forgot. It''s not that I don''t trust you or anything so don''t get the wrong idea" She abruptly said without even making eye contact with Lucivar.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smirked, "Okay, I understand. Can we open the portal now?"

    "Yeah..." Leandra placed her hand on the portal''s barrier.

    Once she did that, she channeled her ether.

    A purple star symbol appeared on her forehead¡ªforcing her to tilt her head down to not be seen. Lucivar also pointed the Shard Breaker forward and pulled Leandra closer to him¡ªhe used his body to hide her from Caldaros'' line of vision.

    Eventually, the portal cracked open.

    Swoosh!

    "So this is a dungeon, huh...?"

 Chapter 123 123: First Blue Dungeon

    Purple ether coiled around Leandra''s arm and went into the portal, tearing through the fabric of dimension¡ªand creating another colorless portal. She was imitating¡ªthe Shard Breaker''s process of opening the dungeon to avoid suspicion.

    Leandra must''ve been trained to do this as she opened the dungeon easily.

    Once the one-way portal was opened, Lucivar could see the dungeon that lay beyond.

    His senses were alerted, and the cold air coming from the dungeon licked his neck¡ªinstilling unease, into his very essence. People always feared the unknown. Lucivar also felt uneasy in his very first time confronting a proselyte.

    So the feeling he felt right now was only a primal instinct, he could overcome it.

    "I''ll lead. Keep your guard up, and stay close," Ravenna walked on ahead. "I''ve been into a lot of dungeons¡ªin the last week. One thing I learned is that dungeons are always consistently, inconsistent"

    Bob and Ravenna were grouped with the senior academy hunters.

    Because of that, she had undergone a lot of missions.

    It wouldn''t be surprising if she had already finished three or even four missions already.

    Lucivar didn''t argue¡ªhe knew when to step back and for this moment, Ravenna would lead.

    Following closely behind, the others followed Ravenna into the dungeon.

    Caldaros watched the group step into the dungeon closely¡ªa complicated expression could be seen decorating his face, "I feel colder when I''m near him¡ªI wonder why...?" He squinted, recalling the sensation he felt from being near Lucivar. "Also¡ªthose people are all weird. Too strong for them to merely be academy hunters"

    Shaking his head, he turned to his team.

    "Get ready to intercept the Crossers that would come out, work together with the military"

    "Yes!"

    Meanwhile, Lucivar stepped into the dungeon and could feel the change immediately.

    He could feel the temperature drop¡ªsignificantly, it was really as if he had gone into a whole new world. Knowing the Crossers inside to be Rock Golems, and Stone Orcs, the terrain, was as expected.

    It was a rocky mountainous area with snow decorating the peaks.

    Lucivar was aware that dungeons are literal pocket dimensions, created by the Primordials to attack their world. But he never knew that dungeons¡ªcould be this big, he could not see the end of the dungeon from where he stood.

    Once all of them got inside, the one-way portal disappeared.

    Recovering from his sightseeing daze, Lucivar checked on Nerissa.

    "Stay in the middle of us," He instructed.

    Nerissa nodded, she was holding a staff on one hand¡ªas well as a backpack behind her.

    Other than being the healer of the team, she would also be collecting the power crystals.

    Ravenna scanned the surroundings meticulously.

    Currently, the group was standing in an open field with a few dead trees around and snow as deep as their shins. Nothing was moving around them but that does not mean that they were safe, in fact, they need to be alert in this kind of situation the most.

    Just before the group moved, Lucivar stole a glance at Mirel.

    Mirel hasn''t said anything and has been unusually quiet ever since their mission.

    Usually, he was the flower of the group that could melt any tension but he now changed.

    ''Later, I''ll try talking to him. I need to know what''s in his mind,'' Lucivar nodded.

    Something must''ve been in Mirel''s mind and it was most likely about him.

    Because of that, Lucivar needed to know.

    "Remember, the Teal Coin is a glowing orb of light and is always hidden." Ravenna said.

    Upon hearing, the others nodded.

    It should be easy enough to find with their eyes in that case.

    "Hidden?" Nerissa mused in confusion pulling the others'' attention towards her. She then lifted her arm, and pointed to a mountain peak to their left, "If it''s supposed to be hidden, what is that glowing thing?"

    Instinctively, all eyes snapped to the mountain peak, where a radiant blue light blazed.

    Going with Ravenna''s description, this radiant blue light should be the Teal Coin.

    "Didn''t you say it should be hidden?" Leandra turned to Ravenna. "It''s right there"

    "I was wondering about that too..." Ravenna frowned.

    Just then, Lucivar squinted as he saw something moving on that mountain peak and before long, he could tell, that it was the Stone Orcs. Even from afar, he could tell that these Stone Orcs were massive in size.

    As one would expect, these Stone Orcs have burly bodies and wielded blunt ice weapons.

    Ice axes, ice clubs, ice hammers, amongst other massive weapons.

    Raahh!!!

    "Are they dancing? What are they doing...?" Leandra mused.

    Instead of attacking them right away¡ªthese Stone Orcs, were staying on the mountain peak instead, raising their weapons to the sky and cheering towards the group. A weird sight, one that confused not only Leandra but also Nerissa and Mirel.

    Lucivar and Ravenna, on the other hand, could tell what they were doing.

    "No, they''re not dancing," Lucivar sweated. "they''re taunting us to come at them"

    "I''ve never been in a situation like this before," Ravenna added¡ªshe found this situation a bit more troublesome than normal. "I''ve never been in a dungeon where the Crossers inside of it weren''t hiding the Teal Coin but displayed it like this instead"

    Even though her tone seemed to be troubled, her lips curled upward a little.

    She certainly accepted the Stone Orcs'' challenge, without hesitation inside.

    On the other hand¡ªLucivar made a mental note of the Stone Orcs'' number.

    ''Roughly a hundred of them and there''s possibly more behind that peak, I can''t tell...'' Lucivar thought, he could tell that taking down this dungeon would be way harder than he prepared, the Stone Orcs outnumbered them by at least ten to one.

    "We should separate them someh-"

    Boom!

    Just then, Lucivar was surprised the ground below his feet suddenly moved and elevated.

    He wasn''t ready for this so he stumbled and fell to his back.

    A humanoid rock creature¡ªtwice his height emerged from below, it was buried under snow and woke up when Lucivar stepped on it. Looking at the puny human in front of it, the Rock Golem lifted both of its hands above its head and swung down powerfully.

    In the nick of time, Ravenna arrived and caught the attack.

    Bam!!

    Her entire body was sizzling, with crimson ether¡ªher bloodline''s unique characteristics were already activated. Despite that, she fell to one knee upon catching the hammer fist, the force behind the swing was enormous.

    Lucivar''s eyes widened upon sensing the ether coming from Ravenna.

    She has gotten way stronger since they last met.

    "Get out of the way! I can''t hold it any longer!" Ravenna shouted, glaring at Lucivar.

    Recovering from his initial shock, Lucivar wanted to summon his wing, and flapped out of the way but a water tentacle already grabbed him by the arm and yanked him out of the way. He landed several meters back, right next to Nerissa.

    Only then did Ravenna tilt her body, allowing the Rock Golem''s arms to strike the ground.

    And beyond expectations, the ground cracked from receiving that blow.

    Ravenna said that it was heavy but none expected the Rock Golem to be this monstrous.

    Glancing to the side, the Rock Golem changed its target, fixing its glowing yellow eyes on Ravenna. Just as it began to move its heavy body, an unseen force gripped it¡ªlocking its torso in place, and holding it immobile.

    As it was held in place, stuck¡ªa streak of lightning blitzed toward it.

    Mirel sprinted, amplifying his speed with ether¡ªholding a katana with both hands.

    Obtaining the academy points, from helping take down Professor Fury¡ªas well as from the mission they completed, the group had the exact same thing in mind and bought a weapon for themselves.

    In Mirel''s case, he bought a katana with its blade shaded by a yellow hue.

    Blitz!

    Charging the katana with ether, sparks of yellow lightning began to appear along its length.

    It crackled with power and once it did, Mirel threw it upward.

    He kept his eyes fixed on the Rock Golem and made a powerful clap with both hands.

    One of Mirel''s signature abilities¡ªhis clap unleashed a fan-shaped lightning shockwave¡ªits raw power forcing the Rock Golem to take a step back. Using this window of opportunity, he then leaped forward, catching his katana mid-air and delivering a mighty swing.

    His swing landed directly on the Rock Golem''s head, firing a lightning strike in a straight line.

    Despite pouring a lot into that attack, he could only manage to crack its skin.

    Mirel clicked his tongue in displeasure when he saw this.

    Following up on the attack, Leandra''s eyes glowed purple, as she summoned multiple purple stars above her¡ªfive to be exact, and fired them at the Rock Golem. Each time these purple stars landed on their mark, they created an explosion that blew the Rock Golem.

    It was forced to stagger multiple times as the barrage continued.

    One by one, the shooting star struck the Rock Golem.

    As this continued, Ravenna charged in with relentless ferocity, her clawed gauntlets slashing in a rapid flurry, at the staggered Rock Golem. Each strike left steaming trails, across its rock form but none were powerful enough to break through its hardened skin.

    ''It''s so hard... I can''t quite pierce its skin'' Ravenna pondered.

    Just as anticipated, the group would have trouble fighting this kind of Crossers.

    She would need more time until she could make the finishing strike.

    "Ravenna!"

    Suddenly, Ravenna heard her name being called¡ªprompting her to glance back.

    Lucivar could be seen charging an immense amount of ether to his dagger¡ªso much so that the air around the dagger became wobbly, and distorted. Seeing this, Ravenna quickly made her way back to the Rock Golem again.

    She came right as the last purple star exploded on the Rock Golem, weakening its rock skin.

    Moving nimbly like a cat, she dodged the Rock Golem''s attacks perfectly.

    Her right foot was garnering a lot of ether, causing it to burn with a deep crimson hue.

    In a couple of seconds, Ravenna reached below the Rock Golem and gritted her teeth.

    "Hyaah!!"

    Bam!

    Ravenna landed a vicious uppercut kick¡ªright on the Rock Golem''s chin, it was an ability of her from the looks of it as the impact echoed hard, and propelled the Rock Golem off of the ground, surprisingly.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar made his move.

    He flapped his wing and dashed at the Rock Golem.

    As he glided in the air, the very tip of his dagger trembled with intense golden ether.

    Because of his high ether control granted by Loki''s Divine Blood¡ªhe could condense as well as concentrate his ether, only at the tip of his dagger¡ªamplifying his striking power twofold, and coupled with adding two God strands, he was confident with his attack.

    Lucivar''s eyes glistened as he thrust his dagger forward.

    Crash!

    Upon impact, the Rock Golem''s body shattered into small rocks.

    It was obliterated¡ªthe very first kill in this dungeon.

    Landing on the ground softly, Lucivar turned towards the others and smiled.

    Even though they needed to make some efforts¡ªthe Rock Golem was finally killed.

    Before they could celebrate or even catch their breaths, multiple mounds of snow stood up, revealing more Rock Golems in the area. Seeing this, Lucivar and the others regrouped, and put their backs on one another in a circular formation.

    "Great... One down and now it''s four more to go"

 Chapter 124 124: Battle in the Snowfield

    Lucivar managed to shatter the Rock Golem into pieces.

    He focused his golden ether onto the tip of his dagger using his delicate ether control¡ªwhile also infusing it, with one God strand. Since the Rock Golem was weakened, its body cracking from their attacks, this was enough to take it down.

    Upon doing that, the entire group sighed in relief.

    Despite needing to put in a lot of effort, they eventually took the Rock Golem down.

    At the center of the Rock Golem''s shattered body was a golden sphere.

    ''Good, killing Crossers dropped me golden spheres'' Lucivar nodded.

    In the real world, he was restricted by the rules of society.

    Since the change in his Angel bloodline, he could obtain his natural ether to cultivate from killing others. His very first kill was the Fire Primordial, a Crosser, but the Primordials are a race of intelligent beings.

    Lucivar was worried that the golden sphere only acknowledged killing intelligent beings.

    Something like the Rock Golems or other monsters wouldn''t be counted.

    But it doesn''t seem to be the case.

    ''Dungeons are the way for me, I can get stronger here faster than outside,'' Lucivar thought.

    Grabbing the golden sphere, he put it into his Inner Chamber and stood up straight again.

    At the same time, the ground beneath him began to tremble hard.

    Regrouping with the others, he saw the mounds of snow scattered around, that he thought were boulders¡ªbut they weren''t actually boulders, they were Rock Golems instead. Due to the ruckus, these golems were wakened up from their slumber.

    Four hulking rock creatures surrounded them from all sides.

    "Each take one," Ravenna instructed. "If you can''t beat it, buy time for the others"

    Once she said that the group moved, picking one Rock Golem to fight.

    Nerissa was the only one left behind, preparing to heal and aid those who were in need.

    Aiming at the Rock Golem that was more slender than the others, Lucivar sprinted¡ªhis eyes were already glowing golden. His feet were blurry, leaving behind a trail on the snow until he got close enough to make a leap.

    Holding the dagger in hand, he felt weightless.

    It seemed the wind element property from his dagger was making him faster.

    "Raargh!"

    Lucivar struck, his dagger slicing through the air in a vibrant green arc.

    Clang!

    His dagger''s powerful arc was stopped abruptly on impact, barely leaving a scratch as the Rock Golem''s impenetrable skin absorbed the blow without flinching. Gritting his teeth, he landed back down and pressed on, channeling his momentum into relentless strikes.

    Each strike was lethal, aimed to pierce the unyielding surface.

    Of course, the Rock Golem retaliated, trying to grab or even hit him with its massive arms.

    It was unsuccessful.

    In terms of strength, the Rock Golem along with its weight has the edge by a lot.

    But since it was made entirely of rocks, it was clunky and slow.

    Lucivar had an easy time dodging its attacks, he was too nimble for the Rock Golem.

    It was helpless before Lucivar''s speed.

    Even then, this situation goes both ways.

    Lucivar realized that the task proved to be more tedious than he anticipated.

    Mid-air, Lucivar checked the result of his attacks.

    ''I can''t... I can only scratch the surface but nothing is going through!''

    Unlike Ravenna''s kick earlier or Leandra''s bombardment, his offensive capability was lacking.

    Annoyed, Lucivar grabbed the dagger with both hands and swung down vertically.

    He put his weight and power into this slash and the Rock Golem blocked it with its big arms.

    Sparks danced from the friction between steel and rock, despite his strength¡ªhe couldn''t do anything against this hard defense, ''I guess the only way I could pierce its defense is through using God strands''

    Nodding his head, Lucivar was about to move, his ears caught a sharp whistling wind.

    Swoosh!

    His dagger began to shake uncontrollably, its green-tinged edge unleashing a raging torrent of wind¡ªthat shot past the Rock Golem. The whirlwind, coalesced into a phantom form of a green panther, its claws flaring with fierce energy and struck the Rock Golem from behind.

    It struck with brutal force, causing the Rock Golem to stumble forward, before dissipating.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar''s eyes flashed.

    ''I forgot about the dagger''s ability...'' He smirked.

    Recalling the dagger''s ability, Echoing Phantom, Lucivar made his move again.

    Circling the Rock Golem, he reached its back and swung once again¡ªthis time¡ªhe used one God strand to boost his attacking power. Like earlier, the Rock Golem''s skin was too hard but that wasn''t a problem anymore.

    Another phantom gushed out and struck it from the front with even more power than before.

    And this time, the attack cracked the Rock Golem''s torso.

    Lucivar smirked at this sight, he could smell his triumph already.

    He remembered the chance of activating the Echoing Phantom was 20% but this chance will increase the harder the initial attack hits. Using two hands earlier, he was able to trigger this ability for the first time.

    Following that logic, if he used two hands in every strike the chance would always be more than 20%. But there was no need for that¡ªLucivar could use the God strands to propel the chance from 20% to close to 100%.

    Coupled with the fact that the phantom''s strike is stronger than his initial attack, it''s perfect.

    ''It almost felt like this dagger was custom-made for me,'' Lucivar smiled.

    Flapping his wing, he shot upward as the Rock Golem fell to its back.

    Lucivar dived back with his dagger pointing down¡ªstabbing the Rock Golem, with incredible force. Using two God strands in this strike, the phantom came out bigger than before, and as it struck, biting with its fangs, the Rock Golem shattered.

    "Huff... Huff..."

    Upon killing the Rock Golem, Lucivar panted heavily.

    Making consecutive all-out strikes is very stamina-demanding¡ªhe was breathing hard.

    Checking the others, he found Ravenna and Leandra were helping Mirel take down the Rock Golem, he was facing. He had time to breathe because of that, "Had I decided to come here alone, I''d be in trouble as soon as I stepped here"

    Asking the others to come was the right choice.

    He would need to fight six Rock Golems on his own, had he come here alone.

    Just then, as if it wasn''t enough, more Rock Golems woke up in the distance.

    Lucivar watched them approaching slowly with a tired gaze.

    But his eyes were pulled to the portal, there were some Rock Golems that tried to come out.

    Fortunately¡ªthe portal remained sealed¡ªits barrier holding firm and preventing any breach into the real world. No matter how hard the Rock Golems pounded, it wouldn''t budge. It was all thanks to Leandra.

    Also, because of this, there was no need for anyone to be guarding the portal.

    None of them need to stay behind, they could stick together and focus on the Teal Coin.

    "I think it''s time for us to move!" Lucivar shouted, seeing at least a dozen more Rock Golems.

    On the other hand, Ravenna dived from above¡ªand stomped the Rock Golem, shattering it under her foot before turning towards Lucivar. Fighting six Rock Golems were sapping their stamina already, a dozen would be too much.

    Better for them to save their strength as the Stone Orcs were the main threat.

    "Nerissa! Come quick!" She called.

    Mirel was hissing in pain, some of his fingers were broken from trying to slash his katana and cleave the Rock Golem. Nerissa immediately came, and began healing him, coating his entire arm with healing water.

    Seeing this, went over to Lucivar and stood by him, "We need to buy time,"

    "Can''t Nerissa heal Mirel while we move?" Lucivar shot back.

    She shook her head, "Not that she can''t but we don''t know what lies behind that precipice"

    In order to reach the Stone Orcs and the Teal Coin, the group needed to go through a narrow path, passing a precipice. From their position, they couldn''t see what was beyond so it would be better for Mirel to be healed first before moving.

    Rock Golems are slow anyway so they can take their chances.

    Upon agreeing on what to do, Leandra''s eyes glowed as she took a step forward.

    She lifted her arms slowly and used her telekinetic ability.

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar glanced around and noticed the snow in the area rising, swirling toward the front.

    Initially, it was a light drift but it quickly grew into a massive, cloud-like mount.

    Once she found the amount was sufficient or rather, this was the best she could do, Leandra gathered the immense pile and hurled it forward with a sharp grunt. She hurled an avalanche directly at the approaching Rock Golems.

    Upon impact, the Rock Golems were halted¡ªthe snow reached above their knees.

    ''So much ether... Her ether is double or even triple that of mine,'' Lucivar gasped.

    Despite absorbing a lot of Loki''s Divine Blood, Leandra still has him beat in terms of ether.

    Shaking his head to focus, he snapped out of his trance and pointed his hands forward.

    He pointed at two Rock Golems that were leading the group and used Radiant Burst.

    As soon as he made the sequence to unleash the spell¡ªLucivar saw a gathering of light that swirled in front of these two Rock Golems. He gasped as the vortex was even bigger than he expected, it was at least as big as the Rock Golem''s torso.

    Once ready, the vortex exploded with a massive energy explosion.

    His spell pushed the two Rock Golems back and the avalanche dragged them away.

    Seeing that it was working, Lucivar continued using his Radiant Spell.

    Boom!

    Boom!

    None of the Rock Golems were able to get close under their combined effort.

    "Great, a bit more and Mirel would be patched up!" Leandra said, stealing a glance behind.

    Just as she said that, however, the ground shook.

    Both Lucivar and Leandra stumbled because of this, it was a hard shake that made them lose their center of balance. Lifting their gazes¡ªboth of them were surprised when the avalanche suddenly exploded.

    Its rush was halted and after it exploded, the avalanche was dispersed instantly.

    Leandra was knocked back, her telekinetic connection was cut.

    Before she could fall, Lucivar caught her by the waist while keeping his gaze ahead.

    Peering from the mild snow haze ahead¡ªLucivar saw several sets of glowing eyes belonging to the Rock Golems approaching. But his gaze was fixed on a pair of eyes taller than the rest, way taller.

    Each step this being took made the ground shake, causing Lucivar and Leandra to sweat.

    Soon, a creature emerges, twice the size of the other Rock Golems.

    Not only that, jagged ice spikes jutted out, adorning its entire body like a frozen armor.

    It was as if the Rock Golems had a big brother and this thing was their big brother.

    As soon as this creature emerged, even Ravenna paled.

    Her face turned as pale as a sheet of paper.

    "Shit... It''s a Rock Sentinel!"

 Chapter 125 125: Youre Still Weak

    In class, academy hunters are taught every single detail about taking down dungeons.

    Because of that, the group could recognize this massive creature as none other than a Rock Sentinel. A notorious monster inside a blue dungeon¡ªknown for their impenetrable defense that even five-star Acolyte Hybrids couldn''t breach.

    An assault team''s bottleneck for most blue dungeons that hosted its presence.

    Based on the professors, the Rock Sentinels usually guarded the Teal Coin.

    However, in this case, the Stone Orcs must have taken the Teal Coin from it and placed it on top of the mountain peak. Lucivar, and the others, were fortunate¡ªit would have been quite impossible for them had the Rock Sentinel guarded the Teal Coin.

    ''It''s a teenager...'' Leandra wiped the blood drizzling down from her nose.

    From a quick glance, the Rock Sentinel''s size was several feet shorter than stated.

    Leandra assumed that it hadn''t matured because of that, so the situation was not as bad as she initially thought but even then, the alien energy it radiated was suffocating. Fighting the creature would''ve been a suicide.

    "Run!" She shouted and turned to sprint away.

    Compared to the unknown danger lying beyond the precipice, the Rock Sentinel is worse.

    A second later, Lucivar snapped out of his trance and ran in the other direction.

    Ravenna, Mirel, and Nerissa were already way ahead.

    Panting roughly from the mouth, Lucivar infused ether into his legs to run like hell.

    But in that second, his pupils dilated seeing a dark trail of energy the size of his arm¡ªcoiled from behind, and connected to him. Lucivar''s heart skipped a beat, he looked back and saw the Rock Sentinel lifting its massive foot.

    Proselytes have the ability to sense life force as well as ether.

    And the reason they had that ability was because all Crossers could do that.

    Sensing the sheer thickness of Lucivar''s life force, the Rock Sentinel targeted him instantly.

    Boom!!

    Once the Rock Sentinel slammed its titanic foot down upon the snowfield, with a thunderous force, the earth cracked beneath the sheer magnitude, of its weight. Around the impact site, the pristine snow erupted skyward in a dazzling plume, scattering shards of ice and frost.

    Lucivar thought of this as an intimidation display but it was not.

    A deadly chain of explosions followed.

    Five meters ahead¡ªanother surge of snow, blasted into the air, then another¡ªand another, each explosion unfurling at precise intervals, carving a trail of ruin across the icy expanse¡ª the shockwave relentlessly surged forward.

    Seeing the approaching devastation, Lucivar felt the tremor beneath his feet growing.

    He reacted quickly, grabbing Leandra and flaring his wing to make a high leap.

    But the force was too swift to evade, its crescendo struck Lucivar as he was about to leap.

    Lucivar and Leandra were thrown high into the air¡ªspinning like ragdolls and landed on the snow ground roughly with a grunt. Groaning in pain, Lucivar pushed himself up and glanced at the Rock Sentinel again.

    ''It''s so strong, I don''t know how to beat it...'' He pondered, his face paled from all colors.

    Seeing that the creature was still approaching at a slow pace, Lucivar climbed up to his feet, but his eyes then widened. He had faced death and he suffered pain, but at this moment, he saw a trace of fear.

    Out of nowhere, his knee buckled, slamming into the forest ground with a muted thud.

    His breath hitched¡ªeyes widening in disbelief as a tremor coursed through his entire body.

    So violent it felt as though his very core had been unmoored.

    Lucivar lowered his gaze, confusion, and unease warring within him, only to find both his legs and hands trembling uncontrollably¡ªagainst his will. It was a sight so foreign to him¡ªthat he was rendered momentarily stunned.

    Never had his body betrayed him like this before.

    Raising his gaze again, he saw the Rock Sentinel yanking out a chunk of the ground.

    It couldn''t reach Lucivar fast so it decided to cripple him instead by throwing this boulder.

    ''Come on, move!'' Lucivar shouted inside his head, he wanted to avoid this attack but he was frozen in place. His legs would move as if there were nails¡ªpinning them to the ground. Just as the Rock Sentinel threw the boulder, Leandra pulled him out of the way.

    Using her telekinetic ability, she pulled him from the boulder''s way.

    "What''s wrong with you?!" Leandra asked in complete shock. "Let''s get out of here first"

    Nodding his head, the two continued on ahead, leaving the Rock Sentinel behind.

    Reaching the narrow path between ridges, Lucivar and Leandra, saw the others at the end of the path, waiting for them. Once they regrouped back, Leandra instantly turned towards him, "What was that? Why didn''t you move out of the way?"

    "I... I don''t know," Lucivar replied silently.

    It was the truth, he really didn''t know why his body refused to listen to him back then.

    Leandra was about to snap as Lucivar picked the worst time to be like that but Ravenna¡ªon the side, came to stop her. She held Leandra''s shoulder and smiled, "Let''s see your wounds, your nose is bleeding"

    Reluctantly, Leandra turned away and went over to Nerissa.

    Ravenna cast a glance at Lucivar before she went to check on him to see if he was wounded.

    She said nothing as she did it as Lucivar seemed to be in deep thought.

    Moments later.

    Knowing that the Stone Orcs were keeping an eye on them from the mountain peak, Lucivar and the others decided to use a small forest west of the mountain as cover. Leandra as well as Mirel were meditating¡ªregenerating their ether from the earlier battle.

    Lucivar did too but he was done earlier than the others.

    He leaned his head back on a tree trunk and sighed.

    "What happened earlier...? I don''t understand" He muttered, still fixed on that moment.

    If Leandra hadn''t pulled him out of the way, he might''ve eaten that big boulder.

    As he contemplated in silence, a wind of dark bronze energy appeared a couple of meters, to his side. It was Sha, she sat on the snowy ground and gazed at Lucivar piercingly, "You''re not ready for this dungeon. It is not too late to turn around, you can find another way around that professor''s approval"

    "Tch... if you''re only going to mock me, don''t come out" Lucivar retorted.

    "I''m not mocking you. I''m telling you"

    "I was only caught off guard. It''s a simple mistake, it won''t happen again"

    "Mistake...?"

    Sha approached, her paws sinking into the snow with each step.

    She went to sit in front of Luciva¡ªher tail playing behind.

    "All this while, you planned or at least had a rough plan on what to do, but it wouldn''t work in a place like this. This place requires you to adapt. You might be good in a duel¡ªbut this kind of place is completely different, it''s unforgiving and it won''t give you time to think"

    "And what''s that have to do with me freezing earlier?"

    "You''re crumbling... you don''t have a plan and you don''t know what to do against that thing"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned deeply.

    He didn''t want to believe that he was crumbling in the face of the Rock Sentinel.

    It was true that this was his first time actually entering a dungeon¡ªsubconsciously, he might be nervous and knew that he could easily die here unlike in the real world, as a dungeon isn''t a magical phenomenon or something that the world offered.

    No... it was practically a battlefield between two worlds.

    One belongs to Humanity while the other belongs to the Primordials.

    "Ridiculous," Lucivar averted his gaze away. "I''ve faced similar situations like this"

    "Still don''t want to accept it?" Sha smirked, her fangs poking out as she went closer.

    Now she sat between Lucivar''s legs, forcing him to look at her, "If you don''t want to accept it, I should tell you¡ªthat when you met Caldaros earlier, you froze... your body was shaking too. You might not realize it but it happened. You are forced to kill Caldaros¡ªbut you do not know how to do it, so you crumbled"

    "In other words," Sha continued and leaned forward. "you''re still weak..."

    Deg!

    Lucivar could feel those words cut deep into his heart.

    He gritted his teeth¡ªa surge of wrath igniting his veins like molten fire.

    "Never say that to me again, I''m no longer weak..." Lucivar replied raspingly.

    His eyes glared sharply at Sha.

    For a moment there, he forgot that Sha was practically a God and glared at her warningly.

    Upon seeing his reaction, Sha was pleased.

    "Anger beats fear, that''s good. But nevertheless, you must accept your weakness or else you will never grow. In the face of an overwhelming opponent, you froze, fix that¡ªand you will be stronger" She advised.

    Surprisingly, she was encouraging him instead of mocking him as usual.

    Despite his reluctance, Lucivar knew deep down that she was right.

    "How... How can I fix that?" He asked.

    Hearing this Sha''s body began to dissipate slowly, turning back into a lump of bronze energy.

    "Fear makes the wolf bigger and you fear of not having a plan. In order to fix that¡ªyou must confront what was in front of you first because, in truth, you are not that powerless. You are the Blessed Oracle, after all..."

    "Keep your laser-focus on the price, do not waver from it even in the face of the strong"

    Once Sha disappeared, Lucivar was left alone once again.

    Recalling the moment earlier, he did find the Rock Sentinel too overwhelming.

    He didn''t know how to beat it and thus he froze.

    "Do you consider yourself harmless or do you consider yourself as dangerous...?"

    Lucivar''s mind was thrown back to what Gandr said to him.

    "I''m the Blessed Oracle, I''m dangerous..." He uttered, his eyes flashing with a deadly light.

    About ten minutes later, the group moved once again.

    Even though Leandra''s bloodline¡ªwas able to keep the portal sealed, they didn''t have much time, until the portal shattered. If that happened, Professor Victor would probably consider it a failure.

    Before that happens, Lucivar and the others should get the Teal Coin.

    Due to that, once they recovered their ether¡ªthey made their move again.

    Having not a single piece of information, about the Stone Orcs, other than they were taunting them to climb the mountain, the group decided to circle the mountain through the woods and see if they could calculate the Stone Orcs'' forces.

    Climbing the mountain with the Stone Orcs around would be an impossible task.

    It would be a clear disadvantage for them as the Stone Orcs have the upper ground.

    Gathering more intelligence is their top priority at the moment.

    Fortunately, there doesn''t seem to be anyone inside the forest, the coast was clear.

    Ravenna and Mirel went on ahead to observe the Stone Orcs on the peak.

    Currently¡ªthe group was already on the back side of the mountain¡ªand could check if the Stone Orcs had more numbers than they showed earlier. Lucivar¡ªand the others waited for the two to return but then, Nerissa caught sight of something in the distance.

    A light that seemed to come from torches.

    Sneaking closer, Nerissa''s eyes sparkled, "A village...? It''s the Stone Orc''s village!"

 Chapter 126 126: Falling to a Trap

    It was quite cold inside the dungeon, the temperature was freezing.

    Nerissa was rubbing her shoulders, shivering, but she noticed something in the distance.

    She blinked her eyes several times¡ªchecking to see if what she was seeing was correct.

    "A village...?" A soft mumble escaped her small lips.

    But the sight remained consistent and once she took a couple of steps forward¡ªshe noticed that the light came from a torch, attached to a tree. Tilting her body more, she found more of these torches ahead.

    Once she saw that, she became certain, "It''s the Stone Orc''s village!"

    Going back, she informed Lucivar and Leandra about it.

    Ravenna and Mirel had only left to scout the Stone Orcs on the peak, so the trio decided to check the village¡ªto see if they could use the village to lure the Stone Orcs down from the mountain peak.

    Approaching the village sneakily, Lucivar was alert to the surroundings.

    ''Stone Orcs are led by a Chieftain, likely rivaling the strength of a Rock Sentinel,'' He thought, his senses sharp as his eyes darted warily from side to side, scanning for any sign of danger lurking nearby.

    However, so far, there was nothing¡ªno trace of killing intent was detected.

    Even then, he didn''t lower his guard.

    If the Stone Orcs were smart enough to position the Teal Coin atop the mountain peak, a lure that would force Lucivar''s group into a disadvantageous position, they would surely be smart enough not to leave their village unguarded.

    Upon nearing the village, Lucivar, Leandra, and Nerissa peeked from behind a boulder.

    It was eerily silent with only the crackling sound from the torches.

    Soon, Leandra pointed to the hut on the opposite side.

    "Look there... Judging from the shadows inside the hut they shouldn''t be mature Stone Orcs, teenagers," She whispered, squinting her eyes, this was a chance for them. "This is definitely their village, no doubt about it"

    Lucivar nodded, "We should capture them and force the Stone Orcs to come down"

    As he was about to move, Leandra pulled him down.

    "I said capture. I''m not going to kill them, you have my word"

    "No, it''s not about that"

    "Then what?"

    Hearing this, Leandra cleared her throat and held Lucivar''s hands.

    "If I die today..." She started, her voice soft and serious. "know that it would be your fault"

    For a second there, Lucivar was stunned, processing what she said.

    Once his mind clicked, he pulled his hands away, "Really now? I didn''t force you to come"

    "Ehmm..." Nerissa intervened in the conversation. "Actually, you did force us to come"

    Recalling how Lucivar was guilt-tripping them using Pippa''s innocence, Nerissa was right.

    "Fine, alright¡ªI''ll be weeping in both of your graves for a week. Happy??" Lucivar clicked his tongue and stood up¡ªhe couldn''t believe Leandra still spare time to say that to him. He was thinking that she would be saying something serious but it''s not.

    Lucivar looked around and sneaked to the opposite side of the village.

    It wasn''t big, only comprised of around fifty to sixty tents with the main one at the center.

    Reaching the other side, he saw shadows moving inside at least six tents.

    As the grown-ups were out, the youngsters remained behind, that''s what Lucivar assumed.

    Holding the handle of his dagger tightly, he waited for Leandra and Nerissa to reach him.

    Once the two were beside him, he nodded, deciding to strike.

    Compared to going from the front¡ªLucivar decided to strike¡ªfrom the back, ripping the tent and catching the young Stone Orcs by surprise. But as his dagger pierced the fabric, his eyes widened.

    Instead of his dagger cutting through the fabric, he was met with a hard surface instead.

    His dagger slid along the tent¡ªcreating sparks as if the tent was made of stone.

    Or rather, it wasn''t an actual tent, it was a boulder instead.

    Lucivar and the others blinked their eyes, and gasped when the tent before them suddenly turned into a boulder. Seeing this¡ªLucivar quickly turned to a torch he saw on the side but couldn''t find it.

    Not only this torch but the other torches he passed and saw were all gone.

    "An illusion...?" His eyes widened in complete disbelief.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra and Nerissa turned and guarded each other''s six.

    "Stone Orcs can''t do illusions, how is this possible?" Nerissa uttered.

    Leandra also frowned, "Even if it''s an illusion, I felt actual heat from those torches..."

    "Academy hunters, eh~"

    Suddenly, a voice rang¡ªprompting the trio to look towards a tree.

    A figure stepped out, a Human, and one look at his appearance clearly indicated, that he was the proselyte. Lucivar frowned, the proselyte was a very skinny man who wasn''t cold despite being topless in this kind of terrain.

    His skin was as pale as his white medium-length hair.

    Across his torso were pulsing discolored veins, he didn''t even bother hiding what he was.

    "I haven''t eaten an academy hunter before..." He added, smacking his lips hungrily.

    Leandra stepped forward, her eyes glowing, "There''s three of us, you can''t beat us alone"

    "Who said I''m alone...?" the proselyte smirked before taking out a horn made of bones.

    He wasted no time and blew on it before Lucivar and the others could react.

    It reverberated through the forest, a signal for the hiding Stone Orcs to come out.

    Lucivar glanced over his shoulder and found that the rocks and boulders they passed earlier were none other than the Stone Orcs that were sleeping or hibernating. Once the horn blew, these Stone Orcs woke up.

    "It''s a damn trap, we fell for it..." He muttered in annoyance.

    Finding their faces pleasant to view, the proselyte smiled.

    His smile was light but there was this unnerving air around him that made his smile eerie.

    Maybe because this proselyte had killed dozens, a full-blown killer.

    Roar!

    Graargh!

    Shouts and growls from the awakened Stone Orcs could already be heard from all directions.

    It would take long before the Stone Orcs swarmed them.

    However, before that happened, the proselyte, aimed to be the one to strike first¡ªhe let go of the horn and immediately dashed ahead with incredible speed, "Let''s start with that little healer, shall we?!"

    Seeing this, Leandra tried to stop him mid-track but he was too fast for her ether.

    Having no other choice, she stepped on the way.

    Gripping her sword tightly, it blazed with purple ether before she cleaved it at the proselyte.

    Reacting unnaturally fast, the proselyte avoided the arc and closed in rapidly.

    In a second, Leandra''s eyes widened¡ªwhen the proselyte''s face was inches away from her face. Before she could retract her sword, the proselyte grabbed her by the face and yanked her from her feet.

    Moving smoothly, he spun his body and landed a nasty spinning kick across Leandra''s face.

    She was sent hurling to the side from the kick.

    Upon doing that, the proselyte focused back at Nerissa who was now exposed.

    He laughed and dashed again but in that same second, a knee caught him on his chin.

    Bam!

    ''Huh...?'' the proselyte questioned the situation. He gazed down, and saw Lucivar was already in front of him and was the one who struck him. ''When did he move? He was standing there a second ago and now he''s here?''

    Using one God strand, Lucivar was able to boost his speed explosively and struck.

    His knee sent the proselyte spinning backward.

    But he wasn''t done.

    Lucivar changed his grip on his dagger¡ªinto a reverse grip and struck again, he boosted his speed again, and landed three consecutive fast slashes, slashing the proselyte''s belly, neck, and also back¡ªspending three God strands.

    Blood spurted out from the wounds.

    And while the proselyte was still mid-air, Lucivar ended his attack with a roundhouse kick.

    Bam!

    Under the force of his kick, the proselyte was sent flying away over the forest''s canopies.

    He was caught off guard and wasn''t able to react in time.

    A loud crashing sound echoed from a distance away as Lucivar straightened his back.

    Despite his successful attack, halting the proselyte¡ªfrom reaching Nerissa, Lucivar did not seem to be happy, "Tch, he blocked that kick," He clicked his tongue in displeasure, the last kick that he aimed at the proselyte''s chest was blocked. "I spent all of my God strands, and he didn''t die"

    Both Lucivar and Nerissa turned towards the mountain peak, sensing a powerful energy.

    On the mountain peak emerged a Stone Orc different than the others.

    It was marred with ocean blue marks across its torso and face and was also holding a staff.

    "An Orc Shaman, no wonder..." Lucivar commented with a frown.

    An entity that could use illusion magic, and also make it real was rare but with this Shaman, it made sense. As opposed to being led by a Chieftain, these Stone Orcs were led by a Shaman instead, a stronger version of the Stone Orc, even stronger than a Chieftain.

    "Some of them are coming down!" Nerissa pointed at the slope.

    Finding that Lucivar and the others had taken the bait, it was time for the killing blow.

    Having powerful, burly muscles made descending effortless, allowing them to leap dozens of meters in a single bound and slide down¡ªswiftly carving through the mountain''s height, with ease.

    At this pace, it wouldn''t take long for them to close the distance.

    Preparing himself for a pincer attack, Lucivar searched for Leandra.

    He saw her ahead and she was already battling the Stone Orcs.

    "My God strands are exhausted, I need ether..." Lucivar mused lightly.

    Earlier, he aimed to kill the proselyte instantly but he failed, the proselyte didn''t die and his God strands, were now exhausted. As Lucivar was about to ask Nerissa instead, his breath hitched when he heard a growl coming from behind.

    Lucivar glanced over his shoulder and saw a Stone Orc already raising its club at him.

    It was towering over Lucivar, and one hit would definitely decimate him.

    Just as the Stone Orc was about to strike, its motion suddenly halted mid-track.

    Emerald chains coiled around and restricted its body from moving.

    Lucivar''s ring glowed green¡ªhe cast Snare.

    As the Stone Orc was struggling, Lucivar leaped, a deadly glint flashed across his eyes as he sliced its neck open. Having no way of defending itself, the Stone Orc choked¡ªit still tried to reach Lucivar with its burly hand but eventually passed away from losing too much blood.

    Before Lucivar could breathe, three more Stone Orcs lunged at him.

    But it was at that moment that a melodious voice echoed.

    Following that voice was a plush shockwave that expanded throughout the area like water.

    It disoriented the three Stone Orcs, causing them to cover their ears.

    Lucivar was surprised but as he turned, he saw Nerissa was beaming with baby blue ether.

    She vocalized a single melodious pitch, her hair wavering under the breeze of her power.

    Even though he was unaffected by this, his eardrums rattled uncomfortably.

    Had Nerissa also aimed him, he would be in the same situation as these three Stone Orcs.

    Nerissa wasn''t only capable of healing others.

    "So this is a Siren Hybrid''s power?"

 Chapter 127 127: Struggling

    Lucivar viewed Nerissa with amazement marring his face.

    It turns out the chubby timid girl that he barely put in his eyes wasn''t as weak as he thought.

    From living with them and essentially becoming a family¡ªLucivar had seen the others battle, practically every single day before arriving at the academy. He knew everyone''s strengths as well as weaknesses.

    Bob was a tank, his physique is by far the strongest.

    Or even Ravenna who was the most agile and quick almost like a cat.

    But from his observations, Nerissa only has the regeneration capability to boast.

    Since she took the role of a healer because of her bloodline, she could regenerate too.

    Light scratches and mild wounds would regenerate in seconds.

    She was ranked higher than Bakar only because she was faster, and against Mirel who was a lot faster than her¡ªshe lost. It was the reason why she was ranked second, from the bottom excluding Lucivar.

    However, the friendly tournament Tobias held could only assess combat aptitude.

    It doesn''t assess anything else other than that.

    Placed in a situation like this, Nerissa instantly shone brightly.

    Shaking his head, Lucivar recovered from his daze and focused back on the battle.

    Lucivar sprang into the air executing a powerful split kick that sent two Stone Orcs sprawling backward, their burly forms crashing to the ground with resounding thuds. Following that, he turned his torso and cleaved his dagger at the third stone.

    Splat!

    But he came to surprise when his dagger only cut through a few centimeters deep.

    ''Its skin is so hard!'' He pondered and lifted his gaze. ''I should aim for parts that are thinner''

    Growl!

    As the Stone Orc was about to swing its club, Lucivar skipped and stabbed it in the neck.

    His dagger stabbed through to the base.

    Gripping the hilt tightly, he twisted the dagger and dragged it across the length.

    Splash!

    Blood gushed out¡ªthe Stone Orc''s neck was sliced open cleanly.

    Lucivar turned to the other two Stone Orcs who were standing up after doing this, Nerissa''s ability was still active¡ªmaking it a huge struggle to stand up. It wouldn''t be hard for Lucivar to take them down in this state.

    Suddenly, his eyes widened when a humongous force struck his side.

    In the slowed cadence of the moment, his gaze turned to the other side to see the Stone Orc¡ªits neck already sliced open, managed one final, desperate strike, before succumbing to its wounds, wanting to damage Lucivar as much as it could before falling.

    ''This damn brute...''

    He seethed inwardly, seeing the Stone Orc, casting one last smirk at him.

    ''It is used to fighting!''

    Bam!

    A massive club struck him, a savage swing that sent Lucivar rolling roughly to the side.

    Lucivar managed to stop the momentum and coughed a mouthful of blood.

    One hit from the club and his entire body was hurting.

    He reached for the source of the pain, his lower ribs¡ªand grunted painfully.

    Rising to his feet once again, he soon realized that he was beside Nerissa.

    "Hello? A bit of help here?" He uttered while keeping track of the approaching Stone Orcs.

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa answered in between her singing, "I can''t," She replied, it could be seen that once she spoke and let go of the note, the effect her ability had on the Stone Orcs, got a lot weaker. "If I do anything, my ability will be canceled! I need to keep singing!"

    "Outstanding..." Lucivar remarked sarcastically.

    Counting the Stone Orcs around, there are at least fifteen of them approaching.

    Under Nerissa''s ability, their ears were rattled and their minds were dizzy but they could still keep advancing. Some could even sprint with their eyes bulging, ignoring the pain and going full berserk mode.

    Lucivar then glanced over to the other side and saw Leandra was still occupied.

    Her telekinetic ability was perfect to keep the Stone Orcs at bay¡ªshe could fight alone.

    Having no other choice, Lucivar exhaled lightly, "Let''s do this..."

    Roar!!

    Once he heard the first roar from the first Stone Orc who reached him, he sucked in as much air as possible and threw himself into the fray. He parried the axe with his dagger and kicked the first Stone Orc away before two more Stone Orcs replaced it.

    In the next second was a flurry of exchanges that splashed snow and dirt everywhere.

    Lucivar protected Nerissa as Stone Orcs surged in from all directions.

    His dagger danced with lethal precision, aiming for throats¡ªand arteries, where the skin was thinner, each strike had a clear unerring intent¡ªa testament to the martial discipline drilled in him during grueling training sessions with Ravenna, Mirel, and Bakar.

    Despite the Stone Orcs'' attack and grab, his footwork was flawless.

    None of them were able to reach him.

    Of course, Nerissa''s ability was helping a lot but that doesn''t diminish his feat.

    He weaved through the chaos to intercept every assault while keeping Nerissa behind him.

    Stone Orcs pressed harder, their guttural growls echoing over the battlefield.

    But Lucivar countered with equal ferocity, his mind was immersed in the battle, as he kicked to stagger one, stabbed to fell another, parried a heavy blow, and used Radiant Burst on the ones who got too close to Nerissa.

    "Lucivar! Lucivar! Lucivar!" Nerissa called his name repeatedly.

    A Stone Orc was about to strike her.

    However, before she could get hit, Lucivar pulled her collar and moved to a better spot.

    ''I can''t deal if four are attacking at the same time, I need to cover Nerissa''s back''

    Dashing swiftly, he maneuvered the Stone Orcs¡ªtoward a massive boulder, using the terrain to shield Nerissa''s back and limit the angles of attack he needed to defend. He could only do this thanks to Nerissa''s ability, which hindered their movements.

    As this continues, a shift in the air warned him.

    Lucivar glanced over his shoulder, just in time to spot a massive club arcing down.

    He yanked Nerissa out of harm''s way by the collar and used his dagger to block the club.

    Bam!

    A powerful surge of force traveled down from the point of impact¡ªand as soon as it reached Lucivar, his internal organs churned, and he vomited another mouthful of blood. He clenched down on his teeth and pointed his other hand forward.

    Lucivar fired another Radiant Burst, propelling the Stone Orc away like a ragdoll.

    Having the mastery increased, its power output and speed increased significantly.

    But like a rabid animal, the Stone Orc clawed the ground to stop the momentum and leaped high into the air. It grasped its club with both hands, intending to deliver a heavy strike, that Lucivar didn''t want to confront at all.

    Seeing this, Lucivar retreated, pulling Nerissa away from him.

    Boom!

    As anticipated, the Stone Orc''s attack cracked the ground and splashed snow everywhere.

    However, the two barely caught their breath when they were suddenly shadowed.

    Glancing above, three Stone Orcs were descending with weapons raised high.

    Each one of them leaped from a nearby tree and caught them off guard.

    Lucivar''s heart clenched, there was no room to dodge¡ªno time to react.

    Blocking an attack from one Stone Orc alone already made him cough blood, blocking three at the same time would certainly crush him. But then Nerissa''s song shifted, a piercing note that seemed to ripple through the air.

    Her voice raised an octave, changing the effect of her ability.

    In that moment, Lucivar''s eyes widened seeing the Stone Orcs above slowed unnaturally.

    As if they were in water, their movements became much slower.

    Seeing this, Lucivar smiled in excitement, "I love you, Nerissa! You''re a lifesaver!"

    Upon saying that, Lucivar''s instincts kicked in.

    He moved quickly and slashed the three Stone Orcs'' neck, killing the three perfectly.

    Landing back on the ground, Lucivar swept his eyes around¡ªand saw the remaining Stone Orcs, circling him, behind their eyes was hesitation. It was clear they became more wary of Lucivar as he took down a lot.

    Squinting his eyes, Lucivar frowned, ''No... they''re not hesitating''

    Finding that the Stone Orcs were perfectly distributed around him, it was obvious that they were aiming to keep Lucivar and Nerissa here until the other Stone Orcs from the mountain peak arrived.

    All of them were blocking any path for Lucivar and Nerissa to escape.

    ''If I stay here and entertain them, there would be no end of them,'' Lucivar pondered, battling them here, would only unnecessarily tax his stamina. His ether was running low¡ªand he still had no God strands. ''If only I could find their actual village...''

    Just like his initial plan, he could take some hostages to keep the Stone Orcs at bay.

    But then, his eyes widened recalling something.

    ''Right! I could use the opportunity!'' Lucivar thought and quickly summoned the mirrors.

    He still has three essence bars left after buying two opportunities when confronting Thalia and her family, it was more than enough to purchase another opportunity to find the Stone Orc''s village.

    Upon paying for the mirror, a green light shoots in a direction.

    Lucivar saw this and smiled, the village didn''t seem to be too far from his position.

    Suddenly, the melodious tone stopped.

    "What happened?" Lucivar asked.

    Nerissa breathed heavily, "I can''t keep it going, my ether is running low"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded in understanding.

    Casting an ability with such a wide range must''ve required a lot of ether to maintain.

    ''I should be able to cut my way through them,'' Lucivar thought, though a frown tugged at his face. ''Still, this would go much smoother, and easier with more help. Where are Ravenna and Mirel? Surely, they''ve arrived to help by now"

    Glancing towards the mountain, Lucivar squinted when he saw something.

    He saw two figures climbing the mountain from the side.

    It was Mirel and Ravenna.

    Both of them were climbing the mountain quickly.

    Capitalizing on the moment of distraction with the Shaman, and Stone Orcs'' attention fixed on Lucivar and the others, they could sneak¡ªto the mountain peak, and take the Teal Coin without needing to battle the Shaman.

    From the looks of it, Lucivar wouldn''t have any help in this.

    Just as he was contemplating, something suddenly grabbed ahold of his arms.

    Lucivar looked down and saw hands made of stone grabbing his wrists with an iron grip.

    It was then the proselyte suddenly leaped out from the ground with a nasty smile on his face.

    He made eye contact with Lucivar as his smile stretched wider, "That''s not nice..."

    Bam!

    Lucivar staggered back several steps, reeling from the proselyte''s brutal headbutt.

    His forehead struck Lucivar''s nose like a battering ram.

    Behind him, Nerissa stepped in swiftly, bracing him and halting his unsteady momentum.

    As Lucivar skidded to a stop, he clutched his shattered, bloodied nose, the searing pain from the headbutt forced tears to well in his eyes. He glared at the proselyte, now backed¡ªby the Stone Orcs whose muscles rippled with anticipation.

    Savage grins marred their faces, promising the brutal demise of both Lucivar and Nerissa.

    "Get ready, we''re going to make a retreat to buy time," Nerissa whispered.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded, they would regroup with Leandra and retreat first.

    Knowing exactly what they were thinking, the proselyte smirked.

    "Don''t think we haven''t noticed those two monkeys, climbing sneakily," He uttered¡ªhis smile laced with ridicule, and his voice filled with mockery. "both of you would watch those two fall to their deaths..."

 Chapter 128 128: Worthless in Our World

    It was not looking good.

    Lucivar and Nerissa were surrounded.

    Despite killing many already, there were still ten more Stone Orcs and now that the proselyte came back, their chances of winning became thinner. ''His power... A Nexus is more annoying than I anticipated. It''ll be hard to get rid of him'' Lucivar''s brows knitted together.

    His thoughts turned dark, he had underestimated a blue dungeon and a unique one at that.

    From the classes he attended in the academy, he was taught that a Pawn proselyte who has turned into a Nexus would gain more access to the dungeon, they are connected to. In other words, the proselyte would have more abilities associated with the dungeon.

    In this case, the proselyte in front of him gained the ability of the Stone Orc Shaman.

    No normal proselyte could summon stone hands like earlier.

    ''Not only that, the Stone Orcs seemed to be listening to him,'' Lucivar sweated profusely¡ªhis eyes assessing the situation as much as they could. ''Adapt... I''m not that powerless but what exactly did Sha mean by that? I''ve been giving my all and I can''t see how I get out of this''

    Seeing that Lucvar was dazed, the proselyte pointed ahead.

    Roar!!

    Almost instantly, the Stone Orcs charged ahead once again.

    Lucivar and Nerissa were forced to defend.

    But compared to earlier, it was easier now that Lucivar didn''t need to protect Nerissa.

    As he leaped backward in retreat, goosebumps struck his nape.

    Lucivar glanced over his shoulder and saw the proselyte was already behind him.

    His right arm has turned into a stone lance¡ªhe struck forward with killing intent.

    Just then¡ªas the proselyte cackled, at the future of stabbing Lucivar''s back, his eyes flared open when Lucivar''s form suddenly dissipated. Lucivar reappeared behind the proselyte like a ghost, emerging out of his shadow.

    In return, a shiver coursed through him¡ªhis skin prickling with goosebumps.

    Before the headbutt landed earlier, Lucivar had managed to mark the proselyte with his Soul Warden spell¡ªbarely, but it was enough. He could not block the strike in time, but there was no way he''d take a hit like that without making an effort to turn the tables.

    Giving no time for the proselyte to react, Lucivar slashed him with the dagger.

    Struck hard, he was flung to the side but recovered and regained his footing quickly.

    ''We need to warn Mirel and Ravenna, the Stone Orc Shaman is anticipating them'' Lucivar was troubled, he needed to break free¡ªfrom this and warn the others. In order to do that, Lucivar will need to regroup with Leandra first.

    "As expected of an academy hunter, you''re strong," the proselyte praised. "But not enough"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s expression darkened before he cast a disgusted look.

    Disdain laced his face as if he were looking at a disgusting bug.

    "Don''t act all high and mighty you insect," Lucivar cursed. "you''re nothing more than a traitor to your race. You have no talent and are weak, those are the only reasons¡ªthe Crossers get to you. Because you''re worthless in our world"

    Once the words hit his ears, the proselyte''s face flushed crimson.

    It twisted into something feral¡ªburning with rage.

    Lucivar struck a nerve.

    "Don''t talk like you know me, you bastard!" the proselyte cursed, lowering his stance.

    Just as the proselyte was about to strike again, a squeal rang from the far side.

    Lucivar could tell that it was Leandra''s voice even, before turning but he frowned when the proselyte stopped and turned to the squeal''s direction instead of attacking. A peculiar light flashed in his eyes.

    On the far side¡ªLeandra got hit by an axe and got thrown onto a tree hard.

    Driven by her survival instincts, she managed to get away¡ªbefore another deadly strike hit her. It seemed the Stone Orcs from the mountain peak had arrived, and they came from her direction so she was confronted by them first.

    Seeing Leandra, the proselyte focused back on Lucivar again.

    But this time, the fire in his eyes disappeared.

    Swoosh!

    Not even wasting a second, the proselyte changed the target and sprinted toward Leandra.

    "Shit!" Lucivar cursed aloud, chasing after him. "Nerissa! He''s aiming for Leandra!"

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa turned and chased after the proselyte too.

    Leandra was bleeding because of the axe that struck her stomach and her blood carried an enticing fragrance, that even Lucivar could smell. It must be the scent, that belonged to the Star Witch Hybrid.

    If the Star Witch bloodline was common knowledge, the Crossers should be aware of it too.

    And the proselyte, inheriting the Primordials'' will¡ªwanted Leandra dead.

    ''Don''t think too much, adapt!'' Lucivar''s mind burned with determination.

    Knowing what the proselyte was aiming for, he pointed his ring forward and cast Snare.

    Illusionary emerald chains exploded from the ground and latched onto the proselyte.

    Lucivar stopped the proselyte for a moment and managed to dash past him.

    Seeing this, the proselyte roared in anger¡ªand turned both of his arms, into stone lances, he aimed to break free using sheer strength. But that was not a big problem, Lucivar already got ahead of him.

    It was more than enough.

    Meanwhile, Leandra bit her lower lip and writhed in pain¡ªholding her sliced stomach.

    She was having an easy time keeping the Stone Orcs at bay until more of them arrived.

    Cornered by more than twenty, she was overwhelmed quickly and got hurt.

    As she leaned her hand on a tree trunk, she glanced back abruptly when she heard a growl.

    More Stone Orcs were coming her way, salivating from the mouth.

    But then, she heard a distant voice calling out her name.

    Pivoting to the other side, she saw Lucivar going straight at her with speed.

    She raised her brows in puzzlement, "Lucivar?"

    "Come on, grab my hand!" He reached out his hand.

    Despite her confusion, Leandra saw the proselyte behind and nodded her head.

    Placing her arm around Lucivar''s shoulder, he flapped his wing¡ªand ran to the other side, to where they came from. Nerissa was closely following behind after slowly down the proselyte even more.

    "Where are we going?" Leandra asked.

    Lucivar turned his head towards the mountain peak, at Ravenna and Mirel, "To them"

    "Shouldn''t we buy more time for them to climb and take the Teal Coin?"

    "No, the shaman is waiting for them. We need to warn them before it is too late"

    From the start, Lucivar and his group knew that the Stone Orcs were taunting them to come.

    It was clear since the Teal Coin was on display.

    Once some of the Stone Orcs came down when Lucivar, Leandra¡ªand Nerissa ate the bait, Ravenna and Mirel took that as a decoy and used it to sneak to the mountain peak. But that was exactly what the Stone Orc Shaman wanted.

    As Lucivar, Leandra, and Nerissa were being dealt with by the proselyte¡ªit would deal with both Ravenna and Mirel who were in a disadvantageous situation. Killing two birds with one stone¡ªkilling Mirel and Ravenna would be guaranteed if they reached high enough.

    Unlike Crossers in Yellow Dungeon, the Crossers here are more intelligent.

    It could scheme like any human would and that''s dangerous.

    Keeping his eyes on the peak, Lucivar gritted his teeth.

    He saw the Stone Orc Shaman was casting a big spell, chanting in an alien language without Ravenna and Mirel knowing. Since both of them thought they were able to sneak to the peak¡ªthey would not be ready for the Stone Orc Shaman''s spell.

    Lucivar and the others need to get there or else those two will fall to their deaths.

    All three of them sprinted while the roars and shouts followed them behind.

    "Going around the forest would take too long... hold on tightly!" Lucivar said, then, he turned to Nerissa a few paces behind him, "Climb on me, we are going to make our own shortcut to the peak!"

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa nodded her head and climbed to Lucivar''s back.

    Channeling ether onto his legs and wing, Lucivar prepared to take off.

    "No!! I won''t let you!" the proselyte shouted from the back.

    In a rampage, he turned his right arm into a stone lance and broke it gruesomely with a snap.

    He then pulled his other hand and threw the stone lance at Lucivar hard.

    A gush of wind blew, from the shockwave of the throw, the stone lance¡ªwhirred through the air with a whistling sound. It was thrown as fast as a bullet. Lucivar glanced over his shoulder and saw a glistening object heading towards him.

    Just before the stone lance was about to pierce his back, his body dissipated again.

    Both Nerissa and Leandra were surprised, they both fell to the ground.

    On the other hand, the proselyte''s eyes bulged in utter frustration when he saw Lucivar once again appear behind him. Smirking at the proselyte, he whispered, "Like I said, you''re nothing¡ªeven a bug is not as worthless as you"

    Bam!

    Lucivar made a roundhouse kick that caught the proselyte''s chin.

    He didn''t channel ether to his legs to take off but rather, he was preparing to make this kick.

    Receiving that powerful kick, a bony crack resounded before the proselyte got hurled away.

    Seeing this, Nerissa gasped, "He could do that?"

    "Yes, it''s the diamond-class spell of the academy, Soul Warden" Leandra nodded.

    It was a diamond-class spell so naturally, it was extremely lethal.

    Once Lucivar dispatched the proselyte, he surged forward, seizing Nerissa and Leandra once more before launching into the air with a powerful beat of his wings. Leandra used her power¡ªher telekinetic ability to stabilize the flight as the trio sliced through the dense forest.

    Making this shortcut would save them much time to reach the foothill.

    Lucivar and the others reached the foothill in half a minute.

    Along the way, Nerissa already closed the wound on Leandra''s stomach.

    It helped Leandra a lot, she could move more comfortably now.

    "Can you go higher? I could warn Ravenna if we''re close enough" Nerissa asked.

    Gritting his teeth, Lucivar tried to fly up with one wing, "I''ll try..."

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar tried flapping his wing hard, aiming to get as close as he could to the climbing duo.

    Even so¡ªwith one wing, he couldn''t possibly go any higher especially while carrying Leandra and Nerissa. Having no other choice, Nerissa channeled her ether into her mouth, "Ravenna!" She shouted. "Ravenna can you hear me?!!"

    Enhanced by ether, her voice boomed through the distance.

    Ravenna stopped mid-way, and turned to her behind¡ªholding onto the steep mountainside with only one hand. Her eyes caught sight of Lucivar¡ªand the others below. She raised her hand in a gesture, asking them what was wrong.

    Similarly, Mirel also stopped when he saw Ravenna stopped.

    "Get down!" Nerissa shouted again. "It''s a trap! The shaman is waiting for you!"

    Just as she shouted Lucivar''s expression paled¡ªthe snow on the peak moved.

    It glided down to the side, guided by the Stone Orc Shamanturning into an avalanche.

    "Oh, shit..."

 Chapter 129 129: Freezing Again

    Like the other Stone Orcs, the Shaman had a burly body and stone-colored skin.

    The only difference was that it wasn''t as big as the other Stone Orcs, and also it was wearing a hood instead of light armor¡ªin its hand was a skull-headed staff. Lucivar had been keeping an eye on this Shaman at the peak.

    It was chanting a spell, a massive one considering the chanting time was more than a minute.

    As Nerissa shouted for Ravenna and Mirel, Lucivar saw the Shaman make its move.

    Unleashing a throaty grunt, it slammed its staff onto the snow.

    Following that, a surge of energy reached out from the bottom of the staff, and spread to the entire area of the peak, moving the snow gathered there to slide to one side. In an instant¡ªit was able to create a massive avalanche.

    A distant rumble morphed into a deafening roar as the snow fractured.

    Ravenna and Mirel looked up and saw it cascading down with terrifying speed.

    Both of them felt their hearts pounding to witness the avalanche grow big with unstoppable momentum¡ªa tidal wave swallowing everything in its path. Its frothy edges curled and also crashed with a force that cracked rocks.

    Climbing the mountainside with nowhere to go, Ravenna and Mirel were stuck.

    No paths for them to go down or avoid the avalanche safely.

    If both of them got swept by the avalanche, they would be in grave danger.

    On the other hand, they could let go and fall to the foothill, using Mirel''s power to soften the impact but the avalanche would still be right above them. It would be the same¡ªthey would be squished to death.

    At this point¡ªboth of them could only try and resist the avalanche.

    Reacting quickly, Ravenna grabbed Mirel''s collar¡ªhelping him free his hands.

    Once she did that, Mirel instantly channeled his bloodline prowess and clapped his hands.

    Blitz!

    He fired a shockwave of yellow lightning to cut through the avalanche.

    Even then, that barely did anything¡ªthe avalanche drowned the yellow lightning.

    "Leandra, can''t you pull them with your power?!" Nerissa asked urgently.

    Biting her lower lip, Leandra shook her head, "I can only move inanimate things¡ªliving things are still too hard for me to influence with my power¡ªI can not do it! But I can try blocking the avalanche but not for long!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar instantly dropped Leandra and Nerissa on the foothill.

    He didn''t say anything and dropped them as there was no time.

    Not being too high, Leandra and Nerissa landed on their feet and gazed upward.

    Both watched as Lucivar soared toward Ravenna, and Mirel, his aim was clear, he intended to reach them before it was too late. Determined to aid his efforts, the duo at the foothill sprang to action.

    Leandra used her ether to stabilize his flight, simultaneously, she crafted a telekinetic barrier that hovered protectively above Ravenna and Mirel, shielding them from the incoming impact of the avalanche.

    Meanwhile, Nerissa healed Leandra so that she could endure the strain.

    Crash!

    Ravenna and Mirel held on hard as the avalanche clashed against the barrier above them.

    Both of them were trapped, caught in a deadly dance that felt like surfing inside the curl of a towering ocean wave¡ªonly these waves were a thousandfold more perilous. One misstep or a momentary slip of their grip would send them hurtling downward, dragged and battered.

    But five seconds in and the barrier already cracked.

    Just then, Lucivar reached them.

    He pointed his hand forward and used the Radiant Burst spell.

    Along the way earlier, he asked Leandra to absorb her ether so that he could replenish his God strands and now he has five God strands in reserve. His Greedy Grasp now absorbed ether faster than before.

    Using four of them instantly, the Radiant Burst spell surges to a higher degree.

    Lucivar saw a house-size swirl of energy on the avalanche that concentrated and exploded.

    Splash!

    For a moment there, Ravenna and Mirel underneath the avalanche were exposed.

    "Jump to me! Now!" Lucivar shouted.

    Ravenna was the first one to move, her reflex was insanely fast¡ªshe grabbed Mirel and used the mountainside wall as a foothold to leap toward Lucivar. The timing couldn''t be more right, as the barrier shattered once she leaped.

    She reached her hand forward, crisis in her eyes as the avalanche was coming down on her.

    But Lucivar was quick enough to grab her hand and yanked her and Mirel out of the way.

    "That''s so close!" Ravenna laughed, she could now breathe again.

    Mirel was also the same, he was relieved that they got out of that.

    "It''s not over yet!" Lucivar shouted and gazed up at the Stone Orc Shaman.

    Swoosh!

    He flapped his wing again, flying toward the mountain peak and reaching the top in seconds.

    Carrying Ravenna and Mirel¡ªwho were dangling with only his hands was extremely hard, the chance of him doing this¡ªwithout Leandra''s help would be zero. Once the three reached the mountain peak, they saw the Stone Orcs were ready for them.

    As for the Shaman, it was way behind being protected.

    Going through them was the only way to reach the Teal Coin and close this dungeon.

    But then, Lucivar stumbled¡ªhis wing struggled to keep them afloat.

    "What''s happening?! We''re going down!" Mirel shouted.

    Lucivar glanced downward and saw Leandra and Nerissa running again, the proselyte as well as the remaining Stone Orcs below¡ªwere chasing after them. Without her help, he would not be able to fly again.

    "Use my body to jump over to the peak!" He told the others.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna pulled Mirel and threw him onto the mountain peak.

    As she did that, Lucivar hoisted her up, crossing his arms to create a foothold for Ravenna to use. "Make sure to not die on the way down, alright? Or I''ll be sad" She quipped, with a smirk before springing off, using the momentum to vault across to the mountain peak.

    Lucivar gritted his teeth as the force of her leap shoved him backward.

    He fell to the steep fall, an express to the foothill.

    Spinning in the air, Lucivar timed his Radiant Burst spell to blast him forward.

    Channeling ether into his fingers, he stabbed them into the mountainside and caught himself.

    Glancing down to his dangling feet, Lucivar shivered as he was still above a thousand-meter mark from the ground. He was closer to the top, than to the bottom. Sensing a vicious spark of ether from the mountain peak, it seemed the battle had started.

    Inhaling deeply, fighting off the gripping exhaustion¡ªhe began to climb.

    Knowing the position of the Shaman as well as the Stone Orcs, he decided to climb his way around to their backs. Though hazardous, his muscles were screaming, Lucivar was able to reach the top again.

    Peeking to check the situation, he saw the ongoing battle to his left.

    ''Ravenna is more devious than I thought...'' Lucivar pondered.

    Her claw gauntlets were already dripped with Stone Orcs'' blood, she tore through multiple at the same time. Only the Shaman could stop her momentum with its spells¡ªand even then, it was barely stopping Ravenna''s claws.

    ''I''ll sneak and kill that Shaman,'' Lucivar pulled himself up to the mountain peak.

    Since he has Gleipnir''s Echo with him, its Green Shroud ability conceals his aura perfectly.

    But as he was about to do that, his eyes were pulled to the Teal Coin.

    It was perched atop a smaller spire jutting from the mountain peak.

    He was blinded by the Teal Coin''s blue light.

    Realizing that there was nobody who would be able to stop him¡ªwith the Teal Coin so near to him, Lucivar changed target¡ªhe would take the Teal Coin instead. Ravenna who was still busy fighting saw him sneaking.

    In that moment, their eyes met and Ravenna gave Lucivar a subtle nod.

    "Come at me! All of you!" She shouted, trying to garner as much attention as she could.

    Mirel also did the same, he gained the cue from Ravenna and taunted the Stone Orcs.

    Seeing them this rigorous, the Shaman''s glowing green eyes squinted¡ªand instinctively, it turned around to check on the Teal Coin, and met Lucivar''s gaze. For a second then, it and Lucivar froze.

    Finding Lucivar, the Shaman''s aura flared like wildfire, seething with a yellowish hue.

    It was suppressing, around the second-star Acolyte rank or even higher.

    Not to mention, the murderous intent that the Shaman exuded was choking Lucivar''s neck.

    "Grab it and throw it down, now!" Ravenna shouted from behind.

    Hearing this, Lucivar snapped out of his trance and wanted to dash toward the Teal Coin.

    His mind was ready to make the move but his body was rooted on his spot.

    ''Again?!'' Lucivar ground his teeth in anger, his legs were frozen stiff even though he wanted to move. It took a second for his legs to finally break free¡ªfrom the entrancement, allowing him to sprint to the Teal Coin.

    The Shaman as well as himself raced to the Teal Coin.

    But once Lucivar climbed the spire, he saw the Shaman was already standing on the spire.

    ''I''m one step short! Damn it!!'' Lucivar cursed, his eyes bulging from the frustration that was mounting inside of him. ''If I hadn''t frozen earlier¡ªIf my legs moved at the same time, as my mind! I would''ve reached the Teal Coin first!!''

    Bam!

    A stone fist came out of the ground and landed solidly across Lucivar''s chin.

    He fell from the spire as the Shaman grabbed ahold of the Teal Coin.

    Lucivar recovered quickly, his adrenaline was pumping from the sheer anger eating him from the inside. Just as he prepared to fight the Shaman, for the Teal Coin, a deafening crack tore through the air¡ªa thunderous roar so intense it reverberated through the mountain.

    Snapping his neck towards the crack direction, Lucivar realized that it came from the portal.

    Multiple Rock Golems were pounding on the barrier and managed to crack it.

    It wouldn''t be long until the portal barrier cracked open and they poured out.

    "Go! Handle the portal! I''ll take the Teal Coin!" Ravenna yelped, stepping on a Stone Orc hard.

    Since there was nobody else other than him¡ªwho could glide over to the portal, Lucivar had no choice but to be the one to handle the Rock Golems. He then turned to Mirel before going to the portal, "Go down in that direction, there''s a slope, their village is down there!"

    As he climbed earlier, Lucivar spotted the opportunity, the Stone Orc''s actual village.

    Youngsters were left there, and Mirel could pull the Stone Orcs to defend the village, leaving the Shaman to be handled by Ravenna. Once he said that, Lucivar flared his wing and glided away.

    He fixed his fierce gaze at the portal as well as the Rock Golems.

    If he failed to stop the Rock Golems then Professor Victor would deem him failing his chance.

    "In other words, you''re still weak"

    Sha''s voice rang inside Lucivar''s head, forcing him to grit his teeth, seething in anger.

    As much as he wanted to deny it, his weakness showed two times.

    "I''m not weak!" Lucivar shouted aloud, convincing himself. "I''ll definitely prove it here!"

 Chapter 130 130: How Stupid Am I?!

    Meanwhile, outside of the east wall near the portal¡ªmilitary personnel held their guns with sweaty hands. It hadn''t been that long since Lucivar''s team entered the portal, and the sun was still lingering above their heads.

    It was tiring for them to stay in their positions under the sun despite being winter.

    Having to wear heavy clothing, it was easy for the soldiers to become thirsty.

    But, to support them, the city has made preparations.

    "Sir, we''re thankful for your service..."

    "Please drink this, thank you for your service"

    "Thank you-"

    Since the military¡ªand the academy hunters were their last hope, the city did not hold back, and provided them with resources as much as possible. Manpower was what the city lacked, not resources.

    Being a trading city, their resources could last months if it comes down to it.

    Volunteers were constantly sent out to give the military and academy hunters supplies.

    Every hour or so, they would come out and tend to the needs.

    Amongst these volunteers, there was a pair of mother and daughter, bringing a fruit basket.

    It was Pippa and her mother.

    "Mother, can I bring it to them?" Pippa asked, pointing at the soldiers in the trench.

    Upon hearing this, the mother hesitated for a moment, as Pippa would need to walk, about a hundred meters to reach them. But seeing that there were others who were doing the same, she eventually nodded, "Go on, bring them this basket. Come back to me as soon as you are done"

    "Okay!" Pippa nodded cheerfully and trotted away, carrying the basket.

    Her feet sunk into the snow with each step, and it was getting deeper the further she went.

    Soon, one of the soldiers in the trench saw her approaching.

    He quickly climbed out of the trench and went to her.

    "No need for you to come to us, young lady," He said. "they''ll distribute food to us"

    Pippa didn''t need to come to them directly¡ªshe could have given the supply to the captain and the captain would send men to distribute food. But even then Pippa handed the basket over to the man with a bright smile, "Here you go¡ªMother says being kind would reward us so don''t mind me, the Blood God will reward me"

    "Ah, yes, your mother must be an extraordinary woman" the soldier reached for the basket.

    But as he did that, the ground shook hard as an ear-shattering crack echoed.

    Boom!

    It was the portal, a violent burst of shockwave exploded from it.

    Caldaros and the other academy hunters cut the ring-like shockwave, dispersion the strong momentum, but this caused some of the energy to ripple randomly. Seeing a cutting energy heading towards them, the soldier tackled Pippa to avoid the ripple.

    Fortunately, the soldier reacted in time¡ªhe and Pippa were safe.

    However, the ripples clashed against the city wall¡ªcarving out chunks of it.

    Some of it crashed the volunteers and even the military personnel outside¡ªchaos ensued.

    On the other hand, an academy hunter approached Caldaros.

    "Should we go inside? It''s clear those newbies would fail to clear this dungeon" He asked.

    "No..." Caldaros shook his head. "you see how arrogant they are. Let''s see what happens"

    Inside the dungeon.

    Beyond their expectations, the portal was opening up faster than anticipated.

    It hadn''t even been that long since the group entered the portal, expecting to have at least one to two days, before the portal opened up but that was not the case. Hours in¡ªand the portal was already cracking open, the Rock Golems were putting work onto it.

    Lucivar was the only one who could stop them from going to the other side.

    He has nobody to help him to stop these Rock Golems.

    Both Ravenna and Mirel were fully engaged against the Shaman and its forces.

    And as for Nerissa and Leandra, they were being chased by the proselyte.

    Lucivar was the rock that would stop the waves of Rock Golems from crossing over to the world. Gliding over through the sky, his wing began to tire, he had not used his wing¡ªthis much before.

    Soon, as he got closer, he saw the Rock Golems pounding on the portal.

    Using their massive arms¡ªthey hammered at the portal relentlessly.

    Each blow was backed with strength, it was natural for the portal to give in this quickly.

    ''Eleven of them are surrounding the portal...'' Lucivar thought, gritting his teeth as he couldn''t see how he could stop them all with his God strands exhausted and ether reserve thinning, it would take a miracle, for him to be successful. ''It''s an open space too, I can''t use anything to tilt the favor towards me''

    Despite the odds against him, Lucivar shook his head and descended.

    If he was going to prove that he wasn''t weak anymore, this was the time.

    Folding his wing when he reached a suitable height and distance, Lucivar gripped his dagger and came crashing down like a meteor. He grabbed his dagger with both hands and struck a Rock Golem by the portal.

    Boom!

    His dagger hit the Rock Golem''s back but it did nothing but planted it to the ground.

    It couldn''t pierce through the hard layer of rock.

    But even then, his dagger''s ability activated, summoning a wind phantom¡ªthat knocked the Rock Golem to the side. Using his other hand, he cast Radiant Burst on another Rock Golem, and propelled it away.

    Pivoting around, Lucivar saw the rest of the Rock Golems were already heading towards him.

    Each one of them was slow but Lucivar had no other choice but to stand his ground.

    ''I need more power to shatter them,'' He thought and reached his hand to the Rock Golem he struck first. As he did that, his hand glowed with a greenish hue¡ªhe cast Greedy Grasp that pulled the Rock Golem''s ether into him.

    Barely even a half-God strand, the Rock Golem resisted and broke the connection.

    It wasn''t enough, he needed at least two or three God strands to shatter these Rock Golems.

    "Hrrgkk!"

    "Rarrgh!"

    "Krggh...!"

    Lucivar exerted everything he got¡ªslashing the Rock Golem that was nearing the portal.

    He could effortlessly evade the Rock Golems'' attempts to grab or crush him, but his efforts against them were also proved futile. Lucivar''s strikes only managed to send them knocked several steps, barely leaving a dent in their impenetrable, rock skin.

    Buying time was the only thing that he could do but he couldn''t maintain this for long.

    Glancing down to his arms, he gritted his teeth as it was beginning to hurt.

    Striking the Rock Golem with a small dagger put a lot of strain on his arms.

    Not to mention¡ªusing Radiant Burst, although could crack the Rock Golems'' hard defense, was taxing on his ether reserve, that he very much needed to move effectively. It was clear that this was a losing fight with no clear way out.

    But Lucivar pushed on as his minds were filled with words of encouragement.

    Sha told him that he wasn''t ready and weak.

    Leandra and Nerissa doubted that he could lead them to clear a blue dungeon.

    Caldaros also voiced his clear doubt¡ªnobody believed he could do it.

    However, the worst of all was the climbing doubt inside¡ªLucivar was even doubting himself.

    Each time he slashed a Rock Golem and it still stands, that doubt grew inside of him.

    Boom!

    Exhausted and in pain Lucivar was a second too late to react and got slapped away, hurtling back, and bounced off of the portal. Blood forced its way out of his mouth¡ªfrom the vicious turmoil inside before he raised his gaze again.

    He was greeted by multiple Rock Golems gazing down at him menacingly.

    Its rocky forms towering over his small stature.

    ''I''ve eaten more than I can chew...'' Lucivar gritted his teeth, his vision was already blurry.

    But then, as if the situation wasn''t bad enough, the ground tremor with violent shakes before the Rock Golems in front of him moved out of the way, revealing an even bigger creature, the Rock Sentinel.

    Seeing the dark trail coming from the Rock Sentinel and connected to him, Lucivar gulped.

    His body froze on the spot.

    Even earlier when he was still fresh, the Rock Sentinel was still a formidable foe.

    Now, when he was exhausted and battered¡ªthere was no way he could defeat it.

    ''I have to forfeit this dungeon. Like Sha said, I could find another way to convince¡ªProfessor Victor'' Lucivar turned around, took the Shard Breaker from his pocket, and jammed it into the portal without hesitation. ''I can''t see myself winning this. If I stay here, I''ll die!''

    Upon doing that, the Shard Breaker''s energy seeped into the cracked portal.

    And within a second, the portal shattered, allowing passage to the world.

    As soon as the portal was opened, Lucivar''s body stiffened and his eyes widened.

    ''Eh...?'' He stopped as a wave of chill seeped into his body. ''Am I crumbling?''

    ''I''ll die? Isn''t that the weak''s excuse...?''

    Boom!

    Pausing abruptly, Lucvar''s vision suddenly shifted as a hard blunt blow struck his behind¡ªit carried a force that sent him flying away, shooting out of the portal. He flew over the people outside like a bullet and crashed into the city wall hard, creating a huge web-like crack.

    Everyone was stunned at the display.

    Both the military and the academy hunters looked toward the city wall in shock.

    Caldaros was the first one to recover from the shock and sighed, "I guess that''s that"

    As he turned towards the portal, the first Rock Golem''s menacing form poked out.

    "KYAAAHH!!"

    "RUN AWAY!"

    Screams of terror echoed as the volunteers began scurrying away in fear.

    All of them hoped that this day never came but it did.

    Amidst the chaos, Lucivar was lying on the rubble of the city wall¡ªfacing the clear sky.

    His body was broken and blood drizzled out of his mouth in an unending stream.

    Lucivar stared skyward in silence.

    ''As always his best is not enough''

    A voice seeped into his mind and following it was a whirlwind of mockeries and doubts.

    ''Are you sure we should take on this dungeon?''

    It came with each tick of a second.

    ''I''m telling you for your own good, don''t throw your life away''

    Tick...

    ''In other words, you''re still weak''

    Lucivar gritted his blood-coated teeth, he was angry at himself more than anything.

    ''How stupid am I?!'' He roared within the confines of his mind, his eyes burning with the blaze of unbridled fury. ''Did I not swear to prove¡ªthat I''m not weak anymore? That I have gotten a lot stronger?! Fleeing now would only prove the complete opposite!''

    At the height of his frustration, he clenched his fist and slammed it on the ground angrily.

    ''It only proved that I''m afraid!''

    Bam!

    ''It only proved that I''m not ready!''

    Bam!

    ''IT ONLY PROVED THAT I''M WEAK!''

    Climbing to his feet¡ªwith a broken arm and battered body, Lucivar glared ahead with blood rotting down his mouth. His eyes lost the light of reasoning, devoured by the sheer focus on what he wanted.

    "Believe in my abilities... At this moment, I can take them down! I''m not weak!!"

 Chapter 131 131: All of My Abilities

    An almost impossible mission.

    A suicide mission.

    Inside the mind of the academy hunters present on this day¡ªLucivar tackling this mission is nothing more than that. A blue dungeon is not a field trip¡ªit has taken the lives of countless promising Hybrids.

    Nobody believed that he could pull it off, nobody had any confidence in him.

    Not his team, not Caldaros'' team, no one.

    Due to the slippage in his mind, he even doubted himself.

    But the doubt eventually came to a stop, replaced by the unending stream of rage.

    Lucivar planted his feet onto the ground firmly, his burgeoning eyes¡ªfixed upon the portal ahead. He was broken, bleeding from multiple parts, but the flames of determination didn''t escape his eyes.

    ''Running away from this would not be getting rid of this weakness¡ªthe weakness that made my legs falter in front of the strong!'' He grinds his teeth like a beast, the sheer notion of pain and fear escapes his mind. ''Fear makes the wolf seem bigger. I haven''t even given my all and I already wore the stance of someone who''s already lost?! How spineless am I?!''

    A violent surge of gold ether began steaming out of his body.

    His wing flickered between emerald and bronze rapidly before settling on the bronze hue.

    "I- Is that what I think it is...?!"

    "Shit, it''s the Unfair Golem! A Rock Sentinel!"

    On the frontline¡ªthrough the gap seen on the portal, the academy hunters, saw a glimpse of the horror that was lurking inside. All of them paled in horror at the sight of the Rock Sentinel and that includes Caldaros who also sweated at the sight.

    Lucivar circulated the ether around his Supernatural Ego and flexed his muscles.

    His legs were still trembling¡ªthe aura from the Rock Sentinel still spooked his body.

    But even then, fear began to be drained out of his system.

    ''Embrace the fear... Embrace the challenge from the strong... Embrace it with every fiber of my being! Alter the response, make this body excited to fight this powerful thing that stood in front of me!''

    Under the sheer pressure from his rising aura, his feet created a small crack in the ground.

    People who were chaotic around him began to glance towards him.

    However, somehow, their bodies began to weaken and running became an impossible task.

    Lucivar''s body siphoned their life force as his wounds began to heal.

    "Get ready! Protect the people!" Caldaros commanded¡ªgesturing at the academy hunters to get ready as well as the military to ready their firearms. Since he was here already, there was no choice but to confront the Rock Sentinel.

    Just then, a shadow loomed over him.

    Once Caldaros looked up, he was surprised to see a massive boulder flying past him.

    It was the Rock Sentinel, it threw this boulder.

    "Damn it! Stop that!" Caldaros shouted¡ªhe was too late to react.

    Even the military inside the trenches were too stunned to open fire at the massive boulder.

    Nevertheless, even if they did¡ªtheir small bullets wouldn''t be able to shatter it.

    Near the very back, a soldier was bringing a little girl to safety.

    Pippa was too close to the portal¡ªshe needed to get back inside¡ªand the soldier was going to escort her through the chaos. However, these two were suddenly shadowed, and as Pippa turned to look¡ªher eyes widened in fear.

    It was the massive boulder the size of two houses, coming straight to squash her.

    ''Don''t doubt yourself...'' Lucivar, utilized everything he had, ready to pour it all. ''Who cares if I might die? Who cares if there''s a chance I would lose? I''m not going to be afraid! I will not let myself be intimidated by these bugs!''

    Pippa''s mother who was searching for her felt her heart sink to her stomach.

    Her complexion paled when she saw Pippa was about to be crushed.

    ''All of my abilities... All of my God-like powers... In this moment, I''m no longer weak!'' Lucivar''s power reached its height, and once his wounds were recovered enough, his eyes glistened¡ªa ferocious light beamed from them.

    "PIPPA!!" Pippa''s mother screamed at the top of her lungs in horror.

    Pippa closed her eyes in fright, fate seemed to state that today would be her death.

    But instead of being crushed, a loud ear-shattering crack resounded.

    Crack!

    Knocked down by the impactful force coming from behind, Pippa fell to the snowy ground.

    A small grunt came out of her mouth.

    However, there was no harm that befell her, she didn''t feel any pain across her body.

    Realizing she was unscathed, spared from the crushing weight of the massive boulder, Pippa hesitantly opened her eyes, and glanced over her shoulder. What greeted her gaze, stole her breath instantly.

    A man with a beautiful bronze-colored wing stood behind her.

    He was radiant and commanding.

    At that moment, Pippa realized that the man was the reason why she wasn''t crushed.

    Having nothing but his bare hands, the man effortlessly shattered the boulder.

    Pippa was stunned but she recognized the man¡ªit was the one who she had spoken with earlier¡ªLucivar. Her mother came to embrace her from behind but her eyes were fixed on Lucivar, her savior.

    On the other hand, Lucivar spat blood to the side¡ªa wicked smile donning his face.

    "Sha! I understand it now!" Lucivar laughed as if he was having the time of his life. "I am the Blessed Oracle¡ªI am not weak¡ªI am only too stupid to use my abilities properly. But that... that''s no longer, I understand it now!"

    Lucivar had upgraded his mastery over the Greedy Grasp ability.

    Now, the range was increased as well as the power output.

    He didn''t need to resort to the tactic of stealing small amounts to replenish his God strands.

    Earlier, he tried to absorb¡ªa Rock Golem''s ether forcefully¡ªbut his connection was severed almost instantly, and that''s because the Rock Golem was strong. So why not take ether from others who couldn''t resist him?

    Inside, he could forcefully absorb the weakened Stone Orcs but he didn''t.

    Since he was shaken, he couldn''t see that path.

    Sha already gave him the hint earlier.

    ''Fear makes the wolf bigger''

    ''Confront what was in front of you first because, in truth, you are not that powerless''

    ''You are the Blessed Oracle, after all...''

    Lucivar now understood what she meant¡ªbecause of his crumbling, it narrowed his mind, and that created a chain reaction that made him perceive himself¡ªas weaker than he was when in truth, he was not weak.

    He has Gods inside of him and one of them gave him an ability.

    Loki gave him an ability.

    And Lucivar had underestimated the ability he was bestowed with.

    Now, he understood the principle of the Greedy Grasp ability.

    It came from the Trickster God, it wasn''t a good alignment ability¡ªit was of evil alignment.

    Meaning, the more evil the method of using this ability, the better the result.

    Realizing that Lucivar took advantage of the people around and siphoned their life force.

    As a result, his wounds healed faster and his God strands were fully replenished.

    "Let the real battle begin!"

    Swoosh!

    Finding that Lucivar suddenly exploded with power and shattered the boulder, Caldaros was surprised¡ªbut his lips curled, into a smile, "It seemed he was quite capable, I can see where his confidence came from"

    Pivoting around, Caldaros looked at the first Rock Golem that came out of the portal.

    He pointed his sword to the sun and channeled his ether.

    In an instant, the entire length of the sword hummed with a crimson hue¡ªa Vampire Hybrid''s natural ether color. Not stopping at that, the sword shook viciously as the sun infused it, with more power than before.

    All academy hunters around recognized this attack.

    One of Caldaros'' signature attacks¡ªBlood Trail.

    Upon reaching the Acolyte rank, Caldaros developed a characteristic of his bloodline, but his was a rare one. Normal Vampire Hybrids would develop claws or more elongated fangs while more talented ones developed Blood Eyes.

    But for him, his skin became paler than before.

    It gave him a unique ability that would double the power output of his spells.

    Few Crossers of the same rank could block much less survive his spells because of that.

    Having to witness his power first-hand, the academy hunters felt blessed.

    Everyone was shocked by the amount of ether concentrated on his weapon and once he was ready, Caldaros, jumped skyward to deliver the strike. No doubt, his attack would shatter this Rock Golem into pieces.

    Caldaros pulled his blade back, preparing to slash, "Blood Tra-!"

    Just before he could finish his chant, he sensed something approaching him fast.

    In mid-air, he felt something was right behind him.

    Once he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes widened in pure shock.

    "Out of my way!"

    Coming out of nowhere, Lucivar flapped his sole wing, and knocked Caldaros to the side.

    He body-charged Caldaros, surprising everyone, and headed straight to the Rock Golem.

    Seeing this, the Rock Golem moved and threw a punch at him.

    Lucivar smirked with insanity as he accepted the challenge.

    Losing his dagger along the way because of the hit earlier, he has nothing to work with other than his bare hands. But even then, Lucivar used eight God strands, his entire reserve¡ªall at once and infused it into his fist.

    "He''s aiming to outstrength a Rock Golem?! Is he insane?!"

    "No way... Only a Titan or Dragon Hybrid could do that!"

    All academy hunters gasped at the sight of Lucivar pulling his fist for a punch.

    From the time he obtained the Greedy Grasp ability, he has never used this much at once.

    So once eight God strands were infused to his right fist, he was assaulted by a sharp pain.

    It felt like his right arm was about to explode.

    However, he pays it no heed as there are many people around that he could use to heal all of the wounds, he might endure, from doing this. Clenching his fist tightly¡ªLucivar''s lips curled into an eager, almost feral grin.

    Pouring everything he had, he swung his fist in a powerful arc.

    Crash!!

    "My God! He shattered it!"

    Unexpectedly, the impact from Lucivar''s punch was explosive, an ear-splitting crack echoed as his punch, obliterated the Rock Golem''s big arm, sending shards of stone flying. Gasps of shock filled the air.

    Caldaros who landed on the ground gritted his teeth and turned around.

    But he was met with the same sight as everyone¡ªLucivar obliterating the Rock Golem''s arm.

    Not stopping at that, Lucivar landed at the disoriented Rock Golem''s head.

    His hands glowed with a greenish hue as he used Greedy Grasp at the Rock Golem.

    Being disoriented from the clash, Lucivar was able to siphon its ether¡ªand replenish his God strands once again. In mere moments, he obtained four God strands and instantly used them once again.

    Unlike before, he now grabbed the Rock Golem''s head.

    His muscles bulged as his fingers dug in and cracked the surface of its head.

    Fueled by the empowerment from the God strands, he ripped the Rock Golem''s head off.

    It died instantly with its head shattered.

    "Are you watching, Sha?! I am still unworthy but by the end of this day, I will be!"

 Chapter 132 132: Using Greedy Grasp Effectively

    Oblivious to what was happening on the other side, two figures could be seen running as fast as their legs could near the foothill. Upon rescuing Ravenna¡ªand Mirel, Leandra, and Nerissa saw the proselyte and the remaining Stone Orcs chasing after them.

    None of them expected their pursuers to arrive this early.

    It was fortunate that Lucivar had managed to grab Mirel and Leandra before this occurred.

    But regardless, the two were not in a good spot.

    "Where should we run to?!" Nerissa asked urgently as she stole glances at her behind.

    She frowned hard when she saw the pursuers were getting closer fast.

    Nerissa had already slowed them down multiple times with her Siren powers¡ªbut she was now exhausted of ether. If she used anymore¡ªshe wouldn''t be able to keep her speed like this, she would be caught.

    On the other hand, Leandra was not in any better condition.

    Slowing down the Rock Golems, battling against the Stone Orcs alone, and even dispersing the avalanche was taking a toll on her ether reserve. Even for someone like her¡ªwho has a large amount of ether reserve, she couldn''t keep on fighting.

    Glancing to the far side with desperation, Leandra replied, "We''ll make a run for the portal!"

    "Portal?" Nerissa gasped, her voice laced with alarm. "A lot of Rock Golems are there!"

    "I saw Lucivar flew above us earlier, the portal must''ve cracked¡ªwe could regroup with him"

    "Okay, let''s go!"

    Upon making a sharp turn¡ªLeandra¡ªand Nerissa moved out of the way when a stone lance protruded out from the ground in front of them. Then, a playful but threatening voice seeped into their ears, "Where are you ladies going?"

    From the side, the proselyte came in with speed.

    He used a spell that allowed him to smoothen the ground and surf it.

    It was as if he was surfing on an ocean wave but the wave was made of stones instead.

    Seeing this, Leandra gripped the proselyte with her telekinetic prowess.

    Nerissa immediately came in, an ocean-blue body of water shaped like an eel emerged from her shoulder and whipped the proselyte on the face, throwing him backward. As the duo did this, their sprinting speed didn''t even decrease for a bit.

    But even then, the proselyte landed on the wave of rocks and circled around quickly.

    In mere seconds, he reached the duo again.

    ''He''s fast! It''s going to be a battle all the way to the portal!'' Leandra glared daggers at him.

    Heat rose to her cheeks as she desperately fought back her exhaustion.

    Meanwhile, near the portal.

    Kaboom!

    A Rock Golem fell back into the dungeon, pieces of its body flew everywhere as it got kneed on the chin. Lucivar made a mistake earlier, but now, he managed to correct his mistake¡ªhe pushed the Rock Golems back into the dungeon.

    Landing on the snow, he grabbed the Rock Golem''s head again and ripped it off.

    Knowing the nature of the Greedy Grasp ability, he became more formidable.

    As far as he was concerned regarding the ability, Lucivar could absorb others'' ether and turn it into God strands that he could use to enhance his spells¡ªand also heal minor wounds. But that was not the only thing Greedy Grasp ability could do.

    Other than that, he could also absorb life force if the target has no ether to absorb.

    It could be turned into God strands too but he also could obtain the target''s ability.

    He learned that from absorbing the rat back in the dorm.

    Killing a Rock Golem would cause its life force to instantly disappear, evaporated but its ether would linger around for some time. Lucivar could still absorb its ether, even in death, and that allowed him to always have God strands to spare.

    Lifting his gaze, there were still more Rock Golems around.

    Lucivar absorbed the dead Rock Golem''s ether and flapped his wing, leaping skyward.

    He stuck a Rock Golem and leaped onto another, attacking them ferociously.

    Upon each hit, he activated Greedy Grasp and tried to absorb as much ether as possible and this tactic worked. As long as he could disorient¡ªthe Rock Golems, the connection would be able to linger for a moment, giving him one or two God strands.

    Coupled with his superior speed, the Rock Golems'' formation was in shambles.

    "Sutekh! Am I still unworthy now?!" Lucivar shouted at his chest, basking in the moment.

    On the side, Sha and Gandr appeared, watching Lucivar battle from a distance.

    "Lord Set is still playing hard to get?" Gandr asked.

    Sha gave him a daggering glare, "Don''t be absurd, He is not interested in giving his power to those who are unworthy to even represent Him¡ªproperly. It''s not playing hard to get. Watch your mouth, animal"

    "I''m sure he is," Gandr remarked sarcastically, taking Sha''s words unseriously.

    Hearing this, Sha exhaled roughly before turning back to Lucivar.

    "I have to say, he is beginning to become worthy" She narrowed her gaze with a smile. "He now realized the strong do not overpower others first but overpower themselves first. Only those who have overpowered themselves from their weaknesses could become one of the strong"

    "If he played this right, My Lord would meet him" She proudly added.

    For someone who was extremely weak recently, surprisingly, Lucivar''s growth was rapid.

    Bam!

    Lucivar knocked another Rock Golem with a vicious punch.

    But then, one Rock Golem managed to sneak behind him.

    It merged both of its hands into a hammer and struck Lucivar with it.

    Having no time to react properly, Lucivar felt an enormous crushing force assaulting his body as he was thrown hundreds of meters to the side and planted into the ground. He coughed a mouthful of blood as the bones inside of him cracked.

    Despite being able to now properly attack the Rock Golems, his resilience remains the same.

    One hit from the Rock Golems would be hazardous for him.

    Pushing himself up with trembling arms, Lucivar glared at the Rock Golems and laughed.

    "Good... Good! Make me bleed more!" He thundered, through a blood-filled mouth. "I will root out any weakness inside of me! I''ll elevate this body so that it will not fear the likes of you! So that it would never tremble in fear again!"

    As he shouted that, he stopped when he caught sight of the Rock Sentinel on the side.

    It wasn''t doing anything but watching him as if his fight was a spectacular show.

    Angered, Lucivar grabbed a massive rock a chunk of a Rock Golem''s torso that he killed, and threw it at the Rock Sentinel. Even though he threw it with all his might, the rock bounced off of the Rock Sentinel''s body as if it were nothing.

    For the Rock Sentinel, that rock was akin to a pebble.

    Becoming even more furious, Lucivar went to the side at a Rock Golem without legs.

    He shattered them earlier and now this Rock Golem was helpless on the ground.

    Lucivar climbed its body tirelessly and cast Greedy Grasp ability.

    It was very fortunate that Greedy Grasp doesn''t require any ether¡ªor else he''ll be done.

    Despite its resistance, Lucivar punched it multiple times, and kept on absorbing until he gained eight God strands. Once he was done, he turned around, baring his teeth like an animal, and darted towards the Rock Sentinel.

    Pulling his arm back, he channeled all eight God strands into his fist and went for it.

    BAM!

    A loud echoing sound resounded as Lucivar''s fist landed on the Rock Sentinel.

    But as he did that, his eyes widened, ''Eight God strands... and I only cracked its skin a little?!''

    Seeing his attempt resulting in no more, than a small crack, the Rock Sentinel tilted its head a little menacingly. No wonder the other academy hunters called it the Unfair Golem, it was too strong.

    Lucivar''s punch was at least akin to that of a second-star Acolyte rank or perhaps higher.

    However, the Rock Sentinel treated it as nothing.

    Before he could react, the Rock Sentinel grabbed him with its hand and squeezed him.

    "ARGHK!!" Lucivar screamed, the blood vessels in his eyes bulging on the brink of exploding.

    He tried resisting the squeeze but it barely did anything and in a second, his wing was also making a cracking sound as the bones inside it snapped. As his vision blurred, teetering on the brink of passing out¡ªhis eyes suddenly shot open.

    Driven by his will to prove himself, a surge of adrenaline coursed through his battered body.

    Lucivar blinked his eyes a couple of times before regaining back his focus.

    ''I- I need to break free!'' He pondered in pain. ''But how?!''

    Seeing that he was still resiting and very much alive¡ªthe Rock Sentinel crouched down and slammed its hand onto the ground, the force caused Lucivar¡ªto cough more blood. He was in dire peril right now.

    But as he did that, his eyes glistened at the sight of a glowing sphere not too far from him.

    ''Right! I forgot about that!'' Lucivar thought in realization.

    Just from the subtle glow alone, he could tell that it was the bronze sphere.

    It was Sutekh''s Divine Blood.

    Killing the Rock Golems overbearingly granted him Sutekh''s Divine Blood.

    Lucivar wasted no time, squeezing his arm out of the grip and calling for the bronze spheres.

    His eyes lit with delight as several bronze spheres hurtled toward him, glowing like a metallic storm. Among them were not only those he had claimed from killing Rock Golems¡ªbut these were also from the defeated Stone Orcs.

    Each sphere was a trophy of his relentless assault earlier.

    In mere moments¡ªthe bronze spheres turned into Godly energy and seeped into his skin like a torrent. Lucivar gritted his teeth hard, the veins around his neck bulged as the process was more painful than he remembered.

    But even then, he could feel the heat from it merging into his Supernatural Ego.

    It merged and strengthened his bloodline, polishing his body to even greater heights.

    For a fleeting moment, the Rock Sentinel tightened its grip, intending to crush Lucivar¡ªonce and for all. But it couldn''t, its strength was repelled¡ªby the Godly energy. Once the process ended, Lucivar erupted from the Rock Sentinel''s grasp in a brilliant surge.

    His muscles bulged but he didn''t bask in his newfound strength and delivered a punch.

    Bam!!

    Lucivar''s punch carried more power than before to the point that the Rock Sentinel stumbled.

    Its hard skin cracked even bigger now.

    And once Lucivar followed with a dropkick to the chest, the Rock Sentinel fell backward.

    Upon doing that, he landed on the ground and looked at his fists.

    His body was crooked from being squeezed but he didn''t care, he clenched his fists several times and smiled, "Oh... you guys are in trouble now" Lucivar muttered, and glanced over to the Rock Golems behind him.

    What comes after is a complete, one-sided domination.

    Lucivar''s attack shattered the Rock Golems¡ªeven without God strands¡ªhe could be on par with the Rock Golem. And once he infused God strands, the Rock Golems had no chance, all shattered with one hit.

    It was payback time for the beatings.

 Chapter 133 133: Cross of Evil

    Lucivar achieved another breakthrough.

    His combat prowess has been elevated to a higher degree.

    Absorbing the bronze spheres thickened the concentration of Sutekh''s Divine Blood inside of him and under its power, his physique has been molded greater. His raw strength alone could now be equivalent to a newly established first-star Acolyte rank Hybrid.

    It made him superhuman, the output his muscles could produce has been multiplied.

    Coupled with the use of his golden ether, the Rock Golems has no chance.

    Crash!

    Lucivar leaped and punched through a Rock Golem, creating a massive hole in its chest.

    He landed on one knee and saw two Rock Golems swinging their arms at him.

    But instead of avoiding their attacks, Lucivar stood up and blocked them with each hand.

    Snow splashed around him as the force of the attacks seeped into his body and permeated to the ground. Lucivar felt his arms numb but that was it, he wasn''t crushed, and that alone crossed a smirk on his lips.

    Pushing them back, he kicked and shattered the Rock Golem to his left.

    And in a swift maneuver, he climbed onto the other Rock Golem and grabbed its head.

    He squeezed with both arms, cracking its head until it eventually shattered.

    More bronze spheres dropped to the ground and he absorbed them without hesitation.

    Using the God strands from Greedy Grasp ability and spreading it across his body, he found that he could lessen, the pain¡ªand damage it caused to strengthen his physique. It allowed him to endure more of the bronze spheres without breaking a sweat.

    A dark brown energy steamed out of Lucivar''s body as he reveled in the feeling.

    "Phew~ It''s not as bad as before," He murmured in delight.

    It wasn''t too painful now¡ªthe process was right in between, the sweet spot.

    Lucivar found the sensation kind of endearing.

    Just then, he caught something poking out of the snow.

    In fact, there were two things.

    "Well, hello there... I thought I lost you" Lucivar bent down and took his lost dagger.

    He only bought the dagger so it would be heartbreaking for him to lose it, especially when it was quite expensive¡ªsucking almost all his academy points. Beside it was a golden sphere, Lucivar forgot that killing others also gave him golden spheres.

    Seeing this, he rubbed his forehead, "I really did crumble. For me to forget this, sigh..."

    Lucivar lifted his hand and called forth the golden spheres scattered around the dungeon.

    As he did this, his eyes were attracted to a single figure on the side.

    It was the last Rock Golem, it stood there unmoving¡ªalmost frozen still.

    "Hmm...? Why is it not attacking me?" Raising an eyebrow, Lucivar questioned but then¡ªhis eyes sparkled at the thought of a possibility. "Don''t tell me... Is it scared of me? Hahah~! I''m honored!"

    Seeing first-hand how Lucivar dominated the others, the last Rock Golem was stunned.

    Once Lucivar''s gaze landed on it, however, it tried turning around to leave.

    But the moment it did that, a dagger pierced its back and a green phantom appeared with its maw opened wide, biting and shattering the Rock Golem into pieces. Lucivar had gotten that much stronger.

    Upon doing that, Lucivar turned back to the Rock Sentinel.

    His eyes, however, were pulled somewhere else¡ªto the mountain peak in the distance.

    Several gushes of energy could be seen coming from up there.

    "Ravenna still has not gotten the Teal Coin?" Lucivar frowned, he expected Ravenna, to finish her side¡ªbefore he could even defeat the Rock Golems but it seemed the Shaman proved to be stronger than anticipated. "I should go help her and close this dungeon"

    Just as he was about to move, Leandra and Nerissa appeared from the corner.

    Both of them were wounded with Nerissa supporting Leandra.

    Finding Lucivar ahead, their eyes brightened¡ªthey were exhausted from being chased.

    Lucivar swiftly moved, he leaped to the Rock Sentinel that was trying to stand up.

    He placed his hand on its head and slammed it to the ground again.

    Not stopping at that, he channeled ether into his right foot and stomped its head hard.

    Finding that its eyes were flickering, disoriented¡ªLucivar nodded, "That''ll do"

    Defeating the Rock Sentinel, would take too long, its core lay buried deep inside its resilience body, and even with his breakthrough¡ªreaching it would still be hard. Instead, Lucivar struck with enough force to knock the massive creature down for the count, buying time to aid both Leandra and Nerissa.

    Once he turned to those two again, he saw the proselyte and Stone Orcs behind them.

    "Let''s see if I can change their target," Lucivar pondered aloud.

    Following that, he heightened his focus and began extracting his ether from his Supernatural Ego and letting it surface on his skin. He has never done this but if he could¡ªthe Stone Orcs would be drawn to him.

    Golden vapor began to sizzle around him, and he made his move once he was ready.

    Instead of the Stone Orcs, he aimed for the proselyte first.

    Meanwhile, Leandra glanced over her shoulder.

    She clicked her tongue in displeasure when she saw the scene behind.

    "I''m going to skin you and feed on your blood, Star Witch!" the proselyte licked his lips.

    His eyes were laser-focused on Leandra, the prize that would propel him to a new height that he was reeling to reach. Surfing with speed, he reached out his hand ahead, almost reaching, Leandra''s hair.

    As his smile widened, a shadow breezed past his vision.

    For a fraction of a second there, the proselyte felt a sense of deja vu, this happened before.

    But then, a massive force struck his chin¡ªdislocating his jaw in the process.

    Upon feeling this hit, bending his spine backward¡ªin an unnatural way, the proselyte, looked down and ground his teeth at the sight of Lucivar''s mocking smile, ''Him?! Again?! I caught his knee again?!''

    Falling to the snow, the proselyte looked up and saw Lucivar towering over him.

    His pupils trembled furiously¡ªLucivar got in his way again.

    "Caught off guard once, I get it. But twice? You''re as sharp as a rock, traitor," Lucivar mocked¡ªcracking a wide grin¡ªas he looked down on the proselyte. "You are worthless in our world, what makes you think you''re going to be anything on the other side?"

    Each word that spilled from Lucivar''s mouth was a dagger plunging deep into him.

    It sent his heart into a storm, pounding with fury that threatened to swallow him whole.

    Before finishing his sentence, Lucivar pointed his hand ahead and cast Radiant Burst.

    An explosion happened meters¡ªbehind the proselyte, snow climbed skyward, and the Stone Orcs behind were barred and thrown backward. Once he did that¡ªLucivar turned his gaze to the proselyte again, "It''s better to surrender your life. Just think of it as being useful, for once in your life"

    "Bastard!!" the proselyte roared through a broken jaw and attacked.

    Lucivar grabbed the proselyte''s reaching hand as the duo was trapped in a struggle.

    In this position, Lucvar frowned when his broken jaw returned to its original position¡ªhealed.

    ''Is this because of him being a Nexus? Must be, the dungeon is healing him'' Lucivar thought.

    Just then, his mind was interrupted.

    "They killed him!" the proselyte shouted¡ªhis voice trembling with anguish as tears streaked down his flushed¡ªreddened face. His bloodshot eyes burned with rage, "My older brother... those bastard students came and did whatever they wanted! I saw it with my own two eyes! He screamed and begged but the city... the city did nothing! Nothing!!"

    "Since the city won''t do anything, because they''re fucking Hybrids from Sunhold City, I''ll take it upon myself to get vengeance on them!" the proselyte continued, his crazy eyes glistening. "I''ll bring ruin to the city and find them even if I need to chase them to the end of the world!"

    Once he said that¡ªa stone spike protruded out of the ground, aiming at Lucivar''s chin.

    Lucivar leaped and somersaulted backward, avoiding the strike.

    But the proselyte had already reached him and punched him in his face hard.

    His head snapped to the side because of the force of the punch, leaving him stunned.

    Managing this, the proselyte panted hard, "Stay out of my way, all I want is justice!"

    Seeing that Lucivar seemed to be understanding as he didn''t even fight back, the proselyte aimed to make him leave, the battle. If Lucivar had forfeited the battle¡ªhe could have gone after the others more easily.

    He was no fool, Lucivar was the most troublesome out of the group of academy hunters.

    It would be best to not confront Lucivar forcefully.

    Just then, however, Lucivar forcefully turned his head forward again.

    He ate the punch with ease and fought back the proselyte''s fist as if it were nothing.

    "Everything you said..." Lucivar began in a low whisper¡ªhis expression was both solemn and understanding. But just as quickly, his face twisted back into a mocking grin¡ªas he stared at the proselyte''s eyes intensely. "It only proves me right, you are worthless. I''m the last person you wanted to seek pity from..."

    "W- What...?" the proselyte was stunned.

    But before he could understand what was happening, a glistening dagger brushed at him.

    In the next second, a crimson line appeared on his neck before blood gushed out.

    "Kaarghk!" the proselyte grunted and grabbed his neck.

    He glared at Lucivar angrily and shouted, "Have you no heart? Do you not have a family?!"

    "Family...?" Lucivar chuckled and glanced over his shoulder, seeing that Nerissa and Leandra were already at the portal, looking at him. He gave them a light nod, telling them to leave the dungeon before he turned back to the proselyte, "I killed them. My mother... my little brother¡ªI killed them both"

    "K- Killed them...?" the proselyte sucked in a cold breath in disbelief. "You''re like them"

    Seeing that Lucivar doesn''t seem to be older than him, and was also an academy hunter, he thought that Lucivar would be just or at least naive. He would''ve never guessed that he was dealing with a psychopath.

    Not even a trace of his craziness leaked out from his normal face.

    But now, the proselyte realized that his face was one thick facade to cover his darkness.

    Lucivar brandished his dagger, splattering the proselyte''s blood onto the snow.

    It was a delight to see the proselyte''s pale expression right now.

    "Yes, I''m the same as those students who killed your brother or perhaps even worse," Lucivar nodded as he went into his fighting stance with both hands raised. "but do not be mistaken, I knew how you felt and I hated the hypocrisy of the people that befall on you. Unfortunately¡ª your interest crossed with mine"

    "A tragedy befall you and now you''ve chosen your side, so now... get up¡ªand fight me. Your existence hogged some karma and I''m quite stingy when it comes to karma..."

 Chapter 134 134: Snatching the Teal Coin

    As someone who was also wronged by his home city, he understood the proselyte''s feelings.

    In order to appease the Supreme House and not be abandoned, slave cities are willing to do, absolutely anything for the better good of many. Even if it would be unfair to one person, the city only viewed the well-being of the majority.

    Reality often worked like that.

    Had it not for the deal he made with Professor Victor, Lucivar might''ve let him go.

    Killing the proselyte is barely a reward for Lucivar so there''s no point insisting on killing him.

    But with his life on the line, he couldn''t let the proselyte go.

    And the more he thought about it, the more that it was fate for the proselyte to die here.

    ''Even if there''s no deal, I''d probably kill him for choosing evil too...'' Lucivar shrugged.

    It was unfortunate, sheer bad luck¡ªLady Luck spat at the proselyte and placed him here.

    So there''s no other outcome for him other than death.

    Realizing that Lucivar was not going to be swayed by his pity party, the proselyte gritted his teeth preparing to battle, but his eyes widened when Lucivar vanished, from his spot. It was sudden and the proselyte couldn''t react.

    "Haah..." a voice seeped into his ears. "you haven''t caught up yet? Guess you die here"

    Splash!

    Lucivar stabbed the proselyte with his dagger through the heart¡ªcausing him to vomit quite a disturbing amount of blood. He was more or less on par with Lucivar during their first initial encounter earlier but now, with Lucivar''s breakthrough, he was overpowered.

    Strength was drained rapidly from his system before his body collapsed forward.

    His face planted against the snowy ground.

    Earlier, Lucivar had already marked the proselyte with his Soul Warden spell.

    It still latches onto the proselyte stubbornly.

    So Lucivar could use that to teleport behind the proselyte and deliver the killing blow.

    Once the proselyte was done, Lucivar scanned the area.

    Some of the Stone Orcs were sneaking past him¡ªto go to the portal, understanding clearly, that battling Lucivar would only be suicide. Instead, they would contribute more by crossing to the other world and attacking it.

    But Lucivar already knew what they were doing, he was ready.

    Boom!

    A golden ether shockwave exploded from his body, carrying with it the display of his might.

    Doing this felt like his breath was taken away, he had never done this before.

    Gathering his ether on his skin and letting it explode but it was clearly working.

    Seeing the spectacular sight, the Stone Orcs who were already sprinting towards the portal stopped and turned their attention back, towards Lucivar. "Like moth and the sun, you can''t help yourself when there''s this much ether, can''t you?"

    No Crossers would pass up killing someone like Lucivar.

    His ether amplified with a God strand, it was too enticing for these Stone Orcs.

    Roar!!

    Allured by their natural instincts, the Stone Orcs turned and charged at Lucivar in a horde.

    Lucivar smirked, "Okay... let''s hope my ether could sustain killing all of them"

    Meanwhile, on the mountain peak.

    Crash!

    Charging her claw gauntlets with ether, Ravenna struck down at the Shaman who stumbled to its bottom but missed. Her face twisted, in sheer annoyance, the Shaman wasn''t good at offense but incredibly good at defense.

    It has multiple movement spells that could protect it from Ravenna''s relentless assault.

    Ravenna didn''t miss but instead, struck a stone clone.

    Glancing to the side, she saw the Shaman meters away¡ªsummoning walls of stone to hinder her vision, hiding its body behind these walls. Moving expertly, Ravenna leaped and spun her body as she summoned a massive ethereal claw and struck at the stone walls.

    Crash!

    Under her ability, the stone walls shattered, revealing that the Shaman was already running.

    "Tch! Where''s Mirel and Lucivar? It''s too agile" Ravenna clicked her tongue.

    Earlier, once Lucivar went to the portal to handle the situation there, Mirel also departed from her¡ªflaring his ether and sprinting to the Stone Orc''s village. His move drew almost all of the Stone Orcs, afraid that Mirel would attack their village.

    It gave Ravenna the opportunity to attack the Shaman and engage in a duel.

    Not to defeat the Shaman but to steal the Teal Coin in its grasp.

    But that proved to be an even more difficult task than she anticipated, the Shaman is strong.

    Ravenna chased after the Shaman, keeping it in her sight at all times.

    As the two played cat and mouse inside the forest, a sharp whistling sound came from above¡ªit prompted the Shaman to look up, and quickly roll to the side¡ªdirtying its robe with snow as it gazed at the spot ahead.

    A steaming with gold ether dagger stabbed on the ground where it stood earlier.

    Had the Shaman didn''t dodge, that would''ve pierced its temple.

    Seeing this, Ravenna did not even bother to check, who was the one who threw the dagger, she instantly dashed in and attacked. Her swipe was dodged¡ªthe Shaman leaped back but her follow-up attack, another ethereal claw managed to clipped the Shaman.

    Splash!

    Roar!

    Feeling the sharp claw pressing on its body, the Shaman roared in pain.

    And the glowing Teal Coin in its hand slipped from its grasp.

    Ravenna leaped with both hands stretched to grab it but the Shaman blocked her way with a stone wall. She was barred, but another figure was able to grab the Teal Coin in time, Lucivar arrived and stole the Teal Coin.

    Once he was done with the Stone Orcs and secured the portal area, he made haste here.

    "Good job, handsome!" Ravenna yelped excitedly.

    Dismissing her compliment, Lucivar turned and quickly replied, "We need to go now!"

    "Go now...? Why?"

    "The portal is opened¡ªI already took out all the Rock Golems¡ªbut the Rock Sentinel is only knocked out, it would recover any time now. Leandra and Nerissa are already outside, where is Mirel?"

    "He must be still at their village"

    "Come on, let''s call him and get out of here!"

    At this moment, time wasn''t on their side, the Rock Sentinel could recover any moment now.

    It must end now, the dungeon needs to be closed now.

    Once Ravenna understood the situation, the duo descended the slope swiftly and went into the woods¡ªleaving the Shaman behind. It was still stuck on the ground, pinned by the claw Ravenna summoned but it wouldn''t last long.

    Despite the path down was easier than climbing the mountain, it remained hard.

    Mostly because Lucivar and Ravenna were exhausted.

    Both of them were breathing hard, their leg muscles were already screaming at them to stop, but the duo, pushed on. "Akkh!" Just then, Ravenna made an exhausted misstep, causing her to stumble and roll down the slope.

    Lucivar managed to seize her as they slid downward, his free hand clawing into the snow.

    Upon reaching the bottom, Ravenna pushed herself up.

    "Come on, teacher. A little bit more," Lucivar teased to lift up her spirit.

    Ravenna smiled weakly and nodded, "I only slipped, don''t mind me. Let''s keep going"

    Even though she brushed it off as nothing, Lucivar could tell that her stamina was empty.

    She had been the one who made the most effort in this dungeon.

    Lucivar might''ve been the one wounded the most but her tasks were the most exhausting.

    Being the frontline against the Rock Golems, climbing the mountain, taking on the Stone Orcs to buy time, and even chasing the Shaman. She had been moving around, non-stop¡ªand her stamina surely bore the toll.

    ''I''m also exhausted, and I can only use one or two spells again'' Lucivar pondered.

    His God strands can''t replenish his ether and even if he infused God strands into his physical attacks, his stamina wouldn''t last as going back and forth using his wing was quite tiring. But the end should be near.

    Roar!!

    A powerful surge of energy coalesced in the sky.

    Lucivar and Ravenna glanced upward and saw the Shaman was already pursuing them.

    Gritting their teeth, the duo sprinted in the village''s direction.

    Multiple Stone Orc corpses could be seen littering the ground, Mirel has done work on them.

    In a moment, the clash of combat reached their ears, drawing their attention to Mirel ahead, who was still locked in battle with the Stone Orcs. His movements were still fast and strong, but their numbers were gradually overwhelming him.

    Despite this, he had managed to take a female Stone Orc hostage.

    Mirel was able to refrain the other Stone Orcs from attacking.

    As he pointed his weapon at the female orc, two Stone Orcs in front of him fell forward.

    Lucivar and Ravenna emerged, giving back light into Mirel''s eyes.

    "Come on, we''re leaving!" Ravenna shouted. "We got the Teal Coin already!"

    Once Mirel heard that, he ditched the female orc and ran through the path both Lucivar and Ravenna had created for him. Just like that, the three of them¡ªmade a run for it toward the portal.

    "When will we shatter the Teal Coin?" Lucivar asked as he sprinted.

    "If the Teal Coin is destroyed, there would only be exactly thirty seconds before the portal is closed," Ravenna replied in between her rough breaths. "Give it to Mirel¡ªhe would be better at holding onto it since he''s still in a better shape than us"

    Just as Lucivar was about to give the Teal Coin, Mirel smiled in guilt.

    He tilted his head down to his waist.

    Lucivar and Ravenna followed his gaze and found that his uniform was drenched with blood.

    "I''m sorry guys, I don''t think I can hold onto it" He stated with a pale face.

    Clang!

    Before anyone could react to the news, a loud metallic sound echoed through the forest, the kind of sound produced, from rusted steel. All of them glanced over their shoulders to check where the sound came from.

    None of them see anything behind them, the Stone Orcs were left behind.

    Even the Shaman was nowhere to be seen.

    But as the three were about to focus forward, they picked up growling and braking sounds.

    Glancing back once more, their eyes widened in alarm as a horde of creatures surged behind them¡ªthese beings moved with incredibly fast speed, undeterred by the snowy woodland¡ªthat failed to slow their relentless pursuit.

    It was as if they were made for this terrain.

    One glance is all it takes for Lucivar and the others to number them in the fifties.

    "Pets, they unleashed their pets!" Mirel shouted, he saw these creatures that had taken the shape of an oversized armored dog caged earlier in the village. Now that the Teal Coin was in their hands, the Stone Orcs were becoming desperate. "Snow Hounds!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar gritted his teeth as this was going to be a throughout battle.

    As if their exhaustion wasn''t already bad enough, these Snow Hounds appeared.

    Reaching the portal would be harder than it already was.

 Chapter 135 135: Time For The Climax

    It was the last hurdle¡ªthe last hurdle for Lucivar to not only gain Professor Victor''s approval but also to save his life. He had pushed back the Crossers from invading the world and even taking down the Rock Sentinel¡ªnow, the Teal Coin is in his hand.

    All he had to do now was to close down the dungeon for good.

    But that proved to be way harder than it sounds.

    Woof!

    Woof!

    In a moment, some of the faster Snow Hounds were able to reach them.

    Lucivar, Mirel, and Ravenna were focused on avoiding their attacks and keeping on running.

    Entertaining these dogs would only slow them down.

    In their current situation, with Lucivar and Ravenna tired¡ªand Mirel wounded, they could not afford to confront the Snow Hounds. Lucivar''s eyes were pulled to his right and saw one was dashing at him with its maw wide open.

    Making a hard stomp to slow his pace down, he avoided the bite narrowly.

    Gritting his teeth, he kicked the Snow Hound and sent it hurtling to another one.

    He sensed another one coming in and slapped it away with his dagger.

    It was a relentless series of attacks akin to being attacked by a group of piranhas in water.

    Ravenna and Mirel were also experiencing the same, and the attack became more frequent.

    Naturally, this was caused by them slowing down as their livers were throbbing from pushing their bodies to sprint, too much. Checking their behind¡ªRavenna was troubled, "We''re going to be in a lot of trouble in a second, they are catching up!"

    Upon hearing this, Mirel gritted his teeth and went to stand behind Ravenna and Lucivar.

    Blitz!

    His body cracked with yellow lightning as he channeled his ether for one last dash.

    "Hang on, I''ll take us to the clearing!" He said as he planted his foot firmly.

    Lucivar and Ravenna leaned their bodies forward before Mirel pushed them forward with a sudden burst of speed, eating the ground fast and leaving the Snow Hounds in the dust. It wouldn''t take them long to reach the snowfield ahead at this speed.

    In a desperate attempt, the Shaman who was catching up chanted its spells.

    Multiple stone spires protruded out of the ground, trying to knock them over but failed.

    Mirel was extremely precise, he was able to make a turn before colliding with the spires¡ªand in about three minutes of him exerting his ether, the three emerged out of the forest, arriving, at the narrow path that would lead them to the portal.

    Even though his uniform became wetter with blood, Mirel kept pushing forward.

    He exerted everything until they reached the clearing near the portal.

    About four hundred meters in front of them was the portal, their path to safety.

    Even the proselyte and the Stone Orcs'' corpses were still littered there.

    But Mirel already exerted himself to his limit, he fell to his knees weakly as blood and sweat drenched his body. Lucivar quickly supported Mirel before the trio continued onward to the portal.

    Halfway through, Lucivar looked down at the Teal Coin.

    ''Should I crush it now? Yes, we could reach the portal within 30 seconds'' He nodded.

    As he was about to crush the Teal Coin, something grabbed his ankle.

    Lucivar stumbled, causing Mirel to also fall down and Ravenna stopped abruptly.

    Glancing down to his ankle, Lucivar''s breath hitched when he saw something shocking¡ªthe proselyte was the one who caught his ankle. A mischievous grin crossed his lips at the sight of Lucivar''s shocked expression.

    Ravenna and Mirel could see that Lucivar''s expression was paled as a ghost.

    Both of them also saw how the proselyte was lying on the ground with the snow around him covered in the red stain of blood. Naturally, the two expected the proselyte to be dead¡ªbut that wasn''t the case.

    "What in the... I killed him already!" Lucivar grunted and kicked the proselyte''s hand away.

    He then crawled back before standing back up to his feet.

    Upon hearing this, the proselyte chuckled aggressively, "I love being a proselyte!"

    "How is that possible?" Lucivar gasped as he watched the proselyte standing up.

    Mirel was feeling the same but Ravenna was different, she was also shocked, but she didn''t seem to be confused, "He''s a Nexus, he was linked deeper with the dungeon and could use its power. And because of that, he could also get a patron from the Crossers'' world"

    "Patron...?" Mirel raised an eyebrow in confusion.

    Ravenna nodded, "It wasn''t taught in class yet, I knew it from another Hybrid. But to have a patron, there must be something, that piqued the patron''s interest¡ªin this dungeon to give more power to the proselyte"

    Swish!

    Just then, the proselyte suddenly seeped into the ground.

    Glancing to the opposite side, Lucivar, and the others saw the proselyte was now barring the path to the portal, "Round two now... you will not be able to catch me off guard again. Not for the third time" the proselyte smirked at Lucivar.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar ripped his blood-drenched sleeve and stepped forward.

    "I''ve killed you once, I can definitely kill you again," He murmured menacingly.

    Despite having very little amount of ether left in his reserve, Lucivar has a full God strands in his arsenal. He has confidence that with his physique alone, he would easily be able to beat, the proselyte for the second time.

    On the other hand, Ravenna saw that the Shaman, Snow Hounds, and Stone Orcs.

    All of them were emerging from the narrow path and rushed towards them.

    Seeing this, she crept closer to Mirel.

    "Once they started, make a run for it to the portal. At this point¡ªyou are only going to be a bag of burden for us. Go outside and tell the others to protect the portal. Do not look back" She said whisperingly.

    Mirel nodded, his wound tore open wider because of the sprint.

    He couldn''t possibly help them to fight anymore.

    "What about you two...?" He asked, his brows dipped into a frown.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna sweated a little as she clenched her fists tightly, "We''re going to buy time for you and close down the portal. I''m exhausted but I can still fight once more¡ªI''ll be fine"

    As the two were whispering, Lucivar brought his dagger to beside his face in a stance.

    "Ready or not, here I come!" He thundered and charged forward.

    Responding with the same level of excitement, the proselyte manipulated his alien power and coated his arms with stone skin. It was thin but was enough to clash against Lucivar''s dagger¡ªallowing them a fair fight.

    Both of them instantly brawled.

    Each attacked with ferocity, driven by the sheer desire to kill.

    It was a performance of hand-to-hand combat.

    Detached from their surroundings, only focused on the evil fighter in front of them.

    Seeing this, Ravenna turned to Mirel, "Go!"

    Not even wasting a single precious second, Mirel dragged his feet and limped his way to the portal ahead. He was exerting everything while Ravenna quickly moved to help Lucivar¡ªshe was aiming to end the proselyte before the Shaman and the Stone Orcs arrived.

    Swish!

    Swiftly, the proselyte landed a savage uppercut that knocked Lucivar off his feet.

    But simultaneously, a kick landed on his chin.

    Lucivar rotated mid-air and charged one God strand into his arm, before making a vertical downward swing. His attack landed on the snow, missing the proselyte by an inch but the sheer impact blasted snow and frost everywhere.

    In the next second, a sharp stone spike protruded out of the ground.

    It came from right below Lucivar''s belly, aiming to impale him.

    Even though this attack was seamless, Lucivar sensed it and grabbed the stone spike.

    He was thrown upward as the stone spike kept elongating, causing the proselyte to laugh.

    "Do you know why they revived me, bastard?!" He shouted, gazing at Lucivar with a maniacal light behind his eyes. "It wasn''t because of the Star Witch, and it sure as hell, wasn''t because of the portal! But it''s because they wanted to see me kill you, HAHAHA~!"

    Just as the proselyte summoned more stone spikes to impale Lucivar, he heard a whisper.

    "Don''t forget about me..." A light tone entered his ears.

    Upon hearing this, the proselyte''s eyes turned to his right and saw a glimpse of Ravenna.

    But before he could even do anything, Ravenna already pierced her claw into the proselyte''s behind¡ªand lifted him off the ground. Blood gargled out of the proselyte''s mouth, his whole body stiffened upon being pierced.

    Glancing to above, Ravenna called, "Lucivar! Catch!"

    Once she said that, she pulled out her claw and kicked the proselyte toward Lucivar.

    Seeing this, Lucivar smirked as he spun his body to free himself¡ªfrom the stone spike''s momentum and descent at the proselyte. Charging three God strands into his swing, his smirk widened, "No matter how many lives you''ve given, you will always be a loser!"

    Bam!!

    Lucivar''s swing landed squarely on the proselyte''s stomach.

    It fired the proselyte into the ground, splashing snow as he bounced several meters more.

    Managing to land that attack, Lucivar landed on the ground beside Ravenna.

    "I split open his belly, he should be out for the count for the count" He whispered lightly.

    Ravenna nodded, "He''ll certainly come back but we got other pressing things"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar turned to the other side and saw the furious Shaman¡ªfollowed by more Stone Orcs charging towards them. He then took out the Teal Coin and cast a glance at Ravenna.

    Gaining a nod from her, Lucivar crushed the Teal Coin.

    Swoosh!

    Once the Teal Coin was shattered, a ferocious whirlwind of energy burst from its fragments, rippling outward like an unleashed tempest. Following that¡ªthe surrounding air is distorted, and raw energy crackles.

    It surged upward and seemed to beckon to the dormant energy around the dungeon.

    Streams of the dungeon''s energy surged from every corner.

    Lucivar and Ravenna watched this as the mass of energy¡ªshot to the portal, causing it to shudder violently, its surface rippling like disturbed water as the sudden influx was able to overwhelm it.

    A minor shockwave burst forth, sending a wave of heat.

    As the shockwave subsided, the portal began to collapse on its own slowly, sucking in the remnants of energy from the air with a ravenous intensity. Just the sight of this alone both Lucivar and Ravenna knew that the climax was here.

    Returning their gazes back ahead, the duo prepared themselves to fight.

    "If we run now, they are going to follow us outside," Ravenna muttered.

    Lucivar nodded, "I know..."

    She then turned to Lucivar, a tired but playful smile crossed her lips, "Can you keep up?"

    "Go havoc, Ravenna... I''ll be right behind you," Lucivar returned the smile.

    Both would need to fend off these creatures and get out in time before the portal collapses.

    Despite their exhaustion, there was a sense of excitement inside of them.

    Maybe because out of the others, Lucivar and Ravenna were the most compatible.

    How could they not? They spent their time training together the most before the academy.

    And now, the next thirty seconds are theirs.

    It was time for the climax.

 Chapter 136 136: Conquering the Dungeon (1)

    Other than Mirel and Bakar who helped Lucivar train in martial arts, Ravenna also helped.

    In fact, Lucivar spent a lot more time training with Ravenna as learning footwork wasn''t easy, she needed to show him, watch his movements closely, and correct them. Leandra¡ªor Mirel might be the one closest to him the most, but his chemistry with them in battle wasn''t it.

    He has never trained to fight alongside them.

    But in Ravenna''s case, it was entirely different.

    "Go havoc, Ravenna... I''ll be right behind you," Lucivar said.

    Suddenly, time dilated as Ravenna''s eyes turned to focus back ahead in slow motion.

    She swept her gaze over the advancing Shaman and Stone Orcs¡ªtheir weapons raised high above their heads¡ªtheir guttural growls resonating in a battle hymn. Saliva dripped down to the ground, glistening like venom under the light.

    A savage, primal force that promised impending violence.

    Ravenna then closed her eyes, regulating her breaths as a change began to overtake her.

    Faint, glowing stripe-shaped sigils appeared around her eyes like warp paint¡ªand once she made one last exhale, and opened her eyes, her change was complete. Her eyes morph into slitted, feline-like pupils glowing faintly in a crimson hue.

    Lucivar saw the change and couldn''t help but suck in a cold breath in disbelief.

    ''I still can''t believe Darwin is stronger than her...'' He pondered with a frown.

    He was familiar with the ability Ravenna was using right now.

    Being an Acolyte-rank Hybrid longer than the others, she already established her bloodline''s signature abilities. She has two abilities, one is the ethereal claw she can summon at will¡ªto attack and the other is this one.

    An ability that came from her Crimson Rakshasa bloodline.

    An ability that was exclusive to the ''named'' bloodline inside of her.

    Meaning, no other Crimson Raksasha Hybrid has the same ability as hers.

    Ravenna is not the one to be secretive so Lucivar even knew the name of the ability.

    Predator Oculus is the name.

    It enhances her vision to an extraordinary degree, enabling her to detect even the slightest movements and perceive layers of reality others cannot, such as tracing magical paths¡ªas well as identifying residual heat signatures.

    "Constrict your ether and stay close," Ravenna reminded as the first wave arrived. "Go!"

    Swoosh!

    Ravenna led the charge with Lucivar sprinting closely behind her.

    Seeing them coming at full speed¡ªthe Shaman created a wall of rock that surrounded it and moved even faster ahead. It was aiming to overpower the duo''s charge with strength but the duo responded fiercely.

    Under the Predator Oculus'' influence, Ravenna was able to locate the weak spot of the wall.

    She charged her ether effectively into her claw and stabbed at that point.

    "Rraagh!!"

    Crash!

    Frozen in shock, the Shaman was surprised when the wall shattered entirely, and awaiting it on the other side was Ravenna with her crimson eyes, "Don''t be mistaken¡ªyou fend me off, only because of your supporting spells. In a direct clash, you''re no match!"

    As she said that, Lucivar emerged from behind and leaped above Ravenna.

    Pulling nothing back, he charged his fist with three God strands and punched the Shaman.

    Lucivar trusted Ravenna to crack the shell and awaited his moment to deliver this blow.

    Caught off guard, the punch landed on the Shaman across its face¡ªa savage arc that threw the Shaman crashing onto multiple Stone Orcs behind. But there was no time for celebration¡ªthe Stone Orcs immediately jumped onto them, ensuing an all-out brawl.

    Roar!!

    In the next second, a wave of Stone Orcs swept through them.

    Lucivar waded through the chaos, every swing of his dagger was filled with killing intent.

    But even then, the relentless onslaught of the Stone Orcs was not to be underestimated at all, the deafening clash of steel¡ªand bone descended, with terrifying force. Even when he managed to block, the sheer impact rattled his insides.

    Cracks formed along his ribs but his newfound physique refused to yield.

    He poured everything inside of him in the last thirty seconds.

    Avoiding a narrow attack, Lucivar stepped on the club and grabbed the Stone Orc''s face.

    Grabbing it tightly with force, he spun his body, and threw the Stone Orc to the side¡ªtaking more Stone Orcs along the way. As he did that, he glanced to the side and saw Ravenna not far from him, moving with terrifying precision.

    Her combat was nothing short of a bloody symphony.

    Ravenna dominated the Stone Orcs.

    Her clawed hands became instruments of death, striking with savage intent.

    Compared to Lucivar, each blow she made aimed for vital points¡ªthe jugular, the heart, the crotch¡ªevery vulnerable point was not safe from her. Stone Orcs, fell before her, like wheat under a scythe, their blood painting the snow ground in dark streaks.

    Not one hit was able to reach her and not one mistake was left unpunished.

    It was like a dance and the fee to watch her performance was their lives.

    But her ferocity did not end with mere killing.

    A towering Stone Orc lunged at her, and with a snarl, she caught its swinging arm.

    Upon seeing this, the Stone Orc paused and tilted its head in cold sweat.

    Smirking devilishly, a gravelly growl rumbled her throat as she ripped its arm from its body¡ªthe grotesque sound of tearing flesh, and snapping bone drowned out, only by the agonized bellow of her victim.

    Just then, her expression twisted, "You''re loud, so annoying..."

    Hearing the Stone Orc''s scream displeased her, the sound grated on her nerves.

    Not even hesitating, she drove her teeth into its throat, biting clean through its vocal cords.

    Blood sprayed onto her face, dripping down her chin and the annoying sound faded.

    It was replaced by a choking gargle instead.

    Disgusted, she spat the severed tissue onto the ground.

    A flicker of satisfaction curled her blood-streaked lips.

    And the sigils around her eyes became brighter.

    Upon seeing this bloody act, Lucivar could only gulp harshly but he anticipated this.

    Predator Oculus is a powerful ability but of course, it also has powerful side effects.

    One of them was the degradation of her mind, becoming demoniacal as the ability lingers.

    However, that wasn''t a problem as Lucivar cleared the Stone Orcs around him with a circular slash, rotating his entire body seamlessly, before he leaped toward Ravenna. She was about to move again but Lucivar arrived.

    His hand glowed with an emerald hue as he cast Greedy Grasp onto Ravenna.

    Under his ability, her ether was being sucked.

    During this entrancement, she was arguably stronger as she lost all reasonings.

    She would only be fixed bringing death to her enemies.

    But it was not fit for this situation because Ravenna would spend time inflicting as much pain on her enemies instead of swiftly killing them, that would only waste time and when the time was appropriate¡ªthey needed to leave too.

    Losing her mind would be detrimental at that moment.

    Ravenna blinked her eyes several times as the sigils around her eyes dimmed again¡ªclarity returned to her eyes before she met with Lucivar''s gaze, "You don''t need to touch me to do this anymore?"

    "I''ve gotten stronger, but that means your time is more limited" Lucivar replied.

    Predator Oculus utilized a lot of ether that Ravenna couldn''t control.

    If Lucivar used his Greedy Grasp on her, he would be able to balance the utilization of ether, making the side effect less effective towards her¡ªhelping her retain control of herself. Both of them had done this before but Lucivar had to touch her directly.

    Now that his Greedy Ability has gotten stronger, that wasn''t the case anymore.

    He could absorb her ether without even looking at her.

    But the downside of keeping

    "Twenty seconds... Call them and let''s move to the portal" Ravenna muttered.

    Once again, Lucivar channeled the last bit of his ether and unleashed it out of his body.

    His ether climbed and the Stone Orcs that were trying to sneak past them and headed to the portal were pulled towards them. Lucivar and Ravenna engaged in battle again, both of them covered each other''s backs and worked in synchrony.

    Despite being surrounded from all sides, they were dominating the Stone Orcs instead.

    Both of them could read each other''s movements without saying anything.

    Lucivar used Ravenna''s ether as a supply to charge his God strands, allowing him to kill¡ªone with each slash while Ravenna had her ether controlled so that she would lose her mind¡ªher move became more airtight and effective because of that.

    Bit by bit, they led the battle closer to the portal.

    Together, they were chaos incarnate¡ªa pair of forces tearing through the battlefield.

    Just then, the duo sensed incoming¡ªtwo powerful figures.

    It was the proselyte and also the Shaman, both of them recovered and rejoined the battle.

    Seeing that their opponents came from opposite directions, the two changed places.

    Ravenna used Lucivar''s back to roll herself to the other side and clashed with the Shaman.

    Having to battle them earlier, there was no reason to change matchups.

    Almost instantly, Lucivar wasted no time and intercepted the proselyte, grabbing him by the face and slamming him to the snow. Lucivar clutched the proselyte''s face strongly and used Greedy Grasp, absorbing his life force.

    Gritting his teeth, the proselyte struggled to break free hard.

    But Lucivar easily pinned him down.

    He held the proselyte''s other arm with his wing and quickened the absorption process.

    Just then, multiple stone spikes stabbed Lucivar''s wing.

    It prompted a painful groan to come out of his mouth but he persevered.

    "Since you''re now alive¡ªkilling you instantly would be a waste," Lucivar whispered¡ªgrinning at a peculiar prospect. "I began taking a liking to your stone manipulation, so I will be sucking you dry before the portal collapses"

    As time ticked down, the air thickened with tension.

    Most of the Stone Orcs were killed¡ªthe Shaman was being held back and possibly killed by Ravenna¡ªand the proselyte was pinned under him. In ten seconds, they would sprint to the portal before it collapses.

    Soon came to boiling point, the portal swirled stronger¡ªthe time to leave was nearing.

    Lucivar kept absorbing the proselyte''s life force in delight, but then¡ªthe proselyte suddenly changed tactics. He wrapped his legs around Lucivar''s waist and used his arms to pull down Lucivar''s neck.

    It was clear that the proselyte was aiming to keep Lucivar here.

    "Pathetic... What makes you think I''m scared of being left behind? Did you forget? We have a Star Witch" Lucivar mocked, even if he was trapped here¡ªhe trusted that Leandra would be able to get him out somehow.

    Just then, however, the proselyte grinned, "No, you''re the stupid one..."

    "Lucivar! The Rock Sentinel!" Ravenna shouted as she struggled to push back the Shaman.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised his gaze and saw the Rock Sentinel ahead.

    It was charging for a beam attack directly from its core, aiming straight at the portal.

    "S- Shit...! That could destroy the city!"

 Chapter 137 137: Conquering the Dungeon (2)

    Kaboom!

    A loud crash mildly rattled the ground, it came from the east wall.

    In haste, the officer in command of Kalinan City made haste to the wall with wide steps.

    He went to the tower and found multiple platoons were stationed there.

    "Lieutenant!"

    Saluting, the soldiers greeted the lieutenant in a union but he ignored them and went over to the edge. He saw Crossers approaching the portal¡ªthe Rock Golems were about to get into their world, "What happened? Did the hunter team fail?"

    "It''s still unclear, sir, but one got sent flying and crashed against the wall" A soldier replied.

    Upon hearing this, the lieutenant went to the other side of the tower.

    He looked down at the east wall and saw a big crater there, it almost pierced the wall.

    Coming out of this crater was an academy hunter, Lucivar¡ªhe was battered and bruised.

    Recognizing him as the leader of the assault team¡ªthe lieutenant clenched his fists tightly¡ª before he turned to the portal. Caldaros and his team were panicking, dropping the morale of the soldiers.

    Not to mention, hearing the shouts from below about the Rock Sentinel was discouraging.

    Helpless inside, the lieutenant pivoted around¡ªhis face was unwilling.

    He wanted to save the city but this is helpless.

    "No good, huh... the city can''t survive this" He muttered lightly¡ªhe clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. Exhaling roughly to calm his nerves, he turned to the soldiers, and was met with doubtful gazes.

    "Sir..." One soldier stood forward. "We would a lot if we recklessly defended the city"

    "We respect you¡ªand we know this city is your home but we don''t have enough firepower to take down many Rock Golems, much less a Rock Sentinel. We have no support from the main division. If we stay, it will be the same, as throwing our lives. Let the academy hunters handle this. If they can''t, there''s no chance we could" Another added worriedly.

    Encouraged by them, another added, "We are here to help you but this is suicide"

    Upon hearing this, the lieutenant looked down.

    He wasn''t angry with his men, it was reasonable for them to worry.

    Coming here was his idea, the military was focusing¡ªon other more important battles¡ªthey had their hands full. Sending an army to help Kalinan City is not an option, and the lieutenant bringing the people under him here was a mutiny.

    It was driven by personal interest.

    But the lieutenant was going to take responsibility for this, not his men.

    However, if there was no chance of winning this¡ªhe would only be unfair to his men.

    Losing the academy hunters would mean the city would be doomed with or without them.

    Forcing his men to fight would only sacrifice their lives for a lost cause.

    Seeing Lucivar, the leader of the assault team thrown out, and wounded, it was clear to them where this battle was heading. If the assault team died then a downward spiral would ensue, leading to the academy hunters'' deaths.

    And without the academy hunters, there would be no hope anymore.

    "Those who wanted to leave can leave," the lieutenant nodded. "I''m not forcing you to st-"

    "Lieutenant! It''s not over yet!"

    Before he could even finish, another soldier shouted and pointed at the portal.

    Hearing this, the lieutenant approached the edge again¡ªand saw Lucivar, was pushing the Rock Golems back into the portal¡ªdespite what had happened to him. A smile bloomed on the lieutenant''s face, ''The fate of the city, lies on your shoulders, hunters... Please, save my city''

    ''Somebody has to step up or else... innocent lives would be lost'' He gritted his teeth hard.

    Nobody is coming to save these people because of their unproductive ''slave'' status.

    Punished by the wrongs of their predecessors.

    All of the hope carried by the people as well as the lieutenant was on the academy hunters.

    Nodding his head, the lieutenant turned around and headed down.

    He took off his medals and officer coat before grabbing a gun along the way.

    Just from this alone, his intention is clear as day¡ªhe would be down there with his men.

    Back to the present.

    Recovering from the relentless onslaught¡ªdelivered by Lucivar, the Rock Sentinel staggered to its feet, its massive form looming as it surveyed the chaos around it. Its gaze swept over¡ªlocking onto the Shaman, the proselyte, and the Stone Orcs locked in brutal combat with the people from the other side.

    However, once it turned forward, a surge of anger welled inside of it.

    Ahead were countless rubbles and fragments that once belonged to Rock Golems.

    No longer hesitating, the Rock Sentinel dropped to all fours like a hulking gorilla, its massive hands bracing the ground as its body loomed ominously. Instead of aiming at both¡ªLucivar and Ravenna, it shifted its chest forward, and aimed the core buried deep within toward the open portal ahead.

    A brilliant, glowing orb began to coalesce at its center, pulsing with raw energy.

    It was gathering power for one final devastating attack.

    "Lucivar! The Rock Sentinel!" Ravenna shouted and nudged ahead.

    Lucivar''s gaze snapped upward, catching the sight of the unfolding chaos.

    Shock flashed across his face¡ªbut turned quickly into anger, his eyes narrowed¡ªinto a feral glare as they bore down, on the proselyte. He now understands why the proselyte was being like this¡ªlatching onto him tightly.

    It was to stall.

    "Yes..." the proselyte uttered with a twisted smirk. "that''s right. And now... the city will burn!"

    Reacting quickly, knowing that he needed to stop this attack, he headbutted the proselyte¡ª but it did nothing, other than make the proselyte, smile wider. Infuriated, Lucivar headbutted him again but this time, he used the moment to punch the proselyte in the throat.

    Choking as his adam''s apple was thrust inside, Lucivar was able to break free.

    He then proceeded to break the proselyte''s leg with a stomp infused with a God strand.

    Doing that drew a sharp squeal from the proselyte but Lucivar didn''t care.

    ''Eight seconds...'' Lucivar gritted his teeth. ''Eight seconds until the portal is closed but this attack would definitely reach the city before the portal closes. I need to stop or stall it but the Rock Sentinel... it''s gathering so much energy, is it sacrificing its life?!''

    Lucivar could sense it, the energy from this attack was higher than normal.

    It was equivalent to a three-star or even a four-star Acolyte-rank Hybrid.

    ''My ether is completely exhausted...'' Lucivar then turned to the side. ''Ravenna? Can she he-''

    Shifting to the side, Lucivar was hopeful that Ravenna could help.

    But he saw her managing to knock the Shaman away and turned to sprint to the portal.

    Blood trickled down her arms and to the snow as she sprinted.

    Clearly, she also reached her limit¡ªthe Predator Oculus hastened her exhaustion.

    Seven seconds.

    Lucivar was placed in a difficult situation, he had nothing to work with¡ªhis ether reserve, was empty and there were only five God strands left in his arsenal. He managed to obtain more from the proselyte but even then, five God strands are not enough.

    Not for an attack of this caliber.

    Kaboom!

    Suddenly, the Rock Sentinel''s massive stature rumbled with a shockwave.

    It pushed away the snow around it or rather¡ªevaporated the snow around it rapidly.

    "Come on, Lucivar! We need to leave!" Ravenna shouted, from ahead¡ªshe was already going to the portal to leave. "We tried our best, we got the Teal Coin ourselves. I''m sure you will still be credited and gain the professor''s approval. Let Caldaros handle the last attack!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was rooted in place.

    Six seconds.

    "I realized that I can''t win against you," the proselyte suddenly said¡ªwith a nasty grin. "But I am not going to let you go! I know you cared about the city, I don''t know why but regardless¡ªI could put you in this situation! Now, you have no choice but to take that attack and die or are you willing to abandon the city...?"

    Managing to put Lucivar on the spot, the proselyte was amused with himself.

    Now, it was either Lucivar die protecting the city or let the city take the beam and explode.

    Either way¡ªthe proselyte would gain what he wanted¡ªLucivar dead or the city destroyed.

    Despite the pain from his broken leg, the laugh flowed out of his mouth endlessly.

    Seeing Lucivar crumpling was a delightful sight.

    It was the same as before, the proselyte saw how Lucivar froze in front of the Rock Sentinel, and he knew that Lucivar had a problem, with pressure from the strong. And he was correct, Lucivar''s expression says it all.

    But then, not even a second passed, a defiant and confident smile crept to Lucivar''s lips.

    He tilted his head menacingly.

    "Who do you think I am?"

    "Eh...?"

    "I''m the Blessed Oracle, I''m not dying in this shithole"

    Clang!

    Upon saying that, a sudden sharp metallic sound echoed throughout the land.

    It could only be heard by Lucivar and once it rang¡ªtime slowed down immensely.

    At the five-second mark before the portal closes, the time suddenly got dilated.

    Lucivar''s gaze swept the scene until it locked onto a shadowy figure near the portal.

    A figure that formed entirely of swirling red sand, its imposing frame muscular and towering.

    With a jackal''s head and glowing eyes¡ªit sat atop a coffin-like sarcophagus, its posture was relaxed, head resting against a fist in a confident, but regal manner. Both of their gazes met, and Lucivar froze.

    Soon, the figure''s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile, as it inclined its head in a deliberate nod, sending an eerie chill down Lucivar''s spine. But the chill wasn''t caused by fear, rather, it was from excitement.

    "Prove your worth, Blessed Oracle" It said in a very baritone tone that rattled the eardrums.

    The moment the figure said that time slowly returned back to normal again.

    On the side, a massive ice beam was on the brink of being fired¡ªout of the Rock Sentinel''s core. It was fueled with energy beyond anything this dungeon could offer. However, Lucivar was still fixed on the figure.

    His eyes sparkled realizing that the figure was definitely Sutekh.

    ''I managed to become worthy enough for Sutekh to come to see me personally''

    ''Sutekh wanted me to prove myself deserving of power''

    ''Ah... what is this feeling inside of me? I have always fought hard to achieve, what I wanted, be it back then¡ªto sustain my family from starvation¡ªor now to close this dungeon. It was clear my family and the Gods were using me. And yet, why am I happy right now?

    Lucivar blinked, gazing at Sutekh ahead¡ªhis eyes sparkled like a pair of stars.

    ''Is it because I''m being recognized for my efforts now...? Rewarded for my pain?''

    Realizing that, his lips curled into a maniacal grin.

    ''Must be... If that''s the case, I''ll show you¡ªI''ll show you how determined I am for my goals!''

    ''Watch me Sutekh... Watch me!''

    Swoosh!

    As time returned to its normal flow, the ice beam blasted towards the portal.

    But at the same time, Lucivar already charged ahead and laughed devilishly.

    "YOUR POWER WILL BE MINE!!"

 Chapter 138 138: Victory

    Being neglected, and told that nothing he did, was enough created a sense of hollowness, in his heart. No matter what he does to fill this hollowness, it still persists. He might have been smiling outside but he was dead inside.

    In the last couple of years, all he tried to do was to survive¡ªnothing more.

    However, at this moment, that hollowness was being filled.

    It was being repaired rapidly and for the first time in years, Lucivar felt a surge of fulfillment.

    He was happy and content at this moment.

    Months ago, he dreaded the future but now, he was excited about what lies ahead again.

    Sutekh''s acknowledgment revived something inside of him.

    A wide grin split Lucivar''s face, laughter erupting in bursts, and eyes gleaming with euphoria.

    "YOUR POWER WILL BE MINE!!"

    Before time recovered to normal, Lucivar was already galloping ahead, bringing the proselyte along with him by the neck. His body moved even when his mind was still occupied, he didn''t freeze as he did anymore.

    No hesitation stumbling his movement, he now fiercely trusted himself to tackle the moment.

    Swoosh!

    On the other hand, Ravenna exited the portal and saw the others.

    But their attentions were fixed on the Rock Sentinel, firing an ice beam toward the city.

    Realizing that the moment had become critical, Caldaros decided that it was time for him to intervene. He didn''t care whether Lucivar or his team was prohibiting him from helping¡ªthe city''s safety comes first.

    Leaping into the portal, he channeled his ether in preparation to block the ice beam.

    However, the moment he stepped into the portal¡ªhe noticed that time was slower.

    He gawked around and gasped, "Someone tampered with time...? Who?"

    A Crosser or even a Hybrid who could manipulate time wasn''t unheard of, in fact, there were several types of them out there, and are always considered a powerhouse. Albeit everything around him was moving in slow motion, Caldaros moved normally.

    It was clear that he wasn''t affected by the time manipulation.

    Just as he was about to inspect further¡ªtime rapidly returned to normal suddenly.

    Boom!

    His head snapped to face forward and saw the Rock Sentinel already fired the ice beam.

    Knowing that the portal was about to collapse, severing the link between the dungeon to the real world¡ªthe Rock Sentinel sacrificed its core to fire this devastating ice beam. It was a lot more powerful than a normal blue dungeon could offer.

    But then again, the Rock Sentinel is not a common sight.

    ''Not even Lucivar''s team¡ªcould handle this, I''m sure,'' Caldaros nodded, he was the only one who could stop this. ''It''s stronger than I usually dealt with but with Sunna''s help, I don''t think this will be a problem''

    Gritting his teeth, he regulated his ether around his Supernatural Ego quickly.

    He was going to stop this attack but his breath hitched at the sight of a swirling gold ether.

    Fearing it might be an attack from the Crossers, Caldaros instinctively crossed his arms just as the ether swirl detonated, hurling him toward the portal. Mid-flight, he twisted sharply to the side¡ªonly for his eyes to widen in shock.

    "L- Lucivar?!" He stammered, seeing Lucivar charging straight to intercept the ice beam.

    Blinking his eyes to snap out of his daze, Caldaros gritted his teeth.

    It was at that moment, that he realized Lucivar was the one who propelled him away.

    Despite the overwhelming odds, he was still hell-bent on tackling the dungeon alone.

    Once again, Lucivar knocked him out of the way.

    Ignoring the surprised look from Caldaros¡ªor even the other onlookers who could see him in the dungeon through the portal, Lucivar continued. Each second, felt like a minute, and in his hand was the proselyte that he dragged along the way.

    It was as if the proselyte was a piece of equipment that he intended to bring.

    Realizing what Lucivar was doing, the proselyte''s face was ashen.

    "W- Wait... Wait a minute!" He yelped, trying to break free but he couldn''t.

    Hearing this, Lucivar smirked at him¡ªand gripped the back of his neck tighter.

    "Hraarghh!"

    "No! You fucking lunatic!!"

    As he neared the ice beam, Lucivar wasted no time and threw the proselyte toward it.

    Helpless, the proselyte spun like a ragdoll and got in the way of the ice beam.

    And the moment the ice beam struck, the proselyte wailed in absolute pain, as his body was turned into ice before evaporating into nothing. Being wounded and weak, the proselyte has no chance to sustain the ice beam.

    On the four-second mark, Lucivar reached the portal and quickly pivoted his body.

    Enhancing his dagger with every single God strand he has, he swung it at the ice beam.

    Kaboom!

    A powerful collision happened¡ªcreating a shockwave that swept into the actual world.

    Academy hunters, channeled their ether to protect themselves, and their behinds from this¡ª while the east wall rumbled slightly. Caldaros watched the view ahead in utter shock, Lucivar was able to bar the ice beam.

    Instead of the usual golden ether, his body flared with steaming bronze energy.

    Something so sinister that Caldaros felt a chill run down his spine.

    "Just what is he, really...?" He thought aloud in disbelief.

    On the other hand¡ªLucivar''s eyes flashed in surprise the moment his dagger struck the ice beam head-on. It was a catastrophic impact, the raw force rippled through his arm¡ªtearing at sinew and muscle.

    His skin split open, blood sprayed, and pain lashed through him like a whip.

    Barely a second and his grip already faltered.

    His dagger was knocked from his hand and flew, spinning wildly through the portal under the onlookers'' gazes¡ªbefore embedding itself into the eastern wall with a thunderous crack. But the ice beam kept going relentlessly.

    It struck Lucivar''s chest and his body seized in agony.

    "Kaarghhk!" Lucivar coughed a mouthful of blood.

    His muscles flexed to their breaking point, yet the freezing force was merciless.

    Frost clawed its way across his skin, crystals spreading like a deathly bloom but Lucivar did not feel cold, he felt a searing burn instead as if his front side was being cooked. A scalding pain roared through him as he tried to persevere.

    Despite only needing to hold this for a few seconds, it felt like an eternity.

    In the next second, his vision began to blur, his wing slackened and his legs buckled under the crushing force. Death loomed behind him¡ªits presence palpable and suffocating. If he passed out here, he would undoubtedly die.

    Since he was only buying time, he didn''t need to completely block the ice beam.

    He only needed to stall it before leaping through the portal before it collapsed.

    Because of that, if he passed out¡ªit would be his end for sure.

    And yet, even then, Lucivar''s mind never faltered.

    ''I''m the Blessed Oracle...''

    ''I''m the Blessed Oracle...''

    ''I''m the Ble-''

    He repeated the same words, hypnotizing his mind so that it wouldn''t yield at this moment.

    But his body was breaking.

    Lucivar kept persevering until it happened.

    Swoosh!

    A sudden surge of bronze energy erupted from deep within him, rushing through his veins as well as his Supernatural Ego, like molten fire. Feeling this energy, his eyes shot open, burning with new clarity.

    It took a blink for Lucivar to jolt awake.

    Gritting his teeth as strength came back to him, he planted his foot into the ground.

    An earth-shaking crack echoed as he let out a roar that split the air like a battle cry.

    "SUTEKH POWER IS MINE!!"

    Veins bulged¡ªmuscle tore, but his hands squeezed¡ªhis fingers dug into the beam violently.

    Once he pierced the ice beam with his fingers he twisted them¡ªforcing the beam to bend at the last second. Managing to do that, the ice beam exploded. It was a spectacular boom, the blast hurled Lucivar like a bullet, his body a blur of speed.

    Lucivar streaked past the stunned onlookers, as the portal twisted and shrunk rapidly.

    In a fraction of a second, the portal collapsed on itself¡ªsealing the dungeon for good.

    Boom!

    Upon the loud crashing sound, echoing throughout the eastern wall¡ªit took a couple more seconds for the people on and outside of the east wall to register what had happened. Out of all of them, Caldaros and Lucivar''s team were the ones who recovered the fastest.

    All of them turned to look over their shoulders and saw the eastern wall collapse.

    But that was it, only the eastern wall collapsed.

    Nobody was there, there were only people at the towers on the edge of the walls¡ªnot the body of the wall so nobody got hurt in the process. A cloud of dust covered the space and there was a choking silence that enveloped the entire place.

    Once the wind blew the could of dust thinner, a silhouette could be seen.

    It slowly climbed to its feet under the onlookers'' gazes.

    Ravenna, Mirel, Leandra, Nerissa, Caldaros, the academy hunters, the military, and even the city folks gazed at the silhouette, in shock. As the cloud faded, Lucivar emerged, blood was dripping down every part of his body but he was still standing.

    Lifting up his gaze, he viewed the situation through a blurred gaze.

    He saw everyone was looking at him.

    But his eyes were fixed on the spot where the portal should be but there was no portal there.

    It was gone.

    Ravenna who saw Lucivar standing could only shake her head and smile.

    Her rows of white teeth couldn''t be hidden as she couldn''t believe Lucivar pulled it off.

    "He''s really stubborn..." She mused in utter disbelief. "but he came through the other side"

    Once the realization hit Lucivar like a lightning strike, his breath hitched.

    A surge of exhilaration erupted from deep within, blazing through his chest and up to his throat like molten fire. He staggered, but then stood stall. He flung his fist skyward, eyes burning with defiance and triumph.

    Lucivar tilted his head back and let out a thunderous howl, "RAARRGGHH!!"

    He unleashed a primal roar that shattered the heavy silence blanketing the battlefield.

    It rippled through the broken terrain like a war drum, a declaration to the heavens above.

    Victory.

    For a breathless moment, the world held still.

    But then, once the howl echoed and the exhilaration reached¡ªthe onlookers erupted.

    "YEAH!!"

    "WOHOO~! We''re saved!!"

    "OH MY GOD!! PRAISE THE BLOOD GOD!"

    Cheers exploded, a wave of relieved jubilation washing over the battlefield.

    For the people of Kalinan City, the academy hunters were their last hope.

    And now that they had prevailed, with Lucivar intercepting the last hurdle¡ªand closed the portal for good¡ªthe people of the city, exploded, into celebration. Lucivar was still roaring loudly, basking in the wind of triumph.

    Despite the bombardments of doubts from those close to him, he prevailed.

    He didn''t only succeed in taking down the blue dungeon but he was reborn anew.

    Another weak part of him had been shed, he once again grew stronger.

    From above, Sha looked at Lucivar roaring towards her as if declaring that he wasn''t weak as she said with a smile, "Congratulations," She muttered under her breath. "now¡ªyou have My Lord''s attention..."

 Chapter 139 139: Aftermath

    Lucivar''s howl marked the triumph over the blue dungeon.

    Every single soul in the area cheered, punching the air in excitement as Kalinan City was now safe, the blue dungeon¡ªwas no longer a threat. People of the city were stressed, aware that today might be the end of the entire city.

    Finding that there was no Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, their morale plummeted into the dirt.

    All were pessimistic.

    So seeing that the blue dungeon was closed was all the more sweet.

    It was a cause for a city-wide celebration.

    Glory was the main component of the excitement for anyone in Lucivar''s shoes, he was the one¡ªwho blocked the last attack, and saved the city. But that was not the component that fueled Lucivar''s excitement.

    He didn''t care about the city and at this moment¡ªhe also didn''t care about the approval.

    He only cared that he had proven to himself that he was now strong.

    ''It hurts...'' Lucivar pondered before cracking a light smile. ''But it was all worth it''

    Soon, the others reached him.

    Upon seeing Lucivar''s condition up close, Nerissa instantly covered her mouth and began to cry¡ª he was in a critical condition. His body was filled, with bleeding lacerations, blood was essentially a part of his clothes now, and his torso was torched.

    Lucivar''s chest muscle tissues were exposed¡ªhe was very hard to look at.

    Tilting his head down to look at the others, he forced a weak smile.

    "I told you, didn''t I? We could take down the blue dungeon" He said, directing at two people.

    Leandra and Nerissa¡ªwho were reluctant to come to tackle the dungeon.

    Shocked, Leandra placed a hand on her forehead and shook her head, "You''re insane..."

    "I''m sorry..." Nerissa added, approaching and holding his hand. "I should''ve believed in you"

    Giggling in merriment¡ªRavenna also stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Lucivar''s neck, "Wow, you''re very stubborn but you did it anyway!" She exclaimed, pulling him closer. "I guess you really can handle your own"

    Just then, however, Lucivar limped forward¡ªprompting confused looks from the others.

    He walked past Leandra and kept going.

    Leandra saw a glimpse of his face and it was a dark one¡ªshe recognized that face.

    Glancing over her shoulders, she realized that Lucivar was walking toward Caldaros, and his team, who were also approaching him. Considering Lucivar''s grim face¡ªher heart pounded, ''I have a bad feeling about this''

    Seeing him coming, Caldaros gave him a firm nod.

    He was going to congratulate Lucivar.

    Against all odds and doubts from him and his team, Lucivar emerged victorious.

    Caldaros wasn''t arrogant, he was going to congratulate Lucivar.

    "I must say, I was wrong to think that you woul-"

    Before Caldaros could finish his sentence, he halted when Lucivar kept approaching him.

    Caldaros faltered as Lucivar closed the distance between them with unsettling purpose.

    Stopping mere inches away, Lucivar lifted his gaze, and Caldaros froze.

    A sharp breath escaped him as he saw rage blazing in Lucivar''s eyes, almost as if he wasn''t a human but a monster instead¡ªslitted like a predator''s. Such a stark change was terrifying and also mesmerizing at the same time.

    Before he could react, Lucivar''s hand shot out, gripping his collar with startling force.

    He then yanked Caldaros closer, their faces almost touching.

    Caldaros was trapped, staring into those maniacal, unrelenting eyes.

    "I told you to stay out of my way!" Lucivar shouted, his voice grating and sharp. "Did you not hear me?! Do I need to rip out your eardrums and say it to them directly?! You''re nothing but a dog stifling at my kill. How does it feel to be proven weaker than me, huh?!"

    Upon hearing this, Caldaros blinked his eyes in utter shock.

    Looking at Lucivar''s eyes, it was clear that he meant every single word he said.

    "Y- You''re crazy..." Caldaros muttered.

    Despite that, Lucivar was still grinding his teeth¡ªglaring at Caldaros with pure rage.

    Not once but twice.

    Caldaros tried to intervene in the battle, when he knew that Lucivar was doing this so that he would obtain the professor''s approval. In Lucivar''s eyes, it was clear that Caldaros was trying to sabotage him.

    Professor Victor was testing Lucivar to see if he was capable enough.

    If he knew that Lucivar had gotten help, no matter how small it was, other than from his team¡ªthere is a high chance that he wouldn''t give Lucivar the approval. Lucivar couldn''t afford to be helped and he made that clear to Caldaros.

    But even then, Caldaros kept on meddling.

    And Lucivar''s patience has come to a boiling point.

    Similarly, the other academy hunters in Caldaros'' team took a step back out of fear.

    Lucivar''s savage expression completely terrified them.

    And worse than that¡ªeven though he was badly wounded and could barely stand properly, he still exerted himself to come towards Caldaros and did this. It completely shook them¡ªit was a terrifying display.

    Seeing this, the soldiers as well as the volunteers turned silent¡ªnot expecting this twist.

    Realizing the onlookers'' gazes, Leandra made haste to approach Lucivar from behind.

    "Lucivar, stop it. Everyone is watching," She uttered. "Let go of him and let''s get you treated"

    Despite the gazes he was receiving, Lucivar remained his glare at Caldaros, until eventually, he turned away, and headed to the city. Leandra supported him to get into an SUV that was waiting for them.

    Similarly, Mirel, Leandra, and Nerissa followed as the group returned back to the city.

    Other than that incident, the city was in a joyous mood.

    Everyone was celebrating, the streets that were desolate and depressed before¡ªwere now filled with people laughing and cheering. Soldiers, and citizens of the city mingled, throwing out flowers and drinking to their heart''s content.

    And as the day went on, more people from other cities arrived and celebrated.

    The good news reached the other five nearby cities and they came to celebrate too.

    It was the end of the world, that''s what these people thought today was going to be, but the academy hunters flipped the mood of the day completely. Every part of the city was trashed with celebrations.

    On the other hand, Lucivar and the others were sent to be treated.

    All of them were assigned to the most luxurious hotel¡ªthat was more modern than it looked from the outside. Not as modern as those in Sunhold City but there were glistening marbles, soft carpets, and even heaters.

    Relaxing and very comfortable especially after a long day such as today.

    Lucivar was lying on the bed in his own room that had everything necessary and more.

    Along the way back, Lucivar passed out from the blood loss.

    But soon, his eyes moved under his eyelids.

    He slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was in a room he didn''t recognize.

    "Eughkk..." Groaning lightly, Lucivar tried to sit up.

    But he felt something clutching to his arm, it was Nerissa, she was sitting on a chair, and now was sleeping on Lucivar''s arm. She must have been treating his wounds while he was passed out.

    Knowing how fragile Nerissa''s heart was, she certainly exerted herself non-stop to heal him.

    "I''m glad you''re now awake, master" Out of nowhere, a voice greeted him.

    Lucivar turned to the other side and saw Sabrina standing up from the sofa and approached him. Other than her, he also noticed, that there were bloodied towels, rolls of bandages, and even several healing potions neatly placed on the desk.

    It must''ve been Sabrina''s doings, she anticipated what would happen and prepared for it.

    Sabrina sat on the edge of the bed and handed a glass of water.

    Seeing this, he accepted the drink and chugged it in one go before handing the glass back.

    "How long have I been unconscious?"

    "Almost seven hours, it was already night now"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded before massaging his throbbing head.

    "Did something happen while I''m unconscious?"

    "A ceremony was held earlier by the city to thank the academy hunters"

    Glancing to the side, Lucivar found piles of wrapped gifts near the door, it must''ve been from the people who wanted to thank him. He didn''t mind missing the ceremony, he didn''t want to be thanked anyway.

    Lucivar did what he did to obtain what he wanted.

    In the process, he so happened to save the city¡ªthat''s all.

    "Also, Caldaros had already contacted the academy about the mission''s success. Professor Victor, had permitted the academy hunters to stay in Kalinan City, for four days to rest, and recover properly" Sabrina continued before taking an envelope from the side. "He also sent you this"

    Seeing the envelope, Lucivar took it and saw the crest of the academy stamped there.

    He opened the envelope and read its contents.

    A smile crept to his face when he read the paper, "I got the approval..."

    Upon getting the news¡ªthat Lucivar and his team were able to close the blue dungeon¡ªthe professor instantly kept his word, and gave Lucivar his approval. Now, Lucivar had fulfilled all of the requirements to enter the South Hues Tournament.

    ''For now, I''m safe...'' Lucivar thought as he put the paper away. ''until the tournament starts''

    Nodding his head, Lucivar got out of bed strugglingly.

    He still needed Sabrina''s help to stand before he went to a standing mirror on the corner.

    Checking his reflection, Lucivar saw that his torso was completely covered in bandages and every time he moved, a sting stabbed his pain nerves. Attentively, Sabrina took another vial, from a pouch and handed it to Lucivar.

    "What''s this?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow, asking about the green-liquid vial.

    Sabrina bowed a little and explained, "It is a painkiller vial that would work on Hybrids, it was rather rate, but the market here has everything. And since you''re a guest, there''s no need to pay for it so please, drink it so you''ll feel better, master"

    "Huh, it''s refreshing to see you so amicable" Lucivar teased.

    As if his teasing was a switch, Sabrina scowled, "Just drink it or I''ll pour it down the drain"

    "Alright, alright," Lucivar chuckled as he drank the vial.

    Once he did, the effect was almost instantaneous, the stabbing pain became bearable now.

    Just then, Lucivar thought of something as he turned to Sabrina.

    "Did the city give the others any gift?" He asked.

    Sabrina nodded, "Yes, they could ask for anything¡ªand that includes you"

    "Good," Lucivar slyly smirked, concocting a plan. "It''ll be a waste if I don''t make use of this"

    Suddenly, the door was knocked.

    Sabrina wanted to open it but Lucivar barred her using his arm, "I''ll open it"

    Feeling his body for a bit, Lucivar approached the door and opened it.

    He was instantly met with an unexpected sight¡ªLeandra, her cheeks glowing deep, flushed crimson. She swayed unsteadily, one hand gripping the doorframe it was the only thing that kept her upright.

    An air of recklessness replaced Leandra''s usual composed demeanor.

    Realizing that it was Lucivar who opened the door, her glazed eyes lit up, and her lips curled into a lopsided smile, "There you are! The annoying person who stole my first kiss!" Leandra hiccuped, her voice bright and slurred with excitement.

    Seeing her, Lucivar tilted his head and frowned, "Are you drunk?"

 Chapter 140 140: Night of Celebration

    Several people came to mind as the ones checking on him at this hour.

    It could be the governor, the doctor, or even the military officer.

    But instead of them, Lucivar saw Leandra in her drunken state¡ªsmiling at him cheerfully.

    She brought along a completely different air compared to normal.

    "How are you drunk?" Lucivar shook his head. "It''s still early in the night"

    "Everyone was celebrating, the whole city¡ªwas celebrating! Dancing, singing, drinking, a lot of things!" Leandra replied, moving her hands as if she were describing the image in her own mind to Lucivar. "It''s so much fun compared to the usual, bleak training!"

    "Go back and have fun then" Lucivar shrugged.

    Despite wanting to see what the city looked like right now, he was still dizzy and in pain.

    Maybe tomorrow or some other time.

    Just then, however, Leandra threw her arms over to Lucivar.

    Her smoldering eyes, flushed cheeks, and cherry lips¡ªall influenced by the alcohol would be overwhelming for any man. She is a one-of-a-kind beauty¡ªcapable of making any man jump on her, especially in her drunken state.

    It would be a lie if Lucivar wasn''t swayed by her charm.

    Even an eunuch wouldn''t be able to hold back.

    "I''ve read the stars tonight and it said, you must go out of your room and come with me"

    "Star Witch or not, I call that bullshit"

    "Bullshit or not, you''re going to accompany me drink and have fun all night long!"

    "Okay, that''s it. I''ll meet you tomorrow"

    Lucivar wanted to shut the door on her but she pushed the door completely open, she was quick to do that. Barging inside, she grabbed Lucivar by the arm¡ªand yanked him forward, towards her.

    Now, their faces were very close.

    Lucivar could even smell the scent of alcohol mixed with her natural, alluring scent.

    He gulped harshly, this temptation was killing him.

    "Do you know how many girls dream about their first kiss being magical?" She whispered.

    As he heard this¡ªhe tried to pull away but Leandra''s grip was too strong for his weak body, he couldn''t get out of this position. She was hugging him tightly and unwilling to let go, "I''m, I''m guessing you''re not one of them?"

    "Of course, I''m one of them!" Leandra slapped Lucivar''s chest playfully.

    She did right on the burnt part of Lucivar''s chest, forcing a hiss to seep out of his mouth.

    But Leandra was too drunk to realize that, she tilted her head down¡ªand played a finger, on his collarbone, brushing along its length, "I didn''t mind how it happened. Just... didn''t expect it to be stolen by a very, very bad man"

    "You make it sound like a tragedy" Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure.

    For better or worse¡ªit was also his first kiss.

    Just then, her energy returned out of nowhere, "No, the tragedy is you hiding up here. Come down, and I''ll let you make it up to me with kiss number two! Heck, if you accompany me the entire night, I''ll let you steal a few more. Third kiss, fourth, fifth¡ªI''m feeling generous!"

    "Not a chance, I''m going to meditate!" Lucivar declined, pushing her face away.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra suddenly let go.

    She tidied her clothes as if the drunkness disappeared in a flash and nodded her head.

    "Alright, I''ll let you be then" She turned and headed for the door.

    Realizing that Leandra was really heading for the door, Lucivar''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "She''s really leaving?" He mumbled, surprised by Leandra''s rationality despite being drunk.

    Needing time to recover¡ªand assess his condition, Lucivar chose to remain in his room.

    Lucivar also had to inspect his Inner Chamber, anticipating how Suthekh, the Lord of the Red Sand¡ªwould manifest his power. Preparation was paramount. It would be bad if he suddenly went unconscious while he was out.

    Not to mention, he didn''t know what would happen when Sutekh bestowed power to him.

    Best decision for him right now was to stay in his room with Sabrina watching over him.

    Just as he was about to close the door, however, his eyes were pulled to Leandra.

    A few steps away to the right, she leaned forward, with a sway in her stance, sticking out her bottom and waving a hand at two passing girls, "Hey there! Do you want to hear¡ªa really big secret about Lucivar, the city''s so-called hero?" Leandra grinned mischievously.

    Realizing that it was one of the academy hunters, the girls were hooked instantly.

    Both of them leaned forward, eager to know.

    "He might look the part, but in reality? He doesn''t give a single damn about any o-"

    Before she could even finish, her mouth was covered.

    "Shut the fuck up, Leandra!" Lucivar grabbed her by the mouth. "Fine, I''ll go down with you!"

    "Horray~!" Leandra cheered in triumph, raising both arms skyward.

    Moments later.

    Having no other choice, Lucivar wore a bathrobe and came down with Leandra.

    Along the way, he saw and heard the fireworks outside decorating the night sky.

    It exploded repeatedly without stop, drowning the silence of the night.

    Expecting to be brought outside of the hotel, where a crowd gathered, Leandra pulled him to the lounge instead. Considering the quality of the place, Lucivar couldn''t believe that he was in a slave city rather than a free city.

    Arriving at the lounge, Lucivar was instantly taken aback at how spacious it was.

    Its centerpiece is a square formation of plush, inviting sofas.

    Each corner was anchored by low tables¡ªtheir polished surfaces gleaming¡ªunder the soft glow of overhead lights. It was a perfect place for quiet conversations or casual gatherings, completely different from outside.

    At the center of the lounge, Lucivar could see familiar faces.

    Mirel and Ravenna were there, drinking and relaxing after a very long day.

    Despite still being bandaged and not healed fully, they couldn''t miss the time to relax.

    Both of them were surprised to see that Leandra brought Lucivar along.

    Knowing that Lucivar was still unconscious the last time they checked, the two didn''t expect him to make an appearance, today¡ªand even if he woke, it was unlikely for him to join, Mirel and Ravenna were stunned to see Leandra dragging him by his arm.

    "Guys, I snatched him!" Leandra announced, smiling brightly.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna smiled, grabbed her drink, and leaned back on the sofa.

    "Did you get blackmailed?" She asked.

    Lucivar nodded and sighed as he took a seat on the sofa, "Something like that"

    Not even sitting down first, Leandra instantly darted to the bar asking for more drinks.

    Seeing how excited she was prompted the group to shake their heads.

    Ravenna and Mirel looked exhausted, the ceremony prepared by the city, must''ve be a tiring ceremony. Lucivar didn''t want to be thanked, he didn''t need any recognition but he wouldn''t mind if there was one.

    But seeing them in this state, he was glad that he skipped that.

    "That is a Starr Witch, for you..." Ravenna muttered and chuckled, looking at Leandra¡ªwho was hurrying the bartender to bring her ordered drinks. "Not only her ether reserve but her stamina was also boundless"

    Mirel nodded, "We all usually trained non-stop so I haven''t really noticed that"

    "What made her that happy, anyway?" Lucivar asked.

    Compared to her usual demeanor, she was different tonight¡ªshe was acting weirdly.

    Ravenna sipped on her drinks¡ªand replied, "I saw her sending a message to Master Tobias, probably to report what we have achieved here. I''m guessing Master Tobias, was happy, we did take down a blue dungeon thus her being like this"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was thrown back to during his initial days in this family.

    He recalled Leandra trying to kill him for hurting Tobias.

    It was clear that she was possessive and cared a lot about Tobias.

    Even back when Tobias visited him, Leandra was extremely happy when she was called.

    "Just what''s the deal with her and Tobias?" Lucivar finally asked.

    Ravenna and Mirel exchanged a look when they heard this but before the two could answer, Leandra already came back¡ªwith three bottles and glasses, "Tadaa~! We are going to drink until morning!"

    Lucivar and the others could only smile wryly, they would be very drunk tonight.

    About four hours later.

    It was already past midnight, the celebration had died down a lot.

    Because of that, it had become way quieter¡ªthan before¡ªnobody was in the lounge other than them, the city had reserved the entire hotel, for their peace. Lucivar already melted on his chair, massaging his forehead.

    Leandra forced him to drink¡ªglass after glass and he was now very dizzy.

    His vision was slightly hazy but he wasn''t as drunk as Leandra who already passed out.

    Had he accepted all of the alcohol Leandra gave, he would be in the same position.

    Since he restrained himself, he was not too drunk to be immobile.

    Fixing his posture, Lucivar glanced out of the mirror and found no fireworks anymore.

    It was enough celebrating for today, the people would continue tomorrow.

    Gazing ahead again, he found empty sofas, "Did Ravenna and Mirel leave already? When?"

    Scanning the entire room, Lucivar found Mirel was sitting on the bar alone.

    Mustering his strength, Lucviar stood up, and walked over to the bar, he stumbled a little but managed to reach the bar¡ªand sat on the chair beside Mirel. He looked up and saw that the bartender was still there, working.

    "Give me water, please" Lucivar mumbled.

    Once he sat down, he shifted his eyes to Mirel''s front and saw an empty glass there.

    Seeing that the ice had melted completely¡ªit seemed it had been empty for a while.

    Regulating his breaths for a moment¡ªLucivar intertwined his hands on the table¡ªhe stayed silent for a good moment. His water came and he drank it a little before putting it back down with a light tap, "So, are you going to tell me what''s going on with you?"

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar opened a conversation.

    He saw how Mirel was also acting weirdly¡ªnot himself, and it had persisted for a while now.

    "It''s nothing," Mirel replied weakly, playing a finger on the drinking glass.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar chuckled, "Is this about Veloria City? Are you angry at me?"

    "No, that''s not it"

    "So it''s about this dungeon? I did risk your life, I''m sorry"

    "What? Of course, not! I have no problem with anything you mentioned"

    "Then what? I knew you were avoiding me, you couldn''t even look me in the eyes"

    Mirel let out a rough exhale through the nose¡ªcalming his nerves as he knew that this would come sooner or later. He tapped the table, with his finger one time, arranging what was in his mind before he nodded, "I saw you fought your doppelganger, how you became excited even when you''re bleeding all over at the prospect of becoming stronger,"

    "And I... I feel pathetic because of it" He added, pouring out the words from the heart.

 Chapter 141 141: Night of Secrets

    Mirel has always been the talkative one¡ªat least ever since Lucivar knew him.

    He made the atmosphere more buoyant and even became the music to ease tensions.

    Lucivar could easily tell that something was bugging Mirel''s mind, his unusual silence made it very clear but what troubled him was still unknown. Now, he confessed what was in his mind, and it wasn''t an easy confession.

    ''I thought it was about Velora City,'' Lucivar pondered¡ªhis guess was wrong.

    Of course, many would find what he did back then wrong.

    And Mirel might not be an exception to that.

    But it wasn''t the case, his guess was wrong.

    "It is not something easy for me to do, an impulse of the moment," Lucivar answered¡ªit was the truth¡ªthe pain and adrenaline helped him with the excitement. "What exactly about that makes you feel pathetic?"

    Glancing at Mirel, he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

    Fidgeting with his fingers, Mirel kept his gaze ahead¡ªavoiding eye contact and smiled.

    "Do you remember our promise?" He asked.

    Lucivar leaned back before turning ahead again, "To be stronger together?"

    "Yeah... that," Mirel chuckled in self-pity, remembering the promise alone made him feel very ashamed. "I had the dream to create my own House, even before you came. I expressed this to Master Tobias, and I tried my hardest to become stronger until..."

    Pausing at the last word, Mirel clenched his jaw¡ªwhat flashed in his mind troubled him.

    His hands were shaking and his eyebrows dipped with the traces of fear.

    "I can tell that you took it seriously," Mirel, decided to continue, forgetting what he was about to say. "you did not care even when your life was on the line, you are willing to do anything to become stronger and that night made it very clear to me"

    Mirel turned, making eye contact for the first time, "My resolve is incomparable to yours"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar scoffed and looked down at his glass.

    "So are you backing out?" He asked, intentionally using a mocking tone.

    Instead of answering, Mirel stood up from his seat and stopped right behind Lucivar.

    He then placed a hand¡ªon Lucivar''s shoulder, "Thank you, for showing me"

    "I am going to do what I should''ve done years ago. You have gotten stronger, Lucivar. Raw strength alone, you are only below Ravenna¡ªand Bob. Even Master Tobias acknowledged you, you were requited with rewards for making the most progress out of all of us. I know"

    Lucivar smirked, he did obtain the green power crystal from Tobias.

    Even though he wasn''t focusing on that, it seemed Tobias was watching over them.

    Just then, Mirel continued, "But don''t think that you''ll retain that position,"

    "For your luck then," Lucivar raised his empty glass. "to catch up, you''re going to need it"

    Once he said that, Mirel smiled before walking out of the lounge.

    Since the lounge was near the lobby and exit, Lucivar could see that Mirel was walking to the exit instead of going to his room. He must''ve gone to do what he needed to do now. Lucivar''s ascend to power was a reality check.

    And now, he''s going to do something about it.

    "I expected nothing less, Tobias made them competitive after all" Lucivar mused.

    As he was about to call it a night, Lucivar glanced to his behind.

    "Where''s my kiss? I risked my life for you but you didn''t even give me anything?"

    On the sofa, Leandra was dreaming¡ªreaching her hands forward to nothing, with a pout on her lips. Ravenna was still nowhere to be seen, Nerissa was upstairs, and Mirel went out. He was the only one left.

    Reconsidering his options, Lucivar then saw a waitress approaching him slowly.

    "I''m sorry..." She muttered, stealing a glance at Leandra.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar waved his hand and nodded, "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of her"

    Moments later.

    Lucivar carried Leandra princess-style¡ªand brought her to her room, the entire fourth floor was reserved for the academy hunters and her room was right next to his so it wasn''t much of a hassle.

    It took more than ten minutes until Lucivar managed to make Leandra let go of him.

    Despite being drunk, she recognized him and wouldn''t let go.

    Only by deceiving her into believing he was Ravenna, not Lucivar did she finally release her grip. Lucivar stepped to the side of the bed¡ªstraightening his disheveled clothes. His eyes narrowed as they fell on Leandra, lying defenseless, her attire rumpled.

    As opposed to leaving, Lucivar sat by the bed to look at her peaceful face.

    He inhaled deeply and reached his hand forward to her deep purple hair that was glowing.

    Stretching along its length, he sighed.

    "A drunk tongue speaks sober thoughts, I have a girl the same as you once and she tried to sacrifice me," Lucivar muttered¡ªhis gaze was soft as he felt her silky hair. "I am aware that you want me and I''m aware of what you want of me..."

    Just as he said that, his expression turned stern and his gaze turned cold.

    It was an instant change, his demeanor changed as quickly as a tiger''s ambush.

    "But because of what you did," Lucivar added, Thalia''s happy face in the restaurant flashed in his mind. It was Leandra, who set up that date in the mall, and her intention was clear, as day. "there''s no chance..."

    She wanted to show Lucivar the good side of the world.

    All with the hope that he would change.

    Upon making that decision in his heart, Lucivar stood up and exited the room.

    As soon as the sound of the door closing echoed, Leandra''s eyelids trembled.

    She then opened her eyes, gazing vacantly at the door.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar stood in front of the door and rubbed his face.

    Controlling his breaths for a moment¡ªhe then headed back to his room and found that there was only Sabrina inside, "Did Nerissa go back to her room? Why didn''t you tell her¡ªto join us downstairs to celebrate?"

    "I did but she declined, she overexerted herself I''m sure," Sabrina replied.

    Lucivar nodded, she must''ve used a lot of ether to heal his wounds.

    Taking off his bathrobe, Lucivar lay down on the soft bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

    He closed his eyes and tried to sleep for approximately ten minutes before opening his eyes again. Contemplating about something, he then whispered, "Sha, do you know when Sutekh is going to meet me?"

    Soon, a black cat appeared on the bed''s headboard¡ªit was Sha.

    "My Lord will meet you when he meets you," She replied before licking her paw.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded and sat up again.

    "Sabrina, do you bring spare uniforms?" Lucivar asked as he stood up again.

    Sabrina who was drying the towels on a bowl looked up, "Yes, I brought a lot of them." She nodded but then frowned, "Why? Are you going out¡ªagain? In the middle of the night? It''s best for you to rest and let your wounds heal"

    "Help me wear it," Lucivar said as he opened his bathrobe, ignoring her advice.

    Once he wore the uniform, he strapped his dagger and walked to the door.

    As his hand reached for the door handle¡ªLucivar stopped and glanced over at Sabrina, who had a lot of questions in her mind, "You brought a lot of spare uniforms, why? Did you expect this to happen?"

    "Yes, academy hunters must use their uniforms, during missions. If not then you''ll be fined by the academy¡ªand might even be punished. I figured there should at least be seven uniforms for a week to be safe" She replied, tilting her head in confusion. "Why did you ask?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar snickered, "I guess you''re the only one who believed in me"

    Once he said that he exited the room, leaving Sabrina stunned on her spot.

    She didn''t expect the reason for that.

    Just then, Sabrina smirked, "I know how you think the most. Of course, I believe in you"

    Lucivar headed downstairs and met with the receptionists.

    He then walked out of the hotel, and took a deep inhale of the cold, night air, "So the martial law has been issued on this city because of the dungeon¡ªand the governor is not in charge of the city rather, it was Lieutenant Rafi¡ªthe military officer I met earlier"

    "It''s going to be easier then," Lucivar nodded and headed to the command center.

    From the hotel to the command center took twenty minutes of walking.

    Cups and food waste littered the ground¡ªthe celebration''s residue was seen everywhere.

    Along the way, Lucivar arranged the words he wanted to say in his mind and before he knew it¡ªhe was already near the command center. He only needed to cross the street. Due to the blue dungeon''s absence, there wasn''t even a single soldier standing guard.

    Nobody was on duty and that allowed Lucivar smooth access.

    However, as soon as he entered the front yard¡ªhe stopped mid-track.

    Near the entrance of the command center, a familiar figure sat on a lonely bench¡ªsomeone he hadn''t expected to see. It was Ravenna. He''d assumed she had retired for the night after seeing that the others had gone to bed before her.

    She was in the toilet when Lucivar carried Leandra to her bedroom.

    ''What business she has here?'' Lucivar pondered with a frown. ''It''s in the middle of the night, what could she possibly be doing here? I do not think she is here, for the lieutenant. Did she follow me? No, I was careful¡ªnobody was following me''

    Since he had shown hostility towards Caldaros, he needed to be careful of his back.

    It was the last thing he wanted to do to meet with Caldaros and fight.

    He was not in any shape to fight right now.

    ''If she didn''t follow me... did she wait for me here? How did she know?'' Lucivar thought.

    Ravenna must''ve been waiting for him here even though he had not told him what he wanted to do to anyone. Alas¡ªhe even reached the decision once he regained consciousness earlier so there''s no way Ravenna could anticipate this.

    But then again, she was right in front of his eyes¡ªsitting with a knowing smile on her face.

    "What''s wrong? Did you see a ghost?" Ravenna asked and approached.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar clicked his tongue and headed to the entrance regardless, "What are you doing here, Ravenna? It''s late, you should go back. I have something to discuss with the lieutenant about the dungeon"

    Lucivar walked past Ravenna but before he could get in, he stopped.

    "I asked for an enchanted weapon, as well as 10 green power crystals as my reward," Out of nowhere¡ªRavenna confessed, tapping her finger on her chin playfully. "I wonder... what will you ask of the city for your rewards? I asked them those things to help me stronger,"

    "So what will you ask of them to help you become stronger, I''m very curious" She added.

 Chapter 142 142: Trust

    Lucivar''s steps halted once he reached the door.

    A frown formed on his face.

    He could feel the air around Ravenna changed, she was aiming for something.

    Since he was busy preparing to talk with the lieutenant¡ªhe wasn''t prepared to meet her.

    Given four days to rest before being called back to the academy, Lucivar had to make haste, he needed to make his request right now¡ªwhile nobody was around. He was even prepared to wake the lieutenant up if he was asleep.

    But Ravenna got in the way.

    ''I''ve already put down my mask in front of Leandra, I can''t let her know too'' Lucivar thought.

    Other than Leandra and Sabrina who have seen the real him, nobody has.

    "And what does my request have anything to do with you," Lucivar pivoted around, meeting the curious gaze shot, from Ravenna''s eyes. "Do you suspect me of asking for something in particular?"

    Ravenna waved off the hostility with a curt shake of her hand, "Calm down, it''s not like that"

    She then went over to the bench and gestured for Lucivar to sit.

    Needing to get rid of her as he didn''t want her listening to his conversation, Lucivar decided to comply¡ªsitting down beside Ravenna and watching the silent yard. A brief silence swept over them for a few seconds before Ravenna started with a question.

    "Do you have someone to talk to?"

    "Of course, I have¡ªI don''t have any problem with the others"

    "No, I don''t mean that," Ravenna glanced at him¡ªher crimson eyes were gleaming under the night''s shroud, flickering with interest. "Somone you could talk to¡ªabout anything, someone you trust and would value your trust"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar crossed his arms and shook his head, "No, I don''t have one"

    "Have you ever considered me?" She suddenly asked.

    Instinctively, Lucivar turned towards her and saw that she was genuinely asking.

    "No, I have not considered you at all," Lucivar replied¡ªwith a firm tone, telling the raw truth. "To build trust¡ªI need to know the other person intimately. I don''t know anything about you but your name so how could I consider you?"

    Gazing ahead again, Ravenna nodded her head in understanding.

    Lucivar thought that she wasn''t going to press but she did.

    "A Hybrid''s most intimate possession is their Supernatural Ego¡ªsomething that would very much be the only thing, that would determine their future consistently," Ravenna spoke her eyes staring into the clear night sky. "I have the Crimson Rakshasa bloodline in me, and the name of my Supernatural Ego is Surpanakha the Scarlet Scourge,"

    "And... I feed on negative energy" She revealed with a whisper.

    Hearing her reveal the information about her Supernatural Ego widened Lucivar''s eyes.

    He didn''t expect Ravenna to reveal that to him.

    Bloodlines that could reside within a Hybrid, as well as their varying mutations, were already mapped, and listed by the Hybrid Association, which made it easy for anyone to know about the specific bloodline they wanted to learn.

    On top of the abilities of the said bloodline¡ªone could also learn their weakness.

    An encyclopedia that could be accessed with a bit of effort.

    Normal Hybrids or academy hunters wouldn''t have the need to learn about them.

    However, the officials from the Hybrid Association, tasked to discipline a rogue Hybrid¡ªand such would be learning about these bloodlines to help them in battles. And this includes the underground associations that dwell in assassination and the like.

    Because of this reason, there was no need for Hybrids to have their exact bloodline checked.

    Even back in the test to enter the academy, it was only a formality.

    Lucivar was only asked to state his exact bloodline verbally, there was no actual checking.

    Unless the Hybrid became a criminal, they could choose to not state their bloodlines.

    It was a relatively new law that was implemented.

    Ravenna revealing the truth¡ªabout her Supernatural Ego to Lucivar was akin to her showing someone a weapon that could kill her, and where to buy it, a profound gesture of trust in the world of Hybrids¡ªand one Lucivar never thought she would offer so freely.

    Just before he could react, Ravenna continued, "How did you find out about your bloodline?"

    "Mine was quite unforgettable..." She smiled acutely as her mind was thrown to the past.

    ...

    It was a similar night but this night was cloudy, on the verge of breaking into a storm.

    Several Hybrids wearing dark blue uniforms¡ªleaped over a small river stream, and dashed to the village entrance ahead, they were normal academy hunters who were on a mission. Upon nearing the village, the cold wind brushed against their bodies.

    For some odd reason, these five academy hunters felt a sense of foreboding from ahead.

    And their uneasiness was proven to be right when they heard screams.

    All of them were already running but hearing the screams, they pushed themselves harder.

    Flames could be seen in the distance but Mother Nature helped out.

    Slowly, it began to rain¡ªwetting the path in this forest.

    Despite their desperate efforts to reach the village and uncover the situation¡ªthey arrived too late. At the village entrance, an ominous portal stood, motionless¡ªstill perfectly intact, the barrier hadn''t shattered yet¡ªthe Crossers had not yet crossed.

    But even then, the village was in flames and death littered the ground.

    Inspecting the place with their mouths agape, they caught sight of a haunting sight.

    Facing away near a fountain, that had its water corrupted with blood was a young woman no older than twenty-three. She was grabbing a dead man''s neck with one hand, her fingernails that were sharp and crimson sunk deep.

    Sensing the gazes, the young woman slowly turned her head.

    Realizing that there were academy hunters, the young woman let go of the dead man.

    Her lips then curved unnervingly, exposing a forced smile as tears streamed down her face.

    It was unclear whether she wanted to cry or smile, her face was stuck in between.

    Just that look alone shows she was the one responsible for the village''s total annihilation.

    ...

    "I went out to hunt some rabbits," Ravenna stated¡ªher voice trembling slightly. "but once I was awake, the entire village was annihilated. I blamed the Crossers, but when I saw those five academy hunters looking at me with fear, I realized that it was me. I did it"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised an eyebrow, "Predator Oculus?"

    "Yes," She nodded. "I obtained that ability prematurely and unconsciously used it"

    Lucivar sighed deeply, that was bad luck.

    Due to the stark difference between Hybrids, there are those¡ªwho awaken their dormant bloodline in a good way, and there are those who are unfortunate like Ravenna. She was a victim of her own bloodline.

    Lucivar was also the same, his dormant bloodline was unlocked when he was near death.

    It was a rather painful awakening.

    "Whenever I kill, and harvest negative energy, I become stronger¡ªbut that memory always hunted me," Ravenna continued, confessing something that only a few know. "the negative energy fuels me but it creates an aura of darkness around me that tortured my soul"

    "I don''t know how I can ever overcome this," Her shoulders slouched.

    Ravenna gazed vacantly ahead¡ªlost in thoughts.

    But then, the somber aura surrounding her dissolved.

    She glanced over, a light smile playing on her face, "But when I am close to you, I feel more relaxed¡ªthe darkness around me... how do I say this? Docile? Something about you, could suppress my darkness"

    Darkness is an ever-consuming essence that bowed to nothing.

    And the only thing that could make it more docile is an even greater darkness.

    Fortunately for Ravenna, there is absolute darkness inside of Lucivar.

    "Why are you telling me this?" Lucivar finally asked.

    "You said you needed to know me to trust me," Ravenna replied instantly¡ªletting her words hang in the air for a moment. "and I want you to trust me. I know your bloodline isn''t normal, since no Angel Hybrids could have pulled off what you did"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned, ''Did Leandra or Mirel tell her about what I did?''

    Other than the two, the others hadn''t seen the wicked side of him.

    "Before you suspect the others, I figured it out on my own," Ravenna intervened, almost as if she could hear Lucivar''s mind. "As I mentioned, I feed, on negative energy. So it shouldn''t be surprising if I could sense negative energy"

    ''So that''s how she found me,'' Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure.

    As an Angel Hybrid, he could sense killing intent.

    Of course, it''s not surprising that other powerful bloodlines also have a similar sense.

    "And also, Darwin... I know you''re the one who killed him" Ravenna dropped a bomb.

    Lucivar''s eyes widened completely.

    He looked at Ravenna with shock clearly depicted in his eyes.

    Instinctively, his hand went to his sheathed dagger and drew it.

    Swish!

    In the blink of an eye, Lucivar has already had his dagger poised over Ravenna''s neck.

    He already made sure that he covered his tracks¡ªthe others wouldn''t have a single clue but thinking back, Ravenna did go on ahead to scout, she wasn''t with the group. She might have seen what Lucivar did.

    Compared to him who was a newcomer, Darwin was closer to everyone so he feared that Ravenna would try and avenge him. But Ravenna did not move, there was no killing intent oozing out of her.

    "Relax, Lucivar," Ravenna said teasingly. "I''m not a bore to exact revenge"

    "Why should I believe that? Isn''t Darwin close to you?" Lucivar asked, still alert.

    "Yes, it''s a shame that he died," Ravenna nodded. "but I''m sure you have your reason"

    Despite her assurance, Lucivar wasn''t assured at all.

    "What do you want from me?" He finally asked, there must be something she wanted.

    Ravenna stood up despite the dagger pressing against her neck, "I already got what I wanted¡ªbeing near you is beneficial to me, and I''m planning to keep it that way. So instead of doing this transactional, why not make it real?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned as he lowered his dagger.

    "You mean..."

    "Yes, why not have each other''s back? I can benefit from you doing whatever you want to do while you have someone¡ªwho you don''t need to pretend. Is that not a mutually beneficial relationship?"

    Ravenna''s offer was not unreasonable although it was slightly leaning to her side.

    It was an offer that was worth considering.

    "If that''s the case, why did you bring Darwin into this?" Lucivar asked.

    "I want something genuine but you''re dangerous¡ªLucivar. Did you not realize it already? I need to at least have something to keep you from slitting my neck and also, since nobody knew about what you did to Darwin," Ravenna smirked beautifully. "you should trust me"

    Lucivar leaned back again, he was put on the spot.

    He was still undecided about how he was going to go through with this.

    Seeing his trouble, Ravenna lessened the pressure, "Will you consider me?"

    "I will," Lucivar nodded firmly.

    Ravenna''s smile blossomed wider, "Alright then, good night..." She said and turned to leave.

 Chapter 143 143: Twisted Courtship

    Lucivar watched Ravenna''s back going further away until she vanished around the corner.

    His mind was a whirlwind, Ravanna dropped a bomb and left in the next second.

    It was hard to process everything that she said.

    "Like I told you, she''s dangerous," Sha appeared out of nowhere, also gazing at the corner. "I now understand exactly why I''m annoyed by her. Surpanakha... she was the Demoness, who seduced the Celestial Overgods and has always managed to slip away no matter the prison"

    "She even almost seduced my Lord, hmph!" She exhaled roughly with suppressed anger.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised an eyebrow, "Celestial Overgods?"

    "Just think of it as the upper-echelon Gods, only the strongest could enter that divinity"

    "Does Sutekh also a part of the Celestial Overgods?"

    "Did you not hear me? Surpanakha almost succeeded in seducing my Lord, so of course he is a God of the Celestial Overgods. My Lord is the strongest, your puny mind, would not be able to comprehend it"

    "How about Loki?"

    Naturally, learning about the Celestial Overgods, Lucivar was curious.

    He wanted to know the position of the Gods inside of him.

    "Yes. If he is not then I wouldn''t have treated Gandr with respect. My respect is onl..."

    As soon as he gained his answer, the fact that Loki was also a part of the Celestial Overgods Lucivar ignored Sha as she ranted on about her respect, ''So the other three statues inside of me... all of them should be on equal standing''

    It was an insight into his bloodline.

    Knowing what was inside of him would definitely be useful to anticipate the future.

    Just to know what to expect.

    "Who are the Gods that are a part of this divinity? Can you tell me?" Lucivar asked.

    But this made Sha pause before she smirked, "No, I can''t"

    "Huh...? Why? You knew about Loki so you must know the others too"

    "Do you think it''s really that simple? A God''s name is sacred, it is fueled with Celestial Law. If you learned about it without being worthy or at least being a low class Demi-God, your head would explode"

    "So how come I could know about Sutekh and Loki?"

    "It''s because you''re the Blessed Oracle and you have their blood"

    "What about the stories and folklore? I think everyone knows about Loki and such"

    Upon hearing this, Sha paused for a second and turned to Lucivar.

    Her lips then curved into an unnerving smile, laced with disdain, "You''re punished¡ªbecause you have the potential to become a threat as our Blessed Oracle. Regular mortals are simply nothing. It doesn''t matter what an ant does, it wouldn''t affect us"

    Lucivar was taken aback but he soon realized his fault.

    ''I should''ve expected... In the eyes of Gods, we''re insignificant'' He shook his head.

    Soon, Lucivar shook his head and snapped out of his trance.

    Knowing what lies inside of him was good but he needed to focus on the moment.

    "What do you think about her proposal?" Lucivar asked, he asked for advice, as he was still in between accepting or declining. "Since you said her bloodline, Surpankha is dangerous, will it be fine for me to accept her proposal?"

    "What''s there to consider? Accept her proposal" Instead of Sha, Gandr answered.

    He had been listening and slithered out when the moment was right.

    Lucivar glanced at Gandr, demanding him to explain.

    "Both of you are perfect for each other. Having allies, would not hurt you in your growth, and what better candidate there is other than her?" Gandr elaborate¡ªhis sharp gaze pierced the wall to see Ravenna walking away. "People who could tolerate you are few"

    "Sha said she was dangerous. I should steer clear from her, no?" Lucivar asked back. "I don''t even know what she wanted from me. She might say she wanted to team up with me¡ªbut it could be a lie"

    Even though Ravenna opened up to him earlier, it could be an act.

    He doesn''t have a clue as to what she really wants as her words could be riddled with lies.

    Hearing this, Gandr chuckled as he turned to look at Lucivar.

    "I guess you need to train more¡ªin being perceptive," Gandr hissed, a smirk donning his lips. "Her confession might be lies¡ªbut there is one thing that you can identify as being true. She certainly found you here through negative energy, that part was a fact"

    Lucivar leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of him in contemplation.

    His mind raced as he now beginning to see what Gandr meant.

    Knowing what he was about to ask the lieutenant and the fact that he had only come up with the idea once he woke up earlier¡ªit was highly likely that Ravenna did find him going here by sensing the negative energy coming from him.

    Malicious thoughts would definitely sprout negative energy.

    Because of that, Ravenna knew that Lucivar was going to do something from the very start.

    From the moment he came down to the lounge, she knew.

    "Assuming she could sense negative energy¡ªher intention became clear," Lucivar nodded.

    "Yes..." Gandr smiled, seeing that Lucivar was realizing what he meant. "She saw how strong you are, she knew¡ªhow much negative energy you could produce, and earlier, she also saw how you''re very close to Leandra..."

    Coming to the same conclusion, Sha scowled and clicked her tongue in displeasure.

    "As expected, that bitch''s blood runs in her," She mused in annoyance. "She is seducing you. Opening up to you was a riddle from her to show you that she''s really telling the truth. It was akin to a lady dropping a handkerchief, what a spectacular whore"

    "It seemed like she really wanted to make something real with you," Gandr added.

    Lucivar massaged his forehead in response.

    "Why the sullen face?" Gandr teased with a playful smirk. "She''s a beauty and her bloodline would make her even more beautiful in the future. She''d have unparalleled, God-like beauty¡ªyou should be happy"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar waved his hand dismissively.

    "Never mind that, she has two cards against me and I have only one," He whispered even if he accepted the proposal, he would still be on the back foot, and he didn''t like that. "I don''t want to be played by her"

    "And that... is for you to handle," Gandr said as he evaporated into nothing again.

    Sha also disappeared, leaving Lucivar alone sitting on the bench.

    Deciding to put that on the back of his mind, Lucivar stood up.

    He cleared his mind by circulating his breaths before entering the command center.

    Inside, he saw a lower-ranking officer who was still drinking alone.

    "Bring me the lieutenant, I have something to ask of him," Lucivar suddenly said.

    Startled, the officer stood up and turned¡ªonly to see Lucivar approaching him.

    "Oh, Sir Lucivar, you''re awake?"

    "Hmm. Bring me the lieutenant, it''s urgent"

    "R- Right, I''ll call him immediately"

    Moments later, Lucivar was brought into a room where the lieutenant, Lieutenant Rafi awaits.

    It was hard to tell, whether Rafi had only woken up¡ªor he had been staying awake, since the military uniform was still tightly hugging his body. But from the look on his face, it seemed he hadn''t gotten any sleep.

    Once Lucivar entered the room, Rafi turned towards him.

    Giving space, the other officer closed the door and let the two have their conversation.

    "What can I help you with this late at night?" Rafi opened.

    Despite being disturbed very late at night, he did not seem to be annoyed¡ªon the contrary, he seemed to be glad, that Lucivar had come to him, "I came here to talk about my reward, I heard I can ask for anything and the city would provide?"

    Hearing this, Rafi smiled wider¡ªhe was almost relieved when Lucivar said that.

    It was as if a huge burden was lifted from his shoulders.

    ''He cared so much about the city, he must be feeling burdened'' Lucivar thought.

    Even though Kalinan city has sent a request to the Hybrid Association and a team of hunters were sent to help them and would be compensated¡ªby the loot from the blue dungeon that was entirely for the hunters, and the Hybrid Association, Rafi still felt bad so he arranged the city to still compensate for Lucivar and the others.

    If Lucivar had somehow refused compensation, Rafi would have felt very bad.

    So the fact that Lucivar was asking for his reward made Rafi happy.

    "State your price, the city will definitely fulfill it," Rafi placed both hands¡ªon the table. "If it is an expensive item we will provide it, if it''s a sign of honor we will make it, if there''s even a girl you fancy we will give her. Anything you want¡ªI will make sure to fulfill it"

    No matter what, Rafi was determined to fulfill whatever Lucivar wanted.

    Since Lucivar was the one who did the most, he must be well compensated.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar shook his head.

    "Riches, women, glory... I don''t want any of that" He answered as his lips curled into a smirk, the desire behind that smirk, was a mystery. "I want power, individual strength, that is what I want the most to achieve my goals"

    "Then do you want power crystals?" Rafi asked in confusion.

    Riches would give Lucivar power, he could purchase many power crystals with money.

    However, Lucivar still shook his head.

    "Power crystals are not something I''m after but there is something you could give me that I want. I hope you can hear me with an open mind, and consider my request," Lucivar replied as he approached Rafi closer.

    On the other hand, Rafi became more confused.

    He had mentioned everything a Hybrid wanted.

    But none of them Lucivar wants.

    Everyone has desires and Lucivar was no exception, he has goals¡ªhe must want something.

    If what he offered was not it then what could Lucivar possibly want?

    Placing his hand over Rafi''s shoulder, Lucivar stood beside him.

    "I heard the city relies on its market"

    "Yes... what about it? We have everything from food, crafts, and magical items"

    "Good, then you must have a lot of what I want..."

    Curious, Rafi listened to what Lucivar had to say but his eyes widened in the next second.

    He looked at Lucivar in complete shock.

    Lucivar''s request was completely out of the box, it was beyond Rafi''s wildest expectations.

    "How about it? How many do you have?" Lucivar asked, tapping Rafi''s shoulder.

    Upon hearing this, Rafi snapped out of his trance before he looked down in contemplation, "I have to confirm first, with some people¡ªbut I suppose, the city has a lot. Maybe around one to three hundred?"

    "Good, that''s what I want. Handle it" Lucivar nodded and headed to the exit.

    Before Lucivar could reach the door, Rafi stopped him.

    "Is that really what you want? Are there any more requests?"

    "Hmm... If I had to ask for more, make that number higher. You know what I mean..."

 Chapter 144 144: Awkward Air

    As dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the curtains.

    A golden glow spread across the bedroom, beginning from the walls and eventually shining upon the person sleeping soundly on the queen-sized bed. Visibly¡ªthe rays disturbed her, causing her eyelids to tremble.

    Groaning lightly, the purple-haired woman flipped her body and faced the ceiling.

    She took in a deep inhale and rubbed her eyes gently.

    "Eughh... I''m so dizzy," Leandra muttered, the hangover was getting to her. "What time is it?"

    Opening her eyes, she forced herself to sit up with a sluggish stretch.

    Her bleary eyes wandered around the familiar contours of her own room, confusion knitting her brow, "How did I get here?" She pondered aloud¡ªbut the thought barely formed before memories of last night came flooding back.

    Her eyes widened in horror.

    And with a mortified gasp, she flung herself face-first into the pillow, muffling her groan.

    She was in despair.

    Leandra tugged the blanket over her head like a fortress against shame, remembering all the embarrassing things she said to Lucivar. She came down with the others¡ªwithout calling for Lucivar because he was probably still unconscious.

    Even if he was conscious, he would definitely shoot her invitation down.

    Because of that, she came down to have a drink and celebrate.

    Never once crossed her mind that her drunken state would go upstairs and check on Lucivar.

    "Do you know how many girls dream about their first kiss being magical?"

    "Just... didn''t expect it to be stolen by a very, very bad man"

    "Come down, and I''ll let you make it up to me with kiss number two! Heck, if you accompany me the entire night I''ll let you steal a few more. Third kiss, fourth, fifth, I''m feeling generous!"

    "Ah... why did I say that?" Leandra complained, cursing her drunken self to have no restraint.

    She really wanted the bed to swallow her whole¡ªso that she would never need to show her face in front of Lucivar again. It was too embarrassing. Despite feeling hungry¡ªshe decided to go back to crumpling on her bed.

    In the room next door, Lucivar also woke up and was slightly dizzy.

    Despite having only awakened from slumber, he didn''t seem to be refreshed.

    He glanced to the side and saw Sabrina sleeping on the sofa in a sitting position.

    "Hey, Sabrina!" Lucivar called, throwing a pillow at her and waking her up. "Go sleep on the bed, I''m done using it. Sleeping like that would only hurt your neck¡ªand without a blanket, you''re going to be sick and you being sick would only make it harder on me"

    Lucivar shut down any response that she could muster in case she wanted to refuse.

    But it seemed he was wrong as Sabrina instantly leaped onto the bed.

    "At least you have a little bit of heart left in that hollow chest of yours" She murmured.

    Lucivar sighed, ''Well, she did take care of me. I could at least cut her some slack''

    Averting his eyes away, Lucivar looked around¡ªand found, that everything was normal, this seemed to be real life. Just in case, however, he tried pinching himself and felt a sharp sting¡ªhe hadn''t been taken away into some weird realm.

    Recalling Loki''s test, he feared that Sutekh would take the same approach.

    It made him paranoid all night, the anticipation of Sutekh''s arrival was killing him mentally.

    Because of that, he barely had any sleep.

    Shaking his head and putting that thought in the back of his mind¡ªLucivar decided to go out and go downstairs for breakfast. Along the corridor, he met Nerissa who was also coming out of her room¡ªpossibly with the same intention.

    "Good morning," Lucivar greeted.

    Upon hearing his voice, Nerissa snapped around and smiled a little, "G- Good morning"

    "Are you also going for breakfast?"

    "Y- Yes..."

    "Should we go together?"

    "Ah, right," Nerissa stammered and turned to another door. "Let''s call the others too!"

    Lucivar shrugged his shoulders, he didn''t mind the suggestion.

    First, the closest one¡ªNerissa went to knock on Leandra''s room but Leandra said she didn''t want to have breakfast but rather wanted to sleep in the rest of the day. Recalling how much she drank last night, this doesn''t come as a surprise.

    She must''ve felt like her world was spinning.

    Next, it was Mirel''s room but once again¡ªthey couldn''t add another to their small group.

    No answer came from his room no matter how many times Nerissa knocked.

    "Weird. He couldn''t possibly still be sleeping. Even if he is, Master Tobias made sure we are alert at all times so he should''ve woken up," Nerissa muttered in confusion, she found Mirel not answering very weird.

    On the other hand, Lucivar knew that the room was most likely empty.

    ''He hasn''t come back? Where did he go?'' He pondered curiously.

    Recalling Mirel leaving last night after their exchange, it was clear that he was still out.

    Moving onto Ravenna''s room, Nerissa reached her hand to knock on the door.

    However, for some reason, Lucivar could feel his heart racing.

    Maybe because of their conversation last night but he was slightly nervous to meet Ravenna.

    Unlike the others, Ravenna opened the door before Nerissa even knocked on it.

    She poked out her head from behind the door almost as if she was peeking.

    "Ravenna, we''re wondering if you want to join us for breakfast," Nerissa asked with a smile.

    Ravenna''s gaze naturally drifted from Nerissa to Lucivar, lingering on him just long enough to convey an unspoken message, before settling back on Nerissa. She offered a faint smile, her voice light but deliberate. "I think I''ll pass for now, I might''ve drank too much. Maybe lunch?"

    "A- Alright, have a good rest then" Nerissa smiled stiffly.

    Along the way to the restaurant, Nerissa was slightly feeling down.

    Lucivar could tell as she was slightly slouching and remained silent along the way.

    ''Did she get scared of me or what? No, that shouldn''t be the case'' He frowned.

    Feeling that the awkward air was unwarranted, Lucivar decided to melt the ice, "By the way, thank you for tending to my wounds," He said, and stretched his arms. "I healed much faster thanks to you"

    "It''s the least I could do, there''s no need to thank me" Nerissa replied meekly.

    Moments later, the two sat down and began to eat.

    It was a buffet, Lucivar grabbed as much meat as he could while Nerissa ate modestly.

    Even when the first plate was devoured, Nerissa was still behaving awkwardly.

    Having enough of this, Lucivar decided to confront her before he went to take another plate for himself, "Is there something disturbing you, Nerissa?" He asked, clasping his hands. "It is clear that you have something in your mind"

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa sighed¡ªshe knew that Lucivar would eventually ask.

    She couldn''t hide it from him.

    Looking down at her hands like a chipmunk that was caught stealing because of her chubby cheeks, Nerissa paused for a second before eventually deciding to say it straight, "I... I want to apologize for doubting you and us as a whole to take down the dungeon"

    "Eh...?" Lucivar was stunned, his words were lost from his tongue.

    Seeing this, Nerissa stammered, she knew that Lucivar must bore a grudge for that.

    "I- I know you must be feeling angry at me, it''s understandable," She quickly added, it was as if being late to apologize more would cause Lucivar to burst. "I''m really, really sorry. I was too focused on the blue dungeon, it was our first time tackling that strong of a dungeon..."

    As she said that, Nerissa stole a glance at Lucivar¡ªinspecting his face.

    She was prepared to be shouted at by Lucivar.

    But instead of being shouted, Lucivar burst into laughter which caught her off guard.

    "I thought it was something serious but it''s only that?" Lucivar cackled, he thought Nerissa had become afraid of him, but that wasn''t the case. "You''re worried about my feelings? It''s okay, it''s not like what I''m asking you to do was reasonable"

    "Y- You''re not mad?" Nerissa''s eyes widened¡ªnot expecting this to turn out like this.

    Lucivar waved his hand, "It''s annoying to be doubted but it''s fine, I''m not mad at you"

    Almost instantly, Nerissa''s face brightened up.

    Her expression which was tense and gloomy turned instantly into a brilliant sun.

    However, in the next second¡ªNerissa slumped onto the table as if a huge burden had been lifted off her back. "I can relax now... it''s very tiring to be in that position," she complained¡ªbeing stiff was tiring her.

    "Are you seriously hung over my feelings that much?" Lucivar asked.

    Nerissa nodded repeatedly, "Of course, we''re a family!"

    Just like that, the tense atmosphere was lifted.

    Both of them stood up for a second round, Lucivar took the exact same food, as before, and sat back down. But then, Nerissa also came back and this time she wasn''t modest, her plate was now full of varying food.

    Looking at her plate that was mounting higher than himself, Lucivar was taken aback.

    "If you have a huge appetite, why didn''t you take more earlier?" He asked.

    Nerissa smiled, showing rows of her white teeth as she scratched her head.

    "I''m afraid you would be more annoyed seeing me eating a lot..." She replied. "so I took little"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar shook his head and gestured for her to eat her fill.

    He couldn''t believe she went to that extent out of fear of annoying him.

    ''But then again, she''s the princess of our group,'' Lucivar shrugged, she was kind-hearted.

    Now that the atmosphere between them had returned to normal Lucivar could now focus on other things. One that bugged his mind was Ravenna: ''Her eyes earlier... they''re still glowing red, and the bags under her eyes, did she even sleep at all?''

    Earlier, when Ravenna poked out of the door, Lucivar noticed those things.

    Because of her bloodline, she has naturally red eyes but her eyes earlier were glowing.

    Nerissa might not noticed it but Lucivar did.

    It seemed the alcohol was only an excuse for something more.

    Realizing that something was off about her¡ªLucivar decided to go back to check on her and see what she was truly hiding. If he was lucky he might be able to gain another card to make the playing field between them even.

    About an hour later, Lucivar and Nerissa had had their fills.

    Both of them had a stomach full of food.

    "What are you doing the rest of the day?" Nerissa asked as the two headed to the exit.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar shrugged nonchalantly, "Probably meditate, what about you?"

    "I''m going to the market. I heard it was bustling, and I wanted to see it for myself!"

    "Have fun, I can''t accompany you though. I''m going to stick to my be-"

    Swish!

    As soon as Lucivar and Nerissa stepped out of the restaurant, a sudden shift happened.

    Lucivar halted in his words and looked around, seeing that the entire hotel was now hued by the color crimson. It was as if there was a red mist enveloping the entire hotel¡ªand once he looked back to check, the restaurant was also covered by the same haze.

    Seeing the change, Lucivar smiled wryly, "Guess I''m not making it back to my bed..."

 Chapter 145 145: Scarab of Set: Red (1)

    Once Lucivar was a step out of the restaurant, the surroundings changed.

    Before his mind could process the change, his boy reacted first¡ªan abrupt wave of hot and arid wind swept over him, prickling his skin. Blinking in confusion¡ªa deep frown crossed his face as he took in his surroundings, finally grasping that the entire hotel had transformed.

    It wasn''t warm and comfortable anymore, now it was scorching hot and dry.

    A reddish haze blurred Lucivar''s vision no matter where he looked.

    Outside, the snow was replaced by reddish sand that reached around ankle height.

    Such a stark change was definitely the work of a celestial being.

    Just from this sight alone, he could instantly tell what was happening.

    "Sutekh..." Lucivar muttered whisperingly.

    Realizing that this must be a trial Sutekh has prepared for him, Lucivar exhaled lightly.

    He''s mentally preparing himself to face, what is about to come, remembering that Loki''s trial wasn''t exactly a walk in the park. Also, he began activating his Supernatural Ego, channeling ether in case the need for it arises.

    But his frown deepened when he sensed no ether inside of him, "Where''s my ether?"

    Attempting to summon his ether multiple times, Lucivar couldn''t.

    It was as if he was never a Hybrid in the first place.

    Even though he could still feel his Supernatural Ego and could interact with it, there was no ether to be used. Not even the God strands were accessible to him. In this place¡ªhe could only use his physique.

    ''Sutekh''s divine blood enhances my physique, this is to be expected,'' Lucivar pondered.

    Thud!

    Whipping his head around, Lucivar''s gaze locked onto Nerissa.

    She was still there beside him, as were the hotel staff. But all of them¡ªhad collapsed to their knees, weirdly still. Dropping to his knees¡ªhe grasped her shoulders and shook her gently in an attempt to gain any reaction, "Nerissa, can you hear me? Hey, say something!"

    But even then, there was no answer¡ªNerissa was unresponsive.

    Not to mention, her body was very cold and rigid.

    Gently, Lucivar pulled her face toward him by the chin and gasped at the sight.

    Nerissa''s skin color has turned ashen as if she has already died and her body preserved.

    It made him worry that Sutekh killed her but that shouldn''t be the case.

    Checking the other people, they were also in the same boat.

    Everyone around Lucivar had fallen into the same ashen and unresponsive state as Nerissa.

    ''If it''s any similar to Loki''s trial then the trial should be an introduction to an ability that will be bestowed to me¡ªand there should be an objective,'' Lucivar pondered¡ªhis eyes darted right and left to find any clue.

    Just then, his hope was answered¡ªa shining thing appeared out of nowhere above him.

    Its brilliance casts fleeting patterns on the walls.

    A steady, rhythmic buzzing filled the air¡ªand the way it moved was fluid, almost alive.

    Once Lucivar''s eyes adjusted to the light, the thing revealed itself to be a creature, a lustrous beetle¡ªits wings glowing red faintly as it hovered with an almost ethereal grace. Then out of nowhere, the beetle shifted.

    Its delicate wings folded inward, encasing its form in a hardened, metallic shell.

    Lucivar saw it happening in an instant¡ªthe beetle turned into a radiant scarab.

    Even its surface which seemed alive now turned into polished steel that caught the light.

    Before Lucivar could react¡ªthe scarab quivered with raw energy¡ªpulsing faintly. It shot upward in a blue, piercing through the ceiling, like a phantom, leaving Lucivar alone once more¡ªthe hum of its flight still resonating faintly in the air.

    Seeing this, Lucivar nodded as that''s certainly his clue.

    He needed to follow the red scarab.

    "Is it going to the top of the building? I should hurry" Lucivarr thought aloud.

    But once he was about to take a step, he stumbled a little¡ªsomething was holding his foot.

    Glancing to his behind, his eyes widened when he saw Nerissa was the one who was holding his foot but she was not the Nerissa Lucivar knew. Some parts of her face were decayed and both of her eyes were now black with only its iris crimson.

    As if that wasn''t shocking enough, magical strings of linen began wrapping her body.

    Nerissa turned from a cute princess into a horrifying mummy.

    Graah!

    "What the heck?!" Lucivar exclaimed and he instinctively shoved Nerissa with his foot.

    However, in doing that, he was the one that was pushed instead.

    Nerissa''s body felt like a solid rock¡ªand she didn''t move at all from that shove.

    Smirking, Nerissa grabbed Lucivar''s entire leg, and flung him to the other side, sending him crashing onto the receptionist table. A grunt escaped Lucivar''s mouth. He gritted his teeth, intending to stand back up but was stunned when the staff beside him also turned.

    Spooked, Lucivar crawled backward, away from the other mummies.

    Even then there was no way to run as his back stumbled across another mummy.

    Crash!

    Lucivar struggled to his feet¡ªbut a mummy''s claw slashed across his face¡ªthe force hurling him over the receptionist''s desk. He hit the ground hard, rolling before quickly springing back up¡ªhis senses sharp as his eyes darted around to assess his surroundings.

    Once he recovered from the impact, his eyes widened.

    Everyone turned into mummies.

    Not only that but he also spotted dozens, perhaps hundreds, of dark energy trails snaking through every corner of the hotel. It was not confined to this floor¡ªeveryone in the entire building had been transformed into mummies.

    "Tch! I see now what you''re doing" Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure.

    Surely, he needed to follow the red scarab while these mummies tried to stop him.

    Glancing over to the stairs about twenty meters from him with multiple mummies along the way, Lucivar nodded and prepared himself to sprint, "I don''t think these mummies are fast, there shouldn''t be a problem for me unless it gets crowded upstairs"

    Despite not having access to his ether, his physique alone was of an Acolyte rank.

    He should be fast enough to eel his way through.

    Nodding, Lucivar made a run for it.

    Just as he expected, the mummies along the way couldn''t grab ahold onto him as he was too fast for them. He passed the four mummies barring his way easily¡ªand neared the stairs in a few seconds.

    However, as he was about to ascend¡ªhe sensed something coming at him from the side.

    Lucivar had only the time to turn his head before an attack struck him.

    Brak!

    Out of nowhere, Nerissa tackled him from the side and slammed him onto the wall.

    Such a brunt force forced the air out of Lucivar''s lungs.

    Even though Lucivar was able to put his elbow on her neck and hold her claw that was going for his face with his other hand¡ªthe slam against the wall hurt him. But more importantly, he couldn''t break free, ''So strong! In terms of strength, I can''t compete! Not without my ether!''

    Graah!

    Nerissa opened her maw, trying to bite Lucivar on the neck.

    Pinned on the wall, Lucivar gritted his teeth and panicked when he saw the other mummies were closing in. Other than Nerissa, the others were quite slow¡ªmoving at a walking pace, but that was enough if Lucivar couldn''t break free in the next ten seconds.

    Knowing that overpowering with strength is out of his hands, he needs to be creative.

    Lucivar tried kneeing her liver multiple times but that did nothing.

    It doesn''t seem Nerissa felt pain anymore.

    Just then¡ªLucivar''s eyes flashed as he got an idea.

    Instead of resisting her push, he decided to go along with it.

    Lowering his elbow from her neck, Nerissa lunged her maw forward but Lucivar managed to dodge it in time, and grabbed her by the nape. He pinned Nerissa''s head between his hand, and also his shoulder.

    Once that was successful, he sprouted his wing and tripped Nerissa.

    She fell to the ground facing the ceiling.

    Giving no time for her to react, Lucviar quickly stepped on her thigh and grabbed her foot.

    And with a brutal yank, he snapped her knee¡ªa loud cracking sound resounded.

    Since the other mummies were slow while Nerissa was fast, Lucivar needed to cripple her so that she wouldn''t be a problem anymore. Naturally, Nerissa tried to grab him but Lucivar was able to get on the stairs and went to the second floor.

    Upon ascending, more mummies came down.

    Lucivar didn''t confront them head-on, these mummies were physically stronger than him.

    Instead, he resorted to tripping them and also knocking them off balance.

    He avoided their hands at all costs because if he was grabbed¡ªmaking them let go would be very hard. Slowly but surely¡ªLucivar ascended the stairs. But mid-way, on the landing, there was a window to his side.

    Finding that the mummies were all immobilized, Lucivar looked out.

    Outside, Kallinan City which was supposed to be a bustling market city had turned barren.

    Desolate desert span, as far as the eyes can see, there was not a single building¡ªother than the hotel he was in right now. In the far distance, Lucivar saw two massive pyramids made of black and red blocks.

    Squinting his eyes, Lucivar saw something in the space between the two pyramids.

    Lucivar couldn''t see clearly as it was very far but he reckoned that it was Sutekh.

    Averting his gaze away, he looked up and saw more mummies descending down the stairs.

    Making haste, Lucivar coursed through them with ease¡ªhe punched a mummy on its jaw, knocking it off balance, tripped another when it was about to step, and even lifted one up and threw it down.

    No need to kill these mummies, it would only tire him.

    Knowing how they move, he could beat them easily.

    As long as there were no other mummies like Nerissa, he should be fine.

    Reaching the second floor, Lucivar looked around the ceiling.

    "I think the hotel has six floors, I hope that scarab didn''t go to the rooftop," He mused.

    Lucivar hoped that the scarab went to a certain floor, not the rooftop but then, he saw the scarab hovering on the ceiling¡ªnot too far from him. He was about to sprint and grab that thing but it suddenly went through the ceiling again.

    "Oh, come on!" Lucivar cursed, he now needed to go to the third floor.

    His room was on the third floor so he knew the layout¡ªthere was a chance he could catch the scarab there. Going through more mummies again, growling and snarling while exuding the scent of death, Lucivar reached the third floor.

    Not wasting a single second, he sprinted in search of the scarab.

    But as he made a turn, he stopped mid-track.

    "Fuck..." Lucivar muttered as his heart dropped to his stomach.

    Standing in the hall were two familiar figures¡ªLeandra and Ravenna who were both covered in linen while holding their weapons. Both of them were in their rooms and if Nerissa got into the mix then these two would also be the same.

    "I forgot about them..."

 Chapter 146 146: Scarab of Set: Red (2)

    Leandra and Ravenna stood in his way, the scarab was right behind them.

    Both of them looked normal other than their ashen skin but once they caught sight of Lucivar¡ªstrings of linen began to wrap around their bodies, coating every inch aside from their face and hands.

    Since the people inside the hotel were all turned into mummies, these two also did, and like Nerissa, they did not seem like the other slow-moving mummies. Just from the way they tilt their heads so fluid alone confirmed that.

    It seemed Sutekh''s power influenced them differently.

    A Hybrid would turn into a stronger mummy.

    It should be obvious but Lucivar has never fought a mummy before aside from today.

    However, he could feel the air thickened once the linens wrapped around them.

    Surely, the act of having their bodies wrapped in linen was a hostile gesture.

    Lucivar backed away slowly, he avoided making sudden movements as he saw the scarab, once again shoot into the ceiling, and disappear. He wanted to capture it but with Ravenna and Leandra on the way, there''s no chance.

    Once he reached the staircase, he turned and intended to sprint upstairs.

    But it was also at that moment the duo made their moves.

    Swoosh!

    As he was about to take a step, he stopped mid-way and yanked his head back.

    A sword streaked past him inches away from his nose.

    It stabbed the wall to the side halfway through with a rough cracking sound.

    Lucivar glanced at the sword and gasped.

    ''How strong must one be to throw a sword with enough force to embed it like that?''

    He was shocked, Leandra''s sword, was not a throwing weapon, and even then, she was able to do something like this. Lucivar wasn''t given any time to breathe as he sensed an incoming attack.

    Swiftly, he dashed to the side, avoiding a vertical slash from Ravenna''s claw.

    Rolling to the side, his back hit the wall beside the embedded sword.

    Lucivar gazed ahead and saw Ravenna already coming in to make another attack.

    He ducked down in time to avoid the powerful slash, Ravenna''s claw tore through the wall as if the wall was made of butter. Even though she was an Acolyte-rank Hybrid, such a strength without the use of ether was astonishing.

    But Lucivar didn''t idle, he kicked Ravenna''s legs hard and caused her to fall on her back.

    Once he did that, he kicked her away to the other side of the wall¡ªbefore he quickly made a dash to the staircase. Lucivar rushed to the fourth floor but Leandra was already behind him, grabbing his clothes and yanking him back.

    Lucivar fell back down to the third floor with a groan.

    He opened his eyes and instantly rolled, avoiding Leandra''s hard stomp.

    Climbing back to his feet quickly, Lucivar pressed his shoulders against the cold wall, for any support he could get, only to find himself immediately under siege. Ravenna and Leandra did not give him any time to breathe and attacked without hesitation.

    Almost instantly, the battle turned into Lucivar on the defense on the corner.

    Sharp cracks of blows were exchanged in rapid succession.

    Losing his advantage of fighting one-on-one, the fight devolved into raw, hand-to-hand with their strikes aiming for Lucivar''s vital points¡ªwith surgical precision. None of the two was an amateur, Tobias made sure of that.

    Lucivar fought back desperately, blocking and parrying where he could.

    But it was a losing battle.

    Against two relentless experts, one of whom had taught him to fight, he was overwhelmed.

    ''I need to wait my chance to slip out of this corner or else I''ll lose!'' He yelped inside.

    Lucivar ducked under a punch from Leandra.

    Crack!

    Her strike force splintered the wall behind him with a loud crack.

    Before he could recover, Ravenna''s knee slammed¡ªinto his stomach, driving the air from his lungs. Wincing¡ªhe recovered from the pain and instinctively shielded his groin from another follow-up attack, only to catch a glanced blow from Leandra''s fist.

    "Grhkk!" Lucivar groaned but he needed to keep his focus.

    Blood trickled from his nose and mouth as he gritted his teeth, slipping a few counterattacks.

    However, none carried enough force to shift the tide.

    Just then, the intensity spiked when Ravenna''s fist hammered into his side, sending a jolt of pain through his liver. As he grunted¡ªLeandra wretched her sword from the wall, slashing it at his neck in a flash of steel.

    Reacting on instinct, Lucivar raised his left arm¡ªbarely intercepting the blade.

    Pain exploded through him as the blade pierced his flesh, grinding to a halt against bone.

    Blood sprayed across his face and floor.

    ''Come on, isn''t this a bit too much?!'' Lucivar hissed in pain.

    He always never want a battle as bloody as this¡ªhe doesn''t like the pain, but for some damn reason, he was always placed in a situation like this. As if the pain was not enough¡ªLeandra began to chainsaw the weapon deeper, the screech of metal on bone sending shivers across the air.

    However, through the haze of agony, Lucivar''s eyes sparkled.

    He noticed their synchronization.

    Both Ravenna and Leandra were winding up for simultaneous punches.

    ''Now is my chance!'' Lucivar thought as he ducked beneath their strikes.

    It was a perfect dodge, the whoosh of displaced air rushing past his head in a breeze.

    Going on the offensive, Lucivar drove and uppercut into Ravenna''s chin, launching her back.

    Leandra spun to retaliate, her fist arcing toward him but Lucivar caught her arm over his left shoulder in a fluid motion and, with a surge of strength, slammed her into the ground. Using his wing, he leaped over Ravenna and reached the stairs again.

    No guarantee that there would be a chance like this again so he needed to move.

    Breathing roughly and in pain, he ascends to the fourth floor.

    Leandra and Ravenna recovered and tried to reach him but the hotel suddenly shook.

    Upon sensing this, Lucivar looked up and saw an avalanche of red sand rushing down.

    He gritted his teeth and leaped, piercing his fingers onto the ceiling and bracing for impact.

    Splash!

    Lucivar''s lower half was struck by the scorching red sand¡ªbut he was able to barely hold on without being swept away. However, despite the burning sand, scorching his skin, this was a good thing seeing that Leandra and Ravenna were swept away.

    Once the avalanche receded, Lucivar pulled himself out of the sand.

    He crawled on the solid sand and looked behind, only to see the entire third floor and below covered in red sand. Lucivar regulated his breaths and checked the gruesome wound on his arm, still bleeding profusely.

    "If that didn''t happen, I would''ve been toast" Lucivar panted and laid on the sand. "Guess I''m being pitied by Sutekh and helped"

    Sha emerged beside him and she climbed over to his chest.

    "I don''t know about that" She said while sitting on Lucivar''s chest.

    Hearing this, Lucivar briefly glanced at Sha before closing his eyes again in exhaustion.

    Every part of him was in pain and his stamina took a huge hit because of that.

    "Chop, chop, Blessed Oracle~" Sha added teasingly. "Still a long way to go before you pass"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar sighed and struggled back to his feet.

    "Whatever the ability was, I hope it''s worth it," He complained as he stood upright.

    Heaving in the air a couple of times deeply, Lucivar then continued on ahead again.

    About five minutes later.

    Clang!

    Lucivar was able to reach the emergency exit and slammed the door open.

    He didn''t have time to rest, as he instantly went to close the door, right before dozens if not more mummies reached the emergency exit. Grabbing a piece of wood on the side, he used it to lock the door before letting go of the door.

    Along the way, there were more mummies that barred his way.

    But fortunately, there were no stronger mummies on the upper floors.

    Since the others were the only Hybrids, Lucivar was safe but the upper floors had a lot more mummies than the lower floors. However, since they were not strong, Lucivar could use only his wing to push them away while he limped to the rooftop.

    Catching the scarab is impossible in his state, he was still bleeding all over.

    "I was also lucky I didn''t meet Caldaros and the other academy hunters," Lucivar sighed, and looked at the last floor, the rooftop. "Had I met with them or worse¡ªmet them when I fought against Leandra and Ravenna, that''s game over for me"

    Lucivar was lucky but it was hard to feel lucky in his current state.

    His right arm was already covered in blood, scratched here and there, and even several bite marks that he sustained along the way. Not to mention, he also recalled that there were still a lot more waiting for him.

    If that were the case, he didn''t know how he would be able to complete the all.

    Not with his current state, at least.

    ''Had I had access to my God strands, I could at least close up these wounds,'' Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure as he ascended the stairs weakly. Once he reached the rooftop, he opened the door and was instantly greeted by the stronger dryness of the outside.

    Hot and arid wind blew against him.

    Looking around the place, he found the glowing red scarab hovering ahead.

    It was quite high but it wasn''t a problem for Lucivar.

    Jumping with the help of his wing allowed him to leap way higher than normal.

    As he was about to approach the scarab and grab it, potentially ending this phase of the trial¡ªLucivar''s eyes shot open when suddenly, multiple cracking sounds¡ªresounded. He looked around and saw multiple mummies explode out from the lower floor.

    Not to mention, the emergency exit door behind him was shattered.

    Mummies poured in like a swarm of ants.

    But that''s not the worst part¡ªthe worst part was that the mummies on the rooftop were the stronger mummies. Lucivar could spot Leandra, Ravenna, Nerissa¡ªand even Caldaros along with the other academy hunters.

    Seeing this, adrenaline surged inside of him as he instantly made a dash for the scarab.

    Despite pouring his all, Caldaros¡ªand Ravenna reached the spot below the scarab first.

    Lucivar gritted his teeth as his leg muscles bulged, he made a massive leap¡ªbefore he could reach the optimal position to reach the scarab. Flapping his wing frantically, he prolonged his glide, desperately trying to reach the scarab.

    Naturally, Leandra and those who wielded weapons threw their weapons at him.

    Some struck Lucivar, causing him to cough a mouthful of blood but he pushed onward.

    No matter what, he would grab the scarab.

    Finding that he wasn''t going to stop even with the weapons piercing through him, Caldaros and Ravenna leaped to intercept him. Lucivar stretched his hand, he was inches away from reaching the scarab while Caldaros and Ravenna were inches away from grabbing his feet.

    Eyes blazing with determination and muscles contracted, his wing made another flap.

    Despite feeling a hand grabbing both legs, the flap was enough to push him forward.

    And in return, his hand clutched the scarab hard.

    Swoosh!

    Once he managed to touch the glowing red scarab, the light grew blinding.

    Lucivar was teleported away and once the light receded, he stood on firm ground.

    "I did it!" He cheered with a wide smile.

    But then, his face froze when he saw the sight above him, "What in the wor-warrgh!!"

 Chapter 147 147: Scarab of Set: Bronze

    As Sha stated, the trial didn''t finish once he obtained the red scarab.

    Lucivar was teleported elsewhere the moment he clutched the red scarab in his hand¡ªand now, he was in a limited confined room with little to no light. He could see properly¡ªthanks to the crimson linings that were rooting on the walls.

    His cheering died down as he inspected the place he was in.

    "Where am I...?" Lucivar pondered aloud.

    From his inspection, the chamber was no more than fifty paces across.

    Its obsidian walls and floors were etched with faint crimson lines that pulsed like a heartbeat.

    He turned in confusion, his gaze tracing the sharp angles of the space.

    Once his eyes adjusted, the realization dawned upon him¡ªa pyramid.

    "Am I inside one of those twin pyramids¡ªI saw earlier?" Lucivar''s breath hitched, he did not like the eerie stillness of the place. Gazing above, the walls tapered to a precise apex, "Am I supposed to find a way out of here?"

    Lucivar was wondering exactly what he was supposed to do.

    But then, the air buzzed with an eerie energy.

    Following that buzz were the crimson lines along the wall changing color from red to bronze.

    Naturally, a foreboding sensation dawned upon him, and his senses were proven to be right when a radiating glow came from above. Another scarab¡ªthis one was glistening bronze in color.

    Seeing this, Lucivar determined to instantly try and reach it.

    He leaped with his arm stretched but then he collided with something.

    Lucivar struck a hard surface and fell back down, he landed on the obsidian floor and gazed up¡ªonly to be met with a block that shielded the bronze scarab behind it. He stood up, and inspected the block but then, it suddenly began descending.

    It was small, only the size of the pyramid''s tip¡ªbut as it got closer, it got bigger.

    Not to mention, it suddenly sped up upon reaching halfway.

    Swoosh!

    His face froze upon seeing this, "What in the wor-warrgh!!"

    Having no other space to avoid this black block¡ªLucivar raised his arm to somehow stop the block. But the moment he felt the weight of the block, his eyes widened completely. His arms instantly folded, and the block landed on his back.

    "Kaahk!" Lucivar grunted, he was still wounded and the weight was crushing him.

    Despite that, his willpower persevered¡ªhe kept his legs firm.

    As this continued, he could feel and hear his bones cracking under the weight¡ªhe would not be able to hold on for long. Forcing his eyes to open, he tried to look around and on the floor, he saw a timer.

    It was an hourglass, the sand drizzling down at the bottom at a slow pace.

    Surely, his only task was to hold this block until the timer ran out.

    Although the task was extremely simple, it was nigh impossible to complete.

    Lucivar could feel that the weight was akin to multiple busses stacked on top of each other, and to make matters worse, the hourglass¡ªwould finish around ten minutes. Even then, the willpower inside of him kept him going.

    But there was only so much his willpower could help.

    Crack!

    Not even at the minute mark, a sharp snapping sound echoed.

    Hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes widened as he glanced down to his feet.

    It was then he saw his shin legs snapped, he had no more support to keep going.

    Bam!

    "RAARGGHKK!! FUCK YOU SUTEKH!"

    Lucivar was crushed under the massive weight of the block that pressed him down¡ªdriving him mercilessly onto the floor. A pained scream escaped his lips, sharp and raw, as his body buckled beneath the relentless pressure.

    His screams kept rising to a harrowing crescendo as his bones splintered one after another.

    Soon came the final, grisly moment.

    His body crumpled completely, reduced to a grotesque paste of blood and flesh.

    A sickening end under the crushing slab.

    Moments later, the block lifted itself back into place as if obeying some unseen command.

    At the center of the chamber, red sand seeped from the floor and coalesced, reforming into Lucivar piece by piece. He appeared whole, standing in shock¡ªhis body trembling violently¡ªhaving not registered what had happened.

    Sweat poured from his face, his breaths coming in ragged and sharp.

    Glancing down, he saw that he was standing on a pile of blood along with his ground meat.

    "D- Did I die...?" Lucivar sucked in a cold breath, his mind spinning from the shock.

    His mind replayed the death he experienced seconds ago¡ªa vivid, searing torment that had etched itself deep into his mind, leaving him shaken. But the pain from being crushed swiftly snapped him from his trance.

    Swoosh!

    Once again, the block came crashing down and Lucivar was forced to confront it.

    Biting his lower lip until it bleeds, he held on¡ªhis bulging eyes paranoid of his shin bones.

    ''Keep it steady. Adjust it properly and don''t make any shifting move-''

    Crack!

    Splat!

    Despite already being careful not to break his shin bones, Lucivar was crushed once again¡ªdying once again. He was revived like earlier and was forced into the same situation. Instead of paying attention to his shin bones, this time, he scanned the place for another clue.

    Just then, he realized that there was something behind him.

    "I- It''s the red scarab!" Lucivar yelped in surprise.

    As it turns out¡ªthe red scarab has been hovering behind him all this time.

    Naturally, the red scarab must be the key to completing this test.

    However, he was crushed once again before he could even try to do something.

    Lucivar died three times in no more than three minutes.

    Even though he knew the trial of Sutekh would be hard and the fact that Sutekh was a God, he didn''t expect it to be this extreme. His mind wavered every time he experienced death¡ª the looming death was getting him.

    Not to mention, the remains of his ''previous'' self didn''t fade¡ªit only littered the ground.

    On top of physical exercise, Sutekh also brutally tested his mental.

    It was true that he had proven himself but this was different.

    Dying was supposed to be a one-in-a-lifetime event, everyone would experience it once.

    But Lucivar had experienced it three times already.

    "Krrggh...!"

    Forcing his mind to recover quickly, fearing the excruciating pain from death by crushing, he looked at the red scarab¡ªand willed it towards him. But no matter how much he tried to call for it, the red scarab didn''t budge, it kept floating motionlessly.

    Gritting his teeth, Lucivar looked down to the ground again.

    ''Other than mentally testing me, these remains must be here for a reason'' He thought.

    Deciding to try, Lucivar willed the red scarab to go to the blood.

    As expected, once he commanded that¡ªthe red scarab finally moved.

    It began absorbing the blood as well as the remains steadily, Lucivar waited impatiently as his shins were already cracking again. But then, the red scarab shimmered and once it did, he wasted no time and willed it towards him, to give him power.

    Swoosh!

    Using blood as fuel, the red scarab shot towards Lucivar and slammed onto his forehead.

    Lucivar''s head was yanked back but in the next second, he felt a warm sensation.

    It came from his forehead and spread throughout his entire body.

    Once his head returned to its original position, one could see the red scarab embedded into his forehead, like a third eye. And with the energy it provided, Lucivar felt stronger, he could even push the block a little.

    ''Strength...'' Lucivar pondered sharply. ''the red scarab gave me strength''

    Knowing that Sutekh was all about physical prowess as His divine blood enhanced Lucivar''s muscles, the first ability must revolve around that. Earlier, the mummies he battled, excelled in strength¡ªeasily overpowering him with raw strength.

    So from that alone, he could assume that the red scarab enhanced his raw strength.

    Gritting his teeth, Lucivar began pushing the block overhead.

    Under the influence of the red scarab, the crushing weight became lighter than it was.

    Lucivar stretched his arms fully, and held the block above him, he was panting hard as he did this¡ªbut he was glad that he was not going to be crushed¡ªanymore, "If red is strength then this, brown must be endurance or resilience. Once I get through this¡ªthe next trial should be way easier to complete"

    Now that he knew the ability, he reckoned he could do better in the next trial.

    Four minutes into the hold, Lucivar frowned when his arms began trembling.

    It was unclear whether the weight was getting heavier or his arms were getting tired.

    Just then, however, in the fifth minute, the red scarab''s glow disappeared.

    Lucivar could feel his strength being zapped away, and holding the block became a struggle with each passing second. He even needed to resort to using his wing to persevere¡ªand as he did this, he kept stealing glances at the hourglass.

    But it was no use, there were a quarter more sand to go.

    Splat!

    As if three times weren''t enough, Lucivar died once again, making this the fourth.

    Once he was revived, he bore the weight again like Atlas.

    Instead of figuring out, how to pass this trial, Lucivar began laughing instead, he laughed out loud as if dying was the funniest thing in the world. His fourth death was not the reason¡ªfor his laugh.

    His reason for laughing was because he realized what he needed to do.

    From what happened earlier, he realized that¡ªin order to pass this trial¡ªhe needed to die a couple more times so that the red scarab had enough fuel. It was constructed from the very start that he would experience death multiple times here.

    Lucivar was quite sure Sutekh was having a laugh on the other side, seeing him struggling.

    Once he vented all of his frustrations, his laughter stopped.

    Inhaling a deep breath, Lucivar let go of the block and got crushed under it.

    He let the block kill him multiple times, every time he died¡ªhis soul was sucked from him.

    Splash!

    Sixth.

    Crack!

    Seventh.

    Splat!!

    Eighth.

    Ninth.

    Tenth.

    Again and again, Lucivar allowed the block to crush him until his remains, a mix of blood and limbs were already covering the entire floor. Once the supply was finished, Lucivar, returned to bearing the block once again.

    Minutes passed as sweat and blood drizzled down his body.

    On the side, the sand in the hourglass kept flowing down slowly.

    It was so silent inside the chamber that the sound the hourglass made could be heard.

    Eventually, the last grain slipped down from the hole and the timer ended.

    Lucivar was once again teleported, this time he was teleported outside but he had no time to check. He instantly fell to his knees, panting heavily as Sutekh didn''t even bother healing him of his fatigue from passing a trial.

    He remained gasping for air for minutes before he recovered enough to lift his gaze.

    Once he gazed ahead, a smile crept to his face.

    "Nice to meet you, Sutekh..." Lucivar mumbled tiredly. "Have a great time watching me?"

 Chapter 148 148: Scarab of Set: Pristine

    "Nice to meet you, Sutekh... Have a great time watching me?"

    Upon completing the second trial, Lucivar was teleported outside of the pyramid.

    A distance from him was Set.

    Lucivar had finally encountered Set for real, the Lord of the Red Sand in the flesh.

    A figure of overwhelming presence seated upon His monumental throne.

    His massive, muscular frame exuded celestial power, his charcoal-black skin seemed to drink in the surrounding light. As Lucivar expected, his head was that of a jackal, with glowing gold eyes that pierced through the very soul of anyone who dared to meet them.

    Around his neck rested an intricate golden collar, adorned with engraved runes¡ªand also a central gemstone¡ªthat flickered like an ember. Despite meeting Lucivar eye-to-eye, he did not move, he sat with an air of arrogance with his legs spread wide and his posture lazy.

    One arm rested on the armrest, His cheek propped against a clenched fist.

    ''I can tell instantly that he''s a prick,'' Lucivar pondered inwardly.

    Just from His posture and gaze alone¡ªit was clear that Sutekh viewed everything other than Him as something insignificant. An entity that held Himself higher than anyone. However, this was more than allowed for a being like Him.

    Even Sha stated that Sutekh was a part of the Celestial Overgods.

    Nobody could tell Him how to act with such strength.

    Other than Sutekh Himself, Lucivar''s attention was pulled to the standing casket beside Him.

    A light blue sarcophagus, shimmering faintly¡ªits presence was ominous.

    Despite being a sarcophagus, Lucivar could tell that the person inside was somewhat alive.

    Or at least it was ''alive'' like the mummies earlier.

    Soon, Lucivar averted his gaze down as making eye contact with Sutekh hurt his eyes¡ªthe celestial prowess was too much for a mortal like him, even though he had the blood of both Loki and Sutekh inside of him.

    Panting heavily, he exhaustedly climbed back to his feet.

    Physically, Lucivar was done.

    He was already exhausted from holding the crushing block earlier for ten minutes straight.

    But that exhaustion doesn''t compare to the mental exhaustion¡ªhe was more tired mentally, as dying multiple times was not something that he could brush off¡ªit took a toll on his mind and Lucivar felt weak because of it.

    Catching his breath, Lucivar scanned his surroundings.

    Despite wanting to believe that the trial was over, he knew that it hadn''t.

    If it had, Sutekh wouldn''t stay silent as he did¡ªwatching over like a hawk.

    From Sutekh''s throne to him, there''s a gap that stretches at least several hundred meters.

    Lucivar had no idea what the next trial would entail¡ªbut he instinctively glanced behind him.

    There, hovering silently, were the red and bronze scarabs.

    A flicker of determination crossed his face as he nodded, willing them toward him.

    Surprisingly enough, the scarabs obeyed¡ªgliding effortlessly to his forehead¡ªand seeping into the skin, creating a third eye. Lucivar could feel his muscles steaming with power, but it was the same sensation as earlier.

    It was the same feeling as when he used the red scarab earlier.

    ''Hmm? Can I change it at will?'' Lucivar pondered inside and willed the scarab to change.

    Obeying his command, the scarab shifted from red to brown¡ªits glow dimming slightly as its energy transformed. Lucivar, could feel the change immediately. Earlier, the red scarab made every muscle in his body flexed and swole with raw power.

    Now, the sensation was different¡ªsolid and grounded.

    As if his very frame had been fortified from within.

    Instead of swelling, his muscles grew more compact¡ªhis fibers tightening.

    Lucivar could feel his stamina recovering rapidly, he went from panting heavily¡ªas if he was out of air to being outright composed. It was confirmed now that the brown scarab gave him resilience and endurance.

    Almost instantly, his stamina recovered to full again.

    Once he recovered, another scarab appeared in the distance.

    A white glowing scarab, sizzling with steam¡ªit appeared right at the foot of Sutekh''s throne.

    Giving not much though, Lucivar made a sprint towards the white scarab without hesitation.

    It was an act that slightly caught Sutekh''s off guard.

    ''Tch! Do you think I would wait for you to prepare your trial?!'' Lucivar mocked inside¡ªhe had already tasted the bitterness of the trial and wouldn''t want to experience it again. ''I''m going to take that scarab and end this once and for all!''

    Just then, a commanding voice echoed once his foot stomped the ground halfway through.

    One that could tremble his soul.

    "Patience." Sutekh''s astral voice echoed. "Your gaze is still unfitting."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s heart thumped inside his chest.

    He raised his gaze and saw Sutekh leaning forward and blowing something on his palm.

    Nothing was on his palm¡ªbut as his breath brushed through it, Lucivar''s eyes widened as a devastating sandstorm manifested out of nowhere. Changing the scarab to the red one¡ªhe braced himself for the devastating sandstorm.

    Swoosh!

    Despite already preparing for impact, Lucivar was sent rolling backward.

    It was a sandstorm that reached the sky and blotted it.

    A sharp whistling sound assaulted his ears as his entire body was pushed back hard.

    It took a couple of rolls, before he finally managed to halt his momentum¡ªdigging his fingers into the ground to anchor himself against the relentless sandstorm. Gritting his teeth, Lucivar pressed himself flat against the earth, every muscle training to resist the howling wind.

    ''My gaze is still unfitting? What does He mean by that?!'' Lucivar pondered intensely.

    But then, he saw a slithering white snake made entirely of energy rushing past him.

    Contrary to the other beings that were placed on this trial, it completely ignored Lucivar and made its way ahead¡ªfighting against the sandstorm. Briefly, Lucivar was stunned¡ªhis eyes fixed on the slithering snake.

    Just then, his eyes widened when he realized where the snake was heading.

    "It''s trying to take the white scarab?!" He exclaimed in realization.

    Coming to realize that this was a race, Lucivar prowled on the ground and began crawling his way toward the white scarab. However, he soon came to realize, that he was not a match¡ªin terms of speed against the snake.

    Despite his added strength from the red scarab, the sandstorm brought along small pebbles.

    Brought by the whistling winds, these pebbles became bullets.

    Lucivar needed to keep his head low as he got hit once by the pebble¡ªand his forehead was now bleeding, because of it, ''If I want to be anywhere closer to that damn snake, I can''t crawl like this. I need to stand, but that would mean more pebbles. To do that I have to use the red, and brown scarab at the same... time...''

    Realizing what he needed to do, Lucivar focused on the scarab planted on his forehead.

    He tried feeling each one and once he did, he tried to command them to merge.

    Surprisingly enough, the scarabs merged together, a red and brown mix, turning the exterior of the scarab, to a darker shade of red, maroon. Lucivar felt the effect off the two scarabs¡ªat the same time.

    Once he did, he slowly stood up¡ªstill flinching at the whistling pebbles.

    Scowling, Lucivar stood upright, fighting back his fear over these flying pebbles.

    Upon doing that¡ªthe pebbles instantly struck his body multiple times over but instead of the pebbles tearing a hole into him or at least causing him extreme pain, Lucivar did not feel that, he instead felt a light peck against his skin.

    Now that he could stand, a smile crossed his face as he instantly galloped forward.

    His speed wasn''t as fast as normal but he could slowly catch up to the snake.

    A minute later, the snake was nearing the white scarab.

    Sutekh watched silently as Lucivar attempted to outpace the snake but then.

    But then, Lucivar made a surprising move¡ªinstead of racing the snake he instead leaped at it and grabbed it by the tail. As he struggled in the sandstorm, his skin being prickled by the pebbles and bleeding, Lucivar gained clarity.

    He reckoned that the white scarab must be involved with speed.

    Red gave him raw strength, brown gave his endurance, so white must be speed.

    Knowing that, he made a gambit.

    Outpacing the snake was a futile strategy, doing that would only be playing under its area of expertise. It thrived on speed and agility, barely exerting effort yet still staying ahead. So¡ªit would be better to try to catch it instead.

    If it realized that Lucivar was nearing, it would definitely pick up its pace.

    Because of that, Lucivar decided to get as close as possible before making a strong lunge.

    He utilized the red and brown scarab at the same time and made a big leap.

    Soon, the snake realized that it was being shadowed by something above but when it came to realize Lucivar''s strategy, it was already too late. Lucivar landed on top of it and grabbed it by the head with both hands.

    Gritting his teeth, he exerted more strength and flipped the entire snake.

    It was way longer than him and was as thick as Lucivar''s thighs combined together.

    But that didn''t stop Lucivarr from hurling it away by the head.

    Lucivar threw the snake away¡ªback to the start, it hissed in anger¡ªbut there was nothing it could do to retaliate. Smirking devilishly, he then quickly picked up his pace. It took one more minute for him to emerge from the sandstorm.

    In front of him was the white scarab, hovering passively.

    Stumbling towards it, Lucivar grabbed it and showed it to Sutekh who seemed to be amused.

    Once he did that, the white scarab wiggled out of Lucivar''s grasp and went into his forehead, merging, with the other two scarabs, "Is it done?" He asked aloud. "Am I now worthy, for your power? Have my gaze changed?"

    Upon hearing this, Sutekh paused for a second which felt like an eternity.

    He then slowly leaned forward again to take a closer look at Lucivar.

    Being inspected by such a divine being, Lucivar felt naked.

    Nothing could bypass Sutekh''s gaze, his deepest secrets were gauged out.

    "No." Sutekh finally answered as he leaned back again. "Not yet but I can fix that"

    Bam!

    Out of nowhere¡ªSutekh slammed his hand onto the armrest, unleashing a shockwave that permeated, through the entire realm. Then, the sarcophagus beside Him began to shake, it started mildly at first but then, it became frantic.

    A brilliant blue light shone from the inside until finally, the lid crashed to the ground.

    Lucivar was startled by the resounding thud.

    But his surprise only heightened when he saw the being that lay inside the sarcophagus.

    "Meet the Falcon Champion, a servant belonging to Horus," Set introduced the entity. "Fight him and you will be fixed. Only then will you be worthy to wield my power, Blessed Oracle..."

 Chapter 149 149: Ive Fixed You

    Lucivar was taken aback.

    He clenched his teeth so hard as the trial couldn''t get any harder than this.

    Once the blue light abated, the supposed Falcon Champion stepped out of the sarcophagus.

    A monstrous humanoid figure with a flawless, sculpted body wearing a steel falcon helmet.

    Just the sheer presence of the Falcon Champion alone puts pressure on Lucivar, it radiated with combat prowess that was way beyond his current level. Meeting its glowing blue eyes, Lucivar could tell that he had no chance against this thing.

    On top of it being strong, Lucivar wasn''t near his full strength.

    He was riddled with scratches and also exhausted, it''s simply an unfair fight.

    "Don''t shit on me!" Lucivar barked, he had gone through enough¡ªhe had died ten times and was also tortured mercilessly to reach here. Sutekh should''ve acknowledged him already, he had done enough. "Stop being arrogant and hand me your power!"

    Sutekh was amused.

    It has been eons since anyone dared to speak like this to him.

    Not even the other Gods were brazen enough to demand something from him.

    Instead of being the one answering, the Falcon Champion stepped down from the stage with deliberate, slowness. His armor made a clanking steel sound¡ªwith each step. As he stepped down, the sky-blue aura around him skyrocketed.

    Swoosh!

    A gush of wind blew against Lucivar, forcing him to raise his arm to cover his face.

    Keeping his ground, refusing to step back, Lucivar fought back the aura, while his mind raced in search of a solution, ''Impossible... the difference between our powers is too much. Even if I use the scarabs, all three of them at once, there''s no way I could win against this thing''

    Lucivar had sensed the sheer power of a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid¡ªProfessor Fury and Aeldric.

    But they were nothing compared to the Falcon Champion in front of him.

    It was clear that the Falcon Champion belonged to an even higher rank¡ªParagon or perhaps even Grand Paragon rank, there was no way Lucivar could defeat¡ªsomeone at that level. He is an ant in comparison.

    Soon, as the Falcon Champion stood in front of him¡ªLucivar''s pupils dilated.

    ''So damn tall too...'' He mused as he gazed up.

    Lucivar wasn''t that short, he was a tad bit taller than six feet but even then, this thing was at least four or five heads taller. The Falcon Champion outclassed him in every aspect, and as if that wasn''t obvious, Sutekh wanted him to defeat the Falcon Champion.

    Shring!

    Looking down on Lucivar overbearingly, the Falcon Champion''s steel wings flared.

    A hint of fear began to grip Lucivar''s heart.

    He had already died ten times in the second trial¡ªand now, faced with the daunting task of defeating the Falcon Champion, he couldn''t help but dread how many more deaths it would take to succeed.

    Being the Blessed Oracle, Sutekh wouldn''t let him die¡ªthat''s for sure.

    At this point, it was dubious whether being revived again and again was better than death.

    Crack!

    Out of nowhere the Falcon Champion''s aura spiked¡ªit focused on Lucivar and pressed him down to the ground, causing the stone floors to crack. Seems like it wanted to kill Lucivar¡ª with its aura alone.

    Despite the overwhelmingly bad odds, Lucivar blinked his eyes.

    He commanded the scarabs to merge together and activate all of their effects to help him.

    Even though his move barely helped in the face of absolute power¡ªLucivar scowled and got into his fighting stance. If there was no way around this then he would face it head-on¡ªwith only his mettle.

    As seconds passed, the tension crackled in the air.

    It was a tense face-off before the battle.

    A peculiar flash crossed his eyes as he kept eye contact with the Falcon Champion.

    ''Come on then,'' He taunted inwardly. ''show me what you got!''

    Just then, the world around him began to shake under the Falcon Champions'' might, and his heart pounded, in response. But as he was about to make his move, and strike first, the aura that pressed on the air around him suddenly vanished.

    Lucivar tilted his head a little in confusion when the Falcon Champion retracted his aura.

    Upon doing that, it lingered on Lucivar for a few more seconds before finally turning away.

    "You passed, Blessed Oracle..." Sutekh suddenly intervened.

    Once again, sweat covered his entire body as sustaining the Falcon Champion''s aura was no easy task, but when he heard the words, that came out of Sutekh''s mouth¡ªa surge of relief, brewed inside and he could finally breathe again.

    Lucivar didn''t answer, he watched as the Falcon Champion went back into his sarcophagus.

    And once he was inside, it was closed shut again.

    It was only then did he turned to Sutekh.

    "I''ve fixed you," Sutekh continued, his celestial eyes narrowing. "now you''re truly ready"

    "Is that the last trial? It''s finished now?" Lucivar asked again.

    But as opposed to answering his question, Sutekh flicked His fingers.

    SWOOSH!

    Almost instantly after he did that, the desolate desert erupted into motion, churning into a violent vortex. Lucivar''s head darted left and right¡ªfrantically trying to make sense of the chaos, only to realize he was standing at the very eye of the storm.

    He couldn''t even do anything as red sand began to swirl circle him.

    Lucivarr was trapped at the center and before long he hissed and that hiss quickly turned into a scream as the red sand infiltrated his body. It felt like a thousand burning ants were inside of him, walking inside his blood vessels, muscles, and bones.

    As opposed to strengthening his physique, the red sand was scorching him into ashes.

    It was a slow and painful process.

    Lucivar looked at his hands and saw them turning into ashes.

    Not stopping at that, the red sand gnawed at his flesh, with relentless ferocity and he soon lost his vision and vocal chord¡ªsilencing his screams into a haunting¡ªvoiceless agony. He was once again tortured, now with the excruciating pain of burning.

    "Use my power well, Blessed Oracle." Sutekh''s voice echoed. "Duat awaits for your failure"

    Just as His voice rang, Lucivar was reduced to nothing but ashes.

    He disappeared from the Sutekh''s realm.

    ...

    "RAARGGHKK!!!" Lucivar shouted at the top of his lungs.

    Being kicked out of the realm through being burned to ashes was even more painful than the vicious death by crushing, his pain nerves were stimulated to the zenith, by the searing burn, and that was the worst pain Lucivar had ever felt before.

    Even though he saw that he was back in his room, he screamed a couple of seconds longer.

    His nerves were still feeling the phantom pain from the burn.

    Sutekh didn''t give him a warning, He was even too arrogant to explain what the last trial was.

    It was a test to see if Lucivar was still wavering in front of the strong.

    He didn''t and because of that, he passed.

    Once his mind and body realized that he was no longer inside Sutekh''s realm, Lucivar panted¡ªhe began calming down. Looking around the room, he found that he was completely alone, even Sabrina was not here.

    Grabbing his head, Lucivar sighed, "I must''ve passed out once I got teleported,"

    "How is it?"

    "Waah~!"

    Lucivar was startled, flinching by flapping his hands weirdly when he heard a voice.

    On the side, lying on the bed was Sha who seemed to be amused.

    "Of course, you''re happy to see me suffer," He clicked his tongue in displeasure, the smirk on her face was undoubtedly directed to earlier. Sha was definitely watching from the shadows, as he got bullied by the trials. "I''m supposed to be on your side, remember?"

    "I can''t help it," Sha giggled, finding his flushed face funny. "But at least you succeeded"

    Just as Sha said that Lucivar''s spine straightened suddenly.

    A torrent of information tears into his mind, bringing along the information of his new ability.

    Lucivar''s eyes glowed bronze for a second before he returned back to normal again.

    Exhaling roughly, his body slumped as his mind adjusted to the new information.

    "Triune Scarab..." Lucivar muttered whisperingly.

    Upon being accepted by Sutekh, he obtained the Triune Scarab ability which as he tested before in Sutekh''s realm, summoned a black scarab that has three aspects, or modes that brought along different effects to his physique.

    Similar to the Greedy Grasp ability, the Triune Scarab ability used no ether.

    But it used his stamina instead.

    More importantly, casting this ability would use twenty Ego Points, Lucvarr wouldn''t be able to use any ability simultaneously, while he was using the Triune Scarab. Or at least, not until he became stronger and grew his second wing.

    ''Let me test it out...'' Lucivar pondered.

    it would be taboo to not instantly try out a newly acquired ability.

    Lucivar wanted to use it instantly¡ªbut stopped as a sharp pain stabbed into his chest.

    "Tch..." He clicked his tongue in displeasure. "My body is still too exhausted to try it out"

    Just then, Lucivar noticed that Sha was still looking at him intently.

    "What are you looking at? Is it that fun to see me hurting?"

    "If you''re done digesting your new ability, check your wrist"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised an eyebrow and looked down at his wrists.

    He turned his attention to his right wrist, seeing that there was a weird tattoo there, a sharp, fang-like design¡ªstarting at the edge of his wrist¡ªand curved inward. Its glossy bronze tip, rested just above his veins.

    It shimmered faintly, radiating an ethereal energy that was exactly like Sutekh''s.

    Because of that, he was the only one who could see this energy much like the dark trails of energy, that came from his main Angel bloodline. Looking at this tattoo, Lucivar glanced, at Sha who seemed excited about it.

    "What is this?" He asked questioningly.

    As opposed to answering, Sha instructed, "Try willing it to activate"

    Lucivar doesn''t know what to expect from doing that but he did it anyway, also curious as to what this tattoo could be. But once he willed the tattoo to activate, a bronze energy shot out and went to his palm.

    It summoned a very dark bronze fang that was half the length of his arm.

    Just from seeing that alone, Lucivar could tell that it was of celestial prowess.

    Something that a mortal shouldn''t possess.

    "It''s the Fang of Ankh, an artifact from my Lord," Sha replied, her eyes starry.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded in affirmation.

    He got Gleipnir''s Echo from Loki back then¡ªand it was very useful.

    Now, Sutekh had also given him an artifact called the Fang of Ankh.

    "What does it do?" Lucivar asked¡ªhe was also excited to see the artifact''s power.

    "An artifact befitting of my Lord, it has many abilities¡ªbut there''s one that it was known for," Sha said before looking over Lucivar''s dagger, Sabrina placed neatly, on the side. "Grab your dagger and will the fang to it"

    Lucivar climbed out of bed and did exactly as Sha told him.

    He grabbed his dagger and willed the Fang of Ankh towards the dagger.

    Under his gaze¡ªhe saw the artifact turning into a bronze goo and enveloping the dagger in its entirety. Lucivar watched as the goo molded and became one with the dagger, and once the process finished¡ªtaking only a few seconds, he gasped at the product.

    "Isn''t this cheating?" Lucivar commented with an acute smile.

 Chapter 150 150: Fang of Ankh

    As the Blessed Oracle, Lucivar was rewarded whenever his action was aligned with a God.

    Back when he tricked and killed Darwin, effectively eliminating the only threat¡ªhe had at the time, Loki rewarded him with Gleipnir''s Echo, which he never took off ever since. It also came in handy most of the time.

    An artifact that he was thankful for.

    So naturally, with his performance in the blue dungeon¡ªSutekh also rewarded him.

    He obtained the Fang of Ankh.

    Due to the excruciatingly painful trials that he had to go through¡ªfrankly speaking, he forgot that he would be rewarded with a celestial artifact. It became a pleasant shock when Lucivar realized Sutekh had prepared a gift for him.

    Under Sha''s guidance, he checked what the Fang of Ankh was all about.

    Lucivar marveled at his dagger.

    Having the wind elemental property engraved on it, the blade of his dagger was emerald, but now, once he willed the bronze goo, the entire length of the blade was enveloped completely¡ªincluding the hilt.

    Like liquid, the bronze goo encased the entire weapon and seeped into it.

    It took only a moment for the transformation to finish.

    Now, the sharp edge of the dagger was tainted by a gleaming bronze color.

    On top of that, he could also feel the heat coming from it.

    Once the bronze goo disappeared completely from the dagger, Lucivar observed the dagger with great interest while Sha watched from the side smugly, "What happened to my dagger? What did the Fang of Ankh do to it?"

    "In the celestial realm, Ankh is the symbol of the truth, death, and life," Sha explained. "Some Gods, other than my Lord could also have access to this symbol¡ªbut none could second my Lord''s symbol. Fang of Ankh represents my Lord''s might thus... it possessed, the Heat of the Duat. It could pierce everything"

    Hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes shimmered, "So this heat... it could slice through metal?"

    "As easily as butter," Sha nodded. "If cultivated properly, it could even cut down Gods"

    A smirk crossed Lucivar''s lips as soon as she said that.

    ''Gleipnir''s Echo provided me supporting abilities and now, the Fang of Ankh provided a more offensive ability,'' Lucivar nodded, there was a surge of elation, climbing from inside of him. It was all worth it, ''Now I only needed a defensive artifact to be complete''

    Since the Fang of Ankh was tied to the tattoo, Lucivar was not limited to one weapon.

    If he wanted to, he could change weapons as much as he liked without losing this heat.

    Lucivar tried the dagger gently, feeling the changes that the Fang of Ankh brought.

    Other than the weight of the dagger¡ªthat has become a few pounds heavier, there wasn''t much that changed. As he gently moved the dagger left and right, he noticed the heat was also moving unnaturally.

    Making a gentle swing to the right, Lucivar quickly put strength and swing to the opposite.

    Upon doing that, he saw the heat almost spilled out.

    Finding this quite odd, Lucivar put more strength into his swing.

    Crack!

    Lucivar was startled when a loud grating sound echoed across the entire room.

    To his surprise, the dagger unleashed a crescent-shaped wave that rippled outward.

    It reached the wall to his side and sliced deeply into it.

    Seeing this, Lucivar sucked in a cold breath¡ªhe did not need to use anything to do that kind of massive damage, it was all the Fang of Ankh. Even though he had a feeling that this would happen if he tried to swing hard, it still surprised him.

    "Ah, right... there''s also that" Sha commented nonchalantly.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar scowled at her, "Shouldn''t you warn me before it happened?"

    Sha suddenly smirked when she heard this.

    "Learning by doing is oftentimes more effective, I''m sure you understand" She replied.

    Lucivar rolled his eyes when he heard this, "Did you learn that from Gandr? Nice, very nice"

    Due to the commotion, the door was opened and a figure came rushing in.

    It was Sabrina, she had her mouth full of cake.

    "W- What happened?" She stammered with a full mouth. "Is there an assassin?"

    Instead of answering her, Lucivar squinted his eyes, "Wow... your master passed out and you are out there having fun eating. Where is loyalty, when you need it? Is it really that tasty¡ªfor you to leave me alone?"

    "Pipe down, princess," Sabrina wiped her mouth. "you''re sleeping soundly and I can''t eat?"

    "Hmm...? I''m sleeping?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow.

    He thought he passed out after eating with Nerissa but from her reaction, it wasn''t the case.

    "Are you going senile already?" Sabrina mocked. "You instantly went to sleep after eating"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was confused¡ªas to how he could walk, all the way to his room when he passed out instantly once he stepped out of the restaurant. But he put that in the back of his mind.

    "What time is it?"

    "Around seven I think, the city is still bustling though"

    Lucivar nodded but then, Sabrina continued.

    "Oh¡ªa young girl who claimed to be saved by you directly wanted to meet with you. I forgot her name. Pippa...? I think"

    "When?"

    "Eleven. I told her that I would tell you and she said she''d come back tomorrow"

    "I''m not going to see her. Just tell her I''m too wounded to meet anyone"

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina nodded as if she would do exactly that.

    But she wasn''t finished filling Lucivar of what had happened while he was sleeping.

    "Also, the lieutenant is searching for you"

    "What? Really?"

    As soon as the lieutenant was mentioned, Lucivar''s eyes lit up¡ªhe instantly went to the side and changed into new clothes. He prepared to leave immediately, causing Sabrina to be, in a daze, "Where are you going? Aren''t you supposed to be resting?"

    "I need to meet with the lieutenant. It''ll not take long" Lucivar replied, dashing to the door.

    Being cramped in the room all the time, Sabrina followed him, "I''m coming with you!"

    "Fine," Lucviar shrugged. "suit yourself"

    Once he said that he poked his head out to check on the corridor.

    Lucivar, made sure the coast was clear, no Leandra, no Caldaros, no the others, before he made his way out with Sabrina sticking close behind him. He was walking fast, causing the poor maid to stumble to keep up.

    "Why are we rushing? Is this supposed to be a secret?" She asked along the way.

    Not even sparing her a glance, Lucivar nodded as he went down through the emergency exit.

    "Keep this a secret between us," He said sternly. "If anyone knew about this, I''ll blame you"

    "Fine..." Sabrina sighed.

    As long as she would be getting out of the room, she''d gladly keep this a secret.

    Upon reaching outside of the hotel, Lucivar, scanned the surroundings, and swiftly went over to the less crowded street, away from the celebrating people of the city. He grabbed a jacket on the ground along the way and wore it to blend in.

    People were dancing and drinking, the ground was littered with lost belongings.

    Even Sabrina found another jacket and wore it over her head.

    However, coincidentally, Leandra was on her way back to the hotel and noticed them.

    Beside her stood Caldaros, having returned after the governor requested representation for the academy hunters. Though it was merely a formality¡ªrefusing the governor felt impolite, so the two chose to attend.

    "Isn''t that Lucivar and his personal maid?" Caldaros pointed at them sneaking out.

    A frown crossed Leandra''s face, ''Yes, I think you''re right. Why are they sneaking around?''

    Beaten by her curiosity, Leandra wanted to follow them and see what those two were doing but she could not do that right now, with Caldaros with her, "Lucivar is wounded, I think you saw it wrong. It''s not them"

    "But those two looked like them, they came out of the hotel too," Caldaros argued.

    Instead of dealing with him, Leandra waved her hand, "It''s not. You must''ve drank too much"

    Once she said that she headed back to the hotel, hoping Caldaros would be convinced.

    Fortunately, he did¡ªhe also went back to the hotel.

    ''He has been asking a lot of about Lucivar. I do not know for what reason¡ªbut he reeks of trouble, I shouldn''t have him anywhere near Lucivar,'' Leandra thought, stealing a glance at her behind. ''What Lucivar did might also sprout resentment from him''

    Recalling how Lucivar ridiculed Caldaros in his own way in public, he might resent Lucivar.

    Leandra decided to cover for Lucivar this once.

    However, once she returned to her room, she waited for five minutes before going out again.

    She slipped away from the hotel and instantly rushed to where Lucivar went to.

    Reaching the main street, she immediately went to the side, towards the more secluded area of the city. She was jogging¡ªwhile keeping her eyes open¡ªfor their traces, ''Sabrina told me that he has been sleeping, after breakfast. He has been gone all day, and once he woke up¡ª he sneaked out. What is he planning to do now...?''

    Just from the build-up alone, Leandra could tell that Lucivar was up to no good.

    He was acting shady and she was going to find out what he was planning.

    Normally, if he planned something¡ªpeople got hurt and she wasn''t going to let that happen.

    Despite her best attempt, checking each alley and even checking the houses in the area, she could not find Lucivar, and Sabrina anywhere. It seemed they were rushing. Leandra stopped and looked around, "Where are they? I can''t pinpoint where they were going, but it should be somewhere downtown"

    Biting her lower lip, Leandra moved again, "I''ll stick to the less crowded street to find them"

    Meanwhile, several blocks from Leandra.

    "It''s silent here, where are the soldiers?" Sabrina commented.

    Despite being at the command center, with military vehicles parked outside, there were not a single soul around. Although the soldiers were probably also celebrating¡ªit was weird to see not even one of them here.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar also nodded, "You''re right, it''s weirdly quiet here"

    But even then, there was a smile crossing Lucivar''s face.

    ''Seems like the lieutenant really prepared it for me, none of his men were here'' He thought.

    Reaching the door, Lucivar knocked on it a couple of times.

    Soon, footsteps from the other side could be heard before the door swung open.

    It was the lieutenant.

    He was mildly surprised to see Lucivar visiting late at night even though he anticipated if he did, but soon frowned when he saw Sabrina, "Is she trustworthy? I can''t afford this to reach the governor"

    "Don''t worrry," Lucivar assured. "she''s like my third hand, quite dependable"

    Sabrina blushed a little when she heard that despite trying her best to remained composed.

    On the other hand, the lieutenant looked at her briefly before he stepped aside.

    Lucivar and Sabrina entered with the door closed behind them.

    At that exact same second, Leandra emerged from the corner, sweating a little.

    "Where did they go...?" She muttered before continuing on, passing by the command center.

 Chapter 151 151: Sabrinas Path

    Lucivar peeked from the window and saw Leandra passing through the street.

    His expression remained stoic.

    Despite not expecting Leandra to see him slipped out, she didn''t seem to notice¡ªwhere he went. She was still aimless outside and he has no intentions of informing her. Averting away from the window, he turned to the lieutenant.

    He, Sabrina, and the Lieutenant Rafi were in a room on the second floor.

    It was Rafi''s temporary office while he was here.

    "I heard from her¡ªthat you were looking for me earlier," Lucivar spoke, turning¡ªand crossing his arms. "I had only told you last night but you''re quite fast, I appreciate it. So, should we get going now?"

    Upon hearing this, Rafi''s expression wavered a bit.

    A bad sign in Lucivar''s book.

    "I''m sorry to disappoint but I''m not ready," Rafi sighed with regret. "I need more time"

    Lucivar could not help but frown¡ªhe didn''t doubt the lieutenant''s determination to complete his request. Matter of fact, he trusted the lieutenant, as his desire to repay Lucivar for saving the city was palpable.

    Sitting across the table, Lucivar looked at Rafi who doesn''t seem to be worried.

    "What happened?" He finally asked.

    Pausing for a second, arranging the words, inside his chaotic mind, Rafi then replied, "I am having trouble against a local jury, that doesn''t want to budge. I didn''t told him the details, only the necessary parts but he refused to comply"

    Aware of his request''s absurdity, Lucivar didn''t find this surprising.

    A heart filled with justice is bound to refuse what he requested.

    "If you give me more time until tomorrow," Rafi continued, assurance and conviction laced his tone. "I can have it be completed. I just need to convince that jury¡ªthis is for the betterment of the city"

    "I''m leaving the day after tomorrow," Lucivar replied sternly. "I can''t wait any longer"

    Naturally, following his words¡ªthe tension inside the room rises.

    Sabrina who was standing on the side could feel Lucivar''s annoyance bubbling inside.

    "I''ll make sure you could do what you wanted tomorrow night,"

    "I don''t want to take my chances, I want a guarantee. Can you guarantee it, lieutenant?"

    Upon hearing this, Rafi''s lips pursed¡ªcontemplating deeply.

    It was clear from his hesitance alone¡ªthat he couldn''t guarantee completion of the request, and Lucivar couldn''t have that. He has obtained Sutekh''s blessing¡ªit was time for him to be focusing on his second wing.

    Lucivar has made little to no progrerssion in his Supernatural Ego.

    He was still stuck at the first-star Acolyte-rank, and he can''t have that.

    Especially when what lies ahead was the South Hues Tournament.

    "I''ll guarantee it." Rafi finally spoke determinedly. "If I fail, you can put my head on a stake"

    Despite his unwavering resolve to sacrifice himself, for Kalinan City, Lucivar raised a hand, silencing him with a sharp shake of his head. "I do not need your life, it holds little value to me," he said, his tone cutting, and direct. "What I want... I''ve already made¡ªthat perfectly clear."

    Pausing for a second, Lucivar then continued, "Does this jury have a name?"

    "It''s Sir Balatin," Rafi replied almost instantly.

    Lucivar''s eyes squinted further, "And a photo...?"

    Upon hearing this, Rafi was stunned for a second¡ªgazing at Lucivar questioningly.

    Intertwining his hands elegantly, Lucivar tilted his head and looked at Rafi as if he was the dumbest people on earth, "Wait..." He cackled, glancing at Sabrina, seeking recognition of how stupid Rafi was being. "So you meant to tell me a jury stopped you from completing a request from me, the city''s savior, and you haven''t thought of getting rid of him?"

    "Getting rid of him?" Rafi asked, spreading his hands in bewilderment. "How?"

    "Aren''t you a lieutenant? Send your goddamn soldiers and kill him!" Lucivar exclaimed.

    He couldn''t believe that he would need to tell Rafi to do this.

    "No..." Rafi shook his head. "I can''t do that, my men wouldn''t want to do that kind of thing"

    "Just give me his photo," Lucivar was done with this conversation.

    Hearing this, Rafi leaned back slowly and glanced at Sabrina.

    She was the same as Lucivar, she also looked at Rafi as if he was a moron.

    Reluctantly, Rafi opened the drawer and took out a single photo before giving it to Lucivar.

    Lucivar grabbed the photo from his hand roughly and without looking at the photo, he gave it to Sabrina, "Go, and kill this, Sir Balatin. Don''t take too long, I''ll be waiting here. Also, Leandra is outside. Don''t get caught by her"

    "As you wish, Master Lucivar" Sabrina accepted the photo and immediately walked out.

    Even though she was annoying most of the times, she knew how to behave in public.

    Once Sabrina left, Rafi turned to Lucivar again.

    "Now what?"

    "We wait..."

    Moments later.

    Thud!

    Rafi was on the edge of his seat, startled when Sabrina placed something on his table.

    A resounding thud echoed as blood splattered everywhere.

    "Is that the right one?" Lucivar asked questioningly. "Is that Sir Balatin?"

    Upon hearing this¡ªRafi turned from the severed head on his table to Lucivar and back to the severed head again. He gulped harshly, it didn''t even take Sabrina longer than ten minutes to come back with Sir Balatin''s head.

    "Y- Yes..." Rafi nodded stiffly. "It''s Sir Balatin"

    "Good work, Sabrina," Lucivar praised, giving her a faint smile. "You''re faster than I expected"

    "I can be very useful whenever you need me too," Sabrina also smiled in return.

    Sometimes, Lucivar forgot that Sabrina came from a slave school, she acted brazenly most of the times but her manners were top-notch when the time requires her to. Even though it was Lucivar''s first time sending her on a kill mission, she did it without hesitation.

    She didn''t even utter a question.

    As soon as Lucivar commanded it, she immediately gets to work.

    "Tomorrow night," Lucivar said as he stood up. "I want it done by then. No more exuses now"

    Rafi nodded, with Sir Balatin out of the way there was nobody who could stop him.

    Even the goverrnor wouldn''t be able to.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar turned around¡ªexiting the room followed by Sabrina behind him.

    "Don''t think too much," Sabrina said. "give master what he wants and you''ll be fine"

    Once she said that, she closed the door, leaving Rafi along with Sir Balatin.

    "Hybrids..." Rafi wiped the sweat on his forehead. "anything goes for them no matter what"

    Meanwhile, Lucivar came out of the command center dispirited.

    He was hoping that his request was ready¡ªand he could do it tonight¡ªconsidering that he''d probably need time to finish all of them. But as it turns out, the lieutenant wasn''t able to fulfill his part.

    It was rather frustrating but there''s nothing Lucivar could do.

    Standing on the street, Lucivar put both hands on his waist and sighed.

    "How was the kill? Is it clean?"

    "Yes, it''s clean, he was sleeping on his bed. No wife, no kids, no nothing. He''s all alone"

    "Good. What about Leandra? Did you saw her?"

    "I saw her last time at the market but that was ten mintues ago"

    Upon hearing this¡ªLucivar pulled the hood of his jacket and put his hands into the pockets before heading back to the hotel. He could hear the sound of a party in the distance but he wasn''t interested in attending.

    Along the way, it was silent.

    But Lucivar could feel the curiosity coming from Sabrina.

    "Aren''t you going to ask what my request was?"

    "Are you going to answer?"

    "No."

    "See... I knew it. No reason for me to ask you"

    Lucivar chuckled, it seemed Sabrina was getting to know him too well.

    "You''re a Succubus, right? Do you need to have sex to gather your natural ether?"

    "Eh...?"

    Being asked that question, Sabrina''s face flushed crimson¡ªshe has never talked about that to anyone, other than Master Tobias. And even then, he had only inquired, once. Back when he was interviewing to purchase her.

    "W- Why did you suddenly ask that?!" She yelped, snapping her face away.

    Seeing her acting shy, Lucivar laughed, "I suddenly remembered the first time we met"

    "Forget about that!" Sabrina pouted angrily. "I was desperate back then, I can''t help it!"

    "Alright, alright..." Lucivar waved his hand¡ªgetting to Sabrina was quite easy, with that card. "So? Aren''t you going to answer me? If you tell me how you get stronger, I could help you. As my personal maid, I can''t have you being weak, right?"

    Upon hearing this, she look down, fidgeting with her fingers, "Yes, it''s something like that..."

    "I amass my natural ether whenever I feel aroused," She muttered embarrassedly .

    Sabrina bit her lower lip hard once she said that, she could feel her face burning already.

    "Aroused? So are you aroused all the time¡ªor what?" Lucivar asked in confusion. "I''ve never seen you actually train, but you''re an Acolyte-rank Hybrid already. Is there something I need to know?"

    "It''s not like that," Sabrina lifted and shook her hands. "I can be aroused of other things..."

    "Hmm...? What things?" Lucivar tilted his head.

    Just then, however, his eyes widened when he saw Sabrina''s body hummed with ether.

    She seemed to be vibrating with ether so she must''ve been aroused recently.

    It was only then did Lucivar realized what made her aroused, "Don''t tell me..."

    "Yes," Sabrina smiled innocently. "I can also be aroused at the sight of violence..."

    Lucivar should''ve expected it, he rubbed his face, disappointed, at himself, as the signs were already there. Sabrina was aroused now because of Sir Balatin earlier, she had gotten a lot of natural ether from doing that.

    Since she was a Demon, obtaining her natural ether must be through bad actions.

    And true to her bloodline, arousal is her key to strength.

    ''I forgot to ask Sha and Gandr about her bloodline too,'' Lucivar pondered. ''Ardat Lilitu''

    Upon thinking that, both Sha and Gandr appeared on his shoulders.

    "Ardat Lilitu...?" Gandr muttered in shock. "Make her your Vestal, no doubt about it!"

    "I agree," Sha added. "She''s quite a good match to us"

    Lucivar was surprised to hear them say that, especially coming from Sha.

    She was arrogant as Sutekh.

    Since she praised this ''Ardat Lilitu'', it goes without a doubt that Ardat Lilitu is very strrong.

    "Who is she?" Lucivar whispered inaudibly.

    Gandr shook his head, "It doesn''t matter. Make her yours, and you''ll gain a strong ally"

    Despite not being given a direct answer, Lucivar didn''t mind¡ªhe would keep in mind to make Sabrina his second Vestal after Morriva. Speaking of Morriva, Lucivar recalled something, ''Oh yeah, I also should pay a visit to her soon. She deserved it''

    Shaking his head, Lucivar focused back on Sabrina as a thought came to mind.

    "Hey, what violence aroused you?"

    "Can I really say it?"

    "Yes, I''m your master and I''m also trustworthy"

    "Well, I like it when they are helpless and begging. It excites me so much"

    "Oh... you don''t say," Lucivar smirked, it seemed bringing Sabrina along was the right thing.

 Chapter 152 152: A Tragic Story

    Lucivar gazed at the side of Sabrina''s face with a complex look.

    He has managed to defeat anyone who stood in his way, starting from Darwin, the professor, his doppelganger, and now this blue dungeon. It was exhilarating and Lucivar didn''t mind the sensation but there was one problem.

    Since he has been successful, he also garnered unnecessary attention.

    Being acknowledged was a good thing but Lucivar wasn''t searching for that.

    All he needed was an acknowledgment from himself and perhaps the Gods inside of him and as for the others, he didn''t need them. It doesn''t matter what the others think, he did not put their acknowledgment in his eyes.

    Deflecting some of the attention from him would be for the best.

    Of course, there were some problems that he needed to handle with his own hands.

    Both the doppelganger and the dungeon were the instances.

    However, Darwin and Professor Fury¡ªhe didn''t need to get involved with them personally.

    Killing Darwin incited Ravenna''s attention¡ªwhile getting rid of Professor Fury attracted all of the academy''s attention, putting more eyes on him, ''I don''t need all of that. I was hoping that someone could do my dirty work and I''m betting on Morriva. But Sabrina...''

    A smile crept to his lips, finding Sabrina perfect for the position.

    Not only did she have a royal bloodline but she was also compliant and was fond of violence.

    Her position as a personal maid suppressed her tendency but that could change.

    ''It''s almost like she was a perfect match, fated to be my maid,'' Lucivar''s eyes sparkled.

    From the moment he was taken into his new family, a lot of coincidences happened.

    Lucivar could feel his growth was rapid because of them, it was as if he had Lady Luck right behind him¡ªand supporting him. Now, Sabrina fell to his lap, her path to becoming stronger was also aligned with him.

    Naturally, he was very excited.

    "If that''s the case, you''ll be beside me when the lieutenant delivers my request," He nodded¡ªprompting Sabrina to look at him in surprise. "I''ll give you the front-row seat. I''ll make sure to give you the best climax you''ve ever had"

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina gulped harshly¡ªher mind wandered everywhere frantically.

    All she could do was nod her head, she couldn''t wait for tomorrow to come.

    Just then as the duo were walking along¡ªLucivar stopped, when he saw Leandra ahead, at the other end of the street. She was still searching for him, quite determined to find him but she hadn''t noticed him yet.

    "Do you know where Pippa lived?" Lucivar suddenly asked.

    Sabrina shook her head, "No, I didn''t ask"

    Clicking his tongue in displeasure, Lucivar made a turn, heading to the bustling crowd at the city center. He was not going to be confronted by Leandra, he had no good excuse he could use to push Leandra away.

    Realizing what Lucivar was doing, Sabrina also quickly followed.

    She managed to slip past in time, right before Leandra turned towards them.

    ''I''ll take the long route, sticking to the crowd. Leandra wouldn''t expect it,'' Lucivar decided.

    He walked quickly towards the bustling crowd ahead, aiming to go around¡ªand went, to the hotel from the other side of the city. Just then, however, Lucivar''s pupils dilated when a dark trail crept from his periphery.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar quickly reacted¡ªturning his torso to the side.

    Instinctively, he used his arm to shield Sabrina and pushed her to his behind.

    Sprinting out of the alley was a figure, he charged at Lucivar and thrust a knife forward.

    Finding the cloaked figure''s movement very slow, Lucivar tilted his head in confusion.

    Lucivar seized the figure''s wrist with an iron grip¡ªpressing his thumb hard enough to force the knife to clatter to the ground. In one swift maneuver, he grabbed the figure by the neck and dragged him back into the alley, slamming him against the wall with unrelenting force.

    ''An assassin? Sent by who?'' He frowned as he inspected the figure''s clothes.

    Despite having his focus on Leandra, he should''ve sensed this rat.

    But it seemed the rat was capable of hiding his killing intent until it was the time to strike.

    "Who are you?" Lucivar asked menacingly, tightening his grip. "Who sent you here to kill me?"

    "Fu-akh! You!" the figure cursed stubbornly.

    Since the figure was nothing more than a normal person¡ªLucivar could easily killed him with a simple twist of the hand. Even then, the figure didn''t seem to be scared, prompting Lucivar to frown deeper, ''Did Caldaros send this assassin? Or was it Thalia''s mother, Callista?''

    ''No, this person is a normal person. He''s not an assassin,'' Lucivar''s gaze narrowed.

    His mind raced for an answer but the figure seemed to come out of nowhere.

    Lucivar couldn''t fathom where this figure had come from or why he would attack the very savior of the city who was the cause of this joyous atmosphere. However¡ªone thing was clear, a burning motive drove the figure.

    From the crazy gaze the figure was giving him, Lucivar could tell that the figure hated him.

    Hatred was the cause of this ambush.

    "Give me something..." Lucivar questioned further. "Do you hate me?"

    "No matter what, tonight is between you dead or me dead," the figure answered fearlessly. "I won''t stop until I kill you¡ªcarve out your heart and offer it to him! Even if it took my life to do it, I''ll do it! I have nothing more to lose!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes narrowed as he pulled down the figure''s hood.

    He was greeted by a man in his twenties that has almost all of his face burnt.

    It was a fresh burn wound, no older than a couple of months or perhaps even less.

    Seeing the look Lucivar was giving the man, Sabrina asked, "Do you know him?"

    "No..." Lucivar shook his head before he lowered the man¡ªa nasty smile cracked on his face. "But I think I know, and have met with his brother, or should I say, little brother? I should have known, you''re the proselyte''s brother, aren''t you? You''re alive"

    Lucivar could tell that the man wasn''t an assassin.

    One could only be considered an assassin if they have the chance to actually assassinate.

    However, in this case, there was no way the man could kill Lucivar.

    Added to that fact, Lucivar could also see the hatred behind the man''s eyes¡ªand from that, he could deduce that the man was driven by a grudge. Since he hasn''t done a lot in this city to inflict this much hatred, he could easily narrow it down to one single person.

    Upon putting down the man''s hood, his suspicion was confirmed.

    It was the proselyte''s brother.

    He was supposed to be dead or at least, that was what Lucivar had grasped.

    But it seemed there was a misunderstanding.

    Instead of being dead, the proselyte''s brother was somehow still very much alive.

    Retaliating harder when he heard that, the man tried to push back but he couldn''t.

    He could only breathe like a bull while gritting his teeth in sheer anger.

    Despite knowing the fact that he was completely outclassed, incapable of going against the strength of someone like Lucivar¡ªwho was an accomplished Hybrid¡ªthe man''s eyes never lose fire, glaring at Lucivar and even biting on his arm hard.

    Lucivar''s skin was too tough for mere normality like him to pierce.

    He was biting so hard that blood began to coat his teeth.

    "Like your little brother..." Seeing how energetic he was, Lucivar shook his head. "you''re also impulsive and stupid. I guess it runs in your blood, you can''t comprehend the gap that exists between us. Your brother foolishly became a traitor, for the sake of avenging you¡ªand now, you foolishly blamed me for his death and attacked me"

    It was rather tragic.

    Ironically, the younger brother through the older brother was dead¡ªand lost his life seeking vengeance. Only later did the big brother, very much alive, discover that his sibling had died for absolutely nothing.

    Surely, the older brother was struck hard by that realization.

    He must''ve felt extremely guilty for not emerging sooner.

    And because of that, his mind broke.

    Unable to cope, the big brother tries to find anyone to blame other than himself.

    Lucivar was chosen to be the one because of convenience.

    Even though it was a tragic story, the one who benefitted the most from it was Lucivar.

    Had the younger brother not become a proselyte, the blue dungeon, would not appeared and if the blue dungeon had not appeared, Lucivar, wouldn''t have achieved, what he had achieved. But now, the usefulness of these brothers had come to expire.

    Just then, Lucivar''s eyes flashed with killing intent, "I''ll send you to meet your brother in hell"

    Not even hesitating for a bit, Lucivar aimed to crush the man''s neck.

    However, as he was about to do that, a figure landed right beside him and grabbed his hand.

    It was Leandra who heard the commotion.

    "Let go..." Leandra said sternly, casting a sharp look at Lucivar.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smirked, "He''s the proselyte''s brother, he''d be another proselyte"

    "No," She shook her head. "there is a time constraint, until the next proselyte appears. And in the meantime¡ªhe could change. You didn''t kill his little brother, you only killed the proselyte, a traitor to our world"

    Despite what she said, Lucivar kept his hand around the man''s neck.

    He stared at Leandra who didn''t have any notion of backing away from this.

    Once the tension reached its peak, Lucivar let go of the man, causing him to slide down the wall and cough in pain. Lucivar lifted both of his hands¡ªat Leandra, "Fine, I will let him go. I will let him go even though he was the one who tried to kill me first"

    "I get it, he needed to be punished," Leandra said and gestured to someone.

    From behind, several soldiers came and restrained the man before bringing him away.

    Naturally, the man went berserk, wanting to break free.

    But he was soon brought away, only able to give one last glare at Lucivar.

    Lucivar scratched the back of his head when the man was pulled away, he then went back to the secluded street¡ªheading back, to the hotel. No need for him to hide anymore¡ªsince the one he was hiding from was here.

    "Where did you go earlier?" Leandra suddenly asked, stopping him mid-track.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar stopped but he didn''t turn around to look at her.

    He kept facing forward, "I went to meet with Pippa, that young girl we met"

    "Lies," Leandra instantly replied sharply. "I know you''re up to something no good, I can tell"

    "Since you knew already, why even bother asking?" Lucivar cackled dismissively.

    Out of the others, Leandra was the only one, who had seen him for who he truly was so it was not surprising for her to sense his bad intention. Though, he wasn''t that worried, "It''s none of your business. Stay in your lane, Leandra"

    Just as he was about to continue, Leandra rushed towards him and grabbed his wrist.

    She pulled him back, forcing him to look directly into her eyes.

    "Whatever you''re planning to do, I''m going to find out about it," Leandra said seriously.

    Even then, Lucivar twisted his hand, forcing her to let go, and continued on walking.

    "It does not matter if you knew, what could you even do?" Lucivar waved his hand. "There is nothing you can do no matter how hard you try"

 Chapter 153 153: Fixing on an Ally

    "Master...?"

    In front of the hotel with no one else in sight, Sabrina stopped and glanced over her shoulder¡ªseeing Lucivar abruptly stopping. He had been silent along the way back, after confronting Leandra earlier.

    He seemed nonchalant and even smug earlier in front of Leandra.

    But once he was away from Leandra''s prying eyes, he became like this.

    ''I can''t read him,'' Sabrina pondered with a frown, she couldn''t tell what was in Lucivar''s mind at this moment. ''but I can tell, that he wasn''t happy. Angry, perhaps. Whatever it is inside his mind, the air around him made me feel uneasy''

    Despite the uneasiness, she stayed and waited for Lucivar to talk to her.

    Lucivar needed a solid ten seconds before he lifted up his gaze.

    "Go on without me, I need to get some air," He finally said, heading to the pool area.

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina nodded her head and went on ahead.

    She decided to give Lucivar some space.

    On the other hand, Lucivar walked steadily earlier but his walk gradually became faster.

    "Don''t do bad things, Blessed Oracle," Sha said with a sarcastic tone, flying beside Lucivar as he made his way toward the pool area. "using others to survive is pure evil¡ªyou have to care about others who were innocent"

    Lucivar clenched his teeth hard when he heard this.

    It was obvious that Sha was mocking Leandra, badly impersonating her.

    "I already told her that she should stop trying to change me, I already warned her!" Lucivar''s eyes bulged, with absolute rage, he was furious at Leandra. "I don''t care what she does, but that is as long as she gave up trying to change me! And she can''t even do that!"

    Back then, Lucivar showed Leandra his true self so that she wouldn''t annoy him again.

    He doesn''t want her to attempt to change him and make him good.

    During their mission at Veloria City, he already warned her to never do that again.

    Heck, Lucivar even pardoned Leandra, for setting him up¡ªon a date with Thalia, a move that was blatantly aimed at showing him the good side of the world and life. However, despite his over-leniency, she continued to pester him with her relentless antics.

    "Just kill her if you don''t like what she was doing," Sha added, this wasn''t a big problem.

    Gandr then appeared, "Better yet, tell it to her straight. No need to kill her, she''s still useful"

    Both of them have different opinions, and that further torn Lucivar on what to do.

    Clang!

    Lucivar shoved the metal door toward the pool open, causing it to slam against the wall.

    Not even checking the coast, he placed Delilah''s broken phone on the side¡ªand jumped into the water without even opening his clothes. Instantly, the cold water stung Lucivar''s skin¡ªas he let himself be submerged and suffocated.

    He needed to cool down.

    Earlier, he wanted to burst so badly but he somehow managed to hold it in.

    "Whatever you''re planning to do, I''m going to find out about it."

    Leandra''s voice rang inside his mind, forcing him to scream inside the pool.

    He kept going, shouting at the top of his lungs as his golden ether flared like fire, causing the pool water to bubble until eventually¡ªit splashed into a towering column. Lucivar got out, his breaths were ragged.

    Upon venting out his anger and frustration, Lucivar lay on the poolside, facing the night sky.

    "Should I kill her or not...?" Lucivar thought aloud, contemplating his decision.

    Sha supported him in killing Leandra¡ªwhile Gandr supported doing the exact opposite.

    Both have their own valid points.

    If Leandra was not listening and was probably not going to stop trying to change him¡ªthere was no better option than to get rid of her now before it became more complex in the future. But on the other side, she was undoubtedly still very useful.

    Possessing the Star Witch bloodline, she would never be not useful.

    Leandra, if guided properly, would become the pillar of the entire world.

    Her talent was astonishingly high.

    Not to mention, Lucivar also remembered the look Ravenna and Mirel last night.

    Upon mentioning the relationship between Leandra and Tobias, the two have a weird look on their faces which makes Lucivar assume, that their relationship is more special. It was not¡ªa stretch to guess that Tobias might treasured her.

    She has the Star Witch bloodline so it wouldn''t be surprising if Tobias did treasure her.

    "Are you really troubled¡ªby how that mortal would react?" Sha sneered. "It doesn''t matter how he would react, the strong would do anything... I mean anything, they wanted. A mere mortal shouldn''t stop you"

    Lucivar''s lips were pursed shut when he heard this.

    ''I''m not worried about him,'' He pondered before glancing over to the broken phone he placed on the sun lounger to his side, Delilah''s phone. ''She''s watching me from above and she loved him. I can''t possibly make Tobias suffer, she''ll not like it''

    Despite his wicked path, he has a soft spot for Delilah.

    He was even staying within this family because that is what Delilah wanted.

    So to cause Tobias pain if he killed Leandra, he couldn''t do that.

    "Fine, I''ll give it to her straight as the last warning," Lucivar decided. "one last time..."

    Moments later.

    Lucivar was drenched but he didn''t care¡ªhe walked through the lobby, and went upstairs to the third floor. He was worried that Leandra would disturb his request to Rafi that would take place tomorrow night, thus, he burst like that earlier.

    He already came to a decision but his mind was still fixed on that.

    Fortunately, he didn''t come across Leandra¡ªshe must still be outside.

    Just then, however, he came to an abrupt stop at the corridor, meters away from his room.

    ''I can''t hurt Leandra to upset Tobias but there''s another way...'' Lucivar pondered, turning to the door that was right beside him. ''I need an ally inside the family. I am not close with Bob, Mirel and Nerissa are too soft, Bakar is too emotional, so that leaves me with one person...''

    Ravenna was his only option and he was now standing in front of her room.

    He still couldn''t trust Ravenna but at the very least, she was the most promising.

    Not only was she fine with violence but her interest was also aligned.

    Having negative energy as her source of strength¡ªallying with him was in her best interest so if Lucivar couldn''t trust her as a person¡ªhe could at least trust her self-interest. Coming to that conclusion, Lucivar nodded his head.

    "Though it''s best if I can have a hand over her, something I could use to put pressure on her"

    Sighing lightly, Lucivar reached out his hand to knock on the door.

    He knocked on the door a couple of times but found no answer.

    No sound came from the other side.

    Lucivar frowned, "Now that I think about it, she looked drained and sick. Is she alright?"

    Recalling the morning when he and Nerissa had asked Ravenna for breakfast, Lucivar could quite literally see how exhausted and unwell she had looked. Bags under her eyes¡ªand her face was puffy.

    It was clear that she didn''t get much sleep last night.

    Shaking his head at the memory, he raised his hand to knock again.

    But then, he was startled when the door slightly opened by itself.

    "Hmm? It is unlocked?" Lucivar frowned harder.

    Finding this odd, he unconsciously held his breath and pushed open the door.

    Lucivar found the entire room was completely dark, the only light illuminating the room¡ªwas from the window, where the moonlight seeped through. He remembered to breathe again, as his eyes landed on Ravenna on the bed.

    "Ravenna...?" He called, closing the door behind him.

    Despite calling her with a loud enough voice, she didn''t answer.

    She remained on her spot, covered by a blanket.

    Approaching her slowly, Lucivar went around to the other side of the bed and saw Ravenna''s pale face that was highlighted by the moonlight. She looked peaceful like a sleeping princess at this moment.

    But then, Lucivar noticed that she was shivering and also sweating.

    Sensing that someone was inside, her eyelids trembled slightly.

    She opened her eyes weakly and saw Lucivar staring at her but she didn''t react.

    Or rather, she couldn''t react¡ªtoo weak to do anything.

    Nevertheless, her face seemed to gleam when she saw him here with her.

    Realizing that she was somehow sick, Lucivar went to the bathroom first to dry himself and changed into the bathrobe. He came out five minutes later, refreshed, and instantly went to check on Ravenna.

    He knelt down beside the bed and looked at Ravenna in the eyes.

    "Can you speak?" He asked.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna nodded weakly, "Yes..."

    Even though she could still speak and seemed to be awake, Lucivar could tell that she would not be able to explain her situation, in her current state. Instead of asking that, he decided to ask her only simple questions, "Do you need me to bring you something? Water? Food?"

    Ravenna shook her head, she didn''t need anything Lucivar mentioned.

    But she did need him to do something else.

    "Do you have your answer?" She suddenly asked.

    Lucivar paused for a second before he eventually nodded.

    "Yes¡ªthe answer is yes," He said firmly, he decided to accept Ravenna''s offer. "so you can¡ª rely on me like I would rely on you once you get better. No need to hold back. If you need me to do something, say it"

    "Lie down," Ravenna suddenly said.

    Naturally, the request caught Lucivar off guard but he did exactly that.

    He climbed onto the bed and lay beside her, looking up at the ceiling.

    Moaning slightly, Ravenna turned around weakly and threw a hand and a leg onto Lucivar.

    Lucivar could feel her cold limb pressing against his warm body, he did not know, what she was thinking but she wouldn''t do this out of nowhere. Ravenna might like to tease him a lot but it didn''t seem like a tease right now.

    "Stay with me tonight," She whispered softly, pressing her head against his neck.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded reluctantly.

    It was a hard request, Ravenna was vulnerable and she barely had anything on.

    However, for the sake of their newfound relationship, he closed his eyes and persevered.

    He focused on the sensation of killing the Stone Orcs to keep his mind occupied.

    "Anything else before I sleep?" Lucivar asked.

    Ravenna smiled sweetly, "It''ll be better if you''re not stiff and hug me back"

    Sighing lightly, Lucivar loosened up, put his arm over Ravenna''s body, and pulled her close.

    ''It''s an investment, doing this would make her closer to me,'' He convinced himself inside.

    Despite having a hard time going to sleep, he managed to drowse into the dreamland.

    Oblivious to him, there were essences of energy from Ravenna''s body that seeped into his.

 Chapter 154 154: Antithesis Commemoration (1)

    Author here!

    Just wanted to say thanks for your support and happy new year!

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Ravenna has been sick since the day of their success.

    Once she got back into her room after talking with Lucivar, her body shut down.

    She became weak and couldn''t move much, there were these demonic whispers that never ceased to stop. It was almost as if there was someone invisible, whispering directly, beside her ears ceaselessly.

    Despite desperately wanting to, she couldn''t sleep peacefully.

    Almost every ten minutes or so, Ravenna was woken up by these whispers.

    Not to mention, the whispers also assaulted her mind and darkened her vision.

    Her world was spinning and there was this sharp stabbing pain at the base of her skull.

    It was torture, she couldn''t do anything other than endure the moment.

    She was stuck inside her room, hoping that the torture would come to pass.

    However, this wasn''t exactly something new¡ªit had always been like this for Ravenna.

    Possessing a powerful red-grade named bloodline coursing through her veins she was very strong¡ªway above her peers. But her strength¡ªalso came with a downside, one weakness that she could never overcome.

    One that has been torturing her ever since she became a Hybrid.

    She became weak and sick every single time she did something very bad.

    Killing others was the baseline, the torture came around the same time she killed someone.

    But that torture vanished completely the moment Lucivar stepped into the room tonight.

    Upon opening her eyes earlier the darkness that was shrouding her vision waned, she could see again, and the very first thing she saw was Lucivar''s resolved gaze. He was kneeling on the floor, the bathrobe he was wearing was a shining armor in Ravenna''s eyes.

    Her eyes sparkled as she came to realize one thing that she missed.

    Expecting this torture to come sooner¡ªespecially when she had killed a lot of Stone Orcs in the dungeon¡ªRavenna was surprised that she didn''t feel anything while attending the small drinking party with the others and even when she talked with Lucivar.

    For once, she thought her body was becoming better at handling the tortuous drawback.

    She was happy and excited but that turned out to be false.

    ''It wasn''t that I got used to it, no... but it was because of him'' Ravenna thought. ''His sheer presence suppressed the drawback¡ªhis voice silenced the whispers and his breath blew away the pain. I knew I was drawn to him. I tried denying it, this feeling... knowing full well that Leandra liked him but that''s too hard to do''

    Ravenna shifted slightly, pressing her head more firmly against Lucivar''s chest.

    She anchored herself to him, unwilling to let go, ''I wanted to be close to him...''

    Confirming what she really wanted inside, Ravenna came to a decision.

    Her hand glided gently to rest over Lucivar''s heart, her palm flattening against it as if she needed to physically feel the rhythm to calm the storm of her own thoughts. Beneath the blanket, her legs shifted, grazing against his.

    Almost naturally, her body instinctively sought closer proximity.

    ''I wonder if Lucivar would also like to be close to me...''

    Ravenna''s last thoughts danced in her mind as she finally drowsed into the dreamland.

    However, the dreamland didn''t greet her well.

    ...

    Crack!

    A loud thunder forced Ravenna to snap her eyes open.

    She looked around and realized that she was back on the night of the tragedy.

    Flames and death were the only things her eyes could see, the entire village was completely massacred to the last person. But worst of all, Ravenna was the one, who did it. She was the one who single-handedly brought ruin to a village that had more than a hundred people.

    Despite the pain inside of her, realizing what she had done, her attention was pulled away.

    Her gaze locked onto the red vapor rising from the corpses and ruin.

    Its beauty was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

    Swaying, the red mist shimmered like liquid rubies in the moonlight, curling and twisting with an otherworldly grace. Each string seemed alive, enchanting her senses with its very vibrant allure.

    It was as if an unseen barrier within her had broken and the vapor flowed into the void.

    She could feel a deep, almost euphoric sensation as the moment continued.

    No matter how much she tried, she couldn''t look away, utterly captivated.

    But that was when she was in the past, now, the red vapor that was the negative energy she harvested from the village she called home made her feel sick. She looked down at her hand and was met by her father''s corpse.

    Every time this nightmare replayed, the sight of her father''s corpse made her numb.

    ''It''s this nightmare again, when will I forget this and move on?'' Ravenna pondered heavily.

    Having been here so many times already, she knew that the realization of what she had done was excruciatingly painful. So much so that she couldn''t bear it until now, but she wasn''t that worried at this moment.

    Ravenna was more worried about the pain that was about to come.

    Before long, she was attacked by the academy hunters.

    Instinctively, she retaliated¡ªkilling two in the process but was quickly hurled hard.

    A bullet pierced through her as she fell down to the ground, facing the raining sky.

    Despite the searing pain assaulting her. she remained motionless as the realization of what she had done struck her and now, she didn''t want to live anymore. But the final blow¡ªfrom the academy hunters never came.

    Ravenna got lucky, the portal broke and the academy hunters went to deal with it.

    Maybe due to her natural instincts, she got up and limped her way back to her house.

    She entered her house weakly.

    It was silent now and with a drenched body¡ªshe made her way to her room.

    In there, she lies on the bed, drenching the bedsheet with water and blood.

    Once she gazed at the ceiling, the pain came.

    Rushing from the window like a torrent was the beautiful red vapor, the negative energy that she amassed from massacring the entire city. It triggered the drawback of her bloodline, she was hurled into a world of pain.

    She curled on the bed, holding her head with both hands, and writhed.

    All she could do was shiver alone and scream, even the sound of the rain outside was muted.

    ''I scream... scream... and scream... but the night refused to pass''

    ''Once the day came, my voice was already hoarse and I tasted blood in my mouth''

    ''It was the longest, darkest, and loneliest night...''

    ''No more... that painful and lonely night... I don''t want to feel it ever again!''

    Crack!

    ...

    Once again, Ravenna was woken up by a sharp and rumbling thunder.

    She was awakened from her nightmare, back in her hotel room.

    Upon glancing over her shoulder to look at the window, she saw that it had started pouring.

    Even though it was clear earlier, now it was raining hard.

    It seemed barely any time passed, the sky was still dark¡ªand Lucivar was still beside her.

    Ravenna looked at the side of Lucivar''s peaceful face intently, his steady breathing and the way his chest heaved up, and down were relaxing her. A flash of determination crossed her face as she traced a finger on Lucivar''s jawline, "I want you to stay with me"

    "I''m staying the night. Don''t worry, I''ll not leave suddenly," Lucivar suddenly whispered.

    He could feel Ravenna''s intense gaze even though his eyes were closed shut.

    Not expecting him to still be awake, Ravenna''s eyes widened.

    "You''re not sleeping?" She asked.

    Lucivar positioned himself better and shook his head, "No, but I''m trying to"

    Groaning lightly, he opened his eyes and placed a hand behind his head to look at Ravenna.

    "Are you feeling any better?" He asked, seeing that color had returned to her complexion.

    As opposed to getting away, Ravenna instead wrapped her arms around¡ªand even pressed her face against his neck. She did it almost naturally like a lover would, and that catches the innocent boy lying beside her off guard.

    "Woah..." Lucivar murmured, surprised by her antics.

    He could feel her soft skin pressing against him and frankly, he was becoming dizzy.

    In his entire life, he has never got this close to a woman before.

    Because of that jarring fact, he was feeling new sensations that he couldn''t quite process.

    Mounted with his frustrations from earlier, it was also hard to hold back.

    His face was red from his attempt.

    Ignoring his pounding heart, Ravenna nodded, "I''m feeling way better now"

    "Then care to tell me what''s that about?" Lucivar groaned¡ªcurious but also worried.

    It would be bad if she suddenly fell sick like that in a dungeon.

    Pausing for a second, Ravenna took a big whiff of Lucivar''s scent, before she answered, "It''s because of the negative energy. As I told you, I get stronger through negative energy¡ªbut it was not foolproof. Since I couldn''t control how much I absorbed¡ªit would overflow. Because of that, I would become sick like this"

    "Hmm?" Lucivar frowned. "Then how do you survive all this time?"

    Based on her explanation, then she would''ve gotten sick whenever she went to a dungeon.

    Killing Crossers should still be considered an evil act so it would yield negative energy.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna remained silent.

    Her silence was a clear answer to Lucivar, she endured it alone like she did yesterday.

    Had Lucivar not come to her room to check, today would be the same for her.

    Naturally, this came as a surprise for Lucivar as she looked extremely pale earlier, she looked as if she had gotten a terminal sickness that could claim her life. So for her to endure, such a condition alone, even though she could ask help from the others, her willpower must''ve been very strong.

    "But it''s not a problem anymore because," She leaned towards his ear. "you''re here now..."

    "W- What?" Lucivar stammered, not expecting this.

    Seeing him caught off guard and pursed his lips, trying to hide his shyness, Ravenna''s cherry lips smiled sweetly, "For some reason¡ªthe excess negative energy that I absorbed went into you, and even then, you didn''t seem to be bothered by it"

    Lucivar''s eyebrows dipped into a frown, ''Must be one of the Gods inside of me...''

    Following that, a tense silence enveloped the two of them.

    Lucivar was becoming stiff while Ravenna threw her leg over and rubbed it against his leg.

    She stroked his thigh up and down slowly with her own thigh.

    It was a dangerous tease, Lucivar''s face was red and veiny because of it.

    "Your heart is pounding," She whispered, her hot breath brushing against Lucivar''s neck.

    Her fingers found Lucivar''s hand, and though the initial touch was feather-light¡ªit was really electrifying. Slowly, her grip firmed¡ªanchoring her resolve. She shifted upward with her side resting against the headboard.

    Looking at Lucivar with a smoldering intensity, she reached for Lucivar''s chin.

    Gently, she pulled him to look into her eyes.

    Once their eyes locked, the tension between them exploded like wildfire.

    "Do you want to do it...?"

 Chapter 155 155: Antithesis Commemoration (2)

    18+ Warning!

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Ravenna''s words drifted from her lips, pausing the world a moment.

    It was endearingly silent after those words and the two unconsciously held their breaths.

    Sensual tension will always be present, no matter how small, when a man and a woman are alone. Between Lucivar and Ravenna, it has always been there¡ªlingering silently. Now that they were alone on a rainy night and lying on the same bed, it reached its climax.

    Both of their searing gazes were locked onto each other.

    None of them could avert their eyes away, as if an invisible force was holding them in place.

    Just then, Lucivar saw a flash of Bianca replacing Ravenna''s face.

    His chest tightened and he instinctively gripped the bedsheet with his hand, though Ravenna did not seem to notice, ''Am I still stuck on her? Or am I still afraid?'' Lucivar contemplated, the betrayal from Bianca left behind a scar that was still throbbing.

    Despite his growth, the scar still persisted and would persist for a long time.

    A part of him still thought her betrayal was a dream but it was real.

    And because of that, he hesitated in front of Ravenna¡ªafraid of the same painful outcome.

    Lucivar, however, snapped out of his trance swiftly, when Ravenna threw her leg to the other side of the bed and sat on top of him. Her jet-black hair cascaded down onto his face as she forced him to focus.

    In the face of the moment, he firmed his will again.

    ''What am I afraid of? Pain?'' Lucivar cackled inside. ''This is not like it was with Bianca so it will not end the same¡ªthis is purely... motivation-driven. I am only doing this to keep her fixated, on me. Once she''s no longer useful, I''ll do what needs to be done. Until then...''

    Deciding on what he was going to do, Lucivar''s hands landed on Ravenna''s slim waist.

    He pressed his fingers as she looked up at Ravenna.

    Feeling his touch, Ravenna instinctively inhaled deeply¡ªit was starting.

    ''Calm down...'' She mused inside¡ªas she bit her lower lip. ''It''s not like there is love, in this. It only felt right¡ªthis is purely... motivation-driven. I''m only doing this so that he will stay with me, and forget about whatever he has with Leandra. Until then...''

    Both of their eyes burned with a molten intensity, pupils dilated as they became firmer.

    Despite what these two had in mind, it wasn''t a lie that they were hungry.

    It wasn''t a lie that they were swept by the moment and desired each other.

    Regardless of their motives, their bodies betrayed the truth.

    Heavy breaths mixed in the charged air, their skin flushing with scorching heat, and couldn''t stop their desire from leaking out¡ªRavenna failing to stop her hips from pressing insistently against the growing hardness beneath her, while Lucivar''s hands, helplessly found their way to her curves, gripping firmly¡ªit was clear what their bodies wanted.

    And realizing that, the two hesitated again.

    ''But this is a dangerous game...'' Both of them thought simultaneously.

    ''There''s a chance I would be the one fixated on her if I go through with this,'' Lucivar thought.

    Ravenna also trembled, ''What if I became the one who can''t stay away from him?''

    In the next second, however, they noticed each other''s hesitance, mistaking it for weakness.

    ''Screw it, what am I thinking? No way I''d lose to her! I''ll make sure I win!''

    ''He''s hesitating, I don''t need to be scared. He''s certainly going to crumble first!''

    Ravenna pulled her hair behind her ear and leaned down while Lucivar pulled her close.

    Both of their lips were inches away from each other, their breaths already mingled together.

    ''Words are the killer of women, I''ll use that against her,'' Lucivar thought before his lips began to move¡ªright before they connected with Ravenna''s. "From now on I will always be by your side whenever you need me"

    Upon hearing this¡ªRavenna paused for a fraction of a second before she dived in.

    In a fiery fashion, the two of them kissed¡ªventing out their desires for each other.

    Lucivar''s muscular arms already wrapped around her waist, and locked her in place while on the other hand, Ravenna embraced his head¡ªwith every ounce of her being, dwelling in the rough and fiery kiss.

    ''Sensual lust¡ªand the desire, to be the knight-in-shining-armor, are the killers of men,'' She thought as she allowed her desires to go steam through. ''I''ll make him feel them thoroughly and make sure he could never resist me''

    Against the relaxing backdrop of the sound of muffled rain, the two wrestled on the bed.

    Ravenna moaned into Lucivar''s mouth seductively as she was being pushed back.

    She tried to fight back¡ªbut the enrapturing sound that was forced out of her mouth was like drops of oil that fueled Lucivar to be more aggressive. It was his first time doing this and yet, he knew exactly what to do and where to attack.

    Lucivar surrendered himself completely to his primal instincts.

    "Kyaah~!"

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar flipped their position¡ªslamming Ravenna on the bed.

    Ravenna felt the air was forced out of her lungs upon impact, causing her to gasp in surprise.

    She looked up at him with round eyes, "How many times have you done this with Leandra?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar only answered with a light smile.

    He didn''t tell her this was his first time, allowing only her mind to go wild with speculations.

    "How about you?" Lucivar asked as he reached for Ravenna''s black panty and pulled it down, causing her to flinch, and cover her intimate part. "I''m sure someone like you, who teased me all the time is well-versed in this" He added, raising an eyebrow tauntingly.

    Despite saying that, Lucivar could tell the answer from her reaction alone.

    It seemed like Ravenna¡ªas much as he wanted to refuse to believe it¡ªwas still a maiden.

    "Don''t bring that up now," Ravenna averted her gaze away, with her firm thighs crossed in an attempt to desperately cover her exposed self. "I''m a woman who killed an entire village with my own two hands. Do you think I would have men flocking around me? All feared me"

    "Really? Based on what I''m seeing..." Lucivar squinted, inspecting Ravenna''s disheveled state¡ªher bathrobe was unbuckled, giving a peek into her big mounds¡ªas well as her voluptuous firm figure from all that training. "I don''t think any men would be dissuaded from the fact that you''re dangerous"

    "I haven''t met fearless men, then," Ravenna mused before stealing a glance. "until you..."

    Lucivar laughed, "Don''t be mistaken, I am very much afraid. I only kept it hidden"

    Glancing back to the heaven''s gate, blocked by Ravenna''s hand, he then said, "Put it away"

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna''s heart pounded as she hesitantly pulled her hand away.

    She allowed Lucivar to see her most intimate part.

    Seeing her flushed face, reddened like a tomato once she did that, Lucivar shook his head.

    It''s not like he hadn''t seen a glimpse of it considering Ravenna usually slept naked.

    Only tonight did she wear something because of her sickness.

    Lucivar gulped harshly in arousal, when he now could see the light pinkish color of Ravenna''s lower mouth, it was almost perfect appearance-wise. This sight coupled with Ravenna''s very contrasting demeanor¡ªbecoming shy and cute¡ªmade Lucivar reach his limit.

    He couldn''t hold back anymore.

    Leaning down as he unbuckled his bathrobe, Lucivar placed his head beside Ravenna''s.

    "Close your eyes," He whispered lightly.

    Ravenna''s heart fluttered¡ªin her chest, his voice weaving a hypnotic spell, that commanded her very will. Without thinking, her eyes fluttered shut, and in the absence of sight, her other senses sharpened, every sound, every breath, every subtle shift in the air now more vivid.

    "Mmphh..." She moaned, feeling something hard touching against her honeypot.

    Instinctively, Ravenna clutched Lucivar''s back¡ªsinking her fingernails.

    Despite the pierce that drew blood, Lucivar did not stop and slowly put his erected shaft into her. As the entrance was opened and invaded, Ravenna held onto him tighter. But even then, she still has her eyes closed.

    "Take a deep breath," Lucivar whispered again, and with one motion¡ªhe shoved it all in.

    Pah!

    "Heukh!" A yelp came out of Ravenna''s mouth.

    Unable to endure the searing, stabbing pain, her eyes shot open.

    She gazed up and pressed her head against the pillow, the feeling was completely new.

    Ravenna gritted her teeth hard, she could feel Lucivar''s erected shaft inside her, stabbing all the way to her naval, making it hard for her to breathe. But she needed to breathe, so all she could muster was hard gasps.

    Due to the pain, her body instinctively tried to get away but she was locked in place.

    Lucivar''s arms barred her sides, there was no room for her escape.

    On the other hand, Lucivar also gritted his teeth¡ªthe tightness was insane.

    Even though he had mentally prepared himself, the feeling was beyond his expectations.

    It was alien to him, the pleasure was nothing like he had ever felt.

    His muscles clenched, freezing his entire body.

    It took a moment for Ravenna to get accustomed to the feeling before she lowered her head.

    Lucivar saw her eyes gleaming red and even her fangs poked out, "Control it, your power"

    "Hahh... It''s the same for you too..." Ravenna answered through ragged breaths.

    Unknown to Lucivar, his eyes shimmered with a golden glow¡ªthe intense pleasure unlocking the power of their bloodline. A tingling sensation spread across his back¡ªhis wing was really itching to unfurl.

    "Whait a minute..." Ravenna murmured breathlessly. "It is less painful¡ªbut I need to catch my breath!"

    Looking down on her under him, Lucivar viewed her helpless state very charming, she was entirely incapable of resisting anymore, and seeing that, ignited something primal inside of him, ''I can not look at her face, it''s harder to be in control''

    Realizing that he was swayed, Lucivar gritted his teeth and pulled out.

    It was sudden, Ravenna moaned in surprise but she was soon flipped before she knew it.

    Unable to control his strength¡ªin this sensitive situation, he flipped her hard, causing her to grunt, and pout in complaint. But before she could utter a word¡ªLucivar had already put his shaft back in and plunged in deep until the base.

    "Nggh! Lucivar... I told you to wait..." Ravenna glanced over her shoulders.

    Her hand pushed on Lucivar''s abs, attempting to stop him.

    But her gentle glance was seductive in Lucivar''s eyes, causing him to start moving his waist.

    He started moving back and forth slowly, overpowering Ravenna.

    However, the pace quickly shifted.

    Pah!

    Pah!

    Pah!

    No matter how many times she begged him to slow down, the complete opposite happened.

    Initially, the sound of flesh against flesh and Ravenna begging filled the room.

    However, with time, only the sound of pounding flesh could be heard¡ªRavenna was already drowned in pleasure, as she got manhandled, pressed against the pillow. Now that her body was accustomed, there was no more pain, only pleasure.

    All that came out of her mouth after that was infatuated moans and pleas for more.

    Lucivar and Ravenna did it all night like rabbits, disregarding their sleep altogether.

    In their minds, this was purely transactional to keep the other close.

    Not knowing that they were both wrong.

    Meanwhile, eavesdropping from outside was Sabrina.

    She pressed her ears against the door before her face reddened, "M- Master...?!"

 Chapter 156 156: Brewing Storm

    Meanwhile, back in the Bloodhaven Academy.

    It was nighttime and classes had already ended hours ago.

    Inside the main ground of the academy, two figures came out of the lavish and also big dorm of the first-year students. However, unlike the brimming building of the dorm, these two have a dark and exhausted look to them.

    Around them was an air of depression.

    Both of them exuded this air and the combination of their air made the depression thicker.

    Naturally, these two are none other than Thalia and Elira.

    From the looks of it, they were heading somewhere¡ªto the Bastion of Blades.

    Ever since what Lucivar did to their family, the embarrassing public rejection, their lives have been on a downward spiral. Every weekend, when the students were allowed to come home, the two were ambushed by assassins.

    Although their protectors could handle them, the constant need to be alert exhausts them.

    Out of the attacks, they experienced two calls that almost took their lives.

    Being so close to death stripped them all of the vibrance of life.

    In hindsight¡ªthe twins should be able to report this to the Hybrid Association or even blame them for not keeping the city clear of assassins. But with the story of what had happened on that night reaching the news, the Hybrid Association couldn''t offer any help.

    Not when the Feradith Family was under investigation by the Council of the Light Concord.

    Until their names are cleared of any affiliation to Crossers, they are on their own.

    As if that wasn''t enough, their closest protector¡ªMaura¡ªhad gone missing.

    It was unclear where she went but she had never come back after that night.

    Because of that, the vibrant and dignified air around them was completely gone.

    Elira, in particular, lost all of her confidence.

    Both her reputation and also career were shattered, leaving her future dark and uncertain.

    "Is there really no other way...?" Elira muttered depressingly.

    Upon hearing this, Thalia shook her head, "It wouldn''t take long until the hired assassins are able to reach us in the dorm, we need help." She said¡ªgripping the envelope in her hand. "I still can''t believe this is happening"

    "This is because you befriended that devil and brought him to us! If you hadn''t, we would be fine!"

    "What?! This is not my fault, you and Mom are the ones who were disrespectful!"

    Despite wanting to argue, Elira bit her tongue and said nothing more.

    She then exhaled deeply, focusing ahead, "Let''s just hope he''ll accept our offer this time"

    ...

    In the wake of the night, Leandra was sitting on a bench.

    Her gaze was vacant, looking down onto the ground in deep contemplation.

    It had been more than ten minutes since encountering Lucivar, and Sabrina¡ªbut she had not moved from the street and instead took a seat on a bench. Leandra looked at both her hands and frowned.

    She was troubled by the words Lucivar said earlier.

    ''It''s none of your business. Stay in your lane, Leandra''

    Hearing those words in her mind made her exhale roughly from her mouth.

    She was frustrated.

    "Why am I so fixated on him anyway?" Leandra whispered, reconsidering what she was doing¡ªthat was so unlike her before Lucivar came. "What he''s going to do must be something bad but karma will find a way to punish him, I don''t need to intervene. So why am I trying?"

    "Is it because I like him?" She murmured, gazing skyward to the cloudy night.

    As soon as she admitted that, she held the necklace she was wearing.

    Her mind was thrown back to the day Lucivar gave her the necklace¡ªhis face was cheerful, and also hopeful, a stark contrast to his current state. She has to admit that at that moment, her heart was moved a little.

    But Lucivar''s smile in her mind was soon replaced by another scene.

    Leandra remembered the figure of light that appeared, begging her to help Lucivar.

    Recalling that night¡ªwhen a supernatural occurrence gripped it tight, a frown brewed on her face, "I can''t deny that a part of me wanted to help him go out of the darkness, because that part of me liked him. But the main reason is that... that woman. That woman of light"

    For some reason, there was this odd sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

    She could feel that if she didn''t help Lucivar, something bad would happen.

    Just like that woman of light said to her.

    In order to help Lucivar, she needs to help him stop killing.

    Leaning forward, Leandra''s brows furrowed further, "Lucivar is an Angel Hybrid but an Angel Hybrid couldn''t kill and has an innately good virtue. Since he could kill others easily, then his bloodline must''ve malfunctioned somehow. If that''s the case, that woman of light... she must be the ''named'' Angel in his bloodline"

    Coming to that conclusion, a thought came to Leandra''s mind that made her eyes round.

    She sucked in a cold breath at the possibility.

    "Did another Angel¡ªor perhaps another outside power want to rewrite her from Lucivar?" Leandra gasped¡ªremembering the red sand that was swallowing the woman of light that night. "Someone else wanted Lucivar to be evil? To walk the path of darkness?"

    Leandra doesn''t have any proof but by piecing it all together, she was certain of this.

    Something bad was trying to overpower the Angel bloodline inside Lucivar.

    Upon realizing this¡ªLeandra stood up from the bench¡ªand walked, "Something that has the power to rewrite a ''named'' Angel. It must be something incredibly powerful. God-like, even. If that''s the case, I need to stop him, or else things could get real bad"

    Making up her mind, Leandra scoured the area near where she encountered Lucivar.

    She wanted to know where he might''ve come from.

    Even though the chances were slim¡ªshe was hoping that she could get a clue, now that she knew, where to start looking. Leandra kept the big landmarks in mind those that she thought could possibly be the place.

    But her search was unfruitful.

    She spent the next hour searching but it was futile.

    "He wanted to be stronger, I know that¡ªbut I don''t even know how he amassed¡ªhis natural ether" Leandra sighed, she realized that she knew very little about Lucivar. "If I had to guess¡ªdoing bad things or perhaps killing others is the way for him to get stronger"

    Noticing that Lucivar became stronger after every dark event, she guessed that.

    It also aligned with his tendency to do bad things so that was the most likely scenario.

    "I know Lucivar can be evil but there''s no way he would go on a killing spree and kill all of the people here. Too many eyewitnesses, and the Hybrid Association might put a bounty on him, so there''s no way he''d do that," Leandra was discouraged.

    She spent hours searching and found nothing.

    And realizing that it was already too late, she decided to go back to the hotel room.

    Maybe tomorrow, she could peel more clues from Lucivar.

    Just as she thought of that, Leandra bumped into a person¡ªa middle-aged woman.

    "Hey! Watch where yo-!" Before the middle-aged woman could finish her sentence, her eyes widened when she realized that it was one of the academy hunters. "Oh! Young Leandra, I''m sorry for bumping into you"

    "No, no..." Leandra raised her hands. "I was the one at fault. Keep doing what you''re doing"

    Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman shot a light smile before turning around again.

    Leandra was currently wandering through the main market of the city, a lively hum, brimming with stalls offering an array of goods¡ªfrom magical items and weapons to fresh magical and exotic fruits.

    Despite the hour, the marketplace remained teeming with activity.

    A constant flow of people adds to its vibrant atmosphere.

    However, it was too crowded in Leandra''s opinion¡ªwhich struck her as an odd sight.

    Since the party was held in the city center, the people should be gathered there, not here.

    She scanned the place around and saw that only this area was crowded.

    "Cut off his arms! He doesn''t deserve to have hands!"

    "Yeah! As a matter of fact, hang him! Isn''t this the fifth time he did it this month?!"

    Upon hearing the shouts, and mockeries from the people, Leandra realized that these people were circling someone. She tiptoed to look through the crowd and found a man there, he was crying as the people threw vegetables or rocks at him.

    Patting on the middle-aged woman, Leandra asked, "What''s going on?"

    "Oh, nothing to worry about," She replied, shaking her head. "we caught a thief"

    Leandra nodded her head, ''It''s an open marketplace. It was not surprising if there were a lot of thieves here, their prisons must be full of thieves. Making use of the party¡ªsome tried to steal and got caught"

    Shrugging her shoulders, she continued on ahead, leaving the marketplace.

    It doesn''t matter what the people decide on what to do with that thief.

    Considering that she was an outsider, she had no say in this.

    Heading back to the hotel, Leandra channeled her ether to create a thin barrier when the sky suddenly began to pour. It was already cloudy earlier, so she expected this. Along the way¡ªLeandra passed by the command center.

    She trotted along the street calmly in the rain but she wasn''t wet.

    Just then, as she was walking, she saw the lieutenant outside under the rain.

    From her angle, she could see that he was on his knees and was doing something.

    But she paid it no heed, the lieutenant might be mourning or paying a sacrifice for the Blood God for bringing in aid that saved the city. Either way, Leandra was not going to disturb him and invade his personal space.

    She walked past the command center and continued on to the hotel.

    On the other hand, Rafi was drenched entirely under the rain.

    In front of him was a small grave that he dug with his own two hands.

    Because of the rain, the grave was beginning to be filled with water but one could see that a severed head was peeking from the shallow water. It was Sir Balatin''s head¡ªhe was worried that one of his men would see him so he came out to bury the head when it started to rain.

    Leaving the head on his desk was traumatizing.

    Even if he wasn''t in the room or already put the head in a bag, he was restless because of it.

    His only thought that could ease away this restlessness was to bury the head properly.

    Clasping his hands together, he looked up to the cloudy sky, "Dear Blood God, he is a good¡ª and dedicated servant of yours. Accept his blood and let it flow back into you once more. Let him be one with your sacred Eternal Blood River"

    As he said that, he glanced down at Sir Balatin''s head before looking at the sky again.

    "Also, forgive me for what I''m about to do..." He murmured. "Forgive the death I will foster"

 Chapter 157 157: Were A Team

    Knock!

    Knock!

    Lucivar moaned slightly as he positioned his body better on the bed¡ªwanting to sleep further.

    But because of his movement, the sunlight was now directly hitting his eyes, going through his eyelids. Disturbed¡ªhe raised his arm and placed it over his face to block the sun. It had been quite a tiring night, and he didn''t want his peace to end.

    However, he quickly sighed as he was already awakened from his sleep.

    Sitting up with one eye closed, Lucivar rubbed his throbbing forehead.

    He then glanced at the window and saw sunlight piercing through but the sun couldn''t be seen.

    "Eugh... How long has it been since I woke up so late?" He murmured silently.

    As he was about to get down from the bed and wash up, he felt something stopping him.

    Lucivar looked down and saw Ravenna with her arms wrapped around his waist.

    Upon seeing this, memories returned back to him.

    He remembered how the two of them endlessly and roughly satiate their lust, losing count of the climaxes they experienced¡ªand mingling in sweat and saliva. It was a wild night, Lucivar could even still feel his junior throbbing down there.

    "Right, that happened," He shook his head and freed himself from Ravenna''s arms.

    As soon as he did that and wanted to stand, a frown climbed to his face.

    "Hmm?" Lucivar tilted his head a little in confusion, finding that his legs were still folded even though his feet were already stepping on the floor. "Did the bed get way shorter¡ªor am I still dreaming?"

    Pinching himself on the arm, he felt the sting¡ªit wasn''t the dream.

    Despite his confusion, he climbed back to his feet and turned to check the bed.

    It was only then did an acute smile climbed to his face¡ªthe bed broke horizontally, it caved inward which explains the confusion. Ravenna was still sleeping soundly, she didn''t seem to care about the bed''s condition.

    But then again, Lucivar was no better himself.

    Had he not woken up, he also wouldn''t realize the bed was split in half horizontally.

    "I think we went too hard, how do we explain this to the hotel staff?" Lucivar pondered aloud, but he quickly waved his hand dismissively, having more important things to handle. "I will let Ravenna think of an answer for them"

    Lucivar wanted to wash up and head out

    ''I need to check on that stupid lieutenant, to make sure nothing goes wrong'' He pondered

    Just then, however, he was surprised to see Sha and Gandr.

    Sha was barring his way toward the bathroom while Gandr was curling up like a ball on the cabinet.

    "Having fun?" Sha asked sharply.

    Upon hearing the sharp tone, Lucivar was taken aback, "Why''s that have to do with anything?"

    "Hmph!" Sha snorted, exhaling roughly from her nose. "Seems like the bitch has managed to seduce you perfectly¡ªseeing that you are going at it all night long. Does it feel that good for you to not even acknowledge me?"

    "Huh...?" Lucivar frowned.

    But then again, Lucivar remembered Sha saying that Surpanakha, Ravenna''s bloodline almost seduced Sutekh, which was quite surprising considering now that Lucivar had seen Sutekh in the flesh and he didn''t seem to be a God who dwells in that kind of thing.

    Or maybe, too proud to do that kind of thing.

    Shaking his head, Lucivar focused back at Sha, "If you don''t like it, why didn''t you stop me?"

    Instead of answering, Sha gritted her teeth and slowly turned to Gandr.

    Gandr, on the other hand, smiled in triumph.

    Just from their exchange alone, Lucivar could tell what this meant, "You stopped her?"

    ...

    Last night while Lucivar was pounding Ravenna under him.

    Sha and Gandr could be seen at the bottom corner of the bed.

    "Let go of me you stupid snake! Even if it''s only her descendant, I will not accept this!" Sha shouted, clawing her way forward in an attempt to reach Lucivar. "He is my Blessed Oracle too, you can''t stop me from this!"

    On the other hand, Gandr smirked.

    He already coiled well around Sha''s body, making it hard for her to move.

    "Can you see how beautiful this is?" Gandr praised, his reptilian eyes fixed on the steaming scene ahead. "Do not meddle in such a beautiful wrestling¡ªof the wits. It''s rare to see two devoted servants of Father''s ways wrestling as strong as they were doing now"

    "I don''t care about your Father''s little tricks," Sha retorted. "No! Stop it!!"

    ...

    "Something like that," Gandr hissed proudly.

    Upon hearing this¡ªLucivar could only shake his head¡ªhe sometimes forgets that these two have a very different personality because of the Gods above them. One likes to observe and scheme, while the other is all about pride and strength.

    One could even say that they were the complete opposite of each other.

    Just then, as Lucivar was about to ignore them¡ªhis heart dropped to her stomach.

    Bang!

    Bang!

    "Ravenna! Open the door" A female voice called from the other side of the door. "You haven''t come out in the last two days! Are okay?!"

    "Leandra?!" Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure.

    Not wasting a single second, he dashed back to the bed and shook Ravenna''s body.

    "Hey, wake up!" He called loudly but also whisperingly. "Leandra is here!"

    Soon enough, being shaken so violently, Ravenna rubbed her eyes and slowly woke up from her deep slumber. It was the best sleep she ever had, there were no¡ªnightmares. Realizing that it was Lucivar, Ravenna turned to the other side, took off the blanket, and stuck out her bottom.

    "It''s still early," She moaned. "but if you want me then go ahead. Just don''t move too hard"

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar was at a loss for words.

    Slap!

    "Ouch!" Ravenna yelped and instantly got up.

    She was slapped on the back of her head, forcing her to hold her head with both hands and glared at Lucivar. "You know where to slap to excite me, and my head is definitely not it"

    "Wake up and deal with Leandra outside," Lucivar said as he headed to the bathroom. "I''ll hide in the bathroom. Don''t let her inside, the bed is broken in case you haven''t realized it yet. She''ll know instantly if she saw and be nosy"

    Ravenna blinked her eyes when she heard this.

    Having just woken up, half of her soul was still in the dreamland.

    But that part of the soul quickly came back when she heard a shout.

    "Ravenna! I''ll break down the door if you don''t answer me in three seconds!" Leandra shouted.

    Realizing what was happening, Ravenna quickly dashed at the door.

    She managed to open it at the count of one, making it in time.

    "Hey..." Ravenna greeted awkwardly. "What''s wrong?"

    "Are you still sick?" Leandra asked¡ªreaching her hand and feeling Ravenna''s temperature. "Have you eaten? I know your sickness is involved with your bloodline but you still need to eat to recover faster"

    "I''ve eaten, I ordered from the hotel" Ravenna replied assuringly. "Is that all?"

    "Aren''t you going to invite me in?" Leandra raised an eyebrow.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna was stunned for a fraction of a second but the gears in her mind started turning to come up¡ªwith an excuse, "I was sleeping for two days straight, I have not showered yet. It stinks in here"

    It was the excuse that she thought at the top of her head.

    But it seemed Leandra bought it.

    "Ah... Okay," She nodded. "I only came here to tell you that we''re leaving today before night came. I already sent a message to Professor Aeldric¡ªand told him that we only need three days of rest, and he accepted"

    "Oh?" Ravenna didn''t expect this. "Any reason for doing this?"

    "It''s about Lucivar," Leandra''s expression tightened. "He''s planning something bad, I think it''s related to his reward from the city. I could not find out what it was but I could tell that he was planning to do it today. Don''t tell Lucivar but I decided to cut our last day of rest off"

    "No matter what, he''s not going to succeed" She added determinedly.

    As soon as Ravenna heard Lucivar was mentioned, her eyes rounded.

    Instantly, she could feel a cold breeze hitting her side.

    From her periphery, she could see Lucvar walking out of the bathroom¡ªfurious.

    Realizing that Lucivar might be angry enough to confront Leandra¡ªat this moment, Ravenna lifted her left hand and gestured for Lucivar to stop and leave this to her, "We should at least ask the others first, no? You don''t even know what Lucivar was trying to do. Besides¡ªI have not got the time to go around the city..."

    Pleadingly, Ravenna grabbed Leandra''s hand with both hands, "Can''t we just stay?"

    Seeing Ravenna coming out slightly from her room, naked, Leandra panicked.

    "Go back inside, you''re naked!" She yelped¡ªpushing Ravenna back before she sighed. "But still, this time, we can''t risk staying here. Innocent people could get hurt¡ªI''m sure you don''t want that to happen too. So we''ll leave, okay?"

    Not even waiting for Ravenna to refute, Leandra walked away.

    Once she left, Ravenna closed the door shut and stayed standing there.

    "What''s this all about?" She suddenly asked.

    Lucivar who was already gripping the edges of the cabinet hard¡ªfrom anger, replied through gritted teeth, "My reward is going to be delivered tonight. I already made sure Leandra would not find out about it but she did this instead"

    "What do you want to do?" Ravenna asked again, turning towards him.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar glanced at her and found her expression was serious.

    "Isn''t that clear enough? I need to stay¡ªtoday" Lucivar replied. "Also, this involved you. If I succeed, you will get many negative energy that could propel you to a higher rank. For our own sake, we must stay today"

    As soon as he said that, Ravenna nodded and went to the side to grab her uniform. She wore it quickly, and tied her hair into a ponytail, "In that case, you stay here¡ªand distract Leandra. I''ll deal with it"

    "What are you going to do?" Lucivar asked, surprised by her initiative.

    Once she was clothed, she walked over to Lucivar and stood inches away from him.

    "Also, you don''t need to tell me what''s in it for me," She said lightly, placing her index finger at the center of Lucivar''s lips. "Isn''t this what last night is all about? We''re a team now, your problem is also my problem. You said last night you would stay by me, so I am also going to stay by you"

    As she said that, a sinister glint crossed Ravenna''s eyes.

    Lucivar''s eyes also flashed with a deadly light, both of them were in sync.

    Nodding her head, Ravenna headed for the door, "Leave this to me..."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded¡ªhe could see that Ravenna could be trusted.

    ''I do need an ally so let''s see how effective you are,'' Lucivar pondered.

    Just then, however, Ravenna stopped, her legs wobbly when she grabbed the door''s handle.

    "Hmm...? What''s wrong? Did you forget something?" Lucivar frowned.

    Ravenna glanced over her shoulder¡ªand shot Lucivar an annoyed look, "Give me a second," She complained. "my legs are weak and very sore because of a certain animal last night who refused to stop even when being told"

    "Ekhm," Lucivar cleared his throat awkwardly. "right... take your time"

 Chapter 158 158: Two Against One

    Having no time to idle, Lucivar poked his head out of the room and checked the corridor.

    It was clear, nobody was around.

    "I''m going to distract Leandra," Lucivar said, glancing over to Ravenna¡ªwho was still inside, leaning against the wall until her legs recovered. "Don''t take too long. I don''t know what you are going to do but I can only buy a little bit of time"

    "Go," Ravenna nodded. "this shouldn''t take long and a moment is all I need"

    Nodding his head, Lucivar closed the door behind him and went to his room.

    He turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, only to see that Sabrina was nowhere to be seen.

    "Tch! Where did she go?" Lucivar clicked his tongue¡ªhe needed Sabrina since she could buy a lot more time by acting clumsy. But she wasn''t available. "I guess it''s all on me now. I''ll scold her when she gets back"

    Closing back the door, Lucivar strode along the corridor quickly.

    Since Ravenna managed to coax Leandra to inform the others, Lucivar knew where she was heading.

    Caldaros and the other hunters have no say in this since they are the ones who close the dungeon.

    So Leandra was either informing Nerissa or Mirel.

    Lucivar didn''t know if Mirel had already come back yet but Nerissa must be here.

    She was also the closest, her room was only a couple doors away so he went to knock on it.

    However, no matter how much he knocked, there was no answer.

    ''Are they hiding from me inside?'' Lucivar pondered dubiously, Leandra could''ve told Nerissa to not open the door for him and kept silent. Of course he was tempted to bust through the door but he stopped mid-way. ''No, Nerissa would rather talk it out with me rather than hide from me. She must not be in her room''

    Finding that it was unlikely, Lucivar headed downstairs.

    But at the same time, Ravenna walked out of her room and their gazes met.

    Just from his look alone, she could tell that he couldn''t find Nerissa and Leandra.

    If not in their room then they must be outside somewhere.

    Considering that the city was quite big with many places to visit, finding them would be hard, Lucivar did not have anything to locate them¡ªother than waiting in the hotel until they came back. But that was not a problem for Ravenna.

    Almost instantly, red markings appeared around her eyes as she activated her Predator Oculus ability.

    Ravenna went to the nearest window and scanned across the city.

    "Can your eyes even look through stones?" Lucivar approached from behind.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna shook her head, "No, but my Predator Oculus¡ªhas a lot of utility usage. It could also mark people as prey which would allow me to locate them wherever they are within a couple of miles radius"

    "You marked Leandra and Nerissa as prey?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow.

    Realizing what he meant, Ravenna waved her hand, "It''s not like that. I was testing my ability and they were the closest ones to me so I tried it on them. Besides¡ªhaving to know exactly where they are at all times will come in handy at bad times"

    Despite considering what she said bullshit, Lucivar nodded his head.

    He then rubbed his chin, amazed by her ability, ''If I absorb her life essence, can I get that ability?''

    Finding that her ability was quite powerful, he deliberated to take it.

    It would be extremely helpful if he had that kind of ability.

    Even though the Greedy Grasp was extremely strong, there were limitations because of his low mastery, which was quite annoying. For instance, in this case, Lucivar would need to fight Ravenna and stop her from moving while he used the Greedy Grasp ability to absorb her life essence.

    Doing that would be quite impossible, knowing that absorbing her life essence would take a long time.

    Until now, Lucivar only absorbed two abilities¡ªone is from a low-rank Hybrid and the other is a rat.

    He needed to upgrade his mastery before he could absorb abilities from strong Hybrids.

    "You''re thinking of killing me and taking my ability, aren''t you?" Ravenna suddenly asked.

    She didn''t even turn to look at Lucivar when she said that.

    On the other hand, Lucivar was taken aback, he didn''t expect Ravenna to guess him that precisely.

    "How did you guess that?" He gasped in shock. "Can you also read minds?"

    "Hah! I wish." Ravenna giggled. "It''s not that I can read minds but I can sense negative energy"

    "You could deduce what I was thinking only through sensing my negative energy?"

    "Well, yes. A little bit"

    "Fascinating..."

    "And I also overheard what you said to that proselyte before I got out"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s face froze before he smacked his lips in annoyance.

    Back when he was still in the dungeon, right before the Rock Sentinel''s last attack, he pinned the proselyte down¡ªand said that he liked the proselyte''s stone manipulation¡ªand aimed to take it. That is where Ravenna got the idea.

    It''s not that she could read negative energy that precisely.

    Realizing that Lucivar caught up, she giggled in amusement again before pointing ahead.

    "There," She said, pointing at a bunch of houses a few streets ahead.

    Seeing this, Lucivar looked at her again, "Do you expect me to know where just by you pointing at a bunch of random houses? Do you think I could look through the houses like you? Did I pound your brains out last night?"

    "I wasn''t finished!" Ravenna rolled her eyes. "Leandra is in the main market and Nerissa is there too"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded his head before the duo came down and rushed to the market.

    Both of them walked past Caldaros and the other academy hunters, who were relaxing in the lounge, playing, and watching something on their phones, and exited the hotel. But based on their conversations, it seemed they already knew they would return to the academy today.

    Leandra must''ve informed them already.

    Just then, Caldaros lifted up his gaze and noticed them rushing somewhere.

    Seeing this, his eyes squinted¡ªfixing at Lucivar.

    But Lucivar didn''t see this, he rushed out with Ravenna by his side.

    Along the way, Ravenna split up with him¡ªgoing in a completely different direction.

    "Is she heading to the main entrance of the city?" Lucivar frowned. "What is she planning?"

    She hadn''t told him what she was going to do to stop Leandra''s plan but he trusted her.

    Whatever it was, Lucivar would trust her.

    ''All I need to do is distract Leandra,'' Lucivar nodded and quickened his pace, focusing on the objective.

    It didn''t take long for Lucivar to find Leandra.

    However, by the time he found her, she already talked with Nerissa and was heading somewhere.

    He managed to catch her attention in time.

    Noticing Lucivar ahead, Leandra paused in her steps.

    Both of them looked at each other through the passing crowds, making strong eye contact without breaking it for half a minute. Lucivar was the first one to break the eye contact and he turned his gaze to the side at a small merchant stall that sells drinks, and even provides seats for the customers.

    Lucivar went there with slow steps, nobody recognized him with the hooded jacket on from last night.

    He ordered two drinks and sat down, placing them both on the table.

    Soon, Leandra came from behind and took a seat beside him.

    It was an invitation and she bites it.

    Remaining silent for a second, Lucivar sipped on his orange juice calmly under Leandra''s gaze.

    She has a mixed feeling now inside her eyes upon looking at Lucivar.

    "Did you come here with Nerissa? To accompany her to the market?" He asked lightly.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra narrowed her gaze and answered, "Yes, Nerissa is shy and since we''ll go home soon, she really wanted to go check the market, and buy some souvenirs. You know, for Master Tobias"

    Lucivar glanced at her, noticing her cheeky play of words.

    It was clear that she hadn''t noticed that he knew about what she was planning.

    Chuckling lightly, he gazed ahead again, "Is this how you show you''re giving up on stopping me?"

    "Maybe..." Leandra answered, sighing deeply, and took a sip of the orange juice herself.

    Despite trying to hide it, she was certainly stoked inside, the corner of her lips almost curved upward¡ªmultiple times already. And for some reason, her elation¡ªand cockiness from being or rather, thinking that she was ahead of him was a cute sight to see.

    Even Lucivar couldn''t hide his smile.

    "Why don''t you get to it?" She suddenly said. "I know you invited me here to say something"

    "So I can''t ask you for company now?" Lucivar asked back cheekily.

    "You still can, even after everything. But not now, I know you wanted to say something"

    "Well, you''re right about that. I wanted to ask you a question that might lead to another question"

    "Ask away, I''m listening"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded before he pivoted his body to face Leandra.

    He bent down, elbows on his knees, and looked up at the confused Leandra.

    "Do you like me?" He suddenly asked.

    Naturally, this question caught Leandra off guard¡ªshe did not expect him to ask something like this when the situation between them was tense. But Leandra quickly snapped out of it, averting her gaze away, "No¡ªI only care about you since we are a family. Nothing more and nothing less"

    "I see..." Lucivar nodded, averting his gaze too. "Then shouldn''t family stick together?"

    "Family also pulls one back into the right lane," Leandra retorted instantly.

    Lucivar chuckled when he heard this, Leandra is headstrong.

    "You do know that by doing this, you''re pushing me away, right?" He finally stated.

    But this made Leandra snap, "No, I''m certainly not pushing you away. Once I''m done, you will be yourself again. Once I''m done, you will break out of this¡ªdark influence. Once I''m done..." She paused, looking at Lucivar intently. "you will be thanking me"

    Once she said that Leandra stood up and left without looking back.

    Lucivar was left sitting alone, he was rooted on his spot¡ªhis body extremely stiff.

    Splash!

    Just then, the glass he was holding shattered, splattering the orange juice everywhere.

    However, he didn''t seem to care.

    "Thanking her?" Lucivar raised his gaze, exposing his bulging, bloodthirsty eyes. "I will loathe her instead"

    Soon, the day was slowly reaching its end.

    Once the night neared, Caldaros, the other academy hunters, and Nerissa were already in the lobby.

    All of them are ready to depart as requested by Professor Aeldric.

    Nerissa looked left and right¡ªa sense of unease dwelling inside of her as she could not find the others, not even one of them. She was the only one left from their group. Even Caldaros and the hunters were asking her where the others were.

    She couldn''t give an answer, she also didn''t know where they''d gone to.

    But she knew that they were still here, their belongings were still in their rooms.

    Just then, however, Nerissa''s eyes lit up when she saw Leandra stepping into the lobby.

    Her expression was exhausted and discouraged.

    "Leandra, where did you go? Where are the others?" Nerissa rushed to her and asked.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra wanted to say something but stopped.

    She glanced over her shoulder and found both bus drivers coming towards them.

    Entering the lobby¡ªone of the bus drivers scanned the group before he announced, "There has been a mistake, we''re not going to depart today. Go back to your rooms, tomorrow we''ll depart. Our schedule will return back to normal since we''re missing one person"

    "What...?" Nerissa muttered in confusion.

    But when she turned to look at Leandra, she was surprised to see Leandra devastated.

 Chapter 159 159: Losing Miserably

    An hour ago.

    Splash!

    Leandra''s shoe stomped against a puddle, splashing water.

    She was running, panic and urgency could be seen evidently on her sweaty face.

    Despite her breaths already being shallow, despite both her legs numbing from the burning sensation of non-stop running, despite her eyes becoming blurry from the exhaustion¡ªshe kept running, channeling what little ether she had to keep going.

    Immediately after she met with Lucivar, she had gone out to search for Mirel.

    He hasn''t come back, supposedly assured that he had one more day before the departure.

    Once tomorrow came, Mirel would come back.

    However, Leandra changed the plan¡ªbefore night came, they should''ve been on the road.

    Knowing that Lucivar was most likely going to make his move in the night, the most suitable time for doing bad things, she took the initiative to change the plan. To stop whatever evil¡ª Lucivar had in mind, they would leave before the sky darkened.

    But that would all come crumbling down if Mirel couldn''t be found.

    Leandra had gotten permission from Professor Aeldric to depart early.

    She already contacted him and obtained the green light but the bus drivers would not drive if Mirel wasn''t with them. Without an excuse, they would be the ones getting blamed¡ªso there must be a reason for Mirel''s state of being.

    If he''s not dead, the bus drivers would stay here and wait.

    Of course, being late to depart is not a good thing.

    But at least in that case, Mirel would be the one taking on the blame.

    Due to that, Leandra had been searching for Mirel for hours on end without stopping.

    Overhearing what Lucivar and Mirel talked about during the night in the lounge, she knew that Mirel was around the nearby hill, training. But she had already scoured the hill¡ªthree times yet there was no sign of him.

    Initially, Leandra wasn''t worried¡ªLucivar was still oblivious about her plan.

    But now, with time running thin, she was panicking.

    ''I need to find him!''

    Realizing that Mirel was not near the hill¡ªshe ran back to the city with the hope that she had somehow missed him. Hoping that he might be buying souvenirs somewhere in the market or perhaps, he was in the hotel already¡ªpacking his stuff.

    Despite her hope, she could feel a sense of unease rising inside her chest.

    Deep down, she knew that it was a false hope.

    Leandra stopped and looked upward.

    She was greeted only by the orange glow of dusk dying the heaven.

    Night was coming.

    And her time was running out.

    Huff...

    Huff...

    Pushing herself further, Leandra scoured the main market¡ªcrowded with people.

    Her blurry vision darted left and right, searching for Mirel desperately.

    In the background, the voices of the merchant blurred into an indistinct hum¡ªtheir laughter grating against her frayed nerves. Despite the celebratory atmosphere of the city, her world was grim. The city smelled of magical powders, plants, and smoldering fires.

    But to her, it was suffocating.

    Along the way, a flash of that night in Veloria City crossed her mind.

    Such a dark sight, she didn''t want to see something like that happening in this city too.

    ''No, I don''t want that to happen again!'' She squirmed. ''If I fail, innocent people will die!''

    Leandra bumped into a couple of kids playing, causing them to stumble and fall.

    Gazing down at them with shaky pupils, she wanted to help them up.

    She grabbed the little boy''s shoulder but sucked in a cold breath in the next second¡ªwhen the little boy suddenly turned into a familiar boy, the little boy who was crying over his dead mother''s body who Lucivar left to die in the church.

    Caught off guard, Leandra fell to the ground with both her eyes widened completely.

    Seeing this, the young boy wanted to help her.

    But this scared her, the young boy''s hand was bloodied in her eyes.

    She pushed him away and began running again.

    ''No...'' Leandra gritted her teeth. ''Please, Lucivar, don''t taint this city with your evil too!''

    Ignoring the exhaustion, focusing only on the feeling of restlessness and desperation in the heart, she continued her search.

    "Have you seen a Hybrid, a man who was a part of my team? Mirel¡ª?" Leandra asked.

    The passerby shook her head, already turning away.

    Leandra went to another, asking the same question¡ªbut the answer she obtained was the same.

    Unlike her desperation that was etched clearly on her face, the people answered her with indifference.

    Every corner of the market revealed nothing but a stranger''s face.

    Mirel wasn''t here.

    She went to the suburbs area aimlessly, but the result was the same.

    Mirel wasn''t here either.

    Heck, for some reason, she couldn''t even see that many people around here.

    She scoured through the entire city, checking every corner, asking every person, turning every stone, but nothing.

    It was as if Mirel was swallowed by the world and disappeared without a trace.

    Leandra stopped at the corner helplessly¡ªand gazed upward to the sky, her chest tightened when she saw the sun dip lower, forcing her to press both hands against the wall. She bit her lower lip, eyes bulging hard as she fought back the scream clawing at her throat.

    Night was inches away.

    ''This doesn''t make sense...'' She thought, looking at the ground with her shaken eyes.

    Lucivar was winning.

    ''Am I...'' Leandra thought hauntingly, the possibility stabbed her like a blade. ''Am I going to be too late?''

    And she was failing.

    ''If I succeed in this, nothing bad will happen. Is Mirel working together with Lucivar?'' Leandra thought¡ªsecond-guessing everything¡ªher mind being swept by a whirlwind of chaos. ''Both of them are close but Mirel is not the person who is fond of this. Ravenna? She barely talked about anything serious with Lucivar. Or is it Nerissa? Did she betray me?''

    "Caldaros? The other hunters? The damn lieutenant? Lucivar...? LUCIVAR KNEW NOTHING!" Leandra screamed aloud at the top of her lungs, her voice was raw¡ªand hoarse, surprising the onlookers who were nearby. "HE DOESN''T KNOW ANYTHING!! HOW?!"

    She was breaking down.

    It seemed like everyone was against her and she was alone in this.

    Oblivious to her, a pair of crimson eyes watched her from the shadows.

    Her failure brought a smile to this figure.

    Despite her best attempts, she was met with a complete and utter failure.

    She could find Mirel even when the first streak of the moonlight descended from above.

    Minutes later.

    Leandra came back to the hotel depressed only to be confronted by the bus drivers.

    "There has been a mistake," the bus driver said, his voice echoing.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra''s face lost all colors, refusing to believe that this was happening.

    Her heart pounded inside her chest, ''Please... don''t say it...''

    Oblivious to her peril, the bus driver continued, "We''re not going to depart today"

    ''No, this can''t be happening. Don''t say it...''

    "Go back to your rooms, tomorrow we''ll depart"

    ''Don''t say it!''

    "Our schedule will return back to normal since we''re missing one person..."

    Crack!

    Leandra could hear her own heart¡ªbreaking to pieces when she heard the last sentence.

    Despite knowing she had failed, the bus driver''s words landed like salt on an open wound.

    Deepening the pain.

    On the other hand, Nerissa caught Leandra when her legs suddenly buckled.

    "Leandra!" Nerissa exclaimed, shaking Leandra''s body hard when she noticed that Leandra''s eyes had become hollow¡ªand defeated. It came out of nowhere. Even Caldaros rushed in to help. "What''s wrong?! Are you hurt? Why is your body hot?!"

    "Lucivar..." Leandra mumbled. "I need to find Lucivar"

    Although it was obvious that her body was too weak to move, too exhausted to even stand, Leandra pushed Nerissa away¡ªand forced herself to stand. Seeing this, Nerissa fought her hand and helped her to stand, "What about Lucivar? Is he in trouble?"

    "Let me come, I can help" Caldaros suddenly offered.

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa shook her head, "No, this is our problem. We''ll handle it"

    Nerissa didn''t want outsiders to intervene, this was a matter that involved the family.

    A private matter.

    In her mind, it wasn''t appropriate for someone like Caldaros or the other hunters to meddle.

    "Okay, I''ll help you try and find Lucivar," Nerissa said as she supported Leandra outside.

    As she slowly made her way towards the exit, Caldaros'' eyes remained fixed on them.

    "Should we intervene anyway?" A hunter asked from the side.

    "No," Caldaros shook his head as his eyes glistened with a peculiar hue, he took in a deep inhale and noticed an odd scent lingering in the air that only he could sense. "you and the others stay here. I can feel a deep malevolence inside the city..."

    ...

    Meanwhile, a couple of blocks away from the hotel.

    Darkness took over.

    Looking from a bird''s eye view, a growing shadow could be seen overtaking a street¡ªon the corner of the city as two hooded figures walked with slow and deliberate steps. People who were also celebrating on that corner of the city could feel the cold night wind blowing harder.

    It howled like a mourning cry, biting onto their skin and making the night colder than normal.

    Following Leandra''s failure was the success of another.

    Lucivar''s success.

    It was a total triumph.

    Naturally, the hooded figure at the front was Lucivar.

    He was walking down the street with a faint smirk plastering across his face and Sabrina on his side.

    Not to mention, his fingers twitched wickedly¡ªeager for what was about to come.

    Murder was already under his breath.

    Realizing what he had gone through, Sabrina held her head down in obedience.

    Lucivar had completed his preparation and now, other than making himself grow stronger, he would also make Sabrina grow stronger. Knowing what lies ahead waiting for them¡ªand the fact that he made sure of it to happen with the help of his new ally¡ªhe has earned Sabrina''s further loyalty.

    Soon, Lucivar arrived at quite a big abandoned citadel at the corner of the city.

    The dark aura and the secluded location were perfect for a slaughterhouse.

    Awaiting his arrival at the very front was a familiar figure, Ravenna.

    Even from a distance, her beauty was evident¡ªa haunting allure that defied explanation.

    The moonlight caressed her features¡ªcasting a ghostly glow on her flawless skin¡ªwhile the wicked curve of her lips formed a smile both captivating and cruel, a smile that seemed to be her way to boast herself to the approaching Lucivar.

    She was a devastatingly beautiful woman and a formidable ally on top of it.

    In Lucivar''s eyes, the moment, the citadel, and her gloating smile were a delightful scene.

    On her hand, she played a key¡ªthe key to the citadel from the looks of it.

    "What did you do, Ravenna...?" Lucivar mumbled in disbelief, a smile donning his face.

    "Careful now," Ravenna mumbled jokingly. "you''ll fall in love harder if you keep looking at me like that"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar didn''t answer, he only shook his head.

    He stood beside her and cast her a questioning glance.

    "What?" He asked, seeing the expectant look on her face. "Do you expect a reward?"

    "No, not now at least." Ravenna shook her head before turning towards the citadel, a sinister glint could be seen¡ªcrossing her eyes. "Right now, I am more interested in watching you do your thing. After this though, just remember that I''ll be overflowed with negative energy and I need a release"

    Lucivar waved his hand before he looked around, "Where''s the lieutenant?"

    Hearing the lieutenant being brought up, Ravenna chuckled, "He doesn''t have the guts to be here"

    "I see¡ªI do not blame that scaredy cat," Lucivar shrugged¡ªnonchalantly, expecting the lieutenant to be absent, especially with that kind of soft heart inside his chest. "So, how many did he manage to gather? Do you know the number?"

    "Eight hundred and seventy-one," Ravenna handed over the key. "All in your hands"

    As soon as he heard the number, Lucivar''s eyes flashed excitedly.

    It exceeded his expectations, surprisingly.

    "Good," He nodded and walked towards the door. "tonight is a good night for slaughter..."

 Chapter 160 160: A Slaughterhouse (1)

    Lucivar was reluctant at first.

    He couldn''t trust anyone, not after what he had experienced.

    Even the notion of trusting someone was disgusting for him now, it was repulsive.

    Of all the people in the world, he trusted no one but himself.

    In this case, he decided to trust Ravenna¡ªnot because he trusted her as a person but because he trusted her thirst to become stronger. Knowing how she came to power, it became apparent that Ravenna was desperate to become stronger.

    She doesn''t want to lose control again because of her Predator Oculus ability.

    She doesn''t want to experience the same painful feeling ever again.

    She wanted to be in control of her own actions.

    Lucivar trusted her drive and he was instantly rewarded.

    Knowing what Leandra was planning, Ravenna made haste to meet with Mirel earlier.

    Just like how she marked Leandra and Nerissa as prey using her Predator Oculus ability, she also marked Mirel and knew exactly where he was. He was on the hill, training presumably. As a Yellow Lightning Elemental Hybrid, his source of strength came from the sky.

    Ravenna and the others except for Lucivar knew about that.

    As Lucivar was distracting Leandra who came to meet with Nerissa first, Ravenna bolted to Mirel.

    Being the fastest in terms of speed in the entire family, coupled with the distraction Lucivar provided, it was simply impossible for Leandra to beat her in a race. Ravenna reached Mirel and told him to hide from Leandra and he did.

    It was all Ravenna, Lucivar didn''t need to do anything other than wait.

    He was anxious but he didn''t need to lift a finger.

    And now, he was standing here in front of his grand prize.

    Just like how he came to meet with Tobias who came to save him at the opportune moment and just like how he fatefully came across Sabrina who has a royal bloodline and is also a devoted personal maid, he met with Ravenna exactly when he needed an ally who could tolerate him the most.

    From these series of events alone, Lucivar knew that destiny was on his side.

    Or rather, the bad karma he accumulated was twistedly rewarding him.

    ''Good... Keep feeding me to become stronger, karma. Soon, I will destroy you!''

    Nodding his head, Lucivar trotted ahead and opened the citadel''s door.

    Sabrina and Ravenna were following behind him.

    Pushing the heavy door open, he was met with a dark corridor devoid of light.

    "Take a left there, they''re through the door at the end of the hallway," Ravenna directed.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded and walked through the corridor with slow steps.

    Each step he took was a jolt of exhilaration for him.

    It was as if there was music playing in his mind, the symphony of approaching death.

    He was eager as this would make him stronger and perhaps, help him grow his second wing.

    Soon, he reached the designated door and with a gentle push, he saw that beyond was a staircase leading down to the basement. Lucivar, Ravenna, and Sabrina didn''t hesitate and descended down until they were greeted by another door.

    But this time, there were noises coming from the other side¡ªa crowd to be exact.

    Lucivar couldn''t hide his smile anymore and quickly pushed this door open.

    A heavy groaning sound was made as the door revealed a haunting tableau.

    For many, it was a haunting sight¡ªbut for Lucivar, this was a delight that tickled his malicious intent.

    Inside this massive underground crypt, hundreds knelt on the cold stone floor.

    Each of their limb bound in rusted chains that anchored the mercilessly to the ground¡ªtheir tattered clothes hung limp on emaciated frames, and coarse brown sacks masked their faces, stripping them of sight and humanity.

    Lucivar and the others were also greeted by the thick stench of sweat lingering in the air.

    Once these people heard the door opening, silence enveloped them instantly.

    Only the faint rattle of chains could be heard.

    Lucivar''s sharp gaze swept the room, taking in the sea of prisoners that he had requested.

    "It seemed the lieutenant didn''t disappoint me this time," He mused as a devilish smirk crept to him.

    Unlike the others who asked for resources to become stronger¡ªas a reward for saving the city, Lucivar asked for something far more peculiar, and sinister. He asked the lieutenant to give him all of the city''s prisoners.

    Naturally, this came as a shock¡ªRafi didn''t expect Lucivar to ask something like this.

    He doesn''t even know what Lucivar wanted to do with the prisoners.

    But he soon knew what would become of the prisoners because Lucivar told him directly.

    Death.

    Lucivar wanted to kill them all.

    Of course, such a request would make almost all people think that he was twisted¡ªalthough he is, this request stems from what his bloodline requires him to do to become stronger. Killing all the prisoners would give him so many gold spheres that he might achieve multiple breakthroughs.

    It suddenly came to him.

    Realizing that the city was mainly focused on its markets, there must be a lot of thieves.

    And Lucivar took advantage of that through his request.

    Doing it this way would allow him to stay clean.

    He didn''t need to garner attention and be caught by the Hybrid Association, and the city would also benefit¡ªfrom having him get rid of the trash of society. It was a very win-win situation and Lucivar was happy to think of this request.

    Despite the hiccups with the jury, Sir Balatin¡ªRafi managed to round these prisoners up.

    Lucivar and the others stepped inside, their footsteps echoed through the entire crypt.

    Behind, Sabrina sucked in a cold breath.

    She was wondering what Lucivar was planning to do to help her stronger, to make her feel aroused, and she was expectant to see what he had in store. But to think that he rounded up these prisoners which would effectively make him free from worries, it was beyond her expectations.

    Not to mention, Lucivar even tailored the targets to her liking.

    A sadistic smile crept to her face, ''Ah... Master Lucivar is the best!

    ''I can''t wait to hear them scream...'' She thought, her eyes flickering happily. ''I''m wet already''

    Every prisoner wore the same brown, haggard tunic and was branded on their forehead.

    But there were some who weren''t.

    Ravenna noticed them instantly.

    "Who are they?" She asked, a frown creeping onto her face. "I don''t think they''re prisoners"

    "I asked them to pick up the homeless from the streets as additions," Lucivar laughed, the homeless added quite a lot to the pigs he was going to slaughter today. "With how many were brought here, the suburbs'' street must''ve been clean of them"

    "Wow, I was deceived..." Ravenna giggled. "I initially thought you were innocent but you''re the worst"

    "And that''s why you''re flocking onto me, isn''t it?" Lucivar smirked at her playfully.

    Glancing to the other side of the crypt, there were multiple wooden stakes placed and erected there, their presence was akin to a ghost ready to rip everyone apart, "What about those stakes? Are you going to use them or were they a part of the crypt already?" Sabrina asked.

    "I''m going to use them," Lucivar cast her a knowing look. "it''s a gift for you"

    Soon, the three stepped on a very short platform, two stones tall.

    An axe was waiting for Lucivar there along with two executioners wearing a see-through black sack.

    Instead of taking the axe, Lucivar faced the seas of prisoners.

    "I am the academy hunter who was going to pardon all of you as a celebration for the city being saved and born anew," Lucivar said with a commanding tone. "Once you are brought forward, please, show me some gratitude and confess your sin. I will make sure to pardon you all as long as you say only the truth"

    ...

    Moments earlier.

    A man by the name of Robert was kneeling amongst the sea of prisoners.

    He was accused of stealing by a merchant and since the merchant was a well-known one, having quite a considerable standing in the city, the guards took him without hearing his side of the story and threw him into the prison along with other thieving prisoners.

    It made him angry¡ªbeing accused made him angry.

    But what made him angry the most was that the guards trusted the merchant instantly.

    No matter how much he tried to explain himself, it fell on deaf ears.

    Today marked his fifth day of him being imprisoned, and he was breaking down from not knowing how long he would be here. However, good news came when the prison guard told the prisoners that by the generosity of the academy hunters, they were going to be pardoned, no matter their crimes.

    Naturally, this was good news for Robert.

    Even though he wasn''t as happy as the other prisoners, considering that the others had been sentenced for years if not their entire life here, he was still happy that he could leave. Before being pardoned, they first need to meet the academy hunters who pardoned them.

    A chance to show their appreciation for their generosity.

    But that was hours ago.

    Now, Robert felt his knees hurting from kneeling for hours on end.

    It was dark and he could barely see through the sack that was placed on his head.

    He could vaguely see two silhouettes standing in front but nothing other than that.

    Although he was happy that he would be getting out, he became skeptical the moment the cold barren air inside the crypt hits him¡ªa place ill-suited for a celebration, ''Something is off, I don''t think we are being brought to the academy hunters. What is this?''

    "My fucking knees hurt!"

    "Hey, dumb-asses! Let us stand or even take this damn sack off of our heads!"

    "No... I don''t think we''re being pardoned. We''re going to die!!"

    "Shut the fuck up!"

    "Where the fuck is the academy hunters? I''m ready to kiss their feet"

    From the sounds of it, like Robert, the prisoners were also becoming restless by the hour.

    But it was at that moment he realized something, ''Am I at the very front?''

    Robert could hear the shouts coming from behind, so he must be at the very front but fortunately, he could feel someone kneeling on either of his sides. Just then, the shouts from the prisoners stopped in an abrupt manner when the sound of the door opening echoed.

    Everyone became silent.

    A group of people came inside, three from the sounds of it and they were talking about something.

    ''I can''t hear them,'' Robert stressed, feeling an ominous air enveloping the entire chamber.

    Each echoing footstep from the group made Robert''s heart pounded harder.

    Soon, an academy hunter presumably, addressed them.

    "I am the academy hunter who was going to pardon all of you as a celebration for the city being saved and born anew. Once you are brought forward, please, show me some gratitude and confess your sin. I will make sure to pardon you all as long as you say only the truth"

    Upon saying that, Robert could feel the person to his left was taken and brought forward.

    Despite trying his best to look through the sack, he couldn''t see anything.

    Only a flickering torch that seemed to be the only light source.

    "What is your name?" the commanding voice echoed again, asking the prisoner.

    "Ian" the prisoner answered.

    "What is your sin? Confess it to me and you''ll be pardoned"

    "I killed a person for mocking me and I don''t regret it"

    "Hmm, I see. Now, with this, I will pardon you. You, Ian, are now free..."

    Spurt!

    Robert''s heart thumped when he heard a squelching sound, grating against his eardrums.

    "W- What was that?" He whispered hauntingly.

 Chapter 161 161: A Slaughterhouse (2)

    Robert was impatient as do the other people chained inside this chamber.

    However, for the sake of being free, he doesn''t mind.

    Even if he needed to wait here in this position, he wouldn''t mind as long as he was freed.

    Fueled with the hope of freedom, he could endure anything.

    Once the academy hunters stepped in, he was tensed but happy at the same time, it seemed his freedom was near. A moment later, he thought, soon enough he would be freed and could return to his home and society.

    All of that, however, disappeared when he heard a disturbing sound that echoed across the chamber.

    Following that closely was a heavy, thudding sound that made his heart skip a beat.

    Despite how silent the chamber was, the prisoners in the back couldn''t hear these sounds.

    Robert, on the other hand, who was at the very front of the line¡ªcould hear it clearly.

    "W- What was that?" He stuttered whisperingly. "It doesn''t sound right..."

    He snapped out of his trance when another sound echoed.

    It was the footsteps of the two silhouettes from earlier, presumably the guards overseeing them, and they seemed to be dragging something. Naturally, with the choking atmosphere and the gut feeling of this situation being wrong, Robert thought the worst.

    ''No...'' He quickly shook his head and screamed inside. ''It can''t be, that''s not right!''

    Just then, however, a sharp iron scent penetrated his nose.

    Having to occasionally tussle in prison to keep the bullies away, he knew this scent too well.

    Blood.

    Almost instantly, Robert''s breaths came in short¡ªhe was hyperventilating.

    Panic settles in, he comes to realize what is happening way before the others do.

    They''re going to be killed!

    Before he could say anything, the two guards already unlocked the chains pinning him to his spot and carrying him by the arms, "Tell me what''s going on?!" He shouted¡ªthe fact that he couldn''t see anything was making him insane. "I''m a human too! You can''t treat me like this!"

    Despite trying to fight back, he couldn''t do anything against the two guards.

    He was brought forward and thrown to the floor.

    Because of how rough he was thrown, the sack over his head slipped.

    "What is your sin? Confess it to me and you''ll be pardoned" A voice suddenly asked him.

    Hearing this, Robert''s body stiffened as he slid his head out of the brown sack slowly and gazed ahead.

    It was only then he saw the supposed academy hunters they were supposed to meet.

    On the left side was a woman with utmost beauty, she could easily become a superstar if she wanted to but seeing the cold and indifferent gaze she was giving him¡ªalmost as if she was looking at anything but a human, Robert took back what he initially thought about her.

    She''s beautiful but her sharp gaze could terrify even the bravest of men.

    Glancing to the other side, he was also met with another woman.

    Unlike the woman on the left, she looked older and there was this odd air around her that made looking at her unsettling. It was as if looking at her too long would drain the life out of him. Not to mention, Robert could see that the woman''s face was red¡ªand her hands were crossed under her belly.

    Almost as if she was being shy or maybe something else? Bottom line, she was weird.

    Lastly, his gaze landed on the young man sitting at the center.

    Despite perching on a simple wooden barrel, his commanding aura turned it into a literal throne.

    His golden eyes also seemed hollow, it was as if this young man was looking through him.

    One thing Robert noticed, about the three academy hunters was their shared indifference, they didn''t see him as human. But his composure shattered¡ªwhen his gaze landed on the young man''s face, smeared with blood, and the heavy battle axe resting across his lap.

    Paired with the chilling smile, Robert was terrified.

    Along with the trail of blood on the ground, it was clear he killed Ian.

    "What is your sin? Confess it to me and you''ll be pardoned" Lucivar asked again.

    Upon hearing this, Robert paled.

    He looked around trying to search for a way out¡ªbut the door was completely shut¡ªand locked, on the side, there were two executioners wearing a hood who were tasked to drag the dead bodies, while before him were there Hybrids who closed the dungeon and saved the city.

    No matter how he looked at this, it was hopeless¡ªthis was the end.

    However, in the nick of the intense moment, his mind unraveled a lingering hope.

    ''H- He''s asking for my crime,'' Robert''s eyes flickered. ''he must only want to kill bad people!''

    Recovering from his daze, Robert crawled on his knees and rubbed his hands together.

    "I was accused of stealing¡ªI didn''t do it!" He said¡ªlooking at Lucivar pleadingly. "I''m not like these people, I ended up here because I got into the mix with the wrong people! Please, trust me! Don''t kill me! I''m innocent!"

    As he said that, Lucivar reached his hand towards the battle axe''s handle.

    Panic, Robert begged harder, "You must trust me! I never did anything wrong! I have a wife and a boy!"

    "I understand and I pity you..." Lucivar nodded, his expression turned soft¡ªone that was of empathy. "It must have been hard for you to be accused and ended up here. But don''t worry, you''re going to be freed. You will no longer have to feel this injustice"

    Upon hearing this, Robert''s eyes lit up like stars.

    He was transported back to his childhood, staring up with wide, pleading eyes, clinging to the sole hope of freedom. It was evident that Lucivar had inquired about their crimes, methodically deciding¡ªwho would be spared and who would face death.

    A filter to celebrate the city''s rebirth.

    Now that Lucivar knew he was a victim of injustice, he would be set free.

    But that fantasy was shattered when Lucivar pointed the blade of his axe at Robert''s neck.

    "W- What are you doing...?" Robert gasped, scurrying back in fear.

    In response, Lucivar only tilted his head a little.

    "I think you''ve mistaken about something," He said hauntingly, his voice was riddled with the chanting of death. "Nobody is going to survive tonight. I''m asking to determine whether I should kill you in a painful manner or not. Death will be your freedom"

    Upon hearing this, Robert''s breath hitched as his face instantly paled.

    He couldn''t believe what he was hearing.

    However, Lucivar had no patience to spare¡ªhe needed to massacre them all tonight.

    "Sabrina," He called, glancing over his shoulder. "How about him?"

    "Can I really do this...?" Sabrina asked hesitantly, she was shy but it was clear she wanted to do this.

    Lucivar nodded, "So, is it a yes or a no?"

    "Yes..." Sabrina nodded repeatedly. "I like his reactions, I think I want him"

    As soon as she said that, Lucivar swung the battle axe in a deadly arc, severing Robert''s arms with one flawless swing. Blood spurted out instantly like a broken faucet, it quickly pooled around Robert before his mind clicked.

    In horror, he looked down and saw his own pool of blood.

    Such a sight struck him like a lightning strike, "RAARGGHH! MY ARMS!!"

    Despite Robert''s painful screams¡ªand wails that echoed throughout the chamber¡ªLucivar, Ravenna, and Sabrina didn''t seem bothered at all. Sabrina was excited and aroused, Lucivar smiled in delight, and Ravenna was too focused on the floating negative energy that gathered on the ceiling.

    "Grab him and hand him on the stake," Lucivar said, pointing at the two executioners.

    Upon hearing this, those two immediately nodded and got to work.

    "Master..." Sabrina suddenly called from the side with a cute voice, tapping his shoulder playfully.

    Lucivar turned towards her and raised an eyebrow, "What? Are you finally respecting me now?"

    "Yes!" Sabrina nodded and tilted her head just so¡ªthe movement accompanied by a playful flick of her hair and her hands clasped together with barely contained glee. "Master Lucivar is the best, I know I can count on you if I devote myself to you!"

    "Stop with the licking," Lucivar crossed his arms. "I know you''re going back to being annoying later"

    "How can you say that, master?" Sabrina pushed him a little teasingly. "I''ll be good from now on!"

    Promising to make Sabrina stronger so that she could keep up with him, Lucivar arranged the stakes.

    She could choose some of the prisoners to be drained from blood as they begged for mercy, an attempt to make Sabrina more aroused and garner more of her natural ether. Considering that both Gandr and Sha vouched for her, Lucivar didn''t mind doing this.

    It''s not that it went against what he wanted anyway.

    Just then, the situation finally sinks into the other people inside.

    One of them, the loudest of them all shouted, "Are you going to kill us?!"

    "What?" Lucivar replied tauntingly. "Do you think you''re going to be set loose? All of you fuckers are trashes of society, bastards of the worst kinds. All of you are going to die tonight! I can''t have you all going around and hogging all the bad karma away from me"

    As soon as he shouted that, the chamber became extremely silent.

    Not one of the prisoners breathed, they all held their breaths.

    However, in the next second, panic and chaos ensued.

    "FUCK! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!"

    "THIS IS NOT WHAT THEY PROMISED US!!"

    "W- Wait... I''m not a prisoner! I''m nobody! You don''t have to do this to me!"

    Every prisoner surged against their restraints, the clatter of chains deafening as they pulled, struck, and thrashed in desperation. Shackles bit into flesh as arms and legs strained against the unyielding iron but their efforts were outright futile.

    Hopeless against the heavy connectors bolted to the ground.

    Screams echoed through the chamber¡ªraw, guttural cries of rage and despair.

    Many cursed Lucivar with venomous words, their voices breaking as they hurtled insults and prayers alike into the suffocating air. Others, in frenzied desperation, were desperate enough to twist or shatter their own hands, seeking any chance to slip free.

    Upon seeing the chaos, the two executioners were troubled.

    If this is the case, it would be hard to bring them one by one to face Lucivar.

    "Look what you did," Ravenna commented. "it''s going to take longer with them flailing like this. Did you forget about Leandra? She might still come here"

    "Don''t worry," Lucivar lifted up his axe and placed it on his shoulder. "I''m going to go to them instead, it''s faster that way. Come, Sabrina. Pick the one you like¡ªwhile I skim through them one by one, this is going to be fun!"

    Following that, Lucivar started from the front and started hacking the prisoners with his axe.

    He asked them to confess as a formality and killed them in the next second.

    Despite having to taste the pleasure of the flesh through Ravenna earlier, he now became undecided.

    ''Sex or killing, hah... I don''t know. Both of them felt really good but I think this has the edge..."

 Chapter 162 162: Sacrificial Bleeding

    It was a bloody slaughter.

    Instead of the executioners bringing each of the prisoners in turns, Lucivar went to them.

    He began at the front¡ªposing a single, pointed question of confession before bringing down the battle axe in his grip. Naturally, he ensured their screams echoed first, giving Sabrina the chance to say whether she wanted them or not.

    If she showed no interest, Lucivar ended their agony with a swift, ruthless swing.

    One stroke is all it takes for him to sever their heads.

    Considering his strength, decapitating these people became way too easy.

    It was akin to cutting through butter.

    Not even the flesh and bones could pose any kind of resistance to his powerful swing.

    Lucivar showed no mercy.

    It doesn''t matter if these people are guilty or innocent.

    As long as he obtained what he wanted in the end, there''s no reason to hesitate.

    A bad person''s death cut him from competition while a good person was natural order.

    Splash!

    "Confess!"

    Spurt!

    "Come on, let out your scream. Let me hear it!"

    Splash!

    One by one, the prisoners were decapitated¡ªtheir heads rolling across the ground.

    Behind Lucivar was the executioner¡ªready to pick up the rolling heads and put them away.

    Despite working as executioners for many years, these two were disturbed.

    Lucivar killed these prisoners with a content smile on his face, it was as if he was very much enjoying the bloodshed he caused¡ªand revel the blood, that squirted, and sprayed onto his face as if it was juice.

    Such a sight was haunting, both couldn''t believe there were academy hunters like this.

    Not to mention, since they were academy hunters¡ªthey were supposed to be young.

    So the fact that someone so young could be this unhinged was a scary realization.

    Had Lucivar could read through their minds, he would''ve laughed.

    Of course, these two executioners would be disturbed by his unsettling smile.

    However, if they knew about the shimmering sphere that dropped to the ground with every kill he claimed¡ªthey would be smiling too without a doubt. There was a dark satisfaction in watching the gleaming spheres scatter at his feet, a tangible reward for each life taken.

    Even the light sound they made as they dropped to the ground was relaxing to hear.

    Lucivar couldn''t help but smile at that.

    Not to mention, the spheres that were dropped were exceeding his expectations.

    Since he didn''t manipulate these prisoners directly and he also didn''t overpower them directly, Lucivar was only expecting to see golden spheres dropping from them. However, instead of only the gold ones, there were also the green and bronze spheres.

    He already expected to obtain small spheres, there were two Hybrids among these prisoners.

    So these spheres were the smallest Lucivar had ever gotten.

    However, although their sizes were smaller than normal, they made up in quantity.

    ''With how many spheres I obtained, there''s no way my second wing wouldn''t grow!'' Lucivar smirked.

    Just the thought of absorbing these spheres excited him.

    Soon enough, Sabrina had gotten ten of her chosen people prisoners.

    All of them suffered wounds from Lucivar''s strike, bleeding profusely and hissing in pain.

    One executioner helped Sabrina hang these prisoners on the stakes with ropes that wrapped around their necks and waist, suspending them mid-air. Nodding her head in satisfaction, their painful groans were tickling her eardrums, she quickly reached for the ceiling-high curtain and covered the entire section off from prying eyes, giving her personal space.

    Just from the deadly glint in her eyes alone, what she was planning to do was crystal clear.

    Ravenna who saw this frowned, ''How is he lucky enough to meet that maid?''

    ''He''s very fortunate¡ªmy personal maid is timid and barely responsive'' She shook her head lightly.

    Averting her gaze ahead, Ravenna''s expression twisted into a scowl.

    She was quite annoyed seeing the smile on Lucivar''s face as he hacked a prisoner with his battle axe.

    Lucivar was breathing heavily, with a content smile on his face, looking at the headless corpse, squirting out blood like a fountain¡ªwith so much excitement in his eyes. It was annoying to look at, or at least it was very annoying for Ravenna.

    ''He''s having more fun killing these bums than fucking me?'' She squinted. ''I can''t have that''

    Feeling threatened, she approached¡ªher footsteps echoed across the chamber.

    She went over to Lucivar, stopping beside the executioner who stood silently behind him, a sack ready in hand for the bloody severed head. With a brief glance at the executioner, she extended her hand, not even saying a single word¡ªwordlessly signaling her intent.

    Upon seeing this, the executioner was confused as to what she wanted.

    But Ravenna didn''t clarify.

    Instead, she grabbed the bag from the executioner''s hand and pushed him away.

    Pushed suddenly, the executioner stumbled but regained his footing, realizing what Ravenna wanted.

    Clearing his throat, he kept his head down and walked away.

    On the other hand, Lucivar grabbed the spheres and stored them all inside his Inner Chamber so that he could absorb them once he was done slaughtering these people and ended the night.

    At this point, a quarter of the people were left¡ªand many of them were already helpless.

    Attempting to break free for twenty minutes straight left them powerless and riddled with pain.

    All of their limbs were throbbing, and sweat covered their whole body.

    Of course, some of them tried screaming for help but inside this crypt, one floor under the ground, their voices were completely muffled. No amount of screaming would allow anyone outside to hear them, it was futile.

    "Please, I will be good from now on! I''ll devote myself to the city, I swear!"

    Splash!

    Not even heeding the prisoner''s plea, Lucivar swung and decapitated him.

    Upon being decapacitated, the head rolled past his feet and it was then he realized Ravenna was behind him.

    "Hmm? Aren''t you supposed to be absorbing negative energy?" He asked, questioningly.

    Grabbing the head and putting it inside the sack, Ravenna smiled, "I am..." She said as she straightened her posture again. "But seeing you having fun makes me want to join too, and besides, I also wanted to have a closer look. Why? Can''t I join?"

    Ravenna didn''t need to sit still and meditate to absorb negative energy.

    Her body does it automatically so she is free to do anything.

    And in this case, she wanted to stand beside Lucivar.

    "Not a problem for me," Lucivar shrugged and focused back on killing the prisoners again.

    Soon enough, the entirety of the prisoners were slaughtered¡ªleaving only the mangled headless corpses and blood that littered the ground. Not one of them was spared. Each one was given the same exact treatment as the others.

    "Phew~!" Lucivar wiped the sweat on his forehead. "Killing that many people is a chore!"

    "But you seemed to be loving it," Ravenna commented.

    "Of course," Lucivar wiped his bloodied hand on the executioner''s clothes. "it made me stronger"

    Ravenna shook her head and handed over the sack of heads to the executioner.

    She then looked around the mess, "What should we do about this?"

    "Don''t worry about it," the executioner suddenly answered. "we''ll clean up the mess"

    As the executioner moved to fetch his cleaning tools to tend to the corpses and blood, Lucivar halted him with a firm hand pressed against his chest, "No," He said, his voice low and sharp. "I''ll handle this. I can''t let all these... goodies go to waste"

    Upon hearing this, both Ravenna and the executioner were confused.

    What did he mean by that?

    Both of them thought of the same question inside.

    Just then, in front of their very eyes, the tattoo on Lucivar''s wrist glistened with energy.

    ''I never saw him have that before, is it new? When did he get it?'' Ravenna frowned.

    Although their flesh had intertwined and connected before, she didn''t pay close attention to his body¡ªas she was being railed and her mind was all over the place. She didn''t know that Lucivar had that tattoo, it must be new.

    Just then, a dark bronze fang appeared on Lucivar''s hand.

    It was summoned by the tattoo as the tattoo disappeared once the fang appeared.

    Looking at the Fang of Ankh, a smile crept to his face.

    Other than having the ability to encase anything Lucivar deemed a weapon with the Ankh symbol, enhancing the weapon with the Heat of the Duat, it also has another ability. Like Gleipnir''s Echo, he could attain essence bars that he could use to increase his ability''s mastery.

    A unique power to Loki.

    The Fang of Ankh also has that ability, it could amass essence bars to tap into Sutekh''s power.

    Sha had told it to him while he was waiting for Ravenna to mess with Leandra''s plan.

    Even though he didn''t know exactly what the essence bars were for, he knew how to amass it.

    Nodding his head, Lucivar infused his ether into the Fang of Ankh, causing it to glow with a sinister aura and levitate. It was something to behold. Ravenna and the executioner watched as the fang went on to levitate above Lucivar''s head.

    Although the executioner was looking at it with marvel, Ravenna was in complete and utter shock.

    ''What kind of weapon is that...?'' She questioned inside, gasping on the outside. ''A weapon that could levitate and exude an aura of its own without the wielder''s influence must be sentient. I''ve only heard high-grade items¡ªthose belonging to Paragon-rank Hybrid, or higher have that!''

    Knowing more about the Hybrid world, Ravenna couldn''t believe her eyes.

    She couldn''t fathom how Lucivar got his hands on something like that.

    But it was clear that it had something to do with his bloodline.

    An item as high-quality as this is not sold in the city''s market so he couldn''t have bought it.

    Not to mention, the aura that the fang exuded was utterly evil.

    It was as if the blade came from the depth of hell itself.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar reached his hand and grabbed the fang again.

    Swish!

    Once he did, the fang glowed brighter instantly.

    Ravenna then looked around, seeing the blood that had covered the floor began to move.

    In the next second, to her surprise, the blood scattered across the floor began being drawn to the fang¡ªas if compelled by an unseen force. Streams of crimson slithered like serpents, converging into a mesmerizing vortex.

    Even the blood trapped within the lifeless bodies was not spared.

    All blood was sucked, flowing upward to join the swirling mass above them.

    Swoosh!

    The vortex spun with an almost hypnotic grace, reflecting the faint light in glimmers of red and silver.

    As the fang absorbed the blood, it stood like a sacred chalice, its surface gleaming with dark reverence and within moments, the chamber was left utterly pristine. The tang of iron vanished, almost as if there had been no bloodshed minutes ago.

    On its surface, there were three glowing rings¡ªsigning that three essence bars had been filled.

    Once it was over, Ravenna and the executioner turned to Lucivar.

    Both their eyes were locked onto him, the pivot of the moment.

    Lucivar smiled as he tilted the fang, as if ready to pour its crimson content over himself.

    However, what descended was not blood, but a cascade of dazzling bronze energy, a sparkling veil that enveloped him in otherworldly splendor. A surge of energy descends upon him and soon, the other ability of the fang graced Lucivar with its blessing.

    "Now... what benefit you''re going to give me, Sutekh?"

 Chapter 163 163: Stone Tablet of Physique

    Absorbing the blood from hundreds of prisoners barely filled three essence bars.

    Recalling how easily he obtained five essence bars for Loki, he expected that with this much blood, he would also obtain five essence bars for Sutekh. But it doesn''t seem to be the case. Instead of five, he only obtained three instead.

    Nevertheless, it didn''t snuff out Lucivar''s excitement.

    He poured the dazzling bronze energy onto him, anticipating the blessing he would receive.

    Like a waterfall, the energy cascaded down onto his head before swirling as it made its way down to his feet. Knowing that this was Sutekh''s power, Lucivar already gritted his teeth tightly, fearing that the process would be painful¡ªakin to absorbing the bronze spheres.

    But instead of pain, he felt refreshed instead¡ªlike being massaged from his temple to his feet.

    Observing this from the side, the executioner was horrified.

    Unlike what Lucivar was seeing, what poured out from the fang was literal blood that was glittering.

    It wasn''t a bronze energy but blood instead.

    Because of that, the sight of Lucivar smiling and seemingly in great pleasure¡ªas the blood swirls around him was haunting. So much that the executioner''s lips behind the black sack were trembling, ''No doubt about it, he''s the Devil! No Human being takes pleasure like this! He''s the Devil!''

    On the other hand, Ravenna squinted as she watched this scene.

    Something inside her mind clicked, a puzzle piece fitting the frame¡ªbut she didn''t voice it out.

    Meanwhile, after swirling around Lucivar''s body, the energy swam forward and created what seemed to be a stone tablet. His eyes flickered when he saw a drawing begin to form on the tablet and in a moment, the anatomy of a Human body was formed.

    It was a rough anatomy, highlighting only several key aspects.

    Lucivar recognized them all instantly, the key aspects were differentiated into three layers.

    In the first layer, there are¡ªarms, legs, and skin.

    In the second layer, there are¡ªmuscles, skeletons, tendons, eyes, ears, and blood vessels.

    In the third layer, there are¡ªthe brain, ether vessels, internal organs, and supernatural ego.

    From the looks of it, there''s a fourth layer but Lucivar didn''t know what it is.

    As he inspected the drawing, however, the second, third, and fourth layers¡ªbegan to fade away¡ªleaving only the arms, legs, and skin aspects. Just from this alone, it was clear what their disappearance meant, ''I can only access the first layer. I am guessing the upper layers would be unlocked¡ªthrough Sutekh''s Divine Elevation''

    Surely, that was the reason why he could only access the first layer.

    Just then, three bars appeared at the top of the tablet.

    It was obvious enough that the three bars were the essence bars he obtained tonight.

    ''Sutekh is all about the body, the epitome of physical prowess. His tests showed that clearly. So does that mean I can use the essence bars to upgrade my physique? Is that what this means?'' Lucivar thought, his eyes narrowing. ''I could now either upgrade my arms, legs, or skin. Which one should I choose?''

    Pondering for a second, Lucivar decided to choose the skin.

    Getting to the decision was quite easy and fast.

    Recalling how a single dungeon run had once left him bedridden, he chose to upgrade his skin. Harder skin meant fewer wounds, less blood loss, and a greater ability to endure. With reduced bleeding, he could conserve his strength longer, and his healing process would naturally accelerate.

    Using his mind, he chose the skin and one bar above the tablet began blinking slowly.

    ''For the first upgrade, it cost one essence bar. Okay...'' Lucivar nodded.

    Just as he was about to confirm, he remembered something and turned to Ravenna on the side.

    "Keep a lookout outside, will you? To see if Leandra tries something," He asked.

    Despite her reluctance, Ravenna nodded, "Fine. Since this is your plan, I''ll do it." She turned to leave but paused mid-step. "If I find her¡ªor uncover anything she''s planning, I''ll give you a signal. But you need to hurry and get out of here. The longer you stay, the worse your situation will become"

    "I know," Lucivar nodded. "you alone I know I can trust"

    Once he said that, Ravenna walked away¡ªclosing the door behind him with a loud thud.

    As soon as she exited the room, Lucivar focused back on the stone tablet.

    He ignored the screams coming from behind the curtains, where Sabrina was having fun, and confirmed to upgrade his skin. The moment he did that, one energy bar vanished and a portion of the bronze energy went to him¡ªcovering his whole skin.

    Lucivar closed his eyes, preparing himself to be massaged again.

    However, instead of the same pleasuring feeling¡ªhis nerve endings were assaulted by pain.

    It was excruciating, it felt like his skin was on fire¡ªcausing him to fall to his knees.

    Naturally, the executioner wanted to help but Lucivar stretched out his hand, signaling for him to stop.

    Suffering through the pain, Lucivar pressed his hands against the cold floor¡ªwith his eyes and veins bulging painfully. He gritted his teeth, groans escaping from his mouth but he held on. As the process continued, he saw the bronze sparkling energy reinforcing his skin.

    Slowly but surely, his skin contracted and became tighter than before.

    It took one long minute until the process ended.

    Once it ended, Lucivar climbed back to his feet and looked at his arms.

    Finding that he couldn''t spot any difference, he turned to the executioner, "Do I look different?"

    "Eh...?" the executioner stammered in confusion.

    "I said, do I look any different?"

    "Yes... I don''t really know how but you''re slightly glowing"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded his head¡ªhis skin certainly became stronger from that.

    Averting his gaze back to the stone tablet, he saw a change.

    Now, the skin aspect was glowing with a faint bronze light¡ªsigning that it had been upgraded once.

    Following that, magical writing began to form under the essence bars.

    ''Physique Assessment: Papyrus-tier (Low)''

    Lucivar tilted his head when he saw the writings, it seemed there were ranks too for his physique.

    "Papyrus-tier is the lowest of the low," Sha suddenly appeared and explained. "It represents the sole foundation of your physique. Above it was the Falcon, Sphinx, Obelisk, Mortal Champion, God-Touched, Divine Rebirth, Divine Establishment, Divine Peak, Divine Chaos, and finally¡ªthe God-King tier. Do you get that? Or should I repeat it?"

    "Oh...?" Lucivar smiled playfully. "Someone is in a good mood"

    "Hmph! I still haven''t forgiven you for sleeping with that stupid whore, but this is a start" Sha answered.

    It was obvious that she liked tonight but didn''t want to show it to Lucivar.

    Sacrificing a lot of people for Sutekh, surely¡ªthis also pleases Sha.

    "Who invented those tiers?" Lucivar asked curiously, noticing the inconsistencies.

    "You noticed?" Sha questioned before shrugging. "It''s not my Lord''s making, it''s the Netjeru''s making"

    Knowing how arrogant Sutekh was, he was surprised that the last tier wasn''t something like ''Red Sand Lord'' or perhaps even ''Sutekh'' tier. Because of that, he suspected the tiers weren''t made by Sutekh and he was right about that.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded but he didn''t question further.

    Knowing that the Netjeru must be some sort of God group, he didn''t want to know and get into trouble.

    Shaking his head, Lucivar focused on the moment.

    He waved his hand, erasing the stone tablet, and looked around.

    ''I''ll do this later. For now, let''s finish up'' He thought before pointing Gleipnir''s Echo at the floor.

    Despite not being manipulated directly, killing some of these prisoners also gave him a green essence¡ªthat could refill Loki''s essence bars. As he absorbed the green essence¡ªthat was akin to a green mist covering the floor, siphoning it all, Lucivar noticed the essence bars displayed on the ring were flickering.

    Confused, he paused for a second before continue absorbing more.

    Suddenly, the five essence bars disappeared.

    All five were replaced by a single essence bar and unlike the ones earlier, the color was different.

    Lucivar could see clearly that this one has a deeper shade of green.

    And even until the entire green essence was absorbed, he couldn''t obtain another essence bar.

    "Gandr? Can you explain?" Lucivar suddenly asked.

    Snaking out¡ªfrom the shadow, Gandr appeared, "It is a higher currency of the essence bar. One deep emerald essence bar equals five faint green ones. Also, the rewards you obtained from the mirrors are better if you use deep emerald essences"

    Lucivar was mildly surprised, the rewards were already good and now Gandr said that they were better?

    ''This is very exciting!'' He thought, anticipating what the future holds for him.

    Checking the rewards would need to be done later though.

    "Sabrina, are you done?!" Lucivar shouted, calling for Sabrina who was still behind the curtains.

    Unlike earlier, the screams from the prisoners she chose were fainter now.

    She should be finishing up too.

    "Just a little bit more, master!" Sabrina shouted back. "Give me a few minutes!"

    Lucivar clicked his tongue as he was already done, the prisoners were all dead.

    Or at least, that''s what he thought.

    "Sir..." the executioner approached hesitantly.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar glanced at him and raised an eyebrow, "What do you want?"

    "Actually," He stuttered, keeping his gaze down. "there are a few more prisoners"

    Expecting that the prisoners here were all the prisoners gathered, Lucivar didn''t expect this.

    Seeing the frown on his face, the executioner quickly explained, "We didn''t expect to obtain so many of them so the prepared room was full, we can''t fit more in this chamber. Because of that, we put a few more in the other room"

    "How many?" Lucivar asked, grabbing his axe again.

    With trembling fingers, the executioner lifted two fingers, "Only two more, I''ll lead you to them"

    Lucivar nodded and gestured for the executioner to go on ahead.

    "Sabrina, stay here! I''ll only be going to the other room!" He said before exiting through the back door.

    Moments later.

    Holding the bloody axe in his hand, Lucivar followed the executioner''s lead¡ªthe sound of the blood drizzling across the floor as Lucivar walked was a cold air against the executioner''s spine. Usually, the death rows were the ones afraid of that sound.

    But now, the executioner was feeling that fear¡ªeven though he wasn''t the target of that bloody axe.

    Soon enough, the duo reached another door¡ªleading to a small cell.

    "Are they in here?" Lucivar asked, pointing at the door.

    The executioner nodded repeatedly, "Lieutenant Rafi thinks you would like the gesture"

    Lucivar was a little bit curious so he decided to twist the door handle and stepped inside.

    Once he saw the faces inside the small cell, his face turned from shock and then devilish.

    He noticed these faces, "Well, well, well... who do we have here?"

 Chapter 164 164: Nobody Go Unpunished

    Lucivar was curious as to what kind of gesture the executioner was talking about.

    Knowing how Rafi operates, basing his actions on the morality of the mass¡ªhe doesn''t allow himself to have high hopes. Nothing Rafi could think of would even be remotely considered a good gesture in Lucivar''s eyes.

    Both of their worlds are completely different from each other.

    However, Lucivar was proven wrong.

    "Well, well, well... who do we have here?" He mused, pleasantly surprised by the faces in this cell.

    Initially, Lucivar expected to face a couple dozen more prisoners to kill, but there were only two¡ªand one of them was someone who, surprisingly enough, managed to force his lips to curl upward into an evil smile.

    A rare flicker of happiness ignited at the sight of this person.

    Similarly, the moment Lucivar stepped into the cell, the man staggered to his feet.

    His face was a mask of utter shock that quickly turned into rage.

    "Once this is over, I want you to tell Rafi that his gesture is very much appreciated," Lucivar said to the executioner without turning to look, his sharp eyes were fixed on the familiar man in front of him with clear delight on his face.

    Bowing slightly, the executioner answered, "I will deliver that message"

    Just then, the man pointed ahead with both hands that were chained together¡ªseething with anger.

    "So this was your doing all along!" He shouted, grinding his teeth. "Damn, coward!"

    "What?" Lucivar chuckled mockingly. "Do you think I''m going to let you go?"

    Naturally, this man was none other than the proselyte''s brother.

    Lucivar was forced to let him go because Leandra got in the way.

    But it seemed that small incident was able to reach Lieutenant Rafi and as a kind gesture, probably due to fear, he also tossed the man here into the cage of a very hungry and malicious tiger¡ªto be at Lucivar''s mercy.

    "Do not be mistaken," Lucivar said, taking another step forward. "It is not my intention to kill you here. I planned to finish the matters I have in this city and then kill you before I go but it seems like I was given the privilege to kill you here. Either way, you''re dying in the end"

    "After all, no one... I''ll not let anyone who wanted to sacrifice me go unpunished," He added lightly.

    His voice brought along a chilling cold that seeped into the bones.

    It was as if death accompanied his declaration.

    Even in the face of death, the man, however¡ªwasn''t afraid at all.

    Losing his little brother was too painful for him to feel anything other than anger.

    All he wanted to do was to rip Lucivar to pieces for what he had done.

    "An almighty Hybrid, capable of shutting down a blue dungeon, and yet..." the man sneered, his smirk dripping with contempt as his eyes bore into Lucivar like he was beneath him. "So terrified to share the same room with me that you''ve bound me in chains and left the door wide open. Tell me, did my little brother traumatize you so deeply that even now, you''re trembling behind all that bravado?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar couldn''t hide his excitement anymore.

    His smile returned back to his face, but now, it looked more sinister and deadly.

    Lucivar reached out his hand to the executioner, "Keys..."

    Nodding his head, the executioner grabbed the ring of keys attached to his waist and handed one over.

    Not stopping at that, Lucivar put the key to his other hand and asked again, "A knife? Or any blade?"

    "Ah..." the executioner unsheathed a knife and handed it too. "Here you go"

    Of course, the executioner knew what Lucivar wanted to do and he found it incredulous¡ªfreeing the man would only bring trouble. Just from the twisted look the man has right now, it was clear that he would strike the moment Lucivar freed him.

    Lucivar also knew that but he didn''t care, he decided to take the bait.

    Clearly, the man was provoking Lucivar to open the chainscuffs that were restraining him.

    In his situation, he couldn''t do anything to Lucivar but if his hands were free, he could.

    Lucivar stepped forward, lifting the key until it hovered just before the man''s face, holding it there for a brief moment. His movements were deliberate and slow, almost taunting, as he placed the key into the man''s hand.

    All the while, his gaze remained locked on the man''s defiant eyes.

    Even the unspoken tension between them alone was sharp enough to cut.

    Receiving the key, the man instantly opened his cuffs¡ªthat were binding his hands.

    A clanging sound echoed inside the cell as the chains dropped to the floor.

    Once the man''s hands were free, Lucivar now lifted the knife and handed it to the man daringly.

    Slowly, the man grabs ahold of the knife in his hand tightly.

    "Now..." Lucivar whispered hauntingly, standing in front of the man''s face. "you''re free, held a very sharp weapon in your hand, and I''m standing within your striking distance. What are you going to do, big brother...?"

    Upon hearing this, the man gritted his teeth¡ªhis eyes burned with bloodlust.

    Holding the knife''s handle tightly in a reverse grip, he swung it viciously, aiming at Lucivar''s neck.

    Slash!

    Despite the slashing arc, the man''s eyes widened when Lucivar was unscathed.

    ''What...?'' His eyes widened in shock. ''I slashed his throat! He should''ve been choking in blood!''

    Confused, the man inspected the knife, turning it to confirm its sharpness.

    As expected, the blade''s edge gleamed under the flickering torchlight held by the executioner¡ªit was no doubt razor-sharp and deadly. However, even with such a weapon, he could not so much as scratch Lucivar.

    He couldn''t do anything!

    "Put more weight into it," Lucivar commented, encouraging the man.

    Refusing to believe that he could not do anything to Lucivar¡ªthe man struck again¡ªputting all of his weight into this strike¡ªand this time, he attempted to stab Lucivar''s chest. But the result was the same, the tip of the knife couldn''t pierce through the skin.

    It felt like he was pushing the knife against a rock.

    No matter how hard he tried, it was simply impossible for him to pierce Lucivar with the knife.

    Naturally, his expression was drained from all colors at the realization.

    "Look," Lucivar pointed at the man. "I even managed to awaken your dormant bloodline"

    Upon hearing this, the man looked down at his body and found a subtle blue aura radiating from him.

    Due to the extreme situation, he was in and also the empowerment from his desire to avenge his little brother, the man''s dormant bloodline was awakened¡ªeffectively making him a Neophyte-rank Hybrid, someone useful to the world.

    Such a realization was surprising and devastating at the same time.

    It was bittersweet.

    On one side, he obtained the path to avenge his little brother but on the other side, he would die today.

    Not to mention, even with his newly unlocked power, he couldn''t pierce Lucivar''s skin.

    Just that alone speaks if the disparity of strength between them.

    "Congratulations," Lucivar remarked, his tone laced with mockery. "It seems you''re the first Hybrid this city has produced in years." A sinister grin crept across his face, twisting his face into something dark and malevolent. "A shame, though... the people will never know"

    Bam!!

    "Kuaahkk!" the man vomited a disturbing amount of blood.

    Lucivar placed his hand on the man''s shoulder before making a yanking motion, pulling out his hand from the man''s chest with a beating heart in it, "In the next life, remember to mind your strength and not punch anyone above your weight. It''s quite a valuable rule to have in mind"

    With a final, shuddering breath, the man clung to Lucivar.

    His grip faltered as his strength ebbed away.

    Soon, his body slumped and wrapped around Lucivar''s legs, lifeless and heavy, as the light faded from his eyes, leaving only a hollow stillness behind. Just like his little brother, he tries to mess with Lucivar and dies because of it.

    Not even sparing a glance at the corpse, Lucivar patted his uniform nonchalantly.

    "Cool, my skin can''t even be pierced by a Neophyte-rank Hybid," He nodded, praising his new body.

    Although the man couldn''t even be considered a Hybrid, it was still worth noting.

    Lucivar could now test if a five-star Neophyte-rank Hybrid could pierce his new skin or not.

    He had a person in mind that could help, Thalia or perhaps Elira.

    But he would think about doing that later when he returned to the academy.

    Just as he was about to turn, he stopped when he realized another figure shuddering at the corner.

    Due to the man, he forgot that there was another person here.

    And surprisingly, he also found this woman''s face familiar.

    "You..." Lucivar whispered, pointing at her. "You look familiar. Who are you?"

    Instead of answering the question, the woman lifted her terror-stricken face just enough for Lucivarr to see. Recognition struck him like a blow¡ªshe was Pippa''s mother. Somehow, she had ended up here, mistaken for one of the homeless and barely clinging to life.

    Her entire body quaked, lips trembling uncontrollably as her wide, terrified eyes fixed on Lucivar.

    Everything, she saw everything from start to finish.

    She had watched Lucivar strip the man of his defiance, turning it to raw fear before ending him brutally.

    It was something straight out of a nightmare.

    And Lucivar, the city''s hero was the last person she thought would be doing this kind of atrocity.

    Although she had seen Lucivar once¡ªthe man who had accepted Pippa''s flower with a warm smile and saved her from death. But this Lucivar standing before her was completely foreign, he could make even the Devil himself shudder.

    Lucivar''s face darkened, it was clear that he didn''t expect her to be here.

    However, despite the realization, he turned to her with the bloody axe in hand.

    As he was about to take a step, the woman reached him.

    Realizing what Lucivar was about to do, the woman scrambled desperately, crawling to his feet and clutching them for dear life. Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at him, her voice breaking with anguish, "Please," She sobbed, her trembling hands tightening their grip. "I''m all Pippa has! She''s a troubled child¡ªshe can''t survive without me!

    "She gets panic attacks if I leave her, even for a moment. I can''t let her suffer like that!" She added.

    As soon as she said that, Gandr slithered out into existence.

    "What''s wrong?" He asked, the corner of his lips curling up. "Is that compassion I sense?"

    Despite the taunting questions, Lucivar stayed silent.

    Gandr became even more daring, coiling onto Lucivar''s shoulder and hovering in front of his face, "If I remember correctly, you have your own code¡ªyou wouldn''t kill blanks. But this woman, she already made her decision. She chose the side of good, meaning, she''s your food"

    "Kill her, the situation calls for it." Gandr continued. "If you stop, you''re betraying yourself"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar gripped the battle axe''s handle tightly.

    ''Kill her, huh...'' He muttered inwardly, looking at the pleading woman under him¡ªundecided.

 Chapter 165 165: Trapped in a Tricky Situation

    Lucivar was stuck in the moment.

    Upon his rebirth as a new man, free from his previous shell¡ªhe also established a code.

    No matter how heinous¡ªand disgusting, he would do anything in order to become stronger.

    But he wouldn''t kill blanks that hadn''t chosen their paths yet.

    Killing blanks would only be unfair, everyone deserved a chance to live until they were fully aware.

    Believing in that, Lucivar doesn''t want to kill blanks.

    That was his code until he reached his goal.

    Karma will be destroyed by his own two hands¡ªbut in order achieve that level¡ªin order to reach the level of power to do that, he would need to make use of the broken rule that bad karma will bestow rewards while good karma bestows catastrophe.

    Killing this woman would give him a lot of bad karma, Lucivar could feel it in his bones.

    Although killing was already an act granting a lot of bad karma, knowing the victims intimately and killing them regardless would bestow a lot more bad karma. Based on that, this was a big opportunity for Lucivar¡ªkilling this woman is in his best interest.

    However, for some reason, he hesitated.

    Gandr noticed that and slithered out to check, he assumed that Lucivar was feeling compassionate.

    After all, this woman is not a nobody¡ªshe was Pippa''s mother.

    She was the mother of a young girl who, if only for a fleeting moment, made Lucivar remember the man he once was. A young man trying to do good for the city, making bouquets to give to the brave and selfless Death Volunteers.

    Being inside of Lucivar all this time, Gandr saw it first-hand.

    And naturally, Gandr thought that the compassionate man would come back at this moment.

    "Hiss~" Gandr leaned closer, looking at Lucivar directly in the eyes. "What are you going to choose?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar looked down at the pleading woman¡ªhis expression grim.

    ''I was like Pippa once, innocent and hopeful''

    ''If I kill this woman right now, Pippa would definitely be sad. Perhaps, she''d even die''

    ''In the past, if my mother and brother somehow died, I would also not know how to live on with my life''

    ''Hmm, I don''t know...She might even haunt me in my sleep''

    Just then, Lucivar''s eyes flickered with a golden hue¡ªa devilish smile crossed his face.

    ''Disgusting... How dare she make me remember the past?'' Lucivar pondered, bloodlust began seeping out of his body like a thick crimson robe. ''I should''ve spared this woman''s life and let them meet another evil person who would torture and kill them slowly. But since I''m a magnanimous and kind person, I''ll kill this woman still...''

    Seeing the flicker of bloodlust in his eyes, Gandr smirked and evaporated.

    It seemed Lucivar had come to a decision that he liked.

    Lucivar lifted the battle axe over his head, preparing to strike.

    Sparing the woman''s life was an act that Lucivar could do, nobody would question him.

    Her life and death were completely within Lucivar''s grasp.

    However, Lucivar decided to show her mercy instead.

    Of course, mercy for someone of good alignment like her was a swift death.

    Sparing her life would be too cruel.

    One might think that it should''ve been the opposite but none of them see the world as Lucivar did.

    In Lucivar''s biased view, good people were only alive to be preyed on by evil, and he considered himself as the kindest evil who would devour them with a simple, clean swing. A swift death. Had it been any other evil people, this woman might end up in a far worse situation.

    Lucivar killing this woman would be the most ideal, it was mercy.

    And he was going to do it.

    As for Pippa, natural selection will take its course¡ªshe must carve her destiny.

    "Do you love Pippa?" Lucivar suddenly asked.

    Upon hearing this, the woman nodded her head repeatedly while still clutching on Lucivar''s leg.

    Seeing this, Lucivar nodded, "Then accept this swift death, it''s for a better future..."

    Swoosh!

    Immediately after he said that Lucivar swung the battle axe¡ªintending to kill the woman.

    But as the blade was about to pierce through the woman''s back and crush her insides, Lucivar came to an abrupt stop when the citadel suddenly trembled slightly. A frown crept to his face as he turned to look at the executioner, "What was that?"

    "I think it came from the outside" the executioner replied, also confused.

    Pausing for a second, Lucivar''s eyes widened, ''Is it Ravenna''s signal? Leandra found us?''

    Just then, Sabrina ran through the corridor and stepped into the room.

    "Master!" She called¡ªa sense of urgency and worry on her face. "A lot of people had gathered outside!"

    "What?!" Lucivar gasped in shock. "What people?"

    "It''s the people of the city, a lot of them were gathered in front of the citadel!" Sabrina replied.

    Lucivar''s eyes blazed in sundering fury, and a name flowed out of his lips hauntingly.

    "Leandra..." He whispered chillingly.

    Following that whisper, Lucivar, Sabrina, and the two executioners could hear a voice calling for none other than Lucivar outside. It was a distant woman''s voice, and certainly, this voice belonged to Lendra who somehow concocted this.

    Despite having no time to waste, Lucivar stood rooted¡ªcontemplating.

    ''If I come out right now, everyone would see the blood on me and also the corpse. Should I leave?''

    Lucivar was undecided.

    He knew that if he came out and confronted Leandra, he would be in a very disadvantageous position.

    It would end with him being caught red-handed for killing the prisoners in cold blood.

    On the other hand, if he ran away¡ªthe people would also be suspicious as Lucivar couldn''t possibly hide hundreds of corpses in the main room in a few minutes. At one point or another, the corpse would be found and he would be judged.

    So, the options are either confront them and get caught or flee and hope to leave before being caught.

    One gives him zero chance to be free, he''ll be imprisoned while the other provides a slight chance.

    Clearly, he opted to choose to escape from the backdoor.

    However, he stopped when he thought of something¡ªa third option that was far better than the others.

    "We... We should tell them the truth," One of the executioners, the one who accompanied Sabrina from earlier spoke to the other executioner with a trembling voice. "Both of them might be pardoned since they both are Hybrids but us...? We''ll be hanged by the people! At least if we tell the truth, we could plea for mercy, tell them we''re only following orders!"

    "Don''t..." the other executioner shook his head. "Don''t be reckless!"

    Despite the warning, his friend turned around, "No, this is the only chance we''re surviving"

    Just as he was about to step out of the room, however, a cold wind brushed against his neck.

    Crash!!

    Acting on instinct, Lucivar seized the battle axe''s handle with both hands¡ªand swung it in a swift, decisive arc toward the executioner. The blade met its mark with brutal precision, cleaving cleanly through the executioner''s neck.

    His head fell to the ground with a disturbing thud, the razor-sharp edge drew blood once more.

    Even in death, his face was still resolute with his decision¡ªnot knowing that it was the wrong decision.

    Seeing this, Pippa''s mother screamed in complete horror, "Kyaaa~!"

    "Sam!!" the last executioner also screamed in shock, calling out his friend''s name.

    However, before he could even reach his friend, Lucivar''s battle axe was already poised on his neck, stopping him dead in his tracks. Glancing at Lucivar¡ªthe last executioner gulped harshly, "D- Don''t kill me, I did nothing wrong..."

    "Choose..." Lucivar muttered menacingly. "Die here like your friend or trust me to clean up this mess"

    Not even thinking for long, the executioner answered, "I''ll... I''ll trust you!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded and lowered his battle axe.

    It was tense already because of the people gathered outside but the tension heightened with this death.

    Lucivar paused for a second before he eventually nodded.

    "I have a plan," He declared, grabbing Pippa''s mother by her head.

    Despite her resistance, Lucivar dragged her outside, "Do as I tell, and don''t question me."

    Meanwhile, outside of the citadel.

    Ravenna was outside as Lucivar told her to, she was sitting on a rooftop of a house near the citadel.

    From here, she could see the citadel and also the streets around it.

    "Hahh..." She rubbed her head in frustration. "I was too caught up with him¡ªenjoying killing those people more than what we did last night¡ªand I forgot about Leandra. I should''ve left on my own, I shouldn''t need him to tell me about that"

    Despite the development in their relationship, she couldn''t be seen too close to him or else the others, specifically Leandra, would be wary. It wasn''t clear what made Lucivar accept her proposal, at least it wasn''t clear to her.

    But it was overall, a good move to keep her distance.

    Nobody should know about their relationship, it''s best for it to be a secret between them.

    However, she forgot about that for a brief moment and was annoyed because of that.

    She couldn''t let Lucivar think of her as unreliable, it would mess up her plan.

    "No worries..." She patted both of her cheeks. "It''s not fatal. I have to focus on becoming the perfect ally as well as a woman for him so that he would be stuck with me. Soon, he will find me irresistible and I could become stronger faster that way"

    Ravenna dangled her legs playfully.

    Other than her small mistake, the night was productive¡ªshe obtained a lot of negative energy.

    She couldn''t wait to return back and began cultivating her Supernatural Ego.

    Just then, however, her eyes caught sight of a crowd.

    Ravenna stood up abruptly and gazed ahead, seeing a crowd of people heading towards the citadel.

    Not wanting to take any chances, she channeled her ether and summoned claws of energy, and struck the citadel''s behind¡ªwith them. She didn''t know what these people were doing but it''s best to warn Lucivar about them.

    Squinting her eyes, she noticed two figures leading at the very front.

    Both of them were marked with her Predator Oculus ability.

    "Nerissa and Leandra?" Ravenna sucked in a cold breath. "This is bad, he needs to get out of there!"

    On the other hand.

    "Leandra, can you please stop this?" Nerissa begged.

    She had been supporting Leandra along the way¡ªdespite not knowing exactly what was happening. "Just what could Lucivar be doing? I know that you''re upset we didn''t go home today, but it''s not Lucivar''s fault! Mirel was the one who went missing. You even accused the lieutenant of keeping something from you when he answered he didn''t know where Lucivar was!"

    "No..." Leandra shook her head. "It must be him. It must be his doing, no doubt about it"

    Despite trying to talk sense to Leandra, she wouldn''t listen.

    She was too stubborn and Nerissa didn''t have the heart to stop her forcefully.

    Leandra gazed forward, eyes blazing with determination, ''I can tell, the lieutenant is definitely involved in whatever Lucivar was doing. Knowing who he is, he must be doing something bad so the perfect place to do that would be in a secluded area or building...''

    Just then, Leandra and Nerissa arrived in front of a citadel.

    It was located at the very corner of the city, and nobody was around.

    Even if someone screamed, it wouldn''t be heard.

    "Lucivar! Come out! I know you''re in there!"

 Chapter 166 166: Checkmate

    Nerissa bit her lower lip, she was confused and tired about this situation.

    In the hours of them wandering aimlessly in search of Lucivar through the street, this citadel was the sixth place that Leandra had shouted at¡ªthinking that Lucivar was supposedly inside. Nerissa wanted to trust Leandra, she really did, but she couldn''t.

    For better or worse, she didn''t share the same view as Leandra about Lucivar.

    On top of that, like the five previous places, without a doubt, Leandra''s call wouldn''t be answered.

    Nobody was inside this citadel, it looked worn down and abandoned.

    "Leandra, please..." Nerissa pleaded.

    But her persuasion was denied, Leandra shook her head, "Just wait and see, you''ll see the truth!"

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa''s expression wavered as her gaze fell to the floor.

    ''Lucivar is not a saint, far from it, I''m sure'' Her grip on Leandra''s arm tightened. ''But he threw himself in front of the Rock Sentinel''s attack, risking his life for the city. Isn''t that a reason enough to trust him? Shouldn''t we, as his family trust him the most? Why is Leandra being like this to him?''

    Several flashes of Lucivar smiling and laughing during the breakfast crossed her mind.

    Nerissa couldn''t fathom how Leandra could doubt a good person like him.

    "Come on, that''s enough..." Nerissa whispered meekly, she couldn''t bear to see Leandra tearing apart the family like this. With a gentle pull, she forced Leandra to turn around, away from the citadel. "We could talk with Lucivar once he''s back from searching for Mirel"

    "Why...?" Leandra grimaced, gazing at Nerissa in disbelief. "Why won''t you trust me?"

    Instead of answering, Nerissa pulled her away but stopped abruptly.

    "Huh?" Her eyes widened. "Si-Since when this many people gathered behind us?"

    Having her focus fully fixed on Leandra who was being unreasonable, Nerissa didn''t realize that behind them was a sea of people. It seemed Leandra''s outbursts, shouting at empty buildings had gathered the attention of many.

    As Nerissa was about to disperse the crowd out of shame, a loud, grating sound of steel echoed.

    Upon hearing this, her body stiffened.

    In a slow and hesitant manner, Nerissa glanced over her shoulder and gasped, seeing Lucivar along with the executioner coming out of the citadel. Her shock deepened when she saw Lucivar was marred with blood¡ªhis uniform, face, and hands were all smeared with blood.

    Seeing this, Leandra''s eyes flickered.

    "You see now?!" She exclaimed, looking at Nerissa intently. "Now you''ll see what kind of man he is!"

    On the other hand, Lucivar walked out and scanned the crowd.

    As Sabrina mentioned earlier, the people had gathered with Nerissa and Leandra leading them.

    ''More than a hundred, by the looks of it. Not bad, Leandra. I can feel how hard you''re trying'' Lucivar mused, a flicker of amusement breaking through the annoyance he has over her. Being defied like this, though vexing, carried its own thrill, especially when he knew, beyond a doubt, that victory was already his. ''Fine, I''ll play along... for now''

    Breaking free from Nerissa who was petrified, Leandra stumbled towards Lucivar.

    Lucivar watched her silently as she stopped several meters away.

    Seeing Lucivar standing before her was all the confirmation Leandra needed.

    She wasn''t losing her mind.

    More importantly, it proved to everyone else that she had been right all along.

    Keeping eye contact with Lucivar, she straightened her posture, her eyes sharpened with defiance, "Do you really think you can do whatever you please? No. Not while I''m here" She declared, her voice was steady and resolute. "I told you I''d drag you out of the darkness, and I meant every word"

    Hearing this made Lucivar''s face twitch.

    But he was able to keep his composure and silence, only staring at Leandra intently.

    Just then, Nerissa came from behind.

    "Lucivar..." She called, her voice shaking. "It''s not what it looks like, right? Tell me that it isn''t"

    Believing in Lucivar one hundred percent, Nerissa assumed¡ªhe was out searching for Mirel, as his absence suggested. Mirel was the sole reason they hadn''t returned to the academy, and for all they knew, he could be in serious trouble.

    Had Leandra didn''t put up these antics, Nerissa would also search for Mirel to see if he was okay.

    Seeing Lucivar here, however, broke her positive assumption.

    Finding no words coming out of Lucivar''s mouth, Leandra becomes even more brazen.

    It was clear that she had caught him off guard.

    "Tell me," She whispered in a cold tone. "If I stepped through that door, what would I see?"

    "..."

    No answer, Lucivar''s lips remained sealed.

    "Answer me, Lucivar," Leandra demanded before she tilted her body a little to point at the crowd behind her who was undecided about what to make of this situation. "If you don''t answer, what would these good people think about you? Also, don''t try to lie... Just confess what you did, the city and you could come into an agreement if you confess"

    Clearly, this situation was very bad.

    Lucivar has no way to escape from this, he is completely stuck.

    All he could do was confront this problem.

    From above, Ravenna wanted to leap down to help¡ªher foot was already stepping on the edge.

    Surely, Lucivar needed help and even if it would blow up her cover as Lucivar''s new ally to Leandra, it would be worth it compared to Lucivar being judged or worse, handed over to the Hybrid Association, which would be extremely fatal for him and her.

    Despite her desire to help, she caged her desire when she saw Lucivar stealing a glance at her.

    It was fast but definitely a clear sign that she shouldn''t interfere.

    He has something up his sleeves.

    Even Sha and Gandr could be seen on the side, anticipating what Lucivar was planning to do.

    Reading Lucivar''s mind was something they could do but there''s no anticipation in that.

    So instead, these two celestial beings only observed from the sidelines.

    "Hunter Lucivar requested the city to take up all the prisoners from the prisons across the city and gather them here in this citadel as his reward for closing the dungeon," the executioner suddenly declared, his expression and voice steady. "He didn''t ask for any glory or resources, he only asked for this"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra''s eyes squinted, "And what did he do with them?"

    A pause happened when she asked that with the executioner stealing a glance at Lucivar hesitantly.

    "He... He killed them," the executioner eventually continued.

    His words cut through the air like a blade, and the crowd erupted into a cacophony of gasps and frantic whispers. Just the weight of what they had just heard left many stunned, their disbelief painted across wide eyes and parted lips.

    "I knew something was off about him,"

    "Hush! What are you talking about?"

    "I mean did you see back when the dungeon closed? He immediately picked a fight with another hunter"

    "Even so, how could you say that? He saved us!"

    "Clearly, he saved us with a purpose in mind, his bloodline must be of a dark one. He wanted to kill"

    Naturally, the crowd was torn into two groups.

    One side was still defending Lucivar while the other instantly turned and showed their contempt.

    However, one thing for certain, none of them expected Luciva to be this daring.

    Among them, Nerissa froze, her pupils trembling as she clasped a hand over her mouth.

    A sickening and unbelievable realization settled in, she had been wrong all along.

    Leandra had been right.

    Seeing the backlash he was receiving, Leandra smirked sharply, a triumphant glint in her eyes as she straightened her posture again. Though she hadn''t arrived in time to save the prisoners, her resolve had borne fruit.

    She had exposed Lucivar''s actions and planted the seed for his reckoning¡ªa chance for him to change.

    It wouldn''t be long before he was pulled out from the darkness.

    Leandra marked this as her first step in fixing Lucivar.

    "It is true that I killed them but not all..." Lucivar finally spoke¡ªhis voice boomed through the air.

    Once he opened his mouth, the crowd died down almost instantly.

    Nerissa, who was still hopeful, quickly asked, "What do you mean? Please Lucivar, explain yourself"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded and took a couple of steps forward.

    He faced the crowd with an unyielding gaze.

    Seeing the shift in the air around him, Leandra could feel her chest tightening.

    "Many of you might not be aware of this but a normal proselyte couldn''t enter the dungeon like that, it took a strong proselyte to do that, a Nexus..." Lucivar explained before pausing, letting his words hang in the air for a moment. "A proselyte who had turned into a Nexus meant that he had killed a lot, the energy he amassed was vast and although now he''s dead, the effect from him lingers. It caused the dimensional fabric to thin in this area, meaning... it would be easier for another portal to appear"

    "Lucivar!" Leandra bites down on her teeth hard. "That''s a lie, you don''t know that!"

    "Is it...?" Lucivar replied, the corner of his lips curling.

    As she was about to say more, some people from behind intervened¡ªregistering the information.

    "Is that true?!"

    "Then would another portal appear soon?! We can''t afford that! We''d all die!"

    "What if it opened inside our walls? We''ll be massacred!"

    Panic surges through the crowd¡ªthe thought of another portal appearing terrifies them.

    Even though they managed to ask the Hybrid Association for help this time, it wouldn''t guarantee that they would be answered again the second time, especially when the time frame was close. Being a city that couldn''t produce a Hybrid, they got lucky this time but luck can run out.

    "I killed these prisoners because of that very reason," Lucivar said again. "Crossers could influence those who are unstable and insane. I gathered the prisoners here to check them, to see if their mental conditions were good enough to not be influenced by the Crossers, and unfortunately, almost all of them weren''t suitable except for one..."

    Upon saying that, Sabrina came out from the citadel while supporting a woman.

    "She was the only sane one, and she could attest to my motive" Lucivar said, presenting her to the mass.

    Leandra, Nerissa, and the crowd looked at Pippa''s mother with anticipation.

    On the side, Sha shook her head, "Stupid people, he got them now..."

    Compared to her, Gandr was on the edge of his seat¡ªwatching the situation unfold interestingly.

    And from Pippa''s mother''s small lips, a whisper escaped, "It''s true..."

    As soon as she said that, Lucivar stepped in front of her, commanding the attention once more.

    His voice measured, yet heavy with a feigned weight, "With great reluctance, I''ve taken it upon myself to handle the city''s dirty work¡ªto ensure all of you remain safe even when I''m not here anymore. After all, this is my first time saving a city from a blue dungeon, and, in truth, I''ve grown rather attached to the city"

    "Attached to you..." He continued in an emotional whisper.

    Following that, he extended his arms as if giving himself at the mercy of the people.

    "If safeguarding this city and ensuring its safety are crimes, then I stand guilty of them both," He concluded.

    "..."

    Everyone was dead silent¡ªif a pin dropped in the background, it could be heard.

    But then, that silence was soon shattered.

    A low, gravelly chuckle slipped from Gandr''s lips, despite the oppressive silence cloaking the area.

    "HAHAHA~!!"

    The sound grew, twisting into a dark, uncontrollable roar of laughter that filled the air¡ªlike a sinister hymn. His laughter was unhinged, tears glinting in his eyes as he bellowed with a maddening delight, finding the situation extremely funny.

    Nobody but Lucivar could hear his laughter.

    Lucivar tried to keep his composure but he almost broke character at the deranged mirth.

    Glancing back at Leandra, a thought came to his mind, ''Checkmate''

 Chapter 167 167: Unfair Karma

    Gandr and Sha deliberately refused to read Lucivar''s mind.

    Both of them wanted to be surprised.

    So they decided to witness first-hand what Lucivar had in store for them.

    Like the Gods above them that wanted to be entertained below their own personal motives, they too wanted to be entertained. Being in a tough spot like earlier, they knew that Lucivar was forced to show the extent of influence taking place inside his mind.

    And now, the winner was announced.

    "Hmph!" Sha turned away, snorting. "You won this time, Gandr. It''s only because you awaken first"

    "HAHAHA~!!" Gandr laughed aloud, his body twisted and turning uncontrollably. "I''ll take my win!"

    Lucivar had taken the path of deceit, the people were fooled by him.

    None of the academy hunters, or at least those within Lucivar''s family had been taught anything about a Nexus proselyte. Saying that the dimensional fabric thinning was an excuse, it wasn''t really the case but Lucivar said that since it''s his logical guess.

    He knew that portals were prone to appear near some cities, which might be one reason.

    But even if that was false, it doesn''t matter.

    All he needed to do was sow fear, and that would shift his reputation from lunatic to hero.

    Just like that, he was able to shift the narrative to be completely on his side.

    "How wicked..." Ravenna commented under her breath.

    She was compelled to help Lucivar earlier, partly because she was late to inform him¡ªbut found herself feeling really dumb. Lucivar easily handled the situation as if it were nothing. Even with the pressure of time and consequences, he could think of a plan clearly and acted upon it flawlessly.

    It was so scary the more Ravenna thought about it.

    However, she gained insight about him that she needed to add to her impression of him through this.

    ''He''s really good at acting,'' Her eyes narrowed, seeing a tear falling down Lucivar''s face.

    On the other hand, Sabrina was clapping her hands inside.

    Lucivar had directed them all before coming out earlier, starting from what the executioner should say, what Pippa''s mother should say, and also what Sabrina needed to do. His direction was scarily precise and detailed.

    He was even able to sharply predict what Leandra was going to say.

    ''Is this going to be a new chapter in my life...?'' Sabrina cheered inside. ''Finally, an excellent master!''

    Unlike Sabrina and Ravenna, Pippa''s mother and the executioner could only put their heads down.

    Despite their guilt, both of them didn''t want Lucivar as an enemy the most.

    If Lucivar somehow became their enemy, they would undoubtedly die without knowing how.

    "How could she question her comrade? Aren''t they supposed to be from the same academy?"

    "You know... I heard the competition in a Hybrid academy is fierce. She must have wanted to get rid of Hunter Lucivar who was obviously the stronger hunter. She''s jealous of his power I bet"

    "Eh...? Are you serious? Is it the competition that fierce for them to try and frame each other like this?"

    "Who knows? But I''m sure only a small amount of people were like her, the rotten part"

    Leandra''s face turned ashen as she stared blankly, her surroundings dissolving into a blur of whispers and shifting figures. She looked around and was met with sharp and judgmental gazes from the crowd who stood with her minutes earlier.

    The voices of the crowd rose, their accusations tumbling over one another in a whirlwind of disdain.

    Each word struck her like a physical blow.

    She opened her mouth to refute them, to cry out that they were wrong, that she had only wanted to help Lucivar and protect innocent lives from being lost meaninglessly. But the weight of their piercing gazes crushed her voice before it could escape.

    Unable to stand their gazes, Leandra looked down to the ground.

    Her chest tightened as her pulse roared in her ears, drowning out all else.

    Trembling, she clutched her head, trying to silence the cacophony as the world spun wildly, colors were smearing into distinct shapes as the disdainful words carved deeper into her resolve. This was not how it was supposed to end.

    She had wanted to save him¡ªsave them all¡ªbut instead, she became the black sheep.

    Desperately, Leandra raised her gaze to look at the only one she could hope to be on her side¡ªNerissa.

    However, her breath hitched at the sight of Nerissa already half-turning away from her.

    "N- Nerissa..." Leandra called, her voice was small and weak.

    Hearing her name called, Nerissa spared one last glance before she averted her gaze again, "I''m sorry, Leandra. But you''ve gone too far. I already told you that we could speak with him later, yet you ignored that and keep accusing him, that''s not how a family is supposed to act"

    "You aired our family''s private matters in public, I can''t side with you after that" She added.

    Once she said that Nerissa walked away.

    Nerissa''s echoing footsteps devastated Leandra''s heart¡ªher head slumped down weakly.

    Even the kindest person in the family decided to walk away from her.

    She was shunned without anybody behind her.

    Feeling the heavy air weighing down on her, she fell to her knees¡ªtears welled up in her eyes.

    Overwhelmed by the devastation of being shunned by everyone around her, she broke down completely, her sobs raw and unrestrained¡ªfar from dignified. Tears streamed down her face, choking on her grief from having her reputation tarnished.

    Her attempt to do the right thing had not only failed but had backfired catastrophically.

    Such irony clawed at her heart.

    How could aiming for good deeds be repaid with such cruelty?

    "It''s not right..." She muttered in defeat. "How could this happen to me?"

    Just then, however, footsteps could be heard approaching her.

    Lifting up he gazed a little, she saw Lucivar''s legs¡ªhe was standing in front of her.

    After taking in the view from above, he slowly crouched down to meet with Leandra''s tearful eyes.

    Both of them made eye contact.

    However, unlike before, Leandra''s eyes were far from what they used to be.

    Not too long ago, she was looking at him with such conviction¡ªso much belief that she would be able to change him and bring him into the light. Instead, the light inside of her was snuffed out, devoured by Lucivar''s darkness.

    It was reflected clearly in her eyes, defeat, despair, confusion, all mingled together.

    And the result was beautiful.

    Her eyes were now a hollow, lifeless sheen¡ªcapable of only giving out a gaze of silent surrender.

    Smiling lightly, Lucivar held her shoulder¡ªhis face empathetic, "Do not misunderstand, I cannot leave today as you wanted because I wanted to save these people. I need to do something to keep them safe, not because of whatever you think I''m doing"

    Looking at Lucivar''s face, more tears streamed down her face as her lips trembled violently.

    "But it''s alright," Lucivar said, his tone soft. "I forgive you. Your methods may have been misguided, but I believe your intentions were for the city''s good. Because of that, you have my forgiveness." Once he said that, he turned to the crowd. "I ask you all forgive her as well¡ªfor my sake. She''s not someone bad, merely someone who cared too much"

    Not even waiting for them to answer, Lucivar pulled Leandra into his embrace.

    He hugged her tightly as she sobbed in his arms.

    Touched by his comradery, the crowd awkwardly nodded and began dispersing.

    Seeing the crowd leaving, Lucivar''s eyes glistened with a gold hue.

    "It''s unfair, isn''t it?" He whispered softly into Leandra''s ear, his voice a chilling caress, causing her to stop her sobs abruptly. "All those innocent lives I claimed tonight¡ªyou wanted to save them, didn''t you? Your intentions were noble, yet look where it''s left you. Now, you see the truth of what I''ve been fighting for. Good karma brings bad luck while bad karma brings good luck. Even if the broken karma hadn''t tipped the scales in my favor, I would''ve still crushed you. But with karma smiling on me? You never stood a chance from the start..."

    Lucivar gave it to Leandra straight.

    She has now felt the broken karma''s effect first-hand as Lucivar did.

    Karma needs fixing or else more people with good intentions are going to be sacrificed.

    Just like Delilah.

    Having all the evil Gods inside of him, Lucivar might be the only one who could do that.

    "Consider this my last warning," He whispered again. "you''re the only one who has seen the real me. Instead of fighting me¡ªand losing, try to understand me. Maybe once you did, we could be closer. Perhaps, you could be the only one who would understand me"

    As he said that, Leandra''s grip on him tightened.

    She began sobbing again, this time even harder¡ªburying her face on Lucivar''s shoulder.

    Feeling her emotions pouring out, a smirk crept to Lucivar''s face.

    Good. At this rate, she could even be more loyal to me without being my Vestal. We''ll have to see.

    Moments later.

    Nerissa was supporting Leandra again, helping her go back to the hotel.

    She doesn''t want to but with a little bit of persuasion from Lucivar, she reluctantly complied.

    Despite many considering his alibi was flawless, allowing him to get out of the bad situation, Lucivar knew that there were still a few screws loose. One of them was the executioner, and surprisingly enough, the executioner realized what Lucivar was thinking.

    Before Lucivar could say anything, he already went to his knees and chopped a finger with a knife.

    He did it instantly and gave Lucivar his finger.

    It was quite shocking but he did it out of desperation to survive.

    By cutting his own finger off, he showed his will to take what happened inside the citadel to his grave.

    Lucivar accepted that and allowed him to live.

    Killing him would only make more loose ends, the people saw him.

    As Luciva began to shift his attention to the other witness of the citadel''s incident, his gaze faltered, drawn back to the building itself. His eyes narrowed, then gleamed with intrigue as something unusual caught his attention.

    Seeping from the citadel''s stonework was a strange substance.

    ''Hmm? What is that? A liquid?'' His thoughts raced, analyzing the sight. ''No... not a liquid. Energy?''

    It was only then did he realized what the substance was, it was Loki''s energy!

    A Sphere of Divine Blood that began accumulating above the citadel.

    "Surprised?" Gandr suddenly asked from the side.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar glanced at him before back to the citadel again¡ªconfusion on his face.

    "I didn''t kill anyone in this deceit, I only fooled them indirectly," He muttered whisperingly.

    Gandr nodded his head, understanding where Lucivar was coming from, "You did little to no deceit to the prisoners you killed earlier, and you are rewarded¡ªwith less of Father''s Divine Blood. But with your performance earlier, those prisoners meant something more..."

    "And for that, you were rewarded" He added.

    Lucivar couldn''t hide his smile anymore.

    The Green Sphere appearing above the citadel¡ªit''s massive!

 Chapter 168 168: A Physical Breakthrough

    Requesting and killing the prisoners didn''t involve much deceit.

    Based on what he knew, the deceit involved in this was Lieutenant Rafi telling his men to lie to the prisoners that they would be freed to make the transportation process smooth. Lucivar has no mix with that small deceit.

    His involvement was indirect.

    Naturally, Loki rewarded him with only a pebble of green spheres from each of the prisoner''s death.

    Hundreds of pebbles that probably wouldn''t amount to the green sphere he obtained from his very first kill in that stable, it was that minuscule. However, with his performance¡ªfooling the crowd that he was forced to kill the prisoners in order to ensure their safety, the prisoners'' deaths were now touched by his deceit.

    All of their deaths became exponentially more important than mere rewards from the city.

    Instead of mere rewards, the dead prisoners became the necessary sacrifice to ensure the city''s survival.

    Lucivar manipulating the narrative was a direct act of manipulation and for that, he was rewarded.

    Swoosh!

    Infatuated with the success of the night, Lucivar spread his arms to the side as if he were trying to reach both sides of the walls. Swirling around him was a storm of green energy, he was absorbing the massive green sphere that appeared above the citadel out of nowhere.

    He reveled in the sensation, taking in the pleasant sensation with open arms.

    Loki''s Divine Blood went into his bloodstream, molding his Angel bloodline with divine prowess.

    Since the people already knew what he was doing, there was no need for him to leave the citadel quickly, he could stay here and immerse himself in his rewards and training without anyone disturbing him. He could do this in the hotel but this there would only draw attention.

    Best for him to stay here and cultivate before going back to the hotel.

    It took quite a moment before the entire green sphere was absorbed.

    But the amount of time it took to absorb the green sphere didn''t seem to bother him, in fact, he was glad that it took a long time. For him, the longer the process took the better he felt about himself. It was akin to a pat on the back after doing very good work.

    Cross-legged on the side was Sabrina.

    Her eyes were closed¡ªit was clear that she was in her Inner Chamber, polishing her Supernatural Ego.

    Given this great and generous opportunity by Lucivar, she managed to amass a lot of natural ether that she could use to polish and grow her Supernatural Ego. The helpless wail of the prisoners and the panic she witnessed earlier was enticing, she was aroused throughout the duration.

    So much so that she could feel her Supernatural Ego brimming with ether.

    Not to mention, the torture she inflicted on the chosen few earlier¡ªit still played on repeat in her mind.

    She remained stuck at the five-star Neophyte rank, her time spent tending Master Tobias'' mansion gave her no hope to amass her natural ether and grow. The lifeless routines and sterile grandeur of the massive mansion failed to stir even a flicker of excitement or arousal within her.

    Day after day, she felt the weight of stagnation¡ªconvinced she would forever languish in mediocrity.

    Her potential would be nothing but an unattainable dream beyond her grasp.

    But that was false¡ªshe got lucky, she met with Lucivar and got chosen by him.

    For so long, she was still at the five-star Neophyte rank¡ªand now with the natural ether inside of her, she could definitely reach the Acolyte rank. Growing stronger is not a dream anymore, it is reality, and she has Lucivar to thank for it.

    As seconds turned to minutes, the green energy was finally siphoned into Lucivar.

    Lucivar exhaled slowly, his breath steady as the process reached its conclusion.

    With a blink, the vibrant emerald glow in his eyes faded, giving way to the familiar gleam of molten gold. He glanced down at his body, feeling the surge of ether thrumming within him, more alive¡ªand potent than before.

    The massive green sphere he had absorbed pulsed faintly in his Inner Chamber, and he could feel that his ether reserve was expanded, doubled. A faint smirk tugged at his lips. By sheer ether reserve alone, he was now confident he could rival even three-star Acolytes, perhaps even those at five stars.

    Swish!

    Making a casual flick, Lucivar raised his hand and summoned his golden ether.

    ''It''s way lighter than before, my ether...'' He mused inside his head.

    His eyes narrowed at the sight, the ether flowed more effortlessly, lighter, more refined¡ªhis control over it had evolved. It obeyed his will like a well-train puppet, ready to carve through any challenge. Yet, his gaze shifted downward, catching the shimmering green essence that clung to the floor, swirling around his ankles.

    It was the green essence that the corpses spat out, reaching all the way to his shin.

    Lucivar tilted his head and pointed Gleipnir''s Echo to the floor, absorbing the green essence with it.

    Swoosh!

    Under the ring''s influence, the green essence surged upward.

    Soon, the second and the third essence bar materialized in deep emerald tones on the ring.

    ''Right, there''s also this'' Lucivar thought.

    He remembered the change in the essence bar that heightened the mirrors'' rewards.

    Curious as to the changes, along with wanting to check how many Arcane Points he obtained from the massive green sphere, Lucivar retreated to the side, seating himself cross-legged. Closing his eyes, he wanted to check his Inner Chamber but stopped.

    "Tch..." Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure. "Let''s do the worst one first"

    Instead of going to the Inner Chamber, he decided to absorb the bronze spheres he obtained first.

    Despite the pain, the rewards Lucivar got from Sutekh were really helpful.

    Earlier, when the proselyte''s brother tried to stab the knife into him, the knife was halted¡ªunable to pierce his skin. It was surely the work of upgrading his skin through the stone tablet as well as the effect from absorbing the bronze spheres.

    Physically, he was becoming way stronger than an Angel Hybrid could be.

    At this point, even bloodlines renowned for their physical prowess might no longer surpass Lucivar or be able to overpower him¡ªand that was all because of Sutekh''s power. Letting out a faint sigh, he extended his hand with an air of practiced ease.

    In response, a cascade of bronze spheres, numbering in the hundreds materialized.

    Lucivar took them out from his Inner Chamber, forming it into a gleaming pile at his feet.

    "Are you sure about this...?" Sha asked, sitting on top of the pile¡ªof bronze spheres, Sutekh''s Divine Blood. "You were writhing in pain from absorbing a single bronze sphere, this is a hundred times more painful than that"

    "It doesn''t matter as long as I don''t die," Lucivar answered as he mentally prepared himself.

    Upon hearing this, Sha chuckled, "Who said you couldn''t die?"

    "Don''t take me for a fool," Lucivar smirked, his eyes flashing with a resolute glint. "All of you chose me for a reason, I doubt you would let me do this if there''s a chance I could die here. Even if I could die, there''s no chance I would die here. Not until I achieve what I wanted"

    Sha smiled, she couldn''t play with Lucivar anymore¡ªhe was already becoming too sharp.

    "Shouldn''t you be hating pain, anyway?" She asked.

    Lucivar looked around and grabbed a piece of wood, "I''ll do what I have to do to become stronger"

    "Good luck..." Sha cheered as she vanished into thin air.

    On the other hand, Lucivar''s breaths grew shallow and rapid¡ªbeads of cold sweat could be seen on the side of his face as he placed the piece of wood between his teeth, biting down hard in preparation. His wide, unblinking eyes fixed on the pile of bronze spheres before him, their dull sheen reflecting his own internal struggle.

    He then reached out with his trembling hand, the hesitation palpable in his movement.

    Just a touch on the pile would cause the bronze spheres to siphon into him.

    Steeling his resolve, Lucivar''s eyes glistened fiercely as he placed his hand on the pile.

    Splash!

    SWOOSH!

    As soon Lucivar''s hand brushed the pile of bronze spheres, they erupted into a torrent of molten bronze goo, surging toward him like a sentient tide. This thick liquid instantly latched onto him with relentless fervor, wrapping his entire body in its searing grip.

    "GRAARGK!!" Lucivar screamed at the top of his lungs.

    His painful voice echoed inside the chamber,

    Lucivar''s body convulsed violently as the relentless heat seared his flesh from the inside out.

    Steam hissed and rose from his skin, the air around him thick with the scent of scorched muscle and blood. Ignoring his pain, the bronze goo was relentless. Initially, only Lucivar''s eyes and mouth were spared from the suffocating embrace but even that respite was fleeing.

    In the next second, the goo forced itself down his throat, flooding his insides with an unbearable heat.

    His eyes bulged, the veins around them pulsating as crimson droplets seeped from every orifice.

    Despite the excruciating pain, easily the most painful moment in his entire life, his eyes never lost their light¡ªhis gaze remained fixed on the ceiling, defiant even in the face of unimaginable agony, ''It hurts, it fucking hurts! Even when I was about to die back then, it wasn''t as painful as this!''

    Continuing ahead, the bronze goo worked deeper, saturating his muscles and organs.

    ''Sutekh you masochist! Do you like seeing me in pain that much?!'' He groaned inside, enduring it all.

    Under the pressure, his bones groaned¡ªsnapping and realigning, reforging themselves into something stronger. Every snap and crack of his skeleton reverberated through his trembling frame. At one point, Sabrina was already by his side¡ªembracing his heated body in a panic.

    Other than Lucivar, the bronze goo was invisible to others.

    In Sabrina''s eyes, he was screaming as his body convulsed¡ªseemingly attacked by an unseen force.

    Blood spilled freely from his clenched jaw, his teeth cutting through the wood and into his own flesh as he endured the torment. Even though it lasted only a minute, it felt like an eternity, each second was akin to a lifetime under the pain.

    Swoosh!

    "Kyaa~!" Sabrina was hurled away when a sudden forceful aura exploded from Lucivar.

    She rolled uncontrollably until her back slammed against the wall.

    Such a blunt force didn''t hurt Sabrina¡ªshe brushed it off as nothing and lifted her gaze.

    At the center of the chamber, Lucivar was on his knees, his shoulders slumped but he was undoubtedly not in pain like earlier anymore. Pushing herself back to her feet, Sabrina tilted her head as her gaze narrowed, seeing something coming out of Lucivar''s body.

    It took a second for her to realize that Lucivar''s body was steaming with an aura.

    One that he never had before.

 Chapter 169 169: The Fools Trick

    Lucivar sucked in a deep breath through his nose and exhale through his mouth.

    His golden eyes gazed at the ceiling, there was a deep tinge of pain behind his eyes as the process of absorbing hundreds of bronze spheres annihilated his willpower. It was too painful, almost as if he was killed and resurrected countless times in the span of a minute.

    Though the pain was already gone, his mind was cloudy¡ªstuck between the border of life and death.

    If anyone else experienced that painful minute, they would go insane.

    Not even experts who had gone through a thousand battles could endure such excruciating pain.

    Lucivar was able to retain his sanity simply because he had something to cling to, his burning desire to fix¡ªand destroy karma. Even then, he was barely able to retain his mind¡ªSutekh''s way to power was extremely brutal.

    ''Where am I?'' He pondered, his vision hard to focus. "Oh, right, I was absorbing the bronze spheres"

    Groaning, he looked down only to find Sabrina beside him.

    Her countenance was etched with worry and panic as she shook his body, trying to snap him out of it.

    "Master!"

    "Master, what''s wrong?!"

    "Can you hear me? Is there anything I can do to help?"

    As her voice became clearer and clearer, Lucivar finally raised a hand¡ªsignaling for her to stop.

    "I''m fine, I''m training," He answered, pushing Sabrina away. "Go back to your training"

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina''s eyes trailed down to Lucivar''s body¡ªhis uniform was torn from the blast from earlier, exposing his torso along with blood drenching him entirely. No matter how she looked at his condition, he was not fine.

    She also felt uncomfortable and guilty.

    Not even saying anything, Sabrina ran out of the chamber in a hurry.

    Lucivar thought that she was going back to train, his strength was still recovering from Sutekh''s Divine Blood so he had no strength to see where she was going. Soon, Sabrina came back, she had a bucket of water in one hand and a cloth in the other.

    Instead of training, she began cleaning Lucivar''s torso dutifully.

    "What are you doing? I told you I''m fine. I could clean the blood later," Lucivar commented.

    But Sabrina did not stop and insisted on cleaning him, "I would feel terrible if I went back to train and neglected my duty as your personal maid. My breakthrough wouldn''t go anywhere, it could wait. You''ll always be my priority, Master Lucivar"

    In response, Lucivar snorted as he sat on the cold floor¡ªallowing Sabrina to clean him of blood.

    Just then, Lucivar willed the stone tablet of Sutekh to appear.

    Once the stone tablet appeared, his eyes quickly darted to the physique assessment below the essence bar and found that his physique tier had increased from low Papyrus tier to low Falcon tier. Absorbing so many bronze spheres made his physique evolve further.

    ''Hmm, I wonder... How would I fare with the participants of the South Hue Tournament'' He thought.

    Considering that the South Hue Tournament would gather geniuses from every corner of the Valerius House''s territory, there must be freaks there who couldn''t be underestimated. But then again, he doubted that any of them would have a bloodline as strong as him.

    But then again, if there''s a freak first-year who is a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, he might be in trouble.

    Naturally, the gap between an Acolyte-rank Hybrid to a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid is way bigger than between an Acolyte-rank Hybrid¡ªto a Neophyte-rank Hybrid. Lucivar could be beaten easily if that was the case but he still has time to improve.

    He wasn''t going to let himself be beaten by those who had weaker resolve than him.

    Smiling faintly, Lucivar closed his eyes and entered his Inner Chamber.

    In a second, the cold air inside the church brushed against his skin.

    Once he opened his eyes again, he was inside his Inner Chamber with the looming statues around him.

    Unlike the usual, the chamber wasn''t dark and foreboding.

    Although the source of light was still mainly from the moon outside of this church, there was another source of light this time. On the side, there was a pile of golden spheres that Lucivar hadn''t absorbed yet, gained from killing the prisoners.

    The pile made the chamber way brighter than before.

    Just the sight alone plastered a smile on Lucivar''s face but he couldn''t absorb it right now.

    He needed an Attribute Stimulus first before he started working to the next rank.

    Shaking his head, Lucivar focused on the task at hand.

    He came here to check how many Arcane Pointsthe obtained from the green sphere as well as the upgraded mirrors¡ªbut before that, he went over to Sutekh''s statue. He looked down at the statue''s base and saw that the bronze liquid was filled the statue and it was nearing the first threshold.

    "A little bit more before I could attain Sutekh''s first Divine Elevation," He mumbled inwardly.

    Since he absorbed hundreds of bronze spheres, he expected to reach the threshold already.

    But there were still a couple more centimeters to be filled before reaching the first Divine Elevation.

    "Hope you liked the show, Sutekh," Lucivar patted the statue before turning away.

    He crossed the chamber with measured steps, the sound of his footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls until he came to a halt before the towering statue of Loki. Standing at its base, Lucivar tilted his head back, his gaze locking onto the statue''s stone eyes.

    A strange unease prickled at the edge of his mind.

    No matter how many times he stood here, Loki''s gaze made him feel uneasy.

    Of course, Loki was watching his every move, he knew that much.

    But knowing that it was Loki, the God of Trickster, Lucivar couldn''t simply shake the unease away.

    "If there''s something you wanted to say to me? Like a thank you, maybe? Or even a pat on the back for the show?" Lucivar commented nonchalantly, he could feel the intention behind Loki''s gaze. But even after waiting for a couple of seconds, there was no answer, "I guess not"

    As he said that, he reached for the statue before the Gleipnir''s Echo glowed.

    Its green gem shot an energy beam and summoned the mirrors.

    Just like normal, three floating mirrors appeared before him like silent sentinels.

    Swoosh!

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar''s gaze dropped to his hand as an unexpected tremor coursed through his ring.

    The Gleipnir''s Echo pulsed faintly, its glow flickering like the breath of a slumbering beast.

    His brows furrowed in confusion as the ring trembled violently before a stream of radiant energy came out of it. The luminous energy streaked through the air as it hurtled toward the three magical mirrors that stood before him with pinpoint precision.

    A crackling sound pierced the silence, and the mirrors fractured as if struck by a hammer.

    For a fleeting moment, it seemed they would shatter entirely, but then¡ªa subtle shockwave rippled.

    Lucivar instinctively raised his arm to shield himself as the wave of energy brushed against his skin, its touch electric and foreboding. Lowering his arm, he realized the mirrors had not shattered. Instead, they had transformed.

    Where once they were simple and ornate, they now gleamed with otherworldly majesty.

    Their frames coiled with an intricate network of emerald roots, shimmering with an eerie vitality but these roots were no longer still. They writhed and twisted, reshaping themselves into serpents, their scales glinting with a malevolent sheen.

    Naturally, the mirrors themselves glowed, their surfaces swirling with a beautiful emerald light.

    A getaway to an unknown realm.

    In addition, the air around them grew more oppressive¡ªsuffocatingly dense and overwhelming.

    Lucivar''s senses dulled beneath its weight, save for the gnawing, unknown dread that settled in the pit of his stomach. But he soon recovered, he knew that this was an upgrade and he couldn''t wait to check how much of an upgrade these mirrors were.

    Glancing at the essence bar, the costs remained the same.

    Right mirror of opportunity costs one essence bar, left mirror of ability costs three essence bars while the center mirror to make someone a Vestal costs five essence bars. It was still the same cost-wise, but the rewards should be different.

    Or at least, that was what Lucivar thought.

    "Gandr, can you explain?" Lucivar suddenly asked.

    Upon hearing this, Gandr who was coiling around the foot of Loki''s statue answered, "The rewards from the Mischief Panes are better now, but what''s interesting is the center mirror. If you created another Vestal, there''s a higher chance for you to make them awaken to a higher rank"

    Lucivar nodded in understanding.

    He still has yet to experience the full benefit of having a Vestal so he isn''t really excited about that.

    Just then, however, his eyes flickered, "But I am excited about another ability though..."

    Swoosh!

    Smirking, Lucivar didn''t hesitate to point the Gleipnir''s Echo to the left mirror, firing a beam at it, and paid the full cost to obtain an ability. As three essence bars were paid, the mirror swirled with power, and in return, it fired a thick beam back at Lucivar.

    Almost instantly, Lucivar''s body stiffened the information of a new ability was engraved in his mind.

    His eyes glowed emerald as new information was being forced into his mind.

    Lucivar frowned when he heard an eerie laugh, in his ears. It wasn''t Gandr''s, Sha''s¡ªor Loki''s, this one was different. It was high-pitched, foreboding, and astral, not a human voice. Almost like the chuckling of a Demon.

    Soon, the information was complete.

    Pausing for a second, settling his mind on his new ability¡ªhis eyes flashed with a sinister light.

    The Fool''s Trick¡ªIt''s an ability that was a direct branch of the Greedy Grasp ability.

    It allows Lucivar to make any ''item'' into the fool''s item by infusing God Strands, into the targeted ''item''. Once the fool''s item was established, several effects could take place¡ª depending on what Lucivar wanted.

    First effect, the fool''s item could explode with a gush of energy to decimate, confuse, or also weaken everything in its surroundings. Naturally, the power from this explosion would depend on the amount of infused God strands to the fool''s item.

    Second effect, the fool''s item could become a conduit for the Grand Dominion, enhancing Lucivar''s spells.

    Third, the fool''s item could latch onto a target and restrain them for a period of time.

    Such an ability is very powerful and also evil.

    However, as strong as it was, there were limitations and strict conditions that must be met.

    In order to use this ability successfully, Lucivar must have an elaborate plan in mind that the Fool would find entertaining. Second, the fool''s item condition must be weak or unstable. Third, if the fool''s item is an object, it needs to be touched to be activated and if it''s a living being, it must experience an intense emotion be it laughing or crying.

    Realizing the ability he obtained, Lucivar sucked in a cold breath.

    ''A specific and sophisticated ability,'' He pondered before a smirk crossed his lips. ''perfect for me...''

 Chapter 170 170: Youre His Arent You?

    Lucivar was hoping for a battle-oriented ability.

    Considering what lies ahead, he was outright desperate for more battle-oriented abilities.

    His next move was to battle in the South Hues Tournament and also kill Caldaros, and both were quite dependent on his individual prowess. As the tournament gathered the attention of many, the participants would be extremely competitive while killing Caldaros most certainly wouldn''t be easy.

    Other than the fact that he''s a Vampire Hybrid and Sunna''s avatar, Lucivar knew nothing about him.

    Lucivar didn''t know how Caldaros fought or what kind of abilities he had.

    But he should be very strong considering that he was one of the strongest in the academy.

    From the vision he saw back then, Lucivar could tell that Sunna was a Goddess who excelled in fighting.

    Unlike Loki, she seemed to be the kind who fought her battle herself.

    If Lucivar was right about his assumption then Caldaros must inherit many fighting abilities from her, and that is nothing but bad news. Because of that, he was desperate to get more abilities but he came to remember that there''s no honor in this.

    ''Maybe now that I''m closer to Sutekh, I wanted to win against Caldaros in a straight confrontation''

    Lucivar shook his head, he didn''t need to do that.

    Or at least, he could employ other methods to ensure his victory during the main confrontation.

    And this new ability he obtained, the Fool''s Trick is an ability that could help him.

    ''For now, I''ll avoid fighting Caldaros,'' Lucivar thought. "That said, who''s the Fool?"

    Since the first condition to activate the Fool''s Trick was to have an elaborate plan that the Fool found entertaining, he couldn''t help but question who ''The Fool'' was. And on top of that, he also wanted to know how he could explain his plan to ''The Fool''.

    "Just think about the plan inside your head¡ªand the Fool would listen," Gandr replied. "The Fool is an entity that Father created a long time ago, someone who was tasked to create entertaining scenarios for Father. I''m sure you''ve heard his laughter earlier,"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s brows dipped into a frown.

    He did hear laughter earlier but it lasted only briefly he thought he was hearing things.

    But he was not, it was the Fool''s laughter.

    Lucivar didn''t probe further, once again, he didn''t want any trouble from knowing too much.

    One step at a time.

    At least he knew that the Fool would always be listening.

    "How do I know if the Fool approved of my plan?" Lucivar asked, wanting to clarify the ability clearly.

    Gandr turned towards him and paused.

    He then tilted his head and hissed, "How do you think? You will hear him laughing, of course"

    "Huh, I could''ve guessed that," Lucivar shrugged.

    Averting his attention from his new ability, he waved his hand, dispersing the Mischief Panes and with another wave of his hand, summoning another mirror. The horned helmet on Loki''s statue fired a beam and summoned this ordinary mirror.

    It was the new privilege he obtained from reaching Loki''s first Divine Elevation, the Arcane Records.

    Lucivar ignored the left side of the screen and focused on the right.

    ------

    ? Greedy Grasp (Low Mortal) ¡ª High

    ? Radiant Burst (Low Mortal) ¡ª Mid

    ? Major Morphing (Low Mortal) ¡ª High

    ? Soul Warden (Low Mortal) ¡ª Low

    ? Triune Scarab (High Mortal) ¡ª Low

    ? The Fool''s Trick (Low Mortal ¡ª Low

    -----

    "Oh...?" His eyes fixed on the second ability¡ªfrom the bottom. "Even Sutekh''s ability could also be upgraded through this? I''m surprised"

    Gandr nodded, "Though it would cost a lot more arcane points"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar wasn''t surprised¡ªit was already good enough that Sutekh allowed his own ability to be upgraded through Loki. If the cost of him allowing that was the swelling cost of arcane points, then so be it, Lucivar didn''t mind.

    Speaking of arcane points, Lucivar shifted his gaze to the upper part of the mirror.

    His eyes widened when he saw how many Arcane Points he had obtained.

    "50 arcane points...?" He sucked in a cold breath, shocked to his core. "That''s a lot of arcane points!"

    Absorbing the green sphere he obtained from Morriva''s city had granted him only three arcane points.

    In stark contrast, the prisoners had provided him with over ten times that amount¡ªhe obtained fifty arcane points! Just three arcane points alone made his ability way stronger, giving him a substantial edge within the blue dungeon from earlier.

    Now that he has 50 arcane points, his abilities would evolve completely!

    "Man, if I had known this from earlier, I would''ve thanked Leandra directly!" Lucivar cheered aloud, his mood that was already good becoming even better. "Ah, no... If I thanked her then she would get it inside her head. I can''t have that"

    Realizing that he had quite some arcane points to spend, Lucivar took a moment to contemplate.

    Keeping in mind what his next move was, he chose which ability he would upgrade.

    "Hmm... I think this is good enough," Lucivar nodded inwardly.

    -----

    ? Greedy Grasp (High Mortal) ¡ªHigh

    ? Radiant Burst (High Mortal) ¡ª Low

    ? Major Morphing (Low Mortal) ¡ª High

    ? Soul Warden (High Mortal) ¡ªLow

    ? Triune Scarab (High Mortal) ¡ª Low

    ? The Fool''s Trick (Low Mortal) ¡ª Low

    -----

    Since numerous battles lie ahead, Lucivar decided to focus on upgrading¡ªhis Greedy Grasp, Radiant Burst, and also Soul Warden abilities. All three of these abilities were his battle abilities that he was accustomed to using.

    He spent 27 arcane points into his Greedy Grasp ability, 3 more arcane points than its cost.

    It turned it from High-Low Mortal to High-High Mortal rank.

    In the High Mortal mastery rank, upgrading it from low to mid mastery costs 5 while mid to high costs 10 arcane points. Lucivar noticed a high jump in costs but that only meant the upgrade was more worth it than before.

    He didn''t mind paying extra.

    It was his main fighting ability so he decided to go all out on upgrading it.

    On top of that, he also paid 3 arcane points extra to make sure his mind didn''t explode or something.

    Recalling what Gandr said, the origin of his increase in mastery¡ªhe decided to be extra careful.

    Additionally, he spent 11 arcane points to upgrade his Radiant Burst spell to Low-High Mortal and 12 arcane points to the Soul Warden spell, also increasing his mastery to Low-High Mortal. Lucivar could not wait to try out how strong his abilities become later.

    "The Soul Warden spell is a diamond-class spell, I am surprised it didn''t cost more than the others to increase its mastery," Lucivar uttered aloud, pleasantly surprised by this. "Is there any particular reason for that?"

    "You have Father''s blood, Low and High Mortal rank is too minuscule for you," Gandr replied.

    Lucivar could only smile acutely.

    An increase in mastery like that could be directly felt by him.

    But for Loki or the other Gods here, it was nothing.

    Maybe once he pierced through the High Mortal rank the cost would vary more.

    Other than that, Lucivar stays away from the Triune Scarab and the Fool''s Trick.

    For the Triune Scarab, it costs 15 arcane points from simply upgrading the mastery to mid, which was a lot more than normal, three times more to be exact. Since Lucivar didn''t know how effective the Triune Scarab ability was yet, he was not going to upgrade it.

    As for the Fool''s Trick, upgrading the ability only increased its effect potency.

    Lucivar wanted to shave off a condition but that required a way higher mastery rank.

    It wouldn''t be worth upgrading it now, maybe once he has obtained a lot more arcane points.

    Once he checked his rewards and allocated them all, Lucivar was about to leave the Inner Chamber.

    Just then, however, his eyes landed on the green liquid in Loki''s statue.

    It was increased substantially, nearing the second Divine Elevation.

    "Hmm, is that only because of the prisoners?" Lucivar mumbled questioningly. "I doubt that..."

    Moments later.

    "Master, shouldn''t you rest a little bit more?" Sabrina asked, slightly worried.

    Both of them had already stepped out of the main chamber.

    Sabrina had cleaned Lucivar of blood but he was still pale and slightly distraught.

    Not a good sign in her books.

    Lucivar waved his hand dismissively, "I can rest in the hotel, that place is dusty and stinks"

    Striding along the dark corridor guided¡ªonly by the torches, Lucivar tried to keep his steps steady despite the phantom throbs coursing through his body. The bronze spheres had left his body rejuvenated¡ªand undoubtedly stronger, yet the searing pain from earlier lingered in his mind.

    It weaved illusory echoes of discomfort across his frame.

    However, he could rest his mind for the day, the night was already very productive as it was.

    Nothing more could be done.

    On top of that, Ravenna was probably already waiting for him back in the hotel.

    He needs to keep her entertained for the time being.

    ''I''m going to sleep good tonight,'' Lucivar pondered in a good mood.

    As he stepped out of the citadel and into the open air, his gaze instinctively scanned his surroundings.

    It landed on a figure leaning casually against the wall.

    Lucivar''s eyes instantly narrowed, tension tightening his expression in an instant once he recognized who the figure was. There was no mistaking that presence¡ªit was Caldaros, ''What is he doing here? Is he among the crowd earlier? No, if that''s the case, I should''ve noticed him''

    Just the sight of Caldaros alone charged the air with the unspoken tension of the encounter to come.

    Not to mention, the hatred came back to him.

    Almost instantly, Lucivar could feel his chest burning, and his face also turning red.

    But he suppressed all of that behind a mask of composure as he continued his walk, ignoring Caldaros.

    Since their last encounter wasn''t particularly great, with Lucivar being consumed¡ªby his anger and going to confront Caldaros, this tension was natural. Lucivar tried walking past Caldaros, avoiding eye contact lest his anger and hatred would be pulled out once again.

    However, Caldaros has another thing in mind.

    "What''s with the look?" He suddenly asked, pushing himself off of the wall.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar stopped and lifted his head to look at the sky¡ªsighing deeply.

    "What look?" Lucivar asked, turning to Caldaros.

    "You know what I''m talking about. The look you''re giving me earlier," Caldaros clarified. "You know, the look as if you wanted to kill me that lasted only a second. Did I do something to you that made you that angry at me?"

    Lucivar remained composed and continued his walk, giving no response.

    As Lucivar reached a few steps away, Caldaros'' voice boomed again, "Or is it," He began, his tone laced with knowing amusement, "that you want to kill me to erase old shame? Perhaps something from the past... Something like how the one¡ªwho came before you was defeated time and time again by mine?"

    At that moment, Lucivar''s heart skipped a beat.

    Glancing over his shoulder, he was met with Caldaros'' glowing crimson eyes.

    "You''re his, aren''t you..." Caldaros whispered. "You''re Loki''s avatar"

 Chapter 171 171: A Battle of Avatars

    Lucivar came to an abrupt stop.

    His body tensed as he didn''t expect Caldaros to recognize him this early.

    Beside him, Sabrina looked at him and then Caldaros before back to him again in confusion.

    "Loki...?" She muttered in confusion. "You mean that mythical God? He''s real?"

    Unlike Cruvarak, the very real Blood God worshipped by the Valerius Supreme House, or even Brakkahn, the Strength God revered by the Ashbourne Supreme House, Loki was nothing but a mythical God of the past.

    Sabrina has heard of him but she has always under the notion that Loki wasn''t real.

    But she wasn''t so sure now.

    Not to mention, the weird behaviors that she noticed on Lucivar started to make sense.

    Despite being an Angel Hybrid, he acted devilishly because of Loki.

    ''Even then, how did he get Loki as his Supernatural Ego''s name? Loki is not an Angel'' She pondered.

    "I see you keep your identity a secret from your friends too," Caldaros commented while straightening his posture¡ªwhen he saw Sabrina''s reaction to the news. "And from your reaction, it seemed like you already knew me, knew who I am. If that''s the case, why didn''t you attack me? You could''ve taken me by surprise if you did"

    Lucivar could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears when he heard that.

    Adrenaline began to course through his veins, his mouth opened slightly as his jaw hung low.

    "Oh, that''s right. Now I remember..." Caldaros tilted his chin with a smug grin, his finger stabbing the air as if pointing directly at Loki. "Your God¡ªthe coward who skulks in the background, too weak to face a real fight! His cowardice seemed to also flow into you!"

    HISS!!

    Gandr coiled into existence, his form was bigger than usual as he hissed at Caldaros with spitting anger.

    Simultaneously, Lucivar also turned around¡ªhis eyes bulging with bloodlust.

    Lucivar''s mask of composure shattered the moment Caldaros'' mockery struck home.

    Already teetering on the edge of his patience, the dam of his fury burst, flooding him with unrestrained rage. His gaze locked onto Caldaros'' golden eyes¡ªeyes blazing with the same exact insolent arrogance as Sunna''s previous avatars, the one whose torment he''d been forced to endure in that cursed vision.

    The world bled crimson in Lucivar''s vision, every detail drowned in a haze of seething wrath.

    In addition, his focus tunneled¡ªall he could see now was Caldaros.

    From the looks of it, Calrados'' blazing eyes were an ability¡ªlooking at them induced pain that lanced into Lucivar''s skull. His own eyes began to wet with streaks of blood, drizzling down to his cheeks but he refused to look away.

    Under such intense hatred, Caldaros stood before him as prey.

    And Lucivar''s hate demanded to consume him whole.

    "Gandr, haven''t you gotten bored yet of losing?" A voice suddenly echoed.

    Materializing like a brilliant light was a pristine white bird made entirely of sunlight.

    It flapped its wings and hovered above Caldaros'' shoulder, looking at Gandr as if he were nothing much.

    Just the sight of this pristine bird made Gandr hiss again, this time fiercer, his eyes glowed in anger, "Keep riding your high horse¡ªAurel. Keep acting high and mighty! It will only make my victory even sweeter when it happens!"

    "Still a dreamer, I see..." Aurel chuckled. "Wake up, Gandr. Step out of your fantasy and face reality. Not once, in all the annals of time, have you triumphed over me¡ªor anyone substantial, for that matter. Isn''t it obvious already? Your victory doesn''t exist within Yggdrasil''s weave, it doesn''t exist in all the records of destiny"

    HISS!!

    Gandr hissed and like a ringing bell to start, Lucivar bent his knees preparing to dash.

    Realizing what he was about to do, Sabrina quickly launched her hand to grab ahold of his hand.

    It wasn''t an attempt to stop him but rather, an attempt to help him.

    Despite his condition, Lucivar could feel the intense amount of ether inside of Sabrina.

    Not wasting a single precious second, he siphoned her ether¡ªusing his Greedy Grasp ability, charging his God strands to the full amount, twenty God strands. As he obtained more of Loki''s Divine Blood, the amount of God strands he could contain also increased to twenty.

    Moreover, with his Greedy Grasp ability reaching High-High Mortal mastery, this process was fast.

    Lucivar charged his God strands in mere seconds before lunging at Caldaros.

    He spread his wing and dashed straight at Caldaros, bringing with him pain and hatred.

    In a flash, Gleipnir''s Echo flared brilliantly as Lucivar unleashed the Snare ability¡ªthe green essence he absorbed earlier, translated into 50 arcane points, also enhanced the Gleipnir''s Echo automatically, amplifying the strength of his Snare ability.

    Crack!

    From the ground erupted illusionary emerald chains, seething with ether.

    All of them swiftly wrapped around Caldaros like venomous serpents, locking him in place.

    Using this opportunity, the small window to make Caldaros eat the words he uttered earlier, Lucviar pulled his arm back¡ªhis muscles contracting as ten God strands infused into his fist. His veins throbbed with raw power.

    A single strand carried a powerful force, ten would be devastating.

    Gritting his teeth, he swung¡ªhis punch roared forward like a malicious canon.

    But as it was about to connect, Caldaros made his move.

    A simple flex shattered the chains wrapping around him and with a nonchalant move, a casual slap, he easily parried Lucivar''s blow. The sheer force of the punch tore past Caldaros, sending a powerful gale that whipped his hair, yet his expression remained composed.

    Too composed, even.

    It was as if Lucivar''s attack was nothing to him.

    Before Lucivar could process his failure, Caldaros seized his head with a firm grip and slammed it into the cobblestone with brutal precision. The ground cracked beneath the impact. Lucivar''s head bounced before he crumpled.

    Dizzy and stunned, Lucivar lay on the ground with his eyes wide open.

    ''What happened? Did I get slammed?'' His thoughts raced inside.

    Pushing himself up from the ground, he writhed in pain, ''Since when is he this strong? Even with all of my power-up, the dungeon¡ªand the prisoners, I still got overpowered? He must have been hiding his real strength!''

    As that thought came to mind, Lucivar recalled the attack Caldaros charged in front of the dungeon.

    It was his signature ability.

    Lucivar thought that was his strongest attack¡ªthe ether that gathered on Caldaros'' sword back then was immense but it wasn''t to the point where Lucivar found it unbelievable. Now he realized that the signature ability came from him as a Vampire Hybrid.

    In contrast, the one Caldaros was using now was all the power of Sunna''s Avatar.

    He was hiding Sunna''s power by only using his Vampire Hybrid''s abilities until now.

    Tap!

    Just then, however, Lucivar''s eyes snapped open as he felt Caldaros'' foot grind into his head, forcing him into a humiliating, prostrating position. "Don''t be so hasty," Caldaros said, his tone dripping with mockery and disdain. "There are plenty of witnesses here. Unlike you, I value my reputation. Destroying the city accidentally through our fight wouldn''t be a good look for me"

    "Besides, you wouldn''t want your defeat to unfold in front of an audience, would you?" He asked.

    Fury flared in Lucivar''s chest.

    However, just as he gritted his teeth against the humiliation, a dark energy trail slithered toward him.

    Realizing what the dark trail was, Lucivar''s eyes flickered as he siphoned more ether from Sabrina, obtaining three more God strands in the blink of an eye before he vanished. Caldaros raised an eyebrow when he saw this.

    He glanced over his shoulder and noticed Lucivar reappearing from his shadow, fist cocked to strike.

    Knowing that ten God strands weren''t enough, Lucivar used all thirteen God strands he had left as well as activating his Fang of Ankh tattoo. Since the Fang of Ankh could enhance any item he considered a weapon, he wanted to enhance his fist.

    Yet as he moved, confusion struck¡ªhis Fang of Ankh tattoo remained dormant.

    No bronze goo materialized, coated, and gave his fist, heat.

    In that moment of confusion, a gust of powerful wind exploded, hurling Lucivar backward.

    Rolling to a halt, Lucivar raised his gaze, and his frown deepened.

    Caldaros stood tall as two golden wings, majestic and vast, stretched from his back.

    Each feather radiated light and each was branded with a heavenly rune taking the shape of the sun.

    It was Sunna''s Heavenly Rune, the Celestial Sun Rune.

    "As expected, you already made your move on me¡ªway before I realized," Caldaros suddenly said.

    He looked down at his calf and saw a mark shaped like an eye made of three strokes, it was Lucivar''s Soul Warden spell. Back when he encountered and encountered Caldaros for the first time, the vision of hatred hurt him.

    It brought him to his knees, blood burst out from his lip.

    At that moment, he used Caldaros'' leg for support.

    Though it seemed an insignificant act, Lucivar was marking him with the Soul Warden spell instead.

    The blood and pain weren''t from the vision of hatred but from the spell itself.

    His inexperience in using the spell made it recoil, wounding him in the process.

    Lucivar did that to anticipate when Caldaros was going to bore killing intent towards him¡ªand struck when it was the least expected. But that plan came to ruin, Caldaros didn''t even leak a sliver of killing intent, he didn''t want to kill him, that is until now.

    Realizing what Lucivar was, Caldaros'' demeanor instantly changed.

    He was worried and wanted to warn Lucivar of the danger if he tried to tackle the blue dungeon earlier.

    But now, that worry turned into killing intent.

    Just like what Gandr said, the moment Caldaros knew that he was Loki''s avatar, even someone like him who was supposed to be an avatar of a ''righteous'' Goddess turned for the worst. The change happened so fast that Lucivar didn''t expect this encounter to result in a fight this quickly.

    Smirking lightly, Caldaros reached for his calf as his hand glowed with brilliant gold ether.

    Unexpectedly, he could grab ahold of the Soul Warden spell mark and rip it.

    Once the mark was dispersed, Lucivar instantly felt the disconnection.

    ''Never mind that,'' He pondered as he tried to activate the Triune Scarab ability that he obtained from Sutekh. However, the same as the Fang of Ankh, the ability couldn''t be activated. ''Just what is going on?! If I use those two things, I would be able to fare well against this fucker. Why can''t I use them?!''

    Lucivar was frustrated.

    He could fight back better if he used those two things but he couldn''t.

    "Remember this," Caldaros'' voice pierced through the silence as he turned around and spread his arms to the side. "As long as night turns into day, as long as my sun is still shining, you and your filthy God will never defeat me for I am and will ever be... your demise"

 Chapter 172 172: Godly Challenge

    Lucivar panted heavily, blood trickling down from his forehead and eyes.

    His was concussed and the anger inside of him made that worse.

    In stark contrast to him, Caldaros was completely fine¡ªnot even a scratch from their exchange, almost as if he was fighting a child¡ªwho could do nothing to hurt him. Just the condescending gaze he was giving Lucivar alone made his ridicule evident for others to see.

    Aurel appeared once again, her elegant glowing eyes bore into the creature within Lucivar.

    "I was wondering why the Architects of Celestial Council mandate four avatars into this world, saying that the weave of fate and chaos somehow got intertwined here," She said, tilting her head and squinting her eyes. "But to think you''re the one behind it... the council must''ve overestimated the problem. Even now, you stood teetering on losing your avatar already"

    As the last words came out of her mouth, Gandr appeared once again.

    His wrathful reptilian eyes bore into Aurel.

    "Your avatar mended with you for two years already and you have the audacity to mock me for losing? Knowing full well that mine hasn''t even reached three months?" Gandr sneered, returning the contempt. "For someone who boasted my demise and loathed my ways, you do like to fight unfairly"

    Upon hearing this, Aurel''s face twitched.

    It seemed Gandr''s words had gotten to her but she was able to conceal that very well.

    "Unfair...? Very well," Aurel nodded softly. "I will give time for your avatar to grow further. Our battle in this world will conclude at the South Hues Tournament, my avatar against yours. If I lose¡ªthe Lady will not push Loki around and even help him if he needs aid until the end of time. But if you lose..."

    "Loki will grovel at the Lady''s feet, and destroy the Law of Mischief in front of the council" She added.

    Her voice went an octave lower as she said that, making her more menacing.

    Naturally, such an offer made Gandr frown in contemplation.

    The South Hues Tournament is barely any time for Lucivar to prepare, it was still extremely hard¡ªfor him to close the gap in such a small amount of time. Not to mention, the stake was very high, something that couldn''t be taken lightly.

    Gandr wanted to negotiate, to see if he could make the deal more favorable.

    But Aurel was having none of it.

    "Do not push it," Aurel intervened when she saw Gandr was about to say something. "I''m already kind enough to offer a deal like this. Now that I know your avatar, my avatar could have him killed the next day, and that will be another meaningless but pleasurable win for me"

    "Acting like you want to help me, eh?" Gandr scoffed. "All you wanted was to make me admit defeat"

    "Ask your Father¡ªwhat is his answer?" Aurel asked, ignoring his antics.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar and Caldaros kept eye contact.

    Both of them could hear that Gandr and Aurel were making a deal but there were parts that even both of them couldn''t understand. Not that the terms used were confusing, but more like in specific parts of the conversation¡ªthey changed language.

    It happened at the start while in the latter part, they could understand.

    Just then, however, Gandr''s eyes gleamed with an emerald glow.

    Once his eyes dimmed once again a minute later, he focused back on Aurel.

    "Father accepted, our battle will conclude at the South Hues Tournament," Gandr said firmly.

    Upon hearing this, Aurel couldn''t help but smile as she disappeared into brilliant light.

    As the answer was received, Caldaros cast one last look at Lucivar and unfurled his wings¡ªbefore he turned around to leave. He came here to deal with Lucivar, knowing his real power. But since it became like this, he has no problem waiting until the South Hues Tournament starts.

    In a fit of anger, Lucivar pointed his hand ahead and cast the Radiant Burst spell.

    Right on Caldaros'' back, a swirl of powerful ether could be seen¡ªconcentrating toward the center.

    However, prepared for the assault, a radiant shield of light materialized in Caldaros'' hand.

    He spun with precision, intercepting the Radiant Burst head-on¡ªthe impact detonated very loudly, the sheer force of the blast, empowered by ten God strands, drove Caldaros back several meters, his feet carving trenches in the ground.

    While Aurel and Gandr talked, Lucivar was absorbing Sabrina''s ether to make this last move.

    One last desperate surprise attack before Caldaros left.

    But it was blocked.

    As Caldaros came to a halt, he only sneered at Lucivar¡ªthat attack didn''t do anything.

    No matter what Lucivar tries, it seemed he would certainly without a doubt¡ªwalk out of this unscathed.

    Despite how infuriating that was, Lucivar couldn''t do anything at this moment.

    Caldaros'' eyes flared with a holy light once again, and in an instant, Lucivar''s vision erupted in agony.

    Blood gushed from his eyes once more.

    Feeling the excruciating burning pain assaulting his eyes like molten daggers, as though he had stared into the heart of the sun for an eternity, Lucivar covered his eyes with his hands and writhed in pain. He collapsed to the ground, convulsing, the crimson steaks streaming from his tightly shut eyelids pooling beneath him.

    At that moment, Lucivar poured more God strands into his eyes.

    Hoping that they could heal the pain but with only one God strand to spare, it barely helps.

    "You there," Caldaros called, ignoring Lucivar and glancing over to Sabrina¡ªwho was slightly fatigued from the loss of ether. "Are you one of his Vestals? If you are then you should sever your ties¡ªand ask for forgiveness while you still can. Once he dies, you as his Vestal, would also die"

    Upon saying that, Caldaros turned again and disappeared around the corner.

    "Loki...? Vestal...?" Sabrina muttered, the information she obtained from this overloading her mind.

    However, she snapped from her trance when Lucivar''s scream pierced her ears.

    Not wasting a single second, Sabrina ran to check on Lucivar¡ªkneeling beside him in a panic.

    "M- Master, what should I do?!" She yelped, not knowing what to do.

    All she could muster to do was catch the blood dripping from Lucivar''s eyes.

    Lucivar pushed himself up into a prostrating position before wiping the blood from his lips, struggling to endure the searing pain. With trembling fingers, he reached for Sabrina, desperate to activate Greedy Grasp and siphon her ether to heal his ruined eyes.

    But the effort was in vain¡ªhis strength faltered, and another mouthful of blood spilled from his lips.

    His body betrayed him, too drained to use the Greedy Grasp ability.

    Defiantly, he forced his eyes open despite the torment and also the blood.

    Crimson veins pulsed angrily, the whites now stained an eerie red.

    "Help me to Nerissa," He instructed Sabrina who was already in a mess¡ªas he collapsed onto his back, staring up at the dimming sky. The world around him blurred and darkened, not that he was passing out but from the slow, agonizing loss of his vision. "Hurry, Sabrina. I can''t see, I can''t fucking see..."

    "Y- Yes!" Sabrina quickly helped him up and placed his arm over his shoulder.

    Channeling her ether, she began guiding Lucivar back to the hotel.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar lay on the bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

    His vision remained clouded¡ªdarker and blurrier than normal but at least the pain had subsided.

    Nerissa had promised to resume her healing tomorrow because her ether was unstable earlier, making it hard for her to heal him. Lucivar told her to resume tomorrow, seeing that she was struggling and she apologized shakily for her inability to continue tonight.

    Recalling her kind nature and what happened tonight, Lucivar decided to not press her.

    No point in doing that.

    Beside him, under the blanket, Ravenna slept soundly¡ªher bare form curled against his side.

    On the sofa nearby, Sarbina dozed lightly.

    She had insisted on staying, claiming she already knew about him and Ravenna.

    As expected, Sabrina was a little bit disturbed by his closeness with Ravenna, maybe due to their master-slave relationship, Lucivar could tell from the way she looked at Ravenna. But she didn''t say anything, and that''s good.

    ''At the very least, she didn''t try to probe about my bloodline''s connection with Loki'' Lucivar thought, glancing at her sleeping peacefully, exhausted¡ªfrom the night. ''Not yet, perhaps. She''ll ask about it later''

    Breathing steadily, Lucivar contemplated about tonight.

    The quiet hum of the night settled over the room as he lay still, his mind replaying the chaos earlier.

    From the rush of his power surge, Leandra''s bitter taste of karma, and the harrowing clash with Sunna''s Avatar, Caldaros. His expression shifted when he recalled Caldaros. Slowly, his hand rose to cover his face, as if to mask what followed.

    At first glance, one might think he was stewing in anger¡ªhaunted by the events.

    Sutekh''s blood was inside of him, and the fact that he couldn''t even touch Caldaros was frustrating.

    However, that wasn''t the entire case.

    Of course, losing so badly even with his power-up wasn''t entirely easy to swallow.

    It was humiliating as that also happened in front of Sabrina but that was a part of the plan.

    Just then, a faint curl of Lucivar''s lips betrayed him.

    A low chuckle slipped past, wanting to rise into stifled laughter but Lucivar covered his mouth, not wanting to wake the others up and also invoke their curiosity, which would only be troublesome.

    ''So burning eyes, light manipulation, and also wings...'' Lucivar pondered inside, he had attacked earlier simply because the opportunity was right. Even though anger also guides, he''s the one who decided to let his anger loose knowing that Caldaros wouldn''t kill him there.

    From Lucivar''s perspective, that was the perfect moment to probe Caldaros'' strength.

    Once they returned to the academy, there was no way Lucivar could do that.

    He decided to attack earlier and was rewarded for doing it.

    ''Although I didn''t expect to be beaten so badly, this is better than losing later. At least now, I can retain my life while later¡ªI won''t. Now I can make a plan to handle him'' Lucivar nodded, the pain that was stabbing his head was a reminder of his success.

    No matter the opponent, learning about them more will always be the first step in making the plan.

    Information is key and now the key was in his hand already.

    "I am guessing you''re also successful in doing whatever you are doing earlier," Lucivar mumbled, glancing at Gandr who was coiling on the headboard above him. "Considering the smile you have on your face, you''re definitely planning something. Come on, willing to share?"

    "Hiss..." Gandr hissed, his eyes glowing peculiarly. "Keep in your lane, Blessed Oracle. Deal with that avatar while I deal with the Goddess above him¡ªyou are due to battle him in the tournament. Don''t spoil Father''s name"

    "As if I don''t know Loki never won already," Lucivar scoffed. "But yeah... I''ll kill him for you"

 Chapter 173 173: You Shoul kill Yourself

    Morning came.

    Lucivar tried his best to coax Gandr to cough up his plan but failed miserably.

    He also asked Gandr the important question that lingered in his mind, the reason why he couldn''t use Sutekh''s abilities earlier. Not only the Triune Scarab couldn''t be activated but he also couldn''t use the Fang of Ankh.

    It made him feel his power-up was almost useless if he couldn''t use both abilities at the same time.

    However, no matter how much pestering he did, Gandr''s lips were sealed shut.

    Even though Lucivar obtained no answer, his silence led to several possibilities.

    But for now, he decided to put them at the back of his mind¡ªit wasn''t the time for him to think that.

    Maybe once the threat to his life disappeared, he could come back to this.

    Due to the thoughts inside his mind and the replay of his battle against Caldaros, Lucivar slept late and felt terrible when he woke up. Once his eyes opened, however, he saw a peculiar sight. He saw Sabrina sitting on a chair beside the bed, a scowl marring her face.

    Glancing to the other side, he saw Ravenna humming happily while tying her hair.

    Her hourglass body was accentuated by the light from the window.

    "What''s with the tension?" Lucivar asked, sitting up with a mild groan. "It''s still early in the morning"

    "Early? It''s ten already," Ravenna mumbled, as she went over to the bathroom.

    As she did that, Lucivar rubbed his still-cloudy eyes and found a tray of food on the bedside table.

    Just that alone made everything click.

    "Did you bring me breakfast on bed?" He asked, turning to Sabrina.

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina nodded and cast an annoyed glance at Ravenna who was taking a towel.

    "I told her to grab more but she fought for the tray with me," Ravenna shrugged nonchalantly. "By the time she gave up, the breakfast time was already over. And now she''s sulking over there, blaming me when it''s clearly because of her own stubbornness"

    Despite her mounting anger, Sabrina only bit her lower lip.

    She was annoyed but her standing was way lower than Ravenna''s, she was only Lucivar''s personal maid.

    "So basically, you stole from me," Lucivar commented, putting down his feet to sit¡ªon the edge of the bed. "The food is mine, so you stole from me. Don''t do that again. Go¡ªand fetch me something since you ate mine, check if Leandra is nearby. I want to go to Nerissa"

    Ravenna was stunned.

    On the other hand, Sabrina cast her a smug look hearing Lucivar taking her side.

    Naturally, Ravenna''s mouth opened, wanting to say something but she decided to swallow her words back.

    "Fine..." She flicked her hair. "I''ll do it after I shower"

    "Don''t use that tone as if I''m the bad guy here, you''re the one who started this. I just woke up!"

    "Alright Mr. Taking My Lovely Maid''s Side, whatever you say"

    "Really? It''s going to be like that, huh?" Lucivar clicked his tongue. "Where''s your maid anyway?"

    "Not everyone got their own personal maid," She answered¡ªas she grabbed several of her uniforms too. "Master Tobias is playing favorite, I bet. Everyone fought for his attention but when you arrived, you suddenly got all the attention from him"

    "Wait, what? I thought everyone got a personal maid" Lucivar raised an eyebrow.

    He still remembered Leandra having one so he was surprised to find Ravenna not having one.

    "It''s not like we didn''t get any, it''s just not permanent," Ravenna shrugged and went over to the toilet, turning to look at Lucivar with her naked, flawless body on full display. "Mine has already gone back to the mansion¡ªso I do not have any now. Only you and Leandra have a permanent one"

    Once she said that she disappeared behind the door.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, was puzzled, "Why''s mine permanent? Isn''t this some sort of reward?"

    Reflecting on his actions before arriving at the mansion, Lucivar frowned, unable to pinpoint anything that would warrant Tobias'' attention. No¡ªone thing came to mind. ''Does he know I killed Darwin? If that''s the case, why am I being rewarded? Why''s Sabrina with me permanently? Shouldn''t I be punished or kicked out instead?''

    Other than killing Darwin, he didn''t do anything substantial.

    ''Leandra also has one so it must be the killing of Darwin...'' Lucivar massaged his forehead.

    He really didn''t know what was going on but he would ask Tobias the next time they met.

    Something is missing about Tobias and he could feel it now.

    Half an hour before twelve, Lucivar and the others walked out of the hotel.

    It was time for them to leave this city behind and return to the academy, resuming their lives as Hunters.

    Just as he was about to head toward the SUV ready to bring them to the main city gate, a hand grabbed his shoulder. Lucivar turned and realized that it was Mirel. Surprisingly enough, he was wounded here and there¡ªburnt scars marred his body.

    Both of them were behind while the others were already ahead.

    "Did you do what you should''ve done years ago?" Lucivar asked, curiously.

    Even though he didn''t know what Mirel was doing, he saw the lightning strikes in the distance at night, almost like the judgment from heaven. It came from outside of the city and playing by his guts, it must be Mirel''s doings.

    Mirel smiled weakly and nodded, "Yes, wait for my challenge. I''m coming for your position"

    "Anytime," Lucivar waved. "I''ll take on your challenge anytime"

    "Also, we''re even now," Mirel continued¡ªwalking past Lucivar. "I do not know what''s going on last night but I helped you so because of that, we''re even. You wake me up from my weak stupor and now I helped you do whatever you''re doing"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar scratched the back of his head.

    ''I''m not trying to help you, though, but I don''t mind the favor,'' He thought, then headed for the SUV

    Not expecting anything, Lucivar and the others were greeted by a spectacular sight.

    Knowing that they were going to leave the city today, the people had already gathered on the street and even took the time to decorate the street heading towards the main gate with flowers. People showered roses on the passing SUVs, showing their absolute gratitude.

    All of them cheered and waved their hands, bidding goodbye to their heroes who saved the city.

    Had it not for Lucivar and the other academy hunters, their city would''ve been leveled.

    But now the danger had come to pass.

    Inside the SUV with him, Nerissa placed her hands on the window¡ªviewing the spectacular sight.

    "Saving the city like this..." She mumbled meekly. "Feels really good"

    "It''s not that saving the city felt good," Ravenna intervened, her gaze shifting to the crowds outside. "It is the way their cheers and reverence breathe life into you, reminding you that you''re alive. Surviving the blue dungeon didn''t just keep you alive¡ªit made you feel alive"

    "Felt more alive, huh..." Lucivar muttered inaudibly.

    Remembering his life before he awakened his dormant bloodline and also the five Gods inside of him, the life he has now was a stark contrast. Back then, it was mundane with him waking up early, hunting, and being scolded by his family.

    Now, every single day was akin to a blessing.

    ''Killing others made me feel alive, becoming stronger made me feel alive, pursuing something made me feel alive,'' Lucivar smiled inwardly, his life had changed. He avoided good karma in his last breath and that allowed him to survive. ''Seeing these people cheering me on, not knowing that they were cheering the person who manipulated them and killed many of them... it felt nice. I wonder, will cheering me on give them bad karma?''

    Lucivar shook his head.

    He took the time to relax and empty his mind as there were a lot of things he needed to do later.

    ''Gandr said I''m going to battle Caldaros in the tournament, that''s a tight schedule. Since Caldaros is the top-ranker in the academy, he would gain approval easily. One academy could send three candidates and quota wouldn''t be a problem for him too'' Lucivar pondered and closed his eyes.

    As if it was not bad enough with the deal with Professor Aeldric choking on him, another problem came.

    Now his life was really on the line.

    If it''s about the deal with Professor Aeldric, he could technically try to escape if he failed.

    But with Caldaros there, he doubted that there would be any chance for him to escape.

    "I look forward to the version of me once I come out of this..." Lucivar mused, excited inside.

    Just then, the driver glanced to the side and found Lucivar sleeping.

    He then looked through the rear-view mirror.

    "By the way," He started, peeking at Nerissa and Ravenna. "The governor wanted me to tell you that the city will make sure your deeds will be remembered. When you have the time in the future, please visit the city again"

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa and Ravenna exchanged a look.

    "We''ll do that," Ravenna spoke the first, nodding her head.

    Once the SUVs went past the main gate, Lucivar and the others got down.

    Both of the bus drivers were waiting for them outside, smoking a cigarette nonchalantly.

    "Lucivar, look!" Nerissa pointed to the side at the crowd of volunteers outside, and among them were two familiar figures that they had met before going to take down the blue dungeon. "It''s that little girl and her mother!"

    Lucivar glanced to the side and saw Pippa and her mother.

    Unlike before, Pippa was full of life and was smiling¡ªa stark contrast to her mother.

    As he saw them, Lucivar glanced to the main gate and saw the people were there.

    Sighing lightly, he approached Pippa with steady steps and kneeled down on one knee to match her eye level. Looking at the flower she was holding, Lucivar''s eyes slightly widened, "Perfect yellow kadupul flower representing profound gratitude or royalty, it''s very rare and would never wither. Are you sure giving me this?"

    "An heirloom from grandma," Pippa blossomed a gap-toothed smile. "Mister, thank you for saving us"

    Lucivar accepted the flower and messed her hair tenderly, "Take care of yourself, okay?"

    "Yes!" Pippa answered cheerfully.

    Once that was done, Lucivar raised his gaze to look at Pippa''s mother who was avoiding eye contact.

    He then stood up and approached her.

    "I''m worried about Pippa," He stated, prompting Pippa''s mother to look at him with a mix of fear as well as confusion. "I can''t kill you now with everyone watching. If we did not get interrupted, I would''ve killed you painlessly but you attracted good karma. I''m afraid a worse evil will be your fate"

    Upon hearing this, Pippa''s mother''s complexion became paler.

    She didn''t know what to make of what Lucivar said.

    "I don''t expect you to understand," Lucivar sighed deeply, stepped close, and put a hand on her weak shoulder. A touch from him made her flinch but she could not pull away as Lucivar leaned forward to her ear. "But think about what I''m saying carefully. If you want to save your daughter from that evil, you should kill yourself..."

 Chapter 174 174: Returning Back

    Good karma attracts bad luck while bad karma attracts good luck.

    It was something that Lucivar believed deeply.

    Good people are going to be devoured by evil people sooner rather than later.

    Death and being taken advantage of was what lies in the future for good people, and death by Lucivar''s own two hands was nothing more than mercy. Every single person who he killed dies a painless death, none of them were tortured.

    A way better path than being killed by other evil people out there sitting in the position of power.

    Since Pippa''s mother got ''lucky'' and was freed from Lucivar, it could only mean one thing.

    Something much worse is coming for her in the future.

    Something that was way worse than the painless death Lucivar offered.

    Because of that, Lucivar was worried for Pippa¡ªthe good karma her mother accumulated would also influence her in the future. Perhaps, once the worse evil came to take Pippa''s mother, Pippa would also be killed.

    It was saddening.

    Not because of Pippa''s death but because he''s the only one who knows what lies ahead for her.

    As a friendly reminder from someone who understands, Lucivar told Pippa''s mother to kill herself.

    Maybe if she died, the good karma she accumulated would disperse and Pippa would be safe.

    "I hope you think about it carefully," Lucivar pulled back his hand and turned around to leave.

    On the other hand, Pippa''s mother looked at his back in complete disbelief and fear.

    ''He''s crazy...'' She pondered inside. ''How could he tell me to kill myself like that? He''s really crazy!''

    Shaking her head, wanting to put everything about Lucivar in the past, Pippa''s mother embraced Pippa and brought her away. Being near Lucivar deteriorated her soul, it wasn''t a good thing. Since she already gave the flowers away, there''s no need for them to linger around anymore.

    Just like that, the mission ended.

    Lucivar managed to show Professor Victor that he was capable of representing the academy.

    It was a long ride home.

    For some, the way back was akin to going back from a vacation¡ªfeeling hollow and empty while for others who loved the academy, going back excites them. Nerissa, Leandra¡ªand Ravenna belonged to the first group while Lucivar and Mirel belonged to the second.

    As expected, Leandra was sitting away from the others.

    Her face was completely drained and lifeless, almost as if someone had taken her soul.

    All of the usual icy coldness and sharpness that her presence emitted was nowhere to be seen.

    She was a far cry from what she once was after her utter defeat against Lucivar.

    Nerissa who usually worries if the others aren''t being themselves was now sitting beside Lucivar, she was dutifully healing Lucivar''s eyes. On the other hand, Ravenna¡ªand Mirel were meditating silently with their eyes closed.

    "This is as far as I could heal them," Nerissa muttered. "You need a healer to recover it back to normal"

    Despite her bloodine ability, she wasn''t exactly a healer like Delilah.

    She couldn''t heal his eyes back to normal.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded, "Thanks for the help, I don''t know what I''ll do without you"

    Feeling good from the compliment, she nodded and averted her gaze forward.

    On the other hand, Lucivar glanced over to Ravenna and his eyes glowed¡ªsensing the ether her body emanated. Unlike before, her presence became even more domineering, ''She got stronger as expected. She must be nearing a breakthrough, the negative energy she amassed is overloading''

    As he thought of that, he turned to Mirel and saw the exact same thing was happening to him.

    Just from the coalescing ether that enveloped his body, he was nearing the Acolyte rank.

    It wouldn''t take long before he reached the Acolyte rank.

    Once Mirel became an Acolyte-rank Hybrid, Bakar would be left behind alone.

    He was the only one who would be still at the Neophyte rank.

    ''I can''t wait to arrive back¡ªand get my Attribute Stimulus,'' Lucivar pondered, his heart pumping blood hard out of excitement. ''I still haven''t absorbed the gold spheres, there are hundreds of them. No doubt, I''ll reach the second star or perhaps even the third star once I absorbed all of them''

    Smiling inwardly, he decided to close his eyes and get some sleep.

    Lucivar couldn''t admire the scenery with his current vision anyway so sleeping is the better option.

    Just like the time they needed to reach Kalinan City, the way back took the exact same time.

    It took three days for them to arrive back at the academy.

    Once the bus came to a stop in front of the academy''s main building, Lucivar stepped out¡ªand looked up to the sky¡ªit was already night, ''So much has happened that it felt like I''ve been away for months, the academy is as serene and peaceful as ever''

    Inhaling the fresh night air deeply, Lucivar then glanced to the side.

    Sabrina was handling his equipment so he didn''t need to do anything except go back to the Bastion of Blades and report back to Fabio. Just then, however, as he turned to the opposite side, he saw Caldaros also coming out from the bus.

    Both their eyes locked before a light smile crossed Caldaros'' lips.

    Caldaros approached Lucivar and said, "I''ll see you around, Lucivar. Don''t even try to run away"

    As he said that, he waved his hand and headed to the student dormitory.

    His presence oozed confidence as if he won already.

    Looking at his back, Lucivar could only shake his head, ''Arrogant fool, does he really think¡ªhe is invincible or something? I''ll wipe that smug look on your face on the day of the South Hues Tournament, you''ll be begging for mercy then. Get as confident as you can, underestimate me more, that''ll only make my win way easier and tastier''

    Despite thinking back, Lucivar knew that beating Caldaros would be extremely tough.

    Or at least it would be hard if he really couldn''t use Loki''s and Sutekh''s abilities at the same time.

    Seconds before when Caldaros approached, he tried to use the Fang of Ankh.

    As expected, the Fang of Ankh didn''t respond to him.

    ''Sutekh didn''t want to get in the middle of this, it seemed...'' Lucivar pondered, reaching his hand to rub his chin in contemplation. ''Or is it Loki the one who doesn''t want Sutekh intervening since it''s clearly his vendetta? Either way, against Caldaros, I could only use Loki''s abilities''

    Nodding his head, Lucivar and the others headed back to the cave by the academy bike.

    It was night already so Lucivar would meet Professor Victor tomorrow.

    Once he obtained the approval, he would need to fill in the forms to participate in the tournament.

    And that also includes specifying his sponsors.

    ''I wonder, has Thalia sent a better offer to me? I better check'' He thought, pedaling the bike harder.

    Upon returning and reporting their success in Kalinan City, Lucivar and the others were led to meet with Max. All of them placed their hands inside the machine again to update their Blood Crest. Once they had done so, their Blood Crest changed.

    Now, the red crystal mark was surrounded by crimson strings and was glowing brighter.

    His status as an academy hunter was increased.

    "Keep up the good work," Max complimented. "If you keep doing this, you''ll be a student in no time"

    Lucivar and the others nodded.

    Such a compliment would make normal academy hunters ecstatic, but that didn''t apply to Lucivar and the others who wanted to remain academy hunters. For them, their status as academy hunters was not important.

    All that was important was taking down dungeons and becoming stronger.

    Once that ended, the others went back to their respective room.

    Instead of going to bed like the others, Lucivar went out again¡ªdragging Sabrina along with him.

    He still couldn''t see and would need to go to the infirmary.

    Of course, there was an infirmary inside the Bastion of Blades but Lucivar had something to do so he would go to the infirmary in the main building instead. Even though he didn''t know if the infirmaries there would accept academy hunters, he decided to try.

    Reaching the main building again, Lucivar saw a scanner stand at the base of the staircase.

    He went over there and swiped his Academy ID to check his academy points.

    Since he led a group to take down the blue dungeon in Kalinan City, with Fabio already registering his success, he should obtain academy points, ''Please be above 50,000 academy points, I need at least that much if I want to buy an Attribute Stimulus''

    Praying inside, Lucivar then swiped his Academy ID before a number appeared.

    His expression soured when he saw he only obtained a measly 10,000 academy points.

    If he wanted to purchase the Attribute Stimulus, he needed 50,000 academy points, and that means he would need to complete similar missions as Kalinan City four more times. As the tournament closes, he couldn''t afford to do that.

    Lucivar needed to have an Attribute Stimulus now.

    Fortunately, he already considered this scenario and knew what to do.

    It wasn''t a guarantee but worth trying.

    Moments later.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    Suddenly, the door was knocked¡ªcatching the old man inside the office room off guard.

    "What time is it?" He checked his phone¡ªand saw that it was nine o''clock, pretty late for someone to knock on his door like this. "Come in!" He finally answered before the door was opened, revealing an academy hunter that he didn''t expect to see so late in the night.

    "Lucivar?" Professor Aeldric leaned back on his chair. "What brings you here so late in the night?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar closed the door and stood in front of the professor.

    "I''ve gained the approval of Professor Victor and could participate in the tournament now," He declared.

    As soon as he heard this, Professor Aeldric leaned forward¡ªclasping both hands and placing them right in front of his pace. He looked at Lucivar with a squinted gaze, trying to read through him, "That''s good but I can tell that you didn''t come to me this late in the night just to tell me that"

    "I wanted a loan," Lucivar said, not wanting to beat around the bust. "For an Attribute Stimulus"

    Realizing what this was about, Professor Aeldric chuckled a bit.

    "What makes you think I''d help you?"

    "You''d help me because you wanted me to win the tournament"

    "Is that so?"

    "Yes, I''ve proven that I''m capable. I didn''t ask for you to give it to me, I''m asking for a loan"

    Professor Aeldric tapped his index finger¡ªagainst the wooden table, contemplating the moment before he finally nodded his head, "Very well, I can help you with that. Meet me tomorrow morning, I will give you your Attribute Stimulus. I assumed you want the highest-grade one, am I correct?"

    Once he obtained what he wanted, Lucivar bowed slightly and excused himself.

    Just then, he stepped outside and found a familiar face beside Sabrina¡ªAndre.

    Lucivar reached out his hand, "Give me your phone"

    "Huh? You called me here for only that?" Andre asked incredulously but he complied either way.

    As Lucivar got the phone, he dialed the number that was written on a scroll in Sabrina''s hand.

    It beeped a couple of times until the other side answered.

    Lucivar then smirked, "It''s me, Lucivar Asarafall. Can we schedule a meeting?"

 Chapter 175 175: Leandras Resolve

    In front of Professor Aeldric''s office, Lucivar, Sabrina, and Andre stood.

    For a moment, Lucivar was on the phone with someone¡ªtalking about something important from the look on his face. Once he was done, with the phone call, he tossed the phone back to Andre, "Thanks for your help, senior. You can go back to your dorm now"

    Lucivar waved his hand above his head as he walked to the lift.

    He only called for Andre to use his phone.

    Being able to attain a lot of information to manipulate Thalia¡ªand her family through only her phone made Lucivar realized that having a phone is disadvantageous. Of course¡ªback when he was still in his home village, he always wanted a handphone, that could do more than only receive broadcasts from the officials.

    He came to hear about it from the people who had visited a free city.

    Now, he didn''t want to anymore.

    For that very reason, he told Sabrina to call Andre so that he could use Andre''s phone.

    It was already late and Andre must''ve already been comfortable in his room.

    Having to step out of his comfort to come here must be really annoying.

    But then again, what can Andre do? Refuse him and risk being bullied again? No, that''s not worth it.

    "Stop calling me senior if you don''t respect me as a senior!" Andre shouted, cursing at Lucivar who did not seem to be bothered by his words at all. He could only punch the air in frustration, "Damn it, why do I have to be involved with a guy like that?"

    Cursing under his breath, Andre went back to his room.

    Since he didn''t want to meet with Lucivar again, he opted to use the emergency staircase instead.

    Oblivious to him, there was a figure leaning against the wall to his right.

    Once Andre went through the emergency door, the figure looked around to see if the coast was clear¡ªbefore walking out. Silently, the figure went toward Professor Aeldric''s door and knocked on it, "May I come in?"

    "Go ahead," Professor Aeldric sounded from the inside.

    It was only then does the figure stepped inside and stood in front of Professor Aeldric.

    Seeing the person standing in front of him, Professor Aeldric squinted his eyes.

    "Hmm, you look familiar," He murmured, pointing at the figure. "Oh, right, aren''t you..."

    ...

    The next day came.

    Not a trace of moonlight or sunlight pierced through the dorms within the Bastion of Blades.

    Night or day, it was all the same inside the dorm rooms¡ªthe light on the ceiling and also the humming of machines in the background were the only things that could be sensed. It was a total isolation, almost like a prison.

    A far cry from the hotel room in Kalinan City.

    Inside Leandra''s room.

    She moved her body on the bed to face the ceiling with an arm over her face.

    Sleeping has been hazardous for her.

    Even though she had been trying to sleep throughout the entire night, she couldn''t, the memories from that night kept playing on repeat in her mind. Opening her eyes slightly, she stared at the ceiling with reddened and puffy eyes.

    On top of being unable to sleep, she also has been crying throughout the night.

    A suppressed cry so that her personal maid wouldn''t hear it.

    ''Now, you see the truth of what I''ve been fighting for...''

    Lucivar''s voice rang inside her head, causing her to bite her lower lip hard.

    ''Good karma brings bad luck while bad karma brings good luck''

    "Just what does he mean by that...?" Leandra mumbled inaudibly, she had been contemplating the meaning behind those words but she couldn''t. "Isn''t it supposed to be the other way around? Good karma brings fortune while bad karma brings suffering, that''s how it''s supposed to be so what does he mean by that?"

    No matter how hard she tried to understand those words, she was met with a dead end.

    Recalling the past, Leandra remembered that Lucivar had always been purposeful.

    It was clear since he went ahead and tried killing someone when he realized he wasn''t used to killing.

    Becoming stronger was his goal, that''s for sure, but Leandra couldn''t help but feel like there''s another reason that drives him harder. Something more personal that sparked the flame inside of him to become as wicked as he could.

    Sighing deeply, she sat up on the bed and tied her violet hair into a ponytail.

    "I need to train," Leandra muttered as she changed and headed outside.

    Being cramped inside the room only made her duller, she thought exercising with refresh her mind.

    Upon stepping outside, Leandra went to the training area at the center and saw a clock there with a bat sitting on top of it that marked the time to be three in the morning. It was still very dark¡ªand nobody was around.

    Not even those who are hard-working would be training at this time.

    Everyone was probably still asleep.

    Leandra washed her face on a nearby sink before making her way to the center of the training area.

    Only the moonlight and a few lights lit up the area.

    She spreads her legs wide and stretches, loosening every muscle across her body.

    Once she was ready, she began to shadowbox¡ªwanting to sweat a little.

    Under the tutorship of Tobias, her martial art revolved around striking power with every limb she has since her telekinetic ability from the Star Witch bloodline made it easy for her to open up her opponent and land a critical blow.

    Every time she threw a strike¡ªbe it a kick or a punch, a gust of purple ether blew.

    She used the entire area as she shadowbox, making rotational and acrobatic moves that were more like a performance of strength and elegance. Had there been any onlookers, they would''ve thought Leandra was dancing but she''s not.

    Having to train most of her life, her moves were already automatic.

    Leandra was shadowboxing but her mind was somewhere else, on Lucivar''s words.

    Just thinking about Lucivar made her more energetic and angrier.

    "Hyaargh!" She groaned as she made a straight punch.

    A storm of ether flew forward and struck the cave walls with a resounding crash.

    Straightening her posture, Leandra wiped her sweat.

    She then placed her hands on her hips and looked down to the floor, her thoughts racing, ''Instead of me thinking about it and making assumptions about him, shouldn''t I just ask him directly? Find out what he''s truly after¡ªand why he''s doing all of this?''

    Even though she made a promise to herself to change Lucivar, she took the wrong approach.

    Allowing Thalia to show him the good side of the world was the right move, considering that Lucivar has always been excited about a free city. But her move against Lucivar back in Kalinan City¡ªit was an act purely driven by her emotions.

    Leandra was frustrated.

    Instead of wanting to change him, she wanted to beat him instead¡ªand that''s the wrong move.

    She was too focused on herself and her feelings.

    ''Instead of fighting me and losing, try to understand me''

    ''Perhaps, you could be the only one who would understand me''

    Recalling what Lucivar whispered to her, a flicker of determination crossed her eyes.

    ''If I wanted to change him¡ªthe right move would be to try and understand him first. Only once I understand him fully, know intimately about his thought processes, would I able to change him,'' She firmed deeply.

    Realizing her errors, she decided to change her approach entirely.

    Just then, however, she lifted her gaze when she heard footsteps coming from the cave entrance.

    She assumed it was one of the guards guarding there, but the sound didn''t match the heavy steps of the armored boots the guards were wearing¡ªit was lighter, more hesitant. Awaiting for the figure to step inside, she caught a glimpse of a man clutching his stomach.

    For a brief second there, the man and Leandra made eye contact.

    However, in the next instant, the man quickly covered his face with his hand and rushed to the side.

    "Mirel?" Leandra raised an eyebrow in question.

    Even from the distance, she could tell that it was Mirel¡ªand he seemed to be hurt.

    Not wanting to let go of this and also worried, Leandra quickly ran to the corridor and called him.

    "Mirel, stop!" She shouted, causing Mirel to stop.

    Jogging towards him, she pulled on his shoulder and forced him to look at her, "What are you doing? Why are you avoiding me?" She asked questioningly¡ªbefore she noticed traces of dried blood on the corner of his lips. "What happened to you? Did you get into a fight?"

    Bombarded by questions, Mirel smiled acutely and pulled her to the side.

    He checked around to see if anyone was around before sighing.

    "What is it? Are you keeping secrets from us, now?" Leandra pressured further.

    Upon hearing this, Mirel placed a finger between his lips, gesturing for her to lower her voice, "Quiet down, Leandra. It''s nothing, really, nothing bad. Why don''t we forget about this and move on? Let''s just pretend this never happened"

    "Pretend this never happened? Do you think I''d do that?" Leandra barked back.

    She then pushed Mirel against the wall, her eyes scrutinizing.

    "Tell me what you''re doing in the middle of the night, outside of the cave, and coming back bloodied like this" She demanded, squinting her eyes sharply. "If you don''t then I''ll wake up the others and have them ask you what you did"

    "Alright, alright..." Mirel raised both hands in surrender.

    Once he did that, Leandra pulled away¡ªgiving him space to breathe.

    "We wouldn''t have this conversation if you didn''t cosplay as a night owl with an exercise obsession"

    "What? So you''re blaming me now?"

    "I mean, even before we enrolled we never exercised at three in the morning"

    "Hmph! Fine!"

    Leandra turned away to go and wake up the others in annoyance.

    Realizing this, Mirel quickly grabbed her hand, "I''m joking! I''ll tell you but keep it a secret will you?"

    Crossing her arms, Leandra raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Mirel to explain.

    Having no other choice as he got struck with bad luck for crossing Leandra as he went back, Mirel was forced to tell the truth. He has no room to lie as doing so and getting caught would make matters even worse for him.

    It wasn''t life-threatening or something like that but he would lose a moment he''s anticipating.

    A moment that he didn''t want to be ruined.

    If Leandra knew he lied to her, she could ruin that by telling the others about his suspicious act.

    Once Mirel told her the truth, Leandra stared at him in shock.

    "Tell me," Leandra stepped forward and cupped Mirel''s face with both hands. "Did you hit your head hard in the dungeon or something? Because I refused to believe that you''re this dumb. You''re making a very stupid mistake, Mirel"

    "Oh, come on," Mirel rolled his eyes and pushed her away. "I wanted to win, that''s it"

    "Yes, I understand that." Leandra nodded. "But you do know that you could lose your life, right...?"

 Chapter 176 176: Exhausting Day

    Once the sun shyly peeked into the sky, the academy hunters were all outside to do their morning training.

    Lucivar walked along the corridor, half-asleep¡ªas healing his eyes in the infirmary requires him to be fully awake throughout the process and he barely got any time to sleep. He came back to the Bastion of Blades around two and had to wake up at five.

    It was worth it though since his vision was now back to normal.

    No more blurry clouds impairing his vision.

    Yawning, he walked past academy hunters and headed to the main training area at the center.

    Almost all of the academy hunters had their gazes fixed on him when he appeared.

    Initially, Lucivar was oblivious to this since he was still sleepy.

    But along the way, he came to notice that everyone was looking at him intently.

    "Is there something on my face?" Lucivar mumbled, confused but also didn''t really care to investigate.

    Arriving at the training area, he stood in line with the others.

    Soon enough he was bumped by someone from behind, it was Mirel, and he leaned close to whisper to his ear, "Did you notice the others watching us? For some reason, everyone has been looking at me since the moment I stepped outside"

    "Hmm?" Lucivar lazily glanced at him. "Maybe because you stink"

    "I do not!" Mirel retorted but secretly smelled his armpits to check. "I think it''s about our Blood Crest. Having ours branded like this seemed to be a big deal. Maybe they know we took down a blue dungeon, what do you think?"

    "I think you better shut up before you get us both into trouble," Lucivar rubbed his eyes sleepily.

    Seeing him unfocused, Mirel could only click his tongue.

    Like always, the professor who would lead the morning exercise stepped to the very front and faced the academy hunters. But instead of a professor, the one who stepped forward was Fabio¡ªand this almost instantly alerted Mirel.

    On the other hand, Lucivar still didn''t find it weird since he wasn''t focusing enough.

    Instead of finding it weird, he was only preparing to jog as that is how this usually started.

    Just then, however, his mind jolted awake when Fabio''s voice echoed.

    "Recently, exactly five days ago, a group of first-year academy hunters led by Hunter Lucivar was sent on a mission to Kalinan City," He declared, sweeping his gaze across the academy hunters. "The mission specified to close a blue dungeon that hosts Stone Orcs, Rock Golems, and even... a Rock Sentinel"

    As soon as Fabio said the last Crosser, the entire area burst into a discussion.

    "The Unfair Golem? Really?"

    "If that''s true, how come Lucivar is unscathed? How can he penetrate its defense?"

    "Even the fourth and fifth-year wouldn''t be able to take it down easily"

    "There are the Stone Orcs too, they are way smarter than regular Orcs and bigger too"

    Upon hearing the whispers surrounding him, Lucivar could only sweat a little.

    ''What is that damn Fabio doing now?'' He pondered inside, slightly annoyed that this was made public.

    Since it was a mission given by Professor Victor, Lucivar thought that it wouldn''t be disclosed like this but he was wrong. Not a small disclosure like on a bulletin board either but a full-on disclosure in front of everyone during the morning exercise.

    Tilting his head, Fabio made eye contact with Lucivar in the crowd.

    "Because of that, Hunter Lucivar and the hunters in his group¡ªHunter Mirel, Hunter Leandra, Hunter Nerissa, and Hunte Ravenna, have their Blood Crests upgraded to the second version, making them much closer to being accepted as students," Fabio continued, forcing everyone to turn towards said names. "And since the mission was a great success, Hunter Lucivar as the leader would tell us the details of this very hard mission and explain to us how he approached it"

    "So that we can learn from it..." He added, narrowing his gaze.

    Almost instantly, the crowd cheered¡ªclapping their hands and encouraging Lucivar to step up.

    All of them have stars in their eyes, excited to hear his story.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, rubbed his face exasperatedly, ''Fuck me...''

    Moments later.

    Sabrina who has only done showering was surprised when the door was opened.

    She clutched on her towel and glanced at the door and saw Lucivar standing there, he was completely drained more than usual. Of course, the morning exercise was tailored for Hybrids of their level and it''s not easy but he usually came out of it with only sweats but still lively.

    But now, he was completely drained¡ªand there was no sweat.

    Not even a trace of sweat.

    Finding this awkward, Sabrina glanced at the time on the wall and saw that it was nine already.

    Usually, the morning exercise should''ve ended at eight maximum so Lucivar came back an hour late.

    "What happened?" She asked hesitantly.

    Lucivar stepped inside and closed the door behind him, "Don''t even ask me about it"

    For more than three damn hours, Lucivar stood in front of the others and explained to them the details about the mission and even the atmosphere. How much ether and presence the portal was emitting? Was there any hidden proselyte? What is the terrain of the dungeon? How strong is a Nexus? How many of the Crossers did he kill? How does he divide the team? What makes him reach that conclusion?

    Every. Single. Damn. Detail.

    He was asked a million questions and needed to answer them.

    But the worst part was that Fabio asked him to explain his thought processes to make the decision.

    It was akin to walking on eggshells.

    One wrong word and he would be thrown to prison as his thought processes weren''t exactly something that the academy would tolerate. Not to mention, the other professors were also there to examine¡ªand also critique his decision-making if there were any errors.

    As opposed to a morning exercise, it was more like a morning lecture.

    And he was forced to act like the professor there!

    ''Fuck, I can''t even lie since the others were also watching'' Lucivar complained inside.

    He could only lay face-down on the bed and sigh heavily into the pillow.

    Upon laying there like a statue, Lucivar couldn''t help but click his tongue as if Ravenna was here, he could definitely vent on her by doing that. However, as soon as he found himself thinking that, he pushed himself up, ''Remember, you''re only using her. Don''t be swayed. Breathe, calm down''

    Sabrina changed into her maid outfit while Lucivar was dwelling in his mind.

    Once she was done, she placed a hand on his back, "Do you want me to get you anything?"

    "Oh, right!" Lucivar stood back up. "Let''s go, we''re going to move rooms"

    As soon as she heard that, Sabrina was stunned, "Really?"

    "Yeah. Since I cleared that blue dungeon and has my Blood Crest turned into the second version as well as reaching the Acolyte rank, we''re given a new room to accommodate us better," Lucivar explained, that is the only good thing that came out of that morning exercise.

    Glancing at Sabrina, he cast a smirk, "That means you won''t need to sleep on the floor anymore"

    Hearing that, Sabrina dramatically shed a tear, ''Finally...''

    Just like that, Lucivar and Sabrina were moved to a room on the second floor of the cave.

    It was another dormitory reserved for the academy hunters who were accomplished and had at the very least the second version of the Blood Crest. Of course, the new room was not as good¡ªas the student one but it was way better than their previous room.

    Other than a bigger space, a bigger bed, and a separate toilet¡ªit also has a TV.

    Pretty neat considering they lived like prisoners before.

    However, the next few days were a grueling blur of discussion and consultation with the professors.

    Lucivar was only allowed to leave the cave once and that was to get the Attribute Stimulus from Professor Aeldirc. He was stuck inside, attending classes¡ªand sparring but fortunately, Sabrina was still free to leave whenever she wanted.

    She became his hands and feet in these few days.

    In the middle of the night, Sabrina came back to the room and saw Lucivar with the remote.

    He seemed to be doing something on the TV when he barely used it before.

    "What are you doing? Watching TV?" Sabrina asked as she sat down on the sofa exhaustedly.

    Not even glancing at her, Lucivar kept his focus on the TV, "I just knew the TV is a smart TV, whatever that means, and it can access the internet like a handphone. Had I known about that, I could have done this days ago"

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina tilted her head and looked at the TV.

    Lucivar was scrolling through an article.

    "The President of the Crimson Wolf Clan and the Green Tempest Clan?" She read the article title.

    As she said that, Lucivar glanced at her, "Oh, right, you''re updated about this kind of stuff"

    Putting away the remote, Lucivar went to the edge of his king-size bed and rested his elbows on his thighs as he leaned forward to Sabrina¡ªacross him. He paused for a second, contemplating about something before his eyes glistened, "Say, who do you think is stronger? Thalia''s father or the Crimson Wolf Clan''s leader...?"

    ...

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the academy grounds.

    Thalia could be seen walking hurriedly along the dorm''s corridor, her eyes darted left and right as her blazing blonde hair fluttered. Soon, she reached a room¡ªit was her sister''s room and without hesitation, she twisted the doorknob and pushed it open.

    "Elira! Elira!" She called, rushing inside. "Where are you?"

    Despite her calls, there were no answers.

    Soon, Thalia found that the room was empty¡ªElira was nowhere to be seen.

    Panic surged through her when Elira wasn''t in her room.

    She quickly turned and sprinted outside, asking every student she came across and ask them about her sister. Most of them shook their heads, none of them saw Elira. And as each person answered no, Thalia began to hyperventilate.

    Of course, she was worried that something happened to Elira.

    But then, a student knew where she was.

    "I saw Elira in the lounge, she was with Axel"

    "Thank you!"

    Not wasting time, Thalia rushed to the lounge.

    ''Lucivar has returned, we need to meet with him as soon as possible,'' She pondered inside.

    Upon reaching the lounge, Thalia scanned the room frantically.

    Soon her eyes fixed on a pair sitting on the corner, the cherry blossom hair made it impossible for her to mistake Elira with another. Instead of approaching Elira, Thalia''s body froze¡ªas she saw her sister leaning her head on Axel''s shoulder in the corner.

    Knowing her sister, this shouldn''t be possible¡ªbut the way she leaned on him, it was romantic.

    Undoubtedly romantic.

    "Sister...?"

 Chapter 177 177: New Offer

    Thalia stared vacantly at Elira and Axel sitting close together on the corner sofa.

    At such a sight, she unconsciously held her breath.

    In her entire life of growing up together with Elira, she has never seen Elira weak.

    From little, Elira has always been the strong big sister who wasn''t fazed by anything no matter what.

    Or at least that''s how Thalia viewed her since she has always been the one protecting from whenever their parents fought or every time they were forced to make friends with the sons and daughters of high-profile individuals.

    Not once has Thalia seen Elira complain or even looked afraid or tired¡ªbeing weak.

    But now, at this moment, she was being weak.

    Even though Thalia could only see their heads from behind, she could tell that Elira was crying¡ªfrom the way her shoulders moved up and down¡ªwhile her head rested on Axel''s shoulder. Not to mention, Axel even has the audacity to place his hand on Elira''s head, comforting her.

    Just then, Thalia moved automatically.

    Her mind was completely blank but her body moved with deliberation and intent.

    Brak!

    "Thalia?!" Elira snapped her head back and exclaimed when she saw Thalia standing behind the sofa.

    Axel, on the other hand, was on the cold marble floor.

    His head was pushed by a force so strong that he fell forward.

    None of the two had realized Thalia had been watching them from behind quietly.

    Blinking, Thalia focused on the moment and sucked in a cold breath when she realized she pushed Axel so hard that it attracted the gaze¡ªof the others. She didn''t even deliberately want to do that, it''s just that she did.

    Almost as if she was under control, the push was instinctive.

    "I can explain," Elira stood up after making sure that Axel was fine and wiped her tears.

    Upon hearing this, Thalia''s gaze shifted¡ªher expression growing colder visibly by the second.

    "No need," She shook her head, her tone icy. "I only came looking for you to tell you that Lucivar was back. From what I''ve heard, he took down the blue dungeon and completed the mission. I''m going to give the new offer we have to him and thought we could go together. If you want to come, make time for tomorrow since tomorrow is Saturday"

    Giving not even a second for Elira to form a reply, Thalia turned around and headed back to her room.

    Leaving Elira pulled back her hair in frustration, not expecting Thalia to catch them.

    ...

    Next day, about three in the morning.

    "If you really want to meet her then go meet with her," Sabrina suddenly said aloud.

    Since the room was quite big, she had a personal space that was separated by a wooden dressing screen placed in the corner of the room. But through the gaps on the screen, she could see that Lucivar was in evident distress on the bed.

    Every minute or so he flipped his body, presumably trying to be comfortable enough to sleep.

    It has been a long day for him, meditating and absorbing the golden spheres.

    Sleeping shouldn''t be a problem for him but it was.

    "Ravenna is only a few doors away, she''s on our floor¡ªyou could ask her to come" Sabrina added.

    As a Succubus Hybrid, she could easily sense what Lucivar was feeling.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar sat up and placed a hand over his face, "Damn it, I didn''t think having sex for the first time would be this hard to forget. I cannot sleep properly for days¡ªit''s like something is missing and I can even still smell her scent"

    "And you told me I''m the horny one," Sabrina sneered. "Now imagine what you''re feeling times ten"

    Of course, Sabrina was referring to what she felt when she saw no action at all.

    Being a Succubus Hyrbid is that hard.

    "Fuck this, I''m going out to train and then take a cold shower," Lucivar stood up and wore his uniform.

    On the way out, he kicked Sabrina''s bed hard¡ªcausing her to exclaim.

    "Come on, maid," He said, curling his index finger in an inviting gesture. "I''m suffering and you are going to sleep comfortably on the bed? No, that can''t be happening. Get up and watch me train, you''re not sleeping tonight too"

    "Instead of asking to watch you train shouldn''t you be asking me for something else?" Sabrina sat up.

    Her hair cascaded down on one side, revealing her alluring neck.

    "Hmm?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

    "I don''t know, another kind of training maybe...?" She added, her voice a low, velvety purr.

    Sabrina looked at Lucivar intensely as her words hung in the air.

    She liked this intense silence, perhaps even this could be the start of something more.

    But that fantasy was thwarted instantly when Lucivar unsheathed his emerald dagger ruthlessly.

    "Stop talking nonsense and get dressed"

    "Right away, Master!"

    A minute later.

    Lucivar came out of his room with Sabrina but stopped when he caught another figure in the corridor.

    His eyes remained calm even though he was shocked inside.

    It was Ravenna, she was in her uniform and was carrying her new sword in her hand.

    Just like him, she was shocked when she saw him coming out of his room and for a second, she didn''t know what to do. Her next step hangs, undecided whether she should approach or not until she finally came to stand her ground.

    Both of them made eye contact, frozen in time.

    ''What''s she doing training this late? Wait... could she not sleep either? Ah, it''s not just me.'' Lucivar smiled, it was more of a smile of relief than happiness. He was afraid that he was losing in this mental game he has with her but it doesn''t seem to be the case.

    Similarly, Ravenna also breathed easily, ''He missed me too. Good, it''s not just me. I need to act normal''

    As she was about to say something, Lucivar turned around and walked on ahead first.

    Ravenna paused but she quickly regained her composure.

    ''He''s trying to avoid me. He must''ve realized he''s weaker when near me'' She nodded and ran after him.

    At this moment, she has no other option but to go on the offensive.

    "Lucivar," She called cheerfully. "Are you also going to train? Do you want to train together?"

    "I guess, why not?" Lucivar shrugged, keeping his composure.

    Since Ravenna has always been close to him from the very start, Lucivar doesn''t need to keep a distance from her out of fear that Leandra might know she was the reason for her previous defeat. So he wouldn''t mind a company for some quick training.

    Hours later after the training and also morning exercise, Lucivar was headed back to his room.

    But along the way, he was stopped by a guard.

    "Two students were asking for me?" Lucivar repeated to clarify.

    Upon hearing this, the guard nodded, "Yes. Come with me, you''re still not above a student''s request"

    "I know, I know," Lucivar resigned. "I''ll meet with these students"

    Naturally, even before he saw the two students¡ªhe already knew that it was certainly Thalia and Elira.

    Both of them haven''t given him a new proposal, he already checked, so they must want to give it to him in person. Once he reached the visiting room, Lucivar stepped inside and saw the familiar twin sitting on one side of the table.

    Thalia has a conflicted feel in her gaze but the most noticeable change lies in Elira.

    Unlike back then, she doesn''t have the air of arrogance anymore.

    On top of that, there was a tinge of fear in her gaze as she looked at Lucivar cautiously.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to do anything," Lucivar suddenly said before sitting down across the table and smiling lightly. "I have somewhere to be because you know, a lot of offers came to me so can you make this quick?"

    As soon as Thalia heard this, she lowered her gaze down to the folder on the table.

    She played with its edge for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words.

    Even though she knew what Lucivar did and grasped it completely, seeing Lucivar detached and have no sign of warmth at all¡ªno sign of the person she had fun together was very surreal. Thalia needed to take a few breaths to calm down before locking eyes with Lucivar again.

    "Here''s the new offer our mom came up with," Thalia opened, pushing the folder across the table.

    Lucivar took it, opened it, and read its content.

    "Quite generous," He murmured, nodding his head. "But I''ll still need time to think it over"

    Upon hearing this, Elira bit her lower lip.

    "Can you please give your answer right now?" She asked, her tone softer than ever.

    Glancing over to Elira, a smirk crossed Lucivar''s lips as he knew exactly why Elira wanted him to give his answer right now. With the threat from the Crimson Wolf Clan¡ªand also the fact that she probably now knew of Lucivar''s latest accomplishment, she wanted him to protect them as soon as possible.

    Tapping the edge of the folder on the steel table, Lucivar tilted his head.

    His eyes narrowed as if he was curious about something.

    "Say, putting aside the politics, who is stronger? Your father or the leader of the Crimson Wolf Clan, Drake?" Lucivar suddenly asked, catching the twins off guard¡ªby his question. "A fleeting thought, if you don''t want to answer you don''t have to"

    "Our father is stronger," Elira answered almost instantly. "Drake is strong but two stars weaker"

    Lucivar nodded his head, he could hear the conviction in her voice.

    "I''ll give my answer as soon as possible," Lucivar stood up from his seat. "For now, I suggest both of you stay on academy grounds. With your current condition, the Crimson Wolf Clan''s attempts are only going to be more ruthless, starting from now. I''m sure you already tasted their fangs"

    As he said that, Lucivar went to the door and knocked on it a couple of times.

    Seeing him about to leave, Thalia wanted to stand up and say something but Elira stopped her.

    Conflicted, she could only sit down¡ªher mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

    Soon enough, the door was opened and Lucivar stepped out after Thalia gave the guards a nod.

    Upon stepping outside, a guard approached Lucivar and gave him a letter.

    Reading the content of the letter, a smile crossed his lips, ''Finally, that damn Fabio caved''

    He has been asking to take a leave for one day but Fabio wasn''t budging.

    Since Lucivar has taken a lot of rest days, Fabio wouldn''t let him take a leave again¡ªbut, under more pestering, Fabio finally caved and gave him permission. He has a feeling that today was the day Fabio would cave and he was right.

    Lucivar instantly made his way back to his room.

    Barging inside, he shoved the letter to Sabrina as he changed into a more casual outfit.

    He only has the one Thalia bought for him so he''s going to wear that.

    "He finally gave you permission," Sabrina murmured.

    Lucivar nodded as he took off his uniform, "Yes, I''m leaving today to meet with the Trading Union"

    "Okay..." Sabrina nodded.

    Just then as Lucivar got changed, he stopped to look at Sabrina.

    "By the way, how''s your observation? Do you have something new about Axel?" He asked.

    "Yes," Sabrina nodded. "He got very close with Elira"

    "Oh, is that so...? How cute" Lucivar mocked, his eyes burning with lethal intent.

 Chapter 178 178: Caught in the Crowd

    Upon taking care of the blue dungeon mission, Lucivar instantly told Sabrina to resume her task.

    He already told her to keep an eye on Axel and she did.

    Even though tracing the academy grounds without an outfit made her eye-catching, none of the students knew that Sabrina was his personal maid. Axel didn''t know so he wouldn''t suspect Sabrina¡ªas long as she wasn''t making it too obvious.

    Now that effort has paid off a little.

    "How close exactly?" Lucivar asked, his eyes gleaming with a greedy glint.

    Pondering for a second, recalling what she had seen, Sabrina then focused back on Lucivar again with a firm look as if there was no doubt in the words she was going to say, "Very close, like couple-close. I wouldn''t be surprised if they''d become a couple"

    As soon as he heard that, Lucivar placed his hands against the wooden wardrobe and tilted his head down.

    He seemed to be in deep contemplation.

    ''Hmm, who should I choose? Who should I choose...? Should I go with Thalia''s father or Drake?'' He pondered inside his head, needing to come to a conclusion as soon as possible. ''Elira does not seem to be lying earlier¡ªbut on the other hand, I could finish off the Feradith Family for good. Decisions... decisions... Let''s weigh the pros and cons''

    Lucivar contemplated for a full minute with his eyes closed.

    In a battle between two lions like this, he could position himself to reap the benefits.

    But the risk in a case such as this has always been picking the wrong side.

    Nevertheless, despite the risk, he has to choose a side since without any risk, there will be no reward.

    And since he now has a showdown against Caldaros in the South Hues Tournament, he also could not afford to stay passive. He needed to make his move and reach at least three-star Acolyte rank if he wanted to have any chance against Caldaros.

    Just from their exchange alone, Lucivar knew that Caldaros was a five-star Acolyte-rank Hybrid.

    If he couldn''t reach the third star, he would have no chance.

    "Okay... Let''s stick with the one I knew closely," Lucivar nodded and resumed changing his clothes.

    Once he was done, he grabbed his dagger and put it inside a duffel bag along with one uniform.

    "Can I come with you too?" Sabrina asked as he grabbed the door handle.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar stopped and glanced over his shoulder, "No, you have your task back here. Keep watching this Axel guy, I want to know who he''s working for. Since he''s close with Elira now, I am pretty sure he would make contact with his employer soon"

    As he said that, Lucivar opened the door and left the room without waiting for Sabrina to answer.

    Having the permission ready in hand, Lucivar made his way to the entrance of the cave.

    Once there, he held the paper up to the guards and walked out¡ªnone of them could stop him this time.

    Seeing the faces of the guards, Lucivar smiled inwardly.

    ''Huh, it''s real good to have the overseer as a friend'' He thought, cracking a joke to himself.

    "Lucivar!" A voice called out for him from behind.

    It was Leandra¡ªshe ran to the entrance when she saw Lucivar was heading there but she was a tad bit too late as Lucivar was already too far away. She tried calling her and stepping out of the cave but the three guards there barred her way.

    "Can I go through for a second? I only wanted to call him" She pleaded with puppy eyes.

    But the guards stood firm, "Show me your permission, and then you can step out"

    "Just this one time, please?"

    "No."

    Being rejected for the second time, Leandra could only bite her lower lip in frustration.

    ''Eugh... I should''ve talked with him days ago,'' She regretted inside.

    Even though she wanted to talk with Lucivar and confess that she wanted to understand him more, she couldn''t bring herself to meet with him and stare into his eyes after what had happened between them, she didn''t know how to behave in front of him.

    Now that she has prepared herself to talk, Lucivar left going God knows where.

    ''No,'' Leandra shook her head as she made her way back inside. ''Instead of begging for his attention, I should pull his attention to me, somehow... I don''t really know how to do that but I know how to start. Just wait for me, Lucivar''

    ...

    A couple of hours later.

    Lucivar stepped out of a taxi and looked at the massive building in front of him.

    It was the mall he and Thalia went to.

    ''His secretary said that I could come by their office to meet with him in person but that would be me stepping into his territory, it''s not neutral but here...'' Lucivar pondered as he inhaled a deep breath. ''It is neutral enough and I even know around the place''

    Contract-wise, the Trading Union''s initial offer was a lot better than the other houses and clans.

    From what he reads, they offered him 100 supreme coins as a downpayment.

    If he won the South Hues Tournament, he would gain another 100 hundred and a lifetime discount if he ever dealt with the Trading Union, a 5% discount. Such a thing would be beneficial for him for his growth but there''s still room for more.

    Such as a rare and banned poison that would work on Vampire Hybrids called the White Blood.

    Beating Caldaros is absolute and Lucivar would go to any length to achieve that.

    Nodding his head, Lucivar ascended the staircase and headed for the lobby.

    He came an hour early so that he could secure the area in case the Trading Union was going to test him.

    As he neared the main lobby, he was stunned at the sight of a crowd.

    Since it was Saturday, the mall was packed to the brim with families, couples, and friend groups, walking in and out of the mall. Lucivar shrugged his shoulders and continued, squeezing through the crowd, which was busy with their own things.

    Just then, however, as he was about to reach the entrance¡ªsomeone grabbed his wrist.

    Lucivar''s head snapped to his behind but he couldn''t see the person grabbing him.

    He only saw a hand holding onto his.

    Following that, his eyes widened when he noticed a delicate amount of ether seeping from this unknown hand. Almost instantly, Lucivar pulled his hand to get away but he was too late. It happened in an instant, his entire world shifted.

    It was almost as if he was absorbed into a wormhole and appeared someplace else.

    Once he blinked and recovered, he instantly yanked his hand away from the figure in front of him, an old man¡ªwho seemed to be blind and leaped away. Alerted, he looked around the place, noticing that he was in some kind of abandoned parking garage.

    ''Shit, I got teleported?!'' Lucivar''s mind raced. ''Who? Caldaros playing dirty tricks? Callista? Who?!''

    As soon as he thought of that, five more men appeared around him.

    All of them were wearing black and looked like tough guys with hands strapped with gloves, tight-fitting shirts, muscular arms, and even a mean-looking face. Lucivar''s senses expanded and he found these five guys were Hybrids, most of them at the five-star Neophyte-rank¡ªwhile one, the arrogant-looking guy with a mohawk is an Acolyte-rank Hybrid.

    "I don''t know who you guys are but you don''t want to do this," Lucivar declared.

    He straightened his posture and dropped the duffel bag to the ground.

    Instead of grabbing his dagger, he decided to raise his fists as these guys also didn''t have a weapon.

    Or at least, no blade weapons¡ªsome of them were using enchanted brass knuckles though.

    Exhaling through his nose, Lucivar activated his Triune Scarab ability.

    Almost instantly, without the user of a single drop of ether¡ªa scarab tattoo appeared on his forehead.

    Finding that Lucivar was now ready, the five men surged forward with a chuckle in their throats as they closed in on Lucivar. His golden eyes flared with cold intensity, locking onto the man at the front¡ªa towering figure with sunglasses masking his expression.

    Knowing exactly what to do, Lucivar lunged, his movements fluid yet explosive.

    The scarab turned green as he sidestepped a lightning-fast punch, weaving effortlessly to the side.

    In one smooth motion, he launched an uppercut aimed at the man''s chin.

    Since the timing was impeccable, Lucivar was confident with this punch.

    But leaned back just in time, evading the strike by a hair''s breadth.

    Lucivar''s eyes narrowed when he saw this, impressed, ''His reaction time is insane''

    Not going to let go of this offense with three more men behind him, Lucivar grabbed the man''s stretched arm to hold him in place and drove a knee into the man''s liver. Caught off guard, the man crumpled¡ªa guttural groan escaped his mouth.

    But this made Lucivar feel nothing, there was no time for him to linger.

    Lucivar glanced over his shoulders as two more closed in from behind.

    He ducked under their attacks in time and struck low, his elbows crashing into their crotches.

    Both men dropped instantly, their faces twisted in agony.

    In a battle, attacking the vital points was mandatory especially when outnumbered like this.

    One needs to keep isolating the battle to face no more than two simultaneously.

    Pivoting around, Lucivar found the fourth was already coming at him.

    Unlike the others, this one came at him with a flurry of punches and kicks¡ªeach move calculated and sharp. Both of them took on more space, the missed strikes cracking the pillars or walls. But then, the fourth man made a mistake.

    Lucivar blocked a roundhouse kick aimed for his head and grabbed the leg.

    His muscles barely straining, "O, oh... A big mistake" He sneered.

    Just then, the scarab turned red¡ªchanging from amplifying Lucivar''s agility to strength.

    Bam!

    Surprised, the fourth man''s head was whipped backward when Lucivar''s forehead slammed hard into his nose with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed as the man staggered back but couldn''t with one of his legs locked by Lucivar.

    Realizing that it was the end, Lucivar turned and knelt on one knee.

    He lifted the fourth man effortlessly and slammed him into the concrete.

    Once he did that, however, a hard kick landed on his back and sent him hurling across the ground.

    Lucivar stood back up, his gaze fixed on the last man with a mohawk.

    "Alright, big man. Come at me" Lucivar taunted.

    Cracking his neck and punching together his knuckles, the mohawk man stepped forward cockily and winding up for a punch. His ether, brilliant silvery blue swirled around his right arm. On the other hand, Lucivar also stepped forward, winding for a punch¡ªby charging ether, and three God strands were thrown into his right fist.

    Upon reaching range, both of them threw a punch and their punch connected perfectly.

    Bam!

    However, unlike what the mohawk man expected, something surprising happened.

    His eyes widened when he saw his fist broken and his arm bent in an unnatural way upon collision.

    Raising his gaze to look at Lucivar, his pupils dilated as Lucivar''s fist drilled into his stomach.

    Crash!

    Surprisingly, the mohawk man was sent rolling and crashing onto the wall across.

    As that happened, Lucivar turned to the pillar on the side.

    "Come out, I know you''re hiding there"

    "Wow... you exceeded my expectations. I now knew how you did what you did"

 Chapter 179 179: Recruited and Punished

    Like an unstoppable force, Lucivar''s fist broke the mohawk man''s arm and continued onward viciously, drilling into his stomach before sending him crashing away. As his mastery over his Greedy Grasp was increased, the boost from the God strands also increased.

    Despite the mohawk man being around the second star Acoly-rank Hybrid rank, he was beaten easily.

    Fighting Caldaros twisted Lucivar''s perspective.

    He was way stronger now compared to when he was before the blue dungeon.

    Not to mention, he now has access to the Triune Scarab ability.

    An ability that surprisingly uses twenty ego points, higher than even the Greedy Grasp ability.

    Lucivar looked ahead at the mohawk man¡ªwho was sprawled near the wall with a completely broken arm. His eyes slightly widened, surprised to see that three measly God strands caused that much damage, so much that he beat the mohawk man with a single punch.

    Straightening his posture, he looked down to his fist.

    ''Just before my fist¡ªcollided with his, I felt a burst of energy. What was that?'' Lucivar pondered, both confused and also excited by that sensation. But then, he realized what it was, ''Synchrony, I activated synchrony which was why my attack became stronger''

    Back when he learned about the Diamond-class spell, Gandr mentioned something to him.

    A state called synchrony is where the ability uses the exact amount of ego points that the Hybrid has.

    Since the Triune Scarab uses twenty ego points, which was also the number of ego points Lucivar has at the moment, the synchrony state was achieved and the strength boost from the red scarab made him more monstrous than before.

    Lucivar sneered at the struggling mohawk man before turning to a pillar.

    "Come out, I know you''re hiding there" He called.

    As soon as he said that, a figure clad in a perfect maroon suit walked out¡ªclapping his hands lightly.

    He seemed to be a rich blonde man in his late twenties with weird yellow eyes, mainly due to the fact that his pupils were slitted. Gold rings¡ªand necklace showed that he was as arrogant as his pocket was deep, someone who has everything in life.

    Due to the gap between claps that were slow and deliberate made the claps sound mocking.

    "Wow..." He cheered. "You exceeded my expectations. I now knew how you did what you did"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar pivoted his body towards the blonde man and tilted his head.

    "Who are you and what do you want with me? You do know that this is kidnapping, something that the Hybrid Association wouldn''t take lightly," Lucivar threatened to test the water as to who he was really dealing with. "Especially since I''m a student"

    "A student?" the man chuckled. "Don''t you mean an academy hunter?"

    Lucivar''s frown deepened, it seemed he was dealing with a force that could easily find out about him.

    Just then, the blind old man appeared beside the blonde man.

    His presence was so light that Lucivar forgot that the old man was the one who brought him here.

    Not to mention, the people he beaten around him began standing back up again.

    Some of them should be suffering from internal injuries but they didn''t seem to be in pain anymore.

    But what surprised Lucivar the most was the mohawk man.

    He has his right arm absolutely mangled from the clash but under Lucivar''s gaze, his right arm began reforming. Bones went back to its original place and flesh covered the open wound until eventually, his arm returned back to normal.

    No matter who this mohawk man was, his bloodline must have some sort of regeneration.

    Glaring at Lucivar, the mohawk man exhaled from the nose roughly and walked to the blonde man.

    In that brief second, Lucivar saw the mohawk man''s pupils flicker from normal to slit.

    Just like the blonde man.

    "Have you come to realize who we are?" the blonde man asked calmly.

    Lucivar trailed the mohawk man as well as the other guys he had beaten up earlier as they went to stand beside the blonde man. Once arriving there, for some reason, Lucivar could feel the air around them complimented each other.

    "Werewolf Hybrids...?" He muttered whisperingly.

    As soon as he said that, his eyes widened as it clicked inside his mind.

    He wasn''t dealing with hired mercenaries by Callista or even Caldaros, no, he was dealing with a clan.

    To be exact, it was the Crimson Wolf Clan¡ªthe Feradith Family''s enemy.

    Seeing the realization behind Lucivar''s gaze, the blonde man smiled, "I like a smart one like you"

    "What does the Crimson Wolf Clan want with someone as small¡ªand minuscule as me?" Lucivar asked, he didn''t know where this would be going so he needed to keep himself unthreatening. "Going so far as kidnapping me is a bit going overboard when I''ll gladly talk"

    "Don''t worry too much" the blonde man waved his hand and went to sit by the hood of a car.

    He clasped his hands together nonchalantly and looked at Lucivar again.

    A pause enveloped the area for a brief second.

    "You might not know me but I know you," the blonde man declared, a smile donning his face. "You''re the one who crushed Elira''s future completely, got the Feradith Family in trouble with the Council of the Light Concord, and damaged that bitch Callista''s reputation"

    Lucivar squinted when he heard this, "If you knew that, I don''t think I deserved being attacked"

    Considering that he basically helped the Crimson Wolf Clan indirectly from what he did to the Feradith Family, being ambushed like this seemed to be very unreasonable. Instead of being attacked, they should be rewarding Lucivar.

    "You forgot to mention one thing," A chuckle slipped out of the blonde man''s lips as his eyes suddenly squinted with killing intent, and his aura flared¡ªcracking the car he was sitting on with sheer pressure alone. "You''re also the one who killed one of our men"

    "Fury..." Lucivar mumbled under his breath.

    He didn''t know how the blonde man could know about that.

    Since Professor Aeldric has taken care of the situation, he thought he wouldn''t be dragged to it.

    But he was wrong.

    Somehow, the blonde man knew about his involvement.

    ''Maybe there''s still a mole inside the academy. Axel is a prime suspect'' Lucivar suspected.

    Just as Lucivar prepared to fight, seeing that the blonde man was channeling his ether and even had his fingernails turning into claws¡ªthe suppressing aura suddenly vanished as a smile crept to his face, "But today is the day for forgiveness, you still helped a lot so I''m not going to kill you. Instead, I''m here to recruit you instead"

    "Recruit?" Lucivar frowned, this wasn''t in his plan.

    Nodding his head, the blonde man then added, "You''re close with the twins, aren''t you? Very close from what I''ve heard. Not to mention, you''re also in the process of making a deal¡ªwith Callista so you are the perfect person for the job"

    It was clear that the blonde man wanted him to do something.

    And refusing is not on the table.

    For several days already, Lucivar has been researching both the head of the Feradith Family and also Drake and he had come to a conclusion. He already knew who to choose, "And what exactly is the job that''s perfect for me?"

    "I want you... to lure Elira to a location," the blonde man finally said.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned.

    Lucivar didn''t know how the blonde man found out but it seemed he knew about everything.

    Since he was in the process of becoming the twins'' bodyguard, he could easily lure them to wherever he wanted them to be. Callista''s people wouldn''t be too suspicious, and that would allow the Crimson Wolf Clan to do anything they wanted with them.

    Based on Sabrina, the twins were being guarded at all times.

    It seemed Callista struck a deal with the academy to allow some trusted people inside the academy grounds.

    Lucivar didn''t find this odd since the Professor Fury incident was the academy''s fault.

    If he were Callista, he could use that as leverage to strike a deal with the academy and that''s probably what Callista exactly did. Due to that, the Crimson Wolf Clan might find it hard to get close but with a person like Lucivar¡ªgetting to Thalia and Elira would be easy.

    Given this offer, Lucivar sweated a little as he glanced over to the people beside the blonde man.

    Just like he did earlier, he could take out the five guys easily.

    However, the blonde man and the old man were a problem.

    Lucivar could sense the blonde man''s aura a little bit, signing that he was perhaps stronger, around the five-star Acolyte-rank¡ªor even a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid. But the old man, Lucivar could not sense his aura at all.

    Even if he somehow won against the blonde man, beating the old man would be impossible.

    It was clear that this was accept or be killed.

    "I will accept under one condition," Lucivar finally said, locking eyes with the blonde man once again.

    Upon hearing this, the blonde man raised an eyebrow questioningly.

    Pausing for a second and looking down, contemplating what he was going to ask for, Lucivar then gazed back up at the blonde man, "Regardless of what you knew about me, I don''t think I could make kills. As long as you''re asking me only to lure her, I''ll do it"

    "What makes you think I''m asking you to kill?" the blonde man asked.

    As he said that, the corner of his mouth was curling sharply.

    Sighing lightly, Lucivar answered, "You only asked for Elira. I presume you want me to get rid of the little sister"

    "Quite sharp for a mere academy hunter," the blonde man nodded repeatedly, surprised. "My apology, I forgot that above all, you''re still young. I''m sure you haven''t even killed anyone before. I''ll send someone to do the killings. Your job is only to lure them, we''ll send you the details later. Do you accept this?"

    "Not that I have a choice anyway," Lucivar shrugged nonchalantly. "So yes, I''ll accept"

    "Good..." the blonde man nodded and stood up.

    Lucivar could breathe easily, he thought that this was going to be life-or-death.

    Fortunately, it wasn''t.

    Just then, however, his eyes bulged as his body bent forward when a powerful force suddenly struck his stomach. Lucivar looked down at the floor as blood climbed his throat viciously and burst out from his mouth, signing internal damage.

    Blinking his eyes, Lucivar looked up and saw the blonde man was right in front of him.

    Surprisingly, the blonde man''s face was twisted in anger.

    Additionally, a part of the blonde man''s face wasn''t formed, almost cut into sparkling silvery light.

    "Invisibility?!" Lucivar exclaimed.

    Moving to look at the blonde man who was sitting on the car''s hood, he found that the blonde man there was nothing more than a clone. Before he could say more¡ªanother powerful blow struck his back and planted him on the floor.

    Brak!

    Then, the blonde man turned to leave, "As I said, you killed one of my men"

    "Haha~" Lucivar mumbled weakly. "Fuck"

 Chapter 180 180: The Secretary

    On the rooftop of the mall, people were smoking and talking nonchalantly.

    Not a lot of them, but several groups occupy some parts of the area.

    Just then as their laughter and excited banters reverberated in the air, on one of the circle-shaped seats with decorative plants at its hollow center¡ªa man appeared, manifested through a sway of a silvery light column made entirely of ether.

    Of course, this man was none other than Lucivar.

    His body curled forward a little as he covered his mouth, holding back the blood threatening to burst.

    Soon, his body hummed with a greenish light that seemed to ease his pain.

    Lucivar used the God strands to heal his internal wounds.

    Slowly but surely, the pain inside subsided along with the corner of his mouth curling upward sinisterly.

    From the moment Lucivar saved Thalia, he already knew that he would be involved at a larger play that he needed to be wary of. Saving her was a declaration to the Crimson Wolf Clan that he was on Thalia''s side, the Feradith Family''s side.

    But the night at the hotel broke that declaration completely.

    He forsaken the Feradith Family for the sake of his own personal gains.

    It was a selfish act that spoke of his character.

    Leaning back, Lucivar rested for a second as he still had time before meeting with the representatives from the Trading Union, "I had a gut feeling that this would happen. I''m guessing that night at the hotel, they were also there. What I did showed that I''m a man of my own, of course, the Crimson Wolf Clan is going to contact me. Something like this is trouble so why... why am I feeling excited?"

    Glancing down at his hand, Lucivar could see that it was trembling uncontrollably.

    Fear wasn''t present inside of him so it could only mean one thing, excitement.

    Perhaps knowing that this was an opportunity made him unconsciously excited.

    As for the danger this poses, it doesn''t matter.

    Only a loser would focus on the bad things, winners¡ªthe strong focus on the good things.

    Dying is a probability in the dangerous game¡ªbut what if he didn''t die? What if he could make use of this opportunity for his own benefit? What if he succeeded in going with his plans, achieved all of the benefits, and got closer to his goals? Now that¡ªthat puts a smile on Lucivar''s face.

    "What do both of you think?" He suddenly mumbled.

    Gandr and Sha appeared.

    Gandr was coiling on his shoulder while Sha was sitting in a cat loaf position, both were looking at him.

    "Personally, the punch is unwarranted. I''m suggesting we take his arm no, both of his arms"

    "It has always been to one''s greatest interest to make themselves look weaker than the foolish"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar waved his hand.

    "I''m not talking about that, I''m talking of which side I should choose," He clarified.

    As soon as he said that, Gandr and Sha paused for a second¡ªlooking at him intently.

    Then, both of them spoke simultaneously, "Isn''t it obvious? You should side with that person"

    "Hah..." Lucivar exhaled deeply. "I guess this confirms it"

    Moments later.

    Lucivar walked along the mall, searching for the place where the meeting would be held.

    He was told that the place was called ''El Theodore'', it should be an upscale cafe?.

    Soon enough, after asking a question to the security, he reached the place¡ªlocated at the corner of the second floor. A cafe? that adopted a black and wood theme and it was quite spacious. From a quick scan alone, the tables could fit around fifty people.

    Just as he stepped inside, one of the staff approached him.

    "Sir Lucivar?" She asked, tilting her head inquiringly.

    Lucivar gave her a nod and he was then brought to a door at the backside.

    Having been attacked half an hour ago, he was on edge and was alert about everything but there didn''t seem to be any malice coming from the other side of the door. Inhaling deeply, he pushed the door open and saw two figures sitting on a table, seemingly waiting for him.

    One of the figures was a man in a neat and sleek grey suit who looked uptight.

    He was standing behind the woman sitting on the chair across the table.

    Unlike the man, the black-haired woman exuded a polished air of professionalism.

    Dressed in a crisp white shirt with the top button undone beneath a tailored dark blue blazer, she wore sharp glasses that framed her focus gaze. She has the poised demeanor of someone who could easily pass for a high-level secretary or executive assistant.

    Stopping behind his designated chair, Lucivar squinted his eyes.

    "What is your name?" He asked.

    Finding this position odd, the woman gestured towards the chair, "Please, can you sit down first?"

    "Okay then, Ms. Secretary," Lucivar ignored her. "Care to tell me why you''re alone?"

    Catching a flicker of confusion behind her eyes, Lucivar added, "I thought Dullan would be here"

    "Sir Dullan has a packed schedule this week, he sent his regards but he couldn''t attend this meeting. I hope you can understand," the woman continued, fixing her glasses in place. "He''s a very busy man, I assure you this is nothing like you think"

    "Is that your way of saying he doesn''t value me as much?" Lucivar questioned again.

    His tone was now a lot sharper than before.

    "No, you have to understand, he wouldn''t agree to this if he didn''t value you," the woman replied.

    But this only prompted Lucivar to scratch the back of his head in annoyance.

    Clicking his tongue in displeasure, finding that this was going to be a waste of time as talking with the secretary wouldn''t amount to anything as she didn''t have any say, Lucivar turned around to leave. He was fuming inside, ''I bothered pestering Fabio and even risked my life coming here and this fucker did not even attend. Fine, I''ll check the Trading Union off my list of sponsors''

    Even though Dullan was favored by Loki''s opportunity light, he wasn''t going to stand this.

    If he stayed any longer, he would''ve exploded.

    Just as he was about to reach for the door, a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind.

    Lucivar slowly turned with bulging eyes and saw the bodyguard of the secretary was the one who dared to grab him by the shoulder. Almost instantly, the thread of reasoning inside of Lucivar broke¡ªbut the woman continued, "Sir Lucivar, we can talk about this. I will inform the CEO of your feelings if you''re at least willing to discuss this"

    Instead of gaining an answer, a scream suddenly echoed inside the soundproof room.

    "Raargghk!!"

    Startled, the woman''s breath hitched sharply as a gasp escaped her lips.

    Her bodyguard''s scream¡ªa raw, harrowing sound she had never imagined could come from him ripped through the tense air. His body twisted in agony, covering Lucivar''s stature in front of him. Then, the woman sucked in a cold breath when Lucivar slowly came to vision.

    She was granted a chilling glimpse of the situation.

    At the sight, her face went slightly pale¡ªshe saw the bodyguard''s hand that grabbed Lucivar''s shoulder earlier was crushed beyond recognition, twisted grotesquely in the wrong direction. Also, she saw the glowing crimson scarab mark on Lucivar''s forehead, exuding ominous energy.

    Just the mark alone shows that Lucivar had invoked the Triune Scarab ability.

    And one look at the scarab told the woman what she needed to know.

    ''He has a named bloodline, a powerful one that is,'' She frowned and sweated a little.

    Before coming here, she had already done her due diligence, researching Lucivar and found from the academy tests¡ªthat he was a Harpy Hybrid. So seeing such a mark, one that no Harpy Hybrid has had shows that he was unique¡ªcertainly had a named bloodline.

    On the other hand, Lucivar snapped.

    Going through the trouble to come here after begging Fabio¡ªand even being ambushed by the Crimson Wolf Clan had taken a toll on Lucivar''s pride, but he had swallowed it all to attend this meeting. And yet, Dullan didn''t attend, sending only his secretary in his stead.

    Such an act reeked of blatant disrespect, one that Lucivar couldn''t tolerate.

    Especially after what he had gone through to come here.

    Recovering from the initial shock, the bodyguard''s ether flared, bathing his form in a crimson glow as he prepared to retaliate. But Lucivar remained unfazed. With a simple motion, he delivered a light but effective punch to the bodyguard''s throat.

    Almost instantly, the bodyguard collapsed, gasping for air, clutching at his neck as his breath failed him.

    But Lucivar wasn''t done there.

    He stepped forward, pressing his shoe down on the man''s remaining hand, grinding it mercilessly.

    His contempt was cold, unspoken¡ªbut his glare, it burned brighter than any flame.

    "Who do you think you are?" Lucivar whispered chillingly. "To think you''re allowed to touch me"

    Coming back from Kalinan City, he wanted to lay low and plan as the tournament was getting nearer by the day. He didn''t want any problem, wanting to focus on Caldaros. Wanting to focus on what kind of torture he would use on Caldaros, what kind of mental trauma, and even how Caldaros would end.

    But reality would never go how he wanted.

    Just then, Lucivar lifted his foot¡ªliberating the man from the pain.

    "No, I shouldn''t have blamed you," Lucivar whispered before he turned towards the woman.

    Realizing that his focus was now on her, the woman unconsciously held her breath.

    In a rushed manner, Lucivar walked towards her, causing her to lean on the chair tensely¡ªbefore her eyes flickered as she reached for her black briefcase beside her. Before she could grab what she needed, Lucivar''s hand was already softly wrapped around her neck.

    He could feel her warm skin vividly, the blood inside of her was pumping frantically.

    Even then, her face remained professional and composed.

    Other than her paleness, she tried to be emotionless.

    "Do you know how much effort I needed to make to be here?" Lucivar asked, his eyes glowed golden. He then reached for her face with his other hand, "I am really angry right now, Ms. Secretary. And like all people, when I''m angry I tend to be violent"

    Feeling the grip tightening around her neck, the woman reached for his hand.

    "T- Then let me make it worthwhile," She quickly said through a choked throat.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar tilted his head, "And how would you do that when your boss isn''t here?"

    "I..." the woman locked eyes with Lucivar seriously. "I knew the stages of the tournament! I have all the details in my briefcase, we''re willing to offer you the information about the tournament as long as you accept us to be your sponsor"

    "Oh...?" Lucivar blinked, mildly surprised by this proposition.

    Pausing for a second, he kept staring at the woman.

    Once he found that she was telling the truth, she let go of her neck, allowing her to breathe easily again.

    She cleared her throat and tidied up her collar as Lucivar sat across her.

    "Let''s hear it then," Lucivar said firmly. "But don''t think this will undo your disrespect, I will still hold your boss accountable for that"

 Chapter 181 181: I Lied

    Before coming here to refresh his memory, Lucivar recalled the South Hues Tournament''s website.

    He was only focusing on the requirements to enter and also the previous winners, the two things that were important in his opinion. But now that the secretary mentioned the tournament''s stages, he frowned as he realized that there were no mentions of what the tournament really was and its rules.

    Nothing about the actual tournament details was shown on the website or anywhere.

    It''s a high-profile tournament so I''m guessing the stages were kept a secret to maintain fairness.

    Lucivar let go of the secretary''s neck and went to sit on the other side.

    "Let''s hear it then. But don''t think this will undo Dullan''s disrespect, I will still hold him accountable for that," He said with a firm tone, showing that he was serious. "As for you telling me about this, about the tournament''s stages, it''s for you to still have a chance to become my sponsor"

    Upon hearing this, the secretary fixed her collar and straightened her posture again.

    Despite the trouble from earlier, she recovered almost instantly.

    For such a show of professionalism, Lucivar couldn''t help but give his praise for her inside.

    "I understand," She nodded before taking the briefcase to her side, placing it gently on the table, and opening it. Taking out several folders¡ªfrom the inside, she slid them to Lucivar, "All of the details are in those folders, you can check and ask any questions about them"

    Lucivar paused for a second, keeping eye contact before he eventually reached for the folders.

    Opening them one by one, he read the contents attentively.

    Unlike what he initially expected, that the tournament would be a straight-up battle in front of the very governor of the city¡ªthe tournament was separated into four stages. The first stage was an individual test, a battle between the participant and the guardian of the tournament¡ªwho was as strong as a third-star to fourth-star Acolyte rank.

    Just from the details alone, Lucvar could tell that the first stage was a filter.

    Third-star or fourth-star Acolyte rank Hybrid? It''s definitely a filter.

    Considering that a lot of people decided to participate because of the governor''s grandson, the number of participants should be higher than normal so the first stage was to cut down on that number, choosing only the best of the best.

    Not to mention, the previous winner of the tournament was a fourth-star Acolyte rank Hybrid.

    So the fact that the first stage pitted the participants against that strong of a guardian was a clear telltale.

    Moving on to the next paper¡ªit was the details for the second stage.

    Once the filter was completed, the real tournament began¡ªit was a team-based stage.

    All of the remaining participants are going to be turned into a group of three and they couldn''t cherry-pick their teammates. Lucivar scanned the paragraph and realized that participants who came from the same academy would be prioritized to be grouped together.

    It made sense since the participants carried the academy''s name with them.

    And with this rule, the academy would be more prevalent.

    As for the stage itself, it was going to be the king''s game¡ªwhatever that is.

    Not much was stated about the game itself other than that, but since it was a team-based stage it should not be a problem for Lucivar¡ªand his group. Considering Caldaros'' strength, he would easily clear the first stage and be grouped with him, and with Caldaros by his side, the other groups shouldn''t pose any threat to them.

    Both of them have Gods inside them, losing is particularly impossible if they worked together.

    As for the third member, it should be someone from another academy.

    Only Lucivar and Caldaros represented the Bloodhaven Academy so they needed another member.

    In the second stage, they would be working together with a stranger.

    Having the Fool''s Trick ability would be paramount in the second stage but I can''t show that ability to Caldaros. If he knew about the ability, it would be hard to get him and I''m pretty sure the Fool would be a lot harder to convince.

    Regardless of what the stage really was, it''s a team-based game.

    Lucivar was confident in his ability to manipulate, the second stage should be a breeze.

    But this also means our battle can''t be done in the first and second stages.

    Shifting his gaze to the third paper, Lucivar moves onto the third stage.

    Upon reading the top paragraph backed by an image of some sort of map, Lucivar smirked inwardly.

    As for the third stage, it was a battle royale.

    All remaining participants are going to be placed in an arena filled with magical traps and obstacles to fight each other¡ªand be the last five standing. Sponsors are also going to play the biggest role in this stage as they could directly help the participant through a myriad of ways.

    Killing is prohibited, that was stated clearly on the paper¡ªhighlighted with bold letters.

    However, Lucivar wasn''t worried about this.

    In the first paper, he read that there was a clause that all participants must agree before participating.

    As long as it looked like an accident, I wouldn''t be held accountable. So the third stage would be the stage where I would fight Caldaros. I do not know if he also knew about this¡ªbut if he did not, I could attack him instantly.

    Lastly, Lucivar flipped over the folders to search for the fourth stage''s details.

    But there were none, there were only three folders.

    "Where''s the fourth one?" He asked, breaking the silence as he turned back to the secretary.

    Fixing her glasses, the secretary answered, "Our team has done their best to research every single stage of the tournament and we found that there were four stages but we couldn''t find anything about the fourth stage. We even thought that we read wrong about the number of stages but there were certainly four stages, we already triple-checked. So the fourth stage must be very special since practically nobody knew about it"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded inside¡ªknowing the first three stages were already good for him.

    Pausing for a second, the secretary then took out another folder.

    "Here is our proposal, I''m certain that you would find it gracious," She said confidently.

    Catching the sliding folder with his hand, Lucivar remained making eye contact with the secretary.

    As this continues, tension builds inside the room once again.

    Only the painful light groan from the bodyguard could be heard in the background along with the sound Lucivar''s index finger made as it tapped on the folder in an interval. Each thudding sound increases the tension and also makes the secretary''s heart pound harder.

    Despite the tension, the secretary kept her composure.

    Even though the bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face betrayed her fac?ade of composure.

    "Tell me, Ms. Secretary¡ªwhy did Dullan pick me?" Lucivar finally asked.

    Gathering her thoughts¡ªand forming the answer inside her mind, she took a brief pause before she opened her mouth to answer once she was calm enough and ready, "As you might already realize, the Hybrids who could win the tournament were those who aren''t only strong but also cunning. Sir Dullan saw both traits in you and decided to pick on you,"

    Lucivar already expected the answer.

    Gauging someone''s strength was easy, it could be done in many ways.

    But to gauge someone''s cunningness, that''s an entire matter altogether.

    However, Lucivar showed that clearly¡ªwhen he betrayed the Feradith Family, he showed that he was capable of taking a cold approach to matters. He was ruthless and cunning, unaffected by the nor¡ªin any way possible.

    "More importantly, Sir Dullan also appreciates someone who thinks very highly of themselves," Finding the need to say more, the secretary continued. "His exact words are ''Those who prioritized themselves over others has an authentic motivation, they''re more likely to achieve more'' That''s what he said"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar shook his head.

    Out of all things he didn''t expect to be chosen because of that, not that it was wrong though.

    "From those words, I could tell Dullan is also self-centered like me," Lucivar added, clasping his hands together and placing them neatly on the table¡ªlooking at the secretary sharply. "So let me ask you this... What is Dullan hoping to get if I win this tournament?"

    As soon as that question left Lucivar''s mouth, the secretary pursed her lips.

    It was clear from her reaction alone that she was hoping that the conversation wouldn''t lead here.

    She was so devastated that she couldn''t hold her stern fac?ade anymore.

    Lucivar tilted his head, "What''s wrong? Your composed face is breaking"

    Despite clearly being teased, the secretary remained silent but for the first time in this entire meeting, she couldn''t hold eye contact and averted her gaze away. Such a sight made Lucivar smile wider, he knew that he got to her, "Are you going to answer?"

    "I''m not authorized to disclose anything about that," the secretary answered through tight lips.

    However, her reaction made it clear in Lucivar''s mind that Dullan really needed to have someone who could win him the tournament. Realizing this, Lucivar cleared his throat and stood up from his chair, it was clear what his intention was.

    Seeing this, the secretary also stood up in a panic, "Sir Lucivar, where are you going?"

    "What?" Lucivar glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "If you''re not going to answer me then this meeting is over. I have a lot more sponsors I need to review other than you, I''m busy. I will be taking the Trading Union off of my sponsor list"

    Upon hearing this, the secretary paled.

    Ignoring the groaning bodyguard on the floor, she ran over the table and stood beside Lucivar.

    Her hurried heel sounds echoed until she stopped.

    "Okay, I''ll tell you as you want," the secretary surrendered, she had no other choice but to comply. In this matter, Lucivar has the power as he was desired by many factions, "But please, don''t disclose you got the information from me"

    Lucivar''s lips curled before he turned towards her, "Let''s hear it them..."

    Moments later.

    Realizing that the bodyguard was still in pain on the floor, the secretary called for an ambulance.

    A group of people came and took him away right when the meeting reached its end.

    Lucivar and the secretary were sitting back down on their chairs.

    A waiter brought them coffee and also some snacks since the meeting had come to an end.

    On one side, Lucivar was in deep contemplation after he was told about what Dullan really wanted while on the other side, the secretary was flushed and troubled. She was massaging her forehead as she sat on her chair, the meeting had been a total disaster.

    ''Sir Dullan wanted to keep him feel less important but it backfired,'' She thought inside her head.

    Just then, her train of thought was disturbed.

    "Drink your coffee and eat your food quickly," Lucivar suddenly said.

    Upon hearing this, the secretary lifted her head in surprise, "Eh...? Are we going somewhere?"

    "Yes, you''re going to bring me to Dullan after this"

    "What? You promised that you wouldn''t drag me into this if I told you his reason"

    "Huh? Promise? I lied of course"

    "What...?"

 Chapter 182 182: A New Cult

    Somewhere within the Valerius Supreme House''s territory.

    An entire city was burning in green flames.

    "Raargghk!"

    "Heretics! Someone, help!!"

    "Oh, Lord... Show us mercy... Protect us from the hands of evil!"

    It was complete chaos.

    Men, women, children, and the elderly alike were screaming¡ªand running frantically from a group of people wielding weapons entirely made of blood. Blood and gore littered the ground, intestines, blood, and corpses scattered everywhere.

    But those who were dead were the lucky ones.

    Saved from the suffering.

    Despite the brutality unfolding, one that could make anyone''s stomach churn, a figure could be seen walking across the dirt road gracefully. Her clothes made it clear that she was a nun of the Blood God but her inner tunic ended above her naval, exposing her chiseled stomach.

    For a nun, such exposure was a spit to the God they worshipped but this nun didn''t seem to care.

    Rather, she was proud¡ªher chin was held high.

    On one side of her waist was a glowing emerald rune that emanated a sinister air¡ªthe energy from it made the emerald lines that stretched from below her eyes all the way down to her jaw glow. Naturally, this figure was none other than Morriva.

    Although Lucivar had told her to keep her changes discreet, she couldn''t.

    She didn''t feel like hiding something she was proud of so she opted for another alternative instead.

    Viewing the bloodshed as if it were nothing, Morriva walked down the road, heading to the city center as she ate beef jerky along the way. One of the people of the city saw her¡ªand went to kneel down in front of her in tears.

    "Please, stop this! Why are you doing this? Didn''t you say that our two cities are going to start fresh and forget the past?!" the man asked desperately. "You said that if I gathered the people and held a trial, we would be in peace!"

    Morriva looked down and tilted her head.

    She gazed sharply at the man''s hand who was holding onto her leg, visible anger appearing on her face.

    Swoosh!

    Flicking her fingers, she summoned a ball of green fire and slapped the man with it.

    Being a normal person, the man was sent rolling across the road and crashed into a house.

    As Morriva wanted to continue onward, the man surprisingly crawled out again.

    He has wood fragments across his entire body and even a sharp wooden plank stabbing his stomach but he still pushes forward and crawls out of the house. Leaning against the fence, he looked at Morriva pleadingly, "Please, we will do anything you want as long as you stop all of this!"

    "What I want is already in my hands," Morriva answered as she smiled devilishly.

    "W- What...?" the man stuttered.

    Looking at Morriva''s gaze, devoid of sympathy, the man realized that she hadn''t attacked the city because of a problem that existed between them. No, she attacked the city because she wanted to. She attacked the city because she wanted bloodshed.

    She tricked them using peace when she wanted nothing more than to kill them.

    Averting her gaze away, she instructed a Blood Priest, "Bring him to the city square, I''ll burn him first"

    Just then, a Blood Priest grabbed the man and pulled him away.

    Despite knowing that he was being pulled to his death, the man didn''t fight back.

    He was already drowned completely in despair.

    Reaching the city square, Morriva saw hundreds of people being restrained with Blood Priests and also Blood Nuns overlooking them. Each one of them glanced at Morriva and bowed slightly, showing that she had utmost standing in the area.

    As soon as Lucivar left, Morriva contemplated and decided to take over the city.

    She had already killed the people loyal to the pastor and manipulated the rest to be under her rule.

    Being the strongest in the city made it easier for her to assert herself as the leader.

    And now, everyone was following her orders.

    Morriva stopped to look around, her eyes narrowed at the sight of a branding mark on the people''s skin that was quite visible to see. It was a mark that took the shape of a one-winged obelisk, branded using hot steel.

    She was pleased to see that everyone had been branded and ready to be sacrificed.

    Focusing on the man she confronted earlier in the middle of the square, Morriva walked over to him as the tip of her index finger began to burn with an emerald flame. She reached down with her other hand to cup the man''s face before she drew the same branding mark on his forehead.

    Upon seeing this, the others began to sob and wail harder.

    Seeing their own city head being branded showed that this was their end, nobody could help them.

    Once she did that, Morriva took two steps back and pointed both her hands at the man.

    "Such a lovely night for a bonfire," She mumbled before inhaling deeply, scanning her eyes across her people. "Today marked an eventful day that will be remembered¡ªfor years to come. Today will be the day we offer our first sacrifice¡ªfor our new God! May the Great Blessed Oracle bestow us with His light!"

    As soon as she said that, the Blood Priests and Nuns went down to their knees.

    All of them clasped their hands together, praying to their new God to accept these sacrifices.

    Simultaneously, Morriva''s power churned violently within her, a storm barely being contained.

    At the center of her chest, the fire primordial gem pulsed with an eerie green light, its glow intensifying as the luminous green lines on her face flared to life. Her Hereditary of Grand Magic constitution, the power she obtained from becoming a Vestal, surged through her veins.

    Under its influence, she could feel her strength rising rapidly.

    Flames danced around her hands, flickering and crackling with unnatural energy.

    Making a sharp exhale, she extended her hands forward, unleashing a torrent of green fire that roared to life, engulfing the man before her. His scream tore through the air¡ªa raw, guttural sound that clawed at the souls of those who watched.

    Swoosh!

    Around the torrent of fire, the crowd flinched as it swirled higher and stronger.

    It spiraled toward the heavens in a display both mesmerizing and horrifying.

    As painful as being burned alive was, the man''s agony was short-lived.

    Soon, the scream gave way to silence, broken only by the crackling of flames as his body was reduced to ash. Morriva stood unwavering, her emerald glow casting shadows that danced across the horrified faces of the remaining cityfolk.

    Nodding in pleasure, she turned to face the Blood Priests and gestured toward the cowering crowd.

    "The rest," She commanded, her voice cold and resolute.

    Moving swiftly, the Blood Priests dragged the helpless one by one and cast them into the inferno.

    No matter how much they struggled, they were helpless as the Blood Priests were strong.

    Realizing that their fate would be death¡ªby flames, one of the most painful deaths ever, some tried to break free from the restraints and run away. Unfortunately for those guys, they were only crippled by a vicious slash to their legs and brought away to be burned slowly and thoroughly.

    It was a completely helpless situation for them.

    Morriva''s flames consumed them all, their cries swallowed by the hungry blaze.

    Even though for the onlookers or many, the spectacle was the telltale of brutality¡ªa nightmare made real, it was not the case for Morriva. In her eyes, this was a beautiful masterpiece of evil. She couldn''t avert her gaze away from the bonfire she created.

    For once, she wasn''t the one being sacrificed.

    She was the one choosing the sacrifices instead.

    Although she didn''t want to admit it aloud, she was getting intoxicated by this feeling of power.

    Gazing up into the soaring green flames in front of her, Morriva couldn''t help but think of the one who made this all possible for her. Just the thought of Lucivar''s face sent a shock of excitement through her veins.

    Morriva had done this for one thing and one thing only.

    She wanted to meet with Lucivar again, she wanted to be acknowledged by him.

    ''I really miss him...'' She pondered in melancholy. ''I hope these sacrifices will catch his attention''

    ...

    Meanwhile, the Trading Union''s Main Branch.

    As it was an important place for Hybrids to trade in their haul from dungeons or purchase items for their progression, the building bustled with constant activity¡ªa towering hub of commerce where anyone could buy, sell, or trade anything imaginable.

    Each floor was a gateway to rarer treasures, ascending in prestige and exclusivity.

    Only those meeting stringent requirements could tread the upper levels with the peak at the fifth floor.

    Not to mention, it also hosted quarterly auctions that drew attention from every corner of Sunhold City, ensuring its halls were always alive with a diverse crowd. Hybrids of all ranks wandered the floors, all seeking items essential for their powers.

    Artifacts, elixirs, weapons, and more.

    However, the bustling place was hushed into murmurs when a group entered the space.

    A man stepped in, his presence commanding immediate attention.

    Dullan, the CEO of the Trading Union''s Sunhold City branch, was impossible to miss.

    His lavish purple suit shimmered under the building''s crystal chandeliers¡ªeach thread worth more than a commoner''s annual earnings. Golden rings adorned nearly all his fingers, and his round frame carried an air of indulgence and authority.

    Around him, a retinue of guards followed closely in a square-shaped formation.

    Each one of them wore a stern face, and their auras signified powerful Hybrids.

    None were below Chrysalis rank, their strength was top-tier.

    Dullan smiled politely at the staring crowd, his expression practiced and calm¡ªused to this.

    He headed toward the executive lift near the corner of the first floor.

    Upon making a turn to the corridor leading to the life¡ªDullan saw a staff member waiting nervously there, his worried gaze locking onto Dullan''s. The CEO stopped, one eyebrow arching as he gestured for the staff to tell him what was wrong.

    Reluctantly, the staff member leaned in, whispering hurriedly into his ear.

    Once he was done, Dullan was left visibly stunned.

    His eyes widened in shock before narrowing in thought, "Are you serious?"

    "Yes," the staff member nodded meekly.

    Realizing what was happening, something that he had never anticipated at all, Dullan adjusted his collar and tie before stepping into the lift with two of his guards. Upon reaching the seventh floor, he walked briskly down a narrow corridor¡ªhis polished shoes clicking against the marble floor.

    Soon, he arrived at a large meeting room and pushed the door open.

    However, as soon as he stepped inside, he froze on the threshold.

    Almost instantly, his expression darkened into a deep frown.

    Despite keeping his face composed and calm, inside, he was thrown completely off balance.

    "Yo," A young man sitting comfortably on his chair greeted. "I''ve been waiting for you, Mr. CEO"

 Chapter 183 183: One Sided Negotiation

    Dullan stepped inside and was instantly dumbfounded at the sight that greeted him.

    Something he didn''t expect at all.

    It wasn''t a move that he expected a youngster would do.

    On the chair where he usually sat, the power chair that would indicate his status, sat Lucivar.

    As if invading Dullan''s workspace wasn''t disrespectful enough¡ªa place where his face was practically everything, Lucivar took it a step further. Seated on his lap with Lucivar''s arm wrapped around her waist, wearing an expression of shame¡ªwas the very secretary Dullan had entrusted to represent him in the meeting.

    She was utterly embarrassed, fixing her gaze to the floor.

    Considering the situation, she didn''t dare to meet Dullan''s eyes.

    All she wanted to do was sink into the earth and be freed from this embarrassing situation.

    "Yo!" Lucivar nudged his chin up in acknowledgment. "I''ve been waiting for you, Mr. CEO"

    Dullan''s eyes narrowed as his eyebrows dipped into a frown¡ªthe situation on top of the taunting face Lucivar was wearing right now clearly showed that this was a provocation. It was safe to say the meeting between them had ended badly.

    Swoosh!

    Reacting almost instantly, one of the bodyguards moved like a ninja.

    In the blink of an eye, the bodyguard was already standing behind Lucivar, pressing a blade to his neck.

    "Give me the word, Sir," He mumbled decisively.

    Upon seeing this, Dullan raised a hand¡ªsignaling for him to not proceed with the killing blow.

    But it was clear from his heavy breaths that he was boiling inside.

    He had never been treated like this before.

    Keeping intense eye contact with Lucivar, Dullan then said with a warning tone, "Do you realize the position you''re in? This is not how the real world works. I could put you down right now¡ªand call it self-defense. Or I could hand you over to the Hybrid Association and have you locked up for daring to make this kind of stunt"

    "Go ahead then," Lucivar replied, extending both his arms forward. "Kill me or lock me up"

    Dullan couldn''t hide his frown anymore, the confidence Lucivar exuded was worrying.

    ''What makes him so confident? I can tell from his aura alone that he was still in the Acolyte rank. I do not even need to lift a finger if I want to kill him with two of my bodyguards¡ªbeing a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid,'' He thought, trying to see through Lucivar''s fac?ade but couldn''t. ''So why is he not afraid? Did he have a death wish?''

    Snapping out his thoughts, he asked again, "Why are you doing this? I''m a potential sponsor"

    "Sponsor? I didn''t need a sponsor who couldn''t even show basic respect," Lucivar sneered, his hand tapping on the secretary''s thigh as if it was his stress ball. "I made talked with you and scheduled the meeting with you and yet you sent this lovely lady in your stead. I just wanted to see ¡ªhow you would react if you''re treated the same"

    "And from the looks of it..." Lucivar paused, studying Dullan''s face. "You also didn''t take it well"

    Upon hearing this, Dullan took in a deep breath before he waved his hand.

    From the moment he saw Lucivar that night, he already knew what he was getting into so he shouldn''t be angry about this as he was the one who made this mistake, ''I thought sending Angel was the right move to increase his perception of me but that backfired''

    "How long are you going to point this blade on my neck?" Lucivar suddenly asked.

    He glanced over his shoulder at the bodyguard sharply.

    Realizing this, Dullan quickly waved his hand, gesturing for the bodyguard to stand down.

    Albeit reluctantly, the bodyguard pulled back his blade and sheathed it again.

    But even as he did that, he was still looking at Lucivar intently¡ªthe tension between them was palpable.

    Dullan took a seat across the long table with two of his bodyguards standing behind like a pair of statues.

    He clasped his hands in front of his face, his gaze shifting from Lucivar to Angel back and forth.

    "I think you''ve made your point, you can let her go now," Dullan muttered.

    Lucivar paused for a second before he lifted both of his hands, allowing Angel to stand up from his lap and scurry over to the other side of the room like a little kid before settling beside the bodyguard with long black hair, the one who was looking at Lucivar sharply.

    "I assumed you didn''t like my offer either," Dullan started. "But fortunately, I have a better one ready"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar waved his hand and instantly threw out his demands, "I want twenty times the amount of money you''re offering, which would be doubled again if I reached top three. All resources of the Trading Union, mainly power crystals and spells would be available for me until the tournament started. Lastly, I want a lifetime 20% discount whenever I make a purchase here"

    As soon as he threw out his demands, the room was completely silent.

    In the next second, however, Dullan''s laughter echoed.

    His golden rings clinked as he slapped the table repeatedly, treating Lucivar''s demands like a joke.

    But even though he was laughing, Lucivar was dead serious.

    Realizing that he wasn''t playing around, Dullan''s expression fell as a frown replaced his laughter, he was unable to grasp how Lucivar would think¡ªthat he would agree to these ridiculous demands, "What makes you think I''m going to accept that?"

    "You will because I know your position," Lucivar answered with a meaningful tone.

    Dullan couldn''t help but frown.

    Due to the ambiguity of Lucivar''s answer, his mind spiraled like a vicious whirlwind.

    Hours ago, Angel confessed everything she knew about Dullan''s reason for wanting to be a sponsor.

    She said that due to the recent threat from the Blue Market, a rival company of the Trading Union, his recent mistake put him in a bad situation. From what she had heard, he was going to be replaced as the CEO by another.

    Lucivar could trust her words at face value but for some reason, he pressed further.

    He forced Angel to cough out everything and that was when she told him the real truth.

    Although she didn''t know the details clearly, she knew that Dullan was desperate to win the tournament and obtain a favor from the governor. All Angel knew was that the mistake Dullan made was severe to the point that he needed the governor''s amnesty before the truth came out.

    People knew that he wanted to retain his position as the CEO.

    However, his personal secretary knew that he wanted to win the tournament for amnesty.

    "Your real position," Lucivar added, emphasizing further that he knew Dullan''s real reason.

    Realizing the cues, Dullan leaned back on his chair and glanced at Angel to his side who was still afraid of making eye contact with him. Sighing lightly, Dullan turned to Lucivar again, "Even so, I still have other candidates on my watchlist. All of them are close or even on par with you"

    "Really? Even after this?" Lucivar tilted his head before looking at Angel.

    Angel understood the signal.

    She could only bite her lower lip and placed her phone on the table, showing a website.

    It was the Bloodhaven Academy''s website.

    An article was opened there stating how Lucivar has led a group of first-year Academy Hunters to close a blue dungeon and saved five cities at the same time. Closing a blue dungeon was already a fear enough but the fact that he cleared it in a day was even more impressive.

    Showing the article was Lucivar''s way of saying that he was incomparable.

    "If everything goes smoothly, I can reach the Chrysalis rank before the tournament even starts," Lucivar pressured further, the air of confidence around him made him extremely believable. Even if he said that he was going to reach the Savant rank, it was still believable. "Once I reached that rank, victory will be a certainty for me and you"

    Upon hearing this, Dullan remained silent, contemplating this surprising offer.

    He needed to think about this seriously since it would be a big investment.

    "I could settle with half of what I demanded as long as you agree on one condition," Lucivar said, the very timing itself was impeccable¡ªas if he could read exactly what was in Dullan''s mind. "If you agree with this condition, I''ll make you my sponsor right now..."

    Dullan''s eyes widened slightly.

    Unlike what he expected, dealing with Lucivar felt like he wasn''t dealing with a youngster.

    He was like an enigma, what he wanted was always elusive to the logical mind.

    ...

    Lucivar managed to secure the Trading Union as one of his sponsors.

    Of course, as expected, Dullan accepted his condition.

    But he did press down the monetary rewards that the Trading Union was willing to give Lucivar as his sponsor. Lucivar didn''t mind that, he only gave those outrageous demands because he must have Dullan accept the condition he was set.

    It was more of a preventive move and he now has secured it.

    Lucivar came back to the Bastion of Blades with a triumphant smile, his plan was evolving soundly.

    Because of the problem he had with Dullan, especially the Angel part, he was back late and it was now night again. Surprisingly enough, when he went back to his room¡ªhe didn''t see Leandra waiting for him.

    Earlier as he left for the meeting, he heard his name being called and it was obvious that it was Leandra.

    She must''ve settled her mind and was now trying to do something.

    Due to that, he expected Leandra to be waiting for him but that doesn''t seem to be the case.

    Arriving back to his room, he wasted no time and went back to absorbing the remaining golden sphere once again. He was on the verge of breaking through to the second star. Now that the Attribute Stimulus was settled in his Supernatural Ego, his power surged fast and steady.

    He still has several piles of golden spheres and he was planning to finish it in the next few days.

    Nearing the breakthrough, Lucivar could feel his back tingling.

    It seemed his other wing was about to grow and he couldn''t wait for it as then he could fly.

    Soaring to the sky like a powerhouse, it wasn''t a pipe dream anymore.

    However, the most surprising part was his Supernatural Ego statue¡ªits material began to change into an element. As an Angel Hybrid, he thought that the statue''s attribute would be light but it wasn''t entirely the case.

    At this moment, only the right wing of the statue''s material was changing.

    Its stone material shifted into brilliant light material.

    Surely, this shows that his attribute was that of light attribute but there were black spots across the wind.

    Lucivar wasn''t sure of what this meant but he should be having two attributes, dark and light.

    Although it was odd, he couldn''t help but feel the anticipation.

    "Light and dark, huh..." He mumbled. "I don''t know how that could work but I''m excited about it"

 Chapter 184 184: Replaced Coldly

    Done with the necessary steps, Lucivar spent the next day progressing his power.

    He was devouring the piles of golden spheres greedily, changing the material of his Supernatural Ego without pause. Other than necessary classes and training, he spent his day inside his room to focus on reaching the appropriate level to fight Caldaros.

    It was peaceful.

    For some reason, he didn''t see the others around.

    Other than Ravenna and also Bakar, he didn''t catch sight of the others.

    Although he was slightly curious as to where the others went, he had better things to do.

    On the second day, Lucivar''s expression twitched.

    He was currently inside his Inner Chamber, cross-legged, absorbing the golden spheres greedily with both Sha and Gandr idling near their respective God statues. Before him, his Supernatural Ego, taking the shape of a winged egg began to hum with a brilliant golden light.

    Its right wing has completely changed material, turning translucent and golden.

    Breaking through to the next small realm permeates a pleasurable sensation through his body but at this moment, that very pleasuring sensation was overpowered by pain. On his back, the skin of the left side of his back began to crack and open.

    Blood squirted out, forcing a groan to escape his mouth.

    As expected, reaching the second star prompted his second wing to grow.

    Even though it was as painful as before, Lucivar didn''t coil and twist on the ground like back then.

    Instead, he stayed seated¡ªeyes closed, enduring the pain with all his might.

    Veins could be seen popping across his body, his pain nerves were stimulated violently as a small wing poked up in the form of bone constructs. It lasted for five full minutes and when it was done, blood was already pooling around him and the wind only grew to the length of his hand.

    "Eurgh..." Lucivar groaned as he opened his eyes.

    He glanced back over his shoulder but still couldn''t see the wind properly, he needed a mirror.

    Fortunately, he has the Arcane Mirror.

    Summoning the mirror, he checked his second wing and sighed dejectedly.

    "I guess I need to at least reach the Chrysalis rank to develop¡ªmy second wing properly," He mused, tilting his body left and right to view the second wing. "Only then would I be able to fly. Until then, I''m stuck with this small thing"

    Just as he was checking his second wing, he tilted his head upwards.

    "Lucivar! You need to look at this!" A voice echoed inside the chamber.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised an eyebrow¡ªthis voice definitely belonged to Sabrina.

    Realizing that she was calling for him, Lucivar disappeared from his Inner Chamber and opened both of his eyes slowly. He blinked a couple of times and saw Sabrina sitting beside the bed facing him with an open scroll in her hand.

    "What is it? Are you surprised by the amount of money offered again?" Lucivar asked.

    Instead of scouring through the letters sent by multiple factions that wanted to become his sponsor, he told Sabrina to be the one to do it instead. He decided on three sponsors¡ªand there was still one quota left¡ªthe Trading Union and the Feradith Family occupied the other two slots.

    His requirements for the third sponsor were quite simple.

    He only wanted the faction to be well-known and also provided the most benefit for him.

    Sabrina could use her bias, he didn''t care.

    Having two sponsors tailored specifically for him was enough, the third one was an accessory.

    "No," Sabrina shook her head, her countenance displayed great concern. "This one came this morning. I instantly opened it without checking who the seal belonged to but it was from the Feradith Family and it wasn''t good news"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned in confusion, "Callista?"

    Early in the morning¡ªwith the Crimson Wolf Clan on his back, Lucivar decided to accept the new offer both Thalia and Elira brought to him. He accepted the Feradith Family as his second sponsor and with that, he considered the matters with them done.

    But it doesn''t seem to be the case.

    Snatching the scroll from Sabrina''s hand, Lucivar quickly skimmed the content.

    At the end of it, both his hands slowly dropped as a mixture of shock and confusion crept to his face.

    "What in the heck happened?" He murmured silently.

    Written on the letter bearing the seal of the Feradith Family and even signed by Callista herself, stated that the Feradith Family has pulled back their offer to be his sponsor. Lucivar needed to double-check to see if what he was seeing was correct.

    And it was.

    No doubt, the Feradith Family cut ties with him.

    "But why...?" Lucivar mumbled as his brows furrowed, he couldn''t understand why the Feradith Family pulled back like this. "Both Elira and Thalia were desperate not too long ago. It was clear that they wanted me to accept badly or else, who would protect them?"

    Other than him, there were only a small amount of people who could replace his position.

    Just then, his expression darkened.

    He grabbed his face with his hand, his emotions throbbing between excitement and anger.

    "Caldaros..." He murmured grimly.

    Upon hearing this, Sabrina also became worried.

    She didn''t know the full scope of his plan but she knew that the Feradith Family was essential.

    Lucivar invested a lot of energy in them.

    Contrasting to what a normal person should feel if their plan was in tatters, a light chuckle escaped his lips¡ªhis shoulders rising up and down. Sabrina glanced at him and found Lucivar smiling maniacally, and the small chuckle turned into a terrifying cackle.

    During the time she became Lucivar''s personal maid, she saw him acting like this one time.

    It was when he had a problem with Professor Fury and that time turned exactly in Lucivar''s favor.

    As opposed to being worried, Sabrina felt pity instead.

    No matter who was on the other side, she felt pity for those who chose to become Lucivar''s enemy.

    Everything changed when the Feradith Family retracted their offer.

    Lucivar has no clear access to both Elira¡ªand Thalia as without the offer, he would not become their protector and that''s a problem considering the Crimson Wolf Clan tasked him to lure the twins. Lucivar, even with his arrogance, wouldn''t take the Crimson Wolf Clan lightly.

    From their exchange, he knew that their core group consisted of Werewolf Hybrids.

    Although not a red-grade bloodline, Werewolf Hybrids were a pain to deal with¡ªdue to their extremely powerful healing factor. Like a Vampire Hybrid who developed a thirst for blood the moment their own bloodline was awakened, Werewolf Hybrids instantly have a healing factor that''s enhanced during the night.

    At Lucivar''s current stage, that healing factor is way better than his Greedy Grasp ability.

    He wouldn''t stand a chance if that old man or the blonde man¡ªRagnar, Drake''s son, the one who has a problem with Thalia''s father¡ªwere sent after him. Both were far too powerful and if either decided to kill him, he would undoubtedly be in a lot of trouble.

    Lucivar couldn''t have that.

    Nodding his head, he quickly went to change his uniform.

    "Where are you going?" Sabrina asked.

    Without stopping to change, Lucivar answered, "To handle the mess, of course"

    ...

    "How about Saturday?"

    "I don''t know... It''s still dangerous for me to go out and my family is going to be worried. Especially my sister, I need to always be there for her. You know... I need to keep staying beside her and be strong. I don''t want her to feel pressed by all of this"

    "It has always been about your sister for you, when are you going to think about yourself?"

    Sitting on a secluded bench near the female student dorm was a couple.

    Just the pink hair alone shows that the woman was Elira while the other person was Axel.

    It seemed they were in an argument.

    Hearing this, Elira looked down in silence¡ªcontemplating about what Axel said.

    "Matter of fact," Axel added, reaching out his hand to hold Elira''s, giving her strength¡ªthrough a firm touch. "Stop thinking entirely. Just follow what your heart wants. I know deep down, you wanted to be free. I''m offering you that freedom, even if that''s only a day. Please, Elira, I want to see you happy, you deserve it. Saturday, alright?"''

    Upon hearing this, Elira sighed¡ªglancing at Axel helplessly.

    She could see the desire and love behind his eyes, forcing her to bite her lower lip, teetering on an answer.

    Finally, she forced out the words, "Okay..."

    Almost instantly, Axel''s expression brightened¡ªand he instantly stood up.

    "Saturday, I''ll wait for you!" He said, turning away as soon as he got the answer as if he didn''t want to linger around and give Elira the time to change her mind. "I''ll prepare everything. I''ll make sure that it is safe, and you can have fun!"

    Axel waved his hand before running away, sprinting back to his dorm before curfew.

    On the other hand, Elira was left alone on the bench.

    She leaned back and looked at the starry night, "Really...? Why can''t I say no to him?"

    Elira stayed there for a moment with her eyes closed, enjoying the night breeze.

    Just then, however, she opened her eyes again, "I never knew you were the one to stalk someone"

    "The same goes for you," Lucivar emerged from the shadows, walking leisurely without a care in the world. "You are proud and full of confidence, I never knew you were the type to be in love, especially with a guy like that. On that note, Axel should have thanked me for hooking you two up"

    Upon hearing this, Elira turned towards him¡ªher gaze as sharp as a blade.

    "What do you mean by that?" She asked as she watched Lucivar sitting on the bench beside her.

    Pausing for a second, Lucivar cast a brief, condescending glance at her, "Because of me, you''ve become humbler, more dependent. Having your future utterly destroyed tends to have that kind of effect, turning someone from proud and arrogant to obedient and reliant"

    "Funny, coming from someone who came here to beg," Elira smirked, she knew that Lucivar was urged to come here because he had read the letter her mother sent. "You know, once my family is cleared, you will be the first one my father will take down. I''ll make sure of it"

    As soon as she said that, she stood up¡ªintending to head back to the dorm.

    She didn''t want to be seen talking with Lucivar.

    "Oh, and by the way," Elira stopped, glancing at Lucivar once again. "If you come here to find out the person who replaced you, then I could help you with that. I can say that you''ve been betrayed, you will be surprised"

    Lucivar frowned but he put that on the back of his mind, that wasn''t why he came here.

    "I''m here to give you a friendly warning," He said aloud, forcing Elira to stop once again. He then stood from the bench and pivoted towards her nonchalantly, "Love can make you blind. I''m here to warn you that Axel is not like what he seemed"

    Elira scoffed when she heard this, "Get something better to do, this kind of trick wouldn''t work on me"

    Giving no time for Lucivar to run his mouth again, she quickly left.

    As he watched Elira''s back disappearing into the dorm, Lucivar sighed and turned away.

    "Now, now... what was that about Saturday?" He smirked.

 Chapter 185 185: Falcon-tier

    In the next couple of days¡ªafter the news of the Feradith Family''s decision, Luciviar juggled his days between training and searching for Thalia. He wanted to know more about the situation and Thalia was a great source of information.

    Going after Elira might''ve been a stretch for him.

    Considering that he has no connection with her other than resentment, he realizes that it was a bad idea.

    Because of that he changed target and decided to aim for Thalia instead.

    Unlike Elira who Lucivar has barely talked to, Thalia was entirely different¡ªhe could make use of her.

    But then again, he approached Elira because of the Mischief Panes.

    He used one of the higher essence bars to purchase an opportunity and it the green light went to Elira.

    Surely, his answer to this problem lies in Elira.

    Because of that, he went to see if he could probe her but it ended up backfiring a little.

    Of course, he was lucky enough to overhear the conversation between Elira and Axel¡ªthat was one good thing he obtained, from that night. However, it seemed because of that, Elira also told Thalia to hide from him.

    ''Elira must''ve known that Thalia would be swayed so she did this,'' Lucivar pondered with a frown.

    Rather than risking Thalia giving information away, Elira must have decided to tell her to hide¡ªfor the time being and be conscious of Lucivar. His movement was predictable but he has to try. Nobody other than Thalia could help him.

    He couldn''t ask for the others'' help either.

    Other than some of them going missing, he didn''t want Leandra to know about this more than anyone.

    Sabrina was the only one who could help¡ªthe two of them searched for Thalia but finding her was way harder than they thought as the students mostly revolved around the main building, and that place was quite big with many spots to hide or hang out.

    Heck, if Thalia stayed inside her class¡ªLucivar would have no way of contacting her.

    Lucivar even tried intercepting her during lunch break, waiting by the cafeteria.

    But there was no sign of her, it was as if she vanished completely.

    In the last couple of days, he failed to find Thalia but his training was going smoothly.

    By the first day, Lucivar was still absorbing the golden spheres when out of nowhere, he felt a surge in Loki''s energy inside of him. Naturally, he went to check what had happened, going to his Inner Chamber, and found that Loki''s essence bars were refilled.

    Not to mention, his arcane points also surged¡ªhe now has 20 arcane points again.

    Of course, he was confused.

    He initially thought that he somehow manipulated someone out there indirectly but Gandr told him that it wasn''t that, it was because of Morriva instead. She made her first sacrifice by manipulating someone or something, and her success also rewarded Lucivar.

    Just from that alone, Lucivar was glad that he put effort into Morriva.

    ''If she kept going like this, I might be tempted to visit her again soon'' Lucivar praised her in his mind.

    She was dedicated even when he wasn''t there.

    But then again, he did make her feel reliant on him so she must''ve badly wanted to meet him by now.

    On the second day, he already absorbed the entire golden spheres he amassed from Kalinan City, fully settling him as a second-star Acolyte rank. On top of that, realizing that he couldn''t quite amass a lot of Sutekh''s essence bars while he was in the academy, he also decided to upgrade his arms and legs within the stone tablet.

    Just like the first time, the process was painful.

    Lucivar has become well-versed in enduring pain but that wasn''t something he was proud of.

    If he could, he doesn''t want to feel pain at all.

    However, since he was still weak compared to what he wanted to achieve, he couldn''t be picky.

    Once the process was over, Lucivar could feel his physique becoming stronger but as it ended, he was greeted by a surprise. His rank assessment changed exponentially from low papyrus tier to low falcon tier, which also came with benefits.

    ...

    [Falcon-tier Enhancements]

    Falcon Senses: Hearing, sight, and smell sharpen to superhuman level. Galeheart Physique: Harmony of the muscles, improving bodily coordination to superhuman level.

    ...

    Reading the two enhancements he had obtained on the stone tablet, Lucivar tilted his head.

    He looked down and saw his body humming with a bronze hue for a brief moment before disappearing once again. Something changed inside of him, Lucivar could feel it. Just then, he turned his head to the side, hearing a voice seeping into his ears.

    "Not enough. Don''t be happy yet, you need to become stronger faster" the voice said.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar could tell that it was Sha¡ªreprimanding him.

    "I''m not that hap-" In the middle of his sentence, he stopped.

    Lucivar looked left and right but saw Sha nowhere¡ªbut since he could hear her voice, she must be nearby but there was no sign of her. Just then, he looked up at Sutekh''s statue and found her sitting on top of the statue''s head, far away from him.

    She was smiling as she whispered, "What do you think? Quite a boost huh?"

    It was only then does Lucivar realized what she was trying to show.

    "I can hear you from here...?" He mumbled in surprise.

    From the distance between Sha and him, there was no way Lucivar could hear her whispering like that before but now with the Falcon Senses enhancement from being a Falcon-tier physique, he could hear her loud and clear.

    Even his sight, one squint is all it takes for him to even a strand of Sha''s hair and that''s something.

    As the description stated, his senses were amplified to superhuman levels.

    Smiling inwardly, Lucivar exited his Inner Chamber and woke up in his room once again.

    He was steadily getting stronger but he needed something more.

    A way bigger golden sphere that would help him break through to higher ranks easily.

    In order to do that, he would need to kill a very high-rank Hybrid and that''s what he was aiming to do.

    But to achieve that, Lucivar still has no clue.

    Placing both hands on the bed, Lucivar focused on his breathing¡ªinhaling and exhaling at a rhythm as the mere thought of losing to Caldaros was eating him inside. Not because he was afraid of losing but because the pain that would be inflicted on him was too much.

    At this moment, he carried the hatred of all Loki''s previous avatars.

    One hiccup in his path to reach the Chrysalis rank and beat Caldaros was troubling him greatly.

    It was as if the hatred was making him insane from one small hiccup.

    He couldn''t hold it anymore, his blood was burning in the last few days¡ªhe needed a way to vent.

    Despite what he wanted, he couldn''t do that as he was in the academy.

    Just then, he glanced to the desk on the side where a crumpled paper could be seen there.

    Earlier today, the Crimson Wolf Clan contacted him through a guard who delivered a sealed note.

    In the note were the details for the time and place where Lucivar was to lure Elira and Thalia, the settled time would take place on Sunday at the Ecclesia Sanguinis, a church that seemed to be a front for the Crimson Wolf Clan to do their shady businesses.

    Clicking his tongue in displeasure, Lucivar walked out of his room.

    ''Staying here wouldn''t help calm me down, I need to at least do something'' He pondered inside.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar met up with Sabrina and signaled to her to go to the rallying point to talk.

    He saw her walking around the academy, seemingly searching for the twins so he pulled her to the side for a moment. Not even needing to talk directly, Lucivar and Sabrina met in the garden¡ªand went to a secluded bench to talk.

    "Anything?" Lucivar started.

    Sabrina sighed and shook her head meekly, "No sign of Thalia like usual but now, I can''t find Elira too"

    "Hmm?" He frowned, Elira was always easy to find.

    Being a Succubus Hybrid, Sabrina could sense longing and love like Lucivar sensing killing intent, and that made it easy for her to find Elira. So hearing her having trouble finding Elira was quite unexpected for him, "What about Axel?"

    "No sign of him either," Sabrina looked down to her fidgeting fingers. "Both of them disappeared today"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar contemplated.

    ''It''s not Saturday so they should have gone yet or perhaps did both of them decide to change their schedule because Elira suspected that I might overhear? That''s possible. Normally, students could not skip classes but both of them are accomplished...'' He pondered inside.

    If he lost this chance, he would''ve been in trouble.

    Just then, however, as he was contemplating his next steps a steely voice interrupted him.

    "It''s too late to find her. Besides, you don''t need to," A voice crept from behind, stunning both of them.

    Lucivar exhaled through his nose heavily when he heard the voice, he already knew who it was without even needing to turn to look at the person. He leaned back his head¡ªon the bench, looking at the clear night sky, and voiced, "Have you been following Sabrina? Because I''m sure you''re not following me"

    Glancing to the side, Lucivar saw Leandra standing under the moonlight.

    Her purple eyes glowing and filled with intent.

    "I won''t be foolish enough to follow you, you''d know," She mumbled and approached.

    Out of everyone who would know about this, it has to be Leandra.

    "So...?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by what you said?"

    "Elira and Axel sneaked through the back to talk. They are very careful along the way, and since Thalia knew about their relationship¡ªthey weren''t avoiding her. I''m guessing they are avoiding you, both of them knew you were watching" She explained, pivoting her body away to look at the fountain.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyebrows dipped into a frown.

    He was quite surprised to find that those two knew but was more surprised by Leandra.

    ''How did she know about this? Is she following them too?'' He questioned inside.

    Realizing that something was wrong, Lucivar turned to look at her back, "What do you want, Leandra?"

    "I know that you had your eyes on the twins for some reason and I also knew exactly what Elira¡ªand Axel talked about earlier. Minutes earlier..." She quickly said in a firm and meaningful tone. "Something happened, one that you might be interested in happened between them. You do not need to find her today¡ªbecause I know exactly what happened to them"

    "Are you going to stand in my way again?" Lucivar asked, his voice laced with threats.

    But Leandra shook her head, "No, I want something in return for telling you what happened"

    "What''s that?" He asked, a little bit curious inside.

    Just then, Leandra pivoted her body around to stare directly into Lucivar''s eyes.

    Her gaze was steady and firm as she said, "I want you to take me with you in whatever you''re doing. Don''t worry¡ªI promise to you right here and right now that I am not going to sabotage you. If I did, I''d have no problem letting you kill me"

    "I can kill you even if you are resisting," Lucivar scoffed¡ªand squinted his eyes. "What games are you playing, Leandra...?"

 Chapter 186 186: Personal Hatred

    Lucivar gazed at her intently as if he were probing her mind through his gaze.

    He was wondering what she was doing as he hadn''t seen her around but to think that she was stalking Sabrina, which was quite unexpected. In hindsight, he shouldn''t be trusting Leandra to be a part of what he was currently doing¡ªconsidering her stance.

    It is clear that she doesn''t have the heart to be on the evil side.

    ''But for some reason, I''m inclined to trust her. Instincts... My instinct is telling me I could trust her'' He pondered inwardly¡ªthe air around Leandra changed, there was no hostility or inclination of wanting to sabotage him.

    Leandra, seeing the hesitation and untrust, took a couple of steps closer.

    Seeing this, Lucivar was forced to look up at her¡ªmeeting her serene and calm gaze.

    "Isn''t this what you wanted?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "I''m listening to you now. As opposed to fighting you, I will be trying to understand you instead," She lifted her index finger, its tip glowing with purple light¡ªmanifesting an ethereal hand, the manifestation of her telekinesis ability and pointed it at Lucivar''s forehead.

    "I''m going to understand what''s in there," She murmured, her eyes narrowing with conviction before her ethereal index finger traced down to the center of his chest, pointing at his heart. "And see what was inside here"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar cackled lightly.

    "You''re talking big for someone who knew nothing about me," He mocked. "Don''t meddle, Leandra"

    "I tried sabotaging your plan and yet you didn''t kill me when as you said, you could... why?" Instead of being instigated, Leandra answered with a question. "Considering your personality, you should have killed me by now. So why didn''t you do it...?"

    Lucivar''s lips were pursed tight, he wasn''t willing to answer that question.

    And Leandra also didn''t need him to answer.

    "Is it because we''re close? Is it because I''ve seen the real you? No... None of that was the reason, the real reason" Leandra shook her head and took another step closer, this time she was standing right in front of Lucivar¡ªand looking down at his eyes. "It''s because you have a soft spot. Not for me or the others, but to Delilah..."

    As soon as that name was mentioned, Lucivar''s expression darkened.

    He opened his mouth, trying to refute but no words came out.

    "Are you going to deny it?" Leandra raised an eyebrow, a light smile¡ªdonning her lips. Her eyes then traced down to Lucivar''s pocket, "Are you also going to deny that broken phone you have in your own pocket isn''t Delilah''s?"

    Instinctively, Lucivar reached for his pocket and clutched the phone through his pants.

    For some reason, Leandra was able to see through him.

    "You didn''t kill me because you treasured Delilah, and Delilah treasured us," Leandra continued, pushing Lucivar to the corner. "It''s a sign of respect for the last time you trust in the force of good. Am I wrong? Do you still think I don''t know anything about you?"

    "You damn, witch..." Lucivar cursed but his lips curled into a manic smile. "How do you know that?"

    "I''m not a witch, I''m a Star Witch," Leandra replied with the same manic smile. "I can see your dreams and that tells me all I need about you. So, Luciva¡ªwhat do you say? Will you allow me to be by your side and try to see through you or are you afraid that I might really change you?"

    "Afraid?" Lucivar chuckled. "Bring it on. But don''t be mistaken, you''re the one who''s going to change"

    Just as he said that, however, his eyes flashed with a brilliant golden light.

    Lucivar grunted and fell down to the floor, surprising both Sabrina and Leandra.

    Swoosh!!

    Out of nowhere, his entire body began to flare with golden ether¡ªrampaging and pulsating to the area.

    Recalling the time when Lucivar went out of control at Delilah''s death, Leandra reacted quickly¡ªand channeled her ether to create a telekinetic barrier around him. She charged it with an enormous amount of ether, suppressing Lucivar''s rampaging aura.

    "Master Lucivar! What''s wrong?!" Sabrina exclaimed from the side.

    Leandra, on the other hand, exclaimed, "Keep a lookout! Make sure nobody saw this!"

    Despite not being her master, Sabrina nodded her head and went away to make sure the area was clear.

    Fortunately, the area they were in now was secluded and it was already night.

    Barely any student was around so nobody should be nearby.

    Feeling the same exact confusion and shock as the others, Lucivar cradled on the ground on all fours as his eyes widened, ''What''s happening to me...? I can feel it, I can feel my Inner Chamber shaking! Gandr! Sha! What''s going on?!''

    Despite his screams inside his head, none of the two responded.

    And the ether inside of him was going out of control.

    Had it not been for Leandra''s barrier, the entire academy would sense this rampage.

    Moving his body was also impossible, the rampaging energy made his entire body from top to bottom frozen stiff¡ªall he could do was to look down to the ground. Just then, his eyes traced to his hand as he saw the golden ether was flickering with a pristine white color.

    It flashed and mingled a couple of times.

    ''Lucivar! Lucivar!!''

    A voice called to him inside his mind¡ªit was distant, light, but the emotions it carried were palpable.

    ''I''ve heard this voice before...'' Lucivar pondered inside as he sweated profusely.

    He could vaguely remember the same exact voice as the figure of light that appeared before Delilah''s death. Just the thought of that figure alone, Lucivar''s eyes burned with anger, ''Leave my head!! I will not listen to you again! Had I not listened to you... Delilah would still be alive!!''

    ''No, you''re wrong... you misunderstood. It''s not me. I don''t have time but you have to trust me!''

    ''Never! Whoever you are, I will kill you! Do you hear me?! I will kill you!''

    ''Kill me or don''t, I don''t care. At least, don''t kill Caldaros. Talk to Sunna instead, don''t kill him!''

    "RAARGHHK!"

    Kaboom!

    Leandra gritted her teeth when a vicious shockwave exploded from Lucivar.

    She kept her focus on maintaining the barrier¡ªand she succeeded, even if only barely.

    Once that shockwave''s residue came to pass, Leandra¡ªsaw that Lucivar''s aura was returning back to normal. It took a couple of seconds for it all to go back to his body. Once it did, she slowly took down the barrier to check on him.

    Going on one knee beside him, Leandra placed a hand on his shoulder.

    Almost instantly, she could feel the heat coming from his body¡ªit was as if she was touching fire.

    But it wasn''t because of ether rampage from earlier, it was because of something else.

    ''He''s really angry,'' Leandra frowned¡ªshe could feel his wrath from the heat alone. ''What happened?''

    On the other hand, Lucivar''s mind was in chaos.

    ''Who is she? Tell me who she is!'' He screamed inside, demanding to know who the voice belonged to.

    Upon hearing this, Gandr and Sha appeared beside him.

    "She is nothing but a temptation..." Gandr answered with a hiss.

    Sha nodded, but unlike Gandr, who remained composed, her anger was unmistakable¡ªher face twisted into a scowl that spoke volumes, "Evil is not for the weak," She spat. "Only the strong, those deemed worthy by its standards, can hope to wield its true power. You still have a long way to go to prove your worth to it and she... She''s but one of many obstacles on the path of true evil"

    Realizing that he wasn''t even worthy enough to know her identity, Lucivar''s face was ashen.

    He then climbed back to his feet, his face hardening resolutely.

    Leandra, who saw him standing up, also stood up and looked into his eyes.

    She noticed that his mood had changed.

    Unlike earlier, he was now vicious and cold¡ªshe knew that she needed to pull back.

    Just then, Lucivar turned to look at her finally, "Tell me what you saw, I need to know it right now"

    ...

    Moments later.

    Non-verbally, Leandra and Lucivar have come to an agreement.

    She would be his lackey for the problem concerning the Feradith Family and the Crimson Wolf Clan.

    Earlier, not too long, around twenty minutes ago, Leandra was able to find Elira who sneaked away to the parking lot with Axel. Being students, the guards were more lenient and since they promised to not leave for too long, they were allowed to step out.

    Leandra couldn''t go after them but fortunately, Axel and Elira stopped not too far away.

    Both of them were close enough that Leandra could hear their conversation from the main gate''s fence.

    However, her luck instantly ran out when she saw Kalvin nearing her position.

    She wanted to stay but she couldn''t, Kalvin would expose her location to Elira and Axel.

    It was hard for her to avoid several Kalvins in the vicinity.

    But she was able to see Axel and Elira from the distance and both of them seemed to be fighting.

    Axel tried reaching for Elira''s hand a couple of times but she stepped back.

    And it ended with Elira turning around to leave, leaving Axel behind who was frozen on his spot.

    Just from the description Leandra provided alone, Lucivar could already guess what had happened and was annoyed that it had happened. He needed to have Elira''s trust before Sunday, and their fight would ruin his plan.

    Since the Feradith Family pulled back their offer, he couldn''t be the twins'' bodyguards.

    Now he needed to adapt and has devised a plan in mind.

    His life was on the line, he couldn''t fail this.

    On the main gate, four guards could be seen smoking and bantering¡ªtrying to kill the night away.

    Soon, a woman approached them from the distance.

    It was Sabrina.

    Realizing her presence, one of the guards raised an eyebrow, killed his cigarette, and approached Sabrina.

    "Is there anything I could help you miss?" He asked politely.

    Sabrina nodded softly, hesitant but clearly wanting help, "I''m a personal maid of an academy hunter. It''s already past curfew but my master hasn''t come back yet, and I''m worried. I heard there were assassins lurking inside the academy, and I''m worried something bad happened to him"

    "Can you please help me find him?" She asked, clasping her hands and wearing puppy eyes.

    Hearing this, the guard scratched the back of his head.

    Eventually, he called one of his friends and turned to Sabrina again, "Okay, we''ll help you find him"

    "Thank you!" Sabrina yelped¡ªher expression brightened in an instant.

    All three of them walked away from the main gate.

    "Who is his name? Let''s go to the admission office, there are people who could locate him there?"

    "Really?"

    "Yes, don''t worry-"

    Oblivious to them, a figure landed right behind the last two guards like a ghost.

    In an instant, these two figures struck the back of the two guards'' heads¡ªknocking them unconscious.

    Lucivar and Leandra exchanged a look and nodded.

    Glancing over to the parking lot, they saw Axel sitting under the street light seemingly stressed.

    "Rock and roll..." Lucivar mumbled inwardly.

 Chapter 187 187: Web of the Unwitting

    Lucivar and Leandra exchange a nod.

    As expected, because of their earlier argument, Axel was still sitting in the parking lot right under the street light. He hadn''t come back in yet¡ªhis expression reeked of melancholy, seemingly deep in gloomy thoughts.

    It was obvious that the fight with Elira was getting to him.

    However, it was unclear whether he was sad or something else entirely.

    Upon taking a closer look, however, Lucivar noticed that he wasn''t gloomy but panicking instead.

    Just the sight of Axel''s expression alone told Lucivar what he needed to know.

    He liked what he was seeing.

    ''Going through the main gate like this is very risky,'' Lucivar pondered as he glanced to the side at the CCTVs that were facing the main gate but all of them were now tilted slightly upward, capturing only the roof of the guard posts. ''However, with Leandra''s telekinesis, she could easily tilt them all up. Now we are in the clear but we still need to be fast''

    Not wasting a single second, Lucivar''s eyes glowed emerald.

    He cast an ability, the Major Morphing ability and shapeshift his face into another''s.

    It wasn''t random¡ªLucivar used the mohawk man''s face.

    "Keep a lookout," Lucivar instructed as he glanced at Leandra sharply. "I''ll trust you to have my back"

    Noticing the sarcasm in his tone, Leandra sneered.

    But as Lucivar was about to move, she stopped him¡ªbarring his way with her hand.

    "Not yet, there''s still one more CCTV¡ªwatching over the parking lot," Leandra warned, nudging her chin at the CCTV at the other corner of the parking lot, quite far away from them. "I need to get closer or else that guy, Axel is going to notice my ether"

    As she said that, both of them sneaked to the bushes on the side¡ªavoiding the CCTV''s view and Axel.

    Meanwhile, inside the academy''s main building.

    It was a long day for Clara¡ªshe had been teaching practical combat to students and now had only finished grading tests from the second and third-year students. All she wanted the most right now was to go back home and call it a night.

    Cleaning her room and putting the necessities in her bag, she began preparing to leave.

    But it was then her phone rang.

    "Who is it now...?" She mumbled tiredly, taking out her phone from her bag¡ªrecognizing the caller, and placing it¡ªbeside her ear. "Do you know what time is it? It better be something important... I am very tired right now"

    Upon hearing what the person on the other side said, Clara frowned.

    "You suspected someone is tampering with the CCTV angles? No, no students dare to do that, and with the increased number of patrols. We even used the academy hunters to make up the quota. I''m positive that there''s no more intruders," She refuted dismissively. "Go¡ªand send a team to check. Do I need to tell you everything you need to do?"

    As soon as she said that, she ended the call and began stacking and tidying the papers.

    Ten minutes later, another call came through.

    "What is it this time?!" She yelled, beginning to feel irritated¡ªbut that irritation stopped. "Huh? What do you mean all of the viable guards were uncontactable? How is that possible? Fine, meet me there. I will send the puppets"

    Once the call ended, Clara put down her phone and sat back down on her chair.

    She realized that she must''ve underestimated the situation.

    Closing her eyes, an aura that was hued by a mixture of crimson and white surged around her like vapor as she accessed the ether core hidden inside the academy ground¡ªthe construct that kept the academy going.

    Clara was one of the highest rank officers, she had the authority to the ether core.

    Other than her, only two other people could access the ether core¡ªVictor and the principal.

    Upon grasping the power of the ether core, her focus deepened as her consciousness was transferred to one of the Kalvins outside near the guard compound not too far away from the admission office, "Let''s see if there are any rats around. If there was, I''d go there myself"

    Back to the parking lot.

    "Shit..." Axel mumbled, sitting on the ground while leaning against a motorcycle.

    Both of his hands were pulling on his hair in frustration.

    His eyes darted left and right, the thoughts racing in his mind were so loud that people might be able to hear them if they were close enough, "What made her change her mind? Is it Thalia? Elira became a lot different once that bitch knew. Shit... Shit... Shit! What am I going to do now?"

    Axel was teetering on the border between sanity and insanity.

    He was visibly stressed.

    "It''s alright... everything is alright..." He inhaled deeply, convincing himself that everything was fine and dine as he gazed upward to the starry night. "I''m going to be alright and I can definitely do this. I''ll take it slower, it''s not over yet"

    Creak!

    "Hmm...?" Axel looked down when he heard the creaking sound of metal.

    Glancing at the sound''s direction, he frowned when he saw nobody.

    He only saw another street light with a CCTV that was weirdly pointing to the sky.

    Swish!

    Just then, his head snapped to the opposite side at a big decorative tree that was shaped into a sphere.

    "I should get back..." He mumbled and stood up.

    For some reason, he could sense someone watching him from behind that tree and it made him uneasy.

    As soon as he turned around, a shiver ran down his spine.

    Axel snapped his head to look at his behind and saw a muscular man with mohawk hair rushing at him with incredible speed. Raising his guard, he blocked a vicious punch by crossing his arms but the force pushed him back several meters.

    ''An academy hunter? No... an assassin? Is he from the Crimson Wolf Clan?!'' He exclaimed inside.

    Just the academy hunter uniform the man was wearing alone made Axel''s mind spiral.

    Giving no time for him to breathe, the man charged ahead once again¡ªbeginning a vicious assault.

    In a blur of motion, much faster than Axel was accustomed to¡ªthe man unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, each strike deliberate and crushing. Axel dodged¡ªand weaved, his movements frantic but very precise.

    He tried keeping up but as he blocked a kick that he couldn''t dodge, the gap became evident.

    From the power behind the man''s blow, it was clear that he was stronger.

    Gritting his teeth, he leaped back just as a vertical fist hammered down, cracking the asphalt where he had stood¡ªmoments before. The ground splintered, and Axel froze for a heartbeat, his mind racing to decipher the man''s intent, "Are you from the Crimson Wolf Clan? This is the academy''s ground. Do you think you''ll get away with this?!" He barked.

    But instead of answering, the attacker''s cold gaze locked onto his.

    Slowly, the man rose to his feet¡ªhis presence suffocating.

    Feeling the amount of danger that was coming from the man, Axel sweated a little.

    "Come on, man... I''m not taking any part in this!" He exclaimed¡ªthis time, his voice was pleading.

    Swoosh!

    Ignoring Axel entirely, the man''s speed surges.

    Axel''s eyes widened as the distance between them vanished in an instant.

    Panic flared, and realizing that he was in this for real, he wasted no time to activate his ability.

    Visibly, his arms shimmered with a metallic sheen as he crossed them to block a devastating punch.

    Bam!!

    Receiving the punch with his ability only lessened the impact barely, the impact reverberated through his bones, numbing his arms despite the metal coating. His boots skidded across the pavement as he lifted his gaze in utter shock.

    "A green-grade bloodline¡ªthe Magi Knight Hybrid," the man nodded in a pleasant surprise.

    Ignoring the praise, Axel glanced to the main gate of the academy.

    He was desperate for the guards, desperate for some help but the lot was empty¡ªhe was alone.

    Nobody would be able to help him and he was for sure couldn''t outpace the man.

    ''I should''ve gone back... I forgot that the Crimson Wolf Clan was after her...'' Axel cursed himself as he realized his mistake. He should''ve known better, he shouldn''t have lingered¡ªhe wasn''t a part of the Feradith Family but his closeness to Elira had made him a target.

    The Crimson Wolf Clan was relentless, and now he was paying the price for his carelessness.

    His gaze then snapped back to the man.

    Axel couldn''t help but gulp harshly, the man''s combat aura swelled¡ªan Acolyte-rank Hybrid, one that was perfectly settled into his power. Just the sheer aura alone, his stomach dropped, there was no way he could beat the man.

    ''Fuck! I need to get out of here!!'' He exclaimed inside.

    Sparing no more thought, Axel turned and bolted for the gate out of desperation.

    But within two steps, a fist drilled into his stomach, forcing a mouthful of blood from his lips.

    "Guarkh!" His eyes widened and bulged.

    Even though the patrols were increased, there was still an assassin disguised as an academy hunter.

    Gasping, Axel recovered quickly¡ªhe grabbed the man''s arm but was stunned when he saw another fist heading straight to his face. In the nick of time, his face hardened into metal as it slammed hard into his cheek.

    Axel was thrown away¡ªthe force shattered his nose and cheekbone despite the metallic skin.

    Crash!

    He crashed onto the asphalt, pain radiating through his body as the man loomed closer.

    Adrenaline coursed through his veins¡ªhe struggled to his feet but the man already grabbed him by the head and kneed him onto his stomach before following with a hammer fist to his back, planting him on the ground and destroying any hope of retaliation.

    "Blame yourself for being close with Elira..." the man mumbled, preparing to land the finishing blow.

    Axel looked at the man through a blood-streaked vision.

    ''Forgive me, brother...'' He thought inside regretfully. ''But I think this is it for me''

    Just as Axel threw in the towel at life, surrendering to the moment of despair¡ªa flicker of hope appeared as the man was suddenly hurled forward¡ªand crashed onto the fence. Finding that the finishing blow never came, Axel opened his eyes and saw a woman rushing to his aid.

    She was beautiful, the most beautiful in fact¡ªher deep purple hair lustered under the moonlight.

    "Get up!" Leandra said sternly. "Let''s get you inside. I''ll deal with that man"

    Leandra supported Axel and brought him inside without wasting a precious second.

    On the other hand, sitting by the fence was the mohawk man¡ªhis illusionary appearance melted and revealed Lucivar''s face. He wiped the blood drizzling down the corner of his lips and smiled, "I know I told her to save Axel but she didn''t need to hit me that hard..."

 Chapter 188 188: Playing the Older Sister

    Lucivar writhed in pain as he slowly climbed back to his feet.

    He did tell Leandra to pretend to save Axel when he was about to land the finishing blow but she took that opportunity to hit Lucivar very hard. She put her heart and soul into that strike, Lucivar could feel her emotions through that attack.

    It was so bad that he still felt his back throbbing from the crash.

    ''Haah... She must''ve had a grudge against me but I''ll let her off the hook this time'' He sighed.

    Once that was done, Lucivar headed back to the main gate.

    Since he has made a ruckus at the main entrance, Kalvins and also several guards would certainly come to check. He needed to leave before they arrived. However, as he fast-walked, he came to a sudden stop beside a motorcycle.

    It was Axel''s motorcycle.

    Glancing at it, his eyebrows were lifted as a brilliant thought came to mind.

    "Hmm... What do you think?" Lucivar mumbled before a smile crept to his face. "Might as well try..."

    Meanwhile, Leandra supported Axel inside.

    Once they were deep enough inside the academy grounds, a good distance away¡ªfrom the main gate, she helped Axel down on a bench, "Are you okay? Why are you outside and who even dared to attack a student right in front of the academy?"

    "I don''t know..." Axel mumbled, coughing blood a couple of times.

    Even though he only received a couple of hits, the damage was outstandingly high on his body.

    He glanced at Leandra weakly as a frown crept to his face.

    "What happened to the guards?" He whispered. "And how is an academy hunter near the main gate?"

    "I saw them knocked out, we must be under attack," Leandra assured, glancing back¡ªat the main gate where the two guards were still lying unconscious there. "I was one of the chosen academy hunters to bolster the academy''s guards and I came across you. Fortunately, I saw you¡ªor else you would be in a much worse situation"

    Once Axel had rested enough, she helped him up, "Come on. Let''s report this and have you treated"

    On the other side of the academy grounds, right beside the admission office.

    Clara stepped into the guard compound, preparing to lash out at them for not being ready when the academy''s reputation was at risk due to the scandal regarding Professor Fury who tried to kill someone within the academy.

    But as she barged inside, her rushed steps halted.

    She scanned the room in shock when she found the guards were all sleeping soundly.

    Anger bubbled inside, "I can''t believe this..."

    Rushing to the nearest guard¡ªwho had his head against the table, Clara kicked his shin hard enough to even break it, "Wake up! All of you wake up!! How can the guards of the academy be sleeping¡ªwhen you''re on night shift!"

    Her voice echoed but not even the guard she kicked but the others stayed unmoving.

    Frowning, Clara tilted her head back to the guard beside her and nudged him with her hand.

    No response.

    Since the academy guards have three shifts to make sure that the patrolling guards are always ready and alert, this shouldn''t be happening. Additionally, no matter how sleepy these guards were, at least one of them should wake up from her scream but none of them did.

    Realizing that something was wrong, Clara lifted the guard''s head to check.

    And as expected, something was going on.

    He wasn''t dead or anything.

    From the looks of it, he seemed to pass out¡ªhis body was completely weak.

    Clara checked the guard for any kind of wounds that might''ve caused this¡ªor perhaps any spell that might taken over him but there was nothing. She moved her focus onto the other guards around, checking them one by one, and still found nothing.

    No wounds, no traces of ether¡ªnothing.

    Just as she was about to give up and report this to Victor and the principal, a thought came to mind.

    She looked back at the guard but this time, her eyes glowed.

    It was only then did she realized that the guard''s blood was drained to the point of almost dying, they were all knocked out because of anemia. Someone has sucked their blood¡ªand knocked them out for some unknown reason.

    "Must be a Hybrid with a high-grade bloodline," Clara mumbled, her brows dipped down further¡ªthe more she thought about the situation. "For that Hybrid to not leave a single trace of ether meant that their control over ether was very high. It requires a very delicate and precise process, one that a Vampire Hybrid was known for. Since they infiltrated the academy¡ªwithout anyone noticing, whoever it was must be a powerhouse"

    "High Chrysalis or perhaps Savant or even Paragon" She mumbled, a sweat trickling down her face.

    No matter who it was, she wasn''t a match.

    Meanwhile, inside the female student dorm.

    Elira crossed the lobby¡ªher usual charm and confidence were nowhere to be seen and now, for some reason, she was slouching slightly. She seemed to be melancholy, saddened by something that struck her recently.

    With rushed steps along the carpet floor, she went into the lift and hesitated on which floor to choose.

    As the door closed, she eventually pressed the fourth-floor button.

    Her room wasn''t on the fourth floor, it was on the second floor so she must have a place in mind.

    Soon, she arrived in front of a room and knocked on the door slightly.

    She waited for a second but got no answer.

    Frowning slightly, she tried knocking on the door again but it ended up the same.

    Elira''s heart pounded as she quickly twisted the door handle and found that it was open.

    Panic settled in as she barged inside the room.

    However, once she reached inside, her heavy breaths gradually returned to normal¡ªas she saw Thalia was sleeping soundly. It seemed she forgot to lock the door, too tired as today was the practical test for them and was quite tiring.

    Sighing lightly, Elira went to close the door before going back and lying down beside Thalia.

    "I can''t be selfish and have fun when she''s not happy and even worried," Elira mumbled inwardly as she reached out her hand and brushed Thalia''s blonde hair gently. "I made the right choice... I certainly did. It''s the right choice to cancel Saturday. As her older sister, I should always share the burden¡ªand protect her, not take a day for myself selfishly..."

    Smiling acutely, she leaned back and closed her eyes¡ªdeciding to sleep beside Thalia for the night.

    Next morning.

    Even before the sun was out to shine the world properly, Lucivar, Sabrina, and Leandra already met up in front of Leandra''s room. It was the only time they were free but there was also something they needed to see or rather, something Lucivar needed to see.

    Leandra rubbed her sleepy eyes, "It''s still too early, what do you want?"

    "You asked me last night why I did what I did so come, I''ll show you the answer," Lucivar replied.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra blinked her eyes and instantly rushed in to change.

    She washed her face and changed into her uniform before coming out again.

    "Show me then," She said, gesturing for Lucivar to lead.

    Lucivar nodded his head as he led the group outside of the Bastion of Blades.

    As the three of them were walking along the corridor, a figure came out of her room¡ªIt was Ravenna.

    She looked over to their backs before her expression ashen, twisting into an unpleasant look.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar and the others arrived at their destination.

    All three of them were standing on the side of the street, looking ahead at a medium-sized building.

    Upon seeing this building, Leandra frowned as this was the academy''s hospital.

    Last night, she brought Axel to the hospital¡ªso that the best healer in the whole academy could treat him. She turned her head towards Lucivar¡ªand asked, "What are we doing here? Are we here to check up on Axel?"

    "No... We''re not," Lucivar answered nonchalantly.

    As Leandra was about to ask again, she saw a group of people coming out of the hospital.

    All of them were students and among them was Axel.

    It seemed that a group of guys were his friends who came to check on him.

    Since most of his wounds weren''t life-threatening and didn''t contain any malicious ether, treating him wasn''t that hard and now he could go back to the dorm. Leandra squinted her eyes¡ªshe was still very much confused as to why they were there.

    She watched as the group of guys teased each other and headed back until finally, she saw someone.

    Behind the group was none other than Elira.

    Most of the guys were teasing Elira and Axel¡ªas her coming to check on Axel made it obvious that they were close or perhaps even dating. It was basically them making their relationship public, and as Elira was one of the primadonna of the first year or arguably the entire academy, this was a big deal.

    None of them expected Axel to be with someone like her.

    "Let''s walk," Lucivar said and walked ahead, trying to make their movements natural.

    After all, Kalvins were stealing a glance at them and there were CCTVs around here.

    "I wanted to make sure Elira and Axel keep their plan on going out on Saturday," Lucivar said.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra sucked in a cold breath.

    "So that''s why you pretended to be someone from the Crimson Wolf Clan with that ability of yours and attacked Axel..." She mumbled as the realization settled in her mind. "Elira and Axel fight, you assumed their plan was canceled. But since Axel was attacked like this, by someone from the Crimson Wolf Clan nonetheless¡ªElira would feel bad and has no choice but to go with him on Saturday"

    "But why...?" She glanced at him in confusion. "What''s on Saturday?"

    "I don''t know," Lucivar shrugged nonchalantly. "But I do know from how Axel was sitting stressed in the parking lot that he needed to make Saturday with Elira happen. I have my suspicion on him¡ªand my guts are telling me that something interesting is going to happen on Saturday"

    Leandra was silent, contemplating about what Lucivar said.

    She still didn''t know why Lucivar was interested in the twins but this was a start.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar smiled inwardly as he glanced at Axel and Elira.

    ''Though I said that, I''m very sure Axel was sent to approach Elira. I don''t know by who but I''m pretty sure I would know his employer on Saturday,'' Lucivar thought, his heart pounding with anticipation. ''Don''t disappoint me, Axel. I know you''re not one of the good ones¡ªI can tell. Don''t be lame enough to really be in love with Elira. Give me something to work with here, don''t waste my time''

    Just then, Leandra asked again, "Do you think this will be enough to push her?"

    "We''ll see..." Lucivar mumbled with confidence.

 Chapter 189 189: Surprising Support

    Saturday came.

    It was the last class of the day and Elira was putting her things into her bag.

    Her hands moved with purpose but her eyes were vacant¡ªsomething was disturbing her mind.

    "Sister, why didn''t you tell me Axel got into the hospital a few nights ago?"

    Out of nowhere, Thalia''s voice creeped into her ears¡ªsnapping Elira out of her stupor.

    Almost instantly, her hands stopped as she turned toward Thalia, blooming an assuring smile on her lips that seemed forced, "I don''t want you to be worried," She answered¡ªand continued on what she was doing. "Besides, you don''t like him so I decided to not say anything"

    "Is it another assassin from the Crimson Wolf Clan again?" Thalia leaned closer and asked.

    Upon hearing this, Elira paused but quickly shook her head, "No, he got into a scuffle¡ªthat''s all."

    As Elira said that, she closed her bag and stood up¡ªheading for the door.

    "Where are you going in such a hurry?" Thalia called.

    She stared at Elira''s back solemnly, feeling that her sister changed a little not knowing that Elira bit her lower lip in a suppressed way as if she was assaulted by guilt as soon as she asked the question. Inhaling deeply, Elira glanced to her, "I have a training session with Professor Clara. I''ll get going, alright? I''ll see you later tonight"

    Just then, Elira continued¡ªleaving the class and Thalia behind.

    "Liar..." Thalia muttered.

    Moments later.

    Elira walked along the corridor calmly but stopped when she was in front of an emergency exit.

    She paused on her spot, glancing around to see if anyone was paying attention to her before she went into the emergency exit. Once she was inside, she immediately rushed to the basement, "I''m sorry sister. I know we promised to carry the burden of our family together but please, for only this one day, let me run away from all of this"

    Arriving at the basement, Elira looked around and saw some students here and there.

    Covering her face the best she could, she rushed to a peculiar pillar.

    Going around it slowly, she was surprised when someone grabbed her and covered her mouth.

    "Mmmph!" She yelped in shock.

    Before she could recover, she was already backed against the wall.

    In front of her was Axel, smiling teasingly.

    Realizing that it was him, Elira quickly slapped his shoulder angrily and embarrassedly.

    "I thought you wouldn''t come," He said as rubbed his shoulder.

    Upon hearing this, Elira ran her fingers against her cherry blossom hair with her other hand on her chest which was heaving up and down, still rattled from Axel suddenly grabbing her, "I already told you that I can''t go and leave Thalia alone and yet you have the audacity to use that attack as leverage against me. I really can''t believe you,"

    "It''s almost like you wanted to get attacked so you could use that against me," She crossed her arms.

    Smiling acutely, Axel poked his index finger at Elira''s waist, causing her to flinch.

    She was ticklish.

    "Stop complaining," Axel murmured in defiance. "I know you secretly wanted me to convince you"

    Despite her annoyance, she didn''t answer¡ªmaking Axel bolder.

    "Come," He grabbed her hand and pulled her away like a couple that was going to run away to marry.

    Elira stopped him before he could pull her away, "How are we going to get to the main gate? I already told you¡ªthere are people from my family outside disguised as passersby. Not to mention, we also have a new guard inside the academy and he''s probably outside!"

    "The academy guards aren''t the problem but he is," She added.

    But Axel pulled on her again, this time with more strength.

    "Did you forget that I''m a senior?" He asked, cracking a confident smile. "I know the academy''s inside out. Nobody will catch us. I''ve prepared everything for this day. All I''m asking you is to trust me and empty your mind. Just live in the moment and be happy for once..."

    Upon hearing this, Elira''s face reddened.

    Her strength also waned, a signal to Axel that she decided to trust him to handle everything.

    ''Just for today...'' She thought inside as she was brought away.

    Meanwhile, on the nearby street.

    Lucivar, Leandra, and Sabrina were heading for the main gate.

    Earlier, Lucivar already talked with Fabio, asking permission to leave the Bastion of Blades for today and he got the permission. At this point, people already knew that Lucivar was going to participate in the South Hues Tournament.

    It was very important and he should be in great condition until the tournament started.

    Because of that, Fabio gave him some leeway.

    He wouldn''t be assigned to missions so there''s no point in keeping him around for the time being.

    "Master..."

    Lucivar glanced to the side when he felt someone grab his sleeve¡ªit was Sabrina.

    "What''s wrong?" He asked nonchalantly.

    Sabrina glanced over her shoulder at Leandra who was behind them before returning her focus back to Lucivar, "Are you sure you''re going to involve Leandra in this? She''s trouble back in Kalinan City and I think it''s too risky to bring her along"

    "Is that so?" Lucivar''s lips curled into a light smile. "Don''t worry, it''ll be fine"

    As he said that, his eyes went to the corner, attempting to look at Leandra behind without turning his head, "She knew what she was getting into. If she did something to sabotage my plan, she knew¡ªthat I''d kill her without a second thought"

    "I can hear you¡ªyou know?" Leandra rolled her eyes, commenting from behind.

    Lucivar shrugged, "I meant for you to hear it"

    Just then, a group of students riding on a bike came to a stop beside them.

    "Hey, are you Lucivar? The academy hunter that''s going to represent our academy?" One of them asked.

    Halting his steps, Lucivar turned towards the person and nodded, "Do you need something?"

    "Ah... No," the man shook his head. "Just wanted to say good luck for the tournament"

    "Kick the other participants'' asses, will you? Show them the power coursing inside our blood!"

    "We also already made a petition to the professors, asking for a day off to watch your fight. Don''t worry, the arena would be packed with our voices!"

    "We''ll cheer you on. At least, wave at us when you''re there"

    For the first time, Lucivar stumbled for words as he didn''t expect the students to be this supportive.

    Considering that they were going to be represented by an academy hunter¡ªLucivar was expecting them to mock him and tell him to drop out. But it seemed that wasn''t the case, these students¡ªwore excited expressions and would even go to such lengths to support him.

    It was a weird feeling.

    Lucivar sensed no jealousy or malice in their words, only supportive encouragement.

    "I''ll try my best," He finally answered, offering a polite smile.

    Upon hearing this, the students bid their goodbyes and pedal ahead again.

    "Huh... that''s weird," Lucivar mumbled to himself.

    "No, it''s not," Leandra commented.

    Lucivar glanced at her silently before resuming his walk again.

    Several minutes later, when they were near the main gate.

    "I''ve seen Bob and Nerissa but I haven''t seen Mirel anywhere. Have you seen him?" Leandra asked.

    "No, I haven''t seen him too. Maybe he''s training," Lucivar answered dismissively, he knew that Mirel was going to challenge him sooner or later so Mirel must be training. He then glanced at Sabrina, "Have you seen him anywhere?"

    "No, I was solely focusing on my task" Sabrina shook her head.

    Once the three reached the main gate and exited the academy ground, they were now in the parking lot.

    Looking around the place, Leandra saw that it was crowded.

    Since it was Saturday and there were only fewer classes than during weekdays¡ªstudents were going out to have fun or even go home to meet with their families. Unlike the academy hunters, they possess the privilege to do that.

    Because of that, every Saturday, the main gate was as crowded as this.

    Cars and motorcycles packed the place¡ªwaiting for their turn to pick up the students.

    "Are you sure they made up and kept their plan for today?" Leandra asked in doubt.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, was confident, "I marked him. He''s on the move¡ªyou''ll see soon enough"

    Just as he said that their eyes were locked onto the street outside the fence.

    All of their attention was pulled by the growling sound of the engine from a motorcycle and saw Axel on his bike with Elira in the passenger seat with her arms wrapped around his waist. It was clear that Axel knew a way out that could avoid the main gate.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar''s lips curled into a smirk, "Gotcha..."

    Leandra could only frown as everything went according to Lucivar''s plan.

    It was almost as if he was a puppeteer, holding the strings that could control Axel and Elira indirectly.

    Manipulation was the strings and Lucivar wielded them expertly.

    "Come," Lucivar mumbled and walked toward the exit.

    Seeing this, Leandra realized that they were going on foot, "Aren''t we going to be too late if we walk?"

    "Do you think Axel would make his move when Elira is on edge and the sky is still bright?" Lucivar asked nonchalantly, there was no rush in his voice¡ªonly a cold and calculated precision. "Relax, if my suspicion was right, he''d need to at least lower Elira''s guard before striking. We have time"

    As his predictions were all true up to this point, Leandra didn''t argue and followed him.

    However, she paused briefly and glanced over her shoulder.

    She looked around, "Did I feel it wrong? I feel like someone was watching us"

    Frowning, she tried searching for any abnormalities among the crowd but found nothing sticking out.

    Averting that sensation to her being paranoid, she walked away, heading for the exit.

    On the other hand, hiding behind the security post not too far from her was a figure who took a peek at her once the coast was clear. Soon, the figure took out a phone¡ªand dial someone, "Hey, it''s me. I''ve got a unique situation here that you might need to know"

    A couple of hours later.

    Lucivar tracked down Axel through the Soul Warden mark he branded a couple of nights ago.

    He was expecting to call Angel for a car and follow them today, considering that the doctor who treated Axel might noticed the Diamond-class spell he engraved. Surprisingly enough, the mark stayed until he was discharged so Lucivar could follow him without Angel''s help.

    Now, the three of them arrived at the place where Axel and Elira had supposedly gone through.

    In this romantic getaway, those two chose this place.

    "What is this place...?" Lucivar mumbled.

    Leandra shook her head, "I don''t really know. Nothing in my home city was anything like this place"

    "Huh..." Sabrina sighed. "I forgot that both of you came from a slave city"

 Chapter 190 190: You Can Too

    Both Lucivar and Leandra looked ahead in total confusion, they had no idea what this place was.

    Families and friends could be seen gathered together to spend quality time, people screamed with utmost happiness and thrill, with building-size machines scattered around this massive open place. None of the infrastructures back home could even come close to this.

    "It''s a theme park, a place where people go to have some fun," Sabrina explained to the two.

    Seeing Elira and Axel entering the entrance, Sabrina heads over to the ticket locket.

    She purchased three tickets and came back with three theme park bracelets¡ªthe Disni World.

    Upon entering inside, Lucivar and Leandra were taken aback even further.

    Lucivar, in particular, was quite emotional at the sight, ''If only there was a place like this back home. Perhaps, Edward, my little brother wouldn''t end up like that. More... normal,'' He pondered inside and glanced at the laughing kids around. ''Like these kids''

    Shaking his head, Lucivar scanned the place, "Let''s find where they were"

    "No, let''s leave them be for now," Leandra intervened, placing both hands on her waist. "As you said earlier, if Axel really wanted to do something, he wouldn''t do it right now. He would wait until it gets dark, so there''s no need for us to tail him now"

    "Even so, I can''t give Axel any chance," Lucivar refuted.

    He needed to earn Elira''s trust or else he''d be screwed¡ªfailure is not an option.

    Despite the worry that was palpable on Lucivar''s face, Leandra approached him¡ªand placed her hand on his shoulder assuringly, "Be patient," She said with conviction. "Both of them didn''t know they were followed. Don''t risk being caught by following them closely. You already marked him, there''s no need to rush things"

    Lucivar exhaled roughly and glanced over to Sabrina.

    She also gave him a slight nod.

    It was true that Sabrina didn''t like Leandra but she wouldn''t be unreasonable if she was right.

    "If it''ll help¡ªlet me follow them," Sabrina offered. "I spent most of my time in Master Lucivar''s room. Both of them don''t know me so they won''t recognize me following them as easily. Give them time and we can meet again when it gets dark"

    "Fine," Lucivar nodded. "Go."

    Nodding her head, Sabrina excused herself to locate Axel and Elira.

    As she left the premise, Lucivar looked at Leandra and then his surroundings, "Now what?"

    "Do you want to try out some of the rides?" Leandra asked dubiously.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar glanced at the roller coaster that brought people high up into the air¡ªbefore rushing down with speed. All of the people screamed in excitement, seemingly having fun. But at the sight of the height, he looked back at Leandra, "You expect me to ride that to kill time?"

    "Hahaha..." Leandra smiled acutely, recalling how Lucivar fell from a literal mountain. "I guess not"

    Even then, Leandra didn''t want to give up.

    Since this was a whole new place for them, it would be a waste to not try some of them out.

    First, both of them went to take several thrilling rides.

    Sabrina bought VIP passes so they walked past the queue under the people''s jealous gazes.

    Leandra drags Lucivar to the first ride¡ªa towering roller coaster that goes through a cave before diving into a pool of water. Both of them sat at the very front¡ªas the riders behind them screamed as the cart hit the water''s surface, splashing water onto them.

    It was thrilling, the rush of wind spiked the adrenaline of the riders.

    Additionally, once they were on the water, fake crocodiles appeared and splashed more water on them.

    Leandra was quite like the ride but as she turned to Lucivar, she sighed inwardly.

    Not only did Lucivar stay silent as his mind was somewhere else, refusing to go with the atmosphere, he even used his ether to protect himself from being wet. Clearly, he couldn''t take his mind off of what he was dealing with right now.

    Just from his face alone, Leandra knew that he was thinking about his plan.

    Meticulously making sure that it was compact and foolproof.

    Continuing on, both of them rode another one.

    It was a drop tower that shot them high into the air before free-falling.

    Leandra''s heart races, she could feel the drop in her stomach as her purple hair whipped in the wind.

    But even then, Lucivar barely blinked.

    His hands gripped the safety bar but his expression was blank.

    Biting her lower lip, Leandra suggests a change of pace¡ªas the thrilling rides have no effect on Lucivar who was used to the thrill between life and death. She brought him to a quieter part of the park, finding a ride called the Jungle.

    It was a slow-moving ride that brought them through an artificial rainforest.

    A calmer place.

    Even from the entrance, Leandra could see that this ride would expose them to various types of birds.

    Inside, Lucivar and Leandra went inside a spherical see-through cart.

    "Is this your first date?" the staff asked, pointing at the two of them.

    Hearing this, Leandra waved her hand and laughed awkwardly, "It''s our first time being here"

    "Ah... I see," the staff smiled politely. "Have fun then. Couples really liked this ride, it is more romantic and could certainly de-escalate the rising tension," He murmured as he glanced at Lucivar who seemed detached. "One more thing. Are you guys Hybrids?"

    "Yes," Leandra nodded.

    As soon as she said that, the staff pressed a button that opened the top half of the cart.

    "In that case, the birds inside shouldn''t be a problem for the two of you," He said as he pulled the lever.

    Just like that, the cart began to move slowly.

    Reaching the opening ahead, the two of them were greeted instantly¡ªby the mesmerizing sight of the artificial rainforest. Colorful birds could instantly be seen flying above them or even resting on the tree branches, looking down at them curiously.

    All of them chirped different bird songs, enriching the experience.

    As the cart glides forward slowly, Leandra turns to Lucivar and breaks the silence.

    "What are you thinking?" She asked.

    Blinking his eyes, Lucivar turned towards her for a moment before facing ahead again, "I''m thinking of Axel''s face when he lost and the kind of face Elira would make when she realized her supposed man was against her all along. I really can''t wait for tonight,"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra sighed¡ªshe should''ve known.

    A brief silence enveloped them again,

    Just then, she inhaled deeply as she glanced at the beautiful surroundings, "I never saw my Father and my Mother... She... She blamed me for that, she blamed me for being born. I hated her until one day, she was gone. She hanged herself when I was fifteen, leaving me with all her debts and problems,"

    "I thought I hated her before but turn out, I never hated her until she killed herself" She added solemnly.

    Lucivar frowned.

    He slowly turned towards her, confusion marring his face.

    Leandra gazed ahead, her eyes became vacant as she replayed that darkest day of her life when she saw her mother hang herself to avoid responsibilities. It was a very long time ago but it was still clear in her mind, and that anger she felt, it was still burning even until today.

    "On that day, I knew what real hatred felt like," She murmured with emotions.

    Realizing that she was sailing in the past, she shook her head.

    "I awakened my dormant bloodline not too long after that and struck a deal to live as mercenaries, to do this bad woman''s dirty work to pay my mother''s debt. For years and years, I worked for her until her operation was destroyed and I was captured. I was untouched by them, cleaned, and once again I thought they were nice until I realized I was about to be sold," Leandra confessed, biting her lower lip at the last word. "I lost trust in people. All of them are trash, evil, and perhaps back then, I was one of them too with the blood in my hands"

    "But at the last moment, I met Master Tobias," She said finally, her eyes flickered with hope.

    Similar to Lucivar, Tobias came at the last moment.

    "He purchased me and took care of me with Delilah," Leandra said again in melancholy. "He also introduced me to the others, his so-called family. One day, he gave me the option to leave. I still don''t trust him so I left, expecting him to get angry but he let me go and weeks later, I came back to him and stayed with him until now"

    "And? Your point?" Lucivar asked brazenly.

    For better or worse, he didn''t know why Leandra was telling me this.

    Inhaling deeply, Leandra turned towards Lucivar, "I was like you back then. I was only trying to survive the day no matter the cost. Look at me now, I''m sure you must think that I''m nai?ve and a fool. But that only reinforced that I''ve changed. So if I could do it, you can too. I promised to try to understand you"

    "But in return, I''m asking you to at least respond with the same spirit," She added.

    Lucivar sneered inside and averted his gaze away.

    But then, unknowingly¡ªthey were already at the end of the ride.

    Leandra stepped out before reaching her hand to Lucivar, a beautiful smile donning her face. "Let''s go"

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar paused for a second.

    He hesitated for a moment before he accepted her help and stepped out of the cart.

    For the rest of the day, until the sky was golden, Lucivar and Leandra avoided Axel and Elira before the two of them finally settled on a bench. After that rainforest ride, none of them spoke again but the very silence between them wasn''t choking.

    Instead, it was quite bearable or perhaps, almost comfortable.

    As Leandra stayed there and looked around, her eyes landed on another place on their right.

    Rainbow Garden.

    "Do you want to go there?" She asked. "I remembered you like flowers"

    "I don''t like flowers. Making bouquets is the only other thing I could learn other than hunting," Lucivar replied as he turned to look at the Rainbow Garden, filled with colorful flowers and plants. "My home city is within the Ashbourne House''s territory, we need to offer sacrifices for them by giving up some of our people. I thought giving them bouquets as a kind gesture would help ease their burden"

    For a second there, Leandra was stunned.

    But then, a vibrant smile bloomed on her face¡ªshe was happy Lucivar was opening up.

    Even if it''s only a little.

    "In that case, let''s test your skills!" Leandra stood up and pulled him to the Rainbow Garden. "You''re boasting you could make bouquets so show me because if you asked me, I don''t believe you at all. You don''t look the part"

    "It''s almost time" Lucivar refuted.

    However, Leandra kept insisting, "Make me a small bouquet, you have time to at least make that"

    Both of them disappeared into the Rainbow Garden''s entrance.

    And then ultimately, the night came.

 Chapter 191 191: Night of Blood and Money (1)

    For an hour or so, Lucivar allowed Leandra to wane his worry about tonight.

    He crafted plans going forward in his mind, to handle the Crimson Wolf Clan, to save himself from the repercussions that would hit him like a truck in the future and all of that relies on Axel. If Axel turned out to be a dead-end, then he would be in trouble as time was running out.

    Sunday, tomorrow to be exact, was the designated time the Crimson Wolf Clan had set.

    No matter what, he must obtain Elira''s trust.

    If he gained her trust, he would also have command over Thalia without needing to contact her.

    An ideal scenario that he was hoping to achieve.

    Of course, he has a plan even if this was a dead-end but that would be a hassle and also very risky.

    He doesn''t want to do that if he doesn''t have to.

    Now that night came, the nervousness came seeping into his bloodstream.

    Currently, Lucivar and Leandra were walking side by side.

    He was searching for Sabrina while Leandra was admiring the neatly wrapped small bouquet of purple flowers Lucivar had made earlier for her. It wasn''t his best work but impressing Leandra was easy, she was excited throughout.

    Soon enough, Lucivar saw Sabrina in the distance¡ªin front of a haunted house ride.

    Making eye contact, he nudged his chin to the side, signaling for a talk.

    Sabrina went to the side, away from the queue.

    "Are they in there?" Lucivar asked.

    "Yes," Sabrina nodded. "I think those love birds still have a couple more rides in them"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded, took the hat Sabrina was wearing, and turned towards Leandra, "Go with Sabrina¡ªand watch Axel''s motorcycle. I''m going to check on them and make sure they couldn''t sneak out. If I''m right, he''s going to make his move now so have a taxi ready and follow them"

    "What about you?" Leandra asked in confusion.

    Lucivar glanced at the haunted house before he replied, "Don''t worry about me, I''ll find my way"

    Not questioning further, Leandra nodded and went to leave the theme park with Sabrina.

    Once they went away, Lucivar went around the haunted house and waited at the exit.

    Soon enough, Axel and Elira walked out¡ªall smiles and excitement.

    Lucivar tilted his head down and pulled on his hat as the two walked past him, completely oblivious to him. Once they were at a safe distance, he followed them slowly while trying to be normal. After making several stops, observing Elira and Axel, he shook his head.

    ''It''s over for Elira. She''s completely head over heels for Axel,'' He thought inside.

    From his observation alone, it was clear that right now, Axel and Lucivar have the same desire.

    Both of them wanted to gain Elira''s trust.

    Axel took on the softer approach, getting close to Elira with time and dedication while Lucivar took on a more direct approach. However, their goal was the same¡ªonly their approaches differ, ''If I were Axel in this moment, I would certainly make my move. Elira wouldn''t see it coming''

    Half an hour later, the theme park''s rides began to close down.

    Elira and Axel also decided to call the day off, heading for the exit¡ªholding hands together.

    Reaching the parking lot of the theme park, Lucivar watched¡ªas the two get on the motorcycle again.

    Seeing this, Lucivar turned his gaze to the side and saw a taxi parked by the street.

    Leandra put out her hand to signal to him that it was them.

    Nodding his head, he gestured for them to follow Axel and Elira as they zoomed to the exit.

    On the other hand, Lucivar who was hiding behind a vending machine watched the two of them leave before a scarab mark began to glow¡ªon his forehead. He activated the Triune Scarab ability and changed the shade into a white one.

    Meanwhile, roaring through the street.

    Elira could feel the fresh night wind brushing against her face as Axel''s motorcycle cut through cars.

    Kicking up a gear, Axel pierced through the traffic light right before it turned red and reached the empty street across. Seeing that no cars¡ªwere around, Elira stretched her arms to the side, basking in the very moment.

    It has been a very long time since she felt free and refreshed.

    All of her burdens were washed away by the breezing wind.

    Glancing over his shoulder, Axel smirked, twisting the throttle with a playful flick of his wrist.

    Naturally, the motorcycle roared, lurching forward just enough to send Elira tumbling against his back, her indignant yelp drowned out by the engine''s growl as she instinctively wrapped her arms¡ªaround Axel''s waist, hugging him from the back tightly.

    Elira, realizing that this was his plan all along, hit his back.

    "Are you getting cheeky now that you succeeded in kidnapping me for the day?" She asked angrily.

    However, despite her tone, Axel could vividly tell that she was barely containing her glee.

    It was a successful night and this confirmed it.

    "Just a little bit of cheekiness is fine, right?" He shouted back, tilting his head to the side.

    Upon hearing this, Elira''s expression turned solemn as she laid her head against his back¡ªshe wanted the world to stay like this for a moment. No worries, no pressure, no troubles. Just freedom and glee, a mixture that made her feel alive.

    "I don''t want to go back yet..." She murmured lightly.

    Axel frowned inside his helmet, "Did you say something? Speak up, I can''t hear you"

    "I said can we go rest somewhere else first before going back?!" Elira repeated.

    As soon as she said that¡ªa devilish grin crossed Axel''s face but it was masked perfectly by his helmet, only he and God knew about this grin. Pausing for a second, faking trouble, Axel eventually nodded, "Are you suggesting going to a hotel?"

    "What?! As if!" Elira smacked his back again, her tone a mix of exasperation and laughter. "Stop being such a Cassanova, you hopeless flirt!"

    Axel could only laugh it off, "I''m joking. I know a place¡ªwe could rest there before going back"

    Fifteen minutes later, the two arrived at an abandoned unfinished building.

    Considering that the motorcycle needed to go through a narrow alley to get to this place, this unfinished building was quite isolated. Not a single soul could be seen around, only the sound of insects creaking, and the night breeze.

    Taking off his helmet, Axel got down, "I used to come here to look at the night sky"

    "Come," He said, reaching out his hand.

    Not even second-guessing her situation, Elira accepted his hand and followed him.

    Unknown to them, a figure was sitting on the abandoned house across the street, dangling his legs as he sat on the rooftop. Lucivar watched¡ªas the two stepped inside, rubbing the Gleipnir''s Echo on his finger which helped make this possible.

    Since the Green Shroud ability was always active, his presence was light and hard to detect.

    Not even Hybrids as strong as Elira and Axel could sense his presence.

    "I thought of getting rid of Axel since he must be bad-mouthing me to Elira, knowing that I ruined his initial plan. Fortunately, I didn''t kill him or else, this wouldn''t have happened," Lucivar thought, feeling grateful for his past self. "You''ve become a useful pawn, Axel. But tonight, your usefulness will cease to exist"

    Just then, Lucivar''s eyes narrowed when he saw shadows moving on the left side of the building.

    "Oh, the employer''s side has arrived..." He mumbled.

    Coming from the left side was a group of people, rushing inside the building from an angle that Elira couldn''t see. From the looks of it, the group consists of at least ten people. Lucivar counted them from afar until suddenly, his eyes widened in shock.

    Almost instinctively, he flipped over and hid.

    He did that exactly as the last figure of the group turned towards the house''s direction.

    Squinting his eyes for a second, the figure frowned before he stepped inside.

    On the other hand, Lucivar could feel his heart pounding, "What the fuck was that...? That''s not human"

    Even though initially, Lucivar''s attention was pulled towards the last figure because that figure was the only one who incited a reaction from his senses¡ªLucivar then quickly realized that he wasn''t looking at a human.

    It was hard to see from the angle and because of the night''s darkness, but that figure wasn''t human-looking.

    He was big, burly, had glowing yellow eyes, and had fangs.

    "It''s perceptive too, it could even sense me from afar" Lucivar mumbled as he tried to peek.

    Only when he saw the monster was gone that he could sign in relief.

    Just then, Lucivar saw two figures running across the alley¡ªIt was Leandra and Sabrina.

    Since the taxi couldn''t go through the narrow alley, they must''ve had to run the rest of the way here.

    "Good thing I brought them¡ªthat thing might be nearing Chrysalis-rank" Lucivar thought aloud before he went down, intercepting the two. He pulled them both to the side, taking cover while making sure that the coast was clear.

    "What? What''s wrong?" Leandra asked, seeing Lucivar was sweating slightly.

    Regulating his breaths for a second, he then explained, "Leandra, I want you to keep your eyes on Axel and Axel only. No matter what happened inside, make sure¡ªwhen Axel ran, he would run back to his motorcycle. Can you do that?"

    "Yes, I can. But why are you acting like this?" She answered with an evident frown.

    "No time," Lucivar shook his head and turned to Sabrina. "Get ready to fight, I''ll be counting on you"

    "Yes, Master..." Sabrina nodded as her eyes glowed.

    Once Lucivar had given his instructions, he and Sabrina dashed to the side, sneaking into the building.

    Leandra could only watch them going away helplessly.

    She then scanned the unfinished building, searching for any clues but there was nothing.

    "Just what is going on...?" She uttered inwardly in worry.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar and Sabrina ascend through the emergency stairs that are still open and bare.

    Both of them were going up and up but stopped at the third floor.

    A rough-looking back with a sharp chin could be seen walking towards their direction with a cigarette in hand. He took out his lighter, trying to light his cigarette as he stepped out onto the emergency stairs with the intention of relaxing.

    Clearly, he was a part of Axel''s employer''s group.

    For some reason, he decided to separate.

    "Poor fucking aristocrat, she''s done now..." the man mumbled and smoked.

    At that second, however, he felt a sharp sting on his neck that quickly turned into a burning sensation.

    His eyes widened when he realized he couldn''t breathe.

    As he turned around, he saw both Lucivar and Sabrina behind him with Lucivar holding a bloody dagger in his hand. Before the man could curse, Lucivar swiftly moved and stabbed the other side of his neck, killing him on the spot.

    Not forgetting to catch the man''s limp body to not make any noise.

    "Now..." Lucivar laid the man gently on the ground. "Which brand of faction are you from?"

 Chapter 192 192: Night of Blood and Money (2)

    The morning earlier, the Council of the Light Concord headquarters.

    Callista stepped out of the room and combed her hair back in utter frustration.

    She was called here early in the morning to be interrogated and checked, to see if there was really any cue of Crossers'' influence on her. Due to the news of her¡ªbullying an aspiring Hybrid, she pulled a lot of unwanted attention.

    Fortunately, the interrogation went smoothly, or at least she thought it went smoothly.

    Even then, this was really a hassle.

    "Lucivar..." She mumbled with hate as she headed to the lobby.

    Her branded heels tapped against the glossy marble floor in a rushed rhythm¡ªthe strength behind each of her steps echoed with the anger boiling inside of her. Clicking her tongue, she reached for her phone in her bag and dialed someone.

    "Dear... When are you going to come here?"

    "..."

    "Yes, I just got out from the interrogation¡ªthere''s no problem. But dear, get your ass here as soon as possible. Both of your daughters are at risk and that academy hunter... you have to deal with him! My hands are tied here but you can do something"

    "..."

    "Lucivar, it''s Lucivar. He''s the cause of all of this! Are you going to let him do this to our family?"

    "..."

    Glancing around the place, Callista went to a secluded area.

    "I want to get rid of him. I don''t care if he saved our daughters, he disrespected me! Are you going to let a kid like him disrespect your wife? Did the Crimson Wolf Clan make you docile? Get your ass over here and deal with this! Finish whatever you''re doing there and come here! Hmph!"

    Not even giving the person on the other side a chance to answer, Callista cut the call off one-sidedly.

    Callista grumbled inaudibly, she became angrier because of the call.

    However, as she was about to head to the lobby again, she stopped when her phone rang.

    "Eugh, is he serious?!" Callista hissed in annoyance as she reached for her phone again, expecting her husband to be the one who called to lecture her. But to her surprise, it wasn''t her husband, an unknown number marred the screen.

    She answered the call and asked, "Who is this?"

    "Madam Callista, it''s me. I saw your daughter, Elira sneak out with Axel"

    "Is that it?" Callista frowned. "Do your job, protect her. I took a risk to choose you so don''t disappoint"

    "I didn''t call for that"

    "Then what is it? Stop wasting my time"

    "Lucivar... He''s following Elira. I''m calling to let you know"

    As soon as she heard that name, Callista''s eyes widened before she quickly recovered.

    "Lucivar? If that''s the case, is there anyone with you?"

    "No, I''m in a theme park right now following them. I''ll protect Elira if Lucivar tries to do anything"

    "Okay, don''t lose them and protect my daughter soundly. Also, send me your location"

    Callista got off the phone¡ªand looked down at the marble floor in contemplation, registering the new information in her mind. Then, a vague hint of cruelty and idea tugged the glint in her eyes as her lips bloomed into a smirk, "Maybe I don''t need help after all..."

    ...

    Back to the present.

    Elira reached the empty rooftop and inhaled deeply, sucking in as much air as possible.

    She clasped her hands behind her, skipping to the edge of the rooftop as she gazed upon the night view of Sunhold City. Even though she knew that reality would be back tomorrow, at least for tonight, Elira wanted to enjoy the moment as much as possible.

    Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Axel was standing stiffly.

    "What are you doing?" She murmured, reaching out her hand with a pure smile. "Come stand by me"

    Upon hearing this, Axel lifted his gaze and met with Elira''s gaze.

    He felt a pang in his chest but he quickly suppressed it and approached her, accepting her hand.

    Both of them basked in their silence, taking in the view with their eyes.

    It wasn''t an awkward silence but a serene one instead.

    On their sides, their hands were locked together¡ªElira''s hand was holding onto his tightly while Axel''s hand lacked the strength and commitment that she had. Just then, a few minutes later, Axel saw a shadow on his periphery, which caused his heart to pound.

    Axel knew that the time had come.

    It was time for him to end this act and show Elira the truth.

    "Elira, you know... sometimes we do things we never thought we''d do," Axel suddenly said, his voice was soft, almost a whisper as he stared at the city lights below. "Not because we want to, but because we feel like there''s no other way. Life always has a way of forcing you¡ªinto corners. Forcing you to make hard choices"

    Hearing this, Elira turned to him¡ªher gaze profound.

    For a second there, Axel closed his eyes.

    He could hear the beeping sound of machines and the darkness mold into a man lying on a hospital bed.

    It was his reason for doing this.

    Opening his eyes again, Axel turned to meet Elira''s gaze¡ªhe had to look her directly in the eyes as that was the very least he could do for her, to tell her straight, "You''d do anything for your sister, right? As the older sister, you must understand the feeling"

    "What do you mean, Axel?" Elira muttered as a wave of unease brushed her.

    She could feel something was wrong but against her better judgment, she kept looking at Axel.

    "I hope, one day, you''ll forgive me for what I did," Axel said, reaching out his hand to gently brush Elira''s cheek which felt cold. "For what''s it worth, I never wanted to hurt you. But circumstances forced me to, and I have no other choice"

    Axel turned away before she could respond¡ªhis words heavy in the air.

    His footsteps echoed as he left Elira standing there, still wondering what he meant by that.

    Just then, a few figures appeared from the darkness of the ramp.

    Elira froze in her spot, her breath hitched as a group of ten men emerged from the shadows.

    Strangers¡ªevery one of them.

    Dressed in ragged tank tops and gripping crude clubs, they carried themselves with the unmistakable air of street gangsters. Their gazes slithered over her, hungry¡ªand vile as they smacked their lips as if she were nothing more than a snack.

    On top of that, each one of them was a Hybrid.

    A few amongst them were even an Acolyte-rank Hybrid.

    Her stomach twisted¡ªthe betrayal stood before her as clearly as possible, that Axel had led her here.

    Even so, she clung to hope, desperation slipping into her voice as she called his name.

    "Axel?" Elira mumbled¡ªher tone vividly displayed the cracking of her heart.

    Upon hearing her meek voice, Axel clenched his jaw but kept his back turned, refusing to look at her.

    Despite being already determined to do this, the guilt weighed on him.

    It pressed his shoulders inward.

    But he didn''t move. Didn''t stop them.

    Then, the last figure stepped into view.

    He dwarfed the others¡ªhulking, monstrous, a beast in human shape.

    Green-skinned and grotesquely muscular, with a bloated belly¡ªand jagged fangs that jutted from his upper lip. Pointed ears twitched at the sound of her ragged breath, and his greedy, knowing smile could be seen stretching wider on his face.

    A sleeveless brown jacket clung to his thick fang, paired with ragged pants underneath.

    From how he appeared, it was clear what he was¡ªA Goblin Hybrid.

    Hybrids with low-grade bloodline¡ªsuch as a Goblin bloodline couldn''t ascend higher than an Acolyte rank. Some couldn''t even break through to the Acolyte rank. Due to that, they gained their bloodline characteristics faster than Hybrids with higher-grade bloodlines.

    Normal Hybrids would grow their first characteristic upon entering the Acolyte rank.

    And the stronger they become, the more unique characteristics of their bloodlines they would develop.

    For instance, a Dragon Hybrid would develop a fire tongue that allowed them to breathe fire as soon as they reached the Acolyte rank and develop scales and a dragon heart when they reached the Chrysalis rank but it was different for Hybrids with low-grade bloodlines.

    Upon reaching the Acolyte rank, they might develop almost all their bloodline characteristics.

    Just like this Goblin Hybrid.

    But none would reach this extent, normal Goblin Hybrids wouldn''t achieve this level of change in their appearance. Even those with very high bloodline purity would still look human. However, this person¡ªhe completely abandoned his human skin.

    Elira learned about them in the academy, they were called Misfits,

    Hybrids who modified their bloodline to make them real monsters and surpassed their limits.

    Seeing Elira, the Goblin Hybrid placed his heavy hand on Axel''s head, patting him like one would do when a dog did something good, "With this, your debt is paid in full. Go back to your brother, you had earned it..."

    Upon hearing this, Axel asked, "What are you going to do to her?"

    "It''s none of your business..." the Goblin Hybrid grinned and pushed Axel to the side.

    As he did that, he stepped forward¡ªhis gaze slight with dark amusement.

    "Elira, Elira..." His voice oozed with anticipation. "Aren''t you a lovely surprise? Don''t fight back, you will only hurt yourself. As long as you come with us obediently¡ªwithout causing a ruckus, I promise, no harm will befall you"

    Instead of listening to him, Elira turned and jumped down from the rooftop.

    Her survival instincts kicked in, beckoning her to leave this place.

    Making an acrobatic maneuver, she shot a dark vine from her hand to wrap around a metal rod, helping her glide through the air, and landed two floors below the rooftop. Since the building was eleven floors high, she couldn''t outright jump down.

    Despite being a Hybrid, she wasn''t that strong¡ªshe was still a five-star Neophyte rank Hybrid.

    Just as she landed, however, the ceiling crumbled.

    Crash!

    Almost effortlessly, the Goblin Hybrid punched a hole through two floors and landed on her floor.

    Upon seeing this, Elira''s eyes widened, her heart pounding inside her chest as she turned around again, intending to make another leap. But she was far too late, the Goblin Hybrid anticipated that. He threw a brick hard and shattered Elira''s foothold.

    She slipped because of that and in that moment, the Goblin Hybrid was able to close the distance.

    Viciously, he grabbed her foot with his massive hand and threw her.

    "Kahkk!" Elira''s eyes widened¡ªthe bones inside her body cracked as she got slammed into the wall.

    Blood instantly exploded from her mouth, the gap in strength between her and the Goblin Hyrbid who was enhanced and also an Acolyte-rank Hybrid was too much. Coming down the hole in the ceiling were the other gangsters, shouting excited gasps and yelps.

    As she struggled to stand, the Goblin Hybrid towered over her with his lackeys beside him.

    For a moment, Elira accepted that her fate had been sealed.

    However, it was then her eyes caught sight of the emergency stairs at the other end.

    A man was sitting on the handrail, watching her from afar in a relaxed manner.

    Elira''s eyes narrowed for a second before she realized who it was¡ªLucivar.

    And he wore a mocking face as if he was saying, ''See, I told you so''

 Chapter 193 193: Night of Blood and Money (3)

    She was blind.

    Believing that she was blind was hard.

    She really wanted to believe that this was all a huge misunderstanding but it was not.

    Axel distracted her and lured her here to be captured by these people.

    It was the bitter truth.

    Elira felt like an idiot as she slumped on the ground, the warm connection she felt between Axel and her wasn''t a mutual blossom of love. No. It was the warmth from the knife of betrayal piercing deeper into her heart.

    Minutes earlier, she considered Axel her first love.

    Being someone with status who has a family keen on moving around, it was hard to make relationships.

    Now, for once, she found someone who could make her take the brave path.

    A hopeful path that might lead to a real relationship.

    But that was nothing more than a fac?ade.

    Elira should''ve seen the writings on the wall, it was evident, but how could she? She was in love.

    As if that realization weren''t bitter and cruel enough, the very last person she wanted to see, the person who had warned her of this, was now looking at her mockingly. His presence was akin to salt being rubbed on her open wound.

    Lucivar was the one who shattered her entire life, she hated him so deeply.

    But he was right and that was undeniable.

    Sitting on the handrail right beyond the doorless emergency staircase, leaning forward with both hands resting on his lap¡ªLucivar smirked at her. It was hard to mistake his unnatural¡ªglowing golden eyes, his natural eye color that was very bizarre and eerie.

    ...

    Meanwhile, a few hundred meters from the building.

    A figure could be seen running across the street, his eyes darted left and right as if he was searching for somebody. His right hand was holding a phone¡ªthat was pressed against his ear, "I lost him, he was following Elira and Axel. He didn''t realize me following him but he was so fast and nimble that I couldn''t keep up"

    "What? Aren''t you supposed to be fast?!"

    "I am but... Axel was reckless. Some people from the Crimson Wolf Clan are also following them¡ªI was so caught up dealing with them that I lost him in the process. Anyway, I''ll be sending my location to you right now."

    "Find them! If anything happens to my daughter, I will blame it all on you!"

    Ignoring the threat, the figure looked around¡ªsweat drizzling down the side of his face.

    Boom!

    Just then, he snapped his head to his behind upon hearing a distant crashing sound.

    His eyes narrowed as he saw an abandoned unfinished building, there were occasional booms coming from it. Focusing on his senses, he sensed ether clashes coming from that building, and without much thinking¡ªhe ran to check.

    "I hope I''m not too late," the figure uttered as he sprinted. "No other choice but to reveal myself early"

    ...

    Back to the unfinished building.

    The Goblin Hybrid stood towering in front of Elira as a savage smile crept to his face.

    In his eyes, he wasn''t looking at an isolated and helpless woman but a pile of coins¡ªshimmering gold.

    Just the thought of the amount of money he would obtain from using Elira was enough to send a shiver down his spine. Letting go of a small fry like Axel in exchange for a high-profile woman like Elira was worth it from all angles.

    On the other hand, Elira was still fixed on Lucivar.

    Her lips trembled, she desperately wanted to say something but it was very hard.

    Eventually, those words came out, "Help me..."

    Despite the distance between them, Lucivar could instantly tell what she said.

    But instead of helping her, she stood up and walked away, disappearing from Elira''s point of view.

    Seeing this, tears welled up in Elira''s eyes as Lucivar was her last hope.

    "I was wrong so please help me!!" She finally shouted at the top of her lungs, surprising the gangsters.

    Axel, who also came down from the hole frowned when he heard her shout.

    ''Someone is here with us? Is it her new bodyguard? No, that can''t be'' He thought inside his head.

    Following her shout, the Goblin Hybrid sensed something.

    Swoosh!

    Reacting swiftly, he snapped his gaze to the side and saw a car flying towards him.

    Crash!

    The Goblin Hybrid was thrashed away, the jeep''s heavy weight, coupled with the momentum from the throw was enough to knock him away. All of his lackeys were surprised by this¡ªbut one of them made an initiative to reach for Elira and secure her.

    But he was a moment too late.

    In that instant, a pristine white-haired woman kicked his arm hard and broke it.

    "Gyaarghk!!" the man screamed, holding onto his flailing broken arm.

    Ignoring the man''s painful scream, the woman, Sabrina¡ªquickly grabbed Elira by the arm and pulled her away. Seeing the stranger, Elira was confused but she was relieved knowing that Sabrina was here to help her.

    Both of them then dashed towards the emergency staircase.

    At the same time, the Goblin Hybrid threw the jeep to the side angrily and recovered.

    "Get her! Kill anyone that stands in our way!" He shouted, commanding his lackeys angrily.

    Howling in excitement, the other gangsters sprinted after them.

    Along the way, Elira noticed that Sabrina was trying to put something on her ring finger¡ªit was an emerald ring. As soon as she wore the ring, she noticed the change instantly¡ªall of the ether in her body was suppressed.

    "What''s this?" She asked as they arrived on the emergency staircase.

    "No time," Sabrina shook her head. "Hide and don''t make any sound if you want to live"

    Hearing this, Elira frowned but then she gasped when she saw the figure on the stairs, waiting for her.

    "What in the world...?" She mumbled in complete and utter shock.

    Meanwhile, the first gangster reached the emergency staircase¡ªbut was met with a punch directly to his face that sent him flying back and crashing into another gangster. Sabrina and Elira walked out and rushed to the other side while the gangsters were stunned.

    Recovering from their initial shock, the gangsters began their attacks.

    Seeing this, the Goblin Hybrid frowned, ''Did the staircase collapse? Why did they come back out?''

    It was a weird move so the staircase must''ve collapsed.

    Even though one of them got knocked out, they didn''t seem to care and continued with the order.

    "Yahoo~!"

    "Another woman? We''re eating good tonight!"

    Holding their clubs tightly, they swung recklessly without a care in the world.

    Both Sabrina and Elira could only avoid their attacks and counterattacks to buy them enough time to head for the ramp and go down. Despite their retaliation¡ªit was clear that they were focusing on leaving instead of fighting.

    "Where are you going, ladies?!" A gangster jumped at them with both hands raised above.

    He appeared from behind a pillar and swung his club in a vertical strike.

    Having no time to avoid the attack together, Sabrina was forced to let go of their hands and pushed Elira away in the nick of time. She stumbled a couple of steps back and groaned when something bit down on her left foot.

    Glancing down, Sabrina bit her lip when she saw a bear trap made of ether clamped onto her leg.

    She hissed in pain but moved to free herself.

    Before she could react, the Goblin Hybrid''s massive arm lashed out, striking Sabrina with bone-rattling force. She was sent hurtling backward, her body slamming against the wall with a sickening crack. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, followed by a mouthful of blood splattering onto the concrete ground.

    But the Goblin Hybrid wasn''t finished.

    As she struggled to recover, dazed and winded, a shadow loomed over her.

    His monstrous hand clamped around her throat, hoisting her off the ground with terrifying ease.

    Sabrina flailed¡ªher legs kicked uselessly in the air before she was slammed.

    Boom!

    He drove her into the earth with brutal force, the impact cracked the ground.

    Then, without a pause¡ªa guttural, savage growl rumbled from the Goblin Hybrid''s chest.

    He clasped his hands together, his massive arms coiling like a loading spring.

    "Raarrggh!"

    Boom!

    With a thunderous roar, he brought his fists down like a war hammer.

    The force behind the strike blasted Sabrina to the floor below, another showcase of his strength.

    Looking down through the crack in the ground, the Goblin Hybrid saw Sabrina rolling to the side and disappearing. She was clearly hurt and some of the gangsters wanted to chase after her but the Goblin Hybrid stopped them, "Don''t chase her. I have a bad feeling, let''s get out of here"

    Since Sabrina came out of nowhere, the Goblin Hybrid decided to take the safer route.

    Pivoting around, he saw the others pinning Elira on the ground as she cried.

    "Don''t leave me!" She screamed. "Someone help me! Help!"

    Annoyed, one of the gangsters hits her with the back of his club¡ªshutting her up good.

    "Grab her," the Goblin Hybrid said as he headed to leave the place, keeping his guards up and leading the way.

    Upon hearing this, the gangsters grabbed Elira by the arms and took her away.

    "Can I talk to him before you bring me away?" She suddenly said, looking at Axel on the side who was still watching. A part of him wanted to leave but another part of him wanted to punish him by watching Elira being brought away. "If you let me talk to him, even for a minute, I''ll comply"

    "Shut up, you think you can order us?!" One gangster barked angrily.

    "She''s luring for time," the Goblin Hybrid sneered. "Bring her. Knock her out if you need to"

    As she was being brought away, she shouted, "Tell me the reason! At least tell me the reason!"

    Axel clenched his fists, telling himself to ignore her inside.

    "I thought we had something! Why are you doing this?!" Elira continued desperately. "Say it!"

    "Because I have to pay my debt for my sick brother, alright?!" Axel shouted back, he wanted to ignore her but he couldn''t. Not when her voice was that desperate, "I can''t pay the debt, there''s no way I could gather that much money but I can''t let myself get killed. If I die, nobody will take care of him!"

    Just as he said that Elira''s expression turned from desperate to shock.

    On the other hand, the Goblin Hybrid scoffed and gestured for the gangsters to continue on.

    "Ah... I always knew that you''re after money you broke piece of shit," Elira suddenly said.

    Axel was stunned but it wasn''t only him.

    Similarly, the Goblin Hybrid and the gangsters were also stunned.

    Not because of what she said but because her voice was different.

    It was deeper, like a man''s voice.

    Slowly, Axel raised his gaze to look at Elira again.

    But this time, her eyes were now glowing golden¡ªand the sight made him skip a beat.

    He recognized those eyes, those condescending eyes.

    "L- Lucivar...? Is that you?"

 Chapter 194 194: Reveal of the Replacement

    Axel''s heart tightened inside his chest.

    He saw Elira smiling devilishly, the kind of smile that she never wore or will ever wear.

    It was an unhinged one.

    However, as her eyes changed color into bright golden¡ªhe realized who he was facing again.

    "L- Lucivar...? Is that you?" A mumble escaped his lips.

    Even though his mind hadn''t fully grasped who this Elira was, that name already came out of his lips.

    Realizing that something was wrong, the Goblin Hybrid moved to grab Elira but he was a second too late. Viciously, Elira grabbed the jaw of the gangster to his right and ripped it completely before freeing herself, landing a safe distance away, several steps behind Axel.

    A golden sphere dropped to the ground from the gangster''s death but Elira''s focus was on Axel.

    "You should''ve accepted the deal I offered," She suddenly said, tilting her head a little while looking at Axel condescendingly¡ªas if he was nothing more than a piece of human trash. "At least that way, you are on my side and a penny richer"

    Upon hearing this, Axel turned around¡ªhis expression twisted in anger and humiliation.

    ''He''s a Harpy Hybrid, the academy''s data stated that clearly so how come he has mimicry ability?!'' He thought inside as his mind reeled with confusion. ''A perfect mimicry, even, I can''t tell the difference. Also, when did he swap with Elira? Is it from the start? No, that can''t be. If that''s the case, I should''ve been able to tell that something was off''

    ''It''s at that moment...'' Axel''s eyes slightly wide. ''It was when they entered that emergency staircase!''

    Other than that time, there was no way Lucivar could''ve swapped Elira out.

    And before knowing that he was planning to betray, Elira wouldn''t want to be swapped willingly.

    "Just why..." Axel grinds his teeth, his eyes glaring with unrelenting flame of wrath. "Just why are you always getting in my way?! I never planned anything bad against you, I stayed away from you! So why, why are you doing this?!"

    Elira slowly straightened her back, looking at Axel dead in the eyes.

    Then, her eyes became hollow and her uncanny smile spread wider on her face, "Because I want to"

    "What...?" Axel was taken aback. "Because... you want to?"

    He couldn''t believe that his effort, his brother''s life¡ªall of that were destroyed because of that reason.

    Because of such a stupid and unreasonable reason.

    "Then pretending to be Elira and asking me that, asking me of my reason, is that because you wanted to?" Axel asked again, his ether flaring, responding to his¡ªbubbling anger. "Is that why?! To see me suffer for your damn amusement?!"

    Hearing this, Elira chuckled in scorn.

    "No... Not because I want to," She shook her head. "But because I''m curious how Elira would react"

    Just as he said that a figure emerged¡ªit was the real Elira.

    She wore a glowing emerald ring on her ring finger, the Gleipnir''s Echo.

    In order to perfect the swap, Lucivar gave his ring to Sabrina and Sabrina made her wear it.

    The Green Shroud ability of that ring suppressed Elira''s aura.

    Not even the Goblin Hybrid could sense her easily while she was wearing that ring.

    Elira walked out from her hiding, looking at Axel with a devastated gaze¡ªone that clearly displayed her heartbreak. She took a couple of steps stiffly, tears streaming down her face, "Money...? You did this... Played me, and put on a fake face¡ªall of that only for money...?"

    Despite trying to be strong, her face was teetering on the verge of breaking.

    All of the times Axel consoled her, listened to her problems¡ªand whispered to her that everything was fine. All of that was a facade to gain her trust, for the sake of money.

    "If it''s about money, why didn''t y-"

    "He extorted your family!"

    Axel shouted defensively¡ªhis voice hoarse with desperation.

    "Lucivar extorted money from your family. I saw the revised offer, I saw how much he was going to get!" He continued, looking at Elira right in the eyes. "Do you really think your Mother would agree to help me after giving out so much?! Had it not been for him, I wouldn''t need to resort to this! But now, I have no choice, okay?!"

    Observing this situation unfolded, the Goblin Hybrid''s face darkened.

    He then stepped forward, his steps heavy and forceful.

    Upon reaching Axel''s behind, he raised his massive and muscular arm and swatted him away.

    Crash!

    Axel''s eyes bulged as blood burst from his mouth, creating messy arcs.

    His internal organs rattled and his bones broke from the impact.

    "Do you think this is a fucking love story?!" The Goblin Hybrid barked, breathing roughly like a bull as he couldn''t believe this drama unfolded on his very important night. "I don''t know who the fuck you are, but that girl, is mine!! Go kill that thing and get the girl!"

    Almost instantly, two gangsters rushed towards Lucivar who was reverting to his own form.

    Smiling inwardly, Lucivar drew his dagger and coated it with the Fang of Ankh''s power.

    Swoosh!

    Making a cleaving arc, an energy wave flew like a blade and decapitated both gangsters in mid-air.

    Blood squirted out of their headless bodies, raining down on Lucivar.

    But at the same time, Lucivar''s eyes narrowed when he saw seven green coins land around him.

    He frowned in confusion but all of those coins suddenly exploded with energy, turning into seven small and green creatures that climbed and bit into him. Lucivar, caught off guard, tries to break free but he catches sight of the Goblin Hybrid running past him

    "Shit!" Lucivar cursed as deactivated the Fang of Ankh and used Greedy Grasp.

    Almost instantly, these seven ether goblins were drained¡ªconverted into God strands.

    Fueling two God strands into his legs, he dashed like a bullet at the Goblin Hybrid.

    Noticing his move, the Goblin Hybrid suddenly reached out his hand¡ªand grabbed Lucivar''s body and stopped his momentum instantly. Such strength caught him off guard and before he knew it, he got his body slammed into the ground.

    "I should kill you right here," the Goblin Hybrid said and tightened his grip with a crushing force.

    He gripped so hard, intending to crush Lucivar''s body completely.

    However, that doesn''t work.

    A smile crept on Lucivar''s face as he grabbed the Goblin Hybrid''s index finger and with a brutal motion, he bent it all the way until it touched the back of the Goblin Hybrid''s hand. Such a brute force came as a shock and forced a painful howl from the Goblin Hybrid.

    Gritting his jagged fangs, the Goblin Hybrid wanted to throw Lucivar away but he couldn''t.

    Lucivar held onto his hand without any intention of letting go.

    Furious, he threw a bunch of green coins at Elira, summoning a dozen of ether goblins.

    Elira wanted to defend herself but she was distraught, her emotions were still everywhere from Axel''s betrayal, and her vision was still clouded in tears. Seeing this, Lucivar tried to break free but he couldn''t, he couldn''t help her.

    In that three-second window, his options were extremely limited.

    "Elira! Snap out of it and defend yourself!" He shouted, snapping Elira back to reality.

    But it was too late.

    Graah!

    Just then, as one of the ether goblins was about to bite into her¡ªa flash of yellow lightning appeared.

    Blitz!

    Lucivar was blinded for a moment but with a blink, he saw the goblin was cut in half.

    Following that, the other ether goblins were also destroyed on a whim.

    A figure appeared in front of Elira, the one who protected her, in time.

    Flashes of yellow lightning could be seen dancing across his form as he looked at Lucivar firmly.

    Lucivar charged four God strands into his dagger and slashed the Goblin Hybrid who was also stunned by the man''s appearance. His cheek was sliced open as he got hurled away, crashing into multiple cars before slamming against the wall.

    Once he did that, Lucivar climbed to his feet and glanced at the familiar man.

    "I must say, you managed to surprise me," Lucivar said, squinting his eyes. "Mirel..."

    "Don''t act like we''re a family," Mirel suddenly said, casting a confident smile. "At this moment, I am not Mirel but Elira''s bodyguard, the Feradith Family''s bodyguard," He paused, letting the words seep into Lucivar''s head. "Your replacement..."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes widened¡ªhis shock was palpable.

    But then, a humorous laughter escaped his lips.

    "I''m a fool to think that it was Caldaros," He said amidst his laughter before looking at Mirel again. "It was you who made the Feradith Family pull their contract on me, you the one who replaced me, you the one who tailed me from morning. Is this your way of showing me you''re better than me?"

    "One of the ways, yes," Mirel turned his gaze away. "But this is not a good time to talk"

    As he said that, two gangsters appeared from behind¡ªattempting to grab Elira.

    In the next second, Lucivar and Mirel moved like phantoms¡ªswatting them away with a simple slap.

    Boom!

    Both of them were trashed, out for the count.

    "Bastards!" the Goblin Hybrid climbed back to his feet¡ªas he straightened his broken index finger, his eyes glaring at the two people who were getting in his way. "Both of you have some balls to get in my way but no matter... Tonight will be your last night breathing!"

    As he said that, Sabrina appeared from the emergency staircase and rushed to Lucivar.

    She was wounded but it didn''t her too much.

    "Master, a lot more people were coming up," She whispered in trouble. "There are more of them"

    "More...?" Lucivar frowned.

    Hearing what she said from afar, the Goblin Hybrid laughed.

    "Do you really think¡ªthat I''m not prepared for something like this?" He mocked, grinning from ear to ear like a maniac. "I''m kidnapping the eldest daughter of the Green Tempest Clan''s previous leader and you think this is all I brought?!"

    Just then, the sound of rushing footsteps could be heard.

    Lucivar and the others glanced at the ramp and saw a crowd of people reaching their floor.

    Each one of them was a gangster and a Hybrid¡ªa bunch of outlaws.

    "About a hundred of them," Mirel muttered, scanning the area as they were surrounded from all sides.

    "It was not their number that was worrying," Lucivar muttered as he nudged his chin ahead at another monster emerging from the emergency staircase. Instead of donning a goblin''s face, this one was more like a lizard with brass-colored scales. "We have two juiced-up Acolyte-rank Hybrids to deal with"

    Hearing their conversation, Elira shuddered.

    She has only entered a dungeon once and she has never killed anything or anyone before.

    So this situation was nerve-wracking for her.

    "Are we going to be fine...?" She mumbled in between Lucivar and Mirel.

    Lucivar has her front while Mirel has her back.

    Upon hearing this, both Lucivar and Mirel glanced over their shoulders to look at her.

    Both of them then smirked the same kind of smirk, a confident smirk.

    "Fine? We''re going to be more than fine, this is nothing"

    "Just shut up and stand there like a good little high-profile trophy you are, we''ll take care of this"

 Chapter 195 195: The Real Monster

    "Sabrina, stick close to her," Lucivar instructed. "Me and Mirel will take care of the rest"

    "I''ll support you from behind, master," Sabrina nodded.

    It was going to be an all-out brawl.

    If Lucivar and Mirel were to protect Elira at the same time, they would need to stay close to her while fighting the Goblin Hybrid and also the newly arriving Lizard Hybrid. Both of them boasted the power of a four-star Acolyte-rank Hybrid.

    Being close to the fight would suscept Elira to more danger.

    Best for her to stay behind, fighting the other gangsters while Lucivar and Mirel deal with the bosses.

    Pivoting back his attention to the surrounding gangsters, each seemed to be people¡ªwho were used to the intensity of battle, Lucivar said suggestively, "Do you want to make a bet? Anyone who killed the most would owe a favor to the other. What do you think?"

    "I''ll be a fool to accept that, you''re already planning on a favor," Mirel scoffed knowingly.

    Surely, there was a reason Lucivar suggested this bet.

    Lucivar chuckled, "Fine, you got me. I want five minutes to talk with Elira if I win the bet, you on?"

    "Five minutes and you can''t hurt her," Mirel replied firmly.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s lips stretched into a smirk, "Deal."

    "How do we know who killed the most gangsters? How do I know you''re not going to lie?"

    "We''ll know the winner once this is done"

    As they came to an agreement, the Goblin Hybrid stood towering and pointed at them.

    "Slaughter them!" He screamed in command.

    "Raarggh!!"

    "Yaargh!!"

    Each of the gangsters charged with a weapon at hand and ether coating their bodies, advancing forward like a tide of people. Two of them were faster than the rest, reaching in striking distance with machetes in their hands.

    Seeing this, Mirel''s legs crackled with yellow lightning.

    He disappeared from his spot and in the next second, the two gangsters had their heads decapacitated.

    Mirel punched them so hard that he blew their heads off.

    From behind, Elira yelped as blood rained down on them¡ªtwo lives gone in an instant.

    Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure as Mirel deliberately killed those two gangsters¡ªright above him, drenching him entirely in blood. He then ran his fingers through his blood-coated hair, combing it back, relishing in the gore with an excited smile on his face.

    Once he scanned his enemies, he rushed ahead.

    Holding the Fang of Ankh in a reverse grip, he cleaved the air in front of him.

    Swoosh!

    Empowered by ten God strands, a thick crescent-shaped ether wave blew forward viciously.

    All of the gangsters who were charging at him were stunned when they saw this and before they could react, their bodies were instantly cleaved into two pieces, cleanly cut down the middle. Lucivar laughed at the sight as he charged into the sea of gangsters.

    Not to mention, the light clinking sounds from the golden spheres dropping were music to his ears.

    He swung the Fang of Ankh, killing another while blocking a steel bat with his bare hand.

    Every time he made a swing¡ªhe took a life.

    Due to the sheer number of gangsters surrounding him, a lot of attacks go through.

    However, to the gangsters'' surprise, hitting Lucivar was akin to hitting a rock.

    None of their attacks, though empowered by their ether could wound him¡ªhis skin was too thick and it provided preliminary defense against cuts and blunt damages. He never liked getting hit like this but the circumstances always forced him to fight like this.

    Crash!

    Lucivar pierced the Fang of Ankh into a gangster''s chest, causing him to cough blood.

    "Raargh!"

    Another gangster tried to attack him but Lucivar caught him by his face and lifted him up.

    Under the onlookers around him, this particular gangster struggled hard but his ether was rapidly being sucked into Lucivar¡ªbeing turned into God strands. In under ten seconds, the vigorous and muscular man who was teeming with life was completely drained, becoming frail and thin like a skeleton.

    "Oh, what''s this?" Lucivar smiled devilishly with a blood-stained face. "Are you scared?"

    Seeing the gangsters were backing away, he cackled.

    Guess even gangsters of the worst kind could be afraid like this, it was quite a delightful sight to see.

    Just then, a massive figure body-slammed him, pushing him meters away.

    "That''s it, I''m starting to get tired of these small fries!" Lucivar laughed.

    His maniacal eyes looked at the Goblin Hybrid intensely.

    Sweating a little, the Goblin Hybrid''s noticed something on the side.

    He uprooted two steel bollards on the side, holding them as a weapon.

    Clang!

    Aggressively, the Goblin Hybrid tapped the heavy steel bollards together and glared at Lucivar ahead.

    "Tonight will not be over until I crush every bone inside your body!" He barked threateningly.

    Meanwhile, Elira was in a state of complete shock.

    She watched closely as Lucivar mowed down the gangsters brutally, the act of killing was the same as the act of breathing for him. Even though she has read that Lucivar and his group were able to take down a blue dungeon, the gap between her and Lucivar became evident in real combat.

    Glancing to her behind, she also saw Mirel fighting fiercely.

    The Lizard Hybrid showed that he was actually a Kobold Hybrid, which was a blue-grade bloodline.

    He could unleash a fireball from his mouth, decimating anything it hits with a powerful explosion.

    Even though he was of a lower-grade bloodline, abandoning his humanity made his ability way stronger than normal. Elira wouldn''t be able to compete with the firepower¡ªeven if she was an Acolyte-rank Hybrid at this moment.

    But Mirel¡ªhe was matching the Kobold Hybrid equally.

    Against the destructive fireball, he made this vicious lighting clap that evaporated the fireball.

    Not to mention, the way he maneuvered around and attacked the Kobold Hybrid with precision, Elira was completely outclassed, ''I''m a student, the best first-year student in the Bloodhaven Academy, and yet... these two... these two could even match the strongest of the third-year or even the fourth-year! How are they so powerful?''

    Crash!!

    Lucivar swung the Fang of Ankh with force but was parried by the Goblin Hybrid.

    A steel bollard slapped him across his face, cracking his cheekbone.

    Charging five God strands, he punched the Goblin Hybrid''s liver but that only forced out a grunt.

    It was a brutal fistfight.

    Just then, the Goblin Hybrid was able to fake an attack to the head¡ªand struck his legs, knocking him off the ground sideways. Following that, Lucivar''s pupils dilated seeing the steel bollard¡ªcharging at him in a vicious swing.

    Clang!

    "Grrghk!" Lucivar grunted hard, feeling the impact cracking the bones in his arms.

    He was thrown away but quickly stabbed the ground with the Fang of Ankh to recover quickly.

    Raising his gaze, his gaze narrowed when he saw the Goblin Hybrid take out seven ether coins.

    Instead of having those coins turn into ether goblins as they did earlier, he pointed his finger ahead as the seven coins¡ªflew like a bullet. Lucivar did not expect this to happen but still tried to parry the coins but only managed to block a couple.

    Boom!

    Lucivar''s eyes trailed down and saw three gaping holes in his body.

    None of them were on vital points but nevertheless, the coins still pierced him halfway through.

    "Don''t lose focus on me, brat!" the Goblin Hybrid howled as he took out another coin and tossed it into the air with a flick of his finger. His eyes leaped onto it for a split second before he positioned his body to the side and swung the steel bollard at it. "Try blocking this!"

    Before the coin was hit, Lucivar already coated his body with ether and was ready to block it.

    Swoosh!

    Upon being hit, the coin flew faster than a bullet.

    Lucivar could even see it properly as the coin pierced his arm and completely drilled a hole in his chest.

    Seeing this, the Goblin Hybrid laughed monstrously.

    Victory was within sight.

    On the other hand, Lucivar''s eyes widened for a second¡ªin total shock.

    Not because the coin struck him but because of another thing entirely.

    ''What is this...?'' He questioned inside.

    Despite being drilled completely through by the ether coin, Lucivar could feel no pain.

    Instead of pain, he could feel a surge of unnatural adrenaline¡ªand excitement bubbling inside of him.

    Just then, he glanced over to his shoulders and made eye contact with Sabrina.

    ''I see now. So this is what you meant by supporting me from behind, you got a new ability'' He thought as he saw a tail hovering behind Sabrina, the tip was heart-shaped. ''Letting you have some fun back then was worth it''

    Smirking inwardly, Lucivar''s eyes then shifted to Elira.

    ''If I took them down easily, it wouldn''t be as impactful for Elira. But I think now that I''m riddled with holes, it''s time to end this clueless Goblin Hybrid. How stupid is he that he didn''t realize I was holding back?'' Lucivar laughed inside as he stopped on his spot abruptly.

    Lucivar stood motionless¡ªblood drenching his clothes as the Fang of Ankh dissipated from his hand.

    A sign that the Goblin Hybrid mistook for weakness.

    Laughing even harder, he tossed more coins, "Regret standing in my way as you die!!"

    Swoosh!

    Once again, the coins flew ahead like bullets.

    Abruptly, Lucivar yanked his head up and gazed forward as he activated his Greedy Grasp ability.

    Visibly, all of the coins disappeared mid-air¡ªcausing the Goblin Hybrid to choke in shock.

    In the next instant, a scarab mark appeared on Lucivar''s forehead¡ªpristine in color and like a ghost, he devoured the distance between them in three steps. Once he was standing right in front of the poor Goblin Hybrid, he smirked wickedly, "Now is my turn..."

    BAM!!

    "Guarghkk!" the Goblin Hybrid''s coughed blood as his chest caved in with a punch.

    Crash!

    He was thrashed to the wall with shock and despair written all over his face.

    "Very strong, you didn''t die even though I infused 15 God Strands into that punch," Lucivar mumbled as he strode towards him slowly and leisurely. He was genuinely surprised, that was his first time using that much with a punch and the Goblin Hybrid still survived. "All of your sacrifices were quite worth it, I must say..."

    "RAARGGHH!!" the Goblin Hybrid screamed in sheer frustration.

    His body was broken¡ªhe couldn''t move, and yet he screamed until he had no more voice left.

    "WHY?!" He continued, venting his emotions. "I''ve sacrificed everything, everything! I''ve killed and betrayed many people in the last ten fucking years to get this far and yet... It''s still not enough to beat a mere brat?!! Someone who is barely twenty?!!"

    "Hey, hey..." Lucivar knelt down, feigning concern. "It''s not your fault, you''re on the right path"

    "Had you persisted for another decade, Karma might''ve blessed you greatly. Perhaps a relic to purify your bloodline, or even a second bloodline entirely¡ªwho can say?" His words were dripping with a false warmth, each syllable carefully crafted to soothe, yet his tone carried a brittle edge, like glass on the verge of shattering.

    But his concern was a mask, thin and cracking.

    His lips curved into a smile, soft and reassuring, yet his eyes¡ªthose hollow, devilish pits, betrayed him.

    Moreover, his gaze was fixed, unblinking¡ªlike a predator feigning calm before the strike.

    He spoke as though the words were not his own, weaving lies with mechanical precision.

    Or at least, those words should be a lie.

    The Goblin Hybrid wanted to believe that but from the way Lucivar conveyed them, it was as if he really believed that. Karma will reward the bad and Lucivar genuinely felt pity for him. A marionette of madness, that''s what the Goblin Hybrid''s impression of him.

    And the longer Lucivar spoke, the more apparent the madness becomes.

    Such a sight scared the Goblin Hybrid greatly.

    His body might look monstrous but the real monster was the man in front of him right now.

    "But sadly..." Lucivar said, his brows raised along with his crooked, evil smile. "You met me!"

 Chapter 196 196: The Fools First Prey

    From the moment he realized that Lucivar had disguised himself as Elira, he felt uneasy.

    Something about Lucivar made his soul shudder.

    And now, seeing the kind of face he made and the kind of words he uttered, the Goblin Hybrid confirmed his uneasiness. Lucivar was a monster of his own. His young appearance made his act of rescuing Elira a reckless act but it wasn''t.

    From the moment he made his appearance, it was certain death for the Goblin Hybrid.

    ''Is this how my life ended? Slowly bleeding out under his gaze?'' He sighed inwardly.

    Seems like he was never destined to amount to anything.

    Just then, instead of cruelly watching him bleed out to death, Lucivar suddenly sat down beside him.

    "Let me tell you something interesting," He started, gazing at the empty void ahead. "Bad people like us are favored by Karma, that''s the real truth of the world. Not even a year ago, I aspired to do as much goodness as I could but was beaten down. But once I started doing bad things, fortune suddenly favored me as if I''m the chosen one"

    "I''m sure you''ve experienced the same thing," Lucivar cast a sharp glance meaningfully. "After all, how else someone with low talent like you could reach this far as a hooligan? This form of yours, I''m sure it''s not easy to attain. A Goblin Hybrid has no inherent ability and yet you have one"

    Upon hearing this, the Goblin Hybrid''s eyes widened as he leaned his head back to the wall.

    As Lucivar said, he experienced the same thing.

    All of his fortune started when he betrayed his family for the amusement of this wicked person.

    A one-eyed man who asked him to kill his own family in exchange for his life.

    ''Huh... That one-eyed man, is he helping me?'' the Goblin Hybrid thought in realization.

    Gaining this ability, abandoning his human traits, and turning him into this monster was a tedious and also expensive process. Only a handful could achieve this state, and with ten years of effort, he was able to reach the Acolyte rank and could even fare against a Hybrid like Lucivar who has a red-grade bloodline.

    Clearly, he was fortunate for someone of his talent¡ªexceptional in his own ways.

    "Killing good people would give you good fortune, and as long as we''re careful... bad guys like us, we will always win in this world. However..." Lucivar smiled inwardly, pitying the Goblin Hybrid. "When two bad people meet, the one with the higher bad karma wins and sadly, you''re destined to lose from the moment you crossed me"

    At those words, the Goblin Hybrid''s eyes widened.

    But then, he recovered and smiled lightly, "What kind of things did you do to be that confident?"

    "Oh..." Lucivar smiled a twisted smile. "Horrible things..."

    Seeing this, the Goblin Hybrid shook his head¡ªas the look Lucivar was wearing right now alone was a telltale that he couldn''t fare against him in terms of bad karma. Lucivar was a madman with a twisted view, but for some reason, Lucivar was relatable to him.

    He coughed several times weakly, relishing his last moments.

    As his body was paralyzed, it was clear that the end of the line was death for him.

    "Even if your bad karma was higher than mine, you would still lose because you''re simply too weak and talentless compared to me that even Karma couldn''t save you," Lucivar continued. "You sacrificed your body to look like this in the hope of boosting your talent but you still only have a yellow-grade bloodline. Do you know what I have? I have a red-grade bloodline"

    The Goblin Hybrid let out a bitter laugh, "I really don''t have a chance from the start, huh?"

    "Yes, but my red-grade bloodline isn''t the real reason," Lucivar suddenly said.

    Upon hearing this, the Goblin Hybrid turned to look at him in confusion.

    Before he continued, Lucivar scanned the area and found that nobody was around them right now, still busy with the other half of the gangsters and also the Kobold Hybrid. He has the free reign to say or do anything he wants.

    Pausing for a second, he glanced over at the Goblin Hybrid as his eyes glowed.

    Not with one particular color, but a flash of three different colors.

    "It''s because I have five actual Gods inside of me, can you believe that?" Lucivar cackled evilly.

    Naturally, the Goblin Hybrid was stunned.

    He wanted to believe that Lucivar was lying but all he said earlier was he really believed in.

    So maybe, he really did have five Gods inside of him.

    As soon as he said that, Lucivar glanced to the side¡ªnoticing something or someone.

    Surrendering the satisfaction of elaborating what he said to the dead man, he stood up and stood in front of the Goblin Hybrid. His eyes gazed down as he said, "You know how it is, brother. The loser has to die. It''s the law of the world. It''s fun talking to you, to someone who slightly understands me"

    Upon hearing this, the Goblin Hybrid nodded as he accepted death.

    If what Lucivar said was true, then it was an honor to be killed by someone like him.

    Thud!

    As soon as he handled the Goblin Hybrid, Lucivar turned to the emergency staircase.

    His eyes flashed with malicious intent, "Now... Let''s see if the experiment would yield a good result"

    On the other side of the building.

    Mirel moves with lightning speed and reaches the Kobold Hybrid in an instant.

    Charging ether into his fist, yellow lightning crackled powerfully as he stabbed his hand forward.

    Crash!

    Groaning in pain, the Kobold Hybrid crashed onto the wall as a gaping wound could be seen at the very center of his chest¡ªwhere his life force was oozing out. All of his lackeys were killed, dozens of them died because of two Hybrids.

    Such a thing was infuriating.

    Gritting his teeth, the Kobold Hybrid climbed back to his feet and growled at Mirel.

    He charged another fireball from his mouth but stopped abruptly.

    Mirel tilted his head in confusion but then, he saw a figure levitated outside of the building, right behind the Kobold Hybrid. His eyes narrowed, there was no surprise in her appearance as he already knew that she was with Lucivar.

    Appearing out of nowhere, Leandra grabbed the Kobold Hybrid''s neck with telekinesis.

    Once her purple ether settled firmly on the neck, she crushed it with a gripping motion.

    She killed the Kobold Hybrid in an instant.

    "Leandra, are you also here for Elira?" Mirel asked questioningly.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra shook her head, "No¡ªI''m here only as an observer. But that said, though I knew about this, seeing you here still felt surreal. Then again¡ªit''s exactly like you to be quite reckless to do something like this"

    Days ago, Leandra caught Mirel coming back late at night.

    He confessed that he decided to participate in the South Hues Tournament to compete with Lucivar.

    It was a shocking revelation and like now, Leandra told him that it was a stupid idea.

    Mirel''s desire to prove himself was nothing more than a stupid man''s pride.

    But he already did it so there was no turning back.

    However, Leandra was surprised that Mirel decided to steal Lucivar''s sponsor like this.

    ''I hope Lucivar didn''t take it seriously, I don''t want him trying to kill Mirel,'' Leandra thought inside, worried that this might escalate as everything escalates when it comes to Lucivar. ''Though Mirel was also a part of the family, and Lucivar wouldn''t hurt him as long as he kept Delilah dear¡ªI don''t know for sure''

    "Stop lecturing me," Mirel picked his ear. "I''m not going to back down"

    Just then, Sabrina and Elira approached from behind with worry plastered on their faces.

    "Aren''t you supposed to be guarding the motorcycle? Axel is gone" Sabrina said with a frown.

    Leandra raised an eyebrow as her eyes glowed with an unnatural hue, "He''s wounded, there''s no other option for him other than fleeing with his motorcycle. Lucivar only said to make sure he went after his motorcycle and he would"

    "Wait... What is he going to do to Axel?" Elira intervened, her voice shaking uncontrollably.

    Hearing this, Leandra and Sabrina exchanged a look.

    "Best for you to stay here," Leandra finally said. "Forget the memories you have with him"

    Mirel then turned around, "Stay with them, your Mother will be here"

    He walked away, sweeping the area to see if there were any more gangsters that he needed to kill.

    And also, to check if Lucivar had dealt with the Goblin Hybrid properly.

    Meanwhile, on the emergency staircase.

    Axel was struggling to head for his motorcycle.

    He was limping, using the wall to support his walk as he slowly made his way forward.

    ''Lucivar... He''s insane!'' Axel screamed inside, he saw how Lucivar defeated the Goblin Hybrid earlier, he was the only one who saw it. And once he saw that he wasted no time to make his way down out of sheer fear. ''No way that person is Human, what''s his real identity? I can''t believe Thalia got wrapped up with someone like that!''

    Just then, he snapped his gaze to his behind when he heard a chuckle.

    It was distant but close at the same time.

    A chuckle that sounded sinister and demonic, one that only brought forth calamities.

    ''Am I going insane?'' Axel thought while covering his ears desperately.

    Shaking his head, he continued ahead but stopped when he reached the first floor.

    Axel took a brief pause to cover his mouth.

    Blood leaked out from his mouth¡ªhe got hurt badly because of the Goblin Hybrid''s slap earlier.

    Had he not been emotional, he would''ve already been away on his motorcycle by now.

    "Leave me alone! Who are you?!" Axel shouted as the chuckles of this invisible entity were becoming louder and louder, coming from all directions. He was certainly being chased by Lucivar and now, this entity. "Why are you doing this to me?!"

    Initially, he thought that he was losing it and began to hear things.

    But now, Axel knew that this was real.

    Something was watching him and his struggles amused whatever it was.

    ''I have to reach my motorcycle and get out of here!'' Axel screamed inside his head and continued on forward, ignoring the chuckles that were becoming more intense with each step he took. ''It''s a miracle that Lucivar was still not here but I don''t care, as long as I can get back to the academy, he won''t be able to touch me there!''

    "I need to get back and rethink my next moves!'' As he thought of that, something tripped him.

    Axel fell to the ground with a painful grunt.

    He looked around but there was nobody there, nobody who could trip him like this.

    However, he knew that the entity was behind this as its laughter spiked when Axel tripped.

    "Please!!" Axel shouted at the top of his lungs, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his skin. "Leave me alone! Why?! Why?! What did I do to you?! Stop laughing! I don''t want to hear your damn laughter!"

    Gritting his teeth, Axel crawled forward¡ªhis eyes desperately fixed on his motorcycle ahead.

    Through hardships, he managed to reach outside.

    His motorcycle was a few paces away.

    But the astral laughter became louder and more mocking as if it knew that his effort was futile.

    So loud that blood could be seen drizzling down both his ears.

    Once he reached his motorcycle, he stretched his hand but his breath hitched in the next second.

    Kaboom!

 Chapter 197 197: Terror

    "Hmm~ Hmm~" Ravenna hummed in a good mood as she walked along the corridor.

    She was on her way back to her room from testing her new strength.

    As expected, the malice Lucivar did back in Kalinan City was fruitful for her¡ªthe negative energy he produced was unattended. Since Lucivar and Sabrina weren''t able to influence negative energy, it was all absorbed by her.

    Coupled with Lucivar by her side, helping her regulate the negative energy¡ªher growth became rapid.

    Her Supernatural Ego was strengthened and now she has entered the four-star Acolyte rank.

    "I don''t know what kind of bloodline he has but the negative energy became docile when around him. Being close to him, it''s the right thing to do," Ravenna mumbled but she came to an abrupt stop when she walked past a room.

    It was Lucivar''s room.

    "Wait," She mumbled. "I didn''t see him at all today. Where is he?"

    Glancing over to the room, Ravenna approached and knocked on it a couple of times.

    No answer.

    A frown crept to her face as she continued ahead.

    She stopped in front of another room.

    Ravenna knocked on it several times and was answered, a maid opened the door for her.

    "Lady Ravenna, is there anything I can help you with?" the maid asked politely.

    "Yes," Ravenna nodded and scanned the room inside. "Where''s Leandra? Did she go somewhere?"

    "Lady Leandra has left since morning, I believe she left with Master Lucivar," the maid answered, she knew about this since Lucivar and Sabrina barged into the room. "I don''t know where they were going but perhaps, lady wanted to leave a message for when she came back?"

    "With... Lucivar...?" Ravenna repeated, her ether flared overbearingly and her face twisted.

    Feeling the pressure, colors were drained from the maid''s face.

    Almost instantly, Ravenna''s gaze turned icy cold like a demon¡ªeyeing the maid with lethal intent.

    But then, her expression softened once again as a smile blossomed on her face.

    "Is that so? Do you know what their deal was going together until this late?" She asked again.

    Upon hearing this, the maid nodded her head repeatedly, "Elira, I heard Master Lucivar say that name"

    "It isn''t like you to care about others,"

    Suddenly, a voice echoed in the corridor¡ªcausing Ravenna to glance to her side.

    Emerging from the darkness of the corridor, she saw a familiar figure approaching¡ªit was Bob.

    Sighing lightly, Ravenna bid excused herself to the maid before she continued on her way back to her room. She ignored Bob and walked past him, not acknowledging his existence. It was almost as if the prospect of talking with Bob was tiring for her.

    "Since when are you close with Lucivar?" Bob asked again without turning around.

    Ravenna stopped mid-track and glanced over her shoulder sharply, "Is there something wrong? I don''t think this is something¡ªthat would pick your interest. Lucivar is a part of our family, I don''t see how me liking him is a problem for you"

    "As long as you''re not close with an outsider, I''m fine," Bob shrugged his shoulders. "After all, since you now have someone to take care of that defect in your bloodline, to accompany you in your sleep, I am free from needing to be the one to do it"

    Hearing this, Ravenna clicked her tongue in displeasure.

    "Careful with your words, I don''t want anyone, especially Lucivar to misunderstand," She said sharply.

    Exhaling roughly through her nose, Ravenna wanted to leave.

    But Bob stopped her again, this time, he suddenly stood right behind Ravenna.

    It happened in the blink of an eye, catching Ravenna off guard.

    "You being close to Lucivar is no problem for me but bearing killing intent to Leandra..." Bob uttered in a whisper, his tone was low and menacing. "Now that''s a problem. Being angry at Leandra as a love rival is fine but do not use violence, or else, you''ll be dealing with me. Do you understand?"

    As those words seeped into Ravenna''s ears, her eyes widened.

    She saw a red energy snaking from behind and it was no ether, it was something else¡ªan attribute.

    ''Havoc attribute? Bob has reached the Chrysalis rank already...?'' Ravenna thought in surprise.

    Blinking her eyes to recover from her daze, she answered as a bead of cold sweat ran down the side of her face, "Dutiful much, Bob? It seemed Master Tobias was right to give this task to you. But do not worry, I''m not going to use violence on Leandra. You can rest assured. But there is something that you might need your attention,"

    "Hmm? What is it?" Bob asked, confused.

    Ravenna turned around to look at him and said, "Caldaros, he has a problem with Lucivar"

    "I''ll look into it," Bob walked away. "Anyone who bore bad intentions to our family, I''ll kill them all"

    ...

    Back outside of the abandoned, unfinished building.

    Since when has it all gone wrong...?

    Axel was now lying on the ground, facing the beautiful starry sky that was dismissive of all things.

    He was in extreme pain but the sky remained beautiful the same.

    Smoke and ether clouded his surroundings.

    His ears were still ringing from the explosion and his mind was still blurry from hitting his head but he vaguely recalled what had happened seconds ago. As he was about to reach for his motorcycle, someone or something barred his way.

    At that moment, he looked up and saw this eerie creature that didn''t seem real.

    She seemed otherworldly, divine, wearing a fitted top with a high collar attached to a black and pale red corset, large flowing sleeves with an open design, a short skirt with a diamond pattern, and thigh-high dark sheer stockings¡ªA wicked jester woman of black and emerald.

    Like a living figure of the old, this entity brought along a bottomless aura.

    But what scared Axel the most was her smiling face, a mask that hid the sinister within her essence.

    She was the source of the chuckles and she was the last thing Axel saw before his motorcycle exploded.

    My entire body is numb... I can''t move.

    Axel tried to raise his hand but what amounted was his arm trembling, unable to move.

    A foul stench of ether filled his nostrils as his mind reminisced his past.

    His good times with his brother.

    Despite losing their parents from little, he and his brother were confident in taking on the entire world.

    Nothing could stop them as long as they stick together.

    Had I not done that, not offended that wicked man, maybe our lives would be different... better.

    All of that changed when he offended a one-eyed man, which result in his brother being crippled¡ªas his punishment. Now, for years, his brother was lying in the hospital because of his mistake, racking in bills that he couldn''t afford.

    Now, he was on his last month to pay the bills before the hospital had no choice but to take drastic measures.

    Everything crumbled rapidly from that moment until now.

    Is this the ''life flashed before my eyes'' everyone experienced before dying? Am I... dying?

    Then, the face of a man flashed inside Axel''s mind.

    Had it not been for Lucivar, perhaps Axel could still continue on living for a bit longer but it seemed the moment he got involved with Lucivar was the moment he signed his death. Axel coughed a couple of times weakly before smiling a self-ridicule smile.

    No... Maybe my death was sealed the moment I piqued his attention back then at the dumpster.

    Just then, as half a minute passed, Axel blinked his eyes as he recovered from the initial shock.

    Survival instincts took over his body once again.

    No, I can''t die here! I need to keep on living and take care of my brother!

    Axel struggled, coughing several mouthfuls of blood as he tried to get up and run away.

    He didn''t know what that entity was but he was sure that it was Lucivar who did this.

    Although Axel didn''t know how he did this¡ªhe must be the mastermind!

    Suddenly, Axel''s body tensed.

    He could hear footsteps approaching him.

    Who''s there? Is it Lucivar?!

    Using the last ounce of his strength, Axel kept his eyes open with great struggle and could see through his blurry vision¡ªthat a figure was approaching him. He wanted to know who it was, he wanted to make sure that it wasn''t Lucivar but his vision prevented him from seeing the figure''s face.

    Desperately, he blinked his eyes, trying to clear his vision enough to see who it was.

    But no matter how many times he tried¡ªhis eyesight was already damaged.

    Even then, he could make up the eerie smile the figure was wearing.

    Both of the figure''s hands were dripped with fresh blood, the life force of the people he killed.

    Thump!

    Axel could hear his heartbeat increasing rapidly, afraid of the unknown.

    "Be honored..."

    ''No doubt about it...''

    Thump!

    "You''re the first one who experienced my new ability"

    ''It''s him... It''s definitely him!''

    Thump!

    "Give me a good reaction, will you? It''s the least you could do in return for this honor"

    "L- Lucivar!!"

    Step!

    Lucivar placed a foot beside Axel''s face and leaned down to look at his broken eyes, a satisfied smile donning his face, "How was it? You''re the first one to become the Fool''s Prey. I don''t know what the Fool looks like, so can you kindly explain it to me?"

    Naturally, this was all a part of Lucivar''s plan.

    He was betting on Axel to do this and once he did, Lucivar''s victory was basically guaranteed.

    Back when he confronted Axel in the parking lot, disguised as a member of the Crimson Wolf Clan before Leandra came to his rescue¡ªhe had unleashed his new ability, Fool''s Trick, on Axel''s motorcycle. By weaving just two God Strands into it, he transformed the vehicle, into the Fool''s Item.

    Since he could use the ability on the motorcycle, the Fool liked his plan.

    It was the first step to use the Fool''s Trick ability.

    As for the second step, the Fool''s Item would need to be weak or unstable.

    Lucivar had planned to explode the motorcycle to wound Axel, so the Fool''s Item target was Axel.

    Lucivar made that antic earlier to fulfill the second step, preying on Axel''s guilt to Elira.

    He successfully weakened Axel''s mind through that, thus completing the second step.

    For the third step, Axel needed to touch the motorcycle, and he did¡ªthough as Lucivar watched from the shadows earlier, Axel seemed to be losing his mind. He didn''t know what had happened to Axel, but it should have been the Fool''s doing.

    Now, with all three steps completed, the Fool''s Trick ability activated and caused that explosion.

    Such a devious ability.

    Even though the criteria for using it were a little bit troublesome, the effect it caused was immaculate.

    Lucivar''s smile stretched wider and wider as he saw Axel beaten, broken, and crying profusely.

    A face that showed complete domination, "Sutekh... Loki... How do you like the show?"

 Chapter 198 198: Ill Do Anything

    Losing the contract from the Feradith Family was a problem.

    It was something that Lucivar hadn''t foreseen.

    No one in this academy other than the top-rankers was able to protect Elira and Thalia from the Crimson Wolf Clan''s relentless attack. The Feradith Family could coax the top rankers but against such a strong faction, it would be the same as asking them to sacrifice their futures.

    Finding one who would take that risk would be very hard if not impossible.

    Even if the Feradith Family managed to get one of the top rankers, there''s also the risk of another mole amongst them that were already¡ªon the Crimson Wolf Clan''s side. So the only people that they could ask for help were the academy hunters.

    Being caged inside the Bastion of Blades and monitored closely made them great candidates.

    It would be harder for the Crimson Wolf Clan to make contact with the academy hunters.

    So it was natural for the Feradith Family to search for protectors from them.

    However, there was only an extremely small number of them that had considerable strength.

    Lucivar overvalued himself and thought he was irreplaceable.

    All other academy hunters couldn''t be compared to him but he forgot about the others.

    Or rather, trust that the others weren''t interested in his matters.

    Leandra, Ravenna, Bakar, Nerissa, Mirel, and Bob were all strong enough to protect Elira and Thalia.

    Because of that, he hadn''t anticipated Mirel replacing him as the twin''s protector.

    It was a mistake and Lucivar was ignored.

    Sutekh and Loki gave no answers to his triumph, even Gandr and Sha remained silent.

    "Huh...? I made one mistake and both of you already gave me the cold shoulders?" Lucivar grumbled, his backers seemed to have high standards for him. He already suspected that this might happen but still, it stings a little, "Tch! Fine, I''ll have all the fun for myself"

    Even so, he should still gain the bronze and green sphere from killing Axel.

    "Callista said it r-right, you''re the devil," Axel uttered weakly.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar snapped out of his daze and smiled, "I''m not the devil... not yet"

    "If you want to blame anyone for this, for the failure of your plan to give away Elira, blame it on Mirel," He continued as he coated his hand with his gold ether. "Or at least, that is what I wanted to say but in truth, you''d die either way since you''re only going to be in the way"

    "Are you going to kill me?" Axel asked again, tears streaming down his eyes.

    He was not crying for himself but crying for his brother.

    "Don''t worry, you''re not going to be alone. I''ll send your brother right after you," Lucivar said.

    Just then as he said that, Lucivar raised his hand and coated ether onto it.

    Under Axel''s gaze, the golden ether coating his hand grew stronger suddenly¡ªspiking in an instant.

    Two God strands were infused into it.

    Seeing such a spectacular¡ªand delicate display of power, showcasing that even though he was only at the second-star Acolyte rank, he had the power rivaling those at the peak of the rank, Axel gulped down his saliva.

    Clearly, Lucivar was planning to end him with this.

    However, the complete opposite happened.

    Instead of stabbing Axel, Lucivar smiled deviously and stabbed himself on the chest instead.

    A minute later.

    Leandra was looking after Elira who was traumatized by what had happened.

    From Mirel, she learned what had happened and couldn''t help but relate to Elira''s situation.

    After all, like Elira, she was also betrayed by someone she liked.

    Both of them were victims.

    "How did Lucivar know about this?"

    "I''m not answering you. If you have any questions, ask Master Lucivar directly"

    "Stop being stubborn and comply. Regardless of your situation right now, you''re Master Tobias'' maid"

    "No, I''m relieved from that duty. I''m Master Lucivar''s maid"

    On the side, Mirel and Sabrina were arguing.

    Mirel wanted to know how Lucivar could see through Axel and intercept his bad intentions.

    Asking Lucivar directly would result in nothing, which is why he tries his luck with Sabrina.

    But it seemed it was also a dead-end.

    Just as the two of them were arguing¡ªand Elira was still cradled in depression, Leandra''s eyes caught sight of a figure emerging from the emergency staircase. For a brief moment, her eyes widened as the figure was a man with multiple pairs of wings, donning a demented halo that acted as his crown, horns that of a demon¡ªand an eerie smile on his face.

    He was dragging two people¡ªone is a person who was half-dead while the other is already dead.

    But the instant the figure passed behind a pillar, the horror visage was gone.

    It was Lucivar, he was in pain due to a gaping wound on his chest while dragging those baggage.

    He was dragging Axel by his collar and also a gangster on his other hand.

    Leandra was the first one to notice but the others soon noticed him.

    Seeing his wounded and grave condition, Mirel and Leandra frowned dubiously, Sabrina rushed towards him with concern, while Elira covered her mouth in shock. All of them were waiting¡ªfor Lucivar to come back but not in this kind of state.

    "Master? What happened?!" Sabrina asked.

    She quickly pressed her hands on the gaping wound, attempting to stop it from bleeding.

    Despite having gotten blood on her hands, she didn''t seem to care.

    "I ran out of ether while I was chasing for him," Lucivar answered with a weak smile, gesturing towards Axel behind him. "He also has a trick up his sleeves and managed to catch me off guard, that fucker is quite hard to capture"

    Upon saying that, he turned to Mirel and tossed over the dead gangster.

    "I killed more than you," He said.

    Seeing the corpse, Mirel sighed and nodded his head, "Five minutes, no more than that"

    Lucivar pushed Sabrina to the side and dragged Axel to Elira, who was in complete shock at both, his condition and also Axel''s condition. As soon as he reached in front of her, he placed down Axel before he knelt down to stare directly into Elira''s bleak eyes.

    "Come on, where''s all of that bravado?" He asked mockingly. "Axel is a good person, right?"

    Despite the mockery, Elira kept her head down and bit her lower lip.

    Several days ago, Lucivar did warn them about Axel but she didn''t believe him and even insulted him.

    "If I remember correctly, you said that my warning is a petty trick out of desperation," Lucivar added as he pulled Axel''s unconscious body closer to Elira. "Now what? Do you still think that I''m desperate? Do you still think this is a trick? Do you still refuse to see reality?"

    "I''m..." Elira''s lips trembled as she clutched her fists helplessly. "You''re right, I was... I was blind"

    Lucivar leaned his ear closer as if he were deaf, "Can you repeat that? I can''t seem to hear you clearly"

    "You were right...."

    "I''m what?"

    "You were right! I was blind!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar grinned from ear to ear and stood up.

    Slap!

    "Look at you, pathetic!" He smacked Elira''s head repeatedly, treating her no more¡ªthan a stupid kid who needed to be taught a lesson. "What would you do without me around? You threatened me¡ªthat your Father would come after me, boasting that you''ll make sure of it, and treated me¡ªas if I''m a nuisance. But now, that nuisance saved your life! Shouldn''t you be saying something to me? Or are you way too arrogant to say it?"

    "Lucivar, that''s enough," Leandra commented from the side.

    Pausing suddenly, Lucivar cast an icy glance at her, "You''re here to observe, did you forget already?"

    Noticing the seriousness in his tone, Leandra pursed her lips shut.

    It wasn''t her time to say anything, opening her mouth was a blatant mistake.

    "T- Thank you," Elira finally said, forgetting about her pride entirely to utter those two hard words.

    Finding her becoming more obedient and softer, Lucivar was reeling inside.

    "Had you listened to me from the start, things wouldn''t escalate like this," He continued, kneeling down once again and tapping on his gaping wound. "Look, I even got hurt because of you. Are you going to take the responsibility of tending me in case I need to be bedridden for a few days? What about the time for me to recover fully, how are you going to compensate me for that?"

    "Had you listened to me from the start, none of this would have happened," He said, kneeling once more as his fingers brushed over the gaping wound. With a dramatic sigh, he glanced up. "Look at this¡ªI even got hurt because of you. So, tell me, are you going to take the sheer responsibility for tending to me if I end up bedridden for days? And what about the time it will take for me to recover fully, how are you going to compensate for that? I''m a participant in the South Hues tournament you know"

    He then cupped her face roughly, forcing her to look at him, "How would compensate me for this mess?"

    "Master," Sabrina suddenly called out of nowhere, pulling his attention towards her.

    She then pointed at herself, "You have me...? I can take care of you"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled acutely, ''Are you really that stupid? I was only saying things''

    "Enough, get your hands off of her," Mirel intervened, stepping forward with a light sigh. "You forgot that I''m also here so don''t take all the credit. She''s my employer, I can''t let you treat her like this¡ªin front of me"

    Lucivar was about to say something but Elira beat him to it.

    "It''s fine," She mumbled with a weak smile. "I deserved this. I''m too arrogant and I am paying the price for it. Mirel, the reason you could find me was because of him, right? Me and Axel made sure to avoid you so you wouldn''t know where we are without him. Had it not for him being here early, those people would''ve been able to take me away"

    "Lucivar saved me and my sister, so it''s fine. I owed him my life," She added with a weak voice.

    Glancing at Axel with a troubled gaze, she sighed, "At least he''s true to himself, not fake..."

    At that moment, not only the others¡ªbut even Lucivar was surprised.

    He was planning to earn Elira''s trust by not being fake like Axel but this exceeds his goal.

    It was enough to make him laugh inside at how smoothly everything went.

    Despite being mentally tired, with her mind throbbing from the betrayal, Elira took in a deep breath and looked up at Lucivar. She seemed to already made her decision inside, "I will compensate you for this. I don''t care what you ask of me, I''ll do anything you want. Anything"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smirked as he stood up.

    Everyone was looking at him, waiting for him to respond.

    Elira was practically giving herself on a silver platter and the others were curious about what he had to say.

    "Like you said, I''m not fake. I don''t pretend to be good when I''m not," Lucivar answered, looking at his new pawn with delight. "And what I wanted from you is quite simple but very hard to do, at least for someone arrogant like you"

    Once he said that, Lucivar paused¡ªletting the words hang in the air.

    Just then, with an angelic smile¡ªhe continued, "I want you to trust me with all your heart"

 Chapter 199 199: Framed

    Being lied to was one of the most common but greatest forms of betrayal.

    A lie is always a double-edged sword.

    It allowed one to attain any goal but once uncovered, leave behind a scar that will never disappear.

    Once the victim realizes that they were lied to, the image of the person will forever be tainted with the grasp of lies. Such victims find it hard to find trust ever again, time is the only remedy that could ease the unrest and eventually make the victim brave enough to try and trust again.

    Right after the supposed incident¡ªcompelling that bravery will be very hard.

    However, it wasn''t impossible.

    Lucivar knew such a way and he was using it right now.

    He positioned himself as someone true to himself, regardless of the situation.

    A character that he already planned to showcase to Elira.

    As soon as his character¡ªor the impression of him was engraved in Elira''s mind, it would be way easier for her to trust him. Of course, that wouldn''t be enough to completely win Elira over. But now, with the fact that he has now become her savior, that easily compelled her to the edge of trusting him.

    ''It wasn''t complete, she''s wary of me and that''s fine. Soon, she will throw her life at me'' He thought.

    "You want me to trust you?" Elira repeated.

    "Yes," Lucivar replied firmly. "I want you to trust me, no matter what happens"

    Blinking her eyes, she then nodded, "Okay, I''ll trust you. You saved my life, that''s the least I can do"

    Of course that was a blatant lie.

    Lucivar knew that she didn''t trust him fully but with the situation, she was at least willing to try.

    And that was enough for the moment.

    "Now..." Lucivar turned his attention to Axel who was now barely conscious from the direct explosion he suffered. "Tell me, Elira, what do you want me to do with him? Remember, he tried to sell you off to those people. If you fell into their hands, you would be used until you''re only skin and bones before being sold off"

    Upon hearing this, Elira sighed grimly, "I know, you don''t need to remind me. I understand..."

    Despite saying that, it was clear that she was hesitating.

    However, that hesitation didn''t survive for long as she looked at Lucivar again.

    This time, her gaze was firm and sharp, "Kill him"

    Lucivar grinned savagely at her command¡ªhe thought she would be soft but she didn''t.

    He wasted no time stomping Axel''s head¡ªcausing his skull to fracture, and explode into a pool of blood and brain matter¡ªkilling him on the spot. Mirel¡ªand Leandra didn''t flinch at this unlike Elira since both of them had seen Lucivar go all out.

    Killing was not a problem for Lucivar, at least not anymore.

    Glancing back at Axel who was now a headless corpse, Elira felt a sharp pain stabbing her chest.

    An hour ago, they were laughing and in love, and now¡ªhe was dead.

    It was so funny how the world could shift so fast.

    Just then as Lucivar lifted his foot, his eyes suddenly widened in shock.

    Out of nowhere, he could feel a surge of energy climbing inside of him that appeared out of nowhere.

    Realizing that something was happening and he couldn''t hold it, Lucivar turned away.

    Instinctively, he went to stand incredibly close to Sabrina who was behind him.

    Mirel, Leandra, and Elira were surprised and also confused when they saw him turning away so fast.

    On the other hand, Sabrina looked up at him with a frown.

    But when she realized that Lucivar''s eyes were flickering from golden to emerald, as well as the veins across his face pulsating with an emerald hue, she quickly threw both of her arms¡ªover his shoulders and pulled his head into her embrace.

    Her aim was simple, she was trying to hide Lucivar''s face from the others.

    "Lucivar, what''s wrong?" Leandra approached and reached her hand toward him.

    Sabrina, however, slapped her hand away, "Master is tired, I believe it''s getting late and we need to go back to the academy. Master Mirel, can you be the one to report this to the Hybrid Association? Master Lucivar and I will go back to the academy first"

    "Eh...?" Mirel raised a brow, mildly surprised. "Alright, I''ll handle it from here. Don''t worry"

    Nodding her head, she brought Lucivar away.

    Despite clearly not wanting to be disturbed, Leandra tagged along.

    Since she came with them, she would go back with them.

    On the other hand, Lucivar could feel his heart rate increasing¡ªby the second.

    His heart was beating so hard that he could hear it directly in his eardrums.

    ''This energy... This power... It''s certainly Loki''s power,'' Lucivar thought inside, the familiarity he had with this energy made it clear¡ªthat it belonged to Loki. ''Gandr, what''s happening? Don''t you dare ignore me this time, I know you can explain this''

    Even though Lucivar sounded desperate, in reality, he was relishing this power inside of him.

    It caught him off guard and his heart rate increased rapidly but this was undoubtedly a good thing.

    As demanded, Gandr appeared and coiled around his arm.

    "Congratulations, you have awakened the Heart of Mischief Nakshatras" Gandr answered.

    He then proceeded to explain what it was," It''s a map of mischief fundamentals relation to the very core of mischief, the heart. Mischief has always been playing on one''s heart and emotions. Because of your previous endeavors, you unlocked two constellations within the nakshatras¡ªTruth and Chaos"

    "I can feel my ether reserve is increasing substantially," Lucivar mumbled.

    Other than pumping blood, his heart now also amassed ether¡ªdoubling his ether reserve.

    Not to mention, he could feel the ether within it brushing against his Supernatural Ego, advancing his rank steadily. Lucivar had only broken through to the second star and now, he was halfway to reach the third star.

    It was a monstrous progression and the best part¡ªhis heart was still amassing ether.

    Lucivar couldn''t believe that his rank was progressing without the need for his natural ether.

    But then again, Loki is a God¡ªhis power is beyond comprehension.

    "Don''t fight back the process," Gandr continued. "Once it''s done, you''ll know what you really get"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded inwardly.

    From how Gandr said that¡ªit seemed his progression in rank wasn''t the main thing he would obtain.

    Just then, as he was a few paces away¡ªMirel''s voice echoed once again.

    "I forgot to mention," He shouted from behind, halting Lucivar and the others mid-track. "I contacted Callista earlier out of fear that you''d hurt Elira. Since it has come to this, do you want to wait and tell Callista yourself or do you want me to tell her what happened here?"

    Lucivar''s eyes instantly widened when he heard this.

    "Shit..." He cursed under his breath. "Sabrina! Get me out of here!!"

    Not questioning his decision, Sabrina wanted to sprint away and brought him along with her.

    But at the same time, Gandr warned, "Dodge!"

    Even though he heard what Gandr said, Lucivar had no time to react.

    A figure flew from outside and tackled him.

    With a simple slap, Sabrina was thrown away while Leandra got pushed back by the forceful wind.

    "Blood...?" Leandra''s breath hitched as she came to a realization. "A Chrysalis-rank Vampire Hybrid!"

    Crash!!

    Lucivar coughed a mouthful of blood as he got slammed onto the wall and held up by his neck.

    He looked down at the attacker and saw that the attacker was a man wearing a white and blue uniform, the world-shaped emblem on his chest showed that he came from the Hybrid Association. Gritting his teeth, Lucivar tried to say something but the clench around his neck got tighter.

    Even though he wanted to defend himself, he couldn''t say a single word.

    Swish!

    Ruthlessly, the attacker punctured his nails into Lucivar''s neck and began absorbing his blood.

    Under his power, Lucivar could feel his strength being drained away.

    Blinking with determination¡ªLucivar channeled 15 God strands into his leg and kicked the attacker on his chest hard. A mild ether shockwave exploded upon the kick, surprising the attacker as he got pushed several steps back and his grip on Lucivar''s neck slipped.

    However, Lucivar was not a match.

    Splash!

    Several blood lances protruded out of the wall behind him and stabbed both of his hands.

    Lucivar was forced to let out a painful groan as he got pinned to the wall.

    "What''s the meaning of this?!" Mirel shouted in utter shock, not expecting a Hybrid to attack Lucivar out of nowhere like this. "Aren''t you from the Hybrid Association? Doing this to another Hybrid... you need to have a warrant against him! What crimes has he committed?!"

    Elira also stood up with an evident frown, "I''m sure there must be a misunderstanding"

    Just then, however, an overbearing voice reverberated through the air.

    "No, there''s no misunderstanding," A woman walked out of the emergency staircase, one that caught Elira completely off guard as this woman was her mother¡ªCallista. Stopping to face them, she crossed her arms and lifted her chin slightly in arrogance. "Lucivar has been charged with a crime, and he will not be brought into custody"

    "Crime? What crime?" Leandra asked in distress while climbing back to her feet.

    Sabrina also refuted, "I''ve been with him all the time and I can attest that he has done no crime"

    Upon hearing this, Callista glanced at them briefly and smirked.

    It was clear that she came here with bad intentions.

    "For killing a student of the Bloodhaven Academy," She replied in scorn. "That student, Axel"

    As soon as the name left her lips, everyone was stunned.

    For a brief moment, all of them thought that their ears were impaired for some reason and they heard her wrong. After all, it was Axel who committed a crime¡ªsetting up Elira to be sold. Lucivar, on the other hand, was the one who tackled the situation and saved Elira.

    Not to mention, he killed Axel at Elira''s discretion.

    But seeing that Callista was being serious, the others realized that Lucivar was being set up.

    "Are you serious?!" Leandra blurted out in anger¡ªshe couldn''t believe that Callisa would resort to this kind of shameless means. "He''s the one who saved your daughter from being taken by a gang, and yet, you framed him like this?"

    "If anything, Elira was at fault. She was the one who told Lucivar to kill him!" Sabrina also shouted.

    "Madam Callista, this is injustice," Mirel approached and said firmly.

    Despite their reasons, all of them fell on deaf ears.

    Callista has no intention of freeing Lucivar the moment she comes here to confront him.

    Realizing that her mother used the situation to frame Lucivar, Elira walked over to her¡ªand reached for her arm tenderly, "Mom, he saved my life. Had it not for him, I would be in great trouble right now. I don''t think this is fair for him,"

    "He ruined our family¡ªand now that he saved you, he''s somehow a saint?" Callista raised an eyebrow, looking at Elira in utter disappointment. "He''s the devil, he saved you because it served him. Go back to the academy, Mother will handle him"

 Chapter 200 200: Mess with the Devil

    Elira was at a loss for words.

    It was true that their family suffered a lot but Lucivar saved not only Thalia but also her.

    No matter the motives behind saving them, the fact still stood.

    Even though Elira was distraught right now, she wasn''t dumb.

    Lucivar wanted something, which was why he asked for her trust. But even so, had it not for him detecting the bad people around her in advance¡ªshe would be in trouble if not outright dead right now.

    So she doesn''t want Lucivar to be framed like this.

    "Mom..."

    "Enough. Get out of here."

    Not even sparing her daughter a glance, Callista turned to the side and called her people.

    A few Hybrids stepped inside and grabbed Elira forcefully and brought her away.

    "Mom, don''t do this! I''m not on board with this! He saved me! Doesn''t you value that?!"

    As she was being dragged away, Elira fought back¡ªshouting at Callista to let Lucivar go but she was overpowered¡ªand her words were ignored. It was frustrating, the anger in her voice became more and more palpable through each word but there was nothing she could do.

    She was brought away¡ªher voice disappearing in the distance.

    Once she was gone, Callista turned to Mirel.

    "You leave too," She demanded sternly. "the Hybrid Association will handle the rest"

    "Madam," Mirel straightened his back. "Lucivar is like a family to me. I''m sure there''s another way..."

    "Oh...?" Callista raised an eyebrow, "Are you talking back to me?"

    Noticing the threat and determination behind her expression, Mirel clenched his jaw hard¡ªhis breaths were becoming heavy as he teetered between two decisions. Soon, he inhaled deeply and turned to face Lucivar, "I''m sorry..."

    Upon saying that, Mirel walked away¡ªleaving the place.

    It was quite shocking to see Mirel leave, at least for Leandra as she knew he was a good person.

    ''His hands must''ve been tied, there''s no way he''d betray Lucivar like this'' She thought inside.

    Snapping out of her trance, Leandra wanted to be the one who stayed behind with him but Sabrina out of nowhere grabbed her arm and pulled her close. Leandra kept gazing ahead while Sabrina whispered to her, "Don''t get involved. Master Lucivar will need someone outside for this so don''t retaliate. Leave. He will need you"

    Leandra swallowed hard as she contemplated what Sabrina said.

    And from a logical standpoint, she was right.

    "Okay," She nodded. "I''ll stay out of this"

    Once Leandra answered, Sabrina stepped forward¡ªand announced, "I''m Master Lucivar''s personal maid. As her maid, I''m a part of him. If he was charged for killing student Axel and will be brought to trial, then I''m naturally master''s accomplice"

    Sneering, the Vampire Hybrid went over to Sabrina and tapped his finger on her forehead.

    Almost instantly as he did that, her entire body shut down as she slumped to the ground.

    She was paralyzed with a single touch.

    "Even though you were siding with a criminal, your loyalty is commendable," He complimented.

    Callista then approached Lucivar slowly, her branded heels clacked against the concrete, dusty ground until she stopped directly in front of Lucivar. As his hands were both pinned to the wall with the blood lances, he couldn''t do anything.

    Both lances also absorbed blood.

    Anyone who was stabbed by them would have their blood sucked to the point of paralysis.

    Enough blood to keep them alive but very weak.

    It was a torturous and brutal ability.

    "Lift up your head, I want to see your face," Callista said domineeringly.

    Her voice was steady and firm but there was a vague hint of hesitance.

    A hesitance that made Callista gripped her elbows tightly as if she was shivering.

    Naturally, the night was cold but as a Hybrid, this kind of cold shouldn''t be able to affect her at all.

    So this reaction from her must''ve come from something else.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar stiffened for a second before he slowly raised his head.

    Callista could feel her heart pounding as he raised his head¡ªit was very slow in her eyes and for some reason, she could feel the air of ominosity rising rapidly, ''I got him. He''s the one who was bound while I''m here standing freely. I can do anything I want to him so why... why is it that I feel this sinking feeling in my stomach?''

    ''I''ve won so why is it that I''m still afraid of him?'' She bit her lower lip hard.

    She knew that Lucivar wasn''t normal.

    In fact, she suspected him to be the Devil''s incarnation but she won for God''s sake.

    ''No... I must be still stuck at that night against him. I''ve won now. Once I placed him in custody and fabricated the news to bring down his reputation and clear my name, I could kill him to make sure that he never has the chance to mess with my family again,'' Callista nodded firmly, she yearned the day she said the words and ended Lucivar''s life for good.

    Once Lucivar fully raised his face, her strong fac?ade crumbled instantly.

    Not that he has somehow turned the table but there was no fear or panic on his face.

    Lucivar was still smiling¡ªblood coated his teeth and drizzled down his chin.

    It was the same exact smile he wore as that night when everything fell apart for Callista.

    "Congratulations. I didn''t see you coming at all. You really got me good this time, Callista" Lucivar said, praising her instead of panicking like a Father proud of his daughter. "I guess we''re equal now in terms of our score. But then again, I still feel the need to ask this... Are you sure?"

    Upon hearing this, Callista swallowed hard unconsciously.

    She expected Lucivar to break down, to plead for mercy, to panic¡ªbut he did none of that.

    Now, the conviction inside her began to waver

    Even though she seemed to be in control, Lucivar''s expression made her feel like she wasn''t.

    "You could forget what I did and move on since I have saved your two daughters. Not to mention, you still have the Crimson Wolf Clan and this gang that you need to deal with," Lucivar then unhingedly leaned forward, ignoring the tear he caused in his hands for doing so. "After all as you might know¡ªIf you mess with the Devil..."

    He stuck out his tongue like a lunatic, gazing directly into Callista''s eyes.

    A face that sent a shiver down her spine.

    "You may find yourself becoming his favorite game!" Lucivar laughed humorously.

    His words flowed out smoothly from his blood-drenched mouth.

    Callista''s heart skipped a beat when he said that.

    However, the Vampire Hybrid on the side quickly stepped in and slapped Lucivar''s face hard.

    "Stop spouting gibberish, criminal" He said coldly as he brought Lucivar and Sabrina away.

    Once freed by the blood lances, Lucivar tried to grab Callista but he only managed to grab her left hand before the Vampire Hybrid kneed him on the stomach and slapped him again hard, easily swatting his advances.

    Passing Callista, he then said, "I''ll make sure he suffers, don''t you worry"

    Snapping from her petrified trance, Callista gritted her teeth as she pointed at Lucivar with her index finger in anger, "You lose, you lunatic bastard!! You lose!!" She shouted¡ªveins bulged across her neck. "This is the difference between a nobody like you and me! My connections will make you and everyone you hold dear suffer! I''ll make sure of it, you bastard!!"

    Even as the Vampire Hybrid along with Lucivar and Sabrina were gone, Callista kept shouting insults.

    Although she was known to be a woman of elegance, that crumbled at this moment.

    Once she vented everything out¡ªshe got this excruciating headache.

    It forced her to lean against the wall, a hand massaging her forehead.

    Five full minutes was the amount of time she needed to calm down and clear her head from the cloud of anger. She looked around at the empty place filled with corpses, and for a second there, she saw the closest corpse to her was herself.

    As the anger faded, she couldn''t help but wonder a question that nagged her mind at this moment.

    Has she made a mistake?

    ...

    Outside of the building.

    Leandra walked out and met Mirel''s gaze.

    She quickly averted her gaze away¡ªand headed back to the academy, needing time to think clearly.

    As she was walking, Mirel grabbed her hand but she quickly pulled her hand back and slapped him.

    "Don''t touch me," Leandra said coldly, pointing at his face. "You turned your back on your family and sided with our enemy. Do you know the punishment for an academy hunter who killed a student? Death. I will report this to Master Tobias and have him give you a suitable punishment"

    Saying her piece, Leandra turned around to leave but Mirel stopped her again.

    "Listen to me," He begged. "I want to participate in the South Hues tournament so I need to approval of the professors. I approached Professor Aeldric, the same professor who made a deal with Lucivar, and struck a deal with him that was also life or death for me. If I lost the Feradith Family as my sponsor, I would essentially die"

    "You?! What did you promise him?" Leandra barked in anger.

    Pausing for a second in hesitation, Mirel finally sighed.

    He might as well tell her the truth.

    "If I fail, I will be a permanent academy hunter of Bloodhaven Academy," Mirel confessed.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra''s eyes widened for a second in complete shock.

    Once her mind registered what he said, she slapped him again but this time was harder.

    "Master Tobias took you in and you easily agree to the condition of leaving your family?!" Leandra''s voice boomed as her blood boiled. "Mirel, are you insane?! If Master Tobias knew about this, he would be heartbroken!"

    "Yeah, I know!" Mirel stressed, pulling on his hair. "But don''t worry¡ªI only promised that without any intention of fulfilling it. If I was forced, I''d kill myself. No matter what, I''m not going to betray Master Tobias and the others. I''m not going to betray our family"

    Leandra massaged her forehead, clearly at a loss for words.

    Silence enveloped them for a brief moment.

    But then, their eyes were pulled to the Hybrid Association cars that were parked outside.

    Both saw Lucivar and Sabrina being thrown inside roughly.

    Callista blamed Axel''s death on him.

    With her connections, Lucivar would never be proven to be innocent¡ªand the two know it.

    "That being said, I''m not saying that I won''t be helping Lucivar get out of this mess," Mirel muttered, his eyes narrowing at the car as his mind searched for a solution. "I only can''t do it openly but I''ll definitely help. Just contact me when you need something from the inside"

    "Sigh..." Leandra sighed. "I''ll see what I can do. Get close to Elira, she can certainly help"

 Chapter 201 201: Roots of Solution

    Inside the Hybrid Association car.

    Lucivar spat the blood in his mouth to the side and leaned back.

    His chest heaved up and down unevenly, showing that there was internal damage in his chest cavity.

    "Lucivar..." Making the initiative, Sabrina crawled over to him and held his hand firmly. "Here, I have more than enough ether. I didn''t fight that much earlier¡ªso my ether reserve is still full. Use it to heal your wounds"

    Glancing at her weakly, Lucivar nodded and absorbed her ether using Greedy Grasp.

    He replenished his God strands and used them all to heal his internal wounds as much as he could.

    Breathing became way easier after five minutes of recuperating.

    Once he recovered, he pulled his hand back and rested in silence¡ªcontemplating his situation.

    "You don''t have to come with me¡ªyou know," Lucivar suddenly said, sighing lightly. He expected to be brought along but Sabrina surprisingly volunteered to come, "You could admit that you have nothing to do with me or even run away"

    "How could I do that...?" Sabrina shook her head. "If it''s your fault then it''s also my fault"

    "If I get charged for the murder of a student, you know we would be thrown to a farming dungeon and work for the rest of our lives or even killed, right?" Lucivar added, inspecting Sabrina''s expression closely. "We''d have no way of escaping then"

    "So be it," She answered without hesitation. "Not much going on with me other than you, anyway"

    Soon, the sound of engine rumbling could be heard as the car began to move.

    Along the way, Lucivar closed his eyes to rest for a bit.

    But his rest was disturbed by the two divine beasts'' bickering.

    "You exposed yourself too much," Gandr hissed, disappointedly shaking his head. "Instead of doing the deed manually by yourself, you should''ve sent Sabrina to save Elira instead. That way, you would not need to expose yourself to this much risk and get captured"

    "I don''t believe others to do my work," Lucivar answered without even opening his eyes.

    He could send Sabrina but he didn''t trust she would deliver.

    Since his life was on the line, he ought to be the one¡ªwho did it so if he failed and got killed, it would at least be his own fault, "Besides, I wanted to be the one who did the killing. It''s not that fun manipulating from the shadows"

    "Hmph!" Sha snorted. "In that case, you lack effectiveness. Do what you need to do and leave"

    "But..." Lucivar opened his eyes. "I want to see Elira''s reaction..."

    Upon hearing this, Sha rolled her eyes but she couldn''t blame him either.

    Seeing the arrogant Elira wearing a devastated face and even becoming more submissive than before, as if she were an entirely different person, it was a delightful sight. However, there was no way that Sha would say that to Lucivar out loud.

    It would only get into his head.

    "So? What are you going to do now?" Gandr asked with curiosity behind his eyes.

    As always, whenever something like this happened, he and Sha refrained from reading Lucivar''s mind.

    It was more entertaining for them to watch rather than learning his plan.

    "Now...?" Lucivar lay down on Sabrina''s thighs, closing his eyes shut. "I''m going to sleep for a bit"

    Several hundred meters away from the abandoned building.

    A monstrous creature could be seen sneaking around the alley, keeping its eyes open¡ªfor anyone who could spot it. Once the coast was clear, it continued away. Its body was slightly bent forward and its hand was holding onto its chest.

    Just from the way it limped, this creature was certainly in pain.

    "I can''t believe it..." the Goblin Hybrid muttered through heavy pants. "I''m still alive?"

    Moments earlier when Lucivar was about to deal the finishing blow, he lost consciousness.

    It must be because of the lack of blood.

    Before blacking out completely, he already accepted that tonight would be his death¡ªbut surprisingly enough, he woke up once again. He thought that this was the afterlife but when he saw Callista on the other side, venting, he realized that he wasn''t dead.

    Surprisingly, the final attack missed his heart by an inch.

    Even though he was still wounded and near death, he was still alive.

    Looking over his shoulders, the Goblin Hybrid saw the Hybrid Association cars parked outside and he even saw Lucivar being brought out and thrown into the car. He cracked a smile when he saw this sight, "As he said, maybe I''m indeed lucky. My vitality was stronger, I survived thanks to that. No matter, I''m going to repay that lunatic for what he did"

    Focusing back ahead, he sprinted away¡ªdisappearing around the corner.

    Soon, the night passed.

    It was a new day and the news of what Lucivar did reach multiple already.

    Inside the student dorm, Elira was standing in front of the door to Thalia''s room.

    Even though the situation involved the Hybrid Association, she wasn''t interrogated by them¡ªbut instead, she had been pleading all night long. She asked Callista to let Lucivar go, but no matter how much she begged, it was futile.

    Her mother knew people at a higher rank within the Hybrid Association branch.

    And with that connection, she could easily frame Lucivar for any crime.

    Elira even tried calling her Father but she couldn''t reach him.

    Now, the weight of everything was wearing down on her shoulders.

    Because of her insecurities¡ªand emotions, she got lured by Axel and was almost caught¡ªleaving behind Thalia who was as worried and fearful as her of their future. She planned an escape from reality even if it was only for a day but that backfired completely.

    Just the thought of doing something so selfish already made her guilty enough.

    And now that it has come to a ruin, it bothered her even more.

    ''If I got captured or died there, Thalia would be all alone...'' Elira pondered, pressing her head against the door, cursing herself inside. ''I risked everything for a single day of fun. How could I do that? Now, because of me, Lucivar, the savior of my life was framed''

    Having enough confrontation for the day, Elira turned away and headed back to her room.

    She didn''t know if Thalia already knew what happened but if she hadn''t, Elira would tell her tomorrow.

    As she entered her own room, she stopped dead in her tracks¡ªwhen she saw Thalia sitting on the sofa facing the door. Elira wanted to delay this confrontation but it didn''t seem to be possible now, not when Thalia turned out to be waiting for her to come back like this.

    "Where were you?" Thalia asked, her face was icy cold.

    Upon hearing this, Elira smiled a little even though it was forced, "I already told you what I''m doing"

    Once those words left her mouth, Thalia quickly approached her with wide steps.

    Pah!

    She slapped Elira across her face.

    For a brief second there, Elira could feel the burn on her cheek spread as her eyes widened.

    "Thalia...?"

    "Mirel told me about everything. You went with that man on a romantic escape, disregarding your own safety¡ªand you got betrayed for it! What were you thinking?! What happens if you die out there? What do you expect me to do if you really died?!"

    Thalia bursts with emotions, shouting at Elira with tears drizzling down her face.

    She was hurt and devastated¡ªher eyes displayed that clearly.

    "Even if Axel really was a good person, do you think the Crimson Wolf Clan is not going to get you?!"

    "Crimson Wolf Clan...? They didn''t attack me, they di-"

    "Because Mirel stopped them!"

    Upon hearing this, Elira''s eyes widened as she didn''t know about this.

    Axel also knew about the Crimson Wolf Clan so she expected that Axel was prepared a route for them away from prying eyes. But now realizing that he was pressured, he must''ve been sloppy¡ªand rushed things so the Crimson Wolf Clan spotted them.

    In utter anger, Thalia pushed Elira hard¡ªventing out her bottled emotions.

    "Mirel interrogated them and they confessed they didn''t attack you because Lucivar was tailing you! They were worried that Lucivar was your guardian. While you were having fun in your little romance with that man, you were stalked by them!" Thalia continued in frustration.

    She was the one who normally screw things up but she has never screwed up this badly.

    "Do you understand it now? Had it not been for them, you would''ve died! Died!" Thalia cried harder.

    Her mind was in a mess.

    Feeling a strong headache from being too angry, Thalia sat down on the edge of the bed, covering her face with both hands. Seeing Elira come back, she thought¡ªshe would feel better but she felt even worse instead.

    Just looking at Elira''s face reminded Thalia that she chose Axel over her.

    She certainly couldn''t forget about it for a while.

    "Didn''t you promise we''d stay together no matter what?" Thalia''s voice trembled, barely more than a whisper as tears streamed down her face. Her sobs wracked her body, her throat raw with betrayal. "Did you not say we''d always have each other''s back?"

    Hearing this, Elira pulled her hair back in frustration.

    She knew that she messed up big time.

    "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have done that," Elira finally apologized as she sat beside Thalia. "I''ll make up for it for as long as I need to but at least, right now, can you help me talk to Mom¡ªand Dad to release Lucivar? He saved our lives so we need to repay him"

    Thalia wiped her tears and nodded her head, "Okay... we''ll talk once this is all over"

    On the other side of the Bloodhaven Academy.

    "Lucivar got caught for killing a student?" Professor Aeldric''s hand stopped as he frowned at the news.

    He glanced over her shoulder to look at a young man, an assistant.

    "Yes," the man nodded. "I knew this because the Hybrid Association has asked for his information"

    Upon hearing this, Professor Aeldirc gazed out of the window again.

    His face was riddled with the cues of trouble and worry.

    ''How did that happen?'' He thought inside, not expecting Lucivar to make such a mistake¡ª considering he was extremely meticulous and cruel in nature. ''But I shouldn''t worry about him. After all, someone was looking after him. I don''t know who¡ªbut the person behind is mysterious and strong. He will be fine...''

    Inside the Bastion of Blades.

    "I need your help, Lucivar got into trouble," Leandra said with a troubled tone.

    "Hmm..." Ravenna raised an eyebrow. "He went out with you and he got into trouble already?"

    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Leandra frowned.

    She had already talked with Nerissa and Bakar and now she was informing Ravenna.

    But she didn''t expect Ravenna to react this way.

    "Never mind," Ravenna shook her head and turned around. "I''ll contact him"

    As usual for the family, when things have gone bad¡ªfor them, there was one person they could always rely on. No matter the situation or how bad it becomes, he will always find a surprising way to save them.

    Master Tobias.

 Chapter 202 202: Imprisoned

    In a dense wood sitting around a bonfire was a group of people.

    Ragnar was among them¡ªand he was currently eating, savoring the raw meat of a hunted deer as if it was the most delicious dish in the world. As a Werewolf Hybrid, the night has become his close friend and the primal way of living becomes a necessity.

    "Do not overeat or you''ll lose control, your constitution is still not strong enough" the old man said.

    He was watching Ragnar from the shadows and came out to reprimand him.

    "Just a little bit more..." Ragnar muttered in infatuation.

    However, the old man quickly snatched the raw deer leg from Ragnar''s grasp.

    Realizing that his food was stolen, Ragnar snapped towards the old man¡ªhis fangs poked out as anger bubbled inside him, "You''re nothing more than my protector! Do you think you can treat me like this?! So what if I lose control, it''s your job to restrain me"

    "Wrong," the old man shook his head. "I''m also your teacher until you pass the Chrysalis rank"

    A Werewolf Hybrid has a lot of complications.

    It''s a custom for the Crimson Wolf Clan to assign a supervisor, a stronger and older Werewolf Hybrid to a new Werewolf Hybrid until they understand the implications of their constitution. Considering that there was an incident years ago involving the losing control of an entire pack that ransacked the city and the death of thousands, the Hybrid Association kept an eye on them.

    And it seemed Ragnar still didn''t understand that.

    "Unless you wanted to be beaten again, stick to eating cooked food for a while," the old man continued.

    His eyes looked at Ragnar sharply.

    A brief leak of his ether was enough to slap Ragnar to reality.

    Even though becoming a Werewolf Hybrid made cooked food taste bad and raw food taste heavenly, he couldn''t indulge too much. If he wanted to eat more raw food to satiate his primal hunger¡ªthen he would need to get stronger.

    "Y- Yes, I''ll stop," Ragnar turned his gaze away reluctantly.

    But inside, he was fuming.

    ''Once I got Elira, I''ll secretly devour her bloodline and strip her of power. That would allow me to reach the five-star rank and establish my Alpha status. At that point, I could force her to be my Luna. I''ll certainly be acknowledged by Father then. Just wait and see old man. Even if you were tasked by my Father to help me grow, I will not forgive you for forcing me to act submissively like this,'' Ragnar thought inside,

    As he thought of that, a rustling sound could be heard.

    A man stepped out of the bushes and made an entrance.

    Ragnar recognized this man, he was one of his Father''s outer pack members who was on his side now.

    "Bad news," the man declared and knelt down beside Ragnar. "that academy hunter¡ªHunter Lucivar was caught and brought away by the Hybrid Association for killing a student. He was captured a couple of hours ago while he was with Elira"

    "What?!" Ragnar stood up abruptly. "Is it only the Hybrid Association?"

    "No, Callista is also there" the man answered.

    Upon hearing this, Ragnar''s brows dipped into a frown as this was bad news indeed.

    ''I could tell that academy hunter is not simple, something is off about him and I held a high expectation for him because of that,'' Ragnar placed a finger on his chin, contemplating. ''Did Callista find out that he was working for us? She was there¡ªso there''s a possibility. Tch! How can I get my hands on Elira now?''

    Ragnar gritted his teeth hard¡ªthis wasn''t what he wanted to happen.

    He needed to have Elira.

    It was bad luck that his bloodline chose Elira to be his Luna but there was no other way.

    Once he was able to force Elira to accept her role as his Luna, he would be able to use her as a tool to suppress the Green Tempest clan¡ªand devour them entirely. So this messed up his grand plan to be acknowledged by his Father.

    "What should we do?" the man looked up at Ragnar for an answer.

    Ragnar could only grit his teeth, deciding to change his plan to the more drastic one.

    ...

    A few days passed.

    As someone who was only charged with murdering a student, he should''ve been detained in a temporary cell until the trial day arrived but instead of being detained there¡ªLucivar was brought into a desolate, and smaller building belonging to the Hybrid Association within the slum of Sunhold City for the worst criminals.

    Underneath it was an underground crypt where he was detained.

    For the last couple of days, he has been playing a game with a lovely torturer he has come to know as Larson.

    He''s a Demon Hybrid.

    Larson has been frivolously whipping him with a bone-covered whip.

    Each strike was strong enough to bruise his skin and with enough strikes, pierced through his skin.

    "Rrgghk!"

    "Hoho~ That''s the first moan of the day, I like it!"

    Pah!

    "Grghkk!"

    "Come on! Scream louder! As a master, you should scream better than your maid, shouldn''t you?!"

    Pah!

    Pah!

    Lucivar hung from the ceiling, shackled by chains that drained his ether and rendered him powerless to use any of his abilities. He couldn''t resist as the whip lashed across his bare back, each strike deepening the raw, blood wounds that marred his flesh.

    It took another ten minutes of whipping until Larson finally stopped.

    He approached closer and poured a cold substance on Lucivar''s back, causing the pain to increase.

    Even though it was painful, the substance was in fact, a healing vial.

    But unlike the normal healing vial that was cool and pleasant to use, this one was created to heal all of the wounds like a normal healing vial¡ªbut caused the most pain possible. Lucivar knew about this as this wasn''t the first time Larson poured it on him.

    "Phew~" Larson wiped his sweat. "Recover well. I''m hungry, so you have some time to breathe"

    As soon as he said that, the chains were opened.

    Lucivar and Sabrina fell to the ground weakly, their bodies were completely exhausted and in pain.

    "Are you not afraid of what I''ll do to you once I get out of here?" Lucivar suddenly asked, stopping Larson right at the door. "If I got into trial and was found guilty, you''re going to go through hell and back for what you did"

    Upon hearing this, Larson paused for a second before he burst into laughter.

    He laughed exaggeratedly as if Lucivar had said the funniest joke known to mankind.

    "Do you really think you''ll get a fair and just trial?" Larson scoffed, his gaze dripping with contempt as he looked at Lucivar like a bad joke. Stepping closer, he crouched before Lucivar, a wicked grin curling his lips as he patted Lucivar''s head like a misbehaving pet. "Better yet, do you think you''ll get a trial at all? You''re nothing¡ªa nobody. And once I''m bored of you, you''ll die here"

    Larson laughed again as he made his way out, today has been very amusing for him.

    Once the door was closed shut¡ªLucivar exhaled lightly.

    ''He''s also a nobody. He probably couldn''t kill me until the Feradith Family was freed from suspicion. All that talk, he really thought I''m stupid'' He shook his head in disbelief, the one who was a fool was none other than Larson. ''Now... It should be about time Dullan to visit me''

    Being cramped here, the day of his supposed meeting with the Crimson Wolf Clan has come to pass.

    It was supposed to be yesterday.

    Lucivar would be hunted down by them if he somehow got out of this place because of this failure.

    Naturally, what Callista did disturbed the plan he had in his mind.

    ''However, that''s not entirely the case. In fact, it might be good that this happened'' Lucivar thought inside, his eyes gleamed with an emerald hue. ''I just need to wait but man... being whipped like this fucking hurts. I hope Larson changed his approach''

    Just as he thought of that, he glanced to the side and found Sabrina was still lying on the cold floor.

    She seemed to be shivering from the pain but Lucivar knew better.

    "Get up," He commanded nonchalantly. "I know you were enjoying this, you damn Succubus"

    "If only my ether is not blocked, I''ll share my constitution with you" Sabrina replied as she sat up.

    As a Succubus Hybrid, pain is nothing for her¡ªrather, it''s nourishment.

    "But don''t be mistaken..." Sabrina continued, licking her lips in delight¡ªas she cast a playful glance at Lucivar. "I''m not excited because of the pain but because I could feel your trust in me was growing at a rapid pace inside of you"

    "My trust?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow lazily.

    "Of course," Sabrina placed both hands on her reddening cheeks, acting shy and docile. "Your personal maid took on the punishment of your mistake¡ªwithout hesitation. Such a daring and dauntless display of loyalty was certainly strong enough to move your hea-"

    Slap!

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar smacked her on her head hard.

    Sabrina held her head and shot a glare at Lucivar, "What was that for?!"

    "Stop spouting nonsense, you''re only willing to do this because you like pain and you wanted to score points on me since you know my bloodline is not normal," Lucivar snorted, he could see right through her. "After all, you heard what Caldaros said."

    "Hehe~" Sabrina rubbed her cheek with a finger with a wry smile.

    She was completely see-through.

    It was as if Lucivar could read through her mind without a problem.

    But then, Sabrina''s eyes widened and her face reddened once again when a hand rubbed her head.

    "Regardless, you did good" Lucivar praised.

    Upon hearing him praising her, Sabrina could feel her heart was about to burst from her chest.

    ''Isn''t this the first time he actually praised me?'' She pondered inside.

    Lucivar''s hand then stopped when he recalled something she said earlier, "Wait a minute, what do you mean by sharing your constitution? Since when can you do that? I never knew you were capable of that kind of ability"

    "Huh? I already used it on you earlier" Sabrina blinked in confusion.

    It was only then do Lucivar realized the weird ability Sabrina used on him that night.

    "Wait, when the pain inflicted on me was turned into pleasure and exhilaration..."

    "Yes, that''s my new ability from reaching the Acolyte rank. I can give someone one of my traits"

    "Damn, so you were a masochist all along! I thought it was an ability that turned pain to pleasure"

    "Hehe~ Don''t expose me like that master, I''m shy"

    Just as the two were bickering, the door was opened again.

    But it wasn''t Larson who stepped inside, it was another man¡ªanother prison guard.

    "Come out," He commanded. "Someone is here to visit you"

 Chapter 203 203: First Anger

    Bonus chapter for 100 power stones threshold!

    Enjoy~

    ...

    Restrained in chains and handcuffs, Lucivar was brought outside by the guard.

    A black sack was put over his face as he was guided along the corridor.

    Despite being treated roughly, he didn''t fight back.

    It took a long moment for him to reach the visiting room.

    Be could feel that he went through multiple rooms, passing other inmates'' prisons and the guards'' rooms¡ªuntil he finally reached the last room. He could tell because this room was completely silent, soundproof.

    ''Once I get the confirmation from the Trading Union, I can make my move'' Lucivar pondered inside.

    Dealing with the likes of the Feradith Family¡ªand also the Crimson Wolf Clan, it would be a fool for Lucivar to not have a backup plan. He didn''t expect Callista to barge in like that and arrest him but that wasn''t entirely out of his calculations either.

    Even if the Green Tempest Clan''s head, Callista''s husband was the one to come¡ªhe had a plan.

    Maybe due to Loki''s blood inside of him but creating plans is natural for him.

    His mind does it all the time without needing him to focus much.

    As soon as the black sack was taken off of his head, Lucivar instantly felt a de?ja? vu.

    Instead of the Trading Union who he was expecting to come and visit, Lucivar saw Master Tobias on the other side of the table. He still wore this pliant and harmless look on his face that was impossible to read¡ªexactly as back when he visited Lucivar in the Bastion of Blades.

    Other than the reinforced glass separating them, everything was the same.

    Lucivar was caught off guard by his sudden visit but he was able to recover quickly.

    He took a seat once the door was closed behind him.

    For a moment, there was silence between them.

    Since he had never been able to see through Tobias'' mind, there was always this oppressive air pressing over his body. Tobias was wearing a neat striped suit, and he was smiling lightly¡ªbut his lips barely curled upward.

    He was smiling only with his eyes.

    Had the others seen this, they would''ve been surprised to see Lucivar acting stiff and uncertain.

    ''I don''t like the way he looked at him. Almost as if, he could see through me'' He thought uncomfortably.

    Just then, he finally spoke, "News travels fast. I should''ve expected you would come to visit"

    "Who did you think I was?" Tobias asked.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar shook his head, "It doesn''t matter. Why have you come here to visit me?"

    "What do you think I''m here?" Tobias returned the question.

    "..."

    Lucivar''s sunken eyes from all the beatings and torture squinted, trying to see through Tobias.

    But Tobias gave nothing for him to work with.

    "What else could there be?" Lucivar shrugged. "You''re here to warn me about the Feradith Family"

    As soon as he said that¡ªTobias'' expression instantly fell¡ªthe light smile he was wearing vanished instantly, replaced with a dark expression. Seeing such a stark change spooked Lucivar, he had never seen Tobias wear this kind of face before.

    It was almost the same as the face he wore when Delilah died.

    Compared to back then, the face he was wearing now has a vague tinge of anger.

    Lucivar unconsciously swallowed hard.

    Even though Tobias has never been exceptional in strength, with the others saying¡ªthat he was crippled years ago¡ªthe calmness he carried himself with was the problem. It made him somewhat threatening. So threatening that Lucivar could feel his senses heightened in response.

    ''Just who is he? With just one look, my cells could feel danger was near.'' He frowned harder.

    "No..." Tobias muttered in a low, baritone tone. "I''m here for a much worse problem than that"

    "Much... worse...?" Lucivar repeated as his mind churned.

    ''What is it...? Did Leandra tell him about the prisoners I killed in Kalinan City? No, that can''t be right. Tobias wasn''t an innocent person, our last meeting showed that. Did I go too far somewhere? What did I do that he didn''t like?'' He questioned everything, trying to recall what had happened that might really upset Tobias.

    But no matter how much he tried to think, there was nothing.

    Nothing that came to the top of his mind.

    ''Is it because I pulled the others to a blue dungeon when we were not ready? Risking us all?'' Lucivar was looking down at the cold table. He was contemplating so hard that his thoughts might have been seen through by others. ''It''s possible, Tobias cared about the others''

    Just then, Tobias clasped his hands together on the table and leaned forward.

    He gazed into Lucivar''s eyes intently.

    "You..." He whispered menacingly before he finally burst. "How could you sleep with your own family!"

    "Eh...?" Lucivar froze for a second, registering what he heard.

    Blinking one more time, his eyes then flared in surprise, "O- Oh... It''s about that"

    Even though it was still a big deal, one that Lucivar didn''t want Tobias to know, it was at least still salvageable. Had Tobias thought something he did¡ªhas gone too far, that would be a lot harder to deal with than this.

    Lucivar smiled acutely at his situation.

    He was charged with murder, hunted down by the Crimson Wolf Clan, and even has bad blood with the Feradith Family¡ªbut Tobias was stressing over the fact that he slept with Ravenna instead. It''s just to show that for Tobias, this situation was nothing.

    ''I''m beginning to believe more and more that he came from the Valerius Supreme House,'' He thought.

    "Ho- How did you know about that exactly?" Lucivar asked in a cold sweat.

    Upon hearing this, Tobias scoffed¡ªstill looking at Lucivar with the same dark face, "Listen here. I''m like a Father to them, especially Ravenna who has been with me for years. Do you think I wouldn''t be able to know about this?"

    "And?"

    "I could feel it. She was my little girl before and now, somehow, she has become a woman"

    "Hahaha... I wasn''t planning to do it. What can I say? It just happened"

    "Sigh..."

    Tobias rubbed his temple in stress, he was clearly devastated but tried to be as calm as possible.

    Fortunately, there was a glass separating them, or else Lucivar would be in trouble.

    "What''s the use of your personal maid, then?" He commented, still visibly angry at the situation. "I sent her to you permanently knowing that you''d need an outlet for your stress, you''re a young man, after all, to avoid this from happening"

    "Hmph! I told you to not fuck that whore" Sha''s voice suddenly rang.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar ignored her but he suddenly saw Tobias freezing for a fraction of a second.

    It was evident, odd, but soon Tobias'' face returned to normal again.

    Seeing this, a nagging question crossed Lucivar''s mind, ''Did... Did he hear Sha?''

    Even though it came and went quickly, it was evident from the way his eyes slightly widened, and both his shoulders stiffened briefly that he reacted to what Sha said, ''No... How could he possibly hear Sha? Only avatars of Gods could perceive Sha and Gandr, like Caldaros''

    "Oh, I''ve been meaning to ask. Why did mine and Leandra''s maid permanent?" Lucivar asked.

    He wanted to know the real reason.

    "What else could it be? I''m rewarding both of you" Tobias answered. "Alas, that''s not important. I''m not here to answer your questions. Since it''s already been done, then I''ll let go of it. You can continue your relationship with Ravenna but don''t try expanding it or I''ll send a Succubus Hybrid on your way. A mature one"

    Lucivar wasn''t satisfied with the answer but Tobias gave no time for him to continue on the topic.

    He wanted to know how Tobias assessed them but it doesn''t seem he would have the answer now.

    Maybe he could ask again about it later.

    Sighing deeply, Tobias looked around the depressing room¡ªscanning each corner.

    "Do you need my help to get out of here?" He finally asked.

    Leaning back on his chair, Lucivar smirked, "Aren''t you afraid that they were eavesdropping on us?"

    "No, not really" Tobias shook his head.

    Chuckling for a second, Lucivar then answered, "No, I''ve got this covered. I''ll not burden you"

    "Good," Tobias nodded firmly, proudly even. "Be sure to finish what you were doing as soon as possible or else the reward for this month would fall to Bob. All members of our family have now achieved the Acolyte rank. Ravenna is nearing the Chrysalis rank and Bob... well, he''s further than all of you"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar sucked in a cold breath.

    ''I thought Bob, that fat guy was slacking off. Who would''ve expected this?'' Lucivar thought.

    It seemed Bob was trying to steal the spotlight from the shadow.

    "Also, you need to move quickly¡ªthe Feradith Family is near clearing their name and sullied your own reputation, braiding you as a problematic academy hunter, "Tobias stood up as he filled what was going on outside. "I''ll be leaving now then since you don''t need my help,"

    But as he said that, he slid a small, glowing stone through the hole in the reinforced glass.

    Lucivar took the small stone and hid it in his palm before also standing up.

    "Until we meet again," Tobias bid his goodbye and left the room.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar was back in his torture chamber¡ªand was sitting against the wall, holding the small stone with an evident frown on his face. Since Tobias was secretive about this stone, it must be something useful for him.

    Just then, Sabrina tilted her head in confusion, "Where did you get that recording stone?"

    "Recording stone?" Lucivar turned towards her with a brow lifted.

    Sabrina snatched the small stone from his hand when she realized that he didn''t know what it was.

    Even though her ether was blocked, the stone only needed a very small amount of ether to activate.

    Swish!

    Once it was activated, it glowed with a vibrant light that displayed the night of Elira''s trouble.

    It displayed from the very second Lucivar and Sabrina stepped into the abandoned building, the battle against the gang, and also the last moment before Callista confronted them. All of it was captured from a different point of view, as if another person was there to record.

    Seeing this, Lucivar''s eyes widened¡ªhe recognized this footage.

    ''Wait... Isn''t this supposed to be given to me by the Trading Union?'' Lucivar knitted his eyebrows.

    He was the one who told Dullan to send an expert to record the entire thing.

    A preventive act if he was framed like right now.

    Since the footage clearly shows that it was all done to help Elira, who was in trouble, Lucivar could be easily proven innocent. But the problem was that this footage should be with the Trading Union, ''How did it end up in Tobias'' hands...? He''s spying on us or even only me, but I don''t know how''

 Chapter 204 204: Unwanted Attention

    Lucivar expected another meeting with Tobias would shed some light.

    He wanted to know what was inside the mind of the man who saved him from death''s grip.

    But he was still unable to discern anything meaningful, Tobias remained a mystery and the fact that he knew nothing about Tobias made him feel unsettled. Instead of gaining answers, he got more questions about Tobias.

    How did he seem to know about everything? Did he really hear Sha? What was his real intention?

    Like a bottomless abyss, the mystery deepens as Lucivar gets closer to him.

    ''Even with the Heart of Mischief Nakshatras, I can''t see through him'' Lucivar frowned.

    Upon managing to gain Elira''s trust, he unlocked the Heart of Mischief Nakshatras which was a power associated with Loki. It was a power bestowed on an avatar¡ªthat had mastered the art of manipulations and beyond.

    Lucivar has unlocked the Truth and Chaos constellation within the Nakshatras.

    Destroying Morriva''s mind and shaping her into someone entirely new all because of his own curiosity unlocked the Chaos Constellation. It gave him the ability to summon specific beasts from the Labyrinth of Arcane Menagerie.

    In fact, the Fool from the Fool''s Trick ability was a creature from this labyrinth.

    She was a second-generation divine beast, right below Gandr who was one of the first-generation beasts.

    Of course, summoning these beasts required a sacrifice.

    In order to summon even the weakest beast, Lucivar would need the heart of others and his own sanity.

    Since the requirements were quite a hassle¡ªand the fact that he needed to reach the second Divine Elevation on Loki''s power, he couldn''t try it out. He was nearing the second Divine Elevation so it''d not take long until he could try this ability out.

    On the other hand, the Truth Constellation¡ªthat he unlocked by playing on Leandra''s heart, lying to her multiple times¡ªand manipulating her. This allowed him to see through lies, which could be used now.

    With that constellation, nobody could lie in front of him.

    Any time someone lied, their words would appear above them in emerald writings.

    An extremely powerful ability.

    And throughout the conversation with Tobias, he never saw any emerald writings.

    Tobias was telling the truth from start to finish.

    But then again, he always spoke vaguely so it was hard to pinpoint any blatant lie.

    Lucivar put the recording stone away and placed a hand above his chest, he could feel the nakshatras in his heart. Gaining Elira''s trust sparked a reaction from the third constellation, the Morality Constellation but it wasn''t unlocked fully.

    It would be once he finished with Elira, he reckoned.

    ''Becoming an expert at what each God prioritized would reward me greatly. If doing manipulation gave me this power then I''m sure Sutekh also could give me something. But the problem was, how could I trigger it?'' He pondered in contemplation.

    Naturally, the only thing he could think of was overpowering others as much as he could.

    But that was another problem on its own entirely.

    In order for him to overpower someone else, he would need the strength to do it.

    Just earlier when he was pinned down by that Vampire Hybrid that Callista brought with her, Sha was already in a bad mood. Gandr was excitedly asked for his plan¡ªwhile Sha remained silent, she did not even come out.

    Considering her temperament, unlocking a secret ability from pleasing Sutekh would be the hardest.

    Lucivar simply doesn''t have the means to do it.

    As he thought of that while leaning back to the wall, he thought of something worrying.

    ''If I could unlock this kind of power, doesn''t that mean Caldaros could too? A Hybrid is limited to a small number of abilities they awakened. From the exchange with him that night, I knew most of his Hybrid abilities already but what about his ability as Sunna''s avatar?'' He thought further.

    Isolated inside this silent chamber made his mind clearer to think.

    And he wasn''t going to let this chance to contemplate go unused.

    ''Must be something related to the sun but that could be anything,'' Lucivar sighed, the tournament was closing in and he still didn''t feel like he could beat Caldaros. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to make more preparations. "As long as the sun is shining, I can''t beat him, huh..."

    Lucivar repeated what Caldaros said back then.

    Even though it seemed straightforward, he felt like there was a deeper meaning to that.

    "Gandr, what would I get from reaching the second Divine Elevation?" He suddenly asked.

    Upon hearing this, Gandr materialized and answered, "All of your abilities will be stronger. It''s a good threshold for an avatar to do something riskier because of the boost, a good threshold for you to achieve before fighting Caldaros"

    He thought there would be another privilege but an overall improvement is exactly what he needed.

    "Sigh..." Lucivar sighed and shook his head. "If only I could reach that right now"

    Recalling his situation, he hoped that he could achieve the second Divine Elevation already.

    But hope wasn''t enough to make it happen, or was it?

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar stood up abruptly when he saw a gathering of emerald energy above him, swirling like the eye of a hurricane. His eyes glint with a peculiar light, this was similar to what had happened back in Kalinan City when Leandra''s attempt made the prisoners'' death more valuable.

    It took only ten seconds but the amount of energy was impeccable.

    One that almost matches the one in Kalinan City.

    Soon, once the process finished, a massive green sphere fell down to the cold stone floor in front of him with a sharp and loud, clanking sound. It was as big¡ªas a car wheel. Lucivar blinked his eyes, trying to ascertain if what he was seeing was real or not.

    No matter how many times he blinked and rubbed his eyes, the green sphere was still there.

    It was undoubtedly real.

    "How did this happen...? Is there a God inside of me that benevolently granted my wish?" He uttered.

    Hearing this made Gandr chuckle as that was not the case.

    "No luck, this is your effort without the help of Gods," Gandr answered¡ªslithering towards the green sphere and nodded in acknowledgment when he noticed how much Divine Blood was inside this thing, it was enormous.

    Additionally, he also could tell where this green sphere came from.

    "Remember Pippa?" Gandr asked with a devilish smirk. "Her mother really killed herself"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar was stunned.

    He did recall telling Pippa''s mother to kill herself but something must''ve happened that pushed her to really do this. Lucivar focused on Gandr again¡ªcuriosity flickering in his eyes, "What happened? Do you know?"

    "What else could it be?" Gandr hissed. "Another evil came and she killed herself to protect Pippa"

    Lucivar shook his head when he heard this.

    As expected, surviving from encountering him wasn''t a blessing for Pippa''s mother.

    It was the work of bad karma from someone else¡ªthat led to Lucivar being unable to kill her.

    Since this green sphere was rewarded to him then Pippa must not survive either.

    But then again, he wasn''t complaining as this green sphere was very much what he needed.

    "Now... Can I reach the second Divine Elevation with this?" Lucivar wondered aloud, smirking.

    Meanwhile, a couple of walls away from where Lucivar was.

    Larson was eating peacefully after a good round of torturing Lucivar and Sabrina, he was sitting on the table with a half-eaten metal tray of food. Then, his peace was disturbed when someone stepped inside, forcing him to glance over his shoulder.

    A man in a black trench coat stepped into the room.

    His sharp eyes were locked onto Larson.

    In his hand was a cigarette and as he lifted his hand to smoke, a pentagram mark could be seen on the back of his glove. Just that mark alone tells Larson who he is, "What business does the Dark Angel have to be here? Every inmate was already checked, there''s no Angels Hybrids here"

    "I''m here to make sure of that," the man said and sat down across Larson.

    Grabbing something from his pocket, the man slid his ID and also a small, empty lab tube.

    Larson glanced at the ID and saw that the man was called Samael, but what surprised him the most was the section underneath the name section. Samael turns out to be one of the five senior saints of the Black Zenith Order.

    Specifically, these five people are known to be the Five Dark Archangels.

    A group of individuals that has taken down a Grand Paragon Angel Hybrid each, the very strongest.

    From the rumors, only one senior captain resides in the Valerius Supreme House''s territory.

    So Larson was now sitting across that very person.

    Once he identified himself, the air between them instantly changed.

    Larson sat more upright and he also became more serious, "What do you need from me?"

    "There''s a new inmate here by the name of Lucivar Asarafall. He got tangled in a mess and was charged with murder," Samael explained, his gaze narrowing when he saw Larson''s eyes slightly widen at the mention of the name. "I heard you were the torturer around here so I want you to fill this tube with his blood"

    "Is he an Angel Hybrid?" Larson asked curiously.

    Upon hearing this, Samael shook his head, "I''m making sure right now, so fill this tube"

    Instead of taking the tube and getting Lucivar''s blood, Larson stood up¡ªand went over to a drawer on the side of the room. He took a blood transfer bag out and tossed it to the table, "If you want his blood, you can take that. Do you need more?"

    Seeing this, Samael was surprised.

    But he recovered quickly as he knew Larson was a Demon Hybrid.

    Drinking or devouring blood is probably his way to attain his natural ether.

    Or perhaps, someone from the Valerius Supreme House assigned him to gather blood for supply.

    Regardless of the reason, this was all Samael needs.

    Not even wasting a single second, Samael used his ether to extract a small amount of blood from the blood transfer bag¡ªand placed it on the table while Larson watched curiously. It wasn''t an everyday thing to watch a Dark Archangel in action.

    As soon as he did that, Samael placed his hand above the blood and closed his eyes.

    He channeled his internal ether before opening his eyes again.

    Biting onto his thumb, he let his own blood drip and mix with Lucivar''s blood on the table.

    Once it did, something was happening to Lucivar''s blood.

    Under their gazes, the blood began to tremble slightly for a brief moment and glowed gold.

    Seeing this, Samael frowned as this was unmistakably meant that Lucivar was an Angel Hybrid but then the phenomenon didn''t stop there. Soon, the glow was quickly devoured by bronze and emerald veins, spreading through the blood and pulsating like living tendrils.

    For a moment, the golden light struggles to shine through but flickers violently.

    Finally, the blood glowed with a mix of emerald and bronze colors before evaporating entirely.

    "What does that mean?" Larson asked curiously.

    On the side, Samael frowns hard, "I don''t know"

 Chapter 205 205: A Way Out

    The northern side of the Bloodhaven Academy.

    Nighttime came and the streets were packed with students going out to refresh their minds.

    Laughter and banters charged the air, creating this bustling but relaxing atmosphere.

    Amid the crowd, blending in with the students was a massive man who stuck out like a sore thumb, dwarfing the passing students. Most students cast this man a confused look, they haven''t seen this man but he should be a student based on his uniform.

    But in truth, this man was Bob.

    Bob ignored the surroundings and kept his eyes fixed on the person in front of him.

    Another student.

    Unlike him who the other students didn''t recognize, this particular student was greeted by everybody.

    He was well-known as the first-ranker of the academy, Caldaros.

    Once Ravenna told him that Lucivar had a problem with this person, Bob wasted no time investigating Caldaros. Any enemy of the others is also his enemy, that includes Lucivar''s enemy. Even though Bob barely talked with Lucivar, that doesn''t mean he didn''t acknowledge Lucivar as a part of the family.

    Since Tobias accepted him then there''s no reason for Bob to not accept him too.

    For a couple of days, Bob followed Caldaros and take note of his daily activities.

    Mostly, his day consisted of training, eating, and socializing.

    But tonight, Bob noticed that Caldaros broke his regular pattern and headed to a smaller cafeteria on the north side of the academy. Usually at this time, Caldaros was either in his room or training but tonight was different.

    Naturally, Bob has to investigate.

    Upon arriving at a small cafeteria, he sat down on a chair¡ªquite far away but had a clear view of Caldaros.

    Caldaros took a seat and took out his phone, seemingly waiting for someone.

    Just then¡ªBob quickly tilted his head down and pretended to do something else when Caldaros turned in his direction. A moment later, Bob raised his gaze and saw a woman approaching Caldaros from the side.

    It was definitely a woman judging from her figures but there was something weird.

    ''I can''t see her face?'' Bob pondered with a frown.

    For some reason, the woman''s face was entirely covered by sunlight.

    It was as if her face alone was a secret, guarded by the sun itself.

    Clearly, there was an ability or a spell that was on her.

    ''Caldaros is a Vampire Hybrid, he couldn''t be the one responsible for this. So is it that woman''s doing? But she looked normal,'' Bob continued, scrutinizing the scene ahead. ''She doesn''t seem to be a Hybrid, I can''t sense even a trace of ether from her''

    At that realization, Bob''s eyebrows dipped into an evident frown.

    Since he couldn''t sense the woman''s ether, doesn''t that mean there''s a chance the woman was stronger?

    Just then, in a slow and deliberate manner, Caldaros glanced over to him again.

    But this time, Caldaros'' eyes were glowing with blinding golden¡ªcatching Bob off guard.

    Seeing this, Bob closed his eyes instinctively as a searing pain assaulted them.

    He curled and covered his eyes with both hands¡ªgroaning in pain as the burn was becoming stronger and stronger by the second. It was evident that although he tried his best to make himself look natural, Caldaros realized what he was doing.

    Caldaros realized that Bob was stalking him.

    A sense of urgency climbed within Bob''s heart¡ªhe channeled his ether into his eyes, attempting to get rid of the scorching pain. Once he recovered and raised his gaze once again, he clicked his tongue when his vision became cloudy.

    However, what annoyed him the most was the fact that Caldaros and the woman disappeared.

    Bob stood up and rushed to the table where Caldaros and the woman were last seen.

    He looked around, attempting to find any trace of their ether but there was nothing.

    It was almost as if both of them vanished into thin air.

    "Tch!" Bob placed both hands on his waist. "That Caldaros, he seemed to also be at the Chrysalis rank"

    ...

    Meanwhile, inside an office of wrecked mess.

    A rough-looking old man in a formal shirt could be seen reading¡ªand signing papers upon papers that have turned into a pile on his table. Even though it was already night, way past the time to clock out, he was still working.

    Deep wrinkles lined his gaunt face, his sunken eyes heavy with dark hollows and sagging bags.

    His cracked lips pressed into a firm line as he signed each document with unwavering focus.

    Several days ago, a dungeon was opened right outside of Sunhold City''s domain that made the news.

    It was a green dungeon.

    Since it was extremely close and if left unattended, might destroy key infrastructures, the Hybrid Association commanded three major clans to send their teams to handle it. Among them was a Demon Hybrid who was sent to track down the proselytes.

    Those proselytes must''ve reached inside the city so the matters needed to be handled quickly.

    However, an accident happened.

    From the findings, there were three proselytes and all of them were Nexus.

    Even though the Demon Hybrid who was at the five-star Chrysalis rank easily handled them, she lost control and took twenty innocent bystanders with her. Naturally, this should''ve been the mistake of the associated clan that the Demon Hybrid belonged to.

    But the people also blamed the Hybrid Association for not putting more supervision.

    And now, the old man was dealing with the aftermath.

    Since the order came from his branch office, he would be the one to take responsibility for this mistake.

    Just then, a knock on the door disturbed his focus¡ªforcing him to take his eyes off the papers.

    A staff peeked from the door, checking to see if the old man was available before he stepped inside with an apologetic smile. "Director," the staff started cautiously. "I apologize for disturbing your time¡ªbut there seemed to be a problem that needed your attention"

    Upon hearing this, the director placed down his pen, looked down, and rubbed his eyes.

    Once he was focused and ready, he answered, "Are you sure it needs my attention?"

    "Yes," the staff answered helplessly and stepped forward uncomfortably, it was clear that he was finding it hard to find a good way to deliver the news. "There was an academy hunter that we arrested recently... It was Zed who made the arrest. He was charged with murder an-"

    "Get to the point," the director cut off, noticing that the staff was dancing around the main problem.

    Pausing for a second, the staff then answered blatantly.

    "Larson, our branch''s torturer gave me a recording stone supposedly from this academy hunter. And in it, there was a recording of Zed who unjustly arrested him by the instruction from Callista Feradith and also using unnecessary force when the academy hunter didn''t fight back at all," He explained as clearly as possible. "I tried finding this academy hunter in our database but I couldn''t find his arrest report"

    As soon as the director heard that, his face darkened.

    His hands were full already and now another problem came to his doorstep.

    "Should I ignore this and tell Larson to shut him up?" The staff asked again. "After all, he''s only a kid"

    For a moment, the director frowned in contemplation.

    "If you can''t find his arrest report then this must be a personal vendetta," As he said that, the director''s eyes then widened as he recalled something. "I remembered reading an article about the Feradith Family bullying a kid¡ªthis academy hunter must''ve been that kid"

    "Sigh... How dare the Feradith Family bring their problem to us," He added furiously.

    Even though he could expose the Feradith Family, the Hybrid Association was already implicated.

    It was all thanks to Zed.

    Not to mention, Zed was a part of direct branch houses from the Valerius Supreme House.

    Any smear on his name would bring great trouble.

    Then again, considering that the Hybrid Association''s reputation was at risk, this couldn''t be avoided.

    "Since this is a personal vendetta and there was no arrest report, Callista must want to get rid of him, there will be no trial for him" The director leaned back on his chair¡ªthe situation was becoming more complicated for him. "But now that he gave this recording stone, he must have a backup. We can''t treat him lightly"

    Additionally, since this academy hunter was against the Feradith Family, he must not be simple.

    None of them could afford to underestimate him.

    "Is there anything he said?" The director asked again.

    Hesitating for a moment, the staff then shook his head, "Yes, he also wanted to meet with you"

    Upon hearing this, the director exhaled roughly.

    Just this alone showed that this academy hunter had a plan in mind and he didn''t like it.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar was now standing inside the office, facing the director.

    His body had already been wiped clean of blood before being brought to the office, but the still-open wounds quickly stained his skin anew. Crimson trickled down his arms and legs in thin streams, yet he paid it no mind as if the pain no longer mattered.

    On his right was the same staff who was giving him a sharp and cold stare as if trying to scare him.

    As Lucivar and the director maintained eye contact, tension crackled like static.

    Only Lucivar''s heavy breaths sang in the background.

    Before the director could open his mouth, Lucivar already threw out his demands, "I want you to drop the fake charges, let me go, spank that damn torturer good, promise me that you''d not make trouble for me, and prepare me a ride to a place I wanted"

    Despite trying to keep his composure, the director couldn''t.

    Just as he expected, Lucivar wasn''t an ordinary academy hunter.

    Seeing that the director''s lips were still closed shut, Lucivar tilted his head.

    "I don''t need to make threats now, should I?" He asked again.

    Finding that his attitude was insufferable, the director leaned forward¡ªmenacingly, "What makes you think you can step into my office and demand things from me? Just because you have that recording stone doesn''t mean you can do anything you want"

    Hearing this, Lucivar couldn''t hide his smile.

    He was expecting to be challenged like this.

    "Lucivar Asarafall," Lucivar suddenly stated before he leaned forward fearlessly. "Moogle my name"

    Pausing for a couple of seconds, letting his words hang in there, the director then glanced to the staff, a signal to search for his name. Once the staff searched it on his phone, he handed his phone to the director politely.

    Almost instantly, the director realized that he was cornered.

    Lucivar was a participant in the South Hues Tournament and was backed by the Trading Union.

    If he tried to do anything to Lucivar right now, the public would hang him.

    Just like the Feradith Family that was scrambling to clear their reputation.

    "Now.... Are you ready to fulfill my demands?" Lucivar asked again with a savage grin.

 Chapter 206 206: Getting Out

    From the moment Lucivar was arrested, he already had a plan to get out.

    Since he now was under the deal with the Trading Union, with Dullan, he had another backer who was as strong as the Feradith Family. Additionally, based on Angel, Dullan really needed Lucivar and took on a massive gamble by becoming his sponsor.

    Dullan needed Lucivar to win the South Hues Tournament to talk with the governor.

    Because of that, there was no doubt that he would hate Lucivar to be arrested.

    Not when he had already announced Lucivar as the Trading Union''s champion.

    Just seeing the news and articles alone melted the director''s hostile demeanor, he couldn''t scare Lucivar as he initially planned. If he did something to Lucivar right now, the Trading Union would create trouble for him and Zed''s footage would be leaked.

    At that point, coupled with the public''s blame on the green dungeon incident¡ªhis career would be over.

    ''Based on the footage, he was surprised by Callista''s appearance. But now, seeing him in front of me, spewing those demands, perfectly cornering me¡ªand securing his way out... It is almost as if he was planning to be arrested,'' The director thought, staring at Lucivar in disbelief. ''Seems like we have a merciless genius on our hands''

    Realizing that he was in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous position, the director sighed.

    "Fine, what are your demands?" He finally said.

    Upon hearing this, the staff on the side stepped forward, "Director!"

    But before the staff could say more, the director already raised his hand¡ªhe already made his decision.

    Lucivar''s lips curled as he proceeded to pull the chair and sat down across the director.

    "Good choice. I also don''t want to be your enemy," he said before repeating his demands.

    As planned, Lucivar''s demands were fulfilled.

    Since there were no charges on him from the start, the director didn''t need to do anything about that.

    Also, he promised to not pursue Lucivar for this with the staff and Sabrina as witnesses.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar has changed into a comfortable black¡ªfitting shirt and cargo pants¡ªhe was also already healed by a healer and taken a bath to wash off the scent of blood and sweat. He now felt refreshed, as if he had become a new man.

    Beside him, Sabrina was also healed and cleaned.

    She now wore a crop black tank top layered with a crop white shirt and fitted navy pants.

    It was quite stylish and perfect on her.

    Since they were in the Hybrid Association¡ªthe only clothes they had on hand were either an office outfit or confiscated clothes of the inmates. Sabrina chose the latter, and she was glad that she did as this was comfortable and breezing to wear.

    For the last minute or so as the two headed for the lobby, she had been staring at Lucivar non-stop.

    "Just ask what you wanted to know," He suddenly said.

    Sabrina squinted her eyes and her lips parted slightly, arranging the question in her mind.

    "How in the world did you get your hands on that recording stone? Who did you meet?" She asked.

    "It was Tobias who visited and he gave it to me," Lucivar shrugged nonchalantly. "Although I expected someone from the Trading Union to come give that to me, everything has been going as planned. Now, it''s time for me to reap my opportunity. After all, I still need to prepare for my tournament"

    Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Sabrina was completely at a loss for words.

    "Just wait, wait..." She mumbled while trying to keep up with Lucivar''s pace. "I just don''t understand how in the world you thought of instructing the Trading Union to hide and record that incident so that you can use it against the director. Can you see the future or something?"

    A small chuckle escaped Lucivar''s lips.

    Had he known the future, he wouldn''t have killed Axel and get exposed like this.

    Not to mention, he wouldn''t have created other plans to prepare for a myriad of possible situations.

    Like the fact that he sent Sabrina to stalk Elira and Thalia wasn''t only to find out about Axel but also to find out their patterns and create a route to attack them at any time. If Callista tried to do something drastic, he would''ve escaped and killed Elira or Thalia and used the Major Morphing ability to replace them and strike Callista from behind.

    Fortunately for Thalia and Elira, things didn''t end up that way.

    But he has plans for everything.

    "I wish I could see into the future," Lucivar shook his head. "Since I''m fighting a renowned family, one that even has a clan, I reckoned that they must have good connections with big associations. Naturally, I must have a plan for a situation like this"

    Sabrina nodded her head with her lips creating an O-shape, nodding like a starving fish.

    "Leave the thinking to me. Follow anything¡ªI said blindly, don''t question it," He said, stopping and turning to Sabrina as he raised his hand, seemingly wanting to pat Sabrina on her head. "I felt bad for your puny brain if you worked it too much, that is if you have a brain"

    Flick!

    Instead of rubbing her head, Lucivar flicked her forehead instead.

    Sabrina paused for a second, processing what he said before her expression contorted.

    Had it not for being in public, she would''ve thrown the entire dictionary of cuss words at him already.

    Once the two stepped out of the lobby, a black sedan car was waiting for them.

    Standing beside it¡ªwaiting for him was the director and the staff from earlier.

    As Lucivar was about to step into the car, the director grabbed his arm and stopped him.

    "Just so to make it clear," the director leaned forward and whispered without making eye contact. "You cannot use this car or any connection you have with me¡ªas another card that you can play. For me to drop this and not pursue you, you also need to do the same thing. Do you understand?"

    "Loud and clear," Lucivar smiled vibrantly. "Care to let go now? I have to go somewhere"

    Pausing for a second, the director then loosened his grip.

    Lucivar tapped him on the shoulder before he and Sabrina got into the car.

    Inside, the driver fixed the rear-view mirror and asked, "Where to go?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smirked.

    ...

    Meanwhile, in a respected neighborhood, outside of a meager apartment building.

    A car was parked outside and coming out of it was a woman in formal office attire.

    She stepped out of the car, her handbag slung over one shoulder, and closed the door with a tired sigh.

    The clock was already nearing midnight, and the weight of the day clung to her like a second skin.

    Her black hair, usually sharp¡ªand polished, now fell in loose strands, and even her white formal shirt was creased and untucked, bearing the marks of a grueling day. Before she clocked out, the CEO had called for her and had a meeting with her.

    ''I''m going to assign you to handle Lucivar. You will tend to his needs until the tournament''

    ''Since you already met and knew him, only you can do this''

    ''I can feel it in the air, as small as it was, a connection. He''s comfortable and interested in you''

    CEO Dullan''s words echoed inside her mind.

    Almost instantly, Angel swung her handbag onto the ground in frustration and annoyance, "Why do I need to be the one¡ªhandling that wicked man?! I was happy that I became the secretary of a powerful CEO but I didn''t think I''d have to do this''

    Biting her lower lip, Angel placed her hand on the car and pressed her forehead against it.

    "How could he even say that I have a connection with that lunatic?" She shook her head and exhaled from her nose like a bull, recalling her encounter with the man. "What kind of woman wanted someone like him anyway? Hmph!"

    "He''s only strong because he has a named bloodline¡ªnothing special. Sure, the way he twisted Ryan''s hand like it was nothing proves that much. And yeah, his voice is also nice... manly, commanding, completely domineering. He''s the kind of man¡ªwho won''t be walked over, who will not tolerate disrespect," As she muttered to herself, her face flushed, and she hastily combed back her hair.

    Then, realization struck, "Wait... why am I describing the perfect man? Ugh! Whatever! Bottom line, he''s so not my type!"

    Angel ruffled her hair before taking her bag.

    Just thinking about Lucivar made her go crazy.

    Fortunately for her, she could forget all of this for a moment with a good night''s sleep.

    Her heels clicked softly against the pavement as she trudged toward the apartment building, each step heavy with exhaustion but also filled with anticipation. She couldn''t wait to lie on her back, the feeling would be heavenly for sure.

    Soon, she arrived at her apartment room.

    She then reached into her handbag, the faint glow of the corridor''s light offered little comfort¡ªas she fumbled for her keys, her movements sluggish. Home, the word felt surreal but once she tried to put the key into the keyhole¡ªshe realized the door wasn''t locked.

    Frowning for a moment, Angel quickly dismissed it as she forgot to lock the door.

    Once inside, she threw her bag and instantly stripped to take a relaxing bath.

    It was a nice fifteen-minute bath, drowning herself in hot water before she came out refreshed.

    Angel''s curvy body, usually hidden behind her strict persona was still wet¡ªand wrapped by a towel.

    Realizing that she hadn''t turned on the light in her bedroom, she went to the side but froze instantly.

    "Oh, I wasn''t expecting such a beautiful view. You hid those curves well," A voice rang.

    Naturally, caught off guard by this deep voice, Angel stopped in her tracks.

    It was only then that she realized her unlocked door earlier wasn''t due to her negligence¡ªno, that was nearly impossible. She never forgot such things¡ªshe was a detail-oriented person. Instead, someone had entered.

    A chill crept to her spine as she slowly turned.

    Her gaze locked onto a shadowed figure with golden eyes lounging on the single sofa beside a lamp.

    Just his silhouette alone was enough to tell Angel who it was, "Lucivar...?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar turned on the lamp and exposed himself, confirming that it was really him.

    Then, he stood up and approached her with slow steps.

    Seeing him coming closer, Angel unconsciously stepped back until her firm and round bottom hit the edge of the table dresser, eliminating her option to move backward. Angel has nowhere to go, trapped between the table dresser and Lucivar.

    Pressed against his hard body, Angel turned her face away¡ªhiding her bashful and weak face.

    Her legs turned into jellies and her chest heaved up and down harder.

    Even being in his presence alone made her feel weak and exposed.

    Almost as if her woman side was being forced to come out, forced to be compliant.

    "W- What are you doing here?"

    "Thought you could help me blow off some steam"

    "Eh...?"

 Chapter 207 207: Blowing Off Some Steam

    18+ Warning!

    ...

    Minutes earlier.

    "Can you tell me where we''re going?" Sabrina asked.

    Lucivar gave the driver a random address, an address that she didn''t recognize.

    It was located on the northern side of sector 2, quite far away from the Hybrid Association branch office.

    Considering that the Bloodhaven Academy was in sector 3 and not to mention, the opposite side from where they were going, Sabrina was confused¡ªas to where they were going. Lucivar shouldn''t have a friend or else she''d know.

    "Shouldn''t we go back and handle the Feradith Family?" She added.

    Hearing her made Lucivar dizzy, he didn''t want to talk about that for the time being.

    "Maybe because you''re a Succubus Hybrid so you acted as if we came back¡ªfrom a damn vacation," Lucivar commented, waving his hand dismissively. "But we were tortured¡ªfor days, that fucker was having fun whipping me and skinning me, and I''m exhausted. Nothing I want more than sleeping right now"

    Sabrina''s eyes widen slightly in realization.

    She then smiled inwardly, "Right... I forgot about that"

    Being in the front-row seat to watch Lucivar do all kinds of atrocities, she forgot that he was still more or less, a human. Even though the wounds inflicted¡ªfrom the torture were healed, the mental toll was still weighing down.

    Of course, Lucivar needed to rest.

    "Anyway, it''s not like we don''t have time. No need to rush," Lucivar muttered.

    Upon arriving at the place, Sabrina got out and saw an apartment.

    She was confused¡ªthis wasn''t what she was expecting.

    As the black sedan drove away, Lucivar gestured for her to come with his hand, "Come, let''s go inside"

    For a brief moment there, Sabrina was frozen in her spot.

    ''Is this how our first time going to be...?'' She thought in shock¡ªand as she blinked, her face reddened from top to bottom. ''Did he make us drive all the way here so that nobody would disturb us and also to make it special?''

    Sabrina was elated, she wanted to go on her knees and praise Hell below for this reward.

    From the moment she became Lucivar''s personal maid, she was already expecting to have sex almost every day to satiate his thirst. After all, he was a young man full of vigor. But for some reason, that day never came.

    She waited patiently through sleepless nights, hoping that Lucivar would pounce on her.

    But he never did.

    Even back in that small room, she showered blatantly in front of him but he never made a move.

    Knowing how smart Lucivar was, and also how good he was at noticing¡ªsocial cues, or at least when it came down to women, Sabrina thought that he was doing this on purpose. In fact, she believed firmly that he was starving her on purpose.

    And her starvation peaked when she heard Ravenna''s sweet moans through the door.

    At some point, Sabrina could tell that she was going to break.

    One day, she was certainly going to pounce on Lucivar first and get what she wanted forcefully.

    Fortunately for her, it hasn''t come to that.

    Finally, Lucivar would use her.

    Seeing that Lucivar wasn''t waiting for her, Sabrina snapped out of her daze and rushed after him, as if afraid he would vanish if she wasn''t sticking by him, ''I don''t care what he does to me. Just use me like you don''t care about me, vent everything on me! Whatever you want, I can take it!''

    Moments later.

    ''Why? Why is he making me do this?'' Sabrina sobbed silently inside the wardrobe.

    Compared to what she was expecting, she was stuck with the same role instead.

    Peeking from the cracks, she could only watch as Lucivar clamped his body against Angel, cornering her against¡ªthe dressing table. As Lucivar leaned into Angel''s neck, smelling her womanly scent, he paused to glance at Sabrina.

    ''That should be me...'' Sabrina wailed.

    Her body felt hot as she helplessly watched the steamy act between Lucivar and Angel.

    Smiling inwardly, Lucivar averted his gaze away from the wardrobe.

    ''I was wondering why she was cheerful, turns she thought I was going to do it with her. Hah! No way! At least not yet!'' Lucivar laughed inside¡ªhe had come here to meet with Angel, not whatever Sabrina was hoping for. ''She''s here only to watch''

    From the start, Lucivar was already planning on doing it with Angel.

    His mind was exhausted but he needed to vent his anger inside.

    Being tortured is not a particularly nice feeling and Angel was a perfect outlet for him right now.

    Having sex is definitely a good way to forget about the pain.

    Sabrina was here to watch him do it with Angel since she could amass her natural ether¡ªfrom being aroused. Watching her master doing it with someone else, there''s no way she would be able to restrain herself and suppress her arousal.

    But that was only a side reward, his main goal was to blow off some steam.

    "I like it more when your hair is down like this," Lucivar whispered into Angel''s ears.

    "Stop it," Angel muttered, her voice only above a whisper as she instinctively placed both her hands on Lucivar''s chest. "Your compliments meant nothing to me. How did you get in my room? Aren''t you in prison? This isn''t how I''d imagine it to be"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar paused for a second.

    His lips then curled into a smirk he leaned even closer, "Oh, so you were thinking about me"

    "It''s nothing li-"

    Before she could even finish her sentence, Lucivar turned around and pushed her onto the bed.

    A soft yelp escaped Angel''s lips.

    But her next breath was halted when she saw Lucivar taking off his shirt, pulling the collar from the back, and exposing his bare, toned body. Angel''s heart pounded at the gorgeous view, so hard that she felt like it was going to burst from her chest.

    ''No way, no way... Is this really happening?'' She thought inside.

    Her face was already hot and red.

    Just the thought that this was only her second meeting with Lucivar made shame swell inside her.

    She couldn''t believe that things had escalated to this point so fast and she wanted nothing more than to hide, but she couldn''t. Her eyes remained fixed on his body, and even as he climbed onto the bed softly, she couldn''t turn away.

    It was almost as if she was hypnotized.

    Only when Lucivar''s face was right in front of her was she finally able to turn away.

    "Do you not want this?" Lucivar asked softly.

    Upon hearing this, Angel raised both hands to cover her face¡ªthe strict air of professionalism that she wore during the day was nowhere to be seen. Just like Ravenna, her demeanor changed entirely when she was under him on the bed.

    "I know Dullan said that I would be tending to your needs but this..." She mumbled shyly.

    Lucivar leaned down, his hard body pressing against her soft, supple form, "Did he really say that?" He murmured, trailing slow kisses along Angel''s collarbone. Despite their tenderness, each kiss sent a jolt of electricity through her. "But still, regardless of what he said, if you don''t want this..." He whispered, his lips brushing against her skin. "Just push me away, and I''ll go"

    Despite being offered a choice, it was clear to Angel that there was only one choice.

    How could she refuse if he showed her this gentle side of him?

    Not to mention the kisses. Her willpower was becoming weaker and weaker with each kiss.

    It was as if his kisses were weapons that could strip down her defenses completely.

    Biting her lower lip, Angel crossed her arm over her face as Lucivars'' kiss reached a more dangerous spot by the second. Once he reached the towel that was covering her, he stopped and waited for Angel''s answer.

    "Fine... Just do it," She whispered and looked at him in the eyes. "For the record, this is only for work"

    "Of course it is," Lucivar smiled mischievously.

    Glancing down to her body, he pulled open the towel like opening a birthday present and gulped at the sight of what was underneath. Angel wasn''t a Hybrid but she had a perfect figure, showing that she was taking care of herself well.

    Even her skin was vibrantly glowing in the dark like jade.

    Lucivar''s hand moved on its own as he reached for Angel''s breast and squeezed it.

    Her breasts weren''t as big as Ravenna''s but it was as firm and had a soft texture like marshmallows.

    Due to the foreplay earlier, both her nipples are erect¡ªteasing Lucivar to pinch on them.

    "Mmmh..." Angel moaned sweetly through pursed lips.

    She tried to hold her moans but it was hard to do.

    Not expecting Angel to have such sweet moans, knowing how firm¡ªand uptight her tone usually was, Lucivar couldn''t stop himself from leaning down and kissing her roughly. As if the switch was now turned, Angel instantly accepted him wholeheartedly.

    Forgetting about her emotions, she returned the kiss twofold¡ªpulling Lucivar close to her.

    In the next minute, the two wrestled on the bed in a fiery kiss.

    Each kiss landed with a fierce, hungry smack¡ªfeverishly wet, urgent, and unrelenting.

    No sound was present inside this apartment room¡ªand that silence made the slick sound of their lips crashing together echo through the room, charging the air in the room with fire. For a moment, both Lucivar and Angel forgot how painful the day was.

    Exhaustion and frustration were gone completely from Angel''s mind.

    Anger and exhaustion were also discharged from Lucivar''s mind.

    Both of them were only focused on the moment.

    As Lucivar''s leg went in between Angel''s thighs and reached up to the holy grail, a squelching sound was made which stopped them both instantly. Lucivar parted their lips and looked at her reddened face, "I haven''t even touched down there¡ªand you are already this wet? Ms. Secretary, are you anticipating this?"

    "Put it inside," Angel shyly said. "I can''t wait any longer"

    Smirking delightedly at her boldness, Lucivar proudly presented his erected shaft.

    Angel''s eyes widened, fixed on his junior as she was guided to lie on the bed once again.

    Since she was very wet already, Lucivar didn''t waste any time and pushed the tip in.

    Angel flinched at the feeling of her holy grail being spread open and that was only the tip still, but she immediately crossed her legs¡ªand gasped for air when Lucivar shoved it all the way inside with one thrust, "Heukh-! Oh my God! Oh my God!"

    It felt like she was being choked when she wasn''t.

    "Erghh..." Lucivar was also no better, he groaned roughly¡ªfeeling the tightness wrapped around him.

    Just as her insides¡ªwere adjusting to Lucivar''s thing, he asked, "Oh, yeah, I remembered something. Do you know who gave the recording stone I requested to Tobias? I didn''t specify who should be delivering it but I didn''t expect it to be Tobias"

    "Ar- Are you..." Angel tried to answer but her mind was spinning. "Are you seriously asking me that right now?"

    "Of course," Lucivar answered shortly.

    Upon hearing this, Angel trailed her gaze down to meet Lucivar''s eyes¡ªhis answer was too quick.

    In her view, this wasn''t the best time to ask that.

    "I''m just making sure to ask you now while you can still talk and think" He added.

    "Huh...?" Angel paused but then she realized what he meant and her face flushed like a tomato.

 Chapter 208 208: Two Rats

    Lucivar opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

    It was four in the morning.

    He glanced to the other side of the bed and found Angel sleeping soundly, their intimate session was so taxing on her that she passed out after the third round. Expecting to go at it all night, Lucivar was a bit disappointed that it ended quickly.

    But then again, not everyone was like Ravenna.

    However, it wasn''t entirely a waste.

    ''I''m the one who was supposed to come but Dullan sent someone to take the recording stone from me''

    ''Once I gave it away, I don''t know where it went. I swear!''

    Earlier while Angel was pressed under him¡ªshe confessed that she was supposed to come and visit him in prison to hand the recording stone to him personally. But at the last second, Dullan''s right-hand man came and asked to hand the recording stone over.

    Angel has no clue about who Tobias is.

    But if anything, Dullan must be the one who handed the recording stone to Tobias.

    ''He came from an extraordinary background, that''s for sure,'' Lucivar pondered and sat up on the bed.

    Rubbing his face as he needed to wake up and continue with his plan right now, Lucivar stood up and headed for the wardrobe. He opened it slightly and saw Sabrina was still inside, tucked in the corner as if she was a miserable beggar.

    Kneeling down, Lucivar reached his hand towards her and smiled inside.

    "Her ether reserve was increased," Gandr appeared out of nowhere, nodding in acknowledgment. "Keep increasing her ether reserve and drag out your intimacy with her as long as possible. Use her only when you''re in trouble. Ardat Lilitu''s Bloodline is quite effective to use that way"

    "She''s my maid, I''ll make sure she becomes stronger" Lucivar nodded firmly.

    Sabrina didn''t hesitate to share his problem so at the very least he could do was accept her as his maid.

    And as her master, he''ll make sure she can keep up.

    Lucivar held her shoulder and shook her body lightly, waking her up without making a fuss.

    Moaning tiredly, she opened her eyes and saw Lucivar was looking at her.

    Seeing this, she immediately woke up.

    "Go and wait for me in the living room, I''ll be out in a minute" Lucivar instructed.

    Upon hearing this, she nodded her head and sneaked out of the bedroom.

    Considering that Angel was completely exhausted, even if Sabrina made a little fuss, she wouldn''t wake up. Once she was out, Lucivar went into the bathroom, turned on the sink, and splashed his face¡ªwith cold water.

    Freshen up a little, Lucivar then gazed ahead to his own reflection.

    His mind focused sharply as he arranged the order of what he needed to do in his mind.

    First of all, he managed to get out of prison and got more than what he hoped for.

    Even though he was told to hand over the recording stone on his way out, losing a card against the very Hybrid Association, which could be proven useful¡ªhe still made contact with the director, expanding his connections.

    Of course, he has a backup for that recording stone but he wasn''t planning to use it.

    He has it just in case the director went back on his words.

    As long as the director kept his words then there''ll be no need for him to use that recording stone again.

    Being a friend with the director is far more useful than being an enemy.

    Additionally, he now also gained an upper hand against the Feradith Family

    Nobody knew that Lucivar has been freed other than the Hybrid Association and Angel.

    One of his demands to the director was to keep his exit a secret.

    Now he was going to pay back for what Callista did.

    It was extremely possible as he now has Elira''s trust, there are ways to make Callista submit.

    However, his next step for now was to get stronger to make sure that his triumph would be inevitable, and he already had a plan for that right now. Lucivar''s eyes hummed with a golden edge, "I can sense your presence in the last couple of days, brother. You really should be more careful,"

    Suddenly, Lucivar''s eyes noticed a dark trail seeping into the bathroom from the mirror.

    A string of darkness squeezed through the cracks of the bathroom door and swam towards him.

    Not long after, another seeped through and connected to him.

    Someone wanted to kill him.

    And whoever these people were, they were nearby.

    Realizing this, Lucivar wiped his face and went to the living room¡ªnot forgetting to wear a bathrobe.

    Upon reaching there¡ªhe saw Sabrina was already standing up and scanning the room with an evident frown on her face. Lucivar was pleasantly surprised by this. Other than his Angel constitution helping him, he couldn''t sense any oddness in the surroundings.

    But Sabrina did or else she wouldn''t scan the room like this.

    "Master..." She turned around to face him.

    Lucivar gave her a meaningful gaze, stopping her from saying whatever she wanted to say.

    "Sit down on the sofa, I want to show my gratitude for you volunteering to be punished with me," He said, putting on an act as he walked over to the bar. His eyes, however, were scanning the room for any sign of anomaly. "I''m truly grateful,"

    For some reason, Lucivar felt like the apartment was too still, too quiet as if the air itself had frozen.

    "It''s nothing, master. I''m your maid," Sabrina answered, sitting down on the sofa.

    Lucivar''s walk was as slow as possible as he took in the information of the entire room.

    He noticed the door was shut, there were no vents¡ªno way in or out.

    The room was minimalistic, clean, and eerily reflective.

    Mirrors lined the walls, multiplying the space into endless repetitions of itself. His own reflection stared back at him from every angle. On top of that, beside the sofa where Sabrina was sitting was a wide glass, panoramic window displaying the urban city view.

    Just from this alone, he deduced that the people who wanted him dead must be unique Hybrids.

    Hybrids with the ability to sneak in without being detected.

    Casting a gentle smile at Sabrina, he opened the cabinet and took out a wine bottle and two wine glasses while his other hand secretly opened the drawer and grabbed a knife, ''What kind of bloodline possesses the ability to sneak inside an apartment room subtly like this?''

    Inside, Lucivar was pondering as to what kind of Hybrids he was dealing with here.

    His first guess was a Banshee or a Ghost-type.

    Being able to pass through walls would make it easy for those kinds of Hybrids to sneak inside.

    But Lucivar wasn''t sure.

    As he held the knife in his other hand, Lucivar decided to put it back into the drawer.

    No matter what these Hybrids were, he shouldn''t make them alert¡ªinstead, he should make them a lot bolder so that they would make some mistakes. Heading back to Sabrina with two glasses and a wine, he began, "Now that we''re secretly freed, nobody will try to kill us for the time being. We will have enough time to plan and take down the Feradith Family, their stupid Green Tempest Clan, and also the Crimson Wolf Clan. I will take everything they have and you''ll watch it become a reality by my side"

    Hearing this, Sabrina giggled, "I''m sure you''re destined for great things, master. I''ll look forward to it"

    Upon nearing the sofa, Lucivar stopped abruptly.

    His eyes widened for a second before he turned to the side and stared into his reflection in a small mirror on a sleek black table. Something moved in his periphery earlier and that movement came from the mirror''s direction.

    Lucivar shook his head and proceeded to sit down while giving Sabrina a look that asked, ''Did you see that?''

    Sabrina stood up and poured the wine for both of them, hiding the nod she made.

    Just that subtle exchange alone, the two confirmed that they had realized what they were facing.

    "I was falsely accused and thrown into prison¡ªthat''s not something you just brush off," Lucivar said, lifting his glass of wine for a slow slip. Letting the sharp taste linger on his tastebuds, he rose to his feet and strode toward the dawn-lit cityscape. His voice turned cold as he gazed ahead "I''ll make sure Callista and Ragnar pay for this"

    As he said that, Lucivar saw his own reflection tense up a little.

    He tried to move his hand and surprisingly, although it was subtle, he saw his reflection lagging behind.

    But this was still not enough, ''Still not attacking? Are they wary of me?''

    Instinctively, Lucivar looked at his right hand.

    ''Ah... I forgot. Gleipnir''s Echo was still on Elira. Both of them should notice I''m at the Acolyte rank,'' He sighed inside¡ªCallista''s ambush made him forget that his ring wasn''t on him, so the Green Shroud ability wasn''t active, which means his aura wasn''t concealed.

    Lucivar gave it to Elira so that replacing her with the Major Morphing ability wouldn''t be a problem.

    It was solely for that.

    Unfortunately, he has no time to take the ring back because of Callista''s ambush.

    And surely, that was the reason these people weren''t attacking until now.

    But Lucivar knew what to do, he needed to keep pushing.

    Regardless of who these people were, they were disturbed by his words earlier so it was clear that they were either from the Green Tempest Clan or the Crimson Wolf Clan. If not, they wouldn''t be distraught like this.

    Sabrina also knew what Lucivar was about to do but her heart still pounded in worry.

    Like always, it would be risky but they needed to kill the intruders without making a big fuss.

    And catching them off guard was the only solution.

    Boldly, Lucivar took a step forward closer to the panoramic window.

    He then declared menacingly, "I''ll skin Elira and Thalia right in front of Callista, and then-"

    Before he could finish his sentence, his faint reflection on the panoramic window moved.

    It shadows seemed deeper and the angles sharper.

    It also seemed to warp the light, distorting the edges of his reflection.

    Swoosh!

    Out of nowhere, a sword flew out of the reflection and aimed to strike Lucivar''s heart.

    A literal Hybrid stepped out of the reflection and tried to stab Lucivar.

    Clang!

    Just then, to the Hybrid''s absolute surprise, an eerie red scarab mark appeared on Lucivar''s forehead before he caught the sword by its blade. Seeing this, the Hybrid''s eyes widened completely as he came to realize that he was lured outside.

    Lucivar was ready for him.

    And judging from the aura Lucivar now exposed fully, he was completely outmatched.

    "Ho~ It''s about time you rats came out," Lucivar mocked with a devilish grin.

 Chapter 209 209: Chaos Constellation

    ''How dare he...? How dare a nobody like him aim for Madam Callista?!''

    Inside the parallel world, the Hybrid wearing a green oni mask ground his teeth and clutched the handle of his sword tightly, as he listened to Lucivar plotting against Callista. As a Mirror Demon Hybrid, he was hiding within the reflection.

    Undetected even by the most advanced technology.

    "It''s not time yet, wait until we can take them both out quickly," His comrade said from the other side.

    Listening to Lucivar was a hard thing to do.

    Anger boiled inside of him.

    He was so fuming that he failed to see the obvious fact that Lucivar was blatantly trying to lure him out.

    Clearly, Lucivar was taunting him.

    However, the Hybrid restrained himself from attacking due to Lucivar''s aura.

    From what he had heard, Lucivar was a first-year academy hunter and yet, his power was already within the Acolyte rank. No matter what Lucivar said, he must wait for the opportune moment to strike, waiting for Lucivar to come closer as attacking recklessly might end up backfiring on him.

    Once Lucivar was several inches away, the Hybrid came out and thrust his sword forward.

    But that was a horrendous mistake.

    Clang!

    Right as the tip was about to stab through Lucivar''s chest, a blow that would kill him instantly or at the very least wound him severely, Lucivar caught the sword mid-track with ease. He was already expecting this attack.

    "Ho... It''s about time you rats came out," Lucivar''s lips curled into a devilish grin.

    Fiercely, the Hybrid tried pushing the sword but it wouldn''t budge.

    Lucivar''s grip was akin to an iron grip, refusing to let go of the sword no matter what.

    At that moment, when the Hybrid failed to push his sword after three tries, he looked up and met with Lucivar''s piercing golden eyes. Just the amount of ether his body was emanating showed the disparity between them¡ªLucivar was not a regular Acolyte-rank Hybrid.

    As the red scarab glowed brighter, the Hybrid''s expression behind his mask paled.

    Clank!

    Shockingly, Lucivar easily snapped the enchanted sword as if it were nothing.

    Realizing that he was in trouble, the Hybrid tried going back to the parallel world but he was too late.

    "Kahkk!"

    Lucivar let go of the sword once it was dulled and choked the Hybrid by his neck.

    Emerging from another mirror nearby, another Hybrid wearing the same green oni mask attacked but Sabrina easily intercepted him. Before he could even reach Rex, she had already dug all of her fingers into the Hybrid''s neck in a brutal manner and pulled out his adam''s apple and his vocal cord.

    Blood squirted out like a fountain, staining the furred carpet and the floor.

    Seeing his friend killed in an instant, the Hybrid on Lucivar''s clutch gasped in shock.

    As he registered what he was seeing, his heart skipped a beat, "No!! Raiha-!"

    "Ssstt..." Lucivar tightened his grip around the Hybrid''s neck as he placed his index finger at the center of his lips. "Do you have no manners? Don''t be too loud, we are guests here. It would be rude¡ªif we woke up the host"

    Instead of being silent, the Hybrid became angrier, "Do you really think you''d get away wi-"

    Once again, Lucivar silenced the Hybrid with a brutal grip on his lower jaw.

    Crack!

    And without hesitation, he wrenched it apart, tearing the mangled bone and flesh clean from his face.

    Now, the Hybrid couldn''t even produce a single sound as his mouth along with his tongue was utterly ripped apart from him. Just like earlier, the apartment room returned to its silence as Lucivar glanced back at the master bedroom, checking whether the commotion woke Angel up.

    But it doesn''t seem to be the case, he was in the clear.

    On the other hand, the Hybrid was utterly terrified to his core.

    It wasn''t that his jaw was ripped completely from his face but the nonchalance as Lucivar did it.

    For him, this wasn''t something worth mentioning.

    Even though he was a Mirror Demon Hybrid¡ªwho became stronger through killing, he still could not treat killing as if it were nothing. The Hybrid could feel it in his bones and soul: the person it decided to attack was more demonic than him.

    Compared to him, even Sabrina was a lot more demonic as she also had the same kind of nonchalance.

    "Master, if you made him unable to talk then you couldn''t ask him questions," Sabrina said.

    She looked at the Hybrid¡ªmissing a lower jaw, and sighed.

    "Ah..." Lucivar slapped his forehead, he did it out of instinct. "I forgot about that. But it doesn''t matter"

    Since these two Mirror Demon Hybrids seemed to be furious at him, Lucivar could at least confidently say that these two either came from the Green Tempest Clan or the Crimson Wolf Clan. Both seemed to be stalking around the Hybrid Association branch office.

    And from how these two aimed for the kill, coming from the Green Tempest Clan was more likely.

    "Kill him and hand their corpses to the authorities," Lucivar said disinterestedly and tossed the Hybrid''s body towards Sabrina. "Make sure to do it in the bathroom, to make it easier to clean the blood. Man, I got out and there''s already somebody attacking me"

    Sabrina handled the Hybrid but turned to Lucivar who was now already back sipping wine.

    He tasted it earlier and it was quite good.

    "Are these two the only Hybrids attacking us?" Sabrina asked.

    "Yes," Lucivar nodded. "There''s only two. You don''t have to worry about another one"

    Once he said that, Sabrina excused herself to finish off the Hybrid.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar poured himself a glass of wine and crossed his legs as if he owned the place.

    He watched as the sun rose in silence, signing a new day before his eyes darted back to the corpse of the other Hybrid. Remembering something, he approached the corpse and flipped it around. Gently, he carved out its heart and sat back down again.

    Just then, his eyes glowed with an emerald light as the heart burned with green flames.

    Lucivar felt slightly dizzy when the heart was burning.

    It was so dizzying that he was seeing doubles for a brief moment before everything returned to normal.

    "That Hybrid is only a second-star Aceolyte-rank, yet using the Chaos Constellation though his heart was already this overwhelming?" Lucivar shook his head. Testing his new ability had caught him off guard¡ªhis mind felt drained once again. "Still, I wonder what kind of beast the Labyrinth of Arcane Menagerie will grant me"

    As he thought that aloud, the floor in front of him began to shine with emerald light.

    From that light, a door-like portal was opened.

    Lucivar watched this process while still sipping his wine, unbothered by what might come out from the other side of the portal. Soon, the beast stepped out and exposed itself to greet its new master. It was a robust wolf with ash-colored furs.

    Emerald chains were wrapping around its neck like a leash and its mouth was wider than normal.

    But upon closer inspection, it seemed the wolf''s mouth was like that because of a slitting wound.

    "Hmm..." Lucivar twizzled the wine glass gently as he inspected the wolf from top to bottom¡ªhe was quite pleased as this wolf was at least possessed a two-star Acolyte rank strength. "I was hoping to get a guard dog and I got exactly what I wanted"

    Growl!

    In annoyance, the wolf bared its fangs at Lucivar¡ªseemingly angry at what he said.

    "Wolf, wolf... right, not a dog" Lucivar chuckled lightly.

    He has a temperament beast on his hands.

    Pausing for a second, Lucivar put down the glass and asked, "So, what can you do, wolfie?"

    Almost instantly after he asked that the wolf beast leaped into the panoramic window but it didn''t crash into it but disappeared instead. Lucivar then tilted to the opposite side and saw the wolf beast coming out of a small mirror.

    "Interesting, you got his ability. A Mirror Demon Hybrid''s ability" Lucivar nodded.

    Now, he wanted to check whether this was consistent with using the other corpse.

    Moments later, Lucivar already changed to the clothes he wore yesterday.

    And there were two wolf beasts in front of Lucivar now.

    Lucivar placed both hands on his waist and nodded in satisfaction, "Seemed consistent. So this basically meant that any heart that I used to summon a beast fusing Chaos Constellation would at least have one or more abilities from their bloodline"

    Enough experiment this time, Lucivar pointed at the mirror.

    "Go into the mirror and follow me around from there, can you do that?" Lucivar asked.

    Upon hearing this, the two wolf beasts exchanged a look before nodding their heads.

    "Go on then, move your asses" Lucivar instructed, clapping his hands as if he was talking to dogs.

    But the two wolf beasts didn''t move at all.

    Instead, these two sat down and looked at Lucivar¡ªas if they were anticipating something.

    Frowning inside, Lucivar retrieved a golden sphere from his Inner Chamber and the moment he had it in his hand, the two wolf beasts'' eyes lit up¡ªtheir tails wagging eagerly as they rose to their feet. Just as he suspected, they desired something.

    "Damn greedy beasts," Lucivar cursed under his breath. "Fine, here''s one for each of you"

    Lucivar threw them a golden sphere each and only then did the two wolves go into the mirror.

    He then grabbed the mirror, intending to bring it with him.

    "What did you give them?" Sabrina asked curiously.

    He shrugged in response, "Something that you can''t see but certainly real"

    Sighing lightly, Lucivar grabbed the phone on the side.

    It was Angel''s phone that he had taken from her bag earlier, and fortunately enough, there was no password so he could check its content easily. Browsing through the contact numbers, he dialed one but didn''t put the handphone against his ears.

    Instead, he looked at the apartment telephone on the wall.

    Ring!

    Once the telephone rang, Lucivar nodded his head and placed the handphone down again.

    "I have to go somewhere. You wake up Angel and tell her to be on standby near the telephone," Lucivar instructed. "Once you tell her that, go back to the academy as fast as you can, and don''t alert the others. And... give this to Elira,"

    Lucivar wrote something on a piece of paper, folded it, and gave it to Sabrina.

    "I''ll do it without fail," Sabrina accepted the paper determinedly.

    She didn''t even bother to check the content.

    Nodding his head, having trust in Sabrina to complete her tasks without fail, Lucivar turned around and prepared to leave. But then, Sabrina stopped him¡ªbeaten by her own curiosity, "Where are you going? Is it to somewhere dangerous?"

    "Dangerous...?" Lucivar cackled and grinned evilly. "No, I''m going to go to a feeding ground..."

 Chapter 210 210: Public Opnion

    It was early in the morning¡ªthe sun was still shyly peeking out and illuminated the dawn sky.

    Cars already filled the street as people began going to work.

    Among them was a black polished bus.

    A roaring black eagle drawing marked the bus, an identification mark for the people within it.

    Moving through the special lane reserved for Hybrids, the bus zoomed through the street and stopped when it reached a rundown alley. Five people in black uniform walked out of the bus¡ªand scanned the area with sharp gazed.

    Despite the time, all of them were focused and alert.

    From the emblem on their chest, a roaring eagle¡ªit was clear they came from the Shadow Eagle Clan.

    A team that was on a mission.

    "Is it really the Lincoln Gang?" A woman with fiery hair asked with both hands on her waist.

    Another woman, the leader of the group, strapped with two handguns on her thighs nodded firmly, "Yes, it''s highly likely for it to be the Lincoln Gang. The report stated more than a hundred gangsters, and in this area, it could only be them. Also, it was said the leader was a Lizard Hybrid¡ªthat has used limit booster serums and became a mutant"

    It has been six months since the group was tasked to track down and destroy the Lincoln Gang.

    A notorious gang that was one of the three ruthless gangs that called themselves the Dauntless Triangle.

    The Lincoln Gang is the third strongest and they were in charge of running their businesses, loan sharks, prostitution, underground casinos, underground arena, assassinations, and many more¡ªwithin the area, the kind of gang that was feared by the locals and beyond.

    All of them had racked up enough criminal charges to have them killed ten times over.

    Other than their team, there were also three other teams chasing after the Lincoln Gang.

    Moving in a union, the team traversed the alley¡ªheading to the abandoned, unfinished building ahead.

    "Abraham, it''s your turn," the leader turned to a rough-looking man with a big nose.

    As an Inugami Hybrid, a spirit type, his senses were extremely acute.

    He even confessed that he has a sixth sense¡ªthat could help him sense the essence of a person, helping him to identify good and bad people. But as the leader instructed that, she frowned when Abraham did not make a mover.

    Instead of investigating the building, he was rooted on his spot¡ªhis body trembling a bit.

    "I don''t think I can go in there, Salsa" Abraham shook his head in fear.

    Upon hearing this, the leader, Salsa frowned, "What do you mean? What do you see?"

    Closing his eyes for a brief moment to collect himself, Abraham opened his eyes again¡ªto look at the building in front of him and shuddered once again. From his vision, the entire building was black and sizzling with a sinister aura.

    It was the sign that something bad happened, and the place had gathered negative energy¡ªa lot of it.

    But what spooked Abraham was that he had seen a lot of places like this.

    Heck, he even saw a place where a slaughter happened¡ªkilling a lot of innocent people.

    Nevertheless, that place was incomparable to this place.

    It was as if the Devil had stepped into this place personally and caused the massacre.

    Realizing that Abraham couldn''t work optimally for some reason, Salsa turned to the woman with fiery hair, Indah, and also the other two, "Go inside and find anything that might have a scent. Bring it out so Abraham can take a sniff and track them down"

    Hearing this, the rest of the group nodded and dashed inside.

    On the other hand, Salsa glanced over at Abraham again, ''What could he see to be like that?''

    About fifteen minutes later, Salsa had been searching for the report on the tablet she carried in her bag.

    Since it happened days ago, the report should be completed.

    All she knew from her friend in the Hybrid Association was that the location was here, it involved an academy hunter, and the forensics stated that the supposed leader was a Lizard Hybrid. Other than that, she has no idea.

    Salsa didn''t even know what exactly happened here.

    And she couldn''t find further reports about it.

    Most of the news outlet was dominated by the Feradith Family''s issue.

    Callista was attending a press conference, clarifying that her family wasn''t working with Crossers.

    She even declared that she had been slandered.

    Salsa didn''t waste her time reading that and searched for anything relating to academy hunters.

    But there was nothing that caught her eyes either.

    Just then, a notification came in¡ªit was from her Hybrid Association friend.

    [Sorry, I can''t give you more than that]

    [But if you''re doubtful, I have a few photos from that night. I''ll send it to you right now]

    A few seconds later, Salsa got a bunch of photos from the incident.

    It was a literal battleground, corpses and blood stained the floor and walls.

    And as expected, the attires the corpses were wearing matched that of the Lincoln Gang members.

    Salsa tried asking the parties involved in the incident but her friend didn''t give a clear answer.

    [A powerful family is involved. Best for you to not know more]

    Upon reading the text, Salsa sighed but since it involved a big family, she became more certain that this was really the Lincoln Gang''s doings, ''Must be kidnapping and the powerful family got the wind of it and massacred them. After all, this isn''t the first time they tried doing this''

    Just then, the three Hybrids came out and gave their findings to Abraham.

    Most of the findings were a stain of blood, a piece of clothing¡ªor a shard of a broken weapon.

    Abraham sniffed the findings one by one before he nodded, "Okay, wait here. I''ll check the area"

    Another ten minutes passed before he came back.

    "The Lincoln Gang came into the building from the left side of the building. The Hybrid Association made it hard to find real tracks but those I found real were facing the building''s side¡ªso none of them managed to get out," Abraham explained his conclusion. "No matter who they are facing, it''s someone powerful as none of them got out alive"

    "So a dead end, huh?" Indah sighed dejectedly.

    If the gangsters were all killed then it''s hard to find out where they came from.

    Going inside the building, the gangsters were cautious, careful not to leave any tracks¡ªbut if they were escaping, it would be a different story¡ªthey''d make mistakes, mistakes that could be tracked. However, there were no survivors so the team was met with a dead end.

    As the group was at a loss, Abraham spotted something.

    He looked down to the ground and saw a small stain.

    Approaching the stain, he knelt down and quickly realized that it was a stain from dried blood.

    "It''s blood..." He mumbled whisperingly.

    Upon hearing this, Salsa also approached as her eyes widened, "All of the fighting happened inside the building so there''s no way there''d be blood here. Since it''s away from the entrance, it shouldn''t be from the authorities who were cleaning up the corpses either. One survived!"

    Naturally, this made the others'' faces lit up as they might have a lead.

    Abraham then asked, "Isn''t the leader a Lizardman Hybrid?"

    "Yes, what about it?" Salsa asked back.

    Confirmed by her, Abraham looked back to the dried blood and traced his gaze ahead.

    He could vaguely smell the lingering scent of the blood going that way although it was really light.

    "I''m quite sure this isn''t a Lizardman Hybrid," His gaze narrowed.

    Nevertheless, with this lead, the team moved again¡ªfollowing the trail of blood and checking the entire neighborhood¡ªfor the Lincoln Gang. Knowing who they were facing against, they knew that to find the gang¡ªthey had to check meticulously for a rabbit hole.

    ...

    At exactly nine in the morning.

    A spacious hall buzzed with a tense, electric energy, a cacophony of flashing cameras and speculations.

    Standing at the front was a press conference table, bathed in harsh, artificial light while rows of all kinds of journalists and paparazzi crowded the space¡ªtheir lenses pointed ahead like weapons. Anticipation and tension thickened the air inside the hall.

    Reporters shifted in their seats¡ªtheir fingers poised over recorders.

    Callista and her daughters walked to the conference table, intensifying the clicking sounds of cameras.

    It was the second conference to clear her name and everything was going smoothly.

    As soon as the three sat down¡ªCallista opened the conference.

    "Before the questions, I brought along my daughters to clarify the situation," She said, sweeping both her eyes across the people¡ªwho attended this conference. "From the very start, I already stated that this was a quarrel between youngsters. My eldest daughter has a rivalry with him and so, he approached me in order to get back at her. I hope that the public understands that I have never intended to bully anyone, it''s simply not true"

    Upon saying that, she turned to Elira beside her.

    Seeing this, Elira bit her lower lip before she pulled her mic close to her lips.

    "Yes, he and I got into a fight¡ªbecause he tried getting close to my sister, Thalia. It started from that, a small matter," Elira declared, keeping her expression neutral. "I never thought it would escalate like this"

    Almost instantly, Callista pulled Elira into her embrace, hiding her as if she was about to cry.

    When in actuality, she wasn''t¡ªElira was fine.

    Feeling pity for Elira, the journalists and reporters were silent until Callista continued.

    She pointed at one journalist.

    "How are the investigations progressing? Do you want to comment on that?" The journalist asked.

    "I can''t comment much about that, the Council of Light Concord''s verdict is still unknown¡ªbut I am hopeful for it," Callista pulled on the mic and answered with calculated words. "As I mentioned before, this has only been a misunderstanding. The Feradith Family has no connections with Crossers"

    Upon saying that, more journalists struggled to get their questions answered.

    Once again, Callista pointed at one.

    "If what your daughter said is true, did you also refuse to become his sponsor because of their history?" Another journalist asked. "If so, shouldn''t you be the bigger person and look over that? After all, this was a problem between youngsters as you said"

    Smiling politely, Callista answered, "It''s nothing more than a youngster''s temperament. I refused to be his sponsor because I already have someone for the South Hues Tournament. Back then, he insisted on having me as his sponsor, and I, as the bigger person allowed him to display his strength so that others could be his sponsor"

    "But instead of thanking me, he escalated the matter recklessly," She added with a saddened tone.

    Hearing this, the hall bustles with discussions again.

    Seeing that the public was returning to her side, Callista smirked inside.

    ''Once I cleared my name, I''ll return all my sufferings to you, Lucivar...'' She thought inside evilly, a flicker of malice gleamed behind her eyes. ''And after that happens, I will make sure you hang. Death is not far away for you''

 Chapter 211 211: Slaughter

    Sunhold City, Sector 1¡ªthe suburbs.

    A skinny man wearing an oversized hoody walked along the street with his head down.

    It was morning, the street was busy with traffic and he was conscious about it.

    Entering a more secluded alley, the man glanced behind him to make sure that nobody was following before he stopped and opened a roll-up garage door. Beyond the door was dark and there was nothing inside but in the silence, one could hear the distant muffled sound of a crowd.

    Closing the door behind him, the man went over to the corner.

    A trap door could be seen behind a bunch of cardboard boxes and he wasted no time opening it.

    Almost instantly, the loud sound of music exploded.

    He stepped down the staircase and stood in the corner of an underground club.

    A gambling den could be seen on one side of the place, a bar on the other, along with multiple hostesses, practicing their dances on stripping poles. Unbothered, the man pulled his hood down and scoured through the space without making eye contact.

    Since it was still morning, the place was empty other than the people who worked here.

    Soon, the man reached the backside of the place.

    Going through another door, he saw violent-looking Hybrids split into those who were training¡ªand those who were relaxing. All of them glanced at the man before focusing back on what they were doing, seemingly recognizing or having seen the man before.

    Ascending to the mezzanine level of the spacious room, the man reached another door.

    But two people were guarding that door.

    "Who are you and what''s your business with the boss?" One of the guards asked.

    Upon hearing this, the man took out a file while the other guard probed his body to see if there was any weapon, "I''m here to give this to the boss. He asked me to look into someone¡ªand I''m giving him the result. It''s all in here"

    "The Boss has gone somewhere. Hand it over to me and I''ll give it to him," the guard said.

    Just as he was about to hand the files over, the door on the other side was opened again.

    A monstrous person with green skin and a big belly entered.

    Boss Zibbo¡ªthe person who was in charge of the Lincoln Gang in this area.

    Realizing that it was the boss, the Hybrids downstairs instantly stood up and bowed toward him as he headed for his office. Along the way, he looked up and noticed the man standing in front of his office, the person he wanted to exactly see this early in the morning.

    As the man waited for Zibbo to approach, he raised an eyebrow when he saw a figure behind Zibbo.

    He materialized out of nothing¡ªas if he crept out of Zibbo''s shadow.

    Since the other Hybrids were bowing down, none of them saw this happening except for the man.

    And for some weird reason, this person was familiar.

    But that shouldn''t be the case, this was the first time the man worked for the Lincoln Gang.

    Nevertheless, the man didn''t comment as it might be a secret powerhouse that also worked for Zibbo and the Lincoln Gang. Someone he could not offend. "Come inside," Zibbo instructed¡ªsmiling at the sight of the document in the man''s hand. "Tell everything you find about him to me in detail"

    Once the two were inside and the door was shut, the sound from outside instantly disappeared.

    Clearly, this room was soundproof.

    Zibbo took a sit on his large, leather single-sofa and lit up a cigar while he gestured for the man to also sit down across him. Smoking the cigar, he then started, "Judging from your face, there was no problem in finding that guy"

    "Yes," the man nodded and took out the papers and spread it on the table. "Since you said he must come from the Bloodhaven Academy, it narrowed down our list so much and we identified him. His name is Lucivar Asarafall, an Academy Hunter who arrived in the city with seven people not too long ago. Most of them were young and were also Academy Hunters of the same academy,"

    "A man called Tobias is acting as their guardian, but I can''t find anything about him," He added.

    Upon hearing this, Zibbo frowned.

    If Lucivar came from outside recently then he doesn''t have any attachment within the city.

    All he could aim for were those seven Academy Hunters and Tobias.

    "What about his past before he got here? Did you find anything?" Zibbo asked again.

    But the man could only shake his head, "Other than his activities after arriving to the city, I can''t find anything else about him. I even cross-checked with other branches of my organization across multiple cities and nothing. Whoever he is, he is either a ghost or from another Supreme House territory"

    Hearing this, Zibbo leaned forward to read the reports.

    A soft groan escaped his lips as the pain from the battle was still not healed perfectly.

    "So he and his guardian are both ghosts. Great, this is great..." Zibbo muttered sarcastically.

    He was hoping to find Lucivar''s weakness but found nothing instead.

    It seemed surviving and getting back at Lucivar would be a hard thing to do.

    Seeing Zibbo writhing softly¡ªas he read the documents, the man''s brows dipped into an evident frown, ''How could a mere Academy Hunter do this to Zibbo who despite not being at the peak of the Acolyte-rank, has the power to rival those there because of the limit booster serums...''

    Just then, as he waited, the man''s eyes trailed to Lucivar''s photo on the table.

    A photo of Lucivar who was playing in a mall''s arcade.

    His face was really clear there in the photo.

    But as the man looked at the photo longer, his eyes gradually widened.

    Lucivar looked familiar, and only then did the man turn to the window beside him, which overlooked the spacious room outside hidden behind a curtain. ''No way... right?'' He questioned, his heart pounding in his chest. ''I must''ve seen it wrong... didn''t I?''

    Gulping harshly, the man stood up and peeked from the curtain.

    As soon as he did that, his face drained from all colors¡ªinstantly becoming pale.

    His body stiffened as he couldn''t move from his spot.

    Zibbo, who was reading the documents lifted his gaze to look at the man and saw him standing there beside the window stiffly, "Since you already gave the reports, you could go now. I''ll wire the payment to you after I read this"

    Despite saying that, the man didn''t move from his spot.

    Seeing this, Zibbo sighed as he put down the papers, "Fine, I''ll wire it to you right now"

    Just as he said that, however, the man turned to face him.

    "I... I think you should see this," He murmured with a voice slightly above a whisper.

    Upon hearing this, Zibbo raised an eyebrow, expecting to see his men quarreling again as they always do whenever he turned away for even a moment. He stood up and headed to the window, but the sight beyond caught his breath in his throat.

    Exactly like the man, Zibbo''s entire body was rooted on the spot.

    It was as if there were nails that pinned his feet to the ground.

    As opposed to seeing his men brawling out petty differences¡ªZibbo saw the spacious room had turned into a slaughterhouse. Severed limbs, internal organs, and blood decorated every corner of the room, creating a painting of gore.

    Not even five minutes passed and his men were already turned into minced meat.

    "H- How...?" Zibbo questioned aloud, he couldn''t believe what he was seeing.

    He really believed that he was dreaming right now.

    After all, there was no way almost a hundred of his men were slaughtered in the span of five minutes.

    Considering that there were no violent disturbances, they were killed easily.

    Reaching for the door, the sharp tang of blood pierced his nostrils.

    If he thought that he was dreaming before, he wasn''t now.

    Upon taking a step outside, he saw one of the guards guarding the door lying on the ground with his stomach and neck ripped open. Hearing the gory wet sound from behind, his shock rose higher as an oversized wolf monster was currently eating the other guard.

    "A dungeon break...?" the man questioned from behind.

    Since no animals could be this big and ferocious, the only explanation was a dungeon break.

    Zibbo also thought of the same thing, that is until he saw who was sitting on a chair down below.

    Just one glance is all it takes for him to recognize who this person is¡ªit was Lucivar.

    Somehow, Lucivar was able to sneak into his own base and massacre his men during the time he was checking the reports about Lucivar. It was ironic how he found it hard to plan a move against Lucivar while Lucivar easily found him, barged into his place, and killed all of his men.

    Realizing this, Zibbo could only cackle in ridicule¡ªcackling at himself.

    From the start, he has no chance of beating Lucivar.

    ''I really don''t deserve to live after this one,'' He thought inside.

    On the side, the man in a hoody looked at Zibbo for a way out, "What should we do?"

    Instead of answering, Zibbo went down to the ground floor nonchalantly.

    "Come on, brother," Lucivar stood up and spread his bloodied hands to the side as if welcoming Zibbo with a warm hug. "You don''t really think you survived because of luck, did you? I was planning to do this, to find your base and kill these vigorous men"

    Zibbo smiled, "I''m starting to understand it now. But aren''t you supposed to be imprisoned?"

    "I got out early," Lucivar answered with a grin. "And you''re the first one I came to after I got out"

    "I''m flattered!" Zibbo laughed, this was truly eye-opening.

    Knowing how ferocious Lucivar was along with his high-grade bloodline, he should''ve been a lot more careful of Lucivar''s abilities. Now, he realized too late that he was already marked. His survival was nothing more than a ploy for Lucivar to obtain more benefits.

    "What about those wolves?" Zibbo turned to another wolf to the side. "A new ability?"

    "Well, you know what my bloodlines are," Lucivar shrugged nonchalantly.

    Considering that he had already told Zibbo¡ªthat he had Gods inside of him, there was no need for him to be modest. Lucivar told him about that because simply put, nobody would believe him even if he decided to tell everyone.

    Soon, Lucivar channeled his ether as Zibbo approached¡ªexpecting for him to struggle.

    But surprisingly enough, once Zibbo got into striking distance, he went down to his knees.

    "Go on then," He said, gesturing to his neck. "Kill me already. I didn''t deserve to live after this"

 Chapter 212 212: Second Vestal

    Being reckless for the second time, Zibbo was done.

    Too ashamed to keep on living.

    It was best for him to die right now as being near Lucivar was making him feel embarrassed.

    He wasn''t good enough to even pursue Lucivar''s life and he understands it very well now.

    In Lucivar''s story, he wasn''t worth more than a few chapters, destined to lose badly from the very start.

    Looking at Zibbo in amusement, accepting his fate to die, Lucivar smiled inwardly as he was expecting there to be a fight. A last struggle before he finally killed Zibbo. But that wasn''t what happened, instead, Zibbo surrendered out of shame.

    "At least before I die, can you tell me how you got to me?" Zibbo uttered his final request.

    Hearing this, Lucivar nodded, "A Diamond-class spell called Soul Warden, I marked you with it"

    "I see," Zibbo nodded, smiling in ridicule. "A tracker spell"

    As opposed to ending it, Lucivar sat back down on the chair and crossed his legs again, "Tell me, what did you do in the last couple of days while I''m imprisoned?" His eyes narrowed. "From the looks of it, your bad karma has increased"

    "I vented on a few people for losing to you," Zibbo replied, still kneeling.

    Lucivar smirked as the glow in his eyes turned from golden to bronze, surprising Zibbo greatly.

    "Seems like even near-death, you listened to my words. Good, that''s good..." Lucivar rasped, a peculiar glint crossing his eyes as a thought came to mind. He liked Zibbo and it would be a waste to kill him right now.

    "Be grateful, you''re in luck!"

    "Hmm...?"

    Zibbo tilted his head in confusion as he watched Lucivar approach him again.

    He watched as a dark bronze fang that exuded a sinister aura appeared in Lucivar''s hand suddenly.

    Once Lucivar stood right in front of Zibbo, he extended his arm and activated the Fang of Ankh.

    Swoosh!

    In that instant, Zibbo looked left¡ªand right as he saw the blood of his slaughtered men begin to glow and tremble weakly. Gradually, the blood began to float and shot towards the Fang of Ankh, gathering every single drop of blood into it.

    Like tendrils of a malevolent blood creature, the blood created a vortex as it was siphoned into the fang.

    As soon as the last drop of blood was absorbed, Lucivar grinned as he tilted the fang.

    He poured Zibbo with the corrupted blood.

    Psshh!!

    "Raarghh! Wh- What is this?!" Zibbo exclaimed the moment the blood touched him.

    Shocked, he exclaimed in sheer agony as the blood was steaming hot and sticky but Rex didn''t stop.

    More and more blood was poured onto Zibbo and under his own gaze, he could see the blood turning black in color as it melted his skin, tendons, and muscles. He was horrified at what he was seeing. He even cast Lucivar a pleading glance, begging him to stop this torture.

    But it sparked nothing from Lucivar.

    In mere seconds, he was drowned in the blood¡ªhis scream echoed throughout the spacious room.

    Hiding behind the scene was the man, he was completely horrified.

    Even though he knew that there were students with enormous talent out there who could easily defeat Zibbo, he never knew an academy hunter who possessed such strength. Mainly, those who did were quickly promoted to students.

    So to think there was an academy hunter of Lucivar''s caliber was frightening.

    Not to mention, killing Zibbo didn''t spark any emotion from him.

    A cold-blooded killer who thought of others'' lives as nothing.

    ''I need to get out of here!'' the man thought as he breathed heavily.

    Once he noticed Lucivar was focusing on Zibbo, he scanned the area and found two more threats.

    Above him on the mezzanine level was the oversized wolf who was still eating the two guards while another one was also feasting to Lucivar''s left. Calming himself although hard, the man gazed ahead at a door that should lead to another room in front of him.

    Since the entire place was square-shaped, the room behind the door must have another door.

    It wouldn''t be a dead-end.

    Bracing himself, the man slowly and silently made his way towards the door.

    He crawled down to not pull any unnecessary attention to him.

    Crunch!

    Grauch!

    Just not too far to his side, the sound of flesh from the oversized wolf to his side was loud and clear.

    As he crawled, he made sure to pretend to be dead whenever the wolf glanced at him.

    Surprisingly enough, it worked! He managed to reach the door.

    Once he got his moment, he quickly stood up, opened the door, and ran inside.

    A hopeful smile crept to his face as there might still be a chance for him to survive this freak ordeal.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar stopped once he emptied the Fang of Ankh.

    As his lethal hand pulled away, what was left of Zibbo was a bubbling black, kneeling skeleton.

    Seeing such a gnarly sight disturbed even him, "Eww... It''s gross. Hey Sha, is he really fine?"

    "Just wait a bit," Sha appeared beside Zibbo''s remains. "It takes time you know"

    Lucivar glanced to the side and whistled, he was calling both oversized wolves but none of them even spared a glance at him. Annoyed, he grabbed the nearest object and threw it at both of them. Each throw landed on its mark perfectly¡ªthe back of their heads.

    Instantly, the two wolves snapped their heads at Lucivar and bared their bloodied fangs in a growl.

    "What?!" Lucivar taunted, casting them a glare. "Come the fuck here before I ripped your ears off"

    As if both of them understood what Lucivar meant, they abandoned their meals and rushed to where he stood. Sitting upright and their tails tucked, they growled as if they were military men saluting to their officers¡ªand this only made Lucivar rub his throbbing forehead.

    "Fine, name, name!" He exasperatedly exclaimed.

    Glancing at the two wolves, he realized that they were almost identical.

    Only the shape of their faces was slightly different.

    "Your name is Oval, O-v-a-l," Lucivar pointed at the wolf with a more oval, chubby face, spelling the name out loud before he turned to the other wolf. "While your name will be Heart, H-e-a-r-t, Heart. Make sure to remember it and answer me if you''re called or I''ll feed you to the other"

    Upon hearing this, Oval and Heart exchanged a glance before they howled.

    Once that was done, Lucivar pointed to his behind with his thumb.

    "Go out there and kill the rest of the people in this establishment," He instructed. "Leave none alive"

    Growl!

    Instantly, the two rushed away¡ªbursting through the wall and searching for anything alive to kill.

    About three minutes later, Lucivar finally saw movements from Zibbo''s remains¡ªbut it wasn''t Zibbo who was moving. Seeping out from the floor around him was steaming red sand, and it climbed onto his remains.

    It took a few seconds until the entire black skeleton was now covered in red sand.

    Under his gaze, the red sand began forming into new tissues.

    Just like that, Zibbo was brought back to life with some slight changes to his appearance.

    Naturally, finding it a waste to kill Zibbo, Lucivar decided to make him a Vestal.

    Earlier while he was waiting for Zibbo to come out and after the slaughter, he obtained a lot of bronze spheres. None of these men stood a chance against him¡ªso he overpowered them all easily, rewarding him with Sutekh''s Divine Blood.

    And for that, he achieved Sutekh''s first Divine Elevation.

    Lucivar thought that there would be a test as Loki did but there was none.

    Sha said that the trial back then was already a test for him to reach the first Divine Elevation for Sutekh, but he attributed it more to Sutekh liking his growth. Of course, that was extremely unlikely but who could tell him otherwise? He could think whatever he wanted.

    Achieving the first Divine Elevation granted him several things.

    First, the second layer of the Stone Table of Physique¡ªopening the path to enhance his muscles, tendons, skeleton, eyes, ears, and blood vessels. Secondly, he got five essence bars with deeper shades of bronze, which Sha briefly mentioned as high essence bars.

    It was basically a higher version of the normal essence bars.

    Lucivar has had one before with Loki''s essence bars.

    Five normal essence bars equate to one high essence bar and now he has five high essence bars.

    He could use it to upgrade his physique but that could be done at another time.

    And lastly, Sutekh now allowed him to create a Vestal.

    As of now, he spent one high essence bar to turn Zibbo into a Vestal to Sutekh.

    ''Morriva has been providing me with quite a bit of Arcane Points. She''s working hard, probably quite desperate to meet me again. Now, with Zibbo, I could also create a channel to amass Sutekh''s essence bars,'' Lucivar thought inside with a smirk. ''He''s involved with the underground world¡ªhe could easily be an asset to me''

    Looking at Zibbo right now, there were some changes.

    He still retained his monstrous appearance but he was now leaner¡ªhis belly was smaller, his green skin was now closer to brown, and the structure of his face was a mix between a Goblin and a Jackal. Quite a bizarre appearance that would make him stand out.

    But then again, as a mutant, everyone would dismiss his appearance as a bad side effect.

    "Welcome back," Lucivar greeted with a wide smile.

    Blinking his eyes, Zibbo turned to Lucivar in absolute shock, "You... You can also access Hell?"

    "What are you talking about?" Lucivar cackled humorously. "I may have the bloodline of Gods inside of me but that doesn''t mean I could also go to Hell. No, you''re not in Hell, you''re still in the real world. I wanted to turn you into something else and unfortunately, to do that, you need to die first"

    "I... I saw a desert, people screaming, jackals," Zibbo muttered stutteringly.

    His soul must''ve gone to Sutekh for a moment and then come back after being corrupted.

    Clearly, he needed time to recover.

    However, before anything, Lucivar turned to Sha, "What''s his rank?"

    "Initiate, what do you even expect? That he''s going to be like Morriva?" Sha snorted and disappeared.

    Of course, Lucivar was hoping that at least Zibbo awakened to the Keeper rank so that he could give Zibbo the Triune Scarab ability but it seemed he was asking for too much. Zibbo is a Goblin Hybrid and needed to become a mutant to get stronger so he was clearly lacking in the talent department.

    ''I could ascend his rank to the Keeper rank but that''ll cost me high essence bars...'' Lucivar thought.

    For now, he decided to let Zibbo as he was.

    Once he earned his way up, Lucivar would reward him.

    "Now that you''ve reborn anew, I''ll bestow you a name," Lucivar smiled. "Sethis, that''s your new name"

 Chapter 213 213: Clueless Avatar

    "Sethis, that''s your new name!"

    Lucivar proudly announced with a big smile on his face.

    He gave a name as if Zibbo was a new pet of his.

    It came to him, the name, so he decided to bestow it on Zibbo.

    But unfortunately, his excitement for having his second Vestal was short-lived.

    "Graarghk!!"

    Lucivar crumbled to his keens in pain, digging his nails into the floor as if his life depended on it.

    Out of nowhere, his insides were steaming blazingly as if a bucket of boiling water was being poured into him and forced to flow through his bloodstream. It was excruciating, Lucivar''s entire body convulsed as he lost his strength and lay flat on the ground.

    Blood burst from his mouth and nose as the pain heightened.

    His eyes rolled back, his body drenched in sweat, and it didn''t take long before he lost consciousness.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar''s eyelids shot wide open and he sat up.

    Immediately, he scanned his surroundings and found that he was still inside the underground club.

    Nothing changed, even the dried-up corpses were still scattered on the floor.

    "Are you stupid or are you stupid?" Sha who has been sitting beside him all this time asked, an evident disappointment crossing her face. "Did your genius brain think it''s okay to name that piece of garbage ''Sethis''? SET-his?"

    "Ah..." Lucivar smiled acutely at the realization. "I didn''t think that far"

    "Of course, you didn''t. If you had, you wouldn''t give out that name" Sha shook her head in disbelief.

    Just the sheer mentioning of Set''s name was already unacceptable for Lucivar, he was forced to use the name ''Sutekh'' to refer to Set. So naturally, giving the name ''Sethis'' to Zibbo was not allowed, Sutekh is that proud of himself.

    "On second thought," Lucivar turned to Zibbo on the side. "Your name is still Zibbo!"

    Once his mind cleared up, Lucivar noticed that Zibbo was doing something.

    He was on his phone, tapping on the screen repeatedly with his thumbs.

    "What are you doing?"

    "I''m calling my men back, there should be around two dozen more nearby"

    Lucivar stood up and cracked his neck¡ªhe could still feel the phantom burning pain from what Sutekh did to him earlier, it was still palpable and unnerving. Glancing over to the door, he then asked, "Did I ask you to call them? Or are you still going to try taking me down?"

    "No," Zibbo raised his gaze from the phone. "But don''t you become stronger through killing?"

    Hearing this, Lucivar was stunned for a second.

    But a grin quickly climbed to his face when his mind clicked as to what Zibbo was attempting to do by calling his remaining men back, "Aren''t you supposed to be their leader? I didn''t expect you to sell all of them out like that"

    "Having attachment is an inevitable heartbreak in my line of work," Zibbo shrugged, he forced himself to not be attached to anyone, especially his men since that would only make his life harder. "I still want to keep my sanity"

    Lucivar nodded his head and stretched.

    He could feel Oval and Heart already finished up the people outside and were now feasting on them.

    All deaths incurred by those two were also treated as his kill.

    Knowing that, Lucivar extended his arm forward, and soon, multiple golden¡ªand bronze spheres flew through the wall and went into his hand before he stored them all inside his Inner Chamber. It was the right choice to spare Zibbo that night.

    ''Now, I got a hundred more golden spheres and there''s more to come'' Lucivar nodded.

    Seemed like the opportunity clue from Loki was extremely useful.

    If he hadn''t purchased that, he would not have met with Thalia and ultimately, he wouldn''t have chased after Elira and crossed with Zibbo. A domino effect that helped him become stronger, ''Talking about this, I also still have an opportunity clue on Dullan. He only became my sponsor. Compared to Thalia''s opportunity, it was a bit lackluster so there must be more to him''

    ''Right, Angel did say that he needed the governor''s pardon'' Lucivar smiled an opportunistic smile.

    Once he exhausted Thalia''s opportunity, he would move on to Dullaln.

    "Heads up, someone is here," Sha suddenly warned before she disappeared into thin air.

    Lucivar snapped from his daze and looked around.

    It was then that his heart skipped a beat.

    He sensed something or someone behind him and the aura was unmistakable.

    Almost instantly, Lucivar dashed at Zibbo and gripped him by the neck.

    Zibbo was completely confused and terrified at the same time, he struggled to break Lucivar''s grip to no avail. Since he is now a Vestal, he didn''t understand why Lucivar was doing this¡ªthat is until he saw a figure materializing out of light on the mezzanine level.

    Seeing this, Zibbo turned to look at Lucivar again and saw him signaling something through his eyes.

    Once Lucivar noticed Zibbo understood, he twisted his hand slightly and let go of Zibbo.

    Zibbo fell to the ground limply, seemingly dead.

    "Goodness," A voice came from behind. "Look at this place. I never knew you were fond of blood and gore"

    "What''s there to be surprised about?" Lucivar turned around and looked up, staring the figure directly into his eyes without fear. "Like Gandr said, this time would be different. I will bring victory to Loki for the first time and to do that, I have to do new things..."

    Naturally, this figure was none other than Caldaros.

    Somehow, he was able to locate Lucivar.

    Even though Lucivar was being careful and was always alert, he didn''t sense Caldaros coming.

    He doesn''t even know how Caldaros was able to find him here.

    "I was worried that you''d not be able to participate since you know, you being in prison¡ªbut I guess I underestimated you too much," Caldaros chuckled lightly and leaped down, landing firmly against the cold floor. "Here you are, becoming as strong as ever"

    Lucivar sneered and answered sarcastically, "Thank you for your concern, I''m grateful"

    "Now," He turned around, facing the door at the end of the room. "If you''re done boasting, I''m leaving"

    "Boasting?" Caldaros raised an eyebrow.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar glanced over his shoulder and cast Caldaros a condescending look, "What else could you be here other than for boasting? You came here just to let me know that you can find me as easily as this. Did you mark me?"

    "What makes you think that''s why I''m here?" Caldaros questioned as he crossed his arms.

    Despite his mischievous smile, Lucivar wasn''t worried.

    He was dealing with Sunna''s avatar.

    Even if Caldaros has a tack for manipulation, it wouldn''t work on Lucivar.

    "Are you going to report this incident to the Hybrid Association?" Lucivar shot back another question, and since there was no answer coming out of Caldaros'' mouth, it was clear that Caldaros wouldn''t. "In that case, I''m leaving"

    "This is payback for that night, you''re the one who marked me first," Caldaros uttered.

    Lucivar waved his hand, not interested in having a conversation.

    He wasn''t fond of competing in a war of pride.

    Just as Lucivar was about to head out of the door, his eyes darted to the corpses scattered in the room.

    A frown crossed his face as he was troubled that Caldaros was here.

    Sucking in a deep breath, Lucivar turned around and saw Caldaros scanning the room.

    But seeing Lucivar turning around to face him again, he pivoted his body forward again.

    "Since you''re here, let''s spar," Lucivar suddenly said.

    Upon hearing this, Caldaros paused for a second before he burst into laughter, "Do you really think I''d do that with you? Don''t mock me too much, I know you wanted to see my full abilities¡ªbut that''s not going to happen"

    "Scared?" Lucivar smiled tauntingly. "An avatar of the great Sunna is scared of someone like me?"

    As soon as Caldaros heard that, his face twitched.

    Had it been said by someone else¡ªthis level of mockery wouldn''t have troubled Caldaros.

    But since it came from Lucivar, the avatar of Loki who has never won against the avatar of Sunna, it was humiliating. None of Loki''s previous avatars dared to mock Sunna''s previous avatars and yet, at his turn, Lucivar dared to say these things.

    It was getting on his nerves but he knew that it was precisely what Lucivar was aiming for.

    "No, there will be no spar today," Caldaros said with finality but then, his eyes glowed golden.

    Crack!!

    Suddenly, a flash of Caldaros'' full power was displayed.

    It lasted only a second.

    But the effect was destructive¡ªthe ground underneath Caldaros cracked from that flash¡ªand fissures spread to the sides, stretching onto the walls. On top of that, Lucivar''s eyes widened as blood exploded from his mouth once again.

    He fell to his knees, choking on his own blood.

    Seeing Lucivar being reduced to this state easily, Caldaros grinned mockingly.

    "You have gotten stronger but still so weak at the same time" He uttered, shaking his head in disbelief before his eyes glowed golden brighter and the smile on his face was wiped away¡ªreplaced by a deadly, serious look. "I''m also getting stronger"

    Upon saying that, Caldaros vanished into particles of light once again.

    Like the wind, he came and went as he pleased.

    For the second time in under ten minutes, Lucivar passed out again.

    Once he regained consciousness for the second time, he wiped the blood on his lips and sighed.

    "You lunatic, I can''t believe you used my Lord like that!!" Sha immediately complained.

    Lucivar chuckled a bit while waving his hand, it seemed he was caught instantly.

    He passed out for the second time not because of Caldaros but because he repeatedly chanted Sutekh''s real name in his mind. Just that alone made his blood boil again, it was the same exact sensation all over again that ended in him passing out.

    "I was tortured¡ªand never passed out but this..." Lucivar shook his head, the pain from Sutekh crept deep into his soul so it was unbearable. "Regardless, thanks for your help, Lord Sutekh. I never knew you''d help me out like this"

    "Help you out my ass!" Sha exclaimed exasperatedly.

    Sha looked up and bowed repeatedly, "Forgive this stupid oracle, my Lord. He doesn''t have a brain"

    Of course, all of that was acting.

    Lucivar signaled Zibbo to play dead and decided to taunt Caldaros so that he wouldn''t focus on the dried-up blood as that might connect him to Sutekh and Caldaros didn''t know he had more than Loki inside of him. He didn''t know the complications of Sunna knowing about his condition and frankly, he didn''t want to know so he did this.

    And that performance of coughing blood, Lucivar wanted to make Caldaros feel secure and strong.

    "It''s mandatory to keep the other side clueless," He mumbled as he looked at his own hand. "But that display of power from him¡ªit does not feel as heavy as before. Careful Caldaros... you''re not going to see what''s coming"

 Chapter 214 214: Sun-Kissed Lady

    Harmed by Sutekh''s will for the second time, Lucivar needed to take a moment to breathe.

    He could tell that another round of that pain would certainly break his mind.

    It wasn''t a pleasant feeling but useful nonetheless.

    Zibbo stood up from the floor and approached Lucivar while still looking around warily.

    "Don''t worry, he''s gone," Lucivar said, waving his hand.

    "Who was that?" Zibbo asked, the pressure from that person was enormous. It was crushed on him, like standing in front of an almighty God in human flesh. "Don''t tell me... Is he also like you? He''s surely like you, isn''t he?"

    "Something like that," Lucivar answered without even opening his eyes.

    He was slouched on a nearby sofa, resting his mind.

    Realizing that he was now dealing with another person with a God''s bloodline, Zibbo''s face turned pale as he combed his hair back in frustration, "Did it work? Did he not notice me earlier? I can feel his gaze on me but surely, he wouldn''t realize I''m pretending to be dead, right?"

    "Of course, he realized," Lucivar cackled.

    Caldaros''s backwardness in manipulation is evident but he isn''t a moron and is also strong.

    It''s without question that he realized Zibbo was pretending to be dead.

    "Then why are you telling me to pretend?" Zibbo asked hurriedly, panicking inside.

    Lucivar opened his eyes and lazily glanced at his second Vestal, who only inherited Sutekh''s almighty physique but was still stupid in the mind, "If he saw you standing up beside me, there''s a chance he''d realize that you''re mine. But if you pretend to be dead, he''ll think that you''re trying to survive from me. A big difference"

    "I see..." Zibbo nodded his head in understanding.

    But his lack of intellect and how such a simple matter needed to be explained, annoyed Lucivar.

    "Go call the rest of your people, I still want to kill them," Lucivar instructed and closed his eyes again.

    Hurriedly and clumsily, Zibbo reached for his phone and dialed someone.

    Soon, the other side answered but as he was about to answer¡ªa frown crept to his face.

    Ending the call one-sidedly without even uttering a word, Zibbo turned to Lucivar and said, "I think we have a problem. Someone is chasing away my men, threatening to call the Hybrid Association on them and even attacking them. I don''t think anyone would be coming here today"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyebrows dipped.

    "Chasing them away...?" He opened his eyes again and mumbled.

    Zibbo nodded repeatedly, the other side of the call was in panic¡ªsaying that they were being chased.

    Even without needing the full context, Lucivar knew that it was Caldaros'' doings.

    "Tch!" He clicked his tongue in displeasure and stood up abruptly.

    Lucivar''s breaths came hard and fast, his chest rising and falling with unrestrained fury.

    His steps were restless, pacing aimlessly before he suddenly turned, seizing a table and hurling it against the wall hard. It was a metal table but the table was crushed on impact. For a second there, he thought venting his frustration would calm him down but he was wrong.

    Instead of calming down, the destruction only fueled his rage.

    Lucivar grabbed whatever his hands could reach, smashing, slamming, reducing all to wreckages.

    A metal bar bent under his grip, twisted and broken as if it were mere clay.

    Still, it wasn''t enough.

    Once his fury reached its peak, he roared and drove both hands into the ground.

    Crack!!

    A violent crack split through the air as fissures webbed outward, carving through stone like lightning striking dry earth. Not stopping at that, the fissures reached the walls, causing the mezzanine to fall¡ªhe single-handedly thrashed the entire place.

    Such a fierce strength caught Zibbo off guard as it was way more monstrous than his strength.

    Just this alone showed that Lucivar was holding back against him back then.

    If he wanted to, he could easily dispatch Zibbo like a mere ant.

    "I was trying to be patient, PATIENT!" Lucivar shouted¡ªhis eyes bloodshot. "And he thinks he could do this to me... ME?!! I stood out of his way and he did this?! Okay, forget about Dullan. Once I dealt with that ungrateful bitch, I''ll kill you"

    Lucivar opened his trembling hands and looked at them with absolute fury.

    He remembered the time he felt like he had done something.

    Back then when he took down his doppelganger, he proved to himself that he could be strong.

    A proof that he could prioritize himself.

    And now, that same sensation was coming back to him again.

    If he managed to kill Caldaros, he would achieve another breakthrough inside.

    A proof that he was destined to be evil.

    "I need to find his weakness¡ªsomeone who isn''t truly evil must have a weakness. Be it in his power or his self," Lucivar contemplated aloud, his pupils trembling as he searched for an answer. Suddenly and surprisingly, he thought of something.

    Lucivar''s body stiffened.

    He then raised his gaze to look at the spot where Caldaros was standing at earlier.

    Climbing back to his feet again, he turned his head, scanning the entire room¡ªparticularly the ceiling in search of something peculiar, "No, there''s not even one," He mumbled as his eyes widened in shock. "This is an underground club, there are no windows¡ªmeaning, there''s no sunlight. Only artificial light, no sunlight..."

    As if he found fire for the first time, Lucivar''s eyes sparkled with clarity.

    He might have thought of a lead.

    "Gandr," He called lightly as Gandr appeared. "Sunna is the Sun Goddess, correct?"

    "Yes, she controls anything that can be considered as ''Sun''," Gandr answered.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s grin stretched wider as he threw out another question, "Is it possible for an avatar of hers to store sunlight inside their bodies? So that the avatar could use their powers¡ªeven when it was nighttime or a confined space devoid of sunlight?"

    "Can you control arcane chaos or the red desert domain?" Gandr shot back a question.

    Lucivar''s grin reached its maximum length when he heard this.

    He was the avatar of both Loki and Sutekh, yet he could access only fragments of their divine power, never the full extent or directly from the source. At least not yet. Naturally, this also applies to Caldaros, he couldn''t command sunlight as Sunna could, only wielding glimpses of her radiance.

    Earlier, Caldaros materialized out of specs of light.

    He''s a Vampire Hybrid so it was certain he used Sunna''s power to teleport into this confined place.

    And that gave Lucivar an idea of his weakness.

    Since Caldaros couldn''t directly siphon power from the sunlight, then where did his power come from?

    Lucivar has to manipulate or absorb others'' ether to use Loki''s power while he needs to overpower or sacrifice his physique to use Sutekh''s power. Both Gods demand something associated with their own powers, their own personalities, and their own traits without directly touching their powers.

    Cut him from being able to do any of those things and he would be powerless.

    Perhaps, even Sutekh and Loki would abandon him if he couldn''t do any of what they wanted.

    So Caldaros must have a source for his power.

    And his weakness must also be near to his source of strength.

    Considering that Sunna was not a part of the ''Evil'' Deities, then the answer became clear.

    "As long as my sun is shining, you¡ªand your filthy God will never beat me, As long as my ''Sun'' he said..." Lucivar recounted what Caldaros said to him exactly before he let out a small chuckle, and that chuckle escalated quickly into unhinged laughter. "HAHAHA~! You''re fucked, you''re fucked right now, Caldaros"

    Lucivar clasped his face with his hand, laughing like a maniac, "I know your weakness..."

    ...

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the suburbs of Sunhold City.

    People gathered to see a festival.

    "Yellow Light Festival? What''s that?"

    "It''s a small moving festival¡ªyou should come and check it out."

    "Move, the main show is starting!"

    Some people were clueless about the festival and some were excited about it.

    Drawn to the cherry attraction of some people, the clueless people also decided to check it out.

    At the heart of the festival square, basked under the golden embrace of the midday sun, stood an open-air stage. Upon it, a woman¡ªmature yet undeniably captivating¡ªcarried herself with effortless grace. Her warm, chestnut-brown hair cascaded in soft curls, catching the sunlight as she smiled.

    A smile so radiant it could melt even the coldest of hearts.

    Dressed in flowing layers of bright yellow, her gown shimmered like sunlight on rippling water.

    Everyone gathered to watch her performance, taking out their phones to record.

    Once the first beat of the music rang, she moved, dancing elegantly.

    With every pirouette and grand jete?, she seemed weightless, as if the very air lifted her in admiration.

    Her arms lengthened gracefully, fingers unfurling like petals opening to the sun, while each twirl sent her dress billowing, catching the daylight in such a way that it seemed to glow. The crowd, gathered in hundreds, was mesmerized by the way she commanded the moment.

    Under her hypnotic rough but eye-catching ballet, time flows multiple times faster.

    As the final note hung in the air and she made her last move, she held her pose for a breath¡ªher chest rising with exhilaration. Scanning her eyes through the crowd, she lowered herself into a graceful bow, and it was only then does the crowd snapped out of its daze.

    Thunderous applause erupted¡ªpeople whistled and sent praises for her performance.

    "Well done, lady!"

    "That was beautiful, I''m a fan now!"

    "She''s so bright and refreshing to see, it''s not a waste to come here!"

    Everybody sang her praises with excitement.

    Some even threw roses, showing their approval for her face.

    Even as she stepped off the stage, wiping the sweat from her brow, she remained effortlessly luminous.

    It was as if the sun was making her the spotlight of the world.

    She was the protagonist of the moment.

    Going to the backstage area, complimented by the others who worked for the festival along the way, she took a towel¡ªand sat down on a chair. She wiped her sweat¡ªbefore someone gave her water which she accepted with a bright smile and a thank you.

    For her entire life, she has been leading this festival.

    Some might deem it tiring but it wasn''t for her.

    Giving a temporary break from the world for everyone with her performance, she found joy in doing it.

    Tilting her head up, she basked under the sunlight¡ªabsorbing the warmth with a smile.

    "Such a good day to be alive..." She mumbled to herself, breathing softly as she rested¡ªbut then, her face turned mildly troubled as she opened her eyes to look at the sky. "So why...? Why is it that I feel a little bit uneasy inside? I hope this is not a bad premonition..."

 Chapter 215 215: A Letter of Invitation (1)

    "Talking to himself...? He really is a lunatic," Zibbo mumbled inwardly.

    From the encounter earlier with Caldaros, it became clear to him that Lucvar held some sort of grudge against that person. Perhaps, it wasn''t him, but the Gods inside him that bore the grudge and inherited that hate to him.

    Zibbo wasn''t entirely sure.

    But it became apparent that he was dragged into their battle.

    He didn''t want to pick a side, especially in a battle between Gods like this yet it''s too late now.

    Lucivar has dragged him into a side by turning him into whatever he is right now.

    "Hey," Lucivar called, snapping Zibbo out of his daze. "Give me your number so that I can contact you"

    "My number...?" Zibbo repeated in question but quickly gave it anyway.

    Moments later.

    Once he massacred the entire underground club, not only the brawns but also the workers, Lucivar had amassed a lot of spheres that he needed to digest. Before he made his move against the Feradith Family, he needed to be optimal.

    Looking down at the small paper in his hand, nothing Zibbo''s number, he nodded his head.

    Lucivar took out his phone, well, Angel''s phone to be exact, and dialed a number.

    It rang for a second until he exited the place and stepped into an alley.

    "Hello...?"

    "Angel, you have a car, right? Pick me up right now"

    "Lucivar? You took my phone without my permission and even told me to wait by the telephone?! And on top of that, why is my apartment reek of blood? What happened here¡ªwhile I''m asleep? Don''t tell me... Did you drag me into something?!"

    Hearing the panicked voice from the other side, Lucvar placed the handphone away.

    Seems like Angel is feisty in the morning, then again, who doesn''t?

    "How else am I going to contact you? I need a phone. As for the blood, it''s nothing serious"

    "Nothing serious? Sigh... I didn''t sign up for this"

    "Umm... I''m pretty sure you voluntarily signed up when you didn''t push me away last night"

    Lucivar cracked a smile, he knew Angel was regretting last night already.

    Although he was planning to catch Angel off guard by coming late in the night, to make it easier for him to coax her when she was still sleepy, when her mind wasn''t in the right place¡ªlast night was a lot easier than he anticipated.

    Mainly because Angel, on top of being sleepy, was also exhausted.

    It was lucky of him to encounter her in that state.

    Once he said that there was a pause on the other side.

    Angel was now recalling what happened last night, the intimate moment both of them had.

    Even though Lucivar couldn''t see her right now, he could practically feel her blush through the call.

    "Is that it...? Do you have anything more to say?"

    "Hmm? What do you mean? I want you to pick me up. What more do you expect me to say?"

    "..."

    "..."

    "You''re such a heartless jerk..."

    "Heartless jerk? I thought I made it quite obvious already"

    "Just tell me where you are¡ªI''ll pick you up. I really can''t believe you"

    Upon hearing that, Lucivar looked around¡ªhe wanted to quickly go to a secluded place, away from the noise, and absorb the accumulated spheres. But then, his face froze as he realized something, "I... I think I didn''t think this through, where am I exactly?"

    Lucvar used the Soul Warrden spell to get here.

    He already sent Oval and Heart to scan the area, making sure there were no Hybrids that were too strong for him to handle. Once he teleported, he instantly appeared inside¡ªthe underground club. Initially, he was planning to have Angel pick him up afterward.

    But he miscalculated, he didn''t think it through¡ªhe didn''t know where he was.

    "Are you serious? Describe your surroundings, I know the entire city well"

    "Umm, I''m in an alley and there are chicken cages¡ªwith the chickens of course¡ªsome buildings"

    "What are you, a five-year-old? Forget it, I''ll track my phone down"

    "Haha... Thanks"

    As soon as he got off the phone, Lucivar glanced to the side and saw a woman leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Seeing this woman, he blinked his eyes a couple of times to make sure what he was seeing was real.

    "Ravenna...?" He mumbled in confusion and approached. "What is she doing here?"

    "I heard you were imprisoned," Once he was close enough, Ravenna said and glanced at him. "Knowing you, I don''t think you''d stay in there for long and I was right. How did you allow yourself to be captured like that?"

    Lucivar scratched his head, smiling acutely, "Is that worry I hear?"

    "Of course, we''re compatible after all," Ravenna pushed her back to stand and put down her arms as she pivoted to face Lucivar directly. She then walked over and stopped right beside him. "But that''s what you get for bringing along Leandra instead of me, she brings bad luck"

    "Stalker alert," Lucivar grinned cheekily. "Did you miss me already?"

    "I don''t think you''re in any position to say that," Ravenna answered, peeking down below.

    Following the direction of her gaze, Lucivar looked down¡ªbefore his eyes widened slightly when he saw his little junior woke up. He didn''t realize that he was hard. Killing people is quite exhilarating¡ªbut it wasn''t to the point of turning him on yet, this was because of Ravenna''s scent.

    Lucivar could clearly feel his body remembering that rainy night with Ravenna and responded to it.

    A light smile crept to Ravenna''s lips.

    It seemed she liked his body''s reaction but the smile only remained briefly, Lucivar didn''t notice it.

    Instead of being embarrassed, Lucivar double-down, refusing to hide it.

    "What are you doing here?" He finally asked.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna went to the dumpster on the side and opened it.

    Lucivar looked down and saw a fresh corpse in there, a man wearing a hoody¡ªone that he had seen earlier.

    "You got sloppy and let one slip away," Ravenna answered¡ªshe let go of the dumpster''s lid as it slammed shut again. "I''m here to see if you need any help. Just tell me if there''s anything you need me to do. Aren''t we supposed to be on the same team?"

    "I have it under control," Lucivar shrugged. "But if you want to help, follow and protect the twins"

    "In that case, I''ll go back," Ravenna nodded.

    She continued ahead to leave.

    But then, a few paces away, she stopped to glance over at him, "By the way, Master Tobias, I was the one who notified him about you getting into trouble. Leandra made it seem like you''re really in deep trouble so I called him as our family always do. Lean on Master Tobias a bit, he has his ways of getting things done"

    As she said that, Lucivar could hear her footsteps getting further away.

    ''So that''s how Tobias found out about my situation. He must also research my problem with Callista but still, he should be following me or else he wouldn''t know my connection to the Trading Union. Or was it all a coincidence?'' Lucivar questioned inside, becoming more uncertain about Tobias. "Ah... What the hell? Thinking about him always makes my head hurts''

    On the other hand, Ravenna walked along the street and headed for the bus station.

    Along the way, she looked down and frowned.

    ''I marked him with my Predator Oculus ability and I know he''s been out since yesterday,'' She thought as her eyebrows dipped further. ''He slept in sector 3 but where? Is it the home of someone he knew? No... it must be that person he called. From the way he talked, it must be a woman''

    Just then, a predatory gleam flashed in her eyes.

    She clicked her tongue in displeasure and quickened her pace.

    Several days passed silently.

    It was the calm before the storm and the parties involved know it or at least feel the tension in the air.

    The Feradith Family, the Crimson Wolf Clan, the Trading Union, and even the Hybrid Association¡ªall of them could feel a bad premonition weighing down on them. It felt like a death knell that kept on and on, spreading echoes in their bodies and souls.

    For the Feradith Family and the Crimson Wolf Clan, both have no idea where it''s going to start.

    None of them knew where the problem was going to arise.

    Until one night, a letter came to their doorstep.

    Ragnar, who was relaxing in a jacuzzi with three beautiful models, tilted his head when he saw one of his men approaching. Not even saying anything first, the man only handed over a letter to him, "A letter came from a reliable source and the person said only you can read it"

    Once he said that the man excused himself.

    Confused, Ragnar placed down the glass in his hand and opened the letter¡ªignoring the models asking him to come and join them. He took the message out, expecting it to be from his Father or perhaps one of his spies.

    But that doesn''t seem to be the case.

    ''10 P.M. ¡ª Basement parking, Evergreen Plaza''

    Inside the letter, Ragnar found a time and a place.

    And on the bottom of the letter, there was an initial of the sender consisting of two letters¡ªLA.

    Upon seeing the initial, Ragnar pondered for a second.

    It was only then that he realized who the sender was and almost instantly, he grinned.

    Glancing over to the time on his phone, he found that it was still early in the morning.

    Ragnar has plenty of time to prepare until the designated time.

    "I know he wouldn''t be easily taken down. He missed the deadline I gave him, but I''m not going to complain," He muttered and quickly climbed out of the jacuzzi and put on his bathrobe. "Seems like my victory will be tonight. Father will be proud of me"

    Stepping out of the room, he turned to face the guard on the side, "Prepare the available clan members, only those who are at least in the Acolyte rank. Tell them to eat hearty for tonight, our clan will change for good..."

    "As you wish," the guard nodded and turned away.

    ...

    On the other hand, inside a private plane that was currently soaring above the clouds.

    A man, equipped with an air of confidence and power sat cross-legged, reading the news on a tablet.

    It was the article regarding the Feradith Family, Callista''s campaign to clear her family names.

    Just then as he was reading, making sure that everything was going smoothly, a notification appeared that caught his attention. Opening his email, he saw a new mail from a spy of his that specified a letter meant for him.

    Below is the attachment of the letter, a single photo.

    Once the man clicked on it, the photo was opened, revealing the content.

    ''8 P.M. ¡ª Basement parking, Evergreen Plaza''

    ''If you cherish your daughters, ensure your presence. Don''t bring Callista''

    ''Sincerely, the savior.''

    Upon reading the content, the man couldn''t help but frown.

    It was a clear threat and the sender was obvious, "That kid is not to be underestimated,"

 Chapter 216 216: A Letter of Invitation (2)

    "No... This is not happening"

    Inside the Bloodhaven Academy''s student dorm, Elira stared at her phone in disbelief.

    Her hands were trembling uncontrollably, making it unnecessarily hard to hold the phone right.

    Beside her, riled up from sleep was Thalia.

    Due to their altercation several nights ago, the twins became a lot closer, forgetting their past differences, and supported each other through this hard time. Thalia had been sleeping in Elira''s room¡ªfor the last couple of days and she instantly woke up when she heard Elira''s whispering voice.

    Considering their situation, even a pin drop might''ve woken Thalia up.

    Rubbing her eyes, she glanced to the other side of the bed and saw Elira watching a video.

    Albeit the volume was low, the distant scream from the video resounded inside the silent room.

    "What is it? Who''s screaming?" Thalia asked softly.

    Coming to realize that she was awake, Elira turned towards her¡ªpausing slightly, deliberating whether it was a good idea to show it to Thalia. Remembering that they now only have each other, she finally turned her phone and showed the video.

    "It''s Lucivar..." Elira mumbled. "I asked my contacts about Lucivar and he sent me this video"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia grabbed the phone to watch the video.

    It was only a short video, beginning with the person walking through a minimalistic and bleak corridor until he reached¡ªa steel door. He then placed the camera to the cracks, showing a glimpse of Lucivar and Sabrina being tied and tortured.

    Seeing this, the phone instantly slipped from Thalia''s hand and dropped to the bed.

    Her face turned pale as she couldn''t believe what she saw.

    "Did..." Thalia stuttered, turning to her sister a face of shock and fear. "Did Mom assign this?"

    Elira didn''t answer, she only pulled Thalia into her embrace.

    Both of them hugged for a moment, their emotions were in turmoil.

    At that moment, Elira''s mind went back to the conversation she had with Callista days ago.

    ...

    "Listen to me carefully," Callista uttered, facing Elira¡ªacross the cafe? table. "Our family is at risk of having its reputation tainted badly, and it would affect your Father''s case. We need to clear our family name, so I''m going to schedule three press conferences for us leading to the verdict from the Council of Light Concord,"

    Hearing this, Elira tilted her head in confusion.

    If that''s what Callista wanted to do then she couldn''t do anything about it.

    So she was confused as to why Callista was saying this to her.

    "And with that said..." Callista continued, a finger playing on her lips. "I want you to help me paint that little Devil, Lucivar, as a troublemaker who was aiming for our family''s power and wealth. Can you do that?"

    Elira was taken aback.

    She knew that Callista wouldn''t tell her this without anything in mind but this?

    "I get that clearing the family''s name is important for Father''s sake but bringing Lucivar down for us, is that really the right thing to do? Is there no other way?" Elira immediately refuted. Clearly, she didn''t want to go against her savior, "You already framed him and got him imprisoned, and now you wanted to kick him down more? I can''t do that..."

    "Don''t forget, he''s the one who crushed your career¡ªand made you and your sister''s lives as stressful as this," Callista added sharply¡ªclearly displeased at Elira''s answer. "If you are weak to your enemies, you''ll be setting up for trouble in the future"

    "But he''s not my enemy," Elira replied.

    Her expression shifted from helpless to stern in an instant.

    Seeing the change in her expression, Callista''s eyes narrowed¡ªthis was the first time.

    Elira has never fought her back like this much less using this kind of hostile expression.

    "I never raised you to be stupid," Callista refuted, her voice now going an octave deeper and laced with threat. "Anyone who''s against our family is your enemy. It doesn''t matter what he did, it doesn''t matter his reason¡ªhe''s your enemy"

    "No!" Elira stood up abruptly, knocking the table forward in the process. People near their tables began to cast a glance at them, "He saved me and Thalia! Do our lives mean nothing to you? Had it not been for him, you would''ve lost us already!"

    "Sit down, my patience has its limits," Callista said, ignoring Elira''s words entirely.

    She glanced around and found people were beginning to recognize them.

    Any further than this then it would''ve impacted their reputation negatively again.

    "No, I won''t sit down!" Elira became angrier. "If you really cared about us, you would not frame him for something he didn''t do and find a way to settle this peacefully instead! Do you not understand how complicated this situation makes me feel? I''m tired!"

    Upon hearing this, Callista gritted her teeth while trying to remain composed.

    If Elira kept going then things could get very bad.

    "Okay, I understand," Callista finally said, putting on a pliant smile as she begged Elira to sit down with her eyes only. "Please, sit down and don''t garner any more attention to us. Mom always wanted the best for you but I admit, my emotions got the better of me"

    Upon hearing this, Elira reluctantly sat back down again.

    Once she calmed down a little¡ªCallista then spoke again.

    "Okay, here''s what we are going to do. You¡ªand your sister would help me paint Lucivar¡ªas a troublemaker as I requested," Elira wanted to refute but Callista raised a hand, gesturing for her to listen first. "It''s the only way for us to really clear our family name and help your Father. In exchange, Mom will set Lucivar free and even help him rebuild his life for as long as it takes,"

    "His reputation will be tainted but he''s only going to be labeled as a greedy young man who wanted to boost his status as a Hybrid," She continued, conveying her plan as clearly as possible. "In contrast, that will be less damaging than our family being labeled as a bully to youngsters"

    Elira was conflicted.

    She doesn''t want Lucivar to suffer because of her family but on the other hand, she also doesn''t want her family to crumble as reputation is everything. One bad, validated scandal would be a weapon used by all of their rivals.

    So what Callista was offering was the middle ground.

    Although she didn''t know if it was the right choice or not, she decided to agree.

    ...

    Now, however, as Elira tightly embraced Thalia''s body¡ªshe realized that it was a mistake.

    Callista promised to set Lucivar free but until today, that hasn''t happened.

    She didn''t even answer Elira''s calls and texts.

    It was clear that Callista lied, she had no intention of setting Lucivar free from the start.

    Once Elira¡ªand Thalia showed up on the second press conference, agreeing with what Callista had to say, Callista turned on them. Now, Lucivar was suffering, and they couldn''t do anything about it. Not even telling this their Father would help.

    He was too busy dealing with his situation.

    Even if he wanted to, he wouldn''t have the time.

    Maybe Lucivar had done some bad things to them but compared to their lives?

    Isn''t life the most precious thing?

    If Callista loved them, shouldn''t she value their lives more than revenge?

    All of these questions swirled inside the twin''s minds.

    Unconsciously, tears streamed down both of their faces as the video played on repeat in their minds.

    Because of saving them, Lucivar was now in Hell.

    Just then, however, Elira pulled away when she heard a knock coming from the door.

    She quickly wiped the tears and cast a glance to the window, realizing that it was dawn before she made her way to the door. Once the door was opened, a woman in uniform was standing outside¡ªshe was one of her close classmates.

    "Elira, someone is waiting for you in the lobby," She said.

    Upon hearing this, Elira frowned but she quickly grabbed an oversized hoody and checked who it was.

    Once she reached the lobby, she scanned the area and found that it was still mostly empty.

    Students are still in bed, barely getting ready for class.

    Soon, Elira''s gaze landed on a familiar woman sitting on a single sofa to the side.

    Seeing this woman was akin to seeing a ghost.

    Elira instinctively rubbed her eyes, doubting her own vision.

    But when the image remained unchanged, the woman was clearly right in front of her¡ªher eyes flared in shock. For a fleeting moment, she stood frozen¡ªthen, snapping back to reality, she rushed toward the woman.

    "Sabrina.? Is that you?!" Elira exclaimed. "How did you get out?"

    She saw Sabrina with Lucivar that night and she also saw Sabrina volunteering to share Lucivar''s guilt.

    Compared to other slaves turned personal maids, Sabrina''s loyalty was a rare commodity.

    Instead of answering her question, Sabrina only stood up and handed a piece of paper.

    Despite Elira''s excitement at seeing her, Sabrina''s gaze held no warmth¡ªonly an icy coldness that was sharp enough to pierce the skin. "If you''re truly grateful for what he did for you, this is how you can repay him," She said, pressing a folded piece of paper firmly into Elira''s hand. "Don''t be late."

    Not even waiting for a response, Sabrina turned and headed for the exit.

    Elira wanted to call out to her, to ask how she had escaped and how Lucivar was doing¡ªbut she held herself back. One look into Sabrina''s eyes told her all she needed to know¡ªit wasn''t over, Lucivar was still in trouble.

    Looking down to the piece of paper, she unfolded it and read the content.

    ''9:30 P.M. ¡ª Basement parking, Evergreen Plaza''

    ''Bring Thalia with you and don''t be late''

    ''Trust me, I will not hurt you''

    Upon reading the last line, the words from Lucivar from that night rang inside her mind.

    "I want you to trust me with all your heart"

    Almost instantly, a flicker of determination crossed Elira''s face.

    Since Lucivar has asked her to come directly then there''s no need for further questions.

    All he wanted was for her to trust him with all her heart and that''s exactly what she was going to do.

    Lucivar alone she could trust since even her own Mother couldn''t be trusted.

    "Unlike other people who hide behind a mask, Lucivar never did," Elira mumbled, clutching the piece of paper tightly in her hand. "He has always been true to himself¡ªno matter the circumstances. He alone in this world I can trust"

    Moments later, night finally came.

    Just as requested, Elira and Thalia came to the designated place.

    In front of them was a small mall that was secluded and also devoid of many people.

    "Are you sure this is the place?" Thalia asked.

    "Yes," Elira nodded before checking the time on her phone¡ªthey were ten minutes early. "Let''s go"

 Chapter 217 217: Guarantees

    Earlier that morning.

    It was the day of Callista''s third press conference about the scandal.

    She was backstage, having her makeup done while she read the document in her hands.

    A document that contained the final verdict.

    Just as she expected, the verdict from the Council of Light Concord showed that she has not even a single connection with the Crossers. From the start¡ªthis was nothing but a game played by Lucivar, the Feradith Family has never made contact with the Crossers.

    Callista was never worried about the investigation, it was only a hassle for her.

    But now, that was about to end.

    ''Once I cleared any suspicion the public has on us¡ªthe news of him killing a student from the academy would be spread. At that point, not only will he be known to be a troublemaker¡ªhe''d also be deemed as greedy and dangerous,'' Callista smiled unnervingly, staring into her own eyes in the mirror in front of her. ''Killing him would be justice then''

    Putting the document away, Callista closed her eyes¡ªhumming even as she waited patiently.

    Soon, a woman stepped into her room.

    "Madam Callista, it''s time," She informed, gesturing for her to come out.

    Upon hearing this, Callista nodded and followed the woman.

    Exactly like several days ago, bright flashes and rows of reporters and journalists greeted her once she came out. Callista wore her professional, crisp smile as she gave the gathered people a nod, appreciating them for sparing time to come.

    Callista stepped onto the stake, masking her nerves behind a practiced smile as she waved to the crowd.

    Settling into her seat, she took a steadying breath.

    This was it¡ªthe final press conference.

    Once this was done then she could put the scandal and Lucivar behind her.

    She had done well so far, shifting public opinion and clearing the Feradith Family''s name.

    Now, the gathered audience looked at her with something close to respect¡ªa far cry from the hostile take all of them had during the first press conference. Coupled with Lucivar''s continued silence, these people assumed this as him being guilty.

    Callista adjusted her mic and opened her mouth to speak but then she froze.

    She couldn''t believe what she was seeing.

    Looking through the gap of blinding camera flashes, she saw him.

    Lucivar, seated among the crowd, legs crossed, watching her.

    Her head spun almost instantly.

    She blinked once. Twice. By the fifth, the chair was empty.

    Her breath hitched as cold sweat trickled down her temple.

    ''Did I imagine him?'' She pondered¡ªher heart still pounding. ''Must be... there''s no way he''d be here"

    Since Lucivar was currently in prison, there was no way that he''d be here attending the press conference.

    But still, it felt real. Too real.

    For a fleeting moment, she could sweat Lucivar had been there, staring right at her.

    Realizing that the crowd was looking at her in confusion, waiting for her to speak, Callista snapped out of her stupor and forced out the smile again. Disregarding what happened earlier as nothing but closure, she continued with the press conference.

    Unknown to her, Lucivar was nearby¡ªsmiling wickedly at the sight of her panicked face earlier.

    ...

    Later that night.

    Elira and Thalia headed for the basement parking of the Evergreen Mall, as Lucivar requested.

    Both of them walked close to each other, anticipating the worst.

    Secrecy is of the utmost importance for today¡ªthat was obvious enough for today¡ªsince the message was given to Elira in person. No harm will come to them, Lucivar promised them that. But knowing how he could be very unpredictable¡ªthe feeling of nervousness was rising inside of them.

    Nevertheless, the twin pressed on.

    Holding hands together, inseparable¡ªElira and Thalia stepped inside.

    A handful of people and cars could be seen on the first floor, only a couple and they were separated far.

    But seeing that they seemed to be normal people, it calmed them down a little bit.

    Going down to the basement level, the lift door opened with a sharp ding sound and revealed an utterly dark level. Seeing this, Elira and Thalia exchanged a glance, holding hands tighter as they stepped out and scanned the place.

    Across the entire spacious, rectangular space¡ªthere were only a couple of light sources.

    All of them only lit up the corners.

    In addition, their lights were too weak to illuminate anything ten meters away from them.

    "Are we really in the right place...?" Thalia asked again.

    "Yes," Elira nodded. "Mother didn''t fulfill her promise of freeing him¡ªso he must be on the run right now, chased by the Hybrid Association. I''m sure he picked this place, quiet and dark exactly because of that"

    Both walked in search of Lucivar.

    Their eyes darted left and right, searching for any sign of life¡ªfear etched on their faces.

    Due to the darkness, their other senses were heightened further.

    Each step the twin took sent a hollow thud reverberating through the silence, like a heartbeat in a void.

    The sound slithered through the air, unnerving, inescapable¡ªan omen of something unseen.

    Once they neared the center, a flickering light overhead suddenly burst to life¡ªwith a sharp crackle of electric current, casting harsh shadows across the room. Elira¡ªand Thalia instinctively shielded their eyes, momentarily blinded.

    Soon, their vision adjusted to the light¡ªand what greeted them made their breaths hitched.

    In front of them, perched atop a stack of wooden crates, sat Lucivar.

    Lucivar sat with his legs spread dominantly as his arms lounged on his knees loosely, wearing a black hoody that covered his face¡ªonly revealing his golden eyes. Remembering the video, their eyes turned glassy, knowing that underneath that hoody must be countless of wounds.

    Despite not having to go through a trial and be judged fairly, he was tortured as if he was a criminal.

    All he did was help Elira, in self-defense, but their Mother twisted the narrative.

    Surely, Lucivarr must be suffering in pain¡ªand all of that was because of dealing with them.

    Saving them didn''t reward Lucivar but punished him instead.

    Snapping out of their trances, tears streaming down their faces, Elira and Thalia rushed towards him.

    "Lucivar!" Thalia called, grabbing his hand and holding it tightly. "Are you okay?!"

    On the side, Ellira instantly crumbled to her knees, keeping her head down as she sobbed profusely¡ªa sight that even surprised Thalia, "It''s my fault, I should have fought harder to help you that night. Had I done that, you wouldn''t end up like this... Please, forgive me. I''m really sorry"

    Both of them cried an ugly cry as the guilt burst from them.

    Even though they knew their Mother was not a good person, they didn''t know she''d go this far.

    Lucivar was still a young Hybrid and yet, Callista went this far to get rid of him.

    It was true that Elira and Thalia were hunted down and played because of what Lucivar did¡ªbut that wasn''t anywhere near to the pain Luciva suffered. Being hunted down was nothing new for them while being used inflicts nothing more than emotional pain.

    Compared to what Lucivar had gone through, theirs was child''s play.

    Most of the time, they don''t need to lift a finger as others would take care of it for them.

    Lucivar smirked inwardly at their reaction, but the expression vanished as quickly as it came, unnoticed by either twin. Instead, he donned a weak smile and said, "I accept your apology. It''s not that this was your doings so there''s nothing for either of you to feel guilty about. More than anything, I want nothing more than to end this fight with your family"

    Upon hearing this, Elira wiped away her tears and gazed at Luicvar directly.

    "What do we need to do?" She asked with determination. "You asked us to come for a reason, right?"

    "Anything. As long as we can do it, we''ll gladly do it for you," Thalia added.

    She wanted their relationship to return back to how it was supposed to be¡ªbefore the clash.

    "Yes, I did call you here for a reason. Something that both of you could do for me," Lucivar nodded, he wouldn''t have gone through this trouble had it not been for a reason. "But first, Elira, can I have my ring back? I need it"

    Blinking her eyes, Elira realized what he was referring to.

    She took off the emerald ring, Gleipnir''s Echo from her ring finger and handed it over to Lucivar.

    Lucivar gave it to her to hide her presence that night.

    Now that she had no use for it, he naturally wanted the ring back.

    "I have an ability called the Binding Wind," Lucivar slipped the ring back on and spoke suddenly. "It creates a link between two targets, activating under conditions of my choosing. I want to cast it on both of you¡ªbinding you to your mother, Callista¡ªand become my guarantee. Are you willing?"

    Upon hearing this, Elira and Thalia blinked in confusion.

    "Can you be more specific?" Elira asked, wanting Luciva to elaborate further.

    Lucivar nodded, deciding to simplify the Fool''s Trick ability, "I will bind you to Callista so that if she tries to kill me, the ability will be activated and you two will explode. As I said, I need the two of you to be my guarantee until I find a way to get her off my back"

    Nothing would prepare Elira and Thalia to hear that request.

    It was essentially asking them to risk their lives to protect Lucivar''s life.

    But then again, that''s exactly what Lucivar did for them.

    "I''m willing," Elira instantly answered without any question. "I''m willing to accept it"

    On the other side, Thalia gasped, "Sister, are you crazy? Didn''t you hear what he said?!"

    "Yes, but if that''s what he needed then I''ll gladly accept it. After all, my life is not mine anymore. I owed my life to him," Elira answered decisively, making sure that she honored what she promised Lucivar¡ªthat she''d trust him completely with all her heart.

    Thalia was taken aback¡ªthis was a big decision to make but Elira answered almost instantly.

    Seeing that Thalia was still hesitant, Lucivar added, "What''s there to worry about? I''d tell Callista about this so that she knew about the consequences if she tried to kill me. As long as she didn''t attack me then you two will be fine"

    "Unless" His lips curved into a playful smile, "you''re not confident. If it comes down to you or Callista''s reputation and face, I wonder... which one she''ll choose?"

    Upon hearing this, Thalia bit her lower lip.

    Just like Lucivar said, there''s nothing to worry about as long as Callista didn''t attack him.

    But the way Lucivar said it made Thalia second-guess everything.

    Will Callista really refrain from trying to kill Lucivar if they know their lives are at stake?

    ''Must be, right...?'' Thalia pondered shakily. ''Mom wouldn''t do that...''

 Chapter 218 218: The Ultimate Plan (1)

    At Lucivar''s words, the world around her began to buzz and blur.

    She was clearly taken aback and her mind was thrown back into the past.

    Flashes of specific moments crossed her mind.

    ...

    "Hey, are you okay? What happened to you?!" Thalia was holding a short-haired young man¡ªwho was foaming from the mouth. She was at a lavish party, wanting to take some fresh air outside but saw this man on the ground.

    Noticing the man was passing out, Thalia quickly stood up to search for help.

    As she reached for the door, she bumped into someone¡ªit was Callista.

    "Mom!" Thalia exclaimed before pointing at the young man. "We need to call for help! He''s dying!"

    Upon hearing this, Callista glanced at the young man and instantly recognized him.

    Suddenly, she grabbed Thalia''s wrist and pulled her away, getting as far away from the room as possible, "Come with me, there''s nothing we can do," She whispered. "Don''t try and be a hero, he''s most likely overdosed from consuming something"

    Not expecting this reaction, Thalia was confused along the way.

    It didn''t take long before the two were outside the mansion.

    Callista brought her to a secluded place.

    Once nobody was around, she stopped and turned to face Thalia, "Listen to me, you and me are the only ones who saw him. If we tried to act righteous and call for help, we''d be the first ones to be suspected. It is not good for our family''s reputation. If anyone asked, tell them you don''t know anything"

    Thalia couldn''t properly hear what her mother was saying.

    She was still stunned that her mother brought her away and left that person to die.

    "Do you understand?" Callista shook her body, forcing her to focus.

    Reluctantly, Thalia nodded her head.

    A day after the first incident when Lucivar started the problem between him and the family.

    "Mom... Why didn''t you treat him better?" Thalia asked meekly. "He saved my life"

    "Do I need to grovel at him?" Callista shot back, casting a warning glance at her youngest daughter. "A lot of people are there, I can''t possibly value a nobody like him even though he saved your life. Where do you think my face would be if everyone knew I couldn''t protect my own daughters?"

    "But still, he saved my life..." Thalia wanted to argue but her voice was lighter than she wanted.

    Not wanting to hear her complain, Callista stood up abruptly and waved her hand dismissively.

    "Stop arguing with me, I''m your mother," She said before storming out to leave.

    ...

    Consistently, Callista has shown that she was valuing her reputation more than anything.

    Deep down, Thalia knew about it but she didn''t want to admit it.

    Now that her life was really going to be on the line as well as the push from Lucivar''s words, she began to really question whether Callista would choose her life rather than seeking vengeance to maintain her reputation.

    ''Did Elira still believe in mom?'' Thalia glanced at Elira with a troubled gaze. ''Is she fine with this?''

    Sensing her gaze, Elira turned towards her.

    As if she knew what was inside Thalia''s mind, she gave an encouraging nod.

    "So, what''s your answer, Thalia?" Lucivar pressured further, casting a daunting smile at her¡ªas if he was testing her. "I saved you once from an assassin, in case you forgot, and I even dated you for a day. Or... Did my betrayal sting too much?"

    Hearing this, Thalia bit her lower lip¡ªit was clear that Lucivar was teasing her.

    "Asshole..." She whispered lightly. "Fine, I''m also willing"

    Lucivar leaned his ear forward, "What''s that? I can''t really hear you. Speak up"

    "I said I''m also willing!" Thalia repeated with more fervor.

    As soon as she said that Lucivar grinned¡ªshowcasing rows of white teeth before he extended his hands.

    Both Thalia and Elira grabbed his hand, expecting him to use this Binding Wind ability of his that would somehow bind them to Callista. It was such a bizarre ability, especially considering that Lucivar was a Harpy Hybrid.

    Though from what Elira had seen that night, she was skeptical that Lucivar was a Harpy Hybrid.

    "Done," Lucivar nodded, pulling back his hands again.

    "It''s done?" Elira frowned¡ªshe didn''t feel any ether coming from Lucivar. "Really?"

    "Yep, I''m way stronger than you two so you can''t feel my ether anymore," Lucivar answered laxly.

    Of course, what he does is always not what it seems.

    It was a part of an elaborate plan, one that would change the twin''s entire lives.

    Binding Wind ability? It was nothing more than a pseudonym for his Fool''s Trick ability.

    "As long as Callista didn''t outright kill me, both of you will be fine," He assured further.

    Naturally, the twin could only nod their heads¡ªuncertain whether they had made the right decision.

    Just then, as the weight of their decisions was still mildly settling on them, Lucivar raised his gaze and saw multiple pairs of glowing yellow eyes appearing from the darkness. Seeing these predators, a smirk crept to his lips, "Seems like we got company..."

    Almost instantly, Elira and Thalia snapped around and saw the same scene.

    Unconsciously, the two sucked in a cold breath as they could tell exactly who they were dealing with.

    "Did we get followed?!" Thalia exclaimed, realizing that it was the Crimson Wolf Clan.

    Elira''s eyebrows dipped, "No, that can''t be. I really made sure nobody was following us!"

    "Relax..." Lucivar suddenly said as he grabbed hold of their nape with his hands. "I called them here"

    Hearing this, the twin''s hearts skipped a beat.

    "Lucivar, you damn bastard!" Thalia exclaimed, trying to break free from his grip. "You set us up!"

    Despite wanting to retaliate, channeling her ether to enhance her physique¡ªshe came to realize that her ether was drying up rapidly. Gradually¡ªshe was losing strength. It was only then she realized Lucivar was draining her ether.

    On the other side, Elira also initially retaliated but she stopped.

    Instead of retaliating, she reached her hand to grab Thalia''s hand.

    Feeling this, Thalia glanced over to her and saw that she was oddly calm in this situation.

    Of course, there was still panic in her eyes but there was also calmness in them.

    Lucivar let go of the twin once their ether was completely drained¡ªfrom his Greedy Grasp ability, and then he stepped forward, facing at least a dozen Hybrids that were lurking in the dark. He faced the pale crimson pair of eyes that emanated the strongest aura.

    "I was expecting to meet with Ragnar again," He said as he stepped forward.

    Hearing this, the pair of crimson eyes stepped forward and revealed himself to be an old man.

    He was the old man who teleported Lucivar back then, the one who accompanied Ragnar.

    "I''m the one in charge of picking them up, is there any reason you want Young Master Ragnar to be here?" the old man asked, squinted his cloudy eyes. He paused for a good moment, letting his words hang in the air before turning his focus on the twin. "You''re quite capable kid, to drain them of strength like it was nothing. Is this really the power of a Harpy Hybrid?"

    A chuckle escaped Lucivar''s lips when he heard this.

    "I''m not a Harpy Hybrid," He answered before his smirk stretched further. "But you already know that"

    Hearing this, the old man scoffed before attempting to walk past Lucivar.

    But Lucivar stopped him by grabbing his arm, "I got what you wanted but I''m not doing it for free"

    "Once we manage to secure Elira, we''ll grant anything you want," the old man replied and freed his arm from Lucivar''s grip with a forceful pull. "Only then will you demand anything from us. Patience, you''ll get what you wanted"

    As the old man was about to walk again, Lucivar stopped him again.

    Being stopped for the second time, the old man began to run out of patience.

    His hot breath came out of his nose like a raging bull and his eyes flickered with a predatory glint.

    "Come on," Lucivar slurred, glancing at the old man, with a fearless smirk. "At least listen to my request. The sooner you listen to what I wanted, the sooner you''ll take those two out of here. I promise. I won''t go back on my words"

    Slapping his hand away, the old man turned towards Lucivar, "Fine, be quick"

    "Great!" Lucivar clapped.

    In a relaxed manner, he leaned forward and whispered, "I want..."

    As the old man was listening to what Lucivar had to say, his eyes darted to the stone pillar ahead.

    He didn''t know if he saw it right or not but its shadow seemed to move a bit.

    "I want..." Lucivar repeated before a dangerous air brewed around him. "I want your eyes!"

    Splash!

    For a second there, the old man was stunned as his mind was still trying to grasp the situation.

    But then, when he felt an excruciating pain coming from his right eye¡ªhis mind clicked.

    Lucivar tore his right eye from its socket, leaving a gaping, bloody void in its place.

    Not stopping at doing only that, Lucivar channeled fifteen God strands into his leg and kicked the old man right on his stomach. Once the kick connected, the raw sound of flesh echoed throughout the entire space as the old man was pushed back¡ªcreating trenches on the concrete ground along his path.

    "Kid, what''s the meaning of this?!!" the old man growled with unbridled fury.

    His entire body began to steam, transforming into something inhuman¡ªa Werewolf in full form.

    Sharp fangs, black furs, a muzzle, and layers of dense muscles.

    "Oh, come on..." Lucivar shrugged his shoulders, tossing away the eyeball¡ªas if it was nothing more than a piece of trash. "You''re blind already, what''s so bad about taking your eye? I mean, it''s nothing but decoration for you so it''s fine if I take one out. On top of that¡ªyou are a Werewolf Hybrid, you''d grow it back"

    Upon hearing this, the old man was at a loss for words.

    He wasn''t sure earlier but now he realized Lucivar had lost his mind already.

    But then, as the old man''s regeneration worked and he was about to say something¡ªhe stopped.

    "What''s this...?" the old man whispered in shock.

    Noticing the confusion and shock on the old man''s face, Lucivar grinned, "Is there something wrong?"

    "What have you done to me?!" the old man roared, his voice was raw and murderous¡ªas he came to realize that the regeneration from his bloodline couldn''t recover his right eye. "You crazy, arrogant bastard! What did you do?!"

    As soon as that question flew from the old man''s mouth, Lucivar revealed his secret.

    Raising a hand, he commanded a gathering of light and darkness that swirled together, forming a new power that was beyond the normal ether. His ether, which was normally golden was now turned into this black and white energy.

    "Light and Dark attribute," Lucivar said proudly. "Pretty neat, huh?"

 Chapter 219 219: The Ultimate Plan (2)

    Hearing this, the old man couldn''t help but suck in a cold breath.

    In his fixed and old mind, he believed that this can''t be happening right now.

    Being blind from birth, the old man has never been able to see¡ªbut being a Werewolf Hybrid allowed him to feel the world through his other senses. Currently, he could hear a faint hum, low and pulsing, like two opposing forces grinding against each other.

    At where Lucivar stood, the old man sensed the space around him trembled with an unnatural weight.

    It was as if the world itself recoiled from whatever he held.

    Some form of energy¡ªtwo advanced versions of the regular ether hovered on Lucivar''s hand.

    A deep, hissing sound slithered through the air, one moment smooth and fluid, the next violent and also erratic¡ªas if two unseen entities coiled and struck at each other, locked in an endless struggle. Both heat and chill pulsed in waves, clashing in a way that sent a prickling sensation down the spine.

    Just from the changes whatever Lucivar summoned brought, clearly, it was something spectacular.

    And without a doubt, it was two attributes merged together.

    "You... You''ve unlocked your attributes?" the old man whispered in disbelief.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar grinned as he played with the paradox of creation¡ªand destruction on his hand, the newborn power from merging light and dark. Even though these attributes lashed and coiled, seeking to dominate the other¡ªLucivar''s control made sure neither could fully consume the other.

    Rather, somehow, impossibly, they merged¡ªheld together by Lucivar''s will alone.

    For the last couple of days, before this fateful night came¡ªLucivar had been training like a madman.

    He absorbed all of the spheres he amassed, mainly the golden spheres, and broke through to the five-star Acolyte rank. Other than the initial batch of Zibbo''s men, he was able to kill the rest the following day once Caldaros returned to the academy.

    Because of that, his growth has been exponential.

    Reaching the five-star Acolyte rank not only increased his overall strength but also allowed him to tap into the tip of his attributes. Light and dark¡ªtwo highly contrasting attributes. Attempting to control one was a hassle as the other will always be stimulated.

    Since he hadn''t reached the Chrysalis rank, he couldn''t properly control one attribute at a time.

    He could only control two at once.

    One might think that controlling two at once was a good thing but it wasn''t.

    Due to the contrasting effect, he literally couldn''t use the two attributes for anything but earlier this day, he thought of an idea. Lucivar was sure that it wasn''t his ether control that was lacking to use these two attributes but it was because of the limitation from tapping into them¡ªbefore he reached the appropriate rank.

    In that case, he decided to try and merge the two attributes together.

    Aided by the ether control from Loki''s power, he succeeded, and the result was another form of power.

    Swoosh!

    Just then, the old man felt a cold air brushing against his skin as he expanded his senses.

    Now, he realized that Lucivar''s body was pulsating with an invisible wave of power.

    A wave of power¡ªcreated by merging the Light and Dark attributes.

    "Can you see it...?" Lucivar''s eyes gleamed brighter as he took pleasure in the old man''s expression as he tried to grasp the situation. "As long as you''re within range of these pulses, your regeneration will not work. Instead, your wound will only worsen the harder your regeneration tries. In other words, I am your worst match-up. In other words..."

    He extended his blood-coated hand forward menacingly, "I have a good chance of killing you,"

    Elira and Thalia watched in awe from behind.

    Both of them couldn''t believe what they were seeing¡ªan Acolyte-rank Hybrid who could actually hurt and pose a threat to a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid. Such a thing was almost unheard of, only extremely few people in the world has that kind of achievement.

    Only the direct lineages of the Supreme Houses could have that kind of talent.

    Somehow, Lucivar''s talent was standing up there with them.

    Despite their amazement at Lucivar''s strength, the situation was still confusing for them.

    It was extremely so for Thalia.

    Lucivar called them here and forced them to accept being used¡ªas his insurance against Callista, and now, he also called the Crimson Wolf Clan which means he set them up. Letting them be taken by would guarantee him a good position with the clan but instead of doing that¡ªhe decided to attack the old man instead.

    From the very start, she knew that Lucivar was a complicated man.

    But this situation was really overwhelming.

    At this moment, Thalia didn''t know what to think about him.

    "Don''t be cocky, you''re still an Acolyte-rank Hybrid!" the old man roared angrily.

    Gesturing to his men, he pointed forward¡ªtelling them to attack.

    Almost instantly, two Werewolf Hybrids¡ªone has furs as his unique characteristic while the other has fangs and claws¡ªrushed towards Lucivar on all four. Behind them were the rest of them, aiming to kill Lucivar without mercy.

    Roar!

    Once near range, the two leaped and readied their claws to rend Lucivar''s flesh.

    However, at the exact moment when their hands were about to reach him¡ªthey were halted mid-air.

    "Graarghk!"

    "Huargh!"

    Both of their eyes widened when blood suddenly exploded from their mouths followed by a sharp pain in their chests. Looking down in a hurry, they realized that their chests were caved in¡ªthe remnants of being punched.

    Such a sight surprised them greatly, they couldn''t even see Lucivar moved!

    Crash!

    Like a bullet, those two were thrown away, slamming onto a pillar that caused them to spin chaotically mid-air before crashing onto the ground. Not even fazed by that, the other Werewolf Hybrids circled Lucivar and attacked.

    However, none of them were able to reach Lucivar.

    One growled, lunging with malicious intent.

    In an instant, Lucivar''s arm blurred¡ªone moment still, the next a lethal whip crack.

    A sickening thud rang out as his fist slammed into the Hybrid''s throat, cutting off its snarl mid-sound.

    Another Werewolf Hybrid pounced from the side, claws flashing.

    But Lucivar was already gone, his body twisting impossibly fast.

    He pivoted, elbow driving into its ribs before it even realized he had moved.

    A third came from behind, fangs bared for his neck¡ªonly to jerk violently mid-air as Lucivar''s knee rocketed upward, meeting its jaw with pinpoint accuracy. They kept coming, two, three at a time, their monstrous strength and speed overwhelming to any normal foe.

    Unfortunately for them, Lucivar wasn''t normal.

    Every attack they threw was countered before it even reached him.

    Lucivar showed no wasted movement and no hesitation.

    Other than increasing his rank, he also upgraded his muscles and tendons in the Stone Tablet.

    His physique assessment sky-rocketed to the Low Sphinx tier.

    Upgrading his muscles allowed him to exert double the strength than before but the fun part lies on his upgraded tendons. Because of his upgraded tendons, his speed and power became explosive, allowing him to strike in a blur of the eyes.

    Not to mention, muscle contractions also became faster¡ªnear instantaneous.

    Lucivar''s reflexes weren''t increased that much but due to that, it seemed like his reflex was insane.

    Defeating other Acolyte-rank Hybrids became a lot easier now.

    He didn''t even need to sweat against these people.

    As he blocked and countered two Werewolf Hybrids, one managed to slip past his defenses.

    Like a feral animal, he loaded his claws and struck Lucivar with all his might.

    Even then, Lucivar was fast enough to cross his arms and block the attack¡ªand to the Hybrid''s utter surprise, hitting Lucivar was like hitting a rock. Lucivar didn''t even stumble or move from his spot. He ate that swipe like it was nothing.

    Although he used every ounce of his ether and strength, the scratch only left shallow scratches.

    Lucivar peeked from behind his guard and in an instant, grabbed the Hybrid by the face.

    He lifted the Hybrid off the ground with a crushing grip and absorbed his ether ruthlessly.

    "You used an ability just now, didn''t you?" Lucivar tilted his head menacingly. "I want that ability"

    Just as Lucivar was absorbing the Hybrid''s ether, his eyes caught sight of a shadow.

    In the next second, he was flung backward¡ªtackled by the old man that has already fully transformed.

    "Did you forget about me, kid?!" the old man barked as he grabbed Lucivar by the head with his massive hand, slammed him into the ground, and dragged him violently across the floor. "I may not have eyes but I can see how this ends as I''ve seen people like you a hundred times¡ªrraargh!"

    Crash!

    Lucivar got thrown and slammed onto the wall hard.

    He gritted his teeth, trying his hardest not to cough blood and showing weakness.

    Falling to his feet¡ªhe gazed ahead with the same arrogant grin, "Are you sure about that, old man?"

    "Hmm...?" the old man reached for his stomach and realized that he was bleeding.

    Realizing this only made him angrier, his aura climbed higher as white vapor began to sizzle from his body. Lucivar''s eyes narrowed in focus, sensing the old man was now activating his attribute, moonlight attribute.

    It was getting serious now.

    Growl!

    Baring his muscular chest and fangs, the old man leaped forward.

    But as he did that, he vanished from thin air.

    Lucivar''s eyes widened, he already knew that the old man had teleportation ability since he was the one who teleported him away back then. However, even though he knew about this ability, handling it was another matter entirely.

    Swish!

    In an instant, a flash of moonlight appeared from the side as the old man emerged.

    Surrendering himself to his reflexes, Lucivar tried to block but he wasn''t fast enough.

    Four bloody lines crossed his torso as the old man disappeared once again.

    Unlike before when Lucivar dominated, he was the one being dominated now¡ªas the old man was a relentless freak. He kept disappearing and reappearing in Lucivar''s blind spot, tearing flesh after flesh without actually dealing the final blow.

    Having enough, the old man was now toying with Lucivar.

    "Still confident now?"

    Slash!

    "Do you think the gap between Chrysalis-rank and Acolyte-rank is that easily covered?"

    Slash!

    "Fool! Arrogant! Do you think I''m a new Chrysalis rank? I''m a five-star! Five-star!!"

    Bam!

    Lucivar flew across the underground parking lot, passing Elira and Thalia.

    But the moment he flew past the two, he made sure to grab Thalia as he crashed to the other side.

    Once Thalia recovered, she blinked her eyes and realized that she was behind Lucivar¡ªwho was now coughing blood and covered in wounds. A distance away from them, the old man reappeared, sizzling with moonlight.

    "Regret your decision as you die..." the old man whispered and approached slowly.

    However, hearing this threat made Lucivar explode with laughter, "BUAHAHA~!"

    He was laughing so hard that tears welled up in his eyes.

    "Is death that funny to you, kid?" the old man raised an eyebrow. "It won''t be funny once you feel it"

    "Hey, stupid old man," Lucivar stopped laughing abruptly, changing between emotions¡ªas quickly as curling his lips. "Are you senile? Do you think I don''t know the gap between us? Do you think I''d be as confident as I am if I don''t know I''ll win?"

    "See properly for once, I''m not here alone," Lucivar added.

    Upon hearing this, the old man''s heart skipped a beat as the sound of footsteps came from behind.

    Almost instantly, he turned around and gasped at the sight of a figure, "You?!"

 Chapter 220 220: The Ultimate Plan (3)

    "I have been dealing with you greedy bunch who wanted to devour my clan and I''ve been patient," the figure who appeared out of nowhere said with restrained anger, rolling up his sleeves menacingly. "And now, you even gone lower to aim my daughters to pressure me...?"

    Hearing the voice, Elira and Thalia''s eyes widened completely.

    Both recognized this voice instantly¡ªIt was their Father, Julian Vamos Feradith.

    Snapping their necks to where the voice came from, the twin really saw their Father¡ªHe was real.

    "D- Dad?" Elira muttered in shock.

    All she knew was that Julain couldn''t be with them due to the scandal with the Crimson Wolf Clan.

    He was banned from leaving the city, needing to address the situation first.

    So naturally, she was surprised to see her Father being here.

    It was the exact same for Thalia as she glanced at Lucivar in complete disbelief, ''He planned this?''

    Lucivar, on the other hand, smirked as he inspected the man called Julian.

    ''So this person is Julian?'' He thought in marvel. ''Woah... My body can''t stop trembling at his presence''

    Julian, despite being a Fairy Bloodline that was known to be delicate and pliant in appearance, was as imposing as even a Dragon Hybrid. He boasted long silken white hair, flawless facial features that could even match those of models, pointy ears, and a raging aura of wind that covered the entire underground parking lot with its sharpness.

    Heavily training muscles bulged from underneath his sleeves.

    He repeatedly clenched his fists as if raring to beat the living hell out of the old man.

    A presence has been present from the very start.

    Knowing Lucivar''s background, the Crimson Wolf Clan¡ªparticularly Ragnar wasn''t worried that he might be coughing up anyone stronger than early Chrysalis-rank Hybrid. He was talented but was not that favored with the problems surrounding him.

    So sending the old man, who was a five-star Chrysalis rank Hyrbid would be more than enough.

    Ragnar decided to send the old man on his behalf in case Lucivar had a reckless plan.

    Perhaps, it was a bit of an overkill to do that.

    However, the old man realized now that Lucivar deserved every bit of their caution.

    He was playing both sides!

    ''Oh, no...'' the old man turned pale at the sight of Julian. ''I- I need to get out of here!''

    Despite being at the very peak of the Chrysalis-rank, considered a powerhouse everywhere he went¡ªthe person he was facing right now was not at the peak of the Chrysalis-rank but the Paragon-rank instead and even nearing a breakthrough the Paragon-rank.

    He was someone who even Drake, the head of the Crimson Wolf Clan, couldn''t face head-on.

    Julian could swat a hundred people at the old man''s strength without a sweat.

    "I''m not a violent person," He said as he continued ahead. "But that would change for tonight..."

    Not wasting a single second, the old man quickly channeled his attribute and coated his body with it.

    It took a couple of seconds for him to be ready to teleport away.

    Seeing this, Lucivar frowned as Julian didn''t seem to be increasing his pace.

    Perhaps, he didn''t know about the old man''s ability.

    "Get him, quick!" Lucivar shouted warningly. "He''s going to teleport away!"

    Even though he tried his best to inform Julian about the old man''s ability, being able to teleport him or someone else at will¡ªhe was a tad bit too late. Once moonlight coated his entire body, the old man did not hesitate to teleport away.

    Swish!

    In an instant, he vanished from his spot.

    Despite seeing that, however, Julian didn''t seem to be worried.

    Once he reached the space where the old man had disappeared, a violent gush of wind coalesced in his right hand, and with a brutal motion¡ªhis hand shot forward, stabbing through space. Under Lucivar as well as the twin''s surprised gaze, Julian pulled the old man out of that space-crack.

    "W- Wait! Wait a minute!" the old man tried to plead but it fell on Julian''s deaf ears.

    Easily, Julian pulled the old man back from wherever he teleported earlier and tossed him back.

    Falling on his back, the old man stood up and realized that there was no other choice¡ªbut to fight his way out of here. Straightening his shaky frame, the old man went to his fighting stance¡ªhis weathered bones protesting as he summoned his power.

    Swish!

    Moonlight surged around him, coating his body in a luminous glow as his aura spiked.

    Under his power, the entire basement trembled, shadows recoiling from the radiant moonlight.

    Suddenly, in an instant, Julian appeared before him.

    No warning, no blur of motion¡ªjust a sudden presence.

    Ignoring the old man''s shocked expression, Julian made an effortless motion, extending his index finger, charged with his own attribute, and tapped the old man''s chest. Almost instantly, the moment his finger made contact¡ªthe moonlight dispersed like mist in the wind.

    Once again, the basement was shrouded in darkness as the old man''s moonlight was snuffed out.

    "Heuk?!" the old man''s breath hitched.

    His body stiffened and his instincts screamed at him to move but he couldn''t.

    Bam!!

    A fist drove into his gut.

    Upon impact, the old man''s torso curved inward¡ªthe pain was blinding, a lance of agony that sent his senses spiraling out of control. However, the force of the blow didn''t throw him backward. It was eerily concentrated to cause as much damage without any theatrics.

    Instead of being thrown away, his entire body folded in on itself.

    His knees slammed into the cold stone floor as his eyes bulged.

    A sickening gurgle escaped his throat, saliva, and blood spilling from his lips.

    Julian had held back just enough to not kill him instantly.

    Gasping, the old man dragged himself back¡ªhis trembling hand lifting in a desperate pea.

    "P- Please..." He begged¡ªtears from the pain welling up in his eyes. "I''m only donig what I''m told,"

    "A gun doesn''t get to claim innocence just because someone else fired the shot," Julian answered, his gaze was as cold as a monolith. "You might only be the gun but you''re as guilty. Pray to your God, I''ll give you time to repent..."

    Julian took a step forward.

    Then another.

    Slow, deliberate.

    Even though he was walking slowly, the pace of the old man''s crawl was slower.

    Before the old man could go anywhere else, Julian seized him by the head, lifting him effortlessly until their eyes met. A suppressed, flaming fury could be seen behind Julian''s gaze. One that has no trace of forgiveness or mercy.

    Then, as if discarding something insignificant, he let go.

    In slow motion, the old man fell back down again.

    He barely registered his fall before another punch landed on his face.

    Crack!

    Unlike the previous punch, this one struck his face with the force of a thunderclap.

    Bones crunches as his face shatters and he is sent hurling across the basement, skidding and rolling across the space but Julian isn''t done. Before the old man crashed into the far wall, Julian was already behind him, waiting with his fist clenched.

    Once the old man''s body was in striking distance, another brutal fist hammered his back.

    Despite being overwhelmingly powerful moments ago, the old man became nothing more than a weak plaything in front of Julian¡ªhelplessly ricocheting between Julian''s merciless strikes and walls. His body not breaking fast enough under the punishment.

    He doesn''t want to die but at this point, he wants to die.

    But Julian makes sure he cannot die.

    Not until he repaid the old man for what he was attempting to do to his little princesses.

    Observing the scene unfold from the side, Lucivar smiled inwardly.

    ''Should I suck up to these two now...?'' He thought wryly. ''I''m dead if Julian knew everything I did''

    Lucivar coughed a mouthful of blood as he felt his face was a wreck from earlier.

    Seeing this, Thalia checked on him worriedly, "Now that Dad is here, let''s go to the nearest hospital"

    "No, I''m not done here," Lucivar shook his head.

    Upon hearing this, Thalia frowned in contemplation¡ªshe didn''t know what else was there to do.

    But then, she realized that if Julian came here himself then Lucivar must''ve promised him something.

    So it must be that.

    A few minutes later, Julian looked at the old man''s destroyed figure before turning away.

    For better or worse, the old man wasn''t dead¡ªholding on by a thread.

    Julian didn''t say anything to his daughters and instantly went to Lucivar, towering over him, "I already accepted your terms¡ªbut you are still short on one thing. Earlier, you promised me Ragnar"

    Taking a look around, Julian then added, "He''s not here now, is he?"

    Elira who also approached and heard this, realized that Lucivar was using them as bait for Ragnar.

    He promised Ragnar but Ragnar was careful enough to not come here personally.

    Lucivar failed to lure him out.

    But above all, regardless of what he did¡ªElira made the right choice.

    Unlike Thalia, from the very start, she has the utmost trust in Lucivar.

    She didn''t think that Lucivar would turn on them, instead, he must be planning something else.

    And she was right.

    "Dad..." Elira walked over and pulled his arm dotingly. "Isn''t this more than enough already?"

    "Yes, Dad. We''re safe," Thalia added.

    However, as Julian''s heart was about to melt from his daughters'' plea, Lucivar raised his gaze and cast a questioning look, "Not even a thank you?" He asked daringly. "You''re supposed to be grateful to me. The Crimson Wolf Clan came to me asking for Elira, and I chose you instead. If I didn''t, you would be getting the news of Thalia''s death and Elira''s kidnap by now"

    Upon hearing this, Elira and Thalia sucked in a cold breath.

    As always, Lucivar was never one to hold back his tongue.

    "Don''t make the situation worse," Thalia whispered, holding his arm. "Let us handle this"

    But Lucivar kept his eye contact still, not backing down.

    Just then, Julian''s eyes narrowed, "Is that why you only pulled her earlier?"

    "Yes," Lucivar nodded. "They specifically said they only want Elira"

    Earlier, when the old man threw Lucivar¡ªhe made sure to grab Thalia with him.

    It was specifically because he was afraid the old man would kill Thalia.

    Realizing that fact, Julian sighed heavily before he nodded, "You''re right, I thanked you for this"

    As soon as Lucivar heard his gratitude, a smile instantly bloomed on his face as he now knew that Julian wasn''t as unreasonable as Callista. Strugglingly, Lucivar stood up and straightened his back, "No need to mention it, I did it for myself. Also, I''m still going to deliver my promise,"

    Clearly, Lucivar was referring to Ragnar.

    But he wasn''t here.

    "How are you planning to do that?" Julian asked, raising an eyebrow.

    Upon hearing that, a devilish smirk crept to Lucivar''s face as he looked at the dark trail to his side.

    "I got my ways..."

 Chapter 221 221: Just Want To Talk

    It was Lucivar''s plan all along to have the situation end up like this.

    Once he managed to get out of prison by blackmailing the director, he sent Sabrina to send a message to Thalia and Sabrina about this meeting. He also told Angel to find a way to contact Julian and Ragnar, telling them the same message.

    However, the written timestamp was different for each message.

    Julian was told to come the earliest, then the twin, and finally¡ªRagnarr.

    He needed them to come in this exact order to carry out the plan as he had envisioned.

    Julian needed to be the one to arrive the earliest because Lucivar would share the situation to him.

    For multiple days after coming back from Kalinan City, knowing that he needed to deal with his problem with the Feradith Family¡ªLucivar''s put his full focus on this matter. Even before he made contact with the Crimson Wolf Clan, he was already fretting about a decision he needed to make.

    Lucivar needed to choose between the Crimson Wolf Clan and the Feradith Family.

    It was a hard decision.

    He consistently contemplated which side was better.

    Of course, considering that he has a problem with the Feradith Family¡ªthe answer should be clear.

    The Crimson Wolf Clan should be the answer.

    But, once they made contact with him, threatening to get them Elira¡ªhis decision was clear.

    Instead of going with the Crimson Wolf Clan, he decided to choose the Feradith Family.

    Finally deciding on which side to pick stemmed from multiple factors, it didn''t come to him naturally.

    Creating a plan basically came down to risk assessment.

    It was to make sure that he had the best possible chance to get on top in the end.

    So he did exactly that, weighing the risks.

    First of all, he has a history with the Feradith Family that he could still use.

    Compared to the Crimson Wolf Clan whom he did not know personally, he knew Elira and Thalia who were important people. Lucivar has invested a lot of his time and effort into those two, building some form of relationship with them.

    It would be a waste not to use it.

    Second, despite how it seemed, he didn''t have a direct problem with the Feradith Family.

    As opposed to the family, he was having a problem with Callista instead.

    She was the one who was aiming for him, not the Feradith Family itself.

    Both Mirror Demon Hybrids who attacked him in Angel''s place showed that fact to him clearly.

    Had he been facing the Feradith Family, which centered around Julian, the Hybrids¡ªwho would come after him wouldn''t be those two meager Hybrids. Seeing how strong Julian was, no doubt about it, there were people in the Green Tempest Clan who were as strong as the old man, people who could kill him as easily as killing an ant.

    Due to that logical narration, he couldn''t blatantly choose the Crimson Wolf Clan.

    Third, Julian is stronger than Drake.

    Lucivar has researched and asked around, attempting to gauge the pillar from each side.

    Drake, the head of the Crimson Wolf Clan, and also a Werewolf Hybrid with a high purity bloodline, as strong as he was¡ªhe was still two stars below Julian. Lucivar wanted to know about this because the weaker part, when things got ugly, would certainly look after themselves.

    Picking the weaker side would mean taking a higher risk of being abandoned if things escalated.

    After all, the weaker head wouldn''t win against the stronger head.

    In that case, how could the weaker head protect him? Simply put, the weaker head couldn''t.

    Lastly, the fourth reason was a simple one¡ªit was because Ragnar threatened him.

    From the very start, he was already inclined to choose the Feradith Family because Ragnar threatened him with force. Lucivar doesn''t operate well against threats, and he would make sure that anyone who tries doing that pays the price.

    But he was still unsure, needing more validation to pick the Feradith Family.

    However, as days passed, the answer became clearer and clearer.

    And eventually, he picked the Feradith Family.

    Of course, this wasn''t the initial plan.

    Callista''s antics dramatically changed the situation and he needed to adjust.

    But being imprisoned and tortured in that chamber gave a lot of time for Lucivar to contemplate.

    ''Now, the plan is to trap Ragnar in here but he''s not here,'' Lucivar pondered inside with a smile before his eyes went to the dark trail that was connected to him right now, it came from outside of the basement. ''Guess I''ll need to adjust again

    ...

    Meanwhile, about a block away from the meeting point.

    Crash!

    Splash!

    A man could be seen thrashing the entire room like a beast that was loose from its cage.

    Snarling furiously, he swept the table clean in one violent motion, sending all kinds of things crashing to the floor cold floor. A glass orb shattered against the stone, its magical glow flickering and dying like a strangled flame.

    "How dare he?!" The man pulled on his hair in frustration. "How dare he do this to me?!!"

    But he didn''t stop there.

    His hands lashed out blindly, knocking over chairs, upending shelves¡ªsending furniture flying across the room. Not even the people he has inside with him were spared as he beat the living hell out of one in an attempt to blow his anger away.

    Once he was done, his breaths came in ragged¡ªhis chest heaving with the same effort.

    Despite the nagging feeling he felt, he wanted the night to go smoothly.

    For once, he wanted the night to be his without much hassle but that didn''t happen.

    Naturally, this man was Ragnar.

    Seeing Ragnar this furious, amplified by the moonlight that seeped into the room from the window, the others in the room stiffened, shifting uncomfortably¡ªsome averting their gazes. None dared to speak. All of them understood. All of them felt it.

    Ragnar''s anger was mounting and if they dared to push a bit, he wouldn''t hesitate to kill them.

    Anger from a Werewolf Hybrid wouldn''t be able to be easily contained once it was out.

    Moments earlier, he had been watching everything through the magical screen, observing the old man''s left-eye vision. His heart had pounded with anticipation¡ªwhen Lucivar came into view, holding onto both Elira and Thalia.

    It was real¡ªLucivar really managed to deliver exactly as he was told.

    Now, with Elira in his hand, he could choke the Green Tempest Clan into submission easily.

    And Drake, his Father would praise him for his efforts.

    But then, disaster.

    In an instant, everything unraveled.

    A hand, swift and merciless¡ªshot toward the old man''s eyes, and the screen went dark.

    Ragnar didn''t see what happened properly, it happened too fast.

    However, knowing that the old man was a Werewolf Hybrid, he expected the old man''s eye to heal and the magical screen would return. At least, that is what he expected. Regardless¡ªhe did send a couple of his men to check whether the old man was fine or not.

    But even after more than ten minutes, the image didn''t return¡ªIt never did.

    Now, the truth had arrived like a dagger to the gut.

    Ragnar''s scouts had barely neared the area when they caught the thick scent of blood.

    It was the old man''s blood and it was undeniable.

    Not even daring to enter as something was obviously wrong, the scouts he sent came back and reported what they smelled to him. And what happened after that was this, Ragnar thrashed the entire room as he deduced that Lucivar had turned on him.

    And worse? Somehow, somehow, he had taken down the old man.

    Ragnar''s fingers curled into fists, his knuckles whitening as he suppressed his anger.

    Finally, one of the people inside asked, "What should we do now? Should we go back?"

    Hearing this, Ragnarr regulated his breath¡ªalthough it did little to nothing in appeasing his anger.

    But considering that he was dealing with a dead mentor and losing a massive opportunity to gain his Father''s attention, this was really calm of him. Grabbing the edge of the table tightly, Ragnar contemplated for a moment.

    In any case, he still needed to give out the orders on what to do next.

    As the other people inside the room were waiting for his decision, they grew increasingly nervous.

    Not because they wanted to get out of there fast but because they were afraid that Ragnar, guided by his anger, would instruct them to swarm the basement to avenge the old man. Knowing that Lucivar has a trick up his sleeve that could kill the old man, they don''t want to find out or fight him.

    It would be too dangerous to do so.

    All they want right now is to go back and regroup.

    Since Ragnar was still young and inexperienced, this was really probably to happen.

    Surprisingly enough, compared to what they were all thinking, Ragnar made the right decision.

    "Let''s go back for now," He instructed and turned towards the others. "Go down and prepare the cars"

    "Yes!" In unison, the others quickly went to work.

    Once they all stepped out of the room, Ragnarr looked out of the window with a deep sigh, ''Obviously, this Lucivar as I predicted is not simple. His lack of panic back then showed that he was not normal. What I don''t expect is for him to be more than even us to handle...''

    "Just you wait, Lucivar..." Ragnar whispered a promise. "I''ll do everything I can to tear you apart"

    Upon thinking that, Ragnarr shook his head and headed downstairs.

    Moments later, he was standing in front of the apartment building he rented and waiting for the car.

    Ragna''s mind churned, torn between how to handle this mess and how to explain the old man''s death to his Father. He exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. But before he could gather his thoughts, hurried footsteps pounded against the pavement.

    One of his men sprinted toward him, urgency carved into his sweat-slicked face.

    He was the lookout, tasked with keeping watch while the others brought the cars around.

    "What''s wrong?" Ragnar asked, frowning.

    As the man barely stopped before Ragnar, chest heaving, he bent down and held his knees tiredly.

    "It''s him¡ªthat kid!" He said, words tumbling between gasps. "Lucivar! He''s coming straight to us!"

    Almost instantly, Ragnar''s brows snapped together.

    ''Impossible...'' He thought in shock. "He shouldn''t even know where we are!''

    Just as he opened his mouth to demand confirmation, his eyes caught something.

    From the corner of the street, a figure emerged.

    Lucivar.

    He has both wings out, glistening under the moonlight¡ªand charged once he saw Ragnar.

    Even from a distance, his wild grin that was stretched too wide¡ªflicking out like a beast tasting blood could be seen. His golden eyes gleamed, sharp and crazed, locking onto Ragnar with unsettling hunger as he laughed, "Ragnar! Here doggy, doggy... I just want to talk!! I''m not going to hurt you!!"

    Lucivar''s voice rang out, a taunt laced with unhinged delight.

    "This lunatic... I can fucking tell he wanted to kill me!"

 Chapter 222 222: Cornered Dog (1)

    Ragnar didn''t expect to see Lucivar here.

    He didn''t expect this at all.

    Anticipating exactly this to happen, he decided to rent a place nearby¡ªand let the old man handle the heavy lifting. He wanted to be near the basement because he wanted to see Elira as soon as she was on their hands.

    In case somehow, the old man failed¡ªhe could turn to leave quietly.

    Or at least, that was the plan.

    But Lucivar saw through that completely and tracked him down.

    "G- Get him!" Ragnar shouted, calling his men and telling them to block Lucivar''s wild charge.

    Despite their reluctance, fearing that Lucivar might be a secret powerhouse that was even stronger than the old man, the other Werewolf Hybrids who were getting the cars around stepped out again¡ªand ran to the street.

    Once they were there, they saw Lucivar hauling like an animal.

    From his position to Ragnar, it''s about three hundred meters but he cut through that distance quickly.

    "Protect the young master!" One of the Hybrids commanded and was the one to charge first, head-on against Lucivarr. For a second there, the Hybrid flexed his muscles and opened his torso domineeringly, preparing for a takedown.

    As he rushed, his fingernails elongated¡ªturning into claws of black-steel.

    A Werewolf Hybrid, other than their regeneration, was also known to have immense strength.

    Might not be as strong as Titan or Dragon Hybrids but not that far behind either.

    Silvery ether hue encased his entire body as he dropped down low, aiming to tackle Lucivar''s legs and stopping his momentum. However, as he did that, Lucivar also dropped low and flapped his wings even stronger without hesitation.

    ''Hmph!'' the Hybrid scoffed inside. ''A contest of strength? You''re no match for me!''

    Bam!

    "Eh...?" the Hybrid mused in confusion.

    Upon impact, a thunderous crack of flesh colliding against flesh echoed through the street, shaking the very air with its force. Confident in his strength, the Hybrid had already envisioned the next move. He would haul Luicvar off the ground and smash him into the unforgiving concrete below.

    Depending on how much Lucivar could retaliate, he could knock the wind out of Lucivar''s lungs up to end the fight there.

    But that didn''t happen.

    Instead, once they collided, the Hybrid''s body crumpled under the force and he was thrown into the air.

    Blinking his eyes, the Hybrid realized that he was about ten meters in the air.

    He glanced down and saw Lucivar was still on his feet strongly.

    Not fazed at all like he was only swatting a measly fly.

    "How in the Blood God''s name..." the Hybrid gasped in shock.

    It didn''t take long for him to crash onto the ground again, sending excruciating pain across his nerves.

    At the last second before the impact, Lucivar activated the red Triune Scarab.

    Under the influence of Sutekh''s ability, he was able to overpower the Hybrid earlier¡ªthe strength boost along with his upgraded Sphinx-tier body was a deadly combo that even a Werewolf Hybrid at the five-star Acolyte rank couldn''t go against.

    Lucivar deactivated the Triune Scarab and went over to the Hybrid.

    He grabbed the back of the Hybrid''s head and began absorbing his ethe with the Greedy Grasp ability.

    As he did that, however, the other Hybrids snapped out of their dazes.

    Despite what happened, they didn''t seem to be fazed.

    In fact, they became even more motivated.

    "Charge, he''s not a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid! We can beat him!"

    Just from this exchange alone, the other Hybrids realized that Lucivar was still in the Acolyte rank.

    He wasn''t a Chrysalis rank.

    He was no secret powerhouse.

    It was only his battle prowess that was insanely strong but this meant they had a chance.

    Not even wasting a single precious second, the other Werewolf Hybrids bare their fangs and charged at him with unbridled fervor. It was time for them to show their worth. Defeating Lucivar right now would earn them a point in Ragnar''s eyes.

    And that would propel their careers without fail.

    "You''re going to die now, Lucivar!!" Ragnar laughed aloud. "You can''t fight all of them at once!"

    Considering that most of them are at the five-star Acolyte rank, and there were at least ten of them who were motivated with their greed and also anger from seeing one of them swatted like it was nothing, it was clear to Ragnar that Lucivar bit more than he could chew.

    Even then, instead of watching, he turned around and headed for the car.

    No matter what, the situation is not looking good.

    ''Lucivar would die slowly, the others would finish him off. I should get going, the night¡ªdoesn''t feel right,'' Ragnar thought as he walked away, trusting his uneasy instincts. ''Regardless of what happened, I need to get out of here first''

    On the other hand, seeing Ragnar walking away leisurely, Lucivar''s eyes gleamed sinisterly.

    He stood up and faced the incoming Werewolf Hybrids, a pack of them.

    For a second there, time slowed down almost to a halt as Lucivar''s senses expanded.

    Savoring the taste of ether¡ªand life energy that his Greedy Grasp ability devoured, a flicker of green, one that could even terrify Demons flashed in his eyes, ''One, two, three, four... ten,'' Lucivar counted his enemies before he sucked in a deep breath.

    Crossing both arms across his chest, his golden ether bled into his hands.

    It flickered between golden and bronze a couple of times before settling on the emerald color.

    Almost instantly, both of Lucivar''s nearly-completed wings darkened into a deep, royal emerald, while his fingernails split with a sharp burst of blood¡ªelongating into gleaming emerald-steel claws. In the next second, time returned back to its normal flow as Lucivar channeled ten of his God strands and split them into his wings and newly forged claws.

    Charged with so much power, the power coming from the crackled with untamed intensity.

    "Me...? Dying?" He planted his feet stronger, cracking the ground underneath him. "I can''t fight them all at once? Don''t make me laugh!" He roared and every inch of his being activated, preparing to make his move. "No matter how many come, ants are still ants!"

    Crack!

    Swoosh!

    Ruthlessly, Lucivar''s speed exploded¡ªgoing from one to one hundred in a split second.

    Screams of agony rang out, catching Ragnar off guard.

    As Ragnar turned to check what happened, his eyes widened when he saw Lucivar was already inches away from him. Before he could even react, his blood drew a haunting arc in the air with the night sky backdrop behind it.

    Blinking his eyes, Ragnar looked down and saw a vicious slash crossing his entire body.

    Deep enough to spurt out, a ridiculous amount of blood.

    "Grrggh...!" Ragnar grunted¡ªas his hand instinctively shot to the open wound, attempting to stop the bleeding even though it was futile. Gritting his teeth, he was about to explode in anger but stopped at the sight in front of him. "He killed all of them in an instant?"

    Despite believing Lucivar would struggle, now that he knew Lucivar probably used¡ªan underhanded tactic to catch the old man off guard and defeat him seeing that his power was still at the Acolyte rank, what happened was the complete opposite.

    All ten of his men, all possessing the Werrwolf bloodline, were completely killed.

    Lucivar killed them all as if he was a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid.

    Corpses¡ªand blood scattered throughout the street like a gory painting, the outcome of exchanging a single blow with Lucivar was devastating for them. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Lucivar behind him, standing upright.

    He was silhouetted by the moonlight, marveling at his blood-coated emerald claws.

    How he looked at his blood-coated claws made Ragnar uncomfortable.

    It was as if he fell in love with his new claws.

    "Cool, I now have a weapon even when I forgot to bring one," Lucivar mumbled lightly.

    Upon hearing what he said, Ragnar''s pupils dilated, ''D-Did he copy an ability from one of my men?''

    Naturally, it was basic due diligence to research about anyone he was dealing with.

    In Lucivar''s case, Ragnar knew that he had no such ability that could turn his fingernails into claws.

    Clearly, somehow, Lucivar copied this ability.

    "Go on then, you''re going to die if you don''t do anything," Lucivar said, looking straight at Ragnar''s wound.

    Realizing where he was looking, Ragnar reached down to his chest and realized that the wound was still there, it wasn''t even remotely healing. Even though a severe wound like this time would take some time to heal, the bleeding would at least stop at this point.

    But it hadn''t stopped, it was still bleeding profusely.

    "How is this possible?" Ragnar muttered but quickly recovered and turned his body around.

    Gritting his teeth, anger swelled inside of him as he glared at Lucivar.

    "You can''t kill me!" Ragnar barked. "Do you know who I am?! You''ll die if you kill me!"

    Instead of answering, Lucivar only smiled in return.

    A smile that brought coldness to Ragnar''s feet.

    "Show me your last resort," Lucivar also turned to face him before tilting his head tauntingly. "I''m sure the sole son of the Crimson Wolf Clan''s head¡ªhas something that''d protect his life in a dangerous situation like this. Show it to me or you''ll die,"

    Realizing that there was no other choice, Ragnar took out a rose flower from his pocket.

    Unlike regular rose flowers, it looked puffy and glistened like candy.

    But considering the ether it emanated¡ªit must be a magical item.

    "I''ll show it to you!" Ragnar declared and put the rose flower into his mouth, swallowing it with a big gulp. Almost instantly, the veins underneath his skin began to glow bright red and his aura spiked to a higher ceiling. "It''s the Berserker Rose, anyone who eats it will lose control and become even stronger. Since I''m a Werewolf Hybrid, the effect on me would be stronger!"

    "My power..." He continued, clutching his hands hard. "I can even beat a Chrysalis rank now!"

    Seeing this, Lucivar clapped his hands in amusement.

    He could clearly see that Ragnar wasn''t lying, his power surged exponentially.

    Currently, he was easily comparable to the third-star Chrysalis rank.

    Swoosh!

    "How was it now?!" Ragnar stepped forward, his aura flaming as it spread throughout the entire street unrestrained. "Are you still confident now? I''ll tell you what, let me leave right now and you don''t need to bear the risk of killing me. I''ll drop everything¡ªand take my losses for getting off on the wrong foot with you"

    Seeing that Lucivar was still hesitating, Ragnar pressed further.

    "I still have many more up my sleeves, you wouldn''t win this fight," He pressured further.

    "Eh...?" Just then, Lucivar''s smile disappeared¡ªreplaced with a hollow, surprised expression. "Do you still think you can get away from this through talking? Did you think I didn''t deal a more severe blow earlier to you because I was hesitant? No..."

    "Your death is certain the moment you want to kill me," He added with a final edge to his voice.

 Chapter 223 223: Cornered Dog (2)

    Ragnar''s eyebrows dipped into an evident frown.

    He couldn''t understand what Lucivar was thinking right now.

    ''Kill me?'' Ragnar''s frown worsened¡ªsomeone like Lucivar shouldn''t dare to do that lest risking the wrath of his father, he would undoubtedly die if he went through with this. ''Is he insane? Is he that tired of living? Killing me would make father''s pack hunt me down, he wouldn''t dare...''

    For the longest time, the sheer mention of his background was enough to handle all problems.

    His father''s name alone would dissuade even the angriest Hybrids.

    Other than other heirs of a powerful clan, Ragnar was basically untouchable.

    But at this moment, roots of doubt bloomed inside him.

    Lucivar was being serious, the sharp and cold gaze of his showed his intention clearly.

    Unconsciously, Ragnar reached for his bleeding wound again¡ªhe began to really understand that the only way out of this was to fight, and the wound stimulated his adrenaline and activated his fight-or-flight instinct, the primal instinct to survive.

    As Lucivar engaged in a face-off, his gaze narrowed as Ragnar''s aura heightened steadily.

    He glanced upward to the gibbous moon and smiled, ''He''s taking this seriously now''

    Clearly, Ragnar was preparing for an actual fight by harnessing the moon''s power.

    A unique innate ability that was exclusive to Werewolf Hybrids.

    "Come," Lucivar gestured with his hand, taunting Ragnar to attack. "Let''s have a battle to the death"

    In response, Ragnar placed one foot forward and growled menacingly.

    Boosted by the Berserker Rose and also the moon above, Ragnar was at his peak of power, displaying a power that managed to cross him through the Chrysalis rank. Such a cross in realm almost never happened, at least in the normal world.

    But this is as expected of someone with Ragnar''s background.

    Swoosh!

    Ragnar leaped forward, putting his entire strength to make an explosive move.

    Sharper than a cleaving blade, he swung his claws but all he struck was an empty void.

    Lucivar disappeared from his spot, vanishing like a shadow that caught Ragnar by surprise.

    Feeling a cold, biting sensation¡ªcoming from his behind, Ragnar took another step forward to change his center of gravity and pivoted his torso. Simultaneously, he raised his hand and blocked an attack in the nick of time.

    "Soul Warden spell, the academy seems to value you," Ragnar said with a guttural voice.

    "You know your stuff," Lucivar pleasantly nodded. "As expected from someone like you,"

    Clang!

    With a ferocious growl, Ragnar pushed Lucivar away and somersaulted backward.

    In mid-air, his steel claws gleamed with a white glow before he swiped two times, slashing the air and sending two moonlight arcs that cut through the wind. From the whistling sound these arcs made, Lucivar could tell that they were sharper than a blade.

    Pointing his hand forward in an instant, he cast the Greedy Grasp ability.

    Visibly, the two moonlight arcs weakened, the ether inside of them was sucked and converted into God strands by the Greedy Grasp ability. Lucivar weakened them as much as he could before he chanted the Radiant Burst spell, charged with five God strands.

    Splash!

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar managed to break one into shards but the other shot through the shards relentlessly.

    Even though he wanted to use the Triune Scarab ability to amplify his strength before meeting this arc head-on, he had no time and could only clash against it with his raw strength. Upon impact, Lucivar''s feet were knocked off the ground as he got pushed back a little.

    ''It still has this much force even when it was already weakened?'' Lucivar thought in surprise.

    He knew that Ragnar had crossed to the Chrysalis rank in his battle prowess.

    But with the arc being weakened, he didn''t expect it to still pack a punch.

    During that momentary stun, Ragnar with his flaming aura reached him in an instant.

    By the time it took Lucivar to blink, he was already swiping his claws again.

    At the last second, Lucivar''s wings twitched¡ªand flapped, pulling him away from Ragnar''s attacking trajectory. He missed and struck the concrete ground, cracking it as its fissure spread. Raising his gaze, he didn''t let up this moment and kept the attacking momentum.

    However, in that very second, he wasn''t able to move.

    "Hmm?" Ragnar looked down and realized that he was restricted by gleaming emerald chains.

    Somehow, these chains were able to wrap around his body in an instant.

    "Oyy... that''s some serious attack sequence there," Lucivar mumbled¡ªas he landed on top of a street light, waving his hand that had turned numb from blocking the arc earlier "I thought you''re only a pampered brat but I was wrong. I guess, even a dog would fight like an actual wolf when cornered"

    Upon hearing this, Ragnar''s expression darkened.

    He has never been humiliated to this extent and he couldn''t take it anymore.

    "Let me tell you something about fighting a Werewolf Hybrid," In a vicious slowness, Ragnar tilted his head up, sending a death glare at Lucivar with his crimson eyes. "It''s never a good idea to make them even angrier..."

    Lucivar tilted his head.

    But in the next second, his eyes widened completely.

    Clang!

    In that instant, he saw the emerald chains shattered and Ragnar disappeared from his spot like a ghost.

    Sensing danger coming from his side, Lucivar glanced to his side and realized that Ragnar was already right beside him, charging his claws with an overwhelming amount of ether. With a rough grunt, Ragnar struck Lucivar with the full force of a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid.

    It sent Lucivar crashing onto the concrete ground and bouncing before slamming into a car.

    Naturally, the car''s security system rang, blaring beeping sound across the entire area.

    Such a commotion caused some people who were near the area to come to see.

    All of them were surprised to see a battle between Hybrids.

    "Ah, you stupid idiot," Lucivar climbed up, wiping the blood that drizzled down his cheeks¡ªand also dusting off his clothes. "Did you really need to hit me¡ªthat hard? Now look at what you did. Those people are going to call the association and that''ll be a problem for both of us"

    Upon hearing this, Ragnar raised an eyebrow.

    He was confused.

    For some reason, Lucivar doesn''t seem to have his heart in this battle.

    "Didn''t you say you were going to kill me?" Ragnar asked as he tilted his head, blood still rushing from the adrenaline coursing in his veins. "This is a fight to the death you said, so don''t blame me for going all out. Come and fight me, don''t back out now!"

    "Stop playing defensive, you can''t kill me that way," He added furiously.

    But this made Lucivar smile and wave his hand.

    "Hais~ What are you even saying?" Lucivar asked, tilting his head at Ragnar with feigned innocence. Then, as if realization struck, he snapped his fingers, "Oh, that? You mean earlier? I was just messing around. Come on, do you think I''d actually kill you?" He scoffed, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I''m not stupid. I have no interest in having your father hunt me down."

    "Then why...?" Ragnar muttered, flabbergasted at the situation.

    His confusion, however, made Lucivar laugh aloud.

    Just then, Ragnar snapped his head around when the entire block began to tremble violently.

    Not too far away, he sensed a devastating aura that was heading his way.

    "Hahaha~!" Lucivar laughed harder, wiping the tears from his eyes as Ragnar turned to look at him in horror. "You really are stupid. I admit, I was going to beat you up if not for that Berserker Rose. But I am not here to kill you regardless, I''m only stalling you"

    Upon hearing this, Ragnar''s feet turned cold.

    All of his rage and influence from the Berserker Rose vanished for a moment.

    He knew that he was tricked and there was nothing he could do.

    It was already too late.

    "Of course, I''m not willing to offend your father by killing or hurting you in any shape or form," Lucivar said, confessing his real intention. "But that doesn''t mean someone else wasn''t willing to do that. If you ran away instead of fighting me, you could''ve escaped this situation"

    "I''m sorry, but you can''t escape now," He added, smiling in ridicule.

    Compared to outsmarting Leandra, outsmarting Ragnar is a lot easier¡ªhe''s all brawn and no brain.

    Knowing that Lucivar had somehow managed to take down the old man, despite their disparity in power, he should have been more concerned about the possibility of a third party interfering rather than only focusing on Lucivar.

    And given that he was well aware that Lucivar was not normal, he should''ve analyzed better.

    It should''ve been strange that Lucivar was confronting him so boldly.

    Lucivar wasn''t dumb.

    He should''ve anticipated Ragnar having a trick up his sleeves that could pose a threat.

    So Lucivar sprinting here recklessly was a logical fallacy.

    Lest he was looking for trouble or to die.

    But instead of focusing on those clues and errors, Ragnar thought that Lucivar was a secret powerhouse.

    And that was the reason he missed the real powerhouse nearby.

    Realizing the errors he made, that he fell to Lucivar''s ploy so easily, Ragnar gritted his teeth.

    Rumble!

    Then, the ground shook underneath him.

    His expression turned pale when he felt a presence right above him.

    Slowly looking skyward, Ragnar could feel a sense of fixed defeat when he saw Julian levitating in the sky with his arms crossed. Despite his silhouetted form¡ªdue to the moon directly behind him, Ragnar could recognize him regardless.

    Although Julian shouldn''t be in Sunhold City, he was now.

    Both of his eyes were locking onto Julian so this was reality¡ªJulian was really here.

    "He played us..." Ragnar mumbled as his willpower to retaliate was drained entirely.

    No chance that he could escape from Julian.

    "Hey, took you long enough!" Lucivar shouted, pretending to be angry at the powerhouse. "Are you going to take responsibility if the great savior of your precious daughters¡ªgot hurt? You need to at the very least double whatever you''re going to offer me for being five minutes late"

    "It''s a troublesome one, he''s hard to kill like a cockroach," Julian answered as he descended to the ground.

    Earlier, he said that there was another protector nearby.

    Unlike the old man, this one was hiding in the shadows and was stronger.

    Since Julian couldn''t afford Drake to know about this before he was ready, he had to take this protector down before taking Ragnar. Naturally, Lucivar offered to stall Ragnar to buy Julian time and that led to this moment.

    Now that Julian was here, Lucivar sat down on the ground with a light grunt.

    His body was a wreck due to the old man and also Ragnarr.

    Once Julian averted his gaze away to focus on Ragnar, his body suddenly turned¡ªinto a gust of wind, and in the blink of an eye, he was already standing right in front of Ragnar, "You tried to play dirty by aiming for my daughters. Now, let''s see if your father could handle it well if I use you,"

 Chapter 224 224: Last Act

    As planned, Ragnar was captured.

    It didn''t exactly happen the way Lucivar envisioned but he got it done.

    Looking up, he saw Ragnar being restrained by a vicious vortex of wind that was shaped like a cocoon.

    Julian created it so there was absolutely no chance for him to break that restraint.

    Glancing to the side, to the other end of the street, Julian realized that there were onlookers¡ªthat might make the situation more problematic. Pointing his hand at Lucivar, a gathering of wind appeared under Lucivar and lifted him off the ground.

    Once all three of them were off the ground, they zoomed into the sky¡ªheading back to the basement.

    Along the way, Lucivar closed his eyes and relished the sensation of rushing cold wind.

    ''How nice does it feel to fly at will?'' He thought inside.

    Oblivious to Julian, this was Lucivar''s first time soaring through the sky.

    Julian was living his dream and now, he tasted the tip of what flying feels like.

    Glancing over his shoulder, Lucivar could see the entire city below¡ªthe night emphasized the beauty and sparkle of the entire city. Many of the streets were empty¡ªand there were barely any people around but this created a serene sight, one that matched the mood.

    Despite his condition, internally battered from the battle with the old man and Ragnarr, Lucivar forgot all about the pain. He stretched his hand to the side, feeling the rush more clearly, and smiled, ''This is a reward on its own, I''m pleased with only this. Experiencing this made all that happened tonight worth it''

    As he thought of that, Lucivar''s eyebrows were raised as he remembered something.

    ''Oh, right, I wonder if I could fly on my own now,'' He pondered inside.

    Even though his second wing wasn''t complete yet, a few inches shorter than his other wing, it should still be possible for him to attempt to fly on his own, ''Maybe tomorrow I will try it out. But then again, the night is not over yet, I need to focus''

    Soon enough, the three arrived back at the parking building.

    Julian brought them down and landed smoothly.

    Once he was on the ground, Lucivar sat down again as he really couldn''t stand right now.

    Now, without the adrenaline, the pain was crippling his body.

    "Can you use him to clear your problem?" Lucivar asked, stealing a glance at Ragnar.

    Upon hearing this, Julian also turned to look at Ragnar and nodded, "Ragnar is Drake''s only child. If I play it right, I could force him and the Crimson Wolf Clan to deal with the press and clear my name. So yes, my situation will be resolved"

    "Good," Lucivar nodded and lay down on the rough ground. "That''s good..."

    Julian took a good look at him with a complex gaze.

    He doesn''t know what to feel right now.

    But more importantly, he was surprised that there was such a young man like Lucivar in Sunhold City.

    It was clear that with his wits and talent, he''d be a powerhouse in the future.

    "You delivered," Julian continued, turning his body to face Lucivar. His expression was unreadable, but there wasn''t any malice. "You told me about what these people are planning, saved my daughters, and also helped me capture Ragnar. Since you delivered, I''d also keep my word. So tell me..."

    "What do you want?" He added, expecting the request to be something incredulous.

    Despite being far away, he knew about Lucivar.

    Callista ranted about him all the time so Julian knew about Lucivar''s participation in the South Hues Tournament, the trap Lucivar set on his family, how he saved Elira and Thalia before this, and also the ploy Callista did on him.

    Of course, what worried him the most was what Callista did.

    Lucivar has all those cards to use in this negotiation.

    In other words, he could ask for something ridiculous and Julian couldn''t refuse it.

    "Of course, if I had to be honest, I''d like to ask you to kneel in front of me and let me kill you but that''s not happening," Lucivar chuckled weakly while facing the night sky, he was wondering how big of a golden sphere he''d gain from killing someone as strong as Juliann.

    Perhaps, he could break through to the Paragon rank instantly.

    Hearing this, Julian remained silent.

    Considering what Callista did, he wasn''t surprised if Lucivar bore hatred.

    It was natural and he wasn''t mad.

    "For the second request¡ªI wanted the most right now is for you to not interfere with what was about to happen and drop everything you and your family have against me after tonight," Lucivar finally said, he needed to focus on Caldaros after this was done. "Maybe, if you could also be on my back in the future, that''s going to be great"

    "What are you planning to do...?" Julian''s eyes narrowed.

    He thought the night already ended but it didn''t seem to be the case in Lucivar''s eyes.

    Instead of answering, Lucivar asked, "What time is it?"

    "Almost eleven, we wrapped Ragnar quickly," Julian answered without checking the time.

    Lucivar nodded lightly a couple of times, there was still time for him to lie down a bit before the next event¡ªthat he prepared happened. About ten minutes, a good amount of time for him to rest and recover a bit more.

    As he was about to close his eyes for a little bit, Julian cleared his throat.

    "What do you think about my daughters?" He suddenly asked.

    Not even a pause, Lucivar answered instantly, "Nai?ve and stupid but pretty, I guess"

    "Which one of them do you fancy more?" Julian asked bluntly before he paused for a good second, and corrected, "As a friend, of course"

    "Neither, both of them are the same," Lucivar replied nonchalantly.

    In his eyes, Elira and Thalia are both annoying¡ªmainly because they are extremely nai?ve.

    However, he wouldn''t lie that their naivety was quite pleasant to be around, a breath of fresh air that could help him forget about the complex stuff. Of course, other than that¡ªbullying them became a lot easier because of that.

    Just as Julian wanted to say something more, Elira and Thalia emerged from the basement.

    Both of them were looking after the crippled old man.

    Seems like the twin sensed their auras and decided to come out to check.

    Realizing that Lucivar was lying on the ground weakly, both of them dropped the old man roughly and instantly rushed over to check on him. Julian could clearly see genuine concern plastered on their faces, a genuine concern for Lucivar.

    "Are you hurt? Where does it hurt?" Thalia, as soft as ever, sends a barrage of concerned questions.

    Elira, on the other hand, bit her lower lip, "Once again, you saved us... How can we ever repay you?"

    Lucivar didn''t answer.

    His eyes remained closed as he channeled his remaining God strands to heal his internal organs.

    Inside, however, he was laughing.

    Did he actually save their lives multiple times? Yes, he did.

    It was quite evident that he did.

    But the problem was that he knew of the danger way before it happened.

    He knew Elira was going to be screwed over by Axel and he knew that the Crimson Wolf Clan was in motion to kidnap Elira. Instead of telling them¡ªand helping them create countermeasures, he let it all happen instead and came at the right moment to save them.

    From the twin''s point of view, he was their white knight who kept on protecting them despite everything.

    He created the problem, let it happen, and came in to rescue them.

    Bonding under stress is the best way to bond.

    Why he do that?

    Of course, that is to have their hearts within his grasp.

    Having spent so much effort on the twins, he wasn''t willing to let them go.

    Added to the fact that their father was an actual powerhouse, he really can''t let them go.

    From the moment he chose the Feradith Family instead of the Crimson Wolf Clan, Luvivar was already planning to have a long-lasting relationship. Julian knew all about his hostile deeds but he didn''t see it with his own two eyes.

    He was probably only informed by Callista.

    So showing Lucivar''s good side to him would work wonders in winning him over.

    Considering that he was now no longer hostile and even asked Lucivar about his thoughts on both Elira and Thalia, the approach had worked as intended. Lucivar had Julian right where he wanted him¡ªnow, it was time to secure the twin as his own.

    ''As expected, the Morality Constellation is still not unlocked fully'' Lucivar pondered.

    Other than not wanting to waste his investment, dealing with the twins also had another benefit.

    It was the Heart of Mischief Nakshatras.

    Lucivar was aiming to complete the third constellation, the Morality Constellation, and that requires him to properly degrade Elira¡ªand Thalia''s minds. Making them trust him was not enough, he needed to win them over completely.

    And to do that, he needed one last piece.

    "D- Dear...?"

    Suddenly, a voice rang which caused Julian, Elira, and Thalia to snap their heads to the side.

    Standing by the main entrance with a look of surprise was Callista.

    She was a mess, her face and appearance were both disheveled.

    Upon hearing her voice, Lucivar couldn''t hide his smirk anymore.

    Callista scanned ahead and saw that the entire family was gathered here along¡ªwith another man that she instantly recognized as Ragnar. But her eyes stopped and locked onto Lucivar in the end who was still lying on the ground.

    In that very second, her breath hitched.

    She couldn''t believe who she was looking at right now.

    Lucivar should still be imprisoned, he shouldn''t be able to get out without her permission.

    But her eyes didn''t lie, couldn''t lie¡ªhe was actually in front of her right now.

    Callista''s expression shifted from shock to confusion to dread, she was completely taken aback.

    After the third and last press conference to clear the family''s name, she got a message.

    It was handwritten and it specified the time and location she needed to come to.

    Had it been any other message, she would have discarded it without a second thought but this one was different. At the very bottom, the sender''s name was written ''The Devil'' so naturally, she couldn''t afford to ignore this.

    Callista wanted to believe it was a prank but doubt gnawed at her.

    It should be impossible for Lucivar to get out of prison.

    No matter how much she tried to dismiss it, her conversation with Lucivar kept playing on repeat in her mind. Knowing how terrifying and witted Lucivar was, she found herself at this place at the exact time specified in the message, 23:00.

    Realizing that Luicvar really did get out, a sense of foreboding clenched around her heart.

    Her heart pounded faster when Lucivar opened his eyes and smiled at her.

 Chapter 225 225: Going Insane

    Earlier that morning.

    As soon as the press conference ended and the cameras were turned off, Callista made her move.

    Despite trying to remain calm, her frantic movement betrayed her as she got down the stage and strode forward¡ªher eyes darting left and right sharply. Reporters¡ªand journalists alike were looking at her with a confused look.

    Some even have taken a video already, in case there''s more drama to be captured.

    But Callista ignored them all.

    ''Is it really him?'' She thought inside, turning her head left and right in search of someone.

    Even though there were a lot of flashing lights, from the cameras¡ªshe was almost certain.

    Lucivar was among the crowd earlier.

    However, she couldn''t find him.

    It was almost as if he was a ghost, able to come and go without anyone noticing.

    ''Am I mistaken?'' Callista looked down to the floor in contemplation, she was deliberating whether she was going crazy or not. ''He''s imprisoned at the worst prison in the entire city, there''s no chance that he could escape but... I knew what I saw, and I saw him sitting here earlier''

    She bit her lower lip hard and looked around again, desperate to find Lucivar but failed.

    "Madam,"

    Suddenly, one of the journalists held her shoulder gently¡ªsnapping her out of her trance.

    "Is there something wrong?" the journalist asked in worry.

    "I''m fine," Callista forced out a polite smile despite her turmoil. "I thought I saw someone I knew,"

    "Who could it be? Must be someone extremely important for you to look as pale as this," the journalist joked, trying to make small talk and also help Callista avert her attention away from whatever was troubling her.

    Callista sighed and rubbed her temples, she was feeling out of it.

    But then, her body froze.

    "It was almost as if you saw the Devil,"

    Slowly, Callista raised her gaze to look at the journalist¡ªher expression was that of sheer shock.

    And as she blinked her eyes, she snapped.

    "You... You''re sent by him to mess with me!" Callista screamed, grabbing the journalist¡ªby her collar and glared at her. "No doubt about it, you''re definitely sent by him! Do you think you can do this to me without consequences?! Huh?!!"

    Naturally, the journalist was perplexed¡ªshe didn''t understand what made Callista snap like this.

    "M- Madam, did I say something wrong?" She stuttered meekly.

    Callista''s anger only intensified at what she perceived as a pathetic attempt to feign ignorance, "Don''t lie to me!" She screamed, her voice ringing through the air and causing many people to turn toward her. Her nostrils flared, each breath escaping in heated bursts¡ªwhile her glare sharpened like a blade. "Stop pretending! Tell me where he is right now!"

    Realizing that she was actually being serious, the people around her began to step up.

    "Madam, there has to be a misunderstanding"

    "Let her go, you''re choking her!"

    "She''s- She''s passing out!"

    Despite the people around her telling her to stop, she continued.

    But soon she realized what she was doing¡ªthe realization came like a freight train and almost instantly, she let go of the journalist and turned around to leave. She didn''t know what had gotten into her, doing something like that was out of character for her.

    Going on an outburst in public would only stain her perfect social image.

    Normally, she would never done this but she did.

    "Are you okay?" A man asked while looking at Callista''s back that are going further and further away.

    The journalist coughed a couple of times weakly, "I''m fine... Thankfully she let go"

    "What in the world is wrong with her? How could she assault someone like this?"

    "She seemed to be searching for someone"

    "Searching for someone? Who?"

    "I don''t know but she looked paranoid"

    All of the people who saw what happened bantered, shaking their heads at what Callista did.

    None of them were happy that she dared to do something like this brazenly and didn''t even apologize.

    Inside, the people swore to post an article about this.

    On the other hand, the journalist woman who was still sitting on the ground¡ªwhile rubbing her neck, tilted her head down. Her long black hair covered her face¡ªand then, a devious, slightly slanted smirk crossed her lips as an emerald glint flashed in her eyes.

    ...

    Brak!

    Callista pushed open a door, entering her makeup room.

    She quickly went to the dressing table and placed both hands on it¡ªher fingers digging into the wooden material. Just thinking about what happened made her more frustrated, she was so out of it that she did not realize what she was doing.

    "Raarggh!" Callista screamed and with a sweep of her arm, she knocked everything on the table away.

    All kinds of things fell to the floor and shattered into fragments.

    Bottles, brushes, and cosmetics were thrown everywhere.

    Callista''s chest heaved with rage, fists clenched as she looked at her own reflection.

    She was a mess.

    "All of this is because of that bastard!" Callista grumbled with unrelenting fury as she roughly took her phone from her bag and tapped on the screen violently to dial someone. "I have to make sure, I have to make sure that he''s still there"

    Once she got the number, she dialed it and put her phone beside her ear.

    It rang a couple of times before the other side answered.

    [Hello?]

    "Yes, Zed, it''s me."

    Upon hearing her voice, the person on the other side for a good couple of seconds.

    [Callista, is there something you need?]

    ''Callista...?'' Callista thought, surprised that Zed didn''t refer her he normally would, with ''madam'' as opposed to only calling her¡ªby name. However, she soon shook her head, that wasn''t important right now. "I only want to confirm, is that bastard still there? He hadn''t escaped, right"

    Once again, Zed paused again.

    For some reason, this pause always made Callista''s heart pounded hard.

    It made her think that he was hesitating to answer and that was nothing more than trouble.

    [Of course, he''s still here, still being tortured]

    "Are you sure?" Callista asked again, her voice was doubtful. "Have you checked again?"

    [No need to worry, he''s not going anywhere. There are more than a hundred Chrysalis rank Hybrids here. Even someone¡ªas freakish as him wouldn''t be able to escape, not even when the stars are aligned. Besides, I already checked on him about an hour ago and he''s still there]

    As soon as she heard that, Callista felt like she could breathe again.

    It was as if the weight that had been wearing her down the entire day was finally lifted.

    "Good, that''s good," Callista chuckled, finding it stupid that she was concerned about something that was literally impossible to happen. As strong as Lucivar was, he still had limits. "I knew I could count on you. Once this is all over, you can ask me anything. I''ll grant it for you,"

    [I look forward to it. Just tell me when I should end him, and I''ll end him]

    "Yes, very soon I''ll give you the words," Callista replied before she disconnected the call and leaned back.

    Once the call ended, she began to laugh in a mix, or ridicule and relief.

    Callista couldn''t believe that she was stressing out when the answer was already as clear as the day.

    Regardless of what Lucivar did to her¡ªand her family in the past, no matter how threatening and mysterious he was, the fact right now stood. She has already won. Lucivar was now imprisoned and could only wait for his death to come and pick him up while she was on the brink of clearing all the scandals surrounding her.

    Just then, Callista''s eyes caught sight of a letter on the table.

    All of the things on the table were knocked down but this letter was still rooted on its spot.

    Callista hesitantly reached for the letter and opened it.

    Inside, there was only a small piece of paper with some writing on it.

    Unfolding the paper properly, she leaned forward and read the message written on it.

    ''11:00 P.M. ¡ª Basement parking, Evergreen Plaza''

    ''Come exactly at the specified time, not earlier and not later.''

    ''~The Devil''

    Upon reading the message, Callista''s hands dropped down and she stared into her reflection.

    She didn''t care how this letter ended up inside her room.

    All she cared about was the fact that this letter was sent by none other than Lucivar, he intended to make it obvious.

    Looking at the letter for the second time, Callista laughed, "He''s desperate, he''s trying to scare me? I already got off the phone¡ªwith Zed you fool, I know you''re still stuck there, in that world of pain, helpless. Sending a letter like this, what even are you trying to achieve?"

    For a brief moment then, Callista laughed humorously.

    Fortunately, she had already talked with Zed before reading the letter or else she would''ve been panicking.

    "How far have you fallen?" Callista shook her head in amusement as she continued laughing, finding the letter funnier¡ªthe more she looked at it. "Tomorrow, I will give the words to Zed tomorrow and you''ll be nothing more than a bad memory from the past"

    "I already... won," She continued.

    But gradually, her laughter turned empty and hollow.

    It started off fuming with confidence and mockeries but now, that wasn''t the case anymore.

    Clearly, she wasn''t laughing from confidence.

    She was laughing to hide her nervousness instead, fearing that somehow, she missed something.

    And in the next moment, her laughter ceased completely.

    Now, the room was enveloped in a choking silence as Callista looked at the letter once again.

    ...

    ''I have connections that far surpassed him,''

    ''I got him in the act and charged him with murdering a student, a heavy criminal charge''

    ''Just from the way he grabbed my wrist back then, it was clear that he didn''t know what to do''

    ''I have... won''

    ''I already got him imprisoned and even have him tortured in the meantime''

    ''I have... won''

    ''Now his life is on my hands, he''s on the end of his line''

    ''If I want to, I could ignore this letter. I could throw it away and sleep the day without any worry''

    "After all, I have already won, right?''

    Callista stood stunned in denial as she rubbed the part of her hand that Lucivar touched that night.

    Somehow, despite the fact that she didn''t need to heed the letter, she found herself standing at the designated place and at the exact designated time. Even though she already won the battle, she couldn''t help herself¡ªbut to come here to check.

    It was almost as if she was forced to be obedient because of the uneasiness and fear inside of her.

    Now, she realized that it was the right thing to come.

    Her eyes fixed on Lucivar, who against all odds, was now right in front of her.

    Just the sight of the small smile donning Lucivar''s face, Callista''s blood runs cold.

    "How...?" She muttered¡ªwater began to pool in her eyes. "How is he here?"

 Chapter 226 226: Broken Morality (1)

    Callista couldn''t believe what she was seeing.

    At this very moment, the vast world felt unbearably small.

    It was suffocating.

    Her mind spun as she didn''t understand why the world seemed to be against her right now.

    How did Lucivar escape?

    Why did Zed turned on her and lied?

    And since when did her husband was in the city?

    Countless questions flooded her mind like a tidal wave of punishment, each one was a torment with no answer in sight. Unconsciously, the pressure built until a sharp pain throbbed in her head, and before she knew it¡ªblood trickled from her nose.

    Her thoughts, driven like a whip-lashed workhorse, were reaching their breaking point.

    As she paused at the entrance, Lucivar turned to look at Julian.

    Julian met his gaze and frowned.

    ''For the second request, I wanted the most right now is for you to not interfere with what was about to happen''

    Recalling what Lucivar said to him earlier, Juliann glanced over to his wife¡ªand then back to Lucivar again. He could tell¡ªthat Lucivar was signaling him to leave, to not interfere. Frankly, he was worried that Lucivar would try to hurt Callista.

    Maybe Callista deserved it but she was still his wife.

    He could accept if Lucivar wanted a payback but if he killed her, that''s going too far.

    As if Lucivar could read what was going on in Julian''s mind, he spoke, "Don''t worry, it won''t happen"

    Upon hearing this, Julian kept his gaze on Lucivar for a second longer before he sighed.

    It was a dilemma for him but he decided to truth Lucivar.

    After all, Julian owed it to him for protecting his daughters from the Crimson Wolf Clan.

    Pulling Ragnar along with him, Julian walked over to the entrance¡ªand stopped right beside Callista who was still in a daze from everything that was happening, "I''ll take Ragnar to a safe place. Soon, our clan''s name and my name would be cleared and we could go back home"

    Once he said his piece, Ragnar walked away without looking back.

    He vanished into thin air at the third step.

    Silence enveloped the entire space once again as Callista stared at where Julian disappeared.

    She then trailed her eyes down before finally turning to look at Lucivar.

    In her mind, she began piecing together what had happened and realized that Lucivar once again saved her daughters from the Crimson Wolf Clan. He even managed to help capture Ragnar. He did all of that while blindsiding her with a fac?ade of victory.

    Despite what she wanted to believe, she never won.

    It was all fabricated to lower her guard.

    Coming to that realization, Callista''s face hardened as she approached Lucivar.

    Seeing Callista approaching, Elira and Thalia slightly positioned themselves to be in front of Lucivar.

    Both were shielding him from Callista, which was a rather cute gesture.

    "So this was your plan all along," She stopped a few paces away and looked down at Lucivar¡ªwith an ugly expression. "You were planning to get on my husband''s good side from the start to get rid of me, is that it? Your grand plan"

    Lucivar only smiled in response, still too weak to do anything other than sit down on the ground.

    "Mom," Elira stood up hesitantly. "He saved us again and even helped us get rid of our enemy"

    "It''s time to drop all of this, mom," Thalia backed her sister up. "He had already done enough"

    Callista looked at both of her daughters who were defending Lucivar incredulously and she scoffed in utter disbelief. She even cackled a bit, finding the situation¡ªunbelievable, "Does the two of you even have my blood? How could you two be this stupid? He was the one who created the problem and came in like a hero saving the day because he needed you two to save himself! Don''t fall for his tricks!"

    "He can''t screw us over and play hero next, mom can''t let him go!" She added exasperatedly.

    It was clear to her that Lucivar managed to get them under his wraps.

    Seeing how both of them were defending him like this, he clearly influenced them good.

    Despite her attempt to help Elira and Thalia see reason, these two were already far gone.

    None of them could see reason anymore.

    None of them could see that Lucivar was using them to his advantage.

    "Come on Callista," Lucivar''s voice suddenly rang as he struggled to stand. "Listen to your daughters. Both of them had gone through a lot, they were almost killed tonight so the last thing they wanted was to fight with you about this. Can you forget about your pride for your daughters?"

    "How dare you lecture me!" Callista exclaimed and channeled her ether.

    Swish!

    A gust of wind blew out from her hands and created a long¡ªintricate green bow that hummed with an unrelenting power. She grabbed the string and instantly, an arrow materialized from ether and was ready to be shot.

    However, Elira and Thalia immediately went shoulder-to-shoulder.

    Both used themselves as a shield to protect Lucivar.

    "Please, mom..." Thalia mumbled meekly, tears streaming down her face. "Don''t do this"

    "For us. If you can''t do it for what he did then do it for us," Elira added.

    But their pleas fell on deaf ears.

    From their point of view, their pleases might be the right thing to do but that wasn''t the case for Callista.

    As Thalia and Elira spoke more, their voices intertwined like songbirds backing each other''s tune to chant Lucivar''s name, the angrier she became. She could not fathom how her entire life had unraveled because of a single young man, and the mere thought of it sent heat surging through her face.

    It was embarrassing, her pride couldn''t accept this¡ªshe needed to kill Lucivar once and for all.

    Only then could she work through this without going insane.

    Sparing Lucivar would be nothing more than a mental suicide for her mind, she couldn''t take it.

    "I was hoping for you to be my sponsor, Callista," Lucivar said, his voice steady, drawing her attention back to him. "No ruin, no vendetta¡ªonly a simple exchange between two people. A pact in exchange for glory that I would attain in the tournament. I thought you may like the id-"

    "Stop!" Callista bit her lower lip so hard that it threatened to bleed. "Say nothing more!"

    She knew that she was in the wrong back then, ungrateful.

    But she couldn''t afford to admit that she was wrong or else all of this would''ve been her fault.

    All she wanted right now was to kill Lucivar regardless of who was in the right.

    Realizing the dark trail seeping out of Callista''s heart, snaking through the air to connect with Lucivar''s Supernatural Ego, his expression¡ªtightened. Nothing he said would get through Callista''s thick skull and it shows, "Drop this, swallow your pride for your daughters, and forget what I did for good¡ªbut if you insist, I''ll make sure you regret it"

    Upon saying that, Lucivar noticed Callista''s fingers tightening on the bow string.

    "Be smart Callista, don''t be foolish," He continued.

    Even though he sounded serious, his lips were threatening to curl into a devilish smirk.

    He was anticipating something.

    Callista''s hands trembled, but her pride burned hotter than reason.

    Despite Lucivar''s warnings that echoed in her mind, the weight of admitting fault was scarier.

    She has gone too far to apologize right now.

    Swoosh!

    In a sudden burst of defiance, she summoned a violent gale from the side, hurling both Thalia and also Elira aside. Her bow snapped into position¡ªthe string drawn taut as a shimmering arrow materialized, aimed directly at Lucivar''s skull.

    One release and it would be over.

    But as her fingers prepared to let go, her body seized.

    "Mom, if you kill him right now then both of us are going to die too!!" Elira shouted loudly.

    Upon hearing this, Callista glanced over to Elira and noticed that her face was serious.

    She wasn''t kidding.

    At that moment, Callista poked the arrow against Lucivar''s neck with bloodshot eyes, "What did you do to them?!" She shouted, demanding a clarification. "Answer me! What did you do to my daughters, you devil?!"

    Lucivar shrugged nonchalantly, "I turned them into my insurance,"

    "An ability of mine that binds them to me. If I die, both of them would also die," He added.

    Callista was at a loss for words, a Harpy Hybrid shouldn''t have an ability that was even remotely close to that. No records of such an ability existed. But judging from Lucivar''s face as well as her daughters'' reactions, this seemed to be the truth.

    "Until you understand that you will always be beneath me, they will forever be my insurance" He said.

    Upon hearing this, Callista''s strength left her body.

    Her arms dropped down and her ether bow disappeared once again.

    "Okay... I get it," She murmured lightly, there was a tinge of defeat in her voice.

    From the looks of it, finally, she understood her situation.

    Glancing over to her daughters, she sighed, "Come on, let''s leave. Let''s go home..."

    For a second there, Elira and Thalia exchanged a look, surprised that Callista had dropped this as easily as that. But inside, they were happy that she did for them. Despite her pride, and arrogance, above all, she still values their lives more.

    Above all, she was still their mother and their safety was paramount for her.

    Pivoting around, Callista waited for them to come before she reached her arms over to embrace them.

    Then, the three of them walked away¡ªheading to the entrance.

    Lucivar watched this with an unrestrained smile on his face, this wasn''t over, he could sense it.

    As expected, once the three reached the entrance, Callista suddenly shoved them forward¡ªcausing the twin to fall to the ground. Instinctively, Elira and Thalia snapped their heads to look at Callista and saw her summoning her bow again.

    "Don''t worry, those earrings are going to nullify his ability," She said nonchalantly.

    Upon hearing this, Elira and Thalia reached for their ears.

    Somehow, Callista managed to put an earring on them¡ªa protection artifact.

    Naturally, the acceptance was a fluke.

    Callista only wanted to get her daughters to wear the earrings and also get out of the way.

    Now that Lucivar has lost his two shields, there''s nothing stopping Callista from killing him.

    In an instant, she pointed her bow at Lucivar and pulled on the string decisively.

    "You overplayed your hand. Now, you''re dead,"

    "Mom, no!!"

    As soon as Callista''s fingers were about to let go of the string and shoot the arrow, the sound of laughter seeped into her ears. It was an eerie and unhinged feminine laughter that also sounded astral, almost as if it didn''t come from this world.

    Then, her eyes widened when she saw something grabbed her arm.

    And in the next second, her arm exploded.

    Splash!

 Chapter 227 227: Broken Morality (2)

    Feeling a forceful push from behind, Thalia fell to the ground.

    She turned her head to her behind and saw Callista looking at them with a stone-cold expression.

    Unlike what Thalia had expected, her mother hadn''t chosen their safety.

    It was all a fluke to get her and Elira out of the way.

    "Don''t worry, those earrings are going to nullify his ability,"

    Once she heard her mother say that, she snapped from her daze and watched as Callista drew her bow once again and pointed it at Lucivar. At that moment, time slowed down substantially. Thalia watched as Callista pulled back the string in slow motion.

    Her eyes gradually widened and her breath hitched.

    Callista ignored Lucivar''s warning and stubbornly aimed for the kill.

    Just then, a voice rang inside her mind¡ªthe question that made her nervous about tonight.

    "If it comes down to you or Callista''s reputation and face, I wonder... which one she''ll choose?"

    Lucivar''s words repeated inside her mind.

    She decided to accept being Lucivar''s guarantee, his insurance against Callista because she believed in her heart that once her mother knew about the ability Lucivar used on them, she wouldn''t do anything that might endanger them.

    No matter how angry and spiteful Callista was, there was no way she would gamble with their lives.

    But she did.

    Pulling that bowstring meant she accepted the risk of both her daughters'' death.

    All of that is because she hated Lucivar for making her feel inferior.

    All of that is because of her pride.

    Despite the earrings, Thalia closed her eyes and turned away out of fear.

    Lucivar might be a bad person who prioritized himself more than anything, regardless of how his action would affect those around him¡ªbut he wasn''t a liar. Or at least, he never lied to her. So naturally, she really believed that she''d die if Callista attempted to do something as reckless as trying to kill him.

    However, as seconds passed, Thalia didn''t feel anything.

    ''Ah... Maybe it''s a swift death. It''s like him to do this, he won''t be bad to those who don''t wrong him''

    A helpless smile crept to her face as she accepted her death.

    It was not Lucivar''s fault, her death was her mother''s fault.

    All Lucivar was trying to do was to survive and even gave a chance for Callista to turn a new page and work together¡ªbut she was too proud to do that. And because of her pride, both her daughters are now dead.

    Then, Thalia''s eyes shot open when she heard a loud, painful wail.

    She blinked a couple of times, realizing that she wasn''t dead¡ªand slowly gazed ahead.

    In front of her, Callista was on her knees.

    Callista clutched her half-destroyed arm, blood gushing from the mangled flesh in a grotesque display¡ªIt was as if her limb had erupted from within. A wave of confusion swept over both Thalia and Elira, yet within Callista''s mind, the chaos took an entirely different form.

    Instead of confusion, she began to realize that all of this was Lucivar''s ploy.

    She walked right into the trap that he had set.

    ''What is that thing earlier?'' Callista''s bloodshot eyes bore into the ground.

    A second before her arm exploded, a wicked jester of black and emerald appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her arm. It was an otherworldly entity, something sinister¡ªand devious, and whatever it was stopped Callista from releasing the string.

    Moreover, it laugher mockingly as if it found Callista funny.

    Even now, its laughter still echoes in Callista''s ears.

    ''I got marked, he marked me with his ability,'' Callista''s mind wavered as she couldn''t believe that she was outwitted by Lucivar so thoroughly. ''He didn''t mark Elira and Thalia with his ability, the mark was on me instead! But when...? When did he have the time to do that? When?!''

    Callista''s mind worked to its full capacity, thinking of the time when this could happen.

    Just then, her eyes landed on several pieces of gold in front of her.

    It was the fragments from her wedding ring.

    And then, she recalled a moment.

    It was when Lucivar made his desperate attempt to grab her while being escorted by Zed.

    At the time, Callista thought this was a desperate move as he realized that he had lost.

    But that was so far from the truth.

    It wasn''t a desperate attempt¡ªit was a deliberate one.

    Lucivar did that to grab her ring and mark it, he already planned tonight from back then.

    ''I... I walked right into his trap,'' Callista''s pupils trembled. "I also gave away my earrings...''

    Just then, seeing Callista''s priceless expression as she slowly realized¡ªthat she ha been dancing in the palm of Lucivar''s hand all along, Lucivar erupted into laughter. It was a rich unrestrained sound, laced with both mockery and sheer amusement..

    He mocked Callista for falling into his trap as well as amused to see the green sphere gathering above her.

    A massive green sphere, the fruit of his labor.

    "I knew exactly that you''d do shit like that," Lucivar grinned, standing up straight despite the pain¡ªas the situation was too funny in real life. "I never marked Thalia and Elira, why would I need to do that? I don''t have anything against them¡ªand I am not that cruel but more importantly, I know exactly how little you care for them"

    Lucivar has been observing Callista from the start.

    He could tell from her status, her actions, and even the way she spoke that she was self-centered.

    From the way she treated him badly from the start even though he saved Thalia, from the way she came to decide to accept Mirel as a replacement for someone like Lucivar who she knew for certain was more than capable of protecting her daughters, and even the way she immediately resorted to holding press conferences once she managed to imprisoned Lucivar regardless of what Elira and Thalia felt.

    All of those things are tell-tale signs that Callista only cared about herself the most.

    So she would certainly try and kill Lucivar at the last moment.

    For her wounded pride.

    It would''ve been fine and repairable if Lucivar was actually dead but he wasn''t¡ªhe''s still alive.

    Gritting her teeth, Callista attempted to attack but stopped mid-way.

    She grunted heavily as her body felt weak, devoid of any real strength.

    Naturally, this was the effect of the Fool''s Trick ability.

    Lucivar had not only requested the first effect from the Fool¡ªdetonating Callista''s arm and weakening her strength but he also demanded the third effect, sealing both her power and movement for a period of time so that he could finish what he planned to do with her.

    No matter how much she tries, she won''t be able to overpower this.

    The Fool''s Trick is not a spell, it''s a God spell.

    It can''t be broken with sheer strength.

    Realizing that she couldn''t move properly, Callista shot a glare toward Lucivar as she knew already that this was his doing. Then, she snapped her head around and looked over to her daughters with bloodshot eyes, "Kill him!" She demanded. "Go and kill him right now!!"

    Upon hearing this, the twin tilted their heads down as their expressions darkened.

    Seeing that they weren''t moving made Callista angrier.

    "Do you not see what he did to me?!" She shouted louder. "I''m your mother and you will listen to me!"

    "Don''t waste your breath, Callista, you''ll only make the situation worse," Lucivar said under his heavy breaths. "You have shown them your true face, that you didn''t care about them. You knew¡ªthat I am a very dangerous individual and yet you still acted at face value. Had I really marked them, those earrings of yours would not be able to stop¡ªmy ability and they would die. Tsk, tsk, tsk... If I were your son, I too would be disappointed to have a mother like you"

    Callista''s eyes turned redder.

    But she still forced out a smile, the situation wasn''t as bad as she thought it was.

    "Even so, what do you hope to gain from this?" She snarled, fury lacing every word. "You didn''t mark my daughters because of your soft spot for them so they''re safe, and you can''t kill me either because if you did, my husband will hunt you to the end of the world. You may defeat me today but without the power to end me, you''ll never truly win"

    "I, on the other hand, will keep coming back," She cackled like a madwoman. "Until the day you lose"

    "That''s your conclusion?" Lucivar shook his head in disappointment.

    It seemed Callista had allowed her emotions to take control, she couldn''t think clearly anymore.

    Once the mind is defeated, the real defeat is guaranteed to come.

    Callista had lost.

    "If I was planning to kill you, there''s no other choice but to confront your husband so I would be on the Crimson Wolf Clan''s side from the side," He explained as if it was common sense. "But I didn''t do that so do you think I''m planning to kill you?"

    Upon hearing this, Callista''s eyes widened.

    Since Lucivar wasn''t planning on killing her, then there''s only one more thing.

    She slowly turned around to look at her daughters.

    And seeing the sight, her heart skipped a beat.

    Thalia was tears-stricken, gazing at Callista with palpable pain behind her eyes.

    She hadn''t got enough time to process what she was seeing once Elira on the side made her move.

    Elira walked towards her with steady steps.

    Despite heading to Callista, her face was still facing down as if Elira couldn''t look at her in the eyes.

    Once she reached a step away, she finally raised her gaze and locked eyes with Callista.

    Callista felt physical pain when she saw Elira''s eyes were devoid of any familial warmth, and worse, it almost seemed like¡ªshe was looking at a stranger. Without hesitation, Elira raised her hand and swung it¡ªslapping Callista across her face.

    Pah!

    A sharp crack resounded from the slap, and Callista''s eyes widened in stunned disbelief.

    She turned to look at Elira incredulously and stuttered, "D- Daughter...?"

    Elira slapping her was an even greater shock than Lucivar''s scheme.

    "Don''t call me that anymore, you have no right¡ªafter what you just did," Elira answered firmly, tears drizzling down from her eyes but her face remained hard and composed. She has had enough, "You... You''re not my mother anymore. If you really were our mother, you wouldn''t have done that"

    "W- What...?" Callista gulped harshly. "I was doing this for your sake, I was doing this for yo-"

    "No," Elira cut her mid-sentence. "You''re doing this for yourself"

    "Had it not been for Lucivar''s kind heart, you would''ve killed us!" Thalia screamed from behind, she was hurt beyond measure that Callista would do something like that recklessly. "You''re selfish, mom... You never cared about us and now, we can see it clearly"

    Upon listening to them from the background, Lucivar''s grin stretched wider.

    "And just like that..." He mumbled in amusement. "A family is broken"

 Chapter 228 228: Domesticated

    Lucivar''s desire was simple.

    He wanted to be left alone since the tournament was approaching fast.

    Despite his confidence in his ability as the Blessed Oracle, the champion of multiple Gods, he was not arrogant enough to think that he could win without making preparations. To secure his victory and make sure he delivered his promises, he needed to make preparations.

    And doing that required time.

    He needed to reach the Chrysalis rank, find out about the other participants, learn more about the stages, and many more. Considering that he managed to pull off his plan all this time¡ªand succeed in getting what he wanted, he wasn''t going to stop now.

    A plan along with the fortune brought by his piling bad karma will get him far.

    In order to be left alone, he needed to get rid of Callista.

    Killing her would only result in more complications, such as creating a problem with Julian.

    A problem that he couldn''t handle at the current moment.

    So the answer became clear.

    Lucivar would traumatize Callista to the point that she wouldn''t dare to look at him with ill intent.

    He''d start by isolating her from her own daughters and wear her mind down.

    Even though he anticipated that this wasn''t over, that he needed to do more to break Callista''s mind, it seemed he only needed to make another small push. Having both Elira and Thalia disappointed in her for what she had done has done a lot more damage than Lucivar anticipated.

    From Callista''s expression alone, he could tell she was deeply hurt.

    ''I guess she''s still a better mother than my own mother,'' Lucivar shrugged with a self-pitying smile. It was clear that despite Callista''s selfish personality, underneath it all, she still loved her daughters. ''Even at death''s door, my mother''s eyes still have no trace of warmth only shock and fear''

    Shaking his head, Lucivar then mumbled, "Is that enough, Gandr?"

    "No," Gandr appeared and answered. "A little bit more to unlock the Morality Constellation"

    Lucivar nodded, "One more little push then..."

    On the other side, seeing both her daughters'' disappointed and cold looks, Callista felt something inside her slipping away. She wanted to refute but she knew that there was no going back from this. But even so, she still doesn''t want to believe that this is really happening.

    She doesn''t want to believe that their family bond would lose to Lucivar''s manipulation.

    "Choose right now, your own mother or that devil!" She blurted out angrily. "Choose! If you choose him over me, I''m not going to take care of you anymore. I''m going to disown¡ªyou two! I''m going to erase your names from the family!"

    Given such an ultimatum, Callista believed that this would snap them from their stupors.

    It would bring her daughters back to reality.

    She doesn''t mean that but if she acted like she meant it, Elira and Thalia would certainly soften.

    ''Both of you have no choice but to choose me,'' Callista thought, eyeing both her daughters¡ªwho were rooted in their spots at the ultimatum. ''No chance they would go that far. Don''t be shy, mom will give you another chance. Once both of you accept, Lucivar will be done!''

    Just then, however, as she was reeling at her fantasy¡ªher breath hitched.

    Both Thalia and Elira raised their gaze to look at her and there was no sign of surrender.

    In fact, both of them seemed more resolute than before.

    Not even sparing or bothering to answer with words, Elira and Thalia, shockingly, strode past Callista with unwavering steps¡ªtheir silence more cutting than any reply. A chill ran down Callista''s spine as the wind from their passing brushed against her skin, her pupils trembled in disbelief.

    At that moment, it felt as if the ground beneath her feet was crumbling.

    Slowly, she turned, her breath hitching as she saw them standing¡ªone on either side of Lucivar.

    Both of them said nothing but their answer was loud and clear.

    Between her and Lucivar, between their mother and a nobody, they chose him.

    Callista was taken aback, this wasn''t supposed to happen.

    On the other hand, witnessing her defeat in full display on her face, Lucivar cackled¡ªand with a bold and condescending move, he patted Elira''s and Thalia''s heads as if he was telling the defeated Callista that her daughters were now his.

    Even the two didn''t pull away from Lucivar''s hands, both took it while averting Callista''s gaze.

    "Can you both see it now?" He asked meaningfully. "Your mother faked her love when all she has done was for herself. Unlike her, I''m a bad person, perhaps even cruel¡ªbut I never lied to any of you, I never faked myself. And more importantly, I risked my life saving both of you"

    Upon hearing this, Elira and Thalia nodded gravely.

    It was a tough pill to swallow but Lucivar was right.

    Compared to Callista, he cared about them more even though he acted cruelly towards them.

    He has never worn a mask, always true to himself.

    Grinning savagely, Lucivar limped his way towards Callista.

    "Good," Once he knelt down and reached Callista''s eye level, he shaped a frame with his fingers and peered through the space that viewed Callista''s face as if envisioning the perfect picture. "That''s a good expression you''re wearing. I quite like it,"

    Lucivar studied her face with a twisted delight.

    Her eyes, once burning with purpose and arrogance, were now vacant, dulled by defeat.

    A faint tremor touched her lips, caught between restraint and collapse. Her jaw was locked, her breath shallow, as if holding back the weight of her downfall. She tried to regulate her thoughts and breaths, desperate to ground herself but she was slipping away.

    Even the color had drained from her chees, leaving only the hollow stillness of quiet ruin.

    Losing her daughters was devastating even for a selfish person like her.

    Maybe the thought that her investments had been taken away¡ªwas what made her like this, not the actual love that a mother would have for her children, but that doesn''t matter. Lucivar was pleased that what he was aiming for had been achieved.

    Despite the mockery, Callista tilted her head down to look at the ground.

    But Lucivar caught her chin and forced her to keep looking up.

    "I told you, you should be careful¡ªlest I became fond of your reactions, fond of your games," He said as he tapped Callista''s cheek superciliously, drizzling salt to the open wound on her pride. "It''s too late now, your face... I fell in love with your face already"

    Smirking deviously, Lucivar leaned forward to her ear.

    "I wonder..." His lips closed in, almost touching her. "Can I make them kill you in the future? I mean, considering that you don''t care¡ªabout their lives, I could twist them even further. What do you think? Do you believe I can do it?"

    Upon hearing this, Callista''s blood runs cold, "You wouldn''t dare... that''s... too much..."

    "Of course not," Lucivar chimed after a brief pause. "After all, like they said, I have a kind heart. But make no mistake, this entirely depends on your behavior going forward. And frankly speaking, I want you to retaliate. I am looking forward to seeing this face you are making¡ªfor the second time. Do you understand?"

    Callista didn''t answer.

    She remained silent, there was no wrath and arrogance left inside her.

    But this wasn''t enough for Lucivar.

    Roughly, she grabbed her chin and tilted her head up again, "Speak when you''re addressed!"

    "You are foolish to go after me!"

    "I- I am foolish..."

    "You learned your lesson and will not go after me again!"

    "L- Learned my lesson..."

    "You will be a good mother by obeying me, right?!"

    "R- Right..."

    Once the last word slipped from Callista''s lips, Lucivar felt invigorated.

    He was grinning from ear to ear as he relished the surge of power from the unlocking of the Morality Constellation within him. Coupled with the sheer thrill of managing to domesticate Callista, it sent a rush of exhilaration through his veins¡ªit was euphoric.

    "Right..." Lucivar mumbled and stood up again. "Be sure to find a way to clear my reputation¡ªfrom whatever you''re trying to do with those press conferences. Do it quickly, I''m not a patient man. Also, if I realize you tried something again, our little game will continue"

    Once he said that, Lucivar turned around to leave.

    Readily, Elira and Thalia supported him and walked away, leaving Callista in solitude.

    Leaving her with the sheer weight of what she had lost.

    A couple of steps away, Lucivar halted with a light groan, "Wait... Wait a minute"

    Thalia flipped her hair over her shoulder and held him upright by his chest, "What''s wrong? Are you hurt?"

    "Yes, I''m hurt but it''s not that," Lucivar answered and turned to the side.

    Lying on the ground not too far away from them, still where Elira and Thalia had dropped him was the old man. As the deal between him and Julian specified¡ªthe old man would be given to him to kill in the case of managing to capture Ragnar.

    Since Lucivar delivered Ragnar, the old man was now his to kill.

    He didn''t need to think about the consequences either, Julian would deal with it.

    "Are you going to kill him?" Elira asked questioningly.

    "In case you did not know already, I''m not a Harpy Hybrid. For me to get stronger, I need to kill," Lucivar replied with the truth, there was no point in hiding his abilities when right now, he practically owned both of them. "So help me get there and kill him,"

    For a second there, the two were stunned.

    But then, a happy smile crept to their faces.

    Both of them knew that Lucivar was rewarding them for choosing him over Callista by opening up.

    Not even questioning him further¡ªseemingly fine with the fact that he needed to kill in order to improve his strength as if it was fine, the twin helped Lucivar go to the old man. Killing the old man gave Lucivar a massive golden sphere.

    A golden sphere that belonged to a five-star Chrysalis rank Hybrid.

    ''Great, with this, I should reach the Chrysalis rank just fine...'' Lucivar thought inside excitedly.

    Once again, going as far as this was worth it.

    Doing bad things and accumulating bad karma really does make him very fortunate.

    Now, Lucivar obtained another backer at his disposal that he could use at any time as long as both Elira and Thalia were with him. He obtained the golden sphere to help him ascend to the Chrysalis rank and even got Callista off his back so that he could make preparations better.

    However, the best reward was the Morality Constellation.

    Lucivar looked down at his hand and smirked devilishly, "Moral Contagion, now... what kind of ability is that? I hope it''d be a great help to mess with that stupid avatar"

 Chapter 229 229: Eve of Hot Sensation

    Just like that, the situation spiraled to its conclusion.

    As expected after the rough night, Callista moved fast and ended the conflict between them.

    Once the verdict from the Council of Light Concord got out, stating that the Feradith Family was free from the corruption of Crossers, another press conference was held. Since her family was now free of suspicion, the public wanted to know her comments about those who doubted.

    In particular, the Crimson Wolf Clan, who made a backhand comment about their suspicion.

    But she gave no comments¡ªonly that she was glad the misunderstanding had been cleared.

    And on top of that, she also declared that she didn''t blame the academy hunter who started this torrent of misunderstandings. She stated that this only proved that the world was always alert to the threats of the Crossers, and the people should feel safe.

    It wasn''t the academy hunter''s fault and asked the public to not shame him in any shape or form.

    Handled by her agile tongue, she single-handedly restored her family''s reputation and also absolved Lucivar of any stain, just as he desired. Everything has calmed down and settled, the once-fiery topic cooled as the matter reached its conclusion.

    Fortunately, the press conference was done virtually.

    Callista''s arm was still severed so she couldn''t make a public appearance.

    Not unless she wanted to be grilled with troubling questions.

    Once she cleared the topic, the journalists shifted the topic to her participation in the upcoming South Hues Tournament which has been the talk of the entire city and beyond. Callista introduced her champion, Mirel as her representation, more at ease now that the topic has changed.

    In the next few days, another piece of news made the headlines.

    Drake and Julian have come out and said they had settled their differences in private.

    Now, the two clans have agreed to come to terms.

    On one side, Drake apologized on Ragnar''s behalf for making a mistake¡ªthat almost caused the assault team to suffer great losses while Julian apologized for not being able to regulate his emotions better and hitting Ragnar.

    As expected, the public took the news well.

    Most of them were glad that the two clans could solve their differences without further bloodshed.

    During the time when dungeons were beginning to appear more rapidly than normal, it was best for the forces of humanity to be at peace¡ªand focus on the real enemy, the Crossers. Internal problems would only lead to a disaster for the Light World.

    Stepping out of the conference room, Drake, a bearded man with massive stature glanced at Julian.

    Both of them made eye contact and a slight tension crackled between them.

    "I expect him to be back before night," Drake said raspingly.

    Upon hearing this, Julian smiled and walked away.

    Ragnar was the essential piece that made today possible.

    Knowing that Julian has Ragnar, Drake has no other choice but to comply with his demands.

    Drake has no say in this underhanded tactic because his son, Ragnar, is aiming to kidnap Thalia and Elira. He could only swallow his pride and comply but it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Dropping the case between them was one thing but Julian demanded compensation outside of this.

    All of this should be beneficial for the Crimson Wolf Clan but Julian turned the table.

    It was because of Ragnar.

    Now, the Green Tempest Clan was cleared of any scandal and also has grown stronger.

    Julian was glad that it was over and he got something out of this, but on the other side, he couldn''t help but feel complicated at this triumph. Lucivar was the one¡ªwho allowed this to be possible, he was the one who lured and captured Ragnar.

    He could be grateful to Lucivar but remembering what he did to Callista and his daughters, he couldn''t.

    He was conflicted and he was pissed about his feeling.

    Partly because he knew this was exactly what Lucivar intended¡ªto stir conflict within him.

    ''That kid really did think this through, he has potential,'' Julain thought and shook his head.

    Other than the thick mist¡ªfrom the two colossal clans'' bad blood, the news of the approaching South Hues Tournament was spreading like wildfire. At one point, the entire city was talking about it as the most important tournament for new Hybrids was always a sensation.

    It represented the hope of the world.

    Any Hybrids who showed up and performed great meant another future pillar for the world.

    Not to mention, this year''s tournament was different.

    Every talent from across the Valerius Supreme House territory came to participate.

    Naturally, the names of the participants became the talk of the internet.

    In a nearby cafe?, a group of friends were bantering and scrolling through their phones excitedly.

    "God... there are going to be three Vampire Hybrids, that are a direct lineage to the Valerius Supreme House including the governor''s grandson. It''s going to be tough for the academies to compete"

    "The Solcrest Academy sent that freakish genius Revenant Hybrid, it''s not that simple"

    "Look! The Modred House is participating! Hell yeah!"

    "Modred House? Aren''t they the family with the unique Midnight Ghoul bloodline?"

    "Yeah, their youngest daughter is participating"

    "What''s so great about Modred House? They''re nothing to the Vanguard Institute. In the last twenty years, their students were all top three in the previous South Hues Tournament. And now, the student from their institute is a Phoenix Hybrid!"

    Not only on their table, but other tables were also talking about the same thing.

    It was mainly because the official participants'' line-up had been released on the official website.

    Everyone was excited to watch the South Hues Tournament.

    Naturally, this excitement reached the Bloodhaven Academy.

    "Hold on, wait, we have three participants?!" A student exclaimed n surprise.

    His exclaim almost made a biker that was passing fell.

    A few meters away, two female students on a bench hurriedly pulled out their phones when they heard the student''s words and checked the official website of the tournament. Scrolling to the bottom of the list, they found their academy along with the details about their participants.

    "Caldaros, Lucivar, and Mirel?" One of them, a girl with bob-cut hair frowned.

    Her friend beside her also frowned, "Two of them are even academy hunters? How is that possible?"

    Despite being surprised to see that two of them were not even students, the two didn''t doubt their power as obtaining the sponsors to participate meant they were able to impress someone. But what made them surprise was that there were three participants.

    Considering the reputation of the tournament, the quotas are limited and the appliers are endless.

    Surely, the tournament management screens the applicants and eliminates those who don''t qualify.

    So to think that their barely average academy got three quotas is insane.

    Both of them never knew their academy hunters were exceptional.

    Across the street, in front of the student dorm¡ªanother pair of students walked out.

    Their eyes were fixed on their phones.

    "Caldaros isn''t in his first year, how can he participate?" One of them questioned.

    "Are you stupid?" Hearing this, his friend slapped him on the back of his head lightly. "Did you forget that the governor''s grandson is participating? Do you think every first-year¡ªcould even remotely be close to his power? Of course, not! That''d be insane"

    "Man, fuck you. Can''t you just explain without hitting me?" the student barked while holding his head.

    Normally, Hybrids who entered the first year have power around four-star Neophyte rank.

    In top-tier academies, the average was higher¡ªfirst-star Acolyte rank.

    Even among the best academies, there are only a few first-years who are above two-star Acolyte rank so it was natural for the South Hues Tournament management to be loose in age. Nobody would want to see a one-sided tournament where the governor''s grandson dominated completely.

    Moreover, it would be bad for the governor''s grandson''s growth if there was no challenge.

    He would not have a strong character if he experienced no struggles.

    "But still..." Another student walking with his five friends muttered, looking at the photos of the three participants from their academy intently. "How strong are they to be accepted despite the competition? At least, they are third-star Acolyte rank or perhaps even higher"

    "Academy hunters above three-star Acolyte rank, now that''s scary..." Another chimed.

    All academy hunters aspired to become students and free themselves from the burden of servitude.

    Once they were given the offer, they would instantly become a student.

    An academy hunter at the three-star Acolyte rank would undoubtedly be given the chance to ascend to student status by the academy. For that academy hunter to decline the offer¡ªand stay as academy hunter, that can only mean one thing.

    And that is their path to power lies in the dungeon and most likely, through killing.

    Meanwhile, the talk of the academy was inside his room.

    Sabrina woke up from her sleep, her eyelids trembling a bit before opening as she inhaled deeply.

    She blinked her eyes and looked around.

    But then, her heart skipped a beat when she saw the view that greeted her.

    Lucivar was still fast asleep, his head resting against her chest, arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

    Almost instantly, Sabrina''s face flushed scarlet, and she hastily covered it with her hands.

    From last night until now, they had remained in the same position.

    A couple of nights ago once Lucivar got back after the confrontation with Callista, the two of them went back to the academy. Upon reaching their room, Sabrina helped Lucivar tuck into bed as he was still in immense pain.

    Surprisingly, the healer was absent and he had nowhere to turn to for the moment.

    Once Sabrina was done helping him and prepared for bed, Lucivar suddenly yanked her onto the bed.

    Nothing happened.

    Lucivar instantly fell asleep while holding her close.

    Even though at the moment, Sabrina didn''t know what happened to him since he never really looked at her that way, now she realized why he was doing this. He would rather die than admit it but she knew that she moved him a bit.

    She moved his cold heart when she volunteered to be tortured alongside him as his personal maid.

    From that night, it became normal for Lucivar to sleep with her beside him.

    Peeking from the cracks between her fingers, Sabrina watched Lucivar''s peaceful face silently.

    Focusing on him sharpened her senses¡ªshe felt his warm, steady breaths grazing against her skin and the weight of his strong arm¡ªdraped heavily over her stomach. A shiver ran down her spine, sending a tingling sensation to her feet.

    Sabrina bit her lower lip hard as her gaze turned smoldering.

    And instinctively, she reached down to her private part.

    Her bloodline was stimulated again and she couldn''t help herself, her hand was moving on its own.

    Just then, however, a voice stopped her hand dead in its tracks.

    "If you masturbate while looking at my face again, I''m going to throw you out of the door"

    "Hehe~ Why didn''t you tell me if you''re awake..."

 Chapter 230 230: Late for the Surprise

    Lucivar inhaled deeply and groaned as he sat up on the bed.

    He rubbed his sleepy eyes and realized the time¡ªit was a little bit over six in the morning.

    For the longest time, this was the latest time he had woken up¡ªmainly because he was still wounded. The healer was still absent and Nerissa was in closed-door training, Lucivar had nobody else to turn to because of that.

    It was true he had achieved the Second Divine Elevation of Loki.

    All his abilities originating from Loki have become stronger which includes his Greedy Grasp ability.

    But the God strands were still not enough to fully heal him.

    Not that it couldn''t but there was a limiter preventing him from using them to heal himself fully.

    Lucivar tried asking Gandr about this¡ªbut all he got as an answer was that if he couldn''t do it then it was probably for the best for the current moment. Recalling how the Michief Panes worked, by creating a sacrificial version of him and devouring it to increase his abilities'' mastery, Lucivar reckoned that there was also danger in using God strands to heal himself fully.

    So he decided to take it at face value.

    "I''m going to shower," Lucivar moved to the edge of the bed.

    "Now that we''re in a pillow-friend relationship, when are we taking the next step?" Sabrina''s low voice rang out, stopping Lucivar in his tracks. He turned over his shoulder, one brow arched, as she continued with a playful smirk, "You know, maybe progress to a bathing-friend relationship... or perhaps ev¡ª"

    "Don''t push it," Lucivar cut in, his tone flat. "Or you''ll be demoted to a floor-hugging relationship."

    Sabrina laughed as she too sat up and tied her white-pinkish hair into a ponytail.

    She didn''t wake up earlier because Lucivar was still using her as a pillow.

    Now, she was late to do her daily work.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar got out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

    He was drying his hair with another towel and found a tray of warm food on the table.

    Seeing the food caught him off guard.

    "Since when can I have food in my room? Is this a hotel?" Lucivar mumbled to himself and approached the table. He looked at it for a second, and then paused at a thought, "Now that I think about it, nobody has come to check on me yet. It''s already twenty minutes passed six, the guards would normally barge into my room at this point"

    Naturally, this was weird.

    Going missing because of the scandal already put him in trouble with Fabio.

    He expected today to be grueling like the last couple of days, forced to clean up the public toilet outside¡ªand even carry drinking water for the morning exercise and also serve food during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

    Fabio was relentless, he didn''t care that Lucivar was still wounded and could barely walk.

    But then again, that''s what he gets for going missing.

    Of course, going missing for days wasn''t entirely all his fault¡ªCallista imprisoned him and he even got tortured in the process but there was no way he could say that to Fabio. Lucivar has no other choice but to do the chores.

    Despite feeling something was off, Lucivar shrugged his shoulders and ate the food while it was warm.

    Once he was done, smacking his lips in satisfaction, he changed his clothes and sat on the bed.

    Since he was already late, there was no need for him to hurry.

    He was going to be punished either way so he decided to go into his Inner Chamber for a moment.

    Lucivar opened his eyes inside the dark chamber once again¡ªhis gaze did not turn to the God statues surrounding the chamber but fixed on his Supernatural Ego instead. Approaching closer to the egg statue at the center, it soon reacted to him.

    Swish!

    A mixture of black and white aura seeped out, one sinister and the other one divine.

    Both were clearly against each other, creating violent fractures in the form of energy sparks.

    Moreover, the egg statue itself¡ªaside from the central section¡ªhad transformed from mere stone into two starkly contrasting materials, light and darkness. One half radiated with brilliant, pure golden light, while the other was forced from an abyssal blackness that sent an unsettling chill through the heart.

    Lucivar looked at the statue as if it was his son, this was the product of his training.

    But annoyance soon crossed his face as he gazed at the central section.

    "Fuck that Dullan, I realized it too late," Lucivar scratched his head in frustration.

    Under the extensive care of the Trading Union, he managed to increase his rank to the peak of the Acolyte rank. Unfortunately, with his highly powerful bloodline that was probably beyond a red grade considering he have Gods inside of him, the resources for him to reach the Chrysalis rank were extremely expensive.

    It came to the point that even Dullan couldn''t provide him with more resources.

    Not that he has any but it was above what he was willing to pay.

    Of course, Lucivar pressed him but it took more than a day until Dullan decided to give him more.

    But he has no time to continue absorbing power crystals to reach the Chrysalis rank¡ªthe showdown he scheduled with Callista was upon him. It was only a few days ago, as he lay in bed staring at his own bedroom''s ceiling that he realized Dullan had played him.

    Dullan deliberately made it difficult for him to obtain resources, forcing him to waste time.

    That argument alone had cost Lucivar an entire day¡ªtime he could''ve spent absorbing power crystals.

    It was both infuriating and frustrating but Lucivar had to give it to him, that man was a businessman.

    Fortunately, the golden sphere he obtained from killing the old man, a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid had pushed him close¡ªto breaking through. Extending his hand, Lucivar pressed his fingers against the remaining rock-solid portion, "I hope the remaining ether inside the golden sphere is enough to complete this,"

    "No," He shook his head. "It has to be"

    Grabbing the golden sphere to the side, Lucivar began absorbing it again.

    In order to reach the Chrysalis rank, a Hybrid must entirely shift the material of their Supernatural Ego into their innate attribute. Only when the entire Supernatural Ego has transformed would the Hybrid be officially in the Chrysalis rank.

    ''I could get stronger faster if I change the absorption technique,'' Lucivar thought inside.

    He was still using the Versatile Blooming Hyacinth to absorb the power crystals.

    A silver-rank technique that only utilized six ego points.

    Lucivar has more than quadrupled that amount right now, he could use a diamond-rank technique but he couldn''t bear to let go of this silver-rank technique. After all, this was the only thing Delilah had passed down to him.

    Stupid? Maybe.

    However, he could afford that stupidity as absorbing Divine Blood doesn''t require a technique.

    Shaking his head, Lucivar sat down, closed his eyes¡ªand continued to absorb the golden sphere.

    Once he did, two elegant wings burst forth from his back.

    One emerald while the other one, the slightly smaller one was regal bronze.

    Krrk!

    As seconds turned to minutes, Lucivar''s expression tensed, a sharp twitch betraying the pin as blood spurted from his smaller wing¡ªstretching, growing with his ascent toward the Chrysalis rank. Even the Supernatural Ego began to glow.

    Its underdeveloped part shifts into pure light and abyssal darkness.

    But at the thirty-minute mark, the golden sphere dissipated.

    Lucivar opened his eyes as veins popped across his neck, he hadn''t reached a breakthrough yet.

    "Damn it..." He cursed under his breath. "I only have a week left before the tournament"

    Knowing he would soon need to face that idiot Sun Avatar, Caldaros¡ªwho was annoyingly very strong despite his extreme stupidity, he had to reach the Chrysalis ran. He had no grasp of Caldaros'' full power, but only by advancing could he feel any semblance of confidence in his chances.

    Caldaros himself was not a threat but Sunna was.

    No matter how much he has progressed, Lucivar didn''t underestimate Sunna at all.

    All Loki''s past avatars never won against Sunna''s avatars, and that spoke volumes.

    Lucivar was anticipating Sunna would have a perfect counter to all Loki''s abilities, so he must at least rank higher than Caldaros to make sure everything went smoothly. But now, he was stuck once again, "I can feel I''m really nearing the edge of breaking through but this is still not enough..."

    As he stood up and walked in a circle in contemplation, his eyes noticed something.

    It was the Rune of Mischief on one wing of his Supernatural Ego.

    For some reason, it was flickering.

    "Now that I noticed it, I haven''t really explored what that rune was for," He mumbled lightly.

    But before Lucivar had the time to check the rune, he heard the door was opened in the real world.

    Someone was calling his name.

    From the voice, it was Sabrina, and she seemed to have something to say.

    Lucivar pulled his consciousness out of the Inner Chamber and opened his eyes to look at Sabrina.

    "What is it?" He asked.

    "Ermm..." Sabrina hesitated, pausing for a moment.

    Seeing this, Luciva tilted his head slightly¡ªshe had only gone to do the laundry, his laundry so what could she have possibly encountered between the room and the utility room to make her hesitant to talk to him?

    Just before Sabrina could open her mouth, the door was opened again.

    Leandra barged inside without knocking on the door with a bright smile on her face.

    "Here you are, the star of the day still lying in bed," She stood by the door and locked eyes with Lucivar¡ªbefore crossing her arms under her chest. "What time is it already? Come on out, everyone was waiting for you"

    "Huh...?" Lucivar arched a brow in confusion. "Waiting for me? What do you mean waiting for me?"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra scoffed.

    She didn''t know whether Lucivar actually didn''t know or was pretending to not know.

    "Are you being serious? Do you have any idea how long the entire academy hunters have been waiting for you to leave your room?" Leandra asked, exasperated. She had already been waiting for a couple of hours herself and yet there was no sign of Lucivar. "The official list of participants for the South Hues Tournament is out, and everyone''s gathered at the main training area to surprise you and Mirel,"

    "Mirel already got his surprise but you never showed up," She added, a tinge of irritation in her voice.

    Lucivar was stunned when he heard this.

    ''So that''s why there was warm food here, Sabina must''ve taken it from the cafeteria seeing that nobody was around,'' He pondered¡ªas a wry smile crept onto his face, not expecting a surprise in the morning. ''Now I''m going to look like an asshole...''

 Chapter 231 231: Hectic Day

    As soon as he arrived at the main training area near the cave''s mouth, Lucivar''s heart almost leaped out of his chest when hundreds of academy hunters suddenly appeared and surprised him. Countless party poppers exploded at the same time, raining down confetti across the entire space.

    Some even used their ether to create an astral writing that said, ''Congratulations!''.

    Lucivar has been approved by the tournament management a couple of days ago.

    He was informed by Angel directly who came to the Bastion of Blades in person.

    Initially¡ªhe thought that he''d be tested by the management first as an academy hunter having five-star Acolyte rank strength is extremely uncommon throughout the years. But there was no test, and Lucivar has his reputation to thank for that.

    Closing a blue dungeon grants him swift access to be approved.

    It should be the same with Mirel.

    "Show them what our academy was made of!" An academy hunter grabbed his hand and exclaimed.

    Then, several girls followed, "Lucivar, we''re rooting for you!"

    "We already sent a petition to have a day off for your tournament day, we''ll definitely be there!"

    "Yeah, no way we''re going to miss that day. We already booked the tickets too"

    Lucivar was bombarded with words of encouragement from every single academy hunter¡ªall of them were excited for him, this was already an achievement on its own. Even the professors along with their assistants were present, clapping their hands with a beaming smile.

    Though the tournament is a big deal, Lucivar wasn''t expecting this.

    He knew that the official list would come out today but this kind of surprise didn''t cross his mind at all.

    "Woah...!" Lucivar yelped when the academy hunters grabbed his legs and lifted him up.

    He was now riding a sea of people before being tossed around like a trophy.

    Being eligible to participate in the South Hues Tournament was not only an honor for the academy but also an honor for the academy hunters. Not to mention, out of the three participants of their academy, two of them were academy hunters.

    Such a thing has never happened throughout the academy''s entire history.

    Leandra, Nerissa, and Bakar were watching Lucivar being tossed around from the side.

    All three of them were holding back their laughter as he was helpless under the sway of the others.

    "Hey, put me the fuck down!"

    Lucivar shouted but his words were drowned by their cheers.

    "This is bullying! Fabio, do something about this!"

    He darted his gaze at Fabio who was smirking at him from a safe distance.

    "Who the fuck did that? Show yourself! Who the fuck kept grabbing my butt?! This is sexual assault!"

    Upon being surprised early in the morning, the rest of the day became a blur.

    It didn''t stop at that as the academy also held a congratulatory party for the three participants.

    Considering the magnitude of this accomplishment for a second-rate academy like their academy, the day was packed with all kinds of things¡ªthat the academy prepared for the three participants. It started with a public announcement in front of every single person inside the academy grounds.

    Then came the questions.

    How are you feeling about being approved as a participant?

    "Nervous, like the previous one," Caldaros replied, smiling that pliant smile he always wore in public.

    "Excited," Mirel next answered. "I wanted to see how I fare against the geniuses"

    "Beats me," Lucivar shrugged. "But if I have to answer, I''d say as expected"

    Who are your sponsors and how do you obtain their support?

    "The Valerius Supreme House and the Sunrise Clan," Caldaros answered, causing almost all students and academy hunters alike to choke. Both of his sponsors are heavy hitters, "I''ve connections with the Sunrise Clan as the previous time while for the supreme house, I guess I could convince them enough with my progress,"

    "For me, it''s the Feradith Family," Mirel mentioned with a shrug. "I impressed them with my power"

    "The Trading Union and the Blessed Hand Clan," Lucivar said, citing his two sponsors.

    Since he lost the Feradith Family as they already registered to have Mirel as their champion, Lucivar was forced to pick another one from the pile of offers he had since the Trading Union was already fixed as per the deal.

    For the other sponsor, Lucivar decided to go with the Blessed Hand Clan.

    Even though it wasn''t the top-three clan in Sunhold City, he picked it anyway.

    His reason was simple, it was because the Blessed Hand Clan was a place where healers gathered.

    Lucivar knew that his biggest weakness was his lack of a proper healing ability, he has only the Greedy Grasp ability as his option, and even that wasn''t enough to restore him¡ªto full strength. Naturally, to make up for that weakness, he chose the Blessed Hand Clan.

    At this moment, the uses of the sponsors were still blurry.

    It wasn''t clear as to what the sponsors'' role was during the tournament.

    On the website, it only specified that the sponsors could help the participants in the tournament.

    From that, Lucivar deduced that the equipment and accessories he would be wearing on the tournament would be supplied by the sponsors¡ªthat one should be obvious. Other than that, during the tournament, the sponsors might be allowed to help him in some way but not directly.

    It was the most likely case since each participant has their own sponsors.

    Had it not been the case, the rule should dictate the academy with participants to have sponsors.

    Since that wasn''t the case, Lucivar was quite sure that the sponsors could help mid-tournament.

    Because of that, the Blessed Hand Clan would be extremely helpful.

    "As for how I get them to be my sponsors, I lead an assault team to take down a blue dungeon," Lucivar continued¡ªwith a nonchalant tone as that should be obvious. "And also, my confidence also played a big part in convincing them,"

    For about an hour or so, the three were going back and forth answering the questions.

    Finally, the last question was thrown.

    Lastly, what are your aims for the tournament?

    "I''ll aim to be high enough to not disappoint the academy," Caldaros answered.

    Upon hearing this, the students and academy hunters nodded in understanding.

    It was already an achievement enough for the academy to have three participants so the academy doesn''t have an unreasonable expectation¡ªfor them. Coupled with the fact that Caldaros didn''t even reach the top three in his previous South Hues Tournament, his answer was predictable.

    Mirel thought for a second before answering, "Top three, of course. I''m aiming for the top three"

    Once again, the crowd clapped as this was to be expected.

    From their eyes, Mirel was Caldaros before he was defeated once in the tournament¡ªhopeful.

    Just then, all eyes turned to Lucivar who would be the last one to answer.

    For a fleeting second, there was only silence.

    Everyone was looking at Lucivar, their breaths stuck in their throats as they waited for his answer.

    Knowing how much Lucivar has become a sensation lately, starting from taking down the blue dungeon, his scandal with the Feradith Family, and now being a participant in the South Hues Tournament, it was apparent that he was the most promising of them all.

    Added to the air of confidence around him, it would be weird for them to not think that.

    "The winner," He finally opened his mouth and whispered to the mic. "I''m aiming to be the winner"

    Silence.

    Upon registering what Lucivar actually said, the students and academy hunters alike clapped their hands to acknowledge his answer. But behind their polite reaction, there was clear doubt. Not one of them was bold enough to believe Lucivar was going to win the South Hues Tournament.

    If it was last year''s tournament then he might have a chance.

    But this year? When all geniuses across the city and beyond participated? No chance. It''s impossible.

    Being a participant is one thing and being the winner is an entirely different thing.

    Lucivar, however, doesn''t care what they think

    He had expected them all to dismiss him, to not take him seriously, but then his eyes landed on a few figures in the crowd¡ªones who actually took him seriously, who understood that he was aiming to win. Among them were Elira, Thalia, and the others.

    All of them have faith in him and for some annoying reason, that made him feel a bit better.

    All of them have faith without knowing what he actually meant.

    From the side, Clara was looking at Lucivar with her arms crossed.

    "What made you think giving him your blessing would do our academy any good?" She asked.

    On her side, Professor Aeldric smiled acutely.

    He knew that Clara didn''t like Lucivar for an obvious reason, that he came from outside, probably a slave city. She wasn''t fond of the idea of having the academy being represented by him and it shows clearly on her face and tone.

    "I saw potential in him so I''d say why not?" Professor Aeldric answered.

    Clicking her tongue, Clara turned her gaze to Professor Victor who was a bit further away.

    "I wasn''t going to give him my blessing," Professor Victor said, crossing his arms as he stared ahead at the supposed Lucivar who seemed to be stealing the spotlight lately. "I gave him an impossible task for a new first-year. I thought he''d realized that he''s not cut for it and abandon the mission, but he closed the blue dungeon instead"

    "I have no other choice. I can''t go back on my words," He continued with a shrug.

    Clara sighed and massaged her forehead.

    Moments later, after several more attempts to uncover how the three participants had grown so powerful so quickly in front of everyone, the day concluded with a dinner in the auditorium building. It was a small and modest banquet held to celebrate the three participants.

    Lucivar was exhausted, sleepy, and hungry.

    It has been a long day and he was given no time to be alone.

    He hadn''t gotten the time to think of a way to get the last push he needed to reach the Chrysalis rank.

    As he was grabbing a dessert, he sensed someone approaching him from behind.

    Not even needing to glance back, he already knew that it was Ravenna¡ªher scent was hard to ignore.

    His senses were always attuned to her sweet scent, he couldn''t help it.

    "What is your plan for participating in the tournament?" She suddenly asked, also taking a dessert¡ªfor herself. "As far as I know, you''re not the type to seek validation from people¡ªand be in the spotlight. So, what gives?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar remained focused on his dessert, "It just happened"

    "Right, you''re keeping secrets from me?" Ravenna shot back, she didn''t fall to his excuse at all.

    Instead of answering, Lucivar remained silent.

    He couldn''t tell Ravenna about his deal with Professor Aeldric since that might reach Tobias.

    "Sigh..." Ravenna shook her head and turned away. "Here I thought I was going to be kind and tell you something about Caldaros since we''re partners now. Whatever, I''ll just keep this crucial information to myself"

    "Fine, I''ll tell you," Lucivar buckled instantly. "Get your ass back here,"

 Chapter 232 232: Sexual Tension

    Ravenna smiled, she knew exactly where to poke to gain Lucivar''s attention.

    Pivoting around again, she stood beside Lucivar while keeping her gaze on the crowd.

    "Someone told Professor Aeldric about what I really am," He finally confessed while both his hands kept busy with taking spoonfuls of dessert and placing it on the cone. "Someone told him that I''m a fugitive. It happened back when we just got here,"

    As he said that, Lucivar glanced at her.

    It was a glance to measure whether Ravenna had something to do with this.

    After all, the only one who could do this was within Tobias'' family¡ªone of them.

    Ravenna is also a suspect.

    However, he saw Ravenna looking at him with both eyes widening, shocked.

    Then, that shock turned into a fleeting concern before she recovered¡ªturning her face away.

    "I see..." She mumbled and paused.

    Even though she suspected that Lucivar was in some sort of trouble with the academy which forced him to participate in the South Hues Tournament, when it wasn''t what they were here for, she didn''t expect it to be this.

    A traitor was the last thing she thought the reason would be.

    "Do you have any idea who it was?" Ravenna asked.

    "Nope, no idea," Lucivar shook his head, aloof. "For all I know, I could be talking with the culprit"

    Not that Lucivar wasn''t angry at the culprit who revealed his only weakness, which led to his exposure to Professor Aelric''s exploitation of his personal bias, to bolster the academy''s reputation. Rather, he suspected a deeper cause.

    He suspected that the Gods within him had somehow exposed it to Professor Aeldric.

    Considering the tournament conveniently became a stage to face Caldaros, this was highly likely.

    At the moment, his suspicion lies there as he saw no other reason otherwise.

    Other than Darwin who wanted to get rid of him, the others have no bad blood against him.

    So it''s highly unlikely for any of them to be the culprit.

    "Professor Aeldric wanted you to win the tournament for the academy?" Ravenna raised a brow.

    "Yeah," Lucivar nodded. "Or else he''d report me to the Hybrid Association or worse,"

    "And Caldaros?" Ravenna asked again.

    "What about him?" Lucivar turned around and put a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

    "I know you and him are on tense terms, especially after the blue dungeon. But I don''t recall anything he did that warrants your killing intent," She explained, recalling nothing but condescending marks from Caldaros. "What''s your reason?"

    ''Did she not see me fighting Caldaros?'' Lucivar pondered inside.

    It seemed Ravenna had already gone back when Caldaros confronted him as Loki''s avatar.

    "He''s ugly, what''s better reason to kill him than that?" Lucivar shrugged nonchalantly.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna chuckled¡ªthat was unexpected.

    Lucivar glanced at her upon hearing her chuckle¡ªa sound unexpectedly pleasant to his ears.

    For some damn reason, it made him feel good about himself, which only irritated him further, making him realize that¡ªtaking that risk that night was going against his plan. Unconsciously, his gaze drifted downward, tracing her curves now that the academy hunter uniform no longer concealed her.

    Ravenna wasn''t wearing anything fancy¡ªjust a black crop shirt and jeans.

    But that outfit highlighted her very athletic figure, accentuating every endearing curve that she has.

    Since this was a celebratory party, there was no dress code.

    And this was Lucivar''s first time seeing her wearing actual clothes.

    Not the usual ragged clothes that she wore before coming to Sunhold City.

    "Okay, since you''re open again to me, I''ll tell you what I found about Caldaros," Ravenna said.

    Lucivar blinked and snapped out of his daze before he turned away, putting another spoonful of the ice cream that was now melted already, "Hmm, right, how do you know what I wanted to do to Caldaros? I''ve never told you about it,"

    "I can tell. I can feel it. Maybe we''re now connected," Ravenna answered half-jokingly.

    Her answer only made Lucivar''s mind spin.

    Clearly, Ravenna was referring to what they did that night.

    "Ekhm," Lucivar cleared his throat. "What made you decide to investigate Caldaros anyway?"

    Ravenna didn''t see his confrontation with Caldaros so there shouldn''t be any reason for her to do this.

    "He''s a potential enemy," She answered without much thought. "Besides, it wasn''t me that investigated him. I came across Bob days ago. He''s rarely around, I don''t know what he was doing but since I met him, I asked him to investigate Caldaros,"

    "Bob...?" Lucivar frowned. "Bob investigated him?"

    "Yes," Ravenna nodded. "What''s wrong? Is there a problem?"

    "No, not really," Lucivar shook his head but his mind recalled what Tobias said to him before.

    ''Bob... I think I need to talk with him'' He thought inside recalling that this month''s reward might land on him based on what Tobias said. ''He rarely showed his face around, even during morning exercise. He must have something going on,''

    "He never even said a word to me so I''m surprised that he''d help," Lucivar ate the rest of the cone with one big bite and crossed his arms. "Aren''t you and Bob the earliest to go under Tobias'' wings right after Darwin?"

    "And?" Ravenna raised an eyebrow, not knowing where this was going.

    "Both of you must be really close. Clearly, he''s doing this for you not for me," Lucivar said flatly.

    But there was a vague hint behind his words, something that stunned Ravenna.

    At his words, Ravenna paused for a second.

    Then, she giggled sweetly, not expecting it to go this way at all.

    "Oh, what''s this? Is that jealousy I hear?" Ravenna commented with a smile as she gently slid her hand to hold Lucivar''s arm, almost like a gesture to calm him down. "Bob is protective over the family. I''m sure even though he doesn''t show it, he considers you as a part of the family and is also doing this for you,"

    "Right," Lucivar scoffed. "So, how did his investigation go?"

    "Caldaros is highly likely to be in the Chrysalis rank," Ravenna said, a tinge of worry in her tone as this was an incredible feat for a student. "Perhaps, he already settled in the Chrysalis rank and reached the second star. Bob said this with utmost confidence,"

    "I already suspected that to be the case," Lucivar muttered but he was reeling inside.

    He was aiming to reach the Chrysalis rank, opting to be above Caldaros, and won through that.

    Of course, he also suspected Caldaros to be at the Chrysalis rank¡ªwhich meant reaching the Chrysalis rank wouldn''t be that much of an advantage for Lucivar. It''d only make them about even. However, all of that was only his guess.

    But now, his guess was confirmed and the weight of it all was weighing down on him.

    "Beating him would be extremely difficult¡ªsince Bob also said Caldaros'' bloodline was even able to influence his," Ravenna continued, telling Lucivar exactly what Bob said to her. "It''s not about his red-grade Vampire bloodline, it was something else"

    Naturally, Lucivar wasn''t surprised by this.

    What Bob felt was probably Sunna''s Divine Blood coursing inside Caldaros'' body.

    He has the bloodline of a God, so Bob wouldn''t be able to compete in terms of that.

    "Anything else?" Lucivar asked.

    Pausing for a second, recalling whether she forgot to mention anything¡ªher eyes then widened.

    "One more thing," She said, turning to Lucivar. "His days usually revolved around classes and training, pretty robotic, like us. He rarely left the student training grounds, but there was one exception. Late one night, he slipped out to meet a woman. Bob thinks she must be someone important to him since he went out of his way to sneak out and also protect her identity,"

    "Protecting her identity? How?" Lucivar asked curiously.

    Out of the three things Bob found, this one piqued his interest the most.

    "Her face..." Ravenna mumbled. "Her face was covered by a blinding light,"

    Almost instantly after he heard that a sadistic and cruel grin crept to his face.

    "What?" Ravenna asked, noticing his smile. "Is that something useful?"

    "Very..." Lucivar replied hauntingly. "Very useful. She must be his sun. I can work with this"

    Since Lucivar was now smiling, it was clear that asking Bob for help was the right thing to do.

    "You''re a great help, Ravenna," Lucivar praised, glancing at her meaningfully. "I can use this info,"

    "No need for the sweet words, we already made a pact, remember?" Ravenna smiled lightly, secretly happy inside, especially after what she realized. ''I don''t know how Leandra was able to get close again with him, to think that he brought her along... I need to get rid of her. Lucivar can only see me,''

    As Lucivar was contemplating how he could crack this woman''s identity, Caldaros'' sun, he felt a pull on his arm. Ravenna was already leaning to his ears, slightly tiptoeing to reach him, "Say, do you want me to come to your room tonight?"

    Feeling her whisper sent a chill down Lucivar''s spine.

    His mind instantly blurred from the plan he was concocting against Caldaros.

    "Out of nowhere?'' Lucivar forced the question out of his mouth.

    "Don''t be shy, I know you''ve been ogling me up and down. Do you think I wouldn''t notice?" Ravenna whispered again as a smile¡ªa teasing one crept to her rosy, plump lips. "Did you miss me? Or Is it because of what I am wearing? Do you like it? I have other, better clothes to wear back in my room for your eyes to feast"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar suddenly felt a sudden dryness in his throat.

    Even though he had eaten ice cream, his throat suddenly felt dry like a scorching desert.

    His thoughts ran wild and he couldn''t control it.

    Just as his lips parted to answer, Ravenna patted his shoulder lightly and pulled away.

    "Sadly, I changed my mind. You can''t see them tonight," She said as she stood upright again, returning to her original position. "At least have some decency¡ªto cover it up, do not let me find out about it. You reek of a woman''s scent. Who is it? That maid of yours?"

    Not even letting Lucivar answer, she ran her fingers through her ink-black hair and walked away.

    Lucivar was stunned as he felt all kinds of emotions in a span of ten seconds.

    Once he recovered, he pulled his shirt to smell it.

    "Scent? What scent?" Lucivar frowned but then, he dropped his shirt as he realized that he was stupid for even checking his shirt. "What the hell, I showered earlier so there''s no way Sabrina''s scent would be on me. Ravenna, that damn woman, she''s spying on me with that Predator Oculus ability of hers,"

    As he realized that, Lucivar shook his head.

    It seemed Ravenna knew about Leandra, Angel, an also Sabrina.

    But then again, that meant she was also jealous and that made him feel a little bit better.

    ''At least she''s also got caught up with this,'' He shrugged and turned away.

    Meanwhile, amidst the crowd, someone was looking at him intently¡ªLeandra.

    Oblivious to Lucivar, she has been watching him and Ravenna from the start.

 Chapter 233 233: Older Brother

    Lucivar spent his time with formalities, bantering with students and academy hunters who were sending him praises¡ªand cheering him on for the tournament. He even talked with several professors teaching the students, who were also showing their approval of him.

    Something like this was outside his comfort zone.

    He used to be the one giving praises to others and listening as others boast and gloat.

    It was still new for him, being the center of attention.

    But for some reason, it didn''t feel bad¡ªif anything, he was beginning to understand why others craved the spotlight so badly. The constant praise, the admiration¡ªit fed his ego, sending his confidence to the sky as if he was the chosen one of the world.

    Even Sha came out and sat on his shoulder, basking in the praises sent Lucivar''s way.

    All of the concerns he had initially when he entered the academy were gone.

    Despite coming from a slave city, despite being an academy hunter, all of that doesn''t matter anymore.

    As the night continues, Lucivar begins to realize one important fact.

    His mother, as cruel as she was in Lucivar''s eyes¡ªwasn''t the abnormal one.

    Contrary to his belief back then, it was he who was the abnormal one.

    Prioritizing his own family, his own blood above everything else¡ªabove his own life, above his pride, above power, that was abnormal. Just like these academy hunters, students, and professors showed to him, power dictates everything.

    His status as someone of the lower class was easily thrown to the side because of his power.

    None of them mentioned his origin anymore.

    None of them mocked him.

    None of them shot a disdainful gaze at him.

    All because he was strong.

    "Can you feel it now?" She suddenly said, forcing Lucivar to turn towards her¡ªwhile she scanned the entire hall with a peculiar, sinister glint in her eyes. "This is the fruit of your labor. All of your sufferings and struggles changed your life for the better, turning a dog as you once were into a respectful person"

    "None of them cared how you become strong, only that you are strong" She continued¡ªbefore finally meeting Lucivar''s gaze. "Everything changed once you embraced the darkness. So don''t stop, keep on going deeper. You''re destined to overturn karma and stand at the very top. Soon, as long as you focus on being the Blessed Oracle, karma will favor those you want it to favor"

    Lucivar''s eyes sparkled when he heard that.

    Nothing he wants more in his life than to crush karma and bend it to his liking.

    "Such an endearing revelation..." Lucivar licked his lips in delight. "I must tell her all about it tonight"

    Once the night turned darker and the exhaustion took over, the party finally ended.

    Even though he hasn''t made any progress today, it was a day well spent.

    One thing is for sure, his bond with the academy grew.

    Lucivar didn''t meet with Professor Aeldric today, which was quite weird¡ªsince he expected to see the professor as the tournament was nearing and he might want to say a few words. But then again, he was not complaining.

    It''s not that he has anything to say either.

    Soon, Lucivar and the rest of the academy hunters returned back to the Bastion of Blades.

    Unlike the others who were exhausted, Lucivar was still brimming.

    He was anticipating his room, there was a lot he wanted to tell.

    Once he arrived, he instantly barged inside and went over to the drawer beside the bed.

    Sabrina, who was already relaxing on the bed jumped when the door was abruptly swung open roughly.

    She cursed Lucivar under her breath and watched him take something from the drawer, a phone.

    Realizing that it was that particular time of Lucivar where he didn''t want to be disturbed, Sabrina went out and closed the door behind her, giving Lucivar the space he needed. She never asked the person he was talking to but he knew who she was.

    Leandra once told her about it.

    ...

    Meanwhile, outside of the Bastion of Blades.

    A lot of academy hunters were still coming back from the party.

    Most of them staggered down the road, swaying and stumbling like puppets with cut strings.

    One nearly toppled but caught himself, laughter slurring into the night. Arms flailed for balance, bodies bumping together, their steps clumsy and erratic¡ªreeking of alcohol and reckless joy. Clearly, all of them were drunk.

    So drunk in fact that a lot of Kalvins were carrying them back.

    Considering that a party such as this rarely happens, it was their time to cut loose for once.

    As academy hunters who risked their lives for the sake of the future, this was not uncommon to see.

    However, among the crowd of drunkards, there were a few who were only tipsy.

    "Such a great day, I had so much fun today," Mirel extended his arms skyward and stretched, finding that it was liberating to drink and have fun for the entire day¡ªa temporary break from reality. "What about you guys? Do you have fun?"

    Bakar flexed his bicep, "It''s not good for the body to drink but yes, today is quite refreshing"

    "Me as well, there are a lot of sweet cakes," Nerissa replied in delight.

    Her mouth watered again as she recalled the mountain of cakes she devoured earlier.

    Others are drunk from the alcohol while she is drunk in sugar.

    It was surprising for her to retain quite a slender body for someone who ate that much.

    All of her fat from the sugar was stored in her cheeks instead.

    Just then, as they were nearing the cave''s entrance, Nerissa and Bakar noticed someone.

    On the far left, peeking behind a tree was someone familiar, someone that they recognized instantly.

    At the sight of him, both of them stopped in their tracks.

    For a fleeting moment, their expressions shifted from normal to shock and then to nervous.

    "What''s wrong?" Mirel turned and asked when he realized the two stopped. "Let''s go inside, it''s cold"

    "Ah, it''s nothing. Nothing is wrong..." Nerissa offered a small smile, waving both hands¡ªdismissively before turning away. "Sorry, Mirel, but I think you should head inside first. I just need to take a walk and breathe. Gotta let all that sugar settle, you know"

    Not even waiting for a response, Nerissa walked away.

    Just then, Bakar followed, "Oops, I forgot something. I''ll go back to fetch it¡ªyou go on ahead, Mirel"

    Like Nerissa, Bakar too sprinted away before he could even say anything.

    Now alone, Mirel stood on his spot with one arm extended forward, watching both Nerissa and Bakar disappear into the distance. He retracted his arm¡ªand scratched the back of his head in confusion, "So sudden? For some reason, it felt like they were making an excuse. Whatever, I''ll hit the sack"

    Shrugging his shoulders, Mirel continued ahead.

    Several minutes later, Nerissa and Mirel peeked from their hiding spot, checking if the coast was clear.

    Once both of them couldn''t find Mirel anywhere, they came out and went to the particular tree.

    Going around it, the two saw the man they saw earlier¡ªBob.

    Bob was crossing his arms, waiting for them to get rid of Mirel and meet with him.

    "Come with me," He said with a cold tone and led the way.

    Nerissa and Bakar trailed behind Bob timidly¡ªtheir shoulders slumped, making their presence seem smaller while their eyes were glued to the ground. It was as if both of them were turned docile in Bob''s sheer presence, fear and respect flickering in their downcast gazes.

    Soon, the three reached an abandoned building used for the hunter''s inauguration.

    Nobody was around, this place was secluded, perfect for a talk.

    Reaching an abandoned car, Bob hoisted himself onto it with his thick hands, the metal groaning under his weight as the frame sank slightly. Seated atop it, he faced Nerissa and Bakar. His gaze was heavy and the duo avoided meeting his eyes.

    At this moment, he looked like a bully who was about to extort Nerissa and Bakar.

    Silence enveloped them for two solid minutes.

    It was a choking silence that made the duo sweat profusely and their hearts pounded inside their chests.

    Finally, Bob opened his mouth to break the silence.

    "One is a two-star Acolyte rank," He muttered, pointing at Bakar, then shifted his index finger¡ªto the pale-faced Nerissa. "And the other just broke through to three-star. You two have been scraping the very bottom of the family ranks for a while now... seems like you''ve grown comfortable there"

    "It''s... It''s not like that," Bakar tried to argue but his voice came out meek and uncertain.

    He had been dreading this moment and now, it actually arrived.

    "What have the both of you been doing?" Bob asked, his voice low and demanding.

    "I''ve been doing nothing but train," Bakar answered resolutely. "I swear, I never slacked off!"

    "And yet... you are still the weakest. Why is that?" Bob shot back without hesitation¡ªdisappointment etched across his face clearly. "You''re a Rampage Troll Hybrid, you draw ether from violence, whether it''s inflicted on you or by you. Your strength thrives on the battlefield, so why in the world are you still training indoors?"

    Upon hearing this, Bakar clenched his jaw and averted his gaze away.

    His face showed signs of fear that he tried to desperately hide but couldn''t.

    "Are you afraid of feeling pain...?" Bob squinted his eyes savagely.

    Not even giving a warning, Bob reached out his hand and fired a gush of black torrent that struck Bakar ruthlessly and sent him flying away¡ªscreeching and bouncing against the concrete ground. Bakar was knocked down hard, he coughed a mouthful of blood when he came to a stop.

    Seeing this, Nerissa''s eyes widened as her body shivered.

    "And you, Nerissa..." Bob''s voice suddenly rang.

    As soon as she heard that, Nerissa turned forward again and gasped in shock.

    Bob was already standing in front of her, towering like a massive boulder.

    "A Two-world Siren Hybrid, an exceptionally rare Siren bloodline that belonged to a named, Queen of the Sirens. A bloodline that commands the sound and curse attributes," He went on, his gaze dark with disdain and fury. "A bloodline that amasses natural ether from the screams and wails of its victims. Tell me, how many people have you made scream...?"

    "We... We''re in an established city, I- I can''t do that" Nerissa answered stutteringly.

    However, this answer made Bob''s aura turn darker and more threatening.

    "Even Lucivar could reach the five-star despite needing to kill to grow stronger," Bob said chillingly, Nerissa''s and Bakar''s failure to keep up was making him sick. "You only need to make them scream and you dare give me an excuse...?"

    As he said that, Bob cracked his knuckles as the moonlight silhouetted him from behind.

    Turning him into a massive shadowy figure.

    "Tonight, I''ll make sure both of you understand your errors," He said menacingly.

 Chapter 234 234: Get Close to Him

    Tonight was a beautiful night.

    No clouds could be seen for miles, the sky was clear.

    Stellar beauties accompanied the gibbous moon, creating a breathtaking scenery of the night.

    One that brought serenity and peace to the soul.

    However, on a small spot under the luminance of the celestial bodies, violence ensued.

    Blood splashed and stained the area while the sound of flesh hitting flesh continued relentlessly.

    Bob was merciless as he beat Bakar and Nerissa to a pulp, barely pulling his punches as the two poor souls struggled to defend themselves. After a few exchanges, their bodies were battered and bruised¡ªa complete beatdown that they couldn''t avoid.

    Compared to them, green within th4 Acolyte rank¡ªBob was leaps and bound beyond them.

    He already stepped into the Chrysalis rank and attained his attribute, the Havoc Attribute.

    "Master Tobias'' instructions were clear as day," Bob mumbled as he walked forward, approaching the prostrating Bakar who was coughing blood multiple times already. "He wanted us to be strong¡ªand he already prepared us for a long time so that we can grow fast in the real world. But your level of growth is pathetic,"

    "How?!" Bakar hissed through blood-stained teeth. "If I knew how, I''d do it already!"

    Bakar couldn''t think of a way to be on the battlefield other than waiting to be assigned a mission.

    All he could think of was to go and take down dungeons.

    However, gaining a mission wasn''t entirely easy as there are only so many missions.

    He already tried getting close to the professor''s assistants or even Fabio but he wasn''t the social type.

    Unfortunately, his attempts hadn''t yielded anything for him but he was still trying his best.

    "You can''t even think of a way," Bob sneered in disappointment. He then roughly grabbed Bakar by his face and lifted him from the ground, "I always knew you were dull in the head but I can''t believe it was to this extent. As someone who was tasked to discipline the family, to keep all of you in check, you''re in need of a beating,"

    "Maybe once I punched you enough, you''d use that head of yours better," He added menacingly.

    Just then, a melodious voice reverberated loudly.

    Nerissa, with a blood-stricken face, unleashed her voice and focused it on Bob.

    She was heavily wounded, even one of her arms dangled¡ªand covered in blood, but there was still fire inside her eyes. Knowing that her best wasn''t enough to beat Bob, she went beyond her limit, her voice went up an octave and rang across the area.

    Glancing over his shoulder, a sadistic smirk crossed Bob''s lips.

    Blood trailed down his ears¡ªNerissa''s blaring voice disoriented him and weakened his hearing ability.

    "Good," Bob nodded approvingly. "That''s the spirit"

    Even though her ability was working, she needed to keep her voice high and strong.

    It took everything that she had to even remotely cause an effect on Bob.

    Her voice was so raw and loud that it turned hoarse in seconds¡ªclearly, she couldn''t keep this up.

    "Rarggh!"

    Suddenly, Bakar broke free from Bob''s grip and wrapped his arms around Bob''s waist.

    His entire body then swelled bigger and the veins across his body turned sinister red, an ability of his that enhanced his strength by a notch. With gritted teeth, he lifted Bob''s dense and heavy body from the ground and made a suplex.

    Crack!

    Bakar, with great effort, managed to slam Bob against the concrete ground.

    So hard that the ground cracked under the force.

    It landed right on Bob''s head, that should certainly do some damage.

    However, at the last second before Bob''s head slammed onto the ground, Bakar saw a distortion, a light red energy¡ªthat protected his head from the fall. And now, when the dust settled, Bob was already on his feet again.

    Nerissa immediately sang again despite the blood drizzling down her lips but the effect was weaker.

    And unlike earlier, Bob was now protecting himself from her ability.

    Giving no time for Bakar to snap out of his daze, Bob made his move.

    Bam!

    A powerful punch drilled into Bakar''s stomach, causing his body to curl in pain.

    Following that, he grasped Bakar''s face and threw him hard.

    Bakar tore through the air and hit Nerissa hard as they both screeched meters across the ground.

    "Nerissa, are you alright?" Bakar asked through a tight throat.

    Since he was thrown to Nerissa, he was on top of her and she was the one who endured the friction.

    Since he had been thrown onto Nerissa, he ended up on top of her, leaving her to bear the brunt.

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa groaned in pain as she pushed Bakar off of her¡ªand flipped her body to the other side. She cradled her body on the ground in pain but then, her senses forced her to look up¡ªand turned towards Bakar.

    Her eyes widened when she saw a red glowing spot on Bakar''s stomach.

    It was right where Bob had punched him earlier.

    "Bakar! Dispel it quic-"

    Kaboom!

    Before she could even finish her sentence, the red glowing spot exploded with torrential energy.

    Nerissa and Bakar were thrown away and bounced a couple of times until coming to a halt.

    Now, both of them couldn''t move¡ªtheir bodies were already at their limits.

    Crash!

    Bob landed right before them, looking down with cold, piercing eyes.

    For a fleeting moment there, Bob gazed into their eyes and found that their usual aloofness wasn''t there anymore. Bob took it as a sign that they already learned their lesson. Beating them for too much would not be good.

    ''Both of them needed to recover and if I went further, Tobias would scold me,'' He crossed his arms.

    It was enough, he could still go harder next time if these two still remained weak.

    "I''m doing this for your sake, you''d be disowned by Tobias at this rate," Bob finally spoke, looking at the two with a mix of seriousness and pity. "Listen carefully, I''m only going to say this once. Both of you are academy hunters, bound to the academy, but that doesn''t mean your vision should be limited to it. Look beyond¡ªthis is Sunhold City. There are enterprises, organizations, and clans you can leverage to your advantage"

    "Go out and use them to get stronger," He added meaningfully.

    "I- I understand, I''ll do my hardest," Bakar replied weakly.

    On the side, Nerissa''s eyes watered as tears began falling down her face, "I''m sorry, I''ll do better"

    Seeing this, Bob knelt down and helped Nerissa to sit.

    "Did I hit you too hard?" He asked, concern on his face. "It''s your fault for making me do this"

    "I''m sorry, waah~!" Nerissa cried harder, burying her face into Bob''s fatty chest.

    Even though he was the disciplinarian chosen by Tobias himself, he wasn''t that heartless to feel nothing from seeing Nerrisa like this. He rubbed her back, calming her down before turning to Bakar who also seemed at a loss and defeated.

    ''If I help them right now, they''d not be independent and strong,'' Bob thought inside.

    He knew that all he needed to do was to let them be.

    However, that was easier said than done, ''Maybe this one time, only this one time I''d help them''

    Once Nerissa and Bakar recovered from their defeated state, Bob stood up again.

    "Have the two of you found it weird about Lucivar''s arrival?" He suddenly asked.

    Upon hearing this, the two looked at Bob''s back in confusion.

    "Master Tobias did say that Leandra was the last one, the last person to join our family. But then, only a month away from making our first move to enter an academy, he introduced Lucivar," Bob continued, a frown forming on his face. "Do you find that weird?"

    "Hmm, Master Tobias did say that," Bakar nodded, agreeing that it was weird.

    "Oh, I also remembered Delilah saying the same thing," Nerissa added, remembering that she once saw Delilah sitting alone and decided to accompany her. "She said she was worried about Tobias bringing Lucivar to their family when he already said they were enough"

    "Is that the reason why Delilah paid closer attention to him?" Bakar asked in surprise.

    This was new news for him and also Bob from the looks of it.

    "Yes, she said Lucivar must be special and she was right," Nerissa nodded.

    Since Lucivar is an Angel Hybrid who is wicked and can kill freely, he is certainly unique.

    "Regardless of what he is or how special he is, the fact stands that Master Tobias brought him into our family for a reason," Bob intervened, he had made his observations and he could now make an educated guess. "And if I had to guess, it has something to do with his luck. He attracts fortune,"

    "Even his personal maid is an Acolyte-rank Hybrid already," He added.

    "What do you mean?" Bakar tilted his head, confused. "Attracts fortune?"

    "Haven''t you paid attention at all?" Bob''s gaze narrowed. "Leandra was already at the five-star Acolyte rank, Mirel almost reached the same rank. Recently, I sensed Ravenna was nearing a breakthrough to the Chrysalis rank¡ªand what do you know? She asked me to help Lucivar, which meant she was also very close to him"

    Nerissa and Bakar sucked in a cold breath.

    Perhaps, Bob was correct.

    What if Tobias brought Lucivar in at the last second because he attracted good fortune?

    After all, Tobias has mysterious ways to know things.

    "So what are you suggesting here, Bob?" Bakar finally asked.

    "What do you think?" Bob shrugged, and turned around to leave. "Get close to him. At least find out what he was dealing with right now, learn about his situation. Once you knew what he was up to, position yourself at a place where you might be smeared by his fortune"

    Bakar stood up strugglingly and shouted, "What about you?! Aren''t you going to get close to him?!"

    Despite his shout, Bob didn''t answer.

    He only leaped away, leaving the two behind.

    "Sigh... He came, beat us up, and left like that," Bakar shook his head helplessly.

    His body was aching from all the beatings he received.

    "He''s rough but he cared, he''s always like that," Nerissa added¡ªbefore patting the ground beside her. "Come sit down here. Let me heal your wounds,"

    "Shouldn''t you heal yourself first?" Bakar asked but Nerissa shook her head. "That''s so like you"

    Meanwhile, Lucivar was still on the phone.

    Sabrina hadn''t come back yet, and he was having a blast telling the person on the other side of the call about tonight''s events. Time flies¡ªbut he still has more to say. Then, his nose out of nowhere becomes itchy, "Huatchoo!"

    Lucivar sneezed loudly as his nose turned red instantly.

    Wiping the snot and rubbing his nose, Lucivar looked to the side, "Is someone talking about me?"

 Chapter 235 235: Moral Corruption

    Lucivar was down on the ground doing push-ups along with the other academy hunters.

    Due to last night''s celebratory party, a lot of them were late¡ªand could barely keep up with the usual intensity of their morning exercise. Even now at this moment, there were already ten academy hunters who passed out or vomited.

    And as the morning exercise continues, more follow the same path.

    It wasn''t a problem for Lucivar though as he barely drank any due to people trying to talk with him.

    ''What happened to Bakar?'' He glanced to the side¡ªand saw Bakar, who bore traces of almost healed bruises. Clearly, the bruises were new and he rushed to heal them. But then again, Lucivar didn''t care about that, he did care about one thing though, ''Did the healer already come back? I''m still sore all over and needed some healing,''

    Noting mentally that he''d ask Bakar about it, Lucivar averted his gaze back down.

    Now that tonight''s break has come to pass, it was time to focus again.

    At this moment, he needed a decent number of golden spheres.

    Since Bob already confirmed that Caldaros is a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, the need for him to advance to the next realm became paramount. If he couldn''t reach the Chrysalis rank before the tournament starts, he''d certainly lose against Caldaros.

    But the question was¡ªhow?

    He couldn''t take on another mission and there were no factions that he could exploit.

    ''Zibbo... I could still use him to lure some Hybrids from the Lincoln Gang,'' Lucivar thought, recalling that he still has his second Vestal who he could use. But there was a problem, ''I don''t know if I can get out of the academy, not when practically everyone was paying attention to me''

    Just a quick scan of the place showed that several academy hunters were looking at him.

    Or at least, glanced a him as he and Mirel became the pride of the academy hunters.

    And even if he managed to slip out without anyone noticing, he still hasn''t recovered fully.

    His ether was already full again but his stamina was completely drained.

    Just doing a thousand push-ups in a row was tiring for him, and as a Hybrid, that''s quite worrying.

    ''Regardless, I need to get out and harvest more golden spheres. For now...'' Lucivar turned to the other side, at Leandra who was focusing on the push-ups. Her expression was tight, she seemed to have a lot of things in her mind. ''I need to learn what and how the Morality Constellation works,''

    Out of the four constellations from the Heart of Mischief Nakshatras, he unlocked three of them already.

    The Truth Constellation gave him the ability to see through lies¡ªand the Chaos Constellation allowed him to summon a beast from the Labyrinth of Arcane Menagerie through a sacrifice. Now, the Morality Constellation was unlocked.

    And Gandr said this constellation has an ability called Moral Contagion.

    It basically alters the morality of those around him or someone he targets.

    As for how it worked, Gandr couldn''t say for sure.

    But Lucivar was quite sure that Gandr only chose not to tell, wanting him to find out on its own.

    ''Sorry Leandra, but I''ll see how it works on you. You''ll be my guinea pig,'' Lucivar smirked inside.

    Lucivar''s heart made a loud, echoing beat as he activated the Morality Constellation.

    Unlike the Chaos Constellation, activating this one doesn''t cause him any obvious dizziness or pain, it was activated without any side effects. However¡ªLucivar wasn''t nai?ve enough to believe¡ªthat it would be the case.

    Surely, there will be side effects, and he needs to pay close attention to them.

    Swish!

    A blob of emerald light seeped out of his chest.

    For a second, it hovered right in front of him before its light flickered a couple of times.

    Soon, the beautiful emerald light shifted into red and once that happened, the blob of light cuts through the air. Before Lucivar could realize what was happening, the blob already seeped into Leandra''s body, its energy spread and coated her entire body.

    Lucivar''s eyes were glued onto her, ready in case anything bad happened.

    Under his watchful gaze, Leandra paused mid-track while doing the push-up¡ªand slowly turned to her right. She seemed to be looking at something¡ªor someone. Lucivar followed the direction of her gaze and noticed that she was looking at Ravenna.

    "Get up and run two hundred laps!" Fabio''s voice rang as the academy hunters stood up.

    Attune to her surroundings despite her focus being elsewhere, Leandra stood up.

    She dusted her hands before she suddenly pivoted her body.

    Pushing aside the academy hunters near her, Leandra headed towards Ravenna with a cold face.

    Lucivar watched her walk through the crowd¡ªand once he realized where she was going, he instantly ran towards her, "Get out of the way," He barked, pushing through the sea of academy hunters while he kept track of Leandra.

    No matter what her intentions were for approaching Ravenna, it must not be something good.

    After all, she was under the influence of his sinister power.

    Just as Leandra was about to reach Ravenna, who was still oblivious about her approach, Lucivar was able to reach Leandra in time and wrapped his hand around her waist. For a second, Leandra turned to him with a sharp glare.

    But seeing his face, she softened a bit.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, saw a concentration of ether in Leandra''s right hand.

    ''Was she about to attack Ravenna?'' He thought inside.

    Noticing them, Ravenna raised an eyebrow, "Leandra? Lucivar? What are you doing?"

    As those questions slipped out of her lips, Ravenna''s eyes trailed down and saw Lucivar''s arm wrapped around Leandra''s waist. In the next second, Leandra''s face¡ªtwisted hideously. She turned to Ravenna, her lips partly open, "You fu-"

    Before she could even say anything, Lucivar already covered her mouth with his other hand.

    "Nothing," Lucivar smiled acutely as he pulled Leandra away.

    "Matter of fact, I need to talk with Leandra about something so we''ll take our leave," He added.

    Seeing both of them pulling away with Lucivar whispering something in Leandra''s ears while Leandra kept a fierce glare at Ravenna, disappearing into the crowd, Ravenna exhaled sharply¡ªas she could not believe what she was seeing.

    ''I pulled back a little and he''s already doing this?'' Ravenna thought in disbelief. ''He''s really petty,''

    Meanwhile, Lucivar was finally able to pull Leandra before the exercise started.

    Keeping his hand firm on Leandra''s wrist, he forced her to jog and act normal.

    "How are you feeling?" He asked while keeping his gaze straight.

    "How do you think I feel?" Leandra answered with a sharp edge, implying he should already know. "I know you''ve got something going on with Ravenna, I can tell from how she touched you. She must''ve been the one who betrayed me"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar frowned.

    ''Did she find out that Ravenna was the one who betrayed her that night? He thought, surprised that Leandra was able to reach that conclusion. ''No, if that''s the case, she would already confronted Ravenna long before today. So that means, is it the Morality Constellation''s doings?''

    ''But how did she reach this state?'' Lucivar pondered further, he needed more information.

    "You were fine a minute ago, so what changed?" Lucivar probed.

    "Of course, it''s because o¡ª" Leandra began, but her words faltered mid-sentence. A frown crept onto her face, her expression darkening. "I do not know what''s going on, but I suddenly feel... angry. Just stop asking me questions. I''m not in the mood"

    From her answer alone, Lucivar could vaguely tell what was going on.

    ''She didn''t know about Ravenna''s part but she suspected it, maybe she saw me and Ravenna being too close or something. And the anger, it must be the Morality Constellation¡ªtampering with her, but will there always be anger?'' He pondered inside.

    It was then that Gandr finally emerged.

    "The Morality Constellation increased the tendency of the target to do morally bad things, "Gandr said, staring at Leandra with interest. "Given enough time, the target would certainly do bad things. But, the Morality Constellation could hasten the process by bleeding your current most¡ªprominent negative emotion into the target"

    As soon as Lucivar heard that, his eyes widened in realization.

    Leandra''s behavior clicked instantly.

    Under normal circumstances, Leandra would never attack her family.

    Consistently, she always mentioned to Lucivar that family sticks and supports each other.

    She would never do anything to harm the others.

    However, under the Morality Constellation''s influence, her tendency to attack the others increased.

    Then, Lucivar''s most dominant negative emotion, which was anger, bled into her¡ªintertwining with her thoughts. From the looks of it, Ravenna was already in her mind so the surge of anger drove her to attack Ravenna almost instantly.

    Had Lucivar not intercepted her, things would''ve turned out really bad.

    It was fortunate that he sensed the danger and moved.

    ''Now, the question was how long Leandra would stay like that?'' Lucivar thought inside.

    He was pleased that he now had an ability that could help dictate others'' actions¡ªsuch a handy ability would certainly make future plans easier to achieve but he needed to know that this wasn''t permanent or else he was going to need to use it sparingly.

    For now, all he could do was watch Leandra and see how it progressed in her.

    As he followed Leandra from behind, however, an idea came to mind.

    ''I can use this...'' Lucivar smirked devilishly, managing to think of a plan to gain the rest of the golden spheres to reach the next rank. ''I can''t kill anyone in public or I''ll be imprisoned again so doesn''t that mean I just need to create a situation where I could kill in public?''

    Nodding his head, Lucivar continued the exercise as he polished his plan.

    Later that night.

    Ravenna heard a knock and went over to open the door.

    Standing outside was Lucivar who surprisingly had a wide smile on his face.

    "What is it?" Ravenna asked, failing to hide her excitement from her tone.

    "I asked Fabio to grant me a request since he made me do all those chores even though I''m one of the participants in the tournament," Lucivar started, leaning against the doorframe. "I got him to let me and anyone I brought take the day off tomorrow. I''m asking if you want to go out tomorrow"

    "Just the two of us?" Ravenna asked again, this time, she didn''t even try to hide her excitement.

    However, in the next second, her face fell.

    "Nope, I asked the others too," Lucivar shrugged dismissively. "I don''t know who among them would come but I''m pretty certain Leandra and Mirel would come. What? Do you expect me to take you out or something?"

    "Yes, but now..." Ravenna leaned forward. "I can tell you''re up to something,"

    "Me? Up to something? Come on," Lucivar smiled wryly. "I''m not that kind of person,"

    "You''re exactly that kind of person, Lucivar..." She shook her head helplessly.

 Chapter 236 236: Before the Chaos

    ''Look at him, I''m sure he''s planning something,'' Ravenna thought inside.

    She was now looking at Lucivar who was sitting in the front seat, making small talks with the driver about the weather and the sector¡ªall smiles and excitement. His demeanor today was unsettling, and it was enough to tell that he was onto something.

    Even Leandra and Nerissa were uncomfortable.

    For some reason, seeing Lucivar laugh and act friendly was even more unsettling than his silence.

    As Lucivar said, he asked all of them to go out today, and surprisingly enough, the entire family decided to come¡ªthat includes Bob. Ravenna was quite surprised that all of them decided to come, considering it was a last-minute thing.

    Moreover, usually, the others were busy with their training.

    From the looks of it, Lucivar seemed to also be surprised that all of them came.

    He also didn''t expect this but they went anyway.

    Somehow, Lucivar managed to secure the academy car, driver, as well as Fabio''s personal credit card.

    Lucivar hid behind the excuse that he wanted to check out more of the city, sightseeing, and he thought the others would want to accompany him too. He said¡ªthat since all of them has never been to a main city like Sunhold City before, they''d appreciate his invitation.

    ''Of course, that was a lie,'' Ravenna''s gaze narrowed, staring at the back of Lucivar''s head.

    She looked as if her gaze could pry open his mind if she looked hard enough.

    ''He has the tournament coming up, he knew Caldaros was at the Chrysalis rank already, and though his current rank was unknown I''m sure he''s nearing the Chrysalis rank too,'' Ravenna firmed, she could tell that Lucivar was most likely planning something to achieve his breakthrough. ''So whatever today was, he''s going to do something''

    Ravenna then glanced to her side, ''It seemed Leandra and Nerissa could feel it too,''

    All of them could feel it.

    Having to observe Lucivar''s actions from the start of their academy lives, they knew how he acted.

    Bonding with the family, smiling, and making good initiatives were not a part of his kit.

    However, for some reason, Ravenna was excited inside, ''I''m looking forward to what he''s up to,'' She thought, turning her gaze out the window to view the passing blur of buildings and cars. ''I''m running out of negative energy already so this is an opportunity to replenish it fully. I wonder, the others, are they also thinking the same thing?''

    ''Okay, open your eyes...'' Leandra took in a deep breath. ''He''s going to try and do something again. I must watch every move that he made¡ªand why he did it. He aimed for Elira and Thalia knowing that their mother was not going to let him go, so he did that to resolve the issue. So what now? I must try harder¡ªto understand him''

    Beside her, Nerissa was fidgeting with her fingers.

    ''I came to get closer to hit but what exactly should I do?'' She pondered uncertainly. ''I gained my natural ether from making others scream in pain but how exactly can I do that by coming here? I can''t possibly hurt innocent people... I don''t want to be cruel,''

    Unlike Lucivar who seemed to be in a good mood, the others were all over the place.

    Each one has different emotions swirling inside of them as they wait for the day to unfold to them.

    From morning to noon, everything seemed normal.

    Lucivar first brought them to an arcade to boast his skills in playing the games there as he already did once with Thalia. He beat the others who were also excited to try out the games, and even dominated the Shield and Sword game before being knocked down by Bob.

    He wasn''t expecting to be beat but then again, the Shield and Sword game is a physical game.

    And Bob was leaps and bounds stronger than him.

    Seeing how Bob was looking down on him with a smirk incited the competition inside of him.

    However, for some reason, Bob absolutely obliterated him in every game.

    "What the fuck...?" Lucivar sucked in a cold breath as the basketball machine beeped with the ringtone for the high score. He barely reached half of the high score but Bob, he set a new high score, "How in the fuck are you so good at this?"

    "I''m more talented than you," Bob mumbled and turned away to leave.

    Upon hearing this, a vein bulged on Lucivar''s forehead as he cocked his arm, preparing to fight.

    "Yeah? You''re so talented that you can''t even lose your belly?" He barked and headed over to Bob.

    But Nerissa and Ravenna hold him back from behind.

    "Calm down, it''s only a game," Ravenna soothed, rubbing his back.

    "He didn''t mean it," Nerissa added, smiling acutely. "We''re going out today to have fun, aren''t we?"

    Next up was a famous museum of Sunhold City.

    All kinds of Crossers'' items as well as inactive legendary artifacts were displayed there.

    One of them was even from a red dungeon, the strongest and most troublesome dungeon there is.

    Mirel and Bakar were the ones who geeked out the most, forcing the security¡ªto come over to warn them to stop being too loud three times before eventually being kicked out. Because of that, the group was only there for less than an hour before moving on again.

    Before eating lunch, the driver recommended them to go to the hotspot of the city.

    Since today wasn''t the weekend, the place should be less crowded making it perfect for them to visit.

    It was the Laval Flow Dungeon.

    A domesticated dungeon, separated from the Crossers'' world has now turned into a tourist spot.

    Upon arriving there, the group sucked in a deep breath.

    "Wow... It''s so big," Mirel looked up at the massive purple dungeon in front of him.

    At least, the purple dungeon was as big as a ten-story office building.

    "I can still feel the remaining Crossers'' energy, and it''s still chilling even though it has been conquered for more than fifty years," Ravenna said and shivered, this was once a very powerful dungeon. "What would it feel like back then?"

    Mirel walked over to the side to the history scripture about the Lava Flow Dungeon.

    "It was an attack purple dungeon to destroy the Sunhold City''s headquarters which was at the time¡ªthe heart of the First Crusade''s operation," He read the writings on the scripture, amused by the history of this dungeon. "And it belonged to the Fire Primordials...?"

    As soon as the group heard the last part, the atmosphere around them instantly turned gloomy.

    Just the sheer mentioning of the Fire Primordials forced them to remember Delilah.

    Lucivar looked at the dungeon in disdain, his expression dark, then scowled.

    He never forgot about that night and when he was ready, he brought hell to the Crossers'' world.

    Even though at this moment, he knew that Delilah''s death was meant to happen¡ªas he liked the way he was right now, it didn''t diminish his hatred for the Primordials, the Fire Primordials to be exact. One day, he''ll get his revenge and let Delilah rest in peace.

    Sensing the change in atmosphere, Mirel clapped his hands, "Let''s not be gloomy and head inside"

    Inside, the group was greeted by a lot of things.

    Since the dungeon has now turned into a tourist spot, there were a lot of stalls and even challenges.

    Remembering his defeat against Bob in the arcade, Lucivar''s eyes sparkled when he saw the challenge stall at their left called the Lavafall, "Hey, fatty," He called, turning to Bob who was at the very back of the group. "Let''s do that and see who would last longer,"

    "I don''t think that''s a good idea," Nerissa intervened, shaking her head. "You have your tournament,"

    "What? It''s going to be fine," Lucivar waved his hand. "Look, there''s even a healer on standby"

    "Count me in," Bakar cracked his neck, not wanting to lose out. "I''m still a Troll Hybrid,"

    As soon as the three agreed to participate, all of them turned to Mirel.

    "Do you need to ask? Mirel won''t participate," Ravenna said dismissively. "He''s a Yellow Lightning Elemental Hybrid, he''s weak to heat, unlike you gu-"

    "Hell yeah, count me in!" Mirel suddenly cut in, striding over to join the three.

    "..."

    Ravenna''s lips froze mid-sentence before she rolled her eyes¡ªas if she should have known better. "Of course, you don''t care," She muttered sarcastically. "Do you boys always need to measure¡ªwho''s got the biggest balls?"

    "Let''s leave them on what they wanted to do," She continued, grabbing Nerissa and Leandra by their arms and walking away. "While the boys were doing stupid stuff, why don''t we relax in the hot spring? I saw it earlier,"

    "Eh? Shouldn''t we stay together?" Leandra asked reluctantly as she was pulled away.

    Nerissa didn''t argue, she liked the sound of that.

    Moments later.

    A small crowd gathered, watching with interest as four Hybrids were going to tackle the Lavafall.

    Most of them were normal people with a handful of Hybrids who were as excited to watch this.

    Psshh!!

    "Shit, shit, shit!!" Mirel wailed as his eyes bulged in pain. "This is worse than I fucking thought!"

    Once the small opening underneath the barrel above him opened, a filtered lava cascaded down onto the top of his head and covered his entire body with its thick texture. Mirel was having the hardest time compared to the others.

    He constantly regulated his ether to fight back the heat but that was still not enough.

    "Operator, are you damn sure this is level 2?!" He shouted.

    Upon hearing this, the operator beside the control chuckled, "It''s level 2. I told you it''s really hot. Now, the highest score is forty seconds¡ªdone by a 5-star Acolyte rank Vampire Hybrid. Can you guys beat that high score?"

    "Of course, you''re excluded since you''re a Chrysalis rank Hybrid," He gestured towards Bob.

    For the next painful seconds, Lucivar, Bob, Bakar, and Mirel endured the hot lava on their skin.

    Naturally, the first one to buckle was Mirel¡ªhe couldn''t even last 20 seconds.

    Next was Bakar at 27 seconds, who instantly rolled on the ground to get rid of the lava.

    Once the 30-second mark was reached, Lucivar was already growling.

    He was pumping his entire body with God strands¡ªand then changed to activating the Triune Scarab ability but the heat was still piercing through his skin and bones. Finally, once the clock struck 44, he collapsed forward and lay on the ground.

    Lucivar beat the high score but he was still bitter as Bob won against him, again.

    ''I guess that''s the difference between a Chrysalis rank and an Acolyte rank... I''m no match'' He sighed.

    Even though this was all fun and games, it made it quite clear¡ªthat if he fought Caldaros in his current state¡ªthe result would be the same, as his attempt to beat Bob. And that made him more determined to reach the next rank.

    Soon, the sun finally drowned and came the night.

    Lucivar''s eyes sparkled as he gazed ahead, "It''s show time..."

 Chapter 237 237: The Third Constellation

    Two sedan cars stopped near a night market under the pedestrians'' gazes.

    Coming out of them were seven people, all of them carrying a strong air with them¡ªHybrids.

    "Hmm?" Ravenna was the first one to come and looked around, the aroma of rich medley¡ªsavory grilled meats, sizzling spices, and the sweet tang of caramelized sugar infiltrated her nose instantly. "I am confused, why are we ending the night here when we have Fabio''s money"

    "Oh, are you too dignified now?" Lucivar chimed with a light chuckle. "Are you a princess?"

    "We just came from the hot spring¡ªwe''re clean, and you brought us to Sector 2," Leandra snapped as she climbed out of the car, frustration clear in her voice. "Of course we''re pissed! We are just going to get filthy all over again,"

    "It''s fine... it''s good for us to walk around," Nerissa, as always, trying to keep the peace.

    But Ravenna and Leandra were not going to let this go.

    "A night market? Nice!" Mirel nodded in approval as he approached.

    Unlike the girls, he was completely fine¡ªexcited even.

    It was the same with Bakar and Bob, the two of them didn''t seem to mind.

    "Here," Lucivar gave them the money he took out earlier. "Go and have a look around and buy anything you want. Once you''re done looking around, I''m going to bring you to a famous place here. We are ending the night there,"

    As soon as he said that, Lucivar trotted on ahead.

    "Where are you going? Aren''t we going together?" Mirel called seeing Lucivar walking ahead alone.

    "I want to buy something embarrassing, so leave me alone," Lucivar replied without turning back.

    Once he was gone, the group paused at a standstill.

    Lucivar might''ve thought they wouldn''t know what he was doing but all of them knew¡ªnot exactly as to what he was planning but all of them knew that whatever he was doing, he was going to do something bad that would benefit him and them.

    For a second, the group exchanged a look with each other.

    Mirel was the one who broke the silence first, "I guess we should look around,"

    "I guess we should..." Ravenna repeated.

    Behind their words, there was a hidden meaning.

    In reality, both meant that they should look around and see what Lucivar was going to do.

    ...

    Several blocks away from the night market.

    "Is this really the place?" A man in a neat maroon suit and tie gazed out of the car window.

    Upon hearing this, his assistant sitting beside him nodded, "Yes, he is on the run so he needs to lay low"

    "Sigh..." the man combed his sleek air and stepped outside.

    As he stepped out of the car and embraced the cold breeze of the night, he felt his throat tighten.

    A mild frown crossed his face, the night air was more choking than usual, and that displeased him more than the fact that he needed to come all the way here, to Sector 2, a small and rural area that was beneath someone of his standing.

    But still, the business must be done.

    Once the man buttoned his suit elegantly, he raised his hand as if signaling something.

    Then, the shadows around him moved almost as if they were reacting to him.

    Or rather, something within the shadows was reacting to him.

    Clearing his throat, he glanced over to his assistant and asked, "Where is he?"

    "Allow me to lead the way, I have his live location," the assistant answered and walked ahead with her phone in hand showcasing the red dot which was supposed to be the person they were going to meet. "I will also notify him that we''re approaching,"

    Hearing this, the man nodded.

    Since it was only a hundred meters away through small alleys, the duo went to the location by foot.

    Along the way, the man asked, "Do we have information regarding what happened that night?"

    "No, there is no information¡ªregarding that incident," the assistant shook her head, this matter was what the man was concerned about¡ªin the last couple of days. "Not even my friend in the association knew anything. Someone is covering that incident up,"

    "So the only one who knew what happened is only him," the man massaged his temple.

    He has been stressing for days but fortunately, he''d gain the answer today.

    Soon enough, the duo reached an empty street that led to a dead end.

    Standing at the end of the street there was another person, leaning against the wall with arms crossed.

    "I''ll go meet with him alone, tell the others to keep watch and make sure there are no civilians around," the man instructed with a commanding tone¡ªhe didn''t want anything to happen tonight. "I don''t like killing civilians. I don''t like to bring civilians into this¡ªthings would only get more complicated if they did and they are also innocent who don''t know our world,"

    "We compromised and went under the association''s radar, we don''t want any problem," He added.

    "I understand," the assistant nodded and dashed away.

    Pivoting towards the person at the end of the street, the man finally approached.

    Upon closer look, the person that was covered in a hoody was massive¡ªinhumanly massive.

    No normal Humans would be able to get as big as this person.

    "Zibbo," the man called when he was near.

    Just then, the person, Zibbo raised his head to look at the man standing in front of him.

    He recognized this man, the right hand of the Lincoln Gang''s leader, Rudy.

    Instead of asking what he wanted to ask in his mind, Rudy turned to the side, to another person¡ªwho was standing nearby. He then turned to look at Zibbo again but this time, one of his brows was raised in question.

    "He''s the only one left," Zibbo answered.

    Rudy frowned, he wasn''t expecting Zibbo''s entire crew to be wiped out like this.

    And this also partially confirms what he initially thought, that a third party intervened that night.

    "I''ll give you guys some privacy," the person in a green hoody said as he walked away.

    Once he was far enough, Rudy immediately asked, "What happened that night?"

    "As I informed you back then, there was a kid from the Bloodhaven Academy who owed us money and he promised us to bring Elira Feradith. I''m sure he''s made a deal with the Crimson Wolf Clan to obtain the money to pay us back but something happened and he decided to hand Elira over to us," Zibbo said, keeping his tone calm and composed.

    "And then what? Where is Elira?" Rudy asked demandingly, wanting to know every detail.

    "That kid delivered, he lured Elira but people from the Hybrid Association intervened," Zibbo replied.

    As soon as Rudy heard this, his expression soured.

    "Another rat?!" He exclaimed with rage, breathing like a bull. "Some fucking civilian saw you and reported it to the Hybrid Association?! Again?! I''ve been fucking kind to these damn people, avoiding unnecessarily killing them in our operations and they did this to us?!"

    Upon hearing this, Zibbo frowned, ''What in the world is he talking about?''

    It was true that Rudy specifically told them to not inflict casualties unless absolutely necessary.

    And that policy allowed them to go down in the Hybrid Association''s hit list.

    Several times already, Rudy came to the scene himself to control his men from killing civilians.

    But even if there was a civilian who ratted Zibbo and his crew out, although it obviously wasn''t since Lucivar was the one who intervened, the civilian must be a different person. So Zibbo didn''t understand why Rudy was blaming this on the civilian.

    Zibbo blamed it on Rudy losing his mind.

    As his mind reached that conclusion, Zibbo''s eyes caught sight of the person from earlier.

    Under the hood, the person''s eyes were gleaming emerald, and he was smiling sinisterly.

    ''It''s... It''s his doing? How?!'' Zibbo exclaimed inside his mind.

    Oblivious to this, Rudy pressed both hands against the wall, attempting to calm his nerves but he was failing spectacularly. In a trembling voice, he jerked his chin toward Zibbo, then asked again, his tone unsteady, "How many did we lose? How many died? Give me the number, how many?"

    "About three or maybe four hundred?" Zibbo answered after a brief pause.

    Crack!

    In a burst of anger, Rudy punched the wall and cracked it.

    "I''ve been fucking docile, soft... all I want is for them to pardon this one kidnapping¡ªand they killed hundreds? Hundreds?!" Rudy scoffed in disbelief, laughing as the thread of his sanity was breaking. "It seems I was wrong. If we stay like this, we''re only going to be bullied!"

    "If we stay soft, we''ll always be trampled," He added raspingly.

    Upon hearing this, Zibbo tilted his head, "What are you going to do?"

    "Civilians..." Rudy mumbled as he intertwined his fingers and pressed them against his lips. "Civilians aren''t innocent, they are those bastards'' enablers. All will run along and report us when they should''ve fucking mind their own business,"

    He unbuttoned his suit and placed both hands on his waist, pondering.

    Then, his voice turned colder than normal, "Is there a crowded place near this place?"

    "Nearby? I guess that would be the night market," Zibbo answered without much thought.

    His mind was currently reeling as he didn''t understand what was going on.

    For clarification, he was forced to come here and talk with Rudy, and now, Rudy was acting weirdly.

    Nothing made sense but he at least knew who was behind all of this.

    "Zibbo, lead the people I brought with me today and massacre everyone in the night market. Leave not a single soul alive," Rudy finally instructed and turned to look at Zibbo with a chillingly calm gaze. "I want them all dead. Once you''re done, plant our symbol so that those fuckers know that it was us who did it,"

    "We''re going to make them understand that trifling with us has consequences," He added.

    "A- Are you serious?" Zibbo gasped. "You don''t like killing innocent people,"

    "Innocent...?" Rudy repeated the word but there was a tinge of mockery in his voice, he didn''t believe in the word anymore. It was only the word that people used as an excuse for their ignorance, "Innocence proves nothing. At the end of the day, they would betray me¡ªso why should I play nice? We need to make them fear us,"

    "Go and flatten the night market, send the message..." He repeated his command.

    Now, he doesn''t want to be questioned.

    Zibbo then turned to look beyond Rudy and saw the person in a green hoody walking away.

    As soon as he heard the command, the person walked away without a single word.

    And on his face was an unmistakable smile, a happy smile as if he had accomplished something.

 Chapter 238 238: His Doings

    Nerissa was sitting on a food stall¡ªshe was sitting with a half-eaten chocolate cake on the table.

    It had been fifteen minutes and the others were still looking around the night market.

    Mirel and Bakar in particular were the rowdiest, purchasing anything that looked remotely cool from a pocket knife to magical items and even something as random as action figures. Now, those two trailed off to game stalls.

    As she put a spoonful into her mouth, humming at the overloading sweetness, she saw Leandra approaching.

    "Have you found Lucivar yet?" She asked as she scooped another piece of the cake.

    "No," Leandra sighed and sat down. "It''s like he disappeared into thin air"

    "Have you tried asking Ravenna? I''m sure she has marked Lucivar with her ability. She could certainly find him," Nerissa asked again without much thought, too focused on the chocolate cake. "Not that you need to. Lucivar will be back soon, anyway,"

    "Ravenna has an ability like that?" Leandra asked, this was new for her.

    "You didn''t know?" Nerissa was flabbergasted but thought nothing of it. "That''s a surprise"

    Leandra frowned, she didn''t realize she didn''t know those around her that well.

    Perhaps, it was her fault for being too cold to the others.

    "Ravenna is nowhere to be seen too, so that''s out of the option," She shook her head.

    She wanted to ask more but Nerissa already shoved a spoon to her, "Here, try it out. It''s really good,"

    Nerissa wouldn''t take no for an answer and put the spoon into her mouth.

    "It''s... good." Leandra praised in surprise.

    Even though cakes seemed to be unfitting for tonight, this was surprisingly good.

    Just then, Nerissa tapped Leandra''s arm a couple of times, looking at a direction with wide eyes.

    "Look!" She said, nudging her chin towards Leandra''s behind. "There''s Lucivar!"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra instantly turned over her shoulder and saw Lucivar taking off a hoody and throwing it¡ªinto the bin. As he scanned the night market, his eyes met with Leandra''s. Then, he made his way through the crowd to approach them.

    "What are you guys doing?" He asked and looked at the cake. "Nerissa, you''re eating again?"

    Nerissa immediately dropped the spoon, puffed out her cheeks, and made an exaggerated huff.

    "Is there something you want to say? Do I look like I gained weight?" She asked through pouted lips.

    "Is it that time of the month?" Lucivar chuckled and sat down. "Why are you so sensitive?"

    Finding Nerissa''s puffed-up face comedic and quite frankly, adorable, Lucivar messed her hair before turning to Leandra¡ªwho seemed to have something she wanted to say to him, "What about you? What did you get?"

    "I saw a few necklaces and bracelets along the way, you should check it out," He added.

    But Leandra''s face remained composed and even.

    She didn''t care about what he was saying.

    "I''m going to check it out later¡ªbut now, speak about yourself first?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Where did you go earlier? I''m sure you''re not looking around the market since I''ve been searching for you all over and I can''t find you anywhere,"

    "Nature''s call," Lucivar shrugged. "What do you even expect me to do here?"

    "I don''t know, that''s what I''m asking," Leandra squinted suspiciously.

    She was still convinced that Lucivar was about to do or had already done something.

    And she was correct to think that.

    "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

    "Kyaaah!!"

    Out of nowhere, chaos ensued¡ªthe mix of people arguing and screaming could be heard in the distance.

    Nerissa and Leandra turned to the direction of the commotion and saw that people were stopping to look and then, before long, the crowd turned around and began to sprint as if they were being chased by the most vicious animal.

    At the sight of this, Leandra turned to Lucivar.

    She knew that he had done something, she knew that he was the one who caused this, but even so, the questions still slipped out of her mouth unconsciously, "Did you do this, Lucivar? What did you exactly do to them?"

    "Me?" Lucivar asked with hurtful eyes as if he was the victim. "I didn''t do anything"

    Ravenna landed near them when she heard the commotion.

    "What''s going on?" She asked, approaching them with wide steps.

    "I think the night market is under attack, I can sense several Hybrids," Nerissa squinted her eyes.

    "Under attack?" Ravenna was taken aback. "Aren''t we in a developed city? Who would attack here?"

    "I don''t know but these Hybrids looked like thugs," Nerissa answered.

    Lucivar stepped forward and walked past them, "Whoever they were, we need to do something and stop them. We can''t let these thugs hurt or even kill these bystanders. Since we''re in Sector 2, I don''t think there are Hybrids here so it''s up to us,"

    "Come on, let''s save them!" He added and leaped away.

    However, instead of following them, the others were rooted in their spots.

    "..."

    "..."

    Silence enveloped the three of them before they exchanged a meaningful look.

    One question crossed their minds, who is he trying to fool?

    Although each of them has their own view about Lucivar as a person, all three of them know¡ªthat he isn''t someone who would be all heroic and good. Even if he would save these bystanders, he would be more excited for his own benefit, not because he wanted to save these people.

    Seeing him acting like this confirmed their suspicions¡ªthis is definitely his work.

    Ignoring what the others were thinking, Lucivar sprinted and reached the heart of the commotion.

    Dozens of thugs were scattered around the main square, killing the bystanders left¡ªand right and even looting the corpses from their valuables. Of course, the sight of them killing innocent people stirs nothing within him.

    But then again, why would he need to feel anything? It was these bystanders'' fault for being weak.

    Had they been strong, they wouldn''t get slaughtered like this.

    However, he did feel excited as he now has a reason to slaughter these people.

    ''I can''t kill anyone without being investigated and arrested by the Hybrid Association¡ªbut doesn''t that mean I only need to create a situation where I wouldn''t be blamed for killing?'' Lucivar smirked inside, this was his plan all along, to create a situation where it was natural for him to kill.

    Since the lives of the innocents were on the line, how could he not kill these thugs?

    Heck, as a Hybrid, he would be accountable if he didn''t kill the thugs.

    Achieving this situation was also quite simple to do.

    First, he needed a reason to go out, and holding a personal celebratory party for his entry into the South Hues Tournament¡ªwith his so-called ''friends'' or ''family'' was the perfect excuse. Since he was a very accomplished Academy Hunter and history with the overseer, Fabioa, he got the pass.

    Secondly, he needed to force the Lincoln Gang, an infamous gang into committing a heinous act.

    Massacring an entire night market full of innocent people would do the trick.

    Of course, in order to do this, he needed to meet with the appropriate person.

    Fortunately, with Angel under his wrap along with the twin, he could send a message to Zibbo.

    Zibbo then set up this meeting where Lucivar could meet with Rudy directly and manipulate him.

    From the experiment on Leandra, he was able to deduce that the Morality Constellation would last a bit over an hour. It wasn''t long but long enough for this. Moreover, the emotional bleed this constellation inflicted helped him turn Rudy from careful and passive to reckless.

    Believing that the authorities were the ones who caused his losses.

    Believing that he needed to act¡ªretaliate by killing a bunch of innocent people as a message.

    In truth, Zibbo''s gang wasn''t killed by the authorities¡ªLucivar was the one who slaughtered them like pigs.

    In reality, he was doing this for nothing but Lucivar''s benefit.

    Now, the fact that these thugs were attacking the night market was proof of his success.

    Lucivar could barely contain his glee.

    Seeing the thugs stabbing people brutally and ripping their heads off were signs of his success.

    "Hey, you!"

    Hearing a voice calling to him, Lucivar glanced over his shoulder and saw two thugs.

    Both of them were wearing crooked smiles with a blood-stained steel baton in hand.

    "Are you lost, kid?" One of them, a guy with a mohawk asked with a cackle. "What''re you smiling at?"

    "Did you leave your brain somewhere? Fuck you''re smiling at," the other added savagely.

    But Lucivar didn''t answer them, he kept smiling at the thugs.

    Irritated, the mohawked thug threw out an arm, blocking his companion. "I''ll handle this."

    Before he could take the first step towards Lucivar, his body froze when a sudden warm liquid drenched his entire body. For a second then, the mohawked man paused¡ªhis eyes gradually widening. Then, he turned to look at his friend.

    Instead of seeing his friend, he saw another thing entirely.

    What stood in his friend''s place was a puddle of blood, brain matter, intestines, and blood.

    Seeing this, the mohawked man''s breath hitched as he took a step back.

    He couldn''t believe what he was seeing.

    Seconds ago, he didn''t feel Lucivar channeling anything and he didn''t even feel whatever reduced his friend to a mere puddle of blood and flesh, struck. But Lucivar did something, he cast something, but it was so fast that the mohawked man had no chance of perceiving it.

    As he turned to look at Lucivar again, his expression turned pale.

    Now, Lucivar''s smile doesn''t seem ridiculous¡ªit became menacing instead.

    "Come on then, aren''t you going to handle me?" Lucivar asked as he pivoted his body around to face the mohawked man properly but he received no answer. He then tilted his head and in the blink of an eye, he was able to cut through the distance between them¡ªand stood inches away from the mohawked man. "Where did all that bravado go? I''m right here,"

    Staring into Lucivar''s maniacal eyes, the mohawked man''s pupils trembled.

    He swallowed hard, wanting to answer but couldn''t.

    "No answer...?" Lucivar asked raspingly, paused for a moment, and sighed. "Alright then,"

    Splash!

    Brutally, he pierced his hand into the mohawked man''s chest and ripped out his heart.

    It happened in the blink of an eye and once Lucivar pulled out his hand, he was holding a beating heart.

    Once the mohawked man crumpled to the ground, shocked¡ªthat he would die this way, Lucivar threw the beating heart to the side as if it was nothing. Then, he bent his body down and grabbed a beautiful golden sphere.

    Storing it away inside his Inner Chamber, Lucivar turned his attention to the other thugs.

    Then, he smacked his lips in delight, "Let''s start our haul, shall we?"

 Chapter 239 239: Night Market Massacre

    Meanwhile, in a humble apartment building.

    A middle-aged woman with chestnut hair and pale yellow eyes stepped out of her apartment.

    She locked the door behind her before combing her hair back and turning around to leave.

    Once she reached outside, she looked up to the night sky and found the stars blinking at her. But as she was about to return the stars'' greeting with a warm smile, she sneezed. Sniffling her nose, she sighed and headed for the nearest pharmacy, a block away.

    "Hope this will help me get better quickly," the woman peeked at the plastic bag in her hand.

    Inside was a flu medicine.

    Feeling the chilling night air through her coat, she rubbed her arms and quickly headed back.

    She doesn''t seem like she was good at handling the cold or even the night itself.

    Upon making a turn onto her street, she paused as her stomach growled.

    "Should I stop by the night market?" the woman contemplated. "I''m feeling chicken soup, tonight,"

    Deciding to make another quick stop, the woman turned around and headed for the night market.

    As soon as she arrived at the night market, a frown crept to her face.

    "Kyaah~!"

    "Run! Run away!"

    Countless screams could be heard echoing through the air¡ªthe voice to whom these screams belonged to seemed to be serious and raw. Something was happening inside, and with haste, fearing that it might be a small dungeon that was overlooked, the woman dropped the plastic bag and sprinted across the street, wanting to check what was happening.

    ...

    Chaos ensued¡ªpeople were running around in a desperate attempt to survive.

    But what can their weak bodies do against Hybrids?

    Only the luckiest ones were able to sneak away, while the Lincoln Gang butchered most.

    Screams and cries pierced through the air, turning the joyous atmosphere of the night market to grim as corpses and blood littered the ground. Near the east entrance of the night market, six Hybrids were able to corner a group of helpless people.

    A group consisting of at least thirty people, a mixture of the old, the young, and even families.

    Looking at their whimpering faces, the Hybrids smacked their lips in delight.

    Each of their eyes was glossed with an emerald sheen, one that made their gaze look magical.

    For the cornered group, this emerald sheen was the power of a Hybrid, but in truth, it was mind control.

    "It''s time to pay for your sins."

    "No more code to avoid killing you fuckers. Now, we''re free to do anything we want,"

    Hearing this, most of the people in the group lost hope.

    However, a young man with fiery blood grabbed a butcher knife nearby and charged forward.

    "Rargh! I''ll at least kill one of you!"

    Seeing his charge, the group''s spirit lifted even if it''s only for a little bit.

    But that sensation didn''t last long¡ªas one Hybrid dashed at the young man, slapped the butcher knife away, and clasped his face with both hands. Realizing that he is completely helpless, the young man''s blood runs cold.

    Instinctively, he clutched his hand into a fist and swung at the Hybrid.

    Expecting the punch to do at least something, the young man''s eyes widened upon impact.

    As expected, the punch did something contrary to what he wanted.

    Once his fist connected, a sharp jolt of pain shot through him¡ªit was like punching solid stone.

    His hand shattered instantly.

    Just then, the young man felt true despair, he was confronted with the pure gap between a normal person like him and an actual Hybrid. His face drains of all color¡ªwhile the Hybrid''s lips curl into an evil smile.

    Showing no mercy, the Hybrid opened his mouth and breathed fire.

    Drowned by the relentless fire, the young man screamed as his face and then his entire head melted.

    Such a sight caused the people behind him to scream and squirm.

    As the Hybrids prepared to massacre the group, now steeped in fear with terror etched across their faces, a sudden commotion drew their attention. All at once, they turned to the side, where another group of innocent people was screaming and sprinting for their lives.

    Initially, the Hybrids ignored them.

    Surely this group of running people was the prey of other comrades from the Lincoln Gang.

    Meddling with their hunt would be disrespectful, so it''s best to ignore the running group.

    But then, their attention was pulled once again.

    "Fuck, who the fuck was that?!"

    "Did the asylum break loose?! How in the world a guy like that was playing nice in a night market?"

    "Shut up and run, you fool! Run if you want to live!"

    As the group of innocent bystanders rushed past, several thugs followed close behind, but they weren''t the pursuers. Instead, from the look on their faces, they were the ones being hunted¡ªthe realization that caught the group of Hybrids off guard.

    One question popped into their minds, who are they running from?

    Just then, the slowest thug at the very back exploded¡ªhis body turned into minced meat in an instant.

    Not stopping at that, the next two thugs in front of him froze in their spots¡ªtheir faces showed clearly that they wanted to keep running, but they couldn''t. An invisible force has gripped them, stopping them dead in their tracks.

    Then, a figure holding a knife in a reverse grip could be seen, sprinting along the street.

    A perverted smile donned his blood-stained face.

    Amidst the blood and gore, this person with glowing golden eyes seemed to be the happiest.

    Moving swiftly like a slithering snake, this person sliced the neck of one thug and moved to the others, stabbing the stomach and opening it with lethal precision. Blood squirted onto his face¡ªbut it didn''t seem to bother him, he didn''t even attempt to close his eyes so as not to get blood in them.

    Such a minute display of psychopathy spooked even the group of Hybrids.

    In addition, what was scarier was that this person could move from a precise killing to a messy one.

    He could change the way he kills depending on what he wants to do.

    One of the thugs, the only surviving one, fell to his knees and looked down¡ªonly to see that his stomach was sliced open and his intestines spilled out. Menacingly, the person knelt down and grabbed the thug''s hair roughly, "What''s wrong? What''s with¡ªthat face? I thought you liked this kind of thing, especially since you liked doing this to kids, why are you running?"

    "Fuck... you..." The thug cursed, glaring at the person with rage.

    But with his stomach spilled, he couldn''t do anything.

    "Oh, there it is. All this time, you had some guts after all," the person smiled devilishly before glancing down at the thug''s spilled intestines. "Shame they weren''t holding you together when it mattered. You should''ve shown them before I spilled them for you,"

    Upon saying that, the knife shot and pierced the thug from below the chin.

    Slowly, the person stood up.

    Once he was on his feet, he ripped the thug''s mouth open by twisting the knife.

    Then, he kicked the thug right on his chest¡ªmore like a push than a kick as the thug toppled down.

    Every single thing happened right in front of the group of Hybrids, who were stunned beyond measure.

    For a second there, the wicked, psychopath stood¡ªregulating his breath or perhaps reveling in the kill he had made. But either way, the group of Hybrids dared not to speak or even breathe. It was almost as if they were standing near a tiger that was feasting, afraid that they would be its next meal.

    One hope echoed in their minds the same, a hope that this person wouldn''t turn towards them.

    But their hope remains hope as the person slowly turns and stares directly into them.

    "A five-star Acolyte-rank Hybrid?" the person mumbled, his eyes flashing with excitement at the sight of a particular Hybrid who breathed fire earlier. Slowly, the person turned to face the group of Hybrids with a deranged smile on his face.

    In the next second, it was another slaughter.

    During the next minute, the sound of painful wails, cracking bones, and flesh tearing filled the air.

    All of the cornered people watched as the person murdered the group of Hybrids like slaughtering pigs.

    Just the sight of the Hybrid easily dispatching the young man earlier was enough to strike fear into them that wouldn''t disappear for the rest of their lives. Now, that exact Hybrid was being slaughtered without being able to do anything.

    He tried, he really tried defending himself, but his limbs were torn one by one until he was only a torso.

    Once each one of them was dead, the person''s gaze shifted to the cornered people.

    For a moment, he looked at each one of them.

    At that moment, all of them thought that this was it, their deaths were now staring them in the eyes.

    However, the person lost interest as he turned away and left.

    He left without saying a single word, only leaving behind fresh corpses with marks of his brutality.

    Lucivar continued ahead.

    He already got a lot of golden spheres, but most of them were early Acolyte rank, only a handful of them were golden spheres from a five-star Acolyte rank Hybrid. Even then, he surely has more than enough to finally break through to the Chrysalis rank.

    Once he reached that rank, he would have a chance against Caldaros.

    Due to the situation, he also obtained some bronze spheres here and there.

    A moment earlier, he found that not instantly killing his target and letting them suffer first was beneficial.

    It would increase the size of the bronze sphere by a bit, so he has been doing exactly that.

    Now, he was moving through the empty street in search of other thugs that he could kill¡ªbut it was hard to find more, "Tch! I guess the others are also moving fast. Had I not needed them as an excuse, I''d rather come here alone."

    As he thought of that, he shook his head lightly.

    Moments later, near another exit, Lucivar found a couple of thugs who were cornering seven people.

    He ripped their heads off and collected the golden and bronze spheres from them.

    Seeing this, a man stepped forward, "Thank you for saving us, we''re in your debt, young man."

    Lucivar glanced over to them, remained silent, and turned his head to scan the surroundings.

    ''Hmm, I don''t think there''s more, this is it,''

    Once he came to the realization that there were no more thugs that he could kill, he looked at the man again and smiled sinisterly. Lucivar played with the knife in his hand and approached the man, his own killing intent flaring vividly.

    Showing no mercy, he lunged at the man, but a woman got in the way.

    She reached out her hand and shouted, "Stop! We''re civilians!"

    Instead of stopping, Lucivar dashed faster and reached his hand to grab the woman.

    But then, his eyes widened when a yellow flash appeared.

 Chapter 240 240: The Sun (1)

    Lucivar prepared this night on a whim, and it was solely for his benefit.

    He knew Ravenna did not need to kill to get stronger¡ªbut the others? He didn''t know their method of accumulating their natural ether. Bringing them here was the same as risking his haul, but there was no other choice.

    And now, his haul really did get decreased.

    Most, if not all, of the Lincoln Gang''s thugs were already killed, and there were no more spared for Lucivar.

    But that doesn''t simply mean he was done here.

    Once the delectable thugs were swept clean, he now turned to the bystanders¡ªwho were caught in this unfortunate moment. Since the Lincoln Gang would take all of the blame, there was no need for him to hold back.

    Lucivar twirled the bloodied knife in his hand and sprinted at the man who was thanking him.

    Had the man possessed any kind of standing, Lucivar would make use of him.

    But the man was a nobody, ordinary, and having him feel indebted brought no benefit.

    So why would Lucivar allow him to live? He would find the man more useful dead than alive.

    As his leg muscles contracted, he made a swift dash and reached the man in no time, but a woman got in the way. Lucivar reached out his hand to grab the woman and flung her away, but as he did, a yellow flash shone from her hand.

    It was blinding, and before Lucivar knew it, the yellow flash seared his skin and flung him away.

    Crash!

    Lucivar shattered multiple stalls along the way before coming to a halt.

    He gazed up at the clear night sky¡ªhis face etched with clear confusion.

    "What happened...?" He blinked his eyes a couple of times, confused as to what knocked him back like this. No Hybrids among those people. He already checked, none of them has even a trace of ether. "Did I miss one? No, that can''t be it."

    Groaning in pain, Lucivar sat up and gazed down at his body.

    Surprisingly, cracks were forming across his skin¡ªyellow trenches that caused burning pain.

    For a second there, Lucivar tried channeling his God strands to heal the cracks and found that the yellow energy was strong enough to reject Loki''s energy. Every time he tried to heal the cracks, the yellow light intensified and pushed the God strands away.

    It was only then that something clicked inside his mind as he raised his gaze.

    Ahead of him, the woman was helping the bystanders run away while keeping her gaze on him.

    "Don''t tell me," Lucivar''s eyes flickered before he grinned. "Is she the ''sun''...?"

    Stumbling across such a person, Lucivar could only praise his bad karma for giving him such a fortune.

    "Quickly! Run for the exit and don''t look back!" the woman guided the innocent bystanders who were confused as to why Lucivar suddenly attacked them earlier when he was obviously the thugs'' enemy. It was unsettling, but they were glad the woman was there to help.

    Then, the woman stopped a young woman and said, "Call the association once you''re outside!"

    Hearing this, the woman nodded repeatedly before running again.

    Once the group managed to all flee, the woman turned to where Lucivar should be¡ªand couldn''t find him. Seconds ago, he was lying on the ground. But now, he has disappeared. An unsettling sensation washed over her¡ªas she clutched her chest, "What''s happening to me? My heart... It''s aching when I saw that man. Who is he?"

    She never felt like this before.

    Locking eyes with Lucivar felt like looking down from a sky-high cliff.

    It was scary, unsettling, and spiked her adrenaline.

    "Akhh!"

    Just then, the woman snapped from her daze and saw a young boy ahead.

    He tripped and fell from the slippery, blood-stained ground.

    Moving with alacrity, the woman rushed and helped the young boy to stand.

    "You''re okay, you''re okay..." She consoled as she helped the young boy to stand and wiped the blood that was smeared on his face. "I want you to be strong¡ªokay? I am going to bring you to a safe place. Can you trust me?"

    Meekly, the young boy who was no more than six, nodded his head while wiping his tears.

    "What about mom and dad?" the young boy asked.

    Naturally, the woman''s expression twitched when she heard this, knowing that if the young boy survived the chaos, there was a high chance his parents died for him. Instead of answering¡ªshe put on an assuring smile, "Hold my hand and don''t let go."

    Once she said that, she stood up, looked around, and headed for the exit.

    But then, as she made the first turn¡ªshe stopped when she heard someone whistle at her.

    Like a whip lashing the body, the whistle stiffened the woman''s body.

    Slowly, she turned around, not knowing what to expect but scared of whatever was waiting for her.

    It was then, her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively pulled the young boy closer as she took in the scene unfolding behind her. Standing there with a smug smile was the man who had attacked earlier, Lucivar.

    Lined up in front of him were four people on their knees.

    All of their faces were streaked with tears as they looked at the woman with begging eyes.

    None of them were restrained, but for some reason, none of them could run.

    Surely, Lucivar had done something to them.

    Gulping harshly, the woman knelt down to face the young boy and smiled again.

    "Run in that direction and leave the night market," She said, pointing in a direction. "I''ll catch up."

    Upon hearing this, the young boy hesitated, but the woman already shoved him gently.

    Once the young boy ran, the woman stood up again and faced Lucivar.

    For a good five seconds, the woman stared at Lucivar in silence, uncertain about the situation.

    Then, she finally spoke, "Why are you doing this? Aren''t you helping get rid of those ruffians?"

    "I may be killing those thugs who suddenly attacked the night market," Lucivar answered¡ªwith a tinge of amusement as his lips curled higher, enhancing the unrest within the woman. "But that does not mean I care about these people, nor am I a good person."

    "So what?" the woman asked. "Are you doing this because I stopped you?"

    "Well..." Lucivar walked over to the right-most woman, embracing her face from behind. "Not really, but that''s a factor, yes. Since you clearly wanted to save these people, why don''t we make an exchange? It is nothing you can''t afford, really."

    Almost instantly, the woman frowned in hesitation.

    But that was a mistake.

    Crack!

    A loud, bone-cracking sound resounded as Lucivar snapped the neck of the innocent woman.

    Seeing this, the woman, or rather, the sun''s eyes widened in shock.

    "I forgot to mention, I''m really impatient¡ªa side effect from having a meddler blocking my way," He mused nonchalantly as he slowly made his way to the kneeling person beside the dead woman. "Let me say it again, why don''t we make an exchange? Their lives in return for... answers"

    "Okay, okay!" the sun quickly answered. "Just don''t kill them!"

    "Good..." Lucivar nodded, pleased by her eagerness. "I like it when people listen to me."

    "First, what is your name, miss?" He asked.

    "Ciri..." the sun answered instantly, fearing Lucivar would kill more. "It''s Ciri."

    "Ciri... Such a beautiful name," Lucivar praised, it was a name befitting someone like her. He then tilted his head down, looking at the whimpering man in front of him¡ªand patted his head, "You''re in luck! It seemed she was really going to answer my questions for your sake. That''s good."

    "Don''t play with him! Just ask your questions!" Ciri demanded.

    Lucivar smiled and continued, "Do you know a student who goes by the name Caldaros?"

    Almost instantly, Ciri''s expression froze before her eyes turned sharp.

    "You... You''re that vile God''s avatar, aren''t you?" Ciri answered with a question.

    She immediately put two in two together and deduced who Lucivar was.

    "Oh...? You knew about me?" Lucivar raised both his eyebrows, mildly surprised that Ciri knew about him. "I guess Caldaros must''ve high regard for you, to think that he even told you about me is quite a surprising finding. This made it way easier."

    "You''re nothing but a vile monster who took pleasure in others'' sufferings," Ciri added with hate.

    But this only made Lucivar even more excited.

    Such a beautiful face contorting so hideously was a sight to behold, it was almost poetical.

    "Is that how you view me, or is that what Caldaros taught you to view me?" Lucivar asked curiously.

    "Caldaros and I are the same," Ciri answered firmly. "We hate people like you the most."

    "I see..." Lucivar nodded and paused for a moment. Then, he continued despite seeing Ciri''s reluctance, "So, what exactly did Caldaros say to you? I suggest you answer my question. In case you forgot, these people''s lives are still in my hands."

    "He said there was a cancer in this world and he''s going to take care of it." Ciri coldly answered.

    Such a brutal description stung the heart, and Lucivar took delight in it.

    Lucivar chuckled, "Caldaros and I are going to fight to the death in the South Hues Tournament. I''m Loki''s avatar and he''s Sunna''s avatar. And fun fact, there has never been any Loki''s avatar¡ªwho has won against Sunna''s avatar."

    "The forces of good will always win," Ciri smiled. "And I''ll be watching you lose from the front row."

    "Oh...?" Lucivar couldn''t hide his glee anymore. "Didn''t you say earlier that a vile person like me took pleasure in others'' sufferings? Why are you anticipating¡ªfor my demise? Or does your logic only apply when it benefits you?"

    Upon hearing this, Ciri''s eyes widened for a second before she quickly shook her head.

    It was clear that her inside was in turmoil.

    "Don''t even think about provoking me, it won''t work." Ciri retorted.

    Feeling the small crack forming in her belief, Lucivar smiled inside, but this was far from over.

    "Tell me, Ciri, what do you think I''d feel when I succeeded in killing Caldaros?" He suddenly asked.

    It didn''t take long for Ciri to respond, "Of course you''d feel good about yourself. Do you even need to ask? Like you said¡ªnone of Loki''s previous avatars have ever, ever bested Goddess Sunna''s. As the first to do so, you''re basking in your wicked triumph."

    "Wrong," Lucivar scoffed. "I wouldn''t feel good. I''d feel powerful."

    Pausing for a second, letting his answer stretch out, he then stared at Ciri intently.

    "Now, what do you think Caldaros would feel if he succeeded in killing me?" Lucivar asked again.

    But this time, he didn''t wait for Ciri to answer.

    "Powerful... he''d also feel powerful." He continued with a smirk. "As much as you want to deny it, we''re not that much different."

 Chapter 241 241: The Sun (2)

    Regardless of who won in the end, the winner would feel powerful.

    And feeling powerful is corrupt, which basically means the person took pleasure in taking the opposing forces down. In this case, if Caldaros won, he took pleasure in beating Lucivar, and that would mean he was the same as any bad people.

    He would be the same as Lucivar.

    Ciri understood that¡ªthe expression she was wearing showed that she understood.

    But she also knew that this conversation was following Lucivar''s narrative, it wasn''t true.

    "No, you''re wrong. Caldaros would feel content, he''d feel fulfilled for making this world better." Ciri argued. She wouldn''t herself to be swayed by Lucivar''s fantasy, not ever. "He''d feel fulfilled for doing good in the Goddess'' name."

    "Is he now?" Lucivar smiled playfully. "Are you certain he''d feel that way?"

    Lucivar was seeding doubt in her heart, and that made her furious.

    Despite her pliant and loving nature, Ciri''s expression turned fierce as she glared at Lucivar.

    "Do not insult me by attempting to corrupt me with your wicked ideals!" She growled, grabbing a knife, a butcher knife on the stall, and pointed it ahead. "He''s the Goddess'' avatar, a mirror of her divine grace! The Goddess wouldn''t feel joy in killing you and your wicked God. She''s pure, she''s not even remotely like your God!"

    Hearing this, Lucivar laughed, a cold, sinister laugh.

    Knowing that Ciri was at least above thirty in age, he thought that she''d at least be mature.

    He never expected her heart to be that of a nai?ve little girl.

    "Good and evil are concepts that are only present in us, mortals. Gods, Goddesses, they were the ones who created these concepts to shackle us. Time, space, life, and even death are all concepts that apply to us but not to them. But that was a misconception."

    Lucivar took his time to explain, wanting to know more about how pure Ciri''s heart was.

    He raised his hand, palm facing up as his eyes glistened with malice.

    "Since they created these concepts, they too could choose to be influenced by them. Time... these Gods disassociated that concept because being bound by it would make them finite. Space... they also pull away because that would allow them to be found. But there are concepts that they wanted to be a part of, concepts that they would rather be in than disassociated from them. Emotions, for example..."

    "When Gods kill other Gods, without the concept of emotions, they would feel nothing. Why would the Gods want that?" Lucivar smirked. For him, there were no good or evil Gods, there were only Gods. "So Ciri, what makes you think Sunna would not feel good? And if she felt good, doesn''t that mean your precious Caldaros, the mirror of her divine grace you said, would also feel good?"

    Having her views challenged, Ciri lowered her stance as her eyes glowed yellow.

    "I don''t have to listen to this!" She roared.

    Lucivar was smiling inside, but there was a sense of unease when he saw her glowing eyes.

    ''She''s not even a Hybrid, why am I feeling danger from her?'' He frowned.

    It seemed Caldaros had placed something inside Ciri, allowing her to tap into Sunna''s power.

    Swish!

    Just then, Ciri dashed at him with unrelenting fervor.

    Despite knowing that he was the rival of Sunna''s avatar, it was cute of her to try and attack him.

    Lucivar raised his arm and blocked a horizontal strike from Ciri.

    His eyes flickered for a bit as he was forced to glance over to Ciri''s hand¡ªwhich somehow carried more strength than he had anticipated. Matter of fact, her strength wasn''t a joke. It surprisingly managed to even overpower Lucivar and forced him to act.

    Using technique rather than strength, Lucivar twisted her hand and swept her legs.

    "Kahk!"

    Ciri was slammed to the ground with one arm locked behind her and Lucivar sitting on her back.

    Even though she now has abnormal power, she is still an untrained person.

    Her attack was strong but incredibly sluggish¡ªeasy to redirect or parry.

    "You see, Ciri, the world is not all sunshine and smiles. You can''t attack me recklessly like this," Lucivar said and paused, looking down at the ground while keeping her pinned down. "I''m sad, really. You have abnormal strength for a non-Hybrid, to be able to compete with me... Did Caldaros give it to you?"

    A small chuckle escaped Lucivar''s lips, he couldn''t believe this.

    "I need to endure years of being treated like a dog, an actual dog, by my own family. Kicked and mocked when I''m at my lowest. And even tasting the tip of death to awaken my power," Lucivar continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "And then there''s someone like you."

    "Don''t talk to me! I don''t want to know!" Ciri exclaimed as two beams shot out from her eyes.

    It happened in the blink of an eye, yet Lucivar didn''t feel anything.

    None of those two beams hit him, instead, they hit the two kneeling people behind him.

    Lucivar wasn''t nai?ve enough to think that Ciri missed, and he was right.

    Bam!

    In the nick of time, he was able to raise his arms to block a hard kick.

    Stumbling several steps to the side, Lucivar flicked his arm several times as the kick numbed it.

    "Damn," He cursed before gazing back ahead. "That hurts."

    Now, standing on either side of Ciri, who has climbed back to her feet, were two people, both of whom were the people Lucivar restrained earlier. But now, their aura has changed, and their eyes are glowing yellow.

    None of them were Hybrids, so this must be the work of Sunna''s power.

    Both turned from regular people to someone who could pose a threat to a Hybrid like Lucivar.

    "Seems like Caldaros has made preparations," Lucivar praised, nodding to himself¡ªwithout a trace of worry¡ªwhich only made Ciri more uneasy. "It would be foolish to let his sun wander around without any protection. As expected of my rival."

    Ignoring Lucivar''s mocking tone, Ciri pointed forward and sent her two servants to attack.

    Moving swiftly, the two servants showed speed equivalent to an Acolyte-rank Hybrid.

    Quite fast and strong, but even then, none of them could reach Lucivar.

    As these two attacked from left and right at the same time, reaching their lethal hands forward, two ash-colored wolves shot from a nearby mirror¡ªand bit their hands hard. With a twist, the wolves flung the two servants back to their masters.

    But this time, they were missing one arm.

    Seeing the two ferocious wolves, Ciri''s expression softened¡ªher will to fight disappeared.

    She cast a glance at the kneeling people with regret plastered across her face.

    Lucivar didn''t allow her to breathe for long and attacked along with the two wolves.

    In a second, he managed to cover the distance between them, and with a forceful hold¡ªhe grabbed the two servants by the neck and squeezed. Gnarly bone-cracking sounds echoed, irritating the eardrums of those nearby.

    Lucivar had used a couple of his God strands to crush their necks.

    Ciri blinked and realized Lucivar was already standing in front of her.

    She immediately leaped back to create a distance.

    Smiling savagely, Lucivar threw the two servants to his behind nonchalantly.

    Both of the wolves caught them and began rending them apart flesh by flesh.

    It only took a few seconds for the wolves to devour the two servants, leaving not a trace of them behind.

    Almost instantly, Lucivar lunged to grab Ciri, but her body turned translucent as fast.

    Lucivar tried grabbing her, but his hand passed through her body¡ªhe was grabbing at light, which was impossible to do. Then, without saying anything, Ciri blitzed out of the night market like a yellow ghost, leaving behind a trail of yellow energy.

    Upon seeing this, the two wolves were ready to leap into the mirror dimension again.

    Chasing after her was a possibility for them¡ªbut Lucivar simply patted them on their heads, stopping them from going further, "It''s fine, we did enough already. We don''t want her to use¡ªher trump card, now do we?"

    Since Caldaros prepared countermeasures to protect her, there must be something more.

    One that would be problematic for Lucivar, so he didn''t press further.

    Knowing who she was and what she looked like was already good enough for the night.

    Lucivar hadn''t set out to find her, but now that their paths had crossed, he was already grateful.

    "Your bad karma is abnormally high for your current state. Your luck is incredible." Gandr appeared.

    Hearing this washed Lucivar''s heart with pleasure, he took this as a compliment.

    "Caldaros must''ve felt this encounter, he''s probably punching the wall by now since he now has to keep close eyes on Ciri," Lucivar bent down¡ªand took two golden spheres on the ground, a lot bigger than even the golden spheres he got from the thugs. "His anxiety would slow his growth down."

    "Congratulations, you obtained a divine merit." Gandr suddenly said.

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him, "Divine merit? What''s that?"

    "It''s a currency we created only for you¡ªthe Blessed Oracle," Gandr explained nonchalantly, as if he was explaining how the weather was today. "Achieving any great feat against the opposing Gods would bestow divine merits. You can use them by choosing one of us, and we''ll take you to a special training place."

    As soon as Lucivar heard that, his eyes sparkled.

    Since the tournament was nearing, he was badly in need of some sort of boost.

    Being trained by the Gods is certainly the best way to prepare himself to fight Caldaros.

    "Choose. Father or Sutekh." Gandr demanded.

    "Wait, how do I know how much divine merit I have?" Lucivar asked. "And how is it calculated?"

    Gandr smirked meaningfully.

    "Ask me or Sha. As for the method, it''s determined based on our own subjective calculations." He replied.

    Lucivar could only click his tongue in displeasure.

    Gandr was basically saying that the divine merit could increase or decrease as the Gods wanted. Killing Ciri''s servants granted him one divine merit, but in the future, it might take a lot more than that to obtain one divine merit.

    It''s unfair, but then again, he was dealing with Gods¡ªit was supposed to be unfair.

    Contemplating for a moment, he rubbed his chin as he weighed his options.

    ''Most of my abilities were already high in mastery already, at least compared to normal Hybrids around my level. And since I can''t use Sutekh''s abilities against Caldaros, there''s no use in focusing on them. I should focus on strengthening my physique.'' Lucivar nodded.

    Recalling how even Ciri could be on par with his raw strength, his physique was meager.

    He would need a lot more to be on par with Caldaros.

    "Sutekh, I choose you!"

 Chapter 242 242: Unwarranted Penance

    Lucivar chose Sutekh for a couple of reasons.

    One, he has the option to extract power from another God who doesn''t have a bad record against Sunna. It would be foolish for him to solely focus on Loki''s power against Sunna, whom history has shown to be exceptional in countering it.

    He needed to win¡ªthe method, how underhanded it might be, is not a problem.

    Second, improving his physical prowess would help immensely in a direct confrontation.

    Keeping the stages of the tournament in mind, Lucivar knew that a strong body is the key to his victory.

    Because of those reasons, he concluded on choosing Sutekh.

    As soon as Lucivar made his choice, agony struck without warning.

    A searing throb erupted in his chest, violent and merciless, as if unseen claws had burrowed deep into his heart and clenched tight. His breath hitched. His vision blurred. With a strangled gasp, he clutched his chest, fingers digging into his own flesh as the veins across his body bulged and blackened.

    Losing strength, his knees buckled beneath him, slamming into the cold ground.

    It was a similar feeling to back when he was being made as entertainment for the Ashbourne House.

    It was the feeling of death.

    He wanted to scream, to tear the torment from his body, but what happened was the complete opposite.

    He couldn''t scream, and the pain only intensified¡ªgrowing worse with each agonizing second.

    Then, the realization hit him like a blade to the gut.

    Just as he had turned Zibbo into a Vestal of Sutekh, he, too, had to die to reach Sutekh''s realm.

    "Damn you, Sutekh. I really hate your ways," He whimpered as his body collapsed forward.

    On either side, the two wolves nudged him, whining softly with concern.

    But Lucivar was already dead.

    ...

    Once Lucivar regained his consciousness¡ªand opened his eyes, he was already standing in the middle of a desert, a familiar place that surfaced painful memories. This was the same desert he was forced to fight mummies, crushed countless times, and having a race with a damn snake.

    He saw the pyramid far ahead and Sutekh''s aura still lingering there.

    "Is that fear I sense in you?" Sha suddenly appeared out of nowhere, mocking him with a smirk.

    "Fear? What are you talking about?" He answered with a stiff face. "Do you know who I am?"

    "I can smell fear, you know. Your attempt to lie is quite adorable," Sha wagged her tail and trotted with small steps towards the pyramid, excited that she was now here again, in her Lord''s domain. "But still, I''m glad you chose my Lord for your divine merit."

    Lucivar ignored the comment and followed her, "So, what am I doing here, exactly?"

    As he said that, a towering stone column burst from the sand.

    It burst right below Sha''s feet and elevated her high into the red sky while Lucivar fell backward.

    Sha turned around and looked down at him from a high-vantage point, and unlike in the Inner Chamber, her voice was loud and clear despite the distance between them, "Before your divine merit starts, you needed to receive your punishment first. Scream for me, will you? Although I may not react, I do quite like watching you struggle."

    "Punishment?" Lucivar stood up and pointed at her angrily. "Stop acting high and mighty just because we''re in your Lord''s domain. What punishment? If you don''t'' come back down here and stop whatever you''re doing, I''ll fuck Ravenna again three nights straight! How about that? Huh?!"

    "You!" Sha''s expression twisted. "Do you need to go that low?! You whore fucker!"

    "Shut up! You''re the one who went low first!" Lucivar shouted. "I didn''t do anything wrong!"

    Sha wanted to scream, wanted to argue, but she swallowed her anger back down.

    She''d have her revenge in the next couple of minutes.

    "It''s not me who wanted to punish you¡ªyou imbecile," Sha closed her eyes and flicked her face away arrogantly. "It''s my Lord''s wish. Your tongue is to blame, you cursed His greatness again before your death earlier. For that, you need to be punished."

    Lucivar''s breath hitched, it was only because of the heat of the moment.

    He was dying, it was damn painful, so those words slipped out without his brain filtering them.

    Before he could say anything, more stone columns burst forth.

    Splash!

    Splash!

    Splash!

    Sand splashed with each surface of the stone column, and soon enough, Lucivar was trapped.

    All of the stone columns surrounded him in a circle, providing no chance for him to escape other than the open ceiling¡ªthat was at least a hundred meters high. Leaping out might be possible, but he could feel that it would be impossible.

    "Tell Lord Sutekh it slipped out, I didn''t mean it!" Lucivar shouted again.

    But this time, there was a tinge of plea in his tone.

    He didn''t want to show it clearly¡ªhe was too arrogant for that, but really didn''t want a punishment.

    Considering that this was Sutekh he was dealing with made him more reluctant.

    At least, Loki''s punishment would be illusions.

    Sutekh, on the other hand, would bestow actual physical pain that he didn''t even dare to imagine.

    "..."

    "..."

    Silence.

    Lucivar looked at Sha and waited for her to answer, but that answer never came.

    It was only then that his anger bubbled again.

    "Stop acting like you didn''t hear me you damn cat! Tell that to your Lord right now!" He screamed.

    It was futile, though¡ªhis scream fell on deaf ears.

    Sha kept on sitting there without a care in the world, acting as if she couldn''t hear his desperate shouts.

    Boom!

    Just then, Lucivar flinched when a thudding sound came from behind him.

    Slowly, he turned around to see what it was and saw a light blue sarcophagus there, embedded into the sand with the head part shaped like a falcon. Almost instantly, Lucivar''s face was drained of all color, the fear was now evident.

    It hasn''t been that long since he was here.

    And one look at the sarcophagus was enough for Lucivar to know who was inside it.

    "Hey, I''m sorry alright." Lucivar turned to Sha again, desperate. "I''ll not take revenge on you, so please, tell Lord Sutekh that I''m sorry, that this was a misunderstanding. Heck, I''ll even cut my own tongue if I mistakenly curse his divine grace again!"

    Hearing his pleading tone, Sha''s ears twitched¡ªclearly pleased but acting like she wasn''t.

    "I''ll even help you bully Gandr, I''ll back you up anytime! Help me this one time!" He begged further.

    However, Sha still remained silent, and time ran out.

    Splash!

    Lucivar flinched once again¡ªthis time, the sarcophagus''s lid fell down.

    Stepping out of the sarcophagus was none other than the Falcon Champion, carrying all his might.

    A violent, sky-blue aura erupted from him¡ªits sheer intensity carrying the power to shatter worlds and rend realms asunder. Even the sky itself wavered, flickering chaotically between night and day, sun and moon, as if struggling to withstand the Falcon Champion''s overwhelming presence.

    Below, the desert trembled in response, the sands whirled into frenzied spirals.

    Gradually, their golden hues bled into an eerie cerulean glow, reshaped by the force of his divine might.

    Such a display of power doesn''t belong to Sutekh, it belongs to something else, another entity.

    "Fuck, fuck, fuck..." Lucivvar cursed, taking a couple of unconscious backsteps.

    "Oh, I nearly forgot to mention. Time moves much slower here than in the real world and you wouldn''t die here¡ªsince you''re technically already dead, no matter how rough the Falcon Champion becomes," Sha mused, a cruel glint in her eyes. "So your punishment will last for quite some time, a year of pain for every word."

    Instead of relief, Lucivar got more bad news.

    Nothing good came out of her mouth, only more confirmations that Lucivar was screwed.

    "It''s not a test either..."

    Sha shook her head.

    From the face she was wearing, she was clearly enjoying this moment very much.

    "The Falcon Champion is the reflection of Horus, the Falcon of Gold. Meaning, you have no chance."

    At that moment, Lucivar realized that the Falcon Champion wasn''t only a powerful being.

    It was the mirror of another God!

    "Once you pay your penance, we''ll start your divine merit. Until then..." Sha turned. "Goodbye."

    As if on cue, once Sha finished speaking, the Falcon Champion''s eyes glowed, and with a speed beyond mortal comprehension, he disappeared and reappeared behind Lucivar. With a casual flick, a divine gold harpoon appeared in his hand.

    Devastation coated its tip, and with another casual motion, the harpoon struck Lucivar''s side.

    One hit and he felt his body break instantly.

    Lucivar, through blood-stained vision, looked down at his body and saw it twisted and broken unnaturally.

    His torso was torn open, his ribcage was shattered with most fragments stabbing into his internal organs, while blood pooled and wet the sand around him at a rapid pace. It''s painful, excruciatingly painful,that it felt like he was dying all over again.

    And considering the level of damage his body endured, he should be dying, but he didn''t.

    Swish!

    Slowly, the sand around him began to envelop him with warmth, and in the next second, all his wounds were miraculously healed. All the pain was gone, and Lucivar could walk again. However, that wasn''t good news as the Falcon Champion approached him again.

    "Graarghkk!"

    Bam!

    "You lunatic! Did you just enhance my body so that I can endure your hits?!"

    Crash!

    "Fuck!!!"

    Days passed in a blur, the sun went up and down countless times already as the Falcon Champion beat Lucivar non-stop. It was an actual Hell, Lucivar was forced to confront unbelievable pain¡ªa sensation that he loathed the most.

    His body was broken and crushed, healed, and then crushed again.

    A repetitive punishment but worked damn well.

    One day, after a devastating gut punch that tore through his abdomen, spilling his intestines onto the hot sands, Lucivar lay motionless¡ªstaring up at the blood-red sky for what felt like the ten-thousandth time since the punishment began.

    As always, he waited¡ªwaited for the cursed sand to knit him back together, to erase the pain.

    But that never happened.

    Instead, the sand enveloped his entire body and teleported him someplace else.

    Lucivar looked around once the sand unveiled the world, only to find himself in a similar situation.

    Beside him was Sutekh, sitting pompously arrogant on his throne.

    He didn''t even have the courtesy to heal Lucivar back first, leaving him in such a pitiful state.

    It was humiliating, but Lucivar didn''t say anything.

    Being placed in a world of pain made it impossible for him to retaliate, when Sutekh has the power to easily put him back to where he was moments ago. Forcing out a rough, weak smile, Lucivar raised a thumbs up, "Nice punishment, I learned my lesson."

 Chapter 243 243: The Anvil of Sutekh

    Initially, Lucivar was fuming.

    How could he be punished for a simple mistake? Besides, isn''t he basically almost a God too?

    A God cursing another God should be fitting.

    But those arrogant thoughts were wiped clean by the punishment, the Falcon Champion''s fists beat the pride, anger, and willpower out of Lucivar''s system. Now¡ªhe became more docile. Many would surely think that cursing a God was stupid of him.

    It was especially true when he didn''t have the power to defy someone like Sutekh.

    Perhaps he was in need of a beating.

    Seeing his genuine remorse, Sutekh''s eyes sparkled as the sand underneath Lucivar healed him again.

    His broken body was fixed back to normal as if the wounds had never been there.

    Lucivar sat up and kept his gaze down.

    In front of a God, he needed to show the proper respect.

    He must serve Sutekh to his dying breath and be grateful, even though he overpaid with pain.

    ''Nah, fuck that.''

    Almost instantly, the docile and meek air around him vanished, replaced by a savage one as Lucivar ran forward with killing intent flashing in his eyes. He summoned his wings, two radiant deep green wings, and charged at Sutekh with power.

    "Do you think punishing me would teach me something?!" He roared, laughing maniacally.

    Perhaps the pain has broken something inside of him, but his eyes now contained madness.

    Being violently beaten hurts, it was so painful that he could cry.

    But he didn''t.

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar reached Sutekh''s face with his arm cocked back, "If anything, that only made me angrier!"

    As he was about to swing, more red sand shot from the ground and caught him mid-air.

    His arm was caught and he was suspended in the air, unable to break free.

    Seeing Lucivar''s attempt in deceiving him¡ªwith fake genuineness, Sutekh cracked a small smile but said nothing, not a single word. All he did was stare at Lucivar with his bottomless, divine eyes that seemed to stare right into Lucivar''s soul.

    But his gaze didn''t scare Lucivar.

    "What?!" Lucivar barked, his smile still dripped with killing intent. "Are you going to punish me again? For hurting your little, fragile Ego¡ªwho can''t handle being cursed?! Do you think you''d be able to do this to me and expect me to fall in line?! Try me you jackal bastard!"

    Instead of answering with words, Sutekh increased the red sand''s temperature to a scorching degree.

    Visibly, Lucivar''s skin was bubbling and shrinking.

    However, that only made Lucivar more feral.

    "What can you possibly do to me?" Lucivar mocked further, smiling through gritted teeth¡ªas the pain made him scream inside. But gradually, the pain lessened. Not because Sutekh showed a sliver of mercy but because of another thing entirely. "In case you fucking forgot, I''m the Blessed Oracle. I have more Gods inside my veins. I don''t need you!"

    "You should be thankful that I''m picking to get the divine merit from you!" He spat fiercely.

    Such a display of arrogance secretly made Sutekh smile inside.

    It was the kind of arrogance that someone like Lucivar should have, but still, this is getting troublesome.

    As Lucivar raged, his body sizzled with a deep green aura that made his bearing heavier.

    So much that even the red sand was slowly collapsing.

    Exactly as Lucivar said, there were other Gods inside of him¡ªSutekh wasn''t the only one.

    Splash!

    Out of nowhere, a snake was formed from the red sand below¡ªit slithered upward with lightning-fast speed and struck Lucivar hard. For a couple of seconds there, Lucivar felt the dry particles scrape hard against his skin, and then move into his insides.

    Despite appearing agonizing, the process was anything but.

    Instead, it was an intoxicating surge of vitality¡ªoverwhelming, yet exhilarating.

    Then, once it ended, his anger disappeared as if it had never been there.

    "Neat trick." Lucivar mumbled and looked up at Sutekh.

    Clearly, Sutekh was also able to wash him from his emotions¡ªit was quite an annoying ability.

    "The punishment isn''t only for show." Sutekh finally spoke, his voice was deep and astral, almost as if the entire realm was the one talking. "It''s to punish you and also to prepare you. Feel it, I''ve placed a seed to help in your training."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar looked down at his body.

    He closed his eyes to probe his inside, and as Sutekh said, there was a pulsating seed at his core.

    It provided him with physical energy that allowed him to endure the punishment earlier.

    "So, is this your divine merit?" Lucivar asked.

    "No," Sutekh shook his head and gazed beyond Lucivar, to his behind. "Sha will walk you through it."

    Glancing over his shoulder, Lucivar found a portal waiting for him.

    Sha materialized, her face was now serious with reverence, respectful in the presence of Sutekh, who watching her with probing eyes. "Come," She said, walking past Lucivar and heading for the portal. "I''ll show you the way."

    Not even needing to be called the second time, Lucivar followed Sha and entered the portal.

    As the duo emerged on the other side, another barren desert, Lucivar couldn''t help but ask.

    "Does this training go to improve more of my body parts on the Stone Tablet of Physique?"

    Lucivar was hopeful.

    He still has a lot of parts in the second layer that he hasn''t unlocked yet.

    Out of most, he wanted to unlock blood vessels the most¡ªas that''d increase his overall physical limit.

    "No," Sha shook her head. "The Stone Tablet of Physique is separate from this training. In this, you''re going to increase your raw physique without enhancements. Once you are done, you should be as strong as when you activated the Triune Scarab ability without activating it."

    Despite not being able to explore the second layer further, Lucivar was still excited for this.

    If Sha really meant what she said, then his physical prowess might be doubled or even tripled after this.

    Scanning the area, Lucivar placed his hands on his hips, "So, what is this training? I don''t see anything."

    Sha stepped forward, her paws sinking into the red sand with each step.

    By the time she took her third step, the air around her trembled, rippling with unseen force. And then, the once-serene landscape began to shift, its tranquility unravelling. Lucivar felt the ground quiver under him before a massive crater split open ahead, the red sand cascading into its unfathomable depths.

    For a moment there, Lucivar watched with wide eyes as several structures surfaced.

    It was a structure that was divided into three distinct sections separated by a doorless gate¡ªa ring of towering onyx pillars, a sprawling labyrinth, and the endless expanse of dunes stretching beyond. Right before Lucivar could react, Sha spoke, her tone crisp and professional.

    "Just like your Triune Scarab ability, this will refine your three core physical aspects¡ªStrength, agility, and stamina." She took a step back, her form already beginning to turn into sand. "Make it through to the other side and find me there. Good luck."

    And with that, she vanished.

    Lucivar has a lot of questions, but Sha has no intention of answering.

    "Guess I''ll have to learn the hard way..." He thought aloud and began his training.

    ...

    Time flowed differently in Sutekh''s realm.

    Initially, Lucivar thought that he''d probably go through the training for a couple of months, but he was too nai?ve to think that. Not that he was too nai?ve to expect to finish the training in several months, he was too nai?ve to think that he could tell how many days had passed.

    He couldn''t keep track of time, the scorching red sun hovered in the sky endlessly.

    There was no night in this realm, and it was always hot.

    Regardless, Lucivar went on with his supposed divine merit.

    For the first section, it focuses on training his strength.

    Understanding what he needed to do was easy enough, the items there gave him a clear picture.

    Lucivar needed to drag the colossal stone pillars, ten in total, one by one, completing laps around the vast area, a space nearly the size of Bloodhaven Academy. Only when the pillar began to glow could he return it to their designated positions, across their original positions.

    Each pillar was heavier than the previous, giving Lucivar a fixed path of strength progression.

    Of course, this training wasn''t all sunshine.

    Anytime the hourglass ran out¡ªbefore Lucivar could activate the pillar he was pulling by the shoulder and lodged it in its designated place, the pillar would become ten times heavier and crush him under its weight.

    He''d die every time that happened and be resurrected at the start, clawing his way from the sand.

    Naturally, this made it very time-consuming to complete.

    Going on feeling, Lucivar should be stuck at the first section for at least six months.

    On the second section, he began his agility training.

    Lucivar was thrown into the ever-shifting labyrinth which hosted multiple traps, ambushes from all kinds of desert animals, and even the shifting structure that could crush him in the process. His goal in this section was written at the entrance, to learn and adapt to the flow of Chaos itself.

    Clearly, completing the second section took a lot longer than completing the first section.

    It must be at least three years before he can come out and step into the third section.

    Along the second section, he develops hatred for scorpions.

    For multiple times already, Lucivar died from being stung by scorpions without knowing it.

    Had it not for these scorpions, he should''ve been done with the second section under a year.

    Finally, he reached the third section.

    Stepping out of the labyrinth with a weak body and exhausted mind, Lucivar faced the vast desert ahead, where countless dunes rippled across the horizon. This time, no direction was needed. As Sha had said, he simply had to keep moving forward¡ªwalking until he found her waiting for him.

    Keeping the theme from the previous two sections, the third section wasn''t that simple.

    He was chased by a group consisting of hundreds of mummies that were moving at a fixed pace.

    None of them was faster than a slow walk, but that began to feel really fast the further Lucivar walked.

    Like always, there will be no strength without pain, so he endured this training.

    ...

    Meanwhile, in the real world, it was still the same night.

    "Where did these thugs come from? And what are their intentions for attacking the night market?"

    Leandra wiped her forehead from sweat¡ªand looked around at the corpses of the thugs she killed.

    She was unsure what these thugs were thinking, but she was quite sure that this was Lucivar''s doing.

    "Lucivar...!"

    Speaking of Lucivar, Leandra recalled that she hadn''t seen him anywhere.

    Nerissa and Bakar were still fighting, Bob was dealing with the only Chrysalis-rank Hybrid from the thugs'' side, while Ravenna and Mirel were also missing, but she reckoned those two were on the other side of the night market.

    Remembering Lucivar, Leandra scoured the night market in search of him.

    Until finally, she came across a pale figure lying on the ground peacefully.

    "L- Lucivar...?"

 Chapter 244 244: Back to Square One

    Leandra felt her throat tighten.

    She saw a familiar figure lying on the ground amidst corpses, his skin as pale as a ghost.

    No sign of blood could be seen coursing through his veins.

    Instinctively, she rushed to his side and froze, staring down at him, unwilling to believe her eyes.

    "No..." Leandra ushered as she dropped to her knees. "He''s not that easy to kill..."

    Both her hands trembled over Lucivar''s dead body, not daring to touch him out of fear¡ªthat her touch would seal his fate forever. Unbidden, tears welled in her eyes, blurring the lifeless form of Lucivar in front of her.

    Hesitantly, she flipped Lucivar over and gasped as it was really him.

    Against all odds, someone was able to kill him.

    Despite that, she inhaled deeply and found no traces of fatal wounds across his cold body.

    It was almost as if Lucivar dropped dead out of nowhere.

    "Don''t... Don''t die on me," Leandra wiped her tears, grasping his body as if holding him tight enough would be able to bring him back from the dead. "I haven''t understood you yet¡ªI haven''t changed you into a better person yet, I haven''t done anything!"

    Leandra pounded his chest hard out of sheer frustration.

    "You can''t die, not yet!" She screamed.

    Gazing into Lucivar''s peaceful face, unresponsive, Leandra could feel hope slipping from her fingers.

    For the next two minutes, she cried and sobbed, burying her face on Lucivar''s chest.

    Then, a flicker of determination crossed her face.

    Stubbornly, Leandra wiped her tears and snots again as her eyes began to gleam with purple ether.

    "I can still help him," She muttered. "Yes, I can still help him."

    Swish!

    Leandra did something, the cold air of the night turned colder, and the celestial stars decorating the sky and the moon above glowed brighter in response. Then, one star shot starlight toward her¡ªbasking her entire form in its radiance.

    A surge of ether climbed from the deepest part of her Inner Chamber.

    Her purple hair floated like in water, ether coated her like a thin blanket, and her eyes turned into stars.

    Fueled by her emotions, Leandra''s Star Witch bloodline was stimulated.

    She used a costly ability, one that even made her entire body translucent¡ªfrom the amount of ether she needed to use in order to activate this¡ªWish of Shooting Star. Once her transformation was complete, turning her into a celestial being-like, she bit her lower lip hard.

    It was hard to control, her body felt like it was going to burst any second.

    However, she persevered and pressed on.

    Placing her hand on Lucivar''s chest, she channeled her wish into him.

    "Revive."

    As soon as that word left her lips, her energy shot into Lucivar.

    A subtle yet forceful shockwave exploded, tearing down the stalls around them.

    Lucivar''s entire body was overwhelmed with the essence of her power, but it didn''t last long.

    Another power, more forceful and overbearing, deflected the Wish of Shooting Star ability and dispersed Leandra''s ether almost instantly. She gasped in a cold breath as everything returned to normal, her power retreated, and that restored the tranquility of the night.

    "It... failed...?" Leandra muttered in shock.

    Just then, a figure arrived on the scene and saw the situation¡ªIt was Ravenna.

    Like Leandra, Ravenna was shocked when she saw Lucivar''s corpse.

    Her body froze as this should be impossible.

    It''s not that easy to kill Lucivar, and since even the Feradith Family and the Crimson Wolf Clan failed.

    Sensing her arrival, Leandra turned towards her before more tears streamed down her face.

    "Ravenna..." She sobbed, devastated by her failure to revive Lucivar.

    "What happened?" Ravenna approached¡ªher voice steady and composed, yet her eyes betrayed a depth of distress she hadn''t known she was capable of showing. The weight in her chest was suffocating and crippling, the sensation almost surreal.

    Seeing Lucivar''s lifeless body left her weak, as intense as back when she failed to save Delilah.

    She was surprised since Lucivar had only been with her for a couple of months.

    Even though their relationship was transactional, or at least that was what she thought of it, the taste of loss she was feeling right now¡ªshowed otherwise. Staring into Leandra intensely, she repeated, "What happened?"

    "I tried..." Leandra said between sobs. "I tried reviving him, but I couldn''t. I really tried..."

    Blood could be seen drizzling down her nose, but she didn''t seem to care.

    "How did this even happen...?" Ravenna muttered, still in shock.

    Scanning Lucivar''s dead body closer, she realized that there were no visible, fatal wounds.

    It made her frown¡ªwhatever killed Lucivar must be something from within.

    Just then, Ravenna noticed faint, yellow cracks along Lucivar''s body.

    She reached her hand to feel the cracks and realized that it was some sort of energy, a powerful one.

    ''Caldaros...?'' Ravenna questioned grimly.

    ...

    Meanwhile, within the red desert dominion.

    Lucivar couldn''t count the number of days he was stuck in this hellish training due to the endless sun.

    So instead, he counted the number of deaths.

    Right now, Lucivar was on death number 68.

    He thought that out of the three sections of the training, the last one would be the easiest, but it turned out to be the hardest. Lucivar only needed to walk across the desert while being chased by slow mummies, but he never seemed to reach his destination.

    An endless desert with no end in sight.

    However, worse of all was that whenever he died from exhaustion or was killed, he was sent back to the start.

    Every time he did, he could only scream and shout in frustration.

    It was true that his stamina had drastically improved over time¡ªnow he was able to at least walk for two hundred miles across the unforgiving red desert, enduring blistering heat and occasional relentless sandstorms.

    He now has four times the stamina of his initial attempts, yet still, it wasn''t fast enough.

    Not fast enough to his liking.

    As opposed to working on his stamina, this was more like testing his mental resilience.

    Sutekh increased his individual prowess a lot, more than Loki, but He really makes Lucivar work for it.

    ''I can do this, I can do this...''

    Lucivar crawled through the sand, his palms peeling and bloodied.

    He kept dragging his body forward despite it screaming for him to stop.

    Graah!

    Behind him, a few mummies were slowly closing the distance, reaching out their lethal hands that could tear or even cause Lucivar''s body to explode with a single touch. Despite tasting death countless times already, the sensation never settled on him.

    Lucivar still hated it, and he would never get used to it, or at least, he didn''t want to get used to it.

    Pain is still something he loathed.

    Soon, the world suddenly became heavenly when she heard a voice in the distance.

    "Oh, would you look at that, you''re finally here."

    Despite the bratty, insufferable tone, which undeniably pointed at none other than Sha¡ªLucivar felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him. His weary body, burned and strained, responded with the heavenly sensation of basking in divine elevation.

    Sha''s voice was surreal¡ªit was celestial, the one sound he had desperately longed to hear.

    Raising his gaze weakly, Lucivar peered ahead through a blurry vision and saw Sha waiting ahead.

    A few mummies stood in rigid silence, their ancient bandages fluttering as they fanned Sha with massive ceremonial fans. Seated on an ornate carpet woven with shifting golden hieroglyphs, Sha lounged with relative ease, basking in the eerie, rhythmic breeze of the undead''s service.

    Unlike him, who was suffering, Sha was being pampered and having the time of her life.

    Frankly speaking, Lucivar didn''t care.

    He laughed to himself, finally reaching the end.

    However, his laughter ceased instantly when a sudden purple beam shot from the sky.

    Boom!

    Lucivar''s eyes widened, his vision that was mainly dominated by the hues of the red sun and desert was suddenly dyed by an unnatural violet. Then, a surge of invigorating energy seeped into his skin, lifting him from the crimson sands and pulling him toward the sky.

    For a fleeting moment, confusion gripped him.

    ''What''s happening?''

    Once his mind was cleared, he noticed the familiar pulse of the purple energy.

    He has sensed this purple energy before.

    ''Leandra...?''

    Blinking his eyes in shock, realizing that this was Leandra''s doing, Lucivar immediately retaliated¡ªhe desperately tried to break free from the violet energy''s grasp, "No, no, no! I was so fucking close! It is right there! Sha is right fucking there!!"

    Clearly, Leandra has found his body and did something.

    No matter how much Lucivar tried, however, he couldn''t break free in his current condition.

    "Release me!" Lucivar shouted. "Leandra, you dumb girl! I''m not dead!"

    Upon seeing him being pulled away, Sha stood up and frowned.

    "For her to breach and touch the red desert''s dominion... her Star Witch bloodline is far from ordinary," Sha murmured. But then, her divine energy surged around her, setting the crimson sands into motion. They spiraled in her orbit before, with a mere flick of her will, shot toward Lucivar.

    Like a storm of scarlet blades, the crimson sands quickly reached Lucivar and struck the purple energy.

    Splash!

    A massive impact force exploded as the crimson sands devoured Leandra''s purple energy.

    Lucivar was stunned for a second before he realized that he was falling.

    Once the purple energy was gone, there was nothing holding him afloat again.

    His body was spinning, and the height from which he was falling was greatly concerning.

    Not even a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid would be able to survive this fall.

    Recalling that he was an Angel Hybrid, he tried to unfurl them, but he couldn''t.

    No matter how hard he tried, his wings refused to emerge¡ªhis exhaustion from crossing the red desert ran too deep to summon them properly. As the wind howled past him, rushing against his skin as he fell from the clouds, his gaze darted to Sha.

    She was his only hope.

    ''She''s going to catch me... right?'' He thought dubiously. ''She can control those crimson sands so she will catch me, right?!''

    Despite his attempt to convince himself that Sha was going to help, reality proved otherwise.

    Instead of catching him, Sha turned around to sit down once again.

    Then, she even dared to shoot a playful grin towards him¡ªknowing exactly what Lucivar was thinking.

    "Fuck..."

    CRASH!

    Lucivar slammed to the ground hard, and the world instantly turned black.

    Once he regained consciousness, he instantly opened his eyes and sucked in deep breaths like a fish on land. He reached for his body with his hands and found that it was intact, but the wounds and exhaustion were gone.

    He was back to full vigor.

    It was supposed to be a good thing, but Lucivar''s face was drained of all color.

    Slowly, he turned to look over his shoulders and saw the familiar structure behind him.

    At that moment, his breath was caught in his throat.

    Despite not feeling any pain at all, he clearly died from the fall.

    And now, he was back to square one again.

 Chapter 245 245: Worth It

    Lucivar stood motionless in the middle of the red desert.

    His shoulders slumped down, arms and legs hung like a broken marionette.

    For a moment, he stood there, face staring at the stone structure behind him while his mind desperately tried to deny what had just happened. Then, once the reality settled in¡ªthe fact that he died when he was a few steps away from the finish line, a bitter laugh bubbled from his throat.

    "Perfect... Perfect! Exactly what I needed!" He sarcastically shouted. "What else would I want other than starting over when the finish line, Sha was right in front of my eyes. Why would I want to get out of this damn desert when I was stuck here for years?"

    Then, the mummies started clawing their way out of the sand a few paces away.

    Seeing these mummies, Lucivar instantly threw his arms and legs out dramatically.

    "Starting over again! Nobody wanted to leave this heavenly and sacred desert, of course!"

    Frustration boiled over, and he lashed out¡ªkicking the sand, sending clouds of it flying, punching at it as if sheer force could make it understand his rage. Then, like a man possessed, he turned and swung his fist at the nearest solid thing¡ªthe stone wall behind him.

    A sickening dull sound echoed through the desert.

    Lucivar froze, his entire body stiffening as pain shot up his arm like wildfire.

    His fingers twitched, and his knuckles screamed in agony.

    "Ow¡ª" He fell to his knees and cradled his throbbing fist, hissing between clenched teeth and hunched over. "Leandra, you stupid idiot. I''m not dead! How the fuck did you even have the ability to resurrect me? Do you think you''re helping with this?"

    On the other hand, the mummies, having fully emerged, merely tilted their heads in eerie silence.

    All of them silently judged Lucivar''s life choices.

    A long moment later.

    It was slow, painful, and mentally taxing, but Lucivar was finally able to make his last pull and reached Sha for the second time. At this point, he wasn''t walking anymore. He was crawling like a lizard, every exhausted pull strained his muscles to the edge of tearing apart.

    Looking at his pathetic form, Sha ate a grape and shook her head.

    "You know, you could''ve summoned Zibbo to help you." She commented nonchalantly.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar raised his gaze in shock.

    He wanted to curse Sha for not telling him¡ªbut he had no strength for anger, all he could do was bury his face back into the scorching sand and sigh. "I don''t care at this point. I''m just glad this was going to be over. Take me back, please."

    Lucivar can''t stand being in this desert any longer.

    All he wanted was a long shower, a deep slumber, and do nothing for months.

    Perhaps, he''d ask Nerissa to take him to eat all kinds of cake and ice cream.

    Something cold, something that doesn''t resemble this crimson desert.

    Sha smirked, taking pleasure in seeing Lucivar barely able to survive this foundation training.

    The Anvil of Sutekh¡ªa training to forge the body into steel.

    Raising her paw, Sha channeled her power and enveloped Lucivar with it¡ªhealing him from all of his wounds and restoring his stamina. Once Lucivar stood back up again, she summoned the Stone Tablet of Physique to show him something.

    "Look at the growth you gained from this," Sha said, nudging her chin at the tablet.

    Lucivar turned to look at the tablet and saw a change in the physique assessment section.

    ''Physique Assessment: Sphinx-tier (Mid)''

    "Now, your physique is as strong as a first-star Chrysalis rank Hybrid," Sha continued, giving Lucivar an approval nod as it was commendable for him to complete the Anvil of Sutekh in under five years in this dominion. "Raw strength without the enhancement from your ether."

    As soon as Lucivar heard that, he traced his eyes down to look at his body.

    Just as Sha stated, he had gotten stronger.

    Lucivar flexed his muscles a couple of times and could feel the raging power within them.

    It was akin to him being able to crush a mountain with his bare hands.

    Glancing to the side, Lucivar took a couple of steps forward before he cocked his fist and threw a punch.

    Swoosh!

    A forceful gush of wind blew out¡ªknocking a few mummies that were limping towards him, and also exploded the dune ahead. No ether was imbued in that punch, the forceful gush was nothing, but wind that his punch blew.

    Realizing how much stronger, a devious smirk crept to his lips.

    In an instant, Lucivar dashed forward.

    His speed was incredibly fast, covering thirty meters in a flash before he attacked the mummies.

    Bam!

    Lucivar''s pupils flickered with excitement as he watched his fist punching through the mummy''s guts, shattering multiple bones before sending it crashing away. A delighted chuckle escaped his mouth, the sensation of having a strong physique was wonderful.

    Strengthening his core, he swept the next mummy''s legs and punched it while it was still mid-air.

    Next, Lucivar spun his body like a tornado and kicked another mummy¡ªblowing its head right off.

    As he landed on his feet, both his eyes darted left and right before he moved again.

    Like thunder, the impact from his punch was deafening and destructive.

    Five more mummies were destroyed, turning back into red sand and being blown away by the wind.

    All of that happened at a time it took for someone to blink.

    Once the mummies were all killed, Lucivar straightened his back.

    Then, his shoulders rose and dropped as he began to laugh¡ªa perverted excitement for his growth.

    "I''m already this strong physically when I''m not even using my ether?" He mused humorously.

    Even though he had spent countless moments cursing the brutal training, calling it absurdly harsh as it also tested his mind, he now realized it had all been worth it. There were times¡ªfar too many, when he wanted to quit, yet he pushed forward, stubbornly enduring every grueling year in the red desert.

    And now, his perseverance was repaid.

    It was all worth it.

    "Just how strong will my attack be with God strands involved...?" Lucivar wondered.

    In any case¡ªhe was sure that even Caldaros wouldn''t be able to be unscathed if he were to be punched by Lucivar right now. Glancing over his shoulders, Lucivar smiled, "Picking Sutekh''s divine merit was the right choice, I can make use of this. Are you fine with this? I would be helping Loki with this power."

    "Don''t talk about that, I don''t want to hear it." Sha averted her gaze.

    She knew that defeating Caldaros would benefit Loki the most, but it seemed she could tolerate it.

    "Off you go, then."

    Sha tapped the ground with her paw, and in the next instant, Lucivar was teleported away.

    ...

    ''I''m sure of it, this must be Caldaros'' doings. What did he do...?'' Ravenna''s expression soured.

    Despite being a Vampire Hybrid, Caldaros was known to have a peculiar golden glow to his ether rather than the normal crimson color. So these yellow cracks along Lucivar''s body, it must have something to do with him.

    But still, regardless of that, Ravenna was still dubious.

    Lucivar would not die silently like this.

    Had he really been in great danger, he wouldn''t have hesitated to scream for the others.

    Surely, there was something more about this situation.

    "Let''s hide his body for the time being and wait for the others to finish their battles," Ravenna instructed as she looked around, worried that there was more than one Chrysalis-rank Hybrid among the thugs. It would be troublesome if there really was more.

    Defending Lucivar''s body while going against a Hybrid that strong would be too difficult.

    So it''s best for them to go to a more secluded place.

    Despite her heartbreak, Leandra wiped her tears and nodded.

    Moments later.

    Leandra placed Lucivar''s body behind a stall, the two hid there while waiting for the others to finish.

    Instead of lingering, Ravenna went to check on the others.

    She maintained her composure despite the circumstance, but Leandra could tell Lucivar''s condition was having an effect on her. She was leaving to check on the others, not out of indifference, but because she couldn''t bear to see him like this¡ªso weak, so unlike the strong and wicked he had always been.

    For the next five minutes, Leandra stayed there, hunched down with her head against Lucivar''s chest.

    And for each agonizing second, she wanted to hear a heartbeat.

    Hoping that Lucivar could somehow come to life, but each second that passed always disappointed her.

    Until one second, she suddenly sensed movement.

    Leandra raised her head and looked down at Lucivar''s corpse¡ªboth her eyebrows were arched into a frown. She felt something move against her arms, it felt real, but she was uncertain whether it was real or only her imagination.

    Hesitantly, she reached her hand and placed it over Lucivar''s chest.

    It was then that she gasped.

    "I-I''m not dreaming?!" She mused in shock as she felt a weak but steady heartbeat.

    Just then, as if a miracle had descended, Leandra watched in shock as color returned to Lucivar''s skin, life surging back into him rapidly. His heartbeat grew strong and steady once more, and within moments, his eyelids fluttered slightly.

    Seeing him waking up, Leandra covered her mouth.

    She didn''t know how Lucivar got into this state and how he returned to life, but she didn''t care.

    All she cared about was that he was now coming back.

    Lucivar opened his eyes slowly and blinked several times, adjusting his eyes to the surroundings.

    Then, he came to realize that he had returned¡ªthe bitter taste of death still lingering in his mind.

    But the moment Lucivar''s eyes opened and the first thing he saw was Leandra''s tear-streaked face, something in him snapped. Without thinking, he sprang up, seizing her by the neck with a burning fury that burned deep.

    In a blur of motion, he slammed her against the wall, pinning her there as the memories flooded back.

    She was the reason he was stuck for a couple more months in the red desert.

    All because she tried to revive him somehow.

    Rage twisted in his expression as he tightened his grip, his patience long since worn thin.

    "Who told you to revive me? I have it under control." Lucivar whispered hauntingly.

    He didn''t care that Leandra was shocked¡ªand confused by his reaction, all he cared about was venting and letting out some steam onto her. Although it was all worth it, the additional couple of months of torture were not warranted.

    Just then, instead of being angry back, Leandra put on a relieved smile.

    She reached out her arms and pulled Lucivar close, hugging him.

    "I''m so glad..." Leandra muttered through a tight throat. "I''m so happy that you''re alive..."

 Chapter 246 246: Preparation Complete

    Lucivar remained silent for a while, staring at the wall as Leandra embraced him tightly.

    She wept and cried, unlike her usual cold self.

    Blinking and recovering from his daze, Lucivar shoved Leandra away, sending her to the ground. Then, he looked down at her, irritation clearly etched across his face, "Quit crying, you piece of shit. Do you think I want to wake up to you bawling like a damn baby? Is that supposed to make me happy?"

    Leandra was stunned for a second, looking up at him in confusion.

    "If anything, this only shows how little you view me." Lucivar scoffed. "You really think I''d die easily?"

    In a rushed manner, Leandra wiped her tears and stood.

    She could only smile acutely inside¡ªit was so like Lucivar to take this as an insult.

    Instead of seeing that losing him was devastating for Leandra, he took this as an insult to his strength.

    Before Leandra could say anything, Lucivar had already turned away, "How long have I been out?"

    "Ekhm..." Leandra cleared her throat and answered. "About ten minutes, not that long."

    "Is it over?" Lucivar asked again.

    "No," Leandra shook her head, glancing in a certain direction where Ravenna went earlier to check on the others. "I''m quite sure there''s only a handful left and the strongest one, a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, is still being handled by Bob."

    "Bob is a Chrysalis rank?" Lucivar frowned. "What has he been doing? Do you know?"

    "I think you should ask Ravenna or Bob directly if you want to know." Leandra shrugged.

    Nobody was close with Bob, the only ones close enough were Ravenna and Darwin, since those two were the earliest to be taken in by Tobias and also the older ones. As for the rest, Bob was the only person who lingered in the background.

    "Tch!" Lucivar clicked his tongue and dashed away. "Let''s go."

    From behind, Leandra watched his back going further away.

    ''I want to know what happened earlier...'' She bit her lower lip. ''How can he revive like that?''

    It took a moment for Lucivar and Leanndra to find the others.

    Nerissa, Bakar, Mirel, and even Ravenna were cornering who seemed to be the last thug, a mutant.

    A mutated Goblin Hybrid with dark skin.

    Crash!

    Bakar threw a hard punch but missed, shattering a wooden stall as well as cracking the ground.

    Then, a whip of water hacked the mutant Goblin Hybrid from below, lashing onto its face as it dodged Bakar''s attack. In the next second¡ªbefore the mutant Goblin Hybrid could recover, a yellow lightning shockwave struck it and sent it stumbling backwards.

    Despite the vicious attacks, the mutant Goblin Hybrid was still standing.

    Its body was hard as a rock, but there was no chance that it could win against his opponents now.

    Raising his gaze, the mutant Goblin Hybrid''s face turned devious.

    His eyes burned with fury, his ether swirled in a rampage¡ªand his body swelled even further.

    "My patience has its limit and it has reached it," the mutated Goblin Hybrid said. "I''ve had enough."

    Despite the threatening aura, the others weren''t afraid.

    "Ravenna." Mirel glanced at her and nodded.

    Since their attacks were barely causing any damage, it was Ravenna''s turn.

    She has the strongest attacking power out of them all.

    Ravenna doesn''t seem to have all her mind in this moment, it took her a second before reacting to what Mirel said, and she bent her knees a little. She was about to strike, but stopped when a figure appeared out of nowhere and tackled the mutant Goblin Hybrid.

    "This one is mine!" Lucivar declared.

    Seeing this, the others, especially Ravenna, were stunned.

    "Where did he come from?" Mirel scratched the back of his head.

    "I don''t think there''s going to be a problem if it''s Lucivar." Bakar shrugged nonchalantly.

    "Right..." Nerissa smiled helplessly.

    Mirel was slightly annoyed that Lucivar took the mutated Goblin Hybrid when it was a great sparring partner, while Nerissa¡ªand Bakar were not complaining since this whole thing was surely orchestrated by Lucivar, and they already benefitted from it enough.

    On the other hand, Ravenna froze.

    Her chest tightened as she stared at where Lucivar crashed¡ªalive.

    No words escaped her lips, no audible sigh of relief, yet the tension in her shoulders unraveled.

    She might have looked fine, but the stress weighed heavily on her, and due to that, her Predator Oculus wavered, her attunement to those she marked slipping, which was why Lucivar''s sudden appearance¡ªstill caught her off guard.

    Even the tightness in her chest, the pressure she hadn''t even realized she was holding, finally eased.

    ''Right... As expected.'' Ravenna thought and smiled lightly.

    Ravenna didn''t believe Lucivar was dead like that, but still, waiting for him to come back was unnerving.

    It was a huge relief to see him fine and alive.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar kept going, destroying multiple stalls along the way.

    Once he reached quite far from the others, a great distance away, he abruptly shoved the mutant Goblin Hybrid¡ªZibbo. Stumbling but quickly regaining his footing, Zibbo spun around, ready to lash out, only to freeze the moment he recognized who had tackled him.

    "L- Lord?!" Zibbo exclaimed.

    "Did you forget what I said?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow. "I told you to leave once you''re done."

    "I was running, but that bastard, the one with yellow lightning, was fast enough to catch up to me. I didn''t even fight back, but three others came and attacked me," Zibbo protested, his chest still heaving up and down rampantly. "If anything, I did well for not attacking them back."

    "Huh..." Lucivar shook his head. "I guess you are Sutekh''s Vestal. And for that, I know you won''t be able to calm down without venting your anger out, so why don''t you move on your own against your own gang? Destroy them, but only attack when you have the upper hand and can''t lose."

    "You mean attack the smaller bases?" Zibbo raised a brow, but then he smiled.

    He didn''t need Lucivar to answer as his mind was already anticipating doing exactly that.

    "Go now," Lucivar waved his hand and turned around. "I''ll call you when I need you."

    "Oh, right..." Just as he was a few steps away, he stopped¡ªand turned to look at Zibbo once again, "If you''re slacking, not doing what I want, I will know. And best anticipate the punishment I''d give, a visit to Hell again perhaps."

    Almost instantly, Zibbo''s expression tensed.

    His mind was thrown back to when he was first turned into a Vestal, and he dreaded that time.

    It was excruciatingly painful.

    Moments later.

    As expected, the Hybrid Association came in cars full of Hybrids and swarmed the night market.

    Lucivar and the others were questioned about the incident, but they answered without much problem, explaining to the officers that a group of rogue Hybrids had launched a blind massacre out of nowhere at the night market, slaughtering everyone in sight.

    Fortunately, they had managed to take them down.

    "Good, I don''t think Ciri lingered around and caused problems for me." Lucivar nodded.

    As planned, he got away with the murder of the thugs as well as some innocent people who were left behind.

    None of the officers were suspicious of him, and that''s good.

    It was all thanks to the Morality Constellation.

    Rudy''s morality was twisted into a hostile and reckless one, forcing him to tell his people to attack the night market. Lucivar didn''t know exactly how the Morality Constellation worked but judging from how it influenced Leandra, he could assume that it reacted to what he was feeling inside.

    Inside, he was blazing with fury, all because of Caldaros.

    Having to live a thousand lives of Loki''s previous avatars made him seethe inside.

    And with that, the Morality Constellation twisted others'' morality according to his current emotion.

    In Rudy''s case, it turned his composure to blind anger.

    Based on Zibbo, Rudy was a calculated person, and he relied heavily on that to rise in the ranks of the gang, being known to be the most level-headed one. But that was thrown out of the window, all due to the Morality Constellation.

    Now, Rudy was dead, killed by Bob while his men were killed by the others.

    Since their stories were consistent, and Bob, being a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, they were let go.

    Lucivar peered into his Inner Chamber and smiled at the piles of spheres.

    Piles of emerald, gold, and bronze¡ªwaiting for him to absorb,

    "It''s a shame that I couldn''t kill that Chrysalis-rank leader and also more of the people," Lucivar mused as he turned to the survivors whom healers now treated. "But I suppose this is enough for now. I can safely reach the Chrysalis rank with this."

    "Everyone got stronger..."

    Suddenly, a voice rang from behind.

    Lucivar didn''t need to turn to know who it was¡ªRavenna.

    "Hmm... that''s good." Lucivar answered and turned around, meeting her gaze.

    Ravenna paused for a second before she opened her mouth again, "So do you... You got a lot stronger."

    "Are you angry that I made the others stronger, not only you?" He asked.

    Considering their deal, it was unfair for Ravenna that Lucivar was making the others stronger too. Not fair since she needed to make an attempt to get close to Lucivar while the others didn''t, and if she was really angry, Lucivar wouldn''t find it unreasonable.

    "I''ll sleep with you until the tournament starts, how about that?" Lucivar suggested.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna smiled a little in acknowledgment.

    "What happened to you earlier?" She suddenly asked, recalling his death.

    Of course, this question didn''t surprise Lucivar.

    It was quite bizarre that he was clinically dead earlier with no heartbeat for the sake of getting stronger.

    "Did I worry you?" Lucivar smiled¡ªand scratched the back of his head. He then approached, walking slowly towards Ravenna, and stopped right beside her. "Something about my bloodline, you don''t have to worry. All you should know is that I''m now stronger than ever."

    Crack!

    Ravenna''s eyes shot open when the ground underneath them suddenly cracked.

    Once he did that, Lucivar walked away, leaving Ravenna stunned in place.

    "What is that...?" She mumbled, eyes wide in absolute shock. Slowly, she glanced over to the side and found a small crater there where Lucivar had stood earlier. "He didn''t move a muscle, and he didn''t even use any ether, so how... how did he crack the ground? It''s not an attribute either, he hasn''t reached the Chrysalis rank."

    Steps away, Lucivar smiled cheekily.

    He knew that Ravenna was surprised and confused right now.

    ''My body is so much stronger now. I also retained a sliver of the red sand''s aura, Duat''s aura. A simple flex from my muscles could produce energy, one that no Hybrids could sense...'' Lucivar chuckled inside, this is going to surprise Caldaros for certain. ''I''m looking forward to fighting you, Caldaros.''

 Chapter 247 247: The Shadow and the Victim (1)

    Once the group was cleared, the Hybrid Association took over the night market incident.

    Having their own driver awaiting to bring them back to the academy, the group declined the offer from the Hybrid Association to be escorted back. Most of them were already in the car, but they realized that Bob was still missing.

    He was talking with the officers earlier and then disappeared, nobody saw him leave.

    Naturally, the others waited for them.

    Bakar, who sat at the back and gazed out the window vacantly, suddenly saw a figure in the shadows.

    It made him snap out of his trance, and he soon realized that it was Bob.

    Bob seemed to be calling for him.

    Out of instinct, he turned to the car ahead where Nerissa was.

    ''Did Bob also call for her?'' Bakar thought but shrugged and stepped out of the car again.

    Once he was out and closed the car door after excusing himself to the driver and Mirel, almost in sync, Nerissa also came out of her car. Both of their gazes met, and instantly, they nodded. From the looks of it, Bob wanted to talk with them first before leaving.

    Silently, the two walked side by side and headed to where Bob had peeked from earlier.

    Coursing through an alley and emerging on the other block, Bakar and Nerissa stopped to look around.

    Then, they saw Bob was sitting on a secluded bench.

    Exchanging another look again, Nerissa and Bakar approached and stood right behind him.

    Despite the bench being long enough for them all to sit down¡ªthey prefer to stand instead.

    "You call for us?" Bakar opened his mouth first and asked.

    Bob remained silent for a few seconds longer, letting Bakar''s words linger in the air before he raised his chin and nodded, "Do you see the truth now?" He started¡ªkeeping his eyes locked onto a passerby across the street. "Lucivar is the family''s lucky charm, that''s his role in the family. Master Tobias took him in because of that."

    Upon hearing this, Bakar and Nerissa nodded in understanding.

    Neither of them didn''t knew what Lucivar was going to do to help them, this is still an independent city.

    Strong Hybrids were everywhere, and one wrong move would bring their doom.

    But somehow, there was a gang that attacked the civilians blindly, which suddenly gave them the perfect alibi to commence any kind of horrid acts. Bakar surged with natural ether when the night market turned into a battlefield, while Nerissa also amassed a lot of natural ether for herself.

    ...

    "It''s alright, let it all out. Scream..." Nerissa whispered softly with her seraphic voice.

    She was kneeling on the ground, slowly helping the thug lie on the ground.

    From behind, it seemed like she was helping the thug, but she wasn''t¡ªthe sharp knife in her hand was deep inside the thug''s body, grazing against his beating heart. A soft, choked scream clawed its way out of the thug''s mouth, but it was barely above a whisper.

    "I''m sorry, I''m really sorry..." Nerissa shed a tear, her voice laced with deep sorrow.

    It was almost as if she was also feeling the pain the thug was feeling.

    Regardless of the fact that she was the one who caused the pain.

    "I really wished¡ªthings wouldn''t need to go this way. I really... really don''t want to do this," Nerissa sobbed, empathizing with the thug would only throw insults at her if he could still talk. "I know this is wrong but... I promise, I''ll always remember your choked scream to atone for what I did."

    Once the last words escaped her mouth, the knife stabbed through the heart and killed the thug instantly.

    Nerissa watched as the life slipped from the thug''s body through tearful eyes.

    Then, she wiped her tears right when another thug stood behind her with his hand-axe raised high.

    Before the thug could strike, a thin line of water hacked at his throat and moved like a serpent, piercing through his ligaments and crippling him in an instant. It took a few seconds¡ªbefore the thug fell to his knees with multiple holes across his arms and legs.

    None of the wounds was lethal, but they still left him paralyzed.

    As if the wounds were deliberate¡ªinflicted with surgical precision, not to kill, but the paralyze him.

    Not to kill him on the spot, but the render him helpless.

    Just then, the thug''s heart skipped a beat when Nerissa stood up and turned around.

    Her tear-stricken face, the blood smeared on her¡ªalong with the bloodied knife in her hand, etched an extremely haunting picture. In that moment, the thug regretted attacking Nerissa, thinking he could catch her off guard, and delivered a swift blow.

    "I''m sorry," She whispered hauntingly. "I''m really sorry for what I''m about to do."

    ...

    "Nerissa, he''s talking to you."

    Bakar whispered as he nudged Nerissa, who seemed to be in a daze.

    Blinking, Nerissa realized that she was swept in what had happened earlier and didn''t realize Bob was now talking to her. Clearing her throat, she quickly said, "D-Did you say something to me? I''m sorry, I was not feeling well."

    Instead of keeping his gaze straight, Bob glanced over his shoulder to look at her.

    His eyes were sharp and calculating.

    "I said, did you use this opportunity well?" He repeated.

    "Y-Yes," Nerissa nodded meekly while fidgeting with her fingers. "I did."

    "Master Tobias has always been soft on you, and I can see what effect it has on you, right now." Bob turned around again, shaking his head. "If you don''t make use of your opportunities well, forget about protecting anyone, you wouldn''t even be able to protect yourself. Like your previous family, one day, we might be attacked by the Shadow and you won''t be able to do anything about it."

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa clutched her fists hard to the point that they turned white.

    Just remembering about the Shadow made her body tremble.

    Bakar reached his hand and held her shoulder firmly, assuring her that it wouldn''t happen, that Bob was only saying that to motivate her, nothing else. But even so, the scar from her past was still imprinted in her mind.

    "Also, remember what Master Tobias said. When there''s an opportunity, there''s also a danger."

    Bob stood up from the bench and darted his eyes left and right, scanning the block.

    "What makes you say that? Did you sense anything?" Bakar asked with a frown.

    "I''m not sure..." Bob shook his head, his steps slow as he made his way back toward the alley. "Just a hunch. Lucivar was drawing in good fortune, and we reaped the benefits¡ªbut beneath it, I can sense a small ember. A faint ember of misfortune, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to ignite."

    "In any case, be careful," Bob added. "Come, let''s go back, the others are waiting."

    Despite the unsettling warning, Bakar pulled Nerissa and followed right behind.

    Once the three disappeared into the alley, the street light across the bench flickered a couple of times.

    It went on for a few seconds, then streams of light oozed out like liquid, spiraling around the head of the street light before coalescing into a squatting figure of pure luminescence. Slowly, the light solidified into a person clad in a student uniform¡ªCaldaros.

    "That fat guy is quite sharp, he''s as dangerous as Lucivar." He mumbled with a clear frown.

    Even though he was using his Godly power, Bob was still able to sense him, albeit barely.

    No one regular could do something even remotely close to that, especially not a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid.

    "I''ve been thinking that you must have friends, but turns out, you have a family," Caldaros smirked, and his eyes glistened with malice and wrath. "I clung to the hope that for once, you''d not use underhanded tactics¡ªand win against me fair and square, but who am I kidding? You touched Ciri... If it''s dirty war you want, then a dirty war you shall have."

    Caldaros'' eyes burned, his mind fixing on the blonde-haired woman with Bob earlier.

    Something that might start this dirty war for real.

    Nodding his head, he dashed away and landed on a rooftop, away from prying eyes.

    Ciri was there, cradled on the corner and pale.

    "Aunt Ciri," Caldaros called once he landed. "Is there anything else about tonight that I should know?"

    "No... I already told you everything that hap-" Ciri stopped mid-sentence, her eyes slightly widening.

    One thought came to mind.

    "So Ciri, what makes you think Sunna would not feel good? And if she felt good, doesn''t that mean your precious Caldaros, the mirror of her divine grace you said, would also feel good?"

    Lucivar''s words rang in her mind like a broken record.

    It made her pause for a second, but she quickly snapped out of it, refusing to entertain those words.

    "Aunty...?" Caldaros raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

    "Oh, yes!" Ciri put on a vibrant smile and nodded. "Don''t worry, I was only a little distraught. As for what I was saying, I already told you everything that happened. That devil couldn''t touch me, and from the looks of it, he didn''t find me intentionally."

    Upon hearing this, Caldaros nodded and approached.

    His expression softened as he knelt down and held Ciri''s shoulder gently, "I have something to do¡ªto get rid of that devil and make the world a better place. Aunty, can you go back on your own? Just be honest, I can take you back if you can''t."

    "My apartment is nearby. I can go back on my own." Ciri answered, still retaining her smile.

    Nodding his head, Caldaros walked to the edge of the rooftop.

    As he was about to leap away, Ciri called for him.

    "Caldaros..."

    "Yes, aunty?"

    Caldaros turned to look at her, the same soft smile playing on his lips.

    For a second there, Ciri paused, hesitant, undecided.

    Then, she shook her head, "Be careful."

    "I will." Caldaros nodded and disappeared, turning into traces of light.

    Once he was gone, Ciri could finally breathe easily again, "No way that kind boy would take pleasure in killing, even if the person he killed was that devil, who deserved to die. That devil was only trying to corrupt and sow doubt into my mind..."

    Meanwhile, on the other block.

    Bob, Bakar, and Nerissa came back together.

    Seeing that Bob was with them, Mirel didn''t ask questions as it must be a disciplinary thing.

    On the other hand, Nerissa stopped when she was about to open the car door.

    Then, she moved to the front door and knocked on the window.

    Lucivar rolled down the window and raised an eyebrow, "Why aren''t you getting inside, Nerissa?"

    "I was planning to take a night walk, to take some fresh air before going back," Nerissa smiled stiffly, which told Lucivar that she was lying almost instantly. "I was wondering if I could ask for some cash, I''d take the bus later."

    "Sure," Lucivar nodded and gave her some cash. "Be careful on your way back."

    Despite the others'' confusion, the cars finally left.

    Nerissa was left alone on the side of the street with the sirens ringing in the background.

    She then walked along the street in silence.

    Her feet moved aimlessly, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of a store¡ªa Cakery.

 Chapter 248 248: The Shadow and the Victim (2)

    The scent of warm bread and fruity flavour instantly greeted Nerissa once she stepped inside.

    It was empty, as expected, since it was already late in the night.

    From behind the counter, the staff smiled at her warmly and gestured toward the glass display case that showcased all kinds of meticulously crafted cakes. A little bit different than usual for Nerissa, the places in this city were all so grand, but the atmosphere was the same.

    She felt familiar, relaxed, and more importantly, it felt like home.

    "One fruitcake, please."

    "Right away, miss."

    "Is it possible to eat here? Or are those chairs and tables for waiting only?"

    "Of course, miss. Make yourself comfortable. I''ll bring your cake when it''s ready."

    "Thank you."

    Nerissa took a seat on a chair right beside the window facing the empty night street outside.

    Only the faint sounds of the staff preparing cakes echoed in the background, but to Nerissa, these sounds were beginning to pull away, distant, muffled¡ªas if the world itself was slipping away. A strange sense of detachment settled over her, numbing her senses.

    Then, her gaze drifted downward, to her hands¡ªstained with dried blood.

    A lingering reminder of what she had done.

    Nerissa clutched her hands hard, shaking away the dread inside of her.

    ''I''m okay, I''m okay...'' She repeated those words inside her mind¡ªlike a broken record. ''Nothing will happen to me. I''m going to be okay... He... The Shadow... He hadn''t realized what I had done. I am going to be okay.''

    "Here''s your cake, miss."

    Suddenly, Nerissa returned to reality as the staff placed a colorful cake in front of her.

    She then offered a pliant smile, "Please, enjoy it while it''s still cold."

    "Thank you." Nerissa replied without turning to look at the staff, focused on the colorful fruitcake.

    Naturally, the staff excused herself but stopped a few steps away.

    She hesitated for a moment, deliberating something before she eventually walked back to Nerissa with the same smile, "I apologize for disturbing your time, but are you one of the Hybrids who took care of the ruffians in the night market?"

    "Ah," Nerissa raised her gaze to meet the staff''s. "Yes, I stopped here before going back."

    "Speaking for the people living around here, I''m really thankful for your help." The staff bowed.

    Upon seeing this, Nerissa quickly shook her hands.

    It doesn''t feel right to accept gratitude when Lucivar was the one who caused it in the first place.

    "You don''t need to thank me, it''s my duty as a Hybrid." She answered.

    But even so, the staff still bowed and thanked her repeatedly.

    Considering that an attack on the night market¡ªwould dissuade people from coming to this part of the city, the staff was grateful that at least people would not be too scared to come since a group of Hybrids instantly handled the situation.

    For the staff, Nerissa helped the small businesses in the area, like this cakery, from bankruptcy.

    Hearing how genuinely grateful the staff was helped alleviate Nerissa''s heart a bit.

    At this moment, she allowed herself to forget about the past.

    Nothing bad will happen, the Shadow was nothing more than a being in the past, and he couldn''t hurt her.

    However, that moment of peace didn''t last long.

    "Like mother, like daughter¡ªyou seem to enjoy killing people too, don''t you?"

    Deg!

    Nerissa''s heart skipped a beat when an astral voice, one that she recognized almost instantly, seeped into her ears. Just hearing the voice alone froze her entire body, she was terrified. Slowly and stiffly, she raised her gaze and found the staff was now nothing like she was before.

    Now, her entire body was black¡ªno features and inhuman.

    Only her eyes remained¡ªone a striking blue, the other a milky white, as if blindness had claimed it.

    The Shadow.

    "Didn''t I warn you, little girl? Hurt or kill anyone, and I''ll be here..." It continued raspingly.

    Almost instantly, Nerissa blinked her eyes several times.

    It was then that the Shadow disappeared while the staff was already back to stand behind the counter.

    But even so, Nerissa''s entire body was already drenched in sweat, her eyes wide with fear.

    Her hands trembled violently, her body quaking as if on the verge of collapse. Swallowing hard, Nerissa hastily reached for the spoon, gripping it with unsteady fingers. With a shaky breath, she scooped a tiny piece of cake and placed it into her mouth.

    Only the sweetness of the cake could ease her, could help her forget about the Shadow and her past.

    However, the sweetness only lasted a couple of seconds.

    Nerissa needed to constantly put more cake into her mouth, scoop after scoop, becoming more and more frantic with each one she made to the point that the staff was looking at her worriedly. Then¡ªonce the spoon clanked hard against the plate, no more cake that could ease her fear, she suddenly stood.

    Without saying anything, she placed all the cash she had on the table and walked out hurriedly.

    Once outside, she immediately walked aimlessly.

    She trudged down the street and kept her head down, staring at the concrete ground.

    "I''m sorry... Please, I''m sorry... Please, I have no choice. I need to be stronger..."

    Along the way, she kept rambling apologies, as if saying them enough times might somehow make her feel better. But it didn''t. Occasionally, her rambling was disturbed as she yelped and stopped whenever she noticed, or felt like she noticed, a shadow appearing on her periphery.

    Her fear became worse knowing that someone was watching her right now.

    Despite her reluctance, Nerissa began humming, trying to blot out the world with her singing.

    But as she did that, a Shadow appeared in front of her.

    Nerissa''s breath hitched as she stared into the Shadow''s eyes¡ªher heart pounding hard inside her chest.

    "Sing more. That''s all you''re good to do, right? Singing to block the scream as your mother ki-"

    "Aaah~!"

    Not even waiting for the Shadow to finish its sentence, Nerissa screamed and ran, tears streaming down her face. The dark sky above rumbled, and within moments, rain poured down in torrents. But she did not stop. She ran blindly, heedless of her drenched clothes, the crackling thunder, or the slight ground beneath her feet¡ªuntil she almost slipped.

    She tried regaining balance, halting her sobs, but then, someone yanked her back by her hair.

    Roughly, Nerissa crashed hard onto the wet ground.

    From her wet, blurry vision, she saw the Shadow standing in front of her with malice.

    "Like I promised, I''d kill you." The Shadow said firmly, its hand raised.

    Around its hand, tendrils of shadow weaved in and out like a retractable knife, beaming with malice.

    Nerissa could only crawl back¡ªuntil she was backed against the corner, cradling her body as she spat out pleases and apologies. She was utterly terrified, with nowhere to go. Just then, her mind snapped as she let out a scream, calling for anyone to help.

    If she couldn''t rely on herself, then she could bet on anybody else.

    But that scream warranted a slap across her face and a kick to her stomach, shutting her up,

    Blood oozed out of the corner of Nerissa''s mouth as the Shadow dragged her by her golden, damp hair.

    Now that the Shadow already has its hand on her, there is no escape.

    Almost instantly, Nerissa''s willpower to escape or survive vanished.

    Even her cry stopped, her terror-stricken face replaced by a hollow one as she was dragged away.

    For Nerissa, this was it¡ªher death.

    In a brutal motion, the Shadow lifted her by her hair and placed her against the wall.

    "I''ll kill you the same way as I killed your mother. Be grateful, you will be united with her once again."

    "In Hell."

    Splash!

    Nerissa gasped, choking on a mouthful of blood as her chest got pierced by the Shadow. Her body hung limply against the wall, pinned like a shattered marionette¡ªwhile red streaks trailed gruesomely down the stone.

    On the other hand, the Shadow took a step back, admiring the haunting tableau in eerie silence.

    Everything was becoming darker¡ªthe blackness of death was drowning Nerissa''s vision.

    Coupled with the rain pouring down, she could barely see anything.

    Anything but the Shadow¡ªthat she could see vividly.

    She watched as the Shadow pulled its arm once again, preparing to deliver the final strike.

    Despite the approaching death, the approaching end, it was somewhat serene.

    Nerissa didn''t feel terrified anymore, she was at peace, and she accepted that this would be her end.

    ''I was not cut out for this life,'' She thought acutely.

    It had been a losing battle to survive, ever since the day her family was killed. Meeting Tobias sparked a flicker of hope, but it was never enough, it didn''t solve the problem. She needed to grow stronger, to survive, to not let the past repeat.

    But to do that, she had to walk a darker path¡ªfate gave her no other path to advance.

    Her bloodline demanded bad things.

    It craved the sound of screams, thrived on inflicting pain and misery.

    And if she did that, the Shadow would end her.

    So Nerissa knew that deep down, there was no other way for her than death.

    ''It lasted a lot longer than I thought,'' Nerissa smiled beautifully. ''But time is up for me.''

    Just as the Shadow was about to end her, it was hurled to the other side.

    Crash!

    At that moment, the blackness of death and the blur from her impaired vision brightened up and cleared.

    Music played in her ears as her heart fluttered in surprise.

    Nerissa''s eyes widened completely as time slowed down, the beads of water suspended mid-air as her eyes locked onto the person who came out of nowhere and knocked the Shadow away. Despite feeling surreal, it was real, this person really did knock the Shadow away.

    "L- Lucivar...?!" She yelped out the name.

    Glancing towards her, Lucivar cracked a small smile and got her down from the wall.

    Initially, Nerissa couldn''t believe that Lucivar was here since she saw it herself that he went back along with the others earlier. But as soon as the warmth from his hand touched her face, she was certain that this wasn''t her mind playing tricks on her.

    Lucivar was really here, and he saved her.

    "You should''ve talked to me if you''re having a problem," He said with an indifferent tone but it sounded gentle in Nerisisa''s ears. "Now, look at you. Sigh... wait here, I''ll handle this and then we can go back to the academy together."

    Pivoting away from the stunned Nerissa, Lucivar faced the other side of the alley.

    A figure was standing there, basking in brilliant light.

    "Don''t try to do bad things around me, it''s predictable," Lucivar said, smiling in mockery. "In case you forgot, I''m Loki''s avatar."

 Chapter 249 249: Shift in Power

    Moments earlier.

    Lucivar suddenly signaled the driver to stop the car and stepped out.

    Sitting on the backseat, Leandra rolled down the window and looked at him with an evident frown.

    "Nerissa..." She hesitated. "She''s as she is, but she''s a big girl. She can go home on her own."

    "Regardless," Lucivar closed the door. "I''m worried. Go on without me, I''ll check on her."

    Once he said that, Ravenna shot him a sharp look¡ªshe was promised to have him for the next couple of nights until the tournament starts, and she didn''t want her time to be taken like this. Lucivar held up a hand and smiled acutely, "It''ll not take long."

    Just like that, the car drove off, leaving Lucivar behind.

    Only when the car made a turn did Lucivar''s expression turn serious.

    ''I marked Ciri with the Soul Warden ability, a habit I picked up¡ªdue to its usefulness in tracking down people, but it was nullified.'' Lucivar glanced to his side, frowning. This wasn''t surprising, many could erase the mark if they were aware of it.

    But what troubled him was the exact location where it had been nullified.

    It was nearby.

    ''Ciri is not sharp enough to sense the mark, so it can only be one person...''

    Lucivar wasted no time and traced the street until he was back to where the drivers picked them up.

    He scanned the street and found that there was nothing that was still opened, most stores were already closed, probably due to the commotion from the night market. So he moved to the other street. Once he came out of the alley, it began to rain.

    For a second there, he let the rain drench him.

    It felt good to be wet since the blood from all his killings made him feel sticky and uncomfortable.

    Just then, his eyes landed on a single store that was still open, a cakery.

    Recalling that Nerissa did ask for money, Lucivar instantly went over to the cakery and stepped inside.

    Seeing yet another customer, the staff behind the counter was surprised, but Lucivar was not a customer.

    "Have you seen a girl with blonde hair, quite short and chubby around here?" He asked.

    "Eh?" The staff blinked a couple of times, seeing the smears and stains of blood across Lucivar''s clothes, and realized that he must be another Hybrid, perhaps Nerissa''s friend. "She left not too long ago in such a hurry. She doesn''t look well... She even dropped all her money on her table."

    "Where did she go?" Lucivar demanded.

    Having no reason to hide her, the staff pointed to her left, "She went that way."

    Lucivar nodded, he stepped outside and instantly ran to the side.

    Since he now has the Trust Constellation, he could tell that the staff was telling the truth.

    A moment later, he could hear faint groans through the sound of rain coming from the alley ahead.

    Lucivar rushed ahead, skidding a few meters as the rain-slicked ground betrayed his footing. Still, his gaze locked onto Nerissa, pinned against the wall by a lance of radiant golden light, sunlight. His eyes narrowed instantly as he turned toward the one responsible.

    It was Caldaros.

    Once he shoulder-charged Caldaros out of the way, he helped Nerissa, but had questions in his mind.

    Even though Caldaros was strong, Nerissa didn''t fight back.

    She could''ve run to a more crowded area or even back to the cakery, that way, Caldaros wouldn''t dare to do something like this, but she didn''t. Instead, she ran to a secluded alley where no one was around, a perfect spot for killing.

    Clearly, Nerissa was having some issues¡ªher face showed that clearly.

    But those questions could wait.

    "I must say, I''m quite impressed," Lucivar nodded in acknowledgment as he stared at Caldaros, praising his attempt. "Attacking her right when I attacked Ciri, that''s hard to predict, and frankly, I dare say that it was quite commendable. But you should stay in your lane. Don''t step into a territory where you knew you can''t beat me."

    "Is that a hint of worry I hear behind your bravado?" Caldaros straightened his back and smirked.

    From the moment the Gods behind them made a deal, he knew that Lucivar and he were different.

    Different compared to the previous avatars.

    But he couldn''t believe that Lucivar was different for the worse, he was... softer, more human.

    "Your God''s avatars only bonded with animals, rabbits, snakes, birds, and that made them easy to kill, easy to defeat." Caldaros mocked as a golden spear of sunlight materialized in his hand. "You... On the other hand, you bonded with humans? People? I can assure you¡ªthat''s a grave mistake."

    Lucivar tilted his head, "You''re mistaken, I don''t care about her."

    Swish!

    Instead of responding with words, Caldaros instantly threw his spear straight at Nerissa.

    But Lucivar blocked it using his wings.

    Seeing this made Caldaros laugh hard, "From the way I see it, you very much care about her!"

    He threw more weapons, varying from spears, knives, swords, and hurled them all forward, but Lucivar blocked them all without fail. As he continued, he was mocking Lucivar for his resolve, failing to truly embrace the dark side and becoming a half-assed devil.

    One that still cares for others, one that still has a weakness.

    "Move out of the way then! If you''re the big bad avatar, move and show me your resolve to the evil side!"

    Caldaros kept laughing, even the rain couldn''t blot out his voice completely.

    ''Shut up.'' Lucivar thought inside, annoyed by Caldaros'' words. ''Delilah is the one I cared about. I''ve clung to her so that I wouldn''t turn into a monster. If I became a monster, that beats the whole purpose of being evil. In order to be evil, I need to understand what my actions would do.''

    ''He doesn''t understand. A lot of monsters out there, in this world¡ªor across the dungeon, but none of them were favored by the fortune of Karma. Why? It''s because they kill and cause chaos without understanding fully what they really did, and that''s not... evil. That only made them a monster.''

    Splash!

    Just as another sword pierced through his wings, a haunting melody echoed.

    Nerissa sang from behind¡ªshe had already recovered from her daze and past and realized that Lucivar was now being bullied, and she couldn''t have it. Her blue eyes gleamed brightly with ether¡ªtwo sapphires that stood out against the dull backdrop of the suburb.

    Her ether rushed forward, blue energy that latched onto Caldaros'' body.

    "Hmm?!" Caldaros'' eyes widened when he felt his body become ten times heavier. "What''s this?"

    Crack!

    Ignoring his surprise, Nerissa''s voice raised an octave higher and slammed Caldaros to the ground.

    "Her bloodline is as strong as a Vampire!" Caldaros exclaimed.

    On the other hand, Lucivar glanced over his shoulder to look at her in surprise¡ªthe ether radiating from her was as strong as his or perhaps even touching the Chrysalis rank. ''An innate ability... This must be the power from the name bloodline inside her, the Siren Queen!''

    Noticing Nerissa''s nod, Lucivar snapped out of his daze and turned to Caldaros with a smile.

    Grounding himself better with ether, he charged forward with a powerful dash.

    His muscles contracted and summoned power that was never there before his visit to the red sand.

    Swoosh!

    Before Caldaros could react, a knee landed squarely against his face.

    It was a hard one, and he could even feel his teeth waver.

    ''What the-?'' Caldaros was disoriented, the hit rattled his brain. ''His knee felt like a rock!''

    Once he recovered from the hit, his eyes instantly saw emerald chains wrapping around his body, adding another layer of power to pin him down. In front of him, Lucivar had already pulled back his arm and used ten God strands to enhance his fist.

    Despite exhausting his God strands from the night market incident, he had already replenished them.

    Leandra and Ravenna are excellent sources to replenish his God strands.

    Both of them knew what he did, but they didn''t say anything.

    Due to that, replenishing God strands has become a second nature for Lucivar¡ªhe did it automatically.

    Caldaros, however, wasn''t a pushover.

    Boom!

    A blinding surge of sunlight erupted from his body, shattering Nerissa''s melody and disintegrating the emerald chains constricting him. Then, without hesitation, he also threw a punch of his own, his massive fist colliding with Lucivar''s in a thunderous impact in the middle.

    Bam!!

    Despite putting everything he had, Lucivar was hurled back.

    His body rolled across the alley until Nerissa caught him.

    "Fuck, that damn hurts..." Lucivar complained, his shoulder was dislocated from that clash.

    On the other hand, Caldaros was stunned.

    As expected, his punch sent Lucivar flying, but what he didn''t expect was the fact that the impact was able to actually make him stagger back a few steps. He needed a second to regain his footing, which was shocking.

    Compared to their previous clash in Kalinan city, where Caldaros dominated, this was unbelievable.

    Caldaros wasn''t prepared for this shift in power.

    For Lucivar to be able to push him like this meant his growth was a lot faster.

    ''Was it the rain...?'' Caldaros thought in disbelief. ''It must be, the ground was slippery, I must''ve simply slipped¡ªthere was no way he was catching up to me. Not when the disparity between us was that big, there''s no chance!''

    Under the shocking situation, Caldaros'' mind tried desperately to make sense of it all.

    However, deep down, he knew the truth.

    "How was it? Am I still a coward, now?" Lucivar''s voice echoed. "Afraid of a real fight?"

    Blinking his eyes, Caldaros gritted his teeth.

    He was fuming inside, and the golden light around him was growing more intense by the second.

    And that was the cue that Lucivar had succeeded.

    ''Let him worry... It''s time for him to get off his high horse and feel worried about our final battle,'' He thought, smiling inside. It wasn''t as planned¡ªbut this was a good development for him. ''Now... Since he''s already starting to become serious, there''s only one thing for me to do.''

    Not even waiting for Caldaros to respond, Lucivar grabbed Nerissa''s hand and sprinted to leave.

    "Someone, help!! There''s another thug right here!!" Lucivar shouted at the top of his lungs.

    Since the Hybrid Association was nearby, one of them might hear his scream.

    Caldaros ground his teeth in anger at Lucivar''s shamelessness.

    He was deeply frustrated as he had made a mistake by coming here, but he couldn''t do anything.

    "The tournament will be your demise, Lucivar!" Caldaros roared.

    Once he gave his final say, his body turned into sunlight and he shot to the sky, disappearing for good.

    Seeing this, Lucivar stopped shouting and smirked.

    A glaze of an idea flickered in his eyes as he gazed into the night, starry sky.

    ''Hey, Fool, I have an idea. And I''m sure you''re going to like it. How about it? Are you interested?''

 Chapter 250 250: Link to a New God

    Lucivar''s gaze lingered at the particular spot of the night sky where Caldaros disappeared to.

    He thought of an idea¡ªone he was almost proud of. The fact that he even managed to think of it in the first place was impressive enough, and he wasted no time conveying it to the Fool inside his head. Even now, the Fool''s trick is single-handedly the strongest ability that he has.

    It would be a waste not to use it against Caldaros.

    ''How about it, are you interested?'' Lucivar asked inside even though he already knew the answer.

    As expected, the Fool chuckled eerily.

    Her chuckle lasted long and even turned high-pitched in the end, showcasing her great approval.

    Loki''s mischief has always been self-serving, and the idea Lucivar came up with was the ultimate self-serving thing he ever thought of. There was no actual benefit, nothing tangible that he would gain other than his own amusement.

    But even then, the anticipation he was feeling¡ªit was more intense than even killing Caldaros.

    "Is it possible?" Lucivar asked whisperingly.

    Gandr crept to his shoulder and hissed, "Yes, you are at the Second Divine Elevation. It''s possible."

    "As long as Caldaros is not at the Third Divine Elevation?" He raised an eyebrow.

    "Yes," Gandr nodded. "If he''s at the Second Divine Elevation, your chances are fifty percent, and if he was still at the first or even no Divine Elevation, Caldaros would practically have no chance of resisting the Fool''s Trick. However, I must say, Sunna''s Avatars are incredibly strong, but obtaining her approval is relatively harder."

    "She''s prideful, even to her avatars. And with the multiple layers of requirements you set on the Fool''s Trick ability, I''m confident Caldaros would have no chance. That is, if it really played as you planned." He added with a proud smirk.

    Just the smirk alone showed that even Gandr was impressed by his plan.

    But Lucivar felt nothing from this.

    His focus was fixed on Caldaros'' demise.

    "Have more faith," He turned to look at Gandr and smirked. "When did it ever not go as I planned...?"

    Gandr hissed and disappeared once again.

    Once Lucivar snapped out of his trance and his senses connected back to the surroundings, he turned to look at Nerissa behind him. She was slumped on the ground, healing the gaping wound from earlier that was still bleeding profusely.

    It was closing visibly, but it was far from being fully healed.

    Lucivar approached and knelt in front of her, meeting her gaze directly.

    He paused, looking at her up and down before he finally said, "You have a lot of explaining to do."

    Moments later.

    Lucivar came out of the supermarket with a big plastic bag in his hand.

    He went over to the few seats on the side, sheltered by a patio umbrella, where Nerissa was sitting at.

    Under her extensive effort, her wound stopped bleeding, but her ether was exhausted.

    Not to mention, she was also paler¡ªshe lost a lot of blood.

    "Dry yourself with this," Lucivar took out a towel from the plastic bag¡ªand handed it over to Nerissa before also placing a cup of warm coffee along with treats that she might like. "I also bought those for you. I don''t know which one you''d like, so I bought a whole bunch."

    Even as Lucivar sat down, Nerissa remained silent, staring at the floor.

    She only reached for the towel to dry her hair and body the best she could, meekly, and sipped the coffee.

    On the other hand, Lucivar crossed his leg and looked at the street nonchalantly.

    He was waiting for Nerissa to break the silence and explained what really happened.

    ''It''s not like I''m interested in her. Not really,'' Lucivar told himself¡ªas his eyes drifted toward Nerissa with unspoken intent. ''But something inside me reacted to her. It was familiar, akin to what I feel toward Morriva and Zibbo. But the pull Nerissa exerted on me is stronger¡ªfar stronger... and it didn''t belong to Loki or Sutekh.''

    Lucivar felt it earlier, the pull, while he was carrying Nerissa.

    Normally, the Gods inside of him would awaken when his actions were aligned with them.

    At least, that is how Sutekh was awakened.

    His bubbling pride, raw instinct for survival, and the will to destroy everything for the sake of his thirst for power awakened Sutekh completely. Lucivar thought awakening the Gods inside of him would take him to achieve substantial growth of his inner self.

    But maybe that wasn''t the only way.

    ''What if this other God wanted Nerissa to be its Vestal so badly that it awakened? Is it possible?''

    Lucivar hoped Gandr or Sha would answer that question, but they didn''t.

    Of course, not¡ªthat was too hopeful of him.

    "Thank you... for protecting me."

    Just then, Lucivar blinked back to reality when Nerissa finally broke the ice.

    Hearing the sense of distance in her voice, as if she were talking to a stranger, Lucivar turned to look at her with a frown. She was the one who always preached that they were family, so it came as a surprise to hear her using this kind of distant tone.

    "Like you said, we''re family," Lucivar shrugged and waited again.

    "Is it okay..." Nerissa bit her lower lip, but hesitantly continued. "To talk to you?"

    Lucivar didn''t respond with words.

    He simply uncrossed his legs and leaned forward¡ªa silent gesture that made it clear, he was listening.

    After collecting herself for another moment, she finally began.

    "I came from a well-respected family..."

    Nerissa told Lucivar about her past, before she was taken in by Master Tobias.

    She came from a well-respected family.

    Even though her hometown was a slave city, her family held a notable reputation. Her father owned a bakery that was known for its fresh bread, and he had even dreamed of expanding the business to include cakes made from local fruits.

    Due to this business, he has a lot of connections, even knowing the governor personally.

    As for her mother, she was a housewife, or at least that is what Nerissa thought she was.

    Every morning, the scent of warm bread filled her home, and every evening, Nerissa would sing for the customers. She was barely out of her teen phase at the time, but she wanted to help her father''s business, and singing was all she could do.

    Surprisingly, her small session of singing attracted more customers.

    It became a custom¡ªpeople would stop by to hear her sing, thanks to her beautiful, angelic voice.

    For a year or two, this became a routine until came the day when Nerissa awakened her bloodline.

    A Siren Hybrid.

    It was the day when everything went wrong.

    As expected, her parents held a celebration for her¡ªbecoming a Hybrid was a big deal for the city.

    And knowing that she would soon need to enroll in an academy, Nerissa''s singing session became even more frequent. She wanted to make the best of her remaining time before leaving. But with each passing day, the town grew quieter.

    First, the fisherman disappeared. Then a merchant. Then a child. And no one knew why.

    At some point, people began to notice a chilling pattern.

    All those who had gone missing had one thing in common: they had listened to Nerissa''s song.

    Just like that, rumors circulated.

    Nerissa''s Siren bloodline must''ve killed those people through her singing.

    It should be impossible, Nerissa wasn''t even a Neophyre-rank back then, but the people didn''t care.

    Naturally, the family of the victims became angrier and angrier, blaming her for the deaths.

    Due to the accusation, her parents prohibited her from singing again and even hid her from the people until she left for the academy. But one day, when her father decided to ease the tension in the house by holding a cooking day for the family, a shadowy figure got into their house.

    It killed her mother and father brutally.

    Nerissa was taking flour from the other room and came back with her mother hanging from the ceiling.

    Around her mother''s neck, there was a sign with one word, ''Murderer''.

    Her father begged for her life before he was also killed.

    "The Shadow spared me because it knew the truth," Nerissa said¡ªfidgeting with her fingers. "It knew it was my mother who killed those people. She was a retired assassin who had spent years burying her bloodlust and playing housewife. But when she discovered I was a Siren Hybrid... she used me. One final time¡ªto sate her bloodthirst. After all, I was leaving for the academy, and I would never come back. It was fine for me to take the blame."

    Lucivar listened to her tragic past attentively.

    He sighed at the fact that she was similar to him, used by the person they called family.

    "Before it left... the Shadow said to me," Nerissa paused¡ªher lips trembled at the thought. "That he''d watch over me. Like mom, he said that I''d also be a killer and when that time comes, he''d also come to collect my life."

    "I don''t want that to happen again... I don''t want to be the one always being protected," She whispered, her voice trembling. "I want to be the one who protects. But to do that, I have to become stronger. But my bloodline..."

    Tears slid down her cheeks as she choked out the next words.

    "It craves a requiem of death. It demands that I become a murderer. The Shadow, he..."

    Just before she could finish her words, Lucivar already sat beside her and pulled her into his embrace.

    Feeling his warmth, Nerissa clutched onto his shirt and cried harder.

    "I''m sorry, Lucivar..." She sobbed. "For letting you see this side of me, for having to protect me."

    "You don''t need to apologize, I did it out of my own volition," Lucivar answered as he rubbed her back gently. For better or worse, she felt for Nerissa as she had a lot of things in common with him. "In fact, as long as I''m around, you don''t need to restrain yourself. Kill¡ªas much as you need to, harvest as many death requiems as you want. Until you can protect us, I will handle the Shadow."

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa''s eyes widened¡ªher sobs halted momentarily.

    Then, her eyes softened as she buried her face deeper into Lucivar''s embrace.

    "Really...? You''ll ward off the Shadow for me?" She asked softly.

    "Yes," Lucivar nodded. "As long as you need to."

    "Even..." More tears poured out as she choked out the words. "Even if it''s an illusion?"

    Lucivar hummed and hugged her tighter.

    Almost instantly, she broke down again in tears, forgetting about the world for a moment.

    On the other hand, as Lucivar consoled Nerissa, his eyes flashed with a peculiar light.

    ''Hmm... She might possibly turn out to be a more effective pawn than Leandra. Perhaps, I should use her.''

    ''Ah, I could use her for that. Let''s test this new God''s strength.'' Lucivar smirked.

 Chapter 251 251: Preparation Complete

    For the remaining days until the South Hues Tournament started, it was back to normal routine again.

    Lucivar, armed with the golden spheres he gathered from the night market massacre, dedicated his time to breaking through to the Chrysalis rank. He spent most of his days in Ravenna''s room, excluded from the mandatory exercises and classes for academy hunters.

    Since he was only a little short of breaking through, he should reach the next rank easily.

    Next, at the time after rescuing Nerissa, he got a huge chunk of arcane points again.

    It was from Morriva, she seemed to be working like a horse.

    Curious, Lucivar asked Gandr to take a peek at what she was doing, and turns out, she already created a cult dedicated to worshipping him. Better than that, she also already took down the neighbouring city and spread the influence of the cult.

    She was now known as the Saintess of Verdant Flame.

    Even though Lucivar has high expectations of her, considering that he invested a lot of effort into her, into shaping her, this was far beyond his expectations. He could feel it, Morriva''s longing¡ªshe wanted to meet him again badly.

    And this was her way of gaining his attention, and she succeeded.

    Lucivar planned on visiting her after the tournament, which was at the top of his list.

    For now, he made good use of the arcane points he obtained.

    ------

    -> Greedy Grasp (Immortal) ¡ª Low

    -> Radiant Burst (High Mortal) ¡ª Mid

    -> Major Morphing (High Mortal) ¡ª Low

    -> Soul Warden (High Mortal) ¡ª Low

    -------

    Surprisingly enough, with a little bit of finesse by making small manipulations to Ravenna and Sabrina, he managed to amass enough Arcane Points to push the Greedy Grasp ability to Low Immortal mastery, which made it a lot more effective.

    Reaching the Second Divine Elevation already strengthens the Greedy Grasp ability.

    Lucivar only needed a bit more Arcane Points to push it past mortal limitation.

    It happened recently, and Lucivar hadn''t tried fully utilizing it.

    But from what he had tried, replenishing his now 25 maximum God strands only took ten minutes.

    He could do it even when Ravenna was outside, exercising.

    Of course, she came back complaining since the absorption rate became an annoyance for her.

    Sabrina, on the other hand, could still endure it without a problem.

    Her ether reserve was massive, at least five to ten times that of Lucivar.

    It was the effect of having Surapankha bloodline, making her more fitting as a Walking Ether Pouch.

    Other than the Greedy Grasp ability, he also increased the masteries of his other abilities, increasing their potency. One that was worth mentioning was his Soul Warden spell. His mastery over the spell allowed him to unlock the second stage of the spell, the Debilitating Stage.

    Now, the spell wasn''t restricted to locating those who are marked.

    Lucivar could now induce a debilitating effect that was fully derived from his bloodline.

    Once again, he hadn''t tested it out, but he already had a few guesses in mind.

    In addition to the unexpected power gain thanks to Morriva, the night market massacre also yielded him a massive bronze sphere. All helpless Hybrids and people who were killed that night by him¡ªIt was accounted for by Sutekh and rewarded.

    Not to mention, Zibbo also killed some before he was cornered by the others.

    And as a result, he filled the essence bars substantially.

    Now, Lucivar was able to unlock all of the first layer aspects along with most of the second layer aspects, excluding the eyes and blood vessels. As for his muscles, skeletons, tendons, and ears¡ªall of them had gotten substantially stronger.

    Even his physical assessment has reached High Sphinx tier, a small tier increase. from mid to high.

    Coupled with his newly strengthened physique from the training he had undergone in Sutekh''s realm, Lucivar was confident that even in a direct clash, he wouldn''t lose to a Titan Hybrid at the same rank, which meant Caldaros wouldn''t have the upper hand against him.

    Loki might be weak in a confrontational battle, but Sutekh is not.

    Lucivar played on the fact that he''s the Blessed Oracle.

    So long as he won in the end, the means to achieve it were, and always would be, justified.

    People who think otherwise would all have a place at the bottom, as losers.

    In the middle of the night, the day before the tournament started, Lucivar opened his eyes.

    He was meditating, consolidating the new form of his Supernatural Ego within his Inner Chamber, which was now half radiant and half abyssal. Since he was a new Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, his aura was all over the place and needed to be consolidated.

    Not to mention, with his successful break through¡ªhis second wing finally sprouted fully.

    Like the first time, it was a painful and bloodied process.

    The Heavenly Rune of Justice was blooming, branded onto his second wing, infusing him with rigorous power of heavenly might. But that rune quickly turned into the Corrupted Rune of Power¡ªinfluenced by Sutekh''s power.

    Lucivar glanced to his side, at Ravenna sleeping soundly¡ªher bare body covered by the blanket.

    Behind his gaze, there was tenderness that wasn''t usually there.

    "Fortunately, she was here to take care of me. Or else, it would''ve been bad..." He shook his head.

    ...

    Yesterday, Lucivar was inside his Inner Chamber.

    He was standing with a golden sphere in hand, facing the egg statue in the middle of the chamber.

    Most of the egg statue had already been transformed into his bloodline''s attribute¡ªone said a brilliant light, the other consumed by abyssal darkness. Only a small patch at the center¡ªremained untouched, still the cold, original, lifeless stone.

    And with this golden sphere in his hand, he could finally complete the transformation.

    Once the Supernatural Ego''s material is fully converted, he would officially step into the Chrysalis rank.

    But he was hesitant.

    "I''ve already gone through Sutekh''s Hell, this pain should''ve been nothing," Lucivar thought, anticipating the full emergence of his second wing, which was going to be painful. "It should be fine. I should be a lot more ready than back then."

    Lucivar was hyping himself up with words, hypnotizing himself to be brave and strong.

    However, going through Sutekh''s hellish training didn''t make him accustomed to pain.

    Instead, he hated pain even more.

    Not to mention, there was also the factor of the Gods inside him.

    A breakthrough like this, Lucivar didn''t believe that one of them would attempt something on him.

    After all, he was entertainment for them.

    "Tch!" Lucivar clicked his tongue and hardened his expression. "Here goes nothing!"

    Once he was ready, he absorbed the golden sphere and transformed the small patch with full force.

    Then, the moment the patch was transformed, the entire egg statue blazed with blinding light¡ªand the whole chamber trembled violently. Agonizing pain struck at once, hurling Lucivar out of his own Inner Chamber.

    Upon returning to reality, he quickly moved, tumbling himself off the bed.

    Splash!

    Both of his wings sprouted as blood burst from his back.

    His second pair grew, twisted, and swelled with power¡ªflickering between emerald and bronze.

    On his second wing, the Heavenly Rune of Justice appeared but soon contorted and changed, turning into the Corrupted Rune of Power. Lucivar writhed in pain, pressing his forehead against the cold floor, desperately trying to endure the pain.

    Fortunately for him, the room was empty¡ªRavenna and Sabrina were out right now.

    As long as he could hold it in until the process finished, he should be fine.

    But that was nai?ve of him to think.

    "Raargghk!!"

    A searing migraine struck Lucivar, like countless blades driving into his skull from every direction.

    Both of his eyes were invaded¡ªwith the bronze color of Sutekh''s power, and his mind was corroded, robbed from his consciousness, and taken over by something powerful and destructive. It was painful and overwhelming.

    ''Shit, shit! It''s the same thing as back then!'' Lucivar exclaimed inside.

    It was the same sensation as when he lost control after seeing Delilah''s death.

    No matter how much he tried, he couldn''t stop this invasive force.

    And it was then, the door slammed open.

    Ravenna was standing on the door, and saw Lucivar on the ground around his own pool of blood.

    Instantly, she rushed to help.

    ...

    At the time, Ravenna saved him.

    Her bloodline reacted to Sutekh''s power and made her body exude this weird, tantalizing scent.

    She didn''t do anything but pull Lucivar into her embrace.

    It was then the potent scent influenced him, causing him to instantly fall asleep in her embrace.

    Lucivar woke up the next day with Sha cursing at him and Ravenna, throwing more than a thousand cursed words¡ªlike a lunatic. She was angry that Ravenna took away the fun of seeing Lucivar getting more trouble on his plate.

    Clearly, had it not been for Ravenna, he would''ve gone on a rampage within the Bastion of Blades.

    Even though he was the Blessed Oracle, the Gods inside him also wanted entertainment.

    And he could provide that entertainment for them.

    But Ravenna took the fun away from Sha, and she was angry.

    Not at Ravenna directly, but at Surpanakha''s blood inside of her, which always reacted to Sutekh''s power.

    Shaking his head, Lucivar looked down at his hand.

    Then, he concentrated, channeling the power within him and summoning two attributes on his palm, two attributes that were dancing in harmony¡ªtwo currents of black and white. It was the Light and Dark Attribute from his bloodline.

    "Finally, the Chrysalis rank..." Lucivar mumbled whisperingly with a smile.

    After managing to change the material of his Supernatural Ego, he now unlocked his attributes fully.

    Now, he could be considered a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid¡ªnot a mature one, though.

    In order to be considered a mature Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, he needed to undergo a phenomenon that many called the Snippet of Bloodline. Basically, it was a phenomenon where the Hybrid would stimulate their attributes and peer into their bloodline.

    For normal Hybrids with no-named bloodline, they would simply learn an ability.

    A stronger ability than their previous, innate abilities.

    Basically, the Hybrid would learn a stronger ability that correctly utilize the attribute they unlocked.

    However, this process was completely different for a Hybrid with a named bloodline.

    For these talented Hybrids¡ªthe Snippet of Bloodline would essentially send their consciousness deep into the root of their bloodline, essentially sending them back in time to see the very previous life of the associated named entity, and learn how they used their attribute.

    In the case of the Valerius Supreme House, they would be able to see Dracula''s previous life.

    Or for the Ashbourne Supreme House, their descendants could view Cacus the Mountain''s life.

    And from those snippets, usually during a battle, they could learn an ability called Primeval Skill.

    Lucivar was planning to do it before the tournament started.

    ''I have an Angel Bloodline, but my bloodline is certainly tampered with by the Gods.''

    ''I wonder... which life would I see? The Angel''s side or the Gods'' side?''

 Chapter 252 252: Eat It

    Lucivar snapped out of his trance.

    He didn''t need to wonder about that, he would know soon enough.

    Lying back down and pivoting on his side, he slid a hand beneath the blanket and wrapped it around Ravenna''s waist, pulling her close in a soft embrace. He drew in a deep breath of her intoxicating scent, that he couldn''t have enough of¡ªand his warm exhale brushing softly against the curve of her neck.

    A small moan slipped out of Ravenna''s lips as she positioned herself, tucking close.

    For a good minute, the two stayed unmoving.

    Only the rhythm of their steady breaths filled the room.

    "You really don''t want to do it?" Lucivar whispered. "I''d love to see the outfits you have."

    Ravenna hummed and kept sleeping.

    She didn''t seem to be interested in engaging with Lucivar.

    In the last couple of days, Lucivar has been sleeping on the same bed as Ravenna, but he didn''t get to touch her at all. No sex, no kissing, no nothing. He was going insane. Sleeping beside a beauty like her the whole night, he was bound to be instigated.

    But Ravenna was adamant on this, a punishment for inviting the others to the night market massacre.

    "Who''s the woman who entertained you?" She suddenly spoke.

    Lucivar paused for a second before he smirked, "Is that your way of asking us to be exclusive?"

    Despite his attempt to lighten the mood, Ravenna didn''t bite.

    "It''s Sabrina, who else would it be?" Lucivar answered.

    "No, it''s not Sabrina," Ravenna rebutted softly. "The woman outside, who is she?"

    "Hmm?" Lucivar frowned¡ªhe thought Ravenna was talking about the scent she smelled back then at the party held by the academy. But then, he recalled that Ravenna was spying with the Predator Oculus ability of hers.

    She wasn''t talking about Sabrina from the start.

    "Angel, she''s the secretary of the Trading Union''s CEO," Lucivar replied.

    It was Angel that Ravenna was talking about.

    From her perspective, Angel must be someone special for Lucivar since she wasn''t from the academy, but she managed to get close to Lucivar. Or rather, it was the other way around, with Lucivar trying to get close to her.

    "She''s useful, that''s why I''m close with her." Lucivar kissed Ravenna''s shoulder and sat up.

    "Where are you going?" Ravenna glanced over her shoulder. "The tournament is still due for tomorrow."

    "Got a lot of things to do today, a lot of people to meet," Lucivar answered and headed for the bathroom to freshen up. "I have a meeting with the Trading Union and the Blessed Hand Clan for the tournament. I probably wouldn''t come back until after the tournament."

    "Wait," Ravenna called. "Will Angel be there?"

    "Of course, she''s my caretaker from the Trading Union side." Lucivar replied as he closed the door.

    On the other hand, Ravenna combed back her hair and bit her lower lip.

    "I miscalculated," She mumbled in frustration.

    A moment later.

    Lucivar had already changed into the academy hunter uniform before the sun was up.

    Unlike earlier, Ravenna was already up, still on the bed and covered by the blanket, but focused.

    "It''s not even proper morning yet, why are you so uptight? Do you even need to come hours earlier than the meeting time?" She commented, tying her hair into a ponytail. "When even is the meeting with your sponsors? I bet it can still wait."

    Sneering, Lucivar turned around and chuckled at the sight.

    Ravenna was leaning against the headboard¡ªthe blanket fell off on one side, exposing her left breast.

    "On second thought," She bit her finger alluringly. "I have an outfit that I want to show you."

    "Nope," Lucivar turned around again and fixed his uniform. "Not interested. You''re minutes too late."

    "Eh?" Ravenna''s face stiffened before she exhaled exasperatedly. "Are you serious?"

    "If I were you, I wouldn''t spy on me for today. You know..." Lucivar chuckled lightly again and headed for the door. "To avoid the heartache. Anyway, I will get going. If the others were searching for me, tell them I won''t be coming back until after the tournament."

    As Lucivar walked to the door, he shook his head.

    ''Now that I think about it, with Nerissa and me being closer, I''m not outnumbered anymore,'' He thought, smiling inwardly. ''She probably wouldn''t react as much if she knew about the atrocities I have done. So, in that case, Ravenna might not be the most important ally again.''

    From the start, Lucivar wanted Ravenna to be on his team because of Leandra.

    Leandra would try to stop him from doing bad things, and she might ask for help from the others.

    But now with Nerissa being on his side, the playing field within the family was about even.

    Mirel, Leandra, and Bakar are probably on the side who would object to his way of doing things, while Ravenna and Nerissa wouldn''t mind that much. Bob was a different case entirely¡ªhe didn''t know what Bob would think, but without counting him, each side would have three people.

    Of course, there was a chance Ravenna would turn against him if she abandoned her.

    Yet, it''s unlikely to happen because she needed him.

    ''Ravenna is still useful due to her bloodline, but not as useful. I can lessen my effort on her.'' He thought.

    Just as he thought of that, however, Ravenna''s voice rang.

    "Bob got the reward from Master Tobias this time, and Mirel was planning on sticking with you during the tournament, because he now has suspicion on you. He suspected you of doing bad things that he wasn''t on board with, all because of the incident on the night market."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar stopped and turned around to look at her.

    Not stopping at that, Ravenna continued.

    "Also, tell Sabrina to stop bringing you food to the room. It''s tampered with."

    As if she could see straight through Lucivar''s thoughts¡ªthat he came to a decision to decrease his own efforts to maintain their relationship, Ravenna dropped several revelations he hadn''t seen coming. Each one catching him completely off guard.

    ''Bob got the reward...? Mirel suspected me? And what was about the food Sabrina brings?''

    Lucivar was puzzled.

    He looked at Ravenna with a questioning gaze, demanding an explanation.

    But instead, Ravenna only smiled and covered herself with the blanket again.

    Placing both hands on his waist, Lucivar looked down and shook his head.

    It seemed Ravenna would always be his priority¡ªshe gave him no other choice but to prioritize her.

    "Thanks for the heads up," Lucivar said before leaving the room.

    As he made his way out of the Bastion of Blades, he came across Sabrina along the way.

    Since it was nearing six in the morning, she was carrying a tray of food¡ªwhich was for his breakfast.

    "Are you going somewhere?" Sabrina asked, tilting her head. "Not even a breakfast first?"

    Lucivar didn''t answer, he didn''t even look at her¡ªfixing his gaze on the warm set of food on the tray as Ravenna''s voice rang inside his mind. Then, he nudged his chin at the food and asked, "I have never asked, where did you get this?"

    "Hmm? From the cafeteria, of course." Sabrina answered. "I got to know the lunch lady and stayed with her whenever I was bored. Back then, it was hard to ask for more food from her¡ªbut now that you are famous, she always gives more for you and me generously."

    "Back then?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow. "When did you get to know her?"

    "Since you became an academy hunter, why? What''s wrong?" Sabrina tilted her head in confusion.

    "Get that food to Fabio and ask him to see if there''s anything in it other than food," Lucivar instructed and walked past her, deciding to get some food outside. "I think someone put something in it¡ªperhaps poison. I don''t know."

    As he continued to the exit, he darted his eyes left and right warily.

    ''If the Crimson Wolf Clan managed to slip someone in here, then other forces could''ve done the same. With a tournament this grand, everyone was very desperate to win¡ªby any means necessary. Poisoning a rival? That''s well within their playbook, I bet.'' Lucivar thought, shaking his head.

    He was worried that he had already eaten some¡ªhe might need to go to a healer.

    Regardless of the possibility, a smile crept to his face.

    ''But they wouldn''t take this risk to kill a weak candidate, right? So that means I''m seen as dangerous for them,'' Lucivar chuckled to himself. He felt good knowing that he was considered dangerous. He has gone a long way from his starting point. ''Even so... I will kill them for trying to pull something like this. Someone like me deserved a grand death, not an unassuming death through poison.''

    Despite not knowing who they were, he had a feeling that he would soon enough.

    Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Sabbrina, staring at the food vacantly, and smiled to himself.

    Lucivar left the place, heading for the Trading Union''s main branch.

    On the other hand, Sabrina was still standing in her spot.

    She stared down at the warm tray of food in her hands until a peculiar glint flickered in his eyes.

    It was only for a fleeting, but intense.

    Raising her gaze to look at where Lucivar had left to, Sabrina gritted her teeth¡ªand went straight to Fabio''s office. She did exactly as Lucivar said, reporting the food to Fabio. Fortunately, the office was not locked.

    Sabrina could enter and place the tray on the table.

    Since he wasn''t in his office yet, she took a piece of paper and left a note for Fabio.

    Once she was done, she stepped out once again and turned her gaze in a specific direction.

    On her hand was a warm bowl of soup from the tray that she took with her.

    Most areas of the Bastion of Blades lay quiet and empty, save for the occasional janitor tidying the halls and guards making their rounds. All of the students were still in their respective rooms, preparing for their usual morning exercise.

    Sabrina moved past them with a faint, effortless smile.

    An expression that betrayed nothing, as if all was perfectly normal.

    Soon, she reached the cafeteria and saw that the workers there were already preparing breakfast readily.

    Leading them was a middle-aged woman, the lunch lady, who was fat and quite tall for a woman.

    "Back again for more, Sabrina?" She instantly commented when she noticed Sabrina. "Lucivar must be quite greedy today to ask for a second plate! But no worry, I can spare some more for him. After all, it''s the big day tomorrow, the tournament!"

    "Yeah... the tournament is tomorrow," Sabrina answered with the same, effortless smile.

    Then, she went around the steel counter and placed the bowl of soup near the lunch lady.

    "Master Lucivar ate everything but the soup, so it was left untouched," She suddenly said, locking eyes with the lunch lady. Her expression remained the same as always, but unlike normal, the effortless smile on her face now struck the lunch lady as unsettling, almost uncanny.

    "Eat it," Sabrina pushed the bowl towards the lunch lady further. "I want to see you eat it."

 Chapter 253 253: The Maid

    Gulp!

    Feeling the rising tension in the air, the lunch lady swallowed hard.

    She could feel it¡ªSabrina wasn''t her usual self.

    Not the person who came here to chat and mostly complain about Lucivar.

    "Excuse me...?"

    Regardless, the lunch lady mustered her courage to reply¡ªacting normal as she continued her work.

    But her expression betrayed her, there was a hint of worry hidden there.

    And Sabrina was keen and attuned enough to notice it instantly.

    "Is there something bothering you, auntie?" Sabrina leaned closer, looking at the lunch lady''s face with sarcastic curiosity. Then, she pushed the bowl again¡ªthis time close enough to bother the lunch lady''s work station, "I said I want to see you eat it."

    "H-How can you expect me to do that?" The lunch lady smiled nervously.

    "Didn''t you say you''re passionate about your cooking? Something about academy hunters needing at least good food¡ªfor sacrificing themselves for the students?" Sabrina pressed further. Her eyes were opened wide, she didn''t even bother to hide her malice. "Who knows? Maybe Master Lucivar did not eat your soup because it tasted bad."

    Sensing trouble, the other two workers nearby became uncomfortable.

    Neither of them knew what was happening¡ªand why Sabrina was acting like this.

    On the other hand, the lunch lady was muted, she averted her gaze, unwilling to meet Sabrina''s gaze.

    "Leave us for a minute." Sabrina finally said with a stern tone to the other workers.

    She was only a personal maid.

    Some might even consider her status lower than the workers¡ªwho worked for a respectable academy. But at this moment, her voice carried an irresistible command, one that made them obey without any question, as if their bodies were controlled by her.

    Once the two workers paused and went to the other room, the lunch lady was now alone with Sabrin.

    Nobody was around¡ªthe cafeteria was still empty.

    "Is it you?" Sabrina finally asked directly with a cold tone. "Is it you who put something in the food?"

    Despite being questioned, the lunch lady was still silent.

    She was afraid¡ªher body was trembling uncontrollably, but she didn''t answer.

    Sabrina''s face reddened.

    She couldn''t keep her composure and hide her anger anymore.

    All this time, she was happy that she managed to secure a bond with the cafeteria''s people so that¡ªas small as it was¡ªLucivar could eat better and more food than the others. He could even eat back in the room, avoiding the line at the cafeteria.

    For the last couple of days, she has been bringing Lucivar food with a smile on her face.

    To think that she was delivering likely poisoned food... it was infuriating.

    So much so that Sabrina wanted to tear the lunch lady''s head off and drink her blood.

    Gulping down her anger, she took a step forward and stood directly beside the lunch lady.

    Though she couldn''t see it, the lunch lady could feel her anger radiating like waves of heat, making her side damp with sweat. Eyes squeezed shut in fear, knowing that this might be it, she flinched when the cold voice broke the silence once more.

    "Is... it... you...?" Sabrina whispered hauntingly.

    And this time, the lunch lady could feel that she would die if she didn''t answer this question.

    So she answered.

    "No..." She shook her head meekly.

    Once the lunch lady said that, she turned her gaze to the other room.

    Sabrina glanced to the other room and back to the lunch lady, realizing what she meant, and then forced a nod. Then, she walked to the other room and stepped inside. On top of the two workers from earlier, who were gossiping as to what was going on, there were other workers inside.

    It was the dirty kitchen, and there were five more workers who were actually cooking the food.

    All five of them cast a polite smile at Sabrina, she knew all of them.

    She made sure she knew all five of them.

    Being trained as a personal maid, this was one of the important lessons¡ªto always know the home.

    Sabrina would know if even a spoon was missing from here.

    And that lesson came in handy at this very moment.

    On the corner, there was a man who seemed to be cleaning the steel table, wearing the same white outfit as everyone here, but Sabrina didn''t recognize him. Perhaps the academy hired another person, but her mind turned to the worst-case scenario.

    After all, the lunch lady directed Sabrina here, and she didn''t seem to be lying.

    Frowning slightly, Sabrina approached the man casually¡ªnot forgetting to greet the others as normal.

    Noticing the others were saying hello to someone, the man glanced over his shoulder and saw Sabrina.

    Sabrina scanned the man and noticed that he was rough, his frame was bigger, not someone who would be working in a kitchen. He was wearing long sleeves, refusing to roll them up like the others, and there was a scar poking out.

    Even on his cheek, there was a scar¡ªseemingly a cut from a blade that was quite long.

    "You knew I''m Sabrina?" Sabrina asked after a small pause.

    Hearing this, the man raised an eyebrow and wiped his hands with a cloth, "Am I supposed to know?"

    "I''m Master Lucivar''s personal maid. I regularly came here¡ªbut you probably know what I am after," Sabrina replied, smiling a smile that didn''t seem to reach her eyes. "You know... So that my master is given more portion than the rest."

    "I see..." the man returned the smile and placed the cloth down.

    "I''ve never seen you around," Sabrina averted her gaze, breaking eye contact the first time throughout their entire conversation. "So I''m here to introduce myself, and make sure you''re also going to be kind enough to give more for my master."

    "Aaron," the man introduced himself. "And don''t worry, I''ll also increase your master''s portion."

    "Good, good..." Sabrina nodded before her eyes glanced at Aaron''s work stations.

    It was mostly empty, with only a few cabbages here and there.

    "I was on cleaning duty today," Aaron quickly explained¡ªwhen he realized Sabrina was checking his workstation. "As you noticed, I''m new here, and frankly quite clumsy. I''m still learning. But soon¡ªI should be handling more important tasks."

    "I see... carry on then." Sabrina nodded and turned away.

    Across the entire conversation, the workers there cast curious glances at them.

    Despite being oblivious, they could feel the tense air around Sabrina.

    She was usually talkative and cheerful, so hearing her talk formally was quite endearing.

    Sabrina took a couple of steps away before her gaze landed on a knife.

    She grabbed it without the workers or Aaron realizing.

    Then, she turned back around and approached Aaron for the second time.

    "Hey, Aaron," Sabrina called, forcing Aaron to turn to her again. "You''re full of shit, aren''t you?"

    Splash!

    "Kyaaah!!"

    One of the workers exclaimed in horror when Sabrina, out of nowhere, stabbed Aaron on the neck with the knife she grabbed. Surprised, Aaron reached for Sabrina''s neck, activating his ether in order to crush her windpipe.

    Sabrina pushed him back before he could reach her and twist the knife brutally.

    Blood squirted out and splashed onto her face as Aaron kept struggling.

    But with the perfect sneak attack, he was losing strength rapidly, and couldn''t retaliate for long.

    Ignoring the shrills and screams, Sabrina pulled out the knife and stabbed the other side of Aaron''s neck, killing him on the spot. Once his body turned limp, Sabrina pulled out the knife again. With no support, Aaron''s lifeless body hit the steel table and slumped to the ground.

    Upon turning around, Sabrina saw the other workers were crammed into the corners, horrified.

    All of them looked at her with utter fear.

    Even though they knew Sabrina was a Hybrid, none of them thought she was capable of violence.

    Especially this level of violence.

    Sabrina was usually sweet, childish even¡ªso this came as a complete shock to them.

    "Relax, he''s an assassin." Sabrina muttered as she grabbed a cloth and wiped the bloodied knife clean.

    Then, her hands moved to her face, wiping the blood that had gotten onto her face.

    "Report this to Professor Aeldric, and tell him to do a better job," She said, placing the knife down with a sharp clink¡ªbefore striding slowly toward the door. But then she stopped, frozen mid-step, and turned to the workers slowly. Both her eyes were still burning with suppressed fury.

    "I have been working very, very hard to earn Master Lucivar''s trust," Her voice was low, trembling, not with fear, but with wrath barely held at bay. "And this assassin¡ªthis...imbecile, nearly shattered that. Shattered everything I''ve built."

    Sabrina wanted to explode, but she held it in¡ªthere was no point in that.

    She took a breath, sharp and bitter to calm her nerves.

    "You tell Aeldric that he will explain this to Master Lucivar himself," She continued demandingly." He will take the blame for letting this assassin get here, and he will make it CRYSTAL clear that this wasn''t my fault."

    Pausing for a second, letting her words settle, her voice then dropped.

    Become cold and venomous.

    "Because if he doesn''t..." She whispered, her voice razor-thin. "I swear to God, by tomorrow morning, this entire mess will be front-page news. And when it is, I''ll make sure the headlines scream that he was the one who orchestrated this assassination attempt against one of the rising stars under the Valerius Supreme House''s rule, who was going to participate in the biggest tournament."

    After saying that, Sabrina walked out of the door, leaving behind the stunned workers.

    On the other side, Sabrina''s eyes caught sight of the lunch lady.

    She hadn''t left, she was cradled on the corner like a scared cat.

    "They just told them to bring him here," She confessed¡ªtears of fear streaming down her face. "I didn''t do anything. Please, understand¡ªI have no choice, they knew where my kids live. This has never been personal."

    "I have been a slave all my life¡ªand all I wanted the most in my life is a master who understands me," Sabrina muttered with profound nostalgia. "Finally, I got the master I wanted. He is everything for me, my dream and my entire fucking purpose of life. This was personal to me."

    Sabrina turned to face the lunch lady, still standing stiffly.

    Then, she raised a finger, pointing it like a blade at the lunch lady, "And for that, if I still see you here, working, by the end of the day, I''ll rip your jaw clean off and pour that soup down your throat. As for your kids, I''ll also give them the privilege of dying the same way their mother did."

    Cold. Cruel. Final.

    The lunch lady knew that Sabrina would actually do that, so she nodded repeatedly.

    "I''ll leave. You''ll never see me again." She said with a trembling voice.

    Only then did Sabrina walk out, right on time as the academy hunters began to come in.

 Chapter 254 254: The Man of the Top

    Lucivar stepped out of the car and scanned the Trading Union main branch building.

    Per usual, the place was crowded with people coming in and out even though it was still early.

    He was completely oblivious to what his actions caused.

    Earlier, he wasn''t acting cold to Sabrina.

    He was simply in a hurry since he had meetings with the Trading Union early in the morning until noon, and then another meeting with the Blessed Hand Clan right after¡ªthe advisor of the clan was going to meet with him directly.

    It wasn''t his intention to seem cold, but then again, he was oblivious to what Sabrina did.

    "Man, it''s very crowded. I should''ve suggested the meeting to be somewhere else," Lucivar sighed.

    Regardless, since he was here, there''s nothing he could do about it.

    Guided politely by the driver, who was also the assistant, Lucivar headed to the meeting room.

    Under everyone''s gaze, he ascended to the upper floors.

    Not even the guards guarding the stairs stopped him, or even as much as asked for his identification.

    Many wondered who he was, mainly because he was very young to hold any standing in the city.

    Then again, he could be the descendant of an influential faction.

    However, as he ascended to the third floor and then the fourth floor, the people who saw him grew increasingly surprised. People who could access the second floor, there were thousands of them, but the third¡ªand the fourth? The number of people who had access to those floors grew smaller

    On the fourth floor, people were casting him weird and judgmental looks.

    All of them were influential, but none of them recognized Lucivar.

    "Right this way," the assistant smiled politely, gesturing to a door at the end of the hall.

    Lucivar nodded and followed behind.

    Nearing the door, a group of people suddenly came from the corner, and they were loud.

    Not that Lucivar cared, but he cared when this group was blocking the way.

    "Are you sure about this?" A beautiful, and well-kept woman asked hesitantly. "It''s too expensive..."

    "What are you saying? Don''t be shy!" A blonde-haired, charming guy, young and sparkling, laughed in a hearty manner. He draped his arm over the woman''s shoulder and continued, pointing at the displayed items around the room, "I would buy anything for you, even the entire floor if you want!"

    "Can you buy me too?" Another woman stepped forward with starry eyes.

    Then, another woman hugged the man''s arm, "What about me? You promised last month to buy me."

    "Ladies! Calm down, I''m not going anywhere!" the man laughed and hugged them all.

    For the rest of the people in the group, mostly guys¡ªthey could only force out a green smile.

    All of them were green with envy.

    After all, women, status, and power are the only things any young man wants.

    And the blonde man has all three of them.

    "Excuse me," A polite-looking man in a suit and tie intervened. "Can you please make way?"

    "Hmm? Who are you?" the blonde man raised an eyebrow and asked.

    Just then, before the assistant could answer, Lucivar clicked his tongue, "Am I not getting more escort than you?" He asked, evidently unpleased¡ªthat a group could even block his way like this. "Hurry up and get these losers out of the way."

    "Ah, yes," the assistant smiled apologetically before turning to the blonde man again.

    But as he did, the blond man already walked past him and stood in front of Lucivar.

    "May I know who you are?" the blond man asked, and as he said that, his aura flared like a sizzling heat that distorted the air. A black and cold energy, not ether, but his attribute¡ªshowing that he was a strong Chrysalis-rank Hybrid despite his young age. "I don''t like the tone you''re using."

    "Look at this loser..." Lucivar sneered as he, too, activated his attribute.

    Slowly, golden ether began to seep out of his body.

    Then, the color changed, evolved into a mixture of unsettling black and pristine white.

    He, too, was a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid.

    Considering that Lucivar looked young, younger than the blonde man, this level of power was shocking.

    Even the blond man was surprised to see that Lucivar''s aura was pushing back on his aura¡ªworse, it was even swallowing his attribute greedily. As he blinked, he saw Lucivar was smirking at him, a smirk that was nothing more but trouble.

    Suddenly, Lucivar''s muscles twitched as he leaned to attack.

    Not expecting Lucivar to actually attack, the blond man leaned away, but he slipped and fell to the floor.

    As he raised his gaze to look at Lucivar, he blinked in shock and realized that it was a fake.

    It was a false charge¡ªLucivar was only scaring him.

    Lucivar''s lips curled into a mocking smile, holding back laughter.

    Then, he pointed at the blond man who was still on the floor and in shock, "What a wuss..."

    Seeing this from the side, the assistant rubbed his chest and sighed, thinking that they would fight.

    Fortunately, that didn''t happen.

    Lucivar walked past the blond man and his group nonchalantly, while the assistant chased after him.

    For a second there, the group was stunned.

    Normally, the blond man was the one doing the bullying, and this time would be no different. But things didn''t go as expected. Instead of humiliating Lucivar, he was the one who got put in his place. Now, he was lying on the ground like a disgraced mutt.

    In that moment, the blond man saw a change in the eyes of the women who adored her.

    Something changed before they turned away to look at Lucivar''s back.

    It was only then did he realized what had happened.

    "You son of a bitch!" He sprang up and screamed at Lucivar. "Do you know¡ªwho I am?! I''m a student and also a top-ranker¡ªfrom the Vanguard institute! If you know what''s good for you, come back here and apologize to me!"

    "Vanguard Institute?" Lucivar stopped¡ªand glanced over his shoulder. "I guess I''ll see you in the South Hues Tournament... that is if you are even strong enough to be a participant. But if I were you, I''d drop out," He smiled, a cheeky one. "You don''t want to cross me."

    As he said that, he opened the door leading to the fifth floor and disappeared.

    On the other hand, the blonde man frowned.

    "South Hues Tournament?" He mumbled before he looked around. "We''re in the Trading Union, he''s a participant, and he can even access the fifth floor, which even I couldn''t go into. I see..." The blond man looked at the door again. "He''s the Trading Union''s champion, Lucivar Asarafall. I should tell this to the seniors."

    Lucivar reached the fifth floor and found himself in a massive circular hall.

    Around the place, there were about twenty items displayed in reinforced glass cases.

    Unlike the ones he saw in the academy''s treasury, the items here were of way higher quality.

    One that stuck out was a spellbook for an Ethereal-class spell.

    It was probably one of the most valuable things that the Sunhold City possessed.

    "Right this way, Sir Lucivar," the assistant gestured to another door.

    Lucivar nodded and stepped inside, only to find a meeting room reserved only for him.

    It exuded restrained opulence¡ªblack marble floors veined with red, walls decorated in velvet shadows.

    At its heart stood two sleek, crimson-trimmed sofas facing each other, a single obsidian table set exactly between them. To the side, a lone high-backed chair, carved from enchanted wood and inlaid with ruby glass, waited in silence.

    One look told Lucivar everything¡ªthis wasn''t a place for pleasantries.

    It was where fortunes shifted hands and hushed decisions shaped power.

    Not even restraining himself, Lucivar took a seat on the very soft sofa and stretched his arms to the side.

    Sitting on such a high-quality sofa, he felt like a King.

    "Sir Dullan is going to be with you shortly," the assistant informed. "In the meantime..."

    Before he could finish his sentence, Lucivar had already cut him.

    "In the meantime, bring Angel," He demanded. "Is it too early for her? No, that shouldn''t be the case."

    Considering Angel''s strictness, it wasn''t like her to be late.

    She was the one assigned to handle him, and he expected her to be here instead of this assistant.

    "Angel has clocked in since four in the morning, but she asked me to pick you up," The assistant replied. He seemed to also be confused about the reason Angel sent him instead of picking Lucivar herself. "I will tell her you called for her."

    "Do that." Lucivar nodded and waved his hand dismissively.

    Once he was left alone, Lucivar leaned his head back on the sofa.

    "I did come here earlier than I should out of pettiness, so it''s fine waiting for a bit." Lucivar then looked around before a smile crept to his lips¡ªas he squeezed the sofa with his hands. "That being said, man, being rich has its perks. I want a place like this after I win the tournament."

    Moments later.

    It has been ten minutes.

    Lucivar has only been drinking the refreshment brought for him, but soon heard heels clacking, and the sound stopped for a good moment in front of the door. Then, he turned to the door¡ªand saw a woman entering after knocking.

    Naturally, this woman was Angel.

    Angel was wearing her formal, office uniform with a black suitcase in her hand.

    Before the tournament began, Lucivar had assigned her a few tasks¡ªintelligence gathering, mostly, it was to better prepare himself. Her reports must be in that black briefcase. But now, his focus shifted the moment she approached.

    Angel''s breaths were shallow¡ªshe must''ve come running when she knew he was calling for her.

    Her face was artfully touched with makeup, more than usual, Lucivar realized.

    Not enough to be garish or inappropriate, but enough for him to notice.

    First, her lips were a bold, cherry red¡ªstraddling the line of what might be considered appropriate in a professional setting. A faint blush dusted her cheeks, lending her a flushed vitality that made her appear more radiant than usual.

    Then his gaze drifted lower.

    Her shirt has its top two buttons undone, revealing just enough to invite a second glance.

    Since the second button was not undone properly, she must''ve opened them recently by the door.

    But the most surprising part was her skirt¡ªshe wore a skirt that rose just above the knee.

    A daring choice for someone so typically precise and professional.

    She wasn''t just delivering a report. She had dressed for him.

    And that realization made Lucivar smirk inside.

    ''Is she trying to impress, no, seduce me?'' He chuckled inside. ''I got her wrapped around my fingers. If only Ravenna could be more like her, proactive like her, it would be perfect. But Dullan''s assistant, the assistant of a powerful person in the whole city, doing this to get my attention? Well, that I like too.''

 Chapter 255 255: Picking Targets

    "I heard there was trouble earlier. I should''ve been there, I''m sorry," Angel bowed and apologized.

    "Just a pretty boy loser," Lucivar waved dismissively and gestured to the sofa ahead. "Please, sit down. I''m looking forward to what you have gathered for me. Make it quick¡ªI don''t want Dullan to see you doing this for me."

    "R-Right..." Angel nodded and quickly settled on the sofa across.

    She opened the suitcase and placed stacks of papers across the table, displaying it for Lucivar clearly.

    "I managed to gather practically everyone worth mentioning who you might pose a threat to you," Angel said as she spread out the papers, showcasing multiple biographies of the participants. "I''ve listed their known abilities stated on the Hybrid Association''s database, and also their recent accomplishments."

    Lucivar leaned forward and skimmed through the papers.

    Each paper showed different people, their names, ranks, bloodlines, and achievements.

    In a matter of days, Angel was able to gather this much about them.

    "What do these stars stand for?" Lucivar asked, pointing at the red star beside each section.

    "Of course, we can''t really trust the Hybrid Association''s database. Some of them might be hiding their real bloodline and abilities¡ªso those whom I can''t confirm, I marked them with a red star," Angel replied, adjusting her glasses.

    Lucivar gave her an approving nod.

    Her position as the CEO''s secretary wasn''t only for show, she was competent.

    "Also, the numbers at the very top," Angel pointed at the top corner of the biography. "Represent their threat level. It''s based on my own bias and their achievements, so it might not be accurate, but it should be of help to you. Number 1 is the highest."

    As soon as he heard that, he referred to the paper marked with the number one.

    And as expected, it was the governor''s grandson.

    "Seth Damonil Valerius," Lucivar muttered¡ªand hovered over to the achievement section. "Possess a diamond-class spell that allowed him to see through the illusion conjured¡ªby a Savant-rank Hybrid, obtained the title of Spear Grandmaster, has five high-tier blue dungeons on his belt, taken part in a raid team for a purple dungeon, and has 21% Vampire bloodline purity."

    "Pretty undermining, nothing special." He shrugged and placed the paper aside.

    Angel smiled acutely at the sight¡ªnobody other than Lucivar would say Seth was undermining.

    Even the title Spear Grandmaster alone was usually given to those above the age of forty.

    Seth got it when he was only nineteen, and that''s something.

    In the next five minutes, Angel observed as Lucivar skimmed through the rest.

    But she was slightly confused¡ªas he seemed to only be checking their abilities, not making an overall judgment of how strong each of them was. He didn''t even bother reading their names and went straight down to the ability section.

    ''Is he not wary of them at all? Is he truly that confident?'' Angel wondered, studying Lucivar''s expression.

    Each one of the participants was exceptional in their own way.

    All of them were the top-dog of their particular faction, honed in combat for years, and had several tricks up their sleeves¡ªthat could change the course of the battle. Even the thought of underestimating them was sheer stupidity for many.

    It would take someone insane or outright arrogant to do that.

    From the looks of it, Lucivar was both.

    "What about the Vanguard Institute, which was the strongest out of them all?" Lucivar suddenly asked.

    He recalled the blond man earlier, and he was curious.

    "Ermm..." Angel looked through the papers before she found one. "Here, the strongest participant from the Vanguard Institute is this person, Orivelle."

    Lucivar looked at the photo on the biography and found a woman¡ªwith pale red hair and glowing lava eyes. She looked very young, maybe because of how she was underdeveloped compared to most of her peers, but she barely looked like someone in their twenties.

    A chuckle slipped out of his mouth, "It''s not even you, the strongest one? Pathetic."

    Recalling how that blond man acted, Lucivar was expecting him to be the strongest, but he wasn''t.

    "The Vanguard Institute consistently produced powerful students and has always been participating in the South Hues tournament," Angel explained as she pulled back her hair behind her ears. Her face was burning from Lucivar''s intense gaze. "They... They are always in the top three in the last twenty years, but I ranked her eleventh."

    It wasn''t surprising to see her being ranked that low despite her background.

    She barely has any achievements, and she was also a Phoenix Hybrid, Angel had confirmed her bloodline, and a Phoenix Hybrid wasn''t known to be the strongest. Compared to Vampires or even Titans, those who have the bloodline of a Phoenix aren''t really strong.

    Not that the bloodline itself was weak, but it depended heavily on the bloodline''s purity.

    And there are barely any Phoenix Hybrids with above 10% bloodline purity.

    Being ranked eleventh was purely because of her background, because of the Vanguard Institute.

    Despite that, Angel could see Lucivar looked interested.

    Unlike the other biographies, he read Orivelle''s biography longer than normal, more than a glance.

    "Find out more about her abilities," Lucivar said, seeing that there was no stated innate ability.

    "I''ll try. I can''t make guarantees, but I''ll try." Angel nodded.

    Then, Lucivar finally placed Orivelle''s biography aside, into a separate pile.

    After continuing to go through the papers, Lucivar found Caldaros, who was ranked at fifty-five, and stated as a Vampire Hybrid. Just from this alone¡ªit was clear that he couldn''t take the list at face value since Caldaros should be higher than that.

    If Caldaros was able to hide his strength, then there are certainly others who could too.

    Once he was done skimming through the biographies, there were three hundred of them, he leaned back and rubbed his sore neck. He never worked with papers before, and that much reading was a lot. It was way easier to hunt than to look down at papers.

    "Good work, Angel." Lucivar nodded and cast a smile. "I knew I could count on you."

    Angel averted her gaze, trying to hide her blush.

    She was working overnights to make them, and Lucivar''s praise made it all worth it, but she didn''t want Lucivar to know that being praised like this made her feel good and liberated. It would only make him look down on her more.

    "Put these back in your suitcase, I''m going to take them back with me." Lucivar instructed.

    Once Angel was done tidying up the papers, she took out an orb¡ªand placed it on the table.

    "What''s this?" Lucivar asked and inspected the orb.

    It was black and was attached to a holder underneath, exuding not a trace of energy.

    "An orb to measure your power," Angel answered. "It''s mandatory for participants to tell exactly how strong they are to their sponsors, which would then be reported to the tournament''s officials. Of course, you will be re-checked again before the tournament."

    "Just think of this as a preliminary assessment," She added, gesturing Lucivar to hold the orb.

    Nodding his head, Lucivar placed his hand on the orb and channeled his ether.

    Swish!

    Slowly, but surely, the glow regained some trace, so life¡ªhumming with black and white power.

    Angel kept her full focus on the orb, ''How strong is she? Five-star Acolyte rank? If he were still at the Five-star Acolyte rank, he wouldn''t be able to reach the top three. All of the top twenty are Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, so he''d have no chance.''

    Just as she thought that, the crystal surged with unrelenting power.

    She was taken aback when the white and black energy flared outward like rippling waves.

    Inside the orb, a core was forming, signifying that Lucivar was at the Chrysalis rank.

    However, it didn''t stop there.

    Lucivar smirked as he poured more and more energy.

    He kept going, pushing everything he had into the orb until finally¡ªthe surface cracked.

    As soon as the orb cracked, Lucivar pulled back his ether and turned to look at Angel, who was stunned beyond measure. She was expecting him to be at the five-star Acolyte rank or maybe, one-star Chrysalis rank.

    But this was beyond her expectations.

    "So, how strong am I?" Lucivar asked cheekily.

    Angel snapped from her daze and cleared her throat, "I... I''m not sure..."

    Glancing back at the cracked orb, she sweated a little, ''That orb could sustain anything under the Savant rank, so for him to crack the orb like that, he must be an exceptional, no, an abnormal-level of Chrysalis-rank Hybrid...''

    Lucivar knew what was going on inside Angel''s mind, and he also wasn''t surprised by this outcome.

    Earlier, he poured all 25 God strands into the orb.

    He wanted to know how strong a full-power strike from him would be, and it didn''t disappoint.

    ''I should at least be this strong to win against Caldaros,'' Lucivar thought and shrugged.

    Focusing back to Angel again, he stood up and walked over to her.

    Lucivar sat down beside her and placed one arm over the sofa, flaring his chest before he asked, "If you were to rank me in that pile of people you have, where would I be? Now that you know how strong I am, I''d like to hear your answer."

    Realizing that he was already right beside her and close, Angel''s face reddened.

    "W-Where I w-w-would rank you?" She stumbled on her words nervously. "You... You''d be the first."

    "Hmm? What''s that? I can''t hear you properly," Lucivar leaned closer.

    His natural manly scent reached Angel, and it caused her mind to spin.

    "I''d rank you the first," She repeated, louder this time. "You''d be the most dangerous of them all."

    Lucivar smiled proudly as he reached his arm to her waist, and pulled her close, squeezing her against his body, "Dullan really made the right choice for assigning you to me," He whispered directly into her ear. "You knew exactly what to say."

    "I... I need to go," Angel whispered meekly, trying to hold onto her last thread of her sane mind.

    Dullan is coming, and she couldn''t do anything with Lucivar right now.

    But even then, her body was saying otherwise.

    Seeing her pulling close, Lucivar smirked and pulled away.

    "Oh, right," He cleared his throat. "Let''s say that I am poisoned right now¡ªbut I don''t feel anything. What could that poison be?"

    Seeing him pull away, Angel tried to recover from the sexual tension.

    But then, she paused and her face turned ghastly, "Wait, someone poisoned you...?"

    "I''m not really sure," Lucivar answered truthfully¡ªhe found out about it just earlier from Ravenna. If it''s not for her, he would not have known anything about it¡ªsince he felt perfectly fine. "But it''s likely that I''m poisoned."

    "This is why we don''t make a deal with a mediocre academy." Angel massaged her forehead. Then, she contemplated for a second before she answered, "If you don''t feel anything, then it could be one of two options. Either the poison is a lethal one or it''s a harmless one."

    "Harmless poison? What does that even mean?" Lucivar arched an eyebrow.

    "Maybe, the poison was to gauge what your real bloodline was." Angel shrugged.

    Knowing someone''s real bloodline is paramount for the tournament, so it wasn''t weird for someone to use this kind of poison on Lucivar. It was supposed to be nothing, but Lucivar''s heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

    "What...?" Lucivar stared at Angel with wide eyes. "To determine my bloodline?"

 Chapter 256 256: Illegal Item

    Angel looked at Lucivar and was confused by his reaction.

    He should''ve been more worried about a very potent poison that could kill him, which would determine his life and death, but he seemed to care more about the secrecy of his bloodline. It was puzzling¡ªbut Angel was sharp, she could put two and two together.

    Just as Lucivar''s lips twitched, about to say something, the door was opened.

    Dullan stepped inside and stopped when he saw Angel and Lucivar together.

    His eyes narrow, scrutinizing the situation.

    On que, Angel quickly shoved everything into the suitcase and got up from the sofa.

    "I see you''ve done the mandatory strength assessment," Dullan recovered and approached, taking a seat across Lucivar, whom for some reason looked stiff and distraught. "So, how is your strength progressing? Are you confident?"

    Seeing that Lucivar wasn''t answering, Dullan turned to Angel, standing on their side.

    "He''s well beyond Chrysalis rank. Based on the review of the other participants, Sir Lucivar certainly has a high chance to reach the top three," Angel answered smoothly, professionally, covering for Lucivar. "As long as he got the right support, he could win."

    "Good," Dullan nodded and turned back to Lucivar again.

    Since they were going to discuss the arrangements, Angel should leave¡ªit wasn''t her place to stay.

    "Then, in that case," She bowed politely. "I''ll take my leave."

    As she was about to turn, Lucivar''s voice rang.

    "Before you go, tell me how to organize this." He demanded with a stern voice.

    Angel paused, then she realized what Lucivar was talking about, "You need to assess the situati-"

    "You''re a fucking secretary, tell me the how and when." Lucivar cut her sentence short.

    Hearing this, Angel was surprised as Lucivar''s tone changed drastically from playful to serious, but she knew that this meant his bloodline was important. After a brief silence, she finally spoke, "The task is still ongoing, so it needs to be collected. Preferably tonight, but it could be before the tournament."

    "Alright, thank you. You can leave now." Lucivar waved his hand, not even turning to look at her.

    Once Angel left and closed the door behind her, Dullan clasped his hands together.

    "What was that all about?" He asked questioningly.

    "An unforeseen task," Lucivar answered calmly. "I need to handle it soon."

    Dullan was skeptical, but he didn''t care about the details, only one thing, "Will it interfere in our deal?"

    "No, I''ll handle it." Lucivar shook his head.

    Knowing how Lucivar handled his affairs from how he handled the Feradith Family, Dullan gave him a nod and didn''t linger on the subject. Dullan trusted Lucivar to handle whatever he was dealing with, he has proven himself at least to be able to do that much.

    Next was a blurrying breeze of formal discussions.

    It was the legality of the matter, starting from the contracts, reaffirmation of their deal, and such.

    Dullan decided to talk about this himself, not through a third-party¡ªwhich showed that he was utterly on board to support Lucivar. The Trading Union didn''t even have another champion other than Lucivar, and that spoke volumes.

    Moreover, the discussions didn''t linger in that room for long.

    Over the entire day, Dullan brought him to special sites to discuss his equipment.

    Sponsors could provide the necessary equipment for their champion, such as weapons, armor, items, and artifacts. But the item and artifact are restricted to only one per champion. Illegal items, outside enhancements, and any other things that don''t encompass the normal standard are prohibited.

    Having their champion turned into a mutant or using strengthening elixirs is prohibited.

    It goes without saying that the participants must only use their raw capabilities.

    Not heeding the rules would incur heavy penalties.

    Lucivar thought the meeting would be brief, but it wasn''t.

    Even though the equipment details were already registered days ago, and today should only be picking up the finished product, it took quite a while. Mainly because each one of them involved a precious rune or magical items that needed some paperwork to be done.

    At exactly four o''clock, he arrived at a branch office in the suburbs.

    Compared to the main office, the building in front of him right now was a far cry in terms of appearance.

    It wasn''t even a cathedral compared to the buildings in the suburbs.

    "Is this really a Trading Union branch office?" Lucivar asked as he followed Dullan from behind.

    "If I built a metropolitan-style building out here in the suburbs," Dullan chuckled, the idea was comical from his standpoint. "No one would bother trading there. Business thrives on familiarity, and in a case like this, the building needs to reflect the consumer it serves."

    Once inside, a secretary already waited and guided them through the halls.

    As opposed to going up, as they always did throughout the day, the secretary guided them underground.

    "What are we going to pick up from here?" Lucivar asked curiously.

    "What do you think?" Dullan casts a meaningful glance. "Your requested item, I managed to get it."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes flickered with realization, before he smiled.

    He was only saying that item as a joke, but who would''ve thought Dullan could get him one?

    Dullan needs serious connections to get his hands on this item.

    Even at the lowest floor, the secretary didn''t slow his pace¡ªhe led them deeper still, into the far end of the basement, until they reached a secluded room tucked away in the corner. Not a room for a meeting, this room looked like a storage room.

    Not to mention, there was not a soul present other than the secretary, Lucivar, and Dullan.

    Just the sheer level of isolation and secrecy spoke volumes¡ªthe item was clearly of immense value.

    Then again, knowing what the item was, Lucivar wasn''t surprised.

    Stepping into the room, an eerie atmosphere and cold air brushed against Lucivar''s body.

    It was dim, only lit up by a single hanging lamp at the center, and the room had only one wooden table and three wooden chairs. Standing with his hands clasped behind him was a man, a powerful man who was certainly a high-ranking Hybrid.

    And he was wearing a mask, an obsidian black mask with white linings and a big crystal at the top.

    ''His aura is immense, I can''t tell how strong he is, Savant? Paragon? Grand Paragon? I don''t know,'' Lucivar thought, sizing the man up and down. ''Not to mention, the scent of blood coming from him was thick. But somehow, he looked familiar...''

    ''Maybe it''s because his stature made me recall Tobias,'' He shrugged dismissively.

    No way this person was Tobias.

    Tobias is not that powerful, he even got hurt by a punch when Lucivar was still a new Hybrid.

    Once the secretary left the room and closed the door, Lucivar faced the man and waited for him to speak.

    Soon, the man placed an intricate vial on the table.

    Inside of it was a white substance, emanating a faint heat of energy.

    "The White Blood, as you requested, Dullan." The man spoke with a monotone voice.

    Lucivar had requested the White Blood, the only poison that could work on Vampire Hybrids. It turned the blood of those¡ªwho drink it into a poison for a Vampire Hybrid that would last for a day until the body''s metabolism got rid of it.

    It was hard to detect, and could easily catch a Vampire Hybrid off guard.

    Due to that, the Valerius Supreme House banned the White Blood from circulating publicly.

    But that doesn''t stop this person from having it in his possession.

    Upon hearing this, Dullan took out a loupe from his pocket and stepped forward to inspect the vial.

    A minute later, he nodded, verifying that it was indeed the White Blood.

    Dullan turned to Lucivar and nodded.

    Lucivar stepped forward to claim the White Blood, but just as his fingers neared it, the man''s hand shot out and seized his wrist in a firm grip. Despite the sudden movement¡ªLucivar didn''t flinch. Instead, he calmly lifted his gaze, locking eyes with the man.

    The silence stretched, thick and tense¡ªbut not once did Lucivar show fear or hesitation.

    "Dullan told me that you wouldn''t use it on the Royal House," The man finally started, pausing after the last word to emphasize his point across before he continued, "But I want to hear you say it directly. I don''t want to be tied to any conspiracy and have an ending similar to the Angels."

    Hearing this, Lucivar exhaled sharply and answered, "I won''t use it on the governor''s grandson, relax."

    For a second, the masked man stayed put, scrutinizing Lucivar''s face.

    Until finally, he let go.

    Lucivar took the White Blood vial with care and put it in his pocket.

    "Make sure to drink it before the tournament, and don''t provoke the governor''s son, or he''ll bite you. If he did, he''ll instantly recognize that you have drunk the White Blood poison," the man warned.

    This was something that would be punishable by a fate worse than death.

    It should be taken seriously.

    "I understand." Lucivar nodded and stood by Dullan once again.

    Just like that, the White Blood poison fell into Lucivar''s hands.

    ''Now, with this, I don''t need to care about his Vampire side.'' He thought mischievously¡ªlimiting the options of his enemies is a must. But in this scenario, this would help Lucivar to get his point across, there''s no avoiding what was about to happen. ''Poor Caldaros... Once I''m done with you, you''ll hope that you never become Sunna''s Avatar.''

    ...

    It was seven in the evening when he reached the Blessed Hand Clan''s headquarters, one hour late.

    Lucivar didn''t get his meeting, the advisor was already dealing with something else.

    Considering his lateness, he was expecting this already.

    The advisor must''ve made time across packed schedules to meet with Lucivar, but he got here late.

    Fortunately, the sponsor deal was still on.

    It wasn''t that the clan was angry at him¡ªfor not making it in time, they were only slightly displeased, but the advisor was genuinely busy, so there would be no meeting. Regardless, the clan still welcomed him and even provided him with the equipment and item he requested from them.

    Mainly involving healing¡ªhe has a feeling he would be wounded a lot during the tournament.

    On top of that, since he wasn''t going to come back to the academy, he asked for a room to train.

    And the Blessed Hand Clan readily accommodated him, even offering to be the one¡ªwho would escort him to the tournament, which he accepted. Now, inside the normal training room¡ªLucivar was sitting on a mat with his eyes closed.

    Since there was no meeting, he could use this time to progress further.

    It was time for him to go through his Snippet of Bloodline.

    Within his Inner Chamber, he stood in front of his Supernatural Ego and was looking into it intently.

    "Frankly, I wanted the Snippet of Bloodline to be from the Gods. I don''t care about my Angel Bloodline. That woman of light didn''t help me save Delilah, so she''s not worth it," Lucivar thought aloud. Then, he sighed, "But I had a feeling this would be about her. Anyway, the Primeval Skill I''d get from this... It better be good, you stupid angel."

 Chapter 257 257: An Archangels Dilemma

    It started with nothingness encompassing his mind as a whole.

    Slowly, the eerie, cold air of the Inner Chamber faded away, the sound of Sha purring asleep snuffed by the void, and the hissing of Gandr swallowed by the void. A sense of detachment ensued, separating his senses from the surroundings.

    For a moment, nothing was around him.

    Lucivar felt like he was drifting in the void as a soul, devoid of any physical manifestation.

    Around this nothingness, it doesn''t bother him.

    Instead, he felt like he belonged here¡ªas if he had already arrived at his destination.

    An empty space that was all for himself.

    He couldn''t see, couldn''t smell, couldn''t hear, couldn''t feel, and couldn''t touch.

    All his senses were taken from him.

    But soon, those senses came back¡ªthe first thing he felt was the violent rush of warm wind that heated up his skin. Then, the sound of iron against something solid. It was constant and steady, almost like the sound of a march.

    Slowly but surely, his senses were returned back at him.

    Once he regained his physical body, he opened his eyelids to see where he was.

    For a couple of times, his pupils dilated¡ªadjusting to the bright light that felt like it wanted to burn his eyes. Lucivar blinked rapidly, to hasten the adjustment process, and came to realize¡ªthat he was now within his Snippet of Bloodline.

    Above, the sky raged like a wrathful God, churning in a tempest of obsidian clouds.

    So thick that they could blot out creation itself.

    Then, Lucivar focused on the wind that howled like a savage, unrelenting scream, stripping away sound and breath as it tore through the air like serrated blades. It was chaotic and unnatural, there should not be any wind of this caliber in normal circumstances.

    As he turned his head, he realized that he was at the center of a marching army.

    Pristine, armored silhouettes of soldiers with a majestic pair of wings.

    Around them were the cause of this violent wind¡ªfive colossal tornadoes that spiraled downward from the storm-wracked heavens. Each one streaked with veins of red lightning, thundering like the heartbeat of a dying world.

    Lucivar glanced underneath and realized the ground mirrored the chaos above.

    A shattered canvas of ruin and fire.

    Cracks split open the earth in violent patterns, glowing from within as pulsating lava surged like molten blood beneath a wounded sky. Even though the land was no longer prosperous, and fractured, it seemed more alive¡ªexhaling heat and smoke through its cracks.

    One look was enough to tell that Lucivar was on a battlefield.

    He was now marching forward with his army.

    ''A high-ranking Angel, no... an Archangel,'' Lucivar thought inside. ''She''s an Archangel.''

    Unlike watching from a spectator''s point of view, as he initially expected, the Snippet of Bloodline had him be the Archangel ancestor from whom his bloodline originated. It was surreal..

    Lucivar felt like this body, this slender, female, yet extremely powerful body, was his.

    Suddenly, the army came to an abrupt stop.

    A brilliant red star shot upward in the distance, exposing itself with a flare of its wings as a human, no, a celestial being who exuded malice beyond measure. Not even Lucivar could hope to reach this level of maliciousness that seeped into the bones.

    It was terrifying, but this body, his body, was calm.

    Lucivar looked up, and he clearly saw the wicked, celestial being''s lips move.

    He couldn''t hear the celestial being''s voice.

    But it seemed like the celestial being was talking to him, taunting him from the gestures.

    Then, out of nowhere, a malicious pulse of red energy burst forth from the wicked celestial being.

    Its power spread throughout the entire army, causing some of them to twitch, corrupted by the wave of dark energy. However, the Archangel''s body, the body Lucivar was residing in right now, stood up, and with a swift movement, she flared her ten wings and shot to the sky.

    Facing the wicked celestial being, her ten wings stretched and exploded with a holy light.

    All of the corrupted soldiers¡ªwho were brushed by this holy light, were purified, returning them back to their normal selves. Lucivar paid close attention to the situation, noting anything that could be taken as a Primeval Skill, ''A cleansing ability? Lame. I don''t care about the others. Just give me something that would make me strong.''

    Once the soldiers marched onward, the Archangel and the wicked celestial being clashed.

    Lucivar was moving at the speed of light, an illuminating starfall, like a brush against the white canvas.

    But in this case, he was the brush and the sky was the white canvas.

    Space and time broke down¡ªcracks in reality formed with each clash, enhancing the chaos to another level. As he and the celestial being clashed hard, splitting the space open and sending them flying away like a ragdoll, he and the celestial being crashed to the ground.

    In a fit of anger, the wicked celestial being''s body was charged with a relentless amount of crimson energy.

    His chest glowed bright red¡ªamassing power that quaked the earth.

    Then, the wicked celestial being lifted his sword and pointed it skyward, shooting a crimson beam into the sky as an intimidation display. It worked. Everyone¡ªthe heavenly soldiers who were marching with trained unity wavered.

    And without pulling back anything, the wicked celestial being''s sword arced down.

    Slash!

    A world-shattering vertical, crescent-shaped judgment from Hell blasts forward with unrelenting might.

    It was so powerful that the world was dyed blood-red.

    Nobody could face this entity, that is, until the Archangel landed in front of the marching army.

    Crossing her ten wings, she created a holy protection so massive that its light robbed half of the world.

    Now, the world was split into red and white as their powers clashed once again.

    For a second there, Lucivar thought she was winning¡ªthe face of the wicked celestial being twisted in shock and disbelief. The Arcangel''s superiority became blaring when the crimson arc exploded, turning into particles of light that not only healed the soldiers and rejuvenated their spirits, but also healed the scars sustained by the reality around them.

    But then, something weird happened.

    Lucivar felt a chilling sensation gripping his behind.

    It grasped him, specifically him, not the Archangel''s body he was in right now.

    Despite the chilling sensation, a smile crept to his face as he was suddenly pulled out of the body.

    Specifically, he was pulled down into the molten ground, but the Archangel broke free from the snippet and caught Lucivar''s hand. Her face was blinding, her features couldn''t be seen, but Lucivar would not mistake her for someone else.

    "Let me go, you stupid, Angel," Lucivar barked. "Isn''t it about time you give up?"

    "No!" the Archangel retorted fiercely. "I don''t care how far you''ve fallen. I don''t care how much grasp the darkness has on you. I don''t care how many times I needed to try. Whatever it takes, I''m going to return you back to normal. I''m going to cleanse away their corruption on you!"

    "Really?" Lucivar smirked devilishly. "Then let''s see how you handle it on my turf!"

    Glancing over his shoulder, Lucivar nodded.

    "Loki, pull us down!" He demanded.

    Swoosh!

    Almost instantly, the ground underneath his feet turned into an emerald gate that opened wide instantly like Hell''s mouth. Lucivar fell, dragging the Archangel down with him¡ªa maniacal laugh slipped out from his lips.

    It was a kaleidoscope of lights for a second, until finally, the two of them landed on solid ground.

    Splash!

    Upon landing, the Archangel looked around and realized that she was in an empty void¡ªthe scent of evil inside this void was thick, so thick that her ten wings were losing their light. Then, her eyes snapped to the side.

    Emerging from the darkness was a pair of emerald eyes.

    Before she could say anything, a spotlight shone on her¡ªhighlighting her as the person of the moment.

    The Archangel was blinded for a second¡ªthe light shining on her was a false one.

    Then, another spotlight landed on the pair of emerald eyes ahead, showcasing that it was Lucivar¡ªand he was smiling at the Archangel eerily. But what scared the Archangel the most was not his smile, but the amount of evil behind his eyes.

    He was corrupted beyond measure, the darkness inside him was growing rapidly.

    "I am getting tired of others¡ªsaying they wanted to return me to normal, to how I once was," Lucivar said, his voice echoed within this empty void, and there was a tinge of exhaustion in it. "What do you think about my growth?"

    As he said that, Lucivar spread his arms to the side¡ªthe emerald intensity in his eyes was blazing.

    "This is the new normal for me," He continued. "My past is already dead, and you need to accept it."

    "Lucivar... listen to me." The Archangel tried to approach, but her steps halted.

    She took one step forward and Lucivar disappeared from his spot, as if the void has hidden him in the blink of an eye. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she turned frantically, "Loki!!" She shouted, the veins in her neck bulging. "Do you think you can get away with this?! All of the Gods who were responsible for this and the traitor who let this happen¡ªthe force of light will strike all of you down! Just you wait! Their divine judgment will be painful!"

    "How long do you think you can hide the Blessed Oracle from us?!" The Archangel screamed.

    Her voice was raw, full of emotions¡ªbut mainly sadness.

    It was tragic, everything about this was tragic, and she didn''t have the power to stop it.

    Not with five Gods working together to make this possible.

    Then, a sweet chuckle echoed from the void¡ªLoki was laughing at the Archangel.

    "Do not worry about that," Loki answered from concealment.

    He plucked on the strings of fate as the Sly God he was.

    Another voice then echoed, this time, it wasn''t Loki¡ªbut Sutekh instead.

    "You''re the one who would make sure our Blessed Oracle is hidden," He said with a mocking tone.

    Upon hearing this, the Archangel paused and looked down¡ªher eyes widening in realization.

    "Me...? I''m the one who..."

    As she came to the realization, her breath got stuck in her throat.

    Seeing her expression darken, Loki burst into laughter¡ªthe look on the Archangel''s face was simply too delicious to ignore. "Do you understand it now, Seraphiel? Oh, Archangel of Purity," He mocked, eyes in the shadow glinting with cruel amusement. "You could walk away and save the Blessed Oracle right this moment."

    "Expose this situation to your shining legions, and let them deal with us," Loki''s grin widened, wicked and knowing. "But... you may not like what happens to him once you leave, chosen and dear as he is to you. You now have a choice: are you going to stay silent and keep your purity, or are you willing to be impure to save him?"

    "You..." Seraphiel''s lips trembled. "You wicked bastards..."

 Chapter 258 258: Self-Sacrifice

    "Choose. Even if you choose the first choice, I and the other Gods here will allow you to leave."

    Loki''s voice rang again, this time, demanding an answer.

    Stay or leave.

    Seraphiel was forced to choose between two options.

    She could abandon Lucivar for a moment, extract her bloodline away, and inform the forces of light about the situation, risking absolute torment to befall on Lucivar, which would lead him to a path worse than death, and also staining her purity for sacrificing one soul for the better good.

    Or, she could stay and cling to the hope Lucivar would return to the good side.

    As the Archangel of Purity, the latter would allow her to keep her purity¡ªto stand by her own decree.

    But that would mean the start of light''s ruination.

    Despite her heavenly will, as strong as refined steel, the pressure from making a choice weighed heavily in her heart. Not to mention, the five pairs of eyes of the Evil Gods¡ªwho were looking down at her from the shadows, made it worse.

    She was cornered¡ªthe only beacon of light trapped within this purgatory darkness.

    Each second that passed was the death of one of her heavenly feathers.

    It was painful, being inside this dirty void stained her soul, but she couldn''t make a decision.

    Both options were a trap, Seraphiel knew it, but she couldn''t think of another way.

    All of the Evil Gods here have more than enough power to trap her here¡ªforever, and the option to leave would only be possible through their generosity. But she knew that this wasn''t right, the Evil Gods only wanted to break her.

    "Be quick..." Loki''s voice rang again.

    Then, ahead of her, Lucivar reappeared again¡ªbut his eyes were completely emerald.

    He was under Loki''s influence, inactive, almost like he was a doll.

    "My Blessed Oracle is strong," He continued cheekily. "And I can''t hold his wicked mind for long."

    A tear fell down Seraphiel''s eyes, there was love and sadness behind her gaze on Lucivar¡ªthis whole situation was hurting her inside. Things weren''t supposed to end like this, Lucivar wasn''t supposed to walk this fate... he was supposed to be the last of them.

    Seeing him helpless within the palm of the Evil Gods was a knife through her heart.

    "I''ll... I''ll stay..." Seraphiel finally answered.

    Loki, concealed by the darkness, grinned, "As expected, you truly are the Archangel of Purity."

    Once he said that, the power grasping Lucivar''s mind broke.

    Lucivar''s consciousness returned, and instantly, he locked eyes with Seraphiel again.

    "I''ll stay and help you, Lucivar..." She said with a pliant, self-sacrificing smile, as she spread her arms.

    Instead of inducing a good emotion, her smile left a foul taste in Lucivar''s mouth, it reminded him of the smile he always used back home¡ªhe absolutely loathed it. Like a phantom, he skipped the distance between them and grabbed her by the neck.

    Despite being an Archangel, she was within Loki''s dominion, Lucivar''s dominion.

    She holds no power here.

    "Don''t act righteous in front of me. I don''t need your help," Lucivar barked hatefully, gripping her neck so tightly that his fingers dug into her deep. "Once I reach the third, fourth, fifth, or whatever level of Divine Elevation I need to be strong enough, I will first kill karma and then you."

    "Killing you would be poetic then," He continued maliciously. "It''s like a closure for my weakness."

    "I-Heughk!" Seraphiel gasped, trying to speak. "I can help you fix karma! There-There is another way!"

    "Oh...?" Lucivar brought her closer. "How do I do that?"

    "Fate... Fate can tell you how, I''m sure! There''s no need for evil!" She answered.

    Lucivar remained silent for a second, and for a moment, Seraphiel could see a possible change, but that was an illusion. As soon as she said that, Lucivar smirked like the Devil, "Fate, huh... Guess I will pay Fate a visit to find karma, thanks for telling me."

    Giving no chance for Seraphiel to answer, Lucivar grabbed her neck with both hands.

    Viciously, he squeezed hard and broke her neck completely.

    Splash!

    Her heavenly body shattered into fragments of light that dissipated into the darkness.

    Seraphiel wasn''t dead, but it felt good to do that.

    "Loki, bring me back." Lucivar commanded, and soon, he was pulled out of the void.

    Opening his eyes, he found himself within his Inner Chamber.

    He was still standing in front of the egg statue.

    But this time, recalling that this statue belonged to that Archangel, he pulled his hand away in disgust.

    It was as if the statue were a disease.

    "What happened back there? Who was that Archangel?" Lucivar asked, turning to face Gandr on Loki''s statue. One of his brows was raised, demanding an answer, "I blacked out for a moment inside¡ªdidn''t I? The conversation that happened while I was unconscious, I want to know about it."

    Gandr slithered down and swiftly reached him.

    "If you''re unconscious, then you''re not meant to know," Gandr hissed.

    "I''m not meant to know?" Lucivar gritted his teeth. "I''m the Blessed Oracle, and I demand to know!"

    Despite that, Gandr''s lips remained sealed.

    In a fit of anger, Lucivar turned to the God statues, "If any of you wanted my favor, my full support! Tell me what happened there! I will be inclined to you more¡ªif you tell me what the conversation was! I swear!"

    None of them answered.

    Lucivar was only faced with still statues, none of them reacted.

    Seeing this made him burn more with anger, but he didn''t reach an outburst.

    Instead, he swallowed the anger and straightened his back¡ªthere was a change in his eyes.

    And frankly, the Evil Gods could see it.

    "I can tell you¡ªwho that Archangel was," Gandr continued, prompting Lucivar to turn around to face him again. "She''s the Archangel of Purity, one of the heavenly pillars, and as you might already guess, the one whom that egg statue belonged to."

    "Archangel of Purity..." Lucivar repeated, then sneered. "Such a waste."

    Gandr wanted to say something more, but Lucivar had already disappeared.

    He already exited the Inner Chamber.

    Once he came back to reality, he opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings.

    Nobody was around him¡ªhe was alone, and he was sitting on a meditative cushion.

    For a second there, he regulated his breaths¡ªcalming himself down and registering what had happened to him. It was now clear that he had the bloodline of Seraphiel, and she was trying to win him over by showcasing how strong she really was during a battle through the snippet.

    But the Gods intervened.

    Then, there was the momentary blackness¡ªthe Gods'' attempt to keep him in the dark.

    ''I can''t force it out of them, but I could pressure them to explain the situation. All I need right now is more merit, more merit in their favor, and I could start from killing Caldaros. At that point, I won''t let Loki go until he tells me everything.'' Lucivar thought and nodded.

    No point in getting angry and frustrated.

    Instead, he needed to take on actions that would actually matter, that would actually help him.

    Shaking his head, his focus returned to reality again.

    Just then, he tilted his head down when he heard the sound of steaming.

    Swish!

    His body was heating up with the power of light and dark¡ªthese two attributes crawled from the very core of his Supernatural Ego. Lucivar waited, allowing them to take their course, and the moment they reached his mind, a torrent of information erupted.

    It drilled into his brain with unrelenting force.

    Then, a strand of energy shot forth from his mind, creating two blobs of energy in front of him.

    Both contained a Primeval Skill displayed within the snippet.

    One is a Primeval Skill called Mass Purification, while the other is Protection of Feathers.

    Lucivar didn''t need to ponder for long, he already knew which one he wanted.

    It was the Protection of Feathers.

    He recalled how Seraphiel blocked the incoming rush of energy with her wings, turning the attack into golden feathers that rejuvenated her surroundings. In hindsight¡ªLucivar was not compatible with this kind of ability, considering that it wasn''t an ability that focused on him.

    But he wasn''t worried.

    As soon as he reached for the Protection of Feathers'' blob, the other side of him got to work.

    Two streams of energy, emerald and bronze, invaded the blob.

    Lucivar watched with a wicked smile as both Loki and Sutekh molded the Primeval Skill into one that aligned with them, aligned with the new Lucivar. For a moment, the blob trembled, and its color changed from white to olive.

    It was turned from Protection of Feathers to Protection of the Fragmented Desert.

    Once a protection ability, it has now turned into a sharp protection.

    Learning about his new Primeval Skill in silence, Lucivar couldn''t help but smile.

    It was perfect.

    "Coupled with the ability I devised on my own, this is perfect." He mumbled to himself.

    Serpahiel''s bloodline gave the blueprint, and the Gods perfected the ability, and finally, after a long and well-thought-out preparation, he has a bit of confidence to fight against Caldaros face to face. Perhaps he might be stronger now, but he didn''t get into his head.

    His main strength isn''t a full-blown confrontation, it was his secretive and meticulous planning.

    Why would he choose to confront Caldaros directly with a moderate chance of winning?

    Instead, he would create a situation where his chance of winning would be one hundred percent.

    Some might call this cowardly.

    But when he was standing and Caldaros on the ground in the end, cowardice became strategy.

    Lucivar wanted to test the new Primeval Skill, but he reckoned it would take a lot of ether to use, so it was best for him to save it until the tournament. Besides, he has somewhere to be, one last move before the tournament.

    Raising his gaze to look at the holographic clock on the wall, it states minutes past midnight.

    "Should be about time," Lucivar nodded and stood up.

    He opened the door to his room and saw a woman already standing there.

    A clan member of the Blessed Hand Clan.

    "Someone is waiting for you," She informed, avoiding making eye contact.

    Lucivar nodded, "Bring me to her."

    Just as requested, the clan member led him through the halls until he reached the lobby once again.

    There, a familiar figure was waiting for him¡ªAngel.

    "Did you find her? I really can''t accept a failure right now." Lucivar said and crossed his arms.

    Upon hearing this, Angel retained her professional demeanor and smiled lightly, "I found her, I know where she is right now. She''s a part of a crew. A festival crew that she went around with, so finding her wasn''t exactly hard. Just a few pressure here and there,"

    "Good," Lucivar nodded and headed for the car outside. "Bring me to her. I just want to have a talk."

 Chapter 259 259: Ink In Clear Water

    "No matter what you''re thinking of doing, don''t."

    Standing on the door to a room was Ravenna with her arms crossed tightly.

    Inside the room was Mirel was already packing up his necessities¡ªhe was going to his own sponsor, the Feradith Family. The tournament was tomorrow, and he would go to the site along with his sponsor, not alone.

    Knowing who it was, Mirel didn''t bother to turn around.

    "And what made you think it''s better that I don''t?" He asked, his hands still busy packing.

    "Because that will save you a lot of trouble," Ravenna answered firmly¡ªshe doesn''t want things to get complicated. "Even if you can catch him in the act, what would you even say to him? Before reaching the academy, you''re the one who was closest to Lucivar the most, and you know well that when he fixed his mind on something, he would see it until the end."

    Mirel stopped abruptly and then turned around, meeting Ravenna''s gaze straight on.

    "I''m not against killing, I''m not against torturing, or any other things that most consider inhuman," Mirel explained himself, his voice was firm and low. "But there must be a code¡ªthere must be a moral line that we shouldn''t cross."

    "Master Tobias told us to pursue power by any means necessary. In the world of power, conscience is the first sacrifice, morality is the first sacrifice," Ravenna answered nonchalantly, as if this was common sense for her. "If you go down this path, you''ll be the next one to be eliminated."

    Instead of answering, Mirel took his bag and walked over to the door.

    But Ravenna stood in the way, barring his path.

    "Move." Mirel commanded sternly.

    "What happened to you, Mirel?" Ravenna tilted her head. "Back then, whenever Bob did anything that was borderline inhuman, you always remained silent, docile. But now, with Lucivar, you''re acting like this?"

    "Bob was doing all of that for our safety, there''s a reason behind his action," Mirel answered flatly. He didn''t even look Ravenna in the eyes anymore. "What reason does Lucivar have for bringing trouble to the night market? Or even the incident back then in Kalinan City."

    Hearing this, Ravenna''s brows dipped a little into a mild frown.

    "Do you think I wouldn''t find out?" Mirel raised an eyebrow tauntingly. "You and Lucivar used me to get back at Leandra, who was probably trying to sabotage his plan, since like me, she also has morals¡ªone that someone seemed to lack."

    "Me- Me...?" Ravenna smiled and chuckled.

    She saw how Mirel turned his gaze towards her upon saying ''someone''.

    Then, her smile vanished as instantly as it appeared, "Do you mean me?"

    Ravenna couldn''t believe Mirel would say something like that, especially to her out of all people.

    Back then, she was the first one to welcome Mirel and take care of him, so this was surprising.

    However, she didn''t let that affect her.

    Stepping forward in aggression, Ravenna''s crimson eyes flickered with a newfound light.

    "I say everything you said was an excuse, a farce," She said dominantly¡ªthe tone she was using made Mirel''s heartbeat race a little, and her eyes changed as her Predator Oculus ability was activated. "Don''t hide behind your excuse, Mirel. Just be honest, you feel inferior to Lucivar, didn''t you? That''s the sole reason for this."

    "In the past, all attention was on you thanks to your charm, but not anymore." Ravenna smirked.

    Mirel''s nose flared as he inhaled deeply, looking at Ravenna in anger.

    As he was about to answer, someone intervened.

    Leandra cleared her throat when she realized the two were going at it.

    Glancing at her, Ravenna gave one last look at Mirel before turning away, smiling as if she wasn''t on the brink of a fight seconds ago, "Leandra, what brings you here tonight?" She asked¡ªbefore her gaze landed on something in Leandra''s hand. "What''s that?"

    "I went to your room to give you this, but you weren''t there..." Leandra answered awkwardly.

    She could feel the tension in the air¡ªit was suffocating.

    In her hands was a ticket, presumably the ticket for the tournament.

    "Oh, thank you. Did you buy it for me?" Ravenna asked, accepting the tournament ticket.

    "No," Leandra shook her head. "Master Tobias mailed tickets for us."

    Despite not knowing what was going on between Mirel¡ªand Ravenna, Leandra lingered around as her presence diffused the situation. Ravenna even excused herself to go back to her room¡ªonce she got the ticket, not wanting to linger.

    Once she was gone, Leandra turned to look at Mirel.

    "What was all that about?" She asked.

    "It''s nothing," Mirel shot her a light smile before closing the door behind him. "I''ll be going then."

    A lot changed when Lucivar entered their family, but it wasn''t all that bad.

    Leandra, for once, became more talkative than she normally was¡ªand that Mirel could appreciate.

    A couple of steps away, Leandra stopped him.

    "Mirel..." She called and paused. "If it''s about Lucivar, let me be the one to handle it."

    For the sake of their harmony, it''s best if Mirel didn''t get involved in this.

    Upon hearing that, Mirel only stopped for a second before continuing ahead¡ªheading out.

    Once her back disappeared from view, Leandra exhaled deeply.

    "Knowing Lucivar, it''s best for me to be the one who opposed him," She mumbled to herself. ''He liked to use people and then discard them, that much I know. I have the Star Witch Bloodline, and he knew about it, so even if I pressed, he won''t kill me. But Mirel...''

    Leandra glanced to where he had gone, ''Lucivar could end up killing him if he crossed the line.''

    On the other hand, there was one thing she found interesting.

    "What was that about me?" She tilted her head in confusion. "And since when is Ravenna that close to Lucivar that she''d even mock Mirel for him? I never knew they were that close..."

    ...

    Meanwhile, somewhere within the Sunhold City.

    "Are you confident in your safety?" Ciri asked as she poured a glass of juice.

    She turned around and looked at the man sitting on the sofa.

    Caldaros was there with her, and he had a duffle bag beside him, containing all of his equipment.

    "Have you ever seen me in real trouble once I awakened by Vampire bloodline?" Caldaros chuckled in hubris. "No? Then you don''t have to worry about my safety. In fact, I''m worried about yours. I will be participating in the tournament¡ªand you''re going to be out here, alone. I am afraid he had something ready for you."

    "Then shouldn''t it be best for me to be in the tournament? In a crowded place?" Ciri asked again.

    She placed the glass in front of Caldaros and sat beside him.

    "No, you can''t be in the tournament, aunty." Caldaros shook his head and took a sip of the juice. "You were never good at seeing blood¡ªand you particularly could not watch me bleed. Besides, if you were there, watching me, I''d be too nervous."

    "Caldaros, I''m being serious. I can handle watching if I forced myself," Ciri rubbed her hands.

    Instead of herself, she was more nervous for Caldaros.

    "In all seriousness, you should stay away from the tournament," Caldaros leaned forward, playing with the glass in his hands. "I already prepared a safe place¡ªfor you, so that the Devil would not be able to reach you like before. It''s better for you to be there than in the tournament."

    Hearing this, Ciri nodded, but there was a tinge of skepticism behind her eyes.

    For her, Caldaros'' reasoning doesn''t make sense.

    If she were there, in the tournament watching, Lucivar would have no chance to reach her.

    A lot of powerful Hybrids there, and even Loki''s Avatar couldn''t afford to be brazen there.

    "What about that Devil? Lucivar... What are you going to do to him?" Ciri asked.

    Caldaros paused for a second, deliberating the question, seemingly troubled¡ªat the thought of what he needed to do to Lucivar, "Since he was already chosen as Loki''s Avatar, his soul was tainted, corrupted. I have no choice but to take him down... for good."

    Almost instantly, Ciri clenched her hands tightly¡ªthe thought of doing that was not right for her.

    "Can''t we cleanse Loki''s power from him?" Ciri asked with hope. "His evil actions must''ve been the influence of Loki. If we could cleanse him, get rid of the dark power that has taken hold of him, there''s a chance we could save him. Away from evil. At the very least, we should try to help him, right...?"

    It was always hopeful¡ªCiri has always been bright and hopeful, and this was expected.

    Caldaros smiled and looked at her dotingly.

    "Underneath it all, Lucivar could be a kind person..." Ciri continued.

    "No," Caldaros shook his head. "An evil God like Loki only chose people who are evil in nature. That Devil is evil in nature, he''s not good inside. And even if he is, there''s no saving him. Once the power of evil touched him, there''s no turning back."

    "Just like me¡ªI''ve been touched by the power of good. No matter what I do, I can''t be evil," He added.

    "Can''t..." Ciri paused, fidgeting with her fingers. "Can''t you at least ask the Goddess? We have to try."

    "No, we can''t..."

    "But I don''t want you to kill, there are other wa-"

    "No, there''s not! Lucivar must die!"

    Suddenly, Caldaros stood up and shouted¡ªhis eyes glowing bright with sunlight.

    Ciri flinched and looked down at the floor.

    She didn''t expect Caldaros to raise his voice like that.

    All she wanted was to do the right thing, so this reaction was surprising.

    Realizing what he had done, Caldaros'' eyes returned to normal again as he quickly knelt in front of Ciri apologetically, "I''m sorry," He whispered softly. "I''m sorry for raising my voice like that. I''m just not willing to put you in any more danger. It''s only the stress talking, I hope you can understand..."

    "It''s alright, I understand..." Ciri nodded, wiping away a tear.

    Caldaros held her hands against, squeezing them gently, "It''s going to be fine... We can go through this."

    Hearing this, Ciri offered a faint smile, but there was hesitation behind it.

    Moments later, it was time for Caldaros to leave.

    "I already messaged you the location. Go there as soon as possible," Caldaros said.

    Ciri nodded her head, standing by the door to her apartment, "Yes, I already packed. You can go."

    Nodding his head, Caldaros looked up to the night sky.

    His body turned into sunlight before he shot upward, disappearing from the place.

    As Ciri was about to close the door, her eyes caught something, or someone.

    A familiar figure was standing beside the dumpster.

    Only the pair of emerald eyes could be seen, other than that, the figure was covered by the shadow.

    "The Devil...?" She tilted her head in shock.

    But then, instead of going towards him, the figure placed something on the dumpster and walked away.

    Hesitating for a moment, Ciri went downstairs and approached the dumpster.

    She saw that it was an envelope¡ªit doesn''t look like a trap.

    Grabbing the envelope, she opened it and realized that there was a ticket inside.

    It was the ticket to the tournament.

    On the letter beside it, there was a single question written in bold letters.

    ''Are you afraid that I might be right?''

    Ciri crumpled the letter, but the question...It made her feel uneasy and doubtful.

    Her beloved Caldaros... Did he change?

 Chapter 260 260: Start of the Tournament

    As the biggest tournament of the year for the academies across the Sunhold City and beyond, the South Hues Tournament was held at the biggest and most grand stadium the city possessed, the Celestia Prism, located quite close to the governor''s abode.

    Even the renowned Floating Blood Island, the wonder of Sunhold City, could be seen so close.

    From a bird''s eye view, the Celestia Prism was triangular, and it was massive.

    Compared to the twenty-story office building nearby, its peak was at least two times or even three times still. Other than the foundational construct of the building, mainly the front¡ªand back entrances as well as the bottom, everything was made of reinforced glass.

    It added a tinge of simplicity and modernity, a stadium that boasted the future.

    Not to mention, despite the shape of the stadium¡ªit could easily host around 100,000 people.

    And on the day of the tournament, even from a bleak morning, the entrances were already crowded.

    People were already coming in¡ªthe sheer excitement and hype around the South Hues Tournament as the governor''s grandson, Seth, was participating, is astonishing. His presence alone raised the bar¡ªfor all participants, ensuring the tournament would be nothing short of exhilarating.

    "Come, quick! It''s going to be too crowded if we''re not inside before the sun is up!"

    Couples gathered.

    "Who are you betting on? I''m playing it safe and picking Orievelle at least reaching the third stage."

    "Going to take a risky one, betting on the ghoul girl, Adriana Modred."

    Friends gathered.

    "Dad, can we have ice cream?"

    "It''s still too early, son¡ªthe store isn''t open yet. We''ll buy it later."

    Families gathered.

    Every demographic, without exception, came to see the tournament.

    Outside, there was a mile-long traffic jam as people lined up to enter the stadium.

    Meanwhile, on the side of the stadium, there was another entrance that was restricted.

    Guarding in front of this entrance were two Hybrids in a formal suit-and-tie¡ªstanding still like statues, making sure nobody would try and get inside through here. Judging from the delicate aura around them, sizzling with a higher form of ether, it was clear that they were both Chrysalis-rank Hybrids.

    For them to be mere guards showed how important this tournament was.

    Then again, this tournament was also a showcase to the public that the future of Humanity is secured.

    It made sense for it to be extremely important.

    As these two were guarding idly, a person approached them from the side, a middle-aged man.

    Before the man could even get close to the entrance, one of the Hybrids stepped into his way and raised a hand, stopping him, "This area is reserved only for the participants and other personnel of importance. Please, go back."

    "I am here on behalf of the Blessed Hand Clan," the man smiled and showed his ID.

    Hearing this, the Hybrid checked before turning to his companion.

    "Even so, without the presence of the participant, we can''t allow you to go through," the Hybrid refused.

    None of the participants had arrived, and this man was suspiciously alone.

    Letting him through would be a dubious decision.

    "I''m sent here as a security liaison for the participant I am working with," The man explained calmly. "There was a recent incident, someone tried to sabotage us. I''m here to ensure there aren''t any similar attempts orchestrated by our rivals. Please be understanding."

    Despite the explanation, the Hybrid was still hesitant.

    "If it''s more assuring, one of you can come with me." The man added.

    Eventually, the Hybrid nodded and guided the man inside, to the assigned room.

    As soon as those two entered, the other Hybrid who stood guard outside noticed more people coming.

    It seemed like many of the participants were experiencing the same kind of trouble.

    Meanwhile, back in the Blessed Hand''s headquarters.

    Lucivar was already awake at four in the morning, and was now sitting inside another room.

    He got off the phone, his phone, right when the door creaked open.

    It was his breakfast.

    Lucivar ate his breakfast calmly and did his due diligence for the upcoming tournament.

    Mostly, he was reading the biographies once again, and also looking through several pictures on a tablet set up on the table near him. He was looking through pictures of the Celestia Prism¡ªmainly the layout of the stadium and his assigned room.

    He asked the attending secretary to send someone to take pictures earlier, after showering.

    Surprisingly enough, the Blessed Hand Clan already has someone stationed there.

    It was how Lucivar got his hands on these pictures earlier in the morning.

    Then, the door was opened again, and this time, it was Angel.

    She didn''t go back after last night.

    From the looks of it, she would be his personal assistant who would help him go through the tournament.

    "Hey..." Angel greeted softly.

    Lucivar didn''t even raise his gaze from the tablet, only a simple nod to recognize her.

    Rubbing her arms due to the coldness of her room earlier, she approached Lucivar and sat beside him.

    "So," Hesitantly, she spoke up again. "How was it? Did you find the culprit?"

    "No, it seemed whoever poisoned me was going to make their move during the tournament." Lucivar placed down his fork and clasped his hands together in front of his nose, he was anxious. "Someone also checked on me last night, a healer from the clan, and he said that I am really poisoned by something called Nulkiss."

    Last night, after making his move against Ciri, he was examined.

    And as expected, he was poisoned by a poison called Nulkiss, or also known as the Truth Seeker.

    Just as Angel predicted¡ªit was a poison to find out about his bloodline.

    Based on the healer, there was a good thing and a bad thing about this¡ªthe good thing was that it was not going to impair him in any way¡ªand the poison would dissolve in a couple of days, while the bad thing was once it got into his blood, there was nothing the healer could do to get it out.

    It has a lot of things to do with the fact that the poison is magical and it''s not harmful.

    Normally, the poison would last at most three days.

    Since Lucivar''s food back in the academy was poisoned, and he didn''t eat his breakfast meal yesterday, thanks to Ravenna''s warning, that made today the last day before the poison dissolved. So, whoever was behind this would make their move today, at the stadium.

    Lucivar lost sleep because of that.

    Possessing an Angel bloodline is not a good feeling, regardless of the perks it gave him.

    Additionally, the fact that the poison was only meant to determine his bloodline was also a problem.

    He couldn''t track the culprit down since there was no killing intent involved.

    "Nulkiss shifted my blood during its effect duration," Lucivar continued, rubbing his temple as this was going to be annoying to deal with. "And the way it worked was that when the Nul Leaf was placed near me, its venation pattern would shift depending on what the bloodline was."

    "Then avoid people," Angel suggested. "Don''t get too close to anyone, and only talk through me."

    "I was already planning to do that," Lucivar answered, nudging his chin towards the tablet.

    He was learning the layout precisely because of that.

    "Oh, right," Angel took out a small name card from her pocket. "Here, it''s from the advisor."

    Accepting the name card, Lucivar turned it and found a sentence written there.

    ''Defeat and humiliate the Shadow Clan''s champion''

    Reading that sentence, Lucivar smirked and dissolved the name card with his dark attribute.

    Just like the Trading Union, there was something the Blessed Hand Clan wanted from him.

    Something that needs to be out of the book.

    Lucivar wouldn''t mind doing them this favor, especially when they were already quite generous.

    Moments later.

    Sitting on the backseat of the car, Lucivar looked out the window while Angel beside him was informing him about the rundown of the tournament. As expected, the tournament stretched for a couple of days¡ª to be exact, three days.

    "For the first day, it was going to be the opening ceremony, the formalities¡ªand also the first stage," Angel said, reading the email she had gotten from the tournament''s organizers. "There''s going to be a lot of contact, so you must be careful. But since the participants are strip-searched, staying close to them would be the safest."

    Lucivar nodded.

    He was looking out the window, but he was listening attentively.

    "What am I supposed to do to keep the staff from getting close and talking to me?" Lucivar suddenly asked.

    Angel paused for a second before she smiled.

    "Leave that to me," She answered confidently. "I''m used to this¡ªand formalities are my expertise. Let me do all the talking. If you want to help me help you go through this day smoothly, put on a mean face, that''ll be a great help."

    "I can do that," Lucivar nodded.

    As long as he could go through today, his real bloodline wouldn''t be exposed.

    Going through the lane for Hybrids, Lucivar was able to avoid the traffic, and when he got there, he was amazed at the number of people lining up at the front and back entrances to enter the stadium. Looking out the window, he sucked in a cold breath.

    "Wow..." He fixed his eyes on the crowd. "I''ve never seen this many people gathered before."

    "Yeah... As always, the tournament attracted all eyes, but it''s never been to this extent." Angel uttered. "My friend even said the ticket sold out instantly, even the VIP seats. Fortunately, there are some tickets sold physically here, so I''m guessing a lot of people camped outside the stadium for several days."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar turned to the other side and saw some tents beside the street.

    People actually went to that length to see the tournament in person.

    Not to mention, the tournament would also be broadcast¡ªthere were media crews everywhere, too.

    Lucivar''s car stopped right in front of the special entrance, and immediately, the crews crowded the car.

    "Remember, mean face, and don''t answer questions." Angel reminded. "Also, wear your sunglasses."

    Grabbing the black sunglasses, he put them on and nodded his head.

    Then, a Hybrid in a suit and tie opened the door for them.

    Angel and Lucivar stepped out, and almost instantly, they were blinded by flashes of cameras.

    Earlier, he was confused why Angel got him sunglasses, and turns out, this is why.

    Being in the spotlight was unsettling, perhaps because many people would now know him, but Lucivar had no choice. It was either this or being exposed. He resented Professor Aeldric for forcing him to do this, but with the Caldaros situation¡ªthis was inevitable.

    "Come, follow me closely." Angel said and walked towards the entrance.

    Lucivar, slightly awkward from the attention, followed her from behind, sticking close to her.

    It was now the first day of the tournament, and he was excited to see his plan panning out smoothly.

 Chapter 261 261: Gearing Up

    Escorted by a few stationed guards, Lucivar was finally able to get inside quickly.

    His eyes were still throbbing from the camera flashes.

    As expected, he doesn''t like to be the center of attention¡ªit was tiring and troublesome.

    "You''ll get used to it soon enough, especially if you''re planning to win this tournament," Angel said.

    "Huh..." Lucivar chuckled lightly. "Now I''m tempted to lose on purpose."

    Coursing through the hall, escorted by a staff of the tournament, Lucivar and Angel were shown their lodging, where their belongings were already placed. All equipment and items needed to be handed over and inspected before today, so that saved them the hassle of bringing the equipment on their own.

    Upon reaching their lodging, Angel immediately went to work.

    She was going to sweep clean the equipment and the room, to make sure there was nothing dangerous.

    Recalling the Nulkiss poison, somebody might be able to go through the tournament organizers'' inspection, or worse, have someone they know on the inside. Angel wasn''t searching for the Nul Leaf in particular, that wouldn''t be placed here¡ªwhat she was searching for was wire taps or other magical artifacts that could affect Lucivar.

    Lucivar also helped here and there, but he was mainly watching.

    Even though he groomed Angel to be a good pawn, she could also be his biggest weakness.

    He doesn''t trust her fully.

    Meanwhile, in the neighbouring room, Mirel stepped out.

    Seemed like he had arrived here earlier, and he was now already strapped in his combat outfit.

    Since the tournament might involve more than fighting, he went with a tight-fitting reinforced yellow and white combat shirt. A few steel plates¡ªwere beautifully sewn onto his outfit, protecting his knees and elbows, and the high turtleneck collar rose to shield his throat.

    It was compact and minimal, giving enough protection while also not restraining his movements.

    "Don''t forget your gloves," A woman with white ponytail hair came out.

    She handed over a pair of gloves that were humming with the power of lightning.

    It was Mirel''s only magical artifact that he asked for from the Feradith Family, his sponsor.

    "Thank you," Mirel smiled lightly, and wore the gloves.

    Just then, he glanced to the side, seeing a big figure walking down the hall.

    Caldaros.

    Seeing where he was coming from, it seemed he had only arrived and was heading to his own lodging.

    Beside him was a woman who had her eyes covered by a white band.

    It was a trademark for the members of the Sunrise Clan.

    As he walked, he met Mirel''s gaze, but he didn''t react, not even a simple nod to acknowledge him as he too came from the Bloodhaven Academy. Caldaros walked past him, seemingly not at all interested in Mirel, who, in his eyes, was a nobody.

    "I don''t know what started your fight, but you should be careful." Mirel suddenly said.

    Caldaros stopped and glanced over his shoulder.

    "Is that a sign you''re going to aim me too?" He raised a brow. "Since you''re close with Lucivar?"

    "No, I won''t, even if he asked me to." Mirel shook his head and turned to face Caldaros. "But I have a feeling he would try something... something bad during the tournament. I am asking you to help if the time comes."

    "Oh, I''m surprised..." Caldaros smirked. "I thought everyone around him was bad, but you don''t seem to be like the others. But, then again, how could I trust you? You could be lying through your teeth right now to help him take me on."

    "Believe what you want. Just be ready when the time comes," Mirel answered and turned away.

    His personal assistant followed him on the side.

    "Anything you wanted to do¡ªduring the tournament, make sure to do it in secret," Caldaros'' personal assistant reminded with a warning tone. "You might not be the only champion¡ªthe House of Valerius has, but you''re still carrying their name. Not to mention, our clan is also quite fond of our reputation, don''t mess it up."

    Caldaros snorted in response before continuing ahead, heading to his own lodging.

    Moments later.

    Several times, people budged Lucivar inside his room.

    All of them were from the tournament''s organizers.

    One asked whether he needed anything, another asked him to measure his rank once again, another checked his equipment for the second time, and also explained the rundown to him once again. Every single time it happened, Angel handled it, she handled them all.

    Lucivar was now standing in front of the full-body mirror.

    Gone was the semi-formal attire prepared by the Blessed Hand Clan¡ªthe green polo and white slacks now replaced by his true combat gear. He wore a crimson, form-fitting shirt¡ªpaired with black tactical pants, the fabric clinging to his frame like a second skin.

    Emblazoned on his chest was a striking white crest.

    A fusion of the Blessed Hand Clan''s emblem and the Trading Union''s logo.

    It formed the image of a hand, holding the entire world in its palm.

    Naturally, the crest wasn''t a normal thing, it was a magical artifact that the Blessed Hand Clan prepared for him. A magical crest that was created by the clan master himself, who was a Holy Spirit Hybrid. It has three charges, and every time Lucivar activated it, his body would be healed back to normal.

    From what he has been told, the level of healing was akin to that of a five-star Chrysalis rank.

    So Lucivar expected to be healed completely.

    Then, he took the dagger on top of a white table¡ªit was his second magical item.

    Possessing many sponsors allowed the participant to bring more than one magical item¡ªwhich meant those who only had one would have a natural disadvantage compared to the others. Lucivar wasn''t going to pass up on that advantage, so he picked two.

    He wanted to have three, but the rest of the contracts were too underwhelming.

    He feels insulted, so he only settled on two.

    Upon holding the dagger, he felt a great sense of satisfaction.

    It was because of this dagger that the meeting he had with Dullan stretched for hours.

    A lot of paperwork only for him to have this dagger.

    Mainly, this sharp dagger with a curving cross hilt¡ªwas crafted by a master craftsman, made of a lot of rare materials that made the blade sharp and indestructible, and also has the power of the holy attribute. It was the attribute that he chose for the dagger to have.

    Normally, anyone with a tainted soul wouldn''t be compatible with the holy attribute.

    But Lucivar has the Angel bloodline inside of him, no, better, he has an Archangel bloodline.

    Holding a dagger with the holy attribute wasn''t a problem for him.

    ''A weapon with the holy attribute is hard to find, simply because the holy attribute is a higher-tier attribute. So, with this, I should be able to nullify some of Caldaros'' sun attribute prowess,'' Lucivar thought and grinned. ''Of course, Caldaros might see this and figure out that I''m actually an Angel Hybrid. Someone like me, an avatar of Loki, shouldn''t be able to wield the holy attribute, so he might figure it out, but... the thing is...''

    ''I want him to find out...'' Lucivar chuckled inside sinisterly.

    Caldaros wouldn''t figure it out instantly.

    At first, he would be confused, and that confusion would greatly help distract him.

    By the time he realized it¡ªit would be too late.

    And the face he was going to make then... Lucivar''s heart raced at the thought of it.

    "I was meaning to ask,"

    Angel''s voice rang from behind, snapping Lucivar out of his thoughts.

    "I never knew you were a red-type of man," She looked down and gestured at his combat outfit. "I was expecting you to choose black¡ªsince it suits you. Not to mention, you even asked for long sleeves... Isn''t wearing that to fight going to be uncomfortable?"

    "Hmm?" Lucivar looked down¡ªand back to her. "Red would mask the blood, and long sleeves would keep me clean. Plus, it''s way easier to clean since the only exposed part of my body is my face and my hands."

    Upon hearing this, Angel paused for a second, shocked.

    Then, she forced out a wry smile, ''He''s not planning to kill anybody, right...?''

    Soon enough, an announcement was made, calling for all participants to gather in the main hall.

    Before Lucivar walked out, he gestured towards the tablet Angel was carrying around.

    "Show me the Shadow Clan''s champion again," He demanded.

    Angel tapped on the tablet''s screen a couple of times before turning it toward Lucivar, showing a man with a bad, hunched posture, jet-black hair, and sunken eyes that were ringed in deep shadows, panda eyes that showed lack of sleep.

    Renis Thalven, the champion of the Shadow Clan.

    He was also the one the Blessed Hand Clan expected him to defeat and humiliate.

    "What about that girl, the big one?" Lucivar asked.

    Knowing exactly who he meant, Angel swiped the tablet and changed the image.

    Now, displayed on the screen was a dark-skinned woman with a very muscular build.

    Lucivar branded these people in his mind before he turned around to leave.

    He didn''t say anything¡ªhe only turned around, opened the door, and stepped out.

    Angel was left behind inside the room that felt more massive than before, now that she was alone.

    A wry, self-pitying smile crept to her lips as she mumbled.

    "Good luck..."

    ...

    Meanwhile, Lucivar traced along the corridor with vigilance.

    He kept his eyes open for anything or anyone that seemed suspicious, since he still does not know the person¡ªwho used the Nulkiss poison on him. Not to mention, with today being the day the poison dissolved, whoever it was would certainly do it today.

    One moment of weakness and he might be exposed to all.

    And that was the worst-case scenario.

    He especially became more alert since participants began to crowd him.

    Despite the increased standard, restricting anyone below the four-star Acolyte rank from participating, there were still a lot of eligible participants. Most of them were at the five-star Acolyte rank, those who only participated to gain fame.

    Then, he felt someone bump into him from behind.

    ''Is this it?! Is this person the one who poisoned me?!'' He glanced to the side in alert.

    Reacting almost on instinct, Lucivar grabbed the person''s collar and yanked him hard.

    But it was then that he stopped, realizing that it was Mirel.

    "You seemed uptight," Mirel said, raising both hands as a surrendering gesture.

    "Don''t do that," Lucivar let him go. "It could''ve been dangerous."

    "Lighten up," Mirel chuckled, keeping up the pace. "It''s not like anyone is going to die, right?"

    Although it was light, there was a tinge of sarcasm in his tone.

    "Of course not," Lucivar answered without turning, also sarcastic. "It''s only a stupid tournament."

 Chapter 262 262: Getting Her Attention

    Inside the main hall, hundreds of participants gathered.

    Considering the number of people, the sheer fact that the hall still looked that it could still contain more showed how massive the hall was. People from all kinds of factions gathered, and they had already taken the initiative to group up.

    Mostly, those who came from the same faction grouped together.

    Mirel was walking beside Lucivar.

    Initially, he thought they were going to find an empty spot to occupy, but that wasn''t the case.

    Lucivar seemed relaxed and nonchalant, walking leisurely past some people, yet he was guiding where the two were going. He did it subtly, with a simple bump of their shoulders or even making small talk while pointing somewhere.

    Clearly, he was looking for someone.

    "Are you not going to ask about Caldaros?" Mirel suddenly asked.

    "Caldaros?" Lucivar shrugged. "You knew me and him have a problem, don''t pretend like you don''t."

    Mirel sighed dejectedly.

    He wanted to dig some information from Lucivar, like what their problem was, but it seemed that was going to be hard to do. Lucivar gave no leeway for him to talk about that¡ªlimiting the conversation to nothing major.

    Peering through the sea of people, Lucivar found the faces he wanted to find.

    Renis, the Shadow Clan''s champion, was as expected he would be, at the right-most corner of the hall.

    He was alone and seemed to be antisocial.

    After crossing the entire hall, he finally managed to find a petite woman with very long pale red hair, the second person he wanted to find, Orivelle. Lucivar could tell exactly who she was since beside her was the pretty boy he had met in the Trading Union main branch, Arthur.

    ''Clearly, those are the people from the Vanguard Institute.'' Lucivar nodded.

    Finally, he spotted his target.

    Focusing on Orivelle, he smirked.

    It was time for him to make his first move.

    ''I should''ve tracked Caldaros,'' He thought, scanning the people around her in case Caldaros was nearby. ''He managed to attack Nerissa back then because I attacked Ciri. He came rushing because of that, not because he was tracking me. I should be fine, but just in case...''

    Lucivar was about to avert his gaze, but Orivelle turned towards him.

    She did it suddenly, seemingly sensing a malicious intent coming from behind.

    Fortunately, Lucivar reacted fast enough and hid behind a group of people.

    Orivelle''s eyes lingered and narrowed at where she sensed the malice from, troubled by the sensation.

    "What''s wrong, senior sister?" Arthur asked, also turning to look in the same direction.

    "I felt someone looking at me," She answered with a frown.

    "Hahah~ You''re too paranoid, senior sister," Arthur cackled. "I bet it''s probably that muscle mommy."

    "Say that in her face, pervert," Orivella shot him a look. "She''ll beat you up again."

    "Come on, I was only playing around," Arthur smiled nervously, a trickle of cold sweat drizzling down the side of his face at the thought of the last time he crossed that muscle-head woman. "Besides, even if she came after me, I have you! You''ll protect me!"

    Upon hearing this, Orivelle smirked and turned elsewhere.

    In that moment, Arthur''s heart skipped a beat, "Right? You''re going to protect me, right...?"

    On the other hand, Lucivar breathed in relief again when he saw Orivelle didn''t catch him looking.

    That could''ve been bad, he couldn''t afford for her to suspect anything, or else it would ruin his plan.

    "It''s my first time seeing you hiding from a woman," Mirel suddenly said, spooking Lucivar, who was busy hiding from Orivelle''s gaze. Straightening his back again, he turned to look at Orivelle, "For quite the longest time, I always questioned how you resisted Leandra when she''s basically throwing herself at you, now I know why..."

    "Why didn''t you tell me you like slender and thin girsl li-"

    Before he could finish, Lucivar had already cut him off.

    "Shut the fuck up," He growled. "How in the fuck did your head get there?"

    Seeing Mirel was about to answer, Lucivar quickly raised his hand to stop him.

    He could tell that Mirel was about to say rubbish.

    Mirel laughed, but Lucivar ignored the laughter and closed his eyes to channel his attribute.

    Now that he was a Chrysalis-rank, his ether has evolved further, turning into dark and light ether.

    Dark attribute has the power of curses, while light attribute has the power of healing.

    Separating them, solely focusing on his light ether, he guided it to flow throughout his blood streams.

    He tracked down any sign of spell or ability, a mark that he might''ve missed.

    But there was none, he was in the clear.

    Peeking at Orivelle again, now, he saw her looking at someone across from her.

    One could see the tension and burning passion behind her gaze.

    Lucivar moved to the side a bit and realized that it was a dark-skinned, muscular woman¡ªGarran, the champion of the Jola Family. Seeing her, Lucivar wasted no time and prepared to move, "Go meet up with Caldaros or something, I have something to do."

    As he said that, he walked over to Garran, trying to act natural along the way.

    "So it began, he''s making his move..." Mirel mumbled worriedly.

    Meanwhile, Garran was smiling mockingly, meeting Orivelle''s gaze straight on without fear.

    In fact, she has been waiting for this moment, for Orivelle to challenge her again.

    Back then, she won the battle one-sidedly and was even able to humiliate Orivelle in her own institute.

    Surely, Orivelle was going to come back to challenge her again, and this tournament would be the time.

    Just as she was taunting Orivelle, someone bumped into her hard.

    She was pushed forward, bumping into several other participants¡ªthe push seemed deliberate, Garran was able to tell. But that clarity vanished instantly¡ªas fast as paper burned to flames, when the person who bumped her didn''t stop there.

    "Watch it, dude! Don''t stand on the way like a moron."

    Gritting her teeth, Garran turned around.

    She glared at the person who was giving her a sharp glance, a person who could be barely called a man with half her muscle mass, "Stand on the way? You bumped into me, how is this my fault?! If anything, you owe me an apology!"

    "Oh¡ªyou''re a girl?" Lucivar blinked with exaggerated surprise, a fake surprise.

    "Wow, could''ve fooled me. Sorry then. Guess I mistook you for a guy... You know, with all that muscle and the whole mountain-sized aura you''ve got going on. No offense, of course¡ªjust saying, maybe if you should be more lady-like, eat less, train less... doing something a bit more feminine."

    All of Lucivar''s suggestions were akin to a knife to her ego.

    She was like this because of her bloodline.

    Of course, she liked strength training and all, but that was beside the point.

    Garran''s face fell¡ªshe took offense at every word that came out of Lucivar''s mouth.

    Even the fact that some of the participants around her were chuckling made her angrier.

    "Are you mocking me...?" Garran asked, her voice dangerously low.

    Some of the people stepped back, sensing that there might be a fight breaking out.

    "Only a suggestion. A woman shouldn''t be burly like you, it''s unsightly," Lucivar continued, ignoring the fact that Garran was already reaching her limit. "Pretty, slender, anything but how you looked right now."

    Then, he pointed at someone from the crowd.

    Many of the participants nearby looked at who he was pointing at¡ªIt was a random woman.

    "Like her, for example, isn''t she pleasant to look at?" He shamelessly declared.

    Becoming the center of attention, the woman was flustered, pointing at herself as if she couldn''t believe she was dragged into this, used as an example. She wanted to say something, to be angry at Lucivar for dragging her into this without permission.

    But the words that Lucivar said, she couldn''t lie¡ªIt felt good.

    All she could amount to do was remain silent.

    "In that case, let''s see who''s more pleasant to look at," Garran stepped forward, her eyes were a finger above Lucivar''s. She towered over him, aura flaring like vapor from boiling water, "Me or you after I''m done smashing your face in..."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smirked, "Resorting to violence already? Such a nice lady you are."

    Observing this from the side, Orivelle''s eyes flashed.

    Seeing how Garran was humiliated in public was a treat she did not know she would have today, but she wasn''t complaining. It was about time for her to know what it felt like to be humiliated. Sooner or later, someone would teach her a lesson.

    And it seemed this unknown man was that person.

    "Senior sister, that''s him!" Arthur suddenly said. "It''s the guy I saw, Lucivar!"

    "Oh... As you said, he''s quite arrogant. But then again, it doesn''t seem reckless," Orivella nodded.

    Even though Lucivar was arrogant, it didn''t feel spoiled, the kind of arrogance that came from having a powerful family. For some reason, the way Orivelle sees it¡ªhis arrogance came from the fact that he could back it up.

    Just as a fight was about to break out, a redheaded woman stepped in.

    "Why don''t we end this here?" She said, stepping between them with effortless poise, diffusing the air from the crackling tension. "If you guys have a problem with each other, settle it in the tournament. We are supposed to be the future of the young generation, start acting like it."

    Hearing this, Garran snorted, her nose flaring from anger.

    She cast one last look at Lucivar, branding his face into her mind, before turning around to leave.

    Once she left, the onlookers averted their gazes again.

    Nothing interesting to look at if Garran wasn''t going to fight with this unknown man.

    On the other hand, Lucivar looked at the woman and realized it was someone he knew.

    Or at least, someone he saw.

    "Abigail?" He pointed and raised an eyebrow.

    "I''m surprised you remember me," Abigail smiled cheerfully. "Did the twins mention me again?"

    "No, not really," Lucivar shrugged and crossed his arms. "I''m good with names."

    Then, he looked up and down, inspecting Abigail in surprise.

    Lucivar remembered that her family was close with the governor, but she wasn''t supposed to be here.

    "Do you work here or something?" He asked.

    "Have you ever stopped and thought what your words would do to others?" Abigail chuckled in disbelief.

    Lucivar was too direct.

    She knew that she was extremely weak back then when they came across each other in the arcade, and it was weird to see her here. Even so, hearing him say that quite stings. "Back then, I was suppressing my powers with an artifact to train. I''m actually way stronger than the twins,"

    Hearing this, Lucivar wasn''t surprised.

    She was close with the governor, and also a Vampire Hybrid, there''s no way she could be that weak.

    Just as Lucivar was about to say something, the gate into the hall was pushed open wide.

    Several organizer crews stepped forward, welcoming a man¡ªa grand entrance.

    Surely, nobody would mistake this person.

    "Seth..." Lucivar mumbled.

 Chapter 263 263: First Stage

    Seth entered the hall.

    All eyes immediately snapped towards him, sensing the overwhelming presence that he possessed.

    A member of royalty or not, Seth carried with him the air of authority and power.

    He didn''t ask to be welcomed, didn''t ask to be announced, but his aura alone drew eyes towards him.

    It was as if he were the chosen one under the sky.

    Being at the Chrysalis-rank for certain, he already developed a lot of a Vampire'' characteristics¡ªskin as pale ashes, fangs shy poking from his upper lip, and eyes as red as the deepest ruby. Unlike most of the participants, he was also toned and muscular.

    One could tell with his sleeveless combat shirt.

    Despite his status, his gears were also not too much to have him always be on the advantageous hill.

    In fact, he barely has any gears other than the ivory fingerguards that adorn all his fingers.

    Glancing across the hall as participants made way, his face showed no sign of interest, bored if anything.

    Most of them weren''t on his level, and he wanted to find those who were or close enough.

    Suddenly, his ether, blood ether, seeped out of his form.

    It was so thick and powerful that it looked like lumpy liquid.

    Almost instantly, in the presence of such an aura, many of the participants trembled on their boots.

    Upon the appearance of Seth''s aura, there seemed to be a weight pressing on their shoulders, beckoning them to look down and avoid his gaze. Most of them obeyed this unspoken command, but some of the participants stayed strong.

    Among them, Orivelle, Garran, and Abigail.

    "Tch..." Garran clicked her tongue in displeasure when she sensed Seth''s aura.

    Orivelle also frowned, "I expected no less from the prodigy, but this is too much. He''s way above us."

    "Four-star Chrysalis-rank, that''s insane for someone as young as him..." Abigail smiled wryly¡ªnothing would prepare her for this revelation. She thought that at least Seth was at the two-star, but he was two stars above her expectations. "I can''t compete in terms of talent."

    However, the most surprised ones weren''t them.

    Many of the weaker participants were surprised the most.

    Given that the tournament''s entry threshold was merely the four-star Acolyte rank, most assumed Seth would be a modest five-star at best, or perhaps, if he was really a prodigy, a newly ascended Chrysalis Hybrid.

    But they were sorely mistaken.

    A lot of them had entered with dreams of glory, but those dreams were now shattered.

    Looking at the others who were still upright and strong, they came to a united realization.

    Other than those who had reached the Chrysalis rank, the others wouldn''t stand a chance.

    Anyone who was still at the Acolyte rank was nothing but fodder.

    Realizing that there were a lot of them that are at the Chrysalis rank, Seth nodded firmly.

    It seemed the tournament would at least be interesting.

    Just then, however, his instincts yanked his attention to a figure on his right who stood unaffected.

    Unlike the others, this figure wasn''t even looking at Seth.

    Instead, his gaze was cast elsewhere, to another participant, as if the oppressive aura meant nothing to him at all. Seth''s eyes narrowed, he could smell a trace of blood ether coming from this figure, ''Another Vampire Hybrid... A strong one too.''

    Now that the man of the moment has finally come, a man stepped onto the podium ahead.

    He was one of the organizers, tasked with handling the first stage.

    "Attention, everyone!" He called¡ªhis voice booming across the entire hall. "Now we will start the first stage of the tournament called the Proof of Strength. If your name is called, go through that corridor and proceed to the arena. You will be fighting Ninjas there, one by one, a duel."

    Lucivar listened to this and nodded.

    Seems like the information from Angel was accurate, or at least, the first stage was accurate.

    It was the stage that would eliminate the weaker participants.

    "For you to reach the second stage, you only need to beat the second ninja. But there''s an option to fight the third ninja, which would give you one point that you could use for the later stages," The man added, making sure the participants knew what to expect. "However, be warned. If you lose your battle against the third ninja, you would instantly be disqualified."

    Upon hearing this, the participants burst into a discussion.

    Some of them tried to ask questions about these three ninjas, such as how strong they were.

    But the man couldn''t answer.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, wasn''t worried.

    ''It''s not that bad, really...'' He shrugged nonchalantly. ''After fighting the second ninja, everyone could tell whether they could beat the third ninja or not. As long as the participant is not reckless and stupid, none of them would be disqualified.''

    ''What''s interesting is the rewarded point... What is it for?'' He wondered.

    Then again, he wouldn''t know until he got to the second stage¡ªthe man wouldn''t tell him.

    As he thought of that, his eyes widened a bit when he sensed a chilling touch.

    Looking down, he saw a dark string attaching itself to his chest.

    Realizing that it was his bloodline''s constitution, he glanced over his shoulders naturally, acting as if he was stretching, and found where it came from. Once he faced forward, an evil smile crept to his face, ''I don''t know we''re at the level of killing, but hey, I''ll be happy to entertain you.''

    Once he finished explaining the first stage, it was time to start.

    "Please come forward and walk through the corridor when you''re called," The man said before pausing for a second. "Oh, the governor has graced us with his presence, so do your absolute best. Make this be worthwhile for him."

    Just like that, the first stage started.

    One by one, the participants were called and headed for the arena.

    Each time the automatic doors to the arena slid open, a surge of cheers spilled into the hall, even though the walls were very thick¡ªbuilt to muffle sound. Despite that, the crowd''s roar was thunderous enough to pierce through, a testament to their excitement.

    Participants came and went.

    Some came back excited and cheerful, while some were crying and slouched.

    Based on their conversations, the first two ninjas were at the four-star and five-star Acolyte rank.

    It made it quite clear that the third ninja would be a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, a seasoned one, perhaps.

    For the first hour, nobody seemed to have challenged the third ninja.

    Lucivar looked at the holographic screen above the entrance, which recapped the battles, and could tell that in the past hour, nobody seemed to have challenged the third ninja. Like Angel said, only the top hundred or so are at the Chyrsalis rank.

    Most of them, hundreds of them, were still at the Acolyte rank.

    So this wasn''t surprising.

    Then, at the second hour, his name was called.

    "You''re up," Abigail said, nudging her chin at the entrance door. "Good luck, out there."

    "Don''t say that," Lucivar cast her a sharp glance. "It''s insulting."

    "Wha-?" Abigail was at a loss for words, she said that out of politeness, not because she was rude.

    She failed to understand Lucivar''s mind.

    For him to need luck to beat the three ninjas was the same as calling him weak.

    It was insulting.

    Just as he walked to the front, a few names were being called again.

    Since there were ten arenas, each round was composed of a batch of ten.

    Lucivar waited for the others to be called with his arms crossed until suddenly, he frowned.

    On the same batch, a familiar name was called.

    "Caldaros of the Bloodhaven Academy!"

    Upon hearing this, Caldaros walked forward and stood beside Lucivar.

    He didn''t even cast Lucivar a glance, but the tension between them was palpable, even for Mirel, who was a distance away, watching. As the two waited, Lucivar opened his mouth, "How was Ciri? I hoped she would be watching. It''ll be a lot tastier if she watched as I suffocate the life out of you with my hands."

    "Talk more," Caldaros replied coldly. "You''ll not be able to use your tongue soon."

    "Oooh~" Lucivar hooted playfully. "A threat? Was that really how someone like you speaks?"

    Caldaros only snorted in response.

    Clearly, Lucivar was trying to get inside his head¡ªthat was all Loki''s Avatar always did.

    Best for him to ignore Lucivar.

    Soon enough, the automatic door was opened.

    Lucivar and his batch walked along the corridor until they stepped into the light, emerging on the arena.

    As soon as he was outside, he was greeted by flashing lights, cameras, and a crowd of people who were cheering from their seats. A euphoria unlike anything he has ever seen. People were raising their phones and screaming excitedly at the top of their lungs.

    Men and women alike reached out their hands towards him, hoping for him to touch them.

    It was quite a new sight and feeling for Lucivar.

    For some reason, he felt like a God at this moment, worshipped by thousands of people.

    Continuing ahead, the batch came to the center, where ten arenas and ninjas awaited them.

    As they made their way forward, cameras tracked their every move, their faces projected across the city and far beyond. At the heart of it all stood the tournament arena, encased in a robust spherical energy barrier.

    An unyielding shield designed to contain the unleashed ethers and keep the crowd from harm.

    Giving them the liberty to enjoy the battle without needing to take cover most of the time.

    On the VIP seats, a separate section that flanked the arena, closer and lower than the rest of the crowd, were the others. Linthia, Ravenna, Bakar, and Nerissa were there. Only Bob did not come, saying that he had something urgent to do.

    Along with them were a few dozen of Bloodhaven Academy''s students.

    Surprisingly enough, the students were able to afford the seats here despite the sky-high price.

    Once Lucivar and Caldaros entered, the students stood up and cheered.

    Not only that, they also went above and beyond, holding up a massive banner with their academy''s logo printed on it to attract both Lucivar and Caldaros to look. "Lucivar!" Nerissa stood up and shouted, waving her hands frantically. "Look here! We''re here!"

    She also pulled Leandra and Ravenna to stand, encouraging them to join in with her.

    "It''s embarrassing..." Leandra complained. "He won''t look."

    "What are you talking about? Look! He''s searching for us!" Nerissa pointed ahead.

    As she said, Lucivar was turning his head left and right, seemingly searching for them.

    Biting her lower lip, Leandra also called for him, albeit quieter.

    On the other hand, Lucivar ascended to his arena while still darting his eyes left and right.

    ''There''s no way I could tell if she''s here...'' He sighed and focused ahead. ''I can only hope she was.''

    Looking at the ninja, Lucivar waved his hand.

    "Both of you, attack me together," He said nonchalantly. "I refused to waste my time here."

 Chapter 264 264: Dark Threat

    Finding no sign of the woman he was looking for, Lucivar focused ahead.

    Across him, standing with their arms crossed, were two ninjas in all-black outfits, and strapped with leather armor. Not a trace of their facial features could be seen, only their eyes that flickered with anger when they heard how dismissive Lucivar was.

    It was clear that he was looking down on them.

    "I''m sorry, but the rules only dictate a duel," One of the ninjas, the first ninja, stepped forward.

    He unsheathed his weapons, two short swords that gleamed with sharpness.

    "Fine, I''ll take you on one by one." Lucivar shrugged and cracked his neck.

    At least, on the bright side, this would give him a proper warm-up before the real battle starts.

    "Hmm?" The first ninja tilted his head in question. "Are you not going to draw your weapon?"

    "I think you overestimated yourself too much," Lucivar chuckled and grinned condescendingly. "I don''t think I''d need a weapon to fight someone at your level. So, please, spare me this small talk and attack. You wasted too much of my time already."

    Hearing this, the first ninja gritted his teeth in anger, "In that case, don''t blame me for not pulling back!"

    Swoosh!

    Not wasting a single second, the first ninja charged with two short swords in hand.

    Glowing ether coated both short swords and also enhanced his body.

    Before stepping out into the arena earlier¡ªLucivar was thinking what kind of persona he would use in front of such a massive crowd. Loki and Gandr wanted him to pretend to be weak, and only display his true power when it''s absolutely needed.

    Doing that would help him take care of the other participants more easily.

    Catching them off guard would be his ticket to victory.

    ''But I''m not only Loki''s Avatar...'' Lucivar smirked.

    As the first ninja reached his third step, Lucivar''s body blurred.

    Bam!

    "Kuahhk!"

    In that moment, before the first ninja could even react, Lucivar''s fist drilled into his stomach, forcing his body to arc backward. His eyes bulged and blood splashed out of his mouth, seeping from his mask, but Lucivar didn''t show mercy.

    Pushing his fist harder, he sent the first ninja flying and crashed onto the barrier like a ragdoll.

    Roar!

    Almost instantly, the crowd cheered louder.

    "Who the fuck is that guy?"

    "I don''t know, but he''s damn strong! I''m sure he came from a lower-ranking faction."

    "Shit, had I known that, I would''ve bet on him!"

    Lucivar stood upright again, still looking at the first ninja who was unbound from the arena because of his punch. Then, he walked back to his original position¡ªand looked at the second ninja, "Come, I will make it fast."

    Upon hearing this, the second ninja gulped harshly.

    As he charged to attack, Lucivar closed the distance again and hoisted him off the ground by the neck.

    Naturally, the second ninja flailed, desperately trying to break free, but Lucivar''s hand was made of steel that wouldn''t budge no matter how hard he hit or pushed it. Instead of ending the fight¡ªLucivar turned to the other side, to the other arenas.

    Standing firmly here, arenas to the right were Caldaros.

    As the first ninja lunged at him, a sudden beam of sunlight erupted from beneath.

    It launched the first ninja skyward, and without pause, Caldaros seized the first ninja''s leg midair and, with a single, brutal motion, slammed him into the ground. Such a force knocked the first ninja out cold on impact.

    But as he turned, his eyes landed on Lucivar, who was already choking the second ninja with one hand.

    A mocking smile played on his lips as their eyes met.

    Gritting his teeth, Caldaros turned to the second ninja, "Continue the second round, attack me!"

    On the other hand, Lucivar tossed the second ninja and kicked him right on the head, infusing one God strand into that kick, which hurled the second ninja away and knocked him out. Considering that these two ninjas were only Acolyte-rank Hybrids, they were no match for Lucivar.

    One Chrysalis-rank Hybrid could take out a hundred Acolyte-rank Hybrids.

    However, in Lucivar''s case, the number was higher.

    One hundred is too low, that would be understating the real height of his power.

    Just as he finished with the second ninja, he called the two bronze spheres and stored them inside him.

    Then, he turned to the last one, the third ninja.

    "Come on, you''re up," Lucivar said, curling a finger to call the third ninja to the arena.

    Upon seeing this, the third ninja, who was certainly at the Chrysalis rank, frowned¡ªhe could tell that Lucivar was incredibly strong. Not to mention, his attribute ether was still hidden, the third ninja didn''t really know what to expect.

    Sighing lightly, he walked forward and tapped the arena with his hand.

    "Hmm?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

    "Lucivar of the Bloodhaven Academy passed!" A man, who seemed to be a judge behind him, declared.

    For a second there, Lucivar was stunned.

    But then¡ªhe grinned, glancing at the third ninja who surrendered, "Smart man."

    On the other hand, the Bloodhaven Academy''s students, along with Nerissa and Ravenna, cheered loudly from the VIP seats, feeling a tinge of pride as they saw how the third ninja forfeited the match against Lucivar.

    Lucivar''s feats reflected the Bloodhaven Academy, so this came naturally.

    "I guess that''s so like Lucivar," Ravenna shrugged with a chuckle. "He scares the third ninja to forfeit."

    "Seeing how he handled the first and second ninja, I don''t blame him." Nerissa added.

    Unlike the first and second ninja, who were mandatory to fight the participant, the third ninja didn''t, so it was a good choice to forfeit the match instead of getting hurt in the process. No need to fight when it''s only going to get him hurt.

    Leandra also clapped her hands on the side, enjoying Lucivar''s performance.

    As a member of Tobias'' family, she also felt proud.

    But she knew that Lucivar was planning something, as always, and that involved killing Caldaros.

    She overheard Ravenna telling Bob about this.

    ''Lucivar''s motivation has always been about power, he made it obvious from the start. That motivation was enhanced with Delilah''s death,'' Leandra thought before scanning the place. ''A lot of people here, I don''t think he would dare do something here. Whatever he was planning to do, he''s going to do it in a place where nobody could see.''

    ''If I had to guess, he''d kill Caldaros after the tournament...'' She thought with a frown.

    No matter what Lucivar was planning, Leandra had to witness it.

    Only then would she be able to understand him fully.

    Just then, however, Leandra felt a sudden chill that tensed her body and forced her eyes to widen.

    ''What is this?'' She thought inside. ''This energy, it feels familiar...''

    Blinking her eyes, she turned left and right, searching for the source of this familiar energy, and settled on someone¡ªon the corner of the VIP section. From the looks of it, this person was a woman, and she was wearing a jacket with its hood pulled up.

    It was hard to see her face from the angle, but the energy she emanated was clear.

    ''Her energy... She''s the one who attacked Lucivar back in the night market,'' Leandra frowned.

    Meanwhile, back to the tournament.

    As Lucivar walked down the arena, another judge declared loudly.

    "Caldaros of the Bloodhaven Academy, passed!"

    Just as expected, Caldaros also beat the third ninja and passed the first stage.

    However, he needed to fight the third ninja, unlike Lucivar, who was able to pass the stage for free.

    "Pathetic," Lucivar said when he crossed Caldaros as he headed back to the main hall. "You''re about a minute later finishing your match. What''s wrong? Are you getting cold feet about going harder with that woman watching? What was her name again? Is it Ciri?"

    "Don''t say her name with your foul mouth," Caldaros barked.

    Lucivar chuckled, "So, does that mean she was watching? Somewhere among the crowd?"

    "Spare me the petty tricks," Caldaros scoffed. "You''re fishing for information, but I''m not that careless. My lineage of avatars has crushed your God''s avatars for generations¡ªI know what you can do. Like how you can tell when someone''s lying. So save your breath, I''m not giving you anything."

    "As expected of Sunna''s avatar," Lucivar laughed humorously.

    Soon, the two stopped in the backstage area, waiting for the other participants in their batch to finish.

    No more eyes were fixed on them, covered by concrete.

    Then, Lucivar turned to Caldaros.

    "You know¡ªour hatred didn''t come from us. It came from the Gods supporting us. A hatred that was forced upon us," He said in melancholy. "Before all of this, I didn''t know you, and you didn''t know me. How is it fair that we''re trying to kill each other right now?"

    "Killing evil doesn''t need fairness," Caldaros replied sternly. "As long as you die, goodness is served."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smiled devilishly inside.

    ''Ah... He doesn''t need to be groomed, he''s already perfect!'' He thought inside.

    Initially, he wanted to slowly alter the concept of good and evil in Caldaros'' mind, but there doesn''t seem to be a need for it. Caldaros was already viewing the act of killing Evil God''s avatars to be some sort of righteous act, and that''s exactly what Lucivar needed.

    So there was no need for him to groom Caldaros, he only needed to push him a little.

    To make the hatred fully his own.

    "For me, that''s not the case. But since you attacked Nerissa, trying to get me from someone else, it has become personal to me now..." Lucivar said, taking a step forward and meeting Caldaros''s gaze. "My hate for you is pure, and I can''t wait to kill you."

    "Hmph! Save it for the third stage," Caldaros sneered. "That stage will be your death."

    Lucivar didn''t stop there.

    "Killing you wouldn''t be as satisfying as what I''m going to do after it, though." He said, turning away.

    Caldaros'' eyes sharpened, "After? There will be no after. For you, what comes after is darkness."

    "But if there is an after for me..." Lucivar glanced over his shoulder and smirked with an excitement that bordered on maniacal. "I will... trot along with your severed head in my hand, and hand it over to your beloved Ciri. I wonder what kind of delightful face she''s going to make once she realizes you''re dead."

    At the thought of it, Caldaros ground his teeth in anger.

    But Lucivar didn''t care.

    He rubbed his chin, feigning contemplation, then spoke with a slow, venomous cadence.

    "Then perhaps... I''ll start with everyone she holds dear, make them kiss the dirt, one by one, and see how long she keeps that fire in her eyes for the Goddess. And after, when she''s utterly broken, which I think she would at that point¡ªI''ll drag her into the deepest, vilest corners of the world."

    Lucivar''s gaze turned to Caldaros, sharp and gleaming with sadistic glee.

    "I will drop her into the den of adult places where wicked men¡ªand women have the most appetite for someone like her." Lucivar smiled, a cruel and cold smile. "Oh, yes... that would be a fitting darkness indeed."

 Chapter 265 265: No Ordinary Angel

    Caldaros'' face turned red.

    He knew going against Lucivar was also putting Ciri into danger, but this was too much.

    Lucivar was too vivid in describing what he was going to do, almost as if he had already contemplated it for a long time. Like he has been dreaming of doing exactly that to Ciri, anticipating the day for that to become reality with a perverse obsession.

    As Caldaros opened his mouth to speak, the rest of the batch returned.

    Most of them ended the battle around the same time due to their similar strength.

    Five minutes to be exact.

    Not that they were slow, but Lucivar and Caldaros were too fast.

    "I''m rooting for you to kill me," Lucivar whispered and patted Caldaros'' shoulder. "Good luck."

    Casting one last smirk, he turned and walked away, heading inside with the others.

    Left behind, Caldaros seethed¡ªdenied the last word, bitterness twisted with frustration in his chest. He gritted his teeth and funneled his sunlight attribute into his index finger, the tip glowing with radiating heat, and aimed it squarely at Lucivar''s back as he walked away.

    ''I can kill him right now,'' He thought angrily. ''I can fire this beam and pierce his heart.''

    Caldaros'' hand trembled as his eyes turned bloodshot.

    He was having an internal struggle, and it was evident from his face.

    ''I can end it right now and make sure Aunt Ciri is safe...'' Caldaros deliberated, but eventually lowered his hand. He even undid the radiating heat from his index finger¡ªdeciding to spare Lucivar''s life a bit longer.

    Killing Lucivar here would only give him more trouble.

    Execution wasn''t impossible since the Supreme House of Valerius was strict with their rules.

    It was especially so to Vampire Hybrids who didn''t come from their house like Caldaros.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, smirked inwardly.

    He sensed what Caldaros was doing earlier, and that was confirmation for Lucivar.

    Seems like he really got into Caldaros'' skin.

    Upon reaching inside, Lucivar was instantly led to the resting area, but he didn''t stay there for long.

    Instead, he instantly went back to his room.

    Standing in front of the door was Angel, and there was a worried look crossing her face as she paced around the hall. Noticing Lucivar approaching, her eyes instantly lit up as she quickly went over to him with news, "Did you already know?"

    "Yes," Lucivar nodded, but he didn''t stop. "I already sensed it from earlier."

    "What are you going to do? I''m guessing you don''t want the guards to know," She questioned further.

    "Oh... the guards are going to be involved, but not now." He grinned.

    As soon as he opened the door into his room, two identical monsters greeted him.

    Oval and Heart were already waiting for him inside, growling menacingly at a scared, pale-faced man who was cornered on the wall. Lucivar stopped Angel, who also wanted to get inside, "Keep an eye out for me, I''ll need a few minutes."

    Angel paused, but soon nodded.

    She didn''t know what Lucivar was going to do, but she could tell that it wasn''t something good.

    Closing the door shut until it made a light clicking sound, Lucivar turned to face the man.

    "So... Care to tell me what you''re doing here?" Lucivar asked calmly as if he were asking for directions.

    "I-I worked here... I was making checkups for each of the participants'' rooms before the second stage started," The man who was wearing the same outfit as the organizer''s crew explained. "I didn''t mean to do anything bad here, but these wolves appeared and cornered me. Please, tell them to calm down! I don''t want to get bitten or eaten!"

    Lucivar chuckled humorously.

    Had Oval and Heart really wanted to eat him, there wouldn''t be anything left of him by now.

    Suddenly, the chuckle faded, replaced by a stern and cold look.

    "A lie..." Lucivar uttered, smirking knowingly as his eyes glowed emerald. "You lied just now."

    Upon hearing this, the man wanted to argue, but Lucivar didn''t give him the chance.

    "I forgot to mention this fact about me to you. I can tell if someone is lying quite easily, so don''t bother lying because I know, and I don''t think you''d want to make me angry," He said, glancing at both Oval and Heart who are baring their sharp teeth that can crush through bones.

    Naturally, the man gulped¡ªthis wasn''t supposed to happen.

    It was supposed to be an easy mission, but it wasn''t.

    He also cursed inwardly since nobody told him that he was going to deal with someone like Lucivar.

    Had he known from the start, he wouldn''t have taken this mission.

    "So, let me ask you again... what are you doing here?" Lucivar repeated, this time with a stern voice.

    Knowing that there was no way out of this, the man reached for his pocket slowly and took out a small, normal-looking leaf. Almost instantly, Lucivar realized that his predictions were true. Since the culprit who poisoned him only has today to see his bloodline, they would certainly use the tournament''s crew to get to him.

    Only the organizer crews could move about freely, even into the participants'' rooms.

    Lucivar anticipated that and told Oval and Heart to stay behind to guard the room.

    And that proved to be a correct thing to do.

    "Give it to me," Lucivar reached out his hand, demanding the Nul Leaf from the man.

    Despite his hesitance, he buckled quickly.

    Seeing the sharp fangs on Oval and Heart, along with their throaty growls, scared him into submission.

    Swiftly, he handed the leaf over.

    Then, Lucivar inspected the leaf and found that the venation patterns weren''t natural anymore.

    It was already all over the place, crossing and circling the leaf.

    Recalling what the healer said, the Nul Leaf would change the leaf''s natural venation pattern when it was close to someone who had been poisoned¡ªby the Nulkiss Poison. But for some reason, although the leaf was now in his hand, the venation pattern didn''t change.

    So, this could only mean one thing.

    ''Somehow, this guy could use the Nul Leaf without needing to make contact with me.'' Lucivar thought.

    Leaving Oval and Heart on guard was the right thing to do.

    Had it not been for that, the man would''ve been able to get away with doing this without Lucivar knowing.

    Focusing back on the man, he lifted the leaf and asked, "Do you know what my bloodline is?''

    "Promise me you''ll let me go, then I''ll answer your questions," The man intervened.

    At the very least, if he was going to spill everything that he knew, he wanted to survive this ordeal.

    "You''re not in a position to make demands," Lucivar answered flatly. "But, since I''m kind, I''ll show you mercy. As long as you''re telling me the truth and only the truth, I promise I won''t harm you and let you go."

    Upon hearing this, the man nodded.

    Now that Lucivar had promised, he felt a little bit at ease.

    "I don''t," He finally answered. "The leaf malfunctioned. Look, the venation pattern didn''t even react."

    Lucivar had already promised, so now it was time for him to fulfil his end of the deal.

    "Hmm, I see..." Lucivar nodded, rubbing his chin in contemplation. Then, he lifted his gaze again and fired his next questions, "Who sent you to find out about my bloodline? And should you succeed in this, where would you submit the leaf?"

    "I don''t know who the person was, I only accepted the mission since it sounded easy. As for your second question, I was only told that someone would come to contact me later. I swear¡ªthat''s the truth!" The man replied without hiding a single thing. "What else do you want to know? I''ll answer anything, just please let me go."

    "One more question and we''re done," Lucivar raised a finger and said assuringly.

    Naturally, the man''s eyes glistened with hope.

    He was already smiling inwardly¡ªexcitement crackled like electric currents throughout his body.

    One more question, and he could leave this place.

    Lucivar tilted his head and paused, letting the man''s excitement hang in the air.

    Then, he leaned closer, "Did anyone see you coming here other than my personal assistant?"

    "Of course, I sneaked here but someone saw me." The man answered smoothly. "Can I go now?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded and stepped to the side, giving way towards the door.

    Almost instantly, taking this as a sign that he could leave, the man walked towards the door hesitantly.

    He was afraid of the wolves, but when he was past them, he was delighted.

    Just then, when he was about to reach for the door, he stopped mid-track.

    "Liar, liar, pants on fire..."

    As soon as he heard what Lucivar said, his breath was caught in his throat as his blood runs cold.

    "How sad it is to not be trusted..." Lucivar continued dramatically, shaking his head as if this made him sad, but he wasn''t. "Didn''t I tell you before? I can tell when someone is lying, and unlike you, that was the truth."

    Gulp!

    At that moment, the man couldn''t move his body.

    It was almost as if the space around him was gripping him tightly.

    His heart pounded hard at the uncertainty.

    Even though the door was only a few steps away, it felt incredibly far... far from his reach.

    "Out of the four questions I asked, you lie on four of them," Lucivar continued with a rasping voice.

    Having unlocked the Constellation of Truth, he could see through lies, and throughout his conversation with the man earlier, multiple emerald writings were appearing above him, words that he used to lie with.

    "For that," Lucivar turned to face the man. "I can''t let you leave..."

    Almost instantly, the man turned around and raised his hands.

    "Wai-Wait a minute!" He stammered, cold sweat streaming down his face. "Fine, I''ll- I''ll tell you the truth. Th-The guy who sent me here... I don''t even know his name, but I am sure he''s someone really important. Someone from a powerful faction, not a clan, not the Hybrid Association, but someone high up. I know because the tournament organizers bent the rules for him, so he has to be someone big!"

    "Thanks for the info," Lucivr shrugged nonchalantly. "But still can''t get out of here."

    Suddenly, his killing intent leaked out openly.

    "What?!" The man exclaimed in fear, "Why not?!"

    "You doubted my ability to sense lies earlier. Why is that?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow and smirked. "It is because you thought I''m bullshitting since you know my bloodline already, you knew I''m an Angel Hybrid. For that, I can''t let you leave."

    "You promised me!" The man roared, pointing forward with anger.

    "Liars shouldn''t expect someone to keep their word," Lucivar answered. "Don''t be ridiculous now."

    Gritting his teeth, the man shouted again, "You''re an Angel Hybrid! You can''t kill me, that''s against your constitution! That''s against your blood!"

    An Angel Hybrid couldn''t kill unless necessary, so he should be safe.

    But seeing Lucivar''s smirking face made him second-guess his assumption.

    "Unfortunately for you," Lucivar said, his smirk curving wider and wider as his features began to twist and reshape¡ªperfectly mimicking the man''s own face, down to the last detail. "I''m no ordinary Angel Hybrid..."

 Chapter 266 266: Not Being Helpful

    It took the whole day for the first round to end.

    Now, out of the thousand participants, a whopping seven hundred of them were eliminated.

    Earlier, about two hundred participants forfeited, knowing that there was no chance for them to beat the first ninja. Approximately, each battle took around a minute to three minutes to finish. Of course, there were some fights that ended in less than a minute, but even then, the first round lasted the entire day.

    Once it was over, the announcement was made for those who passed.

    Then, the events for today ended.

    For the second round, it will start tomorrow morning.

    Among the people who exited the stadium, Leandra and the others emerged.

    "I didn''t know the second round would start tomorrow..." Bakar complained.

    "Yeah," Nerissa smiled acutely. "We barely saw Lucivar and Mirel."

    Not even entertaining their talk, Leandra reached for her pocket and took out a key card.

    "Here''s our key," She said, handing it over to Nerissa. "Master Tobias already booked us a room in the Mercury Hotel nearby¡ªso that we don''t need to go back and forth from the academy to here. I already checked in earlier for us, you guys could go straight to the room."

    "What about you? Aren''t you coming too?" Ravenna intervened and narrowed her eyes.

    "I will," Leandra turned towards her. "But I need to go to the toilet first. I''ll see you guys in the room."

    Leandra didn''t wait for the others to reply and walked away.

    She squeezed through the crowd and separated from the others.

    On the other hand, Ravenna watched until Leandra''s figure disappeared into the crowd.

    Then, she turned to Nerissa, "Speaking of going to the toilet also made me want to go too. Go on ahead without me. I''ll come back with Leandra later. Oh, also, I''m tagging the left side of the bed. Don''t you dare use that side."

    Just like that, Ravenna also walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

    Nerissa and Bakar exchanged a look as they got left behind.

    Meanwhile, Leandra was fixing her eyes on a hooded person ahead.

    It was the woman she presumed to be the one who attacked Lucivar back in the night market.

    From the moment she noticed the woman, she has been keeping track of her.

    ''Keeping her hood down like that, she''s acting suspicious,'' She thought.

    Leandra kept her ether tightly suppressed¡ªas she shadowed the woman from behind, trying to discern her identity, but it was proving difficult. If she wanted a clear look at the woman''s face, she needed to see her from the front rather than from behind.

    But the woman was walking fast, and the crowd also made it difficult to approach her.

    ''I could use a spell, but that would attract attention,'' Leandra clicked her tongue. "This is frustrating.''

    Having no other choice, she continued to follow the woman.

    Soon, the woman reached the street and quickly made her way to the bus station.

    On the other hand, Ravenna, who was also stalking, followed Leandra and noticed something.

    ''Hmm...'' She frowned, smelling negative energy in the air. ''Someone is watching Leandra.''

    Even though she couldn''t sense exactly what the negative energy represented like Lucivar could through killing intent, this constitution of hers was still quite handy. It was one of the reasons¡ªshe could notice Lucivar was the source of negative energy and decided to approach him back then.

    Glancing to the side, she reached for a beanie on the ground and wore it.

    ''If someone is following Leandra, they might also know me.'' She thought, pulling the beanie down.

    At least with the beanie, she could change her appearance a little.

    Just then, out of nowhere, the hooded woman that Linthia was following sprinted.

    She sprinted past the bus station without looking back.

    Leandra was stunned when she saw this, but she recovered quickly and chased after the woman.

    Several paces behind, Ravenna didn''t sprint.

    Instead of chasing after them, she focused, looking around to see who the person who was watching Leandra. She remained composed and natural, and sure enough, she passed as a passerby since on the other side of the street, three men fast-walked in Leandra''s direction.

    Upon seeing this, Ravenna''s eyes gleamed with a dangerous glow of crimson.

    "Found you." She mumbled.

    Moments later.

    "Haahk!"

    A man in a black trench coat fell to the ground in shock.

    One could see both of his eyes opened wide, fear clearly displayed as they fixed on a woman.

    A woman who towered in front of him.

    A few minutes earlier, he noticed a pair of glowing orbs in the shadow.

    Initially, he thought nothing of these glowing orbs until he came to realize that these crimson orbs were actually a pair of eyes. Before he could even react, a woman leaped out of the shadows and killed one of his friends, the strongest one, in an instant before killing the other one.

    Each died from having their windpipe ripped from their throats.

    Now, the man was the only one left.

    Ravenna tracked them down into an alley where the woman Leandra was following ran into, and quickly intercepted these three men. She killed the other two smoothly, thanks to the element of surprise, and let the last one alive for an obvious reason.

    "How many of you are there?" She asked with a cold tone.

    Hearing this, the man''s eyes sharpened with clarity.

    It was only then that he realized this woman, Ravenna, was among the group.

    He was too caught up with Leandra earlier that she didn''t realize Ravenna was nearby.

    Considering that Leandra seemed to be separating from the group, he thought she was going to be alone. Even if someone from the group changed their minds and decided to go with Leandra, they would''ve caught up to Leandra before they exposed themselves.

    Who would''ve taught Ravenna to also follow Leandra silently?

    "If you expect me to talk... You will have to kill me first!" The man growled fearlessly.

    Ravenna tilted her head, "Okay, thanks for telling me your resolve."

    Splash!

    Not even hesitating, she lunged, grabbing the man''s throat and ripping it with one swift motion.

    She killed him instantly without a second thought.

    "I wouldn''t waste my time on you," Ravenna continued before he straightened her back.

    Seeing the three corpses around her, she scratched the back of her head.

    "Now what am I going to do?"

    Meanwhile, Leandra''s brows furrowed.

    Even though she was really running, not using any ether or anything, but certainly much faster than any other normal person out there, she couldn''t catch up to the woman. As a matter of fact, she was a bit slower than the woman.

    ''She didn''t have a trace of ether in her, so how come she''s this fast?'' She thought in disbelief.

    Then, she decided to use her ether to boost her speed.

    As expected, she began to catch up to the woman.

    Just then, once the woman took another left, she stopped when she realized it was a dead end.

    She has no time to turn around as Leandra already appears from around the corner.

    "Who are you?" The woman asked, straight to the point. "What do you want from me?"

    "You''re the one who attacked Lucivar in the night market, aren''t you?" Leandra replied with a question.

    "And...?" Ciri raised an eyebrow. "He was about to attack innocent people, and I stopped him."

    "Stop him?" Leandra''s eyes narrowed as her ether, transformed into starlight attribute, seeped out of her body like sizzling steam. "You almost killed him! I know he''s sometimes a bad person, but he can still change. You managed to stop him, so why go to such lengths to kill him?"

    "Change...?" Ciri''s brows were raised in shock.

    For a second there, she was frozen still, and when she recovered, her eyes narrowed.

    "You knew what he is, and yet you still believe he can change?" She asked incredulously. "Are you also an avatar? His Vestal? Or are you maybe someone who he groomed¡ªand manipulated with his devious tongue?"

    Leandra was confused.

    She was supposed to be angry that Ciri said those things, but some parts of what she said were weird.

    ''Avatar? Vestal?'' She thought in confusion.

    Noticing the confusion behind Leandra''s eyes, Ciri realized that she didn''t know anything.

    She didn''t know that Lucivar was Loki''s avatar.

    Or perhaps, she didn''t know anything at all.

    "Are you going to kill me?" Ciri asked, her eyes glowing with the blaze of the sun.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra raised both hands, "Anyone who threatens my family paid the price."

    "Family..." Ciri repeated and scoffed. "Even if the Devil''s family is good, they''re still wrong."

    Swish!

    Leandra forced her eyes shut when Ciri''s eyes glowed with a blinding light.

    She was late to react for a second¡ªher eyes caught a glimpse and were now throbbing.

    Upon opening her eyes again, she saw Ciri was already sprinting up the wall and leaping over her.

    Instinctively, Leandra tries to grab her hand, but her hand turns into sunlight.

    She couldn''t stop Ciri.

    Gritting her teeth, starlight ether surged from her body as she prepared to chase after Ciri.

    However, as she was about to dash, Ravenna reached her and stopped her.

    "What are you doing?!" Leandra barked, her nose flaring in anger.

    "Don''t," Ravenna shook her head. "Caldaros was close with a woman outside of the academy. Bob saw the woman, but couldn''t describe anything about her other than her light power. Since this woman has light power, I''m guessing it''s her."

    "Even so, she''s the one who almost killed Lucivar! We can''t let her go!" Leandra argued.

    "You''re being reckless," Ravenna sighed, pushing her back hard. "I''m not doing this because I don''t think that woman deserved to die for what she did. I''m doing this because if she''s close with Caldaros, then Lucivar must have a plan in motion for her. Killing her here would only mess his plan."

    "Do you want to do that, Leandra?" She continued lightly. "Do you want to mess with him again?"''

    As soon as Leandra heard that, her mind was thrown back to Kalinan City.

    She recalled how Lucivar also warned her back then.

    "Fine," Leandra reluctantly averted her gaze. "I''m going to get some fresh air."

    Meanwhile, oblivious to them, a man was standing at the alley''s mouth with his arms crossed.

    Had they turned to look at the man, they wouldn''t have realized that it was actually Lucivar.

    ''Leandra... you stupid fucking idiot,'' Lucivar cursed inwardly¡ªhiding his anger behind his stone-cold face. ''Ciri thankfully came, but you scared her away! Now I don''t know if she will come tomorrow or not. Fuck! I already sowed doubt in her, and now she''s chased away.''

    Glancing to where Ciri ran off to, Lucivar clenched his jaw, ''I need to make sure she''ll come again.''

 Chapter 267 267: The Same As Mine

    Furious was an understatement.

    Lucivar was seething, he wanted to slap Leandra across her face, but he must do something right now.

    He caged his intention to confront Leandra and dashed away to chase after Ciri.

    Running through the sidewalk, pushing aside people from his way¡ªhe sprinted to go around the corner and intercept Ciri in the alley she was in earlier. Gandr appeared on his shoulder while he ran, hissing into his ear, "An angry mind is no mind at all, remember that."

    "Tch! It''s easier for you to say!" Lucivar barked and sped up.

    But even then, he took the advice to heart.

    Since Gandr took the time to tell him this, there must be a way to turn this to his advantage.

    A random variable would never cease to exist, no matter how perfect the plan is, especially when there was Leandra¡ªwho was basically the random variable itself. But not all random variables would impact the plan badly.

    And this might be one of those variables.

    It depends on how smart the planner was, whether he could see the crack or not.

    Lucivar was confident in his intelligence, his wicked intelligence, so he could certainly use this.

    ''Unlike me or even Ravenna, Leandra has little to no bad karma. In this world, having little to no bad karma is bad luck. Since she chased Ciri away, it must be for the best,'' His lips curled into a smile, one that sent shivers down anyone who saw it. ''Perhaps, it was for my benefit.''

    Charging ether into his feet, he made one last dash and managed to reach the alley.

    Lucivar stepped his feet hard and slid against the slippery ground and locked gaze with Ciri.

    She was running with all her might, but stopped when she saw Lucivar.

    "Lucivar...?" Ciri mumbled with a frown, recognizing Lucivar even though his stature¡ªand face were that of another person, another man. She could tell it was him simply from his emerald eyes¡ªand also the face he was making.

    "I''m glad you made it, Ciri." Lucivar smiled and walked forward.

    He was pushing Ciri back to get away from the people walking on the sidewalk.

    "I came here because I''m not afraid. I''m not afraid of being wrong, but it seemed you were planning on ambushing me from the start instead of making your point," Ciri sneered¡ªeven though she got into a trap, she felt relieved, mainly because she now knew it was wrong for her to doubt Caldaros.

    "Don''t misunderstand," Lucivar waved dismissively. "That hot-headed girl has nothing to do with me."

    "As I mentioned in my message, I want to prove to you that you''re wrong. Caldaros and that stupid Sun Goddess will feel perverse satisfaction when they manage to defeat me," He continued, being upfront and truthful. "Besides, if I really wanted to kill you right now, your heart would stop hours ago."

    Upon hearing this, the uncomfortable weight began to weigh on Ciri''s heart again.

    It came back¡ªthe relief seconds ago lasted very briefly.

    ''I don''t want to believe him since he''s Loki''s avatar, but he might be telling the truth.'' Ciri bit her lips.

    An ambush like that was thoughtless and messy.

    Leandra was acting openly, and she had no real plan other than to chase her down.

    Had it been really Lucivar''s doing, she would be dead by now.

    Knowing how dangerous the situation might be, Caldaros told her a lot of things about Loki''s avatar.

    Other than that, he also told her about Lucivar in particular from the missions he took, the shady things he did¡ªand even the last battle he had against the Feradith Family. Being able to fight that titan family meant he must be extremely quick-witted.

    So this ambush wasn''t his doing, that was for sure.

    Leandra must really chase after her out of personal feelings.

    "This must be some sort of a trap," Ciri gritted her teeth. "Caldaros would not be like that."

    "And yet you''re here..." Lucivar replied raspingly. "He told you not to come, didn''t he?"

    "Eh...?" Ciri''s eyes widened.

    Her heart skipped a beat, and there was a change in how she looked at Lucivar.

    "You... Wait... How do you...?" She stammered uncontrollably.

    It suddenly hits her.

    Lucivar gave her the ticket, knowing exactly that Caldaros would forbid her to come.

    Initially, she thought he assumed she wasn''t going to come since it was going to be dangerous for her.

    But that wasn''t the reason, the real reason was that Lucivar anticipated Caldaros forbidding her from coming to watch the tournament. Even the safe place she was meant to go to must have no TV or internet to access the live tournament.

    "How did you know...?" She asked, still surprised.

    Lucivar chuckled, "No, the real question is, what made him adamant on not wanting you to watch. "He said, ignoring her question. "Why do you think that is, Ciri? You must have your own doubts since you chose to come."

    He paused, waiting for Ciri to answer.

    Clearly, the answer was already in her mind, but she refused to say it aloud.

    "It''s because he didn''t want you to see his evil side." Lucivar decided to say what was on her mind. "I am here only to serve you by confirming what you suspect. I''m trying to help you by showing you the truth, nothing else."

    "So come again tomorrow, and watch the tournament until the end." He added.

    Clearly, Ciri was swayed.

    One could see on her face that what Lucivar said was spot on.

    "And what if I don''t come?" Ciri asked whisperingly.

    Lucivar paused for a second, letting her question hand before answering it, "Then you''ll live in a lie."

    Even though Ciri wanted to believe that Caldaros and Sunna are nothing like Lucivar described them to be, there were instances that made her doubt it. Yesterday was one of them. Caldaros could explode like that¡ªthat was a side that she had never seen from him before.

    So, it made her wonder, what else could Caldaros be hiding?

    And perhaps, was Lucivar right all along?

    ''Is it better to live in a lie happily... or to live with the truth painfully?'' Ciri thought bitterly.

    She wouldn''t be able to face Caldaros if Lucivar was really correct.

    It would alter her entire world-view if that were the case.

    "If I''m correct and you''re wrong, what are you going to do?" Lucivar suddenly asked, breaking the tense silence between them once again. Then, he tilted his head, "If I''m correct, then in your view, Caldaros and his Goddess should also be evil. You have no problem killing him yourself, then, right?"

    Ciri didn''t speak.

    Instead, she balled her fists tightly, turning her knuckles white.

    Lucivar''s question struck a nerve.

    She was forced to wonder if that was the case, what would she do?

    Just then, Lucivar glanced to the sky, sensing the trace of energy from a particular someone.

    Someone whom he recognized almost instantly.

    "Let me give you an appetizer," Lucivar slurred¡ªsmirking deviously as he pointed skyward. "Once he arrived and I''m gone, he would instantly ask you why you are here. You''re going to tell him that I asked you to come to talk, and, surprisingly, I wanted you to tell him to spare me. Ask him to really spare me, and let you stay to watch. I''ll prove that his heart is wicked, the same as mine."

    "He''ll pause, wearing that conflicted expression he''s perfected¡ªand say, ''I''ll try... but still, you can''t stay.'' He''ll pretend to weigh the decision, to act like it''s tearing him apart. But don''t be fooled, Ciri... you know the reason." Lucivar predicted.

    Ciri listened but said no words.

    Until suddenly, a flash of light appeared on the roof of the building, forming into Caldaros.

    Caldaros looked down and instantly fell into rage when he saw Lucivar and Ciri together.

    Instantly, he leapt and landed hard right in front of Ciri.

    "I thought we were past this¡ªthe tournament has already begun," He said with a baritone voice.

    His rage was barely restrained in his tone.

    "Do you see a single scratch on her? I don''t," Lucivar said with a smirk. "I merely stopped for a friendly chat¡ªwhat''s the issue? Don''t tell me you''re scared I might end up becoming your uncle? Honestly, I get it. You see, I think Ciri and I have chemistry..."

    A vein popped on Caldaros'' forehead when he heard this.

    "You''re planning something, don''t think I won''t notice!" Caldaros roared angrily.

    But Lucivar waved his hand dismissively.

    He wasn''t going to entertain Caldaros today, not when he already got to Ciri.

    Not physically, but mentally.

    Casting one last knowing smile at her, Lucivar turned around, "Got something to do, I''m leaving."

    He bravely exposed his back to Caldaros.

    Then again, there were a lot of people, so he doesn''t need to be worried.

    Once Lucivar disappeared around the corner, his voice rang inside Ciri''s mind.

    He would instantly ask you why you are here.

    "Aunt Ciri," Caldaros turned towards her with a stern face. "What are you doing here?"

    Deg!

    It was exactly as Lucivar predicted, but his first question was predictable.

    Feeling that this might be a bad idea, Ciri doesn''t want to listen to Lucivar, but his voice rings again.

    You''re going to tell him that I asked you to come to talk.

    "I..." Ciri hesitated, but did it regardless. She wanted to know the truth. "He asked me to come and meet him here, in this alley. I know that it''s dangerous, but people were around, so it''s fine. But, there''s one thing you should know."

    "What is it?" Caldaros raised his eyebrows, troubled by this.

    "He... He asked me to ask you to spare him. He wanted to change his ways¡ªand would comply with your demands," Ciri continued, deciding to see this to its end. "Spare him, Caldaros. He seemed really genuine, and let me stay to watch the tournament."

    As soon as the last word escaped her lips, her heart began to pound.

    I''ll prove that his heart is wicked, the same as mine.

    ''Please... Please don''t make it true,'' She thought inside, biting her lower lip hard.

    Ciri watched Caldaros closely with a bead of cold sweat drizzling down the side of her face.

    He''ll pause.

    Caldaros paused as predicted, causing Ciri''s heart to skip a beat.

    ''No... No, please!'' Ciri screamed inside.

    Wearing that conflicted expression he''s perfected.

    Then, Caldaros'' lips parted slightly, eyebrows knitted together, as if his thoughts suddenly turned heavy.

    Deg!

    Another prediction came true, but the last part was the most important.

    Ciri unconsciously held her breath as she waited.

    And say, ''I''ll try... but still, you can''t stay''.

    Caldaros turned his gaze back to look at Ciri, and finally said, "I''ll try... but still, you can''t stay."

    Deg!

    Don''t be fooled, Ciri... you know the reason.

 Chapter 268 268: Real Dark Angel

    Instantly, as if looking at Caldaros stung, Ciri averted her gaze.

    She looked down, eyes wide, and heart pounding.

    Caldaros was still talking to her, explaining the reason why he could not have her stay, but his voice was gradually going further away¡ªmuffled like he was underwater. All she could hear now was her breaths, her heartbeats, and Lucivar''s voice.

    Don''t be fooled, Ciri... you know the reason.

    It became almost painstakingly clear the reason behind Caldaros'' insistence.

    He was going to kill Lucivar, regardless of the lie that Lucivar asked for mercy.

    Perhaps he couldn''t believe Lucivar, his plea for mercy might be a fluke¡ªbut shouldn''t he at least see for himself whether Lucivar was lying or not? That''s the least he could do as this involved taking a life, a precious and sacred thing.

    After all, as he stated, he''s a good person.

    Isn''t giving someone a chance what a good person would do?

    But that didn''t cross Caldaros'' mind at all.

    Ciri could see it¡ªhe had already made up his mind.

    In his mind, Lucivar must die, regardless of the circumstances.

    ''No...You''re supposed to be lying, trying to manipulate me with words that aren''t real, that''s what you do,'' Ciri thought as she reached her hands to hold her head. ''Caldaros, my niece... he''s a good person! This can''t be real. This can''t be real life!''

    Even though she was in denial, it was too hard to ignore.

    Lucivar predicted every single word that would come out of his mouth, and that''s too convincing.

    If he knew what Caldaros was going to say, then he also knew what was inside Caldaros'' mind.

    Had that not been the case, there''s no way he could''ve predicted the words.

    "Aunt Ciri...?"

    A voice called to her, and she snapped out of her train of thought.

    She raised her gaze and saw Caldaros, looking at her with tenderness and worry.

    Seeing this, she clenched her fists, ''No, I still believe in him. I won''t believe that he''s bad, he can''t be.''

    "Do you understand? I cannot have you stay here or else he''d go to you like this," Caldaros continued, a light sigh escaping his mouth. "If you''re here, I won''t be able to focus, and I''ll lose. Can you please listen to me this time and go to the safe house?"

    "Yes..." Ciri answered and forced out a smile. "I''m sorry for coming."

    "It''s okay, at least you''re unharmed." Caldaros nodded.

    Soon, the two parted ways.

    Caldaros dropped Ciri at a bus station so that she could go straight to the safe house.

    But as Ciri waved her hand, bidding Caldaros goodbye as he turned into sunlight again, her face turned dark. In front of her, the bus door was opened, and people began to step inside, but she didn''t move from her spot.

    She stayed standing motionless, seemingly deep in thought.

    Until finally, she raised her gaze and turned away.

    Instead of taking the bus and going to the safe house, she headed to a place in mind.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar was crossing his arms while leaning against the wall.

    He was watching people walking past him and the streets with cars speeding past his vision in a blur of lights, humming to himself in a good mood. Then again, as expected, he managed to take advantage of the sudden opportunity given by Leandra.

    Had it not been for her, he would only have checked on Ciri to make sure she came and then left.

    Not to mention, he also became more convincing now for Ciri.

    Since he has no intention of killing her, as proven by Leandra, then he must be really trying to prove that he was correct regarding Caldaros and Sunna. And because of that, he was almost a hundred percent sure Ciri would watch the entire tournament.

    Just then, he noticed a dark-haired woman walking out of the convenience store.

    It was Ravenna.

    Ravenna was looking into the plastic bag, but yelped when someone suddenly grabbed her waist.

    Almost instantly, her eyes turned dark as she activated her Predator Oculus ability.

    She was about to attack this stranger, but frowned when she noticed the man''s eyes glowed emerald.

    And from her Predator Oculus vision, this stranger was marked by her.

    "Lucivar...?" She mumbled, tilting her head.

    "Are you surprised?" Lucivar cackled¡ªhe was wearing another man''s appearance right now, particularly the man who sneaked into his room earlier. "Did you think I was some creepy middle-aged man? I am really hurt if you did. I thought you could recognize me, no matter what."

    "Just in case you forgot, my ability isn''t active all the time." Ravenna rolled her eyes.

    Then, she pushed Lucivar''s face away.

    "Let me go," She complained, trying to break away. "It''s uncomfortable if you look like a stranger."

    Once Lucivar let her go, she tidied her clothes before looking back at him again.

    "What are you doing here? Aren''t you supposed to be resting for tomorrow?" She asked.

    "You stopped that stupid Leandra, and I''m grateful," Lucivar replied.

    "Oh?" Ravenna grinned, crossing her arms proudly. "You''re going to say thank you through words?"

    "Of course not, who do you think I am? I''ve prepared a small gift!" Lucivar chuckled humorously.

    As Ravenna was about to say something, a voice interrupted her.

    "Who''s stupid again?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar and Ravenna froze for a brief second before turning to the side slowly.

    Leandra was standing beside them¡ªshe also seemed to come out of the convenience store.

    She was squinting at Lucivar, already noticing that it was him.

    Realizing that Leandra was also here, Lucivar turned to Ravenna incredulously.

    "Why didn''t you tell me that you''re with her?" He asked.

    "Ah, I was too caught up in the moment," Ravenna smiled acutely. "I forgot about her."

    Leandra''s eyes narrowed as she watched how close the two stood, far too close than usual, far too close for comfort. They moved with an ease around each other that belied the few times she had even seen them together.

    Something was going on between them.

    She could feel it in an instant.

    Not to mention, from inside the store earlier, it looked like they were hugging.

    It could''ve been the angle, though, but still.

    She''d assumed it was Ravenna''s new boyfriend¡ªbut to her shock, it was Lucivar in disguise.

    Lucivar was about to make up an excuse, but his eyes caught someone across the street.

    "No time to explain. I''m going to pretend to say goodbye to you and then walk away. Pretend to walk away and then follow me," Lucivar said, putting on a smile and raising his hand, pretending to bid goodbye to the two.

    Then, he crossed the street and followed the person who had given him a meaningful look earlier.

    It was a man in a trench coat and a hat.

    As Lucivar followed him, there were also more people following him.

    ''Now, let''s find out who these people are, the people who wanted to know my bloodline...'' He thought inside, promising to aim their champion in the tournament for daring to probe into him. ''I''m guessing these people are from the Shadow Clan.''

    Soon, Lucivar realized that he was brought into a cafe?, a public space.

    He can''t have that.

    But there was no other place that was less crowded nearby, there are no more alleys.

    Sighing to himself, he followed and entered the cafe?.

    However, instead of going to sit where the man was sitting, he smiled at the waiter and pointed up, asking whether there were any seats above. Fortunately, the staff nodded and led him up to the second floor under the man''s gaze.

    Noticing that the second floor was still full, he continued going up.

    Lucivar settled on the rooftop, and there was only a handful of people there.

    Mainly, there was a man at the corner table and a couple near the edge, viewing the street.

    Deliberating his choices, he decided to sit in the left corner and ordered a cup of coffee.

    "If you need anything else, press this button, and I''ll come to you," The waiter said before leaving.

    As the waiter went back inside, the man in a trench coat stepped outside.

    His eyes met with Lucivar before he approached and took a seat across the table.

    Upon sitting down, the man placed down his hat, revealing a bald-headed man with battle scars marring his face. Lucivar''s eyes narrowed at the sight. ''He''s not a normal civilian, that''s for sure. Based on his aura, he''s a Hybrid, almost a Chrysalis rank. So, I''m on the right track, this guy is working for a faction or a clan.''

    "Do you want me to tell you what it was right now? It''s quite shocking." Lucivar started.

    "No," The man answered flatly and extended his hand. "Give me the leaf, and your job will be finished."

    "Alright, I''ll give it to you, but what''s it for anyway? Is this guy, Lucivar, some sort of a big shot?" He continued, playing a role as he dug for information. "He''s handsome and powerful, but I can''t warrant anyone going after him to this extent. Which faction are you from?"

    "Spill it for me," He pressed further. "Help a guy out here, I''m planning to bet on someone."

    Pausing for a second, the man looked at Lucivar before he leaned back.

    "You''re on the side of the Angels, don''t be a disgrace," The man commented.

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow, "Side of the Angels? What do you mean?"

    "You..." He whispered, squinting his eyes. "You''re not Rirgas, who are you?!"

    "Ah, cover blown," Lucivar shrugged¡ªbut then, a smirk crept to his face. "Do you fucking think I''m not going to notice? Such a slick move you did there, paying someone inside to poison me and find out about my bloodline."

    Hearing this, the man tilted his head in realization.

    Somehow, the ''Rirgas'' who was sitting across him wasn''t actually ''Rirgas''.

    It was Lucivar instead!

    "Tell me your employer, and I might spare your life." Lucivar continued.

    "Are you crazy?!" The man laughed. "Do you think I''m going to tell you anything?"

    Swish!

    Just then, the man suddenly felt something weird, and his vision blurred.

    Snapping out of his daze, he looked down at his hand and saw that the veins there were turning black.

    Lucivar already made his move.

    "W-When...?" He rasped as his body gradually turned numb.

    "I scratch you a bit with this," Lucivar said, raising a pen he took from the counter earlier. "I scratched you a bit when I walked past you. Oh, I also put a tiny bit of my dark attribute there, so it must be reaching your Supernatural Ego right about... now."

    Almost instantly, as Lucivar said that, the man was paralyzed and struck with excruciating pain.

    He wanted to scream, to call for help, but he couldn''t.

    Lucivar smiled deviously as the man stared at him in horror, "I already expected you to keep your mouth sealed like a good little dog of your faction, so I will be getting what I want from your corpse. Go on, now. Close your eyes... Heaven is waiting for you."

    Upon saying that, Lucivar stood up and walked around the table.

    Then, he leaned down to the man''s ear.

    "I''m an Angel Hybrid," He whispered, and then grinned. "But in truth, I''m a Dark Angel. So Heaven for me is quite different than Heaven for you. You''ll see..."

 Chapter 269 269: A Target On His back

    People were beginning to look in his direction.

    It was natural to look when the man was evidently choking and seemed to be in pain.

    But Lucivar only gave them a pliant smile and waved his hand, acting as if there was nothing wrong.

    All of them instantly turned away and fixed on their phones¡ªthey could sense that whatever Lucivar was doing, it was not a good idea for them to meddle. Survival instincts beat their social instincts. At this moment, that surely helps them keep their lives.

    Lucivar leaned back on his chair and crossed his legs, breathing the refreshing night air calmly.

    Soon, the man''s head fell down to the table with a light thud.

    He was dead.

    "It''s my first time using my dark attribute," Lucivar rubbed his chin. "So, this is what it does. Cool."

    Even though he wasn''t used to covering something with his dark attribute, the sensation was the same as controlling his normal ether. The only difference was that the dark attribute is way heavier, and also too violent if he used too much of it.

    But that wasn''t a problem, with time, he''ll get better at using it.

    It probably wouldn''t take long since he has Loki''s blood in him, the Grandmaster of Arcane Magic.

    Lucivar reached out his hand, grabbed the bronze sphere the man dropped, and instantly absorbed it.

    His physique was now strong enough to absorb bronze spheres from Acolyte-rank Hybrids.

    Usually, he felt immense pain, but now, he only felt a sense of warmth permeating inside.

    Just then, the door to the rooftop was opened.

    Leandra and Ravenna stepped in and saw Lucivar on the corner with a dead man in front of him.

    "Did you guys find the others?" Lucivar asked.

    "Nope," Ravenna shrugged and took a seat. "Both of them are still waiting outside. Clueless."

    On the other hand, Leandra took a seat hesitantly, fixing her gaze on the man who was completely still with his head on the table. Had it been a month ago, she would''ve gotten angry at Lucivar for killing a man mercilessly like this.

    But now, she only has a question, "Why did you do it?"

    "He was trying to find out about my bloodline, not cool." Lucivar answered.

    Leandra nodded, that could''ve been bad for Lucivar if the fact that he''s an Angel Hybrid got out.

    "Do you know who sent him?" Ravenna continued, supporting her chin with her palm.

    "No, not yet, can you search him for me?" Lucivar asked.

    Ravenna raised an eyebrow, clearly, he was doing nothing and could be searching the man right now, so she didn''t understand why she had to do it. But instead of asking him, she turned to Leandra, "Didn''t you hear what he said? He''s talking to you."

    "Huh...?" Leandra frowned. "Me? Isn''t he looking at you while saying that?"

    "You must''ve seen it wrong," Ravenna waved her hand dismissively. "Stop babbling and check him."

    "Eughh... Fine." Leandra reluctantly searched the man for clues.

    Lucivar, on the other hand, chuckled in amusement before he turned to Sha on his shoulder.

    "Did you catch his soul?" He asked whisperingly.

    "I can''t believe you now have the balls to order me around," Sha sneered. "But yes."

    "Come on, you need some action once in a while," Lucivar joked. "Gandr is always thinking¡ª so he''s always burning calories through his mind. What about you? You''re only lazing around and worshipped by those mummies all the time."

    "Are you saying I''m fat?" Sha asked sharply.

    "Err..." Lucivar smiled acutely. "I think we should hurry. Come on, bring me there."

    Hearing this, Sha gritted her teeth before she disappeared.

    Lucivar also closed his eyes, sending his consciousness into his Inner Chamber.

    ...

    Meanwhile, in the red desert.

    A bald man could be seen lying in the middle of nowhere.

    Then, his eyes shot open, and he immediately sprang up, clutching his chest with his hand.

    "I''m... I''m dead!" He exclaimed, panting hard as he recalled how the dark attribute clutched his insides and killed him on the spot. But realizing that he was still breathing and conscious, the bald man frowned before he noticed something is off with his body. "W-What am I...?"

    His skin was now pale blue, like a preserved corpse, and he was also very thin.

    No sign of the muscles he worked for when he was still alive.

    Just then, he also noticed where he was¡ªa red desert as far as the eye can see.

    Above was a dark orange sun, the source that gave the place this shade of color.

    "Where am I?" He gulped harshly.

    Since he was dead, this must be Hell¡ªHeaven wouldn''t be dry and barren like this.

    As he was about to stand up and take a look around, to see what life after death was, the sand a couple of steps away from him began to move. Initially, the stand started dropping as if there was a hole forming underneath it.

    However, that changed in the next moment when the red sand suddenly began to climb.

    It climbed until it was as tall as a person before stopping.

    Something wicked was inside of this column of sand, the bald man could feel it, but he couldn''t run.

    Not with this body.

    Just then, a hand stabbed out of the column of sand before it pushed aside the sand, revealing a pair of peculiar, golden eyes. A pair of eyes that the bald man instantly recognized, Lucivar. Horrified, the bald man crawled back.

    He couldn''t believe that even in death, he would meet Lucivar again.

    "We meet again," Lucivar grinned as he stepped out of the sand. He patted some sand particles that got onto his clothes while still maintaining eye contact, "Since you want to get closer to me, I welcome you to this humble place of mine... my Heaven!"

    "H-Heaven...?" The bald man gulped and looked around. "This? Haahh... Haah~!"

    Out of complete fear, the bald man turned around and crawled away like a cockroach.

    Everything doesn''t make sense.

    He''s dead, but Lucivar was still able to reach him, it doesn''t make sense!

    Lucivar smirked in delight.

    Like the ghost of the desert, the sand swallowed him, and he reappeared in front of the bald man again.

    Seeing this, the bald man froze, shuddering in utter fear.

    Slowly, Lucivar squatted down, staring down at the bald man intently.

    "I said," He started, patting the bald man lightly. "I''m going to be getting what I want from your corpse."

    ...

    Back in the real world.

    Leandra, oblivious to what Lucivar was doing, searched the bald man''s corpse, mainly reaching for his pockets. Other than a necklace, there was nothing. But as she reached for his back pocket, her eyes lit up when she felt a wallet.

    Grabbing the wallet, she smiled brightly and showed it to Ravenna.

    "Is there even anything inside?" Ravenna raised a brow.

    "Of course, it''s a wallet," Leandra replied with a sneer. "What else would he be carrying this around?"

    However, as soon as Leandra opened the wallet, she saw that it was empty.

    Only a few changes inside, no IDs or any other cards.

    Ravenna smirked and grabbed the necklace while Leandra still tried to search the wallet in denial.

    She looked at the pendant and saw that it was shaped like a wing.

    Behind it, there was a number.

    It wasn''t long enough to be a phone number, so it must be a code or something.

    "Oh, it''s a dog tag," She guessed.

    Then, she turned to the couple near the edge who were trying their best to ignore them.

    Ravenna stood up and approached them before letting the necklace dangle between the couple.

    "Do you know which faction has this shape?" She asked demandingly.

    Upon hearing this, the couple paused for a second, their hearts pounding inside, before the woman, who snapped quicker than the man, immediately looked at the pendant. She pondered for a second, inspecting it before turning to Ravenna again, "I... I think it belonged to the Dark Angels."

    "Dark Angels?" Ravenna frowned in confusion.

    "I think it''s a subdivision of the Hybrid Association that specializes in eradicating Angel Hybrids," The man finally spoke up, tapping a few times on his phone before turning the screen toward Ravenna. "The Black Zenith Order¡ªhere, see for yourself. It''s definitely them. Angel Hybrids are dangerous... that is why they always wear dog tags."

    Ravenna looked at the screen and narrowed her eyes.

    She saw an article with an image of a bunch of people in black uniforms, proclaiming as Dark Angels.

    Based on the emblem on their uniforms, it seemed this necklace really belonged to them.

    "Thank you," Ravenna gave them a nod and turned around.

    It was easier now with phones everywhere to search for something, so as a newcomer in the city, she thought asking other people would be a great idea. And from the looks of it, she was correct, that couple knew more than her.

    ''This is bad... Did Luciver slip up somewhere?'' Ravenna thought with a frown.

    Certainly, an organization specializing in hunting Angel Hybrids taking an interest in Lucivar couldn''t be a coincidence. Something must have drawn their attention to him, and the only way she''d find out was by asking Lucivar directly.

    "I found something else," Leandra said as Ravenna approached.

    "No need," Ravenna tossed her the necklace again. "It''s the Black Zenith Order. He''s a Dark Angel."

    Just as she was about to ask about it, Lucivar opened his eyes.

    Instinctively, both of them turned to look at him.

    Leandra wanted to tell what Ravenna told her, about the Black Zenith Order, but she stopped herself.

    Upon returning from Sutekh''s domain¡ªand exiting his Inner Chamber, Lucivar was silent, sitting with his back leaning against the chair. His expression was serious, more serious than they had ever seen him wear.

    Then, he leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of his mouth and exhaled roughly.

    "Shit... I''m in trouble," He mumbled aloud.

    Earlier, while he was torturing the bald man to confess his employer''s name or anything, the bald man finally reached his limit. He confessed that he came from the Black Zenith Order. Lucivar was shocked by this, as the Black Zenith Order had nothing to do with the tournament.

    Lucivar instantly recalled the man from back then in the mall while he was still with Thalia.

    Without a doubt, this interest in him was certainly because of that man.

    Naturally, Luucivar demanded a name.

    But when the bald man was about to say, his body stiffened, and his body dissipated into brilliant light.

    Sha told him that the bald man has a curse inside of him, that whenever he was compromised and forced to give out information, his soul would be erased. Lucivar thought that the Dark Angels were some sort of public tool to scare the Angel Hybrids and ease the people.

    He was wrong.

    The Black Zenith Order is the real deal, and he has a target on his back.

 Chapter 270 270: Point Exchange

    Regardless of the situation, Lucivar couldn''t do anything right now.

    Best for him to focus on the tournament and kill Caldaros.

    Perhaps then, when Caldaros died and marked the first time ever of Loki''s triumph over Sunna, he will be generous enough to give Lucivar the boost he needed to handle the Black Zenith Order. If not, then he would be forced to beg Sutekh to take over.

    ''Bui I''m sure Loki would give it to me. He''s not stingy.'' Lucivar shrugged.

    Once he knew who was behind the poison, he, along with Leandra and Ravenna, exited the cafe?.

    No need for them to take care of the bald man''s body.

    As he exited the cafe?, he glanced over his shoulder and found the two men walking into the cafe?.

    Both were the bald man''s companions, still clueless to the fact that the bald man was dead.

    ''I''m not scared of the Black Zenith Order,'' Lucivar smirked. ''I gave no clue that I''m an Angel Hybrid.''

    Since he killed the bald man with his dark attribute, there''s no link, so he doesn''t need to be worried.

    Additionally, he didn''t need to be worried about them coming after him for this murder.

    Poisoning him, a young Academy Hunter, isn''t really legal.

    Upon returning to the stadium, Ravenna turned¡ªand leaned towards him while Leandra was walking in front of them. She placed her lips beside his ear and whispered, "I''ll find out more about this Black Zenith Order. Other than that, thank you for the treat."

    "No problem. It''s not really a treat for you since it has something to do with me." Lucivar chuckled.

    "Nevertheless," Ravenna tapped him on the shoulder. "I got some negative energy."

    She immediately retreated when Leandra turned towards them.

    "Go on, you need to be on your A-game for tomorrow." Ravenna said, gesturing for him to go inside.

    Leandra also raised her fist, "Good luck for tomorrow, we''ll be watching."

    As the two waved their hands, they turned and headed to their hotel.

    On the other hand, Lucivar stood there, mildly surprised, "I guess she could be nice if she wanted to."

    Shaking his head, he headed inside.

    Just like that, the night came to pass with him sleeping in a designated room for participants.

    He didn''t need to be worried about company since Angel was there to warm his bed, and he was more than ready to tackle tomorrow. All he spent doing was training to control his two attributes and then going to sleep at around midnight.

    Early in the morning, almost five, he woke up from the sound of knocking.

    Angel was still sleeping soundly beside him with a happy and satisfied face, curled up inside the blanket.

    Checking the time, Lucivar yawned and sat on the edge, but the knock sounded again.

    "I''m coming!" He exclaimed before checking who was at the door.

    Of course, he didn''t forget to take his dagger and hid it behind him, anticipating the worst.

    However, as soon as he peeked from the peephole, he realized that it was a crew from the tournament''s organizers. Lucivar used his hand that was holding the dagger to open the door abruptly and wide, which startled the crew.

    Seeing that Lucivar was only in his boxer, her face flushed red instantly.

    Clearly, she was uncomfortable, but then again, Lucivar didn''t care, it''s God-damn five in the morning.

    "What?" He raised an eyebrow, questioning.

    "Ermm..." The woman fanned her blushing face, trying to regain her composure, and cleared her throat. "I''m sorry for intruding, Participant Lcivar. I called your personal assistant a couple of times, but she didn''t pick up, so I had to come here myself."

    "Oh," Lucivar glanced at the sleeping beauty and then turned to her again. "She''s tired, I think."

    Unconsciously, the woman stole a glance at the bulging thing behind Lucivar''s boxer.

    But a teasing whistle startled her greatly.

    "My eyes are right here," Lucivar said, pointing at his eyes. "If you want to look down there, don''t you think it''s more polite to ask first?"

    "R-Right, I''m sorry..." The woman averted her gaze.

    Her face was already red like a tomato at this point, too embarrassed to even speak.

    "And...?"

    "Eh? I''m sorry?"

    "The reason you came here...?"

    "Oh, right!"

    Quickly, the woman put on her professional look as best as she could, though it was faltering.

    Then, she asked, "You got an additional point from beating the third ninja in the first stage, so I''m here to give you your reward. You can choose either one of the following: Pin someone''s location for the second stage, or gain one royal decree."

    "Can you elaborate?" Lucivar asked, leaning against the door with his arms crossed.

    "During the second stage, all participants would be given a radar," The woman explained firmly while fidgeting with her fingers. "If you decided to pin someone, your radar would always show where that person was. As for the royal decree, it would help the King in the second stage."

    Lucivar nodded his head attentively.

    He remembered the second stage should be a King''s Game, whatever it was.

    From the looks of it, the game would be quite sophisticated, and he liked it.

    A light smirk curled on his face as the more sophisticated the game was, the more he could play in it.

    ''Since the second stage would be a team''s game, I''d be paired with Caldaros and Mirel, as per the very information Angel got for me. In that case, do we really need a royal decree? We''re strong.'' Lucivar contemplated his choice, but the answer was obvious. "I''m going to choose the first option."

    "Understood." The woman opened her tablet and tapped the screen a couple of times.

    Then, when she turned the screen to face him, he was greeted by the list of participants.

    "Picked one and we will configure your radar," She instructed.

    Lucivar grabbed the tablet and scrolled through the participants, meeting a couple of people whom he was interested in pinning. He was deliberating between a few choices, but stopped to look at the woman again, "Will there be cameras for tomorrow?"

    "Huh? Of course, how else would it be broadcast?" The woman smiled politely.

    "Right," Lucivar also smiled, a charming one. "Sorry, that''s a silly question from me. Here, I''m done."

    Accepting the tablet again, the woman checked his choice.

    "Participant Arthur is your choice, correct?" She asked, confirming his decision.

    Lucivar nodded, he decided to go with Arthur.

    Once that was done, the woman handed back the tablet to Lucivar, "All of the things you need to know about the second stage are right there in detail, including the rules. Make sure to read it since over the years, some teams lost because they didn''t read the rules properly."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar paused for a second, his eyes narrowing.

    "Also, make sure to gather at exactly eight at the grand hall." She continued before intending to leave.

    Just before she could take a step, Lucivar stopped him.

    "Hey," He called, placing his hand higher on the door. "I know this doesn''t involve the game at all, but I can''t help it. May I know your name?"

    "M-My name?" The woman stuttered, her face reddening again. "It''s... It''s Tara."

    "Such a beautiful name, Tara...." Lucivar praised as he pushed himself out of the room and walked over to Tara, disregarding the fact that he was in the hall and was only with his boxer. He stopped until he was a step away from Tara and leaned towards her, "Tara, can I ask you for a favor?"

    "Ah..." She averted her gaze. "If it''s about the game, I really shouldn''t..."

    As she said that, she was surprised when she realized she was already backed against the wall.

    Lucivar smoothly placed his hand on her waist and guided her to the wall.

    Then, he reached for her hand, "Please? I really need your help. I promise it''s not something hard."

    Tara tried to keep her gaze away, but she couldn''t help but to meet Lucivar''s gaze.

    She was stunned to see him so close, but the worst part, he was totally her type.

    Chiseled jaw, black messy hair, and his golden eyes... they were endearing and hypnotizing.

    "In... In that case," Her voice turned soft¡ªshe doesn''t have the will to say no to Lucivar right now.

    Smirking inwardly, Lucivar then whispered something into her ear.

    Upon hearing this, Tara paused for a second before she nodded, "I could do that..."

    "Good, text it to my assistant," Luciviar leaned away, smiling charmingly. "You''re a lifesaver, Tara!"

    Before she could even recover from her daze, Lucivar had already turned around and gone back to his room, not allowing her to change her mind. A playful smirk crept to his lips as he closed the door, "Luck has always been on my side, who knew someone like her would come straight to my doorstep. All of those things I did were worth it!"

    Then, he rubbed his chin, seemingly in thought, "Or am I really that handsome? I guess I am!"

    "What? What''s wrong? Why are you up?" Angel suddenly asked as she reached for her glasses.

    Seeing her, Lucivar paused for a second.

    Almost instantly, his expression shifted.

    His eyes gleamed with wicked intent, "I got woken up because of you, so it''s time for round eight!"

    Instinctively, Angel scrambled to the far side of the bed and hopped off.

    "Wait, wait, wait a second!" She raised both hands with a pale face. "What did I even do?!"

    "You missed your calls," Lucivar snapped, already moving. "And then some woman came banging on the door!"

    He was circling toward her, muscles coiled like a predator ready to pounce.

    Angel mirrored his every step, keeping the bed between them, her hands out in protest, "That was not entirely my fault!" She said, edging sideways without even having the decency to cover herself. "You practically didn''t give me a chance to rest, so it''s also kind of your fault!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar straightened his back and pointed at her.

    "What did you just say to me?" He growled.

    "I-I take it back..." Angel smiled wryly¡ªshe misspoke. "Fine, just do whatever you wa- kyaah!"

    Moments later.

    It was the start of the tournament again.

    All participants were gathered in the main hall, all strapped in their gear.

    Lucivar had already read the files¡ªand knew what the second game was all about, but he expected the same person from the first stage to explain the rules in person to make sure the participants were aware of all the rules.

    Instead, the crews handed something to the participants.

    Soon, Lucivar looked down at his hands with a frown.

    He was given three flowers like all the participants were¡ªa red rose, a black rose, and a white rose.

    "Now what?"

 Chapter 271 271: Roses

    Lucivar looked at the three roses with an evident frown.

    Similarly, the other participants looked around in question, also confused about the roses.

    "Now what...?" He muttered quietly.

    Moments later.

    Lucivar and the other participants, once again, were brought into the arena¡ªin front of the crowd that seemed to be larger than yesterday. Unlike the first day, the second and third days were the main event, so the crowd seemed more excited.

    However, unlike yesterday, there was one main change.

    Surrounding the arena, there were exactly ten vaults right underneath the crowd''s seats.

    Each one of them bore a carved crest representing a faction.

    Among them, Lucivar recognized a couple.

    The Vanguard Institute, the Green Tempest Clan, and even the Crimson Wolf Clan were among the ten sponsors that came to watch the second stage. Of course¡ªthere was also the city''s governor at the center, a dotting grandfather who came to watch his grandson perform.

    For the other six, Lucivar didn''t recognize them.

    However, these factions are definitely strong, perhaps led by a Savant or even a Paragon-rank Hybrid.

    Only the strongest factions of Sunhold City were called to attend the second stage.

    So it wasn''t surprising to see familiar faces.

    ''Though, I''m surprised the Trading Union isn''t among them.'' Lucivar thought inside.

    Neither of his sponsors was here, and that''s a bummer.

    As the instructor explained to the participants earlier, there will be a gratification period before the main event of the day starts. It was to show gratitude for the sponsors, who took their time to pick one or several youngsters and endorse them for the tournament.

    All participants were given three roses.

    Each rose represents different things¡ªthe red rose represents favorability, the black rose represents hostility, and the white rose represents neutral interest, which could be interpreted as either mild favorability, hostility, or interest.

    During this gratification process, each participant must give all three roses they had to these factions.

    Of course, there would be a section to place their roses for the other sponsors who weren''t attending.

    ''In hindsight, some might think this is gratification process is only a formality¡ªbut it wasn''t,'' Lucivar thought, glancing over the ten attending factions. ''It''s also the process of making an ally¡ªor an enemy. Since I don''t see any rule forbidding teaming up, I must choose carefully. Who''s going to be my enemy, and who''s going to be my ally...''

    From inside one of the vaults, Julian sat on the middle throne, facing ahead.

    He peered through the open-faced vault that gave him an unobstructed view to the arena calmly.

    Beside him, on the same kind of throne, was Callista.

    Gone is her confidence and overbearing aura, replaced by a calmer air that made her look more refined than imposing. One of her arms was still gone, the remnant¡ªfrom her battle with Lucivar, and also the constant reminder of her transgression.

    She wasn''t the same as before losing to Lucivar.

    Sitting slightly behind on a smaller seat were both Elira and Thalia.

    Both of them looked spectacular in their high-waisted green culotte pants, which highlighted their curves, and formal shirts, which matched the color of their hair. Unlike their parents, both of them were leaning forward, searching for someone in the crowd of participants.

    "Oh, I see him! Look, sister!" Thalia pointed at Lucivar, standing motionless among the participants.

    Leaning to the side a little, Elira also clasped her hands in excitement, "Yes! I see him now!"

    "I wonder which factions he would give his roses to," Thalia mumbled, curious about his decision. "I know he''s going to give the white or red rose for his sponsors, but if he could give one to us... Ah, that''d be really nice..."

    "Don''t be ridiculous, there''s no way he''d give it to us," Elira answered, but her face was red.

    She was secretly hoping that Lucivar would give their family the red rose.

    Just then, Julian''s baritone voice cuts through the vault, "He''s not going to give any of the roses to us, there''s no need for him to do that. He''s cunning and wicked, we knew that already, so he''s certainly not going to give it to us."

    Upon hearing this, Callista unconsciously reached for her non-existent arm.

    "Dad, do you really have to crush our hope like that?" Thalia crossed her arms in protest.

    "I''m sorry, princess," Julian turned and smiled acutely. "I can buy you roses instead of him."

    "It''s not the same, Dad. Just stop talking if you don''t want to make it worse," She pouted in annoyance.

    Elira patted Thalia''s head to calm her down, even though it did the opposite, and looked at Julian, "Dad, why do you think he''s not going to choose us? Although we started off wrong, our relationship with him isn''t that of an enemy now."

    "It''s precisely because of that," Julian answered and gazed forward again.

    "This isn''t a formality. This would affect him in the second stage. Through this, he can basically choose which participants would be his enemy or his ally in the second stage. We only have Mirel to represent us, and Mirel is already on his side, so he won''t give any roses to us." He explained elaborately.

    "If it''s about the participants, then the Vanguard Institute and the Jola Family have the most champions, having eight and ten, respectively. So will he give the red roses to either of them?" Elira added, curious as to what Lucivar would pick.

    "Not that simple," Julian shook his head. "We''ll have to see."

    Clearing her throat, Callista opened her mouth, "Most participants would reserve their white and red roses for the governor and their sponsors, so what they needed to think about most is the black rose. Giving a black rose to a faction is risky, he could get targeted, so we might get a rose from him."

    "The black rose?" Elira raised her eyebrows.

    On the other hand, Thalia smiled shyly, "I don''t mind getting the black rose from him."

    "Thalia, I think you''re fantasizing about him too much..."

    "What? Why do you care? You just want to hog him for yourself!"

    "We''re sisters, twins! And you still accused me of that?"

    Julian squinted his eyes at Lucivar, ignoring Thalia and Elira quarrelling in the background.

    He was quite curious as to what decision Lucivar would make.

    But then, his eyes shifted to the vault across him, where a man sat along with his people.

    The Crimson Wolf Clan.

    ''How did they get invited? Did they come here to take revenge on Lucivar? Might be...'' He thought.

    Meanwhile, all participants were gathered at the center of the stadium.

    All at once, the participants would have to give out all three of their roses, but a five-minute grace period was granted for them to contemplate their decisions. As the final moments slipped away, the announcers¡ªa charismatic man and a radiant woman standing atop an elevated stage¡ªstepped forward to declare the start.

    "Now, are you all ready to see who our beloved participants would pick?"

    "Ooh~ So exciting!"

    "Let''s see which faction they choose to give the red rose, showing favorability..."

    "White rose, showing indecision..."

    "And the black rose, showing hostility!"

    Both of them complete each other''s sentences in sync, turning grim at the mention of the black rose.

    Then, the signal to start appeared on the screens above the arena.

    Almost instantly, the participants scattered, moving to the designated factions, which were going to get their roses. Just as Lucivar expected, most participants placed the red roses in front of the wall where all other factions that weren''t invited were carved onto.

    Most of their sponsors were there, so this was common courtesy.

    It also includes the Blessed Hand Clan and the Trading Union.

    On top of that, most white roses were placed in front of the governor''s vault as a sign of respect.

    Considering the situation, more than half came to the same conclusion¡ªred rose for their sponsor, white rose for the governor, and the black rose for the faction they disliked the most. Since they couldn''t choose the same option again, they couldn''t place the black rose in the same spot as their red rose.

    For most, this was extremely bad for them.

    Giving the black rose to the ten attending factions meant having a target on their backs.

    Surely, their champions would do anything to eliminate those who gave a black rose to their sponsor.

    But there was no other choice, so they chose the least threatening.

    Unsurprisingly, the Feradith Family received the highest number of black roses.

    It was logical considering everyone knew that the family only has one champion, one person, Mirel.

    No matter how strong Mirel was, he was only one man.

    No chance he could take down most of them who gave their black rose to the Feradith Family.

    Lucivar observed his surroundings.

    He watched as Mirel placed his red rose on the Feradith Family side, his white rose on the governor''s side, and casually tossed his black rose before the wall of lesser factions. Meanwhile, Caldaros offered his red rose to the governor, his white rose to the Sunrise Clan, and set his black rose before, surprisingly, the Vanguard Institute.

    From what Lucivar found out, Caldaros lost to the Vanguard Institute in the previous tournament.

    So his choice wasn''t surprising.

    Soon, the crowd boomed when Seth finally made his move.

    With a courteous glance toward the governor, his grandfather, he placed the red rose down, then calmly set the white rose on the wall of the lesser factions. Left with only the black rose, he strode to the center of the arena with an air of quiet dominance, raised the dark bloom high for all to see, and tore it apart.

    It was not only for show, but a statement.

    Nobody here deserved his black rose, as that would only dismiss his status as the lord of the city.

    Once he was done, Lucivar snapped out of his daze and realized he was the only one left.

    ''Fuck, I was too absorbed...'' He thought wryly inside.

    Now, he has become the center of attention.

    "Lucivar of the Bloodhaven Academy, he has quite a lot of people holding him in high regard!"

    "Yes, his heroic art in Kalinan City earned him a name among the stars!"

    "Let''s see who he would pick."

    As the announcers hyped him up, surprisingly, he headed for the Feradith Family.

    Seeing this, Thalia and Elira were excited, expecting to get a black rose from him as a safe choice.

    But surprisingly enough, Lucivar raised the white rose and placed it down.

    All members of the Feradith Family were shocked to see this.

    Lucivar gave them his white rose, not his black rose.

    Upon setting the white rose down, Lucivar winked at the vault and then walked to the side.

    He stopped in front of the Shadow Clan''s vault and made eye contact with the clan leader.

    Fearlessly, he placed the black rose down, ignoring the sharp looks he was getting.

    "Now, for the red rose! Who is he going to give it to?" The announcer exclaimed.

    Lucivar played with the red rose for a moment before he walked across the arena, going to the other side to another vault. He was smiling devilishly inside as he made eye contact with a familiar face that he had met recently¡ªRagnar.

    Surprising everyone, he placed the red rose in front of the Crimson Wolf Clan''s vault.

    But then, the crowd sucked in a cold breath.

    He''s not giving a rose to the governor?

 Chapter 272 272: Ill Be In Your Care

    "You must have some serious courage!"

    On the way back inside before the second stage starts, Abigail bumped into his shoulder.

    Lucivar glanced at her and shrugged.

    "Not really," He shook his head. "I just see no point in giving a rose to the governor."

    "No point? It''s courtesy, c-o-u-r-t-e-s-y, he''s the master of this city, you know," Abigail chuckled.

    Frankly speaking, with all of the participants handing a single rose, either white or red, to the governor as a common courtesy, Lucivar was right. No point in giving it to the governor since he''d be the same as the others, and would have absolutely no effect.

    Other than Seth, the governor has no champions, so it wouldn''t make a difference.

    So, instead, he decided to give nothing to the governor.

    ''Other than what I came here to do, I also need the governor''s attention.'' Lucivar thought inside.

    In order to gain someone''s attention, he couldn''t play it safe.

    A reaction is the goal, be it bad or good¡ªwhat he did had to incite a reaction from the target.

    Giving no flower to the governor would make him stand out and certainly incite a reaction, that''s going to be enough for now. ''Dullan said he needed a favor from the governor¡ªand since he has been really cooperating with me, I do not mind doing this for him. Besides¡ªI can tell I can dangle this in front of him and coax him to give me more resources.''

    Since he decided to give none to the governor, he''d still have three roses.

    His black rose went to the Shadow Clan since their champions would be his first target.

    It was his deal with the Blessed Hand Clan, and frankly, he viewed the Shadow Clan as the weakest.

    Not because their champions were weak, but because most of them are Demon Hybrids.

    Meaning, all of them are killers.

    Meaning, they revel in doing wicked things.

    And for Lucivar, that''s really great since he can read bad people better than good people, and forcing the bad people to do something heinous is far easier than forcing good people. All he needed to do was to give them a little push, and the black rose was that push.

    For the red rose, he gave it to the Crimson Wolf Clan because of one sole thing.

    Because they harbored a killing intent towards him.

    Surely, Ragnar already told others about what he did, and thus turned the entire clan against him.

    Giving them a red flower would give another layer of protection against them.

    Having to show his support for the clan in front of many people¡ªthey wouldn''t be able to try and kill him easily during the second stage without a good reason, or else they''re going to be branded as a really unreasonable clan.

    Lucivar was relying on the public to protect him.

    As for the white rose going for the Feradith Family, there were two reasons he did that.

    One, the white rose''s aim was to give a mixed signal to a faction¡ªgaining their attention without a clear indication whether the participant''s intention was good or not. So, anyone Lucivar gave the white rose to would have their attention on him, and that''s something he doesn''t need.

    Giving it to the Feradith Family was a safe option as he has a history with them.

    For the second reason, he wanted to improve his image in the public''s eye.

    The Feradith Family has been the dumpster for black roses for an obvious reason, only having Mirel as their champion, so him giving the white rose to them would incite a big, ambiguous reaction from the crowd.

    Some would think he''s playing it safe, while some would think he''s being kind to the Feradith Family.

    Either way, he''d have their attention.

    ''I can only rely on the public''s protection for now,'' Lucivar thought as he glanced around the main hall, paying close attention to the other participants. ''I was fixed on the top one hundred and didn''t have the time to see the other participants. I don''t know the Crimson Wolf Clan''s champions...''

    No dark strings either¡ªwhoever their champions were, they''re good at hiding their killing intent.

    Perhaps, they are trained assassins.

    "I hope I''ll be getting the Crimson Blood Swamp," Abigail purred, rubbing her chest nervously.

    Lucivar tilted his head towards her, "Crimson Blood Swamp? Isn''t the Ashen Cavern better?"

    "The Ashen Cavern might sound good with its flatland terrain, but it''s near volcanic activity," Abigail said, raising a finger, as if she were lecturing Lucivar. "Laval-type crossers are extremely hard to deal with, fountains of lava would also shoot out randomly, and in case you didn''t know, the Ashen Cavern used to be a Green Dungeon."

    "Wha...?" Lucivar was surprised to hear this. "Why in the hell would they use a Green Dungeon?"

    From the files he read about the second game, he knew what to expect in the second stage.

    In the second stage, the participants would play a game called the King''s Conquest.

    A game designed for teams of three, each forming a kingdom and competing against rival kingdoms.

    Participants would be formed into teams of three, and they need to appoint one of them to be the King.

    The King is going to carry the flag of the kingdom, which would need to be planted at the destination to pass the second stage. The core of the game is a race game¡ªthe first few kingdoms that arrive before the other kingdoms win.

    In this stage, the participants will be tested in terms of their overall strength as a hybrid.

    To navigate a dungeon, protect the flag, and achieve the objective.

    Kingdoms would be grouped into three divisions, with each division having a fixed number of winners.

    So naturally, each division has its own racing ground, one of the three dungeons.

    Lucivar had read all three, and he thought the Ashen Cavern was the best one to be in, but he was wrong.

    It was the worst one.

    "Don''t worry too much¡ªit''s a subjugated green dungeon, so it''s fine," Abigal shrugged. "Besides, the stronger crossers are probably locked up. Anyway, I hope we don''t end up in the same division, or it''s going to be bad for you."

    Abigail grinned confidently, "I might have to repay you for the loss I suffered."

    "Please..." Lucivar scoffed. "I don''t want to make it a habit of beating someone obviously weaker. So yes, I do hope we''re not in the same division, for your sake."

    "That''s the spirit," Abigail laughed and tapped him on the back. "I''ll be going to my team now. Good luck to you!"

    Seeing her scurrying away in a hurry, Lucivar smiled sheepishly.

    "No, really though. I hope we''re not in the same division or you''ll be in trouble..." He muttered softly.

    Pivoting around, Lucivar searched for his team and found them at the other corner.

    Caldaros and Mirel were already standing beside each other, clearly not on friendly terms at all.

    "Phew~ What''s with the tension here? Aren''t we a team?" Lucivar chimed teasingly as he approached the two, hands behind his head. "We can''t let others know we''re not a good team, now, can we? Lighten up a bit."

    "Makes no difference. Only a few are strong enough to pose a threat," Caldaros sneered.

    Mirel shook his head, "So, who''s going to be the King? We can at least decide that."

    Almost instantly, Lucivar and Caldaros exchanged a look.

    For a second, there was tense silence that even Mirel could feel, stronger than the tension from earlier.

    ''Hey, hey, hey...'' Mirel smiled sheepishly. ''Aren''t you the one saying we should lay low?''

    It seemed to him that a fight was about to break out.

    Just then, however, the two of them turned to look at him at the same time.

    "You''re going to be the King."

    Both of them said in unison.

    Upon hearing this, Mirel blinked before he pointed at himself, "Me? Me, the King?"

    "Yes, the King needs to be protected since he''s carrying the flag," Caldaros nodded. "You''re most likely the weakest among the three of us, so yes, you''re going to be the King. If you have any problem, I don''t mind proving it to you."

    "What he meant is¡ªeach of us basically has the strength of one team," Lucivar intervened, rephrasing what Caldaros said. "So, we can go on the offensive, and since you''re the fastest, you''re going to be a lot better at keeping the flag secure."

    "Did you try to sugar-coat it for me?" Mirel ground his teeth. "Fine, whatever, I''m the King! You peons should do what you''re told!"

    Moments later.

    All participants had been separated into three divisions, and they were now about to be teleported.

    Once he scanned the division, he smiled inside.

    Orivelle and Renis were in his division.

    Earlier, he thought that at least he should secure Orivelle first, so if he wasn''t in her division, he would ask for a change of division. A kingdom could do that¡ªif all three voted for it, but this could only be done once, and had to be during the second stage.

    Lucivar could coax Mirel, and Caldaros would eventually follow suit, so it wasn''t a problem.

    However, fortunately, he didn''t need to do that.

    As he was smiling inside, the main hall suddenly shook, alerting the participants.

    Ahead, Lucivar frowned when he saw three portals forming from nothing.

    "Oh... I didn''t know they could do that," Lucivar thought aloud, surprised to see this scene.

    Opening a portal to the crossers'' world is impossible without a Star Witch, but it seemed the world had figured out how to dominate a dungeon¡ªand even moved it around like this. It took a few seconds for the portal to open.

    Lucivar gazed ahead and frowned when the portal in front of his division was opened.

    Almost instantly, he could feel the hot breeze coming from the inside.

    "Ah, shit..." He smiled wryly. "We got the Ashen Cavern."

    Upon entering the portal, along with the division, Lucivar found himself inside a mountainous terrain that was a little bit foggy. In the distance, he could already hear the sound of volcanic activity from the countless peaks around them.

    A blue dungeon is already big enough, but this one is a green dungeon.

    So, the size didn''t surprise Lucivar.

    Above them, spherical drones could be seen, broadcasting what was going on inside the dungeon.

    Then, a man with a mean-looking face in front floated above with his power.

    "Listen up, I''m not going to repeat this," He said loudly, scanning his eyes across the participants. "Do not transgress any rules. I''m sure you all have read it already, but I''m going to emphasize the rules that needed to be heeded."

    "You cannot kill other participants directly, and you cannot use illegal items." He continued. "Breaking even one of those two rules would cause your entire kingdom to be disqualified. No exceptions. Remember that."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smirked and turned to Caldaros.

    "You hear that?" He said, patting Caldaros'' shoulder. "One law breaker and the team would instantly be disqualified. We can''t have that, not when we still have unfinished business to settle on. So, for this stage, I''ll be in your care, Caldaros..."

 Chapter 273 273: Second Stage

    Caldaros clicked his tongue in displeasure.

    He knew too well what Lucivar was going to do, and there was really little choice in this for him.

    For the second stage, both of them were forced together.

    Losing in the first stage would be utter humiliation, considering the bloodline coursing inside them.

    Caldaros could only slap Lucivar''s hand off of him¡ªand crossed his arms, knowing full well that he wouldn''t be able to work with Lucivar. Just being near him made his blood boil, the eons of rivalry or hatred were engraved into his blood.

    It was probably the same with Lucivar.

    Others couldn''t see it through their nonchalant fac?ade, and that speaks of their strong willpower.

    Once the mean-looking man emphasized the two main rules, the kingdoms were split to give distance between one another. Each kingdom passed through a designated portal that would spread them across the entire dungeon.

    Still on the starting line, but a bit away from one another.

    Having them so close would only result in an all-out clash, and that''s not the purpose of this stage.

    Lucivar, Caldaros, and Mirel walked through a portal and looked around.

    No change in the terrain, but the main mountain that was supposed to be north of them was now around northeast of them. Its peak was visible, so they could tell their location was east of the center, a good starting point.

    For starters, the game has a lot of mechanics and rules that Lucivar has read attentively earlier.

    First, there was the flag.

    At all times, the King must carry the flag, it couldn''t be carried by the peons. Doing so would evoke a penalty that would set them back a lot in the race. The flag could also be taken away by other kingdoms and placed in the lethal zone.

    Upon succeeding in putting the flag there, the kingdom associated with the flag would be teleported back to the starting line or the last checkpoint. Of course, the kingdom that managed to score this point would obtain a royal shield.

    A royal shield would allow the flag to be teleported back to the King in case it was taken.

    It was a protection, a second life for the flag that was great when the kingdom neared the finish line.

    From the rulebook, one kingdom could only have two flag points at once.

    On top of that, other than forcefully taking the flag¡ªfrom a King, two peons from the same kingdom touching a King at the exact same time¡ªwould also cause the flag to be transferred to one of them. So, the King must be able to protect himself and also fast.

    Mirel was perfect for the role, and he knew it.

    Some kingdoms might also have a royal decree.

    A royal decree is a one-time use item for this stage to boost the King and his peons'' powers.

    It was done by utilizing the array underneath the stadium.

    Now, Lucivar understood clearly what Tara was offering in the morning.

    But still, he didn''t regret marking Arthur''s location instead.

    Other than that, the lethal zone also has another use.

    If a flag was placed inside¡ªthe entire kingdom would be teleported back to the starting line or the last checkpoint, but if another peon was placed inside, that peon would be teleported back to the starting line or the last checkpoint as a prisoner.

    To free that peon, the other peon has to go back and tag the peon out.

    Either way, the lethal zone is a tool that could be used to wreck other kingdoms during the race.

    Lastly, only the King could plant the flag at the destination to be counted as a win for the kingdom.

    Lucivar was already devising a plan inside his head.

    ''In an ideal case, we should first get two royal shields,'' He thought inside.

    Just then, his focus was disturbed.

    "Here''s your radar," A man handed them the supposed radar.

    It was akin to a watch, but the screen was bigger and it was a square, constantly scanning their front.

    On the bottom left, there was a counter that read exactly one hundred and ten.

    "Is this the number of participants in our division?" Mirel asked, pointing at the counter.

    "Yes," The man nodded. "It would always be updated whenever a change happened, so pay attention."

    Surprisingly enough, the first stage eliminated a lot of participants¡ªleaving only about three hundred and thirty. Divided by three divisions, there would be one hundred and ten each, which mean there are thirty-six teams with two surplus participants.

    "What about the last two participants?" Caldaros asked. "Are there others to supplement the numbers?"

    "No, the two of them composed a kingdom each," The man answered nonchalantly.

    Upon hearing this, the three frowned.

    So, there are two kingdoms out there that only have one person who acted as a King and a Peon.

    Being in that position would put them at a very great disadvantage.

    Whoever these two participants are, they must be really strong for the tournament to do this to them.

    Almost immediately, Seth came to mind, but they didn''t know who the other one was.

    "Okay, I''m done here. Good luck," The man nodded and turned to head for the portal. "Oh, and don''t forget, there are going to be three checkpoints. You will know whether the first two checkpoints were, and for the last checkpoint, it should be at the foot of the mountain."

    Once he said that, the man waved his hand and entered the portal.

    Both he and the portal disappeared, leaving the three of them alone in the middle of nowhere.

    Lucivar instantly averted his gaze.

    He inspected the radar and found that, as Tara said, the radar would only pick up Mirel, the King.

    Caldaros and he are not picked up by the radar since they were the peons.

    ''So that meant the peons could move about freely without the need to fear being detected, but that would also mean leaving the King vulnerable to being attacked...'' Just then, Lucivar remembered about earlier in the morning. ''Right, I should also have Arthur''s location.''

    Upon clicking on the screen, the screen suddenly changed.

    Mirel was a blue dot on the radar, but this one was a golden dot, and the landscape looked different.

    ''Oh, this should be Arthur,'' Lucivar nodded and narrowed his eyes, inspecting where Arthur was closely from the terrain. ''He should be on the east side too. There''s the very thin mountain near him. Finding him shouldn''t be hard. Of course, I''m not actually trying to find him. I want Orivelle, but I have to be careful not to expose my in-''

    "So, who did you mark?" Mirel poked his head from Lucivar''s shoulder. "Care to tell me?"

    Lucivar froze, but he tried to keep his cool.

    "Just someone I wanted gone, not a big deal," He answered with a shrug, putting his radar away.

    Then, he turned to face Mirel and Caldaros.

    His eyes squinted, "Wait a minute, none of us chose a royal decree, huh?"

    "Nope," Mirel answered with a laugh.

    On the other hand, Caldaros remained silent, but it seemed he also chose to mark someone.

    ''I know he''s not marking me,'' Lucivar thought¡ªrecalling the text message from Tara. ''Caldaros didn''t mark me, so he must have another agenda for this tournament. Like me, it seemed he also had a problem he needed to deal with. Or, is it something else?''

    Soon enough, the mean-looking man could be seen ascending high above.

    He is going to be the one who signals the start.

    Glancing across the participants, who were eager to start the race, a smirk crept to his face as he raised his hand and pointed it skyward. Pausing for a second, letting the tension hang in the air for a second, he then channeled his ether.

    Swoosh!

    A red flare shot away from his hand and exploded like fireworks in the clear sky.

    "Start!!"

    Almost instantly, the participants sprinted forward.

    The entire length of the dungeon was around two hundred miles, so they had a long way to go.

    "Caldaros and I will catch up to the nearest kingdom," Lucivar said, his eyes locked to the right where he sensed a surge of ether¡ªthe nearest kingdom. "Stay close. From here to the first checkpoint is their weak point. After that, they''ll adapt and be ready for an attack."

    "Law of the Jungle," Mirel smirked, pumped for a fight. "We must show them first who''s the real King."

    Lucivar nodded as that''s exactly what they should do.

    But then, their heads snapped to their behind.

    Kaboom!!

    Sensing a violent surge of ether that climbed higher¡ªand higher, golden and blazing as the sun, Lucivar was alerted, expecting Caldaros to attack right now. He faced his back towards Caldaros for this exact reason.

    Considering there were no rules against sabotaging members, he was expecting this.

    Maybe it was a stupid idea for Caldaros to hurt him right now, but from what he said he would do to Ciri earlier, this wasn''t that surprising. But then, Lucivar realized that Caldaros wasn''t doing anything like that.

    He was not trying to attack.

    "Caldaros, what are you doing?!" Mirel asked with an evident frown. "You''ll attract attention!"

    Instead of answering, Caldaros only smirked.

    A gleam of cunningness could be seen behind his eyes.

    Lucivar squinted his eyes, watching as Caldaros flaunted his towering aura skyward.

    It was overbearing and certainly could be sensed for miles.z

    Then, he turned to another direction, sensing several figures rushing towards them.

    ''Ah... I see now,'' He grinned, casting Caldaros a knowing look. ''I was going to use your little sun power to blind the cameras whenever I''m going to kill someone, to avoid getting into trouble since we''re one team. But you also have the same idea, you also wanted to use me...''

    ''These people, I guess you also¡ªhave enemies, and you want me to help fight them. Good... Make this interesting,'' His eyes glistened with absolute malice, surprised that Caldaros had the brain to pull something like this. ''It''s going to be too boring if you fall down without retaliation.''

    "We''re a team, right, Lucivar?" Caldaros cheekily asked. "I''m counting on you."

    Swoosh!

    From the light fog, two kingdoms appeared, stopping to look in their direction.

    Almost instantly, Lucivar saw dark strings shooting out from them and latching onto him.

    Whatever Caldaros was involved in, he was now dragged into it.

    "Fine, let''s dance..." Lucivar unsheathed his dagger and strode forward.

    Meanwhile, about a mile away, a man with sunken eyes gazed at the brilliant sun attribute ahead.

    It was mesmerizing and bright, forcing everyone to take a second glance at it.

    "Caldaros..." He muttered, squinting his eyes. "That means the Blessed Hand Clan''s champion, Lucivar, is also there. Good, I can finish it right now."

    Nodding his head, the man dived into the ground, turning into a lump of shadow before moving straight at the brilliant aura.

 Chapter 274 274: So Much Like Me

    Just like that, the second stage started with full force.

    Participants sprinted as fast as they could, keeping their eyes vigilant for any other lurking kingdoms.

    Reaching the first checkpoint is what all of them were aiming for right now.

    At least, once they reached the first checkpoint, even if they came in contact with another kingdom and lost, they wouldn''t be thrown back to the starting line. Having that happen to them would almost be a certain defeat.

    But not all of them thought the same thing.

    "Come on, move! We need to move quickly and get out of this open space!"

    A kingdom led by a man with bluish scales covering the back of his arms¡ªand part of his face, a Naga Hybrid. Another comrade of his was following well, a few steps behind, but the other one was lagging behind hard.

    He was trying to sprint as fast as he could, but what could a Yeti Hybrid like him do?

    Naturally, he was blessed in strength, but speed is not his forte.

    ''I should call for them,'' He thought, seeing that the other two were already gaining distance from him, and growing by the second. ''I should call for them and tell them to slow down, but that would make me look like a burden... I can''t have that.''

    Gritting his teeth, he glanced above, finding a spherical drone following him.

    ''Not when everyone is watching.'' He thought with pride.

    Suddenly, a loud commotion rang from the side.

    Almost instantly, the Yeti Hybrid snapped his head in the direction of the commotion and frowned when he saw another kingdom charging straight at him. All three of them weren''t running to the checkpoint, but they were running straight at him.

    ''Shit!'' The man cursed inside. "Are they going to jump me?! This early?!''

    Just as he thought that, he saw something chasing from behind the three participants.

    It took only a moment for the man to realize that there was a monster chasing after them, a massive, elephant-size deer with active lava dripping down from the cracks of its skin. Seeing this, the man was about to begin running again.

    He was going to run because that massive deer was a Chrysalis rank-strong.

    Fighting that kind of monster this early would be bad for him.

    But as he was turning, one of the three participants reached him in a flash.

    For a second there, he was stunned due to how fast this participant was but that trance didn''t last long.

    Bam!

    "Kaahk!"

    "Out of my way!"

    Out of nowhere, the participant shoulder charged the man right on his chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He fell to the ground, clutching his chest as he gasped for breath. He was utterly paralyzed by the sheer force of the shoulder-charge.

    Before he could recover, his eyes widened when he sensed heat coming from behind.

    Roar!!

    Bam!!

    Unable to catch the other three, the deer monster tilted its head down and struck the man with its strong antlers. It swept the man away, leaving behind the three participants watching from the side, seemingly contemplating the situation.

    "Did he die?" One of them asked.

    "I don''t know," Another shrugged. "But we''re here to help Renis, so focus on that."

    Nodding his head, the extremely well-built man with his face covered by a black expressionless mask gazed upward. He stared straight at the spherical drone and squinted, "Go and check that guy. See if he is really dead."

    One of them went to check, and after a moment, he came back.

    "Saved," He said flatly. "I think he''s saved by a protection artifact from his sponsor."

    "Oh..." The masked man smiled inside. "Then what are you waiting for? Make sure he''s dead."

    Just as the other two were about to make their move, the deer circled back.

    Charging its antlers with a massive amount of crosser energy, turning its antlers scorching hot and red, it circled back and roared once again. On the other hand, the Yeti Hybrid, who barely managed to survive the initial charge, turned.

    His face paled when he saw the deer charging at him again.

    "No... No, wait!"

    Crash!!

    Mercilessly, the deer head-butted him again.

    But this time, the Yeti Hybrid wasn''t as lucky, there was no more protection artifact saving him.

    Now, the burning antlers impaled him completely.

    Like a rabid dog, the deer raised its head, still with the Yeti Hybrid impaled on its antlers, and shook its head hard. For a moment there, the Yeti Hybrid screamed in pain, feeling his insides being mixed into mashed intestines.

    Fortunately for him, the torture didn''t last long.

    Swoosh!

    Once again, the deer charged its antlers and caused them to burn brighter, scorching the Yeti Hybrid.

    All that was left of him was his roasted corpse.

    "Guess we don''t need to, the deer did it for us," The masked man smiled inside

    For the second time, he turned to face the spherical drone, waiting.

    But nothing came.

    "I see now," He nodded his head firmly.

    Pivoting to the other two¡ªthe masked man instructed.

    "Go inform Renis, killing with our own hands is against the rules, but if the participant dies through the crossers, it''s fine," He said before looking down at his radar, noticing the number one emerging at the top corner. "But don''t kill too much, I think there are limits as to how much we could kill."

    ...

    "What the fuck is wrong with this guy?"

    A man with blazing fire hair was levitating above the battlefield, throwing fireball after fireball at this man with a pair of piercing golden eyes, Lucivar. He was a Fire Wizard Hybrid, capable of long-range attack and devastating firepower.

    Reaching the Chrysalis rank was the ultimate breakthrough for him.

    Now that he has control over the fire attribute, he would be deadly in a battle like this.

    But Lucivar was like a cockroach.

    No matter how fast the Fire Wizard Hybrid threw fire spells at him, he was able to dodge them.

    Boom!

    Boom!

    After another volley of fireballs, the Fire Wizard Hybrid grinds his teeth in anger.

    Lucivar emerged from the smoke, completely unharmed.

    But what he hated the most wasn''t the fact that he couldn''t touch Lucivar.

    It was the fact that Lucivar''s attention was somewhere else entirely.

    Throughout the entire battle, his eyes were fixated on Caldaros.

    He wasn''t paying attention to the Fire Wizard Hybrid, but he was still capable of dodging the fire spells.

    ''Is he underestimating me...? Me?!'' The Fire Wizard Hybrid burned with rage. ''I''m not weak!!''

    On the other hand, Lucivar was smiling proudly.

    ''Can you begin to see it now, Ciri?'' He thought inside, looking at Caldaros, who was overpowering two other participants with relative ease¡ªan excited smile donning his face. ''He''s so much like me. Just like me, he also did something bad¡ªand made enemies. He also thought of using me to his advantage, so that I could fight his enemies for him. Just like me, he''s also excited and thirsty for power...''

    A single tear drizzled down Lucivar''s face.

    Not a tear of sadness, but a tear of complete happiness.

    ''Good Gods don''t exist, not when Karma favors the bad,'' Lucivar chuckled in hubris, his smile growing wider by the second. ''If the Gods become good, they would lose their power, they would lose their own Godhood. None of them wanted that, so they had to become bad...''

    Sometimes, Lucivar thought that his mind was broken from all the trauma.

    That... something was wrong with him.

    But he''s not, he was right, nobody who has power is good.

    Not that power corrupts, but power was only attracted to the corrupt.

    And now, at this moment, Caldaros was proving to him that he was right about this matter.

    Caldaros'' mask was slipping.

    A good person wouldn''t have enemies, a good person wouldn''t smile in the heat of the battle, and more importantly, a good person doesn''t use anyone around them, even if it was someone who wanted to kill them¡ªthat''s the essence of good.

    Optimism and forgiveness, the core of good.

    ''And now, in this tournament, I''d show it to you, Ciri,'' Lucivar thought. ''I''d show you the truth.''

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow when he sensed a scorching air brushing against his body.

    He looked up nonchalantly and saw the Fire Wizard Hybrid summoning a massive fireball, its heat far greater than anything he''d cast before, held overhead with both hands. Rage burned in his eyes, fueled by the humiliation of being treated as harmless by Lucivar.

    "I''m going to make you pay and make sure to wipe that arrogance of yours!" He roared.

    Seeing the great ball of fire, Lucivar didn''t react.

    He still looked at the Fire Wizard Hybrid as if he was nothing.

    A Chrysalis-rank Hybrid is powerful, but with a barely green-grade bloodline like a Fire Wizard, he was nothing compared to Lucivar. There are levels that this Fire Wizard Hybrid must comprehend, even though they were at the same rank.

    Not all Chrysalis-rank Hybrids stood at the same stage.

    And Lucivar was going to show it to him.

    ''Oh, this is perfect to try out my new ability.'' Lucivar thought, the corner of his lips curling slightly.

    Swoosh!

    In a surge of power, the massive fireball swelled before the Fire Wizard Hybrid made his move.

    "Eat this!" He shouted, hauling it towards Lucivar.

    As he extended his hands forward, focusing on maintaining the massive fireball until impact, the Fire Hybrid Wizard smiled with a crazed excitement. ''Thanks to you for making me angry, I exceeded my own limitation. I''ve never made one this strong, and you''re going to be its first victim!''

    Just then, the massive fireball struck Lucivar.

    At the point of impact, Lucivar unfurled his wings and used them to protect himself.

    But the Fire Wizard Hybrid didn''t care.

    No way Lucivar''s wings could endure the heat from the massive fireball.

    A booming laughter escaped the Fire Wizard Hybrid''s mouth as he watched Lucivar trying to hold back the massive fireball with his wings, "Don''t fight it, you damn fool! Do you realize now¡ªhow foolish you are to underestimate me?!"

    Suddenly, the Fire Wizard Hybrid''s smile froze.

    The long-awaited explosion never came¡ªLucivar was able to hold back the force from the fireball.

    Then, an invasive energy, swirling with both white and black, crawled over to the fireball''s surface.

    In the next second, it cracked.

    Splash!

    Suddenly, the fireball burst apart, sending flames hurling back toward the Fire Wizard Hybrid.

    He threw up a wall of fire to shield himself, but amidst the blaze, his eyes widened slightly as grains of sand stung his cheek. Black grains of sand. Frowning, he unleashed a torrent of flames from his body to clear his vision.

    Only then did he see Lucivar was still standing where he was earlier.

    But unlike earlier, there was a devious smirk crossing his lips.

    It was then the Fire Wizard Hybrid realized something, "What did he do...?"

 Chapter 275 275: A Lot Stronger

    Lucivar was not paying attention earlier.

    It gave the Fire Wizard Hybrid the time to summon his biggest fireball and throw it at Lucivar.

    His strongest attack.

    But it was deflected back at him with ease.

    A chill crawled up his spine.

    He was at the top of his academy, looked up to by countless other students.

    During most of his duels, he was able to dominate with his fire attribute¡ªeven at a time when he was facing other Chrysalis-rank Hybrids, he could still dominate. His normal fireballs were taken seriously by many, and yet, this time, his strongest fireball was easily deflected.

    Just from this alone, he realized that he had no chance.

    Swish!

    In alert, he snapped his head left and right, realizing that it was raining feathers around him.

    Pristine white feathers, and there are about ten of them surrounding him.

    Each was charged with an immense amount of ether.

    Something from the way these feathers descend to the ground in slow motion bothered him.

    However, from the ether coming from these feathers, the Fire Wizard Hybrid knew what this was.

    A Primeval Skill.

    Focusing back on Lucivar¡ªhis breath was caught in his throat when Lucivar''s form melted into grains of sand and seeped into a feather. Gritting his teeth¡ªthe Fire Wizard Hybrid charged ahead, attempting to get out from this dome of feathers.

    But, upon reaching the edge, he bumped into something hard.

    His eyes widened when he saw an invisible dome of black sand, charged by the feathers'' ether become visible for a brief moment before turning invisible again. Clearly, he was trapped¡ªand he needed to get out or else he''d be in trouble.

    As he summoned another fireball, trying to blast a way open, he noticed something gleaming.

    A feather to his left was gleaming, emanating more ether than the others.

    Just then, his pupils dilated when he saw a flash of energy, taken the form of a brilliant light coming out of that feather, and went straight at him. It was too fast, too fast for him to even think of dodging. When he blinked, he suddenly felt a burning sting across his chest.

    Blood splashed out as a perfect slashing cut crossed his chest.

    It was steaming with invasive ether, causing pain that rapidly grew excruciating.

    ''What in the...'' The Fire Wizard Hybrid was taken aback, but as he shifted his eyes to his side, he met Lucivar''s eyes. It was Lucivar who came out of the feather, ''I knew that he was a Harpy Hybrid, but how can someone with a Harpy Hybrid be this strong?!''

    Enraged, the Fire Wizard Hybrid hacked his hand at Lucivar, glazed with blazing fire.

    But he struck nothing but air.

    Lucivar already turned back into ether and went inside another feather.

    Naturally, this was his new Primeval Skill¡ªProtection of the Fragmented Desert.

    "Arghh...!"

    Another slash came from behind, leaving another bloody cut.

    "Rrggh!"!

    Then another.

    "Fuck, this is not fair!!"

    And another.

    "Rraarggh!"

    In an attempt to protect himself from more slashes coming from his blind spot, the Fire Wizard Hybrid unleashed a surge of fire that burned the air around him. It was so hot that the air around him distorted, showing that anyone who got close to him would be burned.

    "Try attacking me now!" He laughed, looking around to find Lucivar. "Try me now!!"

    Despite his taunt, Lucivar didn''t come out again.

    He remained hidden within one of the descending feathers, seemingly afraid to attack again.

    Gritting his teeth in pain, he took out a vial from his pocket and drank it in one go.

    It was a healing elixir that would restore him to normal instantly.

    ''Summoning that big fireball earlier took a lot of my ether,'' He thought inside¡ªas he threw the vial to the side and wiped his lips. ''Once I recovered from this, I''d blow up the ground and get out of here. It''s clear that I can''t beat him. I''ll focus on Caldaros.''

    Just as he thought of that, however, he looked down with a frown.

    He was focusing on the slashing wound on his arm, the most severe one.

    In the span of fifteen seconds, Lucivar was able to strike ten times, leaving ten bleeding wounds.

    And this one was the worst¡ªthe cut was so deep that blood couldn''t stop pouring out.

    But what caught him off guard was the fact that the wound wasn''t healing¡ªno, rather, every time the healing energy from the vial tried to close the wound, another reopened the wound. As opposed to giving him a way out through a recovery, the healing elixir made it worse.

    Blood seeped out more from the constant struggle between the two energies.

    ''Just what is happening here...?'' He gulped harshly.

    It must be Lucivar, but a Harpy Hybrid shouldn''t be able to do something like this.

    He knew about this. He had already read the Hybrid Association''s archive.

    Suddenly, without any warning, Lucivar appeared like a ghost in front of him, catching him off guard.

    For a second there, he was stunned, but he quickly recovered and attacked.

    However, Lucivar was faster.

    He reached out his hand and grabbed the Fire Wizard Hybrid by his throat, lifting him up with one hand.

    "Krrhk!" The Fire Wizard Hybrid struggled to break free.

    But it was futile.

    Despite the raging fire¡ªcapable of burning even strong Chrysalis-rank Hybrids without exception, it didn''t work on Lucivar. He easily grabbed the Fire Wizard Hybrid''s neck, ignoring the fire that by now was supposed to cause his skin to bubble.

    In retaliation, the Fire Wizard Hybrid tried to make the fire hotter.

    Yet it had no effect on Lucivar.

    Rather, he watched as he scorching fire became smaller and smaller.

    It was absorbed by Lucivar''s hand as if his hand were a vacuum that could nullify any ability.

    Even as he tried to punch Lucivar with a flaming fist, the fire died out pretty quickly.

    Once his fist reached Lucivar''s face, the fire already died out.

    Lucivar''s Greedy Grasp ability has evolved to a whole new level.

    "Do you understand now?" Lucivar asked suddenly, tilting his head a little while maintaining firm, even dominating eye contact with the Fire Wizard Hybrid. His gaze was dripping with perverse satisfaction for the power he possessed. "It''s not that I underestimated you, I would never be that careless. I''m simply giving others the attention they deserve. And you... You''re too weak to be taken seriously."

    Upon hearing this, the Fire Wizard Hybrid was stunned, "I''m... too weak?"

    Once the last strand of fire was absorbed, Lucivar let go of him.

    The Fire Wizard Hybrid could feel that his ether was drained completely to the bottom, leaving him helpless.

    As he lifted his gaze, his eyes widened when a fist was already heading straight for his face.

    Bam!!

    A solid punch landed squarely and sent him rolling across the ground.

    Lucivar smirked as he dispersed the feathers around him and placed both hands on his waist.

    ''Quite good,'' He nodded, finding his new Primeval skill exceeded his expectations. ''It should be some sort of a defensive and support type of Primeval Skill¡ªbut Loki and Sutekh turned it into an offensive one. I appreciate it.''

    The Protection of Fragmented Desert allows him to convert an attack into feathers.

    Just like earlier¡ªthe fireball was deflected and turned into ten feathers, creating a dome that would trap the person who made the attack. Lucivar could come out from each of the feathers to attack. Basically, the dome was a kill zone.

    Naturally, there was a limit as to how strong an attack it could endure.

    But the fireball didn''t even reach close to the limit.

    On top of that, Lucivar was also surprised by another thing.

    Raising his hand, he summoned the Dark and Light attributes as a smile blossomed on his face.

    ''Back then, all I cared about was how to use the Dark and Light attributes to counter those Werewolf Hybrids¡ªtheir damn regeneration,'' He thought, eyes fixed on the harmonious swirl of opposing forces on his hand. ''I never imagined I''d unconsciously master an ability, an original ability...''

    Earlier, the Fire Wizard Hybrid''s wounds weren''t healing because of him.

    Now that the Dark and Light attributes are more harmonious, thanks to his evolved Supernatural Ego, the ether pulses that his body was emanating weren''t only capable of stopping regeneration or healing, but could also worsen the wounds.

    It required great focus and was within a limited range, but this was extremely useful.

    Lucivar wasn''t complaining at all.

    ''For now, I could only influence those who are under ten meters away from me, but with training¡ªand Loki''s help, I can definitely increase that range,'' He nodded, dispersing his attributes. ''Perhaps, I can even add more properties to this ability.''

    His Light Attribute represents purity and healing, while his Dark Attribute represents curse power.

    Because of his Light Attribute, he could influence healing properties with his Dark Attribute.

    Perhaps, he could also infuse more curses into the ability to make anyone who got affected severely weakened. But that would be for another day, he couldn''t develop it right now, ''But still, I wonder what name would fit this ability?''

    Just as he thought of that, his eyes locked onto another participant not too far away from him.

    He was standing still, horrified by the looks on his face.

    From the flag that was strapped to his back, it was clear that he was a King.

    "Give it to me," Lucivar extended his hand demandingly. "Don''t make it difficult for yourself."

    Gulping harshly, the participant took off the flag and threw it near Lucivar.

    "Good boy," Lucivar smirked and grabbed the flag.

    As soon as he did it, the flag vanishes from his hand, dissolved into energy before disappearing.

    Then, he turned around and saw that Mirel was checking out the flag on his back.

    Earlier, two kingdoms attacked them¡ªLucivar handled the one coming from the left, and Caldaros handled the one coming from the right. Mirel didn''t need to do anything, he was the King, and nobody was able to go through Lucivar and Caldaros to reach him.

    "Oh, we got one royal decree," Mirel commented.

    He saw a glowing blue light appearing at the base of the handle.

    Just then, another glowing blue light appeared, the second royal decree.

    Lucivar and Mirel turned to the other side and found Caldaros already finishing up with his side.

    Two of the participants were on the ground, beaten up and groaning in pain.

    "Should I ask who these people are?" Lucivar crossed his arms. "We can at least know that much."

    "No, but thank you for helping out," Caldaros answered with a condescending tone.

    Realizing that the two were about to fight again, Mirel quickly stepped between them to ease the tension.

    "No more," He exhaled roughly. "We''re behind now, thanks to your little stunt, Caldaros. At least, before more fights, we should reach the third checkpoint. At least then, the remaining kingdoms are worth it for us to defeat."

    "Hmph, fine." Caldaros turned away.

    "I abide by the King," Lucivar answered, bowing playfully.

    Mirel smiled acutely, seeing that there was no chemistry between the two.

    ''How do we go through this as a team...?''

 Chapter 276 276: Accidental Encounter

    Lucivar and the others headed for the first checkpoint.

    No kingdoms were nearby.

    Nobody got picked up by the radar¡ªthey were in the clear.

    On top of that, there doesn''t seem to be any crossers around the area, which was a good thing for them.

    Miles and miles away ahead, there was a torrent of red light that pierced the clouds.

    It was the checkpoint, their destination.

    "I think we should scout the area," Lucivar suddenly proposed, realizing that they were sprinting on an open space, which was obviously bad¡ªand would expose them to an unexpected ambush. "Why don''t we scout the area? Find another place that is more covered before regrouping."

    "Hmm, we probably should," Mirel nodded as he scanned his gaze around.

    Being out in the open like this is indeed a disadvantage.

    "I don''t mind," Caldaros nodded, but his eyes trailed to Mirel. "But if we split, he''d be alone."

    Mirel''s face twitched when he heard this.

    Clearly, Caldaros was underestimating him, thinking that he needed a babysitter.

    "I''m fine," He clicked his tongue in displeasure. "I''ll keep going ahead while you two scout the sides."

    "Ten minutes," Lucivar nodded. "We''ll regroup after ten minutes."

    Once the group came to a united decision, Lucivar sprouted his glossy emerald wings and flew to the west side. Caldaros also summoned his wings, brilliant golden¡ªand flew to the east side. Both of them zoomed into the distance, disappearing in only a moment.

    "Show off," Mirel rolled his eyes.

    He was the only one who doesn''t have wings, and he was envious.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar surfed through the sky.

    His eyes were scanning the area underneath him, mostly composed of an open space with a few dead trees and boulders scattered around. Occasionally, he glanced to his left, checking the spherical drone that was following him from behind, even matching his flight speed.

    ''Let me try something...'' He thought inside.

    Charging his wings with ether, Lucivar dove down and picked up his speed.

    It was obvious that he was attempting to lose the drone with raw speed, but he couldn''t.

    Lucivar swerved as he increased his speed, banking hard left and right through gaps of dead trees and even utilized the faint fog to his advantage¡ªbut the drone still remained at a fixed distance away from him throughout.

    Not too far to lose him and not too close to get in his way.

    "Tch!" He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I guess I really need Caldaros'' help with this."

    Looking at the radar, he noticed that he was getting closer to another dot.

    Realizing this, he quickly descended and retracted his wings, deciding to walk to approach the dot.

    Glancing back at the drone, he saw it was still lingering above.

    Unlike earlier, when the drone was actually really close to him¡ªthe distance spread when he was on the ground. It was clearly not programmed to go to the ground level, considering that a fight between the participants could break out at any time.

    "Hmm..." Lucivar''s eyes squinted before an idea flickered in his mind.

    But he''d try it out later.

    Ahead of him, there was a small hill with a forest of dead trees at its foot.

    Checking the radar again, he was sure now that the marked participant was inside the forest.

    Nodding his head, he suppressed his aura, keeping it tightly inside him before he sprinted.

    Some crossers were roaming the forest, mostly Acolyte-rank beasts that were too weak to be a threat to him. Despite that, his brows arched down into a frown. Instead of being relieved, he was troubled, "It wouldn''t be convincing, but here goes nothing."

    Once he had firm his decision to go for it, he stepped into the forest.

    Inside the forest.

    Another kingdom could be seen traversing through it, keeping a tight triangle formation.

    Leading the charge was Orivelle, and behind was Arthur and another woman with claws for fingernails.

    "Hah! We''re lucky to start from this side," Arthur commented with an amused chuckle, loving the cover this forest provided for them. "This forest is very long. Maybe we would be able to reach the very first checkpoint without meeting another kingdom."

    "Quiet yourself," Orivelle hushed. "We can still be attacked by the peons, so we must be careful."

    Just as she said that, the group came to an abrupt stop.

    From the treetops came a volley of hoots and guttural trills, their loud cadence oddly ceremonial, like a savage salute echoing through the wild. Orivelle''s eyes squinted¡ªand she realized multiple trees to her left had burning leaves.

    Suspicious, she channeled her fire of rebirth attribute onto the tip of her intricate staff.

    Almost instantly, the gem at the staff''s head burned with pale red fire and fired a torrent at the trees.

    Kaboom!

    Upon impact, the torrent exploded.

    Oddly enough, the fire from the burning trees was dying rapidly because of the explosion.

    It was then, dozens of burning monkeys emerged.

    From the blaze-choked canopy above, they poured like a swarm of hellspawn¡ªdozens of fire-marked simians, muscle-bound and wrapped in smoke, with eyes like molten gold. Each one leapt from branch to branch, forming a ring of living flame atop the scorched ridgeline.

    United in motion, their obsidian claws clicked against bark as they glared down with fierce intelligence.

    No chatter. No screech.

    Just silence and the relentless stare like predators giving their prey one final moment of realization.

    Seeing this, Orivelle and the others weren''t worried.

    "I think you got this," Arthur said, turning to look at Orivelle with encouragement.

    Before Orivelle could respond, the leader of the fire monkeys hooted, sending a signal to attack.

    Almost instantly, Orivelle planted her staff in front of her before her eyes glowed with ember¡ªa wave of fire charged around her, and when the fire monkeys were about to reach them, it expanded outward like a violent shockwave, turning all of the monkeys to ash.

    Roar!

    Despite being made from fire, all of them were scorched and killed.

    Only their ashes remained behind before the wind blew them away.

    "Nice, as expected of our fire chicken." Arthur placed his arm over Orivelle''s shoulder playfully.

    Annoyed, Orivelle grabbed his arm and twisted it to the point of almost breaking.

    "Who are you calling fire chicken?" She asked sharply.

    "Joking, can''t you take a jo-Ahh!" Arthur yelped when Orivelle twisted his hand more. "Okay! Okay!"

    "I''m sorry!" He apologized.

    It was only then do Orivelle let go of his arm with a rough exhale.

    "Your fault that those monkeys woke up," She barked as she grabbed her staff again. "Can you shut up the rest of the way? Don''t make me regret making a team with you."

    "Man, you''re no fun. No wonder no man wanted to get close to yo-," Arthur stopped himself.

    He saw how Orivelle was glaring at him again and knew he''ll be beaten up if he finished that sentence.

    Instead of finishing the sentence, he only made a zipping gesture on his lips and gave a thumbs up.

    Just then, the woman who was checking the radar asked, "Are you sure about our route, senior sister? It would take longer for us to reach the checkpoints if we stick to this forest since it curves, not a straight line. We might not be able to catch up to the others and lose here."

    "All we need to focus on is not to confront the other kingdoms," Orivelle answered and gazed to the other side, where a sky-high barrier could be seen. "Look, the racing ground is limited by that barrier, and it''s getting closer to us as we get further away from the starting line, which means the barrier is most likely cone-shaped."

    "As we get closer to the finish line, the smaller our room to move would be, which means more fighting with the other kingdoms. Instead of abiding with that inevitable occurrence, we should slow down and let them fight it out." She continued, elaborating her reasoning clearly.

    "That''s a smart idea!" Arthur commented. "We wouldn''t need to sweat if we do that."

    "Come, let''s move ag-"

    Boom!

    Before Orivelle could finish her sentence, she heard a loud explosion nearby.

    Not stopping at that, more explosions resounded loudly.

    Her head snapped towards the direction of the explosion, sensing a spike in ether level in the air.

    "Someone is fighting nearby," She mumbled with an evident frown.

    "Peons..." Arthur added. "I don''t see anything on the radar, so they must be peons."

    Just then, their eyes widened when they saw a shadow heading straight at them with incredible speed.

    Orivelle, Arthur, and the woman raised their weapons in preparation for a fight.

    But the shadow blasted past them, leaving behind a gushing wind.

    From behind, the sound of tree trunks breaking resounded, followed by crashing sounds from multiple trees toppling over hard. Orivelle and the others turned their heads and saw a man sprawled on the ground with wounds across his body.

    Someone struck him so hard that about six trees were destroyed before he finally came to a halt.

    Suddenly, the man sits up and spits blood to the side.

    Realizing that there was another kingdom, the man paused for a second before his eyes flickered with surprise, "Oh, I know you," He said, pointing at the group. "Vanguard Institute, right? It''s a surprise to stumble on you guys here."

    Upon hearing this, Arthur blinked before he turned hostile.

    "I know you," He barked, holding his sword with both hands. "You''re that smug guy, Lucivar!"

    "Smug?" Lucivar chuckled. "It''s not smug when I''m really stronger than you."

    Snapping out of her trance, Orivelle stepped forward, "Said the person who was thrown like a doll."

    "He caught me off guard, that''s all. He won''t dare fight against me head-on," Lucivar shrugged, acting normal and composed. "But then again, I''m surprised to see you here, Orivelle. I thought you wouldn''t be hiding in the forest like this, considering how strong you are."

    "Is that so..." Orivelle pointed her staff at Lucivar. "So, are you here to try me?"

    Lucivar smiled playfully when he heard this.

    His smile made Arthur and the woman tense up, fearing that this would end with a fight.

    But then, Lucivar raised both of his hands, "I''m not, I''m a bit of your fan, so I wouldn''t dare fight you."

    "Eh...?" Orivelle blinked, and then her mind clicked. "Eh?! You''re a fan?"

    "Of course," Lucivar replied, as if it wasn''t a big deal. "Most Phoenix Hybrids barely manifest a single characteristic¡ªbut you... Your hair, it''s taken on the very hue of rebirth flame, hasn''t it? Now that I''ve seen it up close, I have to say¡ªit''s truly beautiful."

    Upon hearing this, Orivelle blushed a bit.

    However, that blush didn''t last long as she quickly recovered.

    "Stop the compliment," She said, squinting her eyes. "You want something from me, I can tell."

    Lucivar smiled inside, ''Oh, compliments don''t work? She''s quite sharp.''

 Chapter 277 277: Allies

    Orivelle saw right through him.

    She could peer through the fac?ade of compliments and deduce what he actually wanted.

    Intuitive, but Lucivar didn''t really mind that.

    As a matter of fact, he was intrigued¡ªthere are traces of evil coming from Orivelle.

    People who were observant and intuitive are mostly bad people, or people who have come through a bad situation. Lucivar didn''t know which one was Orivelle¡ªbut he was confident that his gut feeling wasn''t wrong about her.

    "You aren''t fighting anyone, are you?" Orivelle squinted. "You''re trying to get my attention."

    "And how exactly did you know that?" Lucivar curiously asked.

    "If you really are fighting someone, that person would at least come to check on you, even if that person is afraid of you. But nobody came," She answered. Her burning eyes looked through Lucivar, as if he were an open book, "And the fight with Garran... Do you really think I wouldn''t notice?"

    ''Oh... She really is sharp,'' Lucivar thought inside.

    His move must''ve been too bold, and that gave him away instantly.

    "Guilty," Lucivar raised both his arms as if he were at gunpoint. "I am trying to get your attention."

    "What do you want exactly, Lucivar Asarafall?" Orivelle chanted his full name.

    Since only the first name of the participants was shown on the tournament''s website, knowing his full name meant Orivelle had taken the time to check on him. Finding his full name isn''t hard since the website stated his academy, but that required attention.

    Somehow, his profile caught her attention.

    "You knew my full name, I''m flattered," Lucivar smiled before the wounds across his body began to heal rapidly. Most of them are superficial wounds, the God strands easily took care of them. "Since we are being upfront, I''ll be blunt. I want to team up with you."

    "Allies?" Orivelle repeated, but she wasn''t surprised.

    Considering the Vanguard Institute''s long win streak within this tournament, this is to be expected.

    "Leecher!" Arthur remarked, holding his chin high. "You wanted to be our ally to get our secret sauce to win this tournament? Not going to happen. Aren''t you supposed to be mighty? Fuck off and fend for yourself then."

    Despite the curses, Lucivar didn''t react.

    In fact, he ignored Arthur completely¡ªfixing his eyes only on Orivelle.

    Naturally, Arthur was enraged, grinding his teeth in anger.

    Even now, when he was asking for cooperation, he was still looking down on Arthur.

    But Orivelle ignored the tension between them.

    "In that case, you should prepare." She said as she tied her hair into a ponytail.

    "Prepare?" Lucivar raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean? What are you trying to do?"

    "What else? If you want to be my ally, we''ll need to understand each other better," Orivelle said with a smirk, gripping her staff as she turned away. "And what better way to bond than through a hunt? You didn''t think I''d accept you on confidence alone, did you? I want to see what''s buried in that suppressed ether of yours. Only then will I know who you really are."

    "Of course not," Lucivar scratched the back of his head. "I''ll play along."

    Flabbergasted, Arthur pulled on Orivelle''s arm.

    "Are you serious? You can''t possibly think of working together with this arrogant scum," He argued.

    Upon hearing this, Orivelle cast a polite smile at Lucivar before pulling Arthur to the side.

    Then, she summoned a wall of fire, separating them from Lucivar to talk.

    "Didn''t I tell you earlier to shut up?" Orivelle said¡ªwith a stern tone. "I make the decisions, not you. Besides, it''s not like we''re going to really team up with him and his kingdom. Just trust me on this, and you''ll see."

    Arthur paused for a second.

    Had he known that she has a plan, he wouldn''t be protesting like this.

    "But still, can you at least tell me what your plan for him was?" He asked curiously. "I want to know."

    "I saw the counter on the radar earlier, it went up from 100 to 103," Orivelle said, glancing at the radar that was now already below 103¡ªwith a couple being disqualified from the looks of it. "I do not really know how, but I think another kingdom was transferred into our division, and I can''t help but feel that it was Garran''s kingdom."

    "Garran also has a problem with Lucivar, so we might be able to use him to deter her. Besides, even if it''s not Garran, there would be stronger¡ªand stronger crossers as we progressed further. If the situation arises, we could sacrifice them." She elaborated, telling Arthur exactly what her plan was.

    Almost instantly, Arthur''s face lit up like a kid when candies were mentioned.

    He was now more at ease.

    "Can you keep yourself together now?" Orivelle asked.

    Arthur nodded repeatedly, feeling a lot better.

    Once he calmed down a little, Orivelle took down the wall of fire and approached Lucivar again.

    "Just show us how strong you are, only then I''d accept you," Arthur suddenly said.

    Then, Orivelle gestured behind her, "Shall we?"

    "Of course," Lucivar nodded. "I''ll do my best to be worthy of being your ally."

    As Lucivar followed them from behind, he smiled inside.

    ''Come on, can''t you make it more obvious?'' He thought, shaking his head. ''But still, I''m going to bite.''

    Moments later.

    "Since we''ll need to meet up with your kingdom¡ªlet''s make this quick." Orivelle turned to a small hill in front of them and pointed at it. "I sense some prey there. You''ll pick one of your choosing, and I''ll do the same. We''ll meet back here in five minutes."

    "A contest? Sure, I don''t mind." Lucivar nodded.

    And on cue, the two of them dashed straight at the hill, splitting at their tenth step.

    Staying behind, the woman and Arthur crossed their arms.

    "Five minutes? Bringing back a Chrysalis-rank Crossers would be tough," The woman muttered.

    "Of course, it''s hard," Arthur nodded. "But senior sister would be able to do it easily. I bet she''d be the one who came back first. I can tell that Lucivar guy is strong, at least a bit stronger than me, but that''d mean he''s still far behind senior sister."

    "After all," He sighed, staring at the hill ahead. "Senior sister''s bloodline purity is at 10,3%"

    Though he said that with conviction, Arthur wasn''t entirely sure.

    Something about Lucivar made him feel uneasy.

    Not even five minutes later, around the third minute, a figure could be seen approaching them from ahead.

    Seeing this, Arthur smiled as it was Orivelle.

    She was pulling a dead boar monster the size of a rhino by a flaming lasso from her staff.

    Judging from the amount of ether this boar monster was emanating even in death, it was clear that when it was alive, it was a strong Chrysalis-rank monster. But compared to Orivelle, a second-star Chrysalis rank Phoenix Hybrid, it stood no chance.

    "He hadn''t come back yet?" Orivelle asked, slightly surprised. "I rushed to kill this to stay ahead."

    "I think you overestimated him, senior sister," The woman chuckled slightly.

    Once she placed down the boar monster, Orivelle stabbed her staff hard into the ground and placed both her hands on her waist. She looked at the small hill again¡ªand shrugged, "Well, let''s wait for him. He should be coming back any second now."

    However, she was wrong.

    As two minutes came to pass, there was no sign of Lucivar.

    It was already past their agreed time, and there was still no sign of him anywhere.

    "Guess you have the wrong perception of him, Arthur," Orivelle sighed lightly. "He''s not that strong. Come on, let''s go."

    Arthur frowned.

    He could tell from the aura Lucivar emanated back in the Trading Union main branch that he was surely someone formidable. Even the way the Trading Union treated him showed respect. It was almost certain that he was extremely capable.

    So, seeing him this late felt really off.

    Just as he was about to turn around, a figure emerged from the distance.

    "Hey, wait!" Arthur called, stopping the other two. "I think that''s him. He''s coming back."

    As he said that, however, his entire body was paralyzed.

    Seeing what Lucivar was dragging behind him was surreal to the point¡ªthat Arthur thought he must be hallucinating, but he was not. Even Orivelle and the other woman saw it, Lucivar pulling on two people who seemed to be unconscious, almost dead, while holding up a small lizard monster.

    "Sorry, sorry," He apologized with a smile when he neared.

    Lucivar placed down the two participants, a man and a woman¡ªboth bruised and bloodied, their bodies marked with fresh scars. Clean cuts that surely came from the bloodied dagger sheathed on Lucivar''s side.

    Then, he held up a small lizard, a feeble three-star Acolyte rank creature, and showed it to Orivelle.

    "These two slowed me down," He said¡ªwith a faded smile. "This was all I had the time to kill. I guess I''m not strong enough to be your ally, huh?"

    Upon hearing this, Orivelle''s eyes shifted from the small lizard and the two participants.

    Clearly, each one of them was a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, but in five minutes, Lucivar managed to knock them out and even had the time to hunt a small lizard. And yet, he said he wasn''t strong enough? Such a thing was absurd.

    But Orivelle knew one thing from this, ''He''s incredibly strong, and I can use his help...''

    Nodding to herself, Orivelle then asked, "Where is your kingdom? I''ll agree to become your ally."

    "Oh, great! How generous of you," Lucivar said, faking excitement. "But first, I need to put these two in a lethal zone for attacking me out of nowhere. Wait a minute, there should be one nearby... Oh! I found it. Once I put them away, I''ll bring you to the others."

    Meanwhile, back in the stadium.

    "Our first prisoners of the day! How exciting! Participant Lucivar managed to take down two peons and imprisoned them in the lethal zone! Now their King must retrieve them!"

    "In the other division, Seth also didn''t lose out! He defeated seven peons at the same time! How about that!"

    People cheer and clap, their eyes glued onto the screens.

    At the center of the stadium, there was a small sand hill along with three open portals.

    Participants are going to emerge from the portals, the finishing line, and plant their flags on the hill to win the race and save their kingdom from being disqualified. But on the VIP seats, there was one person who wasn''t paying attention.

    "Who is she?" Leandra thought, staring at the woman on the corner. "Why is she trying to kill Lucivar?"

    Earlier, she was worried when she saw that this woman, Ciri, was nowhere to be seen.

    She thought Ciri sensed her staring and decided to change seats.

    But it seemed she hadn''t, she was only a bit late.

    ''I should get to know her,'' She thought and stood up, deciding to approach Ciri.

    On the other hand, Nerissa, who was watching the second stage unfold, glanced over to Leandra.

    A peculiar glint could be seen flickering behind her eyes.

 Chapter 278 278: Deeper Doubt

    Leandra bit her lip, deliberating whether she should approach Ciri right now.

    She had to know who Ciri really was.

    Above the dynamic between them, she knew Lucivar the most, or at least she believed that she knew him the most. She knew that he''d never let go of anyone who would get in the way between him and power, never.

    Leandra had experienced it once, so she''s the only one who knows.

    Even the Feradith Family certainly suffered the same fate.

    It was weird to see the problem between them one day disappear as if it had never been there.

    She wasn''t stupid enough to believe that it was resolved naturally.

    No¡ªLucivar must''ve done something.

    At this moment, she only knew that Lucivar was going to end Caldaros after the tournament.

    In order for her to find out¡ªthe full scope of his plan, and also understand his mind better, she must approach Ciri. Leandra, don''t believe Ciri being here is a coincidence¡ªshe must be tied somehow to all of this.

    ''But I''m not used to making friends, or even socializing in general. How...?'' Leandra thought inside.

    She wanted to approach Ciri, but she didn''t know how.

    "Leandra," Nerissa called, placing her hand above Leandra''s hand. "You look distracted."

    "I-It''s nothing," Leandra forced out a smile.

    She could easily fool anyone with her cold expression, but Nerissa knew when she was lying.

    "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? I''m always here." She assured.

    Upon hearing this, Leandra paused for a second, staring into Nerissa''s eyes, deliberating whether telling her about this would be a good idea. Eventually, she decided to trust Nerissa. Out of all the others, she knew Nerissa was the most trustworthy.

    Leandra checked whether Ravenna or Bakar were listening.

    Once she found out that they were focused on the tournament, she turned back to Nerissa again.

    "I need to befriend someone," She leaned forward and whispered. "Behind you, there is a woman at the very corner of our section with brown hair. She''s wearing a hoodie and is fully immersed in watching the tournament. I need to get close to her."

    Nodding her head, Nerissa glanced over in that direction and found the woman.

    It was easy to spot her because, for some reason, she looked radiant.

    As if her skin was glowing, and she was also the only one who wasn''t cheering like the others.

    Compared to being excited for the tournament, she was seated, and her eyes depicted sadness.

    "Can I ask if this has something to do with Lucivar?" Nerissa asked.

    Leandra was surprised, but recovered quickly, "Did you realize it too?"

    "No, I''m only guessing," Nerissa shook her head. "Only Lucivar could make you act like this."

    Not expecting that answer, Leandra exhaled roughly.

    But she didn''t argue.

    "Yes, it''s about Lucivar. Can you plea-"

    "She''s going somewhere!"

    Almost instantly, Leandra snapped her head towards Ciri and found her standing up while covering her mouth. It was hard to see, but there seemed to be tears drizzling down her face. "Come on, we have to follow her. Don''t tell the others."

    "I''m accompanying Leandra to the toilet, be right back," Nerissa said to Ravenna and Bakar.

    Neither of them responded, too fixated on the tournament.

    However, once the two excused themselves to the toilet, Ravenna glanced towards them.

    It was clear that they were up to something, but she didn''t say anything.

    Like spies, the two went back inside and found Ciri fast-walking through the corridor.

    Fearing that she might be leaving the premises, Nerissa and Leandra quickly followed her from behind but realized that she was only going to the toilet. Exchanging a look, the two paused for a second before eventually deciding to also go to the toilet.

    Meanwhile, inside the toilet, Ciri immediately headed for the sink.

    Turning on the faucet, she cupped a handful of water and splashed her face before looking in the mirror.

    She stared into her reflection, tears and water mixing on her face.

    "No... this isn''t you," She murmured, her mind replaying the moment she saw Caldaros luring enemies in, forcing Lucivar into the fight. But what haunted her most was his smile¡ªsubtle, yet unmistakable, a glint of enjoyment as he beat other participants or dragged Lucivar into chaos. "Lucivar''s the one who brings out the worst in you... If you can get rid of him, things will return to how they were."

    "Yes..." She wiped her tears. "That has to be it. The Caldaros I know would never act like this.

    Just as she calmed herself down, the door was opened.

    Startled, Ciri quickly acted as if she were washing her hands when a young woman entered.

    Nerissa stood before the sink right beside Ciri, acting composed as she turned on the faucet to wash her hands. Then, she stole a few glances at Ciri, noticing that her eyes were puffy and slightly red, "Not enjoying the tournament as much?"

    "Hmm?" Ciri turned to look at her reflection in confusion.

    Smiling lightly, Nerissa pointed at her own eyes, "You looked like a mess."

    "Ah, something like that," Ciri replied, keeping it polite. "I don''t do well with blood and all of that."

    "Did you come here for someone?" Nerissa asked again, while still pretending to fix her appearance. "I came here to watch someone. I''m from the Bloodhaven Academy¡ªyou see. He''s a participant, Lucivar is his name if you know."

    Upon hearing his name being mentioned, Ciri was stunned, not expecting this at all.

    "Lucivar...?" She repeated incredulously. "Can I ask who you are to him?"

    "We''re not blood related, but he''s family," Nerissa answered nonchalantly as she offered a smile, one that was angelic to see. "Do you also know him? Are you also¡ªa student of the academy? I''m only an academy hunter, so I don''t really know many students."

    "Are you flattering me?" Ciri blushed a little. "I''m in my late thirties."

    "Oh, really?" Nerissa''s eyes widened a little. "You looked very young. I couldn''t tell at all!"

    Both of them shared a brief laugh, light and genuine.

    But as the laughter faded, an awkward silence crept in between them.

    "I-I''m also here for someone," Ciri said, filling in the silence. "My niece, Caldaros? He''s also from the Bloodhaven Academy. You must know about him since he''s the first ranker, not that I''m an expert in the dynamic between students and academy hunters."

    "Oh, really?" Nerissa''s face twitched when she heard the name. "Of course, I know Caldaros. That''s exciting."

    Ciri hesitated for a beat, then suddenly asked, "Is he good?"

    "I''m sorry?" Nerissa raised an eyebrow.

    "A-Ah," Ciri immediately recovered and waved her hand. "I meant Lucivar, how is he to you? I always need to take care of Caldaros. He''s quite a troublesome kid, always wanting to spend some quality time and begging me to cook him food."

    "Lucivar, huh..." Nerissa tapped her chin for a moment. "If I had to say, he''s really a bad person who always does bad things."

    Upon hearing this, Ciri''s expression tightened.

    It was as she expected, Lucivar was the root of all problems as Loki''s avatar.

    "But my family is worse than his in some aspects, and that got me thinking sometimes... Lucivar might be acting really bad¡ªso that the person around him would not beat themselves up too much for doing the bad things that needed to be done," Nerissa continued, smiling inwardly at the thought. "I can''t help but think that he has a reason for acting like this, maybe to protect us, his family."

    Ciri was stunned.

    Knowing the real Lucivar, she never would''ve thought that Nerissa would say something like this.

    Not to mention, the admiration Nerissa had for Lucivar could be seen directly in her eyes.

    ''An avatar of an Evil God must be evil in nature, so why is she saying this?'' She thought in doubt.

    Realizing that she said too much, Nerissa waved her hand.

    "I''m sorry, I think I said too much," She mused wryly.

    "No, no, no, it''s alright," Ciri assured, holding her shoulder. "I did ask the question."

    "Nerissa," Nerissa suddenly said, reaching out her hand.

    Ciri glanced at the outstretched hand before taking it with a faint smile. "Ciri. Nice to meet you."

    Moments later.

    Both of them stepped out of the toilet.

    Nerissa parted with Ciri and went back to Leandra, who was waiting outside.

    "So?" Leandra asked expectantly. "Who is she?"

    "Ciri," Nerissa replied¡ªher face twisted into one of hideous disgust. "She''s Caldaros'' aunt."

    Almost instantly, something clicked inside Leandra''s mind.

    Now that she knew Ciri was Caldaros'' aunt, Leandra was convinced she played a role in Lucivar''s plan to bring Caldaros down somehow. In fact, she was starting to suspect that the night market massacre had been nothing more than a setup.

    An excuse for Lucivar to cross paths with Ciri.

    It''s too convenient for it to be a coincidence.

    Of course, had Lucivar known what Leandra was thinking, he would''ve laughed.

    Such a lucky incident was far too convenient to be a mere coincidence, but with his karmic scale¡ªtipping heavily toward misdeeds, it wasn''t exactly surprising. In this twisted world, fortune always favored the evil, and it was only natural that Lady Luck would hand him an opportunity on a silver platter.

    Leandra hadn''t comprehended that fully, at least not yet, so she still thought wrong.

    "Follow her, and we''ll arrive at where Lucivar would be..." Leandra mumbled with conviction.

    ...

    Meanwhile, inside the Ashen Cavern Dungeon.

    Sensing that Mirel was already on the first checkpoint, Lucivar decided to stick with Orivelle''s group and coursed through the forest. Soon, later than the other kingdoms, they managed to reach the first of the three main checkpoints.

    As the rulebook stated, the checkpoint is marked by a translucent, rainbow barrier.

    Once a King walked through it, the flag would be marked.

    Now, if a flag was stolen, the kingdom would be teleported to their last checkpoint.

    Awaiting near a tree were Mirel and Caldaros.

    Both of them looked at Lucivar and then Orivelle''s group in surprise.

    "What''s this? You didn''t say anything about this," Caldaros said, pointing at Orvelle''s group.

    "This is Orivelle," Lucivar introduced. "Her kingdom would be our ally in the second stage. All of the champions from the Vanguard Institute never failed to reach the top three, so I thought we should be in a lot better shape with them around."

    "I don''t need their help, but I''ll not refuse their help either," Caldaros crossed his arms arrogantly.

    On the other hand, Mirel also forced out a smile.

    No rules stating that kingdoms couldn''t work together, so this is fine.

    "I don''t mind," Mirel said before turning to Orivelle. "We''ll be in your care then."

    "And we in yours," She nodded in return.

    Glancing at the path ahead, all of them saw a devastating land of fire.

    ''Normally¡ªI''d be happy to see Orivelle. She''s certainly of help,'' Mirel thought before turning to the person who always has been in his mind, Lucivar. ''But he never did anything without a reason, and this time, I can feel the killing intent radiating from his expressionless face.''

 Chapter 279 279: Ambushed

    Once the two groups crossed the first checkpoint, the terrain changed dramatically.

    Now, the volcanic ground was a lot more active.

    Boom!

    Lucivar''s pupils dilated as he quickly rolled to the side in the nick of time before the ground underneath him spat out a torrent of glowing lava. One touch, and his flesh would melt. Fortunately, his reflexes were quick enough to react.

    Glancing to the side, he also saw the others experiencing the same thing.

    In a random but deliberate interval, the lava shot skyward right underneath the others.

    Clearly, there was some sort of trigger that incited the lava like this, but there was no time to think.

    Along the way, there were only a few kingdoms that got hurt from fighting or the lava.

    Most of them were already far ahead, perhaps even at the second checkpoint already, and they were left behind due to taking the longer route through the forest. But then again, Orivelle was adamant that this was the best move.

    Lucivar and the others weren''t going to argue, she clearly knew what she was doing.

    Despite the terrain being hostile, they continued to sprint onward.

    All of them are Chrysalis-rank Hybrids, so they could handle the terrain, and they were also very fast.

    Fixing their eyes on the next checkpoint, it didn''t take long for them to reach the halfway mark, even overtaking some of the kingdoms they encountered along the way. Noticing that they were working together, none of the kingdoms dared to attack them.

    Capable of only gritting their teeth as they watched Lucivar and the others went ahead of them.

    However, things changed once they were near the second checkpoint.

    Boom!

    Another lava shot skyward.

    Lucivar was able to maneuver over it easily, already expecting this as he saw the ground turn red way before he stepped on it. As he walked past it, however, his eyes widened when he heard a hissing sound coming from the side.

    He turned and was shocked when he was greeted by an open maw of an animal.

    It''s a lava snake monster that came out of the lava torrent.

    ''Shit! How did I not sense it?!'' He exclaimed inside.

    Just as the snake was about to clamp down on his neck, a hand yanked him back by his collar.

    Mirel managed to react fast enough to pull Lucivar out of the way and landed a powerful uppercut that summoned vicious lightning. Upon impact, the lava snake got electrocuted before a mini lightning blast sent it away.

    "Is your focus not entirely here? How could you get caught off guard by that?" He asked incredulously.

    Lucivar chuckled, "Does it feel that good to save me?"

    He didn''t answer Mirel''s question.

    Frankly, Mirel was right, his focus wasn''t entirely present at the moment.

    ''He''s about to make his move, so of course I''m not entirely focused.'' He thought sharply inside.

    Almost in sync, Lucivar¡ªand Mirel placed their backs against each other when four more lava torrents suddenly emerged and surrounded them. Lucivar got into his fighting stance and raised his dagger, his eyes darting left and right in alert.

    Seems like the dungeon would be more and more dangerous as they progressed further.

    Hiss!!

    In an instant, more lava snakes emerged and attacked them.

    All of them attacked at the same time, forcing Lucivar and Mirel on the defense.

    Lucivar flipped his dagger into a reverse grip¡ªbefore hacking them one by one, covering Mirel''s back as he did the same thing. Both of them moved like a single unit, know¡ªwhich one they should handle, and which one they would leave for the other to handle.

    Considering how strong these lava snakes are, at the five-star Acolyte rank and some even reaching the first-star Chrysalis rank, one hit from them wasn''t enough to kill them. Despite coating their weapons with ether, the lava snakes'' scales are quite thick.

    Even then, none of these lava snakes are a match for them.

    But the problem was the fact that there was no end to them.

    Upon killing one, another lava torrent exploded, separating the two, and another lava snake emerged.

    It was an exercise of utility.

    Naturally, it was the same for the others.

    Caldaros was attacked from all sides, but paired with the woman from Orivelle''s group, he was able to defend himself well without a problem. But amidst the battle, he kept glancing at Lucivar. His intention was clear from his sharp gaze, but with the heat of the battle, nobody noticed it.

    Just then, a sudden forceful heat enveloped the entire area.

    Everyone snapped their heads toward the direction of the heat and found that it came from Orivelle.

    Enraged by the endless lava snakes that were barring their way, stalling them from reaching the second checkpoint, Orivelle channeled her ether and tapped into her phoenix bloodline. Her staff was devoured in flames, hotter than lava, as she began to levitate.

    Her hair flared and fluttered, turning into pale red flames¡ªthe absolute fire of a phoenix.

    Several lava snakes tried to attack her, but all of them were blocked by the heat barrier protecting her.

    Changing tactics, the lava snake coiled around her heat barrier and squeezed hard.

    As opposed to shattering the heat barrier, their scales visibly melted.

    Orivelle ignored them all, focusing solely on her staff as it surged with ether. Then, as if the ground had suddenly turned magnetic, she dropped with force, slamming the staff into the earth hard. The impact cracked the ground, forming a shallow crater as she shouted, "Fire Persona!"

    Kaboom!

    Her body unleashed a wave of pale red flames that expanded rapidly like a ring.

    Lucivar and the others wanted to dodge the pale red flames, but surprisingly, the flames didn''t hit them.

    It separated upon nearing them before continuing to expand.

    Not to mention, the lava torrents that spat out lava snakes were all evaporated¡ªthe pale red flames, like a blanket, covered the entire ground and blocked the active lava underneath. One move and Orivelle was able to take care of the dungeon''s obstacle.

    "Such a delicate ether control," Mirel praised. "No wonder she represented the Vanguard Institute."

    Beside him, Lucivar smirked inwardly.

    ''I don''t know exactly, but this... this should indicate clearly enough that her bloodline purity should be really high, right?'' He thought, pleased that he didn''t make the wrong choice of getting closer to her. ''I should be able to get what I want from her.''

    Just then, Lucivar frowned when the shadow behind Orivelle wobbled slightly.

    He thought that he was imagining it, but her shadow moved unnaturally for the second time.

    Swish!

    "Huh?"

    Orivelle turned her head and was stunned when she saw a figure covered in a black outfit behind her.

    He leaped out of her shadow, surprising not only her but also the others.

    Before she could react, a searing pain shot through her calves¡ªa clean, precise slash that aimed at her motoric muscles, marking the figure''s handiwork. With a swift motion, he had sliced into her leg with the short sword in his hand, then delivered a kick to her back, sending her stumbling forward.

    She even lost her grip on her staff.

    Almost instantly, the blanket of pale flames that covered the ground disappeared.

    Her spell was cancelled, and the lava torrents emerged once again¡ªeach creating a booming sound.

    Clearly, they were under attack by another kingdom.

    Since these people dared to attack Lucivar''s group, they must also be extremely strong and confident.

    Mirel glanced at his own shadow, expecting a figure to come out of it too.

    But instead, a figure appeared from a dark spot on the ground in front of him and landed a devastating gut punch that forced his body to arc backward. Giving no time to rest, a knee struck against his nose, propelling him off the ground before another slash sent him crashing away.

    Lucivar looked at the figure standing across him and tilted his head.

    "Let me guess," He said, faking contemplation. "You must be... Renis. Are you here for me?"

    Upon hearing this, Renis didn''t respond and immediately went into his battle stance.

    He anchored his body strongly, with the black short sword in his hand pointed forward.

    At the slightest twitch of Lucivar''s muscle, Renis sprang into action, swinging his short sword sharply in a horizontal arc. A crescent of black ether tore through the air like a bullet, dark and crackling with the power to cut someone in half.

    Lucivar saw it coming and knew he had more than enough time to react.

    But as he was about to move, several hands of shadow emerged from his own shadow.

    Each seized his limbs and body, holding him in place.

    As the crescent of black approached, a smirk crept to his face as he opened his hand.

    Swoosh!

    Rapidly, the crescent of black began to lose power, becoming thinner and thinner until it completely evaporated. Now that his Greedy Grasp ability has reached the Immortal Mastery, it is able to absorb incoming ether projectiles like this.

    However, Renis had anticipated that Lucivar would effortlessly counter the initial strike.

    After all, he''s done some research and knows that Lucivar isn''t a pushover.

    That''s why, right behind the sweeping arc of black ether, he was already closing the distance fast.

    By the time Lucivar dealt with the projectile, Renis was upon him, short sword in hand, crackling with ether, aimed straight for the kill. Grunting forcefully, he made a vertical uppercut with the short sword, blasting a wave of dark ether.

    Lucivar tried to dodge, but with the shadow hands gripping him tightly, there was not much room for him to move. The blade struck true, slicing across his arm, and the impact of the slash struck his right wind like a slicing wind.

    Surprisingly enough, the wing was cleanly severed, yet his arm wasn''t.

    Only a thin, bloodied line could be seen on his arm¡ªa superficial wound at best.

    Upon seeing this, Renis'' eyes widened in shock.

    ''His physique... How is it this strong?!'' He thought inside in alert.

    Not even a three-star Chrysalis rank Hybrid could avoid having their arm severed from a blow from him, but it barely did anything to Lucivar. Smirking, Luciivar raised his fist, charged with God strands he got from absorbing the arc earlier.

    "My turn..." Lucivar whispered and threw a normal, basic punch.

    Seeing this, Renis raised his arms to block, but his eyes bulged in utter shock in the next second.

    BAM!

    Renis was thrown away like a ragdoll¡ªthe punch hurt him even though he blocked it.

    Once Lucivar got rid of Renis for a moment, he checked the others and found them in a battle against four other participants. From the looks of it, they were ambushed by two kingdoms, not one, and clearly, the attackers were from the Shadow Clan.

    Amidst the battle, Lucivar locked eyes with Caldaros.

    A meaningful smile crept to his face as he turned and sprinted away from the battle.

    Caldaros, on the other hand, clicked his tongue in displeasure and looked up at the drones.

    ''Damn it.'' He cursed.

 Chapter 280 280: Impostor (1)

    Lucivar made a run for it.

    He broke into a sprint, veering away from the chaos of battle.

    Since Renis and his comrades were aiming for him, not the others, he decided to do this¡ªsurely Renis and some of them would abandon the battle and chase after him. Of course, this wasn''t some heroic act to lure them away so that they wouldn''t hurt the others.

    No¡ªhis purpose was entirely different.

    It is to show Renis that he made the worst mistake of his life for doing this.

    And to do that, Lucivar needed somewhere quiet and away from prying eyes and drones.

    As expected, the nearest champion of the Shadow Clan chased after Lucivar.

    Renis, who managed to stop the pushing momentum and recover¡ªalso saw Lucivar running away and quickly chased after him. From the higher-ups, he was instructed to humiliate and make sure the Blessed Hand Clan''s champion loses.

    So, that is exactly what he was going to do.

    On the other hand, Caldaros was balancing between checking the drones and his fight.

    ''Damn it, you arrogant avatar!'' He cursed in frustration inside as he parried the incoming attacks thrown at him relentlessly. ''I can''t use my sun power openly, you moron! All I can use is my Vampire side, so how the heck can I blot out the drones?!''

    Just the meaningful look on Lucivar''s face tells everything that he needed to know.

    He was going to do something bad, and Caldaros needed to make sure the drones didn''t fixate on him.

    Or else, the three of them would be disqualified.

    Parrying the blade that came down from above, Caldaros kicked the man away and glanced to the other side, at Orivelle. If he couldn''t do it alone, then he must ask for help. Orivelle is more than qualified to disturb the drones'' eyes.

    Her fire should be enough for the opportune moment.

    On the other side of the battlefield, Mirel was controlling the lava snakes that were coming out endlessly.

    Since Orivelle''s focus got disturbed, the lava torrents came out again.

    But in truth, as he fought the lava snakes, his mind was somewhere else.

    ''Lucivar... Why did he suddenly run like that?'' He thought incredulously. ''I need to help him.''

    Just then, a frown crept to his face as he spotted Arthur breaking formation with Orivelle and the other woman, slipping away to chase after Lucivar. But from the way he moved¡ªcautious, almost slinking, he didn''t look like he was chasing Lucivar to help.

    If anything, it seemed Arthur was using the chaos to sneak off for his own purpose.

    ''How many people are after Lucivar, really...?'' He thought inside.

    As he thought of that, his eyes widened when he sensed two figures were already upon him.

    At first, he assumed the ambush came from the lava snakes, taking advantage of his momentary lapse in focus¡ªbut he was wrong. Emerging from behind and below him were two shadow figures, not beasts that he assumed initially.

    Both were champions of the Shadow Clan.

    Giving no time for him to react, the two of them grabbed Mirel with their hands.

    Since he was the King, being touched by two peons from the same kingdom¡ªmeant his flag would be transferred to them. It was then, the flag strapped on his back began to flicker, nearing the verge of being transferred to one of these two.

    Fortunately, there were still two royal decrees.

    One royal decree was spent on keeping the flag strapped onto Mirel.

    Realizing that he almost lost the flag, Mirel''s eyes sparked with yellow lightning.

    And in the next second, his entire body unleashed a shockwave of yellow lightning that pushed and also zapped the two figures. Both were sent rolling across the floor, experiencing a minor paralysis, before Mirel moved to the offensive.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar was getting further and further away from the others.

    His eyes scanned his surroundings¡ªa couple of dead trees, mild fog, desolate land¡ªsearching for one suitable place that he could use to handle this situation. Beating them outright with his raw power is not an option for him.

    Beyond the Blessed Hand Clan''s desire for him to humiliate the Shadow Clan, he had his own reasons.

    He wasn''t about to give Caldaros more than he already had.

    It''s better if Caldaros knew less about his true strength.

    Revealing too much now would only complicate things in their inevitable clash during the third stage.

    ''The Ashen Cavern, as the name suggests, hosts a lot of caves¡ªdue to its countless peaks. I am sure there should be a cave nearby that I could use,'' Lucivar thought inside, searching for a suitable place. ''Ah, there should be one there.''

    On the far left, Lucivar noticed another forest of dead trees.

    As he reached the mouth of the dead forest, he stomped hard and leaned his body backward.

    Suddenly, the shadow of a tree moved and shot towards him like a spike.

    He was able to react in time¡ªbut the pointy tip of the spike still drew blood starting from his abdomen all the way to his chest. Had he been a second too late, that shadow spike would''ve penetrated through him completely.

    Looking over his shoulders, he saw a man who was sprinting with all his might.

    Upon seeing this, Lucivar didn''t initiate.

    Instead, a scarab mark appeared on his forehead before he dashed into the dead forest.

    His speed doubled, leaving the man in the dust.

    ''For some reason, I couldn''t use the Triune Scarab or any of Sutekh''s abilities as long as Caldaros was around,'' Lucivar thought, reveling under the bask of power from the Triune Scarab ability. ''But now, I can use it again.''

    Glancing at the dagger in his hand, he also summoned the Fang of Sutekh to envelop the dagger.

    Once a glistening steel, now the dagger was covered by a bronze layer, almost like a second skin for it.

    It has been a mystery to him, but at least he could use it now.

    Swish!

    Lucivar coursed through the forest, keeping his speed fast enough not to be caught up, and slow enough for the man to not lose track of him. Then, he finally managed to find the cave, which was at the foothill, but this wasn''t enough.

    Closing his eyes, he focused on his senses.

    He ignored the sound of the gentle wind and focused on finding a strong concentration of energy.

    And he found it.

    Lucivar nodded and turned to look skyward, where a drone was locked onto him.

    ''Okay,'' He nodded and stared ahead again. ''Anytime now, Caldaros. I need you to create a distraction.''

    Meanwhile, a few hundred meters away.

    "Damn it!" The man who was chasing after Lucivar cursed under his breaths¡ªas he came to a gradual stop, looking around the dead forest with an evident frown. "How did he suddenly become that fast? I lost him now. But more importantly, why is he running? Isn''t he supposed to be strong?"

    He was confused as to what Lucivar was trying to achieve here.

    "Should I wait for the others? Renis shouldn''t be that far behind," The man thought aloud.

    But that doesn''t seem to be appropriate.

    After all, Lucivar ran like a scaredy cat the moment his group was ambushed, so it should be fine.

    No need for him to wait around and be scared of a scaredy cat.

    Nodding his head, the man continued onward, keeping his senses attuned to the surroundings.

    Out of nowhere, a sudden surge of ether could be felt from a distance.

    Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a torrent of pale red flames swirling upwards like a deadly vortex.

    It was Orivelle''s power¡ªthat pale red fire is unique only to her.

    That was how close whoever the thing behind him was.

    For a brief moment, the man was troubled¡ªconcerned that the others were still being held back.

    But that worry vanished instantly when he felt a presence right behind him.

    Something¡ªno, someone was standing so close he could feel its breath graze his skin.

    That was how close whoever was behind him.

    Naturally, not sensing anyone nearby, the man''s blood ran cold as his body froze stiff, almost as if he had been electrocuted. Gulping harshly, he tried to quickly unsheathe his sword and attack the person behind him, but the moment he did, everything went black.

    Moments later, Renis arrived at the mouth of the dead forest.

    He looked around¡ªhis eyes glistening with black ether.

    "Both of them ran here," He muttered, seeing the remnants of shadows from his comrade.

    Before he stepped into the dead forest, he glanced to the side¡ªand frowned when he sensed a powerful concentration of energy, crossers'' energy, "It''s a lot stronger than the crossers I met up until now, I think it''s around the second-star Chrysalis rank. I need to be careful not to wake it up."

    Despite being capable enough to handle such a monster, it wasn''t worth it.

    No need to risk being wounded for nothing.

    Keeping his guards up, Renis entered the dead forest in search of Lucivar.

    Not so far behind him, two other figures could be seen approaching the dead forest.

    More comrades from Renis'' side who managed to break free from the battle.

    "From the shadow remnants, Leo and Renis should be ahead," One of them muttered.

    Coming from the same background, the new member of the Shadow Clan¡ªthey could track one another with uncanny ease. Yet before they could even set foot inside, their steps halted as a lone figure emerged from within the dead forest.

    Seeing this, the two immediately went into their battle stance.

    But a frown crept to their faces when they realized the figure was walking funny, unstable.

    He stopped at the mouth of the forest and leaned against the tree.

    Clearly, this man was writhing in pain as blood dripped from his hand that was holding his stomach.

    It took a second for the two to realize that it was their comrade, Leo.

    Almost instantly, the two of them quickly check on him.

    "What happened?" One of them asked, catching Leo before he could fall. "Did that bastard do this?"

    "Y-Yes..." Leo nodded, breathing weakly through his mouth.

    "Where''s Renis?" The other asked, looking around in confusion. "He should also be inside."

    "I don''t know. I didn''t come across him inside," Leo shook his head. "I managed to wound that bastard, so you guys have to finish it."

    Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a look before nodding firmly.

    "Just tell us where you last saw him. We''ll take it from here." One of them said.

    "I''ll lead you there," Leo said as he inhaled deeply. "Just protect me. He''s really hurt too, so we''ll be fine."

    Despite their hesitation, the two eventually nodded.

    One was leading the way while the other was supporting Leo to walk.

    However, oblivious to the two, once they stepped inside the dead forest again, Leo''s lips curled into an evident smirk. One that looked devilish and full of malice.

 Chapter 281 281: Impostor (2)

    Inside the Hybrid Association''s main office.

    A commotion was happening inside the underground control room.

    All warning indicators were lit on, and the screen in front of the rows of office workers¡ªsitting in front of their computers, turned red. One of them, the man in charge of the control room, looked at the screen and instantly turned pale.

    "My God..." He murmured in shock.

    But then, realizing that the others were beginning to panic, he snapped out of his daze and turned to the side, to another worker, "Check the system¡ªand make sure there''s no malfunction in the processes. Do it right now!"

    Nodding his head, the worker immediately went to work.

    For a brief moment, the vertical bar on the right side of the main screen dropped down to zero again.

    Once the system check was completed, the bar was refilled again¡ªreaching the purple grade level and triggering all warning indicators once again. It was clear now that there was no mistake, "How long has it been...? How can a dungeon of this caliber appear here, in the Light World?"

    Gritting his teeth, the man in charge immediately rushed out of the control room.

    He ran through the corridor and made his way up through the emergency exit, having no patience to use the lift, until he reached the ninth floor. Pushing the door open hard, he caught the attention of the people on the floor, but he didn''t care.

    Soon, he reached a massive door with a secretary''s desk beside it.

    "Where''s the director?" He quickly asked the secretary.

    "Eh?" The secretary paused for a second before she quickly checked the director''s schedule when she saw how urgent the man looked, "The director should be having a meeting on the sixth floor. Should I call him?"

    "No, need. Thank you," The man quickly ran away again.

    On the other hand, the director was sitting on his chair and listening to a presentation.

    It was the monthly report on the fatality of the Hybrids under the Hybrid Association.

    But the presentation came to an abrupt stop when the door was swung open, and a man stepped inside in a hurry. Naturally, one of the people seated at the table stood up, completely enraged¡ªby the man''s lack of manners, "Did you not learn how to knock? A meeting is underway!"

    "I''m sorry," The man apologized before turning to the director. "But it''s urgent."

    Upon hearing this, the director gestured to settle down before focusing on the man again.

    "Please, tell me what''s so urgent?" He asked.

    "Our team was on our third scan, and we picked up a purple dungeon forming!" The man replied.

    Almost instantly, the faces of the people inside the meeting room changed.

    A purple dungeon was nearly unheard of in the Light World¡ªappearing only a handful of times through centuries. Such a high-grade dungeon was typically deployed by the Primordials to strike critical places and establish strongholds.

    It would probably take two Supreme Houses to work together to take down a normal purple dungeon.

    Anything stronger, the entire Light World would need to band together.

    Not only was their manpower barely enough to handle a dungeon of this caliber, but there were no good reasons for the Crossers to deploy this kind of dungeon against the Light World. If it were the world on the other side, the Dark World, then it''s a different story.

    Hybrids there were stronger, far stronger than those in the Light World.

    Despite the confusion, the people present have one guess on why the Crossers deployed a purple dungeon.

    One that none of them wanted to be true.

    Perhaps, the Dark World had already fallen to the Crossers, and now, it was their turn to be devoured.

    "Are you sure?" The director asked sternly. "Have you rechecked?"

    "Yes, I''m sure." The man answered with a pale face. "What should we do, director?"

    As soon as the man said that, all eyes turned to the director.

    He remained silent for a good moment, contemplating hard inside, before he finally parted his lips, "Go and deploy as many teams as you can to locate the source of the energy, find where the purple dungeon is going to appear."

    Then, he turned to the other people at the table.

    "Inform the clan leaders about the situation, and tell them to get ready to fight." He added.

    ...

    Meanwhile, back in the South Hues Tournament.

    "Keep your guards up, we''re near," Leo muttered weakly.

    Upon hearing this, the other two nodded and channeled their ether to cover their entire bodies.

    From what they found, Lucivar is a Harpy Hybrid¡ªso speed is his forte.

    Reaching the foothill, the three found that about twenty meters to the hill itself was devoid of any dead trees that they could use as cover. So, they stayed away from that open space since it was obvious now to them that Lucivar was hiding.

    Slowly, the three swept the foothill, scanning their surroundings.

    It was hard to see with the mild fog around them that limited their vision.

    Leo''s eyes fixed on something on his left before he looked up, noticing the drone was staring at them.

    Only one drone could be seen.

    About a hundred meters away on the opposite side, there was another drone.

    "Stop, put me down here," Leo suddenly said, pointing at a dead tree. "I fought him there, near that big dead tree. You should be able to find traces of his blood. Leave me here, so I won''t be a burden. If I''m in trouble, I''ll scream."

    Nodding her head, the woman helped Leo sit down before she and the other man continued onward.

    Both of them instantly turned into shadows and disappeared.

    Once they were gone, Leo glanced in a particular direction with a malicious smirk.

    Meanwhile, the other two reached the big tree Leo was talking about.

    Both circled the big tree, trying to find the blood traces Lucivar left behind since Leo said he was also wounded. However, the two of them frowned when they couldn''t find anything. "Do you find anything over there?"

    "No," The woman shook her head. "Did he clean it? No way. Not when he''s wounded."

    "It''s also strange there aren''t any signs of a battle," The man muttered, placing his hands on his hips as a frown tugged at his face. Something felt wrong, off, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it. "Maybe Leo was too out of it from blood loss and misremembered where the fight happened."

    "Maybe..." The woman muttered, but could also feel something was eerily off.

    Rumble!

    Roar!!

    Just then, the two were startled when a thunderous roar shook the entire dead forest.

    Realizing that it was a beast, and it was coming from Leo''s direction, the two exchanged a look before they quickly returned to where Leo was. He was wounded, so he''d be in trouble if he came across this beast that emanated a heavy aura.

    Upon returning, they saw that Leo was crawling on the ground, trying to get away.

    Behind him, the dead trees could be seen toppling over one by one.

    Something was charging in his direction, and it was massive, from how the dead trees were easily knocked down.

    "Help!" Leo called and reached out his hand.

    Snapping out of their dazes, the two quickly went over and picked him up.

    It was at the same time that the monster exposed itself.

    A massive monster shaped like a ball of death¡ªits body was wrapped in overlapping plates of rusted bronze armor and charred iron. Every inch was adorned with vicious spikes of varying lengths, curling outward from its spherical form like petrified thorns.

    Each step it took shook the ground, highlighting how heavy it was.

    "Bring Leo away, I''ll hold it off for a bit!" The man shouted and stood facing the charging monster.

    Nodding her head, the woman supported Leo and dashed away.

    Swish!

    Sensing that the monster possessed a Chrysalis-rank power, the man didn''t hold back and summoned his ether in the form of a shadow shield. It expanded outward from his hands and created a shield that was as massive as the monster.

    However, as the monster neared, the man frowned when he noticed something was wrong.

    ''What''s happening...?'' He thought in dread, realizing that his shadow shield was getting smaller.

    Gritting his teeth, he poured more ether into maintaining the shield, but it was futile.

    Instead of maintaining the shadow shield''s size, his ether was being drained¡ªno matter how much he poured in, it vanished like water into a bottomless pit. He couldn''t sustain the shield at all, and the more he tried, the faster his ether reserve was drained.

    He had never experienced anything like it before.

    For a second there, fear gripped him¡ªthe man tried turning around to run away.

    But the monster was faster than him.

    Roar!!

    Curling into an actual, spiky ball, the monster rolled forward and ran over the man brutally.

    His body was squashed completely, flattened against the ground.

    Not even given any time to scream, the man was killed¡ªbloodied holes riddled his corpse.

    Unrelenting, the monster charged toward Leo and the woman, spinning like a spiked juggernaut at the speed of a car on a highway. It came fast, too fast, but the woman was ready. With a sharp motion, she hurled them both aside, narrowly evading the deadly roll as the monster thundered past.

    "No... Roy!" She screamed in shock when she saw that the man, Roy, was now dead.

    "I saw a cave earlier," Leo grabbed the woman''s shoulder. "We can hide there!"

    Snapping out of her shock, the woman blinked before she nodded.

    Before the monster could turn around, they had to find cover.

    "Hold on," The woman said, channeling her ether to cast a spell.

    But like Roy, she also found that her ether couldn''t form the spell¡ªevery time the spell was about to be formed, the ether was drained suddenly. Despite her confusion, she grabbed Leo and went ahead on foot¡ªevery second counts.

    It took a moment for them to see the cave in the distance.

    "There!" Leo pointed. "That monster wouldn''t fit that cave. We''ll be safe there! Go faster!"

    "I''m trying!" The woman complained.

    She could feel her strength leaving her, even though she should be in good condition right now.

    Like a parasite was inside of her, and it was eating her ether and draining her stamina rapidly.

    Just as the two were a few paces away from reaching the cave, the monster appeared again behind them, charging like a furious bull. At this point, the woman''s legs already felt weak, but she had to keep going or else both of them would die.

    Leo is wounded, and he needs her help.

    However, as she thought of that, she noticed the bleeding wound on Leo''s stomach was gone.

    It was then that the woman''s heart skipped a beat, and the bad premonition she was feeling heightened.

    Noticing the change in the woman''s expression, Leo paused before his lips curled into a smile.

    "You... You''re not Leo," she rasped before gulping in fear. "A Tribrid...?"

 Chapter 282 282: Simple but Effective

    Barely minutes ago, Leo was suffering from the fresh wound on his stomach.

    It was bad enough that he couldn''t even walk straight.

    But now, the bleeding stopped, and the wound was nowhere to be seen.

    Considering that Leo''s bloodline, a Shadowling bloodline, has no healing abilities, this was extremely odd. Maybe he has an artifact that was capable of healing him, or at least that''s what the woman thought initially, but the wicked smile that curled on Leo''s lips made the truth vivid.

    The Leo she was helping right now wasn''t Leo at all¡ªhe was an impostor.

    Since there was nobody else around here other than Renis and Lucivar, the answer was obvious.

    "A Tribrid...?" She rasped in absolute terror.

    From the intel, Lucivar was a Harpy Hybrid¡ªfor him to mimic Leo to perfection like this meant he had another bloodline inside of him, making him a Tribrid. Of course, this wasn''t true, he was more than a mere Tribrid.

    Then again, Lucivar didn''t bother correcting¡ªhe pushed her instead.

    As the woman stumbled backward, her eyes turned to the side and she saw that the monster was already on her.

    At that moment, her survival instincts took over, forcing her to cough up more ether and creating a blast that propelled her forward, propelling her toward the cave. But even then, she wasn''t fast enough as her legs got hit by the charging monster, sending her body spinning and crashing into the cave walls.

    Everything was spinning, and her eyes were blurry.

    "Hehk... Hehk..."

    She gasped for air, feeling numb on her lower body from the impact.

    Then, slowly and painfully, she took a look at her lower half and found it had become a bloody mess.

    Both her legs were bent unnaturally, and the spikes from the monster tore pieces of her flesh.

    Normally, a monster with a Chrysalis-rank power would need multiple Hybrids at the same rank to take it down. It was mainly due to the fact that they have a natural advantage in physical prowess compared to Hybrids.

    And seeing how one bump left the woman in this state, it seemed to be true.

    Soon, she could hear footsteps approaching from her side.

    Lucivar in Leo''s form approached her with steady steps.

    "I know you have a lot of questions, so I''m going to at least answer some of them before you die," Lucivar said as he wiped the blood that got smeared onto him. "Firstly, no, Leo isn''t dead. He''s fine. You can see him there in the corner,"

    Upon hearing this, the woman turned to the end of the cave and saw Leo in the corner.

    He was on his knees, only in his boxer shorts, and seemingly bound.

    Even though he looked as if he was bound with his arms up, there was nothing tying him down.

    Of course, it looked that way to the woman because only Leo could see the emerald chains.

    Lucivar has absorbed all of his ether in his ether reserve and then cast the Snare ability.

    Now, he was helplessly bound and knocked out.

    "I also have the ability called Greedy Grasp, allowing me to absorb ether without even needing to touch the target," Lucivar continued¡ªlifting his hand and showing the woman the ether he collected from her. "Of course, if you paid close attention, you''ll notice. But you''re too busy searching for me that you fail to realize I''m right beside you all along."

    "And, of course," Lucivar raised his shoulders. "Obviously, I can shapeshift. It''s an illusion, though."

    Lucivar''s plan was quite simple.

    From the very start of the tournament, he knew Renis seemed to have also been told to humiliate him by his sponsor, exactly the same as the Blessed Hand Clan told him. Having the ability to sense killing intent is quite handy most of the time, and Renis isn''t the type who hides his killing intent.

    Of course, face-wise, he showed no emotions.

    But his intent was as clear as day.

    So, when the Shadow Clan''s champions attacked, Lucivar decided to lure them away.

    Since Leo was the one who caught up to him first, he decided to make use of Leo to take down the other champions. He waited for Caldaros to make a scene, giving him a window of blind spot from the drones, to kidnap Leo.

    Then, he used the Minor Morphing ability of his to take Leo''s identity.

    Luring the other two became easy thanks to that.

    And avoiding Renis, who was also inside this dead forest searching for him, was also easy.

    Lucivar could pay attention to the other drone above the dead forest, which was following Renis.

    He can''t show his powers to Caldaros, and he couldn''t have the drones see what he did¡ªthis plan took care of both problems smoothly. Naturally, the fact that his Minor Morphing ability would he exposed to the public is unavoidable.

    But it''s not a big deal¡ªpeople would only end up thinking that he was a Tribrid, exactly like the woman.

    "We... We''re not even aiming to kill you," The woman whispered.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar looked at her for a second before a chuckle escaped his lips, "Of course, you aren''t. Do you think I''m stupid?" He said sarcastically, applauding the woman''s desperate attempt¡ªto survive. "Even if that''s true, I would still kill you. You see¡ªI''m quite the good guy, not too long ago. I let people step on me for too long, but that''s not happening anymore."

    Lucivar squatted down¡ªhis eyes stared through the woman''s eyes, as if he was looking at her soul.

    "Or at least¡ªthat''s the excuse I would say. But since I''m talking to a dead woman, there''s no need for an excuse, right?" He smirked devilishly, eyes glowing emerald. "In truth, I am starting to get addicted to this... killing."

    "Close your eyes..." He whispered as he reached out his hand to grasp the woman''s face.

    Fearing mortality, the woman began to weep softly.

    She came to realize that she and the others had been trying to hunt down a terrifying monster.

    And worse, in truth, the monster was the one hunting them.

    Mercilessly, using the opportune window to do anything he wanted, Lucivar began to absorb what little ether was left inside of her. Strands of pure energy emerged from her entire body and flowed into his hand, as he slowly drained the woman dry.

    Lucivar watched as the pure energy began to shift in color, turning into a beautiful crimson.

    It was the sign that her ether was exhausted, and now, he was absorbing life energy.

    Once she came to pass¡ªLucivar reveled in the amount of energy he absorbed and instantly closed his eyes, heading to his Inner Chamber. Inside, he turned to Loki''s statue¡ªand saw a gem as big as his hand floating near it.

    He wasted no time and grabbed the gem, summoning three leather parchments.

    ...

    [Shade Meld]

    A Shadowling ability that allows the caster to merge with nearby shadows, becoming partially invisible.

    [Black Pulse]

    Unleash a shockwave of negative energy, knocking anyone close back and darkening the area.

    [Night Piercer]

    Fires a high-speed beam of sharpened darkness that pierces through targets and walls alike.

    ...

    Facing three options, Lucivar scanned all three before finally picking the last one.

    His Greedy Grasp ability is already a strong enough defense and support ability¡ªso he decided to go with the Night Piercer to add to his offensive capability. The Radiant Burst spell, though utterly altered by Loki, is still an Angel Hybrid''s spell.

    Using that might expose his real bloodline, so the Night Piercer would be a great substitution.

    Almost instantly, the parchment turned into emerald light that seeped into his hand.

    Lucivar immediately knew how to use the Night Piercer, which was quite a strong neutral spell, utilizing ten ego points. Once he was done, he exited the Inner Chamber again and dragged the woman''s corpse deeper into the cave.

    Then, he turned to the cave''s mouth, "I need to be fast. I''m afraid the drone would descend soon."

    Naturally, he doesn''t have much time.

    Earlier, while he and the woman were running for the cave, the drone stayed above them since there was that ball monster charging at them. But now that they were inside the cave, it had to come down. Lucivar had already learned of its pattern earlier.

    It couldn''t be outrun, it wouldn''t get in the way even if the participants were in trouble, and it always prioritizes capturing the exciting battles¡ªfor the crowd to watch. Now that Lucivar, Leo, and the dead woman were inside a cave, the drone was bound to come down.

    Now, Lucivar has to finish what he was doing.

    Naturally, he wasn''t finished¡ªthere''s still the main fish outside, Renis.

    Meanwhile, a few dozen meters from the cave, a figure landed and scanned the area.

    Renis heard the commotion earlier, and he could also sense that two of his comrades had died.

    Since there were no signs of Lucivar''s ether, a monster must''ve killed them.

    Moving forward, Renis reached the big tree and realized the flattened corpse of the man nearby.

    It was clear that the monster did this, but even then, he blamed it on Lucivar.

    "Accidents are fine... they all signed the risk waiver anyway," He muttered, crouching beside the corpse with a tired sigh. "This is all Lucivar. Clever... maybe too clever." His eyes lazily scanned the body. "But sabotaging someone during a monster attack? That''s against the rules. He will get booted for that, but there was no announcement."

    Near the tree, he also saw a glowing green mark¡ªit was a hidden lethal zone.

    Renis avoided it before taking a look around again.

    Just then, his gaze turned to the side when he noticed a figure walking funny.

    "Leo...?" He raised an eyebrow, recognizing that person.

    Standing up again, Renis dashed at Leo, reaching him with no more than three steps.

    "Leo, where are the others?" He asked questioningly. "What happened to you? Did you find Lucivar?"

    "Yes, he''s inside the cave. He got one of us there," Leo answered.

    Upon hearing this, Renis nodded his head and swept the foothill until he found the cave.

    It was dark inside¡ªhe could barely see anything with his raw eyesight.

    However, infusing his eyes with ether allowed him to see better, and he instantly saw the remains of the woman and also Leo bound in the corner. Lucivar was the one who did this, that is for certain¡ªand he didn''t even have the decency of fixing them properly.

    Renis could see that the woman''s corpse was facing down, a blatant disrespect.

    At least, Leo is still alive¡ªhis chest heaving up and down showed that her was still breathing.

    Just as he was checking Leo, he saw a shadow of someone coming from the cave''s mouth.

    "You didn''t seem surprised to see Leo in the cave," Lucivar said, amused at Renis'' calm reaction.

    He should''ve been shocked to see two Leos, but he wasn''t.

    "I''m not one for petty tricks, and I know you''re not Leo," Renis said, turning to face Lucivar. "Leo wouldn''t say ''one of us.'' He''d say her name¡ªsomething you clearly don''t know. Even your clothes gave it away. So, is this it? Lure me out here just to try and kill me?"

    "And what if that''s the case?" Lucivar asked back.

    Renis nodded his head before a light smile crept to his face, "Then I''d say you made a grave mistake."

 Chapter 283 283: One Problem Down

    Lucivar was mildly surprised when Renis suddenly emanated a dangerous air.

    Normally, he looked tired and withdrawn, the picture of a lazy introvert¡ªbut that fac?ade was gone.

    Now, his silence cut like a blade, his slouched posture veiled a hidden strength, and his once-dull eyes gleamed with sharp calculation. It felt like Lucivar was facing another person¡ªone who has immense experience in the way of fighting.

    "Planning to end this in a duel is a mistake. I''ll show you," Renis got into his fighting stance.

    His short sword, dripping with dark energy, was right beside his face and pointed forward at Lucivar.

    In the next second, he made the first move.

    Clang!

    Lucivar''s dagger and Renis'' short sword clashed, creating sparks that burst like a blooming flower.

    And following that, the duo trade blow after blow.

    Both of their movements were fast, a vortex of blurry motions, reaching¡ªfor each other''s vital points before being parried in the nick of time. As seconds passed, their attack speed became faster, and their blows also became stronger.

    Clang!

    Renis swiped horizontally.

    Raising his dagger in time, Lucivar blocked the attack but was knocked backward.

    It was a chance for Renis to get the upper hand¡ªto overwhelm Lucivar, who was knocked off balance, but he was caught off guard when a kick landed on his chin¡ªknocking him off the ground. Before the impact sent him crashing to the ceiling, emerald chains caught him mid-air.

    Lucivar pointed his hand at Renis, smirking mockingly as he cast the Radiant Burst spell.

    A clump of ether could be seen condensing on Renis'' chest.

    Before it could explode, Renis'' body turned into a phantom, intangible.

    Boom!

    He managed to avoid the Radiant Burst''s impact and quickly tried to break free from the chains.

    But Lucivar wasn''t going to wait for him to break free.

    Swish!

    Activating the Triune Scarab ability, a mark appeared on Lucivar''s forehead¡ªbefore he surged forward in a sudden burst of speed, faster than Renis was anticipating. Several shadow hands tried to catch him, but he was simply too fast.

    Lucivar sliced toward Renis'' neck.

    His blade grazed past, leaving a thin, bleeding cut across Renis'' cheek.

    Even though he was late, he was able to break the chains and tilted his body enough to avoid the attack.

    Once he landed on the ground, he reached for his cheek and saw blood.

    Realizing that Lucivar was actually aiming for the kill, Renis turned around¡ªhis face contorted.

    It seemed he underestimated Lucivar a bit.

    On the other hand, Lucivar was also frowning inside.

    ''No effect?'' He thought, fixing his eyes on the cut on Renis'' cheek. ''I covered my dagger with my dark attribute. It contained the power of curses. He should at least be feeling some type of way, but the cut didn''t seem to do anything other than pissing him off.''

    Lucivar was testing his attribute, but it didn''t seem to work.

    Or rather, it didn''t work on Renis.

    Despite feeling wary, he masked what he truly feels inside with a knowing smile, "Ah... So that''s why. Now I understand why you are so confident. You''ve actually killed people, have you? Unlike your less experienced friends, you''re used to this kind of thing."

    It was blatantly clear that Renis was highly experienced.

    Many participants signed the death clause, agreeing that they know there''s a chance of dying¡ªbut not many of them were really ready to face death. After all, the possible death would mainly come from the monsters residing in the dungeon.

    As long as they were careful, they would be fine.

    But Renis, even though he almost got his neck sliced, didn''t flinch.

    Instead, he was pissed.

    "Unfortunately for you," Lucivar''s smile turned crooked. "So am I."

    "Don''t put me in with the likes of you," Renis replied hauntingly. "I''m far from showing my full power."

    Swoosh!

    Renis charged again, this time, quicker and stronger.

    Both of them clashed again, but Lucivar was able to halt the momentum by stomping the ground.

    "Wow~" Lucivar teased, as he matched Renis'' strength to a stalemate. "You''re this furious because of something so trivial like that? I''m surprised... Even that woman''s death didn''t seem to have any impact on you. Guess you''re the selfish and arrogant type."

    "Don''t worry, I cared," Renis smirked. "Even now, I''m trying to do what she was asking me to do."

    "Hmm...?" Lucivar tilted his head in confusion.

    Just then, however, Renis used his free hand to grab onto his arm.

    Splash!

    "Hrggh!"

    Lucivar coughed a mouthful of blood.

    He could feel an excruciating burning coming from his abdomen.

    As his eyes trailed down, he realized a hand pierced through his stomach from behind.

    Confused, he glanced over his shoulder and saw a black wraith that had taken the form of the woman, the dead woman he had killed earlier. Seeing this phantom¡ªLucivar turned to Renis again, "I thought you were a Shadowling Hybrid, but you''re a Revenant Hybrid instead..."

    Lucivar assumed that Renis was a Shadowling Hybrid.

    Not only was it stated that way in his biography, but he also could summon shadow hands.

    But he was wrong.

    Renis wasn''t a Shadowling Hybrid, he''s a Revenant Hybrid.

    A Revenant Hybrid has a connection with the underworld, with death, no matter how small.

    Lucivar now realized that it was the reason his dark attribute didn''t work¡ªcurses can''t affect those¡ªwho have a connection with death, or at least curses of his caliber. Other than that, it seemed Renis could also summon a vengeful phantom.

    He summoned the dead woman''s phantom to attack Lucivar from behind.

    And it worked.

    Mercilessly, the phantom pushed her hand deeper, forcing a low grunt to escape Lucivar''s lips.

    "Like I told you," Renis whispered raspingly. "Fighting me is a grave mistake."

    Instead of becoming anxious, Lucivar met Renis'' gaze head-on, unflinching despite his situation.

    Smirking, he spat blood at Renis'' face before kicking his stomach.

    Once he sent Renis stumbling away, Lucivar made a pistol with his left hand and pointed it at the eerie phantom, pointing at her chin. Not knowing how strong the phantom was or how strong the spell he''s using0u?he decided to infuse five God strands.

    Bang!

    A highly concentrated beam was fired from the tip of his index finger, blasting the phantom''s head off.

    "Huh... That''s quite handy," Lucivar mused.

    He was pleased with the Night Piercer ability that he got from the dead woman.

    It felt as if he had a gun and could use it at any time.

    On the other hand, Renis wiped the blood that got into his eyes before glaring at Lucivar.

    Lucivar, instead of attacking him, smirked devilishly and went over to the woman''s corpse.

    Right in front of Renis'' eyes, Lucivar did the unthinkable¡ªhe grabbed the corpse by the hair and kicked it deeper into the cave. Such a sight caught Renis off guard, and in the next second, rage mounted inside of him like an active volcano.

    "YOU!"

    Renis roared and charged blindly, unable to take such a disgusting act.

    Upon seeing him charging like a raging bull, Lucivar shook his head¡ªhe was disappointed.

    "Since you''re a killer, you should''ve known better than to let rage take over," Lucivar said, raising his dagger now veiled in the power of the Fang of Ankh. With a casual flick, a crescent arc of bronze energy burst forth, slicing across Renis'' stomach.

    Renis'' eyes bulged as blood forced its way into his throat and exploded from his mouth.

    It was already fast, the crescent arc¡ªbut with Renis charging in, the impact landed even quicker.

    Crash!

    Lucivar watched as Renis got blasted out of the cave, rolling across the ground hard.

    His new dagger, added with the Fang of Ankh power, as well as five God strands, created quite a strong crescent arc. Renis stood no chance of stopping it. Then, instead of going out, Lucivar looked down at his gaping stomach.

    "Fucking hell, I really hate getting hurt. But I have no choice," He complained aloud.

    Moving was a hassle with this wound¡ªit was too painful.

    Of course, Lucivar could use the crest to heal his wound instantaneously.

    But he couldn''t, at least not now¡ªhe has to finish what he was planning to do first.

    Looking down at his reflection on the dagger, he mumbled, "Oval, Heart, both of you are up."

    Meanwhile, outside, Renis quickly recovered and sprinted back toward the cave.

    As soon as he was at the cave''s mouth, however, he felt a chill crawling down his spine.

    He sensed another aura inside, other than Lucivar, no, two auras.

    ROAR!!!

    Just then, a thunderous roar echoed from inside the cave, spooking Renis out of the way since he didn''t remember there was any monster inside. As he hid to the side, clasping his bleeding stomach, he saw Lucivar limping out of the cave.

    From behind, two humongous wolves appeared.

    One slashed across Lucivar''s back, carving a bloody arc through the air, while the other sank its fangs deep into his shoulder. For a brief moment, Lucivar writhed in pain as the beast thrashed its head, trying to tear him apart.

    In sheer luck, the bite loosened, and Lucivar was thrown away, crashing several dozen meters away.

    Renis'' eyes glistened with malice when he saw this.

    He must''ve missed the two wolves somewhere inside the cave, but that wasn''t important.

    What''s important for him now is to finish Lucivar off.

    Clutching his short sword tightly in his hand, Renis pushed through the pain, stabbing at his stomach, and sprinted toward the spot where Lucivar had been thrown. Before long, he spotted Lucivar, sprawled beneath the shadow of the big tree.

    His chest heaved up and down, showing that he was still alive¡ªbut it wasn''t for long.

    Renis, recalling how all of his friends died because of Lucivar, approached with conviction.

    No chance he would let Lucivar live.

    Especially recalling how he disgustingly kicked the woman''s corpse.

    Someone who has no respect for the dead doesn''t deserve to live.

    Once he arrived, he squatted down and forced Lucivar to look at him.

    "Make sure to apologize to them once you reach the other side," Renis whispered before he gripped the short sword with both hands and pointed it at Lucivar''s heart. Steeling his resolve, he lifted it higher before delivering the final blow.

    Just as the tip was about to pierce Lucivar''s chest, something got in the way.

    Renis was surprised when Lucivar, out of nowhere, opened his eyes and placed his hand on the way.

    Naturally, the blade pierced through his hand, but it couldn''t reach his heart.

    Upon seeing this, Renis gritted his teeth and drove his blade down with all his weight, determined to end Lucivar then and there. But with the red scarab on Lucivar''s forehead, he couldn''t force the blade down with his raw strength.

    Lucivar''s hand didn''t budge.

    "You should''ve watched your step," Lucivar mumbled with a devious smirk.

    Renis paused for a second, and when he looked down, he saw a glowing mark underneath him.

    It was the Lethal Zone.

 Chapter 284 284: Not a Hypocrite

    From all the things Lucivar did upon embracing the Evil Gods'' power, he learned a lot of things.

    One that he learned recently was that rage could be especially blinding.

    It''s a power in its own right that came at a cost.

    And right now, at this moment, Renis has fallen victim to that cost.

    He was stunned when he saw the Lethal Zone mark beneath him, too fixated on his rage towards Lucivar that he forgot about this. Even though he had seen it earlier and made a mental note to use it on Lucivar if things went awry, the anger blinded him.

    Now, he was the one who was standing above the Lethal Zone.

    "Khhk?!"

    Renis gritted his teeth and tried to leap away before the Lethal Zone could trap him.

    But Lucivar wasn''t going to let him do that.

    Bang!

    A concentrated beam tore a hole in Renis'' leg, causing him to lose strength and stumble.

    He glanced at the gaping hole and realized that it was sizzling with white energy, causing immense pain.

    Lucivar smirked when he saw this.

    Naturally, he used the Night Piercer spell that he took from the woman, but this time, he used his light attribute. Since curses don''t work on Renis, he opted for his second attribute, and as expected, the light attribute worked wonders.

    Swish!

    Before Renis could react, the Lethal Zone summoned a sky-high tube that entrapped him inside.

    It was too late for him to escape now with the zone activated.

    Grinning excitedly, Lucivar tapped on his crest.

    Almost instantly, a warm healing green energy enveloped his entire body and mended his wounds.

    It took only about ten seconds before his entire body was stitched back to normal.

    Renis watched in shock, a bead of cold sweat running down the side of his face, "You planned this..."

    "Of course," Lucivar said, brushing the dirt from his clothes as he rose to his feet. "I was trying to make you angry¡ªbut I''m surprised that it didn''t quite land, so now I have to get creative," He leaned in with a smirk, voice dropping to a whisper. "I''m really not a bad guy. I''m no fan of kicking corpses... but I knew that would get to you."

    Upon hearing this, Renis frowned in confusion.

    He wasn''t talking about that.

    He was talking about how Lucivar pretended to be hurt and coaxed him to stand on the Lethal Zone.

    "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" Renis argued as he climbed to his feet again.

    It took more effort to stand with his leg wounded, but he managed to get himself to stand straight.

    Noticing the confusion, Lucivar burst out laughing.

    Considering that Renis was also a killer like him, someone who has killed people many times already, he put on high expectations. But it seemed not every killer was on the same level as him, there are some, like Renis, who are slow.

    "From the moment you ambushed me, everything has gone according to my plan," Lucivar said with a nonchalant shrug. "Leo chasing me into this dead forest, you chasing me, your friends¡ªfollowing you. And finally, you being trapped, it was calculated by me to achieve one goal..."

    Almost instantly, Renis began to click everything together.

    He saw how his friends died earlier, and one thing stuck out: there was no sign of a struggle.

    And seeing Lucivar was able to shapeshift, their deaths made sense.

    Lucivar must''ve pretended to be one of them and stabbed those he could fool from the back.

    However, what truly shocked Renis was realizing that Lucivar''s scheme ran far deeper than he initially thought. His lethal hands had been guiding them like a master puppeteer pulling strings, ''Before he ran, his eyes flicked sideways for just a moment. Then he hit me, sent me flying. I thought it was impulsive, but no. He did it to make sure Leo would be the one to chase him first.''

    Renis became more disturbed as he could now see the bigger picture.

    ''Then, he took Leo''s form to intercept and fool the others behind my back, and he killed them¡ªusing a monster, which was allowed as long as it doesn''t seem too deliberate.''

    Unconsciously, the shock Renis was feeling shifted into something else as he leaned away from Lucivar.

    It turned to a more intense emotion, fear.

    ''He did all of that as preparation to confront me... Not to beat me, but to make me angry, so that I''d do this to him. I''d try to kill him in a fit of rage, forgetting the fact where I was. Which means...''

    As soon as Renis reached that thought, his expression turned pale.

    Noticing the realization dawning upon Renis, Lucivar''s grin grew wider.

    "Did you really think I was aiming to kill you?" He asked, leaning close with a crazed pair of eyes. "In my last meeting with the Blessed Hand Clan before the tournament, the leader made one request. And that is to humiliate the Shadow Clan champions. I''m sure the Shadow Clan asked for the same thing or even worse from you, and that''s why you''re aiming at me."

    Lucivar leaned away, composing himself back to normal.

    "Unfortunately for you, you didn''t achieve your goal, but I did," He said and pointed behind Renis.

    Gulping harshly, Renis glanced over his shoulder slowly, stiffly, and was stunned when he saw a drone behind him near the tree top. What he tried to do earlier, trying to kill Lucivar when he was ''wounded'', the drone captured it all.

    Renis swallowed hard and turned his head slowly, stiffly.

    His breath caught in his throat when he spotted a drone hovering near the treetop behind him.

    The sight hit like a blow.

    What he tried to do earlier, trying to kill Lucivar when he was ''wounded'', the drone captured it all.

    "Renis of the Shadow Clan..."

    Suddenly, a robotic voice echoed, coming from the drone.

    "Disqualified. You will be brought in for questioning. Do not resist."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar smirked and turned around, "Have fun being mocked at the checkpoint."

    And with that, Lucivar managed to handle one of his problems effectively and efficiently.

    Since Renis was trapped inside the Lethal Zone, he would be teleported back to the last checkpoint and imprisoned there. He would have nowhere to hide, exposed¡ªand mocked by the crowd in the stadium for trying to kill someone blatantly.

    For his friends, the other champions of the Shadow Clan, all of them died at the hands of monsters.

    Oval and Heart''s roar sealed the fact that they died by monsters residing in the cave.

    At this point, the Shadow Clan was utterly humiliated.

    ''I gave the black rose to them, and I managed to expose them. I''m sure the crowd is going crazy right now,'' Lucivar thought inside, shaking his head as he grabbed a massive emerald and bronze sphere, his reward for this feat. ''Now, onto the next one.''

    Just as he was about to leave, a desperate call piqued his interest.

    "Lucivar! Lucivar Please! I made a mistake! Say that this is a misunderstanding!" Renis exclaimed once his mind understood that there was no getting out of this. "If you leave me here¡ªI''ll be ruined! My reputation, my future, my... my life! I''ll be done!"

    Lucivar pivoted around and approached once again.

    He reached out his hand to touch the energy wall, fixing his crazy eyes on Renis.

    One could see genuine confusion behind those eyes.

    "Did you still not get it?" He asked softly¡ªhis face was laced with concern, but his eyes held no sign of mercy, only the quiet satisfaction of watching Renis fall apart. "You''re ruined from the moment you decided to stand in my way. You agreed to your own ruin. You just haven''t realized it yet until now."

    Renis was speechless.

    He didn''t know that he was going against a lunatic, the Devil''s reincarnation himself.

    Had he known that Lucivar was this ruthless, he wouldn''t have accepted the Shadow Clan''s terms.

    ''How could he be this ruthless...?'' Renis thought inside as his head dropped. ''He''s... scary.''

    "If you want to help me and earn my forgiveness," Lucivar suddenly said, giving back hope to Renis, who instantly raised his gaze when he heard this. "Do me a favor... kill yourself. You''re a murderer, and the world would be a better place without you in it."

    Just then, a surge of energy enveloped Renis'' body.

    Slowly, his body turned into energy particles as he got teleported back to the checkpoint.

    "Hypocrite..." Renis mumbled one last word before he disappeared.

    Lucivar heard this and shook his head, understanding why Renis couldn''t understand the real truth, "I am not a bad person. I killed people for the better good¡ªbecause that''s the game Karma is playing. At my current level, I can only comply with the rules, or die, so it was never an option."

    "You, on the other hand, are an attack dog. No reason at all, a murderer,'' He added.

    Sneering at Renis'' shallow understanding, he walked away, heading back to the others.

    Upon arriving at where the others were, Lucivar couldn''t find them.

    He wasn''t surprised and continued on alone, certain that the others had already moved ahead.

    Lucivar didn''t take this as a bad thing, rather, he took this as a good thing.

    Caldaros and Mirel hadn''t waited or checked on him despite being chased by several champions from the Shadow Clam, not out of indifference, but because they knew he was capable. Lucivar was too good to fall to something as minor as an ambush.

    Naturally, that doesn''t apply to Orivelle and the woman in her group.

    "Are you sure we shouldn''t go and find him?" Orivelle asked. "I made a deal with him."

    "Don''t worry, he''ll be fine," Mirel answered assuringly.

    He wanted to check, but something stopped him.

    "It''s nothing for him. Just wait a bit, he''ll come back," Caldaros added.

    Aided by Orivelle''s power, which blocked the volcanic activity under them, they were able to reach the second checkpoint fairly fast. Many kingdoms were still left behind, mainly because of having one of them or their flag placed into the Lethal Zone.

    Other than the participants from the Shadow Clan, there were no other participants aiming for them.

    "What about yours? Where''s Arthur?" Mirel asked again.

    Along the way or perhaps during the ambush, Arthur suddenly disappeared.

    It was only now that Orivelle and the woman realized it.

    Just then, however, a voice called out to them, "Hey! Sorry, I got separated earlier!"

    Arthur was finally able to reunite with them, approaching while scratching the back of his head.

    Almost instantly, Orivelle lectured him about sticking together, which he was forced to listen.

    On the other hand, Mirel''s eyes were fixed on Arthur.

    Surprisingly, Arthur also glanced towards him, and their eyes met for a couple of seconds.

    Tension could be felt rising between them.

 Chapter 285 285: Onto the Third Checkpoint

    Arthur met Mirel''s gaze directly.

    An invisible tension builds between them, one that only these two could feel.

    Breaking eye contact, Arthur offered Orivelle an apologetic smile as she continued lecturing him. Then, gently placing his hands on her shoulders from behind, he steered her aside, quietly urging her away for a private word.

    Mirel kept an eye on them.

    He could feel it in his guts that Arthur was talking about them, or Lucivar in particular.

    "Say, do you have a guess why Lucivar brought them along with us?" He suddenly asked.

    Caldaros glanced at Arthur and Orivelle, before sneering in contempt, "What else? He''s really addicted to killing. I''m sure he''s planning on killing them, somehow. I know Lucivar crossed that guy, Arthur, in the Trading Union main branch. Somehow, Arthur piqued his interest."

    "Piquing his interest is the most dangerous thing someone could do." He added.

    Upon hearing this, Mirel frowned.

    Seems like Caldaros has been keeping tabs on Lucivar in his own way.

    "What about you? Aren''t you also on his radar?" Mirel asked back. "Are you afraid?"

    "Good will always prevail against evil," Caldaros crossed his arms arrogantly. "I''m not afraid of him. Besides, we already made a deal. Our battle would wait until the third stage. Even then... I can''t say he wasn''t planning on doing something to me at this stage."

    ''Hypocrite,'' Mirel thought inwardly. ''A person who proclaims to be good is always no good.''

    About two minutes later, Lucivar finally emerged from behind.

    Despite being chased by multiple participants from the Shadow Clan, one being Renis, who was known to be an extremely strong Hybrid, Lucivar didn''t seem to have a scratch on him. And more importantly, there was no sign of the Shadow Clan''s champions.

    Clearly, he already handled them.

    "Took you long enough," Mirel teased with both hands on his waist.

    "Needed to go around the rules, you know," Lucivar bent down and panted heavily. "But I handled it."

    From the side, Orivelle''s group who were watching this sucked in a cold breath.

    All of them, with the exception of Arthur, were shocked to see Lucivar coming back without a scratch.

    It was as if he were only taking a walk in the park.

    He was too nonchalant for someone who had only finished fighting four Chrysalis-rank Hybrids.

    "You handled it?" Orivelle stepped forward and asked. "How?"

    "I got lucky earlier," Lucivar waved his hand nonchalantly. "We met a powerful Chrysalis-rank monster, and it killed three of them. Of course, Renis blamed it on me when I was only trying to survive, and we fought. Then, he tried killing me, and got disqualified."

    ''Meaning, he lured the three to their deaths and tricked Renis to get him disqualified.'' Mirel thought.

    Surely, the way it actually happened was different from Lucivar''s version.

    But then again, what was he supposed to do? Tell Orivelle the truth? That would be dumb.

    Of course, Orivelle reluctantly bought it.

    "Let''s move on to the next checkpoint and be done with this," Caldaros interrupted.

    Now that they''ve reached the second checkpoint, there''s going to be one more checkpoint ahead of them before the finish line. Since most kingdoms were fighting brazenly behind¡ªtheir winning spots should be secured already.

    Lucivar straightened his back and went over to stand beside Caldaros.

    "Good work on the distraction," He complimented with a tinge of mockery.

    "Force me to do that again, and I''ll kill you right now," Caldaros replied sharply. "I''ll drop the deal."

    "Alright, alright," Lucivar placed his hand on Caldaros'' boulder shoulder, but he quickly shrugged it off as if Lucivar''s hand was poison. "Just a bit more until we can get our fight, hang in there. Prepare well. After all, Ciri''s future lies on your shoulders."

    Upon hearing this, Caldaros turned to glare at Lucuviar like a raging bull.

    His crimson eyes glowed, reacting to the anger within.

    If a gaze could kill, Lucivar would be dead ten times over by now.

    Moments later.

    About a quarter from reaching the third checkpoint, both kingdoms were blocked by monsters.

    "Haargh!!"

    BLITZ!

    Mirel leaped skyward, channeling his lightning attribute, and slammed it against the big piece of floating rock he was standing on. A vicious carnival of lightning strikes burst forth, zapping all of the monsters nearby, evaporating them into nothing.

    Then, a figure sprinted past him as a massive lava worm appeared.

    Lava dripped from its body as it emerged from the lava sea surrounding them.

    Summoning a massive spear made entirely of glass and charged with ether, Arthur stomped the ground hard, anchoring himself down¡ªbefore he threw the spear at it. Like a bullet, the spear pierced through the air, and the twisting motion created air friction that sharpened the tip.

    Crash!!

    Upon impact, the lava worm shattered into volcanic rocks.

    Compared to the previous terrain, leading to the second checkpoint, the path to the third was far more treacherous. Now, they had to cross a sea of lava, using scattered rocks of varying sizes as footholds, or the magically levitating stones above them that were floating midair.

    Each one dripped with streams of molten lava like burning waterfalls.

    No end in sight¡ªthe group was still far away from the third checkpoint.

    "It''s my first time seeing you use your powers," Mirel suddenly chimed. "Are you hiding your power?"

    "What does it have to do with you?" Arthur asked back coldly.

    "Just asking," Mirel raised both hands, smiling acutely. "Aren''t we supposed to be a team?"

    "Temporary team," Arthur rephrased. "We''re sticking around because your boyfriend also messed with Garran. She''s going to come eventually, and even you guys would need help to fend her off. Garran is the one who won first place last year."

    Mirel wasn''t disturbed by Arthur''s condescending tone.

    Nothing Arthur said could tick him off.

    "Garran? She''s not in our division, no?" Mirel asked again.

    He remembered the muscular woman that Lucivar confronted before the tournament started, and she wasn''t a part of the division that would tackle the Ashen Cavern. Garran shouldn''t be able to get to them. If she really wanted to, then she could do it at the third stage.

    "Read the rulebook properly," Arthur walked past Mirel without explaining.

    But it was clear that he implied there was a way to go over to the other division.

    Meanwhile, above them, on a massive floating stone.

    Swoosh!!

    Orivelle slammed her staff into the ground, releasing a torrent of pale flames that surged outward like a tidal wave, incinerating the swarm of lava reptiles¡ªmassive, rock-scaled salamanders born of molten stone.

    Her body radiated with blistering heat, climbing to an intensity that scorched the very air around her.

    Possessing such a large-scale blaze while maintaining the precise temperature of a condensed fireball was a feat few Hybrids could replicate, let alone one as young as her. Her mastery over the fire attribute was nothing short of exceptional.

    Clearly, she is a genius.

    But even a genius has their limit when it comes to practical tests.

    Swoosh!

    Out of nowhere, claws emerged from the torrent of fire and swiped at her viciously.

    In the nick of time, she was able to lean back, narrowly avoiding the slash.

    As she stumbled backward, the flames gradually disappeared.

    It took a moment for Orivelle to realize that her flames were being consumed by two lava salamanders, bigger than the rest. Each one of them sucked the flames into their bodies, causing the lava inside their veins to glow brighter, and their auras stronger.

    ''I''m running out of ether. I can recover them, but I need time,'' Orivelle thought.

    Her artifact from her sponsor was engraved into her staff, a gem that could replenish her lost ether.

    But to activate it, she needed time, which she doesn''t have.

    Just then, a shadow with wings blurred past her and shoulder-charged one of the lava salamanders.

    Roar!!

    Orivelle blinked and realized that it was Lucivar.

    Once he sent the first lava salamander stumbling backward, he immediately pointed his free hand at the second and fired multiple Night Piercers, infused with his dark attribute. None of the beams did a dent on the lava salamander.

    But it wasn''t surprising.

    Lucivar didn''t put any God strands into them.

    Crash!

    He rolled aside, narrowly avoiding a swipe, but his pupils dilated as a whipping tail came straight for him. With a powerful flap of his wings, he shot upward, dodging the strike, then slashed downward with his dagger, now charged with the Fang of Ankh.

    A cleaving arc burst forth, slamming into the massive lava salamander hard.

    But this time, the force knocked it backward, causing it to slip and fall off the floating stone.

    Upon getting rid of the two lava salamanders, Lucivar sheathed his dagger and walked over to Orivelle.

    "I don''t need your help," She complained as she picked up her staff.

    "Really?" Lucivar raised a brow teasingly. "If that''s the case, I won''t help you next time."

    "Good," Orivelle nodded, steadying her breath with slow, deliberate inhales. "What''s your bloodline, really...? How come you didn''t seem to be tired at all when we''ve been practically fighting for the last ten minutes?"

    "An Angel Hybrid," Lucivar said with a flat tone.

    "Eh...?" Orivelle blinked, and then tilted her head in confusion, "Eh?!"

    "Are you usually this gullible?" Lucivar laughed humorously. "I''m only playing around. I have a named bloodline for a Harpy Hybrid and also the Shapeshifter Hybrid, which is why my ether reserve is a lot more than yours or the others."

    "Here, I''ll take care of your wounds." He added, kneeling down on one knee.

    Lucivar saw a bleeding wound on her shin and decided to use the light attribute to heal her.

    It was his first time healing somebody else, but he reckoned he could do it.

    Albeit his light attribute has the power of purity, it also has a slight healing property.

    Slowly, the wound closes up under the embrace of the light attribute.

    On the other hand, Orivelle watched this from above before her eyes sparked with a peculiar intent.

    "You''re the whole package, huh?" She suddenly complimented. "Capable of handling yourself, and even have healing powers. Being a Tribrid is really something."

    "Said the person who has a Phoenix bloodline," Lucivar retorted. "How high is your purity? I''m sure it''s quite high, seeing how you can emit such intense flames."

    Upon hearing this, Orivelle paused for a second, hesitant.

    Sensing the hesitation, Lucivar stopped for a moment, "Wow... I opened up about my bloodline to you, and you''re still hesitant to tell me about yours? I thought you''re better than this."

    ''Oh, what the hell? I need to gain his trust anyway,'' Orivelle thought inside before she finally confessed. "It''s really a secret, so you can''t say it to anyone. My bloodline''s purity is at 10,3%. I know it''s quite a shock, but it''s true."

    Lucivar''s eyes widened when he heard this.

    But then, he smiled inside, ''Jackpot... I hit the jackpot with this one.''

 Chapter 286 286: Favored and Not

    Normally, a 10,3% purity is nothing.

    Even those with red-grade bloodlines typically possess over 20% bloodline purity, and some stronger ones even exceeded 60%. Compared to them, Orivelle''s measly 10.3% should''ve meant nothing, but it was different for a Phoenix Bloodline, an X-grade bloodline.

    On record, there were no Phoenix Hybrids who has above 10% purity.

    Surely, there were one or two of them out there that exceeded that threshold, but that''s exactly the point.

    Any Phoenix Hybrid with above 10% purity must''ve been put off the record by the Hybrid Association, and Orivelle would be once she matured enough. Lucivar didn''t know the exact reason, but surely, the answer was the obvious one.

    ''Perhaps, it''s because Phoenix Hybrid with above 10% purity unlocked something,'' He thought inside.

    But then again, Lucivar already expected this.

    As he was reading the biographies arranged by Angel, he marked Orivelle mentally, and when he saw her for the first time, he tried using the opportunity mirror from Loki, and it expectedly floated over to Orivelle.

    Just from that alone, he knew Orivelle was someone special.

    And now, that was confirmed.

    "Huh, now I''m beginning to wonder if you lose to Garran¡ªon purpose," Lucivar commented, faking a surprised face. "Anyway, I''ll keep this secret between us. Don''t worry. Come on, if you''re done resting, let''s get back to the others."

    "Naturally," Orivelle nodded. "Just know if you tell people about this, you''ll be in trouble."

    "You can trust me. I''m not much of a talker myself." Lucivar replied in hubris.

    Once she heard that, she leaped down from the floating stone.

    She fired torrents of flames from her hand to land gracefully before heading back to the others.

    On the other hand, Lucivar didn''t follow.

    He stood on the edge of the floating stone, looking down at the others who were still fighting with lava beasts here and there from a high vantage point. From above, he could see everyone, but his eyes stared at Orivelle''s back only.

    ''Hmm, she''s my ticket to winning, but how can I get her?'' Lucivar thought inside.

    Just as he thought of that, his eyes naturally settled on Arthur.

    He was fighting alongside Mirel, oblivious to Lucivar staring at him from above.

    Surely, Lucivar could use Arthur to his advantage.

    ''I can, but I feel uneasy. Arthur never showed much of his abilities.'' He frowned.

    Even though Arthur could be an excellent piece to lure Orivelle, there was still the fact that he had barely shown what kind of abilities he has. From the biography, he knew that Arthur was a Glass Elemental Hybrid, but he knew better than to trust that.

    If Arthur were really a Glass Elemental, he wouldn''t have hidden his abilities this badly.

    Something is off about him, and Lucivar needed to pay closer attention.

    Back down, Mirel clapped his hands and knocked back several lava slimes with a lightning shock.

    Upon doing that, he quickly scanned his surroundings.

    A breath of relief escaped his lips when he found there were no more lava beasts attacking him.

    At least for now.

    It was getting tiresome to push forward while these lava beasts kept on coming.

    Orivelle thought that they could skip from one floating stone to another, hoping to avoid the lava sea, which hosts a lot of monsters. But now she found out that the floating stone wasn''t any better, more monsters were waiting there.

    Matter of fact, the beasts below were a lot, but not as strong as those waiting above.

    Mirel panted slightly, inhaling and exhaling deeply to calm his nerves.

    Then, his eyes caught sight of Lucivar above, walking to the edge of the floating stone with Orivelle.

    ''Orivelle...?'' Mirel frowned, surprised to see him with her. ''He marked Arthur in his radar, I know that much. So, why is he getting close to Orivlle? I know his plan involves Arthur. Does he want to get close to her so he could get to Arthur?''

    Earlier, before the second stage started, Mirel used the point he got from the first stage to mark Lucivar.

    On top of that, he also managed to get close to someone who could access the participants'' data.

    And from that person, he learned Lucivar had marked Arthur.

    Surely, whatever plans he had in mind involved Arthur.

    It was the reason why he was fighting alongside Arthur right now, to anticipate Lucivar''s moves.

    ''Now that those Shadow Clan champions were handled, are you finally going to make your move¡ªon him?'' Mirel thought as his eyes gradually narrowed. ''I can''t let you do horrible things to him. I get it, I really do, Lucivar. To become powerful, we should be prepared to pay the price.''

    Mirel gritted his teeth hard.

    From Veloria City, he understood that Lucivar really meant it when he said he wanted to become strong.

    And his actions showed that he was really serious.

    But still, there must be another way, a path that would allow them to become strong without losing their morality, their humanity. ''There must be a line we shouldn''t cross, to keep us grounded. Arthur and his team aren''t bad people. We shouldn''t hurt them.''

    Even though he said those words in his mind, he was hoping that Lucivar would understand.

    Or at least try to understand before it''s too late.

    Several floating rocks away from Mirel, Caldaros was fighting several lava worms.

    Unlike the others, who were losing stamina rapidly, he was completely fine.

    Caldaros grabbed the lava worm with his bare hands and infused his sun ether into it.

    Roar!!

    Visibly, the active lava that was powering the lava worm''s body dimmed, losing its heat at a rapid pace.

    Once the heat was completely gone, Caldaros opened his maw, exposing his long canine fangs, and sank them into the lava worm. His teeth pierced through flesh and reached its bloodstream, sucking in blood like a vacuum.

    In a few seconds, the lava worm deflated as its blood was sucked dry.

    Caldaros pulled away and smacked his lips, finding solace in the taste of blood.

    Above being Sunna''s Avatar, he''s a Vampire Hybrid, and devouring blood replenishes his stamina.

    It was the reason why he hadn''t gassed out like the others by now.

    Raising his gaze, he saw Lucivar staring at Arthur with lethal intent.

    Nobody could see the darkness he was oozing, the malice that he was brewing inside his mind.

    Only Caldaros could see it¡ªSunna opened his eyes to the truth.

    Naturally, he was inclined to strike Lucivar down right then and there, damn the consequences, so long as it meant keeping Ciri safe from the Devil''s lethal grasp. It would all be worth it. But just as he moved, a sudden flash of blinding light seared his vision, forcing his eyes shut in pain.

    "Rggh...!"

    Caldaros grunted, annoyed and also angry.

    A voice rang inside his head.

    [Do I need to remind you again? Stick to the plan.]

    Despite what he wanted to do, he couldn''t do it¡ªnot when Sunna herself forbade him to do it.

    Caldaros gritted his teeth hard, swallowing back his frustration as his mind replayed the incident earlier.

    ...

    Inside his designated resting room, before the second stage started.

    "Look, we made an agreement to settle it in the third stage. If I make a move right now, to catch him by surprise, I can handle him easily!" Caldaros roared, arguing at the pristine bird of light in front of him, Aurel. "I''m certainly stronger, and I can kill him instantly if I catch him by surprise!"

    "No," Aurel shook her head. "That would be playing in his game, and you''ll lose."

    "What...?" Caldaros exhaled exasperatedly. "Tell me the reason."

    He couldn''t understand why Aurel was dissuading him from using underhanded tactics.

    Planning an attack during the second stage would''ve undoubtedly caught Lucivar off guard since it was not a part of their deal, and in that fleeting moment of surprise, Caldaros could''ve ended him for good as easily as snapped a chicken''s neck.

    But Aurel stood in his way, forbidding him from doing that without an explanation.

    He wanted to know why, what was the reason?

    "Do you really think you''re the only one, out of all your predecessors¡ªwhoever thought of doing that to Loki''s avatar?" Aurel asked sharply, her gaze was now cold¡ªand calculated. "Many have tried, but every single time, the plan failed, and we almost lost. Loki is weaker than us, but I''m starting to see that you don''t really know what that means."

    "Please," Caldaros sat down on the bed. "Enlighten me."

    "Comparing Gods with one another isn''t that simple. It''s not as easy as an Acolyte-rank Hybrid would lose to a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid," Aurel explained, knowing that Caldaros would be even more stubborn if his mind was not satiated with reasons. "To put it simply¡ªour Goddess is in the versatile group. She can win against those who rely heavily on magical prowess. Loki, for instance. But that doesn''t mean Loki has no chance."

    "Loki is a master of manipulation on a cosmic scale, and his avatar inherited a portion of that mastery. If you play in his game, planning¡ªand underhanded tactics, you will be crushed, that''s his real grand magic, Manipulation Luck." She continued while paying close attention to Caldaros'' expression. "Stick with where he''s weak at. Head-on confrontation. And make sure you don''t fall for his ploy, that''s our plan."

    Upon hearing this, Caldaros looked down.

    He wanted to get this done as soon as possible.

    Recalling how Lucivar dared to threaten him with Ciri was agonizing.

    Lucivar must die, or else Ciri would be in trouble.

    But it seemed he couldn''t rush it.

    "Listen to me, or our Goddess can retract her power from you," Aurel continued, her words laced with blatant threats. "Remember¡ªwe gave you life. As far as things go, we own you. If you have a problem with it, then say it, and we''ll lift your avatar status."

    Despite his reluctance, he has no choice but to accept it.

    If he lost the avatar status, he would be in trouble, and then Ciri would get into trouble.

    All he needed to do was obey and serve.

    "Remember, our task didn''t end at Lucivar," Aurel continued as her body slowly vanishes. "We''re sent here by the Architects to investigate the turmoil in fate and chaos that originated from this space. I doubt Loki is the only one causing this, so we have to be ready."

    ...

    Caldaros stared at Lucivar for a good moment, hate filling up his heart.

    No matter how much he wanted to rip Lucivar to shreds, he couldn''t.

    An avatar''s job is to serve and obey.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar leaped down from the floating stone and landed with a loud crash.

    Then, Gandr appeared on his shoulder.

    "Do it right now, you can use a lot of elements here to get Orivelle." He said impatiently.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar scoffed, "Shut up and watch me. You wanted your first win against Sunna, right? Then let me do my thing. If you can''t shut up, I can still turn around and skip your vendetta, and move onto Sutekh."

    Hiss!

    Gandr hissed in annoyance before disappearing once again.

    Seeing this, Lucivar chuckled, "Right, you need me. So keep watching, it''s going to get real good soon."

 Chapter 287 287: Personal Agenda

    Reaching the third checkpoint was extremely hard.

    Now that the racing space was tighter, the remaining kingdoms that managed to reach this far could be seen all around them. Most were still struggling to pass the first half of the way, and there are only two kingdoms that managed to reach the halfway point, excluding Lucivar''s and Orivelle''s kingdoms.

    Just like them, the other two kingdoms were also working together.

    And from their haggard appearance, they also went through hell to reach this far.

    Since the quotas per division were set at five kingdoms that could pass through the second stage, they didn''t initiate a fight and instead, focused on reaching the third checkpoint. Passing through the sea of lava, the group was finally able to stand on solid ground.

    In the distance, the rainbow light of the third checkpoint could be seen.

    Just a little bit more and they would reach the checkpoint.

    "Come on, it''s on sight already!" Arthur exclaimed as he prepared to sprint with all his might.

    Ahead was a flatland with no kind of threats.

    No monsters, no lava, no anything that could hinder them from reaching the third checkpoint.

    But Lucivar and the others knew better than to march on without thinking.

    "Arthur, wait!" Orivelle called¡ªwhen she saw that Arthur was already charging forward.

    But she was too late, and she had no choice but to chase after him.

    Mirel wanted to move too, but Lucivar stopped him, "Let''s wait a minute, and see what happens."

    As Mirel was about to argue, the ground suddenly quaked hard¡ªforcing them to lower their center of gravity or risk falling down. Ahead, the ground exploded here and there, as massive tentacles emerged with a terrifying speed.

    Giving no time to process what happened, one of the tentacles lashed onto Orivelle''s kingdom.

    Orivelle tried to stop it with her flame, but it was no use.

    Crack!

    Upon impact, the tentacle shattered the ground, splashing the lava beneath it everywhere.

    Fortunately, Orivelle, Arthur, and the other woman were able to move out of the way in time, but got hit by some of the lava that instantly melted through their armor and blistered their skin. But they have no time to idle around as another tentacle tries to crush them again.

    Crack!

    "Huh... No wonder this section is called the Garden of Monsters," Caldaros mumbled under his breath.

    He had studied the Ashen Cavern''s map and knew that this place wouldn''t be so simple.

    It was weird to find no monsters around, considering the name of the place, but now it was more appropriate.

    "This octopus has an incredibly terrifying aura," Mirel added, squinting his eyes, focusing on the faint lava attribute that cloaked each tentacle like a second skin. "We can safely assume that it''s around the four or even five-star Chrysalis rank. It''s impossible for us to kill it."

    "We''re not meant to kill it," Lucivar answered simply.

    Naturally, their focus was to go through the tentacles and reach the third checkpoint.

    Whatever this octopus monster was, they weren''t meant to kill it.

    Crack!

    Lucivar''s eyes focused on Arthur and Orivelle, who got flung away, separated from each other.

    He wanted to make his move, but the surprise this dungeon had in store for them wasn''t finished.

    Each sucker on the octopus'' tentacles began to secrete a flaming crimson goo that dripped down to the floor, forming a monster, a lava slime. However, unlike the ones from earlier, there was a purplish shade to these lava slimes, and their temperature was also higher.

    Lucivar and the others, who were still far away, could feel the heat on their skin.

    One touch, and their limbs would probably melt.

    Seeing that Orivelle was being aimed at by at least three of these lava slimes, Lucivar sprinted.

    ''I can have her dying yet. Not like this,'' He thought inside.

    Naturally, Caldaros and Mirel also moved.

    Mirel followed suit¡ªcharging to help Orivelle, ''He won''t care if she dies if he does not have a plan for her, so it''s clear that his target is Orivelle, not Arthur. I must stop him¡ªat all costs. I can''t stand by and watch him kill someone innocent.''

    On the other hand, Caldaros went in Arthur''s direction.

    Not so much to help Arthur.

    He came for something entirely different, ''Fortunately, that person is not in our division. I can focus on Lucivar. Since I can''t attack him right now, I need to at least prepare myself better, and these tentacles are an excellent source of blood.''

    Crash!

    Arthur was slammed against the ground when one of the lava slimes slapped him hard.

    Surprisingly, it could create a limb and use it as a whip.

    "Grrgh!"

    He groaned in pain, seeing a scorching mark crossing his chest.

    But he''s quick to recover, rolling backward to avoid another blow, and he gains back his footing.

    As he stood, he scanned the surroundings and saw Lucivar helping Orivelle in the distance.

    Almost instantly, his brows furrowed, ''I thought he was after me, to get back on me, or because he knew who I really was. But he''s targeting Orivelle instead? Why? What does he want from her?'' His thoughts raced. ''I can''t let him get any closer. I was planning to do it later, but no, I need to end it now.''

    Meanwhile, Lucivar used Night Piercer multiple times to ward off the lava slimes and helped Orivelle.

    He helped her stand up, but his eyes kept glancing at Caldaros.

    "Like I said earlier, I don''t need your help," Orivelle complained, but accepted his hand anyway.

    "Yes," Lucivar nodded without looking at her. "I also said I won''t help you next time."

    Upon hearing this, Orivelle rolled her eyes as he was clearly going to keep helping her.

    But then again, with Arthur being a burden, she was glad someone had her back when she was in trouble.

    "I really made a mistake by teaming up with Arthur," Orivelle sighed and looked around. "I thou-"

    Lucivar stopped listening after Orivelle said she made a mistake.

    He was focused on another thing, something inside him, as he kept stealing glances at Caldaros in the distance, devouring the blood from the tentacles, "Gandr, do you think it''s enough? I need to finish my work with Orivelle, deal with Arthur, and also get Mirel off my back. I can''t focus on Caldaros too, it''s damn hard to keep track of that many things!"

    "Just a bit more," Gandr appeared on his shoulder and said. "He''s not at the Second Divine Elevation, but he''s still Sunna''s avatar. Give it a bit more time."

    "Ah, fuck it! I''m going in!" Lucivar mumbled under his breath and dashed to the side.

    Orivelle was surprised to see this, but she had no time to idle as the tentacles were moving again.

    Splash!

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar crossed through the field, using a God strand to boost his dash, and avoided many attacks from the tentacles as well as the lava slimes. He maneuvered through them expertly, with a clear intent behind his eyes.

    But still, avoiding all attacks was hard to do.

    Bam!

    A whipping tentacle struck him from his blind spot, hurling him away like a broken doll.

    Mid-air, Lucivar didn''t panic.

    His calculating eyes scanned the spinning world and found the person he was looking for.

    It was the other woman from Orivelle''s kingdom.

    Once he crashed onto the ground, he raised his gaze and saw a tentacle heading towards him.

    Instead of dreading the attack, he smirked and leaped forward to avoid the tentacle.

    But in doing so, he collided hard into the woman''s back, sending her stumbling forward, and one of the lava slimes seized this as an opening to latch onto her wrist. Its searching heat instantly burned through her vambrace in seconds, scorching her skin beneath.

    "Kyaah!" She screamed in agony, trying to break free frantically.

    Soon, another lava slime gripped her other arm, pinning her in place and inflicting excruciating pain.

    Due to the amount of pain she was experiencing, focusing her ether to protect herself became hard to do. She tried frantically, but the pain made her lose focus. Desperate, she turned to Lucivar in search of help, but Lucivar was grabbed by a tentacle, lifted up, and hurled to the ground hard.

    A loud crashing sound resounded as the impact created a huge crater, almost plunging him into the lava.

    Gritting her teeth, she turned to the other side, seeing Caldaros nearby.

    "Help! Please!" She shouted pitifully, tears welling up in her eyes.

    Upon hearing this, Caldaros turned towards her and raised an eyebrow.

    "Help!" She added desperately. "I can''t break free! They are going to kill me!"

    Seeing this, a flicker of instinct stirred in Caldaros, a desire to help her, since doing so would not even sweat him to do that. But just as quickly, something within him devoured that impulse. Without a word, he turned away and leapt onto the nearest tentacle, resuming what he was doing.

    In that moment, the woman''s face turned ashen.

    Considering Caldaros'' powers, he could easily help her, but he chose not to.

    She wasn''t given any time to dwell on Caldaros'' coldness as a tentacle surged right in front of her, its length slick with dripping lava. The searing heat brushed against her skin¡ªlike a tongue of fire, a cruel preview of what awaited her next.

    Ruthlessly, the tentacle swung down hard, and the woman turned away and shut her eyes in fright.

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar came to her rescue, using his body and wings to protect her.

    But he was a second too late.

    Splash!

    Crack!

    Lucivar felt a crushing weight pressing down on him, flattening him against the rough ground.

    He hissed in pain¡ªthe molten lava melting one side of his body.

    Despite constantly infusing God strands into his body to fight against the burn, it was still not enough.

    From a distance, he heard someone screaming his name, but he didn''t know who.

    He also didn''t care as his body was now mushed.

    "Kkrrgghh! Fuck! It''s fucking hot!"

    Once the tentacle lifted, Lucivar pushed himself up¡ªhalf his body was now turned into burnt flesh.

    Once the tentacle pulled back, Lucivar pushed himself upright¡ªhalf of his body was now charred and smoldering. His flesh seared into a patchwork of blackened ruin. For a second there, he panted heavily, surprised that he managed to survive that.

    "You fool! Foolish idiot!" Gandr cursed repeatedly.

    He couldn''t believe Lucivar gambled with his life there, all for the sake of his plan.

    "Did you really think you could sustain a five-star Chrysalis rank attack, you imbecile?" Sha also emerged, also in disbelief. "You can''t even use the Triune Scarab, and you dare take on that tentacle? Have you left your brain somewhere?!"

    "Both of you are such cuties, are you worried about me?" Lucivar chuckled. "I''m still alive, right?"

    Lifting up his gaze, he found the woman was flattened¡ªdead.

    It was a shame that he couldn''t get her in time, but it shouldn''t be a problem.

    His intent should be clear, and that''s all that matters.

    Glancing upward at the drone, Lucivar smirked inwardly, ''See what he did? I''m the good guy here.''

 Chapter 288 288: Assassin Down

    Lucivar took a brutal hit.

    He tried saving the woman, but he was a second too late, and now, Gandr¡ªand Sha were giving him an earful for trying to act like a white knight. But then again, he did this for a purpose, not because of some stupid altruism that arose inside him out of nowhere.

    Of course, Gandr and Sha knew the reason.

    But it was still stupid¡ªtoo risky.

    Fortunately, he survived the crushing blow from the tentacle, leaving only his back scorched black.

    "No!" Orivelle screamed from a distance, seeing that the woman had been killed.

    She was far away, busy with protecting herself, but she still saw how the woman got crushed.

    It was because of the woman''s plea for help, she heard it.

    Naturally, she saw what happened there, and her eyes shifted dangerously toward Caldaros.

    Even though Lucivar was the one who bumped into the woman, causing her to be caught, he didn''t do it intentionally. It was an accident. Caldaros, on the other hand, could''ve helped the woman easily, but he chose not to.

    So, it wasn''t surprising for Orivelle to fix her anger at him.

    Luciviar saw this and couldn''t help but smile inside.

    ''I didn''t plan to have her see this, but more people going against Caldaros is better for me. Keep doing you, Caldaros. I''ll happily watch as you dig your own graves,'' He thought evilly¡ªthe taste of victory was already at the tip of his tongue. ''Now, it''s time to get what I want from you, Orivelle.''

    Slowly, Lucivar climbed back to his feet.

    He wanted to tap on the crest, healing his wounds as the tentacles were still hovering around him.

    One of them was even about to strike him again.

    But as he was about to do that, his hand froze midway.

    Lucivar could feel heat coming from his chest, gradually worsening, until it turned into pain.

    "Kahhk!"

    A mouthful of blood exploded from his mouth, catching him by surprise.

    "What...?" Lucivar muttered in shock.

    Naturally, his eyes trailed down to his body, and he found the tip of a blade poking out of his chest.

    He was stabbed!

    Not only that, but the blade was invisible, blending with the surroundings.

    Meanwhile, several hundred meters away from Lucivar''s position, Mirel was making his way forward.

    Knowing that Lucivar was aiming for Orivelle, he decided to stick with her, and waited until he came to her eventually. Surprisingly enough, the paralyzing effect of his yellow lightning attribute, coupled with the destructive might of Orivelle''s fire attribute, created a formidable combination.

    Any tentacles or lava slimes that lashed onto them were blown away by their attacks.

    It was clear that their attributes complemented each other.

    ''What is Lucivar doing?'' Mirel thought as he glanced to the side.

    Seeing him heading towards Orivelle, Mirel thought he''d make his move right now.

    But instead, he made a sudden dash away.

    It looked random, but Mirel knew better¡ªthe dash was full of deliberate intent.

    Just as he grabbed a lava slime with lightning-coated hands and ripped it into two, he heard a wail from Orivelle. Almost instantly, he snapped towards Orivelle, and realized that she was looking in a direction where Lucivar and supposedly the woman from Orivelle''s group were flattened against the ground.

    ''What happened? Did Lucivar do that?'' Mirel thought inside.

    He soon realized that it wasn''t Lucivar.

    Orivelle was glaring at Caldaros, who was already way ahead, battling several tentacles at the same time.

    Naturally, this was supposed to be Caldaros'' fault, but Mirel still has his doubts.

    As he looked around the area, his brows dipped into a frown when he realized something.

    "Hmm? Where''s Arthur?" He murmured inwardly.

    Just moments ago, Arthur was fighting at the center between Mirel''s side and Lucivar''s side.

    Now, he was nowhere to be seen.

    A sense of bad premonition crept in almost instantly.

    His sudden disappearance, paired with the mystery of his bloodline, stirred a deep¡ªand growing unease inside Mirel. He kept turning his head, searching for any sign of Arthur, but he couldn''t find any.

    It was then, amidst the weaving tentacles, that Mirel saw Lucivar suddenly coughing a mouthful of blood.

    On his chest, a hole could be seen as blood dripped down his form.

    "Lucivar!!" Mirel shouted and immediately rushed towards him.

    But as he did, two tentacles exploded from the ground, barring his way to help Lucivar.

    "Orivelle!" Mirel shouted loudly. "What''s Arthur''s bloodline? And why is he attacking Lucivar?!"

    Upon hearing this, Orivelle blinked and turned towards Lucivar.

    "A-Arthur...?" She sucked in a cold breath, knowing full well that Arthur has the capability to become invisible if he wanted to. Not only was he a womanizer, but he''s also a creep. She knew that much, "He-He... I can''t really say..."

    Orivelle bit her lower lip, recalling what Arthur said to her earlier.

    "Look, Lucivar is dangerous. Don''t get too close to him or you''ll get hurt. Do you understand?"

    "He killed the Shadow Clan champions earlier!"

    At that moment, Orivelle thought Arthur had already lost his mind.

    Lucivar is extremely strong, that''s already proven from their small contest earlier, but that doesn''t mean he was dangerous¡ªtowards them. Even if he did kill the Shadow Clan''s champions, which she highly doubts, it was probably self-defense.

    It was not he who started the fight.

    And from the looks of them earlier, they seemed to harbor the desire to kill Lucivar, somehow.

    Orivelle attributed this to a man''s pride¡ªArthur must be jealous of Lucivar''s strength and wanted to bring him down, starting from making her doubt him. But she wasn''t biting, there''s no way she would trust Arthur''s words at face value.

    Not when she knew what kind of person he was.

    However, to think that he went as far as ambushing Lucivar like this¡ªit was inconceivable.

    ''Had it not been for maintaining our institute''s reputation, I would''ve rat him out.'' Orivelle thought.

    Meanwhile, Lucivar coughed another mouthful of blood as the blade was twisted inside him.

    Before he could do or say anything, the blade was pulled out, right as the tentacle was about to hit him.

    Fortunately, his wings were still able to function despite the wounds they suffered, pushing him out of the way in the nick of time. Lucivar rolled across the ground¡ªbefore coming to a halt, ''Tch! I need to heal myself and get rid of this rat quickly.''

    As he reached for the crest, his eyes widened when he couldn''t feel it.

    He looked down at his chest and saw the crest was not where it should be, torn from his clothes.

    Clearly, someone took it, and it must be the one who stabbed him.

    Lucivar groaned in pain¡ªhis body was now a wreck, and the hole in his chest was also a problem.

    If he couldn''t find the crest, he would bleed out.

    Even before he bled out, the lava slimes¡ªand tentacles would tear him to shreds if he couldn''t dodge their attacks. As he was to move again, his eyes caught a glistening object, reflecting the sunlight from its surface.

    Reacting instinctively, he raised his hand to catch it, but he was a tad bit too late.

    Splash!

    Once again, an invisible blade pierced through him¡ªthis time, his stomach.

    "Sorry, but you have no choice other than to die," A voice echoed, one that made it unmistakable that it was Arthur. "I must admit, you''re really strong. I have to resort to an ambush to kill you. But still, being strong isn''t enough. You have to be cunning too."

    "Arthur..." Lucivar smirked, exposing his blood-stained teeth. "So, it was you who was tailing me."

    Moments earlier, while he was dealing with Renis, there was a rat.

    Someone was watching from the shadows, and as it turns out, it was none other than Arthur.

    "Yeah, I got chills while watching you handle those guys. You used one of them, tricked the other two, and trapped the last one. Wow..." Arthur scoffed in disbelief, looking at Lucivar¡ªas if he were a literal monster. "You are very dangerous, Lucivar. I hope you realized that."

    "Is that why you''re doing this? Because I''m dangerous?" Lucivar asked.

    He wanted to make sure of the motivation behind this.

    "No," Arthur chuckled. "I''m doing this for Ragnar. You mess with the wrong people, motherfucker."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar''s eyes sparkled.

    Now it was confirmed, Arthur was the assassin sent by the Crimson Wolf Clan.

    Lucivar was quite impressed by Arthur¡ªeven though he''s a pretty boy with meager strength, he was good at hiding his killing intent. Even earlier, while he was watching from the shadows, Lucivar could only see a faint dark trail of energy.

    It was too weak to know where it came from, so he wasn''t sure if it was really Arthur.

    But now, he knew for a fact that it was Arthur.

    Knowing that the Crimson Wolf Clan was a part of this, Lucivar gave the red rose to them so that the assassin sent by them would need to kill him discreetly. He wanted to force the assassin to ambush him, in the hope that the assassin''s killing intent would slip out.

    Surprisingly, Arthur kept it tight¡ªonly exposing his killing intent right now.

    "And this invisibility?" Lucivar raised his brows.

    "I am a Mirror Demon Hybrid¡ªwith a named Archdemon''s blood coursing through my veins," Arthur said calmly, offering Lucivar the courtesy of an answer¡ªbefore death. "I control glass, reflection, and anything in between. I can blend into the background like this, vanish from sight completely. Do not even try to shatter it, you can''t even touch it. In the end, no one will see me coming. All they''ll know is that you made a mistake and got torn apart by monsters."

    For a second there, Lucivar gazed ahead at the empty void where Arthur was supposed to be standing.

    His eyes were round, a reaction that Arthur assumed as pure shock.

    A shock that came from knowing that he was really going to die.

    However, in the next second, his assumption was thwarted as Lucivar began to laugh humorously.

    It was almost as if Arthur said the funniest thing in the whole world.

    "What?" Arthur frowned. "What are you laughing at?"

    Lucivar continued laughing¡ªthe drone caught him laughing by himself, as if he had lost his mind.

    Then, once he was satisfied, he wiped his tears.

    "Sorry, sorry," He apologized, still chuckling a bit. "I can''t believe it. You''re actually a Mirror Demon?"

    "And what if I am?" Arthur rebutted.

    "Then, I could do this..." Lucivar smirked evilly, sending a chill down Arthur''s spine.

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar grabbed Arthur''s hand tightly.

    If Arthur were only invisible, then he could still be grabbed like this.

    Lucivar could punch him hard¡ªor even stab him right now, killing Arthur on the spot, but he has a better idea in mind. Smirking playfully, he whistled, seemingly commanding something, and in the next second, Arthur''s glass, which made him invisible, shattered.

    Splash!

    For a second there, Arthur''s eyes widened completely.

    He turned visible!

 Chapter 289 289: Uproar

    Several days before the tournament, Arthur was contacted by the Crimson Wolf Clan.

    He was bribed to kill Lucivar by any means necessary.

    Regardless of the method, he was told to make sure Lucivar didn''t come out of the tournament alive.

    And with the amount of money and resources the Crimson Wolf Clan was willing to give him for this assassination, Arthur couldn''t say no. It was too good to pass out. Naturally¡ªhe has a plan in his mind on how he would get rid of Lucivar.

    But he was surprised to see Lucivar coming to him first.

    Initially, this spooked him.

    Knowing how powerful Lucivar was, he thought that somehow, Lucivar knew about his intention.

    In addition, Lucivar being near the others messed up his plan.

    He now has to improvise while making sure that Lucivar doesn''t attack first.

    However, as the tournament progressed, it was apparent that Lucivar was targeting Orivelle¡ªfor some reason. As opposed to knowing his intention, Lucivar has another agenda, and it involves Orivelle, not him.

    That realization soothed him a bit, but that doesn''t make the situation better.

    Arthur didn''t want something to happen to Orivelle, but he couldn''t say anything to Orivelle since the Devil was practically sticking close to her. But an opportunity arose when the Shadow Clan champions attacked.

    Naturally, Arthur thought that he could find a moment to kill Lucivar.

    But he witnessed Lucivar destroying the Shadow Clan champions instead.

    He even almost made a mistake when he saw Lucivar blown away from the cave and crash near the big tree. At that moment, seeing Lucivar sprawled weakly, Arthur wanted to sneak in to deliver the killing blow, but he caged that intention when Lucivar''s eyes abruptly opened.

    Arthur thought that he was hurt, but as it turns out, he was pretending to be hurt.

    In addition, Lucivar''s senses were sharp, he almost caught Arthur in the act.

    Fortunately, Arthur was able to hide in the nick of time.

    And true enough, Lucivar pretended to be hurt so that he could trap Renis and humiliate him.

    Realizing that there was no way he could kill Lucivar at this moment, Arthur decided to go back to the others and informed Orivelle to stay away from Lucivar. He sounded distraught, and perhaps that made him look unconvincing.

    However, the world was on his side when Lucivar''s sole focus was on Orivelle.

    Once they passed the halfway mark towards the third checkpoint, in the Garden of Monsters, Arthur knew that it was the best time for him to attack. With a lot of tentacles around them, along with the slimes, it would be easy to pass Lucivar''s death as the monsters'' doing, not his.

    But as it turns out, that was another mistake.

    "And what if I am?" Arthur rebutted uneasily.

    Lucivar smirked, "Then, I could do this..."

    Arthur''s brows dipped into a frown when Lucivar suddenly grabbed his hand.

    Naturally, he tried to pull his hand but stopped when he noticed something moving in the background.

    "Hmm?" He frowned harder, glancing around to check. ''Am I seeing things?''

    Being a Mirror Demon Hybrid with a named bloodline, Arthur was connected to the mirror dimension, another dimension that only certain entities could enter. It was a parallel dimension, hidden on the other side of the mirror¡ªa twisted reflection of reality.

    And from there, he could sense something was moving.

    However, that couldn''t be right.

    Arthur wanted to focus on Lucivar and end things as quickly as possible, but the uneasy feeling made him check the mirror dimension. Channeling ether into his optical nerves, his eyes turned into the shade of grey as he peered into the mirror dimension.

    It was only then, his eyes widened in shock.

    He saw the paw of a monster heading towards him, claws flared with killing intent.

    Splash!

    Arthur blinked his eyes and realized that his spell that made him invisible had shattered.

    For a second there, he froze in his spot.

    "How...?" As the realization dawned upon him, he sucked in a cold breath, "How?!"

    Considering that the spell that encased him in a blending glass that turned him invisible could only be touched by those who have a connection to the mirror dimension, which nobody should in this particular moment, Arthur couldn''t understand how this happened.

    Nobody should be able to touch the glass, much less shatter it.

    Seeing the smirk on Lucivar''s face stretching, Arthur''s expression paled as this must be his doing.

    "Hey, fix your face a little," Lucivar leaned forward and laughed. "Smile, you''re on TV!"

    "Eh...? No..."

    "Yes, come on. Look up, and wave to the camera."

    Upon hearing this, Arthur stiffly tilted his head upward and saw a drone hovering right above them.

    It was only then did he finally realized¡ªhe was exposed!

    Lucivar shattered his spell and exposed him while his blade was still stabbing through Lucivar''s belly.

    Snapping out of his trance, Arthur tried desperately to pull out the blade¡ªor even pull back his hand, but Lucivar had a strong grip on it; he couldn''t budge it. So hard that even the bones in his hand began to crack under the pressure.

    All this while, he kept smiling awkwardly at the camera, "It''s not what it looks like, really!"

    Instead of responding, the drone''s lens only narrowed.

    Clearly, it was exactly as it looked.

    On the other side, inside the stadium, Arthur''s face was shown on the main screen.

    The crowd could be seen booing him for attempting to kill a participant, thinking that he could get away with his meager stealth ability. Had it not been for the barrier surrounding the arena, the crowd would''ve already thrown trash at the screen.

    At the edge of the arena, there were a few participants who were imprisoned in a cage.

    One of them was Renis.

    Upon being picked up and brought back to the stadium, he was placed inside this cramp, hanging cage.

    His entire body was slick with sweat, bruises, and food leftovers.

    Just as per the tournament''s rulebook, those who broke the severe laws would be imprisoned like this and be allowed to be humiliated by the crowd. For almost ten minutes, the barrier surrounding the arena was taken down, allowing the crowd to throw rocks, food, and leftovers at him.

    It was why he was in this state right now, pathetic and shameful.

    Renis has lost all hope¡ªhe still has a future, but it isn''t the bright one that he had before.

    Now, it was as dark as the night.

    Even the Shadow Clan''s leader, clad in an all-black outfit, wore a grim look right now.

    And certainly, back in the headquarters, the Blessed Hand Clan''s leader was clapping in joy.

    However, when Arthur''s face appeared on the screen, another lawbreaker, the Shadow Clan''s leader''s face lit up. Arthur came from the Vanguard Institute, a top-tier academy. So, for them to also¡ªbranded in shame took a chunk of attention off of Renis'' mistake.

    On another booth, Drake stared at the screen blankly.

    Seeing Arthur''s face on the screen, his lips parted slightly as he was at a loss for words.

    Just moments earlier, when he saw that Lucivar was suddenly wounded, he was elated.

    Even without being there, he knew that Arthur had done his task successfully, and his revenge had now been paid. Ragnar told him all about Lucivar, how he was the one who gave Julian the upper hand, so this has become personal.

    But to see that Arthur was exposed, he was speechless.

    Who could''ve thought Lucivar also has an answer to someone like Arthur?

    "I told you, Father. He''s too cunning!" Ragnar complained from behind. "If we wanted to kill him, we should do it with our own hands. Doing it discreetly like this wouldn''t work. It''s the same as back then. It felt like Lucivar had eyes watching over us at all times!"

    "Quiet yourself," Drake commanded with a suppressed tone.

    As he stared ahead again, his eyes met with another leader to the side.

    It was a woman with grey hair and draped in a military uniform, the leader of the Vanguard Institute.

    Realizing that she was staring at him, Drake quickly averted his gaze.

    ''Did she suspect that it was me who made Arthur do this?'' He thought inside, worriedly.

    Having one of their champions coerced to be a lawbreaker was unacceptable. it was natural for the grey-haired woman to be pissed. Not to mention, her faction was held in high regard in this tournament, so this was a devastating blow to their reputation.

    Meanwhile, Elira and Thalia were having a laugh in their booth.

    "He''s definitely sent by the Crimson Wolf Clan," Thalia laughed without restraint.

    Her laugh came in a cascade of giggles, breathless and unpolished, as if she couldn''t hold back the sheer delight rattling in her chest, "Did you see Drake''s face, sister? He went from smiling hideously like a clown to looking like someone stepped on his toe¡ªIt''s too hilarious!"

    "Shush, manners!" Elira warned, but she couldn''t stop some chuckles from slipping out of her mouth.

    It was obvious to them that Arthur was sent by Drake.

    Being forced to drop the vendetta in exchange for Ragnar certainly left a bitter taste in Drake''s mouth.

    Naturally, he wanted to cleanse his palate by killing the root of his defeat, Lucivar.

    But he failed miserably.

    "This kid Lucivar is really something," Julian nodded his head in acknowledgement. "He seemed to be prepared for all kinds of situations. I''m afraid his cunningness is even beyond most of us from the older generations. But then again, he did manage to outwit us."

    Upon hearing this, Callista''s expression twitched.

    Obviously, Julian was referring to her.

    However, seeing how amazing Lucivar was made Callista feel better about herself.

    If this kept going, she might be able to convince herself enough that it was natural for her to lose.

    After all, nobody could match Lucivar in terms of cunningness.

    In the main booth, the governor looked at the screen and rubbed his chin in contemplation.

    "Who is this young man? The one who got stabbed." He asked.

    Readily, the assistant tapped on her tablet and stepped forward, "His name is Lucivar Asarafall. He''s an academy hunter¡ªfrom the Bloodhaven Academy. He made quite a name for himself in the last month, almost as if he came out of nowhere."

    "Ah, the one who saved Kalinan City," The governor remembered. "I see."

    Pausing for a second, he turned to his side.

    A beautiful woman with flawless pale skin was sitting beside him¡ªshe was his sister.

    "I think we should add another target to Seth''s list," He said meaningfully. "Caldaros is not enough to test Seth''s skills, he needs more. Tell Seth to also attack Lucivar."

    "Brother..." The woman wanted to refute, but she couldn''t.

    All she could do was sigh and reach for her phone to do exactly what the governor said.

    Inside the dungeon, Lucivar was smiling from ear to ear, oblivious to the commotion he caused.

    His eyes then naturally turned to Orivelle, his next target.

    It was going to be total domination for him in this tournament.

 Chapter 290 290: Third Party

    As soon as Arthur was exposed, a thunderous booming sound exploded in the sky.

    A Hybrid that was tasked to pick up the lawbreakers, one that was above the Chrysalis rank, appeared and floated above them. Lucivar glanced upward before he finally let go of Arthur''s hand, not forgetting to take the crest emblem from Arthur''s pocket.

    "Good luck explaining your reason, Arthur,"

    Lucivar walked and stopped right beside Arthur before patting his shoulder.

    "You mess with the wrong person, motherfucker."

    Having his own words thrown back at him, something inside Arthur snapped.

    Brazenly, he gripped the blade tightly, channeled it with his ether, and swung it fiercely at Lucivar.

    Expecting a dessert, to get one last flick, Lucivar smirked at the attempt.

    Clang!

    Arthur watched with gritted teeth as the blade struck Lucivar''s neck perfectly.

    He expected the blade to slice Lucivar''s throat.

    Since he couldn''t possibly give a good reason as to why he tried to kill Lucivar, it was clear that jail or a raid mandate were waiting for him. Either way, his future was compromised. No matter how changed he becomes in the future, a Hybrid with a criminal record would never be off the hook.

    In the end, he would always be someone expendable, incapable of becoming someone important.

    Since that was already certain, why would he let Lucivar go?

    To his surprise, upon impact with Lucivar''s neck, the blade shattered into pieces.

    Arthur''s eyes rounded when he saw this¡ªthat slash could even penetrate through a defensive spell from another Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, so it should be impossible for Lucivar to take it as if it were nothing.

    But reality proved otherwise.

    "You should pay closer attention," Lucivar whispered. "Now, you''re only embarrassing yourself."

    Slash!

    In a blur of motion, Arthur''s arm was suddenly severed and knocked skyward.

    Blood spurted out grotesquely, creating gnarly arcs in the air.

    "Raarggh!!"

    Almost instantly, Arthur fell to his knees while clutching his severed arm, hissing in excruciating pain.

    Anticipating the possibility of Arthur attacking him out of rage, Lucivar was ready.

    Once Arthur infused his ether into the blade, Lucivar used the Greedy Grasp ability to suck it all without him even noticing. Due to that, when the blade reached his neck, it was nothing more than a raw blade with no ether.

    Normal Chrysalis-rank with non-physical bloodlines would still be sliced by the blade.

    But Lucivar? His body alone is a weapon.

    All thanks to Sutekh''s stone tablet.

    Realizing that Arthur was shameful enough to attack Lucivar again, even though he was already caught red-handed, the Hybrid above immediately dove down, grabbed Arthur by his nape like a puppy, and slammed his face onto the ground hard.

    Then, he took out a reinforced handcuff and cuffed Arthur with it.

    Once Arthur was restrained, he felt no connection with his ether, almost like he was normal again.

    "Committing another murder attempt, you''re not going to get off the hook easily," The Hybrid said with a dangerously low tone. "The governor instructed us to pardon the first violation, as adrenaline is high during the tournament, but you... You''re finished."

    "W-What...?" Arthur''s face turned pale when he heard this. "I... I could''ve been pardoned?"

    "Not anymore," The Hybrid sneered and hauled Arthur off the ground and brought him away.

    Lucivar straightened his back and put the crest in its place again before tapping it.

    He could feel the warm brush of healing energy enveloping his entire body, stitching back his wounds until he was fully recovered. It was the second charge for the crest. Now, there was only one charge left, which Lucivar was planning to use sparingly.

    "Hey, you alright?" Mirel landed right in front of him.

    Seeing what happened to Lucivar earlier, he came rushing to help, but it seemed he wasn''t needed.

    Lucivar has his own ways of making others feel stupid for wanting to help him, and Mirel was the victim right now.

    "I survived," Lucivar answered after a brief pause. "So, I think I''m alright."

    Even though the taste of pain from almost being crushed by the massive tentacle wasn''t fun in the least, it was all worth it. ''I hit two birds with that move. It hurts, it really hurts, but whatever... I just need to finish the plan quickly and sleep for an entire day, no, a couple of days after!''

    As he thought of that, his eyes naturally trailed to the other direction.

    Orivelle was not too far away, and she was looking straight at Lucivar with a vacant gaze.

    It seemed she was in shock at what had happened.

    But then again, seeing Arthur go as far as trying to kill Lucivar must make her wary of him again.

    And Lucivar can''t have that.

    Before he could even say anything, Orivelle already turned and sprinted away, going on ahead without waiting for the others. Lucivar clicked his tongue in displeasure when he saw this, "Come on, the stage is not over yet."

    Mirel nodded his head and dashed, leading the charge with Lucivar following right behind.

    Like two indomitable lasers, the duo cuts through the Garden of Monsters with relative ease.

    All the lava slimes'' limbs that were trying to reach them were thwarted easily by Mirel''s speed, while the massive tentacle''s descent was blocked by Lucivar''s machine gun Night Piercer as well as another God-strand-infused slash.

    Under their perfect synergy, they began to catch up to Orivelle little by little.

    Once near enough, Lucivar called for her.

    "Orivelle!"

    He shouted, calling her name as if it were his lifeline.

    "What are you doing?! We need to stick together or else you''ll be in trouble!"

    Upon hearing this, Orivelle glanced over her shoulder and shook her head determinedly.

    "No!" She denied loudly. "Leave me alone!!"

    Lucivar was at a loss for words.

    In case he remembered correctly, it was Arthur who attacked him earlier, and he was forced to retaliate in order to preserve his life. As his comrade from the Vanguard Institute, Orivelle, should at least initiate by making an apology.

    As opposed to doing that, she ran away as if she were the one who was attacked.

    ''What is she doing now...? This is going to be troublesome.'' Lucivar thought inwardly.

    Glancing down at his sprinting legs, he frowned, knowing that his stamina was nearing its limit already.

    Even though the crest healed his wounds completely, it didn''t heal his stamina, as well as his ether.

    On top of that, his God strands were also running low.

    ''I should''ve taken some ether from Arthur, but I forgot. Damn it!'' He cursed inside.

    Needing to keep up with a lot of things in this second stage, it was natural for anyone to forget a small but convenient matter like this. But Lucivar was extremely furious at himself because of this. After all, his Lucivar Asarafall, the Blessed Oracle.

    He would accept nothing but perfection for himself.

    "Let me give you a hand."

    Out of nowhere, Sha''s amused voice seeped into his ears.

    In the following moment, Lucivar could feel some of his stamina recovering.

    Not too full, but enough to steady his breaths once again.

    Just as he was about to pick up his pace, his gaze snapped to the side.

    "Something is coming!" Mirel warned, also sensing the enormous ether coming their way.

    Lucivar''s eyes darted left and right, searching for the source of this powerful aura, but before he could find it, the ground a few paces in front of him cracked. He couldn''t stop in time¡ªas a figure came out with ferocity, landing a brain-rattling uppercut squarely on his chin.

    Bam!!

    Before this figure could land another attack, Mirel had already grabbed Lucivar''s leg and pulled him away.

    Then, Mirel threw a fist, aiming at the figure''s toned abs.

    However, upon impact, his eyes widened as hitting this figure felt like hitting a rock.

    His punch barely did anything to the figure.

    In the following sequence, Mirel exchanged a couple of strikes, each side aiming to grab hold of the other''s wrists, but the momentum was on the figure''s side. Mirel was about to lean away to restart, but the figure managed to grab his wrist and pulled him forward.

    Bam!

    Mirel was pulled towards her knee.

    He grunted in pain and stumbled backward as blood spilled from his broken nose.

    A few paces behind him, Lucivar landed on his feet and raised his gaze, seeing a familiar figure.

    "Garran..." He mumbled.

    Not recognizing Garran was practically impossible, considering that despite being a woman, she was at least a head taller than Lucivar, more muscular than the manliest man, and also¡ªshe carries around a two-handed battle axe that she used with one hand.

    ''How is she here?'' Lucivar thought in confusion. ''She''s not supposed to be in this division.''

    Lucivar sighed in relief earlier when he found Garran wasn''t in his division.

    He messed with her to gain Orivelle''s attention, nothing else.

    But it seemed trouble had its way of following him.

    Casting a mischievous grin, Garrna turned around and sprinted away, leaving Lucivar and Mirel behind.

    "Fuck is her problem?" Mirel cursed while holding his broken nose. "Lucivar, look at me for a second."

    "What?" Lucivar asked impatiently.

    He needed to chase after Garran, who seemed to be aiming for Orivelle.

    "My nose... is it bad?" Mirel asked, putting his hand away to show Lucivar his nose.

    Naturally, it was quite bad¡ªIt''s crooked and couldn''t stop bleeding.

    Seeing this, Lucivar wanted to rip off the crest on his outfit and plaster it on Mirel''s outfit to use the last charge of the crest on Mirel. Even though he wanted to save it, Mirel wouldn''t be able to fight or even breathe properly with his nose like that.

    But as he was about to do that, Ravenna''s words rang inside his mind.

    "Mirel was planning on sticking with you during the tournament, because he now has suspicions about you."

    Recalling that Mirel might get in the way, Lucivar refrained from helping him.

    Mirel watched as Lucivar''s expression shifted from a tad bit concerned to neutral¡ªand he couldn''t help but wonder what was going on inside Lucivar''s head. He waited a bit, and got no answer, "So? Is it bad or not?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar snapped from his daze.

    "Not that bad," He said before pausing. "But it''ll get a lot worse in a second."

    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Mirel raised an eyebrow, confused.

    Giving no warning at all, Lucivar clenched his fist and sucker punched Mirel across his face.

    Bam!!

    Mirel''s eyes widened as the impact cracked against his cheek, sending him tumbling across the ground.

    Once he finally skidded to a stop, groaning, he touched his throbbing cheek. "What in the heck is that for?" He muttered, shooting a glare toward Lucivar¡ªonly to find him already sprinting into the distance without any care in the world.

    Realizing what Lucivar was doing, Mirel swore under his breath.

    "For fuck''s sake... He''s going to make his move. He''s heading to Orivelle!"

    Scrambling, Mirel rose to his feet and quickly chased after Lucivar.

 Chapter 291 291: Law of Power

    In an instant, the situation has turned into an actual race.

    A high-speed pursuit.

    Lucivar used a God strand to strengthen his legs and dashed forward, building up his momentum.

    Ahead of him, about a hundred meters away, Garran was running at full speed.

    ''Holy... She''s incredibly fast and agile!''

    Considering her bulky, massive body, presumably because of her bloodline, Lucivar thought that she would be extremely powerful, but slow. He was wrong. Garran was incredibly fast, her muscular legs were moving at blitzing-fast speed, turning into blurs.

    Not only that, she leapt, twisted, and swirled¡ªdodging the lava slimes and tentacles perfectly.

    It was almost as if her body weighed a feather.

    ''Her biography stated that she''s some sort of Troll Hybrid¡ªwith a named bloodline, but seeing her now, I really doubt it. No Troll Hybrid could move as effortlessly as her,'' Lucivar thought, trying to keep up with her speed. ''Instead of a Troll Hybrid, she felt a lot more like an Amazonian Hybrid.''

    Gritting his teeth, he flared his wings and flapped them hard, boosting his speed for a moment.

    He was running faster than he ever had before.

    Along the way, as the two were getting closer to Orivelle ahead, Garran glanced over her shoulder.

    A smirk played on her lips.

    Then, the massive battle axe in her hand began to contort and turn into another form, another weapon.

    ''A shapeshifting weapon?!'' Lucivar gasped.

    Even though it hasn''t been that long since he lived in Sunhold City, he knew that a shapeshifting weapon like the one she was holding was extremely rare. Back on the top floor of the Trading Union''s main branch, he saw one costing up to 100 Supreme Coins.

    Upon snapping from his reverie, his pupils dilated when he saw Garran make her move.

    Her muscles flexed as she abruptly leaped and turned sideways.

    In her hand, the battle axe has turned into an intricate pale-yellow bow, humming with intense ether.

    Swish

    As she pulled on the string, a pale-yellow arrow began to manifest.

    Like an expert bow-woman, she unleashed the first arrow before her body exploded with speed, almost as if she could quicken the speed of time, rolling on the ground to take another stance and fire another arrow.

    Garran was able to unleash another one after that, even before the first flying bow reached Lucivar.

    She was that fast.

    Swoosh!

    Lucivar could only see the first arrow for a fraction of a second¡ªbefore he tilted his head backward to avoid it, albeit barely. Following his instinct, he used his wings to shield his body, but was startled when the two arrows pierced through and almost hit his face before coming to a halt.

    Annoyed, he pulled the arrows out, disregarding the pain, and gazed ahead.

    "Eh...?"

    Before he could even react, a small spinning item flew past his defense and struck his forehead.

    Bam!

    For a second there, Lucivar was taken aback, but with a blink, he focused again and realized that it was a bullet. Not only does the shapeshifting weapon have two forms, a battle axe and a bow, but it also has another one, a handgun.

    Pushed by the force, he stumbled and fell backward.

    As if that wasn''t enough, as he was about to stand again, his eyes caught sight of a brilliant light.

    It appeared out of nowhere, and when it did, Lucivar immediately grunted in pain.

    His eyes were burned, so badly that they began to bulge and turn red.

    ''Caldaros!!'' He screamed inside his head, knowing exactly that the brilliant light came from Caldaros. ''I thought we were not going to touch each other until the third stage, but you attacked me?! I was going to spare you until later, but fine!''

    Lucivar used his remaining God strand to heal his eyes a bit.

    Since his mastery over the Greedy Grasp ability has reached immortal mastery, the healing was quite strong.

    A few seconds is all it takes for him to be able to open his eyes again, albeit still throbbing.

    But then, in that moment, he instantly saw a massive tentacle heading straight at him.

    Seeing this, Lucivar''s face turned pale, "Fuck me..."

    Crash!!

    Once the tentacle slammed onto the ground, the impact created a massive web-like crack.

    Fortunately, in the nick of time, a streak of pushed Lucivar out of the way¡ªMirel.

    Both rolled hard across the ground before a lava burst hits them from below, hauling them away.

    Upon landing hard, hissing in pain, Mirel glanced at his back and sighed in relief when his outfit''s rock-solid protection was able to take the lava heat, saving his skin from being burned. Lucivar also has the same protection from his outfit, but his wings were exposed.

    "Fuck!!" Lucivar cursed in pain.

    He was never fond of being in pain, but this tournament gave him a boat-load of pain.

    "Just stop it," Mirel said as he stood up, dusting off his outfit before walking over to Lucivar. "I don''t know what you''re planning to do to Orivelle, but don''t. She''s an innocent person. She has done nothing bad, so she didn''t deserve to be wronged."

    Lucivar laughed when he heard this.

    It was funny to him that Mirel was still acting like this, nai?ve and weak.

    As he rose to his knees, he looked up at Mirel, his face red, "Don''t act righteous in front of me. Did you think all of the thugs you killed back then were bad? Do you think that bitch you''re now serving is good? Do you think the people you massacred in the night market are all bad? No!"

    "All of the people I killed, I made sure that they were bad," Mirel answered. "All of them tried to kill me first, I retaliated to protect my own life, and they died. But this... what you are going to do to her... It''s not right."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar laughed even harder.

    So hard that he shed a tear.

    But although he was laughing, it didn''t quite reach his eyes, making him look like a lunatic.

    Especially with the bloodstain on his face.

    "Lucivar, I am with you¡ªI want strength too. I still dream of building my own house, exactly as I told you. But we can''t lose ourselves along the way." Mirel''s voice tightened, desperate to reach him. "This bloodline inside us may have made us powerful, but at our core, we''re still human. There must be a real reason as to why, for a small period, humanity lost all bloodlines and remained... human. And I wanted to believe that it''s because humanity is better above these ridiculous bloodlines."

    He stepped closer. "There has to be a line we shouldn''t cross."

    "You still don''t get it, do you?" Lucivar asked, but it was more a statement than a question. "I''m foolish to think that you changed after Kalinan City. That you understand after Kalinan City." He slowly turned to Mirel, still on his knees, his index finger pointing at the ground as if to make his point stronger.

    "We can''t become strong if we stay good. It''s not possible. Morality, humanity, all the things you said are nothing more than the propaganda the strong wanted you to believe," He added, frustration growing in his voice. "All the powerful Hybrids, Gods, and I knew the one undeniable, fundamental truth: Power is attracted to those who''re willing to do anything, ANYTHING... to attain it."

    "Because karma wouldn''t let it otherwise..." Lucivar added finally.

    For a second there, Mirel stared at Lucivar, trying to really digest what he said.

    But it amounted to nothing but a broken man''s illusion.

    There are strong people out there who are good.

    Mirel knew that as a fact, so Lucivar''s point is invalid.

    "I knew you believed what you believe is true, but even so, I can''t let you do this," Mirel answered with an exhausted exhale, clenching both his hands into fists. "Someone has to keep you in check, and I, as your family, will do exactly that."

    "You...?" Lucivar''s smile disappeared. "You will keep me in check?"

    Unlike earlier, his tone shifted into a gravelly one.

    A bead of cold sweat drizzled down the side of Mirel''s face as he raised his fists, ready for a fight.

    Lucivar climbed back to his feet while staring straight at Mirel''s eyes with his glowing golden eyes.

    Once his back was straight, he tilted his head a little and pointed at Mirel with his dagger, "There seems to be a misconception here," He said lightly, forcing Mirel to raise an eyebrow in alert. "You think that since we''re at the same rank, we''re equals. No, we''re not."

    Rumble!

    Mirel looked down, feeling the round was shaking underneath him.

    "Let me show you," Lucivar whispered hauntingly.

    Crack!!

    Out of nowhere, Mirel was pushed back by a forceful energy that exploded from Lucivar''s body, firing skyward and cracking the ground underneath him. As he came to a halt¡ªhe raised his arm to block the incoming rush of energy.

    ''How is this possible?'' Mirel frowned inside.

    Before him, Lucivar exerted everything he had¡ªhis aura was two intertwining energies.

    Reaching the Chrysalis rank elevated Mirel to an entirely new tier of power.

    His yellow lightning attribute surged with unprecedented strength, amplifying his spells and abilities beyond anything he''d known. But even then, standing beneath the pressure of Lucivar''s ether, he couldn''t help but feel small.

    Outshined and overwhelmed.

    Even though Lucivar has a red-grade bloodline, the Angel bloodline, the Lightning Elemental bloodline of his shouldn''t pale too much in comparison. An Elemental Hybrid possessed the purest form of their element, far stronger than any other bloodlines that could also manipulate elements.

    Not to mention, his bloodline also has a name.

    So Mirel couldn''t believe that despite all of that, the gap between him and Lucivar was this vast.

    On the other hand, Lucivar raised his dagger, now humming with power.

    He entertained Mirel''s conversation earlier because he was absorbing Mirel''s ether with Greedy Grasp and wanted to make a distraction. And in the span of the conversation, Lucivar was able to recharge his God strands full.

    Now, infusing ten God strands into his dagger, he looked at Mirel with pity.

    Then, he swung his dagger, sending an energy arc that cleaved ahead.

    Swoosh!

    In retaliation, Mirel charged his battle gloves with his yellow lightning attribute, creating violent sparks before he tried blocking the arc. Upon impact, he was instantly overwhelmed, surprised by the amount of power behind the energy arc.

    Mirel held out until the very end, but almost instantly, he fell to his knees.

    His hands were trembling, and there was a bloody line on his palms, deep enough to see his bones.

    "I will do anything to become stronger, anything..." Lucivar''s voice echoed, pulling Mirel''s attention once again. "Nothing is going to stop me from getting what I want. And if that means killing the people close to me, killing you, I''ll not hesitate."

    "Try to understand what I said," He continued. "If you don''t, you''ll die a meaningless death as Delilah."

 Chapter 292 292: Focused on the Priority

    Mirel sucked in a cold breath.

    He stared at Lucivar going further away, the distance between them growing with each breath.

    When Lucivar disappeared behind the tentacle arms and lava bursts¡ªhis eyes trailed down to his hands, and then to the ground. For a moment there, what Lucivar said to him kept playing on repeat inside his troubled mind.

    Even though he disagrees, the way Lucivar said it, with conviction, makes it almost like the factual truth.

    But it wasn''t the truth; Mirel didn''t want to believe it.

    It must only be a biased view from a traumatic, tortured man, who gains no warmth from being weak.

    Regardless, the undeniable truth remained unflinching¡ªLucivar showed that he was a lot stronger than the current Mirel, and that alone emphasized his point even more. Despite his atrocities, he gained what he wanted.

    Power.

    ''Is that really the truth...? No, it can''t be. But he''s strong, and I''m weak.''

    Mirel clenched his hands hard, enduring the pain with gritted teeth.

    On the other hand, far ahead, Garran was already a few steps away from reaching her target.

    Orivelle, who was focusing on sprinting forward to reach the third checkpoint, felt a chilling coldness blowing against her nape. As she glanced over her shoulder¡ªfor the first time, her eyes widened when the second last figure she wanted to see was right behind her.

    Swish!

    Her pupils dilated when she saw Garran leaping straight at her.

    Instinctively, Orivelle planted the bottom of her staff into the ground and pushed herself to the side.

    Crash!

    Garran slammed her massive battle axe at where Orivelle was a second earlier¡ªcracking the ground as if it was nothing. Charged with relentless ether, a second impact happened as the ether coursed through the axe from the hilt, and fired a shockwave when it reached the axe-head, expanding the crater.

    Just from this alone, Orivelle knew that she would be in trouble if she got hit by that kind of attack.

    Pulling out the battle axe, Garran hung it over her shoulder and turned to the side.

    "Did you think you''re safe?" She asked tauntingly, a battle-maniac smile blooming on her lips. "I told you last year, as long as I''m in any contest you''re participating in¡ªyou will always lose. Even your boyfriend wouldn''t be able to stop me."

    "Tch!" Orivelle clicked her tongue. "Why not postpone this fight until the later stages?"

    Since the next stage is a battle royale, that stage would be suitable for a fight.

    "Why not get rid of you now if I could?" Garran returned the question, her eyes flashing with arrogance and strength. "It''s true that the next stage would be a lot better for a fight, but the leading champion of the Vanguard Institute failing in the second stage, now that... that''ll ruin you for good."

    Crack!

    As soon as she said that, Garran made her move again.

    She exploded with speed, eating the distance between them with three steps.

    For the second time, but with even more power than before, Garran swung her battle axe.

    Orivelle leaped backward, barely able to dodge the axe with the tip almost cutting her stomach open.

    Upon landing, she immediately charged her rebirth flame attribute into her staff and unleashed a torrent of fire at Garran¡ªher weapon roaring like a flamethrower. Her eyes blazed with fierce determination, she knew bringing her down would demand everything she had.

    As her fuel ran out, and the flames stopped, Orivelle waited for the flames to wane.

    But when it did, she saw Garran bathing inside the flames.

    Orivelle''s flames could do nothing more than a few blisters to Garran''s skin, which was surprising.

    Last year, she was able to deal more damage than that.

    Garran has gotten a lot stronger.

    ''How can she get that much stronger from a mere year of training?'' Orivelle thought with a frown, as a bead of cold sweat¡ªdrizzled down the side of her face. She watched the brown energy sizzling from Garran''s body like vapor. ''She has gotten better at using her strength attribute, I can''t pierce her with my flames anymore.''

    Realizing that she was not a match, Orivelle turned and created mini explosions from her hands.

    She was able to dash ahead from that, continuing to the third checkpoint.

    But Orivelle''s eyes widened when she noticed a shadow was already right beside her.

    Bam!!

    A kick landed right on her stomach, gouging out blood from her mouth¡ªand forced her body to curve inwardly. She was sent rolling across the ground, and the second she recovered, she saw Garran falling down from above, her fist slick with condensed ether.

    Gritting her teeth, she pointed both hands forward and summoned her flames again.

    "Endless Flame!" She cast her spell.

    Swoosh!

    Mid-track, Garran''s fist was halted by the torrent of flames Orivelle unleashed from her hands.

    Instead of being hurt from the burn, Garran cheekily looked at her fist that was being bathed in flames, as if she was watching something interesting. Then, she cast a spell of her own¡ªthat made her fist even stronger than before, "Gaia''s Fist..."

    Krrk!

    Before Orivelle''s very eyes, Garran''s fist began to turn into a rock.

    Judging from the amount of ether infused into her fist, the spell must be at least a Gold-grade spell!

    But what was more surprising was her mastery.

    Garran''s entire arm turned into earthy rock upon casting the spell.

    Crack!

    "Hargghk!"

    Relentlessly, Garran''s fist drilled into Orivelle''s stomach¡ªthe impact cracking the ground underneath her body. Due to the size difference between them, with Garran''s hand nearly engulfing Orivelle''s torso, the already devastating impact was amplified.

    One punch and Orivelle was already in trouble.

    A contest of physique was her weak point, which made Garran her natural counter.

    "Announce that you''ll quit, and I''ll spare you from the second punch," Garran said¡ªgenerous enough to offer Orivelle a choice. "Both of your teammates already lost anyway, one died, and the other was pitifully disqualified. You won''t survive the second stage."

    "I''ll not disgrace the Vanguard Institute by quitting!" Orivelle refuted defiantly.

    Even though her teeth were already coated with her own lifeblood, she wasn''t going to give up.

    Instead of being annoyed, Garran smiled in delight¡ªthis is what she wanted.

    She wanted Orivelle to be defiant, so she could continue this beatdown.

    But as she pulled her arm for another punch, her eyes widened when a hand grabbed her entire face.

    Swoosh!

    A winged Hybrid tackled Garran with speed, allowing Orivelle a moment to breath.

    Spitting out blood to the side, Orivelle looked ahead and realized that it was Lucivar.

    Earlier, he saw a black streak blitzing past her vision, behind Garran.

    It was easy to tell that it was Lucivar, but she felt crushed when she realized that Lucivar ran past them.

    He wasn''t going to help.

    But she was wrong.

    Lucivar wasn''t abandoning Orivelle, he was circling around to intercept Garran with a well-timed tackle instead, forcing her off the path to the third checkpoint. All Orivelle had to do was to continue forward, while Lucivar kept Garran at bay.

    Once she crossed the checkpoint, Garran wouldn''t be able to lay a finger on her.

    At the checkpoints, no fighting was allowed¡ªa safe zone to rest.

    Crash!

    Ruthlessly, Lucivar dragged Garran by the head, pulling her away from Orivelle.

    Enraged by his audacity, Garran pulled up her knees and kicked Lucivar with both feet right on his abs, pushing him off her. Then, she sprang back up expertl, and immediately attacked Lucivar. She didn''t care how Lucivar was able to recover that quickly from her initial attack.

    Like a raging bull, Garran swung her battle axe madly.

    Each strike was swung with power, capable of killing a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid.

    But even then, Lucivar, with his small dagger, was able to parry and dodge her attacks.

    Lucivar might come across as someone strong with his abilities, but he was quite skilled in combat, too.

    Even as Garran changed tactics and aimed at his feet, the weak point of any Hybrids who didn''t train in martial arts and close-quarter combat, Lucivar was still able to stand his ground. His footwork wasn''t perfect, but it was enough to keep him afloat.

    Such a show of skill was quite surprising for Garran.

    However, what seized her attention the most was another thing entirely.

    ''What is he doing...? Is his mind elsewhere?'' Garran frowned, confusion tightening his expression.

    Despite clearly being mid-battle with her, parrying and dodging her attacks, Lucivar''s eyes glanced to his side several times already. His mind was certainly somewhere else, on Orivelle from the looks of it, who was now walking her way to the third checkpoint.

    Be it concern or something else, Garran couldn''t have this.

    "Don''t underestimate me!!"

    Swoosh!

    From the ground, Lucivar noticed vines coming out and caught his hands.

    He was bound in place, unable to dodge anymore.

    Like a savage beast, Garran dragged her battle axe in a circular motion and leaped.

    Her battle axe was now overhead, and the muscles in her arms flexed in preparation to make a swing.

    Even when Lucivar was in a tight spot like this, he glanced at Orivelle''s direction again, checking where she was. However, the moment a lava slime, bigger than the normal latched onto Orivelle, the air around Lucivar suddenly changed.

    Crash!

    As the battle axe came crashing down, Garran frowned.

    She smiled as she could feel the battle axe didn''t hit the ground, which meant it struck Lucivar.

    ''I put a lot more effort into that swing. He wouldn''t die¡ªbut he''s surely going to be crippled,'' Garran thought with a sadistic smile, reveling at Lucivar''s demise. ''The rules emphasized that no participants could murder another, but crippling another? That''s not against the rules.''

    Garran pulled her battle axe, but she frowned when he couldn''t.

    "Is it stuck in him?" She thought aloud.

    Just then, as the dust was blown by the wind, Garran sucked in a cold breath when Lucivar caught the battle axe with his bare hands. He didn''t even use his dagger to block it, but use his free hand to catch it instead.

    "H-How...?" Garran gulped harshly, but recovered quickly. "You''re hiding your strength?"

    "Yeah, something like that," Lucivar shrugged. "I need an alibi, and now, I don''t need you anymore."

    Following that, Lucivar knocked the battle axe to the side and clenched his free hand into a fist.

    Garran watched as a devastating amount of ether gathered into that fist, swirling like a tornado, and also infused with two attributes, black¡ªand white. Before she could react, the fist drove into her muscular abs, causing both muscle and flesh to curve inward.

    From the looks of it, the fist nearly blew out of Garran''s spine.

    "Huaakhh!"

    Lucivar raised an eyebrow as he watched Garran hurled away.

    ''Huh... I didn''t mean to hit that hard. But anyway, time to get my safety net.''

    Naturally, his eyes landed on Orivelle, who was pinned down by the lava slime already.

 Chapter 293 293: Triumphant Evil

    Lucivar''s physical strength output is already incomparable to those in the same rank.

    Most of the time, he was pulling back his punches.

    Based on Sutekh''s assessment, his physique is already at the Sphinx-rank, and that alone shows that he was abnormal. Perhaps, at this moment, he would be equivalent to the strength of a Titan Hybrid at the same rank, or even stronger.

    Garran, who was most likely an Amazonian Hybrid, couldn''t compare with him.

    One serious punch, infused with two God strands and his attributes, was enough to take her down.

    "Lucivar!!"

    A shout reverberated through the air, piquing Lucivar''s attention.

    Glancing to the side, he saw Mirel was running despite still being in pain, trying to reach him.

    Lucivar scoffed and made a pistol with his hand, pointing it at Mirel.

    Casting the Night Piercer spell, he fired two consecutive energy beams¡ªone hitting the shoulder, while the other hitting the right leg. Mirel''s body was yanked backward from the first shot, and as the second shot pierced him, he stumbled and fell to the ground.

    Despite his attempt, the gap in power was too much.

    Not to mention, Mirel was already exhausted from the battles, while Lucivar was still eager and strong.

    Once he made sure Mirel was going to be fine, Lucivar turned around to focus on Orivelle.

    ''Hmm? How was she able to move?''

    Lucivar was confused when he realized her position had changed slightly.

    It was not by much, but he was quite sure Orivelle was a little bit to the left seconds ago.

    And since she was pinned down helplessly, there''s no way she could move.

    ''A bit weird, but I should focus.'' Lucivar thought before he made a dash, heading straight for Orivelle.

    Sensing his movements, the ground bursts with lava as more tentacles emerge, trying to knock him off his momentum and crush him under their weight. But Lucivar''s senses already caught them before any of them emerged.

    Coupled with his agile moves, he easily coursed through the sea of tentacles.

    A smile bloomed on his face as these tentacles provided great cover from the drones above.

    Meanwhile, Orivelle was struggling.

    She was holding onto the lava slime''s two tentacle arms, but with it sitting right above her stomach, she was not in a good position. At this point, the fabric of her outfit was already down to its last strand, and when the last strand broke, the lava slime''s body made direct contact with her skin.

    Pssh!

    "Errgh!!"

    Orivelle hissed in pain, feeling her stomach being charred badly.

    Gritting her teeth, she channeled as much ether as she could throughout her body.

    A relentless torrent of ether flowed from her Supernatural Ego at the center and spread throughout her entire body, causing flames to burn everywhere. With one powerful yelp, her entire body burst with her pale crimson flames, trying to overpower the lava slime''s heat.

    Swoosh!

    But even then, the lava slime wasn''t budging.

    Orivelle wasn''t necessarily aiming to kill it; she only wanted to push it off of her, but he couldn''t.

    ''How is this one so strong?!'' She complained inside as the fear of death began to grip her¡ªwhen she realized she had no way of getting out of this situation. ''I can push all of them off earlier without much issue, but this... It''s oddly strong!''

    Mercilessly, the lava slime created another arm from its body.

    And with the newly grown limb, it encased Orivelle''s face, drowning her inside its lava-hot body.

    Slimes might be one of the weakest monsters, but a lava slime is different.

    It''s strong and capable of being cruel.

    She moved her legs frantically, her back arching¡ªit was the desperate attempt of someone nearing death.

    Though she''s a Phoenix Hybrid, there''s a limit to how much heat she can handle.

    Having her head submerged in lava-hot, slimy substance is not a good feeling; it was suffocating, extremely scary, and a bad way to die. Composing herself enough, knowing that she''d die if she did not¡ªshe tried reaching for her Supernatural Ego again.

    But it was then she realized her ether reserve was empty.

    No matter how panicked she was, she was quite sure that there was still some left for her to use.

    In reality, her ether reserve was empty.

    Maybe she was wrong, maybe she wasn''t¡ªbut either way, she was powerless to fight back.

    She''s going to die!

    Just as her eyes slipped and her entire face began to burn, when she was right at death''s door, a shadow appeared and slapped the lava slime away. Lucivar came to the rescue, saving Orivelle right when she was about to die.

    Enraged, the abnormal lava slime tried to attack Lucivar, whipping its arms at him.

    However, one glare from Lucivar, and the lava slime shuddered.

    It halted its attack and ran away as if it were a scared pup.

    Monsters have far less intelligence than humans, but the primal instinct to survive still persists.

    Once the lava slime was away, Lucivar went down to one knee and inspected Orivelle.

    "I already told you, we should stick together," He muttered whisperingly.

    Hearing this, a tear drizzled down Orivelle''s eyes as she answered through a constricted, burned throat.

    "I... I thou-ghkk... you''re go-eughk to blame me."

    "Blame you? For what? Arthur? I knew the person who sent him for me. I''m not going to blame you."

    "Th-ankhh... Youh..."

    Lucivar smiled lightly and held her hand, sad to see Orivelle in this kind of state.

    Even though they hadn''t known each other long enough to be friends, they are allies in the second stage, and have fought side by side, so they weren''t strangers either. Seeing her cling to life should still be quite devastating, and for a brief moment, Lucivar remained by her side.

    He forgot about the tournament for a moment, at least until death came to take her.

    ''That''s what the crowd is going to think.'' Lucivar smiled devilishly.

    Of course, this was all an act to sell the story.

    Devastated seeing Orivelle at death''s door like this? Who? Him? That''s not possible.

    Not because he was heartless, but because he was the one who orchestrated for Orivelle to die.

    Moments earlier, before he tackled Garran and rescued Orivelle, he made a detour, sprinting past them to reach this particular lava slime that was right on the path toward the third checkpoint. He pretended to fight that lava slime who ''bothered'' him as he took up a good position to tackle Garran, in front of the drones.

    In reality, he infused that lava slime with a God strand, turning it abnormally stronger and berserk.

    Fighting Garran was only a distraction, to make it seem to the crowd that Lucivar was ''occupied''.

    As soon as Orivelle got into a bad position and was almost killed by the berserk lava slime¡ªhe would then save her like this. Lucivar planned all of that for the sake of one thing and one thing only, the well-known ability of a powerful Phoenix Hybrid.

    Infernal Bloom, also known as Fire Resurrection.

    Learning that Orivelle has above 10% bloodline purity basically guaranteed she has that ability.

    And Lucivar could steal it with his Greedy Grasp ability.

    Letting Orivelle struggle against the lava slime would save him the trouble of absorbing her ether first before reaching her life energy, her vitality. It saved him some time to obtain her ability, making sure that the twisted narrative he was offering to the crowd was foolproof.

    Even now, at this moment, Lucivar could save Orivelle, but he wouldn''t.

    Orivelle moaned a little, feeling safe as Lucivar supported her head.

    He''s going to bring her to the third checkpoint and heal her there.

    Since she could barely move her body, too scorched and battered, Lucivar had to carry her.

    But then, she saw Lucivar raising his other hand, and caressed her face gently, softly, like a gentleman.

    It took a second for her to realize that Lucivar wasn''t helping her.

    He was absorbing her vitality!

    "Sshh... It''s okay," Lucivar whispered, staring gently at Orivelle''s round eyes. "It''s okay..."

    Orivelle''s heart sank to her stomach as she watched Lucivar in horror¡ªthe calmness he was exuding as he absorbed her vitality was bone-chilling¡ªand it instantly made her recall what Arthur said to her, that Lucivar was dangerous.

    ''A-Arthur was right... He''s dangerous!'' She screamed inside her head. ''I need to break free!''

    Naturally, Orivelle tried to push Lucivar away.

    But she couldn''t.

    She realized that her limbs or even her entire body wasn''t responding to her anymore.

    Too much of her vitality was absorbed by Lucivar in these seconds that her body already grew numb.

    Finding that her body wasn''t listening, she naturally resorted to another thing¡ªher voice.

    Orivelle opened her mouth to scream, but Lucivar was faster¡ªhis hand clamped over her lips before a single sound could escape. Somewhere, bones cracked¡ªLucivar didn''t know where, and he didn''t care as his focus remained unshaken.

    He kept draining her vitality.

    From her eyes, Lucivar could see pure terror as they were the only thing that could reflect what was in her mind.

    Soon, the fiery tear of death seeps out of her right eye and onto her porcelain cheek.

    It didn''t take long before Orivelle''s eyes fixated on somewhere Lucivar had visited before, reluctantly back then as he had no choice, and her eyes now had that place''s lifelessness. Lucivar closed his eyes; now that she was dead, he could check his Inner Chamber.

    Back in the chamber, he got exactly what he wanted.

    Of course, there were options, but his choice was clear.

    ''I was worried earlier that she might not have it, considering that she was afraid of death so much,'' He thought, exhaling in relief. ''But you have it. You''re only afraid because you haven''t gotten around to trying and using it, which is understandable, not everyone has the bravery to kill themselves to try out a single ability.''

    Outside, Caldaros glanced to the side and saw Lucivar embracing Orivelle''s corpse.

    A peculiar glint flashed in his eyes before he turned away, continuing ahead.

    Not too far away, Mirel also saw the same sight, and he immediately dropped to his knees.

    It was too late.

    He was far too late to stop Lucivar from hurting an innocent person.

    Meanwhile, outside of the dungeon, Arthur was brought into an isolated room, which had only a table and two chairs at the center, both made of steel. He was placed here by the Hybrid, told to wait and not do anything that would make his situation worse.

    As he sat down, he looked up, realizing that there was a TV, and it was playing the tournament''s progression.

    Abruptly, he stood up and approached the TV.

    On the bottom right corner, he saw a small square-shaped replay, which showed Lucivar embracing a woman, a familiar woman. Arthur''s eyes squinted before he realized that it was Orivelle, and instantly, his face fell.

    "No... No! No! NO! ORIVELLE!!"

    He shouted at the top of his lungs, but nobody could hear him.

    Just like how only he would know that Orivelle had died by the Devil''s hand, one that reached even the lava slime.

 Chapter 294 294: Caught Off Guard

    Lucivar stared at Orivelle''s face dearly.

    She must''ve thought that this was unfair before death took her soul.

    After all, she or the sponsor behind her didn''t do anything to provoke Lucivar.

    Matter of fact, none of them particularly knew Lucivar other than what was stated on the internet.

    He was plotting against them unprovoked, and that was unfair.

    ''But that''s the world we live in...'' Lucivar exhaled lightly, knowing exactly how unfair what he did to Orivelle was. ''If you don''t take the first step into darkness, you''ll be used by those who have. I''ve been there. The weak is nothing but a tool. You were my lure hook, and now that I''ve got the prey, you''ve served your purpose. You never use the same hook twice, it''s bad faith. It stinks of old kill.''

    Lucivar placed the corpse down gently, laying it flat against the ground.

    He also didn''t forget to close her eyes before focusing back to the moment.

    Behind him, Mirel was kneeling on the ground, and not too far away, Garran was rooted in her spot.

    Even from afar, her shock was clear to see from her face, but Lucivar ignored it.

    He approached Mirel with steady steps, grabbed him by his collar, and flapped his wings.

    Now that he was done with his matters, it was time to focus on the last obstacle for a total triumph.

    Caldaros.

    Other than needing to win the tournament, Lucivar also needed to kill Caldaros.

    It would please Loki, and he would also obtain the answer to his question.

    Loki promised to answer it.

    Soon, Lucivar passed through the third checkpoint and saw that the only one there was Caldaros.

    Passing through the Garden of Monsters is nothing hard.

    Lucivar could do it in a whim.

    He arrived later because of the things he needed to do, so he wasn''t surprised to see Caldaros arriving at the third checkpoint faster than him. Looking up and down, Lucivar also found that there was barely a scratch on Caldaros, "Too easy for you? Seems like you are stronger than I anticipated. Now¡ªI can''t help but feel nervous."

    "Spare me the sarcasm," Caldaros crossed his arms. "Let''s finish this. I''m itching to fight you already."

    "That''s something we both can agree on," Lucivar nodded before dropping Mirel roughly.

    Being too late to save Orivelle took a toll on Mirel.

    Even now, he was completely silent, looking down at the ground with an absent gaze.

    ''I thought he was going to be a friend. Might as well, since I don''t want to kill him for Delilah''s sake. But he turned out badly. He''s not equipped for this world,'' Lucivar thought and shook his head, pitying the kind of person Mirel becomes. ''If you don''t change, someone worse will come and destroy you.''

    Pivoting forward again, Lucivar checked the next place they needed to course through.

    Fortunately, it was a flatland, with the portal back to the stadium in the far distance.

    All they needed to do was to run the rest of the way¡ªand plant the flag on Mirel''s back to secure their position to reach the third stage. No more obstacles to go through, a straight line that would complement speedy Hybrids.

    Or at least, there was no obstacle until Lucivar caught sight a silhouette in the distance.

    Slowly, he walked forward and stood beside Caldaros, who was also looking at this silhouette.

    "Is that who I think it is?" Lucivar mumbled.

    "Yes," Caldaros nodded grimly. "He must''ve switched division."

    "For what?"

    "He came here for me... You go on ahead, I''ll handle this. I don''t trust you, so don''t be nearby when the battle starts."

    Just as Caldaros said that, the silhouette gestured for both of them to approach.

    It was a gesture that shocked Caldaros.

    "Hmm, I guess he also wanted me. I did put on a show earlier," Lucivar shrugged nonchalantly.

    He walked past Caldaros and headed for the figure.

    On the other hand, Caldaros clicked his tongue in displeasure before also following right behind.

    Standing between them and the portal was none other than the governor''s grandson¡ªthe rising star of the moment, Seth. He sat with arrogant ease atop of a rock made entirely of blood ether, leg spread, one elbow resting on his thigh, while the other hand clutched his opposite knee.

    A pose that radiated confidence and power.

    Just like the first time Lucivar saw him, there was a bored expression on his face.

    But seeing the two approaching, there was an excited spark in his eyes.

    Despite being equipped only with ivory fingerguards, Lucivar, who was standing about twenty steps away, felt like Seth could reach him at any moment. It was an odd feeling, but that only shows how powerful this Vampire Hybrid in front of him was.

    "Both of you looked confused," Seth said as he stood up nonchalantly.

    Lucivar nodded, "I don''t think you''re in the right division. Why don''t you go back and fuck off?"

    "Still have high spirits, that''s good."

    "I don''t have time to play your spoiled games, tell us what you want, and be done with it."

    "What I want...? I crossed to this dungeon to fight both of you."

    "If you want a fair fight, go find someone else. Neither of us is interested in entertaining you! Or better yet, wait until the third stage! We can fight there."

    "Unfortunately, there will be no third stage, so we have to fight right now."

    A frown crept to Lucivar''s face, he didn''t know what Seth meant by that.

    Caldaros, who was silent all this time, stepped forward, "Get out of the way or we''ll attack together. It is not going to be a fair fight. So, if you know what''s good for you, step aside."

    "This is a fair fight," Seth chuckled, clearly amused by Caldaros'' words. "I don''t know about you two, but me against both of you sounds pretty even. After all, neither of you actually thinks you could beat me in a one-on-one duel... right?"

    Upon hearing his arrogant tone, a vein of anger bulged on Lucivar''s and Caldaros'' foreheads.

    Both of them couldn''t believe how proud and arrogant this man was.

    Not even realizing that he was talking to two Avatars.

    Even Gandr and Aurel materialized beside them, looking at Seth with the same enraged look.

    "Rip that mouth of his."

    "Make sure he can''t talk big again..."

    Almost on cue, both of them instructed their avatars to bring the world of pain to the arrogant Seth.

    An instruction that Lucivar and Caldaros happily agreed to do.

    "Alright, I''m going to fuck this kid up," Caldaros rotated his arm, warming up for the beatdown.

    But Lucivar wasn''t going to let him take the spotlight, "No, I am. We both know I''m better at this."

    Seeing the two of them coming towards him with lethal intent, Seth cracked a smile as his Supernatural Ego began to exude blood attribute, a seething crimson vapor that steamed out of his body, creating a smokey swirl above him.

    As Lucivar and Caldaros argued about who was going to fight, Seth closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

    Once he exhaled and opened his eyes, his eyes flashed crimson.

    "Blood Noctune..."

    Seth chanted a spell, activating twenty ego points inside of him, which indicated that the spell he was going to use was a Diamond-grade spell. Considering his background, coming from the Valerius Supreme House, this wasn''t surprising.

    Inside his body, his heart pounded faster than before, pumping magical blood throughout his body.

    Swoosh!

    In the blink of an eye, Lucivar and Caldaros were taken aback when Seth closed the distance between them with a single, blinding dash. He was now upon them, too fast for either to react, before a crushing uppercut snapped their heads back, rattling their minds like struck bells.

    Lucivar and Caldaros immediately channeled their ether, making their bodies heavier.

    Naturally, they landed back down on the ground hard and glared at Seth.

    In a blur of motion, Lucivar and Caldaros struck from both sides.

    Caldaros surged forward with his sword cloaked in blood ether, cleaving down with deadly force.

    Simultaneously, Lucivar flipped his dagger into a reverse grip and ducked low, aiming Seth''s hamstring with a precise slash. Being attacked swiftly from the sides like this should''ve cornered anyone else, but Seth wasn''t anyone else.

    Reacting on instinct, he hurled himself sideways, narrowly slipping between the two blades.

    Still airborne, he twisted his body¡ªlegs snapping open in a sharp split, before both feet slammed into their faces. Blood sprayed from their broken noses as they staggered back. Lucivar and Caldaros could not believe what had happened.

    Recovering quickly, the duo lunged once more, but the rhythm had already shifted.

    Seth met them head-on, waving through their strikes with uncanny precision.

    His movements were too fluid, too elegant¡ªless like fighting, more like dancing through blades.

    "He''s reading our movements somehow,'' Lucivar thought mid-fight with a frown. ''His eyes... Is it the power of Blood Eyes?''

    Just then, the gleam of Seth''s finger guards caught the light before he raked them across Lucivar''s cheek, drawing blood in four sharp lines. Caldaros roared and unleashed a crimson arc of ether with a strong and wide sweep of his sword¡ªonly for Seth to drop low, slipping beneath it.

    "Hrughk!!"

    Accidentally, the crimson arc carved straight into Lucivar instead.

    Then, rising like a spring, Seth''s knee slammed into Caldaros'' chin, knocking him off the ground.

    Both Lucivar and Caldaros hurled away.

    Seth landed gracefully and spread his arms wide as blood speckled the floor around him.

    "Vampire''s Reach..."

    He murmured two words¡ªarcane, sharp¡ªand the spilled blood around shimmered.

    It slithered under his control and twisted upward into crimson strands, lashing out like living ropes.

    Before Lucivar and Caldaros could regain their footing, the blood coiled around their limbs, snapping tight. Both of them were held suspended mid-air.

    Just as Lucivar¡ªand Caldaros were about to break free from these blood strands, which they certainly could, a burning sensation assaulted their bodies. Multiple spots across their bodies were burning, and when they looked down, they realized there were multiple blood sigils across their forms.

    "Ah, fuck..."

    "Shit..."

    Boom!

    Boom!

    Boom!

    Like fireworks, the blood sigils exploded one by one, drowning the two in explosions.

    As this continued, Seth turned to the drone and made a bow, as if he had just finished doing a performance.

    A few seconds later, once the explosions ran out, two lumps of smoke emerged from the residue, falling down like a smoky meteor. It was Lucivar and Caldaros. Once the two landed roughly against the ground, they didn''t waste any time getting back up again.

    Both of them glared at Seth like feral animals.

    Crack!

    Almost instantly, both of them exploded with a torrent of ether that pierced skyward.

    Seth was only lucky¡ªthey were not ready earlier, and got humiliated for it.

    But before they could repay back what Seth did to them tenfold, they halted mid-intention and looked upward.

    "What now...?"

 Chapter 295 295: Catastrophe (1)

    Both Lucivar and Caldaros could feel rage climbing their faces.

    Considering that both of them were issued directly by their Gods through Aurel and Sha, getting beaten up after that was extremely humiliating. So much so that even Lucivar lost his composure, his face red from anger.

    For a moment, both of them forgot about the blood problem between them.

    Fixated only on repaying Seth what he was due.

    But, at a thought away from going all out on Seth, their bodies eased when a drone hovered above them.

    "Attention! Attention!"

    A voice echoed from all the drones, echoing in unison, pulling everyone''s attention.

    "A purple dungeon has been detected by the Hybrid Association."

    "Please quickly reach the goal and return to the stadium to evacuate."

    "Participants who are too far away would be picked up, but keep going. Don''t stop moving forward!"

    Hearing the announcement, Lucivar''s brows furrowed together.

    "A purple dungeon...?" He gasped in shock.

    Even Caldaros, who was mostly stoic across the entire second stage, was shocked by this announcement.

    In the Light World, only a couple of purple dungeons appeared, and each time, a worldwide catastrophe ensued, which forced the people to evacuate underground until the situation was handled. A dungeon of this caliber is too much for the Light World.

    Although the Hybrid Association has been focusing on strengthening its forces, it''s still too hard.

    Not that they don''t have the resources for it, but there are only a few talented Hybrids who could reach the Savant rank and beyond. At this moment, there are only about a hundred Paragon-rank Hybrids across the entire world, and one Grand Paragon-rank Hybrid.

    And within a purple dungeon, there has always been at least one Grand Paragon-rank Crosser.

    It wasn''t a monster either, but a Primordial.

    A powerful being, the equivalent of humans in the other world¡ªand is a master of primordial elements.

    Going against such a powerful and intelligent being is always a problem.

    For decades, there have been no sightings of a purple dungeon, but that streak of safety was broken today.

    "You knew about this...?" Caldaros looked at Seth''s back and asked.

    Seth glanced at him and nodded.

    He already knew about the purple dungeon before the announcement was made.

    "The governor told me about half an hour ago," He replied truthfully. "I knew the tournament would be postponed, but I couldn''t help to get one flick at both of you, so I waited. Fortunately, both of you came at the right time."

    Upon hearing this, Caldaros gritted his teeth in anger.

    But then, he paused and turned to Lucivar, realizing that the situation had shifted.

    Since the tournament was postponed, their battle would also be reluctantly postponed.

    Both of them stared at each other, their eyes conveying unspeakable words.

    Neither of them knew how to feel or react right now.

    "Come, let''s evacuate and help in the war," Seth said and turned away, facing the portal ahead. "We''re quite capable enough to help. Meet me at the Hybrid Association, I''ll be waiting for both of you there. I''m certain that you would want to be near me."

    Once he said that, he dashed away, leaving the two Avatars behind.

    Lucivar and Caldaros understood what Seth was trying to say.

    He was the governor''s grandson, so he would be a part of the main assault team, which would mean he would be surrounded by powerful Hybrids¡ªsafer. Being near him would certainly be advantageous, but at this moment, their minds were somewhere else.

    Not even saying a single word, Caldaros summoned his wings of light and flew ahead.

    His speed increased dramatically with the wings out.

    "Mirel," Lucivar suddenly spoke when Caldaros neared the portal. "I understand your frustration, but I need you to do something for me right now. It''s important. Above all, we came from the same place, and in a way, a family..."

    Mirel, who was now standing behind Lucivar, paused, not knowing where Lucivar was going with this.

    But he was serious, very serious.

    Decisively, Lucivar took off the Gleipnir''s Echo, Loki''s ring, from his finger.

    Channeling a few God strands into the ring, he made it visible to Mirel''s eyes.

    Pausing for a second, hesitating, Lucivar reached for Mirel''s hand and placed the ring on his hand, "I want you to give this ring to Ravenna. Tell her to make the woman who radiates sunlight wear this, no matter the cost. She must succeed."

    Seeing the ring that was extremely intricate and seemed to be ancient, Mirel frowned.

    He has questions, but he knows Lucivar wouldn''t give him the answers.

    "It''s a matter of life and death," Lucivar added with a firm tone. "My life and death. Will you do it?"

    Mirel was silent, not knowing what to say at this moment.

    Earlier, he was fighting Lucivar about Orivelle, and now, Lucivar has decided to trust him with such a big responsibility despite being angry at him. He did not know what to think¡ªor feel right now, it was too overwhelming. But even so, recalling how Lucivar cried at Delilah''s corpse, he clenched his jaw.

    If Delilah were here, she would ask him to try and help Lucivar, not abandon him.

    So, for her, he decided to help.

    "I''ll do it..." He finally answered.

    Offering a light smile, Lucivar nodded before he turned around to face the portal again.

    Swoosh!

    Slowly, his aura began to rise at a steady stream, a combination of black and white.

    Lucivar stood still, the air thick with stillness.

    From deep within his core, his Supernatural Ego stirred¡ªthen surged.

    Light and dark ether, twin attributes of his essence, began to pulse outward violently.

    Black and white streams flowed through his limbs like molten veins, reaching his wings. One feathered wing turned deep emerald, the other dark copper, each unfurling with quiet majesty. The ground beneath him fractured with the weight of power barely restrained.

    Dust lifted in a halo around his feet.

    His eyes narrowed with fierce resolve, knowing precisely what he needed to do.

    "What-What are you doing?"

    Mirel, seeing Lucivar preparing to fight, frowned.

    Ignoring his question, Lucivar lowered his stance as his muscles across his body began to activate.

    Then, with a violent thrust that was enhanced with God strands, he blasted forward.

    Boom!

    Lucivar turned into a bullet, eating up space as if it were nothing.

    On the other hand, Caldaros, who was about to enter the portal, frowned when he noticed the air was suddenly crackling with charged ether. His instincts flared, urging him to look back. But before he could even fully turn his head, Lucivar slammed into him from behind, tackling him in a blur of force.

    Both of them disappeared into the portal.

    Meanwhile, in the stadium, the same announcement echoed in repeat, urging the people to evacuate.

    Realizing that a catastrophe was upon them, the people scrambled out of the stadium, shoving others in a frantic manner, surrendering to their primal urge to survive. Even when some of them fell and were stomped to death, none of them batted an eye.

    Only survival in their minds.

    Bakar, Nerissa, and Ravenna were still waiting in the VIP section.

    Leandra had already gone on ahead, saying that she would secure their path to the evacuation place.

    "Come on..." Bakar tapped his foot impatiently. "Lucivar and Mirel were near the portal already!"

    "Just wait. I''m sure both of them would come out soon." Ravenna said calmly.

    Unlike Bakar, she trusted that Mirel and Lucivar would be fine, especially Lucivar.

    As the three were waiting, Ravenna noticed that Nerissa was stealing glances at the exit.

    In hindsight, one would think that she was also impatient like Bakar, but Ravenna knew her¡ªand she would never leave behind the others even if it would cost her life. So, there must be something else that was bothering her.

    "Nerissa, what''s wrong?"

    "Eh? Nothing. I''m nervous, that''s all. It''s a purple dungeon, after all."

    "Don''t lie to me. I know you''re not nervous because of that."

    Nerissa bit her lower lip, unsure whether she should tell Ravenna about Ciri or not.

    Now that she and Leandra knew that Ciri was related to Caldaros, Lucivar was certainly going to go to her at some point. She also knew that Leandra wasn''t securing anything; she was following Ciri, who abruptly stepped out before the announcement was even made.

    Sticking close to Ciri is a surefire way to find Lucivar.

    Regardless, under Ravenna''s probing eyes, Nerissa couldn''t bear to lie or avert from the truth.

    But as she parted her lips to answer, a loud crash startled her.

    Crash!

    Two figures emerged from one of the three portals on the arena and crashed into the walls hard.

    It happened so suddenly, and none of them could tell who these figures were.

    However, as the dust cleared, their eyes widened with recognition¡ªLucivar and Caldaros had been the ones who crashed into the wall. Without a missing beat, the two immediately began to fight. Each struck with killing intent.

    Even the sound from each hit resounded across the entire stadium.

    It showed how much power they put in them.

    Not only confined to the arena, their battle went outside too, crashing onto the ceiling and seats.

    Both of them had wings, and that made the fight messier.

    From a distance, the others could see them arguing angrily, though their words were lost to the wind.

    "Should we help?" Bakar was the first one to snap out of his trance.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna shook her head.

    "I don''t think so. If he wanted us to intervene, he''d bring the fight to us. Since he doesn''t, then he didn''t want us to help him."

    "But still... They are actually fighting for real."

    As the others were watching the fight, Nerissa noticed Mirel emerging from the same portal.

    He paused only for a heartbeat to scan his surroundings, noticing the clash first, before his gaze locked onto them. Without a moment''s hesitation, he sprinted forward and launched himself into the air, landing squarely in the VIP section with a thud of purpose.

    Startled by this, Ravenna and Bakar turned and were surprised to see him.

    Mirel, with an urgent face, quickly approached Ravenna and took out an emerald ring from his pocket.

    "Ravenna," He called, placing the ring in her hand. "Lucivar wanted me to give this to you. He wanted me to tell you to make the woman who radiates light put on this ring, no matter the cost. He said that it''s a matter of life and death."

    Hearing this, Ravenna was stunned¡ªher eyes locked onto the ring.

    Naturally, the others'' eyes were fixed on Ravenna.

    "A woman who radiates light...?" She murmured in confusion. "Are you sure he said that?"

    "Yes." Mirel nodded firmly.

    Ravenna''s heart pounded inside her chest¡ªas she contemplated hard, ''Who''s the woman who radiates light...? Did he expect me to understand? Since he did, I must know who this woman was. Think, think!''

 Chapter 296 296: Catastrophe (2)

    Ravenna wasn''t expecting him to rely on her like this.

    She thought that she could watch from the sidelines and help the small mistakes Lucivar made along the way, but this... this is a lot of responsibility. Mirel said that his life and death were now in her hands, and that''s nerve-wrecking.

    And to top it off, she didn''t know who Lucivar was talking about.

    ''Who is it? Who is the woman who radiates light?'' She thought urgently.

    Just then, she remembered noticing Leandra and Nerissa stealing glances at a woman sitting on the very corner of the section. Ravenna found this odd, but now, she realized that Leandra and Nerissa were the ones who were able to piece together Lucivar''s plan.

    Other than that woman, nobody else came to mind, so Ravenna decided to fixate on her.

    "Come on, we need to leave and find that woman."

    Ravenna turned around and ascended the staircase in a hurry.

    But Mirel didn''t follow her instantly, pausing to look back at Lucivar and Caldaros.

    ''Just what is his deal...? I don''t understand what made the two of them so adamant in killing each other, as if they had a history, as if they were blood nemesis.'' He thought inside, this is all confusing to him to digest. ''Should I really leave them like that?''

    "Mirel! Come!"

    Mirel snapped out of his daze and realized that Bakar was calling him from atop the staircase.

    "If you meddle, you''ll only get in the way!"

    "Right..."

    Recalling how Lucivar almost easily pushed him back, he realized that he couldn''t do anything to stop the fight even if he wanted to. Both Lucivar and Caldaros were on a whole different level, and exactly as Bakar said, he would only get in the way.

    It was a tough pill to swallow, but Mirel turned and ascended the stairs to leave the stadium.

    Meanwhile, the heat of the battle was only intensifying.

    Crash!

    Lucivar was thrown back to the ground, creating a big crater behind him.

    He blinked and gazed ahead and saw Caldaros diving with full force, pointing his sword forward.

    Boom!

    Upon impact, Caldaros frowned when his sword stabbed into the ground, with Lucivar nowhere to be seen. He gritted his teeth and glanced above, only to see Lucivar diving straight at him. Unlike earlier, the attack landed, expanding the crater further.

    Lucivar placed his elbow against Caldaros'' neck, pinning him against the ground.

    "Where are you going? Did you see me agreeing to postpone our battle?"

    "Grghh! Are you stupid?! Look behind you!"

    Nonchalantly, Lucivar turned his head and realized that the purple dungeon had emerged.

    It was so massive that the entire sky was blotted by it, and though he couldn''t see the full size of it, he was quite sure that the portal stretched the entire Sunhold City. A purple dungeon being called the very harbinger of war and catastrophe wasn''t only for show.

    But the sight only made Lucivar crack a grin.

    "Ah... Isn''t this good for us? With everyone evacuated, we have the entire city to ourselves!"

    "You damn lunatic! Get off me!!"

    Out of nowhere, Caldaros'' eyes flashed with a brilliant sunlight, momentarily blinding Lucivar.

    Using this window of weakness, he curled both his legs¡ªand kicked Lucivar''s stomach hard, sending him hurtling away. Caldaros climbed back to his feet and rubbed his neck. ''He''s only Loki''s avatar. How is he this physically strong?''

    Even though he didn''t want to admit it, he almost couldn''t push Lucivar back earlier.

    Not to mention, everywhere he touched felt like touching a rock¡ªLucivar''s body was eerily robust.

    It was unlike the normal Loki avatar that his predecessors fought.

    "But no matter, I expected this much! I''m prepared for this!" Caldaros laughed excitedly.

    He opened his mouth, exposing his canines that were perfectly sharp, and channeled his blood attribute.

    Rapidly, the tip of his fangs glowed with a crimson light, as the blood that he had devoured from the tentacles earlier seeped out. It created two small lumps at first¡ªbut rapidly, those two lumps emerged and pooled into a larger one.

    In a few seconds, the lump of blood had already reached the size of a basketball.

    Lucivar watched this before he glanced at the VIP section, finding that the others had already left.

    ''I''m going to buy a little bit more time for them to reach Ciri,'' He thought determinedly.

    Noticing the amount of blood ether stored inside the lump of blood was reaching a ridiculous degree, Lucivar used his Greedy Grasp ability, trying to sneakily take some of it. Initially, it was working, but Caldaros soon noticed and swatted his link away.

    "Let me show you the power of a superior God!" Caldaros roared before devouring the lump of blood.

    Once he did, Lucivar frowned as Caldaros'' aura climbed higher and higher by the second.

    So much so that he was nearing the power of a three-star Chrysalis rank Hybrid, and still rising!

    ''I''m superior to him earlier, but this... This is troublesome.'' Lucivar thought worriedly.

    Swoosh!

    Caldaros'' aura expanded violently, pulsing with raw power.

    Blood ether flooded his limbs, thick and potent, coiling around him like a brewing storm. His fangs that were already sharp and long grew, glinting with menace, and his eyes shimmered with a predatory gleam of crimson.

    His entire demeanor changed, twisting from stoic to savage hunger.

    As if that wasn''t enough, the sunlight seeping through from the ceiling reacted to his blood ether.

    It boiled the blood ether, adding scorching heat that licked Lucivar''s skin even from a distance.

    Upon settling on his new, empowered form, Caldaros'' gaze fixated on Lucivar¡ªand in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from his spot. Seeing that, Lucivar''s breath hitched as out of nowhere¡ªa big hand grasped his face.

    "Shit..."

    Before Lucivar could react, Caldaros flapped his wings and carried him upward by his face.

    On the other hand, Ravenna and the others were sprinting.

    And in a minute, they finally neared the main entrance of the stadium.

    As soon as they stepped outside and reached the parking lot, all of them tilted their heads skyward, only to find the sky was falling. What was supposed to be a day with the rays of sunlight basking the world with warmth was now shaded in a purple hue.

    Just as the announcement stated, there was a purple dungeon forming.

    It appeared right above the city, spanning miles in length, and shaped like a swirl of energy.

    Unlike lower-grade dungeons, which had to slowly grind through the fabric of the dimension until the first tear appeared, which only then would allow Crossers to cross over¡ªthe purple dungeon ignored that rule entirely.

    Neither the purple nor the red dungeons are normal dungeons.

    Sure, they were also powered by a Teal Coin and had proselytes that would connect them to this world, but their instantaneous ability to tear into this world allowed it to become a tool of war for the Primordial race on the other world.

    And from the size of this purple dungeon, it was clear that an army was about to cross over.

    One that would almost certainly destroy Sunhold City.

    "Where are we even going? Let''s follow the crowd!" Bakar said nervously.

    Such a big dungeon was enough to scare any Hybrids, especially those who wouldn''t be able to put up a fight against whatever would come out from the other side. Fear could be seen on their faces¡ªthe situation was too extreme.

    "Didn''t you hear what Lucivar said earlier? We need to find the woman." Mirel argued.

    Regardless of the purple dungeon, they needed to do what Lucivar asked.

    "Are you serious?! Do you want to die?"

    "Yes, I''m serious! Are you really fine evacuating while Lucivar stayed behind?!"

    "Then he should''ve come with us, not fight whoever that was!"

    Ravenna, who heard them arguing, has no words to say.

    ''On one side, I want to help Lucivar. But if we really stay behind and get hit by the Crossers, we wouldn''t survive,'' She thought with a troubled look, hesitating whether they should help Lucivar or evacuate to preserve their lives. ''I want to trust Lucivar, but he might not think this far. This is a variable he couldn''t take into account in his plan.''

    Just as Ravenna was about to make a decision, she saw Nerissa stepping forward.

    "Family sticks together," She said with conviction. "I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if I survived at Lucivar''s expense. If he''s staying here, even when the purple dungeon was about to appear, then I''m also staying. I trust him."

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna''s eyes widened.

    Then, she smiled a little, shaking her head¡ªas she couldn''t believe her trust in Lucivar was beaten by Nerissa¡ªout of all people, "We''re going to say," She murmured before turning to Bakar. "Bakar, we''re going to stay."

    Bakar was at a loss for words.

    He couldn''t believe that none of them was at least on board with him.

    "Where... Where can we even find that woman?" He uttered weakly.

    Ravenna frowned; she also didn''t know how.

    But somebody knew.

    "Leandra," Nerissa said firmly. "Leandra followed that woman. As long as we found her..."

    Almost instantly, the veins around Ravenna''s eyes darkened as she used one of her abilities.

    She already marked all of them with her Predator Oculus ability, so finding Leandra should be easy.

    Just then, her pupils dilated, "Found her. She''s seven miles that way."

    Upon finding her, Ravenna turned to the others.

    "If I want to do this, I''m going to need some help," She added meaningfully.

    Crash!

    Out of nowhere, the stadium''s glass ceiling exploded, drawing their gaze upward.

    There, soaring into the sky like a celestial being of red light was Caldaros¡ªhis hand clamped around Lucivar''s face as he ascended. At the peak of his rise, he yanked Lucivar forward and drove a vicious punch straight into his gut.

    Even from afar, the raw impact could be heard cracking through the air.

    Its echo is sharp and bone-deep.

    Lucivar''s body folded for a split second¡ªthen he was launched downward like a meteor, crashing hard through the roof of a nearby supermarket in a storm of dust and debris. From the sound of it, Lucivar must''ve broken through multiple walls inside the supermarket.

    "No time!" Ravenna exclaimed. "We have to act now!"

    Almost instantly, with her command, the entire group sprinted against the current of people.

    Seven miles was not that far for Hybrids as strong as them, but with the situation at hand, it''s too far.

    Regardless, the group was willing to try.

    One felt like this was an obligation, another was reluctant¡ªtheir motivations differ, but even then, they kept on sprinting. Now that they were already on the move, there would be no turning back. In order to survive this, they have to stick together.

    And more importantly, they have to trust Lucivar with all their hearts.

 Chapter 297 297: Letting Loose

    Ravenna and the others ran as fast as they could.

    Reluctant or not, they were in this together, and they would see it through together.

    Leading the charge was Mirel, he was the fastest still, even with his wounds. On the flanks were Nerissa and Bakar, while Ravenna was at the center. She was the one who could pinpoint Leandra''s location and hold onto the ring.

    "We''re going to die... We really are going to die..."

    Bakar looked up at the sky and gulped harshly at the breathtaking swirl of purple clouds of energy.

    Just a glimmer of power from behind it was strong enough to put pressure on him, and when the portal was opened, there would be nothing stopping the surge of destruction it would unleash. Bakar dreaded agreeing to come with them.

    But abandoning them was even more troubling for his heart than death.

    He could only curse them for doing this.

    Nerissa shot him a look.

    "No, we''re not. We''ll go through this. Lucivar will certainly do something..."

    "Do something...? What even is he, a God?! How can he do something about that?!"

    Before Nerissa could form an answer, Ravenna intervened.

    "Shh...! Focus!"

    She nudged her chin upward, gesturing for the others to look up.

    Upon doing exactly that, the others'' faces turned pale when there was a crack appeared in the sky, and from it, the other world came to view in a purple haze. But the group wasn''t given any time to marvel at the sight.

    "Get ready!"

    Ravenna commanded as she channeled her attribute, the Sin attribute.

    Naturally, the others also prepared themselves.

    Hundreds of small orbs of condensed violet energy¡ªburst forth from the crack, scattered like meteors loosed from the heavens. They rained down in waves, streaking through the air with a violent, piercing sound, slicing the air with their heat.

    None of the city''s towering skyscrapers would have survived even a single hit.

    For a second, the entire world turned silent.

    All eyes were locked onto the small orbs that began to grow bigger as they neared the ground.

    Ravenna and the others unconsciously hold their breaths, waiting for these hundreds of glaring orbs to slam into the city. But¡ªas the first one neared, their eyes widened when the dome surrounding the city glowed, stopping the orb with a shimmering defiance.

    Boom!

    Upon impact, the orb exploded powerfully.

    Even from afar, they could hear the muffled thudding sound as the dome protected the city.

    But the dome''s task wasn''t finished.

    Boom!

    Boom!

    Boom!

    Countless explosions followed as the rest of the orbs slammed against the indestructible dome, a shield that protected the city from destruction. Each explosion was followed by a splashing cue, not of water, but of pressure and collapse, like space itself giving way.

    It was a sound that made hearts tremble.

    Even the announcement that was repeated across the entire city was drowned out by this performance.

    Ravenna and the others kept running forward, leaping over and sliding through cars.

    Along the way, there were some people who screamed for their help, but none of them slowed down.

    Saving someone is a lot easier when their lives weren''t at risk, but now that it is, they could not afford to make a detour. Each impact lit the barrier with violent flashes, but they still continued. Every explosion thundered through the bones of the city, but they still continued.

    Nothing was going to stop them.

    From below, the sky itself looked as if it wept¡ªpurple energy cascading down the dome''s surface like liquid lightning. And soon, under the relentless barrage, the trumpet of war from the Crossers, the first hairline crack appeared.

    "It''s going to break!!"

    "Five more miles! Keep going!"

    Even the indestructible dome that has stood for decades couldn''t hold out for long.

    Swoosh!

    Just then, with a sharp, ringing shatter, a single orb tore through.

    It screamed downward, the first of many to come.

    But out of nowhere, a shadowed figure blitzed through the air and, with a swipe from his hand, the orb was shattered. Even from behind, Ravenna and the others could recognize this man¡ªit was none other than the governor.

    Becoming a governor of an independent city is a power beyond anyone could fathom.

    However, it came at a cost.

    Under no circumstances that the governor leave the city.

    He and the city are one entity.

    More orbs blitzed through the cracked part of the dome¡ªonly a fraction of the total orbs raining down on them, but still dozens. Narrowing his eyes, the governor''s body erupted with power. His back flared with the Blood attribute, summoning thousands of blood droplets behind him.

    And, with a simple flick of his hand, he fired the droplets straight at the incoming meteors.

    A barrage of these droplets was able to stop one purple orb, causing it to explode in the air.

    From below, the spectacular display looked like fireworks.

    Despite the showcase of power, the governor couldn''t handle all of them at once.

    Some pieces from the explosions managed to slip through and struck the buildings and streets.

    Crash!

    One particularly large piece slammed into a skyscraper nearby.

    It was fine, but Ravenna and the others frowned when a large part of it was hurled towards them.

    Realizing that they needed to do something in the end, Ravenna prepared herself to intercept these fiery pieces. She was the strongest in the group. Even though she doesn''t have any long-range attacking spells or abilities, she should be able to do something.

    But before she could make a move, Nerissa abruptly stopped.

    Naturally, the others came to a stop and turned towards her.

    "What are you doing?! Come on, let''s go!" Ravenna exclaimed.

    "No," Nerissa shook her head. "Go on ahead, I''ll handle the rubble. I''ll slow them down."

    "Are you serious? You can''t possibly hold that many behind!"

    "Don''t be stupid, Nerissa. Even if you could, how would you catch up to us?!"

    She already anticipated this backlash.

    For the longest time, she has always been the princess of the family, not in a good way, but the one who cries a lot, the one who needed to be protected, the softest one. Naturally, for someone like her to offer this solution, the others would think that it''s stupid.

    ''But I''m sick of tired of being protected...'' Nerissa clenched her fists. ''I want it to be me who protects.''

    Instead of answering, Nerissa''s eyes glowed brilliant blue.

    Her eyes were like the pearls of the ocean, radiating with power unlike she had ever wielded before.

    ''Lucivar has his own plan, and his plan depended on the others reaching Ciri,'' She thought inside before turning to the side, staring at the incoming rubble. ''He told me that he''d protect me from Shadow, that I can do whatever I want. Then there''s no need to hold back...''

    Swoosh!

    Out of nowhere, Nerissa hummed a melody, unleashing a sound wave from her mouth.

    It spreads far, enveloping everything around with a bluish energy.

    Seeing this, Ravenna gritted her teeth as this was going to be bad, but to her surprise, the flaming rubble that was heading straight towards them began to slow down. Each piece ranged from as small as a rock to a boulder, but all of them slowed down, as if time had slowed down.

    "S-She''s doing it!" Bakar exclaimed in shock.

    Even though the rubble was still coming at them¡ªthe closer they got, the slower they became.

    Mirel also sucked in a cold breath, his mouth agape in shock.

    "She''s not even a Chrysalis-rank Hybrid, and she could command this much power...?" He mused.

    It was extremely shocking.

    Something was certainly wrong.

    Nerissa wouldn''t be this strong since she has never displayed this much power before.

    On the side, Ravenna''s eyes narrowed, "She''s using the screams from the people around us as fuel..."

    Bakar and Mirel turned to their sides¡ªand realized that almost translucent blue tendrils could be seen branching from everywhere. All of them snaked through the air and went into Nerissa''s body, merging with her Supernatural Ego.

    None of them has ever seen her do something like this.

    At most, she would sing louder to evoke more power, not siphon it from somewhere else.

    ''Just what''s going on? She looked more... confident.'' Ravenna thought.

    Based on what she remembered, the normal Nerissa would fall back in line and do as the others told her to. But now, she wasn''t only making the initiatives, but she even dared to do what she wanted to do despite the others'' disapproval.

    Meanwhile, Nerissa''s lips stretched into a smile.

    Her ears twitched, drinking in the chaos like wine.

    Across the city, death sang its requiem from everywhere¡ªscreams echoing through crumbling streets, some desperate, others final. The evacuation had turned to a blood-soaked frenzy. Panic trampled order. People were running, falling, bleeding¡ªsome calling for help, others too far gone to be saved.

    Each cry, each chilling breath before silence, funneled into her ears like a chorus written only for her.

    And she answered it.

    Threads of invisible energy¡ªraw, unrefined, born from suffering¡ªflowed into her like rivers to the sea.

    Nerissa couldn''t use this to grow her Supernatural Ego as these weren''t caused by her, but power was still power, and she could use it to enhance her ability. She let the cries surge through her, swimming through her veins with a forbidden kind of thrill.

    Normally, she wouldn''t dare.

    Using others to empower her ability, it crossed the line of evil¡ªShadow wouldn''t tolerate.

    But this time, she was brave enough to do it.

    All because of Lucivar.

    ''You don''t need to restrain yourself.''

    Lucivar''s voice echoed inside her mind.

    ''Kill as much as you need to. Harvest as many death requiems as you want.''

    ''Until you can protect us, I will handle Shadow.''

    ''Lucivar... Look at me now,'' Nerissa thought excitedly inside as she managed to slow down the rubble to the point¡ªthat they were stationary. Something inside her was satiated. She was now protecting the others. ''I didn''t restrain myself anymore. And now, I''m protecting them! All because of you... You gave me confidence!''

    On the side, Mirel walked past Ravenna and Bakar.

    "Go," He said sternly.

    Upon hearing this, Ravenna and Bakar looked at him in confusion.

    Mirel pushed both of them back hard, "Go! I''ll stay behind with her. Once you''re out of the radius, let me know. Give me a signal. I''m going to catch up with Nerissa, then. For now, go! We don''t have time, and Lucivar needs us."''

    Nodding her head, Ravenna turned around and dashed away.

    Bakar followed suit after casting one last glance at Nerissa.

    Once the two of them were away, Mirel turned to look at Nerissa, the new Nerissa.

    He couldn''t believe that amidst the chaos, Nerissa was smiling.

    Then, she turned to Mirel while retaining the excited smile.

    "Look at me, Mirel. Lucivar helped me do this. Just give him a chance, and he''ll surprise you!"

    "Lucivar did...?"

 Chapter 298 298: The Real Battle of Avatars (1)

    Crash!

    Lucivar was thrown down and crashed.

    His body bounced against the ground, but the momentum didn''t stop, carrying him through the cemented walls like a cannonball, ripping through them one after another without any sign of stopping.

    At the last aisle, he was able to catch himself, holding onto the floor.

    Five small trenches were made as he finally came to a stop.

    Blood gushed out of his mouth.

    Having been thrown down from at least a ten-story height dealt great damage to his body.

    Had it not been for his wings slowing him down, he probably wouldn''t have gotten back up again.

    "Okay... Okay... I was doubtful before, but I understand it now. Sunna''s avatar is damn strong."

    Lucivar commented with a light chuckle.

    Reaching for a vial in his pocket, he popped the cap with a flick of his thumb and drank the entire thing in one go. The white liquid slipped down his throat, leaving behind a bitter taste that was stronger than anything he had ever tasted.

    It was hard to swallow it, but the sweet effect of the substance acted as sugar to help him drink it.

    Once the vial was empty, Lucivar threw it to the side nonchalantly.

    Simultaneously, Caldaros dropped down from the hole in the ceiling and landed hard on his knee.

    Then, he slowly walked towards Lucivar with a powerful posture.

    His body swayed dominantly with the rhythm of his footsteps.

    "You know that''s cheating, right?" Lucivar commented, climbing up to his feet, struggling. "This is a battle between avatars, and you used your Vampire bloodline. How is that fair? At least use your sunlight shenanigans."

    Instead of responding, Caldaros picked up his pace.

    With a flap of his wings, he streaked forward and slammed against Lucivar.

    His arm pressed against Lucivar''s neck as he stared with hate.

    "Do you think this is a game? You''re fighting to survive!"

    "It''s worth a try."

    Lucivar smirked condescendingly, still seemingly thinking that this was nothing more than a game.

    Enraged, Caldaros''s eyes flashed with malice.

    "I''ll suck you dry¡ªuntil your heart forgets how to beat."

    Then, he opened his mouth and sank his vampiric fangs into Lucivar''s neck.

    His fangs weren''t only accessories, they were a part of him as a Hybrid, and had the ability to pull blood like a vacuum. Lucivar flailed, trying to fight back, but Caldaros was too powerful now with the blood empowering him.

    Each gulp was a victory, getting closer, or at least that should be the case.

    But Caldaros pulled away and staggered back in shock, his eyes widening in shock.

    "What did you do...?"

    "Oh, don''t be that surprised. I won''t have a chance if you use your Vampire bloodline, so I made sure you can''t use it."

    "White Blood..."

    Lucivar grinned while still covering his bleeding neck.

    He brought up about Caldaros being a Vampire Hybrid, because doing so might make Caldaros bolder, more reckless in using his Vampiric prowess. And as planned, he immediately charged forward and used those blood-sucking fangs of his.

    Now, the White Blood is already inside his system.

    "I am Sunna''s Avatar, the son of the sun!" Caldaros howled, his voice crackling with fury as his teeth clenched tight. "You can hide behind all the tricks you want, but in a head-on battle, you''ll lose! This is my domain, and I''ll prove it to you!"

    "Yeah, yeah, you''re unbeatable under the sun. I get it," Lucivar mocked, picking on his ear.

    Having enough of his cocky attitude, Caldaros tacked him again.

    Both crashed through the wall and rolled across the empty street.

    Caldaros fought against the momentum and charged at Lucivar again with his sword pointed forward.

    Unlike earlier, Lucivar didn''t retreat.

    Boom!

    Both of their blades collided hard, and at that moment, they realized something.

    In strength, they are equal.

    Almost instantly, the two exchanged a hundred blows in seconds, vying to deliver the fatal wound that would end this battle, but neither succeeded. All of their limbs moved like a blur¡ª both arms and legs to attack and wings to block and maneuver.

    Blocking a horizontal slash, Lucivar frowned as his wrist bent, overpowered.

    He used his other hand to help, but he was still losing.

    Noticing the struggle, Caldaros gripped the handle of his sword tightly and pushed harder.

    But this was exactly what Lucivar wanted as a smirk climbed onto his lips.

    Clang!

    Lucivar didn''t fight back with the sword, and instead, he let go of the dagger and threw his body sideways to avoid the powerful slash. He could feel the wind blowing against his face as the sword sliced through the air, and his dagger spinning mid-air, right above him.

    Missing that slash left Caldaros'' body open.

    Taking that opportunity, Lucivar caught his dagger and thrust it with full force.

    "Rraggh!!"

    Lucivar drove the dagger through Caldaros'' ribs.

    He could see the flesh tearing open as the blade made its way deep down until the base.

    As Caldaros was about to slap him away with his free hand, Lucivar pulled out the dagger and leaped away. He landed a few steps away¡ªand saw Caldaros checking the puncture wound that was now already bleeding.

    It wasn''t the blood that surprised him.

    It was something else.

    "Holy element..."

    Caldaros rasped before he turned to look at Lucivar with a confused gaze.

    Someone like Lucivar, wicked, wouldn''t be able to wield the holy element, no matter how small it was, due to his innate constitution as an Avatar of a wicked God. Not because he was unworthy or anything, but because the holy element originated from a God from the good side.

    Just like how Caldaros couldn''t wield the dark element since it belongs to the bad side.

    But surprisingly, Lucivar wielded a dagger with holy property, and he didn''t seem to be hurt by it.

    "How long can you keep that up?" Lucivar asked in disdain.

    He saw how the wound healed on its own, and got jealous as he too wanted something like that.

    Compared to the Greedy Grasp ability, Caldaros'' regeneration was faster and also automatic.

    Snorting in contempt, Caldaros cuts the distance between them in an instant again.

    He swung hard, his sword aimed to sever Lucivar''s head from his body.

    Seeing that attack coming, Lucivar ducked down, narrowly avoiding the blade before he struck back.

    Slash!

    He threw a vertical slash, an uppercut with his dagger, but Caldaros avoided it in time.

    A fresh cut crossed his neck, causing a prickling sting.

    Instinctively, Lucivar leapt away when his slash missed its mark.

    Caldaros, reacting as fast, managed to grab his ankle and slam him onto the ground hard.

    Crack!

    As if Lucivar weighed a feather, Caldaros lifted him by the leg and swung him around like a doll.

    Then, he threw Lucivar at the nearest building.

    Upon crashing into that building, Lucivar instantly recovered, wings flaring open just as Caldaros'' body slammed into the spot he''d occupied a heartbeat earlier. In a blur of motion, Caldaros bursts through the window, reappearing behind Lucivar in a blink.

    As he raised his sword and swung down with full strength, Lucivar disappeared from his spot.

    He disappeared like a specter, before reappearing behind Caldaors.

    Bam!

    Lucivar had marked him with the Soul Warden spell.

    Now that his mastery over the spell has increased, unlocking the second stage, the debilitating stage of the spell, he easily caused strong migraine in Caldaros with a flick of his finger. And in that moment, he landed an overhead kick that shot Caldaros onto the ground.

    Crash!

    As he dived down to make the finishing blow, a bright light flashed from the cloud of dust.

    For a second there, a sharp sting assaulted Lucivar''s eyes, forcing him to close them.

    He could feel the irritating pain as a trail of blood dripped down to his cheek from his left eye.

    Channeling God strands into his eyes, he recovered his eyesight, only to be met by a barrage of cars hurtling towards him. The first car slammed into him¡ªwith crushing force. Gritting his teeth, Lucivar stabilized mid-air and remained aloft, then deflected the rest with sweeping strikes of his hands.

    Just as he slapped the last one, he saw Caldaros already finished chanting a spell.

    Both of his wings turned into sunlight, fueling ether into the fabricated small sun between his hands.

    One look and Lucivar realized that this was a Primeval Skill.

    Like his, Caldaros'' Primeval Skill was morphed into something better, stronger by Sunna.

    Smirking, Caldaros pointed the mini sun at him.

    "Solar Annihilation!"

    For a second there, Caldaros'' arms trembled before the sun shot forward with incredible speed.

    It melted everything in its path, leaving behind a smoldering trench of liquefied concrete in its wake.

    Reacting as fast, Lucivar immediately curled his wings and cast his own Primeval Skill, the Protection of the Fragmented Desert. Both his wings gleamed with a sharp sheen, turning into a steel-like material, right before the miniature sun collided.

    Boom!

    Lucivar groaned in pain from the scorching pain his wings were enduring.

    He channeled more and more of his ether into his wings, while simultaneously using the Greedy Grasp

    He poured more and more of his ether into his wings while simultaneously using the Greedy Grasp ability to siphon ether from the mini sun as much as he could, only to realize, to his shock, that its ether felt endless.

    Despite his efforts to drain its power and lessen the impact, it made barely any difference at all.

    Kaboom!!

    A massive explosion resounded.

    It erupted like a wrathful God''s heartbeat, hurling a shockwave that tore everything through the air.

    Lucivar was blasted away in a swirl of smoke.

    He kept going, knocking the cars, street lamps¡ªeverything that got in his way.

    Seeing this, Caldaros sneered as he waved his hand.

    His Primeval Skill was so strong that even his hands got burned in the process of amassing it.

    "Even so, this is weird... It should''ve been stronger than this." Caldaros thought aloud with a frown.

    Compared to the last time, the mini sun wasn''t as strong, which was weird.

    Even so, it should be strong enough to decimate Lucivar.

    He hadn''t die, but certainly crippled.

    Around the area, there were pristine white feathers.

    From the ether each of them contained, they should be the extension of Lucivar''s Primeval Skill.

    But Caldaros wasn''t worried since Lucivar certainly got hurt.

    He reached out and brushed his fingers against one, a faint smile curling his lips¡ªthen, without pause, he unfurled his wings and surged toward Lucivar. Landing at where Lucivar was supposed to be, inside an office building that was thrashed from the entrance all the way to the back, Caldaros looked around and found him at the other end of the building.

    Lucivar was bleeding from multiple wounds, and his wings were scorched.

    It was a pathetic sight for Loki''s avatar.

    "You should''ve stayed in your lane, instead of accepting this Godly wager. Now, look at yourself."

    Caldaros looked down at him with contempt.

    No remorse at what he did, only satisfaction that this was all over.

    "Loki''s Avatar fighting head-on? What a joke. You''re even worse than the previous avatars."

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar cackled, exposing his bloodstained teeth.

    It hurts to laugh, but he couldn''t help it.

    "Is it only you, or were all of your Goddess'' previous avatars¡ªthis arrogant too?" Lucivar asked, his voice hoarse¡ªbut clear in Caldaros'' ears. "You underestimated me too much, don''t you? Like... what makes you possibly think I''m not staying in my lane?"

    "..."

    Caldaros paused, stunned and confused.

    Just then, his eyes widened in realization.

    "Ciri!"

 Chapter 299 299: The Real Battle of Avatars (2)

    Caldaros gasped and turned to look out of the building.

    His eyes hummed with ether.

    Slowly, the physical construct of the world around him faded away, leaving behind a sole beacon of light several miles away from him. It was Ciri. And she wasn''t in the safe house that Caldaros prepared for her, she was somewhere else.

    ''Where is she...? What is she doing...?''

    His heart skipped a beat at the thought.

    ''Did she defy my order and watch the tournament?!''

    At this realization, Caldaros turned to Lucivar sharply, his eyes blazing with unrestrained fury.

    "You..." He mumbled with hate.

    "Did you think I wouldn''t realize?" Lucivar cackled, blood mixed with saliva spat from his mouth. "Did you really think I''m that dumb to not read between the lines? I knew everything, Caldaros! That bitch you called aunt is your source of power, isn''t she?! She''s your sun!"

    "RAARGH!!"

    Crash!

    Caldaros tackled Lucivar hard and hauled him by his neck.

    His arm muscles bulged from how hard he was squeezing.

    "DON''T CALL HER THAT WITH YOUR FILTHY MOUTH! SHE''S MY EVERYTHING!!"

    "A woman who danced for money, what else would you call her other than that?"

    Lucivar drew ether from Caldaros'' arm with Greedy Grasp, turned it into God strands, and infused them into his own head¡ªthen lunged forward, delivering a savage headbutt to Caldaros'' nose. The crunch of bone rang out as Caldaros stumbled back, dazed.

    A painful groan escaped his mouth as he covered his nose with teary eyes.

    "Once she''s dead, you''ll be left sunless," Lucivar said with a low, menacing tone. "I''m looking forward to how long you would last against me then..."

    Swish!

    Instead of answering, Caldaros'' eyes gleamed.

    Out of nowhere, two spears made of sunlight burst from the ground and impaled Lucivar''s wings.

    Before he could recover, Caldaros was already on him with a blazing sword.

    Slash!

    Lucivar''s eyes widened at the sight of warm crimson liquid bursting from his chest, his blood, and it was a disturbing amount of it as the sword tore a deep wound across his torso. He was hurled away once again¡ªhis wings were torn in the process.

    As he came to a stop in a kneeling position, he covered the bleeding wound with his hand in pain.

    He was already panting heavily now.

    Despite knowing that this was going to be a hard fight, he had lost so much blood already.

    He could close the wounds with the God strands, but the blood didn''t recover.

    It would be bad if he lost more. He''ll pass out.

    ''How long was it? Five minutes? Ten minutes? I held back Caldaros long enough to give the others a head start.''

    Lucivar wasn''t aiming to kill Caldaros right now.

    In truth, he was buying time so that the others could reach Ciri first before Caldaros did.

    At this point, the others should be nearing Ciri, and that''ll be the cue for the final act.

    Lifting his gaze, Lucivar saw Caldaros already flying away¡ªabandoning the fight to head straight for Ciri. Clearly, he feared she might really be killed. But¡ªconsidering the threats Lucivar made, and also the cruelty he was capable of, who wouldn''t fear for their loved ones?

    "Sutekh, any time now..." He muttered as he struggled back to his feet.

    As expected, fighting Caldaros with only Loki''s power and his bloodline was incredibly hard.

    He really wanted to use Sutekh''s abilities, the Fang of Ankh and the Triune Scarab, but both of them were not responding to his will. Neither of them could be used in front of Caldaros. It must be Sutekh''s way of telling him that this wasn''t his battle.

    But then again, Lucivar would hope that the Gods would go along.

    How easier would this be if that were the case?

    Slowly, his wings were healed.

    Lucivar coughed blood a couple of times as he reached for his dagger.

    Once he had recovered enough, he took in a deep breath and activated the Soul Warden spell.

    In that instant, his body dissipated.

    At the same time, he shot up from Caldaros'' shadow and tackled him from below again.

    Locked in a vicious spiral, they tore through the purple sky¡ªLucivar slashing to bring Caldaros down, while Caldaros writhed to dislodge him. In one explosive motion, Caldaros tucked his legs and launched a crushing kick into Lucivar''s midsection, finally breaking loose.

    Spinning downward, Lucivar caught himself and didn''t let up.

    He fired multiple Night Piercer spells from his fingertips, made by his light and dark attributes.

    Caldaros tries to dodge all of them, but some struck his body, creating a bruise.

    Even so, he was still able to keep going, leaving Lucivar behind.

    Just as he was about to bank left and hide behind a building to avoid being shot, his pupils dilated, and his breath was caught in his throat. Attacking from both sides, two wolf monsters lunged out of the glass surface of the buildings beside him.

    Not expecting this, Caldaros couldn''t properly dodge their pounce.

    Crash!

    Caldaros was tackled mid-air and slammed into a nearby building, his body smashing through glass and steel as he tumbled down its structure. Gravity dragged him mercilessly in a brutal descent until he hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud.

    Before he could recover, the two monstrous wolves¡ªOval and Heart¡ªlunged at him.

    Their jaws clamped down on his limbs, tearing into his flesh, and ripped away bloody chunks.

    Enraged, Caldaros'' body exploded with sunlight, pushing the two wolves away from him.

    Moving with savage intent, Caldaros grabbed Oval by the jaws¡ªupper and lower¡ªwith his bare hands and tore them apart with monstrous strength, ripping the monster in half like a barbarian. But before the mangled corpse hit the ground, Heart sank its fangs into his shoulder, wrenching a hiss of pain from the Sun Goddess'' avatar.

    Snarling hideously, he ignored the agony, backhanded Heart across the face, then leapt onto its back.

    His arms wrapped around its thick neck, ready to snap it like a beast in the wild.

    But before he could, Lucivar''s dagger flashed.

    Slash!

    Lucivar slashed the blade across Caldaros'' face, flinging him off Heart''s back in a streak of blood.

    Dashing with incredible speed, Lucivar and Heart attacked at the same time.

    However, as they neared, Caldaros'' body began to shimmer with sunlight.

    His ether climbed higher to a terrifying degree.

    Just then, he roared thunderously as the sky near the opening portal was suddenly split open.

    Lucivar glanced skyward and saw a massive beam of sunlight descending down on them, and he knew that there was no getting out of this in time. In that fraction of a second, he turned to the side and saw a man, crippled, crawling on the ground.

    It was then, he immediately fired a Night Piercer at the ground beside that man.

    Perfectly, the force from the spell knocked the man towards Lucivar.

    He was now within the radius of the beam of sunlight.

    Caldaros saw this, but he didn''t stop¡ªor rather, he doesn''t want to stop.

    At this moment, Ciri''s safety is his priority, and one or two casualties are nothing.

    Kaboom!

    Lucivar was instantly pressed down, gritting hard as he endured the scorching pain.

    His wings provided cover, but the sunlight still found a way to seep through.

    On the side, Heart whimpered like a puppy as its body dissolved completely.

    It was the same for the crippled man.

    He screamed at the top of his lungs, but since he was normal, his body dissolved in three seconds.

    A swift death, but one that someone like Caldaros, as an avatar of the good side, shouldn''t allow.

    Once the beam of sunlight ended, Lucivar''s body steamed as he gasped for air.

    His upper back and wings were entirely scorched, exposing burnt flesh, as he struggled to breathe.

    Lucivar has only a few God strands left, not enough to completely heal his wounds, and since Caldaros was already away, he couldn''t replenish them. His ether was also not any better, it was running low. He couldn''t use his light attribute to heal himself.

    From an outsider''s perspective, Lucivar was done.

    No chance he could catch up to Caldaros again.

    And it was the truth, there was no way he could keep up with Caldaros.

    But he didn''t have to.

    Kneeling on the ground with a tattered body, Lucivar gazed up toward the manifesting purple dungeon. His eyes stared straight at it, but in reality, he was looking through it. Not at the world on the other side, but above it, beyond it, a higher power that started his journey.

    Karma.

    "Come on, your favored person is in trouble here!" Lucivar shouted.

    Shouting at the sky made him look like a lunatic, but he didn''t care; he knew Karma was listening.

    "I made an avatar of ''Good'' commit¡ªthat vile act!" Lucivar snarled, jabbing a finger at the scorched smear beside him that was once a man, the crippled man from before. "I forced him, twisted him, to do it! He could''ve stopped, but he didn''t! That sin is mine! That black karma is mine!"

    His eyes gleamed with frenzy.

    For the things he did, he must be repaid.

    "You hear me?! You owe me! I''ve racked up enough bad karma to drown a saint, and now you''re going to pay out! That''s how it works. That''s the truth! I bled for this luck¡ªyou owe me my fortune!" Lucivar screamed, glaring at the sky as if he was staring straight at karma in the face.

    Caldaros heard his scream.

    He didn''t look back, focusing solely on saving Ciri before the catastrophe descended fully.

    Caldaros had finally shaken Lucivar off his tail, wings beating furiously as he surged through the air.

    But then, he made a sharp inhale when a shadow enveloped him.

    Out of nowhere, two colossal purple orbs emerged from the gaping crack in the sky.

    Both dwarfed the others that had fallen before¡ªmassive, dense, and so heavy with power that the sound of the wind shrieking against their surface could be heard even from down where Caldaros was. The air itself buckled under their presence, pressure building like the breath before a scream.

    Then, in a thunderous spectacle that rattled the heavens, the two orbs slammed into eacy other.

    Just the impact alone unleashed a violent pulse that tore across the skyline.

    It warped clouds and shook the world.

    Under the stunned gaze of those below, the fused orbs ruptured, splintering into countless smaller orbs of varying sizes. Each aflame. Each lethal. Raining down like a meteor shower from the rift above, with only the purpose to destroy.

    High above, the governor acted fast, using his power to intercept the descent.

    But it was enough.

    Too many broke through.

    And all of them were streaking toward one man.

    Caldaros.

    Upon seeing this grand sight, Lucivar erupted in laughter.

    It was like a roar, shaking his frame with such force that he clutched his stomach, barely able to breathe through the hysteria.

    He does not doubt his victory.

    Why? Because karma was on his side.

 Chapter 300 300: Coup De Grace (1)

    Moments earlier.

    Leandra stepped out of the VIP section and searched around the empty corridor.

    On the side, half-running towards the exit, she found the woman she was looking for, Ciri.

    She noticed Ciri running out when the big screen showed Caldaros ignoring the woman who was clearly in trouble. Contrasting to his cold and heartless cue, Lucivar tried to save her, but he was too late to do that, and the woman was killed.

    From the pieces, Leandra began to understand what Lucivar''s plan was.

    To create a crack between Ciri and Caldaros.

    But she didn''t know the reason why he was aiming for this.

    Defeating Caldaros was certainly his end goal, and yet, she couldn''t find any correlation to having Ciri change her mind about Caldaros. It would mentally harm Caldaros, yes, but in a direct confrontation, it might lead to trouble.

    Anger might give Caldaros the edge against Lucivar.

    ''Regardless, if I want to be where Lucivar is going to be, I need to be beside her.'' Leandra thought.

    Reaching outside in silence, Leandra trailed after Ciri and found her slumped against the wall beside the front entrance¡ªone hand bracing herself to stay upright. Her shoulders trembled with quiet sobs¡ªthe sound of her hiccups could be heard even from Leandra''s hidden vantage point.

    It seemed that watching what Caldaros did left quite an impact on her.

    Ciri continued.

    Surprisingly, she decided to leave the premises, taking a bus to get as far away as possible.

    Leandra also got into the same bus, sitting at the very back where she could keep her eyes on Ciri.

    A hat she found on the bench earlier was all it took for her to go unnoticed.

    But then again, with her eyes blurred by tears, Leandra doubted Ciri would even realize she was there.

    Since the tournament was ongoing, and it attracted a huge chunk of people to watch, there were not many cars and bikes on the street. In fact, it was empty, allowing the driver to step on the gas and drive faster than normal.

    Along the way, Leandra looked out of the window and watched the blur of buildings passing by.

    For the longest time, she couldn''t forget about what happened that night in Veloria City.

    She still remembered the woman of light as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.

    How that woman begged her to stop Lucivar from going on this path of darkness.

    Clearly, something is going on with Lucivar, something beyond normal comprehension¡ªand Leandra needed to do something. It''s not like she could forget about it, especially when she saw how that night, Lucivar seemed to undergo an awakening.

    An awakening into something that he shouldn''t be.

    ''I may not know him that well, but he wasn''t always like this. I need to understand him. What pushed him to change this drastically, and his hidden situation? Maybe that''s only an excuse to make sense of what I''m doing. But one thing is for certain... I want to help him.''

    Leandra gazed ahead at Ciri. ''And she will give me some insights to you, Lucivar...''

    A purple hue suddenly blinded her from the side.

    Instinctively, Leandra raised her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding light, and when her vision had adjusted, she saw it¡ªthe sky itself had split open. A beat later, the city''s emergency sirens wailed to life, echoing with urgency, warning all citizens to evacuate.

    A purple dungeon was forming above the city.

    Naturally, the bus abruptly screeched and turned around.

    In a panic, the people inside screamed as the driver tried to turn around aggressively.

    But instead of managing, the bus tumbled and flipped over, crashing into the street barrier hard.

    Leandra held on.

    Compared to the other, normal people in the bus, she wasn''t worried as she was a Hybrid, and would come out of an accident like this fine. Once the bus stopped screeching, the people inside recovered; two of them were knocked out cold, while the other one was still conscious.

    "H-Help..."

    He choked, feeling his head throbbing in pain.

    Seeing this, Leandra checked on Ciri, who seemed perfectly fine, before she went over to help.

    She kicked the back door open and helped the man to step out.

    Just when she was about to help Ciri, Leandra frowned.

    She couldn''t find her anywhere!

    Confused and also worried, Leandra went around the bus¡ªand felt a surge of relief when she saw Ciri was walking on the highway with tumbling steps. Despite the accident, the emergency siren, and even the sky splitting open, she kept walking forward.

    It wasn''t that she had no fear, but due to her condition, she wasn''t fully aware of her surroundings.

    "I need to get her to safety," Leandra muttered, her eyes narrowing as she glanced skyward. "I do not think Lucivar has anything to do with this. He can''t be. This must be an unpredictable variable... which means he''s not making a move. Not yet. Unless he''s forced to. Or worse, unless this somehow benefits him."

    Out of nowhere, Ciri''s body glowed with sunlight.

    Before Leandra could understand what was going on, she dashed away, leaping down from the highway.

    "What? I thought her powers were only activated when she''s attacked!"

    Gritting her teeth, Leandra quickly channeled her ether and chased after Ciri.

    Both of them coursed through a tide of panicked civilians, weaving through a sea of bodies rushing in the opposite direction. Ciri moved with fluid urgency, darting left and right, vaulting over cars, as if she were desperate to reach a place only she knew.

    At a crossroads, Leandra turned left and soon realized that she was now in the suburbs.

    Not the fancy area where the tournament was being held.

    Leandra stole a glance at the sky and realized that the situation was getting more dangerous.

    If the two of them went further than this, they wouldn''t be able to evacuate in time.

    Picking up her pace, her feet exploded with controlled ether, and she managed to grab Ciri''s hand before she could dash again. Once she got a good grip, she yanked Ciri back hard, forcing her to stop. "What are you doing? We need to evacuate!"

    "You..." Ciri''s eyes squinted. "What are you doing here?"

    Ciri, with a tear-stricken face, recognized who Leandra was.

    She was with Nerissa outside the toilet.

    Although she didn''t know what Leandra was doing here, she didn''t want to evacuate.

    All she wanted to do was keep going to the place she had in mind.

    But Leandra''s hand held firm.

    "If you stay here, you''re going to die! Do what you need to do later. After the purple dungeon."

    "No, I need to get something! Please, let me go!!"

    "Are you deaf?! Do you not hear what I said?! You''ll die!"

    "I don''t care! I don''t know what your relationship with Lucivar was, but I''m sure he did something! He did something to Caldaros! My Caldaros would never abandon someone in need of help! I have to free him from Lucivar''s influence!"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra was stunned.

    She was wondering what made Ciri cry like this, but to think that it was for this reason.

    ''Lucivar... She''s a good person. Don''t break her,''

    Just as she was about to let go, a flaming big boulder streaked through the air and crashed beside them.

    Kaboom!

    Both Leandra and Ciri were thrown away, bouncing across the street a couple of times.

    Once they came to a stop, Leandra lifted her gaze just in time to see Ciri already back on her feet.

    She sprinted away¡ªthis time toward what looked like a park.

    Gritting her teeth, she took off after her, but halted abruptly when she realized Ciri wasn''t just running into the park. There was a festival ground inside the park, and she was heading straight to it. Leandra was confused as to what could be there that could possibly free Caldaros, but she followed suit.

    Inside, Leandra found Ciri inside a tent located behind a performance stage.

    She was rummaging through a box of her belongings.

    Seems like she was a part of this festival.

    Just then, her hands settled on a photo, which seemed to be the thing she was looking for.

    But as Leandra was about to say something, she heard someone calling her name.

    No¡ªshouting her name.

    Stepping out of the tent, Leandra was surprised when something crashed right in front of her.

    She prepared herself to fight, thinking that it was a Crosser, but it wasn''t.

    It was Ravenna.

    "Ravenna?! What are you doing here?"

    Outside of the park¡ªLeandra could see Bakar already using his ability to make himself more muscular and bigger, grabbing hold of several cars with his strong grip and throwing them at the falling debris. His body was already riddled with wounds.

    Ravenna was also in a similar situation.

    From the looks of it, the two of them have gone through Hell to reach here.

    "Are you here for me?"

    "Yes and no."

    Strugglingly, with a painful groan, Ravenna climbed back to her feet.

    "No time to explain. Where''s the woman?"

    "The woman? You mean Ciri? She''s inside."

    Pivoting her body, Leandra made way and pointed at Ciri, who was standing in confusion.

    She didn''t know what was going on, for a lot of people were here.

    Ravenna pushed Leandra aside and grabbed Ciri''s hand forcefully, and took out an emerald ring.

    At the sight of the ring, Ciri''s expression paled as she could feel an unbelievable amount of corruption coming from it. She tried to pull her hands away, even using her powers to do so, but Ravenna was not having any of it.

    Bam!

    Viciously, Ravenna drilled a fist into her stomach.

    It took Ciri''s breath away.

    And in that moment, Ravenna was able to put the ring on her finger.

    Like a parasite, the ring tightened up around Ciri''s finger and enveloped her with an invasive energy.

    "Did Lucivar put you up to this?" Leandra asked.

    "Yes," Ravenna nodded and slumped to the ground. "He said to put that ring on her."

    Before Leandra could ask more, a thunderous crash resounded outside.

    Even from within the tent, the impact was impossible to ignore¡ªtwo figures came hurtling from the sky, smashing clean through the upper floors of a building before crashing onto the street in a tangle of wings and fury.

    The dust hadn''t even settled when their silhouettes became clear.

    Twin sets of wings gleaming with power.

    One pair has a radiant set of wings, while the other has a mix of emerald and bronze.

    It was unmistakable¡ªLucivar and Caldaros.

    Somehow, their brutal fight sent them crashing here right on time when all of them gathered.

    "CIRI!!"

    Caldaros shouted at the top of his lungs.

    One of his arms was hanging, his shoulder seemingly dislocated.

    "Ciri where are you?! I can''t sense you!!"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra turned to Ciri before fixing on the emerald wing she was now wearing. A sudden realization struck her, and slowly, she crept over to Ciri and covered her mouth.

 Chapter 301 301: Coup De Grace (2)

    ''I''m right.''

    Seeing Lucivar and Caldaros stumbling to this place confirmed Leandra''s thought.

    Keeping close to Ciri was the right choice to be where Lucivar would be.

    Ever since her confrontation with Lucivar in Kalinan City, she has been going down in a rabbit hole of figuring Lucivar out. To understand how he came to turn out like this. All spaces in her mind were filled with the thought of Lucivar.

    Just like he said back then, she might be the only one who could understand him.

    She wanted to be the only one.

    So that she could help Lucivar better.

    Not so much as to return to how he once was, but to control the darkness better.

    And now, the fact that Lucivar and Caldaros stumbled here meant that she was beginning to understand him more than the others. Additionally, since those two ended up here, near Ciri, that means everything has gone according to Lucivar''s plan.

    Like always, he''s a meticulous and terrifying planner.

    Becoming better as he grew.

    Almost naturally, Leandra''s eyes landed on the ring around Ciri''s finger.

    It looked like an ordinary ring, but the intricate engravings and the unsettling aura showed otherwise.

    ''His last piece of plan must be this ring...''

    Leandra''s heart began to pound inside her chest, not because she was happy that she was right, but due to one realization. At this moment, at this very second, she was the one who held the power over how this moment would end.

    Although the others were here, she was the only one who understood the bigger picture.

    If she wanted to, she could take off that ring from Ciri and jeopardize Lucivar''s plan for good.

    Unlike back in Kalinan City, this time, there''s nothing Lucivar could do.

    ''Should I...?''

    An unexpected feeling of power surged when she realized she held the key to this moment.

    ''I can get Lucivar back for what he had done to me. But what happens if his plan fails?''

    ''Will he die? Will Caldaros kill him for good?''

    Leandra''s hand trembled as now, there were now two roads placed directly in front of her.

    One road is to end Lucivar as karma for all his bad deeds.

    And the other, to see his plan unfold, which would give her more insight to understand him.

    ''He used a lot of people. He killed a lot of innocent people. He brings catastrophe to the lives he comes in contact with,'' Leandra bit her lower lip¡ªknowing that the right choice would be the stop Lucivar at this moment before he developed further. ''I''m sure he''ll end up using me in the future.

    ''I... I have to stop him.'' She firmed her mind.

    All of the sweet words that came from Lucivar... all of them were lies.

    He never meant any of it.

    Lucivar has never considered them a family, never wanted a relationship with her, and never will change.

    That''s the most likely scenario.

    ''But why is it that my chest feels tight?'' She thought with a troubled face. ''The choice should be clear.''

    Even though Leandra was determined to change him, to bring back the semblance of Lucivar''s good side, this kind of situation is hard to come by. And although she was reluctant to admit it, her willpower was shaken.

    She was really tempted to end him right now and save the world some trouble.

    Just as she was about to reach the ring, a stroke of pure light emerged from thin air and stopped her.

    "No, don''t.''

    A voice greeted her, one that she recognized almost instantly.

    It was the woman of light she saw begging her to save Lucivar in Veloria City.

    "He can change. You have to believe he can change. He needs someone who could understand him and subtly guide him away from the darkness."

    "How? Isn''t it better to end it all now? Before more people got hurt?"

    "That''s exactly what the darkness wanted you to do. For you to abandon him. If you do, darkness will prevail."

    Upon hearing this, Leandra''s expression darkened.

    Just moments ago, she was certain of the right choice, but the abrupt interruption from the woman of light shattered that resolve, dragging her back to the brink of indecision. Peering out of the tent, her breath caught in her throat as she saw Lucivar staring straight at her.

    Despite being in a horrendously wounded state and sprawled on the ground, his eyes stared straight at hers.

    And after three seconds of locking eyes, he smirked.

    Something behind those eyes tells her that it wasn''t Lucivar who was staring at her right now.

    But something else.

    Another part of him, perhaps, one that wanted to confirm something.

    ''A test... I should''ve known.''

    Leandra put on a self-ridiculing smile.

    She should''ve expected that this situation wasn''t that simple.

    As the woman of light stated, this ''choice'' that fell into her lap... it was the darkness'' trap.

    One that would help Lucivar to accept the darkness more.

    ''I''m not going to do that. I''ll believe he could change.'' Leandra thought inside.

    Now, her decision was rock-solid.

    Leandra crept over to Ciri and covered her mouth so that she couldn''t answer Caldaros'' call.

    Seeing Caldaros in an extremely ruinous state¡ªone arm hanging dislocated, his body scorched and torn with deep, bleeding gashes¡ªshe snapped out of her daze. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she writhed to break free, desperation overtaking her.

    She tried to escape from Leandra''s grasp and tell Caldaros that she was here.

    But she couldn''t.

    Beside them, Ravenna noticed what Leandra was doing.

    She frowned, thinking, before she quickly suppressed her aura to avoid drawing Caldaros'' attention.

    It seemed Lucivar was planning for the moment.

    All they needed to do was keep quiet, away from the spotlight, and watch.

    Meanwhile, meters outside the park.

    "Where are you...?"

    Caldaros panted heavily, his face contorting in pain with each movement he made.

    He was completely fine minutes ago, but somehow, the orbs from the opening purple dungeon fell on him with relentless fervor. It was almost as if the person on the other side, who threw these orbs, was aiming directly at him.

    It was so bad that he was struck down from the sky, causing him to sustain severe wounds.

    But worst of all, that allowed Lucivar to close the distance between them again.

    "Good luck finding her."

    Upon hearing the condescending tone, Caldaros turned around, eyes blazing in fury as he glared at the person who was behind all of this. Lucivar was sprawled on the ground, barely able to move a muscle, and his ether was already running on empty.

    In fact, both of them were extremely exhausted.

    Caldaros, though, could still stand¡ªhe was suffering in pain.

    At this point, the White Blood has already merged entirely with his blood.

    Had it not been for Sunna''s powers, he would''ve been the one on the ground right about now.

    A soft chuckle escaped Lucivar''s mouth when he saw how angry Caldaros was.

    "Oh, do you think this is funny?"

    Caldaros barked and approached with stomping steps.

    "Do you think this is funny?!"

    He repeated and pulled Lucivar roughly by his collar with both hands.

    "Both of us are in the middle of the city while the purple dungeon is breaking, and you think it''s funny?"

    "Kind of funny..."

    Lucivar chuckled again, not taking this situation seriously at all.

    Bam!

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar headbutted Caldaros again, breaking his already broken nose even further.

    He fell down again as Caldaros staggered.

    Panting heavily, he forced himself off the ground with what little strength remained, which was barely enough to bring him to his knees. Blood dribbled from his mouth as he spat to the side, loathing every second of the agony coursing through him.

    Even the simple act of standing became a monumental task.

    Each movement was dragged down by crushing exhaustion.

    Covering his nose in pain, Caldaros pointed his broken sword at Lucivar exasperatedly.

    "What even is your plan? Huh?!" He shouted. "Do you think killing Ciri will make you somehow win against me? No! The winner is the one who remained standing¡ªand you... Before the dungeon breaks, you will be a dead man."

    Despite his frustration and wrath for whatever Lucivar did to Ciri, he''s still going to win.

    A win that would cost Caldaros everything, as Ciri was his everything, but still, it''s a win.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar chuckled, "I begged to differ."

    Once he managed to stand, he breathed in and out desperately through his mouth.

    Then, he turned around to face Caldaros for the last time.

    "You know, I''ve prepared a lot to fight you," He said tiredly. "But I admit, you''re still stronger than me. No matter what I do, I have no chance of beating you in a battle like this. But still, the winner is the one who remained standing last, as you said. And that''s going to be me."

    Caldaros tilted his head.

    A ridiculing, crooked smirk crossed his lips.

    "Do you think possessing the Fire Resurrection is going to secure you the win?"

    "Hmm...?"

    Almost instantly, Lucivar''s expression fell as he wasn''t expecting Caldaros to know about that.

    He didn''t expect Caldaros to know that he took Orivelle''s ability.

    Seeing the change in expression, Caldaros laughed¡ªthe hysteria behind that laugh, along with the blood smeared across his face, made him look unhinged, diabolical. Nobody in the academy has seen Caldaros use this kind of expression, but Lucivar brought the worst in people.

    And now, he was facing Caldaros'' worst.

    "Loki is the God of Trickery, but that doesn''t mean I can''t know what you''re up to. Marking Arthur... Creating a problem with Garran... Bringing Orivelle''s group to ours... You tried your best to conceal your intention, but I saw through it!"

    Caldaros raised his clawing hand, his eyes bulging with madness.

    "When all things failed... You need a trump card, something that could save you. And what could be better than a Phoenix''s ability, am I right? Let me guess, you''re planning to use that ability to stab me in the back. Oh! Maybe you wanted us to die together before you resurrect later. Am I close?"

    One could see the color being drained from Lucivar''s face.

    He went several steps to make sure nobody, not even Caldaros, could see through his intention.

    But even then, this happened.

    Slowly, Caldaros'' body hummed with sunlight, not as bring as before but enough to scare Lucivar.

    "You know... Aurel told me that you and your God are superior in manipulation to me. That it doesn''t matter what I do. As long as I try to play your game¡ªyou''ll somehow have a way to reverse it. But I can see it now..."

    His eyes narrowed, studying Lucivar''s fearful face, which was a delight to see.

    One that he had dreamed of seeing.

    "You''re not as good as she said," He continued, tilting his head menacingly. "You''re still not as good as me."

 Chapter 302 302: Coup De Grace (3)

    Lucivar swallowed harshly.

    His usual defiance slowly melted away from his face, turning into pale fear.

    A change that could be seen clearly.

    And in that moment, Caldaros knew his instincts hadn''t failed him this time¡ªhe was spot on.

    "What''s the matter? You look pale, Avatar of Loki." He murmured confidently.

    Hearing this, Lucivar shook his head.

    He recovered from his shock and put on a brave face again.

    "I''m surprised you knew about that, but then... So, what if you knew? You can''t stop it."

    "Really...? Do you really think I can''t stop it?"

    Instinctively, Lucivar looked down at his body, frantically thinking about what Caldaros possibly could do to his newly acquired ability. He extracted it directly from Orivelle. And Loki''s statue clearly stated that he obtained the Fire Resurrection ability.

    And from what he learned, Sunna has no abilities that could block revival.

    At least not until the later elevations.

    "Wha-What did you do...?"

    Smiling inwardly, Caldaros played with his sword and walked to the side slowly.

    "I knew what you were up to, so I contaminated Orivelle''s blood with my power. I purposefully hid it well, leaving it dormant, so you wouldn''t notice. But now that it''s in your body, you can''t stop it. If you try to use the Fire Resurrection, you will implode."

    Deg!

    Lucivar''s heart throbbed inside his chest when he heard that.

    He was betting on Orivelle''s ability to win over Caldaros.

    Knowing all of Loki''s previous avatars lost to Sunna''s avatars¡ªhe knew that winning against Caldaros would be something close to impossible. Lucivar is arrogant; he obviously thinks he is better than all of the previous avatars, but he wasn''t stupid.

    Despite the help from Sutekh''s enhancement to his physique, the fight won''t go smoothly.

    So, the Fire Resurrection would be his final trump card to win.

    But with it compromised, he''s doomed.

    "My ether reserve is empty... I''m barely able to stand... And I have no more God strands..."

    Lucivar analyzed his situation and realized how dire it was.

    Just then, he reached for his nose, feeling warm liquid drizzling down from it.

    Unlike the normal color of blood, this one has a tinge of gold, sunlight gold.

    "Seems like my blood is activating..."

    Caldaros'' voice rang as he let go of his broken sword and clenched his only functioning hand into a fist.

    Hearing this, Lucivar quickly raised his hands, and fear could be clearly seen in his eyes.

    "Wait a minute, I surrender! I''ve only been Loki''s avatar for a few months, anyway, so I''m not really close to him! Besides, I wasn''t always like this! Ask my family! Before this, I''m a good person, but the moment Loki took hold of me, I couldn''t help myself!"

    "Please, if anything, help me get rid of him!"

    Despite the begging and pleading, Caldaros has no intention of sparing Lucivar.

    Nothing will stop him from killing Lucivar in this moment.

    He was already firm on that decision before.

    But now, since Lucivar touched Ciri, there''s really no chance for him.

    Slowly, Caldaros'' eyes trailed down to look at his hand with melancholy.

    "You said this hatred between us didn''t come from ourselves, but was tied to our patron Gods," Caldaros spoke, his voice steady, and his face devoid of any emotion. Only blankness as he said this. "We would not hate each other if it weren''t for their influence, so this has never been personal. But..."

    Caldaros looked at Lucivar.

    His eyes flashed with killing intent, vigorous and eager.

    "A minute from now... when I watch the light slowly fade from your eyes with my hand around your neck, I''m going to enjoy it... Every second it. Just as Sunna would."

    Caldaros let the wicked smile hang on his face for a second, to let his words sink into Lucivar''s mind.

    Then, abruptly, he approached Lucivar with wide strides.

    He was hurting inside, but not as badly as Lucivar.

    At this moment, he could still have enough strength to take a life, which he would use to end Lucivar''s.

    Lucivar turned, trying to flee, but his wings were nothing more than scorched remnants¡ªthe feathers long incinerated. He tried moving his legs¡ªas fast as he could, but they dragged, each step a desperate stumble, no faster than a wounded man limping toward death.

    It didn''t take long for Caldaros to reach him.

    Forcefully, Caldaros grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back, causing him to fall.

    On the ground, Lucivar was flipped over before Caldaros mounted him.

    Bam!

    A solid punch cracked across Lucivar''s face, cracking the bones in his face.

    "TELL ME WHERE CIRI IS!"

    Bam!

    Lucivar tried to struggle, to block the next punch, but he was too weak to offer any form of resistance.

    "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!"

    Bam!

    "TELL ME, BASTARD! TELL ME!!"

    Roughly, desperately, Caldaros clenched Lucivar''s collar and pulled on it.

    His bulging eyes, flaming with wrath, stared directly into Lucivar''s weak eyes as if he were hungry for blood.

    "Not going to tell me?" Caldaros'' eyes flashed with madness, as the smile on his face stretched even wider than before. He reached for Lucivar''s mouth, covering it with a trembling hand while laughing like a pervert trying to silence his victim, "Good, that''s exactly what I wanted from you. Keep resisting, okay?"

    Caldaros nodded his head, encouraging Lucivar to resist.

    "I don''t want you to say where she is right now, not this fast, not yet. Don''t make it easy for me, because I still haven''t severed your limbs one by one. Scream good for me, alright? Scream loud and clear. Let me hear how you whimper and plead for mercy."

    Crack!

    Caldaros grabbed Lucivar''s finger and broke it with a violent snap.

    It was sudden.

    Lucivar wanted to hold back his scream, but he couldn''t¡ªhis scream slipped out.

    "RAARGH!!"

    Upon hearing this melody of pain, Caldaros parted his lips, showing his rows of blood-stained teeth, laughing while looking at Lucivar''s contorted expression with sadistic pleasure. Then, he reached for another finger, breaking it too.

    Crack!

    "KRGGHK!!!"

    "Good, that''s good, Lucivar! Scream more! Louder!!"

    Crack!

    "GHRRKK!!"

    "Did you think you could threaten me and get away with it?!"

    Crack!

    "RAARH!!"

    "You''re Loki''s avatar! You''re destined to lose against me! You''re nothing compared to me!"

    Crack!

    Caldaros kept going, inflicting an unbelievable amount of pain that forced tears out of Lucivar''s eyes.

    But instead of reflecting and taking a step back, the tears encouraged him to do more.

    One by one, he broke Lucivar''s fingers.

    Now that he ran out of fingers to break, his eyes settled on the next target, the first limb he was going to sever¡ªLucivar''s right arm. Rising to his feet, he called upon Sunna''s power, intending to summon an axe and drag the agony out further.

    But then, a frown slowly formed on his face.

    For some reason, the axe couldn''t form fully.

    Caldaros tried a couple more times, but every time he did, the sunlight dispersed before it could form the axe. Naturally, this shouldn''t happen since he has more than enough in his tank to summon a weapon like this.

    At the moment of confusion, he noticed Lucivar was looking at him.

    Though his face was swollen and covered in blood, Caldaors could tell that he was smirking.

    A sense of dread suddenly settled on his chest, before a familiar voice echoed.

    "Caldaros..."

    Upon hearing this voice, Caldaros froze like ice water had been dumped over his spine.

    He knew exactly who this voice belonged to.

    Slowly, nervously, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Ciri standing in front of the park''s entrance.

    Almost instantly, he was fixated on her face.

    Ciri''s face had shed its usual warmth.

    Now, it was cold, distant, and unreadable.

    But beneath that stillness, a storm brewed; disbelief, hurt, fury, and bitter disappointment¡ªall tangled together, cracking through her gaze like lightning behind glass. She saw everything. She saw the battle from start to finish.

    And more importantly, she saw how Caldaros acted and heard every vile thing he said.

    "A-Aunty..."

    Caldaros forced out a smile, hurriedly wiping the blood smeared on his hands on his pants.

    As if that could somehow make everything better.

    He sensed that Ciri was around here.

    However, knowing Lucivar, there''s a big chance that his senses were fooled.

    Ciri might not be here.

    But he was wrong.

    Lucivar didn''t do anything to his senses; Ciri was really here, and she saw everything.

    "Thank the Goddess that you''re okay. I was worried, and I was searching for you. But he refused to tell me anything. In any case, why are you even here? I told you that you should be in the sa-"

    "Don''t come near me."

    Ciri immediately raised a hand when she saw Caldaros was about to take a step.

    Hearing the sharpness in her tone and the look of disgust was akin to a knife stabbing his heart.

    It was heartbreaking.

    "A-Aunty, this is not how it looks like," Caldaros said softly, trying to explain himself although he was scrambling for words, for a way to explain. "He forced my hands. He implied that he did something to you! It''s not like I want to do this..."

    "Really?" Ciri asked blankly.

    Just that question alone shut Caldaros up.

    He recalled every word he''d spoken earlier¡ªthe threats, the taunts, the twisted joy that he would feel when he took Lucivar''s life. The way he laughed, the way he begged for resistance just to justify more pain¡ªit all painted one undeniable truth.

    This wasn''t duty. This was a desire.

    It was as if Ciri had been living in a dream all this time, and now, he finally woke up.

    All of the memories she had with Caldaros... It was a lie.

    This... This Caldaros was the real him.

    And more devastating than that, this showed that Sunna also wanted this.

    She also took pleasure in taking down a rival God.

    "It''s not me," Caldaros said, desperation thick in his voice. "Look at all this blood. Look! I''m a Vampire Hybrid, Aunty. Blood changes me. It twists me into someone I''m not, gives me traits I''d never choose, drives me insane. That''s also one of the reasons I don''t want you to watch the tournament."

    "I knew you would take this the wrong way..." He added.

    And for a moment there, he could see that Ciri was slightly convinced by his excuse.

    It wasn''t a lie¡ªblood did change him, but this wasn''t because of that.

    "He''s lying..."

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar''s voice rang.

    Caldaros snapped towards him with a face that contained a million emotions.

    Mostly, he was warning Lucivar not to do this.

    Reaching for his pocket, he took out the vial, the White Blood vial, and showed it to Ciri.

    "Inside of him, there''s a dose of White Blood. He can''t use his Vampiric powers. This is all him."

    "Bastard! You planned this all along?!!"

    Gritting his teeth so hard that blood seeped out, he turned to Ciri, wanting to give another excuse.

    But Ciri has had enough of it.

    "Caldaros, my dear, dear... Caldaros," Ciri murmured dearly, tears streaming down her face, as she looked at the face of the person whom she had relied on all this time. "You''re as disgusting as he is. No, you are worse. You lied to me. Pretended. At least that Devil¡ªhe''s honest about himself, unlike you."

    A grin of triumph settled on Lucivar''s face when he heard this.

    ''Bingo... You lose, Caldaros.''

 Chapter 303 303: No More Sun

    Caldaros made a big mistake.

    He was too arrogant and spoke without thinking.

    One sentence exposed his weakness, and without him knowing, doom was already waiting for him.

    Lucivar planned this moment from the second he realized Ciri was Caldaros'' source of power.

    Being the Blessed Oracle, the chosen one, his arrogance knows no bounds, but he knew his limitations.

    Countless Loki''s avatars had fought against Sunna''s avatars, and all of them ended up losing, no matter what their approach was. Some probably had tried to create a wedge between Sunna''s avatar and their source, as Lucivar did right now, but none of them succeeded.

    This¡ªwhat Lucivar decided to do¡ªIt wasn''t a new approach.

    So, he has to add more, utilize something only he has.

    And that was how he ended up with the idea of showing the cold truth of the world to Ciri.

    He was once a good person, and when he learned the truth about the world, he changed.

    Ciri could also change if the undeniable truth was shown right in front of her eyes.

    All Lucivar needed to do was to plant the idea in her mind, and have Caldaros¡ªthe person she trusted the most prove to her that it was real. Seeing how wicked Caldaros becomes, though he was a favored one of the Sun Goddess, showed Ciri that the truth Lucivar was trying to tell her was real.

    Only the wicked attract and possess power.

    Good and evil gods do not exist¡ªonly gods of light and gods of darkness.

    Karma wouldn''t allow good entities to be strong.

    Caldaros stood there frozen as if her words had turned his blood into ice.

    At first, he blinked rapidly, lips parting to speak, but no sound leaving his mouth.

    "Aunt Ciri... you, you didn''t mean that..."

    He rasped, his mind denying what Ciri said, insisting that she hadn''t meant any of it, that the tremble in her voice was only the pain talking, not the truth. But even then¡ªthere was no change in Ciri''s face, still thick with disappointment and disgust.

    Caldaros'' brows knitted tightly as if trying to hold the world from falling apart.

    Hesitantly, he took a step forward, hand lifting as if he was reaching for Ciri, but stopped mid-track as he saw Ciri moving away. Now, she was scared of him, and her eyes didn''t even look at him anymore, as if she couldn''t bear the sight of him.

    Realizing that the damage was already done, his chest rose with a sharp breath.

    Then, his eyes caught a glowing ring on Ciri''s finger.

    It was emanating a sinister hue, one that unmistakably belonged to Lucivar and Loki.

    ''He hid Ciri with that right...'' Caldaros thought in realization.

    Despite Ciri being so near, he couldn''t sense her, which normally should be impossible.

    But that ring that he recognized as the Gleipnir''s Echo was the reason.

    Just then, Caldaros'' eyes widened in horror when he heard a demonic, astral chuckle of a woman.

    And it was getting louder.

    Normally, the previous avatars'' memories were locked for the current avatar to avoid imploding from the sheer amount of information, but Sunna helped him digest some memories. All for the sake of his inevitable battle with Lucivar.

    And from those memories, he recalled one moment where Loki''s avatar almost won.

    In that memory, there was also this eerie laughter.

    A laughter that he knew exactly where it came from.

    "The Fool..."

    Caldaros muttered.

    Just saying the name alone carried an invisible weight of pressure.

    All Sunna''s avatars won, but every single time the Fool appeared, deep trauma was left behind.

    His eyes bore witness to an entity that only he and Lucivar could see forming right behind Ciri. She is eerily tall, wears a horrifying smiling mask, and is wearing the black¡ªand emerald outfit of a medieval jester, which adds to her terrifying appearance.

    It was at that moment did he realized that Lucivar was stronger than he anticipated.

    "If he had access to the Fool, then he has access to the Labyrinth of the Arcane Menagerie,'' He realized, swallowing hard as the weight of the revelation settled in. "That means... He''s already reached Second Divine Elevation. Everything I''ve done¡ªsnapping at Ciri, the odd anger issues, the bloodlust¡ªit wasn''t me. It was him. He''s been pulling the strings from the very beginning... like I''m nothing more than his puppet.''

    Blinking at the realization, Caldaros watched as the Fool ridiculed him.

    Her elongated fingers glided over Ciri''s face, each touch laced with malice¡ªwhile her mocking laughter pierced the air, aimed squarely at Caldaros. Fury immediately curled through his veins, and for a moment, it showed.

    His eyes flashed, his hands curling into fists, so tight the skin around his knuckles blanched.

    "Open your eyes, Aunt Ciri!"

    "This is not right! He''s manipulating you! Can''t you see it that he''s toying with us?! US?!!"

    He roared, pointing at her with unbridled rage.

    Gritting his teeth, Caldaros pivoted sharply, thrusting a finger toward Lucivar''s direction, though both of his eyes remained locked on Ciri, "I don''t know what lies he fed you, but he''s using you¡ªthat''s all that is! Everything I did... It was to keep you safe!"

    His voice trembled with fury and desperation.

    One that completely shed his mask of goodness and showed his true self.

    "So, what if I wanted him to suffer? He deserves a painful death! He''s Loki''s avatar¡ªan avatar of an Evil God! The very embodiment of everything vile!" He spat, eyes wide with madness. His breath came faster now, ragged, like it hurt to breathe. "Can''t you see it? We, those who have power, must make sure to eradicate all evil people!"

    "Eradicate all evil people..." Ciri repeated. "It''s never made more sense than it does at this moment."

    Upon hearing this, Caldaros was at a loss for words.

    It was clear that Ciri was talking about him.

    He was the one who needed to be eradicated first, not Lucivar.

    Realizing how far¡ªit has gone, the fire in his face broke, collapsed under the weight of something more fragile. His eyes widened, moist and desperate. He clasped his hands together, the fight inside him crumbling with each passing second.

    And the Fool''s laughter... It kept tugging on his willpower, taking a strain on his mental clarity.

    "Please, Aunt Ciri. We can talk about this, but let''s get rid of him first..."

    "I promise, I''ll do anything to make it up for what I did. But right now, don''t abandon me..."

    Ciri listened to him attentively, but she didn''t answer.

    She remained silent, watching him with hurt behind her eyes.

    Seeing this, Caldaros tried to steady himself, but his knees nearly gave¡ªand he pressed a palm to his chest as if trying to hold in the pain. His lips moved in silence, mouthing words that would not come out.

    Not because he couldn''t, but because he knew no words could fix this situation.

    Caldaros'' eyes searched hers for a flicker of warmth, a hint of the old Ciri, of forgiveness.

    But there was none.

    Inhaling deeply, Ciri took one last look at Caldaros and turned around, heading back inside the park.

    She left for good.

    Caldaros could feel the mass of clouds forming, blotting out the sun that had once shone only for him.

    Now, his sun was gone, and he was shrouded in darkness.

    Despite the finality that Ciri showed, Caldaros tried to run after her, but the Fool blocked his way.

    "Get out of my way!!"

    Caldaros tried punching her with his bare hands, but she suddenly transformed into a box.

    An emerald present box.

    Before he could react, the box sprang open, releasing a burst of emerald smoke that swallowed the air.

    Almost instantly, the entire area was shrouded in emerald smoke.

    Caldaros coughed hard several times, feeling the smoke latching onto his skin, and even seeping into his body, stripping his ether. He waved his hand, trying to push away the smoke and breathe proper air, but it was futile.

    Exhaustedly, he lifted his gaze and looked ahead with a grim face.

    A pair of glowing eyes could be seen ahead, which soon showed to be Lucivar.

    He was now already on his feet, and even some of his wounds were healing.

    "It took you a while, but I assume you''ve finally realized you should''ve listened to Aurel," He rasped as the sky above split open even wider, with Crossers beginning to try to push through the dimensional fabric. "What you did to me backfired. Completely. You wanted to humble me, to make yourself feel more powerful, but all it did was prove what I already knew: I''m superior. Far superior."

    "It was never me who needed to stay in my lane. It was you," He added condescendingly.

    Lucivar was now standing straight.

    Beside him, Gandr was already laughing, tears rolling down his face from amusement.

    As always, he didn''t read Lucivar''s mind, purposefully leaving himself out of the main plan.

    So that he could be surprised.

    Unlike under normal circumstances, this time, Gandr did this because he was worried that even Lucivar wouldn''t be able to score against Sunna''s avatar. But he was pleasantly surprised. Lucivar not only scored, but he dominated.

    "Raarggh!!"

    Caldaros unleashed his battle cry and charged at Lucivar.

    He hurled his fist with everything he had, aiming to take Lucivar''s head clean off.

    Bam!

    Lucivar caught the fist with ease, as if the punch was thrown by a toddler, not an avatar.

    A smirk crossed his face as he tilted his head menacingly.

    "Ciri already abandoned you¡ªyou have no access to Sunna''s power again," Lucivar said, shaking his head, pitying Caldaros, who was high and mighty before. "And without her power, you only have your Vampiric powers, which were now corrupted by the White Blood. Even if you somehow could use it, the smoke will weaken you."

    Hearing this, Caldaros swallowed hard as his heart pounded inside his chest.

    He couldn''t believe that it ended up like this.

    "Accept it, Caldaros, you''re going to die today..." Lucivar whispered death into his ears.

    Seeing this, Aurel''s voice rang inside Caldaros'' mind.

    ''Use it right now!''

    Snapping out of his daze, Caldaros leaped back with a flap of his wings, landing a few meters away.

    Boom!

    Out of nowhere, his aura surged once more.

    A sun mark appeared on his forehead, and it gave him a temporary, but substantial, boost in power.

    Lucivar could feel his aura rising higher than he was even at the start of the battle.

    "Even though you managed to put up a fight, I am still going to win¡ªthis fight!" Caldaros roared, his entire body turning into sunlight. "Regardless of what you do, my Goddess is still the perfect counter to your God! Her sunlight will vaporize you!!"

    Maniacally, Caldaros fired a beam of sunlight from the sun mark and also from his wings.

    Three beams merged into one big beam that decimated everything in its path.

    But as it reached Lucivar, something shocking happened.

    Bam!

    Lucivar slapped the beam away as if it were nothing, deflecting it to the side as it shattered a building.

    Amid the shock, a ridiculing smirk crossed his face.

    "Unfortunately for you, I''m a lot more than that."

    "What...?"

 Chapter 304 304: Declaration of War

    His stamina was exhausted.

    His ether reserve, down to its last drop.

    No more support from his power source, and his bloodline was also neutralized.

    At this moment, Caldaros knew that he was on the brink of being defeated.

    But he still has one more trick up his sleeve.

    The Sun Mark of Sunna, an ability he obtained from achieving the First Divine Elevation.

    Requiring neither ether nor stamina.

    It''s an ability that used his vitality as fuel to create one last powerful attack¡ªthat would vaporize anyone who got in the way as long as the gap in power wasn''t overwhelming. Against Lucivar¡ªLoki''s avatar, this ability''s power was amplified due to its purification property.

    Even if Lucivar has reached the Second Divine Elevation, he wouldn''t be able to block this beam.

    Loki wasn''t known for his resilience, so this would decimate him.

    But reality slapped him across his face.

    "Unfortunately for you, I''m a lot more than that."

    "What...?"

    Caldaros''s eyes bulged in horror when his trump card was swatted away easily as if it were nothing.

    As the beam made impact with the building to their side and shattered into pieces, Caldaros'' eyes were fixated on Lucivar as if he were looking at an unknown entity. It should be impossible¡ªbut the devilish smirk that crossed Lucivar''s face showed that it really happened.

    His last attack did get deflected.

    ''It''s Sunna''s pure energy...''

    Caldaros'' heart pounded inside his chest like a war drum.

    ''Something wicked like him should be purified and killed on the spot...''

    A bead of cold sweat ran down the side of his face.

    ''Not a single one of Loki''s previous avatars could withstand this attack, so how...?''

    Recalling what Lucivar said earlier, his heart sank to his stomach.

    But even then, he refused to be defeated.

    "Raarggh!!"

    Unleashing a primal cry, Caldaros used what little stamina he had and attacked Lucivar.

    He swung his fists wildly, desperately, but Lucivar was able to dodge them all easily.

    For some reason, Lucivar''s ether was charged, and he was now able to move better than Caldaros.

    "This is not fair! Not fair!"

    "You must''ve cheated! I refuse to believe you are prepared to counter everything I have!"

    "I refuse! I refuseaah!!"

    Lucivar took in Caldaros'' pathetic appearance as he swung his fists, which were raw without any kind of enhancement, in desperation. His tears, the drool that escaped his mouth, and even the terror that was shown clearly in his eyes, all of them combined, created this wonderful sight.

    An avatar broken thoroughly to his core.

    A shiver ran down Lucivar''s spine as his imagination of wholeheartedly shattering Caldaros came true.

    And for what it was worth, the reality was even sweeter than his imagination.

    "You tricked yourself into believing that you won, which made you bolder. You showed Ciri exactly what I needed you to show her," Lucivar said, amidst parrying and blocking the flurries of punches. "Your... evil. And now, you have no access to your power. Ciri turned on you, and now, the sun is no longer shining on you."

    "And without the sun,"

    "Huaakh!"

    Lucivar weaved to the side and landed a punch into his gut, curving his body backward.

    "You''re... beatable," He whispered devilishly.

    Inside Caldaros'' Inner Chamber, Aurel watched his descent to defeat.

    She was stunned.

    She couldn''t believe what she was seeing.

    For the longest time, their avatars have always won against Loki''s avatars¡ªbut that streak that spanned for eons was broken today. Lucivar managed to defeat Caldaros despite his disadvantages, and the worst part, Aurel couldn''t refute this triumph.

    No matter how much hatred she has, she couldn''t say that Lucivar got lucky.

    He didn''t.

    He won this battle fair and square.

    "But the Sun Mark of Sunna should''ve vaporized him," Aurel frowned as she understood every step that Lucivar took, but this part. "Loki didn''t help him since I''d sense him if he tried, and being in the Second Divine Elevation would not give enough power to block that attack, so how? Is it his bloodline? But what could it be?"

    Deciding that she needed to find out, Aurel expanded her divine senses.

    A small orb of sunlight appeared on her forehead before its light expanded outwards.

    It seeped out of the Inner Chamber and brushed against Lucivar''s body.

    Immediately upon touching, something stung her divine senses hard, and sent it hurtling back toward Aurel hard. She was thrown backward inside the Inner Chamber¡ªstumbling across the floor. Once she came to a halt, she sat up in shock.

    "What was that...?" She mumbled in confusion.

    Glancing down at her wing, a small cut marred the surface.

    From it, fine grains of sand trickled like bleeding dust.

    Frowning for a second, scrutinizing what it was, Aurel''s eyes widened when she recognized it.

    "Chaos... The source of Chaos is inside him!"

    Realizing that something incredible was going on with Lucivar, Aurel quickly abandoned Caldaros'' body, flying out to report this to Sunna. Emerging outside, her gaze met with Lucivar¡ªbut she did not care and channeled her power.

    It was then she found her power was not working, she couldn''t return back to Sunna''s realm.

    Blinking to see what normal eyes couldn''t see, Aurel saw a bubble.

    A bubble that surrounded Lucivar''s body, which only she could see.

    It was thick with pure intent and was blocking any connection she had with her home realm.

    ''Pure intent...? Who? Is there a traitor from the light?'' She thought in confusion.

    Regardless, once Sunna got a whiff of this, she would tell the other Gods.

    It wouldn''t take long for this to be handled, including this traitor who dared work for Loki.

    Fortunately, the bubble was not that big.

    As long as she stepped out of it, she could instantly return back to Sunna''s realm.

    Just as she flapped her wings frantically, turning into a flash of sunlight in an attempt to get out of the range of the bubble, Aurel''s senses reacted when she heard a violent hiss. Coming from the side, Gandr rushed at her with an open maw.

    Aurel swirled and avoided the attack perfectly.

    She was about to mock Gandr''s pathetic attempt, but a shadow suddenly loomed over her.

    Looking up, Aurel''s expression turned pale when she saw that the figure above her was a black cat.

    But what was more surprising was the sheer fact that the black cat was similar to her and Gandr.

    It was also a Divine Beast!

    Crash!

    A paw strike slapped her head and sent her hurtling downward.

    Aurel was slammed against the ground, back into the emerald haze from the Fool, groaning in pain as she didn''t understand what was happening. Before she could recover, Gandr already reached her and wrapped her in a cobra choke, restraining her.

    On the other hand, the black cat, Sha, landed right beside them, licking her paw nonchalantly.

    Upon seeing Sha, Aurel''s breath was caught in her throat.

    "Sha...? No, this can''t be real..."

    Even though she expected Lucivar to be someone who was born with a unique condition, causing disturbances in the weave of fate and chaos, this was not normal. Hosting two Gods inside of him was something beyond Aurel''s comprehension.

    She never even knew that this was possible.

    No avatar has ever possessed more than one God.

    There are avatars who gained help from another God, but none could host more than one like this.

    Recovering from her initial shock, Aurel''s eyes glowed radiantly.

    "How dare you do this! Once the Architects knew, you''re done! All of them are going to crush you!"

    "Silence."

    Sha''s voice boomed with authority.

    Sha cast a sharp glare at Aurel, clearly displeased by her tone.

    "Do not mistake me for Loki''s, who has the heart to humor a jest."

    "Hiss... Hiss... Isn''t this a pleasant surprise? My first avatar''s victory would also be accompanied by something more incredible."

    Gandr chuckled, anticipating what was about to happen next.

    Upon hearing this, Aurel blinked as she realized something that drained the color from her face.

    She remembered the strange, almost holy bubble of energy that had surrounded them¡ªa blessing that had felt out of place. But with the sudden appearance of Sha, Sutekh''s divine beast emerging from deep within Lucivar, the pieces began to fall into place.

    Aurel sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes wide with dawning horror as she looked at the two.

    "You... You took one of us hostage," She whispered, voice trembling. "Someone strong enough to mask your wretched stench. No... No, it can''t be," Her expression twisted with disbelief. "You took an Archangel?! Are you insane? That''s a declaration of war!"

    "I can''t believe I always lost to someone this slow..." Gandr hissed, shaking his head.

    He didn''t care that Aurel knew about this.

    It doesn''t matter.

    Even Sha was also relaxed, she didn''t mind Aurel knowing about that.

    Since she''s not going to remember it, of course.

    ''I need to get out of here, but how?!''

    Aurel thought inside, looking around in search of an escape route.

    Then, her eyes landed on Lucivar.

    ''If I helped Caldaros kill him, both of them would be disoriented, and I could flee!''

    Knowing what to do, Aurel suddenly turned into sunlight, freeing herself from Gandr''s grasp.

    She rushed straight at Caldaros, heading back into his body.

    But unlike before, she now used her power to enhance him to deal the final blow.

    Sha was about to block Aurel''s charge, but Gandr stopped him.

    "Don''t,"

    "Hmm? She''s going to try and kill Lucivar, that''s obvious, and we can''t have that."

    "Peek at his mind a bit."

    Gandr nudged his chin towards Lucivar.

    Upon hearing this, Sha turned toward Lucivar and peered into his mind.

    It was only then did she realized what Gandr was talking about.

    "Huh... I guess the third one is going to be awakened soon. The Blessed Oracle is really sharp.

    Meanwhile, back to the battle.

    Lucivar drilled his foot into Caldaros'' stomach, sending him stumbling away.

    "Eurgh... Ravenna helped me recover some God strands, but my ether and stamina are still low," Lucivar mumbled with a light groan. He looked ahead at Caldaros¡ªand tilted his head, "Is that really it? I still have one more thing planned, but that''s only possible if he still has one last move in him."

    Lucivar turned to the side a little, sensing the person he had been waiting for.

    It took her long enough to come, but she was here now.

    All he needed to do now was another performance, which should be easy since he''s really tired now.

    Cough!

    Lucivar covered his mouth and coughed a mouthful of blood.

    He looked at the blood and frowned to realize that his body was more damaged than he thought.

    As he turned to look at Caldaros again, his eyes widened when a blinding flash assaulted his eyes.

    It forced him to close his eyes.

    And when he opened his eyes again, Caldaros was already upon him with a brilliant sword in hand.

    Splash!

 Chapter 305 305: End of the Act

    In order to secure the path for Ravenna and Bakar, Nerissa and Mirel worked together.

    Nerissa slowed down the falling rock, and when Ravenna and Bakar were out of the destruction range, Mirel quickly carried her and sprinted away to avoid the impact. Both of them kept doing that, as the purple dungeon was relentless.

    Surprisingly, the two succeeded flawlessly.

    Mirel was confident in his speed, so running out of the impact range wasn''t a problem.

    But what surprised him was that Nerissa''s hymn was working perfectly.

    He knew that Nerissa was a Siren Hybrid with a named Supernatural Ego¡ªbelonging to the Queen of the Siren. Her talent is incredibly high, but he never knew that she had it in her. Utilizing the scream of pain across the city to boost her power, it was something that she wouldn''t dare to do.

    Not because she couldn''t, but she doesn''t have the heart to do it.

    Nerissa changed.

    Now, she was brave enough to do anything.

    As Mirel sprinted across the street, heading to where the others were, he couldn''t help but ask.

    "What you said to me earlier..."

    "Which one?"

    "You said Lucivar helped you be like this... how?"

    Upon hearing this, Nerissa paused, not knowing whether she should tell Mirel about Shadow or not.

    It was quite personal for her, and Mirel doesn''t have the same air as Lucivar.

    He wouldn''t understand.

    Nerissa hated lying.

    Even more, she hated the silence that stretched when she didn''t know how to tell the truth to Mirel.

    "I''ve been holding back," She finally uttered.

    Her lips curved, but it wasn''t quite a smile¡ªit was something between gratitude and guilt. "I was afraid that I''d lose control if I heeded what my bloodline wants. Lucivar... he reminded me that I don''t need to be afraid. He told me that he''ll catch me if I fall. Until I become as strong as I want, he''ll always be right behind me."

    Mirel was quiet.

    He kept sprinting through the street while listening to what she had to say.

    But Nerissa could feel the flicker of concern beneath his calm.

    She quickly pushed through before he could ask too much.

    "Knowing that someone is going to be there made me brave. I am going to start trying harder, without being afraid," Nerissa added¡ªher eyes gazing ahead profoundly. "So, I can finally be useful. So, I can stop being the weak link."

    Mirel raised a brow, "You''ve never been the weak link."

    "Maybe..." Nerissa exhaled, a soft sound like breezing air. "But I''m now ready to prove it."

    She smiled inwardly.

    It''s miraculous what a change of heart feels like, and she owed it all to Lucivar.

    ''As long as he''s around, I''m sure I can reach where I want. As long as he''s around...''

    ...

    Caldaros, tattered and beaten, suddenly felt a surge of power that came out of nowhere.

    Then, a voice rang inside his mind loudly.

    ''Kill him! Use everything to kill him right now!!''

    Blinking, he realized that it was Aurel''s voice; she came back and infused her own energy into him.

    At the sight of Lucivar coughing up blood weakly, disoriented for a brief second, Caldaros sprang to his feet, the power within him surging forth. His eyes ignited with blinding sunlight, so fierce that the moment Lucivar turned to look, his vision seared in agony.

    "Arghk!"

    Lucivar staggered as blood drizzled down from his closed eyelids.

    Seeing this, Caldaros dashed.

    His entire body was screaming in exhaustion, but he forced it to move, not wasting a single second.

    At his second step, a sword made purely of sunlight formed in his hand.

    It hummed with power, one that exceeded even Caldaros'' power when he was at his peak condition.

    An incredible sword that could kill any mortal with one strike.

    ''I can only use this once, even with Aurel''s help. But once is plenty enough to kill him!''

    Swoosh!

    As soon as Lucivar forced his eyes to open, Caldaros was already within striking range.

    Grinning mischievously, he thrust the sword forward with all he had, aiming for Lucivar''s heart.

    "I win!"

    Splash!

    At the last possible moment, a figure lunged into the path as the radiant sword drove deep into flesh.

    Blood splattered onto Caldaros'' face.

    He looked up, shock could be seen clearly on his face, and saw that a woman had gotten in the way.

    Just as he wanted, his sword, his very last attack, stabbed through the heart, but it wasn''t Lucivar''s heart.

    "NERISSA!"

    Mirel, standing around the corner of the street, screamed in horror when he saw this.

    His eyes went completely round when the blade pierced through her chest.

    Both of them arrived seconds ago when, without hesitation, Nerissa shoved him aside and rushed ahead with everything she had. The moment she saw Lucivar was about to be stabbed, she moved¡ªswift and utterly resolute.

    Almost like it was her instinct to save Lucivar from danger.

    And she succeeded in taking the blow.

    "Heurgh..."

    Blood trickled from Nerissa''s lips, fresh and slow, as if her very soul was draining away.

    Her face twisted with a pain that she had never felt before.

    Automatically, her body shuddered violently as her head dipped forward.

    Pale blonde strands slipped over her face like a curtain¡ªhiding the horror etched in her expression, but not the blood soaking through her chest, blooming like a crimson flower, where the blade had pierced her heart.

    Despite her condition, she felt somewhat free, more alive than ever.

    Perhaps because she was able to do what she always wanted to do, to protect instead of being protected.

    Swish!

    Not going down without a fight, Nerissa cast her ability, summoning a body of water that moved like a snake, and shot straight at Caldaros'' chest. A painful wail escaped his lips as he was pushed back, but the water only grazed his heart.

    It was hard to control it accurately with her life draining away, and now she knows it.

    Before he could fall, a shadow appeared in front of him.

    Caldaros gazed up with finality as Lucivar''s glowing emerald eyes stared into his.

    "Your usefulness is over, Caldaros."

    Viciously, Lucivar opened his hand and drove it into Caldaros'' chest.

    Splash!

    He held nothing back.

    His hand tore through Caldaros'' chest with a sickening crack, bursting out the other side.

    In it was a still-throbbing heart in his blood-soaked grasp.

    "I win..."

    As Lucivar whispered those final words into Caldaros'' face, he yanked his hand free, ripping away the last thread of life. Caldaros'' gaze lingered on Lucivar''s eyes, wide with disbelief, burning with anger, flickering with confusion... until finally, the fire dimmed.

    Emotions drained like breath from his lungs.

    It only left behind a glassy emptiness.

    A hollow stare that saw nothing, felt nothing, and would never see again.

    Lucivar stared ahead as Caldaros'' body buckled to his knees, then curled around his feet.

    Death of the enemy is a delight for him.

    He felt good, liberated, and powerful.

    But the wind of triumph was still unfinished.

    Lucivar pivoted around and looked down, meeting Nerissa''s weak eyes.

    She was smiling sweetly at him despite the hole in her chest, and her blood pooling around her, wetting her frail body¡ªand hair. From between her suffocating gasps, she forced out a question, "Did... Did I protect you?"

    "Yes."

    "I see... I''m glad."

    Lucivar fully turned to face her and squinted his eyes.

    "Did it make you feel good?"

    "Yes..."

    Before Lucivar could answer, Mirel was already upon her, tears streaming down his face.

    He managed to get a grip and check on Nerissa.

    "Nerissa! Why did you do that? Hey, look at me! Don''t you dare close your eyes!"

    From the side, Bakar, Leandra, and even Ravenna came rushing.

    All of them saw how Nerissa rushed to Lucivar''s aid and got stabbed through her chest.

    Initially, they were watching from the sidelines, knowing that Lucivar had a plan, and it was hard to really believe what was going on. Lucivar might''ve been in trouble earlier as he was disoriented, but on the other side, he could''ve been faking it.

    So, none of them came to help Lucivar.

    But Nerissa didn''t care which one was the truth and helped him anyway.

    Lucivar glanced at them mourning Nerissa, exhaled softly, and turned away in silence.

    He stepped into the park again, scanned the entire place, and noticed Ciri sitting alone on the stage.

    Splat!

    Ciri was startled when something fell onto the stage, leaving behind a wet red trail.

    She blinked her eyes, inspecting what this blob was, before she soon realized that it was an actual heart!

    "He''s dead."

    A voice came from the side.

    Ciri glanced to the side and saw Lucivar standing motionlessly like a ghost.

    Seeing him here meant Caldaros had fallen, but instead of being devastated, she exhaled in relief.

    "I was dreading the talk I''d need to have with Caldaros if you die, but since you''re here¡ªI''m relieved that I don''t have to go through that pain," Ciri mumbled, her gaze drifting aside, calmer than she should be. "Truly... I''m relieved."

    Lucivar let out an incredulous breath and sat beside Ciri.

    Considering what he did, he expected Ciri to keep a distance, but she didn''t even flinch.

    Silence enveloped the two of them as the sky rumbled with more alien energy.

    "You were right. Caldaros and the Goddess are exactly like you."

    "Good to know. In case you haven''t noticed, I invested a lot to make you understand."

    "Why did you even want me to understand?"

    "If I want to lie, I''d say it''s fun to prove that you''re wrong. But in truth¡ªCaldaros'' source of power is you. You are his sun, that''s undeniable, and making you happy is how he became stronger. I wouldn''t be able to beat him had you still sided with him."

    Upon hearing this, Ciri huffed, the sound laced with derision.

    "So, even all of the good memories I have with him were all fake. I can''t believe it."

    "Will it be better if I didn''t say that?"

    "No, it''s good that you said that. At least now I know the truth. No one is good in this wicked world."

    Lucivar shook his head.

    That was a misconception on her part.

    "You''re wrong. There are good people in this world, but none of them are strong. That''s all."

    "I see... You have solved the ancient riddle. Congratulations. Power doesn''t corrupt¡ªIt simply answers the call of those already rotting inside."

    "Ouch, so I''m rotting inside? That''s rude."

    Ciri chuckled, finding the moment to be surreal.

    Then, she gazed ahead.

    "What now...?"

    "Before we think about what''s next, you should see this first."

    "See what?"

    Lucivar nudged his chin ahead at the entrance.

    "Now that you know that those in power are evil, you should also see what caused them to be like that."

 Chapter 306 306: Kindest Evil

    A thunderous cracked rang as the crack in the sky spread wider.

    It sent shockwaves rippling through the air, riling up the wind and melting the clouds away.

    Beyond, separated by a thin veil of dimensional fabric like the wall of a womb, were countless monsters trying to push through and ransack the world. Dragons, demonic winged creatures, and even monsters bound by chains that were picked up from the darkest corner of the world on the other side, clawed at the veil relentlessly.

    Each vie to be the first one to enter.

    Around it, the powerful Hybrids from the Hybrid Association and the neighbouring city sweated.

    All of them were taking care of the flaming debris, protecting the city below with all they had.

    One flew across the horizon and hacked multiple flaming orbs, while another created a massive shield of ether to hold back the debris that only kept on increasing in numbers as the purple dungeon neared its maturity and broke through the veil.

    Not only that, the streets swarmed with groups of Hybrids, locating the Proselytes.

    Though killing them wouldn''t close down the dungeon, it would buy a lot of time.

    Just seeing through the veil alone, the Hybrids here wouldn''t be able to take care of the Crossers.

    A lot of reinforcements are needed, and time is the ultimate currency.

    But at the back of their minds, the Hybrids who were currently here at this moment, all of them accepted that this would be their grave. All they could do now was hold these Crossers back until the main army of the Light World from the main Hybrid Association came.

    Since the purple dungeon came out of nowhere, it''ll take some time for them to arrive.

    Perhaps, they weren''t even planning to rescue the city, focusing more on the cities around Sunhold City.

    Either way, all they could do was to fight.

    An apocalyptic phenomenon that burned the sky violet, luminous stain spreading across the heavens as if the Gods themselves had slit the firmament and the let the void bleed through. A chorus of terror, raw and unrelenting, rising from every corner of the city. Buildings groaned under the weight of the unseen power; glass shattered, metal twisted, and the air itself trembled with the weight of doom.

    Yet, even in the teeth of chaos, there was always one who saw differently.

    Where others saw ruin, they saw restoration.

    Where minds fractured under fear, theirs found beauty in the madness.

    For in the cracks of the collapsing world, there would always be someone who found the sublime.

    One could always find a situation beautiful.

    Ciri was the one who was enthralled by the moment, smiling, unfearful of death.

    It was exactly as she had pictured.

    Upon Caldaros accepting the power of Sunna and becoming her avatar, Ciri has thought of the worst so many times. She knew that accepting such a great power would come at a cost¡ªa cost that could only be paid by blood.

    Caldaros'' death has skimmed past her mind on multiple occasions.

    And this moment, the death of an avatar, is exactly as she pictured¡ªcatastrophic.

    But there was one deviation from her imagination.

    If anyone told her that she would be taking in such a breathtaking sight with Lucivar beside her a week ago, she would''ve laughed and found that to be ridiculous. Now, here she was¡ªsitting beside him, the man who killed Caldaros, on the stage where she usually performed.

    For some reason, she doesn''t feel angry, bitter, or vengeful at all.

    She weirdly felt at peace.

    Almost as if she could now be certain that the world she was seeing is true, not fake.

    Unconsciously, a small chuckle escaped her lips.

    Lucivar turned towards her, raising one of his brows.

    "What are you chuckling about?"

    "I remembered something someone told me."

    "...?"

    Since they have time anyway, Lucivar tilted his head, gesturing for her to tell her story.

    Ciri didn''t even hesitate.

    It wouldn''t matter anyway at this point.

    She paused for a moment, searching her memory, then began to recount it.

    "Before Caldaros became an avatar, about a year ago, I saw this man, a bit older than me, who was blind on one side. I was sitting in a park when he approached me. He''s wearing expensive clothes, so I wasn''t really alerted."

    "He was charming. And the way he spoke... he made me feel like the center of the world. Then, before he leaves, he told me that he''s a seer. He took my hand and read my palm, saying that Caldaros would rise in the world, but the moment of his death would be the happiest I''ll ever be."

    A frown formed on Lucivar''s face when he heard that.

    He doesn''t know about her, but for him, the man sounded very suspicious.

    "How did he even know Caldaros if you didn''t recognize him?"

    "I''m also confused. But he left before I could even say anything, and never saw him again. Anyway, at that time, if he really was a real seer, I thought Caldaros would do something incredible before his death. How wrong was I...?"

    Ciri shook her head, chuckling inwardly, ridiculing her past self.

    She thought the best, but in reality, Caldaros died after being exposed as a hypocrite.

    Lucivar paused for a moment.

    His guts were warning him about this.

    "Did, did the man say anything else to you?"

    "No, not really. Why? Oh wait, he did say that I should support Caldaros to be stronger."

    "Huh... Is that so?"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar averted his gaze, contemplating what she said.

    ''A bit older and blind in one eye, so this man must look like Tobias. A seer? Is this a coincidence?''

    For someone who has the ability to see into the future like that, it must have been someone strong and influential, so coming to talk with Ciri wasn''t random. It does not have to do with anything with him, but he somehow felt uneasy.

    It feels like the answer was already at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn''t quite get to it.

    Swish!

    Just then, a swirling sunlight could be seen outside the park.

    From the direction it was coming from, Ciri reckoned that it came from Caldaros'' corpse.

    She turned to Lucivar with both brows raised, "Is this what you wanted me to see?"

    "Yes," Lucivar nodded with a smile.

    He stood up and gazed at the swirling sunlight, his back facing Ciri.

    "I''m sure you''re curious as to what could possibly force everyone, including the Gods, to be evil so that they could retain their power," Lucivar said, gazing at the swirl of sunlight that was growing thicker and faster by the second. "The answer is... karma. It''s broken."

    "Karma? What do you mean?" Ciri tilted her head.

    She didn''t know what to expect, but this still surprised her.

    Lucivar turned around, his form silhouetted by the radiant sunlight behind him.

    "Good karma grants fortune and bad karma grants misfortune, but now, somehow, it was reversed. Now, beings with bad karma are fortunate, which was the reason why even Sunna, the Goddess who was on the good side, was also evil."

    "Once you collect enough bad karma, good things will happen..."

    As he said that, Lucivar pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

    It was then that Ciri bore witness to an incredibly spectacular sight, the sunlight swirling from Caldaros'' corpse surged into brilliance, condensing into a blinding pillar of divine energy. The radiant beam shot skyward, golden and immense, spiraling as it tore through the heavens¡ªand pierced the clouds like a spear.

    Everyone saw this spectacle.

    Even the Hybrids circling above veered off-course, instinctively scattering from its path.

    Soon, the divine beam struck the sky with the force of a Goddess'' hammer, slamming into the heart of the gaping purple dungeon above. The impact reverberated like a celestial drumbeat, shaking the entire sky and tearing sound from the world.

    In the next breath, the beam unraveled.

    Its golden light erupted outward in brilliant waves of holiness.

    Sparks of golden divine energy danced like lightning across the surface of the portal, the veil.

    Until eventually, it detonated.

    Kaboom!

    Ciri''s eyes widened as she saw that the sky was covered in the explosion.

    Blinding light engulfed everything, swallowing clouds, shadows, and sound alike.

    From the dying portal came a sudden, violent pull¡ªa monstrous suction that only dragged in shattered debris and the shrieking souls of the hidden proselytes hiding in the city, ripping them from their shelters like dust before a storm.

    Then, with a final convulsion, the portal collapsed on itself.

    All of the Crossers, along with their Primordial masters beyond the veil, disappeared in an instant.

    Ciri was completely stunned as the world, which was about to end moments ago, suddenly returned to its original condition as if the purple dungeon had never appeared in the first place. Had it not been for the devastation around them, the purple dungeon might as well be a product of the imagination.

    "How is this possible...?" She rasped in absolute shock.

    It was incredible.

    A powerful dungeon that could pose a threat to the entire Light World was able to be shut down in a matter of seconds. Earlier, Ciri did wonder what Lucivar''s plan was, with the opening dungeon right above him.

    Fighting Caldaros right now seemed to be a suicide.

    Even if he won, what would he do when the purple dungeon matured and the Crossers crossed?

    Not to mention, his friends were also here.

    And from what Ciri heard earlier, Ravenna was told by Lucivar to find her.

    Clearly, Lucivar was not afraid of the purple dungeon.

    He either has a plan for it or he simply didn''t care, wanting nothing more than to kill Caldaros.

    But the answer was even more surprising.

    "My life is hell before I became an avatar," Lucivar said, drawing Ciri''s attention back to his gleaming golden eyes. "Once I did and started doing bad things, miraculously, everything went my way. That''s when I realized karma is broken. Something happened and changed it. And me... my goal is to fix it."

    "All the bad things I did, they accumulated, and now, thousands of people are saved." He added.

    A mischievous grin crossed his face.

    Ciri''s eyes widened in revelation.

    She now really understood.

    Her eyes were opened to the hard truth of reality, which proved clearly that Lucivar was right.

    Karma is broken, and he was exploiting it to his advantage.

    ''So, the people he massacred in the night market... those innocent people, all of them weren''t dead for nothing. Lucivar harvested bad karma through them to make himself stronger, but it also created fortune to make something magical like this happen,'' Ciri thought, her eyes glassy. "Incredible..."

    Noticing that Ciri finally gets it, Lucivar spread his arms as if he had achieved triumph for the first time.

    "You see? My dark impulses are for the betterment of many. My evil... It''s the kindest evil."

 Chapter 307 307: Death of Virtue

    Evil prevailed.

    But the world was saved.

    Countless people who should''ve been taken by death were saved.

    How is that possible?

    Ciri was old school, but she was certain that there were still things that were timeless.

    A saying that couldn''t be refuted¡ªone being that doing good will produce good.

    What comes around goes around.

    The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.

    All of those sayings aren''t true.

    Ciri now understood that those sayings are the propaganda from the strong, to keep them weak, as being good will never allow power to glance at them. Because in the world of the powerful¡ªit was common sense to be extremely evil to obtain true power.

    So that fortune favors them.

    "Isn''t there any other way?"

    She mumbled desperately, the last flicker of her mindset to deny the truth.

    Something so cold shouldn''t be the truth.

    Lucivar lowered his arms as his expression grew stoic, almost as cold as the question.

    "Welcome to the death of virtue, to the real... world," He said icily, remembering how hard and painful it was for him to realize¡ªthis fact. "There is no choice, not if you want power. Until someone changed karma, there''s only being in the dark and then being out."

    His words carved through Ciri like a blade.

    She felt a shiver rippling down her spine, as if the air around her hand turned to ice. The truth struck hard on her¡ªshe had been living in the light in her entire life, but the world was built in darkness. And now, she could never unsee it.

    For the first time, she realized how little she understood the world.

    And how much it could break her.

    "Wow..." She looked down weakly¡ªher entire body was shaking now. "I do not know how to process all of this. I can''t even imagine what happened to you to realize this. If I could stand, I''d hug you, but I don''t think I could."

    Ciri smiled wryly.

    She felt no strength in her legs, only numb coldness.

    "You''re going to change karma? So, you want to be a hero? To save others?"

    "Be a hero...?"

    A soft chuckle escaped Lucivar''s lips as he found that word ridiculous.

    But he understood where Ciri was coming from.

    That being said, if he were told about this hours ago, he might be shaken up.

    After all, he was doing all of this to fix karma, which would be a good thing for the world.

    And that would make him a hero, in a way.

    Lucivar looked down at the ground, reminiscing about the things that had happened to him up to this moment.

    "For some time, I was thinking of fixing karma¡ªbut first, I had to exploit it, grow stronger from where I stood. Then, before I knew it, I killed my own family, killed another from my new family, killed and tortured innocents, lied, manipulated, and killed everyone who stood in my way. And now..."

    He turned to look at Ciri.

    A deeply manic light could be seen behind his gaze, evidently, one that made her shudder.

    "I killed a Half-God," He added, a crooked smile blossoming on his face. "I ripped out his beating heart and watched his body curl around my feet. At that moment, when exhilaration coursed through me, I realized... I have a smile on my face. I quite like this feeling, it''s like I was born to do this."

    "Is that what a hero would feel?"

    Upon hearing this, Ciri shook her head¡ªshe grew more afraid of Lucivar.

    No shred of sanity behind his eyes, only malice.

    "I guess not," She chuckled as she stood up on her feet. "Now, it''s time for you to kill me."

    Lucivar blinked when he heard this.

    He did say that after the spectacle was finished, they''d talk about what comes after.

    But for Ciri to suggest it first, it was quite surprising.

    "Oh...? You''re not going to beg for your life? You can still change your ways and be strong."

    "No. Now that I knew the truth, I realized I''m not cut out for this world."

    "People can change."

    "Not everyone could be like you, especially not me. Is this against your plan? Do you have a plan for me in mind?"

    Lucivar shrugged nonchalantly.

    He has a plan for everything.

    Since it came to this, he decided to admit it.

    "I do have a plan for you. I was about to see whether Sunna''s power inside you might prove useful. If it does, I''ll turn you into a Vestal. Having an underling bearing even a fragment of Sunna''s power, that would make for quite an interesting intimidation display."

    "Please, I probably lost all of her power with Caldaros'' death. Can you fulfil this last request of mine? I''m afraid of what the world would be like if you achieved what you wanted to achieve. After all, I am weirdly confident that you''d win."

    "Of course. I''m kind, remember?"

    Ciri chuckled and stood up straight, readying herself to die.

    Slowly, she glanced skyward, watching the beautiful sky above.

    It was very bright, the sun was shining, undeterred by what had happened moments ago.

    "I can''t believe in my final moment, I''d come to hate my nephew."

    "Don''t be too harsh on him. If this''d make it better, I''m at the Second Divine Elevation, one elevation above Caldaros, so I can use an ability of mine to amplify his bad tendency to get my point across to you faster."

    That was the truth.

    Every single time Caldaros was within range, Lucivar used his Heart of Mischief Nakshatras, precisely, the Moral Contagion ability from the Morality Constellation¡ªthat he unlocked after dealing with the Feradith Family.

    He already tested it on Leandra, and he knew how it worked.

    It was quite simple.

    Any emotion that Lucivar was feeling¡ªIt would bleed to the target along with his evil tendency.

    Thus, throughout the tournament, Caldaros was acting more frantic and ruthless than normal.

    He had it inside of him, but the Moral Contagion amplified it.

    Lucivar was using that to make Caldaros do bad things in front of Ciri, which was the reason Caldaros ditched the woman from Orivelle''s team when she asked for help. The normal Caldaros would help, but he didn''t because of the Moral Contagion.

    "I see, you really thought it all out." Ciri smiled.

    Nodding his head, Lucivar cloaked his hand with ether and a God strand.

    "Close your eyes."

    "No. Do it like this. I want the light to be the last thing I see before the dark."

    "Okay."

    Slash!

    Initially, Lucivar wanted to decapitate Ciri, but he changed his mind and stabbed her heart instead.

    For someone who now knew the truth of the world, she deserved a swift and dignified death.

    She died instantly once her heart burst.

    Lucivar used the heat from what little ether he had to close the gaping wound on her chest, allowing no blood to seep through, and caught her before she fell to the ground. He gently placed her down, keeping everything about her pristine and clean.

    "I should bury her somewhere," He exhaled roughly. "Maybe later, I''m tired."

    Just then, a figure entered the park.

    It was Leandra.

    As soon as she laid her eyes on Lucivar, she immediately walked over to him.

    Her steps were wide and strong, almost stomping.

    Lucivar glanced at her and stood up again.

    "Good work, Leandra. I knew you''re the only one who understands m-"

    Pah!

    His eyes snapped wide as a searing slap cracked across his face, leaving heat and shock in its wake.

    Before he could recover, Leandra shoved him back hard.

    But he was ready, so he wasn''t pushed that far.

    "What''s wrong with you?!" She shrieked¡ªtears streaming down her face. "I delved into your world, trying to understand your perspective, but I thought you were only doing it to others! Anyone whom you did not know at all or who stood in your way!"

    Biting her lower lip, she shoved Lucivar again, this time harder and more desperately.

    "Why did you let Nerissa do that?" She asked angrily. "Why did you let her die?!"

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar tried to calm Leandra down.

    He caught her hands.

    She struggled fiercely, trying to break free and hit him.

    But he held on, and slowly, she grew weaker as grief crippled her strength.

    Soon, her body became weak as she fell into Lucivar''s embrace, pounding on his chest weakly.

    "You could''ve done something..." she sobbed, her voice breaking. "It should''ve been you¡ªbetter you than her."

    "Calm down, I''m not going to let her die," Lucivar answered.

    Leandra pulled back and looked at him in confusion.

    It was already done¡ªNerissa had already died, so she didn''t understand what he meant by that.

    "Come on, Leandra, you''re smarter than this," He chuckled lightly. "Didn''t you watch anything earlier? Did you not hear what Caldaros said to me? He and I... We''re avatars, which means we''re Half-Gods. Just trust me on this."

    Almost instantly, Leandra sucked in a cold breath.

    She was too distraught to see Nerissa sacrificing herself, so she forgot about that.

    Caldaros basically spilled the tea.

    He flaunted the name Loki as if it were nothing, so everyone around probably heard.

    Before she could say more, another figure entered the park.

    Mirel.

    Unlike Leandra, who was in tears, his face was red from rage, certainly angry about Nerissa''s death.

    Once he saw Lucivar, he bent his knees to dash.

    Yellow lightning swirled around him violently, clearly intending to attack.

    "Mirel, wait!" Leandra turned around and raised her hands. "It''s not what you think! Nerissa is no-"

    "I don''t care!" He roared as his aura exploded.

    Out of nowhere, an emerald cane shaped like a coiling serpent tapped Mirel on the back¡ªand instantly, Mirel''s power unraveled, collapsing him to the ground unconscious. It happened so fast. Mirel appeared, turned furious, and fell unconscious in under a few seconds.

    Leandra blinked.

    She hadn''t sensed anyone behind him, but the cane''s sudden appearance made one thing clear.

    Someone was there.

    Clank!

    A dull sound resounded as the staff tapped on the ground.

    Soon, he appeared.

    An old man, dignified and upright¡ªholding the cane in one hand while his other hand was behind him, hidden from sight. He walked in with calm steps. Other than the eerie emerald glowing eyes, nothing about him screamed abnormal or danger.

    However, Leandra''s body locked in place automatically.

    Her breath stilled.

    It was an instinctive response from her body, as if she saw death right in front of her.

    The old man looked normal.

    Too normal.

    But something was wrong¡ªdeeply, impossibly wrong.

    And as his eyes briefly met hers, she knew¡ªthis was no ordinary man.

    Something ancient had just stepped into the world.

    "Huh, I wasn''t expecting you to appear like this, in your actual mortal body," Lucivar, standing on the side, tilted his head and smiled. He knew this old man. "Loki..."

 Chapter 308 308: Sunfall (1)

    "Loki..."

    As soon as that name left Lucivar''s mouth, Leandra immediately averted her gaze.

    Her entire being shuddered, as if her strength was draining away, and she might melt into the ground.

    Even earlier, seconds earlier, her gaze only brushed the outline of his face and recoiled.

    An invisible weight pressed her soul down. Not physical. Deeper. And her mind refused to process what it saw, retreating like a flame touched by the wind. It was an instinctual response¡ªthat to truly see this old man would mean unravelling something vital inside herself.

    It was the universe''s way of reminding her of not meeting his gaze.

    Because lesser things were never meant to meet the gaze of something so absolute.

    He is a God!

    Lucivar, on the other hand, wasn''t deterred.

    He might not be in the realm of absolute like Loki, but he was able to peek inside without repercussion.

    Loki approached.

    His cane made a subtle, dull sound against the pavement, but echoed loudly in their minds.

    Even though this was the third time he really saw Loki, Lucivar had already developed a sense of what he should be expecting. He pulled Leandra to stand behind him, and then narrowed his eyes, "You didn''t come here to congratulate me. Your face said nothing, but the form you took... If you came for me, you would be in that disgustingly seductive form of yours."

    "Did I see you through?" He asked, smiling.

    Clang!

    Loki stopped right in front of Lucivar, his body towering, at least seven feet tall.

    "If you see through it, Blessed Oracle, then I want you to know,"

    "Ah, I suppose... But frankly, I can also tell with my success, your plan is also going smoothly."

    A chuckle escaped Loki''s lips.

    "Naturally."

    "Are you going to humour me with the details?"

    "Please... the details would be too much for you, even at your current state."

    Shaking his head, Loki turned around and gazed at the sky.

    He placed his hand behind him with grace and studied the heavens, seeing something Lucivar couldn''t.

    "Know this, Blessed Oracle, Gods and Goddesses, we aren''t exactly the same¡ªand frankly, our power can''t be measured. But power can come in many shapes of forms, and those powers... and well, unlike our absolute power, we can measure."

    Loki glanced over his shoulder¡ªa smile crept to his face.

    "Read between the lines, Blessed Oracle¡ªand you might understand your role in this. Until then, and until you awakened all of us, you''re unworthy of the details..."

    Clang!

    As Loki slammed his cane for the second time, a pulse of emerald divine energy expanded outward.

    One brush from it, Leandra''s eyes rolled back as she fell to the ground unconscious.

    Lucivar fared no better.

    He crumbled to his knees, resisting the power, but eventually, the world around him went dark.

    Once he was alone, Loki parted his lips.

    "Gandr..."

    From outside the park, Gandr slithered inside, carrying a bird of sunlight with him, Aurel.

    Gandr reached Loki and placed Aurel right in front of him.

    "I''ve done what you asked. Sha helped me, so erasing her memory went smoothly."

    "Good¡ªthe Architects sent three more avatars in this world, so we can''t afford this to come out. Not right now. And, from the looks of it, the barrier is holding up well. The avatar''s death requiem blasted to the sky, but it didn''t go anywhere."

    "Do you mean..."

    "Yes, it''s a bravado of my power that closed the purple dungeon. Of course, those Karma bastards were going to side with the Blessed Oracle anyway, even without my power, and closed the dungeon¡ªbut I can''t have that, can I? So, yes, Sunna still didn''t know yet..."

    Hearing this, Gandr looked skyward with a mischievous grin.

    He couldn''t see exactly what Loki was seeing, but he could see the traces of the barrier.

    A bubble could be seen covering the entire area.

    Not big, about a few hundred meters in radius, which encompassed the park and a bit beyond.

    It was following the Blessed Oracle, siphoned from something inside him.

    Right above their heads, there was this gathering of sunlight that cracked the bubble a little, which was the real death requiem from Caldaros'' death. As Loki said, it didn''t go anywhere¡ªit was caught by the barrier, leaking no information about Caldaros'' death outside.

    "Choosing Seraphiel was the right thing, her scent is quite strong."

    "Indeed."

    "Should we let Sunna know now? Sha informed me Seth is ready."

    "Yes, but first..."

    Loki turned to look at Gandr, his emerald eyes glowing with intent.

    "Return to your original form, my son. Let''s see the limit of Seraphiel''s scent."

    "As you wish, Father."

    Gandr closed his eyes for a second, channeling something deep inside of him.

    Then, once his eyes were opened again, a flash of power surged through.

    Swoosh!

    At first, his form loomed silently, coiled within itself like a slumbering God.

    But then, he stirred.

    A thunderous crack happened in the air, as if the air exploded from his presence.

    His body began to swell, slow and steady, yet impossible to ignore. Each breath he drew roared like the sound of distant thunder. Divine energy surged through his scales, green-black and gleaming like forged emerald, sending ripples through the ground as though the very earth recoiled from his transformation.

    From a small serpent, he reached the size of a human, growing in mere seconds.

    A glow pulsed beneath his skin, veins of celestial light traced ancient patterns across his titanic form.

    Cracks spiderwebbed across the frozen ground, and then ruptured, splintering stone and soil.

    Loki watched the bubble closely as Gandr''s neck arched high, crowned by a horned head with flaming eyes like twin suns of emerald flame. His entire body now already takes up the entire space of the park, and is still growing.

    His maw opened, not in a roar, but in a soundless exhale.

    Despite his massive stature, he was... silent. Silently growing.

    As an aurora formed in the sky, a welcoming phenomenon to his power, the bubble cracked further.

    "Stop!"

    Loki instructed.

    Almost instantly, the swelling stopped, and in the next instant, Gandr returned back to his small size.

    "How is it, Father?"

    "It can still withstand one more. She can be awakened. But it seemed we had to pick up our pace¡ªHe... the Blessed Oracle is more effective than we anticipated. He was chosen for a reason, I see. With the avatar''s death requiem, we could make the bubble stronger, but it''ll take time."

    "Time we do not have. The Blessed Oracle, he''s ravenous about power."

    "Oh... We''ll have plenty of time once she''s awakened. Now, let''s invite our sun friend."

    Pivoting around, Loki went over to the unconscious Lucivar.

    With a flick of his wrist, he flipped Lucivar over with ease.

    Then, he extended his arm¡ªhis open hand aimed downward directly at Lucivar''s chest.

    Not even needing a single chant, a faint golden glow ignited at Lucivar''s chest, intensifying with each passing second. His Supernatural Ego had been forcefully triggered, unbidden, beyond his control. With a strained grunt, a searing golden beam burst forth.

    It crashed against the invisible barrier only Loki could see.

    Bam!

    Upon impact, the barrier dissipated a little, opening up enough to allow the sunlight energy to exit.

    Not all of it, but enough to alert the Goddess of the Sun.

    Swoosh!

    Loki watched as a flicker of the death requiem went through the clouds and into the heavens, and before he could even blink, the sun suddenly churned. A darker glow shaded its surface, and from it, a celestial beam descended downward.

    In the sky, a figure of sunlight appeared with all her glory.

    Behind her head was the sun itself, burning everything that met its gaze.

    A Goddess of the divine sunlight.

    Seeing this figure, Loki spread his arms to the side.

    "My old friend, history has been made today."

    "Loki, you''ve... won?"

    "Don''t be so bitter, it would ruin your image. It''s not a big deal, there''s a first time for everything."

    Upon hearing this, Sunna narrowed her eyes.

    She knew that Loki was the reason behind the chaos in this world, but she didn''t expect this.

    Expect Loki to actually win.

    It was unsettling that this happened, especially when the odds are stacked against him.

    "Aren''t you going to grace me with your real self? You did promise me something, remember?"

    "Another trick?"

    "Oh...? Since when is the great Sunna afraid of me?"

    "You''ve beaten my avatar for the first time, I''m sure this is a trick. And yet, I''ll bite."

    Proudly, Sunna''s figure shimmered brilliantly.

    Her incorporeal silhouette gave way to form.

    It was refined, limbs sculpted in flawless symmetry, skin like polished ivory kissed by dawn. Flowing hair cascaded in molten gold, and when her eyes opened again, twin suns that shimmered with all the fury and love of a day appeared.

    A celestial crown, wrought from majesty, unfurled above her brow.

    Its sharp spires humming with ancient power.

    Soon, it was complete¡ªshe was no longer an ethereal vision, but Sunna''s incarnation.

    The Sun Goddess in her true and sacred form.

    Her golden armor shone with holy radiance, etched with sunbursts and divine runes older than time.

    Even her mere presence banished the shadows around her.

    Once she was in her full form, she descended from the sky gracefully.

    She didn''t land on the ground, no, she floated, keeping a higher view than Loki.

    "It''s an honor to meet with the real you once again,"

    Loki said, making a royal bow as if he were to meet the queen of the entire existence.

    No amusement reached Sunna''s face, only a faint sneer.

    "It''s good that you know how to respect me now."

    "Pride and arrogance are sometimes intertwined, Sunna."

    "Either way, it''s the source of my strength, Loki. Unlike your lowly act of trickery."

    "Of course, but it can also be a weakness."

    Upon hearing the dangerous threat in Loki''s tone, Sunna laughed incredulously.

    She couldn''t believe that he had the guts to act mighty when he had only won once against her.

    "Leave this world, Loki. This is Seraphiel''s world. If you obey me, if you submit to me, you will save face. If not me, then it''ll be the others. The Architects sent three more, and one of them is the person you hated, who would gladly humiliate you."

    Loki tilted his head and gave Sunna a meaningful side look.

    "Please, I''m older than you, but not senile."

    "I don''t want to fight you, Loki. At this point, both of us knew how it would end."

    A lethal light glistened across Sunna''s eyes as the world around them quaked.

    Loki retained his smile and waved his hand dismissively in front of his nose.

    He was confident, one that Sunna wasn''t accustomed to.

    Something was wrong.

    Sunna turned to the unconscious Lucivar and frowned when she smelled a familiar scent.

    It was this sweet fragrance with a spicy tang to the nose¡ªthe scent of an Archangel.

    "Seraphiel...?" She frowned before her eyes widened. "Seraphiel?!"

    "I am not going to leave this world, Sunna," Loki intervened, his voice booming with authority. "And neither will you."

    "Do you think you alone can stop me?!"

    CRASH!

    Almost instantly, rays of sunlight exploded from the ground, surrounding the entire park.

    Loki looked her in the eyes and then smirked.

    "But I''m not alone..."

    ¡ª

    Hey there, author here!

    How is the story so far? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

 Chapter 309 309: Sunfall (2)

    Gods and Goddesses are separated into two sides.

    Good and bad? No.

    It was a lot simpler than that.

    Dictated only by how these Gods came to be, the dark or the light.

    Came from the void ink that wrote the first truths or woven through silk from sunlit thread.

    Each side doesn''t like the other, believing itself to be worthy of a lot more influence in the great scheme of things. Naturally, this could result in a bad way, separating the whole cosmic existence into two different sides, governed by their own brutal side.

    It has always been a constant struggle between these two sides.

    Stealing worlds from the other side while simultaneously protecting their own side from being stolen.

    But there are priorities.

    There are worlds that are invaluable, more important than the others.

    One being a fortress world located at the border between the dark and light.

    Governed by the trusted overseer of each side from countless origins.

    One of them is the Archangels.

    Loki''s arrival here was an attempt to poach the world in a peaceful way, a battle between their avatars to determine which side would rule the world. But this scent, capturing Seraphiel herself, is not a peaceful act.

    No.

    It was a declaration of war.

    "Seraphiel...? Seraphiel?!"

    Sunna turned to Loki, her eyes flashing with murderous intent that even cracked the reality around her.

    All things around her cracked and warped, and the place beyond the park blurred¡ªthe air thinned, the colors drained, and the world erased, turned into nothing more than a blinding void of sunlight. Only the park, Loki, and her wrath remained.

    Loki remained silent, unfazed.

    His body was straight, and his power maintained the space around them from Sunna''s oppressive wrath.

    "I am not going to leave this world, Sunna. And neither will you."

    "Do you think you alone can stop me?!"

    CRASH!

    Her power surged in reflection of her wrath, burning everything around with her sunlight.

    Even so, Loki was still unresponsive.

    All he did was protect himself, Lucivar, and the others.

    It was as if he had this under control.

    Loki looked up to meet her gaze, a devilish smirk crossed his lips.

    "But I''m not alone..."

    PSHH!

    As soon as he said that, Sunna''s eyes darted to the sides, and she felt another energy present in the space.

    Powerful and prideful.

    One that was even more prideful than she was.

    Her ears caught it first¡ªthe faint, rhythmic hiss of building and shifting sand beyond the park''s edge, unnatural and deliberate, like a desert stirring to life. The sound deepened, resonating with a power that Sunna couldn''t quite tell until countless grains of blood-red sand surged in from every direction.

    Like having a sentient being, they spiraled, weaving into four towering spires that encircled the park.

    Akin to the hiss of a God''s breath, they pierced through the radiant sunlight with ease.

    Easily, unbothered, unburned.

    Announcing the presence of another than Loki, another God.

    Seeing this, Sunna''s body exploded with more flames, exploding like a supernova.

    But that did little to nothing other than pushing away a few chunks of the sand spires.

    Out of nowhere, these sand spires latched onto Sunna, restraining all her limbs.

    She fought back without pulling back, using her divine sunlight to free herself.

    But it was rendered almost helpless by the sands.

    ''Strong... Who is it? Another demigod helped him? A divine creature? Who?!'' She wailed inside.

    As she continued to struggle, burning as hot as the sun''s core, she noticed Aurel was on the ground.

    Alive, but unconscious.

    ''Her memories are erased. Loki, he''s planning something... I need to leave!''

    Realizing that a contest of strength would get her nowhere, as the sands were a lot stronger than her, she decided to change tactics. Brimming with more sunlight, her body began to turn translucent. She was trying to escape the domain.

    Before she could do that, tree roots with an emerald hue burst from underneath.

    All of them spiraled around her, turning into a makeshift Great Tree with her body trapped inside.

    "Oh, no, no, no..." Loki shook her head as a horned helmet came to be on his head. "You are immune to illusions, your sunlight could see through all, and that made you stronger than me. But... I''m still a lot superior in the arcana compared to you."

    "Loki! How dare you attack me like this!" Sunna roared. "I will not let this go! Both of you!"

    Just as she shouted, a baritone, arrogant chuckle echoed.

    One that was filled with immense power.

    It was then that Sunna''s gaze snapped toward the entrance of the park.

    Steps away from the entrance, the ground trembled softly as red grains began to stir.

    It was a whisper first, then a murmur, slithering toward one another with purpose.

    Sand coalesced in a slow, deliberate rise, climbing as if savoring the tension in the air, swelling in height until it reached the park''s entrance sign¡ªeight feet tall and still growing. The air thickened. Then, with no warning, two glowing bronze eyes blinked open within the shifting pillar, burning orbs like molten pears pulled from the deepest pit of Hell.

    Sunna''s breath caught.

    Now she realized that Loki wasn''t helped by a demigod or some beasts.

    No, this was something greater, stronger.

    Once the sand collapsed at once, a figure remained standing from its dispersal.

    Monstrous is one word to describe him, monstrously divine.

    His jackal-like head bore a dark bone-shaded mask streaked with crimson, framed by a collar of black feathers and midnight plumage. Gleaming golden rings adorned his arms and legs, bands ancient and pitted with age, yet seemed significant to the eyes.

    All of his limbs were long and robust, his posture straight but animalistic somehow.

    It was as if he were too ancient to bother mimicking man, mortal.

    Just the tattered white wrappings along with the jackal-face should''ve been enough for Sunna to realize who this figure was, but the ankh crossed on his back like a weapon made it very clear. He stepped into the park, into the sunlight that dared to touch him.

    Each step made the gold on his body chime with a hollow, metallic clank.

    More like iron bars slamming shut than jewelry, a death knell.

    Sunna''s eyes gradually widened in complete and utter shock.

    Her breath was caught in her throat as this shouldn''t be possible.

    From when time was still a toddler, nothing like this has ever happened.

    In fact, this was beyond her oversight¡ªshe never expected this to even be possible.

    "Seth..."

    A soft murmur escaped her lips.

    "I''ve met several Sun Gods, Ra was one of them," Seth said with deep arrogance in his voice, looking at Sunna as if he were looking at nothing. "But among them, especially compared to Ra, you were kind of underwhelming, Sunna..."

    "Please... You''re the absolute rock. Of course, you find her underwhelming." Loki shook his head.

    Not a lot of Gods could match Seth''s raw strength.

    Like how not a lot of Gods could match Loki''s sophisticated arcana.

    "W-Why...? How? What...?"

    Sunna was at a loss for words, questions kept bombarding her mind.

    She couldn''t accept that this was happening.

    Recovering from her daze, she quickly regained her composure, one she desperately needs right now.

    "Chaos was detected in this world... it was mild, very mild, but the Architects sent four avatars to be a lot safer, so how are you here, Seth?" Sunna''s eyes narrowed, keeping a strong front despite being tied helplessly. "How did your avatar avoid our senses? What did Loki have over you?"

    Seth remained silent, giving nothing in return.

    On the other hand, Loki was eager to answer.

    "Seth and I have an agreement, one that doesn''t concern you."

    "Doesn''t concern me? Are you blind?!"

    "As much as I admire your high self-esteem, you''re nothing but a side piece. One that wasn''t necessary, but pleasant to deal with. As for your other question, connect the dots, Sunna. You''re smarter than this. Don''t make me look bad in front of Sutekh."

    Hearing this for the second time, Sunna gritted her teeth.

    Her mind was riled, but then, she noticed Loki signaling with his eyes to look to the side.

    It was then that Sunna''s gaze landed on Lucivar.

    "Seraphiel... This is her home world, and her holy scent is strong enough to cover both of your scents, which is how you avoided our senses. But still..." Sunna''s frown grew deeper in thought. "How can Sutekh be here? I didn''t sense his avatar any-"

    Abruptly, Sunna stopped mid-sentence as shock struck her like a lightning strike, paralyzing her.

    She realized what was happening here.

    "Oh, no... no, no, no, this can''t be."

    "Oh, it can... be."

    With a pale expression, Sunna turned to Loki again.

    "He, this mortal, is the avatar of you both...?"

    "Bingo."

    Seth crossed his arms and sneered, glancing at Loki with disdain.

    He couldn''t believe that Loki, the absolute arcana, could lose to this kind of lowly Goddess.

    "You were bested... by this pitiful excuse for a Goddess? Even Anubis is smarter¡ªand he only talked with the dead."

    "In my defense, her only talent is seeing through my illusions¡ªbeyond that, she''s a complete idiot."

    Despite the mockeries, Sunna was too caught up in her realization.

    "No mortal can withstand two Gods at the same time, especially not the two of you. His body and mind would break from both your arrogance and evil intent! This is another trick! You''re lying! I will not believe this!"

    "And yet, it''s the truth."

    Swallowing hard, containing the shock she was experiencing, Sunna bit down on her tongue.

    She remained silent for a moment, and then spoke again.

    Unlike earlier, this time she has a mocking smile on her face.

    "Even if that mortal somehow withstood both of you, what then? There are only two of you. The Architects sent four, and one of them is your match," Her gaze shifted to Seth, catching the flicker of surprise that crossed his face. "Horus is in this world... alongside two others. Even with both of your powers combined, your chances of victory are negligible, a fleeting illusion at best."

    She raised her chin, voice calm yet final, "Once I''m released... it becomes two against four."

    It was an intimidation.

    But when it reached Loki and Seth, it fell short.

    Hearing her acting menacing made Seth laugh condescendingly, not taking her seriously at all.

    Sunna''s expression changed.

    "What''s so funny?" She asked.

    "You think Horus scares me? Ra asked me to fight alongside him. Why did he ask me instead of Horus if Horus was my match?" He asked humorously¡ªfinding her claim to be hilarious. "Besides, who are you to threaten me?"

    "No escaping this, Sunna," Loki added. "You die here..."

    Just then, a voice rang, but this time, it didn''t come from any of them.

    "Besides, who said there are only two of them inside me?"

    Lucivar''s voice rang like thunder.

    Sunna glanced at him, shocked.

    "What?"

    "There''s more..."

 Chapter 310 310: Slave to the Gods

    Seth and Loki exchanged glances.

    Neither were expecting Lucivar to wake up so soon, or at all, for that matter, at least until he was allowed to.

    But he was now standing.

    Once his back was straight like an arrow, he turned to look at Seth, and then Loki, shooting them a dark, peculiar gaze that hinted at something deeper. One corner of his lips curled a little before he turned to the restrained Sunna and approached her.

    Sunna looked down at him, confusion clearly etched on every part of her face.

    "More... What do you mean more?"

    "I meant there''s more than them inside me,"

    He leaned forward to whisper.

    "More Gods."

    "Five Gods...?"

    "Oh, you''re informed. I must be someone special, then."

    Almost instantly, Sunna''s eyes darted back at Loki and Seth¡ªher mouth opening and closing, but not a single word came out. It ran deeper than she thought. All of this. But now she managed to scratch the surface, "The Oracle, he''s the Oracle, isn''t he?"

    Neither Loki nor Seth answers.

    But their silence was answer enough for Sunna.

    "So, before whatever next is going to happen, what do you know about Karma?" Lucivar asked.

    He didn''t care about anything other than Karma.

    It was his ultimate goal.

    "Karma? Why do you want to-"

    Before she could even finish her question, a branch from the tree curled and covered her mouth.

    Loki''s cane was glowing, showing that it was his doing.

    Seeing this, Lucivar nodded incredulously¡ªhe could feel anger climbing up from the deepest part of him to his head, causing fire to burn within his skull. Blocking him from getting information about what he wanted the most is unforgivable.

    Not after how he brought triumph to Loki.

    "Rrgghh...!"

    Just as he was about to snap, a sharp throb tore through his mind, forcing him to clutch his head.

    He tried to fight the pain, but it only grew more intense by the second.

    "She awakened, all because of your own two hands," Loki''s voice rang, looking at Lucivar crumpling to his knees with a slight amusement. "You could be awake right now because of her, but that doesn''t mean she''d disagree with me. If you want to know more about Karma, it must be through us."

    "And gain only biased information?!" Lucivar roared, his eyes bulged with fire. "Arghkk!"

    As soon as he said that, the pain grew more intense.

    So bad that he curled up on the ground while clutching his head as if it was about to explode.

    From the entrance, a head could be seen peeking inside.

    Ravenna.

    Despite every single one of them being knocked unconscious, even erased from the collapsing reality, an unknown energy covered her entire body and helped her retain her consciousness. She passed out for a moment earlier, but she woke up.

    She peeked inside and saw three extreme beings beyond her comprehension.

    Throughout her entire life, she has never seen anyone close to the aura of these three entities.

    All of them seemed to be talking; she couldn''t hear them properly, and at the center was Lucivar.

    He was on the ground, seemingly in immense pain.

    ''I knew that something was different about him, but this? Are they Gods...?'' She thought inwardly.

    An Angel Hybrid would never be able to do the evil Lucivar did.

    But she wasn''t surprised.

    Upon reaching the Chrysalis rank, she too experienced the Snippet of Bloodline¡ªthe glimpse of power that Surpanakha possessed. She had no idea about who Surpanakha was but in that snippet, she saw countless powerful beings.

    All of them looked like Gods.

    ''I should talk with Lucivar once he gets out of this,'' Ravenna thought firmly as she watched Lucivar toss and turn on the ground, watched by the three Gods surrounding him. ''He must get out of this. Nothing can stop him, I believe in him.''

    For who knows how long, the pain persisted.

    Lucivar drooled, whimpered, cried¡ªright in front of the overlooking Gods.

    All three of them ignored him, even talking over him.

    He didn''t know what was discussed, his ears were ringing, and the pain occupied his mind.

    But vaguely, he could see them engaging in a war of tongues.

    Sunna seemed desperate, while Loki and Sutekh remained as composed as they had been earlier.

    Once the pain faded, he breathed easily for a few much-needed seconds, face pressed against the ground.

    Slowly but gradually, the ringing sound in his ears disappeared.

    He could now hear his own heavy and loud breaths.

    Blinking his eyes a couple of times, his mind snapped back to reality, and once it did, his eyes that were once brimming and full of malice had now dulled. Something changed about him, but the change wasn''t visible to the eyes, something inside of him.

    He pushed himself off the ground and gave his head a hard shake, shaking off the residual pain.

    Lucivar climbed to his feet, struggling.

    Rough and forceful pant escaped his lips as he fixed his gaze ahead, at anything but the three Gods.

    Loki tilted his head.

    "Have you come to your senses now?"

    Instead of answering, Lucivar only glanced at him before turning to Sunna.

    He walked over to her.

    Unlike earlier, she was now unresponsive, almost as if hope had been robbed from her completely.

    "Tell me anything about Karma," He demanded.

    Hearing this, Loki sighed heavily, not expecting Lucivar to be this stubborn.

    But before he could stop the conversation, Lucivar raised three fingers.

    "Three words," He declared. "Tell me anything about Karma with three words."

    Sunna glanced at Lucivar before she turned to Loki, almost as if she was asking permission to answer.

    Seeing this, Lucivar glanced over his shoulder.

    "Doesn''t a riddle sound exciting? She''ll tell me three words about karma to give me hints, true... hints, that way, I will have a chance to hasten my process to reach Karma, while you can have the satisfaction of watching me try," He proposed, offering a middle ground. "What do you say?"

    Seth crossed his arms and glanced at Loki, "Don''t take it."

    On the other hand, Loki maintained eye contact with Lucivar.

    Both of them remained silent, keeping the tension sky-high, until Loki finally smiled.

    "Two words. She can tell you two words."

    "Deal."

    Lucivar smirked and turned to Sunna again.

    For a moment, Sunna contemplated before she finally got the right words to tell.

    "Twin Scales." She whispered.

    Almost immediately, Lucivar branded those words into his mind so that he wouldn''t forget them.

    "Twin Scales..." He repeated before he smiled. "Nice meeting you, Sunna, and goodbye."

    Lucivar stepped to the side.

    Once he did, Loki and Seth turned their gaze back to Sunna.

    Neither of them wasted any time making their final move.

    In an instant, the tree she was in right now began to swell rapidly¡ªtheir trunks thickening unnaturally, groaning as they contorted and closed in. Bark split and twisted with violent purpose, enclosing her in a prison of a great tree.

    From below, the red sand surged upward, wrapping around the tightening bark like a noose.

    It strangled the space she stood in the great tree.

    All of her brilliant sunlight was devoured, draining her divine radiance with a hissing thirst.

    Seconds later, her sunlight was gone.

    Then came the twist¡ªdeep from the roots, a brutal torque wrenched through the trunk, and with it, her body twisted grotesquely. A scream, divinely but piercing, tore from her throat before it was cut short in no more than five seconds.

    Her form shattered, splintering countless fragments of light.

    Each one fluttering weakly before vanishing into the wind.

    Lucivar expected a catastrophic phenomenon, but Sunna''s death¡ªIt was rather peaceful and swift.

    "Is it done? Will she still be a problem to us?" He asked.

    "No," Loki shook his head. "She will come back eventually. Killing a Goddess permanently is not as simple as stabbing a knife to the heart. But no¡ªshe will not be a problem to us. Don''t worry about her. You have more important things to worry."

    Before Loki and Seth reverted the world back to normal, Lucivar approached them.

    His steps were light, but they were strong and certain.

    Stopping directly in front of them, Lucivar raised his gaze, looking at them profoundly.

    "I... I apologize for what I did earlier," He suddenly said, catching Seth and Loki off guard. "Both of you were the ones who granted me power, so I should be thankful. If I want to reach my goal, at least, I should do it your way. I understand it now."

    Lucivar paused for a good moment, letting his words sink in.

    Then, he continued.

    "But you should know, I really hate being in the dark. It made me feel out of control, untidy."

    Upon hearing this, Loki scoffed.

    His body shimmered with a splash of emerald energy before shifting into a wing.

    Its wings sliced the air as it soared away.

    Beside him, Seth stiffened and turned into a statue of sand.

    Then, his form sank soundlessly into the ground until not a trace remained.

    Lucivar remained standing on his spot once the Gods were gone, back straight and shoulders rigid, the space around him unnaturally still. It was as if the world itself recoiled, leaving him suspended in the silence that was too vast to touch.

    Nothing remained but the distant echoes of what had just transpired.

    Even as reality healed back to normal, he didn''t move a muscle.

    Though his expression was unreadable, something shimmered beneath the surface.

    Lucivar clenched his fists hard as he waited for reality to return to normal.

    ...

    He walked out of the park.

    Lucivar saw that the others were still knocked out, and that made him sigh in relief.

    At least, he wouldn''t need to confront them instantly after what happened.

    Once he was outside, he took a deep breath.

    Everything had finally gone back to normal now.

    He was sure because he could now hear the sound of people and see Hybrids in the sky.

    All of them were still confused as to what had happened to the purple dungeon.

    But they would investigate, and Lucivar needed to get out of this area as soon as possible.

    Glancing to the side, he saw that Ravenna was sitting against the wall, right beside the entrance.

    She was conscious, perhaps already conscious for quite some time now, which surprised Lucivar.

    Regardless, he needed to finish one last thing first.

    Lucivar walked to a corpse lying not too far away from the park''s entrance, in the middle of the street, with Bakar lying beside it. Nerissa. He stood beside the corpse and looked down, finding that Nerissa had died with a smile on her face.

    Saving him from Caldaros made her the happiest person before death.

    But she wasn''t meant to die right now.

    "Revive her," Lucivar muttered aloud. "I know you''re already awakened, and I know you hold Nerissa dear, so revive her. Oh, revive her, but don''t change anything about her. I don''t know who you are exactly, but your title says it all."

    "Do you hear me, Tiamat...?"

 Chapter 311 311: Third God

    Deep inside his core, inside the very chamber that made Hybrids, Hybrids, a statue trembled.

    It was located right beside Loki.

    As the darkness was shed away from the statue, outside, Lucivar could hear the smashing of currents, sea currents that seemed to surround him, could not be seen, but could be heard clearly, as if Lucivar was at the center of the ocean.

    He didn''t budge as this invisible sea climbed from his foot level toward his waist level.

    Not because he was the Blessed Oracle and wouldn''t be harmed, but because he already knew.

    Earlier, the reason he could wake up despite Loki''s suppression was because of this entity.

    It was her way of praising Lucivar for cracking the method on how to awaken her.

    Splash!

    A loud splash that seemed to be caused by a tsunami thundered in his ears, and as he slowly looked up, a presence greeted him. One that couldn''t be seen, but could be sensed. Lucivar''s eyes narrowed at the massive dragon carrying chaos and destruction with her.

    So powerful that even Lucivar, as the Blessed Oracle, could barely see her form.

    Lucivar didn''t react.

    He kept on watching as the last shade of the darkness of the statue in his Inner Chamber faded.

    Once it did, a surge of power coursed through his veins.

    His energy flow felt full, almost as if the entire sea was pumped into him forcefully, drowning him from the inside, without any sign of stopping. It made him feel breathless¡ªbut at the same time, relieved, as this would be his new power.

    For the third time, he was changed.

    Now, another source of power morphed him into something better, something more powerful.

    And as the power settled inside of him, his Supernatural Ego glowed brilliantly with purple light.

    A color that represented chaos.

    Lucivar closed his eyes, reveling in this newfound power, and entered the Inner Chamber.

    In there, he walked slowly towards the glowing statue.

    He watched with his arms crossed until the glow disappeared, revealing the statue hidden behind it.

    "A dragon," Lucivar mumbled. "No... the dragon."

    Looming in front of him like a massive shadow rose a statue of a dragon, carved from stone and streaked with veins of glowing purple. She bore one head, draconic and crowned with two thorny horns. Both of her eyes were narrow and eternal, beating the birth of ages.

    Her colossal wings stretched behind her, flared, casting a shadow heavy with forgotten wars.

    Behind her were clouds of purple lumped into one.

    Though her bearing was fierce, Lucivar saw through the cryptic line between appearance and intention.

    He could interpret the statue differently from others.

    Loki''s statue was of him sitting on her throne, marking him as the apex of the arcana.

    Seth''s statue was of him mid-battle, the denomination of himself as the imposing and ruthless divinity.

    Both of their statues imply their traits as Gods.

    For this statue, Lucivar could tell that the dragon was only acting imposing, but in truth, she was doing more than that. She was protecting something. Behind her, the lump of clouds, upon closer inspection, Lucivar could see countless small pairs of eyes, monsters that were hiding inside the clouds.

    At first glance, the dragon seemed merely imposing¡ªan eternal guardian cast in stone.

    But Lucivar sensed there was more to what met the eye¡ªher stance wasn''t merely dominant, it was proactive. Behind her, right above her five tails, what first appeared to be a dense, lifeless lump of clouds stirred with quiet intent. As he looked closer, he noticed them.

    Countless, glimmering eyes, small and sinister, peered from within the mist.

    Hidden monsters, watching. Waiting. Shielded by the dragon''s formidable presence.

    And from that, he knew that the dragon was protecting them.

    Lucivar looked down and finally saw the name.

    Tiamat, the Great Mother of Monsters.

    Rumble!

    As soon as he chanted her name, the entire chamber shook violently.

    Instinctively, Lucivar looked around the chamber in alert.

    His bloodline''s innate ability to sense killing intent erupted like a warning siren.

    From every single crevice of the chamber walls, countless dark strands¡ªhundreds, thousands, no, even millions¡ªslithered toward him like spectral limbs, carrying otherworldly malice. They reached with a silent intensity, and as they closed in, a deathly chill surged through his veins, turning his blood to ice.

    "Now what?"

    Lucivar mumbled, sweating profusely at the sight.

    Just then, Tiamat''s statue hummed, halting these dark strands and sending them back to where they came.

    A frown crept to Lucivar''s face.

    He didn''t understand what had just happened.

    Gandr slithered from the other side and climbed onto his shoulder, also looking at Tiamat''s statue.

    "I wouldn''t call her name if I were you."

    "Again?"

    Lucivar was at a loss for words.

    It seemed all the Gods, other than Loki, were pretty prideful.

    "Seth is prideful because he holds himself in high regard¡ªand he''s powerful. As for Tiamat, well, it''s not exactly her you need to worry about. It wasn''t her who doesn''t want you to call her by her name, it''s her children."

    Gandr answered nonchalantly.

    A sense of pride could be felt coming from him.

    Not because he was proud of Tiamat, but more like he was proud of being the first one to be here in this chamber. He was the senior, and it fell onto his shoulder to explain the other Gods to Lucivar, giving a brief introduction as to who he was really dealing with.

    Then, he nudged her chin at the ground underneath his feet.

    Lucivar tilted his head down to look and realized that there was a crack right underneath him.

    It wasn''t there when he came here, and he was quite sure of it.

    "You almost got dragged, but Tiamat scolded them," Gandr continued, explaining the crack. "So, unless you want to open a portal to the Primordial Sea and let the creatures there drag you into its depths, don''t say her name out loud. It would be a hassle, even for Tiamat to get you out of there if you get dragged."

    "Then what should I call her?"

    "Call her Tamtu, that should be fine."

    Lucivar looked back at the statue and nodded.

    "Now I know why Tamtu liked Nerissa," He murmured with clarity. "Nerissa''s desire to protect me and the others, along with her bloodline belonging to the Siren Queen, in a way, she''s exactly the type Tamtu would want to protect."

    "And now, Great Mother wants to revive her."

    A voice rang.

    Both Lucivar and Gandr turned to the statue''s behind¡ªand saw an ember of fire emerge from one of Tamtu''s five tails, turning into a creature. It took a couple of seconds before it could form, a small purple creature that resembled a dragon.

    It was the size of a housecat, the size of Sha in that matter.

    Its entire body shimmered with a deep violet hue.

    Lare, luminous eyes blinked without menace, giving it an oddly endearing presence¡ªdespite the very dark aura it exuded. Its wings hovered at its side, unattached by flesh or bone, yet never straying too far away, floating as if suspended by unseen threads of will.

    Small claws that seemed harmless, and a tail curling in slow, thoughtful loops.

    Despite being born of the Primordial Sea, this creature looked more like a sorcerer''s curious familiar.

    A little too cute for comfort... and perhaps that was the point.

    As opposed of introducing this small dragon, Gandr cast a slight nod and disappeared.

    Once he did, the small dragon approached Lucivar.

    "You''re Tamtu''s familiar?"

    "Oldest son, Sirrush. And unlike Gandr and Sha, you need not be formal with me."

    "Hmm, alright then, why are your form so cute, Sirrush?"

    Upon hearing this, an angry vein bulged on Sirrush''s forehead, but he didn''t explode.

    "On second thought, be formal with me."

    "Struck a nerve? Well, alright. Let''s revive Nerissa."

    Lucivar exited the Inner Chamber and went back to reality again.

    He still saw Tamtu''s presence right in front of him, and before he could say anything, Tamtu dived into Nerissa''s corpse like an endless torrent of energy. Seeing this, Lucivar sweated a little as he hadn''t reminded Tamtu not to change anything about Nerissa.

    It would be really bad if Nerissa were resurrected and turned into a monster.

    Tamtu is the Great Mother of Monsters, so it was a real concern.

    But fortunately, as the purple energy invaded every part of Nerissa''s body, nothing seemed to change.

    A few seconds are all it takes for Nerissa to recover some shade of her color.

    She was resurrected, exactly as Lucivar predicted.

    ''I used Nerissa to awaken Tamtu, yes, but Tamtu was a new player with Loki and Sutekh being present before her, so she must make an impression on me,'' He thought, turning around to leave. ''All of them could certainly resurrect mortals from the dead, and with Nerissa being favored, there''s no way she''d be left for dead.''

    Of course, the opposite could happen.

    Tamtu might not want to create an impression.

    Instead, she might ask him to prove himself to her first.

    In that case, Nerissa would stay dead, and that would be bad.

    Lucivar took a gamble.

    He gambled with Nerissa''s life for the sake of awakening Tamtu, but he won.

    Even if in the end he lost, and Nerissa would die for real, he had already accepted that risk.

    As he turned around, he stopped, his face remained as cold as ice.

    ''I tried to minimize the risk as much as possible, to make sure I won the gamble, to make sure Nerissa stayed alive, not for her, but for Delilah''s sake. That should still count for something, right? You would not be angry at me, right?'' He clenched his jaw and looked ahead. ''Either way, as long as I win, it does not matter.''

    Lucivar walked away.

    He stopped by Ravenna, telling her to look out for the others, and went on ahead, tracing the street.

    Ravenna stood up and tried calling him, asking where he was going.

    But he didn''t answer.

    ...

    Once the purple dungeon miraculously disappeared, Sunhold City began to recover.

    Hybrids from the Hybrid Association sweep the entire city in case there are more proselytes, and even investigate the crosser energy level in the sky to see whether the purple dungeon was really gone. A lot of Hybrids from other independent cities also came.

    All of them came rushing the moment the purple dungeon disappeared.

    It was a performance, a carnival of two-faced people.

    But that wasn''t important.

    People were relieved that the catastrophe had come to pass, and now, they could step out of the bunkers.

    On the other side of the city, back in the stadium, a man could be seen walking inside.

    Lucivar walked inside with purpose and headed for his locker room.

    Upon reaching there, he immediately reached for a bag and took out a phone from it.

    He flipped the phone and rubbed the rose sticker on the back, sighing inwardly.

    Glancing to the chair, he sat down and placed the phone against his ear, calling someone.

 Chapter 312 312: Phonecall (1)

    Ravenna panted heavily, watching as Lucivar''s back disappeared around the corner.

    She tried calling for him, but he didn''t answer.

    "Where is he going?"

    Shaking her head, Ravenna sat back down again, completely in a state of exhaustion.

    Even though she was able to withstand Loki''s suppression, allowing her to remain conscious while the others, and perhaps even the entire world, were knocked out cold, it still took a toll on her. Her reserve was completely empty.

    And her stamina¡ªit took a hit from the burn coming from her Supernatural Ego.

    All she could do right now was sit down and recover.

    Out of nowhere, a sudden sleepiness assaulted her, making her eyelids ten times heavier than normal.

    She tried to keep awake, but she couldn''t, not when she was this exhausted.

    Soon, her eyes began to throb.

    Each throb blurred the world around her as she desperately tried to keep awake.

    Everyone was vulnerable right now, so there should at least be one to keep an eye on them.

    But it was impossible.

    Ravenna caught something on her periphery.

    She turned to her right and then up, noticing a figure silhouetted by the sun standing on the roof of the building across the street. Naturally, adrenaline kicks in as this might be someone with bad intentions, someone who would take advantage of the situation.

    Demon Hybrids might use this moment to kill them, and Ravenna couldn''t let that happen.

    But adrenaline wasn''t enough.

    As she squinted, the figure''s face became clearer.

    Still hard to see, but she seemed to recognize this person.

    "M- Master...?"

    A murmured escaped her lips before, eventually, darkness took over.

    An unknown amount of time came to pass.

    Ravenna moaned lightly and opened her ruby eyes.

    She blinked a couple of times¡ªbut then, when her mind connected back to her body, she immediately inhaled deeply and looked around with wide eyes. Despite her resistance, she fell asleep, and the sudden appearance of the figure made her alert.

    Looking around, she realized that the sun was still up, and the street was still empty.

    It seemed she hadn''t fallen asleep that long, probably only a couple of minutes, barely a nap.

    No sign of the figure from earlier.

    Ravenna tried to recall that moment and groaned, finding that it was now blurry.

    Then, her ears picked up the sound of slow footsteps coming from the park.

    Strugglingly, Ravenna crawled towards the entrance and peeked inside to see who it was.

    Leandra.

    She was the first one to wake up among the others.

    Noticing Ravenna on the ground and awake, Leandra''s eyes flickered in relief.

    "What happened? Where''s Lucivar?"

    "I don''t know... As for Lucivar, he left."

    "Left? What do you mean left?"

    Before she could explain further, Leandra saw Bakar and Nerissa lying at the middle of the street.

    Immediately, her eyes flared in concern.

    "What about Nerissa? Did he do something to her?"

    Remembering that Lucivar carried the blood of a God, she clung to his words¡ªthat Nerissa would be fine. Still, she needed to know for sure that everything had gone smoothly. Above all else, Nerissa had to live; she was far too precious to die.

    Ravenna nodded.

    "Yes, I saw him do something, but I don''t know what."

    Glancing at Nerissa, her eyes hummed with a reddish power, what''s left of her ether.

    "I can see her blood flowing. She''s alive."

    "Thank God..."

    "Do you mean thank Lucivar?"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra paused before she smiled acutely.

    "You still have the mood to joke around?"

    "Why can''t I joke around? After all, we should be glad, right now. The battle has ended, and Lucivar won. That''s all that matters."

    Leandra didn''t know whether she should be happy or not.

    She saw the battle between Lucivar and Caldaros, a battle between God-like figures, and couldn''t help but feel at least relieved. Other than the fight being over, with Lucivar winning, they at least could keep their lives.

    Had it been Caldaros, he wouldn''t have hesitated to slaughter them all.

    Exactly as Lucivar did earlier.

    Inside, there was Ciri''s corpse lying on the ground with a hole in her chest.

    Lucivar must''ve been the one who killed her, the only person that Caldaros has.

    Sighing lightly, Ravenna looked skyward.

    "Do you have any idea where he might be?"

    "Aren''t you supposed to be the one who knew?"

    "I ran out of ether. Can''t locate him right now. Do you have any idea?"

    "Actually... I think I know."

    Ravenna looked at Leandra in surprise.

    She wasn''t expecting anything, but it seemed Leandra really knew Lucivar well.

    ...

    Meanwhile, inside the stadium.

    Lucivar swallowed hard, emotions building up inside him.

    He looked down at the phone, hesitant, reeling in silence for a good minute.

    Only the soft hum of the air conditioner in the background kept him company.

    "Gandr..."

    A name escaped his lips.

    Nobody answered.

    "Sha..."

    Another one came out, but once again, there was no answer.

    "Sirrush?"

    Nothing.

    Once he made sure that none of them were responding, probably dealing with the aftermath from having Sunna killed¡ªLucivar finally placed the phone against his ear, calling someone. He waited a moment, using the time to contemplate what he was going to say.

    "Sorry for not calling you lately, I''ve been... busy."

    "No, it''s not okay. I should''ve at least called. I''m sorry."

    Lucivar shifted on his seat, leaning forward as he rubbed his forehead stressfully.

    "I made good progress today. I killed someone important."

    "Not really. It''s not that I want to, but I have to. I was told to kill him."

    "No... Yes, you could say that he''s a rival."

    He nodded slightly, listening to the voice on the other side.

    It seemed that hearing the voice was a hard thing to do, he became emotional.

    "Okay, I know I called you so that I can share good news, but it''s not the reason this time. I''m hell-bent on becoming stronger, so I''ll do anything to get it. So, I... I have no choice but to use Nerissa, an-"

    "..."

    "I... I really have no choice. The Third God took a liking to her."

    "Yes, I could''ve searched for another way, but at the time I... I''m sorry."

    Lucivar rubbed his face harshly, his hand pausing at his mouth, and stayed there for a good moment.

    A tear drizzled down his face, wetting his cheek.

    Then, his voice broke.

    "You''re the only one I care about right now. I can''t have you hate me for what I did. I don''t care what others think, but you... I care what you think, so don''t hate me. Nerissa lived, I made sure of it, but the thought of you hating me for doing this... I-I can''t."

    "I can''t even wait until she is revived. I''m afraid she''ll change and you''ll blame me for it."

    Lucivar sniffled.

    He was already too deep in his plan and forgot about the implications it might bring.

    Not external implications, but internal implications.

    Just when the person on the other side spoke again, Lucivar''s eyes widened¡ªbefore he quickly wiped away his tears.

    "Really...? You''re going to forgive me?"

    Lucivar let out a choked laugh, he couldn''t believe that he was forgiven.

    "I really appreciate it, Delilah. I made sure that something like this would never happen again. Not unless they asked for it like Darwin. I''ll take care of them. I''ll take care of Tobias. Nothing bad will happen to them, I promise."

    A huge burden was relieved from Lucivar''s chest.

    His tense shoulders relaxed, and he was no longer sitting on the edge of the chair.

    Earlier, he dreaded when he realized what he had done.

    But now, that has all come to pass.

    It''s water under the bridge.

    He was forgiven.

    "Is there anything else bothering me? Yes, there''s one more thing."

    Lucivar straightened his posture again as his expression turned stern, almost deadly in a way.

    "I was willing to become a slave to the Gods, to kickstart my path to power, doing anything they wanted me to do as long as I could get what I wanted, Karma. You knew about this. But earlier, they blocked me from getting information about Karma."

    For a brief moment, a flash of what happened earlier emerged in Lucivar''s mind.

    How Tiamat crippled him for a moment, and how Loki and Sutekh watched with cold eyes.

    Despite the fact that he earned the right to question Sunna, as he was the one who had beaten her, these Gods denied him access. He already proved his worth as the Blessed Oracle, so he should''ve gotten something in return.

    Something that actually matters.

    But he didn''t.

    Lucivar clenched his jaw as his fingers tightened around the phone.

    "It... angers me."

    "However, they are still helping me become stronger. What do you think? Should I continue or not...?"

    ...

    Bakar and Mirel woke up not too long after Leandra woke up.

    Since both of them were up, Ravenna and Leandra told them to bring Nerissa to a hospital.

    An appointment with a healer as soon as possible would be nice.

    Talking can be done later.

    Of course, they didn''t forget to tidy up Ciri''s corpse, to make it seem like an accident.

    Since the purple dungeon was gone, search and rescue teams were sent to sweep the entire city, and Ciri would be found by them among the rubble. As for Caldaros'' corpse, it was gone. His body turned into the beam that closed the purple dungeon.

    Now, Ravenna and Leandra were standing in front of a building.

    "Are you sure he''s here?"

    "Yes, he''s here. I''m certain."

    Both of them were now in front of the stadium, and wasted no time going inside.

    "Mirel and I saw him making a call after accomplishing something. Not too long after, I saw him sitting on a bench, doing the same thing. It''s a habit of his. Every time he accomplished something, he needed some time alone to make the call. His phone is in the locker room, I bet, so he must be here."

    "Who is he calling?"

    Upon hearing this, Leandra stopped and turned to Ravenna.

    "Delilah."

    "Delilah...? She''s gone."

    "Exactly."

    Leandra continued ahead, entering the stadium quickly with Ravenna behind, trying to keep up.

    She was confused¡ªthis was new news for her.

    "Wait, wait, wait, so you''re telling me Lucivar is talking with Delilah?"

    "I was waiting for Lucivar to come clean about this. He really loved Delilah, and her death messed him up greatly. It devastated us, too, but it''s different for him. He''s starting to change around the time after Delilah''s death. Master Tobias gave him the phone as a memento, but I think he''s using it to talk to her..."

    "You mean hallucinating, right?"

    Leandra''s brows dipped, uncertain how to answer that question.

    It was the reason they came here, to pry.

    "We''ll see..."

 Chapter 313 313: Phonecall (2)

    "Leandra, we really can''t."

    Ravenna stopped her in the corridor by grabbing her hand.

    It was concerning what the two of them were about to do.

    "Do you really think we can sneak a peek? It''s Lucivar we''re talking about, he''ll know!"

    "No, he won''t. I''ve done this before. He''s too distracted with the call, and besides, he''s exhausted."

    Leandra has done this before with Mirel or alone, and as far as she was concerned, Lucivar didn''t know that she had eavesdropped on his phone call. Not to mention, his ether was exhausted from the fight. It certainly dulled his senses.

    Right now is the best time to eavesdrop.

    Ravenna contemplated for a moment.

    Finally, she let go of Leandra''s hand and rubbed her temples.

    "Fine. But if he notices us, I will blame you for this."

    "If you''re that scared, then don''t come with me."

    Leandra walked away, heading towards the locker room section of the stadium.

    It took a moment for her to find Lucivar''s room.

    She was able to find it because the door was open, the only one that wasn''t closed shut.

    As she got closer, she could hear a voice coming from inside.

    Lucivar''s voice, that''s for certain.

    Suppressing her ether further, she glued her back against the wall.

    Glancing to her side, she found Ravenna there¡ªshe decided to tag along.

    Once they were a step away from the door, Leandra leaned in to see from the crack¡ªand immediately recoiled when she saw Lucivar sitting inside with a phone to his ear, as expected. She looked at Ravenna and nodded, telling her that he is on the phone as expected.

    Both of them breathed silently, focusing their hearing on Lucivar.

    "Nerissa lived, I made sure of it, but the thought of you hating me for doing this... I-I can''t."

    "I can''t even wait until she is revived. I''m afraid she''ll change and you''ll blame me for it."

    From this alone, Ravenna looked down.

    She now realized that Leandra was telling the truth; it seemed Lucivar was really talking to Delilah.

    Or at least, he thought that he was talking to Delilah.

    ''All I know about his past is that he''s a fugitive. For him to love Delilah that much despite only being with her for mere months... He must have been deprived of love.'' She sighed to herself, a sense of pity swelling up inside. ''If not for this, I would''ve thought he was fine. He''s good at hiding it.''

    Hearing Lucivar sniffling was hard.

    Mainly because he never showed any emotions like this, the sad part of him.

    "Really...? You''re going to forgive me?"

    "I really appreciate it, Delilah. I made sure that something like this would never happen again. Not unless they asked for it like Darwin. I''ll take care of them. I''ll take care of Tobias. Nothing bad will happen to them, I promise."

    Upon hearing this, Leandra''s eyes widened.

    "D-Darwin...?" She muttered whisperingly.

    She turned to Ravenna with shock and confusion palpable in her eyes.

    But Ravenna was also stunned.

    Of course, she knew about Lucivar killing Darwin, as that was the chip she used to get close to him.

    Her shock didn''t stem from that.

    "Lucivar was the one who killed Darwin?" Leandra pressed.

    Snapping from her daze, Ravenna closed Leandra''s mouth with her hand, "Sstt... We''ll talk later."

    Ravenna and Leandra gazed ahead in silence.

    Both of them were covering their own mouths with their hands, listening to Lucivar''s phone call.

    Then, there was a five-minute silence.

    Leandra peeked inside and saw that he was sleeping, exhausted from everything that had transpired.

    Biting her lower lip, Leandra grabbed Ravenna''s hand and pulled her into the neighbouring locker room, and closed the door behind her. Once they were inside, she immediately exploded, "Did you hear him? He killed Darwin! How could he kill Darwin? Why? What''s the reason?"

    Ravenna looked down, avoiding Leandra''s gaze.

    Seeing this, Leandra paused.

    "You knew...?"

    "Yes, I knew. I knew for a while."

    "Then why didn''t you say anything?!"

    Leandra exploded, anger climbing up into her neck through her bulging veins.

    She couldn''t believe that she was oblivious to this.

    Now that she thought back to the day Darwin died, Lucivar persuaded her to go tell the others, and that must''ve been when he came back to end Darwin. He used him to kill Darwin, and that''s what Leandra was angry about the most.

    It was because he used her.

    "You should''ve told us about th-"

    "It wouldn''t make a difference!"

    Ravenna retaliated, also frustrated as this wasn''t what they were supposed to be talking about.

    But since it came to this, might as well address it.

    "I wasn''t sure at first, but my Predator Oculus ability helped me see through his plan. I confronted Lucivar, and he wouldn''t say the reason. But I knew the reason," Ravenna mused, staring straight at Leandra''s eyes. "Darwin threatened Lucivar, and that''s all there is to it."

    "So, what?" Leandra scoffed incredulously. "You''re saying it''s self-defense?"

    "Yes."

    "You can''t possib-"

    "Back then, he didn''t have an absorption technique to restore his ether. He was weak, and Drawin told him to leave, demanded him to leave, under the pretense of protecting us, all because he was a wanted man. If he left, there was a high chance he wouldn''t survive. So, yes, it was self-defense."

    Leandra pursed her lips, wanting to argue, but couldn''t.

    She found it logical for Lucivar to do this.

    It was life and death for him, so he had to do something.

    "Even if you knew, what could you even do? Are you going to tell Lucivar to leave?"

    Ravenna chuckled weakly.

    Nothing good will come out if Leandra knew about it back then.

    "Master Tobias can do something..."

    "He''ll only delay the inevitable. Lucivar did us a favor by not making us choose."

    Leandra pivoted around, looking at the wall in silence.

    She was conflicted, and understandably so.

    "It''s not important right now, Leandra. We should be talking about why he talked as if he were really on the phone with Delilah." Ravenna stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. "Something about this doesn''t sit right with me. I need to find out more¡ªdon''t you?"

    Sighing deeply, Leandra nodded her head and turned around.

    But then, the sound of a door closing suddenly echoed from the corridor.

    Almost instantly, Leandra and Ravenna ducked down, avoiding the window facing the corridor.

    Following the thudding sound were footsteps, going further away from them.

    Both of them exchanged a look and silently came to an agreement to peek from the door.

    Lucivar was walking away with purposeful steps¡ªhe was going somewhere, but the two did not care and instantly went over to his locker room. Since he did not seem to bring the phone with him, it must still be in the room.

    Closing the door silently, the two looked around.

    "It should be here..."

    "Inside his bag, go check it."

    Leandra opened the bag and immediately got the phone.

    She quickly tapped on the screen with Ravenna overlooking from her shoulder, and thanked Lady Luck, as there was no password. In the home screen, there was nothing more than the built-in apps, and several apps that must''ve been downloaded by Delilah.

    "Check the call log, hurry!"

    "I''m trying to find it!"

    Frantically, Leandra swiped and searched for the call log.

    Neither of them was accustomed to using phones, so finding it wasn''t as easy for them.

    Leandra was trying her best.

    Bam!

    Out of nowhere, a loud bang resounded, startling both of them.

    None of them knew how Lucivar would react if he saw them snooping around.

    And that made them all the more nervous.

    Ravenna headed for the window to keep an eye out for Lucivar, but Leandra stopped her.

    "Hey, come and see this."

    "Hmm? What?"

    Looking back at the phone, Ravenna saw that Leandra was pointing at the rose sticker behind it.

    It was letting out a very faint sizzling energy.

    "Did you do something?"

    "No, I was startled and my ether was riled. It got onto the phone, and this sticker got like this."

    Frowning in confusion, Leandra ran a nail beneath the edge of the sticker, trying to peel it off.

    She was able to get her nail underneath, but the moment she did, a surge of energy exploded outward, electrocuting her and hurling her against the wall. Her body slammed hard, knocking the breath from her lungs in a sharp, gasping wheeze.

    "Leandra!"

    Ravenna immediately checked on her to see if she was hurt.

    But she held up a hand.

    "I''m fine. I''m fine."

    Once she recovered, their eyes fixated on the sticker again.

    "It''s not Lucivar''s energy. It''s different."

    "A magical artifact? But why was it there? Could it have belonged to Delilah?"

    "Maybe. But even then, why did it attack me?"

    "Since it only reacted when we tried to peel the sticker off, its purpose was clear."

    No matter what the sticker was, be it a magical artifact or something else, it didn''t want to be peeled off the phone. Lucivar never tried to do it, he had no reason to, so he must not know that the sticker was a magical artifact.

    Heck, the two of them knew about it in an accident.

    If Leandra weren''t startled, the sticker would remain unnoticed.

    Just that alone was proof enough that the sticker is a powerful artifact since it could avoid their detection.

    Hesitantly, Ravenna picked up the phone.

    She checked the call log, and there were no recent calls.

    The last call was made months ago to the only saved number on the phone, Master Tobias'' number.

    Ravenna looked at Leandra with a complex expression and placed the phone against her ear.

    "H-Hello...?"

    A tense silence choked the room as Ravenna waited for a moment.

    She wasn''t really sure, but her gut told her to try this.

    But there was nothing.

    "Put down the phone, Ravenna."

    Brak!

    Ravenna recoiled until her back slammed against the lockers, dropping the phone in the process, as her face contorted in absolute shock. She looked at the phone with round eyes, uncertain whether she was hallucinating or not.

    Then, her eyes landed on Leandra.

    "What? What is it?"

    "S-Someone answered. It''s- It''s Delilah... I can hear her voice..."

    "What...?"

    Meanwhile, at the center of the arena.

    Lucivar approached the portal leading to the dungeon he was in earlier and crossed his arms.

    Since nobody regulated the portals because of the emergency evacuation, all three portals remained in the arena and accessible to anyone. Smiling inwardly, Lucivar stepped through one and emerged once more into the scorched volcanic terrain.

    The heat licked his skin dry the instant he stepped into the dungeon.

    He looked around, noticing a couple of corpses scattered around¡ªthe fallen participants.

    "Oval and Heart died, so let''s get some more pets, shall we?"

 Chapter 314 314: Fresh Air of Freedom

    Sunlight filtered through the silk-draped curtains, slanting golden beams across the king-sized bed.

    It was already morning, and its light touched Lucivar''s face like an intruder with gentle hands, warm but insistent, clearing the shadows that still clung to his sleep. Disturbed¡ªhis eyelids fluttered lightly, once, twice, and then stilled.

    A tremble in his lashes.

    Then, Lucivar slowly opened his eyes.

    One could see a sinister glow surge to life within his eyes¡ªemerald, bronze, and violet hues.

    Each color swirled in a quiet storm of power, barely restrained.

    But despite their chaotic natures, at this moment, these energies were in harmony.

    "Ehmm..."

    Lucivar inhaled deeply¡ªthe breath shuddered through his chest as if he''d been holding it for years.

    He sat up with a slow, masculine grace, tousling his hair that fell over his brow.

    His gaze unfocused as the remnants of dreams slipped away like fog dissolving in sunlight.

    For a moment, he didn''t speak.

    Then, he turned to the curtains with one eye still shut, realizing that it was time to wake up.

    Rubbing his face harshly, he scanned the room and smiled.

    He wasn''t in the cramp room like he had inside the Bastion of Blades¡ªgone were the bleak stone walls, the rat-infested floor, and the dull sound of dirt and dust. Now, he was inside a room of polished obsidian columns, simplistic golden embroidery threading through the carmine canopy above, and soft sheets scented with rose and starlight.

    It was spacious and silent, holding the hush of sanctity.

    Lucivar smiled inwardly as he recounted happened after the purple dungeon incident.

    Almost two months had passed since that day.

    Due to the falling meteors from the purple dungeon, most parts of the city were decimated, needing immediate reparation before the citizen could return to their normal lives. All of the citizens and the Hybrids, including academy hunters like Lucivar, worked together to rebuild the city.

    It was mandatory to work together at times like this.

    Coupled with the workforce from dozens of slave cities outside of the dome, the reparation process was going faster than anticipated. Even now, though it had been barely two months since the incident, key places of the city had been restored.

    Offices, power plants, and public infrastructures were already repaired.

    Other than the additional workforce, there was also the supplied resources from neighbouring cities.

    Being an independent city has its perks, and this was the one glaring truth¡ªsupport.

    Naturally, the Hybrid Association also launched a full-scale investigation.

    To assess the city''s situation and find out exactly what happened.

    A purple dungeon appearing out of nowhere is already weird enough, but having it suddenly disappear as if it were nothing was even weirder. Of course, all of them saw the beam that shattered the sky, which was what forcefully closed the purple dungeon.

    Lucivar wasn''t worried, though, as there was nothing they could find that would link it to him.

    An avatar is not publicly known.

    He doubted they could even find out that the beam came from Caldaros'' death.

    And with the scale of damage, Ciri''s death was also not a problem.

    It was a flawless execution¡ªnothing can be linked back to him.

    More importantly, the South Hues tournament was continued when the staff realized that the participants, other than the ones who were already disqualified, were all fine. None of them were injured badly, so it resumed two days ago.

    It started from the third stage, which was a battle royale.

    Since there was no Caldaros, he only needed to watch out for Seth.

    For the fourth stage, the remaining participants were pitted against a five-star Chrysalis rank monster.

    Lucivar and Seth worked together to take it down, and the tournament ended.

    Eventually, based on the polls, Lucivar got first place and Seth got second place.

    Surprising? Yes.

    But since his strength was elevated beyond with Tiamat''s awakening, he simply can''t lose.

    And his kind bravado also worked wonders on the crowd.

    Now, Lucivar was free from Professor Aeldric and became extremely famous in the academy.

    It wasn''t ideal, but it''s not like he has a choice.

    And today was the first time Lucivar breathed the air of freedom, nobody was pressuring him anymore.

    He could do whatever he wanted.

    Beside him, beneath the gentle rise and fall of the silk coverlet, two bodies lay still¡ªRavenna, her ink-black hair spilling like shadows over her shoulder, and Nerissa, serene and pale, her brow untroubled in deep slumber.

    Though the blanket shielded them modestly, their presence was undeniable.

    A tangible warmth against his skin.

    Lucivar''s gaze landed on Nerissa for a moment longer, relieved that she was fine.

    He was afraid that Tamtu would turn her into a monster, which would barely resemble the Nerissa he knew. Fortunately, that wasn''t the case. Nerissa was revived smoothly, but her status was changed. She was now his Vestal, the Vestal from Tiamat''s side.

    Not a mere Vestal either, she is a Dominion Vestal.

    One rank above the Ascendant rank.

    Nerissa awakened a celestial constitution called the Covenant of the Primordial Sea.

    Based on what Sirrush said, it was an incredibly powerful constitution.

    Lucivar didn''t know precisely how strong since Nerissa was bedridden for more than a month, and was able to walk around and move a week ago. But he knew that the constitution would allow her to tap into the Primordial Sea.

    Other than her constitution, her appearance also changed slightly.

    Her skin was now tainted with a pale dark blue, and there were azure scales on her waist and arms.

    She changed, but fortunately, it wasn''t that bad, and she''s still the same Nerissa.

    Considering that Tamtu was attracted to her from the start, this situation crossed his mind.

    Explaining to the others about this would be a hassle, and the suspense is still bearing heavy¡ªon his shoulders. Ever since the day of the incident, the others had been walking on eggshells around him. None of them talked to him the same way.

    Mainly, they avoided meeting him or even talking altogether.

    Knowing that he has Gods inside of him was something hard to stomach, so this was natural.

    Only Ravenna and Nerissa seemed normal, the others weren''t.

    Naturally, the troubling talk is still due in the future.

    As for the reason Nerissa was sleeping beside him, it stemmed from the overwhelming sense of loss she felt whenever Lucivar was too far away. It was worse during her weak days; now, she has gotten a lot better, but the habit of sleeping near him had quietly taken root.

    "I''m jealous."

    Lucivar turned to the other side and saw that Ravenna was already awake.

    She looked at him, and then at Nerissa.

    "It''s still morning, and you''re already ogling her. Am I not attractive anymore?"

    Hearing this, Lucivar merely shook his head and shifted, turning onto his side.

    One hand propped up his head while the other slipped beneath the blanket with unhurried intent.

    As soon as it reached its destination, Ravenna''s eyes widened.

    She let out a startled, breathy moan as his fingers found their mark, "Luciv¡ªmmh~ W-Where exactly do you think you''re touching?" She asked, breath hitching. "We are in the middle of a conversation. You can''t suddenly do this."

    "I''m teaching you the difference between ogling out of concern... and with lust."

    For a second there, his eyes lingered on hers.

    Then, it slowly dropped to her flushed cheek, parted lips, before trailing lower to where the blanket rose and fell over her curvy mounds. A soft, sultry chuckle escaped Ravenna''s lips as she leaned in, placing a teasing finger under his chin.

    "Oh? And this... is your lustful ogle?"

    "What do you think?"

    Lucivar leaned closer, edging on devouring Ravenna''s lips for breakfast.

    But as their lips were barely an inch away, they paused.

    A frown crept on both of their faces when they heard the sound of flowing water.

    Instinctively, they glanced over to Nerissa and found that she was sleeping soundly¡ªit wasn''t her.

    Sitting back up, Lucivar and Ravenna scanned the room.

    And their eyes immediately landed on the bathroom door¡ªwater was flowing out from the gap.

    Upon seeing this, Ravenna immediately understood what was happening, but instead of fretting about it, she reached for Sha, who had been napping atop the headboard. Ignoring the small creature''s protests, she lifted her up and began to play with her despite her complaint.

    Even now, Sha was still too arrogant to have anything to do with Ravenna.

    To someone who has the bloodline of a bitch.

    On the other hand, Lucivar grabbed a pillow and slammed it against the bed in frustration.

    "Motherfucker, how many times did I have to tell him not to play with the fucking bathtub?!"

    "It''s early in the morning, Lucivar, don''t shout."

    "Fuck this! I''m strangling him!"

    Lucivar got off the bed with a heavy huff and instantly went to the bathroom.

    He opened the bathroom door wide, and his anger immediately peaked.

    Sirrush paddled gleefully in the bathtub, splashing water in every direction, and soaked the entire place, all while the shower head continued to spray unchecked, causing a mini flood. Despite the sharp glare Lucivar shot his way, the little dragon swam on, blissfully unaware, or simply didn''t care.

    Unbothered by the chaos he caused.

    On the sink was Gandr, coiled in a circle, already knowing that this was going to be a problem.

    "I tried telling him, but he wouldn''t listen. I''m not lying." He hissed.

    But seeing Lucivar''s glare, he only sighed and slithered out of the bathroom, not taking part in this.

    Once Gandr got out, Lucivar closed the door gently and locked it.

    Sirrush was still oblivious to what was happening beyond the surface, still enjoying himself in water, at least until he saw a dark figure emerging, blotting out the sunlight from the window. And when he came out, he realized who it was.

    Lucivar was already standing towering beside the bathtub, cracking both of his knuckles menacingly.

    "I already told you to shut the water off once it''s full..."

    "Oh... right."

    Bam!

    From outside, Ravenna shook her head faintly at the sound coming from the bathroom.

    Sirrush was in for a beating again today.

    Seems like they were going to call someone to repair the bathroom for the fourth time this month.

    Just then, the telephone rang.

    Ravenna let go of Sha and got off the bed, still covering her naked body with the blanket.

    She answered the phone.

    "Hello?"

    "Right, tell her to wait in the lobby, and tell her to wait a bit."

    "Yes, Lucivar has something important to do, but it shouldn''t take longer than an hour."

    Once the line was disconnected, Ravenna put the telephone down and sat back down on the bed.

    As she waited for Lucivar to come out, she combed her lustrous black hair back into soft, cascading waves. Her eyes then drifted to the dressing table, where Lucivar''s phone lay, unmistakable¡ªwith its delicate rose sticker.

    Seeing this, Ravenna bit her lower lip, contemplating the voice from back then.

    But she caged her intention and lay down on the bed again, sighing heavily.

 Chapter 315 315: Reaching the Limit

    18+ Warning!

    ---

    Lucivar was now showering after beating Sirrush to a pulp.

    He never had a problem with Gandr and Sha, but Sirrush was another thing entirely.

    Despite taking in the appearance of a flying dragon, he preferred swimming over soaring through the skies, and while he could have returned to the Primordial Sea and swum there, he liked pestering Lucivar far too much, and this kind of incident has been becoming more and more frequent.

    In the end, Lucivar could only blame Tamtu for spoiling her children.

    Pssh!

    Inside the bathroom, steam curled, thick and humid, clinging to Lucivar''s skin, as he braced himself against the tiled wall behind him. His breath came in low, tattered moans, teeth gritting hard against the pleasure coiling tight in his gut.

    Above, the shower''s relentless spray pounded down on him, water sluicing over the hard lines of his body.

    But it did nothing to cool the incredible heat Ravenna stoked in him.

    "Ravenna, we can''t do this now." Lucivar panted, looking down at Ravenna, kneeling before him with his erect shaft wrapped around her hands. "Nerissa is outside, and could wake up at any moment now. More importantly, Angel is waiting downstairs."

    As opposed to answering, Ravenna smiled cheekily, her crimson eyes gleaming with wicked amusement.

    Her tongue traced a slow, torturous path along his cockstand.

    Lucivar''s hand suspended awkwardly above her, teetering between surrendering and pushing her away.

    Had he known she would''ve slipped inside like this, he would''ve locked the door.

    ''I really need to go down. Angel came here, so she must have something important.''

    Sensing that Lucivar''s mind was occupied, somewhere else, Ravenna hummed against him¡ªthe steady vibration sent a jolt through his spine, forcing him to focus on the moment, on her. Once she got his attention again, she kept going.

    Her hand and tongue movements erased everything inside Lucivar''s mind.

    Ravenna had a way of making time irrelevant.

    Deciding that there''s no use fighting back, he closed his eyes.

    No use in resisting Ravenna, as she was persistent and will always get what she wants.

    One would think he was enjoying the moment, but instead, he went into his Inner Chamber to pass the time.

    Upon appearing inside the chamber, he could instantly feel the cold stillness of the place.

    His gaze immediately landed on Loki''s statue, then shifted to Sutekh''s, and a heavy sigh slipped from his lips. Both statues were already filled with Divine Blood up to the third mark, the green and bronze liquid rising past their halfway point.

    Killing Caldaros not only marks his triumph over a substantial opponent.

    It also brought along huge rewards.

    Divine Blood was the main thing he was expecting the most, as that''s what increases his power greatly, through achieving the next Divine Elevation. And as expected, he obtained the green, bronze, and purple spheres.

    Defeating Caldaros involved manipulation, domination, and chaos.

    So, the spheres he obtained were huge, the biggest ever since he became an avatar.

    But something more happened that day.

    ...

    Inside the dungeon, Lucivar was harvesting hearts.

    Heart and Ovel were killed during the fight against Caldaros, and now, realizing how useful the monsters from the Labyrinth of the Arcane Menagerie are, he has to have more. To do that, he would need to harvest the hearts of the fallen participants.

    So that he could sacrifice them to the Chaos Constellation of the Heart of Mischief Nakshatras.

    Lucivar knelt down and studied Orivelle''s corpse.

    She looked peaceful now¡ªdeath has made her more graceful.

    Reaching out with the dagger in his hand, he sliced open Orivelle''s chest and took out her heart.

    Studying the heart in his hand, Lucivar smirked and burned it with nothing but his will.

    Green flames engulfed the entire heart, causing him to become dizzy.

    But unlike the first time he did this to summon Oval and Heart, the dizziness was a lot more bearable.

    Perhaps he grew a tolerance, or he already became that much stronger.

    Lucivar stood and stepped back, watching the space a few meters in front of him glow with an unnatural green light, one that exuded malice. He crossed his arms, watching as a portal door appeared and opened with an eerie, creaking sound.

    It was exactly the same as he remembered.

    However, a frown crept to his face when the door blitzed with sparks of green lightning.

    Swoosh!

    He raised his arm to cover his face as the energy it exuded rose substantially.

    Before he could react, a massive shadow came out of the portal in a blur, soaring into the sky.

    Lucivar tilted skyward.

    Almost instantly, his eyes bulged with excitement, and his lips curled into an ecstatic smile.

    A soft chuckle crept out of his lips as he couldn''t believe what he was seeing.

    Above him was a massive creature, a bird that descended like a falling star.

    Her wings unfurled with a deafening roar.

    Green flames rippled along each feather, verdant and violent, a fire that devoured light itself. Every beat of her wings sent emerald embers scattering across the blackened sky, painting the heavens with ruinous beauty.

    It was a creature that was born from the mixture of regal and destruction.

    One look at this creature was enough for Lucivar to know that it was beyond Oval and Heart.

    Perhaps, this green phoenix is closer to the Fool in power.

    Before he could find out how strong this emerald phoenix was, Lucivar heard a whistling wind coming from the portal. He glanced over his shoulder and found three spheres, each brilliant with its unique color¡ªflying in and crashing near him.

    Lucivar turned around with wide-open eyes.

    "Holy... How big is that? Isn''t that as big as a bus wheel?"

    Smiling inwardly, he approached the spheres to store them inside his Inner Chamber.

    However, as soon as he got close enough to touch the spheres, a dark strand suddenly burst from his chest, splitting into three, each threading itself into the Divine Blood spheres. Lucivar tilted his head, a clear sign of confusion flickering in his eyes.

    It was then, without warning, that the spheres began to exude a sinister, dark aura.

    One that Lucivar recognized almost instantly.

    "It''s the same as that dark writing..."

    Under his very eyes, he watched as the spheres swelled even more, gaining mass by the second.

    Not only was it getting bigger, but the Divine Blood inside of it also grew thicker and stronger.

    It lasted for a few seconds.

    And once it ended, the three spheres were now at least twice the size of their original size.

    Lucivar sucked in a cold breath, "What happened...?"

    ...

    Right now, he should already be reaching the Third Divine Elevation.

    But that didn''t happen.

    Since the spheres were extremely big, especially the green one, they filled up the statues quickly, on top of making him stronger. Even when he was still halfway through the spheres, the level of Divine Blood within the statues was already a tad away from the Third Divine Elevation.

    Lucivar expected another breakthrough.

    Instead, the level of Divine Blood was stuck there.

    No matter how much he absorbed the spheres, the Divine Blood level wasn''t increasing at all.

    It couldn''t quite reach the Third Divine Elevation.

    On top of that, he also felt an invisible weight pressing against him, the more he absorbed, which gradually made him worry. Not because it was painful or anything, but it brought dread to his heart. His guts told him to be careful.

    Fearing that something would go wrong if he forced himself to reach the Third Divine Elevation.

    Naturally, he tried asking Gandr, Sha, or even Sirrush¡ªbut none of them answered.

    All of them avoided the question.

    Lucicvar walked to his Supernatural Ego and placed his hand on its ethereal dark and light surface.

    "Somehow, I know this has something to do with you, Seraphiel. Are you blocking my path again?"

    He reached for his chest, feeling the lingering heaviness there.

    It was a sinking sensation that made him feel like he was reaching his limit, somehow.

    Clenching his jaw, his grip on the Supernatural Ego''s surface tightened¡ªhis fingers digging into it.

    "If you are, tell me right now."

    "You don''t like me getting along with the Gods. I''m sure this is your doing."

    Nobody answered him even after waiting for a moment.

    Lucivar could only sigh.

    But out of nowhere, a sense of urgency gripped him as he immediately exited the Inner Chamber.

    Opening his eyes again, he was immediately assaulted by intense pleasure.

    Ravenna was still going, expertly pushing him to his limit.

    Two swallows deep, Lucivar''s shaft squirmed inside Ravenna''s mouth.

    She quickened her pace¡ªher lips sealing around him harder.

    Feeling the climb of climax, Lucivar held down Ravenna''s head, fingers gripping her damp black hair, keeping his throbbing arousal deep inside her mouth with a merciless press of dominance, while his head thudded back against the wall.

    A groan tore from his throat as he released what was left inside of him.

    As he panted and looked down, his vision was blurred by the water, but he could still see her.

    See Ravenna¡ªthose knowing eyes along with the smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.

    Ravenna took it slow, savoring, ignoring the impatience clearly etched on his face.

    "That''s the third time... That should put your mind at ease enough." Lucivar pulled out his shaft slowly.

    A shiver ran down his spine when everything was out.

    "I wouldn''t even be able to get it up even if I wanted to." He assured.

    Seductively, Ravenna swallowed down his white seed while maintaining eye contact.

    She even opened her mouth again, as if to show proof of it to him.

    "I know you, Lucivar, you won''t fool anyone here. You can easily go for three more rounds," Ravenna stood up and pressed her plump body against his. "You dared sneak and sleep with her before the tournament when you can easily call for me since I''m only a block away. I have to get you back. After all, you''re a God, you should choose only those who are on your level to sleep with. Like me."

    "Half-God, not a God. At least not yet. Even so, we really should talk about some damn privacy."

    "Privacy? What''s that?"

    Lucivar shook his head and immediately continued showering.

    He was already late.

    Once he finished showering, he ran out of the room without even saying goodbye.

    Brak!

    Not even thinking about other people, he slammed the door open, startling the others in the corridor.

    Since he made the academy famous, he was now placed in the best suite of the student dormitory.

    Everything here was clean and polished.

    Ignoring the gazes he was receiving, he sprinted down the staircase, heading for the lobby.

    ''Now, it''s time for us to go on the offensive. Three more avatars to go!''

 Chapter 316 316: Connecting the Dots

    Ravenna watched as Lucivar sprinted out of the bathroom and then out of the room.

    She was now in her bathrobe.

    Once he left, her expression immediately shifted into a tense one.

    Her eyes naturally settled on the dressing table¡ªthe phone wasn''t there anymore.

    Slowly, she approached the table and reached for the bottom right drawer where the phone should be.

    It was easy to find out about this since Lucivar wasn''t really hiding the phone.

    But a gentle pull showed her that it was locked.

    Lucivar brought the key with him, so there''s no use searching the entire room.

    Ravenna sat down on the edge of the bed, combing her hair backward, contemplating something, judging from the complex look she was wearing. It was the same thought that kept replaying in her mind ever since that day.

    ''Delilah, is she still alive?''

    Back then, after hearing her voice on the phone, she immediately walked out of the locker room.

    She didn''t understand why she did that.

    At the time, all she wanted to do was to get away from the phone as far as possible.

    Leandra followed right behind.

    And outside of the stadium, Ravenna could tell that she also heard something.

    She said that the voice, Delilah, said not to touch the phone ever again.

    ''I''m not crazy. Leandra heard it too.''

    Even though this thought has been haunting her for the last month and more, she doesn''t have the sheer courage to ask Lucivar directly about it. Or maybe, the shock has gotten to her so badly that she wants to avoid talking about it.

    Of course, she tried to build up the courage to talk about it.

    Maybe earlier in the bathroom, when Lucivar was out of it, she could sneak in the conversation.

    But she failed again.

    It was the same for Leandra.

    Not only did she avoid talking about it, but she also avoided Lucivar entirely.

    Needing to process this shock.

    "She''s dead... She died right in front of our eyes." She leaned forward, covering her face with both her hands. "I couldn''t save her, and she died in front of us. Then who is that on the phone? No call came in, but there was that voice, and it was undeniably Delilah''s voice."

    "Is there something that we didn''t know that only Lucivar knew? Is she somehow... still alive?"

    Just then, Ravenna remembered the sticker.

    A magical artifact that was certainly tied to the phone.

    "What kind of magical artifact was that?"

    Biting her lower lip, Ravenna stood up abruptly and changed into the academy hunter uniform.

    She couldn''t hold it in anymore.

    It''s time to face reality and confront this situation head-on.

    Once she changed, she brushed Nerissa''s head and whispered to her that she was leaving for a moment.

    Nerissa only groaned and nodded before going back to sleep again.

    Ravenna walked out of the room and traced along the corridor¡ªthere are barely any rooms up here.

    Unlike the lower floors that have at least almost a hundred or even more rooms on each floor, this floor was a lot secluded as it was reserved only for the top-rankers or someone like Lucivar, who made a big contribution to the academy.

    She went down a few floors through the emergency exit.

    Deliberately avoiding the main staircase or lift so that she wouldn''t cross Lucivar.

    It took a minute for her to reach a particular door, and she knocked on it.

    But there was no answer, no matter how much she knocked.

    "Where is she?"

    Ravenna looked around when she realized Leandra wasn''t in her room.

    She thought for a moment and headed downstairs again to leave the building.

    A place came to mind where Leandra might be.

    Ravenna managed to slip past Lucivar, who was talking to Angel at the lobby, and got out.

    As expected, the academy streets were already filled with students going to their morning classes.

    It was about seven in the morning, and the first class was about to start.

    Soon, she arrived in front of a big building not too far away from the main academy building.

    A training place for students.

    Lucivar requested that the others be moved alongside him to the student dormitory, and he has a special privilege ID that would allow them the same benefits or even more with the students. So naturally, all the benefits of a student were open to them.

    In the lobby of the Training Facility Building, Ravenna talked with the receptionist and found Leandra.

    She was in room thirty.

    As the door slid open automatically, Ravenna was greeted by an open, spacious training space.

    It has all kinds of things that would assist in a Hybrid training, such as numerous kinds of weapons, test dummies, puppets with varying power levels¡ªand even the Reflection Meter that couldn''t only gauge the raw strength of the Hybrid, but also spell power output.

    Leandra was at the center, working up a sweat with a steel sword in hand.

    She didn''t even turn as Ravenna entered, keeping up with her combos, swift and precise.

    Even the sound from every slash she made was a clear tell-tale that she was an expert, and her fluidity of movements made her look like a butterfly. Ravenna watched this from the side in silence, waiting for her to finish.

    Leandra made a circular swing and then a quick dash, stabbing forward precisely.

    Her ether blasted from the tip, hitting the Reflection Meter hard.

    [Calculated output: 2-star Chrysalis rank!]

    A robotic voice resounded across the room, declaring the result.

    Once the echoes faded, Leandra straightened her posture and turned towards Ravenna.

    She was slightly out of breath and her skin slick with sweat.

    For a second there, she only stared at Ravenna in silence.

    Then, she strode past Ravenna, heading to the corner where her belongings were neatly arranged.

    "You''re here to talk about that, aren''t you?"

    "Yes, I am. We need to talk about it."

    Ravenna turned around and sighed exasperatedly, already feeling uncomfortable.

    But a month of pretending is already enough time for them to prepare.

    "That rose sticker," Leandra wiped the sweat¡ªwith a towel and sat down on the bench. "I think it''s the source of the voice. Delilah is gone, that''s for certain, and there was also no incoming call, so the sticker must have something to do with that voice. Someone else is pretending to be Delilah. To what end, I do not know."

    "Someone is using Lucivar, but that doesn''t make sense. He would know that someone is pretending, and knowing his temper, he would''ve hunted that person down since he loved Delilah." She added with a heavy exhale. "It was blatant disrespect to use the dead''s voice."

    "You weren''t there," Ravenna sighed and took a seat beside Leandra.

    Her mind replayed the night of Delilah''s death.

    "You didn''t see how hurt he was when Delilah died, it was devastating for him. For all I know, he might think the voice was only in his mind." She clasped her hands together as her face grew darker by the second. "He blamed his mind and didn''t question anything. In fact, he might be glad."

    "But what is the end goal here? What does this person want from Lucivar?"

    "To influence him? Maybe to remind him? I don''t know. We can''t even be sure that all things Lucivar did weren''t from this voice, too."

    "No, I''m sure those things are completely Lucivar''s doings."

    Leandra shook her head, firm about this.

    She was certain that the bad things were done by Lucivar''s own free will, not the influence of another.

    "Besides, I heard him talk a couple of times, and most of the talk involved him telling the person on the other side about what he did. Nothing more and nothing less. Lucivar always sounded boastful when he talked about his achievement to this ''Delilah''.''

    "..."

    Silence enveloped both of them again.

    It was still surreal that this was actually happening.

    Initially, when they heard Lucivar talking to the phone as if he was talking to Delilah made them think that his mind had gone crazy; this was his way of coping with Delilah''s death. Now, they realized that he was crazier.

    Talking to someone imaginary was already madness, but mistaking a real voice for imaginary was sheer lunacy.

    He was that devastated.

    Ravenna shifted on her seat and leaned backward.

    "Do you know when exactly that sticker was on Delilah''s phone?"

    "I-I am not sure. I wasn''t really paying attention. Bob and Mirel might know since they''re close with her. I haven''t seen Bob around, but Mirel, we can ask. But wait..."

    Leandra looked at Ravenna with clear shock plastered across her face.

    She only now realized what Ravenna was insinuating.

    "Are you saying someone set Delilah up to die? But that''s impossible. A Fire Primordial killed her. So, there must be a dungeon break around the area, something that couldn''t be controlled."

    "By now, we know Lucivar carries the blood of multiple Gods¡ªand Loki is one of them. A master trickster if the myth is true. And the others? I''m certain they''re just as powerful. You felt it too, didn''t you? For beings like them, I''m sure manipulating a Fire Primordial would be as effortless as lifting a finger."

    At those words, Leandra was thrown back to the blood village.

    Before Lucivar killed his doppelganger, she saw a jackal-head behind him, flaring theatrically.

    It must be another God.

    Naturally, what Ravenna was saying made sense.

    A God must have their own ways to do the unthinkable.

    Manipulating a Fire Primordial, a weak one at that, sounds underwhelming for a God to do.

    And then suddenly, everything clicked.

    Leandra remembered clearly that Lucivar had begun to change at the small village right after Delilah died. He wanted to learn how to kill at first, and that desire gradually escalated until he became who he is now.

    Delilah''s death was the catalyst the Gods used to shape him into their likeness.

    At that realization, Leandra''s expression tensed up as the weight of the situation pressed on her heavily.

    She opened her mouth and uttered with a very light voice.

    Almost as if she were scared that someone was listening.

    "Are you sure we''re going to head down this road...? Because once we do, there''s no going back."

    "I... I love Lucivar. I''ll help him, even if that means risking my life."

    "Me too... I guess it''s settled."

    Crossing the Gods would mean making an enemy out of them, which was extremely terrifying for those who were nothing more than mere mortals. So much so that their hands were trembling uncontrollably, knowing that this might as well be their end.

    Or the beginning of the unimaginable pain.

    But now that they agreed on what to do, there''s no going back.

    "What should we do first?"

    "First, we have to tell Master Tobias the truth. And then we''ll talk to Lucivar."

 Chapter 317: Monstrification Meter

    Chapter 317: Monstrification Meter

    The Architects sent four avatars of light to this world.

    Lucivar was informed by the Gods about that.

    Defeating Caldaros, which also led to Sunna¡¯s death, wasn¡¯t only a milestone on his path to darkness and power; it was a declaration. All of the remaining avatars and their patron Gods were alerted by this, by the fact that one of their own was killed by the opposing avatar.

    Naturally, they became more alert.

    At this very moment, the three of them might even be hunting Lucivar right now.

    And the worst part, they might be regrouping together.

    Fortunately, it should take time for them to even come close to remotely finding Lucivar.

    It¡¯s a big world, and it was also separated into the Dark World and the Light World.

    Some avatars might be stuck on the other side, which might help Lucivar pick them off one by one.

    But waiting for them to come wasn¡¯t really his style.

    Being hunted was not something pleasant.

    Lucivar already tasted that back when he was still in his home village, chased down in the woods, trying to survive from the hunters. Frankly, being hunted irked him as that reminded him of that time. So, there¡¯s only one answer to his predicament.

    He¡¯s going to be the one hunting them.

    To do that, he would need to find the avatars, and he has great contacts for that.

    ¡°Angel...¡±

    Seeing him approaching, Angel immediately stood up and put on the sweetest smile she could muster.

    Her dark azure blouse and tight-fitting skirt made her look both professional and enchanting.

    A look that pleases the eye.

    ¡°Sit back down and let¡¯s talk.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lucivar sat across Angel in the lobby and leaned back comfortably on the single sofa.

    Not a lot of people around, only the sick students and those who were working on something¡ªthe ones who could skip classes. He clasped his hands above his stomach and crossed his legs, studying Angel, who seemed more timid than the last time they met.

    ¡°Is there something you want to say to me before we start?¡±

    ¡°Something to say to you...?¡±

    Angel looked up, a flash of confusion on her face, but she soon realized what Lucivar meant.

    It has been quite some time since they met.

    In fact, this was the first time they had met again since the South Hues Tournament.

    Her smile came late, as if the warmth of the words had reminded her of something colder.

    ¡°N-No, I... I don¡¯t have anything to say.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Angel sucked in a deep breath and averted her gaze away.

    ¡°I¡¯m... glad. I knew the day would come when you¡¯d throw me away, and I¡¯m glad it¡¯s not now.¡±

    ¡°I hear you,¡± Lucivar nodded. ¡°And you knew exactly how you could keep me around.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Angel nodded and placed the briefcase on the table before taking out a document containing everything that Lucivar asked for. He contacted her about a week ago, the exact same day as when the Gods told him about what his next task would be.

    ¡°Is everything here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, everything you wanted. The Trading Union is the sovereign of business across the entire Light World. It has contacts everywhere, even the secretive association you wanted to know, the Black Zenith Order.¡±

    Lucivar now set his eyes on the Black Zenith Order.

    He had met with a group of them before and knew that they were the Dark Angels.

    Finding the other avatars would be quite difficult, even with the current state Lucivar was in¡ªright now, he needed manpower more than anything. More importantly, he specifically needed the Dark Angels due to one fact that he learned a week ago.

    One undeniable trait of an avatar.

    All of them need to have an Angel or a Demon bloodline inside of them.

    Even Lucivar himself has the bloodline of an Angel, of Seraphiel, and thus can become an avatar. Making those who weren¡¯t of those two bloodlines into avatars would result in a far weaker product.

    It was one of the reasons why Caldaros was weaker.

    Since he was dealing with the Gods from the light side, their preference was obvious.

    Lucivar was certain that the three avatars were all Angel Hybrids.

    So naturally, who else could help him the most other than the hunters of Angels themselves?

    He asked Angel to find out about the Black Zenith Order, and she delivered.

    Skimming through the papers, he was pleased by how much information Angel was able to gather in such a short amount of time. She may not be a Hybrid, a normal person, but she¡¯s extremely competent as an assistant.

    Then, on the last clipped page, his eyes flashed at the biography of a person.

    ¡°Samael...¡±

    He smirked with excitement.

    Using the essence bars he obtained from killing Caldaros¡ªenough to completely fill the Gleipnir Echo, he used the Mischief Panes for more opportunities. And, surprisingly enough, the green light shot toward the TV in his room, which flickered to life with the news.

    It was a Dark Angel making a speech about the recently captured Angel, a big fish.

    But instead of marking this Dark Angel, the green light marked the person standing on the side.

    Lucivar recognized this person from when he was at the mall with Thalia.

    The Dark Angel who attacked him back then was likely the same one probing into his bloodline.

    Lucivar couldn¡¯t think of anyone else in the Black Zenith Order who would take such an interest in him.

    It must be Samael.

    ¡°Finding anything about him is quite hard, even with my contacts. But I got it in the end.¡±

    Angel straightened her posture as she said that, proud of gathering this much about Samael.

    Just that alone showed it was incredibly hard to do.

    But Lucivar wasn¡¯t interested in the details¡ªall that matters is that she got it.

    ¡°Killed a Grand Paragon-rank Angel Hybrid...? Doesn¡¯t that make him stronger than anyone inside the whole city? Not even Julian from the Feradith Family is that strong, and he¡¯s one of the strongest people here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s what you called a Dark Archangel. The Black Zenith Order spanned the entire Light World, much like the Trading Union¡¯s influence, so you can¡¯t compare him to the people, who were native to this city.¡±

    Hearing this, Lucivar leaned back.

    His face reeled with contemplation, thinking about his next moves.

    Then, his eyes flashed with an idea.

    ¡°Hand me your phone.¡±

    ¡°My phone?¡± Angel raised a brow, but handed it anyway. ¡°Here...¡±

    Lucivar took the phone and immediately scrolled through the contacts, searching for someone.

    He found who he was searching for, and immediately dialed the number.

    For a few seconds, the line was connecting.

    Soon, a woman answered.

    ¡°There¡¯s a Samael from the Black Zenith Order. Make a meeting with him happen, but I don¡¯t want him to know that he¡¯s meeting me. Say whatever you need to make it happen¡ªI don¡¯t care. Just don¡¯t fail me.¡±

    Not even waiting for the woman on the other side to answer, Lucivar disconnected the call.

    He demanded what he wanted and gave no room for a discussion.

    Angel tilted her head, confused, ¡°Who is that?¡±

    ¡°Callista,¡± He then raised the phone. ¡°Is this your personal phone or your work phone?¡±

    ¡°Work?¡±

    ¡°Good. There should be no problem if I do this then.¡±

    Naturally, Angel wanted to ask what Lucivar was about to do, but before she could speak another word, a blazing purple ether erupted from his hand, setting the phone alight in violet flames before it sank into the device and vanished.

    Immediately, Angel stood up and squealed.

    But realizing that Lucivar was looking at her with a questioning look, she immediately sat down again.

    All of the files in the work phone are backed up, so it¡¯s not a problem.

    It was probably why Lucivar asked whether it was a work or personal phone.

    She cleared her throat and asked.

    ¡°What did you do that for?¡±

    ¡°I was testing something, but I don¡¯t have a phone, so I¡¯m using yours.¡±

    Lucivar placed the phone on the table and watched as the screen began flickering weirdly.

    Then, startling both him and Angel, the phone suddenly began to tremble, twitching and moving as if it were possessed by something sentient. Moments later, deep azure scales started creeping over its surface, forming around it like a perfectly fitted case.

    Seeing this, Angel¡¯s mouth opened and closed.

    She wanted to say something, to react, but she couldn¡¯t.

    It was too surreal to see.

    All she could do was look at Lucivar, wanting him to explain what she was looking at right now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯m as surprised as you.¡±

    Lucivar watched the phone attentively as this was his first time using the divine gift from Tamtu.

    Monstrification Meter.

    Even though he hadn¡¯t been tested yet by Tamtu, which Loki and Sutekh did when they were awakened, he had already obtained Tamtu¡¯s ability. Normally, like how it did with Sutekh, he¡¯d go through a test, and if he completed it, he¡¯d gain an ability and also the divine gift.

    Sutekh gave him the Triune Scarab ability, and then, once sufficient, gave access to the Sonte Tablet.

    But it wasn¡¯t the case this time.

    On top of getting an ability called Monster Skin, he also gained access to the Monstrification Meter.

    Perhaps, this was nothing more than a showcase of the generosity the Mother of Monsters possessed.

    However, that was also the reason why Lucivar hadn¡¯t used Tamtu¡¯s powers.

    He was skeptical.

    But now that he had a need for it, he decided to try.

    Killing Caldaros and revering in the chaos gave Lucivar a massive purple sphere.

    It was Tamtu¡¯s Divine Blood.

    The green sphere expanded his ether reserve and spell mastery, the bronze sphere enhanced his physique and also unlocked certain physical constitution inside him, so the purple sphere must also bring its own unique enhancement.

    However, unexpectedly, he couldn¡¯t feel any changes after absorbing the purple sphere.

    All he knew was that the essence bars of Tamtu were increasing, and it was because of a small, chubby, ghostly monster that was rather cute. A monster that only he could see. It started out pure white, but as the thick liquid inside it rose, the submerged parts turned black.

    Naturally, this was the essence bars related to Tamtu¡ªthe Monstrification Meter.

    Earlier, Lucivar nudged his chin at Angel¡¯s phone.

    Knowing what he meant, the ghostly monster floated to the phone and touched it.

    Then, a purple color began to rise from its black part.

    It only stopped about a quarter way through the entire liquid this ghostly monster has.

    Lucivar could tell instantly that the purple part was the cost of using the Monstrification Meter on the phone. Since it wasn¡¯t much, he decided to pay it, and that was the moment the purple flames appeared, which morphed the phone.

    ¡°Is it alive?¡± Angel asked hesitantly.

    Hearing this, Lucivar chuckled a bit, ¡°No, it¡¯s not alive. At least I hope not, or that¡¯ll be a hassle.¡±

    ¡°A hassle?¡± Angel exhaled incredulously. ¡°That¡¯ll make you a God!¡±

 Chapter 318 318: Penance

    Giving life to something inanimate would make Lucivar a God.

    But this wasn''t like that.

    At least, not yet.

    Moreover, he could only use the Monstrification Meter on things, not people.

    It would probably go beyond that when he reached higher Divine Elevations.

    "What is your bloodline, really? I don''t think normal Hybrids could do something like this."

    "Hmm, it''s the first time you asked me a stupid question, Angel."

    Hearing this, Angel shifted on her seat, realizing that the question was too direct and probing.

    She knew better than to probe a Hybrid''s life, especially someone like Lucivar.

    "I apologize. I unconsciously blurted out what I had in mind."

    "It''s fine." Lucivar waved his hand dismissively. "We''re past those formalities."

    Focusing back on the phone, he saw that the screen buzzed for a few moments before it turned black.

    From the center, a steady pulse radiated outward in expanding rings.

    Lucivar raised a brow; he didn''t know what this meant.

    ''All I ask was to monstrify this phone into something that could detect Angels, so what is this?''

    Other than turning things into a monster, he could also dictate the direction of the monstrification to fill his needs. He could make the target monster be an attack-type, a defense-type, and some other types that reflected the monsters under Tamtu.

    In this case, he was aiming for the detection-type or support-type.

    He wanted to make the phone somehow find the nearest Angel Hybrid.

    "Is it a radar?"

    "What''s a radar?"

    Lucivar raised a brow¡ªthat was something he had never heard before.

    But then again, no matter how lavished his dormitory was, he was still a country bumpkin at heart.

    "It''s a device to detect something, the pulse reminded me of that. However, I don''t know... what it was detecting."

    "Try pointing it at me."

    Angel took the phone from the table and pointed it at Lucivar.

    "Oh?" Her eyes flickered when she saw something. "I see something, but it''s very light. A purple dot, but it was so light that I could''ve missed it if I weren''t looking properly. No doubt about it¡ªthis thing detected you."

    Just as expected, this was a radar for Angel Hybrids.

    Lucivar was stoked that his first try at using the Monstrification Meter was a huge success.

    Now, he was ready to meet with Samael.

    "I need to go somewhere, to meet with Samael."

    He said, standing up abruptly.

    "Eh...?" Angel quickly tidied up the papers and shoved them all into the briefcase. "Can I come too?"

    "...?"

    Lucivar looked at her with a raised brow.

    He wouldn''t take her with him if there was no merit in doing that.

    It was the reason for the questioning look he was wearing right now.

    But Angel was prepared¡ªshe already knew what Lucivar was thinking. "I''m CEO Dullan''s assistant. He has three assistants under him, but I am the one who carries both his name and the Trading Union''s reputation. Meeting Samael would be dangerous for you, but with me there, he would think twice before trying anything."

    Hearing this, Lucivar found it reasonable.

    The Trading Union spans the entire Light World, so the organization carries weight.

    Even the Black Zenith Order wouldn''t be unreasonable to them.

    "Fine, you can come."

    "Yes!"

    ...

    On the main street of the academy, Ravenna and Leandra were walking shoulder to shoulder.

    As they neared the student dormitory, they came to an abrupt stop.

    Both of them locked on two figures emerging from the building in a hurry, striding away to a car parked right on the street in front of the building. Naturally, it was Lucivar and Angel, both moving with clear purpose, clearly heading somewhere important.

    Angel scurried behind Lucivar, trying to keep up her pace with heels on.

    She went around the car, getting into the driver''s seat with Lucivar on the passenger seat.

    Once the engine rumbled, they zoomed away.

    "Who is that? And why did the two of them seem close?" Leandra questioned with an irritated tone, confused as to who the woman was. "Both of them are walking too close for comfort. I''m pretty sure I kept an eye on him, but I''ve never seen that woman before."

    Curious and also annoyed, she turned to Ravenna.

    "Do you know who sh-"

    Before she could finish, she stopped, seeing a dark shade covering Ravenna''s her.

    It made her crimson eyes even more highlighted.

    "Ravenna?"

    "Oh, what? Did you say something?"

    Ravenna snapped out of her trance and turned to Leandra, oblivious to what she had said earlier.

    Her mind wandered for the same reason Leandra''s did.

    "Do you want to go after them first? We can contact Master Tobias later."

    "No, no... It''s fine."

    Leandra''s eyes narrowed.

    She has lived with Ravenna for years, but this is the first time she has ever seen Ravenna emanating this kind of scent¡ªthe scent of jealousy. It was blatantly clear in her eyes since she, too, was feeling annoyed at the sight of that woman earlier.

    Of course, both of them loved Lucivar, and they admitted it earlier.

    But it should be loving him as a family.

    Leandra wanted more after managing to bring Lucivar to his senses, but Ravenna was supposed to have only one thing for him¡ªthe love of family, nothing more, nothing less. Yet the look on her face and the way she carried herself told a different story.

    One that might point at something more than a family.

    She knew Ravenna was close to Lucivar, but she was close to everyone.

    And they weren''t that close either.

    "Hey, I''m curious. Where have you been staying for the past month?"

    "In my room, of course. Where else?"

    "I''ve come knocking on your door late at night a couple of times, but you never answered."

    "Oh, I-I''m a heavy sleeper, you know that."

    "Right..."

    Of course, Ravenna was mostly sleeping with Lucivar as it''s too lonely to sleep alone, especially now that she tasted what sleeping together felt like. So, she always went over, no, sneaked to Lucivar''s room to sleep.

    Leandra couldn''t know, as that would jeopardize her relationship with Lucivar.

    As for Nerissa, she was half-awake and half-asleep most of the time, so she''s not a problem.

    Realizing that Leandra was becoming suspicious, Ravenna walked ahead.

    "Come, let''s talk with Master Tobias. We have things to do."

    ...

    Meanwhile, the car stopped in front of a cave.

    Lucivar walked out of the car and suck in a deep breath, looking around with a smile on his face.

    It has only been a month, but this place already feels foreign.

    Angel came out of the car and looked at the cave in confusion.

    "Aren''t we supposed to be meeting Samael?"

    "We are, but we need to wait for Callista. She''ll call you when the meeting is handled."

    Nodding in understanding, Angel turned to the cave again, seeing several aspiring Hybrids wearing a different uniform from the students. In fact, what these Hybrids were wearing is better suited to be called a combat suit than a uniform.

    "Where are we?"

    "Bastion of Blades. Academy Hunters slept and trained here. I''m one of them, not too long ago."

    "Oh, so this is where you started..."

    Angel''s eyes trailed, looking through the cave with a newfound light.

    Nothing about the cave seemed out of place or extraordinary¡ªit was a normal cave that was drilled by the academy to make this place. The entrance was spacious enough for five people to step inside at the same time, and the road towards the inside was rocky and unkempt at best.

    It was... ordinary, but that''s precisely why it was the perfect place for someone like Lucivar to start.

    He was nothing once, and now, he''s famous across the entire academy, city, and beyond.

    Lucivar brought Angel inside.

    At the entrance, the guards, the same ones as the last time he was here, were shocked to see him.

    But almost instantly, all of them stood up and saluted.

    None of them treated him roughly like back then, and it was a refreshing change for Lucivar.

    Lucivar stopped in front of a guard.

    "Bring me to my place. I want to check on her."

    "Yes, Sir. I''ll guide you there."

    Knowing exactly why Lucivar was here, the guard retrieved a particular black key from the office and led him and Angel down the cramped corridor. Along the way, Lucivar inhaled deeply, savoring the air of suffocation inside this place.

    It brought back some memories, but as expected, he didn''t miss this place one bit.

    Rather, he was glad that he wasn''t here anymore.

    Angel stuck close to Lucivar, realizing that the corridor was getting darker and darker.

    Not that the lighting in this section was bad, but it was deliberately set to make the corridor shadowy.

    A mind game for anyone who was tracing this path.

    "Raagghk!!"

    "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!!"

    Screams of pain muffled through the corridor, echoing hauntingly like the requiem of death.

    At this point, Angel was already clutching onto Lucivar''s arm.

    In her entire career of being an assistant, she has never been sent to a place like this before.

    "Lucivar, I''m scared..."

    "Scared? Why?"

    "It feels like the Devil is leading me to Hell."

    "Are you referring me to the Devil?"

    Lucivar chuckled humorously.

    People liked to call him the Devil, especially his enemies, and he never knew why.

    "If I''m the Devil, then you don''t need to be afraid. Nothing in here is scarier than I am."

    "That''s very reassuring, Lucivar, wow."

    Angel couldn''t restrain her sarcasm, but that talk helped her forget about the screams for a moment.

    Now, they finally reached a steel door, reached their destination.

    "I''ll be waiting outside. Knock on the door if you want to go out."

    "Will do."

    Lucivar and Angel entered through the door and found a spacious hall of concrete that seemed empty.

    Both stopped when the heavy, steely sound of the door being locked resounded.

    It echoed loudly across the hall.

    Even their footsteps against wet ground did the same as they walked deeper.

    Scanning the place, Angel''s gaze stopped at the only thing in here.

    A concrete confinement.

    "What''s in that...?" She whispered.

    "Not what," Lucivar smiled as he grabbed a lever on the side. "But who."

    Clank!

    As soon as he pulled on the level, the confinement''s door was opened¡ªrevealing a figure drowned in darkness. Angel''s eyes narrowed as she stepped closer, realizing that it was a figure, a woman who was tied to the ceiling.

    Her feet weren''t even touching the ground, and her body was wet from top to bottom.

    A mixture of sweat and water droplets from the ceiling.

    Even though her face was covered by her hair, Angel knew who this was.

    "It''s been quite some time," Luicivar''s voice boomed as he approached. "How are you doing, Sabrina?"

    "M-Master..."

 Chapter 319: Another Chance

    Chapter 319: Another Chance

    Moments after the South Hues Tournament.

    Lucivar went back to the Bastion of Blades to take his belongings.

    It was time for him to move out of this shithole.

    A place like this isn¡¯t suitable for the most promising academy hunter in the whole city.

    He was tired and socially overwhelmed with how many formalities and interviews he needed to attend as the winner, so he was planning on getting some shut-eye for a few hours in his room. But the moment he arrived and opened the door¡ªhe was met with a surprising sight.

    Sabrina was kneeling before the door.

    For a second, Lucivar was confused, but then he remembered what happened.

    Somehow, the food Sabrina brought for him was poisoned.

    And she surely felt responsible, and she should be.

    Sabrina looked unkempt, the entire room was exactly as it looked when Lucivar left it, and her knees were swollen red. Though he didn¡¯t know how long she had been kneeling there, he assumed that it was quite long.

    Realizing that the door was open, she looked up and immediately bowed her head again.

    ¡°Master... It¡¯s my mistake. Please forgive me.¡±

    ¡°How long have you been there?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, master. I¡¯m your personal maid. I should¡¯ve known better. This is my fault. You can punish me as you see fit, but please forgive me.¡±

    She bowed down further until her forehead touched the ground, prostrating.

    Lucivar raised a brow.

    It would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t furious at her¡ªhe was, and for good reason.

    Had the poison worked, his identity as an Angel Hybrid would¡¯ve been exposed.

    And worse, the news might even reach the Ashbourne Supreme House, and that¡¯d be complicated.

    Sabrina¡¯s blunder almost got him in a lot of trouble, and he was furious at her.

    Instead of answering, Lucivar walked around her and lay on the bed.

    He closed his eyes, deciding to sleep while Sabrina stayed on the floor, not daring to move a muscle.

    Once he woke up from his nap, an hour had passed.

    Lucivar sat up on the edge of the bed and glanced at the door¡ªSabrina was still there, prostrating, not willing to move until he said so. Rubbing his forehead, he thought for a moment and placed one hand on his knee, twisting it to flare his frame.

    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯d forgive you? I have a lot of people who can replace you.¡±

    ¡°In fact, I have one in mind right now.¡±

    He smirked tauntingly.

    ¡°I¡¯m planning on going out of the city to meet someone, a woman. Her name is Morriva. She grew up as a devoted woman of religion, serving the Blood God¡ªand she¡¯s also been a wife for a long time. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be a perfect fit to replace you since she is now devoted to me.¡±

    Sabrina¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    She rose and looked at Lucivar with trembling eyes.

    For years, she has been searching for a good master to serve.

    Now that she had it, she wasted it¡ªone mistake ruined it.

    A sharp, crushing pain gripped Sabrina¡¯s chest¡ªher breaths breaking into ragged gasps as if her heart were being squeezed in a merciless fist. Even after everything, after the big mistake she¡¯d made, she truly believed Lucivar would forgive her.

    As long as she shows her sincerity, this will all be in the past.

    After all, they grew closer over time.

    But she was nai?ve to think that.

    She stared at Lucivar, sitting nonchalantly on the bed with a cold, merciless grin¡ªher mouth opened, the word ¡®please¡¯ searing her tongue¡ªaching to be spoken. She would beg, crawl, break herself apart if it meant earning his forgiveness.

    She¡¯d do anything to earn a second chance.

    Being Lucivar¡¯s servant should be the start of her rise in life, and she didn¡¯t want to lose it.

    However, she managed to bite her tongue and held in the urge to beg.

    ¡®Master Lucivar... He doesn¡¯t respond to weakness. Begging would only do the opposite.¡¯

    Above all else, Sabrina knew that.

    Spending time watching Lucivar from the side, she knew how he operated.

    Exhaling lightly from her nose, easing the tension inside her blood, Sabrina crawled to the side and took what seemed to be a pouch tucked behind the wardrobe. Then¡ªshe approached Lucivar and handed it over to him as if the pouch was the answer to his question.

    Lucivar looked at her for a moment before checking the contents of the pouch.

    He reached his fingers inside and took out the contents.

    It was an ear, already blue and dry.

    ¡°I already killed the person who poisoned your food, and killed his accomplice. That¡¯s the accomplice¡¯s ear.¡±

    ¡°Who is it? The accomplice?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the cafeteria lady.¡±

    Sabrina thought of letting the cafeteria lady go, but when she recalled how Lucivar looked at her, she came back and killed her later that night. Subconsciously, she knew that it might come in handy in a situation like this, and she was right.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who sent them, but she said something about the Dark Angels.¡±

    ¡°The Black Zenith Order, I know.¡±

    Lucivar shrugged.

    He already knew the person behind this, which was most likely Samael.

    Despite this new information, Sabrina remained composed.

    She went back to her knees, but there was no desperation on her face, only silent determination.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Morriva is highly qualified, I don¡¯t doubt master¡¯s judgment. But like you said, she¡¯s from a religious background. She would not be able to do what you asked her to do without question,¡± Sabrina stated. ¡°And even if she can, she¡¯d need to learn everything from scratch. Besides, I doubt she has the supporting abilities that I possess.¡±

    ¡°Give me another chance and I¡¯ll prove it to you.¡± She added, assuringly.

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar¡¯s eyes flashed.

    He was rather pleased with the answer.

    An apology and a promise to do better meant something, but sounded hollow.

    Lucivar needed more; he needed to see what the failure did to her.

    And it must make her stronger.

    ¡®I was about to devour her with Greedy Grasp if she started begging, but she didn¡¯t.¡¯

    ¡®Good work, Sabrina. I¡¯ll let you live.¡¯

    Nodding firmly, Lucivar stood up and headed for the door.

    ¡°Come, you¡¯ll still need to be punished.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master!¡±

    ...

    ¡°Are you crazy?! You can¡¯t keep someone locked like this.¡±

    Angel shrieked, hurriedly going to check whether Sabrina was fine or not.

    She hesitated, though, as the air coming from the chamber was eerily cold and suffocating.

    But she didn¡¯t let that stop her from trying to get Angel down.

    ¡°She¡¯s a slave and my personal maid. I can practically do anything to her; she¡¯s mine.¡±

    ¡°O-Oh, I didn¡¯t know that...¡± Angel took a step back, but she snapped out of her trance and shook her head. ¡°Still, you can¡¯t do this to her against her will! She¡¯s still a human being.¡± She turned to Sabrina, opening up the chains. ¡°Come on. It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m going to help you get down.¡±

    Lucivar laughed when he saw this.

    It only made Angel shoot him a sharp glance¡ªthis was beyond heartless, especially for one of his own.

    ¡°Do you think I did it against her will?¡±

    ¡°Eh...?¡±

    Angel paused for a second, and when she turned to look at Sabrina again, she gasped.

    Behind the cover of her hair, Sabrina was panting, but she was smiling.

    Angel blinked, stunned at what she saw¡ªthe chains were biting into her wrists, arms stretched above her head for what must¡¯ve been days from how swollen they were. It should¡¯ve been agony. But Sabrina was smiling. Her chest heaving up and down in sensual pants.

    Clearly, the pain was there, but twisted into something else.

    Something disturbingly carnal.

    This wasn¡¯t dread¡ªshe was enjoying it!

    ¡°Are you feeling refreshed now, Sabrina?¡± Lucivar¡¯s voice rang loudly.

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Sabrina¡¯s eyes glowed against the dark backdrop. ¡°I¡¯m ready to serve you master!!¡±

    Clang!

    Angel yelped when the steel chains suddenly snapped.

    Even without her help, Sabrina could get down on her own.

    It was clear now that what Lucivar said was true¡ªthis wasn¡¯t against her will.

    Lucivar shook his head.

    ¡®I have to give her a punishment or else she¡¯d not be effective. Now, she¡¯s ready to get back to it.¡¯

    ...

    Later that night.

    Around ten, the night¡¯s air shifted into a breezy cool.

    It was the closing time for the Crystal Reliquary, one of the biggest libraries the city has to offer.

    People could be seen going down the staircase and onto the street, leaving for the day to come back the next day. Among them, there was a man in a black trench coat. He was taller compared to the mass, and his frame was quite intimidating.

    As soon as he got out, he stopped near the entrance, and took out a cigarette and a lighter.

    He lit it with a flick, took a long pull, and let the smoke curl lazily from his mouth.

    ¡°Ah... That hits the spot. Nothing beats smoking in the night after eating.¡±

    Just when he was about to continue down the stairs, someone stopped him.

    ¡°Sir Samael,¡± A well-built man stopped him politely. ¡°You didn¡¯t forget about the meeting, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, damn it, I know!¡± Samael pulled his hand in annoyance. ¡°Am I not allowed to smoke?!¡±

    ¡°I was only reminding you, Sir.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere. I remembered the meeting.¡±

    Once he said that, he continued to smoke, but his mood was now sour.

    Samael looked up to the night sky and smoked faster, enjoying the sweetness of the cigarette as if that would somehow make the meeting go away. He was informed earlier that the Feradith Family wanted to meet with him.

    It was urgent since they didn¡¯t want the meeting to be postponed to tomorrow.

    ¡°Sigh... This is their city, I can¡¯t really say no.¡±

    As he was about to kill the cigarette, he stopped at a sudden realization. ¡°Are they the ones¡ªwho took out my men...? I can¡¯t think of a reason why they wanted to meet with me if not for that. Also, that kid Lucivar has a history with them¡ªa bad one, so what¡¯s their reason for doing this? To work together?¡±

    Such thoughts prompted a frown from him as there were a lot of questions popping up in his head.

    At this point, he should¡¯ve known about Lucivar¡¯s bloodline.

    But someone sabotaged it.

    Even if the perpetrator was the Feradith Family, he wouldn¡¯t let this go easily.

    Flicking the cigarette to the ground, he stepped on it and headed back inside.

    Samael waited on the long table inside, reading books to kill time.

    And soon enough, footsteps could be heard approaching him.

    He stared down at the table, avoiding the approaching figure¡ªuntil curiosity won.

    When he looked up, his eyes widened in disbelief.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you again, Sir Samael. It¡¯s been a while...¡±

 Chapter 320: Successful Arrangement

    Chapter 320: Successful Arrangement

    Samael was composed.

    No aura could be sensed from the person approaching him, covered by an artifact, it seemed.

    But with the background of the people he¡¯s meeting with, he wasn¡¯t surprised.

    He turned over to a new page calmly, waiting for the person to sit across him.

    Julian or Callista should be the one he was meeting right now, but from his periphery, he saw the person bore no resemblance to either of them. His instincts kicked in, causing a cold sweat to trickle down his nape slowly.

    Other than knowing that the person was a man, he also saw a pair of glowing, mischievous eyes.

    As the footstep rang directly across the table from him, Samael, unable to contain his curiosity, closed the book and raised his gaze. Julian, Callista, or even the twins were the people he thought he would be meeting tonight.

    Instead, he was meeting a man who wasn¡¯t even a part of the Feradith Family.

    And worse, this man was his target.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you again, Sir Samael. It¡¯s been a while...¡±

    Lucivar greeted as he pulled back the chair and sat down, his movements were unhurried.

    Showing clearly that he wasn¡¯t afraid of Samael, one of the five Dark Archangels.

    Despite remaining stoic outside, he unconsciously swallowed.

    ¡°You have a lot of nerve to come here directly.¡±

    ¡°And why is that? I don¡¯t recall doing anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re an Angel Hybrid.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Lucivar grinned, expecting that Samael had already pieced the pieces together.

    That he¡¯s an Angel Hybrid.

    ¡°Bold claim. Do you have any proof?¡±

    ¡°No, but I¡¯m certain.¡±

    ¡°Emotions are not facts. I¡¯m worried if you bring this out to the public, you¡¯ll be beaten down. After all, I recently got promoted in the eyes of the public, becoming the star of the young generation of Hybrids, the best this city could offer.¡±

    Samael chuckled incredulously and pushed aside the book.

    It wasn¡¯t wrong.

    Going after Lucivar with a bold claim like that would only complicate his position.

    Of course, he could slap a charge on Lucivar and bring him to custody, but Samael knew better.

    He wasn¡¯t blind. He knew that Lucivar was meticulous and ruthless.

    Just by showing up instead of the Feradith Family, Lucivar had already proven that¡ªhe has the family under his thumb. Perhaps that was his plan all along, to make sure Samael knew¡ªto force him to take this seriously.

    And with that, Samael finally realized the true reason for his visit.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I like smart people like you. Save me the trouble of explaining things.¡±

    Lucivar clasped his hands on the table, staring at Samael with a cold, professional look.

    One that made it clear that he came with a proposition.

    ¡°Before we go to that, let¡¯s start with some honesty as an offering of goodwill between us. I am indeed an Angel Hybrid.¡±

    ¡°You admit it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Samael¡¯s aura flared when he was now 100% certain that Lucivar was an Angel Hybrid, the very prey he swore to eradicate. His ether was extraordinary, swallowing the entire library like a fierce tidal wave and crushing Lucivar where he sat.

    Breathing became hard.

    Taking in a breath requires more effort as the air was too thick and heavy, too little was sucked inside.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who killed the man you sent to probe me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Almost instantly, the aura dispersed as Samael¡¯s brows knitted together.

    His face contorted with a mixture of surprise and doubt.

    ¡°Even so, an Angel Hybrid and their twisted sense of justice could bypass their killing restriction, as long as they believed what they were doing was right. You killed one of my own¡ªso what? That only reinforces what you are.¡±

    ¡°Does it?¡±

    Lucivar smirked and raised his hand.

    A sinister energy climbed up his arm and turned his palm black.

    Then, from it, a swirl of dark energy appeared, sizzling like fire from the depths of the void.

    Its twisting tendrils mocked Samael¡¯s very belief.

    ¡°Did you even have the chance to see¡ªhis corpse?¡± Lucivar tilted his head slightly, feigning genuine curiosity¡ªbut his voice dripped with mockery. ¡°He died from corruption. I killed him with my dark attribute. You are the expert on Angel Hybrids here, aren¡¯t you? Tell me¡ªhave you ever seen an Angel Hybrid with a dark attribute?¡±

    Samael¡¯s expression turned grim.

    He had never been talked down to like this before in his entire career.

    But what made him angry was the fact that Lucivar was telling the truth.

    His man did die from corruption, and no Angel Hybrids were capable of that feat.

    ¡°Just tell me what you want.¡±

    ¡°What I want, Samael, is to help you.¡±

    ¡°Help me? What can you possibly help me with?¡±

    Even though he knew Lucivar wasn¡¯t on his level, far from it¡ªand could only be of us as an underling, he didn¡¯t dismiss his words outright. Lucivar had clearly prepared for tonight, and it would not hurt to hear what he had to say.

    Just then, Lucivar took something out from his pocket and placed it on the table.

    It was a phone.

    Before Samael could ask what the phone was for, the phone was already pushed towards him.

    He stopped the phone with his hand and looked at Lucivar questioningly.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Unlock it and see for yourself.¡±

    As soon as Samael looked down, he frowned when he realized the phone didn¡¯t seem to be normal.

    Enveloping it were armor-scales.

    He thought that the phone was using a weird phone case, but it wasn¡¯t; the scales were one with it.

    ¡®I can sense a faint energy within it¡ªand the sheen of this armor makes it feel almost alive.¡¯

    Curious, Samal tapped on the phone¡¯s screen, only to be greeted by a pulsing wave extending forward, one that he instantly recognized as a radar. He looked up from the phone and stared at Lucivar, ¡°A radar? What can it detec¡ª¡±

    Ding!

    Before he could finish his sentence, the phone made a high-pitched ¡®ding¡¯ sound.

    Samael looked down and realized there was a very faint purple dot there, picked up by the radar.

    And it wasn¡¯t that far from him, in front of him, right where Lucivar was sitting.

    It was only then he sucked in a cold breath in realization.

    ¡°An Angel radar...?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Lucivar knew from the way Samael¡¯s face changed from cautious to absolutely shocked that he had done the right thing coming here. Even one of the five Dark Archangels¡ªfrom the Black Zenith Order, would not be able to pass up something as precious as this.

    During their last encounter, Samael used an ability to probe Lucivar¡¯s bloodline.

    It caused multiple side effects as long as the target was an Angel Hybrid.

    So, from that alone, Lucivar knew that the Black Zenith Order still did not have an effective way to locate Angel Hybrids. Their rate of eradicating Angel Hybrids is probably low because of that, needing to investigate suspicious Hybrids manually.

    However, with this radar, their operation could be changed entirely.

    ¡°It can even detect me, though barely. But that showed it could locate others easily.¡±

    ¡°This is not some high-level tech. This must be a spell of some sort. I¡¯m guessing only you can do it, and somehow, if I take this from you forcefully, it¡¯d not work. So, Lucivar,¡± Samael placed the phone down gently and clasped his hands under his nose. ¡°What do you want in exchange?¡±

    Clearly, Lucivar wanted something in return for something as valuable as this.

    Hearing this, he could only grin.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re more reasonable than I anticipated...¡±

    Moments later.

    Angel noticed Lucivar walking out of the library with a liberated smile from the car.

    She could tell from his face alone that it had been a successful meeting.

    Excited for him, Angel got out of the car and approached him.

    ¡°How did it go?¡±

    ¡°Good. Now, we can only wait and hope for the best.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations, I¡¯m happy for you. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    ¡°What are you, my wife? Stop acting cuddly and go back inside the car.¡±

    Even at those sharp words, Angel didn¡¯t move.

    She lingered for a moment, standing in front of Lucivar, seemingly having something more to say.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I was wondering if you have something planned after this,¡± She fidgeted a little, acting more feminine than normal as her professional side melted by the night. ¡°I... I have a new sofa in my apartment, and I can¡¯t really bring it inside alone.¡±

    ¡°Call someone else, I¡¯m busy.¡± Lucivar raised a brow questioningly.

    ¡°I-I meant,¡± She stuttered, scrambling for words. ¡°You left something in my apartment, yes, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°So, which one is it? Do you want me to come over because of the new sofa or because I left something?¡±

    ¡°Never mind...¡±

    Angel sighed dejectedly, knowing that it was unreasonable for her to ask him to come over anyway.

    Pah!

    Out of nowhere, Lucivar slapped her ass crisply, startling her.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll come over. Since you did well with finding out Samael, I¡¯ll reward you,¡± He draped an arm over Angel¡¯s shoulders¡ªa gesture that was supposed to be an act of fondness, but when Lucivar did it, the gesture looked more like claiming a possession. ¡°It¡¯s not like you to make excuses. Next time, if you want me, just say it¡ªyou looked stupid with your excuses.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say it...¡± Angel tilted her head down a little, blushing, not resisting at all.

    Lucivar chuckled a little.

    ¡°I have to go somewhere tomorrow, so I¡¯ll be leaving early.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I also have to go to work tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Angel...?¡±

    Out of nowhere, a voice interrupted them.

    A woman called Angel, and the two of them seemed to know each other.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the car.¡±

    Lucivar pulled his arm away and entered the car.

    He rubbed his chest, feeling a weird tightness inside like his life was in danger.

    It was a feeling that made him feel uneasy, ¡°Is it that stupid Sirrush again? What is it this time?¡±

    Immediately, he leaned back and closed his eyes to go to his Inner Chamber.

    On the other hand, Angel pulled the woman in casual attire¡ªa t-shirt and jeans¡ªaway.

    ¡°Indira, what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m studying. The question should be what are YOU doing here. Who¡¯s the hot guy? Boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s not my boyfriend!¡±

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t lie to me,¡± Indira looked down at Angel¡¯s chest. ¡°He¡¯s your boyfriend, for sure. Look, even your nipples are swollen¡ªalready! Am I interrupting something? Are you about to have some fun with him?¡±

    ¡°Kyaah~!¡± Angel squealed and pulled away, covering her breasts when Indira tried to poke them. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you... I¡¯m leaving!¡±

    Not wasting a moment, she walked away, heading back to the car.

    Seeing this, Indira waved her hand, a bright smile stretching her lips.

    ¡°Introduce me to him soon, Angel! We¡¯re besties, right?! I won¡¯t forgive you if you don¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Next time!¡±

    Indira shook her head and placed her hands on her waist.

    It was such a pleasant surprise to see Angel, a workaholic, date someone like this.

    But then, her eyes widened when a hand gripped her mouth from behind.

    Before she could do anything, she was yanked away.

 Chapter 321: Dancing Around Words

    Chapter 321: Dancing Around Words

    Earlier that day.

    ¡°Huh... I can¡¯t believe it. How am I supposed to tell him about this alone?¡±

    Leandra got out of the taxi after paying and thanking the driver.

    She turned around and faced a mansion.

    It was Master Tobias¡¯ mansion.

    She was planning on going together with Ravenna, but she suddenly had something urgent to deal with.

    A change happened in her expression before she left.

    It wasn¡¯t quite clear as Leandra only saw a glimpse of it, but she guessed that it was worry.

    Crossing her arms to warm herself up from the cold wind, she entered the mansion, pouting about the possibility of Ravenna going to meet with Lucivar, who was now probably somewhere with that normal-looking woman.

    After Ravenna ditched her suddenly, she wanted to ask the others to accompany her.

    Nerissa is out of the picture, but there are still Mirel, Bakar, and Bob.

    Dismissing the notion of asking Mirel and Bakar, she decided to ask Bob instead¡ªhe was the only one she believed to be able to handle the news well out of the three. The possibility of Delilah¡¯s death being a setup is a hard pill to swallow.

    And Bob would certainly be able to digest it better.

    However, it was futile too.

    She couldn¡¯t find him in his room or any other area inside the academy.

    So, she was forced to come here alone.

    Nobody was guarding the mansion¡ªit seemed Master Tobias hadn¡¯t hired any guards.

    Leandra didn¡¯t need to open the gate.

    She could simply leap over it and trace the road towards the main entrance.

    Once she stood before the main entrance, she raised her fist to knock, but stopped midway.

    ¡®How do I even ease into telling him about this? He never once talked about Delilah¡¯s death after that day, not once. He must be extremely hurt...¡¯ Leandra bit her lower lip, hesitating. ¡®No. I have got to tell him. He deserved to know the truth.¡¯

    After knocking a few times, a butler opened the door.

    He looked at Leandra and immediately bowed a little in respect.

    ¡°Is the master home?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s in his study room. Let me guide you there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it, thank you.¡±

    Leandra followed the butler closely behind, tracing along the big mansion corridor until they eventually reached the room on the corner. It was on the second floor, secluded, away from the other rooms. And the door wasn¡¯t closed properly.

    Seeing this, Leandra nodded at the butler, gesturing that she¡¯d take it from here.

    Once the butler left, she looked back towards the door and approached.

    For some reason, she was careful with her steps, not wanting to alert Master Tobias that she was around.

    As she got closer to the study room, she could hear the sound of sharp snapping followed by a crunching sound, which plastered a frown across her face. Peeking from the crack, she saw Master Tobias was on his chair, shaping a small bonsai tree in a pot by cutting its branches and leaves.

    Leandra sighed when she saw this.

    Being with Master Tobias for years, she knew that he was stressed.

    He was someone who loved to socialize, always eager to go out, so the fact that he shut himself alone in the study room could only mean one thing¡ªhe¡¯s stressed. On the table beside him sat a photo frame, positioned close, making it obvious whose picture it held.

    Inhaling deeply, she knocked on the door lightly, ¡°Master Tobias...¡±

    Hearing that, Master Tobias lifted his gaze, a faint glimmer sharpening in his eyes.

    He quickly wiped his cheeks, gently placed down his monocle, and smiled.

    ¡°Leandra, you came quite late.¡±

    ¡°I-I have free time from the academy.¡± She stepped inside awkwardly, realizing that Master Tobias had been crying, which was instantly picked up by Master Tobias as she was usually cheerful around him. ¡°I was going to visit you, to check on you because of you know... the purple dungeon day.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Master Tobias pushed his chair back and stood up.

    He went around the table and opened his arms.

    Seeing this, Leandra smiled back and hugged him tightly, hiding the turmoil inside.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Even though I¡¯m weak, the people working for this mansion are strong. They kept me safe.¡±

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good.¡±

    Pulling away, Master Tobias looked down at her face and tidied up her messy hair.

    Then, he turned to look behind her, confused.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re here, but where are the others? Did you come here alone?¡±

    ¡°Ah, the others...¡± Leandra smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say. ¡°Oh, they are very busy right now. Reporters usually came to interview us as Lucivar¡¯s close friends, you know, since he¡¯s now famous city-wide for winning the tournament.¡±

    Master Tobias laughed humorously, ¡°I see. I guess he really did become stronger now.¡±

    Just as he wanted to bring Leandra somewhere, he paused, seeing her spacing out.

    Something is inside her mind¡ªhe could tell.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked tenderly, grabbing her shoulders. ¡°You know you can tell me everything, right?¡±

    Leandra¡¯s mind churned.

    She wanted to say something, but the words couldn¡¯t leave her mouth.

    Not only was bringing Delilah¡¯s death going to be opening fresh wounds¡ªbut Master Tobias was crying not too long ago, but he hid it well as soon as she came. She was conflicted. On one side, Master Tobias deserved to know, but on the other, she also didn¡¯t want to see him breaking.

    Moreover, Delilah¡¯s smiling photo on the table wasn¡¯t helping at all¡ªit made her hesitation worse.

    ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s nothing. I was only glad that you¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. Is it Lucivar? Did he do something again? Or did you find out about him and Ravenna?¡±

    ¡°About him and Ravenna?¡±

    Leandra tilted her head, confused as to what Master Tobias meant by that.

    Realizing that he was off the mark, Master Tobias cleared his throat and went to tidy up the table.

    ¡°I meant Lucivar and everyone. You know how he can be, causing a ruckus here and there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... I know.¡±

    Her tone was skeptical, knowing exactly that it was a slip of the tongue from Master Tobias.

    But then, her eyes caught sight of something on the table.

    It was a band, a red worn-down band that she found really familiar.

    ¡°Master, isn¡¯t that Bob¡¯s towel? The one he usually used during training?¡± She asked incredulously.

    Since Bob was a massive man, well-trained but still very bulky, he tended to sweat a lot, which was the reason he always carried¡ªa towel everywhere, especially when he trained. On top of that, he also had one favorite towel he¡¯d been using for years and outright refused to replace it/

    A dark grey towel with flower patterns.

    Leandra could tell that it was Bob¡¯s from a mere glance.

    ¡°Bob¡¯s? No, that¡¯s the maid¡¯s,¡± Master Tobias grabbed the towel and headed for the door. ¡°She was in here before, and she must¡¯ve left it there. Maybe I¡¯m too light on these maids, but this must have been hers.¡±

    He called a maid and handed the towel over to her, not forgetting to scold her.

    Even then, Leandra didn¡¯t buy it.

    It would have been fine if Bob had been here before and had visited earlier than her.

    She would have had no problem with it.

    But she does have a problem when Master Tobias was denying it like this, when it¡¯s obviously Bob¡¯s.

    However, before she could say anything, he had already gestured for her to come outside.

    Leandra ran her fingers through her hair in disbelief before following him out of the room.

    ¡®Maybe he¡¯s not thinking straight,¡¯ Leandra sighed, trying to be understanding as she walked along the corridor, heading towards the backyard. ¡®He was caught crying in his room alone by me; he must have felt embarrassed.¡¯

    In the backyard, Master Tobias brought her to a section of the garden.

    A section where a stack of fresh roses could be seen.

    It wasn¡¯t fully mature yet.

    Its petals were tightly furled, with just a hint of color beginning to show at the edges.

    Even then, they were still beautiful to see, especially against the shade of the moonlight from above.

    Unlike normal roses, the flowers are shimmering like rubies, emanating a faint, swaying red sizzle.

    Magical roses.

    ¡°I planted those two months ago for her,¡± Master Tobias said, his tone steady but weighted with quiet sorrow. ¡°I watered them and gave them growth powders to make them grow faster¡ªand before I knew it, they¡¯d grown this much.¡±

    Leandra knelt down and tucked her hair behind her ear to view them closely.

    Her eyes sparkled, marveling at them.

    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful. Now I understand why Delilah loved them so much.¡± She caressed one carefully.

    Seeing this, Master Tobias shook his head.

    He leaned against the wall as if his body weighed a ton.

    ¡°When Lucivar won the tournament, it made me think of all of you,¡± He murmured, smiling faintly to himself. ¡°It feels like just yesterday I took you in, and now you¡¯ve all grown into strong Hybrids. Time really does slip by when you¡¯re not paying attention.¡±

    ¡°And I... I just hope Delilah was here to see you all grow. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be happy.¡± He sighed.

    Biting her lower lip, Leandra turned around and found him reminiscing in sorrow.

    Almost instantly, the thoughts in her mind melted.

    ¡®How can I tell him the truth if he¡¯s being like this...?¡¯ She exhaled roughly through her nose.

    ...

    Meanwhile, in a particular apartment.

    Pleasure-laced moans spilled through the apartment, sultry and breathless, each one rising higher with every forceful thrust that sent the walls trembling. The air was thick with the sharp and loud, intimate slap of flesh meeting flesh, a raw symphony of desire and need.

    Her cries unraveled into something wild, unrestrained, and utterly consuming.

    It ended with a rough groan as the man released his pearlescent fluid into the woman without mercy.

    Lucivar panted heavily.

    His body slicked with fluids as he pressed Angel¡¯s face against the bed, suffocating her.

    Once he was finished letting it all out inside, he pulled his erect shaft out of the heaven¡¯s gate¡ªand flipped Angel¡¯s body around. He climbed onto her, grabbed her by the hair¡ªto prop her up, and placed his massive thing in front of her euphoria-induced face.

    ¡°Clean it up.¡±

    A command, not a request.

    And Angel didn¡¯t need to be told twice to do it earnestly.

    He savored the complete sense of domination, a sensation that nobody could provide other than her.

    But during the process, Sirrush appeared out of nowhere.

    ¡°Hey, your Vestal called.¡±

    ¡°My Vestal? Which one?¡±

    Lucivar talked to him out loud, no need to worry about Angel, who was too focused on his crotch.

    ¡°Our Vestal.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You meant Nerissa?¡±

    ¡°Close your eyes and focus, you have a deeper connection with them compared to the other Vestals.¡±

    Not even doubting his words, Lucivar closed his eyes and focused.

    Then, a frown crossed his face when a sudden sense of panic assaulted his body.

    It wasn¡¯t the sensation he was feeling, but Nerissa¡¯s.

    Realizing that she might be in trouble, Lucivar immediately got off the bed and put on his clothes.

    He had already sated his lust, and judging by the way Angel lay motionless on the bed, utterly spent, she was more than satisfied, ruined even. Without so much as a goodbye, he slipped out of the apartment complex, summoned his wings, and soared into the sky.

    Finding Nerissa was easy thanks to the connection.

    And Lucivar found himself back on the street near the library where he met with Samael.

    Landing smoothly, he went around the corner and stopped.

    Nerissa was standing there, hands covered in dried blood.

    Sprawled on the ground near her was a corpse, someone he recognized.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Lucivar shouted incredulously.