Lucian woke up with a start. He lay in the small motel bed, the cheap sheets scratchy against his skin.
His mana was full. Completely topped up.
His eyes, which had been closed just monts before, snapped open, glowing with a cold, crimson light. His mind was instantly clear. He rembered where he was. He rembered why he was here.
His plan flashed through his head like lightning. It was today. The day he would make them pay. Mayor Grant. Veronica. And Chris. They had tried to kill him. Now, he would return the favor.
Lucian swung his legs off the bed. The cheap springs groaned. He stood up, fully dressed in the simple clothes he'd put on the night before. He walked to the door, Dragon Soul Devourer materializing in his hand in a faint crimson glow, instantly hidden by his incognito feature.
He exited the motel room. The hallway was quiet, slling faintly of stale smoke and disinfectant. He walked out of the motel without a backward glance, stepping onto the familiar streets of Whitehaven Town.
The mayor's mansion wasn't far. It was a massive building, sitting on a hill that overlooked a good part of the town. Lucian had been there many tis before, back when he was still dating Veronica, back when his life was 'perfect'. The mories felt like ash in his mouth now.
He reached the edge of the mansion's grounds. A tall stone wall surrounded the property, topped with security asures that would have been a problem for the old Lucian. For him now? They were barely noticeable.
He saw the guards first. Two figures patrolling near the gate. Their armor glinted under the morning sun. Lucian's [Voidseer's Insight] pinged information into his mind:
[(Lv 20)]
[(Lv 22)]
Level 20 and 22. Pathetic.
The logical thing to do would be to use stealth, slip past them. But Lucian wasn't feeling logical. He was feeling angry. And impatient. Sneaking was too slow.
He stepped out of the shadows and walked directly towards them.
The guards stiffened, spotting him. Their hands went to their weapons.
"Halt! Who are you?!"
It was then the second guard recognized Lucian. "You! You're Lucian!"
Lucian didn't answer. He activated [Crimson Shadow Step].
"BOOM!"
He turned into a blur of crimson mist, the air cracking with a mini-sonic boom. He was on them in an instant.
The first guard barely had ti to raise his spear. Lucian's fist, empowered by his base Strength, slamd into his chest plate.
"Bang!"
[Celestial Adamantine Body - Celestial Might Activated!]
[Guard (Lv 20) Eliminated!] [ 100 EXP | 15 Relic Gold Coins]
[SS-Rank Skill: Blood Devour Activated!] → 0.5 Physique
[Blood Harvest Activated!] → Dragon Soul Devourer Attack Power Bonus: 106.1%
The guard's armor crumpled like paper, ribs shattering inward. He flew backward, hitting the stone wall with a sickening thud before dropping like a sack of potatoes.
The second guard stared, montarily frozen in horror, then let out a yell. He swung his sword wildly.
Lucian flowed to the side, the sword whistling past empty air. Dragon Soul Devourer materialized in his hand, the incognito feature dropping for a mont to reveal the deadly weapon, then snapping back as he struck.
"SLICE!"
He didn't use a technique, just a simple, impossibly fast thrust. The spear tip passed through the guard's neck cleanly.
[Guard (Lv 22) Eliminated!] [ 110 EXP | 18 Relic Gold Coins]
[SS-Rank Skill: Blood Devour Activated!] → 0.6 Agility
[Blood Harvest Activated!] → Dragon Soul Devourer Attack Power Bonus: 106.2%
The guard collapsed, lifeless. Two guards down in less than two seconds. Lucian didn't pause. He scaled the wall with inhuman speed, dropping silently onto the other side.
More guards patrolled the grounds. Levels ranging from 20 to 30. They were alerted by the faint commotion at the gate, shouting questions, looking around nervously.
Lucian moved through them like a ghost made of violence. No stealth, just speed and overwhelming force. A blur of crimson mist. A flash of steel. A muffled cry, a heavy thud. Each kill was swift, brutal, and added to his growing strength.
[Guard (Lv 25) Eliminated!] [ 125 EXP | 20 Relic Gold Coins] → 0.7 Strength
[Guard (Lv 30) Eliminated!] [ 150 EXP | 25 Relic Gold Coins] → 0.8 Physique
[Guard (Lv 28) Eliminated!] [ 140 EXP | 23 Relic Gold Coins] → 0.7 Agility
He didn't bother with their weapons or armor, simply left the bodies where they fell. He needed to reach his targets.
He knew the layout of the mansion perfectly. First stop: Veronica's room. He slipped through a side entrance he knew was often left unlocked, moving silently through familiar corridors decorated with expensive paintings and sculptures. The air inside was cool, scented with the faint perfu Veronica used to wear.
He reached her door, pushed it open quietly, and stepped inside.
The room was empty.
The bed was neatly made. No sign of life. Just designer clothes scattered on chairs and a vanity filled with costics. A faint sense of disappointnt, quickly replaced by cold determination, washed over him. Where was she?
He listened. Enhanced Perception, amplified by his gear and stats, allowed him to hear faint sounds from deeper within the mansion. Voices. Guards talking.
"...taken to the academy."
"...Chris too."
"...Recriuted genius… envoys..."
The academy. Of course, they had been recruited!
Lucian's eyes flashed coldly. Fine. He'd deal with Grant first.
He left Veronica's room, moving quickly towards the Mayor's large bedroom. He knew the way blindfolded. Past the grand staircase, down another long corridor, to the master suite doors.
He pushed the doors open just slightly and peered inside.
Mayor Grant was there. Lying in his massive bed. As expected. But he wasn't alone. Three won were sleeping in his arms, tangled in the sheets. The Mayor's face was soft in sleep, a stark contrast to the cruel man Lucian knew.
[Mayor Grant]
[Level: 40]
Lucian's grip tightened on his spear. He stepped into the room, silent as death.
But Mayor Grant, despite his depravity, wasn't just anyone. He had survived in this world for a reason. He possessed skills, even if they were weak compared to Lucian.
[Passive Skill Activated: Mayor Grant - Danger Sense!]
Mayor Grant's eyes snapped open instantly. The soft look vanished, replaced by alert paranoia. He didn't even see Lucian properly, just sensed a powerful, malevolent presence.
He reacted instinctively.
"Who?!" he roared, throwing the startled won off him as he summoned his weapon!
A blinding golden light erupted in his hand, solidifying into a beautifully crafted saber, its blade humming with energy.
[Brilliant Edge Slash!]
He didn't hesitate, swinging the saber with a desperate, powerful slash aid at the shadow figure standing in his room. The blade left a trail of golden energy in the air.
But Lucian was already in motion. He didn't bother dodging. He t the Epic saber head-on with Dragon Soul Devourer.
"Dang!"
Sparks flew. The Epic saber, which would have cut through lesser defenses like butter, shuddered violently under the impact with the Mythic spear. Grant's eyes widened in shock as the force transmitted through his weapon.
Lucian didn't give him ti to recover. He pulled his spear back slightly, then slamd the shaft downwards onto the saber blade.
"CRACK!"
The Epic saber snapped in half like a dry twig. Grant stared at the broken pieces in his hands, disbelief etched on his face.
Lucian followed up with a simple punch. No skill, just pure, brutal force.
[Celestial Adamantine Body - Celestial Might Activated!]
His fist, already enhanced by his stats and gear, felt like a cannonball. It slamd into Mayor Grant's chest.
"BOOOOOOM!"
The impact was catastrophic. Mayor Grant's Epic-grade armor shattered like thin ice. His body bent backward at an impossible angle. A massive shockwave erupted from his chest, blasting the three screaming won out of the bed and across the room like ragdolls.
Grant was sent flying through the wall behind his bed.
"CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!"
He tore through the outer wall of the mansion, then through the wall of the adjacent building, and finally through the wall of the one beyond that before coming to a crumpled, broken stop amidst rubble.
[Mayor Grant (Lv 40) Eliminated!] [ 5,000 EXP | 500 Relic Gold Coins | 1 Mayor's Ring (Rare)]
[SS-Rank Skill: Blood Devour Activated!] → 3 Physique, 2 Strength
[Blood Harvest Activated!] → Dragon Soul Devourer Attack Power Bonus: 107%
[Level Up!] [You have reached Level 19!]
[All stats increased by 3]
Lucian felt the surge of power, small but satisfying. He stood in the ruined bedroom, dust settling around him. The won were unconscious or screaming in terror. He ignored them.
He turned to leave, planning to head to the academy. But just then, he sensed sothing. A new presence. Much stronger than Grant. Much, much stronger.
"BOOOOOOM!"
The wall of the bedroom Lucian had just co through exploded inwards. Stone, plaster, and furniture flew into the room. Standing in the gaping hole, silhouetted against the light from the corridor, was a massive bald figure. One of the envoys from the academy. The one who had recruited Chris and Veronica.
[Na: Elder Borin]
[Rank: Elder]
[Level: 103]
Shock, pure, unadulterated shock, was clear on the envoy's face as he took in the scene – the destroyed room, the broken mayor in the distance, Lucian standing calmly amongst the ruins.
"You...!" Borin roared, his voice shaking the air. He didn't waste words. Power erupted from him, dense and overwhelming.
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