The purple light surrounding the crystal flickered for a mont, followed by the deep rumble of machinery. Then, as if regaining balance, the light steadied, and the sound around them settled into a calm, rhythmic hum.
"If I’d woken up even a little later," Lucas said quietly, eyes fixed on the crystal, "the King’s Shield would have collapsed, and the kingdom would’ve been left completely unprotected."
"Then this would’ve been the perfect ti to attack our country," Lory murmured.
Their eyes t for a brief mont, an unspoken understanding passing between them, how they managed to avoid a catastrophic situation.
Zhao Li Xin broke the silence. "How many people know about the King needing to recharge his Crown Heart? Is that sothing commonly known?"
"Common knowledge? No," Lucas said, shaking his head. "But quite a few people are aware of it."
"Yeah," Lory added. "High officials like the Commission mbers, top generals, and the N.I.M.S. directors. They were the ones who built the Crown Heart facility and the Five Pillars in the first place."
"So... more than a few," Zhao Li Xin concluded.
Lory gave a small shrug. "It’s supposed to be a secret project, but really, if more than six people know, it’s not much of a secret anymore."
"Six people?" Lucas frowned.
"Duh," she said, counting on her fingers. "Fred, the boys, and us."
"Oh." Lucas nodded in agreent. "Aside from the Archknights and us, there’s a chance soone might’ve leaked sothing."
"Luckily," he added with a faint smile, "we made a few modifications to this place ourselves. No one knows about this location except the seven of us." He glanced at Zhao Li Xin, acknowledging him as the newest mber of their circle.
Lory’s grin widened. "Oh, that’s true."
"Anyway," Lucas said as he stretched his arms, "it’s ti to recharge the Heart. Keep your distance, Lory."
"Tsk. Worry about yourself, brother," Lory muttered, rolling her eyes. She walked over to Zhao Li Xin and summoned the Trinity Staff, its form shimring into existence in her hand. With a firm stomp against the ground, a Lucient Shield burst forth, enveloping them in a transparent do.
Lucas’s lips curved downward; he realized it was pointless to worry about her. He’d forgotten, Lory was the only person in this world capable of matching his power.
He took a deep breath and stepped in front of the Crown Heart. Raising his fist in front of his chest as he began to whisper an ancient spell. The mont his eyes snapped open, they were glowing with a soft purple light.
From his body, seven swords burst out, spinning in graceful arcs around him before halting midair. The blades blazed with radiant white light, their presence both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
An ordinary person would have been paralyzed by fear. But Lory stood perfectly calm, completely unbothered. Beside her, Zhao Li Xin watched in silence, his gaze locked on the spectacle before them. He wasn’t unperturbed either, far from it. Fascination glead in his eyes as he felt the air vibrate with raw power.
As a cultivator, he could sense it clearly: the energy radiating from the seven swords was unlike anything he had ever felt, vast, sacred, and overwhelming. It made his blood stir.
A faint smile touched his lips as excitent lit his expression. The thought ca to him almost instantly,he might to ask Lucas for a friendly duel soday. Zhao Li Xin curious to know just how powerful the legendary Seven Gods’ Swords truly were, and whether his Crimson Lightning could stand against them.
While Zhao Li Xin’s mind spun with anticipation, Lucas was completely focused. He stood before the Crown Heart, eyes burning with concentration, his magic pulsing through the air. The seven swords around him vibrated in unison, glowing brighter and brighter until their rhythm matched his heartbeat.
Then, with a surge of light, they began to draw together, lding into a single, massive blade that blazed like a second sun. The chamber trembled beneath the weight of its power.
Then, with a rumbling sound, the sword shot forward and pierced the crystal. A blinding white light erupted, swallowing everything.
When the brightness finally began to fade, the purple glow of the Crown Heart had deepened, richer, denser, pulsing like sothing newly awakened.
"Did it work properly this ti?" Lory asked, lowering the shield.
Lucas let out a slow breath, relief washing over his face. Then he smiled. "It worked perfectly this ti."
The change wasn’t only visible inside the cave, but also outside the chamber, the mont the crystal’s power surged, its energy rippled through the machines surrounding it. Within seconds, the current was carried upward, channeled through the Five Pillars, and released into the sky.
For a brief, breathtaking mont, the King’s Shield shimred across the sky, its vast barrier glistening like liquid light before fading back to transparency.
Most people went about their day, unaware of what had just happened. But those who were blessed with a powerful gift felt the change instantly. Heads turned toward the sky across the kingdom as they sensed the sudden pulse of the Shield being restored.
Their eyes brimming with joy and delight, so raised their hands to the sky and cheered excitedly.
In his office, Fargo hurried to the window. He shoved it open, eyes widening as he took in the faint glow still lingering above the horizon. A broad grin split his face, and he murmured with delight, "Now that’s what I’m talking about."
While at the other place, Fredhardt lowered his cell phone mid-call, a flicker of understanding passing through his sharp eyes. He turned toward the window, catching the faint gleam of the barrier high above. A quiet, knowing smile curved his lips.
Elsewhere, Stephan stepped out onto his balcony. The cool wind brushed against his face as he slipped his hands into his pockets. His eyes stared at the sky for a long mont, and soon after, a small smile touched his lips.
Adrianne appeared behind him, carrying two cups of coffee. She paused for a mont, pleasantly surprised by the rare softness in his expression.
"Sothing good happen?" she asked, handing him one of the cups.
Stephan accepted it, still gazing at the sky. "Yeah," he said quietly without giving an explanation.
Adrianne didn’t ask further. It was enough just to see him in a good mood. She took a sip of her coffee, then joined him in silence, both of them watching the sky quietly.
__________________________________
__Sowhere in Luxemborough__
The sharp crash of breaking glass shattered the silence.
Theodore Navaro’s face was dark as coal as he sat behind his massive desk, shards glittering on the floor near his feet. He snatched his phone, dialed a series of numbers with quick, impatient movents, then leaned back in his leather chair with a heavy huff.
The mont the line connected, he snapped, voice sharp and furious. "How could he still be alive?!"
On the other end, Alexander Behrenn’s tone ca low and edged with irritation. "We’re still trying to figure that out."
"What do you an you’re still figuring it out?" Theodore barked. "You just ca back from Harland! Did you find anything there?"
Alexander’s voice rose, his patience thinning. "Watch your tone, Theodore. I’m your partner, not your subordinate."
Theodore froze, jaw tightening. He knew he had overstepped—and he couldn’t afford to provoke Alexander, not now. Not when King Lucas had sohow returned from the dead.
His anger cooled into unease. He drew in a slow breath, forcing his tone to soften. "My apologies," he said at last. "I was... concerned." He exhaled quietly, swallowing his frustration as the line crackled with silence.
On the other end, Alexander gritted his teeth. The truth was, he and Theodore were never good partners, but not because their characters clashed with each other, no, on the contrary, innately they were actually the sa type of man,’ two peas in the pod’. Both of them were ambitious, selfish, and conceited; pompous in their confidence and greedy beyond asure. Working together was like placing two predators in the sa cage.
If not for the simple fact that neither of them could take down the Lucient family alone, they would have never joined forces in the first place.
"I didn’t find anything," Alexander said through clenched teeth. "You know, Harland isn’t a place we can just snoop around, especially with what my organization has done lately. You think, would leave us alone?" he sneered.
Theodore’s face tightened. As much as he hated to admit it, Alexander was right. If infiltrating Harland were that easy, he’d have done it himself long ago.
He had once successfully bribed a few minor officials to gain entry into Harland, but it didn’t last. The Archknights eventually found out, uprooted all his people, and rendered his painstaking efforts worthless. One of his n had even crawled back to him, terrified, begging for protection.
’What a useless man.’ The mory only deepened the scowl on Theodore’s face.
"Then what do you think about King Lucas? Is he the real one?" Theodore still hoped there was so deception to hide Lucas’s true condition; perhaps they used a substitute or sothing.
"Can anyone pretend to be King Lucas?" Alexander speaks sharply. "His deanor, his authority, those can’t be imitated. The man is genuine. And to make matters worse, he humiliated the Saintess and during the exhibition, invoking Princess Lorient’s rits and her heroics in the war. In one speech, he erased everything Alinna had built." He exhaled through his nose, expression tightening.
Theodore had heard the news as well; every news outlet across the continent seed intent on covering it. The tale of King Lucas and Princess Lorient had dominated public attention for days, further elevating the prestige of Lucient’s na and, as a consequence, eclipsing the Saintess had accomplice.
"We can’t let Alinna’s na be forgotten," Theodore said sharply. "We still need her."
"I know. Don’t worry," Alexander replied with certainty. "I have a plan—it’ll be good for both of us."
Theodore frowned. "I wonder if it’ll be that easy now that King Lucas has reappeared. His Archknights will fight us with all they got."
Alexander scoffed. "Why are you so afraid of them? They’re just one country. Do you really think, with our power combined, we can’t handle one single nation?"
Theodore snapped, his voice rising. "That ’one country’ is Harland, and their leader is a Lucient! You’d have to be a fool not to be afraid!"
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