Chapter 5
Lucas had spent the past two months immersed in relentless training, pushing his body and mind beyond their limits.
The techniques he had discovered in the vault were nothing short of revolutionary, but mastering them was another ordeal entirely.
Some were exhausting to the point of collapse, yet he persisted, determined to stay hidden until the Hidden City of Sky's brutal cleansing process ended—a process with no clear timeline.
Among the techniques he had honed were:
Phantom – A spell that cloaked his presence entirely, making him vanish like a ghost in the wind.
Searing Lance – A lance formed purely of mana, homing in on an enemy's energy signature with unerring accuracy.
Flash Step – A technique that propelled him at blinding speed, though at a steep mana cost.
Astral Chains – A binding spell that locked an opponent's mana.
Physical Regeneration – A technique that stimulated cell division with mana, rapidly healing wounds. However, Lucas knew its grim cost—accelerating cell division meant shortening his lifespan. A double-edged sword best reserved for desperate moments.
Revolting Mana – A technique where mana surged around him like a violent storm, forming both a defensive shield and an offensive tool in close combat.
Sanguine's Eight Pathways – The crown jewel of his techniques, a method that shattered the body's natural limits. While others enhanced themselves with mana for superhuman speed, this technique was a different beast entirely. It was what had made his clan invincible, but its immense mana control requirements meant only the patriarch's bloodline could master it.
Even within the clan, no one had ever surpassed to the Fourth Path.
But Lucas?
He aimed for the Eighth.
If he achieved it, his strength would be beyond comprehension.
Now, with two months of rigorous training behind him, he was ready.
It was time to take on missions, to gain real experience before advancing his grander plans.
Lucas sat cross-legged on the open training field outside the manor, deep in meditation, when a high-pitched cry shattered the silence.
"LUUUCASSSSSS!"
Before he could react, a blur of black hair and white eyes crashed into him, knocking him flat onto the grass.
"Oof!"
A familiar, excitable energy enveloped him as a pair of small arms clung to his torso.
Lying beneath him, grinning like the cat that stole the cream, was Nora—a 13-year-old girl from the Lotus Clan.
Her jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her pure white eyes sparkled with joy.
"I MISSED YOUUUU!" she whined, squeezing him like a plush toy.
Lucas let out a small chuckle. "Nora… it's only been two months."
"Two months too long!" she huffed, puffing out her cheeks in exaggerated frustration.
"Mom and Dad wouldn't let me leave the clan because of the whole cleansing nonsense. It was awful."
Lucas studied her face.
She was the only person left who genuinely cared for him.
His mother was still in a deep slumber, and he had no way of waking her yet.
For now, seeing Nora's radiant smile was a welcome distraction from his burdens.
"Would you like to take a mission with me?" he offered.
"I wish! But my parents won't let me go on missions until next year when the team assignments start again." She pouted, looking genuinely betrayed.
Lucas chuckled. "I guess I'll have to manage without you, then."
She crossed her arms. "Hmph! It's not fair. You're out here training and doing cool stuff while I've been locked up like some rare pet."
"What did you do the whole time?"
"Worried," she admitted with a sigh.
"I didn't understand why my parents were hiding me.
They could've gotten into serious trouble if anyone found out.
Being stuck in the clan for a whole year was unbearable.
If I didn't have a few people to talk to, I would've gone crazy."
Lucas gave her a reassuring smile. "At least you weren't forced into the war."
Nora's expression darkened. "Yeah… but you were, weren't you?"
His smile faded. "Yeah."
He didn't need to say more.
The memories were still raw—children as young as ten thrown onto the battlefield, fighting and dying for a cause they didn't understand.
For the clans, the war was slightly optional.
But for the common people?
It was mandatory.
A sick, twisted game played by the rulers of the Sky Empire.
The Land of Sky, the empire's capital, was a place of absolute control.
Its name symbolized its ideology the belief that the land itself willed its people to be loyal.
Citizens were conditioned, molded into blind followers, their dreams dangled in front of them like a carrot on a stick.
The promise of one day becoming the Sky King, the strongest under the Sky Emperor, was the ultimate prize.
But Lucas saw it for what it was—a delusion.
Power-hungry tyrants sending children to die for land and authority.
The strong controlled the weak.
That was the brutal truth of the world.
And Lucas was determined to never be weak again.
Nora studied his face. "You're thinking about it again, aren't you?"
He exhaled slowly. "Yeah."
She grabbed his hand. "Then stop. You survived, didn't you? And you got stronger. That's what matters."
Lucas looked at her for a moment before nodding. "You're right."
"I always am." She grinned.
Lucas let out a small laugh. "Sure, sure."
She stood up, dusting herself off. "Well, if I can't go on a mission with you, at least let me watch your training."
Lucas arched an eyebrow. "You want to watch me sweat and struggle?"
"I wanna see how much stronger you got! Who knows, maybe you'll impress me." She winked.
Lucas smirked. "Fine. Try to keep up."
He took a deep breath, mana surging through his veins.
The ground beneath him shock as he had already opened The First pathway of Sanguine's Eight Pathways, his body momentarily flickering at great speeds before reappearing a few meters away in a stance.
The sheer force of his movement seemed like a blur, and adding also that he used mana to enhance himself Lucas can be compared to a 4 Star class.
Nora's eyes widened. "Whoa… you really have been training."
Lucas grinned.