Chapter 2
Lucas conducted numerous experiments to uncover what his clan had done wrong and to understand the connection between the Lotus Clan and his own.
He delved into countless history books, but most of them only spoke of the Supreme Being with Arcane Eyes.
These eyes were unparalleled, existing on a level of their own.
They were divided into distinct categories of ocular power:
the Pure Eyes possessed by the Lotus Clan, the Clover Eyes held by the Motomato Clan, and finally, the legendary Six Worldly Eyes.
Curiously, the Mana Eyes were not included in this historical narrative, as their origins were said to be understood only by those with the highest levels of ocular power.
Fortunately, Lucas had access to ancient texts passed down through his family, texts that could be deciphered through dedicated study—a privilege not available to everyone.
Despite his efforts, Lucas found no tangible connection between his clan and the Lotus Clan.
However, he recalled a tale of beings who served under a self-proclaimed god.
This god was a being of immense power, someone Lucas could not fathom challenging.
This god was said to have the ability to create dimensions that no one could enter without their permission.
Lucas began to wonder—were his eyes born from this god's Arcane Eyes?
Could the Mana Eyes have originated from the Arcane Eyes?
The story of the Mana Eyes, unfortunately, remained vague and incomplete.
In one of his laboratories, located far from the city and his home, Lucas worked tirelessly.
Inside the lab was a green fluid-filled tube and a smaller tank containing preserved eyes—the eyes of the late Monarch's son, the only male heir of the clan, who had been killed.
This young master was the last member of their now-defunct lineage.
As Lucas examined the eyes, he turned his attention to a container in his hand.
It held muscle tissue and blood samples from the main family of the Lotus Clan.
But why did he need these samples?
Although there was no definitive evidence connecting the two clans, the genetic makeup of both showed some similarities.
Using these genes, Lucas theorized he could create a solution capable of activating the dormant genes in his body.
This could either awaken his Mana Eyes—or kill him.
For now, it was just a theory.
Without any other clan members left, Lucas refused to harm his mother, the only family he had left.
She had already suffered enough.
Determined to take the safest route though no such route truly existed he began creating the solution, mixing his own blood and muscle tissue with the samples from the Lotus Clan.
After hours of work, Lucas finally held a vial of blue fluid in his hand.
He connected it to a machine he had built, then prepared for the next step.
Standing before a tube filled with intricate wiring and mechanisms, he took a deep breath.
The preserved eyes of the Monarch's son rested nearby, ready to be used.
Grimacing, Lucas steeled himself for what was to come. Removing his own eyes was the only way forward.
"AGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!" he screamed in agony as he tore out his eyes, the excruciating pain nearly unbearable.
Yet, he knew this was necessary for the procedure to succeed.
He carefully placed the Monarch's son's eyes into his own sockets and chanted a spell designed to heal the veins and tissues connecting to his new eyes.
Even after completing the spell, Lucas couldn't see.
He understood that the process would take time to manifest fully.
Groping blindly, he felt his way to the door and activated the mechanism to seal himself inside the tube.
A green liquid began to rise from below, submerging him gradually.
Breathing heavily, Lucas attached a device to his mouth and nose, allowing him to breathe while submerged.
Soon, the blue fluid was injected into his system.
The solution coursed through his body, sending him into violent convulsions as if his very being was tearing itself apart.
The mana within his core began depleting at an alarming rate, and the pain that followed was beyond comprehension.
His body thrashed uncontrollably, caught in a state of unimaginable torment.
And then, everything stopped.
Lucas's body went still, floating lifelessly in the green liquid.
For a moment, it seemed the experiment had failed.
His heart had stopped beating, his mana completely drained. But deep within his mind, a spark ignited.
His consciousness flickered, and he found himself in a vast void, surrounded by nothingness.
A faint voice echoed around him, incomprehensible at first, but growing clearer with each passing moment.
"You seek the truth, child of the forgotten. You tread a path of pain and power. But do you understand the price?"
Lucas tried to speak, but no sound escaped his lips. The voice continued.
"To awaken what lies within, you must sacrifice what you hold dear. Are you prepared to bear this burden?"
With no choice but to accept, Lucas wanted to nod, but suddenly his entire being was wrapped in a brilliant blue essence that illuminated the Void like a sun.
"Such a creation shouldn't be allowed to exist." The voice spoke, but in the next second, the void around him erupted into blinding light, and his consciousness was pulled back into his body.
Inside the lab, Lucas's eyes snapped open.
The green liquid drained from the tube, leaving him gasping for air.
His vision was blurry at first, but as it cleared, he realized the world looked entirely different.
Colors shimmered with an otherworldly glow, and faint traces of mana danced through the air.
He had done it.
The Mana Eyes had awakened.
But as he staggered out of the tube, he noticed something strange.
His reflection in the glass showed eyes that weren't entirely human anymore eyes that glimmered with an ominous, arcane cyan light.