Status Window
Name: LuciasaxRace: Ancient Dragon (Royalty)Level: 75Available Rune Points: 2Attributes: Vigor 40, Mind 15, Endurance 15, Strength 30, Dexterity 20, Intelligence 9, Faith 15, Arcane 10Skills: Ancient Dragon Combat Arts (Inadequate), Storm Sword Techniques (Inadequate)Legendary Abilities: Dragonblood Inheritance (Locked), Memory Battlefield (Unlocked)
Night had fallen over the camp. Luthier sat in the quiet of his tent and summoned his data panel into his mind once more. He stared in bewilderment at the newly appeared Rune Points, his brow twitching. It took a long time before he whispered a soft complaint to the empty air.
"You have got to be kidding me."
He had previously assumed that the only way to earn points was by defeating "Great Foes." After all, his accidental victory over Samuel had yielded fifteen points and unlocked the Memory Battlefield. What happened today, however, had completely dismantled that theory.
On the way back from his meeting with Clavell, Luthier had led his guards on a genuine hunt. Since the five-hundred-man delegation was likely infested with spies from other nations, he had to make the ruse convincing; returning empty-handed was not an option.
He had personally put down three wolves and a Rune Bear. Perhaps it was a lingering habit from his past life—the obsessive need to check for "souls" after a kill—but he had opened his panel on a whim. To his shock, the points were there.
So, being a 'Great Foe' doesn't matter, he mused. As long as there is an active process of slaughter, I can extract Runes and convert them into points. But I didn't personally kill Samuel... and if any killing caused by my intent counts, then why didn't I get points for the thousands of demi-humans wiped out in the pass?
He checked the numbers again. He was certain these points arrived after his hunt and had nothing to do with Greyoll's cleanup in the gorge. After mentally reviewing the mechanics of his past victories and his failures to "cheese" Samuel's analysis progress, a likely answer emerged.
As long as he personally engaged in frontal combat and contributed to the kill—regardless of whether he landed the final blow—he earned the Runes.
The realization made Luthier nostalgic for the days he spent tricking suicidal crows at the edge of Mohgwyn Palace. Back then, he had countless white phantoms of "fellow tarnished" to keep him company during the grind; now, he was alone in his pursuit of power.
He exhaled and began to calculate his "level-up" strategy with the stinginess of a landlord. He decided to ignore Mind for now; he hadn't mastered any high-level incantations that required vast reserves of divinity, and his mental focus was already boosted by the Memory Battlefield.
Similarly, Faith and Arcane offered little immediate benefit. After a moment of internal struggle, he invested the two points into Strength and Dexterity respectively.
"Next time," he promised himself silently. "Next time, I am definitely getting my Intelligence into the double digits."
He blamed the UI for the wording. It wasn't "Intelligence" in the traditional sense; it was "Magic." Calling it Intelligence made it sound as though his score of 9 meant he was a simpleton, which was an intolerable insult to a former modern university student.
That night, having reached Level 77, Luthier entered the Memory Battlefield to challenge Samuel again. After being pummeled over twenty times, he managed to push the analysis progress to 19% before collapsing into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning, the delegation resumed its march toward Dectus. Luthier retreated into the safety of his carriage and began to map out his future.
Once they ascended the Grand Lift of Dectus and reached the Altus Plateau, they would be on the Kingsrealm Road. Within three days, they would arrive at Leyndell. As the birthplace of the Golden Order and the heart of its power, the Altus region was the most prosperous and secure territory in the Lands Between. The Order's grip there was absolute; there would be no opportunities for the kind of chaos he had orchestrated in Karen.
I need to focus on personal strength, he thought.
Objectively, he wasn't weak. His heritage as an Ancient Dragon demigod allowed him to transcend the limitations of a mortal level. In a dragon-form, he could exert power far beyond his numerical stats. In the remote corners of the world, he would be considered a formidable lord.
The problem was his destination. He was going to the Royal Capital: the political, military, and cultural epicenter of the continent. It was a place where "heroes" were as common as grass and ordinary knights were treated like curs.
The other demigods of his generation were already legends. Radahn, though only fourteen, was already renowned for his martial prowess and held the title of "Hero." Godrick, despite his erratic and unreliable nature at sixteen, had been recognized as a hero-tier combatant two years ago.
And then there was Godwyn the Golden. As the firstborn of Queen Marika and Godfrey, he had inherited the finest blood of both parents. He was peerless in appearance, character, and wisdom.
A decade ago, during the war between Caria, the Sky Castle, and the Golden Order, Radagon's army was tied down in Liurnia and Godfrey was in Caelid. Godwyn had almost single-handedly halted the full-scale invasion of the Ancient Dragons. Without his strength, the Golden Order might have been strangled in its crib.
Because of this, Godwyn was the only figure worshipped by both the Old and New Parties. He was the undisputed successor, the one destined to end the era of God-King duality and usher in a unified law.
Luthier sighed. Compared to these giants of history, he felt like a mere extra in a play.
I need to lay low in the Capital, he decided. I'll master the Memory Battlefield and find a way to grind levels. And then... there's this.
His eyes lingered on the Legendary Abilities section of his panel, specifically the locked entry: Dragonblood Inheritance.
He had felt it since birth: a powerful seal buried deep within his soul. According to the Priestess Lansseax and the dragon elders, this seal hid the most mysterious and potent legacy of their race—the power derived from the Dragon God, Felaris, and the Dragonlord, Placidusax.
The power was too immense to control, so the gods had placed a restriction on the royal line's soul. It could only be unlocked when the mind reached a certain level of strength.
Luthier had a bold idea. With the aid of the Memory Battlefield, his mental capacity was already rivaling that of a peak demigod. Once he settled in Leyndell, he would begin the process of breaking that seal.
His thoughts were interrupted as the carriage slowed to a crawl and eventually stopped.
Greyoll's voice came from outside, sounding uncharacteristically annoyed. "Highness, we have reached Dectus. But it seems someone is blocking the road."