103 to 112

Chapter 103 - Center Region Is Under Attack [1]

"So, what do you think? It is your time to avenge your father. Just tell me what you know about this whole scheme. I will help you commence your revenge." Yuna said to Commander Xiaorong as if pressuring him to take her thoughts into consideration.

However, Commander Xiaorong was just silent, slightly agitated by the fact that he had entertained the idea of betraying the emperor. But, his family is way more important to him, rather than revenge that was just a result of his father's being impulsive.

"Your father was a great father. Was he? That is why you were not fighting back. You are entertaining the idea of betraying your puppet emperor, right?" Yuna also whispered to him in a teasing tone that made him grit his teeth.

Yuna moved her head backward and chuckled, looking at Commander Xiaorong's expression. It was too pleasing to her, making her feel delighted about the fact that she did not have to torture, she just needed to be cunning.

But as Commander Xiaorong didn't react to her, her patience was cut short, making her click her tongue and stand up.

"I see… So it was not a good one for you, huh? You should think about it." Yuna said, then pulled out a sword from the small storage magic that Lucas taught her.

"You see… I am a bit on the edge now."

Then, Yuna swung her sword, creating a fuzz of ice that mostly covered the room with mist. It hit Commander Xiaorong's knees, instantly freezing them, and as the cold sensation reached his system, it eventually numbed his nerves, making him shout from the excessive pain.

The coldness and the hardness of his legs were unbearable and unexplainable, and they would just make him shout for eternity.

Yuna, on the other hand, only had a vicious smile, making some of the guards outside agitated about what was happening inside the cell. But, they just paid no heed and continued doing their job.

And as Yuna looked at the pair of eyes in despair, she grinned.

"I am asking you while I am nice. Please tell me what it is."

Yuna continued making Commander Xiaorong suffer. She did plenty of types of torture, from making him bleed to making him endure pain. She didn't make him rest for an hour, and as Commander Xiaorong was left panting, Yuna darted her eyes at him with an unsightly expression.

"It seems like all of the people in the northern continent are stupid. Still continuing the legacy even the ambassador wasn't that paying much of the Mortal Heaven." Yuna commented before turning her back to Commander Xiaorong.

"I know you knew about it, so let's stay like that, Commander Xiaorong. It seems you are more afraid of that puppet emperor than me, who has your life now."

"Oh wait, I might tell you something important. That emperor you have may have sent you on this mission to throw you for good. He didn't need you, so he used you as a decoy for something. I can feel it."

Yuna totally left Commander Xiaorong; he was left contemplating while the pain was lingering in his system.

Contemplating… what to do as Yuna had already placed facts on the table.

He is an important figure on the northern continent, but it couldn't be said that the emperor would treasure him. One thing he was sure of was that the emperor might be using him as a disposable pawn.

However, he is waiting. Waiting for reinforcements that would notice the lateness of their return. If that happens, he will keep his mouth shut, but if a year passes without any reinforcement, he'll endure the torture for his family that was in the hands of the emperor.

He wasn't devoted, but the desire to protect his family was irreplaceable. He would not risk it.

"Just wait… I will do everything I can to keep you guys alive."

His father's death was enough. He could not let another death reach his family, whom he loved the most.

***

"Brother Lukros, were you Brother Lucas's disciple?" Yuna asked while their session was ongoing.

While Lucas was away, Lukros was the one who had to teach Yuna about magic, especially storage magic. And as Yuna couldn't help but be curious about Lukros, she asked him pertaining to it.

Lukros only raised her eyebrow and responded, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you also have the same aura as Brother Lucas. I am just curious. Despite being a magical beast, you were still able to use a technique specialized for unique cultivation."

"It was because we had lived in the same environment. I think that is how I should put it. But being more elaborative, perhaps, Master taught me plenty of things that I eventually learned this as well."

"So, what you just said, was it direct to the point, or was it just a vague explanation, keeping words to have a deeper meaning?"

Lukros paused for a moment as his eyes fell on Yuna's innocent face. He scoffed, then shook his head as he continued talking.

"That was all direct to the point. I am not poetic enough to keep my words from the actual meaning of. And, just to be sure, I am talented, you know."

Yuna couldn't help but snicker as she said, "So you do say that you are a talented magical beast. And I am getting more curious about what you are. You are too huge when you are in your original form."

"Well, it is because I am called a soul dragon. It is hard to explain. Please wait for Master to explain it further."

Yuna nodded and listened to Lukros as he continued the lecture. She followed every process she needed to memorize to perform the storage magic.

Some were difficult for her to grasp, but Lukros was patiently explaining them to her. He knew what being unknowledgeable felt like. But, not underestimating Yuna, he kept things in their basic form, not in a piece for children's lessons.

It took a few hours until Yuna was able to perform the magic clearly. After learning the Magique Qi cultivation, she learned a little bit about storage magic from Lucas. And because of it, she was able to perform it with minimal space.

"You are doing great. You are now able to create a spacious storage spell. But be mindful that as you continue to enlarge it, the more energy you need to open that dimension."

Yuna nodded as she continued to perform the spell. After that, she went back to cultivation and raised her Magique Qi cultivation so that when Lucas returns, she'll be able to receive more lessons different from what she was currently studying.

After a few hours of cultivating, Yuna was cut off as she felt a presence, different from Lukros, that was entering the room. It was from one of her officials in the family, Rodulf Xiao.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him at the end of the white room. She then called for him, which he immediately obeyed.

"What was it? You look agitated, " she noted, which was the first thing she noticed when Rodulf Xiao approached him.

"The center region is under attack."

Yuna suddenly paused her concentration on the cultivation and paid all of her attention to Rodulf's report.

"What about it? Who attacked?" she asked.

"The northern continent attacked the central continent, and the Wealthiest of Ten Grand Families were used as hostages."

Yuna scoffed after hearing it. It was funny that those wealthy people were used as hostages, just to emphasize that they were weak enough to be used as hostages.

"So, what about it? I know that it is about the northern continent, but can't I focus first on this technique? You just need to fight back."

"But we can't, My Lady. The attackers were at least near the General Spirit Realm, and we are losing the numbers to find that could fight them back."

Yuna sighed, then stood up with her eyes closed, feeling the frustration streaming down into her veins. She tilted her head, stretching some of her limbs.

"I guess I need to test this thing out. I am excited about the other effects of the Dimensional Storage Mystical Art." Yuna remarked, which made Rodulf dumbfounded.

He was so speechless that he couldn't find the words to comment on Yuna. Although Yuna seems to be in a good mood, which is perplexing, he was still reluctant to share his thoughts.

"I guess you need to take it slow, Lady Yuna. That technique you learned is something different from what you usually practice. It might bring chaos instead of benefits to you." Lukros suddenly warned her, making her pause for a second.

But as Yuna was about to respond, Rodulf was irritated that Lukros was acting as if they were equal, casually talking to her.

"Y-You imbecile! How could you address My Lady with such a calm tone! Be respectful!" Rodulf exclaimed, but it didn't please Yuna. Instead, she glared at him.

"You don't talk to him like that, Rodulf. Let me remind you that they are teaching us mystical arts that aren't easy to acquire. Be mindful of the future generations, " she said in a static but intimidating tone.

Rodulf immediately retracted and lowered his head.

"I apologize, My Lady."

Yuna didn't pay any heed to his apology and just moved on to another topic.

"Prepare a battalion of Master Spirit Realm cultivators. We will return to the center region, but keep security in the sacred land stable.." Yuna said to Rodulf, which was immediately obeyed.

Chapter 104 - Center Region Is Under Attack [2]

"Look who we have here…" Yuna mumbled as soon as they arrived at the scene where the attack was reported to be. It was a secret runway show, supposed to be where the Ten Grand Families gather yearly.

Yuna already had a hint of it, but now that the proof was in front of her, she couldn't deny the fact that something was happening behind her back. Especially the Grand Families, which were the wealthiest families doing something widely secret from her.

It is unacceptable, of course. But what can she do? It is not like she can control something like that. However, she was still curious about why the attackers would use the grand family as their hostage. It was as if they were expecting negotiations.

Lukros followed Yuna to the scene, as he was also curious about what was happening on this continent. Also, now that he had nothing to think much about, his thoughts were easily organized, starting from cultivating and helping Yuna learn magic.

Yuna then called for a person on the scene, a subordinate that held great power in the military ranks.

They entered a camp that was a few kilometers away from the actual scene. There, they were presented with papers and a list of people and their backgrounds involved in the hostages.

"There were still some unidentified individuals held as hostages, but we are working on identifying them."

Yuna just eyed them with her usual cold eyes, then breathed out, unsure of what to do next with the information she got.

"Explain every detail of what happened here. Also, report what you got after the runway show. It seems to be exclusive and hidden from the mass." Yuna remarked, which was seen as an order by the subordinate in front of her.

"At noon, at 1300 hours, the runway started and it ended by 1500 hours. After that, out of nowhere, a huge group of cultivators, starting from the General Spirit Realm, attacked the runway and held everyone as hostages."

"All of them were 50 in total, and a small fight broke out, but after a few minutes, the attackers held the ground successfully. And that is where the hostage-taking was announced."

"This information was acquired after an individual on the runway escaped from the attackers. He was apparently a spy of a caliber that even General Spirit Realm cultivators couldn't notice."

Yuna attentively listened to him, and as he finished reporting, Yuna started talking as well, with the authority of slightly questioning the validity of the hostage-taking.

"It is a trap for them to call it a hostage. If they wanted to have negotiations, it would be better if they just kidnapped them. This makes it confusing on our part. How should we interpret it?" Yuna mumbled as he concluded things from the information she got.

'Why would they put themselves in such a tight position? It's as if they were intentionally trying to keep our attention on them…' A soliloquy made by Yuna.

On the other hand, Lukros was also thinking about it, but his head was hurting.

"What do you think about it, Brother Lukros?" Yuna suddenly asked Lukros, who was surprised by it. He unstably moved his eyes, awkward about what to say to her.

"Hehehe… Just don't involve me with the brain games, Lady Yuna. Just the fight… The fight… I am too naive to think rationally." Lukros reluctantly said to her, making her smile awkwardly.

"Ah… I see…"

Then, Yuna continued talking with her subordinate while Lukros left the camp. He left a word for Yuna that he'd be just looking at the surroundings, and he was immediately allowed to do so.

Thus, after leaving the camp, what Lukros wanted to do was to look at things. He wanted to learn more about the systems cultivators use in everyday life. It's not even the everyday routine, but just the case where they act normally.

Normally… By what he was referring to was how cultivators act with each other.

Lukros eyes were laid on two cultivators, joking around with their arms on each other's shoulders.

They were wearing normal clothes and did not look like part of the military that was investigating and managing the hostage-taking.

And as Lukros followed them with his eyes, they stopped at one tree, then suddenly vomited.

Lukros's eyes abruptly widened as he realized why they supported each other with their shoulders. It was because they were drunk.

"How could they be drunk at this early hour? It is still 4 pm though." Lukros mumbled to himself.

Lukros just ignored them and continued walking down a path that seemed to be a street but was really just a paved road near a river.

He was just chilling, walking slowly, and using his time to enjoy the moment he had. Well, because this is what he enjoys.

Apart from gathering energy and playing with it, Lukros likes to see peaceful scenery. Things like streams that flow down a river, trees on a sunny day, and many more. He likes to waste his time relaxing, as sometimes he gets tired of looking at tainted souls that he can't absorb.

It just frustrated him, and no matter how much he liked to absorb them, a reminder flashed within his mind, instantly stopping him from doing it.

Lukros just walked, and enjoyed it, but not until it was disrupted by a few cultivators, five in total, with tainted souls that bumped into him on purpose.

"Hey! Look at that one. A young master and a mortal at the same time! Wouldn't it be fun to tease him?"

"Ah… I think it would be funny as well. Pathetic worms, using the same road as the masters of the street."

"Hey, worm! Come here, you bumped into us."

"Hehehe… Seems like it would be an easy game for us. His bodyguards seem to be absent. Let's rip him off!"

Lukros widened his eyes in accordance with what he had just heard. He didn't hear it wrong, right? These people were just planning, just in front of him, where they could be heard and he was not even scared an inch.

Well, it was understandable since the disparity was so huge that they couldn't even sense the difference in their power. Not being arrogant, Lukros knew that they were just ants to him.

They could even be equal to a frog in a well, unable to come back to the surface because of a lack of ability to do so.

Plenty of thoughts emerged in his mind, making him laugh heinously. And as they saw him laugh, they thought that Lukros was losing his mind and was in despair.

And just as they realized that Lukros was not in his right mind, they also laughed.

"Wow… Look at this punk laughing at us," Irritatedly said one of the cultivators.

But just as he said those words, he prepared his fist and launched it at Lukros, with the intent of punching him in the face. There was also a hint of spiritual energy in his fist.

Lukros noticed it earlier, and as it was slow for his reflexes, he easily dodged it.

That cultivator that intended to punch him became more irritated, thus making him fix his stance and launch an uppercut with his right arm. But Lukros safely dodged it. With a grin on his face, he flashed it to the cultivator.

"Hoy… You are good at dodging. Let's see if you can dodge this."

[Intermediate Air Punch]

As if moving like a flash, air pressure was formed and was launched towards Lukros. But it was still slow for him, making him dodge it easily.

"You don't learn," Lukros said, then launched an attack.

[Death Blade]

A vicious smile appeared on Lukros's face as he created a sword and used a martial technique with it. Crimson streaks, in a small amount, appeared with a minuscule amount of dark particles embedded with them.

They all saw it, and it was so instant that they couldn't even react to it. They just stood still, as if it immediately glued them to their position.

They acted that way because they were used to being impulsive. As they were street thugs, they jumped at every opportunity they saw without properly thinking that they might have underestimated or overestimated their ability to assess someone.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Tainted souls will be tainted souls. But I wonder, do you perhaps know something about what was happening there? " Lukros pointed in the direction where the hostage-taking is currently happening.

He wasn't interested in it. He just asked it so that words could come out of his mouth because, deep inside, he was too delighted that he wanted to launch this martial technique he performed.

They all shook their heads in unison, their eyes gawking. They appeared to be unable to gather their words, and just like that, Lukros sighed.

"I am just joking. I don't intend to kill anyone without my master knowing it. But if you like, I am willing to take your life." Lukros said, with an eerie smile behind those words.

"Ah… Ah…"

Lukros scoffed at how they appeared to be mute because of the situation. If things seemed to be okay for them, people would be confident, but if not, they would lose hope and wish to be eaten by the ground.

Well, it was something normal, but Lukros didn't know it. And observing their personalities, he slowly understood that they were being agitated by him because he revealed his power.

"So, power was it?" Lukros breathed out then swayed his sword.

He instantly created an arch of crimson light, detaching their heads from their bodies.

"I care less…" Lukros mumbled.

Lukros felt that he was finally done with the bothersome, thus making him create the sphere, as he did not disobey his master's words of absorbing people with tainted souls. He killed them and would use the excess energy from their bodies as nourishment for his cultivation.

But it wasn't flawless as someone noticed this action. Calling out for his attention, that instantly froze him in his position.

"Murderer!"

Chapter 105 - Murderer And Cosmos-Sage's Cultivation: Mage in Cultivation World

Chapter 105 - Murderer And Cosmos

"Murderer!"

Lukros was shocked that it was too late for him to notice the presence behind him. He was so stunned that he slowly turned his head to see who had called him out.

Lukros couldn't believe what had just happened. He was outdone by a kid? Moreover, he still looks like a 9-year-old kid.

A few meters away from him, there was a boy in tattered clothes, not the usual common clothes for the norm but common for beggars.

'I was outdone by a beggar?' Lukros couldn't believe how ridiculous it was.

He was still doubting it, so he decided to see what kind of body this kid had.

As he looked for it, the body had a white soul. To be specific, a pure one. But it doesn't mean that this kid is a saint. "White souls" means that in this life, they were blessed with unusual things that could change their lives.

'I'll just leave him alone.'

Lukros instantly absorbed the corpses using the crimson sphere, then disappeared at the sight of the boy.

The boy ran towards the previous location where Lukros was and inspected the area, venturing his eyes all over the place. He was still terrified over the fact that a scene had just happened before him, a crime!

He breathed slowly and closed his eyes, stabilizing his breathing and performing a sort of technique, leveling his two palms that were facing the sky to his chest, and as he inhaled, he faced his palm to the ground and lowered it as he exhaled.

Then, he opened his eyes and calmed down.

"That, mister, earlier. He is a killer. I must report this!"

The kid approached a member of the authority to report what he had just seen, but no one believed him as he was just a beggar. For them, he was just something bothersome to attend to.

And as he was left with no one listening to him, he cried in one place, away from the people in the city.

"Nobody believes me… these ridiculous clothes, face, and body! No one will believe me if I am like this…"

For weeks, he contemplated what to do. He cried plenty of times as he begged in the street for some change and money.

But one day, he stumbled upon an old beggar who was more pitiful than him. His clothes were almost destroyed, and he supported himself by using a stick as a cane.

The old man noticed him and approached him. Out of nowhere, he dropped a book in front of him.

"I am illiterate. So, I can't read even if you want me to learn some… martial arts," the boy said as it was a norm for him to see dropped books of some martial arts.

The old man didn't make any facial expressions as his face was covered by his ugly hood. He only sighed and said, "That is a drawing.'

The boy looked at the old man, and a few seconds later, he disappeared, making him dumbfounded in his place.

The old man just disappeared… Was it just his hallucination?

"I haven't eaten for days. Must be just me being crazy as the guy from the other street," he mumbled to himself as his eyes fell on the book in front of him.

He wasn't interested in it. But the more he looked at it, the more curious he got. He just sighed, grumbling inwardly as he fought over his own, whether he should have opened it or not.

Then finally, he decided.

"Nothing will be lost to me even if I open this book."

That was the time he opened the book, and as he opened it, all he saw were images in order. To be more specific, it was a drawing of a human figure, with different moves depicted in each drawing.

It was a martial arts book, but an external practice.

"This is…"

The kid didn't know what to do. He just used his time and read all of the contents. He even imitated some of the movements while he was sitting, and after a day of entertaining himself, he decided to imitate all of the drawings.

"If I am right, the drawing is in the order of like… from left to right? Was it?"

He didn't mind the order; it was fun copying the drawings and it made him forget his hunger. That was enough for him, and just like that, he didn't notice that it had been weeks since he was still imitating the drawings.

"It was fun."

So, he decided to raise the fun. He memorized the drawing and didn't just imitate it; he put firmness into his movements. What he knew was that martial arts were supposed to be hurtful, so he put some strength into his movements, just to continue what he was doing.

And without noticing it, he learned a martial technique. Without his awareness, in every movement he created, there was some small hint of energy that followed his movements. It was so small that no one even noticed it, not even him.

And just like that, he continued practicing and practicing it until he totally forgot his hunger even though a month had passed.

He huffed, supporting his body by putting his hands on his knees.

"I am tired…" he said to himself, but still didn't feel hungry at this point.

"Should I take a rest for now?"

But what is rest? That's a joke for him as he lives on the streets. Then, after a few hours of sleeping, someone kicked him.

He felt the pain that was rushing all over his body. And the cause of it was from a rich kid who was surrounding him as if enjoying themselves by trampling on someone.

"Hahahaha! My father was right! Poors are too fun to see when they are hurt and in despair!" One boy, from the four boys that surrounded the kid, said.

"What…?" he mumbled as he couldn't understand what they meant by it. But even though he could talk, he was cut off as they continued kicking him, giving him no time to shout.

He only endured it. He also knew that if he hurt them, he would die.

'What the misters like me said was that I don't have to hurt those who have beautiful clothes. I will die if I touch them.' Was what the kid was thinking.

But the pain all over his body started making him question if it was okay. Of course, it wasn't okay. They were laughing while they were kicking him, and he was not happy about it.

To be honest, no one would be happy.

In his small body, he gathered his strength and pushed himself onto one of the boys. He then forced himself to stand up as they were distracted by what happened.

He looked at them with tired eyes, with no hope of being called. He gritted his teeth as he sneered, "You are only above me, now that I stand. Fight me."

He gathered his courage to say those words, as he was still afraid of what might happen to him if he fought. But he couldn't endure the pain anymore.

And as they heard what he said, they all laughed at him, as if he was a fool who uttered gibberish words. For them, it was as if it was a joke that made them laugh like there was no tomorrow.

"What a fool. Street beggars are just the same!"

But before they could kick him again, the kid already stood in a stance he practiced from the martial arts book. He then executed it, hitting each of them with the attacks that his body had picked for them.

And surprisingly, he hit them with each of those attacks.

He was only left dumbfounded when he noticed that they were now on the ground. It was so fast that he didn't notice that they were already defeated.

He remained silent, speechless at what he had just done. And as the boys endured the pain they received, the kid ran away from them.

"I won't die…" he mumbled.

***

Somewhere in the universe, there's a planet where magic is practiced. Basic forms of attacks, such as martial arts and other forms, don't play a greater role in fighting against those who have magic.

And in this world, there is a small building with only seven children, aged between 6 and 9, being lectured by someone who is in his 30's.

It was a man who had eyeglasses, sitting on a chair at just the level of the children. As he was explaining something to them, the children were attentively listening to him.

"There were different worlds in this massive cosmos. And what I mean by different worlds also means that there were connections between them."

"There's a world that doesn't have much magic, but they survived and flocked all over the world with their genius minds to invent things without the use of magic."

"There is also a world where magic is a privilege. No one can attain it if they don't reach a certain level of practice in martial arts and the internal energy that exists in their world."

"One world could also be where everyone has plenty of sets of lives and lives a life as if it were a game, but still dies at the very end if that game wasn't completed."

"If you may ask, how do I know why this kind of world exists? It is because I visited some of it using the connection I was talking about. And one factor that helped me do it was the magical research done by the greatest and most legendary Sage of all time, The Immortal Sage, Lucas White."

"Despite the fact that this was the only study he left to the world after disappearing a few thousand years ago, it was still useful to everyone because it was the foundation of the Spatial-Distortion Magic that everyone uses to create a safe zone where no monster can exist."

"And as I say this, I want you all to live the same as the Immortal Sage. My dearest…. the 16th Generation of the Descendants of the First Mage."

Chapter 106 - Cosmos And Attacks

"Where are the ambassadors of those two lower heavens? For the Cosmos' sake, why do you always forget that those worlds need the most guidance as they are open to any universal bridge distortion!"

A voice exclaimed in a dark place where there was no light and no figures could be seen. Only their presence and their voice could be heard. That makes it sound as if things were only nothing at the start.

"I want things fixed! I want things fixed! I want things fixed! Why do I always tell you that?! That inferior universe should not be connected with mine!"

Every corner of the endless darkness echoed with a deafening sound.

"What is the use of the legacy if every time those ambassadors are missing? This makes me want to kill them!"

The voice was starting to rampage as what he was saying was all over his system. Even though it was dark, it felt like an embrace of everything to him.

"You don't have to worry about it, My Liege. Things will work out." Another voice resounded.

"Hahhhh! I don't care!"

***

"Lady Yuna, we are prepared to launch the stealth attack. We are only waiting for your order."

Yuna was just silent as she cast a glance at her subordinate.

"Commence the operation. Forget about the hostages; they don't even have a single use on our continent."

What Yuna doesn't like is power by using money. She knew that everyone has different types of powers, but that is what she mostly hates among the rest.

Not only were they the most cunning people to fight against, they were also the most cowardly of them all. They didn't have camaraderie since what was just in their heads was what would make them rich.

It frustrates her every time this kind of incident happens, as she is not a person who thinks highly of money, but her people does, which makes her decision half as hard.

"Understood, My Lady!"

Then, the operation started. A fight broke out with an overwhelming number of people on the side of the center region. With over 300 Master Spirit Realm soldiers, they flew straight into the scene, eventually capturing everyone's attention.

The commander of the attackers, who had a bald head and a scar on his forehead, noticed it first and made a remark about it.

"It appears that the great families are unconcerned if you die. Hahahaha! We already knew this. That is why we will take care of this."

"Boys! Prepare for combat! But be reminded of what the plan is."

"Yes, Master!"

Over fifty cultivators started flying. They all wore black robes that made them distinguish themselves from others. Also, as they flew, the hostages below, who had all of their dantians supessed, made worried faces.

All of them were nervous and inwardly cursing Yuna, who they knew was the one who had decided on it.

Of course, they knew that Yuna Xiao was the matriarch of the great family in the center region, but they didn't care as they still believed that they held power over the region.

For them, money is everything, and everyone would fight for them if they had money. And even with how impossible things are, money makes it possible in the case that it drives people's determination to do things out of their league.

Meanwhile, as they cursed Yuna, in one corner of the room that had no roof, where everyone currently is, one person just observes things as he diligently hides his aura.

It was Lucas. He was just staying at the side, wasn't even bothering to have any intention of saving anyone, as Ruby said to him to keep his ability secret.

Although it was too late since the lustful ladies saw him teleport, they were still unaware of Lucas's capabilities.

***

Prior to that time, when the roof of the building that everyone who attended the runway show suddenly flew off and disappeared, Ruby appeared next to Lucas.

He was alarmed by it, making him prepare his hands by pulling out a sword from his storage spell. But Ruby just paused him with a warning.

"Please don't fight back with the attackers." Ruby said to him.

"Huh? Why? They are not that dangerous; they are still at the General Stage." Lucas said to her.

Ruby nodded. "I know, but this will be an opportunity. I planned plenty of years for this to happen, so please don't attack them."

Lucas was silent for a few seconds. He was perplexed as to why Ruby was dragging him away from the battle. And that curiosity raised suspicion. It made him lose his trust in Ruby, making him point his sword at her.

"What was it, Ruby? Care to explain why you are telling me to just ignore this threat? I don't care about the people, but I don't want to be part of any of this."

Ruby sighed as she noticed how Lucas misunderstood her words. And so, she raised her arms and explained things to him.

"Those people who'll attack the wealthiest people are coming from the northern continent. They intend to use them to take them under their wing by showing how Yuna, the first family head, ignores their lives. At that point, they will gain more power coming from the wealthiest person on this continent."

As he slowly took into consideration what must be happening, Lucas was left with no words to go against Ruby.

"Can you tell me what really was going on? Perhaps a war was happening between the two continents?" Lucas asked.

"No, nothing like that as it involves all of the four continents. And based on the information I got, I had already planned for this to happen."

Lucas doesn't know what Ruby's meaning is with the plan, but he doesn't intend to be part of it as he only wanted to do what he wanted to do in this life.

He wanted to have a guild, a sect full of mages that anyone would be jealous of. He even wanted to stand at the top and serve as the hope of every child, nothing more and less.

But that dream wasn't stable as sometimes he wanted to have more as his greed over what he had learnt rose, but still manageable at that point.

And now that he was in the middle of a grudge between two continents, should he continue it?

"Wait. Does everyone know about this fight between the continents? " he asked.

Ruby shook her head. "No, it is not. And I will explain it more to you later, so please believe me this time."

Lucas only sighed, then faced Ruby with an uncertain expression.

"You don't have to worry. At least, I want to remind you that if I am forced to do something I don't like, I will fight them." Lucas said.

He wasn't a pushover, even though he was carefree and aimless. He still has pride, albeit a small one, because he listens to every word but does not believe everything.

And at this point, being in the corner observing things while everyone fights for their life, he could only care less.

"Just deal with it, Ruby." Lucas said as he continued watching the fight, which was obviously in favor of the attackers.

"Pathetic." The commander said as he saw the soldiers losing their lives from the strength of his subordinates.

Even with the small gap and the great number they had, they still couldn't fight the attackers equally. As if the attackers had some mysterious power from a mystical technique that activates in a grand formation.

The subordinates of the commander of the attackers had a formation and moved in unison, eventually taking the lives of the soldiers. But the question is how they can do it.

Well, when they activate a mystical art, a group of soldiers they target lose their power, their energy, and mobility, falling down and receiving a massive injury from the fall.

And as there were some attackers left on the ground, they killed them with ease.

"How could this happen? Is that a gravitational mystical art?" One of the higher ranks mumbled to himself, questioning what was happening in front of him.

The commander had good senses, which made him hear what the soldier mumbled. He grinned, and answered that soldier, who was just a few tens of meters away from him.

"Indeed, you are not wrong there. It is connected to gravity, but I don't commend how smart you are. You all are still weak, weak enough that you couldn't even manage to unite the continent after the Great World War."

The soldier only gritted his teeth as he ordered everyone to fall back. However, the attackers didn't let them retreat. When they broke their formation, they started attacking them with their martial techniques.

Arches of light in different colors fought in the sky. It was a fight between experts, but even though the fight seemed to be equal, the soliders were at a disadvantage since the attackers mysteriously had their best martial technique in the sky.

The soldiers' martial techniques still need the center of gravity, which is unapplicable in an aerial fight.

And when things were becoming obvious, the wealthiest people being held as hostages were worried and agitated over the fact that the soldiers that were sent to 'save' them weren't able to push back the attackers.

"What are we going to do? The soldiers were defeated, and the attackers were too strong. I still don't want to die!" One cried, and that was followed by plenty of them.

But there was someone among the hostages that still remained calm, and she was the martriarch of the Number One family in the Ten Grand Families.

She has a huge body, fat to be precise, and blonde hair with overly red cheeks. Her double chin was too obvious and the necklaces all over her body were too shiny, screaming her wealth.

'I don't have to worry about this since I know that even if the First family disregards us, the northern continent will accept us.'

Chapter 107 - Attackers [1]

Before the soldiers arrived, the commander of the attackers approached the matriarch of the number one family of the Ten Grand Families. And at first, they had unstable communication as the matriarch was only gritting her teeth in anger at him, but after a few talks, she opened up.

"Have you ever considered how advantageous this situation is for the First Family? You know, that brute and money don't have a great relationship." The commander remarked in an intriguing tone. The matriarch looked at him with uncertainty and commented on his words.

"What does that mean? From what I can remember, money doesn't need a relationship with a brute as it controls the brute."

"You are still immature, matriarch. How could money possibly control the brute if there's a situation called 1v1? Have you ever thought of that?" The commander said.

The matriarch became silent as she contemplated what the commander had just said to her. It was as if he was hinting at something but still piqued her interest in it.

And as the matriarch wisely thought about it, she came to a conclusion.

"So… this is a deal, huh? You want to show that money can't control the brute by pointing out this situation? I could not save myself because the brute, who is the bitch matriarch of the First Family, wanted to control me. Was that it?"

The commander snickered before speaking, "You got some brains."

"Stop with the unnecessary comments. How could I be the wealthiest if I didn't have the money? Even though I have little political power, I still control the lands of the center region. People won't listen to her since she can't kill everyone. But I can take the money from everyone."

"That is what's different about the both of you, I guess. You, the wise matriarch of the wealthiest family, while she was the strongest of the strongest family. But you have similarities if you listen to me."

"What of it?" The matriarch asked.

"You can use this situation to take control of her."

"R-Right… The bitch matriarch will use this opportunity to erase us and implement her own rules over the market. And so, she'll be able to take control of everyone who is not afraid of her political power."

The commander smirked as he noticed how the matriarch was biting into his food. It was only a ploy, but if she didn't expect it to completely change her mind, it could easily sway her.

'The emperor of the Great Northern Continent was a supreme being who held everything in his hands. But the first family matriarch was too soft, thus creating such a division in the loyalty to the land.

How amusing that greed could easily be used to control this fat bitch. Hehehe… This will be easy. We can easily gain control of the wealthiest. Even if we defeat them, even if not, the grudge between them could be easily used for our plans in the future.'

What the commander was thinking was just a small portion of the things he knew. There were plenty of plans that the northern continent had in their hands to use. And as for this one, as the situation was just a part of it, he couldn't help but feel overjoyed by the fact that things went smoothly.

"So… What's the deal? I am prepared to overtake that bitch. If you help me, I will lend you my help." The matriarch said.

"Don't worry. I will tell you the plan. But first, become our eyes, wait patiently, and listen to our requests since this will be beneficial for you as well."

The matriarch was slightly doubting the commander's words, but looking at how it was too tempting and possible, she couldn't ignore the opportunity in front of her.

'This is a well-presented gift to me. It would be useless if I ignored this…' The matriarch thought to herself.

"Okay. Just do whatever you need to do. I will watch since the bitch can't possibly kill us in front of the soldiers. We hold a part of the military…" she said in a hideous manner.

"Well then, I can feel the soldiers coming. Until next time." The commander said before turning his back to the matriarch.

And as he left, he couldn't help but giggle.

'That was too easy. Hahahaha… Greedy fat bitch. Too grateful that the first family was too incompetent.'

***

"The soldier seems to be almost wiped out. Was this okay? Looking at them feels like incompetence for Lady Yuna. Should I help them? But Lady Ruby's words were still lingering in my mind. That can't be forgotten."

Lucas was having a debate against himself. The more he looks at the fight, the more he gets inspired to join. But thinking of what Ruby said to him, he couldn't ignore it as he wasn't sure how important it was to her.

Although he wanted to help, helping them would also mean incompetency for Yuna since they wouldn't win if he didn't join at that point.

Lucas only sighed as he felt dispirited over the fact that there was nothing for him to do. Not that he was worried about everyone's safety, he just couldn't stomach a result that would result in the innocent dying.

'I am not intrigued by joining them, not even interested. And also, not playing as the hero here, for sure there was someone here who was innocent. I've already experienced being a victim of unjustified situations. I can't be that hypocrite,' he thought.

Lucas sighed as he continued watching the fight in the sky. That was now to the advantage of the attackers.

Even though they lacked numbers, the quality of their power was sufficient because they were close and some of them were currently in the General Spirit Realm. That was enough for them to win since the soldiers were only at the Master Stage.

The high-ranking soldier hissed as he pulled out a treasure from his pocket. They were rings, a total of five. The size of the rings would almost fit on a wrist, and as he pulled them out, he wore all of it.

Profound azure lights radiated from his eyes, which were also illuminated in azure hues. His aura became more otherwordly, and even his cultivation was surprisingly raised to the General Spirit Realm. It was unexplainable, making the commander of the attackers ponder why he had drastically become strong. But knowing that cultivators can't take shortcuts in their cultivation, he just sneered at him.

"Even if you raise your cultivation with temporary energy, it won't be enough to defeat us." The mockery reached the soldier, and that for sure made him angry and gather his strength.

"You won't know until you experience it." The soldier mumbled, making his subordinates hope for him as well.

At the peak of his general stage, his cultivation is at least in. But when it comes to controlling, he still has the talent of a Peak Master Spirit Realm Cultivator.

He knew it. That is why, inwardly, he was worried about what could possibly happen if he rushed his body to them. And dying is possible.

'Please guide me, My Lady.' The soldier prayed before he disappeared from his place, instantly appearing next to one attacker.

They all widened their eyes in surprise as they saw how fast he had become.

'I didn't react to it. It was too fast! How could that possibly happen if he just had the talent of Master Spirit Realm Cultivator.'

That certainly made them wonder, while also making them agitated. There are rules that govern what happens in the body of a cultivator. Even if they have their energy equivalent of a General or even a King, they won't be able to use it to the capability above their talents. That was rush energy, enough adrenaline to be compared to mortals.

But with the soldier being fast, they still can't accept it. It was illogical.

Bam!

A wave of halo light reached the body of an attacker, and the soldier appeared to. It was so strong that after he unleashed it, it immediately destroyed the body, making a rain of blood for another time.

"You have the power, but you don't have the number. If your number dropped to a lower count, it would be beneficial for us." The soldier mumbled with a grin on his face.

This kind of manner is coomendable for Yuna, as she was observing everything from a distance. Her hands were swaying, activating and deactivating a small portal for the storage magic she knew. It was blinking on and off, as if she was practicing it while inspecting things.

"Hmm… Lukros said that it could be dangerous if, in the process of taking something inside the storage, it suddenly closed. Some cases end up with the hand being cut off." Yuna mumbled as she got an idea of what to use the magic for.

'Crazy.. and could be lethal.'

Meanwhile, the soldier was continuing the killing. As if by blast, he had already killed four attackers using the same method.

With it showing some hope, everyone rooted for him, but not until the commander lost his patience, raising his sense threefold.

Chapter 108 - Attackers [2]

Lucas was delighted to see a different way of fighting. He had never seen anything like it before, and it was unique at some point, as he knew the performer was aware of the fact that the halo could be dodged, so he made himself approach them just to make sure.

Lucas was smiling, seeing the result of the soldier's efforts. At some point, his eyes delayed reacting to it, which means he was fast enough to outdo Lucas's senses. As it continued, Lucas was silently rooting for him.

Not until Lucas noticed that the bald commander was gathering his energy all over his body, which means something. He was trying to raise his senses and strengthen his body.

"That man, he was the first one to notice that the soldiers arrived, which means that he had good sense. It would be bad for him if he got caught. I should help him."

Lucas cast invisible magic and illusion magic as well to leave his image while he moves. He then created an invisible string from creation magic and maneuvered it to the legs of the commander. And when he was about to move, intending to catch the soldier, Lucas pulled the string and brought him down to the ground.

A small blast spread, also creating a minuscule crater where the commander landed. With that impact, it was enough for Lucas to buy time and let the soldier kill more attackers.

And as Lucas was too worried that the soldier might kill everyone, he sent a telepathic message to the soldier.

"I am with Lady Yuna and I am observing your fight. With respect, I don't want to intervene, but could you leave some of the lackeys? Information is priceless."

The soldier successfully received it, didn't aggressively react to it, and just continued. He knew for sure that something like this was possible. Even in a fight like this where lives were at stake, there would be some respectful gestures coming from the masters, even if it was unnecessary.

'I could use some help, but the decisions of the superiors should not be questioned.' The soldier thought.

Well, what could he possibly do? It is his job and experience like this is beneficial for him as well. He could get used to it.

"Tsk! There is only one bastard! Just catch him already! We are losing some of our comrades."

The soldier heard where that shout was coming from, which led him to the idea of appearing next to that attacker. He then raised his right arm, and just as he arrived, he launched a punch, and a beam of light halo hit him.

"You act as if you're going to fight me."

And as he continued to kill the attackers, he realized that the commander was being silent. Was he okay with what was happening?

As he hovered in the sky, his eyes were looking for the commander, and when they stopped, they were looking below.

He was shocked when he saw the commander on the ground at the center of a crater. He was as if he had been smashed, caught off guard, put in that state.

"Did that master smash him for me?" he pondered and stopped. "I should finish this before the time lose."

The treasure that he used gave him a tremendous amount of energy. Although it was only temporary, it wasn't dangerous for his body.

The rings on his wrist inject energy into his body. As it gives him power-up, the only concern with it, it was only for a short time. Approximately 10 minutes.

"Keep on working." He said to his subordinates that followed his command.

The enemies lose their commander temporarily, which could result in their order being messy. And using it to their advantage, the soldier shouted.

"You didn't notice? I, Paul Zheng have already smashed your commander on the ground! Why don't you surrender?!"

Of course, it was a bluff and stealing of credits, but he could only wish that the master contacted him will accept this exploitation.

"Impossible… T…the commander was down?" They were all worried about and looked for the proof. As their eyes lay on their commander, they widened, which made Paul Zheng smirk.

'Nice. All of them were now overwrought. We should use this opportunity.'

"Attack at once!"

The attackers panicked slightly and lost their order for a short time. It was enough for them as earlier, they only lost to them as they used some gravitational mystical art. Now that they can't perform a formation, they could have some chance.

The fight continued, changing the tide to the soldiers' advantage. And as the attackers lose half of their total numbers, it appeared that they had the upper hand now.

The hostages below noticed it, making them cheer for them. But there was one who wasn't happy about this. It was the matriarch of the number one family of the Ten Grand Families.

"That bald bastard! What's he doing?!" she gritted her teeth.

She was frustrated over the fact that things weren't going as planned. Even if it changed slightly, she still wanted to have a safe path and it was where the attackers would win the fight.

But as she saw how helpless the body of the commander was, and even unconscious, it made her even more irritated.

On the other hand, Lucas was chilling in his seat, at the corner of the hostages, feeling the tide that went to the advantage of the soldiers.

'That was enough, right. I can see how they were able to put up a fight now. I know that that commander was the reason why they were strong. Hmph!'

The fight continued. Now, 150 cultivators were pushing the 25 attackers helplessly. And as they noticed that they were getting defeated without their commander, they raised their hands.

"We surrender."

It would be useless to fight, for sure, and there could be opportunities after this, not just doomedness. They should wait for their commander, that is what their guts tell them. Believe in the commander.

"Well then, that's a good decision you made."

The soldiers surrounded them and put some dampeners on them to suppress their dantians. And as they finally settled the scene, Yuna stood up and appeared on the scene.

"Well done, Paul. You did a great job there, and you even sacrificed your treasure for this fight. I will reward you greatly for catching these criminals."

Yuna smiled at him, causing him to feel delighted and immediately bow to her.

"Thank you, ma'am!"

"Now, I shall check the commander. It seems like there was someone here who was able to attack him off guard."

Yuna descended, as she was seen by the weakest people held as hostages, they immediately flocked to her.

"Thank you very much, Lady Yuna! Without you, we would definitely be dead by now."

Yuna smiled at them as she watched how the fake smiles on their faces formed before her. It made her blood boil.

"Wow… Look at you all alive. It seems like your subscription to Lady Luck was still active. Well, but not this time since I am getting tired of you all."'

'I knew it. This bitch will use this opportunity to kill us!' the matriarch screamed inwardly.

"And as a reward for surviving till at this point, I will let you experience the newest mystical art I learned from a dearest master."

A purple portal appeared, and Yuna maneuvered it near to them. She intentionally opened it wide and ordered them, "Take a peek. You'll see a great world there."

Unaware of what it was, they all entered their heads inside the portal, except for the matriarch that Yuna had just glared at.

"Tsk." Eventually, the matriarch followed her words and entered her head as well.

"You'll see a great world called the afterlife."

Zap!

Instantly, they lost their heads from the instant closing of the portal. With that scene, Lucas could not help himself but leave the corner where he was sitting.

"Yuna… You were this good at opening storage magic?"

Yuna immediately widened her eyes as she heard a familiar voice just behind her.

"Brother Lucas? What are you doing here? Did you see that mystical art I did? Was it okay to use it that way?"

There were plenty of questions barraged at him, and Lucas just calmly faced them.

"Oh, yeah. It was good. But how come you didn't know I was here? I was just silent there, but I didn't suppress my aura that much."

"That is not what is important, Brother Lucas. I think I am ready to learn a new mystical art. Please teach me."

"Easy there, you still learned it later. Just endure it and master it first."

'Just how did she learn that gruesome way of using the magic. I thought she wanted to learn and use it with the purpose of storing things in dimensional storage.'

They were talking carefree, without noticing that the commander of the attackers regained his consciousness, groaning as he slowly lifted his body.

Chapter 109 - Attackers [3]

The commander of the attackers groaned as he was lying at the center of a crater destroyed solely for him. Surrounding him were debris from the fight, as well as corpses from both sides. As he slowly lifted his body, irritation filled his system when he recalled why he had been put in this state. He gritted his teeth as he raised his head and exclaimed like there was no tomorrow.

"Who dares to sneak attack on Polandor Cai the Great Commander of the Senses Batallion?! Name yourself, I will kill you."

Nerves were popping all over his body as he felt his frustration rushing through his veins. The annoyance couldn't be measured, as he also realized that he was out for a moment. But as he said that he had a great sense, he realized that there was no fight occurring in the skies. 'Don' tell me-!'

"I was the one who did that sneak attack. What are you going to do, mister commander." Lucas said in a provoking manner, as he grinned, facing Polandor.

"You!"

He was about to jump on Lucas, but when he recalled something, it made him more irritated.

"You were one of the hostages! How dare you…" slowly, his eyes lay on the corpses that were behind him.

Just behind him was also a female cultivator, but it didn't get his attention. What got his attention was the headless corpses laying on the ground. Just when he concluded something about it, his eyes twitched.

"The hostages are dead?! You must be the Matriarch of the First Family of the Five Great Families!" He pointed to Yuna, who he felt was the matriarch since she was a female and also had a profound aura around her.

Yuna smirked and swayed her hair to the back as she laid her eyes on Polandor with disdain. She also sneered at him, making him more annoyed.

"So what of it? An ant dares to point out a supreme being? You must be seeking death after you lost your senses."

Polandor clenched his fist and shouted, "Hah! So now that you are here, I could just kill you and receive the reward from the emperor."

He gathered energy in his fist. It was covered with crimson light, and there were also some dark-colored particles embedded in it. When he performed his stance, he felt confident.

"This is an imitation of the Death Blade of the Great Master of Swords, Sir Xiaorong. You might not know this, but he is about to kill you, Yuna Xiao. But too bad for him, I will be the one who'll take your life."

Yuna and Lucas scoffed as they heard what Polandor said. It was full of ridiculousness and it appeared that their side still didn't know what happened, which could mean that their intel wasn't that strong after all.

"Xiaorong? And that Death Blade you were imitating, putting on your fist, is nothing to us. After all, we have already caught him." Lucas said.

Polandor widened his eyes as he heard it. He didn't believe it because Xiaorong was a strong commander on their continent's list of battalions. Just how it sounded to him was just a bluff.

"Talk all you want, but I will take your life here, Yuna Xiao! Death Pu-!"

Lucas couldn't stomach it anymore. It felt like he was meeting another species of the three siblings who had extreme delusions. And so, he sighed, then appeared behind Polandor with a hilt created from creation magic.

"Shut up."

He gathered Magique Qi and coated the hilt with it, hitting his nape with it, instantly taking out his consciousness. Just when he felt it, Polandor's eyes turned upside down and wiggled his body way down on the floor.

"I am not planning on killing him as I know that information is more valuable than gold," Lucas remarked and looked at Yuna.

Yuna lowered her head as a gesture and thanked Lucas for it.

"You've already helped me too much, Brother Lucas. I don't want to include you more in this mess since I know that you didn't wish for it."

Lucas nodded. "No problem."

"But may I ask? Why are you here, Brother Lucas? Did you have any business at the runway show? And also, what you were wearing seems to be one of the products here." Yuna asked, as her eyes noticed the flamboyant robe he was wearing.

Lucas's eyes visited his robes, making him scratch his nape in an awkward manner. "I don't know what to say but…" when Lucas was about to continue what he was saying, a female voice interrupted their conversation.

"I was the one who brought Brother Lucas here. If you don't mind, Lady Yuna." Yuna's eyes widened when she saw who was talking, but Lucas didn't notice it. When she was about to call her real name, Ruby hushed her.

"I am Ruby Sun, My Lady. If you don't mind, shall we have a small talk there?" Then she swayed her hands, pointing someplace with her open palm.

Yuna only nodded as she squinted her eyes at her. Ruby only shrugged her shoulders as they left Lucas at his place.

Just when Lucas was left alone, he approached the body of Polandor and sighed.

"If only I could activate the passive abilities for the Mind Magic to be used. But, I still can't fully unseal every passive ability."

Lucas then created a handcuff with creation magic and locked Polandor's hands.

'This is made of Mythril alloy, which makes it stronger than normal metals. It needs plenty of dragon's strength just to break it.'

***

"What are you doing here, Lia? Didn't I tell you that it is dangerous to leave your room? Especially now that there is no array formation to protect you."

"What could possibly hurt me who is in the Immortal Cultivation Realm? Do you think I am so stupidly weak that your grand array formations could protect me? Don't be a fool, Yuna." Yuna only grumbled as she started to argue with Lia.

"Even still, you are breaking our promise and are messing with my plan!"

"Plan? Yuna, can you really hear what you are saying? How can you claim credit in this situation? I am the one who planned this. I intend to take information from them." Yuna slowly became silent as her eyes twitched, looking at Lia. She was confused, but even with it, she successfully asked her with no stuttering in her words.

"What do you mean, Lia? Was this your plan?"

"Good that you asked for it. This is my plan, and now that it has come to this, I am willing to tell you that I have a spy in the northern continent."

"Spy? And by the looks of it, you seem to be confident about it."

Lia nodded as she breathed out with confidence and a bragging attitude.

"I have a spy and he told me that they were planning on luring the wealthiest people to their side to weaken your strength, Yuna. It was years ago, and since they planned for it long ago, I put on a show where the wealthiest of the central region would attend to. And so, there we are, using my cultivation as the bait."

"Then, the products, did you create them?" Yuna asked.

Lia nodded as she slowly approached Yuna with a smile. "You don't have to burden yourself, Yuna. And I am also here for you, and the legacy that your ancestors left for you will be easy since I am willing to help you."

"But, this is my legacy. How could you help me if you were the master of the legacy?" Yuna spoke in a shaky tone.

Listening to it, Lia could only snicker.

"You are such a crybaby, Yuna. Don't worry about it. And also, Lucas will be part of it. I will make sure of it." Lia confidently said.

"Lucas…? You are going to involve Lucas here? But how can you do it? It is not like he is connected with the legacy I am part of."

Lia pondered for a moment before beaming a smile.

"I am still making the plan!"

Yuna just awkwardly smiled, "Okay…?"

***

Then, Lucas created a barrier shaped like a cube and put Polandor inside. And as he released his aura, keeping himself from suppressing it, he felt a familiar presence. It was Lukros, and it seemed like he was just near him, possibly a few kilometers away.

'This mana signature comes from Lukros. Did he perhaps have a fight?' He pondered as he scratched his nape from the stress he was feeling.

He laid his eyes on the corpses, but when he felt nothing to be obliged to do with them, he ignored them and started flying.

"Lukros needs my assistance. He must be doing stupid things now."

Lucas started flying in the skies and inspected the area. His eyes lit up in yellow as he saw through the dense trees that were firmly covering his sight. And as he zoomed them in, he noticed a city.

"There, Lukros," Lucas mumbled and decided to descend.

Chapter 110 - Lukros, You Killed Again?

Lukros was just easing his pace, walking down a street away from the weird kid he saw earlier. Even with how pure the soul of the kid was, it was too rare for him to see that. He called it weird. Even with it, he was not that excited about seeing one.

"What should I do now? I don't think I'll be able to blend in with human society. Their perspectives and speech are too weird. I am just thankful for the blessing of the all-knowing dragon that Master shared with me." Lukros mumbled to himself.

Then, as he slowly walked down to the bustling city streets, he couldn't help but be intrigued by their class. So, he decided to enter an establishment even though he didn't have any money. The establishment he entered was just a normal establishment where people can earn money. It was a shop where people could sell monster cores they had. And as he read all the way through the bulletin board with other people that were also just doing the same thing, he was intrigued by this activity.

"Excuse me, but can I ask? How much do you think 3 silvers could offer you in the city?" The person who Lukros asked eyed him from head to toes and went back to his face.

Then he thought, 'Must be just a young master who was grounded by his family, cutting off the allowances he had.'

It was common for him to see flamboyant garments in the shop since, pretty much, the rich kids visit here if they don't have money.

"You can get food, but no inn for that amount of money." The person replied. Lukros thought of it well, placing his right hand on his chin as if thinking much about it. Then he smiled as an idea hit his mind.

'Xiao family is indeed wealthy and could help me with finances since my master is with them. But for me, who doesn't think about it much, how should I put it? Will I seek enjoyment, or rather the same life that is entirely dependent on the master? I do want to change, and this might be an opportunity for me to change.' Lukros's eyes were so deep that he wasn't able to notice anything or anyone but himself.

The person who he asked was inspecting his garments, checking if there were any valuable items.

'Look what we have here. A stupid young master had no talent for socializing in human society. And checking his cultivation, he seemed to be mortal, having studied no martial arts. I got a good catch!' A soliloquy made by the person.

Lukros flinched as he noticed the person was checking his body. And as he felt that the person wasn't even aware that he was looking at him, he cleared his throat.

"What are you doing?" Lukros asked in a nonchalant tone.

The person's eyes widened in surprise and retracted his hands, hiding them behind his back. And as he thought of a reason, Lukros kept on glaring at him.

"Were you thinking that I might have money and be just a rich kid?" Lukros mumbled, making it possible for the person to hear him. And as he heard it, he couldn't help but be agitated that he was caught redhanded.

'That was stupid of me. I shouldn't have felt complacent even if he was a fool.'

"Er… Nothing, I was just checking if there was dirt on your robe. It looks so fabulous that I couldn't think of making it dirty for your appearance, " he explained that he thinks Lukros would believe it too. But he didn't believe it, and instead of showing it, he acted on his impression to see how the person would react.

"Is that so? Then, I will be leaving you. I'll be on my way to get monster cores to have some money." Lukros was enjoying it, inspecting the faces of the people he was interacting with.

In the past, he thought of it as bothersome and just a burden to read. However, right now that he is more associated with human society, he couldn't help but study more about them.

Lukros left the establishment, keeping his nonchalant 'attitude'. But he noticed that the person kept on following him as if he was constantly tailing him since it had been an hour. Lukros nodded simultaneously as he realized what to do. The sky was starting to turn orange, and as he observed him more, he noticed that he was still on it, tailing him.

'You got this to yourself, and I have no choice but to do it. Once I turn back to my original form, I don't want to use the luxury of keeping my human form. Killing you is much easier and less bothersome.'

Lukros stopped moving when they were in the forest near the city. He then sighed and disappeared.

The person following him was shocked. Seeing him disappear, he instantly moved his body to check where Lukros went to. But to his surprise, Lukros was already behind him.

"What are you doing? Were you following me? Hm?" said a hoarse voice from Lukros, attempting to intimidate him.

The person froze in his place as he slowly gulped a mouthful of saliva.

'H-How could he move like that? Had I perhaps been fooled? But I am sure that he felt like a mortal. It's impossible for him to have higher cultivation than me since he was still young!'

"Hey, I am from the Great Taratect Cult. If you try to injure me, the cult will follow you even after death." The person said with confidence.

'What could possibly happen since I am from a cult? We are crueler than dark sects.' As the person thought, and as he realized that Lukros was silent, he smirked.

"So you do know your place. Scared, huh?" Just after he said it, his eyes widened when he felt his abdomen opening from the inside. Although it wasn't open, it had been poked through by a hand that he didn't notice. He had a hole starting from his back to his abdomen.

"You must be c-crazy. I-I already said I am from the Great Taratect!" he exclaimed, pushing himself away from Lukros with his hand raised in combat.

However, when he noticed Lukros's face, he was baffled, seeing how he was grinning hideously.

"Your cult had nothing to do with it, for sure. And did you even think who I was for you to follow me? Ah… judgment results in death when accompanied by ignorance and arrogance." Lukros uttered, slowly stepping forward to the person with his hands coated with crimson light.

'D-Demon!'

"Hey… where's the confidence you have? I may be a fool, but I am starting to change, you know."

"You are nothing but a spoiled young master! You just caught me off guard!" Lukros scoffed at him as his eyes filled with ridicule.

"That just proves how weak you are. And stupid, self-centered, and thoughtless you were that you ignored the fact that you are not the only one who lives their life." Then Lukros smiled viciously once again before slashing him through the throat, removing his head from his neck. The blood splashed but it didn't touch him as he immediately moved backward.

"Pathetic. This is why I try to ignore human society. They are full of stupidity that I can't even bother thinking about."

Although it was hypocritical, Lukros didn't know it as he was also one of those who thought that their plans would work every time.

It was abrupt, and killing people in a row isn't healthy for his mind.

"I am not addicted to killing, right?" He asked himself but was cut off when the next second he noticed a familiar aura coming straight from the sky.

"Master?" Lukros pondered as he laid his eyes on Lucas, who was descending from the sky.

"Lukros, you killed again? How come you are still at that point where you can't rationally think of getting information first, before killing?"

"Master, are you nagging me?" he asked.

Lucas just clenched his fist and hit him in the head with it.

"I am asking, why are you asking me instead of answering?"

"Because I didn't kill him immediately. I didn't think of getting information, but I got one which he mentioned willingly to intimidate me."

"Ah…" Lucas became silent as he looked at Lukros.

"Let's go. We're going back to the Sacred Land to prepare books for Yuna to learn. I felt like I was getting involved in their affairs and I didn't like it. It doesn't bother me anyway. After all, I wasn't concerned about it." Lucas said.

"I see…"

'Master really changed, different from the cold personality he had in the past. As if this world had changed him inside.. And also, I am changing too, which makes me wonder, what is this place?' As Lukros continued to wonder about it, he was still following Lucas going back to the scene to bid a word to Yuna.

Chapter 111 - Yuna's Past [1]

Lukros and Lucas were inside the white training room in the Sacred Land. As they were doing their business, out of nowhere in the silence, Lukros talked.

"Master, don't you think Lady Yuna is too talented? Not only did she learn things in a few days, but also, I can see much potential in her."

Piqued by the thought, Lucas paused as he faced Lukros to draw some magical runes on an array.

He contemplated that it was indeed true. Not just because he had never seen this kind of progress, a genius mage like him, or even an 8th generation of the Descendants of the First Mage, could be put to shame since what Yuna learned was phenomenal magic.

In the magic world, there are two classes of magic. First was elemental, which was the easiest to learn and only needed aptitude to learn. And the second one is phenomenal magic, which not only requires aptitude but also great talent in the circulation of mana in their body. Those who learned this type of magic are at least those who are in the 5th circle of their core. While there were still unpredictable limitations in magic, the one known in history to have had the highest circle attained was Lucas, who was in the 9th circle of his core.

"I must be preoccupied that I didn't notice her talent. But I might have taken into account that she was familiar with energies since mana is just another form of energy." Before letting out a sigh, Lucas explained.

It is shameful of him since he didn't even first mention it. Perhaps his level and standards had just been raised so he didn't notice Yuna's talent. His standards may have been affected by being surrounded by his familiars, who were the strongest creatures in his world.

He could only shake his head at this thought.

"Master, didn't you think Lady Yuna would join your guild?"

Lucas paused and hung up hearing Lukros's words. It was absurd, but not to the point that he would react aggressively to it.

It is true that he should take Yuna's talent into account, but consequences lie if he tries to take Yuna from her position.

"It would be impossible and I am also not interested. Even though she was my first true disciple in this world, I am not that interested in roping her into my interests." Lucas said that eventually made Lukros realize what he had just said.

It may be true that Yuna is talented, but what was Lucas thinking about making his guild or sect join it were those who didn't have current status in society. Perhaps those who were incapable of raising their status in the cultivation world because of the uniqueness of their bodies.

'If I can remember it right, there is something called a constitutional body in this world which could be equivalent to a body ability.'

In Lucas's previous world, there were plenty of types of abilities that could be attained and injected into a mage's core. But what is famous were Body Ability, Mind Ability, Bone Ability, and Aptitude Ability.

Body ability is the equivalent of a constitutional body, which is commonly called "physique" in this world. Those are the abilities of one body to have extraordinary feats.

Meanwhile, Mind ability is an ability that a mage could have that is related to the mind, and so forth for bone ability and aptitude ability.

"Let's not think much of it. We still have a lot of time, and if we think about it, there are some ruckuses that happen in this world." Lucas said.

"Right, Master. It seems that there is a fight between the northern continent and the eastern continent."

"See… So let's not make Yuna worry about our goals. I mean, my goal, since you were not interested in it at first."

"What do you mean, "not interested," Master? I am interested in the sect you are about to create." Lukros was thinking of it, but just when he said it, he almost took it back. He was thinking of learning more about human society since he hadn't done it in the previous world. But now he was interested, or at least he wanted to know more.

However, Lukros was having second thoughts. If he does it, will he be able to retain his personality? He was just being rational if he knew Lucas was with him. And obviously, planning for this would take a risk.

However, risks are accompanied by opportunities. So why should he care about it since his master could easily find him?

"Master, can we do the Master-Servant pact again?"

"Right, the pact was destroyed. That's why I didn't feel you."

"Master, I want to tell you something, but will you allow me?"

Lucas just hung up and didn't immediately respond.

'Why is Lukros thinking like this? It seems like he really did mature, not just had some changes in him. Now, I am sure that he has changed. But what will happen if that happens? He wasn't used to being mature since he was always by my side.'

But Lucas shook the thought off and faced Lukros once again.

He then raised his eyebrow and asked, "What about it, Lukros? You can tell me."

Lukros was hesitant at first, but as he pushed himself, he shared his thoughts.

"Master, I am thinking of joining human society by my own accord. Not just to learn how to suppress the transformation I experience every night, but also to mature in some ways. I want to change, Master." Lucas simply smiled as he received some hints. Those were some ideas that he had seen Lukros doing, and now that he was sure, he could only feel proud.

"Of course, why would I not allow you? Now that you think of it, I am sure that you are getting more mature." Lucas proudly uttered

'Even though it was a bit drastic, it was still great.'

"Right, Master, should we do the pact now?"

***

After three days, Lucas and Yuna were still continuing their session. While in their session, Yuna noticed something was off.

"Brother Lucas, where is Brother Lukros? I don't see him now or even yesterday." Yuna asked and Lucas looked at her.

"Lukros was off on a journey. He'll be back at an unknown date " Lucas explained.

Yuna just nodded in accordance with what she heard and said, "I see if that's what is happening, but may I say, Brother Lucas? Weren't you interested in what happened in the center region?" Lucas instinctively faced Yuna as soon as he heard it.

"Well, I am, but it is not my business to pry into your affairs," Lucas said that eventually made Yuna let out a sigh.

Yuna worried that Lucas might be intrigued by it. Not that she doesn't want Lucas's help; it would be promising to have his help, but there was something in her heart that wanted her not to involve Lucas here.

Yuna sees Lucas as someone who was the successor of her friend thousands of years ago.

Yuna came from an orthodox sect, which was the sect that the Xiao family held, the Sacred Cultivators Sect, which was self-proclaimed yet accepted by the masses as their practices met the standards of the people.

They were taught how to act nobly despite having to be indulged with blood from wars against enemies of the public. From a very young age, Yuna felt trapped and eventually tried to escape her fate.

Thus, when she escaped, she became aimless for a few years, and there she met Light, who was from an unorthodox sect that was totally contrary to what she had learned.

Light was a young man who had handsome features and a pleasing aura around him. He was the kind of soothing young man whose words would make anyone believe what he said.

At this event, there were plenty of things that Light taught her. She learned how to curse and act violently if she wanted to. Sometimes she acted cold towards normal people, and she also learned how to kill without remorse.

Even for an unorthodox sect, Yuna felt that there was something off with Light's practices. Not just that she did not even visit his sect once, but his stories weren't what the unorthodox sects taught.

Unorthodox sects are sects that have a different approach to a belief that is contrary to what the mass approves. This means it could only be acceptable to those who had the same thoughts and not to the mass who had similar perspectives.

However, Light was acting as if he was a killer, but she didn't dare question it, as, during those times, she felt she was free and Light was so kind to her.

The time she spent with Light was so memorable that she didn't want to end it with mere speculation. But that speculation ended and was proven when Light himself said the truth to her.

"I am not actually part of an unorthodox sect. My beliefs don't actually match with what everyone actually believes." It was a cold voice that came out of nowhere that Light uttered.

They were only walking along a snowy path in the northernmost part of the continent, wishing to find a magical beast that was stronger than them.

But this time, it was nothing but a different one from what they actually do. It was life and death since the northern region had the most dark sects on the continent, who were the most hideous of the dark sects in other regions.

"What do you mean by that, Light? It kind of gives me an awkward vibe." Yuna responded as she suddenly paused on walking, just behind Light.

Light let out a sigh, then faced Yuna with a pitiful expression. It made Yuna flinch, as she wasn't able to read what that face actually meant.

"I am from a dark sect. So, as a friend, will you follow me to my family, Yuna?"

Chapter 112 - Yuna's Past [2]

Yuna was still reminiscing about the past, believing that Lucas was the heir to her dearest friend, who had chosen a different path than she had. After such an event of Light confessing the truth, she was given a chance to choose.

Yuna didn't waste any time and chose to return to her previous life, and surprisingly, Light accepted it. Light wasn't that evil in reality; those they killed were only those who they deemed to be unwanted in society.

Those who were dead weights were the only ones who died by their hands, and surprisingly, Yuna was feeling bad about it. And at that point, returning to her previous life, she was accepted once again and eventually became an official, a faction leader to be precise.

However, at that time, a war broke out after a confidential discussion between the grand leaders of each continent was leaked.

There were four continents: the Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western, and those who stood above were no one; they were equals.

But as such information leaked, a war broke out and anyone could only wonder what it was, but normal people couldn't learn it. That information was only leaked to the leaders of the family, officials to be precise.

"A legacy to have the power to become the ambassador of the Mortal Heaven."

It was a great feat, and that opportunity urged the subordinates of every leader to push for war. Why would they want a war? If they become ambassadors, or if someone from their continent became ambassador, it would bring opportunity to their continent.

Not just a measly opportunity, but the reigning power they wanted. The whole Mortal Heaven could be in their hands as well. And the resources that an ambassador could get will even benefit the land they came from.

It was by greed, but as leaders of generations urged their lands, a war broke out, and there, Yuna, as one of the faction leaders, was tasked with bringing the dark sects onto their ground or beside them.

It was a hard task because, as she continued doing this task, she discovered that Light had become a sect leader of a dark sect called the Heavenly Demon Sect.

A hard time was felt, a different one that could break her heart. After just a cold encounter, for the benefit of their land, the dark sects agreed to help them, but only if they could still remain themselves without being convicted as criminals.

Of course, it would be impossible, but a deal was formed that if they joined the cause, they would be pardoned. Not just pardoned, but supported to have their sects established again.

However, it will be accepted only if they promise to stop the killing indiscriminately since they will be pardoned for their contribution to the war.

"I agree with the deal." Light uttered in between the contradictions the other sect masters from other sects wanted to form in the meeting.

Yuna only smiled inwardly, and as someone accepted it, the other sects were pressured to accept it as well. And so, a new era for the eastern continent started.

In that war, plenty of people died, but nothing was gained from it, as everyone got their position back. The decision was made to pause the war for a while.

But as every continent suffered, the eastern continent also suffered hugely.

Plenty of mystical arts was destroyed, and even martial techniques were lost in that war that undermined the foundations of the land for generations.

Until Yuna became the Sect Master of the sect her family holds and learned that her friend, Light, didn't have any successors in his techniques, that not only weakened his sect but his future generations as well.

In some ways, it could be a demise for their family but a blessing for the continent. Not only were the authorities weakened, since establishing it was more formed after the war because the rivals in the land were also weakened, it also gave them a chance to take over them.

But still, even though the dark sects were weakened, they still had the power to reply to every attack. So when Yuna became the matriarch of her family, she decided to stop pursuing them.

"What a pity for someone like Light not to have a successor. His techniques were strong enough that they could even rival my father's despite the disparity in cultivation." Yuna commented as she looked at the Heavenly Demon Sect from distance.

At such a point, after becoming the matriarch of the Xiao family, she established more authority over the land by creating officials in every region. And there the Great families were formed.

***

Lucas was not only curious, but he also had some theories about what might be happening on the continent. And since Ruby had lingered a thought in his head, he had some idea that Ruby might be connected to it as well.

Ruby planned what happened in the runway show, so a slight chance that she was connected with Yuna was formed in Lucas's head. But of course, he didn't dare to create an awkward atmosphere around them by asking about this affair.

He was only curious, but not to the point that he would carry such a heavyweight on his shoulders. It could be useful if Yuna made a deal with him over their affairs. If this happened, he could make use of the affair instead.

Lucas was breathing steadily as he looked at Yuna performing what he taught. It was the second form of dimensional storage, a spatial portal. It could teleport to a place registered by the portal, but that takes a long time to learn and establish.

This was the last promised mystical art to be taught as Yuna gave Lucas more drops than he asked for. Two drops are enough, but, surprisingly, he was given three drops, and his conscience couldn't stand the unfair trade.

One might also ponder what the Sacred Blood of Taulo is. Why does an array aster of some caliber that could have had a continental influence learn this?

It was only a legend from thousands of years ago before the Great World War, but that legend was well preserved even to this day, despite the lack of evidence. And array masters don't doubt legends since they could also bring a promising result, which Lucas learned from his days.

Not only that, Wilford mentioned this to him, but Lucas was thinking practically since he knew that legends had some references.

But who could expect that the legend was surprisingly true and Yuna, the matriarch of the Xiao family, had it? It was only a one-in-a-million chance.

"Lady Yuna, after this, I might bid my farewell, as I am about to return to my place after this," Lucas said, with a soft tone.

Yuna pondered and asked Lucas, "Where do you live nowadays, Brother Lucas?"

Lucas could tell her that he is staying in the Profound Sect, but he doesn't want to expose that he isn't a successor of someone she knows. Lucas only created a lie just to be on good terms with Yuna, and perhaps the bond they created was so important to him that he didn't want to break it.

It could be devastating to their sides if the relationship between them was damaged by a lie. And not knowing Yuna's personality is a great factor that he should not overlook since she could turn into an enemy if this was exposed.

Lucas let out a sigh and shook his head at Yuna.

"I am sorry to tell you this, Lady Yuna, but I don't want to expose where I currently live." Lucas merely said.

"I see…" Yuna said in a dispirited tone, but she did not dare expose such spirit to Lucas. It could crack some of the easy atmospheres around them.

"Well, I could come back here as your master if you want to." Lucas out of nowhere said that he didn't even expect him to mention it.

'What the heck… Why would I say something like that?'

Lucas was confused about it. Was it because of the easy environment they had that he didn't bother to think about what he said? He didn't know and as such a thought lingered in his head, he eventually accepted it and tried to assess what to say next.

But not expecting Yuna's reply, Lucas could only scoff at seeing Yuna's reaction.

Yuna's previously gloomy face became lit with joy as she smiled at Lucas after hearing this suggestion.

"Really? Will you do that, Lucas? If you come back here or want to see me, you can visit me in the Center Region." Yuna said and paused for a second as she get something from her storage magic.

Lucas was surprised that Yuna was currently using it; he couldn't help but comment on it.

"You are now using it? Surprising."

Yuna giggled, then continued what she was doing. She took something from the storage and then gave it to Lucas. It was a medallion.

"Here. Just present it to the Center Region's main city, the Sacred Cultivators' City's gate, and you will be accommodated."

Lucas smiled and accepted the medallion.

"You easily give me such a valuable item that I wouldn't dare to reject. Thank you, Lady Yuna."

"Of course, you don't have to worry about it, Master, Brother Lucas." Then she chuckled after uttering it.

As he chuckled, Lucas also jumped into the joyful moment.. And then, a week passed that eventually became the day when Lucas would leave the Sacred Land.