Ch 12: Something Rising Up

"Note all the things we need to report to the higher-ups," the one in command ordered his subordinates to work quickly, as they couldn't bear the thought of failing their quest. One thing was clear: they did not care about Leo and his girlfriend's deaths; what mattered to them was that the quest they had undertaken was a significant failure alongside Leo's demise.

In a world filled with cruelty, where suffering lingered like a shadow, destinies were written in the stars above. The life of a commoner was as fleeting as the breath of a dying candle. Day by day, lives ebbed away—some met their end naturally, while others were extinguished by the hands of the inhumane.

The tragic fate of a nameless soul was rarely met with concern; the lamentations of the masses were drowned out by the indifference of the powerful. Had the deceased been a person of influential one, the entire world would mourn for them and seek justice for them, but for the weak person and commoner? Even a stray dog would turn its head, unbothered.

Having fun... Ahem. Having done what needed to be done to one of the people who wronged him, he slipped away from the Leo house like a wisp of smoke. His escape was aided by his recently mastered High-Level Steal Art, which gave him High-Level Stealth ability.

If he wasted even a few seconds, he couldn't even imagine what would happen next. If the situation had been dire, it would be a matter of life and death. He was still too weak to take such risks, so caution was his only choice.

Unbeknownst to him, news of his actions and the death of Leo had already reached the black-dressed person within mere hours later.

"So… our pawn is dead?" he mused, a hint of amusement could be heard in his voice but the irritation was palpable.

"Hmmm... Code Black go investigate the whole thing thoroughly. Do not leave anything behind," the black-dressed person reading the documents with his hands, commanded, his voice a low, menacing growl, but the room was empty no one could be seen there…So, who was he talking to and commanding? His voice was the only discernible feature as the chair's back hid his appearance.

With that, three figures emerged like wisps of smoke from the darkness, dressed in assassin garb. They were emitting some kinda of powerful vibe but they were controlling their aura with more proficiency and the person with low power might not have the ability to detect them.

"Ous!" they bowed fluidly, acknowledging the order they got. With that, they vanished from the room. They did not ask why-like questions. They only followed the order they got from the person before them.

***

"Tsk, why so poor? Did not you damn bastard steal 100 gold coins? Why is there only a handful of gold coins? Fucker must have wasted money with his cheek"

Lucifer jiggling the pouch on his hand cursed the dead person seeing only a handful of money was left with Leo.

The hierarchy of currency went from copper to silver, gold, platinum, and finally, gem. Fifty copper coins were equivalent to one silver coin, fifty silver coins to one gold coin, fifty gold coins to one platinum coin, and fifty platinum coins to one gem.

Ten gold coins could provide a happy living for almost one to two years, which was good enough… Let's be satisfied with what I have. Well, I am not the old me with a pitiful life, I have a new path ahead of me, I can craft my path by myself and whoever blocks it, will going to have a hard time.

Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of the token plate. Engraved on the token plate were the words: {Tournament of the Arcane Ascendants begins on Azura Calendar 790-5-1.}

"Huh?"

Lucifer was initially shocked as he saw the token plate, but the shock slowly changed into amusement. Who knew that luck would be on his side?

From young to old, everyone knew about the Tournament of the Arcane Ascendants, where youths were gonna fight with each other and have a chance to gain luxurious rewards. This tournament would only be held every year, and the distinct young ones would have an opportunity to enter Popular Academy to follow their dreams.

Even though this tournament might not be that exciting for the powerful clan as they have lots of background with them to enter Popular Academy. But for commoner ones, like Lucifer, who didn't have any support, this was a dream place where they could prove themselves, to become powerful, where lies endless challenges.

In this world, there were many schemes, there were many powerful people who were cycling this world with their intelligence. Still, bad and good were part of their schemes. Unknowingly they might give others opportunities to rise and they would also try to do anything to downfall you… which Lucifer knew well.

According to the rumor, this tournament was held by the Moonlight organization, and in this scheme, lots of powerful people were involved but no one knew who were they and what are they planning. But Lucifer concluded that this was held because they wanted to seek talented Ascendents to nurture them to grow stronger, so they had one of the human powerful Ascendents by their side to protect this place.

Let's not dull on this topic, for now, today is 4-4. Hmm… I have enough time for the preparation, and I have quite a lot of money on me, so Today, I'll indulge in a proper meal—it's been far too long since I last savored one. Finding an inn where I can eat and plan my next steps seems the wisest course.

Lucifer, sitting on the wooden bench, relaxed a little bit, letting the gentle breeze wash over him to ease the tension that had settled in his shoulders. And with that, he took a moment to observe his surroundings, scanning for any signs of pursuit. Well, the surrounding place was filled with strangers, no suspicion could be seen.

Let's see who would win the hidden seek game.

Acknowledging that he was alone, he rose and began to wander through the bustling streets, seeking a decent inn that could offer a good meal and a comfortable place to stay.

As for going back to the place where he lives usually? He had no desire to return and live like previously where life was filled with filthiness and despair, that resembled the life of a gutter. When, a new path lay before him, filled with opportunities for growth; only a fool would choose to revisit the shadows of his past.

As he walked, thoughts of how to quickly increase his hatred points flitted through his mind. An unsettling idea surfaced: torturing innocent people. He dismissed it almost immediately. That wasn't his way, and such actions would inevitably attract the attention of powerful figures lurking in the darkness. Lucifer wouldn't take that risk without a well-thought-out plan.

For now, his focus needed to be on advancing his Mid-Level Dawnbringer rank to High-Level Dawnbringer and forging a core as swiftly as possible. To ascend to a major rank, he needed to create a Seed Core within his Lower Dantian, located in his abdomen. Once he succeeded, he would gain the ability to harness mana and unlock a range of formidable skills.

He had attempted this process before but had faced repeated failures. In the meantime, he had devoted himself to physical training, honing his body through Low-Level kickboxing techniques. That discipline had improved his physicality, but it was time to push beyond those limits.

After a few minutes of wandering, he found a nice inn which was located in a nice place, too. Its name was the Iron Hearth Inn. Nestled at the crossroads of a bustling trade route and a serene forest path.

The inn stood as a beacon for weary travelers and seasoned warriors alike. Its prime location offered a perfect blend of tranquility and accessibility, making it quite popular compared to other Inn compare to near the area. So he could now also gather some info through gossip.

With a clear plan forming in his mind, Lucifer strode into the inn, his demeanor calm yet alert. His keen eyes scanned the room, taking in the details and assessing the atmosphere. Every nuance mattered; in a world fraught with danger, he needed to remain vigilant.