The Warlord's Second Life As A Commoner : 020

The morning sky stretched wide as Lucian and his retinue left the ruins of the Temple of Light. The cold wind from the north blew gently, but could not dispel the fear that hung in the air. The message from the temple guard echoed in their minds. A new mission had begun: to find the Seal of Light before the Order of Dusk found it first.

"The Seal of Light..." Alden muttered as he gazed at the horizon. "An artifact that could save the world or destroy it. Doesn't seem like much of a burden for a small group like us."

Lucian turned his head, his eyes full of determination. "We have no choice. If we don't act, no one will protect this world."

Eris, walking behind him, sighed. "But we don't even know where to start looking. The Seal of Light could be hidden anywhere, and the Order of Dusk is clearly better prepared than we are."

"Not quite," Heracles interjected in a confident tone. "They have no clues from the Temple of Light. That is our advantage."

But before they could continue their discussion, the ground beneath them suddenly shook. In the distance, they could see black smoke billowing into the sky from the direction of Arcadia Academy.

"Academy!" exclaimed Eris, her face pale as death.

Without a second thought, they ran back to the academy. Each step felt like a race against time.

When they arrived at the Academy, they were met with devastation. The buildings were partially burned, while students and teachers ran around in confusion. Troops in black uniforms, clearly members of the Order of the Dusk, attacked mercilessly, using dark magic to destroy everything.

"We have to help them!" cried Alden, drawing his sword.

Lucian nodded, drew his sword and plunged into battle. Together with his friends, he began to fight the forces of the Order of Dusk. Their attacks were well coordinated, with Alden protecting the front line, Eris providing magical support, and Heracles using his powers to repel the enemy.

In the midst of the chaos, however, Lucian spotted a familiar figure among the enemy troops. A masked man in a long black robe stood in the center of the battlefield, watching calmly.

"He's the one leading this attack," Lucian muttered, his eyes narrowing.

Without hesitation, Lucian moved toward the man. His steps were swift, his sword raised, ready to strike. But before he could get close, the masked man raised his hand and the ground beneath Lucian suddenly turned into a dense shadow that slowed his movements.

"You will not win easily," the man said in a cold voice.

Lucian felt the pressure of the shadow, but he didn't give up. With all his strength, he drew magical energy from within himself and broke free of the shadow. He leaped forward, his sword gleaming in the dim sunlight.

The battle between Lucian and the masked man was fierce. Each of Lucian's attacks was met with deadly dark magic, creating small explosions that shook the ground around them.

Halfway through the fight, Lucian finally managed to cut off the man's mask, revealing the face behind it.

"Julius?" Lucian whispered in surprise.

The man grinned, his eyes filled with hatred. "You should know you cannot fight fate, Lucian. This world needs destruction and the Order of the Twilight will see to it that it happens."

Before Lucian could answer, Julius used magic to create a thick fog and vanished from sight.

After the battle was over, Lucian and his friends helped the victims and put out the fires that were still burning. Arcadia Academy was partially destroyed, but they were able to save many lives.

In the main hall of the Academy, the surviving teachers gathered for a discussion. The head of the academy, an old man named Master Gregory, urged Lucian to tell him what had happened.

Lucian explained about the Temple of Light and the Seal of Light, as well as the Order of Twilight's involvement in finding the artifacts. Master Gregory, visibly shaken by the information, finally revealed a secret.

"The Seal of Light... it's not just a legend," he said, his voice shaking. "The seal really exists, and its location has long been kept secret by the royal protectors."

"Do you know where it is now?" asked Lucian, his eyes full of hope.

Master Gregory nodded slowly. "It is hidden beneath the ancient city of Evernight. But the place is dangerous. Legend has it that the seal is guarded by an ancient guardian who won't let anyone near it for no apparent reason."

"Ancient guardians?" muttered Eris, feeling worried.

Master Gregory looked at her gravely. "If you truly wish to protect this world, you must be prepared to face unimaginable challenges. The Guardian will show no mercy, even to those with good intentions.

With this important information in hand, Lucian and his party began to prepare for the journey to Eternight. However, the atmosphere among them was different. The battle at the Academy had shown the seriousness of the threat they faced, and the fact that Julius was one of the leaders of the Order of the Dusk added an emotional weight to Lucian.

"Julius is an old friend of mine," Lucian told Alden and Eris as they packed. "He was part of my team when I was Caelum. I never expected him to join the Order of the Dusk."

"She obviously has her own plans," Alden replied. "And that means we have to be more careful."

Eris added, "We can't let past relationships cloud our judgment. If Julius is a threat, we have to be ready to face him."

Lucian nodded, though his heart was heavy. He knew that the journey to Evernight would test not only their skills, but also their resolve to save the world from destruction.

Lucian, who developed after facing several dangerous situations, made him stronger and now Lucian is at the level of 6-star swordsman which is equivalent to a special soldier of the royal order of troops at this level it is getting closer to Lucian's old strength at the level of 10-star swordsman and he is the only human to touch that level.