CHAPTER 31: The Author Who Slaughters
Lucius stood still for a brief moment.
The memory of the previous clash lingered in his mind. The way the creature shattered. Not from physical damage. But from something deeper.
So that is how it works.
His grip on the sword tightened slightly. This time, he was not guessing. He already knew where to strike.
The silence after the death of the Inkveil Seraph did not last. It never does in a Red Dungeon. The black liquid that once formed the Seraph's body sank into the ground like ink being absorbed by cursed parchment. The air grew heavier. The crimson ceiling pulsed once, twice, like a heartbeat that did not belong to the world.
Lucius remained kneeling.
His sword was still in his hand, but his grip had loosened. His breathing was slow but uneven, the aftermath of draining nearly everything he had into a single conceptual strike.
Then.
A sound. Not from ahead. Not from behind. From everywhere.
A wet shifting noise.
The shadows moved.
Hans's eyes widened first. No.
The ground around them began to ripple again. Not one. Not two. Dozens. Black ink began to rise from every direction, forming shapes. Familiar shapes.
Jax tightened his grip on his spear. You've got to be kidding me.
Seraphina took a step back, her voice barely above a whisper. They're multiplying.
Lucius slowly lifted his head. His crimson eyes sharpened.
Thirty.
At least thirty more Inkveil Seraphs began forming from the shadows. Their bodies were incomplete at first, then stabilized. Their shifting faces turned toward the group.
Watching. Learning. Evolving.
Lucius stood.
A delayed response finally surfaced. As if the system had only now begun to fully recognize what he had done.
Then a soft blue glow flickered in front of his eyes.
System Notification.
You have defeated Inkveil Seraph x6.
Reward. 1200 EXP x6.
Total EXP gained. 7200.
Bonus Reward. +1 Stat Point per Inkveil Seraph slain.
Total Bonus Stat Points. +6.
Level Up Initiated.
The world paused. Then power surged.
Lucius's body straightened instantly. The fatigue vanished. The pain in his ribs disappeared. His torn muscles rewove themselves in an instant. His breathing stabilized. Everything reset.
Level Up.
+2 Stat Points.
Level Up.
+2 Stat Points.
Level Up.
+2 Stat Points.
Lucius exhaled slowly. His eyes opened again. Sharp. Alive. Dangerous.
Total Stat Points Available. +12.
Jax blinked. Wait. What just happened to you.
Hans stared. Your wounds. They're gone.
Seraphina narrowed her eyes. You. You just recovered completely.
Lucius did not answer. His gaze was fixed on the incoming swarm of Seraphs. Then he spoke.
Stand back.
The three of them froze.
Preserve your energy, Lucius commanded. His voice was calm. Cold. Absolute. And do not get in my way.
Jax instinctively stepped back. Not out of fear, but out of a primal instinct that told him the person standing before him was no longer just a student.
Hans followed. Seraphina hesitated for half a second. Then she stepped back too.
Because for the first time, they understood. Lucius was no longer fighting to survive.
He was about to hunt.
Lucius moved.
No hesitation. No wasted motion. He ran forward, straight into the swarm.
The Seraphs reacted instantly. They surged toward him like a tide of living shadows. Blades formed. Claws sharpened. Memory erasing hands reached forward in a desperate attempt to consume the light in his eyes.
Lucius's grip tightened. His aura shifted.
I am the Author.
His voice was low.
But I am also the one who executes.
His sword began to glow. Pale. Unnatural.
EXODUS.
Chapter 1.
Verse 5.
Seventy Soul Piercer.
He stepped forward. And thrust.
The world fractured. Seventy invisible needles erupted from a single motion. They pierced everything in their path. They did not target the bodies. They targeted the cores.
One Seraph froze. Then shattered. Another. Then another. Then five. Then ten.
Lucius did not stop. Lucius advanced without hesitation.
Second thrust. Another wave. More shattered into nothingness.
The battlefield turned silent between each strike. Not because nothing was happening, but because everything was ending too fast for the air to carry the sound.
Hans's voice trembled as he watched the systematic erasure of the monsters. It's different.
Jax frowned. What do you mean.
Hans swallowed hard. Before. He was figuring it out.
His eyes locked onto Lucius.
But now. He already knows.
Seraphina whispered softly. He's not fighting them anymore.
He's executing them.
The Seraphs adapted. They began to scatter. Their bodies became thinner. More unstable. They were trying to avoid being targeted by the invisible needles of the Verse.
Lucius adjusted. Instantly.
He stepped deeper into the swarm. Closer. Reducing the distance. Increasing his precision.
Third strike. Fourth. Fifth.
Each thrust was faster than the last. Each one was cleaner. More refined. More absolute.
The dungeon floor was no longer visible. Only dissolving black matter remained, swirling around his boots like a dying storm. The crimson ceiling pulsed violently. It was as if the dungeon itself was reacting. As if it was recognizing that something dangerous had entered its domain.
Minutes passed. Or seconds. No one could tell.
Then. Silence.
The last Seraph trembled. Cracks of white light spread across its body. It tried to shift. It tried to escape. It tried to exist in another form.
Lucius stepped forward. One final thrust.
It shattered.
Everything stopped.
Lucius stood alone in the center of the iron graveyard. Thirty Inkveil Seraphs. Gone.
[System Notification]
Enemies defeated.
Inkveil Seraph x30.
EXP Gained.
1200 x30.
Total EXP. 36000.
+0.5 Stat points for every Inkveil Seraph Slain.
Bonus Stat Points. +15
Level Up.
+2 Stat Points.
Level Up.
+2 Stat Points.
Level Up.
+2 Stat Points.
Level Up.
+2 Stat Points.
Level Up.
+2 Stat Points.
Level Up.
+2 Stat Points.
+12 Stat Points Gained.
Fatigue Reset. Condition Restored.
Lucius exhaled. Slowly. Then he sat down. Right there on the dungeon floor.
In his thoughts, so the more I level up, the stat points for each monster i slain decreased unless I face another monster slightly or stronger than me...
Lucius narrowed his eyes.
Jax stared. I.
He clenched his fist. One day. I'll surpass him.
Seraphina placed a hand on her chest. Her heart was beating fast. Not from fear, but from something else.
I chose the right person.
Hans looked at Lucius with wide eyes. Not with simple admiration or fear. It was something deeper.
If I stay with him…
I can learn everything.
Hans clenched his fists.
I have to become useful.
I have to stand beside him.
Lucius ignored all of them. His eyes were distant. Thinking. Analyzing.
I'm still weak.
Even after all that power. Even after all those kills. He could feel it. The limitation. The gap.
He raised his hand slightly.
Stat Allocation.
Total Available Points: 39
Lucius stared at the numbers without emotion.
But his mind was already moving.
Fast.
Precise.
During the fight… he had felt it clearly.
The gaps.
The limits.
His strength was enough to strike,His agility was enough to react.
But neither was enough to dominate completely.
His endurance… was the biggest flaw.
Too fragile.
Too inefficient for prolonged combat.
And his mana…
Too shallow for something like Exodus.
Then there was sensitivity.
The one stat that allowed him to perceive.To read.To understand.
Without it… he would have never found the core.
Lucius closed his eyes briefly.
Replaying the battle.
Every movement.Every failure.
Every near death moment.
Then
He made his decision.
Strength +8
Agility +9
Mana +10
Endurance +8
Sensitivity +4
The moment the allocation was complete
Power surged through his body.
Not violently. But deeply.
His muscles tightened with refined strength.
His movements felt lighter… sharper.
His breathing became smoother as his mana pool expanded, flowing more steadily through his circuits.
His endurance reinforced his body from within, stabilizing the strain his techniques placed on him.
And his senses,They sharpened.
The world became clearer.
More defined.More readable.
Lucius opened his eyes.Crimson.Cold.
Focused.
"This is still not enough…"he murmured quietly.
But it was a step forward.
And for now
That was all he needed.
Then he tilted his head slightly toward the three behind him.
Everything that happens here, his voice was quiet but absolute, stays here.
Jax nodded immediately. No problem.
Hans nodded even faster. I won't tell anyone.
Seraphina smiled slightly. Of course.
No hesitation. No doubt.
Lucius looked away again. Thinking.
When it touched me. His eyes narrowed. What did I lose.
A gap. A missing piece. He could feel it, but he could not identify it. The Inkveil Seraph had taken something from the narrative of his mind.
Lucius. Hans spoke carefully. We can't leave this place unless we kill the boss.
Lucius replied instantly.
I know.
He stood. Calm. Composed. Deadly.
Then he looked at them. Are you all still able to move.
Jax smirked. Barely. But yeah.
Hans nodded. I'll manage.
Seraphina stepped forward. I'm not slowing you down.
Lucius turned. He faced deeper into the dungeon where the darkness was thicker. Where the pressure was heavier. Where something far worse was waiting for them.
Then we move.
And without hesitation, they walked deeper into the Red Dungeon. Toward the final boss.
To Be Continued.