CHAPTER 35: The Script of the Unseen
The next day arrived with a stillness that only the morning after a disaster can provide. Sunlight filtered through the high windows of the infirmary, casting long, pale rectangles across the white tiles. Lucius was alone.
The silence was heavy, broken only by the rhythmic hum of the mana crystals embedded in the walls.
Lucius sat up slowly. The soreness in his muscles had faded to a dull ache, but the weight in his mind remained. He focused his intent, calling upon the interface.
[Status Window]
The blue light flickered into existence, hovering in the air before him.
Name. Lucius van Venus.
Level. 31.
Title. Overlord of the Abyss.
Talent. Law of One. God tier. (Can combine skills or talents to create or birth a different one).
Strength. 30.
Agility. 32.
Mana. 38.
Endurance. 23.
Sensitivity. 20.
Available Stat Points. 8.
AUTHORITIES.
Authority. EXODUS [??]
Chapter 1. All Things Being Equal. (Passive and Active Domain. Forces parity between the user and all entities within a 5 meter radius. Strips away level advantages and stat buffs).
Chapter 2. White Void. (A domain type Authority that drags the user and target into an isolated space known as the White Void).
(Remaining Chapters. Sealed).
Exodus. Conceptual Sword Art.
Nature. A law bound scripture. The user acts as both Author and Executor.
Authority. VOID DISPLACEMENT [??]
→A spatial Authority derived from Teleportation. Allows instantaneous displacement without delay.
→ Ignores conventional activation time.
→ Limited to 3 uses per day due to strain on space stability.
Uses Remaining. 3 of 3. (Charges reset every 24 hours).
SKILLS.
Poison Immunity. Max.
(Immune to all poison and abnormal status effects).
GAZE. Passive.
(Allows the user to perceive structural weaknesses, mana flow irregularities, and fatigue points in any target with a lower or equal level).
Lucius stared at the glowing numbers. His stats were looking significantly better than the last time he had checked. The jump to level 31 was a massive leap, a direct result of the sheer density of experience points packed into that forced Red Dungeon.
The Red Dungeon is the best place for farming experience points, he muttered to himself. His voice sounded raspy in the empty room. But I nearly died there. I even lost some of my memories.
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to reach for the fragments that were gone. There was nothing but a cold, empty void where certain thoughts used to be. It was the price he had paid for the survival of his group.
It would have been nice if it were like those normal dungeons, he thought. But this one was a forced dungeon. And those people. They were students too. Who just starts sacrificing themselves to force open a gate like that. What is their motive.
He shook his head, pushing the darker thoughts aside. The mystery of the cultists or whatever they were was too large to solve while trapped in a hospital bed. He needed to focus on what he could control.
Let me start allocating my stat points, he said. I need to become stronger. "They survived because I was there," Lucius muttered. "That is all."
I was lucky this time. If I had not been there, they would have.
He stopped himself from finishing the sentence. The image of their bodies lying in that red, fleshy dirt was too vivid.
"Attachment is inefficient," he thought. "But allies who can survive… are worth keeping."
Let me go with my mana first, he decided. I need to increase it so that I can use Exodus more frequently. If I can push it to five times or more before my mana is depleted, my survivability goes up exponentially.
He tapped the interface. Mana. +3.
Next, he looked at his physical resilience. Endurance. +3.
Finally, he put the remaining points into his perception. Sensitivity. +2.
The changes ripples through his body instantly. A wave of cool energy washed over his nervous system, sharpening his senses and thickening the density of the mana flowing through his veins. He felt more grounded, more capable of sustaining the high cost of his Authorities.
As the status window faded, a soft knock sounded at the door.
Lucius paused. He waited for the person to just walk in, as had become the custom for Jax, Hans, and even the Vice Headmaster. When the door remained closed, he realized someone was actually waiting for his permission.
Enter, he said.
The door opened slowly. Elara stepped into the room, her eyes wide and rimmed with red. The moment her gaze landed on Lucius sitting up, her composure broke entirely. She began to cry, her small hands clutching at her apron as she ran toward the bed.
Young master. she wailed, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.
Lucius stiffened for a second before softening. He reached up, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumb.
Stop crying, Elara, he said softly. How are you doing.
I am alright, young master, she sobbed, her voice muffled against his shoulder. I was so worried. When the news of the arena hit the servant quarters, I thought.
I am fine, Lucius interrupted. I hope the maids from the other houses or kingdoms are not bullying you while I am away.
Elara pulled back slightly, sniffing and drying her eyes. I am okay. No one can bully me, young master. I am alright. I have stayed out of their way.
She looked him over with frantic concern. Did you get any serious injuries. Are you hurt anywhere else.
No, Lucius responded calmly. Just light external injuries. The healers took care of the rest. I am perfectly fine now.
Elara took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She looked toward the door to ensure it was closed before leaning in closer to the bed. Her expression shifted from grief to the focused look of a dedicated informant.
"…I couldn't get everything, young master."
Lucius didn't react. "Then give me what you have."
She nodded slightly.
"Vice Headmaster Evelyn… she's a Talent user. Her ability is called Revive."
Lucius's eyes sharpened slightly.
"She can bring people back… but only within a short window. A few hours at most," Elara continued. "Anything beyond that… she can't do anything."
A pause.
"I couldn't confirm the exact limit."
Lucius said nothing. He simply listened.
"She's also… a Transcender," Elara added, quieter now. "But the details are unclear. Something about losing people… more than once."
She looked frustrated.
"I couldn't get the full story. Most of it is sealed… or people refuse to talk about it."
Lucius leaned back slightly. "Good enough."
Elara exhaled softly before continuing.
"As for the students who opened the dungeon…"
She stopped.
Lucius noticed immediately. "You found nothing."
"…Almost nothing," she corrected. "No names. No records. It's like they were erased before this even happened."
A brief silence settled between them.
"But…" she added quickly, "their movements suggest planning. This wasn't random."
Lucius's gaze turned colder.
"A group that can bypass academy detection…" he murmured. "Interesting."
Elara nodded.
"There's more. Outside the academy… something is happening too."
Lucius looked at her again.
"In the Kingdom of Queens, there was a monster outbreak," she said. "That's why Elphen Quinn didn't participate."
Another pause.
"I couldn't confirm the scale yet."
Lucius closed his eyes briefly, processing.
Too many loose threads.
Too many unknowns.
Elara lowered her head slightly. "That's all I could gather for now, young master."
Lucius opened his eyes again.
Really, Lucius mused. A lot of things have been happening while we were trapped in that hole.
"It's enough," he said.
He looked at Elara, noting the exhaustion in her own eyes. She had clearly been working hard to gather this data while he was unconscious.
Do not do anything else for now, Elara, he told her firmly. I will handle the rest.
Elara bit her lip, a look of hesitation crossing her face. Yes, young master.
"I won't act without reason," Lucius said.I am not going to do anything rashly. I am just going to prepare for the written tests.
Elara let out a sigh of relief. Yes, young master. I will be taking my leave then. I only have two days left to stay in the Academy. After you are done with the written test, I will be headed back to the house.
She bowed deeply, her movements graceful and filled with a quiet respect that bordered on worship. She turned and walked out of the room, leaving Lucius alone with his thoughts once more.
The door clicked shut.
There is a lot of things happening that I do not know about, Lucius said to the empty room. I need to strengthen myself and show them the power of House Venus. And I definitely need to get myself a dedicated information dealer or a network. Elara is good, but she is only one person.
He let out a long, heavy sigh and lay back down on the bed. He stared up at the white ceiling, his mind already beginning to outline the next steps of his plan. The written tests were a mere formality, but the political fallout of the Red Dungeon would be far more complex.
Let us see how the world unfolds from here onwards, he whispered.
To Be Continued.