The Next Day,
Stardust Garden
Morning, 7:30 AM
3rd Person Pov:
Lucian Woke To The Smell Of Something Warm And Savory—A Scent That Cut Through The Fog Of Exhaustion And Grief That Had Settled Over Him Like A Shroud,
He Sat Up Slowly, Wincing At His Left Arm, As It Protested With Numbness, The Bones Were Still Shattered, Held Together Only With Pain Nullification Canceling The Pain And Great Sage Still Constantly Healing His Broken Bones So They Don't Shatter Any Further....
(Great Sage: Notice, Master's Left Arm Requires Immediate Medical Attention, Continued Use Of Healing Magic May Result In Permanent Damage....)
Lucian: I Know, I'll Deal With It After Breakfast,
He Knew If It Didn't Heal Back Quickly, The Bones Might Consider Their Current Broken State As Original State, Refusing To Mend Itself Later....
He Stood, Dressed In Simple Clothes—A Grey Shirt And Black Pants—And Made His Way To The Dining Room,
Astrea Was There, Setting Plates On The Table, She'd Prepared A Simple But Hearty Breakfast, Scrambled Eggs, Toasted Bread, Grilled Vegetables, And Tea....
Astrea: Good Morning, Lucian,
Her Voice Was Gentle, But There Was An Underlying Concern In Her Eyes,
Lucian: ...Morning, Astrea-Sama...
He Sat Down, His Movements Stiff And Mechanical,
They Ate In Silence For A While, The Only Sound Of The Clinking Of Utensils And The Quiet Hum Of The Morning,
Finally, Lucian Spoke,
Lucian: Thank You..
Astrea: For What ?
Lucian: For Being Here, For... Staying With Me Last Night, I Didn't Realize How Much I Needed That Until—
His Voice Cracked, He Stopped, Taking A Breath
Lucian: Thank You...
Astrea Reached Across The Table, Placing Her Hand Over His Head,
Astrea: You Don't Need To Thank Me, Lucian, You're My Child, I'll Always Be Here For You....
Lucian: ...I Know...
He Hesitated, Then Pulled Out A Small Stack Of Papers From His Sub-Space, Great Sage Had Prepared Them...
Lucian: I... I Found Out What They Did To Her....
Astrea's Expression Shifted, Her Eyes Widening Slightly,
Lucian: I Used My Skill, Great Sage To Analyze Her Body, Everything That Was Done To Her... It's All Here,
He Slid The Papers Across The Table,
His Voice Was Cold, Clinical—But There Was A Tremor Beneath it, A Barely Restrained Fury,
Lucian: They Inserted A Minotaur Core Into Her Solar Plexus, They Infused Her Muscles With War Shadow Essence, They Infused Mermaid Blood And Tissues As Well, They Used Alchemical Solutions To Preserve The Body And Enhanced it's Physical Capabilities, They... They Turned Her Into A Weapon, A Killing Machine.....
Astrea Picked Up The Papers, Her Hands Trembling As She Read The Document In Details, Her Face Went Pale,
Astrea: Lucian...
She Called His Name Out In Worry, But Lucian Had Long Calmed Himself Enough, He Won't Lash Out Or Rush Out In Anger Anymore,
Lucian: The Guild Will Want This Information, I know, That's Why I Prepared It, You Can Give It To Them,
Astrea: ...Are You Sure ?
Lucian: I Know We Bargained Three Days, It's Been One, But I Don't Need Three Days, I Already Know Everything I Need To Know,
He Looked At Her, His Emerald Eyes Shifting Hollow,
Lucian: She's Gone, But What They Did To Her... it's Unforgivable, But She's Gone, And Keeping Her Body Locked Away In My Sub-Space Won't Bring Her Back.....
Truthfully, Even If He Leveraged The Evolution And Harvest Festival Gifts From Cardinal World, He Doesn't Have Her Soul To Resurrect Her....
Astrea: ...What Will You Do With Her ?
Lucian: I'll Give Her A Proper Burial Tomorrow, I've Already Chosen A Place...
Astrea: I'll Be There....
Lucian: Thank You....
Astrea Set The Papers Aside And Looked At His Left Arm, She Frowned Upon Seeing This,
Astrea: Your Arm, You Need To See A Healer....
Lucian: I Will, But Before That... I Want To Update My Status,
Astrea: Lucian, You're Injured, You Need To—
Lucian: Please,
His Tone Was Firm, But There Was A Plea Beneath It,
Lucian: I Need To Know, I Need To See How Much I've Grown, I Need To Know That What I Did... That It Mattered....
Astrea Stared At Him For A Long Moment, Then Sighed, She Understood What He Ment, He Wasn't Going To Let The Evilus Roam Wild....
Astrea: ...Alright, But After This, You're Seeing A Healer, No Argument's,
Lucian: Deal,
With That Settled, They Both Moved Inside Lucian's Room To Update His Status,
Lucian Sat In The Chair, Removing His Shirt,
Astrea Pricked Her Finger, Letting A Drop Of Divine Blood Fall Onto His Back,
The Hieroglyphs Glowed, Shifting And Rearranging As The Falna Updated,
Astrea's Eyes Widened
Astrea: Lucian... This Is...
She Quickly Transcribed The Status Onto A Sheet Of Paper,
Name: Lucian Vandris Ljos Alf
Level: 1 → Can Level Up
Strength: SS (1,089) → SSS (1,199)
Endurance: SS (1,090) → SSS (1,199)
Dexterity: SSS (1,167) → SSS (1,299)
Agility: SSS (1,198) → SSS (1,399)
Magic: SSS (1,287) → SSS (1,499).
Development Abilities: None
Magic: Veil of Shadows
Skills:
[Great Sage]
[Predator]
[Pain Nullification]
[Mana Burst]
Astrea: You've Reached The limit, Every Stat Is At The Peak Of SSS Rank, 3 Of Them Went Beyond The Ranking System....
Lucian: Then I'm Ready,
Astrea: ...Are You Sure ? Once You Level Up Your Stats Will Reset, Your Strength Will Still Be There, You Also Have To Inform The Guild About Your Rank Up.... But I Advise Not To Tell Them Yet.....
Lucian: ..... I Know, But I Need To Move Forward, Especially With Many Seeing My Feat, Many Already Would Suspect I Would Level Up Anytime Soon, So We Shouldn't Waste Any Time,
Astrea: ...Very Well,
She Placed Her Hand On His Back,
Astrea: Before We Proceed, You'll Need To Choose A Development Ability, When An Adventurer Levels Up, The Falna Offers Development Abilities Based On Their Actions And Experiences, The More Varied Your Combat Style, The More Options You'll Have,
She Then Started The Level Up Process, As She Looked Through His Development Abilities Option....
Astrea: There's Quite A Few.... Oh My.... You Have Ten Options...
She Was Shocked, But With Lucian's Case... it Wasn't That Abnormal.... As She Proceeded To Tell The Amount Of Development Abilities He Had...
1. Spirit Healing: Increases Mind(Mana) Recovery Rate
2. Abnormal Resistance: Increases Resistance To Poison, Curse, Paralysis, And Other Status Ailments
3. Mage: Increases Power If Magic Attack, Improves Magic Efficiency And Reduces Casting Strain
4. Swordsman: Increase Strength And Speed When Wielding Sword
5. Hunter: Increases Effectiveness Against Monsters, Improves Tracking And Perception In Combat
6. Mystery: Improves To Magic And Curses, Improves Understanding Of Mysterious Phenomena
7. Healing: Increases Effectiveness Of Healing Magic, Allows The User To Heal More Severe Wounds
8. Fist Strike: Increases Power And Speed Of Unarmed Strike
9. Luck: Increases Fortune In Various Situations, Better Loot Drop, Increased Critical Hit Chances, Higher Chances Of Avoiding Fatal Attacks
10. Chain Attack: Increases The Power Of Follow Up Attacks In A Combo
Lucian: "That's Quite A Lot.... Great Sage ?)
(Great Sage: Notice, Analysis Of Development Abilities Initiated. Cross-Referencing With Master's Current Capabilities...)
Lucian: "Great Sage, Eliminate Any Abilities You Or Predator Can Already Replicate...."
(Great Sage: Understood, Processing.....
Mage: Redundant. Great Sage Already Optimizes Magic Efficiency And Power,
Swordsman: Redundant. Great Sage Uploads Combat Techniques and Perfect Form In Real-Time,
Hunter: Redundant. Great Sage Tracks Enemies And Analyzes Patterns,
Mystery: Redundant. Great Sage Analyzes Unknown Phenomena,
Healing: Redundant. Great Sage Has Copied Healing Magic (Undine's Tears) And Has Significantly Improved It's Effect,
Fist Strike: Redundant. Mana Burst Already Enhances Physical Strikes.
Remaining Unique Options:
Spirit Healing: Cannot be replicated. Affects base Mind recovery rate at the soul level.
Abnormal Resistance: Cannot be replicated. Provides instant resistance to status effects.
Luck: Cannot Be Replicated, Affects Probability And Fate Itself,
Chain Attack: Increases The Power Of Follow Up Attacks In A Combo, Provides Constant, Reliable Power )
Lucian: "So, Realistically, I Have Four Choices.... Not To Mention I Actually Got Luck...."
But He Thought It Over,
Abnormal Resistance Can Be Gained Again If He's Faced Against Poison Or Anything Similar,
Spirit Healing Can Be Gotten If He Continues To Use Large Quantities Of Mana,
Chain Attack Is Likely The Easiest To Get Again, Combo Attack Is The Way,
But Luck, The Most Unpredictable And Can Effect The Probability Of Fate Itself.... It's One Of The Reason Bell Survived Constantly Against The Juggernaut In Season 4,
And Even Great Sage Can't Replicate It, Not To Mention Its Function Is Almost Close To A Unique Skill, But One That Can Have Multiple Users, But Extremely Rare,
Lucian: I'll Take Luck,
Astrea Blinked, Surprised, She Herself Has Never Saw Such Development Ability, And Likely Lucian Is The First To Have It,
Astrea: Luck ? Not Spirit Healing ? I Thought You'd Prioritize Mana Recovery, Given Your Fighting Style, While Luck Remains Mostly Unknown, I Have Never Heard Or Seen Such Development Ability....
Lucian: I Considered it, But I Can Manage My Mana Through Other Means—Predator Can Consume Magic Stone's To Refill My Reserves, And I've Copied Healing Magic That Can Help Me Recover, I Can Even Copy Others Healing Magic Through Great Sage, Spirit Healing Is Valuable, But it's Not Irreplaceable,
He Pointed To The List,
Lucian: Spirit Healing And Abnormal Resistance Are Likely To Appear Again At Level 2 And 3, But Luck ? This Might Be My Only Chance, And Luck, After Analysing It, It Is The Only Ability That Can Affect Probability—Something Neither Great Sage Nor Predator Can Do,
Astrea's Eyes Widened Upon Realization Setting Down, Affecting Fate Itself ?
It's Downright Absurd To Think, No Wonder Lucian Choose This Instead Of Others,
Astrea: ...You've Thought This Through,
Lucian: I Have, Luck Also Increases Drop Rates, Which Means Predator Can Synthesize Items More Efficiently, It Increases Critical Hit Chances, Which Synergizes With Mana Burst, And Most Importantly, It Increases My Survival Chances In Situations Where Logic And Skill Aren't Enough,
He Looked At Her Seriously,
Lucian: In A World Where God's Play With Mortal Lives, Where Evilus Can Turn Anyone Into A Weapon, Where The Dungeon Itself Is Alive And Hostile—I Need Every Advantage I Can Get, And Sometimes, That Advantage Is Just... Being Lucky.....
Astrea Stared At Him For A Long Moment,
Then, She Smiled—A Proud, Bittersweet Smile,
Astrea: You're Right, Luck Is... Unpredictable, Unreliable, But In A World Of Gods And Monsters, Sometimes Fortune Is The Only Thing Standing Between Life And Death.....
She Placed Her Hand On His Back,
Astrea: Very Well, I'll Grant You Luck.....
Her Divine Power Flowed Into The Falna, And The Hieroglyphs Shifted Once More,
Name: Lucian Vandris Ljos Alf
Race: Elf
Level: 1 → 2
Strength: SSS (1,199) → I (0)
Endurance: SSS (1,199) → I (0)
Dexterity: SSS (1,299) → I (0)
Agility: SSS (1,399) → I (0)
Magic: SSS (1,499) → I (0)
Development Abilities: Luck (I)
Magic: Veil of Shadows
Skills:
[Great Sage]
[Predator]
[Pain Nullification]
[Mana Burst]
Astrea: It's Done, You're Level 2 Now,
Lucian: ...Thank You...
He Stood, Putting His Shirt Back On,
Lucian: Astrea-Sama, When You Report This To The Guild, Give Them A Simplified Version, Just Show That I Leveled Up, Lock Everything Else,
He Handed Her Another Sheet Of Paper, Modified By Great Sage,
Name: Lucian Vandris Ljos Alf
Race: Elf
Level: 2
Strength: I (0)
Endurance: I (0)
Dexterity: I (0)
Agility: I (0)
Magic: I (0)
Astrea: It's Understandable, But You Have Leveled Up In 7 Days, Fastest Level Up I Have Ever Seen–No, The Fastest One Anyone Has Ever Achieved, It Will Still Gather Attention, You Have To Be Careful,
Lucian: I Have To, People Already Saw Me Fight That... 'Thing'.... If They Find Out I Had SSS-Rank Stats As A Level 1, They'll Start Asking Questions I Can't Answer, It's All Dependant On My Natural Talent And Skills...
Astrea: ...I Understand,
With That, Astrea Stood Up, Carefully Taking The Document Lucian Had Prepared And Left For The Guild, She Didn't Wanted To Waste Time Or Delay These Information Any Longer....
Timeskip.....
Stardust Garden - Front Gate
30 Minutes Later....
3rd Person Pov:
Lucian Stepped Outside, intending To Visit Dian Cecht Familia—Orario's Premier Healers—To Have His Arm Properly Treated, As Well As 'Borrowing' Thier Healing Magic,
But As He Opened The Gate, He Froze,
Riveria Ljos Alf Stood There, Her Emerald Green Eyes Locking Onto His,
For A Moment, Neither Spoke,
Then—
Lucian Sighed, He Knew Finn Had Already Dug Up Information About It, So It Was Only A Matter Of Time Before She Knew....
Lucian: So, You Found Out, Didn't You ?
Riveria Sighed,
Riveria: Yes, Finn Did Some Digging, Your Full Name Is On The Guild Registry, You Didn't Hide It....
Lucian: ...I See, Well Not That I Was Hiding Or Something....
Riveria's Gaze Dropped To His Left Arm, It Was Swollen, Discolored—Clearly Broken,
Riveria: You Haven't Seen A Healer Yet,
Lucian: I Was About To—
Riveria: Sit Down,
Lucian: What ?
Riveria: Sit. Down.
Her Tone Left No Room For Argument,
Curious, Lucian Compiled, Sitting On The Stone Bench Near The Gate,
Riveria Stepped Forward, Kneeling Beside Him, She Placed Her Hand Over His Broken Arm And Began To Chant,
Riveria: Caress Of The Healing Hand, Three-Line Ring That Is Lightly Spun, Limbs Of The Forest, Loyal Servant Of The Ring, By The Power Of The Forest, Come Forth And Heal, Luna Aldis.
A Soft, Green Light Enveloped Lucian's Arm, He Felt Warmth—Not The Harsh Heat Of Orario's Summer, But The Gentle, Soothing Warmth Of Nature Itself,
The Bones Shifted, Knitting Back Together, The Swelling Receded, The Pain—Or Rather, The Knowledge Of The Damage—Faded,
Riveria: There, That Should Do it,
She Stood Up, Brushing Off Her Dress,
Riveria: But Rest For At Least Two Days Before You Do Anything Reckless, The Bones Are Healed, But They're Still Fragile,
Lucian: ...Thank You...
Riveria: You're Welcome....
Silence Settled Between Them Again,
Then, Lucian Reached Into His Pocket And Pulled Out A Letter—Sealed With The Ljos Family Crest,
Lucian: He Gave Me This, Before I Left Alf Forest, He Told Me To Give It To You,
Riveria Took The Letter, Her Expression Darkening As She Read Further,
To Riveria Ljos Alf,
The Bearer Of This Letter, Aleus, Is Your Half-Brother, Born Of A Maid Who Served This Household, As You Have Chosen To Abandon Your Duties To Alf Forest, I Am Assigning Him To Your Care,
Do With Him As You Will, He Is No Longer My Concern,
—Larfal Ljos Alf, King of Alf Forest.
Riveria's Hands Trembled Slightly, Then, Without A Word, She Raised Her Hand,
Riveria: Flames, Come Forth—Wynn Leavateinn,
The Letter Ignited, Turning To Ash In Seconds,
Riveria: ....That Bastard...
She Whispered Quite Silently, But Still Audible To Him,
Lucian: ...Yeah.... That's What I Thought Too....
Riveria Didn't Comment On That, After All, Why Should She ?
Riveria Turned To Him, Her Expression Softening Slightly,
Riveria: Why Didn't You Come To Me ? Why Didn't You Ask For Help ?
Lucian Smiled Slightly, It Was Something That He Always Wonders Why He Didn't, But All He Could Sum It Up, Was Instinct.... And Now, Reasoning,
Lucian: Because I Didn't Want To Be A Burden,
Riveria: You Wouldn't Have Been—
Lucian: Yes, I Would Have,
His Voice Was Firm, He Knew It Very Well, But If He Did, He Believes.... His Pride Won't Take It Easy....
Yes, The Pride, The Pride Of A Elf, It's In Thier Genetic Code,
The Pride Of A Reincarnator, Someone Who Refuses To Lean On Others While He Can Still Stand,
Lucian: You Don't Know Me, We've Never Met, I'm A Stranger Who Happens To Share Your Blood, If I'd Shown Up At Your Door With That Letter, You Would Have Felt Obligated To Take Me In, Not Because You Wanted To, But Because You Had To,
Lucian Knew Her Character Well Enough, And Her Personality As Well, He Looked At Her, Continuing,
Lucian: I Didn't Want That, I Wanted To Stand On My Own, To Prove That I Could Survive Without Relaying On A Name I Didn't Earn,
Riveria Stared At Him For A Long Moment,
Then, She Smiled—A Small, Genuine Smile,
Riveria: You're More Mature Than Most People Twice Your Age,
Though Lucian Didn't Know Whether She Ment Other Short Lived Race's Or Elf's, Because He Knows For A Elf, He's Too Mature Minded....
Heck Even Riveria Is Still Considered A Young Woman Despite Actually Being 99 Years Old.....
Lucian: I've Had To Be,
Riveria Sat Down Besides Him,
Riveria: Tell Me About Yourself, How Did You End Up Here ?
And So, Lucian Told Her About His Journey, Not Everything—He Couldn't Tell Her About His Reincarnation, About Great Sage, About The Truth Of His Skills—But He Told Her Enough,
He Told Her About Growing Up In Alf Forest, About His Mother, Reya,
About Larfal's Disdain, About The Journey To Orario,
Riveria Listened Silently, Her Expression Growing Colder With Each Revelation,
When He Finished, She Placed A Hand On His Shoulder,
Riveria: I'm Sorry, For What He Did To You, For What You've Been Through,
Lucian: It's Not Your Fault,
Riveria: Maybe Not, But You're My Brother Now, And I Won't Let You Face This Alone,
Lucian: ...Thank You....
Riveria: If You Ever Need Help—With Anything—You Can Count On Me,
She Stood Up, Dusting Off Her Clothes,
Riveria: And Lucian ?
Lucian: Yeah ?
Riveria: Don't Push Yourself Too Hard, You're Strong, But Even The Strongest Break If They're Not Careful,
Lucian: ...I'll Keep That in Mind....
She Left, Her Footsteps Fading Into The Distance,
He Knew She, As A Level 6 Of Loki Familia, Wouldn't Always Have Free Time, She Likely Spent Some Of Her Rare Time Alone To Visit Him.....
Lucian Sat Alone For A Moment, Then Spoke To The Voice In His Head,
Lucian: "Great Sage, Did You Copy That Healing Spell ?"
(Great Sage: Affirmative, Healing Magic 'Luna Aldis' Has Been Analysed And Stored, Master May Now Use It...)
Lucian: "Good..."
He Stood Up, Heading Back Inside, He Had No Reason To Go To Dian Cecet Familia,
That Healing Spell Was 2nd Level Of Riveria's Healing Spell, Out Of The 3 Levels,
It's Fairly Powerful Enough, But For Now, He Needed To Work With Another Case....
Lucian: "Now... I Need to Prepare For Tomorrow..... Mom's Funeral....."
Next, Funeral And Realization