The morning sun had just risen, casting a golden hue across the dew-kissed earth.
Lucien stirred from his slumber, feeling refreshed.
Today marked an important milestone.
The official start of training for the Defense Division.
After readying himself, he headed to the plaza where the mbers had gathered early. From a distance, he spotted Lukas standing in front of the crowd.
He was delivering a speech.
Lucien’s ears perked up.
"Listen up, everyone," Lukas started. "Before strength cos discipline. Without it, you’re just ard chaos. Learn to follow orders, respect the chain of command and never forget. The highest command you answer to is our lord. Obey, unite and we survive."
It was short and slightly awkward but the effect was undeniable. Fire lit up in everyone’s eyes.
Lucien nodded to himself.
"Indeed... without discipline, they’d just be a ragtag bunch with a few martial arts moves."
As he walked closer, Lukas continued.
"By the grace of our lord, you are still standing, breathing and given this chance. Do your part. Train hard. Serve well. Ease his burden and in doing so, earn your place in the peace and prosperity he fights to protect."
Lucien was impressed.
"It was right to appoint him as the representative," he muttered.
The speech was short but straight to the point. It was a style different from Lucien.
It reminded him of his past life, back when he first learned the art of speech. He had always carried a sense of justice, though admittedly a crooked one. Still, it demanded he learn how to speak.
How to rally.
How to justify.
How to convince.
But in the modern world, those speeches didn’t land. They didn’t inspire. People just stared at him like he was strange.
He shook his head, amused at the mory.
’The modern world... maybe it was harsher than this one after all.’
When Lucien was just a short distance away, Lukas finally noticed his approach.
He stood straight and turned sharply towards Lucien.
He then raised his voice with practiced discipline.
"Stand tall! His Lordship is here! My Lord, we are honored by your presence. Everyone! Show your respect. Salute!"
Lucien couldn’t help but smile in amusent.
It wasn’t a bad feeling at all.
He stepped forward and addressed them with calm authority.
"Be at ease, all of you. I’ll be watching your progress and I believe in what you can beco. Don’t be too stiff or nervous. I’m not asking for perfection... only effort. You’re all different and that’s your strength. Be yourselves... and grow stronger together."
His words landed with quiet force.
A silent fire kindled in their eyes.
Steady.
Focused.
Full of belief.
What Lucien said wasn’t just encouragent. It was truth.
Only he could see their Jobs. Though...
He was smart enough not to be blinded by the simple label of a "Job." After all, even soone without a skill had once co close to killing him.
But who was Lucien?
He was soone who understood the secrets of Skills. If soone wasn’t good at sothing, he could teach them so skills. If they still struggled, he could teach them magic...
Or at least, that’s what he wished he could say.
He sighed as the thought of magic surfaced again.
"Too bad I can’t use the Mana Circulation Technique to grow stronger. Who designed this body, anyway?!"
He shook his head with a wry smile.
"Well, it’s fine. I can still level up... by killing."
And with that, the training officially began.
Lukas, who had apparently morized the training manual overnight, took the lead.
He demonstrated martial arts forms and everyone followed.
Step by clumsy step.
Their movents were awkward but they didn’t stop. They didn’t complain. They learned.
Lucien watched in silence, montarily lost in thought.
His territory was growing. Progress was happening.
And then... his mind drifted to soone far away.
"...Have you reached the Academy yet, sis?"
He let out a soft sigh, thinking about the future he wanted to build for her... The life he wanted her to have.
Lucien soon left to check on the other Divisions and to his relief, they were making solid progress.
The Construction Division and Craftsman Division had temporarily joined forces. They were working side by side since early morning.
Even the Spiritual Division lent a hand. Together, they had started producing cube molds for building projects.
The Administration Division, on the other hand, was deep in studies under Sebas’s instruction.
But not everything was smooth sailing.
There was a problem... the Sustenance Division.
In their excitent, they had harvested all the carrots and radishes from the farm.
Every single one.
It was an amateur mistake.
To collect seeds, they needed to let a portion of the crops flower and mature. But in their enthusiasm, they’d uprooted everything... leaving no seed stock behind.
Now, they had no choice but to wait for Kael to get more seeds.
Lucien sighed.
"Totally my fault. I started it and everyone just followed ehe..." he muttered while rubbing the back of his neck.
He then gave Green so Nutrient Sacs and Soil Crystals, instructing them to expand the farm as much as they could for the anti.
He also asked them to assist the Construction Division in mold production whenever they had spare ti.
Mistakes were made but now, they were learning.
•••
Afternoon.
Lucien leaned back in the study chair. A stack of reports was in his hand.
He quietly scanned through them and took ntal notes.
Sebas still wasn’t around. He was busy training the Administration Division.
Just as Lucien turned a page, a knock ca at the door.
"My Lord, this is Clara."
Her voice carried a sense of urgency.
Lucien’s brow rose slightly. He could feel it. Sothing was off.
"Co in," he said calmly.
The door creaked open. Clara stepped inside but didn’t speak right away.
"My Lord..." she started... then hesitated. Her eyes flickered with uncertainty.
She looked like she was struggling to find the right words.
"Take a breath. Just tell what happened," Lucien said.
He watched her carefully.
’Is she having another episode?’ he wondered.
Despite her oddities, Clara had beco an integral part of Lootwell’s operations. She’s arguably one of its greatest assets, second only to Sebas.
But her episodes were unpredictable.
As Lucien studied her face, he realized. This wasn’t like her usual episodes.
There was sothing deeper in her gaze.
Worry.
Real, gnawing worry.
Lucien said nothing and simply waited.
Clara exhaled shakily... then finally spoke.
"My Lord... the Will of the World... I heard its voice... again."
Lucien’s brows drew together.
’The Will of the World again?’ He still didn’t understand what it truly was.
He tilted his head, signaling for her to go on.
Clara’s voice trembled.
"It’s... in pain. My Lord... and I—I can’t do anything. I’m helpless."
Tears welled in her eyes and this ti, she didn’t hold them back.
It wasn’t drama. It wasn’t one of her usual quirks.
This was raw.
Lucien’s expression grew serious. If even Clara... The unpredictable Clara!...was crying like this then whatever she felt...
It had to be sothing real. Sothing serious.
But... Lucien didn’t know what to do either.
He couldn’t see what Clara saw. He couldn’t feel what she felt.
’After all... I don’t have DIVINE SENS—’
His thoughts froze mid-sentence.
Then a spark of realization hit him.
Cram Session... His newly acquired Job Skill.
A temporary ability that allowed him to "borrow" soone else’s skill, albeit at reduced power.
Without hesitation, he activated it.
His target: Clara.
[Ting!]
[You can only copy one skill at a ti per day. Are you sure you want to copy: DIVINE SENSE?]
"Yes."
[Ting!]
[Copying DIVINE SENSE... 3... 2... 1...]
[Skill: DIVINE SENSE has been successfully copied.]
And in that instant—
Lucien’s world changed.
Lucien’s eyes shimred with mysterious wonder.
The air around him... it had changed.
He stepped toward the window and looked outside... then froze.
"How... how could the world be this colorful?"
The atmosphere was painted in srizing streams of color.
It flowed like living rivers of light through the sky, the trees, the very air.
He stood in silent awe, soaking it in.
’So this is what Clara sees... It’s nothing like INSPECT, which only shows a uniform color of energy.’
He glanced down toward the garden. The special crops he had planted was there.
Then he saw it.
Divine Energy.
Radiant.
Golden.
Impossibly beautiful.
It danced through the world like strands of sacred light.
He turned to look at Clara but unlike what she described, he could still clearly see her figure and face.
That’s when it clicked.
’Of course... my version is weakened. I can’t see the subtle alignnt of good or evil like she can.’
Clara suddenly stiffened.
She felt it. Lucien’s Divine Sense activated.
Without a word, she dropped to her knees. Reverence overtook her.
The tears were gone. The helpless girl from monts ago had vanished. It was replaced by soone brimming with awe and devotion.
"Of course..." she whispered. "Why did I ever doubt it?"
Her voice trembled with emotion.
"My Lord... who has granted skills... who has guided ... of course you can help the Will of the World..."
She lowered her head, ashad of even the slightest doubt.
Lucien really couldn’t understand Clara.
One mont she was crying, the next she was chanting like a zealot.
’Is this girl schizophrenic...?’ he wondered with a mix of concern and disbelief.
But then...
He felt it.
Sothing vast.
Sothing divine.
Sothing that refused to be ignored.
A pressure descended. Heavy yet boundless.
He rushed to the window with his heart pounding.
He looked up at the sky.
And there it was.
Sothing beyond comprehension.
It defied shape, color and logic. It couldn’t be described.
Only felt.
Only witnessed.
"Is that... the Will of the World?!"
Then—
Darkness.
Lucien’s vision blurred.
His knees buckled.
And he collapsed.
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