With just 23 days left before the Grand Celebration, Lucien decided to dedicate more ti to getting stronger.
But first, he made sure everything in the territory was running smoothly.
He instructed the Sustenance Division to begin planting the new crops and to tend to the livestock.
"Report imdiately if anything unusual happens," he told them.
He also set aside a batch of seeds which he intended to plant in the garden.
Drawing from his BREED skill, Lucien shared a few new breeding ideas for the livestock. They were just so small improvents that could make a big difference in the long run.
As for the special crops in his garden, he knew the bees wouldn’t co near so he decided to hand-pollinate them himself.
Then another issue surfaced.
The workshop used by the Craftsman Division was starting to feel cramped. It was far too small for their growing workload.
Fortunately, the Construction Division responded swiftly and had already begun renovations.
Lucien had also purchased a few new recipes through the CRAFT feature.
He planned to hand them over to the Craftsman Division.
They are not just blueprints to follow but as references they could study and hopefully improve.
Out of curiosity, he decided to try crafting one of the simpler items.
Health Potion.
To his surprise, the process was seamless.
As soon as he selected the recipe and confird the action, the necessary ingredients were automatically deducted from his INVENTORY.
A progress bar appeared but...
Within five seconds, the potion was already complete.
What stunned him most wasn’t the speed. It was the quality.
It was flawless.
It seed the system didn’t just craft efficiently. It produced top-tier items by default.
All that was left now was to wait for the workshop renovations to finish then pass the recipes to the Craftsman Division.
He also began to consider what kind of reward or gift to offer them.
Perhaps a powerful new furnace, crafted through CRAFT. Or maybe an upgraded set of tools and equipnt, also custom-made through the system.
As he stood there, Lucien couldn’t help but feel proud.
His territory was evolving at a remarkable pace.
Every day, his people were learning new skills, improving in ways most nobles could only dream of.
In fact, Lucien was beginning to believe that his subjects were already outperforming professionals with decades of experience.
All thanks to the power of skills.
Lucien then called for Kael and soon they were seated in his study.
Kael looked exhausted but there was a certain lightness in his expression.
It’s the look of soone who had accomplished sothing aningful.
Lucien raised an eyebrow. "Rough day?"
Kael chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "You could say that, young master. After the construction ended, your people sward . They bought almost everything I had in stock. I barely had ti to breathe."
He leaned back into the chair with a sigh.
"They kept coming hour after hour asking for regional specialties, gifts, tools... you na it. I just restocked and it’s all gone again."
Despite the fatigue, there was warmth in his voice.
"What really surprised ," Kael added, "is how much the barony has changed. So many things are new yet the people... they’re still the sa."
He smiled faintly.
"They treat like family. It’s a good feeling."
Lucien nodded.
Then... He updated Kael on everything that had happened in his absence. The things he missed while he was away.
Soon, their conversation shifted to more serious matters. Specifically, Kael’s delivery of the ’head.’
To make the trip faster, Kael had used Space Magic: Leap multiple tis, traversing distances in a matter of monts.
He reached the Coalheart Territory, dropped the severed head at the front of their estate and vanished before anyone could react.
Afterward, he traveled across nearby border territories to sell various goods and regional specialties, making quick trades and avoiding unnecessary attention.
He didn’t linger.
Instead, he moved west.
Toward the large city beyond Coalheart’s, to purchase the items Lucien had requested.
Kael pointed to the pile of items on the floor.
Lying neatly in front of them were more than twenty Spatial Bags.
Lucien raised a brow. He had given Kael over a thousand gold coins for this errand, fully aware that it would be costly.
"I picked the ones with the highest capacity," Kael explained. "Each one cost fifty gold coins. Honestly, the Space Magicians who craft these are charging way too much. It’s robbery!"
Lucien chuckled and nodded.
’Still, it’s perfect timing. My drops are starting to overflow.’ He thought.
As they continued chatting, Kael ntioned sothing else.
"I ran into the tax caravan on my way back to Lootwell," he said. "I recognized them they’re the usual team assigned to the border routes. I used to see them all the ti."
Lucien and Kael spoke for a while longer, discussing the caravan, the barony and the changes happening across the territory.
Before Kael took his leave, Lucien handed him a small bundle.
So Honeys, Nectar Crystals and finally... sothing special.
The Iron Will Necklace.
A rare drop from the Coalheart Assassins, way back in Chapter 14.
It boosts courage and confidence. It’s perfect for Kael.
Kael looked at the necklace then carefully placed it around his neck.
The mont it touched his skin, he paused.
A strange but powerful sensation washed over him.
Like a spark lighting deep inside.
As if nothing was out of reach anymore.
As if he could do anything.
Confidence blood.
Without another word, Kael said thanks and bid goodbye. He then turned and hurried off.
After Kael left, Lucien turned his attention to the Spatial Bags.
He began testing them by transferring so of his loot.
1... 10... 100... and so on...
Item after item vanished into the bag without issue.
Lucien nodded with satisfaction.
Unlike his INVENTORY, which could only store 99 of the sa item per slot, the Spatial Bags operated on internal space.
If it fit, it stored.
Then ca the real test.
He tried placing a Spatial Bag itself into his INVENTORY.
The mont of truth...
Success.
The bag occupied just one slot and to his delight, he discovered that even Spatial Bags could stack. Up to 99 per slot.
Lucien couldn’t help but grin.
"I’ll never run out of storage again."
And while Spatial Bags didn’t stop ti, his INVENTORY did which ant anything inside a bag placed within the INVENTORY would also be preserved.
Another glitch in the system and one that worked completely in his favor.
With that taken care of, Lucien finished a few more tasks then set out for the dungeon.
•••
Lucien brought Sparkles, his unicorn, with him to the dungeon.
It was ti for it to grow stronger together with Skittles.
As for Peek and Aboo, he left them resting comfortably in his room. He had made sure to leave them plenty of food. Aboo was still pregnant and weak, and he didn’t want either of them feeling burdened.
For now, Lucien had a different goal in mind.
Testing and experinting with his skills.
He assigned Sparkles and Skittles to the first floor where they could farm materials needed for ongoing construction projects.
anwhile, Lucien descended deeper straight to the second floor of the dungeon.
As expected, Skittles had already defeated the Sli Boss earlier.
Lucien stepped confidently into the lower level.
Lucien wanted to test sothing.
"SLI BEAST MODE."
His body began to shift. It beca translucent, fluid and strange.
Power surged through him as a sense of weightlessness settled in.
He felt faster.
Sharper.
Energized.
But almost imdiately, he noticed sothing.
His Divine Energy was being drained.
"So that’s why I was bedridden last ti," he muttered. "I barely had Divine Energy back then... Just the small boost from the Honey and Nectar Crystals I’d consud. And when that ran out... what did it start burning through? My life force?"
A chill ran down his spine.
He also realized sothing else. Ever since acquiring Divine Energy, most of his other skills had beco much easier to use, with almost no strain.
"Are Skills directly tied to Divine Energy?" He seriously pondered.
Lucien took a deep breath and steadied himself. He pushed those thoughts aside for now.
Still in Sli Beast Mode, he launched into a killing spree.
He tearing through the second floor’s slis with brutal efficiency.
As expected, his Divine Energy steadily declined the longer he stayed transford.
But this ti, he understood his limits.
With his current reserve, he estimated he could maintain Sli Beast Mode for about 15 minutes without suffering side effects.
Lucien wanted to test sothing else.
He reached out ntally, calling for Skittles.
He had been able to do this for a while now. All it took was closing his eyes and focusing on their connection. With enough concentration, he could send commands from a distance.
This ti, he called Skittles for a specific reason.
To test one of his Sli skills.
"SLI RGE."
The effect was imdiate.
Skittles began to quiver. His body deford and it expanded rapidly.
Then... like a liquid bullet, he launched himself toward Lucien.
In an instant, Skittles engulfed him and wrapped itself around every inch of his body.
They rged.
Or rather...
Skittles beca a living armor, encasing Lucien in a form that was both alien and powerful.
But sothing was different.
Lucien felt it the mont the rge completed.
His body beca lighter and more fluid yet at the sa ti, he felt invincible.
And then it happened.
Knowledge surged into his mind.
Instinctive understanding.
He could now use... Skittles’ skills.
Lucien decided to try it out.
rged with Skittles, he gained access to a unique arsenal.
Sli Shots. Each with different effects.
Hot. Super sticky. Hardened. Fast. Cold. Poisoned.
Each variation had its use and Lucien could instinctively tell which one suited which situation. Even more impressive, he could now fire multiple types at once.
The possibilities thrilled him.
He then put one of the skills to the test.
With a single thought, he leapt into the air.
His body was light and springy.
Mid-jump, he locked onto a nearby Solar Sli then activated the skill.
SLAM.
His body instantly grew dense and heavy, turning into a living projectile. He crashed down onto the unfortunate sli.
Plop.
It died on impact.
Lucien stood with his heart racing.
He was exhilarated.
The power.
The synergy.
It was as if he and Skittles had truly beco one.
After a while, he willed the Sli rge to end.
The fusion peeled away and Skittles returned to his usual bouncy form, hopping in place with excitent.
It was clearly waiting for praise.
Lucien grinned and opened his arms.
Skittles leapt into his embrace.
Lucien laughed. The sound echoed through the dungeon.
He gave his loyal companion a gentle pat before continuing forward.
Lucien finally deactivated SLI BEAST MODE.
The rush faded and his body returned to normal but then, he let out a sigh.
"...Did I just beco a rainbow Iron Man?" he muttered.
But suddenly, his expression turned into a frown.
"Ugh. Rainbow colors look weird. Soone might mistake for... sothing else entirely."
He gave an involuntary shiver at the thought.
"Definitely not using that transformation in public."
Shaking his head, he let Skittles bounce off to rest.
But he wasn’t done testing.
He had one more skill in mind.
"SPLIT BODY."
The mont he activated it, he felt the last traces of his Divine Energy drain away.
And then...
It appeared.
Standing in front of him was...
A miniature version of himself.
User Comments
0 comments from readers