The group decided to leave the dungeon.
Fast.
What was ant to be a laid-back dungeon crawl had turned into sothing far more sinister.
They had uncovered sothing bleak.
Sothing that might be part of a larger conspiracy.
Naturally, Lucien didn’t forget to loot the place. He swiftly stored the piles of High-Grade Mana Cores and the strange new Goblin Figurines into his INVENTORY.
Then they ran.
Whoever had crafted that fake dungeon wall might have already noticed it was gone.
And whatever plot had been brewing behind it... they had just shattered it.
To be safe, Lucien activated DIVINE SENSE. He scanned their surroundings for any lingering traces of miasma.
Nothing.
He exhaled in relief.
No trails.
No residue.
Tracking their group would be hard now.
Still, they didn’t dare linger.
Lucien cleared out the remaining monsters on the way.
By the ti they reached the upper floors, he had officially hit Level 50.
But there was no ti to celebrate.
Near the dungeon entrance, they unexpectedly crossed paths with Dorian’s group again.
It wasn’t surprising.
After all, it hadn’t been that long since their last encounter inside.
Their gazes t.
Dorian glanced at them... then looked away, pretending they didn’t exist and continued walking toward the exit without a word.
Soon after, Lucien’s group reached the entrance as well... only to be stopped by the guards.
"Please open your spatial bags for inspection," one of them said.
They complied without protest.
The guards rummaged through the contents but everything seed in order.
No issues.
But then...
"Guards..." a familiar voice spoke up. It was laced with feigned suspicion. "I believe this child is hiding sothing. He might possess a unique spatial skill. Sothing similar to an Item Box. Possibly tied to space magic."
It was Dorian.
Stirring trouble again.
At his words, both Edric and Maxim subtly tensed but gave nothing away.
Lucien, on the other hand, smirked.
He saw through it imdiately.
One of the guards had a surprising skill.
Lie Detector.
Dorian must’ve picked up on sothing... and now, he was trying to push Lucien into a corner.
If the guards questioned him directly, that skill might expose sothing.
The guards turned to Lucien. Their eyes narrowed as they prepared to question him.
But Lucien was already a step ahead.
Before the guards could ask anything, Lucien acted.
Wearing the most innocent face he could muster, he stepped forward and spoke sweetly.
"Kind sirs, I don’t even have the space magic attribute. How could I possibly own sothing like an Item Box?"
He tilted his head and his eyes widen with mock confusion. "Maybe it’s that ugly mister over there who’s hiding sothing. Just look at his face... he radiates evil."
The guards blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected response.
Lucien had a fierce aura to him but his appearance was too calm and... too harmless.
The one throwing out baseless accusations? That was far more suspicious.
Slowly, the guards turned their attention to Dorian.
Now he was the one under scrutiny.
Dorian’s expression darkened.
"I... must be mistaken," he muttered stiffly. "Apologies, guards. I’m in a hurry. I’ll be on my way."
He turned to leave.
But Lucien wasn’t done.
"Oh my, look at him run. Kind sirs... doesn’t that definitely look like soone hiding sothing?"
Dorian stopped in his tracks and shot Lucien a venomous glare.
The guards imdiately stepped forward, now fully blocking Lucien from harm.
"Sir," one of them said to Dorian, "we are under direct orders from the king. Regardless of status, everyone must comply. We just have a few questions."
Dorian’s fists clenched but he couldn’t do anything without drawing more suspicion.
Behind the guards, Edric and Maxim grinned and casually exchanged a high five.
Lucien offered the guards a polite thank you and the group walked away from the scene, leaving Dorian behind to stew in frustration.
Once outside, they boarded Storm and climbed aboard the Wind Chariot... heading straight back to the Silvermine Estate.
•••
When they arrived at the Silvermine Estate, the guards greeted them at the gate with unexpected news.
"Sir Edric... there’s a guest waiting for you," one of them said.
Lucien raised an eyebrow... until he saw who it was.
He froze.
It was Elunara, the foreteller.
Still cloaked in her old woman disguise.
Apparently, the guards had been hesitant to let her in at first but she used magic to prove her connection to the group.
Even Edric and Maxim were caught off guard by her presence.
Elunara stood there calmly, offering them a faint knowing smile.
As if this eting was ant to happen.
She stepped forward and gracefully took the lead in the conversation.
They talked for a while.
About things from the past and matters of the present.
The dialogue flowed easily but Elunara, true to form... often spoke in riddles.
Sotis her words were vague.
Other tis, incomplete.
It left them wondering whether she was being cryptic on purpose... or if that was simply how she spoke.
Eventually, Elunara turned her gaze toward Lucien.
"You didn’t co to see ," she said softly. "Are you not curious to know more?"
Lucien gave a casual shrug. "It doesn’t matter. I’m not a fan of spoilers."
His response earned a silent sigh from her.
Her eyes narrowed.
Not in anger but in contemplation.
Then her tone shifted.
"I’m actually here to ask for help," she said. "The fate of the children I’ve been protecting... has changed. One of them t you unexpectedly and from that mont, his future unraveled. He now walks a path that leads to ruin."
Lucien tilted his head, confused.
Elunara began to describe the chill.
A boy with quick hands.
And then it clicked.
Lucien’s eyes widened.
It was the thief from the Noble’s Market.
The sa boy he’d casually commanded to steal from Dorian. He rembered him clearly... especially the strange skills he saw from INSPECT.
Elunara continued.
Her voice was tinged with sothing between regret and urgency. She explained how she had co to know him.
In summary, Elunara revealed sothing deeper.
She had been caring for children.
Children with extraordinary fates.
Each of them was destined for greatness.
Leaders.
Innovators.
Ga-changers.
People who could shape the future.
Lucien’s eyes lit up at that.
’Extraordinary children... If they beca mt people... if I could raise them under ...
That would be a powerful foundation.’
But his thoughts were quickly clouded by her next words.
"Your appearance in their lives," she said solemnly, "has altered everything. The fates I foresaw are now uncertain. The greatness they were ant to achieve... has been disrupted. Only you can set them back on their path."
The room fell silent.
Even Edric and Maxim were caught off guard by the weight of her words.
Lucien’s mind flashed back to the mont he t the boy.
It had seed insignificant.
A chance encounter with a thief and a simple command to pickpocket Dorian.
But now...
He understood.
’The assassins that day... did they think the boy had stolen the Golddust Seal?’
Lucien swallowed hard.
Fate was terrifyingly fragile.
A single mont had derailed a life.
And worse, if they found the boy... they might trace it back to Elunara’s other kids.
As if reading his thoughts, Elunara continued.
"So have already discovered our settlent," she said quietly. "We need a new base... sowhere safe... before it’s too late."
Elunara said those words while staring directly at Lucien. Her gaze was steady.
And then... it hit him.
He rembered sothing.
He owned an old estate nearby. The one given by Olga Langrave.
Lucien looked at her. "I have a place," he said. "You and the kids can stay there first."
Elunara didn’t look surprised.
Instead, she gave him an unreadable smile.
As if... she already knew.
Lucien added, half-joking, "Maybe clean the place up a little while you’re at it. Free labor’s always appreciated."
Elunara simply nodded in agreent.
Without delay, Lucien handed her the key along with a few notes on magic circles and a pouch of chalk.
"These magic circles can help you," he said. "You can use them to fortify the place. Shield it. Make it the safest stronghold you can."
Elunara accepted the items without hesitation.
Lucien watched her closely.
She didn’t react with surprise or confusion.
Just a quiet calm.
Almost like she had been waiting for this.
Sensing his curiosity, Elunara glanced at him over her shoulder.
"Soone who walks beyond fate... is never ordinary," she said. "You should be capable of at least this much."
Then without another word, she turned and walked away.
Just like that... she was gone.
•••
After lunch, Lucien retreated to his room to check his progress.
Level 50.
He sat cross-legged on the bed and summoned Skillpedia.
He let the book hover midair as it began updating.
"System," he said, "show the notifications again."
A familiar chi echoed in his mind.
[Ting!]
[All future drops will now contain 3–5 items.]
[Ting!]
< Drop Out >
Description: Everyone thought you dropped out of life... but everything else dropped for you.
• Job Skill: Drop Rate: MAX – All defeated or subjugated living targets yield 100% item drops.
• Job Skill: Auto-Collect — Automatically collects drops (effort is for people who didn’t drop out)
• Job Skill: Cram Session — Temporarily "copy" soone’s skill with reduced power
• Job Skill: Extra Credit — Gain experience from monsters defeated by allies with 100% loyalty (they did the work, you get the grade)
• Job Skill: Procrastinate — Temporarily delay a target’s next move. (let the future you deal with it)
• Job Skill: Scam the System — Negates all damage for exactly one second. Can be used once per day. (sohow still legal) (NEW!)
...
Lucien bead.
This new job skill was exactly the kind of assurance he needed.
It was an invisible shield he could rely on in the most critical of monts.
’One second of invincibility... That’s more than enough to turn a losing fight around.’
His mind raced with possibilities.
There were so many ways he could exploit it—strategies he hadn’t dared attempt before were suddenly back on the table.
He glanced at the Skillpedia.
Still updating.
It would take a while before the new data fully loaded.
In the anti, Lucien opened his INVENTORY.
He was eager to review the drops they’d collected from the Apex Dungeon earlier.
As expected, beast-type monsters seed to dropped similar sets of loot.
He couldn’t help but wonder.
’Would other type of monsters offer entirely different kinds of loot?’
Still, the haul from this run was impressive.
The drops he’d acquired were as follows...
***
—DIRE WOLF—
Common:
• Wolf Pelt
• Wolf Fang
• Wolf at
Uncommon:
• Dire Wolf Hide
• Dire Wolf Fang Dagger
• Alpha Wolf Fur
Rare:
• Frostfang
• Dire Wolf Spirit Collar
—GREAT BOAR—
Common:
• Boar Hide
• Boar at
• Boar Tusk
Uncommon:
• Ironhide Leather
• Spiked Boar Tusk
• Thick Boar Fat
Rare:
• Charger’s Hoof
• Tuskgore Hamr Head
—SABERTUSK PANTHER—
Common:
• Panther Pelt
• Sharp Panther Claw
• Panther at
Uncommon:
• Sabertusk Fang
• Panther Hide
• Hunter’s Whiskers
Rare:
• Shadowfang Dagger
• Prowler’s Boots
—FANG BEAR—
Common:
• Bear Fur
• Bear Claw
• Bear at
Uncommon:
• Fang Bear Tooth
• Thick Bear Hide
• Bear Fat
Rare:
• Mauler’s Gauntlets
• Ursine Plate
—MANTICORE—
Common:
• Manticore Hide
• Manticore Fang
• Manticore at
Uncommon:
• Venomous Tail Spike
• Manticore Wing mbrane
• Manticore Whiskers
Rare:
• Scorpion-Tail Dagger
• Winged Predator Cloak
—WYVERN—
Common:
• Wyvern Scale
• Wyvern Claw
• Wyvern at
Uncommon:
• Wyvern Wing Claw
• Wyvern Fang
• Wyvern Tail Barb
Rare:
• Drakefang Blade
• Scalecloak
***
Lucien noticed the pattern imdiately.
Most of them were crafting and alchemy materials.
High-quality hides.
Sharp fangs,
Thick claws.
So quality byproducts.
The furs especially were soft, durable and perfect for clothing or armor.
So monsters even dropped equipnt. They are all items already imbued with enchantnts.
He found gear with poison effects.
Pieces that boosted agility.
A few that offered bonuses during nightti.
’Not bad,’ Lucien mused. ’Even soone weak could stand a chance with these.’
He had better equipnt he crafted in the CRAFT feature before so he decided to hand these items over to his people.
They’d benefit more from them.
But what really made his mouth water... was the at.
Ever since he tasted that Orc at, he’d been curious.
’If an orc tasted that good... how much better would high-level monster at be?’
And since they ca from drops, each one likely held special effects. Maybe even buffs.
The thought alone was enough to make him sort through everything quickly.
He organized his loot by category. And stored them efficiently.
Just as he finished, the Skillpedia let out a soft hum and shimred to life.
The update was complete.
Lucien didn’t rush to the new section just yet.
The five-star skills could wait.
First, he wanted to check the skills dropped earlier...
***
Quick Dash - small burst of speed to dodge attacks
Charge - rush forward and knock back enemies
Night Vision - improves visibility in dark areas
Bear Hug - grab and crush the target, immobilizing them briefly
Predator’s Leap - Jump toward a target, montarily
Glide Dash - small forward leap while in the air
***
Everything he saw was useful.
Naturally, Lucien learned them all.
One by one, the skills were absorbed into his growing arsenal.
Each one added a new layer to his combat potential.
He felt like he was enchanting himself piece by piece.
Once he was done, he turned back to the Skillpedia, flipping through the pages again.
This ti with a different target in mind.
Five-star skills.
The book responded, shimring as its pages turned on their own finally stopping at a glowing section.
Lucien leaned in.
He read in silence for a while... and then his eyes began to sparkle.
There were dozens of them.
Super skills.
Each more outrageous than the last.
So were elegant.
So were devastating.
So defied all logic.
Skills that felt more like myths than actual abilities.
He chuckled under his breath. ’Of course... there’s always a catch.’
Every five-star skill ca with painfully specific and ridiculously difficult requirents.
Take one, for example...
PERFECT CALCULATION
The first condition alone made Lucien lean back and sigh.
• Master nuromancy, geotrics, and logic runes to expert level
"...Yeah, no thanks."
He rubbed his temples.
Math.
His old nesis.
He was a dropout for a reason.
Even Vivian’s skill was sothing Lucien could never hope to obtain.
He’d already failed the very first requirent.
• Be kind and compassionate
Lucien raised a brow. "Well... guess I’m disqualified by default."
But what caught him even more off guard was the next line.
It required a specific bloodline.
He froze.
A bloodline?
They had never spoken of such things. As far as he knew, his parents were completely ordinary.
Yet here it was...
He let out a slow sigh and shook his head.
"No point thinking about that now."
Lucien turned the pages, skimming through more five-star skills.
Several of them required unique bloodlines.
And those that didn’t still had absurd prerequisites.
Each was more insane than the last.
Yes, it was difficult.
But not impossible.
Still... it would take a lot of ti.
Ti he wasn’t sure he was willing to spend right now.
With another sigh, Lucien unsummoned the Skillpedia.
Lucien sat cross-legged on his bed.
He wanted to try sothing.
After reaching Level 50, he could feel it.
His divine energy core had beco more refined. The flow of power through his body was smoother and more controlled.
’It’s like the divine energy is listening to better now.’
His skills felt sharper too.
More responsive.
So he decided to test one.
Split Body.
He activated the skill.
And... it worked.
He now have two split bodies materialized.
It was sothing he hadn’t been able to do before.
’Perfect.’
He dismissed them then focused again...
This ti, he did it with precision.
He wanted to see just how finely he could control his divine energy.
A few monts later....
A tiny Split Body, barely the size of a fly, hovered before him.
A perfect miniature replica.
The control.
The detail.
It felt amazing.
The micro-manipulation made sothing in him click.
He grinned.
’So this is what true mastery feels like.’
Then an idea sparked in his mind.
A wicked grin spread across his face.
"Why don’t I... pay Golddust a little visit with this split body?"
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