Chapter 118: A Desperate Gamble

"You have a plan?"

Lucian met Magnus’s gaze and nodded.

"Yes, Uncle. I believe I have a way to deal with the Tiger Monster. And I have no intention of abandoning Silverwood City and leaving its people to face this threat alone."

Magnus just waited for him to explain.

Lucian stepped back from the door and turned to face him.

"If you can give me sufficient cultivation resources I’m certain I can break through to Martial Dominator Realm. With a bit of luck I could even make it to Martial King Realm."

Magnus stared at him for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh.

"And what can a Martial King possibly do against a Martial Emperor?" he asked while rubbing his forehead and continued. "To such an existence, a Martial King is nothing more than a helpless child. It could kill you with a single breath. Do you have any idea what we’re up against, Lucian? We’re facing a Martial Emperor-level existence! That creature could kill you with a single breath!"

Lucian didn’t argue. He’d anticipated that reaction.

"Once I reach that level, my Shadow Soldiers will support me. Together, we should have enough strength to eliminate the Tiger Monster. If everything goes according to plan, Silverwood City won’t need to abandon its homes or send its citizens fleeing into the wilderness."

Magnus’s expression remained troubled.

He had witnessed Lucian’s unusual talent first hand and knew his abilities couldn’t be judged by ordinary standards. His Shadow Soldiers alone gave him an edge that the vast majority of cultivators would only ever hope to achieve.

But that didn’t alter the gap between their cultivation realms.

Martial King and Martial Emperor were separated by more than a few stages. It was a boundary that countless cultivators spent their entire lives trying to cross.

Even if Lucian possessed an extraordinary Martial Soul, reaching such a level in less than a day sounded absurd.

"Lucian, I’m not questioning your determination, but I do need to know how the hell you plan on achieving this. You can’t just wish your way into Martial Dominator or Martial King Realm. Even the most gifted cultivators take years of tempering to get through the major realms."

He paused and looked at Lucian’s face.

"Your talent is certainly out of the ordinary, but just how on earth are you going to overcome the time required for cultivation?"

"My talent works completely differently to normal cultivation methods," Lucian explained. "I can simply absorb the energy from almost any cultivation material straight away. I don’t need to go through the normal process of refining it."

Magnus’s expression changed slightly.

"Directly absorb it?"

"Yes. Medicinal herbs, monster cores and all sorts of cultivation materials. My talent can extract the energy from them and convert it into cultivation."

Lucian raised his hand as he went on explaining.

"Normal cultivators have to refine the materials they consume and it takes time. They have to take into account the purity of the energy, its compatibility with their bodies and whether their meridians can handle it. You can very easily damage your foundation by taking in too much energy or using the wrong materials."

He lowered his hand.

My talent takes care of that process for me. I can absorb all sorts of resources without having to worry about the restrictions, and my cultivation base is perfectly stable.

Magnus considered his words.

If Lucian’s explanation was correct then his talent was worth a hell of a lot more than he’d originally thought. It didn’t just speed up cultivation, it got rid of a number of the limitations that normally held ordinary cultivators back.

However, one question remained.

"If your talent is so convenient, why haven’t you already reached a higher realm?"

"Because there’s a drawback."

Lucian’s expression became a bit more serious.

"Although I can absorb almost any cultivation resource, the amount I need is nearly a hundred times what an ordinary cultivator would need."

Magnus’s eyes widened.

"A hundred times?"

"That’s right. An ordinary cultivator might need a certain amount of resources to get through a realm. I might need nearly a hundred times that amount to get through the same realm."

Lucian didn’t try to hide how demanding his talent was.

That’s why I need access to a massive stockpile. Reaching Martial Dominator or Martial King Realm is going to require a huge amount of materials. I simply can’t do it with a few medicinal herbs or monster cores.

Magnus fell silent.

He’d anticipated some kind of limitation, but a hundred fold resource requirement was utterly beyond what he’d expected.

Even the most powerful families had to be very careful about their cultivation reserves. It was entirely possible for a single talented cultivator to gobble up a large proportion of a family’s wealth, particularly as that cultivator progressed into the higher realms.

Lucian’s requirements were on an entirely different level.

"How certain are you that you’re going to make it to Martial King Realm?" Magnus asked eventually.

Lucian took a moment to think about his answer.

I can’t guarantee it. The outcome will be down to how many resources we have and how much energy we can absorb in the time we have.

"What if the resources aren’t sufficient?"

"Then I suppose I’ll have to take a few risks in order to achieve that."

Lucian met his gaze but did not answer directly.

"But I think this is our best chance. If we wait until the Tiger Monster launches its attack then we may be too late to stop it before the city is completely surrounded. And even if we do get reinforcements, there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to breach that ancient formation, let alone get to us in time to deal with the Tiger Monster."

He paused before continuing.

I’m not asking you to believe that victory is assured. I’m just asking you to give me the resources and let me have a go. If I do get to the Martial Dominator or Martial King realm, my Shadow Soldiers will give me an edge that a normal cultivator at that level simply won’t have.

"And with you, a Martial Emperor fighting alongside me, I think we at least stand a chance of holding our own against a Peak Martial Emperor level Tiger. We may not be able to kill it, but we should be able to hold it off for a long period of time. That will give the defensive formation ample time to drain its energy and for reinforcements to get there."

His expression hardened.

"I’d rather take that chance than just watch every single person in Silverwood City walk away from their homes without even attempting to defend them."

Magnus just looked at him.

He’d clearly thought through the risks. Lucian wasn’t suggesting this out of sheer confidence. He knew what the risks were and was prepared to take them on.

There was no guarantee the plan would work, but there was no guarantee at all that the city could survive the Tiger Monster’s attack either.

After a few moments Magnus gritted his teeth and finally spoke.

---------------------------Chapter END------------------------------