Chapter 179: Fruits of Life and Death

Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Fruits of Life and Death

Lucian sat cross-legged on the cracked floor of the plain. The dark sky above was fractured where the dome had shattered, letting pale light filter through. He closed his eyes and turned his focus inward.

His Mental Power, refined through months of alchemy training under Allistar, spread through his body. He located the tendrils of death energy immediately—intrusive, cold threads woven into his muscles and mana pathways. With surgical precision, his mental energy clamped down on the dark veins. He isolated them from his healthy tissue and forcefully expelled them.

A cold, black mist hissed out of his pores, dissolving into the air.

Instantly, the suppression on his Eternal Regeneration lifted. The deep gash on his back knitted shut in seconds. The dark veins crawling across his chest and arms faded, his skin returning to its normal pale hue. He exhaled slowly, opening his eyes.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

[Dungeon Cleared. All Layers Conquered.]

[Rewards: 12,000 SC]

[Bloodline seal: -1%]

He stood, his joints popping lightly. The suffocating aura of death had vanished entirely, leaving behind only the grey grass and the massive tree at its center.

Lucian walked up to the tree. The green fruits glowed with a warm, inviting light, a stark contrast to the battlefield of moments ago. He reached up and plucked the three of them. As his fingers brushed the skin, he felt a rush of pure, vibrant energy.

The system materialized beside him, the small white figure hovering over his shoulder.

"These are Life Fruits," the system said, its voice carrying a rare tone of genuine interest. "They are extraordinarily rare."

The system proceeded to explain their properties. The Life Fruit possessed the power to bring a dead person back to life, provided the person hadn’t been dead for more than a single minute and their soul remained completely intact.

However, the system warned, the souls of weaker beings—even Grand Core masters—dissipated almost immediately upon death. Unless a soul was artificially anchored or naturally resilient, the resurrection window is impossibly narrow.

Aside from resurrection, the fruit could heal any type of physical injury to the body, no matter how severe.

The system then gestured to the massive tree itself. "This tree is called a Yggdrasil Sapling. It absorbs the ambient laws of the universe and condenses them. Every one hundred years, it produces two types of fruit: Life Fruits and Death Fruits."

Lucian’s eyes narrowed. "Death Fruits?"

"The skeleton you just fought likely consumed a Death Fruit," the system continued. "The sheer density of concentrated Death Rule Power corrupted its living flesh, killing it instantly, only to reanimate it as an undead guardian bound to the tree. It gained the ability to manipulate death energy because the fruit granted it a rudimentary comprehension of the Rule Power of Death."

"And these Life Fruits?" Lucian asked, holding one up.

"They hold the Rule Power of Life. Consuming them can grant a cultivator profound comprehension of life itself, accelerating their understanding of healing and vitality. However, the consumer must possess a natural affinity for that Rule Power. Without the affinity, the comprehension benefits are lost, though the healing and resurrection properties remain intact."

Lucian nodded slowly. He didn’t have an affinity for the Life Rule, but the resurrection and healing capabilities made these fruits invaluable. He carefully placed all three Life Fruits into his Shadow Storage. They would be lifesavers in the future.

He turned away from the tree and walked toward the scattered remains of the skeleton. Nestled among the bleached bones and rotted robes was the dungeon core—a dark, pulsating crystal. Lucian picked it up and squeezed.

CRAACK.

The crystal shattered in his palm. A swirling blue portal ripped open in the air beside him. Without a backward glance, Lucian stepped through.

He materialized in his bedroom at their rented house in Havenford. He took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of home. "Finally back."

He unsummoned his armor and stretched his shoulders. "System, how long has passed?"

"Only two days," the small white figure replied, floating lazily before vanishing.

He pulled out his communicator and sent a message to Clara and Rose, letting them know he had returned safely. He gave them a brief summary of the dungeon.

He left the house and made his way toward the mountainside.

The path to Allistar’s clearing was as familiar as his own breath. The waterfall roared in the distance, and the scent of wildflowers filled the air. But when Lucian broke through the tree line into the clearing, he found it empty.

The wooden house was quiet. The old man was nowhere to be seen.

Lucian frowned. Allistar rarely left the mountain. He walked up the steps to the porch and stopped. Resting on the seat of Allistar’s rocking chair was a thick, leather-bound book.

Lucian picked it up. He opened it to the first page.

His crimson eyes widened.

It contained the Third and Fourth Forms of the Eclipse Sword Art. The pages were filled with intricate mana circulation diagrams, physical reinforcement diagrams, and detailed sword trajectories. As Lucian flipped through the pages, he realized something. The forms weren’t standard techniques. The mana pathways required to execute them ran directly through the meridians he used for Blood Manipulation, and the physical requirements demanded the exact tensile strength his body provided.

These forms had been created specifically for him.

A smile spread across Lucian’s face. The old bastard was gone, but he had left behind exactly what Lucian needed to push his swordsmanship to the next level.

A month went by.

Lucian spent the time mastering the new sword forms, refining alchemy, and solidifying his Peak Core Realm cultivation. His Mind Palace had grown denser from the daily spiritual exercises, and his control over his tamed Crimson Manticore—which he had decided to name Ven—improved through mental link sessions.

Clara was closer than ever to her Grand Core breakthrough, her SS-Rank abilities growing more terrifying by the day. Ryan and Rose had settled firmly into Peak Core, their combat capabilities sharpening through endless sparring sessions.

The second year was almost coming to an end, with only a few days left before the summer break. The academy was buzzing with end-of-year exams and tournament preparations. Students moved through the courtyards with a sense of anticipation and relief.

Then, the sky changed.

It was as if someone had thrown a switch. The bright afternoon sun was swallowed whole, plunging the academy and the surrounding towns into an oppressive, absolute night.

A nefarious, blood-soaked aura spread throughout the academy and the surrounding towns like a suffocating plague. The ambient mana turned rancid, thick with the distinct, metallic scent of blood.

Across the academy grounds, students froze mid-step. Weaker students collapsed to their knees, clutching their heads, their minds overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the aura pressing down on them. Professors burst out of their offices, weapons drawn, looking to the sky.

Lucian stepped out of his house, his crimson eyes narrowing as he stared upward.

Above the academy, multiple figures materialized in the darkened sky. They stood on the air itself, their silhouettes radiating overwhelming, ancient power. Their auras were suffocating, carrying the heavy, undeniable pressure of Grand Core Masters.

The Academy’s sirens began to wail.