Chapter 252: Meeting The Observer on the Throne

Chapter 252: Chapter 252: Meeting The Observer on the Throne

Lucian’s consciousness plummeted into the abyss.

There was no light, no sound, no sense of direction—only the infinite, suffocating darkness of the void. He drifted for what felt like an eternity until the familiar landscape materialized. An endless black expanse, and at its center, the massive obsidian throne carved from something darker than darkness itself.

Sitting upon it was the figure.

It looked exactly like Lucian, but older, with sharp, refined features and long, flowing black hair. The figure’s crimson eyes stared down at him with a mixture of amusement and profound boredom.

Lucian let out a long, exhausted sigh. "You again?"

The figure chuckled, the sound echoing through the empty void. "Thrown around like a ragdoll again, I see. You really do have a talent for getting your ass handed to you by beings far beyond your pay grade."

Lucian cursed his luck, rubbing his temples. He sat down cross-legged on the invisible floor of the void, staring up at his past self. "Are you here to give me a lecture, or just to mock me?"

"Mostly to mock you," the figure replied smoothly, resting his chin on his hand. "But also to observe. It’s quite difficult to see an Origin Realm cultivator on such a backward, Tier 1 planet like Earth. You should consider yourself lucky she didn’t just erase you from existence with a thought."

Lucian’s expression turned grim. "So she was at the Origin Realm, then."

In the grand mana cultivation system, the journey was long and brutal. Above the Neophyte Realm was the Core Realm, then Grand Core, Astral, Sage, and finally—before the mythical Transcendent stage—the Origin Realm. An Origin Realm cultivator was a being who could shatter continents and bend the rules of the world to their will. The Dark King, for all his terrifying power, was likely only at the upper echelons of the Sage Realm.

For someone of that caliber to be on Earth, and to take Clara... it was a terrifying thought.

"So, am I dead?" Lucian asked, looking at the figure. "Did she kill me?"

The figure smiled, a knowing, arrogant smirk. Instead of answering, he simply waved his hand.

FLASH!

Lucian’s eyes snapped open.

The first thing he registered was the dim, grey light of the moon filtering through the curtains. The second thing was the warm, soft weight pressing down on his chest.

He looked down. Lemora was asleep on top of him. Her dark hair cascaded over his chest, and her naked body was pressed flush against his. The scent of sex, sweat, and a faint, sweet vampiric musk hung heavy in the air. The bedsheets beneath them were completely ruined, stained with a mixture of blood and other fluids.

Lucian blinked, his mind racing. Did she save me?

He immediately extended his Blood Sense, mapping the hotel room. He wasn’t in the Du Maurier mansion. He could sense two powerful corpse puppets in the adjacent room, standing vigil over an unconscious but stable Lena.

She fought her mother to rescue us, Lucian realized, a complex knot of emotions tightening in his chest. He gently shifted Lemora off him, her soft whimper barely audible as she rolled onto the ruined pillows.

He stood up, noticing his body was completely healed. The chaotic, rampaging energies that had been tearing his core apart were completely gone. In fact, his mana felt purer and denser than before. He glanced at the system log.

[System Notification: Partner Lemora Du Maurier has stabilized your mana core. Chaotic energies refined. Mana pool increased by 5,000 MPU. Current Mana: 205,000 MPU.]

She used dual cultivation to save me, Lucian thought, his eyes widening.

He looked back at her sleeping form, a rare moment of genuine softness passing over his sharp features. He pulled the thin blanket over her exposed body.

His mind immediately shifted to Clara.

He walked to the window, staring out at the dark, rural French countryside. The purple-haired woman. The way she had so effortlessly swatted him down.

She didn’t feel like an enemy, Lucian mused, his jaw clenching. She didn’t kill me. She didn’t even seem to care about me. Her focus was entirely on Clara. And her aura...

He remembered the feeling of her mana. It was cold, purifying, and carried a distinct lunar resonance. It was remarkably similar to Clara’s Lunar Authority.

Could she be related to Clara and Ryan’s mother? Lucian thought, his mind connecting the dots. The mother had disappeared after Ryan was born, leaving them with their father, who was later killed. They had always assumed she was just a powerful awakener, but what if she was something else entirely? What if she was from a high-tier cultivation sect outside of Earth?

A small, white, floating figure materialized beside him, breaking his train of thought.

"You know," the System said, its voice dripping with mockery, "you have the worst luck of any host in the multiverse. I’ve seen toddlers fall down stairs with better plot armor than you."

Lucian turned his head slowly, glaring at the glowing orb. "Can everyone stop mocking my luck?"

"I’m just saying," the System shrugged, its tiny arms folding. "First, you get tortured by a vampire for a decade. Then, you get captured by an Astral Realm asthmatic, and just when you’re about to win, an Origin Realm goddess swoops in, freezes you solid, and kidnaps your main girl. You seem more like a walking tragedy, Lucian."

Lucian sighed heavily, running a hand through his silver hair. "Are you done?"

The System chirped. "But seriously, what’s the plan? You’re at Peak Grand Core, which is great, but an Origin Realm cultivator is so far above you it’s not even funny. You can’t fight her."

Lucian stared out the window, his crimson eyes glowing in the dark.

"I know I can’t fight her," he said quietly. "But I can find her. And I will find Clara. No matter where that woman took her, or what sect she belongs to, I will tear the heavens apart to get her back."

He turned away from the window, his aura flaring with a cold, iron resolve.

"First things first, though. I need to get to the Astral Realm. Once I break through, I’ll have a better chance. But before that..." He looked back at the sleeping Lemora. "I need to figure out what to do about the mess we’re in. Louisa isn’t going to stop. She’s going to come for us, and she’s going to bring hell with her."

"Oh, about that," the System said, its tone suddenly turning serious. "While you were unconscious, the world went to absolute shit. You might want to check the news. The Knights of the Horizon... well, let’s just say they won’t be able to help you anymore."

Lucian’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," the System said, its form dimming slightly, "your boss, Miss Solstice, is dead. The Knights have been wiped out. And the Dark Order is officially on the hunt for you."

Lucian stood frozen, the weight of the System’s words crashing down on him.