Chapter 263: Unsuccessful Trade

Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Unsuccessful Trade

The transition from day to night was not a gradual dimming of the light. It was an execution.

WHOOSH!

A hyper-dense, pitch-black darkness swept across the barren wasteland like a physical flood. It moved with terrifying speed, swallowing the red earth, the shattered rocks, and the dying light of the shattered stars in an instant.

Lucian barely made it inside the city gates. The Dark Wyvern landed heavily on the cobblestone street just as the darkness crashed against the translucent azure halo shielding the city. CRASH! The barrier rippled, but held firm.

The participants who hadn’t made it to the sanctuary cities—those who were still scrambling across the blood-red plains—were engulfed in seconds.

Their screams didn’t last long. The darkness swallowed those too, snuffing them out in an instant.

The Dark Wyvern let out a low growl, its dark scales bristling as it sensed the unnatural terror outside. The beast’s arrival caused an immediate commotion. The street was crowded with people—some dressed in modern combat gear, others in strange, alien robes that shimmered with metallic threads. The inhabitants—some human, some clearly alien, some indigenous to the Tower—moved through the streets, lighting lanterns and closing shops.

All of them turned, eyes widening at the sight of the massive, Early Tier 4 wyvern in the middle of their sanctuary. Citizens screamed, guards drew weapons, and a few cultivators nearby instinctively flared their mana.

"Whoa, easy!" Lucian said, patting the beast’s neck. "Return."

With a low rumble, the Dark Wyvern dissolved into shadow particles, returning to the beast space. The commotion died down, though the guards still eyed him suspiciously. Lucian pulled his hood lower over his silver hair, blending into the crowd.

Outside the barrier, the darkness had reached its peak. People who hadn’t made it to a city were caught in the flood. It was a horrifying sight. Not even a drop of blood was left behind.

Lucian’s eyes narrowed. So this is the Tower’s first test. Ruthless.

He turned his attention to the city itself. It was massive, built from ancient, azure stone. The people walking the streets were a mix—some looked like natives of the Tower, their eyes carrying a strange, timeless quality. But the vast majority were cultivators from other worlds. They wore armor made of star-metal, carried weapons that hummed with foreign mana, and spoke in languages that Lucian’s enhanced mind quickly translated.

He didn’t have time to dwell on it. A group of four figures approached him, cutting through the crowd.

Lucian looked up. The leader was a young man with sharp, aristocratic features and slicked-back silver hair. He was dressed in a high-collared, black uniform with silver trim, a crest of a roaring lion emblazoned on his chest. Behind him were three others—a muscular brute, a slender woman with a sneer, and a hooded figure.

"Hey," the leader called out.

Lucian looked around, then pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yeah, you, idiot," the woman snapped, crossing her arms. "Are you deaf?"

Lucian’s eyes flashed with a dangerous crimson light, but he held back. He was in a new environment. Information was power.

The leader stepped forward, a fake, polite smile on his face. "I am Jarek, of Planet Voltar in the Drakon Galaxy. And you are?"

Lucian’s eyes flickered with recognition. The Drakon Galaxy. In his past life, he knew of it. It was one of the galaxies heavily populated by a mix of demons and humans, known for their ruthless survival-of-the-fittest mentality.

"Lucian," he replied simply.

Jarek raised an eyebrow. "Just Lucian?"

Lucian waved a hand casually. "I’m a free man. No titles, no affiliations."

Jarek’s smile widened, but his eyes remained cold and calculating. A predatory smirk played on his lips. "I see. Then you must not be associated with the Astral Tamer Guild, are you?"

Lucian shrugged, nonchalantly. "Never heard of them."

"Arrogant bastard," one of the brutes muttered, stepping forward, his hand reaching for a weapon.

Jarek raised a hand, stopping him. "Easy, Garr. I’m sure our new friend is just... unaware of the rules. He’s clearly from a lesser world." He turned back to Lucian to confirm from his expression but Lucian remained indifferent.

"Why don’t we chat over some tea? I’m sure we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"I don’t have time for tea," Lucian said flatly, standing up. "I have things to do."

Jarek’s smile twitched. "Very well. Straight to business. I want to buy that Dark Wyvern of yours. I’ll offer you 10,000 Star Coins."

Star Coins.

Lucian knew this currency well. In the vast universe, Earth’s credits were completely worthless. They weren’t backed by mana or star energy. Star Coins, however, were the universal currency, minted by the major cosmic powers and backed by high-grade mana stones. However....

"I will repeat myself," Lucian said, his voice cold. "Not for sale."

The Dark Wyvern was not just a mount. It was a Lord Beast. A creature with the ancestral lineage of a Supreme Realm beast., possessing basic intelligence and the potential to evolve into a Tier 6 beast in the future.

In the universe, beasts are graded by their ancestral lineage and bloodline density, Lucian recalled.

The first two classes—mortal beasts and spirit beasts—had little to no intelligence, driven purely by instinct.

The third class, Lord Beasts, possessed basic intelligence and were territorial. Their ancestors had reached the Supreme Realm. Drakes, leviathans, and wyverns fell into this class.

The fourth class were Emperor Beasts. These creatures possessed royal bloodlines and ancient memories, their ancestors having reached the Emperor Realm or above. The royal beast clans—the Foxes, the Lions, the Kirin—belonged to this class.

The fifth class were the Mythical Class Beasts, like the Dragon Clan, the Fire Phoenix, the White Tiger, and the Black Tortoise. They were the stuff of legends.

A Lord Beast was a treasure, even if it was just the third class. He wasn’t going to sell it for pocket change.

Jarek’s expression darkened. "Then how about 2,000 low-grade mana stones?"

Lucian turned his back and started walking away.

"You dare turn your back on me?!" Jarek roared.

BOOOOOM!

Jarek’s aura exploded. A violent, crackling storm of lightning erupted around him, the sheer force of his Peak Grand Core cultivation shattering the stone fountain beside him. The surrounding crowd quickly scattered, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.

"You arrogant fool!" Jarek yelled, raising his hand. A massive spear of lightning formed in his palm, and with a furious shout, he hurled it directly at Lucian’s back.

ZAP!

Lucian didn’t even turn around. He raised his left hand, a golden Light Shield materializing instantly.

BZZZT!

The lightning spear struck the shield and shattered into harmless arcs of electricity, illuminating Lucian’s silhouette in a harsh, golden glow.

The crowd gasped. Jarek’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Lucian slowly turned his head, his crimson eyes glowing with a terrifying, predatory light.

"Did you really think," Lucian said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "that you could just attack me and live?"