Chapter 368: _No Use Hiding, I Guess

Lucian’s POV

*****

“Stop!”

“Who are—argh!”

Elian moved like a phantom given claws before anyone else could blink.

His mana-coated claws slashed through armour and spells alike. He hopped from a guard whose skull he’d crushed, landing on another with a flaming fist through the chest.

Blood splashed on his face—yet he didn’t wait to catch his breath.

The Alpha King and the other soldiers watched this in awe.

Lucian especially.

Something stirred through the bond between them. He didn’t know what this new feeling was.

But gods, there was something hot about seeing the young omega he’s been bound to protect before now finally being able to fend for himself.

“Uhm…” Elian glanced back after creating a force shield to tank red fireballs sent his way. “Are you boys going to stand there and watch? There’s a fucking timer on our heads in case you’ve forgotten.”

That snapped them out of it.

Lucian pulled out his silver plasma blades while his soldiers crouched with their cannons.

The carnage lasted only for a few more seconds before silence fell on the room of the Central Runic Core.

Elian heaved, a twist of his wrist rinsing off the blood on him. Those violet orbs stayed on Lucian for a beat before he nodded.

“Someone definitely felt all that commotion.” He turned to face the core.

It was a huge obsidian orb, pulsing with a myriad of energies across its polished surface. Cables connected it to the walls around the room, the runes etched on it thrumming rhythmically.

“We’ll go find the others and make sure no one comes in here,” Lucian’s expression hardened. “Would you need anything else? What’s the goal going to be with this thing?”

He remembered how this core was responsible for powering the floating crystal buildings in the capital city.

If they destroyed or stole it without leaving behind a fitting replacement… Veilastra wouldn’t just lose its most popular infrastructure but also hundreds of thousands of lives.

Not to mention the buildings below would also suffer.

This was war, but killing innocents didn’t sit right with him.

“If there’s a way to stop this without sacrificing the city, I’ll find it.” Elian seemed to understand his worries. “Go. All I’ll need now is time.”

Shouts and hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

One of the soldiers peeked out. “Alpha King, there are Arcadian soldiers incoming from the left hallway.”

Lucian grabbed Elian’s palm, cupping it between two hands. “You know how to reach me if anything goes south.” Planting a kiss on his palm, he smiled. “Take care, love.”

Elian’s muscles stiffened, almost like he was having second thoughts.

“You too,” he finally whispered, brushing his free hand across Lucian’s jaw. “Now go.”

The Omega spun back to face the core, ascending the steps leading to it. Lucian watched him raise a hand to its surface.

Then he darted for the exit, moving past his soldiers and turning the corner down the hallway. His wolf howled within him—and then his body answered.

‘No use hiding, I guess.’

Lucian shot into the hallway like a silver comet.

The first Arcadian soldier barely managed to raise his rifle before the Alpha King’s fist caved through his breastplate, sending him crashing into three others behind him. The corridor shook from the impact alone.

Two more soldiers fired.

Silver flashed.

Their plasma bolts curved away as Lucian’s aura distorted the very air around him. He was already among them before they realised they’d missed.

His blade swept once.

Three heads rolled across the polished obsidian floor.

The two Lunarian soldiers rushed in after him, rifles barking bursts of blue plasma into the advancing ranks while Lucian became the eye of the storm itself.

Every swing carried enough force to splinter enchanted armour. Every kick sent bodies crashing through rune-covered pillars. Blood sprayed across the glowing walls only to be replaced by more soldiers charging over their fallen comrades.

“So this is the Alpha King!”

“Hold him!”

“Don’t let him return to the Core!”

Lucian almost laughed. ‘Return?’

He never intended to leave.

A dozen soldiers surged toward him together.

His silver eyes blazed, a pulse of Alpha Aura exploding outward.

BOOOOM!

The invisible shockwave ripped through the corridor, crushing armour, shattering weapons and hurling every soldier backwards like leaves caught in a hurricane.

Several slammed into the walls hard enough for cracks to spiderweb through the obsidian before they slid lifelessly to the floor.

More boots echoed from every direction.

Then came the Holy Mages.

Six of them stepped around the corner in pristine white robes, staffs striking the floor in perfect unison.

“So this,” one elderly woman spat, glaring at Lucian with naked disgust, “is the beast Her Eminence warned us about.”

“A heretic.”

“A defiler of the Moon’s blessing.”

“A monster pretending to be a king.”

Golden runes spread beneath their feet.

Lucian recognised danger immediately.

“Binding Formation!”

Hundreds of chains woven entirely from light erupted from the floor, walls and ceiling simultaneously, wrapping around his wrists, ankles and torso before tightening with terrifying force.

The corridor groaned.

One Holy Mage smiled. “I expected more.”

Another raised her staff.

“On your knees.”

Lucian’s boots slid several inches across the floor as the restraints tightened. His muscles strained. Even breathing became difficult.

For the briefest heartbeat… They actually held him.

Then his wolf growled.

Silver light erupted beneath his skin, flooding every vein in his body until the runic chains began trembling violently.

The Holy Mages’ expressions shifted from triumph to horror as several cracks spread through the chains.

“Impossible.”

Lucian slowly lifted his head, silver eyes burning with enough authority to make every soldier instinctively step backwards.

“You talk…” His aura surged. “…far too much.”

BOOOOOM!

The restraints detonated into countless fragments of light.

The resulting shockwave blasted through the hallway, throwing Holy Mages and soldiers alike off their feet. Lucian was already moving before the dust settled.

White robes bloomed crimson.

Staffs clattered uselessly across the floor before their owners joined them.

Silence returned once more.

Lucian exhaled, flicking blood from one of his blades as his soldiers stared at him with open admiration.

Before either of them could speak—

RRRRRRMMMMMM!

The entire Obsidian Tower violently lurched beneath their feet.

Lucian caught himself against the wall as a deafening rumble rolled through the structure.

The glowing runes lining the corridor flickered.

Then, one by one… they began to fade.

Lucian’s eyes widened beneath his helmet.

“Elian.”