Chapter 181: skdk

After a long moment of silence, the hot-blooded emotions surging through Lukas’s veins gradually settled down.

The burning excitement that had momentarily filled his heart slowly faded, allowing his thoughts to regain their usual clarity.

It was only then that the way he looked at the Vice Head subtly changed.

This old fellow....

He’s something else.

Not only was he incomparably powerful...

He also possessed an extraordinary gift with words.

With nothing more than a calm explanation and a few carefully chosen sentences, he had managed to ignite a blazing fire within Lukas’s heart.

It wasn’t forced.

Nor was it exaggerated.

It had happened naturally.

Lukas had never considered himself someone who was easily influenced by emotional speeches.

On the contrary, he always believed himself to be a fairly rational person.

Yet...

For those brief moments...

Even he had found himself genuinely stirred by the Vice Head’s vision.

Creating a bloodline...

One capable of surpassing every star monster.

Just thinking about it caused Lukas to unconsciously shake his head.

A faint smirk slowly appeared at the corner of his lips.

What grand nonsense...

Surpassing the bloodlines of star monsters...

That was no different from asking ants to surpass humans.

Was it theoretically possible?

Perhaps.

After all, history had proven countless times that impossibilities occasionally became reality.

But...

Anyone possessing even the slightest bit of rationality could tell just how absurd such a goal truly was.

The gap between humanity and the star monsters already seemed insurmountable.

To create an entirely new bloodline capable of exceeding them...

That was a dream so distant it bordered on fantasy.

As the last traces of excitement disappeared, Lukas’s eyes regained their usual sharpness.

Almost instinctively, a slight frown formed on his face.

All this grand talk...

Lukas wasn’t unfamiliar with speeches like this.

In fact...

He had seen countless similar examples throughout his previous life.

Whenever someone wanted others to accomplish a task that couldn’t be bought with mere money...

They always spoke of ideals.

Of dreams.

Of changing the world.

After all...

No amount of wealth could convince an ordinary person to willingly jump off a cliff.

Money had limits.

Some things simply couldn’t be purchased.

To persuade someone to dedicate their life to a righteous cause...

To willingly shoulder impossible burdens...

To sacrifice everything for a future they might never witness...

Required something far greater than wealth or status.

It required belief.

And the Vice Head understood that better than anyone.

While these thoughts continued flowing through his mind, Lukas quietly glanced at the two people walking beside him, curious to see what expressions they wore.

To his surprise...

He wasn’t the only one who had arrived at the same conclusion.

The remaining two chosen ones seemed to be thinking along similar lines.

Jasmine, the young woman from the Green Serpent Clan, wore a faint trace of disdain in her eyes.

Her expression remained calm, almost indifferent.

Having grown up within one of the major clans, she had listened to countless motivational speeches since childhood.

Grand ideals.

Noble ambitions.

The future of humanity.

She had heard every variation imaginable.

The Vice Head’s words might have moved others...

But they weren’t enough to sway her.

Meanwhile, the young man named Jack displayed an equally composed expression.

His reaction was no different.

Unlike Jasmine, he hadn’t been born into a prestigious clan.

Yet the determination inside his eyes was just as unwavering.

There was only one objective occupying his mind.

Everything else was irrelevant.

Nothing could distract him from the path he had chosen.

However...

That naturally raised another question.

If the three of them were rational enough to see through the Vice Head’s speech...

If they all understood that the White Knights Guild wasn’t investing in them out of simple kindness...

Then why were they still here?

Why didn’t they simply turn around and walk away?

Why willingly allow themselves to become pieces on someone else’s chessboard?

The answer...

Was painfully simple.

Because they had no choice.

Everyone understood that the promises made by the White Knights Guild sounded almost too grand to believe.

Creating humanity’s ultimate bloodline.

Surpassing the limits of the star monsters.

Changing the future of civilization.

It all sounded impossibly distant.

Almost like a fantasy.

But...

What if there truly was even the slightest chance?

Even if the probability was only one-tenth of a percent...

It was still infinitely greater than zero.

And for ambitious people...

That alone was enough.

Every person standing here possessed dreams far larger than ordinary people.

None of them were willing to live mediocre lives.

Jasmine might have been born into one of the major clans...

But that didn’t mean the clan’s resources were limitless.

Every generation produced numerous talented descendants.

Yet only one or two individuals could receive the clan’s complete support.

The rest...

Had to fight for their own futures.

They had no choice but to seek opportunities elsewhere.

That was precisely why Jasmine stood here today.

The same was true for Jack.

And...

To some extent...

Even Lukas himself.

Every one of them had arrived fully aware of the risks that accompanied the title of Chosen One.

Because deep down...

They all understood a simple truth.

No one in this world would shower them with glory, power, and unimaginable resources...

Without expecting something equally valuable in return.

Once the Vice Head finished speaking, silence once again descended upon the group.

No one spoke another word.

The four figures simply continued walking through the seemingly endless passage, the steady rhythm of their footsteps echoing against the dark stone walls.

Each of them was immersed in their own thoughts.

Each harbored their own ambitions.

Each carried their own hidden schemes.

Yet despite their different backgrounds and goals, one thing united them all.

The fire of ambition burning deep within their eyes.

Like glowing embers buried beneath layers of ash, it quietly smoldered, waiting for the day it would erupt into an unstoppable blaze.

Lukas was no exception.

Completely lost in his thoughts, he continued following behind the Vice Head almost mechanically.

Before he even realized it, the narrow passage abruptly came to an end.

His vision suddenly opened up.

They had arrived within an enormous underground space.

The ceiling stretched so high above them that it resembled the open sky itself, disappearing into darkness beyond the limits of one’s vision.

Massive buildings constructed from exquisite black stone and unknown precious materials stood proudly throughout the vast chamber. Every structure radiated an ancient yet majestic aura, as though each one had silently stood here for countless centuries.

Powerful warriors dressed in immaculate armor walked calmly between the buildings.

Every single one of them possessed an extraordinarily formidable aura.

Although none of them deliberately released their pressure, merely standing near them made the surrounding air feel noticeably heavier.

Their expressions remained solemn.

Their movements were disciplined.

No unnecessary words were exchanged.

The entire place operated with an efficiency that bordered on frightening.

Apart from the occasional footsteps echoing through the enormous chamber...

A heavy atmosphere blanketed the entire palace.

It felt oppressive.

As though something unimaginably important was hidden beneath the calm exterior. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The group silently observed everything before them, unconsciously taking in every tiny detail.

Meanwhile, one question after another surfaced inside Lukas’s mind.

The further he looked...

The stronger a certain feeling became.

This place...

Why does it feel so familiar?

His eyes slowly swept across the enormous stone formations engraved throughout the palace.

The countless runes.

The spatial fluctuations lingering in the air.

The faint distortion of space itself.

Then...

A realization suddenly flashed across his mind.

The surrounding atmosphere...

It reminded him of somewhere he had become intimately familiar with only recently.

Teleportation stations.

The instant that thought surfaced...

Lukas’s expression immediately darkened.

His heartbeat unconsciously skipped.

He had only just escaped the Star Dimension.

The last thing he wanted was to return there again.

At least...

Not this soon.

Not while Rosy’s condition remained so unstable.

That concern quietly settled inside his heart, causing his brows to furrow.

It soon became apparent that he wasn’t the only one thinking along those lines.

Jasmine’s expression had noticeably stiffened.

Even the usually calm Jack had become visibly more serious.

The atmosphere among the three young geniuses instantly became much heavier.

Watching their reactions, the Vice Head couldn’t help but sigh inwardly before shaking his head.

A trace of disappointment appeared within his aged eyes.

Although he understood their concerns...

Seeing the most talented young geniuses of the White Knights Guild instinctively fear returning to the Star Dimension left him somewhat disappointed.

In his opinion...

Those destined to stand at humanity’s peak shouldn’t hesitate before danger.

Even so, he chose not to comment.

Instead, he calmly spoke.

"Don’t worry."

"We won’t be sending any of you back into the Star Dimension."

"At least..."

"Not for now."

A brief pause followed before he added,

"We’re sending you somewhere else."

Those words didn’t ease Lukas’s confusion.

If anything...

They only created even more questions.

His brows furrowed slightly deeper.

If not the Star Dimension...

Then where exactly could a teleportation formation like this possibly send us?sdsdjaks xuvsdfksod