Chapter 101 - - 101 - A Secret Worth Revealing

Chapter 101: Chapter - 101 - A Secret Worth Revealing

Lucien and Anne stood together beneath the moonlit sky, his hand resting around her waist. His fingers had already wandered lower, resting against her rear with the same shameless familiarity he had shown before. Anne no longer bothered to stop him. She had grown used to Lucien’s eccentric behavior, and, much to her own annoyance, she had come to enjoy some of it as well.

"Did you miss it already?" Lucien asked, moving closer to her. Under the pale moonlight, his handsome features gave him the appearance of a devil prince standing in the darkness.

"Bastard! Why do you think I miss your touch?" Anne said, glaring at him.

Lucien looked at her calmly.

"Well, my hand is still there, and you never pushed me away. So tell me, are you hiding something from me?" he asked, his tone carrying the confidence of someone who believed he could see straight through her.

Anne turned around and faced him directly. For a moment, she remained silent.

She had been thinking about this for a while.

The secret inside her was something she had guarded more carefully than anything else. Prince Andrin had been the only person she had trusted enough to tell, and that trust had ended with betrayal. Since then, Anne had become far more careful about whom she allowed close to her.

Yet Lucien was standing right in front of her.

She had watched him long enough to know that he was hiding things from her too. There was something strange about him—something she could not completely understand. He was unpredictable, shameless, and sometimes infuriating, but he had also shown her enough of his character for her to believe that he was not someone who would casually betray an ally.

More importantly, if she continued cultivating at her current pace, she would remain stuck.

She needed a solution.

And Lucien might be that solution.

Anne did not completely trust him.

But she trusted him enough to gamble one of her greatest secrets.

"Lucien, do you believe in cheats? Like doing something that will increase your cultivation by many folds, reaching a goal faster than one is supposed to reach?"

"There is a dual cultivation that can use the astral energy of two bodies and essence to increase cultivation faster," Lucien said, resting a hand against his chin.

"Yeah, but what I’m saying is something else." Anne’s expression became more serious. "I have only told this to Prince Andrin because I loved him until he betrayed me. There is some other mysterious force. I have a system, and it helps me to increase my cultivation. I can buy so many things from it as well."

The words left her mouth slowly, almost as if she were testing each one before letting it escape.

She had finally revealed one of her deepest secrets.

Anne was not stupid. She would never casually reveal something like this to anyone. A secret that could completely change the balance of power around her was not something she would give away without a reason.

But there was another reason she had chosen Lucien.

She wanted to know what he would do with the information.

If he became greedy, she would know.

If he immediately tried to take advantage of her, she would know.

And if he remained calm and cautious, as she suspected he would, then perhaps she could finally find someone with whom she could make a deal without constantly watching her back.

There was also a more practical reason.

She needed someone capable of helping her break through her current limit.

Her dual cultivation had always been one of her greatest advantages, but it had also become a bottleneck. Prince Andrin had helped her before, but that path had already reached its limit. If Lucien truly possessed what she needed, then refusing to take the risk might cost her far more than revealing her secret.

Lucien fell into deep thought for several moments.

Hmm... As I thought, I’m not the only one who can come here from a different world.

His eyes remained calm as his thoughts continued.

But looking at Anne, it seems like she’s truly from this world. Unlike me, she was born here, yet she somehow obtained a system. That means there could be many other cultivators with systems, each possessing unique abilities. I need to be careful. Who knows? Some of them might even come from my world.

His gaze settled on Anne.

Let’s see what she’s trying to gain from me first.

Lucien finally spoke.

"But there would be a cost, right? Nothing is free in this world. If what you said is true, you must need some kind of currency to buy things from the system you spoke of."

He already knew the answer.

After all, he had a system of his own.

But there was no reason for Anne to know that.

"Yeah. As expected of Lucien’s genius," Anne said. "For me, it was dual cultivation. It increases my cultivation depending on how strong my partner is. Prince Andrin was strong—not as strong as me—but he helped me increase my cultivation. Now I’m stuck, and my dual cultivation is very different as compared to usual dual cultivation."

Anne’s voice carried a hint of frustration as she admitted it. This was not merely about wanting to become stronger for the sake of power. Her cultivation method had already brought her this far, yet the very thing that had once been her advantage was now holding her back.

"So your dual cultivation allows you to move faster and get resources. That’s a great way to cultivate. So you’re stuck, and if I’m not wrong, Prince Andrin didn’t have a yang physique, right?" Lucien asked curiously.

"Yeah. He has an ordinary physique," Anne replied.

"Well, I have a yang physique, and it’s really helpful," Lucien said.

Anne’s eyes widened.

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. And energy transfer with me will be one hundred percent compatible and pure," Lucien said.

For the first time since revealing her secret, genuine surprise appeared on Anne’s face.

That was exactly the information she had been hoping for.

Her system had already shown her the limits of ordinary dual cultivation. She knew how much stronger her cultivation could become with a suitable partner, but finding someone compatible was far more difficult than simply finding someone powerful.

Lucien might be the answer.

But that did not mean she could blindly trust him.

Anne stared at him for a moment before asking, "So will you help me? And I did notice you do find me attractive."

"I would love to help, but for now, my answer is no," Lucien said.

Anne’s expression changed slightly.

"Why? I told you everything. There is no ulterior motive behind this," Anne said.

"Maybe. Or maybe you want to take revenge. Because I’m already planning to kill Prince Andrin. Or maybe you simply want to increase your cultivation. The possibilities are endless." Lucien’s expression remained relaxed, a warm smile appearing on his face. "We have a good relationship, of course, but that doesn’t mean I trust you. Teasing and dual cultivation are two different things, so I would say no."

Anne stared at him.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Then she burst into laughter.

"Hahaha... you really are interesting. I really thought you would immediately say yes like a dog in heat, but I underestimated you. Don’t worry. Whatever I said is true, and no, I’m not planning to betray you. Do you think I don’t know that you already knew it? I just wanted to know what kind of person you are. What if you betray me? That’s why I said all of that."

Her laughter gradually faded into a knowing smile.

In truth, that had been the real purpose behind her confession.

She had not simply been asking for help.

She had been testing him.

Anne knew that revealing her system could make her vulnerable. If Lucien were the kind of man who immediately saw only the benefits he could gain from her, then she would have known exactly how dangerous he was.

Instead, he had refused.

He had questioned her motives.

He had openly admitted that he did not trust her.

Oddly enough, that made her trust him a little more.

At least he was honest about it.

Lucien’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He stepped closer until there was barely any distance between them. His face moved near hers before he leaned toward her ear.

"Bitch, next time try better if you want to catch me in some trap," Lucien whispered.

His hand remained on her rear, completely shameless.

Anne did not retreat.

Instead, she moved even closer until their bodies touched beneath the moonlight.

"Bastard! I know you will never betray me. I can feel that in your breath," Anne said.

Her lips moved closer to his.

The distance between them disappeared.

Their lips met, and the kiss quickly became intense. It was not the gentle kiss of two people quietly expressing affection, nor was it the tender kiss of lovers who simply wanted to comfort each other.

It was something far more desperate.

A need.

A release of tension.

Anger, uncertainty, desire, and desperation all mixed together in a single moment.

Neither of them wanted to give the other an advantage, yet neither immediately pulled away. When they finally separated, both were breathing heavily, the intensity of the moment still lingering between them.

"Don’t ever try to betray me, you bitch. I’ll find you even if you are in another realm," Lucien said, his voice low.

The taste of Anne still lingered on his lips.

"You too, bastard," Anne replied.

Lucien opened his void and stepped toward it.

Anne watched him, her lips slightly dry as she recovered from the intensity of the moment.

Just before entering the void, Lucien turned around.

"Yeah, phase two of my plan would soon start, so prepare yourself. You’ll be needed in this plan to destroy Prince Andrin."

With a devilish smile, Lucien walked into the void.

The spatial opening disappeared behind him.

"Bastard," Anne muttered as she watched him leave.

Yet there was a smile on her face.

Somewhere else in Azurefall, the atmosphere was far less peaceful.

Many city guards had been placed on high alert. They were searching for the Man Eater who had been wandering through the city, leaving fear in his wake.

Two guards patrolled the streets together, carefully watching their surroundings for anyone suspicious. The streets were unusually quiet. Most shops had already closed, and the people who remained outside moved quickly, unwilling to linger in the open.

"So, do you think this Man Eater is a Demonic Realm master?" one of the guards asked.

"It should be a Demonic Realm master. Just think about it. How could a mortal kill so many Realm Masters?" the other guard replied as if the conclusion were obvious.

"Yeah, you’re right. Let’s just hope we can find him, whoever he is or she is."

Before either guard could say anything else, hurried footsteps echoed through the street.

A guard came running toward them.

His clothes were torn, and blood covered part of his body.

"What happened?" one of the guards immediately asked.

"I-it’s the Man Eater!" the wounded guard gasped. "I was patrolling near the forest, and he attacked me!"

"Don’t worry. We’re here. We have numbers. Send the signal. Call every guard possible," the head guard ordered.

The nearby guards quickly gathered after hearing the commotion. As their numbers increased, so did their confidence.

There were enough of them now that they believed they could finally take down the Man Eater who had been terrorizing the city.

"Take us to him. Where did you find him, and where is your partner?" the head guard demanded.

"He was with me. The Man Eater tried to kill us both. I immediately escaped, but he got left behind. If we don’t hurry, he might kill him."

"We can’t wait for reinforcements. We should go right now," one of the guards said.

The head guard hesitated.

Something about the situation felt wrong.

The wounded man was terrified, but his words were difficult to question. More importantly, one of their own was supposedly still alive and waiting for them.

After a moment, the head guard made his decision.

"Fine. Lead the way."

The guards followed the wounded man through the streets.

Yet the farther they went, the stronger the uneasiness in the head guard’s chest became.

He could not explain it.

It was simply a bad feeling.

"So where is he?" the head guard finally asked.

"He is at the vault, which we were guarding," the wounded guard answered.

The head guard’s expression changed.

"That is one of the prince’s vaults. How dare he? If Prince Rumil finds out about this, we’re all dead."

The guards exchanged uneasy glances.

There were nearly twenty-five of them now, enough to surround an ordinary enemy. With their confidence restored, they continued toward the vault.

When they finally arrived, however, the scene before them was nothing like what they expected.

There was no battle.

No enemy.

No sign of the Man Eater.

Only silence.

A dead body lay on the ground beneath the moonlight.

The corpse was dressed in the garb of a soldier, but its face had been brutally ripped apart, making it nearly impossible to identify.

And nearby sat a very young man.

He had white hair and appeared completely drunk.

He laughed to himself as he held a bottle of wine.

The head guard stared at him.

"Hey, you. Did you see anyone? Any Realm Master who attacked this guard?" he asked.

The young man looked toward him, his movements unsteady.

"N-No, sir. I didn’t see anyone. I bought this bottle of wine myself today. I didn’t steal anything... Please let me go."

His clothes were ragged, and his entire appearance made him look like nothing more than a common drunkard who had somehow wandered into the wrong place.

One of the guards looked him over.

"Seems like he’s just a drunkard. It’s a waste of time. Maybe we should spread out and look for him."

"Hey, drunkard! Get the fuck out of here before you get killed," another guard said mockingly.

The young man lowered his head and began stumbling away.

He could barely walk straight.

The guards paid little attention to him.

But the head guard’s gaze remained on the bottle in his hand.

It was cheap.

Nothing special.

Yet something about it bothered him.

"Wait," the head guard suddenly said.

The young man froze.

"What is it, my lord?" he asked nervously.

The head guard stared directly at the bottle.

"If all the shops have been shut down due to the terror of the Man Eater, how did you buy a bottle of wine today?"