Chapter 103 - - 103 - The Antidote Requires Blood

Chapter 103: Chapter - 103 - The Antidote Requires Blood

Lucien was standing directly in front of Erion and Elaria, completely blocking the path between them and the Azurefall guards.

The head guard stared at him for several seconds.

He had met Realm Masters before. He had even fought beside powerful warriors during dangerous missions. But the man standing before him was different. There was something about Lucien that made every instinct in his body scream that he was facing someone far beyond an ordinary Realm Master.

The difference in strength was so great that the head guard knew one simple truth.

In front of someone like Lucien, they were nothing.

Even so, he tightened his grip on his weapon and forced himself to remain standing.

"Who are you and why are you interfering with justice?" asked the head guard.

Lucien looked at him, then glanced at the guards surrounding Erion and Elaria. A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Justice? Trying to kill just a man with these numbers? I don’t see justice," said Lucien with a smile on his face.

The words made several guards exchange uneasy looks.

Erion and Elaria stood behind Lucien, neither of them knowing what they should do.

Should they run?

Should they stay?

Everything had changed so quickly that neither sibling could properly think.

A moment ago, they had been surrounded and nearly condemned to death. Now, an unfamiliar man had appeared between them and their pursuers and was speaking to the Azurefall guards as though their numbers meant nothing.

The head guard stepped forward.

"This man is the Man Eater that is killing Realm Master and stealing the vault of prince Rumil, we are here to bring justice and you are now protecting them," said head guard with a loud voice.

Lucien’s eyes moved toward the two siblings.

He activated Divine Inspection.

In an instant, information surfaced before his eyes.

Erion was merely a mortal.

Elaria, however, was different. She was a Realm Master, and her talent was considerably better than that of an ordinary cultivator at the same level.

Lucien’s interest immediately shifted toward Erion.

’So this mortal was killing the Realm Master? Interesting... and here I thought it’s the girl who was doing the killing, considering her talent....but whatever....now I’m interested,’ thought Lucien.

His gaze returned to the guards.

"What will you do?" said Lucien with a smirk on his face.

The head guard’s expression hardened.

"We will stop you and cut you down as well, because you are a criminal as well," said the head guard.

Lucien almost laughed.

"Ohhh....stop me? That’s a nice thought...but it’s not something that you are capable of making it a reality," said Lucien.

There was no arrogance in his voice.

That was what made it more frightening.

He was simply stating a fact.

The head guard understood that better than anyone else.

"I know," said the head guard.

Lucien raised an eyebrow.

"You know it? Yet still wanted to fight me," said Lucien.

The head guard took a slow breath.

His hands were trembling slightly, but not from fear of death alone.

He knew exactly what waited for him.

"I’m the head city guard of the Azurefall and I’m going to protect it with my life....because my daughter lives here and I’ll always protect my daughter," said the head guard.

Lucien’s smile became slightly wider.

"Ohhh...you have a daughter," said Lucien with a smirk.

The head guard turned his head toward one of his younger soldiers.

"Listen....Brant, you are my trusted subordinate. I want you to go back as fast as you can and inform prince Rumil about that a powerful Realm Master has entered the city who is spreading terrorism....and if possible I want you to take care of my daughter Aelvera, she’s practicing to become a warrior as well, you are young so if possible please marry her," said the head guard.

Brant’s eyes widened.

"Lord Baldwin, please I want to fight alongside you," said Brant.

Baldwin immediately shook his head.

"No, you have a bigger responsibility. Take half of the soldiers and go," said the head guard Baldwin.

Brant clenched his teeth.

He wanted to argue.

He wanted to stay.

But Baldwin’s expression stopped him.

There was no hesitation in the man’s eyes. He had already made his decision.

Lucien watched the exchange with an amused expression.

"Ohhh...the drama," said Lucien as if he were mocking them.

Brant suddenly glared at him.

"You bastard. You would never understand a relationship like this," said Brant.

Lucien looked at him quietly.

Then a warm smile appeared on his face.

"Relationship....are needed only for those who are incapable of standing alone," said Lucien with a warm smile, but his eyes said something else.

Not a shred of humanity could be seen in them.

Baldwin immediately gave the order.

Brant turned around and started running toward the exit of the field. Eight soldiers followed him without wasting another second.

Brant ran with everything he had.

He did not dare look behind.

Every step carried him farther from the battlefield and closer to the road leading deeper into the city.

He felt terrible for leaving Baldwin behind.

Yet beneath that guilt was another emotion that he could not deny.

Relief.

He had been given another chance to live.

Once he reached the road, he could scream for help. The people and soldiers in the city would hear him. Reinforcements would come. They would surround Lucien and try to stop him.

And after that, Brant would reach the palace and warn Prince Rumil.

He only needed to escape this field.

He only needed a few more steps.

’Almost... just a few steps,’ thought Brant.

His breathing became heavier as he ran.

His feet struck the ground again and again.

Yet something strange happened.

The sound of running began to decrease.

One set of footsteps disappeared.

Then another.

Then another.

Brant frowned.

He was already almost outside.

Why were the others no longer behind him?

Then something happened.

His head stopped.

His body did not.

Brant’s eyes widened in confusion.

He saw the ground below him.

Then he realized something was terribly wrong.

’How...?’ thought Brant.

His body was still running in front of him.

Except his head was no longer attached to it.

For a moment, Brant could not understand what he was seeing.

Then his head dropped toward the ground.

He landed heavily and stared at the scene behind him.

Every guard was dead.

Their bodies had been torn apart and ripped open. Blood stained the ground, and the formation they had once held together had disappeared completely.

Then Brant saw what had killed them.

Vines.

They had erupted from the ground like living things, wrapping around the soldiers and tearing them apart with brutal force.

The sight looked like something pulled directly from a nightmare.

Brant’s eyes trembled.

But what terrified him most was not the vines.

It was Lucien.

The man Baldwin had stayed behind to stop had never even moved.

Lucien was still standing in the same place.

He had not chased them.

He had not drawn a weapon.

He had not needed to.

And not a single soldier had survived.

Erion and Elaria stood frozen.

They had witnessed the entire scene.

Neither of them spoke.

The fear in their hearts was impossible to hide. They had just watched a group of trained guards be slaughtered in moments, and the man responsible had barely seemed to notice.

At the same time, another emotion remained inside them.

Gratitude.

Lucien had saved their lives.

But after seeing what happened to those guards, neither sibling dared to test whether that protection could be taken away just as easily.

Erion finally gathered the courage to speak.

"My lord, who are you and why did you save us, even though you know who we are?" said Erion.

Lucien stared at him as though the question itself were strange.

"Did you guys didn’t want to live?" Lucien asked, questioning with a shocked face.

Erion quickly shook his head.

"No we do. It’s just... it’s complicated," said Erion.

Lucien smiled.

"Don’t worry....if someone is in trouble I should save them," said Lucien with a smile and looked toward both siblings.

His words sounded almost kind.

Neither sibling fully believed them.

Erion had white hair and a handsome face, but his appearance was dulled by the poverty he had lived through. His clothes were plain, worn from use, and could not hide the difficult life he had experienced.

Elaria also had flowing white hair, tied into a ponytail that rested toward the front. She wore a brown jacket that fell toward the ground, along with tight-fitting pants. Her appearance remained striking despite the poor surroundings, and nothing about her clothing could completely hide her figure.

She stared directly at Lucien.

Unlike her brother, she did not allow gratitude to blind her caution.

"But even though it’s normal to save people, it’s not normal to save someone who people called Man Eater. Who are you?" asked Elaria with a suspicious look on her face.

Erion immediately looked at his sister.

"Sister, he saved us. We should be thankful," said Erion.

Elaria did not take her eyes away from Lucien.

"I’m thankful, but that doesn’t mean we should blindly trust people. What if he is worse than prince Rumil... you are not from here, are you?" said Elaria.

Lucien looked between the siblings.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then a large smile spread across his face.

It was not a comforting smile.

It was the kind of smile that made Elaria’s instincts grow even more cautious.

Lucien suddenly started laughing.

"Hahahah, you got me. I’m not from here...I’m from Valtheria, so tell me why a citizen of Azurefall became a man Eater," said Lucien.

Elaria understood the situation immediately.

She was smart enough to know what to say and when to say it.

More importantly, she knew when she had no choice but to give up.

Lucien had helped them, but that did not mean they were safe.

She had already seen what he could do.

With a simple act, he had destroyed every guard standing in his way.

If she refused to speak, there was no telling what he would do.

Perhaps he would decide that they had no value.

Perhaps he would simply kill them.

At least, that was how she understood the man standing before her.

So she chose the only path available to her.

She decided to tell him everything and see what would happen.

For nearly an hour, Elaria explained their story.

She told Lucien about her past.

She told him about her father’s death.

She told him about her mother’s sickness.

And finally, she told him about the revenge she carried against Prince Rumil.

Lucien listened to everything without interrupting.

He did not mock her.

He did not comfort her.

He simply listened.

When Elaria finally finished, there was a short silence.

Lucien looked at her.

Then he asked only one question.

"Can I see your mother?"

Elaria and Erion exchanged a glance.

Neither of them had expected that.

Soon, the three of them began making their way toward the place where their mother lived.

Eventually, they reached a house that was barely holding itself together.

The structure was in shambles. Parts of it looked as though they had not been repaired in years. It stood close to a cemetery, separated from the richer and more developed parts of the city.

The area was home to people who had little.

Humans.

Half-elves.

Those who had been pushed toward the edges of society and forced to survive without the support enjoyed by others.

Elaria led Lucien inside.

She moved carefully before using her Astral abilities.

A hidden mechanism responded to her power, and a concealed door opened, revealing the entrance to the underground section of the house.

Lucien followed the siblings below.

Normally, they would never have brought anyone here.

This hidden place was something they guarded closely.

But they had no other choice now.

They could only hope that showing Lucien their secret would not become another mistake.

The underground house was far larger than the ruined structure above suggested.

The contrast was almost shocking.

Elaria and Erion led Lucien deeper inside until they reached a room.

Their mother was lying on a bed covered completely in white.

Her face was peaceful.

She looked as though she were simply sleeping.

There was no struggle on her face.

No visible pain.

Only an unnatural stillness.

Lucien approached the bed.

He activated Divine Inspection.

His gaze moved over her body.

Within moments, he understood.

"She’s poisoned?" asked Lucien.

Elaria nodded.

"Yes...her condition was worse, but I managed to fix her a little. But no matter what I do, I’m unable to wake her up from her slumber," said Elaria.

Lucien studied her for another moment.

"Seems like you are missing something important?" said Lucien.

Elaria’s expression changed.

"How did you know?" asked Elaria.

Erion looked at his sister in confusion.

"What is he talking about, sister?" asked Erion with a shocked face.

Elaria lowered her gaze for a moment before answering.

"The poison that is affecting mother isn’t just any poison. It’s a poison prepared by prince Rumil himself," said Elaria.

Erion’s expression froze.

"What? But what does that have to do with the antidote?" asked Erion.

Elaria looked toward her mother.

Then she looked back at Lucien.

"It’s not just any poison. Magic was used to create this, and the only antidote that will work on this is..." said Elaria.

She stopped.

The answer was already clear to her.

Before she could finish, Lucien spoke.

"An antidote that is made by using Prince Rumil’s blood or Prince Rumil himself" said Lucien with a smile on his face.