Thud.
Lucius tossed Salvatore Doni to the ground, closing his eyes to sense his mana.
Doni was undeniably a formidable foe. In Lucius's view, even facing a Heretic Mars again wouldn't be as tough as this fight.
One reason was their terrible compatibility.
With his process-skipping ability, Lucius was like an assassin with maxed agility but low attack power.
His worst match was someone like Doni—high attack, high defense.
Even as a Campione, their raw power was generally weaker than a Heretic God's.
Campiones won through overcoming the odds.
That was the unreasonable nature of a Campione.
But Lucius's main concern was…
Doni's curse power was significantly less than Mars'.
Thus, after such a grueling battle, the payoff left Lucius dissatisfied.
It irked him further that Doni, having slain four Heretic Gods, had less power than one.
It reminded him of energy loss in a food chain.
Killing a Heretic God as a Campione seemed like a wasteful loss of divine power.
"Mozlis, if I absorb the power of a Campione or Heretic God, can they recover it?" Lucius asked, holding the sealed bottle in his mind.
"In theory, once you absorb their power, their maximum capacity drops. Natural recovery would be extremely difficult," The demon loli's leisurely voice replied, sounding pleased.
To her, boredom was the worst enemy.
Though Lucius and Doni's fight was mere "cockfighting" in her eyes, it was entertaining, like watching crickets battle.
"So, recovery's not impossible?" Lucius's lips curled into a genial smile.
He dissipated the attack he'd been preparing.
Salvatore Doni, lying unconscious, showed no trace of his earlier bravado, his faintly rising chest the only sign of life.
Normally, Lucius would finish him off, but things were different now.
Campiones were this world's darlings.
If recovery was possible, it would happen.
In a sense, Lucius was pragmatic.
He now saw Campiones as… crops to harvest.
Slaying Heretic Gods wasted so much divine power—it was time to recoup some.
Though not a true Campione, he operated under their guise.
Campiones were often at odds but shared a strange camaraderie.
Killing a "kin" would make others wary, hindering his plans to exploit them.
Still, he wouldn't let Doni walk free.
If Doni fully recovered, the fool would likely come swinging again.
Though Lucius was confident he'd grow stronger, he couldn't risk an upset.
So, he needed to give Doni a new hobby, redirecting his love for battle to neutralize the threat.
His gaze turned sinister.
Crouching, he placed a hand over Doni's forehead, activating his worldview again.
This time, he didn't alter the world but used his altered worldview to invade Doni's mind, planting suggestions to reshape his thoughts.
It was akin to whispering to someone asleep to hypnotize them.
Compared to world-altering, it was less taxing.
The only drawback was it worked only when the target's mind was defenseless.
Unconscious, Doni couldn't resist.
After a while, Lucius stood, glancing at the ruined mansion.
The grounds were littered with debris, ravaged by Doni's sword. The once-grand estate was now worse than Mars' temple ruins.
"Is the battle over?" A mage murmured, stunned, watching the fallen Sword King and the calm Lucius.
"This is the new King's victory! With strength and wisdom, he surpassed the Sword King!"
"We, Italy's mages, may need to rethink our roles," An older mage sighed, prompting silence among others.
Some were thrilled.
"Rejoice! He seized a Heretic God's power, surpassing the older Campione, a Devil King wise in battle! His name is Campione Lucius, and this is his moment of glory!"
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Liliana rushed to Lucius's side.
As his direct subordinate, she felt compelled to check on him.
Other mage association commanders soon arrived.
Lucius didn't answer her, hands in his pockets, his expression calm as he scanned the surroundings, his gaze settling on Doni.
He snorted lightly.
"Sword King, not bad."
His flat tone, brimming with pride, struck awe and fear into the mages' hearts.
"Liliana, my new residence should be ready, right?" Lucius asked, glancing at her calmly.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I'll take you there now," She replied promptly.
Lucius paused, his hand gripping the bottle in his coat, fingers poised at the neck, ready to uncork it.
A gentle smile spread across his face.
"Well done."
"Huh?" Liliana froze, startled by his smile.
Then, to her shock, Lucius stepped close, wrapping an arm around her neck.
***
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