Silence fell over the cavern.
A beautiful golden-haired woman, dressed like a warrior from ancient times, had emerged from within the stone pendant.
Though her body was clearly that of a spirit, her beauty was breathtaking, so perfect it made the air itself feel unreal.
Then—
Her eyes burst open.
A violent gust of wind exploded outward, accompanied by a blinding surge of light that swept across the entire chamber.
Lucas, Garran, and Bennet all raised their arms instinctively, shielding their eyes.
For a moment, the world was nothing but white.
Seconds passed.
Then the light vanished.
Lucas slowly lowered his arm and opened his eyes.
The woman was gone.
He immediately turned toward Garran, who was still standing in place, the jade stone clenched tightly in his hand.
"Where did she go?" Lucas asked.
Garran shook his head, his expression serious. "I don't know. She appeared and disappeared just like that. I didn't feel any life force from her at all. I think… she returned to the pendant."
Lucas rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Of course, he knew exactly who that woman was.
She was the force behind Leon's meteoric rise, the powerful spirit that became his greatest catalyst. The true reason Leon had advanced so rapidly in the original story.
"Here, Young Master," Garran said, handing the jade back. "I don't know where you obtained this, but it's clearly invaluable."
"I know," Lucas replied calmly.
He studied the stone pendant for a moment.
Its color had darkened slightly, now emitting a soft, refined golden glow, quiet, elegant, as if it had been filled.
Lucas placed it back into his spatial ring.
"A bit chaotic," he said lightly, "but I got what I came for."
The statue that had once dominated the center of the cave was gone.
In its place lay a vast pool of water, so wide it resembled a small lake.
Garran and Bennet stared at it.
Garran stepped forward and dipped his fingers into the water. His expression changed instantly.
"Young Master… this isn't ordinary water," he said gravely. "The energy density is extremely high. It feels like… an entire mountain of mana compressed into a single point."
Lucas grinned.
He retrieved a round artifact from his spatial ring, smaller than his palm, engraved with the image of a coiling dragon.
Garran recognized it immediately. "A mana storage device?"
Lucas nodded. "While I'm diving, can you fill this?"
"Of course," Garran replied without hesitation.
Lucas handed him the artifact, then removed his upper garments, revealing a well-trained, balanced physique.
With a light leap, he dove into the pool.
The water was crystal clear, and the depth was less than ten meters.
It didn't take long before Lucas spotted it.
A massive rock embedded at the bottom, glowing with an intense blue light.
A smile spread across his face.
It wasn't an ordinary stone.
It was a fragment of an ancient asteroid, one of the remnants that had brought mana into this world. A true treasure, and the reason this pool was so rich in energy.
Without hesitation, Lucas grabbed the stone and tore it free from the bedrock. Though large and heavy, he lifted it with both hands.
He resurfaced, carrying the glowing fragment.
Bennet, seated nearby, and Garran, still filling the artifact—both froze.
"What is that rock?" Bennet asked, stunned. "Its mana density far surpasses even the pool itself."
"This is the source," Lucas replied with a satisfied smile.
Once the artifact was filled, Garran handed it back.
"Is there anything else to be done, Young Master?" he asked.
"Yes," Lucas said. "One last thing."
He took out another stone from his spatial ring.
It radiated a similar blue glow, though at a different intensity, and smaller.
Something he had purchased from Ludrik.
Lucas tossed it into the pool. The stone fused seamlessly with the bedrock, emitting a gentle glow as the mana flow stabilized once more.
The pool had been recharged.
"Alright," Lucas said. "We're done here."
He turned to Bennet and patted his shoulder. "Mr. Bennet, your help today was greatly appreciated. In the future, I'll pay a visit to the Creed Mountain Order."
Bennet's face lit up immediately. "Of course, Young Master Lucas! We'll welcome you with open arms!"
Lucas gave a faint smile.
He knew exactly what kind of person Bennet was, someone who believed associating with a Drakebane heir would bring him benefits.
And Lucas had no issue with that.
People like Bennet were useful sometimes.
---
Night grew deeper.
Lucas and Garran parted ways with Bennet, who returned to his duties as an elder of the Creed Mountain Order.
Elsewhere, In the backyard of a modest house...
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
The sound of relentless strikes echoed through the night.
A black-haired young man was training furiously, his fists slamming into a wooden dummy. Sweat poured from his body.
Leon Emery.
Ever since Lucas had beaten him the previous night, his determination had burned hotter than ever.
This wasn't just about pride anymore.
It was about Sofia.
Earlier that afternoon, Leon had gone to House Valemont and told Gustav everything, that Lucas had kidnapped Alex and Sofia.
It was the truth.
Yet the moment he finished, he was met with a harsh slap to the face.
Lucas had been the one who rescued Alex.
No one, not a single soul knew Lucas was the true mastermind behind it all.
The image of Lucas standing beside Sofia haunted Leon.
He could only pray that Lucas hadn't done anything vile.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
CRACK!
His final punch shattered the wooden dummy.
"Haah… haah…" Leon panted, breathing heavily.
His eyes burned as he stared into the darkness.
"Lucas… I will get my revenge!" he vowed.
Tonight, he would begin treasure hunting, sooner than planned.
A few days ago, he had purchased a treasure map from a flea market for fifty bucks. A steep price for a student like him, but worth it.
The map was genuine, and the seller hadn't known its true value.
Leon clenched his fists.
His destination...
Blackbell Forest.