Chapter 36: Free at Last
After Lucien had killed the Emberhide Ape, he immediately dashed away from the scene. His body moved with practiced speed, disappearing into the crimson shadows of the forest.
Numerous scenes like this occurred where Lucien would battle weak Volkoids. Each encounter was brief, brutal, and efficient, a testament to his growing skill and the sharpening of his instincts.
This was the edge of the Land of Death, so it was rare for a strong Volkoid to appear unless it was heavily injured. Even with this, Lucien made sure he didn’t make mistakes and got too hot-headed. He remained cautious, calculating, never letting his guard down completely.
Time flew away. Lucien now stood looking at the system interface with the countdown.
[Time Remaining: 00:00:10]
No excitement had ever been felt by Lucien before. He was going back home.
He was leaving this Land of Death. This hell.
Thinking of his experience made his knowledge widen. One should always know that there’s a sky beyond the sky, a lesson carved into his very bones.
[Time Remaining: 00:00:01]
[Time Remaining: 00:00:00]
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host. You have survived.]
[You have completed the mission: Survive five days in the Land of Death.]
Immediately, as that familiar emotionless robotic voice resounded in his ears, his figure disappeared as if he had never existed there.
Finally, he had survived. No amount of joy could replace the feeling of knowing he wasn’t going to stay here any longer.
He was free.
---
"Explain yourself. What do you mean our son is missing? What gave you the assurance of saying so?"
David was unbelievably calm, unlike Valyra, who was losing her mind from this news. Her amethyst eyes burned with barely restrained fury, her hands trembling at her sides.
"If you have any means to trace his location, you can find out that he’s untraceable," Seraphina, the masked woman, said. Her voice was steady, carrying the weight of certainty.
David and Valyra fell silent. It wasn’t that they believed Seraphina, but they slightly believed that someone of such strength wouldn’t just come here for such a thing. There had to be truth in her words.
"May we know who you are?" David asked, his voice low and measured.
"My identity is special. I am sorry that I will not be able to tell you," Seraphina said, her tone soft yet unyielding.
"Oh, really?" David’s expression turned cold. The air became tense, heavy with unspoken threat, as his cold gaze was fixed on Seraphina.
How could they discuss their son’s situation with an unknown person?
"Mr. David, I assure you not to worry, for I am not an enemy but an ally, or you could say, a friend." Seraphina said in a melodious tone, her words carrying a hint of warmth beneath the mystery.
David’s expression calmed down, and he said, "I hope so."
His gaze turned to Valyra, and he nodded to her. It wasn’t that Valyra couldn’t talk or make a move. The problem was that if she did, she might kill the masked woman. Her heart raged when it came to the matter of their son, and her restraint was the only thing holding her back.
"We will trust you on this," David said, his voice final.
David closed his eyes, trying to see if he could trace Lucien. He had placed marks on him long ago, hidden deep within his essence.
But his expression turned ugly. He could not feel the connection he had with the mark. It was as if it had been severed, erased from existence.
"How’s it?" Valyra asked her husband, her voice trembling with barely contained worry.
David shook his head and said, "I can’t feel the mark I put on him. It felt as if it was non-existent."
Valyra’s expression turned ugly, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Her hands clenched at her sides, her knuckles white.
"Don’t worry. He’s still alive. His soul runes haven’t broken, which means he’s still alive," David comforted his wife, his voice steady despite his own concern.
Valyra was relieved by his words. For a moment, she had thought that Lucien, her son, had died.
"I will try to use my method to see if I can find his location," Valyra said, her voice regaining its steel.
She then sat down cross-legged and closed her eyes while David stood guard, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. He then waved his hands, a formation of runes rising to conceal their actions from any prying eyes.
ROAR!
A draconic chant echoed from Valyra, domineering and ancient. Her eyes glowed as they turned draconic, burning with a primal light.
Seraphina saw this and did not seem surprised. Since Lucien had awakened such a powerful dragon soul, even though they had only seen its eyes, it showed that either of his parents had a dragon bloodline or a deep connection to dragons.
So she wasn’t really surprised. But she was curious about Valyra’s identity within the Dragon Race. The potency of her bloodline was strong, unmistakable even to Seraphina’s senses.
Valyra’s hands moved, intertwining as a rune was constructed before her. Her fingers weaved through the air with practiced precision, each movement deliberate and meaningful.
She then spat out a mouthful of blood, dying the rune red. The rune seemed to come alive, its form shifting and twisting until it transformed into a small blood dragon.
The blood dragon began to rotate in the air, its tiny wings beating as it searched. But after rotating for a while, it seemed confused. It paused, hovering in place, unable to find its target.
Valyra’s expression darkened as she opened her eyes.
"I can sense he’s still alive, but I can’t sense his location."
Valyra’s words made David frown. What happened? What happened to their son?
"May we know how he went missing?" David asked Seraphina.
Seraphina shook her head. "We don’t know how. He was just in the room from the Drax Clan."
David touched his chin, his gaze on Seraphina. "It seems one can’t underestimate the Drax Clan. They had someone as powerful as you."
Seraphina just chuckled but didn’t reply.
"Ok, I think it’s better to search for him instead of staying here," David said in a worried tone, and everyone nodded.
Comments