At that time, when the fight was going on, Lucavion was also observing Elara from the corner of his eyes.
Since most of the monsters for the beginner waves were rather on the weaker side, he was able to easily overcome any of these situations without much mistakes.
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Heâd positioned himself deliberately, ensuring he had a clear view of her movements, her spells, and the choices she made in combat. After all, observing her was one of the reasons he had chosen the fourth station.
And as the skirmish unfolded, things developed just as he had expected.
Elaraâs skill was evidentâher control over ice magic precise, her casting swift, and her presence on the battlefield steady. The crystalline frost forming at her feet, the lethal efficiency of her spells, and the way she adapted to the flow of the fight all spoke to her training and talent.
âImpressive,â Lucavion thought, his smirk faint but approving. âBut flawed.â
His sharp gaze caught the details others overlooked. The spell choices she made often seemed disproportionate to the threats she faced. For smaller, weaker monsters, she occasionally overcompensated, using high-tier spells that drained her mana unnecessarily. Meanwhile, against tougher creatures, her initial responses were occasionally lacking, as though she underestimated the danger they posed until she adjusted mid-combat.
[HumphâŚ] Vitaliaraâs voice purred in his mind, laced with genuine observation. [Sheâs quite good.]
âReally?â Lucavion thought, his tone skeptical as he watched her cast another high-tier spell against a mid-tier monster, freezing it completely but wasting valuable resources in the process. âSheâs talented, yes, but raw.â
[You sound unimpressed,] Vitaliara remarked, her tail flicking lightly against his neck. [Shouldnât you be cheering her on?]
âThis isnât about cheering,â he replied inwardly, his smirk growing faintly. âThis is about understanding. She has power, but no nuance. Her inexperience shows in how she uses that power.â
[Care to explain, oh wise one?]
Lucavionâs gaze didnât waver from Elara as she regrouped, her staff glowing faintly as she prepared another spell. âShe doesnât understand the monsters sheâs facingânot fully. Sheâs compensating with raw force when precision would suffice. Against weaker enemies, sheâs wasting mana. Against stronger ones, sheâs playing catch-up because she doesnât recognize their threat until itâs too late.â
Vitaliara hummed thoughtfully. [I see what you mean. Sheâs adjusting on the fly, but her lack of knowledge is forcing her to fight harder, not smarter.]
âExactly,â Lucavion agreed, his smirk softening into something more contemplative. âShe doesnât have a framework to rely on. No understanding of the creaturesâ strengths, weaknesses, or patterns. Thatâs her blind spot.â
He didnât mention to Vitaliara the real reason for his insightâthe fact that he already knew Elaraâs strengths and weaknesses from the novel. It was a delicate balance to maintain, keeping his knowledge of this worldâs underlying story to himself while leveraging it as a tool.
[Still, she held her own,] Vitaliara pointed out, her tone almost defensive. [You canât deny that.]
âTrue,â Lucavion admitted. âHer raw talent carried her through, and her determination is... admirable. But talent only gets you so far. Without knowledge, sheâs at a disadvantage she doesnât even realize she has.â
His gaze flicked briefly to Cedric, who remained close to Elara, offering her a mana potion and a steadying word. The manâs protective instincts were clear, and while Lucavion found them slightly grating, he couldnât deny their value. Elara needed grounding, and Cedric provided thatâthough Lucavion noted with a faint smirk how Cedricâs sharp glares occasionally turned his way.
âAt least she has support,â Lucavion thought, his expression briefly amused. âEven if he looks like he wants to cut me down for existing.â Your next chapter awaits on empire
[Youâre thinking too much again,] Vitaliara teased, her voice light. [Just admit sheâs got potential and move on.]
Lucavionâs smirk twisted into something faintly amused as he adjusted his grip on his weapon, his gaze flicking toward Vitaliaraâs glowing form on his shoulder. âWhen did you start taking her side?â he mused inwardly. âWhat happened to the Vitaliara who spent all her time critiquing her every move?â
Vitaliara hummed softly, her tail curling lightly around his neck. [Indeed, it is strange, isnât it?] she replied, her tone reflective rather than defensive. [But⌠I donât know. I suppose thereâs something about her that feels familiar. I canât quite place it, but itâs there.]
Lucavion raised an eyebrow, though his expression remained otherwise neutral. âFamiliar?â
[Yes,] Vitaliara continued, her voice quieting as though she were searching for the words. [Not entirely, but⌠something resonates. Itâs like a fragment of a memory, blurry and out of reach. Maybe itâs nothing. Or maybe itâs just... her determination. It reminds me of someone.]
Lucavionâs smirk faltered for the briefest moment, replaced by a flicker of something unspoken. His thoughts shifted inward, brushing against truths he had no intention of sharingânot yet, at least.
âItâs because sheâs the daughter of Master,â he thought, the weight of the realization settling within him. Heâd known it from the start, of course, but seeing VitaliaraâMasterâs familiarâunconsciously drawn to Elara only confirmed what he already understood.
Still, he said nothing of it aloud, his sharp mind keeping the revelation locked away for now. Itâs not the time. Not yet.
"Well, whatever the reason," he said instead, his voice light but tinged with a trace of mischief, "donât let her newfound favor go to your head. Youâve been surprisingly lenient."
[Donât get used to it,] Vitaliara retorted with a faint huff, though her teasing tone returned quickly. [She still has plenty to learn. Iâm just saying sheâs not entirely hopeless.]
Lucavion chuckled softly, his gaze flicking back toward Elara as she steadied herself, her staff glowing faintly with frost as she prepared for the next wave. âNot hopeless, huh? High praise coming from you.â
The sea began to churn again, signaling the arrival of more creatures. Lucavion adjusted his stance, his smirk returning as he prepared to meet the chaos head-on.
âLetâs see how she handles whatâs next,â he thought, his blade gleaming faintly with the soft flicker of the Flame of Equinox.
âAndâŚ..I am really close to breakthroughâŚ.Indeed, this was what I had been lacking all this timeâŚ.â
As the scene with Elara and the battle continued, Lucavionâs focus subtly shifted inward. He began to sense the coiling of energy deep within himâa restlessness in his [Flame of Equinox], like a predator denied its feast. The pulse of the flame resonated with every slain monster, but it remained unsatisfied.
âSo, thatâs what Iâve been missing,â he mused, his gaze flicking to the battlefield strewn with the remains of lesser creatures. His blade moved almost reflexively, cutting down another foe with a clean, effortless strike. âA concentrated flow of death energy. Not a single kill or a formidable foe, but an overwhelming release. A true storm of destruction.â
[You look⌠different,] Vitaliara remarked, her voice laced with curiosity. [Whatâs on your mind?]
Lucavion let out a low chuckle, his grip on his weapon steady. âThe answer to my breakthrough,â he replied. âI always thought I needed stronger opponents to cross into the 4-star realm, but Iâve been looking at it wrong. The Flame of Equinox isnât just about powerâitâs about balance, about feeding on the essence of life and death in harmony.â
[And what does that mean for now?] Vitaliaraâs tone sharpened, sensing the shift in his resolve.
âIt means this battle isnât just a skirmish anymore,â Lucavion thought, a faint smirk curling at his lips. âItâs the perfect crucible.â
And just as he had said that, the monsters surged again, their numbers growing as the intermediate waves began.
Lucavion stepped forward, his blade igniting with the flame, its light casting a crimson glow against the shadowed terrain. His strikes grew sharper, more decisive, each one releasing bursts of energy that fed the hungry flame.
He could feel the shift within him, the subtle cracking of the barrier that had held him back for so long. Each monster he felled added to the growing tide, their deaths fueling the equilibrium of the flame.
[LucavionâŚ] Vitaliaraâs voice was low, almost reverent. [What are you planning?]
He paused briefly, casting her a glance that held both amusement and determination. âJust watch. This isnât something I can explainâitâs something youâll feel when it happens.â
With that, he surged into the heart of the battle, his movements a seamless blend of precision and ferocity. Each swing of his blade ignited the flame further, the energy radiating from him growing with every passing moment. It wasnât just the monsters that fellâit was the atmosphere itself, thick with the raw essence of death, that began to shift.
The world seemed to hold its breath as Lucavion pushed himself further, the flame roaring to life around him. And then, as the wave of monsters broke against him like water against stone, he felt itâa shattering within, followed by an all-consuming heat.
The breakthrough came like a flood, the Flame of Equinox surging to a new level. It wasnât just power; it was clarity, balance, and control, all coalescing into a single, undeniable force.
âIndeed, that was what I had been missing.â