Chapter 62
Lucas returned to the hidden city, still as vast as before, spanning 300 km in every direction.
Healing the two of them had taken him a full week—longer than he had planned—and the competition was about to start.
He left them as they were, still immersed in the blue fluid, and wrote instructions on a piece of paper.
He also told the white tiger to inform them.
From this experiment, he understood how the Giant Mana Eye had been able to heal him, and the immense power it possessed.
But more than that, a change had occurred within him.
To everyone else, a person at the peak of the Silver stage shared roughly the same amount of mana.
But for Lucas, after combining the fail and nurturing methods and applying them to his Origin, his Origin would expand no matter what he did every day.
He tried the same method on his Mana Core.
With each stage from Copper to Platinum the quantity and quality of mana normally differed.
But Lucas had expanded his Mana Core to an extent that shocked him.
His Silver-stage Mana Core was ten times larger than anyone else's at the same stage, equivalent in quantity to a Diamond-stage Mana Core.
The quality remained the same.
He wanted to expand it further but couldn't.
In simple terms, even at the same stage as others, Lucas would always have far more mana.
When he eventually reached the Platinum stage, his mana pool would be ten times larger than everyone else's.
Even with this advantage, his cultivation requirements would increase, though he was already breaking through stages with ease, so it would only change his progress to some extent.
Still, Lucas was pleased with the outcome.
This meant he could maintain Astral Mode for fifty minutes at the peak of the Silver Stage.
Although he had already reached the peak, expanding it tenfold made it feel like he was starting over from the beginning.
He didn't mind.
After checking on Tracy and Mia in the city, he went to see Nora and then rested, spending the day cultivating.
The next day
The Royal Battle Arena stood as a monument to power and spectacle.
The preliminary contests, designed to weed out the unworthy, were finished.
The vast, echoing space before them now awaited only the chosen—the elite few who had proven themselves.
Every chosen Elite had answered the summons.
None dared be late, for the call had come from the Sky King himself.
Even Lucas, who moved to his own rhythm, made sure he was punctual.
To keep Arthur waiting was to invite lasting disapproval.
The arena's scale was humbling.
The main fighting floor was a seamless expanse of enchanted stone, spanning ten kilometers from one curved wall to the other.
It could host a small army, yet today it awaited only a handful of fighters.
The air was still, heavy with anticipation.
Rising high above the arena floor were spectator tiers carved from pale, elegant stone.
They swept upward in a wide circle, offering a perfect view of every inch below.
But all seats were empty today; this was a private event.
At the very peak, directly over the arena floor, was the Royal Platform—a proud outcropping of absolute authority.
There, overlooking the emptiness and the chosen fighters below, stood a single, majestic throne.
From this solitary seat, Arthur would watch, judge, and decide their fates.
Lucas was lazing around when a voice approached.
"You should be Lucas, right?"
He opened his eyes and immediately noticed her legs—long, naturally graceful.
His gaze traveled upward to her hips, smooth and well-defined.
Her clothes hinted at her figure without revealing too much.
When he reached her upper body, he paused.
Her form was balanced and refined, almost unreal.
Her chest was proportionate, her stomach flat and toned, hinting at strength beneath her shirt.
Though it concealed her skin, it could not hide the shape of her body.
Her hair flowed to her lower back, dark and glossy, framing her figure beautifully.
Her eyes were striking white, unmistakable evidence of her Lotus Clan heritage.
The contrast of black hair and white eyes made her presence impossible to ignore.
Lucas did not lie to himself. She was beautiful.
"And you should be Kaya. Nice to meet you," he said with a smile.
Kaya returned the smile and glanced around. "Yeah, it is. But even so, why do you look so relaxed being surrounded by everyone here? Aren't you afraid of losing?"
Lucas chuckled. "First, it's impossible for me to lose here. Maybe only Austin would be a challenge—and that guy over there, chilling like me. Everyone else? I'd win regardless."
The only reason Austin would be a challenge was that Lucas didn't want to use his full power, limiting himself to match Austin's strength.
The distant guy was dangerous because of his clan's beast spells, which made Eleanor unbeatable in close combat.
If Lucas matched Austin's strength, their chances of a 50:50 outcome existed to defeat that guy.
But Lucas wasn't worried; he could make himself slightly stronger and not lose.
He wanted the fight to be serious, but if an opponent couldn't excite him, what were they worth?
In truth, the mindless often led to their own downfall.
But at full power, Lucas had no one who could match his base form unless they were 8-Star or Moon Class.
Everyone here was 5-Star or 6-Star, so Lucas wasn't looking down on them—just stating the truth.
He sighed as Kaya said, "So you're saying I'd lose to you, then?" She chuckled.
"Are you a little overconfident?" she asked sweetly.
"Hmmm, I'm just stating the truth," Lucas replied lazily.
"Okay, we'll see soon," Kaya said, then added, "Oh, there's something I want to ask."
"Yeah?"
"What spell are you using to hide your Mana Core stage?"
"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, slightly confused.
"Hmmm, it's just that your mana feels richer than someone at the Iron stage," Kaya explained.
"Oh, that's because I'm halfway to the Silver stage," Lucas admitted, lowering his defenses.
"Is that why you're so confident?" Kaya asked.
"Yep," Lucas replied, a simple lie—why explain more?