Lucas let the silence stretch for a moment longer as he looked at the artifact resting on the table between them. The Core of Dominion, the Sage had called it. It pulsed gently, as though it had a heartbeat of its own, an artifact of staggering ambition, birthed by a mind that had clearly brushed the very edge of what alchemy could achieve.
Then, at last, Lucas offered a quiet smile, folding his hands together atop the table.
"You flatter me greatly, Sage Raph," he said, voice warm, respectful. "But I fear your words give me far more credit than I deserve."
The Sage didn't interrupt. He simply watched, eyes narrowed slightly in curiosity, perhaps even amusement.
Lucas continued, "What you have crafted here is no simple tool. Your understanding of Qi manipulation, of structural resonance, of artifact binding, it's beyond anything I've ever encountered. To claim I could simply look at it and solve the very problem that has eluded you… that would be arrogance."
