The invitation had been a test, the council's first attempt to measure Lucien's intentions.
They thought their unseen influence remained untouched.
They were wrong.
And now, as he moved beyond the noble courts, beyond the realms of manipulation and deception, the physical battlefield awaited.
Because control was not just about strategy.
It was about proving dominance in every domain—even against those who did not bend to whispers and politics.
---
### The Blackwood Territory: A Realm of Nightmares
Beyond the noble estates, nestled between the borders of civilization and the unknown, lay the Blackwood Territory—a land where monsters reigned, where ancient magics still pulsed through the trees, untainted by the refinement of noble society.
It was here that Lucien's influence needed to expand next.
If he could control not just humans, but the creatures lurking in the abyss, then his dominion would stretch beyond mere noble courts.
And it began with the hunt.
---
### The First Encounter: A Battle Against the Forgotten
The Blackwood Territory was unlike anything within the city.
The air was thick with unnatural mist, its shadows deeper than should have been possible. The trees towered, twisting unnaturally, their roots pulsing faintly with arcane energy.
Then—a growl.
Low. Heavy. Wrong.
Lucien turned sharply, his All-Seeing Eyes activating just as the first creature lunged from the darkness.
A Troll of the Abyss, its body riddled with scars, its massive claws dripping with unnatural venom, its eyes void of reason—only hunger.
It charged, shaking the earth beneath its weight.
But Lucien did not move.
He vanished.
Dimensional Step activated, pulling him beyond space itself—six feet behind the troll before it even registered his disappearance.
And then—the counterattack.
His magic tore through the creature, slicing through its corrupted flesh with precision. Its roar shook the ground, but it was already too late.
A final arcane pulse.
A sharp, decisive movement.
And the troll fell, its body dissolving into black mist—its soul claimed by the forest's abyss.
---
### The Depths of the Hunt
The troll had been the first.
But the forest was filled with far worse things.
- Goblin raiders, their eyes glowing faintly with stolen magic, their weapons imbued with corruption.
- Zombies, remnants of fallen warriors, their forms twisted beyond recognition.
- A beast unseen—something that lurked too deep, something whose presence made the very air quake with fear.
Lucien felt it.
And as he moved deeper into the Blackwood Territory, he knew one truth.
If he could control this realm, if he could bend its nightmares to his will,
Then even the secret council would be forced to recognize that power did not belong to rulers in shadows.
It belonged to him.