"So are you going to like swing a wand and bestow the sword art upon me or is it something else?" Lucas asked intently, Grandmaster Gravar stared intensely at him before turning away.
"You remind me of myself when I was younger. Gods was I strong back then. Do you want to know how I died?" He asked.
The room suddenly turned cold, the neutral aura that Lucas felt suddenly turned sombre.
"Uhhhh I guess." Lucas said with hesitation as Grandmaster Gravar looked at him with interest.
"The Union had called me to take care of a dungeon overload, in their words "the rank was insignificant" and so I being the righteous person I was left for the area." He muttered with resentment.
"When I finally reached the area, I did not find a dungeon overload, instead I found twelve SS ranks waiting for me.
"I was surprised, but then I understood immediately what it was—a ploy to take my sword art! Which I developed!" He said loudly.
Lucas didn't move, he didn't understand what to make of this. Personally he just wanted to get the sword art and go but he decided to pay attention, maybe there was a lesson coming.
"Thankfully I already suspected their plans and safely hid my sword art, I was able to take three of the rankers with me before I died.
"Can you believe it? Instead of uniting and fighting against the demons, they decide to ban together and take out one of their own." He said with a deluded laugh.
Lucas coughed softly, drawing Gravar's attention, "Is there a moral to this story?" Lucas questioned, his tone not improper.
Grandmaster Gravar raised an eyebrow before his lips curled up, "Yes, remember child, human greed is boundless. You have the same tenacity I once had, so remember, never, ever, trust anyone.
"Not your friends, not your superiors and certainly not your family. Human greed is the only truth that never lies. Morality bends, loyalty shatters, love rots—but greed, that endures. It takes root in the hearts of everyone, twisting them so that they do what's in their best interest regardless of who it hurts because in the end, it's everyone for themselves."
Gravar advised, his tone dropping low.
Lucas paused, his expression changed slightly, "Do you think I don't know this? Greed is absolute, love is conditional.
"When power gathers in one hand, it festers. Like stagnant water, it breeds rot and madness. No empire, no organisation, no guild can escape this fate—for the hand that holds too tightly will one day be severed."
Upon hearing his words Grandmaster Gravar smiled softly, his eyes warm—it was a happy smile, a ridiculous smile.
For the first time in a century, Grandmaster Gravar smiled. He realised something, the boy, understood how the world worked.
Kindness was never free. Every smile hid a debt, every hand extended and waited for payment. Strip away the pretenses, and people will see the world for what it is—cold, merciless, and ruled only by profit.
Gravar had only understood this moments before his death, but this boy, who was so young, seemed to possess a striking insight into the world.
'Maybe, just maybe this boy could succeed where I failed—uniting all the humans and ending the awful war.' Grandmaster Gravar thought bitterly.
Lucas glanced at Grandmaster Gravar's affectionate eyes, he understood his thoughts immediately. This was the same eyes parents had when placing their kids on an impossible pedestal that they couldn't reach.
"Make no mistake, I have no power to achieve whatever is going through your mind. You might think that due to my insight into this cruel world and my victory against that sinister shadow, I would have a high amount of potential…..
"Well you're absolutely wrong, my potential is E. I am the weakest of the weak, but don't think my speech here means I surrender.
"Even though I have no talent, I shall forge it. The limits placed on me? I'll break them. For chains exist only to be shattered."
Lucas spoke resolutely. His eyes burned with conviction and perseverance.
Grandmaster Gravar grinned, "Then it seems my sword art is perfect for you."
Lucas tilted his head in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"
Grandmaster Gravar walked through the room, his steps light, "My sword art is brutal, it reforges the human body. Restructuring the flesh and bones within the body to better suit the art style. But that's not the real reason this sword art causes inhumane suffering when you practice it."
Lucas paused his eyes confused, "I don't understand."
Grandmaster Gravar sighed, "You see, the reason people can only reach a certain rank is because your body is filled with certain impurities. By practicing my sword art, you remove these impurities from your body."
Lucas's eyes widened as he took a sharp breath, "You can increase your potential that way." He muttered in a daze.
Grandmaster Gravar nodded, "That's why all those bastards at the Union wanted my sword art. But you should know, my sword art isn't omnipotent.
"After a certain point, the impurities are clumped too tightly together. Even if you practice harder, you won't be able to increase your rank."
Lucas though didn't pay attention, his mind was literally jumping with delight. His eyes beamed as he asked, "Give it to me now!" .
Grandmaster Gravar chuckled, "Yeah alright, but remember at most, this will help you get to A+ rank."
Lucas inhaled deeply at his words, he had expected it to be C rank or at most B rank. But A rank? That was the level of the top 100 Rankers.
"It seems you've struck oil Lu! A rank huh? That's great!" Bellie broke his silence.
Lucas silently nodded to his words.
If the Union got their hands on this sword art, they'd be able to mass produce A ranked Heroes.
"No matter, that's still a start, I'll figure out how to get to SSS rank from there." Lucas whispered intently, causing Grandmaster Gravar to clap softly.
"You're quite persistent aren't you?" Grandmaster Gravar paused for a moment, before continuing.
"By the way, you're thinking of using a demon contract to further increase your potential right?" He asked without hesitation.
Lucas was slightly taken aback, how had he been able to detect Bellie? Sure he might've been an SSS+ Ranker but as of now he was just a projection.
Bellie's primary ability was to to see the direction and density of mana in the air and in people, it allowed him to disguise himself by controlling his mana in such a way that his presence was the same as air.
Bellie himself had stated that only an A class Hero would be able to detect him, that too it was only if they focused on him.
"How did you know?" Lucas asked coldly.
"How the fuck did he notice me? Kill him now! We can't let him live! He'll put our lives in danger!" Bellie commanded, his voice carried traces of anxiousness and urgency.
Grandmaster Gravar looked at him with a knowing smile, "He's disguised thoroughly, I'm sure that only a A class Hero would be able to detect him.
"But I've spent most of my life around demons, at some point I gained the ability to smell them and you reek."
A dangerous glint passed in Lucas's eyes before he exhaled softly, Gravar was trapped here in this arena he wouldn't be able to spread the news even if he wanted to.
Moreover, after passing on his sword art he'd disappear. So he would have no way to tell another soul.
But that was if he passed the sword art to Lucas.
"What do the youngsters say nowadays?....ahh yes relax, take a chill pill. I can feel that you're a good person, and that demon seems to have forsaken its kind.
"I won't tell on you, you have my word."
Lucas sighed in relief, but his eyes remained trained on Grandmaster Gravar.
"I'll infuse slight amounts of my mana into you, it'll hide that demon from prying eyes. Moreover, it'll disguise the demonic energy in you and it will hide the obvious traces of modification."
Lucas stayed silent for a minute, "Why?" He croaked out, his voice hoarse.
Grandmaster Gravar laughed, "It's simple, I'm betting on you. Now, do you wish to learn the Gravar Style?"
Lucas's eyes twinkled, "Yes!"
"Very well"
Seemingly having made his decision, Grandmaster Gravar smiled peacefully.
Slowly he walked up to Lucas and tapped his forehead
Immediately, Lucas felt his mind turn blank as a flood of information rushed into his mind.
"Hmmm." He hummed as Lucas shook his head in pain. It felt like waves of water were colliding right into his brain! Lucas felt his mind grow numb and his body light.
Suddenly, Lucas felt a sharp resistance, the arena was ejecting him!
Almost immediately, Grandmaster Gravar paused.
"It seems our time is up, but before you leave, you should know your fate is disturbed. Your body is in disharmony, it looks like your body is crowded." He whispered warily.
Lucas's eyes widened upon hearing his words. "What do you mean by that?" Lucas yelled as he felt the arena forcing him out, he stretched his hand in an effort to grab Grandmaster Gravar's ghost and force the old coot to tell the meaning behind his ominous words but it was to no avail.
Grandmaster Gravar's lips curved into a faint smile, warmth flickering across his face, "Goodbye." He murmured, his voice low.
The word hung in the air, as he stared at the empty space. He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh, before his gazed hardened, "A Mikaelson huh?....." A memory flashed across his mind, causing his face to darken, "The fact that they're still alive is troublesome."
He muttered to himself as he made his way towards the arena emboldened with ice.
"It seems that kid has inherited his family's power." Grandmaster Gravar whispered with amusement upon glancing at the scene.
His expression soon stilled, as silence filled the air. The corner of his mouth soon lifted into a smile, "The Union" He said softly, savouring the word, "is going to have their hands full with him."
His eyes wandered to the shadow, which was riddled with ice spears, dozens of them which jutted out at impossible angles. It pinned the poor creature down, as it struggled against it.
Shards of frost clung to its wounds, but it didn't slow the oozing viscous black ichor. The foul liquid hissed when it touched the floor, and bloomed into smoke.
Around the shadow, the ice spread out in a form of a bed, or a coffin, looking at the scene Grandmaster Gravar couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor thing.
"That kid has no idea how troubled he truly is." He muttered quietly.
____
A/N - I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Now,
**Pulls out gun**
Put the stones in the bag.