The carriage ride back to the Thorne Estate was silent, save for the rhythmic clatter of hooves on cobblestone.
Duke Alistair sat opposite Lucian, his eyes fixed on his son's face. He was looking for cracks—looking for the weak, stuttering boy who had lived in this body only twelve hours ago. He found none. Lucian stared out the window, his expression as cold and distant as a moonlit glacier.
"You will stay in the West Wing tonight," the Duke finally said as the carriage pulled into the manor's courtyard. "I have placed a double guard at your door. Not for your protection, but to ensure no 'priests' try to snatch you in the dark."
"And Cassian?" Lucian asked, not turning his head.
"Your brother is with the healers. You drained more than just his mana, Lucian. You drained his pride. Be careful—a wounded dog bites hardest."
Lucian stepped out of the carriage. A dog? No, Father. Cassian is a snake. And snakes don't bite; they wait for you to sleep so they can coil around your throat.
As Lucian walked through the familiar halls toward the West Wing, the System chimed in his mind.
[Quest Update: 'The Viper's Nest']
[Detection Pulse... Active.]
[Analysis: 3 Hostile Signatures detected within the West Wing.]
[Proximity: 50 meters.]
Lucian's lips curled into a thin, dangerous smile. He didn't go to his room. Instead, he took a sharp turn into the servant's passage, a narrow, dim corridor used by the staff to move unseen.
He stopped in front of a heavy oak door—the entrance to the wine cellar.
"Soul Feast," he whispered.
A thin, wispy trail of black mist seeped from his fingertips, crawling along the floorboards like a hunting spider. It slipped under the door. A moment later, a muffled gasp echoed from inside, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor.
Lucian pushed the door open.
A man lay sprawled among the wine casks. He was dressed in the gray livery of a Thorne footman, but his hands were far too calloused for a servant, and a vial of Manticore's Breath—a deadly, mana-dissolving poison—had rolled from his grip.
[Target Neutralized.]
[Soul Points Extracted: +200]
"One," Lucian counted.
He moved like a shadow himself now. The Hollow Monarch class didn't just give him power; it gave him an unnatural grace. He felt lighter, as if the gravity of the world no longer fully applied to him.
He reached the third floor, near the balcony overlooking the gardens. Two figures were whispering in the dark. One was a knight in Thorne armor; the other was a woman Lucian recognized instantly.
Elara. She was his sister's former tutor, a woman known for her gentle smile and her mastery of "Light Magic." In the past life, she had been the one to disable the manor's magical wards, letting the High Elves walk through the front door.
"...it has to be tonight," Elara was whispering, her face twisted in a mask of urgency. "The boy is a mutation. If we don't kill him before he stabilizes his core, the plan for the succession is ruined. Use the silenced crossbow. Aim for the eyes."
"And the Duke?" the knight asked.
"The Duke is distracted by the Church. Just do it!"
Lucian stepped out of the shadows, clapping his hands slowly. The sound was like a gunshot in the quiet hall.
"It's a lovely plan, Elara," Lucian said, his violet-ringed eyes glowing in the dark. "But you forgot one thing."
The knight spun around, leveling a crossbow at Lucian's chest. Twang! The bolt flew, aimed straight for Lucian's heart.
Lucian didn't dodge. He simply opened his palm.
[Skill Activated: Crown of the Abyss (Passive Reflect)]
The bolt didn't hit him. It hit an invisible, swirling vortex of black energy six inches from his chest. The wooden bolt turned to gray dust instantly, the metal tip melting into a liquid glob that fell harmlessly to the rug.
The knight's jaw dropped. "What... what kind of monster are you?"
"The kind that's hungry," Lucian replied.
He lunged. He didn't use a sword. He reached out and grabbed the knight's helmet. A terrifying, guttural slurp echoed through the hallway. The knight didn't even have time to scream. His body withered inside his armor, his life force and mana sucked into Lucian's hand in a matter of seconds.
[Soul Points Extracted: +800]
[Stat Increase: Strength +1, Agility +1]
The empty armor clattered to the floor. Elara fell to her knees, her "Light Magic" flickering weakly in her palms like a dying candle.
"Please!" she sobbed. "I was forced! They have my family!"
Lucian stood over her, his shadow stretching long and jagged across the wall. In his past life, he would have believed her. He would have shown mercy and been stabbed in the back for it.
"I know you're lying, Elara," Lucian said coldly. "I remember the way you laughed when they burned the library. I remember the way you looked when you watched me die."
Elara's eyes widened. "What... what are you talking about? We've never—"
Lucian placed a hand on her forehead. "Goodbye, Teacher."
[Skill Activated: Soul Feast]
[Warning: Processing 'Light' element... Conversion to 'Void' initiated.]
Elara's scream was cut short as her soul was pulled through her brow. Her body didn't wither like the knight's; instead, she simply turned cold, her eyes becoming blank orbs of glass.
[Quest Complete: 'The Viper's Nest']
[Reward: 2,000 SP]
[Mystery Box Unlocked! Would you like to open it?]
Lucian stood in the hallway, surrounded by the remnants of his first successful hunt. He felt... fantastic. The "Hollow" inside him was finally beginning to feel full.
"Open it," he whispered.
[Opening Mystery Box...]
[Item Received: 'The Raven's Mask' (Grade: Relic)]
[Effect: Conceals the Host's identity, stats, and 'Hollow' eyes from anyone below S-Rank. Allows for 'Shadow Stepping' within a 10-meter radius.]
Lucian picked up the mask. It was made of a strange, bone-like material, carved into the likeness of a predatory bird. He pressed it to his face, and it melted into his skin, disappearing but leaving a cool sensation behind.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps approached.
"Lucian? I heard a disturbance!" It was the Duke, followed by a squad of elite guards.
The Duke stopped, looking at the pile of empty armor and Elara's slumped body. He looked at Lucian, who was standing calmly with his hands behind his back.
"They were traitors, Father," Lucian said, his voice smooth and untroubled. "I've taken the liberty of cleaning the house. I hope you don't mind."
The Duke looked at the dead "Light" mage, then at his son. A cold shiver went down the Duke's spine. For the first time in his life, he realized he wasn't looking at his son.
He was looking at the new Master of House Thorne.