The final echo of the explosion faded into silence. Bone fragments drifted across the chamber like gray snow as the green ghost lights dimmed, the dungeon registering the boss's defeat.
Lucas stood over the Bone Lord's remains, his gaze fixed on the three pieces of loot that had materialized: a pulsing green Bone Lord's Core, a jagged shard of the boss's greatsword, and a small dark pendant.
A sudden surge of energy flooded his body.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Multiple system notifications exploded across his vision in rapid succession.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!] ...
Lucas's lips curved into a wide, satisfied grin. He tightened his grip on the greatsword's hilt as the intoxicating rush of power coursed through him.
Lucas Vanderbilt – Current StatusRank:
Level: 29 (↑18 from previous Level 11)
"Uff, finally…" he whispered under his breath.
Behind him, the rest of the team stood in varying states of shock.
Owen's gum nearly slipped from his mouth as his jaw dropped. "He… He actually killed it? But how?! That curse should've slowed him down, and that bone shield—how the hell did the boss not react to his final attack?!"
Vivienne's eyes narrowed sharply. While the others had been occupied with the ads, she had watched Lucas the entire time. She had seen the Curse of Decay wash over him with zero effect, and the way the Bone Lord had suddenly faltered—its attacks missing their mark as if its mind had been clouded.
What are you hiding, Lucas Vanderbilt…? she thought, a cold glint flashing in her amber-brown eyes.
Yuna stood with her arms crossed, a smug, almost bored expression on her face. She had expected nothing less.
"What are you guys dawdling about?" she said, flipping one of her daggers in her hand. "Let's move."
Everyone had leveled up from the raid. Though their gains weren't as massive as Lucas's, the satisfaction of clearing an F-rank boss on their first proper raid was clear on their faces.
Owen quickly snapped out of his shock and began scavenging the remaining bone shards and valuable materials from the chamber with practiced efficiency, stuffing everything into his reinforced bag.
They moved toward the exit portal. Because they had cleared the dungeon significantly faster than the standard record time, the system rewarded them with extra merits.
[Bonus Reward: +750 Merits per Member for Record Clear Time]
Spirits were high as they stepped through the portal and returned to the fortified plaza under the bright morning sun.
Owen wiped sweat from his forehead and grinned. "So, boss… where to next?"
Lucas cracked his neck, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "We'll raid whatever's available next."
The team exchanged glances and nodded without hesitation. The euphoria of rapid leveling was addictive, and none of them wanted to stop.
Over the next several hours, Lucas's team raided two more dungeons. While neither was cleared as fast as the Undead Dungeon, they still finished both significantly quicker than the academy's standard clear times. Their coordination improved with every fight, and their merit count continued to climb.
By the time the sun began to set, the entire team was noticeably stronger than they had been that morning.
And Lucas Vanderbilt was now sitting at Level 40.
The real climb had only just begun.
**
The private chamber inside the Merit Exchange Pavilion was quiet compared to the noisy main hall outside. Alex Vanderbilt sat at a long table with Ethan Cole and Chloe Bennett, discussing the distribution of loot from their recent dungeon run with a senior staff member.
Compared to Lucas's team, Alex's group was noticeably better equipped—their gear looked newer, cleaner, and more coordinated.
Sophia quietly entered the room and stood behind Alex. After the staff member left, she leaned down and spoke in a low voice.
"Young Master… I found the person you required to complete your quest."
Alex turned to look at her, mildly surprised. "Really? Who is it?"
Sophia's expression was conflicted. She hesitated for a moment before answering.
"As you know, the requirement to gain someone's trust wasn't too difficult. However, the second condition—that they must have every reason to reject you—was extremely hard to fulfill. You've never had any real conflicts with anyone, and very few people would dare to openly reject the heir of the Vanderbilt family."
She took a small breath before continuing.
"But I managed to find someone who fits that condition perfectly. This person currently hates the name Vanderbilt more than almost anyone else in the academy."
Alex's brows furrowed. "Why are you dragging this out, Sophia? Just tell me who it is."
Chloe looked equally confused, tilting her head. "Someone who hates even the mention of the Vanderbilt name… who could that be?"
Ethan, however, suddenly stiffened. His eyes widened slightly as the realization hit him.
"No way…" he muttered. "Don't tell me it's that rapist guy."
Alex and Chloe both turned to look at Ethan in confusion.
Sophia let out a quiet sigh. "Second-year student… William. Former member of the Brotherhood faction."
Alex's face twisted in disgust. "No way. Don't tell me you're suggesting I help a rapist, Sophia. There's no way I'm doing that."
Sophia didn't flinch. Her voice remained calm but firm.
"Young Master, time is running out. We don't have the luxury of choosing a better option. William was thrown out of the Brotherhood because they were pressured by the Obsidian Circle. On top of that, Henry made sure his severed hand could never be healed. It's gone forever. Right now, he's furious and desperate to destroy Lucas. If you can gain his trust, you can complete your quest successfully."
She looked Alex directly in the eyes.
"And since William is a higher rank than you, the reward for completing the quest with him will be significantly better."
Alex's jaw tightened. He clearly hated the idea.
Chloe looked uncomfortable, glancing between Alex and Sophia, while Ethan stayed quiet, watching how Alex would react.
The room fell into a tense silence.
Alex eventually spoke, his voice low. "Even if that's true, I'm not going to work with someone like him. There has to be another way."
Sophia didn't argue further. She simply lowered her head slightly and waited for Alex's final decision.
Ethan glanced at Sophia and Chloe before speaking.
"Miss Sophia, Chloe… could you give us a minute alone with Alex?"
Sophia nodded without hesitation and quietly left the room. Chloe, however, stood up slowly and looked at Ethan with a questioning expression, clearly reluctant to leave. Ethan gave her a small, reassuring nod. After a brief pause, Chloe sighed and followed Sophia out, closing the door behind her.
Once they were alone, Ethan moved closer to Alex.
Alex shook his head firmly. "Don't try to convince me, Ethan. I'm not the kind of person who associates with someone like that."
Ethan leaned against the table and spoke calmly. "Alex, listen. Who said anything about protecting him forever? We gain his trust, complete the mission, and then we deal with him quietly afterward. Clean win-win."
Alex's expression darkened. "Ethan, if we use someone like that and then betray them, how are we any different?"
He stood up from his seat, clearly agitated.
Ethan let out a quiet sigh. His usual playful demeanor faded, replaced by a more serious expression.
"If you still haven't seen how cruel this world actually is, Alex…" He paused for a moment before continuing, his voice steady. "This isn't just about your mission. Don't tell me Lucas isn't already getting on your nerves."
Alex turned his head sharply toward Ethan. "What do you mean?"
Ethan smiled faintly, seeing that he had finally caught Alex's interest.
"How about using William to teach Lucas a lesson? First, we complete your mission. Then we let William handle his revenge. We don't have to do anything ourselves. This way, we solve multiple problems at once."
Alex didn't reply immediately. He walked toward the window and stood there in silence, fingers lightly tapping against his lips as he thought.
Ethan isn't wrong… Mother told me not to deal with Lucas directly. If I let William handle it instead…
His thoughts drifted to Sophia. The way she had been absent more often lately, the complicated look in her eyes whenever Lucas's name came up, and the growing distance between them. His expression hardened.
Alex turned back to Ethan, his voice low but resolute.
"Bring him to my dorm."
Ethan's face lit up with a satisfied grin. "You got it."
Without another word, he turned and left the room.
Alex remained standing by the window, staring outside with a cold, unreadable expression.
**
After submitting their loot at the Merit Exchange counter, Owen leaned against the desk and looked at Lucas with a dissatisfied expression.
"Boss, are you sure you're not going to sell that Bone Lord's Core? It's useless to us right now. We could easily get a good price for it here."
Lucas leaned his back against the nearby pillar, arms crossed. His expression was relaxed, almost lazy.
"I have enough merits. You guys can share the rest of the loot among yourselves. The corpses and materials we collected from the three dungeons are more than enough for me."
Owen opened his mouth to argue, but stopped when he saw the look in Lucas's eyes. He clicked his tongue and didn't push further.
Yuna, Vivienne, and Kira had already left earlier, saying they wanted to do some shopping. Only Lucas and Owen remained.
"Alright then," Owen said, stretching his arms. "We can go now."
After selling all the monster materials, bone shards, and other loot from the three dungeons, the total came to 21,800 merits. With the raid's clear rewards and fast-clear bonuses included, it was a very profitable day for an F-rank team.
Lucas pushed himself off the pillar. Just as he was about to leave with Owen, his eyes caught a familiar silhouette walking toward the exit of the pavilion.
Sophia.
She was walking at a steady pace, her maid's uniform neat as always, but Lucas could tell from her posture that she was trying to leave quickly.
Lucas's lips curved into a small, amused smile.
"Change of plans," he said. "Owen, find the girls and distribute the merits. I'm taking my leave."
Owen raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. He simply gave a casual wave.
"You got it."
Lucas didn't reply. His figure flickered for a split second before disappearing from Owen's side.
Sophia walked through the crowded Merit Exchange Pavilion with measured steps, her posture straight and professional as always. Students around her couldn't help but stare — some openly, others sneaking glances at her figure. She was used to it. She didn't spare them a single look.
Her mind, however, was far from calm.
He's been too quiet these past few days… That's what scares me the most.
She quickened her pace slightly, wanting to leave the pavilion as soon as possible. The memory of that night in Lucas's bathroom still haunted her — the way he had looked at her, the weight of his cock against her cheek, the suffocating mix of shame and unwanted heat that had flooded her body.
Just as she was about to step out of the main doors, her sharp senses picked up a familiar presence.
Lucas.
Sophia's back stiffened. She didn't turn around. Instead, she forced herself to keep walking, trying to put distance between them. Since she was inside the academy grounds, she couldn't use any skills. She was completely restricted.
But he wasn't.
A faint ripple of shadow energy brushed past her senses.
In the very next moment, a tall figure materialized beside her, matching her stride as if he had been walking with her all along.
"Why are you running away, Sophia?"
Lucas's voice was calm, low, and dangerously close to her ear.
Sophia's heart jumped. She stopped walking and slowly turned her head to look at him. Her expression remained composed, but her fingers curled tightly at her sides.
"I'm not running from anyone, Young Master Lucas," she replied, her tone polite but cold. "I simply have matters to attend to."
Lucas tilted his head slightly, studying her face with quiet amusement. He took one small step closer, enough that she could feel the faint heat radiating from his body.
"Is that right?" he murmured. "Then why did your heartbeat suddenly spike the moment you sensed me?"
Sophia's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she quickly masked it. She hated how sharp his perception was.
Lucas's gaze dropped to her neck, where her pulse was visibly fluttering beneath her skin. A small, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Don't tell me you've been avoiding me," he said softly.
Sophia's breath caught in her throat. She quickly regained control and took a small step back, maintaining a respectful distance.
"I don't know what you're referring to, Young Master," she said, her voice steady but tighter than before. "If you'll excuse me, I need to return to Young Master Alex."
She turned to leave, but Lucas's next words stopped her.
"Running again?"
His voice was quiet, but it carried a clear edge of challenge.
Sophia froze. She didn't turn around this time. Her shoulders were visibly tense.
Lucas took another step forward until he was standing directly behind her. His voice dropped even lower, meant only for her ears.
"You can keep pretending, Sophia… but we both know what happened that night. And we both know you haven't stopped thinking about it."
Sophia's fingers trembled slightly at her sides. She clenched them into fists to hide it.
Lucas leaned in just a little closer, his breath brushing against her ear.
"Next time," he whispered, "don't run. I don't like chasing what's already mine."
Without waiting for her reply, Lucas stepped back and walked past her, disappearing into the crowd with calm, unhurried steps.
Sophia stood frozen in place for several seconds, her heart pounding violently against her ribs. Her face remained neutral, but her ears had turned slightly red.
She slowly exhaled, trying to steady herself.
This is getting dangerous…
She forced her legs to move and continued walking, but her mind was no longer calm.
**
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