The Grand Pavilion stood as the academy's premier commercial district, a place where luxury was the standard rather than the exception. Unlike the ordinary shopping streets frequented by most students, its boutiques and specialty stores catered to elite awakeners and those wealthy enough to afford the finest equipment.
The clothing boutique the three girls entered was spacious and exquisitely furnished. Soft golden lights bathed the interior in a warm glow, while suspended mana crystals drifted gracefully overhead, illuminating rows of meticulously displayed garments. Sleek combat attire hung beside elegant casual wear, each piece crafted from premium materials.
These weren't ordinary clothes. Nearly every outfit had been woven with defensive runes or enchanted threads, offering protection against minor attacks without sacrificing comfort or style. For awakeners, fashion and survival often went hand in hand.
Yuna was browsing through a rack of tight-fitting tops while Kira looked at a display of skirts with sparkling eyes. Vivienne, on the other hand, looked thoroughly bored as she leaned against a pillar.
Vivienne let out a tired grunt and rubbed her temple.
"Yuna… couldn't you have found a better time to shop? I'm exhausted."
Yuna leaned closer to Vivienne and whispered in a low voice,
"What shopping? We're here to investigate the new girl. I want to see if she has any crazy ideas about Lucas."
Vivienne's eyes slowly moved toward Kira, who was excitedly checking the price tags on a pair of shorts with an innocent expression. She sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"…And what if she does?"
Yuna's pink eyes flashed with a dangerous glint. A menacing smile slowly spread across her face as she replied,
"I'll kill her."
Vivienne stared at her for a second before suddenly bursting into laughter. She held her head with both hands, looking like she was regretting every life decision that led her to this moment.
"What kind of crazy fools have I been associating with…?"
Yuna smirked and walked over to Kira, who was still looking at clothes with sparkling eyes. Without any warning, Yuna's hand flew out and gave Kira's butt a sharp slap.
Smack!
Kira yelped in surprise and quickly turned around, rubbing her rear with a flushed face.
Yuna smiled innocently.
"Did you find anything you like?"
Kira pouted slightly, still rubbing her butt.
"The collection is really good… but the prices are really high too."
Yuna's smile widened as she pointed toward Vivienne, who was standing a short distance away looking completely drained.
"Why are you worrying about money when you have our rich princess here?"
Vivienne didn't even have the energy to argue. She simply waved her hand weakly, as if surrendering to her fate.
After a long and chaotic shopping spree — during which Vivienne ended up paying for most of the things — the three girls finally sat down at a cozy café on the upper floor of the pavilion. The table was filled with cakes, coffee, and lattes. Yuna stirred her drink slowly before turning her gaze toward Kira with a sweet but suspicious smile.
"So, butt girl," Yuna started casually, "do you have a boyfriend?"
Kira, who had just taken a sip of her latte, nearly choked. She coughed violently, her face turning bright red as she quickly put the cup down.
"B-Bo… boyfriend?!" she stammered, waving her hands in panic. "N-No! I don't have time for that kind of thing!"
Yuna rested her chin on her hand, still smiling, but her pink eyes were watching Kira very carefully.
"Really? A cute girl like you doesn't have anyone? Not even someone you're interested in?"
Kira shook her head rapidly, her twin ponytails swaying.
"I've been focused on training and earning merits… I didn't really think about those things."
Vivienne quietly sipped her coffee, observing the exchange with mild amusement. She could clearly see that Yuna was interrogating Kira rather than making casual conversation.
Yuna leaned forward slightly, her voice turning sweeter.
"What about our boss? Lucas. What do you think of him?"
Kira blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. She fidgeted with her fingers and answered honestly,
"Lucas… he's really strong. And a bit scary sometimes. But he seems reliable. I'm grateful he let me join the team."
Yuna's eyes narrowed slightly at the word "reliable," but her smile remained.
"Is that all?"
Kira tilted her head innocently.
"Should there be more?"
Yuna stared at her for a few seconds before leaning back in her chair with a satisfied expression. It seemed, for now at least, that Kira didn't have any hidden intentions toward Lucas.
Vivienne finally spoke up, her tone dry.
"Are you done with your investigation, Miss Bodyguard?"
Yuna grinned and took a sip of her latte.
"For now."
Kira looked between the two of them in confusion, clearly unaware that she had just been thoroughly interrogated.
The private training hall inside Alex Vanderbilt's dormitory was spacious and brightly lit. The polished floor reflected the golden light coming from the high windows. Alex stood in the center with Sophia behind him. She looked slightly flustered, her hands clasped in front of her as she tried to maintain a neutral expression.
The door opened, and Ethan walked in, followed by William.
William's appearance had changed drastically. His once-arrogant face now carried visible wariness, and his left sleeve hung empty where his hand used to be. His eyes scanned the room cautiously before landing on Alex.
William stopped a few steps away and spoke in a low, guarded voice.
"Why did you summon me, Alex Vanderbilt?"
Alex looked at him directly. He didn't bother hiding the disgust on his face. The moment he saw William, his expression twisted slightly, as if he was forcing himself to stay civil.
"I heard you have some enmity with Lucas," Alex said coldly. "And that the Obsidian Circle has been hunting you for merits. Is that true?"
At the mention of Lucas's name, William's remaining hand clenched into a fist. His teeth ground together as he spoke.
"I do. So what? Did you come here to finish the job your brother left behind?"
Alex shook his head, his voice steady but icy.
"I have no interest in Lucas's personal affairs. However, that doesn't mean I'll let him tarnish the Vanderbilt name. So let me be direct."
Alex took a step forward. A golden aura suddenly flared around his body as he activated his passive skill — Sovereign's Presence. The air in the training hall grew heavier, carrying a sense of authority and pressure.
William instinctively took half a step back. The golden aura reminded him of Lucas's presence, but the feeling was different. While Lucas's aura felt oppressive and dangerous, Alex's felt like an unshakable wall — protective, yet overwhelming.
Alex continued, his voice calm but firm.
"I will protect you from Lucas and the Obsidian Circle. In return, you help me deal with him."
William stared at him for a second before suddenly bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! Do I look like a fool to you? Why would a Vanderbilt help me deal with another Vanderbilt? And let's be real — how the hell do you expect me to deal with that bastard? He has the Obsidian Circle protecting him. Even if I challenge him to a duel, he can just reject it."
Alex didn't react to the mockery. Instead, he looked straight into William's eyes.
"You don't need to worry about that. I'll tell you how to deal with Lucas. But first…" Alex raised his hand. "I'll help you restore your hand."
William's mocking expression instantly vanished. His face turned serious, almost angry.
"Don't play with me. Not even high-ranking healers can heal my hand. That bastard did something to it."
Alex snapped his fingers.
"Everlight Restoration."
A golden, ethereal, angel-like figure materialized behind Alex, radiating warm light. The moment it appeared, William felt a strange, tingling sensation from the stump of his missing hand. His eyes widened in shock.
Alex spoke calmly.
"Although I can't fully heal you right now because of my rank, any proper healer can restore your hand with the help of this skill. So… what will you choose? Will you trust me?"
William stared at his missing hand, then at the glowing angel behind Alex. For the first time in weeks, a flicker of hope appeared in his eyes. He clenched his jaw before finally speaking.
"…Heal my hand and keep the Obsidian Circle off my back. I'll do whatever you want."
Alex looked at him quietly for a moment.
"So you trust me?"
William nodded slowly.
"I'm trusting you."
Alex gave a small, satisfied smile.
"Good."
Lucas's dormitory was unnervingly silent.
The luxurious bathroom had been turned into something grotesque. The marble floor was stained with dark, congealed blood and bits of bone.
Several monster corpses — mostly skeletons and zombies from the F-rank Undead Dungeon — were sprawled across the floor in unnatural positions. Their bodies had already begun to rot at an accelerated rate, filling the air with a thick, nauseating stench.
Lucas sat cross-legged in the middle of it all, shirtless, his back resting against the edge of the large bathtub. His eyes were closed, and his expression was calm, almost meditative. Only the slight furrow of his brows showed that he was concentrating.
He took a slow, deep breath.
Then he spoke.
[King's Consumption].
A dark, abyssal energy erupted from his body.
The skill activated with a low, hungry hum. Black and violet tendrils of energy slithered out from Lucas's back and arms like living chains, wrapping around the nearest corpses. The moment they made contact, the bodies began to wither at a visible speed.
Crack… crunch… sizzle…
Bones crumbled into black dust. Rotten flesh melted and evaporated into dark vapor. The energy tendrils greedily sucked in everything — flesh, bone, residual necrotic energy — pulling it all toward Lucas.
He didn't absorb any skills. The corpses were too weak, too low-ranked for that. But the raw power and essence within them were still useful.
Lucas's body trembled slightly as the energy flooded into him. His muscles tensed, and a low groan escaped his throat. The power wasn't overwhelming, but it was steady and dense. It flowed into his core, reinforcing his foundation and pushing against the limits of his current rank.
Minutes passed.
One by one, the corpses disintegrated completely until nothing remained but faint black stains on the marble floor. The dark energy tendrils slowly retracted into Lucas's body.
He opened his eyes.
A system window appeared in front of him.
[King's Consumption – Successful]
Target Quality: Low (F-rank)
Skill Absorption: None
Rank Progression: +2 Ranks
Current Status: F-rank → Approaching E-rank threshold
Lucas exhaled slowly, a satisfied smirk forming on his lips.
"Two ranks… not bad for trash," he muttered.
He could feel the difference. His body felt slightly denser, his mana capacity had increased, and the connection to his class skills felt marginally stronger. It wasn't a massive leap in power, but steady accumulation like this was exactly what he needed right now.
He leaned his head back against the bathtub and closed his eyes again, letting the new power settle into his body.
"Still too slow…" he whispered to himself. "I need stronger corpses. Higher-ranked monsters. Bosses…"
His fingers tapped lightly against the cold marble floor.
"If I want to reach D-rank quickly… I'll need to start raiding higher-grade gates soon."
Next, he pulled out the pulsing green Bone Lord's Core. It throbbed with faint necrotic energy in his palm, warm and alive despite the boss's death.
"Let's see what you can do."
**
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