Concepts [V]

The moment the word left his lips, the space around him started to shake. He watched as the red portals merged and shrank, taking on the form of a single figure before him. At first, they formed an indistinct shape that Lucian couldn't make out, but a figure became clear in the darkness shortly after.

A red-robed figure stood before Lucian. He couldn't distinguish any of the person's features through the dark fog that obscured their face, but the glowing red eyes were quite conspicuous. Lucian was rooted to the spot under the gaze of the short figure. He broke out in a cold sweat, feeling a pressure bearing down on him much graver than the weight of the shovel.

Many of the voices returned, screaming at him as the person reached out a hand and placed a finger on his chest. A force more powerful than anything Lucian had felt surged through him, and the next moment... He was once again standing amidst the beautiful scenery of the [Orelia] Tile. Cool water misted over him as the falls splashed into the stream.

Lucian looked down to find that he was standing over the mounds of two freshly covered graves, a shovel in his hands. The doll sat on one of the sites, while a toy wagon sat on the other. He collapsed to the ground in front of the graves and looked around. The area looked normal, and all of the rabbits had disappeared... all except for one.

The little green rabbit that hadn't been there with the rest of its kind was now sitting just on the other side of the graves, staring up at him. Lucian looked at the little guy curiously and reached out his hand. The bunny jumped forward happily and rubbed its back beneath his palm, calming Lucian's nerves almost instantly.

He petted the little rabbit gently while looking into the afternoon sky. According to the timer, not much time had gone by, but for him, it seemed like years had passed. His body was sore, and his arms and shoulders were aching, but he felt he was in better physical shape than he'd ever been.

"Was all of that only a dream?" Lucian mumbled. "Wait, what's this?"

In the bottom right corner of his vision, the [Microlink] icon was flashing brightly. He focused on it, pulling up the massive hexagonal map. Naturally, he focused on the [Initiate] Microlink, forcing the screen to zoom in. There, just two blocks over, the [Endurance II] Microlink had been unlocked.

"But I didn't..." He thought back to what he'd experienced in the darkness. Both the physical and the mental hardships that he had to endure for the pain to finally end. "Did I choose this? But when?"

Ed didn't answer him, which he found strange, but it wasn't the first time that had happened. Instead, he looked to the upper left corner of the screen, confirming that he was entirely out of Psyons. He accepted that fact with a deep sigh. Lucian didn't know what had happened, but he'd planned on going with [Endurance II] anyway.

"At least it didn't leave me unconscious for multiple days, right..." He looked down at the rabbit he was planning to joke around with. "I think it's time that you get a name. You really did me a solid helping me with that rat."

Lucian looked over the rabbit who was lying under his palm. The yellow line and gem were its most prominent features, and there was also that electric-type attack that he'd seen it perform. His memories played a quick skit of a small yellow mouse blasting lightning at a giant rock snake.

"No, we can't do that," Lucian chuckled. "How about Sparky?"

Surprisingly, the rabbit looked up at him briefly before stamping its foot and hopping away from him. Lucian chuckled at the creature's reaction before throwing out another name.

"Bolt? Zap? Flash?"

The rabbit glared at Lucian, making him feel awkward.

"Thor?" He ventured. The rabbit jerked its head away as if it were offended, making Lucian laugh again. He had no clue what to name the little creature. "Maybe you already have a name?"

The rabbit hopped over to him again and rubbed its head against his hand. Lucian placed his hand on the rabbit's head, but instead of the soft fur, what greeted him was a terrifying shock that he felt throughout his body. He jerked his hand away and looked down at the beast when suddenly, an unusual word came to mind.

"Raijin..?"

The rabbit started bouncing around excitedly, making circles around him and the two graves. Lucian watched the little creature curiously as it went. Had it just placed a thought in his mind? He recalled how the others had gathered around him when his emotions spiked after finding the children's corpses. He remembered their red eyes and the darkness that had enveloped him soon after.

"Did the rabbits cause that vision? Or did they just manage to enter it the same way this one put this word in my mind? He continued watching the creature before calling out.

"Raijin, you want me to pick us some yellow fruits?" Lucian asked. The rabbit turned on a dime and sprinted toward him, leaping toward his chest. He caught the little bunny and stood up, stroking its back as he did so. "You're a strange little fella."

The hairs on his arms stood up, and Lucian quickly corrected himself, "Alright, alright, you're awesome!"

The hairs on his arms settled down, and the rabbit closed his eyes. Lucian realized that he'd have to be careful about what he said around the little guy in the future. With that, he said a few words for the two children and looked over the area once more. Seeing the toys on the mounds of dirt made him sad and happy.

Lucian was sad that the two children had to experience such horrors, and he hoped that the sabercat had killed them quickly and painlessly. He was also relieved that his own children didn't have to go through this, and it reminded him of what could happen if he didn't win this perilous game.

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Transitioning to a new platform, so go check it out! Will no longer be posting LoN on WebNovel after chapter 50.

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