Chapter 09

"That was the last of the challengers. Please go to the desk to get your cards," said the examiner, pointing towards the guild building.

"Well, let's hope we get a card with a nice design," Lucas said as he stood up casually and walked towards the building.

As Lucas walked, he couldn't help but think, "Arthur's sword art is lacking. Now that I also know a bit of swordsmanship, I can see he isn't able to execute whatever he thinks." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, he'll fix this in this arc, right? Hmm."

With his hands in his pockets, Lucas continued walking, his mind drifting. "Otis sure did try to force people to come with me. But what's the point of going on a vacation when you're being followed 24/7? Rejected."

As Lucas reached the desk, he saw Note—Arthur—standing face to face with another youth. "What was his name? Elijah? Didn't he die in the academy arc?" he thought as he approached them. Then he remembered, "Holy fuck, it's that shit, right? Nico. Yeah, that NTR motherfucker! Lucas, control yourself—you were like him. Control!"But Lucas couldn't.

"Nah, fuck it," he muttered as he moved at a controlled high speed, aiming his fist at the boy. Seeing that it might not give the boy a chance to dodge, he purposely slowed down. Elijah dodged by a hair's breadth. Note pulled out his sword.

"Why?" asked Elijah, readying himself for another attack from Lucas.

"Just checking you," said Lucas, now uninterested in him. "You aren't from here, are you?" Lucas asked, looking at Elijah.

"Ahmmm," Elijah was confused by the ordeal.

"No need to answer it," said Lucas, canceling his question and walking away.

Lucas walked away after picking up his card, which had a sleek silver and obsidian design.

As Note watched Lucas's retreating figure, he muttered, "Weirdo."

Elijah, still puzzled, asked, "Are all nobles like this?"

"No idea," Note replied, glancing at Lucas, who was now out of sight.

Jasmine arrived, her tone brisk. "Why are you standing here?" she questioned.

"I was just talking to—" Note started, but when he looked around, Elijah was gone. "He's gone."

"Let's go," Jasmine said, starting to walk away.Note nodded and followed her without any further questions.

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"This is a whole other scenery," Lucas said, inhaling the fresh, green air of the Beast Glades.

"So this teleportation thing is nice," he muttered, glancing back at the door from which he had come. "Aether."

His eyes lingered on the obsidian black ring on his index finger. "I think I have a nice idea where to use it."

"Anyway, let's go," Lucas said, enforcing his legs with wind mana. He shot off, leaving a fiery trail in his wake as he moved through the dense forest with remarkable speed.

The thrill of the journey filled him with a sense of purpose. He moved effortlessly, weaving through the trees, his senses heightened by the mana coursing through him. Every rustle of leaves, every distant cry of a creature, was amplified.

After some time, he slowed down, his eyes catching sight of an outpost hidden among the trees. "What's this?" Lucas muttered, his curiosity piqued.

Lucas silently approached the hidden outpost deep in the forest. There, he spotted bandits dragging a couple of captives with them. He decided to observe them.

"This time we got a lot of loot," one bandit remarked."Yeah, looks like they're from some noble families," another replied.

"I can't believe only the boss gets to play with such beauties," the first bandit said, eyeing the three terrified women being dragged along, their mouths gagged with cloth.

"Yeah," the other bandit agreed, pausing thoughtfully. "Don't you think this nooby capturing business is getting old? We should level things up."

"Like what?" the first bandit asked.

"Capturing other races. I heard the Wykes are offering bounties for elves," he suggested."Might be nice," the first bandit pondered, rubbing his chin.

Lucas followed them closely from behind. One of the women in the captured group caught a glimpse of him. He placed a finger on his lips, gesturing for her to stay quiet. The bandits led him straight to their headquarters—the outpost.

"It looked pretty small from a distance, but now it's huge," Lucas muttered, still hidden as he observed the outpost brimming with bandits.

Lucas sat silently as the bandits led the captives into the dilapidated castle. "Time to thoroughly test this baby," he murmured, drawing his bastard sword, which was slightly longer than the length of his arm. As he pulled it from its scabbard, the blade gleamed with a silver luster.

"Learning the mechanics of an Augmenter was actually a good idea. Conjuring flame on a constantly moving object is a bit hard but not impossible," Lucas said, focusing intently. He poured mana directly into the metal, causing the sword to glow with a red tint. Embers danced around it like tiny fireflies.

Lucas brought the sword close to his face, dissipating the flames. His unruly bangs fell over his eyes, now glowing with a tinge of red. He stared at the castle, a sinister grin forming on his lips.

"Let the hunt begin!"

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