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Chapter 9 – The Luminary's Domain
As soon as Lucian stepped into the Hell Sphere, he cracked his knuckles and threw a few half-hearted punches into the air. "Alright, time to test some moves—HIYAH!" He swung his arms dramatically.
Luna immediately pinched the bridge of her nose. "Lucian, stop. Please. You are nearly an adult. Can we just get to finding whatever nonsense you were talking about?"
Lucian scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Killjoy."
Luna didn't even acknowledge his antics, walking ahead like he hadn't just tried to summon the spirit of every martial artist in history.
That's when Lucian finally noticed. The eerie silence. The absence of other footsteps.
His grin faded. He stopped in his tracks, glancing around. "Luna… why are we alone?"
She didn't turn around. "Hmm? Oh, nothing. Just a perfect spot to torture a measly little guinea pig who's about to get exterminated."
Her voice dripped with menace.
Lucian blinked.
Then Luna turned, her usual composed expression shifting into a wide, twisted grin. Her eyes gleamed with an unfamiliar light, and a dark chuckle slipped past her lips—low, sinister, and entirely not Luna.
A chill ran down Lucian's spine.
And then, from the darkness, they came.
Figures emerged from the shadows, their very presence shaking the air. Their auras alone could destroy mountains, warping reality with the sheer weight of their existence. The oppressive energy pressed down on Lucian's body, forcing his breath to hitch—but just as quickly, an unexpected smile crept onto his face.
He exhaled, slow and deliberate. "First of all..."
His voice rang out, cutting through the overwhelming pressure.
"Do you all even realize where you're standing?"
Silence.
Lucian's smirk widened. "This… is my domain."
And then, he shouted one word.
"BUTLER."
The Heavens trembled.
A crack split the air, and suddenly the composed, ever-graceful butler appeared—except this time, he was different. The air around him distorted. His pristine uniform, once an unassuming elegance, now resembled the flowing robes of a ?????? ?????touched by the divine and the cursed alike.
The moment he arrived, an unbearable fear flooded the space.
Some of the warriors standing before Lucian immediately collapsed, their minds shattered. Others gasped, stepping back involuntarily. Even those who had long since abandoned the concept of fear felt a creeping horror settle into their bones.
Then, in an eerie, almost inhuman voice, Butler spoke.
"You dare."
The ground beneath them quaked.
"You dare call the ?????? a... guinea pig?"
Lucian's smirk faltered. "Wait—hold on—"
Butler took a step forward, and reality itself seemed to bend around him. "Hmph. I shall decide how to deal with such—"
"STOP!" Lucian cut in. "Wait, wait, wait. Why am I not feeling anything?" He looked around at the people literally losing their minds, while he himself felt... completely fine.
Butler, still eerily composed, responded in a calm tone. "Sir, I do not know."
Lucian narrowed his eyes. "First of all, what happened when we first met? Did you trick me? Don't think I'll believe anything you say without proof."
Butler's expression darkened with a rare sadness. "I would never, sir. What transpired was merely an intervention of the ????
Lucian rubbed his temples. "Oh great. More cryptic nonsense."
Then he exhaled and stretched his arms. "Alright, fine. You could be a Divine Vanguard Tier 8 or whatever ridiculous title you probably have, but I still wanna take them all on."
A low murmur rippled through the gathered warriors.
Luna—who had long since dropped her villain act, now watching in pure amusement—whistled. "Damn, Lucian, you're cocky today."
Lucian grinned. "Well, I have been training. The book gave me a reward: Training Chapter: First Piece. I think I got stronger. No—I know I got stronger."
The figures surrounding them didn't move, but the tension thickened.
Lucian took a step forward, cracking his neck. "So… let's see how much."
How much what Luna shouted Lucian U crazy u are sleeping in a hellsphere Lucian covering his ears said I had a very,very weird dream no U are the weird one luvian
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To Be Continued.