Chapter 62: Lathel vs Lucien (4)

"Do you understand now?" At that moment, Lyra had just finished explaining the rules to Lathel and Mira, then asked the question. Lathel gave a small nod, but Mira still seemed a bit confused. She scratched her head and asked, "Master, you said... after entering the Trial Tower, we’ll be tested for our talents, right?" "But... why can’t we just continue the challenge afterward? Why do we have to leave?" Lyra sighed and explained, "You’re so naïve. There are countless types of talents in this world, but not all of them are suited for combat." "If your talent turns out to be a supportive one, then staying inside the Trial Tower would be meaningless." "Besides, the Trial Tower is extremely dangerous for rookies like you. Do you understand now?" Upon hearing this, Mira immediately nodded in understanding. "Yes, I understand now." Lyra glanced at Lathel, stared at him for a moment, then said, "I know... no matter how much I try to convince you, you’ll still proceed with the challenge inside the Tower, won’t you?" Lathel smiled—a warm smile tinged with a hint of sorrow. "Yes, Master. I’m sorry, I..." Lyra took a deep breath and said, "This isn’t your fault. Lathel, you must know... no matter what happens, you are still my disciple." "If you’re in danger, you can give up. I will definitely protect you." Lathel nodded gently. "Yes, Master." Lyra looked into Lathel’s eyes, seeing the unwavering determination in them. Strangely, a sudden awkward emotion stirred in her heart. ’Strange... what is this feeling?’ Lyra wondered silently. But she quickly shook her head, brushing aside the thought, and said, "Alright, go on in. And remember, if it gets dangerous—give up. Don’t let that ridiculous wager cloud your judgment." Lathel didn’t respond. He simply smiled warmly. Lyra sighed inwardly, knowing full well she could no longer dissuade him. In the end, she waved her hand to let him go. Standing beside Lyra, Selvia watched as Mira and Lathel made their way toward the Trial Tower, her heart filled with both pain and unease. "Don’t worry," Lyra suddenly said. "One day, you’ll be able to walk alongside him. It’s just that your steps are a little slower right now." Selvia pressed her lips together tightly. Her gaze toward Lathel was filled with hope and affection. She gave a small nod and said, "Uhm! I’ll make sure not to disappoint him." ... Trial Tower. A tower shaped much like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Contrary to Lucien’s expectations—he had imagined a magnificent structure piercing through the clouds—this tower was neither tall nor grand. It had a circular structure, roughly ten meters in diameter and fifty meters in height. Its surface was white, but covered in moss and creeping vines, as if no one had cleaned the place in a long time. Despite its somewhat dilapidated appearance, the tower still radiated an aura of sanctity that made Lucien’s heart race as he stood before it. "Nervous?" Lilith’s voice echoed in his mind. Lucien sighed and replied, "A little..." "Don’t worry. With your abilities, I can guarantee your results won’t be bad. In fact... if you dare to push yourself a little, you might just surprise everyone." Hearing this, Lucien shook his head. "Master, I don’t want to stand out. There are only two things I seek—defeating Lathel and freeing Selvia." "Fine, fine! But first, you need to prove your strength. Only then will others be willing to support you when you seek revenge." "If not, even if you manage to defeat Lathel, everything will become much more complicated. The Royal Family won’t let it slide, and enemies even stronger than him will come for you." "But if your potential is great, the Academy—especially that Vice Dean Morlan—will surely protect you." Lucien nodded slightly. "I understand." "Shall we go together?" Aris’s voice broke through beside him. "Ah! Of course." Lucien smiled. "Do you want to get your talent tested first?" Aris tilted her head, thinking for a moment before answering, "Probably not necessary. I’ve always known I’m just an ordinary Awakened—no special talents." "No." Lucien frowned. "You should still check. If you don’t even try, it means all hope is already gone." "But if we try, even if we fail, at least... we can say we gave it our best." Hearing this, Aris was visibly surprised. Then she smiled. "Mm! You’re right. Then I’ll go ahead and get tested—maybe I need to hold onto a bit of hope too." "Exactly. Let’s go." Lucien said with confidence, "I believe... today is the day I will shine." With those words, Lucien carried the massive black greatsword on his back and walked toward the door of the Trial Tower. Behind him, Aris’s expression suddenly changed. The gentle smile from earlier vanished, replaced by a cold and disdainful gaze. "Hope?" she muttered. "How foolish. To go against my master is to challenge a god. You think you have a chance?" Aris closed her eyes, trying to suppress the nausea rising in her chest. Then, with her usual gentle and detached expression, she followed behind Lucien. Crack! The door creaked open, and both Lucien and Aris stepped into the tower. Soon after they entered, other participants arrived one by one and gradually made their way inside the Trial Tower. "Your Highness, must we really enter this place?" Mira asked nervously as she stared at the tower in front of them. However, seeing others entering the tower with hope and excitement reassured her that this place must be safe. "Yes. Look at them—everyone’s walking in with hope in their hearts," Lathel said with a smile. "Mira, I believe you’ll possess a very powerful talent." Hearing that, Mira’s cheeks flushed pink and she beamed with happiness. "Your Highness, I’ll definitely do my best to become useful to you!" Lathel gently patted her head. Mira didn’t shy away from the gesture—instead, she welcomed it, her heart racing wildly like it was about to leap from her chest. "If your talent turns out to be a support type, then you must—" "I know already," Mira cut in eagerly. "I’ll come out immediately. Your Highness, I’m really scared of dying too... because if I die, I won’t be able to stay by your side. Hehehe..." She giggled mischievously, her smile like a sunflower dancing under the morning light. Lathel leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead, taking her by surprise. "Your Highness..." Mira looked up at him, eyes dreamy and glistening with love. "Go on," Lathel said as he lightly patted her shoulder. Mira nodded, then stepped toward the Trial Tower with confident strides. As he watched her enter the tower, Lathel didn’t rush to follow. His gaze swept across the structure, his eyes slowly shifting—growing colder, lonelier, and burning with excitement. "The stage is set. Now, I just need to wait for the audience and the leading actor to take their place." ... Lucien had already entered the Trial Tower. The first thing he noticed was darkness. Yes, this place was enveloped in an eerie black void. Yet ahead, a faint glow shimmered like a firefly in the night. Approaching the light, Lucien found a floating crystal orb radiating multicolored light. "What is this..." Lucien frowned and muttered, "What am I looking at?" "Congratulations!" a strange voice suddenly rang out from the orb, making Lucien jump. "What did you just say?" Lucien took a step back warily, eyeing the levitating orb. "That’s right!" the voice echoed again. It sounded like dozens of voices overlapping—distorted and hard to bear. "I am the master of this tower. You don’t need to know my name. What you do need to know is that I will uncover your talent—no matter how deeply buried it may be." "Moreover, I can offer you reasonable advice. Of course, whether you choose to believe it is entirely up to you." Lucien was unsettled by the strange presence before him, but just as unease crept into his heart, Lilith’s voice calmly echoed in his mind: "Trust that crystal orb. It’s a being from the ancient times—show some respect." "Yes, Master," Lucien responded inwardly. His gaze toward the orb softened. He bowed politely and said, "It’s an honor to meet you. I am Lucien." The crystal orb seemed surprised: "Ah! How odd. You’re not like the others. Most don’t even acknowledge me—they just treat me like a talking ornament." Lucien smiled. "I don’t see it that way. No matter who you are, as long as you mean no harm, you deserve to be treated with respect." "Hahaha... kid, you’re quite the interesting one." The orb let out a hearty laugh: "It’s been ages since anyone treated me like this. You might just be the first." Though Lucien already knew the orb might be an ancient being, he was still taken aback. "You mean to say..." "Enough chatter," the orb interrupted: "Come closer. Place your hand on me. I’ll help you uncover your talent... and more." Lucien nodded and stepped forward. He took a deep breath and reached out to place his hand on the floating orb. "Agh!" The moment his hand made contact, a strange current of energy surged into his body—probing, searching, digging deep into his being. It wasn’t just a sensation—pain exploded in his head like someone hammering it repeatedly. "AGHHH! AHHH!" Lucien screamed in agony, instinctively trying to pull away—but his hand was stuck, fused to the orb as if magnetized. "What the hell?!" he gasped. "This is bad! Could it be—" "Calm yourself," the orb’s voice rang out again. Unlike the distorted chorus from before, it now spoke in a singular, steady, warm tone. "Relax. I’m simply examining your body." Hearing this, Lucien forced himself to obey. He focused, regulating his breath, letting his muscles ease. Then came a pause. "Kid... your body is... truly strange."