Chapter 65: Lathel vs Lucien (7)

Lucien was stunned, his face filled with shock, his eyes brimming with disbelief as he stared at Lathel. "Master! How... how does he know about you?" Lucien whispered in his mind to Lilith. "I... I don’t know either," Lilith responded, her voice trembling with uncertainty—for she truly had no idea how Lathel was aware of her existence. After all, her presence within Lucien’s pendant was a near-absolute secret, something no one should’ve been able to uncover. Unless... ’No! Lucien would never reveal that secret. He’s not that kind of person. But... how does Lathel know about me?’ Lilith questioned in her heart. Lucien, now overwhelmed, didn’t know what to do next. At first, he had approached Lathel with fury and killing intent. But with just one sentence, all of that was swept away—replaced by fear and anxiety. That same ominous feeling surged back, gripping his mind entirely. Lucien looked toward Lathel. Even though Lathel remained still, standing near the edge of the platform with his back turned, Lucien could feel the sheer pressure radiating from him—it was terrifying. Like an insurmountable mountain looming in front of him. Though unmoving, Lathel exuded the aura of a colossal beast slumbering in silence, ready to awaken and obliterate everything the moment it stirred. Lucien trembled slightly. Yes—he was trembling. "No! I can’t be afraid of him!" Lucien gripped his right wrist with his left hand, trying to steady himself. "You’re not planning to say hello, Lilith?" Lathel asked with a faint smile. His gaze remained fixed on the snowy mountains in the distance, standing motionless in the midst of the frigid storm. At first, he wasn’t sure whether Lucien was being aided by some ancient soul—like the typical trope in many novels. But after their first encounter at the Academy, he had no doubt. Because... he could see Lilith’s information. Though he appeared to be staring into the distance, in reality, his eyes were focused on the System’s information panel: ... Name: Lilith Role: Female Lead Rank: ??? Talent: ??? Charm Score: 94 Affection Level: 15% Description: An ancient soul, once a legendary Herbalist of her era. Betrayed and killed by her own disciple. Though her body perished, a special spell allowed her to preserve her soul within a pendant—waiting for someone who could rebuild her body and exact revenge. Other Notes: ??? ... Lathel looked at the information panel before him, a mocking smile curling at the corners of his lips. ’Exactly like those typical novel tropes,’ he thought coldly. ’However... 15% affection? That’s quite high, you clever little cat.’ Lathel understood well—if Lilith was truly acting as Lucien’s master, guiding him from the shadows, her mindset would naturally be hostile toward him. In that case, her affection score should’ve been 0%, just like Irelia’s. But on the contrary, Lilith’s affection toward him was at 15%. It wasn’t favorable, but it wasn’t hostile either. This meant... Lilith didn’t care who the other party was—as long as it served her goals. ’Hahaha...’ Lathel sneered inwardly. ’Unless you’re some kind of divine being completely devoid of desire. Otherwise, if you possess even a shred of ambition... then you’ll never escape my grasp.’ Hearing Lathel speak, both Lucien and Lilith were visibly shaken. "Master! You—" "Calm down," Lilith quickly soothed him. "I know you would never reveal my existence to anyone. Perhaps... he discovered me through some kind of spell or magic." But her explanation, riddled with holes, only made Lucien more uneasy. Lilith knew this too, but she had no better answer to offer. That Lathel knew of her existence wasn’t too alarming in itself. But the fact that he had called her name precisely—that was what truly unsettled her. Had it been an old monster who had lived for thousands of years, knowing her name wouldn’t be so strange. But standing before her was just a young man in his twenties. ’Could he be some terrifying being from the Ancient Era reborn?’ she wondered. ’It’s entirely possible. Only those from that age would recognize my name.’ "Lucien! Kill him now!" Lilith suddenly said. "I don’t know how he found out about me, but this secret cannot be allowed to spread!" Lucien trembled slightly, the courage he had earlier now halved, replaced by a storm of doubt and fear. But he quickly gritted his teeth and shouted, "What the hell are you talking about?!" "Lathel! You stole the woman I loved most, deceived everyone, and... you ruined countless lives." "You burned an entire village to the ground. I’ll pass judgment on you—for all of them. I’ll drag you to hell myself!" "Ah?" Lathel raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised by the outburst—but his voice remained indifferent, distant, and directed not at Lucien but elsewhere: "Is this really the man you’ve chosen to follow, Lilith?" "You think someone like him will help you reclaim your body? Bring you back to life?" ’Impossible!’ Lilith was shaken with fear. ’How could he know that?’ "Master! What... what does he mean by that?" Lucien asked, frowning. His voice wavered as though suspicion had already crept into his heart. "Don’t listen to his nonsense!" Lilith snapped. "Kill him now! As long as he’s dead, everything will be resolved." "Ah! Yes..." Lucien nodded. "How long will you have to wait?" Lathel continued. "Ten years? Twenty? Or a hundred? With that trash talent of his?" "Or do you really believe that he can master the soul-absorbing technique you gave him and one day reach a level no human has ever touched, just so he can help you reincarnate?" "Hahaha... hahaha..." Lathel laughed mockingly, his voice dripping with disdain. "Lilith, you know full well the odds of success by betting on him are abysmal, don’t you?" "You’re just using him to gather resources for your rebirth." "Shut up!" Lucien roared, cutting Lathel off. "Don’t you dare insult my Master! She’s not like that!" "No, Lucien..." Lilith tried to stop him, but it was too late. He had already spoken. And what he had just said... only confirmed everything Lathel accused her of. Lucien realized how foolish his words were—too late. "Hahaha..." Lathel laughed heartily. He slowly turned around, his eyes like twin jewels gleaming with an eerie light as he stared straight at Lucien. Those eyes were cold, dark, and wicked—like the gaze of a devil. Even when facing Hurriclaw, Lucien had never felt fear. But now, standing before Lathel, he was overcome by dread and unease. In stark contrast to Lucien’s fear, Lathel appeared utterly relaxed, as if he were merely taking a stroll through a garden. "Whether I’m right or not, you need only ask her. Isn’t that so, Lilith?" "Shut up!" Lucien roared again, cutting him off. "You bastard! I’ll—" "You’ll what?" Lathel tilted his head, and his eyes—like an abyss with no end—startled Lucien once more. "Kill me? Then take back the woman you love?" Lathel sneered, his tone saturated with mockery. "You crave her body that badly, don’t you?" "No! You’re wrong!" Lucien growled through gritted teeth, eyes bloodshot and nearly blazing. "I’ll save her from your filthy hands!" "Ah? And can’t you see how happy she is with me now?" Lathel asked coolly. "That happiness is a lie!" Lucien yelled. "You fabricated it by deceiving her!" "Lucien..." Lathel suddenly shook his head, his expression one of mild disappointment. "Lies are what built this world. You... are far too naïve." "You—" "Even if she ends up in pain in the future, so what?" Lathel cut him off coldly. "Right now, she’s happy, isn’t she? And after you ’save’ her, what will you do? She’s already my woman now—like a used item. Aren’t you afraid she’s ’tainted’?" "Shut up!" Lucien roared. "She’s not an item! She’s a person! She’s... she’s—" "The one you love the most, right?" Lathel smirked, his gaze filled with mockery. "But after you rescue her, what then?" "Leave her to live alone in misery because she lost the warmth of my embrace? Or... are you planning to become her lover?" "I’ll give her freedom. She has the right to choose whom she loves," Lucien said firmly. Lathel chuckled and shook his head. "But she chose me. She has the right to choose—but in the end, she still chooses me." "That’s because you deceived her!" Lucien gritted his teeth so hard it felt like they might crack. "You... you... you manipulated her feelings!" His voice trembled with fury. Lathel glanced at Lucien, his hands still clasped behind his back as he casually strolled along the edge of the platform. Beside him was a dizzying drop, the winds howling with an icy bite, as if threatening to swallow him whole at any moment. "It’s funny. You love her and want to save her. But after saving her, you’d let her freely love someone else? Lucien, are you lying to yourself?" "If that’s the case, then she also has the right to love me, doesn’t she?" "You... that’s nonsense!" Lucien’s body trembled. His thoughts were spiraling into chaos. "I... I..." "Suppose... after saving her, you do become her lover. Then ultimately... what you desire is still her body and her beauty." Lathel smiled faintly. "In the end, you’re just like me—craving Selvia’s beauty, aren’t you?" "No! You’re wrong! I—" Lucien stammered, trying to refute him, but couldn’t find the words. Every argument, every belief he had was dismantled and shattered by Lathel’s words. And for the first time... he wasn’t sure Lathel was wrong. "Lucien! Don’t listen to him! He’s spewing nonsense!" Lilith shouted, trying to pull Lucien’s mind out of the web Lathel had spun. "Kill him! Don’t think about anything else!" "Just kill him, stay true to your path, and that alone will be enough." "Yes!" Lucien muttered. "As long as I kill you, everything will be resolved. I’ll save Selvia, no matter the cost—I will save her." "I’ll also avenge the villagers you burned alive." "You’re a demon—and I will kill you!" "AGH!" Lucien gripped his greatsword and charged at Lathel at blinding speed. Twisting his body, he used the momentum to generate maximum force, swinging the blade toward Lathel. Whoosh! The blade sliced through the air, emitting a sharp, terrifying whistle as it arced straight toward Lathel’s neck. In that moment, time seemed to slow down. Lucien could clearly see the edge of his sword inching closer to Lathel’s throat—yet the man remained motionless. "This is it! He’s nothing but a weakling. Once I kill him, everything will be resolved." "Yes... as long as this blade severs his neck, everyone will be free. Selvia will be free. Even the villagers he burned alive will finally be able to rest in peace." Whoosh! The sword drew ever closer. Just a fraction of a second more and it would not only slice through Lathel’s neck—it would take his entire head clean off. "How laughable..." Lathel’s voice rang out, cold and mocking, startling Lucien mid-swing. Smash! "Huk!" Lucien flinched violently, feeling his momentum come to an abrupt and brutal halt. His eyes widened, filled with disbelief at the scene before him. The sword he had swung with all his might—now completely stopped. By three fingers. "Impossible!" Lucien’s eyes quivered in shock. "How can you..." Indeed, Lathel had caught the blade mid-strike with just three fingers, holding it so firmly that it seemed suspended in the air, completely frozen. His razor-sharp eyes locked onto Lucien, piercing through every last shred of his confidence like twin blades. That face—so unnaturally perfect, like something out of a painting—now wore a twisted, ominous smile. "So naïve... Lucien," Lathel said, voice dripping with contempt. "You really thought that swinging your sword would be enough to kill me?"