Lucas was indifferent to Seraphina's attitude towards him, as his pleasure lay in the conquest of her spirit.
His fascination began three years ago when he first encountered Seraphina at House Harris.
She struck him as a vision of heavenly beauty, her transcendent appearance and icy demeanor captivating him instantly.
The cold aloofness that defined Seraphina's character only served to ignite a fierce desire in Lucas to conquer and possess her.
He deeply believed that only by winning over and dominating such a woman could he find true satisfaction.
Furthermore, Seraphina's noble birth in the imperial House Harris and her considerable talents made them a well-matched pair in terms of social status.
Driven by this conviction, Lucas launched an unhesitating and vigorous pursuit of Seraphina.
He even abandoned the path laid out for him by his family in the capital, choosing instead to relocate to Stellarburg.
He spent three years in this city, all for the sake of winning the heart of the woman he desired.
However, Seraphina proved to be more elusive than Lucas had anticipated.
Despite three years of relentless effort, their relationship showed no signs of progress.
Seraphina's attitude towards him remained consistently cold and detached, without a hint of reciprocation.
After three long years, even Lucas's patience was nearing its end.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and a sudden flash of crimson glinted deep within them.
Behind Lucas, a decayhound that had been poised to pounce on him burst into flames of the same blood-red hue.
The fire seemed to originate from within the creature itself.
The decayhound didn't even have time to howl before it was reduced to ashes in an instant.
As the flames extinguished, not a trace was left on the ground.
Only the blood-red numbers and faint twinkling of starlight slowly faded into the air.
"-2319!"
The sinister crimson glow in Lucas's eyes didn't fade; instead, it grew increasingly intense until his entire pupils were transformed into a disturbing shade of blood-red.
"No more hiding, you cowardly rats; I can hear your heartbeats," he said, turning his gaze towards the dark depths of the hospital corridor.
His eyes, blazing with a brutal crimson, were full of savagery.
Lucas's voice echoed through the hallway.
The lights flickered unpredictably, yet no other sounds disturbed the silence, as if Lucas was merely speaking to the air.
Frowning slightly, Lucas wondered if he had been mistaken.
Just moments ago, when he had slain the decayhound, he thought he had heard the faint sounds of a human heartbeat and the flow of blood.
But it was only for an instant; the sound disappeared as quickly as it came, almost as if it was an illusion.
After a brief wait, with no further disturbances in the corridor, and no more sounds to be heard, Lucas shook his head and turned to leave.
But just then, his blood-red pupils suddenly contracted in shock.
The wall above him exploded, and from it, a giant fire serpent, over three meters long, lunged at him with its massive jaws wide open.
"Boom!!" The fiery serpent erupted, its immense flames instantly engulfing Lucas.
The glass in the hospital corridor shattered under the force of the explosion, which thundered through the night air.
"Young master is in danger!" Liam and the bodyguards in the hospital lobby reacted instantly.
Without a second thought, they rushed towards the morgue corridor, their faces filled with horror and fear.
The consequences of any harm coming to Lucas were unimaginable.
Not just for them, but even for their families – the wrath of the Carter financial empire was not something anyone could bear.
Having just left the hospital, Seraphina also turned towards the commotion.
She saw the morgue corridor she had just been in now breached by an explosion, with thick smoke billowing and flames raging, visible even from a great distance.
A hint of surprise flickered in her beautiful eyes.
The idea that someone would dare to attempt an assassination on Lucas in Stellarburg was unexpected.
She was well aware of Lucas's strength – a prodigy of the current generation of House Carter.
He had awakened to the Crimson Count class at the age of twelve.
Had it not been for the limitations of the Crimson Count class, he would have likely broken through the iron-tier by now.
Even with these restrictions, Lucas had gained considerable renown in the imperial city.
Unlike other classes, the Crimson Count was a hereditary family class.
The direct descendants of House Carter were all Crimson Counts, a class capable of manipulating blood in combat, no less formidable than some hidden classes.
Lucas, in particular, with his exceptional talent, stood out among his peers in House Carter.
He was a perfect fit for the Crimson Count class, making him the genius of his generation in the House.
Seraphina shook her head slightly.
While the assailant's courage was commendable, their chances of leaving alive seemed slim.
...
In the hospital morgue's corridor, the ground was littered with debris and shards of glass.
John, cloaked in black, emerged slowly from the shadows.
His calm eyes reflected the fierce flames, his expression inscrutable.
"Ha ha ha, you actually dare to show yourself. Admirable courage indeed!" Lucas's laughter echoed from within the flames, a laugh filled with endless coldness, chilling to the bone.
Dressed in a white suit, Lucas stepped out from the inferno, a blood-red shield enveloping him.
Apart from some slight curling at the tips of his hair, he appeared unharmed.
John wasn't overly surprised.
From the moment he almost got detected by Lucas, he realized this man would be tough to handle.
Had it not been for his quick reflexes and the stealth skills he had honed as an assassin, he wouldn't have had the chance for this ambush.
Yet, even so, Lucas remained unscathed.
Handling someone from a great imperial family was indeed no simple feat.
Now, Lucas's demeanor had undergone a radical transformation.
His crimson eyes were filled with murderous intent and madness, his whole being exuding brutality, like an enraged lion.
Smelling the scent of char above him, anger surged in Lucas's heart.
Had it not been for his quick reaction in deploying an instant [Blood Shield], he might have fallen victim to this lowly ambush.
For the usually proud Lucas, this was an utmost insult!
Lucas spoke with lethal intent: "I'll give you a chance now. Reveal who sent you to assassinate me, and I might grant you a swift death. Otherwise, I'll let you experience the agony of having your blood slowly drained and your bones gradually crushed."
In Lucas's mind, this person must die, no matter what.
Feeling the madness and brutality emanating from Lucas, John, who had heard that certain special classes could influence one's mindset, found this first-hand experience somewhat novel.
Hearing Lucas's words, John chuckled and said, "I'll also give you a chance. If you kneel and beg for mercy right now, slap yourself twice, and apologize to me, I might just reluctantly let you go. Otherwise, once I make my move, you're not going to have such an easy time."
John's words stunned everyone – be it the bodyguards and Liam who had just arrived, or Lucas himself.
Arrogant! It was sheer arrogance! Lucas was a member of the imperial House Carter and a top-tier genius.
Yet, this man was demanding that he kneel, apologize, and even slap himself?
The atmosphere in the corridor instantly turned icy.
Liam and the seven or eight powerful bodyguards could feel Lucas's murderous intent skyrocketing, causing cold sweat to bead on their foreheads.
Liam thought this man must be insane to speak to Lucas in such a manner!
But then again, it made sense.
If he weren't crazy, how could he dare to attempt assassinating Lucas, especially when Lucas was surrounded by so many bodyguards?
For the first time, Lucas discovered that there were people in the world even more arrogant than himself.
He sneered, "You are the first person to ever speak to me like this.
Even in death, you can take pride in that!"
"You talk too much!" John, growing impatient, held his staff, which lit up with an icy blue glow.
A massive ice spear, three meters in length, materialized instantly, its chilling aura causing the temperature in the corridor to drop by several degrees.
Lucas and the others' pupils contracted sharply.
An ice-based ability?
If he remembered correctly, this man had just used a fire-based ability, and now he was wielding an ice-based skill.
This man was a rare dual-element magus!
Before anyone could react, John's thought triggered the ice spear to transform into a streak of blue light, hurtling towards Lucas with such speed that it tore through the air with a whooshing sound.
"Young master, be careful!" The bodyguards, unable to deploy their skills in time, could only shout a warning.
As the gigantic ice spear flew towards him, Lucas was shocked to find that he couldn't cast a spell fast enough to counterattack.