"Because I don't have to wonder if it'll work."
Draven stared at him for a second longer before scoffing. "Tch. Whatever you say, Sword Demon."
Lucavion turned his head slightly, his usual smirk settling back into place. "Now, when do we start?"
Draven exhaled, rolling his shoulders before reaching into his coat. "Ah, that…" He pulled out a folded piece of parchment, handing it over. "Here. Take this."
Lucavion took the paper, unfolding it with a flick of his wrist. His sharp eyes scanned the surface, and he let out a soft chuckle. "Emberwood Summoning Paper?"
Draven nodded. "Yeah."
A common artifact, but a useful one. Made from the bark of Emberwood trees—one of the few naturally magical flora known to exist—it had a unique property. When one side of the parchment was burned, its twin—no matter how far away—would ignite at the same time. A simple, reliable way to send an urgent summons.
Lucavion twirled the parchment between his fingers. "Convenient."
Draven smirked. "When this burns, you can use that artifact. But you'll need to be quick—we can't waste time once this starts."
Lucavion raised an eyebrow. "Expecting trouble?"
Draven scoffed. "Obviously. Aldric isn't an idiot. He won't move at first—not right away. He'll send his men first, gauge the situation. That's how these types operate."
Lucavion nodded slightly. That much made sense.
"But," Draven continued, his tone growing more serious, "if he realizes the situation is bad—if he sees that this isn't just some minor threat—he'll leave."
Lucavion tapped a finger against the parchment, thoughtful. "So the best thing to do… is to find him before he runs."
Draven's smirk widened. "Exactly."
Lucavion exhaled through his nose, slipping the Emberwood paper into his coat. "Hmph. Then I better make sure I don't keep you waiting too long."
Draven exhaled slowly, tilting his head back to glance at the sky above. The deep gray clouds rolled lazily overhead, the dim glow of the city's torches flickering against the night air.
They were about to take on a damn big problem. Aldric Veltorin wasn't just some thug playing warlord—he was a 6-star Awakened, a former knight, and more than that, a man backed by forces that didn't want him found. This wasn't just another power struggle in Varenthia.
It was something far bigger.
Draven knew the risks. He had pulled the pieces together, gathered allies, mapped out every potential move. But even then—he wasn't stupid enough to think this was going to be simple.
His gaze shifted to the bastard standing beside him.
Lucavion, for all his amusement and easy smirks, was still an unknown.
"Are you sure you can deal with it?" Draven finally asked, his tone deceptively casual.
Lucavion tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening. "Don't trust me?"
Draven scoffed. "Bastard, I just met you."
Lucavion chuckled, tapping the Emberwood parchment against his palm. "Well, let's hope I do. Since I'm your only choice."
Draven's jaw twitched. He hated how fucking right the bastard was.
Lucavion grinned. "Thanks."
The streets of Varenthia stretched ahead, winding and unpredictable, filled with shifting lights and moving shadows. The city never truly slept. Even at this hour, voices drifted through the air—merchants still haggling over last-minute deals, mercenaries gathered in hushed circles, whispers of bets, bounties, and blood.
Lucavion walked with an easy, unhurried stride, hands tucked lazily into his coat pockets. Caius was a step behind, his expression torn between frustration and reluctant acceptance of his current fate.
And then there was her.
[Vitaliara], perched effortlessly on his shoulder, her emerald eyes sharp as they scanned the streets around them. The occasional flick of her tail was the only indication of her thoughts—until she finally spoke.
[Are you sure about this?] Her voice was quiet, but weighty. [He's a 6-star Awakened.]
Lucavion exhaled softly, his smirk barely shifting. "Was."
As Lucavion walked through the uneven streets of Varenthia, the flickering lantern lights casting long, restless shadows, a familiar voice curled into the edges of his thoughts.
['Are you sure about this?']
Vitaliara's voice was soft but firm, threading into his mind like silk wrapped around steel. From the outside, she was merely perched on his shoulder, tail flicking lazily, but inside his head? Her presence was a persistent weight.
Lucavion's smirk barely shifted. 'You're still asking that?'
['I wouldn't if you weren't planning to fight a 6-star Awakened like it was a casual duel.']
Lucavion hummed in amusement, adjusting his coat as he stepped over a loose stone. 'Was a 6-star. Before three years ago, according to Corvina's intel, he was only a 5-star.'
Vitaliara was silent for a moment. Then—
['And? You think that changes anything?']
'It means he recently broke through. Just like I did.'
A flicker of understanding passed between them. Lucavion could feel her considering his words, weighing the logic.
['So, what? You think that because you both advanced recently, it puts you on even ground?'] Her tone was sharp, probing.
Lucavion chuckled under his breath, sidestepping a sluggish drunk who nearly stumbled into him. 'Not quite. It means he hasn't had time to fully settle into his new strength.'
['Neither have you.']
Lucavion's fingers twitched slightly. He had been expecting that.
Vitaliara scoffed. ['How exactly?']
Lucavion tilted his head, watching the dimly lit alleyways with vague interest. 'Because I had to earn my breakthrough in battle. I had to tear through something stronger than me. When I killed the Kraken, I felt it—the exact moment I shattered my limit.'
Vitaliara's tail curled slightly.
['…You're saying he didn't earn his?']
Lucavion's smirk thinned, turning into something quieter. 'I'm saying that Aldric didn't fight his way up—he climbed. Slowly. Steadily. He's a former knight, a trained soldier. Men like that don't take risks unless they have to.' His black eyes glinted under the lantern light. 'Which means, even if he's a 6-star now, he hasn't had time to wield it properly.'
Vitaliara didn't respond right away.
Lucavion could feel her thoughts shifting, calculating.
['And what about your other core?']
Lucavion's steps didn't falter, but his fingers curled slightly.
['Don't play dumb. I know you've been feeding it. I know you've been pushing it forward—but it's not at peak 4-star yet, is it?']
Lucavion exhaled slowly. 'No. It's mid 4-star.'
Vitaliara's ears flicked, her voice curling through his mind like a whisper of fire.
['And that's a problem.']
Lucavion smirked. 'For anyone else, maybe.'
['For you too, Lucavion.'] Her voice was sharper now. ['You advanced too fast. Your body kept up, your techniques refined—but your Flame of Equinox is hungry. It needs time to fully stabilize.']
Lucavion's gaze flicked to the rooftops, then back to the winding streets. 'Time I don't have.'
['Tch. You reckless bastard.']
Lucavion chuckled. 'I thought we already established that.'
Vitaliara huffed. ['I'm not joking. You feel it, don't you? Your core isn't moving as fast anymore. The higher you climb, the harder it is. The time it took you to go from 3-star to 4-star was nothing. But from mid to peak 4-star? That's different.']
Lucavion exhaled softly, his gaze flicking toward the distant rooftops before settling on the uneven streets beneath his feet. The truth was simple—advancing his [Flame of Equinox] had always been a matter of taking. Death fueled it, strengthened it, refined it. But the further he climbed, the more selective it became.
The stronger the monster, the richer the essence. The richer the essence, the greater the growth.
It was a cycle he had already expected, a trade-off he had calculated from the beginning. The only issue? Finding prey worthy enough to push him forward.
'Not exactly something I can just pick up on the street,' he mused. 'And unless I feel like making enemies out of half the continent, I can't just go hunting Awakened for their cores.'
[Vitaliara] remained perched on his shoulder, her tail flicking in thought. [You're not concerned?]
Lucavion tilted his head slightly, his smirk remaining faint but ever-present. 'Why would I be?'
She huffed. [Because if your advancement slows, you'll fall behind. You won't reach 5-star before this conflict escalates.]
Lucavion let out a soft chuckle, hands tucking further into his coat pockets. 'It's not about speed, it's about momentum. I don't need to rush my advancement—I just need the right opportunities.'
[And if those opportunities don't come?]
'They will come soon enough, don't worry.'