Lucian looked at Ash with a deadpan expression.
"What?" Lucian wanted to be certain he had heard her right.
"Don't worry, we're better than killing innocent people. You'd be doing the world a favor."
'That's not what I asked.'
Lucian was more concerned by the fact that they didn't care how similar he was to a demon, they still found it logical to set him loose. It showed a certain level of desperation he half expected, but he wasn't complaining.
"So, what exactly is it I'll be doing?"
"You'll be briefed on the mission tomorrow."
Lucian sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "So, how did you plan on helping me prepare?"
"By giving you a simple piece of advice: Hell's flame. Find a way to use it, and it'll be your strongest asset right now."
"What do you mean, 'find a way'?" Lucian asked.
"You'll be the first human able to use Hell's Flame. So, there isn't exactly a tutorial I can give you. This will be a journey you'll have to take on your own."
Lucian scoffed as he walked past her toward the exit. "Well, thanks. You've been a great help."
"Is that sarcasm?"
Lucian stopped, raised an eyebrow, and tilted his head slightly in a gesture that screamed, Obviously.
"No, I meant that genuinely," he added dryly.
"Is that also sarcasm?" Ash asked, bemused.
Without another word, Lucian turned away and headed out of the hall. "I'm going to bed. I assume the room with my name on it is mine," he called back before leaving the hall.
He walked through the lobby toward his assigned room, which opened with a barely audible hiss as he touched the handle.
Lucian closed the door behind him. The lights were off, so he couldn't see much, but he could make out the bed. Without hesitation, he moved forward and collapsed onto it.
He was exhausted. His muscles ached. He'd spent the last few hours trying, and failing, to even touch Ira's mask. Considering her abilities, though, it made sense. If she hadn't had the advantage of the dark hall, things might have gone differently.
"Who am I kidding? No, it wouldn't have."
Ira was fast—faster than him. He could tell that much from the way she moved through the shadows. In fact, the core essence of her ability relied on speed. The shadows merely concealed her presence in an unusual way, but she had to be fast enough to move through them undetected by him.
"What an ability."
Vashara, the Goddess of Shadows, was ranked fourth among the gods. That meant those sponsored by her were as rare as they were terrifyingly strong. For Iralis to have such an ability at an early stage was quite terrifying—she could already be a world-class assassin.
Each of these facts pointed to the reality that Lucian was far from being as strong as he should be. Not only was he sponsored by the strongest of the gods, but he also had Lucifer's backing. Yet, not only did he lack any type of ability whatsoever, he was still weak physically—although far stronger than he had been four years ago.
It seemed he had the nanotech in him to thank for that.
Lucian lay flat on the bed, staring at the dark ceiling. He pictured the rune in his mind, and as he did, it appeared.
__________
Name: Lucian
Sponsors: The Almighty, Lucifer Morningstar
Holy Core: Dormant
Demonic Core: Infernal 1 [1/25 souls required for next tier advance]
Memory: 0.00999% recovered
__________
"What exactly is this?" Lucian asked, a question meant for himself. So when he saw the rune flash text as a voice began to speak, he almost jolted off the bed.
I am the embodiment of a fraction of the Almighty's truth. I am one with the fabric of existence. I am born of the same power that shaped the stars, the seas, and the endless flow of time.
I am a simplified version of the 'Threads of Existence,' the invisible currents that flow through all things. I guide you to understand what lies beneath the surface, granting you awareness of the universe's core structure.
By each revelation, you understand the power that forged creation, and through it, you may influence fate itself.
__________
Holy Core Skills:
- Threads of Existence (???)
Demonic Core Skills:
- Bloodlust (Basic)
__________
"Whoa," Lucian muttered as he gazed at the rune.
He had known there was more to it, but this was still far more than he had thought. It seemed the rune itself was one of the abilities he got from having the Almighty as a sponsor.
"This one, though..." Lucian looked down towards the demonic core skill.