"It's about time for what?" Henry asked. He had just witnessed the most miraculous things in his life in a matter of minutes. First, this was the first time he witnessed a kiss. He still couldn't get that out of his head even with the situation at hand. Next, an ice dragon attacked them, and suddenly Lukas could use various types of otherworldly magic. He still couldn't comprehend all that had happened, so he demanded explanations from Lukas.
"You see..." Lukas said calmly as he proceeded to explain everything that had happened. He told him about the ice dragons and how Nolan Fiske had tried to kill him. He also told him about himself being a reincarnation of the Slime Lord.
"You...you're a slime? Where's the real Lukas?" Henry said as he started taking steps away from Lukas.
"I am still the real Lukas," Lukas sighed as he continued. "The spell I used to get reincarnated is a very complex one. I'll take over the body of someone who bears my name and acts exactly the way I did. Everything he'd say is what I'd also say if I were him. His memories were also transferred to me. So currently, I'm not Lukas the Slime Lord nor Lukas De Arcadian, we are one entity now." Lukas explained.
"Well... It looks pretty weird now that you've told me, but you're still the Lukas I know, so...it doesn't bother me. And besides, you finally got a girlfriend." Henry gave Lukas a thumbs-up as he smiled wildly.
"This dude, how do his thoughts still drift to that kind of thing in such situations?" Lukas facepalmed as he thought to himself.
"Where did you take the ice dragon to?" Ellice asked firmly as she struggled to stand up. Lukas quickly supported her.
"Take it easy, Ellice," Lukas said. "The spell you just learned requires a lot of mana to cast." Lukas said. "You're exhausted, stay still and let me heal you," Lukas said as he touched her forehead lightly while transferring a light blue energy into her.
Ellice stood as she felt Lukas's mana rush into her. It was a very sweet feeling that she couldn't describe. She just felt like it should continue forever when it suddenly stopped.
"Uh? Why'd you stop?" Ellice asked when she noticed that the pleasant feeling was gone.
"If I give you too much of my power, you might explode," Lukas said directly.
"Just how powerful are you, Lukas?" Henry asked. His mind had flashed back to all Lukas said that surprised him. Lukas had said he didn't need a cultivation stone nor a rank A sword. "Are you a rank S mage?" Henry asked again.
"You can't understand the level of my power, it's beyond imaginable," Lukas said.
Lukas suddenly stretched his hand forward, and a portal appeared and spat out the man who attacked them earlier. He wanted to get information out of him, so he placed his hands on his head as his eyes turned red.
"What's he doing?" Henry nudged Ellice for answers as she didn't seem surprised about Lukas's act.
"He's reading his memories," Ellice replied. She had seen him do this to her uncle before.
"Wow! There's a sort of magic like that?" Henry asked, bewildered.
"I see..." Lukas said as he turned to face Ellice and Henry.
"What's wrong?" Ellice asked.
"The magic competition coming up tomorrow, it's all a trap to lure us out," he said. From what he had seen from the man's memories, the ice dragons were planning to launch an attack in which three targets were meant to be killed. One was Lukas, the next was Ellice, and the third was... He couldn't find out who the third was from the man's memories. But then he had discovered who the high priestess was.
"A trap? How?" Henry asked.
"The reason they want to kill me is understandable, but since they're so hell-bent on killing you, Lukas, there can only be one explanation," Ellice said.
"They know who I am," Lukas said.
"Not all of them. If they knew who you were, I doubt they'd send weaklings after you. Only a selected few know, maybe one or two."
"I know just where to get that info," Lukas said as he stood up to leave.
"Where are you going, Lukas?" Henry asked.
"The high priestess is Miss Lyra. She'll know more info," Lukas said as he opened a portal.
"Let me come with you, Lukas. There'll be something I can do," Ellice said.
"Don't worry, Ellice, I can handle this. You'll need more rest," Lukas said as he turned to Henry. "I leave her in your hands. I can see you're now stronger," Lukas said as he stepped through the portal.
IN A HIDDEN CHAMBER
Lukas's heart pounded in rage as he stepped through the swirling portal, emerging into a dimly lit chamber. The air was thick with an eerie, cold aura, and the walls were adorned with ancient runes that glowed faintly. In the center of the chamber stood Miss Lyra, her icy blue eyes glinting with malicious glee. "They had attacked someone who he cherished, how wouldn't he be mad."
"Miss Lyra," he called out. "Why do you want Ellice and I dead?" He asked directly.
"I am surprised at how you know who I am, but I think it'll just make things easier for me since you already know you're going to die," she said, her tone arrogant. Although she couldn't comprehend just how Lukas was able to find out who she was, she thought Ellice must have only given him info about their hideout, as even Ellice didn't know that she was the high priestess.
"All I want is information," Lukas spat out.
"Lukas," she purred, her voice echoing in the cavernous room. "You've come to meet your doom."
"Don't force me into ending your life in one swoop," Lukas yelled out. He had reduced his power level to that of a rank A mage, matching that of Miss Lyra so he wouldn't kill her.
Miss Lyra laughed, a cold, chilling sound that reverberated through the chamber. "Bold words for someone so young. You have no idea what you're up against."
Lukas's eyes narrowed. "I don't care what dark powers you wield. I'm only here to get information out of you."
With a swift motion, Lukas summoned his ice magic, sharp crystals forming around him as he prepared for battle. Miss Lyra's smile widened, and she raised her arms, the ground beneath them rumbling as she summoned her earth magic.
"Let's see how you fare against the power of the High Priestess," she hissed.
Lukas wasted no time. He launched a volley of ice lances at Miss Lyra, who countered with a barrier of rock that erupted from the ground. The ice and rock collided, sending shards and debris flying through the chamber. Lukas darted forward, his movements swift and precise, as he aimed a powerful strike at her.
Miss Lyra parried with a wall of earth, but Lukas's speed caught her off guard. He followed up with a barrage of icy attacks, each one chipping away at her defenses bit by bit. Despite her attempts to counter, Lukas's relentless assault began to overwhelm her.
"You're stronger than I thought," she admitted, her voice tinged with frustration. "But you'll still fall before me."
She chanted an incantation, and the ground beneath them began to tremble. Massive stalagmites erupted from the floor, forcing Lukas to leap and dodge to avoid being impaled. Miss Lyra's mastery over earth magic was formidable, but Lukas knew he had to press on.
As the battle raged, Miss Lyra's frustration grew. Realizing she couldn't defeat Lukas with her earth magic alone, she chanted a powerful spell. Her body began to transform, her skin turning blue, scales erupting along her arms, and wings sprouting from her back. In moments, she had become a massive Ice Dragon, her eyes glowing with malevolent power.
The Ice Dragon roared, shaking the chamber with its fury. It lunged at Lukas, its claws slashing through the air. Lukas leapt back, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. He retaliated with a powerful ice spell, but the dragon's icy scales absorbed much of the impact.
Lukas realized he needed to change his approach. Summoning his fire magic, he unleashed a torrent of flames, the fiery inferno crashing into the dragon and causing its scales to crack and shatter. The dragon roared in shock and pain, its movements becoming more erratic.
As the dragon prepared to strike again, Lukas conjured a powerful blast of fire, engulfing the dragon in a swirling vortex of flames. The dragon's icy form began to melt, the intense heat overwhelming its defenses.
"How... how can you wield fire?" Miss Lyra, now in her dragon form, gasped in shock.
Lukas's eyes burned with determination. "You underestimated me, High Priestess. Your power ends here."
With a final, devastating burst of fire magic, Lukas engulfed the dragon, tearing it apart with sheer force. Miss Lyra, in her dragon form, let out a final, anguished roar before collapsing to the ground, reverting to her human form.
"How... How is this possible? How can you wield both fire and ice, and how are you so powerful?" Miss Lyra screamed like a lunatic.
Miss Lyra lay on the ground, defeated and exhausted. "What... are you?" she gasped, her voice weak.
Lukas ignored her question. He stretched his hand forward. "Now," Lukas said, his eyes glowing red as he placed his hands on Lyra's head. "Let's see what you know."
Lukas delved into Miss Lyra's memories, sifting through her thoughts and experiences. The images flashed before his eyes: secret meetings, dark rituals, and plans to harness the power of the ice dragons for a grand scheme.
"Ellice and I were never the main targets," Lukas realized aloud. "Grey is, and the reason you want to kill me is because the Dragon Lord said he sensed something about me. He seems to be the type that won't let anything get in his way, not even the slightest mistake should be made." Lukas also saw a face he didn't recognize, as it seemed to be disguised with magical energy.
As he withdrew his hand, Miss Lyra's eyes were wide with fear and disbelief. "You... you know everything now."
"Yes," Lukas replied, his voice cold. "And I won't let it happen." He placed his hands on Miss Lyra's head as his eyes glowed in their usual red.
"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHH!" Miss Lyra screamed in pain. She felt like a part of her was being sucked out.
He stood up, turning to leave. "You're finished, Miss Lyra. Your schemes end here." Lukas had successfully taken away all her memories of being the ice priestess, as he had done with Fiske.
With that, he opened a portal and stepped through, leaving Miss Lyra lying defeated in the hidden chamber. "Why do they want Grey?" he thought to himself as he stepped through the portal.