When two men entered the cave in panic, one stepped forward, offering Lucian a pill, while the other entered deeper part of cave in panic, unknowingly walking straight into a carefully laid trap.
Lucian, ever vigilant, wasted no time. He lunged at a nearby man with deadly precision, driving a knife deep into the nape of his neck. The man's eyes widened in shock as his body crumpled to the ground.
Without a moment's hesitation, Lucian dashed over to Leora, who lay on the rocky ground with shallow breaths.
He fed her the pill, carefully guiding it down her throat, and soon her breathing began to stabilize. As he watched her chest rise and fall more regularly, he let out a small sigh of relief, but there was no time to rest.
He had set up multiple traps throughout the cave—painstakingly designed contingencies for moments just like this. But as he kept his eyes on the third man, he realized none of the primary traps had worked.
The man was cautious, calculating, avoiding the obvious trap as if he sensed them.
Lucian's brows furrowed. He had to think fast. If the traps failed, then his last resort would be to use Leora as bait, a move he loathed to consider. She was already in a weakened state, and risking her life again felt like a gamble he couldn't afford.
But just as he braced himself to make that desperate decision, he heard a faint click—the unmistakable sound of one of his backup traps activating. The man had finally fallen into one of the hidden traps.
A surge of adrenaline coursed through Lucian's veins as he saw the man's caught in a net trap made of very sharp strings that had snapped tight, pinning him in place.
Lucian sprang into action. He didn't waste a second. His body screamed with every movement, pain flaring from the gaping wound in his abdomen where the bandages had long since soaked through with blood.
His white clothes were now stained a deep crimson, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through the agony.
Charging forward with blinding speed, Lucian reached the trapped man and, in one swift motion, sliced through the tendons in both of his Achilles heels.
The man let out a pained howl as his legs buckled beneath him, unable to support his weight. Lucian's breathing was heavy, ragged, but his eyes remained cold and focused.
With the immediate threat neutralized, Lucian rifled through the fallen men's belongings, gathering all the pills and medicines he could find. Each movement felt like a battle against his own failing strength, but he knew he had to keep going.
Time was of the essence, and his injuries wouldn't wait. He used the most effective of the medicines on himself first, feeling a slight numbing sensation spread from his wound as the bleeding began to slow.
After patching himself up as best he could, he turned his attention back to Leora, administering a different set of healing remedies. Her color slowly returned, and Lucian breathed a little easier as he saw her eyelids begin to flutter.
When Leora finally woke, her eyes slowly focusing on his face, he spoke in a firm but gentle tone, "Listen, sister. I have a plan." His voice was steady despite the fatigue weighing on him.
"When you hear an explosion, come out of the cave. Wait for the perfect moment to strike, and when you see the enemy distracted, take the opportunity to kill him." He watched her closely as he spoke, gauging her reaction.
Leora nodded resolutely. Even though she was still recovering, there was a fire in her eyes—a shared determination that mirrored his own.
She used another dose of medicine to heal the remnants of her wounds and then took a moment to steady her breathing, just as she had learned during their countless training sessions.
Lucian then turned to the first man who had entered the cave. His movements were swift but methodical as he searched the man's storage ring, his fingers finally closing around a small set of explosives.
He glanced at the unconscious man who had been captured, his mind already formulating the next phase of his plan.
He reached into his pack and pulled out a vial of anesthesia, carefully administering the dose to keep the captive deeply unconscious. It was not cruelty that motivated him, but necessity.
Lucian made a small incision on the man's chest, just enough to insert the explosive device he had found. As he worked, he carved the time of the explosion into the surface of the device, ensuring it would activate at the precise moment he needed.
And the poison he fed was nothing but colored water.
He closed the wound with practiced efficiency, knowing the enemy outside the cave would not expect such a trap. As he stood back and assessed his work, his suspicion was confirmed—there were indeed people waiting for him outside.
He could feel their presence, the faint shifts in the air that spoke of bodies lurking just beyond the cave's entrance.
...
"S-sorry, brother." Leora whispered, her voice trembling as she cradled Lucian's head in her lap. She stroked his hair softly, her eyes filled with guilt.
"This all happened because I entered the cave." Her words were barely audible, as though speaking them aloud made the truth more painful.
Lucian lay there, breathing evenly, his head resting against her. The sight brought back a memory she hadn't thought of in years—a moment from when they were still children.
...
Years ago
A young Lucian, only ten years old, grinned widely as he sat across from his sister. "Sister, you always cultivate! No wonder you're so weak at chess." he teased, moving his piece forward with a confident flick of his wrist. His voice carried the playful arrogance of youth.
Leora frowned at the board, then looked up at him, her lips curling into a smirk. "And what's the point of being good at chess? Don't you know the Prime Minister always loses to his son in chess? Does that mean the son is smarter than him?" Her tone was laced with challenge.
Lucian's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but he tried not to let it show. "But that's just a legend." he retorted, crossing his arms. "You don't have any proof."
Leora leaned back, her smile widening. "You just don't want to cultivate, do you, you little brat?"
Lucian's laugh was light, almost carefree. "Who needs cultivation when I have my intellect? I could be like a king—someone who isn't as strong as his general but still controls the world."
Leora raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her gaze. "And who would want to be your general, hmm?"
Without missing a beat, Lucian replied, "I have you, Sister. You'd make the perfect general."
"But what if I get married someday?" Leora teased. "What will you do then?"
Lucian's face grew serious, his expression darkening at the thought. "Married?" he echoed. "You'd leave me?" His voice was small, and the tears that welled up in his eyes seemed to surprise even him. He threw his arms around her in a sudden embrace. "No, I don't want that. Don't leave me, sister."
A mischievous grin then spread across his face, dispelling the momentary sadness. "Do you think I'd actually say that?" he said, pulling back with a chuckle. "I'm waiting for the day you get married, Sister! Then I'll finally find some peace. No—our entire family will finally have peace and quiet."
Leora's eyes softened, but she quickly masked it with a playful scowl. "Oh, so I'm the one disturbing your peace, am I? In that case, I think I'll tell Dad that you broke the ancient vase last week."
Before she could move, Lucian teleported to her feet and began massaging them frantically. "Sister, I was just joking!" he exclaimed, his laughter bubbling up again.
"Alright." Leora said with mock seriousness. "I won't tell Dad—if you get me a day off from cultivation today."
That day, the siblings spent their time in cheerful abandon, wandering the streets. They encountered an old beggar who sat in the shade of a tree, his clothes worn and his eyes distant.
He glanced up as they approached and his gaze fixed on Lucian. "You will die soon, kid." he said, his voice raspy and filled with an unsettling certainty.
Leora's temper flared. "If you're going to spout nonsense, go do it somewhere else!" she snapped.
But Lucian's curiosity was piqued. "Who are you?" he asked, staring back at the beggar.
The old man laughed, a hollow sound that echoed in the street. "The lunatic that fell from heaven."
...
Leora's voice trembled as she whispered to herself, "Who was that man?" But what she didn't realized was that Kai had never received that memory—or, more accurately, someone had taken it from Lucian or was is it just Leora's illusion.
What was even more surprising was that why did this memory from childhood resurfaced now.
She rose to her feet, lifting Lucian onto her back despite her own weariness. With a final glance at the cave, she began the long trek toward Cloud City, her steps steady, driven by a silent vow to protect the only family she had left.