The sunlight poured through the clearing, illuminating the devastation of fallen trees. The stark contrast between the warm rays and the dark, chaotic forest was unsettling. Lucian stood in the midst of it, his tattered clothes a testament to the brutal fight he'd endured. He ran his hands over his body, checking every inch, as if to confirm the impossible truth.
"Not a scratch," he muttered. His body was whole, fully healed, as if the near-death experience he'd endured had been erased. But he knew better—he'd seen it all unfold, the being within him taking over, regenerating his injuries in a manner far beyond what any healer could accomplish.
The questions weighed heavily on his mind.
"Who is this being? How can they possess such overwhelming power? And why… why do they look like me?"
He clenched his fists, the words echoing in his memory:
"I am you."
That phrase gnawed at his thoughts, a seed of paranoia growing within him. What did it mean? Was the being truly a part of him, or something else entirely? The idea that this presence might be manipulating his decisions, or worse, his very thoughts, sent a shiver down his spine.
"I need answers," Lucian muttered, his voice firm with resolve. "I won't be their pawn."
He steeled himself, forcing the troubling thoughts aside as he turned his attention to the shining items on the ground. Dropped by the monsters upon their death, they shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Lucian knelt down, his curiosity piqued. He had seen something similar before with the ring dropped by the Mini Abyssal Glider, a drop that boosted his mana circulation. As he observed the items, faint details seemed to float above them, almost as if the objects themselves were alive with information.
The ring on his finger glimmered faintly, catching his eye. Its stats reappeared, the information hovering above it.
Mini Abyssal Glider's Ring
Mana +20
Circulation Efficiency +5%
He flexed his fingers, feeling the slight difference it made in his mana flow. It was subtle but invaluable in a fight. If these new items were anything like the ring, they could provide the edge he desperately needed.
Lucian reached for the black sword first, his fingers brushing its surface. As soon as he touched it, knowledge flooded his mind, as if the weapon whispered its secrets to him.
Nightrazor's Sword
Attack +10
Bleeding +20%
Strength +10
Skill :
Crimson Trail: Creates an afterimage of slashes that remain briefly in the air, dealing delayed damage to enemies who step into the area.
Effect :
Bleeding Burst: Every successful strike in the spiral adds a stacking Bleeding debuff to enemies. The more stacks, the faster their health deteriorates, and their movements become sluggish due to blood loss.
Note: Having the full Nightrazor's set will apply a hemorrhage effect on every strike, making the target unable to stop their bleeding.
The sword seemed to resonate with his excitement, as if whispering its destructive potential to him.
"Crimson Trail," he whispered to himself, his voice tinged with wonder. The idea of carving through enemies and leaving behind lingering slashes that persisted after the swing had him nearly giddy. "So, I could just set a trap with my strikes and let anything walk right into it's doom. Combined with Bleeding Burst? I won't even have to finish the job...this thing does it for me!"
He was ecstatic, imagining the monsters from earlier trying to flee, only to be caught in the aftermath of his swings, bleeding out as they struggled against the inevitable.
Carefully, he set the sword aside and picked up the second item, a leg guard with a sleek design that matched the sword. The moment he touched it, more information poured into his mind.
Nightrazor's Leg Guard
Bleeding +5%
Defense +10
Note: Having the full Nightrazor's set will apply a hemorrhage effect on every strike, making the target unable to stop their bleeding.
Lucian couldn't hide his satisfaction. These were powerful enhancements, far superior to the basic gear he'd been relying on. His old sword had broken twice trying to cut through the monsters' tough exteriors, but this sword… it might finally let him fight back. Better yet, it gave him a chance to go on the offensive.
"Well," Lucian said, smirking as he sheathed the sword and strapped on the leg guard, "I didn't exactly earn these myself. But if that being inside me wants to play savior, I'll take what I can get."
He glanced down at himself. The sleek black leg guard stood out against his torn, filthy clothes, a mismatch that would've been laughable under different circumstances. But survival trumped appearances.
"I probably look ridiculous," he admitted with a faint chuckle, "but it doesn't matter. I'll get stronger—strong enough that I won't need to rely on anyone else."
Lucian opened the storage compartment in his bracelet, channeling mana into it. The faint shimmer of spatial magic greeted him as he stowed his old, battered sword and felt the satisfying weight of Nightrazor at his side. The weapon felt like an extension of himself already, a part of him ready to carve through whatever came next.
He straightened, a fiery determination blazing in his eyes. The horrors he'd faced—the hallucination trap, the eight-legged beasts, the darkness-oozing monster—all of it had brought him to this moment. Each challenge had pushed him to his limits, but he wasn't broken. He was adapting. Evolving.
The forest was unnervingly quiet now, the air heavy with tension. Lucian's instincts told him he wasn't alone. Something...or someone...was watching. But he didn't falter. Instead, he raised his chin, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his new blade.
"Let's see what else this cursed forest has in store for me," he said, stepping forward, the sunlight casting long shadows behind him. "I will keep fighting no matter what...I won't go down without a fight."
The Monsters of the Northern Cursed Lands had claimed countless victims, but Lucian Hale wasn't going to be one of them. Not anymore.