Victor's expression froze with awe as he beheld the figure before him. Herakles, the god of strength from Greek mythology, a figure of legend, was now kneeling before him, acknowledging him as his master!
A sense of indescribable satisfaction enveloped Victor, marked by a wide grin. He stood there for a moment, savoring the power dynamics, before quickly regaining his composure with a small cough.
"Rise," he ordered, his voice steady but commanding.
Herakles obeyed immediately, rising to his full, towering height.
Victor felt increasingly pleased as he gazed at Herakles from head to toe. Herakles' presence was overwhelming; his muscular frame, only clad in tattered brown pants, exuded a raw, rugged power. Despite the simplicity of his attire, or perhaps because of it, he appeared even more formidable.
[Note: Herakles' power is adjusted to this world's limits, with his magical base now at the peak of the Sage realm]
Victor raised an eyebrow at the sudden system notification, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face. But he quickly nodded, finding the information reasonable.
Honestly, he was a bit disappointed. He had expected Herakles' power to be that of an invincible god. But if that were the case, everything would be too easy for him. Even so, Herakles' current magical base was already immensely powerful. The peak of the Sage Realm, very few could reach it.
Regaining his focus on Herakles, Victor's gaze sharpened. "From now on, call me young master, and you are my bodyguard," he declared.
Herakles bowed respectfully, his voice deep and unwavering. "Understood, young master."
Victor nodded in satisfaction. He then stepped off his bed, his eyes scanning Herakles' massive frame. "It might be difficult to find clothes, even oversized ones, that fit your height. Can you shrink your body to a more normal size?" he asked.
Herakles nodded. "Fortunately, I have mastered gigantification magic, which allows me to change size, even exceeding 20 meters. It seems I can also reduce my size. Let me try."
He touched his chest, and a small red rune circle appeared, glowing softly. It enveloped his body, rapidly shrinking him from 338 cm to 195 cm, maintaining his muscular build.
Victor watched with admiration and enthusiasm. In a world where magic was possible, he too wanted to explore its potential.
"How about now, young master? Is my appearance satisfactory?" Herakles asked.
Victor smiled contentedly. "I can't say anything else; your appearance is perfect. Now let's introduce you to Carlo, my trusted aide," he said.
Herakles simply nodded and obediently followed Victor's words, heading downstairs to meet Carlo.
------
Meanwhile, back in Archville Forest, Leon leaned against a cold stone wall, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he channeled healing magic through his still-functional left hand.
The explosion had been devastating, the force of it breaking dozens of bones and leaving him with agonizing burns. He winced as his magic worked to knit the worst of his injuries back together, each pulse of power bringing a fresh wave of pain.
Thanks to his master's harsh training, he had grown strong enough to survive such a direct blast. But the survival was bitter, his heart filled with burning rage. He couldn't accept that the map he had thought was a treasure was actually a cleverly set trap.
He hadn't suspected the person who sold him the map. The seller was just a beggar, someone he thought too insignificant to be part of any schemes. But now, he knew better. Someone had targeted him deliberately.
"No matter who you are," he growled, his voice a low, dangerous whisper, "I swear I will find you and tear you to pieces!"
---------
Unnoticed, more than eight hours had passed. Now, inside the villa, Victor sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes as he woke. A sudden memory jolted him fully awake.
"System, explain what you mean by the heavenly lottery," he requested.
[The heavenly lottery, as its name suggests, is a lottery containing various things. Abilities, items, techniques, magic, weapons, talents, subordinates, and many more are included. One thing that distinguishes the heavenly lottery from a regular lottery is that there are no blanks]
Victor smiled in satisfaction, stroking his chin as he absorbed the useful information.
"Well, what are we waiting for? I want to use the heavenly lottery ticket now," he declared with a smirk.
[Using 1× heavenly lottery ticket]
The next second, a large lottery wheel materialized, nearly filling the room. Each segment of the wheel was marked with countless item names, the potential prizes numbering in the tens of thousands.
[Please spin the lottery needle]
Following the system's instructions, Victor stood and grasped the lottery needle. but before spinning it, his eyes caught a few items on the lottery board.
[Subordinate: Hitler]
[Item: Darkness Fruit]
[Weapon: Blade of Chaos]
[Subordinate: Kratos]
[Technique: Shadow Clone]
[Ability: Gravity Manipulation]
Victor gulped as he took in the sight of these superpowered items; each one seemed incredibly potent, and there were tens of thousands more he couldn't even begin to fathom.
The anticipation was almost overwhelming as he thought about what he might receive. With a deep breath, he steeled himself and gave the needle a firm spin, watching it whir rapidly.
Victor's sharp gaze was locked on the spinning needle. Seconds ticked by, the needle's speed gradually decreasing. His heart pounded as it slowed, inching closer to its final destination.
Finally, the needle came to a stop. Victor immediately leaned in, his breath held in anticipation. The needle's tip had landed on a segment marked by a cracked logo.
[Congratulations, you have obtained an ability: Earthquake Punch]
Victor raised an eyebrow, his expression filled with intrigue. The name alone hinted at immense power.
"Is this what I think it is? Can I create earthquakes by punching the air?" he murmured, a grin spreading across his face as he stroked his chin thoughtfully.
[Would you like to extract it?]
"Of course!" Victor responded eagerly.
[Commencing extraction. Integration process will take approximately one minute]
In the next moment, a sudden surge of energy coursed through Victor's body. He closed his eyes, allowing the process to unfold. He felt the power seeping into every fiber of his being, enhancing him in ways he had never experienced before.
Exactly one minute later, he opened his eyes again, a satisfied smirk forming on his lips. The extraction had gone smoothly, and he could feel a newfound strength within him.
"Now, let's test this power!" he exclaimed with excitement.
His eyes shifted to the window, and just as he was about to leap forward, he was interrupted by the sudden ringing of his phone. The timing couldn't have been worse, but he reluctantly turned to see who was calling.
The phone lay on his bed, vibrating insistently. With a sigh, he picked it up and checked the caller ID: Bob Stanley. Recognizing the name immediately, Victor felt a pang of curiosity. Bob was a close friend, someone he often hung out with.
Answering the call, he asked, "Hey Bob, what's up?"
"Good morning, Victor. Just wanted to check in. Do you remember what day it is?" Bob asked, his tone slightly exasperated.
"Today is Sunday. Why? You want to hang out?" Victor responded casually.
"Bruh, were you too drunk to remember when I told you? Today is young master Alber Sky's eighth birthday," Bob reminded him.
Victor's brow furrowed in surprise. He had almost forgotten about Alber Sky's birthday. In the original plot, the previous Victor would have skipped the party, dismissing it as a trivial child's birthday bash. But he, who knew the plot, was aware of the significant events that would transpire during the party.
He certainly wouldn't miss it. He knew that Leon would be involved and would play an important role.
He rubbed his chin, contemplating his plan for the event, recalling the incidents that would unfold.
For some future events, Victor had already thought ahead and made plans, but for others, he was a bit hazy since it had been a long time since he read the novel.
"Hey, Victor, are you listening?" Bob's sudden voice snapped Victor back to reality.
"Oh, yeah, of course, I remember. But sorry, Bob, I'll be going alone," Victor said.
"Well, I was hoping you'd pick me up, but no worries, I'll go with my sister. See you tonight, Victor," Bob said.
"Yeah, see you tonight," Victor responded.
With that, the call ended. Victor stood still for a few moments, contemplating his next move. Then, a wide grin spread across his face as he shouted, "Herakles, come here!"
In less than ten seconds, Herakles, now dressed in casual attire, entered the room and stood before Victor.
"You called for me, young master?" he asked.
"Yes, we're going to a birthday party. But we're going to make it more... interesting," Victor declared with a grin.