Chapter 96: Shadow Genesis

The following morning Lucian made his way to the dining room of the sterling manor for breakfast.

As soon as he stepped inside the dining room, he found that most of the family had already gathered around the table. The room was filled with the pleasant aroma of freshly prepared food, and the atmosphere was far more relaxed than it had been the previous day.

Magnus was already present at the head of the table casually browsing through his phone, while Evelyn was seated at one side and while her mother was busy helping herself to another serving of food.

“Good morning Uncle. Auntie.”

Lucian greeted them with a smile as he took a vacant seat beside Evelyn.

“Good morning Lucian,” Evelyn’s mother greeted him warmly. ‘Come on sit down and eat. You’re growing stronger every day so you have to eat enough to keep up.’

She pointed towards the food on his plate.

“Here, have some more. You’ve barely started!”

Before he could say anything she placed another healthy serving on his plate.

He looked at the food on his plate then at her helplessly.

“Thank you Auntie. I think this should suffice.”

“Nonsense! A growing young man needs all the nourishment he can get.”

Evelyn looked at his plate and couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Mother, if you keep feeding him like this he’ll need a larger table to accommodate the food!’

Her Mother glared at her playfully.

‘What’s wrong with that? At least someone in this family appreciates my cooking.’

‘Hey! I appreciate it too!’

‘Well then why are you complaining?’

Evelyn’s lips pressed into a straight line.

Lucian fought to suppress the laughter bubbling inside his chest as he watched the exchange. He had to admit that breakfast at the sterling manor was quite an enjoyable experience. Compared to the tense aura that often encompassed powerful cultivation families this place exuded a warmth that made him feel welcomed. Even Magnus was comfortable enough to not mind the small bickering between his wife and daughter.

For a while they simply enjoyed the meal exchanging light hearted banter about mundane topics.

Evelyn occasionally shot him furtive glances, especially whenever he helped himself to another serving. She still remembered what he had done the day before and subconsciously regarded every action he made with suspicion. The thought of him breaking something else inside the manor made her wary.

Lucian caught her staring and raised an eyebrow.

‘What?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Then why are you giving me that look as if I’m about to atomize the dining room?’

‘Because knowing you, I wouldn’t put it past you.’

Lucian almost choked on his food.

‘Come on! You don’t even have that much faith in me!’

Evelyn gave him a sweet smile.

‘Shall I remind you of the testing machine and the door frame?’

‘Those were accidents!’

‘Of course they were.’

She gave him a mock serious nod, clearly not believing him.

Lucian sighed and decided not to bother arguing. He couldn’t possibly win an argument against someone who believed in her claims so adamantly.

Thankfully at that moment Magnus put his phone aside and joined the conversation.

“So Lucian,” he said, fixing the young man with a measured gaze. “what are your plans for today?”

Lucian swallowed the food in his mouth before answering.

“I was planning on sending one of my Shadow Soldiers to the Mercenary Guild to register.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow.

“The Mercenary Guild?”

Lucian nodded.

“I want to establish my own mercenary squad, so registering at the Mercenary Guild seems like the most sensible place to start.”

His tone was casual, but his intent was clear.

So far most of his efforts had been dedicated to increasing his strength and experimenting with the powers of his Martial Soul. But at the same time he knew that strength alone would not help him achieve everything he sought.

Resources, knowledge, and opportunities to advance, those were the things he needed. The Mercenary Guild could provide all three.

By registering at the Guild he could take on missions, accumulate rewards, and gather materials. Most importantly he could build upon his current assets to establish something bigger. Having a mercenary squad at his disposal, however small, would be a tremendous advantage. And with his Shadow Soldiers at his command he had an opportunity that no other ordinary cultivator would ever have.

“That’s a sound decision,” Magnus mused, “The Mercenary Guild is a good place to start, so long as you know how to navigate it.”

Before Lucian could respond, Evelyn suddenly leaned forward.

‘Wait a minute!’

She fixed him with an appraising gaze.

‘You’ve already decided to establish a mercenary squad?’

Lucian turned to look at her.

“Indeed.”

‘What are you going to name it?”

The question took him by surprise.

He had considered the practicalities of establishing a mercenary squad, but not the name. He muttered the words with a bemused smile.

‘What should I call it?’

Evelyn stared at him expectantly.

‘Well? You can’t just establish a mercenary squad without naming it!’

‘I know that!’

‘…Then?’

Lucian leaned back and pondered.

A mercenary squad would be the beginning of something new. No longer would it be just another cultivator taking on missions for rewards. It would be the genesis of power and prestige, and more importantly, the realization of dreams that others could only dream of.

His soldiers of shadow would be his trump card, and it really wasn’t surprising that the thought even crossed his mind.

After a few seconds a name came to him. He muttered the words.

“Shadow Genesis.”

For a moment, a stunned silence filled the room.

Then Evelyn’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“Shadow Genesis?”

She tasted the name on her lips.

“That’s actually a very good name!”

A happy smile curled her lips.

“It sounds mysterious, powerful and a little bit frightening. I love it!”

Lucian chuckled.

“So do I, actually.”

The name had a special meaning for him. The word Genesis symbolized a beginning, the start of something that would flourish and grow to become something great. And the word Shadow not only represented his soldiers of shadow, but practically everything else that was about to begin. It was practically his destiny, and a destiny that he would carve out for himself. Evelyn understood that at least partially, judging from the smile on her lips.

“So then, it’s decided! The name of your mercenary squad shall be Shadow Genesis!”

“That means I have your blessing,’ A smile curled on Lucian’s lips. ‘Right?”

“Of course! Someone has to ensure you don’t make some horrible mistake,”

“How kind of you,”

Evelyn happily showed off her achievement.

Magnus, who silently observed the exchange shook his head with a smile.

The two really got along well. However, his expression turned serious again as he directed his attention back to Lucian.

“Uncle Magnus, there is one more question I have,’ ‘Go ahead,”

“What are the requirements for creating a mercenary squad? Does power in Martial Master Realm suffice or are there any other restrictions?”

Magnus leaned back and began to contemplate the best way to phrase his answer.

“In strict terms, reaching Martial Master Realm is enough for a cultivator to establish a mercenary squad. However, that does not mean every Martial Master sees fit to do so.”

Lucian listened intently.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not as simple as just establishing a mercenary squad,’ Magnus said. ‘The true difficulty lies in completing the missions.”

He paused momentarily before continuing.

“The Mercenary Guild offers different ranks of missions. Some are rather simple, while others demand a lot of strength, skill and coordination. The higher the rank, the more life threatening they can be.”

Lucian nodded.

“For example, Most of the Missions are already beyond the capability of most ordinary Martial Masters. Usually, you would need to have at least a few Martial Masters of sufficient strength, preferably Rank 4 or above, to complete such Missions with any degree of certainty.”

“Otherwise the whole squad will be paying for your mistake with their lives.”

His words were calm, but the meaning behind them was clear.

The world of cultivation was not forgiving. A seemingly lucrative mission could easily turn into a death trap if those who took it lacked the strength to survive. And that was why so few low level Martial Masters established their own squads. They more or less met the requirements to register, but they didn’t have the manpower or strength to complete potentially profitable missions.

“Of course, that does not apply to you,’ Magnus said, looking Lucian in the eye. ‘You simply need to be aware of what you’re getting into. Registering is the easy part. Assembling a squad that can complete missions is what will be difficult.”

Lucian was quiet for a while.

He understood what Magnus was trying to tell him.

For ordinary cultivators establishing a mercenary squad meant finding the right people, earning their loyalty and working your way up from the bottom. But his situation was rather different.

He already had thousands of Shadow Soldiers at his command, all of which could potentially serve as members of Shadow Genesis. He didn’t have to worry about manpower or the problems most ordinary mercenaries faced.

Naturally, there were still a few things he had to work out, such as registering with the Guild.

But the foundation was there.

Shadow Genesis…

Lucian repeated the name silently.

It was time to take the necessary steps to turn it from a concept into a reality. He had spent enough time contemplating his future. Now it was time to take the first step, and the Mercenary Guild was a good place to start.

A faint smile played on his lips as he envisioned the future of Shadow Genesis.

For now it would only be a mere mercenary squad. But then again, every great entity had to start from somewhere, didn’t it?

And Lucian had no intention to remain ordinary for much longer.