Chapter 256: The Devil’s Offer

Chapter 256: Chapter 256: The Devil’s Offer

The cold wind whipped against Lucian’s face as the Dark Wyvern soared through the dense cloud cover. He kept the beast flying high, far above the patrol routes and watchtowers that dotted the European countryside. Every so often, a flock of mutated birds or a lone wyvern would cross their path, but the moment they sensed the Dark Wyvern’s Early Tier 4 aura, they scattered in terror, fleeing in all directions.

Lucian’s crimson eyes scanned the horizon. The journey had been long, but he had used the time to think, to plan. The Tower of Primordial Ascension was a once-in-ten-millennia opportunity. If he was going to find Clara and Ryan, if he was going to gain the power to crush Louisa and the Dark King, he needed to be inside that tower.

The Dark Wyvern began its descent. The clouds parted, revealing the snow-capped peaks of the Carpathian Mountains, and beyond them, the sprawling, fortress-like cities of Slovakia.

WHOOSH!

The moment they crossed into Slovakian airspace, a dozen red targeting lasers locked onto them.

BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT!

"Trespassers! Identify yourselves immediately or be fired upon!" a voice boomed through a megaphone from a watchtower below.

Lucian sighed. He raised his hand, and a shimmering, golden Light Shield materialized around the Dark Wyvern. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The bullets and low-tier mana bolts ricocheted off the barrier harmlessly.

The Dark Wyvern let out an annoyed roar. ROOOOAAAR! The sheer force of its aura rippled outward, creating a gust of wind that swept across the watchtower. The soldiers, most of them non-cultivators, froze in terror. A few of the weaker cultivators among them collapsed to their knees, their faces pale as they felt the overwhelming, predatory pressure of an A-Rank beast.

"Holy shit..." one guard whispered, his legs trembling. "That aura... it’s a monster!"

Another guard, more experienced, squinted at the silhouette riding the beast. "Wait... is that a person on its back? Look at the silver hair... and those eyes..."

"I think it’s one of the young masters from the Five Great Clans!" another soldier stammered. "Maybe from the Ryu Clan?"

A senior officer smacked the back of his head. "Idiot! He doesn’t even look Chinese! Shut up and don’t provoke him!"

The Dark Wyvern didn’t even slow down. It blurred past the watchtower with blinding speed, the wind pressure from its wings shattering the windows of the outpost and sending papers flying.

Once the beast was gone, the soldiers collectively collapsed, gasping for air.

Lucian landed in a remote, snow-covered plain several kilometers from the capital. He patted the Dark Wyvern’s neck. "Return to the beast space. I don’t want to draw any more attention." The wyvern let out a low rumble and dissolved into particles of shadow, vanishing into the spatial rift.

Lucian activated his Ring of the Void Walker, lifting off the ground. He combined it with Light Acceleration, becoming a streak of golden light as he sped towards the city.

The capital, now renamed Novy Bratislava after the Cataclysm, was a massive, fortified metropolis. Tall, mana-powered walls surrounded the inner city, and the streets were filled with a mix of humans, awakeners, and even a few disguised non-humans. Snow was falling heavily, blanketing the city in a thick layer of white. Winter had fully set in.

Lucian pulled the hood of his coat over his head, obscuring his silver hair. He made a call on his encrypted communicator, then entered a small, dimly lit restaurant on the outskirts of the city. He ordered a glass of red wine and sat in a booth in the back, waiting.

An hour later, the door chimed.

A large, imposing figure entered, brushing snow off his long, thick coat. Bruno Remmos had changed since the academy. He was broader, his jaw set with a grim maturity. He scanned the room and immediately spotted Lucian’s glowing crimson eyes in the dim booth.

Bruno walked over, pulling the chair out opposite him. He sat down, his hands still in his pockets.

He smirked. "Long way from France, fugitive."

Lucian took a slow sip of his wine, a calm smile on his lips. "Well, what can I say? Life hasn’t been easy for everyone since the academy incident."

Bruno snorted, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, almost two years have passed. A lot of things have changed. So, why have you come to the lovely city of Slovakia?"

Lucian set his glass down. "You must surely know about the upcoming opening of the Tower of Primordial Ascension."

Bruno’s expression shifted, his smirk fading into something more serious. He signaled the waiter for a glass of whiskey. "The Tower? Of course, I know. Everyone with any real power knows. So what? You plan on entering?"

"I do," Lucian said.

Bruno let out a dry, humorless laugh. "You’re must be dumb then. Multiple powerful figures from Earth will be entering. The weakest among them will be Peak Grand Core, at the very least. The Five Great Clans, the major vampire clans, the top Guild Masters—they’ll all be there. And from what I’ve heard, other planets may have entrants too."

Lucian smirked. He let his aura flare for just a brief, controlled moment.

CRACK!

The Peak Grand Core pressure rattled the restaurant, causing the wine glasses to tremble and the nearby patrons to look around in confusion and unease. Bruno’s eyes widened.

Lucian pulled it back, his smirk widening. Bruno was also already at the Late Grand Core.

"You expected us to still be on the same level?"

Bruno stared at him for a long moment. Then, he snorted. "Getting cocky, aren’t we? Even with that, there will be plenty of Astral Realm masters entering the Tower. You’re still just a Peak Grand Core."

Bruno took a sip of his whiskey, his eyes growing distant. "Look, I’ve been doing research. When the Tower opened a hundred years after the Cataclysm, the Earth cultivators saw it as a golden opportunity. Do you know how many made it out?"

Lucian remained silent.

"Less than 25%," Bruno said, his voice grim. "Out of everyone who entered, only a quarter survived. The dangers inside are insane. Traps, ancient beasts, environmental hazards that could kill a Grand Core master in seconds. You can’t enter the Tower and expect to come out alive, even with your vampire bloodline and your fancy tricks."

Lucian leaned forward, his eyes locking onto Bruno’s. "That’s why I want you to come with me."

Bruno blinked. Then, he burst out laughing, a deep, genuine laugh. Hahaha! He set his glass down, shaking his head. "No. Absolutely not. Even with the allure of power, I’m not risking my life unnecessarily. I’m not going to throw that away for a suicide mission."

Lucian smiled.

"What if I told you," Lucian said, "that I could help you improve your strength significantly before the Tower opens? In this one month, I can make you stronger than you’ve ever been."

Bruno stared at him, his expression unreadable.

Lucian extended his hand across the table. "So, what do you say?"