"This is really troublesome."
Watching the monsters scatter in panic, Lucien lazily spread his hands. In the next instant, the ground beneath him detonated, and a surge of golden-white lightning tore through the air as he vanished from sight.
Pfft.
A crystalline thorn pierced through flesh.
The Homeless Emperor, who had been fleeing desperately, coughed out a mouthful of blood. His face twisted in agony as he looked down at the spike lodged through his chest. His body lifted uncontrollably into the air, suspended like a helpless puppet.
"So you are Homeless Emperor."
The voice came from right beside him, cold and absolute. Despair swallowed him whole.
He had not expected to be targeted first. There had not even been time to react.
"Is this… a god?"
He raised his trembling hand toward the sky, as if trying to grasp something beyond reach. His life had once been meaningless, cast aside after losing his job, reduced to wandering the streets. In his hatred for humanity, he had gained power from a so called god.
But now, that god had abandoned him.
Because another stood above it.
His soul was torn from his body, and in an instant, everything turned to ash.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Two thousand meters underground, a golden figure sped through the earth in blind terror.
Black Sperm.
He had already transformed into Golden Sperm, his body gleaming as his strength reached near the peak of Dragon level. Yet none of that power brought him any sense of safety.
Fear consumed him.
He prayed desperately that Lucien would target someone else. If he survived this, he swore he would disappear and never cause trouble again.
Reality showed no mercy.
A blazing crystal thorn erupted from the soil, coiling toward his neck like a living serpent.
He reacted instantly, changing direction mid movement. His instincts screamed for survival.
But it was useless.
More thorns burst from every direction, weaving together into a suffocating net. Even two thousand meters underground, escape was completely sealed.
"Ah!"
The scorching heat burned into his neck. His scream echoed through the earth as the thorns wrapped around his body, binding him tightly like a cocoon. With a violent pull, he was dragged back to the surface.
Light returned to his vision.
So did Lucien.
"I told you we would meet again."
Seven crystalline thorns slowly retracted into Lucien's tailbone. His right hand glowed faintly with soul power as he looked down at the trembling monster.
The heat from the thorns had already suppressed Black Sperm's ability to divide.
"Please… spare me. I can serve you."
His will to live was overwhelming.
Lucien's expression did not change.
"You are weak. You have no value. Though this ability of yours is mildly interesting."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Stay or life."
Before Black Sperm could beg further, Lucien's hand closed.
His soul was violently ripped from his body.
At the same time, a thorn pierced into the remains, devouring the dense cellular mass within. The energy flowed into Lucien, merging with his own body.
The soul followed, dissolving into his arm.
"An unexpected reward."
As the body disintegrated into dust, Lucien felt a noticeable strengthening in his cells. The absorption was far more effective than consuming several Dragon level monsters combined. Something within him was evolving, shifting in a way that felt… right.
Far away, within a desolate mountain valley, underground currents surged rapidly.
Hidden within them was a strange flow.
Evil Natural Water.
It merged seamlessly with the water itself, moving at extreme speeds, indistinguishable from the environment. With no physical form to strike, it was nearly impossible to harm through conventional means.
But it had one flaw.
Life.
Anything alive carried Ki.
Water did not.
To Lucien, it stood out like a blazing sun in darkness.
"Found you."
Without warning, the flowing water was violently ripped from the underground stream. Suspended mid air, it struggled as a pair of patterned eyes stared directly into it.
"How is this possible?"
Evil Natural Water was stunned, unable to comprehend how it had been grasped like a solid object.
Lucien's hand was coated in Armament Haki, solid and absolute.
"Is that surprising?"
Panic set in immediately.
"Spare me. I will submit."
"Stay or life."
There was no hesitation.
Its soul was torn free.
The body collapsed instantly into ordinary water, slipping through Lucien's fingers, impossible to absorb. There were no cells to take, only the essence of its existence.
The soul, however, was different.
Lucien consumed it.
A cool sensation spread through him, strangely refreshing. Souls carried flavors, shaped by emotions, bitterness, sweetness, rage, despair.
This one tasted… empty.
Three Dragon level monsters had been eliminated in mere moments.
The remaining three had fled far, but not far enough.
None of them had escaped his perception.
Poochi ran wildly through the barren valley, his massive body tearing across the ground like a storm. His six eyes were filled with terror.
Then he felt it.
That presence.
His body froze instantly.
Without hesitation, he dropped to the ground, exposing his belly. His tail wagged rapidly as his grotesque mouth opened, tongue hanging out in submission. Despite his monstrous appearance, the behavior was unmistakably that of a desperate dog begging for mercy.
Lucien hovered in the air, surrounded by faint golden-white flames. His gaze was calm, devoid of emotion.
Most would have spared such a creature.
Lucien was not most people.
He raised a finger.
The air twisted.
A spiral force tore forward, invisible and unstoppable.
Poochi's body exploded instantly.
Blood, flesh, and bone scattered across the valley in a gruesome rain. Nothing remained intact.
Only a trembling soul lingered.
Lucien reached out and grabbed it casually.
Then he vanished.
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