Lucius was not sitting in his chair while drinking some premium tea. He was also looking at the freshly severed hand of Kaelix that was put on a table before him.
Luna and Liora were also there and suddenly, they immediately kneeled down at Lucius. They had something that they wanted from him.
"Master, we wish to train again in the virtual world."
"We have offended the Kryndal family so I am sure that they will retaliate, so we want to become stronger."
Luna also nodded, as she was agreeing with what Liora had just said.
"It's clear we can't afford to stagnate, Master."
"The virtual training pushed us to our limits last time. If we spend more time there, we'll come back even stronger."
Lucius, who heard what they just said, could only agree with what they were saying.
Although he had the backing of Volcaria, he was in the academy, so it will be hard for him to ask for help.
"Very well. I will grant it."
Lucius then asked them to follow him to go to the bedroom. He also asked them to lie down on the bed.
Luna and Liora soon did what they were asked and immediately lied down on the beds.
"This time, you will train for a full day that means a year in the virtual world."
The two women immediately nodded as they already knew about it. Lucius then turned toward the system to begin the hack.
"System, initiate virtual reality training. One day in reality equals one year in the virtual world."
---
[Hack Initiation: Virtual Reality Training (1 Day = 1 Year)]
[Resources Required: 10 Hack Points.]
---
The system then did the hack and both Luna and Liora soon fell into a deep sleep. Their consciousnesses also began to be transported into the grueling, simulated battlefield.
Lucius stood over them for a moment and smiled as he patted their heads.
"Train well"
"The stronger you become, the closer I get to achieving my goals."
Lucius then turned his attention to the severed hand on the table. He then began to smirk, as he already knew what he would do with it.
"The hand of a Kryndal"
"A symbol of power stripped from its owner. But why waste it on mere display or points?"
He then smirked as he turned toward the system.
"System, initiate essence fusion. Transfer the essence of this hand into me."
---
[Essence Fusion Initiation: Severed Hand Essences → Lucius Essences]
[Resources Required: 5 Hack Points.]
---
The severed hand then began to disintegrate as it became numerous glowing particles.
These particles then began to flow toward Lucius who were soon absorbed into his body.
Lucius then soon closed his eyes to feel what was being enhanced by this essence fusion.
He then began to feel something that he had never felt before. It wasn't just physical or even spiritual, as it was deeper than it.
It was more like the thing that was being strengthened was his core and he could not really explain it.
Lucius then began to open his eyes as he began to clench his hand into a fist.
"I see the essence that the system was talking about is the very foundation of a being. Beyond the soul... deeper than the core."
"It seems that the knowledge that is given to me by the system was not complete at all, meaning that there were more."
Lucius then chuckled, as he never thought that there was more for him to gain from the system and also realized that the system was more mysterious than he thought.
Then for weeks and months, Lucius had been immersing in his work.
The 50 1-Star beasts he had acquired from the Beast Exchange Pavilion had become the foundation of his experiments.
Although he already had knowledge about how the system worked, he still wanted to do some experiments, and the 1-Star Beasts experiment was quite cheap.
One by one, they were hacked, fused, or absorbed into his system, each process refining his understanding of beast manipulation.
Meanwhile, Liora and Luna maintained a strict routine. Twice a week, they trained in the virtual world, each session lasting two full years within the simulation.
The remaining five days were spent stabilizing their gains, recovering, and sparring under Lucius' watchful eye.
One evening, as Lucius was seated in his study reviewing his progress, a sudden voice suddenly echoed across the room.
He turned his head toward the center of the room, where a large, unused screen hung on the wall. The screen flickered to life, displaying a message in bold, golden letters.
[Notice to All Golden Class Students: The Academy Exam Will Be Held Tomorrow. Report to the Golden Pavilion at Sunrise.]
Lucius, who looked at the message, only smirked as he sat in his chair.
"I see, so it's finally time for the academy's little test."
Liora and Luna, who had entered the room moments earlier, exchanged glances before turning their attention to Lucius.
Liora then crossed her arms as she was curious and asked Lucius.
"An exam? What kind of exam will it be?"
Luna stepped forward and looked at the words on the screen before turning to Liora and answering.
"It's likely a test of evolution or something similar, since Master is in the Evolist Division."
"The academy also thrives on competition. They'll want to see who can dominate."
Lucius only laughed after hearing both of them. He soon stood up and smirked.
"I wonder what challenges they'll throw at me. Whatever it is, it won't be enough."
He then gestured toward the door.
"I'll need my rest for tomorrow. Make sure everything is ready for when I return. I have no intention of losing a single moment of progress."
Next morning, Lucius soon emerged from his room. He was already fully dressed and prepared.
Luna and Liora, who saw Lucius immediately, bowed down. Lucius then smirked as he began to leave. Continue your adventure with empire
Liora then stepped forward and immediately kneeled and asked.
"Master, do you need us to accompany you? I'd like to see the faces of anyone foolish enough to challenge you."
Lucius immediately shook his head, rejecting her offer.
"Not this time, Liora. This test is for Golden students like myself. Your place is here, guarding the estate and ensuring no pests or distractions disturb our progress."
Luna raised an eyebrow after hearing it and immediately let out sarcasm.
"You mean 'pests' like the ones who scream for revenge after losing a hand?"
Lucius only laughed after hearing what Luna said.
"Exactly. Keep the house clean of dust, pests, and fools."
Both women nodded in unison.
"Understood, Master"
Lucius turned to leave and soon paused at the doorway.
"When I return."
"I expect this place to be spotless. And perhaps I'll have some stories to share."
Lucius then immediately continued to go to the Golden Pavillion