Rise of the White Devil

Chapter 65 The Voidwalkers

Five days.

Five whole days had passed since Lucas left, and now everyone was gathered inside an old grocery store.

As usual, everyone was discussing a strategy for how to find and defeat the remaining calamities or whether they should wait until the time limit.

"You think something happened to him? He did act weird all of a sudden..." Amaya said, referring to how Lucas suddenly changed his attitude and ran off somewhere.

"It's easy to tell that Lucas is stronger than all of us. If something happened to him, we are as good as screwed," Leonne responded calmly.

"Do you think he could have defeated the second calamity that was approaching?" Amaya asked curiously, wondering what would have happened if he hadn't left.

Leonne didn't answer for a second as he stared at the others, who were either listening or sleeping. Sylviette and Klaus were both close by, listening.

"I think he would win."

Everyone looked at him, surprised, as they didn't expect him to say that.

"Why would you think that? He is still only a single person," Amaya challenged.

"Simple, really. He defeated the moth without breaking a sweat. Even though it was injured, he still won by a large margin. He is extremely skilled and knows how to think fast mid-battle. He isn't someone stupid, every action he takes is already calculated by him... at least that's what I think."

"So you think he already calculated his chances and they were in his favor of winning against one or two calamities?" Amaya asked, voicing the question everyone was thinking, except for Sylviette.

"I wonder how he got so strong..." Klaus suddenly said out loud.

"He must have trained hard. How else? He didn't even bother attending any social gatherings," Leonne said, answering his question.

As everyone heard him, they started admiring Lucas a little since, in their eyes, he must have trained always instead of attending parties... though he was actually just lazing around most of the time.

As they were lost in their own thoughts, they suddenly heard the doors slide open, alerting everyone present as they turned their heads.

What they saw was Lucas casually walking inside, gazing at everyone present, and next to him was Seraphina.

"Who is that goddess..." someone whispered, echoing what most were thinking.

"Is she the reason he suddenly left?" another said.

Sylviette and Amaya both furrowed their eyebrows, gazing at the girl.

Answering everyone's question was Leonne, who looked at the girl with narrowed eyes.

"Seraphina Darkcrest..."

Hearing the name, most widened their eyes in surprise, not expecting her to be here.

Everyone kept glancing between Seraphina and Lucas.

Both were mysterious, nothing was known about them as both never attended social gatherings.

Did they know each other before the exams?

Is that why he suddenly left—because it was something to do with her?

Both calmly walked toward where the other champions were, ignoring everyone's wary gazes.

"Where have you been for the past five days?" Sylviette asked, but no one's eyes were on him as everyone was currently watching Seraphina like a hawk.

Most could tell... she was strong. Stronger than them.

As Lucas and Seraphina arrived in front of the champions, he just looked at her and answered calmly, "I was busy dealing with things... complicated things."

'I can't tell them that we were basically lazing around and talking to each other for the past five days...' Lucas thought as he saw many of them now looking at him.

"The reason you suddenly left... it was because of her, right?" Leonne suddenly asked.

Lucas, hearing his question, just glanced at Seraphina and saw that she was looking at the champions with a curious gaze, like a cat.

"That is correct."

That was all Lucas said, as he didn't want to explain more to them. He had no reason to, not even to Sylviette. Yes, she might be a friend of his, but that didn't mean he trusted her enough to share all his secrets, like the fact that he was a half-dragon and other things.

"I think everyone has gotten enough rest to finish this exam once and for all," Lucas said, diverting the topic.

"You're planning to finish this exam already?" Klaus asked, raising his eyebrows. Did this mean he had a plan?

"That is correct. We shall simply fight the remaining calamities at once and end this exam," Lucas replied calmly, as if what he said wasn't simply ridiculous... right?

"How are you even planning to fight both of them at once? We don't even know how to find one, let alone two," Amaya interjected, knowing that finding them was extremely hard. Even the colossal moth only showed up by itself and found them instead!

As if reading what she was thinking, a maddening grin appeared on Lucas's face, making most feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Simple, really. We won't need to find them, as they will simply come to us."

"How would that even happen? How could you possibly make two calamities come to you?" Klaus asked skeptically. He knew Lucas must have a plan for what he was saying, but he still didn't trust him, not after how different their views were and their earlier confrontation.

Hearing his question, Lucas simply scoffed as he suddenly walked behind Seraphina and placed both his hands on her shoulders, making everyone look at him in surprise at his actions, except for Seraphina herself.

"How else? We are going to use this little vixen for that," Lucas suddenly said, making Sera pout and turn away.

"How rude, calling me a vixen! I am just an innocent young maiden, you know?"

Lucas rolled his eyes at hearing her rebuke.

"Sure, and I am an angel..."

As he said this, he noticed that it was unusually quiet. Suddenly, he realized everyone was looking at the two with a weird gaze.

"What?" Lucas asked, not understanding what their problem was.

"What... what is your relationship with the duke's daughter?" Sylviette asked as she kept glancing between the two.

Hearing her question, both Lucas and Seraphina looked at each other for a moment, then looked at Sylviette and answered at the same time.

"Old friends."

********

The sun was shining brightly as Lucas and Seraphina stood atop an abandoned skyscraper, giving them a perfect view of the ruined city.

"You sure you want to do this?" Seraphina asked curiously. Lucas was planning to fight one of the two calamities while the others would be fighting the remaining one.

"I am. Besides, you're going to help me fight it, so it'll be fine, right?" Lucas said, and Seraphina flashed a small smile.

A black, transparent dome suddenly surrounded them. She didn't want anyone to hear their conversation.

"Of course. Hehe~ this is reminding me of the old days when we used to take missions together," Sera said, giggling as she reminisced about her previous life a little.

"I wonder how Sophia is doing now..." she said under her breath while gazing at the city.

"Probably enjoying her life with all that money I gave them—unless they spent it all somehow..." Lucas said with a little humor, easing her worries as she heard what he said.

As both were enjoying the view a little bit more before it was time for their plan to start, Seraphina suddenly spoke in a complicated tone.

"Hey, Lucas..."

"What is it?"

"I don't mind that you are playing such a big role in this exam... but you have a reason for that, right? What are you planning exactly?"

Hearing her question, Lucas didn't answer for a few seconds.

"Did you know about the attack on my city?" Lucas suddenly asked, making her look at him.

Her eyes became sad, yet anger could also be seen on her face as she realized what he was implying.

"Yeah... I know. I know about everything since Dad told me..."

"Mm, I want revenge, Sera, but... I am too weak currently. I was so weak back then that I couldn't even put up a fight. I hate that. I hate that I couldn't do anything. The gap is just way too big to even think about getting my revenge against Karciel and Abadux. I need power... not just for myself, but I need the power of others as well. So, I am trying to garner the attention of a certain organization."

Seraphina's eyes widened as she listened to Lucas's reasoning. She was starting to understand what Lucas meant and where he was getting at.

"Lucas... whose attention are you trying to get?" she asked hesitantly, a bad feeling creeping over her.

"An organization cloaked in countless myths and legends. An organization that almost no one in this world could possibly confirm as real. An organization that, if I join, will ensure that everyone I care about will be protected. But, if I manage to get their attention, it will be a gamble with my life—whether they kill me or make me one of them."

The bad feeling only increased with every word Lucas spoke. She grew extremely nervous as she gazed into his blood-red eyes, which were filled with a flame she couldn't recognize.

"Who are they..." she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Lucas responded with the last name she ever wanted to hear or get involved with.

A name that made her entire body tremble.

As her face became even more pale and her eyes shot wide open, he said the name that could get him killed merely for mentioning it.

"The Voidwalkers."