Chapter 226: New Breakthroughs

Chapter 226: Chapter 226: New Breakthroughs

The month following Seth’s death had given everyone an opportunity to recover, cultivate, and consolidate the gains they had made during the previous battles.

Rose and Ryan, in particular, had experienced remarkable changes.

Rose had consumed Lucian’s final Life Fruit, and the fruit’s extraordinary energy had done far more than heal injuries or strengthen her body.

It had triggered a profound awakening.

She had reached the Early Grand Core Realm and her Bastion Bloodline had awakened to 40%, unlocking powers that had previously remained inaccessible. At the same time, the Life Fruit had stimulated the evolution of her existing abilities.

Her A-rank Aegis ability had advanced to S-rank, becoming Aegis Dominion.

The new ability allowed Rose to establish a powerful defensive field, shaping protective barriers around herself or her allies. Rather than simply creating a shield, she could control the defensive field’s structure and distribute its strength according to the danger it faced.

A powerful attack that might once have overwhelmed her defenses could now be resisted by concentrating the field at the point of impact.

But that was not the Life Fruit’s only gift.

Rose had awakened a third ability: Genesis Vitality, an S-rank life-energy ability.

It allowed her to perceive, gather, and manipulate life energy, giving her greater control over vitality and the flow of life force. Its full potential remained unknown, but Lucian suspected that it would become increasingly valuable as she grew stronger.

There was also something unusual about the way mana behaved around her.

It clung to her body almost naturally.

While most awakened individuals had to actively draw mana toward themselves, Rose seemed to attract it without conscious effort. Fine currents of mana gathered around her skin, drifting toward her like iron filings drawn to a magnet.

When she moved, the surrounding mana followed her movements. When she concentrated, the energy responded with surprising eagerness.

It was almost as though the world itself welcomed her presence.

Lucian had seen talented individuals with exceptional affinities before in his past life, but Rose’s condition was different. Her connection to mana appeared instinctive, effortless, and unusually harmonious.

It reminded him of those rare mages whose affinity made even the ambient mana around them seem eager to cooperate.

And Rose had achieved all this while reaching the Early Grand Core Realm.

Her abilities now consisted of:

A-rank: Force Amplification

S-rank: Aegis Dominion

S-rank: Genesis Vitality

Lucian could not help wondering about the origin of her Bastion Bloodline.

As far as he knew, Rose was the only person in her family who possessed it.

Was it a mutation?

Had something happened to her ancestors that had gone unrecorded?

Or did her bloodline originate from something far older than her family history suggested?

The questions remained unanswered, but Lucian had a feeling that Rose’s potential extended far beyond what she had demonstrated so far.

Ryan’s transformation had also been impressive.

His Moonfrost Bloodline had awakened, strengthening his connection to ice and pushing his ice affinity to the S-rank.

The change had enhanced his ability to control cold and manipulate ice, giving him greater precision and power. His mana responded more naturally to his commands, and his techniques consumed less energy than before.

Although he had not yet reached Rose’s level of versatility, his combat potential had increased considerably.

Clara had also advanced.

With her natural talent, her body’s exceptional ability to absorb mana, and several pills Lucian had provided, she had successfully reached the Mid Grand Core Realm.

Her progress was particularly encouraging because it meant she was no longer lagging behind the pace of their increasingly dangerous world.

Still, Lucian knew that strength alone would not solve every problem.

There were enemies they had yet to confront, secrets they had yet to uncover, and threats that could emerge without warning.

His vacation might have offered temporary peace, but it had not erased his responsibilities.

There was one matter he could not stop thinking about.

Declan and Hassan.

The Dark King’s apostles remained at the top of his list of priorities. Their connection to the Dark King made them valuable targets, and Declan possessed an ability Lucian particularly desired.

Teleportation.

The ability to cross distances almost instantly would be invaluable in future battles. It could allow him to escape dangerous situations, close the distance between himself and an enemy, or reach a location before anyone else could react.

Yet, despite the benefits, Lucian had not forgotten the limitations of his own body.

At present, he could devour only a limited number of abilities safely. His body was not strong enough to handle more than five abilities without risking severe consequences. Reaching the Astral Realm was the threshold he believed he needed to cross before he could safely accommodate more.

That was why he had deliberately refrained from devouring Seth’s S-rank Shadow Serpent ability.

The ability was powerful, and there was no denying its usefulness. But taking it would bring him closer to his current limit while potentially preventing him from acquiring something far more valuable.

Declan’s teleportation ability was worth waiting for.

Unfortunately, there was another problem.

The last confirmed sightings of Declan and Hassan had placed them in Athens. But when Lucian considered their whereabouts now, he could not ignore what had happened to the city.

Athens had been reduced to ruins.

Even the Dark King was no longer there.

Whatever had happened in the Greek capital, it had left more questions than answers.

Where did they go? And what are they planning next?

Lucian had no way of knowing.

He would have to investigate once his companions had finished recovering and he was ready to resume his search.

Until then, he would enjoy the brief peace he had earned.

There was also the matter of Seth’s children.

Hekket, Apophis, and Renenet were now working under Lucian’s protection. They had been caught in the consequences of their father’s cruelty, and Lucian had no intention of abandoning them to the same fate. Afterall, they had other usefulness to him been alive.

He had placed loyalty bond marks on Apophis and Renenet. However, the strain placed on his Mind Palace had become too great to risk adding another mark.

Hekket was different from her siblings in one important respect.

She had consistently shown that she cared deeply for them, placing their safety above her own comfort. Lucian believed that her concern for Apophis and Renenet was genuine.

Rather than force a bond upon her, he had decided to give her a choice and judge her by her actions.

For now, the three would remain together under his protection, with Hekket continuing to look after her younger siblings.

Lucian glanced toward the sea, where Clara and Rose were laughing while Ryan attempted to splash Mickey.