“Tell me of this Lucas, Human Female.”

Alice was stunned, why was he asking about Lucas? Kizmal, sitting on the throne, waited for her, but with each second of her silence, it was clear he was getting agitated.

“… Why?”

“From your memories, He possesses the blood of a lightning giant. While it is not what I expected, he can evolve into a lightning giant. I took every lightning capable of fighting with me when I attacked. All of them perished, yet I am uncertain of the ones who left behind.”

He took a deep breath, and continued.

“While I have confidence they have not been annihilated, in fact have even thrived. My kind is not a communal species. To survive, we need to be. So they need a leader, someone like me. I want him to do it.”

This only added to her confusion, she questioned.

“Why him? Wouldn’t it better… to have one of your own lead? Or do what you want?”

She knew of Lucas’s bloodline, something he got from an artifact given to him by Sword Saint Arken. Alan had told her all about it. But if she was being honest, that was all.

Oh, and the fact that he was a creep before but changed? She didn’t remember much about him, only the scowl that appeared on Sabrina’s face whenever he was mentioned. Why would Kizmal be asking for him.

Just then, she realized.

‘WHY AM I ASKING QUESTIONS?!’

What insanity had gripped her? Just answer what she knew and beg this being for permission to leave. She was terrified!

Kizmal smiled, and it only increased her fear. That kind of face smiling was like the harbinger of fear itself.

“Simple, for two reasons.”

The man smiled, and Alice felt her fear wash away. He took on the appearance of Lucas, from her memories. And Alice had to admit this was much better. Lucas was much better than looking than an Oni.

He was handsome even among humans.

“I do not know where my kind are. They have relocated from our previous world. Why? I do not know, but I need to know. As soon as possible, but in this state I am powerless to do anything. I cannot contact them…”

Then he appeared before her, and grabbed her chin and raised it high, gently. He, with the appearance of Lucas, smiled.

“What do you think is the reason someone succeeds? The main factor?”

Alice was stunned, but her weak self did know the answer to it.

“Talent.”

As someone born weak, and most importantly talentless, she knew the answer perfectly. She was doomed to be a slow ranker. Growing in strength was pointless to her, it would be a significant achievement to reach A-rank at all…

But she was wrong, the handsome face in front of her frowned, and sighed.

“All young are like this, either priding themselves over it, or blaming talent for their lack of it.”

He let go of her chin, and stood up.

“Success, in any field, is not dominated by talent, human female.”

He continued.

“Neither is it by good looks, charisma, intelligence, the ability to weave mana like a thread, the ability to condense aura, neither is it by racial benefits.”

“There is only one thing that dominates success.”

He knelt down and went closer to her face, Lucas’s and her lips were so close when Kizmal muttered.

“Grit.”

‘Grit?’

“Grit dominates success, and even though you met him only for a brief period, he left that impression on you. So I will bet on it.”

He grabbed her chin once more, and now their eyes were locked together. She didn’t realize how beautiful Lucas’s eyes were before this.

“Go back to your cohort, tell them about my weakness to fire, defeat that fragment, the spawn of that witch should have already been able to do it if he used his origin element, but alas.”

Chills crept up her spine.

‘He knew…?’

Kizmal laughed, he found everything that had happened so cute. He knew everything. He was supreme.

“And give this to Lucas.”

And then, She felt his finger touch her chest, where her heart was.

[You have received, “Legacy of Lightning”.]

[You have received a quest.]

[Quest: Legacy of Lightning.]

[Giver: Kizmal, Thunder bringer, Star devourer, Giant of Lightning.]

[Description: You have been given the Legacy of Lightning by Kizmal, give it to Lucas Hiddlestone.

Reward: The ability to work with Kizmal’s body. (This will be granted upon accepting the quest.

A-rank.

Greater affinity to lightning.

Failure: Death.]

[Will you accept this que-(*&]

[This quest cannot be rejected.]

*******

Back on Earth, Lucas looked at the passing scenery with tired eyes, the sky was dark despite it being the middle of the day. A storm was brewing, a perfect day to go back to his family. He was unaware why he had been summoned so urgently.

He had just been in the Capitol, berating his master about his sudden disappearances, and the next thing he knew, he had to go back to Vegas, his family’s territory. It was no longer the city it used to be, full of life and gambling.

Whatever it was before he was born, or even after. He didn’t remember it too fondly. He could see the tall walls in the distance. It directly faced an S-ranked gate that had ruptured and released all its monsters. Vegas had been destroyed back then, but most of it had been rebuilt, with defense in mind.

It still retained its original identity, he was just unsure of how much. He knew a lot of his family liked to enjoy the facilities, but he didn’t. He kept forgetting such useless experiences. However, even he knew he used to enjoy them as well.

He had been trying hard to forget his shameful past. But coming back here reminded him of all of it. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the shameful outskirts of the city, as his butler drove.

It was a different butler, no longer Alfred. He didn’t know where that man was, he hoped he was alright. This man was named Bill, and was a D-ranked awakened. And he had a foul stench to him.

Lucas knew that stench well, but did not bother with it right now. He had an inkling why he had been invited back. He sighed, knowing trouble was blooming. A blinding glow hit his eyes.

They were in the inner city, where all the gold and premium establishments were, and he could see his family’s estate in the distance. The stench here was foul, and he could feel his bloodline boiling.

“We have arrived, young master.”

Bill exited the car and opened his door for him, Lucas stepped out with a tired gait. He looked back at his mansion. It betrayed his expectations, it was too fucking bright.

‘Shouldn’t it be dark and dreary in this occasion?’

He mused, as he tapped the ground with his feet and followed behind Billy, he felt his traumatic childhood resurfaced. Everyone here were wolves, in the sense they were heartless.

‘Kill if you need to! Get rid of competition! Do anything to do it.’

His family’s motto. His own father, the current patriarch had killed all of his brothers, sisters, and even his grandmother and grandfather to become patriarch. It had been a long, long while since that as well. The old man still ruled the family with a firm-vice grip.

He remembered that the man had killed his baby siblings as well just to remove any sort of hindrance, Talent evaluations for the Hiddle stones were held earlier than most. All to confirm if they were worth investing in. Lucas had avoided a gnarly fate because he was talented, and he had made it his world back then.

‘Damn, I was a retard, wasn’t I?’

That delusion had been broken when he went to Shield. Alan was a pretty good lesson, and goal.

“Is there an issue, Young master?”

Bill turned around, Lucas looked at him and laughed, but didn’t say anything, Slowly, he went over towards the garden in the estate. It was small, very small when the entire estate was being considered. Everything was covered in marble and metal.

Bill looked at him with an odd gaze, and asked one more time.

“Is there an issue, young master?”

Lucas tapped on the grass with his feet, and bent down, scooping some dirt with his hands.

‘Ahhh, here it is.’

The textureless dirt, the foul stench, and everything that he remembered back in Terra Damnum, someone who had never stepped foot on that cursed soil could never know, after all. Lucas dropped the dirt and turned around, his eyes locked onto bill.

“Oh, billy, billy, billy.”

The butler was confused. He did not get what the young master was hinting at.

“Have I made a mistake? I ask for your forgiveness if such is the case.”

Lucas smiled, and asked a simple question, lightning dancing around his body.

“Tell me, is daddy dearest a demon now?”