Lucien sat alone in the quiet training chamber beneath the Arkanveil estate. The ancient room, carved from living stone centuries ago by his ancestors, hummed with residual mana. Runes etched into the walls glowed with a soft blue light, containing whatever energies might be unleashed within.
In his hand glowed a black, pulsating Trait Stone—one of the rarest items in existence.
He had acquired it during the Shambhala raid, hidden within a secret compartment of an ancient tomb. The stone seemed to drink in the light around it, creating a small void in reality. Most would have handed such a treasure to their family elders or sold it for a fortune that could buy a small kingdom.
But Lucien's red eyes reflected the stone's darkness as he studied it. He had spent days analyzing its properties, confirming his suspicions about what Trait it contained.
He didn't hesitate. As he absorbed it, his veins lit up with black lightning. Pain lanced through his body—far more intense than with previous Trait absorptions. His shadow... moved. It writhed and pulsed, stretching across the floor like spilled ink before snapping back to his form.
Lucien gritted his teeth, refusing to make a sound as the foreign power integrated with his essence. For three minutes, the agony continued—until suddenly, a cool sensation washed over him, and his consciousness expanded.
---
[SYSTEM INTERFACE – ACCESS GRANTED]
Name: Lucien Arkanveil
Race: Human (Primordial Bloodline – Arkanveil Core)
Age: 14 Years, 5 Months
Level: 16
Rank: E-Rank
---
Traits:
• [Devour – EX Grade]
• [Adaptation – SSS Grade] (Evolved: Flow of Adaptation)
• [Eye of Data – SSS Grade] (Devoured)
• [Rubberman – A Grade] (Devoured)
• [Shadow Soldier – SS+ Grade]
---
Skills:
• Flow of Adaptation – B+ Rank
• Basic Sword Mastery – Lv. 9 (120/1000)
• Mana Resonance – Lv. 1 (20/400) (Evolved from Mana Control)
• Spatial Awareness – Lv. 7 (108/800)
• Combat Footwork – Lv. 10 [Max Proficiency] → Ready for Evolution
• Meditation – Lv. 8 (163/900)
---
Proficiency Panel:
→ Skill evolution unlocked upon reaching level 10.
→ All practiced skills automatically improve with experience.
---
Storage Capacity: 30 Cubic Meters
Bound Items:
Soulforge Catalyst
Azrien's Flame Pendant
Adaptive Combat Notes
Forged Blade of Resonance
Beast Cores x4
---
[Shadow Soldier Trait Activated]
• Current Limit: 30 Shadows
• Current Shadows: 0
• Resurrection Requirement: Killed target must be F-Rank or above.
Lucien smiled, examining the new information. The Shadow Soldier trait was even more potent than he had expected. SS+ Grade—just one step below SSS, the theoretical limit for awakened traits. With this, combined with his existing powers, his path forward was clear.
"Now for a test," he murmured, rising to his feet.
The training chamber connected to a small dungeon that his family maintained for practice. Various captured monsters were kept there, rotated regularly to provide varied combat experience for the younger Arkanveils.
Lucien made his way to a specific cell that housed a demonic fire ant—a D-rank creature that had been causing problems in the southern farmlands. The insectoid monster was the size of a large dog, with mandibles that could slice through steel and a carapace that glowed with inner heat.
With a precise strike from his blade, he split its head and whispered:
"Rise."
A pulse of dark mana erupted from his shadow, connecting to the corpse. The ant's remains trembled, black ichor seeping from its wounds as Lucien's power attempted to forge a connection.
Failure.
The body shuddered... but no soldier formed. The darkness receded, leaving only a dead monster.
"Tch. A bit too ambitious trying to make Beru-sama already," Lucien muttered, grinning at his own reference. The corner of his mouth quirked upward as he wiped his blade clean. "Perhaps I should start smaller."
He understood the issue immediately. Despite being physically stronger than an F-rank human, the demonic ant lacked the complex neural structure and mana pathways that the Shadow Soldier trait required. He would need to be more selective with his targets.
As he turned to leave, a shimmer caught his eye. The ant's mandible had broken off during his strike, and it gleamed with an unusual luster. Lucien picked it up, examining it with his Eye of Data.
[Demonic Fire Ant Mandible – D-Grade Material]
• Durability: High
• Heat Resistance: Exceptional
• Crafting Potential: Weapon Enhancement
He slipped it into his storage. Even failures provided opportunities for those who knew where to look.
---
Later that day, within the Arkanveil family's sealed vault...
The vault lay deep beneath the mansion, protected by layers of wards and enchantments that had grown more complex with each generation. The air tingled with magical energy—both protective and dangerous to those not of Arkanveil blood.
Lucien handed a golden vial to his father, Raelan Arkanveil. The liquid inside seemed to contain miniature galaxies, swirling and pulsing with power beyond mortal comprehension.
Primordial Blood Essence – Hybrid of Dragon and Titan.
Another treasure from Shambhala, one that Lucien had kept secret from even his family until now. The essence of two ancient bloodlines, distilled into a form that could be absorbed without destroying the recipient.
Raelan looked at it skeptically, his experienced eyes narrowing as he assessed the vial's contents. At forty-five years old, he was in his prime as a warrior—but had been stuck at the threshold of SSS-rank for nearly five years.
"You're sure about this?" he asked, turning the vial in his calloused fingers. "Blood Essence mutations have killed hardier men than me."
"Drink it," Lucien said confidently. "You're already near the peak. This will push you through. Your Dragonborne trait will resonate with the draconic elements, while your physical constitution can handle the Titan influence."
Raelan studied his son's face for a long moment—searching for doubt but finding none. With a decisive nod, he removed the stopper and drank the contents in one swift motion.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then his aura exploded—his muscles tensed, mana boiled beneath his skin, bones shifted with audible cracks, and his bloodline resonated with the new power. A corona of crimson and gold energy engulfed him as the vault's protective wards flared in response to the sudden power surge.
Lucien stepped back, observing with clinical interest as his father underwent the transformation. The process took exactly seven minutes and twenty-three seconds before stabilizing.
---
[SYSTEM INTERFACE – RAELAN ARKANVEIL]
Race: Human (Primordial-Infused)
Rank: SSS-Ranker
Level: 94
Traits:
• [Battleheart – SS+ Grade] (Enhanced)
• [Dragonborne – S Grade] (Upgraded)
• [Primordial Awakening – SSS Grade] (New)
---
Note:
Traits can be earned through training, opportunities, or sheer determination. However, Awakened Traits determine an individual's growth speed, maximum potential, and their affinity to higher paths of evolution.
---
Raelan flexed his arms as glowing cracks of light surged around him. His muscles had grown denser, his posture more imposing, and his eyes now held a reptilian slit that betrayed his enhanced draconic essence. He laughed—a sound that shook dust from the ancient vault's ceiling.
"KUHAHAHA! My blood sings again!" he roared, magic crackling between his fingers. The decades-old plateau that had frustrated him was finally broken. "Watch, Lucien—I shall now defeat your grandfather!"
Lucien's expression shifted to mild alarm. "Wait, Father—"
But Raelan was already moving, his newfound power making him impulsive as he rushed from the vault toward the training courtyard where Grandfather Arkanveil often meditated at this hour.
Lucien followed at a measured pace, knowing exactly what would happen.
Seconds later...
BOOM!
The sound of magical impact echoed across the estate grounds, causing birds to take flight from nearby trees and servants to duck for cover out of long-ingrained habit.
Raelan lay flat in the training courtyard, buried halfway into the tiles. A perfect outline of his body was pressed into the stone, spider-web cracks extending outward from the impact point.
Across from him, Lucien's grandfather rolled his shoulders. The elderly man hadn't even stood from his meditative position. One hand was extended, palm still glowing faintly from the casual counterattack he'd delivered.
"Still ten years too early, Raelan," Grandfather said with a hint of amusement in his weathered voice. His gray eyes, the same shade as the coming storm clouds, showed no surprise at his son's enhanced state.
Lucien stifled a laugh behind his hand as he approached.
"You brought this on yourself," he said to his groaning father, who was extracting himself from the Raelan-shaped crater with wounded dignity.
"Why... didn't you stop me?" Raelan asked, spitting out a piece of tile.
"Some lessons are best learned through experience," Lucien replied, echoing one of his father's favorite sayings back to him.
Grandfather Arkanveil's eyes twinkled as he observed the exchange. "The boy has your number, Raelan."
"Hmph. Tomorrow, old man. Tomorrow I'll show you the true strength of the Arkanveil's middle generation." Despite his defeat, Raelan's enthusiasm remained undimmed.
As they walked back toward the mansion, Lucien's shadow stretched slightly longer than it should have under the afternoon sun. For just a moment, it seemed to move independently of its master—testing its new freedom.
Lucien felt the stirring of his new power and smiled to himself. The Shadow Soldier trait would need refinement, careful study, and the right targets.
But he had time. And patience.
The shadows would rise when he was ready.