Chapter 161: Heroine is Absent
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Lucan and Elias stood before the ancient statue of the guardian spirit. The full moon cast long shadows across the academy garden, its silver light reflecting off the marble surface of the statue. The towering figure depicted an ethereal being with wings outstretched, its eyes forever fixed on the horizon. But tonight, those eyes seemed to come alive, glowing faintly.
Lucan remained composed, after many days of friendship, he was able to meet this Guardian.
Elias stepped forward, his voice steady as he began to chant in an ancient tongue. The language was foreign to Lucan, its syllables harsh and guttural, yet there was an underlying melody that resonated in the air. As Elias spoke, the temperature around them seemed to drop, and the atmosphere grew dense with power.
The statue's eyes flared with a bright, blinding light, and a spectral form began to materialize before them. The guardian spirit was immense, towering over both boys. It had the appearance of a majestic, otherworldly creature—its wings were vast and shimmering. The spirit's eyes, once mere stone, now burned with an intense, otherworldly fire.
"Who dares summon me?" The spirit's voice boomed.
Elias bowed deeply, his respect palpable. "Great Guardian, I have brought Lucan, a friend who wishes to learn of your wisdom."
The spirit's fiery gaze shifted to Lucan, scrutinizing him with a penetrating intensity that made him feel exposed, as if every secret and dark thought within him was laid bare.
"Why do you seek my presence, Lucan?" the spirit asked.
Lucan stayed calm. He needed to be careful with his words. "Great Guardian, I seek knowledge and guidance. I have heard tales of your wisdom and the protection you offer. I wish to learn from you and to understand the ancient powers that govern our world."
The spirit seemed to consider his words, its gaze never leaving Lucan's face.
"I shall test you to determine whether you are worthy of the knowledge you seek."
Lucan's mind raced, but he showed no outward sign of his anxiety. "I am prepared," he replied simply.
The spirit raised one hand, and the world around Lucan shifted. The garden, Elias, the academy—all of it dissolved into a swirling vortex of shadows. Lucan felt himself being pulled into a void, an endless expanse of darkness where time and space seemed meaningless. He floated, disoriented, until the darkness solidified into a new form.
He was back in his childhood home, but it was not the home he remembered. Everything was distorted—the walls were too close, the furniture twisted and warped, the light dim and flickering. The air was thick with a sense of dread, and as Lucan looked around, he realized he was alone.
No, not alone. Shadows moved at the edges of his vision, flickering in and out of existence like wraiths. Lucan could hear whispers, faint and distant, echoing through the room. They were voices he recognized—his parents, his teachers, his old friends—all of them speaking words that he had long buried in his memory.
"Failure." "Disappointment." "Not good enough."
Lucan remembered something he forgot. In his childhood, he wasn't bright person but quite stupid. Often getting failed, not able to do simple things and getting bullied. He used game to escape and eventually become addicted to game.
He made his dream that he would play game everyday, and to achive his dream, he worked hard to earn money that would be sufficient for him to live a life without worry.
He walked forward, his steps slow. The shadows whispered louder, but Lucan wasn't effected. This was his fear, something he doesn't want to remember, something he would like to forget, but as he grow in this world, he stopped caring about everything that happened in the past life.
As he reached the center of the room, he saw a figure standing before a mirror. It was himself, but not as he appeared to the world. This version of Lucan was twisted, his features distorted by a cruel smile, his eyes hollow and cold. This was the reflection of the darkness.
Lucan stared at the reflection, he doesnt know what he should do. Should he kill this reflection?
The mirror cracked, the image splintering into a thousand pieces. The shadows receded, the whispers fading into silence. The oppressive atmosphere lifted, and the room returned to normal, though Lucan knew it was only an illusion.
The void dissolved, and Lucan found himself back in the garden, standing before the guardian spirit. The spirit's gaze was still intense, but there was something different in its demeanor. A recognition.
"You have faced your darkness, you didn't panic, you didn't thought of running away, and you didn't rejected but choose to be indifference," the spirit intoned. "This is both your strength and your weakness. You will never consume by darkness but this might consume some of your emotions."
Lucan bowed his head, his expression humble. "Thank you, Great Guardian. I will heed your warning."
The spirit's form began to fade, its energy dissipating into the night. "You have passed the test, Lucan. May your choices lead you to the knowledge you seek."
With those final words, the spirit vanished completely. Suddenly Lucan felt terrible headache, a information began to pour in his mind he was unfamiliar with it. The information was Ancient Magic that guardian gifted him.
After go through all information, Elias approached, his expression filled with awe and relief. "You did it, Lucan. You passed the test. The guardian spirit has accepted you."
Lucan smiled. He doesn't got map yet. It seemed that map wasn't knowledge guardian had. Then map must be in Elias's hands.
There was nothing to worry, it won't be long before he would get map, and by passing guardian test, Elias trust Lucan even more. It would be easy to get map, but for now, Lucan was interested into something else.
The knowledge he got from guardian spirit was Ancient Magic. The Ancient Magic was three times more powerful than current magic, if Lucan learn Ancient Water Magic, and he also get Water Source, then he would probably be powerful enough to bring tsunami and drown entire kingdom.