NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: chapter 4
Lucien's eyes flashed as he assessed the battlefield.
The two Abyss Mages floated just out of reach, but he knew they were only the tip of the iceberg.
The Lawachurls, especially the Frostarm one, were a greater threat, their size and strength a formidable obstacle.
But before dealing with them, Lucien knew he had to clear the smaller, more numerous enemies—the hilichurls.
With a sharp exhale, Lucien surged forward, his sword cutting through the air with a deadly precision.
The hilichurls, now emboldened by their numbers, attempted to swarm him from all sides, but they were no match for his speed and strength.
He swung his sword in wide arcs, cleaving through the hilichurls one by one. Each strike was measured, efficient, and powerful.
A hilichurl lunged at him with a crude spear, but Lucien dodged with ease, stepping aside just in time to slam his sword into its chest, sending the creature crumpling to the ground.
Another hilichurl tried to get behind him, but Lucien spun, bringing his sword down in a vertical slice that severed the hilichurl's head from its shoulders in a single, clean strike.
"Too weak," Lucien muttered under his breath as he continued his relentless assault.
The remaining hilichurls scrambled to defend themselves, but their efforts were futile.
Lucien's movements were fluid, his blade cutting through their ranks without hesitation.
Within moments, the cave floor was littered with the broken bodies of hilichurls, their crude weapons useless against Lucien's speed and power.
He wiped the blood from his blade, eyes scanning the now-empty space as he turned his focus to the remaining threats: the Lawachurls.
The Frostarm Lawachurl was still nearby, its massive form towering over the debris of the battle, while the Pyro and Cryo Abyss Mages hovered in the background, watching.
Lucien gritted his teeth. He wasn't done yet.
He launched himself at the nearest Lawachurl, his heavy sword raised.
The creature swung its giant arm, its Cryo shield sparkling with frost as it attempted to block Lucien's assault.
The ground shook with each of the Lawachurl's heavy steps, but Lucien was faster.
With a grunt, Lucien leaped over the Lawachurl's swing, landing behind it.
He spun quickly, using the momentum to bring his sword down on the creature's exposed back.
The blade cut through the shield with a sharp crack, and Lucien pushed through, embedding the sword deep into the Lawachurl's back.
The beast let out a terrible roar, staggering forward as Lucien yanked his sword free.
Lucien wasn't finished, though.
His body moved like a blur as he launched himself at the next Lawachurl, the massive creature now charging toward him.
The Pyro and Cryo Abyss Mages floated above, preparing their next attack, but Lucien was already focused on his target.
He ducked under the Lawachurl's massive arm as it swung, narrowly avoiding the blow.
He swiftly sliced at the creature's legs, forcing it to stumble. The beast's momentum faltered, and Lucien saw his chance.
With a powerful thrust, he drove his sword into the Lawachurl's chest, sending a shockwave of energy through its body.
The creature fell to the ground with a deafening crash, its massive form crumpling to the cave floor.
Lucien's eyes narrowed as the last of the Lawachurl lay around him.
His attention was now fully focused on the two remaining threats: the Pyro and Cryo Abyss Mages, who hovered just out of his reach, their gazes fixed on him.
The Cryo Abyss Mage sneered, its chilling aura filling the cave, its shield of ice flickering around it like a frozen barrier.
The Pyro Abyss Mage, on the other hand, floated high above, flames licking the edges of its robes, its hands crackling with raw fiery power.
Lucien's grip tightened around his heavy sword as he glared at them, his breath steady but quick.
The air around him seemed to pulse with energy, the tension thickening with every passing second.
Cryo Abyss Mage: "Foolish human, do you think you can break the Cryo shield? You are nothing but a mere mortal. You dare challenge us? You are arrogant and weak. Your end will be painful."
Lucien didn't flinch. His eyes never left the Cryo Abyss Mage, who was floating just out of reach.
The Abbys mage's voice echoed through the cave, taunting him, but Lucien's focus remained unwavering.
He didn't need to say anything to acknowledge the mage's taunts; his actions would speak louder.
Suddenly, he rushed forward, his sword raised high.
The sound of his boots striking the cold stone floor was the only warning the Abyss Mages had before he closed the distance between them.
The Cryo Abyss Mage attempted to raise its shield, but Lucien was faster.
With a single, explosive swing, his sword collided with the Cryo shield, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the cave.
The shield cracked with a sharp, ice-shattering sound, and in that moment of weakness, Lucien's sword broke through, slamming into the Abyss Mage's body with brutal force.
Cryo Abyss Mage: "No! This—"
The Abbys mage's words were cut off as the full weight of Lucien's sword sent it flying across the cave.
It crashed into the wall with a thunderous impact, its body crumpling to the floor in a heap.
The Cryo Abyss Mage was still, its form obscured by the debris, leaving Lucien to wonder if it was still alive or simply unconscious.
Lucien didn't wait to see if the Abbys mage was still breathing.
His focus shifted immediately to the Pyro Abyss Mage, which had already begun charging up a fiery attack, its eyes seething with fury.
Flames danced around its hands, growing larger with each passing second.
Pyro Abyss Mage: "You will pay for that! I will burn you to ash, human!"
The Pyro Abyss Mage hurled a ball of fire at Lucien, the projectile speeding toward him like a comet.
The fire flickered and roared as it closed in, but Lucien remained calm. His grip on the heavy sword tightened, and with a swift motion, he swung it toward the incoming flames.
The sword clashed with the fireball, and with a burst of energy, Lucien sent the fireball spiraling off into the cavern wall, causing it to explode on impact, the flames roaring but harmlessly dissipating against the stone.
Lucien didn't give the Pyro Abyss Mage time to react. He surged forward again, his blade cutting through the air with deadly precision.
The Pyro Abyss Mage floated higher, attempting to evade, but Lucien was already on its tail, his sword raised for another strike.
"You're the last one," Lucien muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on the floating Abbys mage.
In a swift, decisive motion, Lucien lunged at the Pyro Abyss Mage, his sword carving through the air toward its center.
The Abbys mage barely managed to raise a shield of flame to block the attack, but Lucien's strength was overwhelming.
The sword struck the shield with a deafening clang, the heat of the flames making Lucien's skin burn, but he didn't falter.
With one final push, Lucien's sword broke through the fiery barrier, slamming into the Pyro Abyss Mage's chest, sending it hurtling backward.
Pyro Abyss Mage: "No... not... possible..."
The words were barely a whisper as the Pyro Abyss Mage crumpled to the ground, its flames extinguished, and its form lying motionless before Lucien.
Lucien stood over the two defeated Abyss Mages, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.
The adrenaline still surged through his veins, but the silence of the cave was deafening.
His sword remained in his hand, its blade coated with the remnants of battle.
He turned his head slightly, glancing at the Cryo Abyss Mage's body that still lay unmoving.
His gaze then shifted to the pod, still resting safely, untouched.
Lucien's gaze lingered on the pod before him, the dim light from the cave fire casting faint shadows over its surface.
The once clean, scientific design now seemed almost cover by dirt.
He approached it cautiously, each step measured as he assessed the state of the pod. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing with the gravity of the situation.
"Now the obstacles are gone," Lucien muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible against the howling wind outside the cave.
He leaned over the pod, examining it closely. It was still intact unscathed, unlike the shattered remnants of the previous attackers.
His fingers brushed over the surface of the pod, checking for any signs of tampering, any cracks or damage that would suggest it had been interfered with.
Sighing in relief, he straightened up. "Lucky the pod is safe."
His eyes scanned the markings on the side. "Let's see... K42... K42..." He repeated the code under his breath, half-expecting his memory to fail him, half-expecting to see something that would contradict his hopes.
His hand hovered for a moment over the last symbol, and when he saw the markings clearly, he exhaled in quiet relief.
"There, K422," he muttered with a small sigh. "I thought I read it wrong before... so it's not K423. So Luna is not the vessel of the Herrscher of Void, but... what happened to her before?"
Lucien's thoughts drifted back to a few days ago, when he and Luna had go outside Mondstadt, just the two of them, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
He recalled the smile on her face, the lighthearted laughter that filled the air as they spent their time together. But there something had felt... off.
(A/n: 1.5k word hmmmmm anw give me power stone!!! )