Lucian's eyelids fluttered open, his consciousness slowly returning as his body awakened from the forced slumber. The darkness was all-encompassing, pressing down on him like a heavy cloak. The small holes were barely visible, letting in tiny amounts of mist from the battle hours before. His mind struggled to place together his surroundings, flashes of memory passing through his thoughts like fireflies in the night.

He winced as a sharp pain seared through his abdomen, the reality of his situation crashing down opens him like a tidal wave. The cavernous arena, the crustacean beast, and the nerve-wracking fight all came flooding back.

Holy shit. I survived. Lucian thought, with a shudder that ran through him. He could feel the cold sweat forming on his forehead.

Relief washed over him like a gentle breeze, gratitude for his own proficiency in magic mingling with the knowledge of the fact that he could not sense any beast nearby for now. The pain in his belly served as a brutal reminder of his brush with death, but he had somehow managed to survive, thanks to his quick thinking and magical prowess.

Lucian's chest heaved as he took in shallow, laboured breaths, exhaustion making each inhalation feel like a Herculean effort. His limbs felt like lead, the strain of the battle and his subsequent magical usage having taken a toll on his body. Even the simple act of lifting his arm felt nearly impossible as if he was trapped in a sea of quicksand.

Gotta drink some more potions.

Lucian would painstakingly reach for his enchanted pouch for the potions and drink them with great difficulty. With each drop going down his throat, his body became lighter, yet the exhaustion still remained. The effects of the potion set in, and he was able to move his body in the pitch-black space he had created. Lucian would then sit in silence, concentrating on his surroundings for one last check if there was anything amiss outside the space he covered himself in.

Not a single beast. Neither here nor in the path I took. Where the fuck did they go? I thought they would come running in after hearing the noises.

Lucian cautiously opened the ceiling of the space that he had closed with Earthen Bind, to which he was greeted by the chitinous corpse of the beast he had killed earlier. Its body looked like a mountain that reached for the skies when Lucian looked at it from the hole beneath it.

Now that I take a closer look, this beast is twice the size of me. Damn, still can't believe I killed this beast.

Lucian would crawl out of the hole, his arms shaking as he pushed himself out. He had not recovered completely, but he had enough mana to go back to the capital. He then grabbed his enchanted pouch and stored the crustacean's body in the pouch. The corpse disappeared in a flash inside the enchanted pouch, which allowed Lucian to ease up as the pouch could not store living beasts, which meant that the beast was dead with certainty.

Woah. How big is this pouch? I could somehow come to terms with this pouch holding a wolf and a bear, but a beast of this size? I'll have to ask Cecilia about it when I get back.

With the enormous beast in his pouch, Lucian would navigate through the path and exit the cave system. Never did Lucian feel more relieved to see the sight of dead trees and barren lands. As the sun set on the horizon, Lucian would cast Flight to fly back to Urythius to sleep in the comfort of a nice bed and cosy fireplace.

The wind whipped around him, carrying the scent of the distant forest and the cool, crisp air of the mountains as he flew through the plains. The sun had already set, and nighttime was upon him, yet this darkness was calming, unlike the darkness in the cave system, where he shivered with the threat of danger looming over him. He looked down at his clothes which were stained with dirt and splatters of dried blood, the fabric torn around his stomach from the recent battle. With each beat of his heart, a pulse of discomfort radiated from the seared wound on his side. The scar served as a reminder of how quickly the tables can turn against your favour, and yet, it also served as a testament to his power and skill.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The capital of Urythius came into view, the familiar spires and majestic castle gleaming under the light of the moon. As he approached further, he could see Cecilia's estate.

Isn't that a sight for sore eyes?

Cecilia's stood in the courtyard, a worried look spanning across her face, as Lucian landed at the courtyard with the dried leaves scattering everywhere. She glanced at his clothes, which were ragged, torn and dirty.

"Do you even know what time it is?"

"Uh, time for dinner?"

"It's four in the morning! You're late by four hours! If you hadn't come by afternoon, I would've gone and fetched you myself. What happened?"

"I fought something that nearly tore my guts out, but I survived. Before you ask any more questions, could I wash up and get changed? It feels a bit chilly, leaving my stomach out in the open and all that, you know? "

Lucian took a bath and changed into a new set of clothes. The warm water washed some of his exhaustion away, and after changing, he retold his encounters in the cave systems of the ravine. Cecilia was not too surprised when he told her about the Sandworms, as she thought that even Lucian could handle those beasts in spite of his unknown Soul-Quirk, which she thought was the source of his condition of less potent spells. Yet her face grew solemn when he started to describe the crustacean beast.

"I've never heard of such a beast before. Are you sure you're not lying to me?"

"Come on, have some faith in your apprentice! Here, I even brought the corpse of the beast along with the mana cores of the Sandworms." Said Lucian, handing over the enchanted pouch to Cecilia.

"Thank you. I'll give it a look. You should rest."

Lucian went to his room for a good night's rest as Cecilia headed to the training room to inspect the corpse of the beast. Lucian slept soundly for fourteen hours straight before waking up on his own as the setting sun shone upon his face. His mind still groggy, Lucian forced himself off the bed and went downwards to the living room to find Cecilia on what to do next, but she wasn't there. After he scoured the entire estate, he finally found out that Cecilia was at her office but was stopped by the maid stationed at the door.

"I'm sorry, Mr Lucian, but under Lady Vespera's orders, nobody is allowed to enter until she finishes and comes out the door herself. "

"Really? Okay then."

"Ah! One more thing Mr Lucian. Lady Vespera told me to inform you that a letter from Unasu had arrived for you. Please ask the head butler for the letter. He's probably at the courtyard now." said the maid as Lucian was about to leave.

"A letter from Unasu? For me? I wonder what it is."

Lucian pondered what the contents of the letter could be as he walked to the location given by the maid. He found the head butler instructing a group of maids and manservants around the courtyard. He received the letter that was meant for him after asking the head butler and promptly started to read the letter.

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Dear Lucian,

This is your sister writing to you. I hope your training is going well.

I wanted to write a letter to you since I've been doing so many lessons, and what better way to practise for the exams than to send a letter to my dearest little brother!

My knight's evaluation is going to start in three weeks in Ravenhold and will last for three days. If you're worried about whether I'll do well or not, don't worry! You know your big sister gets the job done.

I heard there are a lot of shops there, like confectionaries and dress shops. I'm going to spend a decent amount of time goofing around there. Wish you were with me, though. It's going to get lonely there all alone.

Anyways, enough of my rambling. Do your best in your training! And treat us if we visit the capital in the future!

Sincerely,

Marian

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Marian, has her knight's evaluation next week? Hmmm. Should I go with her? Since I know Flight, I can reach Unasu in about three and a half hours. Then should I just pop up there tomorrow? I even got some cores from the last hunt, so I should have some money. We could spend some money and enjoy the various shops there. Hmmm. That sounds nice. I should probably do that.

Lucian then had his late lunch as he waited for Cecilia to finish her work since the mana cores were all in the enchanted pouch that he gave Cecilia yesterday. Cecilia would finally exit her office in the evening, dark circles under her eyes with a look that would make any man cower.

"Uh, teacher. Can I ask something?" said Lucian, the words almost failing to come out of his mouth as he trembled at the new sight of his teacher.

"Huh? Yeah sure. Go ahead."

"I was wondering if I could have a vacation for five days."

"A vacation?" said Cecilia, her voice raised in volume with a frightful tone and Lucian flinching at her tone.

"Y-yes. My sister has her knight's evaluation, and I wanted to be there for her."

"Hmmm. I guess there's no harm in going. Do your mana circulation at the very least in your vacation."

"Yes, I will! But, um, before that, could I have the enchanted pouch back?"

"The pouch?"

"Y-yes. The mana cores of the Sandworms are in there. I wanted to sell them before going."

"If you're talking about the ones in the pouch, then I already used them in an experiment."

"W-what?" said Lucian as he fell to his knees after hearing that all his hard work had vanished without a trace.

"Don't worry. I'll pay extra for it. Here, the money's in the couch."

"T-thank you, teacher!" said Lucian with tears almost welling up in his eyes as his hard work wasn't wasted, along with getting paid extra.

Lucian would take the pouch and start preparing for the journey. The feeling of excitement filled his heart as he was going to see his family again and also see how far his sister had come in her training.