***

Lucy walked at a slow and leisurely pace through her dungeon hallway. The daylight outside did not penetrate the thick walls deep under the residence. She had received a report that Professor Lorgh, who she had ordered be saved had been retrieved and was now in her dungeon. She made her way there, till she stood before the large cell gate.

"Open it," she said.

The gates opened to a man crouching in a corner mumbling to himself as he rocked back and forth.

"Professor Lorgh," Lucy called and the man looked up to see a little girl with snow-white hair and a dress that seemed almost grey under the torch behind her. He could not see her eyes from where he crouched, so he stood up to full height.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"That is irrelevant. Do you want to continue working?" Lucy asked.

"My Lab, if you get it back, I'll do anything," he said.

"You see yourself worthy enough to bargain with me? Do not test me," Lucy warned.

"Then I'll not help you," he turned his back on her.

"Oh? Even with a one-of-a-kind specimen carrying a spirit lantern sealed inside him? Fine, I will have you returned to the execution grounds," Lucy said not moving an inch.

"Spirit lantern?..." he asked. She had gotten his attention.

"I heard the true reason you got expelled from the Fulken spirit institute on Other-side was not because you were using students as human specimens, but because you tried to steal the spirit lantern model the institute was loaned.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

"Spirit Lantern; it is said, only the Lancier clan has the real thing. But replicas have been made all over Other-side. This is only possible if the Lancier clan did not even have the real thing either. There was even rumour that the Marjiont Valley had a stronger version; many eyewitnesses saw it used before. If so, then this belongs to no one. I suspect this is a relic from one of the realms. Since theirs was just a replica, why couldn't I just take a look?" the professor got angry.

"Come," Lucy said to him, then walked away. He did not pause, following her out of the cell. Lucy led him deeper into the dungeon till she got to a well-lit room. It was not a cell, but an actual room. The professor looked around and saw that the room was set up like his lab. He even saw things from his lab and more in the room. In the room, there was a cell. He picked up a torch and walked closer to find a man tied up standing on a wheel bed.

"Is this he?" Professor Lorgh asked Lucy.

"Yes, he has the lantern infused into him," Lucy said.

"What do you want to do to me, Lady Wickshire? No matter what you do, I will not tell you anything about my organization. There is nothing I have to tell you! Kill me already!" the prisoner struggled.

"I already told you such information is irrelevant to me. I already know everything I need to know about you, Jugur of the south," Lucy said mildly.

"Just kill me already! Didn't I kill your nanny? You don't wish me pay for it!?" he shouted.

"Oh, no-no. you are a valuable specimen. It would be a waste if you died," Professor Lorgh cooed at him.

"Who are you?" Jugur asked.

"Lady Wickshire, I presume. What do you want to gain from this work?" Professor Lorgh asked.

"I know everything about you, Professor Lorgh; you are good at what you do. I have studied your work and know you are close to creating your own spirit lantern. But, I think you can do better. The real spirit lantern has the ability to rip through space, creating something called a hollow, capable of caving in an entire world and turning them to dust. This is a weapon of the lower realms belt. It is said to be capable of destroying an entire small-sized world. The Lancier clan use their lesser copy to flatten their opponents' territories. I want one capable of killing a hundred worlds. Ask for whatever you want. It will be supplied to you," Lucy said and walked away.

"What do you want to do with a weapon of that sort?" Professor Lorgh asked, a shiver running down his spine, but Lucy had already walked away.