Lucrio Law, the heir of Tosa, was going grave robbing. According to professionals in the field, the proper term for the occupation was in fact, Nighthawking. Those who robbed graves and stormed tombs were known as Nighthawks.

Luc didn’t want to go Nighthawking. All he wanted to do was be back at his manor, belly full and sleeping next to Alanis, the most beautiful woman in Tosa. Of course, he hadn’t actually slept with her before, not to mention she was already married. But that wasn’t a big deal. It was only a matter of time before it happened, especially given the rate at which the level of Luc’s [Seduce] skill was rising these days. Ever since [Seduce] had hit Level 27 (off a very gorgeous waitress), it only took a couple of sentences, a drink or two, and a wink to get any woman Luc wanted in bed with him.

“Are we there yet?” Luc hissed, rubbing his hands together in the cold of the night.

“Not yet, my Lord,” said Ryko. “Mina’s slowing down so we’re probably getting close.”

Luc grunted and began daydreaming about Alanis again.

Ryko and Mina were, in their own words, veterans in the field of Nighthawking. They had approached Luc after he had foolishly blown half of his fortune on Arrow, the Tosa-renowned racehorse. Who had known that Arrow’s leg would give out in the middle of the race? It was even odder given that Luc’s [Gambler’s Fortune] skill was Level 32. Luc suspected that there was some trickery involved, but after the race, he was more concerned about getting the money back before his father found out rather than finding something to blame for his loss.

Ryko, a grizzled older man with peppered hair and goatee, had walked up to Luc, commenting on Luc’s tremendous loss and further souring his mood. But after that, Ryko had leaned in and whispered something about digging up an Emperor’s grave. Luc didn’t really understand much of what Ryko said. However, he most definitely understood when Ryko pulled out a gold pendant the size of Luc’s palm.

Naturally, Luc was a little suspicious, being the only son of the Lord of Tosa. These people could be kidnappers or killers. In the case of kidnappers, Luc reckoned it was okay because his father would pay any ransom to get back his only son. On top of that, Luc could blame the loss of his fortune on the kidnappers. In the case of killers, Luc had no idea why anyone would be out to get him. The Lord of Tosa was loved throughout the land. But if they were indeed out to get him, his Bloodline Skill [Ultimate Regeneration], inherited from his father, would save him in most cases. In conclusion, both worst case scenarios were much better than having to endure the wrath of his father, which would presumably leave Luc unable to indulge in the pleasures of life ever again.

So here Luc was, out in the middle of nowhere, with Ryko and his partner Mina.

“Right here, my Lord,” said Ryko, holding out a hand to stop Luc. Mina, at the front of their single file line, had stopped. She was much younger than Ryko, probably closer to Luc’s age. Her face was sunbeaten and worn from spending much of her time outdoors. She wore her black hair tied in a simple bun on top of her head.

Luc glanced down at the ground. There was nothing special about the spot. It was dirt at the base of a large oak tree, covered with twigs and damp leaves. The tree looked like any other tree on the edge of the forest that they had been walking around for the past two hours. The forest bordered a large pasture, which was empty of horses at this time of night.

“Are you sure this is the place?” asked Luc. “Isn’t there supposed to be a tombstone or something?”

“Heh,” said Ryko. “Ancient tombs like this one have long been buried underground. Luckily for us, upper class tombs are sealed with magic. Mina’s [Magic Perception] is Level 41 already, meaning that she can sense the magic seal, even if it is deep underground.”

“Magic?” said Luc, whistling. “Lucky with the Bloodlines, eh? And Level 41 on top of that?”

Each level was approximately one cumulative year of experience using the skill for an average person. If Mina’s [Magic Perception] skill was Level 41, one could say she had approximately forty-one years of average experience using the skill packed into the twenty some years she had lived.

Luc leaned against the wooden fence that surrounded the horse pasture and watched as Ryko and Mina got to work. Ryko pulled out the shovel strapped to his back and began digging at the dirt at the base of the tree. Based on the speed at which he worked, Luc suspected the older man had some skill that helped him dig. Looking up at the starry night sky, Luc closed his eyes, wishing once more for the silky sheets of his bed.

A small boom jolted Luc’s eyes open. He glanced at the pasture behind them – all was quiet in the night, not a sound to be heard besides the slight rustling of leaves in the wind. Crouching, Luc hobbled over to Ryko and Mina, who were peering into a hole the width of an adult man. Smoke wafted from the hole, and nearby leaves and twigs had been burnt to a crisp.

“Quiet with the noise, peasants!” Luc whispered, pinching his nose. “You want all of Tosa to know we’re here?”

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“Sorry for the disturbance, my Lord,” said Ryko, lowering his head. “Stone tombs are not easily broken into with shovels and spades.”

Luc considered reprimanding Ryko for his tone, but he chose to overlook it this time. Better not to get on the nerves of anyone in this delicate operation. Luc didn’t know much about Nighthawking but considering the fact that they were doing it in the middle of the night, he could only assume its legality. He didn’t particularly care about laws, as he was nobility in Tosa, but he was concerned about getting caught out here in the middle of nowhere with half of his fortune missing.

“Mina says that we should be safe dropping straight down, my Lord,” said Ryko, fastening a thick rope around the trunk of the nearest tree.

Luc peeked over the edge of the hole. It was pitch black inside – not a thing could be seen. He swallowed. “How about you two go into the tomb, grab all the treasure, and bring it back? I’ll just sit here and wait.”

“My Lord,” said Ryko. “My Bloodline Skill [Lucky Three] requires all of us to explore the tomb together. If not, our chances of discovering treasure will be drastically lowered.”

“Fine,” said Luc, imagining his father’s reaction to discovering the missing money. “You two go in first. Once it’s safe, I’ll follow you in.”

“Of course, my Lord,” said Ryko. He turned to Mina and made a gesture with his hand. Mina grabbed onto the rope wrapped around the tree trunk and tossed the loose end into the hole. Lowering a hand into the hole, Mina closed her eyes and waited for several moments. Then she took the rope with both hands and lowered herself into the darkness.

“Most traps in tombs are magic based,” said Ryko, holding onto the rope to make sure Mina descended safely. “Mina’s [Magic Perception] is good enough to detect what’s safe and what’s not.”

“Ah,” said Luc, not really paying attention.

A moment later, there were two sharp tugs on the rope. Ryko flashed Luc a smile and stuck his legs into the hole.

“Watch the rope, my Lord,” said Ryko. “Two tugs means it’s safe to come in.”

Luc grunted his assent and took the rope in his hands. In the darkness below, a flame burst to life, making Luc jump. Squinting, he saw that it was just Ryko, holding a torch in his hand. The older Nighthawk held the torch aloft, glancing around the underground chamber. After a few moments, he leaned down to converse with Mina. The conversation was brief, only a couple of sentences long. Then Ryko turned back to the rope and gave it two hearty tugs.

“Come on down, my Lord!” said Ryko. “Money’s not going to be a problem for you after this!”

Luc’s eyes lit up. He grabbed onto the rope and hopped into the hole. Taken over by his eagerness, Luc nearly lost his grip on the rope and crashed into the stone floor of the tomb, dust billowing from around his feet. Covering his mouth and nose, Luc turned to Ryko and scowled.

“Your rope is loose! Nearly killed me!”

Ryko stared at him for a moment. Then he lowered his head. “My apologies, my Lord. It was my mistake.”

Luc’s anger dissipated as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the tomb. In the dim light of Ryko’s torch, Luc could see that they were in a large chamber. The ceiling of the tomb was supported by thick cylindrical pillars, wider than a human’s embrace. Besides the pillars, the chamber was empty, except for a single pedestal in the middle. On the pedestal sat a crown covered in dust. However, the dust could not hide the crown’s golden hue and sparkling gems lining its exterior.

“Mina’s checked around the room,” said Ryko. “There are no traps, my Lord.”

“No traps?” said Luc, glancing around. Sure enough, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just pillars, a tiled floor, pedestal, and the crown. No odd colorings, no inscriptions, no monsters.

“My Lord, I suspect that crown held great importance to whoever is buried here,” said Ryko. “It is very uncommon to see a room dedicated to a single item.”

Luc was too busy peering at the crown to respond. From what he had heard, collectors in Tosa were very fond of shiny antiques. If this crown was as important as Ryko said it was, this single piece of treasure could erase all the money he had lost. Luc’s lips twisted into a smile. I might even profit off this.

“You sure there aren’t any traps?” Luc asked, fingers twitching.

“Positive, my Lord,” said Ryko. “As you have so graciously joined us, feel free to take the first treasure.”

“Gladly.”

Luc walked towards the pedestal in the center of the room. Below his feet, the stone tiles were solid, no sign of any hidden mechanisms. As he walked, the only sound Luc heard in the chamber was his own breath and the small scuffs his sandals made on the floor. A short stroll later, Luc stood in front of the pedestal.

In front of him, the golden crown sat, mesmerizing and intoxicating. Luc leaned in and blew some of the dust off. Underneath the dust, the crown was more beautiful than Luc had imagined. The outside of the crown was woven into intricate patterns. The patterns appeared as swirls surrounding colored gemstones, covering the entirety of the circle of gold. Eyes wide, Luc leaned in, hands hovering over the crown. Right before he touched the ring of gold, he glanced over his shoulder once, looking at Ryko and Mina under the flickering torch. Then the lust overcame his senses. Luc grabbed the crown in his hands and lifted it off the pedestal, holding his breath.

Nothing happened.

“Well,” said Luc, turning away from the pedestal. “That was - ”

The floor beneath Luc’s feet swung open to reveal a bottomless pit that extended only to the area surrounding the pedestal. Ryko and Mina, who stood on the edge of the room, were unaffected. Luc hung there for a moment, frozen. In that fraction of a second, Luc met Ryko’s eyes. The grizzled old man stared at him, eyes cold and void of expression. No worry. No concern. No regret.

Luc plummeted into the pit, still clutching the crown in his hands. As he fell, a piercing pain exploded throughout his body, burning as if his blood had turned to flames. The pain drowned out all thoughts in Luc’s head. He could hear a voice screaming in the distance, ringing his ears. His own voice. Luc squeezed his eyes shut, trying to find solace in the familiar titles and skills etched in his vision whenever his eyes were closed. But what he saw was completely different from what he expected.

/

Name: Lucrio Law

Titles:

* {Bearer of the Emperor’s Curse}: You can only learn and level Bloodline Skills. You cannot learn and level normal Skills.

Bloodline Skills:

* [Kneel]: Command the unfaithful to serve you.

Skills:

\

Then the pain engulfed Luc’s body and his vision faded to black.