Chapter 62: Sentenced by Obsession
In the sky above, Seraphina and Sylas watched the entire scene as it unfolded below. Seraphina’s gaze had been fixed on Lucien since the moment she arrived, her eyes never straying from his figure as he moved through the battle with calm precision. Every movement he made, every decision he took, she observed with an intensity that bordered on reverence.
Sylas, noticing her unwavering focus, began to assess the young man more closely. Was there something special about him? Some hidden talent that warranted such attention from someone of Seraphina’s stature? His eyes traced Lucien’s form, analyzing his footwork, his blade control, the way he read his opponents’ movements before they even acted.
His thoughts were both right and wrong. Right in that Lucien indeed possessed hidden talent, his movements, his control, his technique all spoke of someone far beyond his apparent cultivation. But wrong in assuming that was the reason for Seraphina’s unwavering gaze. For her, it was not about talent or power. It was about him. Simply him.
They had watched the battle from beginning to end, observing as Lucien executed his plans with perfect precision. The way he baited them, the way he calculated each move, the way he struck with surgical accuracy, it was a masterclass in strategic combat.
"What a smart boy," Sylas said in an appreciative tone, his eyes still fixed on Lucien’s figure below. There was genuine admiration in his voice.
Hearing someone praise Lucien made Seraphina’s lips curl into a smile of genuine delight, the cold mask she wore cracking just slightly. "Of course," she said, her voice warm with pride. "That’s my darling."
Sylas paused, certain he must have misheard. He turned to look at her, a puzzled expression crossing his face. "Your darling?"
"Yes," Seraphina said, her tone shifting to something serious and absolute, brooking no argument. "That’s my husband."
Sylas’s jaw instantly dropped. His gaze darted from Lucien’s figure below to Seraphina’s face and back again, disbelief written across every line of his features. He was shocked. As strong as she was, how could she have fallen for someone like this? He didn’t want to believe it, but reality was giving him an uncomfortable check.
He looked at the unconscious bodies of Kaelen’s men lying scattered across the scorched ground and felt a pang of pity for them. Lucien hadn’t just broken their tokens, he had also wasted their cultivation. They were now nothing more than mere mortals, their years of training and effort reduced to nothing in a single encounter.
And with the dangers of the Crimson Vale surrounding them, they wouldn’t survive for more than a few seconds.
Sylas immediately moved to descend, intending to take care of them and put them outside the Crimson Vale. According to the rules, if a participant was disqualified, they were to be sent out of the assessment grounds for their own safety.
"Where do you think you are going?" Seraphina’s cold voice rang out in the air, sharp as a blade. Sylas froze mid-motion, turning to look at her with confusion etched across his face.
"To send them out of the Crimson Vale," Sylas explained, his voice cautious. "They are already disqualified. The rules clearly state—"
"Leave them be," she immediately ordered, her tone leaving no room for discussion.
"But..." Sylas tried to explain, to reason, but one cold glance from Seraphina shut him up instantly. Her eyes had turned glacial, the warmth that had been there when she spoke of Lucien now completely extinguished.
"Since they dared to offend my darling," Seraphina said, her voice dropping to a dangerously soft whisper, "then they should face the consequences. Even death is too small a punishment for them."
Sylas began to sweat. Seraphina was clearly bending the rules, and there was nothing he could do. He looked at the unconscious gang and shook his head in pity. They had attacked the wrong person.
---
Lucien had left the scene, completely unaware that his dear wife had just sentenced those men to death with a single, cold command.
He walked deeper into the Crimson Vale, the crimson canopy above filtering the sunlight into a dim, reddish glow. As he moved, he encountered more volkoids, dispatching them with practiced ease. Each kill was efficient, almost routine, a single, precise strike that ended the fight before it could truly begin. The token at his waist grew heavier with each core he collected, the numbers climbing steadily.
Within a short time, he had completed the assessment’s requirements. It was almost disappointingly easy. The volkoids that roamed these woods, while dangerous to ordinary cultivators, posed little threat to him. One attack was all it took.
Along the way, he crossed paths with numerous other participants. Some eyed him warily, others with barely concealed hostility, but none dared to approach.
What surprised him, however, was the absence of any truly powerful figures. He had expected to encounter at least a few representatives of the dragon race, young prodigies from influential clans, some whose names resounded through the Dragon Continent. Yet the forest seemed strangely devoid of such presences.
This left him slightly confused. Where were the true geniuses? Surely the Aethel Academy’s assessment would attract the continent’s most promising talents.
What Lucien didn’t know was that those who held Special Invitee Cards were exempt from this initial trial. The card itself served as a free pass, granting them automatic entry into the next stage of the assessment without the need to hunt in the Crimson Vale. They were already considered worthy.
But when Seraphina had learned of Lucien’s plan, she had quietly removed that feature. She had altered his card’s status, stripping away the exemption while allowing him to participate fully. Not because she wanted to make things harder for him, but because she understood him.
Lucien wouldn’t love it if he didn’t gain something with his own hands.
Seeing there was nothing left to do, Lucien headed back to Draktharion City.
But as he reached the outer part of the forest, a familiar voice made his lips curl into a smirk.
"Since you’re here, that means the bunch of idiots have failed."