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Chapter 64 - Figurines

Chapter 64: Chapter 64 - Figurines

Just then... a knock echoed from the door.

"Nephew, this is Maxim. Are you awake?"

Lucien shook his head, trying to push away the lingering image of what he had seen earlier in his territory.

He stood and opened the door.

Maxim offered a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

Lucien paused for a second before answering, "No worries, Uncle Max."

"I heard what happened from Edric," Maxim said, stepping inside. "I apologize for my brother. He tends to go overboard when emotions take hold. He didn’t hurt you, did he?"

Lucien let out a shallow laugh. "No, he didn’t. Maybe I’m just worn out from the journey."

The two sat down in the nearby chairs.

Maxim didn’t waste time getting to the point.

"Anyway," Maxim said, leaning back slightly, "I must thank you again for keeping your promise. My brother just broke through to Tier 8. He always believed Tier 7 was his limit."

"I didn’t do much," Lucien replied modestly.

"No, you did," Maxim said firmly. "It means a lot. The main reason we’ve been losing ground to the Golddust Family is because they have a Tier 8... and we didn’t. But now... with my brother’s breakthrough, we’re back on even ground. And once I advance to Tier 8 myself... those bastards won’t be able to suppress us anymore."

There was a glint of ambition in Maxim’s eyes.

Lucien simply nodded with a faint knowing smile.

’In the end, strength is what truly matters,’ Lucien thought. ’No matter how skilled you are in politics, without power... you’re just waiting for the axe to fall.’

Maxim’s voice brought him back.

"And... there’s something else."

He hesitated. His expression darkened.

"You were right... About the six servants."

His tone dropped with weight. "We searched their quarters and the areas where they often gathered. And that’s when we found it..."

Lucien’s brow furrowed. "Wait... how long was I out, Uncle Max?"

Maxim gave a small laugh. "It’s nearly dinner... so, about five hours."

"I see... Uncle Max, could you show me what you found?"

Maxim nodded and reached behind him, bringing out a sealed box.

Lucien took it carefully from his hands.

Lucien carefully opened the box.

Inside were...

Six jet-black figurines.

They were shaped like goblins.

Twisted.

Primitive.

Ominous.

He froze.

It wasn’t their form that unsettled him but the aura they gave off.

Familiar. Not in appearance but in feeling.

Something in his instincts stirred, warning him.

Maxim who was watching Lucien’s reaction, spoke up.

"These things are... strange," he said. His tone was uneasy. "When I touched one, I felt like I was being corrupted."

He paused then added...

"No... not just corrupted. For a moment, I felt... exhilarated. Like it was amplifying my desires, pulling them to the surface. Even my strength felt heightened."

Maxim shook his head.

"That’s why I sealed them up. I didn’t dare keep them out. I couldn’t figure out what they were exactly."

He let out a sigh.

"But it doesn’t end there. In the room where the servants gathered, we found a strange magic circle. Complex and unfamiliar. I think these figurines are connected to it. A catalyst, maybe. But... I have no idea where they got something like this."

Lucien gave a slow nod, eyes never leaving the figurines.

He activated INSPECT.

<Ancient Goblin Figurine>

Description: A weathered idol carved in the likeness of a long-forgotten goblin elder.

Use: Can be used as a catalyst for curse amplification

Effect: Amplifies the potency of curses

Lucien blinked slowly with his eyes narrowing.

He activated DIVINE SENSE.

The world shifted.

His eyes locked onto the figurines... then widened.

Darkness writhed around them like living smoke, squirming and pulsing as if alive.

The aura wasn’t just foul it was vile and invasive. A malignant force that whispered of hunger, rage and ruin.

It lashed out subtly, like a beast coiled in silence.

Violent.

Corrupting.

"Miasma?!" The word struck him like a cold hammer. Correct content is on NovelFire)

That was it.

It looked just like the toxic aura he used to see in games. Black mist that corrupted everything it touched.

Bleak.

Heavy.

Unnatural.

"I knew it..." he murmured under his breath.

His mind flashed back to the Gargoyle Statue from the Coalheart Territory. The one he had seen through the Memory Orb.

It was also a catalyst for the curse casted on him.

That too, had radiated the same kind of feeling. The same dreadful presence.

"Nephew... did you find out something?"

Maxim’s voice was laced with concern as he caught Lucien’s quiet muttering.

Lucien didn’t answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the figurines.

Then he turned to Maxim.

"Uncle Max... do you have a drawing or record of the magic circle you found?"

Maxim nodded without hesitation. "I made notes. I figured you might recognize something."

He reached into his coat and handed Lucien a folded parchment.

Lucien unfolded it carefully and examined the contents.

Drawn in ink was a complex magic circle.

A six-pointed star...

A hexagram surrounded by unfamiliar runes that coiled like chains.

Even on paper, the design felt heavy and oppressive.

Lucien’s expression darkened. He raised a hand and summoned the MAGIC BOOK.

The tome appeared in midair, floating before him. Without being touched, its pages began flipping rapidly as if guided by thought alone.

Maxim watched Lucien in silence.

He noticed the floating book and said nothing.

That book... was one of the reasons he trusted Lucien so deeply.

He knew those books held secrets. Powerful ones. But only Lucien could read them.

Once, out of curiosity, Maxim had tried to peek inside. But the text was unreadable.

There are symbols he couldn’t decipher and languages that seemed to twist and blur the more he stared. He couldn’t even make sense of the structure.

It was as if the book itself refused to reveal anything to him. View the correct content at NovelFire

He eventually gave up.

With a quiet sigh, he simply sat there waiting.

The Magic Book stopped on the Dark Magic section.

Lucien scanned the titles before manually flipping through the ANCIENT MAGIC subsection.

His fingers paused when he saw it.

"There..."

His eyes narrowed as he read.

...

<Twilight Hexagram>

Type: Curse Magic Circle

Description: A six-pointed star etched with runes of decay and dusk. Said to have originated from an era when light and shadow waged a silent war. This magic circle binds the soul in twilight... neither fully cursed nor truly free.

Use: Inscribed beneath a target’s dwelling. When paired with a catalyst, the curse accelerates.

Effect: Slowly drains the target’s strength and essence over time. The decline begins subtly but each day spent under its influence weakens the victim’s skills, spells and mastery like a sunset that never ends.

...

Lucien’s jaw clenched.

His eyes turned grim.

This wasn’t just sabotage.

It was deliberate.

Systematic destruction from the shadows.

Maxim noticed the change in Lucien’s expression.

He didn’t speak. Just waited.

Lucien slowly looked up at him.

Maxim swallowed, sensing something heavy was about to be said.

"Uncle Max..." Lucien started. "Those servants... they were the ones who cursed you."

Maxim stiffened.

Lucien then explained everything...

What the Twilight Hexagram was, its effects, how it was used and the role of the Ancient Goblin Figurines as catalysts to amplify the curse.

As Lucien spoke, Maxim’s expression grew darker and darker.

His brows furrowing.

His eyes narrowed.

Not in confusion... but in cold, simmering disbelief.

"I see..." he muttered bitterly. "No wonder they acted so concerned... so kind."

He clenched his fists.

"They wanted me to stay here. To rot. To weaken without knowing why. All this time... it was them."

His voice cracked at the end and he slowly brought a hand to cover his eyes as if trying to shield himself from the truth.

Lucien’s tone softened but remained cautious.

"Uncle Max... I don’t know where they got those things or what kind of deal they made. But one thing’s clear... those items aren’t ordinary. They didn’t come by them accidentally. Someone powerful is behind this. Someone who either gave them these... or is commanding them."

Maxim lowered his hand.

His eyes were still shadowed with disbelief but now... there was a cold clarity behind them.

He gave Lucien a grateful nod.

"...Thank you."

Without another word, Maxim turned and quietly left the room.

...

Lucien was left alone in the quiet room.

His gaze fell once more on the Ancient Goblin Figurines resting inside the box. A faint glint of curiosity flickered in his eyes.

He had a thought.

’What if...’

Reaching into his Item Box, he retrieved the Essence of Purity.

Holding the crystal gently, he muttered. "Can this... purify the miasma?"

There was only one way to find out.

Slowly, he brought the crystal closer to the figurines.

The moment the Essence of Purity touched the figurines, something unexpected happened.

The figurines began to glow.

No.. it blazed!

A brilliant flash of light erupted from the crystal, forcing Lucien to shield his eyes.

Blinded, he immediately activated DIVINE SENSE.

Within that vision, he saw it...

The radiant light clashing against the thick miasma.

The dark aura writhed and shrieked, trying to hold its ground but the divine light surged with overwhelming purity.

It pierced through the corruption like sunlight banishing shadows.

The miasma convulsed... then evaporated.

Finally, the light faded.

The once jet-black figurine was no longer ominous and oppressive.

It was vibrant now. Its surface gleamed with multicolored hues.

The dread it once emitted had vanished... replaced by a serene aura.

Lucien blinked. Then a grin slowly spread across his face.

"SUCCESS! HAHAHAHA!"

He couldn’t help but laugh, triumph ringing in his voice.

Lucien cast INSPECT on the now-purified figurine.

...

<Ancient Goblin Figurine>

Description: A weathered idol carved in the likeness of a long-forgotten goblin elder.

Use:

• Can be used as a catalyst for curse amplification

• Offer as a sacrifice

Effect:

• Amplifies the potency of curses

• May awaken something aligned with the dark attribute

...

New lines had appeared under its use and effect. A soft glow still lingered around it, and its aura had completely changed.

It reminded Lucien of a past reward... the Ancient Slime Fossil that had unlocked his Slime Beast Mode.

The feeling was similar, though the goblin figurine’s aura felt weaker.

He couldn’t help but admire the transformation.

Without wasting time, he repeated the process with the remaining five figurines, using the Essence of Purity to purge each one of their miasma.

The results were immediate and striking.

From black and ominous... to vibrant and serene. Each figurine now pulsed with pleasant energy.

But then, Lucien noticed something that made his heart sink.

The Essence of Purity... its volume had decreased.

Visibly.

It was the only one he had.

The Rainbow Slime Boss hadn’t dropped any legendary items since and there was no guarantee he’d ever get another crystal.

Lucien nearly cried.

He wanted to scream but instead, he let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

"Was it worth it?"

He needed to know.

Lucien walked to the bed and sat cross-legged.

But then... he remembered what happened earlier when he connected to his mini version and a chill had crawled up his spine.

Still... his curiosity was stronger.

’What new things could be unlocked from this purification?’

He closed his eyes.

Breathed.

Then reached out...

And felt the connection.