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Chapter 66 - Phantom Ink

Chapter 66: Chapter 66 - Phantom Ink

Lucien’s consciousness snapped back into his Split Body.

He found himself in the same room he’d glimpsed earlier.

Dimly lit, filled with the flicker of candles. One look at the ornate stone walls and the faint scent of incense told him exactly where he was.

The chapel.

Or at least, that’s what it was supposed to be.

To him now, it felt more like the lair of a cult.

Then... NovelFire

Like a wave crashing down, an oppressive aura swept through the room. The air grew heavier with unseen pressure.

Lucien realized that his Aura of Sovereign had carried over with him.

He raised his gaze.

The sight that met him was almost identical to before... only this time, it felt worse.

The people were now kneeling passionately.

Their heads bowed, their forms trembling.

A soft, haunting music echoed through the room. Each note crawled along his skin like ice.

And the chanting...

It made him want to leave all over again.

Then, movement caught his attention.

Skittles and Oreo were at his sides, lounging like loyal guardians.

Lucien blinked.

’Wait a minute. Weren’t they supposed to be out farming? Then... how the hell did I hit Level 40 if they’ve been here all along?’

Confusion settled in his gut.

Just then...

Clara who had been reading intently from the thick book, raised her voice.

"Look, everyone. Our Lord has heard your sincerity. He has come to grace you with his presence again."

Lucien blinked.

’What is this girl even saying...?’

He had no idea what Clara was going on about but something in the atmosphere told him it was better to go with the flow.

So he spoke.

"Arise."

At his command, the kneeling figures slowly stood.

Their expressions had changed. What was once fear and uncertainty was now awe.

Pure belief. Hope burned in their eyes.

Then they turned toward the source of the voice...

And froze.

There it was...

The small figure Clara had been clutching earlier. A miniature version of Lucien. It now stood on its own.

Alive...

Speaking...

Moving...

The room fell into stunned silence.

It was real.

Everything they had just heard... everything Clara had read from the book while they wept and repented.

The miracles.

The manifestations.

The personas of their Lord...

Was true?

Their disbelief cracked into something deeper.

Their eyes widened, filled now not just with hope...

...but with worship.

Seeing their faces, Lucien almost choked.

That group... they looked familiar to him.

He narrowed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as realization set in.

’Of course... it’s them.’

They were part of the group that had fled.

Now here they were...

Kneeling.

Chanting.

Caught up in whatever strange scheme Clara had woven.

Lucien wasn’t sure what to feel.

Anger? Disappointment? Pity?

Honestly, he didn’t have the energy to scold them.

He activated Divine Sense and scanned them one by one.

No ill intent.

No hatred.

Just nervousness... and genuine belief.

They seem to be... good-hearted?

Curious, he cast INSPECT.

His eyes widened.

Loyalty ratings: 70... 85... 90?

’Eh?! What in the world did Clara do?’

He turned toward her.

Clara stood off to the side... giving him the most innocent smile she could muster.

He sighed inwardly.

’Of course. The mastermind always looks harmless.’

Then Lucien spoke.

"You all. Step outside for now. I’ll call for you later. Clara, stay."

The group tensed at first but quickly relaxed.

There was no anger in his tone. No scolding. Just a quiet command.

To them, it meant everything.

He had acknowledged them. Spared them.

Forgiven them?

Many left with trembling hope in their hearts.

Had their sincerity really reached their Lord? Most of them wondered.

They bowed in silence and stepped outside, followed closely by the members of the Spiritual Division.

The chapel slowly quieted, leaving Lucien alone with Clara, his two pets... and more questions than answers.

Lucien turned to Clara.

"Clara... mind telling me what happened while I was gone?"

His voice was calm but there was a weight behind it... one that made Clara straighten up instantly.

She bowed, hands clasped in front of her like a student reporting to a strict teacher.

"In the past three days, My Lord... much has happened," she said gently.

She then recounted everything that had transpired in the territory over the past three days.

How the gates were opened to welcome merchants.

The bustling stalls that sprang to life.

And the steady stream of profits that followed.

Her words painted a picture of order, growth and success.

Then her tone subtly shifted as she moved on to what happened earlier that day.

She spoke of how she sought out the former subjects who had once fled.

How she gathered them.

How they returned with bowed heads and guilt in their hearts.

She described how they repented.

Then she added something that made Lucien’s thoughts screech to a halt.

"My Lord," she said softly, "I’ve discovered something... about Divine Energy. When someone truly loyal worships you... I can see it... divine energy manifests. It flows from them to you... feeding your divinity."

Lucien blinked.

Clara continued, voice gaining confidence.

"It didn’t happen in the Holy Empire, even when the people prayed with genuine hearts... because their god doesn’t exist. But you... you’re real. Hehehe~"

That last laugh...

Light.

Mischievous.

Carrying a strange kind of pride.

Like she was pleased with the world for finally catching up to what she already believed.

Lucien didn’t know what to say.

He stood there.

Quiet. Processing.

’Worship... increases my divinity?’

He fell silent.

’Is this the true purpose of the LOYALTY stat in the system? Not just obedience... but something greater? Was that the reason I levelled up?’

The realization made him uneasy.

And yet... undeniably intrigued.

Lucien’s eyes drifted to the altar.... where Skittles and Oreo were squirming contentedly.

Their small bodies relaxed and glowed faintly under the warm candlelight.

He raised a brow.

"Have they... always been here?"

"Yes, My Lord," Clara replied gently. "This is their favorite resting place."

That confirmed it.

Lucien activated Divine Sense again. This time, letting it sweep across the room.

And that’s when he truly noticed it. The chapel was saturated with divine energy.

Thick.

Vibrant.

Alive.

And...

It wasn’t just lingering... it was nourishing him.

His soul housed in the mini Lucien seemed to stir in response. It tugged gently toward the influx of power.

A quiet thought echoed in his mind.

’Does that mean... If I gain more followers...’

He stopped himself.

He didn’t like where that path was heading.

This wasn’t a joke anymore. He’d been humoring Clara at first, treating it like a harmless game.

But now?

This was real.

Powerful.

Dangerous.

And if left unchecked...

It really would become a cult.

The benefits were undeniable but so were the moral consequences.

He let out a breath and sighed, conflicted.

"...I’ll leave those people to you," he said quietly. "Watch over them. Help them redeem themselves. It won’t take a day or two... so they better be ready."

Clara nodded, offering him a composed smile.

"As you wish, My Lord."

Lucien paused.

He then shook his head and shifted gears.

"Ah... I actually came here for another reason."

He opened his INVENTORY.

To his relief, the familiar interface appeared without issue.

With a thought, he summoned the Ancient Goblin Figurine.

The moment it materialized in his hand, the air shifted and a familiar chime echoed in his ears.

[Ting!]

[A fitting sacrifice has been detected]

<Sacrifice Ancient Goblin Figurine?>

<Yes / No>

Lucien’s eyes glowed in anticipation.

There were many Rainbow Slime Lord Statues scattered throughout the territory. Clara had even moved one here, placing it reverently within the chapel like a sacred relic.

But as Lucien held the Ancient Goblin Figurine, something became clear.

Unlike the Ancient Slime Fossil which triggered the system even though it was still in his Inventory... The figurine had only been recognized by the Rainbow Slime Lord Statue once it was in his hands.

He narrowed his eyes.

’Is it because it’s not related to slime? The statue must be treating slime-related relics differently...’

Still, no reason to hesitate now.

"Yes," he said aloud.

Just then...

The Rainbow Slime Lord Statue behind the altar gave off a faint glow as if reacting in witness.

Then the figurine in his hand began to hover.

Light enveloped it and cracks began to crawl along its surface like lightning across stone.

With a soft sound, the outer shell shattered.

From within, a droplet of glowing black dew emerged. It pulsed once with raw energy then...

It surged straight into Lucien’s forehead.

[Ting!]

<Skill: Phantom Ink Acquired>

Lucien blinked.

"Phantom Ink...?" he muttered.

He quickly summoned SKILLPEDIA and navigated to the newly acquired skill.

It was listed under the Monster Skills section.

***

Skill (Active): ★★★★★

Illustration: A goblin sorcerer drawing glowing runes mid-air with its fingertip.

Name: Phantom Ink

Description:

• Active – Allows user to write runes or magic circles in the air using only mana of the appropriate attribute (no physical ingredients required)

***

Lucien stared at the description.

"...Huh."

It wasn’t what he expected but it was useful. Very useful.

An unexpected boon... and a powerful one at that.

In truth, writing in the air with pure mana was nearly impossible.

Mana, by nature, was unstable and intangible.

Any attempt to form coherent symbols or words would simply dissolve into nothing before it was complete. Like trying to write with smoke on the wind.

Unless... that mana was manifested into magic.

Magic gave mana form.

Only then could it leave traces behind. A few powerful techniques could leave mana traces too.

Even so, it remained a delicate art.

Drawing in midair required immense control and even with manifestation, it was still notoriously difficult to shape with precision.

The same held true for Divine Energy.

In fact, outside of him and Clara... no one could even perceive divine energy directly. To most, it was simply mistaken as denser mana.

But when Lucien used magic they could see its radiance and its oppressiveness.

Lucien’s eyes gleamed.

Creating runes or magic circles in midair using Phantom Ink would cost far less mana than invoking a full spell.

It was efficient. Clean. Cost-effective.

The only catch?

Precision.

"You have to draw it right," he muttered. "No shortcuts."

But then another thought hit him... one that made his excitement spike.

"Wait a minute..."

His eyes lit up.

"Doesn’t this pair perfectly with Steady Hands...?"

He remembered it clearly. The first skill Cecil learned by himself.

Together with Phantom Ink... it would be flawless.

Lucien’s gaze sharpened as his mind raced with possibilities.

The potential was endless.

Lucien turned his head and saw Clara.

She was standing near the statue.

Hands clasped in prayer. Eyes glowing faintly with devotion.

He sighed lightly.

Time to test something.

"Clara," he called. "Catch this. Offer it to the statue. Let’s see if it works."

He tossed her another Ancient Goblin Figurine.

Clara didn’t hesitate. She didn’t ask questions.

She simply caught the figurine, nodded... and turned to the statue.

Kneeling reverently before it, she began to pray.

She held the figurine gently between her hands as though it were sacred.

Then...

It happened.

The same phenomenon as before.

Lucien grinned.

"Hahaha! It works. It actually works!" his eyes gleamed with excitement.

The Statue recognized the offering even when it wasn’t him who made the sacrifice.

Clara, meanwhile, looked stunned.

Her eyes widened. She blinked rapidly as though waking from a dream.

Then... something shifted in her expression.

Without a word, she dropped to one knee and bowed deeply before Lucien.

"My Lord," she said in a trance. "I have received your grace. I will use this skill to protect this place."

Lucien just laughed.

He still had four more figurines left. He needed to plan carefully who would get the rest.

Then, Lucien gave his final instructions.

He handed Clara a set of notes, a list and another spatial bag.

"These," he said calmly, "are for you to manage. Distribute them to where they belong."

The notes contained carefully selected four-star skills.

Clara accepted them silently, already slipping into the role of a servant.

Then...

With everything handled, Lucien closed his eyes... and cut the connection with the Split Body.

Tomorrow, he had other plans.

He intended to visit the academy.

And Vivian.

There were things he wanted to prepare for her.

Things... she would need.