Ascension of the Dark Seraph
Chapter 361: Sniffing the Vestal (1)

Chapter 361: Sniffing the Vestal (1)

Lucivar inhaled deeply.

He turned his head uncomfortably, checking the time, realizing that it was already ten o’clock.

“It’s ten already? Why do I still feel like shit?” He groaned, leaning his head back on the pillow again. “And why is it harder for me to breathe? Elira should get what I need right about now. I really should get up and check.”

Just as he was about to get out of bed, he noticed a violet ball on his chest.

He propped himself up on one elbow and rubbed his eyes, trying to make sure he was seeing clearly.

Once he took another look, he realized that it wasn’t a violet ball.

It was Leandra.

“Oh, right…”

Lucivar scratched the back of his head, recalling that Leandra wanted him to hold her.

She was shaken up, and he was only being a gentleman.

For a moment there, he looked at Leandra—her face looked peaceful in her sleep, devoid of the panic and restlessness she had earlier. Even while she was disheveled and troubled like this, her face remained flawlessly beautiful.

It was really unfair to the other women out there.

Lucivar shook his head and scooted over, untangling himself from Leandra without waking her up.

Once he sat on the edge of the bed, the door was knocked.

Sabrina pushed the door open gently and poked her head inside.

“Master,” She whispered and pointed outside. “Elira dropped something for you.”

“I’ll be out in a second.” Lucivar headed for the bathroom to wash his face.

A few minutes later, he stepped out of the room and saw Sabrina was waiting for him.

He closed the door behind him and walked past Sabrina.

“Eh, master? Here’s the item she dropped.” She raised a circular item in her hand.

Lucivar didn’t bother to turn—he simply curled his index finger twice and said, “Follow me.”

Both of them walked out of the student dormitory that was deserted with all the students in classes and saw a figure, who seemed to be a mutant, waiting for them outside. A man who wasn’t unfamiliar in Sabrina’s eyes.

She had seen him before.

It was then she realized who it was, “Aren’t you the gangster leader from that abandoned building?”

“Y-Yes,” Zibbo bowed meekly. “Nice to meet you again.”

“Not the time to chat,” Lucivar looked at Zibbo intently. “Where did it happen?”

Knowing exactly what he was talking about, Zibbo nodded and led them to the side of the building.

Lucivar was talking about where Leandra was attacked.

Before leaving the room earlier, he already sent Sirrush to call for Zibbo, as it was time for him to deal with the Vestal brat who dared to invade the academy and cause trouble. ‘I can’t have the avatars think that I’m a pushover by letting it slide, now, can I?’

Upon reaching a spacious open space with many spots to sit.

“Is it here?” Lucivar turned to Zibbo.

Zibbo looked around and nodded.

Since he had only encountered Leandra on the main street after she was already being chased, he was not sure where the attack had begun. Still, he remembered her coming from this direction before meeting him, fortunately.

It had been dark that night, though, so he could be mistaken.

“If you’re searching for the source, shouldn’t you start at Leandra’s room?” Zibbo asked in confusion.

Lucivar seemed to have a plan.

But if the plan involves searching for traces of that vestal, then Leandra’s room would be a better start.

“Even though students are forbidden from using ether inside the dormitory, some still do it in secret, which means any traces left by the Vestal might’ve already been overwritten,” Lucivar said, placing both hands on his hips as he scanned the area. “But here, in a secluded spot like this—we might still find at least a few.”

His gaze sharpened.

“Sabrina,” He called, extending his hand.

Knowing what he wanted, Sabrina quickly placed the item that Elira dropped by on Lucivar’s hand.

She was also curious as to what that item was for.

Lucivar held it in his hand and studied it.

It was a pendant that took the form of a snarling hound’s head; its features carved with clear precision from blackened stone or tarnished metal. The jaws were open in mid-growl, fangs bared, and gripped between its teeth was a circular compass.

Even though it was cracked, it was glowing faintly with threads of energy.

Delicate runes were etched along the canine’s muzzle and ears, while the compass rim appeared aged.

Lucivar looked around the spot, searching for any CCTVs.

There doesn’t seem to be any.

Noticing what he was doing, Zibbo waved his hand assuringly, “No CCTVs here. I heard from Leandra that this place was usually used for couples to… You know. Youngsters are meticulous about this kind of thing, having a lot to worry about, so I’m sure there’s no CCTVs here.”

Lucivar nodded and clutched the pendant in front of him and summoned the chubby ghost.

From thin air, it appeared and immediately latched onto the pendant.

For a moment there, Lucivar watched as the color purple of the ghost began to rise.

He only sighed when the purple color stopped right when it was about to devour the black liquid.

‘Good, I have enough essence bar to use the Monstrification Meter on it.’

As soon as he gave a nod, the chubby ghost infused the liquid into the pendant, causing it to tremble.

Soon, the transformation began.

Sabrina and Zibbo watched intently as the pendant trembled violently as its steely gleam beginning to turn into a purplish hue. The hound that was snarling earlier became more muscular—and bigger, while the compass’ arrows turned into purple needles.

Lucivar looked at their amazed faces and smiled inwardly.

“It’s an artifact that could pick up a unique ether or energy and find the person with it,” He explained, shrugging his shoulder as he waited for the process to finish. “It has a range limit of one mile, pretty bad, but it doesn’t matter for me.”

Using the Monstrification Meter and aiming it for a support-type, Lucivar could strengthen the artifact.

In fact, he had specifically asked Elira for the weakest artifact available with the same function since he didn’t have a lot of essence bars from Tamtu’s side to safely use the Monstrification Meter on some of the stronger artifacts.

Of course, this could end up in a failure, but he wouldn’t know until he tries.

As soon as the artifact was finished transforming, Lucivar immediately activated it.

Shing!

Lucivar held the pendant aloft, and the magical compass within the hound’s jaws stirred to life.

At first, it was subtle—a low hum that vibrated through the metal frame, almost inaudible to the ear, like the breath of something long dormant. Then, the hound’s carved nostrils flared, its snarling muzzle curling as though it had drawn a breath after centuries of silence.

Out of nowhere, a swirl of glimmering radiant colors began to rise from the air around them.

It was all the remnants of ether that had been lingering in the air.

Lucivar narrowed his eyes, focusing only on the most important energy he needed to find.

One by one, the vibrant trails faded, like candlelight extinguished by an unseen hand.

Only a single thread remained.

A faint shimmer of gold, barely visible, hung in the air like the last breath of a dying star. The compass quivered in the hound’s mouth—its glass face etched with delicate runes that flickered to life. The arrow began to stir, twitching with slow urgency—as if sensing something just beyond the veil.

However, just as quickly, the golden wisp dissolved into the stillness, vanishing without a trace.

The trembling ceased.

The arrow stilled.

And once more, the hound went silent, its iron breath hollow and still, leaving Lucivar staring blankly.

“What happened?” Sabrina looked at Lucivar curiously.

Lucivar sighed, “It’s not enough. The energy was already registered, but it wasn’t enough.”

Even though, as expected, the Vestal left a trail behind, it was too faint.

The pendant needed more to pinpoint where the Vestal ran off to after attacking Leandra.

Just then, Zibbo flicked his fingers, remembering something.

“I remembered another thing,” He said, turning and pointing to the rooftop. “There’s an eye that night.”

Upon hearing this, Lucivar recalled the same eye he encountered and smirked.

All three of them went back into the building and headed to the rooftop.

Once they got there, Lucivar immediately did the same thing with the pendant, hoping that this could give him something. Like earlier, the golden energy appeared again, this time clearer than the one from downstairs.

Lucivar’s eyes glistened when it seemed like this time, it might work.

However, he was soon disappointed again when the pendant died down once again.

“Still nothing?” Sabrina raised a brow.

“No,” Lucivar shook his head and exhaled, annoyed that he couldn’t find the Vestal. “Damn it!”

His head twitched, just once, but it was enough to betray the storm rising with him.

Rage surged through his veins like a flood, hot and violent.

“If I ever get my hands on that Vestal…” He clenched his teeth, eyes bulging. “I’m going to kill him!”

Lucivar kicked.

The air cracked as his foot tore through it, a futile lash of frustration that did nothing to calm the fire inside him. Still unsatisfied, he dropped low with a snarl, crouching like a literal beast monster on the verge of pouncing.

His fingers dug into the concrete as he growled—a guttural, vibrating snarl.

One that spooked Sabrina and Zibbo.

Both of them knew that it was only bad news if Lucivar got this angry, and they frantically thought of a way to find the Vestal lest Lucivar burst right here. The sight of Lucivar’s shoulders trembling already made them sweat profusely.

But then, amid the pulsing haze of fury, a flicker of an idea struck like lightning behind his eyes.

Lucivar’s snarl cut short.

His body went still.

And his eyes widened—sharp, wild, and suddenly clear.

He got an idea.

And in that instant, the rage simmered into purpose.

Grabbing the pendant, he activated the Aqua Mirror ability, but not on himself.

He used it on the pendant and was surprised to see that two more pendants materialized from water.

‘Yes!’ He cheered inside. ‘Since the pendant became Tamtu’s child and the Aqua Mirror ability is a part of her ability too, I can safely replicate the pendant while still retaining its ability. Now, with this, I can make it work.’

Lucivar immediately stood up and handed Sabrina and Zibbo a pendant each.

“Go around the academy and search for more traces,” He instructed sternly.

Not even waiting for a single second, both of them leaped down from the rooftop to do exactly what he said without question. But on top of that, they also didn’t want to linger lest Lucivar vent his anger on them.

“Don’t come back until you get results!”