A few hours have passed since he started reading about the history of Altheria. As he read every single book about the past till the present, he learnt so many things, such as who was currently the strongest in their continent, the politics, three gods, etc. But Lucien something caught his interest. It's about the War of Thorns 25 years ago. It's because an apex emerges as a shadowy protector of balance; it's said he executes thousands of traitorous criminals and demonic cultists with utter silence, and he was named 'The Silent Apex'. He was a legendary figure back then because he was also the one who fought the so-called 3 gods in Altheria and survived.
Those people who witnessed the battle and saw 'The Silent Apex' survived. Spread the news that he spared the three gods out of pity, and a lot of people started to believe that news because of the wound he left on them. After the battle 5 years ago, the silent apex never appeared again. Some news says that he was now living his normal life; some say maybe he died due to the wounds he got from them.
Lucien also wondered where the silent apex goes. After reading those books, he took one book, and it's about 'Mana and Aura'. Lucien smiled, seeing the title of the book like he was excited.
After an hour of reading the book, he now fully understands the meaning of those two. Mana was the most important thing for a mage, although warriors or knights also used this; it's different from how mages used them because for warriors it serves as energy or stamina. Because the most important thing for a warrior is his aura, because aura are the ones who make their attack more powerful; the stronger the aura, the stronger the attack.
For example, those people who reach 'Aura Master' can release a powerful attack or energy for about 2 km, and it can obliterate a whole 3-storey building.
And after Lucien learns about auras, he starts meditating and practising his aura. Lucien stabilises his breathing, and then he slowly feels something flowing in his entire body. It's different from what he felt when he experienced the flow of his mana earlier. This time, he felt two different auras within his body; the first one was a pure white, and that pure white was slowly turning into a white flame.
Lucien felt the white flame slowly running wild inside him, and it was like it was burning every impurity in his body. Lucien stabilises his breathing more, as if trying to control the white flame inside him. After a few minutes of trying to control it. Lucien was slowly guiding the white flame into his core.
Lucien, whose core was pure grey earlier, and now it's turning into a white flame, Lucien tried to calm it. A few minutes have passed again; the white flame that was running wild inside him earlier was now becoming a calm white flame.
After the white flame calmed inside his core, he felt a surge of power within him.
Kalios, who left the tent earlier, is now swinging his sword, waiting for the morning sun. But then, Kalios suddenly felt a heavy power; his attention was quickly drawn to the source of power, and he was sweating at that time.
'That place is where the lord is!!' Kalios thoughts in his mind, and then rushed towards his lord's power.
In the camp the knights are just casually eating their breakfast, and they saw their captain running as if he was running for his life; the knights can't feel the heavy power because only those in the 'Master Stage' can feel it.
Kalios reached the source of the power and was shocked; it was at the level of a swordmaster. But the energy was still growing. It reached the peak of the Master stage, then surged toward Grandmaster. Yet, after a few seconds, the power he felt suddenly vanished.
Lucien, on the other hand, felt the white flame growing inside his body, and it was like it was going to burn his entire body. The white flame was growing big. But suddenly he remembered the second aura he felt earlier.
Lucien tried to tap into the second aura within his body, a pure black aura, as if it were death itself. Yet he didn't hesitate. Without a second thought, he attempted to use it to devour the white flame. But instead of devouring it, the black aura merely suppressed it.
After the black aura suppressed the white flame, it slowly began to envelop Lucien's core, as if it were protecting his body.
And then, the black aura suddenly enveloped Lucien, as if it were consuming him.
Lucien opened his eyes and found himself standing in an ocean of pure black water. Above him stretched a shadowy purple sky; he was in a different domain. This was no illusion; it was what he truly saw. As he turned around, he noticed a platform in the distance. Without hesitation, he began walking toward it.
On the platform he saw something was engraved in dark, glowing script.
'To claim Him, you must endure what others flee. Do not resist it; understand it. It is not your weapon but your reflection. Step forward, and prove you are not afraid of the darkness within.'
Lucien stared at the inscription, the black glow flickering like dying embers.
"…Not afraid of the darkness within," Lucien whispered.
As he stepped onto the platform, the water around him rippled unnaturally. The air grew heavy, thick with silence, too heavy for breath, too quiet for comfort.
Then the world shifted. Darkness swallowed everything. The black water, the platform, even the sky, all dissolved. He was suspended in an empty void.
And then, a figure appeared ahead. At first, it was just a silhouette, but as the figure stepped closer, Lucien's breath caught. It was him, but twisted.
Clad in black armour that pulsed with the same deathly aura he had tried to command. His eyes glowed faintly, a cold, abyssal silver.
The figure tilted its head, then spoke in Lucien's voice, but layered with a deeper, hollow resonance. "You seek to claim me? The Black Aura?"
Lucien stood firm and said, "If I must face myself, so be it."
The figure grinned, a cold, cruel smile. And said, "No. You face the part you've buried. The part that doesn't fear killing. The part that enjoyed it."
Suddenly, the void cracked with shadowlight. A sword of pure obsidian formed in the figure's hand.
"If you can defeat me, your truth, then the Black Aura is yours," the figure said.
Lucien did a stance like he was holding a sword. Yet, he wasn't really holding any sword. No more running. No more hesitation. Only the silence before a storm.