Lucian finally exhaled, his mind still reeling from everything he had just processed.
But then—something felt off.
A lingering discomfort, an unfamiliar weight against his skin.
His brows furrowed.
And then—he looked down at himself.
His breath caught. Something wasn't right.
"...Wait."
His breath hitched.
His casual jacket and jeans were gone.
Instead—he was wearing the [Lurker's Voidweave Attire].
"Huh…?"
For the first time since putting it on, he actually looked at it.
And what he saw—
Was sick as hell.
Lucian turned his hands over, feeling the light yet durable fabric flex with his movement.
The dark abyssal weave glowed faintly under the neon lights of the city.
The fingerless gloves fit snugly, enhancing dexterity while maintaining style.
The high collar gave off an air of mystery, while the sleek, tactical design made him look dangerous yet effortlessly cool.
His combat boots were perfectly fitted—light, flexible, but strong enough to withstand impact.
It wasn't just a combat outfit.
It was stealthy, modern, urban—something straight out of a high-end futuristic assassin aesthetic.
Lucian's eyes widened. He took in the high collar, the tactical design, the abyssal patterns woven into the fabric.
Then, with absolute certainty—
"Holy shit… I look awesome."
He quickly turned, catching his reflection in a nearby car window.
The city lights cast a soft glow against the dark voidweave fabric, the abyssal embroidery shifting slightly as if alive.
His breathing slowed.
For the first time, he saw himself not as just Lucian Rengoku—the guy who went out for a morning walk…
But as someone completely different.
"This… this doesn't even feel like me."
The outfit wasn't just cool.
It felt like a symbol.
A reminder that he had stepped into a world far beyond the one he knew.
"I survived. I fought. I came back stronger."
His grip on his phone tightened.
If he had returned unchanged, maybe he could have convinced himself it was all some delusion.
But no.
His new appearance, his skills, the Cube still pulsing in his Soul—
It was all real.
Lucian's lips slowly curled into a grin.
"Well… might as well document this moment, right?"
Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and opened the camera.
The screen lit up, displaying his reflection in perfect clarity.
And damn—
He looked like a protagonist.
A slight smirk.
The high-collared, abyssal-patterned attire.
The shadowy aesthetic blending with the neon city backdrop.
He adjusted his pose, trying different angles.
"This lighting is perfect—oh, gotta get the 'mysterious lone warrior' shot."
"Maybe a badass side-profile?"
He even experimented with some moody stares into the distance.
He was so caught up in it—
That he completely missed the fact that he was in public, standing in an alley, taking dramatic selfies like an NPC trying to unlock a secret cutscene.
———————————
Pedestrians walked past, some stopping to give him strange looks.
"What is that guy doing…?"
A few people whispered, trying to figure out if he was some famous cosplayer.
"Damn… is he an influencer? He looks like he stepped out of an anime."
A couple of girls walking by glanced his way, exchanging quiet murmurs.
"He's kinda… hot?"
"Yeah, but also kinda weird?"
An older businessman side-eyed him as if trying to figure out whether Lucian was just a very fashionable vigilante or a lunatic taking pictures of himself in an alley.
Lucian, completely oblivious, just kept snapping photos.
He adjusted his collar, tilting his head slightly for that perfect "mysterious assassin" look.
The neon reflections against the dark weave gave it an almost supernatural edge.
Damn. This outfit was a statement.
"Okay, just one more—wait, what if I tilt my head slightly? No—too forced. Maybe a low-angle shot… or should I go for the 'battle-worn but mysterious' aesthetic?"
"Damn. This lighting is actually perfect."
—————————
Lucian was mid-pose when he heard it.
A tiny voice, just behind him.
"Mom… why is that guy taking pictures of himself in the alley?"
Lucian blinked.
Paused.
Slowly turned.
The kid stared at him. The mom glanced at him.
Multiple strangers looked away like they hadn't been watching the whole time.
Lucian inhaled.
"...Oh."
A moment of awkward silence.
Lucian coughed, slipping his phone into his pocket like it had never existed.
Nodded to himself.
Casually rolled his shoulders.
Took a completely unnecessary moment to adjust his gloves.
Then, without a word, turned and strolled away.
As if he hadn't just spent ten minutes taking dramatic selfies in a random alley.
As if he were simply… a shadow vanishing into the night.
(Ignoring the fact that he definitely wasn't.)
——————————
The streets felt too normal.
Streetlights flickered, casting long, distorted shadows.
Cars passed, their headlights flashing—too bright, too sudden.
Laughter spilled from a nearby restaurant, warm and familiar.
Lucian exhaled.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Lucian's footsteps slowed slightly. He glanced around, taking it all in.
"It's like I never left. Like none of it ever happened."
But it had.
His muscles still ached.
His mind was still racing.
His body had changed.
He had changed.
And yet, the world remained the same.
It was disorienting.
Lucian turned the corner—And stopped in his tracks.
His house stood there, just as he had left it. Familiar. Untouched. Waiting.
The small, familiar two-story home, warm porch light glowing softly against the night.
A lump formed in his throat.
Home.
Something stirred inside him, something heavy.
He swallowed.
Steadied himself.
"...I made it back."
It felt like a lifetime had passed since he last saw it.
Like some distant dream finally within reach.
But instead of rushing forward, he hesitated.
But instead of rushing forward, he hesitated.
His hand hovered near the doorknob.
The handle was cool beneath his fingertips. Solid. Real.
More real than the things he had seen.
More real than the monsters, the dungeon, the Cube.
Could he really just walk in like nothing happened?
Like he was still the same person who left?
"You're overthinking this."
He shook his head, forcing himself to take a breath.
And then—he stepped inside.