"Let's see if you can handle hundreds of me!"
Lucian laughed, his voice cutting through the storm as an army of blood clones surged forward, flooding the battlefield like a crimson tide.
Lu Bu launched himself into the air, snatching his halberd from the sky with practiced ease, eyes locked on the incoming horde.
"I've felled dozens with a single swing!"
he roared as he crashed back down, the impact sending shockwaves through the ground. The quake staggered both the clones and Lucian himself.
Lucian grinned.
"Cute. I used to do the same... but I killed hundreds with just a flick of my finger!"
With a cackle, he dashed forward, blood coiling in his wake.
Lu Bu spun his halberd in a wide arc, the sheer speed of the movement generating a cyclone that tore through the falling blood, shielding him in a sphere of wind.
"I am the strongest under heaven!"
he bellowed. In the sky above, giant glowing symbols in an ancient, unfamiliar language shimmered into view.
[Translation: Death]
Lucian blinked.
"Huh. This necklace has a translation setting too?" he muttered, a crooked smile on his face as he leapt back, the winds in front of him forming a tornado large enough to tear the very realm apart.
"You were a worthy warrior," Lucian said softly. "We're not so different, you and I."
He raised Damnarex with both hands.
The downpour halted midair—blood suspended in time. One by one, the clones burst into droplets, then twisted through the air toward the demonic sword. The sky darkened, the very battlefield holding its breath.
"Only difference is… I've lived far, far longer."
Lucian laughed darkly as the blood of thousands—no, millions—converged into Damnarex, coating the blade in a writhing crimson aura.
"Now let's see whose final move wins."
With a vicious swing, he unleashed a titanic vertical slash. The blood arc ripped through the mind prison, carving the battlefield in half and leaving only void in its wake.
Lu Bu stood tall amidst the storm, laughter booming from his chest.
"You've given me a battle worth remembering! I die with honor—but don't think you've beaten me cleanly!"
With one last defiant cry, he ended his never-ending whirlwind—only to hurl it toward Lucian with a godlike swing, the wind howling with pure, ancient force.
Lucian stood firm, grinning.
"If you're mad I used magic… well, maybe that's just your problem for not having any."
He raised his blade high, crimson energy swirling as both ultimate attacks raced toward one another—
one born of raw, peerless strength,
the other forged from the blood of the countless dead.
And as the battlefield trembled, only one truth remained:
Legends don't die quietly.
The blood arc collided with the whirlwind, the two forces clashing with earth-shattering intensity. For a brief moment, they were evenly matched, suspended in a devastating deadlock. But then—
The balance tipped.
The blood arc began to push through, carving its way through the wind with relentless, grinding force.
Lucian watched, calm amidst the chaos, placing a finger thoughtfully to his lips.
"If you had been born in my world… I wonder how far you could've gone?"
He studied Lu Bu for a moment longer, then sighed, dematerializing Damnarex in a swirl of crimson mist. He bowed, almost respectfully.
"You really were a trial boss, huh."
A short chuckle escaped him.
"And what's a trial… without a proper challenge?"
The arc continued its advance, cleaving through the last of Lu Bu's whirlwind. The very fabric of the mind prison trembled, on the verge of shattering.
Lu Bu didn't move. He didn't flinch. He simply stood there in awe, a proud smile tugging at his lips.
"To serve a warrior like you… perhaps, in another life, I'd have called you master," he said, cracking his neck and spreading his arms wide.
"A true warrior never dies a coward. We face death head-on!"
The blood arc struck.
It cleaved through him cleanly, splitting him down the middle in a devastating final blow—
—and with it, the mind prison collapsed in on itself, shattering into light.
Lucian blinked against the brightness.
He was back in the trial dungeon, standing tall.
Before him stood Lu Bu—still holding his halberd, still standing proud. But the fire in his eyes was gone. Only blank, inkless white remained.
Lucian exhaled slowly, clutching his head as the dull throb of psychic backlash echoed through his skull.
"You fought well."
He chuckled, more to himself than to the fallen warrior.
[Mission Issued:]
[Among Men Lu Bu! – Subjugate the Legend from Another World]
[Status: Completed]
[Reward: Limitbreak]
Lucian raised an eyebrow at the glowing runes floating in the air.
"Limit… break?"
As he spoke, the dungeon torches flared to life all at once. But this time, the flames burned a deep, vibrant violet, reflecting the color of his eyes.
[You have gained a weapon: Sky Piercer Halberd (Mythical – Unique)]
A grin spread across Lucian's face.
"Both mythical and unique? Finally, a weapon that won't scream 'demonic villain' the moment I draw it."
He laughed softly, the humor not lost on him.
Then another rune materialized:
[EXP: 10,000]
…
Character Profile:
Name: Lucian Draeven
Title: Former Dark Lord, "Master of Goblins and the Impoverished"
Race: Human (Reborn) / Demon Hybrid
Class: Spell Knight
Sub-Class: Bard
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Level: 118/200 (Limitbroken)
Stats:
Strength: 182
Agility: 198
Endurance: 143
Intelligence: 385
Charisma: 194
Willpower: 200
Lucian stared at the stats in disbelief.
"One limit break gave me this much power?"
He rolled his shoulders, stretching his limbs to test the difference.
"I definitely feel stronger…"
He paused.
"…Or maybe I'm just imagining it."
Still, a laugh escaped him. His body felt lighter, his movements sharper. He glanced at his hands—no longer pale and worn, but fully restored, pulsing with vitality.
"Neat."
Then, it hit him.
This was still a dungeon.
And where there's a dungeon…
There's always an exit.
Lucian stepped forward, making his way back into the cathedral-like chamber of the dungeon.
"I never actually got a good look at this place…" he muttered, glancing around.
"…before I was forced to run for my life from that beast of a warrior."
A nervous chuckle escaped him, a single bead of sweat trailing down his cheek at the memory.
At the center of the chamber stood a throne, old and imposing, yet cracked with age. Lucian's gaze narrowed, unimpressed.
He crossed his arms, huffed, and tilted his head in disdain.
"My throne was way better."
Then something caught his eye—behind the throne, hidden in shadow, was a familiar glow. A portal.
The same one that had brought him to this trial dungeon.
"Guess that's my ticket back."
[Dominion of War Unlocked: "Clashed with a Legend (Legendary)"]
Lucian twitched an eyebrow, waving the floating rune text away like an annoying fly.
"Thanks, codex. Real helpful after the fight."
He rolled his eyes and strode toward the portal.
"Home sweet… home."
A shimmer of light surrounded him as he passed through the portal—
—and in the next instant, Lucian was standing once more at the entrance of the slum's inn. The warm, familiar scent of stale ale and stone filled his senses.
He looked around, puzzled.
Everything was… exactly as he left it.
"Wait… time didn't pass at all?"
The streets were unchanged. The people, the noise, the same crooked sign hanging above the inn door.
A grin slowly curled on his lips.
That dangerous kind of grin.
"Next time I dive into one of these dungeons… I might just take my sweet time."
He let out a low, amused chuckle, then clapped his hands together once, sharp and loud.
"Alright! Enough of this 'brooding villain monologue' nonsense. The day's still young—time to leverage some connections."
His thoughts drifted to Reid Perval, the noble he'd met at the Dragon's Wager. The same one who nearly got him killed during that mess with the hero.
"Good thing I was wearing a disguise back then," Lucian muttered.
He adjusted his ribbon, posture straightening with confidence.
He hadn't taken more than three steps before something cold brushed against his thoughts.
A whisper. Distant… but familiar.
Lucian paused. His eyes flicked to the side, scanning the alley. Nothing. Just the usual rats, shadows, and crumbling brick.
But then, for a heartbeat, the world shivered.
A single violet flame flickered to life behind him—then snuffed itself out.
Lucian turned slowly, one brow raised.
"...Was that supposed to scare me?"
Nothing answered. But his instincts—those honed from countless betrayals and battles—told him this wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
He smirked, brushing the dust from his shirt as he walked on.
"Guess I'm not the only one playing games anymore, huh?"
"Time to show that uptight duke how a real ruler thinks, and how a real ruler acts."
And with a devil-may-care smirk, Lucian strode off—
Not as a former Dark Lord.
Not as a trial conqueror.
But as a man with a plan… and just the right amount of chaos to make it interesting.
"Better get ready, because Lucian's coming."
He chuckled, his steps confident as he kept walking.