As night fell, Lucien shot up from the hotel, vanishing into the sky like a streak of golden lightning.
He arrived at the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, nestled deep in a mountain range far from the Ubuyashiki Estate.
After descending from the sky, Lucien landed in a secluded area. Before him stood a five-meter-high boulder, beneath which lay two iron boxes. With a kick, he sent the rock tumbling aside and opened the first box, revealing Nezuko inside.
She had not escaped. Before the battle with Kibutsuji Muzan, he had weakened her severely, and her body was still recovering, relying on sleep to restore her strength.
Seeing Nezuko sleeping safely, Lucien breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He had feared she might have died or escaped.
The other box, meant for Enmu, was empty. This came as no surprise; when Muzan died, Enmu had likely perished with him. Only Nezuko and Tamayo remained among the few exceptions. A pity for Enmu's ability, wasted now.
After defeating Muzan, Lucien no longer concentrated solely on physical strength. He now focused on cultivating his soul, spirit, and willpower.
Gently gripping Nezuko's shoulders with one hand and supporting her head with the other, Lucien exposed her fair, smooth neck. Without hesitation, he bit down fiercely. Blood surged like a bursting dam, and Nezuko awoke screaming.
Lucien remained unmoved. Six black thorn-like tubes extended from his spine, piercing Nezuko's body as he began absorbing her energy.
"Ah…"
Pain contorted Nezuko's delicate face. She struggled, but each movement grew weaker. Tears filled her eyes as her vitality drained away.
For a fleeting moment, she saw visions of Tanjiro, her mother, and her younger siblings, calling out to her from a distant memory.
Lucien's throat and the black tubes worked relentlessly. In just over ten seconds, Nezuko withered like a fading flower, turning completely to ashes. The tubes retracted, and a trace of blood lingered at the corner of Lucien's mouth.
Her blood had been scorching hot, almost boiling, and Lucien could feel every cell in his body rejoicing, experiencing an indescribable pleasure.
Now that he had fully absorbed Nezuko, all that remained was to endure until sunrise. Once adapted to the sun, he could lay low for a time to thoroughly master and develop his new body before confronting Wang Xu.
But before that, Lucien turned his attention to the small hill ahead. Clasping his hands at his waist, he channeled all his power. A blue light appeared, growing rapidly until it formed a basketball-sized orb. The sphere emitted five piercing white rays, illuminating the night.
"Kamehameha."
The surrounding darkness flared as Lucien unleashed the attack. A long-tailed blue-white beam slammed into the hillside, tearing it apart with unstoppable force. A massive gully formed, and a mushroom cloud rose at its end, radiating shockwaves that echoed across the terrain.
His spiky red hair and board shorts whipped in the wind. When the dust settled, a spoon-shaped crater lay before him, nearly a hundred meters across.
"This power truly lives up to the Kamehameha."
Panting, sweat rolling down his face, Lucien observed the crater. He had poured only half his energy into the attack, yet its effect was overwhelming. With stronger ki, future Kamehamehas would only grow more devastating.
In combat, he imagined a sequence: a few bursts from a Gatling gun, followed by two Rocket Launcher shots, then a Kamehameha wave, a Great Might Heavenly Dragon strike, and finally an instant kill. If the enemy still survived, he would retreat and reassess. Lucien had already begun planning his future fighting style.
After the attack, Lucien focused on studying his body, aiming to reach Muzan's level. Nezuko had been an important supporting figure, but the Golden Finger was updating and temporarily unusable.
The night passed without incident, and dawn slowly broke, casting light over the earth. Lucien remained cautious, never exposing himself recklessly to the sun. Without full adaptation, sunlight would be deadly, and his life was precious.
He first found a hidden spot and slowly exposed his hand, inch by inch, to the sunlight.
"Hiss… Damn it, damn it!"
Pain twisted his face. The exposed skin burned and felt like it was being sliced into countless pieces. His bones ached as if struck by countless iron hammers, a torment that cut deep into his soul.
Bloodshot eyes stared unwaveringly, his amethyst pupils burning with determination. His palm dissolved, then began to regenerate. The skin adapted slowly to the sunlight.
"It's working."
Despite the agony, Lucien smiled grimly.
He continued the exposure, inch by inch, screaming and wailing into the desolate wilderness, uncaring of anyone seeing him. It made the pain easier to bear.
Three days passed this way, and finally, Lucien emerged fully under the sun.
"Phew…"
A deep breath. Those three days had felt worse than death itself, yet he had endured. He raised his middle finger to the sky, defiant.
Sitting cross-legged, he continued to study his body. Fortunately, adapting to sunlight had not diminished his abilities.
After completing his physical adaptation, he accessed the updated Golden Finger interface. At first glance, nothing had changed. Only after the fourth check did he notice the difference: Dice rolls, previously granted monthly, were now awarded once per year.
What the hell? This update made things worse.
Although previous monthly draws often yielded garbage, they had been somewhat useful. Now, a whole year could pass before another opportunity.
On the other hand, penalties were reduced. A prompt appeared: The value of rewards drawn has increased, update cost: lifespan.
Lucien checked his lifespan. Only ten years remained.
What about immortality? Eternal life? Why now was it reduced to ten years?
His face darkened like storm clouds, eyes wide with disbelief.
If that was the case, why had he even become a demon? Wasn't he pursuing Muzan's immortal body? Was the Golden Finger deliberately manipulating his lifespan to force him into completing missions? It seemed designed to pressure him into action.
Lucien looked up at the scorching sky, then lowered his gaze thoughtfully.
Had he never truly existed, merely a protagonist in a story controlled by some unseen "author"? The thought chilled him. Scientifically, the world could be a simulation, a multi-dimensional construct, a novel or an illusion.
He might be a protagonist—or worse, a fated villain. Being a protagonist would be fine, but a villain… he was screwed.
Lucien's mind whirled, shaken by the cruel calculus of fate. Even if the Golden Finger was flawed, he had no choice but to rely on it.
To control his destiny, he would need to become stronger, stronger, and yet stronger.
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