Chapter 31: The king of the Wind vs Lucien.

The King’s gaze swept across the rooftop before a faint smile appeared on his unusually calm face.

"I don’t think you understand."

His finger moved through the crowd, pointing at everyone.

"You, you, and you as well. The awakeners, and non-awakeners, it doesn’t matter. I need every one of you."

The survivors stiffened as he pointed at them one after another as if picking vegetables from the market.

"I want everyone."

Silence descended upon the rooftop. Absolute silence that nobody could break. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Some lowered their heads while others clenched their fists, and yet, not a single one of them dared to speak.

Eventually, his hand stopped and finally shifted toward Lucien himself.

"And that includes you."

For a moment, nobody breathed.

Lucien met his gaze with the same calm and unbothered look as the man before him.

"I refuse."

The answer came instantly.

It carried no hesitation, no fear, and at the same time, left no room for negotiation.

The Wind King blinked and broke into unrestrained laughter as if he had heard the biggest joke in his entire life.

"Hahaha!"

The sound echoed across the rooftop, causing several survivors to exchange bewildered looks, not understanding what was going through his head.

"This is a first."

He shook his head, still amused.

"The very first time someone has dared to refuse me."

The laughter faded, but his expression didn’t.

"Very well, then prepare yourself for what comes next."

The wind exploded around him at once.

Loose debris skidded across the concrete while clothes and hair whipped wildly in the air. Several survivors instinctively stumbled backward for their lives’ sake.

Then he moved.

The wind beneath his feet burst apart and his figure became a blur, crossing the distance of more than ten meters in less than a heartbeat.

Lucien didn’t move.

The moment the King entered his range, an invisible force surged outward from his body.

Telekinesis.

The surrounding air distorted as though an unseen wall had suddenly appeared in front of the man. The King’s speed immediately dropped, much of the wind-assisted acceleration being suppressed before it could fully manifest around him.

But instead of confusion, his eyes brightened.

"Oh? Now I’m even more interested in you."

His right foot touched the rooftop and the next instant, his body spun.

A left kick shot directly toward Lucien’s head.

Boom!

Lucien blocked with his forearm.

The impact exploded outward, sending a shockwave across the place. Several survivors lost their footing and crashed onto the concrete while the rest hurried toward the staircase as fast as their bodies could manage.

Lucien bent slightly, absorbing the force without so much as a grunt.

The Wind King moved to pursue.

Then paused because suddenly, a strange tingling sensation spread through the leg he had just attacked.

His eyes dropped, locking onto the tiny arcs of electricity dancing across his ankle.

"You..."

For the first time, genuine awe appeared on his face.

"You have dual talents?"

A faint smile tugged at Lucien’s lips.

"You know, you aren’t the only special one."

Crack!

Lightning erupted from his palm and before the Wind King could react, Lucien stepped forward and drove his hand outward.

Lightning surged through his palm before entering the King’s chest.

He had to cross his arms just to absorb most of the impact, but it was still not enough. The remaining force hurled his body backward, skidding across the rooftop before stopping only a few steps away from the edge.

And behind that edge, stretched endless Black Water.

He didn’t even glance at it, as after all, he was capable of manipulating air as easily as taking a breath.

The air beneath his feet stirred and this time, his body slowly rose into the sky.

Lucien’s expression darkened.

Flight.

The ability he feared most, or to be precise, had no counter against.

Still, it wasn’t unbeatable. Sooner or later, the man would have to enter the range of his lightning talent if he wanted to attack him.

Or so Lucien had thought.

The Wind King simply raised a hand and danger screamed through his instincts immediately.

Wind gathered faster than before, and the currents twisted together until they became visible, forming a compressed mass of a violently rotating sphere of air.

Then the King flicked his wrist.

At once, the attack shot forward like a cannon shell, aiming straight for Lucien.

He reacted instantly.

Telekinesis surged from his being, yet the moment it touched the sphere, his expression changed.

He felt nothing.

No—

He didn’t know what to stop.

Should he stop the air itself? Or the pressure hidden inside it?

For the first time since obtaining telekinesis, he couldn’t identify a target to lock his telekinesis despite being able to see it.

The attack was already upon him.

Lucien twisted aside.

Tsch!

A deep gash tore across his abdomen as the projectile flew past before destroying a small chunk of concrete.

Fresh blood splattered across the rooftop.

He landed several meters away and slid to a stop, suppressing the grunt threatening to escape his lips. He didn’t want to show any visible signs of weakness, not even a little bit.

The wound wasn’t fatal, but it was enough.

Enough to remind him that one mistake against someone like the man before him could cost him everything.

Meanwhile, the Wind King hovered above the rooftop, watching the blood drip onto the concrete.

A grin slowly appeared on his face.

"Even your movements are refined, and the same is the case for your senses."

The surrounding wind stirred once more.

"Then let’s see if you can survive this."

At that moment, he no longer looked like a man searching for followers, but like a predator that had finally found a prey worthy enough of his attention, worthy enough to be hunted.

Then, unexpectedly, he stopped attacking.

"Wait, why don’t you join me?"

Lucien frowned, for the sudden shift caught even him off guard.

The Wind King spread his arms as though presenting the entire city to him on a platter.

"The old world is gone. Governments, laws, armies... all of it."

Wind drifted around him.

"Soon, everything that remains will belong to those strong enough to seize it and rule above it."

His gaze swept across the flooded horizon. "You and I stand above the rest."

A trace of excitement entered his voice.

"This world could be ours, and together, we could build something far greater than what had ever existed before."

He paused.

"We might even destroy the Order itself."

Lucien’s eyes narrowed.

The Order?

Another unfamiliar name.

And another hidden piece of a puzzle whose length was still unknown.

"You need another dual-talent user by your side? Are you not satisfied with yourself having a dual talent already?"

The words were casual, but the reaction wasn’t.

The Wind King’s smile froze.

The wind around him died instantly.

"...What?"

Shock flashed across his face. Raw and unfiltered because someone had found out his biggest secret. A secret he had managed to hide from his own people and those bastards from the Order.

Lucien immediately noticed his reaction. It was far too intense.

"How..." the man muttered.

And then the next instant, his eyes snapped upward.

"HOW DID YOU KNOW?"

Lucien frowned.

"What are you trying—"

His words stopped.

The King vanished from where he floated.

No, he had simply moved so fast that Lucien had barely managed to perceive it. One moment the man was floating dozens of meters away, and in the next, he was directly in front of him.

His hand shot toward Lucien’s throat with unmistakable killing intent behind his eyes.

Iron-like fingers wrapped around his neck with an insane grip.

Then—

Crackle!

A blinding surge of lightning exploded from Lucien’s body before condensing around his throat into pure electricity. He had used almost thirty percent of his reserves all in one go just to defend himself.

The rooftop flashed blue-white. The Wind King’s eyes widened, but it was too late for him to react.

Boom!

The impact detonated through both of their bodies, forcing the King to release his grip and stumble backward as violent arcs crawled across his arms and chest before entering his body.

Tiny sparks continued dancing around and inside him even after he regained his footing.

Neither man moved, and neither of them spoke.

Moments ago, this had been a test.

But now both of them understood that killing their opponent might cost them everything.

—

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