Cronus' system: Against the gods-Chapter 171: Filler - - Search for Lucius

Neon lights pulsed through the streets, flickering advertisements towering over the sprawling district of Astral City. Airships hummed above, gliding across the star-studded sky like silent sentinels. Down below, military patrols marched in precise formation, their armor reflecting the cold, artificial glow of the city's skyline.

Yet, despite the grandeur of Astral City, one small establishment stood apart from the high-tech chaos—the Oak and Lantern.

Tucked away in a quieter part of the district, the quaint tavern and restaurant exuded an old-world charm, its wooden doors and warm lantern glow offering a stark contrast to the steel and neon outside. It was the kind of place that had history, a relic standing stubbornly against the tides of modernization.

And tonight, it was where Magnus found himself.

Seated at a corner booth, his posture relaxed yet alert, Magnus lazily swirled the amber liquid in his glass. It wasn't his usual scene—dim lighting, soft music, couples whispering sweet nothings to each other—but it was one of the few places in Astral City where he could breathe.

Or, at least, try to.

Across from him, Brenda sat with her arms crossed, tapping her nails against the table.

Magnus exhaled. "You're annoyed."

"You don't say."

Magnus set his glass down, tilting his head. "Care to elaborate, or do I have to guess?"

Brenda let out a slow breath, her dark brown eyes studying him before she leaned forward. "You disappeared for three days, Magnus. Three."

Magnus' fingers twitched. She noticed.

Of course she did.

Brenda was different from the people he usually dealt with. She wasn't an enemy, a superior, or someone trying to kill him. She was just… someone who cared.

And that was dangerous in its own way.

Magnus forced a smirk. "What, did you miss me?"

Brenda didn't take the bait. "Magnus."

The way she said his name—firm, unwavering—cut through his usual bravado.

He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I had things to do."

"Things?" Brenda's brow arched. "Like getting into fights with elite soldiers? Stealing classified tech? Maybe pissing off some of the most powerful people in the city?"

Magnus blinked. "…So you do keep tabs on me."

Brenda scoffed, shaking her head. "You really don't get it, do you? I'm not checking up on you for fun, Magnus. I just—" She stopped herself, looking away.

Magnus leaned forward, his voice softer. "You just…?"

Brenda exhaled sharply, taking a sip of her drink before muttering, "Forget it."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The background chatter of the restaurant filled the silence—clinking glasses, laughter, the distant hum of an old song playing through the speakers.

Then, Magnus sighed. "I'm not used to this."

Brenda looked at him, puzzled. "Used to what?"

Magnus hesitated before gesturing vaguely between them. "This. Someone giving a damn."

Brenda stared at him for a moment before a small smile tugged at her lips. "Well, you'd better start getting used to it."

Magnus chuckled, shaking his head. He didn't deserve someone like Brenda in his life, but for tonight, he'd allow himself to pretend otherwise.

***********

The Military HQ was unusually quiet. Not the calm-before-the-storm kind of silence, but the kind that settled when people were too afraid to speak. Too afraid to acknowledge what had just happened.

Jefferson stood before the massive war table, its holographic display casting an eerie blue glow across the dimly lit chamber. The room was filled with high-ranking officers, each wearing grim expressions as they studied the swirling data streams and flickering images of the latest devastation.

A recording played in the center of the projection—grainy footage from security drones capturing the moments after Lucius Noctis' escape. Torn bodies littered the floors of HQ's lower levels, blood splattered across steel walls. Some soldiers had been frozen mid-motion, their forms encased in jagged, unmelting ice. Others were reduced to mere shadows, remnants burned into the walls from whatever dark force Lucius had unleashed.

Jefferson exhaled slowly, his arms crossed. The silence stretched as the officers waited for him to speak. Finally, he broke it.

"We underestimated him." His voice was low, but the weight in it pressed down on everyone in the room. "That mistake cost us General Silas. It cost us the Leviathan-ranked crystal."

Tension rippled through the chamber. No one wanted to admit it, but he was right.

"Sir…" One of the officers, Colonel Stroud, cleared his throat. "We still don't know where he's headed next. Our satellite tracking lost him the moment he left the facility. He disappeared, almost like…" He hesitated. "Like a ghost."

Jefferson's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "He's not a ghost. He's a monster."

The air chilled, as if his words alone carried weight.

Another officer, Major Callen, pulled up a secondary display. "Sir, intelligence suggests Lucius Noctis may be making his way toward Astral City. We've intercepted reports of unusual energy fluctuations near the outer districts."

Jefferson stepped forward, narrowing his eyes at the data. The readings weren't normal. Massive spikes in energy—Aetheric signatures far beyond what most could wield. Even among demi-gods, this was unheard of.

He tapped a control on the table, zooming in on one particular sector of the city. "And what's this?"

Callen swallowed. "It appears to be… remnants of the same energy Lucius used at HQ. Shadow-based, but laced with ice."

The room darkened. The implications were clear. Lucius wasn't just fleeing. He was growing stronger.

Jefferson's fingers curled into a fist. "Then we stop him before he gets the chance to reach his full potential."

He turned sharply, his commanding presence locking every officer in place. "We mobilize our elite units immediately. Reinforce every major checkpoint around Astral City. I want constant surveillance. The moment we get another energy spike, I want a strike force moving in."

A murmur of agreement spread through the room.

"And what about the Chairman?" Stroud asked. "Voss won't sit quietly while we go hunting in his city."

Jefferson's jaw tightened. He knew all too well how difficult Chairman Voss could be. The man wasn't just powerful—he was untouchable in ways even Jefferson couldn't counter directly. But this wasn't about politics anymore.

"I'll handle Voss," Jefferson said coldly. "Just make sure our soldiers are ready for war."

There was no hesitation in his tone. The officers saluted, then began issuing commands to their squads. Within minutes, the HQ was no longer silent. The war machine was moving.

And at the center of it all, Jefferson stood, staring at the flickering image of Lucius Noctis.

"I don't care what you've become," he muttered under his breath. "I'll put you down myself if I have to."

Back at Oak and lantern's

Magnus had just finished his drink when the tavern doors burst open.

A tall figure strode in, his black coat billowing behind him. His presence alone was enough to send a ripple of unease through the establishment.

Magnus sighed. "Of course."

Brenda turned. "Who—?"

Marcus Voss.

His sharp golden eyes scanned the room before locking onto Magnus.

Without hesitation, Marcus approached the table, his movements smooth, controlled—like a man who never second-guessed himself.

He stopped beside them, hands in his pockets. "Magnus."

Magnus leaned back. "Marcus."

Brenda looked between them, sensing the tension. "I take it you two know each other?"

Magnus smirked. "Oh, we go way back."

Marcus ignored the sarcasm. "We need to talk."

Magnus sighed, glancing at Brenda. "Rain check?"

Brenda huffed. "You owe me."

Magnus grinned, sliding out of the booth. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

As he followed Marcus out of the tavern, Magnus felt it—the shift in the air, the growing storm.

Something was coming.

And he had the sinking feeling that tonight was only the beginning.

*********

The neon skyline of Astral City glowed against the night, a stark contrast to the suffocating tension gripping its streets. Military drones hovered above, their mechanical eyes scanning for any trace of Lucius Noctis. Checkpoints had been established at every major intersection, soldiers clad in reinforced combat suits standing guard, their Aether-powered rifles primed and ready.

Inside one of the makeshift command centers, Captain Arris monitored the tactical feed with narrowed eyes. His body still ached from his last encounter with Lucius—a fight that had ended in humiliation. He had thrown everything at the man and still lost. But this time would be different.

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"Status report," he barked.

A nearby soldier, his face pale with unease, responded immediately. "Sir, we've deployed units to every major transit route. Heat signatures remain clear—no signs of Noctis."

Arris clicked his tongue. "He's toying with us. He wants us to be on edge."

Another officer, a woman with sharp green eyes, frowned. "And it's working. Morale is shaken after what happened at HQ. No one wants to be the next name on the casualty list."

Arris exhaled sharply. He understood their fear. Lucius wasn't an ordinary enemy—he was something beyond reason. A force of nature. But letting fear dictate their actions was a death sentence.

He leaned forward, placing both hands on the command table. "Listen up. We don't need to kill him. Not yet. Our job is containment. Keep him locked within the perimeter and slow him down until Jefferson arrives. If you get a visual on him, do not engage alone. You will die."

The weight of his words sank into the room. No one argued.

Then, an alert blared through the speakers.

"Commander! We've got movement—Sector 9!"

The screen flickered, showing a grainy aerial view of a lone figure walking through an abandoned industrial zone. His posture was relaxed, almost casual, but the sheer energy radiating from his body distorted the air around him.

Lucius Noctis had arrived.

Arris' heartbeat quickened. "Deploy squads three through five. Now."

The order was given. Within seconds, armored transport vehicles roared to life, engines humming with high-density Aether energy as they sped toward Sector 9.

The hunt had begun.