Chapter 268: Volcanic Core (3)

Lucas stood in silence, his eyes fixed on the glowing red core in his hand. Its faint pulsations reminded him of the one his main body was already absorbing.

The power contained within these cores was staggering, more than enough to boost any cultivator's strength. But having two wasn't necessary for him. The corners of his mouth twitched as he weighed his options, turning the core over in his palm.

[You know, you don't really need that second one,] the system's voice broke the silence, laced with its typical arrogance. [Might as well give it to Roxana. After all, she's got that Volcanic Dragon Physique. This core would fit her like a glove.]

Lucas raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Roxana, huh?" He mused aloud, considering the suggestion. The thought of Roxana, already a formidable fighter, growing even stronger with the core's power intrigued him. "That does make sense." He muttered, a faint smirk forming on his lips.

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[Of course it makes sense!] the system scoffed, practically oozing smugness. [And let's not forget, this is your chance to make her even more powerful. She's already under your command, right? Giving her this core just strengthens your position. It's a win-win.]

Lucas chuckled, the memory of Roxana donning the Divine Mask flashing in his mind. "Yeah, I remember," he said, his tone laced with satisfaction. "The moment she wore that mask, she became ours." He paused, the smirk deepening. "Whether she realizes it or not." Sёarᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The system practically purred in approval, its voice laced with arrogance and satisfaction. [Exactly! She's one of ours now, bound by the power of the Divine Mask. She couldn't escape even if she wanted to.] The system's voice grew even more smug. [So why not make her even more useful?]

Lucas's eyes gleamed with amusement, a low chuckle escaping his lips. "So arrogant," he whispered to himself, shaking his head, though he didn't mind it. "But you're not wrong."

The system, never one to miss an opportunity, immediately jumped in. [Of course, I'm not wrong. When have I ever been wrong? You should really just start trusting me from the get-go, you know.] Its voice dripped with self-satisfaction, as though Lucas's agreement was nothing more than stating the obvious.

Lucas smirked but didn't bother responding. He knew better than to feed into the system's inflated ego—any more, and it would probably start demanding praise. Instead, his gaze shifted to Lucy, who was still seated, deep in meditation, absorbing the volcanic core with unwavering focus.

"By the way," Lucas asked after a pause, his tone turning thoughtful as he studied his sister. "How long is she going to be like this? Absorbing that core?"

[Longer than you think,] the system replied, its tone now casual, as if it was giving out simple trivia. [It's going to take about as long as it took your main body to absorb a core. So yeah, it'll be a while. Don't expect her to jump up anytime soon.]

Lucas frowned slightly, his amusement fading into mild frustration as he realized they'd be stuck here for some time. "Great," he muttered, though the irritation was fleeting.

[Oh, and just so you know,] the system chimed in again, its voice taking on a conspiratorial edge, [while she's meditating, she's going to suck the Death Volcano dry. When she's done, the whole thing will be in a state of rage. Expect some serious fireworks around here.]

Lucas raised an eyebrow, now genuinely intrigued. "The volcano's going to erupt?"

[Pretty much.] The system's response was almost gleeful, clearly reveling in the chaos to come. [But don't worry, nothing volcanic can touch your sister. She'll be perfectly fine, even if the whole place blows sky-high.]

Lucas sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I see. So, once she's finished, the Death Volcano is going to go wild." He paused, a thought crossing his mind. "And I assume we're supposed to just stand here and watch it happen?"

[Exactly!] the system answered, its tone now shamelessly excited. [But hey, no need to worry, right? You've got your sister, the walking, talking volcano immune queen. She'll absorb all that energy and walk out like nothing happened. The only thing at risk is everything else around here.]

Lucas couldn't help but let out a short laugh, despite the absurdity of the situation. "Alright then," he said with a resigned smile, "so much for keeping things quiet."

He glanced one more time at Lucy, who remained deep in meditation, her body glowing faintly from the intense energy she was drawing in from the volcanic core. She seemed so focused, so distant, as if she were already in another realm entirely.

"Let's head outside," Lucas decided, his voice steady as he turned toward the exit. "I want to see the battle between the elders. We've waited long enough."

The system responded immediately, its voice eager, practically bouncing with excitement. [Now you're talking! Let's go watch them tear each other apart. It'll be a good show, and besides, we might learn a thing or two.] Its tone was dripping with shameless enthusiasm, clearly looking forward to the chaos that awaited.

With one last glance at Lucy, who remained locked in her meditative state, Lucas turned on his heel and began making his way toward the surface.

His steps were purposeful, his mind already shifting toward the impending clash between the powerful elders. The anticipation of watching the titans battle sent a thrill through him, and the system's gleeful eagerness only added to it.

[Oh, this is going to be delightful,] the system hummed, its voice dripping with smug satisfaction. [Let's see which of those pompous elders survives long enough to give us a decent show.]

Lucas's smirk widened, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You sound way too excited about this," he muttered, though the corner of his lips couldn't help but curl upward.

[Excited? Please,] the system scoffed, its tone practically oozing arrogance. [It's not every day you get to watch overinflated egos clash while thinking they're the strongest beings around. Let them bask in their delusions—until they realize they're mere players in our little game.]

Lucas chuckled softly. "You do have a point. They don't even know what's really going on."

[Exactly! It's like watching children play with fire, completely unaware of who's holding the match,] the system quipped, its voice now filled with mocking laughter.

[Besides, their petty squabbles are amusing. They strut around like they're invincible, and here we are—waiting to swoop in when it suits us.]

Lucas's smirk deepened, his eyes narrowing with anticipation. "Well, I'm curious to see which one will entertain us the most."

[Oh, don't worry,] the system purred shamelessly. [Either way, we win. And once they've exhausted themselves trying to kill each other, that's when we make our move.]

Lucas nodded, his expression sharpening as he began to ascend, ready to witness the confrontation firsthand. "Let the fun begin."