CHAPTER 201: CHAPTER 201 - CRIME

The next day brought another unexpected visitor to Luminous Rest.

Murak.

He strode in with his usual booming laugh.

Lucien and Marie came down to meet him.

"Wolf Brother, Wolf Sister! I came just as we discussed."

Lucien nodded calmly.

Marie tilted her head. "So... you found clients for the plushies?"

At that, Murak burst into hearty laughter.

"Found them? Hah! I didn’t even have to look! They came to me. Or rather, Miss Flower Fairy brought them straight to my doorstep."

He leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

"The client’s big. One of the Three Great Sects in the region... the neutral one... the Lunareth Sect. Miss Eirene told me that the fairies under them wish to buy every single plushie we can provide. Apparently, those toys resonate with their Law of Stillness. They say holding one helps calm the spirit and stabilize their meditation. They’re even willing to pay a hefty price."

Marie perked up. "How hefty?"

Murak grinned, raising a finger. "Ten High-Grade Spirit Crystals each."

"What?!" Marie’s eyes widened. "That’s the same price as my Refined Earth Pulses! I could build a house out of Spirit Crystals!"

"Hahaha! Sister, you must understand. Anyone would pay any price if it helps them advance on their path. For them, this isn’t luxury, it’s investment."

Lucien smiled faintly. He hadn’t expected that Slime Plushies... something he had once thrown away for occupying too much of his INVENTORY... would turn into fortune.

’Indeed... there are no useless drops,’ he mused.

He handed Murak a storage ring prepared beforehand.

Inside were mountains of Slime Plushies in every color.

Murak sent a wisp of energy inside to check and his eyes lit up.

"Five hundred of each color?! Brother, you’re a walking treasury!"

Lucien only chuckled. "Just make sure they reach the right hands."

Murak’s grin stretched wider. "GAHAHAH! Leave it to me! I’ll deliver these to the clients and bring your Spirit Crystals later."

He left with thunderous strides.

Marie blinked then clasped her hands dramatically.

"Wow! Money really did come knocking!"

Lucien shook his head, smiling faintly. "That’s about thirty thousand High-Grade Crystals."

Marie immediately slid closer with a sweet tone.

"Ahem... Luc, you’d share, right?"

Lucien gave her a side glance. "If you can stay quiet for a day."

"Hey! That’s extortion!"

•••

Later that afternoon, Murak returned. This time, he came with Eirene herself.

Murak delivered the promised crystals and excused himself after Eirene told him to report to the Verdant Veil branch.

Once alone, Eirene smiled at Lucien and Marie.

"Wolf Brother, Wolf Sister, I came to ask for your answer regarding the Ancient Ruin. Thanks to my network, we’ve located its coordinates. We’ll soon begin the expedition and I’d truly appreciate your aid, especially yours, Brother Wolf. We’ll need someone versed in runic structures."

Lucien and Marie exchanged a look. They had already discussed it before.

Lucien nodded. "We’ll join. But... I’d like to ask for something in return."

Eirene tilted her head, intrigued. "Please, ask anything. As long as I, Eirene of the Verdant Veil, can grant it... I will."

Lucien’s tone remained steady. "I want land. A place I can build from the ground up. A haven for my people. I’ll soon bring them here and I want to prepare for their arrival."

Eirene’s eyes softened with curiosity. "How large are we talking about?"

"The larger, the better," Lucien replied evenly. "Preferably something vast enough to hold millions of people comfortably."

Eirene blinked, clearly taken aback. "Millions?" Then a faint, amused smile tugged at her lips. "That’s quite a family, Brother Wolf."

Lucien’s mouth curved slightly. "Well... it just turned out that way."

Silence lingered for a moment as Eirene studied him.

Then... she reached for the small pendant resting against her chest. The gem shimmered faintly, casting ripples of light across her fingers. Her eyes glowed in response. Equivalent Exchange activated, calculating unseen values.

Moments later, she smiled. "I’ll see to it. Once the expedition ends, your land will be waiting."

Lucien extended his hand. "Then it’s a deal."

Eirene hesitated at first, unfamiliar with the gesture... but caught on quickly, shaking his hand warmly. "Deal."

Marie shoved her hands in between theirs. "Hey, include me too!"

Lucien sighed. Eirene giggled softly at the exchange. Her gaze lingered on Lucien with curiosity as if reading something beyond words.

Then her tone shifted.

"Ah right! I also came with... interesting news."

Lucien raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

Eirene leaned closer, lowering her voice.

"Something’s happening beyond our skies. A major incident involving the Celestial Realms. A space expedition gone wrong."

Lucien’s eyes flickered sharply. "Space expedition?"

He had read about it in Aurion’s archives.

When one reached the Celestial Realm, their body could withstand the vacuum of space, allowing them to traverse beyond space.

Ascendants could technically do so as well but only within their domain where their energy was anchored. Beyond that, the strain was immense and deadly.

It started millennia ago. Celestials and even Eternal Realm experts began venturing into the void. It’s a practice known as the Great Stellar Expedition.

They sought new frontiers, planets rich with etheric ores, cosmic beasts, and star-grade materials unobtainable in the mortal world.

Space, after all, was not empty. It was an ocean of opportunity and, of course... danger.

Eirene continued as her tone darkened.

"It seems the Thousand Races’ Celestial Realm experts encountered resistance... from the monsters of the Black Mass. Reports say they clashed over an entire planet rich in Ether Ores."

Lucien froze. The Black Mass... again.

He knew that monsters could leave their corrupted domain only by using fragments of the Origin Core.

That meant those who emerged were holders of the fragments... creatures far from ordinary. After all, within the Black Mass, only strength defines worth. To possess a fragment there is to rule by might.

Eirene’s words drew him back.

"The Eternal Realm experts have been summoned to assist. The Eternals from the three sects in this region will also depart for the stars this same day. They’re strong enough to move freely in space and hold back those monsters."

Lucien’s mind sharpened. "So that means... this region’s sects will be without its Celestial and Eternal guardians?"

Eirene looked slightly puzzled by his tone. "Yes, for now. But don’t underestimate them. Even without their peak elders, their sect formations remain impregnable."

Lucien’s eyes gleamed faintly. "Still... that’s an opportunity."

Eirene tilted her head. "An opportunity?"

Lucien’s calm smile didn’t fade. "Nothing. Just a thought."

"When do we depart for the expedition, Miss Eirene?" he asked after a pause.

Eirene relaxed, smiling again. "Please just call me Sister. We leave in a month. Use the time to prepare."

Lucien nodded. "Understood."

They continued to talk for a while, though Lucien’s attention gradually drifted. He sat quietly, browsing through his Craft Interface. His thoughts churned as he scrolled through blueprints... before stopping on one particular schematic.

Voidcraft (Small) — a vessel capable of traversing atmosphere, void and even spatial rifts.

Lucien’s fingers hovered over the schematic. His eyes sharpened.

He began listing the materials he lacked.

• Voidsteel Alloy - 1 ton

• Lunarglass Crystals - 12 crystals (each palm-sized)

• Nebrite Cores - 3 cores (each core = 30 cm diameter)

...

Lucien turned to Eirene. "Sister Eirene, would it be possible to procure these materials within the day?"

Eirene scanned the list.

"Hmm... We have all of these in my branch’s vault. I’ll send them over. And don’t worry — no payment needed. These are small things."

"That won’t do." Lucien handed her a storage ring. "Payment, even if small. I don’t like unpaid debts."

Eirene smiled gently, accepting without checking. "Then I’ll consider it a fair exchange."

When she finally left, Lucien’s lips curved slightly.

Marie eyed him warily. "You’re smiling like a villain again. What are you planning?"

Lucien’s eyes gleamed. "A little crime."

Marie’s tail flicked. "I’m listening."

•••

The Following Day...

Two Nephralis, a man and a woman, walked side by side under the morning sun.

Their faces were unfamiliar, but their expressions carried an odd familiarity.

"Huhu... I’ve become hideous! I can’t stand looking like this!"

"Tough it out. The ROI’s insane. You’ll thank me later."

Lucien had used Origin Rewrite once more.

The two of them were headed beyond Aurion... straight toward the Nephralis Sect itself.

Their transport hovered beside them. A sleek, obsidian craft engraved with runic channels glowing faint blue.

The Voidcraft.

Actually, this type of transport is built for interstellar exploration, its power and speed far surpassed anything that touched the ground.

Marie whistled as it hummed beneath them. "Wow... this thing’s insane! It feels like we’re flying through a dream."

Lucien smirked. "It’s meant for the void... space travel. With your cheat, it’s twice as fast. We’ll reach their territory in no time."

Marie stretched lazily. "So... we’re really doing this?"

Lucien’s calm grin sharpened. "The Eternals are gone. The Celestials are gone. The sects are exposed. Tell me, who could possibly stop us now?"

Marie’s eyes glowed, wild and eager. "Then let’s make history... or a mess."

Their laughter echoed faintly as the Voidcraft surged across the horizon...

heading straight toward the Nephralis Sect.