CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 76 - GIFTS

A Spatial Bag suddenly appeared and gave the table a small tug.

Lucien leaned forward with a grin.

"Sis, you really don’t have to worry about gold anymore. Our territory earns a lot in a single day now."

With a casual flick, he opened the Spatial Bag... then began summoning gold coins from his INVENTORY.

They poured in one after another.

Coin after coin.

Actually, there were over ten thousand gold coins in his INVENTORY and the number kept growing. His pets were still out grinding.

The gold rained directly into the open Spatial Bag.

Vivian’s jaw dropped. Her eyes practically bulged.

"Lu! This is...!"

She couldn’t even finish her sentence.

"Told you," Lucien chuckled. "We’re not so poor anymore that we have to stress about gold. I already loaded a thousand coins into that bag. Use them all, okay? If you go home with leftover coins, I’ll be sad."

He gave her a teasing smile.

"And if you ever run out, just say the word. I’ve got more where that came from."

Before Vivian could react, another Spatial Bag floated down and tugged on the table beside them.

Lucien gestured toward it.

"I also prepared some things for you... just for this occasion."

He handed her a neatly folded list.

"These are all the items inside," he said warmly. "They’ll help you grow stronger. It’ll ease my mind knowing you’re well-equipped. You can even share a few with people you trust."

Vivian stared at the list in stunned silence.

Just the first item made her eyes light up.

"More honey!?"

She nearly drooled on the spot.

But what truly shocked her was the amount listed.

Spatial Bag #1 Item List:

• Honey x500

• Nectar Crystal x200

• Royal Jelly x50

• Energy Drink x 200

• Coffee x200

• Flash Bang x50

• Smoke Bomb x50

• Fireball Talisman x100

...

...

...

The list went on and on.

It was a mix of consumables and utility items. Everything from energy boosters to items that could help her escape danger.

Most were from the drops. Others were crafted by the Crafting Division under Lucien’s orders.

He watched her reaction with quiet satisfaction.

Lucien had even debated with himself about giving Vivian a new magic attribute. It wasn’t a decision to be taken lightly now that they were in the capital.

But in the end, he made up his mind.

Water Magic.

It paired surprisingly well with her existing Light Magic. The synergy between the two was excellent.

And more importantly, with Water Magic... Vivian could create Holy Water. That alone would raise her value in noble circles.

Especially Lioren... she would likely treat her with more respect.

Lucien wasn’t always going to be in the capital. He needed to put safety measures in place. And this was one of them.

There shouldn’t be any issue if Vivian awakened another attribute.

Maxim had once told him that while it was extremely rare, it was possible for someone to awaken another element.

And if anyone deserved that kind of miracle...

It was his sister.

Lucien reached into his iNVENTORY and pulled out a honey bottle. One filled with a crystal-clear, sparkling liquid.

He turned toward Vivian, who was still frozen as she stared at the list in her hands.

She looked visibly shaken.

"Sis," Lucien called gently, "drink this."

Snapping out of her trance, Vivian blinked and glanced at the bottle he offered.

She didn’t hesitate. She took it and drank it all in one go.

At first, her face twisted in confusion. She turned to Lucien, about to ask what it was.

But then...

She felt it.

A cleansing wave surged through her body. It was as if every cell inside her was being purified.

She felt like she was floating... suspended in an endless ocean.

Her mind turned soft and bubbly. Light and dreamlike.

Then suddenly... mana rushed through her.

Her mana vessels trembled... then began to change.

And just like that, she felt it.

A new power awakening inside her.

Water Magic Attribute.

Her mouth fell open.

She turned to Lucien.

Eyes glowing with awe.

Lips trembling as if she wanted to speak...

But no words came out.

Lucien chuckled and stepped forward.

"Sis, your mouth is about to fall off."

He gently reached out and closed her jaw for her.

Vivian finally recovered and gave a shy little cough.

But the moment quickly passed because excitement exploded across her face.

"Lu! Lu! I can’t believe this! I actually gained the Water Magic Attribute from that drink!"

Lucien smiled, amused by her wide-eyed joy. But then he gently motioned for her to sit.

"It’s too early to be surprised, Sis."

Then with a casual wave of his hand, he summoned his cheats.

Three glowing books appeared and hovered midair in front of him.

SKILLPEDIA. MAGIC BOOK. MONSTERDEX.

Vivian flinched in surprise but quickly realized they came from Lucien.

Her curiosity flared. "What... are those?"

Lucien didn’t answer directly. Instead, he opened the Skillpedia and pulled out two shimmering Skill Cards.

The first...

Appraisal.

The one he acquired after defeating the second son of Baron Coalheart.

The second...

Burrower’s Eye.

He turned to her. His face became serious. "Sis, please don’t be shocked... and keep these between us, alright?"

Vivian tilted her head, puzzled.

Before she could respond, Lucien leaned forward and pressed the cards to her forehead.

The cards glowed brightly... then sank into her skin, disappearing in a shimmer of light.

Lucien chuckled to himself.

’It feels like I’m customizing a character in a game.’

Vivian’s mouth dropped open again... completely speechless.

Lucien sighed, laughing and gently pushed her jaw closed.

A second later... it dropped open again.

And again.

After a few more repeats, she finally managed to snap out of it.

This time, Vivian’s eyes were practically glowing.

"LULU! SKILLS! SKILLS!! I LEARNED TWO OF THEM!!"

She couldn’t stop talking, her voice bubbling with excitement.

Lucien simply listened, smiling to himself. Her reactions were so different from what he was used to and frankly, they were hilarious.

He had purposely avoided giving her any Slime Skills. A skill like Slime Shot would make people think she was a monster.

But Burrower’s Eye? That one was vague and sounded harmless. No one would question it.

As for Lucien himself, he didn’t have to worry. His Sovereign Aura had a mysterious effect. it could block detection and even prevent Appraisal Skills from working.

He discovered it accidentally when Maxim and Edric asked for the tailor.

That tailor had a skill that could instantly measure a person’s body size. But when he tried it on Lucien... nothing happened.

They were all shocked.

Eventually, Vivian calmed down.

Well... calmer at least.

The spark of excitement was still dancing in her eyes but she looked at Lucien now with a warm and proud smile.

She even puffed out her chest a little.

Having a brother like him... she couldn’t help but feel proud.

Lucien handed her a folded set of notes.

"These are exercises," he explained gently. "Try them when you have time. I promise... they’ll yield good results."

Vivian accepted the papers. She read through them carefully.

The instructions were strange... and honestly a bit difficult.

But she didn’t doubt Lucien for even a second.

If he said they were useful, then they were.

But it didn’t end there.

Lucien reached up and grabbed the MAGIC BOOK floating in the air, flipping through its glowing pages with practiced ease.

He turned to the sections covering Light and Water Magic, searching for spells that would be useful for Vivian.

Most magic as taught across the kingdom, followed a rigid structure.

Spells were categorized as Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced... depending on their power level.

But according to the MAGIC BOOK... that was not true.

The book claimed those classifications were only about difficulty, not actual strength.

A so-called "Basic" spell could outperform an "Advanced" one... if the user infused it with refined mana and understood the spell deeply.

In the MAGIC BOOK’s words...

Magic should be free.

Ever-evolving.

Limitless in form.

Established spell lists were convenient but ultimately restrictive.

The so-called "official" spell lists taught in the kingdom?

Limited.

Shallow.

Outdated.

In contrast, the MAGIC BOOK contained hundreds... maybe thousands... of spells, both known and unknown.

Most were from Ancient Magic.

Entirely undocumented.

He compiled a list of lesser-known spells that would suit Vivian.

Spells that weren’t found in any academy textbook.

When he finished scribbling, he handed her the paper.

Vivian accepted it curiously.

Earlier, she glanced at the books and saw unfamiliar symbols and odd notations. She couldn’t make much sense of it.

But Lucien could.

That alone made her even more curious.

Then Lucien looked her in the eye.

"Sis... learn these spells. They’ll be a big help to you."

The moment she started reading, she felt something stir inside her.

Her mana shifted as if the notes themselves were calling to it.

She looked at the page... then at Lucien... then at the floating books.

And suddenly, she felt it.

A connection.

She swallowed hard, eyes widening with a silent realization.

There was a secret here... something deep and dangerous... hidden beneath Lucien’s calm words and quiet smile.

But instead of asking, she steadied herself.

Her doubts faded.

Her eyes burned with a new resolve.

She looked at Lucien and the determination in her gaze was unmistakable.

’I’ll protect him... no matter what it takes.’

Lucien who was still unaware of the resolve burning in Vivian’s eyes, flipped MONSTERDEX to its very first page.

A lush landscape illustration shimmered to life across the parchment.

"Summon."

Two points of light shot out of the book and spiraled down to the floor.

Chirp! Chirp!

Moments later, two plump birds burst into view.

They zipped straight to Lucien, circling him with delighted peeps.

Vivian’s stern determination melted into wide‑eyed wonder.

"Brother, these are...!"

She leaned forward, star‑struck by the adorable creatures.

"Sis, meet two of my pets. Peek and Aboo. I told you about them, remember? They’re Skyskippers. When I need to send letters, they’ll carry them. They can fly from our territory to the capital in no time."

Lucien crouched and addressed the birds.

"You two, go mark my sister. From now on, she’s our main contact."

Peek chirped sharply and Aboo answered with a softer trill. Then both birds fluttered over to Vivian.

Peek nestled against her cheek. Aboo was moving a bit slower with her pregnancy. It nuzzled into her hands.

Vivian giggled, gently stroking their downy feathers.

"They’re so cute! Peek, Aboo. I’ll be counting on you."

A gentle glow enveloped the birds as they activated a Marking Skill, forming an invisible link so they could always locate Vivian.

Lucien watched the scene as warmth spread through his chest.

Then a thought crossed his mind.

"Oh—Sis, I just remembered. There’s a dungeon on campus, right? Want to try out your new skills there?"