CHAPTER 50: WORLD’S ONLY PLASMA AWAKENER

"You’re crushing me," Lucius managed through clenched teeth.

Vanessa jerked back immediately, her cheeks flushed crimson.

She smoothed down her dress as though she hadn’t just buried her face in his chest, trying to compose herself.

Across the room, Villy had her hand over her mouth, giggling uncontrollably.

"My lady isn’t touchy with just anyone," she teased, eyes glinting with mischief.

"Please, if you end up giving my lady a baby, take respon—"

Her sentence ended in a squeak as Vanessa’s palm cracked down on her head.

"Nobody is impregnating anyone here!" Vanessa snapped, her face redder than a ripe apple.

She turned sharply on her heel and marched back to her seat, skirts swishing in agitation.

The two dwarves who looked like Villy and were standing next to her had pressed their lips together to keep from laughing aloud.

Their shoulders shook violently as they traded looks that said everything.

Lucius, meanwhile, collapsed into a chair, his body practically melting into it.

His muscles ached, his mind was drained, and he had little patience left.

The Hudson brothers’ antics had already consumed enough of his day.

Vanessa studied him from the corner of her eye.

Not a scratch.

Not a burn.

Not even dust on his black uniform.

Suspicion colored her gaze.

"Are you sure you really went on the mission I sent you?" she asked at last, her voice carefully neutral.

Lucius groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

"It was tiring," he muttered.

His stomach gave an unhelpful growl. "I had to babysit three people and fight monsters. Believe me, I’d rather not see those three ever again. If I do, I might just put their heads through a wall."

The memory of Grimm shouting cowabunga before being roasted alive by goblin shamans replayed in his head.

Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose.

They were clowns.

All three of them.

Vanessa’s lips curved into a soft smile despite her efforts to remain composed.

"I’m glad you were able to complete it. It wasn’t an easy mission. I only assigned it because I had to test you with monsters, considering your spatial affinity."

"Mm." Lucius waved it off. "It wasn’t that bad. But..." His gaze sharpened. "What was that about me being your lucky charm?"

Her expression froze for a moment. Then her eyes flicked toward Elara.

Elara was now sitting innocently in her outfit.

She was no longer ravenously chewing on some chicken. The wraps were gone, every bit of chicken had vanished, her hair neatly brushed, she looked almost radiant.

Vanessa had noticed it as well — when Lucius wasn’t around, Elara behaved like any ordinary woman.

But the moment he entered the room, she transformed, every gesture polished, every smile gentle, as though he were the center of her world.

Suspicious.

Too suspicious.

"Oh... which one?" Lucius asked, feigning ignorance.

Vanessa’s lips pressed into a thin line.

Then she leaned forward, her eyes glowing with a mix of excitement and gravity.

"Believe it or not, it’s a rare element thought to be lost in time. Her affinity... is Plasma. And it’s at the Divine Rank."

Lucius blinked, he already knew of course. "...Plasma?"

"Yes," Vanessa said firmly. "Plasma. A divine element, and one of the most volatile known to mankind."

For a moment, silence hung heavy.

Vanessa’s stomach knotted.

’I really hope divine ranks don’t start popping up like weeds. Two is already more than enough...’

But she steepled her fingers, her tone shifting to a lecture. "Plasma is highly unstable. Very unstable. It’s the boundary between matter and energy itself. In every recorded case, those who awakened to it harmed themselves more than their enemies. Their bodies couldn’t withstand it. Their blood boiled. Their nerves fried."

Lucius’s eyes widened slightly.

He turned his gaze toward Elara.

’Was making her awaken a mistake?’

He had wanted her to be useful, yes.

But not at the cost of her life.

He didn’t care about soldiers who burned themselves out for glory.

But Elara wasn’t just anyone.

She had chosen him.

She followed him.

He couldn’t stomach the thought of her tearing herself apart.

Vanessa’s tone softened. "However... at the Divine Rank, that weakness doesn’t exist. The element is still volatile, but her body will not be harmed by its use. The heavens themselves grant her the right to wield it."

Lucius let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

His shoulders eased, his expression softening.

Relief washed over him.

Vanessa caught it and couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on her lips.

’He really does care...’

"Okay then," Lucius said finally, voice even.

Her eyes flicked to him. "Do you want to make it official?"

He blinked. "Huh?"

"Make it official," she explained. "Like your awakening ceremony. Her status as a Divine Awakener. I already asked her, and she said..."

"I’ll do whatever Master asks of me," Elara said at once, her voice clear, her smile warm.

The devotion in her tone was unmistakable.

He had given her the chance to awaken. In her eyes, everything she now was belonged to him.

Lucius studied her for a long moment.

Then he nodded. "Okay. Keep it under wraps, though. I already have enough people coming for me. No need to add fuel to the fire."

The dwarves exchanged wary glances.

Even they understood how explosive this revelation would be if it spread.

The only reason Lucius wasn’t being overrun right now was because he still bore the name, Hohenberg.

Lucius’s stomach growled again. He sighed, turning to Vanessa.

"Now, is there anywhere I can get some lunch?" he asked, tone dead serious.

The timing was impeccable.

At that exact moment, Villy re-entered, carrying a silver tray with a steaming plate of food.

"My lady thought you’d be hungry when you returned, so she asked me to prepare it ahead of time."

The aroma wafted through the room — roasted chicken glazed with sauce, warm bread, and a thick, rich stew.

Lucius’s eyes lit up.

’Finally, Something good today.’

Villy set it down before him.

Lucius reached for his fork, but Vanessa’s hand moved faster.

She plucked it up, speared a tender piece of chicken, and lifted it toward his lips.

Her face was slightly red, but her gaze steady.

"Say ah~"