BXBX NOVEL Chapter 51: Settling In
"This… this is our house?" Lucy breathed, her voice tinged with awe. The house standing before them was nearly identical to the one they had lived in before, but it was far grander and more luxurious.
"This place is incredible," Lucy remarked, turning to Lucas with wide eyes and a bright smile, her amazement evident in her voice. She reached into her pocket and handed Lucas a small item, the same one given to her by the envoy. "We need to take this to the central office to register our identities."
Lucas took the item, his fingers brushing against it as he examined it closely before returning it to her. "You want me to go with you?" he asked, his tone light but curious.
Lucy shook her head gently, her expression softening. "No, I think it\'s better if you stay here and familiarize yourself with the place. There\'s no rush." She hesitated for a moment before handing him the three two-star potions they had received earlier. "But before I go, take these."
Lucas blinked in surprise as he looked down at the potions. "Why don\'t you use them?" he asked, concern flickering in his eyes.
A warm smile spread across Lucy\'s face as she met his gaze. "It\'s better for you to become stronger," she said softly, her voice filled with sisterly affection. "I want to make sure you\'re safe."
Lucas felt a swell of emotion at her words. Nodding, he accepted the potions with a grateful smile. "Thank you, sister. I\'ll make good use of them."
Lucy\'s smile grew, and she reached out to ruffle his hair affectionately before turning to leave. "I won\'t be long. Stay safe, okay?"
"Always," Lucas replied with a grin, watching her go. As the door closed behind her, the house felt a little emptier, but Lucas was left with a renewed sense of determination.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind Lucy, the system\'s voice broke the silence, dripping with arrogance. [You really are a good actor,] it chimed in, a mocking tone lacing its words.
[Who would\'ve guessed that the mighty Lucas could play the role of a weakling so convincingly? Pretending to gasp for air when you could have easily shrugged off those auras… priceless!]
Lucas smirked, rolling his eyes at the system\'s obvious glee. "Of course," he replied, his voice steady and unbothered. "I have to act weak in front of her. It\'s the only way she\'ll feel the pressure to protect me and grow stronger."
[Devious little brother, aren\'t you?] the system noted, its tone filled with shameless admiration. [You\'ve really mastered the art of manipulation. Not bad, not bad at all.]
"It\'s all for her benefit," Lucas said calmly, his eyes narrowing as he thought of the bigger picture. "This way, she\'ll become more powerful, faster.
In my past life, I learned that pressure can be the greatest motivator. And let\'s not forget," he added with a smirk, "we just scored three two-star potions out of this."
[Ah, yes, the spoils of your cunning,] the system said, practically oozing pride. [You play your cards well, Lucas. Now, go ahead and absorb those potions—let\'s beef up that mana storage of yours.]
Lucas couldn\'t help but chuckle at the system\'s shameless enthusiasm. "You\'re enjoying this way too much," he remarked, his voice tinged with amusement, though he couldn\'t deny that he shared in the satisfaction.
[Why wouldn\'t I?] the system shot back, its tone practically oozing arrogance. [You play the game, and I get to watch the show. It\'s a win-win! Now, stop stalling and let\'s see what those potions can do.]
With a smirk, Lucas nodded and began preparing to absorb the potions, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction as he realized how well everything was falling into place. He downed all three potions in quick succession, the potent energy surging through him like a tidal wave.
Moments later, the system\'s voice cut through his thoughts, reporting with a hint of pride. [Mana Storage: 60.]
Lucas frowned slightly, his excitement dimming. "Only 60? That\'s just 20 mana per potion. I expected more, especially since they\'re two-star potions."
[Oh, please,] the system huffed, clearly unimpressed by his complaint. [Did you forget that the mana we store is in its purest form? Even with the best quality two-star potions, the conversion rate to pure mana is only 20 per potion. You should be grateful you\'re getting that much.]
Lucas sighed, feeling the system\'s smugness radiating through its words. "I suppose you\'re right," he conceded, though the disappointment lingered.
[Of course I\'m right,] the system retorted, shamelessly proud. [Now quit whining and start appreciating the fact that you\'re stockpiling some of the purest mana around. You\'re lucky to have me keeping things in check, you know.]
Lucas shook his head with a resigned smile, unable to suppress his amusement. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, his voice tinged with both exasperation and acceptance. He knew better than to argue with the system when it was in this kind of mood.
"I\'ll deal with cultivating this mana later," Lucas said, his tone shifting to one of determination. "It\'s going to be painful and time-consuming, as always, but that\'s something I\'m used to." He paused, his thoughts turning to the immediate task at hand. "But first, I need to register as Zeus while Lucy is still out."
With his decision made, Lucas activated his Divine Mask—Zeus, feeling the familiar surge of power as he transformed into his alternate persona. His hair turned a striking golden hue, and a powerful aura radiated from him, one that matched the confidence in his eyes.
Without wasting another moment, Zeus left the house, his steps purposeful as he headed toward the central office to complete his registration. The sooner he established his identity, the smoother things would be moving forward.