Eden System - Rise of the Villain Prince

At the same time—

While Lathel was embracing two beauties and "enjoying" himself, Lucien was soaking in a large wooden tub.

The tub was massive, over a meter tall, filled with a greenish liquid along with numerous medicinal herbs. Steam billowed intensely, and countless bubbles continuously rose and popped as if the tub was boiling.

Lucien sat in the middle of the tub, only his head exposed above the surface. His body was flushed red from the water's high temperature, and sweat streamed down his face as if he were bathing in it.

From his body, green vapors rose and dissipated into the air.

"Stay calm… continue absorbing the medicinal essence in the water," Lilith's voice echoed in Lucien's mind.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the scorching heat and the pain that felt like thousands of needles stabbing into every inch of his flesh.

After a while, his skin shifted from red to green, and countless concentric waves rippled outward from his body as the center.

"Begin!" Lilith shouted.

Upon hearing that, Lucien immediately activated 'Hybrid Bloodline' to start absorbing the energy from the liquid.

Bloop! Bloop! Bloop!

Countless water bubbles rose and burst, the process repeating endlessly.

Lucien clenched his teeth so hard it produced a harsh grinding sound, and his face twisted with agony.

"No!" Lucien screamed inwardly, "This pain… it's nothing compared to what I've already endured!"

"Lathel… the Vortan Clan… the royal family… I will have my revenge… I will never give up."

Lucien used his willpower to fight to the very end.

Moments later, his will triumphed. His body had absorbed nearly all the medicinal power from the liquid, and the herbs in the tub had withered completely.

Even the water in the tub had changed from green to clear as crystal, like purified water.

Lucien took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. He opened his eyes—eyes brimming with vitality and a terrifying level of resolve.

He slowly stood up, revealing a solid, muscular body. The wounds on his body had mostly faded, leaving behind only faint scars.

However… his left arm remained tightly wrapped in white bandages, exuding a mysterious and eerie aura.

"Master, I… it seems I've leveled up." Lucien clenched both fists, sensing the power surging within him.

He waved his hand, and a green gust of wind appeared, spiraling rapidly, forming a small vortex in his palm.

But soon after, the green vortex slowly faded into the air.

"That's right, you've reached Level 1 – Mid-stage," Lilith spoke up at that moment. "Compared to the so-called geniuses in the academy, you're in no way inferior to them."

"In just a few days, from an ordinary person, you've reached Level 1 – Mid-stage. This advancement speed is even faster than many of the so-called prodigies of the Academy."

Hearing that, Lucien didn't show the slightest arrogance—only joy. He smiled and said, "It's all thanks to you, Master. If it weren't for you and the medicinal concoction you prepared, I would've taken a very long time to reach this stage."

"Master, I'm truly grateful for all you've done for me."

Hearing Lucien's sincere words, Lilith laughed and said, "Hahaha… my disciple, your character truly shines as brightly as the sun."

"However, I won't deny your talent and willpower either. The body transformation process brought unbearable pain—something no ordinary person could endure."

"Virtue, willpower, and talent—you possess all three. Your success is only a matter of time."

Lucien gently nodded and replied, "But without you, Master, I'd be nothing. The road ahead… I hope you'll continue to walk it with me."

"Of course!" Lilith responded. "At present, even though you've reached Level 1 – Mid-stage, it's only because of the potion I made."

"This potion can only be used once. A second dose would have no effect whatsoever. That means, going forward, leveling up will become harder and slower."

Lucien nodded and said, "Level 1 – Mid-stage… that's more than enough to defeat that bastard Lathel and make him pay for what he did."

As he spoke, he clenched his fists so tightly that the sound Crack! Crack! echoed harshly.

His face was filled with hatred, as if he would rather die than fail to kill Lathel.

At that moment, Lilith continued, "If what you dreamed is true, then Lathel is truly terrifying."

"He knows how to hide his true nature—a cruel being so vicious that the souls of the dead came to you for help. That means they've placed all their hope in you."

"Lucien, if Lathel is allowed to live, he will become a nightmare for all humanity. We must eliminate him. We can't let him continue spreading suffering."

Lucien nodded, firmly replying, "Yes, Master. No matter the cost, I will kill him, so that everyone can see his true face."

"Selvia… even if you were deceived by him, I won't be angry. I will open my arms to welcome you again, because you're nothing more than a poor, helpless rabbit."

Thinking of Selvia, Lucien's face showed a trace of longing and sorrow. He wanted nothing more than to snatch her back immediately—he couldn't bear the thought of her being beside Lathel for even a second longer.

But he knew very well… now was not the right time.

However, just imagining Selvia happily lying with Lathel made Lucien's heart ache like it was bleeding.

"Don't worry…" Lilith, seemingly aware of Lucien's thoughts, immediately spoke, "He's nothing but a useless man. By now, he's probably drowning in some woman's body."

"But you're different. Your willpower far surpasses that of ordinary people. You're not standing still—you're advancing rapidly."

"The day you face him in a duel will be the day he undoubtedly dies. But the consequences of that—you must be thoroughly prepared to face them."

"I already know… and I accept them," Lucien said firmly, his eyes blazing like fire.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Lucien! Are you in there?" Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.

"Irelia?" Lucien immediately recognized who it was, hurriedly got dressed, and opened the door.

At the door stood a rather beautiful black-haired girl, her face showing a resilience that no other girl could match.

"Lucien!" Irelia saw him and felt overjoyed, her eyes seemingly glowing.

"Irelia… your face..." Lucien was startled upon seeing a clear, red handprint on her cheek. "Who? Who hit you?"

Irelia bit her lip, covering the slap mark with one hand, and softly said, "Don't worry about it. It's nothing—just something normal."

"Your father hit you, didn't he?" Lucien frowned, his eyes becoming sharper. "Is he insane? Even a wild beast doesn't harm its own cubs—how could he hit you this hard?"

Hearing the concern and anger in Lucien's voice, Irelia felt sweetness and warmth rise in her heart, completely forgetting the pain from the slap that was still clearly marked on her face.

"I need to see your father," Lucien said with a deep frown, his expression on the verge of exploding in fury.

"It's alright!" Irelia smiled and said, "Don't worry. To me, this is just normal. It's things like this that give me the motivation and determination to leave that family."

Hearing that, Lucien took a deep breath and then said, "Good! But if you run into any trouble, you must tell me immediately. Understood?"

"Hehehehe… understood!" Irelia giggled mischievously. "I came here to congratulate you."

"Congratulate me?" Lucien frowned and said in confusion, "But I haven't even taken the trial yet. Isn't it a bit early for congratulations?"

"Ah! That trial is just to assess your aptitude and talent," Irelia pouted. "Besides, the matter of you becoming Professor Lyra's disciple is pretty much a done deal."

"The whole academy is talking about it. You're really lucky—Professor Lyra isn't just beautiful, she's also very powerful, and she's a high-ranking Alchemist too."

"And more than that, Professor Lyra has never accepted any student as her personal disciple before—you seem to be the first."

Hearing that, Lucien shook his head and said, "That doesn't matter, Irelia. To me, even if I can't become anyone's personal disciple, I don't care."

"What's more important is… have you heard any news about Lathel?"

"Ah!" Irelia sighed and said, "I just heard about it myself. I was planning to tell you."

"Right now, the academy is buzzing about his so-called courageous character. It's disgusting."

"I think he just got lucky and escaped death. I don't understand why Professor Lyra would believe the words of such a liar."

"I heard he even brought his wife with him. It's ridiculous. Does he think this place is his home? Bringing his wife here as if he plans to—"

"What did you just say?!" Lucien shouted as he heard what Irelia said, his expression extremely agitated. He grabbed Irelia's wrist tightly. "Selvia came here too?!"

"Ack!" Irelia cried out in pain, but what hurt her most was Lucien's concern for Selvia.

Just hearing Selvia's name had made Lucien react this strongly—then what about her?

Irelia felt a mix of sorrow and bitterness welling in her chest, her eyes wet as if she were about to cry.

"Ah!" Lucien suddenly realized he had overreacted. He immediately released her hand and bowed his head. "I'm sorry, I… I was just surprised, so I—"

As he spoke, Lucien glanced at Irelia.

She was the type of woman who was incredibly strong—she hadn't shed a single tear even when beaten by her father.

But seeing Lucien react so intensely to Selvia… it felt like a knife to Irelia's heart.

Irelia bit her lip, threw a small cloth pouch at him, and shouted, "Idiot!"

Then she ran off without looking back.

Lucien held the pouch in his hands, completely confused. But when he opened it and saw what was inside, he immediately regretted it.

"Looks like… you owe her an apology."