Ascension of the Dark Seraph - Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Hunter Dorm Chapter 52: Hunter Dorm Unlike students of the academy who enjoyed lavish facilities, hunters were different.

Instead of living in a dormitory, academy hunters lived inside a cave that was dug and turned into a facility.

It was still within the academy grounds-and acted as a place to live and also a place to train.

Despite the small entrance the inside of the cave was way bigger than anticipated.

Passing the guards guarding the entrance, Lucvar and the others were greeted by the rough interior.

Senior hunters in uniform exercising and training everywhere in black and red tights, some were fighting each other, some were strength training-while some were meditating.

The odor of sweat mixed with the air of hard work filled the entire place.

“Man, this place looked like a prison-the sunlight only shone at the center” “What do you expect?

We’re not students” “Frankly, this is better than expected” Following Fabio who was leading the group, they were brought into an expansive chamber.

Nothing was inside other than a mechanical press machine at the center.

It was planted to the short ceiling and the ground.

Beside the mechanical press was a tattooed man who was waiting for their arrival.

Fabio stood beside the man and looked at the group, “This here is Max, he is going to brand you as the Bloodhaven Academy’s hunters.

It’s going to be slightly painful but quick.

Please, step forward one by one” Upon hearing this, one academy hunter stepped forward to Max.

“What’s your name?” “Billy…” “Place your arm into the hole, Billy” “Into the hole…?” Billy looked at the hole in the machine and hesitated, but he decided to do it anyway.

He placed his arm inside, his face pale from the nervousness.

“Don’t be shy, put it all the way in” “All the way in?” “Yes, all the way in until your shoulder.

Don’t move” Seeing that Billy was slightly trembling Max decided to help, and hold his arm steady before he clicked a button on the side.

It sprung the machine to life, and a harsh mechanical sound buzzed.

Just then, Billy screamed in pain, surprising the others greatly.

But even then, Max kept Billy’s arm inside the machine for about ten seconds longer.

Only when a rough click resounded did he let go and Billy fell to the ground.

“Look at the dreaded faces of new hunters being branded is always funny to me” Everyone looked at Billy and found a mark shaped like a red crystal, sparkling with a crimson light on his arm.

Its edges were sizzling, almost-as if the mark was branded onto Billy’s skin through hot steel.

“Next!” Max called the next person, and just like that, everyone was branded with the Blood Crest.

A moment later.

Lucivar was walking along the hallway alone, he was searching for his room while carrying a blanket.

The others already got into the room but his was nowhere to be seen, he was given the room three hundred, and it seemed to be at the very back of the cave.

As he walked, he looked down at the mark on the back of his hand.

It was shaped like an eye that was crying blood.

Fabio explained that the Blood Crest was not only an identification but would also act as an activity log for the hunter, Lucivar didn’t understand what he meant by that but it should be some sort of a tracker.

It was probably a tracker so that they couldn’t leave the academy grounds.

Or perhaps it has something to do with tackling a dungeon.

No matter what it is, Lucivar should be safe if he stays inside the academy’s premises.

“My room is literally at the very back,” Lucivar muttered wryly when he found his room.

He swiped the card key to his room and pushed open the door.

Some said that the place looked like a prison-and Lucivar had never really thought like that, but when he saw his room, he agreed.

His room was small, it loaded only a toilet, a small bed-and an open shower in the corner.

Even then, this wasn’t a problem for Lucivar.

He placed his blanket on the bed and looked around, “It has the necessities, this is not bad” Moments later.

Nothing was arranged for the new hunters today, it was their rest day.

Lucivar spent his time inside his room, thinking of his next move to approach his situation.

“I need to find out more about her but how?” Currently, he needs to approach Thalia and also get rid of Professor Fury.

But out of the two, the most plausible one was to get to know Thalia so he could understand why she was marked as an opportunity by Loki.

He was certain-that it had something to do with her being a celebrity, but he had to make it clearer.

So he decided to tail Thalia when he had the chance.  It was what he wanted but that is easier said than done.

Nobody hunters could leave this premise without permission, and Lucivar had none.

“I could ask Professor Aeldric for leeway…” He muttered with a sigh.

Just then, however, his eyes darted to the side and found two rats appearing out of nowhere.

Lucviar stood up, intending to catch the rat, and threw it out but stopped.

“Does the Greedy Grasp ability only affect beings with ether?

Hmm, let me check” Since the incident with the hollowborn earlier, Lucviar now realized that his ability was not only reserved for himself, it could be used on others.

He became curious-to know the full extent of his Greedy Grasp ability.

Squeak!

Squeak!

Chasing the rat across the room, he managed to catch one.

It squeaked in fear in his grasp but Lucivar ignored it.

Gripping the rat tighter, he channeled the Greedy Grasp skill and tried it on the rat.

Swish!

Oddly enough, Lucivar saw that something coming out of the rat, a form of energy that made it squeal harder.

He watched this process attentively, filled with curiosity, until eventually, the rat turned limp.

As soon as that happened, Lucivar felt a gush of energy swell inside of him.

It came out of nowhere and caught him off guard.

“What was that?” He pondered aloud.

Lucivar turned to look at the rat and found that it was already dead.

“It didn’t have ether so what did I absorb?” Lucivar pondered.

But then, he felt turbulence from his Supernatural Ego, pulling his attention.

Sensing this chance-he closed his eyes and went to his Inner Chamber to check what was going on.

Arriving there, he saw Loki’s statue was glowing.

Lucivar approached it-and was surprised when a flash of light came out of it.

He was greeted by a green gem the length of a pinky.

Compelled to grab it, Lucivar stepped forward before the gem shattered suddenly.

It manifested two leather parchments.

Lucivar read the left parchment before he gasped in surprise.

…

[Quick Breeding] A natural ability that improves the sperm and makes it easy to reproduce.

…

“Huh…?

What is this?” His eyes widened in realization.

“Is it the rat’s ability?

I could absorb it?” Staring at the parchment, Lucivar realized now that the energy he absorbed from the rat was not ether but its life force instead or something like that.

It allowed him to absorb the abilities-of anything he absorbed.

“Could I use it on other people…?” He uttered, the thought of it making his blood boil.

Lucivar was excited at the prospect.

Recovering from his daze, he checked the other parchment.

…

[Nocturnal Vision] A natural ability that improves eyesight to see better in the dark.

…

Not even hesitating, Lucivar chose the obvious choice, the Nocturnal Vision ability.

He wasn’t going to pick the Quick Breeding ability, it’s not like he was planning to have many kids.

Even if he somehow wanted to have many kids, he could’ve gone back and absorbed a rat to learn the ability.

Upon touch, the parchment glowed and its energy seeped into Lucivar’s hand.

It was an instantaneous process, his eyesight had gotten better.

Since his Inner Chamber was quite dim, the effect was immediate, he could see way better.

Just as he was reeling on his new ability, the door was knocked.

Lucivar exited his Inner Chamber and opened the door, surprised to see a familiar figure.

Sabrina.

“Hmm?

What are you doing here?” “Tobias assigned me as your personal maid.

Move aside and let me in” Not even waiting for permission, Sabrina entered the small and cramped room.

“Is it normal for students or hunters to have a personal maid?” “Ah…

right, you’re not from the city.

But the answer is yes-it is normal, especially in this kind of academy.

I knew you were a commoner, but don’t be too obvious.

Never mind.

What’s with this place?

It’s so small” “Thought you’re the expert,” “I know about the city and everything in it more than you do at least” Considering that she was a maid, she quite has a mouth.

But then, Lucivar’s eyes flickered, “Say, you don’t happen to know about Thalia, do you?” “You mean Thalia Feradith, Melody Callista’s daughter?” She asked back.

Lucivar nodded repeatedly, it seemed Sabrina knew about her.

“What’s this?

Are you finding information to court her?

Forget about it, you’re not in h-” “It’s not that, tell me about her family” Since Thalia’s mother, Callista Feradith-was a celebrity, the family’s personal life is pretty much public knowledge.

She brought her name to the superstar level by being a musician, singing and playing music.

Coupled with her exquisite grandeur as a Fairy Hybrid, she boomed in entertainment.

Her name spread across Sunhold City.

At the age of twenty-five, she married a powerful Hybrid and gave birth to twins.

She left Sunhold City to follow her husband after giving birth.

Everything was going well for her for years until about a couple of months ago.

Recently, she has been silent after a clash happened between her husband-and the heir of the Crimson Wolf Clan, a powerful clan, under the Valerius Supreme House ruled by a three-star Chrysalis Hybrid. It happened during an assault on a portal, and the media, stated their bad blood continued to grow and would most certainly end up in a duel.

‘So the one behind the professor and that ninja is the Crimson Wolf Clan…’ Lucivar thought.

He now roughly knows who he was standing up against.

Knowing more made Lucivar more anxious, he needed to do something.

If he was slow, Thalia and Elira would be dead.

Rubbing his ring, he opened the three mirrors once again.

Sabrina couldn’t see what was going on.

From her perspective, Lucivar seemed to be in deep contemplation.

But in truth, he wasn’t.

His essence bars are maxed again at 5 from the inauguration earlier.

‘I really need an ability badly, something that could help me get out of here…’