Level Up Machine

Chapter 145 Hero Lucia (5)

?Ding.

[Attempting to analyze the structure of the SS-grade memory cube (outdated model).]

[Unconditional approval for the information interference of the summoner ‘Yeong-sik’ has been confirmed.]

[Structure analysis successful.]

‘So, it was a black cube after all.’

Yeong-sik’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the message window that appeared before him.

If he tried to disobey an order, his head felt like it would burst with pain, and his body moved against his will.

As far as Yeong-sik knew, the only thing on the Elnote Continent that could exert such absolute control was a black cube.

‘Unconditional approval this time as well?’

It was the same phrase he had seen when he analyzed the core of Lacteon.

He recalled the S-grade memory cube found with Lekras, which had a lock that took over a week to decipher, making this situation hard to comprehend.

‘How is unconditional approval possible?’

Yeong-sik furrowed his brows and fell into deep thought.

He and Lucia had met for the first time today. The fact that her black cube had given unconditional approval to his information interference was

incomprehensible.

‘And what does outdated mean…?’

It was a modifier he had never seen before.

As if to interrupt his thoughts, a series of blue message windows appeared.

[Interpretation of the SS-grade memory cube (outdated model) is complete.]

[The proficiency of the Structure Analysis skill has greatly increased.]

[Control over ‘Lucia di Rivière’ is transferred from summoner ‘Kim Jae-hyun’ to summoner

‘Yeong-sik’.]

[The memory cube in question is an outdated model created by ‘Lenos’, and without a separate controller, commands cannot be issued to ‘Lucia di Rivière’.]

[Because you have gained complete control over the memory cube, the affection and loyalty of ‘Lucia di Rivière’ are adjusted to maximum.]

“What is this?”

Yeong-sik narrowed his eyes as he stared at the message window that appeared before him.

Lenos.

Unlike the word Danterion, this name gave him an unpleasant, slimy feeling.

A sinister and unpleasant sensation, as if his throat was being choked.

Yeong-sik narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.

Something important seemed on the verge of surfacing in his mind, but his thoughts were being obstructed.

“What, what happened?”

Lucia groped her body with a bewildered expression.

She felt the commands from Kim Jae-hyun, which had been restraining her entire body, suddenly vanish.

Yeong-sik turned his gaze towards her.

Other messages that had been under the Lenos message floated up in his mind.

‘Did he say that the control had shifted from Kim Jae-hyun to me?’

If what he said was true, this was a far more significant matter than he had thought.

Lucia was an extraordinary strong person who had to be subdued with the combined efforts of him, Tiria, and Park Si-a, even while wearing the suit.

‘Moreover, Lucia likely didn’t even exert her full strength in this battle.’

She hadn’t fought to win the battle.

Instead, she fought with the intention of losing to Yeong-sik.

Despite that, she displayed such tremendous power.

If they could persuade her and incorporate her into the guild’s power, the Salvator Guild would undoubtedly become incredibly powerful.

Power so vast that the three major guilds would seem trivial in comparison.

“Kim Jae-hyun has lifted the device that was restraining Ms. Lucia. You no longer have to follow anyone else’s orders.”

“What?

At his calm words, Lucia’s eyes widened.

Her body began to tremble slightly.

‘Well, it’s true that the Black Cube hasn’t been completely deactivated.’

The Black Cube, which had been restricting her actions, was not deactivated.

The command authority had simply shifted from Kim Jae-hyun to Yeong-sik.

‘Anyway, I don’t intend to force her to obey me like Kim Jae-hyun did, so it doesn’t matter.’

Even though he had gained the authority to control her at will, he had no intention of acting like Kim Jae-hyun.

It wasn’t solely out of sympathy for her.

As shown in this battle, Lucia didn’t completely follow Kim Jae-hyun’s orders.

She continuously resisted the power of the Black Cube that was restricting her.

In such resistance, she couldn’t fully draw out her true strength.

From the beginning, it was impossible to draw out all her power while fighting to lose.

What Yeong-sik wanted was not to treat her as a subordinate or a slave.

What he wanted was for them to become comrades who would protect each other and enable her to bring out all of her strength, or even more.

“The restriction, it’s been lifted……? But how……?

She looked at him with disbelief.

It was true that Kim Jae-hyun’s restriction had disappeared, as he said.

Even when she had fallen in defeat during the battle, the voice that kept whispering to her to kill them was no longer heard.

Her body, which had moved against her will, was now moving according to her own will.

However, she couldn’t even guess how he had managed to lift Kim Jae-hyun’s restriction.

Kim Jae-hyun’s restriction had been absolute, no matter how wildly she resisted.

“I can use a special ability that’s a bit different from others. With that ability, I was able to lift the restriction that was controlling Ms. Lucia.”

At his words, Lucia let out a short gasp.

Right now, it didn’t matter to her what special ability he possessed or what the nature of the thing that had been restricting her was.

What was important to her was that, for the first time since she opened her eyes, her body was moving entirely according to her own will.

“Ah, uh, aaah…”

Transparent tears streamed down Lucia’s face.

Fragments of words that couldn’t form sentences spilled from her lips.

She recalled the people she had killed against her will under Kim Jae-hyun’s orders.

Among them were mothers trying to protect their children, fathers who picked up swords for their families, and children clinging to their mothers’ clothes in terror.

She had mercilessly cut them down.

All she could offer them was an apology.

“Aaah, aaah, aaah!”

An overwhelming surge of emotions swept through her mind.

A beast-like cry escaped from her lips.

A complex mixture of joy from being freed from the restriction, regret and sorrow for her past, and anger filled her mind.

“Tha…thank you. Really, thank you…”

Lucia, sobbing uncontrollably, grasped Yeong-sik’s hand.

Unlike Kim Jae-hyun’s hand, his hand felt warm, even to her heart.

Every day had been a living hell.

Not a single day had passed without the horrific pain of the restriction since she opened her eyes.

She couldn’t even commit suicide, trapped in what felt like an endless abyss of hell.

She looked at the face of the man who had saved her from that hell.

“What?”

Thoughts of Yeong-sik filled her heart.

Her chest throbbed as if it would burst.

The hell she had endured now seemed like a trial she had to overcome to be saved by him. Her feelings for him grew explosively inside her.

With trembling hands, she placed her hand on his cheek.

Just the slightest touch of his skin sent a thrilling sensation of pleasure and happiness throughout her body.

“I just did what I could.”

Yeong-sik looked at the tearful Lucia and spoke in a calm voice.

‘If I say this right…’

She had a favorable opinion of Yeong-sik, who had saved her.

He felt that persuading her wouldn’t be difficult if he spoke well.

‘Here, eliciting empathy is the best approach.’

Thinking that, Yeong-sik opened his mouth to speak.

“You said you lost your memory, right? So did I.”

“Ye-Yeong-sik, you too…?”

“Yes. I have no memories before I was brought to this world.

So, I can understand the sense of loss you’re feeling.”

Yeong-sik placed his hand on Lucia’s trembling shoulder.

What came next was crucial.

“At first, I also wandered and suffered. The place that became a strong refuge for me was the guild I’m currently a part of. It’s completely different from the Abaddon Guild you were in. In my guild, everyone cares for each other like a family.”

He continued speaking in a serious voice.

“If you have nowhere to go after this, I would like to invite you to join our guild.”

“M-Me…?”

Lucia looked at him with wide eyes.

Even though she had been under Kim Jae-hyun’s command, she had tried to kill him and his companions.

She hadn’t expected him to readily offer her a place in his guild.

“Yes. It will surely help you find stability. And…”

Yeong-sik tightened his grip on her shoulder.

“It will allow you to feel happiness.”

At his words, Lucia tightly shut her mouth.

Happiness.

It was the emotion she thought was the furthest from her reach.

Until now, the only thing she had ever wished for was someone to kill her and end her hellish life.

The idea of becoming happy was something she had never even imagined, not even in her dreams.

“Me, becoming happy?”

“Yes. If you come to our guild, you will be happy. No, I will make sure you become happy, no matter what.”

His words sounded almost like a proposal, causing Lucia’s face to blush bright red.

It was an irresistible, sweet offer like a drug.

Her body trembled.

Her violet eyes were filled with turmoil.

‘It seems she’s almost convinced.’

Yeong-sik thought as he watched her expression.

He wasn’t trying to deceive her with sweet words.

The unique close-knit atmosphere of the Salvator Guild would undoubtedly make her happy.

Just as he had found happiness there.

“Lucia, would you become my comrade?”

Yeong-sik asked, as if to drive a final nail into her hesitation.

“Comrade?”

Lucia muttered the word as if savoring it.

Someone who would not hesitate to risk their life for her, someone she could rely on anytime and anywhere.

It was a relationship she had never experienced before.

Lucia looked up at Yeong-sik.

Seeing his face made her heart pound again.

Her body felt hot and a tingling sensation coursed through her entire body.

The word “comrade” resurfaced in her mind.

It felt like an inadequate term to calm her wildly trembling heart.

“I… don’t want to be your comrade.”

Yeong-sik closed his mouth firmly at her unexpected answer. He never imagined she would refuse his offer.

“Why?”

Lucia, with a dreamy expression as if intoxicated, placed her hand on Yeong-sik’s cheek.

He was the savior who had pulled her out of hell.

The warmth of the man who now filled her heart was transmitted through her hand.

A strange smile appeared on her lips.

“I don’t want to be your comrade.”

“Then…”

She continued, stroking his cheek as if it were a precious treasure.

“I want to be your slave.”

“What?”

What did you say?