The Standoff:
The living room was thick with tension. Lucian held the glowing churro like it was a holy relic, his eyes locked on Alex.
Alex: (Yawning, scratching his neck) "Lucian, buddy... it's just a snack. Maybe it's glowing because it's radioactive? You should probably put it down before you grow a third arm."
Lucian: "Don't play with me! Point one: The 'Shadow Knight' at the school had the exact same height and shoe size as you. Point two: The mana frequency of this churro matches the 'Heavenly Spear' that 'disappeared.' Point three: No one in the history of the Association has ever snored during a Level 8 mana surge except you."
Alex: "I have a very relaxed nervous system. It's a medical condition."
Lucian: "And Point four!" Lucian pulled out a small device. "I recorded a snippet of the Shadow Knight's voice. I ran it through a filter. It's you, Alex. Or should I say... Lord Aziel?"
The Reveal:
The air in the room suddenly turned ice-cold. The temperature dropped forty degrees in a millisecond. Alex's bored expression vanished, replaced by a gaze so ancient and heavy that Lucian felt his lungs stop working.
Alex: (Voice echoing with a slight distortion) "You're persistent, little snake. I'll give you that."
Alex snapped his fingers. The "Shadow Helmet" flickered onto his head for a second and then vanished, proving the identity.
Alex: "Fine. You caught me. I am Aziel. Now, I have two choices. I can erase your existence so thoroughly that your parents won't even remember they had a son... or, we can talk."
The Deal:
Lucian's knees hit the floor—not out of respect, but because his legs had turned to jelly. However, a spark of greed flickered in his eyes.
Lucian: "Wait! Wait! I—I'm not a martyr! I don't care about the Council's 'Grand Design'! I've been an A-Rank spy for five years and they still haven't given me a promotion!"
Alex: (Blinking, the pressure lifting) "Wait... what?"
Lucian: "The High Council is stingy! They treat me like a disposable tool! If I keep your secret... if I hide the evidence and tell them the Shadow Knight disappeared into the Void..." Lucian looked up, a literal drool emoji forming on his face. "Can you... can you give me a 'Level Up'? I want to be an SS-Ranker! No, a SSS-Ranker!" 🤤😆
The Contract:
Allen: (Walking out of the kitchen with a bowl of cereal) "Wow. That was fast. I thought he'd be more... heroic."
Alex: (Laughing) "Now we're talking! I like a man with priorities. You want power? I can give you enough mana to make the Grand Commander look like a toddler. But if you breathe a word of my name to the Council, I'll turn your soul into a decorative rug for Allen's bedroom."
Lucian: "Deal! Absolutely a deal! I'll be the best double agent you've ever seen! I'll send the Council on a wild goose chase to the North Pole if you want!"
Alex reached out and tapped Lucian's chest. A surge of pure, refined Dark Mana flowed into him. Lucian's eyes turned purple for a moment, and his muscles rippled as his rank shattered its limits. He wasn't just an A-Rank anymore; he felt like he could punch through a mountain.
Lucian: "Oh... OH! This is the good stuff! 😆 I'm never going back to the Council!"
The Audience's Reaction:
Serina and Evelyn were standing in the doorway, watching the whole thing.
Serina: 😑 "Great. Another idiot. We have a Lazy God, a Food-Obsessed God, and now a Greedy Spy. This house is a circus."
Evelyn: (Staring at Alex as he joked with Lucian) He just... made an SS-Ranker with a tap of his finger. Her heart did that annoying thump again. He's so dangerous, yet he's just... Alex.
She quickly turned away before Serina could catch her staring. "I'm going to my room! To... study! Because some of us actually care about the History midterm!"
Alex: "Hey Evelyn! Ask Lucian to help! He's an SS-Ranker now, surely he knows about the French Revolution!"
Lucian: (Saluting) "Actually, my Lord, I skipped that class to practice my 'Snake-Shadow' dash! But for you, I'll learn it in five minutes!"
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