05. Djinn (1)

"My talents are already widely spread and known throughout the Revolutionary Army, so I could even be identified. No matter how small the risk is, we can't afford to take it!"

Of course, this was all utter bullshit.

Lucius knew from his memory that there would be no risk of him being exposed if he went to the academy in the original story. It was even safer for him now; after all, how could they discover a talent when he had none to begin with?

Lucius wanted to tell Albert this and come up with better solutions, but as he said, there were traitors in their midst. It wasn't just the traitors that Lucius had to worry about.

It's funny to think about it, really. Even in a group called the Revolutionary Army that hated the feudal system and nobles and wanted to change the world, when it came to infighting and schemes, they were not too different from the nobles they so despised.

The one who created the Revolutionary Army was Lucius's father, Sirius, not him. Since Sirius was a revolutionary who hated the class divide, he was never planning to rule over the people; rather, it was more like an alliance of like-minded people.

The only reason this scattered bunch had managed to rise to their current position was based on Sirius's unimaginable charisma, reputation, and overwhelming strength that made all these people willingly submit to him.

Naturally, after Sirius's death, the problem with such an organizational structure showed itself fully. With each person submitting to Sirius and Sirius alone, most were unwilling to let someone else take the lead.

Eventually, Lucius managed to take the position of head of the Revolutionary Army by riding on his father's coattails and using his overwhelming talents to stabilize the hearts of the leaders of the army.

If it became known by the higher-ups that his overpowered talents had disappeared, the Revolutionary Army might enter a period of civil war or even worse, directly fracture.

As Lucius's future power base to survive the upcoming troubled times, he couldn't allow this to happen.

Even if he had to lie to his deathbed, he wouldn't tell a soul in the Revolutionary Army that his talents had disappeared!

Lucius's gaze hardened as he looked around the underground room.

Eerie sigils and inscriptions lined the walls, and in the center of the room lay a giant magic circle that radiated an unsettling crimson light.

The Revolutionary Army was a group that had been in league with demons for several years now, so they knew most of the details about summoning demons, and as such, Lucius didn't have to do it himself.

All that remained for Lucius to do was complete the final step.

Walking up to the center of the magic circle, Lucius used a small knife to cut his hand, dripping his blood into the center of the formation.

As this happened, he began to chant a strange set of words he was given beforehand.

An unintelligible string of words flowed from Lucius's mouth, each sounding like sharp pieces of iron scraping together, causing all the hairs on his back to stand up.

Just moments later, a brilliant flash of deep crimson exploded from the center of the magic circle, causing Lucius to stumble backward.

Hot.

Lucius felt a rush of warmth pass him, and it didn't take long for him to figure out why.

"Boom!"

There was a small explosion as a carpet of burning flames spread from the center of the magic circle. Amongst the flames, a daunting figure could be seen.

A giant crimson body over two meters tall, each section bursting with overwhelming muscles. A pair of curved, dark, demonic horns and an unsettling smile that would put even the most hardened mortals on edge.

This was a Djinn!

Djinns were among the most powerful species of demons, but the most common trait known by humans about Djinns had to be their scheming nature.

Due to this, Djinns were the demon species that interacted with humans the most. Most myths and folktales passed around by common people about demons were actually talking about Djinns.

Djinns were commonly known to be able to fulfill the wishes of warriors longing for power or defeated nobles who needed the power to avenge their fallen families.

The giant Djinn looked down at Lucius below and laughed menacingly.

"Haha! Well done, human! Now that you have summoned me, I can grant you your—"

Before the Djinn could finish its sentence, Lucius's cold words cut through the air.

"Jump him, now!"

Without hesitation, Uncle Albert, who was at his side, shot out like a cannonball straight toward the Djinn. As if that wasn't enough, tens of figures jumped out of the shadows to subdue the demon.

Seeing this, the Djinn let out a wild roar as the flames around it swirled fueled by its rage.

But even with its full power unleashed, the demon was ambushed, trapped, and outnumbered.

It knew that if it continued to stay here, it would meet its end!

"Damn you, you treacherous human! You may have won this time, but one day I will surely have your head!"

After leaving behind a stereotypical monologue, the demon tried to use the innate ability of all Djinn—teleportation. But as it tried, it quickly realized that something was wrong.

The poor Djinn looked back toward Lucius, only to see a twisted smile on his face.

The moment the Djinn saw this, its heart sank to its stomach.

Fuck! I've been had! This kid was planning to trap me from the very start!

The Djinn had caught onto Lucius's schemes, but it was already too late.

The sigils lining the walls weren't used to summon the demon; instead, they were special symbols, each one with demon-binding capabilities.

The second the poor Djinn accepted Lucius's call to be summoned here, its fate was sealed.