ucien sat in the inner sanctum of the Arkanveil library, the only light coming from the gentle glow of the system panels suspended before his eyes.
Dozens of them.
They weren't his.
They belonged to everyone else.
His father. His mother. Aleron. His younger brother. His older sister. Even Elric. Each panel floated like a constellation in front of him, semi-transparent, detailed, and vulnerable.
This was the power of the Eye of Data.
A Trait he had earned in blood. A secret no one in his family knew he possessed.
> [Trait: Eye of Data – SS+]
Status: Active
Function: See detailed system panels of targets within 100 meters. View skills, traits, levels, emotional state, potential growth paths, weaknesses, and compatibility matrices.
Hidden function: Analyze environmental factors, dungeon resonance, and artifact traits.
Lucien's crimson eyes flickered. Runes danced in his irises.
One by one, he examined the panels with surgical focus.
---
[Aleron Arkanveil – ]
> Rank: SS+
Traits: [Steel Body (S)], [Iron Will (S+)], [Battle Foresight (SS)], [Knight's Path (SS)]
Skill Efficiency: 82%
Mana Control: High stability
Weakness: Overcommits to frontal defense. Lacks dynamic magic counters.
Potential Trait Evolution: Knight's Path → Titanborn Vanguard (SSS) — Conditions: Fusion with Titan Blood residual aura (incompatible with his current training sequence).
Recommendation: Introduce dual-core training method. Add spell-rebound conditioning. Assign spell-sparring with Mother.
Lucien made a quick mental note and moved to the next.
---
[Viera Arkanveil ]
> Rank: SS+
Traits: [Flame Heart (SS)], [Mana Bloom (S)], [Phoenix Seed (SS+)]
Skill Efficiency: 76%
Fire Mana Sync: Erratic under stress
Hidden Potential: Flame Heart + Phoenix Seed = Living Inferno Core (SSS+) — Requires purification ritual + emotional trigger.
Weakness: Emotional instability causes spell imbalance.
Recommendation: Introduce ritual tempering using Light mana. Pair training with Grandmother for control-focused exercises.
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
Her heart still flickered under pressure. She was strong—but lacked inner stillness. Fire could burn, or it could purify. She needed both.
He exhaled and moved on.
---
[Elric – Age 14]
> Rank: A+
Traits: [Tenacious Spirit (A+)], [Sword Savant (A)], [Shadow Contract (SS+)]
Skill Efficiency: 93%
Compatibility Detected: Lucien Arkanveil – Command Chain Stable
Trait Instability: Shadow Contract is unawakened but resonating
Weakness: Lacks innate mana defense. Sword flow still rigid.
Recommendation: Assign sword drills against multiple Shadow Soldiers. Begin reinforcement rune training.
Lucien felt a twinge of pride.
Elric had risen. From a grieving child to a warrior sharpening himself daily. His growth was steady—almost dangerously so.
But more importantly, he had become someone Lucien could depend on.
---
Lucien leaned back.
His mind swirled with numbers, compatibility graphs, evolution routes, risk factors.
This was not just cold calculation.
This was trust made tactical.
Love made logical.
And power—channeled with precision.
He turned off the lesser panels. Only one remained.
---
[Lucien Arkanveil – Age 14]
> Rank: SSS (Suppressed)
Traits:
• Devour (EX)
• Adaptation (SSS)
• Eye of Data (SS+)
• Shadow Lord (SS+)
Panel: Proficiency Interface [Primordial Origin – Unknown Rank]
Growth Curve: Undefined
Threat Level: Cataclysmic (if unrestrained)
Hidden Trait Resonance: Dormant
Lucien stared at his own reflection in the panel.
He had become something terrifying.
Not a weapon.
Not a savior.
A variable.
A force that didn't exist in the world's original balance.
And that meant two things:
He could tip the world's axis.
But it would eventually notice—and fight back.
He closed his panel and stood.
---
Outside, the Arkanveil estate was alive with practice. Magic sparked in the sky like colored comets. Sword clashes rang through stone. His siblings moved with confidence now, their steps no longer hesitant.
Lucien walked past them silently, adjusting training grounds by an inch. Altering mana flow channels to speed up absorption. Whispering just once in his sister's ear—"Breathe slower on the third spell."
Small things.
But they worked.
His family didn't see the gaze behind the shadows.
But they felt the results.
The younger ones were leveling faster. The elders sparred with new insight. Even the estate itself began humming with better resonance as mana patterns aligned through Lucien's silent adjustments.
His grandfather noticed once, raising an eyebrow.
Lucien had just smiled.
> "Instinct," he said.
It was a lie, of course.
But a necessary one.
Because the Eye of Data wasn't just knowledge.
It was power.
And power, misused, would lead to ruin.
---
Late that night, Lucien sat by the moonlit fountain alone.
He had adjusted their paths. Calculated their limits. Chosen to intervene only when needed.
He was more than their brother now.
He was their hidden blade. Their silent guide.
And one day… their shield.
The wind rustled the leaves.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—Elric, carrying two cups of warm tea.
He offered one.
Lucien took it without a word.
They sat there in silence, looking at the stars.
No commands. No calculations.
Just a moment.
A bond not made of blood.
But of fire, and shadow, and shared pain.
---
Lucien took a slow sip of the tea.
> "Do you think they'll be ready?" Elric asked, voice soft.
Lucien's eyes drifted to the horizon.
> "They'll be more than ready," he said. "They'll be unstoppable."
Because he would make them so.
Even if the world turned on them.
Even if fate itself resisted.