Chapter 4: Kolain
Kolain embodied everything that the southern continent stood for: bright sunlight, fresh air, a clean environment, fresh cuisine, unique cultures, and the feeling of freedom that was present in the yearning souls.
Kolain was the capital of East Balam. It had a lengthy and rich history dating back to the end of the fourth epoch. It was also where Roselle, the Great Emperor Caesar, first landed after discovering a new, safer sea path to the Southern Continent, which inadvertently kicked off the era of colonialism. Both the Inits Empire and the Loen Kingdom desired control of Kolain at the time because of its strategic and vital position as the gateway to the Southern Continent. In the end, Loen won the colonial war and took control of Kolain, successfully establishing its dominance over the seas and trade routes between the Southern and Northern Continents.
All in all, Kolain was the epicentre of the Southern Continent. People from all over the world arrive every day to catch a glimpse of this city, to escape their old lives and begin anew in this new world—through the ships with hope and dream.
And Lucien was among them, arriving in Kolain by travelling through the spirit world rather than by ship. The first time he used his abilities was an eye-opening experience. He didn't have any difficulties with it because, when he used his powers, it felt natural and instinctive, as if he had already used it many times before and couldn't be more familiar with it. This development didn't surprise him, for he knew abilities that came with beyonder pathways were similar to this situation.
He didn't rush to the villa; instead, he went sightseeing in Kolain. He couldn't stop his wanderlust, but he didn't forget to keep his head down, slipping into the identity Adam had created for him—a wealthy and kind noble of a foreign city who had recently moved to Kolain—which proved to be simple because his soul authority came in handy, allowing him to avoid any raising of brows.
His soul authority allowed him to directly control, manipulate, and alter the souls of living beings, even enabling him to create the soul itself. Using it, he subtly manipulated people to subconsciously ignore any abnormalities in his new identity. He really didn't have much talent for acting, so he decided to be cautious and cover his tracks, being as discreet as possible.
Then Lucien gave in to his wanderlust, exploring Kolain with zeal and curiosity. In stark contrast to the rest of the Southern Continent, the capital city was magnificent and rich. It was teeming with people, a cacophony of voices filling the metropolis. He visited historical sites and monuments, as well as markets and bazaars, as well as fairs and carnivals, thoroughly immersing himself in the zeal of the Southern Continent.
He had noticed that the majority of people in Kolain believed in the Lord of Storms, who had a huge cathedral visible from all corners of the city, whereas the religion of the Evernight Goddess was almost nonexistent. And from the information he had gathered from merchants, the religion of Storms was most prevalent in regions of the southern continent—it seemed that the Lord of Storms held the most influence over the southern continent among the seven deities.
Lucien strode along the winding streets and rising monuments of Kolain, admiring everything. But, as the old adage says, everything has two sides, and Kolain was no exception.
It had a dark side—through his soul authority, he discovered numerous human trafficking networks in the slums of the capital city. It was filled with people kidnapped from all around Eastern Bayam who were most likely being shipped to Loen to construct mausoleums for the apotheosis ritual of the Black Emperor. The images he saw when he read the memories of a few mortal traffickers through their souls made him sick to his stomach. It was too inhumane and callous—those kidnapped people were literally treated worse than livestock.
The dark side of Kolain once again reminded Lucien of the kind of world he was living in. He ultimately did not interfere with the trafficking because, even with his current powers, this was not an issue he could fix for the time being.
At the very least, the fine cuisine that Kolain had to offer lifted Lucien out of his gloom. He made his way to the capital's most renowned restaurant—the Fine Line. He then took a seat by a window with a perfect view of the city.
"What is your order, sir?" A server approached him with courtesy. She addressed him in Dutanese, the official tongue of the Southern Continent. And, fortunately, he knew this language, thanks to his memories.
Lucien looked at the menu. "Ferma coffee. As well as this and this." He indicated seafood dishes on the menu. "But bring the coffee first."
The waitress took the order with a hum and then glanced at an array of bags filled with souvenirs and mementos that were near him. "First time in Kolain?"
"Yes." Lucien nodded.
"I wish you a pleasant stay." The waitress smiled, and Lucien nodded gently, then she left his table and wound her way to get his order.
As he waited for his order, Lucien looked out the window at the city, his chin resting comfortably on his knuckles. His mind began to wander unconsciously back to the second time he confronted Death.
He still struggled with the helplessness he felt when the Outer Gods attempted to corrupt him. Thinking about it reminded him of his fight with cancer, which he lost hopelessly despite all of his efforts and struggles. He didn't want to recall those times again.
Adam saved him the second time, but if he ever faced a similar situation again, he needed to depend on no one but himself. This was his path, after all.
And his decision to call out to Adam in that moment of desperation was reckless and dangerous, Lucien admitted, but he didn't lament it because Adam had something that almost no other higher being possessed.
It was fairness.
He was certain that he would already be dead or might even have suffered a worse fate than death if he had attempted to call for help from any other higher being.
Nevertheless, it was extremely risky, but in that moment, it was his only hope, and so he grasped it tightly and called out to Adam.
And his hope was fulfilled, for Adam saved him. "He" even informed him about his power and helped him awaken it.
Lucien then considered what Adam had said about the trend of the times: 'Your presence breaks the trend of the times, so changes must be made, and you, Lucien, will be at the centre of it all.'
He had no idea what Adam had planned, but it was certain that it would change everything, steering this era down a different path than one he was familiar with.
And he was going to be at the centre of it all. That thought made him feel a mixture of apprehension and excitement.
Lucien put a halt to his brooding and looked ahead to see the waitress walking towards him. "Sir, your ferma coffee." She set a cup of coffee next to him and went to bring him the rest of his orders.
Lucien sipped the ferma coffee, relishing its bitter-sweet flavour. As he continued to sip his coffee, his mind wandered—he began to recall the cosmos and how magnificent and majestic it was.
His food soon showed up, and it was every bit as delicious as had been claimed. After completing it, he paid the bill and tipped the courteous waitress before returning to the villa with the key provided by Adam, deciding that this was enough sightseeing for the day.
The villa was in Nobel District of the Kolain. He entered the grand structure after unlocking the entrance with the key. He gave the house a thorough check, then immediately made his way to the master bedroom, which was on the third floor. He entered it and spread his immense spirituality throughout the chamber, sealing it off from the outside world. He also engraved instructions to seal that if there was any anomaly or intrusion into the house, they should immediately notify him.
Lucien then put the bags containing new clothes, souvenirs, and other items in the empty cupboard before changing out of his suit and into more comfortable robes.
Finally, he sank into his bed with a contented sigh, his eyelids becoming heavy almost immediately, and he didn't fight it, sliding into a blissful embrace of slumber under the twilight of the sun that shone on him through the bedroom window.
—————
Next day.
The rising sun illuminated Lucien as he walked out of the bathroom with his towel after a warm and relaxing bath. He had a good night's sleep yesterday after so long, which purged all the weariness from him and completely refreshed him.
Lucien dressed up and went downstairs to the kitchen, which was on the ground level, along with the living and dining rooms. The kitchen was already filled with all kinds of culinary ingredients and vessels, saving him the trouble.
He brewed himself a cup of coffee and grabbed the morning newspaper, taking a seat on the living room sofa.
The front page of the newspaper was all about the immaculate moon. It seemed to have caused quite a stir around the world. Astronomers were throwing speculations about it right and left, stirring the masses all the more.
Lucien also took note of the date at the top of the newspaper: October 10, 1349. It had already been five days since he had transmigrated to the mysterious world (his soul authority also enabled him to perfectly recall all of his memories).
This reminded him of Klein Moretti, the main character in The Lord of Mysteries. By this time, he should have left Tingen after stopping the descent of the True Creator and settled in Backlund, assuming a new identity with a heart set on vengeance.
Lucien didn't dwell much on Klein. Their paths ultimately varied; he just hoped they didn't end up becoming enemies in the end.
Then he continued sweeping the pages of the newspaper, reading it in peace while sipping his coffee.
As he was on the last page, the doorbell suddenly sounded, capturing his attention. He immediately recalled what Adam had said yesterday about sending someone to teach him the basics of mysticism, which he really needed because, despite all of his powers, he was still a novice when it came to it.
Lucien walked towards the door, leaving the folded newspaper and empty cup on the table after sensing no danger. 'It should probably be them.' As he opened the door, he reflected. 'I wonder who Adam sent…'
In the foyer stood an old man with golden eyes and white hair. There weren't many wrinkles on his face, and one could still see a glimpse of youth in him. He exuded a distant, scholarly air, which was accentuated by the refined suit he wore and the cane he carried.
"Hello." The old man greeted Lucien politely. "I am Hermes."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Lucien_Morningstar
Lucien_Morningstar Stones will be appreciated; they keep me motivated.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone