Lord of Annihilation

Reaching in Lucius received the metallic rod from Reyna's hand.

It's body was pure silver, with a few streaks of black running through it. The silver color was the alloy between, Star Steel and Perfect Iron, with the black being Graphene.

Lucius casually swung the rod around to get a feel for it's weight and center of balance.

'It's perfectly balanced.' He nodded his head, a small smile blooming in his expressionless face.

Using his fingers, he traced through the black patterns, which consisted of the electronic components of the weapon. Lucius' fingers quivered under that feeling. He almost felt a certain type of pleasure, off the body of the weapon.

In it's base state, it resembled an unassuming metallic rod. Apart from the fact that it's durability was greatly higher and it being a little heavy, no other difference could be noticed.

But all of that could change, when the small indent present in it's body was pressed. The indent was perfectly sized to fit his thumb finger. He noticed that his finger had to be scanned in order to unlock the weapon.

'Did that girl scan my finger?' he raised his head and looked at Reyna with a confused expression.

Seeing the young woman fidget unnaturally and evade his gaze, Lucius knew that he had nailed his guess.

He continued to stare at Reyna with a cold face, awaiting an explanation. Reyna held on for five seconds before her composure collapsed.

She bowed and hurriedly explained herself.

"I'm sorry! I had to input a certain password so that anyone would not be able to wield the weapon. When you had visited my lab, Iris had scanned for your fingerprint of the plates of food we ate. I apologize for doing that without your permission!"

Seeing her earnest answer, Lucius was not angry. In fact, he did not even care, if someone scanned his finger print. What are they going to do with it? Steal his credits? He did not even have any in the first place.

"It's fine. Tell me how to unlock this weapon first." Lucius spoke to her.

Immediately upon hearing that, Reyna almost jumped towards Lucius. She then began her explanation.

"First in order to bind the weapon to yourself a DNA verification is required. Drop a single drop of your blood into that indent, then place your thumb finger on top of it to complete scanning."

Listening to her instructions, Lucius followed the steps. He used his teeth to cut the surface of his thumb and dropped a single drop of his blood into the indent. Then he pressed his thumb into the surface.

Immediately upon receiving his blood, the unassuming metallic rod, stirred into action. The black patterns of the surface, turned crimson in color. It then began moving and pulsing. It almost seemed as is the rod was alive.

"Oh I also added a bit of our recent research into it. The results of that research was far greater than what I expected. It allows us to create such Pseudo-Living objects. You should have seen the face of the various uncles and aunties who work in the building. They were all shocked. Your name is basically a legend in the Snowden building." Reyna immediately began gloating.

While he did not show it, Lucius was inwardly shocked.

'She's already had success with Pseudo-Living technology? This is too soon!'

Before Lucius could continue his thoughts, the weapon in his hands started pulsing faster and faster. The crimson color also started turning brighter and brighter, until it resembled a beacon.

By now all the eyes on the cafeteria were on Lucius' table. All students and teachers alike were looking at this spectacle with an interested expression. While they did not hear Reyna's explanation, they still understood that something extraordinary was happening.

Just as the brightness and pulsing reached the peak, Lucius heard Reyna sound out.

"Now press down on the indent with your finger."

Lucius immediately complied.

The rod in his hands vibrated for a second, before rapidly enlarging itself. Extending in both the directions, the metal rod reached a total height of 3m tall.

Seeing the height, Lucius got up from his seat and moved back to create a little space.

The patterns on the surface continued to pulse, with the crimson color alternating between bright and dark. It color and the pulsing resembled the movement of blood vessels in the human body.

Needless to say, the weapon really did look, Alive.

Expanding its diameter until it perfectly fit into Lucius' hands, the rod then began to vibrate at the top. The crimson color also started to head towards the top of the weapon.

In front of the incredulous gaze of the people present in the room, the metal started to extend outwards to create a single edged blade. The metal continued to pulse and expand until it reached its optimal length and breath.

The crimson then began to seep into the concave side of the blade to create sharp cutting edges onto both the sides.

Finally forming the cutting edge, the color then retreated from the edge and continued to form vein like patterns across the entire length of the weapon, slightly pulsing to show that it was alive.

"The crimson veins are the energy pathways, that you asked for. Although, I'm not sure how you intend to use them without a power source." Reyna casually commented.

While looking at Lucius' design, this was the one part that kept confusing her. When Lucius had asked for energy pathways to transfer any type of energy across the weapon, he did not mention any power source to be attached.

If he wanted the weapon to radiate plasma, then a miniature plasma generator had to be attached.

While she had asked this question to Lucius, back when he showed her the design, he shrugged it off saying to create it as it is. The energy generator would be taken care by him.

Hearing her question, Lucius did not reply. He simply stared at the weapon in admiration.

Lifting it off the ground, Lucius casually swung the weapon in multiple directions to get a feel for it.

The edges of the blade were so sharp that, he could hear the air being cut at every swing. This further increased his admiration for the weapon, as he continued to swing it faster and faster.

All the people present, were staring at this scene with their jaws dropping. Looking at a metal rod turning into a large weapon was nothing new. But seeing how it looked, almost as if it was alive, was nerve-wracking.

One of the boys, watching Lucius swing the weapon, asked in an excited voice.

"Is.... is that a Scythe?", rather than a question, it was more of asking for a confirmation.

The other students around the boy nodded their heads in response.

It was a Scythe, that looked way to cool!

Seeing the amazed looks on the faces of the people present, Reyna raised her chin and used her hand to thumb her nose. She was proud and rightfully so.

Lucius on the other hand was lost in a world of his own. He slowly started heading outside the cafeteria, into the open lawns while gradually increasing his speed of swinging.

By the time he reached outside, he was already generating wind blades with just his swings!

This was done without using his soul power!

'My combat effectiveness has gone up by at least 300%. With this I can face those monsters with ease.' Lucius analyzed.

He then slowly began to reduce the speed of his swings, before coming to a complete stop. Clicking on the indent again, the scythe began closing in on itself and started to shrink, before assuming it's ordinary metal rod form. The crimson color had also receded to show the previous black.

Turning around, Lucius spotted Reyna and immediately bowed.

"Thank you." he brusquely said.

At this moment Lucius was neither acting nor being sarcastic. He was sincerely thanking Reyna for her work and the effort she had put into this.

Throughout his previous life, the scythe was the only thing which had always accompanied Lucius. It had shared all of his hardships and his losses. Whenever Lucius lost his friend or a loved one, the scythe was always present.

The foes he had cut down with the scythe were innumerable. To say that it was the closest thing to his heart, was an understatement.

The scythe had accompanied him all the way until that final, fateful battle.

That very battle where he had lost everything that was near and dear to him.

His scythe, his wife and his.... infant child.

Lucius had been completely broken after that battle. He was broken in mind, body and will. He no longer had the desire to live nor to fight back against 'Them'. He had become a walking puppet, with no sense of purpose.

Now feeling this familiar weapon back in his hands, his heart flooded with a myriad of emotions, chief of them being guilt, helplessness and a sense of loss.

'Aurora...' he recalled a certain woman. His one and only wife. The only person he had truste with his entire life. She was the one who had taught him the scythe, fought alongside him and had died in that fateful battle.

Lucius' hand unconsciously tightened around the metal rod in his hand. His eyes felt heavy, as an unfamiliar moisture gathered at it's ends.

Just as he was about to spill his tears, the reddish-black clouds forming his soul, sent another wave of energy, completely eliminating his emotions and thoughts.

Lucius heart returned to its previous state of tranquility and his mind was cold once again. The tears which he was about to shed, completely disappeared.

Straightening himself Lucius, then proceed to the table he was sitting in to resume his breakfast. His face, utterly calm. His eyes once again cold and indifferent.

Reyna who was caught unaware by his gratitude stood there astonished.

Seeing him eat his breakfast like nothing had happened, she snapped out of her daze and spoke, "So you can thank people too. That's surprising."

"Doesn't happen often. Don't expect to see it again." Lucius replied in a cool manner.

Just was Reyna was about to rebuke it, the watches of all the students vibrated a the same time.

Olivia who was sitting at the table, watching the entire spectacle spoke up with a serious expression on her face, as she stared at her watch.

"They are telling us to gather. Our ships and destinations have been assigned."