Chapter 258: Chapter 258- Red sword

"So, Julian," Luke began, raising his voice slightly over the commotion. "What are your plans after this? Any big goals?"

Julian, who had just managed to get a hand on Kevin’s face to push him away, answered without looking at Luke, his voice strained. "I’m planning to visit a certain faction." His tone suggested it was a personal matter.

Kevin, upon hearing this, immediately stopped his clinging and looked up, shocked. "Huh?! But I thought you were going to help me hunt that intelligent creature? We talked about it!"

Julian finally succeeded in shoving Kevin back into his own chair. He brushed off his clothes with a look of disgust before fixing Kevin with a cold stare. "Who said that? That’s your responsibility. Not my problem. Hunt it yourself."

"But Julian!" Kevin pleaded, his hands clasped together. "As comrades, shouldn’t we help each other? That’s what friends are for!"

Julian’s reply was instant and merciless. "Who’s your friend?"

The sheer bluntness of the exchange made Luke chuckle. He shook his head, a wide grin on his face. "Man, you two are seriously so close."

This comment finally made Julian turn his full attention to Luke. His gaze was flat and utterly deadpan. "In what possible way does any of this indicate we are ’close’?"

Kevin, completely undeterred by Julian’s rejection, proudly puffed out his chest. "I’ve already thought of a new team name for us! How about ’Light and Void’?"

Julian didn’t even spare him a glance. "Completely unnecessary."

Sighing as if dealing with a hopeless child, Julian fixed Kevin with a stern look. "The main point is, you need to be the one to track down that mutant. If I find out it’s still out there causing trouble because of your negligence," he leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone, "I will find you and personally feed you to the zombies."

Before Kevin could protest, Julian continued, his gaze sharpening. "And one more thing. Be careful around Glaine. His faction is about to clash with a larger one. Don’t let yourself be used by him and get dragged into their conflict. You’re susceptible to that kind of thing."

Kevin waved a hand dismissively. "Uncle Glaine would never take advantage of me! But... thanks for worrying about me, Julian!"

"Who’s worrying about you?" Julian shot back immediately, crossing his arms and looking away. "I’m just warning you not to do anything stupid and create more problems."

Watching this entire exchange, Luke couldn’t help but let out a long, knowing chuckle. He shook his head, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Man, Julian, you just can’t be honest with your feelings, can you?"

Julian simply responded by taking a slow, deliberate sip of his drink, refusing to acknowledge the comment, the faintest hint of a scowl on his face.

"Speaking of Mr. Glaine," Luke chimed in, successfully steering the topic away from Julian’s stubborn lack of honesty. "I heard he’s planning to hold a celebration ceremony to award contributions. For us, you know, for protecting the city."

Kevin’s eyes instantly lit up. "That sounds amazing! We have to go! It’ll be fun!"

Julian, however, frowned slightly. "Why is he making it such a public spectacle?"

Luke shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. "Well, don’t think about it too deeply. It’s beneficial for the survivors too. Gives them a sense of hope and normalcy in this broken world."

"Yeah, Julian!" Kevin added enthusiastically. "Celebrations are good! You might even become famous! Think about it, if your name gets known, you can help more people who need it!"

A deep sigh escaped Julian. He leaned back in his chair, the very picture of reluctance. "...That sounds troublesome."

After a moment, Kevin turned to Julian with an encouraging smile. "So you’ll come to the party, right?"

Julian let out a noncommittal grunt. "Since there’s payment involved, I suppose I have to show up."

Kevin clapped his hands together. "Then it’s settled! That’s great! And Luke, you’re coming too, aren’t you?"

Luke puffed out his chest with a confident grin. "Of course! Even if my contribution wasn’t huge, I still helped out, you know!"

Julian glanced at him, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk on his lips. "Is that what you call it? ’Wasn’t huge’?"

Kevin nodded vigorously, his expression full of genuine admiration. "It’s true, it’s true! You’re really strong, Luke! I was surprised you could hold your ground for so long and take down two of those monsters!"

Julian added, his tone flat but his words carrying significant weight for someone like him. "I asked for your help because I trusted you could handle it."

Luke was taken aback for a second, a faint blush creeping up his neck before he laughed it off, scratching the back of his head. "What a dumb thing to say..." He then grinned, his usual bravado returning. "Is that so? Hehe. Well, if you need help again, you can call me anytime."

A soft glow emanated from Julian’s hand as he retrieved an item from his inventory. The light coalesced into the form of a sword, its appearance immediately drawing the eye.

The blade was a deep, blood-red, seemingly forged from a strange, crystalline metal that shimmered under the bar’s dim lights. Its most striking feature was the ornate fuller that ran down the center of the blade, which looked as if it were inlaid with shards of shattered crimson glass, catching the light and fracturing it into a thousand red sparks. The hilt was sleek and black, designed for a firm, two-handed grip.

"Here," Julian said, his tone as flat as ever, offering the hilt to Luke. "For your help."

Luke’s eyes widened, his jaw slightly slack. "Eh? Julian... this is for me?" He hesitantly reached for it, his movements slow with disbelief.

Julian gave a single, curt nod. "I heard your old sword couldn’t handle your output. Aya and I made this." He paused, his explanation clinical. "The core is forged from a refined Zombie Core, granting it a unique energy absorption property. The blade itself is a Modified damascus steell, making it incredibly durable and resistant to chipping or breaking, even under extreme stress."

He pointed to the glass-like shards along the blade. "These conduits absorb the kinetic and mystical energy from impacts and your own attacks. They store it within the core. When you’ve accumulated enough, you can release it all at once as a single, amplified strike. It should be perfectly compatible with your Mirror skill, allowing you to reflect and counter with even greater force."

Luke was speechless for a moment, his usual bravado gone. "I... I can’t accept this. I helped because you saved Wolftown. That’s reason enough."

"Take it," Julian insisted, his voice leaving no room for argument. "It was custom-made for you and your specific skill set. It’s useless to anyone else."

Finally, Luke took the sword, feeling its perfect balance in his hand. A wide, genuine grin spread across his face. "Thank you, Julian. Seriously. This is amazing."

Seeing this, Kevin’s eyes lit up with desire. "Wow! Julian, how about one for me?!"

Julian didn’t even look at him. "No."

"That’s not fair!" Kevin whined, slumping his shoulders dramatically.

Julian finally turned his head, a glint in his eye. "If you manage to defeat that mutant you released, I’ll make you a weapon."

Instantly, Kevin’s despair vanished, replaced by blazing determination. "Really?! I’ll hold you to your word! Don’t go back on it!"

As Kevin pumped his fist in the air, a simultaneous, unvoiced thought passed through both Julian and Luke’s minds, their eyes meeting for a split second in silent understanding.

’He’s so easy to manipulate.’