SSS Rank: Spellcraft Sovereign-Chapter 57: New Room

Gen didn’t smile. He reached into his coat, pulled out a small, black keycard, and tossed it lightly onto Lucen’s mattress.

It landed near his elbow.

Lucen looked at it.

Then at Gen.

Gen said, "One-bedroom, edge of Sector Six. No rent. Clean walls. Actual walls. Windows that open and don’t leak."

Lucen didn’t move. "What’s the catch?"

"No catch," Gen said. "Guild-funded temp housing. I requisitioned a unit."

Lucen stared at him for a long second. "Why?"

Gen shrugged. "You’re useful. Alive is better than collapsed in here under a pile of scroll drafts and guilt."

"That’s a big assumption."

"You’re gonna say no?"

Lucen picked up the keycard.

Felt heavy. Real.

He tossed it once, caught it again, then leaned back.

"Utilities?"

"Covered."

"Water pressure?"

"Better than this."

"Neighbors?"

"A couple. Adjacent units are off-grid though."

Lucen held the keycard up, like he was reading something only he could see.

Then said, "You move fast for a guy who hums show tunes outside of crime scenes."

Gen grinned. "I move fast for anything that bleeds."

Lucen sat up.

He pulled on his boots without another word. No dramatic pause. No drawn-out sigh.

He just stood.

"You’re taking it?" Gen asked.

"No," Lucen said. "I’m looking at it."

He grabbed his bag. The system pinged as he moved. Background mana recovery still ticking.

Gen stepped back toward the door. "We can take my ride. It’s parked illegally, so we have about nine minutes before the tow rune activates."

Lucen locked the door behind him.

Didn’t look back.

—

The hallway was narrow. Concrete, cracked in three places. Gen stepped over a busted mana relay like he’d done it before.

Lucen followed without a word.

No one else on the floor. No footsteps. Just the low buzz of a failing light panel and the hum of the elevator trying not to die.

Gen pressed the call button. Looked sideways. "You pack?"

Lucen said, "I own four shirts and a grudge. That’s enough."

Gen cracked a smile. "I logged the address to your system tag. Security ward’s already set. You’ll need to grant it imprint access."

"I don’t like wards I didn’t build."

"You’ll like being stabbed less."

The elevator opened. Empty.

They stepped in.

Lucen hit ground level.

Gen leaned against the wall. "You ever get tired of hiding how strong you are?"

Lucen didn’t answer.

Gen kept talking. "I’ve seen two dozen Tracers. None of them can carve glyphs like you mid-cast. And that spell yesterday? The pressure radius alone almost cracked my tooth."

Lucen’s voice stayed flat. "Tracer spells are evolving."

"Right. And I’m a florist."

The elevator dinged. Doors opened.

The parking lot was low-lit and half-emptied. Gen’s car sat crooked near a no-stop glyph. Compact, ugly, fast.

Lucen climbed in. Bag between his feet. Door clicked shut beside him.

Gen shifted into gear without a word.

The car purred low. Quiet engine, slightly off-tune mana stabilizer. Lucen heard the faint hum of the internal ward starting to sync.

"You got somewhere you want to crash?" Gen asked, eyes on the road.

Lucen leaned back. "Crashing’s not hard. Getting back up costs rent."

Gen glanced over. "Good thing I already paid for it."

Lucen didn’t respond.

"You’ll like this one," Gen added. "Big room. Clean floors. Quiet neighbor.. One of them talks to plants."

Lucen raised an eyebrow. "Legally or magically?"

"Don’t know. Haven’t asked. She makes killer dumplings, though."

They passed an overpass. Old drift seals still burned into the concrete.

Lucen tapped his finger once against the window. "So what’s the catch?"

"No catch."

Lucen gave him a look.

Gen shrugged. "Fine. Small catch. You stay in contact. I send you a job. You don’t ghost me for three weeks. That sort of thing."

"And this is just... generosity?"

Gen cracked a grin. "Call it long-term investment. I’m good at spotting talent."

Lucen turned back to the window. ’Still doesn’t know. Still guessing.’

He didn’t correct him.

Didn’t offer details.

Didn’t need to.

The system pinged softly in the background.

[Destination Set: Sector Six, Block 14-C]

[Rental Tag Logged – Temporary Access: Gen V.]

Lucen dismissed it without a blink.

Gen pulled onto a quieter street. Buildings thinned. The lights here were newer. Less flicker. Less noise.

"You think I’m overreaching," Gen said casually. "But the way you walk into a room? You already know you’re better than everyone else in it. I’m just offering keys to a bigger room."

Lucen gave a short, dry exhale.

’He has no idea.’

The car pulled into an underground lot. The doors didn’t creak. The lift panel was clean.

Lucen stepped out without saying thank you.

Gen followed, hands in his coat pockets. "Top floor’s keyed to your ID. Fridge is empty, utilities are real, walls are spellproofed. Don’t ask how."

Lucen hit the elevator pad. It lit blue.

Gen said, "One more thing."

Lucen glanced at him.

Gen smiled. "Try not to blow a hole in the floor first day."

Lucen stepped into the lift.

Didn’t smile back.

Just let the doors close.

And said nothing.

—

The elevator stopped with a soft mechanical chime.

Lucen stepped out, scanned the hallway. Polished floor. Keypad locks on every unit. Mana scent faint but clean, no residue, no leaks. That meant no one nearby was slinging spells for fun.

He found the door marked 9C. Thumbed the pad.

It beeped once. Green. Unlocked.

He pushed the door open.

No groan. No resistance. It didn’t stick. Already weird.

Inside, the apartment was... too nice.

Not luxury. But modern. Bright walls, flat lighting, clear mana ducts routed through the trim. An open layout, kitchen corner, living space, a single hallway leading off to what was probably the bedroom and bath.

He stepped in.

Let the door shut behind him.

No delay. No hiss. Just a clean click.

Lucen dropped his bag next to the wall and walked slow across the space. His boots didn’t creak. The floor was sealed wood, not laminate. Real.

There was a faint hum from the kitchen stabilizer, just above the induction panel. It kept the mana field flat. He reached out, passed a hand over the surface.

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freew𝒆(b)novel.c(o)m Only