[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system":3,"chapter-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-7":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Exiled Duke's Lottery system",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1366715,1809,"Chapter 7 -6 : Overwhelming force","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-7",7,"\u003Cp>Chapter 6: Overwhelming Force\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Lucien stepped into the hallway, the air changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing intent—sharp, focused, and no longer concealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, the inn had already transformed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tables overturned. Lantern light flickering unevenly. Shadows stretched across walls as black-armored figures moved with precision, cutting off exits, controlling space, eliminating unpredictability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t random killers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were trained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disciplined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prepared for this exact moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And mixed among them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Armor Lucien recognized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Escort knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien’s gaze hardened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it wasn’t just pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was planned collapse from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the knights turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blade rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not toward the assassins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toward Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Orders changed,\" he said, voice flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien didn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Malen already had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no visible motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No drawn-out preparation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One moment Malen stood behind Lucien—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hallway shattered under pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wood cracked. Air compressed violently. The force alone sent dust and splinters outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen appeared in front of the traitor knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not aggressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just... already there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blade moved once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knight didn’t react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t defend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t even register the strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cut was clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The body fell before the sound finished echoing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a fraction of a second—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the assassins moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They came from below and above simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some rushed the staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others scaled the outer structure, breaking through windows with controlled entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was layered assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien stepped back once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Measured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Positioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen didn’t retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Into them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first assassin reached him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blade aimed for the throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana suppressed, technique refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen didn’t block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped into the attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade struck his armor—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not deflected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not redirected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it had hit something immovable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen’s hand moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed the assassin by the wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squeezed once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crack echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bone shattered instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin tried to pull back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen’s other hand drove forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No flourish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wasted motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin’s body lifted off the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then crashed backward through a table, wood exploding outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two more came from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coordinated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen turned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their blades missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because they were slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he wasn’t where they expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His leg moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short kick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first assassin’s ribs collapsed inward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Air burst from his lungs as his body folded unnaturally before hitting the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second tried to recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t get the chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen’s elbow struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man dropped instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wasted movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No excess force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just precision backed by overwhelming strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of assassins broke through the second-floor windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One landed directly behind Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blade already descending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien reacted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not fast enough to counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fast enough to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade grazed past his shoulder instead of striking deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pain flared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the assassin could follow through—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not metaphorically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Physically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana condensed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf had moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not raised his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had not made a dramatic gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his presence changed everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His beard flowed slightly as invisible currents formed around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes glowed faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not bright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not flashy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just... deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word carried no force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the mana in the room obeyed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A formation expanded instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not drawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not constructed piece by piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassins felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air compressed around them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not crushing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Containing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flame erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not wild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not uncontrolled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfectly shaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t spread randomly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It selected targets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assassins were engulfed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not burned slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not given time to scream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their bodies turned to ash before they could react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One tried to break through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed his mana outward, forcing a gap in the pressure field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He succeeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Gandalf’s gaze shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mana snapped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin collapsed mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body hit the ground already lifeless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, more assassins hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was their mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen didn’t give them time to recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped down from the staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each step cracked the wood beneath his weight—not from heaviness, but from force contained within his movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One assassin lunged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Desperate now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen caught the blade mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bare-handed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The edge dug slightly into his skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He twisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drove the broken piece back into the assassin’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another came from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen didn’t turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His arm moved backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed the attacker’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And slammed him into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The impact shattered the floorboards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence broke again into chaos—but now it was one-sided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The traitor knights tried to regroup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three of them formed a defensive line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One shouted, \"Fall back! Regroup outside!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf spoke quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The exit sealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not physically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But through mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A barrier formed across the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Invisible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbreakable to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One knight struck it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blade bounced off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panic flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen reached them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They attacked together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three angles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen moved once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their attacks missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blade moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three bodies fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inn grew quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining assassins froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They understood now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was execution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One dropped his weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf looked at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man didn’t even finish raising his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single pulse of mana—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Real silence this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke drifted upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wood crackled softly where flames had briefly touched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scent of burnt metal and ash filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien stood still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Processing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not theory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen wiped his blade once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbothered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They were weak,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf lowered his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mana field dissipated completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not weak,\" he corrected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Outmatched.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because weak could improve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outmatched meant something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf turned toward Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze sharper now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are being hunted,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien nodded once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen glanced at the bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then back at Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then more will come.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stronger ones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien didn’t look away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both of them watched him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not impressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evaluating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gandalf’s beard shifted slightly as he turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then we proceed,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night outside remained dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unforgiving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But inside the ruined inn—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien was no longer prey running from shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was something else now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something being measured by forces far greater than assassins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for the first time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had the means to answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>End of Chapter 6\u003C\u002Fp>",1121,"2026-06-05T21:32:57.450Z",1,"novelbin.me","09ed7c507de3f031c96220ffed59f85d6c6ca1ade3c8c51dd31a69d0939cd3ce","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-8","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-6",144,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-cover.jpg"]