"Damn, where did that box go? " Issei cursed as he frantically searched around him. He was like a new mother who had lost track of her newborn child due to closing her eyes for a second.
"Hey, Draig, did you see where that box went? I blacked out as soon as I placed the key inside the lock. " Issei said as he looked at his left hand.
"Sorry, I also lost track of it. But Issei, I wouldn't be that worried about that if I were you. That orb has a deep connection to you, so no matter how much time passed, it would eventually come back to you, " Draig said with a calm tone. But if one were to observe very closely, one could detect a bit of tiredness in that tone. It was like someone who had already given up on life.
"Is that so? Well, thank goodness. If I really lost that, then I wouldn't be able to face Lord Belzebub in the future. " Issei said, breathing a sigh of relief, failing to notice Draig's abnormality.
"Oh, what did that Ajuka give you? "Suddenly, Roxanne's voice sounded from behind, startling Issei. He quickly turned around and saw that Roxanne had been standing behind him with a teasing smile.
"Oh, hey, Roxanne, " Issei breathed a sigh of relief and said hello to Roxanne.
"Come on now, Issei, tell me, what did that guy Ajuka give you? " Roxanne asked, her eyes sparkling like a curious kitten.
And Issei, under those cute yet adorable eyes, finally gave in and spilled all the details.
It turned out during the time of the school break, when everyone was relaxing in the Gremory mansion in the underworld, Ajuka came for a surprise visit. He then talked with Issei about a new research project that needed his help. And in return for this help, Ajuka upgraded Issei's evil piece, making him able to manipulate demonic energy more smoothly.
Ajuka's experiment was very simple. He only needs to try out his new invention and comment on the process and shortcomings Issei must have witnessed.
But on that day, Ajuka only gave him a key and said he would understand it in the future. At that time, Issei didn't really get it. But he figured thinking too deeply about it would only tire his brain, so he forgot about it.
It was only today that he actually got Ajuka's idea.
Recently, Issei has been trying to train himself to use the Juggernaut Drive without losing control. And Azazel told him to try and purify the negative emotions of the previous wielders of the Boosted Gear and take control of the sacred gear fully.
And so Issei had been meditating and trying to delve deeper into the mind palace of the sacred gear. And it was today that he finally managed to send his consciousness inside to make a connection with the past wielders.
And then another series of actions happened, and finally, Issei managed to realize what that key really was for. But Issei's happiness didn't last long, as he found himself back in the real world without both the key and the box that he got.
Hearing this explanation, Roxanne only had one thought in her mind: 'WTF.'
Although Issei didn't know what Ajuka gave him, Roxanne knew exactly, as she could see an orb running around the bus, causing many people's desires to run out of control. It's just that she cannot help but want to complain.
'How the heck did that Ajuka come up with this pseudo concept?'
As we all know, every being has a concept they are born with. And people who want to transcend their own racial limits would need to use this concept of theirs and master it completely.
But although it is said easily, in actuality, the people who could actually accomplish that feat are very few. This is because most people can't even sense their own concept for their entire life.
But with the rise of sacred gears, some people began to take on a different method, and that is to borrow the concept of the originator souls inside the sacred gears. For example, the past Boosted gear wielders managed to borrow the concept of Domination from Draig and were able to kill a high-ranking god.
And most of the past wielders also touched the concept of Domination when they entered Juggernaut Drive.
And like Boosted Gear, there are many other sacred gears, like the Aeon Balor, Canis Lykaon, and many more sacred gears that have beings' souls trapped in them. So theoretically, the wielders of these sacred gears could also borrow the concept of their originators. This is also why users of sacred gears that trap ancient beings are the most dangerous.
When these users are driven to a corner, they may be able to unleash their own Juggernaut Drive that would take their enemies with them. So although many feared these people, many didn't care much since they all just needed to make sure to kill them instantly, without pushing them too hard.
But Ajuka's new invention made things different.
This thing allowed one to cultivate their own concept by first taking a part of their soul as a medium and then nurturing this concept through the desires of those around them.
'Shit, that guy really made things difficult for me, ' Roxanne thought with annoyance. As a peace-loving person, she knew how much trouble this new invention would cause in the world.
Many other factions would definitely wage war for this thing. And some would join in just to destroy this thing that would change the balance. After all, this thing would make any faction be able to cultivate high-level combat powers in a short while.
And many ultimate-class beings who were unable to take the last step would be more than glad to have their hands on this item. This means if there was any news about this invention in the hands of Issei, he would be flocked by many ultimate-class experts the next second.
'Arrg, Ajuka, I hate you, ' Roxanne grumbled as she placed a hand on Issei's shoulder. The next second, a complex, small magic circle lit on his shoulder and vanished.
Issei also noticed this and looked at Roxanne with a curious look. He was curious about what Roxanne did just now. Although it was just a moment, he felt a very terrifying amount of demonic energy in that magic circle.
Seeing his inquiring look, Roxanne decided to be a bit honest and explain, " I just placed a concealment spell on you. You must remember Kyoto is the territory of the Yokai and Shinto faction, so I think we should be a bit careful unless we make a big deal out of it. After all, you have a very generous record of causing trouble everywhere. "
Issei was speechless. He really wants to ask why she is talking like he is some troublemaker. It's not his fault that every time he goes somewhere, some jerk comes and picks a fight with them.
Yes, Issei is very much self-aware of his situation. I mean, ever since he got reincarnated as a devil, he has been training and fighting every week. And added to the fact that all generations of Red Dragon Emperors have a fate to be the center of everything, it is hard not to be self-aware.
But being self-aware doesn't mean he would acknowledge it. He just wants to be a harem king and live his dream life of debauchery. Is that really too much to ask for?
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Author's Note: Hey everyone! If you're enjoying the story and want to support my journey through university, consider checking out my Patreon. Every bit helps with my tuition, and you can get up to 20 chapters ahead!
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