The room was plunged into a warm twilight, the light filtering through the thick curtains dancing softly across the dark furniture. Damon woke slowly, his eyes blinking against the soft clarity, his mind scrambled—as if he'd been pulled from a dream too deep.
His body felt warm. Not from a fever, but as if every fiber was being reconnected. It was a strange sensation… and intimate. He felt full. Plentiful. Almost too comfortable, as if the air itself enveloped him in a soft embrace.
He moved slowly, raising his torso and propping himself up on his elbows. He lay in the unusually shaped bed, the black satin sheets wrinkled beneath him. His memories of the previous night were hazy—vague images, sensations of warmth, touch, raw emotions… but nothing concrete.
"Ah, finally awake," said a soft, melodious voice, just to his left.
Damon turned his head and found Elizabeth sitting in a chair next to the bed. She smiled, that refined, elegant smile, like a blade disguised in velvet.
"You passed out," she explained, crossing her legs gracefully. "After consuming only a small portion of Aria's essence."
She studied him with narrowed eyes, as if observing a rare experiment that had just come to fruition.
"The first time is usually... intense for most. It intrigues me how you lived all this time without ever ingesting essence. I believe your malnutrition and difficulty in eating must be the reason. Your body used every last drop of energy to keep you alive. If that's the case, I must say you have enormous energy."
Elizabeth spoke fluidly and moved from the bed, leaning slightly over him. Her hands, genuinely cold, touched Damon's throat lightly, gently instructing.
"I gave you an elixir while you slept," she said in a lowered tone, almost as if it were a secret. "Your voice should return soon. I want to hear what it sounds like, eventually."
She backed away slightly, her eyes still fixed on him.
"Any pain in your vocal cords? Or anywhere else?"
Damon hesitated for a moment, still trying to process everything. He felt a slight pressure in his chest, but it wasn't pain. It was more like... an echo. As if something was still vibrating there, a result of what had happened—though he didn't say exactly what.
Finally, he just shook his head.
Elizabeth was happy, satisfied.
"Great. This means the process was successful. You extracted energy, metabolized it, and your body was accepted. This confirms that you're functional, Damon. You truly are a full Incubus now."
She pulled away and sat back down, crossing her legs again.
"Aria's fine, before you ask. A little... emotionally drained, perhaps. But nothing a cold shower and a little denial can't fix," he said with a hint of sarcasm, as if mocking the knight herself... "Understand her side... she's a renowned knight, yesterday she temporarily became a plaything for an incubus... She'll treat you harshly for a while, but she should be back to normal."
Elizabeth then observed him silently for a few seconds. "You can rest a bit, there's not much that can be done, but it's good that you'll be feeling better soon." She said with a smile as she left the room.
As soon as she closed the door...
Damon sat up straighter in bed as the door closed behind Elizabeth. A pleasant silence filled the room, broken only by the subtle rustling of the curtains and the distant sound of footsteps echoing through the mansion's rooms. He took advantage of this moment of calm to open the system interface, as he had done before.
With a fleeting thought, a familiar golden screen appeared before his eyes, floating in the air.
[Character Status]
[Name:] Damon (No Last Name)
[Age:] 19
[Cultivation:] None
[Race:] Incubus
[Talent:] None
[Level:] 3
[HP:] 100/100
[Attributes]
STR (Strength): 9
AGL (Agility): 13
VIT (Vitality): 14
STM (Stamina): 13
INT (Intelligence): 14
DEF (Defense): 10
[Blank Points:] 10
[Skills:] Asmodeus's Touch
Damon arched a curious eyebrow. Level three. His eyes slid over the newly updated stats. Yes, they were all filled with exactly +3 points—a clear pattern. The confirmation brought a strange sense of control, as if every step, every action, carried a real, measurable weight.
"So…" I thought, my fingers stretching the black sheet. "Leveling up automatically strengthens the body. But the white points… those are limited. Special."
He put a finger to his chin thoughtfully. Missions. The system seemed to react to his choices, rewarding specific actions—not fights, not training… but emotional conquests. Carnal conquests.
The memory of Aria flashed through his mind in blurry flashes: the heat of contact, the look of shame and pleasure, the rush of energy before passing out. It wasn't just desire—it was an invisible transaction, a vital exchange.
"Seducing Aria wasn't just a pleasure or a victory. It was evolution."
A small smile curved his lips. Ten points. That was more than generous. Enough to begin molding his body to his will. Strength? Agility? Intelligence? Each point carried weight, potential. He couldn't waste them.
Still lying there, his eyes fixed on the mirrored ceiling, Damon summoned the mind interface. The missions tab flickered before his eyes. He was curious—did he have another task, or was he waiting? Another target? Elizabeth, perhaps? Or one of the mysterious maids who silently wandered the mansion? Or… something bigger?
As he waited for the loading screen, his mind returned to Aria.
She was strong. Proud. And yet… she gave in. If only for a moment. The lust was there, adorned, but real. He was feeling her. He tasted her.
"If she was just the beginning… what else does this world have in store for me?" He closed his eyes briefly, feeling the energy still pulsing beneath his skin. Something new was forming inside him. Something ancient. Primordial.
But too many thoughts would be wasted now. It was time to act.
Open the stat panel again.
"I have to distribute these points…" he muttered mentally, his eyes shining with anticipation.
"Strength…" Damon muttered mentally, his eyes fixed on the number 9, which still contrasted timidly with the other attributes.
It was the lowest stat of all before evolution. Even now, it remained one of the lowest. And although an Incubus wasn't, by nature, a physical warrior… But if he wanted to have Aria now, he'd need strength to subdue the knight… Even though he already had a better subjugation method…
"Let's do a test… if I gain muscle, I'll stop raising Strength and focus on Intelligence…" An interface glowed subtly as Damon began a redistribution:
[+5 STR]
[+2 VIT]
[+1 INT]
[+1 DEF]
[+1 AG]
...
[Name: Damon (No Last Name)]
[Age: 19]
[Cultivation: None]
[Race: Incubus]
[Talent: None]
[Level: 3]
[HP: 100/100]
[STR: 14]
[AGL: 14]
[VIT: 16]
[STM: 13]
[INT: 15]
[DEF: 11]
[Blank Points: 0]
[Abilities: Touch of Asmodeus]
The panel came to a gentle stop before his eyes. Damon slowly became interested, feeling his body react almost immediately. The muscles, previously discreet, now vibrated with a new density. He wasn't just stronger—it was as if he were becoming more... stable. Present. But his appearance didn't change...
"I can level up my strength, then... It's a start," I thought, raising my arm and examining it closely. "But it's still not enough. I need more."
More bodies. More energy. More... power.
And with that, he reached a level in the back of his mind. The side quests tab refreshed.
A new name flashed on the ethereal screen before his eyes:
[New quest available: "Ice Resistance"]
[Target: ???]
[Location: North Wing of the Mansion]
[Objective: Warm the heart of the coldest of the Countess's servants.]
Damon smiles.
"Time to get to work."