The Voice in the Dark
After a moment of silence, Lucien tried to speak to the voice echoing inside his skull.
"Hmm… who are you?"
The voice snorted, unimpressed.
"Humph. Shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking a lady her name? Who taught you manners? Whatever — there's potential for improvement, I suppose. This lady's name is Isabella. I manage the almighty Divine Harem Ascension System.
I don't mind keeping you company, Host… but at this rate, you'll bleed out. Your organs are a mess, your ribs are cracked, and I've already scanned your belongings — not enough medicine. Accept the system's gift and restore your body before you die."
Lucien blinked, stunned — but careful.
A voice suddenly appearing in his head wasn't something to take lightly. As a demon, the first thought that crossed his mind was possession. Trap. Some enemy technique.
He clenched his jaw.
"My name is Lucien. And no — I'll use the potions my mother left behind."
The word mother burned. Hatred twisted through his chest as he dug into the storage ring.
Isabella sighed softly.
"Kid, if I wanted to kill you, you'd already be gone. I get that you don't trust me. Fine. Then let me say something that will actually matter to you."
Her tone shifted — quieter, more dangerous.
"What if I told you… you can bring that woman back to life?"
Lucien froze.
The whisper sounded like temptation. Like sin wrapped in honey.
He swallowed.
"What's the trick?"
Annoyance flared in Isabella's voice.
"For the love of— The system is bound to you. If you die, I vanish. I need you alive. This entire thing is designed to be simple. Repeat after me: 'Status.' Then check the reward box. Decide whether you prefer to live — or bleed out."
Lucien exhaled slowly.
"I don't have anything to lose anyway," he muttered.
Then, aloud:
"Status."
A translucent blue screen shimmered into existence before him — exactly like something from the video games of his old human life.
Three bars pulsed across the top.
HP. MP. AP.
Numbers dropping, flickering.
Most tabs were locked — chained — but one icon caught his attention: a small mailbox symbol flashing with yellow light.
He reached out and tapped.
The screen shifted.
A message appeared.
Miracle Victory
Against all odds, the host achieved something that should have been impossible and defeated an enemy far beyond his realm.
As reward, the system bestows the host the title:
The Destined Emperor.
Check the Titles tab for details.
Lucien nodded.
A game achievement. Except real.
He continued reading.
Since the host's first victory is classified as SSS — Divinity Rank, a special one-time reward is granted. Choose one:
| SSS Roulette Free Spin x1 |
| Heaven-Tier Cultivation Codex x1 |
| Celestial Rebirth Lotus Rune x1 |
(Yes, you're probably crying. Pick the rune and revive your mother so we can move on.)
Lucien's eyebrow twitched.
A vein pulsed at his temple.
"Oi. What do you mean, 'crybaby'? Maybe I should just ignore you and die."
Isabella burst into laughter.
"Hahaha — relax. Ice breaker. The rune revives someone who's been dead less than twelve hours. One use per year. Use it, or—"
"Give me the damn rune!"
He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious. Panic pressed on his lungs.
The screen vanished — and a small golden gift box materialized in his palm.
He opened it.
Inside lay a golden medallion, engraved with petals — a lotus blooming into radiant light.
"Isabella, how do I use this?"
"Think of the person you want revived. The Celestial Rebirth Lotus will handle the rest."
Lucien tightened his grip.
And before using it, his voice dropped to something cold.
"If this is a joke… I swear I'll drive this spear through my own heart and drag you down with me."
A pause.
Then Isabella exhaled softly.
"Just use it. Your HP is critical."
He closed his eyes.
He pictured Evelyn — her gentle smile, her horns, the way she always shielded him.
The rune cracked.
A luminous magic circle bloomed across his palm.
Something warm — surprisingly heavy — collapsed into his chest.
Lucien's knees buckled. His weakened body gave out, and he hit the ground hard. Instinctively, once he was in the ground, he tried to push away what was above his body but then he heard a weird sound coming from "it"—
"Hnnnn…"
He blinked…
And froze.
On top of him lay a girl — maybe eighteen or nineteen — with long black hair spilling down her back, deep crimson eyes still closed, two elegant horns curving gracefully, faint fangs peeking from her lips.
A younger Evelyn.
Alive.
But — that was not what shocked him but the fact that… she was Naked.
Not alluring. Not seductive.
Just vulnerable. Newly formed. Fragile.
His hand, without realizing, had landed awkwardly across her chest. And his hand was firmly holding one of her bare breasts, he tried to push her away but his vision was blurring due to the loss of blood, then he heard Evangeline laughing at him
He tried to move it, but his vision was fading, dizziness pulling him under.
Isabella, of course, was giggling uncontrollably.
"Hahaha! My host revives his mother and immediately gropes her. Legendary, now hurry up and accept the physical reformation if you don't want to die on top of her and leave your mommy alone".
Lucien gritted his teeth.
"Fine. I accept. And this system is insane."
A circular window appeared.
001%
Then darkness swallowed him.
Only silence remained.
After a while, Isabella's voice whispered softly — almost thoughtful.
"What an interesting host. I suppose I'll keep watch."
Time passed.
Midday sunlight filtered through the clouds.
The young woman stirred.
"Yaaawn…"
Evelyn stretched — then blinked.
Something felt wrong.
"Hmm? Why do I feel as if I was nak….",
She looked down.
Her eyes widened.
"WHY AM I NOT WEARING ANYTHING!?"
Her gaze darted — Lucien beneath her, torn clothes, wounds everywhere. Her spear lay nearby.
Panic clawed at her chest.
"Did I… go berserk? Did I attack him?"
Demons who lost control sometimes entered a feral state — blood-hungry, mindless. If that had happened—
But there were no bite marks. No torn flesh.
Then she stopped for a second because she felt something pressing against her lower half, her eyes slowly turned downwards and it took her a moment to react. Heat climbed into her cheeks.
"Kyaaaaahhh, wh…w…why is it hard, what happened when I was out of my senses!!!!!", while Aisha was going crazy imagining what she might have done to her son when she was out of her mind, Isabella was laughing her ass at the situation from inside the Lucien but Evelyn not able hear her.
"Hahaha, I can't take it, that is just a normal reaction caused by the body reforming but the situation aligned perfectly to cause this kind of misunderstanding, seems like you are quite a "lucky" fellow Lucien hahaha I can't wait to see how will all this turn out when she sees her new body. Honestly — cosmic comedy."
To be fair, Evelyn's confusion wasn't unreasonable. Her memories were fragmented. Her last recollection:
The Griffin.
The self-destruction spell.
Death.
Now she pieced together what she thought happened — went astray, survived somehow, her son returning and nearly getting harmed.
Guilt settled into her heart.
She sighed softly.
"Calm down… what's done is done. Let's get dressed and find shelter."
She brushed Lucien's cheek, tender, protective.
"He didn't run… even facing a Griffin. Those Avaritia elders would crumble in his place."
Her expression hardened.
"Damion… you dared to cast our son aside. You're already dead to me."
She checked Lucien's pocket, relieved to find her ring still there. Drawing out clothes, she dressed in a simple nightgown — oversized on her now-younger frame.
Then she summoned a mirror.
Her reflection stared back.
Younger.
Softer.
Eighteen — nineteen at most.
She froze.
"What… in the world…?"
Somewhere in the background, Isabella watched, amused — as if enjoying a drama unfolding scene by scene.
And the story, once again, refused to slow.