"Teaching?"
The moment Kurose Akira heard Idys say that, he froze where he stood. The foot he had just lifted to step forward remained suspended awkwardly in midair, refusing to come down.
He had no idea what kind of "teaching" Idys meant. And more importantly—why would Ivsha's cooperation be required for it?
After a brief moment of hesitation, Akira turned toward Ivsha.
"Ivsha, come with me for a bit."
Ivsha blinked in confusion when she heard him.
"Mr. Kurose Akira~ Where are we going?"
Although she was puzzled, the mere thought of venturing somewhere unknown together with her Guild Master filled her with excitement.
Before Akira could say anything else, Ivsha had already hurried to his side and gently wrapped her arm around his.
"The Abyss," Akira replied simply and calmly.
"The Abyss?"
Ivsha blinked again, disbelief flickering in her eyes.
Despite being a succubus born of the Abyss, she had actually never set foot in the Abyss itself before~
"Let's go."
Idys glanced at the two of them before giving a quiet warning.
"Stay close behind me once we're inside. The Abyss has been a little unstable lately."
"Alright."
Akira and Ivsha immediately followed Idys, stepping through the portal leading into the Abyss.
The scenery shifted instantly.
By the time the world came back into focus, the three of them had already arrived within the Abyss of Lust.
Akira's gaze swept across the surroundings.
The environment was just as harsh as before. The air felt oppressive and heavy, and streaks of dark violet light shimmered across the abyssal sky like eerie auroras.
"Mr. Kurose Akira, is this really the Abyss?"
Ivsha looked around curiously, her eyes sparkling with excitement and wonder.
"How do you feel?" Akira asked with concern. "Any discomfort?"
He still remembered the first time he entered the Abyss—the suffocating atmosphere had made him feel physically ill.
Ivsha gently shook her head, smiling.
"I'm fine, Mr. Kurose Akira. The air is a little heavy, but it's nothing I can't handle."
"That's good."
Akira smiled faintly, finally relaxing.
Of course, succubi were native inhabitants of the Abyss. Adapting to its environment only took them a few seconds.
Idys paid little attention to their interaction. She walked straight toward Lankai's castle and spoke softly.
"Follow me."
"Mm."
Akira nodded, taking Ivsha's hand as he followed behind Idys.
After Lankai's death, chaos had completely overtaken the Demon King's castle.
The fortress reeked of blood and violence. Demons were slaughtering each other everywhere, each trying to seize the vacant position of Demon King.
Yet the Throne of Lust was not something that could be claimed so easily.
Dark violet flames blazed around the throne with terrifying intensity. Only demons possessing a pure Lust bloodline could activate it.
Most demons were incinerated into ashes before they could even approach.
Even those with a faint trace of Lust lineage were unable to truly reach it, fleeing in humiliation after their failed attempts.
"Now that Lankai is dead… will a new Demon King of Lust appear?" Akira asked Idys curiously.
"That depends on whether the other Demon Kings interfere," Idys replied calmly.
"If they stay out of it, the Throne of Lust will eventually use its power to create a new Demon King. But if they decide to interfere…"
She paused briefly.
"…then Lankai is a perfect example of the outcome."
"Then Idys… have you ever considered sitting on the Throne of Lust yourself?" Akira asked.
"Me?"
Idys's lips curved slightly, forming a faint, elegant smile.
"I have no interest in the Throne of Lust. It would only contaminate my power."
"…"
Akira fell silent, lost in thought.
"We're here."
In the blink of an eye, they had arrived at the Demon King's treasury.
Following the same procedure as before, they successfully entered the vault.
When the dazzling collection of treasures appeared before his eyes again, Akira couldn't help feeling a ripple of excitement.
Last time, he had only been able to watch helplessly.
But now—
Everything in this treasury could potentially belong to them.
"As we agreed earlier," Idys said softly to Akira, "you may choose any one item from this treasury."
Then she turned her gaze toward Ivsha.
"You may also choose one."
"I can too?"
Ivsha's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. She clearly hadn't expected to receive a share.
"Mm."
Idys didn't explain further. She simply nodded, her gaze fixed on Ivsha as if waiting to see what she would choose.
"Well then, I won't hold back~"
Ivsha quickly began looking around, searching for something she liked.
After a careful search, she finally stopped in front of one particular item.
"I'll take this one."
She gently picked up the treasure, her eyes shining with delight and anticipation.
"Hm?"
Akira glanced toward the item she had chosen.
It was a potion bottle.
A small heart-shaped emblem was printed on the glass, making it look rather peculiar.
Curious, Akira immediately pulled up the item's information within his vision.
[Blood of the Demon King of Lust (Epic)]
[A special potion capable of increasing XX combat power. (Male-only consumption.)]
"!?"
Akira's expression instantly became serious.
Meanwhile, Ivsha skipped over to his side with an excited smile.
"Mr. Kurose Akira~ It's time to take your medicine~"
"…"
Akira's expression turned complicated.
For a moment, he genuinely couldn't tell who the real beneficiary of this treasure would be.
Seeing Ivsha's choice, Idys frowned slightly and covered her forehead with one hand, shaking her head in helpless resignation.
Clearly, she wasn't particularly pleased with Ivsha's selection.
But there was nothing she could do about it.
After all, Ivsha was her…
"What about your choice?" Idys asked, looking toward Akira.
"I'll take that portrait of the Vampire Progenitor."
Akira pointed toward a painting displayed nearby.
He only needed one final vampire portrait to complete the [Vampire] trait entry.
Even though many of the treasures here were far more valuable, completing a trait was far more important than anything in the treasury.
"That one?" Idys looked slightly surprised.
Out of all these treasures, he chose a painting?
Though she didn't understand his purpose, she didn't question it. With a gentle wave of her hand, the portrait depicting the Vampire Progenitor floated through the air and landed in Akira's hands.
"Thanks."
Akira thanked her and stored the painting in his backpack.
But just as his words fell—
Idys lifted her fingertips once more.
In an instant, countless magnificent rose petals began drifting down from above, burying the entire treasury beneath them.
Within the blink of an eye, every treasure that had been displayed vanished without a trace.
"Consider the rest a reward."
As she spoke, Idys tossed an item toward Akira.
He caught it smoothly.
A notification immediately appeared before his eyes.
[Succubus Ring (Epic)]
[A ring capable of controlling succubi. Once worn, it cannot be removed.]
[You deal +50% additional damage to succubus units.]
"A ring that controls succubi?"
After reading the effect, Akira immediately slipped it onto his finger and looked toward Idys.
But Idys showed absolutely no reaction.
She simply watched him quietly with her cold, frost-like eyes.
Akira immediately realized the ring probably had certain restrictions.
Most likely, it could only control succubi weaker than the wearer—or perhaps required other conditions.
So he turned his gaze toward Ivsha.
As the Succubus Ring emitted a faint glow—
Ivsha's pupils instantly turned into heart shapes.
She walked toward Akira on her own, then slowly knelt before him…
Cough.
Akira hurriedly canceled the ring's effect.
It seemed there were additional unknown conditions besides simple strength differences.
"Huh? What just happened?"
Ivsha returned to her senses, looking down in confusion at why she was kneeling in front of Akira.
But for her, scenes like this had already become rather normal, so she didn't appear especially surprised.
While Akira was testing the ring, Idys suddenly sensed demonic presences approaching the treasury entrance.
"We need to leave immediately."
She opened a portal to depart.
At that moment, several demons stepped into the treasury.
Their eyes gleamed with greed and cruelty as they advanced toward Akira's group.
The moment they saw Idys and Ivsha, their expressions turned excited.
"Look at that! Two succubi!"
"Succubi? I love eating succubi! Their skin is so tender it melts in your mouth!"
"Don't fight over them—we'll split them!"
"…"
The demons bared their fangs, eyes glowing with savage hunger, preparing to tear Idys and Ivsha apart.
Idys calmly raised her hand, about to cast a spell to eliminate them.
But at that moment—
Akira moved first.
Using the brute strength of his half-dragon transformation, he slammed straight into one of the demons, instantly crushing it into a spray of flesh and blood.
"Damn it! There's a half-dragon here!"
"Kill him first!"
The remaining demons roared and lunged at Akira.
But these demons were only around Level 30–40.
They were no match for him.
In his half-dragon state, Akira tore through them effortlessly.
Although he suffered a few minor cuts during the fight, they were nothing more than superficial injuries.
"Mr. Kurose Akira, you're hurt!"
Ivsha rushed over immediately, casting healing magic to mend his wounds.
"It's fine. Just scratches."
Akira waved it off and looked at Idys.
"Let's head back to the Star Kingdom. Roxia and the others are still waiting."
"Back to the Star Kingdom?"
Idys gently shook her head, a mysterious smile appearing on her lips.
"That won't be happening~"
"We're not going back?"
Akira looked genuinely confused.
"Follow me."
Without explaining further, Idys stepped directly into the portal.
Although puzzled, Akira followed her inside.
The moment he stepped through—
The scenery changed again.
He found himself standing in a vast, empty void.
Before him stood an enormous rose.
Strangely, each petal of the rose was shaped like a heart.
At the center of the flower was an open space—more precisely, something resembling a gigantic mattress.
Its surface was soft pink, so plush it felt like stepping on clouds.
Even stranger—
There was a gap in the middle.
Akira walked closer and leaned over the opening.
Below it was nothing but hazy pink mist, completely obscuring whatever lay beneath.
"Where are we?" Akira asked, turning toward Idys.
The air here felt completely different from the Abyss.
A faint, intoxicating fragrance filled the air.
For him, it was merely a pleasant scent.
But for a succubus…
Akira noticed Ivsha's condition had become somewhat unusual.
Her skin had turned rosy red, heart-shaped pupils flickering in her eyes, and even her breathing had grown noticeably warmer.
"This," Idys explained, "is the origin of succubi—the place where the first succubus was born."
"The origin of succubi?"
Akira repeated the words, intrigued.
But confusion lingered in his mind.
Why had Idys brought him here?
Was it related to the "teaching" she mentioned earlier?
"You've heard the legend of the Mother of Demons, haven't you?" Idys asked.
Akira nodded.
"Yes. A little."
His thoughts drifted to the demon tablet Medina had given him, which recorded the legend of the Mother of Demons.
Although he hadn't encountered her directly yet, the idea alone fascinated him.
"According to legend—"
Idys tilted her head slightly as she explained.
"The Mother of Demons created all demons. During a catastrophic battle with the Holy Seraph, her body was shattered into countless fragments."
"These fragments scattered across the world, eventually evolving into the various demon races."
"And the demons born directly from those fragments are known as Primordial Demons."
"The Mother of Demons still exists somewhere in the Abyss… right?" Akira asked curiously.
He had already encountered two Primordial Demons.
The two Vampire Progenitors were exactly that—beings formed from fragments of the Mother of Demons.
Idys smiled faintly but did not answer directly.
"If you truly wish to understand the Mother of Demons," she said calmly, "perhaps you should ask Elum."
"But not now."
"Elum?"
Akira looked surprised.
Did Elum know that much about the Mother of Demons?
"Enough talk."
Idys snapped her fingers lightly.
At once, countless rose petals began drifting down like pink snow.
Akira stared at the scene in confusion.
"What exactly are we doing?"
Idys glanced at him and replied softly,
"We're going to perform a ritual."
"But before that…"
"I need to test your limits."
"My limits?"
Akira frowned, puzzled.
But while he was still trying to figure out what she meant—
Ivsha, who had been standing behind Idys, quietly began to move.
Her nun's habit slipped from her body like falling petals, revealing flawless white skin beneath. Under the drifting rose petals, she looked both sacred… and dangerously alluring.
"M-Mr… Mr. Kurose Akira…"
…
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