Chapter 15: The video sent by mistake
At the same time.
In the VIP room on the topmost floor of the club, Saraya was sitting before a table full of food.
High-grade monster meat grilled to just the right doneness.
Energy Crystal soup.
Pastries prepared by the club’s most famous chef with his own hands.
Any dish on that table cost as much as several months of an ordinary person’s wages.
But Saraya only tried one bite before immediately setting down her knife and fork.
Her expression was extremely ugly.
"What is this?"
The maid standing beside her immediately grew tense.
"Miss Saraya, this is Demon Horn Deer meat prepared by the head chef."
"It tastes awful."
Saraya said coldly:
"It’s no different from chewing straw."
The maid lowered her head, not daring to argue back.
This was already the third time they had changed dishes for Saraya.
From last night until now, she had eaten almost nothing at all. Even though the chef had used the most expensive ingredients, Saraya still only ate one bite before leaving the rest.
The door of the room opened just then.
Vylana stepped in, her red hair falling to her shoulders, still wearing the short black dress that hugged her body tight.
She looked at the table of food that was nearly untouched and knitted her brows slightly.
"You didn’t eat again?"
Saraya folded her arms across her chest, her voice full of contempt:
"The chefs here are too terrible. They can’t even cook one complete meal."
Vylana looked at the dishes on the table, and doubt rose in her heart.
The club’s chefs were all people selected at extremely high salaries. A few of them had even served at the banquets of the great clans.
There was no way all of them cooked so poorly that Saraya couldn’t swallow it.
Vylana sat down beside her.
"What did you usually eat before?"
Hearing that, Saraya faltered slightly.
The image of the small kitchen in Erik’s home immediately surfaced in her mind.
Every morning, Erik would prepare food before going to work. He knew full well that she didn’t like things that were too sweet, and didn’t like the smell of certain kinds of monster meat, so he always handled the ingredients carefully.
Even though they were only ordinary dishes, the flavor was still better than all the food laid out in front of her now.
Saraya pressed her lips together.
"Erik cooked."
Vylana was slightly stunned.
"He cooked for you himself?"
"That’s right."
"Every single day?"
Saraya didn’t want to answer, but in the end still nodded.
Vylana looked at her, the envy in her heart growing even stronger.
In this world, a man willing to step into a kitchen was already incredibly rare. Someone who not only cooked himself but also remembered the tastes of the Succubus at his side existed almost only in romance stories.
Saraya had been enjoying a life that countless Succubi couldn’t obtain even in their dreams.
And yet she had given Erik up.
Vylana concealed the emotions in her eyes and gently consoled her:
"Maybe you just aren’t used to the food here yet. Wait a few more days and it’ll be fine."
Saraya didn’t answer.
Vylana said a few more words, then stood up and left the room.
The moment the door closed, Saraya took out her phone out of boredom.
At that moment, all sorts of similar headlines were appearing on social media.
[Mysterious man defeats a Bronze-grade Awakened to protect his Succubus!]
[THIS is the partner every Succubus dreams of!]
[The most handsome man in Silver Moon has appeared!]
Saraya originally had no interest, but the thumbnail image in the first post made her finger immediately come to a stop.
That face was far too familiar.
"Erik?"
Saraya hurriedly tapped into it.
The video started from when Nathan reached his hand toward Elowen.
Then, Erik appeared.
He grabbed Nathan’s wrist, knocked the man to the ground with one punch, then coldly dragged him before Elowen and forced him to kneel down and apologize.
The video had been edited to be even clearer.
Someone had even deliberately slowed down the moment Erik threw the punch, zooming in on his calm face, his firm arm along with his cold gaze.
Saraya sat stiff in her chair.
Her face gradually turned pale.
"Impossible..."
She murmured, then hurriedly scrolled down to the comments section.
[Is this really a man? He’s even stronger than my partner.]
[The important part isn’t the strength. He stepped up on his own to protect his Succubus!]
[That silver-haired woman is so lucky.]
[I heard he just rebated his previous Succubus. Was she out of her mind?]
[Does anyone have his contact info? I could prepare a betrothal gift this very day.]
[I’m willing to share a partner with the silver-haired Succubus.]
Every comment was like a slap landing across Saraya’s face.
Over these three months, Erik had always been by her side.
He cooked, cleaned, earned money, and took care of her every time the hunger struck. Saraya had treated all of that as a given, thinking that as long as she was still a rank S Succubus, he would never dare leave.
But now, the one standing beside Erik had become another woman.
The hand that once cooked for her was protecting someone else.
The gaze that once looked at her with patience no longer held any trace of her at all.
What had once belonged to Saraya had truly disappeared.
"No..."
She clenched the phone, shaking her head over and over.
"She’s only a rank D Succubus."
"There’s no way Erik would really choose her."
Saraya tried to convince herself, but the hand holding the phone was clearly trembling.
At the end of the video, Elowen stepped over and hugged Erik’s arm tight.
Erik didn’t push her away.
He directly took Elowen’s hand and led her out of the commercial center.
Saraya looked at that scene, her face going completely white.
...
Vylana left Saraya’s room and went straight to the office on the topmost floor.
Laviana was still sitting behind the desk.
Her fiery red hair along with the red dress hugging her body made her look like a mature, dangerous flame. When she saw her daughter walk in with a serious expression, she set down the pen in her hand.
"What is it?"
Vylana handed her phone to her mother.
"Mother, take a look at this."
Laviana opened the video.
At first she only meant to give it a passing glance, but after Erik’s face appeared on the screen, her gaze immediately couldn’t leave it.
She watched the entire process of him hitting Nathan, dragging the man before Elowen, and forcing him to apologize.
Especially when the footage zoomed in on Erik’s cold face along with his firm arm, Laviana’s breathing unconsciously grew heavier.
"So it’s true..."
She said in a soft voice:
"He’s even better than I imagined."
Laviana drew in a deep breath, trying to suppress the heat rising inside her body.
"I’ll push the Connection Center to complete the procedure."
She looked at Vylana and earnestly said:
"This can’t be delayed any longer. A man like that will definitely be noticed by countless Succubi. If we don’t act fast, the opportunity will be snatched away by someone else."
Vylana nodded.
"I understand."
At that very moment, the private phone sitting on Laviana’s desk vibrated.
This was a device she used only to communicate with the most powerful and noble madams inside and outside the safe zone.
Laviana picked up the phone.
In the group chat, everyone was also discussing Erik’s video.
[Madam Lilith: Which clan does this man belong to?]
[Madam Ysera: I’ve never seen him at any banquet.]
[Madam Ravia: The silver-haired Succubus beside him seems to be Meira’s daughter.]
Not long after, Meira appeared.
[Meira: There’s no need for you all to keep asking. He already belongs to my household.]
Below the message was a video.
Meira had probably meant to send the video from the commercial center to prove the relationship between Erik and Elowen. However, the two recordings sat right next to each other in her library, and in a moment of distraction, she had tapped the wrong one.
The video from inside the car compartment immediately appeared in the group.
In less than ten seconds, the message vanished.
[Meira has recalled a message.]
But it was already too late.
Laviana had managed to open the video in time.
The screen only displayed an angle from up high, and most of the sensitive imagery was blocked by the sofa along with Erik’s body. However, Elowen’s flushed face, the sight of Sarna moving into the rear compartment, along with the sounds coming out were still enough for a viewer to understand what was happening.
Laviana’s eyes went wide.
The hand holding the phone trembled slightly.
Beneath the desk her legs pressed together tight, her red lips pursed, her breathing so ragged that her full chest continuously rose and fell.
Vylana saw her mother’s reaction and asked in confusion:
"Mother, what’s wrong?"
Laviana didn’t answer.
She watched the video one more time, and only then slowly pushed the phone toward her daughter.
Vylana took it with suspicion.
Just a few seconds later, her expression completely changed as well.
Her face quickly flushed red, and her blue eyes gradually turned hazy. Even though the air conditioning in the room was giving off cold air, sweat still appeared on her forehead along with her neck.
The sound from the phone continued to play.
Vylana swallowed, her legs unconsciously rubbing against each other.
"Mother... I..."
Of course Laviana understood what was happening.
She hurriedly opened a drawer and took out two vials of dark red blood. This was the blood of a Succubus from a past life that had been specially refined, capable of temporarily suppressing the hunger before the Chains of Desire were unlocked.
Laviana handed one vial to Vylana, and opened the other one herself before draining it.
The cold liquid flowed down her throat, quickly suppressing the burning sensation in her body.
Vylana also hurriedly drank her portion dry.
But the sound was still coming out of the phone.
The hunger that had just been suppressed immediately showed signs of surging back up again.
Laviana quickly turned off the screen.
The room finally went quiet.
The mother and daughter both let out a breath at the same time, but their faces were still flushed red.
The phone vibrated continuously again.
[Madam Lilith: Meira, what was that video just now?]
[Madam Ysera: I didn’t get a clear look, send it again.]
[Madam Ravia: I already saved it.]
[Meira: Delete it immediately!]
[Madam Ravia: I don’t know what you’re talking about.]
Laviana looked at those messages, her gaze gradually turning serious.
"Vylana."
"Yes?"
"You can only succeed. You cannot fail."
Laviana looked straight into her daughter’s eyes.
"If we miss out on Erik, I’m afraid we won’t find a man as perfect as him for the rest of our lives."
Vylana clenched the now-empty vial of blood.
"I definitely won’t fail."
She didn’t know that, in just a few short minutes, the video sent by mistake had already been saved by many of the madams in the group.
That night, quite a few noble Succubi would probably have to use refined blood to suppress their hunger.
And the person who had caused all of this had absolutely no idea.
...
Inside his small apartment, Erik had just finished showering.
He changed into a loose set of clothes, sat cross-legged on the bed, and looked at the information panel floating before him.
[Rank SSS talent detected: Primordial Incubus.]
[The talent is in an unaccepted state.]
[Do you wish to begin the fusion?]
Erik had been putting it off from yesterday until now.
Tomorrow he would be entering the Trial Space together with Elowen. Before setting out, he needed to clearly understand his own power.
Erik drew in a deep breath.
"Begin the fusion."
[Confirmed.]
[Beginning the fusion process for the rank SSS talent: Primordial Incubus.]
BOOM!
A surge of scorching energy suddenly appeared deep within Erik’s body.
He knitted his brows and braced both hands against the bed. Every muscle on his body felt like it was being pierced through by countless electrical currents, ceaselessly contracting and then stretching out again.
His bones let out faint sounds.
The blood inside his body flowed faster.
Erik’s senses also began to be enhanced at a terrifying speed.
He could hear the footsteps in the hallway, the sound of water running through the pipes, along with the wind sweeping past the window.
The process lasted nearly ten minutes.
Only when the energy in his body stabilized did Erik slowly open his eyes.
A completely new information panel appeared before him.
...
[Talent: Primordial Incubus]
[Rank: SSS]
[Effect 1 — Primordial Bestowal: Every Succubus connected to the host will have a hidden power of rank S–SS awakened within them. The power may be a talent, a skill, or a bloodline. The result is selected randomly based on the target’s potential.]
[Effect 2 — Absolute Resonance: The power of all Succubi connected to the host increases by 200%. The effect will continue to increase along with the host’s level.]
[Effect 3 — Primordial Charm: When meeting a woman for the first time, base Affection Points increase by an additional 50. For beauties with a looks rating above 80 points, compatibility increases by an additional 50%. There is a small chance of causing Affection Points to exceed 80 on the very first meeting.]
[This effect can be actively turned off or on.]
[Effect 4 — Incubus Physique: Physical strength increases fivefold. Energy absorption capacity along with cultivation speed increase fivefold. The effect will continue to increase along with the host’s level.]
....
Erik looked at the four effects before him, and his breathing immediately stopped.
There wasn’t a single ability among them that was weak.
The 200% power increase for all connected Succubi alone was already enough to make this talent incredibly terrifying.
And as for the first effect...
Before Erik could think any further, the System’s voice continued to ring out.
[Succubus with a formal Contract detected: Elowen.]
[Checking for hidden potential.]
[Target detected to possess an unawakened bloodline power.]
[Do you wish to activate ’Primordial Bestowal’ right now?]