Chapter 38: The Aftermath of Floor 12
he heavy iron doors of the dungeon gate ground open with a long, rusting screech.
Cold morning fog rolled across the stone floor of the Academy West Gate.
Squad Two stepped through the threshold, leaving behind the dark humidity of Floor 12.
Leo Vance walked out first.
His hands rested lazily inside his trousers pockets.
His black uniform coat was gone, but his dark shirt remained untucked at his waist, showing his relaxed, unhurried posture.
Right beside him walked Celestia Raine.
The proud Arcane genius of House Raine no longer wore her blue noble mantle.
She was wrapped tightly in Leo’s thick black coat.
The dark fabric draped over her shoulders, reaching down past her knees.
Her silver hair fell over her shoulders in soft, damp waves.
Her cheeks carried a pale rosy warmth that morning air could not wash away.
She walked with an unhurried, careful gait, her thighs moving with quiet sensitivity under her skirt.
Her fingers held the collar of Leo’s coat close to her neck, repeatedly inhaling the lingering scent of his skin trapped in the heavy cloth.
Five paces behind them walked Prince Lucien.
The First Prince of the Empire looked like a walking ghost.
Cold sweat dried along his pale forehead.
Dark purple circles shadowed his eyes.
His golden royal mantle hung crookedly across his chest.
His fingers twitched against the silver hilt of his rapier, but he never drew the blade.
Lucien kept his head lowered.
He stared fixedly at the wet cobblestones beneath his boots.
He could not bring himself to look at Celestia’s waist.
He could not bring himself to look at Leo’s back.
Every time he closed his eyes, the dark archway of Floor 12 burned behind his eyelids.
He remembered the sight of his virgin fiancée bent over the smooth stone altar.
He remembered her soft, helpless cries echoing off the ancient cavern walls.
He remembered the sound of her knees sliding on the moss while she begged Leo for deeper impacts.
And most of all, Lucien remembered the shameful heat in his own groin as he wept in the dark alcove, clutching his own manhood while watching another man claim his betrothed.
The shame choked him like swallowed poison.
Near the gate pavilion, Caelum Frostford stood under the stone archway.
Caelum’s eyes widened in sudden shock as Squad Two approached.
He stared at Celestia.
He saw the way she walked beside Leo.
He saw the way she clutched Leo’s dark coat around her chest, her posture completely devoid of her former cold arrogance.
It was the exact same look Elara Snowveil had carried after her first night in Leo’s dorm.
Caelum’s knuckles turned white against his staff.
’Not her too...’ Caelum thought, his chest heaving with bitter rage. ’She was the Prince’s fiancée. How could she let a brute like Leo touch her?’
Leo did not spare Caelum a single glance.
He walked past the pavilion, leading Celestia down the quiet marble corridor toward the High Noble Wing.
Lucien stopped at the courtyard fountain, staring blankly at the water while the rest of the academy guards bowed in confusion.
"Your Highness?" a guard captain asked softly. "Should we escort Lady Celestia to the medical hall?"
Lucien did not answer.
He simply stood there, his jaw trembling in silent ruin.
***
The quiet hallway of the West Wing was cool and empty.
Morning light filtered through the tall stained-glass windows, casting pale blue shadows across the carpet.
Celestia stopped outside the doors of her private suite.
She turned to face Leo.
The cold, distant mask she had worn for three years at the Academy was completely gone.
Her eyes looked up at Leo with soft, trembling devotion.
"Leo," she whispered, her voice low and clear.
"What is it?" Leo asked.
Celestia reached out, her pale hand emerging from the oversized sleeve of his coat.
Her fingers gently touched the cuff of his shirt.
"My core," she said, her chest rising with a quiet breath. "The magic surge from Floor 12... it feels warm. It feels like your power is still inside me."
Leo reached up and took her chin between his thumb and forefinger.
He lifted her face slightly.
Celestia did not pull away.
She leaned her cheek into his palm, closing her eyes with a quiet, contented sigh.
"It will stay there," Leo said smoothly. "Every time your mana flows, you will feel it."
A soft shiver ran down Celestia’s spine.
"Will you... come by my suite tonight?" she asked, her voice dropping to a gentle whisper. "Lucien will not visit me. He... he cannot even look at me."
"I know," Leo said, his thumb brushing her soft lower lip. "I will come when the courtyard clears."
Celestia nodded softly.
She stepped back into her doorway, her eyes lingering on his face for a long moment before she closed the heavy oak doors.
Thirty paces down the gallery, Lucien stood behind a marble pillar.
He had followed them in silence.
He saw Leo hold her chin.
He saw Celestia lean into Leo’s hand like a devoted pet.
Lucien’s hand gripped the stone pillar so hard his nails scraped the plaster.
He wanted to scream.
He wanted to march forward and demand her loyalty.
But when he looked at Leo’s calm, dark eyes, a wave of cold dread washed over his chest.
Lucien knew what he had done in the dark archway.
He knew he had watched his own fiancée yield to another man while touching himself in the dark.
He was broken.
And he knew Leo held complete control over him.
Lucien turned silently and walked away into the shadows of the gallery.
***
Leo returned to his private luxury suite in the North Wing.
He locked the heavy wooden door behind him.
The morning sun filled the room, reflecting off the polished wooden floor.
Leo walked over to the side table, poured a glass of cool well water, and drank it down in one smooth motion.
Then he stepped in front of the tall dressing mirror near his wardrobe.
He looked at his reflection.
His black hair was slightly messy from the dungeon expedition.
His shoulders looked broad and solid under his simple shirt.
As he looked closer at his own eyes, he paused.
Deep inside his dark pupils, a faint crimson-violet ring flashed once, glowing like embers beneath ash, before settling back to deep black.
Leo raised his hand and looked at his palm.
His skin felt warm.
His body radiated a subtle, magnetic presence that had not been there two days ago.
He closed his eyes and turned his attention inward.
Deep inside his chest, his main core hummed with heavy power.
[Black Sun Calamity Core: 4th Ascension]
The 4th Ascension barrier had cracked wide open during Celestia’s claim inside Floor 12.
The raw magic energy he absorbed from her had purified his dark mana, making his core stronger and more stable than ever before.
But there was something else.
Alongside the heavy, destructive dark mana of the Black Sun, a second layer of power pulsed through his blood.
It felt warm, sweet, and intensely smooth.
It was a natural, irresistible physical attraction humming beneath his skin.
Leo opened his eyes and smiled at the mirror.
’So that is what it was,’ Leo thought.
He remembered his research in the Restricted Rune Archives earlier that week.
He had spent hours reading ancient demonology texts written on old paper rolls.
He also remembered his foreknowledge from the original web novel.
House Vance was an ancient noble line, but its maternal ancestry had a hidden secret that the Imperial Church had erased three centuries ago.
The maternal line of House Vance carried the blood of the lost Royal Succubus Matriarch Dynasty.
During his encounter with Celestia on the stone altar, the massive influx of High-Tier magic energy had unsealed that dormant maternal bloodline.
His core had fused the two powers together.
The raw, destructive devouring power of the Black Sun Calamity Core, combined with the innate physical allure of the Royal Succubus line.
Leo raised his hand and flexed his fingers.
He could feel the shift in his presence.
It was an active, natural charm.
Any woman who could feel magic would feel an immediate, natural pull toward him whenever he stood near her.
It was the reason Celestia had surrendered so completely against the rune pillar.
It was the reason her holy resistance had melted within minutes.
’Half-Incubus,’ Leo murmured softly, his voice calm and steady. ’No wonder the Church tried to erase House Vance’s records.’
Leo poured another glass of water and walked over to the balcony.
He leaned against the stone railing, looking out over the grand academy grounds.
***
At noon, loud brass horns echoed across the main courtyard.
The sound blasted off the stone towers, signaling the arrival of important guests.
Dozens of academy cadets gathered near the front gates, whispering in excitement.
Imperial messengers wearing gold-trimmed coats rode in on white horses, blowing long silver trumpets.
"Announcing the arrival of the Imperial Hero Candidate!" a herald shouted, his voice echoing across the stone plaza. "Lord Noel Pendelton of the Holy Western Marches! Accompanied by his elite Hero Party!"
From his balcony, Leo looked down at the main gates.
A grand luxury carriage drawn by four white armored horses pulled through the iron entrance.
The carriage was painted in polished ivory and trimmed with real gold leaf.
Behind the carriage rode three high-status maidens on fine horses.
A pure, devout young woman in pristine white Saintess robes.
A proud female knight captain in polished silver plate armor with a sword at her hip.
And a quiet, smart spirit mage wearing dark blue robes, holding a carved wooden staff.
Leo took a sip of water, his dark eyes watching the grand entrance.
He remembered the web novel’s descriptions of Hero Noel.
Noel was the blessed hero candidate of the Empire, hailed as a divine savior.
Leo set his glass down on the balcony railing, watching the ivory carriage stop near the assembly atrium.
Leo looked across the courtyard toward the High Noble Wing.
On her private balcony across the plaza, Celestia stood near the stone railing.
She was still wearing Leo’s black coat over her shoulders.
She looked up across the open space and caught Leo’s eyes.
Celestia did not look at the Hero’s carriage.
She did not look at the gathering crowd of cheering cadets.
Her eyes remained fixed entirely on Leo, her fingers holding the dark collar of his coat against her throat.
Leo gave her a short, calm nod.
Celestia’s lips curved into a soft, quiet smile before she stepped back into her room.
Down in the atrium, the carriage door swung open.
Hero Noel Pendelton stepped out onto the marble steps, bowing gracefully to the cheering crowd.
Noel raised his eyes toward the upper balconies.
Across the broad courtyard, Noel’s gaze locked onto Leo Vance.
Noel’s eyes sparkled with a strange, secret excitement.
Sensing the lingering sweet smell of Celestia’s secret surrender floating in the air around Leo, Noel felt a faint shiver of holy power ripple through his own chest.
Noel smiled radiantly at the crowd, waving his hand like a noble savior.
’Yes,’ Noel thought secretly, his heart beating with eager anticipation. ’He is the perfect brute. I will hand him my Saintess first.’
Up on the balcony, Leo leaned back against the stone wall.
He felt the warm pulse of his Half-Incubus blood humming steadily in his veins.
Leo took a slow sip of water, watching the Hero Candidate bow to the crowd below with a calm, indifferent smile.