42: Unimaginable

"I'll admit, you've grown, son..."

Lana's voice was fiercer now, tinged with something unreadable. But before she could finish her thought, a sudden shift in the air marked Elizabeth's interruption.

She teleported effortlessly to Lycius's side, her arms crossed beneath her ample chest, a knowing smirk curving her lips.

Her golden eyes glowed with a mix of teasing amusement and subtle challenge.

"Don't worry, Lycius, you're almost there…" she purred, tilting her head.

"Train a bit more. And as soon as you defeat both me and your mother, we'll grant you any wish you desire."

Lycius's smirk deepened.

"Then you better prepare yourselves…" His voice dripped with arrogance, his dark gold eyes glinting like a predator that had finally set its sights on prey.

"Because my victory over you will mark the beginning of your journeys… as my women."

Silence.

A deafening, earth-shattering silence.

Lana and Elizabeth jerked away from him, their reactions nearly identical—wide golden eyes, parted lips, and a deep crimson flush blooming across their faces.

Did they just hear him correctly?

Did those words actually leave his mouth?

For the first time in their long, ancient lives, both women found themselves utterly speechless.

"Son, are you insane?!" Lana was the first to break, her voice filled with bewildered disbelief.

"How can you even think of something so… so taboo?!"

But Lycius?

Lycius merely chuckled, his expression brimming with amusement and superiority.

"Do you truly want an answer to that, Mother?"

His tone was dangerously smooth, edged with a mocking softness that sent a shiver down Lana's spine.

Before she could retort, Elizabeth's voice echoed directly into her mind.

"Calm down, Lana."

Her mental tone was far too composed—as if she had already considered every possible angle.

"This is actually a win-win situation."

Lana snapped back at her sister telepathically, pretending not to grasp the deeper implications of her words.

"What the hell are you talking about?! A win-win situation?!"

She clenched her fists, struggling to keep her composure.

"Elizabeth, have you also lost your mind like Lycius?!"

But Elizabeth ignored Lana's outburst, shifting her attention back to Lycius.

A challenging gleam flickered in her golden eyes as she smirked.

"No, she doesn't need an answer." Her tone was confident, almost dismissive.

"Besides, it's not like you'll ever win against us anyway."

A dangerous silence followed her words.

Lycius said nothing.

Yet his smirk never wavered.

Because before him, a holographic blue screen flickered into existence, its eerie glow illuminating his sharp features.

__________

[Ding! Mission Complete]

[Mission: Extermination]

Brief: The annihilation of all Desire subjects and citizens.

Reward: New System Feature – Death Cultivation

(The souls you claim shall fuel your advancement, accelerating the growth of both major and minor cultivation realms.)

__________

[System Feature: Death Cultivation]

[Cultivation Realms]

Major Realm: Mind

Minor Realm: V

__________

[Realm Cultivation - Breakthrough]

Major Realm: 00000/15k Brk.thrh (Not Recommended)

Next Major Realm: Soul

Minor Realm: 0000/5k Brk.thrh (Recommended)

Next Minor Realm: VI

__________

[Soul Count]

Succubus: 7.9 million (Soul Value: 1000 Brk.thrh - Points)

Beastmen: 10 million (Soul Value: 1000 Brk.thrh - Points)

Human: 2 million (Soul Value: 1000 Brk.thrh - Points)

Vampire: 4 thousand (Soul Value: 1200 Brk.thrh - Points)

Lesser Races: 1 million (Soul Value: 500 Brk.thrh - Points)

_________

(A/N: 1 Succubus = 1000 Breakthrough Points)

"We'll see about that."

Lycius's thoughts pulsed with an undeniable arrogance, his golden eyes glinting with a depth of unshaken confidence.

Elizabeth watched him closely, her mind analyzing every facet of this moment.

She knew—undeniably—that Lycius would win this wager.

But what she didn't know… was how long it would take.

She estimated that he would need far more time before he could overpower both her and Lana.

Meanwhile, Lana—her face still bright red from both embarrassment and frustration—felt completely ignored.

First by her son.

Then by her sister.

Her lips parted, her voice finally breaking through—

"Lycius—"

But before she could finish, she was cut off yet again.

Only this time, by Lycius himself.

"Mom, you can only have Kiara for four hours. At exactly midnight, I'll be needing her."

Lana's frustration vanished in an instant.

Excitement coursed through her veins at the thought of finally "playing" with Kiara.

"I wonder how many slashes she can endure before she breaks~" Lana mused, a predatory gleam flickering in her golden gaze.

Her fingers curled around Kiara's wrist, pulling her along.

Kiara didn't resist. She merely obeyed, following in Lana's wake.

A mere blink, and both Lana and Kiara vanished from the training chamber—teleported away.

Though Lana's magic was weaker than Elizabeth's, it didn't mean she lacked high-level skills.

If she hadn't been the greatest swordsman, she would have been classified as a high-ranking mage.

Lycius's smirk deepened.

As if he had known all along that his mother's wrath would dissipate the moment she got what she wanted.

Even Elizabeth had anticipated this outcome.

Because Lana was easy to manipulate.

Not that anyone else would dare try.

But Lycius?

Lycius was not just anyone.

Elizabeth's golden gaze subtly shifted—looking behind Lycius.

Even though there was nothing there.

At least, nothing visible.

Then—a sudden shift.

Her golden irises darkened, bleeding into a crimson hue.

The primal, draconic representation of her true form.

There was no anger in her stare.

Only intrigue.

Only fascination.

A slow smirk tugged at her lips as she finally spoke.

"You certainly went wild today…"

Her voice was a mixture of amusement and eerie delight.

"So many innocent souls."

Lycius followed her gaze, understanding instantly.

The sea of lingering souls that clung to him—whispering, wailing, and writhing in invisible agony.

A hauntingly beautiful sight.

His own golden eyes darkened in response, the two of them locked in a silent, thrilling exchange.

Then Lycius chuckled, his voice low, rich, and dripping with dark amusement.

"Oh, Aunt… if only you had been there to witness it."

"To see them descend into utter despair… to hear their screams of insanity… to feel their fear as they realized there was no escape."

"You would have loved it."

His voice was a dark melody, layered with crazed delight and cruel satisfaction.

Elizabeth's crimson eyes flashed—a brief flicker of envy.

She really would have loved it.

A pity she had missed it.

But then—Lycius's smirk widened.

As if remembering something.

Something delicious.

"Don't worry."

He took a step closer, his voice silky smooth yet brimming with anticipation.

"I have gifts for both you and Mom."

A pause.

Then—

"Gifts you'll surely enjoy."

Elizabeth arched an elegant brow, intrigued.

Lycius's smirk bordered on wicked.

Because what he was referring to—

The twenty-five city lords Kiara had captured.

His gift to them.

____________

Elizabeth's crimson gaze flickered with something unreadable as she took a step forward.

The remnants of Lycius's wild slaughter still clung to him—spectral souls coiling around his frame. Yet, despite the sheer amount of Aetherius he had unleashed today, he stood before her, unwavering.

No exhaustion.

No signs of weakness.

Nothing.

It was unnatural.

Her gaze subtly traced the contours of his matured form, sharp and defined in a way that hadn't been present before.

And then—it hit her.

His dantian.

More precisely—his high and low dantian.

They weren't opened.

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed slightly, a quiet realization washing over her like a slow-moving tide.

She had known Lycius's body was still that of a twelve-year-old, despite his monstrous power. And because of that, only his main dantian had fully awakened. The high and low dantians, which should have been vital conduits for his Aetherius, remained sealed—latent.

But today…

Today, he had used more Aetherius than even some of the oldest beings in existence could dream of wielding.

By all logic, his body should have collapsed.

He should have fainted—or worse, shattered from within.

And yet—here he stood.

Perfectly fine.

The implications of that fact stirred something in Elizabeth.

A mix of concern, intrigue, and something deeper.

Her fingers twitched at her side before she finally spoke, her voice carrying a note of gentle urgency.

"Lycius."

He glanced at her, his darkened golden gaze still brimming with amusement.

Elizabeth ignored the remnants of his bloodstained arrogance, stepping closer—until there was only a breath of space between them.

"You used an absurd amount of Aetherius today. Far more than you should have been able to. And yet, your body hasn't collapsed."

She lifted a single hand, her fingertips incinerated a small hole in his clothes, as she pressed two fingers lightly against his bare chest, right where his main dantian resided.

"I need to see something."

Her golden gaze locked onto his.

"Meditate with me."

It wasn't a request.

It was a demand wrapped in concern.

Lycius's amusement flickered for the briefest second.

Then, as if indulging her, he let out a slow breath, his smirk easing into something more neutral.

"Very well, Aunt."

They wasted no time.

Already sitting legs-crossed.

Aetherius stirred around the air, whispering unseen melodies into the chamber. The moment Lycius closed his eyes, Elizabeth followed suit—her consciousness extending, diving into the unseen flow of his energy.

Elizabeth's consciousness plunged deeper into Lycius's body.

And what she saw shattered every expectation she had.

She had known—of course, she had known—that Lycius had slaughtered an unimaginable number today.

But this…

This was far beyond her worst estimates.

Millions.

Millions upon millions of souls.

Each one—a life taken by Lycius's hands.

Each one—wrapped around his main dantian in a sea of spectral reverence.

She had expected resentment.

Hatred.

The natural fury of the dead, clawing to drag their murderer down into oblivion.

But instead—

They worshiped him.

Adored him.

Their forms, once distinct, now blurred into the very essence of his being.

They clung not in anger, but in servitude.

Honored to have fallen by his hands.

Honored to be absorbed by him.

Honored to become a part of him.

It wasn't just his main dantian.

The souls wrapped themselves around everything—

His unopened dantians.

His vital organs.

His soul.

And rather than weighing him down—they strengthened him.

Elizabeth's focus sharpened, her consciousness drifting toward his soul.

And there, she saw it.

A crystal.

No—something far beyond a mere crystal.

It burned with an ethereal brilliance, so impossibly radiant that even she, an ancient dragon of untold years, felt an instinctual urge to retreat.

Even at a distance, its pull was overwhelming.

If she got too close, it would devour her consciousness whole.

She turned her focus elsewhere, glancing at his main dantian.

And there it was.

Vast.

No.

Endless.

As deep as the abyss itself.

She had never seen a dantian this large.

Not in any being.

Not even among gods.

And then—her gaze flickered toward his unopened dantians.

Though sealed, their vastness could still be seen.

Still felt.

What would happen… if I opened them right now?

The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

If she did…

If she unsealed his full dantians in this very moment—

What kind of monster would he become?

The mere idea sent a rush of raw anticipation through her veins.

Not just astonishment.

Not just curiosity.

Something deeper.

Something far more dangerous.

Elizabeth's golden eyes, still alight with the remnants of her vision, darkened—shifting, deepening—until they burned with a fire not even she could name.

Her breath felt heavier.

Her heart, a thing long tempered by centuries of control, pounded in a way it had not for eons.

This feeling…

Is this fear?

No.

Something worse.

Something that sank into the marrow of her being, twisting, curling, coiling—until it became an insatiable, uncontainable hunger.

It was not fear.

It was desire.

A desire so immense, so boundless, so utterly all-consuming that it threatened to devour her.

She wanted—needed—to know.

What would he become?

What kind of beast would emerge if she unshackled him from his limits?

If she tore open the seals of his unopened dantians—

If she let his Aetherius explode into its full, uncontested supremacy—

Would he surpass them instantly?

Would the world itself bend beneath his awakening?

Would she, the mighty Elizabeth, be forced to kneel before the very child she had helped raise?

The thought sent a thrill through her body so intoxicating, so exhilarating, that she had to force herself to still her trembling hands.

Her control—her centuries of discipline—were crumbling.

She wanted to see it.

She wanted to witness it.

She wanted to bring it forth with her own hands.

Her lips parted.

Her fingers twitched, aching to weave the spell that would undo his restraints—

But she stopped.

Not because she feared him.

Not because she doubted his strength.

But because of the unknown.

Because once she opened him—

There would be no turning back.

Once his dantians awakened in full—

Even she, his beloved aunt, might not be able to control what would come next.

Would she still be his mentor?

Or would she become his prey?

Her breath left her in a shudder.

This was dangerous.

And gods, did she love it.

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