Lucian didn't spare the monster a second thought.
It looked human—too human. The kind of artificial beauty that only something built from a thousand stolen souls could imitate. The creature had chosen the shape of a woman in her twenties, all soft edges and pale calm, likely a subconscious echo of Eve. Maybe it thought mimicking its creator would please him.
He didn't care.
It was only a tool, a product of necessity. His Essence of Typhon granted him dominion over monsters, but to copy the refined abilities of his subordinates, he needed something specific—something that could hide. A creature designed for disguise.
And now that he had that power, he finally didn't have to warp into some eldritch nightmare every time he wanted to flex his strength.
In his human form, he could easily overpower most monsters; in his Majin form, he stood on equal footing—perhaps slightly above—Eve herself. But the true prize was the ability to mask his presence. His chaotic aura, that faint distortion of reality that screamed wrongness, was gone.
He could walk unseen among angels if he wished. Even Velzard, the walking apocalypse in white, might not notice him.
Well… might.
He wasn't foolish enough to test that theory yet.
For now, he waited.
The air around him hummed softly, the seconds stretching thin as the familiar ripple passed through his consciousness. It was the sixteenth day since he'd first awakened his System. Time for another spin of the cosmic slot machine.
A faint sound, like the shuffle of cards across a void.
{Rolling the Gacha…}
Light flickered across his vision, followed by the quiet chime that always made his pulse quicken.
{You have obtained: Essence of Affection Multiplier.
Essence of Affection Multiplier
Grants access to the Affection System, a social enhancement framework that translates emotional bonds into tangible values.
Starting multiplier: 5x affection gain.
Accumulate points to evolve the system, unlock perks, and improve relationship growth.
Negative emotions are unaffected unless toggled or upgraded.
Includes a personal interface—visible only to you—capable of tracking relationship data.
Immune to theft, suppression, or external interference.
Bonus perk: Relationships never decay from time or distance.}
---
Lucian blinked once. Then twice.
And then—
"Finally… a way to score my own harem."
The words stayed in his head, but the smirk that followed didn't.
He almost laughed. Out loud. The absurdity of it—after all the monstrous Essences, god-slaying forms, reality-breaking power—now the universe handed him this.
During his months as the "man without manhood," he'd spent far too many nights stewing in ironic envy of those smug harem protagonists. Even Rimuru had it easy, surrounded by worshippers, and Rimuru didn't even—
He cut off that train of thought fast. The memory was… uncomfortable.
Still, the saying held true: You only learn the value of something after you lose it. And now that he'd regained what was lost, the universe clearly decided it was time to tempt him with the rest.
Lucian opened the holographic display hovering before him.
Rows of names flickered into existence like ghosts answering a roll call.
---
Eve
Type: Subordinate / Devotee
Affection Score: 103
Threshold: Slightly Obsessed
Sona Sitri
Type: Friendship / Recruitment
Affection Score: 29
Threshold: Caring / Important Chess Piece
Rias Gremory
Type: Acquaintance
Affection Score: 11
Threshold: Interest
Tsubaki Shinra
Type: Acquaintance
Affection Score: 10
Threshold: Care
Velzard
Type: Target
Affection Score: –8
Threshold: Annoyance
Crazy Fucking Ex
Type: Betrayer
Affection Score: –162
Threshold: Torture on Sight
---
Lucian stared at the last entry for a long, silent beat.
The letters swam like rot in his vision.
He deleted it. Instantly.
The menu shimmered and the name vanished, leaving only the faintest echo of memory behind—a flicker of laughter, the sting of betrayal, the taste of blood on metal.
He rubbed his temple and exhaled slowly. The System had only pulled up the people most connected to him. And of course, she had surfaced. His ex had carved herself into his psyche like a scar that refused to heal.
Some part of him still wanted to face her again—drag her to justice, maybe worse. But another, quieter part knew better.
That kind of hatred didn't fade; it fermented. It didn't need feeding.
"Forget it," he muttered under his breath. "I've got better things to do."
And better people to charm, apparently.
He dismissed the display, amused despite himself. Maybe, just maybe, this Essence would make life… interesting.
---
"Eve," he said, rising from his seat, "I'll be heading out. Alone, for now. I might call you in a few days."
The ancient monster kneeling beside his throne lifted her gaze—eyes like molten amethyst shimmering with unholy devotion. "As you wish, my lord," she murmured, voice laced with something that sounded suspiciously like longing.
Lucian turned away before she could say more. He knew that tone, that feverish edge. If he lingered, she might start worshipping in ways that made literal altars look tame.
And while the thought was… flattering, he had other priorities.
With a thought, he folded space around himself and vanished.
The Forest of Jura hadn't changed.
Charred trees, broken earth, the faint metallic scent of mana-burn still hung in the air — it was like stepping back into the aftermath of his own tantrum. Lucian landed softly at the edge of the crater, brushing dust from his coat.
"Still looks like I left it," he muttered.
He was about to lift off when the world froze.
Literally.
The wind halted mid-gust. Leaves hung suspended mid-fall. Even the lingering embers dimmed, caught in the paralysis of time.
Lucian's shoulders slumped. "Oh, come on. How did she find me?"
A familiar voice, calm and cool as ancient glaciers, drifted behind him.
> "No matter how powerful you are, being idiotic tends to cancel it out."
He turned slowly, already knowing who he'd see.
Velzard stood a few paces away, white hair rippling in the still air. Frost gathered at her feet, yet she looked perfectly at ease — as if the frozen world itself had paused merely to accommodate her. Her expression was the same blend of authority and mild amusement he'd come to associate with her: that patient, dangerously indulgent look that said I could erase you, but I'm curious instead.
"And how exactly am I idiotic?" Lucian asked, tilting his head.
"Well," she began, voice soft but edged with teasing, "you returned to the exact point you vanished from — where I might reasonably still be watching — while wearing a form I've already seen, when you can clearly alter your shape at will."
She sighed, not unkindly. "Really, it's impressive how your instincts and intelligence sometimes fail in perfect synchronization."
Lucian blinked. "…So you were watching even before I turned into the eldritch apocalypse thing?"
A faint glint crossed her eyes. "I did have an idiotic brother living here a few days ago, so of course I kept an eye on this place."
"Everyone's an idiot to you," he muttered.
Her lips curved — barely a smile, but it softened her aura enough that the air felt less brittle.
Then, without a gesture, time resumed.
The forest exhaled. Ash fell. The air warmed by a fraction.
Lucian looked around warily. "You resumed time. That means you're not about to turn me into ice dust, right?"
---
{Valzard's Affection Score increased by +12.}
{5x Multiplier Applied.}
{Total Increase: +60.}
{Current Score: –8 → 52.}
{Relationship Type: Target → Interest.}
{Affection Threshold: Annoyance → Curiosity / Care.}
---
"Kill you?" Velzard arched a brow, as though the idea were quaint. "No. I only sought to erase you when I thought you were mindless — an animal unraveling the world by existing. Now…" She stepped closer, hands clasped behind her back. "You seem… interesting."
There it was — that tone. Amused, ageless, faintly indulgent.
Lucian almost preferred when she'd wanted to kill him.
"Well," he said, forcing a grin, "thanks for not disintegrating me. So… am I free to go, or do I need to sign a nonexistence clause first?"
Velzard tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "No. You may go wherever you like. I'll simply follow."
"…Follow?"
"You caught my attention, little chaos," she said with a faint, dangerous smile — not malicious, but mischievous. "And I find amusement to be a scarce luxury these days. You'll do nicely for now."
Lucian felt the distinct chill of being labeled someone's personal entertainment.
He swallowed, keeping his tone casual. "You know, that's the kind of line that makes people develop trauma."
Her laughter was low and melodic. "You already have trauma. I can smell it."
"Yeah, well," he muttered, "add 'ice dragon psychoanalyzing me' to the list."
She ignored the jab, already walking ahead, the air frosting gently in her wake.
Lucian sighed, rubbing his neck. With the Essence of Nomad, he could vanish anytime — skip to another world, another dimension — but when you can always pull back, sometimes putting your hand in the fire suddenly sounds like a good idea.
---
They moved through the quiet forest for a while, her stride leisurely, his pace wary.
Then she spoke again, without looking back.
> "Do you have a name?"
"Yeah," he said automatically, "I'm—"
The moment the word left his mouth, the world shuddered.
Lucian's breath caught as energy surged from deep within him — an uncontrollable torrent of magicules pouring out like a flood. The ground beneath his feet cracked. Frost laced the air.
He tried to cut the flow, but it was like trying to dam a river with his hands.
His name — his self — was escaping through every syllable.
"Lucian…" he gasped, and the sound reverberated, echoing through the forest like a word of creation.
Velzard turned to face him, her expression sharpening as she instantly understood.
"Foolish," she murmured, stepping forward — her aura unfolding like a wing of ice and eternity. With a simple motion, she reached out, touching the surge of leaking energy with her own.
Her magicules flowed into his, seamlessly weaving frost through sunfire and moonlight. The chaotic torrent stabilized, reshaped, refined.
Lucian felt her power coil through him — cold, patient, ancient — binding itself to his essence. The flow steadied, and his name resonated once more, this time balanced between light and frost.
Silence followed.
His knees hit the ground, steam rising from his skin. The air glittered with frozen motes of light.
Velzard regarded him with quiet amusement. "Well now, aren't you going to thank me?"
Lucian groaned, half-dizzy, half-awed. "So… what just happened?"
"I lent you some magicules," she said simply. "Your will defined your name. My power made it real."
The frost shimmered faintly across his skin before sinking back into his veins, merging with the golden and silver hues of his Sun and Moon authorities.
"Lucian," she said again, tasting the name like it was a rare wine. "Are you perhaps a reincarnated being?"
"You could certainly say that. And thanks," he said, managing a faint grin. "Why did you help me, though?"
She turned away, her pale hair flowing like a banner of moonlight. "Because it amused me to do so."
Of course.
Lucian watched her walk ahead, her aura already blending with the mist. For a fleeting moment, he felt the shift — as though reality itself now recognized him differently.
The name Lucian pulsed in his soul like a heartbeat carved in ice and flame.
A/n: Just kidding, there was no Objective for Bonus Chapter but hey I just saw the power stones reach 50 and the chapter was ready so why not.
Anyways, how's Valzard's personality? I'm trying to make her a bit like powerful noona vibes but also keeping in the Valzard vibe.
Lastly, the Essence of Affection Multiplayer. Got any questions, please feel free to ask.