The renovations weren't limited to the upper floors of the villa; Ethan's underground "little black room" had also been completely overhauled. In fact, calling it a "room" was no longer accurate. The renovated underground space was massive, easily rivaling the size of the subterranean cathedral that Yuuma Amano and her sisters had once used as their base.
It was now partitioned into four distinct zones: the Equipment Zone, the Wardrobe, the General Area, and finally, the Prison. The Equipment and Wardrobe zones were self-explanatory. The General Area was a versatile space designed to accommodate any new "kinks" or ideas Ethan might come up with. The Prison, however, retained the characteristics of the original "little black room"—a place where the concept of time was blurred, reinforced by various magical seals.
The purpose of the Prison was to hold powerful, high-quality "wicked women" who refused to mend their ways. These women would undergo "labor reform" in the cells, and once they were ready to embrace a new life, they would be "baptized" through the other three zones.
Of course, this was still just a conceptual framework. Ethan wasn't particularly interested in spending immense effort to "persuade" evil women toward the path of righteousness. Dual cultivation was, by its very nature, a mutually beneficial act. Even if Ethan gained more from the exchange, the woman certainly didn't lose out. Why force the issue? He felt his time was better spent deepening his bonds with other female powerhouses. As the saying goes: "The more friends you have, the more paths are open to you."
If it hadn't been for Katerea Leviathan trying to kidnap him and the arrogant attitude of the other Demon Kings during the peace summit, Ethan wouldn't have bothered with such elaborate schemes.
Just as Ethan was thinking that he might never actually use the Prison or the underground complex, a certain dark-skinned female Demon King showed up that very night to slap him in the face with reality.
In the depths of the Underworld, within the Leviathan Estate...
Katerea Leviathan sat in a state of utter emptiness, pulling her dripping fingers from between her rounded, shapely thighs. Even though she had just reached a peak of physical pleasure, she felt more hollow than ever.
Nearly a month had passed since she returned to her family. For three weeks, she had rejected every "gift" of beautiful men and women offered by her subordinates. But two days ago, she finally broke down and began doing something she once considered shameful—masturbation. At first, it provided a brief respite from her agitation, but within forty-eight hours, the void in her soul and the fire in her loins returned with a vengeance.
In her luxurious bedroom, the dark-skinned beauty bit her lip. Looking at the glistening moisture on her fingers and feeling the unrelenting ache in her womb, the final string of her reason and dignity snapped.
A brilliant magic circle flared beneath Katerea's feet. She locked onto the spatial coordinates that had been burned into her memory—the only place that truly felt like home to her now.
Human World, August 3rd, 10:00 PM.
After a busy day, Ethan had finally finished moving. He didn't have many belongings; most of his time had been spent comforting the girls, especially Cheryl (Xuelan) and the others who had stayed with him. The Gremory villa was huge, but it couldn't house every woman Ethan was involved with. To live here, one needed at least the potential of Yubelluna or the others, and a clear understanding of their place in the hierarchy.
Ethan wanted to treat everyone equally, to be the "Saint of Love," but in reality, it was impossible. Every time they had a party, there were new faces, or at least faces Ethan vaguely recognized but couldn't quite name. After some internal conflict, he decided to embrace his role as a "relentless bulldozer." Being a playboy was fine, as long as he didn't overthink things and remained "trashy" enough to enjoy it.
This move was a silent declaration of that fact. He simply didn't have enough emotional energy to divide among everyone. Taking care of the top-tier beauties like Rias, Sona Sitri, and Mio Naruse was already enough to make him a master of romance. Of course, if they were only talking about physical needs, Ethan's dual cultivation abilities allowed him to fulfill his duties perfectly.
Despite a long day of "plowing the fields" that left him without even a bite to eat, he knew he had to celebrate the first night in the new house. Ethan lay on the massive bed in his top-floor suite, wearing a soft cotton robe. He was just about to call Rias and the others through the Soul Network when a familiar yet foreign magical fluctuation hit his senses.
"Hmm?" Ethan murmured, concentrating. "A direct teleportation... it's in the basement. Specifically, the Prison..."
He grew confused. Of all the places in this massive house, why teleport there?
The Prison was the only part of the villa designed to let people in but not out. Without breaking the seals, teleporting away was impossible. Ethan headed down to the basement and saw the familiar dark-skinned beauty. He realized why she chose that spot—it was the only place in the house she recognized.
Katerea had shed her disheveled look and returned to her Demon King persona. She wore a crisp white shirt and a tight skirt, looking dignified and refined. Her exotic, South-Island features were calm, as if the desperate, lustful bitch who had been pining for him for weeks never existed.
However, she had kept the look Ethan had "trained" into her. She wasn't wearing those thick glasses that hid her beauty, nor was her hair tied in those unflattering braids. She wore black pantyhose, her sexy feet encased in high heels, looking incredibly enticing. Ethan also noticed her skin tone had changed slightly—it was a deeper, more lustrous shade of bronze-red, though the change was subtle after only a month.
Without a word being spoken, Ethan knew exactly why this proud descendant of Leviathan was here. He opened the prison door, intending to take her upstairs to meet Rias and the others formally, but she refused.
"I am only here to use your... 'ability.' Do not misunderstand," Katerea said coldly, fighting the urge to throw herself into his arms.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. Did I miscalculate? No, impossible. With his experience, he could tell Katerea was at her limit. That left only one possibility...
His expression turned cold. "If you don't want the kindness I'm offering, then fine. Go back to being my bitch."
Katerea's breath hitched. A flush crept up her cheeks, though it was hard to tell if it was from shame or anger. "You! How dare you—!" her voice echoed in the wide basement.
Ethan remained calm on the surface but prepared his defenses. If he was wrong, a fierce battle was coming. But his intuition was spot on. Katerea was panting, her mouth moving, but no attack came. She didn't even flare her magic.
Seeing this, Ethan stepped forward. Katerea instinctively backed away, her psychological submission laid bare. He walked into the familiar cell and shut the door. In the small, enclosed space, Ethan stared into the eyes of the "cold" Demon King. The air grew thick with lust.
Katerea's breathing became heavy. As Ethan's scent washed over her, her final shred of dignity collapsed.
"Master..."
She gasped, her pink lips looking like ripe peaches ready to overflow with sweet juice. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were swimming with desire. In this familiar environment, faced with Ethan's dominance, her deep-seated submissiveness resurfaced. By calling him "Master," she had officially surrendered.
Ethan didn't say a word. He pulled her into his arms and crushed his lips against hers. His tongue surged into her mouth, swirling through her sweet saliva as his hands wandered over her body, groping her heavy breasts through her thin shirt. One hand slid down, reaching into her skirt to feel her wet "garden" through the lace of her panties.