Pain.
That was the first thing Lux felt. A throbbing, splitting headache that felt like someone had driven a rusty nail through his temple.
"Young Master? Master Lux? Please, drink this."
A soft, cool hand touched his forehead. The voice was worried, velvety, and undeniably mature.
Lux blinked his eyes open. The blur of the world slowly sharpened into focus. He wasn't in his studio apartment anymore. He was bouncing rhythmically inside a wooden box—no, a carriage. The smell of old timber and rain filled his nose.
'I died,' Lux realized with a jolt. 'I definitely died. That truck didn't brake.'
Memories that weren't his flooded his brain.
Lux von Greylock. The seventh son of the Iron-Blood Duke.
The "Leaking Bucket." The "Mana-less Waste."
While his brothers were leading armies or studying at the Royal Academy, Lux couldn't even light a candle with magic. His soul had a hole in it. He was pathetic.
Yesterday, his father had finally had enough.
"You are a stain on the Greylock name. Go to the Blackwood Estate on the border and rot. Do not return."
Lux let out a dry laugh. 'So I've been transmigrated into the trash mob of a fantasy world. Classic.'
"Master Lux?"
He looked up. Sitting across from him in the dimly lit carriage was a woman who could only be described as a masterpiece of maturity.
Elara. His personal maid.
She looked to be in her mid-thirties, the prime of her beauty. Her black maid uniform was modest, but it couldn't hide the dangerous curves of her body. Her chest strained against the fabric with every bump of the carriage, heavy and soft. Her hips were wide, promising comfort, and her face—framed by chestnut hair tied in a strict bun—wore an expression of deep, motherly concern.
She was the only one who hadn't abandoned him. She had volunteered to follow him into exile.
"I'm fine, Elara," Lux croaked, his throat dry.
She sighed, relief washing over her features. She leaned forward, the motion causing her ample cleavage to sway mesmerizingly. She poured water from a leather skin into a cup.
"You had a fever dream, Young Master. You were screaming." She handed him the cup, her fingers brushing against his.
[DING!]
A sharp, mechanical sound rang in Lux's ears. Time seemed to freeze. A translucent blue screen materialized right in front of Elara's face.
[System Initialization Complete.]
[Welcome, Host Lux von Greylock.]
[The Eros-Ascension System is online.]
Lux almost choked on the water. 'A System? Finally. I knew I wouldn't be sent here empty-handed.'
He focused on the text.
[Core Mechanic: Symbiotic Cultivation.]
[Interact with high-potential females to gain Experience (XP) and Eros Points (EP).]
[Current Status: F-Rank (Mortal).]
[Mana Capacity: 0/10 (Leaking).]
'Great. Still trash,' Lux thought bitterly. But then, a new window popped up as he looked at Elara.
[Target Analyzed: Elara Vance]
[Role: Head Maid]
[Age: 35]
[Apparent Rank: E-Rank (Civilian)]
[TRUE RANK: A-Rank (Shadow Assassin)]
[Status: Cursed (Mana Venins Blocked). Slowly dying.]
Lux's eyes widened so much they almost popped out of his skull.
A-Rank?
In this kingdom, an A-Rank was a walking natural disaster. A one-man army. And she was... pouring him water?
[System Opportunity Detected!]
[Target Power Gap: Extreme (5 Tiers Higher)]
[XP Multiplier: x50]
[Mission: Establish Physical Contact for 10 Seconds.]
[Reward: Unlock Mana Circuit.]
Lux's heart began to hammer against his ribs.
If he touched a normal girl, he'd get crumbs. But Elara was a hidden whale. She was an XP goldmine sitting right in front of him.
"Master?" Elara frowned, noticing his intense stare. "Is there something on my face?"
"No," Lux said, his voice dropping. He felt a surge of confidence—not his own, but the System's instinct kicking in. "You just look... tired, Elara."
He reached out.
Usually, the old Lux would never dare touch her casually. He was too timid, too broken.
But the new Lux didn't care.
His hand landed on her thigh.
The fabric of her skirt was coarse, but the flesh beneath was soft, warm, and firm.
Elara froze. Her eyes widened, flicking down to his hand, then back to his face. "Y-Young Master? That is... improper."
"We are exiles now, Elara," Lux said smoothly, keeping his gaze locked with hers. He squeezed her thigh gently. "There are no nobles here. Just you and me. And I hate seeing you worry."
[Contact maintained: 3 seconds...]
Elara's breath hitched. A faint blush crept up her neck. She didn't push him away.
Why wasn't she pushing him away?
She had raised him. She viewed him as a child... didn't she?
Or perhaps, after years of serving a cold, ungrateful family, the sudden affection from the boy she protected was... confusing.
"Master Lux..." She whispered, her voice wavering. "If the coachman sees..."
"He won't." Lux moved his thumb, tracing a circle on her knee.
[Contact maintained: 7 seconds...]
[Target Reaction: Flustered / Aroused (Low)]
[XP Gained: +50 XP]
Warmth rushed through Lux's body. It felt like drinking hot whiskey on a cold day. The fatigue from the fever vanished instantly.
[Contact maintained: 10 seconds. Mission Complete.]
[Reward: Mana Circuit (Fragment) Unlocked.]
[You have leveled up! Level 1 -> Level 2]
Lux gasped. He felt it. A tiny spark in his chest. For the first time in his life, mana didn't leak out—it stayed.
He pulled his hand back, knowing when to stop. Pushing too fast would scare her off.
Elara sat there, stunned. She brought her trembling hands to her lap, covering the spot where he had touched her. She looked at him with a mix of shock and... was that curiosity?
"I... I should check our supplies," she stammered, standing up abruptly in the moving carriage to move to the back storage.
As she passed him, the carriage hit a massive rut.
"Ah!"
Elara lost her balance. She tumbled backward.
Lux reacted on instinct. He reached out and caught her.
But he didn't catch her hand.
His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her down. She landed squarely in his lap, her heavy, soft bottom pressing directly against his groin. Her back slammed into his chest, and her perfume—vanilla and sweat—filled his senses.
[CRITICAL INTERACTION!]
[Intimacy Event Triggered: The Lap Sitting.]
[Gap Multiplier Active: x50]
[Passive Effect Active: Your mana is soothing her Curse.]
Elara gasped, her body stiffening. But then, she melted.
She felt it too. The moment her body touched his, the agonizing pain she had hidden for years—the curse in her veins—dulled.
"Master..." she breathed, her head falling back onto his shoulder, her eyes half-lidded. "What... what did you do?"
Lux smirked, wrapping his arms tighter around her waist.
"Just holding on to what's mine, Elara."
[Current XP: 150/200]
[Next Level imminent.]
The exile was looking better by the second.