CHAPTER 66: CHAPTER 66

The corridor seemed endless—its walls etched with symbols pulsating faintly with magenta light, as if the very stone pulsed to the rhythm of a heart long forgotten. Lucien’s boots echoed softly on the marbled floor. The air was humid with the scent of roses and rain, ancient magic thick as mist.

Selena, Elira, and Nyla followed behind, each visibly affected by the energy of the place. Their skin glistened slightly, as though their very lust energy was being coaxed to the surface.

Lucien paused at the archway.

A sudden System Prompt appeared.

[Warning: You are entering the Sacred Chamber of Elarielle, Goddess of Lust and Sorrow.]

Recommended: Mental Fortitude Rank B+ or Higher.

Suggested Item: Heartroot Crystal (Not Found)

Lust Level Required: 60,000

Current: 43,800

Lucien clenched his jaw. "I’m below the requirement."

"I can feel her," Nyla murmured, eyes distant. "She’s... crying."

The archway opened without being touched. Inside, the chamber was unlike anything they had seen.

Vines bloomed across the walls, golden blossoms sprouting endlessly. A radiant tree—twisted and magnificent—stood at the center, and beneath it, a woman lay entombed in translucent crystal. Her hair floated weightlessly around her, silver and infinite, her body dressed in robes that shimmered like galaxies.

[Target Identified: Elarielle, Goddess of Lust and Sorrow – Dormant State]

Lust Signature: 900,000+

Status: Incomplete Seal. Sorrow Phase.

Soul Connection: Severed

Host Compatibility: 38% (Warning: Risk of backlash if awakened prematurely.)

"I don’t understand," Lucien said. "Why was she sealed?"

Selena, face pale, stepped closer. "She was betrayed by her own High Priestess. The legends say she fell in love with a mortal. A harem lord like you. She gave him her heart, her power—and he used it to destroy kingdoms. When she realized the pain she had unleashed, she begged to be sealed."

Elira added softly, "But part of her never stopped waiting. They say the man she loved promised to return once he ’conquered all of desire’..."

Lucien stared into the crystal. The woman’s expression was peaceful, but her eyes—weeping silver tears—were open.

"She’s awake."

Suddenly, the entire chamber trembled.

[System Event Triggered: The Goddess Stirs.]

Initiating Emotional Bonding Sequence...

Danger: Host Mind Stability May Be Affected.

Without warning, Lucien felt a pull. His soul—ripped from his body—was drawn into the crystal in a flash of searing light.

---

[Inner Plane: Elarielle’s Mind]

Lucien stood in a garden of black petals. Above, the sky swirled with moons. Elarielle stood in the distance—naked, fragile, and alone. Her back was to him.

He approached cautiously.

"Who are you?" she asked without turning.

"I’m Lucien."

"You carry his scent. His lies. His touch."

Lucien paused. "I’m not him."

She turned. Her eyes held storms of sadness. "But you will become him, won’t you?"

"No. I’ll become better."

She tilted her head. "Better? What is better than a man who broke kingdoms for a kiss?"

Lucien reached out his hand.

"I want to understand."

Her form flickered like a candle flame. Her voice was wind: "Then understand my pain."

Suddenly—he was no longer himself.

---

[Vision Memory Playback: The Fall of the First Harem Lord]

He was in a golden throne room, surrounded by concubines crying blood. Elarielle knelt before him, offering him her divine heart. The Lucien in this memory laughed, cruel and victorious.

"I am the Lord of All Flesh. Goddess or not—you are mine."

She looked up at him with eyes full of despair. "You once told me you loved me."

"I lied."

With that, he crushed her heart.

---

Lucien screamed. The pain of betrayal wasn’t just emotional—it was seared into his bones.

Back in the dream garden, Lucien fell to his knees, heaving.

"You saw it," Elarielle said. "The man who bore your soul before you. You carry the same lust... the same ambition."

He looked up, trembling. "But I’m not him."

"You say that now," she said, kneeling beside him. "But what if I gave you my power? What would you do?"

Lucien’s voice was quiet but firm. "I’d protect my women. I’d build a world where lust doesn’t mean pain. Where desire isn’t a weapon. I’d never hurt the ones who trust me."

For the first time, Elarielle smiled.

[Emotional Resonance Achieved.]

Bond Level: 12%

Awakening Permission: Conditional Unlock

New Skill Acquired: Tear of the Goddess – Allows Host to Purify Emotional Corruption in Lustful Entities.

Cooldown: 24 Hours

---

[Back in the Real World]

Lucien gasped as his body reformed in the chamber. His women ran to him.

"You were out for over an hour!" Elira exclaimed.

He stood shakily. "I saw everything. The first Lord... he wasn’t just a tyrant. He betrayed her. Used her."

Selena turned to the crystal. "And yet... she let you go?"

"Not just that. She gave me a piece of her sorrow."

[System Update: New Questline – Legacy of the Betrayed Goddess]

Objective: Complete the Six Trials of Lust and Sorrow

Reward: Permanent Goddess Bond – Elarielle

Note: Each trial unlocks a new level of trust... and a deeper power.

Suddenly, the tree in the chamber shook violently. The roots twisted. The vines withdrew from the walls. A doorway appeared—this one shaped like a heart, cracked down the center.

[New Path Unlocked: Trial One – The Arena of Regret]

Enemies: Former Lovers turned Revenants

Trial Type: Survival & Emotional Purging

Recommended: Minimum 3 Harem Members to enter

Entry Cooldown: 48 hours if failed.

Lucien looked to his women. "I’m not doing this alone. You’ve all stood by me when you didn’t have to."

Selena stepped forward first. "You’re not that man, Lucien. I’ll fight with you."

Elira smirked. "So long as you don’t start acting like him, I’ve got your back."

Nyla simply nodded, eyes fierce.

Lucien activated the heart door.

[Trial One: Initiated]

The chamber melted away.

---

[Within the Arena of Regret]

It was a crimson battlefield filled with mirrors. In every reflection, Lucien saw different versions of himself—some cruel, some broken, some seducing, some slaughtering. The revenants approached—women with hollow eyes, shadows of past lovers, twisted by regret.

And standing at the center was her—a woman with crimson hair and a single silver tear running down her cheek.

[Warning: Elite Revenant Detected – Liana, the Forgotten Bride]

Power: A++

Abilities: Emotion Bind, Mirror Clone, Lust Drain

Known History: Abandoned on the wedding altar by the First Lord.

Objective: Survive 10 minutes without losing your mind... or your heart.

Lucien raised his blade.

"Let’s begin."