Kael woke up feeling heavy, as if he had faced a legendary monster during the night—or perhaps an emotional earthquake.

The soft morning light filtered through the linen curtains embroidered with arcane patterns, casting warm patterns on the wooden floor and bed. He blinked slowly, his eyes still tired, and tried to move... but a sharp, dull pain radiated from his groin, causing him to let out a muffled sigh of frustration.

"Tsk... of course it would hurt," he muttered, his voice hoarse and dry from accumulated fatigue. "She sucked every last drop..."

Next to him, Sazhara slept peacefully — or rather, clinging to him like a living curse. One of her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, and one of her legs was over his, as if to ensure he wouldn't run away.

She muttered something naughty, with a silly smile on her face and her tail wriggling slightly under the sheets.

Kael raised one hand and rubbed his face, letting out another sigh.

"If I have to go through this every night..." he muttered to himself. "I won't live long if this keeps happening..."

He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't want to.

With difficulty, he moved far enough away to free one of his hands and raised his fingers in the air, calling out:

"Status."

The interface appeared with a soft ding, shiny and familiar, flashing blue and gold.

[Host Status: Kael Scarlet]

[Age: 21]

[Class: Soul Hunter]

[Vitality: 53

[Strength: 46]

[Dexterity: 59]

[Intelligence: 81]

[Perception: 66]

[Resilience: 50]

[Luck: 190]

[Synchronization with Spirits: Umbra (89%), Ahri (69%)

[Beautiful Souls: Eleonor Scarlet, Elion Scarlet, Eva Sparda]

[Skills: Darkness Manipulation, Wind Manipulation, Mana Control, Enhanced Combat, Swordplay of King Swordsman Adalric, Swordplay of Queen Swordsman Eva, Swordplay of General Exelia, Blood Contract, Akashic Records of the Witch Queen.]

"My stats were over 200... even so... here we are..." Kael thought as he was violently embraced by Sazhara.

"Anyway, the previous system was useless... I hope this thing works at least minimally well..."

Kael was right. The previous system, before the update, was completely useless. Except for the soul absorption abilities, which for some reason weren't appearing... Everything else in the system was simply garbage.

Even absorbing souls and stat points, he was always weak. The stat points didn't matter, even though they had an effect when he used his sword and could deliver colossal blows without difficulty.

Even with all that, Kael couldn't help but feel that something in the old system was limiting him. As if a gear had been broken from the start—a structure that pretended to offer power, but without allowing true evolution. Now, however... he felt something different. As if, for the first time, his body and the system were truly in sync.

It wasn't perfect yet—the absence of soul absorption abilities was troubling. But at least now it made sense. The stats were low, yes, but he felt the impact of every point. The fatigue, the pain in his groin, the spiritual exhaustion... everything was grounded, measurable. Real.

He rolled his eyes, glancing sideways at Sazhara. The succubus purred softly like a satisfied cat, pressing him against her with ridiculous possessiveness.

"You killed me, girl," Kael whispered, trying to pull some of the blanket toward himself. She immediately pulled it back, still asleep. "Selfish even in your sleep..."

He closed the status tab with a lazy gesture. The interface disappeared with a soft sound.

Kael threw his arm over his eyes and took a deep breath.

"The synchronicity with Umbra remains strong... and now with Ahri too... that could be useful. But why did the absorption ability disappear? It's not like I stopped being a Soul Hunter..."

A brief silence followed.

Then, almost as if the system itself had heard his question, a new window opened, floating just above his head.

[Additional Information: "Soul Absorption" Ability Temporarily Sealed]

[Reason: Compatibility adjustment with new body]

[Estimated time for partial release: 3 days]

[Note: Due to the forced upgrade of the body by Matriarch Scarlet's ritual, abilities involving direct mana flow in the body will need to be realigned with the new core.]

"Oh shit... you could have said that before," he muttered, pushing the window aside with a finger. "Give me more notice about these things..."

He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to immerse himself for a few seconds in that rare moment of peace. Even with the pain, even with the worries, there was a strange feeling of solidity within him. As if, for the first time in a long time, he was truly present in his own body.

Of course, he still had a long way to go. The incident at school, the disappearance of the souls he had absorbed, the reappearance of Sazhara, and—most frightening of all—his mother, Elion, interfering directly in his life.

But now, at least, he had something he didn't have before: clarity.

And maybe... control.

Sazhara stirred, squeezing his arm even tighter and murmuring with a little smile:

"Mmm... master is... delicious..." Kael just stared at the ceiling for a few more seconds.

"I'm going to die..." Kael sighed one last time before burying his face in the pillow.

His entire body protested against any movement, as if his bones had been taken apart and put back together by inexperienced hands — or by a hyperactive succubus with an excess of pent-up energy.

Sazhara was now purring, literally, like a satisfied cat curled up around him. Her tail swayed lazily under the sheets, and the warmth of her body was... strange. Not just physical, but magical. The infernal essence she emitted seemed to react to his, intertwining as if seeking to establish an unconscious territorial mark.

He thought about pushing her away. But exhaustion won out.

The curtains swayed slightly in the morning breeze, and the distant sounds of the city began to rise from the alleys and streets outside—bells of mage-craftsmen, wheels of arcane carriages, voices casting lazy spells of cleaning and coffee. The world turned, completely oblivious to the fact that Kael Scarlet had once again survived spiritual destruction by unwanted affection.

"Just five more minutes," he muttered, his voice already slurred by the sleep that was returning.

His mind was still trying to organize his thoughts—the system, the statuses, the spiritual synchronicity, his mother, the disappearance of souls, last night—but each line of reasoning slowly dissolved like mist before a spell of drowsiness.

And little by little, he sank back into unconsciousness.

His breathing slowed. His muscles relaxed. Sazhara let out a satisfied murmur and snuggled closer, as if she could feel him falling asleep and wanted to make sure he didn't escape.

A few hours later...

The sun was high now, and the first rays of morning light flooded the room, illuminating Kael's still-sleeping face. The gentle breeze swayed the fluttering curtains, carrying with it the scents of the dawning day. The sounds of the market below began to increase, mingling with the birdsong and Sazhara's soft purring.

But something was different. Something wet and warm in Kael's lower region. He let out a sleepy groan, still half asleep, feeling the pleasant, moist warmth around his already semi-erect penis.

When he opened his eyes, the sight almost made him jump out of bed. Sazhara was there, smiling from ear to ear as she wrapped her mouth around his member, moving up and down with skillful movements.

"Mmmm... good morning, master!" She smiled, lightly tapping his penis against her cheek. "I was hungry, so I thought I'd have a nice breakfast!"

Kael moaned with pleasure, feeling the waves of sensations enveloping his member. "D-don't do that while I'm sleeping, what are you thinking?"

Sazhara smiled mischievously. "Don't you like it?"

He let out a ragged sigh. "I didn't say that..."

Sazhara slid his penis deep into her throat, swallowing it completely. Kael felt the moist heat envelop him, the soft walls of her mouth massaging his member. She began to suck, slow and gentle movements, making him even more excited.

"That... feels so good," Kael moaned softly, writhing with pleasure on the bed. Sazhara began to move up and down his member again, faster and faster, more and more intensely. The waves of pleasure intensified, rising up his spine.

"Sazhara... I'm going to come..." he managed to moan between gasps. She just smiled around his penis, sucking even harder. Kael arched his back, feeling the orgasm approaching. The pleasure reached its peak and he came hard in her mouth.

Sazhara's expression softened, her eyes shining with pleasure. She swallowed every drop of Kael's semen, wasting none, and continued to caress his member with her tongue, slowly, as if she wanted to savor every last bit of taste.

"Mmmm... it's so delicious," she murmured, licking her lips with a mischievous smile. "I love feeling your taste in my mouth. It's like a spell, making me want more and more of you."

Kael let out a shaky sigh, still feeling the waves of pleasure coursing through his body. The sight of Sazhara licking her lips with satisfaction after swallowing his semen was incredibly erotic.

"You're insatiable, aren't you?" he managed to say, his voice still broken by the intense orgasm. "I don't know if my body can take much more of this."

Sazhara laughed, a light, melodious sound that sent shivers down Kael's spine. She slid down his body, kissing and licking every inch of skin until she reached his neck.

"Don't worry, master," she whispered in his ear. "I'll take good care of you. I'll make you feel so good, so complete, that you'll never want to leave this bed."

With that, she began to kiss and bite Kael's neck, leaving light teeth marks on his skin. Her tail snaked around his body, brushing and caressing, while her hands explored his chest and arms.

Kael moaned softly, feeling desire reignite within him despite his recent orgasm. Sazhara's touch was magical, sending waves of pleasure throughout his entire being.

"I think—" Kael began to speak, but before he could finish...

Sazhara began to descend his body again, kissing and licking every inch of skin. She reached Kael's already hard member and wrapped her lips around it, sucking slowly, exploring every curve with her tongue.

"Hey!" Kael arched his back, letting out a loud moan. The sensations were intense, almost too much to bear. Sazhara's mouth was warm, wet, and talented, sending waves of pleasure throughout his entire body.

"Just... a little more milk..." She said with wide eyes, begging.