Adonis returned to his room after his objective was completed.
Since Millia still had not fully fallen for him, he did not cross the line yet.
His little brother was hard, but within a controllable range.
Still, the sensation of that kiss lingered on his tongue. He felt as though he had almost fully conquered Millia. Just a little more push was required.
Setting those thoughts aside, Adonis summoned the Harem Sword in the dead of the night.
[ Harem Force: 2665 / 2500 ]
It was time to upgrade it to the next stage.
[ Upgrade Initiated... ]
As soon as the notification rang, a mysterious symbol of an ancient sword was engraved onto his forehead.
It felt warm against his skin, and more importantly, it felt like a natural part of his own body.
[ Upgrade Complete! ]
[ Chaotic Harem Sword has been upgraded to Stage C ]
[ Attack Power: 101 (+50), Defense: 105 (+50) ]
[ You have received the Stigmata of Valkyrion ]
[ Valkyrion: You can now summon Heroic Maidens from history, legends, and myths. ]
[ Usage: 1 time per day. Cost: 1000 Ether to activate. ]
[ Next stage requirement: 165 / 10,000 Harem Force]
Adonis kept his eyes locked onto the sword in disbelief.
The black blade had grown slightly larger and developed sharp, spiky edges at the very tip, giving it a more predatory appearance. However, the physical change was not the source of his shock. It was the ridiculous requirement for the next upgrade.
The system demanded 10,000 Harem Force. It had taken him two months of constant effort just to gather 2,500. Harvesting 10,000 points was not something that would happen anytime soon.
Despite the daunting cost of the next stage, the new ability granted by the Harem Sword certainly felt worth investigating.
Valkyrion
"Heroic Maidens for a thousand Ether," he mused. "It doesn't seem so bad on paper, but I don't have the necessary energy to activate the stigmata right now."
He felt a pang of regret. He truly wished to see what kind of Heroic Maiden would emerge from the summoning. He wondered if he could summon the powerful female characters from the original plotlines of his past life. They were the same characters he had designed with painstaking effort, and their beauty, elegance, and power were simply mind-shattering.
One name in particular surfaced in his mind, a character whose legend was whispered in the darkest corners of history:
Valentina, the Empress of Ruin.
As the name echoed in his mind, the environment in the room seemed to grow heavy with a phantom scent of iron and aged roses.
In the lore Adonis had written for Gloria, Valentina was not merely a warrior; she was the progenitor of the Sanguine Eclipse, the oldest and most feared lineage from the Vampire World.
She was a creature of ancient elegance who had once brought entire empires to their knees, not through politics, but through the sheer terror of her blade. Her Sword Soul, the Vampiric Soul-Eater, was a living extension of her own veins.
It was an old obsidian rapier that thrived on the life essence of those it struck, funneling their stolen vitality directly into its master to grant her near-infinite Ether and ultra health regeneration.
To the people of her world, she was a calamity wrapped in scarlet roses. She belonged to a time when vampires didn't hide in shadows but ruled from thrones made of the bleached bones of their enemies.
"If I can truly summon her, then the power balance of this duchy won't just change. It will be annihilated."
The thought of such a woman (a goddess of slaughter and sophistication) serving him sent a thrill of anticipation through his core.
However, the 1000-unit Ether requirement became a stubborn wall standing between him and his Empress.
And there was only one way to increase one's Ether.
Ether Cores.
They were divided into ranks: F, E, D, C, B, A, and the legendary S grade.
Each core granted a different amount of Ether to the consumer.
Unfortunately, he had access to none of them.
The duchy would not grant any unless he makes some remarkable achievements.
Those with special constitutions like his could absorb Ether much earlier.
But the real difficulty remained. Gathering them was not easy unless one possessed a ridiculous amount of wealth to spend in the market or personally ventured into dungeons.
He paused as this realization struck him hard.
"That's right… I have the power to run dungeons. And I have the means to disguise myself and enter without hindrance. I don't need academies to teach me how to dive into dungeons. I don't need to be afraid. So why should I limit myself with these people's backward thinking?"
He smirked.
"Tomorrow, I will begin my own adventure."
Night faded to dawn.
When the servants were just waking up, Adonis slipped out like a shadow.
He moved barefoot across the grass, his presence light, his breathing controlled. With Boundless Stamina and Ether circulation reinforcing his body, even long-distance travel felt effortless.
10 miles was no longer a daunting journey. It was merely a warm-up.
He avoided the main roads, choosing forest paths and shallow ravines instead.
By the time the outer watchtowers were far behind him, the silhouette of a small frontier town emerged in the distance.
This place existed for one reason only.
Dungeon.
The F-rank dungeon lay just outside the town.
Slime Dunk.
To his information, Slime Dunk was filled with various kinds of slimes, mostly ranging between level 1 and 10.
The level may appear high, but it was the lowest tier possible.
The slimes at lower floors are weaker. So minimal danger. And a perfect training ground for rookies.
But the problem was never the dungeon itself.
It was the passing through the gate. He needs an access badge to pass through.
Adonis slowed as he approached the adventurers' quarter, where lanterns glowed warmly inside the taverns, laughter and boasting spilling into the streets.
Low-rank adventurers gathered here, drinking away fear before tomorrow's dives.
He watched them quietly from a rooftop.
No badge, no access.
Fortunately, humans were far easier to deal with than monsters.
His eyes settled on a lone man leaving the tavern. He was in mid-twenties.ies. F-rank badge pinned loosely to his belt.
He was perfect. He was drunk and careless.
Adonis followed the man.
The alley was narrow and dim. Before the man could even turn around, a precise chop landed at the base of his neck.
The adventurer crumpled without a sound.
Adonis caught him before he hit the ground, laid him gently against the wall, and removed the badge.
"No killing. I am not here for that." he murmured.
He studied the man's face carefully.
Then he closed his eyes.
Biological Manipulation activated.
The sensation was strange but natural, like flexing a muscle he had always possessed but never known existed.
His bones shifted with soft, muted pops. Muscles rearranged themselves beneath the skin. His height increased slightly. His shoulders broadened. Facial structure softened, then reshaped.
Within seconds, the reflection in a nearby puddle showed a completely different person.
Same face. Same build. Same presence.
Only the eyes remained his own, sharp and calm.
Adonis adjusted the badge on his belt and pulled the hood low.
< Disguise is 97% perfect, Master. "You're ready to go > Vexa cheered.
"I know."