Leo stared at the woman. The air around her didn't just feel hot; it felt heavy, thick with a scent like crushed jasmine and ozone.
[Stat Points Allocated.] [Strength: 5 -> 8] [Stamina: 4 -> 6]
Power surged through his limbs. The ache in his back vanished, replaced by a cold, metallic strength that made his previous self feel like a ghost.
"Who are you?" Leo asked, his voice deeper, vibrating with the authority of the System.
The woman tilted her head, her violet eyes scanning him from head to toe. "My name is Seraphina. I was the 'gift' for the previous Monarch... but he was a coward who died before he could even break my seals. You, however..." She leaned forward, the chains clinking softly against the obsidian. "You smell of real malice. I like that."
[System Warning: Entity 'Seraphina' is a Sealed Succubus-Queen.] [Current Threat Level: Unknown.] [Sub-Quest Triggered: The First Contract.] [Option A: Release her. (Reward: Companion 'Seraphina', Unlocked Skill: 'Shared Mana')] [Option B: Subdue her. (Reward: Slave 'Seraphina', Unlocked Skill: 'Soul Bind')]
Leo stepped closer. He was tired of being the one in chains. He was tired of being the "sacrifice."
"If I release you," Leo said, his hand reaching toward the collar around her neck, "what's to stop you from killing me the moment you're free?"
Seraphina's smile widened, revealing small, sharp fangs. She leaned her neck into his touch, her skin unnaturally soft. "Because, little king, your Obsidian System is the only thing that can keep my soul from fading. Without you, I'm just a memory. With you..."
She pressed her body against his, the glowing runes on her skin seeping warmth into his tattered clothes.
"With you, I can help you tear down that Silver Dawn guild. I know their secrets. I know Marcus's true power. I can be your blade, your advisor... or whatever else you desire in the dark."
Leo felt the Stamina points working. His heart wasn't racing from fear; it was steady, fueling a dark hunger he had never felt before. He looked at the heavy lock on her collar. It was made of the same obsidian as the altar.
CRACK.
With his new Strength, Leo didn't need a key. He gripped the collar and twisted. The metal groaned and shattered.
The red runes on Seraphina's skin flared a brilliant crimson before turning a deep, royal purple—the color of the Monarch. She collapsed into his arms, her breath hot against his neck.
[Sub-Quest Completed: Option A Selected.] [Relationship Bond Established: Devotion (Rank 1).] [New Skill Unlocked: Shared Mana (Passive).]
"Good choice," she whispered, her hands sliding up his chest. "Now... before we leave this floor, the System requires a 'Synchronization.' A monarch must claim his first subject to truly activate the Forbidden Bloodline."
The dungeon door behind them groaned. The S-Rank monsters outside were sensing the shift in power.
"Make it quick, Leo," she purred, pulling him down into the shadows of the altar. "The hunt begins as soon as the sun rises."