Incubus Ascension

The devil queen’s grip tightened around Ast’s throat, her crimson eyes blazing with cold fury as she lifted the struggling figure higher. "Where is that man?" she demanded, her voice a silken blade that cut through the grand hall of the Elven Royal Palace. Power crackled around her like storm clouds ready to break.

Liam’s heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat that drowned out everything else. Sweat beaded on his brow despite the cool forest air filtering through the towering pillars. *This is it. One wrong move and I’m dead. But running... running gets me nowhere now.* He had faced death before, in quieter moments back on Earth when regret had choked him harder than any monster ever could. Protecting what little he had left—his fragile new place in this brutal world—meant stepping forward, not away.

He activated Devil King mode. Dark energy surged through his veins, reshaping his armor into something ancient and terrifying, plates of obsidian and hellfire crimson locking into place. The weight of it grounded him, a reminder that he wasn’t the powerless salaryman anymore. Liam strode forward, boots echoing sharply on the marble floor.

"I’m that man," he said, voice steady despite the fear clawing at his gut.

The devil queen whirled toward him. Her beautiful face—sharp cheekbones, full lips, and eyes like molten rubies—twisted into icy contempt as she took in his armored form. "How dare a mere human wield the skill of the First Devil?" she snarled, power flaring around her fists.

Before Liam could respond, soft footsteps sounded behind him. Citra, the Elven Queen, emerged wrapped only in a thin towel that clung to her curves, her skin still flushed from their earlier encounter. A procession of more than twenty elven women followed, all bare and carrying the unmistakable scent of him—musk, sweat, and lingering magic. They moved with graceful confidence, unashamed.

The devil queen’s eyes widened, flicking from Citra to the women and back to Liam. "Wait... you laid the Elven Queen?"

Citra’s presence filled the hall like sunlight piercing ancient shadows. Liam felt a quiet warmth at the sight of her—a strange anchor in the chaos. She had become more than a powerful ally; in the short time they’d shared, she had offered him belonging, something his old life had starved him of.

The devil queen’s expression shifted as she assessed Citra’s aura. "She was only recently unsealed... and the reports said her power had surged while mine declined in that cursed prison." Her gaze sharpened. "Level 7000? No wonder she outmatches even the Celestials now."

Citra stepped closer to Liam, her voice calm but edged with steel. "You cannot touch him. He is my husband now. Lay a finger on him, and I will erase you from existence."

The devil queen’s heart visibly raced; her shoulders tensed. The vast gap in their levels made the threat no idle boast—it was simple, terrifying fact. She glanced again at the elven women, then at Liam, and a proud, wicked laugh escaped her lips.

"Look at this, Elven Queen—one of us! Someone carrying the Devil’s blood managed to plant his seed in you!"

Citra laughed lightly, the sound melodic yet dangerous. "Weren’t you just calling him a pathetic human a moment ago?"

"Oh no..." The devil queen’s eyes returned to Liam’s armor, widening once more. "Wait... that form is identical to the First Devil’s. How does a human possess it?"

*Alright,* she thought, a calculating glint in her eye. *This human is strong. He holds the original Diablos form and has claimed my greatest enemy. I should stay close... test him, learn more.*

She turned to Liam with a seductive smile. "Since you bear the First Devil’s form, you are royalty among the Devil race. You and I could date, you know." She extended a slender hand, pressing a small enchanted card into his palm—her contact rune shimmering faintly. "I’ll be the one calling you when I need something."

With that, she glanced once more at the assembled elves, smirked, and vanished in a swirl of dark mist, leaving the palace pillar trembling slightly in her wake.

Liam let out a long, shaky breath, shoulders sagging as the tension drained from his body. *Quest complete. Survive the Devil Queen—done.* Relief flooded him, mixed with the strange thrill of having navigated a nightmare without breaking.

Citra placed a gentle hand on his arm, her touch warm and grounding. "For becoming my husband and ridding the Tree of Life of that parasitic worm, I will hold a banquet in your honor tonight."

Night fell softly over the elven palace, lanterns glowing like captured stars among the ancient boughs. The long banquet table groaned under platters of exotic fruits, roasted meats glistening with herbs, and crystal decanters of shimmering wine. Laughter and soft music filled the air, a celebration of victory and new bonds.

Liam sat near the head of the table, Citra radiant beside him. He lifted a spoon toward the bowl of soup before him, its aroma rich and savory at first sniff. But something deeper—something wrong—made his stomach twist. *Logic says it’s fine. Why does every instinct scream otherwise?* He paused, activating his inspection skill.

**Soup of Eyes.**

*Drinking this will allow the Dark Entity known as the Eye to possess the target.*

His heart slammed against his chest. His legs felt suddenly weak beneath the table. *One month. The Eye is coming for me in one month. Does this mean I have to survive a full month without being killed or taken?*

He turned to Citra, voice low but urgent. "You’re the strongest in this world. Being near you feels like the safest place I could be... right?"

Citra’s eyes widened as he slid the bowl toward her. The moment her gaze fell on its contents, her aura erupted.

The pressure hit like a tidal wave. The entire castle shook; cracks spiderwebbed across thick wooden doors and the colossal Tree of Life groaned overhead. Liam, closest to her, dropped to his knees, gasping. Even his Iron Will and Mental Fortitude skills felt like tiny flames sputtering against a blizzard. The weight crushed his chest, forcing ragged breaths.

With a furious gesture, Citra destroyed the soup, the bowl shattering into harmless mist. "Was the Eye targeting you as well?" she asked, voice tight with concern.

Liam feigned mild ignorance, though fear still coiled in his gut. "What do you mean, ’also’? Was he targeting you too?"

Citra nodded grimly. "This entity is the reason the Tree of Life suffers—infesting it with worms. It’s why I couldn’t breach the barrier before." She paused, eyes narrowing. "But even so, he must have had help from someone inside the palace. That’s how the soup reached you."

She turned to the head maid, her presence commanding. "Who prepared and brought the dishes meant for my husband?"

The head maid pointed to a brunette elven girl near the edge of the room. In an instant, Citra bound her with invisible ropes of pure will. The girl floated upward, eyes wide with terror as the queen’s cold gaze bored into her.

"For hurting my husband," Citra said, each word laced with lethal promise, "I will kill you slowly. I will make you regret every breath until you wish you had never been born."

The brunette burst into desperate sobs, tears streaming down her face. Liam watched silently, jaw tight. *I can’t step in. Undermining Citra here would shatter the respect she commands in her own kingdom. She knows her people best.* The emotional weight of it all pressed on him—newly married, newly powerful, yet still walking a knife’s edge between allies and hidden threats. He had people to protect now, and losing that would break something deeper than any level could heal.

A new system notification flashed before his eyes:

**Quest: Extract All Information from the Maid About the Eye.**

**Failure: Time limit increases from one month to two years. Pursuit by both the Eye and the True Devil.**

**Rewards: Knowledge to prevent physical summoning of both entities.**

Liam cursed inwardly. *Does this damn system ever stop dumping quests at the worst moments?*

He saw Citra’s power tightening around the floating maid, ready to choke answers from her. Rising unsteadily, he spoke up. "Hmm, Citra... I can help you get the information from this maid."