November 1, 2026

Succubi Chapter 260. Second Evolution

I slowly smiled. The creature in the mirror smiled with me.

"Oh..." Even my voice sounded slightly deeper. "...that's fucking cool."

I'd nearly collapsed from demonic overheating thirty seconds ago. But priorities.

Another series of notifications appeared.

[Evolution Stabilized.]

[Demonic Form Updated.]

[New Demonic Form Acquired: Sovereign Demon (Stage II)]

[Additional Status Unlocked: Infernal Authority]

[Infernal Authority detected within Host's bloodline.]

[Authority Recognition Complete.]

[Infernal Rank Confirmed: Crown Prince]

Then another message appeared. One that immediately erased my smile.

[Dimensional Restriction Removed.]

I stared at it. "What?"

[Host's evolved Demonic Core can now withstand direct dimensional transition.]

[Dimensional Compatibility Confirmed.]

[Infernal Realm Access Unlocked.]

My heartbeat skipped. Infernal Realm. I could access Hell myself?

Another window appeared.

[New Authority Function Unlocked: Infernal Gate]

[Infernal Gate: Allows Host to establish a temporary dimensional passage between the Mortal Realm and the Infernal Realm.]

[Warning: Destination accuracy depends upon Host's familiarity with the target location.]

I slowly stood. Behind me, my new wings folded against my back. The dark armor covering my arms shifted naturally with every movement, almost like it had always been part of me. Power rolled beneath my skin.

Then the final notification appeared.

[Infernal Realm Access: AVAILABLE]

[Would you like to establish an Infernal Gate?]

[YES / NO]

I stared at those two options.

My finger slowly moved toward ‘YES’.

To be honest, I felt stuck. Not physically. Not academically. Definitely not financially anymore, assuming the academy actually paid me for all the ridiculous missions they kept throwing at me. Power-wise. That was the problem.

I had finally realized something painfully obvious. If I wanted to level faster, I needed a battlefield. A real one. Not controlled academy exercises where instructors watched from the sidelines. Not missions where killing everything in sight would result in paperwork, investigations, or someone asking deeply inconvenient questions about why a first-semester student could erase half a battlefield.

I needed somewhere I could fight freely. Somewhere I could hunt. Somewhere I could conquer.

That last word made something inside my chest pulse.

‘Conquer.’

Yeah. My Pride liked that one. Apparently, the little bastard living inside my soul didn't want experience points. It wanted territory. Enemies. Victory. Preferably with me standing dramatically over the remains afterward while something exploded in the background. Very healthy ambitions for a nineteen-year-old student.

My finger moved closer. At the same time, the rational part of my brain was screaming that opening an unknown portal directly into Hell five minutes after unlocking the ability was possibly… No. Definitely a terrible idea. But when had that ever stopped me?

A hand suddenly grabbed my wrist. "No."

I turned sharply.

Lilith stood beside me. Her long hair was messy, her crimson eyes still heavy with sleep, and she'd thrown her robe around herself so hastily that it looked like she'd walked out of Val's room the moment she'd awakened.

Which was extremely unfair. Even half asleep, she somehow looked elegant. Meanwhile, I currently resembled the final boss of a questionable fantasy game. "Lilith?"

"Don't press it."

I blinked. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I was."

She finally looked at me. Then her crimson eyes slowly traveled downward. Across my horns. My glowing eyes. The black armored skin covering my arms and shoulders. Then my wings.

Lilith stepped closer. Her fingers left my wrist and moved over the dark armor covering my forearm. Her touch was surprisingly gentle. "But then… I felt you." That sounded dangerous after last night.

I stared at her. "Please phrase that differently."

Lilith blinked. Then her lips curled. "Oh my~ After everything we did last night?"

"I'm protecting the remaining fragments of my dignity."

"Those died hours ago."

"...Fair."

She chuckled, but her amusement quickly faded. Her fingers traced one of the dark plates. "So it worked."

I frowned."What worked?"

"The resonance."

My eyes narrowed.

Lilith looked genuinely fascinated now. "It gave you a boost. A much larger one than I expected." She touched my chest, directly above my demonic core. "But I never imagined you'd reach the point where you could create an Infernal Gate." Her crimson eyes flicked toward mine. "Your bloodline really does make a difference."

I stared at her.

‘Hold on.’

"You know about this? How I suddenly got this much power."

Lilith went quiet. She smiled innocently. I knew that smile.

"You mentioned before that you wanted to become stronger, didn't you? And you've been frustrated with your growth."

"...Yes."

Lilith folded her arms. "The human world isn't suitable for demons who want to grow quickly, Evan."

That caught my attention.

She walked toward the window. "Humans have laws. Governments. Guild regulations. Academy jurisdictions. Hunting restrictions. There are monsters, yes, but you can't simply wander around killing everything you encounter. I mean..." Lilith looked back. "Legally."

That annoying word.

"And you're still an academy student," she continued. "Your freedom is even more restricted. Missions are assigned according to your registered ability and semester. You can't simply tell your instructors that you need stronger monsters because your secret demonic system wants experience."

I sighed. ‘I hate how reasonable that sounds.’

Lilith approached me again. "So I thought I'd give you a little boost."

I stared at her. "By having sex?"

Lilith smiled. "Among other things."

"I thought that was mostly for your benefit."

"It was." At least she admitted it immediately. "But..." Lilith stepped closer. "Do you remember what you are?"

"A Pride demon."

Her finger tapped my chest. "And you are..." She paused. For some reason, her expression softened. "...my partner."

That word made me pause.

Lilith continued before I could respond. "Having other Sins as your partners means something, Evan. Especially for someone with your bloodline."

My attention sharpened.

"You can resonate with our power."

"So that's what happened."

"Exactly." Her fingertip slowly traced a circle over my chest. "Your Pride doesn't simply tolerate another Sin's power. It responds to it. Accepts it. Perhaps even learns from it."

I frowned. "That's ridiculously convenient."

Lilith smirked. "You're dating walking power sources, darling."

"...When you put it like that, my love life sounds extremely efficient."