I stare at the blinking screen for a long, quiet moment. I should be shocked, or at least questioning my sanity, but after being murdered, reborn, and having my jawline surgically sharpened by a demonic goddess, a floating UI seems like a natural progression.

  [Welcome to the Lust Sovereign System, Harry Vedman.]

  The text flickers, sensing my fixed gaze. It doesn't feel like a hallucination; the light has a weight to it, a subtle hum that vibrates in the back of my teeth.

  [Would you like to view your status?]

  I reach out a hand, more out of instinct than anything else. Every protagonist in those light novels I spent my weekends reading does this.

  My fingers pass right through the light, meeting no resistance and causing the amethyst particles to ripple like water. I feel a bit like an idiot, but I clear my throat and think a firm Yes.

  The screen shifts, data streaming across my vision in a soft, violet glow.

  [Status Window]

  Name: Harry Vedman

  Age: 20

  Level: 1 (EXP: 0/10)

  Race: Lesser Incubi

  Title: N/A

  Current Condition: Normal

  [Attributes] | [Abilities] | [Quests]

  I focus on the first tab. Show my attributes.

  [Attributes]

  STR (Strength): 13

  AGI (Agility): 14

  STM (Stamina): 12

  INT (Intelligence): 05

  OJAS (Energy): 50/50

  HP (Health): 100/100

  I already know that I am different from when I was a human—stronger, faster, more present in my own skin. My muscles don't feel bulky, but they feel dense, like coiled springs.

  However, I have no frame of reference for these numbers. "Hey, tell me," I say, thinking about what name to give my system, "How do these numbers look? Am I strong?"

  [For humans, the average attribute score is 7. However, for demons—specifically a Lesser Incubus—this average baseline increases to 15.]

  I let out a dry, self-deprecating ugh. "So, what you're saying is that compared to humans, I'm an Olympic athlete, but compared to my own kind, I'm still the weakling at the back of the pack?"

  [...Yes.]

  I shake my head. "Well, you're certainly blunt."

  [I am programmed to be honest with you, Harry. Accuracy is my primary function.]

  "Since you're tied to my soul, I assume you're reading my thoughts right now. What exactly are you? A pre-coded script, or do you have a mind of your own?"

  [You can think of me as an advanced A.I. assistant, though I am deeply integrated with your Ojas and consciousness. My intelligence is adaptive, designed to guide you toward your destiny.]

  "Right. Very advanced. Well, calling you 'System' is a bit impersonal, and naming your sentient interface is practically a tradition in these situations. Since you're genderless and new to me, 'Nova' feels right. How does that sound?"

  [Acceptable. Designation 'Nova' has been registered.]

  "Good. Nova, let's see what I can actually do. Show me my abilities."

  [Abilities]

  {Charm} (Passive): Adds a natural, supernatural allure to your being. Other creatures will find themselves instinctively drawn to your presence, finding you more trustworthy or attractive than logic dictates.

  {Vitality Drain} (Active): Allows the user to siphon life force through intimate physical touch. This is the 'clean' method of feeding, though it is less efficient than the primary method. Requires 1 OJAS to use.

  {Seductive Aura} (Active): Radiates a field of pure arousal. It amplifies existing desires and is particurly effective on targets who already harbor romantic or sexual feelings for the user. Requires 5 OJAS to use.

  I stare at the list, waiting for it to scroll down. It doesn't.

  "That's it, really? Where are the fireballs? Where's the shadow-stepping? And for the love of god, where is the telekinesis? I watched Velora use it in the room to float. I thought that was part of the package!"

  [Rex, Harry. You are a 'Lesser' Incubus. You are at the bottom of the food chain. You can acquire offensive, defensive, and utility abilities by leveling up or completing specific milestones. Telekinesis is a high-level manipution of Ojas, far beyond your current capacity.]

  I sigh, my excitement defting. I'm a Level 1 mob in my own life story. "Fine. Show me the Quests. Let's see how I actually get out of the 'Lesser' category."

  [Quests]

  {Evolution Quest}: [Details Locked]

  "Nova, you're kidding me, right? Why are the details locked? What does 'Evolution' even imply?"

  [An Evolution Quest is the path to moving up the demonic hierarchy—becoming a Greater Incubus or higher. To unlock the details, you must first satisfy the hidden requirements of your current form.]

  "And let me guess, you won't tell me those requirements until I meet them?"

  [Correct.]

  "Of course. And what about daily quests? Saving kittens? Killing ten rats in a sewer?"

  [New quests will be generated in real-time based on the immediate difficulties, desires, and objectives of your life.]

  I close my eyes, trying to process the sheer weight of it. I'm a demon. I have a voice in my head. I am compining about almost everything, behaving like a brat. And I'm currently hiding in a cave with a woman who happens to be the wife of the man who tried to kill me.

  Speaking of Rose...

  A soft rustle of movement catches my attention. Beside me, Rose begins to stir. Her movement is slow, her breath hitching as she cws her way back to consciousness.

  To her, the st twelve hours must be a fractured kaleidoscope—the grief in the forest, the sudden appearance of a stranger, and the explosive, terrifying passion that followed.

  She opens her eyes, blinking against the harsh shafts of afternoon sunlight piercing the cave entrance. The rock wall Velora mentioned is gone, or perhaps it was always an illusion.

  Rose looks at the rocky ceiling, her face contorting with a fsh of panic, before her gaze snaps to the side.

  She sees me.

  Last night, we were shrouded in darkness and shadows. Now, she gets the full view in the uncompromising light of day. She sees my hair, darker than the deepest abyss; my skin, fwless and pale; my eyes, shimmering like amethysts. I can see the moment she recognizes the "old" Harry beneath the new, god-like mask.

  Then, the memories hit her. I can see it in the way her pupils dite. She remembers the way she arched her back, the way she begged me not to stop, the way her moans echoed through the trees.

  'How did I even know all this?'

  [Being an incubus, you have some access to normal person emotions, which is the reason you can 'guess', all of this.]

  Nova's words appear beside Rose's figure.

  Her face turns a shade of scarlet I didn't know was possible, and she trembles, looking down at her own hands as if they belonged to someone else.

  "What have I done?" she whispers, her voice breaking. "Was that... was that really me?"

  She looks at herself, naked, then at my bare chest, and finally back to my eyes. The confusion, the shame, and the lingering traces of the passion exchange we shared are all visible on her face.