The Damned Demon

As Asher made his way towards the meditation room, a space sanctified for his training and reaping activities, his steps, determined and resolute, halted abruptly.

A familiar cadence of soft, yet firm footsteps echoed through the hall, drawing his attention away from the task at hand.

Turning to the source, he found Rowena's bewitching figure, the regal body clad in her characteristic black attire, approaching him.

"Were you waiting for me before I was going to start my Reaping activities?" Asher asked, a smile playing on his lips, finding a semblance of comfort in her presence, though having an idea of why she suddenly came here.

Rowena, her gaze laden with concern that belied the usual calm she exuded, responded, "Yes. I wanted my words to remain fresh in your mind before you started because, for some reason, I feel as if you are not going to do any ordinary reaping quests."

Asher exhaled, feeling that she was too sharp when it came to these things.

With a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of his intentions, "It's just business as usual. Reap human souls and quickly get stronger. It's faster than Raiding quests, and I can cripple the human world slowly," He explained, though he saw no need to include any lie and didn't want to lie to her unless it was absolutely necessary.

Rowena furrowed her brows and said, "If it was that easy, our ancestors or even our seniors would have already done that. But they couldn't because we all know what happened to those who tried. If you were only focusing on gathering more life crystals like anyone else would, I wouldn't be this worried. Your cult could easily do that work for you. But since you are planning to get stronger by reaping human souls yourself, you are putting yourself at risk," she articulated.

Asher, confronted with Rowena's argument, raised an eyebrow, a silent inquiry into her stance, "So you are telling me to reconsider despite the situation our kingdom is in? Or do you think I might fail?"

Rowena's expression, a mixture of concern and earnestness, held Asher's gaze as she imparted her caution, "No. I wanted to tell you to be very careful because some of the Hunters are very dangerous, and I know you will probably meet them since you are very powerful now. Reaping any one of them would grant you a lot of power to level up, but it's almost impossible to break them. They have lots of measures to shield themselves from even peak Soul Devourers, and they know the signs to watch out for."

Asher, ever confident, responded with a wave of his hand and a reassuring smile, "I know. But you know me. I never go into a fight without a plan. I also have learned quite a lot about humans over the years. So you don't have to worry that I am inexperienced just because I woke up only a few years ago."

Asher could see that Rowena was mainly worried because in her eyes and the rest of the world, he was born just a few years ago.

But he knew the main reason she was so wary was because her father, whom she idolized, fell to a Hunter. She must fear that such a fate might befall him, and it only made his heart feel heavier.

Rowena, however, harbored a gentle regret, a longing brimming in her crimson eyes, "I feel like I should have spent more time teaching you things. I feel like there is still a lot I have to let you know," she confessed, her voice tinged with a soft sigh, revealing her ever-present desire to support and protect him.

In response, Asher closed the distance between them with a single step, his arm encircling her waist in a gentle yet firm embrace that drew a soft gasp from Rowena.

Her sudden nervousness caused her to instinctively look around to see if anybody else was there while her cheeks began to warm up in his embrace.

"You are still shy in our own home? You are cute when it comes to such things," Asher teased, his proximity and the warmth in his voice enveloping Rowena in a cocoon of affection and comfort.

"I don't think I am...cute," Rowena countered, her gaze averted, a delicate blush coloring her cheeks at the compliment.

"Only cute ones say that," Asher retorted playfully, his hands cradling her face, drawing her gaze back to him as he sought an answer from her, "But why don't you now tell me the other main reason why you came here."

With her eyelashes fluttering, Rowena's resolve softened, her fingers gently gripping his robe as she revealed what her heart wanted to say, "I...I feel like we haven't been spending enough time together these days...ever since you returned from the Quest of the Worthy. But I know it's not our fault, and we have a duty to our kingdom...to protect it." Her admission, vulnerable and sincere, contrasted with her usual reserved and cold self, making Asher feel happy to see how far she had come over the years to open herself up to him like this.

Asher softly smiled as he gave a small peak on her succulent red lips, "You don't have to say all that just to tell me that you are going to miss me. But it's just Reaping. I will be around here from time to time, and maybe we can work around our schedules and try to free up at the same time," he suggested, hoping to find a balance between work and pleasure since he also felt the same as her.

Rowena's nod was accompanied by a soft, warm smile, "Then I shall look forward to that," she affirmed, her voice carrying a thread of hope for shared moments yet to come.

However, the warmth quickly receded, replaced by a chill of resolve as she added, "But only after you have done enough to do what's necessary to save our kingdom while destroying as many Hunters as you can. We are fighting a war on both fronts."

Asher, accepting the weight of her words, nodded, his eyes alight with a stone cold determination, "That's the plan," he agreed.

"I also wanted to ask…how did you manage to get Oberon back, or was it a coincidence that he managed to escape?" Rowena asked in curiosity because she felt Asher definitely had a hand in it since nobody ever escaped the dungeons of the draconians.

Asher took a step back and said with a wince, "Let's just say I made a friend among the draconians who have been wronged by Drakar and his people. How do you think we managed to escape from their kingdom in the first place?"

"That must be quite a powerful friend you have…" Rowena said with a narrowed gaze while Asher held his breath, wondering if she might ask who it was.

"But I am glad you did. We would need as many allies as we can to defeat them when the time comes," Rowena said, much to his relief, though she didn't ask because she could see that he didn't want to reveal the name and didn't want to force him to say it.

With their exchange complete, Asher proceeded to the meditation hall, where preparation and purpose converged.

As expected, Merina, his devoted maid, awaited him, the sanctity of the space palpable in the air.

"Master, please," Merina intoned with reverence, gesturing towards the elegant black mat prepared for his use.

Asher inquired as he sat down, "You have placed the coffins at the right place, right?" was met with Merina's prompt confirmation. "Yes, Master. I have placed both coffins in the place you told me and also activated the beacon to allow your cult to track them."

"Then all is set," Asher mused, a smirk playing upon his lips, a harbinger of the schemes that unfolded in the realm of his mind.

Merina, ever concerned, knelt beside him, her worry for his well-

being evident in her voice, "Is there any way I can help you over there, Master?" she inquired.

Asher shook his head inwardly, wondering how his women were able to easily sense these things.

Touched by her concern, he chuckled softly as he caressed her velvety cherry lips, "You have already done everything I needed. But for now, look after me on this side until I return," he instructed.

"Mhn," Merina nodded with a deep reddish hue blossoming on her cheeks upon feeling his warm fingers on her lips.

With everything in place, Asher closed his eyes, allowing his consciousness to drift towards the selection of a Reaping quest.

His choice, guided by calculation, sought a mission with a prolonged duration, affording him the maximum amount of time on Earth.

He didn't care about the main objectives of the quest he was going to pick since his true objective was different.

But without a Reaping quest activated, he wouldn't be able to stay on Earth, nor could he use the power of the devils to transfer his soul to his avatar.

And just as he decided on a Reaping quest, he felt like taking a look at his stats before starting the mission,

Level : 31

Rating Points : 0 / 147,250

HP : 64,475 / 64,475

MP : 53,090 / 53,090

STR : 13,083

DEF :12,895

INT : 10,618

DEX : 6755

Passive Ability:

[ Bones of Damnation - Your bones have been reinforced by the power of the damned souls and are indestructible and immune to any dark power while granting you +50% defensive powers ]

Asher could clearly see that the realm of Soul Devourers was a whole different league, and it felt as if his stats almost doubled, especially when he looked at his ridiculously high health, which also benefited from his new passive ability.

Yet looking at the number of points he would need to level up made him feel like it might take forever unless he took some serious risks and follow through his plans successfully.

He felt like he owed Drakaris for granting him such a powerful ability since this meant no demon could ever destroy his bones, even if he didn't have any mana.