1000x Random Returns: Investing in My Crippled Demon Wives!

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Morning Glow-Up and Alleyway Ambushes!

Morning came quietly.

Lucien blinked awake to an empty space beside him — Seraphina already up, presumably tea-brewing somewhere below.

He stretched, headed towards the bathroom to freshen up, and stopped mid-motion.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the full body mirror in the bathroom.

’...Huh.’

He looked taller, not dramatically — an inch, maybe two — but noticeably taller.

His shoulders sat differently, more defined, like his whole frame had been quietly upgraded overnight.

His physique, always lean, now carried a leaner, harder kind of muscle underneath.

And his eyes.

Blood red before, sure. But now they held a deeper and richer crimson, almost glowing faintly in the low light.

’Bloodline evolution side effects I guess, probably. Cool, very subtle. Totally not going to raise questions downstairs.’

It raised questions downstairs.

The moment he stepped into the living room, all three wives went still.

Evelisse’s jaw actually dropped.

”...”

”...Did you get more handsome somehow?”

”I am always handsome,” Lucien said.

”Also possibly a growth spurt, very confusing morning for everyone.”

”That’s not how growth spurts work at eighteen,” Evelisse said, squinting at him like he was a puzzle she resented.

”Maybe it is for vampires.”

”You’re making that up.”

”Extensively,” Lucien agreed.

Seraphina tilted her head, studying him with quiet curiosity. ”You feel...” she paused, searching for the word, ”...more charming. Is that strange to say?”

”Only slightly,” Lucien said. ”I’ll allow it.”

Even Aurelia’s eyes narrowed, sharp and assessing.

”Your presence feels different,” she said.

”Heavier almost, like standing near you carries more weight or presence than yesterday.”

”Yesterday was a very emotionally significant day,” Lucien said.

”Shock does wonders for the complexion, apparently.”

Aurelia did not look convinced. She rarely did. But she let it go, which from Aurelia counted as a full concession.

---

Lucien headed for the kitchen before anyone could dig further, already mentally sorting through what remained of the dowry ingredients.

’Getting low,’ he noted, checking the shelves.

’We’ll need a market run soon.’

The estate sat in one of the cities orbiting the Demon Capital — gothic spires mixed with sleek modern storefronts, a skyline that looked like two very different eras had gotten into an argument and settled on sharing the block.

Malls, supermarkets, carriages gliding past on enchanted rails alongside ones that still ran on old-fashioned wheels, stubbornness and magic.

’Plenty of places to restock. Just need actual free time, which is apparently a luxury around here.’

He finished plating breakfast without quite noticing he’d cooked the entire meal on autopilot, mind still half-tangled in the clouds.

They sat.

They ate.

The chime rang the moment spoons touched their mouths.

[Ding!]

Three wheels spun into view, spinning down one by one, multipliers landing, rewards blooming silently into his inventory while his wives ate breakfast completely unaware that a small economy of returns was quietly unfolding around their spoons.

[Ding!]

[Investment Detected: Breakfast → Aurelia Astrax]

[Bond: Partner — 16% — Max Multiplier ×16]

The wheel spun, numbers blurring, then slowed.

[×8]

[Reward: 4 Months Cultivation Progress]

[Investment Detected: Breakfast → Seraphina Lilith]

[Bond: Partner — 12% — Max Multiplier ×12]

[×9]

[Reward: Soul-Stabilizing Potion (Uncommon)]

[Investment Detected: Breakfast → Evelisse Noctis]

[Bond: Partner — 13% — Max Multiplier ×13]

[×12]

[Reward: Basic Swordplay Manual (Uncommon)]

Lucien blinked at the last one and checked its description, fork paused halfway to his mouth.

[Basic Swordplay Manual (Uncommon)]

[There are no secret techniques here — just a simple sword training manual detailing the absolute foundations of sword fighting, focusing entirely on grips, standard guards, basic footwork, and fundamental cuts, thrusts, and parries. ]

’Swordplay manual, for Evelisse. Guess the system heard her little ”I want to learn the sword” declaration last night and decided to get ahead of the request.’

He glanced at her, hunched over her plate, blissfully unaware that a beginner’s sword curriculum had just materialized into his inventory on her behalf.

’Convenient,’ he thought, hiding a smile behind his cup.

’Almost like it’s listening.’ He said suspiciously.

He kept eating, filing the rewards away for later, already planning who’d be getting handed what — and bracing for the exact same suspicious ”where did you get this” look he now fully expected from at least one wife every single day.

Lucien glanced at the system interface, allowed himself a small, satisfied smile, and kept eating.

’New bloodline, a talent, higher rank. And with breakfast is still paying dividends.’

’Not bad, not bad a all’ he thought, ’for a guy who was ”the family’s greatest failure” less than forty-eight hours ago.’

---

”I gotta do a market run to restock the kitchen,” Lucien announced, pushing his empty plate away.

”Anyone coming?”

Evelisse didn’t even look up from her tea. ”Hard pass.”

”Not unless there’s a reason to,” Seraphina said, apologetic. ”I still need to catalogue the herbs from the dowry.”

Aurelia was already rising, reaching for a training blade propped near the door.

”I’m practicing blade forms,” she said.

”Go by yourself.”

”Wow,” Lucien said. ”Overwhelming show of support. Really feeling the love this morning.”

”You’ll survive, it’s just shopping” Aurelia said, unbothered.

He went to change, and while pulling on his boots, focused inward on the sword manual sitting fresh in his inventory as the book disappeared.

Knowledge flooded in instantly — stances, footwork, blade angles, all of it settling into his mind whole, the same way the cooking manual had.

’Knowing it and being able to do it are two very different things,’ he reminded himself, flexing his fingers.

’Still need actual practice to get used to it and develop muscle memory. The system gives me the map, I just gotta walk the path with all the knowledge.’

He grabbed a blank notebook from a shelf and copied the whole manual out by hand — slow, deliberate, ignoring the mild ache it put in his wrist.

’Can’t exactly say ”I downloaded it into my brain.”, saying ”I found an old training notebook once and copied it” is a much easier and more believable lie.’

He found Evelisse still parked on the couch and dropped the notebook in her lap.

”Sword basics,” he said.

”Found it going through some old family stuff before we left, I figured you’d want a head start before Aurelia starts drilling you.”

Evelisse eyed the notebook, then him, suspicious as always.

”You just happened to find this.”

”Miraculous, I know.”

”Suspiciously convenient.”

”I am just lucky like that,” Lucien said, already walking away. ”Also convenient timing, apparently.”

He grabbed the herbs, petals and potion on his way out, pressing them into Aurelia’s and Seraphina’s hands with a quick ”for today” before finally heading out the door.

---

No carriage. That particular luxury hadn’t survived the disowning.

’Lucky, though,’ he thought, boots hitting the cobblestone.

’This is the one bad property my family owned, well for them atleast. Guess even they couldn’t quite bring themselves to strand us in the slums.’

The estate sat in the city’s upper district, and the walk toward the market let the city show off a little.

Gothic spires rose on one side of the street, dark stone and sharp angles, centuries old.

Across from them, glass-fronted shops gleamed with modern signage, floating advertisements looping lazily overhead in shifting colored light.

A blood café sat wedged between a rune-etched smithy and a succubus perfume boutique that smelled like sin and vanilla from thirty feet away.

Enchanted streetlamps flickered on despite the daylight, apparently just for the aesthetic.

A mana-powered tram glided past on rails overhead, while below it, a beast-drawn magic carriage clattered along the actual road, entirely unbothered by the century of technology floating above it.

Right. Magical medieval nobility with modern conveniences. Very normal, very not confusing at all. Like can’t they just choose one era and make it less confusing.’

Snippets of conversation drifted past as he walked.

”...heard House Astrax’s succession competition is getting bloody again...”

”...another dungeon break in the east, third one this month...”

”...the Noble Assembly’s coming up soon, my cousin says the Emperor himself might attend...”

”...House Aethernis finally announced their heir, apparently...”

Lucien’s ear caught on that last one, just briefly, before he kept walking. ’

’An heir huh, they certainly didn’t waste any time, did they. Fine, not my problem anymore. ’

---

The market unfolded in full chaos-market glory — demonkin butchers hollering prices, stalls stacked with glowing produce.

An Ifrit loudly insisting his runed daggers ”cut through regret itself”, as if that made any sense.

Lucien worked his way through methodically.

Root vegetables, cured meats, a sack of Moonleaf Mushrooms, fresh spices, two bottles of decent cooking wine, a small crate of eggs that the vendor swore came from actual phoenix-adjacent poultry.

’Sure, phoenix-adjacent. Whatever gets the price up.’

He was haggling over the eggs when someone shoved past him from behind, hard enough to knock his shoulder.

A young boar looking man in expensive robes strutted forward, nose in the air, belly looking 9 months pregnant if not more, already reaching to cut in front of the line.

”Move peasent,” the young noble said, not even glancing back.

”Some of us have actual status.”

’What is this, am I finally meeting the famous young master mentioned in every cultivation webnovel.’

’Time for some face slapping.’

Lucien didn’t move.

He simply looked at him, just looked.

Something predatory stirred behind his eyes, the faintest edge of his new bloodline’s suppression ability leaking out entirely on instinct.

The young noble’s shove faltered halfway through. His hand actually trembled against Lucien’s arm.

His face went pale while sweat broke out along his hairline.

He took a step back, then another, mumbling something about ”forgot something at home” before practically fleeing into the crowd.

The egg vendor blinked. ”...Huh. Kid’s never backed down from anyone before.”

”Must’ve remembered an appointment,” Lucien said mildly, handing over his coins.

’Didn’t even have to slap his face. Nice, very efficient. Ten out of ten, would intimidate again.’

---

By the time he’d finished, his coin pouch felt considerably lighter.

He did the math walking back toward the estate.

’A week or two, maybe. If we’re not extravagant. Which, given Evelisse’s dessert habit and our meals, is not guaranteed.’

’Looks like I need to start making some money, so what are my options?’ He thought while contemplating what to do.

’Option A, get a normal job — slow, humiliating, probably beneath a noble’s disowned son but who cares.’

’Option B, Hunt beasts outside the walls and sell the parts — decent money, decent risk.’

’Or option c, get a dungeon license or Guild id from the Adventurer’s Guild.’

’Dungeons pay better. Dungeons pay a lot better, if you survive them.’

’Guild it is then, tomorrow, though. Arms are full of groceries and I’d rather not register for dangerous monster-infested holes while carrying eggs.’

He kept walking, half-lost in the calculation—

and his new senses prickled.

’Someone’s tailing me.’

He didn’t turn, didn’t change pace.

Just let his awareness stretch backward through the crowd, sharp and quiet.

’There. Third row back. Matching my pace exactly.’

He turned left at the next corner.

The presence turned left.

He doubled back through a bookstore, browsed a shelf for exactly ten seconds, walked out the side entrance.

The presence reappeared half a block later, adjusting course seamlessly.

’Definitely following me and definitely not subtle enough about it, either, which is either amateur hour or supreme confidence.’

He ducked into a narrow alley, walking deeper, unhurried, like a man who hadn’t noticed anything at all.

’Let’s see how far you’re willing to follow.’

He turned into a second connecting alley and pressed himself flat against the wall.

Then vaulted silently up onto the low rooftop above, crouching out of sight.

Footsteps entered the alley below a moment later.

A figure, fully cloaked, hood pulled low, turning in a slow circle like they’d lost their target and didn’t like it.

’There you are stalker, looks like he’s only Peak E rank, should’ve sent someone better but I guess it was enough for the previous me.

The figure moved deeper, directly beneath him.

Lucien dropped.

***************

[A/N: Loving the story so far? What do you think of his new bloodline and talent?

🚀 WEEKLY POWER STONE GOALS 🚀

Want a weekend mass release? If we hit these vote targets by Friday, bonus Chapters drop on Saturday!

🌟 19 / 50 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter

🔥 19 / 100 Power Stones = +2 Bonus Chapters

⚡ 19 / 200 Power Stones = +3 Bonus Chapters

Your feedback helps me shape the story, and your support keeps me motivated to write!]