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

Chapter 95: Chapter 95: I Need Help Naming Our First Child!?

Lucien sat on the edge of the bed. ”Now... what else did I get?”

He pulled up the pending reward.

[Investment Target: Aurelia Astrax]

[Investment Type: Restoration of Shattered Mana Veins and Mana Core]

[Multiplier: ×140]

[Rewards: Mana Affinity +1 Rank, SSS Rank Sword Affinity, Mythical+ Rank Gluttonous Mimic Armament, 24 Months Cultivation Progress, 2 Months Technique Comprehension]

His eyebrows shot up. ”...SSS Rank Sword Affinity?”

He didn’t even use a sword.

Then his eyes landed on the third line. ”Mythical plus, okay, that’s interesting.”

He checked his current Mana Affinity first, curious whether the bloodline evolution had changed it or not.

[Mana Affinity: Mythical Rank]

’Damn! It jumped from B to Mythical,’ he thought, mildly stunned and happy that his mana affinity was finally higher than B Rank..

’Guess the bloodline handled that part on its own, but it’s still not divine?’

’The only problem I can think of has to be my soul, still wonder how it even happened.’ He thought as he moved on to Seraphina’s investment tab.

[Investment Target: Seraphina Lilith]

[Investment Type: Mythical Soul-Rebirth Elixir]

[Multiplier: ×37]

[Reward: Super Rare Skill Book — Soul Sense]

”Looks like I got a low multiplier,” he muttered, mildly disappointed, ”and the reward isn’t just another elixir.”

He took the skill book from the system inventory and ran his mana through it.

[Ding!]

[Skill Learned]

[Soul Sense — Super Rare]

[Allows the user to perceive nearby souls within line of sight, distinguishing intent, stability, and general condition. Also grants heightened awareness of the user’s own soul.]

’This should be genuinely useful,’ he thought, absorbing the knowledge instantly.

He then pulled out the second elixir Carmilla gave him from his storage ring.

”Suppose I should use this, might even raise my Affinity too.” He said as he popped the cap off and downed it.

Nothing dramatic happened, no collapse, no screaming, no rebuilding from scratch, like with the bloodline evolution.

”Phew, thank the Goddess.” He sighed as he braced himself for a hurdle of pain and screaming.

”You called disciple?” Carmilla’s voice sounded in his head.

’No, I just expected the soul healing to be a lot more painful.’

’Not everything g has to be you screaming, don’t tell me you’ve developed a liking for pain?’ She said sounding worried.

’What is it called call, a masochist?’

’I am not a masochist, my dear master.’

’Sure, sure, I believe you.’

”But is that really it?”

’Of course otherwise Seraphina would also be in a lot of pain, soul healing is a delicate thing, especially for mortals, and it’s only healing not evolving, like with your bloodlines.’

A few seconds passed. Then, through his freshly acquired Soul Sense, he felt something inside of him, though he had no idea what he felt or where this place even was.

’Must be my soul.’

Minutes passed in silence.

He didn’t fully understand what had been wrong, maybe some damage from his reincarnation, or his soul never quite settled properly into this body from the start. He’d probably never know exactly.

”Whatever it was,” he murmured, closing his eyes, ”it’s gone now.”

He then pulled yp his mana affinity to see if it incresed like how he theorized it would. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

[Mana Affinity: Mythical → Divine]

”Finally, now it’s time to go even further.” He said rubbing his hands as he mentally claimed the upgrade.

[Ding!]

[Mana Affinity Upgraded]

[Mana Affinity: Divine → Divine+]

Something shifted immediately, the ambient mana in the room felt closer somehow, easier to reach, easier to shape, like it was trying to enter him and asking to be absorbed. He gathered some at his finger and watched a faint glow gather without effort.

’Divine+?’ He thought, wondering what the plus even meant.

’It should be higher than Divine, but less than the next Rank, right?’

’But why didn’t it go to the next one?’ He wondered deciding to ask Carmilla layer.

He the stared at the second reward. ”Sword Affinity.”

He glanced at the Reaper’s Crescent sitting on the nightstand. ”I use scythes.”

”Why do I need SSS Rank Sword Affinity?”

”SSS Scythe Affinity would have been better.”

The system, predictably, offered no explanation.

”Fine, one of the girls can have it.”

’Probably Aurelia, or maybe Evelisse, given the sword manuals she’s been groaning through.’

He moved on, curiosity sharpening as he pulled up the final physical reward.

The black metal sphere that appeared in his palm was, disappointingly, completely unremarkable to look at smooth, matte, no engraving and no visible aura.

He checked it’s system provided description.

[Gluttonous Mimic Armament (Mythical+)]

[Type: Soul Weapon]

[Affinity: Adaptive]

[A unique soul-forged armament capable of consuming and replicating weapons, armaments, ores, metals, and compatible materials up to Mythical Rank. Devouring may permanently grant its physical properties, form, material characteristics, affinity, and special abilities, depending on quality and compatibility.]

[Mimicry: Freely transforms into any previously devoured weapon.]

[Devouring: Consumes weapons up to Mythical Rank and can gain their abilities and affinities]

[Material Devouring: Consumes compatible materials up to Mythical Rank, permanently influencing its composition.]

[Adaptive Evolution: Evolves alongside its bonded user, new affinities, weapon traits, and abilities gradually incorporate over time.]

[Self-Repair: Automatically restores damage using mana or compatible materials.]

[Soul Bond: Once bonded, may be stored within the master’s own soul.]

[Absolute Loyalty: Recognizes only its bonded master.]

[Current Devouring Capacity: Mythical Rank.]

Lucien read it three times.

’If this actually works the way it says...’

He looked at the Reaper’s Crescent in his storage ring then back at the sphere.

”If this works,” he murmured, ”I never have to buy another weapon again.”

’That’s a problem I am sure I would have kept running into,’ he thought, grinning.

’Outgrowing gear faster than I can replace it, like when I bought the Crescent when I was barely C Rank and its already weaker than my fists, though it was cheap.’

”But finally,” he said aloud. ”A weapon that won’t become obsolete every Rank.”

He pricked his thumb and let a drop of blood fall onto the sphere.

It reacted instantly.

SHLURP.

The blood vanished into the surface, and something pulled deep in his chest, his soul, as he felt a new connection forming with the ball in his hand.

”Whoa.”

The black surface rippled and shifted, color bleeding away into deep crimson, texture smoothing from metal into something closer to frozen liquid blood.

[Soul Bond Established.]

[Gluttonous Mimic Armament has recognized Lucien Dracul Aethernis as Master.]

[Adaptive Evolution Initiated.]

[Blood Affinity Detected — Adapting...]

[Adaptation Complete.]

[Appearance: Crimson Bloodmetal]

[Primary Affinity: Adaptive, Blood]

He turned the sphere over in his hand, admiring it. ”Much better.”

He pulled the Reaper’s Crescent from his ring next, and something faintly sentimental tugged at him.

He spun one blade around his finger. ”You’ve served me well.”

”But honestly? You were never that great for a Rare rank weapon.”

’Rare rank in name, sure, affordable and functional but cheap for what it was.’

He set the weapon beside the sphere as he activated its Devouring ability.

The Armament’s surface liquefied, spreading across the scythes like something alivez over the blades, along the shaft, through the chain and then swallowed the whole thing whole as it compressed back into a ball.

WHOOSH.

The mass swelled, reshaped, and settled into two curved blades with a familiar chain stretched between them.

He picked it up, noticing it was exactly the same weight with exactly the same balance as the late Reaper’s Crescent.

Except everything was better.

[Devoured Weapon Ability Acquired: Chain Extension (Uncommon)]

[The Armament’s connecting chains may extend up to 30 meters using mana. Original durability retained regardless of length.]

He fed it mana experimentally.

SHNK.

The chain shot outward, five meters of it snapping taut across the room.

”Thirty meters,” he said, delighted, and yanked it back.

CLANG. It snapped home instantly.

”This is sick, but it seems like not every ability transfers,’ he thought.

He reached for his storage ring to put it away.

Before his fingers finished the motion, the weapon dissolved into liquid crimson and slid up his arm.

”...What?”

It vanished into his chest.

He searched for it internally, and there it was not stored exactly, but present, inside his own soul, as he felt through their connection and the soul sense Skill.

”Convenient, very convenient.” He laughed.

He decided to check in on Seraphina afterward, easing the door open.

Carmilla still hovered over her, fingers barely brushing her forehead.

”How is it going?” he whispered.

”Good,” Carmilla said, not looking away. ”But seriously, how did she even cultivate with this much damage, luckily most of it isn’t deep in her soul, also do youbknow what caused this, it can’t be simply because of Bloodline rejection.”

”I wish I knew.” He sighed.

He watched Seraphina’s peaceful face a moment longer, something warm settling in his chest.

”Thank you,” he said, and closed the door quietly.

Back in the bedroom, he began sorting the accumulated backlog properly, gold from Bloodmoon, boss chest gold, mountains of mana crystals graded C through A, blood mana crystals ranging up through a handful of S-grade pieces, nearly ten thousand more courtesy of his so called suagr mommy.

Monster materials filled another mental pile Blood Slime membranes, Crimson Gel, Nightbat feathers, Hound fangs and cores, Crawler shells, Spider chitin, Bloodsilk, corrosive glands, condensed essence, all the extra he didn’t seel yet.

Plants and alchemy materials went into their own category Bloodmoon Moss, Crimson Veinroot, the Scarlet Heartflower, the Bloodroot Seed.

’These are Seraphina’s, I’m sure she would go crazy with these.’ he thought, smiling slightly as he tagged them.

’Common and Uncommon equipment can be sold. Rare and above, we can keep, keep the crafting materials and special items too.’

Satisfied, he stored them I different piles in his massive storage ring.

’This thing really is massive and it’s only of Super Rare rank, wonder how big higher ranks are.’ He thought before moving to the things he wanted to check on since he got them.

’What should I even name them?’

He couldn’t think of a name, and mentally reached out through the new tattoo.

’My dear wifey.’ A voice appeared in Aurelia’s head instantly breaking her focus and startling her as she blushed a bit at the term.

”Lucien? Is something wrong?”

’No sorry, still getting used to this, but I need help picking names.’

’Picking names?’

’Yes, for our first child?’ He teased as she froze mid swing imagining a little Lucien or Aurelia and how cute they would be.

’Haha, just joking I need help with the new bloodlines, though I wouldn’t mind a cute daughter running around.’ He said.

He the explained the new bloodlines to her so they could both choose a fitting name together.

She talked it through with him for a while, tossing out ideas, before he thought to ask something entirely unrelated.

’What’s your sword affinity, by the way?’

’Why do you ask?’

He explained the SSS-Rank Sword Affinity item sitting uselessly in his storage ring.

She laughed, actually laughed, through the bond.

’I don’t need that. My talent already gives me a Mythical Rank Weapon Affinity, for every weapon I use or learn, not just swords.’

His mental jaw dropped. ’That’s basically cheating.’

’The real cheater is you,’ she shot back, ’with your endless supply of resources and mysterious upgraded techniques. I’m starting to think you know some divine merchant who just hands you everything for free.’

’...No comment.’

’Give the sword affinity to Evelisse,’ she suggested. ’She’s already committed to the sword as her weapon.’

Somewhere downstairs, Evelisse sneezed violently, mid-anime-episode, and frowned. ’Someone’s thinking about me, probably Lucien, probably more snack blackmail.’

He returned to the bloodlines properly, after they decided on a name, he thoughtfully never ask Evelisse for her Divine names, as he wanted something normal.

[Bloodline 1: ??? (Divine) ]

[Bloodline 2: ??? (Mythical)]

He and Aurelia thought about the first one’s origin his own Crimson Origin Bloodline, evolved through Carmilla’s blood, forged in fire and near-death.

’Crimson Sovereign,’ they decided. ’Fits the progression, fits the blood manipulation and doesn’t name her directly, but it’s clearly connected.’

[Ding!]

[Name Confirmed.]

[Bloodline: Crimson Sovereign (Divine)]

The second one gave him more trouble hollow, empty, its true nature still a mystery even to Carmilla.

’Hollow Abyss,’ he settled on eventually. ’Good enough, no point overthinking something I don’t understand yet.’

[Ding!]

[Name Confirmed.]

[Bloodline: Hollow Abyss (Mythical)]

He stared at the confirmation, something settling quietly in his chest.

”Crimson Sovereign,” he murmured, eyes glowing faintly at the sound of it.

Then he looked at the second name. ”Hollow Abyss...What exactly are you?”

[New Bloodline Information Available.]

[Would you like to view the abilities of the Crimson Sovereign Bloodline?]

”Now we’re talking.” A slow grin spread across his face.