Asmodeus System: Stealing My Bully's Mother

​Ethan’s steps halted. Before him, the intricately carved wooden door stood arrogantly beneath the dim glow of two candles. He knocked twice.

​Knock. Knock.

​Without a verbal response, the door hinges creaked. It opened slowly, pushed by an invisible magical force.

​The dense scent of dry incense and old parchment instantly assaulted his nose. The room was dim, illuminated only by two bluish-green candles dancing slowly on the desk. Towering bookshelves lined the left and right, creating narrow aisles that smelled of decaying paper. In the center, behind a massive desk made of ancient black wood, Sage Cornelius sat as still as a statue.

​Without bothering to wait for permission, Ethan stepped inside and threw himself into the guest chair. His posture was relaxed, yet the cold aura he brought with him was utterly suffocating. His black shirt was still damp from the snow.

​”I’m back,” Ethan stated flatly, a hint of sarcasm slipping at the end of his sentence. ”Ready to be your obedient student once again.”

​Cornelius intertwined his fingers on the desk. Those old eyes stared sharply, stripping down the figure of the young man before him. The Sage’s instincts screamed. This student of his had brought back a dark evolution. The air around Ethan felt oppressive, as if radiating an absolute, undeniable threat.

​”A very brief homecoming,” Cornelius muttered heavily.

​He slid a parchment scroll to the center of the desk. The edges of the paper were frayed, with several parts stained a brownish-red.

​”The academy informant’s report just arrived. Baron Hadrick Drel’s estate... has been leveled to the ground.”

​Ethan cast a fleeting glance at the parchment. ”An unfortunate tragedy.” His face was flat, not showing a single speck of concern.

​Cornelius narrowed his eyes. ”More than just a tragedy. The entire garrison is dead. Baron Drel’s family was found dried up in their basement. And the surviving residents are whispering... a demon from the Valen forest is the culprit.”

​”Hmm, the imaginations of border folk are indeed wild,” Ethan replied coldly.

​A faint smile appeared at the corner of Ethan’s lips. Barely visible. Yet enough to make the hairs on the back of Cornelius’s neck stand on end. This young man knew something. Perhaps, he was even the mastermind behind it all.

​The sentence was left hanging. There was no denial, nor was there any justification. The Sage let out a long sigh, realizing it was useless to demand morality from this young man now.

​”The noble factions are still targeting you, Ethan,” Cornelius pressed, trying to re-establish the remnants of his authority. ”Your actions before your leave provoked a lot of anger. Without my protection, the academy council would have already thrown you into the dungeon.”

​Ethan’s dark brown eyes radiated absolute coldness.

​”Protection?” Ethan savored the word with a condescending smirk. ”That’s just an illusion for the weak, old geezer. I don’t need your shield anymore.”

​Cornelius’s breath hitched. His blood rushed. The leash was truly broken. This young man no longer saw him as a protector, but merely a pawn.

​”I’m not here to discuss debts of gratitude,” Ethan leaned forward. ”Open the gates to the lower Dungeon tonight. I need full access.”

​The Sage’s eyebrows furrowed sharply. ”That’s a restricted area. The lower levels are filled with spatial anomalies and centuries-old monsters. It requires the supervision of three high-tier instructors to—”

​”I don’t need bodyguards,” Ethan interrupted with finality. ”I’m going down there. With my women.”

​The room suddenly fell dead silent. The words my women struck Cornelius’s ears like a sledgehammer. Isolde and Kaelia.

​”Do you think I’m blind?” Cornelius’s voice turned bitter. ”Those two women have been looking for you ever since your journey back. The overseers have already reported it to me.”

​”And? That’s my problem, not the council’s.”

​”No.” Cornelius’s voice boomed. His authority as Headmaster exploded. ”I won’t let you drag them into the abyss of death just to satisfy your ego!”

​Ethan stood up. His movements were slow, yet the Sin Mana he had been holding back instantly seeped out, flooding the room. The air, smelling of copper and blood, choked the oxygen supply. Those brown eyes flared into a ferocious crimson red.

​Feeling threatened, Cornelius also stood. His golden-white Sage Aura erupted, resisting Ethan’s wave of darkness. Two massive pressures collided in the air.

​The mahogany desk vibrated violently. The candles went out in unison. The shelves creaked, vomiting ancient books onto the floor. This tower could crumble to dust if they unleashed even a single spell.

​Cornelius realized something far more horrifying than a physical threat: if this duel erupted, the magical shockwaves would spread to the dormitories, the corridors, the classrooms. Innocent noble children would be the first victims.

​Stared down by the crimson eyes of the Demon King, the old wolf’s courage slowly faltered.

​With a clenched jaw, Cornelius slowly retracted his aura. He opened a secret drawer and pulled out a pitch-black iron key that emitted spatial magic fluctuations.

​The key was slid across the desk.

​”Take it,” his voice suddenly sounded much older. ”Use it on the sealed door in the lower wing. I only have one condition... don’t leave behind a mess I can’t cover up.”

​Ethan grabbed the key and pocketed it. Without bothering to say thank you, he turned around. His crimson eyes faded as the wooden door closed behind him.

​His steps halted at the end of the corridor. The giant stained-glass window reflected his figure. Ethan stared at the reflection.

​Asmodeus whispered, his voice wet and seductive, sounding like the slash of velvet.

​”Fufufu... so you’re really going to bring your two holy slaves down there?”

​Ethan didn’t answer. He kept staring at his own reflection.

​”That black key isn’t just for access, My Lord. It’s also a marker. The seals below will recognize those you bring with you.”

​Ethan touched the key through his pocket.

​”Don’t waste the opportunity. On that altar, their lust will be harvested twofold.”

​Asmodeus’s final whisper dropped into Ethan’s ear.

​”If you succeed... both of them will become half-human demons. And you’ll be one step closer to my old throne.”

​The atmosphere in the VIP Room of the North Tower was a stark contrast.

​Near the window, Isolde waited in a navy-blue nightgown, gazing anxiously at the moonlight. She had been standing like that ever since Ethan arrived. The anxiety of a mature woman who understood all too well how to handle a man like Ethan.

​On the other hand, Kaelia was nearly falling asleep sitting at the edge of the bed. Her red-and-gold uniform was wrinkled after a long wait, brimming with lingering annoyance.

​The moment he entered, Ethan locked the door. Without a word, he took wide strides toward Isolde.

​”M-My Lord...” Isolde’s ice-blue eyes widened slightly as the young man roughly grabbed her slender waist.

​The Ice Queen’s lips were instantly silenced by an incredibly demanding kiss. Isolde’s defenses crumbled instantly. Ethan pressed her hard against the cold window glass, injecting Sin Mana through a touch that directly ignited the woman’s magic circuits.

​Ethan’s skillful fingers undid the ties of her navy-blue dress until it pooled on the floor. Under the magical caresses that exploited her pale skin, Isolde’s breath hitched. She bit her lower lip hard, stifling the moans of pleasure struggling to escape.

​The sound of skin rubbing against skin and those soft whimpers slowly pierced Kaelia’s consciousness.

​On the bed, she blinked. Rubbing her heavy eyes. However, her blurry vision immediately locked onto the silhouettes near the window.

​”Hah... w-what is...”

​Kaelia’s face burned fiercely. Ethan, who had rejected her earlier, was now dominating the Ice Queen right in front of her eyes. Jealousy exploded. She wanted to stand up and protest the injustice.

​However, her legs turned to stone. The dense Sin Mana pheromones wafting from their union forced their way into her pores. Instead of getting angry, Kaelia’s own breathing began to race. Her lower abdomen tightened crazily just from watching the scene.

​Amidst his wild rhythm, Ethan turned his head. His eyes, once again glowing crimson, stared straight at Kaelia.

​A silent command to be quiet. An intimidation that forced her to acknowledge who held absolute control in this room. Kaelia could only swallow hard, trembling between shame and lust.

​When the storm ended, Isolde rested her forehead against Ethan’s chest. Her legs could no longer stand without support. Her droopy eyes were clouded with satisfaction.

​Ethan straightened his shirt calmly, as if nothing had happened. He walked over to the bed.

​Kaelia tensed up seeing the towering figure in front of her.

​”Get ready,” Ethan ordered hoarsely. His fingers lightly touched Kaelia’s arm, sending an electric shock through the fire princess’s entire body. ”We leave now.”

​”W-where to?” Kaelia squeaked hoarsely, still trembling to suppress her arousal.

​Ethan didn’t answer immediately. He glanced at the black key in his pocket, then looked back and forth between the two women with an incredibly possessive smirk.

​”To a place that will make the two of you... a part of me forever.”

​Silence hung in the air. The black key seemed to vibrate in his pocket as well, sensing what was about to unfold down there.

​The three of them left the room.

​Ethan walked in front, his steps calm and undeniable. Isolde was on his left, Kaelia on his right. Both still bore a flush on their faces, yet neither argued.

​The corridor was still quite bustling with students who had just finished from the night hall. The moment they saw the three of them walking side by side, whispers began to spread.

​”That’s Ethan Valen... why is he with the Vice Headmaster and the Student Council President?”

​”Where are they going? Toward the dungeon?”

​”Could it be an inspection...”

​Ethan ignored all of it.

​They descended the spiral staircase connecting the Main Tower to the grand hall. Their footsteps echoed softly against the damp stone walls.

​At the entrance of the public Dungeon area, two armored guards stood on standby. As soon as they saw Isolde, they hurriedly bowed and made way.

​”Good evening, Lady Isolde.”

​”We are going in,” Isolde said briefly.

​”Please.”

​Without questions, without conditions. The presence of the Vice Headmaster was more than enough to open the path.

​The moment the metal doors opened, the air inside was different. It was no longer a piercing cold, but damp and smelled of wet stone. The corridor inside was quite bright, illuminated by magical torches affixed to the walls.

​They entered the public training area.

​Several students in the nearby monster arenas stopped their sparring. Some dropped their wooden swords. One was almost attacked by a small green monster, luckily blocked by their partner.

​”Huh, the Vice Headmaster?”

​”Why are they here so late at night?”

​The instructors kept their mouths shut tight. Despite their curiosity, no one dared to ask.

​Ethan swept his gaze around. The training arenas here were rather simple. There were five rune-coated stone stages. Low-tier monsters like Black Slimes, Cave Wolves, and Stone Crows were neatly contained behind rune bars.

​This wasn’t a dangerous place. Just a warm-up area.

​However, for Ethan, this place was the door to the true depths of Zenithar.

​His steps halted right in front of a large stone archway jutting out on the other side of the area. There, a descending corridor lay with dim lighting and a much older scent.

​Several students exchanged glances. The whispers grew louder.

​Ethan turned to Isolde and Kaelia.

​”We are going deeper.”