[The Succubus System allows the Host to collect Satisfaction Points to gain power, improve abilities, and grow stronger. Complete missions and challenges to receive rewards. The fastest way to gain points is through—]
The system paused, leaving Noah in agonizing suspense.
[—victorious interactions in seduction-based encounters.]
Noah's jaw tightened as the implications became clear. This wasn't a system meant for warriors in the traditional sense. It was something else entirely—something that played to the very nature of the Incubus race.
Noah clenched his fists as he realized just how much his life had changed.
After the initial description panel faded away, another message materialized before Noah's eyes, its letters glowing with an ethereal light:
[System Synchronization in Progress. Estimated Time Remaining: 1 Hour. During this time, the system will be unavailable.]
Noah let out a slow breath as the panel disappeared, leaving him alone with his thoughts in the dimly lit room. He sank back into the couch, the worn leather creaking under his weight. His mind spun, struggling to process the chaotic turn his life had taken.
Although he had come to accept that he had somehow been reincarnated as an Incubus—the last of his kind—it was a reality that still felt distant, like a cruel dream from which he couldn't awaken.
The idea was almost laughable. He had fought so hard, trained so relentlessly, and in the end, he had died as a warrior trying to protect humanity from the very demons that now coursed through his veins. The irony stung like a fresh wound.
Noah had dedicated his life to eradicating demons, only to be reborn as one. And not just any demon, but the last male of a race known for its seductive power and lethal charm, the last male of the race that had killed him.
He clenched his jaw, his fingers digging into the armrest as the bitter realization settled over him like a suffocating fog. How was he supposed to carry on his fight against the demons when he himself had become one of them?
'Can I still slay demons with the same resolve, knowing that I shared their blood?' A dark thought crept into his mind, unbidden.
'Would he eventually succumb to the same demonic tendencies that had driven so many to kill and corrupt?'
"No," he muttered, shaking his head fiercely as if to cast out the doubt. "I won't let that happen."
His hands were trembling, and he wasn't sure if it was out of fear or anger—or perhaps a mixture of both. But then his mind turned to the system. It had mentioned gathering Satisfaction Points to grow stronger, with no indication that he would be required to kill humans or embrace the demonic nature of his new form.
It seemed, at least for now, that his path to power lay in completing the missions provided by the system. He didn't know what these missions would entail, but if they allowed him to regain his strength without becoming a monster, then he would take that chance.
Noah let out a dry chuckle as another realization hit him. The potential of the system was staggering. He had spent forty years of his previous life training his body and honing his skills, reaching a level that most warriors could only dream of. Yet, in the end, even that hadn't been enough to save him from Seraphelle, a Succubus General who had defeated him with apparent ease.
She wasn't even a commander, just a general, which meant there were many demons far stronger than her. The thought was humbling, and his lips twisted into a bitter smile.
"If the system is real," he said to himself, "then I might just have a chance to surpass my old self. I could become stronger than I ever was… strong enough to take down a general, or even a commander."
But then, reality set in. There were too many unknowns. The system had promised power, but at what cost? Who knew how many Satisfaction Points he would need just to reach the level he was at before his death? And worse, what kinds of missions awaited him?
He couldn't imagine that they would be simple tasks. After all, the system had chosen to bind itself to an Incubus—a being whose nature was inherently tied to seduction and temptation. The missions were bound to be just as complex and morally gray.
His thoughts drifted back to his last moments before awakening in this new body. The memory of Seraphelle's mocking smile, her taunting words, and the cruel way she had drained his life force left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He had died in agony, knowing that he had failed to protect those around him. The rage he felt wasn't just directed at Seraphelle or the demons—it was directed at himself for not being strong enough.
As the minutes dragged on, Noah's exhaustion began to catch up with him. He was emotionally drained, his mind a tangled mess of conflicting emotions—fear, anger, hope, and despair, all vying for dominance. He glanced at the darkened room around him, then back at the faintly glowing timer in the corner of his vision:
[System Synchronization: 52 Minutes Remaining.]
There was nothing else he could do but wait. It was an unsettling feeling, this sense of helplessness. He had always been a man of action, someone who faced problems head-on. But now, all he could do was sit and think, and the thinking threatened to drive him mad.
The exhaustion began to weigh more heavily on him, pulling at his eyelids. It had been an eternity since he'd felt genuinely rested. Maybe it was the fatigue of the battle, or perhaps the toll of reincarnation, but his entire body ached, as though even his bones carried the weight of his confusion. He rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Maybe I'll wake up and this will all have been some kind of nightmare," he whispered, his voice laced with a faint hope he knew was foolish.
He allowed himself to sink further into the couch, closing his eyes against the dim light of the room. He didn't want to think anymore, not about the system, or the Incubi, or the blood-soaked massacre that lay just outside this sanctuary. For now, he would rest. He would let the darkness of sleep carry him away from this hellish reality, even if only for a little while.
As his consciousness began to fade, the image of Seraphelle's taunting smile flashed behind his closed eyelids, filling him with a renewed determination that sparked in the depths of his weary soul. 'I won't let this be the end,' he vowed silently. I will rise again, stronger than before. And when I do, they will know my name.'
The darkness finally closed in, swallowing his thoughts as he drifted into an uneasy sleep, the faint ticking of the synchronization timer the last sound he heard.