Chapter 102: Version 1.0
Strax's body trembled in the air, lifted by an unseen force, while the women who had rushed into the room stood horrified at the scene. It was not a pretty sight; it was as if he... was dying. His body was covered in wounds that glowed with a strange light, and he screamed in agony, as if his body was breaking apart and destroying itself from the inside out.
"Ahhh!!" The scream reverberated through the room like that of a beast, a clear and distinct roar of a creature in fury. Strax's eyes had turned completely red—was he out of his mind? These terrified women didn't know what was happening, but Samira, who was at the forefront, and had the highest cultivation among them, tried to approach him. However, the scream started pushing her back.
"S-Strax! Wake up!" she shouted, fighting against the devastating force that pushed Beatrice's bed away, causing a loud creaking that made the women turn towards her. They saw the girl scared but thankfully awake.
"Monica! Protect her!" Samira shouted, and Monica rushed to stand in front of Beatrice, positioning herself between her and Strax's aura, which was truly out of control, her body tensing to resist the crushing pressure filling the room. Thankfully, her training was paying off; she could never have withstood this force without prior preparation.
The force emanating from Strax continued to increase, his aura expanding like a hurricane of pure energy. It was as if something ancient and powerful was awakening within him, a force that surpassed the limits of his mortal body. The wooden walls began to shake, threatening to break while Samira struggled to get close to him, constantly being pushed back.
ROOOARRRRR
Strax's face was twisted in an expression of pure pain, his mouth open in a continuous roar that echoed like thunder through the room. His hands, now transformed into claws, trembled as if something were about to emerge from his back, the pain was so intense that it seemed he would die.
Gradually, his mouth started to close, and blood tears began to stream down his face. "How much pain are you feeling?" Samira wondered; she had never seen such an expression in all her years as an adventurer. It was one of the worst scenes she had ever witnessed, made worse by the fact that it was happening to someone she loved.
Unfortunately, these women could only watch, completely powerless in the face of the supernatural events happening to Strax. Samira continued to struggle against the energy spreading through the environment, each step harder than the last. The storm of power emanating from him was something beyond anything she had ever dealt with.
She needed to help him, but the intensity of this transformation was something beyond anything she had ever encountered.
"Stop... please..." Tears began to fall from her face. Monica and Beatrice were no different; they were anguished by the sight, but that didn't mean it would simply stop.
Something began to happen to Strax. His body slowly started returning to its human form, the claws began to disappear, but from his back, a pair of Draconic Wings emerged.
"Ahrgt!" He let out an even louder cry of pain. "Hold on, Strax!" Beatrice shouted, her voice clear and loud enough even for Samira to hear, who was very close to the scream. The walls began to break, and the floor was no different, with splinters of wood flying everywhere. "We're here with you!" Monica said this time. If they couldn't stop Strax by force, they would use the only thing left.
Their feelings.
The devastating aura around Strax began to weaken, the storm of energy slowly receding. The transformation, though brutal and painful, seemed to be coming to an end. His draconic wings, now fully formed, extended behind him and began to disappear, pulsing with a strange light.
His entire body cracked like porcelain, and a bright white light shone intensely, blinding everyone in the room.
As the light began to dissipate, the women slowly opened their eyes, still blinking against the brightness and rubbing their eyes with their hands.
Strax's figure stood in the middle of the room, enveloped in a soft, radiant light. His skin, once marked by wounds, was now perfectly healed, and the wings had disappeared, leaving only a faint glow in the air where they had been. His clothes were still tattered and dirty, but... his body seemed new...
"B-bodily reconstruction," Samira stammered, seeing his body still glowing and gradually fading, revealing his new appearance.
Not only was she shocked, but Monica and Beatrice were equally stunned. His body now... was almost irresistible... It was as if they were looking at someone who awakened all their most lustful feelings.
His previously short and messy hair had been replaced with long, jet-black hair, falling in smooth waves halfway down his back. The strands seemed made of pure darkness and did not reflect the room's light. But it wasn't just his hair that changed—Strax's eyes, which had been an intense red, now glowed with a more vivid shade of crimson, like burning embers.
"D-damn it hurts," Strax muttered, revealing the small fangs that had appeared in his mouth. Though subtle, they clearly didn't look human.
Noticing the women's attention, he touched his face to check if something was wrong. First, he felt his skin, which now seemed like jade, something he clearly didn't have before. Then, he noticed his hair felt heavier than usual. "Huh?" he wondered, feeling its softness and length. His trembling fingers brushed over the fangs that were uncomfortable in his mouth, and he felt how sharp they were.
"Those sneaky spirits... were they talking about this?" he wondered aloud. But upon looking back at the women... they seemed fascinated—or rather, obsessed with this transformation.
Samira, still incredulous, was the first to step forward, her eyes shining as if she were looking at a rare animal. "Strax... you... you're so hot..." she murmured, a bit embarrassed to say this in front of the other two.
Monica and Beatrice, equally impressed, approached him. But Beatrice was quicker and hugged him tightly, her face... very red, to say the least.
"Whoa," he said, holding her, "Not so tight, my love," he remarked, and just by saying those words, she became even more embarrassed, burying her face in his chest. "W-what's wrong with you?" Strax questioned, but even they didn't know the answer. However...
[< As an Incubus, you passively release your charm to the women you desire. They are intoxicated with love for you. >]
"I thought that was just decorative... I never felt like I was really using that passive ability," Strax thought, seeing that the women were indeed getting heated looking at him.
[< Previously, the System was incomplete in "Beta" mode. It is now fully activated in its version 1.0. The more you advance, the more the System will update! >]
The System responded immediately to Strax's question. "Finally..." he murmured. A lot was going through his mind, but having the Complete System was the best thing that had happened.
"Hey, calm down," Strax said, seeing how the girls were almost euphoric. They really seemed to be in the mood for something... which we need not mention. But Strax wasn't in the mood for that right now. First, he turned to the two swords lying on the floor.
He stepped away from Beatrice and picked up the two swords, which trembled just from his touch. "Ah~Master!" Ouroboros moaned. "M-master, c-careful," Tiamat said more restrainedly. They seemed extremely delicate.
Strax took a deep breath. There was much to think about and much to do, but before that... "I need to learn to control this... Maybe if I... yes, it should work," Strax murmured, trying to do something. He wanted to reduce his presence, to keep his aura bound to his body without having to constantly think about what to do with these women.
In summary, he was treating this Incubus passive ability as an aura in his body, and he wasn't entirely wrong. By focusing on keeping his aura within his body, he managed to slightly prevent the Charm from spreading uncontrollably.
"Okay, now it should be better," he murmured and held the swords again, and they said nothing... well, if he knew how those two were in their respective resting places... he wouldn't think it was any better. But let's leave that for later; he had something more important to do. He turned to his only target.
In a single movement, he almost teleported directly in front of Beatrice and hugged her very tightly. He could finally feel her warmth after all the enormous problems that had occurred. After so many troubles... he was finally with her again.
"D-darling, y-you're crushing me!" Beatrice cried out, blushing, almost out of breath. "Oh, sorry, I'm still not used to this body yet," Strax said, smiling. When he looked at Beatrice's clothes, he noticed something. "You're covered in blood?" he questioned, a bit concerned.
"It's you who's really dirty..." they said in unison. "Oh... true," he said, seeing his reflection in a mirror on the other side of the room.