The couple emerged from the cellar into the grand foyer of Blackwood Estate. The morning light revealed the full extent of the damage: rotting floorboards, peeling wallpaper, and the massive hole in the front door where the wolves had entered. The air smelled of wet dog and mildew.
Elara stood beside Lux, wrapped in a spare curtain she had fashioned into a makeshift toga (since her uniform was destroyed). Despite her ragged appearance, she radiated a terrifyingly regal aura. The air around her dropped five degrees just by her standing there.
"I will clear the perimeter," Elara stated, summoning a jagged shard of black ice into her hand. "I can slaughter every wolf within a five-mile radius in under an hour."
"Relax, Elara," Lux chuckled, placing a hand on her cold, smooth shoulder. "You're an assassin, not a landscaper. Put the ice away. I have a better way."
He pulled up the [System Shop].
[Current EP: 2,500]
"Money is meant to be spent," Lux muttered. "System, filter for Base Management and Defense."
A holographic list scrolled before his eyes.
* Anti-Personnel Mine (50 EP)
* Skeleton Laborer (150 EP)
* Iron Gate Reinforcement (200 EP)
* ...
"Too small," Lux frowned. He scrolled down to the Rare section.
[Item: Ward Stone - Minor Sanctuary]
[Rank: D]
[Cost: 800 EP]
[Effect: Creates a 500-meter barrier that repels all monsters below D-Rank. Alerts host to intruders. Cleaning function included (removes dust/debris over time).]
"Buy," Lux commanded.
A heavy, runic stone materialized in his hand. He tossed it into the center of the foyer.
THOOM.
The stone sank into the floorboards as if they were water. A pulse of golden light swept through the house, passing through the walls and expanding into the forest.
Outside, the howling wind suddenly died down. The oppressive atmosphere lifted. Inside, the dust on the floor began to vibrate and vanish, dissolved by the ward's magic.
"Magic..." Elara breathed, eyes wide. "That is a barrier spell worth thousands of gold coins. Master, where did you...?"
"Rank perks," Lux winked. "But we're not done. We can't sleep on a rotting mattress."
He turned his attention back to the shop.
[Item: Token of Renovation (Single Room)]
[Cost: 1,000 EP]
[Effect: Instantly restores one room to its peak historical condition, adding modern magical amenities (Hot Water, Soft Bed, Soundproofing).]
[Item: Dimensional Pantry (Tier 1)]
[Cost: 500 EP]
[Effect: A cabinet that restocks basic ingredients (Meat, Bread, Vegetables, Spices, Water) daily. No more stale bread.]
[Total Cost: 2,300 EP]
[Remaining: 200 EP]
Lux bought them all without hesitation.
"Come upstairs," Lux led Elara to the Master Bedroom on the second floor.
Currently, it was a disaster zone. The bed was eaten by moths, and the ceiling had a leak.
"Master, this room is unfit for you," Elara said, stepping in front of him. "I will sleep here on the floor. You can take the cellar rug—"
"Elara, move."
Lux tossed the [Token of Renovation]—a golden coin—into the room.
FLASH.
For a second, the room was engulfed in white light.
When it faded, Elara gasped.
The rot was gone. The floor was polished mahogany. The leak in the ceiling was sealed and painted with a fresco of angels. In the center sat a massive king-sized bed with silk sheets and plush pillows. A fireplace crackled with magical, smokeless fire.
And in the corner? A door led to an en-suite bathroom where steam was already rising from a pristine porcelain tub.
"This..." Elara touched the silk sheets, her black-ice claws retracting so she wouldn't tear them. She looked at Lux with renewed awe. "You are not just a noble... you are a God."
"I'm just a man who appreciates comfort," Lux walked over to the corner and placed the [Dimensional Pantry]—a sleek wooden cabinet—against the wall.
He opened it. Inside were fresh steaks, baskets of white bread, blocks of cheese, and bottles of wine.
"Elara," Lux said, turning to her. "You've been eating garbage and sleeping on the floor for five years to protect me. That ends today."
He grabbed a raw steak from the pantry and tossed it to her.
Elara caught it. She stared at the raw meat. Her new [Shadow-Wolf] instincts flared. She salivated.
"Master... may I?"
"Cook it first," Lux laughed. "Go take a bath. Wash the blood off. I'll make breakfast."
Elara looked at the tub, then at the bed, then at Lux. Tears welled in her violet eyes. She dropped to one knee, bowing her head.
"I swear to you, Lux von Greylock," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I will conquer this world for you. I will fill this house with the heads of your enemies."
"That's sweet," Lux smirked, lifting her chin with his finger. "But for now, just fill the tub."
1 Hour Later
The smell of searing steak and melted cheese filled the room.
Lux sat on the edge of the massive bed, wearing a fresh robe he'd found in the wardrobe.
Elara emerged from the bathroom.
She was clean. Her skin glowed pink from the heat. She had found a silk shirt in the closet—one of his old ones—and wore it as a nightgown. It was too big for her, slipping off one shoulder, barely covering her thighs.
She crawled onto the bed, moving with the silent grace of a predator, and sat cross-legged next to him.
Lux handed her a plate. "Eat."
She ate voraciously, tearing into the meat with a hunger that wasn't entirely human anymore.
"It's good," she mumbled, sauce on her cheek.
Lux watched her, sipping a glass of wine.
The house was safe. The bed was soft. His belly was full.
And sitting next to him was a loyal, A-Rank super-weapon wearing his shirt.
[System Insight]
[Target Elara is content.]
[Loyalty is maxed.]
[New Objective Available: The Exiled Lord needs a Domain.]
[Suggestion: Secure the nearby village to establish a steady income of Gold and Information.]
Lux swiped the notification away. "Tomorrow," he thought.
"Master," Elara licked her fingers clean. Her violet eyes locked onto him. The meal had restored her energy. "The bed... it is very large."
She crawled closer, the silk shirt riding up her hips.
"And the barrier is active. No one can interrupt us now."
Lux smiled, setting his wine glass down on the nightstand.
"I suppose you're right."
Just as he reached for her—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound echoed through the entire house, magically amplified by the Ward Stone.
"Intruder at the Main Gate," the System announced.
Elara's expression instantly shifted from seductive to murderous. Her eyes flashed purple. The air in the room froze.
"I will kill them," she hissed, starting to get up.
"Wait," Lux checked the System vision.
Outside the barrier, standing at the rusted iron gates of the estate, was a girl.
She looked young, maybe eighteen. She wore a ragged cloak, and she was carrying a heavy backpack. She wasn't a monster.
[Target Analyzed]
[Name: ???]
[Race: Human]
[Rank: F (Civilian)]
[Affiliation: Wandering Merchant / Cartographer]
"A merchant?" Lux mused. "Out here in the monster forest?"
Elara scowled. "A spy, Master. Let me freeze her blood."
"No," Lux stood up. "We have 200 EP left. We're broke. If she's a merchant, maybe she buys monster parts. We have three dead wolves downstairs."
He threw a robe to Elara.
"Cover up. We have a guest."