Adam paused as the System began its explanation, his monstrous energy still radiating with such force that it terrified Berreta...or rather, Empussa, as she had just revealed.
To her, Adam wasn’t just strong.
He was akin to the likes of incomprehensible phenomenon. A being so far above her that her instincts screamed at her to kneel or run.
But as things are now, kneeling was all she could do.
These days, she had been encountering more and more terrifying people... but this? This was different.
Their power wasn’t even close. It was like comparing Heaven and Earth.
Even now, no matter how she strained her senses, she couldn’t perceive the true depths of Adam’s power.
There was no edge, no bottom, no boundary. It didn’t end.
If Alustus’s energy was like the core of a planet, dense, immense, concentrated, then Adam,s was like a void, an all-consuming abyss that enveloped everything and gave nothing back.
And because of that, just being near him filled her with a dreadful, instinctive apprehension.
Her body trembled not from fear alone, but from the oppressive reality of his existence.
Meanwhile, Adam simply stood there, listening as the System continued in its usual tone of speaking.
『Allow me to explain』
Her voice was calm, and feminine in its sharp precision.
『She is of noble blood, you see』
『A descendant of the Abrossa line, one of the noble Succubus houses of Demonkind』
Where the System got its information from, even Adam didn’t fully know. It certainly wasn’t omniscient or omnipresent.
But if you where to asked it, how does what it does, it answer would be simple.
Its Archives were updated irregularly by Beatrice herself, often at random.
In some ways, this entire world was tailored to be a playground for Adam, as an apology from Beatrice.
Yet Adam was also her entertainment, plane and simple.
So she couldn’t make things too easy for him.
Because of that, his System often gave him insights not even the Old Gods or the New Gods possessed.
If you asked them, they wouldn’t know.
If you asked the System, it might.
And yet, there were still many things it didn’t know. Blind spots. Forgotten corners. Secrets kept even from its great self.
When it came to information on lesser beings of this Related World.
The ones she coldly labeled as "NPCs."
It’s knowledge was only as vast as what Beatrice allowed Adam to access.
For better or worse, that limitation was both a gift and a curse.
A gift, because it gave Adam access to knowledge most would never touch, forbidden truths buried beneath reality.
A curse, because some knowledge could be poison, and thankfully, Adam hadn’t asked the kind of questions that would lead to a Dead end... Not yet atleast.
But shifting back to Empussa...
She continued to explain.
『Despite being a bastard child, her veins carry the blood of the Abrossa Demon Family. Her mother is a high-ranking Succubus, and one of Demon King Lucifer’s many wives. As such, Empussa is a high-class demon, even if her birth status makes her an inferior half-breed』
『True high-ranking demons cannot be permanently killed unless the memory of their existence is destroyed. Without that, they will always return...randomly...somewhere in the Demon World』
『However, if someone obtains their True Name, they gain total control over their fate. With it, they can command the demon to kill themselves, resulting in true death. Or bind them as a slave』
『In the case of a half-breed like Empussa... it is even worse. She does not possess the same reincarnation privilege her pureblood kin enjoy. Without a specific resurrection ability or contingency, her death is final』
『And now that she has given you her True Name... she has forfeited everything. If you kill her, there will be no return』
『She is yours, Master...Permanently. A slave in the truest sense of the word』
His expression hidden behind the bone mask, unreadable, but he was thinking as he said out aloud.
Before him, Empussa, once Berreta floated helplessly, her body suspended like a marionette with the strings pulled taut.
Not from loyalty of any kind whatsoever. Rather from fear, on the other hand Adam began to speak as he said.
"...What a cowardly half-breed you are."
"Better a coward than dead."
Empussa replied quietly, her voice subdued but steady.
She raised her head to meet Adam’s gaze, still trembling under his presence, but no longer hiding from it.
She has lost this battle, and war.
As such for her safety atleast she tries to get on Adam’s good-side.
She asked, lips tight with resignation.
"I gave you my True Name. You’re clearly powerful, old, maybe even ancient, I really don’t know. Only the real monsters have that kind of pressure in their presence. So I don’t think I need to explain what it means when a Demon gives someone their true name? You old freaks of nature usually know a lot."
If only she knew Adam was nearing just six years old in this life, but it was irrelevant.
Adam didn’t respond at first.
His mask gave nothing away, but the silence itself was its own answer.
Then, slowly, his voice rumbled out.
"...Hmm... Hehehe... You might be of use after all."
He stepped closer, looming.
"Tell me, woman. What exactly are your powers?"
Empussa sighed deeply.
No room left for secrets.
"As you already guessed, I am a half-breed."
"My father’s a Minotaur, my mother... a Succubus. So what I got is a bit of both. A body built for survival, and seduction both."
She took a breath, then continued.
"From my Minotaur side... I’ve got monsterous strength and endurance, despite my almost human like build, but it is passive."
"Power-wise, I can channel Monster Energy into physical matter and repair it, like my own body, weapons, even other living and nonliving constructs"
"I can also infuse energy into objects to make them stronger or heal them over time. My senses are also sharp, that being sound, smell, touch, taste, and hearing together it gives me the power of spatial awareness kinda, as a result I don’t get lost ever."
She gave a weak smile. It didn’t reach her eyes.
"But that doesn’t matter much when you’re stuck in a fight you can’t win."
Adam remained silent, letting her continue.
"And from my Succubus blood... it affect my healing power greatly, so I also have variant aspects of it."
"You see I can interact with non-physical things. Souls, emotions, memories. That side of me gives me what’s called Dark Healing, the second phase of my normal human powers."
"I can also heal the intangible, restore fractured memories, mend spiritual wounds, ease mental damage. I can even amplify someone’s energy by healing it directly. But I can’t remove curses or diseases."
"And there is one more thing,"
She added, more reluctantly now.
"I can... also dream-walk. Step into dreams. But I am not a pure Succubus, so I can’t control what happens in there, like a normal one could."
"Just observe, maybe nudge things a little, and tamper with memories too, or subtle hypnosis via dreams, this works best over a period of time so much so, I am confident it could make even a low S-Rank fall under my power if done correctly. All in all, I’m not a fighter, rather I’m more of a support type. A healer, and buffer."
Then she looked up at Adam again, eyes hollow but honest.
"I’m not pretending I’m useful in a fight. I am also not very brave. I am not strong like you. But I can help. If you’ll let me."
Adam listened carefully to her words.
So far, he could see her desires, and feel them even.
"I am afraid of him... Alustus, my husband. How did you even earn the wrath of someone like him...? You’re useless. You must obey the strong if you want to live... Filthy halfbreed. This slave is at least useful."
"Those were the kinds of words I always heard back home."
"But because I hate myself, I want to live long enough... to learn how to love myself."
Her thoughts, her broken self-talk, her memories, bled into Adam as his power read her desires.
There weren’t many clear images, but enough to paint a bitter portrait.
Even before he arrived, this woman had already been molded to serve.
A mind bent into submission. A spirit trained for obedience from her birth.
Truly a pitiful existence, in Adam’s opinion... but undeniably a useful one.
He let out a low chuckle.
"Hehehe... I like it. Fine, I’ll allow you to live."
"But don’t think your cowardice will get you far. Lucky for you, though, I have a way you can better yourself from here on out."
She looked up at him, surprised.
"You gave me everything when you gave your True Name. Mind, body, and soul... you’re mine now."
Adam’s tone shifted, becoming sharp.
"But even with the assurance of Absolution, I still don’t trust you."
Empussa blinked, confused.
Adam continued, his voice like a blade sliding free of its sheath.
"So... I’ll put you to the test."
He flew closer, his presence pressing down on her like gravity.
"You are mine now. And since that’s the case, I’ve got a very special mission for you."
"A... special mission?"
She tilted her head, warily.
Adam grinned under his bone mask, and his next words were thick with menace.
"Yes. A very special mission indeed."
His voice dropped low and slow.
"And all you have to do is...