"Going up thirty-nine levels is insane," Damian muttered, his eyes fixed on the cascade of gains before him.

[Name: Damian]

[Race: Human/Demon] [Hybrid]

[Rank: Greater Demon] [Beast]

[Sins: Lust/Abyss]

[Devotee: 0.0000000001%]

[Talent Points: 124]

[Talent Tree:] [Lust/Abyss]

[Level: 200] [0%]

[Strength: 38.5] [Agility: 38.5] [Constitution: 39.0] [Charisma: 38.5] [Demonic Force: 2450/2450]

[New Skills Unlocked]

[Name: Serenity]

[Type: Active]

[Description: Puts every being of weak spiritual force into a temporary state of blissful sleep, robbing them of awareness of their surroundings]

[Name: Wavelength Of Iniquity]

[Type: Passive]

[Description: Anyone within a four hundred meter radius becomes more susceptible to their immoral thoughts. The range can expand depending on demonic force investment.]

[Name: Telepathy]

[Type: Active]

[Description: Allows you to transmit your voice directly into the minds of those within your line of sight.]

[Name: False World]

[Type: Active]

[Description: Pulls targets within range into a spiritual layer overlapping reality. Escape becomes nearly impossible unless the user is killed.]

"I have all the abilities Duke Haborym was throwing around that day," Damian said quietly, his tone laced with memory.

He could not forget that moment.

If not for Corbin’s blood doorpost divine art shielding his forces, he would have been dragged fully into that space and killed without a trace, erased from both realms without witness.

"Isn’t this more efficient than sex?" Damian asked, his voice carrying blunt curiosity.

These days, even a night with all three of his wives barely granted him five levels. With humans, it had become even slower. Clara, Judge Vance, Sofia, together they barely amounted to a single level.

It was no longer effective.

And worse, he could feel his interest beginning to fade.

"Abyssal mating and ritual mating still exist," Rin replied calmly, climbing onto a pillow before settling down. "But one is too painful for you to endure, and the other would completely ruin your mortal experience with women. If you want faster growth, you must be willing to give something up."

It yawned, blinking lazily.

Vigilante work, after all, was exhausting. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"What are you yawning for? You sat on my head the entire time," Damian scoffed.

Rin rolled its eyes.

"It is still work."

Damian chuckled softly and let it go, his thoughts returning to the problem at hand.

If he truly wanted to grow faster, then his options were clear. He would have to either endure abyssal mating or begin engaging with demons in their true forms.

The path was obvious. Yet something held him back.

Clara.

Damian did not care whether human intimacy felt lesser compared to what awaited him beyond. That was not the issue. What troubled him was the possibility that once he crossed that threshold, once he experienced something greater, he might never look at Clara the same way again.

He did not want desire to dictate the end of that bond.

He refused to let something as simple as compatibility tear it apart.

Letting out a quiet sigh, he rolled his eyes and stepped into the dressing room.

He approached the shelf beneath the mirror and slid it open.

Inside, his black fox mask rested neatly.

Without hesitation, he placed the white mask beside it, his fingers lingering for a brief moment before withdrawing.

"You are thinking about the church problem," Rin said as it entered the room.

Damian nodded.

Killing Corbin and Linda would be effortless now. Compared to the man who faced Duke Haborym, he had become something far more dangerous.

That was not the concern.

It was what stood behind them.

"This planet is a resource ground contested by angels and demons," Rin said, its tone turning more serious. "The Ten Commandments stand on equal footing with the Seven Deadly Sins. If an all-out war breaks out between you and the Order of Moses, you will lose."

"It was wise to have Jota instruct his kind to remain hidden," Rin continued. "For now, the best course is patience. Wait until the conflict between your brothers begins. That war will draw the church’s attention away from Chicago. Until then, you remain still."

Damian stood in silence, absorbing every word. With greater power came greater dangers. The battlefield had expanded and now, more than ever, he needed to move carefully.

Truly, this was not the time to draw attention to himself.

"Stop overthinking it. Focus on your current objectives. Win the trial, establish your church, gather devotees, and strengthen yourself. We already have a plan. Stick to it," Rin said firmly, sensing Damian’s drifting thoughts.

"Alright, alright. Nothing is changing. I promise," Damian replied with a slight roll of his eyes.

Still, he could not deny it anymore. Direct confrontation was not always the answer.

That lesson had begun to settle into him.

After changing into his pyjamas, he moved to the bed and lay down, his gaze fixed on the ceiling as his mind slowly quieted. Rin followed and settled beside him on the pillow, its presence as constant as ever.

Darkness swallowed the room.

Then, just as quickly, it gave way to light.

Damian found himself standing once again within the vast, barren expanse of his mind.

The land stretched endlessly, desolate and still.

He rose to his feet without hesitation, his instincts guiding his gaze toward the wall of dead forests. In the past, the abyss would have been watching, those crimson eyes burning from the shadows.

But now they were gone.

"Hmph."

A faint snort of disdain escaped him as he turned away, his attention shifting instead to the Asura talent tree standing behind the abyssal one. The presence of it stirred a quiet temptation within him. He could invest in it, unlock whatever power his Asura bloodline held, explore an entirely new path.

The thought lingered but only for a moment.

He was in a race toward the demigod realm. To reach it, he needed to push the completion rate of the Lust talent tree far enough. Dividing his focus now would only slow him down.

And slowing down was not an option.

Without another glance, Damian turned his back on the Abyssal tree completely and began walking toward the Lust talent tree.