Damain stepped into the house only to find Racheal, Ruby, and Hazel standing by the door, their heads lowered, their expressions weighed down with quiet remorse.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. In the end, all that escaped him was a long, defeated sigh.

What exactly was he supposed to do?

Scold them for spending money that was theirs?

There was too much on his plate. Too many moving pieces. Their antics felt trivial in comparison.

Without saying a word, Damian walked past them and headed straight for his room.

He had worked through the day and into the night without rest, and there was still more waiting for him. Ethan would not deal with himself.

Once inside, he moved without hesitation. He went straight to the bathroom, had a quick shower and then the bed.

The moment his body settled, his world dissolved into darkness.

When his eyes opened again, he found himself beneath a full moon, its silver glow spilling across a sky filled with countless stars. The ground beneath him was soft, a bed of flowers stretching endlessly, while fireflies of every color drifted through the air, painting the night in quiet brilliance.

For the first time since returning from his trip, Damian felt at peace.

"You are a really busy man... you do not rest often," Lin Qui’s voice came from the side.

Damian turned his head slightly to the right and saw him seated upon a protruding rock, that same ever-present, gentle smile resting on his lips.

But now, knowing what he knew, that smile felt different.

Unsettling.

"I have work. I am still climbing the top of the ladder in my world. Yes, it keeps me busy," Damian replied calmly before shifting his gaze back to the moon.

Lin Qui let out a soft chuckle.

"Why chase power that is temporary and abandon that which is eternal?" he asked.

Damian rolled his eyes but remained silent.

"Do not tell me he is still having problems with his wives?" Lin Qui added, though this time, his words were not directed at Damian.

Before Damian could react, another voice answered.

"They were wild from the start, even when you met them. They were rampaging demons looking for a human to devour, and they simply happened to find you. If you had not been at the demigod level, you would have been their victim. It is only natural he struggles to control them," Rin said.

Though his tone remained neutral, Damian felt a sharp sting in his chest, as though the words had been aimed directly at him.

What did they mean he could not handle them?

"Well, they will come around once he reaches the demigod level," Lin Qui responded.

"And what if he loses interest in them before then? What if he no longer wishes to marry them?"

"He has not connected with them yet? We made a Faustian pact. He cannot abandon them."

"He has not connected because they tell him nothing and act as they please. It is entirely their fault. I warned you those girls were trouble, but you refused to listen," Rin countered.

"ENOUGH!"

Damian shot upright, his voice cutting through the air.

"I did not come here to talk about my wives. Be quiet."

With that, he dropped back onto the flowerbed.

Lin Qui and Rin stared at him for a few moments before calmly returning their attention to one another, as if his outburst had never happened.

"He does seem different now. It is as though he is becoming his own person," Lin Qui remarked.

"Yes... he is still rough around the edges, but his mind is... unique. He has the potential to become a great demon lord. As long as he gets rid of his wives..." Rin added.

"Come on, the three of them cannot be that bad."

"They are horrible."

Damian let out a quiet sigh and closed his eyes.

Here, he could shut them out. Silence them without effort.

He let himself sink into the atmosphere, into the gentle breeze, the faint glow of the fireflies, the calm that wrapped around him like a second skin.

It was peaceful and refreshing.

It felt like a dream he could control. His own hidden sanctuary.

"God, I need to come here more often..." Damian murmured, a faint smile forming on his lips.

Time passed, though how much he could not tell.

Then, suddenly, his eyes snapped open. His room came back into view.

It was dark. Night had already fallen.

The silence here was different, heavier, less forgiving than the serenity he had just left behind.

A deep frown settled on his face.

"Time to work?" Rin’s voice came again.

Damian sat up slowly.

He nodded once, rolling his shoulders as tension returned to his body. A violet flash flickered in his eyes, and a sharp grin spread across his face, revealing the faint edge of his fangs.

"So, what’s the plan?" Rin asked.

Damain shrugged, his expression calm, almost detached. "The usual. Break Ethan mentally and make him take the blame publicly. The strategy does not change. Only the execution might."

He rose to his feet in one fluid motion and walked into his dressing room, revealing a wide, carefully curated space lined entirely with black and purple attire. Without hesitation, he stepped toward the mirror, his reflection standing pristine and untouchable, while Rin followed closely behind, his small steps quiet as he observed every movement with sharp curiosity.

He could feel it.

Damian stood at the edge of transformation.

The man before him was no longer simply human. He was being shaped into something greater, something that would one day be revered as a god by those who once knelt before Lin Qui.

But what kind of god would he become?

Would he remain the aggressive, head-on force he had always been, or would he evolve into something quieter, more calculated, more dangerous?

Unaware of Rin’s thoughts, Damain stood before the mirror and studied his own face, flawless and composed. Slowly, he shut his eyes and reached inward, beyond the familiar pull of his fox power, deeper into the abyss that waited beneath.

When his eyes opened again, the change was immediate.

His sclera had turned pitch black, swallowing the whites completely, while his irises burned with a vivid violet glow.

A faint, satisfied smile tugged at his lips.

"Once we are done with Ethan, we hunt Demons and Angels," Damian said, his voice low, steady, and filled with quiet intent.