Capítulo 24: New Determination.

Kae and Anna entered the consorts' dining hall, a grand room filled with long golden tables and matching golden chairs. The space was bathed in warm, golden light, and the air was thick with the mouth-watering aroma of breakfast dishes.

The soft clinking of utensils on plates and the low hum of conversation among the consorts created a cozy atmosphere. Elyrian male guards stood at attention, vigilant around the hall, while Elyrian female servants, dressed in silky gowns that accentuated their curvaceous figures, attended to the consorts.

As Kae and Anna made their way to their seats, Kae couldn't help but notice the envious glances cast their way by the other consorts. Anna's beauty, along with his own rugged charm, drew stares of both admiration and jealousy. He settled into a chair beside Tharros, while Anna, dressed in a flowing red gown that emphasized her figure, stood beside him.

"Brother!" Anna called, her face bright with a smile as she gazed at Tharros. She greeted him with a slight bow.

Tharros nodded, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "Sister," he replied softly.

"He even gets a maid while we don't," muttered a consort with short red hair in a deep voice that carried through the dining hall. "Just because he killed Malumbra, now he's the queen's favorite. I think the rest of us are in danger. Who knows if Her Royal Highness will kill us off, now that she only wants him?"

"Yeah! And he defeated the warrior statues too. What a show-off," another man chimed in, gulping down his wine. "Makes the rest of us look like fools."

Kae sighed inwardly, his frustration mounting. 'What's wrong with these idiots? They're men, for crying out loud, yet they're acting like jealous women. I didn't know today's breakfast would be spent listening to grown men complain about not being the queen's favorite.'

"Just ignore them," Tharros whispered, sensing Kae's irritation. "They're envious, nothing more. Ever since you saved Anna and defeated the statues, they've been like this. Pathetic. What they don't realize is that being the queen's favorite puts you in more danger."

Tharros leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "They think it's all luxury, but the queen starts to suspect you. Soon, you'll have spies watching your every move. Be careful, brother. I know this because I had an older brother once. A talented swordsman. After the illusion test, his limbs were cut off. The queen made him her favorite for a while because he was the only one to survive the test that year. But it didn't last."

Tharros' voice grew bitter as he continued, "To cut a long story short, she killed him. She couldn't stand a crippled man as her consort, so she had him executed. Not that it matters if she has a consort anyway, since she can have sex with humans and perform dual cultivation with them, draining their life force afterward to keep it a secret. Everyone already knows, so it's no longer a secret. She doesn't need consorts, but she still takes them. She keeps getting young men only for them to lose their lives."

He paused, his eyes darkening. "It's the same for talent. The moment they see your abilities, the eyes of the palace are on you. My brother survived the battlefield in the illusion world, but he couldn't survive the palace." He pulled back, anger flickering in his gaze. "That's why I came here to avenge him. These women are monsters."

Kae's eyes widened at Tharros' revelation. He wanted to respond but could only let out a heavy sigh. 'I'll talk to him later,' he thought, casting a glance at the other consorts.

'These female monsters are heartless,' He reflected. 'They've hurt countless humans just to survive. I was granted the lust system to enslave them. I might even decide to kill them... eventually. But not now. They'll investigate their deaths. Enslaving them first, then delivering judgment, is the best plan. I wonder how many female Elyrians are in the world? How many will I be touching with my little brother?' He heaved another sigh.

The other consorts, who had been watching them, turned away, muttering angrily among themselves. Soon, breakfast was over, and they made their way to the training grounds, where Commander Aethera, Teacher Vynessa, and Eirakon the guard awaited.

The consorts lined up before Commander Aethera and Teacher Vynessa, anticipation buzzing in the air as they awaited the day's training.

"Alright, consorts," Commander Aethera's voice cut through the tension. "Today's training will continue with swordsmanship practice against the statues. I trust you're all prepared?"

"Yes!" the consorts shouted in unison, gripping the weapons they had chosen at the start of their training tools that had now become extensions of themselves.

Commander Aethera smiled approvingly. She raised her hands, blue lightning crackling between her fingers. A spell formed, and wooden statues wielding swords appeared before each consort.

"Begin!" she commanded, stepping back to sit with Teacher Vynessa and Eirakon. The consorts were left to face their enchanted foes.

Kae's expression hardened as he faced the wooden statue, gripping his sword tightly. The statue, enchanted to mimic a skilled warrior, stood eerily still for a moment before springing into action. Kae wasted no time, launching his first attack with a shout, his blade slicing through the air with practiced precision.

Clang!

The statue parried with uncanny speed, countering with a sharp thrust aimed at Kae's chest. He twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow, and retaliated with a quick upward slash. The statue blocked the strike, its movements fluid and unrelenting, giving Kae no time to breathe as it pressed forward with a series of rapid attacks.

Each clash of their blades sent vibrations up Kae's arms. His muscles strained as he blocked another heavy blow, forcing the statue back with a well-timed shove. Yet the statue adapted, shifting its stance as if reading his moves before he even made them.

Kae darted to the side, launching a swift counterattack aimed at the statue's midsection, but it blocked him with a powerful downward stroke that nearly knocked the sword from his hands.

'It's too fast,' Kae thought, his breathing ragged. But he wasn't ready to give up. He gritted his teeth, muscles burning with exertion as he parried a series of blows.

Then, without warning, the statue shifted again, its stance completely changing. Kae's eyes widened. The statue's movements became unpredictable, attacking with wild, sweeping strikes. Kae blocked the first few blows, but the force behind them grew, and each deflection pushed him back, his feet skidding across the ground.

'What?!' Kae barely dodged a strike aimed at his ribs, the blade passing inches from his body. 'There's another set of moves?'

Ding!

{Yes, host. The statue has been updated with new swordsmanship moves. You'll need to study its patterns to defeat it.}

The statue's wooden sword came crashing down again, and Kae barely raised his own in time to block. His arms trembled from the impact, and panic crept in. He had expected to know its moves by now, but this was something entirely new.

Kae's mind raced. 'Like seriously?'

Ding!

{The statue now incorporates nine additional moves. Combined with the previous one, there are ten in total.}

'Ten moves?!' Kae's heart pounded as the statue advanced once more. Its attacks were relentless, giving him no time to recover. Sweat dripped down his face as he parried a blow, only to be struck by a follow-up that sent him stumbling back. His shoulder throbbed, and he winced in pain. 'It's not even following a pattern. I can't predict its next move...'

The statue's next swing hit him squarely in the side. If it had been a real sword, the blow would have carved him open. Kae gritted his teeth, feeling the sting from the wooden blade as he tried to regain his footing. Another strike followed, hitting his leg with a sickening thud, forcing him to his knees.

'Damn! If this keeps up, I'll be killed just from training.'

Ding!

{Host, you possess the demon lord's soul. Learning ten moves should be effortless. It's not a test of endurance; it's a game.}

Kae's frustration flared. 'I have the demon lord's soul, but I'm not the demon lord! My body is human. My instincts aren't honed for this yet!' He groaned inwardly, struggling to rise as the statue loomed over him, its wooden sword raised high.

The statue's blade came down, and Kae rolled to the side just in time to avoid it. But the relentless attacks continued. The other consorts were locked in their own battles, bleeding and bruised from the statues' merciless strikes. Unlike him, they had no system to heal their wounds overnight. They were truly suffering.

Ding!

{You haven't used your demon eyes since you defeated Malumbra. Activate them to gain the upper hand and level up your abilities. I really shouldn't be the one telling you this host but since you blocked the evil system from reading your thoughts, I could only offer you help.}

Kae's lips curled into a determined smirk. 'How could I have forgotten about the demon eyes?'

With a thought, he called upon the power of the demon eyes. Instantly, his vision shifted. The world around him slowed, and his perception sharpened. His irises glowed red, though invisible to the others, and he felt a surge of power flooding through him.