Chapter 86: A World Worth Exploring

Damon couldn’t help finding that amusing. He had spent a thousand years cultivating as a Lust Demon, surrounded by people who wanted his power, his possessions, or the women connected to him.

And now, someone was warning him not to dig too deeply into this world’s problems. How amusing.

A faint smile crossed his face.

He left the meeting room and returned to his usual routine.

The following days passed more smoothly than he could have expected. Between his cultivation, the agency, and the time he spent with Vivian, Damon had plenty to occupy himself with.

Blackstone Manor was becoming livelier as Thomas continued recruiting servants and guards, while the agency was gradually settling into its operations under Isabella’s management.

Damon didn’t need to concern himself with every minor detail. He had hired capable people to handle those responsibilities, leaving himself free to focus on the things he considered important.

His strength was one of them.

The returns from Vivian had made a noticeable difference. The benefits generated through their bond had accumulated faster than Damon had anticipated, steadily improving his physical condition and helping him rebuild the foundation he’d lost when he entered this weak human body.

He was particularly pleased with the pace of his progress. He had spent a thousand years cultivating lust essence in his previous life, but starting over in a weak human body had forced him to rebuild his foundation.

Now, with the system providing additional benefits, he could finally see the results of his efforts.

He wasn’t satisfied yet, of course. He wanted far more strength than he currently possessed, and he had no intention of stopping once he became comfortable.

Still, it was a good start.

His visits to the agency had also become part of his routine.

The private arrangements with Emily and Sofia had progressed beyond their initial encounters. He had continued sleeping with them, using their intimacy to cultivate lust essence.

The more often they were together, the more clearly Damon could notice the effects. The demonic essence seemed to be stimulating their growing attachment to him, making them increasingly receptive to his presence and attention.

He found the development interesting, though he hadn’t yet bothered to determine how far that influence might go.

Meanwhile, Isabella continued managing the agency’s operations. She handled recruitment, schedules, and the ordinary demands of running the business, allowing Damon to come and go without having to supervise every employee personally.

Life was moving forward.

There were, however, two matters that refused to progress as smoothly as he wanted.

The first concerned his parents.

Thomas had begun investigating the five surviving individuals connected to the meetings four years ago, but no useful breakthrough had reached Damon yet.

The available records were incomplete, and finding people who had spent years avoiding attention wasn’t easy. So far, there had been no confirmed contact and no reliable information that could explain what had happened to his parents.

Damon wasn’t pleased with the lack of progress, but he wasn’t about to waste his days staring at a list of names either.

The second matter was considerably closer to home.

Vivian.

Her favourability had continued climbing, reaching 96, and the change in her behaviour had become increasingly difficult to ignore.

She had always been proud and straightforward, never the sort of woman who hid what she wanted. Lately, however, she seemed determined to spend as much time with Damon as possible.

If he was occupied with something else, she would find a reason to draw his attention back to her. When they were together, she was more affectionate than before and seemed reluctant to let the moment end.

At first, Damon had found it amusing. Vivian had wanted to become his only wife, after all, and her growing attachment wasn’t entirely unexpected.

But recently, there had been something slightly strange about it.

She sometimes watched him with an intensity that made him wonder what was going through her mind. On other occasions, even a brief interruption seemed enough to sour her mood. She would recover soon afterward, but the change was noticeable.

Her favourability was still rising, and he was curious about what would happen when it finally reached 100. The additional Bond Slot promised by the system was another benefit he looked forward to unlocking.

For now, he decided not to dwell on it.

He had more important matters to attend to today.

The full gathering of the Eclipse Concord was scheduled to take place, and Damon intended to be there.

Unlike his earlier visit, when he had only begun familiarizing himself with the organization and the people surrounding it, this gathering would bring its members together in a more formal setting.

The Thorne family was one of the founding pillars of the Concord, and his mother had once held the leadership position now occupied by Alistair Veyron.

That alone made the meeting worth attending.

Damon still knew very little about the family whose name he carried. He had inherited its position without understanding the history behind it, and Adrian’s revelations had only given him more reasons to look into the past.

The gathering might not provide answers about his parents, but it would at least give him a better sense of the people with whom the Thornes had shared power.

After finishing his preparations, Damon descended into the entrance hall, where Thomas was waiting.

"Everything is ready, Master," Thomas said.

Damon nodded and accepted the keys to his black Lamborghini Revuelto.

"Keep working on the investigation. If you find anything useful about those five people, let me know."

"Of course, Master."

With that settled, Damon stepped outside. The guards stationed near the entrance straightened as he approached the car, and one of the servants opened the door for him.

He slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

The familiar sound brought a satisfied smile to his face. There were plenty of mysteries waiting to be uncovered, but he wasn’t going to let them interfere with the life he was building.

He had strength to regain, wealth to accumulate, and plenty of pleasures to enjoy along the way.

As for the Eclipse Concord, he was ready to see what the gathering had to offer.

Damon drove away from Blackstone Manor, heading toward the meeting.