1000x Random Returns: Investing in My Crippled Demon Wives!

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Bending Over for the Young Master!

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Lucien turned, scythe still raised, eyes narrowing toward the sound.At the far end of the empty street stood a woman.

But he he looked closer he realized it was a man, by the lack a chest and their hideous smile.

He simply stood there, applauding, and started walking closer. They wore no cloak, no mask and made no attempt at concealment as he approached closer.

After coming close enough to Lucien thay he could partly see his face, he carried on walking closer, this time more confident fornsome reason.

’Not hiding and seems like he is not scared of me, is he looking down on me or something? What with that look? Well not like it’s someting new.’

’Just who is this girly looking man? Not that I’m judging or whatever.’

---

Lucien activated both Sanguine Perception and Mana Sense at once, and this time the results came back completely different.

A heartbeat sounded in his ribs, with blood circulating through his viens, normal and steady. And through Mana Sense he saw a dense and genuine mana core unlike the thing in just killed.

[Ding!]

[Mana Sense Used]

[Target Detected.]

[Estimated Rank: B-Rank]

’B-Rank, also whats with this new window system, you never showed this before?’ Lucien thought, pulse ticking up at the guys rank.

’So that thing earlier really wasn’t the main event, maybe it wasn’t even a proper B rank, seeing the difference between the two. This one’s the real deal.’

---

The man drew close enough that Lucien could actually see him properly now, he was short barely 5 and a half feet, short dirty-blond hair, pale white skin, crimson eyes, features soft enough to look almost feminine.

Not particularly muscular as an arrogant smile stretched across his face like he’d been waiting his whole life for this moment.

Lucien looked at him and looked again, trying to think if he met someone like this before.

But nothing came to mind.

The man’s smile widened. "What’s wrong, Lucien? Don’t recognize your dear old friend?"

Silence stretched between as Lucien looked at him like he was an idiot.

He pressed a hand dramatically over his chest. "Come now. You’re hurting me."

Lucien genuinely searched his memory and came up empty.

The man’s smile twitched. "...You’re serious?"

He took another step closer. "It’s me, Vane Vance, that should jog your memories right."

A pause, chin lifting with obvious pride. "I’m the Personal servant of Young Master Silas Dracul Aethernis."

’Silas and him, also is that something to be proud of?’

The name cracked something open, memories surfacing from his earlier years in this life, a younger version of himself, still holding some standing in the house, and a boy trailing after him constantly, calling him "Young Master," laughing at every joke, agreeing with everything he said.

Then his mother vanished, his status crumbled, his half-siblings rose as other things happened at the same time.

And this boy had jumped ship the instant it made sense to, sliding neatly into Silas’s shadow, laughing at Lucien alongside him instead.

’There it is, found it. So what the fuck happened to him for such a change to occur?’

’Last time I saw him, he was still normal, I think, maybe?’

Lucien looked at him again, and this time let something like pity settle across his face.

---

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Vane demanded.

"Nothing," Lucien said. "Just wondering how far you’d actually fallen."

Vane’s smile vanished. "What?"

"You used to call me Young Master." Lucien looked him up and down.

"Now you’re Silas’s personal dog." He sighed, shaking his head. "Must have been rough for you to become like this."

Vane’s expression twitched.

"Ah, I think I remember some more you, you were always beside Silas licking his ass, yes I’m sure of it."

"What the hell did you say, you waste, I dare you to say it again."

"Oh right my mistake sorry, you weren’t his ass licker but his cock sucker, my bad."

"You fucking bastard, I’ll kill you!"

"Obviously, that’s why you’re here, gosh, you’re slow, must be hard for Silas."

"Actually, never mind, you’re too slow for me." Lucien continued, brightening. "At least I don’t have to deal with you anymore."

He exhaled dramatically. "Phew, dodged a bullet there."

Vane’s eye twitched again, harder this time, though he forced his composure back with visible effort.

"Nice try, trash," he said coldly. "You think a few insults will rattle me?"

"No," Lucien said. "I think you were already rattled by your Young Master before coming her, am I right?"

---

"Now that I think about it, where exactly are we, I know this can’t actually be Bloodthorn otherwise it wouldn’t be so empty?" Lucien asked, tone shifting to casual curiosity.

Vane laughed. "You really think I’d tell you, what do you think I am, an idiot?"

"Probably." Lucien shrugged. "But you’ve been talking for five minutes already, so why not explain this last thing before you kill me, come on for old times sake."

Vane opened his mouth, then paused, clearly recalculating.

’Too late,’ Lucien thought. ’Already got most of what I need.’

"Fine. " Vane said, sneering. "It won’t matter once you’re dead anyway. This is the Netherbound Deathscape an Epic-rank magic artifact. Pulls two targets into an isolated subspace built from the surroundings with no outside interference possible. Only one of us walks out alive, which is not you."

’Only one walks out. Great, very fair, putting me in here with what I assume is a not a beginner B Rank.’

’Gotta keep him talking,’ Lucien thought, checking his own condition subtly. ’Overdrive’s fading, I gotta buy time, Every second’s another second to plan how I win.’

"So basically a magic murder box," Lucien said. "Fitting, honestly. Feels like something Silas would spend a fortune on."

"He didn’t spend anything," Vane said, smug. "It’s a one of the many artifacts the family has."

"Of course it is."

---

"You’re surprisingly lucky, you know," Vane said, tone shifting.

"I’ve heard."

"You’ve got yourself three beautiful and noble wives." Vane grinned. "Soon to be widows, sadly and that too only weeks into the marriage."

Lucien’s expression went completely flat.

"Don’t worry, though," Vane continued, savoring it. "I’ll make sure they’re taken care of them for you as a friend." A disgusting smile spread across his face. "Of course, after Young Master Silas gives me permission if he doesn’t want them."

Lucien’s fingers tightened around the scythe’s shaft as his veins popped on the back of his palms.

’This bastard is eyeing my wives, I’ll kill him and his beloved young master too.’

’...No, no, wait, calm down, he is doing it on purpose, must be because he is certain he would win in a direct fight, but it seems he is still underestimating me.’

’He even told me exactly who sent him, what an idiot.’

---

"You know, Vane," Lucien said, voice deceptively light, "I think I’m starting to understand why Silas kept you around."

"Oh?"

"A servant that obedient must be hard to replace." Lucien tilted his head. "You probably don’t even need direct orders anymore. Just hear his footsteps and your spine bends forward automatically for him."

Vane’s face darkened.

"Did I hit a nerve?"

"Shut up, you fucking trash!!!"

"Tell me," Lucien continued, relentless now, "does Silas know exactly how desperate you are for his approval? Or is that just something the two of you keep between yourselves?"

Vane’s composure shattered entirely.

"ENOUGH!"

---

His aura exploded outward, and three shadows peeled away from his body, rising, solidifying into humanoid shapes wearing his exact face but having no emotions on them.

’What’s this now, looks like some sort of cloning ability, that thing I fought earlier must’ve been one of his clones then.’

Lucien looked between them. "...Three?"

"You should feel honored," Vane snapped. "Most people don’t survive seeing my Talent."

"Really?" Lucien said. "I’m sure Silas has seen it plenty of times, though, very closely too." He said smirking nearly making Vane explode.

He reached into his storage ring, pulling out a fresh batch of vials.

"Anyway," he said, "I was getting bored, let’s actually start this."

---

He drank one vial. Then another. Then several more in quick succession, blood burning down his throat.

[Ding!]

[Crucible Overdrive Activated.]

[Stats-]

[Strength: 310 (+91)]

[Agility: 360 (+127)]

[Constitution: 335 (+68)]

[Intelligence: 340 (+53)]

[Vitality: 400 (+74)]

[Mana: 350 (+153)]

His body lit up from the inside, power surging through every vein, stats climbing steadily higher as his muscles became more denser and lean, he felt a cold wave wash through his mind as if it was suddenly jolted awake and running smoothly and his mana veins flooded with mana.

’Most of it is crossing five hundred,’ he thought, checking the totals. ’Came a long way from barely having two digits.’

’Question is whether it’s far enough to fight this nut case.’

He pulled one final vial free, untested, purchased just yesterday compressed the blood inside it, and swallowed it whole.

[Blood Traits Activated.]

[Foreign Blood Detected.]

[Shadow Panther Blood (Rare).]

[Attempting Extraction...]

[Trait Extraction Successful.]

[Trait Acquired: Predator’s Reflex — Lv.2]

Something smoothed behind his eyes instantly, reaction time snapping tighter, the world’s edges suddenly a fraction clearer and a fraction slower.

Vane’s three clones surged forward as one, closing the distance in a blur.

Lucien settled into his stance, scythe rising, a slow grin spreading across his face.

’I really got to get the proper scythe for this technique.’ He thought with a smile.

"Alright," he said.

"Let’s see what you’ve got, Silas Dracul Aethernis’s bitch."

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