Sorry for the nearly week-long gap without a chapter; as I mentioned, classes are starting back up, I have my apprenticeship program, and so on. My mornings and afternoons are completely taken up. I feel like the quality of this chapter left a little to be desired.
I also admit I didn't put as much effort into writing the story as I should have; I was actually playing around with a *Douluo Dalu* one—I quite liked the direction it took. I've already written nine chapters—some good, others just so-so. If it works out, who knows? Maybe I'll write, say, fifty chapters and decide to post them here.
//
Luki and Lili sat together on a leather sofa inside a luxurious room of the Soma Family manor. Looking around at the polished wood and heavy curtains, Luki could only compare the atmosphere to those tense negotiation rooms from movies.
"Do you think this will work, Luki-sama?" Lili asked, her voice quiet as she leaned against him for comfort.
Luki naturally wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close against his side. Sitting down like this, the height difference between them nearly vanished.
"Honestly, I don't know," Luki replied, his eyes fixed on the closed door. "From what I've seen, this Zanis won't make things easy for us. He wants to profit."
"We should speak with Soma-sama directly... Lili knows a way to leave the Familia without any trouble."
Luki tightened his grip slightly, turning his head to look straight into her eyes. "Don't lie to me, Lili. I can see your uncertainty."
Lili quickly looked away, her shoulders tensing in shame. She knew she could not lie to Luki; his senses were as sharp as a god's when detecting deception.
"Let's see how this goes first," Luki continued, his tone softening to reassure her. "I will try to reach a fair agreement and pay everything normally. If that's not possible..."
"Will you kill him?" Lili asked, a spark of something in her eyes.
"No," Luki said with a calm, cold certainty. "But nothing stops me from forcing his hand a little. I won't let him keep you."
A wave of relief washed over her, melting the knot in her chest. "Luki-sama... has Lili told you how much she loves you?"
"Today? I think so," Luki smiled faintly.
"Then Lili will say it again. I love you." She leaned in softly, pressing a gentle kiss against his cheek. "Thank you for being so good to Lili. You are the only one for her."
"My naughty Pallum, come here," Luki teased with a smirk.
"Kya! Luki-sama, not here!" Lili squeaked, her face flushing.
Luki pulled her tightly against his chest. They began to play around romantically, whispering and sharing soft nudges. The affection between them was almost tangible, filling the stiff room with warmth.
However, they both knew this was neither the time nor the place for such things. It remained just a playful moment. The second Luki sensed someone approaching the room, they instantly pulled apart, smoothing their clothes and regaining their professional composure.
Creek.
The door swung open. Zanis walked in, holding a stack of papers he had gone to fetch.
"Sorry for the wait. It was quite difficult to find these among so many others," Zanis said, sitting on the opposite sofa. He placed the thick documents on the low coffee table between them.
Luki and Lili watched him intently. Luki's gaze was filled with sharp determination, while Lili felt an almost instinctive fear. She secretly gripped Luki's shirt, squeezing the fabric tight.
"This is the debt of Lili's parents, including the accrued interest," Zanis stated carelessly, maintaining the same crooked smirk he had worn since they arrived. "I don't know if she told you, but they died from their addiction just like many others in this Familia. So, their daughter had to inherit the debt."
Luki picked up the papers from the table and began to read.
Honestly, he hadn't expected this kind of setup. The content was highly complex and looked entirely authentic. He had never seen a contract like this in his past life, but it functioned just like the predatory loans he remembered.
Fortunately, even with his basic education, Luki could understand the text. The key points were clearly stated:
Lili needed to pay 10 million Valis. There was no final deadline to clear the total amount, but she had to pay at least 0,5% every month. If she missed it, heavy interest would be added to the balance, compounding indefinitely.
On another sheet, there was an annual record of Lili's payments—or rather, what had been extorted from her over the weeks.
It was shocking. The total amount she had paid over time reached almost 7 million Valis, yet she hadn't even cleared half of the principal balance.
Since the ones stealing her earnings were other members of the Soma Familia, it was clear exactly whose pockets that money ended up in.
"It says here that there are still 5.6 million Valis left to pay, right?" Luki asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Not exactly..." Zanis said, his smile twisting subtly.
Luki, however, could see right through him. He saw the ugly truth hidden behind that mask.
"The debt wasn't exactly paid during the last period," Zanis continued, leaning back. "Three days ago marked the fourth consecutive month of default, so the compound interest has accumulated."
"How much is it?" Luki asked, his voice flat. He wasn't the least bit worried about the money itself.
"The final amount would be somewhere around 8.165 million Valis," Zanis replied, looking pleased with himself. "But I will be charitable. I'll round it down to exactly 8 million."
"That is pure robbery!" Lili screamed, her body trembled with a mix of fury and disgust as she glared at Zanis. "Lili has already paid you monsters nearly seven million Valis! This way you have already made your profit back half over!"
"Lili..." Luki said softly, gently pulling her back down onto the sofa.
Zanis, on the other hand, made no effort to hide the twisted satisfaction in his smile. He was thoroughly enjoying the way things were playing out.
"But that is where you are wrong," Zanis sneered, leaning forward. "We don't deal with exact values here, only paid and unpaid installments. No one told you to break the agreement."
"You..." Lili gritted her teeth, squeezing her small fists so hard her knuckles turned white. She wanted nothing more than to punch that smug face.
But if she did, she would just break her hand on his thick face. He is Level 2 for a reason.
However, Luki did a good job of calming her down. With a few gentle pats on her back, Lili sat back on the sofa in silence, reluctantly leaving the rest of the negotiation to him.
"I don't have that kind of money on me right now," Luki said casually, his tone indifferent.
"That's not an issue," Zanis replied smoothly. "There are plenty of ways to fix that little problem."
Zanis's true intentions couldn't be any clearer. The man was driven entirely by greed. He wanted to trap Luki in a predatory agreement just like Lili's, squeezing every single coin out of him for as long as possible.
The broker's greed was completely bottomless, blinding him so much that he couldn't see the danger right in front of him. They were only having this conversation because Luki allowed it, purely wanting to avoid getting his hands dirty. If Zanis crossed the line, nothing would stop Luki from flipping the table and ending him.
But Luki decided to play along with the game for now. Now that he was powerful—and had a strong feeling the Dungeon wouldn't trouble him the same way anymore—making money would be easy.
"I also have other debts to pay," Luki pointed out. "I can't just give every single piece of Valis I make to you."
"I am sure we can come to a proper arrangement about that," Zanis smiled, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Nothing that time can't solve."
"Indeed, we can reach an agreement," Luki said, his voice dropping into a strange tone. "So, let's do this..."
"...I will pay you three million Valis in three months. One million each month, and that's it," Luki concluded with a calm smile.
Zanis widened his eyes slightly, completely caught off guard. Then, his face contorted into a mock laugh.
"Three million? You must be joking, kid," Zanis sneered, leaning over the table. "The debt is eight million. You don't get to walk into my office and dictate the numbers. The Soma Family doesn't do charity."
"And Lili doesn't do slavery anymore," Luki retorted, his expression turning cold. "You already extorted seven million from her. Paying you three million more means you get ten million in total. That is the exact original value. You aren't losing a single Valis."
"That's not how business works here!" Zanis snapped, slamming his hand on the armrest. "Interest is interest! Seven million, or the girl stays and works it off for the rest of her miserable life." He lowered the price, trying to reach for something.
"She won't stay another day," Luki said, his voice dropping into a dangerously calm register.
"And how will you free her?" Zanis laughed sneeringly, tapping the desk. "Without my permission, Soma-sama will never release her Falna. She will be a member of this Familia forever, whether you like it or not."
"Oh yeah?" Luki replied flatly.
He leaned forward, staring straight into Zanis's eyes. Luki's blue eyes, usually featuring star-shaped pupils, strangely turned dull, becoming completely empty and devoid of any emotion.
Seeing those bizarre eyes turn even stranger, Zanis inexplicably leaned back to distance himself. He didn't feel fear, nor did he sense any aura or pressure. Instead, it was as if his body instinctively felt a deep aversion to it—a warning for survival.
"Let's be clear, Zanis," Luki muttered, every word dripping with absolute authority. "I am offering you three million because I prefer to solve this with paper instead of blood. If you reject this, I will just find another god to force Lili's conversion anyway. You know the Guild won't raise a finger against me for it, and you will end up with absolutely nothing."
Suddenly, Luki's blue hair and wing-ears bristled and flared outward, much like a Siamese fighting fish puffing its fins to show dominance, turning incredibly imposing. In the center of his forehead, his third eye opened wide—as dull and empty as his other two.
"But if you try to stop us, come after anyone I know... or if a single member of the Soma Familia comes within fifty meters of Lili, you and this entire Familia will understand firsthand exactly why I became so famous."
The air twisted around him, seeming to grow darker and colder.
Zanis froze, a drop of cold sweat rolling down his neck. The sheer predatory instinct screaming in his mind told him one thing: don't mess with this guy.
"Three million..." Zanis finally choked out, his face pale and distorted with hidden rage. He forced himself to look down at the papers, swallowing his pride. "Three months. One million each. Fine. But don't expect me to be friendly if you miss a day."
"I don't need your friendship..."
As if nothing had happened, the bright stars returned to Luki's pupils. His hair and wing-ears settled back down smoothly. Looking completely unaware of the terrifying display he had just made, Luki continued normally.
"Inform your god about our agreement," Luki said, his tone casual again. "I don't want any surprises when the day comes."
Luki stood up from the sofa, gently taking Lili's hand in his, and the two walked out of the room together.
The moment the heavy door clicked shut, the look of submission on Zanis's face instantly vanished, replaced by an uncontrollable fury.
He flipped the low coffee table with a roar, throwing it hard against the wall. The expensive wood shattered into splinters upon impact. Breathing heavily, his chest heaving with rage, Zanis glared at the closed door.
"Fucking brat..." Zanis cursed under his breath, his knuckles bleeding as he gripped his fists. "You'll pay for looking down on me."
...
Luki and Lili walked casually down the long corridors of the manor, encountering absolutely no one along the way.
Using his spatial awareness, Luki frowned as he sensed everything that was happening back in the room they had just left. Zanis was still destroying the furniture in a fit of rage.
'The members of this Familia might all be mindless thralls driven by their cravings, but you aren't any different, Zanis.'
Suddenly, Luki felt Lili's thin, small hand tighten its grip around his. Shaking off his thoughts, he returned to reality and looked down at his second girlfriend.
"Lili? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing, Luki-sama," she replied casually, but it was obvious she was holding something back.
"Come on, tell me. I'm here for you," Luki insisted softly. "Is it this place? If you want, I can teleport us straight home."
"No, it's not that... Lili was just caught off guard by how Luki-sama acted back there."
"Uh? Did I do something?" Luki blinked in confusion. He couldn't recall doing anything surprising that Lili hadn't already witnessed—or seen worse from others.
"Luki-sama suddenly became so dark and cold, your hair standing uo and likes..." Lili murmured, looking up at him with wide eyes. "For a second, it felt like Luki-sama had turned into a completely different person."
Luki stared at her in genuine surprise. He hadn't realized any of that.
Instinctively, he raised his hand to his wing-ear, the feathers on his wrist brushing against each other as he recalled the words of the gods.
'Am I hiding something dark without knowing it? A second evil personality? Something messing with my mind? Shit... as if I didn't already have enough weird powers to worry about...'
He let out a heavy sigh, disappointed with himself. All he wanted was a normal transmigrated life, not to be dragged into some grand plot bigger than himself.
"It was a bit scary to see Luki-sama act like that," Lili said, drawing him back from his thoughts. "But if Lili is being completely honest..."
She suddenly pressed her hands to her burning cheeks, shaking her head side to side with a dreamy, infatuated expression.
"Lili thought Luki-sama looked incredibly hot back there!"
Luki reacted to this with a deadpan stare.
"Seriously, Lili...?"
"What? It's the truth!" she pouted playfully. "Luki-sama was so gallant protecting Lili's dignity like that. I felt just like a helpless maiden from a romance novel! Come here, Luki-sama deserves a proper reward from his Lili."
"I kissed you literally five minutes ago," he complained. However, he didn't pull away, bending his knees to bring himself down to her height.
"It doesn't matter! Lili wants to kiss, hug, and date Luki-sama all the time!" she cheered, throwing her small arms around his neck and clinging tightly to him.
Luki slipped one arm beneath her thighs to give her a seat and wrapped the other around her waist, lifting her up. He spun her around gently, eliciting an innocent, joyful laugh from Lili, who absolutely loved being treated like someone precious.
"I swear, you and Hestia became way more perverted and bold at some point," Luki teased with a smirk. "A while ago, neither of you would constantly beg for kisses and cuddles like this. I feel like my life turned into a second-rate harem fantasy."
"It's Luki-sama's fault for being so good to Lili," she giggled, snuggling closer. "Hestia-sama knows it too. Is it wrong to want to live a dream?"
"No," Luki smiled, melting into her embrace. "Now come here, my naughty Pallum. Muah~"
"Mmh~!"
They continued walking like that, not the least bit worried about bumping into anything thanks to Luki's spatial awareness. They took their time with every single step, indulging in the sweet ritual of trading saliva that they both loved so much.
It took them a while to finally reach the courtyard. All the guards from before had already vanished, leaving only a few dark bloodstains and crushed grass as proof of the previous conflict.
"I was going to ask how things went, but seeing you two, I suppose everything went perfectly well."
Miach revealed himself, shedding his invisibility as he approached them.
Upon hearing another person's voice, Lili immediately pulled back in sheer embarrassment. She wiped her swollen lips with her arm and quickly scrambled down from Luki's arms, completely flushed at being caught in such an intimate moment.
Luki, on the other hand, didn't seem to care at all and answered casually.
"I reached an agreement," Luki said. "I will pay off the rest of Lili's parents' debt in three months. Then, she will finally be completely free."
"Which means you need to make a massive amount of money," Miach sighed, rubbing his temples. "Good gods, everything comes down to money."
"Ah, relax. It's not that big of a deal."
"Luki, get real!" Miach snapped, throwing his hands up in exaggeration. "You owe Hephaestus for your weapon, which must be in the tens of millions. Lili has a debt of several millions. I am buried in millions of debt for Naaza's silver arm, and my shop is practically bankrupt! We are a walking cluster of financial ruin, we will never clear all of this in a single lifetime!"
"Well, thank goodness we have an immortal god on our side to keep paying it off after we die. Hahaha!"
Miach shot him a deadpan look. Sighing in total resignation, he decided to change the subject.
"Where are we heading now?" Miach asked. "Do you have another disaster to handle?"
"Yes," Luki replied, his smile fading into a serious expression. "Now I need to go... to the Loki Familia."