Demonic Dragon: Harem System

The tension was palpable as Strax and Scarlet crossed the gates of the mansion, heading toward the main house on the grounds.

The air around them seemed heavier, as if the weight of Strax's two-week disappearance had accumulated there. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the large stone walls as they walked down the long corridor leading to the grand hall where his wives usually awaited him.

The silence between them was unusual, yet inevitable. Scarlet didn't need to say anything because her presence spoke volumes. Strax was back, but he was no longer the same.

What had happened during those two weeks of seclusion was something that needed to be confronted now.

When they reached the hall, Strax's wives were gathered, as if they had been anxiously waiting for some sign of his return.

But the truth was, they were far more worried than anything else.

Monica, the calmest of them all, was the first to notice them. Her eyes flicked from Scarlet to Strax, quickly, as if she were trying to assess the situation. The look she gave him was immediately filled with a mix of surprise, concern, and perhaps a shadow of restrained anger.

"Strax," Monica said in a tone lower than usual, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Where have you been? What happened to you? Two weeks... without news? We were..." She stopped herself, frustration evident in her tone. "We were worried."

Samira, more impulsive, was the next to approach, the expression of desperation in her eyes becoming visible. "We didn't know where you were! We couldn't find a single clue about your whereabouts. We thought all along that... that something might've happened to you." She swallowed hard before continuing, her voice softer. "Are... are you okay? What happened?"

Cristine, with her analytical gaze, stood still for a moment, assessing Strax's state with sharp eyes. She could already sense something different about his posture, the way he carried himself. It wasn't just the disappearance that bothered her, but also how he seemed... exhausted, as if he had lost something beyond just time. Beatrice stood near Samira, her hands clenched into small, nervous fists. "What happened, Strax?" She spoke, a little hesitant, but genuine concern in her voice. "You're different... You..." She looked at Strax's white hair, shock crossing her face.

Daniela, on the other hand, was calmer than the others, but her eyes were fixed on him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. "Looks like you have something to tell us," she said with a mischievous smile, but there was something in her gaze that indicated she was also trying to understand what was really going on.

Cassandra and Belatrix stood further back, but their expressions also revealed growing tension. Belatrix, more direct than Cassandra, was the first to ask a question. "What happened, Strax? Why are you like this? And your hair...?"

The room fell silent as Strax looked at all his wives, seeing the concern and fear in their eyes. He knew what he was about to say wouldn't be easy for any of them, and maybe even harder for him. The weight of two weeks of silence and internal struggle hung over him. He finally took a step forward and, with a deep sigh, began to speak.

"I was in my dragon form," he said, his voice low and tired. "I went to the mountains. I needed some time for myself, to reflect on everything that was going on. I was following the System's instructions, trying to find a way to restore it, but..." He looked down for a moment before continuing, his voice heavy with the weight of the following words. "I lost the System." Silence fell over them, Strax's words echoing through the grand hall.

Beatrice was the first to react, her gaze becoming more focused, but also more confused. "What do you mean by that? The System... disappeared?" She asked, her eyes narrowing as she tried to understand what he was saying. "But you always used the System... How could it just disappear?"

Strax took a deep breath and looked at her. "I don't know how it happened, but the System just... vanished. I tried to access the cores, tried to restore it, but nothing worked. Two hundred cores and nothing. It's like I can't restore the energy even with this pile of cores." He paused, as if the words still weighed on his mind. "I don't know what happened or why it happened, but... something inside me is gone."

Monica, who had been the most impulsive until then, seemed to process the explanation slowly, trying to understand. "But... your hair," she said, curiosity now replacing concern. "You went to the mountains and now you have white hair. Does this have anything to do with what happened to the System? Did... you lose your hair color too?"

Strax didn't know how to explain it. The white hair was, without a doubt, the strangest thing that had happened to him. He looked at his hands, trying to find some logic. "I don't know. I have no idea why this happened," he said, confusion evident on his face. "A part of me is gone. The System, my strength, and... my hair." He let out a low laugh, almost without humor, and looked at his wives. "All I know is that now I'm... different. But I don't know what that means yet."

Samira moved a little closer, her gaze deeper and more investigative than anyone else's. "Do you think the loss of the System affected your connection to your essence, Strax? This doesn't seem like a simple thing, are you sure there wasn't a direct impact on your energy, your magic?"

Strax fell silent for a moment. He knew Samira was right, but he also didn't have answers for that. He shook his head slowly. "I... I'm not sure of anything anymore. I can access magic like I used to... but something feels off." He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "All I know is that something inside me is gone, and now I need to... figure out how I can keep going without it."

Cassandra and Daniela exchanged a look, clearly worried, but also touched by Strax's sincerity. Daniela stepped forward. "And now? What are you going to do, Strax? Are you going to try to restore what you lost? Or... is there something else we need to understand?"

Strax looked at them, feeling the weight of their questions, but also the support that came from their words. He knew his wives were ready to help him, but he also knew he would need time to understand what was really going on inside of him. "I don't have all the answers right now," he said, his tone a little firmer, as if he was trying to convince himself. "But I know I need to worry about other things first."

Monica, with her usual calm, approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Then we'll find a solution together. You're not alone in this, Strax. We will always be by your side, no matter what happens."

Her words resonated in Strax, and for a moment, he felt a small spark of hope light up in his chest. Maybe, contrary to what he had thought before, he wasn't completely lost. Maybe, with their support, he could find a way to rise up and face whatever needed to be done.

"Thank you," he said, his voice softer now. "I... don't know what I'd do without all of you."

But before anyone could respond, a sound interrupted the moment, coming from the door. A familiar figure appeared in the entrance, the elf Evelyn, with a mischievous smile on her face. Her eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and something else, something Strax couldn't immediately read.

"Well, all this is interesting, but I could use a little help here, if that's okay?" Evelyn said, her voice carrying a light, irreverent tone, almost as if she were enjoying the situation.

Strax raised an eyebrow, looking at the elf. "Evelyn? What's going on?" he asked, confused, trying to understand what she wanted in the middle of all the tension still hanging in the air.@@novelbin@@

Evelyn shrugged, her expression briefly changing to one of slight frustration. "The blood you gave me, Strax, completely lost its magic," she said, her voice a little more serious. "I don't know what happened, but it's completely powerless."

Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire

Strax remained silent for a moment, feeling the strangeness of the situation intensify. He knew the blood he had given Evelyn had been an important exchange, something that was supposed to be used for a greater purpose. But now, it seemed something had gone wrong, and he had no answers for it.

"Oh," he murmured, perplexed. "So... it didn't work like it was supposed to?" He looked at his wives, who were as surprised as he was by Evelyn's sudden appearance.

Evelyn, however, didn't seem too concerned. She looked at Strax with a playful smile, as if she were more curious about his new appearance than really irritated by the blood problem. "Well, I like the look, you actually seem like a young master," she commented, her voice full of irony. She paused, but soon returned to a more serious tone. "Now, no more jokes. I need you to give me more of your blood. That's the only thing left to energize the homunculus hearts. I'm almost there, but without the right blood, their energy won't work as it should."