Chapter 33: Morion, The Daughter Of Lilith
Claude blinked, his mind struggling to process the sight before him.
On top of him lay a young girl, no older than fourteen, dressed in an elegant gothic lolita gown.
Her hair was as dark as the midnight sky, cascading down her back in silky waves.
Two curved black horns, resembling those of a ram, protruded from her head, and a long, thick tail—like that of a serpent—rested beside her.
Her nails, sharp and ink-black, matched the dress she wore.
Meanwhile, Claude himself was shirtless, clad only in a pair of black pants.
"Huh?" he muttered, eyes darting around in confusion.
The room he was in was completely unfamiliar yet exuded an air of luxury.
Deep crimson and jet-black adorned the walls, decorated with intricate ornaments. A grand fireplace flickered warmly in front of a small round table with two high-backed chairs.
The massive bed he lay upon had plush, luxurious sheets—something he had only ever seen in period dramas or anime from his first life.
"Aren't I supposed to be in Malgrave, dying? Did I go into a coma and someone brought me to Elysium?" he mumbled, trying to make sense of it all.
As he was lost in thought, the girl atop him stirred. Slowly, her reptilian, blood-red eyes fluttered open.
The moment she saw him awake, she gasped in delight.
"Father! You're finally awake!" she exclaimed, lunging forward to embrace him in a suffocating hug.
"Wh—what?! Stop! I'm not your father!"
Claude panicked, grabbing her shoulders and forcibly prying her off before she squeezed the life out of him.
The girl frowned, disappointment flickering in her eyes, but her expression remained stubborn.
"Ehh? But I'm never wrong! I can see souls, and I know my kind when I feel their power!"
Claude let out a heavy sigh. He was terrible with kids—just being around them drained his energy.
"Your kind? You mean Daemon? Well, yeah, I'm a Daemon, but I'm not your dad."
The girl puffed up her cheeks, crossing her arms.
"No! I'm half-Draconis, half-Daemon! But you are my father—the Lord of Calamity! Your soul is exactly like my father's!"
She tilted her head, scrutinizing him. "Though… you're weak. But that's not your fault! You lost in war because they cheated!" she huffed, nodding to herself as if justifying it.
Before Claude could interject, she bounced excitedly on his chest, her black curls bouncing along with her.
"You must have forgotten! Or something's wrong with your head! If that's the case, let me introduce myself properly!" she beamed.
"My name is Morion Vlad Caligo! Daughter of Lilith Moreine, the Harbinger of Destruction!"
Claude groaned, rubbing his temple. Too much information. He had just died, and now his head felt like it was going to explode.
"What the hell is a Draconis…? What even Harbinger of Destruction," he murmured under his breath.
A new voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Draconis is an ancient race that is nearly extinct. They possess vast intelligence and immense mana reserves.]
[Due to their monstrous true form, they are often classified as legendary cacodemons, a misconception created by the human race.]
[While Harbinger of Destruction is what the human race calls The Draconis of Abyssal Moreine]
Claude jolted in surprise as a translucent screen appeared before him, displaying an image of Abyssal Moreine.
It was… just a black dragon.
'Damn, I forgot I have a system now.'
[System? I am not a system, but a being. My name is Keira.]
"Huh? A being?"
Morion perked up, noticing the floating screen.
"What is it, Father? Why is there something weird in front of you?" She scrambled beside him, peering at the display.
"Oh! That looks just like my mother! Wow! Your power is amazing!" She clapped her hands, beaming with childish excitement.
Claude sighed, shifting into a sitting position to face her properly.
"Morion, calm down. Let me explain something."
She tilted her head in curiosity as he took a deep breath.
"I'm not your father. I'm his descendant, just like you… So that technically makes me your brother?" He hesitated, uncertain himself.
Morion froze.
"Eh…?" Her voice wavered, her bright eyes dimming. "Then… where is my father?"
As realization dawned on her, her expression crumbled. Her red eyes shimmered, threatening to spill tears, and something inside Claude twisted uncomfortably.
'Shit… why does my chest hurt?' he thought. 'Is this because of Donovan's soul?'
He hesitated for a moment, then exhaled.
'Well… technically, I do have his soul. And he did tell me to take care of the things he loved…'
With that in mind, Claude placed his hands on Morion's shoulders, meeting her gaze.
"I'm not your father," he said gently, "but your father's soul is inside me. So… I can be your father if you want." He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Though, just call me Claude. Being called 'Father' when I'm only seventeen is kinda weird."
Morion's eyes widened. Then, in an instant, her sorrow melted into pure joy.
"Yes! Father!!!" she squealed, tackling him into another tight hug, wriggling in happiness.
Claude sighed, resigning himself to his fate.
"But… Why can Morion see the system?" Claude murmured, his brows furrowed in confusion.
[I'm not a system. I'm Keira.]
[Morion can perceive me because she is a descendant of the Lord of Calamity. My Lord created me to guide the future King of Elysium.]
"Hm…" Claude hummed, deep in thought.
His gaze drifted toward Morion, who was still staring at him with wide, childlike awe.
"Then why did he still need me?" he muttered. "He already had this child..."
His voice trailed off as he exhaled. "Ah, right. She's still a kid."
[She is a child by Draconis standards, but she is already 190 years old. She will reach adulthood in another ten years.]
"Wait, what? 190?" Claude's eyes widened.
"That old, and she still acts like this?"
[The Draconis are eternal beings. They do not age, nor can they be corrupted or overwhelmed by external forces. This makes them age slower and protective of their children.]
[Meanwhile, Daemon can attain immortality—if they evolve into a Five-Star Evolution. The more mana one possesses, the higher their evolution.]
Claude perked up at that. "Wait, evolution? This is the first time I've heard about that. What does it mean?"
[Any race—including humans, though it is exceedingly rare—can evolve through three to five stages based on their talent and ancestors.]
[The first stage, Awakening, is the base form, where one's mana remains within normal limits.]
[To evolve, one must accumulate enough mana to ascend to a higher rank. As one evolves, their spells and abilities also strengthen.]
[Currently, since you have inherited the Wisdom of Strength from the Lord of Calamity, you are already at the third rank—Transcendence.]
[For Daemons, evolution is often visible through bodily changes—such as the growth of horns and tails.]
Claude blinked. "Horns and tails? What are you talking about? I don't have those."
Morion tilted her head, then reached up and grabbed something atop his head.
"This is your horn, Father," she chirped, tugging at it playfully like a seesaw.
Claude froze.
"WHAT?!"
He barely had time to process this revelation before the door to his room suddenly burst open.
A figure rushed inside, their voice trembling with urgency.
"My Lord—your mother! Your mother is in critical condition!"
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