Supreme Warlock System : From Zero to Ultimate With My Wives

Warlock Ch 361. Don't Pretend to be Noble

He let out a slow breath, letting himself fall back into the armchair. The room felt heavier now, the silence thicker. But not for long.

'You know what?' the Demon King's voice slithered into his mind, sharp and dry with amusement. 'Just fuck her and bind her with your contract. She's a fae. You'd get her power, her soul, and honestly, you could use a little more fire on your side.'

Damian huffed, eyes flicking toward the ceiling. "Yeah," he muttered sarcastically, "because that's a totally healthy approach to relationships."

'Don't pretend to be noble now,' the voice drawled. 'You've done worse. A contract is a contract. Power is power. You knew the game before you even stepped onto the board again.'

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, rubbing at his temples. "I'm supposed to bind a princess with a good life to my cursed soul. Drag her into blood, lies, and shadow wars. What exactly do you think I can give her?"

'Well,' the Demon King said, smug now, 'you didn't think about that when you made the contract with Victoria.'

Damian stiffened.

The Demon King chuckled. 'She's a queen. Powerful. Independent. Royalty. She had everything. And yet you didn't hesitate.'

"I knew what Victoria was capable of," Damian snapped. "I've seen her in combat. I know how strong she is. She's been through hell long before she met me."

'So what you're saying,' the voice purred, 'is that the fae princess isn't strong enough to be worthy of you?'

"Tch," Damian gritted his teeth. "Shut up."

'Ooh, hit a nerve, did I?' The voice was grinning now, you could practically hear it. 'So that's it. You don't think she can handle your world. That sweet little princess with stars in her eyes wouldn't survive it.'

Damian stood, pacing. "I'm not afraid she won't survive. I'm afraid she'd change. And not for the better."

'You're afraid she'll end up like you.'

That silenced him.

The words sank deep.

Damian stared at the floor, shadows shifting around his boots like creeping smoke. "Yeah," he said eventually. "I don't want her to end up like me."

'And yet,' the Demon King murmured, quieter now, less amused, 'she's already started walking toward you.'

He hated how true that was. Selena wasn't just staying out of duty or politics—he saw it in her eyes. That unshakable pull, the way she looked at him like he was something worth saving. And maybe that's what scared him most.

"I'm not ready," he whispered to himself.

'No one ever is.'

Silence fell again.

Damian moved to the window, watching the clouds roll over the manor grounds, the gray light softening the angles of the twisted willow trees below. Wind bent the tall grass in slow, graceful arcs.

He needed to focus.

He couldn't afford to get distracted now.

"Maybe…" he muttered, running a hand through his hair, "maybe I should ask Victoria and Evelyn to help her. Train her. Show her the parts of this world I can't. If she's serious about staying…"

'So now you're grooming her to survive you? Touching.'

"Shut. Up."

'You shut up.'

Damian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Look, if she's going to stay, I'm not binding her unless she chooses it. Fully. Not because of love. Not because she feels obligated. But because she understands what it means."

'Then tell her.'

"I will. When the time's right."

'And until then?'

He turned away from the window, face hardening. "We concentrate on cleaning up the Council filth."

The Demon King hummed. 'Back to business then. I like that. Very Kaelan of you.'

Damian ignored the name—his old name—and grabbed his coat.

There were people still out there—powerful mages, corrupt senators, fake heroes wearing clean robes soaked in invisible blood. They were the real problem. If he could finish what he started, maybe, just maybe, there would be room for something else. For someone like Selena.

But not yet.

Never yet.

He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. If Selena was going to stay… she'd need to be ready. And he needed to be strong enough to protect all of them—whether they loved him or not.

Damian's boots echoed against the cold stone floors of the manor as he walked with purpose, the distant hum of wards and protection barriers humming faintly in the walls. He didn't head toward the library, or the east wing where the others were likely gathered. No, this time his feet led him somewhere quieter—emptier.

The training hall.

He needed the grind.

As the large oak doors to the training hall creaked open, the scent of iron, sweat, and magic-infused dust hit him. The place looked the same as always—wide, circular, with the same runes scorched into the obsidian floor and scorch marks littering the walls. It was warded to hell and back, designed to contain spells and summoned creatures without spilling damage outside.

It was perfect.

Damian didn't waste time.

He reached into his satchel and pulled out two Summoning Crystals—rough, jagged stones with crimson cores pulsing faintly under the surface. High-grade, unstable. The kind you weren't supposed to use alone.

He didn't care.

He stepped into the middle of the summoning circle etched into the floor, tossed the first crystal forward, then the second. The stones clacked against the ground, spinning slightly before flaring to life. Blood-red runes lit up beneath them, and the room shook as the mana thickened, the air going electric.

The first creature appeared in a pulse of smoke and flame—a Razorhide Cerberian, a three-headed hound demon, easily twice the size of a horse, its fangs dripping acid, its eyes glowing an unnatural blue. The second followed a second later—a Thornmaw Goliath, all bark-skinned armor and spiked vines twisting around a core of molten stone.

Both let out unholy shrieks.

Damian didn't flinch.

[System Notice]

Summon Complete

Enemies: Razorhide Cerberian (Lv. 148) +Thornmaw Goliath (Lv. 151)

Solo Combat Activated

Perfect.

No servants. No companions. No Cassius watching his form with a disapproving glare. Just him and the grind.

Damian cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath.

"Let's begin."