They had just finished discussing a plan that would involve catching these half-demons, with each of them contributing ideas on how to draw in Zurin and Xylo.

When they were done, Ethan turned toward Francesca, who had been standing quietly by the corner. "Francesca, could you help Ishtar get settled back in her room?"

She nodded, moving toward Ishtar with a gentle smile. "Come along, dear."

Ishtar followed Francesca upstairs, while Rayleigh naturally fell into step behind them.

Bella rose from her seat and moved toward him. Then leaned in and left a light kiss to his cheek.

"I’ll be inside, babe," she said, though her tone had this heaviness to it, or some frustration she was trying to mask.

Ethan noticed, and understood why. He nodded, watching as she turned and made her way toward the stairs. The whole situation still bothered her, specifically Rayleigh nearly dying.

He intended to make it right. But first, he and the system needed to have a little chat.

When the room finally emptied and it seemed it was just him for now, Ethan leaned back on the couch.

’If what Rayleigh says is true about demon progression,’ he began in his thoughts, directing the question toward the system, ’have I peaked already, or is there something I’m missing?’

He asked because over the past month, he had killed plenty of monsters from the breaches. Then there was Harold, and not to mention the unfortunate Dante situation which led to his death.

Yet despite all of it, Ethan had never once felt what absorbing lifeforce energy was supposed to feel like.

The system responded almost immediately.

[Your case is peculiar due to the presence of this system.]

[The system has already enhanced certain aspects of your progression, including talent growth and mana capacity. As a result, the standard demonic method of life force absorption does not apply to you in the same way as it does to others of your kind.]

He exhaled.

[What the demon standard of progression can affect at this time is your trait: Amplification, and your regeneration]

[Additional considerations:]

[The monsters found within breach zones are not native to this world. A demon’s biological mechanism for lifeforce absorption is designed to interface with the living organisms of Planet Charvis. Creatures from dimensional rifts exist outside this framework and therefore do not contribute lifeforce energy upon death.]

Ethan sighed as he remembered a similar message from the system one time when he had tried to use the body part of a breach monster as a catalyst to re-summon it.

The system had flat-out told him it wasn’t possible as the souls of monsters did not return to the Well of the Undying, the place where every spirit went after death.

[The lifeforce energy from the human lives taken by your hand has, in fact, been absorbed by you. However, the amount is insufficient to produce measurable changes.]

Ethan sighed again.

[Demon nobles begin at a baseline power level far above that of standard demons. As a result, the amount of life force energy required to produce noticeable growth in them is significantly greater than what a standard demon would need to achieve the same degree of enhancement.]

[You will be notified when any changes occur due to lifeforce absorption.]

’I see,’ Ethan muttered.

He paused, then started to form another question. ’So how many kills would it—’

He stopped abruptly.

’Shit...’ Ethan whispered, then let out a short, humorless chuckle.

He had been about to ask the system how many kills it would possibly take to gain something of substance.

But the moment the question began to form, he realized he didn’t actually want that information sitting in the back of his mind.

He didn’t want a body count hanging over his decisions, especially when it came to human life, something he wasn’t at all keen to take.

Only those who would bring harm to him or those he cared about deserved such a fate. That was the line he drawn for himself, and he intended to keep it.

He exhaled again, shaking his head slightly. In truth, the demon nature was cruel. This was what truly made them savages; the constant hunger for more power, and the willingness to take life after life in pursuit of it.

Right then, the sound of small footsteps echoed from the staircase.

Ethan turned his head and saw Rue, the childlike summon, descending the stairs slowly.

One of her black cats was balanced perfectly atop her head, while the other cat walked beside her, swishing its tail back and forth.

Rue held a file in her small hands and turned her head from one corner of the room to the other, as if searching for someone.

Ethan noticed her immediately. With a calm smile, he raised his hand and gestured for her to come forward.

"I take it you’re looking for Eduardo," Ethan said.

Rue nodded.

Eduardo had left earlier to make arrangements regarding the plan they had set up.

"Don’t worry," Ethan said, stretching his hand forward. "You can leave it with me."

Rue stepped closer and placed the file in his palm. He took it and set it down on the table beside him.

As instructed by Ethan, Eduardo had been tasked with furnishing Rue with something to read every day. It was the only skill she had at the moment, after all: Reading.

A new notification screen suddenly materialized in front of him.

[Rue has gained +300 XP]

[Rue’s progression from Elite Class to Knight Class: Complete]

[Rue has gained an additional cat]

Ethan’s eyes widened.

A flash of light built up in the air directly in front of him, swelling briefly before bursting outward in a soft explosion of purple energy.

When the light faded, a third black cat appeared mid-air and landed gracefully into Rue’s open palms, which she had instinctively held out.

The cat blinked its eyes, then settled comfortably in her hands.

"Another one..." Ethan whispered, staring at the new arrival.

Rue only stared back at her summoner with that same blank, unreadable expression. She said nothing.

"Hold on," Ethan muttered, mentally commanding the system to pull up her profile.

The screen materialized.

[Name: Rue]

[Title: Unknown]

[Race: Unknown]

[Classification: Unknown]

[Summon Class: Knight]

[Potential Rating: Beast]

[SKILLS:

•Reading]

[Passive Skill: ??]

[Ultimate Skill: ??]

[Special Weapon: The Watching Clowder]

[Notable Limits: ??]

[Summon Background: ??]

Ethan glanced at it and released a frustrated sigh, as it still looked almost as bare as the first day he had summoned her.

"Wait—"

He turned towards the screen again, no it wasn’t like the first time. The first time had no special weapon.

[The Watching Clowder → These are Rue’s Cats]

Then a smile formed on his lips. There wasn’t any more detail as regarding them but this new development was progress.

There was at least something to show for all the reading; even if it meant his manor was slowly turning into a cat sanctuary.