"My ability only works when I am around exceptional people, so you have nothing to worry about."
Envy snorted.
So did Pride.
The two stared at each other and Lucian, who could see the tension forming in the air, quickly jumped in.
"Is that why you’ve been staring at me? Are you trying to copy my excellence?"
He grinned as he glanced at Envy.
"I was not looking at you."
Envy quickly defended herself.
"You were."
"I was observing everyone."
"Naah, it was mostly me, admit it, I won’t say anything."
"It was mostly you because I thought you would be very irritating."
"And look how wrong you were."
Lucian smiled as he placed one hand on his chest.
"I was not."
The woman snorted.
"Court of Desire."
That was when the Wrath-class man spoke again as he stared at Lucian.
"What exactly do you do?"
Lucian smiled at that question, his violet eyes shone strongly and—
"Bad things.
I do many bad things."
"What bad things?"
The Wrath-class man frowned.
"I can’t tell you, otherwise I’ll have to kill you."
Lucian smiled mysteriously, the other Desire-class woman rolled her eyes at how dramatic he was.
"Our blood affects emotion, attraction, attention, and influence."
The Wrath-class man nodded, then he turned back to Lucian and—
"So that is what you are doing now."
"Doing what?"
Lucian tilted his head innocently.
"Influencing us, affecting our emotions, attention, and, to some extent, our attraction."
And for the first time since it began, the conversation became a little quieter. Several people looked at Lucian, they did not like the idea of being influenced by a Desire Demon.
Lucian, on the other hand, only grinned.
"Are you saying you are attracted to me?"
The Wrath-class man was not entirely wrong, but he wasn’t entirely correct either. Lucian was influencing them, but there was no intent behind it. He wasn’t using his own energy to influence their minds or make himself more likeable, nor was he gathering any form of energy from them—
He was simply talking, asking questions, changing subjects, and controlling the conversation however he wanted.
And he was doing it purely because he liked having all the attention on himself.
There was nothing else to it.
"Don’t try whatever it is you are trying to do."
The Wrath-class man narrowed his eyes threateningly.
"I am not doing what you think I am doing."
Lucian answered calmly.
"He is telling the truth."
That was when the Desire-class woman backed him.
"He isn’t using any energy."
She clarified as she stared at Lucian for a while. It wasn’t just her, the other Desire-class woman was the same.
Being Desire-Demon-Class Blood-Altered Humans, their instincts were able to sense it.
They could recognise the difference in strength, rank, purity, and Authority.
Lucian’s blood was different from theirs.
It was... much, much, much heavier than theirs.
The two women knew he was different the moment he walked into the truck, he far outclassed every single one of them.
This was the reason he did not need any energy to influence them, the difference in their blood was more than enough for everyone in the truck to unconsciously shift their attention to him.
"You enjoy this."
One of the Desire-class women spoke as she looked at him.
"Of course."
Lucian smiled.
"What is the point of being charming if I cannot enjoy it?"
"Arrogant."
The Pride-class man looked away.
"Jealous."
Lucian chuckled.
He then turned towards the Envy-class woman and—
"He’s just like you."
The Envy-class woman looked away as well.
Lucian chuckled.
Conversing with them was fun.
He was going to make new friends.
With that intention in mind, he continued their conversation. The other Demon-Class Blood-Altered Humans tried to avoid him, but again, when Lucian looked at them, they unconsciously told him everything he asked.
They were warming up to him without realising it. The two Desire-class women sensed it, they could also sense that they, too, were being influenced by him, but they didn’t do anything about it.
They wanted to stay close to him.
Just like that, the conversation continued, then, after about one and a half hours, the truck took another turn. Lucian secretly glanced towards the small reinforced window.
He had been keeping an eye on where they were being taken all this while. Before, he didn’t react to it, though this time, when he saw a familiar street, his smile slowly faded.
He knew this street.
He was familiar with this area.
From what he had been told, they were going to an old shrine that nobody knew belonged to Aevrienne but...
The only shrine in this area was...
The one Naomi regularly visited.
"What happened?"
The Desire-class woman was the first to notice the change in Lucian’s expression.
"Scared now that we are here?"
The Pride-class man snorted dismissively.
"We are here?"
The Gluttony-class man asked with a surprised look on his face.
"Why else do you think he looks like that?"
The Pride-class man laughed.
"As expected of a Desire Demon, all bark and no bite."
The Wrath-class man laughed as well.
"I expected more."
The Pride-class man shook his head, enjoying this to the fullest.
"You expected too much."
Wrath snorted.
"He talked too much."
"Those who talk are often the first to chicken out. You should know that."
"I will admit, I was fooled."
"Don’t sweat it, happens to the best of u—"
The two Demon-Class Blood-Altered Humans continued making fun of Lucian until—
"Shut it."
Lucian looked at them, his violet eyes shining dangerously.
And that gaze alone made their demonic instincts scream.
The two of them barely had any demonic blood in their systems, and the demon blood they did have belonged to either a Lesser Demon or a Common Demon.
Lucian was already at the level where he could tear apart Seventh Veil Hosts of such demons, so these people who barely carried a fraction of their strength—
They wouldn’t even know what hit them if Lucian decided to attack them.
And their bodies could sense that, so when Lucian told them to shut it—
They did.
Tham Tham Tham
That was when the driver of the truck slammed the door.
"We are here."
He spoke.
Lucian looked through the window and his expression turned even more solemn.
It really was Naomi’s shrine and...
He did not like that.
Not one bit.