CHAPTER 23: ELARA’S AWAKENING

Elara took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as if she were drowning on dry land.

The heat in her body spiked with every heartbeat, spreading like molten fire in her veins.

Her knees trembled.

Sweat rolled down her forehead, yet her skin was flushed red as though she were standing inside a furnace.

Lucius leaned forward on the edge of his bed, frowning.

He didn’t like this.

He had given her the potion, sure, but watching her shake and writhe wasn’t easy on his conscience.

"Elara..." he called, voice softer than he expected. "You okay?"

She forced herself to smile, though her lips quivered. "M... Master, I’m fine. I think... I think it’s working."

The smile lasted only a second before her body rejected the comfort she tried to project.

She lurched forward and retched violently once again, black sludge spilling from her mouth.

It splattered onto the floor, thick and foul, and the smell stung his nostrils like burnt oil mixed with rot.

Worse yet, more filth seeped from her pores, staining her clothes and dripping to the ground in streams.

Lucius pinched his nose, fighting the urge to gag.

"Yup, definitely working..."

Elara’s body trembled as the filth poured out.

But at the same time, a warmth blossomed within her chest — not just warmth, but power.

It was alive, it coursed through her, filling her to the brim until she thought she might burst.

Her vision swam, her breath caught, but she clung to the sensation, unwilling to let it go.

In that moment, she felt... limitless.

[Ding!]

The familiar System chime echoed through Lucius’s mind, clear as day.

[Target has awakened Elemental Affinity: Plasma (Gold)]

Lucius blinked, and then blinked again. "Wait, what?"

Elara fell to her knees, panting, strands of damp hair sticking to her cheeks.

Her eyes found him in desperation, wide and uncertain. "M... Master, did I do well?"

Lucius gave her a look like she had just asked if the sun rose in the morning. "Do well? Elara, you hit the jackpot."

The System had more to say, but Lucius ignored it for now.

His lips curved into a grin he couldn’t hold back.

He wanted to laugh, not because it was funny, but because luck like this didn’t happen to ordinary people.

"Elara... you awakened a good element," he said, voice low and genuine. "No, scratch that — you awakened one of the best."

Her lips parted in awe, but before she could speak, he pressed something else into her palm — a glittering crystal, smooth yet fragile.

"Here. Crush this. Make your Element stronger."

Her eyes trembled.

She didn’t question, didn’t hesitate.

She trusted him too much for that.

With both hands, she squeezed the crystal until it cracked with a faint shimmer, dissolving into pure energy that flooded her body like a raging tide.

Elara gasped, clutching her chest as the light burrowed into her veins.

Lucius narrowed his eyes.

This wasn’t ordinary.

Her aura swelled so sharply that even he felt it pressing against his skin.

"System," he murmured, "what’s Plasma? Don’t lie to me."

[Plasma is the perfected union of fire and lightning, the very state of matter found within stars. It embodies radiant destruction, volatile and untamed, burning hotter than flame and striking swifter than lightning. A rare element, long lost in time.]

Lucius let out a low whistle. "So basically... she turned into a human sun."

His grin widened. "Oh, this is definitely protagonist-level luck. Did I just pull a hidden-bloodline maid from under everyone’s noses?"

The System did not respond, which only made him chuckle harder.

Meanwhile, Elara cried out softly, her back arching as another wave of power surged through her.

[Elemental Affinity: Plasma (Peak) → Plasma (Divine)]

Lucius sat there, slack-jawed... was his luck really that good?

"What the—" He rubbed his eyes.

’Maybe I am the protagonist.’ He thought.

When the flood finally ended, Elara slumped forward, her body slick with the black sludge that had purged out of her.

She trembled, then whispered hoarsely, "M-Master... I can’t move."

Her knees gave way entirely, but Lucius moved before she hit the floor.

He caught her easily, scooping her into his arms with surprising gentleness.

"You did good," he murmured.

Elara blinked up at him, her eyes glassy, her lashes wet.

"M-Master, don’t... don’t get this sludge all over yourself..."

Lucius glanced at the mess on the ground and grimaced.

The stench alone was criminal.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand and manipulated the space around them.

The foul liquid lifted off the floor in globules, writhing midair before he casually flung them out the open window and into the alley below.

"Whoever that falls on is unlucky," he said with a shrug. "Not my problem."

Elara stared at him with dazed wonder.

He was so calm about it, like tossing buckets of sludge into the street was the most natural thing in the world.

"Master... where are we going?" she asked weakly, her head against his shoulder.

"To the tub," he replied without hesitation. "You’re covered in filth. I’m going to wash you since you can’t move."

Her cheeks flushed a deep red. "M-Master..."

"Yes?"

Her voice was soft, shy, almost trembling.

"Please... be gentle with me. If... if you want to take my first time, we could... we could do it on your bed."

Lucius stopped mid-step, his entire body stiffening.

For a second, he thought he misheard her.

Slowly, he looked down, and sure enough, her innocent gaze was fixed on him — lips trembling but eyes resolute.

"...What?" he asked flatly.

She bit her lip. "I... I don’t mind. I-I want you to..."

Lucius stared at her in silence for a long, painful moment.

Then, with a deep sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you... seriously take me for an oaf who’d just jump on a girl because she’s naked and vulnerable?"

Her eyes widened, panic flashing. "N-No! That’s not what I meant—"

He kicked the bathroom door open with his foot, cutting her off.

The tub inside was already filled with steaming water.

Maybe Elara had been preparing for a bath? But still it was...

Perfect.

He looked at her again, expression caught between exasperation and disbelief.

"You’re too naughty for your own good," he muttered. "Wash those perverted thoughts away."

Before she could protest, he dumped her straight into the tub.

Water splashed everywhere, soaking the tiles and his clothes, but he didn’t care.

Elara squeaked, eyes wide as the warm water enveloped her body. "M-Master!"