Chapter 86: 86. So I Got a Power-Up, a Divine Enemy List, and a Goddess Kiss (Normal Day)

The ritual concluded with a quiet settling, akin to dust regaining its place after a storm. Rex felt the change right away.

It wasn’t like something new was added to him; it was like something that had always been there was finally free to exist.

His body, or what passed for a body in this space between spaces, hummed with energy that felt both strange and very familiar. It was desire made real, lust turned into power, and it was now a part of everything he was.

Lustia pulled away from him with a satisfied smile. Her violet eyes still reflected the swirling red embers in them, and she moved with purpose back to her throne.

She sat down in a way that was both relaxed and authoritative, crossing one leg over the other. Her posture made it look like she had just finished very good business.

“So… how do you feel right now?” she asked, but her tone made it sound like she already knew the answer.

Rex took a moment to think about himself. The mark on his right hand didn’t just tingle anymore.

It pulsed in time with his heartbeat, and to him, it looked like a complicated symbol that changed a little bit every time he looked at it directly.

The design was complicated, with lots of curves and spirals that made it look like it was moving and hungry. It also had a faint red light that was both pretty and scary.

“Hmph. It felt different,” Rex said. “And… stronger.”

“I didn’t know it yet, but I was only working at half capacity before.” He then takes a long look at his whole body that felt more light.

“That’s because you were,” Lustia said.

She gestured lazily with one hand, and the space around them shifted again, showing what looked like streams of energy flowing through an invisible network. “Your old system worked, but it had some problems.”

“It only worked within limits that were never meant for someone with your specific way of wanting things.”

She leaned forward a little and put her chin on her hand. “The Mark of Lust Authority is now fully active, integrated into your soul at the deepest level.”

“It no longer just measures desire, but… it shapes it, amplifies it, and allows you to weaponize it in ways the original system never could.”

Rex looked at the mark again, then back at Lustia. “You said something about a form, right?”

“The Lustful Villain.”

“Ahh… yes.” Lustia’s smile grew wider, and her teeth were just a little too sharp to be completely human. “That’s the real gift, right? The mark gives you power, but the form gives you freedom to be yourself more without using your fake mask.”

She got up from her throne and walked slowly around him as she spoke. “When you activate the Lustful Villain form, you’ll undergo a transformation.”

“Your identity will be masked by your true self, not just from sight but from magical detection, divine scrying, and any other method someone might use to identify you.”

“The mask will materialize, one that embodies the essence of lust itself, covering your face and obscuring your features completely.”

Rex could now see it, flashing at the edge of his mind like a preview of something that was about to be called. A mask made of dark metal or maybe shadow-stuff that was both beautiful and scary, with eye slits that glowed with the same red light as his mark.

Lustia continued, “In that form, your attributes will grow based on how much lust and desire you’ve built up through your bonds.”

“Every woman devoted to you, every heart you’ve claimed, every obsession you’ve grown will turn into raw power…”

“All of your stats—such as strength, speed, durability, and magical resistance—will increase the more you engage with other people’s desires.”

She stopped in front of him again and tapped the mark on his hand with one perfectly manicured finger. “And here’s the best part… you can act without hurting your main identity while wearing the form.”

“Rex Rexilion can stay the falsely helpful, heroic reincarnator who saved the Starlight family, and the Lustful Villain can be the monster who hunts down threats and kills them without mercy.”

“Two identities, one person, both serving your goals… maybe until the Rex Rexilion is strong enough to take everything he wants.” Lustia winked at him.

Rex felt something like excitement, cold and calculating, settle in his chest. “I see now… that’s actually good shit, and I dig it as much as I dig your pussy in that ritual.”

“I thought you’d like it,” Lustia said as she stepped back and waved her arms. “You are now, officially and forever, my dear Apostle.”

“The Apostle of Lust…”

“You are one of the few mortals I’ve chosen to carry my banner in the material world, and you are by far the one I have the highest hopes for.”

The weight of that settled on Rex’s shoulders, but it didn’t feel heavy. It felt like armor that he needed to continue in this second life without any restrictions.

“Now,” Lustia said, her voice becoming more serious. “We need to talk about what’s going on with you right now and the threats you’ll be facing…”

Rex raised an eyebrow. “Threats in the plural?”

“Oh yes.” Lustia went back to her throne and sat down, this time with both feet on the ground.

Her posture showed that she was focused, not trying to seduce. “The Goddess of Life doesn’t like it when souls she wants to punish get away from her.”

“She’ll know something got in the way of her trying to trap you in the abyss, and even though she won’t know it was me right away, she’ll be watching you more closely now.”

She raised one finger. “The Apostles of Life are the first threat you’ll need to deal with.”

“The Goddess has her own champions, mortal souls she’s given systems and blessings to spread her influence. Many of them are reincarnators, which gives them big advantages over normal people.”

“They’re basically her version of what you are to me, except they operate under delusions of heroism and righteousness.”

Rex nodded slowly, processing. “And they’ll come after me if they identify me as your Apostle.”

“Not just if, but when.” Lustia’s face was serious. “The mark is hidden from casual observation, but Apostles of Life have detection abilities specifically designed to sense corruption, sin, and anything that opposes their goddess’s domain.”

“If you encounter one while your guard is down, they’ll know what you are immediately, and they could kill you right away.”

“That’s where the Lustful Villain form comes in,” Rex said, and everything clicked into place.

“Exactly.” Lustia smiled, pleased with Rex’s understanding. “In that form, you can get rid of threats without giving away your true identity.”

“Kill the Apostles, destroy their systems, and take their power if you can… try to also fulfill your desire by stealing their partners, of course.” Lustia giggled.

“The Goddess of Life gets stronger through love, selflessness, and sacrifice. Every champion you take away from her weakens her power in the world and strengthens mine to help you even more.”

She put up a second finger. “And the second threat comes from other gods and their followers.”

“I’m not the only forbidden god working in the shadows. There are others with their own plans for changing the world, their own apostles, and their own agendas.”

“Some of them will see you as a threat, some as a possible ally, and some will just try to kill you because that’s what they believe.”

“Oh wow, ain’t that nice,” Rex said in a dry voice.

“It’s a tough market,” Lustia said with a shrug. “But you have advantages that most people don’t.”

“You don’t have the same moral limits that the Life Apostles do. You’re not driven by mindless hunger like some of the darker apostles.”

“You can think, plan, and change in ways that make you truly dangerous.”

She leaned back in her throne and looked at him with what might have been pride. “I didn’t pick you because you were the strongest or the most magically gifted.”

“I picked you because you know that power comes from knowing what people want and giving it to them in ways that keep them with you… and that’s a skill that goes beyond raw strength.”

Rex thought about it for a moment before asking, “What about the people I already dominated? Lily, Mara, and the others?”

“They are still yours,” Lustia told him. “The mark doesn’t erase or override the bonds you’ve already made.”

“It strengthens them, gives you more control over how they grow, and with the Mark of Lust, it’s much easier to speed up new bonds and deepen old ones.”

She stopped for a moment, then said with a mischievous look in her eye, “And it seems like I also need to clarify more about the psychological dominance bonus you found with Marcus, yes?”

Rex raised his left eyebrow, feeling curious. “I’m listening…”

“That was just the system’s rough guess at what you can now do on purpose. With the mark active, you can intentionally create those situations and maximize the energy you gain from each one.”

Rex’s lips turned up in a real smile. “You’re saying I can make that into a strategy that works every time…?”

“I’m telling you that what you did to Marcus was child’s play compared to what you’ll be capable of once you fully understand your new abilities.” Lustia stood again, and this time when she approached him, it was with purpose. “But we don’t have much time left.”

“Your body is waking up in the real world, and if your soul isn’t back by then, things will get complicated.”

She reached up and held his face in her hands. Her touch was warm and surprisingly soft. “Go back, Rex Rexilion…”

“Go back to the world and show them what an Apostle of Lust can do, and also… take what you want, break what stands in your way, and make me proud until you can come back here again so I can give you more gifts that are worthy of your achievement.”

“My system will keep you in check as always, so…”

Then she kissed him, but it wasn’t the hot passion of the ritual; it was something else. A seal, a contract, a promise made real.

When she pulled back, her smile was soft, but her eyes were raged. “Do a good job hunting, my dear Apostle.”

And then the world around him fell apart.

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