He wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea that his fantasy "cheat" revolved primarily around sex.
Well… looking at it more closely, though, it doesn't explicitly say physical intimacy.
Lucien glanced back at the screen and confirmed that it was true.
There were plenty of ways to define intimacy. Emotional closeness, trust, prolonged contact, even certain forms of bonding could all fall under it. He also found out that killing Hollowed creatures could grant him CP. Still, physical intimacy seemed to be the most effective form of purification.
The Lucien of this world had engaged in casual relationships from time to time... In Aethos, at least in this city, intimacy for pleasure wasn't anything unusual.
Lucien stepped toward the window, gazing out at the ruined city below with a resigned expression.
"In a world full of corrupted humans… I basically have infinite access to the resources."
There were methods to resist or even cure Corruption, though they relied on some of the diminished power of the gods, who had grown less active since the Eclipse.
In this empire, worship of the Sovereign of Order, the Matron of Time, and the Sentinel of the Horizon was mandatory. Their places of worship could be found throughout the city. Except the Ever-Changing, the other eight major religions existed, with a few of them hidden like the Reaper of Ends, while most were tolerated and their followers coexisted without much conflict.
Because of the Eclipse, many of their followers had died in the first wave. With the gods' power drastically diminished, they had struggled to handle the surge of corruption near the scars left by the rift, making the first few months especially chaotic. Now, about six months later, things had somewhat stabilized, though the problem was far from gone.
“…Technically, I’ve already been grinding since last night,” he muttered, a faint, dry edge slipping into his voice.
Lyla must have had some level of Corruption, he reasoned. She had been purified in the Temple District some time ago, but with everything going on, it was impossible she had remained completely unaffected.
Lucien shifted his attention back to the system.
I should test the System as soon as possible.
Even though Lucien had transmigrated into the body of an assassin and seemed to retain valuable knowledge, experience, and muscle memory, he didn't fully trust those alone to keep him alive. With the System, however, survival started to feel like something within reach.
He tried to check whether the result of his intimate interaction with Lyla could be accessed, and the System responded immediately.
[Purification Record]
Target: Lyla Merrins
Initial Corruption: 8%
Final Corruption: 3%
CP Gained: 5
[End of Profile]
Seeing the total CP gained, Lucien realized something.
The 3% I saw before, is it the Corruption Detection at work?
It could be.
He tried to recall what had happened the night before.
He remembered the System stating that efficiency depended on duration, the relationship with the target, and intensity.
Our relationship is barely more than acquaintances, and considering our deed only lasted about an hour, I guess it wouldn't yield much by these standards.
He focused, trying to check how the calculation actually worked.
Unfortunately, nothing came up.
“...Maybe I should check the XP and SP stuff first,” he muttered.
He shifted his focus, skimming through the interface rather than diving too deep.
XP seems to increase alongside CP… His eyes moved as he pieced it together. So if I gain CP—like from killing Hollows—I also get a portion of XP with it.
He paused briefly, brows knitting.
But CP’s always higher than XP.
That much seemed consistent.
“As for SP…” he murmured, tilting his head slightly.
With a bit more focus, a new panel opened—something closer to a structured interface. His eyes scanned it, interest flickering more clearly now.
[Skill Trees]
Tree I: Abyssal Combat (Direct Engagement — Precision Violence — Controlled Lethality)
Skills (Tier 1): Shadow Tendril, Corruption Strike, Void Cloak
Tree II: Shadow Arts (Infiltration — Deception — Intelligence)
Skills (Tier 1): Face Shift, Shadow Script, Silence Field
Tree III: Consumption (Vampiric Sustain — Resource Conversion — Corpse Economy)
Skills (Tier 1): Life Drain, Corruption Feast, Blood Siphon
Tree IV: Domination (Mark Enhancement — Selective Control — Operative Network)
Skills (Tier 1): Mark Sense, Emotion Broadcast, Compulsion Whisper
Tree V: Adaptation (Racial Mimicry — Environmental Survival — Situational Response)
Skills (Tier 1): Abyssal Endurance, Predator's Fame
Tree VI: Devourer's Path (System Mastery — Purification Arts — Covenant Evolution)
Skills (Tier 1): Refined Absorption, CP Mastery
***
Lucien was fairly impressed by what he saw.
That's surprisingly comprehensive… And there are a lot of options too!
Looking closer, each Tree had five Tiers, and every Tier 1 skill cost the same to unlock: 1 SP. They could each be upgraded up to five times, with the cost seemingly following a Base Cost multiplied by the current level.
He focused on Tree I, eyes narrowing slightly as he opened the skill descriptions one by one.
[Name: Shadow Tendril
Tree: I
Cost: 1 SP (to unlock) / 10 CP (per cast)
Activation: Telepathic
Effects: Manifest 1 tendril with a 4m reach and strong grappling strength
Duration: 30 seconds
Upgrade: 1 SP]
[Name: Corruption Strike
Tree: I
Cost: 1 SP (to unlock) / 10 CP (per attack)
Activation: Telepathic
Effects: Melee attacks deal +20% base damage and inflict 5% Corruption (Abyssal / Weave) on the target, with +50% damage against Hollowed
Duration: Instant
Upgrade: 1 SP]
[Name: Void Cloak
Tree: I
Cost: 1 SP (to unlock) / 15 CP (per cast) / 1 CP (per minute after cast)
Activation: Telepathic
Effects: -30% chance to be detected in dim light or shadow
Duration: Sustained as long as CP is available
Upgrade: 1 SP]
Tree I had the most stuff he needed right now, which is direct combat tools and immediate utility.
Shadow Tendril for ranged support, Corruption Strike as a damage enhancer, and Void Cloak for stealth would be the ideal starting skills.
It seemed that Tier II in each Skill Tree could only be unlocked after obtaining all the skills in the previous tier. Tier II in Tree I included Shadowstep, Death Touch, and Dread Aura. Shadowstep, in particular, stood out as a teleportation skill. It would be incredibly valuable to have.
Lucien already possessed basic training in Soul Loom, one of the four magic system of this world. It included techniques for suppressing one’s presence and even a rudimentary version of Shadow Step, but in practice, both were nearly useless for him most of the time. His control was simply too poor to use them efficiently.
His fingers tapped lightly against his arm.
“Void Cloak and Shadow Tendril pair well,” he murmured under his breath, gaze drifting slightly as he visualized it. “Corruption Strike’s more situational. I don’t exactly plan on getting into direct fights if I can avoid it. On the other hand, Void Cloak could compensate for my terrible Soul Loom control and probably my amateur approach to stealth too.”
His lips pressed together briefly.
Stealth first makes more sense.
“I should test how good my baseline stealth is before deciding.”
Lucien glanced back at the panel, then let his hand drop.
…It’s not like I have to choose right now.
Lucien let out a quiet breath, his gaze lingering on the panel for a moment before his focus shifted, thoughts already moving ahead.
“On another topic entirely… how am I supposed to farm CP quickly?” he muttered, his tone low as he reached up to rub the back of his neck.
He paced a step or two, brows drawn together in thought.
“With Lucien’s connections, I could probably approach a few corrupted women…” he went on, glancing toward the door as if imagining it. “…but I doubt they’d agree. Even if their corruption levels are low.”
Corruption was contagious, so anything involving close contact—especially something that intimate—was generally avoided. On top of that, pregnancy made Corruption harder to manage, which made someone like Lyla, who was willing to do it with him, incredibly rare.
Admittedly, she couldn't get pregnant anymore thanks to some kind of alchemical procedure, but that didn't make it risk-free. There was also the matter of his Inferni blood. The race was among the most persecuted even before the Eclipse, and things had only gotten worse since.
Forcing it on anyone was out of the question. Both versions of Lucien shared that line. They had been raised to respect women, largely because of their mothers. They had loved them deeply and mourned them just as much. In many ways, they were the same person, aside from the fact that one had lived as a killer.
If I keep this ability hidden, convincing people becomes difficult. But making it public isn't an option either… If I could just control how the information spreads…
At that thought, his eyes lit up slightly.
There's a way!
With a confident smile on his face, he headed for the door.