Chapter 216: The Truth and the Temptation

The heavy wooden door of the luxury suite in sinceclicked shut, completely sealing out the cold, quiet night of the Void Empire capital.

Inside, the crackling fireplace cast long, warm shadows across the plush purple carpet and rich golden trim.

The air was filled with the faint, comforting scent of sweet lavender and polished mahogany, a stark contrast to the thick smell of iron and blood that had filled the courtyard just minutes ago.

Eleanor, Layla, Iris, Rhea, and Nadia stood near the large glass windows overlooking the lit up city skyline.

Physically, not a single scratch remained on their skin. Lynx’s primodial regeneration had completely fixed their broken bones, erased their bruises, and restored their mana pools to bursting.

Yet, their minds were still racing. The image of Lynx, his eyes glowing cold silver and blue, casually crushing two peak Blessed opponents and making Princess Kimberly beg for death, was burned into their memories.

Lynx dropped his black leather coat onto a nearby chair, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his collar.

He walked over to the small bar counter, casually pouring high end fruit wine into five crystal glasses before turning around with a smooth, effortless smile.

His terrifying, god like demeanor was completely gone. In its place was the same handsome, remarkably charming boy who had teased them at the arcade just hours earlier.

"Here," Lynx said softly, handing a glass to Eleanor first, his warm fingers brushing against hers. "Drink up. You girls look like you’ve seen a ghost."

Eleanor took the glass, her striking purple eyes locked onto his face. Her hand trembled slightly, not from weakness, but from an intense, swirling mix of emotions.

She took a slow sip, feeling the cool liquid soothe her throat.

"A ghost would have been far less terrifying than what we just saw, Lynx," Eleanor murmured softly, her voice filled with deep, undeniable awe.

Layla took her glass, letting out a long, heavy breath as she sank onto the edge of the plush sofa.

Her fiery amber eyes scanned Lynx’s spotless face. "I mean... seriously, Azarion. What in the world are you? How are you even this strong?"

Iris sat beside Layla, holding her glass with both hands. Her pale cheeks still carried a faint pink blush from her earlier stomach turning shock, but she couldn’t pull her gaze away from Lynx.

"Layla is right. That tall monster and his clone you ended were stronger than us or any of the Professors I’ve known back in Aether Blessed Academy. You didn’t just beat them, Lynx. You erased them without shedding a single drop of sweat. And the Guards who were very strong too were not spared."

Rhea leaned against the armrest, her short ice blue hair falling over her forehead as she let out a dry, helpless laugh. "And that healing... you literally recreated Kimberly’s eyes and fixed her broken bones in less than a second. That isn’t normal high tier healing, Lynx. That looked like a divine miracle."

Nadia stood a few feet back, her wide, flared hips resting against the edge of a mahogany table.

Her dark skin was warm, but her almond shaped hazel eyes were wide with pure astonishment. "You’re like eighteen, Lynx. Eighteen! Most eighteen year olds are still struggling to refine their second affinity if they had a dual affinity, but you’re out here controlling space, burning chains, gravity, and blood like it’s a child’s game."

Lynx leaned back against the counter, taking a sip from his own glass as he listened to their rapid fire questions.

A lazy, breathtaking smirk spread across his handsome face.

"Well," Lynx started smoothly, his voice deep and magnetic, carrying a calm, soothing vibration that immediately eased the lingering tension in the room. "Maybe I was just born different."

"Born different?" Nadia repeated, raising an eyebrow with a soft huff. "That’s your explanation?"

"Think about it," Lynx chuckled softly, swirling the wine in his glass. "As everyone in the academy knows, I didn’t even awaken as a Blessed until I turned eighteen. That’s practically unheard of, right? Usually, if you don’t awaken by sixteen, you’re just a normal human for the rest of your life."

Eleanor nodded slowly. "It is mathematically impossible according to records. Late awakenings happen, but never at eighteen, at most seventeen and certainly never with five more than S Ranked affinities."

"Exactly," Lynx smiled, his heterochromatic blue and silver eyes glinting with playful mischief. "So my theory is simple. Maybe Goddess Shiva looked down, took pity on a poor eighteen year old guy who was brought back from the brink of death, saw my incredible potential, and decided to shower me with an abundance of divine blessings all at once to make up for lost time."

Layla burst out laughing, throwing her head back as her crimson hair fluttered. "Goddess Shiva took pity on you?! Are you serious right now?!"

"Hey, it’s the most logical answer," Lynx teased, stepping closer to the sofa. "Or would you prefer I tell you I’m a demon king who fell from the heavens to conquer the empire?"

"Don’t joke like that," Iris whispered softly, though a small, beautiful smile touched her lips. "With the way you looked back in that courtyard... people might actually believe you."

"See? Iris gets it," Lynx grinned, sitting down right on the broad coffee table directly in front of them.

As he sat down, his Eternal Charm passive worked effortlessly in the quiet room. A warm, divine aura drifted from his body, wrapping around the five senior girls like a soft velvet blanket.

The lingering fear from the bloody fight completely melted away, replaced by a cozy, heady atmosphere that made their hearts beat a little faster.

Eleanor looked at Lynx, her purple eyes lingering on his sharp jawline and broad shoulders.

"Regardless of how you got this power... you saved us tonight, Lynx. If you hadn’t sealed the courtyard and taken those strong Blessed down... we would have been severely injured, or worse."

"I’m not going to let anyone hurt my women," Lynx said casually, taking another sip of his drink.

Nadia caught the word instantly and narrowed her eyes, her cheeks flushing bright red. "’Your women’? Excuse me, Lynx! Since when did we become ’your women’? We’re fourth year seniors! We are three years older than you!"

Lynx turned his head, his eyes lazily sweeping down Nadia’s voluptuous frame. His gaze lingered heavily on her narrow waist and the massive, unbelievable curve of her hips and ass stretching her dark dress. A dangerous, playful smirk touched his lips.

"Age is just a number, Nadia," Lynx murmured smoothly. "Besides... you’ve seen my women back at the academy, haven’t you? Ophelia, Lira, Ava, Kira, even Professor Rose. Do I look like a guy who cares about age?"

Layla let out a playful whistle, nudging Nadia with her elbow. "He’s got you there, Nadia. And let’s be honest, you were checking out his arms the moment he pulled you close in Eleanor’s office."

"Layla!" Nadia gasped, her dark face turning completely crimson as she grabbed a small sofa cushion and squeezed it against her heavy chest. "I was evaluating his physical strength for squad security!"

"Right, ’security,’" Rhea teased, taking a sip of her wine with a light chuckle. "That’s why you were blushing like a maiden when he caught your boosted strike with one hand."

"You guys are terrible!" Nadia grumbled, though her lips twitched into a reluctant smile as she looked away, completely unable to maintain her tough facade around Lynx’s magnetic charm.

Iris looked at Lynx, her silver eyes shimmering with genuine curiosity. "Lynx... back at the party, when the Headmistress called... she said the King of Aether Empire wants to meet you personally. Are you really going to the Royal Palace tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Lynx replied smoothly. "Once we land back in the capital, I have an audience with the King."

"The King’s court is full of snakes," Eleanor warned softly, her tone turning slightly serious.

"The high noble houses and the older Year 4 elites, like Julian’s family connections, are going to be watching you very closely. Your rise to power has been too fast, Lynx. They’ll be looking for any excuse to challenge you."

Lynx leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, bringing his face just a few inches away from Eleanor. His deep heterochromatic eyes locked onto hers with absolute, unshakable dominance.

"Let them challenge me," Lynx whispered, his voice dripping with pure confidence. "You saw what I did to Void Blessed Academy’s elite team. You saw what I did to those peak guards and Kimberly. Do you really think a few arrogant rich people in the Aether Capital are going to be a problem for me?"

Eleanor’s breath hitched in her throat as his face came closer. The masculine heat radiating from his skin washed over her, making her core throb with a strange, delicious warmth she had never felt before.

"You’re dangerously arrogant, Lynx Azarion," Eleanor murmured, her voice losing its formal edge, turning soft and breathless.

"It’s not arrogance if I can back it up, your Majesty," Lynx smirked smoothly.

Layla leaned back against the sofa cushions, an amused, slightly teasing smile on her face as she looked at Lynx’s tall physique. "So, Mr. Champion... you really think you can handle everything, huh? What about us? You’ve been flirting with all five of us non stop since this afternoon."

"Handle all of you?" Lynx laughed softly, a rich, masculine sound that sent a shiver down the spines of all five girls. "Layla, sweetheart... I could handle all five of you at the same time and still have enough energy to go crush another army before breakfast."

"Hah!" Nadia scoffed loudly, though her voice lacked any real bite. "Listen to this kid boast! You’re eighteen! We’re twenty one! We have way more stamina and mana refinement than junior students!"

Lynx turned his head toward Nadia, his eyes flashing with a playful, predatory hunger.

"Is that a challenge, Nadia?" Lynx asked smoothly, his voice dropping into a low, husky register that made Nadia’s knees feel weak.

"Because if you’re talking about stamina... I promise you, none of you would last two hours against me."

Iris bit her bottom lip, her cheeks flushing a deep pink as she looked down at her glass, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Rhea swallowed hard, exchanging a quick, flustered glance with Layla, whose amber eyes were burning with a sudden, intense heat.

Eleanor tried to maintain her royal composure, but looking at Lynx’s breathtaking face, his broad chest, and the supreme confidence radiating from his posture, her defenses completely crumbled.

"You really don’t know how to give up, do you?" Eleanor whispered, a soft, lovely smile touching her lips as she looked into his eyes.

"Never," Lynx grinned.

He stood up smoothly from the coffee table. The atmosphere in the room had shifted completely, the subtle sexual tension that had been building between Lynx and the five senior beauties was now so thick it was almost tangible.

Lynx walked over to Eleanor, extending his hand toward her.

Eleanor looked at his hand, then up into his handsome face. Without saying a single word, she placed her small, delicate hand in his.

SWOOSH!

In less than a single millisecond, Lynx activated Instant Teleportation.

A soft flash of silver light enveloped Lynx and Eleanor, vanishing them completely from the living suite and leaving Layla, Iris, Rhea, and Nadia sitting alone in the quiet room.

A second later, Lynx materialized back inside the living room, standing in the exact same spot, casually adjusting his shirt cuffs.

Layla, Iris, Rhea, and Nadia blinked in sheer shock, staring at the empty space where their squad leader had just been standing.

"W-Where is Eleanor?!" Nadia gasped, her hazel eyes wide.

"She’s resting comfortably in the room I was assigned to," Lynx smirked smoothly, his heterochromatic eyes scanning the four remaining beauties.

He leaned against the wooden counter, stepping closer to them with a slow, predatory grace that made their breath catch in their throats.

"So," Lynx murmured softly, his voice dripping with irresistible charm. "Are you girls coming over to join us... or am I only eating your Queen tonight?"

Silence fell over the room for two heavy seconds.

Iris Nightglow was the first to move. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest, her mind swirling with the memory of how gently Lynx had checked on her earlier, washed away her fear, and healed her body with divine light.

She set her crystal glass down on the table, stood up on her lithe legs, and walked straight toward Lynx without a single second of hesitation.

"I’m coming," Iris whispered softly, her silver eyes shining with absolute devotion as she stopped right in front of him.

Lynx smiled warmly, reaching out to tuck a strand of sleek black hair behind her ear. "Good girl, Iris."

Rhea Dawnwhisper let out a soft, helpless sigh, a beautiful blush painting her cheeks as she stood up next. "Well... Eleanor always said a good squad stays together through everything. It’d be rude to leave her alone with a monster like you."

Layla Solara chuckled softly, standing up gracefully as her long crimson hair swept across her shoulders. "Besides... I really want to see if your boasting about your stamina is actually real, Azarion."

All three of them turned their heads, looking back at Nadia, who was still sitting on the edge of the sofa, holding her cushion tightly against her voluptuous chest.

Nadia looked at Lynx. She looked at his sharp jawline, his tall, broad frame, and the intense, hungry gaze he was fixing directly on her flared hips and massive ass. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.

"Don’t look at me like that, Azarion!" Nadia huffed, her dark face bright red as she stood up, tossing the cushion aside.

Her wide, jaw dropping curves swayed enticingly with every step as she walked over to join the group.

"If you think I’m going to let you tease me all night without giving you a piece of my mind, you’re dead wrong!"

Lynx let out a rich, deeply satisfied laugh, looking at the four stunning Year 4 enforcers standing before him, ready to join their Queen.

"That’s what I like to hear," Lynx whispered smoothly.

He wrapped his arms around Iris and Nadia’s waists, pulling their warm bodies flush against his.

SWOOSH!

A blinding flash of silver light engulfed the entire room, teleporting Lynx and the four beauties directly into the massive, luxurious master bedroom where Eleanor was waiting, ready to initiate the grandest night of their lives.