Champion Of Lust: Gods Conquer's Harem Paradise!

The door swung open with a loud crash, slamming into the wall. Anastasia stormed into the room, her voice ringing out with palpable frustration.

"Mother! Little Brother!"

Pyris remained composed, calm as ever, while Emberly's eyes widened in alarm. They had been caught.

"Annie, it's not what you think!" Emberly's voice trembled slightly as she turned toward her daughter, still trying to regain her composure. Her heart pounded in her chest as she attempted to smooth out the ruffled edges of her dress and hair, but it was too late.

Anastasia's gaze was sharp, full of disbelief as she looked from her mother to her brother.

"What do you mean, it's not what I think?" she shot back, her voice filled with a mix of anger and confusion. "I can see it myself, Mother. I'm not a fool!"

Her piercing gaze settled on Pyris, who met her eyes with an unnervingly calm expression. His demeanor, as always, was steady—unbothered by the storm of emotions in the room.

"Annie..." Emberly started, but Anastasia cut her off with a sharp gesture, her frustration boiling over.

"Look at you, Mother!" she said, her tone accusatory. "You don't seem worried at all! You're so confident that Little Brother will survive the Abyssal Labyrinth!"

Her words hit Emberly like a jolt of cold water. Emberly's eyes widened, and for a moment, she was thrown into complete disbelief. The Abyssal Labyrinth? Was that what Anastasia thought this was all about?

Emberly turned to Pyris, who simply winked at her. The playful glint in his eye was unmistakable, and she could almost hear his teasing voice in her mind: "Thank me later with a deserving reward, Mother."

[You sneaky dragon!] Lia's amused voice echoed in his thoughts.

'With the Illusion Trait I got from Madeline, my mastery of illusions has increased tenfold,' Pyris mused inwardly, feeling a pang of gratitude toward the half-elf librarian, his loyal companion.

[Indeed, but have you also noticed the anomaly with the Lust Copy?] Lia interjected.

'Yes,' Pyris nodded inwardly. 'I've felt it too, but we'll deal with that later.'

In the present moment, he had more pressing matters to attend to. The illusion he had crafted was seamless, so much so that Emberly, still caught up in her flustered state, could hardly believe it.

She glanced around the room in shock. Despite still being atop the desk, her hair tousled and dress askew, Anastasia's eyes betrayed nothing of what had actually transpired.

To her, it looked as though Emberly was simply sitting composedly in her chair, while Pyris stood before her—completely innocent.

'He's really this strong now?' Emberly thought, awestruck by the illusion. Pyris had not only created the illusion to fool his sister but had done so without even her, a Rank 19, noticing.

And Anastasia… A Rank 17, whose sensitivity to magic and illusions was heightened by her life element, had been completely fooled as well.

'Is he that strong now?' she marveled again silently.

For a brief moment, Emberly allowed herself to feel a wave of relief.

The illusion had saved them from an awkward and potentially disastrous situation. But now, as the tension shifted, she knew the conversation would veer into dangerous territory—the Abyssal Labyrinth.

Pyris met his mother's gaze, his calm expression unchanging. 'I told you, Mother,' his eyes seemed to say. 'You'll thank me later.'

With a deep breath, Emberly stepped off the desk, straightening herself out before facing her daughter fully. The sudden shift in the atmosphere had her heart racing again, but for entirely different reasons now.

"Mother, how could you be so calm?" Anastasia demanded, her voice shaky with a mix of worry and anger. "Little Brother is planning to enter the Abyssal Labyrinth, and you just—what? Let him?"

Pyris finally broke his silence, his tone as composed as ever. "Anastasia, there's no need for all this worry. I've thought it through."

Anastasia's gaze snapped to him, her disbelief clear. "Thought it through? Pyris, this isn't some casual trip you're planning. This is the Abyssal Labyrinth! Do you have any idea what you're walking into?"

"Of course I do," Pyris replied, his voice steady. "And I'm prepared for it."

Anastasia shook her head, her frustration mounting. "Prepared? How can you be so sure? Even the strongest don't return from that place! It's a death trap, Pyris!"

Emberly stepped in, trying to soothe her daughter. "Anastasia, Pyris isn't going in without a plan. He knows the risks. Trust me when I say he's more prepared than you think."

"Trust you?" Anastasia's voice broke with a mixture of confusion and hurt. "How can I trust either of you when you're acting so nonchalant about all of this? The Abyssal Labyrinth is one of the most dangerous places in Argos!"

"Exactly," Pyris said, his voice smooth and calm. "It's dangerous, yes. But it's also necessary. What I'm going for is something that will give us leverage—leverage we need right now."

Anastasia blinked, her frustration ebbing slightly as confusion took its place. "Leverage? What could possibly be worth risking your life for in there?"

"The Blood Chalice," Pyris said simply, his words hanging in the air like a challenge.

Anastasia's eyes widened in shock, her voice lowering to a whisper. "The Blood Chalice... You really think it's in there?"

Pyris nodded. "I know it is."

Anastasia stared at him, the weight of his words settling on her shoulders. "But even so, Pyris… the risks…"

"I know the risks, Annie," Pyris interrupted, his voice softer now, a rare display of warmth toward his sister. "But the rewards far outweigh them. The Blood Chalice could tip the balance in ways we can't even imagine. With everything happening in the Vampire Empire, with Silas and his schemes, we need every advantage we can get."

"But why now?" Anastasia pressed, her worry evident in her eyes. "Why go now when things are already so volatile?"

Pyris sighed, his expression softening further. "Because the Chalice is the key to unlocking something far greater than what any of us can see right now. It's not just about power, Annie—it's about securing the future of House Obsidian."

Anastasia's resolve faltered, her anger giving way to concern. She didn't doubt her brother's capabilities, but the Abyssal Labyrinth was a realm of chaos and darkness, a place where even the most seasoned warriors and mages met their end.

And yet, Pyris stood before her with the confidence of someone who had already conquered it in his mind.

Emberly, who had been quiet for a while, stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on Anastasia's shoulder. "I understand your fear, Annie. But Pyris isn't a child anymore. He's grown far beyond what we ever expected. He can do this."

Anastasia let out a slow, shaky breath. "I know he's grown, but… It's just hard to accept. Hard to watch him walk into something so dangerous."

Pyris smiled gently. "I'm not walking into this blindly, Annie. I'm stronger than you realize. And I'll come back stronger still—with the Blood Chalice."

For a long moment, the room was silent. Anastasia's shoulders relaxed slightly, the tension slowly draining from her body. She looked at her brother, really seeing him—how much he had grown, how much he had changed.

"Alright," she said quietly, her voice still tinged with concern. "But promise me… Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," Pyris said with a soft smile.

Pyris had successfully navigated the conversation, easing his sister's worries for the time being. But as the night grew darker, the weight of his decision pressed heavily on everyone in the room.

He glanced at Emberly, a flicker of something unspoken passing between them. She had seen just how powerful he had become, how effortlessly he had managed to weave an illusion that fooled even her.

There was more to Pyris now—something even he was just beginning to understand.

As the night wore on, preparations for the Abyssal Labyrinth loomed on the horizon, and Pyris knew this journey would be unlike any he had undertaken before. But he was ready.