I Was Reborn in Another World, But I Awoke Inside a Corpse

Chapter 173: Crossing into Lust's Domain 

The crystalline rose pulsed faintly in Isaac's hand—warm, quiet, alive with something not quite mana, not quite soul. It thrummed with intention.

Night had fallen in Elaraiya. Sylvalen and Lira were asleep in the other wing. He hadn't told them what he planned.

Not out of shame.

But because this—whatever it was—had to be faced alone.

He sat on the edge of his bed, the black-petaled rose resting on his palm like a delicate piece of glass. He stared at it for a long moment before whispering:

"Take me to her."

The rose dissolved.

And the world folded.

He stepped through into a space that wasn't Hell… and wasn't quite the Abyss he remembered.

The sky was violet, streaked with gold and dusk pink, glowing as if in permanent sunset. Trees with silver bark rose in quiet forests beyond the hillcrest. The air smelled faintly of lilac and lightning. Music—not melody, but feeling—hung in the background like the echo of a memory too good to revisit.

He stood at the top of a smooth obsidian bridge that extended over a sea of shimmering rose-gold mist. Beneath the surface, he saw flashes of images—faces, memories, desires—his own, and others not his own.

[NOTICE: You have entered Lilyshade Vale – Capital of the Kingdom of Asmodeus, Queen of Succubi.][Status: Stable. Emotional distortion risk: Moderate. Hostile forces: None.]

The bridge led forward, lined with soft-glowing lilies. At the end stood a single figure.

She stood barefoot on dark glass, surrounded by violet blossoms.

Asmodeus.

Long, lustrous blonde hair cascaded down her back, catching every hint of light. Her eyes—bright amethyst—were deep enough to drown in, and sharp enough to see through masks. She wore a layered robe of flowing white and gold, edged with violet trim that shimmered with silk-like enchantments.

She wasn't adorned in chains or crowns.

And yet—she looked like a queen.

Not of thrones or tyranny.

But of temptation made divine.

"Welcome," she said softly. "I was hoping you'd come."

Isaac stopped a few steps away.

"You knew I would."

"No," she said. "I only hoped. Want and certainty are different things."

He watched her carefully.

She smiled gently. "You don't need to worry. No contracts. No games. Just… a walk, if you'll join me."

Isaac said nothing.

But after a moment, he nodded.

They walked together down the bridge, past open plazas shaped from starlight and stone, past glimmering halls alive with laughter and music. Not all of it was real—some were illusions, some memories.

But they felt warm.

Safe.

No one screamed here.

No one begged.

No one burned.

"This is your kingdom?" Isaac asked.

Asmodeus nodded. "A slice of the Abyss shaped by my will. A place where succubi, incubi, and all my kin may live without being slaves to the lust others think we embody. Desire without cruelty. Pleasure without chains."

She turned to look at him. "I didn't build it to rule. I built it because I was tired of being a weapon."

Isaac's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you want me here… for conversation?"

"I want you here because you intrigue me," she said. "And I want to understand you. Maybe… I want you to understand me, too."

They passed under a moonlight archway of crystal ivy.

"I've ruled this realm for millennia," she said, voice softer now. "I've had many come seeking power, comfort, or escape. But you're the first who walked through my door already knowing he didn't need what I offer."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Then why still offer it?"

"Because I don't want your obedience," she replied. "I want your company."

They stepped into a circular garden filled with silver lilies, velvet benches, and floating lanterns that shimmered with soulfire.

She gestured to a seat. "Stay a little while. Walk my halls. Talk to my people, if you wish. Let me show you what Lust can be when it's not corrupted."

Isaac studied her.

"You're not pretending this isn't dangerous," he said.

She smiled—openly this time, with no shadows behind it.

"Of course it's dangerous," she whispered. "That's why it's real."

He hesitated… then sat beside her on the bench.

Not as a ruler.

Not as a soldier.

But as a man.

Asmodeus folded her hands over her lap and looked out toward the horizon.

"Let's start with something simple," she said softly. "What's your favorite scent?"

Isaac blinked.

"…What?"

"No battle. No stakes. Just a question. I want to know what makes you feel."

He looked at her.

And for once, he didn't see a Great Demon.

He saw a lonely woman with a kingdom of warmth and mirrors.

And she wanted nothing from him.

Except his time.

So he answered.

And for a while, they simply talked.