Succubus World - Start with Incubus System

Erik looked at the two numbers on the System panel.

In the span of a single night, his Emotional Energy progress had climbed to 17.5%. Compared to his absorption rate before entering the Trial Space, this was an enormous leap.

He focused on the first line of information.

A small explanatory panel unfolded.

[Emotional Energy is currently being used to reinforce the Heaven Gate and elevate the Host’s life level]

[When progress reaches 100%, the Host may proceed with a rank up]

[The higher the level, the greater the total energy required]

Erik propped an arm against the armrest.

He was currently at Black Iron Rank 5. Once the progress bar hit 100%, he could attempt to step into Black Iron Rank 6.

The pace looked fast at a glance, but he didn’t believe he could rely on Elowen, Meira, or a handful of women beside him forever.

Emotional Energy also had its own kind of inertia.

Any event repeated too many times caused emotions to dull. Whether it was joy, being moved, or desire, people grew accustomed to it. If he relied solely on intimate relations with a few Succubi, the energy he gathered would slow down sooner or later.

More importantly, Erik didn’t want to turn their feelings into a cultivation tool.

Elowen loved him. Meira wanted to be with him. Those emotions deserved to be reciprocated, not deliberately mined again and again.

Erik shifted his attention to the Faith progress.

The figure of 0.25% was very low, but it proved the direction he’d guessed at wasn’t wrong. Everyone who watched the live broadcast, believed in the image of him, or genuinely placed their hopes on him could generate a tiny amount of Faith.

To make both types of energy grow quickly, he needed to influence far more people.

One direction had already taken shape in his mind last night.

Media.

Film.

Music.

Stories capable of making hundreds of thousands of people laugh, cry, rage, or place their faith in a certain figure all at once.

Compared to seeking out individuals one by one to generate emotion, a good work could spread on its own. Every time it was screened, reread, or mentioned, it continued affecting its audience. If the System’s calculations worked the way he thought, Erik only needed to stand in the creator’s position, or become a sufficiently important part of the work itself, and those emotions would have a chance to convert into energy.

He didn’t intend to invest in an enormous project right from the start. A short film, a broadcast program, or a story adapted into an audio drama would be enough to test the System’s response. Once he confirmed the effect, he could scale up.

This wasn’t only a path of cultivation.

Silver Moon’s entertainment industry had left a massive market wide open. If he succeeded, Erik would have money, reputation, and influence of his own instead of continuing to lean on Elowen’s or Meira’s assets. To him, that meant no less than the Emotional Energy did.

Erik closed the explanation panel. The System display still hovered before his eyes, casting no reflection whatsoever in Meira’s green ones.

She propped her chin on her hand, watched him for a moment, then asked:

”What are you thinking about?”

Erik dismissed the panel.

”Meira, do you know anyone who works on film crews, or any directors?”

She tilted her head slightly. The question was clearly not what she’d expected.

”I know a few, of course. But why are you suddenly asking about this?”

”There are some projects I want to try.”

”Film projects?”

”Not just film.” Erik rested both hands on the table. ”Possibly music, novels, broadcast programs, or other media formats as well.”

Meira looked at him, her surprise gradually giving way to curiosity.

”You just opened your Heaven Gate, and you have to meet the Council this afternoon. I assumed you’d be focusing entirely on cultivation right now.”

”I’ll still cultivate.” Erik answered calmly. ”But personal strength isn’t the only thing I need. I want a career and resources that belong to me.”

Meira looked at him in silence for a few seconds. Most men she’d met considered using a Succubus’s wealth to be a matter of course. Erik had been given more by her and Elowen than most people could earn in a lifetime, and yet what he thought about was still building something of his own.

Her gaze softened further.

”Have you ever worked in that field?”

”Never.”

Erik answered without hesitation. That was the truth of his identity across five years of living in this city.

”Then why did the entertainment industry come to mind?”

He didn’t answer right away.

The entertainment of this era was genuinely impoverished. A century after the Apocalypse, most resources went into defense, cultivation, medicine, and production. Films still existed, but the scripts were monotonous and storytelling technique had essentially frozen in place.

Erik had tried watching a few of the city’s most famous films. The content was so bad that he felt if you showed it to a child, that child would voluntarily pull out their homework to avoid having to keep watching.

His memories of films, novels, and music from his previous life were his single greatest advantage.

Erik had no intention of copying them wholesale. The two worlds had different histories, cultures, and social structures. But simply by using proven storytelling models, character construction, and emotional pacing, he was confident he could create works better than most of the current content.

All it would take was one film that genuinely moved millions of people, and the Emotional Energy he gathered would dwarf anything a handful of individuals could produce.

If an image was powerful enough that audiences trusted it, admired it, or saw it as hope, Faith would rise along with it.

All of those thoughts stayed inside Erik’s head.

He couldn’t tell Meira he remembered works belonging to another world, and he certainly couldn’t let her know the System was absorbing emotion and faith.

”I just feel the current market still has a lot of empty space.” Erik answered calmly. ”The content being produced is far too similar. If someone creates something new, the odds of success would be very high.”

Meira didn’t know the full reason, but she still gave it serious thought.

”Do you have a script yet?”

”I have a few ideas in my head.”

”What genres?”

”Quite a few.” Erik listed them briefly. ”Action, romance, survival, apocalyptic, even stories for children.”

Meira’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.

”You’ve really been preparing for this?”

”I just haven’t written any of it down.”

She was quiet for a few seconds, seemingly running through her connections. Finally, one name surfaced.

”I know someone suitable.”

”Who?”

”Laviana.”

Erik raised an eyebrow slightly. The name sounded somewhat familiar, but he didn’t recall ever meeting her in person.

Meira explained:

”She owns one of the largest media companies in Silver Moon. Films, live programs, broadcast platforms, and advertising are all connected to her company. The hotels and clubs are only one part of the family’s holdings.”

”Does she run the company herself?”

”She does. Laviana is highly capable and her network is extensive. If you want to get a project in front of an audience as fast as possible, meeting her is a good choice.”

Meira picked up her phone and opened her contacts.

”I can give her advance notice. All I have to say is that you want to collaborate, and I’m confident Laviana will make time immediately.”

She smiled. Laviana’s recent messages in the group chat flashed through her mind, along with that woman’s reaction upon seeing Erik.

”Not just make time. She’ll probably consider it an enormous honor.”

Erik caught the slightly odd tone.

”Are the two of you close?”

”We’ve known each other for years.” Meira answered calmly. ”Close enough for me to know she won’t refuse.”

Erik nodded.

”Then I’ll leave the contact to you. But for now, just tell her it’s a media project. We can discuss the other details when we meet.”

”All right.”

Meira quickly composed a message. She had just hit send when light footsteps sounded in the hallway.

Elowen walked in.

She had bathed and changed into a pale blue dress. Her silver hair was tied neatly behind her back, a few loose strands falling along her cheeks. In her hands was a men’s outfit, folded with great care.

”I’ve finished picking.”

Elowen set the clothes down in front of Erik, her eyes full of expectation.

It was a black shirt, trousers, and a dark grey overcoat. The design was simple, without excessive patterning, yet formal enough for a hospital visit or attending a meeting.

”Do you like it?”

Erik picked up the shirt to look it over.

”It’s very nice.”

Elowen’s smile immediately turned radiant.

”I knew this one would suit you.”

She had even prepared a watch, a belt, and a pair of shoes. Everything was coordinated so carefully that Erik suspected Elowen had gone through dozens of outfits in the closet.

”Do you want me to change right here?” he asked, seeing that she was still standing there watching.

Elowen blushed slightly, but her eyes unconsciously drifted over his body.

”If you don’t mind...”

Meira laughed.

”You should let him change before you make him late to the hospital.”

Called out by her mother, Elowen finally consented to leave the dining room. Before she went, she still turned back to look at Erik one more time.

He took the clothes upstairs to change. When he came back down, Sarna was already waiting in the main hall.

The bodyguard wore her familiar black suit. The bracelet Erik had given her still sat on her wrist, completely at odds with her combat attire but clearly well cared for.

”The car is ready,” Sarna said.

Erik nodded.

”The hospital first. I want to see how Felyn is doing.”

The appointment with the Council was in the afternoon. Before then, he still had enough time to visit Felyn and speak further with the Healer team.

Elowen took hold of Erik’s arm. She had switched to a pair of low shoes, clearly because of his reminder that morning, no longer daring to go barefoot.

Meira saw the three of them to the door.

”I’ll contact Laviana and get back to you.”

”All right.”

Their eyes met. Meira remembered the promise for tonight, and the corner of her lips curved. Erik simply shook his head and got into the car with Elowen.

Sarna took the driver’s seat. The estate gate slowly opened, and the car began rolling out of the courtyard.

But the moment they reached the road outside, Sarna slammed on the brakes.

Screech!

The car stopped abruptly.

Elowen instinctively clutched Erik’s arm. He steadied her shoulder and looked through the windshield.

A woman was standing in the middle of the road, blocking the car head-on.

Golden hair in complete disarray. A bloodless face, both eyes red and swollen as though she’d cried through the night. Her dress still bore several dried wine stains, and one foot was wrapped in bandages with blood already seeping through.

Erik slowly frowned.

He recognized her.

”Saraya.”