NOVEL NEXT Chapter 310: Ambition and Desire
His fingers tapped against the armrest, unconsciously counting, calculating, doing something—anything.
He'd always been like this. He functioned in chaos. In pressure. In problems and deadlines and fires and seductions and court appearances.
Now?
He was just sitting. Thinking.
No tasks. No negotiations. No explosions. No spreadsheet from Hell's Asset Division needing his approval.
And the worst part?
What he wanted to do now was… work.
Lux blinked at himself.
"Seriously?" he groaned. "You get attacked by bounty angels, flirt with three goddesses, claim a Pride heiress, and now you're craving spreadsheets?"
He dragged a hand down his face and sighed.
"I need help."
But the truth?
This was the curse of being a creature born of both Greed and Lust.
Ambition and desire ran through his blood like magma.
And without something to chase, to climb, to conquer?
He felt useless.
He stared at the marble floor, watched the patterns swirl like whispers.
Then muttered, "Maybe I should update my mortal asset portfolio…"
The worst part?
That actually made him feel better.
Because nothing soothed an infernal CFO quite like financial domination.
Not even sex.
Okay. Maybe sex. But only if it involved asset redistribution and moans that sounded like market crashes.
He leaned back on the couch, a smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth.
"I guess… I'll do it," he said, almost surprised at himself. "Yeah. Why not?"
The spark returned. Subtle. Warm. That familiar hum behind his ribcage—the rush of acquisition. The thrill of spotting an undervalued asset and making it beg for structure.
His grin widened.
"I just need something that doesn't really need my attention too much. Something already running, already stable. I don't want to babysit."
He cracked his knuckles. The tips of his fingers shimmered faintly with gold as he reached into the air in front of him, pulling open a lazy ripple of digital interface.
[SYSTEM ACCESS GRANTED]
[Would you like to review your current asset dashboard?]
"Nah. Skip the foreplay today, sweetheart," he said. "Show me something new."
[Input Parameters Required.]
Lux leaned forward, his voice smooth, confident. The gears in his head were spinning again.
"Give me a list of potential mortal realm portfolios I could take over. No violation of Celestial Realm clauses. Nothing flagged by Interplanar Ethics Board."
[Acknowledged.]
"Also, I don't want to manage it directly. Prefer something with an existing team. Good network. Doesn't need to be fancy. Just has…" He paused, swirling his fingers in the air like he was mixing wine and fate. "Potential. The kind of business that could thrive with the right funding. But is stuck. Lack of money. Market traction."
[Processing...]
[Please clarify sector preferences: Tech, Fashion, Hospitality, Agriculture, Mining, Arcane Trade, Weapons, Publishing, Entertainment, Influencer Management, Other—]
Lux rolled his eyes. "All business. Give me the whole buffet. I'll take one or two. No picky demon behavior today."
[Retrieving cross-sector analysis...]
He leaned back, draping one arm across the velvet-lined armrest like a king on his throne. The smell of lunch drifted closer now—hints of black truffle, herbed lamb, garlic-buttered vegetables—and for once, Lux felt centered.
Alive.
In control.
Power, after all, didn't always come from swinging a sword. Sometimes, it came from pressing a single button labeled "Buy."
[Displaying top candidates based on your parameters:]
A glowing display hovered in the air in front of him. Text scrolled quickly—brief summaries, performance charts, CEO bios, risk matrices. The usual.
Lux narrowed his eyes, scanning quickly.
[Cinderglow Publishing Co. – Failing mid-size publisher known for spicy romance, urban fantasy, and controversial banned grimoires. Decent editorial team. Poor marketing. One influencer deal away from resurrection.]
[Silver Fang Security LLC – Mortal-run mercenary group with hybrid tech-magic defenses. Small team, tight-knit. Broke after taking on too many charity contracts. Loyal, desperate, and dangerous.]
[Aria Delights Bakery Chain – All-women-owned dessert company. Excellent recipes, bad bookkeeping. Popular among mortals with sweet tooths and unresolved trauma.]
[SparkScale Cosmetics – Fae-inspired beauty brand. Semi-viral on mortal net. Products are fantastic, branding is a mess. Run by two sisters constantly at war.]
[MoonSip Café Franchise – Tea-bar fusion chain. One step from bankruptcy, but interior design is phenomenal. Spirituality-based aesthetic. Very influencer-friendly.]
Lux rubbed his chin. "Oh, this is juicy."
He tapped the air beside the Cinderglow entry. A small window expanded with details—editorial staff, current revenue flow. Another tap brought up SparkScale's backstory—twins cursing each other in public press releases, yet somehow still profitable.
Lux let out a soft whistle. "You girls are a mess. I love it."
He tapped another business. Aria Delights.
Bakery. Failing.
But… good food.
Great reviews.
Shaky financials.
But loyal clientele.
He could picture it already—Naomi giggling over cupcakes. Rava licking icing from a spoon with suspiciously not innocent intent. Sira rolling her eyes while secretly stuffing a tart into her mouth like it owed her rent.
"Damn," he murmured. "I'm already making date night plans around this."
His grin stretched wider.
But then—his gaze dropped to the corner of the screen. One small entry. Barely a blip.
[Nightlight Studio – Small VR game dev team. Run by burned-out creatives and exiled dreamers. One semi-viral title from three years ago. Strong code. No marketing. Currently in debt to four different banks. Desperate to sell equity.]
Lux froze.
"Oh hell."
He opened it.
The studio was tiny.
A passion project, born of mortals and halfbloods who believed in stories. Mechanics were tight. Lore was deep. They had potential. But no money. No backing. No PR skills.
Just soul.
Pure, raw, untouched soul.
It hit Lux like a wave.
He could buy them out with pocket change.
Rescue them. Inject some funds. Give them the platform they needed.
And in return?
He'd own the IP. The titles. The tech.
Hell, he could use them to build a mortal-entry LitRPG engine—bring some of the game realm mechanics back into the mainstream.
He was breathing heavier now.
Not from lust.
From drive.
From pure, greedy inspiration.
"Oh, this," he whispered. "This is the one." Yeah, he never had this kind of thing in the infernal realm.
He stood, the couch creaking slightly behind him.
"System, flag Nightlight Studio. Prepare takeover strategy. Initiate silent acquisition protocols. Use shell corp 'EtherGrove Holdings.' We'll contact them tomorrow."
[Confirmed.]
He walked toward the dining lounge, eyes still half-glowing from interface light, mind racing with ideas.
He could already see it…
And him?
Even richer.
He stepped into the sunlight of his mansion's lounge, where the table had been set. Fine cutlery, crisp white linens, plates steaming with perfectly arranged food.
A servant bowed. "Your lunch, sir."
Lux smiled, eyes still sharp. "Thank you."
He sat down.
Lifted a fork.
And for the first time that day—
He felt full.
Not just in stomach.
In purpose.
Because nothing healed a lonely incubus quite like an undervalued company just begging to be owned.