Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation-Chapter 543: Access Denied

Silence.

Then…

Air.

Lux gasped, lungs snapping back into place like his body forgot how to breathe. He blinked. Once. Twice. A sting hit the back of his throat and the sharp taste of blood bloomed against his tongue like rusted coin.

He was back.

The room swam into focus. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

His mansion.

The couch.

The soft weight of velvet cushions pressing into his back.

Lux didn't move. Didn't speak.

He just sat there. Shoulders hunched. Covered in blood. Breathing like someone who'd been drowning in fire.

Then…

"Tch."

His teeth clicked. The sound was small. Irritated.

Not dramatic.

Not wounded.

Pissed.

He raised his hand like a machine, slow and mechanical, pain flaring up his arm with every inch of motion. His fingers flicked in muscle memory, summoning the system interface in front of him—cracked green hologram flickering to life.

"Get me in again," he growled.

[System: Access denied.]

[Target: GREED_TOWER is in private lock state.]

[Status: Manual override triggered by legacy user: ZOLTARIN.]

[Access window: Unknown.]

Lux's glare sharpened. "He kicked me out."

[Affirmative.]

Lux growled again. "Breach. Now."

[Attempting breach…]

The screen pulsed. Code shimmered. Static sparked, then fizzled out with a final, biting.

[Error: Unauthorized. Signature mismatch.]

[System: Breach failed.]

"Damn it."

"Boss—"

Corvus flapped into view from the armrest, hopping onto the table like he was trying not to make eye contact. His feathers puffed up, wings twitching.

"Boss, you're crazy," the raven squawked. "Stop trying to kill yourself through a damned ghost-wire system!"

"I'm fine," Lux snapped, even as his hand trembled visibly against the edge of the coffee table. His breath was too fast. His pupils dilated too wide. His body? Shaking with leftover feedback and internal bleeding.

"No, you're not—"

A small, soft voice cut through the static.

"Lux."

His name. Just that. Barely more than a whisper.

He turned his head.

Lullaby had moved.

She was no longer sleeping beside him. She was holding him now, tiny fingers wrapped around his bicep like she could anchor him with her warmth alone. Her bunny plushie sat forgotten on the floor. Her sleepy eyes were wide open now. Fully awake.

"Stop it," she whispered.

Her voice wasn't scolding.

It was scared.

Her cheek pressed to his upper arm. He could feel the way she clung to him. Her breath was uneven.

It stopped him.

His hand froze in midair, half-reaching for the terminal.

And that's when it hit.

The pain.

The full sting of it, like his nerve endings were catching up to his soul. His muscles trembled beneath the armor, which had partially faded into fragmented code. He glanced down at himself.

His shirt was torn open down the side. His ribs were raw. The blood had dried around the gash Zoltarin left behind.

His thigh? Throbbing.

His cheek? Split.

His jaw? Clicked wrong when he moved it.

And his mouth… tasted like iron.

[Body Condition Report — Moderate Internal Damage. Multiple External Wounds. Three Mana Vein Lacerations. Minor Blood Loss. Burnt nerve endings in both hands. Mental Fatigue: 87%. Soul Sync: Stabilizing.]

Right.

He was in bad shape.

Corvus paced on the table, feathers puffed, muttering curses about "dumb princes with hero complexes."

Lux exhaled. A long, slow breath. "Okay," he muttered. "Maybe not fine."

Lullaby looked up. "You think?"

"Point taken."

"Dumbass."

The insult didn't come from her.

It came from the hallway.

Sira.

She was already here, still in her robe. Her face was pale, and her expression?

One twitch away from hellfire.

"Lux," she said slowly, "I swear, if you try to jump into another cursed relic system without warning, I will personally drag you back by your ankles."

"I warned Corvus."

"He's a bird!"

"He has access."

"I'm ten seconds away from opening a portal and flattening that old Greed Tower with my father's infernal artillery."

"You can try," Lux muttered. "But I bet it will fail."

"You're lucky I don't flatten you."

Meanwhile…

Footsteps. Fast ones.

Servants were already gathering in the foyer. Lyra approached with a basin of hot water, glowing red potions, antiseptic flasks, and what looked suspiciously like demon-stitched bandages blessed by some hellish nun.

Behind her?

Rava and Naomi.

Both on separate phones.

"Yes, special warded care with non-reactive mana shields," Rava snapped into her receiver. "No, now. This is a priority code. He's bleeding."

Naomi paced the other side, still in her satin sleepwear but eyes sharp like broken glass.

"I said trauma-specialized. Don't transfer me. Do not put me on hold—"

Mira passed them, phone tucked between her ear and shoulder, already snapping commands.

"Bring everything. Eastern medicine. Ginseng, lotus tincture, every powder we stock. Yes, even the one sealed in the jade coffin."

Lux blinked at the chaos.

He opened his mouth.

"…uh—"

Too late.

Lyra snapped a towel open. The basin of steaming water hit the table. One maid rolled up his sleeve. Another had a potion bottle uncorked before Lux could protest.

Sira was already inspecting the side of his ribs. "This needs stitching."

"It's fine."

"It's open."

Lullaby still wouldn't let go of his arm. Her cheek pressed tighter against him like she thought he'd vanish again.

Corvus just muttered, "Dumb. So dumb. Idiot handsome, but dumb."

"Guys," Lux tried again, "I mean, really—"

Then Mira jabbed a hairpin into his side with scary precision.

He yelped.

"Too much?" Naomi snapped from the phone. "You just bled from your mouth like a cursed creature, Lux."

"He's an idiot," Sira muttered.

"I know," Rava said, hanging up. "But he's our idiot."

"I'm not an idiot," Lux muttered under his breath.

Then felt a sting, a deep one, slice across his chest as Lyra carefully cleaned the wound. He hissed, jaw clenching.

And finally…

He sighed.

Sat there.

Surrounded by chaos.

Basin steaming at his feet. Bandages everywhere. Potions. Curse-breaking ointments. Four women shouting into different phones. A dragon heiress threatening someone in another continent. A pride demon ready to nuke a tower. A bunny girl latched to his arm. A sarcastic bird making passive-aggressive eye contact.

"…Okay," he muttered, mouth dry, voice flat.

"That's too much, guys."

"I mean…"

Then the sting hit again.

Right across the chest.

He winced.

"…ow."