Everything Will Be My Way Chapter 1: 1, a 13 tzameti fanfic

A young man with an extraordinary mind is off on an exciting adventure when he mysteriously wakes up in the body of a feeble slave-guy in a different, rich in quirks world. The main character, a selfish jerk, would use extreme means to achieve his goals. However, he never allows his base instincts to overrule his sense of decency. He always pays back both good and bad deeds. Will his (terrible/excellent) mentality help him make a fresh start? Will he get through misfortunes and hardships of the new world?

Everything will be my way! #Chapter Glossary - Read Everything will be my way! Chapter Glossary Online - All Page - Novel Usb

Glossary

Basics:

Energy Hierarchy:

1) Base phase; 2) Advanced phase; 3) Superior phase; 4) Noble phase; 5) Lord phase; 6) Royal phase; 7) Imperial phase; 8) Sovereign phase; 9) Overlord phase; 10) Supreme phase;

They can also be referred to as: the first phase; the second phase; the third phase; …

Each phase has 10 stages. 1-3 beginning, 4-6 middle, 7-9 finishing, 10 peaking stage.

For example:

A noble phaser at the peaking stage = (4ph./10st.);

A lord phaser at the beginning stage = (5ph./1-3st.);

A superior phaser at the finishing stage = (3ph./7-9st.);

A royal phaser at the peaking stage = (6ph./10st.); …

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Synergy hierarchy:

1) Newbie; 2) Student; 3) Bachelor; 4) Master; 5) Doctor of Philosophy; 6) Doctor of Science; 7) Supreme Mandate;

Each degree has a beginning, intermediate, advanced, and peaking level.

The Supreme Mandate is a theoretically existing god level

When Synergy is in contact with any other energy, they can annihilate each other.

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Elements:

1) Pure energy; 2) Wind; 3) Water; 4) Earth; 5) Heat; 6) Cold; 7) Ether; 8) Darkness; 9) Light;

Complexity of the elements (above): (1; 2; 2; 3; 3; 3; 4; 5; 5;)

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Grades of elements:

1) Basic grade = basics; 2) Advanced grade; 3) Superior grade; 4) Master grade; 5) Grandmaster grade;

Pure energy has only one grade.

Each next grade removes restrictions from the element. It becomes more powerful and increases the cultivation up to 2 stages. In addition, the range of its implementation widens, as well as the number of features and specifications. More powerful techniques can be used.

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Mastering Elements:

To master any element, it is necessary to master its basic grade. It is believed that heaven itself forbids mastering more than five elements because the more elements the practitioner can bend, the greater their talent and the grander their fate.

Those who have mastered one element are considered to be mediocrity and scum. They have no future.

Those who have mastered two elements are average. They might achieve something, but nobody expects much from them.

Those who have mastered three elements are geniuses. A lot of people put their hope in them. They are expected to be successful.

Those who have mastered four elements are great geniuses. Any family would be happy to have them. They are highly appreciated and have a great future.

Those who have mastered five elements are actually heavenly geniuses who are destined to make history. Any master or school will fight for them to the last. No matter what they're after, the sky's the limit for them. A grand future awaits them all.

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The purity of elements:

The purity of each element (key) varies from 10% to 100%. The more complex the element, the less pure it usually is (it depends on the race and the family.)

A stream is the total purity of all the keys. It can't exceed 900 points.

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The owner of 100% pure keys can have a stream of 900% in total. The benders of at least one element are as rare as dragons. They have an advantage over practitioners with a standard talent in 5 stages of the corresponding element(s).

Element lord has 100% pure key of the corresponding element. For example, if the key of the heat element is 100% pure, its owner is called a heat lord. Even one element lords are as rare as dragons. Their cultivation is five stages higher than that of the practitioners with a standard talent.

Cultivation:

It can be of two types: unique body cultivation and soul cultivation.

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Unique body cultivation:

A unique body can be of two types: an acquired one that can be installed independently, and an innate one that anyone can have from birth. It is impossible to grow more than one of each type. The innate body can combine the features of the parents' bodies that may often give amazing results.

Unique bodies come in different ranks, from "E" to "SSS." The higher the rank, the more distinct the connection with the owner, the greater the effects.

Unique bodies have specific conditions for their better cultivation.

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Soul cultivation:

Soul cultivation goes in phases, each of which consists of 10 stages. It's important to train hard to reach the next stage, doing cycles of elemental energy expenditure and intake. It's required to take transformation medicine to get to the next phase. It helps to achieve a breakthrough and overcome a bottleneck, advancing into the next phase.

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Soul cultivation speed depends on:

Internal qualities such as determination; dreams; goals; will; motivation; talent; bloodline;

External qualities such as rank and stage of the unique body cultivation; quality of enzymes; transformation medicine to boost cultivation; a challenge in training, e.g., cultivation increases in the battle to death faster than in ideal conditions;

External qualities also include biological body cultivation. The stronger the foundation, the faster the soul evolves. To make the foundation stronger, it is necessary to take the enzymes (building blocks). It's optional but their absence might affect the result. In other words, the soul can increase or decrease body cultivation.

Ranking system:

Everything that can have quality is ranked in letter format: "E", "D", "C", "B", "A", "S", "SS", "SSS", where "SSS" is legendary.

Everything related to the hierarchy is ranked in number format: "7", "6", "5", "4", "3", "2", "1", and sometimes "0".

The number of ranks can be any, e.g., the slaves in the mine have only 3 ranks.

The 0th rank can belong either to the "head of the hierarchy" or the "center of the hierarchy" with rare exceptions.

The head of the hierarchy is a person, e.g., the patriarch of the family. However, the same patriarch may not have a rank in certain organizations within the family.

The center of the hierarchy is the central area within a certain territory. There are many cities in the Iron Throne (5), their center is Boston (0), the capital of the kingdom. There are 7 kingdoms in Rosarrio, their center is Dantes (0), the capital of the empire. The human race has 7 empires, but there is no human center because empires are on the verge of war. They don't have a single hierarchy.

To imagine any hierarchy, think of a tree. The race is the root. Seven trunks come from the root. They are empires. Each trunk is divided into 4-7 branches, the kingdoms. A royal squirrel, the ruler, lives on each branch. All of them are subject to the imperial squirrel, the ruler who lives in the trunk. The imperial squirrel is bigger and more powerful. Each squirrel has a luxurious cozy hollow, the capital of the kingdom or empire. Now imagine that trunks, branches, and squirrels have a different value, the rank.

You can find the image here: https/ibb.co/FwHszDW

Jobs:

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Alchemy:

Alchemists create medicine. They have 7 ranks where the 1st rank is legendary. The purity of medicine depends on the rank of the alchemist. The alchemist with a higher rank has more high-ranking recipes to create medicine (rank is relative, it's determined by history and generally accepted norms).

The medicine is most often a pill, or rather the energy inside it. It's programmed to act in a certain way under certain circumstances. For example, when healing medicine comes into contact with gastric juice, it releases energy that heals bones or burns, etc.

To make medicine, an alchemist uses ingredients, tools, money-spheres, animal keys.

Millions of factors are taken into account while making medicine: the age and type of the ingredient, the cultivation phase, the grade of the element, equipment, tools, the method of preparing the ingredients, the way of mixing the ingredients, etc. The slightest inaccuracy or mistake can significantly reduce the purity of any medicine.

The purity of medicine: 1) Low: 1-15%; 2) Average: 16-35%; 3) High: 36-65%; 4) Excellent: 66-85%; 5) Epic: 86-100%;

The properties of medicine depend on its purity. They increase exponentially.

The quality of ingredients is relative, it's determined by history and generally accepted norms. It is not always directly proportional to its high price and efficiency. Much depends on the age of medicine and where it belongs. For example, imperial phase grass of "average" quality that has been saturated with pure energy in the treasury for a thousand years is more expensive and more effective than base phase grass of "extra" quality that was plucked a year ago.

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Formacy:

Formacists create formations. They have 7 ranks where the 1st rank is legendary. The efficiency of formations depends on the rank of the formacist. The higher the rank, the more compact and various the formations (rank is relative, it's determined by history and generally accepted norms).

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A formation is a way of interacting with the energy of the world. It provides the parameters for the energy to act in a certain way: tracking, data processing, transmission, and storage, creating a protective barrier or fire steles, etc.

Any non-parasitic formation requires spheres (energy). Any combat formation (defensive/attacking) requires keys.

Formations can exist only inside a slot.

The slot is an artificially created energetic shell, usually round. It protects and stores the formation.

The slot can be created in a live organic form or inside a nephrite.

Nephrite a cloudy green stone blessed by the Almighty. It's an ideal container and trap for energy (formation). Even a million years later, after the practitioner's death, the energy won't dissipate from it. Moreover, the energy released from it won't dissipate by natural laws for many more years, even if its owner died a long time ago.

When a practitioner studies an ancestral formation (a technique, an instruction, etc.), a set of neural connections forms in their head in an intuitively understandable way. It means the practitioner must acquire the information on the soul level, in other words, achieve enlightenment. It's just a basic level of understanding. It's like when you know how to do a somersault, but you don't understand how exactly it happens, you don't know all the details of the process. That's why it's impossible to copy the knowledge to another nephrite. Each nuance of the process must be thoroughly studied. It takes a master to create legacy.

Information sealed in a nephrite can be of two types:

Illogical that deals with the information created by the environment. It defies logic, it's impossible to decipher and, therefore, copy, e.g., visual or sound recording that can be copied only with quality loss.

Logical that deals with the information created by a living being with elemental skills, e.g., a family legacy created by masters. It can be copied, but the copy will lose its logic (get encrypted).

Thus, only source codes created by masters can be copied. Legacy copies are rather cheap because they cannot be copied and given away to lower-level masters. Every family in the empire follows this system.

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Enchantment:

Enchanters enchant inanimate matter. Enchantment can enhance certain characteristics of the matter: from strength and gravity to heat resistance and taste… They have 7 ranks where the 1st rank is legendary. The higher the enchanter's rank, the greater the variety of enchantments they possess, and the greater the level of enchantment they can cast.

There are 5 levels of enchantment, each of which is much more expensive and more difficult to cast. Above all, each of them is more effective than the previous ones: 1) basic; 2) advanced; 3) superior; 4) master; 5) grandmaster; The levels are named so because they require the corresponding element grades: basic, advanced, superior, master, and grandmaster, respectively.

It takes three things to cast a successful enchantment: 1) a perfect individual trigram pattern; 2) payment in the form of keys; 3) a certain grade of the element;

Teleportation is a combination of enchantment and formacy.

General information about the world:𝞰𝑜𝓋𝔢𝔩𝑢𝑆𝒃.𝐜𝑂𝑀

Races:

1) Humans; 2) Demons; 3) Supreme beasts; 4) The dark ones; 5) The light ones; 6) Vampires;

Humans are just humans;

Demons are vicious creatures that embody the seven deadly sins;

Supreme beasts are animals with intellect who can't lie;

The dark ones are the dark attribute adepts;

The light ones are the light attribute adepts;

Vampires are blood adepts, blood energy adepts;

Basic laws of energy:

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Spiritual connection:

Starting from the advanced phase, practitioners can feel their soul, that is, they get a spiritual connection / spiritual feeling / connection with their soul. The higher the cultivation, the stronger the connection with the soul and its immunity to foreign interference in the mind, body, and soul.

Practitioners can weaken the spiritual connection by willpower to get certain benefits: starting from the advanced (2) phase, they lower their cultivation (while their strength stays the same); starting from the imperial (7) phase, they can use passive scanning, as well as change the cultivation of the soul, the body or even of some body parts; starting from the overlord (9) phase, they can control metabolism, keeping the body young at the expense of a total life expectancy.

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Passive and active scanning:

Any kind of scanning is radiation of pure energy and its analysis after reflection from physical and magical objects. The process requires considerable concentration, that is, intense mental activity. However, passive scanning differs from the active scanning where the soul independently analyzes the information and sends the result to the brain, creating an illusion of having an all-seeing third eye on the forehead. Only practitioners of the imperial (7) phase and above can do passive scanning.

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Spiritual sensitivity:

Every element emits vibrations (sound), every soul also marks its presence, and even emotions have their own vibration frequency. Spiritual sensitivity can identify all these incoming signals. For example, it can determine which element the opponent is going to use the next moment and decide the outcome of the battle.

The power of spiritual sensitivity is directly proportional to the spiritual feeling (connection with the soul). It depends on the cultivation.

The range of perception cannot exceed one phase. For example, an advanced phaser can't feel the superior phaser's cultivation or elements. It's out of their range of perception.

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Oscillation frequency:

Every energy has a specific frequency. It's benevolent to a similar frequency as well as a neutral one.

Neutral energy belongs to god. Personal energy belongs to the soul that created it. When a soul leaves the physical world (the keys break off, the soul goes to another world), the personal energy of this frequency gets erased from the universe through any obstacles: the body ruins, formations dispel, rocks and water disappear. However, the energy enclosed in a nephrite, not in the organic matter (body) can last forever. These stones are a perfect eternal energy trap created by the Almighty.

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Chapter 1: Arc 1 – The mine

The magnificent ceremonial hall was bustling with noise and excitement𝞰𝒪𝓋𝓔𝓛𝗎𝓈𝓑.𝐜𝑜𝚖

The noble ladies and gentlemen were whispering to each other, ignoring decorum.

"Who is this ugly guy?" and "Why is he marrying Princess Kara?" – These two questions were on everybody's mind in the room.

Meanwhile, the ceremony was coming to an end.

The bridal couple had exchanged the rings.

The bride named Kara had a truly outstanding appearance worthy of a princess. Her slim curvy body, dressed in an incredible white and burgundy wedding dress, caused excessive drooling in all the guests. They tried to smother the urge to kill the lucky groom.

Kara's beautiful piercing eyes had a demonic charm. Their beauty was breathtaking, but at the moment, an unknown, weak, far from handsome boy was enjoying the privilege to look into those eyes. It was unfair!

The husband, 15-something boy, whose make up made him anything but handsome, was smirking like a cat that had cornered a mouse. If the pressing glances of the jealous guests had any physical strength, they would have killed him hundreds of times, but it only fueled his passion.

The princess looked at the boy with an expression: "How is it even possible?"

The elder of the family glanced sympathetically over Kara, then jealously over the groom and said loudly:

«Seal your union with a kiss.»

Kara recalled this formality in the human race not without irritation and burned the groom with a disgusted look as if saying "Don't you dare or you will regret it later!"

The boy smiled cunningly, convinced in her helplessness. – {She won't dare to stop me. She won't turn against her mother} – The atmosphere of permissiveness thrilled him to pieces, flowing through his insides.

The princess's full cherry lips were enticing… The boy couldn't hold back anymore. He gave her a passionate kiss on the lips, enjoying the supple softness and sweet scent of the girl's body. He savored his power over the charming girl, and to get even more pleasure, he put his arms over the bride's thin waist, slightly pressing her ample boobs against himself. He knew it had left numerous people breathless.

The guests, envious and jealous, could not take their eyes off the kissing couple.

It seemed that the earth was to erupt, marking the end of the world and common sense.

The husband didn't cross the line. Any sticking his tongue a bit further, and she would bite it off.

Have you ever seen a girl staring at a creepy-crawly slimy, nasty slug? That was the way the princess looked at the boy intoxicated with kissing her.

Nevermind… Her imminent revenge would be terrible. Most likely, it would find the new husband very soon, right on the wedding night.

She could do it right now, but her mother stood there, gazing intensely at her, and she didn't dare.

«I now pronounce you husband and wife!» – said the elder with watery eyes, breaking the solemn silence.

…

His head was pounding so badly… He felt foggy.

He half-opened his eyes and could see a dim light from the flashlight.

Any physical effort was almost too much for him. His muscles throbbed with pain as if after extreme exercising. He was parched.

With the last of his strength, he raised his body, trying to remember anything.

He was in a cold, damp cave. He couldn't see two meters in front of him. A single flashlight built into the helmet radiated soft azure light. A crystal was faintly blinking inside, it was about to fade away.

The boy came to his senses, rubbed his temples, and began to analyze the situation. {Judging by the migraine and memory loss, I had been badly hit on the head.}

He stared at his hands as if he had never seen them before. – {It's odd.} – The skin was hard, rough, calloused. – {I most likely work here. But is it legal to work in the mine at my age? After all, judging by the size of my hands and body, I'm hardly 15 years old.}

The boy picked up the helmet with a built-up flashlight lying nearby, struggled to get back on his feet, and set about exploring the area.

He found a metal tool with a handle and a pointed end that looked like a pickaxe. It was a tool to use in the mine, which suggested ideas. A funny device lay nearby. It lacked figures and symbols but had a randomly spinning hand. – {It doesn't look like a compass.}

The boy carefully examined himself. He had worn clothing and shoes, pale skin, dirty broken nails, slim build, short hair and height. He had a strange feeling of looking at an absolute stranger. When he gingerly rubbed his forehead, he felt a strange tingling and outlines of some symbols.

{It is definitely not a scar… Is it possible that I'm branded?!}

The symbols meant his name – Kyon – but he wouldn't know that.

Still in shock, Kyon saw the light of the flashlight fading.

{Time is of the essence. I have to get out of here if I don't want to be stuck here forever.}

He shoved the tool and the device of unknown purpose under his belt and made his way in the only accessible direction.

The surrounding landscape had not changed much, even after a half-hour walk. It was the same dark wet cave with no end in sight. His unsuccessful attempts to remember anything were depressing. Suddenly he came up against a half-meter ledge of rock. It took him great effort to climb it and move forward. Soon he found out that the cave began to narrow.

The boy resolutely climbed uphill.

The cave was getting smaller and smaller, but his lean body had its advantages.

Finally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

The boy climbed out of the cave, grunting. He got to his feet and dusted himself off. Eventually, the signs of civilization started to emerge. Wooden beams 3-4 meters in width and height backed up the walls. Railway tracks crossed the rich soil. Every ten steps, there was a bright flashlight on the wall. He was in the mine.

The smell of dampness and mustiness that accompanied the boy since the moment he woke up gave way to a more pleasant working atmosphere. Only, there were no workers at all… He could hear no sounds either. There was complete silence.

A smile flashed across his grim face: {I am on the right track.}

He looked back and noticed that the cave was well concealed with small boulders. It couldn't be detected without careful examination. His curiosity disappeared as soon as his stomach started growling. His hunger and thirst were unbearable, and his body was treacherously weak. Despite the weakness, his mind stayed clear.

Kyon had been walking up the rails for about 20 minutes until they led him to the main branch. Weird symbols were engraved on the wooden beams, but he couldn't read them. Soon he heard some distant voices. He failed to understand them, either. {How odd… I don't know this language…} – He listened carefully to the strange speech for a while but then gave up on this pointless activity. {Now is not the time for this.}

The boy focused his mind and walked wearily towards the sounds of the voices. He was ready for anything.

…

The working shift was over two hours ago.

The workers with minimal personal rights, to put it simply the slaves, were sleeping in their beds. However, Bob and Mob, the supervisors, were not getting any sleep. A boy named Kyon went missing three days ago.

«There could have been a rockslide. His tracking formation must have shattered.»

«Nice idea, but it's highly unlikely. My faithful dog Rogash would have found the body under the blockage.»

«Someone might have set him up and…?»

«Nonsense. Our people would have reported to us about the accident. Besides, Rogash would have smelled it as well.»

«What if he had escaped?»

«Are you crazy, man? No one escapes from here alive! As you know, the dead can't run. And even if they could, my dog…»

«I am sick and tired of your dog! Do you have any idea how we should report to Flitz about this!» – Mob exclaimed angrily.

After a moment of reflection, Bob, the happy owner of Rogash the Almighty, cautiously asked:

«What are the punitive measures in such weird cases?»

Mob's eyes flashed. He pulled an intimidating face and began to "enlighten" his buddy. «I heard that they took the previous supervisor's dog. The poor animal was gutted, filled with sawdust and put up in the prominent place as a reminder of his owner's guilt, and then…»

«Screw you and your jokes! It isn't a good time for them.» – Bob interrupted him, visibly annoyed.

Death of a slave meant nothing to a supervisor, but fat Bob was a rare exception. He had always been a softie and liked to help people in need because when he was a child, any help was vital for his impoverished family. Later, Bob managed to earn acceptable means of livelihood and landed on his feet. As a result of his malnutrition, he had gained weight and began to help others in need.

However, under the conditions in the mine where slaves often died of starvation, exhaustion or rockslide, his character had slowly changed.

Now both of them had something to worry about. Tomorrow the supervisors had to hand in the weekly report to their severe boss. It was impossible to fake the death of a slave. Everyone in the mine had a magic mark on their forehead called a "tracking formation." It tracked the location as well as the health condition.

If Kyon had died, the signal about his death would have reached the database. Then they could have closed his file without further proceedings. But there was no signal, and his formation did not respond. There were no witnesses to his death, no one knew anything, and the law had to be strictly observed. «Any activity in the mine must be under control.»

In the history of the mine, inexplicable losses happened rarely. The marks were incredibly stable magic formations that ordinary people couldn't destroy… Such cases were out of the ordinary and called for thorough analysis.

Bob and Mob were doing their best to find the missing guy three days long. They interrogated the slaves but found out absolutely nothing. Nobody had seen or heard anything. Bob even sent his faithful watchdog Rogash on the search, but he couldn't get a scent. Upon return, he whined pitifully and waggled his nose.

Outside footsteps interrupted their lively discussion.

The supervisors took a closer look and saw an exhausted boy aged 14.

He had black hair and dark brown eyes. The boy was of slim build, about 165 cm tall (5.4 ft).

«It's… It's him!» – Mob exclaimed uncertainly.

The boy could barely stand. Bob had to run up to support him. «What's the matter? Where the hell have you been?»

However, the boy kept silent. Next moment, his skinny body went limp and would have flopped to the ground, hadn't the supervisor backed him up. He lost consciousness.

«Finally, he's here! Whew… Such a weight off my mind… I wonder where he has been?» – Mob sighed with relief. However, he frowned as soon as he looked in the glassy device and failed to see any reaction in the formation on Kyon's forehead. – «Fuck, his formation doesn't respond!»

Bob was no less surprised. He wanted to say something but only shook his head. «It doesn't matter now. Look how exhausted he is… He is surely dehydrated, as well. He needs some rest to recover. We will find out the story from him later.»

«Bob, wait … What are we going to say when they find out his formation is out of order? We have no idea where he has been, and the report is due tomorrow!»

«What the hell does it matter? We must help him first. He is dying!»

«Are you nuts? Let's get rid of him. He is nobody but a half-dead slave… His death will solve all the problems with the authorities…» – Mob approached the half-alive boy with cold determination.

Bob growled furiously:

«How can you be so insensitive? We must help this boy! All right! If that's what you want, I'll take full responsibility! Get out of my way.» – He pushed Mob away and dragged Kyon to the hospital.

«Moron! You are not looking for easy ways.» – Mob sneered at Bob's manifestation of humanism. His friend was always screwing around. – «By the way, your boasted dog couldn't find him… Do as you like as long as it's none of my business.»

…

The boy focused his mind and walked wearily towards the sounds of the voices. He was ready for anything.

He saw two men in the distance. They were shocked to see him.

Both of them were middle-aged. One man was stout and short, the other was tall and thin with a sly expression on his face. It struck him as strange that they had no formations on their foreheads. But then it only highlighted his guess that he was just a slave, and they were his superiors.

{Damn it… If this is the case, I am in an unenviable situation. These two would gladly get rid of me… Hell, I have no strength even to raise my hand… Am I done? I have no choice… I have to try.}

The boy was on the brink of death. A slave was nobody here. He carefully studied the expression on the supervisor's faces before taking his next step.

Is it possible to change your destiny?

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Chapter 2

The fat supervisor came closer and spoke with a hint of pity and care in his voice. The other man, on the contrary, stood aloof on the side. Kyon couldn't get the meaning of the words, but he got the message.

{The fat guy is my lifeline. But why does he care about me?} – Kyon put two and two together, figured out what he was facing and pretended to faint. As expected, the fat man held out his hand and did not let him fall. Kyon was right. The fat one was his only hope for salvation.

The two men talked a bit more in their gibberish (which sounded like bickering), and then the fat supervisor carried the "unconscious body" in an unknown direction. The short way was lined with monotonous rows of light poles. There was not a living soul around. When they reached their destination, the fat man went upstairs, opened the door, and carried Kyon in there.

The décor in the room was lame: a dozen stone beds covered with a soft cloth and a couple of low tables. In the corner, there was a separate mini-room, obviously a toilet, and one more door. Judging by the smell, it was a storing place for medicine.

Bob carefully pulled off the boy's working clothes and laid him on one of the beds. Then he went to get him a glass of water.

Seizing the moment, Kyon rushed to explore the room and found to his dismay that both doors were locked.

{Just like in jail… A jail?} – The boy ruffled his hair irritably. It was odd not to remember anything from his past, who he was, how he got there. He didn't speak their language. He didn't have the slightest idea of what was going on.

His savior returned a few minutes later. He put a glass of water on the table, took a last pitiful glance at the boy and left.

Kyon eagerly pounced on the water and drained the glass to the bottom. Then he fell fast asleep.

When he opened his eyes, there was vast gray space before him with a bright azure ball in the distance. It radiated a feeling of pleasant coolness and tranquility. The ball evoked a strange desire to approach, touch, and enter it. It was like a pond of clear water in the hot desert.

The ball looked like a small lump, but the closer Kyon approached it, the bigger it grew, turning into a huge glowing sun…

flash*

The key noisily turned in the lock, pulling Kyon out of his dream.

It was morning.

A woman in the uniform entered the hospital. She must be a doctor. The woman was alarmed to find one of the beds occupied. Usually, they didn't bring patients at night.

She was even more surprised to see Kyon, who looked about 14 years old. As a rule, no one under 16 was admitted to work in the mine.

The doctor examined him: she touched his forehead, felt his stomach, ribs, and other parts, and then she left Kyon alone again, not forgetting to lock the door.

During all her manipulations, Kyon made believe he was an unconscious carcass. 𝓷𝒐𝗏𝔢𝓁𝔲𝑠𝒷.𝗰𝑂𝓜

{I'm in hospital where they kind of take care of me. It means I might be useful to them… I guess I have a good chance of survival. Or so it seems.}

His headache was gone. He was feeling pretty good, except for the maddening hunger. But when he remembered his dream, the shock came flooding back like a massive wave. Everything went dark, the room disappeared, the memories of the past flooded back into his mind. The migraine that seemed to have calmed down attacked him with a new force, drenching his body in icy sweat…

The torture seemed to last for eternity, but in fact, it was no longer than a quarter of an hour. When Kyon came round, his throat was dry again. His mind was total chaos.

{All these memories… Did I have a dream about my past? I remember now all the details of my life from my birth till I was four…}

Kyon tried to organize his memories in chronological order. He was getting better with each new day reproduced in his thoughts, the chaos in his head gradually dissipated.

He remembered that his only parent, his mother, had died in childbirth, just after giving him a name, Lovr. He also recalled his days spent in the orphanage (he had a hard time there being a black sheep), and the episode with the dog in the park that changed everything. After that day a handsome man in black came and adopted him. And the last thing, the intelligence test after which his adoptive father dropped his jaw.

{My memories tell me I am a weirdo. The memory of my mother's face immediately after my birth says a lot.} – Kyon sighed gloomily. It's not every day that he found out he had no parents, at least until he was 4. The only thing that his mother gave him, beside his birth, was a name.

{I know this term, I have "an absolute memory." Based on the technology from my dream (flying cars, energy from the air, world quantum network and other wonders of science), I am either in another world or on an extremely backward and poor planet, but… Quasi slavery of this kind would hardly be conceivable even on a derelict wreck of a planet…} – Kyon chuckled pensively.

{No matter how many books I read in my early childhood, my knowledge is still insufficient. Even if the memories are coming back while I'm asleep, it will take a few days or even weeks to restore them. I have to learn the local language first, adapt to the circumstances, and in the meantime, find a way out of this situation.}

Soon the doctor returned to the hospital.

This time Kyon got a better look at her.

She looked pretty, in her 30s, dark hair, a white coat, about 170 cm (5.5 ft), a C-cup. The doctor was holding a tray with a bowl of gruel and a glass of water. Apparently, it was his "breakfast."

«Oh, you're finally awake.» – The woman smiled friendly and put the tray on the table. – «You must be hungry. Bob told me, they found you barely alive yesterday. I've examined you. There are no fractures or visible injuries.» – Kyon kept silent. Then she added, looking anxiously into his eyes: «You're not a talking type. If you need anything, clap your hands or something.» – With another smile, she went to her office that smelt of medicine to get ready for work.

{Their language is not similar to any dialect of my world. Where am I, then?} – Kyon scratched his head and pulled the bowl with gruel closer to himself: – {Yuk! That's disgusting! A mix of mashed potatoes and noodles.}

Kyon had no better choice, though. When he had all of it, he poured some water into the bowl and looked at his reflection. {Even though I was only four, I looked different, which means I have another body now… a different life… How curious!}

Someone knocked on the door.

«Come in.» – The doctor responded from her little room.

Mob, the tall thin man, came to the hospital, accompanying a half-conscious bald man with a formation on his forehead. The latter looked terrible. Either he had been injured in the rockslide, or he had been beaten.

«Martha, there's a newcomer for you. He must have had an encounter with his mates. Take a look at him.» – When Mob addressed the woman, his lips curved into a shy smile.

Martha came closer, grumbling: «It's the third this week. You're not keeping anything from me, are you?» – She stared deep into Mob's eyes until he had to look away.

«Well, we had a new delivery at the beginning of the week. These pests can't adapt! They could learn from cockroaches and their perfect ways to survive, haha!» – His ready-made reply wasn't as good as he was hoping it would be.

«Your wit needs groupies.» – Martha's voice was heavy with sarcasm.

«Free places are still available.» – Mob scratched his nose coyly.

«Hah! Dream on. Put him on the bed over there.» – She commanded.

The 30-year-old doctor had the charm of a mature woman, and women were rare it the mines where mostly men worked. She had always caught torrid glances. As for Mob, he laid his eyes on her long ago.

He had been trying to attract her attention and get closer to her, but she kept avoiding him and finding lame excuses. This week he was especially persistent. Martha had long noticed his efforts, but she was in no hurry to bestow her favor upon the supervisor.

{He has the hots for her.} – noticed Kyon.

When Mob put the bald guy on the bed, he spotted Kyon wrapped in the blanket. He took a threatening step in his direction, hissing angrily: «You snot-nosed brat! Bob is coming for you to make a report about your defective formation. You can get me in trouble with my boss. If God forbid, I get reprimanded, this hospital won't help you!»

Kyon understood the words and intonation, but he didn't get the point. He widened his eyes dramatically, pretending he was scared. Kyon was hoping that Martha, who was watching the scene, would stand up for him.

The trick worked. Martha immediately came between her patient and Mob, clearly pointing the latter to the door: «Go and yell at your place, I'm the boss here. Get out before I call the guards!»

«I'm sorry it won't happen again. The matter is, yesterday…» – Mob mumbled plaintively, but her expression grew cold and unyielding.

«Get out! I'm sick and tired of your fooling around. You are not coming back untill you learn to behave!»

Mob went out, throwing an angry glance at Kyon. As he closed the door, they heard a loud thump against the wall and, a second later, a cry of pain… Apparently, his daily trips to the desired woman with another beaten up victim were not going to work anymore.

Martha smiled encouragingly at her patient:

«Don't worry, Kyon. I won't let him hurt you. I need to talk to Bob. I'm sure, he'll protect you.» – Martha read the boy's name on the formation on his forehead.

A mature, sensible, attractive woman with a C-cup set of boobs, and an expression of universal kindness and care on her face… She could be an excellent ally.

He needed a bit of mournful sadness on his face, some painful wincing, and an ocean of gratitude in his eyes. What woman could resist the charm of this poor cutie?

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Chapter 3

Martha was touched to the core. She was about to hug Kyon, but she thought better of it.

A rush of unwilling memories came flooding back. She remembered her eleven-year-old son, who looked a bit like Kyon, her loving husband, their family home. And then her husband's debts destroyed their family. His financial struggle ended in bloody tragedy that Martha managed to escape, leaving her past behind… Her memories warmed her soul and stabbed her in the heart at the same time.

Some good luck smiled on her when her healing skills drew elder Stone's attention. He helped her find a job in the mines. Martha signed the contract, and now she was a doctor, doing one month off, one month on. She was working for a meager salary, but her situation left her no choice. She decided to be happy regardless of the circumstances.

Kyon kept silent, and Martha said with concern:

«Try and have some rest. I'll take good care of you.» – She went to the newly arrived patient to attend to his injuries and render assistance.

An hour had passed. Someone delicately knocked on the door. Then a chubby man entered the room.𝔫𝒪𝓋𝔢𝔩𝚞𝓈𝗯.𝑐𝐎𝑚

«Bob, is that you?» – asked Martha, looking up from her notes.

«Yeah… Hi. I've come to pick up the boy… It's time for his appointment.» – A huge obedient dog was standing beside Bob. It was about a meter tall, with thick black fur and a small horn that was barely glowing on his forehead.

Martha noticed the animal that was cheerfully wagging his tail, and hastily exclaimed:

«I won't let any dog in! The last time was enough! Hold it tight!»

But Rogash was already in, running in circles around the beds. Martha was just in time to close the medicine cabinet.

«Place!» – Bob ordered. Rogash stopped brawling and ran up to his master. He fell on his bottom, faithfully looking into Bob's eyes, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.

«Your dog should be fixed.» – Martha said bitterly, examining her possessions for any damage.

«Haha, why? You see, this dog is good as gold.» – Bob patted lovingly the dog's protruding ears. – «Buddy, stay outside for a few minutes. Go take a walk.»

Bob approached "sleeping" Kyon and asked Martha quietly:

«So, how is he? Any injuries, fractures?»

«There aren't any. He's just utterly exhausted.» – The doctor whispered back. – «I've given him something to eat. He'll be getting better and more or less stronger. How many days did you say he was gone?»

«Three days. We couldn't find him anywhere… The formation didn't respond to the call. No one saw him, even Rogash couldn't take his smell! It's beyond me! And I have to hand in my report soon… I don't know what to say to justify myself…» – Bob said sadly, his head down.

There was an awkward silence. When he realized that Martha was not going to encourage him, Bob coughed in embarrassment and decided to get a bit inventive:

«You know, Mob wanted to do it his way, but I turned down his idea flat.»

As expected, Martha immediately perked up and exclaimed indignantly:

«The heartless bastard! He must have offered something terrible?! But wait… Don't tell me, I don't want to know…» – Martha was simmering with rage. She closed her eyes to calm down.

«You got that right…» – began Bob, but Martha held up her hand: say no more, it said.

They were standing by Kyon's bed all the time. He was pretending to be asleep, but actually, he was listening to them.

«Bring him back after the checkup. He must get some rest to recover. It hurts me to see this exhausted child.» – Martha exclaimed anxiously and shook her head in compassion.

«I'd love to, but you know how cruel Flitz can be. I'm afraid he will force the kid to work right away.» – Bob grumbled, staring awkwardly at the floor.

«Bob, please, talk to him! I…I… I will write an explanatory note! Say, he's injured, exhausted, tense, bruised, and what's not… Maybe he will pay heed to my suggestions? Don't get me wrong, he needs a few days of rest…» – Martha's voice was full of aching pity for the puny boy as if he was an unhappy abandoned puppy or a kitten with a broken leg.

Martha knew she would be punished if she broke the rule and kept Kyon in hospital for more than a day. But she was going to take the risk whatever it might cost her.

Flitz was a high-ranking official in the mine. He had every right to prolong the treatment time as long as needed.

Martha looked imploringly at Bob, and he felt obliged to do everything possible. But would he succeed?

He sighed heavily:

«The note, of course, will give us a chance. But what if I…»

Martha placed her hand on Bob's soft shoulder, encouraging him:

«Please… You're a kind man. You've brought him here. You didn't listen to Mob. So, bring a good deed to an end. Do not stop halfway.»

Bob nodded helplessly and shook Kyon.

«Buddy, get up! We have to go somewhere.»

While Kyon was rubbing his eyes and putting on his humble set of clothes, Martha was in her office hastily writing the explanatory note, praying it would help.

«Good Luck, Bob.» – She said softly as he and Kyon left the stone hospital.

Today Bob had to write a mandatory weekly report on all the incidents in Sector 3. In addition to the dry figures on the amount of mined materials, he had to put down all the information that implied control. From conspiracies and the mood of masses to premeditated murder and setups… Everything had to be thoroughly checked up and controlled.

The structure of the mine suggested an artificial hierarchy of slaves. There was a leader of the 1st rank, his subordinates of the 2nd rank, and the ordinary slaves of the 3rd rank. All of them were left to their own devices. However, no one of a higher rank wanted anything bad to happen with "the lowest segment of the people."

Conspiring or trying to escape was a priori a dead-end road. It would be equal to mass suicide. However, riot incidents occasionally happened, anyway… It gave rise to the following basic law: «Any activity in the mine must be under control.»

The backpack with reports was sadly wiggling on Bob's back. He looked extremely depressed, and small wonder. It wasn't only about Martha who made him promise to help the boy. Bob had also promised Mob to take all the responsibility for Kyon upon himself.

On the way to Flitz, the black dog took a keen interest in Kyon. He ran up to him, wagging his tail and trying to bite his finger. Then he jumped back, resting on his front paws as if calling to play.

The dog's dance distracted Bob from his sad thoughts, even if only for a second.

«Rogash seems to like you, boy. It's quite surprising. He must have taken you for a skinny little child, heh?»

The language barrier left Kyon with no answer. When the playful dog brought his curious muzzle closer to his hand, he touched a point under his ear. The fluffy dog froze at once.

{Even if you have a horn, the weak points of all the canines are typical for you, too…} – When Kyon squatted to massage the area under the dog's ear, he rolled over on his back, his hind leg jerking.

«Wow! I've never seen him react like that!» – Bob was delighted.

The landscape diversity did not please the eye: a stone door with engraved inscriptions, walls, flashlights, another stone door with engraved inscriptions… From time to time, they met people with formations on their foreheads. They walked in groups of 9 people behind a warden who also had a formation but was wearing a slightly different uniform.

Nearly everyone looked shabby and exhausted, and it was only the beginning of the day. All of them were clothed in rags. Their unkempt beards and almost bald heads completed the image. Kyon's immediately noticed that they all were in their 20s or older.

{Why is there no one of my age?}

On the way, Bob started a one-sided conversation. The dog's gregarious disposition was contagious. Besides, a silent listener who nodded here and there would never hurt. It referred to Rogash, too:

«Just for the record, he is a very smart dog. He understands all kinds of commands. And he adores dog chocolate! Unfortunately, I can't give him his favorite treat every day. It is too expensive… Well, it's nothing extravagant, but I can't afford any extra costs… My wife and I send almost all our money to our daughter in school…»

About 15 minutes later, they had reached their destination.

There was only one door at the end of the corridor. On either side, two guards were towering like majestic statues in golden armor, with shiny swords in the scabbards and fighting aura emanating from them. They were clearly elite guards.

Bob ordered Rogash to stay outside and make no noise.

The supervisor showed the guard his wrist with a formation on it that indicated his rank and position, and they were allowed into the room.

Kyon didn't realize until now that the staff was also marked. Their formations weren't located on their foreheads like a star, but on their wrists, hidden by clothing.

Behind the door, there was a spacious room with beautiful décor. In the center, there was a carved desk made of dark wood with an armchair behind it. A rack with all sorts of strange tools divided the room into two parts. In the obscure corner of the room, there was a shabby looking chair and a table for inspecting the slaves

The smell of fresh pastry filled the air.

A well-dressed middle-aged man was sitting at the carved table. He was engrossed in reading. However, he looked up at once as soon as he noticed the visitors.

«Come in. Take a seat.» – The man stretched his lips in a broad smile, greeting Bob, who stood there frozen like a stone statue with his mouth open in surprise.

«Martin, how is it possible… And… And where's Flitz?»

«Won't you hug an old acquaintance of yours?» – The man smiled in reply to Bob's dismay.

«Long time no see… I… I thought you don't work here anymore!»

«You were right. I'm temporarily in charge. Flitz, the old fart, has left for family affairs. I'm his replacement for a month.» – His melancholy face brightened up: – «So, what's up? What have you been up to? Who's this boy looking out of your back? I'll make us some tea. Treat yourself to a bun. It's a new recipe, yummy.»

Bob couldn't help smiling at the sight of the pastry. He pulled up a chair and took a seat.

«I love buns… You know how to cheer me up, buddy. As for the boy… You know, a curious thing happened… He got lost… We couldn't find him for a few days…»

Martin nearly spilled tea from his cup and interrupted his friend:

«You could not find him? And what about the formation? Was it out of order?» – He looked at Kyon and said: «Come here, boy.»

Kyon understood his unmistakable gesture and approached obediently. Martin placed his hand on Kyon's forehead to see if there was any energy in his formation.

«Gods… Indeed!» – He exclaimed when he realized that his guess was correct.

Bob scratched his nose thoughtfully:

«The thing is… We found him yesterday, completely exhausted. He also suffered memory loss…» – The supervisor let some facts into a good story to protect his own ass. «By the way, Martha gave me a note to explain his trauma. Will you give him a few days off?»

Kyon could tell that Bob was nervous as if he was hiding something.

«No problem. And no… No note needed. I believe you. So, why is his formation out of order? There's absolutely no energy inside. Just a blow on the head couldn't do it. Unless a 200-pound boulder that could easily smear the boy's head in a thin layer was involved in this story. But I refuse to believe it, hahaha!» – Martin turned his gaze to Kyon: – «Perhaps, you can tell us what happened to you, boy?»

Kyon desperately racked his brain in search for an answer. After a short pause, he muttered something in the foreign language, hoping it would work: «No bones broken…»

The meaning and clarity of his words suggested that the boy had received a heavy blow with a stone on the top of his head. Bob smiled his gratitude. The boy couldn't think straight and decided to play along with him.

Martin stared at his old friend, dumbfounded.

Bob said with a bitter smile: – «I told you that he had lost memory…» – He pretended that he had just remembered something and added: – «I know one more reason why his formation is out of order! I'm almost certainly sure of it!»

«Oh, really? And what is it?» – Martin raised his eyebrows.

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Chapter 4

Bob told Martin that he was stupefied when he first met the boy. What was the brat doing in the mine? What was so special about him that they had put him in there bypassing the age limit? Bob was so curious that he started an investigation of his own. He couldn't find anything out, though. He was tipped off that he shouldn't stick his fat nose where it didn't belong. And yet, Bob managed to sniff out one interesting detail. The boy had been brought to the mine alone. Why would the skinny little boy enjoy the privilege to be exclusively delivered? Besides, Flitz was not ready for the deliveries that day. It was his day off, after all. He must have been drunk and put on the wrong formation… «At the age like his, skeletons must take him for one of them.» – Bob tried to come up with a joke.

«Hmm, it sounds logical… Listen…» – Martin drawled like a conspirator: – «Why don't you apply for an investigator? The investigation department is in dire need of you and your skills.»

Bob smiled sheepishly, failing to detect a hint of sarcasm:

«I don't think investigating crimes is for me… I am a softie at heart. You see, I still need to grow a backbone.»

Martin laughed again and patted the chubby friend on the shoulder:

«I love it when you laugh at yourself!»

Fortunately, he lost his curiosity after Bob's explanation. The mysteriously disappeared and no less mysteriously found boy was none of his concern any more. Bob wasn't lying much, anyway. Kyon had really been delivered alone.

Bob took the papers out of his backpack in a matter-of-fact way.

«By the way, take the reports. You will see that no biggie happened last week…»

Martin threw the stack of documents on the shelf with no enthusiasm. He didn't even take a look at them:

«I'll take care of it later.» – He beckoned Kyon to approach him: «Come here, boy. I'll change your formation. »

Kyon came up to him. Martin rummaged through the high shelf under the ceiling and pulled out an unusual device that looked like brass-knuckles. He put the device on his hand and pressed it against Kyon's formation. The symbol on his forehead lit up and began to tingle as if tiny needles dug into his skin.

«All right, it will do for fifty more years.» – Martin cracked his fingers. Then he pointed to the bun and motioned Kyon to the door: – «Take a bun and take a seat outside.»

Kyon went out, letting the old friends talk in private.

Martin gave Kyon the impression of someone who knew what he was doing and who was not accustomed to back out from the intended path. He evoked respect. However, his friendship with Bob was rather superficial. They were no real friends, just tell-me-something-interesting buddies.

Kyon was standing at the door, leaning against the wall and fidgeting with the bun, deep in his thoughts.

{I need to learn the local language as soon as possible. Ideally, it would take a couple of books. I can't go on playing the fool forever.}

Rogash was obediently sitting outside. He tried to rush inside as soon as the door opened, but the two guards blocked his way.

Kyon commanded firmly:

«Place!»

Rogash froze.

Unfortunately, he did not know any other commands in the local language, and to train a dog anew… On second thought, why not?

Kyon went away from the vigilant guards and got the dog's attention with a fragrant bun. He made a circle with his finger:

«Spin!»

The dog obediently began to chase his own tail and received a piece of the bun and Kyon's reassuring smile for that.

The experiment was getting even more fun:

«Roll over! Stand! Fetch the compass! Drop the pickaxe!» – The dog received a sweet reward after each command. What a smart fur ball! {Is he a dog at all? No way… He has a horn, after all. He must be smarter than some mongrels on streets.}

«Anger! Growl! Attaboy! Good job!» – When Kyon was three years old, he read a book about animal weaknesses: where and how to stroke and pet them, the best ways to feed and train them. But this dog surpassed all his expectations.

Rogash tried to fish out more treat in every possible way. His master gave him only tasteless gruel… Once in a while, he pampered his pet with a special treat. Rogash loved dog chocolate so much he could move mountains for it.

The guards were pretty far away, but they chuckled appreciatively at the dog's tricks from time to time.

Kyon took a deep breath and resolutely ordered the moment the guards turned away:

«Attack!» – He pointed his finger to the guards and made an aggressive gesture to push the boundaries of the dog's obedience.

It took some time before one of the guards noticed the dog running in their direction. He told his companion in a constrained voice:

«They say a dog is man's best friend. I hope this huge one without a muzzle is running to have a nice chat…»

However, the dog was approaching like an attacking rhino. The guard was ready for the attack. He jumped away and kicked the animal in the side.

bam*

The dog flew off a couple of meters, whining loudly. Then he hobbled to Kyon, limping, his tail between the legs.𝚗𝒪𝓋𝑒𝓵𝔲𝓈𝒷.𝔠𝒐𝓶

«Son of a bitch! Did you see it?» – The outraged guard returned to his post.

«It was love at first sight. Haha!»

Kyon patted Rogash sympathetically on the head and examined him carefully. The blow was powerful, but the ribs seemed to be intact. He felt sorry for the fur ball that voluntarily put himself under a heavy boot to get a piece of bun. But he had honestly earned the rest of it.

«What's going on here?» – Bob showed up in the doorway.

On the way to the hospital, the supervisor could not stop talking. The storm over his head had cleared up at last, and his excellent mood added to his talkativeness:

«Martin is a good man, a real professional…»

Martin worked as formacist and applied formations.

Kyon carefully listened to the fat man, trying to figure out the unknown dialect and recording every phrase in his mind. When he had gained enough knowledge, he would rewind everything in his head.

Rogash walked next to Kyon, limping and gratefully taking occasional scratching behind the ear.

Kyon could figure out from the tone of the guards' voices that they lied to Bob, telling him that the dog had rushed inside, and they had to punish him. {They won't get away with it.}

Bob glanced at the wounded animal, visibly displeased, and muttered something under his breath. Regrettably, he was a peace-loving man and preferred to avoid quarrels. Moreover, the guards were of his rank. The only thing he could do was to grumble bitterly.

The "two men in the corridor (to say nothing of the dog)" approached the doctor's office. At that very moment, a big muscular guy squeezed through the door. He gave Kyon and Bob a dark look and left without saying a word. Kyon noticed a formation on his forehead.

{Are branded fellows allowed to roam wherever they please?} – wondered Kyon.

Bob squinted his eyes at the burly man.

«It's Byron… He's been coming to the hospital too often lately.» – Bob muttered under his breath and shook his head.

The fat supervisor wouldn't admit even to himself that the unpleasant feeling choking his chest was nothing but jealousy. He was a decent family man, after all. His beautiful Tamara was waiting for him to come home, cooking delicious dinner, ready to encourage him with a kind word.

They had both been working hard, saving most of their money for Niva, their daughter. Her tuition at the best school in the Kingdom was expensive, and their savings were not enough. Every second month was a long holiday, and Bob was obliged to find an additional part-time job. No rest for the wicked, he would rest in his sweet dreams…

When Bob entered the doctor's office, he asked suspiciously:

«Byron has been ill too often lately. Are you having a love affair here?»

Martha looked away and immediately changed the subject:

«Well, how did it go?»

«…You won't believe it. Martin is back!» – Bob noticed with annoyance Martha's little trick, but he decided to let it go.

«No way! And what happened to Flitz?» – Martha was pleased to hear the news. Martin had left only positive emotions, unlike Flitz, the pompous moron.

«He has left for family reasons! Martin gave the boy two days of rest, so he's at your disposal.»

Martha let out a squeal of glee and threw her arms around Bob's neck:

«Thank you! I am so happy it all worked out all right…whew…»

Kyon didn't pay any more attention to their chatter. He went to bed, tired. There was plenty of time until the evening.

Soon there were only few people left in the hospital. The new bald patient was sleeping. Martha was rustling papers in her office.

When it was time for changing bandages, Kyon said in a broken foreign language, looking bored:

«To read something…»

Martha was surprised to hear his voice finally!

«Hold on. I have a little something for you.» – She left and rummaged enthusiastically through her office. Then she handed Kyon a small shabby book. – «Here you are. There is nothing else here to read. I will find something for you tomorrow.»

The book was called "Prodigy." The technology in this world was ancient. The text was typed on a typewriter.

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Chapter 5

Kyon began to study the book. He could memorize the pages with incredible speed. He just leafed through the book, and the text imprinted on his memory. From the outside, it looked like he was looking for pictures. He had underestimated his abilities. It took him only a couple of hours to devour the whole book.

{The local alphabet consists of 52 letters. The language is quite complicated. It has lots of terms, an abundance of polysemantic words that change their meaning depending on the context.}

Kyon had worked out the pronunciation of each symbol. He could easily render the written text into the spoken language.

{Now I know 80-90% of simple and 40-50% of difficult words. That's enough to have a small talk.}

Communication had always been important when learning a new language. However, all Kyon had to do was to close his eyes and imagine a conversation with himself. Hello, to schizos!

He had found out that the symbols on his formation meant "Kyon." The good-natured fat supervisor was Bob, which by a curious coincidence, also meant a hearty breakfast, or breakfast on a bun. And Bob's companion's name was in line with the idea of an aggressive crowd.

The book "Prodigy" told a story of the man who had found an abnormal child in one of the remote villages. The kid was stuck in the emotional and spiritual development of a three-year-old. He couldn't do evil. The child wasn't burdened with human vices and weaknesses. He had never known hunger, cold, pain… He had an innate need to give.

The man spent a lot of time studying the unique nature of the boy. Before he knew it, he was fond of the kid as if he was his own son. He taught the child how the world worked, explained human nature, morality, the principles of life and survival. The child was smart, but his heart refused to change, no matter how hard his adopted father tried to improve him.

Then the man decided to take drastic measures to change the nature of the child. He went to find the legendary Heart of Desire to transform the boy from the inside. Kyon also read in the story that the adopted father had a unique body that made him stronger than anyone else.

It was the end of the first out of three parts of this amazing story.

Kyon did not appreciate the plot. It was too unrealistic like a fairy tale for kids. But it also revealed the curious traditions of this world.

It was repeatedly mentioned that power ruled the world, the tangible, physical force. The weak stayed at the bottom while the strong soared to the top. Kyon thought at first that "power" meant intelligence, stamina, integrity, stratagem, but it turned out nothing of the kind. Power meant force in all senses of the term.

Kyon decided it was a mere fantasy, a figment of someone's sick imagination, but the world in the book was too carefully designed. The power didn't mean only combat skills and physical strength. It also implied spiritual development.

Kyon didn't believe the soul existed at all, but the "fictional" system of development described in the book struck him as unusual. He learned that there were several phases of soul evolution. Each of them consisted of 10 different stages. The power of personal elemental energy depended on the stage of development. It could be transformed into a specific attack, for example, a jet of flame, lightning, stone boulders that fly over long distances.

{It's all too strange.}

A knock at the door interrupted Kyon's thoughts.

A tall warden with the formation of a 2nd ranked slave barged through the door. He was carrying an unconscious body on his shoulders.

«What happened?» – Martha exclaimed anxiously.

«A rockslide…» – The visitor muttered hesitantly.

«Did you say a rockslide?» – The doctor asked with a suspicious squint.

«Uhm… Yes.»

Martha put her hands on her hips, snorting her disapproval:

«Tell me who beat him up.»

«I can't, or it will be the end of me.» – The warden was obviously afraid of someone.

«Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Spit it out.»

The man said after a moment's hesitation:

«Mob went on the rampage again. I mean, don't get me wrong, he usually keeps it together. Please, don't sell me out. He knows I saw everything…»

«I get it. Poor thing. Put him over there.» – She pointed to an empty bed – «You may go now.»

Martha shook her head, making sure that the injured man was comfortable. Then she brought in a device that looked like a magnifying glass and infused it with a tiny bit of energy to scan the body. She found out a couple of hematomas, a few cracks in the bones, a broken rib, not to mention the numerous bruises and grazes… {Mob is a cruel, inhuman cretin!} – Martha sighed sadly. She performed the necessary treatment procedures and went to her office, feeling depressed.𝚗𝒪𝓋𝑒𝓵𝔲𝓈𝒷.𝔠𝒐𝓶

{I get it that he likes me, but why on earth does he take it out on others?} – She mused with a vacant look at the pile of documents before her.

When a slave got injured, the responsible warden had to bring him to the hospital. Mob usually took it upon himself, and everyone knew his true motives. Martha felt a nasty pang of guilt for yelling so carelessly at this abuser. People were suffering because of her outburst.

Kyon silently observed the scene around him with one eye open. So, it was Mob who had punched the bald guy and the new patient.

It was about midday. However, Kyon couldn't determine the position of the sun in the stone box without windows. The bright glow from the lamp had increased by a third. Apparently, artificial lighting changed depending on the time of day.

Martha came in, looking over her shoulder as if she was bringing something illegal.

The bald man was still dozing. She quietly approached Kyon and put a tray before him:

«You're not supposed to have lunch, that's why I've brought you mine. Eat. But don't tell anyone.»

A heap of rice topped with a fragrant piece of meat looked pretty delicious. A glass of fruit drink and a couple of unusual fruits completed the "proper lunch."

«Thank you, but aren't you hungry?»

Martha smiled. He was so sweet. The boy didn't use to speak much, but today he indulged her with a complete sentence.

«I've already eaten. Don't worry about me.» – Unfortunately, right at this moment, her stomach treacherously rumbled. Martha blushed and rushed to her office, slamming the door and shouting from there: – «I'm on a diet!»

Of course, there was no "diet." Her maternal instinct kicked in and demanded taking care of the boy. Kyon smiled and examined the contents of the dish. He was starving.

{She is an amazing woman! I wonder why she is being so kind to me. I must remind her of someone. On the other hand, I am cute, aren't I?}

The scent of roast meat, a rare treat in this place, made the bald man open his eyes. The smell of food made his mouth water and his stomach rumble in protest to his skipping breakfast.

Kyon turned to the bald guy and read his name on the forehead:

«Borya, I'll share it with you, but don't tell anyone.» – With those words, he held out a small piece of meat and fruit.

Martha heard the voices, looked out and shook her head disapprovingly. She understood that Kyon had to share his meal to avoid problems in the future, but she regretted giving away her own lunch in vain. After all, she had brought it specially for him and not for the injured man.

Borya did not refuse the present and swallowed it in a single mouthful. When they were done with lunch, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve like a savage and asked:

«You are Kyon, aren't you? The Kyon who went missing three days ago?» – He didn't wait for an answer: – «Oh, shit, there's no mistake… You're the only little brat in the whole village! Where have you been?»

«Yes, it's me. Where have I been, where have I been… One minute I was there, and the next I was gone. I was much better off there, anyway, than in this dump hole. Unfortunately, I can't tell you the details. A rock hit me straight in the head. I have lost my memory and I woke up in hospital…»

«Ha-ha, I like your sense of humor! And yet, three days without food or water… You're tougher than you seem. You look like a stiff wind would blow you down. John, your warden, got it in the neck for losing control of his flock.»

«John, the warden?» – Kyon looked faintly surprised.

«You must have seriously hurt your head… Don't you remember anything?»

«Nope. Absolutely nothing. I have no idea what's outside the room. I can barely remember my name.» – His goal was to test the waters and get more information from the nuthead. Borya knew he owed the boy for the meal, so he started to bring his young friend up to date:

«John is your warden. He is responsible for the 28th group… yours, I mean.»

«Is he someone big here?»

«You don't remember even this? Alright, listen…» – Borya made himself comfortable in his bed, and the story began. Kyon learned that the mountain range belonged to the Stone family. He was in one of the three spiritual stone mines. There used to be some ancient catacombs where they carried out further work, so to speak. A few thousands of slaves worked in each shaft, divided into 16 individual sectors with three hundred workers in each. Kyon worked in the third sector, along with Bob, Mob, and Martha. Martin and Flitz, the authorities, were in charge of the whole mine.

The formations on the slaves' foreheads ensured convenient and effective control. They didn't only track the location and health condition, they also showed the status of the marked person. The 3rd rank was the most common and the lowest. The wardens responsible for a group of 9 people had the 2nd rank. Byron, the leader, aka the only chief of the sect, had the 1st rank.

The working day lasted 15 hours. A mobile market stall arrived on the only day off, at the end of the week. It stopped for a couple of hours at each sector, delivering letters, selling groceries, offering endurance potions, medicine, tea, beer, providing a service of local currency exchange and transferring money to relatives… And they could sell freedom there.

Kyon had already figured out that the local slaves were, in fact, low status workers with more or less freedom. They earned and spent money and were entitled to a day off.

They got paid once a week. However, they received only bag lunch and water for standard labor performance. Over-fulfillment provided them with the mine currency. It was nothing but a piece of paper for the outside world. Here in the mine, it was a valuable resource that motivated everyone to work their asses off.

Borya told him about the dubious benefits of the 2nd rank workers (a separate bedroom from the rest of the slaves), and the prerogatives of the 1st rank. They didn't only have a private living area but also could order a woman. The last point evoked morbid jealousy in the bald guy.

The first mine consisted mainly of the peasants who had voluntarily signed the contract and sent money to their families every year.

The second mine was for ordinary criminals who did their time and benefited society.

The third mine was meant for seasoned criminals, hostile races, captives, prisoners.

{Martin and Bob said that I was brought here separately from the rest of the slaves. I wonder what I have done. What if someone set me up?}

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Chapter 6

After Borya finished his long story, Kyon nodded:

«Thank you for the helpful information.»

«Oh, never mind. One good turn deserves another.» – Borya made a witty remark: – «Anyway, it's as dull as ditchwater here.» – He yawned widely.

«Could you tell me anything about the phases of development?» – Kyon had a general idea from the book, but the information was insufficient.

«Sorry, buddy. I'm not really an expert in this matter. You'd better ask Byron. I heard his brother is kind of an earth bender, but they don't get along too well.»

{So it wasn't a fantasy novel! Wow… Magic?} – Kyon took a deep breath.

«I see. By the way, how did you get here?»

Borya was a peasant from the 15th group. He was a contractor and provided for his family. No prizes for guessing how poor they were.

Time was dragging minute after minute, growing into hours. Martha attended to the patients. The bald guy kept ogling her with a lecherous grin. He hadn't seen a beautiful woman for quite a while.

The night had come. Lighting crystals flashed all together and grew dim, giving off a faint dull light.

Martha did the last examination for the day, wished Kyon goodnight and left.

The boy mused, staring at the barely visible ceiling.

{First of all, I need to buy some information at the weekly market stall. It must be here soon. Where do I come from? How did I get here? What is the price of freedom? The more you know, the more you can control.}

His eyelids drooped. He saw an immense gray space in front of him, but the only thing that drew his attention was a bright azure ball. It was beckoning. It grew bigger and bigger until he got inside, and it swallowed him up.

dream*

The door creaked open, Martha entered the hospital, dragging a sack. She threw it into her office, locked the door and left again.

It was early morning. Kyon was lying in his bed, blinking sleepily at the lamp that was getting brighter and brighter.

{Damn it! I woke up at this ungodly hour because of a creak…}

However, there was no reason to get peeved. He had other things on his mind. According to his recent experience, the memories of his previous life would flow into his head in a rapid stream as soon as he started to think of his dream. It wasn't a pleasant feeling… But there was no point in waiting for the others to wake up, either.

Kyon focused, and his memories whirled in his brain like a wild hurricane. He broke out in an icy sweat, his hands shaking. The world outside blurred, merging into a pale smudge. Kyon didn't waste a minute. He started sorting out the information available to him, day after day, since the age of 4 until he was 8 years and a half. This time the process went more natural and productive than before. It took only 10 minutes at all.

{Amazing! It's just incredible!} – Kyon was thrilled. His eyes sparkled with excitement or maybe tears suddenly rising behind his lids. He had finally remembered enough of his past to understand himself. – {This world is just what I need! It's like I've been given a real task I longed for so long! I used to live in a meritocratic society, but in this world, the strongest hold the reins of power. I will play an away game by their rules, and I will definitely reach the top! Fascinating… Interesting… Cool!}

When he passed the test, his adopted father sent him to the best school in their civilization, where he stayed until he was eight and a half.

This school was on a remote planet, it took only a couple of minutes to get there. His dad only had to activate the tunnel in the basement. One step, and there they are. The technology was awesome there!

School, or those representing it, recruited students with extra abilities all over the universe. The selection criterion was a predisposition to control the information field, aka the energy of the azure color. It was an innate, unique gift. Less than 1% of all people were lucky to have it. No technology could reproduce this type of energy. It was light as air, fluid like water, and submissive to its owner like a docile pet.

The scientists had long proved that the world, its interactions and its laws were based on the information exchange. This type of energy enabled its owners to connect with the universe and change it. In other words, they could code reality at the level of its source.

This energy was called "Synergy", short for "sea blue energy."

Synergy improved human susceptibility to any information by a wide margin, increased reaction, body control, boosted any mental activity. It made the speed of thinking equal to the most powerful quantum computers. It had numerous uses, not necessarily associated with intellectual ability. It was the core, the very essence of the universe.

Like anything else, Synergy could be cultivated.

If you want to get stronger, you should lift weights. If you are into athletics, then exhausting training sessions is what you need. The brain could be trained through constant reading, memory boosting and thinking. This rule is absolute, and Synergy development is no exception.

Scientists had identified six degrees of Synergy development and a legendary one. It had never been found in real life, but theoretically might exist. The owner of the legendary degree was a god with unlimited talents, to the extent of changing the laws of physics.

1) Newbie. 2) Student. 3) Bachelor. 4) Master. 5) Doctor of Philosophy. 6) Doctor of Science. 7) The legendary supreme mandate. It's the classification of Synergy development, generally accepted and approved.

The transition to a new degree is marked by a pop, a feeling like an elastic band bursts. The mental energy boosts, Synergy quality improves, new boons get available, new dimensions open up.

It takes years of practice to pass to the next degree. It takes more effort with each next degree, especially at an older age.

There are various tests, tasks, quests, combinatorial calculus, training sessions… The tasks get harder and harder with each next degree.

Only 1% of people have Synergy. Only 1 in 10 million can get a Master's degree. One in 10 billion can reach the Doctor of Philosophy. A single individual in all history of humankind had managed to become a Doctor of Sciences, and even though all humanity pinned high hopes on him, he disappeared in the endless expeditions in search of Truth.

The owners of the highest degrees of Synergy rule the world and lead it in the right direction, but even if they can prolong life endlessly, it gets more challenging to achieve the next degree. This phenomenon is an incomprehensible mystery. Apparently, eternal life is still beyond the control of the living generations.

Lovr, aka Kyon, had no problem getting into the school. His test results shocked everyone. The little boy happened to have reached the peak level of the second degree! He had reached the Student's degree at the age of 4. It was like seeing a Phoenix in the sky. After some discussion, the school masters came to the general opinion: the boy needed one-to-one instruction because his potential was endless.

At the age of 8 years and a half, he was at the beginning of the third degree, and his excessive development continued almost to the Master's degree. It was an unprecedented result to become a Master at such an early age….

School taught him to get rid of shackles like shame, uncertainty, complexes, bad habits, all kinds of beliefs, and prejudices.𝗇𝑂𝒱𝔢𝓵𝓊𝓢𝚋.𝓬𝑂𝓂

The masters also did their best to prepare the boy for the supreme mandate. In fact, their task was to bring up the future god. He had to be a well-mannered god! They stubbornly instilled in him the best human qualities to tell the good from the bad, understand human nature and the essence of progress, see things that were beyond an average person.

It didn't mean they intended to create a cold-blooded rational machine, far from it. The masters strived to reveal the essence of things, develop his ambitions, as well as a desire to succeed and move forward. They did an excellent job in the end.

Lovr was an emotional, passionate young man who tended to act impulsively, do unreasonable things just to please his ego. Apparently, the universe fancied his type and gave him the highest talent potential for Synergy development. Thus, Lovr had combined two incompatible things: his heart was hot and his mind, ruled by Synergy, was cold. Simply put, he had a supercomputer in his head that didn't affect the owner's character. Sometimes, he was impulsive and reckless. Other times, he turned into a dispassionate rationalist, especially when the goal was clear. His masters couldn't be more pleased with his success. However, there soon arose a significant problem. At such a fast rate of development, the boy could soon overgrow his tutors. The future of the hypothetical "god" was vague without any worthy rivals and the right conditions.

{I wonder what degree I had at the end of my life…} – Kyon desperately wanted to know everything. Unfortunately, at the moment, his memories were limited by the age of 8.

{Something is wrong. There's something I'm missing…}

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Chapter 7

{Something is wrong. There's something I'm missing… Why is my mental status not at the peak of the Bachelor's degree? I can tell my Synergy has just reached Newbie's degree, it isn't at the advanced or the intermediate level but only at the beginning.} – Kyon sighed. There were only two possible explanations: either his current body, or rather his brain, wasn't developed enough to hold this array of Synergy, or this world restricted his abilities.

In this body, Kyon happened to have Synergy of Newbie's degree. It was the first degree, the very start in his world. He was too underdeveloped to go beyond his limits, but Kyon was glad it wasn't worse.

With Synergy of the first degree, he could control lots of aspects of body activity. He could test his hormone balance, manage his metabolism, regulate his growth, and much more. He was even able to stop his own heartbeat.

However, if he had a fit of anger or something amazed him to a greater extent, he wouldn't be able to block the strong emotions at once. It would take at least 10 seconds. The destruction of hormones wasn't a fast process, and the boy was too emotional by his nature.

In fact, Synergy had a small reserve of physical power. It couldn't influence the matter directly. That's why it couldn't be used in a "straightforward manner." It would never grow bones, nails or hair out of nothing. It just provided instructions to the body where to send the necessary enzymes. Then it acted as a "foreman," giving orders, redirecting everything to the right place. Above all, it was the energy of information.

There were cases when those who had Synergy turned into drug addicts, continually feeding the brain with various neurotransmitters like hormones of happiness, pleasure, relaxation, etc. The natural selection didn't spare these exceptional individuals. Kyon managed to pass this phase because his masters helped him develop indestructible principles. No undeserved pleasure. If pain or emotional depression was justified and did not affect the effectiveness, it could not be suppressed. Another thing, a silly incident like hitting a pinkie toe on the nightstand. It was ok to reduce pain then. What was the purpose of it, anyway? Could it teach to steer clear of the nightstands?

With each new degree, Synergy's quality changed. It was like a change in the states of aggregation, after which t appeared a whole range of new possibilities.

Kyon closed his eyes and tried to grasp all Synergy he had under his control.

{It's odd. In my world, Synergy was focused inside the brain, and now it is concentrated in a rotating sphere in the core of the brain. The bodies in this world must be wired differently.}

Kyon released his sea blue energy and sent it through the veins and arteries to scan the state of his body. Surprisingly, he found 9 more spheres in the inactive state: {The sphere in my head is like a whirlpool. The rest of them have a feeling of a light breeze. How should I activate them? According to the book, local people distinguish only nine elements. I happen to have one extra element. Besides, it is the only active one at the moment. How should I call it? Hmm, let it be the element of mind.}

The spheres were located in the centers of the organs, one of them was in the navel.

The scanning of his body revealed damaged cells, several bad lumps, microtraumas, bacterial infections, synaptic dysfunctions, and so on. It would take more than 30 minutes to cure.

{I have such a weak body with lots of internal mistakes and all sorts of infection… If it wasn't me, this body wouldn't last more than two months. I have to clean it first. It will reduce my energy consumption by about one third and strengthen my immune system. I suppose I'll cope in three days.}

Kyon had already made plans on how to use Synergy in the near future. Unfortunately, Synergy of the first degree was rather weak and had limited reserve that had to be restored for two hours. So, Kyon had to put off activating the nine inactive spheres until better days. He started total body cleaning from all the junk instead.

Sea blue energy gently embraced the target, flowing inside it. If it came across a virus or a useless germ, it quickly destroyed the intruder, disintegrating it into elements. If Synergy found pathologic accumulations, it delicately cut them off. They got into bloodstream and then excreted from the body in the urine and feces.

When the cleaning process was complete, his body would consume 1/3 less energy. It would also boost his immune system, as well as general body resistance.

Kyon didn't need to concentrate on the task all the time. He had given the order, and Synergy ran like the antivirus software in the computer – automatically.

…

The cook opened the door with her key and brought in three portions of breakfast, waking up the other patients. Yesterday's patient looked much better today. He resembled a mummy in all his bandages, though.

Martha came in after breakfast with a mysterious smile on her face. She was hiding the same bag behind her back:

«Good morning! You look much better than yesterday. How are you feeling?» – The doctor rattled cheerfully, addressing only Kyon.

The other two patients looked at each other.

«I feel great because a beautiful woman is taking care of me!»

His confidence and well-delivered speech caught Martha off guard. He had a charming voice! This boy could take the stage in the capital instead of rotting in the mine.

Martha blushed, pleased at the unexpected compliment:

«You flatter me… By the way, I promised to bring more books, remember? I have them… and something else.»

She sat on his bed and emptied the contents of her bag. There were all sorts of things: card games, a jigsaw puzzle, modeling clay, crayons and paper, a wooden construction kit, a couple of easy books…

Martha kept her eyes on Kyon, waiting impatiently for his reaction.

{They are toys for preschool age. Does she really take me for a child? She meant well, anyway… She brought all this rubbish with good intent… It must have been difficult to get all this stuff. I will pay her back in full one day.}

Feigning surprise, Kyon sat closer to Martha with a radiant smile, and whispered in her ear:

«Did you buy all this in the morning?»

Martha was taken aback and whispered:

«How did you know?!»

He didn't have to be a rocket scientist to realize the toys were new. There was no trace of dust or damage, no hint that someone might have been using them.

«It's my little secret. Alright then, I will return the favor and also make a gift for you. But you have to come back in two hours and say the secret phrase to Borya. You must tell him: "I like Kyon." Only then you can get my gift.» – Kyon whispered back.

Martha looked at Kyon incredulously. Was he really the boy who, no later than yesterday, looked at Mob with fear? He was a totally different person now.

«What are you up to, little rascal? What makes you think I would say something like that?» – Martha did her best to look genuinely angry, but the blush of embarrassment on her cheeks betrayed her.

Kyon chuckled:

«You will love my gift, Martha! Believe me!» – It went unnoticed for her that he had called her by name. His ringing laughter with no hint of pretence made Martha smile, too. What gift was he going to give her?

Time to lift the veil of secrecy hadn't come yet. However, Kyon wanted to boost her curiosity even more. He picked up a book and never looked at Martha again. She lingered by his bed a bit. Then she sighed: «Oh… I didn't think you are like this» and went to her office.

Kyon was pleased with himself. It was a good game.

All this time, the two miners kept exchanging meaningful glances. It was their biggest jaw-dropping moment, and they had a hard time keeping a straight face. Well, well, the kid was nobody's fool! At one point, Borya felt a sharp pang of jealousy, but he quickly came to his senses. He would never take the boy for a possible rival. Later on, he asked Kyon to give him the jigsaw puzzle. It was getting a bit too boring to lie around all day. Mike joined him in his simple diversion.

It was one hell of a scene, two ugly thugs (one of whom was all bandaged up) sweating over undone puzzle pieces.

Kyon had just finished reading when he suddenly heard a sound transmitter buzzing in Martha's office.

He thought it was a phone, but the electricity had not been invented in this world.𝒩𝑶𝓋𝔢𝗅𝑢𝓈𝑩.𝓬𝑶𝓂

«Martha speaking.»

«Bob here. Is Kyon all right? I've just received a report from the headquarters that his recently applied tracking formation is out of order!»

«What?! There must be some mistake… The formation was applied only yesterday… How is it even possible?»

«That's just the point. I have no idea!» – Martha could hear the dog bark in the distance. – «I'll be there soon. Just wait, Martin will get it all sorted out.»

«OK.»

Martha came to Kyon, who had put aside the books, and touched his forehead anxiously. {There's no energy inside the formation, indeed… What happened?} – Shaking her head, she returned to her office, puzzled.

Kyon could hear her conversation on the sound transmitter. With Synergy, his hearing was better than usual.

{Does the flash that I see before falling asleep "demagnetize" the formation on my forehead? It's too bad! The energy in this world is too unpredictable. I can do nothing about it!}

According to Bob, Martin was a master of his craft. And Martin said himself that energy in the formation should be enough for 50 years. Now that it was completely dead, it was equivalent to a high-quality lamp burnout on day one.

In his previous life, Kyon's master had a similar zeal for his work. If there was a detail to clear up, he wouldn't set his mind at rest until he had found the root cause. And he couldn't care less about the possible consequences of his "curiosity."

If Kyon left things to chance, the "remarkable" slave with no special rights, protection, or family would soon get his skull crushed. He could also be sold at the black market, where cruel people would quickly decide his fate. Above all, Kyon didn't like the absence of choice and dark, cloudy prospects. His current situation made him shudder and wince painfully. At times like this, he always got it together and started using his brain, looking for the solution that would save him from the impending storm.

{If Martin doesn't find anything unusual in my surroundings, he'll probably decide that the reason is me. He might decide I have some special innate body, like the man from the book. And if he goes digging into my brain, he'll probably find the tenth element. Even if I survive, what's next? Knowing Martin's character, he will try to cash in on me, in other words, sell me at the black market. They will use me as a guinea-pig! No… No. No. I am not cool with this idea. I must do something. I wonder if he will share this information with Bob… A lot might depend on this.}

Kyon put on his thinking cap, trying to come up with the most effective action plan.

Shortly afterwards, he took some modeling clay and a block from the wooden construction kit. It looked more or less solid. He furtively slipped them into his pocket and began to draw something with a pencil on a piece of paper. The two miners tried to look over his shoulder, wondering what he was drawing so enthusiastically, but Kyon noticed them and immediately folded the paper, hiding the picture. Then he handed it to Borya:

«Borya, give this piece of paper to Martha when she says she likes me. Wait until she says it. And don't look inside, will you?» – Kyon asked casually.

«I must be hearing things. Is Martha going to tell me something?» – Borya theatrically cleaned his ear with his little finger.

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Chapter 8

«Martha will say that she likes me.» – Kyon repeated slowly as if talking to a slow-witted child.

«Ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha! Are you serious? Do you really think she will ever say something of a kind?! Ha ha ha!» – Borya laughed his ass off. He was laughing so hard that his eyes welled up with tears: – «Holy crap! You're way too naive!»

The second patient got the joke and began grunting with laughter, but the next moment, he coughed and cringed with pain.

Borya stopped laughing at once and turned to his friend, anxious :

«Are you okay?»

«I am fine, forget it.» – Mike coughed again. Slowly, trying not to make any unnecessary movements and wincing with every breath, he lay on his bed.

«I propose a friendly wager. If she doesn't tell you that she likes me, I'll be giving you half of my lunch during a month.» – Kyon said. However, he didn't mention the prize in case he won.

Bob exclaimed joyfully:

«I agree! Wait, what if I lose?» – He didn't really think it would ever come to this. The mere idea that a charming mature woman with no formation would show her affection to a snot-nosed brat gave him a good laugh. It would be a cold day in hell if it happened. However, in compliance with all the rules (and just for fun), he decided to ask what the boy hoped to get in this hopeless bet.

«You'll owe me 3,000 rupees.»

Three thousand rupees a month, that's how much a healthy man could earn working hard in the mine, including a bonus for plan over-fulfillment.

«You won't survive even a week without half of your lunch! Are you sure? Make it last for three months… Just a little bit every day.» – Borya had never been generous, but he felt pity for the 14-year-old boy, who was doomed to toil in the mines.

«All right, it's a deal, then. Thank you for worrying about me. I'm touched. Let's shake on it!» – Kyon and Borya shook their hands to seal the deal.

Martha could hear laughter and bits of the conversation from her office, but she didn't know what was going on. Her hearing was not as keen as Kyon's.

The first phase had been activated.

Kyon continued scribbling with a pencil on paper.

Fifteen minutes later, his drawing was finished. Kyon made a paper accordion, folded it carefully, and gave it to Borya, who was eager to take a look but couldn't: a bet is a bet, after all.

Soon the door opened, and there stood Bob accompanied by Rogash, who was happily wagging his tail.

«Don't let the dog in!» – Martha cried out hastily.

Bob blocked the way with his leg when the dog was about to rush inside and said sternly:

«Wait here.» – Then he turned to Martha: – «It's time. I have an order to bring him for an urgent check-up.»

«I see. Kyon, you must go.» – Martha sighed, watching her "dear patient" go away.

When the door closed behind Bob and Kyon, Martha rushed to Borya:

«Did Kyon leave you anything?»

Borya tensed up. He couldn't give the charming doctor the note until she said the secret words. «…Hmm …» – He didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell her directly what Kyon wanted from her or he would lose the bet and then farewell to 3000 rupees. But he couldn't lie either, because the witness and indirect participant of their bet was sitting next to him.

«I can see it in your faces that he has left something. Give it to me!»

«The point is… I can't give it away just like this.» – Doubts had already begun to creep into Borya's bald head. Maybe he shouldn't have taken a bet in the first place?

Martha sighed. He wasn't going to give her anything. She took a deep breath, summoned her courage, and blurted out in one breath:

«I like Kyon.»

Her curiosity had won after all. She was dying to know what the adoring boy had made for her. As for her forced "confession"… Even if Borya got the word out, no one would believe him anyway.

{Shit!} – Borya cursed inwardly. He could see 3000 rupees floating away in an unknown direction real as day.

With a face like a wet weekend, he held out the folded piece of paper:

«Yeah, that's right. Here you are.»

Women! The devil will understand what's going on in their pretty heads!

Martha hurried to her room, carefully unfolded the note and gasped: there she stood out in all her beauty together with Kyon. She passionately pressed her lips to his neck, his eyes reflected a spark of excitement and satisfaction of what was happening… It was very intense and intimate. Hell of an "innocent child"! But how accurately the feelings were conveyed, with such deep understanding and incredible drawing style! She had never seen anything like that.

Martha's face was a kaleidoscope of emotions: shock, embarrassment, indignation, delight, and indignation again…𝗇𝚘𝔳𝑬𝗅𝓊𝚜𝓫.𝑐𝒐𝗆

She felt an impulse to throw the cheeky drawing away. However, she carefully fold it and hid in her pocket.

{Kyon… Who does he think he is? He's gifted, no doubt about that… and… I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it.} – All these emotions were giving Martha a splitting headache.

Kyon's image in her mind went through a gradual transition from "a little boy looking just like my son" to "a very charming young man."

Kyon was counting on that. More than that, he knew he was in for a private conversation with Martha. No way around it.

Muffled cries brought Martha back to reality.

«Let us have a look.» – Mike was dying to see what Kyon had scribbled, unlike Borya, who was in limbo after his loss. Also, the realization that he knew nothing about women struck him too hard.

«No way!» – Martha yelled back, pleased with herself for locking the door to her office. It was so prudent of her. She was deeply grateful to Kyon for not showing his piece of art to the two miners.

Of course, she was going to keep his gift.

…

The scent of baking was thick in the air, just like the last time.

Martin was sitting majestically in his chair, drumming his fingers on the table, deep in his thoughts. A smile lit up his face when he saw the visitors:

«Bob, buddy! Hello!»

The supervisor shook his hand:

«Hi. I got the order to bring Kyon in.»

«I know. I gave it.»

«It was you? But how did you know that his formation stopped working? Our report is due in a week or so…»

«You see, the situation with this boy struck me as strange at once. I decided to get things under control, so to speak, and take care of everything myself. And voila, this morning, it failed to respond! It must have broken down at night. Now I have to sort this shit out!»

«You do? And what are you going to do about it?»

«Probably, nothing at all. After all, he's just a boy, and none of this is his fault.» – Martin turned to Kyon, squinted suspiciously and asked him pointedly: – «Am I right?»

Oh, those eyes… As if a two-headed chicken was standing in front of him. It was the look Kyon was so afraid of. In response, he just nodded in silence.

Making excuses was pointless. The only thing that could save him was the lion's share of luck and a clear mind. He had to get through this, no matter what.

«I don't know a thing about applying formations. Tell me, what could have caused the breakdown?» – inquired Bob.

«It's a good question…» – Martin muttered thoughtfully, rather to himself than to Bob. He beckoned the boy with his finger: – «Come here, kid.»

Kyon had summoned all his Synergy back into the whirlpool to hide it from Martin. Then he approached his table, hoping for better luck. Martin put his hand on the formation, closed his eyes and focused.

«Just as I thought… It's not a simple breakdown. All the energy has been wiped clean away! Even if crushed with a boulder, the energy in the formation would have been dissipating for at least three days. But there is no trace of my charge!» – Martin concluded solemnly, nodding to his own thoughts.

«I start doubting that old Flitz had made a drunken mistake when he applied the last formation. There are no coincidences.»

«Is there any other option?» – This abnormal situation piqued Bob's interest.

«It could be possible if Kyon were it the advanced phase or above. Then it wouldn't be too hard to destroy a simple formation like this. Also, hypothetically, some do-gooders might have helped him. Someone who could possibly remove the formation. Except, why would they do it and leave the boy here? What's the point? To set him up? It is doubtful. The second option is highly unlikely. However, I will check his phase all the same.» – Martin shared his thoughts while Bob kept nodding. – «Also, there might exist a magic item, or maybe a source of high energy that had completely erased my spell.» – He turned back to Kyon: – «Tell me honestly, kid. Did you see anything interesting in the mine?»

Kyon man shook his head again.

«Did you come into contact with anyone, anything?» – The boss kept inquiring him.

«I had a chat with Borya, nobody else.» – Kyon was smart enough to leave the part about books and other stuff out.

Bob coughed, reminding them about his presence. «Is there anything I can do?»

«You're the only one I can trust, Bob. Be so kind and bring in all the patients and the boy's personal belongings here. Martha is only at the beginning of the base phase. She could hardly have done anything, but I'll talk to her anyway.» – By "personal belongings," Martin probably meant Kyon's pickaxe, compass, and helmet left in the hospital.

«Copy that. On my way!»

Bob scurried to follow orders, leaving the two of them alone.

{The hell you trust him.} – Kyon chuckled skeptically, considering his miserable future.

Martin took a device that looked like a phone and activated it.

«Martha speaking.»

«It's Martin.»

«How can I help you, sir?»

«Have you given Kyon anything in addition to his treatment?»

«Me? No, I mean, yes… Just usual, things for entertainment, nothing special.»

«No more excuses. I get it, Martha. You have broken the basic rule, which makes it clear that medical staff are not allowed to give patients things that have nothing to do with their treatment!» – His voice was stern. – «Bob will there soon. Give him all that stuff. And another thing, you get a warning for the breach of administrative rules.»

«I understand, sir. It won't happen again…» – Martha sounded a bit edgy as she hung up. She took a deep breath, nervously drumming her fingers on the table. The doctor had always been kind to Martin, they had never had any serious disagreement. She had never heard him sound so harsh. Today he reminded her who was the boss and who was the employee. She broke a rule, so what? Minor offences had always been overlooked.

«Take a seat.» – Martin pointed Kyon to the chair, where the formations were applied. He rummaged through a dusty box. – «Don't worry. I am just going to check if you have reached the base phase yet. Then I'll apply a new formation.»

Kyon nodded, trying not to give away his anxiety. And so, the moment of truth had come.

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Chapter 9

Martin drew out a lens that shimmered like a diamond and infused it with his energy. Then he ran it all over Kyon's body, lingering over the 9 points. Fortunately for Kyon, Martin had no idea about the 10th element. It didn't even occur to him to scan the boy's head.

«Hmm… That's interesting.» – Martin finished the check-up and sat on the edge of the table opposite Kyon's chair. He looked even more puzzled than before. – «You know, there's something wrong with your keys. They look damaged. There's absolutely no reaction, but I can't see any visible defects. I couldn't move my energy even a few millimeters! I've never seen anything like this. Any idea why it could have happened?»𝒩𝑶𝓋𝔢𝗅𝑢𝓈𝑩.𝓬𝑶𝓂

{The keys… That's how the spheres are called.} «I don't quite understand… Can you tell me more about the keys.» – Kyon decided to get the most of his awkward situation.

«It's a long story, but I will cut it short. The key (aka "whirlpool," "source," "spring") is something that connects your physical body with the spiritual one. It's a kind of attachment. All in all, there are nine spheres or keys. Each of them revolves and releases energy in the form of a specific element, following your lead. But as you have no connection with your spirit, you shouldn't read too much into it. Alright, enough talking.»

{Spiritual body? Does he want to say my Synergy comes from spirit? Soul… Am I in some religious world or something?}

When Martin made sure that Kyon had no connection with spirit, and hence with elemental energy, he took out another device to apply a formation. This time it was of a completely different kind of formation. He never used it for ordinary plebs. It had a nametag, which means it was connected with him directly, not with a shared database. Martin had already deleted Kyon from the database to avoid unnecessary questions. At the moment, Kyon didn't exist in the mine at all.

In addition to the usual location tracking, the formation could also display his heart rate, fluctuations of the elemental energy in his body, waking-up/sleeping modes, and other physiological details. All the information came straight to Martin's head. It would take a hundred times more effort to get the new formation removed.

When the procedure was over, Martin put two cups on the table and took some sweet rolls out of thin air (was he hoarding them?). Then he walked to the coffee table to get a tin fat-bellied teapot. When he put it to the cups, the spout was already steaming. The aroma of the tea flooded the room.

«You know, I've been working as a formacist for more than 20 years, and my professionalism has never been questioned. I have earned a certain reputation over the years.» – Martin hospitably moved the cup towards Kyon, took a sip from his own, burnt himself, and looked accusingly at the hot drink. – «So, when my reputation is in danger, I deal with it at once. I don't need any misunderstandings. Don't take my excessive curiosity amiss.»

Martin carefully sipped his tea. This time he was satisfied with the temperature and bravely took a gulp. He noticed that Kyon had never touched his treat and raised his eyebrows in surprise:

«Why aren't you eating? I don't think you get spoiled with delicacies over there. You'd better accept my gesture of good will.»

This rigorous, self-confident man had never been judgmental about slaves, unlike many others, for instance, Mob. Besides, Kyon had to wait until Bob returned. Why not seize the moment and have a little chat?

The hint about "dealing with those who put his reputation at risk" hurt a bit Kyon's appetite. But he didn't want to offend the talkative boss and reluctantly nipped off a piece of delicious crispy roll.

«Can you tell me more about the marks?» – Kyon kept prying into the case, sipping his tea.

«Ha-ha, here is the right place to ask this question!» – Who doesn't like to talk about their work? And it doesn't matter much who the listener is. – «I'll correct you first. It is not only a mark on your forehead. They also apply a slot for storing energy, a place where a formation is kept. It's an energy that reacts in a certain way to certain events.»

{Sounds like programming code.} – Kyon thought.

Then Martin told him that the formation could perform a variety of functions: from tracking the location of the "subject" to subjugating their will. The brain was influenced by hormones or directly manipulated by a kind of hypnosis with the only difference that the person stayed awake, aware, able to hear and perform. This type of formation must be connected with the object that receives the information. Martin showed Kyon a mercury mirror peppered with notches and specks. It was a miniature map that showed the location of those who had a formation.

«The mercury mirror is not the best option as a connecting "object" for the subjugating formation. The subordinate must be connected with a particular person or a group of people who will give orders. Trust me, there's a whole science behind it. I'm a formacist of the sixth rank. It's very honorable, given the fact that there are only seven ranks, and the first rank belongs to the best of the best, legendary people… I've only read about them.» – Martin smirked, took a bite of the roll, and added in a "humble" voice: – «I'm a bad teacher, but I hope you've learned something.»

«I have. You've made everything perfectly clear, but don't you think a subjugating formation for everyone would make things easier than an ordinary tracking one?»

«Well… First of all, not everyone can apply it. Only a formacist of at least the fifth rank can do it. Moreover, the formacist must be two phases higher than the subordinate, three phases is even better. Well, if someone wants to be controled of their own accord, then the rule of two phases is not necessary. Then the formacist can be in the same phase as the subordinate, but I don't recall anyone doing so.» – Martin chuckled. – «You can get someone drugged, suppress their spirit, undermine their moral, put them to sleep, but even so, you must be at least a phase higher than them. And one more problem, the submission is not absolute. The subordinate can resist. Much depends on the quality of the formation…»

«Are there really so many problems?»

«Indeed! Even if we assume that the slaves of the entire mine obeyed, each of them would need an individual order, which would affect the efficiency. So, utopia is impossible, no matter how much we desire it.» – He gave a sigh full of sincere sorrow.

Kyon smiled to himself at Martin's words. «I get the point, thank you. You don't know what a great teacher you would make!» – Kyon's flattery was to thank him for the valuable information.

«Thanks! By the way, I remember Flitz telling me a story about a talented guy who had subjugated a queen of one country, and she was a whole phase higher than him! As a result, he ruled the entire state through her, and not only the state, hehe… So many dirty things he did to her… Anyway…» – Martin came to his senses, skeptically glancing at the skinny boy. How old is he, fourteen? – «You have no idea about sex, do you? Forget it. Besides, I don't really believe in these fairy tales.»

Borya, Mike, and Bob squeezed into the office. The latter was dragging a bag. Mike looked exhausted. Borya did not understand why they were brought here, and Bob just wanted to get it over with.

«This is exactly what you asked for.» – Bob reported, dumping the contents of the bag on Martin's table.

«Great! Guys, take a seat, I'll check your energy, and you're free to go.»

Martin searched them for any unusual items. When he didn't find anything out of the ordinary, he opened the door and ordered them to wait outside.

Then he made an inspection of the books, the toys, and the tools from Kyon's "personal belongings." A detail of the construction kit was missing as well as a piece of modeling clay, but Martin wouldn't know about that.

«So?» – Bob asked impatiently.

«Shit! There's nothing, just normal stuff… Have you searched his ward?»

«I have searched through everything.»

«Check if the boy has anything on him!» – Martin dropped the mask of the "hospitable host" and his polite manners as well.

Bob had his hands all over Kyon, patting his body like a real security guard. However, he only shook his head.

Kyon had anticipated the search. He secretly stuck the wooden piece on clay under his chair. It helped him to keep them safe.

«Hell, I don't see how it's possible…» – Martin slammed his hand on the table in frustration and thought hard. A split second later his eyes lit up with a spark of insight: {Unless… Unless this boy has a unique body!}

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Chapter 10

There existed two different types of unique bodies: innate and acquired. Kyon didn't come from a wealthy family (and family history was a determining factor there), which means that the second choice was not an option. Consequently, he was born with the body that erased the formation last night. At least, Martin thought so.

The innate bodies evolved together with the soul, but Kyon had connected with his spirit, and it made his value enormous. Martin's eyes lit up with greed.

He cracked his fingers, pleased with himself. {How much can I get for this excellent specimen on the black market?}

Martin was planning to make a fortune from the boy's natural talent. Yet, the experience had shown that the owner of the unique body wasn't going to end well.

Kyon had suspected that it was exactly the conclusion Martin was going to reach. At the moment, the crucial question was whether he would share his guess with Bob or not. However, judging by his sly face, he clearly was not going to keep his so-called friend in the know.

Bob noticed his friend's brightened face and asked:

«You cracked it, didn't you?»

«Yeah… I guess… I need better tools. I can't figure out what's causing it with this rubbish.» – Martin was quick to reply.𝒩𝑶𝓋𝔢𝗅𝑢𝓈𝑩.𝓬𝑶𝓂

Kyon breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was going according to his plan.

«Are you going to the family estate to take the tools?»

«Don't be ridiculous, Bob. Firstly, I'm at work. Secondly, why would I go two thousand kilometers there and back when I have specially trained people for this?» – The boss chuckled.

«Yeah, you're right, sorry.»

«Take the boy to the hospital and don't let anyone hurt him, just leave him there until I get my things!» – Martin instructed Bob and turned to his drink that had long gone cold.

«And what should I do with his things?» – Bob nodded in the direction of the toys and the tools scattered on the table.

«I'm confiscating them. You are free to go.»

Kyon picked up the last muffin from the table and said goodbye to Martin. Then Bob and he left the boss's office.

When Martin was left alone, he began to pace excitedly around the room.

{Whew, I need to calm down… I will find out his unique body's rank, by all means. It can dissipate my formation, but his soul hasn't started developing. It means his body must be at least of an «A» rank! Wow… Millions, millions, dear millions… or maybe even more?! } – The very thought made him dizzy. – {In any case, I need my high-precision tools. A star of luck is guiding me! Ha-ha-ha! I can finally get out of this poky hole of a place and turn over a new leaf. I will buy a higher rank in the family. Lucky, lucky me… } – His face relaxed in a dreamy smile.

A few minutes later, Martin's personal servant, who lived in the Stone's family estate, answered the sound transmitter.

«Pink, it's Martin speaking. I urgently need all my tools here! Take the fastest horse and go.» – The boss said in a commanding tone.

«Yes, sir! I'll be there tomorrow morning.»

«I'll be waiting for you.»

…

Kyon didn't fear for his life, at least not today. There were several reasons for his confidence. The burst of energy had happened at night, so Martin would probably wait till the morning to verify it. Besides, Martin needed his tools, which gave Kyon a few more days' head start before the D-day. Two thousand kilometers is a long distance, after all.

Time was running out.

Martin's sensitive tools would probably detect the 10th element at once and if it happened… Kyon's fate would be in Martin's grabby hands, and he couldn't let it pass.

Kyon, Borya, Mike, Bob, and his dog silently were walking to the hospital.

The supervisor looked depressed. He probably suspected Martin of withholding information, which meant that their "friendship" was nothing but a show, a big show.

Before Kyon left the office, he did not forget to take his contraband from the bottom of the chair, the piece of construction kit, and the modeling clay. He hid them in his pocket. He also found another trophy, a bun, that always hungry Rogash smelled long ago and kept pestering Kyon. Bob thought that the dog really liked the boy and didn't mind.

Borya hesitantly broke the silence:

«Why did he search us and check our energy?»

«This is classified information.» – The fat supervisor grunted as if he was a secret agent.

The bald miner snorted resentfully. Why is everyone s-o-o-o pretentious? And his loss on top of all that… Borya came up to Kyon:

«Kyon, buddy, I don't know how it happened, but I have lost the bet! I'll pay you back later.» – He said glumly. And then, he finally decided to ask the question that had been haunting him all the time: – «Tell me what you did to Martha. Why did she say she liked you? I don't understand how it's even possible.»

«All you need is give them some intrigue. Women love it.» – Kyon shared his "secret" and winked meaningfully.

Borya skeptically snorted as in "what do you know about this, snot-nosed brat?" but it gave him food for thought, anyway.

Fortunately, Borya didn't disappoint Kyon. He turned out to be a man of his word and brought up the subject himself, admitting his defeat. Borya was nice to deal with.

Kyon whispered conspiratorially:

«I need your help. As a reward, I'll reduce your debt to 2000 rupees.»

The offer snapped the bald guy out of his thoughts about the nature of existence. He whispered back:

«Go on.»

«When we get to the hospital, I need you to distract Bob's attention for at least ten seconds.»

«Distract Bob for 10 seconds? That's it?»

«Yes, but it's not that simple. You don't have just to distract him. The supervisor should be completely focused on you!»

«I'm down.» – Borya said simply and confidently. He didn't care why Kyon asked him to do that, the most important thing for him was to "shave off" his debt. {Bob is not evil. If something happens, he won't punish me too severely.}

No one else heard their conversation.

The dog was a part of his plan. Kyon had already tested him the other day, giving him different commands with gestures. He had shown the dog the bun, making it clear that he should be a good boy to get his reward. Rogash was in delighted anticipation.

And there, the treasured door was near.

Bob had taken out the keys and was tossing and catching them, still lost in his thought. He wasn't even looking at the jingling set. Apparently, that monotonous movement helped him calm down.

Borya had thought out a plan of detaining Bob. He gave an imperceptible sign to Kyon: everything was ready.

Kyon put his arms around the dog's neck and clamped a nerve that contorted the face of the animal with anger. Then he gave the command "attack," pointing a finger at himself.

At that moment, the door opened.

Borya screamed like crazy and grabbed hold of Bob, keeping him from entering the hospital:

«STOP THE THIEF! HE'S TAKEN THE FOOD!» – Borya's eyes were burning with righteous anger, his index finger pointing sideways: – «LOOK OVER THERE!»

At that moment, Rogash snarled at Kyon, flashed his fangs and "attacked" him.

Martha heard the noise and came out of her office:

«Is that you, Bob?»

She heard growling and screaming in the hall. Kyon ran into the hospital, his face in horror. The dog was rushing after him, his muzzle distorted with rage. Kyon came full circle, jumping over the beds, and ran to Martha. The doctor couldn't understand what was going on and reflexively screamed:

«Bob, stop the dog! He's attacked Kyon!»

The supervisor heard the screams and Rogash growling. He tried to turn back, but Borya didn't let him out of his bear hug, poking at the empty space and wailing even louder than Martha:

«THERE IS A THIEF, HURRY UP, CATCH HIM!»

Kyon quickly ran behind Martha's back and watched the "evil creature" rush at full speed directly at her. He took advantage of the widespread chaos and, unnoticed by the others, approached the tool cupboard. There it was on the second shelf, wrapped in cloth, just what he needed. He quickly took out the right tool and hid it in the pocket.

The goal was achieved, not without casualties. When Bob managed to get rid of the "crazy" patient and yelled into the room: «Rogash, come to me!», the animal had already knocked Martha with all his weight down on the ground.

Then the poor dog stopped fooling around and went up to his master, his head lowered contritely.

Martha dusted herself off and rose from the floor. She was furious. She had already taken a deep breath to express her honest opinion on ill-mannered fur balls and their masters while Borya was still trying to convince Bob that there really was a food thief.

«Screw you and your thief! Are you fucking crazy? Let go of me!» – Bob completely lost it.

Martha went on the offense, her hands on her hips:

«Your dog went berserk! He tried to bite Kyon and attacked me! I never want to see him here again! It's really nuts in here…» – She gasped for breath, anger rising in her chest.

«Come on! Rogash never attacks anyone! There must have been a reason!» – Bob immediately stood up for his pet. He demanded an explanation from the dog who looked somewhat guilty: – «Rogash, what the hell were you doing? Why were you chasing Kyon? You're friends, aren't you!»

Just then, Kyon appeared and threw the bun to the dog that he greedily munched away.

«I think he didn't mean to attack me. He had just smelled the bun and was chasing after it.»

When Bob realized the reason for his pet's "aggression," he had a change of heart and patted his dog with a sweet tooth. Then he turned to Martha and said peacefully:

«I told you there was a reason.»

But the doctor was not going to hush up the conflict so quickly. She snorted, still hostile:

«It's all because his master is an idiot and doesn't feed his dog properly!»

Bob had no leverage, so he turned to another "madman":

«Why the hell did you yell?»

Borya made the most honest eyes and complained in a calmer voice:

«I saw a slave with sausage, over there. He stole it! I saw it!»

«Sausage? I've never heard of this stuff here! Rub your eyes, asshole!» – He theatrically twisted his finger at his temple, then turned to Martha with a malicious smile: – «You say I don't feed the dog properly, and your patients are seeing food everywhere! Who doesn't feed whom properly!?» – Bob shoved it in her face triumphantly.

«Whatever.» – The doctor muttered. She really didn't know what to say but was unwilling to give the last word to the beaming supervisor. Martha went into her office and slammed the door behind her.

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Chapter 11

Everything in the ward was just as usual: a table, ten beds, a bright lamp.

Borya nodded to Kyon meaningfully, and he nodded in response. They understood each other without words, unlike Mike, who was left out in the cold again, but he didn't worry about it. He felt like shit and hit the sack soon. In a couple of hours, it was dinner time, and immediately after dinner, they would be escorted out of the hospital back to the mines, so he'd better not waste any time and have a good rest.

After raging Martha calmed down a bit and tamed her anger, Bob told her briefly what had happened. He also mentioned that Kyon was going to stay in the ward until Martin got his tools.

Then Bob went back to work.

Kyon closed his eyes wearily. The grey space reappeared. A small azure ball was located ten meters away. It was beckoning him, but Kyon was in no hurry to approach it. Experience told him that as soon as he touched the sphere, the dream would begin, and the formation would get "demagnetized." He could not let it happen for the time being. It was so tempting to use Synergy for body upgrade, but Kyon was afraid that Martin might be using a tracking formation. In the end, he just stayed in the grey space, waiting for dinner.

The evening had come. The cook brought in their meager meal, and then Mob came to pick up his "toilers." He had a sugar-coated bun for Kyon to appease stern Martha with a generous gesture.

«Ah, it's you…» – The doctor coldly greeted him.

Her voice was so scathing it could wither the plants around. Mob shivered, hurried to Kyon and pushed the present under his nose, mumbling in one breath:

«I'm sorry about the last time.»

There was no remorse in his eyes or voice. He was staring with an expecting expression in the direction of the woman who was watching all that farce.

«Accepted.» – Kyon replied in tune with his voice.

He had no desire to indulge the cruel supervisor, but he decided it was still too soon to make enemies in this world. Reluctantly, he took the bun and bit off a decent chunk, giving him a thumb up.

Mob was about to punch the arrogant brat, but when Kyon played along, he calmed down and turned to the doctor. The plan had worked. Martha stopped being the cold-hearted bitch she was every time Mob was there. His mood had immediately skyrocketed.

«I've come for the patients.» – Mob said quietly.𝐍𝑶𝒱𝔢𝑙𝑢𝑆𝑏.𝑐𝚘𝑀

«Hmm, okay.» – She turned away. Her face softened. {He came to take the patients to apologize to Kyon in front of me… What a persistent fool.}

Borya and Mike said goodbye to Kyon, their admiration for the reckless boy grew with each day. He was rude to Mob and didn't even get an earful. The bald miner added that he could find Kyon later in the common hall to pay the debt.

Mob and the two miners left the hospital. As Kyon watched them go, he admired Mob's skill to completely ignore the angry looks of those he had beaten for the sake of the lady of his heart.

Finally, there were only Martha and Kyon in the ward. {The time has come.}

Kyon had no designs upon Martha as a woman, but she was an important part of his plan.

Fortunately, there were no new patients yet. But even if there were any, Kyon would still have found a way to have a few minutes alone with her.

A glance in her direction, eye contact, and there it was a gentle blush on Martha's cheeks. She got angry at herself. Why on earth was she so embarrassed, he was just a boy, after all! Martha shook her head and headed toward Kyon to give him a good scolding:

«Do you have anything you want to tell me?»

«How did you like my drawing?» – Kyon smiled, completely ignoring her serious voice.

«You draw well.» – Martha had to admit. She put her hands on her hips and hissed indignantly: «But what a nerve? How dare you give me drawings like that!?»

Much depended on Kyon's reaction to her question. However, he pretended not to notice the seriousness of the situation. She could see laughter in his dark eyes, his voice sounded carefree and full of fun:

«Tell me how it feels to imagine kissing my neck?» – He purred to her.

«I… You… Asshole! You are still a boy! Why do you have so dirty mind? And what if someone else had seen your drawing!?» – Martha's voice grew hoarse as she imagined the consequences of her embarrassment.

«Well, the male part would find their pants too tight. It's impossible to keep calm looking at that. As for you, your red, angry face I would remember for a long time! Haha.» – Kyon laughed merrily and cordially, trying not to offend the embarrassed woman too deep.

Martha opened and closed her mouth, stunned. He was a very cheeky boy! It was unthinkable to hear such indecencies from a fourteen-year-old, even in jest!

«Nonsense! Now I understand why you ended locked up in the mine! You must have deserved it!» – She snorted bitterly.

Kyon did not respond to her attack. A look of deep resentment appeared on his face, and his eyes glistened suspiciously.

There was an awkward pause. Martha had already regretted her outburst.

«I admit, I overreacted. I am sorry!» – She sighed sorrowfully. How could she stoop so low? He draws all kinds of nasty and indecent things, and she apologizes to him in the end!

Kyon sobbed:

«Do you think you can earn my apology so easily?» – He said, making a confident step towards her.

«Stop it! You're exaggerating! I didn't mean to sting you to the quick.» – The doctor moved back until she bumped against the wall. There was nowhere to retreat.

Kyon defiantly brushed away a single tear and pathetically exclaimed, embracing the bewildered woman:

«Of course, you didn't. That's why I forgive you.»

Martha was perplexed. She couldn't imagine what his next trick would be. She was so shocked that she had no strength to resist the cheeky invasion into her private space. There they stood: she, stupefied, not knowing where to look from embarrassment, and he, flashing a smug smile, his face buried in her orchid-sсented hair, feeling through the white coat pleasant softness of her boobs.

Kyon didn't let Martha finally come to her senses and push the cheeky boy off herself. He soon let go of her and asked as if nothing had happened:

«Does Mob know you're in a relationship with Byron?»

His distractive maneuver was a success. Martha didn't think about the recent hug anymore and couldn't come up with a decent excuse. She murmured instead:

«H-how did you know?»

«Your hair smells of man's care.» – Kyon gave her the first romantic bullshit that crossed his mind.

Martha shook her head:

«N-no, it's impossible! You can't tell it by the smell!… Care? It doesn't smell! Are you kidding me?!»

Kyon was quick to interrupt her. He couldn't let Martha recover and get angry with him:

«You see, I am not only good at drawing… What will Mob say if he gets to know about it. He adores you, doesn't he?»

«Nothing!» – She snapped. «I don't want to see him. I have no interest in him!»

«And what about his feelings? What would people say (especially those who regularly get into your hospital because of the lovesick supervisor)? What if someone finds out that you have been enabling him to get closer to you all this time instead of saying that he had no chance?» – Kyon cornered her as if she was a cowardly rabbit, forcing her to make excuses.

Martha looked down, guilty:

«I don't know… I didn't think about it…» – Indeed, she didn't let Mob understand that he had no chance. She kept his hopes up to get his attention and small presents from time to time. It was so nice to have someone chasing her.

«Don't you think that Byron will be in trouble if Mob finds out?» – Kyon said softly, bringing her to the point he had started the whole conversation for.

«I do. But how will he know? You're not going to tell him, are you?…»

There was an awkward silence and intense staring into each other's eyes.

«Of course not. I'm a decent man. Will you introduce me to Byron. I want to get to know someone who could win you over.» – Kyon smiled, patting Martha on the shoulder reassuringly.

«Alright, I'll introduce you to each other…» – She smiled with a quiet sigh, still feeling embarrassed.

«Thanks! You're a good person. I noticed it at once.»

Martha remembered the recent events that, for some reason, had taken second place and slightly blushed.

«Um… Wait! Why did you hug me? It was rude of you! You shouldn't hug people so unexpectedly!»

«Oh, nevermind. I'm sure we both enjoyed it.» – Kyon winked playfully and went back to bed, his hands behind his head.

«You…» – Martha had no more strength or desire to argue with the rude, unscrupulous boy. She went to her office, angry, thinking over Kyon's irrational behavior, and the situation with Mob and Byron.

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Chapter 12

Kyon was pleased with the productive conversation with Martha. First, while he was passionately hugging the stunned woman, he managed to make a clay mold of the two keys lying in the pocket of her white coat. Sleight of hand and no fraud. Two seconds and the keys were back in their rightful place. They didn't even jingle once. Second, thanks to the naive woman, he was going to have Byron on his side, and he was the leader of the sector, holding the first rank no less. Such powerful connections would definitely help Kyon get out of there.

And, finally, he got closer to Martha. He would not hesitate to use the clueless woman again if need be. He would thank her in the future by all means.

Kyon stared at the mold, memorizing the shape of both keys. He was developing a 3D model in his head, according to which he was going to reproduce the desired key later. Actually, he didn't need the mold that much. He could rely on his tactile perception, but then some mistakes might creep in and ruin the plan.

Kyon came up to the door and peeped through the keyhole. He compared the hole with the two versions of the keys. The second mold was just right. He went back to his bed, took out the wooden block and the metal tool, a kind of scalpel, that he had "borrowed" during his last raid to Martha's office.

Kyon saw two options for breaking into her office: lock picking (unfortunately, he had left his burglar set in his world. Even if he managed to find the right tool and break the door open, he would totally fail to close it unnoticed) or making his own key.

Fortunately, the key did not have to be a perfect fit. The accuracy of the details was not a big deal. All he needed was an approximate shape and length. Even without experience as a locksmith, he could make a decent unbreakable key out of the solid wooden piece from the construction kit.

It was time to get to work. Not many people would cut out a replica with an ill-designed tool, but his accuracy of perception, perfect understanding of motor skills, and his expertise from the past world came in very handy.𝐍𝑶𝒱𝔢𝑙𝑢𝑆𝑏.𝑐𝚘𝑀

Kyon was sitting on the farthest bed from Martha's office, with his back to the door (the doctor wouldn't notice what kept her patient busy if she suddenly came out). He carefully cut layer by layer from the piece of wood and meticulously put all the wood shavings in his pocket. He would flush all the "evidence" down the toilet later.

Gradually, the wooden block started to show some semblance of a key. There appeared cavities, grooves, and notches. It was laborious and time-consuming work, especially given the lack of decent tools and experience.

Two hours had passed, the working day came to an end.

Martha went out. As she was closing the door to her office, she noticed a spot on the key. She stared at the strange substance but couldn't determine what it was. The doctor decided it was just a speck of dirt. She brushed it off the key and let it go.

Her gaze involuntarily lingered on Kyon, who had returned to his bed as if nothing had happened. She remembered the exciting and embarrassing incident, and her cheeks turned crimson. Quickly averting her eyes, Martha muttered sidewards: «Good night.»

Kyon called her out. He sat up in bed, holding his knees with his hands:

«Martha! Bob might take me to the formations department within the next few days. Please call Martin about 20 minutes after we leave.»

The doctor was silent for a while. She frowned and tucked a lock of unruly hair behind her ear.

«What are you up to? Why would I call him?» – She asked suspiciously, in the end.

«Eh… I have a gut feeling that something terrible might happen. It's difficult to explain… I trust you… as a doctor, of course. I will feel so much better if I can rely on you to make one call and check if everything's all right.»

Alarm in his voice, sad eyes, drooping shoulders: he had skillfully conveyed his anxiety.

«It's pure nonsense. What gut feeling are you talking about? You just don't like Martin, do you?»

«Not at all. Martin is a good man. It's just… I always have a bad feeling before something happens. Last time it was when my grandmother died.»

«Are you serious? Well… Okay, then. One call, and that's it.»

«Ask Martin if everything is alright, that's all. Will you promise me that you will do it?» – Kyon put his hands together in a pleading gesture.

«You know it's quite an unusual request. Well… All right, I'll call him. I hope it isn't some kind of joke.»

«Thank you.» – He flashed a grateful smile. Martha thought he was making fun of her, but it was a matter of life and death!

Martha left the hospital with mixed feelings. {What is this bad boy up to?}

On the one hand, she wasn't eager to call Martin for no reason. He had already told her off for breaking the rules. But Kyon's pleading look… Her kind heart will kill her someday. Anyway, she had given her word, she had to keep the promise. After all, it's only a call… Probably.

…

The duplicate of the key was ready and waiting for the glorious moment in the secret pocket. Kyon wisely decided to wait a couple of hours after Martha left in case someone decided to drop by in the hospital. If he was caught in the office, he would be very unlikely to get a slap on the wrist.

His heart was restless. It was an important step in his plan. If the key didn't fit, he would have to look for other options. And there was no guarantee they would work. So far, everything had been going without a hitch. He had procured the key. Also, Borya and Mike had left the hospital. However, even if there were any patients in the ward, Kyon would have "contributed" to their sound sleep after pressing certain points on their bodies. After his treatment, they would not wake up even in the event of a nuclear explosion.

The best masters had taught him the basics of acupuncture. Synergy of first degree interacted only within the body. Respectively, the first stage of training focused on the body.

It was time.

He inserted the key, pressed the lock, repeating Martha's actions, and turned it gently clockwise.

click*

The door opened.

{Hehe, it worked!} – Kyon was jubilant.

The only thing that bothered him was that Martin could observe his location (the mercury mirror reflected the people with formations). On reflection, he decided that the device was unlikely to be accurate enough to show a difference of three meters.

Kyon didn't know that Martin had connected the formation directly to himself, not the device. But it didn't change the accuracy of his dislocation anyway.

Behind the door, he found a cramped room, about three by five meters. The air was permeated with the smell of drugs mixed with a drop of Martha's pleasant scent. Near the wall, he saw a table with a ridiculous soft toy and a chair next to it. A lighting crystal hung from the ceiling. There were several shelves, a couple of cabinets and a fridge running on energy crystal. It contained drugs that required certain storage conditions.

{According to my calculations, I have about six hours at my disposal. It's more than enough.}

Kyon rummaged through the papers in search of the necessary information, carefully remembering what and where had been before. He noticed his drawing and grinned. It was hidden in a safe place, away from prying eyes. {I love it when a woman says one thing and does just the opposite.} It was exactly what Martha did: she complained that the drawing was too cheeky, yet she kept it as a souvenir.

Kyon found the necessary books and sorted them out. He quickly flipped through them, one by one, trying to find the information he needed. As expected, there was a training manual on drugs and their use, properties, dosages, and so on. Also, Martha kept notes written by hand. Even a professional like Martha couldn't know everything by heart. Kyon found the drug he needed in her notebook.

He got into the refrigerator and took a flask with clear liquid out of a separate compartment – sedative. The instruction said it was to be diluted in water at a concentration of 1 to 150 for oral use. If the dosage is right, it starts working in a minute. There was a footnote saying that the effect was halved in hot water. Martha's notes were striking with their attention to every detail.

Kyon took a small empty vial from the box. He thought that no one would notice the loss of such a trifle. Then he generously filled it with the sedative and put the rest in its place. The next tea party with Martin was going to be very unusual.

Kyon put everything in its place, not forgetting the scalpel he had snatched before. Now, no one could tell the state of the room "before" and "after" his shameless invasion. Only the flask of sedative in the fridge was slightly less full than before.

He carefully locked the door and went to bed. He couldn't sleep. Kyon was all worked up in anticipation. His chances were limited by the hospital. Nonetheless, it was more than enough to implement his plan with a success rate of more than 60%.

He couldn't use energy at the moment. He couldn't study anything useful, either. There was no point in introspection as all of his thoughts were pure and sorted out. He had plenty of time before dawn. There was time to separate the wheat from the chaff, try amigurumi, and know himself. In the absence of wheat or a crochet, all he could do was to train his body with stretching exercises. Sleep could wait for a couple of days.

He hid the key in the discrete hole in the mattress, put the vial in his secret pocket and began to stretch his joints and tendons. His body struck him with awful physical condition. At the moment, he couldn't reach the floor with his fingertips. What a shame! He could always get fit by the method "for couch potatoes" – with the help of Synergy – but manual work will do it much faster. It would keep him busy until dawn, and then he would have a couple of hours to relax.

When the night was over, his work showed some progress. Eight days (or rather nights) of exercising and his body would be perfectly stretched. The young tendons and joints are very elastic, after all.

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Chapter 13

It was early in the morning.

Martin didn't get much sleep at night. He kept watching Kyon's tracking formation in the hope of catching the energy fluctuations, but all in vain. The weirdest thing that the formation was able to detect was an occasional rapid heartbeat. Martin consoled himself with the thought that his servant was going to arrive with the tools in a couple of hours. Then he would identify the anomaly in Kyon's body and determine its approximate rank, and hence the price. It would decide Kyon's fate.

People with exceptional unique bodies had always been valued. In the best case scenario, they found a powerful patron who was interested in their talent. In the worst, they got disassembled into parts to make a profit.

In any case, Kyon's body could bring Martin a fortune at the black market. This business was illegal, though. Black markets were considered out of law by most decent families and schools. The policy of the Stones was no exception: the dark deeds, to put it mildly, were not welcome in their circle. Therefore, Martin was very secretive in his plans and excluded any chance of leaking information. He had immediately removed the boy from the formation base. When it was time to take him from the mine, no one would notice anything, and he wouldn't have to share his earnings.

Kyon's instincts were right: he was in for no good.

…

Martha came to the hospital just in time for the beginning of the working day.

Kyon stretched, pretending he was sleepy and greeted her.

The day promised to be boring because, at Kyon's rough estimate, Martin was going to get his tools in 1-3 days.

After a bad breakfast, Martha got a call from Bob. He said he would come for the boy soon.

Kyon's heart skipped a beat. {1000 miles in 18 hours?! Little I know about this world…}

Martha looked out of the office and anxiously looked at Kyon. His yesterday's words had an effect on her. Now she was worried about Kyon.

«Bob is coming for you soon. How are you feeling?»

«Terrible! The bad feeling, the one I had before my grandmother's death, has increased several times!» – The boy groaned. He had to look as miserable as could be. It was vital to him that Martha make a call: the sound transmitter would distract Martin. It would give him some time to add the sedative to his drink.

«Is it really that bad?» – The doctor stroked his hair reassuringly.

Kyon mumbled something inarticulate and buried his head into the blanket.

Martha tried to cheer him up:

«Don't worry. Nothing bad will happen today! Everything's going to be alright.»

«We shall live and see. Just don't forget your promise.»

«I won't!» – At that moment, she was willing to agree on everything to make the overwhelming fear disappear from the boy's eyes.

Soon Bob came and took Kyon away.

It took them a quarter of an hour to get to Martin's office. Bob would say something every now and then, but on the whole, he was silent and thoughtful as if something was bothering him. Only Rogash did not worry about anything. He was cheerful as always.

Nothing had changed in Martin's room, but this time, there was no usual aroma of baking for some reason.

«Hi, Bob! You're finally here!» – Martin stretched out his hand to greet him.

«Um, yeah… Did the tools arrive so fast?» – Bob sounded surprised.

«They did. Express delivery, so to speak. Haha!» – Martin seemed to be in an excellent mood.

«May I watch what you're doing here?»

Kyon held his breath. If Bob stayed, the plan was doomed to fail. He couldn't possibly put them both to sleep… However, he was almost certain that Martin wouldn't welcome any strangers during the "procedure."

«Come on, buddy. Believe me, there's nothing interesting. It's going to take a too long time, anyway. You are free to go. I'll have a guard walk the boy back to the hospital.» – With a peaceful smile on his face, Martin tried to get rid of the extra witness as soon as possible just as Kyon expected of him.

«Okay, I got it.» – Bob sighed sadly. He was finally convinced that Martin didn't trust him in spite of being friends. At least, Bob thought so.

The fat supervisor left the office, depressed. Kyon smiled to himself: Martin only made everyone believe he was a friendly, good-natured man with a sweet tooth but, in fact, he always treated everyone with suspicion, especially under the circumstances. Neither his personal servant nor the supervisor had been honored and privileged to be present at Kyon's check-up.

Martin turned to the boy, rubbing his hands in anticipation:

«Alright then, let's get started!»

He walked over to the table and opened the box with various devices and tools. One look at them could tell that they cost obscene amounts of money. Some of them radiated a faint aura-like glow, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. It looked like northern lights, frozen over the lid of the box like a bright cloud.

«Don't stand still. Come on, grab a chair over there.» – Martin hurried Kyon up, pointing to the common chair.

«I have some helpful information for you. I remembered my past tonight. Now I have lots of answers to your questions. Some of them, you will never figure out by yourself.» – Kyon said slowly, carefully choosing his words, trying to get Martin to jump at the bait.

Martin recalled the last night. Indeed, the boy had fallen asleep only in the morning. It means he could remember something.

«You remembered your past, did you? Do you know what happened to the tracking formation?»

«Yeah, I know what the matter is.» – Kyon sighed as if he wasn't sure if he should continue. «Let me tell you all about it over a cup of tea.» – He went to the table, implying that the conversation would be important and long.

Martin couldn't wait to start the inspection, but the boy seemed to be willing to tell him everything himself. If the devices confirmed his words later, there would be fewer questions and problems.

«Oh, it's good to know you remember everything now. It will make things easy.» – Martin decided to wait with the check-up and went to the teapot. However, before he could touch the handle, the sound transmitter buzzed.

{I can't believe I have miscalculated the time.} – Kyon moaned. Martha called 18 minutes later, not 20, as he had planned. It was stupid of him not to take into account the human factor! If the hot tea was on the table when Martin went to answer the call, he could add the sedative in the cup…

«Martha speaking. Is everything alright?»

«Why are you asking? I'm in the process of an important conversation and you're calling to ask how I'm doing?»

«I'm… Just… I was worried.» – Her confusion could be heard even through the transmitter.

«No need to worry. Next time, think ten times before making a call.» – Martin muttered acidly and dropped the connection.

Martha wished she hadn't called at once.

{She was trying… It's all my fault.} – Kyon felt sorry for her. What a perfect plan it was: he had the vial with sedative within easy reach, even the cap unscrewed! How was he supposed to use it now?

Martin took the kettle. Before he brought it to the table, the water had already boiled.

«Sometimes people distract me at the wrong time… So, what were you going to tell me? What information will I never find out by myself?» – Martin poured tea into two cups, one for Kyon and one for himself. Then he expectantly stared at the boy.

Kyon instantly stimulated his stomach, making it rumble and said in a mournful voice as if he hadn't eaten for two weeks:

«Do you still have some of those delicious buns?»

«You must have had breakfast! Don't they feed you enough there?» – The question was a rhetorical one (not that Martin was much interested in the diet of the slaves). He didn't wait for an answer but impatiently continued: – «No buns this time… I didn't have time to place an order. Put up with it.»

One more attempt to distract Martin failed.

«Have you ever heard of legendary unique bodies?» – Kyon made his voice sound as intriguing as could be. He didn't have any idea about the legendary bodies or any other classifications.

«You… Are you speaking of those mentioned in the annals!? Are you implying that you have a legendary body?! What is its rank?!» – Martin had never met people with bodies of an «A» rank or higher, and the boy was talking about a legendary one.

Kyon smiled mysteriously, cursing himself for ignorance at the same time: «How would you draw the line between an ordinary and a legendary body?»

Martin snorted incredulously:𝑵𝞸𝑣𝞮𝔩𝔲𝚜𝐛.𝕔𝔬𝚖

«I would just compare their features. There is no clear line between them. Everything would be clear after I figure out their features… Do you have a legendary body? What rank is it? Don't keep me waiting!»

Kyon was getting nervous. «We still have time… There's no need to rush things. Do you know how I got here?» – He had changed the subject and dropped another hint to avoid getting busted. Last time, when Bob was talking to the boss, Kyon figured out that the conditions of his delivery to the mine were non-standard, to put it mildly. Kyon did not get it then. Later, when he learned the language, he could understand everything. He had recorded the sound and then translated everything in his head.

Martin knew at once what Kyon was getting at:

«No, I don't. No one knows. This information is secret for some reason… Even I wasn't able to find it out.» – The mysterious one-of-a-kind delivery gave the boy a veil of mystery.

«Exactly. No one knows. I have a very interesting past, but it's irrelevant now. Show me your tools, and I'll tell you if they can reveal at least some of my talents.» – Kyon casually pointed to the tools on a separate table. His eyes glowed with contempt as if saying "well, let's see what kind of stuff you keep there." It was impossible to suspect he was just pretending.

Martin did not like his attitude, but he had to swallow his pride: {Does the boy come from a super-rich family where my precious tools are nothing but trash? Then what is he doing here? What's his story? And what happened to his keys? Why are they out of order?}

Martin stood up and obediently went to the box. Was it a window of opportunity?

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Chapter 14

During those painfully-earned seconds, Kyon managed to take out the vial that he had prepared beforehand. With a swift movement, he poured its transparent contents into Martin's cup. Kyon had tasted a tiny drop to make sure the medicine was tasteless. The dosage was many times higher than necessary because Kyon wanted to be on the safe side and speed up the effect. According to Kyon's calculations, it was enough to numb a horse. Martin would pass out in less than a minute.

Martin put the toolbox on the table in front of Kyon and said defiantly:

«So, what would you say? I got these precious things from Flitz, my former master.»

Kyon smiled, took a sip from his cup, and took out the tools carefully, closely examining each of them.

Kyon was taking his time, and it annoyed Martin a lot. He sat on the chair with a heavy sigh and picked up his cup, wishing it was chamomile tea. The first sip struck him as strange, but he couldn't concentrate on his feelings when Kyon exclaimed pretentiously:

«These tools are trash. I'm wasting my time.» – Kyon shook his head and sipped his tea, seconds away from choking at the vicious roar of the boss:

«Damn it, boy. Don't you dare insult my precious instruments! Tell me about your talents or I'll find out by myself!» – Martin's patience was wearing thin.

Kyon had to come up with something quick. {Why aren't you asleep?!}

Kyon remembered reading in the book that Martha had so generously brought to him about the the man with a unique body who could move mountains. He immediately began to list all his talents, exaggerating greatly and distorting the facts from the story.

«Uhm… What the hell are you talking about?! Are you playing a prank on me, boy?» – Martin drank his tea in one shot, dragged Kyon the collar from the table and threw him into the public chair.

Kyon was seized with panic. He had nothing to say, he knew nothing about this world. Martin would instantly smell a rat if he said something wrong.

«You have only wasted my time, and I hate it when someone wastes my time. Now let uncle Martin examine you.» – A spark of greed and excitement flashed in his eyes. He had been waiting for this moment for too long.

He put a spherical crystal to Kyon's body and infused it with energy. A gentle wind made ripples in the air when the device buzzed quietly, ready to detect the slightest traces of hidden energy.

Kyon felt odd. The crystal attracted everything it approached like a magnet. Martin carefully ran the device over the nine key points.

When Kyon was about to panic, Martin yawned.

{Why does the medicine take so long to kick in? It's been more than a minute. What if he suspects something and calls the guards?}

Kyon had hidden his Synergy as deep as possible.

When Martin reached Kyon's head, the crystal suddenly started glowing with a light azure light. Kyon felt the crystal sucking Synergy out of him like a vacuum cleaner.

«W-what is it?» – Martin opened his mouth in shock, but he couldn't suppress another yawn.

Kyon took a calculated risk and stopped withholding Synergy. It rushed immediately towards the device. There was a soft ringing sound, and the solid rock crystal cracked. Martin stared at the broken tool in his hands. What the hell?

{Come on, you can't be so tough. More than two minutes have passed!} – Kyon glanced anxiously from Martin to the device.

Martin threw away the crystal and put on his glasses. His device could examine the body from the inside, through the bones. His movements were awkward. One earpiece wouldn't get tucked behind the ear as if Martin was drunk. He explained his condition with excessive anxiety.

Finally, he solved the problem with the glasses and stared at Kyon's nose:

«The tenth element! What… What is it?! WHAT ELEMENT IS THIS?!»

Martin felt dizzy, his head spinning and throbbing. He squeezed his temples wearily. The 10th element had never been mentioned in the books or the legends, but the device couldn't lie: the10th key flickered faintly through Kyon's skull.

There existed different subtypes of the elements, as well as modified ones, but their number never exceeded nine. It was impossible, simply unthinkable! The boy had a new, previously unknown element!

However, Martin didn't have time to estimate Kyon's value on the black market. The room started spinning too fast, black spots floating in front of his eyes, his ears clogged. It might be high blood pressure or overexcitement. It was such a stress, after all! Martin closed his heavy eyelids, trying to relieve dizziness. He couldn't open his eyes again. Everything was fuzzy. He couldn't focus and figure out what was causing his condition. The sounds on the outside seemed to have slammed shut. It was so peaceful and quiet… He just wanted to have a little… rest. Just lie down for a second…

Martin staggered and fell to one side, not yet completely asleep but unable to control his body. The next moment he passed out. He had no idea that the day he thought to be the beginning of his triumph was, in fact, his last day.

Kyon breathed a sigh of relief. He felt like a hare that had made it into the burrow with the sound of the clanking predator jaws.

Martin was a hard nut to crack. He was too powerful. That's why it took so much time before the sedative had taken effect.𝓃𝑶𝒱𝓮𝓵𝑢𝕊𝐛.𝑪𝑂𝑀

Fortunately for Kyon, Martin was too excited and didn't notice that he was beginning to doze off. He blamed his weariness for emotions and a sleepless night.

Martin was snoring peacefully on the floor, unaware of the fierce fire in Kyon's eyes, the boy that he thought was worth a fortune. Kyon knew everything about the human body. Among other things, he knew how to kill without leaving visible physical injuries.

He turned Martin's body onto the back, got a pulse on his neck and clamped the carotid artery. It ceased the flow of blood to the brain. In a few minutes, the irreversible effect was to begin.

The seconds of suspense dragged into a long minute. All of a sudden, the strong hand grabbed Kyon's wrist lightning fast.

Dumbfounded, he continued to squeeze the artery with all his might. He couldn't understand how Martin had come to his senses. His thin bones were desperately cracking under the iron grip. His arm was about to break, but Kyon wouldn't ease the pressure.

Martin's eyes opened slightly, his blurred gaze unsuccessfully tried to focus on the murderer. His consciousness was in oblivion, that's why he used only 30% of his physical strength, which was almost enough to break the boy's bones.

It was a crucial moment. Martin's eyes closed and never opened again. His weak hand fell to the floor with a thud. It was the end.

Kyon could barely stand. If he had not blocked the pain, he would have screamed, attracting the attention of the guards outside.

It was his first murder that wasn't a simulation.

Now he had to make it look like an accident. It took him a great effort to drag the dead body behind the rack that separated the room. He took the bun Mob had given him the other day and stuffed a piece right into Martin's throat, the other piece went in his hand. It looked like he had choked. Of course, the autopsy would show that Martin had died of an ischemic stroke, but Kyon needed some obvious cause of death for the guards. Otherwise, they would kill him on the spot without sorting things out. At the time of death, there were only two of them in the office. However, Martin could possibly choke on the dry bun due to profound cerebral hypoxia.

It was supposed to look that Martin choked on his favorite bun (isn't it ironic!) that he always had stashed a plenty. Who knew that today there would be no buns in the diet of the boss… It was pure luck that Mob had so timely decided to woo the boy (or rather, Martha) with his gift.

Kyon had to swallow the empty vial. He couldn't leave any evidence behind.

It was a curious scene: a corpse lying on the floor, and Kyon sitting in the armchair, sipping his tea and leafing through a book.

{It's high time.}

Kyon didn't know that the signal of Martin's death had reached the headquarters, but it didn't matter anyway.

He came to the door, cleared his throat and yelled like a madman:

«Help! He is suffocating! Suffocating!»

The two guards rushed into the room, pushing each other. They stared in horror at Martin, who was blue in the face, clutching at his throat.

«Oh, shit! Quick, give him CPR!» – exclaimed the guard who ran in first. He staggered back and nearly knocked over his colleague.

«Do it yourself! I'll call the doctor!» – The second one weaseled out of it.

The first one tried to get to the lifeless body. He started chest compressions, his fingers interlocked. A piece of bun flew out of Martin's throat like a cannon.

«It doesn't help! Damn it! Damn it!» – He pressed his ear to Martin's chest, trying to feel the heartbeat and whispered, scared: – «He is dead…» – He turned to Kyon, who was standing frozen nearby, and shouted: – «Why the fuck didn't you cry out for help at once!? Fucking bitch!»

Their wrath was righteous. If Martin was dead, they would be fired at the very least, no matter how it had happened. However, Kyon didn't have much sympathy for these two. – {They shouldn't have kicked Rogash.} But he had to finish the game:

«I was sitting behind this chair and couldn't hear a thing! When he had been silent for too long, I decided to take a look!» – He muttered in a whimpering voice. Kyon pointed to the chair that was turned back to Martin. He couldn't possibly see what was going on in the background. He had also moved the body further, behind the rack to get the story straight. Everything was above board.

The second guard had already called Martha:

«Emergency in the formation department! You have a life to save!»

«Coming!» – Martha immediately responded to the call. She didn't panic, just packed the necessary instruments and medicine as quickly as possible (a professional always keeps such things in the right place) and rushed to help. When she was on the way, she remembered about the bad feeling Kyon kept telling her about. {Is he a prophet or something?}

The guard had initiated the resuscitations: a pathetic imitation of artificial respiration and indirect heart massage. He was desperately clinging to the vague hope of bringing his boss to life.

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Chapter 15

{What an idiot! Even if he somehow pulls through, he is a vegetable for life.} – Kyon chuckled, skeptically looking at the pathetic attempts of the two guards. Somewhere deep inside, guilt had caught up with him, but he had a good point: «it was either him or me.» It made the voice of conscience shut up until better times.

No one in their right mind would think that the boy who hadn't even connected with his spirit could kill an advanced phaser. It seemed rather weird that Martin had choked and couldn't take the piece of bun with the energy. However, it was quite possible given the stroke. Kyon was not afraid of the autopsy.

Ten minutes after the call, Martha burst into the room with the medical equipment. When she saw the blue body, she gasped in shock then pulled herself together and started a check-up.

The guards explained the situation, interrupting each other, but the doctor raised her hand and made them stop:

«It's too late. There's nothing I can do…»

It was the sixth day of the week. In the evening, Bob and Mob would be distributing the currency of the mine according to the outperformed norm.

Each group of slaves had been bending backward just to earn an extra penny that could be spent on useful, valuable purchases: a can of cold beer for some, a thick slab of meat for others. Some needed essential medicine and potions of endurance. Some never spent their wages. They saved them, denying themselves everything to exchange for the currency of the outside world and send the money to their families.

Everyone was in joyful anticipation of payment, except, perhaps, Mike. He was feeling really bad and was planning to borrow some money to buy medicine. Unfortunately, everyone shook their heads when they saw his condition, including the warden of his group. He knew he would have to find a new miner for his group soon. Even Babil, the asshole with connections, who gave money at interest, had refused him. This heinous pawnbroker could determine the proximity of death by guesswork. According to him, Mike had another 3-4 days, tops.

Borya was preoccupied with worry: {Kyon will be back soon, and I'll have to pay back.} Unfortunately, he hadn't earn much, so he would have to borrow the rest of the sum from his friends. Borya wasn't going to die anytime soon, therefore, he was hoping to get a loan.

The rest of the slaves were at their workplaces, waiting meekly for the shift to end.

Mob was in high spirits. Yesterday, he noticed Martha's face change when he gave Kyon the bun. Now he was trying to think of an excuse to get into her office without beating anyone. All his mind was totally and completely set on that.

Bob, his fat colleague, approached him and sat next to him, unusually silent. Suddenly, Bob's sound transmitter rang.

«Supervisor Bob speaking.»

«Bob, it's Martha. Martin's dead!» – He could hear hysterical overtones in her voice.

«DEAD?» – Bob cried out in shock. His throat felt tight, his voice dropped to a whisper: – «How do you mean dead? Are you serious!?»

«I am. Come to the formation department…» – She hung up.

Bob was dumbfounded. Mob who had heard the conversation was no less stupefied.

«I'll go and see what's wrong. You stay here, Bob.» – Mob stood up resolutely. Now he had a perfectly legitimate excuse to visit Martha and find out what had happened there.

However, Bob ignored him. He understood his motive at once and just whistled loudly, calling the dog.

Later, on their way, Mob tried to reason with his colleague:

«Take it easy, buddy. I'll do it myself! We are forbidden to leave the post together at once.»

«My friend is probably dead, and all you think about is boobs! Get off me!» – At this moment, he couldn't care less about any rules.

Bob, Rogash, and Mob ran into Martin's office, panting. In the spacious room, they found the two miserable guards, Martha, Kyon, and Pink, Martin's servant, who was sobbing on his knees over his late master. Bob immediately bounced to the corpse. His legs turned to jelly at the sight of his dead friend. The doctor briefly explained that Martin had apparently choked to death on a piece of bun, and ordered in a flat voice:

«Bob, take Kyon to the hospital. I have to write a report…»

The atmosphere in the room tense. Even Rogash understood the graveness of the whole situation and quietly whined, his paws over his head. Kyon was the only one quiet in the room. He pretended to be scared, but he didn't feel sympathy or remorse. He hated greedy people who screwed others for their own benefit. And yet, Kyon had reason to apprehend danger. A careful investigation might raise some unwanted questions like "why did the crystal sphere crack?" or "why did Martin order his tools just before his death?" It was bad enough that suspicions would suggest the idea that Martin's death wasn't an accident, but what's more, they might examine Kyon more carefully and what then? Should he open a graveyard?

Bob took Kyon to the hospital without saying a word.

He was facing long disputes, reports, and so on. Even the highest levels of command might call around. Besides, there was an issue concerning Martin's replacement. They had always lacked professionals like him.𝐍𝗈𝓋𝑒𝔩𝓊𝓈𝐁.𝔠𝞸𝑀

click*

The key turned in the lock, leaving Kyon alone in the ward.

Kyon was sitting on his bed and thinking about what he had done. He was completely detached from the guilt of his actions. Yet, something was bothering him: { I'm not supposed to be under suspicion. I've destroyed all the relevant evidence… Unless she notices the missing vial during the inspection but so what?}

Kyon took the wooden key out of the mattress and fiddled with it, wondering what's the best way to get rid of it.

After Martin's death, he felt a strange tingling in the area of the formation. {Perhaps Martin's formation was dissipating after his death?} To test his assumption, he released some Synergy to the formation carefully, in small portions.

The energy came out of the formation like smoke from smoldering wood. To his astonishment, both the "smoke" and Synergy got mutually destroyed when they touched. It was like a joint annihilation of matter and antimatter.

Kyon thought hard: {Is it possible that Synergy is the opposite of the energy in this world, and they destroy each other when they meet? Then what will happen if I become a practitioner? How am I going to combine them?}

Kyon couldn't see it but when the opposites touched, they spread little ripples in the space. The energy had neither colour nor smell.

The formation would take time to dissipate by itself. Kyon directed Synergy to a huge bruise on his wrist as a memento from Martin's grip. Most likely, it would take a day to heal it.

{I have to get down to the mine and test the waters… I'm not going to stay here forever.}

Late in the evening, Martha returned to the hospital and rushed to Kyon:

«You didn't lie! I can't believe you have such incredible powers!»

«Yes… It's my curse.» – Kyon pretended to be upset.

«Um… It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself.» – The doctor whispered reassuringly, patting him on the shoulder.

{Of course, it's not my fault. Well, except for the fact that the flow of blood ceased to come to Martin's brain, hehe.} – Kyon smiled to himself.

Martha tried to encourage the boy and took his hand impulsively. Her eyes immediately noticed the huge bruise that Martin's fingers had left. She pulled back his shirt sleeve:

«What is this!?»

Kyon was caught off guard and zoned out: {Damned bruise!… Damned bruise?} It wasn't the best excuse but he couldn't come up with a better one:

«It's is my curse.» – He whispered in sepulchral tones.

«What do you mean? It's a huge bruise! And it looks like a handprint!» – Martha closely examined the hematoma, clutching at his hand.

«It's a family curse.» – Kyon lied passionately to protect his lies. – «When spirits predict a death, I get a bruise in the shape of a hand. It was just like this before my grandmother died.»

«Oh… It's unbelievable!» – Martha covered her mouth with her hand, frightened. – «Anyway, I have a perfect cure for your curse. I'll get you the ointment, and the wound will heal in a few hours.» – Martha did not spare the best quality ointment to treat his bruise, even if it was intended for staff only.

Kyon was touched by her concern. He wondered if she truly believed him. It scared him that there were holes in the story about the "curse."

Matha applied gently some golden-colored ointment to the bruise. The skin under her soft fingers tingled a little, but it was a pleasant feeling. Martha tried to get more information about his family curse, but he blundered out only some platitudes.

When the treatment was over, Kyon smiled at Martha:

«Thanks! By the way, I am more or less strong now and want to get back to work.»

«Get back to work? Oh, I see… You don't want to miss the day off.» – Of course, no one in their right mind would be eager to go back to the "galleys," but to be locked up on a day off and miss the market day was not the best prospect, either.

«Yeah. Besides, I want to meet Byron, and someone owes me something.»

Martha giggled:

«You're weird! Alright, when I see Byron, I'll tell him to keep an eye on you.»

Kyon was looking Martha straight in the eyes, which was slightly confusing.

«Cool! What could go wrong when he watches over me?»

Martha snorted:

«Oh, come on! I will ask him to pick you up after dinner. Your bruise will have healed by then.»

«That's a good idea.» – Kyon nodded gratefully.

Martha called Byron and asked him to drop by after dinner. The 1st ranking slave was responsible for many things. That's why the management provided him with a personal sound transmitter.

If Kyon had designs on Martha, he would have acted somewhat different, more romantic, more audacious and daring. But he wanted her to treat him as a friend and help him at times. Basically, he had achieved his goal.

While Kyon was waiting for dinner, Martha was in her office, thinking. {What abilities might he have? Why is his bruise hand-shaped?} As far as she knew, the spirits or souls could not interact with physical bodies.

After deep thought, she considered that everything could happen in life, including weird boys.

After dinner, Kyon stared with astonishment at his hand that had recovered with no trace of the bruise. The local medicine turned out to be capable of something. Since Synergy was idle, Kyon directed it to clean his body, reduce energy consumption, and increase immunity.

Byron came soon. He was a tall muscular man with an aura of brutality. He gave an impression of a reliable, laconic man. When he entered, Martha changed completely: she straightened her shoulders, flirtatiously turned her hip, drawing attention to the white coat tightly wrapped around her bottom. She went with a little spring in her step to her beau and hugged him gently. She looked embarrassed, though.

{What a great relationship. He wants her and she pleases him.} – Kyon snickered to himself, watching the scene unfolding in front of him.

Martha had known Byron before she came to work at the mine, and they were destined to meet here again.

After a short conversation, Martha called Kyon and introduced him as her friend.

She said goodbye to both of them, wishing Kyon good luck.

«Be careful! Take care of yourself!»

They left the hospital in silence. Byron kept looking at Kyon up and down, which was slightly unnerving.

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Chapter 16

«Martha told me all about you. Is it true that you can knock down anyone with one blow?» – Kyon decided to break the silence. Of course, the doctor didn't provide him with such revelations, but he had to start a conversation somehow.

«I guess she's been exaggerating a lot.» – Byron grunted impassively.

«I think it's really cool that she has such a high opinion of you, don't you?»

«Yeah, maybe.» – All his attempts to get Byron talking failed against the wall of his indifference.

{Fish would envy his talkativeness. It's time to call in the heavy artillery.} – And he said out loud:

«Someone told me that you have a wonderful brother, and you get along very well…»

Of course, Kyon remembered perfectly well Borya's words that the relations between Byron and his brother were far from "normal" and, therefore, he decided to go the other way around… However, Byron's reaction exceeded all his expectations:

«The son of a gun! If only I ever get out of here, I'll tear him into ten thousand pieces!» – Byron roared, going ballistic at once.

«Did your brother do something to you?» – Here it is at last!

«The fucking bastard kicked me out of the family and sold me into slavery!»

«Why did he sell you? Did you do anything bad?»

«Because I was weak… I was the only one in the family who had failed to connect with the spirit! I lost to a 14-year-old brat, but it doesn't justify his actions. Hell… I'm so sick of it…» – The hatred in Byron was so strong that he started to hyperventilate. He couldn't care less that a boy he barely knew had just gotten the lowdown on him. Byron just needed to let off steam.

{Hmmm, this man doesn't strike me as smart. He is willing to share his ugly biography with just anyone. But it works for me.} – Kyon chuckled to himself and continued pulling strings:

«How do you imagine tearing him into ten thousand pieces if you're the weakest in the family?»

Byron answered through gritted teeth:

«I'm going to find someone who will do it for me!»

«It's a good approach, but if he could give you to slavery, then you have no money or important connections. How are you going to hire someone for nothing?»

«I don't know.» – Byron lowered his head, clenching his fists so tight that his knuckles turned white.

«I see how determined you are, and I'm willing to help you.»

«You?» – He could see sneer in Byron's eyes. – «You can't help me. Forget it.»

«That's where you are mistaken… I have lots of influential friends outside the mine who will do everything for me.»

Some people might despise Byron for wanting revenge by proxy but not Kyon. "All is fair in love and war" – that was his credo.

«Don't make my fists laugh! Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds? A weak kid who is in slavery in the mine tells me he has connections! Then what are you doing here? Have you come to play with the stones?» – Byron said bitterly.

Kyon clicked his tongue:

«You might have heard that I was brought here as an exceptional delivery, all by myself. Why do you think I was so "honored"?»𝔫𝞸𝑣𝚎𝐿𝔲𝚜𝓑.𝗰𝑜𝑚

«I have no idea. What is it supposed to mean?»

«That my family, the one who sold me here, has a great influence! I'm going to seek help among the influential friends of mine…»

«Hmm … I don't understand. Enlighten me.» – Byron didn't sound so skeptical this time.

On the way to the common hall, Kyon diligently pulled the wool over the eyes of the gullible listener. It was a sob story that hit Byron really hard. Kyon told him that he was also the weakest in the family and, just like Byron, could not connect with his spirit. That's why his status in the house was lower than a servant. He made a good scapegoat for everything that had been going wrong in the family, and then they finally exiled him to this hole. Their betrayal hit him real deep (at this point, Kyon played a single man's tear). But despite his status, he had influential friends (he swelled up with pride for himself) that were probably looking for him and were waiting for his sign to do everything he needed.

"The end justifies the means." Kyon couldn't care less that there wasn't an ounce of truth in his tall tale. The moral component didn't matter to him. He cared only about results! Kyon needed to get close to Byron, become kindred spirits with him, at least a little bit.

His story touched the simple-minded man. It never occurred to Byron to doubt the truth of Kyon's words.

«You have faced a lot of upsetting injustice.» – Byron said slowly when Kyon finished his story. – «My problems are nothing compared to yours… However, it's beyond me why they did it?! You are so young…» – He shook his head angrily, wondering why human beings could be so callous. Then he stroke Kyon's hair: – «You can always come to me if you need any help. We are brothers in misfortune, after all.»

«I will. By the way, they have confiscated my tools, and I have no new ones… Can you help me out?»

«No problem. What if I send you to number 9? This group is responsible for screening spiritual stones from the rocks. The job is much easier than swinging a pickaxe or battering the ore.»

«I agree!» – Kyon grinned from ear to ear.

«It's a deal, then. I'll introduce you to Osip at the end of the working day. He's the warden of group number 9. Take a rest until then. I have to distribute the earnings among the wardens.» – Byron shook Kyon's hand in solidarity and farewell and closed the door to the common hall behind him.

The unpretentious hall was carved into the mountain. It was huge and could accommodate half a thousand people or even more. At the moment, it was empty: everyone was at work. Lighting crystals were attached to the high ceilings. Here and there were stone tables, chairs, and stools. A sort of mini-stage was constructed against the wall. There were eleven doors (apparently the entrance to the "apartments") and a small door to the bathroom in the farthest corner.

{It is a pity that Byron was in a hurry. I have so many questions for him…} – Kyon sighed, looking around his current place of residence.

Kyon wanted to learn about cultivation, particularly how to activate the keys. Only, Byron could find his questions about basic things rather suspicious, especially after his story about the "influential and powerful family."

Kyon pushed the first door he could find. There were about 30 beds inside, each with a name badge on the headboard. He walked past each of them and memorised all the names in passing. Kyon couldn't find his bed, so he went to explore the next room where he found Mike. He was sleeping, as pale as chalk.

{Poor fellow, he hasn't fully recovered and now he has to call in sick.}

If Mike didn't go to work, he wouldn't get any food. Nobody envied Mike. Alas, there was nothing Kyon could do to help him at the moment.

Two of the 11 rooms were locked. {There must be the bedrooms for the wardens and the leader.}

When Kyon finally found the bed with his name on it, he lay down and tried to rest. {Dinner in the hospital is served at 7 pm, the working day starts at 6 am and lasts 15 hours. Taking into account their travelling time, it's less than an hour before the others arrive.}

Kyon didn't have any kind of watch, but Synergy gave him the correct time to the second, which was quite convenient.

He could also transform Synergy into electrical impulses and use it for his benefit, e.g., playing his favorite music in mind.

It clicked with his mood to stretch his good-for-nothing body. But before that, he had ground the wooden key into dust against the floor to get rid of the last evidence.

An hour later, he could hear the distant chimes. It was the end of the work shift. About fifteen minutes, the common hall began to fill up with noise. The tired workers were coming back, led by the wardens. Many of them immediately went to their bedrooms and fell fast asleep.

Kyon entered the common hall to be spotted at once. Almost everyone was staring at him. He decided that it was all about his young age: a tender 14-year-old boy stood out against the muscular brutes. In fact, there was a rumor yesterday that they found the boy who had been missing for three days – which was surprising – but the news that his formation was out of order shocked everyone.

In all the commotion, Kyon easily found Byron. He was talking on the move with a man aged 50-55. Apparently, the big guy wasn't talkative only with strangers. When they came closer, Byron waved to Kyon:

«Kyon, meet Osip, the head of group nine and your new warden.»

Kyon held out his hand:

«Nice to meet you.»

Osip shook his hand, frowning:

«Keep in mind, boy, I'm very strict when it comes to the quality of work. I hope you won't let me down!»

«I will do my best!» – Kyon nodded, seriously pretending to be an enthusiastic workaholic.

«That's what I wanted to hear. I'll give you a quick tour and give you everything you need on the first day of the week, just before work.» – Osip said goodbye to Byron and went to his group.

«Osip is very conscientious. Don't skip out on your work, or he will punish you.» – He glanced at his back and added quietly: «Actually, he didn't want to take you, but he did me a favor as a friend.»

«I get it. I won't let you down.»

Byron nodded and went to his private bedroom.

Osip was a slave of the 2nd rank, a warden. He got a decent percentage of the over-fulfillment of the norm of his group. That's why he had always been very meticulous. Well, it was also an inherent part of his character. Osip was a strict but fair boss: he always punished for shirking duties, and very severely as well, but he didn't hold the hard-earned money, either. Kyon liked those odds.

Suddenly, he heard a loud cry from behind:

«Where the fuck have you been, son of a bitch?»

Kyon whirled around at the shout and saw a rapidly approaching tall man with a face contorted from anger. The formation burning on his forehead said John, which means he was Kyon's warden, the one who got a thrashing for losing him. In this case, his rage was quite understandable.

The tall man of a thin build was quickly approaching Kyon, cursing loudly. Pushing ahead like a tank, the warden could not help attracting attention, and now everyone in the room was nodding in recognition. Everyone had long known about the missing boy, as well as the fact that John was to take the fall.

Kyon estimated the aggressive attitude of his former boss and realized that no words would help him. He would have to defend himself.

Running away or hiding behind Byron's back was out was the question. Kyon could stand up for himself with his reaction and movement skills.

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𝑛𝗈𝒱𝑬𝑳𝐔𝚜𝗯.𝑐𝗈𝑚

Chapter 17

«I'm talking to you!» – John approached Kyon and threw a punch aiming right in the face. The next moment, his hand swooshed through the air.

woosh*

Kyon had squatted down, reacting with a speed of lightning. Then he gave Jonn, who was confused with his trick, an icy stare:

«Fighting won't solve anything.»

«How dare you lecture me? I'll teach you how to talk to adults, brat!» – John roared.

Kyon snorted to himself. {Being an adult doesn't necessarily make you smart and experienced… There seems to be no way to avoid a fight.}

The crowd of onlookers had already surrounded them, creating a kind of battle arena. Everyone was eager to see John beat up the skinny boy. Someone openly provoked the warden:

«Knock his lights out, John!» … «Come on, give it to him!»

When John took another swing, Kyon shifted half a step to the side and punched the warden, aiming at his kidney. He was not strong enough, but that's what the pain spot is for.

«Agggr!» – John felt a sharp, stabbing pain and collapsed down onto one knee, his hands pressed to his side, but at that moment, he got another accurate blow right to his temple and saw stars. He felt woozy and dramatically went down, face to the stone floor.

Everyone gasped, including Borya, who arrived when Kyon attacked the warden. It was a sensational knock out. It's not everyday they watched fights like that.

Two brothers, both wardens, broke through the dense circle of the crowd.

One of them snarled, stepping menacingly to Kyon:

«You dared to beat up your warden, you creep!»

The second brother joined in, defiantly flexing his neck:

«It will cost you dearly!»

{I won't cope with these two under the circumstances…} – Kyon thought sadly and held his hands up in a gesture of conciliation:

«Technically, he's not my warden anymore, so I had the right to defend myself!»

They laughed out loud at his diplomatic effort to resolve the problem:

«Haha! What rights are you talking about, you miserable slave?»

The second brother decided not to waste time for chit-chat and punched Kyon in the guts.

«What the hell is going on!?» – Byron roared and rushed out of his room, disturbed by the commotion. He didn't even have time to make his tea, screw them all…

Of course, his yelling could not stop the approaching fist, but Kyon was on guard. He could see the blow as if in slow-motion. It was a shame not to dodge.

woosh*

When the leader of the 1st rank squeezed through the crowd, he saw Kyon as good as new, innocently batting his eyelashes, and John down at his feet, clutching his side and spewing incoherent curses. The two wardens were looking at Kyon unkindly but lacked the courage to do anything in the presence of their boss.

Byron repeated the question sternly.

«The brat has beaten his warden, and we are punishing him.» – One of the brothers reported and pointed to John, who could not rise.

The second nodded to Kyon:

«How should we punish him, chief?»

Byron took one long look at the aggressors and said in a tone that tolerated no objections:

«The boy has another warden now, which means that John has beaten a member of another group and has to pay for this.»

The brothers looked at each other and left displeased. John was not their friend, and they were not going to argue with the boss because of him. They were always ready to pick a fight, but they steered away from trouble.

By then, John had stood up and was staring furiously at Kyon:

«Fucking skunk, how dared you to beat me? I am your boss here!»

Byron approached the warden, grabbed ahold of his shirt and lifted him up off the ground. Then he said calmly:«Did you hear me? He is no longer under your command.»

The people in the crowd knew Byron's style of conflict resolution, but he never ceased to amaze them by his brutal virility. Kyon had also made some conclusions regarding Byron's nature.

John gasped for breath. He could hardly squeeze out:

«I understand, chief. My apologies.»

At once, he found himself on the ground, rubbing his neck, drilling Kyon with his eyes, full of hatred.

Byron changed his mind to punish John. The warden had suffered enough.

The crowd began to disperse, going about their business, only Borya stood still.

Byron muttered to Kyon, wearily rubbing his temples:

«Well, well… It didn't take you long to bring it down on your head.»

«It was bound to happen anyway, sooner or later.» – Kyon shrugged.

When the boss left, Borya nervously approached Kyon:

«Wow, I didn't expect you would get in trouble on your first day back! But… I can understand John, too.»

«The worst is yet ahead, I guess. Don't be surprised next time.» – Kyon chuckled.

Borya's eyes sparkled with interest, but the next moment, he slapped himself in the forehead and took out a wad of cash from his pocket:

«By the way, here is my debt. Two thousand rupees, as agreed.» – He reluctantly handed Kyon the banknotes.

Kyon took the money, completely ignoring his mournful sigh.

«If you want to bet for money, I'm always at your service.»

«Hell, no! I'm not going to bet with you anymore, haha! By the way, if you want to make some quick money, they are going to gamble in an hour. If you are sure of your luck, I'll be waiting for you at that table.» – He nodded to the far corner.

«OK, I'm intrigued… What's it about?»

«The king's treasure.» – Borya puffed out his chest as if he had invented the game and brought it to the masses.

«What are the rules?»

The rules were, in fact, simple: four players, one deck of 72 cards, four suits, one of which is the trump. Attacking cards may be beaten by a higher card of the same suit. The attack may be launched by the attacker and the person on the defender's left. The winner is the first person who leaves the game without cards in hand. The last player to leave the game pays a double stake. The winner takes it all. It was all too easy, classic, and boring. Kyon couldn't understand why Borya had mentioned luck in the game where it was enough to remember the cards and, if possible, keep an eye on the cheaters.

«All right, wait for me. I'll be there when the game starts.»

A short chubby man named Babil, another warden, was a witness of their conversation. With his cunning piggy eyes, he noticed the bald man hand the boy a good amount of money. He immediately came up with a plan on how to lighten the little brat's burden. Babil exchanged meaningful glances with two big men on his sides, who were the guards of the 3rd rank and the bouncers rolled into one.

Kyon noticed their sneer and winks.

{According to Borya, money can buy a lot here: food, books, freedom, after all. If I am not planning to spend my life in the mine, it's time to take the first steps.} – Kyon thought, throwing a sly glance at the table where they played for high stakes.

About 30 minutes to go before the game. Kyon took a walk around the hall, discreetly watching and listening to people talk about the upcoming evening round. Then he went to Byron's door and knocked softly. He heard him grumping: «Who is it now?»

«It's me. I need your help.»

Byron reluctantly opened the door and let the boy in.

The room was well furnished, with a wall to wall carpet. Kyon caught sight of a Rubik's cube, two apples, lots of pulp novels, one of them still opened.

«Holy cow, it's been five minutes and you've got yourself into some shit again?!» – Byron exclaimed with righteous fury.

«No, not yet. I'd like to gamble for high stakes.»

Byron was taken aback:

«With the wardens, or what?! They'll strip you of everything you have! I can't help you here…»

«What if I win?»

«Well… It's next to impossible… Do you have a plan?» – Byron was familiar with the local card cheaters' system, but he had also found out that the boy had endless potential.

«Yeah. I need you to come over and watch my fourth game with Babil. I might need your support if I win fair and square. I am sure they will stand their ground by hook or by crook.»

«Hmm… There will be a lot of wardens… They won't give me a pat on the back if I stand up for you for no reason… But if the truth is on your side… Hmm…» – Niggling doubts were tearing Byron apart. On the one hand, he wouldn't mind helping the boy out but certainly not at the expense of his own well-being. Kyon was no one to him, after all.

Kyon saw his indecision and offered a compelling argument:

«I will highly appreciate your help. How about 10,000 rupees?»

Byron raised his eyebrows in surprise and let out a satisfied chuckle:

«Ha-ha-ha! Good money! You have a deal. I'll be there when the fourth game begins.»

Byron earned 15.000 rupees a month. It was twice more than any other warden could make in a month, and five times more than a healthy, eager slave could ever have. And yet, some extra grands would never hurt.

More than half of the people in the hall had gone to their bedrooms. The rest had stayed to spend the evening in good company, having a chat and playing different games.

About seven people had gathered at a small table in the corner. There were no wardens among them, only slaves of the 3d rank. Borya was also there.

When Kyon came up to them, the bald guy introduced him to his friends and continued watching their game.

Each player was dealt six cards. A few seconds of reflection, and they made their bets.

Kyon was in no hurry to take part in the game. He watched a few rounds, making conclusions. His attitude bummed Borya out: why on earth did he come?

Finally, Kyon joined the players. The stakes were quite low, from about 50 to 100 rupees. No one was eager to go broke. Besides, ordinary slaves never had much money.

This time, everyone bet a hundred rupees to get Kyon started.

Kyon had been watching these dupes long enough to realize that if he started winning all the time, they would refuse to play with him. The stakes were ridiculously low, anyway. He could afford a few "failures." Kyon safely lost the first game. He won the second and the third… In half an hour, Kyon had won 4 times. He was four times the 2nd and the 3rd to leave the game, which earned him a total of 1200 rupees.

The players weren't pleased with the "newbie," even Borya didn't stop grumbling. Kyon didn't care so much about money. He wanted to draw attention to his humble person at the other table, where big guys played big and won big. Soon, the opportunity presented itself:

«I see you're being lucky, boy. You want to play big-time?» – He heard Babil's loud voice at his side. He had finally condescended to invite the kid in their game.

Kyon had been expecting him. He put on the air of a simpleton. There it was, the moment Kyon had been waiting for so long! He bleated insecurely, staring at Babil with frightened eyes:

«A-a-are you suggesting I play with you?»

Babil grunted smugly: what a dummy.

«Sure! What do you want with those beggars? Come to our table! You can make some money if your luck does not run out.» – He mentally rubbed his hands in glee: {A fool and his money are soon parted.}

The "beggars" stared at the warden with hatred, but Babil didn't bat an eyelid. What could they do to him? The two loyal men on his either side would knock all their teeth out if need be.

Borya finally worked up the nerve to say to Kyon:

«Don't listen to him! This bast… He is a cheat. He wants to rip you off! The wardens play together!» – He wanted to add something else but stopped short just in time.

Both guards defiantly cracked their knuckles, but Babil stopped them with a gesture "there was no command to attack." If Kyon refused to play, then they would show the bald one what the broken bones looked like.

Kyon turned around, put his hand on Borya's shoulder and gave him a warning look: do not interfere. Borya nodded uncertainty.

Babil repeated with a grin:

«Are you coming? We have big stakes coming up.»

«Yeah… Let's do it.»

Borya sighed and watched Kyon leave with a sympathetic look. Babil and his company always tricked the newcomers out of their money. Kyon didn't stand a chance.

Kyon asked about the rules on the way to the "elite" table. The game was called the Emperor's Treasure. It was almost the same, only with an obscene number of cards and players. There were 12 players at the table, 196 cards in the deck. The first player to leave the game took 50% of the total stake, the second took 30%, the third took 20%. The loser paid double and shuffled the deck. The attacking cards went to the defender from the attacker and two players on the left of the defender. In other words, a player on the defender's' right and two people on the left throw in cards. The game consisted of two rounds.

«I will play on one condition. I want to watch a couple of games before I join in.»

Babil shrugged:

«Whatever.»

About 20 people watched them approach the big table. Fifteen of them were wardens. Some looked at Kyon with contempt, others with anticipation, a pity flashed in someone's eyes. But mostly, they were mocking him.

Babil opened his arms and said solemnly:

«Everyone, this is Kyon. Today he will give us… I mean, he will play with us!»

Among the players, there were the two brothers who meant to give Kyon a thrashing. They didn't shake his hand and snorted instead of a greeting.

Everyone took their seats and began to discuss the stakes. After the general vote, they agreed on 1200 rupees.

Kyon whistled to himself: if he won and took 50% of the total stake, he would get 6000 rupees. Good money… At least, it was definitely more than he had on his account at the moment.

When the first game was over, Babil was the third to leave. One of his buddies was the second. The winner grabbed the whole pile from the center and counted the money. Then he gave the share to the second and third. It was the rule.

The hubbub at the players' table was even more deafening than usual. Every now and then, there were joyful or indignant shouts. Many of the players drank tea or beer, cracked jokes, exchanged tall stories that caused interchangeable bursts of laughter and grumpy demands to focus on the game.

When the second game was over, the stakes were at 1000 rupees.

This time, Babil lost and looked inquiringly at Kyon, but he shook his head. He took a pass on the game again.

The third game was over. The stakes were at 1300 rupees. Babil lost again, one of his buddies left the second.

When it was the end of the fourth game as well as the warden's patience, Kyon sat down at the table and declared, gently placing two banknotes of 500 rupees on the table:

«I bet 1000 rupees.»

Several people looked at each other and nodded in a hardly noticeable way.

Babel rejoiced:

«Let's respect the beginner and leave it at this stake!»

The rest of the players supported him.

Kyon had no trouble identifying Babil's accomplices: they gave loads of different nonverbal cues, such as nodding, blinking, simple moves, and so on. Like no one was watching them, yeah. It was easy to detect seasoned grifters and cheats. In fact, almost everyone at the table played in groups. If Kyon was an average boy, he would probably lose his last penny and got into debt. Especially given the fact that he couldn't leave the game until it was over. And it means two rounds in a row.

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Chapter 18

The first round began. Kyon was sure that the wardens were not going to screw him out of his money at once. First, they would beckon him with cheese, then they would shut down the trap. At the end of the first round, Kyon was the second to leave, which earned him 2600 rupees. Now he had 5800 rupees.

The scoundrels were going to achieve more than ripping him off. They aimed to force him to go into debt. Kyon instantly knew it but didn't show it. He pretended to be happy-go-lucky. They all sneered around him.

The stakes in the second round were raised to 1200. Kyon was the 6th to leave, so he lost his bet. Now he had 4600 rupees left.

After the second round, Kyon pretended that he was done playing and wanted to leave, but they stopped him just in time:

«Come on, do another game. You're on a winning streak!» – Babil exclaimed "enthusiastically" and took a seat closer to Kyon to attack him at the next round.

That's what Kyon had been expecting. He "reluctantly" allowed to talk him into it.

Now the real game began. As Kyon had foreseen, Babil escalated the situation, offering to increase the stakes up to 3000 rupees. To the warden's astonishment, Kyon agreed too quickly. The other players nodded in agreement, too. Babil was rubbing his hands in anticipation: they had found the loser they needed. The second round would take place, by all means! Those were the rules.

It was common practice for the wardens, a way to earn extra money and send a message to the unwanted newcomers at the same time. Kyon was not a newcomer, but he had already pissed off the two wardens, brothers Tweedledum and Tweedledee. The fate of the boy was sealed. Nobody used to pay him attention. Kyon looked like a plucked chicken that could be finished off with a stick. He would have died before paying off a part of his debt. Now, after his time in the hospital, he got stronger. Besides, he suddenly had money on him, and the wardens had graciously agreed to make his burden lighter. When someone won during the sham game, the stake returned to all but the new player, which means Kyon would be the only loser.

The crowd of onlookers had already gathered around them. A pile of money in the center of the table attracted everyone's attention. Only Borya was missing. He knew too well what was going to happen and didn't want to watch his young friend lose.

Byron had taken a seat at the distant table, watching Kyon quietly.

Kyon looked tense. He was being attacked by three players at once. Soon, he was holding a pretty fan of cards. He was grinning to himself, though. He could win even with this pile of cards, at least, not be the last to leave the game. However, his goal was a complete defeat. The loser shuffled the deck, and that was all he wanted. At the end of the round, he had half of the deck and owed 6000 rupees, which means he was running a deficit of 1400.

Babil said with a nasty giggle:

«Boy oh boy! You are in debt now! No worries if you have nothing to bet. You can pay off the debt bit by bit. But beware, I strongly recommend you do it on time. Otherwise, who can guarantee you will stay with us safe and sound?»

The wardens high-fived each other and laughed.

Babil continued:

«There's one more round ahead. Take it easy! We are not quite done!»

Kyon did not respond to his provocation. He just turned pale.

The onlookers were outraged. They had watched scenes like this, but it was crossing a line to gloat at destroying someone's life. Many shook their heads with compassion, but there was nothing they could do. They were only slaves of the 3rd rank. One word out of place and they were in big trouble.

At the beginning of the fourth game, as promised, Byron came closer to the table at which Kyon was playing. A huge crowd had already gathered around them.

The stakes in the second round were the highest: 10,000 rupees. The eleven wardens at the table announced it, and Kyon's voice didn't matter. He couldn't leave the game before the second round was over. He might have if he had refused to play in the beginning of the first round. It was too late now.

The people in the crowd shook their heads sadly. They had seen it all before. Indignant whispers ran through the crowd: «What did he do to them?» … «Why would anyone do this to a young boy…»

Bald Borya could not stand the suspense and showed up.

There was a pile of carelessly scattered cards from the previous game on the table. Pretending to be loosey-goosey, Kyon grabbed all the cards to himself. He turned them face up and memorized the position and value of each of them. The men roared with laughter at his awkward attempts to collect the cardboard pieces back in the deck.

«Idiot! Turn them over, face down.» – Someone shouted. The rest did not pay attention to the incident.

The naive wardens had no idea what magic his quick hands could do. Kyon began to shuffle the deck casually, arranging the cards in a particular order.

It doesn't take to be a professional to arrange 36 cards in the ascending order. As for 196 cards… And in a specific order… Its more challenging. But Kyon did a pretty good job.

When it was time to cut the deck, he did a knuckle cut, and the cards took the required positions. He gave six cards to each player.

Byron came closer to Kyon. Babil, who was sitting next to Kyon, tensed up.

The second round began.

Kyon wasn't surprised to see his cards: he had carefully stacked them a minute ago.

The previous winner was the first to attack.

The game ran its course. Some players beat off the attack, the others added cards to the table. Kyon had already learned the way each of them played. Things were following the pattern, just like the previous time.

At last, Kyon was under attack.

Babil attacked with one card, then he added another one… 3… 4. Two players on his right added the 5th and 6th cards. The 6th card was a trump, but Kyon beat off all of them. Things couldn't be more perfect. Some of the players shared a look. Babil spat angrily:

«He just got lucky.»

Byron was watching the game with a smile. The people in the crowd, especially Borya, cheered for Kyon.

Kyon drew six cards from the deck, the other players also took the necessary number of cards. No one had any reason to suspect that the sequence of cards in the entire deck was known, the disposition and the habits of the players were taken into account, and the outcome of the game had long been predicted. The whole game was an open book.𝑛𝗈𝒱𝑬𝑳𝐔𝚜𝗯.𝑐𝗈𝑚

Kyon put on the table six attacking cards, without giving anyone a chance to add anything. The player next to him failed to beat his cards and had to take all of them. Kyon picked up the new set of cards, the last in this round. If he managed to beat them all, he would win. All his cards were trumps.

Things started moving. The tension in the room was high.

The smartass sitting next to Kyon сracked under pressure and decided to cheat. When he was dealing the cards, deftly holding them fan-style, he glanced at the top ten cards but failed to find any trumps. All of them were comfortably settled in Kyon's hands. The man lost his nerve.

The wardens were giving signs to each other, but Kyon didn't care anymore.

The player next to Babil didn't beat off the attack to prevent Kyon from adding anything. Then they began attacking Kyon again.

Babil bombarded the boy with admirable determination, but he beat off all the cards. Two players in front of him added trump cards but… When they found out that Kyon had five trumps, Babil broke out in a cold sweat, the wardens at his sides tensed up, and Byron smiled widely. The audience cheered.

There were only a couple of cards left in the deck. If Kyon beat them all, he would be the first to leave the game.

Suddenly, somebody on the side quietly slipped a card into Babil's hands. He immediately threw it on the table with a winning grin:

«Hehe, luck is so changeable… I guess it wasn't meant to be!»

It was the ace of trumps.

Kyon relaxed. He said with a smile, leaning against his chair:

«I guess, you're right. It wasn't meant to be!» – He defiantly waved the same card.

There was a moment of deathly silence. Somewhere in the distance, a cricket of awkwardness chirped quietly.

Babil jumped up from his seat, nearly overturning the table and roared:

«You have cheated! There can't be two trump aces in the deck!»

The card shark's accomplices clattered approvingly: «He's right!» … «I saw you cheat!» … «You thought you could trick us, you scum?»

«This is coming from someone who has been given a 7th card?» – Kyon said calmly.

Babil cut him short angrily:

«I have only six cards! Are you blind?»

Kyon ignored the angry protests around him. He deftly picked up the scattered banknotes and began to count them methodically. Then he mentioned casually:

«Then what's up your sleeve?»

His impertinence drove the wardens nuts. Two guards and three other men, including the brothers, approached Kyon menacingly:

«Son of a bitch! Put the money back quickly!» … «Drop dead, asshole!»

Byron had timely caught a hand raised to strike Kyon and roared imperiously:

«EVERYONE, STAY PUT! Let Babil show us his sleeves.»

The wardens froze. No one dared to confront the tough guy. The guards did not know what to do, either. Byron could kick them off like blind kittens.

Everyone in the crowd held their breath.

In five seconds, Kyon counted the necessary amount, including the debt, threw the money on the table and snorted with contempt:

«Deal with your problems yourselves!»

«You little scum! Put all the money back!» – Babil screamed and stretched his hands, wishing to tear off Kyon's soul and money as well.

Byron's low roar stopped him:

«Roll up your sleeves, or I'll break your arms.»

Babil slowly turned to the guards and gave them a sign to attack, but they turned away, pretending not to notice him. Byron would break their necks before they knew it. Babil turned to his fellow wardens demanding to back him up, but the situation repeated itself. If Babil hadn't cheated or if he had been a real leader, they might have tried to suppress Byron with the whole crowd.

Deep inside, Kyon was laughing like crazy.

The audience was shocked by what was happening. Borya was the first to come to his senses:

«Yeah. Show us your sleeves! We all want to see what's up there! You have cheated!» – The crowd murmured in consent.

The chubby warden regretted ten times that he hadn't taken Byron into account. Why in the hell did he come? The timing couldn't be more wrong! Reluctantly, he rolled up his sleeves. The card treacherously dropped out his right sleeve.

Byron growled:

«That's what I thought… If you do anything to the boy in the future, I swear I will beat you so that you won't come out alive.»

The greater part of the audience dropped their jaws. A fellow slave of the 3rd rank had deceived the whole bunch of wardens! Was it even possible?! It went against the grain!

«Cheater!»… «Ugh» …«Shame!» – A whole uproar was aimed at the plump cheater. Only his accomplices kept silent. Some of them got up quietly and went to their bedrooms in silent disappointment. The others held a grudge against Kyon, who had already galloped away with a satisfied look and a nice sum of money earned by blood and sweat (albeit not always their own). Alas, they could not go against Byron and the angry crowd. They had to let him go.

Babil counted the money that Kyon had thrown on the table and spat with annoyance. There was no mistake. The other winners had everything to the last banknote.

Kyon counted his riches from a considerable distance, quietly chuckling to himself. {53,600 rupees. Minus Byron's debt, it makes 43,600. Not bad… 15 months of hard work in one night.}

Borya came up to Kyon, clapped him on the shoulder and congratulated him with all his heart:

«You are so cool! You've kicked the crap out of them! I don't know how you did it but now I'm your biggest fan! Keep in mind, the fatso will be seeking revenge. He might talk your new warden into it!»

«I'll be careful.»

Kyon talked with Borya for a while and then went to look for Byron. He found him talking with Osip.

«Here you are. Thanks for helping me out!» – Kyon held out a wad of cash.

Byron took the banknotes with a happy, smiling face:

«You surprised me! I don't know how you did it, but the truth was on your side! You'd better watch out now. I believe they will take my threats seriously, but I told Osip to cover you just to be on the safe side…»

«Great.» – Kyon nodded gratefully to Osip.

They chatted a bit more, discussing the long faces of the cheats, and then Kyon went to his bedroom. He could hear the hungry wolves' jaws clang all around him. The news that he had become rich had quickly spread around the common hall. However, no one dared to hurt him because Byron's patronage did matter.

Beside greedy and envious enemies, Kyon also got himself some admirers. Borya was the president of the fan club. The rest of the night, pilgrims kept visiting him. Some of them came with greetings, the others with warnings. The wardens wouldn't let him be. He should be careful.

Kyon was genuinely touched by their concern.

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Chapter 19

It was late at night.

Kyon was lying in bed, awake. His task was not easy: to find out what the "keys" were and what he should do with them. It was time to sort the things out.

He activated Synergy in his body and sent it to the first key located in the kidney stroma.

The key was a perfect sphere 1 cm in diameter, made of unknown solid material. No liquid, no light, no gas could penetrate it… Synergy succeeded in getting inside, though not without some effort.

Kyon found out that the "key" sphere was not limited to its size. Inside, there was a kind of a long tunnel of unknown length. It was like he had found a little gate to another dimension.

Synergy filled the unknown "tunnel" bit by bit. The ghostly walls were corroded, covered with stains and some obscure layers as if it was a blood vessel mutilated under the impact of atherosclerosis. Here and there were masses of viscous sludge… The passage narrowed and expanded, doing occasional whimsical twists. Synergy flowed around the obstacles like a flexible snake stubbornly working its way.

In some places, it was difficult to get through for no apparent reason as if the energy was going against the current of a raging river. Sometimes, the invisible pressure prevented it from moving further. Other times, the walls of the tunnel covered with micropores absorbed Synergy just like a hole in the spacecraft sucks everything into non-existence.

Synergy was penetrating deeper and deeper. For some reason, Kyon couldn't accurately estimate the distance it traveled. It might have covered an inch or a whole yard.

Eventually, Synergy had overcome the last obstacle…

«Ahhh!» – Kyon let out a quiet moan of pleasure. He had never expected such emotional turmoil. The feeling was indescribable as if he had touched his very core. It was a moment of insight, revelation. He felt enlighted after discovering the essence of existence. It was as if he had been thirsty for days and finally reached the spring water. The substance Synergy had touched was beyond the sinful world. Inside, the soul turned out to be an alive, self-sufficient aerial world. Moderate winds slowly rotated in a circle, concentrating around the keys in the spiritual body.

Kyon allowed himself to savor the thrill of the uncanny feeling.

{This… Is it the soul?}

The soul resonated with Synergy as if it were its natural habitat. Synergy felt vibrations that didn't exist in the physical world. They came from space beyond the soul. Wild winds collided with the shell of the spirit and turned into cold gusts like those in the eternal snows at the top of Mount Everest. The process was similar to the protection of the planet by the atmosphere from cosmic radiation.

Kyon tried to determine the size and shape of the soul and found out that it coincided with the outline of his body to the point of the facial features and even clothing. He felt the place where the 10th element was supposed to be, near his head, and stumbled upon an invisible hard barrier in the shape of the brain. He could not move further, not even a little.𝑛𝔬𝓋𝚎𝐿𝔲𝚜𝔟.𝒸𝒪𝑀

{Who knows, maybe my achievements in the field of Synergy from the past are sealed in this hard substrate?}

Kyon tried to change the perspective and penetrate it from the body. He repeated the process of entering the key but failed. He had to leave it for the time being.

Kyon began to check the other keys. The situation was the same. The passage was strewn with obstacles, corrosion, blockages. Different keys had different obstacles in their "tunnels." Synergy either rushed to his soul in the unstoppable flow or pushed its way through all the barriers drop by drop. All the channels leading to the spirit were tied in a knot. It wasn't hard to untie them, but there was one thing that bothered him:

{It's weird. All this is unlikely to have formed by itself. I am sure a considerable amount of time and effort has gone into creating it all!} – Kyon remembered Martin mentioning that his keys had been acting up.

Thanks to Synergy that had penetrated through any cracks, Kyon was able to feel his soul. But the elemental energy in this world wasn't that nippy, which means he had to work hard, cleaning the channels and unraveling the mysterious knots to allow the energy to flow freely from his soul to his body. Now he knew what the concept of "unlocked keys" meant.

Kyon decided not to ask Byron anything. He would figure it out.

He developed a plan of action that he was going to implement with the help of Synergy.

Kyon got down to cleaning the first key. At first, he didn't know where to put all the sludge, toxins, and waste of unknown matter. Unable to find the right solution, he decided to scrape them off the walls and leave them in the tunnel. However, the problem suddenly solved by itself: as soon as Synergy touched the scum, it vanished into thin air. But that's not all: {The time in the channels is distorted… It is difficult to understand how it runs. The process that should take half a day gets done in a minute while the use of Synergy is minimal. Its pure cheating.} Apparently, the whole process would take less time than he had expected.

When Kyon untied the knot in the first key, he felt a burst of energy. After clearing the debris, it felt easier to breathe. His body seemed to grow younger when he got rid of the blockages. He fixed all the microfractures, evened out the width of the tunnel, and found peace, stability, and balance. At last, the feeling of pressure and passing through the water… It disappeared as soon as he got rid of the rest of the defects. The scales fell from his eyes, the world bloomed with new colors, fresh, bright, different. {And it's just the first channel I've unlocked…}

When the cleaning was finally over, Kyon removed the "plug" that he had put there just like any conscientious plumber did when repairing the faucet and…

The unstoppable stream flooded in. The purest fiery energy burst out of the key and spread throughout his entire body. His body had received a new lease on life.

Half a minute later, everything returned to its former state, but a slight fever and other sensations remained.

{It's unlocked!} – Kyon was pleased. The whole process took no more than an hour. One out of nine channels that had been closed before were now functioning.

As he found out later, each channel had its own individual and unique structure that had nothing to do with the organic matter. It was pure energy with a dense structure.

…

About the elements and their purity. (Kyon was going to learn about it in the books tomorrow)

There are nine elements in this world. Sometimes there can be different variations, but their essence is the same. The type of the element determines its level of complexity.

1) The element of the force/spirit/soul energy/pure energy/pure power or just "energy." The key is located in the navel. Level of complexity 1. It's the fundamental element.

2) The element of the water. The key is located in the bladder. Level of complexity 2.

3) The element of the wind. The key is located in the lungs. Level of complexity 2.

4) The element of the earth. The key is located in the stomach. Level of complexity 3.

5) The element of the heat. The key is located in the right kidney. Level of complexity 3.

6) The element of the cold. The key is located in the left kidney. Level of complexity 3.

7) The element of the ether. The key is located in the liver. Level of complexity 4.

8) The element of the light. The key is located in the heart. Level of complexity 5.

9) The element of the darkness. The key is located in the intestine. Level of complexity 5.

Mixing up the energies of different elements, you can get unique features. For instance, the darkness and the light combined create a spatial element. The combination of the water and the cold create ice. The symbiosis of the fire and the air gives incredible destructive power. It is possible to mix any items in any order and combination. It all depends on talent and skills. The higher the total complexity of the mixed elements, the more difficult it gets to control them. It requires lots of experience and power, and a better understanding of the elements.

For example, spatial specialists who can mix up the light and the darkness are highly appreciated as these elements are challenging to master. Flitz, who left the mine, was one of them. The late Martin used to be as well.

The channel is a tube that runs between the physical and spiritual worlds. Between the realms. It is a conductor of energy. On the way outside, it transforms the soul into the element to which the channel belongs.

…

The purity of each element differs. Some channels are more clogged, others are less. It's possible to clean the keys, but it's incredibly hard. Even the wealthiest dwellers of this world could increase the purity of the element by one-tenth at best. People like Kyon and Byron, who were born with badly clogged channels, couldn't even dream of unlocking the key easily. There is also a rule of thumb: the more complex the element, the more impure it is before getting unlocked. For instance, the element of pure energy maintains the highest level of purity, while the elements of the darkness and the light stay respectively at the lowest.

Purity depends on heredity and the techniques that help connect with the spirit, i.e, unlocking all the nine keys. The process usually takes up to 10 years. Apparently, not everyone knows about this "technique." Otherwise, almost the entire population could sooner or later open the keys. The remaining individuals, people like Byron, would have to accept their mediocrity.

For example, three-quarters of people in the mine haven't unlocked their keys, and those who have live in the 7th sector.

The purity of the key is considered an incredible talent. It's rare to have the key of the light or the darkness pure at 35%, the ether at 45%, the cold or the heat at 60%, the earth, the wind or the water at 75%, and the energy at 90%.

The fire benders, people with innate talent whose element of the heat is completely pure, are an outrageously rare phenomenon. The energy benders are those who have unlocked the key of physical power.

Unfortunately, Kyon was still unaware of all this. He was going to buy the necessary books only tomorrow, on the market day. In the meantime, he had no idea that he had become the bender of all the elements in just one night, something other mortals wouldn't even dream of.

…

When Kyon activated the first key, he felt the heat. The second key radiated cold. The third key unlocked with a light breeze that ruffled his hair. The fourth one seemed to unite his soul and body in a single whole. It was easy to guess which key and which organ were responsible for each specific element. The elements of the darkness and the light showed themselves in the most unusual way, performing a spectacular light show. The key of the light seemed to radiate life while the contrary element breathed death.

Meanwhile, a woman was sitting on the highest mountain sat. She was shining with ethereal light. Although her face was beautiful, she looked sick and tired with this place, people, and life.

Suddenly, a sparkle flashed in her soul. Her eyelids opened wide, showing the world her eyes shining like the morning dawn: {Hmm… After all this time, the first in line for human lineage has shown up.}

The spark flashed once again, even brighter than before. Something deep inside told her that there was a second person in the world worthy of her bloodline.

Her eyes darted down through the clouds and the trees. {Can it be that…}

Kyon kept unlocking the keys randomly without even thinking about the sequence. With each next channel, he needed less time to activate his soul.

When the cleaning was complete, Kyon was full of energy. The easiest key, the physical one, started working immediately. But it wasn't all. Kyon felt his Synergy changing, as well. {Yes! I knew it!}

The 10th element of mind had upgraded from the beginning to the intermediate level of Newbie degree (1). The possibilities to use Synergy had increased many times! He had enough power to release it from his body.

Kyon knew that his innate Synergy would upgrade along with his cultivation in this world.

Overwhelmed by almost childlike enthusiasm, Kyon did not notice that someone had long been watching him closely. A figure in the black cloak was hiding in the dark corner, waiting patiently for him to finish the process.

After his joy subsided, he suddenly felt someone trying to penetrate his brain. At the same time, a blue bolt of lightning flashed from his head. Kyon turned in its direction, but there wasn't anything.

Somebody in black wanted to scan his thoughts, but they didn't expect that his mind was Synergy-guarded. Curious… very curious…

It was also weird that the lightning did not make any sound: no characteristic crackle, no explosion in contact with the floor. It was like it had a mind of its own and used its energy solely to hit the target.

{What could it be? Am I seeing things?}

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𝑛𝚘𝓥𝔢𝓛𝑢𝒮𝑩.𝑪𝑶𝕞

Chapter 20

The lightning disappeared with the bell echoing through the whole cave. A new morning, a new working day. The slaves got up from their beds, continuously yawning, and went to get washed. Some of them were surprised to see Kyon standing still with his hair standing on end, but they were half-awake and not interested in the strange boy, so they just passed him by.

As soon as Kyon came to his senses, everything changed: all the sounds had disappeared, he couldn't hear his heartbeat, the only thing he always hear in complete silence. People froze as if someone had pressed the pause button. Their consciousness was in the state of oblivion.

Kyon struggled to move as if his body was caught in an invisible vise. His mind was in a state of total confusion. He was shocked, bewildered, and couldn't think straight. With effort, he looked back and saw a dark figure. She was wearing a floor-length black cape. Magic smoke was floating in front of her face like a veil, but the cape failed to hide her graceful hourglass figure. It was obviously a woman in front of Kyon.

«Ahem… Madame, would you ease on the pressure a bit, please?» – Kyon asked in the most polite tone.

The mysterious lady must have misunderstood him. The pressure increased tenfold, sending Kyon to the floor. He could taste blood in his mouth. Apparently, the recent lightning wasn't his imagination. It was to protect his mind from the invasion of the uninvited guest. {So, she wanted to read my mind, and when it didn't work, she decided to affect my physical body. How nice!}

Kyon decided not to anger the powerful stranger. Still lying on the floor, he murmured plaintively to break the ice:

«Are you after my money?»

The lady had long identified a bundle of banknotes in his pocket, but his question caught her by surprise. She raised her eyebrows and said with a growing irritation:

«I need information, and the currency is your life.» – The ether element altered her voice, but it still was pleasant to hear.

«You see, my life belongs to the Stones family. Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact them.» – Kyon chuckled.

The lady snapped her fingers nervously and touched his forehead with her ivory hand, dissolving Martin's still smoldering formation. However, the mark with the name "Kyon" stayed. The typical tingling announced that she had applied her own formation.

«I am your lady now, and my first order is to tell me how you came to this world.» – She waved her hand, releasing Kyon from the pressure. Her stern demanding eyes bore into him

{Does she know that it's not my body?} – Kyon slowly got up. He could tell that her formation was of subjugating type. It didn't feel so good to know that some bimbo in a cape was trying to mess with his brain.

The next moment Kyon experienced all the discomfort of the controlling formation: the idea of telling his "lady" everything had filled his mind. He couldn't stand the strain. The mere thought that he would tell her everything right here and now, filled his body with ecstasy as if he was making love with the belle of the ball. It was like he was a drug addict who hadn't been using for a long time and finally got the chance to get what he wanted. Her formation must be affecting his hormones. It was pretty efficient, but the trick didn't work on Kyon. He had self-enforced a taboo on any undeserved brain stimulation (not without the help of his teachers), and he wasn't going to cross that line to please the dame.

Time went on. The lady was looking expectantly at Kyon, who stood silent, his head down, looking at the floor. However, his shaking shoulders revealed his uncontrollable fit of laughter.

Showing enough strength of his will, Kyon tossed his hair back and scoffed:

«No, ma'am, it won't do. If you want to know the truth, be my teacher!» – Why not take advantage of the situation?

However, the stranger only shook her head:

«You're playing with death kiddo. You'd better answer my question while I'm still nice.» – The tone of her voice was so powerful that anyone else would immediately obey her. As for Kyon, he found her intonation rather annoying. The meaning of her words didn't bring him any joy, either. Kiddo? No one had ever called him like that!

Kyon snorted:

«Well, it's been amusing. However, I'm not used to giving something without getting anything in return. How about a compromise? I'll tell you everything I know, and you will get me out of the mine.»

Before he could finish the sentence, everything around him disappeared. Instead of the stone room, Kyon found himself in the middle of the boundless sea. He was standing on the water that was surprisingly smooth under his feet as if covered with a thin film, which kept him from plunging into the deep blue sea.

Kyon raised his eyebrows questioningly: {She could easily let me go! Why is she so stubborn!}

The lady in black was looking into space behind Kyon. Finally, she said:

«I always get what I want without giving anything in return. Let me remind you, the currency is your life.»

Following her gaze, Kyon turned around and froze: a huge wave, a few kilometers high, was rushing at them with insane speed!

{Oh gods! Is it an illusion!? It can't be true, can it?}

For a brief moment, fear flashed through Kyon's eyes. He hastily hid the inappropriate emotion: it wasn't in his nature to show weakness. The homegrown goddess would see how to manipulate him at once.

Alas, the lady seemed to see through him. She smiled at his awkward attempt to hide the fear, but her grin was shrouded in the dark haze.

When Kyon mastered his emotions, he said impassively:

«Why go to all of this trouble? You could have taken me out, and I would have already told you everything…» – It can't be anything but an illusion, such waves don't really exist, after all! The drops, the salty breeze… It was all nothing but an illusion, some optical illusion.

She replied in a cold, distant voice:

«You still have some time.» – She enjoyed watching his reaction. However, she could drown him with the same pleasure.

Kyon smiled and continued, trying to keep it together:

«Don't waste your time on such bluff… Could we talk over a cup of tea, instead?» – It never hurts to have an omnipotent (or rather almost omnipotent) friend. Except, his attempts to establish good relations had been one-sided so far.

As there was no response, Kyon sighed and turned back to the horizon. The wind hit his face, tousled his hair, the salt spray in his face made him squint. He was frightened and, at the same time, fascinated by nature's fury. {What an incredible sight.}

Anyone, who saw the impending wave, would shake with fear, but Kyon showed no signs of weakness right until the film under his feet suddenly disappeared, and he plunged into the cold ocean. He came up for air, spitting angrily, but the lady in the black cape was gone.

{Holy crap.} – The icy water and the increasing wind made him doubt his conclusions regarding the illusory nature of what was happening. {Is it worth the risk? She wouldn't lift a finger to help me… But… Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?}

The stranger had taken him to the real ocean, where real waves-murderers happened once in 15 minutes. One of them was moving right at Kyon, with its terrifying mouth open, the crest of the wave with its white fangs on stand-by. Its speed was just below the speed of sound. 5 seconds… 4… 3… 2…

Kyon trusted the voice of his intuition and reason and took a desperate decision to risk his life. His mind told him that he had something to trade, and his intuition whispered that the lady only wanted to intimidate him. If he impressed her, his life might radically change for the better, but if he bent a little once, she would push him around as she pleased.

The wave was looming over Kyon's head. A crazy idea flashed across his mind, {What if I have gone wrong…} when the waters magically opened up into two walls and flew on his sides with incredible speed. The splashes hurt his face, proving that it was no illusion.

Before Kyon could catch his breath, he felt a gentle embrace from his back, and everything had disappeared. The next moment, bright light made Kyon close his eyes already accustomed to the dark, stormy ocean. The clear blue sky stretched over his head. His legs were bouncing on a strange substance resembling a cloud. Bone-chilling cold cut through his wet clothes.

{I've taken an un-unnecessary risk…} – Even in his mind, his teeth were chattering from cold. His wet clothes, instantly covered with hoarfrost, clung unpleasantly to his body. Only one thing made him happy: he had won this small battle and kept his honor unstained. He didn't bow down.

The lady was impressed by the reckless boy. She had met enough crazy people in her lifetime, but no one like him… His calculated move proved he was well aware of her needs to get certain information. If he had shown the weakness once, she would always take advantage of him… However, he was much too cheeky for her liking. It was time to change the strategy.

«Alright, I will give you freedom, but first, you have to answer my question.»

Kyon said nothing, waiting for his teeth to stop clattering (he didn't want to bite off his tongue like this!), and considering opportunities at the same time. Finally, he said:

«I want freedom as well as a brilliant, godlike master like you.»

The clouds turned some shades darker. His insolence was beyond all limits! The lady closed her eyes, trying hard not to turn him to dust. When she spoke, there was an edge in her voice that made it was impossible not to take her seriously:

«I will turn you into a heap of ashes unless you give me a truthful answer after which you may get your freedom.»

Kyon awkwardly cleared his throat. Her threat was almost palpable, it made him feel sick to his stomach. At least, he tried… «Well, then… Can I believe anything you say? What if you will kill me as soon as I am free?»

«My word is worth more than kingdoms and empires. Rest assured I won't kill you.» – The stranger answered calmly, although she was running out of patience.

Kyon stared into the darkness that hid the goddess's face, trying to read her intentions. He had no choice, anyway. Whatever she offered him now, she could easily take away later. He answered:

«The thing is… A few days ago, I woke up with an awful headache… Everything was in a blur… So, I don't have any clear answer.»

The lady clenched her teeth in anger and balled her hand into a fist. She got what she wanted: the boy gave her an exhaustive answer, but the reality did not please her at all.

At that very moment, an overwhelming pressure sent Kyon to his knees. He knocked his head against the cloud that turned out to be pretty hard for some reason. He had difficulty breathing and moving, his blood turned to jelly… An all-consuming fear of imminent death filled his mind, but he blocked it with Synergy.

The sky was filled with dense black clouds, a moment later, it split open with a huge flash of lightning. The sun vanished as if it had never existed.

Kyon could feel the lady's fury. It was annoying to be a scapegoat. He had answered her question, and she was about to kill him instead of granting him freedom.

When the pressure eased a bit, and he could breathe in air without having his lungs torn, Kyon growled:

«I have answered your question! Now, keep your word if it's worth anything, damn it!»

How could he know that she wasn't mad at him? He just happened to be there, plus she wanted to punish him for being too cheeky.

«Who do you think you are, kiddo? Do you really believe I would move a finger for you? I'd sooner make you lose balls. I mean, literally lose them.» – The stranger snorted and shook her hands. She had to calm down and concentrate. Her hope was illusory anyway. There was no need to get worked up because of unfulfilled expectations.

«You'd make me lose balls?! That's coming from the woman who bathed me in the arctic waters, froze me in the icy clouds, broke her promise, and now is going to finish me off?!» – Ice sparkled in Kyon's eyes. It matched the white frost in his hair. He knew she would never let him have it his way, but he had no better choice.

The stranger didn't know if she should laugh or cry. The cheeky boy drove her nuts… Everyone who had the nerve to talk to her like this usually quickly found their death. No man's hand had ever touched her. No one had ever dared to call her a woman. It was disrespectful enough to be turned into ashes.

However, his abnormal behavior piqued her interest, drew her attention to his person, and saved his life. She had another personal reason, but it hardly played any role in her decision-making.

The lady quietly approached Kyon and raised her ivory hand. She sent a powerful black ray into his forehead where it disappeared at once.

«Don't be a disappointment, kiddo.»

Her last words echoed in his head when he woke up in his bed. He was soaking wet and shivering with cold and anger.

Kyon was seething with anger. She could have taken him anywhere outside the mine, but she stubbornly returned him to this rotten hole as if was mocking him. He mumbled something under his breath, angrily brushing off the drops from his hair.

«What the… How!?» – He heard a surprised hoarse voice nearby.

A stunned unintentional witness to Kyon's little walk to nowhere was standing near his bed, his eyes wide open. The boy had disappeared in front of him and reappeared in three minutes!

Kyon got out of bed where the cold water had left annoying puddles, and with a smile patted the man on the shoulder:

«What you don't know will never hurt you.» – He went to the bathroom to wring the water out of his clothes that had entered into an unequal struggle against the ocean and heaven.

The common hall was bustling with excitement: Byron went up to the mini-stage to make an announcement. It was a day off, but almost everyone was in the common hall, waiting for the news and "blessing" for the weekend washing to take a shower and wash their things.

«Attention, everyone! I remind you that next week the family envoy is coming to hold an auction! The one who wins will be promoted to the estate for further service. The mobile market stall arrives in the afternoon. Now quickly do your fucking washing!» – Byron's loud voice echoed off the stone walls.

{So, there's another way to get out of the mine?} – Kyon said to himself.

Everyone in the cave was hollering and yelling, excited by the news of the auction:

«They say people working over there send their families ten times more money.»

«That's true. It's family number one, after all! And the conditions are way better… I mean, the food is good…»

A discussion of eating habits was interrupted by the dreamy, horny voices:

«And I heard there are girl-slaves and totally gorgeous maids! Geez!»

«Maids? Haha, you're a low-flying bird! I heard the patriarch's granddaughter is a real beauty! It is worth to get there just to take a glance at her!»

«Boy, aren't you naive! Who will let you ogle her? You aren't going to have this pleasure even in a hundred years!»

«You are all idiots! Stop dreaming, start doing!»

«Go to hell!» – Someone said with a sad sigh.

«Who, me? That's it!» – The angry shout was followed by a punch and a cry of pain… As a result, there were three victims of loud arguments and discussions.

«Silence! Everyone goes to their wardens!» – Byron barked imperatively, making everyone fall silent at once.

Kyon didn't take part in the general discussion. He was rubbing his chin, lost in thought. {The patriarch's granddaughter? A beautiful girl? It's the best way to gain power… Why not?! It is family number one, after all. Seducing a young girl is easy as one, two, three! It's just easy pickings.}

His masters had always tried to save the boy from two evils: his recklessness and a soft spot for everything beautiful, especially girls.

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Chapter 21

All Kyon had to do was to find out what the mysterious auction was about. He was going to ask Byron all about it when the local warden called him:

«Come here quickly, boy. We are waiting for you!»

A group of slaves surrounded Osip in the far corner of the hall. It was an amusing coincidence that among them was the man who had seen Kyon's morning teleportation. When he saw Kyon coming closer, he moved away, casting frightened glances at the weird boy.

While they were washing, Kyon casually fished for information concerning the future "event." It turned out that the Stone family recruited three slaves of the 3rd rank from each sector at the annual auction. It was an unusual auction where the vacancies were for sale. The slaves who offered the highest price would go to serve in the mansion. Of course, it wasn't freedom, but the working conditions there were much better than those in the mine. Anyway, there were plenty of applicants: the salary in the mansion was higher, and they would send their families more money. Besides, it was easier than swinging a pickaxe. Three vacancies for each sector gave anyone a chance to try and win, especially those who didn't waste their money but saved it.

Fortunately for Kyon, no slaves of the 2nd and 1st ranks could participate in the "promotion." They were the backbone of the hierarchy in the sector. Besides, the quality of their life was much better.

Also, Kyon had to face some unpleasant facts. The employment contract clearly stated that the slaves could buy their freedom only if they had worked in the mine for three years. {Borya said that I had been here for a month. No money can buy my freedom. The only chance to get out of this hole is the auction…}

Kyon was enjoying the warm shower, ignoring the curious glances, the most harmless of which belonged to the admirers and envious guys, those who sympathized with him, and those who wanted to take advantage of the nouveau riche. More alarming were the glances of the wardens who couldn't admit their failure but did not dare to do anything in the presence of so many witnesses. There were a couple of dirty glances, ogling the slim, pretty boy.

Fortunately for Kyon, the money at the mine was waterproof, albeit made of paper. He could safely take a shower, holding it close to his heart, not worrying about its safety.

When everyone had a shower, they returned to the common hall. The cart with daily rations had been arranged on a makeshift stage, where Mob was serving food, casting a glance of contempt at the slaves from his high vantage point. Anyway, they paid him back in the same coin.

The wardens came to the cart in turns and took the food for the whole group when suddenly there was some confusion. Osip said something to Mob through his gritted teeth, but he just waved him off:

«Are you nuts? Back off! N-o spells no!»

The warden spat on the ground and came up to Kyon with a guilty look:

«Mob got his hands on your food… Is there something going on between you two?

Kyon was silent for a while and then nodded hesitantly:

«Yes, there's some… Anyway, I have enough money to feed myself. Thank you for your concern.»

«Stay strong, boy.» – Osip gave Kyon such a heavy slap on the shoulder that it made him sag and went to Byron.

Kyon scratched his head thoughtfully: {That's odd. I thought Mob and I have patched things up…}

Well, no one said it would be easy.

Kyon bought some food from some half-starved scarecrow for 200 rupees. What was for dinner? A bottle of water, a mix between pasta and mashed potatoes, dried fruit… Well, nothing too tempting.

Kyon took a slice of bread and stuck half of it in his mouth. It was fresh a month ago… Diligently chewing a very dried fruit, Kyon suddenly remembered Mike, his ex-roommate. Mob seemed to have seriously injured him. Kyon pushed the first door and saw Mike lying in bed, pale as death, staring blindly at the opposite wall.

{Poor fellow… He doesn't get any food, and he can't return to work.} – Kyon rarely experienced emotional empathy, but now, for some reason, he felt sorry for this simple, innocent guy. He might die unless something was done.

Without a moment's hesitation, Kyon infused the rest of the food with Synergy and handed it to Mike. Then he left without saying a word. He heard a quiet "thank you" in his back.

The second degree Synergy could leave the body only when in contact with solids or liquids, never with gases.

Mike chowed down on food. With each bite, he felt an unexplainable surge of warmth and energy in his body. The pain was gone, his mind brightened up. {What's the hell…}

Synergy contained in his food would automatically use the body's resources to heal the injuries. Kyon didn't regret being generous: the energy would restore within an hour. He tended to maintain it at 99%. The rest was continuously spent on his body needs.

Kyon returned to his bedroom to do some stretching exercises. Twenty minutes later, his body was thoroughly cleaned from all types of contamination. Energy consumption decreased by a third, food consumption slowed down, his immune system got much stronger.

Next, Kyon assigned Synergy a new task of upgrading his nervous system. It had to improve the conductivity, strengthen synapses, restore neuronal and axonal connections. The process was similar to replacing copper wires with silver ones. Upon successful completion, the bundles of axons in the peripheral nervous system would conduct information to and from the central nervous system many times faster. It would also increase his resistance to stress and neurotoxins, create a more harmonious relationship between every muscle group. Synergy would supercharge his senses of touch, smell, sight, hearing, taste, enhancing them beyond limits. Even his penis would be more sensitive to sexual pleasure. However, the whole process was going to take about 15 days.

He heard a loud noise in the common hall. Three men in the uniform – two merchants and a guard with a longsword in the scabbard – had dragged a counter full of goods on the mini-stage and began to arrange merchandise in front of the impatient slaves. There were drinks, groceries, dried meat and fish, canned food, medical potions, games, bed linen, clothing and shoes, books. They could get almost anything with enough money.

The customers shifted from foot to foot at the stage. At long last, they could get letters from their relatives and spend money on all sorts of entertainment and goodies…

One of the merchants started to cry out for customers. Those who were still in the bedrooms came into the hall and stood in line. Kyon was in no hurry. He finished his stretching exercises, checked his keys, adjusted the flow of Synergy. When the crowd around the stalls melted away, he put a bandage made from a piece of cloth on his forehead to hide the formation and started browsing through the goods.

He passed the rows of clothes and food and stopped in front of a small bookshelf. Among the tabloids and fiction, he found the books he needed about the elements, spirit, and body.

Kyon picked up a thick volume and opened it on the first page. Judging by the title, it was about spirit cultivation. Just then, the guard appeared in front of him:

«Hey, pay for the book and then leaf through it all you want!» – He yelled at Kyon.

«I'm just taking a look at the chapter titles to see if there's anything I need. I'll buy the book only if I find it useful.» – Kyon replied calmly.

«Hmm… Alright, but do it quick!» – The guard said with a tsking sound and took a step from the bookshelf, keeping a watchful eye on the suspicious boy.

Kyon didn't mind being watched at all. He could memorize a whole book just leafing through it. What the point in wasting money (which he didn't have that much) if he could get it for free? Kyon took one book after another, quickly flipped through and put it in its place with a self-satisfied smile. He had "recorded" all the available literature, about 20 books, and started browsing through the other goods, getting a blank stare from the guard.

«What's the meaning if this? Are you going to buy anything or not? Do you have any money?» – The guard put his hand on the hilt of the sword, trying to intimidate Kyon.𝔫𝞸𝗏𝗲𝑙𝔲𝓈𝔟.𝓬𝑂𝗆

Kyon chose not to argue about it. He took out a wad of money and shook it at the guard's nose:

«I will buy something else.»

The guard quickly calmed down when he saw the brown banknotes and let Kyon be.

One of the merchants, a plump middle-aged man, was responsible for correspondence, taking orders, and providing information.

Kyon came up to him and asked quietly:

«Could I get some information about a guy named…»

«150 rupees.» – The man interrupted him idly.

Kyon held out three banknotes:

«…named Kyon.»

The man took the money and opened his notebook with the database.

«There's no such name… What's his family name?» – He asked, squinting his eyes at Kyon's forehead, but his name was hidden under the bandage.

{Just as I suspected…} – He was missing from the global database for some reason.

«Well… It doesn't matter… I just wanted to find out the sector where my friend was sent to. It turns out he isn't here at all…»

The man shrugged:

«Are you going to take anything?»

Under Babil's anxious glances (Was the little prick going to spend all the money he had so blatantly stolen from them?), Kyon bought the goods for 7600 rupees. He took a backpack, a 1-week food supply, a change of clothes. He wanted to buy weapon, but it wasn't on the list. The shopkeeper counted the money, looking quite pleased. As for Kyon, he was happy to have 38,000 rupees left in his pocket.

Babil and the other "robbed" wardens breathed a sigh of relief. Most of their money was still on the boy, even if only for a short time: they were going to give him a good beating the next day and take away everything that belonged to them by right.

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Chapter 22

Kyon was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, his hands behind his head. {So, it turns out that my name is missing in the database. Something tells me it must be Martin's doing… I wonder what will happen when someone finds out. I'd better keep my mouth shut. I have enough food, and that's something. Now I understand why Mob didn't have any daily portion for me… According to the documents, I don't exist at all.}

Kyon started analyzing the information he had memorized. (The information from chapter 19)

Without getting into details, he learned about the local customs and traditions. The planet was called Life, the two moons were its satellites. Yin was dark and Yang was light. However, they were usually referred to as the light one and the dark one.

Kyon had also read about the elements, the channel purity, how to connect with spirit and unlock the keys.

{It's a rare thing to be a master of elements… What would I do without Synergy? I would have never cleaned my keys by 100% on my own. It's impossible. Otherwise, only masters of elements would be parading about. I guess I can help others with key cleaning, though. On second thought, however… They will tear me apart for souvenirs!} – Kyon snickered to himself.

The books told him how to get more powerful in this world. It all came down to soul cultivation, which could be done only in a strong body. "Strong in spirit, strong in body," that's the basic cultivation rule.

There are only two ways to cultivate the body.

First, with the help of enzymes, microscopic energy balls that reinforce the cells. They can be found in products of animal and vegetable origin.

Feeding on enzymes rebuilds the body into a new, stronger and unique structure, improving all its characteristics, making the thorny path of soul cultivation easier.

However, there's a downside: enzymes overload the body, in particular the kidneys, the liver, all the organs responsible for cleaning the blood. Enzymes are heavy stuff, they can be toxic in large doses.

It leads to another downside, which causes dizziness and headaches. In fact, enzymes are often defective and unsuitable for body renewal. They stay in the system for a long time with no use, slowing down the cultivation. That's why food with low content of defective enzymes is always of great value.

Also, weak (sick or old) bodies don't absorb enzymes properly, making it harder for the soul to cultivate. The cultivation speed slows down, freezes, and even reverses.

There is no need to get obsessed with enzymes at all. A strong soul can push the body forward, but it won't become much powerful in the end.

There's a side effect to the intensive body cultivation with no soul evolution. The soul will eventually catch up with the body and get stronger by itself.

Both sides pull each other like dogs on a short leash.

Second, nurturing a unique body that has a variety of characteristics and features.

There also exist innate unique bodies, like the one that Martin tried to find in Kyon.

Unique bodies can be nurtured one at a time. First of all, it's required to take a unique body pill that serves as a springboard for its growth. There are different ways to raise the unique body rank, from special training to consuming specific things. The higher the rank, the more significant features the unique body gains.

Summing up: Body cultivation can be done with the help of enzymes or by nurturing a unique body.

Enzymes make the body stronger and faster. They help the mind become more efficient in making decisions, thinking, reflecting. The signals reach the muscles faster, making the organs work much more effectively.

As the unique body grows, it gains a variety of abilities or features, from particularly strong skin/bones to resistance to some elements.

The ways for the soul cultivation are the same.

First, setting cycles of energy consumption and recovery. Doing it during focused training, not just randomly, significantly increases the cultivation speed.

Second, consuming certain substances both of natural and synthetic origin. However, this method is useless without applying the first one.

Cultivating the body cultivation with useful enzymes, nurturing a unique body, following specific rules and energy cycles, doing training and taking useful substances will sooner or later result in reaching the peak stage of base phase (1), followed by the transformation, the transition to the next phase, which is the main objective of anyone who wants to get stronger, in other words, become more influential and respectable.

Kyon was impressed – {This world is amazing. It's like playing a game, only it's real. Each next level opens infinite possibilities to get even stronger, there is no room for complacency… I've discovered a world of endless opportunities. No virtual reality games come anywhere close to this… I'm 100% sure the environment is not simulated, no computer simulation could be this intense… They say it's impossible to recreate the details down to the atoms, even in theory.}

Kyon was right. In his world, it was impossible to create such a detailed simulation.

He reviewed all the information and caught himself thinking that it would be easy to keep his body in good health and strength with the help of Synergy. {As soon as I reach the student's degree (2), old age will be nothing but empty words.}

Unfortunately, Kyon didn't find any books on the elements and techniques. He would have to start from scratch.

Having sorted out the knowledge in his head, Kyon decided to take a break from mental activity and have a bite. He needed something nutritious to keep him strong for the impending big fight.

When his stomach was full, he started doing stretching exercises. He was making progress: another 30 hours of practice and his body would be in perfect shape. Synergy quickly healed all the microtraumas in overstretched muscles and tendons, so it didn't take him long to recover. This entertaining activity kept him busy all day. It was already late evening.

Kyon rubbed his tired neck: he seemed to have over-exercised, after all. Then he remembered his old acquaintance, Mike, who had had a rough time… Kyon walked out of the bedroom, nodding thoughtfully to himself.

The common hall was empty. Everyone had already left and was now snoring in their beds. Kyon made his way to Mike's bedroom and heard his measured breathing. Mike was sleeping. Kyon touched his carotid artery, sending a stream of Synergy through the bloodstream:

{The complete bone restoration has already started. However, he is far from getting better. With his lifestyle, there's no way he will recover any time soon.} – Kyon shook his head and poured half of his energy reserves into Mike's system. Synergy would activate and direct Mike's body resources to heal the injuries. Tomorrow he would be able to go to work. Kyon had never had a disposition to benevolence, but he decided to ignore the mystery of his compassion: he had no time for self-analysis. {It costs me nothing, anyway.}

Kyon couldn't help yawning. It was far past his bedtime. «I guess my work here is done…»

Mike woke up when he felt a strange intrusion into his body and opened his eyes as soon as Kyon left: {Is he really… healing me?}

dream*

…

Earlier that day, Martha had checked all the medicines and consumables, just like she always did once a month. She checked off the list which medications were enough, and which she was running out of, took a closer look at the expiration dates and the package integrity, checked the condition of the surgical instruments, among which there was a blunt scalpel (wasn't it perfectly sharp last time?) that had to be sharpened. Martha counted the exact number of syringes, vials, bandages… Everything must be accounted for. The doctor was meticulous and thorough in her little kingdom: everything was in the proper place, reflecting her accurate records.

When Martha discovered one vial missing, she thought it must be some mistake. She double-checked, but the result was the same. It was weird. Who could have taken it? She always locked the office. The only one she allowed in her abode was Byron, but he had no reason to steal such a little thing, he could always ask her to give him anything. No one else had entered her office lately, except maybe…

Her memory conjured up the episode when Bob's crazy dog suddenly began chasing Kyon around the hospital. In the commotion, the boy rushed in the open door running away from the dog. However, he didn't have enough time to take the vial, let alone fill it with anything. That's pure nonsense.

Her gaze involuntarily fell upon the drawing that Kyon had given her. {Little brat…} She had to admit that his piece of art and his attitude were rather embarrassing. It was crazy of him to hug her like that! He hadn't been feeling frisky since then, though. What was his problem? What had bitten him and made him get all handsy with her?

Thoughts about Kyon led Martha down memory lane. Martin's death made a lot of noise. She recalled that terrifying scene again: the lifeless body on the floor, and the old servant sobbing over his master. Pink's mind couldn't handle it. He wouldn't stop crying, saying again and again that no one had ever died of a piece of bun and swearing to find the truth.

Martha shook her head. There was something disturbing point about that. Kyon's bizarre behavior raised a few red flags: his bad feeling, his request to make a call during his conversation with Martin, a far fetched story about a mysterious curse… His bruise… Did he really think she would believe in this bullshit about the "curse." Was she a doctor or a worthless bag of bones? Could she possibly fail to recognize a fresh bruise that suspiciously resembled the shape of a hand…

Led by her intuition, Martha went to the chiller cabinet with painkillers, tranquilizers, regenerative medicine… Here it was, a glass bottle with sedative. Her sharp eyes instantly noticed that some of the liquid was missing, which means that the disappeared vial wasn't that empty.

This thought sent a shiver up her spine. Had she contributed to Martin's death?! Could Kyon have secretly slipped into her office? He couldn't walk through walls, after all. Or maybe?…

A nasty worm of doubt appeared in Martha's soul. Her thoughts kept running back to the things she found missing. The scalpel went "suddenly" blunt as if someone was carving wood with it. Deep inside, the invincible worm of doubt was growing. Martha remembered a strange spot on her key that couldn't possibly be there. She had always been exceptionally neat and tidy. What if the "spot" was a trace of modeling clay? What were the chances that Kyon had stolen her key and made a copy for himself?

All these doubts and suspicions gave Martha a headache. She must have read too many detective stories that gave her a load of nonsense. The blunt scalpel was just a blunt scalpel, the spot on the key could be anything, the vial accidentally broke, and the sedative evaporated. As for Kyon's strange behavior, he was no ordinary boy, after all. It could be explained by puberty, hormones…

No matter how hard Martha tried to persuade herself, her conscience and logic demanded that she accepted the facts. The gut feeling that Kyon had taken advantage of her kindness only made her feel more miserable. Anger, doubt, fear, guilt mixed up inside her, getting her emotions running high. Martha couldn't stand it anymore, she burst into tears, crying her eyes out.

Mob was standing behind the door to the hospital, hesitant to knock. He wanted to take Martha for a walk along mountain paths, tell her jokes, make her a surprise… But the plan stalled at the outset: he had to open the damned door, and he couldn't bring himself to grab the handle. He took a deep breath…

«Who's there?» – Martha heard a noise from the corridor, but she was in no hurry to let the visitor in.

«It's me, Mob. May I come in?»

After a few seconds of silence, she said: «I'm busy at the moment.»

«It's a matter of great importance.»

«Hold on. I'm coming.» – Martha sighed heavily, turning the key in the lock. – «Come on in, don't just stand there.»

Mob was absolutely flabbergasted when he saw her tear-stained face. All the neatly-turned phrases he had prepared instantly slipped his mind.

«So, what was so important?» – Martha mumbled wiping her face.

Mob scratched his nose, emerging from the stupor.

«I… I lied. There's nothing important.»

Martha stamped her foot angrily:

«Then why in the hell… are you keeping me from my work?»

«I just wanted to see you… To ask how you're doing…» – Mob apologized while Martha was literally pushing him out of the hospital.

«If you're that bored, go and bother our cook. She might return your feelings!»

This prospect – the mentioned cook weighed a ton! – made Mob shudder. But Martha's attempt to distract him and get him out of the door failed anyway. When they approached the door, Mob deftly ducked under her arm and got inside again.𝑵𝑶𝓋𝓮𝑙𝔲𝔰𝑏.𝐜𝗈𝑚

«Hey, what are you doing?»

«I am not going.»

«You've got a nerve!»

«I have more than that!»

Martha rubbed her eyes wearily. She looked exhausted and depressed.

«Go away… Leave me alone. I have things to do.»

Mob stubbornly shook his head. Martha waved her hand and went to her office, hoping he would leave her alone there.

«Are you ok?» – Mob, the shrewd observer, followed Martha everywhere she went.

Martha stopped for a second, hesitant if she should discuss her worries with him. Finally, she said it in a vague way:

«What would you do if someone deceived you, someone you really like?»

«Hm…» – Mob thought for a while and said uncertainly: – «I would talk to her face to face, and if she didn't explain herself, I would teach her a lesson and never talk to her again.»

Martha nodded before entering her office.

«Who hurt you? Tell me!»

«No one… Forget it.» – She slammed the door in his face but didn't lock it.

Mob stuck his head in the doorway and murmured ingratiatingly:

«Whatever happened, you need to unwind. Come with me. Let's get some fresh air. I'll show you an interesting place.»

Martha sighed wearily.

«Yeah, maybe you're right…» – She didn't find Mob unattractive, and there was no reason to say no to his innocent request. Besides, she definitely needed to clear her head.

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Chapter 23

It was a quiet and starry night. Time and again, a large bright moon looked out from behind the clouds as if winking to her dark sibling settled at the other end of the sky.

The couple was strolling along the narrow mountain path, enjoying the silence and a gentle wind that felt so good.

«What a beautiful sky.» – Mob decided to break the awkward silence.

«Yeah.» – Martha nodded blankly. She was deep in her thoughts, not really watching the road and completely relying on her companion for this reason.

«If you could make one wish upon the falling star, what would it be?» – Mob took a new attempt to pull her into the conversation.

«I'd wish for you to be happy with the cook.»

Mob tripped when he heard this:

«Are you kidding me?»

His reaction made Martha smile.

«What would you wish for?»

They had just reached a wide stone bench at the edge of the cliff. Mob dusted it off gallantly and invited the lady of his heart to sit down.

«I would make a wish…» – a dramatic pause, a moment of eye contact: – «to live a life without worries.» – He finished his wish with a laugh and pulled out a bottle of wine with a couple of glasses he had brought for the occasion.

Martha's smile was even more sincere this time. She enjoyed his courtship. When the glasses were filled with red viscous liquid, Mob saluted Martha and drained his glass. She followed his example. The strong drink had a pleasant warming effect.

They stayed there for a while, looking at the stars and the moons, each lost in their thoughts. Martha spoke first:

«Can you help me with something?»

«Sure! What can I do for you?»

«Bring Kyon to my office tomorrow morning.»

«Uhm, Kyon. He's the guy that… that I've made friends with.» – Mob quickly corrected himself. He did not want to remind Marta of his old feud with the kid.

«When did you become friends?» – She squinted suspiciously. – «It doesn't matter, anyway. Just bring him in tomorrow.»

«Hehe, you're hiding something. Is he the reason you were depressed?» – The wine made Mob feel more relaxed.

«Pfft, he is not worth it!» – Martha replied hastily, but her blushed cheeks betrayed her emotions.

«Oh, it really hit home! What did he do? Come on, tell me.»

«Nothing… Alright, I'll tell you. Maybe some other time.»

The next working day, Martha wasn't looking her best. She had a splitting headache because of the drink and the dream she had in the wee hours of the morning. It was about Kyon who did unimaginable things to her with a malicious smile on his face, and she was powerless to resist him. The dream reflected her projected feelings of rages for all those times he had taken advantage of her, and she was helpless to resist him. The memory of her dream made her ears and cheeks burn. She couldn't get this stupid dream out of her mind and blamed herself for this.

Her companion of yesterday, on the contrary, woke up in a great mood. A bright smile lit up his whole face. Mob was happy and content with life until the very moment when he realized that he had overslept.

…

It was early morning.

The bell woke Kyon up, announcing that it was time to get up and go to work. He was sitting in his bed, rubbing his sleepy eyes, thinking about his dream and waiting for the flow of memories from his past life to start after he woke up. Two minutes later, Kyon received full information about his life between the ages of 8.5 and 16.

A wave of nostalgia swept over him. The memories were full of fun and joyful moments: his best friend, girls, secrets, scientific research and so on. Lovr used to be the leader of the legendary troll army in the global quantum network. They had lots of fun hacking different servers and abusing thousands of front pages. The mess they caused! If only it had come out that their ringleader was a 14-year-old troll by nickname Big Brother, aka Lovr, aka the current Kyon all his group would have been in big trouble.

Those were wonderful days. The tests his masters gave him were getting more and more difficult. By the age of 12, he had reached the master's degree (4), and at the age of 16, the doctor of philosophy (5), which made Lovr the most successful and brilliant person of his generation.

{It was fun…} – Kyon grinned at the memories, and his roommates snorted:

{How can he possibly enjoy the beginning of another working week, fucking dumbass!}

Kyon didn't pay any attention to their glum faces. Nothing could spoil his good mood. However, he was concerned that his behavior was somewhat different in this world. Why did his character change?

{Maybe, it's because this body isn't mine…} – He made an assumption.

Soon, all the slaves gathered in the common hall. Kyon put some food in the backpack and followed the crowd. The wardens met their groups and led them to their working places. Kyon greeted Osip and stood in line with the other miners. He gave a cheeky wink to the unfortunate fellow, who had to witness his disappearance and spotted Mike walking ahead of him. He looked much healthier now, greedily finishing his breakfast.

Kyon's group reached the checkpoint. The other groups were standing in line for food. Bob was at the distribution without his usual partner, looking visibly displeased. Mob must have ditched work, jerk. Rogash was cheerful as usual, lying on the floor near his master with a yummy marrowbone.

{The asshole is late, and I have to deal with an extra load of work.} – Bob muttered to himself, noting the new groups in the log and giving out each warden ten bag lunches and bottles of water.

When it was Osip's turn, Bob gave him only nine rations, which only confirmed Kyon's guess that his identity had been erased from the database. He had warned his warden not to make a fuss. He had plenty of food and needed no trouble with authorities.

The ninth group stopped at the checkpoint and soon went down in the mine. The rails creaked under their feet. The supporting wooden beams patterned with different symbols towered at the equal distance from each other. Crystals gleamed in the walls. The landscape had not changed at all since Kyon woke up in this world for the first time.

When they arrived, the miners split up as they always did, each to his place. Osip came up to Kyon and gave him the tools: a sieve and a kind of compass. Then he started a brief induction training:

«I appoint you a selector. Can you see the four miners at the grinder? You will join them, but your job is to search for amber stones among the crushed rock, pick them out of the ore and put them in a safe place. Got it?»

Kyon nodded and went to the four miners, who had already started to turn the machine that looked like a millstone.

Watching this unsophisticated technology, Kyon lamented to himself: {Is it back to the middle ages? Why are they crushing ore by hand? Why can't they set up an elementary selection mechanism that would replace hundreds of workers?}

Anyway, the job was very simple. The miners brought buckets with crushed ore, and Kyon with two other guys had to break them to extract amber stones, then clear them of dead weight and put them into another bucket. And so on, again and again…

At first, Kyon watched the other two selectors work to get the hang of the process. They worked with indecently low speed. Anyone with Kyon's skills could meet the daily production quota in 2-3 hours instead of 15.

Kyon hid his backpack in a secluded place and fished a translucent stone out of the bucket. He tried to scan it with Synergy, but for some reason, the amber stone refused to let any energy inside. Kyon couldn't figure out its composition and structure. The smoky substance inside the amber didn't allow him to explore it properly.

Suddenly the stone began to vibrate. Kyon threw it away at once, and it exploded like a small firecracker. When the dust settled, there was nothing left of the amber stone.

The eternal witness of Kyon's quirks happened to be in the thick of things again. He turned around precisely at the moment when Kyon was about to get rid of the weird stone. The next moment, his eyes popped out of their sockets, and his jaw hit the floor. Kyon put his finger to his lips, giving a sign to him to keep quiet. The scared man gulped. He had no intention whatsoever of saying anything. He was terrified of the creepy guy.

Osip, who happened to be nearby, immediately appeared at the explosion site to see what had happened. He interrogated the workers closest to the scene, but they couldn't give him more or less intelligible answers. Osip had to return to his post, wondering what it might have been.

{Why do these stones react with Synergy? How is it even possible?} – Kyon was shocked. No substance in his world had ever behaved like this.

Kyon assumed that the amber stones were crystallized energy. He read that they were used as currency and in many other useful ways.

A handful of activated stones could magnetize to each other and create a perfect sphere of 1 cm with no impurities, nothing extra. A perfectly round ball.

The spheres of the basic grade were translucent white. The spheres of the advanced grade were translucent amber. The spheres of the superior grade were translucent purple. At least, that's what he found out in the books.

Kyon understood that he had destabilized the frequency of the stone, which caused the blast.

{If this process is not instantaneous, it can probably be controlled.} – He made a mental note to do some research on this topic, took another tiny amber stone, and carefully infused it with Synergy. Kyon tried to resonate with it, and it wasn't difficult anymore. It was as easy as penetrating the air.

{How curious.} – He smiled to himself.

After Kyon did enough research, he went back to work. Some minutes later, his coworkers dropped their sieves, staring at the skinny boy who was separating the amber from the rock quick as a flash. In a quarter of an hour, he had filled about half of the bucket. Osip watched how the newcomer did his job, rubbing his hands with glee. He was hoping to get a considerable profit from this guy.

Those who were crushing the ore couldn't keep up with the boy who had taken the job from the two other selectors.

When Osip saw that they had nothing to do, he appointed them to turn the stone grinder at once. Now Kyon was the only selector in the whole group. The rest of the miners could only frown at him. It was much more difficult to turn the grinder than rummage in the stones.

Two hours later, Kyon had already done a good day's work. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, bothered to glance at the others for the first time.

Osip was exultant. He was already counting his possible return. He grabbed Kyon's hand and shook it excitedly:

«You… you are an animal! How did you do it!?»

«It's nothing. It's just that I've just had enough sleep.» – Kyon waved him off with a smile. He was starting to feel hungry.

Kyon found a more or less clean place, saluted with a sandwich to the bucket with the explosive amber next to him and started eating his meal.

Meanwhile, Mob appeared at the entrance, and angry Bob rushed to him:

«Look what the cat dragged in!»

His partner did not even try to justify himself. He kindly slapped his friend on the shoulder, glowing with happiness:

«Come on! Don't be angry with me, you will explode! Next time, you can sleep in, and I will work for you. By the way, have you seen Kyon anywhere?»

«He has left with Osip… Why? Are you going to work? Hey, where are you going?!» – The last words were thrown at his back. Mob was already leaving.

«It's an emergency. Would you be so kind and work for two until I return? I'll pay you back later.»

…𝑛𝚘𝓥𝔢𝓛𝑢𝒮𝑩.𝑪𝑶𝕞

Nine men resolutely marched towards Osip's group, among them the two brothers who were eager to kick Kyon's ass, Babil, his loyal guards and trusted people, and John, Kyon's former warden.

All of them had different interests, but their common goal was to beat up and rob the cheeky jerk who dared to cross their path.

The plan was simple: they had bribed a warden to distract Byron while they were going to give Kyon a quick, merciless thrashing. Another turn, and they approached Osip's group.

As the miners saw Babil and his gang, they rushed from their workplaces and got the hell out of the upcoming brawl. Everyone understood perfectly well who the thugs were after. Alas, it was beyond their power to help Kyon. Whatever, quite a few of them would gladly punch him themselves.

Osip was looking through some documents when he noticed the outsiders. He yelled angrily:

«Hey, what the fuck do you want here!? Byron and the supervisors will be here any time soon! They'll nail your balls to the wall!»

It didn't stop Babil, the leader of the group. He said in a cheerful voice:

«Osip, old man, I have no issue with you, so get out of here. We need the guy.»

Kyon saw the cutthroats and frowned.

{That's no good…} – A short and disappointing thought flashed through his mind. The chances of his survival were too low. He had suspected that sooner or later they would be coming for him, but nine gangsters at a time? According to his estimations and common sense, nine ugly mugs were way too many for a single boy. Sadly enough, he wasn't ready for their arrival. All he had was a pile of amber stones behind the rock.

Kyon did not waste precious seconds. He ducked behind the rock and grabbed the first weighty stone. Well, at least, he had grown stronger and toughened up.

«I'm warning you, mother fuckers, don't come any closer! He's a member of my group. On what grounds should I hand him to you on a platter? You do realize what's coming, don't you!?» – Osip wasn't going to retreat so quickly. And it wasn't only because he had promised Byron to protect Kyon. The guy was a real gold mine! It was a game changer!

Babil did not argue. He just quietly told his guards:

«Knock him out. He's getting in the way.»

When his henchmen heard his command, they approached Osip from both sides.

«Hey, what's going on?…» – Osip took a defending position, trying not to show fear.

Kyon considered that the best defense is a good offense and threw an explosive at the guard's heads.

bang*

The bullet found its billet: it hit straight the big bald head. The thug fell on the ground but stayed conscious, rolling up in a ball, clutching at his injured head and howling in pain.

Babil detected Kyon and shouted to his minions:

«Catch that son of a bitch! He has our money!»

The four of them immediately rushed toward Kyon while Babil and the two others blocked the only exit. The guard was still lying on the floor, and the other one did not dare to turn his back to Osip, who was ready to attack. The miners were watching what was going on, but they did not dare to intervene. They wouldn't risk their lives for Osip and Kyon.

John approached Kyon with a malicious smile on his face, waving his massive fists around:

«Come here. Daddy will punish you for your misdeeds!»

Kyon didn't heed the threat and threw two more amber stones. This time, one of them hit the warden in the forehead, sending him unconscious on the ground. The second sharp stone flew straight into John's grinning face. He managed to react and dodged, but the sharp edge got him. A piece of his ear fell on the ground with an icky smack, splattering blood around him.

«YOU SCUM! I will kill you!» – John shouted, clutching at the injured ear with one hand and taking out a pickaxe hammer from behind his belt with the other. He wasn't going to hold back anymore.

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Chapter 24

With a shriek of a Shaolin fighter, Osip delivered the first well-directed strike to the guard's pressure point. He tried to dodge the next one when he realized that the blows were too weak. Osip wasn't strong enough to fight with him. The guard knocked him down and began to pound Osip with his huge fists. All poor Osip could do was to cover his head with his hands and shout for help. Unfortunately, his group was in no hurry to join the fight, and Kyon couldn't possibly get to him.

The guard spared no effort. He kept thrashing Osip until the latter stopped showing any signs of life. Osip fainted, and it saved his life. Babil's angry watchdog slowly rose and went to help his brothers-in-arms, who were currently unsuccessfully trying to catch Kyon.

Kyon ran of his explosives and had to find a way to the nearest bucket with amber stones. There were three men on his way: the two brothers and John the Bitten-off-Ear.

The ugly thugs were trying to catch the nimble guy, like wolves chasing a rabbit. They were yelling angrily, contradicting each other: «Freeze, asshole!»… «If you stop, we might spare you the pain!» … «Fuck! My ear… you're dead!»

With little wiggle room, Kyon managed to get past three big guys and grab a bucket of amber stones. He infused them with Synergy and launched a handful at his pursuers.

The brothers burst into malicious laughter:

«Ha-ha-ha, just look at him! The boy is raving mad! Rest in peace, buddy.»

The small stones weighed almost nothing. They couldn't do any harm. Or so it seemed…

B-O-O-O-O-OOM*

A deafening roar shook the tiny cave. Everyone but Kyon, who had covered his ears, was shell-shocked. The injuries were minimal, but the noise and effect of surprise disoriented the three of them.

Kyon rushed forward, delivering a heavy blow to one of the brothers' solar plexus, holding a stone in his fist for greater effect. The man fell on the floor, trying to take a breath. His diaphragm was paralyzed and didn't let the lungs open.

The second brother bounced off, his head ringing. John was swinging the pickaxe like a madman, trying to hit the blurry outline of the boy, when Kyon deftly rolled on the ground, avoiding the dangerous piece of iron, and punched the shell-shocked warden in the leg.

«AAAAAAAAH!» – One-eared John screamed his bloody head off when his knee bent backward.

As the miners watched Kyon perform the stunts, doing away with the thugs, their jaws dropped to the floor. At first, he seemed to be lucky, but soon his smooth and unpredictable actions went beyond their imagination! Many of them started to doubt if he was a human at all. The main supporter of this theory was the witness of the weird things that had happened to Kyon.

The guard stopped punching Osip and ran up to one of the brothers, who had already come to his senses. They both took out their pickaxes and swung them menacingly, approaching Kyon.

Babil and the two men he had assigned to block the way were shocked by what they saw. The warden ordered in a trembling voice:

«Get rid of the dickhead! I'll wait here!»

By then, four attackers had been crippled. There remained another four and Babil, the big mean prick.

To avoid problems in the future, Kyon had to defend himself without killing anyone. That's why he didn't take the pickaxe from John the Bitten-off-Ear, also known as John the Inward Knee. Instead, he barricaded himself behind the rock with a pile of amber stones which he had to use right away as two thugs were already approaching him. The rest of them were still far away.

«Go to hell!» – The second brother yelled at the top of his lungs when Kyon's well-aimed shots reached the target. Adrenaline was pumping in his blood, he could barely feel any pain. Finally, he was at an arm's length, swinging his pickaxe to crush Kyon's skull with a single blow when Kyon did a sliding tackle and, with an accurate quick blow, hit him right in any man's weakest point.

«Oh…» – The miners, who were afraid to breathe until now, reflexively grabbed their precious balls. They could physically feel that hellish pain. The most impressionable among them collapsed on the spot.

A second before the second brother's balls got crushed, a huge amber stone hit the remaining guard in the hip, thrusting him aside.Then all of a sudden, Kyon appeared out of nowhere and tried to deliver another blow! If the guard had grabbed Kyon by the hand, he would have finished him off, but the damned trickster quickly turned away and broke into a run…

Babil was scared out of his wits. He didn't see it coming. Just when he thought that enough was enough, that he'd better skedaddle before things went south, someone roughly shoved him between the shoulders, sending him crashing to the floor. Before he reached the ground, Babil found out that Mob had come to Kyon's rescue.

Two thugs were trying to help the guard chase the young miscreant when they heard their leader squeal like a pig and instinctively turned around. They froze with their pickaxes in the air when they saw Mob rushing at them like a furious boar. At the next moment, suffocating weakness swept over them. Everything went dark before their eyes…

Mob was moving twice as fast as anyone else with the help of pure energy. The thugs were for him like flies without wings.

Before the guard who was chasing Kyon knew it, he was taking a nap with his companions.

In the end, there were ten bodies lying on the ground. One of them, battered and bruised, belonged to Osip… No, wait, a couple of miners were lying unconscious on the sidelines, but no one had hurt them. It was something else. Those standing nearby turned out to be tougher, they were only at a loss for words. Kyon had survived! He had defied the system and successfully avoided the consequences!

Kyon finally took a breath. A smile of joy lit up his face. He had fought off nine thugs at once! Well, almost at once. Actually, his chances were slim. If the cutthroats had rushed at him all together, he wouldn't have survived. Luckily for Kyon, the idiots attacked him in small packs like in some stupid action movie.

Earlier, Mob had checked in the mercury mirror the working area of the 9th group and found several points-wardens in the place where they weren't supposed to be.

Yesterday Mob overheard a conversation about Kyon's card tricks while he was handing out bag lunches. It was not hard to guess that the horde of big guys wasn't there to treat Kyon to tea and buns.

So, Mob rushed to Kyon's rescue as fast as he could to impress the woman he loved who held the boy dear for some reason. And he did protect the boy! However, something just didn't feel right… He did away only with four of them, the rest were unconscious when he arrived. Mob felt something fishy was going on.

He shook off his hands and threw a suspicious look at Kyon who casually dropped a stone.

«What the hell has happened here?» – Mob growled menacingly, glaring at the unconscious bodies. Then he noticed eight more dumbfounded miners, who had finally summoned up the courage and began to crawl out of the corners.

Kyon plaintively mumbled in response:

«They had conspired to steal my money, but I was lucky to hold on for a while.»

Mob winced at the crystally honest look in Kyon's eyes and yelled:

«Good luck, you say? Do I look like an idiot?»

Kyon shook his head:

«No, you look like my savior…»

«Hmm, what should I do now…» – Mob quickly checked each body's vital signs. – «We need to get them to the hospital at once. You are coming with me, boy…» – He took out his sound transmitter.

{They are all alive, and most importantly, it's not me who has to report for the accident.} – Mob planned to dump all the responsibility on Byron.

Without a moment's hesitation, Kyon went to Babil.

«Why do your subordinates throw a massacre here!? Come here at once, fucking leader!» – Mob was yelling at someone in the sound transmitter, swearing and arguing…

Meanwhile, Kyon cleaned out Babil's pocket, where he was lucky to find a big wad of cash, which he readily added to his belongings. Then he dragged the fat man to the rest of the bodies that underwent the same procedure. His looting brought him in total 352 thousand rupees. In a few minutes, Kyon had become 390 thousand rupees richer, which would have taken him 11 years of honest work, in the best case scenario.

As soon as Kyon was done with the sixth body, Mob came up to him. He ran his fingers through his hair and said quietly:

«Alright, boy. Look here. You will tell Martha it was me who took care of everything. Make her believe that you were in mortal danger. Do you understand me? By the way, this story deserves a little embellishment, don't you think?»

Kyon nodded:

«No problem.»

Mob sneered. Then he decided to inspect the pockets of his subordinates and make a quick buck, but he was a bit too late. When he found nothing, Mob frowned in disgust and spat:

{Ugh, damned peasants. So much for being a warden.}

Of course, theft was strictly forbidden, but it was an opportunity too good to miss.

Kyon could hardly keep a straight face. It turned out, the miners were given the currency of the mine to buy something or exchange it for money.

Mob appeared to detest the lower class, and Kyon was no exception. He was being kind to Kyon only for Martha's sake.

Soon, Byron showed up.

«Fucking shit!» – He had no other expression in his vocabulary at the sight of the bodies lying on the ground. His eyes darted over Kyon – thank goodness, the kid was fine – the next moment, Byron rushed to Osip who still showed no signs of life.

«Ugly bastards! Why did they do this?» – Byron glared at the rest of the bodies, wishing to make mincemeat of them. With an effort and will power, he suppressed his anti-humanistic impulse.

Mob gave Byron a shove in the shoulder:

«Your incompetence has led to the bloodbath your subordinates arranged here. Fortunately, no one died, or you would have to deal with that… It's all your fault, and it's your responsibility to appoint the new wardens. These penniless sacks of meat and bones are no longer able to perform their duties.»

Byron nodded humbly. He didn't even think to deny his guilt. As a leader, he had to see it coming. He was willing to take all the responsibility on himself:

«I'll take care of it.»

They heard barking outside the narrow passage, and then the huge black dog ran into Osip's working area. Bob appeared a few seconds later, out of breath. He had been informed about a strange gathering of wardens in one place. Before Bob could catch his breath, he was out of it again, this time because of what he saw:

«What… What's happened here?»

Mob's mind was reeling, so he just waved him off:

«Ask fewer questions! We must take them all to the hospital!»

Byron exchanged a few words with the miners and regretted it at once. The fools were not making any sense. They kept saying that Kyon was inhuman, that he had beaten all those guys by himself, that Mob came up only at the end of the show. It was pure nonsense.

Byron, Bob, and Mob hauled up three unconscious bodies each, squabbling non-stop. Rogash took the last troublemaker by the collar and obediently scurried after his master, ploughing the ground with Babil's face. Kyon hastily hid his backpack in a safe place and followed them. The loaded company went to the hospital, leaving the bewildered miners behind.

«First you're late for work, then you beat up a bunch of wardens… What's wrong with you?» – Bob continued to pry, feeling deeply annoyed. The guard's hand kept getting him in the face.

«Chill out! If need be, we will write in the report that they battered each other. The next auction is only for the 3rd ranking slaves, so they were trying to get downgraded…» – Mob waved him off again to finish this pointless conversation.

«It's not even funny! Damn it, I wish I had your fucking problem-solving skills!…»

Byron lagged behind those two, quietly asking Kyon about what had happened. When he found out that they had held him up on purpose, Byron angrily clenched his fist. Someone's unlucky elbow joint crunched. Byron looked at the body in panic but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it wasn't Osip.

Mob had called Martha well in advance, so the doctor was anxiously preparing to receive the battered patients. The three men barged into the hospital with bodies on their backs. The dog was dragging one on the floor. Kyon was wrapping up the procession on foot.

Martha got flustered and began to give out instructions. She gave Kyon an icy stare and turned to attend to the patients. Mob and Bob did the nursing job. Under Martha's orders, they obediently ran back and forth, bringing in tools, bandages, ointment…

{I'll deal with… with the killer later.} – Martha thought to herself along the way.

But Kyon wasn't a fool. He immediately noticed a change in her mood: {Did… did she work it all out?}

While Martha was examining the next patient, she asked Mob what had happened. He pointed at Kyon and stuck out his chest proudly:

«These assholes attacked Kyon because they had lost in the card game. The boy was lucky I was there… Ask him what happened then.»

Mob thought Martha would get interested in the situation, and he would be her hero, but she let it go and didn't ask anything more. She kept examining the patients.

Mob sighed sadly. Women were too hard to read.

Martha had to suppress the impulse to examine the boy, too. She was too angry with him, so angry that she even caught herself thinking that she wouldn't mind if the little rascal had been punched in the brawl at least once. But the next moment, Martha was already scolding herself for being too cruel.

The patients were badly injured. Martha wondered why they did not give up, why they attacked the powerful supervisor.

{Have they all gone crazy to attack Mob?}

Two patients came to their senses. One of them whined in pain, the second muttered something incoherent, swaying in bed from side to side: «What did I do to deserve this?… Gods, how is it my fault…?»𝔫𝚘𝗏𝖾𝑙𝓊𝑠𝓫.𝓬𝑂𝓂

When Bob did everything he could, he said goodbye to Martha and returned to his post. He told Mob to join him, but the latter waved him off yet again.

«Screw you! Next time, you will do my hours! Just try weaseling out of it!»

Byron stayed in the hospital for a while until Martha gave him a sign that everything was all right, he could go. They would talk later.

Meanwhile, Kyon had been musing when he could have messed up. He had left no evidence, had he?

{It's just bad luck… I have to act decisively now.}

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Chapter 25

Martha turned to Mob, pointedly ignoring Kyon:

«Come back in an hour. I have to work.»

The supervisor scratched his head uncertainty and waved his hand:

«Since I decided to skip work today, I will persevere. I'm taking a day off.» – Mob went to the door. Kyon threw the last glance at the doctor and followed him.

They walked in silence for a while. Then Kyon nodded to himself, walked faster to catch up with Mob and asked him directly:

«Do you like Martha?»

Mob did not expect this question. He tripped and froze in disbelief staring at Kyon. Then he quickly looked away, cleared his throat and finally replied through his gritted teeth:

«None of your business, brat.»

Kyon paid no attention to the threat in Mob's voice and winked at him:

«I'll help you win her heart if you want.»

Mob burst out laughing:

«Ha-ha, ha-ha-ha! How are you going to do it? What can you do with your slave skills apart from sorting out the stones? It's hilarious…»

Indeed, Mob had a low opinion of the slaves and their abilities. However, his sneer didn't mean no. So, Kyon continued:

«Did you notice that she had been giving me the cold shoulder all day? It's because of a… hmm… of a little misunderstanding. I want to apologize to her, but I need your help. In return, I'll help you win her love.» – Kyon assumed that Martha had asked Mob to bring him to her office, which meant he must be in the loop.

Mob grinned skeptically:

«What exactly are you talking about?»

«I'll tell her something that will make her see you in a different light.»

The expression on Mob's thin face made it clear that he didn't believe a word Kyon was saying. However, he asked:

«Hm… How are you going to apologize to her? I won't do it for you… Don't even think about it, schmuck.»

«All I need is a pencil and paper. I'll draw something for her.»

«What?! Do you take me for an idiot? How can a picture help you say you're sorry?»

«I am good at drawing. She'll forgive me, and then I'll help you.»

Mob rolled his eyes: the boy had a screw loose, but there was no harm in trying. He could paint anything he wanted.

«Agreed…» – They walked in silence until they reached the door that Mob cordially opened for Kyon: – «Come on in.»

It was a standard room in the rock, with conventional furniture and basic utilities inside, nothing special.

«Here you are.» – Mob poked around, opened some drawers, and handed Kyon a pencil and a few sheets of paper.

In about 15 minutes, Kyon had painted what he wanted. When he finished, he gave the pencil back:

«Much obliged. I've finished.»

«Let me see what you've scribbled there.»

Kyon obediently handed him the piece of paper with a romantic landscape sketch.𝗇𝑶𝓋𝑒𝗅𝑢𝓈𝔟.𝗰𝑜𝕞

«Hmph… Ha-ha-ha! There isn't much talent in it…» – Mob couldn't hold back a chuckle when he returned the drawing to Kyon.

«There's only one way to find out.»

Of course, the pathetic tree and the sea in the background were unlikely to impress Martha. As for the second picture that Kyon depicted on the second piece of paper and discreetly slipped into his pocket, well, that piece of art stood a much better chance.

When Kyon entered the hospital, he noticed Martha's cold, hostile gaze that sent a chill down his spine. The room was quiet. The patients were sleeping soundly with deep sedation.

Mob greeted Martha, and she nodded back. She came up to him with a firm, resolute step and muttered, never taking her locked gaze off Kyon:

«Mob, I need to talk to him. Stay here. I might need you.»

Kyon shuddered. The damsel looked determined. If he failed to pull off his plan, she would hand him over to the supervisor at once.

«Okay. I'll keep an eye on these guys.»

Martha left the hospital, giving Kyon a sign to follow her. They walked down the corridor in tense silence until she turned into a nook. She made sure no one could hear them and slowly turned to Kyon:

«You've been using me…»

Kyon was silent, waiting for her to continue the monologue. She definitely needed to vent.

«You deceived me. You tricked me into doing things for you. You broke into my office. You made me distract Martin. You…» – Martha wearily closed her eyes for a second: – «How could you do this to me, son of a bitch?» – She was almost screaming, but it was not clear if she was outraged by Martin's death or by the fact that Kyon had taken advantage of her.

Kyon took a dramatic pause and said in a sweet, gentle voice full of pity and concern:

«What would you do if your life were at stake?»

Martha frowned and muttered, still annoyed:

«What do you mean?»

«I had a teacher who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, and there's nothing in the world I despise more than selfishness, greed, self-interest. These vices turn anyone into walking decay of bones and meat.» – Martha could see the emotional pain written all over Kyon's face. His gestures showed his sincerity and innocence. – «Such people always have one distinctive feature…» – Kyon went silent, waiting for Martha's response.

Her curiosity was too strong even if she was determined not to believe a word he said:

«And what is it?»

«The eyes. Their eyes are full of greed. Their eyes betray power and desire to destroy anyone's life if it's for their benefit.» – Kyon waited for the right moment and handed her the picture.

Martha hesitated for a moment and yet unfolded the drawing. It was an image of Martin. He was staring at Kyon with his greedy, cruel eyes cold with contempt. He was like a butcher looking at the innocent victim in the slaughterhouse.

Martha studied the picture for a long time. The woman's heart filled up with compassion for the depicted "victim," which gradually outweighed her anger and resentment.

As a matter of fact, Martha's opinion of Martin was neutral. She considered him a master of his craft, but she didn't know much about him. When she saw his evil, greedy eyes in the picture, she did not find them unrealistic. They were quite true to life.

«Why are you showing me this picture?»

«Martin found out that I was special, that I had a feature beyond human understanding. He was driven by greed, and I was to become his victim.» – Kyon said humbly to show Martha that he trusted her with his biggest secret.

«I don't understand… What did he find out about you?» – Martha continued to pry, deeply confused. She knew that the world could always surprise her with its quirks, and their price was at times sky-high.

Kyon carefully reached Martha's hand. The doctor watched him with suspicion but didn't pull her hand away. He gently touched her wrist, making her fingers twitch as if he tugged at the invisible strings they were tied to.

Martha snatched her hand back, frightened:

«What… What are you doing!?»

Kyon frowned: {Why is it so difficult? I had to spend 80% of Synergy to stimulate her hand just a little bit!}

Martha was at the 3rd stage of the base phase. Even Synergy couldn't manipulate her muscles that easily.

«My unique body gives me extraordinary abilities. For example, I can demagnetize formations, which you must have heard more than once. Martin suspected something was wrong and started spying on me. When it happened again, he examined me and my environment and found out that I had a special body, no less. He gave the order to deliver him special tools. It was the day when he scared me with his eyes… He looked at me like a butcher looks at a fat pig… His eyes were… They were terrible…» – Kyon shed a tear and sobbed. Even an oak tree would empathize with him at that moment. Martha was moved with pity. She slightly stretched out her hand but pulled it back at once. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Martha thought Kyon was a murderer who used her as a means of his crime. Now she understood his motive, but it didn't justify him!

«But… Was it a reason to kill him!? What makes you so sure he would have hurt you? Just because you were scared of his eyes?!» – Martha exclaimed. She was angry with Kyon again. At all events, murder will be murder.

«Do you remember the bruise on my wrist?» – Kyon asked quietly, rubbing his arm and avoiding eye contact with her.

Martha gasped in fear. Did Martin abuse him? Apparently, it wasn't only his greedy look that had motivated Kyon to commit the crime? And yet…

«But…»

«I found out that Martin had deleted me from the database. You can search my name in the logs and you won't find it. I don't get any bag lunches, by the way. I've been starving, suffering from thirst. Thanks to Byron, I am still alive. He is a good man. He always helps me out and didn't let me starve. Martin planned to kidnap me from the mine. He made sure there would be no questions. He seemed to be a good man, but demons were hiding inside of him. I was terrified of him… I didn't want to be dissected, to be sold to bad people! I… I didn't want… to die…» – Kyon said plaintively, looking at Martha with eyes full of tears.

Martha opened her mouth but could not find any words. Her heart overflowed with compassion as if she had walked in his shoes. Could he be manipulating her again? No… It was impossible. She didn't want to believe Kyon was lying again. How could he be lying if she had seen the instruments in Martin's office, the bruise? She felt his unique abilities in her hand. It all made sense. Kyon was trying to save himself. He was a poor victim of Martin's greed.

Martha chose her words carefully and spoke almost without anger in her voice:

«Why didn't you tell me anything? I could have helped you. I would have taken care of everything!» – Martha exclaimed, wringing her hands.

Kyon chuckled to himself: of course, she would. He bleated plaintively, making a sorrowful face:

«I'm sorry, but… He would have killed you.» – Kyon closed his eyes and turned away when the tears welled up in his eyes.

Martha muttered to herself, completely shocked:

«Killed me…» – She couldn't understand why she had to blink to clear her eyes. She wanted to believe him so much, to believe that he was worried about her. But she couldn't just ask him and find it out for sure. Reluctantly, she remembered her past. Her husband and son were killed because of debts. She managed to escape. Human greed can destroy lives, walk all over you… Martin would have killed her. She was just a mere mortal compared to him.

Martha was silent for a while, coming to her senses. Then she sighed:

«Okay, maybe you did the right thing. It's hard for me to accept it, though… I was just a tool in your hands…» – She crumpled the picture with "evil" Martin and asked the question that had long been bothering her – «Tell me, dear, how did you do it? And don't hide anything!» – She said in a threatening voice and pointed her finger at him.

Kyon scratched the top of his head and began his story, trying to smooth things over, avoiding everything that could anger the woman who did not like being used. At least, she understood and kind of accepted his motive for murder. How nice that he managed to convey to her the emotions he wanted her to feel.

When he finished, there was a thoughtful, stunned expression on her face. Martha once again changed her opinion of Kyon. This time, he became "sharp-witted" and "resourceful." Anyway, Kyon hurried to change the subject. She could fly off the handle again at any moment. It was time to move on to the second part of the agreement:

«By the way, I've spent a lot of time with Mob recently. I guess I have found his good side.»

«Have you?» – Martha grunted in reply as they were walking back to the hospital.

«When those thugs attacked me, he did his best to help me out. Honestly, I didn't expect him to… Don't you think he deserves some credit for this?» – Kyon said with a sly smile.

«Maybe, he does. Why?»

«I don't think my words of gratitude will make him happy enough. Another thing, if he heard the kind words from the person he has feelings for…»

Martha snorted angrily:

«Why should I do anything for you? Anyway, I'm still angry with you!»

Kyon shook his head:

«It's not for me, Martha. It's for a good cause. It might change Mob, make him a better man! He won't be rude and disrespectful anymore. Maybe, he will turn to the light side! Don't you want to change him?»

«I don't know… What if he gets me wrong?» – Martha wasn't so adamant any more.

«Let's thank him together. It will send him a clear message of our sincere gratitude.»

«Hmm… Alright, if we do it together, I agree. Why not.» – Martha didn't like Mob's attitude towards slaves. It might be a chance to change his evil nature. Kyon had always wondered at women's crusade to change men. Their brains were hardwired with the idea of improving someone, and it always gained the upper hand.

«Great! When I rub my nose, we'll say "thank you" at the same time! He'll understand everything.»

«But no funny stuff, ok?» – She shook her finger at him as a warning.

Kyon nodded with an innocent smile. {It was easy, way too easy.}

It had been a productive day.

…

Old Pink, the late Martin's servant, was grieving. When Martin's father was alive, he saved Pink from starvation, provided him with clothes, raised him… Needless to say, Pink was loyal to the Stone family as a dog. The old master was long gone, Pink and his devotion were passed down to his son, Martin. Now that Martin went to the forefathers, his only son Yegorka became Pink's benefactor. Pink would better suck it up and start serving the grandson. However, there was something suspicious about his master's death, something that disturbed him.

The faithful servant was not satisfied with the doctor's certificate. He decided to investigate this case himself. As a personal servant, he begged the mine authorities to grant him access to some off-limit places. He was given three days for everything, and then he had to get out.

Today this "term" expired, but his investigation was at a dead point. Pink discovered that his master had ordered him to bring the tools to examine Kyon, the only witness to his death. It seemed like no big deal, only Pink found a crack in the crystal sphere. At first, the servant thought that Martin had dropped the sphere on the floor when he choked, but – here comes the tricky bit! – the boy should have noticed the change in Martin's behaviour and called the guards.

Another point: there were no buns in the room except the one Martin choked on. Pink wanted to believe that was the last bun, but when he questioned the cook, who usually took orders, he found out that there was no delivery on that day, and Martin ate only fresh, high-quality pastry. The rest of the unfortunate bun could not be described as such.

Therefore, Kyon was the only lead Pink had. He tried to find out more about the boy and learned about the fight with the wardens. Today someone tipped him off that all of them had been knocked out! Kyon battered senseless a good half of them! Suspicious, very suspicious! Pink was determined to find the truth. He went to the hospital to ask the victims about what had happened. If Kyon turned out to be involved in the death of his master, Pink would never leave him alone, EVER!

…

Martha and Kyon entered the hospital. Mob came towards them:

«How was it?» – He asked both of them.

Kyon gave him discreetly a thumb up: «everything is great!»

Martha tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said casually on her way to attend to the patients:

«I don't know what you are talking about.»

Mob frowned angrily. He approached Kyon and pushed him on the shoulder:

«It's your turn to return your debt!»

Kyon gave him his best cryptic smile and winked:

«Something curious is about to happen, but a lot depends on your reaction. Be more persistent.»

Mob had no idea what Kyon was talking about but made a mental note to be alert.

Martha examined one of the beaten guards and started "interrogating" Mob:

«So, what happened to these guys?»

«Nothing special… When I came to pick up Kyon, they had already surrounded him. I yelled at them to calm down, but it was the same thing as always… Screaming wasn't going to help, so I had to calm them down with my fists.» – Mob finished with a nervous chuckle.

Martha's eyes flashed with genuine interest:

«You want to say you handled them all by yourself?» – She sent Kyon a meaningful look, saying that she waited for his sign… but he didn't seem to notice her signals at all.

«Hahaha, yeah, on my own! It wasn't that hard! Do you know why I did that?»

Mob didn't finish when Kyon began ardently scratching the tip of his nose. Martha was tense as a string, ready for the right moment. She blurted out, without even thinking about what Mob had just asked her:

«Thank you!» – And only a moment later, she realized that Kyon didn't say anything.

Seconds stretched like sticky molasses. The silence stood so still, it could be cut with a knife. {Hey, why are you silent!} – She glared at him.

Kyon was innocently drawing circles with his toe as if saying, «don't give me that look! it's nothing to do with me.»

Martha understood everything. She was too embarrassed to look at Mob, feeling the treacherous blush spread all over her face. She felt so silly…

Mob stared at her in amazement: {Could she… } He remembered Kyon's instruction to be persistent. Mob gathered all his courage, came up to Martha, grabbed her non-resisting little hand in his paw and tried to catch her eye:

«I'm glad you understand why I did it.»

Martha blushed even more and pushed Mob away:

«No… No, no! You got it all wrong! It's just Kyon and I…»

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Chapter 26

Kyon interrupted her:

«Martha and I have been talking about you! Honestly, I didn't expect her to…» – He covered his mouth with his hand as if he had said too much.

Mob took the hint and blushed to the tips of his ears, following the lead of the already crimson woman.

«Martha, you don't have to explain yourself. It's written all over your face.» – Mob summoned up the courage to approach Martha and hug her, but she broke loose from his embrace and dashed to her office, yelling just before closing the door:

«I am coming for you, rascal!»

The words were meant for Kyon, but Mob took them on his account. His face lit up with a happy smile. He turned to Kyon and gave him a thumb up.

Martha's attempt to praise Mob turned into a disaster. The jerk didn't play along. He took advantage of her yet again.

However, she didn't have time to grieve over her sad destiny as there was a loud hammering at the door.

Mob yelled: «Who's so impatient out there?»

«It's Pink. I'm investigating the recent accident. Open the door.»

The supervisor shrugged and unlocked the door.

The gray-haired, hunched old man, whose eyes were like blazing fire, went inside.

Mob looked closely at the old servant and recognized him:

«Aren't you the servant who made the authorities give you a couple of days to investigate so that you would leave them alone?»

Pink went ballistic when he heard this:

«Don't be rude to me, brat! How can you possibly understand my situation? Who do you think you are?»

«Forget it! You're killing my vibe! Do quickly what you have to do.» – Mob looked extremely displeased. He hated that someone was ruining his good mood. He already regretted that he had so foolishly let the old man in.

The servant gave Mob a nasty look and then he spotted Kyon:

«It's you!»

Kyon recognized Pink at once. He became a bit alarmed but did not show it, only raised his eyebrow questioningly.

Mob gave them both a blank stare.

«Yes, it's you. You are Kyon, the boy who was in the office at the moment!» – Pink threateningly flexed his hands and approached Kyon in two steps. – «Tell me what the hell happened there! Why did Martin choke on a bun, which he shouldn't have had in the first place? You did it, eh?!» – Judging by the mad sparkle in his eyes, the old man was ready to shake the truth out of Kyon, along with his soul.

Martha heard the screams, opened the door and asked anxiously:

«Who are you? What do you want from Kyon?»

After Pink's words, Mob finally got the picture. He approached the servant and firmly grabbed him by the shoulder:

«Hey, old man! Calm down, will you?»

«Up yours!» – Pink roughly pushed Mob's hand off. – «I know that Kyon did something to my master! It's definitely him! There's no other way!»

«Are you even listening to yourself? How could an ordinary, incapable slave be involved in the death of your master?» – Mob snorted. {The devoted dog went crazy. It's disgusting.}

Martha cast a worried look at Kyon. He wasn't so "incapable" after all. He was guilty.

Pink spat angrily on the floor and bellowed like a wounded beast:

«Incapable of anything?! Then how will you explain that those guys are injured, and this boy is unscathed? Huh?!»

«It's because I arrived in time to help him!» – Mob exclaimed and tried to grab the raging servant again.

«And I heard that he handled a good half of them! How dare you lie to my face, jerk?! Back up off me before I lose my temper!» – He pushed Mob off again but to no avail.

Events were unfolding too quickly for Martha's liking. After some hesitation, she took Kyon's side.

«Calm down, sir! Kyon has nothing to do with it!»

Not so long ago, she was angry with him. Now, she stood up for the obnoxious boy. Indeed, female nature is the greatest mystery on the planet. Anyway, her words had no effect on Pink. He fought to escape Mob's iron grip, glaring daggers at Kyon.

Kyon came to a sad conclusion that no words could put any sense to the crazy man. It would be nice to use Mob's help, but Mob could always wave him off as a slave. Kyon could rely only on Martha. He looked up at her with the most pitiful face he could make.

When Martha saw his eyes, she decided to leave soul searching and behavior analysis for later. She turned to Mob wearily:

«Don't let anything happen to Kyon! He… He didn't do anything…» – Her voice dropped, she almost whispered.

Mob imagined himself a brave knight coming to the rescue of his damsel in distress and her… let it be her pageboy. His chest puffed out with pride. With the help of pure energy, he pushed Pink away from Kyon and stood like a rock-solid wall between them, winking playfully at Martha.

Kyon only giggled to himself over the don Quixote and his courting. Indeed, a man will do anything for a woman he loves.

Pink screamed hysterically:

«Why are you protecting this little snot? Why do you care about him? He is just a slave! Or… Or you were in conspiracy with him the whole time! Yeah… Right… He couldn't have done it himself! It was you who helped him!»

Pink's words, even if they sounded crazy, actually made some sense. The staff of the mine was forbidden to have any kind of informal relations with the slaves. For example, Martha was recently reprimanded just for bringing toys to Kyon.

The doctor blushed with emotion. Feeling worried about Kyon, she had completely forgotten that she could call the guards.

«You should be ashamed of yourself! He's just a boy, and you're lashing out at him like crazy!»

Pink understood that the woman was protecting the slave, too. He choked with indignation:

«Seriously? You, too? Are you in the fucking conspiracy together? TELL ME!»

Mob was sick and tired of Pink's screaming, and his precious Martha was clearly on the verge of a panic attack. It was time to end all this nonsense. He leaped forward and grabbed Pink by the collar to throw him out.

Pink was filled with dark suspicions that everyone and everything in this room were involved in the plot. He was ready for anything. When Mob attacked him, his doubts had finally confirmed. Pink was ready to block his strike.

The servant was at the 5th stage of the base phase. Mob was at the 6th stage of the same stage.

Martha was at the 3rd stage of the base phase, but she was absolutely helpless in the fight.

Pink blocked the strike, stepped back and wailed:

«I thought so! I KNEW IT! You all will be punished! I will put your skulls on my shelf! I will burn candles in my late master's honor in them!»

Mob fixed Pink with a thunderous look. The old man wasn't as frail as Mob had expected. Martha was on the brink of tears. Suddenly, it occurred to her that she could call for help. The doctor rushed to her office to get the sound transmitter, but Pink reacted immediately. He instantly reached her from behind and put his arm around her neck, not allowing her to take another step.

«What are you DOING, fucking asshole!?» – Mob yelled, frightened for his dear woman.

Kyon was dumbstruck. Things were changing too fast.

Afraid to move, Martha gave a strangled squeak:

«What do you want from me?»

Pink ignored her question, glaring at Mob and Kyon, who were standing still before him:

«You insolent pricks, you have no idea what trouble you got yourselves into! I will hear your confession about what you did that day!»

Kyon squeezed Mob's shoulder, sending him a message to calm down. They'd better not mess up with the madman. Then he mouthed to Mob:

«I'll be the bait.»

Slowly and carefully, Kyon approached Pink, applauding him:

«Haha, bravo! How did you find out that it was me who killed the dickhead?»

His insolence was so unexpected that Pink was taken aback and even loosened his grip on Martha's neck:

«What did you say?»

«I asked how you found out that I was the one who killed the dickhead.» – Kyon said with a wry smile, emphasizing the word "dickhead."

«SO IT WAS YOU!» – Pink roared in an inhuman voice. The cheerful expression on Kyon's face drove him into a frenzy.

«You should have seen his face when I shoved that bun down his throat, ha-ha-ha!» – Kyon's eyes flashed demonically. Martha felt a cold shiver run down her spice when she saw his transformation.

«Agrrr! I WILL KILL YOU!»

But Kyon had already opened the door and ran out of the room.

In a fit of frenzy, Pink pushed Martha aside. She banged against the wall when he rushed after the boy. Mob was overloaded with too many events and couldn't process what had happened, but when he saw Martha in pain, he quickly ran up to her.

She screamed hysterically, pushing off his hands:𝓃𝐎𝒱𝐄𝓵𝓊𝑆𝐁.𝚌𝞸𝓂

«Go after Kyon, you idiot. Save him! Quickly!»

Mob ran out of the infirmary and saw Mob, frantically rushing down the corridor, yelling: «WHERE ARE YOU?! COME OUT!» – The good news was, he hadn't reached Kyon yet.

Mob was about to follow the madman when he noticed the ringleader's shaggy head sticking out of the door like a jack-in-the-box. Kyon had been hiding behind a wide-open door, pressing himself close to the wall.

Mob jumped in surprise:

«What the hell!?» – Who would have guessed that the boy was hiding behind the door?

«I thought you would react faster.» – The "jack" whispered with a grin.

«Sly fox!» – Mob whistled in appreciation but the next moment, there was no time for compliments: Pink had noticed Kyon and was rushing back, screaming his head off.

Kyon estimated that he stood no chance against the old servant. One or two blows reinforced with energy and goodbye to this cruel world. He could count on Mob and the guards who they should have called long ago. In the meantime, he would wait out the fight in the securely locked office with Martha.

«Hurry! Back to the hospital!» – Mob roared, shoving Kyon into the open door.

Martha didn't waste time, either. She went to her office and called the guards, her hands shaking.

«Hang in there, for Martha's sake!» – Kyon shouted on the run, giving Mob an incentive to defeat his adversary.

The office with medicine was wide open, the trembling woman was crying inside. Kyon shook his head, visibly irritated. He put his hand into the memorable pocket of her white coat, took out the key, and locked the door.

Martha sobbed and threw herself into Kyon's arms, happy to see him unharmed.

«Thanks for saving me.. Thank you.» – She kept whispering, clinging desperately to his clothes.

«There's nothing to be afraid of, silly.» – Kyon said softly, frowning at his clothes soaked in her tears. And yet, he couldn't resist stroking her hair.

Meanwhile, Pink's fists burned a bright orange.

{Damn it, the heat element.} – Mob felt scared, but he didn't retreat.

At that moment, Pink delivered two blows Mob in the head. Mob deftly jumped aside, the scorching heat burning his face.

«GET OUT OF MY WAY, FUCKING BRAT!» – Pink had enough energy to yell, while Mob spent all his strength to keep away from fire, in all senses of the term, waiting for the right moment to attack. {He's too powerful, fucking barbecue!}

In spite of the elephant's dose of sedative, some patients had woken up to the noisy fight, which they immediately regretted. Pink and Mob were fighting to the death. Their movements were twice as fast and deadly as those of ordinary people.

Pink focused the heat element and activated the smashing blow technique. It had an outstanding attack power, only it could damage the attacker's hand as well.

Mob did not expect a blow at his plexus. It was too fast to dodge, but he managed to block the vulnerable place, awkwardly sticking out his arm.

crunch*

The skin on Mob's hand shriveled from a severe burn, his wrist twisted at a grotesque angle. The pain in his head was excruciating. He made a few steps back but didn't lose his balance.

The way to the stone door leading to Martha's office was free. Pink rushed to the final obstacle. The instantaneous recoil badly damaged his right hand, but he could kill the boy with his left hand.

Pink infused his foot with plenty of energy and slammed the door.

bang*

The door cracked and shattered after the second kick.

Martha squealed with horror when she saw the old demon. Kyon was holding a scalpel with a desperate expression on his face, prepared to fight till his last breath.

Pink flashed an evil smile: it was the end! When all of a sudden, he got a heavy blow to his shoulder from behind. The rumble of the crashed door, and his excessive confidence that the smashing blow left his opponent writhing in agony on the floor had lowered Pink's guard. He never expected an attack from behind.

The old servant flew a good meter inside the office, his shoulder visibly displaced. Mob seized the moment and gave a heavy kick directly into Pink's chest with no mercy at all.

«Take that, old fart!» – He roared.

crunch*

The blow broke a couple of ribs.

Pink screamed in pain, trying to get up.

Mob could not afford a setback, he immediately rushed to finish the madman off, not sparing kicks for Pink's long-suffering ribs.

The old servant screamed in agony, but he had no strength to stand up. The pain was unbearable, his old bones didn't stand the kicks. When his frantic bloodshot eyes found Kyon in the room, Pink he croaked before passing out:

«I ha… I hate you!»

Mob saw that the limp body was no longer showing signs of life and sat heavily on the floor:

«Well… It wasn't that… difficult.» – He could barely catch his breath after the "easy" fight.

When the adrenaline lowered, the pain from the fracture and burn pierced his head like a hot needle. Mob groaned, but when he saw the frightened look on Martha's face, he pulled himself together and gave her a forced smile:

«How are you? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?»

Martha felt affection for him welling up deep inside her. He was exhausted, badly injured but still caring for her. Her eyes glistened with tears yet again.

«You are an idiot! Look at yourself! Oh… Let me tend to your wounds!»

While those two were busy with each other, Kyon didn't waste a moment and got rid of his potential enemy. He casually approached Pink, put two fingers to his neck and used almost all Synergy to cut a couple of vital nerves in his spinal cord. It would paralyze the old servant for good, and they didn't keep trash. Pink would be thrown away into the corpse pit.

Martha injected anesthetic into Mob's hand and gently applied a smear of ointment to all burn areas. Her opinion of him had grown significantly. She saw a strong, purposeful, strong-willed man. Why didn't she notice it before?

In comparison with him, Byron had lost his importance, turning into a regular big dumb guy. Kyon was right, she couldn't do this to Mob. She had to tell him the truth or dump Byron. Tonight, she was going to think about what she should do.

Mob had already forgotten about his swollen arm. He was a little embarrassed, but he could not take his eyes off the doctor treating him. Martha glanced at her valiant savior/patient from time to time, her cheeks flushed treacherously.

{Oops, it looks like I've created a little love triangle here.} – Kyon chuckled to himself, admiring the heart-warming scene.

Somewhere in the distance, they could hear the running guards. Marth, Kyon, and Mob rolled their eyes all together. {It's about time.}

The whole fight had lasted no more than five minutes.

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Chapter 27

So many things happened in the 3rd sector that day!

A fat, meatball-like boy named XiaoBai chuckled, scanning the reports.

«…saved a slave named Kyon from vindictive wardens, drove off a mad servant. Good job, Mob. He deserves a promotion.»

…

It was the end of the working day.

Tired miners were gathering in the common hall.

Byron was upset because his friend had been badly injured in the unfortunate brawl. He went on stage, looked around the slaves, and gave the following instructions:

«Six wardens have been seriously hurt today, so I have to appoint the new wardens to replace them. The group that has lost a warden must choose one from the members of the group. You have five minutes.»

The most outstanding activists were nominated for the positions. They even tried to get Kyon in there, but he quickly refused the offer: the slaves of the 2nd rank were forbidden to take part in the auction.

Soon, six wardens stood on stage.

Kyon was surprised to see Borya among them, smiling from ear to ear.

Byron came down from the stage, looking gloomy and withdrawn. He gave Kyon a sign to join him in his room.

After a short conversation about today's events, Kyon left Byron's private room and paid a visit to Mike, who was sleeping in the bedroom. {You must finish what you start.} – He repeated to himself the words of his master.

Kyon did the same procedure. First, he checked Mike's vitals: he was doing better with each day. Then he infused another portion of Synergy. At the very moment when Kyon took his hand from Mike's forehead, Mike suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed him by the wrist.

{I'm getting used to it. It's like having deja vu all over again.} – Kyon thought blankly.

Mike stared at him with glowing eyes, never letting go of his hand:

«I knew you were behind all this! You helped me to recover, didn't you?»

«I did.» – Kyon nodded with a sincere, weary look.

«Why did you do that?»

«You remind me of an old friend of mine.» – Kyon lied after a pause.

Mike let go of his hand:

«Thank you, Kyon. I can't give you anything in return, though. I am sorry…»

«It's okay.» – Kyon shrugged and went to his bedroom.

Mike watched him go, amazed at what he had done for him. {There is good in the world…}

Kyon fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

dream*

The bell rang, announcing the beginning of the second working day.𝓃𝓞𝓋𝐞𝐿𝑈𝐒𝔟.𝐂𝗈𝗆

Kyon stretched and yawned. He focused on recalling his dream about his previous life.

Day after day, year after year. Synergy imprinted and sorted out his memories in the smallest details from his birth to the day when he was 22 years old. His last day in that world…

When Lovr, aka Kyon, was 16 years old, his Synergy reached the Doctor of Philosophy degree (5). The hopeful romantic, he lived life to the fullest, never skipping his regular training. Being a leading student of his generation, he was granted access to the portal cannon to get to any populated place in the galaxy, which had opened up thousands of opportunities for him. He could travel around the worlds, discovering different cultures and traditions, making friends and tons of unforgettable impressions…

It went on like this until he was 20 years old. He had an active social life, studied science and technology, created new things, traveled, faced tests and trials, played games…

One day, his former master visited him and offered to take a test of the new generation. The task was to steer life on a planet in the right direction. Lovr agreed, and the masters put him in the hypnotic phase, imprinting his consciousness in the projection of his Synergy.

Lovr found himself in the body of a 30-year-old man on a small planet named Earth in the year 2000.

The time in the real world was 500 times slower than in the projection. A year in reality was equal to 500 years spent in the simulation. Lovr didn't age, and if his "body" accidentally died, he would be reborn again, at the beginning of the test.

He faced the challenge of populating 30 planets with Earthlings.

There were two restrictions. 1) He could not use Synergy. 2) He could not recreate the technologies. He had to wait until people created them on their own. However, it was not forbidden to "push" them to technological breakthrough.

Lovr made his first billion dollars in the financial markets the first year he lived in that world, joining the board of major players in 2001.

By 2004, Lovr had bought several major innovative technology companies and drew the attention of some big shots who tried to bring the newly minted "shark" under control.

It was an exciting game where finance and power ruled the world. Multiple attacks, schemes, tricks, traps, and deceptions happened at every turn… Lovr didn't only face challenges, he had to live and breathe in that world for quite a while. Then an aggressive market takeover started. After a long and arduous fight, Lovr became the most influential man on the planet. In 2010 he was the owner of all giant innovative corporations. He had no rivals. Lovr had become the elite of the elite.

By 2012, he had rebooted the economy and erased the ruling figures: the higher families, oligarchs, billionaires, and the ruling elite. Those people were the cancer of the planet. Their interests often diverged. Their greed and, sometimes, the absence of common sense led to catastrophes, wars, genocides. The presidents were nothing but pawns in their hands. In a nutshell, it was the unacceptable face of capitalism.

It would be a stupid idea to unite them. Such people cooperated only in the face of a common enemy. In other cases, it was nothing but lies, profanity, and manipulation aimed at personal gain. Unfortunately, human beings had always been greedy for power and resources, and it was the main problem which could be solved in cruel, radical and often inhumane ways. Lovr had to take tough and resolute actions, destroying the cornered lunatics who could cause trouble. The beaten pawn must leave the board, not stab in the back.

By 2016, he had become the single ruler on Earth. However, he ruled behind the scenes. It was rather disappointing that he couldn't have children. A pretty serious shortcoming! Anyway, he had never been interested in the girls created by his Synergy. His hand looked more real to him.

In 2020, a commonwealth financial network appeared based on Blockchain that made Forex look like a baby brother. It made it possible to create a single electronic currency. No transaction could be deleted from the system, and corruption cases were detected at once.

A little later, he conducted a massive campaign of implanting chips into human bodies. Even people who lived in third world countries got an implant. The disgruntled citizens were threatened with severe repressive counter-measures. Discontent persisted, but the result was worth it. The chip could not be easily taken out as it was attached to vital blood vessels. The carrier would die if the chip was removed by force. Eventually, all currencies in metal or paper had successfully exhausted themselves, and the new single currency had no competitors. Lovr was the only person who had absolute power over it. It was an ideal lever to control the world, financial flows, and development direction. He was omnipotent.

The capitalist system, well-suited for mass manipulation, had been completely destroyed, more precise, replaced by its hybrid, where people were given space to dominate and unleash their instincts, but with high levels of restrictions.

It was allowed to earn money, employ workers. It was also possible to gain some influence and power. But there was a glass ceiling no one could break. The empire didn't let anyone rise above a certain level. The chips tracked everything… The fraud was detected at the planning stage by analyzing the sound signals, the movement of fingers on the keyboard… Bribery or illegal property transactions were impossible. The government had total power, and the will of the people meant nothing. Everybody knew that. The government had privatized all major niches, while people served as tiny but integral cogs and wheels in the well-established mechanism. Anyway, they were content with their role, as all their basic needs were fulfilled.

The lack of brilliant people was a real challenge, at first. However, cerebral sorting tackled the problem. Geniuses were identified at their teens. After that, they could express themselves in many different ways, depending on their talent.

The global goal of the elite to decrease the population and control its growth had run its course.

People didn't breed like rabbits because the implanted chips delivered birth control. They activated a hormone that induced infertility if the person had already more than two children.

The fight against drug addiction did not take much time, but it took a lot of effort to put an end to smoking and alcoholism. The human body didn't want to give up the poison it had grown so fond of. The Overton window helped, but the process dragged on for too long.

In the year 2030, the planet resources were used as effectively and efficiently as could be. Nature blossomed with new colors. Water sources were finally clean. The quality of air had improved. Human impact on the environment had been reduced to a minimum. Bad habits like smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse had been completely eradicated.

Science defied imagination. People achieved universal access to quantum computers, artificial intelligence, biorobots, and much more. Genius minds and Lovr's competent planning led the Earth in the right direction.

However, his life wasn't always smooth sailing. The programmers in the real world kept introducing special tests, like natural disasters, intelligent opponents, dangerous meteorites, and so on. Lovr had triumphed over all challenges, using humankind as his hands.

His goal was to populate 30 planets, and it required great technologies and a lot of time.

Lovr had accomplished his task only by 2978. Mission complete. He still looked 30 years old. He never died, never got stuck. He did it. Everything was like a dream, only a too realistic one. The time between then and now seemed to last a moment or, maybe, it dragged for eternity. The information he received didn't turn him into a thousand-year-old sage. Lovr remained the same flirty loveable teenager.

When they asked him: «You have been in the simulation for about a thousand years, haven't you? Wasn't it long enough to sow some wild oats and start thinking with your head, not your penis? I can't believe that a thousand-year-old sage would be as lecherous and amorous as you are…»

Lovr replied: «It was not me who had spent a thousand years in the simulation, but my consciousness copied with Synergy. My mental age has not changed. I just turned twenty-two years old, and I love sex with beautiful girls as befits a guy of my age. I prefer real ones, not the girls created by Synergy from Synergy… I don't like fake people if you know what I mean.»

When the simulation was over, Lovr made a long-awaited breakthrough. The test had several purposes. Lovr had to prove his skills, confirm that he could apply his knowledge in practice, and ensure that his masters had made the right choice. Passing the test was the culmination of all his work and efforts. It gave him the unshakable confidence in his talents to overcome the bottleneck in Synergy cultivation. This way, his Synergy broke into the legendary Doctor of Science degree.

According to scientists, the sixth degree was penultimate. Anything beyond it was out of this world. Lovr had become a legend. But he didn't think he had done anything special. Anyone with sufficient knowledge of economics, espionage, manipulation, and mass management could do it. Some of the tests required more sophisticated methods that didn't drag for almost a thousand years, which made them trivial. And yet, the sixth degree of Synergy and universal respect gave Lovr confidence, perhaps, too much confidence, something that he could not always control.

{The lightning manifested Synergy of Doctor of Science degree… I could rebuild my body, control the micro-interactions of atoms up to quarks. I could change structures and matter, give consciousness, transmit information to people. I felt the entire universe but… Hadn't I reached the Supreme mandate? Why are the last days kind of a blur? What happened then? What happened to me when I was 22?} – His irritation mixed with bitterness. "To know a lot while missing the point."

Kyon finished with his memories and snickered. The Emperor of many planets was now just a slave in the mine. He had fallen so low.

Kyon went to get washed, leaving the stinging irony aside. Then he met his new warden. By a certain irony of fate, it was the constant witness to Kyon's ordeals. After his promotion to the rank of a "boss," Kyon took a look at his formation and found out that his name was Basil.

After that, Kyon came to the common hall, spotted his group and headed towards them. He joyfully winked to Basil, who had to swallow nervously, and got into line. As they passed the checkpoint, he saw grumpy Bob and happy Mob with a bandage around his hand.

Mob couldn't hold back his smile. After yesterday's events, Martha kissed him on the cheek and turned crimson. As for Mob, he had completely lost his mind. Love filled his heart like a blooming flower.

{How… cute. The man in his forties behaves like a teenager in love.} – Kyon chuckled quietly.

When he was passing Mob, the supervisor didn't hesitate to shake his hand and gave him an almost friendly pat on the back. It was one of those jaw-dropping moments: was it really Mob who despised and hated slaves?

In the next two hours, Kyon did a good day's work, which left the other miners stunned again, and was ready to leave.

The new warden was scared of the strange boy, and yet, he should stand firm in his authority:

«Wait! The… the working day is not over yet!»

«I've done my quota of work for the day. What else?» – Kyon snapped.

«It's… It is not allowed to hang around the mine without a warden! It's… It is punishable.» – The poor warden stuttered. Then he met Kyon's narrowed glance and lost all his desire to "show who is the boss here." Basil shuddered and made a couple of steps back, waving his hands as if taking his words back.

«I'll be over there.»

Kyon walked around and turned into a dead-end hallway. He made himself comfortable on the more or less clean ground to practice the elements in peace. He gave mental orders to his soul, but nothing happened. Then he stimulated the motor neurons, and at some point, the keys started spinning. It would take an average person a month of practice to do that.

{Huh, it's like moving a new body part, or more precisely, nine body parts!}

With each turn, the nine keys sucked in a little energy from the atmosphere and sent it through the channels to the soul. {That's what it means to be neutrally-charged!}

Each sphere-key resembled a snowball with energy swirling around and gradually moving through the channels into the soul.

Kyon didn't have to focus on the process. It happened by itself.

He experimented for 40 minutes and found out that the keys had a specific absorption rate, which could not be exceeded. Quick recovery required a high density of neutral energy of his grade. There was no other way. Kyon had read that spheres of crystallized energy were used as money in this world. With their help, he could speed up energy absorption to the maximum possible rate.

The 10th key worked quite differently. It didn't swirl but released Synergy through sheer willpower.

At some point, Kyon had filled his soul with neutral energy to the top of his head. It felt like his soul was a balloon filled with air. It was his energy now, working to his advantage.

When he mastered the process of neutral energy absorption, Kyon went on to release it. He fiddled with the keys and found out that they released energy if rotated in the opposite direction.

Kyon turned the keys backward and felt something prickly, slimy, and, at the same time, steamlike flowing out of his soul.

It was a mesmerizing feeling of gradual soul depletion.

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Chapter 28

The energy dispelled in the air after leaving the key. Apparently, it had lower its density.

Kyon did a couple of experiments with Synergy and was relieved to find out that his outgoing energy and Synergy did not mutually destroy each other, as it was the case with Martin's formation. He was correct to assume that Synergy resonated both with the soul and the energy. There was no conflict between them.

{So, the released energy dispels. But how can I use it to my advantage? When it's out, I can't control it anymore and I can't do anything about it! How can I harness the energy? There was nothing in the books about it…} – Kyon sighed sadly. He would have to figure it out for himself.

He remembered the recent fight. How did Mob do it? Kyon concentrated, trying to control the keys that released energy.

At first, it didn't work. Gradually, he began to see the light. It was like having ten trunks on his body, one of which was useless, though. It released Synergy.

After half an hour of practice, he learned some little tricks. He could wiggle the channels, bend them, compress them, make unthinkable knots and angles, create the pressure, vacuum, sealing.

When Kyon changed the channel form, he noticed changes in the outgoing energy. He could control it now, setting its direction and density.

Doing the experiments, he didn't notice that the working day had come to an end. While the other slaves were busy with the highly intellectual game of crushing rocks, Kyon had made significant progress: {A soul has a limited reserve of energy that I can release through nine channels. They transform it into a certain element in the most unimaginable ways. Except that the key of pure energy doesn't transform it into anything. I can't control outgoing energy, but I can assign it specific characteristics, such as speed, density, direction, structure, and so on, if I form the channel in a certain way.}

Kyon also discovered that it was impossible to release energy faster than a certain limit. The keys released energy with a fixed speed. The harder he struggled, the more difficult it was. It led him to the conclusion that even the most intense battle would take no more than ten minutes.

Kyon's next four working days were monotonous.

He came to work, did the day's work in a couple of hours so that Basil would leave him be, and went to his secluded nook to practice releasing energy through the keys. He experimented, learned how they worked, "reinvented the wheel." Later at night, he did stretching exercises and slept two hours before the new working day.

Kyon stopped having dreams in the form of memories long ago, so he just had some rest.

Soon he sculpted his way to a stronger body without bothering himself with exhausting workouts. It was all thanks to Synergy that properly distributed enzymes derived from protein foods and regulated metabolism. He didn't need any training to the envy of any athlete. By the arrival at the Stones' estate, he was supposed to have a great, attractive athletic body, capable of long-term physical activity. It was going to benefit him if not in terms of strength and endurance, then in physical attraction, and in addition to his pretty face and carelessly disheveled hair, it would make him irresistible.

Kyon also discovered that his soul had become more capacious. He knew that as soon as the rate of growth hit a certain level, he would move to the next stage, which would be another milestone on the way of his cultivation. He reached the first stage of the base phase the moment he connected with his soul.

The density of the first phasal energy was insignificant in the mine, which meant his soul would evolve much slower than he desired. If only he knew how to practice the elements, not scatter them in the wind, his cultivation would increase dramatically.

It was a great advantage that Kyon could dispel the energy at night, even when he was sleeping, as his attention stayed focused due to Synergy that took on the role of the performer and acted automatically.

There was even a better advantage: his keys were absolutely pure, which meant that his stream amounted to 900 points. All the nine keys were 100% pure. An impossible dream for the rest of humankind! The average stream had 200-300 points, and those who had it took three to four times longer to evolve. Their elemental attacks were weaker compared to Kyon, even if his cultivation was at the same stage.

The battered wardens returned during those four working days.

The slaves of the 2nd rank were given three nights to recover, which was more than enough for most of them.

Unfortunately, Osip, Kyon's former warden, was too weak when it was time to leave the hospital. Byron avenged his friend and beat the guard, who had crippled Osip, to a pulp. He wouldn't ever come round after that.

Rogash, the "caring" dog, had left Babil's face nicely mutilated, and Byron adorned it with a couple of more bruises. Since then, Babil was neither seen nor heard. He only gritted his teeth whenever he saw Kyon, but many of them were missing in light of recent events. Babil could forget about gaining his power back. It wasn't only his reputation that had suffered in the brawl. He was absolutely broke after Kyon's shameless plundering. Of course, the moneylender had some savings stashed, but he could get his money only on the 7th day of the week. Even the guard who remained with Babil had no respect for him.𝒩𝗈𝑣𝑒𝓁𝓊𝓈𝓫.𝗰𝒐𝐌

The evening of the 6th day had come. Tomorrow was a day off. No one was in a rush to go to bed. Some had taken the card tables, others were writing letters to their dear ones, and some were just chatting over a cup of crap tea.

Kyon was worried that his absence in the database could be revealed. Bob turned in his weekly report ten days ago, but Kyon was hoping that all routine inspections would be temporarily suspended until they found a replacement for Martin, the late formacist. Anyway, he hadn't had any trouble, so far. That's all that mattered.

Bob and Mob came to the common hall to distribute the overachievement commission. Mob emanated an aura of a drug addict. Did something happen between him and Martha?

Kyon didn't jump to conclusions. He didn't have to wait his turn, either. The jerks had kindly lent him enough money to win the auction and get a raise. He wasn't going to need more.

Kyon went to find Mike and promised that he would give him the money left from the auction so that he could exchange it into real currency and send it to his family who lived in the village of Kornevo.

When the problem with "extra" money was solved, Kyon knocked on the door of Byron's room.

«Who's there?» – He heard a muffled voice from behind the door.

«Greetings Byron, it's me.»

«Come on in, boy. I'll pour you some tea… What have you been up to?» – Byron let Kyon in and went to put the kettle on. He used a crystal to boil the water, put a steaming mug in front of Kyon and sat opposite him.

Kyon thanked him for the drink and carefully sipped his tea.

«Same old, same old. There's an auction tomorrow. I'm planning to get out.»

Byron frowned:

«You know, everyone here dreams of getting a promotion and going to the estate. Your money may not be enough. Last time, it cost about 250 thousand spheres to win…»

Kyon grinned and winked conspiratorially to Byron:

«I took some compensation from Babil and his cronies for attacking me and beating Osip. It should suffice.»

«Ha-ha-ha! It's fucking great!» – First, Byron was taken aback, but then he laughed out loud. He approvingly banged with his fist on the table: – «They deserve it! I would have fucking skinned them if anything had happened to you!»

Kyon felt gratitude towards the simple-minded big guy welling deep inside him:

«I am glad to hear that.»

Byron put aside his cup and thoughtfully propped his chin with his hand, drumming his fingers on the table:

«By the way, even if you win the auction, it won't set you free. I have no idea about the way of life and habits there, but I wish you the best of luck with your family matters if you do get out. Hopefully, that asshole will get what he deserves…»

Kyon was confused for a moment, but then he remembered his made-up story full of "drama, maudlinness, and universal injustice." Actually, Kyon should be sorry for his lie, but that emotion was not typical of his rational mind. Besides, Byron wouldn't be so happy to find out that the boy had been manipulating. So, he'd better leave things as they were, and everyone would be pleased. «Lying for the Greater Good» – that was just the name for it.

Kyon nodded vaguely and noticed the Rubik's cube on the shelf behind Byron. He pointed to it:

«Give me that.»

Byron turned around to find what Kyon needed and handed him the toy. Kyon had distracted him for a reason. While he was searching for the toy, Kyon generously poured the entire reserve of Synergy in Byron's cup.

«Here you are. I already regretted buying this junk. I can't make heads or tails of it.» – Byron chuckled and swallowed the lukewarm tea down.

{What a simpleton! It's true what they say, all brawn and no brains…} – Kyon chuckled. Synergy was given a delayed task. Once it reached Byron's stomach, it would penetrate his keys and connect with his spirit in a couple of days. It would give Byron a good incentive, albeit he had not even reached the base phase. Byron always mentioned that he was doomed to be weak, even if no one would dare to call him that.

Kyon leisurely rotated the sides of the cube.

«Tell me about your plans for the future.»

Byron looked down and clenched his fists:

«I have no plans because of my fucking brother. I hate him!… I guess I'll stay here for at least two years. Then I'll buy my freedom and after that… Well, I have to find a way to get my revenge.»

«Two years is a long time. If you get out earlier, find Mike's family in the village of Kornevo and wait for me there. I'll find you and help you get your revenge, but keep in mind…» – The cube was gradually returning to its original state, line after line – red, yellow, green, and red again…

Byron interrupted him impatiently:

«Are you going to help me?»

«Yes, but keep in mind you owe me a favor.» – Kyon nodded, pleased with himself, and put the reassembled Rubik's cube on the table in front of Byron.

Byron glanced at the toy and said pensively:

«You know I'm not rich…»

«It has nothing to do with money. Don't lose any sleep over it.»

«Kyon, I don't give a shit how you are going to do it. If you help me get my revenge, I'll do anything for you!» – Byron slammed with his fist on the table, the cups clinked plaintively. He cleared his throat and added, not so confidently: – «Well, aside from weird things, you know.»

They laughed together.

Kyon said good-bye to Byron and went to his bedroom. Tomorrow was going to be a hard day, the D-day.

Byron closed the door behind Kyon and began to clear the table. His gaze lingered on the Rubik's cube and he gasped in surprise.

It was early morning. Sleepy miners stumbled into the common hall like the living dead, constantly yawning. Kyon was excited as never before. The stakes were too high.

Byron slowly went on the mini-stage and announced when the auction would begin. Then he ordered everyone to go and get washed.

Kyon was standing under the refreshing shower thinking… {So, the patriarch has a beautiful young granddaughter… Hmm, what could be better than winning a highborn lady's heart? The status and influence of the Stone family would allow me to rise in the world. How interesting… A test where a slave must seduce a noble girl, the leader's daughter… I will use my seduction techniques, and she is destined to be mine! In my world, I could charm anyone in an hour. I'm sure my skills will come in very handy here. Oh, I can't wait. My masters have never given me such a task! Hopefully, the girl is my type. If she is, I'll bring her to heel, even if it takes time. She'll thank me later.}

Kyon was lost in his naive romantic fantasies. He had no idea how this world worked. The chain of command was rather flexible in the mine. Everyone was on familiar terms, just like in Lovr's world. Outside, in high society, a single wrong glance could become his last. His ignorance could get him into big trouble, which he was completely unaware of.

Male nature responds quickly and straightforwardly to romantic thoughts. Kyon suppressed his sexual urge, turned off the water and began to get dressed.

Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. Kyon turned back and saw a bald man approaching him with a lascivious look on his face.

{Screw you, not now.} – Kyon had just put on his pants.

«Hey guy, that's the nicest thing I've seen today…»

Before he could finish the sentence, a slippery piece of soap bounced off the wall and dropped straight under his foot. He slipped and slid on the wet floor, cursing loudly, until he crashed into the wall. When he came to his senses, Kyon was already gone.

Kyon pulled on his shirt on the move and ran with his shoes unlaced, breathing a sigh of relief: «If not for my ballistic skills, it would have been rough.»

He heard a commotion in the common hall: two shopkeepers and their loyal guard were bringing in the mobile stall. The slaves were lining up for the upcoming auction, shouting and quarreling.

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Chapter 29

A tall, middle-aged man in a black coat entered the common hall, followed by two guards and a group of slaves from the 1st and 2nd sectors who had won the auction, which suggested their ill-concealed smiles.

Kyon could tell by the way the man was walking that he was no ordinary person. He had specific skills.

The crowd parted to let him pass. The trio in the market stall moved closer to the wall to make room on the mini-stage. Their status was clearly inferior to that of the coat bearer.

The stranger went onto the stage, looked over the audience with blank eyes, cleaned his throat, and spoke:

«All of you probably know who I am and why I'm here. I'm not going to stay in this place for long. Three people who make the highest bids will be promoted and sent to the estate…»

He said those words every year, and they always caused quite a sensation in the common hall.

Each slave considered the promotion and moving to the estate as something unimaginable, which would completely change their lives for the better. There would be delicious food, favorable living conditions, a higher salary… The chance to become a footman could make their lives a fairy tale. To become a servant or, even better, a livestock keeper, those were the dreams of the poor. The prospects were unthinkable. The estate belonged to the Stones, the family number one in the whole kingdom, no less. Promotion cost about three times higher than freedom.

The man in the coat, aka the deliverer, spread his hands and said solemnly: – «Let the auction begin! The first bid is five thousand rupees. Who will give me more?»

Arms began to rise, followed by shouts: «Sixty thousand!»…«Seventy thousand!»…«Ninety thousand!»

In the end, the first person bought the promotion for 250,000 rupees.

Kyon decided to buy the second, which he believed would be cheaper.

His plan was justified: he won the lot for 220,000 rupees. Psychology and the mood of the masses were an open book for him.

What a lucky turn of events it was to meet some well-heeled guys who kindly gave him all their possessions. He would have to toil for many, many years before he could take part in the auction with the money he had. Or maybe he would have to come up with another cunning plan. Everything worked out for him. Kyon didn't know what was in store for him in the mansion, and he couldn't wait to find it out.

The third lot was sold for 275,000 rupees. The winner had been saving for about 10 years, but promotion was totally worth it, unlike freedom. There was no way he would spend another year as a slave in the mine. He thought he would save buying the third lot. Oh well, he meant well. Surprisingly, sad and happy tears were running down his cheeks at the same time.

Kyon discreetly gave the rest of his money to Mike, who was already in good health and eternally grateful, shook his hand and followed the man in black.

As far as Kyon knew, rupees weren't in use in the mansion.

On the way from the common hall, Kyon met Borya, who looked happy and strong. He also shook Kyon's hand and patted him on the back. «The legend of the boy who defied the system and, most importantly, won would be heard for a long time in the mine. Good luck in the future, Kyon.»

John, Kyon's former warden, was standing there in disbelief. The little shit had beaten him up, crippled him and took his money to buy promotion. The world was evil and unfair…

Babil shed an angry tear, clenching his few teeth. The little crook didn't let him get one over on him. The boy was nobody's fool. He was a tiger in the skin of a fool.

Byron called Martha to tell her that Kyon was leaving the mine and went to see him off:

«Kyon, I'm so happy for you! I hope they will treat you well.»

Kyon smiled:

«Don't forget our conversation. By the way, I've left you a surprise. You'll find out tomorrow what it is.»

Byron looked at Kyon with a great deal of interest. He liked surprises. He gave Kyon a friendly smile and shook his hand:

«All right, Kyon. Take care of yourself. I wish I could leave you a surprise, too. But there's nothing to surprise you with…»

«That's okay.» – Kyon patted him on the shoulder. Thanks to Byron, nobody tried to steal the money from his pocket during the week, and many wanted to get rich overnight. If it weren't for Byron, he would have had to think of another way to get himself out of the mine, which might have taken him more than a month, and maybe more than two.

Kyon knew well that cleaning Byron's keys a bit wasn't going to write off his debt. He must get him out of here and then try and help him get his revenge. If it wasn't too much trouble.

When Kyon had shaken everyone's hand, he followed the deliverer in the black coat. He had the foresight to secretly take some amber stones, crystallized and potentially explosive energy, which in the future could come in handy. After all, it was real money unlike rupees in the mine.

It was a piece of cake to hide something from search. All Kyon had to do was to put the little stones under the thick bandage somewhere on his forearm.

His group was approaching Sector 4.

Mob was alone at the checkpoint as he owed Bob a day off. He was leaning back in his chair, reading a book. Either he was pretending to be an intellectual or wanted to be smarter than the slaves. When all of a sudden, Mob turned around and noticed Kyon's group.

The question slipped out of his mouth:

«Kyon?! Are you the winner?!»

Kyon nodded:

«My adventures here are coming to an end.»

The deliverer suppressed his surprise at the fact that a slave was on close terms with authorities. He approached Mob and said in a flat voice:

«So, you know each other, it makes things easier. Mention in your report that he won the auction and was sent to the estate. I'm in a bit of a hurry.»

Mob bowed slightly to show respect for the person in front of him and quickly made some log entries that would only mix things up later.

Kyon heard someone behind him: Martha had come to say goodbye. Thanks to him, she had the most unusual week in the mine.

Still writing in the log, Mob looked around at the familiar footsteps and cried out:

«Martha! Hi!»

She smiled bashfully when she saw all those present, especially Mob:𝓃𝐎𝒱𝐄𝓵𝓊𝑆𝐁.𝚌𝞸𝓂

«Hello…»

Mob broke into a blissful smile, then coughed awkwardly.

Martha approached Kyon, took him by the hand and said:

«I didn't expect you to have so many secrets! I'm so glad you are getting out of here. I hope you'll be alright.»

Kyon looked at her good-natured, pretty face, smiled kindly and replied:

«All of this wouldn't have happened without your help. Thank you for being a partner… in crime as well.» – He gave her a conspiratorial wink.

Martha covered her red face with her hand, averting her eyes. She really was an accomplice in Martin's murder, albeit unintentionally.

Mob looked startled as if he had remembered something. He grabbed Kyon by the hand and gave him a firm shake, patting him on the shoulder with the other hand:

«Kyon… Well… Have a good time. Alright… Good luck.»

Kyon looked at him in disbelief. Was Mob really shaking a slave's hand? No way! He just wanted to impress Martha. He turned his eyes to the doctor and nodded – it worked! It really did!

Martha covered her mouth with her hand. She always disapproved of Mob battering slaves and treated them like shit. And now he was shaking hands with a slave! Mob was even smiling at him! Was it the same man? When Mob was protecting her from the mad servant, she noticed many good qualities in him, and now this… But she hadn't said anything to Byron yet. She hadn't broken up with him. She had to be more determined.

Kyon cleared his throat and replied:

«I will! Believe me.»

Mob took away his hand and almost imperceptibly wiped it on his pants, his "sincere" smile never left his lips. His little ruse was for a reason. The expression on Martha's face was totally worth it.

Meanwhile, the deliverer was staring at Kyon as if he were an anomaly. He had never seen such a young slave in the mine. The boy must have committed a crime to be forced into slavery at such a young age. Then the deliverer wondered where the boy could get enough money to win the auction. It required years of hard work, and he was unlikely to have been toiling in the mine since his infancy. The boy must have pulled a fast one. But what could he possibly have done? Who did he deceive and rob to have such a huge amount of money? The deliverer found it strange, very strange. Then the boy turned out to be on friendly terms with the leader of the mine! Even stranger was the fact that the nurse came to say goodbye to him! The deliverer was inclined to believe that the doctor fancied the handsome young boy, but what about the supervisor, who, as far as he remembered from his previous trips, despised slaves?! An air of mystery surrounded Kyon, and the deliverer was curious to know how he did it. Anyway, he had completely changed his opinion about the boy.

The deliverer suppressed his emotions and roared. «It's time to leave unless you want to stay in the mine.» – Then he headed off to the 4th sector with his group.

Kyon threw a final smiling glance at Martha, waved her with two fingers goodbye and followed the deliverer. He knew that he would pay her back in full for her kindness and help but first, he needed to get on his feet and spread his wings.

The doctor watched him go with a longing look on her face. Suddenly, his disappearing silhouette reminded her of her son. Tears flew down her cheeks. She felt empty, yet her heart was so heavy. The memories came flooding back. It was happening all over again…

Mob saw his dear woman crying and gently put his arm around her. «Here, here… He'll be ba… He'll miss you, too.»

Martha nodded, wiped her tears, and shouted to Kyon from a distance:

«Take good care of yourself!»

Kyon didn't turn. A wry smile briefly touched his lips.

Finally, the group crossed the border of Sector 3… Kyon wasn't going to meet any familiar faces anymore. He let out a long sigh, partly of sadness.

After the auctions in other sectors, the deliverer had gathered a decent group of slaves ready to leave the mine. The guards respectfully let him out at the sight of the formation on his wrist.

The mountain wind was blowing. A beautiful mountain landscape opened before Kyon. The sun was at its zenith, and he could see green trees in the distance, a small river, birds… Dear nature that the slaves hadn't seen for many years.

Their faces expressed delight. They hadn't breathed fresh air for ages.

The deliverer led the group to a large cart pulled by two unusual animals. He sat on the driver's seat and beckoned to the others to get in.

{My journey is just beginning.} – Kyon reminded himself, making himself comfortable.

…

Twenty-four elders were sitting at a large round table in the half-open palace. Half of them flickered like an illusion. Up above them in the sky, there was a huge blue ball, the planet called Life.

There was an ongoing discussion of a fundamental issue between two rival factions opposing each other for thousands of years.

Emperor Mubay, the tall illusionary man with short blond hair, keen eyes and a pair of translucent white wings behind his back, spoke with authority:

«We have considered the competition proposal for the right to own Argus gates for the next hundred years. We have agreed upon all points, except the one that states that there should be a hundred of the top geniuses on each side. We suggest sending twenty-five contestants rather than creating a bloodbath on the lower planet.»

Ryder, the emperor of the opposite faction with a pair of dark wings behind his back and impressive looks, said with a grin:

«Do you expect me to believe that you care about the scum on the planet? Admit it, you don't have enough young geniuses to match us.»

Mubay's reaction was harsh and arrogant. «Our geniuses have always been famous for their quality, not quantity! It's a long and difficult process to cultivate gold grains instead of cranking out heaps of rot!»

They started a fierce debate trying to humiliate the opposite faction and defend their position. After a while, both sides came up with a compromise: there would be 50 participants on each side.

Mubay, the head of the light faction, summed up:

«Next year on the day of the gate closing, we're placing fifty of the best geniuses under the age of eighteen in random places of the planet. They will all start as third phasers, and their success will depend solely on their intelligence and talent. The losers will strictly follow the terms of the agreement, and the winners will have Argus gates at their disposal for the next hundred years. Now let's sign the spiritual contract.» – He looked at the dark faction leader.

Ryder signed the document with a confident smile and said solemnly:

«And may the STRONGEST win. I mean US!» – He dropped the call, leaving the last word to himself.

Ryder waved his hand leisurely, ordering the dark faction elders to leave the conference room. Everybody left with reverence. An extraordinarily beautiful woman stayed. She put her hand on his shoulder.

With an evil smile, Emperor Ryder pulled the gorgeous woman closer and kissed her sliding his tongue into her mouth, pawing her supple buttocks. Then he pulled away from her and said:

«We don't have much time to prepare, darling. Organize the qualifying tournament all over the kingdom. I want to see fifty greatest young geniuses next month. And take care of our son. He must get the best training and resources. He was born to be the first, after all.»

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Chapter 30: Arc 2 – The Stones' Mansion

Previously in Everything Will Be My Way (chapters 1-29):

Kyon killed Martin, the greedy formacist who decided to cash in at the boy's expense. He also made friends with Byron, the leader of the slaves. A friend helped Kyon rob a money-lender and his gang for a large sum of money that got him a promotion to a higher slave position. Meanwhile, he had connected with his soul, learned the rules of the world around him, escaped Martha's righteous anger, who found out that he had killed Martin. He also met a goddess who had been searching the whole universe to find him. Before the auction, Kyon had cleaned Byron's keys and promised to find him somewhen in the future. He was sent to the Stones' estate, where the family members had immense cultivation and impressive power. Kyon lacked knowledge about the new place where people used elements and formations for various needs like subjugating beasts and slaves. The family members took slaves for nothing. They decided the fate of a slave with a snap of their fingers. Kyon counted on getting out of the damned mine to have a better life, but his life was in danger as soon as he arrived in the estate. He was still a slave who had to prove himself in this new powerful world.

The Stones' mansion, late in the evening.

A beautiful young girl, whose angelic appearance could charm the gods themselves, was sitting on a bench impatiently dangling her legs. The wind was blowing through her long golden hair. Her huge emerald green eyes framed with thick eyelashes reflected a pale moon. There was something magical, wondrous, unearthly about her.

A mournful howl of ghosts came from somewhere behind her.

The girl narrowed her eyes, an understanding smile played on her lips.

«You have a lousy memory. It won't happen twice!» – Her voice, melodious as spring bells, sounded too shrill, destroying her innocent image.

The "ghosts" obediently shut up. A heavy sigh and quiet laughter turned into the old man's creaky voice:

«Lady Juno, I'm in my late 120s, go easy on me.»

«I am tired of hearing you harp on the same string, old fool!» – The girl turned around with a mischievous smile.

Flitz, the very formacist who Martin was sent to replace, paid a visit to Juno. He was a tall skinny old man with a shock of white hair and a long beard. His face was wrinkled in deep furrows, but his eyes were glowing with an inner flame. He was wearing a long gray robe of an old scholar that unfitted his image of an evil old man.

«My old heart can't take your harsh words. Mind your manners!» – Flitz smiled back at her.

«Your heart can take more than that!» – The insolent girl snorted and rose from the bench. She closed her eyes and stretched, arching her back. Flitz wanted to give a flick on her nose for that provocative behavior.

She half-opened her sly eyes that gleamed like emeralds eyes and reproached him:

«Well?! Did you forget how to greet your lady?!»

«Ha ha he! Let me hug you, dear… It's been a while…» – Flitz laughed and pulled the naughty girl to himself, making her bury her nose in his chest. The girl was a head shorter than him. The old man couldn't help nuzzling his nose into her thick hair. The smell of expensive shampoo tickled his nostrils. She reminded him of a spoiled puppy, so cute and spontaneous. It was so tempting to touch her but it wasn't worth dying for.

«Flitz…» – The girl pulled away. – «Tell me what you have found out.»

The old man sat wearily on the bench. Juno made herself comfortable beside him.

«The information was correct… She had fled to the imperial capital. I did some investigation and found out that she had joined the imperial order. She passed the exam with one hundred points and became an official student at once. Can you imagine?»

«Hmm… How unexpected.» – The girl made a sarcastic snort, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. – «How is she doing there? Why would she need to enter the order?»

«Alas, I wasn't sneaky enough to meet her in person, but I heard a lot.» – Flitz wearily waved his hand. – «She created a sensation on the very first day and got some admirers…»

«Hush! Stop it. I know. She is beautiful, strong, smart, blah-blah-blah. Miss Perfection.» – Juno made a grimace of disgust. Her eyes flashed with rage: – «I was destined to spend my childhood in the chill of her magnificent shadow. So stop talking about her and keep to the point.» – The girl had to fight back the urge to stamp her foot in a fit of rage.

A down feather of some night bird landed on her cute nose. The girl sneezed quietly and flashed a dazzling smile watching the feather soar in the air and then slowly float to the ground. The old man's heart skipped a beat, he had to avert his eyes. Then he cleaned his throat nervously and continued:

«Yeah, sure. Anyway… I don't think she ran away because Timothy Brown wanted to marry her. He was just a weak puppy. It all comes down to your father's disappearance…»

Juno took a deep breath, which made her neat perky tits rise, and moaned, hiding her face in her hands: «Just as I thought. She is a fool… She… No, I mean it! She IS a fool.»

Flitz asked cautiously:

«Have I found her weak spot?»

«She is obsessed with him… She thinks that father is alive, even if he has not been around for years! He is either dead or a complete idiot!» – Juno growled the last words. Her eyes sparkled with hatred mixed with grief for her father, who had always loved her sister more than her.

Flitz sighed quietly:

«Once I talked with your grandfather. He said that his son might be alive… His people have been investigating the case of his disappearance but all leads end at the border with the demons on the day of Succubus Love. The damned creatures are very powerful. They are also known for their perverse love of powerful men. Your father was strong and talented.» – His eyes glanced over Juno who was sitting very still: – «Your sister wants to become stronger, and the imperial order is the best place in the whole empire to do it. Apparently, she plans to get into the demon empire on her own… That's why she ran away.»

«I see. Well, that's just great. She wants to commit suicide. I couldn't be happier for my sister.» – Juno gave a nervous giggle. She wrapped her arms around herself as if she was cold and shook her head:

«She is three years older than me but such a bird brain…»

Flitz was considerate enough to refrain from any comments. Elsa was the best of the best, and Juno knew it very well. Her elder sister had a hundred thousands of admirers who would give anything just to look at her.

«You know, ever since I met the real you, the hair on my head has significantly receded… Ouch!» – Flitz didn't expect a blow to his shoulder from the viciously puffing "puppy."

«You don't like me?» – another blow. – «Tell me! I am mean, aren't I?!» – and another one. – «Come on, tell me!»

Flitz couldn't take her attacks anymore. He got out of her way, rubbing his injured shoulder – it's going to leave a bruise, you little rascal! – and said angrily:

«You are the most obnoxious girl the world has ever seen! A nasty piece of work!»

Juno rushed to Flitz to prove that she was just an angel until now. Only, he already knew what to expect, and she couldn't keep up with him:

«Wait, old fart! What have you been doing in the mine all this time? Applies formations! Or maybe you like the slaves, huh? I know what a pervert you are deep inside! Come on, slow down!»

Flitz grinned slyly and immediately obeyed her order. He stopped abruptly and turned, making Juno, who didn't expect such obedience, crash into his chest.

The old man exhaled wearily. He gently unstuck the overly energetic young lady from his robe and grinned at her reddened nose and tear-filled eyes. Then he shuddered and looked away.

Juno sobbed bitterly, her nose slightly swollen from the impact.

«Old goat… Why would you stop like that?!» – She went ballistic and stepped menacingly forward, ready to strike again.

Flitz caught her small fist at once:

«Keep reaching for the stars and one day you'll take revenge on me, kid. By the way, how is your training going?»

Juno broke free, gracefully straightened her silk blouse and walked through the park, her heels clicking against the stone path. She felt disappointed and angry at once.

«I connected with my spirit three months ago. If I had done it in early childhood like my sister, she would be kneeling before me to curry favor instead of roaming imperial orders and stirring up trouble.»

Fitz couldn't hide his delight. Just look at her, knee-high to a duck but arrogance over the top!

«Wow! What an impassioned speech! You might be talented, but don't you have a bit too high opinion of yourself? You can't hit me, all right, I'm too strong for you. But there's that kid, what's his name, Yegorka or something… You can't defeat even him!»

The "puppy" sniffed angrily:

«Mind your language, old bones! For the record, he is the most promising young fighter in our family! Anyway, whenever we fight he deliberately raises his cultivation two stages up. He never fights on equal terms. He must be afraid to lose to a girl like a real coward he is!»

Flitz burst into laughter:

«Oh well… If this difference had stopped your sister, do you think she would ever have become a genius number one?»

«Shut up! Say no more! I fucking hate you! Why do you keep talking about her? You're just like the rest of them.» – Juno tried to trip Flitz up, but he stepped over her foot without even looking at her. She growled: «Don't you ever say anything about her again! And not a word about Yegorka! I can't even think of him after his misconduct last time!»

Flitz had no idea what the boy's crime was but he couldn't care less.

«So… You don't want to get stronger, do you?»

«Of course, I do!» – The girl hissed angrily.

«Ha-ha-he! What if I teach you to fight?» – Flitz offered with a sly grin.

No, not you.» – Juno snapped with no hesitation.

The smile faded from Flitz's eyes, the world had lost its color. The formacist shook his head, trying to get rid of his sad thoughts:

«You're the first to refuse training with me… Juno, if you can't handle even Yegorka, you might want to fight with someone of equal cultivation.»

«Do I look like a kindergarten teacher?! Besides, all the boys I know can only drool during the fight! And you know how much I hate perverts. Such as yourself.» – The mean girl responded vindictively.𝒩𝗈𝑣𝑒𝓁𝓊𝓈𝓫.𝗰𝒐𝐌

«You don't know what you're missing fighting with dummies! You are talented enough to reach the fifth stage in three months… Many people would kill for that… But without fighting skills, your cultivation doesn't matter. You won't be too happy when someone much weaker than you brings you to your knees.»

Juno lowered her shoulders. She sighed and whispered.

«You're right… Of course, you're right. In fact, I don't mind practising with you. But how long are you going to stay this time? The family needs you… fucking formacist…» – Juno looked up at him sadly, already knowing the answer.

Flitz was deeply moved. He stretched out his hand to pat the sweetest girl in the world but stopped short, clenching his fist.

«I would have to ask the patriarch and the elders, as well as your brother. Martin might not stay there for long. I'll have to go back… I'm sorry.»

«That's what I'm saying.» – Juno snorted and continued walking.

«What if I bring someone who doesn't drool? Someone who can fight, unlike the punching bags you used for your training?» – Flitz remembered the pile of meat left of those who couldn't survive a day with Juno. And some other "lucky" guys… A chill ran down his spine.

«I don't mind punching bags.» – The charming tyrant in the skirt giggled.

«Be serious! It's for your own good!»

«I know. Alright then… Find someone strong but weaker than me. No drooling! And… I have to enjoy dealing with him, I mean beating him, of course. Do you understand? He has to last longer.»

Flitz gave Juno a judging look. What she did to the "punching bags" wasn't worthy of the patriarch's granddaughter, the young lady of the noble family. He shook his head in discontent.

«I promise I'll find someone for you.»

Juno sat on a bench, thoughtfully admiring the moon, silent.

She had finally stepped out from her sister's shadow, but it wasn't getting any easier. Juno used to think that she was born to surpass Elsa, but fate had slowed down her cultivation, and the competition became equal. It was time to catch up with her sister and prove herself to everyone who didn't believe in her, who despised her, who compared her to the elder sister and still did, who treated her like a little girl, capable only of charming others with her looks. From now on, her life goal was to defeat her sister in front of everyone. She needed to prove her greatness.

Juno let out a big yawn. It was long after midnight. She hugged the skinny old man and said quietly in his ear:

«Thank you, Flitz, for finding out about my sister for me.»

Flitz was touched. It was a rare occasion to hear sincere gratitude from the walking disaster of a girl. He reached with his hand for her fluffy head, but his fingers suddenly felt stiff, and he just hugged her back.

«My pleasure. Let me take you to your room.»

«No need. I'll go by myself.» – She gave another yawn.

«Well, in that case… Good night, miss Juno, the queen of the dummies.» – Flitz smiled. The mere presence of this nasty girl always lifted his spirits.

Juno waved him off and went to bed, yawning.

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𝑵𝗈𝗏𝞮𝐿𝓊𝑠𝒃.𝔠𝞸𝗆

Chapter 31

The same day.

Ren – the man in the black coat – was wearily driving the wagon loaded with slaves.

The tiring journey took six days in each direction. The road from the estate to the mines was hard-packed with the earth element so it did not swamp or collapse.

Mountains, rivers, forests, hills. The passengers couldn't help but admire the breathtaking view. They came across some wild animals, too. However, dangerous beasts didn't dare to attack the crowd.

Ren took this trip every year, and now the seventh one was drawing to a close. The journey used to be dreadful, but this time a slave named Kyon saved the day with his jokes and pranks. Ren noticed the boy back at the mine. Now he was the life of the party and didn't let anyone feel blue.

On the third day of the trip, the boy surprised them all when his cultivation suddenly raised a stage. There was no mistake about the popping sound announcing cultivation upgrade. It was rather strange because no one else in the third sector had ever connected with the soul… And Kyon did and even learned to pass through cycles! The boy was full of surprises.

{The boy seems to be really good… It might be my lucky break…} – Ren wistfully glanced at the boy.

The wagon arrived at the first checkpoint. The Stone estate began here. Two guards checked the mark on Ren's wrist and let them in.

The land was protected with a two-meter stone wall created with the earth element. Beside the walls of different height, the estate was under three invisible barriers equipped with alarms in case of a break-in.

After another two hours of their journey, they came to the second checkpoint behind the wall, and half an hour later, the third and the last one. By then, the dark veil of the night had covered the sky.

The big gate swung open. Ren and the wagon were let inside. The vast estate appeared before the tired slaves. Here and there, they could see houses about three floors high. They were beautiful buildings, pleasing to the eye. And it was only the outer courtyard. Closer to the center, the houses were getting even more elaborate.

The man in the coat stopped the wagon at the building that looked like a prison with its barbed wire fence. However, they couldn't see any guards…

An old fellow warden came out to meet Ren, a wicked smirk smoldering on his lips. He gave the slaves a scornful look, fixing his eyes on Kyon.

«What a pack of skinny guys this time, Ren. The slaves are getting worse and worse every year. Do you have any idea why?» – Hein clucked his tongue, shaking his head reproachfully.

Ren grimaced. The jerk always had to make a snide remark. He replied in a flat tired voice:

«How the hell should I know… I'll go take a shower. You take it from here.» – After all, he was almost done. His job was to bring in the slaves and get them new formations and a bonus for himself.

The warden nodded, watching the colleague leave. Then he said scornfully to the guards:

«What are you waiting for? Take the trash to get washed.»

Kyon still had a handful of the amber stones that he had to stash somewhere. The risk was worth it. If he couldn't use them as money, they would come in handy as firecrackers.

After a shower, each slave was given a set of clothes in size: simple, gray canvas trousers and a shirt, much better and of higher quality than the miner's uniform. At least they had no holes or stains.

Kyon put the stones in his new pocket.

When the slaves came out, the guards lined everyone up.

Hein walked along the row of the slaves with a haughty look, his hands behind his back. He loved his job… His primary mission was to show the newcomers their place, and he was happy to start.

«You all suck!» – His loud voice sounded solemnly mocking. – «You must have heard the tall tales about the sea and roses, girls and loads of food. It's all bullshit! You are going to work even more than you used to at the mine! Each of you will puke your guts out in a month! You are low-life scum born to break your backs to get something to eat, and nothing will ever change this.»

The slaves lowered their heads, not daring to look up and see the smug look on his face. Some moaned in despair: the barbed wire fence, the cruel boss yelling at them, promising another hell. It wasn't exactly what they were hoping for.

The warden, pleased with the effect, looked for the first victim in the crowd. He wanted to increase their feeling of frustration and bring home the full weight of being a slave. His gaze fell on the slender boy. How did he even get here? Hein spat and said with a vicious grin:

«The slaves are getting more useless and worthless each year. They can't even wash their ass. But today is even worse than ever… Take you, for example. Come here, trembling creature.» – He pointed his finger majestically, beckoning the boy marked "Kyon."

Kyon took a step forward, growing darker with every passing moment of his stay in this "friendly" place.

The man grinned maliciously:

«Tell me who you sucked off day after day to get here, huh? Do you think I will believe that a frail wuss with a pretty face could win the auction?»

Kyon gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes to slits but said nothing. The unspeakable truth was looming before him: he was a nobody here. But he couldn't accept the humiliation or he would never be respected. Everything else was subjective.

When the slave didn't respond, the warden became even more aggressive. He had to send a message to this little whore boy!

« I order you, sissy, to bend over with your back to me! I'll show you what it means to work your ass off!» – A nice kick in the back, in addition to public humiliation, will teach the boy some good manners and make him stop staring like this! Then the warden would proceed to the next loser. Three victims would do.

Kyon had to suppress an urge to break the warden's neck. Unfortunately, he had neither the right nor the strength to do that, but he didn't want to bend over in front of his new friends. The only thing he could think of was to keep silent and do nothing. It was a wise strategic decision with no consequences.

Hein's lips stretched in a hideous sneer:

«Are you deaf, sissy boy?! Did they fuck you in the ear, and now you can hear me, huh?!» – He turned to the guards with a chuckle pointing to Kyon, who stood rooted to the spot: – «Look at him, they take in deaf slaves, too!»

Both guards giggled. He was the boss, after all.

The warden rushed to the cheeky boy to bend him with his own hands when something slippery flew under his feet. He lost his balance, plopped on the floor stomach first and slid a couple of meters with his face on the ground.

Kyon shook his head with a barely noticeable smile: soap is man's best friend, indeed!

The warden blushed. He got up, scraped the slippery personal care product off his shoe and roared:

«Who did it?!»

A couple of slaves behind Kyon covered their mouths to stifle a burst of loud laughter.

Unfortunately, their maneuver did not go unnoticed. Hein's eyes narrowed menacingly:

«Do you think it's funny? Ha ha, so do I. Do you know why? That's why!» – He threw the bar of soap like a curveball straight into the slave's eye. But the slippery and unruly soap whizzed past his head and flew somewhere up and away. A window broke in the distance… The slippery flying object flew with tripled speed straight into the warden's face like a boomerang.

bang*

The piece of soap hit Hein's eye marking the future bruise. The warden cried in pain and pressed his hand to the injured half of his face:

«Agrr… What the…! WHO DID IT?!» – The humiliation filled his remaining intact eye with fury. He had made a complete idiot of himself! Even the guards, his subordinates, could hardly help laughing.

Hein forgot about his intentions, crushed the long-suffering soap in his fist and rushed like a wild boar at the nearest laughing slave who, of course, was Kyon. He hadn't taken three steps, though, when Ren approached him from behind and gave him a smack upside the head. The warden couldn't keep his balance once again and slid across the floor on his face, leaving a pretty bloody trail that marked his wretched body's braking distance.

Hein stood up, clutching at his bleeding nose and yelling:

«Why?!»

«I gave you a simple task, and you made an idiot of yourself… It's time you changed your sphere of activity and stopped disgracing the status of a warden.» – Ren shook his head scornfully. He turned to Kyon and slightly raised the corners of his lips in response to his smile. The kid had noticed him approach the warden. He must have picked up on his intention to give the idiot a "friendly" slap. What a clever boy, an observant one!

Ren looked at the laughing slaves and waved his hand.

«Follow me. We need to define your status and position.»

They went to the formation department. His delivery job was about to be done, at last.

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