Everything Will Be My Way Chapter 2: 32, a 13 tzameti fanfic

Everything will be my way! #Chapter 32 - Read Everything will be my way! Chapter 32 Online - All Page - Novel Usb

Chapter 32

After his talk with young lady Juno, Flitz went to elder Boe's mansion to get further directions.

The sturdy gray-haired old man in the sumptuous armchair said with a sigh:

«Martin is dead. Choked to death on a bun.»

Flitz trembled inside when he heard the news. He would have fallen on the carpet but, fortunately, there was a chair nearby. Hunched, clasping his head in his hands, he groaned in despair:

«On a bun? What fucking bun are you talking about? Gods can be funny but it's too much, damn it!»

Elder Boe grimaced.

«Mind your language! I won't tolerate profanity. I'm not the patriarch.»

Flitz closed his eyes, trying to pull himself together. Who knew that his former student, and now a sympathetic ear for ghost stories, would drop dead because of a bun? It's not even funny.

Boe gave the formacist a moment to come to his senses and cut right to the chase.

«After Martin's death, two hundred formations in our family have dissipated. They can't be identified without a token, which greatly complicates their and our lives. Oh, by the way… Three hundred slaves have also lost their formations. The beasts mistake them for strangers and attack at the first opportunity. We have already lost a few dozen slaves, and the rest refuse to work because they are afraid of being eaten. I can understand them, though… Anyway, the Stones need you. As of tomorrow, take up the formations. It's urgent.»

Flitz snickered:

«Why the fu… the hell do we need so many beasts around if they eat our people?»

Boe rubbed his throbbing temples:

«They are not wild, they are shackled… But that's not the point. When the beasts recognize the family formation, they get docile as pet kittens. Who knew the moron would die from a crumb?!» – The elder spat angrily. The timing for all this farce couldn't be more wrong. However, he apologized when he noticed Flitz's darkened face:

«I am sorry… I know he was your student. Last week was very difficult for all of us. I'm the only elder in the whole estate at the moment.»

«It's alright.» – Flitz answered coldly. – «I'll get to work tomorrow.»

«…»

When a formacist dies, the formations they applied smolder like embers and lose their functions. The beasts roaming the estate were not tamed. They were under a subjugating formation called "harness." Anyone in the Stone family could control the beasts. The harnessed animals protected the family and followed their orders. The beasts didn't obey the slaves, but the formation ensured their safety.

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Elder Boe rubbed his temples again. All these problems were giving him a splitting headache. Flitz was not young. Boe didn't even want to think about the chaos that would begin in the estate after his death.

After talking to the elder, Flitz went to his office. He had to prepare everything for tomorrow's working day. The office was on the second floor, not far from the place where the newly arrived slaves were brought in.

He got distracted by a noise: someone was cursing loudly outside.

With a grim look on his face, Flitz threw a stack of documents into the drawer and went to the window. His office was opposite the shed where the new slaves usually arrived. Today a new batch was expected.

He saw a familiar scene: the warden was yelling at some poor slave in the spacious courtyard. Year after year, it was always the same. Flitz was about to get back to his things when he noticed an almost imperceptible gesture a boy slave had made. A bar of soap flew out of his hands, bounced off the wall and fell right under the warden's feet. Mission complete – the warden plopped to the ground and smashed his face.

Flitz snickered to himself: {Not bad, not bad at all…}

The next moment, the window that served him as a screen to watch the show shattered. The furious warden had quickly found the reason for his debacle and threw the soap right in the window!

«Fucking shit!» – Flitz cursed gloomily. He fished the ill-fated hygiene product from under the table and threw it back with tripled strength. The warden had it coming!

{Serves you right!} – Flitz snorted vengefully. He looked pleased with himself when Hein fiercely rubbed his bruised eye. The next moment, the warden rushed like a buffalo at the "marksman." He had to take it out on someone, after all. – {Sorry, kid, but it's not my problem.} – Flitz thought to himself and was about to turn away from the window as he noticed the deliverer rapidly approach the crowd. The next moment, Hein got a smack upside the head. Not his lucky day. – {Hmm, is Ren trying to help the boy out? Curiouser and curiouser!}

Flitz's mood slightly improved. The funny boy distracted him, even if only for a short time, from his thoughts about his student's death. He arranged his things, checked the condition of the tools, shook his head disapprovingly at the tiny spider who had settled in the corner between the shelves and the ceiling. He was ready to go about his business. However, his plans were thwarted in the bud. Flitz could hear loud clattering outside and then the door creaked and opened.

Ren burst in with a group of slaves. The formacist laid his eyes on the disheveled head of the cheeky fellow in the rear of the crowd. The boy had made an enemy of the warden on his very first day of arrival.

…

Kyon was the last to come in. He cast a quick look around the room. It was rather spacious, furnished old style (by the standards of this world). There was a bulky oak table and a huge wardrobe of the same wood; shelves loaded with all kinds of staff and a frame with a black and white photo of a thin, gray-haired woman. {Hmm did they invent the camera or its analog?} Behind the table, there was a half wall window — or rather, a broken half wall window – covered shyly with heavy and probably very dusty curtains.

The old man was sitting at the table with his fingertips closed in front of him. He was tall and thin. The years had whitened his hair and a long beard. Despite his gray old age, the expression on his face didn't give the impression of a nice person. Quite the opposite, it revealed his nasty character and rude manners.

Ren recognized Flitz and hurried to bow, making a sign to the slaves to do the same. When he raised his head, his voice sounded nervous and respectful:

«Mr. Flitz, I have delivered a new batch of slaves. My apologies for the delay, but it's still your office hours. That's why I thought…»

Flitz interrupted him with a gesture and said, stroking his gray beard:

«Ren, did you know that we just lost Martin?»

«I didn't, sir. I'm so sorry… I'm sorry for your loss…»

Flitz took his pipe out of the drawer and looked for a match. After the second strike, the office filled with smoke. He inhaled with satisfaction and continued:

«Your batch of slaves is the five hundredth in line, so you can roll home like a hedgehog.»

«Yes, sir.» – Ren bowed slightly and hurried towards the exit, when all of a sudden, the brooding old man stopped him:

«Why did you defend the boy?»

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Ren looked down uncomfortably.

«I just slapped my colleague for being unprofessional, sir…»

«Are you trying to fool me, brat?» – Fllitz snorted, his eyes squinted menacingly.

The deliverer hastily bowed his head:

«I am sorry. I did defend the boy for a good reason… I am sorry I lied…»

«Spit it out. You bore me stiff.» – Flitz said lazily, relishing the good tobacco. Now he looked arrogant like a king.

Ren swallowed and answered hesitantly:

«The boy… He is capable of more than you know. We kind of made friends on the way from the mine. Besides, he proved himself diligent and hardworking. So, I decided to defend a nice fellow.»

Flitz puffed out a couple of smoke rings with a regal pensive look and shook the ashes out of the pipe. He appraised the boy from head to toe. A good-looking, sporty type. He was alright. The boy looked strong enough to endure life's challenges. Flitz took a decision.

«You are free to go. The boy stays here.»

Ren bowed, threw a meaningful glance at Kyon and took the group with him.

Flitz beckoned the boy to come up to him and took a closer look at the formation on his forehead:

«Have you done any martial arts, Kyon?»

Kyon had little understanding of what was going on, but he could feel the high-ranking prig's dangerous aura. Formacists were people of status. The old man was clearly one of those, his manners said a lot.

«I have a little experience. Let me show you some moves…»

«It's a mug's game.» – Flitz chuckled. – «Take off your shirt.»

Kyon obediently stripped to the waist.

Flitz took a look at his body and nodded, visibly pleased. The boy had sculpted, medium size pecs, minimal body fat, confident posture, straight strong back. He would endure a hundred or even a thousand blows from the young lady. He was the right one. Flitz felt a bit sorry for such a nice specimen, but Juno's wish was his command. Anyway, he had promised Juno's grandfather to take care of her. Flitz wished his hands were not full in the mine… He wished he had more time for the young lady. Damned formations.

And yet, the boy was good! Even too good. He looked so handsome, so sweet, and a bit shaggy. It's a sin such slaves existed at all. They were usually thin, haggard, joyless zombies but this one… Too bad he wouldn't stay alive long at the job Flitz had for him.

«Not bad, not bad at all.» – Flitz said once again with a dreamy sigh. He would gladly have the boy's looks. He wished there was a kind of magic to transfer souls to another body.

«Thank you for the compliment, sir.» – Kyon smiled slightly and added with hope: «Can I be your student?»

«Ha-ha-he! I have the 2nd rank in the family, boy. Why would you deserve this honor? A pile of muscles and good looks, it's no big deal… I have a job for you and not an easy one.» – Flitz leaned back in his chair with his fingers clasped in front of him, waiting for the boy's cheerful reaction.

Kyon frowned: it won't do. What job is he talking about?

«I am worth a lot, sir! You can check me out if you like.»

Flitz gave Kyon a look that made him cringe. It was like he was staring into his soul.

«Hmm… You know, you must be barking up the wrong tree. But so be it. Anyway, I'm sick and tired of this damned office. I need some air. Come on, let's see your glorified skills. And gods forbid you will disappoint me. I'll wring your neck.»

Kyon swallowed when he heard the warning. However, he was confident in himself and took it easy: {Fine! He will definitely be my master…} He had already planned an epic bright future for himself. Fresh from the mine and a step away from the mentorship of a high-ranking formacist. What could be better than this?

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Chapter 33

Flitz led Kyon down the lantern-lit path to the nearest arena. Any respected house had plenty of them. It was the place for training and sparring.

The arena was rather spacious, the size of a basketball court, bounded by a low metal fence. It was empty at the moment but the floodlights were on. There were no guards or checkpoints to be seen.

Flitz stood in the center of the arena, his hands behind his back. He said with scorn:

«Attack me.» – Flitz was going to give the boy a real bashing if he had lied. No one likes a show-off. Flitz didn't either.

Kyon took a full breath of fresh night air, clenched his fists and made a sudden attack. He moved silently on the stone-paved floor at great speed, landing some impressive blows at Flitz's vulnerable points.

Flitz grinned and dodged without making an effort. He might as well yawn of boredom. He wasn't going to defeat the boy with speed or power but with his experience alone. Flitz did not even think of defending himself or attacking Kyon. But he did not expect that the boy would knock him off balance at the third blow and hit him in the hip at the fourth.

«Ugh…» – Flitz spat and put his hands to work. He rolled on the ground, too briskly for his age, just in time to dodge a heavy hook in his long nose! «You're fucking lucky…» – Flitz grumbled after the blow he had avoided by some miracle and doubled his speed.

Kyon slowed down and said with a barely noticeable sneer in his voice:

«What's the matter, sir? Mock combat is too boring for you?»

«Okay, little pipsqueak. You think you're quick and agile, don't you?! I have your kind for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!» – Flitz got in a boxing stance, his legs bent, his arms defending the face. The image of a wise man in Buddha style was completely destroyed.

Kyon marveled at the old-timer's energy supply and prepared to defend himself.

The fight ensued. Flitz unleashed a furious attack. A kick, another kick, a 90-degree turn to make another swing… He couldn't see Kyon counterattack – the boy had taken advantage of his blind spot – but could he feel it instinctively. Flitz recoiled at a threefold speed, and Kyon's fist passed an inch from his cheek…

Flitz didn't swear any more: he had to save his breath. The loud bravado at the beginning of the fight "I'll beat you with no hands!" turned into doubt if he could actually defeat the elusive wolf cub. What a swift little brat!

Kyon giggled indecently. It wasn't too polite to laugh in the face of this high-ranking master but he could not help it. {I'm fighting with 10 out of 10 battle fists while Flitz uses only 5 of them. It's too bad. He makes a lot of mistakes, he has a bad stance, his defense is poor as hell and all his attacks are predictable… I'd give him 5 out of 10 but I must admit he is sharp as a tack for his age… I wonder what his real strength is.}

The battle fist is an accepted subjective assessment of skill movements and tactics in combat. The number depends on the level. The fighter without a weapon might be like a bird without a beak, but give them a sword… and the level of their battle fist rises. It could also be throwing weapons, bows, crossbows, etc.

Flitz shot a dirty look at the boy and snapped:

«Are you messing with me, son of a bitch?!» – Before Flitz finished his sentence, he sped up three times, caught up with Kyon and gave him a heavy slap that made him fall. «How do you like this? Who's laughing here now?! Ha-ha-he!»

The slaps left red marks on Kyon's cheeks. He seized a moment between the blows and implored:

«Please, forgive me, master! You're stronger… You're way stronger than I am…»

«Ha-ha-he!» – Flitz laughed and kicked the insolent boy again solely for his own pleasure. – «Say you're dog shit and you're forgiven.»

Kyon grimaced. For some reason, Flitz wasn't acting like the distinguished pompous wise men from the books. Either the writers, as usual, did not spare the imagery tricks or he was dealing with an unusually unceremonious specimen.

Kyon gasped for air and said with a falter in his voice:

«I'm… dog… shit…»

Flitz laughed till he cried.

The stupid words he had to say didn't hurt Kyon's pride. He never cared for such trifles.

Flitz took a deep breath and pulled a pipe out of his pocket. He lit it up, giving Kyon approving glances.

«I have to admit your master wasn't an ordinary person… Your movements, tricks, taking advantage of my spot, after all… Not bad, not bad at all.»

«Don't… You are much stronger than my master.» – Kyon said respectfully to feed Flitz's ego.

«Don't flatter me… I am not taking you as a student. I don't need you, little piece of shit. I have no time for that. But I have a job for you. You'll be the young lady's punching bag.»

«What an honor…» – Kyon muttered "happily," rising to his feet. What's all this about? What punching bag? – «Who is the lady?»

«Juno…» – Flitz said thoughtfully, puffing on his pipe.

Kyon tried to get more details about his not too distant future but to no avail. Flitz plunged deeply into his thoughts.

{When I was fighting this monkey, I didn't even realize that he is much stronger than me… He has 6 out of 10 battle fists! Brilliant! He is one in a million. He's just right to teach Juno fight, and his body is tough enough.}

The battle fist is a relative concept but certain standards are valid. For example, those who can make a fist correctly have one battle fist. A street fighter with the experience of a hundred battles, who understands the basics and something above them, has two battle fists. A warrior will get three battle fists after full combat training at the best school of the kingdom, graduating with 5 points out of 5. Outstanding students of respected grandmasters of martial arts have four battle fists if they have completed 3 years of training and qualified for the respected title of "four battle fists." These very students will have five battle fists after the relevant qualification, which is impossible to achieve without outstanding talent and years of hard training. When they get qualified, they become grandmasters.

It's hard to say for sure what happens after reaching the level of five battle fists. According to the books, six battle fists are for geniuses among geniuses who had the chance to train for many years with the great master, found enlightenment and their unique fighting technique. As for seven battle fists… Only celestial geniuses can be at that level but they happen once in a lifetime in each empire. Eight and more battle fists belong to speculations and figments of imagination.

{I'd make him my student, but he is only at the 2nd stage. I don't need a piece of gutter trash. And yet it's a pity to lose him. Taking into account her villain nature, she'll quickly break his thin chicken neck.} – When Flitz finished smoking, he gave Kyon some high-quality ointment. Juno might favor the boy and won't kill him on the very first day.

After a long pause, Flitz finally spoke:

«Do you like girls, Kyon?»

The unexpected question took Kyon aback and he couldn't come up with anything better than:

«No, not at all… I like only boys.»

«H-ha-he! Good toilet joke! Do you want me to tell you a scary story about an ordinary slave with lascivious eyes who dared to touch the lady and lost his balls at once, and then his annoying squeak, and then his head as well?» – Flitz said quietly.

Kyon imagined himself in the place of the poor fellow and swallowed hard:

«I don't think so.»

Flitz smiled innocently and spread his hands:

«I am sorry that's the whole story Ha-ha-he!» – Flitz decided he had made quite an impact on the boy and spoke more seriously: – «Unfortunately for you, our lady is too beautiful. I guess it makes no difference if you like boys or girls.»𝑛𝑜𝒱𝞮𝗅𝗎𝑠𝑏.𝒞𝒪𝕞

Kyon got a bad feeling, his groin tightened in response…

«Don't worry. I'm not that cruel to make you a eunuch! I have to admit, though… I've been thinking of that. But I'm no monster, right?» – Flitz hurried to reassure Kyon as if reading his thoughts. – «We have recently developed a drug that removes any thoughts about the opposite sex for a year or two. We've had some incidents… Anyway, it doesn't matter. You will lose attraction to the opposite sex completely for five years and after that, you'll recover… Maybe.»

Kyon exclaimed indignantly:

«Maybe? Why maybe?!» – It doesn't sound very encouraging, does it? Then he recalled Synergy properties and the tension in his whole body and the lower chakras, in particular, subsided a bit.

«Get it out of your head! Everything is going to be alright… Maybe.» – Who is he trying to convince? Kyon or himself?

«Thank you, I guess…» – Kyon sighed and hung down his head for the sake of appearances.

Flitz shook off the ashes, and the two of them went back to his office.

«You know, Kyon, you're luckier than the rest of the slaves! Do you really think life is better here than in the mine? Come on… It's nothing but bullying all around. They beat the hell out of new slaves. The ranking system is the same, the food is not much better… Besides, there's a chance to get eaten by the beasts if you anger them or just look them in the eyes. But the air is more clear here, that's for sure.» – He breathed in the fresh night air as if setting an example. – «But you are going to be above all that. Serving Juno herself means a lot… They will heal you, provide you with food and clothes, heal you…

Kyon squinted suspiciously. {Did he say it twice on purpose?}

«Moreover, you'll have a chance to admire the cutie during the fight… But… No, check it off your list. Why would you look at a yummy piece of chicken if you have no teeth, no tongue, and no appetite… Just forget about it, ha-ha-he! Cheer up! Big deal if you won't touch your little snake for another ten years! It's totally worth it!» – Flitz seemed to get a kind of sadistic pleasure intimidating Kyon in his "funny" way.

«First you said a year or two, then five years, and now ten?» – Kyon was outraged at this geometric progression.

Flitz patted him on the back to cheer him up:

«Five years, ten years, who cares?! Instead, you will see the symbol of our family! Well… After the elder sister had escaped…» – He gave a sudden nervous chuckle: – «If Juno finds out I compared her with a piece of chicken… She will run to complain to her grandfather Bai, and he will make mincemeat of me… Ha-ha-he!»

Kyon raised one eyebrow:

«Mr. Bai is the patriarch, isn't he?»

«That's right… And my friend!» – Flitz bragged. – «Wait, you don't know the family history?! Oh my god… Don't tell anyone! You'll get a thrashing for your ignorance and lack of erudition. Well, I won't judge you, I am an outsider, but lady Juno… Boy, I advise you to learn to keep your mouth shut.»

Kyon smiled to himself at his manner of talking. «Are you indeed the patriarch's friend? How did it happen?»

Flitz burst with laughter and looked up as if remembering things. – «Our friendship started off the wrong foot… Once upon a time, I fell in love with his daughter, and he tried to kill me… And now I belong to his family as the most important formacist! Ha-ha-he!»

«Is the patriarch's daughter your…?»

Flitz waved his hand – «Of course not…» – He thought of another girl who looked just the same. Kyon and his annoying questions didn't exist for him anymore.

Kyon got lost in his thoughts. There must be a long way from the desire to kill to being friends. The patriarch and Flitz's young days must have been fun. Anyway, Kyon was glad that Flitz did not mind sharing private information, even if it was something to brag about. Kyon was also surprised that the patriarch's granddaughter had become his lady. He heard all about her in the mine and was making plans to seduce her on his way to the estate! What good luck! As if heaven had decided to pave the way for his domination! No less!

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Chapter 34

The draught from the broken window was blowing through the office. It flapped the curtains, swept off sheets of paper from the desk and scattered them all over the room. Flitz looked at the mess and shook his head. He activated the sound transmitter:

«My little Marina, come to my office now!»

Flitz put on his stern voice, but there was endearing tenderness in his grumbling. Kyon wondered who the girl was. What was going on between them?

Kyon walked over to the framed black-and-white photo of a thin woman with gray hair who resembled Flitz. {No… It's not a photo! It's some unknown method of applying color to paper, but definitely not a photo! It's curious, most curious…} He asked: «Is this your daughter or granddaughter, sir?»

Flitz had just taken down some device and was approaching Kyon. He frowned at the question: «This is my great-grandmother!»

Kyon was dumbfounded. «Um… Yes, of course. I was going to say that.»

Flitz, still frowning, put the device to the formation on Kyon's forehead and stared at him, surprised.

«Hm, why is your formation empty? Did they forget about you after Martin's death?»

Kyon shrugged hesitantly: {I don't think I should tell him I have been removed from the database at all. Hmm… What if he thinks I am a spy?}

However, Flitz overlooked that point. He rummaged through the shelves and pulled out another device that looked disturbingly familiar. It reminded Kyon of enema, which made him rather tense.

«Take it easy. It's too early to get worried.» – The formacist laughed and blew the air from the "enema" straight into the formation on Kyon's forehead, into the empty slot, just like Martin described.

A green thread slipped from the device (that's how the spatial attribute looks), hit the formation and disappeared without a trace, leaving an unpleasant tingling as a reminder.

The whole process took less than a minute. Flitz wiped the sweat from his forehead and said proudly:

«Congratulations! It's done. You are the worthy owner of an exclusive, incredible, heartwarming subjugating formation of a high-ranking slave!»

Kyon did not appreciate the gift and grinned grimly:𝒏𝑜𝓋𝑒𝗅𝐔𝗌𝑩.𝑪𝗈𝗆

«Wow…» – He wasn't too keen on the idea. A slave again. The higher they rise, the harder they fall. He used to be an emperor of the worlds, and there he was… A sorry excuse for a miner and now a slave for a girl.

Flitz thought for a while and waved his hand as if brushing away his doubts.

«The subjugating formation on your forehead will get activated every time a family member of the 1st rank gives you an order. There are only a dozen people like that! Well, including me… I'm of the 2nd rank, but I couldn't resist the temptation of linking the formation to myself, ha ha he!»

Kyon felt his forehead. It stung. He was so angry that he couldn't say anything but something insulting. The former emperor of the illusory planet Earth had just been given a subjugating mark. Perhaps, it would be better if he was an ordinary slave.

Flitz ignored Kyon's gloomy disposition and continued instructing him as if nothing had happened:

«When they give you orders, you don't even quite understand why your body starts moving. It's all your subconscious, not you! Imagine how cool it will be when they tell you to disembowel yourself and you…»

Kyon didn't want to hear about such bright prospects and tried to change the subject, talk about anything but what this abominable formation can do:

«While we were traveling here with Ren… I mean the deliverer… I learned about the rules on the estate. If I got them right, even the slaves of the highest rank are forbidden to stay in the inner courtyard. How am I going to live there?»

Flitz laughed:

«Don't worry… You won't live long anyway.» – He burst into another fit of laughter, but under Kyon's black look, he relented and answered: – «Just kidding! I'll ask Juno to make an exception for you. Everything is going to be alright as long as she's in a good mood. Be sure not to screw up during the training session. Show her your strong points! And now dance for me!»

Something in Kyon's head tried to take control of his body. Apparently, the formation influenced the subconscious and forced him to follow the order through the prism of mind.

Kyon could easily take back control, but he didn't want to play his trump card at the very beginning of the game. {Hmm… The goddess's formation manipulated me through hormonal stimulation but Flitz's influences the subconscious… The first case is much worse, it is almost impossible to resist, but Flitz's method… Hah, a piece of cake. The more conscious the person, the less effective the method. I might come up with something better. Neurobiology is my life, after all. Is it difficult to get to the limbic system? I don't think so. Maybe, I should become a formacist in the future.}

The awkward twitching of his arms and legs interrupted Kyon's thoughts… He started to dance Lezghinka. In fact, he danced quite well for someone who was doing it for the first time.

Flitz nearly jumped for joy:

«It works, damn it! I have not forgotten how to apply complex formations! Hehe! What kind of dance is this?» – He clapped his hands, setting the rhythm.

When Flitz had enough of the Caucasian folk dance, he ordered Kyon to stop. He patted the breathless boy on the shoulder and said with almost paternal care:

«Don't worry. The family members of the 1st rank are kind and understanding people. They won't mess with a dirty slave… » – Flitz finished with less confidence. He thought of mischievous Juno with a wistful look on his face. – «All right, I order you to do twenty push-ups!»

Kyon howled inwardly. – {Wait, are you messing with me? Oh yeah… You're of the 2nd rank. Technically, you must be right.}

His body plopped to the ground and started doing push-ups. Flitz watched him for some time and then got comfortable on his back in the lotus position, puffing on his pipe: «Ha-ha-he!… Ha-ha-he!»

The evil old fart made Kyon sick. What a selfish hypocrite… Cruel and power-hungry is a hell of a mix.

There was a life-saving soft knock on the door and, after Flitz's permission, someone came in.

A beautiful long-haired blonde in the maid uniform performed a low curtsey, her two braids nearly touching the floor. The girl's features were graceful, her forms were beyond reproach, especially her thin waist highlighted by a snow-white corset. A cute hairpin glistened in her hair.

The pretty girl looked at Kyon with interest. She looked about 20 and was 175 cm (5.7ft) tall. In spite of her great looks, she was rather a mousey little thing.

The maid sighed and focused all her attention on the old man:

«What can I do for you, sir?»

«Marina, take the boy to one of the vacant rooms in the hotel and bring him dinner. Then come over to my place.» – Flitz grinned lasciviously and winked at the girl. Marina squirmed.

A chill ran down Kyon's spine when he understood what Flitz meant: {Poor thing! I can't believe it… Oh gods, is he going to do that to this pretty one…? The world is unfair…} – His heart sank. He felt sorry for the innocent lamb who was sent as a sacrifice to the old wolf.

Marina did another curtsy, revealing her deep cleavage. Kyon noticed with disgust the lustful veil overcasting Flitz's eyes.

The girl with braids stood up and rustled in a colorless voice:

«Follow me, sir.»

Kyon would have gladly hired her for himself in the simulation of the past world. Her manners, her look, her intonation… She was pretty and knew how to deal with gentlemen. (She'd never throw stones in glass houses.)

Flitz took a malicious pleasure in reminding the boy:

«Don't even think about trying to escape, Kyon! Your balls are hanging by a thread! Ha-ha-he!»

Kyon silently went out with Marina. {What was that? What is this place?} – so many questions and not a single answer. The mere thought about what the pretty blonde would have to go through at night made him want to throw up. However, the girl was doing fine, behaving like a saint.

The wind outside smelled of the sea and the mountains at once.

The beautiful maid led Kyon to a two-story building with lots of rooms. She opened the door, gesturing for him to enter first. She waited for a while till he made himself comfortable and left, promising to come back soon.

Fifteen minutes later, a hot meal was on the table.

Kyon chowed down on his dinner at once.

Meanwhile, Marina sat nearby, humble, looking at the window, without uttering a single word, waiting for him to finish his dinner and take the tray to the kitchen. Her presence alone created an aura of peace and quiet. She was the embodiment of the belief regarding the good wife, the hearth-keeper.

Kyon deliberately left a bit of meat stew on the plate and asked quietly, trying not to startle the girl:

«Your name is Marina, isn't it?»

She gave a start and turned around, getting lost for a moment in his deep attentive eyes:

«It is. Why?»

Kyon did not start this conversation to have small talk. He had always looked for ways to make his life simple, help him achieve something more, reach any goal.

Looking for a hook, he said in a confidential tone:

«There's depression and fear in your eyes. Is Mr. Flitz the reason? Tell me. I can keep a secret.»

The girl hesitated but nodded.

«How long have you been his maid?»

«For about five years.»

Kyon winced. Apparently, she had been keeping the bed warm for the old fart since her young years and even at that time he wasn't young anymore!

«It's my first day on the estate. I don't know how things work around here. I am from the mine. Mr. Flitz spotted me by chance, and now I am going to be lady Juno's slave.»

Marina's eyes widened in fear:

«Juno… Lady Juno is a high-status person. Mr. Flitz has forbidden me to walk near her mansion…»

«I've heard about her. I guess I should be grateful to Flitz, only… I don't like the way he looks at you.»

Marina pursed her lips and stared wistfully at the floor.

Kyon carefully lifted her chin and whispered:

«You know… I want to help you…»

Marina had been avoiding looking at Kyon, but she couldn't take her eyes off him after those words.

«I found out that Mr. Flitz has one weakness, a lever you can manipulate him with as you please. He is absolutely powerless over it. It's an unsanctioned device… Perfect strings for a puppet.»

His enchanting, mysterious voice sent shivers down the maid's spine but the words… their meaning struck her like lightning. She clung to Kyon's arm, her thin fingers grasping his sleeve. She nearly demanded:

«What weakness are you talking about?!»

Kyon did not expect such enthusiasm from her. The poor girl must have been sick and tired of being Flitz's doormat. It was hard not to take advantage of her naivety.

He gave her a heart-melting smile and gently touched her wrist:

«Marina, there's something I need to tell you, but the timing is not right. I have to double-check something… It won't take long. By the way, I was wondering if you could help me with something?»

His touch, his eyes, his voice fascinated her, attracted all her attention like a magnet. She could not refuse him even if she wanted to.

«Tell me what you want me to do. Is it something serious?»

«No, it's not a big deal, just a little something. Do you have a sound transmitter so that we could be in contact?»

«I guess so… There must be one, I'll bring it tomorrow. How can I help you?» – The girl's curiosity had been piqued.

«I'm sorry but I can't tell you anything until tomorrow night, maybe a little earlier. I'll call you, okay? But don't get any ideas. I'll tell you all about Flitz's weakness even if you don't bring the sound transmitter.»

Marina nodded a little embarrassed and softly whispered his name:

«Kyon… It's alright. I would help you anyway because you're… so… Thank you for your concern. I'm very pleased to be with someone like you… I mean to talk with you!» – Marina hastened to add, blushing like a child. A mesmerizing smile played in the corners of her mouth.

Kyon's heart skipped a beat. It turned out he was bloody adorable. Five minutes of conversation and he became "so…" Yet, he was like a brother to her. The age difference did matter, after all.

They shook their hands and said goodbye.

«Good night.» – She purred and left Kyon alone.

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𝒩𝑜𝗏𝚎𝐋𝒰𝓢𝔟.𝒸𝚘𝓂

Chapter 35

Kyon pressed the button to turn off the crystal light. Then he stripped naked and plopped down on the soft bed, his arms crossed behind his head. It was time to reconsider.

{In this world, the strong and the powerful can afford anything. The decrepit half-dead old man takes advantage (in every sense of the term) of the beautiful maid… The poor thing has no choice. I must help her. Hopefully, my guess that Juno is Flitz's weakness is right. Will I be able to charm her off her feet? It's a snap. I hope she is beautiful at least…}

It was late at night. The two moons were shining brightly, occasionally darkened by the clouds passing by.

Kyon started organizing the information about energy and cultivation. {When I got out of the mine I could feel that my soul started evolving faster. As proof, I reached the 2nd stage… When I arrived here, this intuitive feeling doubled! The local people seem to cultivate faster because there's high energy concentration in the air. I wonder what's so special in the earth crust under the estate?}

Kyon remembered from the books that energy, as a rule, isn't evenly distributed throughout the world. In some places, there's more energy, in others, there's less. In places with more energy, the resources are richer and help get strong. They better nourish the body and soul, develop the unique body, and that's not all. He was getting the global power pattern in the world. The more energy there is in the atmosphere, the stronger the empire and its people.

While they were traveling to the estate (covering as many as 2000 km (1242 mi) according to Ren and Borya) Kyon watched the moons that looked more like planets every night. He noticed the slightest change in their shadows. The deliverer mentioned that the year lasted 360 days. With the help of Synergy, Kyon calibrated the time at an ultra-high accuracy and determined that 24 hours, or rather the seconds that they comprised, were close to the intergalactic standard. What an amazing coincidence! In his world, minutes could last up to 140 seconds on some planets. In particular cases, the minute was up to 5 seconds… But the 24-hour standard was observed everywhere.

When he combined all the data, Kyon concluded lots of incredible facts. For example, using the eclipses of the moons, he geometrically calculated the approximate distance to them. It was ~ 55 radii of the earth. It also became clear that the size of all the moons was about 3 times smaller than the earth. Praise Hipparchus! His method was simple and accurate. However, what Kyon learned later made him dizzy… He had traveled in the wagon for six days covering 2000 km (1242 mi) with a time deviation of no more than 12 minutes! He compared the deviation with the time zones and found out that the circumference of this planet was ~ 240.000 km! (~ 150.000 mi). It was about half the size of Jupiter, which means the length of the moons was ~80.000 km! (~50.000 mi). This unmistakable conclusion nearly sent him into a tailspin. Such giant planets must have a huge gravity. Only, they didn't. His discoveries didn't end there. He learned that the moons rotated around the planet, the planet and the moons rotated around the sun. The sun, the planets, and the moon, in their turn, revolved around some invisible object! Kyon thought he was delirious but his formulas for calculating the movement of the planet and the moons could not be wrong! He assumed that there was a black hole in the middle but there was not! There was no gravitational lensing effect which must be in the case of empty space. The gravity and the size were not in line with the presence of a black hole. It was some invisible object but not a black hole. Kyon's powerful mind was on the verge of collapse, trying to unravel the nature of the massive invisible object.

In the end, he came to a conclusion: the star revolved around something invisible, the planet revolved around the star, and the two moons revolved around the planet.

sigh*

Kyon tousled his hair, swept away the problems he couldn't solve for now to the basement of his consciousness and moved on to planning the next steps of cultivation with the help of Synergy.

Two hours ago, Synergy completed upgrading his nervous system with the help of Synergy. Now his organs were more stress-resistant, the impulses from his muscles reached his brain three times faster. It always helps to react instantly in the fight, not only in mind but also with the body. His sense of touch had also increased significantly. However, it had a practical application only in matters of sex.

Kyon wondered where to direct the essence of the universe further on and what to develop with Synergy.

He identified three most relevant and useful options: sight, hearing, and smell. He'd rather start with his eyesight. The upgrade wouldn't take much time but the advantages were going to be tremendous! At the moment, he felt like a blind chicken in comparison with the sight Lovr used to have.

With one question solved and Synergy running in the right direction, Kyon began to set his priorities. First of all, he had to regain his freedom and the freedom of speech as well. Until then, he was bound hand and foot; almost all of his activities were restricted. Even if he opposed the subjugating formation, it wouldn't change much. He couldn't escape, anyway. Flitz's formation on his forehead tracked his location, and Synergy couldn't remove it. Kyon was like a boat flowing with the stream. It seemed he would have to play by ear, after all. He only hoped that Juno was a nice girl and that everything would run smoothly when he got to know her.

Kyon went to bed.

A gentle knock on the door broke the stillness of the morning. The pleasant voice asked permission to enter.

Kyon was instantly awake. He said indulgently:

«Please, do come in.»

He sleepily rubbed his eyes, yawned and stretched till his bones cracked.

The door opened, and Marina came inside. She looked rather worn out. Her braids were gone. The old man must have disliked her innocent hairstyle. Her head was a mess with visible attempts to hastily comb her hair. One stocking was torn, the second dropped to her knee in a sad accordion. Her short skirt was askew, she must have put it on in a hurry. Her tired eyes revealed she wasn't getting enough sleep. She had a stack of new clothes and a tray with breakfast in her hands. The delicious aroma of scrambled eggs with vegetables spread through the room.

{Flitz… Asshole! Am I jealous?} – He was surprised by his own thoughts.

His judgemental piercing gaze made the girl lower her eyes. She adjusted her skirt, embarrassed.

«Flitz told me to take you to the office in fifteen minutes… You'd better hurry up, Kyon.»

«Yes, sure.» – Kyon nodded his head in understanding, got off his bed and carelessly picked up the stack of his new clothes from Marina's hands. The maid gave a sudden cry and staggered back, hiding her crimson face in her hands. Hmm, what was that pantomime about? … «Marina, are you alright?»

In response, she desperately shook her head, unwilling to open her eyes.

Kyon looked down. Ah yes… Of course… How could he forget? He was no longer an emperor, he was a slave! It was indecent, to say the least, to walk around naked with morning wood. He must get rid of the habit of sleeping in his birthday suit.

Kyon dropped his hands down to cover his package. He cringed, doing his best to feign shame and said in a shy hoarse voice:

«Did you see it?»

Marina shook her head again. It didn't happen too often that she had to deny the facts. This naked sinewy guy would stay on her mind for a long time.

Kyon breathed a sigh of relief, pulled out his underpants from the stack and hurriedly put them on.

«I'm glad you didn't. I can keep my innocence then. If you knew how you scared me…»

His shameless, brazen words left Marina breathless. She took her hands from her face:

«It's me who should be complaining! How can you…»

Kyon said, his voice thick with irony.

«You're right. Look at you. Was it really bad last night?»

Marina growled. She closed her eyes and counted to ten trying to gain control over her emotions.

«Why did you say that, shameless little scoundrel?»

Kyon laughed, turning everything into a joke. They had finally broken the ice, which was a big achievement in their relations. It was going to be easy from now on.

After that, Marina did not say a word. She threw occasional black glances in his direction. He kept a straight face. Anyway, it wasn't in her nature to hold grudges, let alone against fools. The boy probably didn't even understand that he had hurt her.

Kyon pulled on his new black pants, a shirt, and a pair of socks with black shoes. They weren't clothes for a slave, by any means. Only the noble could wear this. The things were of good quality, durable, expensive… He looked good in them. Only the formation on his forehead showed his position as if saying: "Look, I'm a nobody!"

After the delicious breakfast, they left the room in silence. Marina handed Kyon a sound transmitter he had asked for. It was a little box with a cloudy green spatial stone inside.

«Its quality is rather low. You can't take calls more than a hundred kilometers away.» – Marina explained awkwardly. – «Each sound transmitter has its frequency, which is not difficult to find out. When somebody calls your frequency, the transmitter vibrates and you can take the call… To call someone, you need…»

Kyon nodded in understanding. On the whole, there was nothing complicated. It was an analog of a standard mobile phone.

On the way, he asked Marina about Juno's closest circle. Any information could come in handy.

His future lady had a mother, a grandfather, a brother, and an elder sister. Her grandfather was the patriarch of the family. He lived in the capital of the kingdom as well as her mother. She ran the plantations, which was very honorable. Her brother was being trained to be the head of the mines, and her sister had fled for some unknown reason.

Marina kept throwing impatient glances at him. She could not wait to find out about Flitz's weakness. However, she was too shy to start the conversation, even if she was about to burst with curiosity.

{Every woman wants to control her man. In Marina's case, it was the old man. It is important not to cross the line, though. When men turn into a toy, they lose their attraction.}

Unfortunately for cute Marina, Kyon wasn't going to satisfy her curiosity yet.

The entire Stones' estate was surrounded by tall and thick stone walls. To one side, thirty kilometers away, there was an endless sea, to the other, fifty kilometers away, there was a mountain range thousands of kilometers long. That's where the memorable mines were located.

The estate was divided into the courtyard, where family members of the 3rd rank and above lived, and the outside area. A strict hierarchy was observed: the closer to the center, the higher the rank of the dwellers. Democracy was out of the question.

It was still early morning, but the streets were not empty. The servants scurried here and there, the beasts roamed freely. Many of them looked dangerous and even bloodthirsty but apparently, they didn't attack people.

Two girls noticed the way Marina looked and whispered maliciously to each other:

«Look, it's Flitz's favorite maid! She looks terrible. What did he do to her!?» … «Who's there next to her? Do you think she is with that slave…»

The men on their way did not overlook the appearance of the blond girl, either. Poor guys, they nearly broke their necks when the girl passed them by. If the gossip girls gave the sexy maid a malevolent and even pitiful gaze, the men's eyes were full of lust.

Marina was red in the face. She walked with her head down, her eyes fixed on the floor. She couldn't stop adjusting her skirt. The maid had hardly had any sleep and needed badly to get some rest.

Finally, they reached Flitz's office.

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Chapter 36

A bunch of impatient, angry, and displeased family members had gathered outside the door to Flitz's office. Their anger was pretty understandable. Based on their conversation, the adorable beasts had had a taste of almost each of them, failing to recognize their masters.

Marina and Kyon squeezed through the crowd cutting the line, which caused an uproar.

Flitz had just finished applying another formation. He wiped the sweat from his brow, noticed Marina enter the room and grinned from ear to ear, which made him look like a taut prune – isn't she beautiful! The formacist yelled to the people waiting outside:

«Ladies and gentlemen, I'm taking a fifteen-minute break!

One lady had already entered his office. She threw her hands up in frustration, grumbled something under her breath and returned to the corridor.

Kyon briefly noticed that the window had already been fixed – {That was quick.} – but the next moment, all his attention was concentrated on the typical scene "a boss and his suckretary." Flitz beckoned the girl, hugged her and squeezed her delicious butt, taking advantage of his position of power.

Marina looked miserable and scared. She didn't even dare to raise her head.

Kyon cleared his throat, reminding them of his presence, which saved the poor girl from further harassment:

«Good morning, Flitz.»

The old man reluctantly released his "hostage":

«Hi, pipsqueak. Today is your big day! Get ready to be given as a gift. By the way, the wrapper looks good on you.»

Kyon looked at his black clothes. Those were high-quality things, indeed, and the color was right to his liking.

Flitz whispered to the girl:

«Call on me at lunchtime.» – He winked, giving her a smooch on the cheek before leaving. Then he went to the door and waved to Kyon: – «Follow me.»

Kyon gave Marina a pitiful look and followed Flitz.

As soon as the door slammed behind them, Marina wearily leaned against the wall and sighed bitterly. She kept wondering all night long, or rather all "breaks" long, what weakness Kyon had found in Flitz. Could it help her against his abusive sexual behavior? Could it help her start a new life?

First things first, Flitz led Kyon to the medical center. On the way, the old formacist decided to give Kyon a brief overview:

«The common dining room is over there. Can you see it? And that wooden shack is the canteen for the slaves. You won't have your meals there. The slaves sleep in that flophouse. You won't sleep there, either. I'll ask lady Juno to take care of you. Enjoy! So? Why are you not smiling!»

Kyon obediently bared his teeth, feigning a smile.

They came across slaves dressed in gray robes. Some swept the territory, others dragged carts with wood or other stuff. Some of them were busy renovating houses… Kyon noticed a couple of familiar faces. Their eyes were full of envy: the boy had a nice life! Just look at his black clothes. No one would even think he was a slave! The only thing left from his past was the mark on his forehead.

«If some of the slaves have lost their formations, why don't they run away?» – Kyon said thoughtfully. – «Are they happy living here… I don't think so.»

Flitz waved his hand:

«Not so long ago, some bright spark showed an example to everyone… Barosh the bear, our main guarding beast, shat his remains afterwards. So, if you are planning to run away, think if you're ready to turn into shit. Well… Some people are born shit. I hope you are not one of them.»

Kyon swallowed nervously.

«What makes you think he ran away? What if he just went out for a walk and accidentally became the lucky beast's dinner?»

Flitz thought for a moment, gave the boy a direct look and said:

«Between you and me, there are barriers around the territory. If you pass through them without permission, you've got a meeting coming up with lady death.» – Flitz looked serious: – «If anyone finds out I have told you this, they will cut off your head… And I'll get it in the neck, but before that, I will check how strong your neck is.»

Kyon nodded understandingly, flipping his bangs out of his eyes with a jerk of his head. He didn't want any problems. Synergy had failed to neutralize Martin's formation, it would be helpless against the new formation that Flitz applied. In his memory flashback, Synergy was of the 6th degree. Small wonder it could demagnetize the formation. With the best will in the world, Kyon was powerless to escape from slavery with its help.

Flitz looked at his tousled hair and rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

«What's the matter?»

«I am thinking of shaving off your hair, but I'm afraid you will lose your charm. It might make you an unbecoming gift…»

«Then don't shave it off. Why would you do that?» – Kyon asked cautiously, taking a step back as if he was afraid that Flitz was going to take out the scissors right away. He liked his long hair.

«You know… Juno is afraid of everything shaggy… Wait, never mind.»

«Is Juno afraid of beasts?» – Kyon wanted to clarify this important detail. By the expression on Flitz's face, he knew he had hit the nail on the head.

The old formacist blurted out a secret Bai had asked him to keep mum about. He cursed and raised another burning issue:

«Listen! Did you happen to see someone hit on Marina? Or did you by chance notice her make eyes at anyone?»

Kyon could hear concern in his voice. The old man was secretly jealous of his beautiful maid. It was logical, he was anything but handsome while Marina could seduce any guy on the estate.

Kyon smiled:

«I haven't spent enough time with her to notice anything like that. But I will tell you for sure if I do.»

Flitz breathed a sigh of relief and patted the boy on the head.

Finally, they approached a large white two-story building that smelled of herbs and medicine. Even the walls seemed to be saturated with that scent. They had come to the hospital.

The white floor, the white ceiling, the white walls… Flitz didn't miss a chance to flirt with the nurses in white coats. As they went upstairs and appeared at a certain door, the expression on Flitz's face lost its dreamy lustful shade and distorted in a grimace of disgust.

An obese lady was sitting in the enormous armchair. She looked at Flitz with her tiny piggy eyes and exclaimed joyfully:

«Uncle! You don't visit me too often and you should have!»

Flitz forced a smile.

«Hello, Bilya. I seem to be fine. Why should I bother you? You've got enough on your plate without me adding to it.»

The damsel made a miserable face:

«Why would you say that, uncle? You're upsetting me! You can't imagine how I've missed your delicious pies! You have brought them, haven't you?» – Her words were meant as a threat in spite of her joyful grin.

Flitz forced another smile.

«I have them, but I need a favour from you. Give this boy five or six milliliters of evilball.»

A bloodthirsty smile spread across Bilya's face. She looked at the boy who she didn't like from the start – too thin – and darted to the fridge a bit too swiftly for her body size, wailing all the way:

«Oh, he is so young to become impotent! What have you done, poor thing? Oh my God! What a shame. It's terrible!»

Kyon shuddered in disgust. The matron nearly danced with joy, rammaging quickly around the shelves in search of the necessary medicine. And yet, there was so much sympathy in her words!

Flitz asked idly, without much interest:

«How is your Buzik doing in the Fat sect?»

«He's gained another thirty pounds, my little bunny. Such a good boy! I've always said he is the best of the best. He writes in his letters that he's got lots of friends, that girls make eyes at him. I'm so happy for him!» – Bilya found a vial with blue liquid and, with a happy "yup," took a dose twice as much as Flitz had requested.

Kyon frowned and gave Flitz a meaningful look but the old formacist only patted him on the shoulder:

«Take it easy. I'll let you have a go at one of my maids for the inconvenience. I have lots of them, anyway.» – and after a pause, he theatrically slapped himself on the forehead: – «Oops, sorry! No offence…»

Bilya appreciated his sense of humor and giggled, the needle dangerously jerked against Kyon's eye.

The sound of her grating laughter was worse than nails on a chalkboard.

Flitz stamped his foot:

«Put a sock in it! Now I get it why your husband died twenty years before his due time.»

«It was a heart attack! What does it have to do with me?» – The porker carelessly waved him off and injected the drug into Kyon's vein, her hands trembling.

When the liquid began to spread through the body, Synergy detected it, neutralized and revealed the effects. {Evilball suppresses testosterone production… No wonder there's no libido. Judging by the concentration, an average man can become impotent for about thirty years. Flitz, you old asshole… You've made a mistake. A huge mistake!}

His organs, resistant to stress, neutralized the insignificant part of the liquid that Synergy might have passed.

The big lady stared expectantly at Flitz:

«Where are my pies, uncle?»

Flitz was already standing by the window. He casually opened the shutters and said nonchalantly: «The sun is up. The world needs a hero like me!» – In the blink of an eye, he grabbed Kyon by the scruff of his neck and jumped headlong out the window.

They could hear Bilya shout furiously after them:

«Just you wait! I'll see to your treatment when you get sick! Old buzzard…»

Flitz breathed a sigh of relief, shook off an invisible speck of dust from his shoulder and strolled like nothing had happened. Kyon tidied his hair and hurried after him.

«I should have put her in her place but she's one of elder Boe's daughters. I don't want any trouble… My rank isn't high enough to quarrel with him…» – Flitz mumbled at Kyon's questioning look.

Kyon couldn't help asking:

«Why did you bring her pies if she is so…» – He failed to find a decent description and decided not to finish his phrase.

Flitz winced:

«For the fun of it. But then I felt sorry for the dogs…»

Kyon nodded his understanding.

They continued on their way. Flitz was getting more cheerful with each step further from the windows of the "hospitable" lady. He patted Kyon on the shoulder:

«Well, how are you feeling? Any desire for a girl?»

Kyon's grin was barely noticeable. He shook his head.

«I don't know. I feel an unusual emptiness inside…»

Flitz chuckled:

«You feel emptiness in your balls! Ha-ha-he! Alright, don't worry about it. It's just a precaution. It'll be over in five years or so. Anyway, it's better than making you a eunuch. Come on, it's time for you to meet your lady.»

On the way, Flitz told Kyon a couple of things he should know:

«The most important people of the family live in the courtyard. They have little respect for unworthy people like you. If you flaunt your formation in front of them, you are in for big trouble, got it?»

Kyon nodded. Flitz's intentions were not quite clear, though. Did he want to give a slave to the status lady as a punching bag or as a coach? No. There is no way a slave could be a coach. There was something wrong. Alright, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

Also, Flitz told him that the mansion used to be full of life… There were crowds of guests, plenty of feasts, balls, important meetings every day but now… Things changed after the patriarch had disappeared, and not for the better.

They came to a vast and luxurious mansion. It was surrounded by a high metal fence with patterns and all but precious stones.

Kyon saw two guardsmen at the entrance, whose appearance broke his expectations. He had expected to see noble knights with swords and in gold armor like the ones at Martin's door. The mansion was guarded by special agents in dark glasses and black uniforms along the lines of "men in black."

A barely visible barrier covered the territory and prevented trespassing of any solid physical objects. However, the guards could always create a temporary gap for the invited guests.

Flitz pulled out a tube of something and handed it to Kyon:

«Today is the trial period for you, boy. You'll be alright if you pass. If not… Well, you will see. Here, some good ointment to help you. It accelerates wound healing a hundredfold. There's no point to apply it to your balls, though. It doesn't work that way! Ha-ha-he!»

Kyon hid the tube in his pocket with a sense of an unpleasant foreboding.

«Why do I start to think that other slaves are better off than me?»

Flitz looked away, showed the guards his formation and went inside with the boy. They checked the formation on his forehead and registered him in the guest log.

Beige velvet carpets covered the floor in the spacious entrance hall. The walls were decorated with paintings and the heads of the beasts baring their teeth. Luxurious chandeliers matched the beige home design.

{It's pretty in here.} – Kyon snickered, admiring such finesse. Apparently, he would have to spend a fair amount of time in this house that looked much better than the gloomy mine or the wooden shacks where ordinary slaves spend their nights. Maybe, he was lucky after all?𝒏𝑜𝓋𝑒𝗅𝐔𝗌𝑩.𝑪𝗈𝗆

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Chapter 37

Two girls in their early twenties welcomed Kyon and Flitz in the main hall: a blue-eyed, fair-haired beauty, who smiled warmly at the guests, and a gray-eyed brunette just as beautiful. She treated the guests with utmost respect and dignity. Her confidence showed in her proud posture and the way she looked straight in the eye. She turned heads wherever she went, making men dream of catching her fleeting glance.

The maids were wearing almost identical uniforms. They were dressed in short black skirts with fluffy white petticoats underneath that looked so cute with all the ruffles. The top was skin-tight with lace straps embracing their graceful shoulders and revealing their sharp collarbones as well as emphasizing their appetizing boobs. The difference in their outfit was only in the color of the stockings and the garters that their skirts barely covered. The blond maid was wearing white stockings were white while the dark-haired girl had black ones. Their outfits were a perfect match for their appearance, emphasizing their sexual bodies. Their butts, waists, and boobs were presented in the best possible light.

Their overly explicit looks struck Kyon as weird. A maid, in his understanding, should not attract a man's attention. It was an illegal manipulation of the male nature. Who would ever keep his right mind next to this quintessence of beauty and sexuality? However, according to the books he read, everything was different in this world. A maid was a symbol of the house. The image of the master depended on his beautiful, groomed, tidy, and well-mannered maids.

While Kyon was taking off his shoes at the main entrance, Flitz was instructing him how to behave around the beautiful maids. The girls were in charge of the entire mansion and the servants in it. Kyon should be careful around them, ideally, get on their good side. However, he was so impressed by the patriarch's greatness reflected in the beautiful girls that he already regarded them as his potential maids.

{I like the brunette… She is the embodiment of inaccessibility. Her piercing icy gray eyes seem to look right into my soul, and her eyebrow shape makes me… I'd hire her.}

«Good morning, Flitz. Lady Juno is at the training ground.» – The smiling blonde maid intoned the greeting in her melodious voice when the old formacist approached her.

The brunette greeted Flitz, too. Then she looked at the boy who was staring at her as if he owned her. He acted as if he was in charge here, deciding if she was the right maid for him. She felt as if he had poured cold water over her. No one had ever dared to look at her like that! Most of the guests bowed respectfully to her. Who did he think he was?! Could the kid be a big shot? He was dressed in high-quality clothes that only gentlemen wore. No… His mark gave him out. Even if there was something about him that made her instincts scream danger, all she cared about was the fact that he was just a slave, an insolent, bold, self-confident slave. What a disappointment!

She had never met anyone so bold or arrogant like him, and it irked her to the core. She had to find out if there was anything behind his impudence, or he was just a jerk with a death wish.

The maid looked at him with ice disdain, lingering at the slave's mark:

«You know the rules, Flitz. Slaves are not allowed in here.»

The old man waved her off with a fake smile:

«It's lady Juno's request. She's in charge, so let him be.»

«Lady's word is the law.» – The maid slightly tilted her head: – «But it's so insensitive of you, to say the least, to bring in a slave who doesn't know his place.»

«Sure, sure.» – Flitz nodded and took the boy by the shoulder to the inner yard.

The maid was disappointed. He was just a slave, a nobody in terms of official status, and good for nothing in terms of his upbringing. She didn't want his kind around here. From now on, she wasn't going to be gentle with him, he must know his place. In fact, she wanted to humiliate the arrogant boy so bad that her hands balled into fists. A dangerous sparkle flickered in her eyes. Whoever he was, she would quickly deal with him. Nothing was impossible for a professional killer like her.

Just before he left, Kyon caught the beautiful maid's gaze. It was like an icy mountain wind that chilled him to the bone. He felt uncomfortable. He seemed to have missed something important.

Suddenly, it dawned on him. The most important thing had totally slipped his mind. They called him a slave back in the mine, but there was a food market, square meals, a shelter for the night, friendly attitude of his co-workers… No one would ever whip him for one wrong move. Byron, Mob, Flitz, Ren did not say a word about his arrogance. He got used to their casual and relaxed treatment, and it clouded his mind. His weak spot for the beautiful girls had only exacerbated the situation. The concept of politeness had never been so pressing in his previous world. He lived in paradise, enjoying the status of the legend of the whole universe. He had completely forgotten what it was like to be humiliated, how it felt to be a nobody, a slave. He should have thought about it before he had entered the mansion!

Flitz led Kyon to the courtyard through a park as large as two football fields. It was huge, impressive, fascinating.

The old formacist elbowed him in the ribs:

«Be careful around the girls. They are not only in charge here beside Juno but also professional killers. If you ever misbehave around their lady, there's a good chance you'll die a terrible death. My advice to you, steer clear of the dark-haired one.»

{Shit… What a great start of the new life in the mansion!} – Kyon wished he could turn the time at least three minutes back. If only it was so simple. – «What's her name?» – He decided to ask, after all. What was done couldn't be undone. At least he would know the name of his potential killer.

«Dinah. She is cold as ice with everyone. The blonde is Anna, her sister. Their rank is equal to mine. It's very high. Everyone below the second rank is obliged to be courteous to them… And yet, they've had a subjugating formation since childhood. Go figure…»

Kyon nodded. {Family members of the 2nd rank with subjugating formations? Hmm. It's weird. Who did it to them? Anyway, the girls are in charge here, and I started off the wrong foot with Dinah. Well, so much the worse for her. I will give her another chance, and it will be a shame if she does not use it. As for Anna, she seems to be different. I should try and make friends with her.}

They walked along the path, paved with special marble stones to the training ground. A four-meter wall surrounded the place. There was a grand entrance with a gate.

Their walk through the large park took a long time. On the plus side, they passed a perfectly mowed lawn, beautiful colorful flowers, a neatly trimmed hedge, rattan benches, elegant statues with fountains, in three words, heaven on earth. In the middle of the park, there was a pond with joyfully splashing fish and white swans. The steam rising into the air suggested a hot spring behind the two-meter fence in the far corner of the garden. Servants scurried about their chores, taking care of the park.

{I'm going to have a great life in this mansion! I will certainly enjoy it here, especially if I get on the good side of the young lady. As for the cold-hearted maid, I will find a way to tame her.} – A dreamy smile blossomed across Kyon's lips.

Flitz had to look away when he saw the cheerful boy. Even his old shriveled heart wasn't devoid of pity. Kyon's voice jerked him off from his joyless reverie. The boy sounded somewhat concerned.

«What is lady Juno's cultivation?»

«She is a base phaser at the fifth stage.» – Flitz grunted impassively.

«It doesn't sound too impressive. I thought she would be stronger.»𝒩𝐎𝗏𝖾𝔩𝑢𝓢𝗯.𝓒𝑜𝓂

Flitz didn't even turn his head:

«Don't be a fool, boy. The difference in a single stage can drastically change the outcome of the battle! The advantage in energy is significant, and with each stage, it increases even more! But what do you care? If you can't bend the elements, you could be ten stages stronger, and she will defeat you anyway.»

Kyon thought hard. He urgently needed to find out the information about the elements. Otherwise, his fast cultivation had no sense. Except maybe, his body would get stronger.

They approached the training ground, almost identical to the one where Flitz had been testing Kyon's skills. It was an area as large as a basketball court, surrounded by a high wall with a gate.

Flitz made a sign to Kyon to keep quiet and carefully opened the gate. It was obvious that he was up to something. A decrepit prankster, that's really something!

The training ground was paved with solid stonework. There were horizontal bars and battered dummies on the sides. In the center, there was a circle cut out in the ground, the outline of the combat zone. It was the arena itself. A young talent was sleeping peacefully on the lonely bench nearby, drooling in her sleep.

Kyon's heart started racing. There she was, his future lady… Lady Juno might be his ladder to the top of the hierarchy. Was he going to like her? Would he be able to charm her as he had planned in the mine? He couldn't wait to find it out.

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Chapter 38

When Flitz saw the sleeping girl, he made a sign to Kyon to stop and pointed to one of the dummies, a sly grin creeping over his face:

«Hide behind it.» – He picked up another punching bag, sneaked up behind the girl and gently woke her up.

Juno opened her eyes, still looking drowsy. A terrifying blurry silhouette loomed over her. It had a mouth fixed with the mattress seam, a chipped nose, one eye hanging by a thin thread…

«The bill comes due! Here comes a reckoning!» – A harsh, inhuman voice growled.

Juno did a backward roll, flexible like a cat, and kicked the troublemaker in the head. She landed gracefully, taking a defensive stance.

«Huh? A dummy?»

«I thought I'd scare you… What's her deal? The girl is not a kid anymore…» – Flitz sounded hurt but also proud of his young lady.

Juno clenched her fists tight:

«Are you completely bonkers, old fart?!» – She made a swift, sudden attack.

«Ouch. Stop it! I was just kidding!» – Flitz playfully fought off the girl's attack, visibly enjoying their "fight." – «Alright. Chill out! I have a present for you…»

Immediately, Juno stopped trying to punch Flitz in the nose and eagerly asked:

«What is it? Something tasty?»

Flitz theatrically waved his hand:

«It's a new slave. He is tougher than the others by the way!»

Juno's sweet smile slowly turned into a cunning unkind grin:

«Hmm, a living dummy? I like that.» – Her big eyes darted around the training ground: – «Where is he?»

Flitz got down on one knee and put his hands on her shoulders, giving them a squeeze:

«Juno, the boy has good movement skills. Don't treat him like the rest. Tell your maids to give him shelter and food. Don't break your presents on the very first day, please.»

Juno grunted skeptically.

«It's the first time that you've spoken for a slave. You know how much I hate boys. They always drool during the fight. In fact, they are nothing but stupid idiots. And the slaves are even worse. If you've brought one of those snivelers, don't expect me to go easy on him.»

Flitz whispered in her ear:

«Take it easy. He is devoid of lust for sensual pleasures, unlike other boys.»

Juno's eyes widened even more, her jaw nearly fell to the ground:

«You… Did you take his thing away? You…»

Flitz threw up his hands indignantly:

«Is that what you think of me? I'm not that heartless, Juno!»

«Who knows?» – She giggled. – «So, what's the catch? Did you find someone who prefers boys?…» – She wrinkled her little nose, which made her look even cuter.

Flitz heaved a sigh and shook his head with a smile:

«He doesn't like anyone. Well, he's been injected evilball, to be more precise. He is kind of neutered. Besides, he is under a subjugating formation. So, if you ever need anything, all you have to do is give him an order. By the way, he can dance very well. I highly recommend that you check it out. I did!»

Juno defiantly crossed her arms over her chest and grunted:

«Thank you, I'm not interested in dancing slaves…» – She looked around impatiently: – «Where's your asexual gift?»

Flitz smiled and clapped his hands:

«You may come out, Kyon!»

Kyon had been eavesdropping behind a dummy. He had enough time to appreciate the girl's melodious voice. He would give anything to hear her sing him a love song. That's a good sign. His master once told him the voice is the mirror of the soul. However, his wife was a smoker and had a low manlike voice, which suggested some conclusions. At least, no one was surprised to find out that the master had three lovers from the theatre choir.

Kyon slowly stepped out of his hideout and finally took a closer look at Juno.

In an instant, time seemed to stand still. The young girl embodied all the charm of the world. Her stunning beauty made everything else fade and blur as an unnecessary distraction. The world seemed to shrink to the size of her delicate body. The lovely creature was about the same height as Kyon. Apparently, the universe did its best to create a perfect miracle. She had a small nose, large lovely eyes the color of spring grass, framed by long ravishing eyelashes and graceful eyebrows. Her hair was the color of liquid gold, descending in waves like rays of the sun just below her shoulders. A pair of emerald earrings complemented her eyes, swaying playfully in her neat ears, attracting all eyes to her delicate skin.

The girl was slim, with perky B-cup boobs. Her graceful posture was befitting a noble lady. Her slender legs had ideal proportions. The miracle of a girl was dressed in a tight training outfit: ballet shoes, black leggings, a tight T-shirt. She was casually wearing a jacket over her shoulders. A simple green bracelet gleamed on her hand. No man could help stroking her, caressing her, pressing her to his chest, kissing the top of her head, inhaling her scent. Then he could die in peace with no regrets after seeing the best in the world. A girl like her must be kind, affectionate, gentle.

Kyon had always had a weak spot for everything beautiful. However, no one had ever had such a strong impact on him. He instantly put on an air of reverence with a pinch of admiration. It would be strange if a slave had a different reaction.

Juno looked at the boy with icy disdain. How dared a pathetic thing, not even a human being, look at her in any other but powerless, pitiful, humiliated way? She had to do something about it.

Actually, Kyon looked pretty good in his smart black clothes. He had a pretty face, shaggy black hair, dark brown eyes, athletic-looking body, confident posture. However, in Juno's eyes, he was nothing but a dummy even if made by a skillful craftsman. He wasn't worth a damn. She was a noble lady, one click of her fingers and the yard would be crowded with pretty slaves like him.

A chill ran down Kyon's spine. This place was no heaven on earth. He was in a hell of a trap that no ordinary person could leave alive.

Flitz sat down on the bench, holding a pipe in his teeth, and said briefly:

«Attack him. I'm sure you'll appreciate his skills…»

Juno rolled her eyes skeptically but attacked Kyon. Her cultivation helped her exceed the average human speed by 1.3 times.

Kyon took an unusual defensive stance that looked a bit like those used in karate. He was ready to prove himself to her.

Juno took a swing at him.

Kyon jumped out of the way, dodging her.

Not surprised at all, she did a cartwheel and stepped gracefully to the ground. Her attack looked impressive. Flitz couldn't take his eyes off her.

When her kick almost reached the goal, Kyon jumped over her leg like a pole vaulter. He could strike back at once as Juno had recklessly revealed herself with this dashing trick. The timing wasn't right, though. Nothing good would come out of it.

Kyon's moves looked spectacular. Flitz enjoyed the scene, puffing on his pipe: {The boy's technique is incredible… At the age of 130, I don't understand how he can move like that. Maybe, I shouldn't have given him to her mercy.}

Juno frowned. In her opinion, the slave's landing sucked. And yet, he took a stable position quite quickly and even could have kicked her in the leg if he wanted to! Something didn't add up.

«Flitz, are you sure that he doesn't bend any elements?»

The slave wasn't moving too fast, but something about him was out of the ordinary.

Flitz smiled:

«He can't bend any of them, but his moves are good. He could beat me if I moved at his speed. Ha-ha-he!»

«Are you kidding me?» – Juno stopped just for the pleasure of giving the old man a puzzled look.

«No way. He is an ordinary base phaser at the 2nd stage. Can't you feel that he emits no energy vibrations? Don't be ridiculous. If you think he isn't strong enough for you, let him master the basics of the elements… Maybe, he will learn to move even better.»

Juno's nose twitched with irritation. She looked like a cute rabbit whose favorite carrot was taken away.

«I won't let him anything.» – She growled.

Kyon frowned, disappointed with her words.

Juno burst out laughing. He was an inanimate object for her that dared to show discontent! Well, it was rather amusing. As if a dusty cupboard had suddenly fallen because it felt so out of place.

Juno elegantly shrugged, stretching her back. Then she took another fighting position and attacked him again. This time, her speed was twice as much as average as she started using pure energy.

Kyon was alert. He estimated that Juno had three or four battle fists, but even a loser could hit the target with her advantage in speed.

Juno was in the menacing proximity, and her little fists didn't seem so harmless anymore. They hit Kyon's chest swiftly like meteors.𝓃𝒐𝐯𝐄𝑙𝓊𝓈𝒃.𝚌𝑜𝑀

Kyon began to dodge, mostly retreating. He knew the most effective ways of fighting: dodging – maintaining the balance, the momentum, the inertia – vulnerable points, pressure points, points that disrupted the balance, points that took a punch – ricochets, effective blocks, and so on.

In his understanding, ten percent of speed could compensate for each missing level of the battle fist, allowing the opponents to fight as equals. Increasing his speed by 10%, he could stay on equal terms if the opponent had the 9th level of the battle fist. He would need to increase the speed by 50% against five battle fists, and by 90% against one battle fist. A simple line chart could explain it all.

However, there was no way he could fight with Juno as equals. Was he allowed to beat the lady? Highly doubtful. Besides, Juno's 100% advantage in speed plus her three battle fists went beyond the concept of "equal opponents."

In simple terms, Kyon was at an unfair disadvantage. He needed to find a way out of this mess, smooth things over with Juno, or even become her master.

When Juno noticed the absence of despair on his face, she went berserk. Her eyes sparkled with green lights. Her eyebrows changed their angle from "I am an innocent child" to "die already!"

Her movements drastically changed. The defense component completely disappeared as if her only goal was to punch the slave in the face as painfully as could be, harm him as much as possible. She did not care that she was open to his counterattacks. Come, what may! Gods help this slave if he ever laid his hands on her.

The storm of blows lasted for a few seconds when her little, seemingly harmless fist hit Kyon straight in the chest.

bang *

{What the…?!}

Chapter 39

Juno's smile turned into a grin when she saw the confusion on Kyon's face: {How do you like it? It's only the beginning, wretched scum!}

The impact of the pure energy sent Kyon flying for about a meter as if a heavyweight boxing champion had hit him, not a little snow-white fist. He knew that the element of pure energy could increase the power of the blow, but it was too strong.

Apparently, he missed on a fair share of battle opportunities without pure energy, but even so he could stand up to her. However, if he could bend energy, the girl would hardly have done him any harm. He had to learn it by all means!

Juno flashed a predatory smile and pressed a furious attack.

bam*

She kicked him in the hip. Kyon tilted dangerously to the side, losing his balance. A nasty bruise guaranteed.

Kyon knew that looks were deceiving, and Juno was a perfect example to this rule. Anyway, he had to find a way to minimize the damage and prove his worth to this eccentric girl. He focused on parrying, demonstrating how flexible and resourceful he was, and yet he couldn't avoid being hit.

Anyway, the girl completely ignored his efforts as if she were concentrating on something else.

bam*

She punched him in the abs knocking the air out of his lungs. Kyon coughed.

Juno raised an eyebrow in surprise. It felt like she had hit a solid dummy, not a human being. Note to self: the boy had strong abs that needed tenderizing… She could offer him an expensive massage, and the currency would be his health.

Flitz couldn't take his eyes off the patriarch's beloved granddaughter sparring with the slave. Her movements were incredibly effective, spectacular, smooth. From time to time, her slender body arched and bent, exposing her flexibility and elegance. {Our beautiful girl is growing up. Perhaps, she will surpass Elsa, after all.} The slave also caught his attention. His movements were amazing! The boy's speed was twice as low, and yet he avoided almost all of her blows! Perhaps he shouldn't have left him at her mercy… Anyway, it was too late.

All of a sudden, the sound transmitter rattled in his pocket. He angrily blew out smoke and answered the call:

«Who the hell is this?»

«Mr. Merrymaker, you are taking your time, aren't you? It's been five times fifteen minutes since you went away. Thirty people are waiting for you here. Some have already put up a tent and are having a barbecue! Should we treat the elders to our party!? Huh?…» – The caller would gladly spit on Flitz if the sound transmitter allowed physical reproduction.

Flitz frowned. He was having the time of his life when some nobles shamelessly demanded his return to the perishable world.

«Holy Matryoshka! I'm coming!»

Juno froze before delivering a blow under Kyon's ribs. She turned to Flitz with no fear of possible counterattack:

«Are you leaving so soon?»

Flitz put his hand to his chest and bowed to her:

«Lady Juno, I have to work… The nobles threaten me with the elder, and I don't want any trouble.»

«That's too bad.»

Flitz nodded to the boy who was short of breath after the rough ride:

«So, how is he?»

Juno shrugged without turning around.

«I'm glad he doesn't drool.»

«Alright… I have to go. Please, try and treat him… Go easy on him, okay? Don't finish him off as quickly as the others.»

«He is my property, and I will do whatever I want.» – Juno retorted and playfully waved her hand: – «Bye, Flitz.»

The old man cast a meaningful look at the unfortunate boy, smiled at Juno and quickly left the training ground.

As soon as the gates shut behind him, Juno slowly turned to the boy. A bloodthirsty smile curved her lips. She looked like a demon from hell, planning to get back to her favourite game.

Kyon's heart skipped a beat. He didn't like what was going on, not in the least. Someone up above had pulled a prank on him, no doubt. He couldn't leave it this way. He had to get out before she had made mincemeat of him!

Among the variety of options, he could play on her emotions, coax her or plead for mercy.

The first choice was not an option. His attempts to press her buttons could end with his unpleasant and quick death at the hands of the maid-assassin. The nobles didn't tolerate slaves.

The second option implied offering her something valuable. All that Kyon could offer her, apart from his divine ability to clean the keys, was to teach her some new incredible techniques. However, he couldn't get it straight to her because she would never believe him. No noble lady would ever learn anything from a slave, and if she did, he would have to prove himself to her first. Judging by the expression on her face, Juno wasn't going to pay attention to his movements at all.

Kyon decided to go with the third option and find out if the young lady was really so rotten inside. He was going to make her believe that he recognised her power and then figure out what to do.

Kyon bowed respectfully.

«My lady, your slave apologies for his stupid behaviour.»

His words made Juno stop short. She stood still, raised her graceful eyebrows and said in an icy but still pleasant, melodious voice:

«I don't care about your apology. I order now and forever: you will never say a word. Your dirty mouth hurts my ears, you wretched slave.» – The break was over. She ran at him with her fists ready, a malicious smile on her face. She had been restraining herself when Flitz was nearby. Now nothing would stand in her way.

Kyon was thunderstruck. He had said a short phrase, a harmless apology, and she immediately denied him the right to speak! He knew what to reply to anything she would say, but she had ruined everything. Now he couldn't speak without revealing the ace up his sleeve: the ability to ignore the orders and the subjugating formation.

The evil but seemingly sweet creature moved to a non-stop attack with a smirk on her face. She missed three times, he blocked two of her blows and then…

bam*

A kick in the guts sent Kyon flying.

Every time she hurt him really bad, Juno was exuberant. This arrogant slave wasn't much different from the rest. No… He was even more annoying. The others lowered their eyes, bowed to her, begged her for mercy, knew their place, but this one… He was nothing like them. He moved too well, he was tough like a wooden dummy, he never screamed in pain. And yet, he signed his own death warrant the day he arrived in the mansion.

Juno continued to attack with a demonic grin on her pretty face, ignoring how pale and exhausted the slave looked.

Her evil smile only grew wider each time she hit him, which only confirmed Kyon's conclusion: Juno was a sadist!

Flitz must have known everything… That's why he looked away. That's why his reaction was so intense when Kyon asked questions about her… It was all clear. The old asshole had sold him to the little demoness like a beast to be slaughtered. The first impression wouldn't have changed anything. She couldn't care less about his manners. He was just a punchbag for the ruthless, sadistic bitch.𝓃𝒐𝐯𝐄𝑙𝓊𝓈𝒃.𝚌𝑜𝑀

bam * * bang * * bam *

Another series of swift and graceful punches made him moan in pain.

Kyon couldn't physically keep up with her movements even if he had figured them out. A trickle of blood ran down his chin: her fist had badly smashed his lip.

He would have been half dead by now if Synergy hadn't upgraded his nervous system, accelerating the signal transmission to his muscles.

Juno stopped short as if putting a toy aside. She took out a white handkerchief and wiped the blood off her fist, her nose wrinkled in disgust. {I don't want to get soiled with the secretions of this scum… I will need a thorough wash later.} There was no trace of pity or sympathy on her face… She was cool as a cucumber. The young lady was frighteningly calm and totally indifferent to the battered slave.

Kyon got goosebumps just looking at her. All her natural charm took the farthest seat possible. {She doesn't take me for a human being… This girl is a maniac. She will kill me and won't bat an eye!}

His mind was frantically searching for ideas. To kill her? To reason with her? To blackmail her? To make her see that he was a valuable asset? Nothing would work out or would only make things worse. He was trapped in the cage with a beast! His ability to resist the formation would most likely destroy him. Kyon could see through this sadist. If she couldn't control him, she would get rid of him. Her credo was the ends justify the means. He needed something really big to get out of this catastrophic situation. Kyon wished he could switch places with anyone who had more chances than him.

Time was of the essence. As a last resort, he thought of offering her key cleaning. It wasn't a good idea, though. It might turn him into a cash cow for the rest of his life. Anyway, it wouldn't work even if he told her against the order about his unique talent. Would anyone believe a stinking drunk hobo mumbling in his sleep that he was a god? In his situation, Juno's reaction would be just the same. No noble lady would ever let a slave touch her, and Synergy wouldn't enter her body without physical contact.

When he saw the evil grin on her mean face, his desire to use any leverage vanished into thin air.

Juno threw away the soiled handkerchief, frowned in disgust and attacked again. Tiny beads of sweat dappled her smooth ivory forehead, while Kyon was drenched in sweat mixed with blood. She hated this wretched, tough dork. He was still holding on, still on his feet, even strong enough to block almost all of her blows.

The last thing Kyon wanted to do was to lose his balance. It was getting harder to resist with each next second. His body was sore all over. Some parts were numb and out of control. He knew too well that this soulless creature would kick him to death if he fell. He could see his imminent doom in her blows, in her smile, in her eyes.

{Where the hell did you come from, bitch? Why did I get this lady? Did I have a fucking choice?}

bam *

Juno kicked him in the hip and nodded to her thoughts: {Indeed, it's a pleasure to beat up this scum. He is so different from the dummies. He can dodge. He is softer to the touch but, above all, I love the expression on his dirty face! It makes me beat him again and again. I will never stop. I want him and his kind to cry for mercy… To beg me! But… Why doesn't he raise his eyes? I want to see his despair! Where are his tears, pleas for mercy? Why doesn't he scream in pain? Why is he just groaning from time to time? This slave is getting more and more annoying.}

During another series of her elegant attacks, Juno found a soft spot in his body. With a joyful glee, she punched him right there.

Kyon's ribs crackled painfully, but he got a chance to grab her by the hand and… Nothing happened. An invisible barrier was protecting her skin, slippery and smooth like an ice crust. Another moment and her hand slipped from his grasp.

{Fuck! The ether barrier!} – Kyon did not despair, anyway. His primary task was to show his skills, which was impossible to do without attacking her. He would have to stop at the very last moment to let her know that without the barrier, she would have been badly hurt.

Juno winced and carefully examined her hand for dirt. He did not touch her. She gave the slave a disgusted frown. No slave had ever dared to resist her. This one was stubborn, impudent, arrogant… Of course, she didn't say a word on his account. She was above chatting with a living dummy. However, her rage had increased tenfold. She could feel it burning inside. She wasn't going to let him off easy.

The battle continued. Kyon tried to counterattack Juno many times. He had found all of her weak spots, ready to convince her he could fight better than any master. She refused to notice anything. Anyway, he made her leave the mode of non-stop attack and concentrate on her defense, which, judging by her long face, she did not like at all.

Juno was heaving and puffing from the effort. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. As for Kyon, he was about to collapse from exhaustion. He couldn't stand it anymore, and yet he was holding on.

Kyon was at the limit of his strength. All he wanted to do was to lie down and have some rest.

Suddenly, Juno held out her hand:

«I order you not to move.»

Kyon's heart skipped a beat. Was she going to batter him until she turned his face into mincemeat… He was too close to revealing himself, but she just turned around and left.

Even the monsters have physiological needs. Juno needed to use the bathroom.

Kyon breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the floor. He would explain that he couldn't resist her greatness and excellence if need be. Only, he wasn't supposed to. She had forbidden him to disclose his ability to disobey orders. His heart was about to jump out of his chest. He was sweating all over his body. Kyon scanned himself with Synergy and came to a disappointing conclusion: a couple more minutes of battle, and he would blackout, giving Juno carte blanche to finish off his unconscious carcass.

And then a great idea flashed across his mind – the healing ointment!

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Chapter 40

While Juno was away, Kyon picked up the handkerchief smeared with blood that she had thrown away and put it in his pocket. Then he returned to his place and decided to apply the healing ointment that Flitz had given to him. There it was, his panacea. He wondered how it worked, and most importantly, how effective it was.

He squeezed a bit of the golden ointment onto his finger and applied it to the most painful bruise on his hip. A pleasant cooling sensation spread over the raw spot.

{Oh… It feels so nice…}

He sent Synergy to analyze the changes under his skin and came to a stunning conclusion.

{As I thought, this world does not work like mine. The energy in my world is invariable, with fixed constants that describe its behavior. In this world, the energy has an internal memory that can change its behavior beyond recognition!}

Kyon observed the ointment energy transform under his skin into organic matter to heal his wounds and increase the speed of processes inside his body. It must have been programmed according to a certain logic. Nanorobots could do this, but what on earth nanorobots were doing in this world? Kyon wondered if he could set a behavioral reaction, change the internal information, or set off specific trigger reactions. He knew that the attributes of darkness and light were even more unique and unusual. He wanted to find out more about all this.

His scratches rapidly healed on their own, bruises and contusions disappeared. The ointment was precise and coordinated as if it knew too well where and what it should do. In Kyon's world, it was possible only using complex technologies like nanorobots or bioprinting, not programmed energy.

Juno returned five minutes later and was surprised to find the slave lying on the floor. She explained to herself that he could not stand upright anymore. It didn't even occur to her that he could disobey her order.

«Stand up and defend yourself. I'm not done with you yet.» – The girl said haughtily, waving her hand.

Kyon obeyed the formation and rose to his feet with a grim expression on his face.

Juno shrugged her shoulders up and down to warm up, clenched her fists and attacked Kyon. She would knock this slave on the ground to make him feel the overwhelming disgrace he had inflicted upon himself in the very first seconds of their acquaintance. If he would survive after that or not… Who cares?

The dangerous dance lasted for about two minutes when a drop of sweat treacherously rolled Kyon in the eye. He had to blink and missed a fatal blow to his leg, losing his balance at once. In a split second, Juno seized the moment to knock him down.𝑛𝔬𝚟𝑒𝓵𝐮𝓈𝔟.𝕔𝑂𝗆

{I did it! Come on, beg me for mercy!} – It was very timely as she had nearly run out of energy. Juno generously infused her legs with the rest of it to give the slave nice sidekicks.

He curled himself into a ball, holding his head in his hands, groaning in pain. Ah, it was music for Juno's ears! However, she didn't hear his cries for mercy. And his groans were too quiet… He wasn't making any other sounds, which was rather unusual. This slave must be defective. She was not pleased with Flitz's gift.

Half a minute later, Juno wiped off the sweat from her forehead, stretched languorously and estimated the damage her arms and legs had done. She left the half-dead slave lying on the ground and hurried to the mansion with a spring in her step to take a shower and get changed. She couldn't care less for the beaten boy, just as she wouldn't bother about a dying fly. He was a thing that belonged to her. What was wrong with that?

Kyon gave her a black stare as she walked away. He sprawled on the ground groaning in pain. Every muscle in his body ached, he was bruised all over. There were so many bruises they could cause anemia. Kyon's face was deathly pale, one of his legs was numb and didn't respond. Synergy darted about his body like a hurricane, trying to cover all the injuries at once. Kyon had an empty feeling in his head. Being capable of almost anything, he couldn't get out of this jam. Fate played a dirty trick on him. Discontent with the guest, it decided to show him his place.

Anyway, he was alive. It was the only ray of light in this pitch darkness. Kyon would never have thought that he'd have to look for something positive in a hopeless situation.

Apparently, the little sadist took a particular pleasure in kicking him when he was down, enjoying his groans. Kyon could have yelled properly, but he had strictly forbidden himself to give the bitch what she wanted. It was evident that all she needed was his humiliation and pain, pain, pain… It really didn't matter that they hadn't got off to a good start… She wanted him to suffer no matter what. Wasn't it ironic? The former emperor of the illusory planet had to scream and beg a young girl for mercy. Screw her!

It might seem that Kyon was humiliated and devastated, but it wasn't so. His spirit was hardened enough never to give up, especially when it came to surviving. He could suppress his pride, as well as his ego if need be, but his spirit was indestructible.

{The tormentor in the guise of an angel will surely kill me if I don't stop her…} – He laughed bitterly at his own misfortune. His body immediately took revenge with sudden and sharp pain.

When he felt a bit better, Kyon rose slowly, holding his side, and sat on the only bench. The ground was cold. It was not a good idea to lie around all day long. The last thing he needed was to die of pneumonia to please the little monster.

His numerous injuries required loads of Synergy, energy, and body resources to heal. At that moment, Kyon regretted the moment of vanity when he had tuned up his body to the state of "the muscular athlete." He could use a minimal layer of fat now. Shock absorption would have been better, the energy reserve would have been higher. Flitz might have hesitated to give him to that bitch.

Two hours passed, the gate to the training area opened, and the demoness in angelic guise fluttered inside and ran up to the bench.

Kyon flinched just looking at her green eyes, pretty face, golden curls. Ah, how gladly he would wring her pretty neck! Would she keep smiling then?

{I need a big stick, please…} – Kyon begged heaven, raising his eyes. He would have to break the order and start talking. Otherwise, he stood no chance.

His state of health pleased Juno. Her "rehabilitation method" worked. She could make a good warden, after all..

No matter how pleased she was, Juno put on an angry, irritable face for the pathetic, living (for now) dummy:

«I did not allow you to lie on my bench, wretched slave! Punch yourself in the face three times and get lost. I'll deal with you another time.»

Kyon opened his mouth in surprise. It was too early to jump to conclusions. There was still a chance. He stood up with clenched teeth, landed three punches (faked, of course, he had enough of beating for the day) and walked to the pile of dummies, his head hung down. His pride cried for bloody revenge. Wring her neck or beating her to a pulp would do. Everything should fall into its rightful place as soon as possible.

Juno was pleased with his self-beating. She pressed on her wrist, and two servants arrived five seconds later. They carefully washed the bench from any dirt that the slave might have left.

While the servants were working, Juno began to warm up for her practice with the master. She reached her toes, arched her back, gracefully did the splits…

Her actions looked appealing and attractive, but Kyon was not up to admiring the wretched girl. The only thing he appreciated was her flexibility. He imagined tying her tight and kicking her across the training ground like a soccer ball. Suddenly, he gave himself a mental slap. Did he really reach the point of planning brutal revenge? Shame on him. He thought it was impossible to sink any lower, and then he heard a knock from below.

As soon as the servants left, a man entered the training ground. He was in his fifties, with long dark hair that he wore in a messy ponytail. The man was wearing the traditional uniform used for practice, which suggested that he was the evil lady's master.

On his way in, the master caught a glimpse of the boy hiding among the dummies. The mark on his forehead told him it was an ordinary slave, not worthy of his attention. He had seen slaves like him before. He thought it was weird enough, but he knew better than to meddle in lady Juno's private affairs.

He approached the young lady and bowed low to her. «Greetings, lady Juno.»

Juno finished doing the splits with a graceful somersault and said respectfully:

«Greetings, master Jean.»

Kyon raised his eyebrows at her courtesy! The master had a lower rank than his lady, but she spoke to him much more respectfully than she did to Flitz. What a hypocritical evil snake!

Jean smiled:

«How is your ether bending going?»

Juno's radiant smile made the master look away, or he would go blind.

«I've made some progress, master Jean. I have reached the advanced grade! Check me out!»

Her pleasant voice made him a bit nervous.

Jean muttered in surprise:

«Re-re-really?! Lady… I must be a terrible master if I can't take your word for it… Please, do show me! I need to see it with my own eyes!»

Juno proudly raised her little chin and theatrically raised her hand. After a loud crack, her finger lit up with silver sparkles of electric current.

Jean's eyes widened in disbelief:

«What self-control! What quality! Lady Juno, you… You have really upgraded your ether, haven't you?! You're even more talented than your sister!» – His delight was so overwhelming that he could not help adding: – «It's too bad your keys are not pure enough…»

His words hurt her too deep. The key purity was any practitioner's weakest point. Pure keys at the moment of connection with soul was a matter of luck. Those who had a 100 percent pure key of a single element existed only in legends. The best geniuses' keys were not far from absolutely pure, especially in the most simple elements, but there existed neither perfectly pure keys nor absolutely impure. Kyon could be proud of himself.

Jean's words drove Juno up the wall. She straightened her shoulders and growled:

«I'm even more talented. I will surpass her! Even the goddess won't stop me!» – She waved her hand…

bam*

A bolt of lightning hit the dummy straight in the head. The wood smoked and nearly caught fire.

Jean stared at the place where the lightning struck, shocked:

«It's incredible! It can't be! You've definitely raised the ether to the advanced grade! Just in three months! It's impossible! It's unbelievable!»

Jean had lots of students. He knew very well how long it took to master the elements, especially such a complex element as ether. The young Stone generation was absolutely hopeless!

It takes up to six months to acquire the basic grade of ether, five years to raise it to the advanced grade, and so on infinitely. But Juno had mastered ether in just a couple of months in addition to other elements and techniques! The baby girl was an unsurpassed genius of her family. Perhaps, she was really better than her sister. Too bad her keys were so impure… Well, nothing could be done about that. It's like being born with one arm. Nature didn't endow her with pure keys, and it had always been her sore point. Small wonder. An easy test determined your future in this world. You can stay mediocre for the rest of your life or become a respected genius with a great future ahead of you, with hundreds of fans and admirers. The world is cruel. Key purity doesn't only enhance attack/defense power but also significantly increases cultivation rate. And yet, Juno managed to raise hers to the 5th stage in no time, which also spoke of her extraordinary talent.

It is known that cultivation speed largely depends on life goals, aspirations, will, and fortitude. And this young lady is an excellent example to prove this theory. Her dream to beat Elsa, wipe the floor with her elder sister, prove herself to everyone helped her move forward like a stubborn donkey.

Juno was pleased with Jean's reaction. She'd always been a bit of a show-off.

Kyon was shocked. He saw Juno launch a coin lightning fast. As it hit the dummy's head, a spark drew a line from her finger to the coin with the speed of light.

{Holy cow! If this crap hits me, I will be paralyzed for life! Was she restraining herself during the fight?} – Kyon grunted skeptically. He couldn't depend upon Juno's kindness. She must have spared him for later. She never stopped smiling while beating him. It gave her sadistic pleasure to get physical contact with his soft flesh without using magical effects.

Jean could finally keep his emotions under control. His heart was still fluttering, though. He put his hand to his chest and bowed:

«Lady Juno, your heavenly talent is greater than mine… It took you only three months to develop the advanced grade of ether. It's my limit. I don't have the skills for more. But, please, don't give up on me. I can still teach you the wind element you've chosen to acquire next.»

Juno tilted her head to the side, which made her look even more charming. She pressed her finger thoughtfully against the dimple on her cheek. She liked Jean's edgy look. He was so anxious to keep his position.

A few painful seconds passed, which seemed to him an eternity. Jean was sweating over with worry when Juno smiled cheerfully:

«Oh master, how could I?»

Jean nearly fell with relief.

Kyon moaned inwardly, stupefied by Juno's nasty character. {She's quite a handful… What is this place? Flitz, you old asshole!}

«In this case… Let's master the advanced grade of the wind element…» – Jean muttered in a weak voice, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

Juno took a fighting stance and attacked the master. Her punches contained the wind element. The air swirled around them, making Jean's sleeves and hair flutter every time he dodged.

A stage of cultivation rose faster in sparring than by doing cycles. Juno could raise the element grade easier when she could feel the wind fluctuations that came from Jean.

The masters could hold their ground as long as they had at least one element a grade higher than their student's. In rare cases, the master could keep their job if they knew a technique their student had yet to learn. They also had to own the formations with those techniques and spheres with the element grades.

While the two of them were dancing in battle, Kyon watched them intently, trying not to miss a single detail: {To my regret, Juno is very talented… According to Jean, she is second to none in her family. As for the master, his mind is pretty dirty. It will come as no surprise if he is a bit too much attached to this demoness in the guise of an angel. That's for sure… The way he stares at her when she doesn't look. He looks away if she holds eye contact for longer than three seconds. Ugh, he's totally into her! Once, I met a pervert master with the same sultry look… May he rest in peace.}

Apparently, Jean was a secret pervert. Maybe, an explicit one. And small wonder… The beautiful creature was always before his eyes. It must be hard for him to keep himself in check.

Kyon started hatching a plan.

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Chapter 41

Jean proved himself to be a true professional of his craft during the wind bending practice with the sweetest creation. But there was a "but." He was constantly trying to touch, hug, smell the girl. It would be no sin to cut off his balls for this perversion, but Jean's talent to escape notice sincerely amazed Kyon.

By virtue of his position, Jean had long noticed that all noble ladies smelled nice, but this young lady's scent was outstanding. A glass of booze an hour before the training had become his good tradition. It helped to keep it cool, but he found it harder and harder to keep it together with every passing day. Well, Yurich's daughter was a beauty, no doubt about that. After Elsa escaped, she became a symbol of the family for a reason. Everyone had heard of her charm.

«That's right. Good girl! Very good! And can you do this?» – He kept praising lady Juno. There were purring overtones in his voice. Jean was immensely pleased, and Juno's success was not the only reason.

Jean understood that Juno was way out of his league, but he was quite content with their indirect contact. Her smell, grace, cute face… Watching her slender flexible body… He was having the time of his life. Later at night, he would empty the tension accumulated during the day. Luckily, the moons, the only witnesses to his weakness, were not inclined to reveal the secrets of those who trusted the cover of the night.

About five minutes later, Juno broke off the battle and wiped the sweat off her forehead.

«Маster Jean, I am out of energy…»

But her master was "unrelenting":

«Just a little more, and we'll call it a day!»

Another minute and Juno lost her speed, her attacks became equivalent to the fragility of her delicate body.

Another moment, and she lost her balance, her nose inches from the master's chest. The latter, taking advantage of her weakness, held her tight and got away with it. It was the boost he needed for a couple of days.

Kyon snorted with contempt. {Sick bastard… However, this little bitch totally deserves her master.} Juno was completely unaware of Jean's motives. Was it naiveté, or simple stupidity? It had to be sorted out.

Jean paid her another smarmy compliment:

«Excellent! I admire you, my lady. Take a rest. We'll resume our practice in two hours.»

Juno nodded.

«Yes, master!»

Kyon observed that Juno had an excellent upbringing, judging by the respect she paid to her master, even if he was below her status. Look up to your teacher, that sort of thing. Traditions and customs of patriarchal families were highly appreciated there. {What the deuce did you swear like a fishwife when taking to Flitz?}

Juno left the training ground and went to the mansion. Her master straightened his uniform and decided to take a walk in the park, whistling something under his nose.

Kyon slipped out of his hiding place and followed the master in the shadows. It was time for his perfect plan. He caught up with Jean and said respectfully:

«Great master Jean. Tell me, please. What is your rank in the family?»

The master glanced at the slave with contempt, lingering at his bruised face, and waved him like an annoying fly.

«Stay away from me, scum.»

Кyon was taken aback and lagged behind the master. The little people were not welcome here. It was like in the Middle Ages, the noblemen looked down on their servants.

Kyon bit the bullet and caught up with the master again.

Jean turned quickly and was about to punch the insolent slave in the nose but then he stopped short, rooted to the spot.

Kyon bowed his head, holding a piece of snow-white cloth, spotted with bloodstains.

«Sir, this handkerchief belongs to my lady. I am giving it to you so that you could give it back to her and prove yourself a true gentleman.»

Jean snatched the handkerchief, turned away, and pressed it to his face, smelling it noisily. His whole body shivered with excitement, delight, happiness… He was in seventh heaven, giving himself up to the turbulent emotions of his heart.

Once Kyon wondered what's the point in smelling dirty underwear. Science gave him an intelligible, straightforward answer. Sex pheromones, chemical cues that signal sexual status, were produced mainly in the armpits and groin.

What were they for from an evolutionary point of view?

– You get more looks and smiles from the people you know, as well as complete strangers.

– Everyone says you are the hot one.

– Love experience is way more passionate.

– The opposite sex is constantly attracted to you.

Kyon found out that it was better not to shower 3 hours before going on a date to maintain the concentration of pheromones. The smell of stinking sweat won't have time to develop in such a short period of time.

Pheromones are odorless. They reach the vomeronasal organ in the nose, take hold there, and evoke different feelings: from affection and passion to love and blind worship.

The pheromones get absorbed into clothes, and some people can get pleasure sniffing them. In a sense, Kyon understood Jean's maniacal desire to smell Juno's things.

The master hastily hid his treasure in the pocket like a thief. When he heard a tsking sound from Kyon, he turned around and said with almost no disdain in his voice:

«I like boys like you… Your name is Kyon, right?»

Kyon nearly collapsed at his words. Jean liked the boys like him, sure thing. However, he bowed his head respectfully, pulling a sweet smile on his face:

«Yes, sir. May I ask you something? Is there anything I can do for you to get the basic grade of pure energy.» – Kyon decided to take the bull by the horns. He couldn't miss the moment of good nature this master of hypocrisy deigned him. As he understood, pure energy was the most simple yet most significant element.

Kyon's words perplexed Jean for a moment and then outraged him: how dared this scum ask him for the basics of pure energy! It was a great sin and humiliation for any master to give anything concerning cultivation to anyone but his own students!

He wanted to send this "obliging dog" to hell, but there was something in his words that made him stop…

«What do you mean by anything?»

Kyon answered immediately:

«I can do anything for you… I often come into contact with my lady, which you can easily tell by my face…» – He chuckled softly. – «Sometimes I am allowed moments of free time, even if only for a short while… I can get you any of her belongings in exchange for the basics of pure energy.»

Jean's eyes bulged out. He grabbed the slave by the neck, shook him roughly, and hissed in his ear:

«Trying to get killed, scum?! What are you up to?»

Kyon exhaled and mumbled miserably, faking fear on his face:𝑵𝗈𝔳𝑒𝓵𝑢𝐒𝒷.𝑐𝗈𝓂

«Master Jean, my lady beats me severely. I can't stand it anymore… Once I asked her to give me the basic grades, but she turned me down flat! I beg you, give me the basics. I will give the world for them! Without them, I will die…» – Kyon's acting skills were god-level: trembling chin, raised eyebrows. He seemed to be on the brink of tears…

Jean gasped: the boy was serious! It was no joke! He looked cautiously around, put Kyon on the ground, and straightened his collar. Then he whispered:

«Can you really get me something that belongs to lady Juno?»

The master was a different man now. The irritated, contemptuous, scathing hater of slaves was in business.

Kyon nodded weakly, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

Jean scratched his chin thoughtfully, ran his fingers through the hair, swung heel to toe, portraying the mental process. Could he give away the basics of pure energy to this miserable slave? It would hurt his pride. On the other hand, his pride had long been wringing in torments of hell since he had a crush on his student! Banal lust had long taken the place of his pride.

It was the lust that gave him one final push. Jean had absolutely no fear that the boy would tell anyone about this conversation. No one would ever believe a slave.

Jean bent over Kyon and said quietly:

«The basic grade of elements costs an arm and a leg, but I will exchange it for an item of lady Juno's clothing.» – He hastily added to conceal his dirty secret: – «Actually, it's not about lady Juno's clothes. The point is to check if you're worthy of the sacred knowledge! Any noble master will let you grow if you're motivated enough. I don't care where you stand, all that matters is what's inside you» – His straight finger hit Kyon's heart area.

Kyon was about to throw up, but he managed to keep a straight face.

«Yes, sir. I'll do my best to complete the mission until tomorrow!»

Jean snorted and patted him on the shoulder:

«Fingers crossed. Above all, never give up… The energy is worth mountains of gold! Laugh in the face of danger, and you will be rewarded. You know, I was just like you… And now what I've become, hehe!» – He was about to stroke his nonexistent beard, playing in the part of a wise old man.

Kyon was at the end of his contempt. He bowed, squeezed a smile, and asked:

«I am willing to give my life to get the basic grades! I don't have much choice, anyway… Can you tell me more about the basics, please?»

Jean frowned but nodded. He wanted to keep his image as a master for any worthy student.

Kyon learned a lot from his words.

What is power? There are who-knows-how-many phases of soul evolution. With each next phase, you acquire ten times more elemental energy and a way more powerful body. Strength and talent are always a priority in assessing social status. Wealth, authority, beauty, intelligence, rank are also important, sometimes essential criteria, but power is the most reliable, illustrative indicator.

Each phase has ten stages. However, numbers are not in use. When referring to one's position, they say, for example: "This gentleman is at the beginning stage of the base phase," "That lady is at the middle stage of the second phase," "This young man is at the finishing stage of the superior phase," "That young lady is a noble phaser at the peak stage (4)."

Every three stages, the name changes: "at the beginning/middle/finishing stage" and the 10th stage is always referred to as "the peak stage."

Jean mentioned that each of the nine elements had specific grades: basic, advanced, superior. For example, the basic (1) grade of the wind, the advanced (2) grade of the fire, the superior (3) grade of the ether. The exception is the principal, the lightest, and most crucial element of energy, which went under different names, from spiritual power to pure energy. Its key is situated in the navel.

The thing is that pure energy had only one basic (1) grade and nothing else. That's what Kyon wanted to master first.

He had already set his heart on being an all-embracing elemental wizard when Jean added that a student could acquire only a few elements, depending on their talent.

Mastering one element is for mediocrity, for pathetic practitioners who existed to be defeated, for doormats to be used by more powerful masters. They had a low cultivation limit. No one would ever pin any hopes on them. In almost one hundred percent, they chose pure energy as their first element because it was the simplest, most multifunctional, fundamental element for any formation, attack, defense, movement technique, military equipment, etc.

More confident practitioners would choose to master two elements to reach certain heights. They were appreciated in any family. They made valuable tactical warriors who could make their attacks more specific due to the additional element. They were not highly respectable, but some of them were talented enough to reach certain limited heights.

Mastering three elements was a rare occasion. These students were destined to become respectable people. Their cultivation level was way higher. They were bound to get a high position and become respected formasists or no less respected alchemists (medicine creators). They may become unsurpassed warriors, commanders in chief, or someone more important. Three element benders were the central part of any family, or they were quickly adopted if they had none. Famous masters took them as students. Rich people were happy to marry off their daughters to them, even happier to marry off their sons. Juno had mastered 3 elements.

Four elements were for a genius who would be cherished and encouraged all the way. Elders were honored to adopt them. Great masters took them as students, girls were crazy about such guys, and guys would kill for such girls. A four-element bender could shake the whole empire, be number one.

Five elements were for heaven geniuses. Few people believed they existed. Even gods were against their existence. They had to take too much luck from heaven so that the lightning of justice wouldn't kill them. It was officially confirmed that only the empress had acquired five elements, and it was no myth. She was respected, honored, and worshiped for this. The empress was a truly legendary person who deserved her title of a blood-drenched sovereign.

The more elements a practitioner could bend, the faster they evolved, the purer were their keys, the greater was their fate.

At Kyon's reasonable question – «Is there any sense in grades above the basic one?» – Jean pulled a face that expressed his contempt for stupid slaves. He replied, however, that the basic grade gave only primary skills of element bending. The advanced grade enhanced the element and the skills for its bending. It allowed practicing some complex techniques. It took a whole life of practice to acquire the superior grade. Those who had it could create a powerful technique that would make all enemies drop dead just by saying its name. The phase of cultivation didn't matter much. The practitioner could be a base phaser and have all three grades at once. It all came down to talent.

{So, the higher the grade, the more powerful the element, and more ways to apply it.} – Kyon nodded to his thoughts.

Jean added that the efficiency of mastering the basics, the rate of understanding, and the limit of comprehension depended on innate talent, race, kin, or mental abilities. Everything as usual. Rich families rule the world.

After the story, Jean wanted to continue with his walk, but Kyon asked him one more question. The master was about to strangle the stubborn slave, but he stepped on his pride instead and answered.

Using different techniques was much more effective than exploiting elements. A simple stream of fire is nothing compared to a powerful fiery arrow. The difference in power can be enormous at the same cost of energy.

At first, Kyon thought it violated the law of conservation of energy, but then he realized it didn't. Any technique or release of the elements is limited from the outside. The fewer the chains (limitations), the closer the energy to its real power. Higher grades of elements and skillful techniques can remove the limitations. A more powerful technique requires a higher grade, so it's interdependent.

Jean added that a technique could combine several elements at once. For example, powerful ice techniques combined "water cold." However, it would take time to master the technique, even with the basics of water and cold.

The higher the grade, the easier and faster the way to master the technique, the more powerful it gets.

Jean explained that as soon as the technique was acquired, there was a characteristic click in the soul as if reaching enlightenment. After that, it could be used easily enough, almost automatically.

{As if "the program code" of the technique gets engraved in the soul.} – Kyon liked this interpretation.

To put it simply, higher grades of elements made life easier, made the practitioner stronger, allowed them to master different techniques quickly, and enhanced those techniques.

Kyon rubbed his hands with glee. He licked his chops at the thought of getting the basics of pure energy. There was only one problem. Where could he get an item of Juno's clothing?

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Chapter 42

Jean accepted Kyon's gratitude with no enthusiasm. He shook him finally off and continued with his walk, hoping that the slave would try and keep his promise. Who knows… Fortune favors fools. If the proverb was wrong and the boy had only wasted his time, Jean would punch him so hard that the wretched slave would forget his own name. Anyway, even one handkerchief from the lady was to die for.

Suddenly, Kyon had an idea. What if he offered Jean to clean his keys. It could turn the tide in his favor. The Stone family might consider him a valuable asset. Then he remembered Synergy penetrating Martha's wrist and gave up on this silly, unrealistic idea. Master Jean's cultivation was way higher than hers. He would run out of Synergy within reach of Jean's inner tissue, anyway.

So, Kyon was on his own. Thanks to the miraculous ointment, he felt almost no pain. It was too bad there was nothing left in the tube. It meant the next "combat" could be fatal…

Losing time now was tantamount to suicide, so Kyon got down to exploring the park. He wiped all the dirt off his face with a black sock, ruffled his already shaggy hair, combed it over his forehead to cover the slave mark, and left to explore.𝑵𝗈𝔳𝑒𝓵𝑢𝐒𝒷.𝑐𝗈𝓂

The territory of the park was not too big – about two football fields – however, the thick maze of tall, thick bushes made the servants practically invisible. Most of them crouched down and cut, trimmed, watered, swept something with the help of the wind element. They were secured behind the green thicket.

But at the same time, the park was far from deserted: dozens of servants scurried around in all directions.

Kyon wished his evil lady had security guards. He could easily pretend to be someone of her immediate circle and dispose of her… The answer was actually there, but he wouldn't know about it.

The servants stared at him, wondering why the gentleman looked so battered. His hairstyle hiding the slave mark, his black clothes were not typical for the slave's usual wardrobe. That's why they took him for someone he really wasn't. Whenever the servants met his eyes, they bowed respectfully, just in case.

Kyon enjoyed their respectful attitude. It was like an echo of his past life. But it wasn't the time or place to indulge in sweet memories – he had to find a way to complete Jean's task. Kyon continued exploring the area.

He didn't forget for a moment about Dinah and Anna. Those two wouldn't bow to him. He would have to bend his back, and in case the dark-haired was ill-humored, his teeth would touch the hard ground.

Should he meet Juno… It would be bad, too bad. Kyon moved in short bursts, carefully inspecting the territory beforehand.

Well, the garden was beautiful in its own way… Style, composition and architecture, benches and ponds… Every detail spoke of the painstaking work and good designer taste. But Kyon didn't have time to admire it. He had some other burning issues to solve: where to find a short-cut, an area with many / few servants, a hiding nook, etc.

The initial exploration took him about half an hour. Then he finally approached the main entrance to the mansion, large and spacious. Servants were walking in and out every moment. There were no guards or doors.

Kyon adjusted his hair over the forehead and moved forward, trying to blend in with the servants. He should learn the internal structure of the mansion instead of idly wandering around in the maze of the park. It was a sure risk, but he had no other choice. If he got caught… well, he would improvise.

The territory around the mansion included hot streams, the training ground, and the park. It was surrounded by a high wall with an impenetrable barrier. The main entrance to the mansion was the only way to come inside or leave. There was another exit that was under close guard. Everyone had to check in and out. Any loiterer would be detected and punished. When Flitz brought in Kyon, they put him in the register, subjecting him to a restricted residence. He could walk inside the mansion all he wanted as long as he wasn't caught.

Kyon studied the hall, looked into a couple of unlocked rooms and found the living room when suddenly, he ran into Anna, the blonde maid. He cursed under his breath – she walked too quietly!

«What are you doing here? You can't be here.» – Anna said with ice in her voice.

Myriads of thoughts flashed through his mind. Anna, Dinah's sister, was a superior maid, too. He had never taken any liberties with her, so their relations were still neutral. It was out of the question to show his character now. He had to live the part of a slave wholeheartedly – never look her in the eye for more than a couple of seconds, no firmness in his voice, be respectful… It was time to use his acting skills. Anna didn't know about Juno's order to keep his mouth shut, so he had to seize the moment.

«Excuse me…» – Kyon took a bow to seem respectful enough. – «I have to answer the call of nature, but there's no bathroom at the training ground…» – He theatrically crossed his legs.

The ice between them started to melt. This maid was sensible and rather lenient by her nature.

«The second door down the hall. Don't take too long… And stay out of my sister's sight. Next time come only with lady Juno's permission.» – Anna added in a softer voice.

Kyon bowed gratefully, holding his hand to his heart as if he owed his life to her:

«Thank you, lady Anna… You're so nice and kind…»

The maid skeptically rolled her eyes and went about her business, not bothering to answer him. The slave was nobody and meant nothing to her, but he was a cutie. Flitz knew the boy to pick, and had dressed him well, too. Black suited him.

Kyon locked himself in the bathroom, sat on the lid of the toilet, and thought hard. {Would she have believed me if I had lied that I was under Juno's order?} – He remembered the moment when Juno pressed on her wrist, and two servants came on command. She could send orders at a distance, right? He didn't want to take risks of testing the theory. No one likes liars, after all.

On second thought, it wasn't a pressing question at the moment. There were more urgent things to think about. Kyon needed to get the basic grade, and for this, he had to find some clothes for Jean, preferably female, better smaller than XXL size, desirably with pleasant smell that resembled Juno's, or the pervert would smell a rat. Ideally, he needed to get Juno's things.

For the first time in his life, Kyon had racked his brains on how to steal lingerie. He used to sort out where to invest a trillion credits, which direction to guide the development of humankind, how to save the planet from an asteroid. Now, it was the scene I've-hit-rock-bottom… Moreover, the importance of the question was greater than any time before!

{I've reached a new low today.} – Kyon concluded with a smile of self-mockery. He needed brainstorming ideas… Suddenly, he had one. It was frail, weak, and almost hopeless. They might cut off his head and balls for this, or maybe they'd spare the balls.

Kyon left the bathroom and continued to explore the house, carefully, walking on tiptoes. Some rooms were locked, for example a weird storeroom. Others, the important ones, opened with a formation. Ordinary service or guest rooms were not locked.

He did not dare to go upstairs. If they caught him, he would lose his arms and other vital organs.

The walk through the mansion dragged on, but he found out some useful information. Actually, he found what he had been looking for! The final step was to find the kitchen… It's always useful to know where the kitchen is…

However, as soon as he looked around the corner (this damned element of architecture had always brought him bad luck!), he bumped into the dark-haired maid. Nice meeting.

«What are you doing sneaking around here?» – Dinah snarled sternly, piercing him with her icy gaze.

Kyon's life flashed before his eyes. He was busted. She must have spotted him as a crouching thief, no less. A shiver ran down his spine. He lowered his eyes and played the pity card:

«I am starving…»

Dinah clenched her fists till her knuckles turned white. This slave looked at her as if he owned this place in the morning, and now he was playing the victim of unfortunate circumstances. His innocent eyes downcast, his plaintive voice… What a disappointment! All her expectations were down the drain! She instantly filled with rage and an urge to beat the boy to death, but an unrivaled assassin like her would never lower herself like that.

Dinah gave Kyon a black stare.

«Seriously?» – She squeezed his shoulder.

Kyon collapsed on his knee with a painful moan. She had hit a sore point in his shoulder with her thin fingers. How cruel of her!

Crocodile tears glittered in his eyes, but they didn't have any effect on merciless Dinah. They made her even angrier: he wasn't the one he had pretended to be.

A chill spread all over his body, as well as weird pressure. It was as if she had chained him to the bottom of a deep river. His mind was filled with an oppressive sense of danger.

«You must have a death wish if you dared to leave the training ground, entered the mansion, and got close to the kitchen where you are off-limits. What punishment do you deserve? Hmm?» – Dinah was getting more and more irritated because Kyon kept averting his eyes. She grabbed his chin with two fingers and tugged at it roughly: – «Look in the eye when the adults talk to you.»

Kyon squeezed out a maximum of charm. Dinah was too cold and dangerous. What did he do to fall in her disgrace? He had sneaked into the mansion, so what? It was not the point.

He mumbled:

«Forgive me. I am a starving fool. My stomach is a traitor seeking my death… Don't punish me, please…»

Dinah felt a rush of anger. However, her emotional outburst surprised her. How could this little brat get under her skin? What a humiliation for the patriarch's superior maid!

Dinah decided that he wasn't worth neither her attention nor emotions. She kicked him in the guts with all her might, and the slave went limp. Then she picked him up by the scruff of his neck and threw him out of the mansion.

«Take him to the training ground and lock him up.» – Dinah ordered the servants.

Kyon had trouble breathing. She had nearly broken his ribs! Anna was an angel compared to Dinah. So much for being sisters. He wished Marina was here now!

Two servants dragged him to the training ground, threw him on the floor, and locked the gates.

Kyon sighed with relief. Meeting Dinah was not as terrible as it could have been. Anyway, it would be better for him to steer clear from her in the future.

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Chapter 43

Juno and Jean had just finished their second workout, which looked like a beautiful dance of an angel with a monster. Then the young lady hopped away to the mansion, completely forgetting her slave's existence.

Kyon took out his sound transmitter and dialed Marina's frequency. She was his only hope — his athletic but skinny body was running out of energy, and it wasn't the best option to waste precious Synergy on ingesting grass. If nothing changed, another fight with Juno would turn him into a pile of half-dead meat with no chance for recovery until the next practice. He would simply have no time or energy for that. He was as good as dead.

Kyon heard Marina's pleasant voice in the device:

«Hello?»

«Hello, Marina. How are you doing?» – Kyon said nonchalantly.

«Hello, Kyon! I didn't recognize your frequency…» – Her voice perked up for a moment, but the next instant, she sounded sad: – «Nothing much… Flitz has been aggressive lately… What have you been up to?»

«I am fine.» – He answered with a barely suppressed sarcasm. – «Listen, I have a request of the utmost importance. It's a matter of life and death. Please come as soon as possible to Juno's mansion with five fat sausages, and I will tell you about Flitz's weakness.»

Marina exclaimed with joy: «Really?! Oh…» – Then she stumbled. – «I am sorry, Kyon… But Flitz has strictly forbidden me to approach Juno's mansion…»

Kyon's heart sank and then raced at a frantic speed. His hope was slipping out of his hands like a slippery little fish.

«Marina, listen to me. There's no such thing as a risk-free life. Flitz will never know! Just bring the sausage and hand it over to the guard. I will arrange it with him… And then I will tell you everything you need to know.»

Kyon reprimanded himself for trusting strangers with his life. It was unwise and completely against his nature, but he had no other option…

After a pause, Marina replied with a sigh:

«Alright, I will do it. But I am busy all afternoon. And all night, too…» – He could hear her suppressed whimper. – «I'll do my best to make it tomorrow.»

Kyon groaned. Then he said, trying to hide his disappointment:𝑵𝑜𝑽𝗲𝐋𝓊𝑠𝒷.𝐂𝑶𝓂

«Okay. Just try and come as soon as possible, please…»

«Yeah, sure…»

After their short conversation, Kyon thought about what to do next. Could he get the sausage from Marina's hands? Would the guards allow it?

All these thoughts made him sleepy. He leaned against the wall and fell asleep. His body required some rest to recover. No servants came over to the training ground. Juno obviously wanted to avoid the witnesses of her atrocities.

At about 8 pm, Juno opened the gate, energetically warming up her shoulders. She looked around the training ground and immediately spotted the skinny slave. She flashed a pleased grin. The little demoness had come to reap the torments of the mortals.

Kyon wished he could run to her and kick her in the guts. However, his arrogant attempt would end him smashed on the floor.

He was in the following situation:

1) He was forbidden to speak to Juno, even utter a single word. Her order was clear and understandable. It was a no-brainer that she had carefully chosen her words and hadn't ordered him to keep his mouth shut. In that case, he wouldn't be able to cry in pain. She had specifically ordered to say nothing. Sly bitch, she had lots of experience with previous slaves. Juno let them wail just for the sick pleasure it gave her. To hell with her, he would never cry in pain or beg her for mercy. He might let out some moans, not more. Kyon couldn't help it. He was only human, albeit with Synergy.

2) He couldn't touch her because of the ether barrier, which meant he couldn't affect her with Synergy. Besides, he was already exhausted. Anyway, even if he happened to touch her, she would most likely get him killed for tainting her.

3) He was forbidden to look her in the eye. It was for his own good.

These three points created a strong cage for Kyon with no way to escape. In fact, he had exhausted all the options to influence his reality without hurting himself. What remained? Trying to survive, stealing Juno's underwear, waiting for Jean.

~sigh~

Without further ado, Juno attacked him again. She enjoyed beating this boy. The idea to make him wail gave her an extra thrill. He was strong, wiry, and handsome. It was double pleasure to torture him, ruining his face. She might have experienced some remorse if he were someone of her rank, but it was only a slave, her property, her punching bag. Boys like him were a dime a dozen.

Juno's speed increased twice. Kyon couldn't wait to get the basics of the pure energy that Jean had promised to him.

{That's something new… This slave is still holding on!} – Juno snorted. She wondered what boosted his endurance. An elephant would have already collapsed, and this puny boy was hanging on for his dear life. It was commendable, but she didn't want a disrespectful slave. As Juno wasn't going to give him either food or shelter for the night, he would die if not today then tomorrow. Disposable things needed no maintenance, and it was beneath her to order her servants to attend to a slave. She would never take care of someone as insignificant as a slave. The mere thought of it made her feel uncomfortable, even if everything she had to do was to give a simple order.

And yet, Juno could tell there was some secret about his movements, but she couldn't put her finger on it. He took good punches, but she missed where she was aiming. He could see through all her tricks. It was impossible to knock him down. He was really good at dodging her blows. He forced her to move faster and spend three times more energy.

Since Juno did not understand his movements, she did not believe the slave could teach her anything. He was constantly getting her blows anyway. Juno saw no value in him. She'd better practice with Jean, who easily fended off her attacks. The master's movements were clear and comprehensible. It was easier to learn new things with him.

Stupid girl. Kyon figured it out during their previous fight. He realized that he had no reason to prove himself. She did not see any potential in him because of her "wrong" upbringing. Juno's perception of him could be concluded in one sentence: a dog cannot be a violin teacher.

The battle lasted five minutes. Kyon was exhausted and numb. The beating had completely erased the effect of the ointment. He was about to fall when suddenly…

They heard a cheerful voice at the entrance:

«Hi, Juno.»

Juno's vicious victorious smirk disappeared from her face, giving way to confusion. She stopped so suddenly that she lost her balance and flopped on the slave, knocking him down.

Kyon got a whiff of her expensive shampoo. Her golden curls tickled his face. Something supple pressed against his chest. Oh, how much he wished he could squeeze this seemingly frail body in his arms! Squeeze it strong enough to hear a wonderful sound of her breaking bones. But the next moment, the beautiful vision was gone. Juno couldn't care less about his feelings. She pushed herself off him, plunging her fist in his stomach. Kyon gasped and coughed hard.

Juno shook off the invisible dust and turned into a completely different person. Now she was an innocent pretty girl, an angel descended to the sinful earth. Juno crossed her arms, turning away from the boy who was approaching her. She grunted in reply:

«Hi.»

«Juno, I am sorry about last time… I do not know what got into me. Don't sulk at me! You know, my father died…» – He added in a quiet voice.

Juno turned around, casting a pitiful look at Yegorka:

«I am sorry to hear that…» – She said kindly: – «All right, you're forgiven but never do it again.»

«I won't!» – The boy's face beamed. He looked about 14 years old, but even at such a young age, an expression of arrogance was firmly imprinted on his face. It ruined the impression of his beautiful features and gorgeous fair hair. He was dressed in expensive clothes that gave away his high-rank status.

Yegorka looked with contempt at the slave in black clothes who was lying on the floor.

«Who is this base phaser?» – Yegorka intentionally mentioned Kyon's cultivation to humiliate him.

Juno tucked a strand of hair behind her little ear and said impassively:

«It's a slave of mine. Ignore him.»

Yegorka snorted:

«Another punching bag? Well, this ugly freak is good for nothing else.»

Kyon frowned, visibly annoyed. He could be anything but ugly.

«Would you like to spar with me?» – Juno asked, slightly raising her voice.

«How many slaves have you had, Juno? Three or four?» – Yegorka wouldn't stop.

«Stop it! Enough! What's your problem?» – Juno said angrily, folding her arms. Her second cousin was always meddling where he didn't belong.

The sound of her voice was really disheartening. Yegorka smiled apologetically, trying to hide his frustration:

«Forget it.»

He lazily waved at Kyon, without giving him a second glance:

«Get lost, scum.» – Yegorka felt an urge to beat the slave to a pulp for the moment when Juno's gentle body landed over him. However, he didn't dare to do it in Juno's presence. Yegorka was afraid to look immature in her eyes.

Kyon suppressed his moans. He could feel pain all over his body. He got up and headed for the exit. However, he wasn't going to leave too far. Kyon leaned against the gate, unseen from the inside, and listened to their conversation. He had no idea who Yegorka was, but he could say that the boy was fond of Juno, to say the least.

«Juno, we have been friends for a long time. You haven't been yourself lately. There's something that concerns me. Those slaves… Did you kill them deliberately?»

«I killed slaves? Is that what you think of me?» – Juno put her hands at her hips, frowning.

Yegorka shook his head:

«No, no… I don't mean… It's just a bit weird.»

Juno sighed, feigning distress:

«Well… I hit them a couple of times just to keep fit. Then they all die for some reason… They die like flies. Perhaps, the doctors are bad here… I don't know. Let it go!»

Kyon nearly choked with anger at hearing her innocent babbling: {Bad doctors? Hit them a couple of times? You deliberately caused a hell of a pain to make them wail, bitch!}

Yegorka nodded in understanding:

«I see. Sorry for suspecting you. It's just… Sometimes your mood swings frighten me.»

Juno theatrically rolled her eyes:

«I am fine… No need to worry.»

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Chapter 44

It all began when Yegorka paid Juno a visit at a most inappropriate time. His stories always bored her to death, especially when he bragged about how he could beat any young Stone with a single punch of his left hand. But the final straw was when he "accidentally" touched her bottom during the sparring.

Juno's squeals and curses had sobered Yegorka at once. He regretted it at once, but it was too late. The maids threw him by the collar out of the mansion, turning a deaf ear to his excuses or apologies. But he was no ordinary guest! Only the superior maids under Juno's order had the right to treat him like that. He was the most promising genius in the Stone family, after all. He was supposed to become the strongest among the incompetent young generation by the age of 18. The eldest in the family pinned high hopes on him. Juno could not forgive him that misdeed and avoided sparring with him for a long time. Since then, Yegorka had been afraid to offend the wayward girl. Today she gave in, at last.

However, he noticed that Juno's cultivation had been rising at a frightening rate. He was afraid he might be unworthy of her in the near future. Juno had reached the 5th stage of the basic phase in just three months! It took him two years! She was definitely more talented… Sooner or later, she would advance and never look back, which meant he had to act before it was too late, act decisively and be firm! Juno was so unapproachable, and Yegorka was just a friend. All his efforts to set up any romance between them had no effect. All that was left for him was to watch the happiness of his life grow and leave him far behind with nothing but sweet memories, shadows from the past. However, Yegorka did not lose hope. He kept trying to reach Juno's heart. She was unique and only in the whole world, at least for him.

Juno changed the subject:

«Yegorka, how are you doing… after the loss?»

Yegorka couldn't hold back his emotions. He turned away and gasped for air:

«I'm fine… I'm sure that my father died doing his duty. His rage over the slaves got the best of him… All that excessive stress must have given him a stroke… And…»

Yegorka's voice faltered. He wished Juno would hug him to comfort him. But… No… She kept silent. She gave him neither a sympathetic sigh nor a friendly pat on the shoulder! {Say something, I am begging you…}

«I see…» – Juno nodded. – «My friend told me he had lost a student. Martin was a good formarcist and a good father.» – Her voice was very soft. She nearly whispered the words.

Meanwhile, Kyon, who was standing behind the gate, slapped his forehead. It was he who had killed Martin! What was the chance of meeting that greedy bastard's offspring so soon? This world had no end of surprises in store for him.

Yegorka swallowed his pride, turned around, fumbled in his deep pocket and took out a colorful box:

«Here, your favorite raspberry cakes. What about a snack before the fight?»

Juno took one with a bored expression on her face, bit off a piece and put it back. She liked Yegorka only for his high potential among the younger generation, the reason why the adults respected him and his peers envied him. A genius like him might be worthy of being her friend and a sparring partner. Besides, he never drooled in her presence, which was no small thing.

Juno didn't mind being friends with him, but everything else about him drove her up the wall! From gifts and poems to averting his eyes when she looked at him for more than a second. In fact, it was pure disrespect to her! She could make him address her with all formalities if it didn't seem so weird. They had agreed to communicate in private in a casual way. Around other people, Yegorka had to show respect to her higher rank.

Yegorka could feel in his guts the approaching awkward silence and hurried to change the subject.

«By the way, I will tell you a secret at the party your grandfather is throwing. I've kept it since childhood. What is more, I have a surprise for you – a gift. It will definitely help you evolve faster.» – Yegorka grinned from ear to ear.

Juno raised her thin eyebrows.

«Do you really want to give me something for my cultivation? It's so sweet of you!» – She praised him with a smile.

Yegorka's heart melted. His legs bent treacherously, giving his feelings away. The cutie's smile made his soul sing. His heart trembled happily. It happened so rarely that she smiled at him. More often than not, he had to see her evil or malicious grin.

Juno tossed her head scornfully and turned away.𝑛𝗈𝐯𝖾𝔩𝓊𝐬𝚋.𝑐𝚘𝑚

«We'd better start our sparring. This time lower your stage to mine, don't make it two stages higher. It's only fair this way.»

Yegorka shook his head:

«Juno, you'll never get stronger, fighting on equal terms.» – He sighed and his cultivation plummeted to the 7th stage of the base phase. Any second phaser could do that trick.

It might seem from the outside that he did that to instruct Juno. In fact, Yegorka feared that the talented girl would thrash him once they were equal. It would be such a disgrace. He would be crushed, with hardly any chance to make her his. With his cultivation higher than hers, it would look like a giveaway. Juno wouldn't suspect anything if she happened to knock him to the floor.

Juno rolled her eyes. She stood opposite Yegorka, and the fight began.

Kyon was peeping through a small hole in the gate. He was completely convinced of Yegorka's feelings for Juno. He reminded Kyon of Jean. Everyone kowtowed to the demoness in the angel's skin as if they were enchanted. Everyone but not Kyon. Anyway, it would be stupid to fall for someone who could finish you off at a whim.

Fighting with Juno was Yegorka's favourite pastime. It was written all across his face. He seemed to be dancing a love dance with her.

Juno snorted, surprised. {Hm… My movements are getting better. Practice with Jean must be paying off. I do find him a bit weird but what counts is that I get stronger with him.}

If only Kyon knew that she had given all his credit to Jean…

Yegorka noticed that Juno's response to his attacks was getting much more confident than before. He pursed his lips in disappointment. She was really talented. The gap in two stages was hardly an advantage anymore.

They had been fighting for some time when Juno's tight bottom got so conveniently close to Yegorka's hand. He could not resist the temptation and grabbed it out of reflex…

«What! Are you fucking stupid?!» – Juno turned on him like a wild cat, fixing an angry stare on him.

Yegorka was stupefied. He couldn't understand what had happened, but he felt like a stupid poodle that soiled himself. He pulled off the mischievous limb and stared at it in disbelief as if he could not recognize his own hand and babbled in response:

«Juno, I'm, I'm sorry! I have no idea how…»

«Shut up, asshole!» – Juno ruthlessly pressed the formation.

Within five minutes, Dinah and Anna ran in. One gesture of their lady, and they grabbed Yegorka by the collar and kicked him out of the mansion like a mongrel dog to the accompaniment of his screams:

«Juno, forgive me! It was a mistake! My hand twitched by itself and…»

Juno snorted dismissively and turned away without looking at the petty dirty-ass pervert. If he didn't have the great potential, if he wasn't her friend, she would have ordered to cut off his balls and then his head, exactly in this order. She really hated horny boys.

Juno hurried towards the mansion, her mood completely spoiled. She didn't want to practice anymore. She had an urgent need to take a shower to wash off the touch of that wanker. {All guys are the same… They want only one thing.}

Kyon let out a sigh of relief. The arrogant asshole had just unwittingly helped his father's killer. The sun had long gone over the horizon. Most likely, no one would remember him till morning. No one at all… His stomach rumbled demandingly, his mouth was dry. He experienced a wide range of indescribable sensations. At least there was no pain among them as Synergy had blocked his receptors. It was quite obvious that no one in the whole mansion cared a shit about him. There was no bed and no food for him… He had no chance to survive.

{Take me back to the mine, please… I had a bed and food there. And here…} Kyon clenched his fists. He was so frustrated with the reality. But he was not giving up. It was time to act. It was time to get up on his feet.

An hour later, Kyon secretly left the training ground. All the servants had already gone to their quarters. The park was supposedly empty but no less dangerous. If Dinah got her hands on him…

Kyon entered the hot spring area. He made sure there was no one in there, drank some water and headed for the front door, trying to walk quieter than a soft breeze.

The main entrance was between the park and the mansion. There was no lock, not even a door. It was a walk-through. The winters must be warm here if there were any seasons at all.

Kyon listened carefully. Silence. He went further. Sometime later, he heard almost intangible footsteps. It took him some effort to discern the maids' walk. Kyon laid low.

The girls entered the bathroom and locked the door with a bar latch. He heard the water running. Apparently, the sisters preferred to take a bath together – a nice story for a porn movie.

Kyon's eyes sparkled dangerously. He rushed back to the hot spring and carefully put a handful of amber stones (the money of the advanced phase) on the ground. Then he dashed to his wait-and-see post in the mansion.

His heart pounded so fast that it could break through his chest and jump out. He was about to go through with his plan. Was there any chance it would work?

The countdown had begun: three, two, one… A loud *bang* resounded next to the hot spring.

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Chapter 45

The countdown had begun: three, two, one… A loud *bang* resounded next to the hot spring.

The girls immediately turned off the water in the shower. The door swung open, and the two maids sneaked out, wrapped in towels. Anna rushed to the second floor, to Juno, to defend her in case of invasion. Dinah went to investigate the source of the noise, ready to fight if need be. The guard in sunglasses was already scanning the area.

Kyon ran into the shower at a breakneck speed and looked around. He let out a quiet, triumphant cry when he saw two neat piles of the maids' clothes, including their underwear. He determined which things belonged to Dinah by her black stockings. Of course, he would take her lingerie. It was his revenge for the way she had treated him. He wished he could take more than just a blouse and black panties. Jean could find out the actual owner of the other things. And then Kyon was in for big trouble, most likely lethal.

Kyon grabbed the clothes and quickly left the shower and the mansion. Without losing a second, he returned to the training ground.

His heart was fluttering in his chest, his eyes burning. He wanted to sing with delight! The plan had worked! No one had noticed him. One guard was standing at the only entrance. Dinah and the other guide were investigating the cause of the blast. Anna and two other guards rushed to Juno's defense.

Pulling off a stunt like that was easy but quite risky. According to Flitz, only Juno and the two maids stayed in the mansion for the night. He could take the underwear from only three of them. If he had snatched Juno's lingerie, she would have gone on a rampage. The whole place would have been turned upside down. When they had found the missing thing, the culprit would have been buried in one of the holes dug in the process of searching. Dinah would hardly ever start the search by herself, and she would be embarrassed to give such an order to the servants.

Kyon's plan was simple like a walk in the park. During his long walk around the mansion, the smell of shampoo told him which shower room was for the maids. Kyon waited for the right moment to drop off his strategic stock of the "firecrackers" (a handful of the stones he had taken from the mine). When he was at the hot spring he infused them with Synergy, setting a "timer." The diversion was to go off after a minute. The trap had worked! The girls left the bathroom, and Kyon stole Dinah's lingerie in a snap!

Kyon sat on a bench with a stupid smile on his face when suddenly he saw that he was still holding Dinah's things. In the commotion, he had completely forgotten to put them into the hiding place! Fucking genius!

At that moment, he heard someone coming outside the gate. If he had lingered for a few more seconds, they would have caught him. He broke in a cold sweat just at the thought of that. Apparently, luck was still with him, but… What should he do with her things? Fling them over the wall? Too reckless. The servants would find them first thing in the morning. Hiding them at night was not an option, either. As soon as Dinah noticed the loss, she would pay him a "friendly visit" with a death threat. She would have all the gates locked. He couldn't overcome the four-meter wall, not in his present condition.

Kyon heard the sound of approaching footsteps again. They were getting closer… There was no way he could leave unnoticed. What should he do?

…

The investigation of the incident did not take long. They failed to find the troublemaker, which somewhat puzzled the "special agents." It was impossible to get into the mansion through the barrier without destroying it. The criminal needed a special signal to create an opening. Only the guards knew it.

Dinah had enough of walking around wrapped in the towel. She was cold and tired of flashing her bare legs. When she realized there was no one to be found, she returned to the shower room. She hastily pulled on her new stockings and then… Dinah found that her blouse and panties were missing from the pile of clothes. A nasty cold feeling filled her heart. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with disbelief that turned into a guess that was finally replaced by conviction. Someone had pulled off that distraction to steal her lingerie!

When Anna approached her sister, Dinah clenched her black skirt so tight that the delicate fabric almost ripped apart.

«Dinah, what's the matter?»

«Did you take my underwear» – Dinah said in a gloomy voice.

«What? No! Why would I need your dirty things?» – The blonde maid exclaimed in surprise.

«You've always liked my black lace panties.» – Dinah whispered sadly.

«Pff…» – Anna snorted. – «Dinah, even if it was true, I'd prefer to buy something new! Wait, what if the explosion…» – Anna gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Then she hurried off to report that the alarm was most likely false. The patriarch should not be bothered. Someone had pulled off a prank to steal her sister's lingerie. What a scam!

Dinah wanted to stop her sister from spreading such intimate details, but the patriarch really should not be bothered. She examined the shower one more time. What if she had accidentally thrown her things into a far corner. But all the signs indicated that it was a planned thing and someone had brazenly stolen her stuff! The mere thought that her panties got into someone's hands made her dizzy and sick in the stomach. A shiver ran down her spine. Who on earth might need her… intimate item of clothing?

Her memory helpfully planted the image of a shaggy boy, his bawdy behavior when they first met… If that slave was guilty of the disappearance of her clothes, she'd beat the living daylights out of him.

Dinah became belligerent. She slipped into her nightie and went to find the slave. Too much honor to dress up for him in the new uniform! However, getting some of his blood on her hands was always a good idea.

…

Kyon was lying on the bench, his eyes closed. He was doing his best to pretend he was fast asleep and already reproaching himself for not taking Anna's underwear. What was so special about his revenge on Dinah? The blonde maid would be kinder to him. His chances of surviving with her would be obviously higher.

In the next instant, he was roughly pulled out by the scruff of his neck and well shaken.

«Rise and shine, thief.» – Dinah hissed with an icy smile, beautiful like a starry night. Her glossy black hair was shining in the light of the moon. She could fascinate any man. Her voice, gentle like a winter breeze, made Kyon chill to the bones.

Kyon was really scared for the safety of his life. What if she would kill him just on a whim? He fixed his eyes on the floor playing the role of a cowed slave and mumbled:

«D-Dinah, what can I do for you?»

The maid wrinkled her nose in disgust and added firmly:

«Call me my lady when you speak to me. If you ever inappropriately address me you will regret that you were born into the world.»

Kyon nodded understandingly. The threat sounded very convincing.

Dinah could feel his emotional suppression, and yet, she took out a sharp dagger and threateningly held it at his neck:

«Tell me now. Did you steal my underwear?»

Kyon froze, afraid to take another sigh. He hurriedly spoke, sobbing and stuttering, feeling the chilling cold of his doom on the sharp blade:

«I'm s-sorry… I don't understand what you are talking about, my lady Dinah, I'm sorry…»

«Look into my eyes, scum.» – The maid snarled.

Kyon stubbornly closed his eyelids as if holding back the flow of tears. He wasn't born yesterday and knew better than that: to look into any mad maid's eyes could be deadly in this world. It was confusing, anyway. He thought that the slaves were not allowed to look into their masters' eyes, and she demanded quite the opposite.

Dinah grunted with satisfaction. For some reason, the sight of the battered and mortally frightened handsome boy made her happy. Her intuition whispered that he was responsible for the disappearance of her things. But where could he possibly hide them?

«Get undressed!»

«What?» – Kyon was taken aback. It came so unexpectedly that he forgot his role of a-poor-miserable-but-completely-innocent-slave. {Maybe she's had enough of standing half-naked alone?} – He sneered and took a good look at her perfectly smooth legs, her delicate feet in flip-flops, her shoulders, barely covered with straps of the translucent nightie, and her stirring clavicles… A damn arousing combination.

Her dismissive look was from any perverted submissive's dream. As Kyon was clearly not the type, he felt uneasy.

«I told you to get undressed.» – Dinah repeated, her arms folded. It was beneath her dignity to check him herself and feel his body all over. He could take off everything himself.𝑵𝑜𝑽𝗲𝐋𝓊𝑠𝒷.𝐂𝑶𝓂

While Kyon was pulling off his jumper, the beautiful but wicked fairy of the night looked around. The area itself was poorly suited for hiding things. The maid walked around the training ground and noticed all the possible nooks. Kyon followed her with an anxious look.

When Dinah made sure that every nook was empty, she turned around and was shocked to see that the little jerk was about to take off his underpants.

«Stop or I will kill you if you take them off!»

Kyon pulled the elastic of his underpants back and stared at the maid, fascinated with her beauty.

The girl hissed quietly with a clear threat:

«Show me your clothes…»

Kyon opened them up, turned them upside out, twisted and twirled his clothes to convince the silly girl there was nothing there apart from his shabby things.

Dinah grumbled in frustration. She gave the slave a searching look. He had a lot of bruises, contusions, abrasions, and blood stains. But there was not a trace of her clothes. Unless, of course, he had hidden them in his underpants… But he was too eager to remove them. It just didn't add up. However, her intuition screamed the opposite. The slave was no simpleton. He could be pulling her leg.

Her suspicious look fell on the last item she had not checked yet – his underpants.

Kyon took a deep breath and covered his groin with a quick movement. He had to risk everything he had, that is his life.

«What are you hiding there?»

Kyon frantically shook his head:

«Nothing, my lady Dinah… There is nothing…»

Dinah menacingly stepped forward and came to a dangerously close distance. She took hold of his hands with a steel grip and pushed them aside without breaking eye contact.

Her tender hands were as cold as ice.

If the sly bastard had hidden her things in his underpants, she would kill him with the poison of pain. She wanted to see him suffer.

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Chapter 46

When Dinah moved the slave's hands apart something unexpected happened.

Her eyes widened at the sight of his common cotton underpants with a big bulge within! Dinah recoiled in shock. She couldn't take her eyes off him for a short moment, then she yelled:

«That's disgusting! Hide it away immediately!»

Kyon obeyed and shyly looked at the floor. He said in a hollow voice:

«I am sorry… It's just… You are so beautiful… please, forgive me…»

Dinah closed her eyes. She had to try and calm down, appease the thrill of her heart. A pulsating vein popped up on her smooth forehead. Anger was seething inside her mixed with disgust. However, her desire to kill the rascal on the spot seemed to have evaporated. A wretched nobody like him dared to get aroused looking at her… Not that it was surprising. Didn't she come dressed in just a nightie and nothing else? (Her favorite, by the way.) It was expected that the boy would be smitten. Dinah had already lost the thread of her thought.

Kyon made his stomach growl in an attempt to change the subject. He blushed and turned his eyes away.

«My lady Dinah, may I have something to eat, please?»

«You must be grateful I didn't feed you your little buddy freshly cut.» – The maid said and turned to leave.

«I don't know what buddy you're talking about. I'm starving, my lady Dinah.»

The maid froze, turned around and looked at the slave as if he was mentally retarded. She looked perplexed. Did he seriously fail to understand what she was talking about or was he teasing her? The boy must have a death wish!

«You…» – Dinah muttered something through her teeth that sounded like a curse. Then she turned her back on the worm of a man she thought he was and left. As expected, she locked the gate behind her.

Kyon let out a sigh of relief when the footsteps behind the wall subsided. He stretched the elastic of his underpants and greeted with a cheerful grin… no, not "his buddy" but the blouse and the black panties wrapped around his hips. Yes, there was no other place to hide them. And no, he did not put them on.

{No doubt, Jean will do something very dirty with your underwear… you, poor little fool.}

When Kyon noticed the maid's suspicious look at his underpants he figured out she was going to search him all over, so he decided to take that desperate step to mislead her… Surprisingly, the maid did not kill him… One single touch and Juno sentenced her previous slave to a cruel execution. And Kyon was still alive.

He knew that the maids were unaware of the rule that a slave had to be a eunuch or impotent. According to Flitz, slaves hadn't been castrated before, and they hadn't been given any "evilball" either (it's a relatively new drug). Moreover, the old man didn't tell anyone but Juno about the evilball, and it wasn't something that the young lady would like to share.

The nightmare was over. His unlikely plan had been gradually implemented in life.

Kyon's stomach rumbled, not intentionally this time but for very natural, physiological reasons. His wonderful mood had vanished into thin air. He had yet to get through the next day and find a way to get the sausage from Marina. Most importantly, he had to deliver the lingerie to Jean and finally master the basic grade of the elements without which they would quickly make mincemeat of him here.

A night on the bench couldn't be called a pleasant one bу any stretch of the imagination.

Kyon woke up stiff, cold and completely numb. He stretched with a groan and called Marina. Unfortunately, his fortune kept refusing to smile on him:

«How come you don't know when you'll come? Why?!»

Her voice sounded guilty:

«Flitz has given me an important task… I'm sorry, but I just can't…»

Kyon pulled a long face. It served him right for entrusting strangers with his destiny. No, he didn't hold a grudge against Marina. He was no one for her, anyway. Why should she violate her master's orders for his sake? – {Yeah…. My life has definitely decided to be a b…}

«Kyon, I promise I'll come tomorrow! Don't worry, please. I would like to know… I mean to meet you.» – Marina hastily corrected herself.

«If I live to see tomorrow.» – Kyon sighed pessimistically and hung up. His body hadn't fully recovered yet. Without food, he simply had no energy. All his plans were going down the drain, his last hope was Jean, or rather the basic grade of the elements that the master had promised to give away in exchange for the panties.

After a couple of hours, the key creaked in the lock, and the gate swung open from a mighty kick. No one other than death itself in Juno's disguise had come to the training area. She had her usual skintight training outfit on: ballet shoes, skinny pants, a sweatshirt, and a charmingly demonic grin promising her personal punching bag all the torments of hell.

Everyone in this world was obsessed with cultivation. As for Juno, her urge to get stronger was a record holder. She has to pin down her own sister. A fight with a slave was more like entertainment for her sadistic nature rather than practice.

Kyon rolled off the bench at the last minute as if he had never been there. He had no desire to taunt the young lady. His guts filled with rage at the sight of her goldilocks. Too bad rage wasn't nutritious enough. It could only cause indigestion.

Juno came hopping to the training ground when suddenly she had a moment of perplexion. According to any common sense, the slave should have died of hunger and injuries long ago. Apparently, he was really a tough one. She was eager to punch his pretty face, but there was one unresolved issue:

«Yesterday, you pawed me when I fell on you, slave. I order you to knock out all your teeth for that.»

Kyon was infuriated. {WHAT?! BITCH, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU GET OFF?!} – His hatred was almost tangible. It was she who fell on him yesterday, and he had to pay the price!? Vindictive hypocritical piece of shit! Kyon was about to lose it. He had to bite back the swear words at the tip of his tongue. He was too close to breaking the order to keep silent, but he pulled himself up. He had a faint hope of survival yet. He was still counting on the basic grade of pure force. There still was hope, and Kyon was not going to let it go.

{I swear as soon as I have a chance, I'll crush you like a nut!}

The corners of Juno's mouth lifted when she saw the outraged slave's face give way to bitterness. What a delightful sight! She took great pleasure in the misfortune of others. He had it coming for getting in her way. He should be grateful to her for not giving orders to kill him at once. She would do this pleasant task herself.

Kyon punched himself in the jaw with a bitter face. His white teeth smeared with blood fell out from his mouth one after the other. The young enchantress almost clapped her hands with delight, pleased with the performance. It was her idea of pure happiness – to watch a pathetic nobody getting what he deserved.

Almost all of his teeth had been knocked out. Blood was spurting from his mouth, which did not add to the beauty of his half-zombie image. The past few days had taken the shine out of him. He was a pitiful sight – pale, tired, barely standing on his feet. And on top of all that was her goddamned order… Kyon will never forgive her.

It might seem that Kyon was humiliated and crushed, but it was not true. He was in an extremely stressful situation where he was mortified and trampled underfoot. But who said it would break him? He took a sober view on things, played by the rules to rise from the ashes like a phoenix. The eternal flame was burning in his eyes, the flame of the former emperor. If a man like that kneels, if he has to eat the dirt, it's only because he is certain that the time will come to turn the tables. They will kneel before him.

When the obedient slave was done knocking his teeth out, Juno clapped her hands. Then she squeezed her snow-white fists and attacked him. The time had come to finish off the scumbag. He had been alive for too long.

Kyon spat blood. He had never craved to break someone's skull so much. {BITCH, I will beat the hell out of you before I die!}

pum* *pam* *pum*

However, Kyon couldn't beat her at all. He kept missing more and more punches and was feeling worse and worse. He was pale and started cramping. Kyon could hardly move, let alone hit Juno. During their short battle, she had picked up some of his skills and raised her battle fist level up to 3.5. There was not a shred of pity on her face, only gloating and a kind of maniacal pleasure from giving him injuries and pain.

Juno couldn't figure out why the slave's maneuvers and movements were beyond her comprehension. He lacked twice as much speed and yet made her move faster. Anyway, Juno refused to accept that a slave could teach her anything. She thought that her newly acquired skills were connected with her practice with Jean.

At some point, Kyon collapsed on the floor, unable to go on. He could tell the sadistic lady everything he thought of her, but it wouldn't increase his chances of survival, and there was still a chance.

The nightmare wasn't over yet. Juno started kicking him, humming ecstatically to the beat. Kyon could feel more and more injuries on his numb body: here a sidekick that had hit a kidney, and that one had nearly broken a tendon. Another kick and his ribs creaked, one of them cracked. Juno wasn't above hitting him two or three times in the same place. Her goal was to destroy him. The end was near.

Juno's smile was getting ever more dazzling. She enjoyed beating his soft, alive (so far) body! Flitz had made her a wonderful punching bag. She was going to ask him for some more like this. What a buzz… Juno only wished the scumbag would scream louder. His volume automatically increased or what?

Suddenly Juno's sound transmitter dinged.

The young lady stopped finishing off the "dummy." She snarled with annoyance at the caller's frequency but answered the call:

«What do you want?»

«Juno, forgive me… Please! It's my fault! I want to make it up to you! May I come to you?» – The pleading voice in the device belonged to Yegorka.

«No! And stop calling me! You are annoying!» – Juno lost her temper. She hung up and gave another heavy kick in the slave's ribs. Then she lost her heat and left the ground, apathetic.

Kyon was left behind, lifeless. His condition was worse than in a comatose state. One lung was torn, his knee joint swollen, his muscles pulsating in pain. Judging by the darting of Synergy, Juno had awarded him with a slight brain concussion, a broken nose, and a black eye. Kyon snorted: {Yegorka… It's the second time that you've saved my life.}

Nobody touched him for two hours. Then he struggled to stand up. Deadly pale, with throbbing pain in his head, Kyon had a keen desire to lie down and never wake up again. Emptiness in his eyes diluted with disappointment in the new life. If only Marina had brought the sausage…

Kyon hadn't had enough time to feel sorry for himself and imagine what might have happened if only… when the gates opened. And there again… The face of death in the guise of an angel girl. What a subtle irony.

Juno approached the slave with a slow, graceful step. She frowned her brows, puzzled. The slave was incredibly tenacious! A real treasure for a punching bag. With discontent, she put her wrist with a formation to her ear:

«Speaking.»

«My lady, master Jean is here.» – She heard Dinah's voice.

«He is early today… All right, let him in.» – Juno looked at the slave with disgust and growled in disappointment: – «I order you to keep out of sight. Stay put. I will finish off your miserable life later.»

Kyon rejoiced at the master's impatience. Driven by a desire to bury his nose in the lady's clothes stolen especially for him, Jean arrived at the mansion a few hours earlier and saved his life.

Kyon rose to his feet like undead and walked off, hiding unbearable pain. Master Jean had just entered the training ground. He immediately spotted Kyon and raised his eyebrows in a barely visible, silent question: "got it?"

Kyon nodded slightly: "got it."

The master had changed since their last meeting. He looked gaunt, emaciated, his red eyes gleaming feverishly on his pointed face. Could Jean be so excited about some rags that he didn't sleep last night?𝗇𝓞𝔳ℯ𝑳𝐔𝓈𝐛.𝒞𝒪𝓂

Kyon quietly left the training ground and headed for the mansion. A crucial moment was approaching, a moment that could radically change his life. If the master sniffed out that the smell didn't belong to Juno, everything was lost. Kyon had thoroughly studied the internal structure of the mansion and knew exactly in which of the bathrooms Juno usually took a shower. That's where he was going at his own risk.

With the grace of a zombie and the reactions of a cat, Kyon slipped inside, unnoticed, and went into the bathroom. He took Juno's shampoo and fragrant cream from the shelf, spread some on his fingers and stumbled back. Servants occasionally came here to wash the bath and the toilet, change towels and care products, but right now, fortunately, the bathroom was empty. Were he caught stealing the lady's cleaning stuff, they would hang him, but first, they would cut off some interesting parts of his body.

Closer to the training ground, Kyon took out Dinah's blouse and panties. He made sure no one was watching him and applied Juno's care products, hoping it would be enough.

Soon Juno came out of the training ground and hopped toward the mansion. Jean followed her, constantly looking around for the boy.

Kyon discreetly got out of the bushes, walked over to the master and bowed. A sharp pain pierced his body, but he pretended he was in perfect health:

«Hello, Master Jean.»

Jean was surprised to hear him lisping. Did the slave get his teeth knocked out? Who cares! His highest priority was to get the things, or it would be the end of him for the respectable man's unfulfilled expectations.

The master nodded to the empty training ground.

Kyon sat next to the master on the bench.

Jean said with a serious look, trying to hide his excitement:

«Well, Kyon, tell me.»

Kyon took Dinah's blouse out of his pocket and handed it to the master.

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Chapter 47

Jean's eyes nearly popped out of his head. With a furtive movement, he pulled the blouse out of Kyon's hand and smelled it discreetly, staring into the distance with a blissful moan, enjoying the moment of overwhelming happiness. Jean had been dreaming of this day for so long… It never crossed his long-suffering mind that the desired thing could belong to someone else, not to the object of his lust. The notes of the familiar scent nipped all his doubts in the bud.

Kyon sighed in relief. His plan seemed to have worked. Well, they were a curious duo: one beaten to within an inch of his life, with one foot in the grave and the other soaring to the highest heights of happiness.

The pause was a little too long. Kyon knew too well that he should watch out for the master who had got what he wanted. The witness, whose death would cut no ice with him, could become his victim.

Kyon cleared his throat and said in a lisping voice:

«Master Jean, I see you are a good person, that's why I have a tempting offer for you that you cannot refuse. But first, would you be so kind as to give me the basic grade of the pure force as we agreed, please…» – His speech was more or less distinct because of his excellent oratory skills.

Jean woke up from the overwhelming joy and gave the slave a thoughtful look. An offer he couldn't refuse? Did the boy mean he could get him more things? If so, then he would let him live for a while. But Jean had never intended to give away the basic grade of the elements. Sharing his knowledge with a rootless bloke would destroy the remains of his honor. Moreover, it might cause a lot of problems. Each sphere of the basis grade was issued strictly by the book.

Jean nodded to his thoughts and said casually:

«You know, I forgot to take the sphere. It somehow slipped my mind. But if you get me something else to ensure me that you are motivated enough to be my {dead} student, I will definitely give you the basic grade and even some valuable instructions to boot.»

Kyon could hardly restrain from cursing and a desire to spit blood in the filthy master's face. {No, asshole, I won't give up so quickly!}

«Master Jean, I am so sorry… In fact, I took the liberty of testing your good faith. I've already snatched something more intimate from the lady. I was intending to hand it to you, but if you don't have the basic grade… It's a pity.»

A curious expression crossed Jean's face: his eyes got cloudy, blood rushed to his cheeks, his lips began to tremble… His world seemed to have shuttered. How was he to know that the slave could outsmart him?

«Is it…»

Kyon nodded meaningfully:

«Yes, it is. I have her lingerie. It's hidden in a secluded place, and I would hand it to you with great pleasure. It's just… You don't have the basic grade, and I am not going to live to see tomorrow… I have nothing to lose, my best regards to you.» – Kyon began to rise slowly but, as expected, the master frantically grasped his hand and forced him to sit back.

The poor man was sweating. If he were a woman near her time, he would give birth to a premature baby. Jean was on the verge of a breakdown.

«Hold on! I… I have it! Just messing with you! Ha-ha!» – He frantically rummaged in his pocket and took out a purple sphere – «It's the basic grade of pure energy, a one-time thing. All you have to do is to swallow it, and the information will be imprinted in your mind an hour after you take it. It will leave a mark on your soul after you get enlightened through hard training! As soon as you acquire the first grade, you will be able to use the element as easily as stealing candy from a baby! Now tell me where you have hidden her lingerie? – Jean said in a demanding voice.

He squeezed Kyon's forearm till his bones cracked. The dude was going ballistic. Unfortunately, his desperate determination only made it clear that he wasn't going to stand on ceremony with the unwanted slave. As soon as he got everything he wanted, Jean would kill Kyon as a witness and be done with it.

{Son of a bitch! What a regular douchebag!} – Kyon cursed to himself. He had read all about the local currency when he was in the mine. The money of the basic grade was translucent white. The advanced grade money was translucent amber. The currency of the superior grade was translucent purple. He had mined the advanced grade money. If those small stones got activated, they would stick together in an ideal pure money-sphere. And now the bastard was trying to pull a fast one on him with a sphere of the superior grade. It was also pricey but less valuable than a copy of the basic grade energy. It would also cause Jean less trouble if they discovered it missing.

Kyon looked at Jean up and down with an annoyed look:

«Master Jean, it is bad to lie. This is an ordinary superior grade sphere.»

Jean's face flushed hot with embarrassment or rage because some wretched slave could see through his ruse. How did this scum know what the spheres of the superior grade looked like? Maybe, he'd better threaten the boy with death? However, it was a stupid thing to do, judging by his looks. Kyon had told him that he was not going to live until tomorrow.𝐧𝒪𝗏𝑒𝗅𝓤𝗌𝔅.𝔠𝒪𝓂

Jean bit the bullet and took out a cloudy green stone with barely noticeable shimmering trigrams inside.

«Here, the basic grade of pure energy… Give me the lingerie, and then swallow it up! I will explain how to acquire the information immediately after…»

Kyon cracked another attempt to fool him. He took the green stone and threw it in his mouth without hesitation.

Jean's face distorted in hatred and the grief of loss.

Once in the acid environment of the stomach, the shell of the sphere instantly melted and released a light mist of energy that immediately rushed to Kyon's head. It engraved new information in his mind, a whole bunch of incomprehensible neural connections.

Kyon asked a reasonable question – what is it and how does it work – and Jean had to answer, despite his impatience.

The information in the formation could not be copied. It got imprinted in the brain in the form of neural connections, and the human mind was unable to express a thought in written or verbal form. Even after the basic grade of the elements was imprinted in the soul, it would be impossible to develop a clear idea about it. That's why the information was impossible to copy. Masters shared their knowledge with students with a formation. Only those who had invented the technique could create the formation because no one except them knew all the nuances.

Under the pressure of Kyon's curiosity, Jean also added that there were one-time formations and reusable formations. There were source codes made by the creator of the grade or any technique that could be copied infinitely many times.

Family masters and superior students had access to the copies. Only some elders and patriarchs had access to the source code. Even so, the formation had a kind of a password. The valuable information must be protected from numerous thieves.

Jean continued to answer Kyon's annoying questions.

«The formations can contain family techniques, medical instructions, unique body instructions, unique formation instructions, instructions for enchanting things, the grades of elements and what not.» – Jean continued to drone on about the formation secrets. «They cannot be faked and are almost impossible to steal.»

The formations were a valuable family heritage, painstakingly collected by many generations over the long years of existence of the whole kin. They gained this knowledge in sweat and blood. That is why this source of information could often reach outrageous prices.

«I've answered your questions. Now give me what you've promised!» – Jean demanded through his teeth.

Kyon was in no hurry to meet the master's needs and said flatly:

«Master Jean, you tried to deceive me by giving me the wrong sphere. Now I want more… By the way, I almost died while carrying out your mission. One element is not enough for me. I want you to give me the basic grade of all the nine elements and I want them today.»

Judging by the shade of Jean's face, he had already reached his boiling point and was now inexorably approaching the mark "run for your life – it's going to blow!"

«What the hell? Nine?! Are you tired of life? Do you have any idea how much they cost?! One element for scum like you is more than…»

Kyon rose from the bench as a sign of protest to let the master know that he couldn't care less about his words as well as about his own life. Kyon had the leverage up his sleeve. Jean had to play by his rules.

The master grabbed Kyon by the wrist with fear in his eyes:

«Wait! I was kidding! Ha-ha!» – Jean tried to play around, a prey of his doubts. How was he going to explain himself to the elder? The spheres of the basic grade were given out strictly by the book. He couldn't possibly lose one for each element, albeit the basic grade! But the image of Juno's underwear was haunting his mind… Jean was like the poor cat in the adage. He could always take revenge on the boy for robbery, so…

Jean, reluctantly, took out eight more cloudy stones that looked exactly like the first one and nearly threw them at the boy.

Kyon swallowed them up all together without a second thought. He risked choking under the gaze of the enraged master, but he was lucky not to.

The new information appeared in Kyon's head almost at once. Now that he had received from Jean everything he needed, it was time to get out. The following sequence of events was a no-brainer. He would hand Dinah's panties to Jean, and the next moment, the master would break his skull. Kyon had to weasel out, satisfying the master and staying alive.

Kyon stretched himself, his long-suffering bones cracking, and rose from the bench:

«The panties are hidden in the mansion. Take me there, please.»

Well, Jean had no choice. He brought the little bastard to the mansion, his teeth gritting.

When they arrived, Kyon looked cautiously around, put his hand under the soft beige carpet near the entrance, pretended to take something out and put it in his pocket. Jean kept a close eye on him, shifting impatiently from foot to foot at the door. Kyon nodded at him and went out to the guard post.

A thought flashed through Kyon's head to venture further and demand freedom from Jean,but he didn't want to die. This cunning old fox was too easy to read. His credo was – no man, no problem. Kyon had to be content with little.

Jean looked fearfully around, approached the slave and hissed in his ear:

«Give it to me, now!»

The guard turned around and looked at the strange couple with suspicion.

Kyon seized the moment when the master couldn't openly act against him and slipped Dinah's panties clenched in his hand into Jean's sleeve. He nodded goodbye and quietly went to his quarters.

Jean swallowed hard. What was that gentle cloth in his sleeve…? But he couldn't take his treasure out to check. Jean could feel there was something he didn't even dare to dream about. He threw one last angry look that promised major trouble at the slave's back and spat a catchy curse. Then he flew out of the mansion like a hurricane pressing the desired thing to his heart.

Kyon returned to his "lodging" place without any incidents and exhaled with relief. He had everything he needed, not without risk! He still needed to survive some more days until his body was fully restored. Master Jean had added to his problems. He would intend to take revenge on the arrogant lucky slave, no doubt about that. It meant that Kyon had to be fully armed during their next meeting. Anyway, next week or two, the pervert would pay no visits to the mansion. He had been so overwhelmed with the pathetic handkerchief that he could not sleep. It was hard to imagine what allegedly-Juno's-panties could do to him. Jean might die of exhaustion, which would be only for the better.

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Chapter 48

Kyon hid at the training ground and focused on the information he had just received about the most basic element: pure energy / pure force / inner energy / spiritual will. Call it what you like, the essence is the same.

It was not easy to understand what was in his head. Kyon released the energy from his soul to manage the channel, adjust its thickness, length, angles, and all that jazz, just like he did in the mine.

He assumed that an average person should understand it intuitively in the form of enlightenment, but he didn't like this spontaneous method at all. Kyon was not used to relying on coincidence or some mysterious talent he didn't even care about.

Time went by, but no one popped into the training ground, which was good.

Kyon was still trying to match the piles of incomprehensible neuron bundles with common sense. They had absolutely no logic. He could as well use the method of error and trial… Even Synergy did not particularly contribute to the quick assimilation of the facts, and the basic grade of pure energy was considered to be the easiest of them all. It was not so easy for the average to reach enlightenment… Acquiring the main and only grade of pure energy usually depended on chance, luck, and talent.

A whole day went by in unsuccessful but necessary attempts to master the basic grade of energy. It was already evening.

Apparently, heaven decided to show some mercy to Kyon: the little bitch had never arrived to finish him off.

His stomach started acting up again, making loud rumbling like a mammoth. Kyon pressed his hands to the stomach and pulled a face. He urgently needed food. His recovery froze. It was no good. He had to go hunting or something. Since they were not going to feed him, Kyon had to get food on his own.

Walking around the garden and hesitating to enter the mansion, he suddenly noticed Anna telling off a servant in the distance. The ashen man bowed to her, begging not to punish him and vowing to do better next time. In the end, the good-natured maid gave him one last chance. The servant fell to his knees in tears. Anna snorted contemptuously and headed for the mansion.

Kyon summoned up all his courage and caught up with the maid. He caught her attention with neutral "excuse me," and when Anna turned around, he talked to her with his dignified lisping:

«Lady Anna, I wanted to thank you for not punishing me when you found me walking without permission in the mansion. You see, I was looking for the bathroom…»

Anna could not help staring at his toothless bloody mouth, his swelling blue eye, a pale complexion that could be seen in rare places free from bruises and hematomas. However, she quickly put on an icy look on her face and answered in an impassive voice:

«No need to thank me. It would be worse if someone had to clean up after you at the training ground. I could tolerate a moment of your presence in the place where you weren't supposed to be… Speaking of which, what are you doing here?»

His stomach rumbled. Kyon bowed his head and sighed:

«I'm sorry… Everyone has completely forgotten about me… or maybe they never remembered. I've been sleeping on the ground. I haven't eaten for more than two days. It's out of the question to get any health care… I don't blame lady Juno if she thinks I deserve it… But… I'm sorry.»

Anna's heart sank with pity, which was rather unusual for her, but her mind kept whispering: you can't help him in any way, you have no right to change his fate.

Kyon sobbed and sadly slouched back to the training ground without waiting for an answer. It seemed that his plan had failed. He would have no food. All his crocodile tears had instantly disappeared, leaving him with cheerless prospects. He was shackled in the cage with the beast in Juno's disguise.

Conflicting feelings tore Anna apart. Compassion for someone who was in a low position was unacceptable for her but… The poor fellow's life was a living hell. What should she do?

She had no idea and left quietly, her shoulders drooping.

The dark-haired maid had been watching that charade silently. She tapped her foot, visibly displeased, her arms crossed. The slave didn't only break the rules, he dared to talk with her sister. Anna had always been silly, gullible and over-enthusiastic, always too close to bending the rules.

Anyway, Anna ignored the voice of reason humming in her head and decided to help the unfortunate slave. She took the remains of pasta in the kitchen and carried the tray to the training ground, looking around with a thievish look. What if someone would see her? Her position was too high to bring food to anyone but her masters, after all.

It was very unusual for her to give in to the new feeling so close to compassion and help someone who was not worthy even of her glance… But why should she follow the rules when she could follow her heart?

The gate creaked softly, and Kyon saw Anna appearing like an angel at his abode. Her thick blond hair was swaying slightly in the wind. The maid's uniform fit her like a second skin. Her deep cleavage attracted glances like a magnet… All that had suddenly faded, paled, took a back seat compared to the silver tray in her hands definitely loaded with something edible! Long live acting skills and the eternal women's compassion for all the unfortunate and crazy that never changed, no matter where in the world he was!

Kyon's deliberately tear-stained face lit up with a happy smile, which made Anna miss a heartbeat. Her hands started to tremble. She tottered unsteadily toward Kyon when… Dinah, the dark-haired maid, jumped over the barrier and stood between her sister and the slave:

«What are you doing, sister?»

Anna backed away in confusion:

«Dinah, I… I've brought him something to eat…»

The dark-haired maid gave her an icy stare:

«This slave had broken the rules when he appeared in the mansion without lady Juno's permission. He should have been killed a long time ago. And now you decided not to give a damn about the orders…»

«I know, but…» – Anna mumbled, trying to pick up the words to justify herself, but Dinah did not even listen to her. She snatched the plate from her hands and emptied it at the top of Kyon's head. «No ifs or buts. We must strictly follow the rules and never let any feelings influence our decisions.»

Kyon froze in shock. The plaintive look on his face squeezed the fair-haired maid's heart. She only wanted to help him, but she seemed to have made his situation only worse.

Dinah threw the last cold look at her sister:

«Clean up the mess as a punishment.» – She snorted contemptuously and went to the mansion.

Anna watched her leave, shook her head and muttered, trying not to meet Kyon's eyes:

«I'm sorry, boy… It's my fault…»

For the first time in her life, she apologized to someone below her rank. The whole situation seemed to be staged in the theater of the absurd. Her common sense had flown down the lane and far away. An indescribable discord reigned in Anna's soul.

Kyon shook his head:

«Do not apologize, my lady.» – He brushed the remnants of pasta off his head, took the tray from her hands, knelt and began to collect the rest of the food from the floor and eat it blowing off the dirt. Food is life. Life was more important to him than petty honor and pride. And what is dirt? Strains of microbes? They are everywhere. It's all relative.

Anna pursed her lips and silently left the ground with mixed feelings. Her life had been monotonous for more than five years. She was in charge of servants, cleaned the lady's chambers, and read a couple of pages before bedtime. Day after day, night after night, everything was the same with no end to that. The boy came as a breath of fresh air. At last, some novelty in her life.

A servant sent by Anna took the plate and the tray away.

Kyon's body ached and did not obey in certain places. It was dark in his eyes from blood loss, but a bit of food had given him hope of restoring his vitality. However, without mastering the pure energy, he didn't have a chance to survive in these inhuman conditions.

Kyon desperately continued mastering pure energy. It was his only hope. Marina couldn't help him yet… Anna wouldn't risk her position anymore. He was alone, completely alone, forgotten and abandoned by everyone in the world. He couldn't expect help from anywhere and had to rely on himself. For the first time, his imperial dignity was subjected to such intense stress. And yet, he did not give up.

The rest of the day and the following night were eventless. The spawn of satan in the guise of an angel never came to finish him off, which was tantamount to a miracle. Or maybe it was an extension of his agony.

And then the early morning came. Kyon felt a little stronger when he put the sound transmitter to the ear.

Surprisingly, Marina said that she would be there at seven in the morning. The sausage would come in very handy! It was his chance!

An hour later, Kyon called Marina again to double-check the time when he should meet her. He crawled out from the training ground and walked to the mansion without paying attention to the servants. If he was going to meet Dinah, so be it. He wasn't meant to survive then. However, it was not his intention to come out before her bright eyes. He moved carefully, albeit with some effort.

Kyon seized a suitable moment and made his way into the mansion, mingling with three servants. The guard blocked his way at the entrance:

«Show your formation.»

Fortunately, his shaggy hair made it hard to figure out he was a slave. Unfortunately, the formation was required at the entrance to be recorded in the logbook. No one could come or leave just so.

Kyon cleared his throat, vaguely pointed his hand somewhere before him and lisped:

«The girl over there has come to give me something from Mr. Flitz if you please.»

Both guards looked at each other, turned around and saw a beautiful blonde approaching them. She was loaded with five savory sausages.

Kyon felt pleasant warmth spreading all over him at the sight of food. He waved to Marina to greet her.

Marina anxiously approached the guards, never taking her eyes off Kyon:

«Hello, Kyon. Here, I've brought everything you asked…»

The stunned guards bowed to the floor at once and barked in unison:

«Greetings to you, Lady Diana!»

One of them hurried to put his wrist to his lips:𝓃𝑂𝐯𝔢𝑙𝓊𝑆𝒷.𝗰𝒐𝔪

«Lady Juno, your mother has arrived!»

Kyon was astounded. He cleared his ear with his little finger. What… What did they say? {Your mother? What the hell?!} Kyon looked around. What if the mysterious "mother" was hiding behind Flitz's suckretary but no. The road behind Marina was empty.

Marina stood rooted to the spot. Was she somebody's mother? Was it the reason why Flitz had forbidden her to approach the mansion? No, no… She didn't think she had ever given birth to anyone. She would have remembered such a significant event. And Flitz was unable to reproduce.

Kyon's heart sank into his boots when he heard painfully familiar quick footsteps. His eyes were filled with horror. The hope that the guards were just being witty had cleared like a morning mist. They did call Juno in there!

However, the young lady was in no mood for the slave. She kept her stare locked on Marina. The little demoness threw herself on Marina's neck with a cheerful shriek. The sausages tumbled on the floor.

«Mom! Why didn't you say a word that you were coming?! And why did you grow young again? New beauty medicine?! And… You've changed…»

Juno hesitated. The shape of the eyebrows was a bit different, a slightly different nose, a tiny difference in the corners of the lips.

Marina stood stock-still, unable to utter a word. Everything seemed to her like a crazy dream.

Kyon was the first to come to his senses, realizing that he couldn't waste any more time. He had to grab the sausages before the situation cleared up (two pieces were rolling right at his feet) and run or rather limp to the place of his residence. He would think over the weird situation later. He had a vague idea anyway. Flitz had strictly forbidden Marina to approach the mansion. When she disobeyed his order, everyone took her for Juno's mother, even the young sadist herself. It was doubtful that the real mother would become Flitz's secret lover. It could only mean that Marina looked like the aforementioned lady.

Kyon was nearly crawling to the training ground when he was roughly stopped. Someone grabbed his shoulder. He turned around and let out a woeful groan. It was Dinah.

{Damn it!}

«What's that in your hands?» – The maid squinted suspiciously.

Kyon kept silent. He was frantically trying to find a way out. How many times did this clingy bitch have to spoil his life?

«I am not going to ask twice. Where did you get the food? Stolen?»

«It's mine. A friend gave it to me.» – Kyon lisped slowly, staring at her from under his brows.

Dinah was surprised to see the wretched slave's eyes. His behavior changed more often than chameleon's colors. The absence of his teeth pleased her. As for his friend, it had to be a lie.

«And now it's all mine.» – Dinah took away his valuable provisions. The slave was supposed to have his arms cut off for theft, which she had in mind for the near future.

Kyon couldn't take his angry stare off the maid:

«You can't do this. The sausage is mine! My friend brought it to me, and I need it!» – The former emperor was grasping at the two sausages as if it was his own life… At moments like this, even one sausage could equal to a mountain of gold.

bam*

Dinah's little fist hit him right on the solar plexus knocking all the oxygen out of his lungs. His vision went black, his body got treacherously limp. Kyon collapsed to the ground. Weakness. There it came again…

«You dared to get into the mansion, miserable scum. You've stolen food, and now you are talking to me as if I were your equal? I guess it is time to get your limbs shortened.» – Dinah grabbed Kyon by the wrist. A dagger flashed in her hand.

Kyon panicked. Dinah would hardly deign to follow the rules of amputation. The prospect of dying of blood loss developed before him to its full extent. His mind instantly issued the first solution that he could think of:

«My lady Dinah, I know who stole your lingerie!»

Dinah's grip weakened. She let the slave's limb out of her hand.

«What did you say?»

Chapter 49

«I was sleeping quietly and peacefully on the bench when suddenly there was a loud crash outside. Driven by curiosity, I looked out over the fence and saw a figure running from the mansion… I might have been groggy and seeing things but… No, I'm sure it was master Jean!»

Dinah recoiled in horror. Jean came for the training session this morning, his eyes red, his cheeks hollow, his clothes in disarray, his hair disheveled. He was the spitting image of a raving psychotic, an escapee from a mental institution. Could the reason be…

Despair darted in Dinah's eyes. The world reeled. What… dirt! What an abomination! If the old goat did with her things what she thought he was doing… Oh, her honor, her dignity!

«It can not be him… He couldn't have stolen…» – Dinah's eyes sparkled with a storm of feelings. She had always been strong, iron-willed, and all of a sudden, she could hardly stand on her feet. Dinah turned around and slowly went to the mansion. Tears blurred her eyes, but she kept them wide open. Her face expressed a desire to kill with particular cruelty.

{It serves you right, bitch.} – Kyon spat after her. He picked up the sausage soiled with dirt and started his meal, tearing off bite by bite and swallowing without chewing. There it was, the taste of heavenly life! Marina did help him out, after all. Not at once, but still. He had to fight for his food, sine qua non. But it was totally worth it.

After he satisfied his hunger, Kyon began to practice. Dinah was no longer an issue, or so it seemed. Now the need to acquire the basic grade of pure energy came to the fore. He had a chance to survive! Besides, now he had an ally under the code name Marina in the mansion. Everything was getting better, it had to get better.

Kyon was alone until late at night. What a pleasant feeling of being left alone. He couldn't ask for more… A full stomach, some solitude, and quiet, peaceful study of the basic grade of pure energy. As soon as he deciphered the neural connections, he would become invulnerable to the little demoness.

The sausages were rich in fats and proteins. Kyon could see with Synergy his body heal from severe injuries. He stopped feeling numb, only dull pain and a couple of injuries of moderate severity remained.

Kyon was sure that he would be better after Juno's beating in the morning. His eyes glimmered with hope. Maybe someday he would take revenge on Dinah and Juno, thank Marina and Anna, and also Martha from the mine… But all that had to wait. Now the main thing was to acquire the damned basic grade of energy.𝑵𝑂𝗏𝖾𝐋𝓊𝐬𝑩.𝑪𝒪𝗆

Kyon took a deep breath. He was dying of thirst, and he needed to take a bath. Fortunately, he was not locked, unlike the last time. His memory helpfully planted the picture of a fancy gate leading to the hot springs. He had no intention to risk his life and go to the mansion to quench his thirst. The spring was a more reliable option. Besides, who could possibly be there at such a late hour? It would take a few minutes, not more. As far as he knew, no one went to the park after 11 pm. The maids usually slept as well as Juno, and he had never seen a patrol security guard.

Kyon stealthily approached the cherished hot water spring. He carefully peered through the crack in the gate into the darkness. It was long past midnight, but a bit of caution was never superfluous.

After a moment of observation, he fearlessly got inside, hastily threw off his dirty clothes and plunged naked into the relaxing hot water of the spring. He had never experienced such bliss.

However, his joy was too short. The water splashed, and Juno herself emerged from the bottom of the spring.

The time seemed to freeze.

The poetry in motion appeared before Kyon in the cloud of steam. Juno's milky-white delicate skin seemed to glow in the dark, her slender waist, her thin graceful neck, her neat little mounds partially hidden by sticky wet curls… The goddess of beauty and youth herself had descended from heaven to splash in the hot spring. An unopened bud, the most beautiful flower ever seen in the sublunary sphere, the idea of the most daring men's fantasies… Jean's perversion no longer seemed so abnormal. No one could resist the charm of this angel, albeit a very fallen one.

In one second, a whole hurricane of thoughts had passed through Kyon's head. He plunged silently underwater, praying to gods that Juno would not notice him.

He might have enough oxygen in his lungs for some minutes… Then he had to escape as soon as possible. His heart was pounding against his chest like mad, striving to jump out. Kyon was afraid that Juno could hear it thumping in the silence of the smooth water.

What a terrible set of circumstances. Why was she not sleeping at this late hour? Why was she under the water for a whole minute? Damn it!

Juno flashed her charms to the night around her and dived back. She enjoyed a night bath in the hot spring when water and moonlight caressed her skin. At moments like this, she became one with the universe. The line between the earth and the sky disappeared. No one else existed, only she, the night, and the stars, the stars everywhere… She was alone in the whole world.

Kyon seized the moment. He got out of the water quickly and quietly, grabbed his clothes, and flashed a clean pair of heels, running off at full speed.

Juno sensed some strange vibration. She opened her eyes under the water and noticed with her side sight a figure dashing away! She emerged instantly and detected someone's bare ass rushing off.

Her temples were pounding from boiling rage for a second of stupor. It was the slave! Still alive!

«I order you to freeze immediately!» – Juno growled as quietly as possible. Truth be told, she didn't want to draw the attention of her maids or guards to this embarrassing situation. There was nobody else in the mansion.

Kyon paused and turned around. He saw the virgin-naked miracle shining in droplets of water. She was so pure, innocent, beautiful and at the same time so cruel and bloodthirsty.

Juno walked out of the water with a regal gait. She was seething with anger but kept calm and nonchalant on the outside. She couldn't care less about the look the dead-to-be boy was giving her.

Juno slowly put on her white panties, wrapped her elegant, slim body in a towel and went to the slave with unkind intentions.

Kyon remembered the time when she fell on him and made him guilty for that, ordering him to knock out his own teeth as a punishment. And now he was looking at her naked body, which was at least a hundred times worse. What were his chances of survival? He didn't stand a chance… She was going to kill him!

His mind worked at 120%. Kyon didn't have too many options. The idea of fighting back wouldn't fly. Even if he overpowered her by some miracle what's next? It would be the end of him. She would press on her formation, and the guards would come after him. What if he killed her? It would make things even worse, pleasant but worse.

It was completely stupid and meaningless to prove his value to her.

His last option was to give this selfish, malicious, vile sadist what her nature wanted. Her latest training with Jean was an eye-opener. The lady humiliated her own master. She wanted to see people suffer. And not only physically but morally as well. Following this reasoning, there was a minimal, almost illusory chance of surviving if only he took advantage of her weakness.

If Kyon could convince the little demon that she could benefit from his existence, that is, get pleasure from it, his trick could work, especially if she wanted him to suffer for many days in a row.

Kyon didn't want to die, so he had to grasp at any chance. He meekly raised his arms (in an unarmed gesture) and bowed, babbling in a trembling voice:

«Madam your Highness, your humble servant had the misfortune to be at the hot spring at the same time as you. Do not have hard feelings for the stupid loser. I did a terrible thing but, please, spare my life! I will do everything to earn your forgiveness… I am sure that sooner or later, you will forgive me. Give me a chance! Please…» – Kyon was willing to pretend as long as could be. He needed a few more days to acquire the basic grade of energy, after which his chances to save himself would significantly rise. If, of course, she fell for his trick.

Bloodthirst burning in Juno's beautiful bright eyes gave way to a stupor. She opened her mouth but could not say a thing. She did not expect any words from the slave… Especially words like that. His posture was so humble as if he was ready to accept any of her orders. To live or to die. Was he hoping for her forgiveness?

After a moment's pause, Juno spoke in an angelic voice:

«You have soiled my beautiful body with your filthy eyes, wretched slave. You deserve hundreds of executions and countless years of torture. However, I am not the kind of lady who deprives her slaves of a chance of forgiveness…» – Kyon looked up, full of hope. Did his words really work? – «That's why I will let you redeem your guilt during next week.» – Juno finished with a regal look.

Kyon had never experienced such relief. It was hard to tell what she was hiding behind her words. It was more than obvious that she would get back at him. The damn sadist was going to rejoice in beating him up! However, the young lady didn't seem that terrible, after all. She was giving him hope!

In the meantime, he would definitely come up with something. He would have more options! Kyon was super-psyched about it. He still had a chance to get out.

Juno saw the expression of relief and even happiness on the slave's face. She smiled warmly, took a long stick out of nowhere and whacked it right onto his head.

The impact of the blow was lessened by his hand, and yet, he could hear his bones crack. He struggled to stay on his feet, shocked by her sudden attack.

Juno giggled enchantingly, her eyes squinting, her thin eyebrows arched. – «A stupid creature is so easy to fool… Did you really believe that you could stay alive after what you had seen? Today you will die a horrible death, slave. Face it.» – Her voice sounded gentle and tender.

«You… You're a cruel, loathsome bitch…» – Kyon had never felt such a distinct hatred for a living being in his life. One look at her sent shivers down his spine, his heart drumming in his chest so hard that it ached. His hands kept clenching into fists. Her charming appearance completely contradicted her inner world. He wanted to snap her neck at any cost!

Juno had shattered his expectations. He thought he had a chance, a puny chance. She had deceived him to see him rise and fall. So mean of her.

Juno noticed the whole range of emotions on his face and could hardly restrain herself. She wanted to whoop and holler. She had never felt so thrilled. It was a heavenly delight to watch this little piece of trash despair. It was time to finish the show… She swung the stick again.

«You will die with me, wretched bitch!» – Kyon snarled and violently grabbed the stick in flight, trying to pull it out from her hands when a powerful discharge paralyzed his body. Everything went dark. When it cleared up, he missed a fatal blow to his thigh and lost his balance.

«Die, you fool.» – Juno said, laughing, ready to murder him.

She hit him on the head with the stick. Kyon desperately tried to protect himself with his hands. The bones crumbled into dust under her fierce blows. A hellish pain eclipsed his mind with a bright flash… Blissful darkness fell in.

Juno mercilessly bludgeoned the slave from all sides – his stomach, ribs, legs, back… She was incredibly pleased to end his life on a warm note. He dared to tarnish her beautiful body with his eyes, but his death would make her crystal clear.

Juno didn't like him from the start. He stared at her brazenly at their first meeting. He did not scream in pain later. He did not yell when she kicked him with her feet. Something was wrong with him. He refused to die. Well, that was something she was going to fix.

Juno battered him with the stick for five minutes, long enough to beat him to the pulp. He kept groaning and breathed hoarsely. Amazingly, but he still showed signs of life. She took her time.

Juno took a more comfortable hold of the stick and began to batter his chest like a woodpecker as if trying to make a hole in it. Bump, bump, bump… The ribs broke through, the sternum turned into a total mash of meat and fragments, the lungs gurgled… The wood stick was soaked through with his blood. The slave was no longer breathing.

His body went limp, his hands and feet spread unnaturally over the crimson earth like he was a broken rag doll, mutilated and thrown away by a cruel child.

Only then, Juno finally stopped. Her chest was heaving. Fever and ecstasy of dirty lust, were boiling inside her. She deprived the slave of his life as if he were a miserable bug crawling onto the toe of her shoes. He was a no-one when he lived, he would be a no-one after his death. In the morning, the servants would throw him into a cesspool without any questions, and she would forget everything about him. She would never let any thoughts creep into her pretty head. She would never remember the boy who dared to look at her with his shameless eyes.

Juno felt great satisfaction. She hid the stick, returned to the spring to wash off the sweat and splashes of his dirty, stinky blood. She carelessly wiped herself with a towel and hopped to the mansion, whistling merrily. It was time for her to go to bed. Great things were yet to come. The path of becoming strong is always thorny and difficult, but her goal — to bring her hated sister down — was worth all the effort.

The moon looked with compassion on the pile of meat and bones that was once a living person. Its cold cadent light illuminated the twisted limbs, the broken head, the dented chest… He was a former emperor, but now he got into a situation where he had no control, and all that was left of him was just a pile of half-dead flesh.

{I did everything possible to survive in this damned mansion… Am I going to die!?} – His voice sounded in the depths of consciousness. – {No way!}

Suddenly, the heap of meat startled and shuddered in convulsions. Blood spurted out of his lungs. As Kyon signed convulsively, his body exploded with burning pain, piercing his every cell.

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Chapter 50

{I'm… ALIVE!} – Kyon's consciousness shouted out loud. A single coherent thought throbbed in his head — revenge! The mere idea of taking revenge sustained life in his fragile body. Taking revenge and destroying, trampling upon the one who had driven him to this terrible state. His vital energy seemed to be emanating from his very soul.

His body would have fallen apart if he had not reached the 2nd stage of base phase. He wouldn't stand a chance if his nervous system hadn't been upgraded, increasing the resistance to the stress of all his organs and his whole body.

The bony hand of death reluctantly let go of Kyon's heart, allowing it to make an uncertain beat and then another one, and another… In the next moment, his heart started beating in a furious rhythm, striving to break through his ribs that weren't particularly intact. He took another convulsive breath, and his body shuddered in pain that pierced him to the very marrow.

It pained to look at the once handsome boy: the blood vessels in his eyes had burst of tension; his hands looked like flat pancakes with shattered bones as a "filling"; his right leg was turned at a grotesque angle; his whole body was covered with dried crust and stains of still fresh blood…

Kyon scanned his body and found twenty-eight fractures of various degrees of severity, internal bleeding, a failing kidney. Most of his teeth were missing. He had a brain hemorrhage, contusion, and concussion… His lungs and tendons were torn, his joints were fractured.

Kyon slowed his heartbeat to 25 beats per minute. He hastily "patched" the torn blood vessels, stopped the internal bleeding, sent all the proteins and energy from the recently eaten sausage to heal the most serious injuries. He isolated the damaged kidney and infused it with Synergy so that it wouldn't atrophy. He would restore it later, holding on for some time.

His incredible will to live must have impressed heaven. The clouds filled the sky, and it cried washing up his body.

The time inexorably flew by. The early morning was approaching. A cool rain came in real handy. It filled his mouth with water and saturated his drained organism with vital moisture.

If the servants noticed Kyon, crippled and barely alive, they would throw him into the cesspool where he would stay forever, so he gathered all his willpower and crawled to the wall slowly, carefully, with gentle light movements, grabbing the sound transmitter with his mouth on the way. It had fallen from his pocket and was lying nearby.

Kyon found a nook behind a dense thicket of bushes. There was a stone-paved path nearby and a little bench in the distance.

If the gardener fancied going around the hedge to trim it, he could find Kyon lying there. Although, it was unlikely that they plucked shrubs every day.

In the morning, the first servants came to the park. They didn't notice any traces of blood because the rain had already washed them away, but they found some suspicious items of black clothes near the wall and took them away.

The servants set about their work, never suspecting that a half-dead boy was lying in the pose of a broken star behind the nearest bushes.

The whole day flew by in the blink of an eye. The evening came, and the night, and the morning again. Kyon was desperate for some energy. All the nutrients he got from the sausages had expired. His recovery began to decrease.

Kyon moved his head to the sound transmitter and dialed Marina's frequency with his tongue.

Fortunately, she answered his call this time. She could hardly make out what he was lisping in his barely audible voice. If Marina had not recognized his frequency, she would not have even guessed who was calling.

Yielding to Kyon's plea, she took some food and water from the kitchen. Without telling anyone, she sneaked to his nook at the training ground and pretended to drop something. She crawled into the bushes under this "plausible" excuse — Kyon cringed at her fake nervous "Oh, how awkward I am!" – and let out a muffled scream that sounded more natural this time.

Her emotions were hard to describe. Shock, horror, disbelief! All the colors had suddenly disappeared from Marina's face leaving only fear, despair, and a strong desire to help the dying boy whatever it took her. While she was staring at him, Kyon conveyed to her, not without some effort, his two urgent requests: "don't tell anything to anyone" and "take care of me."

That's how Marina's "behind-the-scenes" life began. She spent part of the day in Kyon's nook, spoon-feeding him with liquid food and water, treating him like a wounded chick. She brought him medicine, ointment, infusion. She bandaged his wounds and even put a crooked splint on his broken limbs. Marina completely got into the role of a nurse-mother-hen looking after the wounded "warrior."

When his vocal cords got a little better, Kyon managed to express his thoughts more or less distinctly. First of all, he asked Marina to forbid the servants to trim the bushes behind which he was hiding. Otherwise, they could find him. He also explained to her the situation with Juno, who he was, and what he was doing in the mansion where death awaited him on each step. Her care was vitally important to him. He could start thinking over his next move when he got better.𝓃𝗈𝗏𝑬𝓵𝑢𝓈𝒷.𝒞𝑜𝑚

Marina worried about Kyon so much that it hurt like hell. Flitz had forbidden her to talk to boys, but this one appeared to be an exception… She really liked Kyon. The more she cared for him, the more she became attached to this boy.

Marina told Kyon more about that strange meeting with Juno at the entrance to the mansion. She turned out to look like the little demoness's young mother, Diana.

After Yurich disappeared, Juno's mother plunged headlong into work on the plantations and rarely came out. Not everyone remembered her anymore.

Marina noticed long ago that servants bowed to her reflexively. When they looked closer at her, they frowned, puzzled, but no one had ever given her any intelligible explanation.

Things in the mansion were a little different. Any guard knew what Diana looked like. Anna and Dinah were completely confused when they saw Marina. Some scared servants bowed to her, but they quickly realized she was not lady Diana. She was just a girl who looked like her. And yet, they treated her with respect, just in case.

When Juno heard the story of the unfortunate girl and her duty to "serve" Flitz, she immediately sheltered Marina and promised her that the old goat would never touch her mother's doppelganger or he would have to deal with her. Thus, Marina had been unexpectedly promoted from a "suckretary" to "a good friend of the lady of the house," which was, of course, a much more pleasant "duty".

One of those days, Kyon told Marina that Juno was Flitz's weakness. Awareness washed over her with the force of a tidal wave. She was piously convinced that Kyon had invited her with a sole mission to save her. He must have calculated everything! Her soul filled with overwhelming gratitude and admiration.

Early in the morning and late in the evening, Marina was sitting on the bench, behind the bushes and Kyon's little nest. He had changed his primary habitat so that it was more convenient to talk with her and get food while she was sitting and reading a book without attracting attention.

Day after day, cell by cell, Kyon was healing. He had restored his kidney, the neurons, his eyes and broken nose, tendons and joints and cured all the internal injuries. He still had to work on his bones and teeth. It's impossible to restore them for an ordinary person, but Synergy can do everything. He asked Marina to bring him some cottage cheese and milk. His body needed a fresh supply of calcium.

During one of her visits, Marina solemnly gave Kyon his black clothes that she had found, washed, ironed and carefully mended. When the servants picked up his garments, they did not dare to throw them away. You never know who of the nobles might have an urge to get undressed and run around naked in the light of the moon. They whipped Kyon's clothes into shape and put them in the linen closet, neatly folded.

The anxiety that grasped Marina's heart was finally letting go. Her friend from the bushes was getting better. His voice was already strong enough to please her with all sorts of exciting stories from time to time. As for Marina, she often told him about Flitz, how they lived, what they did, about her sad past, how her family was killed, and how their house was burned. In fact, Flitz had saved her from starvation.

Flitz kept thinking of recovering his seed so that she could give him a child. It had been an issue with him as long as he remembered himself, and he had even come to terms with it, but after Marina appeared in his mansion, he felt the need to get healed. His desire grew stronger, and now he was making every effort to find a cure. Marina was touched that she had inspired him with a dream.

Despite his poor character – greed, hypocrisy, lust, and anger – Marina noticed his sincere kindness to her. The rare tenderness that he gave her like a hug, a look filled with love, a gentle kiss in the morning, combing up her hair penetrated the deepest corners of her soul.

There wasn't a day that Marina did not mention her former master. Once, she told Kyon about the day when Flitz took her to buy some new clothes, her face lit up with a shy smile. Then she added that later in the evening he tore that unfortunate dress off her, her eyes shining with yearning. Marina told Kyon that she wanted to get in touch with Flitz so that he would not suffer the grief of her loss. But she could not find the courage to do that.

Kyon wondered why she was so worried about someone who she hated so much? Did she hate Flitz at all? He used to think that Marina could not stand the old man, that she was afraid of him, that she hated him. It turned out that there was something hidden behind the veil of fear… At the moments of such revelations, her voice sounded pitiful, sad, anxious. She felt anything but hatred. Vague suspicions crept in his mind. He started to believe that Marina didn't despise Flitz at all… She was attached to him. His rare kindness and promises to make her the mother of his kids touched the strings of Marina's soul. Yet, whatever her feelings might be, they were unequivocal. Despite all her gratitude, appreciation and respect, she was disgusted by his abuse and decrepit old body that she had to endure night after night in herself and on herself.

Kyon was astonished, baffled, amazed and angry with the strange girl. With all that, his soul filled with warmth every time he saw her. He would have died without Marina's help… her kind words, care, inept but very diligent medical assistance, a well-timed blanket (sleeping on the grass is not grilling under the sun at the luxurious resort but the easiest way to pneumonia), food, water. It was more than just "a good deed of a Homo erectus." Kyon realized that he was incredibly lucky to have met Marina on his difficult path. Her kindness wrapped him up like a warm blanket. She could heal the whole world, not just his bony body. Her past, the loss of her parents and brother, had left an indelible mark on her soul and character but, instead of getting embittered against the whole world, she imbued her soul with the best feelings of humanity: compassion, mercy, love for all living things. As the practice had shown, for half-dead things, as well.

{I will definitely pay you back… And Martha from the mine, too. I don't know how to do it yet. Just see it come.} – Kyon had made up his mind.

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𝓷𝑜𝒱𝓔𝓁𝐮𝑠𝐁.𝕔𝗈𝑀

Chapter 51

After Kyon told Dinah that the thief of her lingerie was no other but master Jean, she was growing restless. All her insides kept twisting and turning from the mere thought that some pervert had set up a risky and reckless plan to get to her favorite lacy panties and… Her mind refused to imagine what happened next. It was too disgusting. A middle-aged man! A respected master, after all!

Dinah could be a cold-blooded assassin, but different laws came into effect when her honor was concerned.

For some reason, she believed Kyon's words, and yet, she was in no hurry to run out to Jean screaming, "I know everything!" She had to gather real evidence first. The next day, she put on her black clothes and a black mask and resolutely went to Jean's mansion.

The master's house was significantly inferior in luxury and size to Juno's. The guards were average, the walls were low, the barriers were non-existent. Apparently, Jean didn't need them. There was no one to defend except him. Dinah slipped by the guard unnoticed, then she imperceptibly passed a few servants. The hiding technique of a C rank made her invisible. She could be seen only from a close distance, and only a little bit.

Dinah had thoroughly studied the internal structure of the house. She found out where Jean slept and waited until he went somewhere he was supposed to be to get inside his bedroom. Her observant eyes scanned all the furniture. Her precious lingerie was nowhere to be seen.

{Perhaps, he has it in the spatial ring.} – With this thought, Dinah took out a transparent little stone with a cloudy trigram floating inside. The formation recorded the rays of light, converted them into an image and saved it. Simply put, it was a kind of camcorder.

Dinah put the transparent stone on the top shelf of the bookcase so that it was hardly seen. She looked meticulously around once again. Nothing could possibly betray her presence. The next moment, she wasn't there anymore. It wasn't the most legitimate way to find out the information, but she couldn't interrogate the master personally. What if he was not guilty at all? In that case, she was in big trouble.

The next day, Dinah got secretly into the mansion, took the visual formation and walked off unnoticed again.

Back to her room in Juno's mansion, Dinah ignored Anna's grumbling for not doing her job. She took out the transparent stone and infused it with energy. The light streamed from the inside like a "spotlight" and got reflected in a bright image on the wall.

The moving picture depicted Jean's room.

Dinah changed the flow of energy and played forward the scene. She saw Jean return to his room, straighten his shoulders, stretch his back and neck, do the splits and some exercises. He was a good master who practiced even when he was at home.

Dinah was annoyed. She must have been mistaken. The boy had tricked her! Come on, the respected master couldn't do any dirty things. She wanted to turn off the projection, feeling a pang of regret for her unceremonious intrusion into the honest man's private life when something in his face caught her attention. His eyes were glittering, a crazy smile was wandering on his lips. He behaved like a lunatic, just out of the looney bin.

Dinah froze when the "video image" showed her a succession of horrible pictures: Jean pulling his pants off and revealing to the whole world what he had been hiding underneath – the black lacy panties stretched on his decrepit bottom. They nearly burst at the seams from… from… Dinah screamed and covered her mouth with her hand when Jean laid his hand on his protruding package and got down to his wild, dark, lustful business, purring with thrill. Judging by the image, it was giving him enormous pleasure. Even if the formation did not make a sound, Dinah could hear his hoarse breathing and animal groans as if he were standing near her.

Dinah was speechless. She lost the ability to think and move. The latter was not completely lost as her body was trembling uncontrollably. All the color had come out of her face. Pulsating blood was pounding in her head. All her insides turned upside down. Her soul seemed to have abandoned her body, leaving behind ringing emptiness in a lifeless shell. A bitter lump had risen in her throat and refused to fall back into the stomach. Her thoughts were tolling with awareness like a funeral bell. The master was using her lingerie for a dirty, disgusting, icky satisfaction of his lust. Dinah's dignity of the patriarch's superior maid had been crushed, crumpled and thrown into the cesspool like some trash.

The room began to spin. Everything went dark. Dinah fell on the bed with a low moan, sinking into a life-saving coma. But even there, she kept having the terrible nightmare that made her thrash around in delirium. She had always been distinguished by her incredible endurance and willpower, her ruthlessness and composure, but her psychological defense failed when her most vulnerable point, her dignity, had been hurt.

Dinah woke up an hour later in a cold sweat. She was shaking with her whole body in a terrible chill and fever. The mere thought of what had happened got the wind knocked out of her. Her mental state was unstable.

She was having a paranoid delusion all day that got better only in the morning.

Anna regularly changed the wet towel on Dinah's forehead and gave her something to drink. What could have brought her sister to this state? Dinah had always been so strong and down to earth.

There were signs of improvement by the next afternoon. Dinah could think of the recording without shuddering. Her mind was gradually accepting what had happened to her, assuring her that underwear was just a piece of cloth, nothing more. The master was not worth her suffering.

Slowly but surely, an unprecedented rage was rising in her heart. As Dinah's body was getting stronger, her mind started working in overload mode. She was driven by hatred and a dark desire for revenge. Dinah was getting stronger and more resilient to everything connected with the humiliation of her dignity.

Her eyes were burning with icy fire. Her always cold nature was now bone-chilling frosty. Dinah emanated a desire to kill with particular cruelty. Anyone who approached her closer than two meters stood still under the influence of a vague feeling of anxiety and fear.

She splashed her face with icy-cold water and got dressed in her black assassin uniform that wrapped up her slender body. After that, she went straight to the hospital. Dinah came up with the revenge plan long ago. She had enough time lying in bed like a dying swan. Jean's death wasn't enough for her. She wanted to wash the bastard in his own blood and humiliation. No one could know that the underwear once belonged to her. Dinah would never survive the shame. Everything should stay between her and the pervert who was going to die.

She had taken a dose of evilball sufficient to sterilize an elephant and left the hospital unnoticed. From now on, she was going to add some evilball to Jean's food, and when he got desperate, she would graciously take his life. Or not so graciously.

…

Ten days had passed since Kyon was "killed."

He did not waste any time. Healing his body was not his only concern. Kyon got rid of the ugly mark on his forehead. Now he didn't have to brush down his hair. Nobody would recognize him as a slave.

He had reached the 2nd stage of the base phase, which strengthened his body and evolved his soul. His Synergy had slightly increased. Kyon was right thinking that Synergy evolution would increase along with his soul. Many days of training, even without any special movements, helped him acquire the basic grade of energy! There was a pop in his soul at a certain point, and all the knowledge about the element became extremely clear and obvious. It got imprinted in his soul as if Kyon had really reached enlightenment. Using the element had become as easy as moving his hand… At least, the one that was not broken.

He learned a lot, experimenting with his new skills.

The formless colorless energy flew free through his body, penetrating his bones and organs making them stronger (while staying inside.) Above all, it accelerated his recovery and efficiency of all the processes in his body. Hearing, vision, brain function, removal of poison and toxins – all this could be done and improved with pure energy.

He could release pure energy during the attack or focus it on protection. It enhanced any blow many times. Inertia didn't matter anymore. The only thing that counted was the amount of energy in the blow. That is why Juno could beat him so easily, even with her tiny fists. The pure energy had increased his movements, but Kyon had yet to find how much. He couldn't move so he had no chance to find it out. The energy could press on his opponents and scan the battlefield. However, this feature was rather meaningless at his level. He could hardly scan the environment even a couple of steps away. In the future, this skill would be more accurate and useful.

When the whole courtyard plunged into the darkness, Kyon decided he had enough of lying under the bush. With shaking hands, he raised himself up, pulled up his knee… With some effort, he pushed off the grass and stood up to his full height. The ground began to spin, Kyon staggered but kept his balance. A step, one more, and another one… Chin up! It was time to stop playing the role of the feeble slave, a toy in the hands of fate and Juno. His eyes were burning with life and the desire to get revenge for what she had done to him, for the hell that she had brought to him. Even slaves were entitled to food, water, and shelter. And she had deprived him of all that. She beat him to the pulp every day, forced him to knock out his own teeth. Juno felt no pity for him. Finally, she "killed" him altogether. Even the girls in the guise of an angel wouldn't get away with it.

He needed a new plan. The slave who was considered dead turned out to be alive.

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Chapter 52

Late at night, Kyon crawled out of the bushes. He stretched himself till his bones cracked and flexed his neck muscles. First thing first, he stumbled to the hot water spring to have a drink and get washed. He had been dreaming about taking a bath recently, given the latest events, in his nightmares. This time he huffed and puffed around the hole in the fence for about 10 minutes to make sure that even if the young lady emerged from the water, she would be absolutely dead.

He was almost in perfect health. He had grown new teeth. His bones had healed. All his internal injuries had been cured. He could go to the war if the need be.

Kyon made himself more or less pretty and sneaked into the closest bushes. It never hurts to observe and explore. Even if Anna, Dinah, and even more so Juno were still sleeping, he couldn't be too careful.

And indeed… When he saw the beefy guard strolling about the mansion, his happiness knew no bounds. If he had been inside, they would have easily found him. It's not about seeing or hearing, not at all… Kyon knew that the guard wasn't taking a walk around the house. He was scanning the area with pure energy. In his case, a shaggy and tenacious slave could be noticed even through the wall!

{Yeah, caution is everything…} – The young scout thought with a sigh of relief.

Kyon spent the next night in the ambush, watching the house. He determined that one guard covered the perimeter every two hours, including the second floor. After that, the guard returned to his post. Fortunately, the park didn't belong to his itinerary.

The next night, Kyon updated his information with an accurate schedule of the rounds. The guard started the inspection strictly on time. During the breaks, Kyon could go anywhere, and he jumped at that opportunity.

It was his outing number two, day number three or night number three, to be more precise. Kyon knew the mansion well from the previous scouting, so he wasn't interested in the most part of it.

And there he was, inside the mansion again. First thing, Kyon got into the bathroom and snatched a hairpin. It might always come in handy. The measured breathing in the room downstairs told him where the maids were sleeping. Kyon decided to go upstairs and found a row of doors that opened only with a formation. He could hear quiet sniffing behind some of them. One belonged to Marina. The young lady was generous enough to allocate a separate room for her new friend. The other sound came from the little demoness herself.

While Kyon was hanging around near the doors to the girl's bedrooms, wondering where to go, he heard quiet steps downstairs. His heart did a double somersault right into his stomach. The guard must have started another round in an hour, not in two! That's a fine kettle of fish. Kyon was sure that he couldn't slip away unnoticed this time. Scanning is a powerful thing, after all!

While his mind was rushing around his skull in panic, searching for a way out, his keen hearing detected the toilet door open. Kyon could hardly hold back a moan of relief. It was just a maid who went out to do some "night errands!" His heart reluctantly returned to its rightful place, giving him a strict warning: another stress like this, and it would refuse to work under such nervous conditions.𝑵𝑂𝗏𝖾𝐋𝓊𝐬𝑩.𝑪𝒪𝗆

Kyon lurked in the darkness. It was too early to relax. Only when the bedroom door slammed behind the maid, he decided to step out of the shadows.

The next moment, Kyon felt an indistinct soft poke in his back. His heart cursed and demanded resignation, but when Kyon turned around and met Juno face to face, it stopped altogether.

Kyon's eyes hazed over. He felt a sense of futility growing inside… He had just swapped one hell for another. Death herself had found him. There she was, the little one, rocking from side to side and squinting blindly. Synergy immediately clicked him on the nose, forcing him to delay the farewell to his life and use his brains. The girl was sleepy! She must have just woken up at the call of nature. Probably, Juno couldn't make heads or tails of the situation. She was still half asleep!

Juno poked her nose in Kyon's chest where his heart wasn't beating anymore, taking refuge in the unconscious. She looked so cute, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She looked at the slave, rubbed her eyes again, and when she looked again into the darkness, the boy was gone. Juno shook her head, totally confused, and went to the bathroom.

In a split second, Kyon glided like a shadow into the nearest corner unlit by the moon. He counted her steps with a sinking heart… When, by his count, the girl was in the right room, he jumped out of the mansion and literally dived into the saving thicket of bushes. – {Did it really work!?}

Juno emerged like a sleepy little bird from the toilet and froze for a moment in a stupor: what did she just see? She glanced around, enraged… {That's pure nonsense… Am I imagining things.} – She agreed on that and carelessly returned to her room.

That's how Kyon survived due to the impossibility of his existence.

Meeting sleepy Juno was a nerve-racking experience. The dear little angel was a death messenger and, at the same time, an object of his revenge. This time, everything worked out alright. Kyon glanced around and whispered a sincere "thank you" to heaven, just in case. What if there really was someone up there.

The next night, Kyon was cautious. A bomber only gets to make one mistake, after all… He was lucky enough not to "blow up" so he shouldn't meddle with fate anymore. Ideally, he should steer clear from the damned (literally) mansion. But his only hope for salvation was there. He had no choice but to try and find at least something useful. Where does everyone keep everything useful? That's right, in a dusty storeroom.

The lock was simple, uncomplicated. All he needed was a couple of seconds and a bent hairpin. The door opened with a quiet creak. Following his voice of reason and mild paranoia, Kyon carefully locked it up from the other side and only then looked around.

It was not unexpected to see cleaning equipment inside: mops, rags, all sorts of useless tools… There also was a huge, dusty like everything else here (isn't it ironic that no one cleans the cleaning storage area!) bookcase filled with instructions for servants. Kyon, hungry for literature, eagerly attacked his prey and "swallowed" a good half of the books in just half an hour. He reached for another book and… He nearly swore out loud. It happened to be a typical "switch," an opener!

The bookcase slid to the side with a quiet screech, opening the descent to a deep basement.

{A secret passage!} – Kyon exclaimed quietly, trying to believe his eyes. He made sure there was no activity outside, gathered all his courage and went downstairs. There must be something valuable, that's for sure. They would not hide an ordinary room behind the whole system, right?

The descent did not take too long. About ten meters below, Kyon could see rows of bookshelves lit by dusty crystals. There was no treasure, no money, no "secret laboratory." It was a sheer disappointment for all sorts of plunderers and marauders, but not for Kyon: {Books!}

He frantically ran through the section titles: history, alchemy, herbalism, commerce, enchantment, formacy, reference books, fiction, and so on and so forth…

Kyon was excited. He grabbed the first available book on alchemy and flipped through it, memorizing each line. Truth to be told, he did not find any particularly valuable or secret information, but he didn't expect much. In fact, the library was not a family heritage. There were no cloudy stones with formations, no techniques or miracle recipes. There was only publicly available information like laws, patterns, concepts, principles, and canons, as well as detailed descriptions of herbs, animals, stones, metals, etc.

It's rather unusual to hide a dusty storehouse of books behind a bookshelf. Who could come up with that? Maybe it was just a whim? Or did the owner of the mansion want to set a trap for his children? Like in forbidden (hidden) fruit is sweet.

Given his informational hunger and the absence of any other means of learning about the world, Kyon didn't complain. He could learn some general concepts so that he wouldn't make a complete fool of himself if anything popped up. Kyon was staring greedily at the shelves marked "History"… {No… It definitely won't help me right now.}

His eyes lingered on the section of formacy. It was what Martin and Flitz did. Formacy was valued in this world almost above all else. Kyon was interested in this science when he was in the mine. A lot of curious things could be found among formations: a searching formation, a family formation, a passport formation, a subjugating formation, formations in cloudy stones, a sound transmitter formation. And that's only what he had personally seen. To put it short, it was an interesting and most importantly, widely practiced science!

Kyon cast a longing look at the piles of other books and made up his mind, nodding to his thoughts. They had to wait. He opened the first manuscript and plunged headlong into the world of formations.

Kyon's eyes were burning with interest and a thirst for knowledge. He took one book after another, studied it, memorized, pondered over, juxtaposed the information, looked past any falsehood or inaccuracy, figured out what he could make out of it… His head worked at 120%. Synergy was not idle, either. It kept obligingly warning the owner that the dawn was close. Unfortunately, the reading session was over for the time being. Kyon put the opus aside with a sigh. (The title was "The searching formation and the ways it should NOT be used." It was impossible to put this book down!) Then he went upstairs. He had to tinker with the "handle-opener" on the backside of the bookcase, but he was lucky to find the necessary inconspicuous book pretty soon. Kyon quietly left the mansion and had some rest in the bushes that had become so dear to him.

During the next three days, he made nightly raids into the hidden basement library.

The science of formations turned out to be the foundation of modern society. Slaves, servants, workers, family members, investigators, sect members, citizens had a formation that displayed their rank in the hierarchy, as well as their position, affiliation, age, sometimes location, the status of being alive / killed / poisoned / ill, cultivation, sometimes even shopping list! Certain functions such as alive / dead / location identification required a point of data accumulation that got a signal created by the spatial attribute. There was an information center in the mine. Martin, for example, connected Kyon's formation to a mercury mirror. As an option, it could be another person, a group of people of a certain status, position, etc. Each respected family had a center that received information about all family members to find out if anyone had been killed, poisoned, had raised the stage of cultivation and so on to have a maximum control over them.

A formation is essentially a passport with embedded information about a person.

Formations have different functions, for example, analyzing air temperature, humidity, pressure. They can record sound, a visual image: an analogue of a bug, a camcorder, a camera. That's why the framed photo in Flitz's office was so strange. It was created by a visual formation.

Formations can be defensive and attacking, but these require some resources to create, usually money, sometimes key-spheres, some assets or something else.

Formations differ in quality. They are conditionally divided into "E", "D", "C", "B", "A", "S" ranks, where "S" is a brilliant piece of genius work done by a high-ranking formacist. The higher is the rank of the formation, the more compact, uncomplicated, effective and clear it is. It wasn't the first time Kyon had heard about the rank system. It was used everywhere. People were ranked by numbers: 1st rank, 2nd, 3rd and so on. Everything not connected with people was ranked by letters: "E", "D", "C", "B", "A", "S".

When applying a formation, the formacist creates a slot – the void inside which the formation is placed. It doesn't only contain information but also protects / hides it from the others who could detect it on the spiritual level.

The core of the formation is often connected with something (an info-center, an object, a person…) It's often necessary to have a spatial attribute to give orders at a distance, to find a person with a searching formation, to transmit sound, etc. The body of the formation consists mainly of pure energy, the most basic element on the planet.

Formations can be created without a spatial attribute. For example, it's possible to create a subjugating formation that responds to a specific voice, not to the superior formation, just as Flitz did with Kyon.

Kyon was happy to find out that creating formations closely resembled writing the program code. He used to be a computer whiz in his world. Creating the code, endless optimization, setting the properties of the formation you need… He was back in his element.

Kyon could set absolutely any properties with his programming skills! He had discovered the essence of this bizarre magic in the books he read and needed to practice it on someone, no way around it. He'd love to experiment on Juno but not yet.

Formations are a kind of bridge to the energy of the world. They assign certain properties, nature, and behavior. That's why the world, or rather the energy, works according to your rules, according to the formation rules.

Kyon was right thinking that the local energy had internal memory.

It was rather frustrating that it took more energy to create a formation for someone more cultivated than the formacist. However, it was nice to know that an optimized formation contained more energy in each code line, which increased the chance of success. Optimization was his strong suit.

Kyon came up with a brilliant idea: he should make his unique formation not to gain a skill or get an illusional advantage but specifically to take revenge on Juno. Kyon rubbed his hands with glee, trembling excitement over his insidious plan. The fate had brought him to the library, no doubt! {Alright, nasty girl! Just you wait!}

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Chapter 53

Kyon closed the last book on formations with a slam, visibly satisfied. He returned to his nook behind the bushes in the dark of the night. Fortunately, the servants did not dare to disobey the instructions of the lady's new girlfriend, that is Marina. No one approached the boy's shelter.

The next night he went on the prowl armed with the bread that Marina had brought. A flock of pencil-necked swans lived in the picturesque pond. Kyon lured one of those beauties away from its kin with a piece of bread. According to the guidance of the Pithecanthropus ancestors, he stunned the winged creature with a stone, straight on its silly little head. Then he disappeared in his dear bushes, holding the limp carcass like a fox who had stolen a fat rooster on the farm.

The execution continued in the hide. With the help of Synergy, Kyon cut the nerve in the bird's vocal cords to keep its beak shut and paralyzed the bird's muscular system. Now the swan could only turn its head. An ideal testee. Of course, he was going to get the bird back to the pond safe and sound. He was no slaughterer, and the swan wasn't Juno.

The white-winged bird awoke, its eyes opened in dismay: the body didn't move, the throat didn't quack! The poor fellow desperately twirled its head trying to escape, all to no avail.

Kyon focused. He put his finger on the bird's forehead and tried to create a slot using pure energy. It was not as easy as he had hoped…

Kyon needed a special tool to create it faster and easier. He was going to fail if he did it manually, on the spot. He had to study and master the necessary skill. Ideally, it would take him at least three months of tireless training to develop it.

Kyon tried once, twice, the third time… At his hundredth attempt, he lost it and cursed his clumsiness. At his five hundredth attenpt, he was so nervous he wanted to beat his head against the wall or a tree to stimulate mental activity. Kyon had failed two thousand times to create a slot. He had no instructions on how to do it. All he had was an idea that the slot was created with energy and it should keep a formation consistently and for a long time.

It was his 3000-th attempt when he succeeded at last! The empty sphere inside the bird's head seemed to hold together and didn't collapse. Kyon tried to apply a primitive formation, but it successfully dispelled. The swan, tired of resisting, opened its beak in a silent "quack." Kyon could swear the bird was mocking him.

It took him three days to fine-tune the slot where the energy would hold together permanently. Compared to other mortals, the result of his efforts exceeded all the expectations in terms of time and quality. He wished he could show off his talents, but there was no one interested.

The first step was completed. It was time to start long-term experiments with formations to refine the one that would meet his requirements.

Kyon had enough of his life as a ghost of the mansion. That's how he called himself because none of the inhabitants could see or hear him and yet, he existed. Marina once called him a scarecrow behind the bushes, which didn't correspond to his gloomy and mysterious image of a ghost and was rather offensive.

It took him another three days to design and work out the plan of action and, most importantly, practice on the swan. Kyon had reached the 4th stage of the base phase. It was perfect timing. The chances of success increased, starting with this level. Ideally, he shouldn't rush and keep improving himself for six months or so. However, he was under suspicion that he did not have so much time to start with. The bushes would eventually grow back, and someone would come to trim them.

Besides, Kyon knew that the cultivation rate slowed down closer to the peaking stages. He did no exercises, which meant that his cultivation would be as slow as a snail by the end of the stage.

The next evening, Kyon finally understood how to put the formation into the slot. He had to apply the code that he had written and optimized, pondering over each line a hundred times. He could not even imagine the rank of his formation. It must be an "S" or maybe an "SS" if such rank existed at all. His formation was no doubt legendary because it contained all his skills from a high-tech world.

Kyon finally did it the next day. His formation worked smoothly, flawlessly! Probably. He hadn't tested it yet. Anyway, it was applied without errors.

His formation should work properly according to the laws of formacy if not, there was not a bit of logic in this world, and his Synergy was a stupid chicken unable to put two and two together. He had checked the code with Synergy a thousand times, optimizing it to one hundred percent. It was time to move on to the execution of the plan.

In the evening, Marina sat on the bench with a book in her hands. It was a standard conspiracy to communicate with her "invisible" friend in the bushes.

«Do you want to kill lady Juno for what she did to you? I… I won't let you! She's my friend!» – Marina exclaimed in a low voice at Kyon's statement that he was intending to enter Juno's room.

«I am not going to kill her. I swear. I'll just fix her a bit to stop being the scarecrow behind the bushes. I won't hurt her. She will stay your friend. Do you believe me?» – Kyon looked deep into her eyes.

Marina hesitated, frowned, sighed. Finally, she replied:

«I… I do not know… She did such unspeakable things to you. I would have been terrified in your place. You are not going to do anything to her, are you?»

«Marina, I swear I am not going to cripple her, let alone kill her. I can no longer live in the bushes. I was not born for this.»

«I see… Kyon, I believe you… Alright, I will help you. But promise you won't fool me.»

Kyon willingly gave her his "honest" and "sincere" word. She agreed amazingly quickly. He could keep persuading her for days to get what he wanted.

Marina calmed down and won round her conscience. She had become attached to the boy so much that she could not sleep at night, thinking and worrying about his wretched fate of the ghost of the mansion. Of course, she would help him, or she risked disappointing herself for not understanding and helping out a good person.

When Marina agreed to participate in sabotage, Kyon explained to her what he needed in detail. He knew that he was taking advantage of being her friend. It's fair to say that he used her just as he did with Martha. But it was the only way out. Anyway, he would make it up to her, he had already started thinking about how to do it. As for Juno, it was a matter of life and death. It was high time to deal with her, or they might accidentally find him anytime soon.

The night X had come.

Kyon got into the mansion, silently climbed upstairs and hid behind the corner.𝗇𝑜𝓥𝔢𝐿𝑢𝑠𝑩.𝓒𝗈𝓜

After a while, the door in Juno's bedroom opened. The cute angel in a gray nightie headed for the bathroom, still fast asleep. In the evening, Marina had an idea to play cards with her. After each game, the loser had to drink a glass of juice.

Kyon saw the graceful figure disappear and pleaded: {Hurry up!} As soon as he was out of Juno's sight, he darted to her room, putting his fingers through the split in the door at the very last moment. Another second of delay and the door would be closed. Only a special formation could open it again. Kyon heaved a sigh of relief. Behold, he entered the sanctum sanctorum of the local demoness.

The room was spacious, taking into account the accumulation of the entire army of soft pillows and pads. Apparently, they served as a substitute for fluffy toy animals that Juno was so afraid of. Every detail of the interior showed an excellent taste, softness, and tenderness. A pleasant aroma was in the air: a mix of shampoo, perfume, and some sweets. Jean might have given his life to spend a night here, even on his own.

All in all, there was little furniture inside apart from the piles of pillows. There was a large soft bed in the corner, a wardrobe, a cupboard, several chairs, and a table. There was nowhere to hide except, perhaps, the standard option. Kyon heaved a deep sigh and crawled under the bed in the hope there was no dust or spiders. One monster in the room was quite enough for him. He wished he could twist this "monster" into a corkscrew. The little scum made his life impossible. She tried to kill him. In fact, she did. His persistence had overpowered all her diligent attempts.

Soon the door opened. A pair of slender bare legs in soft slippers with ears caught Kyon's eye. The bed creaked. The slippers reluctantly fell off the skinny feet. Juno crawled under the covers and snuffled.

Kyon waited for another half an hour, just to be on the safe side. Then he rolled out of his refuge, removed a cobweb from his hair in disgust, and hovered over the young lady like a god of death, except that his eyes were not glowing red and there were no horns under his hair. His mind was absorbed with bloodlust for this particular girl. Unfortunately, he had to suppress his ruthless impulses. He could not physically harm Juno because his life would be interrupted right after that. Kyon had to apply the formation and follow the plan.

He slowly held out a finger when, all of a sudden, Juno frowned and turned over.

Kyon went splat on the floor, thunderstruck. Fortunately, the whole room was covered with soft carpets, so his sudden landing was noiseless. Juno's sensitivity and intuitive vigilance were really impressive.

Another ten minutes, and he hovered over her again, trying to touch the back of her head and pour in some Synergy to contribute to a more sound sleep. But Juno frowned again, turned over and opened her hazy eyes.

Kyon took a plank position at once and rolled under the bed like an egg roll, nearly having a heart attack on the way. What a lucky devil she was!

The unsuspecting girl let down her legs from the bed and fumbled them in search of the slippers. She couldn't find them as Kyon had scattered them around the room while doing his equilibristic tricks. Juno had to drag her bare feet to the bathroom.

{Marina… It was too much! Now she takes trips to the toilet every five minutes!}

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Chapter 54

Kyon genuinely regretted the absence of lush clouds of dust in Juno's room. He could have hidden in them for a while. Given the current state of things, anyone could immediately find him under the bed.

When Juno left the room in the morning, Kyon checked out his environment and reached a grim conclusion: he could not leave the room on his own. The windows wouldn't open, the door had a special lock. He had nothing to do but wait inside. He could hide only under the bed and in the closet. Both options were so-so, but he had no other choice.

Kyon wished he had one of those remotes that could reset time 15 hours ahead when the lousy skunk would snuffle peacefully in her pillows and not even think about waking up!

Six hours had passed. Kyon re-certified from the ghost of the mansion to the under-bed monster when suddenly Anna, armed with a feather duster, walked into the room, flashing her slender legs and other no less delicious parts in her sexy maid uniform.

«Stupid sister! Why did she have to fall ill… She is always running somewhere… Why should I do everything for her? Oh, how stupid she is… What if lady Juno finds out? I always have to cover for her.» – Anna muttered softly to herself.

Kyon's heart went into unplanned shock. Of course, Juno's room had to be cleaned! By superior maids, no less. The others wouldn't be allowed in here! If only Anna noticed the slave who was considered dead, he would be dead for real! Maybe not at once, but that's not the point.

Anna fluttered around the room, whistling softly, brushing off occasional dust. She noticed a tiny spider who had settled in the darkest corner between the ceiling and the closet and had to swallow hard before picking up the eight-legged beast and sending it into the bin with a wince of disgust. Anna opened the closet, collected the dirty things for the laundry, looked under the bed… With another discontented sigh, she swept away some cobwebs and feathers. She noticed a black hair among other sweepings – where did it come from? – and continued with her work.

Kyon had hidden on the bed in the pile of soft pillows against the wall while the maid was busy with the linen in the closet. He let out a sigh of relief — that was close. No one should notice him here. He had literally merged with the pillows, he was thinking like a pillow, he was himself a pillow.

However, Kyon hadn't considered the fact that the pillows were not just "lying" there. They also needed an occasional pillowcase change! Anna took a pile of bed linen and approached the bed. Kyon shut his eyes tight with an if-I-don't-see-them-they-don't-see-me attitude. The maid took the first pillow and… The door opened, and Juno and Marina came giggling into the room together with sad and vexed Yegorka.

Kyon froze like a stone idol. Anna had just grabbed the pillow that was covering his head, and now, hidden behind the maid's back, he was staring in horror at the merry trio. Anna couldn't have chosen a better time to turn to the door!

«Oh, Anna! Clean the room another time, please.» – Juno waved her hand carelessly.

«Yes, my lady.» – The maid bowed, put the pillow back into its place without looking, giving Kyon a tangible knock on the nose and left, closing the door behind her.

Kyon was close to breathing his last breath because of all the tension. Staying in this mansion was like walking through a minefield. This time the mine did not explode. Was he going to stay lucky?

The three friends plopped on the bed. Kyon had the impression that Juno had been missing on some fun with her friends. That's why she invited them all at once. (Well, only two of them, to be more precise. Not an epic party, of course, but given her terrible character, it wasn't that bad). Marina could be considered as the little demon's "friend," but Yegorka was playing the role of their little fool. People like him were in any company, but it was quite unexpected to see Yegorka in this deplorable position. He was a respected and promising genius, after all. But not in Juno's presence. He was willing to be even a clown just to be next to her.

Juno threw a pack of playing cards into the center of the bed. She smiled cheerfully, teasing Yegorka:

«You are a silly boy… Didn't you see that the guard was just following my order to detain you? You made a complete idiot of yourself. I couldn't believe my eyes when you took off your trousers on his orders!»

«That's bad enough, but why did you start dancing at his request?» – Marina kept up with her friend.

Yegorka turned crimson, his head down. He slammed his hand on the bed and said with annoyance:

«So that's who I heard giggling behind the door…»

The girls burst into laughter. Their voices were so sweet like ringing silver bells. Yegorka hid his embarrassment and began to shuffle the deck. His poor heart missed a beat every time he heard Juno's laughter. He was willing to be a fool for the rest of his life just to see her smile.

With a sinking heart, Kyon felt Juno's back lean on the pile of pillows. The pleasant smell of shampoo and her young body enveloped him in a soft cloud. She was close, too close. There was one pillow between him and the demoness and even less between him and death.

Kyon went deep into his role of a pillow. He had almost stopped breathing, slowing his heartbeat and literally turning into an inanimate object.

The three friends spent about an hour playing cards, laughing, fooling around and poking fun, mostly at Yegorka.

Juno pressed harder and harder on the pillows, making Kyon feel more and more uncomfortable, both morally and physically. He imagined his hands crawling out of the pillows, closing on her thin neck and clenching until Juno wheezed, fell down and never moved anymore…

Kyon was daydreaming and didn't notice that he slowly began sliding to the side and down under Juno's weight…

{Oh shit!}

The pile of pillows together with Kyon slipped into the gap between the bed and the wall.

Kyon landed on the floor like a cat, trying not to make a single sound. Even if he got deep into the character, he weighed a bit more than a pillow. Kyon rolled under the bed and tried to calm down his heart that was about to hang him out to dry with its loud hammering against the rib cage.

Juno picked up all the pillows with a snort of complaint and laid them out as close as possible to the previous design. However, for some reason, she felt that something was missing… {Maybe a couple of pillows have rolled under the bed?}

The game ended in Yegorka's crushing defeat. He overreacted and scattered the whole fan of cards on the floor.

«Damn it! I lost again! Today is definitely not my day!»

Juno laughed:

«Yeah, surely the fault is in the stars and these… magnetic storms or whatever. Now pick up all the cards quickly.»

Yegorka got out of the bed with a groan to clean up the mess. The best genius of the family had to crawl on the floor like some reptile… But, it was his sweet little Juno who had asked him to…

Meanwhile, the under-bed monster was looking at the back of Yegorka's head in fear. He was dangerously close. If only Yegorka turned his head, their eyes would certainly meet.

Marina, a kind soul, decided to help her newfound friend and dived under the bed to help him collect the cards. A glance – a spark – a storm! Kyon's hand was already over her mouth to keep her from turning on the ultrasound. He pulled a scary face: "shut up, be quiet!" but she had already understood everything. At least, she didn't make a fuss, she just nodded. Marina was sincerely sorry for Kyon. She didn't enjoy the prospect of his instant murder, either. She turned around, covered him with her back and said:

«I will pick up everything myself, Yegorka. Can you give me some juice, please?»

«Ah… Sure.»

Kyon gave Marina his heart in gratitude. There was no one kinder than her in the whole world, that's for sure. As for Yegorka, his attitude seemed perfect… to take the honorable place of "just a friend." He could be a "wall builder" as well, creating a perfect "friend zone" around Juno and himself that he would never leave. Yegorka would have to become a king to make Juno take him seriously, and that by a long stretch of the imagination. Such is life. It would be easier for him to find a new girl and consider his mistakes.

Yegorka dusted himself off. He rose from the floor, visibly displeased, and went to take the juice from the nightstand. Juno sincerely enjoyed his sulky face. The moments when she could hurt someone gave her an indescribable thrill. Now, her face didn't have a vicious grin but a pretty smile, and the pain she had caused was not physical but moral.

Yegorka stared at the subject of his desire and melted like ice cream in the sun. His heart fluttered, his hands trembled. He had to make an effort to pour juice into glasses, not on the nightstand. When Yegorka gave Juno a drink, she brushed him off rudely. His plan to prove himself a "gentleman" had failed. However, Juno was quite pleased with the downhearted look of the sorry-ass knight.

Soon the trio left the room.

The night replaced the day.

The door creaked softly, and Kyon could see from his perspective the same notorious slippers with bunny ears, slender bare legs and, of course, the owner of the legs, the slippers, and the room.

The young lady read a book for a while, murmuring something under her breath.

Kyon could barely keep his eyes open. Several sleepless nights had taken a toll on him. Suddenly, the piercing sound of the sound transmitter broke the silence. Judging by the wheezing in the receiver, Kyon was about to be an unintentional (or intentional?) witness to the conversation of the patriarch and his granddaughter.𝒩𝑂𝐕𝑬𝓛𝑢𝓈𝔟.𝔠𝒐𝐦

After a couple of their welcome remarks, Kyon could draw some conclusions regarding their relationship. Grandfather Bai's voice belonged to a man with a strong character and yet, it was imbibed with love, affection, and care for Juno. He was willing to give her half the world, she just had to ask. Kyon couldn't help wondering why her grandfather was so far away, in the capital city of Boston if he was so dearly attached to her.

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Chapter 55

Kyon understood from their conversation that the patriarch was busy with the family issues, particularly with the incompetent youth who needed his special attention. Pretty soon, there was going to be a family tournament in the kingdom. The family rank for the next four years depended on how the young fighters would prove themselves. Based on current projections, the Stones would tumble down to the 4-5th place, after which their opponents would most likely buy out their mines and plantations, the main source of their income. The system allowed the strong families to get someone else's possessions legitimately, without taking them over or anything of the kind. They used the special currency, tokens, that could be earned by doing some service to the empire, like winning in the tournaments and competitions…

Kyon had never heard about tokens, so he didn't quite understand what they were talking about. He made a note to himself to find out about them later.

The conversation turned smoothly to the discussion about Elsa's life. She was Juno's sister, but when the patriarch casually mentioned his elder granddaughter, Juno immediately changed the subject:

«By the way, grandpa, when does the party take place?»

«In three weeks, on lovers' day.» – The old man sighed. His two beloved granddaughters' falling out greatly distressed him. – «I've sent letters to all the families in the kingdom. We can expect the most talented, high-ranking young men. I am sure that each of them will bend over backward to get your attention. I can't wait to see those young talents show their feathers in front of you. They will put on a talent show here, hehe.»

«Hurray!» – Juno said glumly without much enthusiasm for "cockfighting."

Bai went on talking dreamily. He didn't seem to notice the mockery in his granddaughter's voice, or maybe, he deliberately ignored it:

«No doubt they will be eager to pay a fortune for a single dance with you. After all, my sweet little Juno, you are the loveliest flower in the whole world. Everyone is fascinated by your beauty, manners and character. Believe me, your grandfather knows what he says.»

At this point, Kyon covered his mouth with his hand to smother a laugh. He also bit his tongue, to be sure.

Juno intoned above his head, sounding touched:

«Gra-a-a-andfa-a-ather, you're embarrassing me!»

He could hear a burst of soft laughter from the sound transmitter:

«Everyone will be crazy about you when you put on your favorite black dress. You will be the brightest star at the party. All the boys will be stunned at the sight of you. The weakest lot will topple like ninepins and arrange themselves neatly in piles! I've said it before, and I am saying it now, I want you to find your soulmate yourself. A marriage of convenience is seldom happy… And I do not want to see my beloved granddaughter unhappy. Always choose with your heart but listen to your mind. As soon as you find someone you like, whisper his name to your brother XiaoBai, and he will get everything arranged: dancing-shmancing, whatever young people nowadays need to get to know each other, hehe! You will make the most beautiful couple in the world.»

Juno rubbed her nose, embarrassed.

«Grandfather, stop it… I'm already burning with shame. I haven't even met anyone, and you're already choosing the names for "our" future children.»

«So what? Alice is a great name for a daughter, in my opinion…»

«Grandfather, don't! Enough of that!» – Juno exclaimed. When she heard a stifled grunting from the sound transmitter, she blushed to the tips of her ears. The old geezer was simply teasing her! Well, as the saying goes, "old men are twice children!" Juno rubbed her temples wearily and sighed: – «Do you remember Timothy Brown?» – She continued without waiting for his answer: – «He used to lick his chops every time he saw Elsa. He wanted to marry her… Only the stinker escaped, and now there are rumors that Timothy wouldn't mind switching over me! I doubt that there will be any brave souls willing to rip me out of his grabby hands. Do you understand?»

In the opinion of many, Timothy Brown was the most talented of all the youngsters of his generation in the whole kingdom, with the exception of the royal family. His family was expected to get the first rank in the tournament. Juno knew perfectly well that no one would risk their lives to fight for a delicious prize like her, except for maybe a couple of idiots she would not look twice at.

«All these rumors are pure nonsense. The person who will decide your fate has not been born yet! I will let no one take you as a wife against your will. No one will ever command you, push you around, do whatever he likes regardless of your desires. I will never let it happen! If this presumptuous boy dares to say something…» – The indignant patriarch was spewing like an open hydrant, his sound transmitter was completely wet. – «My little sweet Juno, do not worry over trifles. Your grandfather will settle everything. I will take tough measures if the need arises. You know me. I'll do anything for the sake of my family… especially for you.»

Juno just sighed. There was no point arguing with grandfather, he was too stubborn. He always tried to keep everything under control, especially her life. She couldn't take a step out of the mansion without his knowledge. And yet, with all his pathological affection and care, they rarely saw each other. He couldn't leave the post of the patriarch out of his sense of duty.

Soon, the conversation ended on a warm note. Juno thought about something long after she said goodbye to her grandfather. Then she turned off the light and went to sleep. If only she was aware of the monster under the bed… She wouldn't fall asleep, that's for sure.

Kyon twitched impatiently. He couldn't care less about the problems her family had, who promised to marry whom and all that jazz, at least for the time being. The only thing that worried him now was the importance of applying the formation on the little skunk who had given him so many close calls. The right moment had come. It was time for action.

The clock struck two in the morning.

By Juno's measured breathing, Kyon determined that she had entered the deepest phase of sleep. He silently crawled out from under the bed and glanced with a bloodthirsty look over the sweet sleeping creature with a black heart — it was she who was responsible for the hell that he had lived through. He knew that it was stupid of him. The former emperor shouldn't hate the little one and yet, he hated her with all his heart. Oddly enough, his self-esteem did not suffer from the awareness of what he was about to do. On the contrary, he genuinely enjoyed the situation.

Kyon stretched his hands, put two fingers on her temples and slowly began to massage them in circular motions, pouring in Synergy.

If Juno wasn't sleeping she would feel goosebumps all over her body and a relaxing thrill as if she was floating among the stars in the beautiful imaginary space.

The relaxation that swept over her body was so powerful and all-embracing that no one could wake her up, not even with a horn. Kyon put her into an abnormally deep sleep for a reason. He had to lessen her mental resistance to the formation.

A few minutes later, he saw the signs of her sound sleep, sighed with relief and turned her head up.

Kyon had an urge to pinch Juno's little nose, but he reminded himself that he was not ten years old. He put his hand on her forehead. In a couple of minutes, there was a perfect slot that he had worked out and repeatedly tested on the swan. It didn't only contain the formation but also protected it and concealed it from the others.

Kyon exhaled slowly, closed his eyes and put two fingers on the slot. The energy poured inward slowly, gently creating a formation as accurate as they come. Things looked good so far. His only concern was their difference in cultivation. He was on the 4th stage, and Juno, as he remembered, was on the 5th or even higher, which could cause a greater chance of failure.

Juno frowned and mumbled something in her sleep. Soon her lips trembled, the brows closed on the bridge of her nose forming a cranky wrinkle on her smooth forehead.

Kyon gritted his teeth. The formation was waking her up! As soon as she was awake, there would be no revenge and no life.

He was so close…

{Please, don't wake up! Sleep or I'll have to wring your neck and die soon after you!}

Juno mumbled something indistinct and lifted her lead eyelids with some difficulty. The picture that was still blurred from her dream was slowly focusing on the image of the dead slave.

Kyon had all his life flashed before his eyes. He added the last line of the code to the slot. The formation did not disappear, which meant it worked pretty well. It had to. It was the law of formacy.

Euphoria flooded his mind like a tsunami wave.

He was flying through the universe like a god. Everything was under his control.

All of creation was just the dust of oblivion at his feet.

Juno's huge (by nature and surprise) eyes stared at the boy she thought to be long dead… To be more precise, who she had personally killed. But the dead cannot grin so mischievously.

«BUT…»

«I order you not to make a sound. I order you to freeze and not to move.» – Kyon ordered in a commanding tone. Flames of fire were dancing in his eyes.

The formation that he had invented, optimized and applied to the slot was subjugating, of course. Each phrase that started with "I order" was going straight to the limbo where for Juno's subconscious to process and execute.𝗇𝑂𝒱𝚎𝓵𝑢𝗌𝑩.𝔠𝔬𝗆

It was a success for several reasons: Juno's mental state was suppressed by slow-wave sleep, the formation was hyper-dense and ultra-optimized, and Kyon's key of pure energy had unprecedented 100% purity.

Flitz's formation on Kyon was quite similar, but Kyon's formation was hundreds of times better and more effective. Now Juno was his slave. Everything turned upside down. What a universal irony: the young lady, who treated her slave like he was nothing, became nothing for him.

Kyon thought for a while and added:

«I order you not to meddle with the formation on your forehead in any way. More than that, I forbid you to use any elements at all.» – It had to be done. The formation was meant to be secret. He couldn't protect it every time from energy attacks.

Juno opened and closed her small mouth like a guppy fish but made no sound. She couldn't believe her eyes. It must be a dream. It had to be another nightmare, a vision like seeing the slave on the way to the bathroom…

The atmosphere in Juno's chambers, the patriarch's daughter of the family number one in the Iron Throne, was very peculiar.

Kyon looked at her pretty shocked face with a victorious, triumphant smile. A black desire for revenge was growing inside him. He had an urge to hurt her, to return the feelings she had given him. Just a minute ago, he was nobody, and no one knew his name. Now he was Juno's owner. The power was intoxicating.

Juno could not move from horror or her master's order. She couldn't even think. The only thought feverishly screaming in her mind was "it's a dream, it's just a dream, I need to wake up!" Her heart was trying to jump out of her chest as if she was a bunny driven into the corner, staring at a fox that was licking his lips.

Kyon stroked her gentle cheek. She was a beautiful bitch, it was hard to argue that. She had big enchanting eyes, her hair was like the rays of sunlight, and her pretty gray nightie that ended just above her knees was not a sight for the faint-hearted. He had never seen anyone like her, anyone so perfect, beautiful, devilishly charming. It would be a sin to disfigure or maim her, even by the evilest gods' and devils' standards.

Kyon grabbed Juno by her thin, tender neck and squeezed it a bit as if he wanted to kill her. If he made a little more effort, her fragile spine would break in his hands.

Juno's face was a mix of helplessness, confusion and misunderstanding. Her long eyelashes trembled, diamonds of tears glistened in the corners of her eyes – a truly pitiful, heartrending sight.

Kyon bent over her and whispered almost tenderly straight into her lips:

«I order: you can talk but not louder than a mosquito buzz.»

Juno knitted her brows angrily and said softly through her teeth:

«I order you to kill yourself!»

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Chapter 56

Kyon's eyes popped out of his head in horror and surprise. His hands slowly and reluctantly moved to his neck and squeezed it with his long thin fingers… The unlucky avenger turned white. He collapsed on Juno, his nose buried in her soft, supple mounds, inhaling the pleasant aroma of the most beautiful flowers in the world among which this charming fairy was born.

Juno was trembling with anger, disgust and hatred overwhelming her. She repeated over and over again the same desperate order in a stifled whisper:

«Die… Die, you foul slave!»

Kyon was skillfully pretending death throes, rubbing against his lovely victim. He hadn't touched a warm, soft, pleasant girl's body for a very long time. However, he wasn't only touching her. Wheezing and twitching, Kyon "accidentally" bit her sensitive place.

Juno cried in sharp pain and stared at him, shocked. The wretched slave had been actively dying on her body for some minutes already. She couldn't understand what was wrong with him.

«When will you die at last?»

Before his cruel revenge went off base, Kyon pulled away from Juno's boobs with an evil grin and whispered with an overt sneer in his voice:

«I am just messing with you.»

Juno froze to the spot.

«Why don't you obey me? Twist your neck! Wring it yourself, now!» – She kept repeating those cruel words again and again with the same arrogant voice as if she were the ruler of the whole world, no less. It was quite annoying. The affectionate purring of a tender and harmless kitten would suit her much better.

Kyon laughed softly, then he turned serious and gave the "kitten" an unblinking gaze of a predator:

«I prefer to ignore the orders of arrogant beasts.»

«What? You dare to call me a beast? I am your lady, and you are my miserable slave, my punching bag! There is a subjugating mark on you. Listen to what I am saying!» – The haughty, stubborn girl kept singing the same song.

smack *

Kyon landed in a gentle slap on Juno's soft cheek.

Juno froze with a blank stare on her face. Everything went dark. She felt a strange, unusual burning sensation on her cheek. A huge wave of humiliation and shame swept over her. A slave dared to hit her! No one had ever dared to beat her, especially on the cheek! She hardly knew what pain was like. Up to this day, no one, much less a slave, could hurt her in any way.

Kyon's face slid into an evil smile. Oh, bliss beyond all earthly bliss… Who would have thought that revenge was such a delightful act? His soul rejoiced at the sight of the pitiful expression of her attractive face. It suited her to keep her mouth shut in shock. And those eyes filled with tears… She was about to burst out crying. Oh, joy beyond all human joy… He had never shown any appetite for cruelty before. Where did that come from?

«Y-you dared to hit me…» – His charming victim babbled. She still couldn't believe it was happening to her. – «You dirty slave! How dare you hit your lady?!» – Her eyes blazed with hellish flame.

«What are you going to do about it?» – Kyon said brazenly and gave her another slap, a little more tangible this time.

bang *

Hardly recovered from the previous stroke, Juno experienced another one. She opened her mouth, outraged. The other cheek reddened and gave her a burning pain. Humiliation and anger burned inside her. Her dignity of a high-born lady from a powerful family had been crushed under the dirty shoe of the worthless slave.

«Scumbag! My grandfather will destroy your soul and body if you hit me again! It is beneath me even to look at you! But you know what? If you kneel right now, I might descend to give you a proper funeral…»

Before she could convey all the generosity of her proposal, Kyon hit her with the back of his hand in a frenzy. {Holy macaroni, it feels so good…} The pleasure was so intense that he got aroused in the literal sense. He started to have suspicions as to his perverted predilections, but common sense put everything in its place: the bitch had caused him so much pain that she needed a dose of her own medicine. Getting some satisfaction in the process was a quite normal thing.

«You don't know how to bargain at all, little rat. Do you think that after everything that you have done to me I will pay attention to what you want?»

There was the whole spectrum of negative emotions in Juno's charming green eyes: resentment, outrage, anger and, of course, hatred… But the only thing her merciless tormentor wanted to see was missing. There was no fear in her eyes.

«Do you at least understand who you are beating, pleb?»

The slave has completely forgotten himself. He doesn't know where he is. Who is he, and who is she! Her words should be indisputable law for him but instead of prostrating himself and begging her to forgive him for his mere existence, he has hit her for the third time in a row! It's unthinkable! He isn't the sharpest tool in the shed! She was kind enough to offer him a decent death. Isn't it enough? He is dead, anyway. He could die like a human being at least. Slaves are really very stupid. She has never been in such an awkward position before… Maybe it's all just a bad dream? Then why doesn't she wake up from the burning pain?

Suddenly, the look on her face changed, and she hissed, staring at the boy with icy contempt:

«I've changed my mind, lousy slave. I am taking back my noble offer to arrange a proper funeral for you. The cesspool is missing you and crying for you. There you will rot. Even if you kneel and beg me, I will not allow…»

Kyon burst out laughing and slapped Juno in the face again. Maybe he could knock some sense into her, and she would finally stop her arrogant nonsense.

«Believe me, I have not even started with my revenge… I've been just warming up. But go on, what else do you want to tell me?»

Juno was still moaning, her face distorted by physical and psychological pain. Suddenly, she laughed out loud. Dimples on her cheeks confirmed the sincerity of her sudden burst of joy.

«You are a piece of scum! Dirty slaves like you are created with a single purpose to let your masters use you at their will. The slaves are things, nothing more. I don't even feel your pathetic slaps!»

Kyon gave an irritable snort and raised his hand to give her a good punch, but then he stopped short, catching alarm bells with his sixth sense. Victims never behave like this. What is this unexpected change of mood? Juno had never fancied masochism before. She pursued only sadistic pleasures. He might explain her inadequate behavior by a stressful situation but… A high-born lady wouldn't ask for it. Kyon lowered his hand and thought hard.

Juno kept pressing his buttons:

«Just as I thought. You are nothing but a lousy impotent slave who is not capable of anything. You're disgusting. Go and kill yourself! Pshaw!» – The last sound was accompanied by action, but Kyon deftly caught her spit in his hand and gently smeared it all over her wrinkled with disgust but still cute face. Then he said as calmly as he could:

«I order you to answer my question. Why are you encouraging me to beat you?»

Her face instantly changed. Unimaginable horror and despair reflected in her eyes, but her mouth was already uttering against her will:

«The bracelet on my wrist… it will work if … if I am hurt bad enough…»

Kyon's eyes widened in surprise. The green bracelet… Was it a rare protective item? The trinket contained a special formation that would be immediately actuated when she reached a certain level of pain, i.e., if her skin was punctured or she was poisoned.

The item would instantly create a powerful protective barrier long enough for someone to come to the rescue. It would also start an alarm and disinfect the blood if necessary. Grandfather obviously cared about his granddaughter. He did not hesitate to order the bracelet for a princely sum.

Kyon smothered a laugh. Wow, the sly girl was about to take him for a ride! Another moment and he would be dead, just as this little pest imagined! It would be too sad. He had hatched a plan, he had been preparing for so long, made a rigorous effort, and then boom he was gone because of his ignorance of the simplest concepts of this world. Protection against murderers could be either overt, for example, a guard, or hidden, in the form of an object. Had she bitten through her tongue, the bracelet would have worked. It was clever of him to have allowed her to speak only.

All the color had drained out of Juno's face in a heartbeat. She gritted her teeth with annoyance: her trump card had been played! What was she supposed to do?

«You scumbag… Slime bucket… I hate you! Where the hell did you come from? Just die, please!»

Juno wished she could beat him to death. Unlike the last time, she would make sure that this zombie was gone to his forefathers-slaves for good. Only, she couldn't do it. Her body was constrained by his order. All she could do was wrinkle her little forehead that was still tingling a bit because of the formation. The mere thought that she had a subjugating mark on her squeezed her heart with intolerable anguish. The desire to get the hell out of this abomination became almost palpable. Juno really wanted to bawl helplessly which was completely inappropriate for her status.𝒩𝑂𝐕𝑬𝓛𝑢𝓈𝔟.𝔠𝒐𝐦

Kyon kept laughing.

«Shut up, slave! I will give you money! I will even grant you freedom! Just let me go!» – Juno snarled. Kyon winced in disgust. Her wonderful voice conspicuously failed to meet the characteristics of "plaintive and full of prayer" as it should be in her current position.

Kyon wiped the tears of laughter with his hand. He completely ignored all her demands, suggestions and attempts to bargain. All he needed was to know more about her protection.

«You're Kyon, right?» – She had answered all the questions of her tormentor and now was nervously making a conscious effort to remember his name. – «Kyon, I will give you a lot… the whole mountains of gold! Scum like you loves gold, right? And I will give you… a lot of food. It will take you a lifetime to finish it! And freedom! Come on, you have to agree to this! The whole mansion under protection. I will kill you if you do not agree! Or the guards will!»

Juno was determined to find the slave's weakness. She beckoned him with a carrot of luxury and freedom. Then she waved the whip of death. However, Kyon didn't seem to be impressed with the size of the "profit." He didn't even bat an eyelid.

Kyon lifted Juno's hand and gently pulled off her green bracelet. He put it on the bed and then punched Juno into the chest from the bottom of his heart, exhausted from the experienced abuse. He didn't use pure energy. Today he planned to use up all his physical endurance with no restraint.

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Chapter 57

bam*

The delicate girl was sent flying to the other side of the bed.

«Ou-ou-ouch!» – Juno moaned under her breath, unable to scream. A sharp, piercing pain spread throughout her body to the tips of her fingers. The first hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

Kyon approached Juno with a straight face of an experienced executioner. He roughly grabbed her silky golden hair and ruthlessly dragged her from the bed to the floor.

The time for revenge had come… His sweet, gentle, perverse, immoral revenge. He hated the little demon with an angelic look with every cell of his body. Her age didn't matter anymore, neither did the fact that unlike him, she couldn't defend herself. He might have some mercy if Juno had treated him in a marginally acceptable way, if she had given him food and shelter, provided him with healing medicine after her "training"… or at least had hidden her sadistic smirk during those sessions. Regrettably, she didn't. She was evil trash who enjoyed giving people pain. (The status of her victim was of no importance. She gave Jean a hard time, too). As for her attitude towards slaves… It was a hellish mixture of racism and nazism. She must have had a lousy upbringing. Such a spoiled person could and should be punished, beaten and humiliated in every possible way. It might change her for the better.

«Enough! Let me go! It hurts!» – Juno howled quietly, whining in pain and mumbling something under her breath. Nobody had ever been so cruel to her before. Her head burned like hell after Kyon had almost ripped off her hair with his iron grip. Tears were drawing wet paths on her smooth cheeks.

«Listen to me, bitch. I allow you to move slowly and meekly. I forbid you to use the formation or resist me in any other way!»

«What do you want?» – Juno squeaked through tears. – «I have already offered you freedom and money! Slaves don't need anything else in life, so what's the problem?»

Kyon rolled his eyes with contempt:

«I need you to suffer, darling. Only then you will understand something with your little empty head. I want to give you a taste of your own medicine so that you could feel with your pretty skin what it was like for me.»

After his tirade, Kyon gave her a sudden and heavy blow in the stomach then in the ribs and the side. It was a shame to beat such a cutie in the face. It would be against divine laws to spoil her looks. Even Kyon was afraid of lightning from above. And also of Dinah. The effect would be about the same: he would die a terrible death.

«Ooooh! Nooooo! It hurts! Stop hurting me!» – Juno howled, horrified by the new painful sensations. Until today, she was totally convinced that a slave had no right for revenge. Would a jacket she tore during training ever take revenge on her?

«Remember when you ordered me to knock my teeth out? And when you gave me false hope of forgiveness and then killed me with a stick? Don't you think it hurt me way more than it hurts you now, you little piece of shit?!» – The enraged avenger poured out his outright hatred. He was not going to forgive her inhuman order to knock out his teeth just because she had fallen on him herself. Kyon grabbed her by the hair and punched his whimpering victim into the solar plexus with all the power of the pure energy concentrated in him. The impact of the blow sent her spinning aside.

Juno landed on the floor with a terrible coughing fit as she got the wind knocked out of her. When it was over, she curled up in a fetal position making a barely audible moan. Tears were flowing from her big emerald eyes, but she didn't sob like a little offended child, only whimpered, groaned, howled, and coughed almost inaudibly.

She had never given another thought about what the things-slaves might feel while she was killing them, beating them, breaking their bones, crippling them. It was no concern of hers! There were people in power and trash of no value. But now that the worthless boy was battering her so hard, she had to admit that it was really tough for her victims. However, Juno didn't care about them even now. They were no people, just a piece of garbage. She felt sorry only for herself.

The vicious beating continued for another couple of minutes. No matter what she said, no matter how she begged, Kyon didn't stop beating her. At times, it seemed to get harder. Juno was covered with injuries of varying severity. More and more bruises appeared on her tender skin. Everything below her neck and approximately to the level of her pelvis was nothing but a punching bag for the heartless monster.

Juno could not resist, could not move or even scream in pain. She could only take the beating and get crushed by the one who was meant to be crushed. It was unfair! Juno thought that all he wanted was to kill her, but she wanted to live so much. She had just connected to her soul. She was finally on her feet. Her cultivation was boosting. Her dream to prove to everyone that she was better than her sister was about to come true. Apparently, it was her last night. Her eyes rained tears, but Juno didn't want to cry or revel in her grief. All she wanted was to kill the hateful slave and get out of this mess. But how?

«Please… Don't kill me…» – Juno was so arrogant and self-important not so long ago. Now she was moaning in a plaintive voice. She was trembling from burning shame and humiliation.

Kyon paused for a second and looked intensely into her eyes. He snorted contemptuously:

«You're a complete idiot… I want to live, too! Not all slaves are as stupid as you think, dumb bitch.» – He rushed at her again with irresistible fury like a hungry wolf pounces at a helpless and injured lamb.

About a few minutes later, Kyon was out of breath from the rapturous beating. Droplets of sweat rolled down his forehead after the effective fist workout. But his fatigue never matched the extraordinary delight in his actions. Probably, the world champion feels the same when he beats the world record.

Kyon lifted Juno by the hair. The girl was still charming but already pretty battered and tear-stained. He took her beautiful face by the chin and looked piercingly into her eyes:

«Alright, I have let off some steam. Now I want you to greet your master as befits a submissive slave. Then I will stop beating you. Maybe.»

Hung by her hair, Juno suffered from a burning pain all over her body. She cringed into a lump like a naughty kitten who was taken by the scruff after its dirty business. She covered her chest with one hand and her stomach with the other to protect them from his heavy blows.

The slave brazenly pulled her to himself and burned her with his dark like moonless night eyes. He looked at her arrogantly, with a dismissively haughty expression… No one had ever dared to look at her so presumptuously. Juno wanted to escape and then brutally kill her heinous torturer but alas, any slightest movement in hanging position gave her such a sharp headache that sparks flashed in her eyes… She considered herself an unfortunate victim of evil fate and glaring injustice.

Kyon didn't like that Juno kept looking at him without fear. She was whining from pain and oppression. Her eyes were filled with tears, but he could see intense feelings of a different nature in the: urge to kill, hatred, perseverance, and resilience.

He roughly pulled her hair:𝓝𝑜𝚟𝗲𝔩𝑈𝗌𝕓.𝚌𝗈𝑀

«Well? I can't hear you greet your beloved master.»

Her slim little body was as light as a feather. Somehow it was even insulting that he had lost battles to such a fragile girl. It was hard to believe that this seemingly innocent angel could torture someone so cruelly. Kyon found her much more attractive now, especially compared to the moment when she was kicking him, helpless, unable to get up anymore. He remembered the wicked smile on her face.

Juno bit her lip, annoyed. Everything inside her turned from indescribable humiliation. But even so, she was willing to endure this nasty feeling as long as could be because it was better than obeying his humiliating order. She'd rather die but never say the words that could compromise her honor! Not a word came from her mouth. She only gave Kyon an eloquent and contemptuous glance that said, "no way."

Kyon frowned. This little scum was not going to recognize him as her master. It was too bad. If she didn't admit this immutable truth now, he would have lots of trouble with her disobedience. It was essential to take the little bitch down a notch so that she would finally understand who was the real master of her body and soul. In fact, she had to be grateful that his plans didn't include crippling her or killing such a valuable pawn. He wanted to give her pain and it didn't matter if it was moral or physical. He only cared to avoid any visible consequences.

The sight of the suspended beaten girl could soften the heart of any man: crying eyes, tousled hair the color of the sun, nice legs painfully jerking at the knees. Juno tried to stand on her feet but couldn't reach the floor. She wasn't tall enough.

If anyone saw Kyon hurt this charming ange, they would have angrily ripped the monster to shreds. Grandfather Bai would torture him to the end of time so diligently that Kyon, no doubt, would regret being born.

However, Kyon was adamant about his actions. Even more than that… He was ecstatic and enraptured. There it was his sweet revenge, rampant and intoxicating. As a punishment for her burning scornful stare, he pulled her again by the long-suffering hair, wrapping it around his fist. The moans and sobs from his former lady and his present slave were melodious to Kyon's ears. He found them more pleasant than the ringing nightingale trills.

«You're not talking? Well, well… Then I will continue until you are dead.» – The inexorable torturer hissed a blatant lie.

He couldn't disfigure her or cripple her by any means. Above all, he should keep her alive. She was his only way up, his obedient (well, not quite yet) and vital tool. Juno had to give all of herself for the sake of his goals: her time, her will, and perhaps even her body. She had deserved this fate. It served her right.

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Chapter 58

bang*

Kyon delivered Juno a blasting knee strike to her gut, and her body felt as if it were splitting in two. She went all limp, sliding down his leg, her eyes closed in pain. Her hair scattered across the floor like the first rays of the morning sun.

Kyon squatted down and gently stroked her cheek. Then he leaned over her shoulder, his lips hovering by her delicate ear and asked in an almost kind voice:

«Why are you so silent? Do you like the pain? You are even more disgusting and messed up than I thought you were.»

Juno was still out of breath when he heard her shaking but no less firm voice:

«You are no master of mine and will never be… You were born a slave and so you will die.»

Kyon stood with a smirk on his face. Her stubbornness pleased and irritated him at the same time.

«Alright, then let's continue our entertaining game.»

He pinned her arms in a viselike grip. The pain was intense, it must be giving her hell.

Juno cried out, writhing in agony, her voice rising to a screech:

«Аа-а-а-а-а-h! It hu-u-u-urts! Stop it, please! I… I will give anything you ask for, just stop it!»

Kyon appreciated her pleasant, painful voice. It watered the desert of his hatred with a refreshing shower of satisfaction.

«When I saw you for the first time I had no idea what you were like. It was my fault. I have to remind myself every time that appearance is deceptive. Well, if you think that you can treat people like punching bags, what can possibly stop me from doing likewise?» – He violently increased the painful grip to the extent that even the slightest movement of his hand could easily break her joint.

The pain was so excruciating that Juno nearly fainted. She had no idea that pain could be so unbearable. It was worse than a broken nail! No one should experience that! She swore to herself that she would destroy this scumbag at any cost. As for the other slaves that she had beaten to death, Juno couldn't care less about them. She was raised like that. It wasn't something that could be knocked out of her mind even by the most sophisticated torture. A slave is a slave and nothing else.

Juno slowly opened her eyes. Even after an hour of beatings and humiliations, there was not a bit of fear in them, only indescribable hatred and uncontrollable anger.

«Perverted bastard, you can't understand one simple thing: you are a slave, I am your lady. No pain, or formation, or even my death can't change this! If you want to kill me, so be it. You will quickly go after me, and in the next world, I will repay you properly for today's humiliation!»

Kyon chuckled wistfully at her confident tirade, his eyebrows raised in surprise. He felt an unexpected surge of admiration for her reaction… That's it! She had just crossed the subtle line between the normal and the incredible, challenging the one who had all the trump cards up his sleeve, who was entirely in control of the situation and her soul. Wasn't it crazy? Lovr adored everything that went beyond the normal. However, he had to be careful with the edge of madness. It was almost imperceptible, not every psycho would do.

{This little beast won't give in. It is even commendable… Such a precocious girl deserves respect. It's too bad her strict moral code is so disgusting and wrong.}

Kyon decided that Juno had had enough of beating. He had never had a vicious streak. It was time to change the strategy.𝚗𝑜𝓋𝑬𝒍𝐔𝓈𝔅.𝚌𝒐𝑀

He grabbed Juno by her slender waist, easily picked her up and delicately sat her on the bed. His actions were gentle as if he was her caring father, and she was his beloved daughter. Kyon's face expressed no rage or anger anymore.

Juno felt chills running down her back. His gentle touch made her sick. It was a sweeping change like he was a different person. She couldn't tell what the crazy freak was going to do to her this time.

Kyon kindly looked into her charming big eyes filled with hatred. He put his hand on her bare white knee and playfully whispered straight into her ear:

«Nature has endowed you with beauty. Yegorka adores you. I am sure no one can be indifferent in your presence. I heard that virginity is as important as honor among high-born girls, and honor is more precious than life. I guess you should know… I will take this "honor" from you! You don't like where it is going, do you? Well, then you know what to do to stop your master. On your knees!» – He commanded, sliding his hand over Juno's thigh right under her nightie.

Her heart almost stopped beating in terror, but she tried to keep calm and answered clearly and contemptuously:

«You can't do it because you are impotent and for a reason! You won't fool me, lying son of a bitch!»

Kyon squeezed his fists to hold back the urge to strangle the impudent girl. A smile spread devilishly over his face. Beating does not work for her, right? Fine, then he would take a different approach. He roughly grabbed her little hand and put it right to his groin.

Juno felt something hard. She immediately realized what it was and screamed in disgust.

«No! NO-O-O! That's impossible! How… Flitz, old dotard!» – She spat the last words bitterly. The old man didn't only impose a defective formation, he injected an overdue evilball, old fool.

Kyon chuckled with inner satisfaction with a somewhat dirty grin on his face. Then he put his hand on her knee again. It was a different story now, she was no longer calm, all trembling in fear for her innocence.

«They say young girls are quite sensitive the first time it happens. My wiener is not that huge, you might even like it. Let's give it a try?»

Juno almost turned inside out. The mere thought that a slave would deflower her discouraged her from existing in the world. Her whole body was covered with cold sweat, she was shaking as if someone had poured icy water on her. If he raped her, she would cease to be Juno, she would disappear… The first timid thoughts appeared in her mind, whispering in a nasty voice to swallow her dignity and kneel before the "master." Then it thundered in her head: "No way!", and the confidence instantly sobered her mind, giving her the necessary saving words.

Juno threw a hard look at Kyon, who was still stroking her hand and replied with contempt:

«I dare you. My grandfather gives me a hug every time he meets me, scanning my body. I have no idea what it's for. If he finds out I've lost my virginity (and he will find it out!), you'll immediately be found and destroyed, no matter how skillfully you hide. I can promise you that!»

Her voice was harsh but calm, her arguments irrefutable, her eyes sparkling with the sea of hidden desire to kill him. She was amazing! The little beast was so stubborn and successful in suppressing her need to surrender that it couldn't but excite admiration for her bizarre and abnormal persistence. Only, his hatred didn't disappear in the light of his delight. It wouldn't disappear, ever.

Kyon's face lit up with another dirty smile. He sat closer to her, put his hand directly on her tight butt cheek and whispered in insinuating voice of a renowned womanizer:

«Well… We can do without your virginity loss. There's no need to upset your beloved grandfather.»

Juno shuddered as if death itself had touched her. She should have foreseen this turn of events. If the dirty scum did anything of the kind, it would destroy her in every sense of the word. The mere thought of it made her feel sick and dizzy. Any noble lady like her would choose to die rather than being raped in that delicate place. Her treacherous mind reappeared to whisper about the only option of her salvation.

Kyon stroked her tight bottom with a sweet smile on his face. He was getting quite understandable pleasure. Juno's emerald eyes glittered wet. She looked away and frowned thoughtfully. His words had hit her hard and deep. Even a slave boy who were to get his private part cut off would take things easier. That's the mentality of dignity and nobility.

A refined lady in high-ranking families had high morality and honor. The antithesis of these qualities were lust, voluptuousness, shame. They affected her noble heart in an uncompromising poisonous way, eating away at everything that her personality stood on, her self-confidence and faith in her nobility, dignity, integrity, purity, and innocence.

Kyon could see that Juno was in doubt and said quietly:

«I order… I mean, I allow you to move slowly and carefully. Don't even think about doing something unexpected.» – How convenient it was to have the remote control to his ex lady. Kyon began to understand why this kind of power could be so exciting and even corrupting.

When Juno received the order, she immediately jumped out of bed to stop him from pawing her and looked at him with her usual undisguised hatred. It was now mixed with despair, though. Her pretty face had lost its color. Her lips said, barely moving and trembling:

«Promise you won't do this to me?»

«Scout's honor! I mean slave's word of honor… But it's you who is a slave now… Anyway, I do promise.»

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Chapter 59

Juno bit her lip in anger: she had no choice, she would have to humiliate herself… She knelt awkwardly as she had never had to stand in this mortifying position before. The young lady was silent for some time, hesitant, never taking her eyes off the floor. Then she made an effort to swallow her immense pride. The daughter of the former patriarch and the granddaughter of the powerful grandfather said in a trembling voice:

«Your docile slave welcomes you, master…»

Juno was dying of disgust. The mere thought that a noble lady like her had to recognize a slave as her master made her want to throw up. It was unthinkable, simply impossible… But even that turn of events was much better than being raped, moreover, in that delicate place of hers. She only hoped that he would keep his word. Otherwise, everything would be over for her.

As for Kyon, he thoroughly enjoyed the sight of the pitiful, angry, finally surrendered girl. He had been dreaming that the bitch would kneel before him like this for so long. He had been imagining her humiliated and crushed by him. Of course, he wasn't going to break his promise. Not because his pledge was indestructible, not at all. He knew if he violated her, Juno would break like a doll, and his secret would be out.

Kyon sat on the bed in a relaxed position, his legs spread wide apart. He imperatively put his hand on Juno's smooth cheek as if she were his toy for a wide variety of pleasures and tucked her tangled hair behind her ear, which sent cold shivers down her spine. Then he ordered in a pretentious tone:

«In that case, give me a foot massage, my slave!» – There was no direct order to the formation in his phrase. Kyon wanted to encourage her voluntary compliance. She had to get used to obeying on her own, not under the lash of the formation.

«B-but …»

Kyon casually put his feet on the floor, the stench from his black socks was far from the scent of wildflowers.

«Come on, you'd better get started. I don't like to be kept waiting.»

Another fit of rage knocked the wind out of her. The sight of the slave's dirty, reeking feet was sickening. Juno turned away, unable to even look at them. She closed her eyes, grabbed his foot with disgust, pulled off the first stinky sock, then the second… Her soul was in agony. Her whole body ached from the recent beating. Her existence turned into purgatory. This nightmare couldn't possibly be happening for real.

At first, Kyon's bare feet felt a cold touch and a little later, awkward and reluctant movements of her gentle hands. Those unusual but pleasant sensations made him purr like a kitten. Finally, everything had fallen into its rightful place.

Kyon was lying on the bed, his arms folded behind his head. He was totally relaxed while the former lady was reluctantly massaging his feet. Kyon had been dreaming of this moment since he first met the little demoness, and now his dream had come true. The hell was over.

The acrid stench of his feet choked Jun. She had to massage his sweaty, foul feet while he was getting off on that. It was written on his face! No, she couldn't accept that. It was unthinkable! Only the hope that he would die in cruel tortures at her grandfather's hands gave her a little comfort. She had to endure until then… She had to follow his instructions. Well, Juno could do nothing about it, but revenge wasn't long in coming. The slave would regret what he had done, but for now, she had to render a service that was below her dignity.

Kyon got aroused against his will, a prominent bulge forming in his pants. Juno's awkward but most gentle fingers crawled between his toes, massaging them carefully and ineptly. He could feel with his skin the irregular breath of his slave girl.

Kyon had taken a clear stance on the age of consent. When a girl had her first period, nature gave her the go-ahead, her body was ready. All sorts of human traditions, stereotypes, laws, and beliefs based on the vague past were nothing but loud slobbering words or a stroke on the document. Kyon was not interested in all that nonsense. Many planets and peoples in his world followed this principle because nature was always right.

In ten minutes, Juno had massaged each foot three times. She gave a quiet grunt from time to time from resentment and indignation or from the nasty smell and humiliation.

«Please, may I stop?» – She whispered again and again.

This time, Kyon deigned to reply:

«Watch your tone.»

«Please, sir, may I stop massaging your smelly… Oh, forgive me… your beautiful feet with an unearthly fragrance?» – Juno whispered respectfully but not without subtle mockery.

Kyon chuckled. He pinched her nose lightly with his toes as revenge for her teasing and said peacefully:

«Alright, let's call it today.»

Juno crawled away, shaking with disgust. She took out a perfumed handkerchief and frantically rubbed her little nose with it.

Kyun couldn't hold back a stifled laugh. He cracked his fingers and said in imperious voice:

«Well, now I order you to lay out all your stuff. Let's see what you've got for me.»

Juno touched her emerald earring with a heavy heart. Black film formed on her hand. She blew a huge bubble out of it that resembled a soapy bubble, only it was black as a mole hole. When it burst, a handful of her precious things appeared in its place.

Kyon was amazed that spatial pockets in this world didn't require high technology. Spatial magicians could create them with remarkable efforts and concentration. In fact, spatial things didn't tear the matter (they didn't have enough energy for that), they acted as a hook-beacon that held some space between the physical and the spiritual world like a kite. When something needed to be taken out or put inside, the black bubble swapped the area inside and outside the ring. For example, if the dark bubble enveloped a sword, it would be inside when the bubble burst.

Another unique feature of spatial things is a singularity where time moves billions of times slower than usual, that is, it almost stops. The singularity is located inside a pocket, or rather in the space between the worlds, which is convenient for storing pre-cooked or perishable products. But they can't store souls, other spatial objects, anything unstable like a flying stone. However, spatial things also had several specific flaws that Kyon was unaware of yet.

A pile of Juno's treasures appeared on the floor: spheres, cloudy stones with formations inside, medicine, a round transparent shield that looked like it was made of glass, a beautiful token that sparkled like a diamond, elegant lingerie, a cake in the box, some water. Juno clenched her fists in anger. The wretched slave made her show her personal belongings!

Kyon's eyes fell on the most intimate item in the pile, and Juno quickly grabbed her underwear, made by professional tailors of some high-quality fabric. She warned him with an eloquent snort that didn't bode well not to think about… whatever he was thinking there!

Kyon rolled his eyes as if saying, "what's the big deal?" – he was not Jean, after all – and examined the rest of her things. He came across the black stick with dried blood on it. When he touched it, his mind instantly flooded with pure rage. It was the very piece of wood that the little bitch had almost killed him with. She had deceived him and then destroyed all his expectations with a sudden attack. It's hard to imagine a more despicable act than that. She wasn't a human being but a demon. He wanted revenge, he wanted her to beg him for mercy.

Juno shuddered and backed up like a frightened puppy as she noticed Kyon stare at the black stick with a scowl on his face. When he slowly turned his black stare at her, she cried pitifully:

«Please, don't beat me…» – Had Juno known that she could have averted her suffering today, she wouldn't have enjoyed the bloodbath at the hot spring. She was endlessly sorry for the first time in her lifetime. Juno wished she could turn back the time to kill him off once and for all.

Kyon gently poked the stick into Juno's solar plexus, turning her deathly pale. He laughed merrily but put the murder weapon aside. He had already said that she was done for the day.

Juno gasped for breath. The slave must be out of his mind. She didn't know what to expect from him. First, he beat her with a clear desire to kill, then he humiliated her… She decided to try and get through the day, lie low for a while. Then she might have a chance to make things right.

Kyon picked up the token that shimmered with all colors and had the Stones' coat of arms engraved on it. He asked Juno what this pretty thing was for. It turned out that each family member was given a token that symbolized their rank in the hierarchy. For example, the 7th rank had an unnoticeable, gray emblem which was almost offensive to wear. The 1st rank had an iridescent magnificent diamond token that attracted everyone's attention. The rank tokens could be worn on the chest so that everyone could understand who they were dealing with. It removed the necessity of identification.

Kyon picked up high-quality ointment from the pile of things and casually threw it to the girl.

«I order you to use it for its intended purpose right here and right now.»

Juno's hands automatically caught the ointment. She took off her nightie to apply the medicine to the injured areas, and then it dawned on her that the slave hadn't turned away and was blatantly staring at her.

«Please, turn away…» – She begged barely audibly.

But Kyon did not listen to her. He put some ointment on his finger and touched Juno's elegant snow-white back in the place that she could not reach.

«N-o-o! Аа-а-а-аh…» – Juno shuddered from his sudden touch and moaned in pain that the injured places were giving her.𝓷𝑂𝗏𝑬𝑙𝑈𝐒𝔟.𝗰𝔬𝓂

Her fucking gentle skin… It was like velvet of the highest quality! And her quiet sobs were just amazing. He even wanted to pinch her, but… Again, that was it for today. Her fragile body was unlikely to recover in a day or two, even with the high-quality ointment. But as there were no internal injuries, there was nothing to worry about.

«P-please… I… I'll do it myself…» – Juno repeated quietly for the third time.

«Shut up! Aren't you done with whining yet? The sooner you learn to serve me, the more pleasure you will get from your servitude. I am sure you will soon develop a taste for it, and the smell of my feet will be a real reward for you. Perhaps, I will even let you give me a massage in more private areas… I mean if you deserve it, of course.»

Juno was speechless. There were all kinds of thoughts in her head. There was only one thing she knew for sure: every word she said came around to her with humiliation and resentment, reminding how powerless she was.

As soon as there was no more ointment in the tube and the effect of the order expired, Juno bounced off aside and put on her nightie at once. She clenched her fists furiously and gave Kyon a menacing sullen look.

«You will pay for this…»

Kyon shrugged carelessly.

«I always pay my debts. Let me get it straight, I owe you a lot. Remember, those who try to take my life plummet into the fucking red.»

A.C. The words like purgatory, hell, devil, deuce, angel, "oh my god!", etc. do not mean the existence of any religion in this world or its influence on the culture and the local language. They are just words with a similar meaning but a different history/nature of origin.

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Chapter 60

«You… You could at least defend yourself when I was beating you! Now you have just beaten me up like a coward. You didn't even let me move! It's all because you know that I am stronger than you, and you wouldn't stand a chance trying to get a fair revenge!»

Kyon snorted with contempt:𝞰𝑶𝑽𝞮𝐥𝓊𝗌𝐁.𝐂𝗈𝗆

«Your words have nearly touched a nerve. You know… There is some truth in them. Let's make a deal: if I can't beat you in a fair fight a bit later, I will never beat you again. I mean unless you do something wrong.»

Juno lit up with joy, but soon her face darkened again. She was confident of her victory, of course, But could she believe this wretched slave? Alas, she couldn't take him seriously. But still…

Juno nodded resolutely:

«If your word is worth anything in this world… I would be glad to beat you again.»

Kyon looked at her with disdain. Even the most pathetic slave had honor and dignity. As for him, he was an emperor by nature. Although not quite so anymore… The recent events had taken the master of humanity down a peg or two, but he was only too happy to change because everything that could interfere with his success had to be eliminated.

Kyon went through her things once again. He shamelessly took a bag with spheres (money) with a total cost of about 10,000. It was enough to buy an average-sized house on the outskirts of the estate. He glanced at the transparent shield, then he picked it up and took a closer look at it.

«Grandfather gave it to me… If you take it away, I will never forgive you…» – Juno said quietly but with a noticeable threat in her voice.

Kyon had an urge to hit her again, but he only threatened her with a fist and a menacing look. Surprisingly enough, Juno was not scared, quite the opposite. She took a belligerent stance, thrusting her chest out.

Kyon threw the shield aside and said insidiously:

«The time has come to put our little birdie with golden feathers into a solid cage.»

Juno wrinkled her nose.

«What in the hell are you…»

Kyon pointed his index finger in front of her charming little nose, meaning to teach her a lesson:

«Mind your manners, or you will regret it dearly.»

Juno turned visibly pale but changed her question:

«What do you have in mind, master?»

Kyon didn't bother to answer. He gave her numerous orders to protect himself from all sorts of possible tricks on her part. There was a ban on any hostile actions against him, a ban on calls, hints or any other means of warning, in a word, everything that could ruin his life or reveal the little secret of their "close" relations of a master and a slave.

Kyon had to come up with a cover story to avoid the suspicion that his sudden promotion might arouse. He had allegedly impressed Juno with his combat technique. Moreover, he was Marina's friend. All things considered, it led the young lady to the decision to make him her personal servant.

Deep inside, his pride was hurt: from the rank of a slave to the position of a servant! But his mind put everything in its place, reminding him that he was the true master of the situation (and of the mindless teenybopper who had the real power in this place).

Kyon had also ordered Juno always to carry a sound transmitter in her pocket and by no means to touch, break or put it away. If he called, she was obliged to answer the call and listen to him.

After that, Kyon forced her to memorize all the orders by heart.

The subconscious is flawed by its nature. It does not remember the information but relies on the cerebral cortex, which means that her consciousness could cause him many problems. For example, if Juno forgot the order or understood it through the prism of her erroneous view/upbringing/knowledge, he may get in trouble. That's why he spent several hours conveying the message as detailed and understandable as possible. Fortunately, the girl was smart and a quick learner, too.

He would love to defend himself with the help of wiretaps and video formations, but they were quite heavy in terms of energy. Besides, they required the spatial attribute to transmit the signal. It was above his abilities to create them.

Kyon was not comfortable with the fact that his thorough beating failed to suppress her entirely, especially when he was looking at her pretty angry face. Juno turned out to be strong-willed with an indomitable spirit. Kyon couldn't help admiring her for that.

When he repeated the last order, Juno angrily stamped her foot:

«You must be out of your mind! I am not going to comply with this humiliating order!» – She didn't understand how it could be possible to become a spy in her own home! The freedom-loving girl couldn't live with that.

Kyon just shrugged it off:

«It's okay, I'm ready to take any risks. Anything is better than hiding in the bushes all day, shaking with fear that a gardener might accidentally find me.»

Juno furiously bared her shiny teeth and snarled:

«Wretched boy! How did you even manage to survive? Why do you no longer obey me? And how on earth did you get into my room? I can't make any sense of it!» – The angry young lady found it hard to maintain an attitude of respect towards the slave. Speaking with him in a respectful voice was out of the question. However, she was too eager to get the answers to her questions.

Kyon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Even being the most outstanding person in his world, exaggerated respect had always irritated him. There were several reasons for that:

First, he was only 22 years old at the end of that life. He felt somewhat uncomfortable when people older than him or his peers treated him with idealization. Children were an exception, but he never considered Juno a child as her behavior and world view (arrogant and cruel) brought her closer to an adult. Indeed, what did he do to be revered? The previous life was an easy game for him. He passed all the "advanced" tests and trials effortlessly. Lovr was born with an extraordinary predisposition to Synergy. Any task was a joke for him. However, he did nothing to deserve the credit. It was mother nature or lady luck that endowed him with the most remarkable gifts. To put him on a pedestal for the mere fact that he was born? No way!

Second, he abhorred falsehood in all its forms, whether it was a tradition that had long outlived itself or just common courtesy. He accused of falsity those who kowtowed to stupid old people that had achieved nothing in their entire life. He couldn't stand tolerance in any form for its shortcomings in exchange for a bit of advantage. He never understood countless hasty apologies for each and every of your actions: "Excuse me, would you be so kind as to tell me the time, please," "Excuse me for interrupting but your shoes are untied," and so on. He believed that such people should apologize for their very insecure existence and thank their parents for helping them become perfect gears in the well-oiled system.

Of course, he accepted a good upbringing and innate decency. However, if someone brazenly pretended to be a highly spiritual person, they would definitely deserve Kyon's contempt. In his opinion, a clear chain of command was quite enough.

Lovr had a full understanding that all these socio-psychological issues were essential for people to coexist peacefully in society. However, it might prevent an individual from making full use of their latent potential. Being squeezed in the rigid framework of a strict biased society, they might waste their whole life unfulfilled and miserable. It was known that the unhappiest people lived in societies with stringent canons, that's where the most suicides happened every day. The statistic was enough for Kyon to be absolutely sure in his worldview.

That is why Kyon decided not to spend too much effort to force Juno to treat him reverently. Formal politeness and absence of her particular brand of sass were quite enough for him.

«Since you are my slave now, I will satisfy your curiosity and even for nothing in return because you already belong to me, ha-ha.» – The pleased boy burst into a peal of nasty laughter.

Juno's face contorted with rage at his words. She wanted to tear this cocky asshole into pieces. He treated her as if she were a thing. Do all slaves feel like this? No, she refused to believe it. She did not want to try their reality on herself.

Kyon told her that he had survived thanks to his unique ability. He decided to keep the lid on it and only mentioned that it was one of a kind. Supposedly, his ability had accelerated the regeneration of his body.

He added that he had been studying formacy in the hidden library and created his own formation that he applied to his newly acquired slave.

«It's pure nonsense!» – Juno exclaimed incredulously. – «You need elements to apply a formation, but you can't possibly know about them!»

Kyon smiled slyly.

«Master Jean has lent me the basic grade of pure energy.»

«That's impossible! Even accepting the fact that you have mastered the basic grade in just two weeks, which is clearly beyond your competence (based on your abilities), it's unbelievable that the master could have given the important knowledge to a slave! It would hurt his pride and reputation!» – Juno firmly stood her ground.

«Your beloved master has no pride.» – Kyon snapped coldly. He didn't think he should sell Jean out. If only he revealed the whole truth about Jean's true nature, they would immediately cut off the wretched pervert's balls, as well as his head. Kyon wasn't going to grieve over the prick's death, but he was still grateful to him. Besides, Dinah was aware of Jean's dirty business… He must have already paid in full.

As Juno was left without an explanation, she turned her back on Kyon in exasperation:

«Even if it is true… I will never believe that you are… I mean that you really managed to apply this monstrosity to me… Your cultivation isn't high enough!»

«Speaking of cultivation… You should be well aware of this important rule of formacy: "A high intelligence of the potential submissive makes it harder to apply a formation." But take it easy, at least you are beautiful!»

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Chapter 61

Juno was boiling with rage. She glared at Kyon, hate in her gaze:

«You…»

«By the way, I was hiding in your pillows yesterday, keeping a low profile. They nearly fell in my secret place, and you didn't notice a thing, stupid little fool.» – Kyon added, taunting her.

«I wondered what was stinking like that.» – Juno replied through her clenched teeth in a quiet, deadly voice.

smack*

Kyon struck her across the face for such reckless insolence. The sharp blow sent her spinning on the floor.

«Mind your language. I warned you that I would severely punish any serious misconduct.» – Kyon said with a straight face.

Full of bitterness and resentment, Juno suppressed her outrage and decided to keep quiet this time.

«By the way, I almost forgot… I order you to hear "I order you" every time I say "please." So, please, tell Dinah to bring me breakfast, enzymes, and a spatial ring, as well as prepare a room for me on the ground floor. And please, order her not to harm me in any way.» – He gave the last order with a gleam of pure malice in his eyes. Since the maid had a subjugating mark on the forehead, he could and should take advantage of it. He knew that he should stay away from her, but the temptation was too high for him to resist.

«I have never ordered anything to my maids! How dare you humiliate them and, even more so, act under my authority! They didn't do anything to you!» – Juno exclaimed desperately. How could Juno tell Dinah to bring food to someone lower than her in rank? More than that, to a pathetic slave.

«Dinah did. And… guess what, I'm a risk-taker.» – He spread out his arms in a mock helpless gesture and then added another couple of orders of different purposes.

Kyon's intentions towards the dark-haired maid were far from good. In fact, her attempt to get his hands cut for stealing the sausage (that Marina had brought) could be regarded as attempted murder and anyone who attempted on his life… Well, you know the rest. In a word, it would come back to bite her one day.

However, Kyon wasn't going to take any decisive actions against Dinah, not now. Even if it was damn hard for him to control himself, he would give anything to try and give her a hard time, but all in good time. He would never forget what she had done to him to get his sweet revenge one day.

«Your wretched master Jean has been sick for three weeks, poor thing. You are stuck with his replacement. So… I order you to call the substitute after dinner and tell him not to come anymore. And please threaten him properly in case he dares to tell anyone about it.»

«Why? What did he do to you?»

«Nothing at all. The fewer people in here, the less chance they will suspect anything. The master is around you all the time, staring at your body, asking questions… He's no bloody use at all.» – Kyon smiled when he saw Juno's lips tremble. – «You know, I'm not interested in your cultivation. You can train on your own till you're blue in the face. And now sleep tight. Please, do as I told you in the morning and then come to the training ground. We'll see if you can manage without getting punished.» – Kyon patted Juno on the head with a gentle smile of the executioner who led his victim to the scaffold. Then he quietly left her room and went to the training ground. It was four in the morning.

It was time to take the first steps in his new life. Finally, the collar fell off his neck, and the dear crown landed on his head. However, he was not going to show his arrogance, not a bit. He had learned it the hard way.

After the ex-slave left, Juno exhaled with relief. Her whole body ached in pain from the recent beating. Two tubes of ointment had cured almost all her injuries, but the remaining ones reminded of themselves so hard that all she could do was wince in pain with every breath. She would have never believed that a noble lady like her would have to get used to pain. She had to learn how to live with it.

Juno wanted to raise the alarm, rip and tear, or at the very least, scream and squeal in hysterics, but her body obediently lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. Only some tiny teardrops rolled down her pale cheeks. {Oh my god… Why are you doing this to me? I didn't do anything to deserve this…}

At six in the morning, she suddenly opened her eyes. She was wide awake. Her body hurt less, but she still felt soreness and discomfort.

Juno resolutely took a piece of paper and tried to write down "HELP ME!", but her fingers did not move as if they were glued. The formation completely blocked any action against her master's order. No matter how hard she tried, it was all in vain.

Juno bit her lip and went downstairs where she found Dinah. She walked up to her maid.

«Good morning, my lady.» – The superior maid said respectfully with a slight bow.

Juno's face looked absolutely serene. Her body moved in a relaxed and completely natural way. Even her family and people close to her wouldn't see her anxiety. She couldn't even use gestures to show that there was a formation on her forehead. The wretched slave had constrained her from all the sides, creating a strong cage that paralyzed her mind and body.

«Good weather, isn't it?» – Juno asked carelessly in compliance with Kyon's orders.

«Uhm, it is… You're right…» – Dinah looked puzzled at the overcast sky. The tops of the trees were waving in the wind. The weather was anything but good.

«Can I help you with anything?»

Juno's eyes grew misty with humiliation and anger. Dinah didn't understand her. The young lady couldn't draw the necessary attention no matter how hard she tried. She meticulously followed the orders of her hated master like an obedient puppet.

Juno's lips quivered in an attempt to say something from herself. But all she managed to say was the following:𝑛𝓞𝑽𝔢𝗅𝓊𝑠𝗯.𝑐𝑶𝑀

«Dinah, please take breakfast to my ex-slave, who is my servant now. He is at the training ground. And then prepare a room for him downstairs along with the medicine of enzymes and a spatial ring. Forgive me for the following words, but I order you not to harm my servant in any way. I'm afraid you might accidentally kill him. Well, you never know.» – Juno said with a straight face and went to the bathroom, leaving the maid to stand still. It was a shock for Dinah to hear all that from her lady.

Juno's order sounded unbelievable. Dinah had served her family for many years. She was considered an equal member of the 2nd rank. Mr. Bai himself often told her that he appreciated her as his own. And then his granddaughter gave her such a treacherous and humiliating order not to touch that jerk! It smelled fishy… Dinah wouldn't rest easy until she found out the reason for this sudden change and why the scoundrel was still alive.

…

Right after Kyon left the mansion, he returned to his usual place where he had been hiding for two long weeks. No, he did not go there out of some nostalgic feelings. Now he was the mastermind in the mansion. He had enough of haunting the bushes. He returned to bring his feathered savior back to its rightful habitat. Kyon was concerned about the unfortunate swan he had been using during long training sessions to create formations and slots.

The poor bird had lost all hope for a happy future. It no longer flapped the wings. It didn't even try to quack. The swan looked exhausted, its feathers were falling out of stress.

Kyon infused the neck of the depressed swan with Synergy. Soon the nerve would be restored, and its voice would return. He carefully carried the bird to the pond and gently laid him on the ground, stroking its head in gratitude. The proud bird was about to give him a "loving kiss" on the nose with its beak but unfortunately missed.

Kyon returned to the training ground and had a nice long nap.

A sharp creak of the gate woke him up. The familiar quiet footsteps of someone very arrogant brought a happy smile to his face.

And so she approached him. The beautiful brunette with a silver tray in her hands. As always dressed in the maid uniform that boosted her sex appeal: seductive black stockings, sexy and tight on her slender legs; a disturbingly short skirt with a hoop petticoat; an exquisite blouse that showed her assets. Her beautiful gray eyes looked at him with icy contempt, her graceful eyebrows raised in surprise.

The lady's strange request had hurt Dinah's feelings. To bring food to the newly made servant! Why should she do this? Was the loser worthy of her visit? However, there was nothing she could do about it. She had to follow the order.

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Chapter 62

Dinah's glance lingered on his forehead. The mark was missing, so she couldn't even say who was in front of her: a miserable low-ranking scum or a high-born gentleman with good manners. Anyway, she was well aware of the truth!

«Why are you still alive?» – Dinah asked him blatantly the question that had been burning her lips. It wasn't something out of the ordinary, though. She didn't often go to the training ground, and the servants didn't give her any details. Anyway, the whipping boy could tell her everything himself.

Kyon was not going to bow down to Dinah, even if he'd better do so. She infuriated him too much to deprive himself of the pleasure of gloating. He stretched lazily and looked at her with a mischievous smile on his lips:

«Do you want me to die?»

It left Dinah speechless. Once again, the miserable slave was staring at her as if he owned her, treating her with no respect just like he did when they first met. Was it his true identity? Of course, not… He was so cheeky with her because Lady Juno had forbidden her to harm him in any way. He must have asked the lady for this order, and she suddenly agreed… As if her most trusted confidant was less important than a pathetic servant… It just didn't make any sense!

Dinah had an urge to nail the jerk to the wall and punish him properly, but there was no way she could do it. Her body wouldn't make a move against him because of Juno's order.

«I would gladly kill you myself, but you seem to have convinced the lady of your non-existent value, little prick. How did you do that?» – She slammed the tray on the bench and folded her arms arrogantly, waiting for his reply.

Kyon gave her a wry smile. No one would ever suspect that he had branded Juno with a subjugating formation. Besides, he had already made up a cover story that fully justified his sudden value and high position.

«I'd love to tell you this interesting story, only… I won't. If your lovely little sister asks me, I'll tell her everything with great pleasure. But I won't tell you a word.» – Kyon slowly approached the maid.

«That's how you're talking now… You got the lady's protection, and now you have the nerve! You've stopped wetting your pants at my appearance. Look at yourself! You think you're a proud lion, but you're still worthless nullity. Bravo!» – Dinah smiled with contempt and clapped twice her hands, mocking him…

Unfortunately, her attempt to hurt him failed. Kyon was smiling ominously, getting closer and closer to her.

«And that's coming from a noble, proud maid who wanted to finish me off because of some miserable sausage that Marina had brought to save me from starvation. You know, I'm even glad that master Jean has been using your cute little things for his dirty business. You totally deserve it and even more for your foul temper.»

Dinah gasped with shock and anger. He didn't fall for her biting words. Instead, his blunt reply hit her like a bullet. His merciless words were like salt in the still-raw wound. She hadn't healed after the past trauma yet. Dinah meant to reach for the dagger, but her hand froze aimlessly in the air.

Kyon enjoyed her nervous, helpless movement. He moved to Dinah step by step until she bumped against the wall.

bang *

Kyon hit the wall near her head, cutting off her further retreat and said with a threat in his voice:

«Now listen carefully to me, pathetic maid. Starting with this moment, you will be in big trouble if you dare to make a move against me. Did you get the message?»

Kyon didn't mean to say "pathetic maid," but the words just slipped out. He was looking straight into her eyes with his heavy unblinking gaze of a seasoned killer.

Dinah was drowning in his eyes. A whole stream of various feelings and emotions overwhelmed her. She had never been treated like this. She had never been pushed or threatened… She had never been scared. And all of this coming from this miserable servant! Who was he anyway? Why was his aura so cold and overpowering? Why was he so sure of himself?

Just then, the gate creaked open again, and Juno arrived on the scene.

The cutie was wearing a pearl gray skirt, silver sandals, and a tight blouse with thin straps. Her bare white shoulders magnetized the eyes. Her outfit was not suitable for training. She was dressed like this to make Dinah suspicious. Juno always had a special uniform for her training sessions. She was trying to leave hints through the net of rigid orders but… When Juno saw Dinah pressed against the wall, she understood that she shouldn't have bothered.

{What? Is it his sophisticated way to commit suicide?} – Despite her happy thoughts, not a single emotion reflected on the face of the high-born slave girl, all because of the orders.

Dinah instantly slipped out of Kyon's grip. It was embarrassing to let Lady Juno see her like this.

«Forgive me, my lady. The cheeky boy was misbehaving. Will you let me punish him properly?» – Dinah asked slightly stammering, visibly red in the face. The young lady had seen the honor of the superior maid compromised.

Kyon bent over in a respectful bow. He imperceptibly waved his little finger and coughed politely, giving Juno a sign.

Juno promptly addressed the maid in a calm persuasive tone:

«My dear Dinah, please ignore this ill-trained servant. He has no manners whatsoever, but he has something else, no less important. I guess he has already told you all about it. That's why I asked you to bring him breakfast. You are free to go now.»

«But my lady! This boy dared to…»

«Don't worry, I'll punish him myself. You'd better take care of your other duties.»

Dinah pursed her lips, visibly displeased. Then she bowed obediently and left. A ray of hatred pierced Kyon, but he only smiled at her playfully as if she were a sweet, harmless pet. It was a bad day for Dinah, a very bad day…

Dinah was heading home, tormented by curiosity. She had no end of questions, beginning with the possible reasons for the newly-minted servant's arrogance (what if there's something else behind his confidence?) and ending with the young lady's strange behavior (why on earth did she protect him?)

As soon as Dinah got to the mansion and found her sister, she grabbed her by the hand and took her to the nearest empty room, without explaining anything.

«What's the matter? Is it something important?» – Anna asked anxiously, alarmed by such an unusual behavior of her usually impassive sister.

«The black-haired upstart is still alive.»

«Uhm… Are you talking about… Is he really alive? I haven't seen him for three weeks…» – Anna muttered in shock.

«But that's not the point! The lady has ordered me not to harm him! And now… He is being a little too much! Anna, you must ask him everything in person, please. Everything you can. I have neither strength nor desire to do anything with this impudent street rat!»

«Oh! It can't be true!» – Anna covered her mouth with her little hand in disbelief. For the first time, her sister let anyone see her feelings. And for the first time, Lady Juno had given an order to one of them. Something big was going on!

«I have no reason to lie to you. Be so kind and interrogate this little scoundrel properly. Torture him, if necessary. We are experts on tortures for a reason.»

Anna sighed with annoyance. Pity and sympathy for the unfortunate toothless boy still lived in her kind heart. She decided to spare him the suffering if he told her everything himself. Anna had no doubt that she would find out everything she wanted. She promised her sister to settle things up.

Dinah already had the usual cold and unemotional expression on her face. She nodded to Anna gratefully and left.

…

As soon as Dinah left the training ground, Kyon made Juno sign with his finger to check her formation. She shook her head, which meant no one was nearby or watching them with some concealment technique. Meanwhile, certain orders had expired in Juno's formation, and she growled furiously:𝗇𝗈𝐕𝑒𝑙𝓤𝗌𝑩.𝚌𝑂𝓜

«You're insane! I swear to you that your death will be long and painful! If I don't kill you, Dinah will do it someday!»

Kyon began eating his breakfast carelessly. «I don't think she will dare when she finds out why I'm so valuable to you.»

«I would personally give away all the wealth of my family and the mansion to boot just to get rid of you! What value are you talking about?!»

«I am Marina's friend. I also have incredible combat skills. These two factors are enough to justify my role as your servant.»

Juno hissed something angrily under his breath and ran to let off steam on a dummy, imagining you know whose sly face.

For the first time in a long, long time, Kyon had eaten his fill. He rose solemnly, straightened his back, flexed his shoulders. It was time to try out the pure energy in practice, figure out the average speed of his movements, and estimate the effect of his blows. All in all, he wanted to know what his body was capable of… He needed to determine what would happen if he met the little demon at the hot spring now that he had mastered the basic grade of pure energy. He was eager to punish her by himself (if he was ready.) Juno's proper upbringing had just begun…

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Chapter 63

As Kyon came to know, Juno was in the 6th stage of the base phase. She was at the 5th stage only two weeks ago. He was at the 4th stage, but the crucial factor of his cultivation was the stream (the total purity of his elemental keys) which was 900%, while Juno's was only 290%. However, her talent and the purity of her keys met the standard of 250%.

«I order… I allow you to attack me without weapons or any accessories. It's time you learned where you stand in our relationship. I will attack you with my bare hands, not some magic tricks.» – Kyon said defiantly, taking a fighting stance and infusing his body with pure energy.

Juno's eyes lit up with bloodlust.

«You will need more than one lifetime to do that! Die now!» – She resolutely rushed to her former slave, eager to kill him on the spot. She had been using only pure energy before. Now she decided to engage her entire arsenal: the element of wind and the dangerous ether.

Kyon was pretty much concerned about his life and health. He blocked her first blow. As soon as Juno's tiny fist touched him, numerous bright sparks flew into his body.

pam*

Kyon felt a powerful discharge equivalent to the impact of a stun gun. A dull pain pierced his whole body. His limbs stiffened up and shook. Everything turned dark and blurry.

Juno was already secretly celebrating her victory. She raised her fist for the second strike. Her opponent was stunned, the second blow was going to knock him out, and then she would quickly kill his unconscious body. It was so nice that her "master" was an arrogant fool!

«Please, stop!» – Kyon hurriedly blurted out, just in time to dodge the next discharge.

«You little prick… Arrr… I hate you!» – Juno growled, sounding like an offended child. She even stomped her cute little foot. She was so close! But… The asshole had given an order to defend himself in the nick of time.

«Please, give me the same blow to the chest one more time.» – Kyon said in a slightly trembling voice.

Juno followed his order with a grimace of disgust, mumbling something along the lines of a "sick bastard" and "his peculiar tastes."

pam*

There was another crackling noise.

Electrical currents passed through his body, making his hair stand on end. Kyon analyzed the information he received during the sparring. He noticed that pure energy was a universal element. When he used it to protect himself, the energy lessened the impact of the discharge by about 60%. Pure energy could absorb the attack, depending on the power and potential of its owner. It couldn't weaken the attacker or make the skin less electroconductive. All these facts brought Kyon to another conclusion. The ether bending was quite dangerous, especially with an advantage in cultivation. The solid ether barrier was a must. It was a matter of priority among all ether benders.

Kyon thought things through and concluded that it was pointless to fight with Juno under such circumstances. One mistake, and he would lose consciousness at once, even if for a second. There was no doubt that Juno would make sure that he would never wake up again… It wouldn't do. He had to put off his fair victory (and another lesson of manners for his slave girl) until later.

«Please, attack me with only pure energy.»

«You must be kidding me!» – Juno moaned in frustration and rushed headlong into the attack at more than double speed. She was not that dangerous without the wind and the ether. She would need all her good luck to kill the opponent who was way more skilled in the technique of combat.

Kyon was delighted to discover that his speed of movement was a third faster than that of the average person, but there was another nagging question:

{Why am I inferior in speed to Juno? She is quicker but the difference in our cultivation is only 2 stages.}

«Аааааh! You're pissing me off! Stop already if you're so scared to fight with me properly!» – Juno shouted in a fury.

Kyon gave her a contemptuous grin. Then he asked Juno why she was moving so quickly. Soon he found out (against her will, of course) that the young lady had mastered a particular movement technique. Roughly speaking, she used pure energy in a unique way, which boosted her movements. It was more effective than infusing the body with energy.

Juno angrily bit her lips until they bled, but she had to reveal, under the influence of another order, that any movement technique, just like any combat technique, had a rank: "E", "D", "C", "B", "A", " S ", where "S" was something unfathomable, belonging to dreams and fantasies, unimagined heights of excellence. The higher the rank, the more powerful and more efficient the technique, and more difficult to master. The path to enlightenment had never been easy.

It wasn't for the first time that Kyon had heard about the ranking system. Family members, workers, formacists, slaves, investigators, etc. were ranked in numbers, while techniques, formations, medicine, unique bodies and everything that was not connected directly with people and had some physical value were ranked in letters.

Juno said that the Stones' technique was of "B" rank, and she was proud of it. Because of this technique, she could defeat equal opponents due to their noticeable lag in speed.

{I've barely made the first step on my way to becoming stronger, and I already feel the importance of the influence, wealth, and accumulated family experience… And… What shall I do? Should I master the Stones' technique? What if I face an opponent who uses a better technique? There must be another way…}

Kyon decided to create his own movement technique. His masters and various simulations in the past had provided him with a complete package of knowledge about the ideal groups of movements for all parts of the body. He had made a comprehensive analysis of the neurons under the influence of pure energy. Now he could carry out any experiments with this element. His way of mastering pure energy was different from anyone else's… Anyone could use the elements intuitively, without thinking, without any analysis. It's like following a certain pre-learned program. But Kyon had taken the basic grade apart totally and completely. Therefore, he knew all the nuances in the smallest details. It was a piece of cake for him to create and master any technique. Kyon decided to take full advantage of his talents.

In the meantime, he needed to focus on his sparring with Juno to find out what else he was capable of.

Kyon ordered Juno to attack him again. He clenched his fist, infused it with pure energy and met the little fist of the bloodthirsty girl aiming at him.𝞰𝑶𝑽𝞮𝐥𝓊𝗌𝐁.𝐂𝗈𝗆

pam*

The two opposing pure energies collided with a quiet pop.

The impact of the counterstrike sent Juno flying a meter away. She squealed painfully, clutching at her hand, still trembling with recoil. Her shocked big emerald eyes stared at Kyon.

«It's impossible… I'm two stages stronger than you… Why then… Why are you so strong?!»

Kyon laughed happily. He was pleased with the result, but his body wasn't fast or strong enough. The maximum level of purity of his keys gave him a significant advantage. He would learn soon that he was 5 stages stronger than any opponent with standard keys. With this advantage, he would never lose to anyone with equal cultivation! Taking into account the energy he used, he was at the same level as any practitioner at the 9th stage, i.e. five stages stronger than him.

«Why are you laughing?! What's so funny? I demand explanations!» – Juno exclaimed with her hands on her hips.

Kyon wiped away a tear of laughter. He enjoyed mocking this arrogant creature.

«Oh, never mind. It's just… You are a mediocrity, and I am a real genius! Ha-ha-ha!»

While Kyon kept pushing her buttons, Juno could not get over the shock. She was a new rising star in the Stone family, hoping to overtake Elsa who was phenomenally talented. And this pathetic slave had dragged her through the dirt. He called her mediocrity!

Juno's pretty face flushed with anger. She couldn't possibly be weaker than the rootless asshole who was stages weaker than her! She could not! Juno clenched her fists until they hurt and launched another reckless attack with a fierce roar of an angry tiger cub.

And again, the two pure energies collided… The young lady took five steps away. Tears of pain and resentment welled up in her eyes. The power of his energy seemed to surpass hers by at least three stages.

Kyon didn't feel a thing from the collision. He laughed again, mocking her.

A gaping hole was growing in Juno's heart. Her hopes, aspirations, and dreams weren't worth a penny! All her expectations, assumptions, her masters' claims that she was a real genius were nothing but a lie. The once insignificant half-dead slave had just defeated her! She could hardly accept the fact that he had become two stages stronger in two weeks. But to believe that he exceeded her in pure energy? It was too much.

The haughty lady's dignity had suffered a major blow once again. It was all because of the vile giggling boy. Confusing thoughts were swarming through her head.

{Why? Why? I… I'm no mediocrity! No no no!}

Juno turned pale with anxiety. The whole world had become her enemy. She suddenly became a slave last night. Now she found out that her "master" exceeded her not only in the "position," but also in energy that she was so proud of until today!

«Well, well, well. What do we have here? It seems that a talentless little girl wants to surrender and burst into tears?» – Kyon was gloating over her, not hiding the cold contempt for his victim.

Juno glared at her torturer with hate and bitterness. Her brain searched feverishly for a way out of this hopeless situation. She must have something up her sleeve… Exactly, her speed! It was time to use the special family technique and win. Otherwise, she would never forgive herself for this crushing defeat.

Juno attacked again.

Kyon chuckled in amusement. {She is not a complete fool, after all. And not a crybaby… She swallowed her humiliation and even found strength for further resistance. I thought she was going to break down.}

When Kyon attacked her like before, she briskly jumped aside. Juno understood perfectly well that she couldn't afford another collision. It would badly injure her hand. She was dodging Kyon's blows for the first time. She had been using her usual aggressive style based on a fierce attack before.

Even the pattern of her movements had noticeably changed. She became more flexible. The balance of her body improved due to the wind element circling her slender body. Juno used the wind for protection, which added to her blow half of the battle fist.

And yet, Kyon's fist reached its goal a moment later. A sharp pain pierced her side.

Her invisible translucent barrier of the ether cracked and then burst. Juno flew a meter aside.

Juno's pride suffered another wound, but she managed to dodge and stand on her feet. It wasn't too easy to avoid that blow. The proud lady took a breath and started a new attack with a fervent roar. It was a message to the smiling slave that she was not going to lose.

Kyon immediately realized that she decided to interpret his order literally. His restriction to the wind and the ether didn't mean she couldn't defend herself. Indeed, her quirky mind had found another loophole in his order. He had to be careful and give her more clear orders. However, he decided to allow her to block his attacks with the help of the elements. It was pointless to fight with a completely helpless victim.

About ten minutes of sparring that looked more like a fight to the death had passed.

It was so only for Juno, though. As for Kyon, he had missed out on most of it, and for a reason. When the golden-haired beauty raised her slender bare legs in silver sandals, her short gray skirt lifted up, revealing exquisite snow-white underwear to his eagle eyes. Kyon even thought that Juno was using a smart mental attack. This kind of show would spurt a bloody fountain out of Yegorka's nose.

He had an urge to recklessly pounce on the cutie, passionately grab her in his arms and bite her to death for the slender curves of her captivating figure, for the pleasant and exciting aroma of her heated body, for her graceful movements…

It was weird. He had never had such acute and obsessive desires before, not to mention discomfort during the battle. However, he found a logical explanation for it. Until recently, his life was constantly hanging by a thread. It could end at any moment. Now everything was different. He had become the only master of his destiny. There was no pressure from the outside, so his feelings found a way out. He had to keep in mind that he still needed to consolidate his hold on power in the mansion. The former master of humankind was not going to ruin the hard-won results with trivial self-indulgence. Even though, let's face it, he really wanted to.

However, the seductive cutie did not even notice the way Kyon was looking at her. His eyes darted all over her body when she was doing spinning back kicks, somersaults and backflips. If only the naive girl knew that her bottom in sexy tight panties was better and way more effective than her most sophisticated fighting techniques… But the only thing that concerned Juno was her victory. She was eager to defeat her powerful opponent in a fair fight because she wanted to make sure she would never have to experience the humiliating events of the previous night.

Kyon wasn't going to give up. The fight was not over yet.

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