Everything Will Be My Way

by Stayrr

A young man with an extraordinary mind is off on an exciting adventure when he mysteriously wakes up in the body of a feeble slave-guy in a different, rich in quirks world. The main character, a selfish jerk, would use extreme means to achieve his goals. However, he never allows his base instincts to overrule his sense of decency. He always pays back both good and bad deeds. Will h

3. 64 - 95

Everything will be my way! #Chapter 64 - Read Everything will be my way! Chapter 64 Online - All Page - Novel Usb

Chapter 64

After ten minutes of the fight, Juno failed to remain unscathed. Her ether barrier burst with each hit of Kyon's fist, and every impact that reached the goal hurt like hell. His blows were so strong that she had to change her tactics. She tried to dodge his punches, taking advantage of her speed and seized every opportunity to hit him at any weak or unprotected spot.

It struck Juno as strange that she could not win the battle even with double speed. The slave was weaker than her. How could he possibly keep fighting! Why… Why were his movements so unpredictable… Why couldn't she hit his soft, unprotected skin? Juno could not believe that his movements were so perfect! The rootless slave couldn't be a gifted fighter! Anyway, Juno had to brush away all these thoughts and focused her mind on the battle.

There were some good moments in their fierce battle. Every blow that reached the slave-master swept over Juno in waves of ecstasy. When he was writhing in pain, her old life seemed to get back on track, her envy disappeared. But then again, the world lost its colors. The awareness that she was a slave hit her like a shock wave. It was an excellent motivation to fight more skillfully and get stronger than her enemy. It encouraged Juno and gave her strength. She would never accept that a dirty beggar looked down on her.

During their vicious battle, Kyon got a lot of bruises and contusions, even if he managed to soften the impact of about two-thirds of her blows with pure energy.

Had he mastered the basic grade of elements before meeting Juno at the hot spring, he would have survived in the mansion. He would have withstood her beatings. He would have recovered with the help of Synergy faster than he got injured. His only trouble would have been food…

The balance of Juno's and Kyon's power was far from equal. He moved a little faster, counterattacked better and got fewer injuries. Juno was afraid of pain and did not want to lose to him. She was careful, and it played right into Kyon's hand. Like a graceful cat fighting a poisonous snake, she tried to dodge his blows and attack. It was quite a show.

Each time she hit him, Juno let out a whoop of joy. Her face lit up in delight. When Kyon hit her hard, she winced, about to whine in pain. Anyone would take pity on her to be forgiven in heaven once and for all.

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Kyon kept working on his movement technique and struggled to focus on the battle. He found out that his muscles contracted faster if infused with energy. He had to continue with experiments because he was missing out a lot. Even if he refined his ideas, his technique would not rise over the "C" rank. He would have to complete the analysis of the pure energy basic grade to create an effective technique. For most masters, one minute of his study was equal to years of hard and diligent work. It's even hard to imagine how difficult it is to create a movement technique.

At some point, Kyon realized that his energy was over (what an unreasonable waste of energy!) while Juno was full of strength and determination.

{Well, I will humiliate the little fool another time.} – Kyon thought with annoyance. He was eager to beat her in an "honest" way.

Juno noticed that the slave was exhausted and didn't use the element anymore. Now he was like a cornered child, completely in her power! Her ego rejoiced: "I am no mediocrity! He lied!" A sweet victorious smile appeared on Juno's face. However, Kyon suddenly stretched out his hand and said:

«Let's stop the fight, please.»

Juno stood rooted to the spot. Her disappointment gave way to the triumph of her victory. «Ha! Who's the fool here? You have lost, admit it! I can see that you have no more strength! Why did unceremoniously stop the fight? Clinging to your pride? Don't you have no self-esteem? Of course… Where would a pathetic slave get it? You will never have as much energy as I do because you are just a slave.» – A gleam of triumph sparkled in her eyes.

A wry smile slid across Kyon's face. «Have I ever tried to hide my defeat? And how does it change the fact that you are nothing but mediocrity?» – He really wanted to humiliate the arrogant girl.𝐧𝓞𝑣𝓔𝑳𝐔𝔰𝕓.𝑐𝞸𝗆

Juno glared at the loser with contempt, her arms folded. «All you can do is keep saying how weak I am. Let's be honest. You lost like a pathetic old dog!»

Kyon looked at her like she was a crazy fool. «You have almost lost to the opponent who is two stages weaker and twice as slow as you are. How dare you claim you are no mediocrity after that? I will beat you fair and square as soon as I master the simplest movement technique.» – He was obsessed with this idea.

It hit Juno like a bucket of cold water. She stopped dead, her mouth open in surprise. How stupid she was! She had convinced herself that victory over him would bring her lost dignity back when in fact, he was right! It took her so much sweat to defeat him! What a shame… Her sweet, childishly naive face blushed. Joy gave way to indignation, anger was replaced with confidence. «So what? I have beaten you and it's all that matters! I have humiliated you! You are weak and pathetic!»

She headed for the exit, pleased with herself. Let the slave choke on his own saliva with anger. The main thing was that she had defeated him.

«I did not allow you to leave the training ground.» – Kyon said coldly.

Juno turned around, her lips pursed. The mere glance at his insolent face made her shudder. How dared he to order her around? She was out of her element again. It didn't fit the noble lady to obey a slave. Even her grandfather always asked her politely. As for guys like Yegorka, they had to beg her to do anything. But a slave… She would never accept it.

Juno did her best to keep cool. She sat on the bench, crossed her legs and said:

«What do you want from me, loser?»

Her words could hurt anyone, but not Kyon. He was completely indifferent to Juno's insult.

«I did not give you permission to sit on my bench, miserable slave! You have soiled it! I order you to hit yourself in the chest three times and call the servants to clean the dirty bench!» – He said in a piercing, almost screaming voice, paying Juno back in her coin.

Her eyes widened. «No… You can't…» – Her body had already stood up against her own will. Her hand no longer belonged to her. She struck herself three times in the chest and touched the formation on her wrist to call the servants.

It was like a breath of fresh air for Kyon to know that she was hurt, that despair reigned in her soul, that hatred was slowly growing inside her, ensuring him that she wasn't going to break down, that she would stand up to him. If Juno were afraid of him, he would lose interest in her. He would never hesitate to use her fear against her anytime and anywhere.

After the servants left, Kyon sat down, regally spreading his legs and stretching his hand in front of Juno. «I order you to kneel and kiss my hand to apologize for your misconduct.»

Shock and horror reflected on Juno's pale face. She couldn't believe her ears. «No…» But a second later, she couldn't control herself. She fell on her bare knees and kissed Kyon's hand: «Master, forgive the talentless fool for her misbehavior…»

Kyon sighed wearily, annoyed at her stupidity. He looked down on her with disdain. «Dirty trash, never dare to soil the place where I sit again!»

Juno nearly fainted. Her head was spinning, her ears were ringing, she was dizzy. {It can't be… He said that… To me…} – The world turned upside down. She just wanted to die, but first, she needed to kill the dickhead, tear him apart, and take a bath in his blood. Did all slaves have feelings? No way. The higher they rise, the harder they fall.

As for Kyon, he finally felt at peace. Everything fell into its rightful place. Juno's lovely emerald eyes looked up at him with despair, disgust, and anger. He wanted to kiss her just to make her spit blood with fury. He hated her so much. However, her sweet beauty transformed his hate into something even more disgusting. Kyon didn't want only to beat her but also to dominate her in all possible ways, which was too mundane and crass for his main goal. It was time to move on.

The masters had given Lovr a taste for inaccessible heights. Their attempt to prepare him to become a god was crowned with success. The principle of paying debts, a clear understanding of good and evil, justice (individual for everyone) and humanity, allowed Lovr to get everything he needed to a sufficient measure.

At the moment, his character and ambitions demanded new goals, plans, and priorities that could help him achieve the desired heights. His motivation could be understood if taking into account that peace and degradation were torture for him while progress and self-development were his source of life and pure joy.

In this world, he couldn't be powerful with talent only. He was talented enough, but he also needed resources. If he wanted to raise his limit of cultivation, he needed a good foundation, a unique body. A nurtured body required considerable resources. To boost his cultivation speed, Kyon needed high-quality medicine to accelerate cycles, breakthrough medicine, enzymes that accelerated the body and the soul cultivation. He also needed to live in places dense with energy, like the Stones' estate. To improve his energy quality and to defeat opponents at higher stages, he needed expensive enchanted weapons, incredible powerful techniques, advanced grade of elements, a developed unique body, tons of powerful assisting, attacking, and defensive items or formations. All that had one thing in common… {I need a lot of resources!} There was no doubt he needed a high position in the family, in the kingdom, in the empire, in the world! Kyon set himself the goal of achieving legitimate power in the Stone family. It would be the first step.

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Chapter 65

Kyon put his hand on Juno's soft cheek. She was still coming to her senses. Once, he naively thought he could seduce her, completely forgetting how the masters treated the slaves. Now she was his slave under the subjugating formation. The outcome is sometimes different than expected.

{Rich noble people can do anything they want, the world is their oyster. All roads are open for them: to the best schools, tournaments, competitions with good prizes, to the elite libraries, the battle halls where they can find techniques and superior grades of elements. Juno is an ideal means to achieve my goal. I will become a high-ranking Stone.}

His thoughts flashed in a split second. He had set his major goal, now all he needed was to divide it into segments.

Juno angrily pushed his hand away. «DON'T!» – She rose to her feet and said with hatred in her voice. – «Why don't you just leave? You've taken all my money. It's enough for several lifetimes! What else do you want from me?!»

Kyon remembered 10,000 spheres that he had taken from her and laughed. «Stupid girl! Do you want me to walk away? It would be a crime not to take advantage of your position for my personal gain. You are the missing patriarch's daughter and granddaughter of the present one. Your possibilities in the family are really endless and, above all, you belong to me. Isn't it wonderful?»

His words made Juno shudder – she belonged to him. The rotten, crazy slave with no past and no future thought of her as his toy. – {Dirty worm! Just wait, I will find a way to get you.} – Juno turned away with a wry smile. She didn't see fit to give him an answer. He hadn't dishonored her, and that's what mattered most. There was a hope that everything would end soon and get back to normal. She would forget everything, plunge headlong into intensive training and clean her body and mind in the hot spring under the full moon.

«Tell me about the party that Yegorka mentioned once.» – Kyon suddenly interrupted Juno's thoughts.

Juno had to tell him about the party.

Grandpa Bai was going to throw the best party in the world for his beloved granddaughter, where she was supposed to find her love. He had invited the younger generation and expected the wealthiest, most honorable and distinguished guests to arrive and show off in front of his precious girl, win her favor, get her to dance and…

Juno frowned and added against her will that her grandfather was greatly mistaken in the number and quality of the guests. After her father disappeared, the family began to lose their power, influence, and authority in the kingdom. The younger generation began to deteriorate. Everyone was worthless. Yegorka was the most promising among them, the elders' favorite. The Stones were expected to get 5th to 10th place at the next family tournament, where strength equaled high rank, which meant they were going to lose the 1st rank to the Browns. Everyone was pretty sure of it. The reign of the Stones was verging to its close. To crown it all, certain rumors had been flying about Timothy. He appeared to have switched his interest from runaway Elsa to Juno.

All this had downgraded the importance of the party, but Bai was completely unaware of it or refused to face the harsh reality. Anyone who knew about the future event must have heard something along the lines: «Patriarch Bai wants his worthless granddaughter to marry someone of high status before his family has lost their title! Who will ever fall for this scheme? What a shame! It's so embarrassing.» … «It's pure madness! I don't want problems with Timothy Brown. I have enough on my plate. No, I am not going to the party… "

Kyon could see that Juno was telling him the truth. He shouldn't expect talented young people at the party, they wouldn't descend to that level. Besides, many of them were afraid of Timothy Brown. However, the best young people from the Stone family were surely coming. They had no choice as the patriarch had ordered them to be there. XiaoBai, Juno's elder brother, was coming too.

Kyon found out even more details: there were no good parties without battles. Usually, the winner would become the king/queen of the party and get a reward.

Juno did not have a clue what prize they would get this time. But there wasn't such a thing as a tournament without a reward. Her grandfather must have prepared something valuable.

{I see… It's a good chance to prove myself in front of the Stones. I don't want to miss this opportunity. I must take advantage of it and enter the elite of the Stone family, but I have to get stronger in about two weeks…}

«Why are you so interested in what's going on in my family?» – Juno interrupted Kyon's thoughts.

He slowly turned his eyes to her, coming back to reality. «I want to get a higher position in your family.» – He answered indifferently.

Juno stared at him for a few seconds and burst out laughing, looking so cute with her little hand covering her mouth. «He wants to get a high position in my family! I mean, seriously?! No way! You are not strong enough to beat even me in the battle! Don't be ridiculous! It's easier to get to the moon!»

«And that's coming from the girl who took so much effort to overpower me.» – Kyon reminded her spitefully.

Juno pursed her lips and turned away. «Anyway, I am talented, and I cultivate faster than you, lousy fraud… Sooner or later, I will be number one in my family. More than that, I will gain the power my sister has never dreamed of. And you will achieve nothing because you are just a slave…» – She saw Kyon's expression change and added in fear – «I mean ex-slave…»

«You're stupid, aren't you? I connected with my spirit a month ago. Now I'm at the 4th stage of the base phase. And you think I don't have talent?»

His words cast a shadow of a grin across Juno's face. {A month ago? I don't buy it! He's a lying bastard!} – But she said nothing.

Her silence amused Kyon. He grinned and took another chance to belittle her:

«After your crushing defeat, I will make you pick up the tears of sorrow and grief and drink them up. And now you're free to go. Get lost!» – He waved her off like an annoying fly.

Juno was steaming with outrage, but she swallowed the insult and hurried out. She couldn't stand to be around this madman as if he was a rotting corpse. She had to figure out how to escape.

«It's not the appropriate way to say goodbye to your master!» – Kyon said coldly.

Juno could feel goosebumps rise on her skin. She turned around, frowned.

The silence seemed to last forever.

Kyon stretched his hand graciously:

«Well, I'll gladly teach you if you want to practice with me… It's no trouble at all. I know lots of positions.»

Juno jumped out of her skin. The angry expression on her face turned into utter despair as she was trying to come up with an answer. His order was as degrading as stabbing herself with a knife, but… She had no choice. Her lips quivered and half-opened. She smiled insincerely and answered in a sweet, trembling voice:

«Goodbye, dear master… Have a good time…»

Kyon broke into a tender, approving smile and let her go with a satisfied nod. {Right… I will rehabilitate you.}

He knew that he would never forget the time he was starving or how she had ordered him to knock out his teeth, the fact that he had no shelter for the night and her many attempts to kill him. Juno's suffering was not coming to an end any time soon.

Outside the gate, Juno blushed like a ripe red apple. All she wanted was to scream from humiliation and hatred. { I swear to heaven that only one of us will remain in this world! May goddess Danna be the witness of my oath!}

Left alone, Kyon sighed and looked into the cloudy sky. A little more than two weeks were left before the party. He needed to improve the quality of his energy and master the basic grade of all the elements, choose a unique body, invent the ideal movement technique, and learn a couple of combat techniques. Kyon knew he had a lot to study yet. He still knew too little about the world around him.

Above all, he had to be careful with the maids. Since he had already taken over Juno, everything should work like a charm. However, he'd better not cause suspicion and keep playing the role of a servant when someone saw him around the "lady."

Kyon went to the center of the arena. He was considering which element to master next when he remembered Juno's powerful lightning. He had almost lost to her because of it. He had made his choice – his second element would be ether.𝗇𝚘𝒱𝐞𝑙𝓤𝒮𝒃.𝗰𝗈𝓂

Jean once gave him the basic grade of each element. He swallowed the cloudy stones, and the information formed in his mind in the form of neural connections that he was hoping to acquire with the help of Synergy.

Kyon couldn't care less about any restrictions on the number of elements for the local practitioners. Four elements were for a genius. Only a heavenly genius could master five. Kyon was going to bend them all, with no exception. They could call him a god after that.

When Synergy analyzed neural connections, it excluded accidents or coincidences. It wasn't about enlightenment.

It took Kyon a week to acquire the basic grade of the simplest element, the pure energy (aka inner energy). He thought it would take him longer to master ether, but it didn't… He already had the guideline, all he had to do was to apply it to the ether element.

After two hours of vain attempts, Kyon frowned. The element didn't respond. It was complicated and unpredictable, its neural connections were incomprehensible. The energy was erratic, which complicated the analysis. He couldn't find a single lead to the neural connections.

The time was passing by. It was getting dark. Kyon took short breaks to grab a bite, answer the call of nature, and take a nap.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up with a spark of awareness. He had found the first lead! It was all downhill from here. He had to put the whole thing together, and he would have the basic grade of the ether.

The sky was overcast with dark gray clouds. Here and there was a clap of thunder, a bolt of lightning. A strong hurricane wind rose. Tinyl but fast raindrops crashed against his face, the wind tousled his hair. He was one step away from acquiring the element.

pop*

He comprehended the essence of the element when he mastered all the information he had. It reached his soul and became one with it. Kyon could hear an unusual, funny sound that meant he had acquired the basic grade of the ether once and for all as if he had known it from his birth.

BOOM*

The menacing bright lightning broke at the barrier and disappeared without a trace.

Kyon stretched out his arms like Moses and laughed. {Even heaven supports me! There's a blessing! Ha-ha-ha!}

It was his second step on the path of becoming a powerful practitioner. He had mastered the basic grade of his second element. It was intoxicating to realize that bending the ether came so naturally and quickly to him.

Usually, it took the most avid adepts from six months to ten years to master the ether. Thanks to her talent, Juno had learned it in a month. If someone found out that it took Kyon only eight hours, they would seethe with envy.

The weather calmed down after the thunderclouds swept away. The drizzle and wind disappeared. The clouds were melting in the twilight.

Kyon wiped the sweat from his forehead and sat on the bench. He stretched out his hand with his fingers in a circle as if he was holding a sphere. Dangerous bright purple lightning fired from his fingers. It was focused in the center, making loud and cracking sounds.

{My guess was correct. The ether creates and controls charged particles!}

Kyon began to test the new element at once. He noticed that his ether attacks were more powerful than Juno's. Not much, though, by about one stage.

He found out that his pure keys made him five stages stronger in the previous battles, but it didn't add up now. If Juno were five stages stronger than him (at the 9th stage), she would have topped him in power. He wondered why.

He found the answer pretty soon. Juno had the advanced ether (2), and he had the basic grade (1). The power of their ether defied the rule of five stages. The difference in the three stages would make them equal in power.

{So, the difference between the basic grade and the advanced grade is two stages.} He came up with a curious idea. If Kyon had an advanced (2) grade of ether while his opponent had the basic grade, the difference in their power would be seven stages even if their cultivation were the same! An enormous advantage, indeed.

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Chapter 66

Kyon had developed some understanding of how important the grade of the elements was. It didn't only remove certain restrictions (making the element stronger) but also gave way to new opportunities. He had to increase the grade of the elements by all means.

Kyon continued with experiments, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. He had learned a lot.

{Hmm… I can create electrons and protons from the ether but no antiprotons, positrons, or other charged quarks… The ether is not omnipotent, or maybe the superior grade will let me create them?}

His eyes sparkled with delight. The knowledge base from his past world had opened for him surprising ways, incomprehensible for the local people. To begin with, he decided to recreate the ether barrier that Juno always used. The principle was easy. He needed to create a layer of stable charged particles above his skin. When a physical object appeared within their reach, the particles instantly pushed it away according to one of the four fundamental interactions. The same force comes into effect when you touch something with your fingers, for example, a table, a body, or an apple… Your fingers do not pass through the matter due to a certain fundamental force. The barrier-ether mechanism works in the same way.

Kyon set to work as soon as he understood the principle, but he couldn't put the theory into practice. There was no stable foothold in the ether, no surface that could keep the energy field stable. Using his body to get a toehold was not an option.

Kyon had a brilliant idea to combine his pure energy with the ether. The first component could circulate inside the body without leaving it while the ether could compensate for the properties the pure energy lacked.

After five minutes of experiments, thin film appeared on his skin, inconspicuous to the inexperienced eye. It took lesser mortals long months to acquire the ether element. It was a job that required a whole life of devotion. Kyon came up with it from scratch.

He tested his barrier for strength. A half-smile played on his lips when he got the results. It turned out that the ether barrier was so unique that it had almost no weak points. Its only flaw was impact resistance that was equally durable all the way round and could shatter if damaged at a certain point because the particles it was made of moved at the speed of light. It didn't matter if the attack was done with a hammer or a needle. It would take the same effort to break the barrier that was an ideal, durable shield from a sudden attack. Its disadvantage was that it was relatively weak. A hammer could shatter it like glass. A throwing needle, however, would break as if against a brick wall, even if it was launched in the back.

If the pure energy partially absorbed the attack, the ether barrier blocked it completely.

However, three points ruined it for Kyon. First, it took a lot of energy to maintain the barrier that was useful only at the moment of taking the blow. Second, the barrier couldn't block residual attacks such as heat / cold / darkness / light, and others that didn't have a clear physical form. Third, for some reason, the barrier didn't cover the entire body, only a small part, doing it rather selectively.

{Perhaps, I'll be able to seal off my entire body with the barrier when I have the advanced grade of ether. Time will tell.}

Among many other ideas, Kyon planned to create a laser, antimatter, plasma, master telekinesis, and learn how to protect himself from electricity.

First things first, he tried to create a laser. He put two fingers together, released some energy with given beam parameters, but nothing happened. The laser dissipated like a flashlight, radiating a barely visible ionic glow. He failed to keep it focused.

Kyon spent another 20 minutes until he found it was too boring. He lacked a higher grade of ether, that's for sure. Simply put, there was no variable that he could edit to focus the laser ray. He was disappointed. It would be fun to try out his new option, flashing the light on someone's eyes and dazzling them.

Kyon moved on to his next idea – antimatter. Just a minute later, he realized how absurd and unattainable his plan was. He smiled bitterly at himself.

A little earlier, he had found out that he couldn't create antiprotons and positrons. However, it would be only a waste of time at the moment.

His next idea – plasma flame – was a little more successful. Pure plasma was much hotter than fire. It had lots of thermal energy concentrated inside because it never left its borders. Only ball lightning, a rare aerial phenomenon, had the properties of plasma.

Kyon knew the physical theory of ball lightning: a sphere of glowing ionized gas contained by the magnetic field. 𝒏𝒐𝐕𝗲𝓁𝑈𝔰𝔟.𝕔𝒐𝑚

Only, he would need no gas, creating the magnetic field with the ether and a bit of pure energy. His plasma flame wouldn't be limited to the spherical shape, it would swirl like clouds.

His attempts had been successful so far. An hour later, Kyon was holding a warm glowing plasma ball in his hands. It looked like a fairy-tale light. However, he didn't rejoice at his success because the magnetic field was too weak. His plasma ball couldn't hold energy long enough. It dissipated in the air or burst.

Kyon clenched his teeth and continued with the experiments. Another hour later, he sighed sadly and decided to get back to this idea when he had acquired the advanced grade of ether.

He started practicing telekinesis but gave up in a minute. The magnetic field was so weak that he failed to move a small piece of iron, let alone the matter with which the magnetic fields interacted millions of times worse. He ruthlessly killed the idea to find a combat component in telekinesis.

What was he left with? Protection against electricity. He knew the theory, he had formulas in his head, the principle was clear. That should do it.

All he had to do was place an intangible barrier that blocked all charged particles in his skin. Kyon already knew that the barrier couldn't cover his entire body, only a certain part. But it was enough for starters. He couldn't wait to see Juno's reaction when she found out her charge of electricity didn't work on him.

It was no rocket science to create protection against electricity, but it would take him more than five minutes, more than an hour. Kyon needed to get away from all that for a while, maybe visit Marina or make himself at home in his new little room on the ground floor. He hadn't had a soft pillow under his head for a long time.

Kyon left the training ground.

It was getting dark when he entered the mansion. He was a rightful servant-tenant now, leaving behind his past as a slave-swindler. The three girls were inside. The working day was over, and the other servants had gone home. With a certain step, Kyon went upstairs and knocked on the door to Marina's room. His friend was plain like a little mouse but at the same time elegant and charming. As soon as she saw who came to visit her, Marina exclaimed with joy:

«Kyon! How did you stay alive! Tell me everything that has happened to you!»

«It's a long story…» – Kyon replied, entering the room and closing the door behind himself.

He told her everything from beginning to end, embellishing his story here and there. He knew that Marina was the girl he could trust. She was the kindest person he'd ever known, one in a million. Kyon did not see the point of hiding from her what he had done with Juno. Marina was his accomplice and deserved to know the truth.

«That's impossible… You have enslaved my friend! It's m… M-m…»

Kyon quickly covered her mouth with his hand:

«Hush, silly! They will hear us!»

Marina only nodded in response.

Kyon could not hold back his excitement and hugged her tight:

«Gods! Marina, you have no idea how grateful I am to you! I would have died more than once if it were not for you. I owe you a lot… real big… You are the kindest girl in the whole world! I hope you know this, do you?»

Marina was embarrassed, her cheeks flushed:

«Come on, it's nothing… I am sure anyone in my place would do that. You've been through so much…»

Kyon smiled and hugged her even tighter. At some point, it was getting awkward, and he let her go.

«So… My friend is… Your slave?» – Marina asked with concern.

Kyon nodded.

«But… You… You kept your promise, didn't you?» – Her voice trembled with emotion.

«I promised that I would not kill or cripple her.»

Marina let out a sigh of relief but then she tensed again. «Alright… wait… It doesn't mean you didn't hurt her? You didn't, did you? And you didn't…»

Kyon gently laid his hand on her shoulder.

«Marina, I hate Juno but deflowering her was never the plan. As for hurting her… I must confess I made her suffer a bit. But you saw what she did to me! The arrogant beast was lucky I could hold back. I didn't maim her, after all.»

Marina looked him straight in the eyes, covering her mouth in fear. «You… You have beaten my friend…»

Kyon turned away, unable to look into her pure eyes. What a strange feeling… A pang of guilt, perhaps? But he had kept his promise… Why was his heart so heavy?

«Kyon… Look at me.» – Marina asked quietly.

Kyon looked at her and felt the soft touch of her hand on his cheek.

Her voice sounded amazingly tender and soft:

«Please, Kyon. Don't hurt Juno for no reason. I understand there's been some strain between you, but she is my close friend… I have not seen her yet, but she must be really demoralized now… I can't even imagine her pain…» – Marina bit her lip and decided that she would stay with her friend tonight.

Kyon was about to roll his eyes but didn't out of respect for Marina. {I doubt that the little devil treats her with the same warmth… Lucky her to have a friend like Marina.} Kyon was sure that Juno kept her on a leash like a useless doll that resembled her mother… A biased but most likely correct thought.

«Alright, Marina. I'll do my best not to hurt her for no reason.» – Kyon replied sincerely, not without a smile.

Marina blushed like a juicy peach gleaming in the sun and removed her hand from Kyon's cheek. How embarrassing! She did not notice that she was touching him.

Kyon was sitting on the bed, lost in thought. According to his principles, he owed her. But Marina was a simple girl who didn't care for worldly possessions, unlike Martha from the mine who he had paid back by raising her social status. The reflections led him to the following question.

«Marina, tell me what you want to do with your life?»

The question took her by surprise. She did not expect to hear from him something like that. After a short pause, Marina furtively looked into his pitch-black eyes and answered timidly:

«I've always wanted to have a baby with the man I love.»

{That's what I thought…}

Kyon heaved a deep sigh and embraced Marina by her slender waist, looking into her pure, innocent eyes and gently kissing her lips, soft like rose petals. She moaned softly in surprise and tried to push him away. Soon, however, she stopped resisting and closed her eyes, overwhelmed in sensual emotions…

Kyon adhered to a simple relationship strategy: if you want a girl to be yours, act immediately and straightforwardly. To hell with dating and other unnecessary romance. All you need is to wait for the right moment and seize it. Girls love them assertive and confident, after all.

Kyon didn't feel any tide of emotions when he kissed Marina. He didn't feel any attraction he usually had for the fair sex. She was a good friend but not the girl he loved. And yet, he couldn't fail to make her dream come true. Slowly, gently, he ran his hands over her back down to her hips… Then he opened his eyes a little and pulled away.

«Marina, why are you crying?»

Her eyes were wet with tears. «I don't know… There's a terrible pain burning in my soul, and I don't understand why…»

Kyon understood what was happening in Marina's soul at once. She couldn't give up everything she had had with Flitz. Her endless stories, anxieties, and emotions turned into tears. Perhaps she felt that she was betraying him. Anyway, Kyon decided to put off the question of his duty until she was ready.

Kyon resolutely squeezed her gentle warm hands. «Don't cry, Marina. Your dream will surely come true. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday it will happen, and you will be the happiest woman in the world.»

When Marina heard that, her eyes sparkled brighter than the summer sun. She wiped away the tears that were still running down her cheeks. When she calmed down a little, Marina whispered to him: «Thank you, Kyon…»

It was time to change the subject.

«Tell me more about Flitz.»

Their heart-to-heart talk went on until midnight. When they were saying goodbye, Marina gave Kyon a smack on the cheek and a snow-white handkerchief in appreciation of his promise.

When Kyon was going downstairs, he saw a picture of contrasts: the beautiful fair-haired maid was heading for the shower room, radiating warmth and light while charming Dinah was walking next to her, spreading the chill of winter winds.

The latter gave Kyon a scornful glance as if pouring icy cold water on him. Then she silently went into the shower room, giving her sister a sign with her hand.

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Chapter 67

Anna walked up to Kyon. It was unusual for her to see the former slave in the mansion. It violated all the rules.

Kyon bowed slightly, playing his part as a servant:

«Ms. Anna, would you be so kind as to show me to my room?»

«Follow me.» – She went to one of the doors on the ground floor and opened it.

The room was fabulously furnished, even if the decor was simpler than in any other room of the mansion. Kyon was pleased with his spacious room with a big, soft bed, a dining table, an armchair, and a couple of cupboards.

Anna closed the door from the inside. She crossed her arms, put on an icy cold look and coughed loudly to make Kyon turn around. It was time to comply with Dinah's request and interrogate him. Tons of questions had been bugging her all day long. As for Dinah, she was irritable and impatient all day.

«Answer my questions quickly, boy. And don't lie to me. I can tell when someone lies.»

Kyon nodded as if he wasn't even thinking of that.

«How did you survive? Where did you live all this time?»

Kyon answered Anna's harsh questions after a pause, still playing his role as a servant, keeping his voice soft and shy:

«Lady Juno left me alive when she saw my combat potential.»

Anna's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. «Your teeth… They are safe and sound! Every single one of them!»

«Yes, they are. The lady gave me a strange round pill, and they quickly restored… What is more, the formation is gone.» – He tousled his bangs, feigning embarrassment.

Anna could barely hold back her surprise. It was totally unlike Juno to appreciate the boy's skills. It couldn't be true. «What did you eat? Where did you relieve yourself?»

Kyon got red in the face. He lowered his head and replied:

«Lady rewarded me with food and water every time I proved myself in the fight…»

Anna put her snow-white hand on her forehead. {Did Juno train him?} – It was hard to believe that the young lady had been treating the boy as her pet, taking care of him. But Kyon was standing right in front of her, very much alive. There was only one question left without an answer…

«As for relieving myself, I secretly used the bathroom. I didn't want to bother you.»

Anna snorted in disbelief.

«It's pure nonsense… You could not have passed me! It's been more than two weeks! Do you think you could go unnoticed?»

Kyon just shrugged in response and confidently looked into her eyes. «As you see.»

Anna grinned:

«I know you're keeping something back!» – She said in a shrill voice, giving him a fixed chilling stare that forced him to lower his eyes in embarrassment. – {I don't believe him! I can't believe it! Lady Juno had been taking care of him! My servants must have been keeping their mouths shut. But how could he sneak into the bathroom? I should punish him for that but…}

Kyon added something important:

«There's something else I have to tell you… I am Marina's good friend. You can ask her yourself. Here is the handkerchief that she gave to me.» – He said and held out the present he had recently received.

«You? Her friend?» – Anna was a little confused when she took the snow-white handkerchief. She returned it at once. What else should she do with it? Sniff it? The maid was aware that the lady was on good terms with the girl who resembled Diana, her mother.

Kyon nodded. Anna decided that she would speak with Marina later. She didn't doubt that the servant was telling the truth, but she wanted to find out what kind of friends they were.

Before Kyon knew it, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the room. {What? Where is she taking me?} – His fears were totally justified. The maids didn't only know Juno very well, they were also a serious challenge in a fight, with their outstanding strength and assassin skills.

Anna brought Kyon to the training ground and said:

«I am going to check if Lady Juno was right about you. Are you ready to fight?»

Kyon opened his mouth in astonishment. «My lady, but you are way stronger than I am. I mean many times stronger…»

Anna rolled her eyes and said, visibly displeased:

«I will lower my cultivation. Attack, have no fear. I won't kill you.»

All the practitioners, beginning with the 2nd phase, could lower their cultivation level. However, they didn't use this trick too often, rather extremely rarely. Some considered it as an insult, others took it as humiliation, and certain individuals dismissed it as mere posturing. But no matter what others might think, Anna had rapidly reduced her cultivation to the fourth stage of the base phase.

Kyon took up a fighting stance with his fists in front of him. He thought bitterly that he could use a better movement technique to help him move like a cheetah, not like a turtle. But even without the essential technique, Kyon felt hurt because Anna had underestimated his strength. It might be difficult for her to fight in her high-heeled shoes. She wasn't going to use the blades hidden inside the heels, anyway.

Anna interrupted Kyon's thoughts, quickly reducing the distance between them to hit him directly in the chest.

bang*

With an instant jump back, he avoided the attack and rushed forward. Anna was now weaker than Juno by two stages, and her speed was within Kyon's control. He was in charge.

The maid was surprised: the boy was the real deal. He dodged and then immediately attacked. {With my movement technique, he will lose in a few seconds, anyway…} – That's what she thought. In response to his overt attack, Anna gracefully arched her slender body, did a spectacular flip backward and gave him a flash kick. In her opinion, it was a top-classing performance to attack and defend herself at once. Suddenly, her plans failed. The boy didn't seem to attack at all, but the balance of his body shifted back even if he had to move by inertia towards her…

Then something happened that Anna wasn't expecting. Kyon grabbed her ankles, and with one deft movement interrupted her maneuver. She stood on two hands like an inverted Christmas tree. Her short skirt treacherously succumbed to gravity and fell, revealing everything hidden underneath.

Kyon's pupils dilated as he saw the charms of Anna's body. The low sex frequency in one mental year and his weakness for all the beautiful took their toll on him.

{White and lacy… Oops…}

Before he could come to his senses, Kyon saw an illusory movement and felt a sharp pain in his chest. The blow sent him a few meters away, then he rolled some more and gazed up into the night sky, wondering about the meaning of life.

Anna pulled down her skirt. Her face turned red with anger and humiliation. She was steaming with a desire to deal with the insolent boy once and for all. Her insides were churning: the servant had seen her underwear! What a disgrace! It was like the dirty boy had touched her! Who was he anyway? It was unacceptable, unforgivable for him to see something like that. But Anna's good nature helped her quickly calm down. Her common sense reminded her that she had actually screwed up. She had let the boy corner her. How silly of her… She thought her attack was unexpected and sudden! But…

She looked at the body on the ground and felt guilty. However, her rage had not subsided yet. Anna resolutely approached Kyon, playing it cool. «Have you seen it, boy?»

Kyon put on a painful face and mumbled pitifully:

«Lady, I… Please, don't kill me…» – His eyes were full of tears and regret.

Anna wavered. He had seen everything and didn't deny it. She would have the moral right to punish him if he had lied, but the boy was pure as snowflakes. She looked aside and bit her full lip, reflexively adjusting her skirt. «Let's call it today. I'm sure your bones are intact. But if you… Oh well, forget it.» – She had no more taste for fighting today.

Anna walked off but the blush never left her face. She could not understand the uncomfortable sensation haunting her. Was it helplessness? She caught herself thinking that her sister's character had its advantages. If the boy had seen Dinah in the same position, he would have been dead in a second, saving her from remorse. But Anna wasn't like that.

She entered the mansion and went to the bedroom. The sisters actually shared the same room. When Anna entered the room, she saw Dinah lying on the bed, her legs gracefully crossed. She was wearing an irresistible black lacy lingerie set.

«Did you interrogate him?»

Anna sat on the bed silently. She touched her nose as if she was hiding something and finally said:

«He said that Marina was his close friend. I don't think he was lying, but I'll talk to her later. He also said that Lady Juno appreciated his fighting skills.»

«What skills does the jerk have?»

Anna nervously played with a lock of her blond hair. «I'm not quite sure…»

«And that's it?» – Dinah squinted suspiciously. «No one has any idea how the slave managed to go unnoticed for two weeks, how he survived and became the lady's servant. And that's all you've got?»

«Dinah, stop it! I will talk to Lady Juno and Marina, and…»

«All you had to do was to question him. We were taught to torture. We can get any information. Why didn't you interrogate him properly? Do you feel pity for him? We must never hesitate when it comes to the mansion and especially to Lady Juno.»

Anna stared at his sister, not daring to answer. Dinah was ruthless and relentless, as ever. But even she wouldn't react to a common slave like that… Something was wrong. «You can't let an ordinary servant get to you. Could you possibly have any feelings for…»𝗇𝒪𝑽𝑒𝗅𝐮𝑠𝐁.𝐂𝐎𝓂

«Shut up!» – screamed Dinah. – «I would gladly kill him, but he's no longer in my power because of the… The order…»

There was silence after these words. Then Anna went to the shower, lost in her thoughts. {Sister has been acting out of sorts. She says the boy gets fresh with her, but I don't buy that! What if she has really fallen for him?}

Kyon was still out of breath but gradually coming to his senses. He felt a dull pain in his chest, however, no bones were broken. He couldn't get Anna's sexy, alluring, seductive charms out of his mind. She had left a deep trace in his consciousness. The masters used to say to him that his weakness for beauty would get him in trouble, but there was nothing he could do.

In the simulation Earth, he had almost no interest in women. They didn't attract him. It was below him to mess around with the programs. Outside the simulation, he spent almost all the time on the tasks the masters gave him. His so-called weakness did not bother him. Moreover, he had no interest in average and below average girls. He had to be alert, given that any rich old woman could afford to buy youth and virginity. Everything was different here. Beauty was a valuable gift and a great blessing. Generations following one after another became stronger and more attractive because the beautiful young girls were not burned at stake. The most deserving men took them as wives. In this world, beauty was a valuable resource for the wealthy.

As soon as Kyon recovered, he returned to his room. A little box was waiting for him, and he hadn't had time to check its contents yet. He took the box in his hands and started to examine it.

He found inside a spatial ring of several cube meters to store the most valuable things and a handful of little balls with enzymes. They were of a smoky shade of white, similar to the base phase spheres. These enzymes also belonged to the base phase. His body couldn't metabolize the advanced ones.

Kyon picked up a little pale ball and scanned it with Synergy. It contained the essence of enzymes that could be found in food in small amounts. The local population had long guessed that it didn't make sense to eat meat and plants that contained enzymes of the corresponding phase. It was easier to extract the most valuable part and concentrate it, increasing its purity (the number of beneficial enzymes) at the same time.

For example, where could he find a noble phase chicken? Kyon imagined a hen walking about the farm, scaring people stiff. Gradually, they left food alone and converted enzymes into pills. As a result, their bodies got stronger, as well as their souls. "Strong mind starts with a strong body."

A thought flashed through his mind: {I wonder how it will accelerate my cultivation.}

Kyon was disappointed to find out that Synergy and enzymes mutually destroyed each other as if exposed to alien energy. He couldn't send beams of energy into his cells to have an advantage over other people.

By the time he moved to his new room, he had managed to upgrade his nervous system, which significantly increased the stress resistance of his organs. He had learned from books that the body absorbed useful enzymes while the worthless ones overloaded the organs and took a long time to get excreted from the blood.

According to Juno, the purity of these enzymes was about 80%. It was a fantastic rate for the Iron Throne. Kyon took the pill and continued analyzing his body.

A stream of microscopic energy balls spread through his body like oil. Their effect was similar to alcohol, only the symptoms were absent. Judging by the descriptions in the books, they would appear only if he had overdosed on enzymes.

The jet-black night had long wrapped the world in its embrace, covering it with a thick dark blanket. Kyon didn't want to waste his precious time and went to the training ground. Sleeping was not part of his plan. He could do it later. Anyway, Kyon needed less time for sleep than other people. Using Synergy, he could be in the deep and fast phase of sleep at the same time, which meant he could get enough sleep twice as fast.

Step by step, Kyon began to master the protection against electricity. He knew the theory well. It was a matter of time before he created high resistance from the powerful element of ether. An hour and a half of training flew by. He felt that his body had already absorbed one pill of enzymes. Kyon took a second pill with no hesitation. This knock-out dose could poison an average person, but Kyon's body easily withstood the stress.

Less than a couple of seconds later, his organs seemed to have gained weight. However, everything remained within the normal range. There were no irregularities or disorders. He was doing well for the time being while bundles of enzymes safely penetrated the cells of his body.

Half an hour later, Kyon dared to take a third pill. Intoxication increased to the maximum level. He shouldn't take anymore, or each of his organs would suffer from stress.

{Come on… I can develop my body three times faster than an ordinary person, can't I?} – A satisfied smile lit up Kyon's face. He had come to this world with Synergy, his only treasure. It wasn't the first time it had surprised him with its remarkable advantages and unique properties – an increased level of intoxication, perfect key purity, bonuses from body cultivation, and so on. Any mortal would sell their soul to the devil for the privilege of having these unique features!

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Chapter 68

While creating the barrier against electricity, Kyon decided to find out experimentally how spatial things worked. He took the ring in his hands and infused it with pure energy. An instant later, his mind filled with information about its scope and content. It felt like emptiness. As if you think about an empty bag.

He touched the ring with two fingers and stretched out the black like the darkness of the night film. It resembled a soap bubble. He wrapped the ball of enzymes with the film and detached it from his fingers with a click.

The bubble burst at once, leaving nothing in its place.

Kyon raised his eyebrows and checked the contents of the ring with pure energy. Now, his mind received information about the ball and its location inside the ring.

{Hmm. That's how it is then…}

Kyon had read in the books that the time inside the ring stood almost still. He effortlessly took the ball out. Anyway, he could use his Tetris skills to handle spatial objects.

{Our spatial pockets absorb a huge amount of energy. Not every millionaire can afford them. It's so easy in this world… However, it doesn't come cheap, either. It takes the local magicians-formacists about a week to create them.}

Kyon had read that the formacists applied a special formation to the ring that held a spatial pocket between the spiritual and physical worlds like the kite on a string.

It was seven o'clock in the morning when Kyon exclaimed with joy: «I finally did it!» His voice bubbled with enthusiasm, his eyes sparkled with glee.

He had created the ether technique "protection against electricity" from scratch! Now he could block electric charges and other residual attacks that involved charged particles. His technique had a single drawback: it was incompatible with the ether barrier. Kyon assumed that he had to upgrade his element to an advanced or even higher grade. It would make the barrier stronger.

Kyon had a wild urge to test it immediately on Juno, but his empty stomach had other plans. He had to eat something and drop by the dreamland for a few hours.𝗇𝒪𝑽𝑒𝗅𝐮𝑠𝐁.𝐂𝐎𝓂

…

Yegorka didn't want to look intrusive in Juno's eyes, which is why he didn't visit her more than three times a week. He would never forgive himself if the girl, who was always on his mind, called him clingy.

He madly wanted to be with her as often as possible, listen to her voice, admire her beauty, but he had to restrain himself. Sometimes, Yegorka told her he was busy just to play hard to get. However, Juno never asked him what he was doing. She couldn't care less. But Yegorka hoped, believed and dreamed that he could become a better man worthy of her love.

The day was shining with new bright colors because a servant brought Yegorka good news literally a few hours ago – Juno wanted to see him. He was approaching the mansion in high spirits when he thought that it was rather unusual of her. Juno had always called him herself. It was for the first time that she had sent a servant to deliver a message.

His family name was enough for the guard to let him in. Anyone from the VIP club could visit the park whenever they wanted to. The elders (of the first rank) were the club members and, with their permission, the others could also enjoy the benefits (starting with the third rank and above.)

Yegorka was anxious. He diligently smoothed his blond hair, gently straightened his jacket. He wanted to shine with confidence around Juno. An elderly uncle, now residing in the imperial capital Dantes, had taught him this wisdom once.

The guard put his wrist to his mouth and informed the lady about the visitor.

Yegorka's ears caught the sound of her quiet footsteps upstairs. He cleared his throat and swallowed nervously. His voice should sound smooth and pleasant and by no means tremble. A sincere smile lit up his face. Flames were dancing in his eyes.

An adorable, charming angel appeared on the staircase. The gorgeous girl was wearing pearl gray clothes. She fluttered down the stairs like a gracious butterfly. Her curls fell on her back, dancing against her shoulders like a reflection of the setting sun in the smooth surface of the water. Her lovely face… Indeed, the gods went all out on their creation. Only, her eyes were half-closed as if she were in dreamy reverie.

«Hello, Juno! My little angel…» – The moment Yegorka greeted her in happy bliss, Juno threw herself into his arms.

«Ju-Juno…» – His heart missed a beat. She had never hugged him before… Even for his birthday… What was the occasion now? Could it be possible that she had feelings for him?

Yegorka didn't know the answer, but he wanted to believe it was true… His soul rejoiced! Did she finally see how good-looking he was? He could not believe it was really happening. It all seemed like a dream. His eyes were clouded with tears as Yegorka buried his nose in Juno's shoulder. It wasn't a dream, but a sweet reality… What was going on?

It was harder to get rid of Yegorka's tenacious embrace than Juno had expected. She was looking at him with a calm face, her large eyes pleading as if she wanted to say something.

«What's the matter? Are you okay?» – He asked, concerned.

Juno wanted to kiss the empathetic moron for being so sensitive. No, she wasn't okay! She was a slave! And she couldn't say anything or give him a hint because of the cage of orders! It wasn't easy for Juno to fall into his arms. She had to pretend he was imaginary.

Juno looked around, frowned her beautiful face and left quietly.

Yegorka was stupefied. He immediately followed her. «Juno, are you alright? Did you miss me? Why are you so quiet?»

«Nice weather today, isn't it?» – He heard her angelic voice.

«Hmm… Yes, it's wonderful! Tell me, what happened?» – Yegorka said, wondering what was going on. Was he only imagining things? Something impossible had happened.

Juno opened a door on the ground floor and entered the room. Yegorka followed her.

The door swung open so unexpectedly that Kyon dropped a sausage from his mouth. He frowned at the uninvited guest. «Why didn't you knock?» – But there was no answer. The cute angel took a running jump straight into his arms and put her thin arms around his neck, embracing him like a vine. She wrapped him with her light floral scent, her eyes closed.

Of course, it was right then that Yegorka should enter the room and see what he could not understand and accept. Juno was hanging around some guy's neck! Well, if it wasn't the slave! His black clothes were hard to forget! And his nasty, ugly face… Yegorka's heart almost stopped beating as he realized what he had seen. «What's going on here?»

Juno opened her eyes. The cage of orders gave her some leeway when she was around Kyon, but it completely deprived her of freedom when there was someone else. Now that a third party had appeared in the room, she was bound hand and foot.

Juno hurried to leave at once. Yegorka was obliged to kill the slave. That's what the whole thing was about. He must die… Die, nasty slave, die!

Kyon was shocked to recognize the boy who was his accidental savior twice. Every second counted. He connected Synergy to his mind.

When he realized that Juno had left the room, Kyon ran to the window, broke it and jumped out. He rolled on the ground, disappearing in the bushes. Let's not forget that the boy who was trying to figure things out was now even more dangerous than Dinah. He had enough power to kill Kyon with a single blow.

A wild roar came from behind as the blond guy with a pale bloodthirsty face jumped out of the window. Instead of asking Juno to shed light on the situation, the distraught macho decided to kill the object of his jealousy. «Wait, you, asshole! I have pressing business with you, and the price is your worthless life!» – However, Yegorka couldn't see anyone around.

Kyon had reaped the benefits of being the ghost in the mansion. He knew the location of every leaf, web, and blade of grass.

Yegorka snorted. He activated scanning with pure energy, instantly caught the outline in the bushes, and darted toward him lightning fast. «Don't move, scum!»

Kyon had just taken out the sound transmitter when he heard Yegorka's roar. He turned pale and rushed forward, calling Juno all the names under the sun.

Kyon hadn't run too far. Yegorka appeared in front of him with a bloodthirsty expression on his face. His speed was incredible. He could catch up with Kyon in seconds, like a hare chasing a turtle. He grabbed Kyon by the scruff of the neck, lifted him like a fluff, squeezed his hand into a fist and slowly prepared to deliver a fatal blow. His hand radiated a bright orange glow that could quickly turn flesh into a charred piece of meat. «Die.»

Kyon's journey had only begun. He did not want to finish it like this. An idea flashed through his mind at the speed of light and he cried out:

«Juno loves you!»

The approaching fist froze in the air. The residual heat scorched Kyon's face with a hot wave. His eyebrows, eyelashes, and part of his hair instantly singed. The skin on his face turned scarlet red. It peeled off, exposing the bloody flesh.

Kyon's mind was going through excruciating pain that he suppressed with Synergy. He had inhuman endurance. Anyone in his place would have wailed in pain, but he only said:

«The young lady was testing you! She hugged me because she wanted to know your reaction! It was a test of jealousy!» – Kyon said hoarsely but convincingly. It was all or nothing.

Yegorka's eyes widened. He loosened the grip on the slave's neck. «Are you serious?! She… Is it true?..»

Kyon coughed and fell to his knees. He picked up the sound transmitter and called Juno's frequency. She always had the device with her and would definitely answer the call. He had taken every precaution.

While they were waiting for her to answer the call, Kyon said:

«Of course, I am serious! It's true! I'm calling her right now. Lady Juno will be pleased with your reaction. You have passed the test…» – His voice was heavy with the pain he was feeling despite his attempts to suppress it. Blisters deformed his once handsome face. The devil himself would be horrified to see him.

Yegorka shuddered. He wanted to believe Kyon's words. Juno's strange behavior and, even more so, her indifferent face, when she was hugging the slave, had confirmed everything. {It was only a test! Ha! It's a good thing I didn't kill him! Or maybe it isn't… What if she wanted me to…}

Kyon finally got through. «Lady Juno, would you please come to the W-shaped bushes around the corner of the mansion where Yegorka is waiting for you. Your fiancé has passed the test.»

«I will.» – They both could hear her shrill voice.

{Your fiancé? I will?!} – Yegorka was encouraged. All his suspicions had disappeared. The world around him seemed fantastic, unreal again. He pinched himself to make sure he was not sleeping. It was not a dream! Incredible! His amazing, beloved girl was testing him! He had passed her test! A blissful, dreamy smile lit up his face, but… Something was bugging him… It all seemed a bit weird… He had almost destroyed the low-born scum and then this sudden turn of events. He should apologize to the slave for the disfigured appearance, but the humiliation was not part of his plan. Yegorka was more concerned about what Juno would say…

Kyon groaned and fell to one knee. Lovesick, Yegorka was looking around in search of Juno. He couldn't care less about the boy he had crippled.

Soon, Juno appeared like a beautiful vision, calm and peaceful.

A terror gripped her throat when she saw her master burnt beyond recognition but still alive. He did not die… Dumb, jealous cretin Yegorka did not finish him off! Why? She had hugged the slave, after all!

Her embarrassed blond friend smiled awkwardly. «Juno… Uhm… I'm sorry, I got a little carried away… I have passed the test, haven't I? He's alive, you see? How did I do?»

Juno was steaming. She had to hold back the urge to hit the stupid boy on the head. No, you have failed! You should have destroyed the slave! If Yegorka had done everything according to her plan, he would have received a reward. But now, all she wanted was to beat him to death.

Yegorka would never forgive himself if he knew that he had missed a chance to get closer to the object of his adoration.

«My lady, please, take Yegorka to your room. I am sure that he will appreciate the gift you have prepared for him.» – Kyon "ordered" her and bowed slightly.

Juno nodded and led Yegorka to her room in silence. She wanted to cry bitterly, but she had no tears. The cunning slave had somehow outwitted the idiot! Her plan had failed. Well, on the plus side, his face had burned. Let him suffer. He may stay ugly until the end of his pitiful life. However… Her wretched luck was going to get her a fresh set of punches from him… It was so unfair! She didn't want much, just to kill the parasite. She shouldn't have counted on the stupid blond boy. He had only complicated her life.

«Juno, my little angel! Tell me what you have for me.» – Yegorka said, anxious to get a pleasant surprise. – «Juno, say something! Talk to me.»

«Nice weather today, isn't it?» – Juno asked indifferently, leading him to her room.

«Uhm… Yes, it is…»

Chapter 69

Kyon made sure that the damned couple had gone far enough and closed his eyes in pain. It was sheer torture! His face was burning with intolerable, excruciating pain. His head was killing him. Large blisters emerged on the skin. His eyebrows and eyelashes had all burned out. Yegorka had taken one swing, but it was enough to injure Kyon pretty bad. If he weren't who he was, he could have said goodbye to his handsome face for the rest of his life. However, thanks to Synergy and healing ointment, he would recover in a day.

{Alright, bitch… You will pay me for that… You will answer for everything you've done.} – Kyon thought angrily and dialed Juno again. It was extremely dangerous to order her to throw Yegorka out while he was still around. That's why Kyon had sent them away to protect himself, and now he was ready to give the order.

Juno had somehow managed to outwit her subconscious and his formation. Kyon was furious. He had never doubted his formation. No one in the world could deceive it. Juno's subconscious mind wouldn't have allowed her to imagine things. The formation was above the consciousness, ruling out any tricks. But for some reason, it did not work. Anyway, it was too risky to create a new formation as he would have to remove the present one, and it would be the end of the road for him if the next formation didn't work.

«Lady Juno, we need to talk. Please, get away from Yegorka.»

The word "please" was equal to "I order you." That's why she had to comply with his cunning orders, and no one suspected a thing.

«All right.» – Juno looked innocently at her blond friend. She told him she had to leave him for a moment, and he stayed in the empty room, alone and confused. Then Juno had to put the sound transmitter to her ear against her will.

Kyon sounded confident:

«Please, order your maids to break Yegorka's arm and throw him out of the mansion. Also, order the guards NEVER to let him in again!»

«I-I will.» – Junol's voice trembled. She went downstairs to execute the order.

Less than two minutes later, Yegorka was thrown out of the mansion like a dirty beggar. He was screaming in hellish pain, his arm twisted at a grotesque angle. It was Dinah's work, of course. The shocked boy did not understand why they had done it to him. He yelled, his eyes full of tears:

«Juno! I did not do anything! Forgive me! Ahhh! Let me in! Ahhh!»

The absurdity of the situation did not fit in Yegorka's head. Judging by Juno's calm reaction, the slave didn't lie, he did pass the test. It's just… Why did the asshole mention a fiancé? And what did she want to give to him? The jerk had double-crossed him, outwitted him! Did he fail the test, after all? It all sounded different from the slave's foul mouth! He must have said it just to save his life. But still… It was weird… It all didn't add up…

Yegorka didn't blame Juno. The charming girl won his heart with her beauty and intelligence when he was a child. Her actions were reasonable and justified. She was witty… It was the slave to blame for everything.

Yegorka couldn't think straight in pain, and yet some thoughts sounded loud and clear: {It's all because of him! I will kill you, smelly goat!}

It was below his dignity to leave with his head down, so Yegorka kept yelling, appealing to the good in Juno:

«Juno! I beg you, my little angel! Please let me in! Aah… I'm in pain… Juno, I'm sorry! Please, let me in!» – He was screaming because the broken arm hurt like hell, and at the same time, he was burning to know why they had mistreated him. No one had ever treated him like that. Only his beloved Juno was allowed to do that. There was an abyss between them. Her 1st rank stood high above his defective 3rd rank.

Kyon could hear his loud pleas. He became concerned that Yegorka might say too much and, as a result, Anna and Dinah would suspect that something was wrong. Another call to Juno and the guards received an order to beat Yegorka to a pulp and throw him away from the mansion.

«Arr… Why? Ahhh! Juno! Why? I'm so sorry!» – Yegorka couldn't stop yelling, and the big guys couldn't stop beating him up.

Kyon could have ordered Juno to tell the guards to finish the screamer off. Yegorka had burnt his face and almost killed him, after all. However, Juno's blond friend had unintentionally saved him twice. The alleged debt had been paid. Besides, the murder could attract too much attention. Yegorka was no elder's son, but still, he was a promising genius in the Stone family.

The guards battered him until he lost consciousness. Then his limp carcass was thrown into a dumpster two blocks down like a bag of rotten potatoes. It was useless to resist. The guards were powerful and strong. Snot-nosed kids like Yegorka couldn't hold a candle to them.

The last thing Yegorka thought before he lost consciousness was: {Slave… It's all your fault… I'll kill you whatever it takes…}

Yegorka needed to find the culprit. His beautiful Juno had absolutely nothing to do with all that. She was a kind, sweet, charming girl with noble manners and upbringing.

Kyon was in a foul mood when he called Juno again and ordered her to bring him several tubes of the best healing ointment. He didn't want the maids to see his mutilated face because his subsequent miraculous healing would raise unnecessary questions. There existed no medicine that could restore his appearance to 100%.

Juno entered the training ground. She was in the same gray skirt, blouse, and sandals. Only, the unfortunate conspirator was deathly pale now, pressing her back to the gate, scared out of her wits.

«P-please, master, d-d-don't! I did not want you to get hurt! Please, forgive me. I'm so sorry! It all happened so suddenly! Yegorka… He is a real maniac! I didn't know that he would want to kill you for no reason! Please, master… I beg you, don't hurt me… I can't take it anymore…»

Kyon looked calm and dispassionate, giving Juno a chilling look that didn't bode well. Deep inside, he was amazed. What a sly fox! How skillfully she was pretending to be an innocent lamb! Who taught her to play games? He didn't see any drama coaches around. However, his common sense saw through her: she would never behave like that in front of someone she despised with all her heart.

«Yes, indeed. You did not want me to get crippled. You only wanted me to get killed. I got the message! Give me the ointment before I lose it and beat you to death.»

Juno timidly approached the disfigured victim of her unsuccessful plan.

«You don't have to beat me! You told me that you would not punish me until you defeat me in a fair fight! And… I'm really sorry!» – Tears were flowing from her eyes that shone with genuine repentance. No one could tell if those were fake tears.

Kyon snatched the tube from her hands and helped himself to its contents, generously botching the ointment on his face. He looked like hell. His face was in watery blisters. The skin was red and inflamed, with burned flesh seen at places.

The gentle chill of the ointment passed over his face. It was an amazingly refreshing feeling. Kyon analyzed the effect and concluded that he would recover faster than expected. By the evening, he would have healed!

He breathed a sigh of relief and then frowned at Juno. She lowered her head, feeling guilty, drawing with the tip of her shoe on the floor. A masterpiece of acting, no other way to put it. But they both knew too well that she couldn't care less for him. She was sincerely hoping that he would die at Yegorka's hands like a dog. Of course, Kyon understood why she had done it, but any attempt to finish him off would get his unfortunate killer well-deserved retribution. When Lovr was the lord of humanity, he called it the principle of Deliberate, Exhaustive, Absolute, Debt repayment. DEAD for short. It worked without a hitch.

«Juno, you did something very wrong today…» – The sly girl "guiltily" raised her eyes already filled with tears – «…and deserve severe punishment, but I am not going to beat you…» – After this news, the tearful face slightly twisted. Her eyebrows crawled somewhere in the direction of her forehead – «…while you can't move. But I will beat you up properly, allowing you to defend yourself. I will even let you use all the elements without restrictions. This time, my punishment will be fair, and at the same time fucking humiliating, because it will not only convince you of your mediocrity, you will be mortified fair and square, hehehehe.»

Juno couldn't help laughing in response. She sincerely rejoiced at her unpredictable master's next whim.

«You are so naive and stupid… I made it clear yesterday that you are an unworthy opponent, and I didn't even use all my power. And today, you decided to fight with me, allowing me to use all the elements? Ha-ha-ha! You will leave me in stitches!»

Not a trace of guilt was left on her sly face. Juno was radiating with her usual arrogance and disregard.

Kyon grinned wickedly and gave her another dozen restrictive orders before they began.

«I order you to attack me without weapons or any other objects. I allow you to use any elements for your attack.» – It was time to humiliate the little piece of trash so hard that she would be afraid to look him in the eyes. And when her spirit was broken, it would be a snap to train her into his obedient bitch.

Juno couldn't hold back her smile, anticipating her victory. She rushed headlong towards him.

Kyon decided that he wouldn't waste his energy on practicing the movement technique. In the previous battle, he got exhausted faster than Juno because he wanted to create his own technique and because of the mental attack, too. Now his primary goal was to win, humiliate, crush and punish her.

The two worst enemies struck each other with their fists.

bang*

Juno flashed purple lightning towards his hand. The recoil threw her expectedly back, her fist buzzing in pain. But the discharge would shake the asshole well and bring her immediate victory! At least, she was counting on it.

However, Kyon looked as cool as a cucumber. The spark that had pierced his fist did not disturb him at all. He struck back with a counter-attack.

Juno frowned in confusion and struck him with her fists again, this time with some apprehension.

bang*

She couldn't see straight in pain, her little fist completely numb. {Why is he so calm? Why is he moving so fast? Yegorka must have boiled the rest of his brains! I'm striking him with lightning, after all! He should be already writhing in agony on the floor, asking me for mercy! What's the matter with him?} – These thoughts were desperately spinning in her head.

bang*

After the third clash, Juno let out a painful squeal and bounced aside. She had difficulty folding her hand into a fist. A couple more blows and she would be seriously damaged.

The impassive demon did not even blink an eye. His chilling gaze searched her face. And then it dawned on her: the ends of his hair did not stand on end! Her attacks had never reached the goal!

Kyon gave her a crooked grin. The stupid girl figured it out at last: the lightning did him no harm!

It was his turn to attack. Juno had instantly entered the mode of heightened vigilance, trying to understand what had happened, cautious like a cat hunting a cunning mouse. Her pretty face turned a little pale, the wrinkled forehead indicated the intensified brainstorming. The speed of her enemy was the same, as well as his cultivation stage. However, the lightning couldn't break through him. What if… She decided to confirm her guess.𝗇𝒪𝑽𝑒𝗅𝐮𝑠𝐁.𝐂𝐎𝓂

Juno balanced her body with the help of the wind. Her attacks became more unpredictable, and in the end, she managed to hit his relatively vulnerable spot.

bang*

And again, his hair did not stand on end.

{It can't be… The lightning resistance? He is just in the first stage! I don't understand! He can't have the barrier!} – Juno was completely confused, her mind in the search for the answers to the endless questions that tormented her.

Kyon chuckled mischievously. His terrible, disfigured face and black clothes added to his demonic look. He could tell that Juno was anxious about the defeat she was facing. She was afraid that he would win and make her pay for everything she had done. Well, she should be afraid…

He would have lost in a fair fight yesterday without the skills of electrical resistance. But today, his insulating barrier blocked 99% of Juno's discharge, an incredible advantage against the ether element. He wondered if anyone in this world had any protection from electricity. Was he really one of a kind?

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Chapter 70

Kyon looked like a demon when he made a swift, sudden attack. Juno was the spitting image of a charming angel as she dodged his blows with a significant advantage in speed due to the wind element.

Her opponent was almost twice slower, and yet she couldn't understand why it was so difficult for her to defeat him. It finally dawned on her… The monster had excellent movement skills.

{What is the level of his battle fist? I can't believe that the piece of trash is better than master Jean!} – Juno was arrogant, but she was no blind fool. She had to admit the bitter truth: her movements improved after the slave had given her a good thrashing, not because master Jean had trained her well! Juno had been unwittingly copying Kyon's style. It was insulting to admit that she had learned from the slave… It was equal to admitting that he was better than her, and Juno would never accept that.

She stopped unnecessary and harmful thoughts about the slave's supernatural talents, desperately trying to deliver a fatal blow with lightning. Soon, she came up with a reasonable idea to leave aside the ether and focus on the wind, the element that she hadn't used yet.

Juno approached Kyon at arm's length (otherwise, it wouldn't work) and launched at him wind blades with a graceful wave of her hand.

The wind blades could scratch a few millimeters deep. The slave had a choice to admit his defeat or be cut into shreds. It was time to send a message to the arrogant dastard!

Kyon squinted his eyes. It took him some effort to distinguish air turbulence around Juno, which didn't bode well. He stretched his arm, covered with the ether barrier.

Juno was anxious to see the hated enemy bleed, but the blades touched the translucent film and evaporated without a trace, leaving the slave unscathed.

Juno's large, emerald eyes nearly popped out of her head.

«How?»

Kyon took advantage of Juno's momentary confusion and struck her in the chest with a powerful electrically charged blow, whose impact was equal to the blast of the 9th stage. She wouldn't recover from it anytime soon.

bang*

Juno saw the stars when she received the powerful electric shock, her body twitching in uncontrollable convulsions. She almost forgot her name.

Kyon wasn't going to give in. He wanted to knock Juno off her feet and triumph over her.

He tripped her up but missed. Juno had recovered with inhuman speed and dodged with a backward roll. She was still trembling, her body out of control, her ears ringing. She couldn't wrap her head around what had just happened.

Kyon attacked again, but Juno used her advantage in speed and retreated.

{Too bad… It was a good one!} – Kyon was disappointed in himself.

Juno pointed out her accusing, trembling finger:

«You… You can't bend the ether! It can't be!»

Kyon cornered her slowly but surely. She looked frazzled and battered but still adorable.

«What are you talking about?»

Juno shook her head in disbelief.

«You can't! A lowlife scum like you can't bend two elements! Not the ether! Where did you… How can you possibly use lightning? And why was your discharge so powerful? Tell me!»

«Shut your dirty mouth, bitch. Wasn't it your idea that slaves have no right to ask questions and speak without permission? It's high time I cut you down to size, my pathetic slave! Just accept that you are an insignificant mediocrity and admit that your magnificent master is much more talented and stronger than you. Then I might spare you and won't beat you that hard.»

«NO!» – The loser screamed almost hysterically. Her world had burst again like a soap bubble pierced with a sharp needle. Her master couldn't bend the ether yesterday, but today she had to learn the hard way that he actually could.

Kyon had finally cornered her. She tried to get tricky and escape, but he grabbed her by the long flowing hair, pulling it a little too hard. He had caught this smart, cunning little bird at last.

Juno let out a mournful squeak like a naughty kitten taken by the scruff of the neck. Her legs couldn't reach the floor. All in all, she looked harmless, pitiful, and yet so cute.

«LET ME GO!» – Juno screamed, re-launching the wind blades and trying to scratch his face with her nails.

Kyon easily fended off the attack with a careless wave of his hand. He grabbed her fist, giving it a powerful current discharge. She had to pay for her audacity and useless resistance.

bang*

Juno's body shook in convulsions again, dangling in his hands. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and ran down her pale, almost white with pain and terror, cheeks. The bloody demon scared her like no one else in her entire short life. Was she really so pathetic? What about her dream to win over her sister? Was everything for nothing?

Kyon kept sending discharge after discharge until her hands went limp. Then he threw her onto the floor, sat right on her knees, and hit her hard into the chest. Juno coughed hoarsely.

«Did I tell you that you are nothing but miserable mediocrity? I did. And now for my favorite part: punishing you for trying to kill me!»

«P-please, don't hurt me… I was not ready… It's not fair!» – Juno mumbled in protest, but Kyon was steadfast. He beat her on and on. Sharp pain spread throughout her whole body like fireworks. Juno was going through hell again… He didn't order her to stay still, she was still because of her weakness… She was weaker than him, after all.

Juno tried to cover her most vulnerable places with her hands, but the ruthless monster moved them apart and continued his torture. She was hurt, but it was pure agony to accept the fact that she had lost to someone who was two stages weaker and twice slower than her. He had suppressed her as if she were a pathetic, worthless commoner… How could it possibly be happening?

«Admit that I am your master. Say that I am stronger and more talented than you. Then I will stop.» – Kyon was kind enough to give her a chance to stop the torture. He might be dying to get his revenge, but he wanted to rehabilitate her first. Things would get easier if she bent under pressure.

But Juno just lay there silent, covering herself.

Kyon frowned and continued his dirty work.

Juno cried and moaned quietly under the influence of his order. She was about to faint, shaking, her limbs cramping. She was struggling to cover her body with her hands. Her eyes were painfully closed, tears streaming down her cheeks.𝓷𝑜𝒱𝑬𝗅𝑢𝑠𝚋.𝕔𝒐𝗆

Kyon was like an insane, sadistic executioner. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and was about to continue when he suddenly noticed that Juno wasn't moving or covering herself anymore… Her eyes were open. She was staring at him carefully and intently without a shadow of fear. The desire for revenge, the bloodthirst, the ferocity were glowing in her bright green eyes.

Kyon shuddered. He hit her a couple more times, but she didn't move. She hadn't broken down… Juno had realized that he was rejoicing at her sufferings and forbade herself to resist.

{Is she… Is she human?} – Kyon was once again amazed at the will of this sly girl. She was taking his blows, without a flinch, without any reaction at all. Human beings wouldn't be like that… Her behavior might be logical and reasonable if she were morally broken, but her eyes were burning with life, genuine hatred, and an urge to fight to the very end.

Kyon pounded the ground next to her face in a fit of anger.

«Have you gone crazy? Just say: "I am weaker than you, sir. Please do not beat me anymore. I will be an obedient slave." And I will immediately stop beating you!»

She didn't reply. Kyon stood up, put his foot imperiously on her chest, and slightly pressed it. He wanted to smash the high-born lady's cherished pride.

«I can't hear you.»

Juno remained silent. She didn't even flinch. Then she slowly opened her lips and uttered a barely audible response, whispering three words:

«Just die, please…»

Kyon ran his fingers through his hair, perplexed. He was staring in shock at his indomitable stubborn slave. {Crazy girl, you… are reckless.}

Juno wearily closed her eyes and turned away. She did not want to see this ugly vermin anymore. He could beat her all he wanted. From now on, she wouldn't say a word until she died.

Suddenly, she felt a weird wet touch on her bare neck. To her horror, Juno realized that Kyon had planted his repulsive lips on her.

«Аа-а-а-а-а-аh! No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!» – Juno, who was so calm before, screamed in disgust and pushed the "mosquito" with her foot, lightning-fast.

Kyon had been so mesmerized by her unusual behavior that he decided to get a taste of her will. Unexpectedly, she fought back, surprising him yet again.

Juno squatted and backed away, looking at Kyon in animal fear.

«Don't you dare! I'll kill myself if you do that again! And I'll take you along!» – The young lady struggled to her feet and staggered back, faster this time. She felt her way to the gates with trembling hands, opened them and ran to the mansion. To be more precise, she quietly walked away, obeying Kyon's order. Her heart was beating frantically. She couldn't calm down the turmoil building inside of her. A lowborn slave had kissed her in the neck! Her life was no different from the trash in the slums.

Kyon helplessly scratched his head, not even trying to stop her. Something told him if he continued sexual pressure (and it seemed to be the only thing that worked on her), she would break down. Not to the point he wished, though. She would turn into a spineless puppet with cut-off strings.

Kyon assumed that his kiss was worse for her than a knife in the heart. His "honest" beating didn't affect Juno, but an innocent kiss had almost destroyed her. He doubted she would ever seek to kill him again if she was so afraid of being raped.

Kyon sighed sadly. {Probably, if she treated me as an equal, I would make her my girlfriend.}

…

Meanwhile, Juno returned to her chambers and flopped onto the soft pillows. Tears were pouring down her cheeks. She could feel a thorn in her heart. He had kissed her on the neck… Her noble essence had been desecrated. He had beaten her in a fair fight. She was a mediocrity, after all.

Gradually, the pain had overlapped the feeling of disgust and self-pity. She could feel only hellish, unbearable, excruciating pain.

Juno carefully removed her blouse and was horrified by what she saw. Her chest, stomach, and sides were black and blue all over. The pain was so intense that her body was numb. It was the only reason she wasn't crawling on the floor, stifling her moans.

With a trembling hand, she took a tube of ointment out of her spatial ring and put some on her finger to treat her injuries. She was still sick at heart, but she never stopped muttering to herself with murderous determination:

«I will kill this monster no matter what… He will die the most brutal death…»

Her heart ached with pity for her crippled body. She had always been proud of her figure, her wasp waist, neat boobs, and slender legs. But now her body depressed her with the ugly blue and bloody-red pattern of bruises and abrasions. It would take days to cure the injuries with the ointment. Besides, there were old wounds that hadn't healed properly. Her healing would drag on, accompanied by pain and anguish. Damned slave… What did she do to bring him upon herself?

The tube of ointment ended too quickly. Juno was about to go to the treatment room when she gritted her teeth in anger. The cage of orders forbade her to raise any suspicion. She had already taken the ointment for the "master." Her subconscious wouldn't allow her to take any more.

She was going to suffer in agony even longer than she had imagined… All because of him. She hated the name Kyon to the depths of her soul. Juno sadly curled up in bed, gently hugging her legs, trying to sort her thoughts out. Things were getting worse and worse. But…

Juno would never give up.

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Chapter 71

The blisters on his face didn't hurt anymore. Unlike Kyon, no one else would be able to restore their original appearance. Facial burns caused scarring and deformity that would repel and disgust the opposite sex forever. However, Synergy could fix everything, guiding the process of healing. It returned Kyon's face to the original state and maybe, made it even better than before. He would enjoy the result in the evening. In the meantime, Kyon was going to practice the elements he had recently acquired. He had to be ready for the upcoming party, and there was no time to lie around. His main task was to enhance his power. His main goal was to become super-talented in everyone's eyes. Everything should go off without a hitch.

Kyon had already mastered electrical insulation. Now, he was going to focus on the movement technique and the basic grade of elements.

He remembered that more complicated elements were more impure, but they were also more powerful in a certain sense. Being the bender of all elements, he would benefit from practicing a tricky element like the heat / the cold with the 3d level of difficulty or the darkness / the light with the 5th level of difficulty.

At the moment, he could send electric discharges with a single touch, which gave him a variety of techniques and tricks. Kyon wondered what the most complex attributes were capable of.

He decided to acquire the darkness with its aura of danger and mysterious properties. The darkness was the very embodiment of evil, and evil symbolized unbridled power that could repress anyone. Kyon started to analyze neural connections responsible for the dark attribute. He was going to decipher the element and make good use of it.𝗇𝑜𝔳𝐄𝐥𝔲𝒮𝒷.𝑐𝐎𝓜

It was a time-consuming process. By 6 pm, Kyon hadn't finished yet.

The bright sunny day had turned unnaturally quickly into a nasty one. Dense, gray clouds covered the clear sky. It didn't rain, but everyone could feel the electricity in the air as if the heavy rain with lightning subsided during the thunderstorm.

Kyоn frowned. Having mastered pure energy and ether, he thought he could learn any other element within minutes because he knew the principle of decoding the information. However, the darkness was too mysterious for him. He kept releasing it, changing the shape of the channel again and again. The element was chaotic and incomprehensible, creating feelings of sadness and depression. The layers of dead skin on his face made him look like an ugly maniac.

Suddenly, an idea flashed across his head. He tested it and… There it was, his first lead! He had comprehended a fragment of the neural connections. Now, he had to grow the tree of correct conclusions from the existing seeds of guesswork!

The clouds over his head grew even darker. The wind wasn't dangerous, but it sent a nasty shiver down his spine. The Stones decided that they should stay in tonight. The weather didn't look good at all.

Kyon's eyes sparkled when he set off a chain reaction. Synergy was about to master a new element!

snap*

The characteristic sound in Kyon's heart announced that the basic grade of the darkness was entirely under his control. He had finally mastered it.

BANG*

Before Kyon could raise his hands in triumph, a dazzling bolt of lightning struck from the sky. It created a hole in the mansion barrier and hit the enlightened guy directly in the head. Wasn't knowledge power, after all?

Everything went white. A sharp, stabbing pain struck his body like a hand of justice and threw him a few meters away, his head steaming. Kyon looked dead. His heart was not beating, his mind refused to work. He wasn't breathing.

Synergy functioned regardless of his state, though. It restarted his heart and brought him back to consciousness, stopping numerous brain hemorrhages. Vessels in his arms had burst, a burn pattern had stretched from his feet to the waist. His ears were ringing, a cloudy veil covered his eyes. Kyon was in a completely understandable shock.

{What… the heck…}

This lightning was several times stronger than before. It would have turned him into smoldering coals if there were no barrier over the mansion.

One thing was clear, he had to recover right away. With a lot of effort, he took out another tube of ointment and put it on his leg, his face, and squeezed some in his ears.

The mansion guards arrived, checking the area in case of invasion. When they saw Kyon, they exchanged glances and a few phrases and left. Burnt servants were none of their concern. Nobody wanted to have any additional worries on their mind.

Two hours later, the seemingly lifeless boy opened his watery eyes. He had stabilized all the injuries caused by the lightning and could sit up. His mind was frantically searching for answers. Yesterday's flash of lightning might have been a coincidence, but it wasn't so today. The weather had changed within minutes, the bolt of lightning was too powerful and struck him right in the head. It was fundamentally different from a natural phenomenon. The energy hadn't come from the ground but from above. Otherwise, the barrier would have been torn to shreds.

Heaven disapproved of mediocrities mastering more elements than their potential allowed. What was so bad about bending lots of elements? Kyon could only imagine his enemies' reaction when they found out that he had mastered all nine of them. If only he could master them. Heaven didn't seem to favor his dreams.

{Am I so incompetent? In any other situation, I wouldn't have mastered the second element. As far as I know, the element gets acquired through enlightenment, but I have never had it… However, Synergy doesn't need luck, fate, or approval of any higher power. Heaven clearly doesn't like that, does it?} – The former ruler of humankind had never had these insane ideas before. He had never imagined that heaven had a mind of its own! It was pure nonsense, but he did not have another explanation. This world was full of mystery and worked according to the local laws. The energy in this world had an internal memory.

{Does it mean that even more terrible lightning will strike me and tear me apart when I am working on the 4th element? Fuck…} – Kyon cursed angrily to himself. He wasn't destined to become infinitely talented, was he? Anyway, he wasn't going to give up.

Kyon caught himself thinking that he didn't know a thing about the world he was living in. What if he did something that would finally destroy him? The library! He urgently needed to study that hidden library and find out everything that he should know. He might learn lots of useful things. At the same time, he would understand how to evolve further and which unique body to choose.

Two hours later, Kyon struggled to his feet and staggered to his room. At this hour, he would meet neither servants nor the maids. There would be no unnecessary witnesses to his miserable waddling.

Punished by heaven, the poor fellow had slept for about 20 hours. The whole day was erased from his life because he needed to restore the internal injuries after the lightning strike. However, there was some good news, too. Synergy had finally completed upgrading his eyes.

What benefits did it give to him?

It fixed the blind spot inherent in everyone, eliminating the defect of the inverted retina.

It enhanced his peripheral vision, which felt like his whole eye could absorb the light. Being a lucky Synergy owner, he had enough computing power for image processing.

He could see in the dark like cats, only his eyes didn't glow.

He could perceive a wider range of electromagnetic waves from infrared to ultraviolet.

He got a new feature of the lensing effect of a decent binocular pr an ordinary microscope.

Pigment glands were created. Now he could change the color of his iris in a couple of seconds.

Among other things, he could quickly repair any eye injury.

Kyon's eyesight had become so sharp that he could see a needle hundreds of meters away in the dark of the night. The eyes sensitivity was so high that he began to distinguish not only colors but also many thousands of their shades.

The quality of his vision and perception had increased, mainly due to the inverted retina.

All people have an inverted eye. The light goes through many tissues until it finally reaches the photoreceptors cells upside down. Animals like octopus and squid have no such thing. Their vision, respectively, is much better and more sensitive than that of people.

Kyon went to the window and looked around. He had opened his eyes for real for the first time in this world. He was no blind chicken now. His new vision was an indisputable advantage in the battle. Kyon could easily see a sudden attack in the blind zone, spreading poisonous gas, air techniques, and any other possible tricks.

His Synergy had nothing to do at the moment. It was time to give it a new task. Kyon decided to upgrade his hearing, that is, his ears.

He stretched himself and left his room, feeling great. His face had already recovered, his pretty looks restored. He had peeled his dead skin like a dried rind from a tangerine. The burns on his leg had almost healed. It was no problem to restore his brain and nerves with his upgraded nervous system. Without it, even his wonderful Synergy would not have saved him.

And yet, he was shaking with pent-up anger. The "gift" from heaven was unexpected and very unpleasant. Anyone else in his place would have died. Was it a failure, or did the higher ban really exist? He had to find it out. Kyon left his room and went straight to the storeroom, heading for the hidden library.

Kyon was so eager to find out what had happened to him that he had completely forgotten to experiment with the darkness. He had plenty of time for that.

Kyon approached the Social Science section. All he needed was to leaf through the book and it got entirely imprinted in his mind. Synergy would absorb the information later and sort it out in his mind.

Soon, Kyon felt a bit peckish. He hadn't eaten all day and needed a good meal. He called Juno and ordered her to tell the servants to bring him dinner to the "secret" library. In fact, there was nothing secret about it. He could get knowledge in any other library, but this one was locked by an ingeniously clever mechanism. However, anyone could find it with scanning.

Kyon could hear someone coming quietly downstairs.

He put down the book. Was Anna so impressed by her defeat the day before yesterday that she decided to pay a visit to him? What if she wanted to get her rematch?

Kyon turned around and, to his utter bewilderment, saw Dinah, the tall, slim maid who radiated the assassin's chilling aura so familiar to him. Her sexy, relaxed gait could charm any man. Add to that her charming face and the cold gaze of her bewitching gray eyes… How could he stop staring at her most indecently?

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Chapter 72

Dinah was holding a tray with dinner. The hairs on Kyon's skin stood up. Stop! It wasn't supposed to be happening! She had to be under the order not to harm him! How dared she to enter the cage with the tiger? Why didn't she send someone else to do the dirty job? It was beneath her high rank to bring dinner to the servants after all. It was different last time when he intended to give her a hard time and send a message.

Kyon was alarmed. The impassive expression on Dinah's beautiful face was hard to read. {Maybe she wants to clear up her suspicions about me? Or find out why Juno gave her orders when I asked her to? Or maybe she liked the way I held her? Or perhaps she managed to cancel the order? Damn, she is driving me crazy… You shouldn't have come, little fool.} – Kyon wanted Dinah to take his warnings seriously. He broke into an insidious smile.

On each occasion, his masters told Kyon that he had two weak points: his pointless recklessness and a soft spot for all things beautiful, in particular, beautiful girls. His loving young heart couldn't help it. An era without girls had only strengthened this flaw. Besides, Dinah had come to tease him herself… To see what his words were worth.

Dinah noticed the expression on his face and wasn't surprised. When they last met, he proved to be a good, even an impressive actor. He had tricked her sister into bringing him food… He had taken her for a ride, as well. But now Dinah knew his true nature, and it wasn't to her liking.

Dinah put the tray on the coffee table and said acidly:

«I wonder how a piece of trash like you could get close to the young lady and is now ruining her grandeur with his wretched presence. Either heaven is blind, or you have tricked everyone again.»

Kyon slowly walked toward the door to block it.

«Tricked everyone? Baby, you have a poor opinion of me. I'm not like that!

It was like savoring hot, intoxicating, sweet mead. Only, Dinah didn't care. The servant could say all he wanted. He was only making things worse.

«I have warned you, boy. If you don't treat me properly, you'll regret that you were born. Your words that I am a pathetic maid have unleashed hell on earth. What can you say in your defense?» – She came closer to Kyon, who had blocked the only way out.

The unlucky lover boy had an annoying suspicion, which he decided to refute before things went downhill. «Do you remember the order not to harm me?»

Dinah startled, confusion flashed across her eyes.𝓷𝑜𝒱𝑬𝗅𝑢𝑠𝚋.𝕔𝒐𝗆

«You…»

Kyon burst into laughter with relief. The situation was funny. Her reaction was too natural to be a lie. What a fool she was! He had warned her to stay away from him, but she… How could Dinah be so stupid! She had brought him food with no good intentions, making him believe that she only wanted to know how he had become a servant… How could she forget about the order? Well, Kyon had never expected a maid to be a bright spark.

«Why are you laughing? Do I look funny?»

Kyon suddenly stopped laughing:

«You do, indeed… I didn't know you are such a bird brain… How did you get this high position? Are you really a virgin? I heard the lady's maids are obliged to be virgins, but something tells me that you got this job by spreading your legs, didn't you?»

It was like he had poured a bucket with slop over Dinah. She trembled with all her body, feeling disgusted and chilly. Dinah clenched her fists and pierced Kyon with an icy look, experiencing a new, delightful, invigorating feeling at the same time. Was it excitement? Something extraordinary had happened in her boring life for the first time. The stupid boy dared to play with a professional assassin and the senior maid rolled in one!

«Well, I will forgive you if you free the doorway, get on your knees and sincerely apologize.» – Dinah said slyly, almost peacefully. Only, her clenched fists and trembling eyelashes betrayed her tension.

Kyon made sure he was safe and cocked his head to one side.

«My dear sweet little Dinah, I will never do it… I warned you not to come anywhere near me, but you disobeyed. Now I want to talk about your behavior.»

Dinah heaved a deep sigh, her eyes closed as if she reveled in some secret feeling. He called her sweet little Dinah. It was so endearingly humiliating… How could he be so arrogant and self-confident?

«Do you have any right to speak with me about my behavior? Who are you? My master? Do you understand what a "servant" means?» – Dinah was curious to know what was on his mind.

Kyon snorted.

«Will you ever get the meaning of a "maid." It means that you have to follow the orders of your lady. I am in good standing with mine, that's why you are just a stupid girl who has underestimated my warning.»

Dinah giggled. It was her first sincere smile since they first met, and it was surprisingly charming.

«Well, well, well. Aren't you unbelievably narrow-minded and stupid? Tell me, how are you going to carry out your threats, boy?» – Dinah teased him, adjusting her hair and looking defiantly into his eyes.

«Huh, aren't you too full of yourself? Come here, and you will see!» – Kyon cunningly provoked her, beckoning her with his finger. He had to punish her properly or his words didn't mean anything. However, Kyon wasn't going to punish her physically! It would be a moral punishment and a severe one.

Dinah took a step, then another one, coming closer and closer to him. Then she hesitated. She looked a bit frightened, but her words oozed poisonous sarcasm:

«I'm so scared… Are you sure you want to punish me?»

Kyon nodded.

Dinah smirked in anticipation of what the cheeky boy would do. She approached Kyon resolutely, slowly, gracefully and stopped a couple of steps away from him, leaving Kyon a bit surprised.

«So, what's your next move?»

With no hesitation, Kyon stepped forward and hugged Dinah by the slim waist. He ran his hand down her hourglass figure and smacked her pretty tight bottom. He should take advantage of the situation, or she would run away.

{How about this, bitch?} – Kyon gave her a dirty wink, rejoicing in Dinah's helplessness. Indeed, revenge is a sweet thing. It would teach her to heed his warning.

Dinah's slim body was wonderfully supple and soft, and her smell … Mmm, her silky hair smelt so nice that it made Kyon feel dizzy. He would never forget her pretty shocked face. It was so enchanting that he could admire her forever.

Dinah was so stunned she forgot to breathe. When she was going to him, she had no idea what would happen next. What could the boy do to her? Сould he attack her? Dinah lacked the experience to predict the reaction of this reckless youth. And now this! Kyon's firm, imperious glare reflected his indomitable spirit. His confident, smug smile suggested he was an influential aristocrat. How could he possibly be only a servant?

Another insolent slap on her bottom woke Dinah out of her stupor. The boy was still wrapping his arms tightly around her, which made her shudder in disgust. He was looking straight into her eyes, waiting for any reaction from the victim of his harassment. What an arrogant fool! Did he really think that she had come here without a single chance to punish him? Did she bring him dinner just to humiliate herself? She had a sweet feeling of excitement for a reason. Dinah knew that meeting Kyon could get her inevitable punishment, that's why she had come to the young lady and explicitly requested her to cancel the order. Juno remained indifferent and said "okay" without looking at her while Dinah's subconscious received the necessary response. The rule "do not harm the servant" was no longer valid.

pam*

Just a second ago, Kyon was enjoying Dinah's helpless reaction, and a moment later, he was flying at high speed towards the steps and crashing against them as if being hit by a hefty hammer. He must have broken a couple of bones, that's for sure.

The impact emptied all the air of his lungs.

{It can't be… How? Is the order no longer active?} – Kyon's brain was working with the speed of light. When the blow sent him flying, he understood what he had gotten himself into. It was so naive of him to believe he was safe. He dared to hug the senior maid-assassin. Not only hug her but also… Oh yeah, he was dead. The insulted, enraged maid would do everything to kill him. The next moment, Kyon pushed himself off the steps and dashed out of the library.

Dinah's face darkened. She unconsciously touched her butt that was burning after his slaps had left a mark, "the slave's hand was here." All her essence was filled with an inexhaustible thirst for murder. At least, she did not fall into the state as in the case with Jean.

Kyon ran, jumping a couple of steps. He pulled out his sound transmitter on the run and dialed Juno's frequency.

«Juno speaking.»

Kyon yelled at the device:

«Please, quick, restrain Dinah in the storeroom!»

bang*

A crushing blow in the back threw Kyon head over heels from the storeroom to the nearest wall, the sound transmitter flew away.

As soon as he landed, he ran towards the stairs. Every second counted.

«What's all this noise?» – asked Anna. She nearly bumped into Kyon.

«I confessed my love to Lady Dinah, and now she wants to kill me!» – Kyon cried out. He heard Dinah snort behind them and hid behind Anna with no hesitation. Honour and dignity? They wouldn't help him if he was dead! So, he hid behind the girl who was his only salvation.

Anna was surprised to hear that. He had confessed his love to Dinah? She looked at the boy, then at her sister who was approaching them with the threatening grace of a cat. Sister's fury was evident. Her eyes sparkled with bloodthirst, her face turned pale. In a split second, the servant would end up a spot on the wall.

«Dinah, is it true?»

«Back off, sister. I will beat this scum to a pulp. He should know his place.» – Dinah replied with ice in her voice, glaring at the boy who was poking out behind Anna.

Kyon was surprised. He expected that Dinah's revenge would be murder. Apparently, all she intended to do was to beat him up. After what he had done?! There was nothing to worry about. Kyon felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

Just then, they heard soft footsteps behind them. Everyone turned to see Juno.

«What's going on here?» – The young lady asked, looking at everyone.

Dinah froze. She could not continue what she had in her mind in the presence of the lady. Dinah knew that the servant was important to Juno, that's why she hadn't killed him yet. But he deserved punishment by all means and a severe one. He should be afraid to look her in the eye after that. He would be wetting his bed in fear at night.

«My lady, I want to talk to you.» – Dinah said firmly, taking a step forward.

Kyon said defiantly:

«Lady Juno, please, tell your maid that you will hear her version right after mine.» – Kyon said, wincing painfully and rubbing his back that hurt like hell.

Juno obeyed his order as if she were a puppet, making it clear to Dinah that the servant was more important to her. The couple disappeared from the eyes of the astonished maids in a secluded, quiet place.

Kyon could not allow Juno to leave with Dinah. It would make things only worse. Her strange behavior could be suspicious.

Dinah felt a bitter taste of disappointment mixed with a poignant heartache. She turned away and closed her eyes. She had been diligently serving as a lady maid for many years. One single time she disobeyed the order, and the lady put her below the dirty servant who was now pulling the wool over her eyes.

Anna put her hand on Dinah's shoulder. «Sister, you have to understand, an innocent confession shouldn't make you angry. He is Marina's friend, and she is close to the lady… It's perfectly clear that the lady will put him first.»

«He didn't… It does not matter.» – Dinah went to her room, visibly annoyed, hiding the insult inside. She did not intend to tell her sister the humiliating truth.

Meanwhile, Juno was taking her master's new orders with a sour expression on her face and explaining how it had come to that.

After she received all orders, she went to Dinah's room to talk to her one to one. «Listen to me, Dinah. This servant is Marina's close friend. Friends of my friends mean the world to me. Besides, he is very efficient. I don't want you to mess with him. I order you not to harm him. From now on, please stay away from him.» – Juno said with a cold expression on her face.

«But… but he…» – Dinah started in a wounded voice, but Juno didn't listen to her. She left without hearing Dinah's side of the story, which was totally disrespectful to her maid. Her indifferent and strange behavior could arouse suspicion, but Dinah was distracted by the violent emotions that were tearing her apart.

Her heart was filled with pain and sorrow at the injustice. She had always faithfully fulfilled her duties, but the lady didn't show an ounce of gratitude. How could she treat her like that? The senior maids were never punished because of servants. They could even be forgiven for murdering a nobleman. Dinah wanted to see what was behind Juno's unusual behavior, but the mere thought that the servant was more valuable for the lady burned like hell.

{Wretched servant … It's all because of him … He has somehow changed the lady! And now I can't even approach him…} – Dinah felt as if her wings had been cut off in her own nest. She couldn't stay in the mansion together with that boy, but there was nothing she could do. At least, he said nothing about his love confession to Lady Juno.

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Chapter 73

Kyon tried to steer clear of Dinah, but he couldn't avoid today's incident. He had underestimated her. Dinah was extremely good at acting and lying. He decided to be less judgmental and more skeptical next time and weigh the odds better.

He found out that Juno had thoughtlessly said "okay" at Dinah's request to cancel the order, but it was impossible. There was no way she could have said it. How could she outwit his powerful formation? What could go wrong? The formation? It was out of the question. No, it was all about Juno.

It was getting dangerous for Kyon to stay in the mansion all because of the stupid slave girl who contrived to act against him. He was unaware that his adjusted formation was partially out of order because of a fundamental error. If only he knew what it was, he would correct it right away. The mistake had nothing to do with his knowledge of formacy, it wasn't about Juno's unique body or her talent for self-deception, not at all.

No subjugating formation created by the best formacists in the world would ever work on Juno. Kyon's formation was on a completely different level. It worked, but with some mistakes.

He would deal with her punishment for canceling his order another time. Now Kyon intended to go to the library.

He directed Synergy to heal his bruised back, straightened his shoulders, picked up the first book, and buried himself in reading.

Kyon did not notice the time fly by. He put the book away only when he needed to use the toilet. Sometimes he fell asleep over the book, and the servants kindly provided the freeloader with food.

After studying the Social Studies section, Kyon came to grips with the world around him and understood what he got himself into.

On the planet Life there were three opposing races: people, demons, and supreme beasts.

People are powerful, dominant rulers of the land. They have extensive trading networks. Their spheres of administration, science, economy, and spirituality are the best on the planet.

Of course, people have their drawbacks. They are greedy, ambitious, and strive for power. Historically, eight empires had an agreement of mutual assistance in the face of danger. However, the eighth, the most remote and weakest empire of Clyath had been wiped off the face of the earth. It happened less than ten years ago during World War. The kingdom of the beasts gained a decisive victory over Clyath. They killed the warriors and took the civilians as slaves. The future of the survivors was grim. They were eaten, became pets, or turned into resources, the keys.

Dwarfs belong to the human race and have incredible, unique abilities. There are no better engineers, blacksmiths, and steelworkers in the world than this small people.

Supreme beasts are intelligent animals. They are lords of the forests and wildlife, invincible in their territories. Beasts have a bloodthirsty, ruthless temperament and a wild, inhuman temper. They are predators who follow their instincts and adhere to a strict hierarchy based on blood purity and strength. This species is devoid of being ruse or deceitful and despises those who are. Foul play was one of the reasons for their enmity with people and demons.

The beasts also hate people and demons because they catch them and use them as food, resources, and pets. The damned demons and people take what belongs to the beasts: keys, eyes, fangs, skin, bones, and blood.

Any beast becomes supreme and acquires intelligence upon entering the fourth stage of cultivation. However, some species are born with innate reason. They rightfully take higher ranks in the hierarchy.

The feline species belong to the dominant imperial family. They are Manticore, Scorpio-Lions, with their unsurpassed venom and unique power that impresses the heaven itself.

The royal family of white tigers rightfully takes second place. The innate ability of their unique bodies gives them power over entire armies of lower beasts. The beasts with the purest blood have the greatest potential.

The forests are divided into three zones: external, internal, and central. The noblest, strongest, and most influential beasts live closer to the center. It's tantamount to suicide to enter that area without an invitation.

People control the vast forest areas where lower beasts live (the third stage, inclusive). The beasts quickly multiply, so it is necessary to monitor their population.

Demons are peculiar, cruel lords of the underworld, which is no less than the territory of people, beasts, or desert lands. They are a sly, cunning, and low-minded race that worships power above all. It's quite normal for them to rob or deceive someone. They honor their traditions and purity of blood. Demons take their beliefs to the extreme, for example, the sacrifice of virgins, preferably human, at the great feast in honor of goddess Persephone.

The underground is divided into areas. Lower demons reside in the upper layer. The middle area is taken by the nobility of royal blood and their servants. Seven families live in the depths of the underground. One of them is imperial, dominating them all.

There exists a fourth race, the aquatic people who live in the seas and the oceans and will never leave them. They ignore all the other races. Their power is undeniable. The sea vessels are doomed to death without paying duties to the mermaids and the water rulers.

A long history of hostility between the three main races has created incurable hatred between them. Bloody wars are not the only reason they hate each other, there's also a huge difference in their mentality. Hostility, regular raids only add fuel to the fire and eliminate any chance of a truce.

People keep beasts for food, resources, and entertainment. They take demons as slaves or servants.

Demons do the same, only they enslave people.

Beasts use the other two races as cattle and pets. They always unleash their wild instincts on them.

Hatred for other beings is instilled in their minds from an early age. Any book of stories, tales, historical facts, and legends is full of cruel, disgusting, aggressive creatures who do evil, lead vile lives and do vile deeds.

Kyon was impressed by this perfect, absolute enmity. He had long noticed that the information in the books was biased against strangers, demonizing them. Only, he didn't care about the species or race. Kyon was the only unbiased person among hundreds of millions of people.

Each dominant race would gladly tear the others into small pieces. However, there are several "buts." First, it's extremely unfavourable to fight on foreign territory. The unusual terrain, traps, fortifications, barriers, and attacking formations don't contribute to victory. The army must be at least twice more powerful than the enemy to win the war. Second, there is always a third party who will gladly take advantage of the temporary weakness of one of the two sides and get a nice bit of goods for themselves. Third, it's well known that the human race is the strongest of all. Even the two other races united will find nothing but death.

Therefore, the three parties restrain each other, limit themselves to small-scale raids to enslave people / demons / beasts and steal their resources.

As for blood purity… In this wonderworld, it isn't about close relations with relatives. It's all about connections with high-ranking persons of the same race. For example, if Juno from the 1st rank family marries a man of the 1st or the 2nd rank, her blood purity will be preserved. If the man is from the 3rd rank family, her bloodline will be impure. It's likewise with supreme beasts and demons.

After Kyon finished studying Social Studies, he started an in-depth study of the human race. New knowledge came as a big surprise.

Previously, Kyon considered the family Stone, where he was going to build his future, incredibly strong, powerful, and authoritative. In fact, he was only partially right. The family really had a high position in the Iron Throne. Only, the Kingdom of the Iron Throne held a low rank in the Empire.

There are seven kingdoms in Rosarrioand, and the Iron Throne takes fifth place. The first-rank Stones will bow down to other first-rank families from more powerful domains. It was the law. Even if you are the best among the average, you are still no match to the worst among the best.

Any first rank family in the first rank kingdom will be much more powerful than the first rank Stones from the fifth rank kingdom.

And that's not all! Each kingdom has a royal family at the top of the hierarchy in the realm. It's sometimes assigned the zeroth rank. It's impossible to take them down.

The Grands (0) are the royal family in the Iron Throne. Everyone acknowledges their power. The Stones are like a drop in the tablespoon compared to the Grands.

Kyon was hurt. No, he didn't complain… To own the patriarch's daughter of the 1st rank family wasn't too bad. Only it was too far to the top of the world.

The empire of Rosarrio unites seven kingdoms, with the imperial capital Dantes at the head. All forces and power are concentrated in the capital. It's the kingdom of the 0th rank.

The first seven families in Dantes are superior in power and influence to any other family in the seven kingdoms. They are the pillars of the empire. The Grands (0) and the like can't hold a candle to them, such is the difference in power between them.

The sovereign family of Dantes (0) is the imperial family that dominates the whole empire. Empress Lanatelle, the bloodthirsty celestial genius is number one in the empire.

One look at this woman can freeze the blood in the veins. Even high-ranking generals are afraid to say too much in her presence. Her cruel temper is not a rumor. She used to kill people for one wrong glance. She destroyed whole families for treachery with one word. Everyone in the empire knows that she is not the kind of person to joke about.

Kyon read her biography in disbelief.

Soon he was shaken to the core by the fact that Rosarrio was only the 6th out of seven human empires!

{I have a feeling I am in a cesspool!} – He wanted to roar with anger. The more he learned, the less he enjoyed his current situation.𝗇𝑶𝔳𝗲𝗅𝑢𝚜𝗯.𝓬𝔬𝓂

The power of empire number 1 compared to Rosarrio (6) is so great that it can be compared with the size of a mighty hundred-meter dragon against a bull.

«I was in the cesspool when I was a slave in the mine. I've found my way out of there. It's all over.» – Kyon calmed himself.

Then he summed up the information from the books he had read:

There exist seven human empires, one of which is Rosarrio (6), the empire he currently lives in.

The imperial capital is Dantes (0). There are seven more kingdoms, one of which is the Iron Throne (5), the kingdom he currently lives in.

There is a royal family the Grands (0) and many more families, one of which is the Stones (1), the family he currently lives with.

(A.C.: I've just described the entire hierarchy of the world. Don't be surprised if nothing is clear. For the sake of simplicity, I will sometimes write a number in parentheses indicating the rank of anything. For example, Juno (1); patriarch Bai (0); the Stones (1); the Grands (0); the Iron Throne (5); Dantes, the capital of the empire (0); the Rosarrian empire (6); Superior phase (3); Noble phase (4 ) and so on.

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𝒏𝑶𝑣𝓮𝓵𝑈𝑠𝒷.𝒞𝑶𝑀

Chapter 74

It got Kyon thinking: {So, the Stones hold the 1st rank in the 5th ranking kingdom in the 6th ranking empire of one of the three opposing races… Great!}

When Kyon learned everything about the human race hierarchy, he picked up books on organizations of great significance and authority.

Three organizations stood out in particular: the trade guilds, the dwarfs' factories, and the sects.

The trade guilds existed independently of the kingdoms and the empires, acting as a link between them.

The dwarfs' factories enjoyed less authority than the trade guilds but had their undeniable benefits. The dwarfs were the best engineers and blacksmiths in the world. Their mindset in this aspect exceeded anyone.

The sects were national inter-imperial training organizations that maintained their high status for centuries. The sects didn't promote faith or any ideology. They were called so because their students became ardent supporters of their "school," ready to fight to the death for it.

Anyone could join a sect whose legacy and resources could turn a commoner into a respected, mighty warrior. Talent played a crucial role there.

The sects maintained a neutral position, establishing their institutions in different empires. However, they pledged to protect the area in case of a non-human attack.

There were different sects, but three of them were distinguished from the others with their ancient heritage. Their power was comparable to low-ranking empires.

The Dance sect (1) accepted mostly girls, but they didn't deny talented boys. Their students were frightening with their battle dance skills.

The Virgo sect (2) consisted exclusively of women. Their policy of matriarchy was so strong that they had no tolerance for vile, wretched men. However, they were not above buying male slaves.

And finally, the Fat sect (3) mainly accepted obese or overweight people with potential to gain even more weight. Specific nutrition allowed the students to gain weight in a matter of days. They needed their fat deposits for special fat-burning techniques that released tons of energy and made them stronger.

Kyon once heard about the Fat sect from Bilya, the scary doctor who had given him Evilball.

To sum it up, there existed three prevalent inter-imperial sects that had specific entry requirements.

Kyon gradually turned from the inter-imperial educational institutions to the private ones that belonged to the empires / the kingdoms. He found out that every domain had the best school that brought together the most gifted and talented young people in the area.

For example, Cernos in the Iron Throne (1) and the great Order (0) in the capital city of Dantes (0). It was considered the best school in the whole empire. Every Rosarrian dreamed of studying in that prestigious place that gave their students unique powers, helpful knowledge and provided them with all kinds of opportunities.

However, it admitted only applicants from high-ranking families, preferably those who lived closer to the capital. Talent was also a must.

Schools, and the Order, in particular, inspired their students to be loyal patriots. The masters instilled in their minds the greatness of their native empire. In addition, they had to study military affairs.

The fourth, no less important organization was religion.

People believed in the goddess Danna, a higher being, the guardian of the human race. She was the embodiment of force and power, grandeur and brilliant glory.

There was a legend about a star that fell from the sky one and a half thousand years ago, marking the deity's appearance. The great creator's daughter descended to the planet to fulfill his will and guide humanity to the right path.

A curious fact: both demons and supreme beasts shared the same legend.

Kyon was about to laugh at the naive stupidity of local people when some information got his attention. "The first rank empire has the goddess day. After a special ceremony, a prayer, and sacrifice of valuable resources, she descends to the mortals and blesses those whose faith is pure and whose thoughts are benign."

Kyon's pupils narrowed. He had never believed in the otherworld and inexplicable things, but Danna seemed to really exist. Demons had similar legends about the goddess Persephone. The beasts had a goddess named Ceres.

{Their names sound familiar…}

Religion in this world was justified, after all. Goddesses could benefit their believers, bless them, bestow strength on them. Curious, really curious…

Kyon was surprised to learn that the local religion did not acquire absolute power or independence, bending under the imperial families. The same story was in the demons' and the beasts' lands. Religion became a state management tool. It yielded certain benefits, such as fundraising (donations), searching for new talents, and, of course, excellent brainwashing, which aimed at rallying the human race against their common enemy – non-humans.

Kyon heaved a deep sigh. Every prosperous country created boundaries. School and society "molded" a person to achieve their goals. The Order created soldiers willing to give their life for their homeland. Families raised individuals who craved power, authority and respect. Religious temples needed those who would fight against the other races. It happened everywhere.

But… Kyon had grown on books and Synergy. He had been making more or less objective decisions since he was a child. He had his own worldview with regards to everything.

Now Kyon knew how the world around him worked. He had read everything about the races, the empires, the kingdoms, and the families, the organisations like guilds, dwarf's factories, sects, schools, and religions. Now he needed to put puzzle pieces together. He had to find the component that moved everything. In his world, it was money. In this world, money wasn't important. What came first was…

Tokens, large gold coins dotted with patterns and inlaid with precious stones, had tremendous value. Empress Lanatelle's energy flew inside them.

Kyon had overheard Bai's conversation with Juno about tokens when he was hiding in the pillows in Juno's room. Here, he found out that it was the imperial currency that allowed any transactions at the legislative level, from the purchase of goods and resources to forced marriage and destruction of a weak family. There were no restrictions. It all came down to the required number of tokens calculated by complex formulas related to family ranks, value and other factors.

{Geez…} – Kyon scratched his head. – {Is any human society based on gold coins?}

Any tournament, competition, family disputes involved tokens. They were the main link that created competition in human society and boosted cultivation. Tokens gave endless opportunities. They couldn't be forged as each of them had a serial number, and all transactions were recorded. The only thing that tokens couldn't buy was Lanatelle. No one could had the power to affect her family or the Empress herself. Lanatelle was the head of the whole empire, its Holy Grail. No rules in this world applied to her. The Empress was the most powerful and influential person who strived for the prosperity of her empire.

Kyon was a little disappointed when he finished studying Social Studies. He hadn't found out anything about divine punishment. Not a single mention. Reading about goddesses was interesting enough, but he wanted to know something about heavenly punishment.

{I doubt that the goddess had sent that lightning… What should I do? How to escape a more powerful bolt of lightning next time?} – Kyon found a simple answer to this simple question. – {Hmm… When I was the mastermind of the mansion and studied Formacy, I often read about protective formations that require skills, nephrites, money, and keys. Juno is my slave. I can order her to get a couple of hundred protective formations!} – There was no reason to put off acquiring a new element if he was sure that he could survive the electrical discharge. Each additional element could significantly enhance his energy and raise his potential to a new level.

Synergy let Kyon know that it was already morning. He didn't care that protective formations were expensive. It was time to get out of the basement and order his slave girl to get them. He should take full advantage of the girl. Otherwise, what was the point of keeping her?

…

On the morning of the same day, a decrepit old man had arrived at the mansion. His body was withered like a skeleton. He looked like the walking dead with his pale face devoid of any glint of life, dark circles under his eyes. People avoided him like a leper, then apologized when they recognized Flitz, the greatest formacist in the Stone family.

Behind the old man was a healthy boy of about 16 with a formation "Alec" on his forehead. His head was shaved, his pale face was sad. He wasn't afraid of Juno. No, quite the opposite, he believed she would change his life for the better. Alec grieved because he had been given Evilball, and now he was no man. His distress was comparable with the loss of his right hand. He was a new slave, commissioned by Juno for her atrocious training sessions.

The guards respectfully bowed to the old man and let him inside.

«Bring the young lady in. I am not going to look for her around the mansion.» – Flitz growled.

Soon, Juno came to the entrance. She looked impartial and detached but inside, she was full of emotions. Juno had completely forgotten that Flitz had promised to bring her a new slave.

All these days, Juno had been trying to attract attention. Dinah couldn't understand why the young lady was being weird. Anna was too busy. Yegorka was an idiot. Her friend Marina had been ignoring the changes in her, which was rather unusual of her.

Flitz had arrived at last! Her long-awaited salvation! Juno wasn't going to get attention this time. She had been getting ready for this moment for a long time, practicing self-deception. Hopefully, her skills worked!

Kyon wouldn't have believed it. His formation worked flawlessly. It must be something else!

A little bit earlier, Yegorka had been sitting on the bench a few hundred meters from Juno's mansion. He was depressed, his arm in plaster. Yegorka had been restless since the guards beat him up and broke his arm. He was denied access into the mansion. Yegorka explained all this by failing Juno's test. He called her, sent her messages, all to no avail.

Every night, Yegorka had a feeling that someone was walking on his grave. He trembled at the mere thought that he would never be with his dear Juno again. But he didn't lose hope. There was a party soon. His arm would have healed by then. He would show everyone that he was worthy of taking first place in the tournament and becoming the king of the party. Yegorka had a big plan for this occasion, but it was partially ruined by the recent events. It wasn't only about taking first place. He wanted to give Juno a valuable gift, dance with her, and then… And then who knows what could happen. She was bound to fall into his arms. Until then, Yegorka kept lurking around her mansion, watching the entrance. If someone from Juno's family arrived, he would convince them to let him inside. Then he would beg Juno to forgive him and make sure his plan never failed.

As for his precious gift, it was about to be delivered from Boston, the capital of the kingdom. It wasn't an item of clothing, not a weapon or a jewel. It was Soaring Angel, a pill for boosting cultivation.

Yegorka had always been attentive and insightful when it concerned Juno. He knew that she was eager to get stronger, preferably as soon as possible. Therefore his gift was cultivation oriented. He knew Juno well enough to foresee her reaction. His present was going to take an important place in her heart. Yegorka imagined Juno smiling only for him. She would give him a hug or even… a kiss on the cheek.

Soaring Angel accelerated soul evolution by about 20-30% and lasted for a while. Its effectiveness depended on the quality, that is, the purity of the pill. The higher the rank of the alchemist who created it, the higher the final purity (quality). The pill could be used once in a lifetime. There would be no effect with repeated use. After that, alternative medicine was required to speed up the cultivation.

Yegorka had chosen this pill for several reasons. It was little-known, so it was unlikely that grandpa Bai had given it to Juno before. It was quite effective and moderately expensive, by the standards of boost medication. Even for this relatively cheap pill, Yegorka had to sell his deceased father's mansion, some of his resources, his favorite sword, and all his savings for the rainy day. As it wasn't enough, Yegorka had to kneel in front of the seller, begging for a discount.

The merchant softened up, or maybe he saw the benefit in the deal. Anyway, he agreed. Yegorka jumped with joy. He was willing to kiss the merchant's feet for the astronomical discount of 15%! The greatest trade guild in the world would never give him more than a 10% discount, and he had received 15%! Yegorka could be respected for his sincere desire to get Juno a valuable gift, even if he was sorry to sell his father's house… It was full of memories, after all. Anyway, Martin gave his beloved son a separate mansion a year ago. Yegotka had a place to live.

A post bird appeared in the sky, flying right to Yegorka as if it knew exactly his whereabouts.

He rose to his feet and opened his mouth in delight.

«You're here!»

Chapter 75

The bird sat on Yegorka's wrist.

He removed the spatial ring from the postal bird and took out its contents with a sinking heart. It was a beautiful red gift box. He opened the box and…

«Yes, oh yes… Oh, yeah!» – Yegorka said ecstatically, looking at a blue round pill with a pleasant medicinal scent and a piece of paper with instructions.

How could such a tiny ball cost him almost everything he had? Yegorka was afraid even to touch his treasure. He carefully put it back into the box, locked it and placed it in his ring. He was going to keep the pill until the party started… Then he would give it to his beloved girl, she would embrace him passionately, and they would swirl in a graceful, sensual dance before all the young talents of their kingdom… Such was his plan. He wanted to show everyone his intention to be Juno's life partner. And even if her grandfather was against their marriage, Yegorka would convince him otherwise. Power meant everything in this world, and he had the best talent among the younger Stone generation.

His blissful thoughts disappeared as soon as he remembered the hated slave. Yegorka couldn't get inside the mansion as he had been removed from the V.I.P. list. He had to find a way to get rid of the hateful jerk.

Yegorka could wait for the party and kill the slave there… But he would only demean himself and his bright future if he got his hands dirty on such a momentous day. His life as an influential aristocrat shouldn't start like that.

Yegorka took his sound transmitter and called a friend who lived in Boston like the majority of the young Stones. Yegorka was one of the few who stayed at the family estate because Juno lived there.

He heard a respectful but not without a hint of mockery voice:

«Greetings, Yegorka. It is a great honor for me that someone magnificent and talented like you has deigned to call a little friend of no importance…»

«Shut up, Makar. I have no time for jokes.»𝒩𝞸𝒱𝑬𝓵𝑈𝔰𝐁.𝓬𝑜𝑀

«My apologies… How is it going? What have you been up to?»

«I'm not calling for idle chatter. Listen carefully… Take Sicily with you and come to the estate. I need both of you to finish off an annoying jerk in Juno's mansion… It's a little over two weeks before the party… It's right your way, anyway. So no complaints.»

«To kill someone? In Lady Juno's mansion? How can there possibly be any jerks? Something tells me that we will get killed trying to hurt anyone inside the mansion. Are you kidding me?»

«Come on. I am talking about a slave… I want his life. Correction. I want his life to end soon.» – Yegorka said coldly.

«We have to turn the world upside down, at the very least, to get into the patriarch's park! My sister and I aren't allowed near there!»

«I am in Elder Rin's good books. He will give you a pass if I ask him.» – Yegorka smiled arrogantly. Of course, he is in the good books of the elders. Talented people are cherished and revered here.

«Then why don't you do it yourself?»

«I've been blackballed. I'll tell you later why.»

«I see… And… I do not understand… What the hell is the slave doing in Lady Juno's mansion?»

«My baby needs to blow off steam. I couldn't let her beat me. No one will ever humiliate me, not even her. Cut her some slack here.»

After a short pause, Makar agreed with a sigh:

«I hear what you're saying. We will do everything I can, buddy. As soon as the elder gives his permission… Not everyone can get into the best park of our family.»

«I'll set it up. Come quickly.»

«Until then!»

Makar and Sicily were brother and sister and Yegorka's old friends, the promising young Stones. They were no front runners of the younger generation, but they were only 14-15-year-olds. They had a bright future ahead of them.

Yegorka finished the call and looked at the entrance to the mansion. The weird slave had messed with his head. As a rule, Juno's slaves were quick to expire and meet their end. This piece of meat didn't only survive, he had gained Juno's trust, ruining her greatness with his pathetic presence.

Yegorka suddenly noticed Flitz come to the entrance, accompanied by a hefty slave. Then they entered the mansion.

…

Juno came out to Flitz, a passive observer at the threshold, unhealthily coughing up his sleeve. {Old poop! How dared you to screw me like this? You brought me a slave with a defective subjugating formation! How dared you give me someone who does not know his place in the world? And how dared you hurt Marina?} – She wanted to say all this out loud and beat the old asshole to a pulp, but her mouth did not open. Every part of her body failed her. Instead, Juno stood frozen there to the spot with an indifferent look on her face. No one could tell about the storm that reigned in her thoughts at the moment.

Flitz looked like he had gained another 20 years (but who cared, anyway.) He stared at the charming girl, giving her a fake smile:

«Hello, baby. Don't eat me with your eyes, it scares me. I'm inedible, just skin and bones.»

«I am not… Hi.» – Juno stopped mid-sentence and nodded slightly.

Flitz called the hefty slave and casually patted him on the back.

«Meet your new slave, Juno. His name is Alec. Just look at him. Isn't he stronger than anyone you had? He will last at least a couple of days for sure!»

Alec watched Juno, captivated. He had never seen anyone more beautiful in all his life. The young lady was a real angel! The whole world around her had lost its color! Especially in the light of his complete loss of sex-drive… His big heart started beating wildly, and he hurried to bow.

«My lady. You are so beautiful… So-sorry, I can't keep my mouth shut…»

Juno turned an angry look from the hefty bald boy to the old man.

«You… Old fart… Dared… Again…» – Juno's tongue was pinched with the cage of orders. Her head was striving to turn aside. Her legs were forcing her to leave. It took all her will power to make herself stay.

Flitz frowned in annoyance.

«What did I dare? To bring you a slave? You told me to find you a new one, and now you suddenly change your mind? Do you take me for a servant? Should I dance before you? Pah!» – Flitz didn't want to take his problems out on Juno. With an effort, he held back his anger and turned away. Anybody who had eyes could see that the old man was really upset.

Juno turned her "indifferent" look at the young bull who hastily took his eyes away, his cheeks glowing red at the greatest honor in his life – Lady Juno's glance.

Alec respectfully babbled, bowing:

«My lady, take care of me, please. I will serve you faithfully!»

Juno finally lost it. She was boiling with a desire to kill him. Kyon had ordered her to hear "I order you" every time someone said the word "please." That's why it seemed to her that the slave had ordered her to take care of him. The scum was looking to get killed!

Juno violently pressed on her wrist. A couple of seconds later, Anna approached her.

«Yes, my lady.»

«Anna, send that… To the training ground.» – Juno nodded disdainfully at Alec.

«Yes, my lady…» – Anna bowed and took away the happy slave (his lady was so wonderful) to wait for her at the training ground. The maid was a little confused: why did the lady need a slave if she had a servant? But no one would ever answer that question.

Juno grabbed Flitz by the sleeve of his robe and took him to the bathroom, where it was as dark as under the blanket at night.

Flitz was taken aback when Juno locked the door behind them. He exclaimed with a fair amount of anxiety in his voice:

«Hey hey hey! I know I am handsome and all that, but your grandfather will make a sharpener out of my skull because of your little game!»

Juno gathered up all her will, all her concentration. She remembered the training sessions and tried to imagine that Flitz was imaginary, that she was alone in the bathroom. It didn't work the way she wanted, but Juno could partially take part in the conversation.

Flitz was in total darkness, having no idea what the girl had on her mind. He decided to warn her, just in case:

«I see you are up to something, Juno. For your information, I have a headache, no time for this now, I am busy and… Well, I haven't told anybody yet, but I have a husband!»

Juno shook her head as if shaking her mind:

«No! I… not… Flitz… Do you remember the slave you brought to me?» – Juno had to keep Alec's image in her mind to bypass the cage of orders. She did master some self-deception techniques, after all.

Of course, Flitz thought of the other slave. Why would Juno ask, "do you remember" about the one he brought a second ago? Juno wasn't mentally retarded after all. She was as far from being stupid as to the moon and back. Flitz knew her too well.

He scratched his nose in confusion.

«Um… Kyon was his name, wasn't it? Did you bring me to the bathroom to talk about the dead? Or do you want me to invoke his spirit? Sorry, I do not have the skills of charlatan spiritualists. But I can light a candle for his soul if his spirit bothers you at night, which I doubt very much… After all, if the soul of every slave you killed with your little hands haunted you… Well, then I would be wearing black mourning clothes today… And then I would have to bury your grandfather who died of grief for his adoring little granddaughter.»

«No, no!» – Juno irritatedly interrupted him. Look at him cracking his jokes, trying to be funny even in her imagination. However, as soon as they talked about Kyon, her subconscious started protesting, activating the orders, forcing her to change the subject as soon as possible because she was strictly forbidden to talk about Kyon.

«Well then, I'd better…» – Juno started and stopped in the mid-sentence, bound by the orders. It took all her willpower to convince the subconscious that she was talking about Alec and not Kyon, that Flitz was imaginary and she was alone there. The three factors multiplied and weakened the chains enough to buy her some more time.

«I order you to cut off his… Cut off… His… Hair and… The round thing… Where they grow… His… His…» – Juno's voice treacherously trembled. Her lips were not saying what she needed to say. All she wanted to tell him was to cut off the slave's head, but her subconscious mind kindly reminded her that she should not give orders to kill anyone.

«Round… Round thing… Cut off… Well, his… That thing…» – Juno's subconsciousness was in the trap of the formation, forcing her to leave the bathroom. Only with the help of autosuggestion, she won another unnoticed internal battle.

«To cut off his balls or what?» – Flitz asked, dumbfounded. It seemed quite logical to him. What was the point of cutting the head after shaving off the hair? What other thing was round on the man's body?

«Yes! And… And…» – And again, her mouth could not pronounce the word "head." Even in her imagination, she was forbidden to kill her vile master. Did she really screw it up?

«And cut off his hair, I got the message. I repeat: you want me to dig up Kyon's body, shave off the hair on his head and cut off his balls, right?» – Flitz sounded extremely irritated as if little children were resourcefully torturing him and he hadn't slept for three days in a row.

He was shocked to hear Juno scream with joy:

«Yes! Yes! Yeah, oh yeah! I want exactly this!» – Then Juno got scared. She had already ordered Flitz to cut off Kyon's balls and hair… What was she going to do next? What was the point in all that if she couldn't order him to kill the slave?

She was about to give up this stupid idea when her mind obligingly reminded her of Kyon's harassment, his threats to take her honor, even if not in a direct way. And that nasty kiss on the neck… A moment later, Juno made a firm decision. It was too early to give up!

It was true, she couldn't kill him. However, she could get rid of his dirty mind. No balls, no harassment. He would beat her half to death, perhaps more than once, but Juno was ready to endure any pain as long as he did not dare to think about her body anymore.

As Juno made her decision, she suddenly got even more scared. The slave had a sound transmitter! He could always use it and change the situation with a couple of pointed orders.

Juno added right away:

«And take away his sound-transmitter!»

Flitz was taken aback by Juno's strange, illogical words. He could not believe his ears. He lit a match to look at her face in the hope that she was joking. But no, she wasn't… Too bad. She must have gone crazy.

«Juno…» – Flitz began in an ingratiating, almost admonishing tone, wincing as if looking at a psychopath. – «…Tell me, girl. Did you have cereal for breakfast? Were there any suspicious-looking mushrooms with white spots on them?»

Juno was terrified to see Flitz's face lit by the fire of the match. Her subconscious mind raised the alarm. Flitz was not imaginary anymore! She took off like a shot, disappearing around the corner. The old man watched her leave and quietly muttered under his breath: «Is she messing with me?» – and followed her.

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Chapter 76

«Seriously? What do you eat here?»

Juno knew that her "master" spent almost all his time in the hidden library. She had no restrictions on visiting Kyon, so that's where she headed off in the hope that Flitz would follow her. Actually, Juno was forbidden to bring anyone to the library, but she wasn't taking anyone on purpose. Flitz was following her himself! Juno had discovered her exceptional talent of self-deception, but no one except Kyon could appreciate it, and he wouldn't pat her on the head for this new skill of hers. Well, soon he wouldn't pat anyone anymore.

When Juno approached the passage to the library, the "master" was leaving.

«What are we doing here?» – Kyon inquired, sneering and stood petrified: there was Flitz behind Juno's back! He looked rather unhealthy like a skeleton wrapped up in the skin.

Achieving her goal, Juno turned around, her gray skirt blowing up with the centrifugal force as if emphasizing her invisible wings. She went to the door, pleased with herself, poking the stunned old man with her elbow in the side on her way out.

How convenient… There was no one just two meters around the turn, where her chains would weaken. She put her fingers in her ears and hurried to the safe place. Even if her master came to his senses and shouted an order after her, he wouldn't have time to stop her. She would not hear him.

Flitz rubbed his eyes, dazed. Was he seeing things? Was it a ghost in front of him?

«You are alive! It's been a few weeks already! But how?» – A chicken egg could easily fit into his open mouth. Flitz couldn't believe his eyes.

Kyon could hardly contain his confusion and surprise. Juno had pulled another stunt! How did she do it? Should he keep her on a chain so that she stopped playing tricks on him? Why didn't his stable formation work on her? Someone like Dinah could never break a formation even a hundred times of lower quality, but this trouble-maker had already done it twice! It couldn't go on like this. He had to do something with her.

Kyon remained calm… What a stupid girl! He had a sound transmitter, after all. He could call her anytime and give her an order that would destroy all her plans. Kyon thought she was smarter. He was a bit disappointed in her.

«It was so nice of you to give me to the lady who beat me to within an inch of my life day after day. Fortunately, she appreciated my talents and didn't let me die. You should be ashamed of yourself!»

Flitz finally closed his mouth and rubbed his tired eyes with dark circles under them.

«Ashamed? Of myself? You wish… I am ashamed only for my unborn children! As for you, I was sure the young lady wouldn't kill you.»

Flitz's words sounded flattering, but he avoided Kyon's eyes.

Kyon wanted to snort indignantly at this blatant lie, but he knew better than that. He was just a servant after all.

Flitz's face darkened. He said in the tone of an exasperated, tired boss:

«You should be grateful you're still alive and in one piece. Speaking of which, today you are going to lose your balls. Don't worry, it will change nothing for you. You must already know that Evilball is really evil for your libido. So, there's nothing to lose. Follow me while I am still kind.» – Flitz waved to him and went to the front door.

Kyon stood rooted to the spot, speechless. {Little beast! How did she do it?} A vein popped out on his forehead, but he got it together, took out the sound transmitter and dialed the desired frequency.

Flitz noticed that the slave was not following him. He turned questioningly, saw the sound transmitter in Kyon's hands and remembered Juno's request. He lazily approached Kyon and snatched the device out of his hands.

«I have to confiscate this.»

Kyon protested indignantly:

«The lady gave it to me! It's mine! Give it back!»

«Is it a fly buzzing in my ear? Should I swat it? If I've taken something away, it has to be done! Juno has asked me to. I guess she didn't want to hear your mournful squeak about the lost testicles! Now follow me, or you will regret it.» – Flitz growled, turning again towards the door.

Flitz made it clear that he was annoyed, exhausted and would be happy to strangle someone. He was not to be messed with.

Kyon bit his lip and followed Flitz with a deep sigh. He had a weird feeling… He thought that Juno was an idiot, and the little devil had foreseen everything!

{Bitch… If… If I lose them… You… You'll pay with your life for that} – Kyon was fuming like a waking volcano. How could he have underestimated the patriarch's granddaughter? The little piece of shit wouldn't accept being his slave. He thought that she would be afraid to go against him after she was beaten and harassed. Kyon had pulled all her strings, and she decided to cut off the root cause of his possible lust.

She was insane, crazy, unhinged! What was the point of cutting off his balls if he was still alive? It was like pushing the hated enemy from the bridge being closely tied together! Absurd. Her action defied all reason. It was beyond Kyon's understanding. And yet, he had to admit he would have done the same. He would have never surrendered, just like her. Kyon was about to let out a stream of swear words and spine-chilling curses, but it wouldn't change anything. It was really infuriating!

Kyon was shaking from the urge to strangle Juno's neck. Only, he couldn't run away from Flitz under his own steam, and Juno must have hidden well. What if he tried to convince Flitz that Juno was just kidding him?

«Lady Juno didn't mean it, sir! She is always making fun of me. This time she asked you to castrate me as a joke! Haha! Please, don't believe her. You probably have more important things to do, right?» – Kyon tried to talk some sense into Flitz.

«She must know that I have no time for joking! Now, would you please shut up. All this nonsense is giving me a headache.» – Flitz grunted. He was under orders, and orders were no joke for him.

They had approached the front door.

Kyon didn't want to go anywhere, and even more so, to lose his precious balls… The familiar feeling of helplessness was growing in his heart. It wasn't for the first time that Juno had been the reason he felt this way. She was the root of evil.𝗇𝑶𝔳𝗲𝗅𝑢𝚜𝗯.𝓬𝔬𝓂

«Sir… Juno…»

«Another. Word. And I will wring your neck, puppy. I swear by my mother.» – Flitz said coldly, without turning around.

Kyon opened his mouth, choking with anger. He was to be executed, and he couldn't change anything. He believed that Juno would heed to his threat, but she didn't.

{I'd kill her right now… How did she do it?} – Kyon was absolutely confident in his subjugating formation, and yet, the little devil had somehow bypassed it. The sly girl had deceived her subconscious! She wasn't supposed to…

Kyon and Flitz left the mansion and headed for the hospital. One was pale as a ghost, the other was full of determination. The guards knew their job – they carefully checked the visitors' formations and deleted both of them from the log after they left.

Yegorka couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the slave leave Juno's mansion. {It's unthinkable! Where is the burn on his face?}

Yegorka got intoxicated with an unquenchable thirst for blood. The most promising young Stone was not allowed into the mansion. The guards had beaten him up and thrown him nearly into the dumpster. It all happened because of this scum!

Kyon frowned when he saw Juno's admirer. {Ugh, skunk… Have you been waiting here, or what?}

«Who do I see?! The walking dead!» – Yegorka grinned maliciously and attacked Kyon, his fist ablaze with fire. He would smudge the slave's boiling brains all over the ground.

The swing speed was so great that Yegorka's fist looked like a blurry orange spot.

Kyon concentrated and prepared to dodge, but the chances were too slim. He was too slow for that…

Fortunately, Flitz stopped Yegorka's fist with his bare hand and gave him a hard whack. «Keep your hands off my stuff!» – He snapped and suppressed the attacker with his pressure.

Yegorka flinched, scared. Powerful pressure that squeezed his body reminded him that it was the respected Flitz. Yegorka had completely forgotten about him in a fit of rage.

«I'm sorry, sir. I am Juno's friend… This slave… He must die! It's personal. I am willing to pay you money for his life, whatever the cost!»

Kyon swallowed and turned his eyes to the elderly formacist.

Flitz snorted. «I don't care whose friend you are. And your romance with the slave is not my concern. He is getting castrated today, and that's it. Have fun with him in the next life. Piss off before I kick the hell out of you, brat!»

Yegorka looked at Kyon, dumbfounded. «Castrated?!» – His confusion gradually gave way to gloating. – «Ha! Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha!»

The mean laughter grated on Kyon's ears. He felt the urge to punch the idiot on the nose, but he was worried about something else. «Can I make just one call to Lady Juno, please? I assure you she will be grateful for not selling me…»

«I don't give a shit about her or you or anyone! Shut up before I kill you all!» – Flitz snarled and walked fast to the hospital.

Kyon hurried after the formacist. He had no desire to stay near crazy Yegorka. {The brainless slug… First, he saves me twice, then almost kills me. Now he has attacked me again. Oh, the fickle teenage heart!}

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Chapter 77

Yegorka wanted to see the punishment of the slave with his own eyes. He followed Kyon and Flitz. Yegorka was having the time of his life. He kept giggling uncontrollably, which was at odds with his high status.

«Oh my god! Will you keep your trap shut?» – Kyon was losing it. The asshole was driving him nuts, and he needed to concentrate and come up with a way out.

«How dare you… I…» – Yegorka's eyes went dark with an urge for bloodshed. – «How dare you address me so disrespectfully?! Do you think I am equal to you?! You're nothing but a pathetic slave!»

«Shut up both of you, or I'll send you to the next world.» – Flitz ominously warned them.

The three of them silently continued on their way.

At the entrance to the familiar white building that smelled of medicine, Flitz turned into the nearest alley and went to the garbage container. The old man took Kyon by the collar, bent him over the container and grabbed his head.

«Are you going to behead me?!» – It was all Kyon could say when sharp blades whizzed over him. With a blank look, he watched his black hair fall into the container.

«What… Only not this… Not my hair!» – He was out of breath. The skin on his head felt cool. He had really lost his precious hair…The heartless old brute pig! Flitz could as well cut off his arms.

When Yegorka saw the hairless slave, he laughed so hard he sounded like a hyena.

Flitz squinted and looked at the bald guy suspiciously. «Had Juno removed your formation? I expected anything from the young lady, but clearly not caring for you. The girl must have had mushrooms for breakfast after all…» – He touched Kyon's forehead, just in case, and made sure that the formation was still there. Alright, she went crazy but not completely.

Kyon touched his head, hoping to find his hair. His eyes went blank. «How could you… My hair…» – It was like Flitz had cut off his soul instead of his hair.

The feeble old man snorted contemptuously. «No big deal… I am a kind man. I'd never have cut your hair on my free will. The balls, that's another matter. The young lady's order is my command. You may complain to her later. Now stop whining and follow me. It won't hurt. But what do I know?»

«Can we make a deal? The lady won't check them, anyway! And I'll pretend that they don't exist! Sir, you have already ruined my life by shaving off my hair like a demon. Can you at least leave my dear ones?»

Flitz rolled his eyes. He hadn't met so demanding, arrogant slaves for a long time. «Zip your lip and forward march, private Kyon.» – He ordered and headed for the entrance.

Yegorka bent over in half, dying of laughter.

Kyon went around the humanlike hyena and followed Flitz. His face turned pale, he was disheartened. It would take him some months to restore the testicles. But what really mattered was the very fact of their absence! It's a humiliation god level! It's a violation of humans rights!

The three of them went upstairs and entered the doctor's office.

Kyon remembered the place: the dangerous carnivorous creature Bilya lived there. Kyon felt oppressive emptiness and tension in his chest.

The fat, unpleasant woman with deep-set eyes turned around lightning fast and spoke in her nasty high voice:

«Uncle Flitz! My, my, you dared to come… No, you didn't! You bothered to come! Are you concerned about your health?» – She asked with hope in her voice.

«Fuck you! I am healthy like a bull, cough, cough…» – He coughed painfully, covering his mouth with his hand, which only made the plump woman smile. – «I forgot to bring the pies, but I brought someone for your shenanigans.» – The old man waved his hand to Kyon, who was standing behind him. When Bilya saw the pale boy she knew so well, her lips stretched in a predatory, sinister smile. «How are you doing, my dear? Does anything bother you below the tummy? How did you find Evilball?»

Kyon remained indifferent and silent, in his mind, he was feverishly thinking of a follow-up action plan.

The handsome blond teen came inside. «Hello, Aunt Bilya!» – He broke into a smile.

«Yegorka! Dear! Hello! Long time no see.» – The doctor smiled benevolently.

«How is Butuzik doing in the Fat sect?»

«Oh, he's fine. Your friend is getting stronger with each day. I see you don't fall behind.» – The big woman patted the boy on his blond hair.

Madame looked threateningly at Flitz. «What procedure does he need? Shall I inject him with Evilball again?»

«Nothing of the kind. Remove his testicles. I know you like it. You will do it for the pure pleasure of the procedure, that is free of charge…» – The old man said in an even tone that didn't tolerate objections. He went to the window, took out his pipe and smoked. His dreary glance was away with the pixies. Someone was about to be castrated… He couldn't care less.

Kyon got even paler. They were talking about his vital organs like it was a tooth that should be removed.

Bilya grumbled for the sake of decency:

«What? You said I like it? What are you talking about? Uncle Flitz, that's how little you think of me…» – The woman went on ranting as she approached the shelf with the surgical instruments.𝒏𝑜𝓋𝐞𝓁𝓤𝑠𝒷.𝒸𝗈𝚖

Yegorka's smile acquired demonic shape. «Ha-ha-ha! Off with his balls! Aunt Bilya, can you do it with a dull scalpel? He deserves it, I assure you. I am Butuzik's best friend. I will be grateful to you for understanding.»

The sadist mentally praised him. She'd been looking for the dull scalpel herself. And yet, she reacted differently:

«Yegorka, how can you be so evil? This operation is done only with sharp scalpels. You'd better tie him up over there. The stronger, the better.» – She pointed to a special chair with sturdy straps without looking that way.

Meanwhile, Flitz let out a couple of smoke rings. He was feeling lonely and depressed.

Yegorka grinned mischievously and slowly approached the slave. A nobleman like him should not gloat over filthy scum. But…

«Take it easy. You are not getting away with just your balls off. You dared to insult me. Now you are going to regret that you were born into the world. And now…» – The blond guy took great pleasure in taunting Kyon.

Kyon cautiously looked at the rusty scalpel that Bilya was meticulously examining, licking, tasting, smacking her lips. He started feeling dizzy and turned his eyes at the old man who was sitting at the window, downhearted. Flitz didn't give a damn about what was happening… He was worried about something else… Something else… Oh, shit! Kyon didn't need a supermind to guess! Of course! Marina told him a dozen times about their life together, what place she occupied in the old man's heart! There it was, a ray of hope! The savior of his sacred balls!

Kyon rushed headlong to Flitz, but Yegorka quickly grabbed him by the wrist.

«Where do you think you're going?»

Kyon painfully gritted his teeth and yelled:

«Flitz, I know where Marina is!»

The old man was looking blankly in the window. His pipe fell out of his hands, the ashes scattered on the floor with bright sparks. A second… Another one… A third… A tenth… What had he just heard? Was he hearing things? The last two weeks had been a nightmare. He looked for Marina every day, with all means available. He was in pain, suffering mentally and physically. He had to take time off from work. Ulcers developed all over his senile body from excessive stress. His mind refused to accept that the girl that was his meaning of life had just disappeared. Marina was a real beauty, a goddess for Flitz. However, he preferred to express his love only in sex. He could have proposed to her, but then he would have to act like a husband: not to ignore her requests, not to be too cruel, not to violate her in bed, give her the right to express herself, listen to her opinion. Flitz doubted that he could live like this. That's why he treated her solely like a maid that would give anything her master wanted. In fact, he was head over heels in love with his maid and had been for a long time.

Now he could only wonder if she had left him, if she had met a handsome man. What if someone had kidnapped her and locked her up? He couldn't find the girl through the tracking function in her formation. Either someone had destroyed the formation, or something blocked its signal (some powerful barrier, for example). In any case, Flitz did not lose hope and kept looking for Marina day after day. His heart was aching from the devastating thought that he would never see her again, never kiss his darling on the lips, they would never become one again. His mind darkened with black depression so unbearable that it was slowly driving him into the grave. The goal he had pursued in the last years to recover his seed and have babies with Marina was gone. And out of the blue, the slave, that must have long been dead, said he knew the whereabouts of his beloved one. Flitz couldn't believe his ears. He would sooner believe that he had finally lost his mind from grief and was now hearing voices.

Kyon kept shouting the same again and again, but Flitz didn't seem to hear them. His strange behavior filled Kyon with despair. He didn't want to be neutered like a stray dog.

How much Kyon wished he could wring Yegorka's neck. The jerk was roughly fastening him to the chair and giggling wickedly in doing so. If Yegorka were to tie Juno up, his moves would be more gentle than a breeze. Now every touch of the stupid asshole was going to turn into a bruise… What a sick bastard. What did he do to him? Insulted? No, he didn't. Yegorka wanted to finish him off long before that, moreover, twice. Maybe in this world, everyone wanted to kill him? It was high time to invent a gun to make them all equal…

Bilya approached the slave with a rusty scalpel in her hands and an impatient nasty smile on her lips.

«Enough crying, honey. I'm an old hand at this! As the saying goes: good riddance, right? Haha!»

Flitz snapped out of his stupor and finally asked quietly:

«What did you say?»

Kyon desperately shouted again:

«I said I know where Marina is! But if she cuts my balls off, I will carry this secret to the grave with them!»

Yegorka barked:

«Shut the hell up, piece of trash! You are about to lose your balls, and all you're all talking about is Marina! You'd better pray for salvation!» – Yegorka had an unhealthy excitement before the unsightly spectacle when the hated slave got his balls cut off. How much he wanted to see the slave suffering, revel in his grief and blank eyes.

As for Bilya, she was trembling with anticipation and couldn't even breathe evenly. She pulled the lever which made Kyon's legs, fastened with straps, spread wide apart.

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Chapter 78

Kyon was white as a sheet. Damned old fart, why is he taking so long to reply?!

Flitz approached Kyon like a sudden storm the sea. He grabbed the boy by the collar and said in a hoarse, frightening voice:

«You… You are not you lying, aren't you? Do you really know where she is?!»

«I do! I can bet my head on it, not my balls! But first things first, get me out of here!» – Kyon was talking a mile a minute.

«Uncle Flitz, stop fooling around! I've got work to do!» – Bilya pushed the old man aside and wanted to proceed with the execution, but Flitz pushed her back with so much force that the woman rolled on the floor with a squeal.

thud* *thud* *thud* *thud*

Flitz tore the strong straps with his bare hands, slung Kyon behind his back and, just like that unfortunate day, jumped out of the window, straight from the second floor like a meteor.

He heard Bilya's screams.

«Again?! You've deceived me again, old bugger! Just show up here another time!»

Flitz put Kyon, who got away with it anew, on the ground and laid his heavy wrinkled hand on his shoulder.

«Tell me! Where is she?! Or I will rip off your balls myself!»

It was in Kyon's nature to find benefits everywhere. Now that Flitz revealed his weakness, it would be a crime not to use it.

«I'll you everything, but first you have to promise that my balls will stay with me safe and sound…»

«I'll leave your balls alone! Speak up!» – Flitz impatiently interrupted him.

«There's something more… Give me my sound transmitter back, take me to the mansion, and swear to grant me a wish.» – Kyon understood perfectly well that he was playing with fire. The old man would rip his heart out if he did not meet his expectations. And yet, Kyon took his chance.

Flitz immediately threw the device into Kyon's insolent hands and snapped:

«I swear to grant you a wish! TALK!»

«First, take me to Juno's mansion. I will tell you everything there!»

Flitz snarled something furiously. He grabbed Kyon by the hand so fiercely that he nearly tore it off and dashed to the mansion.

Somewhere far behind, Yegorka was shouting something indignantly. His expectations had been shattered. If Kyon had told Flitz his secret earlier, the old man would run off to the mansion, hanging him out to dry with Yegorka. Kyon had thought of everything.

They arrived at the mansion in a wink, thanks to Flitz's speeding step.

«This is your last chance, boy! Stop playing games with me, or I'll kill you!»

Kyon took a deep breath and said calmly:

«She is in the mansion. I'll take you to her.» – He decisively went inside.

Flitz couldn't understand. He had searched the entire estate over and over again. He had broken into the houses, turned everything upside down, and she… She had been at Juno's all this time. At Juno's…

Kyon went upstairs and knocked on the door to Marina's room. Flitz was standing next to him. He wasn't quite himself, about to lose his mind.𝒏𝑜𝓋𝐞𝓁𝓤𝑠𝒷.𝒸𝗈𝚖

Marina had just had her manicure done. She cheerfully replied in her melodious voice:

«Coming!»

Flitz heard the familiar voice and could feel the goosebumps rise all over his body. Bliss replaced disbelief in his eyes. His dear girl had been in Juno's mansion all the time… All the time… What a fool he had been! He'd been looking for her everywhere except the mansion that he had forbidden her to approach!

As soon as Marina opened the door, the one she knew too well pulled her and held her tight.

Flitz buried his nose in her shoulder, inhaling the smell of the woman he loved. He was on cloud nine. He'd missed her so much… He was afraid he would not see her again, and there she was in his arms… so warm, so soft, so dear.

«Ma-master…» – Marina girl mumbled pitifully.

Filtz was holding on to her as if hanging on for dear life.

«My dear little Marina… You… You're a fool. Why didn't you tell me that you're with Juno?! I've nearly decayed alive without your sweet, lovely, tight butt… Do you understand?!» – The old man didn't know how to express his sincere feelings.

Marina's hands shook, tears of fear welled in her eyes.

«Ma-ma-master… I am… I am sorry…»

At that moment, Kyon was about to hate himself. He had sold Marina out for the sake of his balls. The half-dead, gross old man was holding the girl who Kyon loved like his family, just like his sister…

{Marina…} – Kyon bit his lip. He couldn't stand the old asshole pawing the girl.

Flitz got handsy as if he'd missed her bottom much more than the girl herself.

«I've missed you, obnoxious girl… I spent three weeks looking for you around the estate… I broke into all the houses where handsome guys lived, twisted their hands, beat information out of them. And you… You are so amazing, beautiful, sly… You're such a fool… How could you disobey my order and come to Juno. You've become so cheeky! Alright, let's go home. I will not let you go ever again. You won't run away from me anymore…»

Flitz pulled Marina's hand. She did not dare to utter any words of protest. She dragged her feet, trying to slow him. She did not want to go anywhere. Flitz kept pulling her by hand, ignoring her sluggish resistance.

Marina began to sob. She gave Kyon a tearful, imploring look that was worse than a bullet in his heart. She was asking him to save her.

For the first time in his life, Kyon had experienced an overwhelming feeling of guilt. It hurt like a knife in his heart. He could say Marina was a saint with no exaggeration. Now she was being dragged to the shriveled old man's bed like a mouse into the mousetrap. It was his fault.

Kyon instantly took out his sound transmitter, that Flitz had given him back, and ordered Juno to come to the front door at once. Only Juno had power over Flitz… She wouldn't not allow him to hurt her friend, maybe. Kyon would save their disagreement for later.

Flitz was still dragging the weeping girl to the front door.

«Stop crying, stupid girl. I won't beat you. I'll just punish you a little for almost killing me with your rash actions.»

She was his happiness. He could let her cry as she pleased, but he wouldn't let her go, never again.

Marina did not want to return. She would have to satisfy the disgusting, gross old man in bed… She would have to do all those dirty things, to serve him, to wear sexy stuff for him… The mere thought of all that gave her a heartache. She couldn't say no to him… He was still her master. She lacked the courage to go against the man, terrible in all senses.

The three of them were approaching the front door.

Kyon was about to say something to Flitz to hold him up, but there was no need for that. Juno had finally come, and she wasn't pleased with what she saw. The bald but seemingly whole and intact slave was brazenly looking into her eyes. The annoying old fart was taking her friend away from her.

Juno and Kyon stared at each other. Sparks between them could lead to an explosion.

Kyon thought what if Juno didn't hold her friend dear when something extraordinary happened… Juno approached him at arm's length and slightly lowered her head. It looked like pleading.

It was not difficult to guess that she was asking him to remove the chain of orders to save Marina. Juno needed her initiative, tone of her voice, expression of emotions… Kyon's restrictions didn't let her get what she wanted.

Kyon raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was stunned. The little beast actually stood for something… The haughty sadist who despised the lower classes of society had someone to protect.

He got closer to Juno's ear and whispered:

«Please, do everything to save Marina without involving me in that.»

At the same moment, Juno rushed to Flitz like fury, with a warlike cry:

«Flitz, old fart. If you dare to take Marina away, I will do my best and make sure your decrepit ass spends all your life behind bars!» – Juno approached her friend, grabbed her by hand and pulled to herself.

Marina looked at Juno in amazement. Then she glimpsed at Kyon, who waved to her with the sound transmitter. {He… It was he who called Juno! Oh, Kyon …} – Marina was at the brink of tears with gratitude.

Flitz stood there like a scared goat.

«Little one… Do you even know who Marina is for me?»

«A sex toy that you mistreat! I said that Marina stays with me, and that's final!» – Juno said resolutely between gritted teeth. She pulled her friend again but to no avail.

Flitz's face darkened. He snapped:

«She is my most valuable maid, and you are just a little snot who wants to take away my treasure! Do you ever think with your empty head? What are you talking about?!» – Flitz would gladly send Juno to hell and go on dragging his precious booty, only he understood perfectly well that Juno's threats were not an empty sound. She could easily ask the patriarch for anything. Once he accidentally stroked her head, and she did not like it… After that, her grandfather broke some of his ribs, kindly warning him not to do that again.

Juno snorted viciously.

«Too bad for you! Now she's my friend! And my friends will not serve any perverted old men. Guards!»

Two guards in black suits and glasses were standing behind the door. They came inside and stood menacingly at Flitz's sides.

Marina was being pulled in both directions now. She sobbed pitifully.

Flitz was taken aback. He pointed his trembling finger at Juno, who was angrily looking into his eyes without a shadow of fear.

«You… You won't dare! I've been looking for her everywhere hell knows how long. I've almost died of grief. I can't live without her!»

Juno pulled a disgusted face:

«You disappoint me, Flitz. First, you send me this…» – She broke off in mid-sentence. She wanted to say about Kyon and accidentally add that he was her "owner" so that the guards paid attention to that phrase, but he had ordered her "not to involve him." So, she continued as if nothing had happened. – «…Then I learn what dirty things you did to your maid. I used to call you a pervert but it was a joke! Now I see there's some truth behind every joke… I despise perverts most of all. Go away. I can't even look at you! Let go of Marina. My friend will never sleep with a decrepit ugly old man.»

Flitz turned pale. He slowly shook his head.

«No… I will not let her go… She doesn't understand how much I appreciate her… I do everything for her! I protect her, cherish her, take care of her, after all! She is the highest maid in my mansion! It's any girl's dream to be a powerful master's maid, isn't it?! Any commoner would agree with me! They would pay everything they have for this! Marina, tell her it's true!» – Flitz looked at Marina strictly and expectantly.

«Let go of me.» – Marina whispered, barely audible.

Flitz's eyes glazed over.

«No… Marina… How can you be so ungrateful? Where would you be now if I had not made you my maid?»

Kyon crossed his arms. He could not understand what was going on in Flitz's head. If he loved Marina, he should have treated her properly, cherish her. He treated her as his maid, taking all his lust out on her. He was always harsh to her and never let her talk things out.

«I want to stay…» – Marina mumbled quietly.

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Chapter 79

«Guards! Take Flitz away!» – Juno commanded at once.

Two strong guards took the old man by the arms and took him outside. He did not resist. He was looking with empty eyes at the girl who had rejected him. He thought it was the last time he saw her.

Marina threw herself into Juno's arms, soaking her blouse with tears. The young lady hugged her to comfort her.

«Don't cry. I won't let Flitz hurt you.» – Juno's fierce gaze turned to Kyon. Her strategic plan had failed… The "master" returned too quickly… He had his hair shaved off. It served him right, but his thing below was obviously still in order. The sly slave must have made a deal with Flitz. He told him Marina's location. How did he dare to sell out her friend? On the other hand, he let her save Marina… He called her with the sound transmitter. What was going on in his bald head? And what was going to happen next…

Kyon looked affectionately at Marina. She was now weeping from the relief. When he found shelter behind the bushes, Marina told him different things about Flitz. Some of them were good things. However, she was still afraid of him like the rabbit fears the wolf. Was it because of her female changeable nature? Far from it… It was all about Flitz. He was the reason Marina had become quiet and withdrawn. Flitz was a tyrant, denying her any freedom.

Kyon had an excellent idea how he could solve the complicated situation to Marina's advantage.

He approached Juno and whispered to give him the diamond token with the coat of arms, the symbol of the 1st rank in the Stone family.

Juno unwillingly took the valuable shiny thing out of the ring and handed it over to the "master," never breaking her embrace with whimpering Marina. Juno was much younger than her, and yet she was comforting Marina like an older sister. She darted a thoughtful look after her sworn enemy who was disappearing in the distance.

The rejected old man hung his head down and walked where his feet took him. He sank into the depths of hopelessness. Flitz understood that it wasn't his destiny to get Juno's friend back. Desperate people can do rash actions like try and take Marina by force. It's just… He would find only his death in the mansion. The guardians were elite, the barrier was impenetrable. He couldn't get inside.

Kyon didn't want to see Flitz die foolishly or suffer from depression because Marina would cry and grieve for him. He decided to do it his way.

Kyon approached Flitz close enough and spoke in the direction of his worried bent back:

«Mr. Flitz! You can't return Marina by force or influence. Lady Juno will never let her friend go against her will. But if you convince Marina that she is dear to you, that you are ready to treat her like a lady, listen to her, give her attention, care for her, then everything can change. She won't be afraid of you and then she won't need Juno's protection anymore. You will see her every single day. But first, you need to work on yourself, and I will gladly help you with that. So, what do you think?»

Before Kyon started talking, Flitz did not want to listen to anyone. His heart was filled with pain… Severe pain… Even if it was less piercing than before. He understood perfectly well that there was no chance to get Marina back, and then the boy started talking like that. He turned irritably towards Kyon.

«You… What are you talking about? How do you know what I need to make that fool of a woman feel comfortable with me? Anyway, I do not need the advice of a slave… Get out of my sight.»

Kyon took something out of his pocket and handed it to Flitz.

«I am not giving you advice as a slave, but as Marina's friend.»

Flitz gasped, pressed it to his nose and breathed in deeply. As he exhaled, his breath trembled. This time, he took Kyon seriously.

«I bought this handkerchief for her… Did you steal it from Marina?»

Kyon hurriedly shook his head.

«No, she gave it to me herself. You know, our friendship got off to a good start. During the last weeks, we talked a lot. She told me all about you. She shared with me what she was scared of, and what made her happy, what she hated in you, and what she loved… From what I heard, I concluded that you are dear to her and scare the hell out of her at the same time. And now I want to help you change things so that she is not afraid of you anymore.» – Kyon boy was well aware that changing the grumpy old man's character was, in principle, an impossible task. But love is a powerful thing. Besides, his goal was not to change Flitz's character but to change his attitude to Marina. He wanted him to stop taking her as his maid.

Flitz frowned incredulously. Then he wondered. His heart started beating faster. The boy had given him hope to be reunited with the woman he loved. On the other hand, this cute young slave wanted to give him advice concerning Marina… It was pure nonsense. But if he was really her friend… Flitz couldn't make his mind. Should he send Kyon to hell or listen to him?

«How can it all help me if I can't even talk to her?» – Flitz asked skeptically.

Kyon lifted the corners of his mouth into a sly smile.

«You see, I'm Marina's friend. And any Marina's friend immediately becomes lady Juno's friend, even if it's not evident. In fact, Marina trusts me so much that lady Juno has started trusting me, too.» – With these words, Kyon pulled out the diamond token.

Flitz took the iridescent token of the Stone family with disbelief. There could be no mistake… The token belonged to Juno! There was a formation proving her identity inside! It was impossible to fake. He couldn't believe that Juno, who had always despised scum like slaves, gave Kyon this valuable thing just like that! There could be several options. Either Kyon had stolen the token, which was absolutely impossible or he was telling the truth. In this case, it became clear why he was still alive and why she made him her servant! Her order to castrate him was a bit out of place… Or it wasn't. Well… Perhaps her order made some sense!

«It's impossible…» – Flitz couldn't believe his eyes. – «The wicked girl couldn't have given the token to a servant… No…»

Kyon scratched his nose in embarrassment.

«As soon as you left, Marina begged Juno to allow you to come and visit her… I don't know what's going on in her head.»

Flitz almost dropped the token. His heart, recently broken, pounded with hope again.

«Marina… You are such a…»

«Lady Juno had to agree. Her pride did not allow her to run after you and take her words back, so she sent me after you. She gave me this token to make you believe my words. I suggest you visit Marina tomorrow, take a walk around the park. But if you oppress her as before, they will drive you away for good.»

Flitz hesitated before making the important decision, then he nodded reluctantly and returned the token to the boy. He didn't want to listen to Kyon's words, but he didn't seem to have any choice.

«I am ready to listen… Tell me what scares her in me, and what pleases? What exactly did she tell you about me?»

Kyon rubbed his hands, and the consultation began. If anyone found out that a servant was advising Flitz himself, they would fall about laughing.

Their conversation lasted a quarter of an hour. Flitz's eyes grew wider and wider with each passing minute. They were about to pop out of his head by the end of their talk. Kyon wanted him to stop taking Marina as a maid and begin to treat her as someone higher up the hierarchy. It was impossible for Flitz… In his eyes, the blonde girl was a stupid baby who knew nothing of life, and now he had to change his point of view… He should take her as his wife, as his queen, a goddess even and so on. He couldn't even think about insulting her as if his life was at stake. He had to give her little gifts, show signs of affection, be ready to apologize if he had been rude, or said something that might have scared his love.

In short, Flitz had to change himself completely.

«That's insane! I'll tell you something, little snot. All women say one thing and want another. Marina is just the same. You've heard enough of her nonsense, and now you think you know life. Listen to me…»

Kyon dared to interrupt Flitz.

«You have only one chance, sir. Either you become the one who Marina wants you to be and get the access to the mansion, or you will never see her again.»

Kyon cut Flitz off in the middle of his sentence but he didn't continue. His opinion didn't matter anymore. The servant was right. He couldn't lose his only hope.

Flitz chuckled and said matter-of-factly, stroking his beard:𝓝𝑜𝑣𝞮𝔩𝑢𝗌𝓑.𝚌𝑂𝗆

«Tell the nasty girl that tomorrow I will be there at lunch. And prepare Marina for my visit. I don't want her to be scared again… She is such a scaredy-cat. Oh well, you must know.»

«I'll do that.» – Kyon smiled graciously. He was willing to be a link between Flitz in love and Marina, who he owed more than life. She used to tell him that she wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with Flitz. So, let her talk and sort things out.

Soon, they said goodbye, and Kyon headed to the mansion. With each step he took, his face grew colder. Kyon was thinking how to punish Juno. She did the unforgivable thing, violated the sacred place – his balls.

After the conversation with Flitz, Kyon went to the mansion. On his way, he made a call and ordered Juno to wait for him at the training ground.

First, he went downstairs to call on Marina. She wasn't over the recent breakdown, brushing away the tears with her trembling fingers. Kyon comforted her with his kind words and care, but he quickly found out that the reason she was crying wasn't only the recent events. There was something else.

«Marina… You need to meet Flitz face to face and sort it all out. Don't avoid your inner demons, face them and overcome them. It will make you stronger. Running away will get you nothing. I suggest you meet Flitz tomorrow afternoon. I've convinced him that he can easily lose you if he makes a wrong gesture or says a bad word or gives a wrong order. Don't be afraid of him. Calm down and say everything you think about him. Get rid of all the pain that has been in your heart for so long. I can see how much you care for him. Flitz won't be rude to you again, or I will kick him out of the mansion and won't let him anywhere near you.»

Kyon's words impressed Marina. She calmed down and thought hard about something. Then she nodded decisively.

«Let him come. I was not ready for his visit today. I was confused… I was scared that he would take me away by force and make me do those dirty things again… But lady Juno saved me, not without your help. I have been thinking for a long time how to tell the master… I mean Flitz… that I don't want to be his maid anymore, and it kind of just happened. It must be a good thing. I want him to treat me differently, but Flitz will never change… I am only a maid for him.» – She concluded wistfully.

«Time will tell.» – Kyon said quietly and hugged Marina to comfort her.

Marina felt peaceful in his strong arms. Even if Kyon was only 14 and she was 20, it seemed like they were of the same age. Why was he so good? She felt so safe next to him…

On this warm-hearted note, Kyon left her room.

On the way to the training ground, he ordered Synergy to accelerate his hair growth. In about three days, it will be as long as before.

In the meantime, he had to face an important issue: how to avoid future risks because of Juno's abnormal ability to get around his orders. He could and should beat her up, but if it didn't work for her, it was time to think of something else. Kyon thought how to push her buttons and at the same time not to cross the line. Nothing else worked for her. She couldn't go unpunished for her attempt on his balls.

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Chapter 80

When Kyon opened the gate to the training ground, he saw something terrible.

Charming Juno was sitting on the bench with a disgruntled look on her face, her arms folded irritably across her chest. She was nervously wiggling her foot in a delicate sandal. A hefty teenage slave, brutally battered, was lying next to her, his breath ragged and hoarse. He was leaning against the wall, a lost cause. He was holding in his half-opened hand a handful of teeth, cruelly knocked out. The other hand was twisted at an unnatural angle, all his fingers were broken. His black clothes were soaked with something wet, most likely with his blood, which confirmed the scarlet drawings sprayed on the wall and the ground. One of his eyes was smashed so bad that it disappeared behind the red swelling, the other eye had a bit better look. His face was bruised all over, his nose was broken in several places. Anyone would be terrified by the sight of him. Judging by his weak breath, the poor thing didn't have long to live.

Sashka thought the young lady would be kind to him. She looked like an angel when they first met. He had been feeling down after losing his potency, but his depression disappeared when he was awaiting the lady's arrival to the training ground. His heart was beating faster in anticipation of the training after which he would have wonderful dreams of his bright future, and a full stomach at last. But when the beauty finally came, all his expectations were shattered at once. The lady with the expression of a maniac on her face furiously rushed at him, surpassing him both in speed and power. She mercilessly beat him up, not giving a chance for resistance. Plaintive moans, cries of pain, and pleas for mercy resonated across the deserted training ground. The image of an angel burnt to ashes turning into the embodiment of a fierce demon. People can't be so senselessly cruel…

In the end, Sashka was lying half-dead on the floor. He knew that his life was coming to an end. All he wanted was to get away from this damned world, created to bring him pain and misery.

When Kyon saw the dying slave, he almost choked with surging rage. The battered boy reminded the former emperor that he was in his place not so long ago. He had clearly ordered Juno not to beat anyone, let alone kill, but she violated his order… There could be only one explanation. The slave was nothing but a thing for her, not a person, only a thing.

He could hardly cope with a fit of anger. The urge to break Juno's neck grew even stronger.

Juno noticed the approaching "master," rose to her feet, sighed as if she was pulling herself together and then blurted out:

«Flitz had only shaved your hair off, nothing more! I… I didn't mean to… That just happened! P-please… Master… Do not punish me too much…» – Tears were shining in Juno's wide-open eyes, her voice trembled plaintively, her eyebrows knitted together. Gods, for what merits did you grant her the skill to play the sympathy card at the hundredth level?

However, her sophisticated acting skills had no effect on angry Kyon. The evil girl had big problems with common sense. How could she be possibly seeking sympathy from him again, if her previous attempt had failed? He is not a guy to bite her bait.

«Shut the hell up!» – Kyon rudely silenced her, walked over to the slave and poured Synergy into him.

Sashka raised his head and had some difficulty to focus his dull, swollen eyes on Kyon. His whole body acquired supernatural lightness, he was floating above the earth with his invisible wings.

Kyon frowned and carefully examined the mutilated slave. He was boiling with an unspeakable rage against the one who was to blame in Sashka's suffering. With great difficulty, he held himself together. Kyon was brought up in the strict observance of intergalactic norms that state that every rational being has the right to exist in conditions suitable for life and reproduction. Apparently, the little beast couldn't be bothered by such trifles…

«I order you to fall on your knees before Sashka and apologize.» – Kyon said quietly.

«Why should I? He is a thing that belongs to me!» – Yet, the order made the delicate girl obediently approach maimed Sashka and kneel. – «Please, forgive me…»

The half-dead boy could not believe his ears or eyes. Was heaven itself apologizing to him?

«Louder! Again! Head against the floor!» – Kyon demanded in a hoarse with rage voice.

After another apology, tears flowed from Sashka's eyes. He tilted his head back and howled with inhuman longing and despair. His assassin was begging on her knees to forgive her. Did heaven take mercy on him?

Kyon gritted his teeth, touched the back of Sashka's head, and severed some vital nerves with Synergy so that he would not suffer. The body of the poor fellow went limp and fell sideways, enjoying his final rest. Farewell to the innocent victim of the evil girl.𝑛𝗈𝗏𝔢𝐿𝗎𝗌𝗯.𝗰𝑶𝓂

As much as Kyon wished, he couldn't save him because of the numerous internal injuries. If it were his own body, he could somehow pull through, but it was someone else's… He would run out of Synergy, moving it through Sashka's vessels and tissues. The detailed scan of each cell would take hours. At least the poor fellow heard an apology from his murderer before dying. If the afterlife really existed, his soul would rest in peace.

«Please… Don't beat me, I'm begging you…» – Juno whispered plaintively, completely ignoring the deceased, never taking her eyes full of barely concealed animosity off her "master."

Kyon inhaled deeply to calm down, then he quickly grabbed Juno by her long golden hair, wrapped it around his hand and tugged violently at himself. She let out a painful squeal when Kyon roughly lifted her up and pressed against his body. His hands held tight her slender body, one of them cupped her tight butts, reflexively squeezing and groping them.

Juno could not say a word in shock. She seemed to stop breathing.

«N… No… Don't you dare… I… I will kill myself…»

Kyon snorted dismissively, hugged her tight and buried his lips into her thin neck. Her soul was ugly but the highborn lady was amazingly beautiful from the outside… The scent of her body was more delightful the fragrance of heavenly flowers. She had an effect of a good drug with a touch of aphrodisiac.

Juno twitched in disgust in his arms. It was like a bucket of slop was poured all over her. A nasty, humiliating feeling. Her face turned white like the first snow, she went limp in the hands of her tormentor and fainted.

Kyon pulled away from her sweet, delicate neck. She passed out too quickly and couldn't experience all the severity of her punishment. He would have to repeat it again, more than once… However, when he looked at her bloodless face, Kyon's heart sank. A trickle of blood drew a scarlet trail from her small nose. The beautiful girl was withering in front of him as if her spirit was slowly leaving her young body that was bursting with life not so long ago.

{Damn it!} – Kyon was worried about his victim's well-being. She had promised that she would kill herself if he kissed her again, and she seemed to have kept her word.

Kyon laid Juno on the bench and put his ear to her chest. Her heart was skipping a beat, her breath uneven. Apparently, she was in shock of the 4th degree. It could be fatal for an average person.

And yet, it was too strange. Could a simple kiss bring someone to such a life-threatening condition? Maybe any noble lady would behave this way if a slave harassed her? Dinah, for example, tried to beat him half to death, but she didn't faint… Although, he didn't kiss her the way he kissed Juno. A slave meant really nothing in this world, where each next stage of development elevates you tenfold over the weaker ones, which leads to a constant increase in the difference in position.

Kyon remembered his life in the mine, or rather the hierarchy in which he had to survive. He was a slave below his warden who was responsible for ten slaves. The warden was far below the leader, Byron. The big man had to kowtow to the supervisor. Supervisor Mob bowed to Ren, the delivery man. Ren showed respect to Flitz. Flitz would bow and scrape before any elder, as well as Juno. She was of the 1st rank, after all, while Flitz was only of the 2nd. Only the patriarch himself was above Juno in Stone family. The Royal family was above patriarch Stone, though… In this long chain of power and influence, Kyon was at the bottom. And now, he dared to molest Juno. Everything was clear from this point of view. A dirty mortal dared to desecrate a living deity.

Kyon came to the conclusion that this strong-willed, determined girl would commit suicide as soon as she got a chance. With her unique cunning skills, it wasn't impossible to bypass his formation. In the worst case scenario, his status of the patriarch's granddaughter's master would suddenly become useless. He would be found and killed, properly tortured beforehand.

Kyon wanted to run his fingers through his hair in anger, but he could only rub his smooth bald head sadly. The damn girl gave him no peace. He had tons of problems with her. She is his everlasting headache with her set-ups and traps. And at the same time, she was the most unusual and amazing person he had ever known. It was impossible to rehabilitate her. No pain, no humiliation worked on her. In the case of harassment, she would prefer death to shame. Why not let her die?

Kyon was looking thoughtfully at his unconscious slave girl. He was filled with a desire to take revenge for all her tricks and threat to his life. There must be a way where she would do him more good than harm. Be that as it may, he did not intend to stay in the mansion like a cat on a hot tin roof, waiting for her suicide. Either he would leave the estate, giving her a delayed order to kill herself, and his secret would go with her to the grave, or he had to find another option.

When he became her master, Kyon found a way to protect himself as efficiently as possible. He came up with the cage of orders, which should have worked perfectly. What other options did he have?

Kyon considered an idea to use a formation with pain transmission, but the code to create it was too complicated for his stage of development. Besides, what's the use of pain if it wasn't Juno's teacher?

He had the idea of wiretapping, but it required a lot of energy to create in spite of its simple design. Most importantly, it needed a spatial attribute. It was beyond Kyon's power yet. Otherwise, he would have been using wiretaps for a long time, eavesdropping and watching everything and everyone in the mansion. It's energy-consuming to perceive a sound signal, transform it into an impulse and send it to the brain. It's much easier to control Juno's subconscious, the principle of which is the simplest hypnosis. Kyon was still underdeveloped to create audio, moreover video signal. But the future was promising.

Kyon could also give Juno a banal order to kill herself if she tried to go against him or hurt him or kill him. However, in this case, she could die at any second, because the subconscious could misinterpret the train of her thought. It happens to people quite often. It's an unpredictable time bomb that can detonate at any moment, a bad idea.

Today, Kyon discovered that Juno cared for Marina. He could threaten her to beat up her friend. Or even better, he could make Juno beat her dear friend if she plotted something against him, but… Again, the mind is not perfect. Poor Marina could suffer in the end, and Kyon owed her his life. Kyon wouldn't let anyone touch a hair on Marina's head.

As a last resort, Kyon thought he could use a formation that would kill her if he died, but… The Law of Formacy says when the heart stops beating, the energy within the formation ceases to perform its functions. When the soul gets detached from the keys and leaves the body, the formation gets dispelled. Therefore, there was no sense in the killing formation, it just wouldn't work. Besides, Juno was well aware of this cornerstone of Formacy.

Kyon had no doubt in the quality of his formation. He couldn't improve it or reapply, anyway. Juno's mind had already acquired resistance. He had to make do with the existing one. It was all about Juno… Somehow, she could bypass the basic laws of Formacy.

It seemed to Kyon there were only dead ends all around. The cage of orders, his only hope, proved to be weak and inefficient. It was time to change something. It couldn't go on like this. Kyon didn't want to lose his current position. It cost him a lot of blood, effort and, to be honest, good luck. With Juno by his side, he had every chance to quickly become a powerful practitioner, build the foundation with his unique body, develop himself with the help of high-quality medicine, learn some powerful techniques. Without her, he would have to find all that one by one, not without threats for his life.

Kyon had a fair question: {Why did she have such willpower? The pampered offsprings of noble families are never so preposterously resolute and stubborn…}

Kyon recalled the dialogue between Juno and Jean when she said with firm confidence that she was much more talented than her sister, that she would soon surpass her. And indeed, no matter how developed her mind and psyche was, Juno would have broken long ago without her desired goal. It must be the goal "by all means to defeat her sister" that gave her strength. Yes, it did… That must be it…

Kyon's eyes flashed brightly in the awareness of the new, risky, but mutually beneficial solution to the current situation. It was a kind of compromise, something that didn't require any effort from his side but allowed him to enjoy the benefits of being the patriarch's granddaughter's owner for quite some time without fear of being killed.

If the whip didn't work, the carrot should do the job. Especially if Juno was in question.

Kyon sighed heavily and poured Synergy into Juno so that she would recover as quickly as possible. He started practicing the movement technique, thinking over and planning everything to the smallest detail.

Kyon had to choose one of two options: 1) he orders Juno to commit suicide in a couple of days while he leaves the estate and relies on himself. 2) he allows Juno to serve him in exchange for purifying her keys, at the same time ordering her to kill herself if she tells someone that he has this incredible ability.

In the first case, a new life was waiting for him. He would have to start everything from scratch. He would have to look for opportunities, to lay the groundwork for seizing power. Who knows how long it was going to take. It wasn't in his nature to take baby steps.

As the advantage of the second option, Juno wouldn't commit the promised suicide. She would stop trying to finish him off (the walking "opportunity" to surpass her sister).

Of course, there were certain disadvantages. Sooner or later, Juno would free herself from his control and tell everything to her grandfather, perhaps even her mother and brother, no one else, that's for sure. However, it was not that bad. With his speed of development, her grandfather would be no equal to him pretty soon, and no one else would be in the know. In the worst case scenario, he would change his personality. By that time, he would have gotten the head start he needed from the Stones. After that, they could turn the whole world upside down looking for him. Besides, as soon as his development allowed him to use the wiretapping formation on Juno, her threat to his well being would be minimal, almost innocuous.

But Kyon couldn't just give Juno something so incredibly valuable. She was already in red according to his principle of "paying debts." It's like asking the enemy, who is beating you to death, to take a better stick.

And then Kyon remembered one of his Masters, who taught him how to rationally build his relations with the right people, especially with those whose relations were built solely on the losses and profits of both parties.

It's like taking a loan to develop business and then paying off the debt that had grown over time. Applied to his situation, he could force Juno into debt by rendering her the necessary service. In the future, he would make her pay for everything, with his interest.

Kyon had always considered himself a rational person, but when it came to the beautiful and emotional, his logical train of thought turned into reckless ways. His masters repeatedly reminded him of his two weak points.

«You're an idiot! Even the most flawless beauty costs only three hundred thousand credits! And if you use the discount coupon, even less.» – The old master instructed him, but Lovr replied it was a piece of cake to deteсt a fake. True beauty is created by the universe itself. Perhaps that's why Synergy favored him. That shut his master up. Synergy did favor him, and it was the quintessence of the universe.

Lovr confirmed his words with his love for mysterious cosmic landscapes, mountain ranges that pierced the sky, endless seas, contemplation of the fire, water, and other elements, as well as beautiful girls and animals, of course.

These two weaknesses got him in a lot of trouble in this world. If Dinah wasn't so beautiful, he would give a damn about her. Instead, he gave in to the desire to warn the maid personally to avoid him. He wanted too much to send the beautiful girl a message. She was clearly underestimating him. And what did that get him? She came to get her revenge in the library, fortunately, with no intention to kill him.

Even now he felt sick at heart, imagining how he would confront in cold blood the stupid beautiful girl and order her to stick a dagger in her heart. It was quite contrary to his desire for revenge. However, when he imagined beating and torturing her with no chance to kill or mutilate her, it felt… so good. He seemed to be a sadist, after all…

Time was flying by.

While practicing, Kyon looked from time to time at Juno's face, and his heart favored more and more the second choice, where he didn't have to kill her. It's not that her beauty deprived him of the opportunity to finish her off, by no means. It's just the second option outweighed the first one. In the worst case scenario, he would only have to change his appearance. In the meantime, he might find a way to create a wiretapping formation before Juno met her grandfather.

Kyon had made the final decision – {I will pretend that Juno is my apprentice. I'll purify her keys for her faithful service. In the future, when she has to pay back the debt, her respect for me will not allow her to turn into a spineless creature.}

He wasn't going to punish her for the misdeed with Flitz, for the time being. He was even going to give her some delicious "carrot." But she shouldn't have any illusions. It means only one thing. Her cup of misery will be full. His revenge is not going anywhere. The time will come when the grim reaper in his face will collect all her unsecured debts. For Sashka and himself.

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Chapter 81

The pale beauty slowly opened her eyes, instinctively rubbed her nose, and remembered what had happened with a painful groan. She looked around angrily and saw the servant practicing nearby.

«You are the worst human being in the world… Even worse, you aren't human! I warned you, don't you dare to kiss me. But you don't seem to value your life at all. I will keep my promise by all means. You have two options: either you disappear from the mansion right now or you will suffer my fate, that is death, very soon.» – Her voice was full of ice and unwavering grim determination. She was ready for anything.

When Juno understood that her damned tormentor wasn't saying anything but kept looking dispassionately at her, she bit her lip angrily, stood up from the bench and walked to the exit.

Juno's strong-willed character was growing on Kyon. Once again, he got convinced that he could hate someone and at the same time admire something about them. Most people have unambiguous thinking: a person is either bad or good. But it is very important to understand that the world is not black and white. It's diverse and multi-colored like a rainbow.

«Juno, don't rush to leave. I've decided to change the nature of our relations, so forget your hasty words. You are a very bad and crappy girl with mediocre talent, but you have unwavering will and desire to get stronger. That's why I decided to take you as an apprentice. If you behave yourself, obey me, don't cause trouble anymore, and treat me as your master, I will occasionally instruct you and clear your keys.»

At first, Juno thought he was mentally ill, then she threw her head back and laughed like a myriad of silver bells scattering across the ground. Hatred and contempt, spite and malice sounded in her laughter. Her face distorted in disgust:

«You are mad. You are the most insane person in the world, and you deserve to die. You don't need money or freedom… Oh, please, I am sick to hear your dirty lies. They turn me inside out. Either get ready for your imminent death or disappear from my life. I will be sincerely grateful to you. My gratitude is worth a lot, believe me.»

Kyon frowned, displeased. He had an urge to punch her arrogant brazen cute face a couple of times. He wanted it very very much… But it was reassuring to know that the truth was on his side.

A mysterious smile appeared on his face.

«Hit that dummy with all your might using pure energy.»

Juno started to object:

«Oh please… Stop it… I'm still in pain…»

«I said hit the dummy, or I'll hit you!» – Kyon shouted at her with his sternest voice.

Juno moaned with unbearable mental pain. She wanted to cry, but she had no more tears. Juno wished she could go back in time in those happy days when she hadn't connected with her soul yet. She'd better envy her sister for eternity than be a slave to this monster.

Juno went to the dummy and crashed it with all her might. A rather solid doll noticeably bent aside from her powerful blow, then it returned to its previous position.

«And now come to me, please.» – Kyon beckoned her toward him with a finger.

Juno obeyed and came up to him. There was no point in resisting and asking for trouble. When she approached him, she turned her eyes away squeamishly, avoiding to look at her despised master. Juno's breath was intermittent, her emotional state depressed, her mood – she'd better die. She wanted to lie down on the ground and lose herself in a dreamless sleep.

Kyon put one finger under her blouse, the other across from her belly button where he poured in Synergy, providing it with directions to clean her key by 10%. He had never been his intention to please the girl with such a priceless gift, but he made his decision. He could put his emotions aside. First things first, he had to put things right and rub along with the little brat.

«You are free to go.»

Before he finished his phrase, the slave girl briskly stepped back, shot almost tangible fire from her eyes, and silently went to the exit. {Please… Just don't say anything… I don't want to hear anything from you, please…}

«You could at least check what has changed, little fool. Go and hit the dummy again, and then, if you don't feel any changes, you can go to your room and think about ways to kill yourself elegantly and painlessly.» – Kyon said in a mocking voice.

Juno spun around. Her look was so intense that a little more and she would explode. She approached the dummy again and struck it with all her strength.

bang*

The dummy bent much further this time.

Juno frowned at Kyon.

«Are you happy, crazy freak? Who do you think you are… you are…» – She slowly turned back to the dummy. Something was wrong… It seemed… Was her blow was much stronger than before, or did she imagine things?

«…» – Juno was speechless.

Kyon was on the verge of laughter. It felt so good to watch the deceived expectations of the wretched girl. The expression on her face was priceless.

Juno slowly clenched her fist and struck again… And again…

bang* *bang* *bang*

With each next blow, the situation seemed more absurd. Her head was spinning, but she continued to batter the dummy.

She hits dummies hundreds and hundreds of times every day. She knows the limit of her power perfectly well. It was different now… By about one fifth.

The purity of her pure energy key had always been 49%.

Juno painfully pinched herself on the wrist, squealed but couldn't wake up. The reality wasn't changing.

Punch-punch-punch… Her face expressed total confusion, her eyebrows were about to crawl somewhere behind her head.

Juno clenched her fists, closed her eyes, whispered something three times, and stared at the dummy. Then she punched it again.

«Gods, what's going on?! Mamma mia!» – The happy girl squealed with emotions overwhelming her. The unexpected upgrade filled her with joy while just a minute ago, she was darker than a storm cloud.

Kyon couldn't help laughing, and it got her attention.

The wary slave girl slowly turned around. Her big green eyes expressed fright and shock as if she had noticed a sneaking predator.

«Alright, you played it out very well! Haha very funny! Now tell me kindly what this trick is about?»

«It's not a trick. I've just cleaned your pure energy key by 10%.»

«You're lying!!» – Juno interrupted him, her arms crossed stubbornly over her chest. – «I don't believe you for a second! You are deceiving me for some reason!»

Kyon shrugged indifferently.

«Maybe I am… Oh, by the way, I order you never to say anything about the purity of your keys. If someone finds out about it or about my ability to clean them because of your intentional actions, I order you to kill yourself at once. I order you to avoid check-ups on the purity of your keys. If it happens against your will, I order to call me and wait for my instructions. I advise you to use the device and check the purity of your key now. When you find out that I am telling the truth, come to my room, kneel before me and swear to do everything that I have enumerated earlier. Then I will take you as my apprentice and might purify your keys from time to time. Who knows, you could become the bender of all the elements. I doubt it, though.» – He had no intention to make her so talented.

When she heard that, Juno nearly choked in amazement. Her legs turned numb, she had to lean against the nearest wall.

«You are crazy, indeed. I just asked what trick was that, and you're pulling my leg again! My ears hurt to hear your nonsense. If you don't want to tell me the truth, then don't! I need it like a hole in my head.» – The arrogant girl turned up her nose to show how little she cared.

Kyon decided it was pointless to prove anything to her. He turned around and went to his room to have dinner.

With a puzzled look, Juno watched her "master" go. Then she looked at her hand that was trembling with excitement, squeezed it into a fist, and began to beat the dummy again. There could be no mistake… The gain was significant. Anybody who cared to look would see that!

{How… How is that even possible?!} – The bewildered girl asked herself again and again, beating the dummy with unprecedented joy mixed with confusion.

She heard there existed medicine and special formations that could enhance the soul, but the effect lasted a short time only. Anyway, if Juno had taken medicine, she would have been immediately aware of it. The process resulted in the rebound that only intensified over time.

A shocking, impossible thought popped into her head. What if the "master" didn't lie! {No… It's bullshit! Nonsense! I'm losing my mind! That's impossible!}

Juno knew pretty well how the world worked. The purity of keys was something bestowed at birth, a natural talent. Those who were born with impure keys belonged with mediocrity. The purer the keys, the bigger chances to succeed in life. Add to that a talent for development and you can conquer the whole empire. As a rule, there are no absolutely pure or impure keys. The more complex the element, the dirtier the key. In Juno's empire, the average indicator of purity is 250%, she has 300% but even with that, she lags behind Elsa.

It's possible to clean the keys but only a tad, and this drop, this crumb would cost an insane amount of money. Moreover, it's one-time procedure. The next cleaning with the same method won't be successful. You'll have to look for another way.𝓃𝗈𝑣𝞮𝗅𝒰𝓈𝑏.𝒸𝒪𝓂

If the Stone family sold out all their property and resources, they could get Juno's key purified by 2-3%. The price of enhancing innate talent is immeasurable. The world is cruel to those who are born mediocre. Only goddess Danna can bless the worthy ones, cleaning their keys by a couple of dozens percent. Or so the legend goes. Now, it turns out that he is a god? A slave god. It's ridiculous.

«Ha-ha-ha-ha!» – Juno burst into hysterical laughter. Not so long ago, she wanted to die. Now she was like a different person. She did not understand what was happening to her. Delighted in the heart, confused in the head.

The harmful, meaningless, absurd idea was haunting her. What if the slave was telling the truth? And once again, she wanted to hit herself for being so stupid. It was impossible… It just couldn't be! The sky cannot change places with the earth!

After a while, Juno decided that she could easily refute his words just the way he had advised her to prove him right. She went to the room where all the devices were stored. She took a rounded thing with a vacuum cup, put it to her belly button and pressed hard.

The device generated pulsations. Juno counted 59 of them. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. She remembered perfectly well that the purity of her pure energy key was 49%! She took another device and repeated the procedure. The result shocked her to the core. The instrument fell out of her hands and rolled under the shelf. Juno collapsed to the floor. Her whole world had just turned upside down.

{He… purified… didn't he…} – Her heart drummed frantically in her chest. She remembered Kyon mention she could be the bender of all the elements with his help. It sounded extremely ridiculous back then. It just didn't make any sense. What if it's true… Wondrous fantasies, so impossible in the real world, captivated her mind.

Juno imagined the energy fill her soul and body. It was her life long dream that finally had come true. She pictured herself as a super genius capable of conquering all the distant lands. She dreamed that Elsa was creeping at her feet, asking how many cubes of sugar to put in her tea. Juno would kick in her face and say with contempt: "It's time for you to stop asking stupid questions! It's time to remember that I take four!"

The beautiful face of the charming young lady blushed. Bliss splashed in her eyes. For the first time, her dreams were so real and close, within arm's reach. She could almost touch them. Juno could feel the wings growing on her back from the mere thought that she would be the bender of all the elements. The gloomy idea that she was nothing but a mediocrity had been haunting Juno since the very moment of her connection with the soul. Her persistence to move towards her goal didn't help. And then, all of a sudden, she found a way to overcome the biggest obstacle on the way to her dream.

Juno was so overwhelmed with indescribable happiness that she wanted to cry. But then another thought entered her mind like an annoying buzzing fly. It reminded her of the status of the boy who was going to clean her key. Could scum like him have a divine ability? According to the legend, only goddess Danna could do it! Does it mean that her miserable slave who she would gladly kill, or better torture to death, had the power to plunge the entire empire into chaos?! She remembered their last battle when he kept crushing her down with his fists. It confirmed all her guesses! He could really be the bender of pure energy! An unspeakable feeling of envy washed over the arrogant girl. She was inferior to him… The matter wasn't in her mediocrity. The point is that he is extremely talented! No one born in the slums could be higher than her. This thought calmed her down a bit.

Juno had finally come to an important decision. {My slave… He… He is not a slave… Now he is no slave… From now on, he is my servant! Miserable, insignificant, flawed, but he is my servant!}

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Chapter 82

Five years ago.

Boston is the pearl of the kingdom. The majestic capital city is mind-blowing. Its size is impressive, its architectural style is sublime. Enchanting sights are on each step: here is the royal castle imposing its almost tangible power and influence, a little further, there's a magnificent tall tower of the merchants' guild. It casts a shadow on half of the city. Every day the joyful or disappointed roar of the crowd comes from the arena of gigantic proportions, reminiscent of the Colosseum.

The capital is the face of the kingdom for a reason. It delights, shocks, inspires awe in any guest or tourist who first visits it. It is home to millions of people, an always busy anthill, surrounded by high strong walls that even an army of giants could never climb over or break through.

Today the atmosphere in Boston couldn't be more electric. Passers-by kept talking about the impending bloody battles of the strongest slaves in the whole empire. The king himself had organized this significant event in honor of the recent successful defense against the attack of supreme beasts.

In any kingdom, ordinary people love three things best of all: beautiful girls, good booze, and spectacular fights. And now, more than two hundred thousand spectators filled the stands of the arena in dense rows. They shouted, laughed, debated excitedly. In short, everyone couldn't wait until the bloodshed began. Some were placing their bets, others had come to have a good time, unwind, get a sense of a victory.

The event had been specially organized to develop a positive mindset, in other words, to let the common people have fun. As for the noble families, they had a different treat. The gentlefolk couldn't care less about feeble slaves fighting with weak beasts. The high-born would rather devote their time to family squabbles or training.

However, today Jurich Stone, the patriarch of the 1st rank family, had arrived at the arena. His appearance surprised everyone present, including the king himself, who had to attend the event that he had organized.

Jurich was graceful. He had the beauty of a true warrior, i.e. he was tall and broad-shouldered with somewhat rough but attractive features. His muscular body gave the vapors to the most desired and unreachable ladies. His cold and determined gaze sent the most ferocious enemies to kneel and beg for mercy. Everyone in Boston knew Jurich had moved the Stones to the first place in just a few years. Nobody knew when exactly he became so influential or where he came from, but everyone was certain that no ordinary man would have his power and no equal.

His wife Diana was walking arm in arm next to him. She was a beautiful, fragile-looking blond woman. A fat boy and two little girls were following them. The girls could both overshadow the sun itself, so dazzlingly charming they were. It was difficult to take eyes off this family, so perfect they seemed.

Waves of conversations and rumble of whispers spread above the arena.

«This is sir Yurich himself! Why has the patriarch of the family number one come to see the slaves fighting?!» … «Geez, look at that beautiful girl. It's Elsa! I heard that she is already in the middle stage of the superior phase, and she is only ten! What an extraordinary talent!» … «Every time I look at lady Diana I understand that I have chosen the wrong wife.» … «Shut up! Your face must be missing my frying pan!» … «Is this charming girl his youngest daughter? Uhm, I'd love to have one like that… Why is heaven so kind to those in power?» … «Daaaad!»

Yurich sent his greetings to King Michael's box. The bearded man smiled at him. Then the patriarch seated his wife next to the central place. His ten-year-old daughter tugged at her father's sleeve, demanding to be seated on his lap, which he did not refuse.

The little sweetie named Juno froze awkwardly nearby until Diana sat her youngest daughter next to her. The fat boy sat on his father's side, his fiery greedy eyes devouring a hefty slave. He had put a lot of money on him.

With warmth in his voice, the father addressed the girl on his knees:

«Elsa, I've brought you to the arena for a reason. You have to learn an important lesson. I want you to focus on each slave, on their relations, on how quickly their behavior changes depending on various factors. You will tell me everything you've learned from this lesson at home, will you?»

«Yes, daddy.» – The beautiful girl nodded with a radiant smile, comfortably sitting on his lap like a nymph. She seemed to be the happiest daughter in the world.

Juno looked enviously at Elsa, who didn't leave her father for a second. It was plain as day that she would take her father's words, lessons, and beliefs as a law. What a stupid sister… The father favoured her for the attitude as if it was some merit! But Juno wasn't like that. She would never kowtow to her dad to get his love! Juno had always been pretty annoyed by her sister. Elsa copied their father's character, had an incredible talent in development, and it drove Juno nuts. She wanted to surpass Elsa at least in something, to prove herself, to attract attention, but… Apart from her charming looks, Juno had nothing to boast of.𝒩𝑂𝐕𝑒𝓛𝑢𝓈𝕓.𝑪𝗈𝗆

The five of them were sitting in the Stone's restricted area, surrounded by well-drilled guards.

The speaker came to the center of the arena. He respectfully greeted the king, patriarch Stone, and wished their families to have a nice time.

The warm greeting from the speaker of the Royal Family Grand (0) suggested how respected and influential the Stone family was. All the more, the patriarch himself had arrived!

The speaker made an impassioned opening speech, pointing to the slaves in shackles. After the signal, the bars on the sides of the arena dropped, and terrible wild creatures ran out: tigers, poisonous tentaculipedes, huge tarantulas, snakes, slugs, and many other vile creatures.

The slaves' shackles fell off. They grabbed their weapons at the nearest racks and jumped headlong into the attack.

A fierce battle began. The beasts were visibly inferior to the people who were well prepared for the fight. The odds were obviously against the beasts.

The chubby boy named XiaoBai was trembling with impatience, the chair under him creaked dangerously. He had just done a great deal of work, bribing the supervisor, the armorer, and the breeder. The breeder weakened certain beasts with special poison. The armorer planted an enchanted mace in the set of weapons. And the supervisor had a talk with slave number six and gave him the necessary instructions on how to win.

Now, this very slave seized the mace and attacked the weakened beasts following the advice of his secret "benefactor." The more he would kill, the better.

XiaoBai was just bursting with excitement, his thick ripple folds quivering, his fists clenched tight. He had put a tidy sum for the victory of the slave and couldn't wait to fill his pocket with money!

The compacted sand was soon soaked with blood. The people got injured less often, so basically, it was the beast's blood. Many in the audience understood that it had been arranged so that people would win, but it did not spoil the fun and the thrill of the show.

Juno watched another tiger get his head mercilessly chopped off, her eyes wide-opened with horror. The girl swallowed nervously and squeezed her mother's hand pitifully. Diana comforted her, stroking her tenderly.

The children were introduced to blood and cruelty at an early age. It was a custom and had to be done.

The fight lasted a couple of hours. New batches of monsters kept arriving… The slaves took turns to rest. They rallied together, confronting the beasts. They covered each other and helped at the critical moments. In the future, their friendship could get stronger than metal.

By the final round, three people out of a hundred had been killed. The audience was pleased, anyway. The blood was shed, and they didn't care if it was human blood or not.

The mighty hydra was the main target of the last round. All 97 slaves had united and ripped the lethal beast apart. It didn't stand a single chance. The slaves were demonstrating the best fighting spirit that had been running in human blood since the beginning of time when people united against a common enemy. The last round was relatively quick and simple, but the audience enthusiastically applauded and cheered nevertheless.

Almost a hundred of slaves stayed out of breath but with smiles on their faces. They were shaking their hands, patting each other on the back, fist-bumping. They survived. They did it.

Yurich carefully removed Elsa from his lap, stood up and raised his hand to attract attention. He proclaimed in a thunderous voice:

«I've never seen a more ridiculous fight in all my not-so-boring life.»

A loud echo of his scornful words swept across the arena. A deathly silence followed them. The impressive man was the focus of everyone's attention. King Michael looked at him, questioningly.

The patriarch continued with a straight face:

«We have suffered enormous losses while protecting our realm from the supreme beasts. Families were left without breadwinners, children lost their fathers and elder brothers, wives turned into widows! It is only reasonable that we must honor the memory of the victims with a grandiose performance in celebration of our glorious victory! And all I see today is a languid waving of weapons at weakened beasts! There's no intrigue, no drama, no emotions running high! There are only three human sacrifices. Will this victory ever satisfy us?!»

Hundreds of thousands of people looked at each other uncertainly. Then many of them began to nod in agreement. In a couple of seconds, the buzz of voices supporting his words rose above the arena.

King Michael smiled sourly. He rose from his seat and answered the same resounding voice:

«Patriarch Juric. You know perfectly well that we've been trying to make a good impression on the whole kingdom. Today people must defeat the beasts in the battle. Otherwise it will be an insult to everyone here. People have won the war, they can't lose on their own grounds. If you wish to add something to this event, I am willing to heed your advice!»

Jurich looked at his wife with a boyish grin on his lips. Diana could not take her loving eyes off him. He turned his look on Elsa. Her facial expression wasn't very different from her mother's. Then he returned to the king:

«A fight for survival will be the perfect end of the day. I will grant freedom to the last surviving slave as well as a decent job and a hundred thousand of spheres to boot!»

The audience burst into an uproar. The spectators lost their heads over the patriarch's generous reward:

«One hundred thousand?! I am going downstairs to chop them all myself!» … «Hehe! A wise offer from a wise man!» … «Yeah! We all want to see a slaughter!» … «Let the slaves fight to the last! Stab them in the guts» … «Patriarch Yurich is making history! Bravo!» … «That's right! Did I pay two spheres for nothing?!» … «Patriarch Yurich has a point! He should be a king, a candidate from the people!»

Yurich sat down, pleased with himself. Elsa returned to her father's lap with a joyful scream.

«You're so cool, daddy! I will remember your lesson for good!»

Yurich pretty sat down back, and Elsa with a joyful scream returned to his father's lap.

The audience wouldn't calm down. Loud cheer resounded in favor of the patriarch's words. It got deafening after the idea to make Jurich the new king.

Michael frowned with annoyance. The death of the slaves was going to cost him dearly. However, he had organized the show to maintain the spirit of his citizens, so why not?

The king asked for attention. In a few moments, everybody was quiet.

«We've started the war with the inhumans for a good cause. However, slaughtering people is an ugly thing. Let the slaves decide if they will fight to their death so that only one of them can get freedom and comfortable life.» – The king finished his speech and took his seat, thoughtfully looking at the slaves.

No one dared to question the king's words. If slaves agreed to fight, so be it. If not, nothing could be done. Therefore, the audience had to support them fervently to kill each other! Or else… Everyone in the audience thought something along the lines. A moment passed… Then another… And the cheer in support of the fight had engulfed the whole arena.

Almost a hundred of slaves dispersed across the sand, holding tight their swords, their faces pale from excitement. Those who had dropped the weapon picked up the first one they saw. Their recent cohesion in the battle with the hydra was forgotten. The tension was growing, the air was thick with bloodthirst. The incessant hubbub from the stands pressed every fighter, urging them to start the battle.

XiaoBai snorted, displeased. {Dad… Do you want to bankrupt me?! If they do not pay me out the winnings, I'll personally squeeze the money out of you with interest for my moral damage and wasted time!}

Juno tightened her grip on the armrests of her seat in fear. As long as she remembered herself, she had never seen people kill each other. There were injuries at the tournaments, competitions or sparring, sometimes the fighters crippled someone, but it never came to killing. And now she was in for a massacre of a hundred people!

Juno asked herself a reasonable question: "Why?!" She had read lots of books where people committed murders out of strong hatred, great jealousy, or for another important reason. But what was their motive now? A single cozy place under the sun, one for the whole crowd, was in the spotlight. A real massacre was about to start. The slaves had just become comrades-in-arms, shaken hands with each other, slapped each other on the back, smiled, and they were going to ruthlessly kill each other. How could they possibly fight after the terrible battle they had lived through together?

Juno's worldview what the root of all her doubts. When she was a child, she concluded from books and her mother's stories that people were the most intelligent, kind-hearted and peaceful race on the planet. There must be a good reason for them to kill someone from their kind. However, her father was going to prove the opposite! His speech meant the massacre was inevitable. What was going on? Was it a practical joke? No, he wasn't like that… The truth had always been on his side, his words carried a lot of weight.

Juno looked at her father, at the content smile on his face, and her heart filled with overwhelming mixed emotions. She wanted to understand what he was thinking. She knew him well. For strangers, he was the head of the family, a ladies' man. The patriarch had conquered the hearts of millions of people, and the members of the Stone family were no exception. He appeared from nowhere, tricked patriarch Bai and married his daughter. Soon he became the next esteemed patriarch Stone. Those who were close to Yurich could always rely on him. His words had crucial importance. There was no point arguing with him. Yurich had always been sympathetic, fair and gracious, albeit a bit too emotional.

And only the closest people knew that Yurich had one peculiarity… He suffered from emotional fits. When he lost his temper, he wasn't himself anymore. He had to see Diana to get over a fit. They disappeared for half an hour, and then he was back to normal again.

Juno knew her father well. That's why his words were so shocking for her. He had always shown a respectful attitude to other people's lives. He pardoned criminals, he did not kill or cripple his enemies when he had a chance to, he did not execute traitors… Simply put, he appreciated life. Then why was he acting like that? Slaves are people, aren't they! Was he having a fit? She didn't think so… Definitely not.

Juno's gaze returned to the arena. The slaves hadn't started the battle yet. They didn't seem to want it at all. It made the anxious girl more and more confused. She had just had an idea that her father might be wrong… Could it get more absurd than that! But then she came to think of it. Why should her father always be right? What if she was right today? If she was, she could triumph not only over her father but also over Elsa who Juno hated more than anyone else. Elsa had always taken everything their father said or did for her own decision. It was good enough for Juno to doubt his judgement. The slaves were sensible people, they wouldn't fight with each other.

The girl's eyes flashed triumphantly. The anticipation of victory filled her heart. Could she finally stop being jealous of her sister?! At least for an hour… Or better for a couple of days! That would be great! Juno hadn't known the true essence of human vices yet. She was sure that she was right.

«DIE, ASSHOLE!» – A strong beefy slave roared and chopped off the head of his fellow who was standing with his back to him.

«ААААААH!» – Another slave gave an agonized cry and killed his rival who was standing nearby.

A moment later, each of the half-naked slaves brandished their weapons and started slaughtering those who they considered brothers in arms not so long ago.

Juno lost the color in her face. Her clear eyes that had never seen death or torments reflected all the fury of the slaves. The mighty blows of the sharp weapons chopped off the heads and limbs, heartbreaking screams meant more bloody wounds. They broke each other's necks, crushed their bones. Their faces were wild, ruthless faces. Nothing human was left in them.

Juno's outlook cracked at that point. Those savages didn't have a drop of reason or kindness she believed in. There was nothing sacred for them. Why did the father appreciate human life at all if they were so vile, betraying their friends for questionable reward? They were at each other's throats, killing their kind for a slight chance at the place in the sun… Only a while ago, they shook each other's hands, smiled friendly to each other, fought against the common enemy as befits truly brave people, and now they turned into villains.

Juno was so appalled at the scene that she nearly fainted when suddenly a thought flashed across her unstable mind. It dispelled all the chaos in her head. The slaves were no people. It all added up. Her belief in people, the most intelligent, kind-hearted and peaceful beings on the planet would stay strong. It wouldn't shatter over all this nonsense. Her father valued human life, he would never have suggested anything like this if they were people. He did not appreciate slaves' lives because they were no people. It made perfect sense. The answer had been staring her in the face all along.

Juno calmed down, but the filthy feeling of betrayal wouldn't go away. She didn't only see people killing each other, she lost to her sister again… As usual. But… It served her right! She should have never doubted her father's words – what a silly girl. Her father was always right.

"Slaves are no people." This affirmation would be growing and developing in Juno's mind, acquiring new shades of meaning. The closer to the social bottom, the less human is left in people. The slaves will betray, stab a knife in the back of a brother in arms for a vague hope of improving their miserable situation. These creatures have no honor or dignity. The absence of education and proper upbringing turns them into immoral, dishonest barbarians. Living in the scum, feeding on food waste makes them selfish, self-serving, greedy for any material benefit. The lack of decent entertainment, goals, and interests makes them indulge their carnal desires and use their energy for violence. Extreme poverty kills everything human in people. They turn into animals in their early childhood. It's their destiny to entertain and be of use to those in power.

As Juno was growing up, she discovered her sadistic tendencies. She was a high-born lady, her word was the law, and she was never ashamed of that. And yet, Juno hid her inclination from others. She thought it might send the wrong message.

All her life, Juno could not surpass her sister in anything. The eternal feeling of envy and inferiority was gnawing her from inside. It didn't let her sleep at night, it tormented her with nightmares. However, when she humiliated someone, suppressed them, surpassed them both physically and mentally, her whole being was impregnated with insatiable, unforgettable happiness.

Each time she made someone suffer physically or emotionally, waves of pleasure gushed through her young body, exciting her from inside, making her heart beat faster. She was drooling at the thought to experience it all with Elsa. Her unshakable dream was born. However, she had to be content with little until then.

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Chapter 83

Kyon was finishing the delicious meat stew in his room when he heard the door creak open. He recognized the quiet, barely perceptible footsteps.

Kyon instinctively felt that Juno's appearance promised him trouble. The girl was one of a kind. When he focused on her, the whole world faded and lost colors. She bewitched him… Bitch! It was unfair that gods endowed her with so charming beauty. A merciless demon in the guise of an angel! The contrast added a certain piquancy, though.

Juno hesitantly walked inside, nervously wrapping a curl of golden hair on her finger. Strangely enough, she didn't come to the servant to set him up or destroy him. This time, she came to him because she wanted to get stronger. Juno got over herself and swallowed her usual arrogance to get what she wanted. She desperately wanted her long-cherished dream to come true, but she would never have it without energy and talent.

Kyon nearly choked on the last spoonful of stew and smiled wryly instead of a greeting:

«So?»

The little beauty closed her eyes, framed with a fringe of long captivating eyelashes. Then she opened them, her full lips parted hesitantly:

«Tell me, master. Can you really clean the keys?» – Juno's voice caressed his ears like a spring breeze. Her behavior had radically changed.

Kyon winced. Juno was a talented actress! She was pretending to be sincere and innocent so well… She didn't sound phony, not a bit. But his common sense insisted that the cunning little devil was up to something again.

«I can. Let's cut the crap.»

Juno understood the wicked servant better now. If he said something, most likely, it was true. The ill-fated night when Kyon became her master, he promised he wouldn't deflower her, and he didn't. He said he would beat her if he won fair and square, and he did. She hoped he wasn't lying this time, either.

Juno took a deep breath, summoning up her courage. It's was humiliating for her even to imagine being a student of this jerk, especially taking into account the difference in their origin. However, she couldn't deny that he moved and reacted in the battle better and faster than her.

Juno, the slave, straightened her short gray skirt, knelt slowly before the boy who looked at her as if she was his property, and said reverently:

«I swear to be an obedient and obliging student. I promise never to resist you in any way and fully acknowledge your power over me. In exchange, you will regularly encourage me for good behavior and never defame my dignity, which means you will never harass or torture without a good reason.»

Juno finished her tirade that got rather arrogant at the end. She got up and looked eagerly at the "master," expecting his words of approval and consent but …

She only heard Kyon's booming scornful laughter:

«You're in no position to dictate your terms, stupid fool. You're my toy! I will do with you whatever I want and when I see fit. Now swear your allegiance as befits a truly submissive slave or get the fuck out of here and stay pathetic mediocrity for the rest of your miserable days.»

«B-but… It's…» – Juno started thinking, her head hung down. The servant was too uncompromising… It was unfair! She couldn't get anything from him but had to give him everything he wanted. It had to be exactly the opposite way!

Juno couldn't believe the arrogant boy had the divine ability. On the other hand, if the slave had deceived her, she wouldn't be obliged to keep her oath to a liar. Besides… Did the vows given to insignificant slaves have any value?

Juno looked firmly at Kyon and knelt again.

«Dear sir…»

He impatiently interrupted her:

«From now on, call me your master!»

Juno pressed her lips into a thin line of irritation but quickly came to her senses and said:

«Master, I swear to be your obedient, obliging student and never resist your power over me. I will be very grateful if you give me the service you promised in exchange for my good behavior.»

«I did not promise you any service. I said that I would probably do it. On the whole, I accept your oath. Well done. From now on, I'm your master.» – He patted her head condescendingly as if she was his obedient puppy.

Juno rose to her feet, looking offended but said nothing.

«Here's your first important task. Show me the treasury of your family. I'm interested in powerful defense items. The more of them, the better.»𝓝𝒐𝑣𝚎𝒍𝗎𝓈𝒷.𝓬𝐎𝓶

«You… you…» – Juno cooled off just in time. It was a great chance to prove the slave's divine ability! Even 1% of the key purity costs the entire treasury and even more for Juno, the self-absorbed bitch. The benefits outweighed the cost. The boy would get his way, anyway. He always did. He always took from her whatever he wanted. It's a sin to miss her chance to become a super genius resisting his first request.

«Follow me, master.» – Juno stood up and left the room.

After the accident with the lightning that nearly killed Kyon, he decided to find a way to protect himself in the future. No matter what it was, an accident or wrath of heaven, some caution wouldn't hurt. An additional element at the beginning of his development would bring him much benefit and dramatically improve the quality of his energy. He had already mastered the element of darkness. It was time to develop the element of light. He wanted to combine them into a spatial attribute and create formations that worked at a distance. He intended to engage the science and come up with something unique, gaining a significant advantage over others.

To the Kyon's utter astonishment, Juno went to the storeroom… She opened the secret passage and went downstairs to the library.

«…» – Kyon finally understood why the pathetic library was hidden so well. It was a distraction from the treasury inside!

Juno's eyes flashed with defiance. She put her wrist to an unremarkable stone in the wall. Kyon could hear screeching when a secret passage formed under the ground.

Kyon wondered. – {A secret passage in the hidden room… Not bad at all.}

The way to the treasury of the great family looked inappropriate, like a damp cave of thousand years old.

{Catacombs …} – Kyon thoughtfully raised an eyebrow.

When he was still in the mine, bald Borya told him that they extracted resources in the mountains for two reasons. Firstly, it was due to the high content of energy in the air and, therefore, spiritual crystals. Secondly, the ancient catacombs had existed in the mountains long before the Stone family arrived. They rebuilt them into the mine. It made sense to Kyon. He must have appeared in the cave of this world for a reason.

And there it was, back to catacombs… Perhaps they were the reason why the estate was built here. The historical books of the Stones told that the mansion had been erected in this place due to the high concentration of energy in the air. It was reasonable, but there was not a single word about the catacombs… Kyon was standing in front of the ancient cave. Thousand-year-old footsteps made it clear that it had existed long before the Stones. Was this place the reason the patriarch's mansion was built here?

Juno and Kyon walked in the tunnel about a hundred meters when they saw a spacious room carved in stone. A few light crystals lit up the long rows of shelves and display cases where various objects were arranged: cloudy stones, weapons, outfits, bracelets, rings and much more. There was a cloudy green stone next to each object. It played the role of a flyer with basic information about the item.

The stones that contained formations were called nephrite in this world.

Kyon's eyes widened in surprise. A spacious room, fully stocked with miscellaneous items and treasures! He had found a fortune!

Juno turned around. «Ma-master, if you infuse the nephrite with pure energy, you will know everything about the item. If you want beautiful weapons, take them from the shelves. If you are interested in shiny shields or expensive spacial rings, they are over there. The money is in the safe, but if you take it, you will reveal yourself.»

«Do you think I came here to get rich?»

Juno turned away and pursed her lips. Of course, she thought that the servant wanted to take something valuable. Otherwise, what was he doing there?

«You don't have to answer.» – Кyon lost any interest in the girl. He picked up the first green cloudy stone he saw and infused the formation inside it with some pure energy. A vague fog formed above the stone. Kyon took a deep breath and it reached his consciousness. The information appeared right in his mind: "A spatial bracelet of 6 cubic meters."

Kyon grinned and picked up another stone. "A pair of greaves, enchanted to resist fire…","A sword that transforms the fiery attribute into the blazing technique of a thousand fireflies. The technique involves… ","This device estimates the level of development in a group of up to ten people, superior phase inclusive… ","A formation of concealment. It hides you from spiritual scanning of the practitioners up to the peak of the Noble phase inclusive."

Kyon took the item of concealment and put it on his wrist without any doubt in his actions. He shouldn't draw too much attention to his extraordinary pace of development… Why not faking his stage of development by pretending he wasn't improving at all? Unlike the trick with lowering the development, items of concealment could really hide the soul.

Kyon continued to explore the treasury: "One-time formation that snaps into action once infused with pure energy. It creates a powerful stream of flame to incinerate the flesh of your opponents. It can break the defense up to the middle of the advanced phase."

Devilish lights danced in Kyon's eyes when he studied the cloudy stones with formations inside. He knew perfectly well that there existed not only defensive but also attacking formations. Both of them were mostly disposable. Even a weak practitioner could easily destroy a more powerful opponent with just a pocketful of disposable formations. Simply put, you borrow the power you do not possess for one blow, in rare cases for two. Attacking formations were not widespread. They required a colossal amount of resources — the keys. Besides the power in the formations was less than that of the practitioner who had created them.

Kyon took the next nephrite: "When activated, it covers the body of the wearer with an ether barrier that can block attacks up to the beginning of the advanced phase."

{Here it is!} – Kyon started to study disposable protective formations. Some of them created a stone shield, others formed a shield of water, air or pure energy, but the most common was the usual ether barrier.

The time flew by, but Kyon continued exploring the treasury.

When he saw something useful, he appropriated it at once. He had quite a collection of valuable items his spatial ring. They gave him a sense of confidence. He had replenished his arsenal with the item of concealment, a lot of defensive formations, several attacking formations (unfortunately, they weren't as numerous as he wished). In the end, he took a long sword and high-quality throwing needles. He had armed himself so well that even Dinah would find it stupid to fight against the barriers. Kyon wished he had found all this before Yegorka scorched his face. The asshole might have disappeared off the face of the earth if only Kyon had activated a couple of attacking formations.

Kyon nodded, pleased with himself. It was time to master the element of light. Protective formations would hold the powerful lightning from heaven above. He was going to be fine even if it was 30 times more powerful than the previous time.

When Kyon turned around, he saw Juno sniffling quietly. She was leaning against the wall, sitting on the cold floor. Her head tilted aside, her eyes closed, her legs slightly spread apart. The short skirt could barely hide her special place…

Apparently, Juno didn't want to leave the servant alone in the treasury. She watched him to the bitter end, i.e., until she fell asleep. Now this remarkable creature was freezing her ass on the cold floor, so close to drooling in her sleep.

Kyon approached her with a wistful expression on his face. He didn't mind leaving her here, but something unusually unpleasant was itching in his chest, leaving him restless…

Kyon did his best not to wake her up when he slightly lifted her skirt and saw her panties. Then he realized what it was all about. The pretty girl attracted him like hell. His young body was at the age when he could easily lose his head over a girl. The little angel was driving him crazy.

Kyon resolutely picked up her light, warm body and headed for the exit from the treasury. It was already three in the morning, so he wasn't afraid to be discovered. He went upstairs, pressed Juno's wrist to the circle and entered the opened door.

Kyon gently pulled her sandals off, admiring her bare feet. They were so tender, small and cute! Then he laid her on the bed, looked at her peaceful face capable of charming any heart and unwittingly tucked a lock of her silky hair behind her little ear.

The feeling of hatred and desire mixed up in something intoxicating and exciting. Once again, he was convinced that it was the right decision to purify her keys instead of killing her.

{Hmm… I wonder what she will be like in a few years. Will she conquer the hearts of the kings and emperors with just one look? Maybe I should take advantage of her irresistible beauty as a debt?} – The obsessive thoughts haunted him.

Kyon looked just below her nose, impulsively moved forward and kissed her soft, pink lips… It was impossible to tear himself from them. They tasted so sweet. Her smell drove him mad. His heart started beating furiously. His sex-deprived mind and body were simmering with a mixture of anger and lust. He was insane with desire, so eager to surrender to his craving, but if the nymphet woke up, she would turn into a rag doll. It was too soon. Kyon wasn't ready to break her mind, and Juno was not ready for sexual pressure. She didn't take the servant as her equal. Besides, according to Juno, her grandfather scanned her body every time she hugged him. A weird patriarch…

Juno was waking up, her eyebrows frowning. With great difficulty, Kyon pulled himself from her charming lips and cleared her pure energy key by another 10%. It would help her believe and obey him completely. Then he left her room with a disappointed sigh. It was time to master the element of light!

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Chapter 84

Kyon went to the middle of the training ground and took out a handful of various items and stones with a protective formation inside: shields, rings, bracelets, nephrites and many more. Funny thing, he was holding a fortune in his hands…

He sent Synergy to the cluster of neural connections in his brain to master the element of light. He intended to do it in an hour as he knew his way around. It wasn't going to take him long to decode the information… He had already mastered darkness, light was just its opposite.

From the first day he appeared in this world, Kyon noticed that Synergy, even being at odds with the environment, was a kind of cheat that gave him an extraordinary advantage. His ability to clean the channels alone was worth a lot! And the potential to master all the elements! Heaven didn't look kindly on this anomaly. That's why it cast the bolts of lightning to destroy the mediocrity who wanted to deceive his fate.

Synergy had thoroughly studied the neurons of the element of light and initiated the analysis.𝓝𝒐𝑣𝚎𝒍𝗎𝓈𝒷.𝓬𝐎𝓶

All of a sudden, thick heavy clouds covered the clear night sky. The humid air filled with the smell of rain and ozone. The atmosphere saturated with unprecedented absolute power. A strong wind rose. It was hard to breathe…

Kyon looked carefully up at the sky. The signs of the impending lightning were appearing too fast. It means, he was doing it in the right way, in great strides.

He activated the protective nephrites with pure energy. Shields started forming above his head. The barrier of air, water dome, air dome, and other barriers…

Kyon didn't want to waste too many protective formations. He might need them in the future. However, his life was at stake. He couldn't be too careful. He continued activating formations, looking at the sky to assess the power of the lightning. He remembered perfectly well the way it happened last time: moderately thick clouds, a faint tension in the air, the barrier of the mansion intact. The second lightning had caused more intense energy in the atmosphere: it broke the barrier, and Kyon barely survived. And now the third lightning was coming. Something was telling him, it was going to be ten times more powerful than the previous times.

Kyon activated some more defensive stones and continued exploring the element. Finally… He had found the lead… The irreversible process started after which all his neural connections would make sense. He was about to master the element!

Kyon glanced at the sky again and turned pale. The black clouds lit up all at once as if focusing all their energy into a flash of single lightning. It was going to be much more powerful than he had imagined. A few dozens of times more powerful!

{Shit!} – With no hesitation, Kyon activated every last one defensive formation. Different barriers began to appear one after another: stone, ether, water, and even ice. Everything he had in store.

He heard a familiar sound that meant he had reached the enlightenment, and right then, huge lightning of divine justice aimed at him.

KABOOM*

A bolt of lightning of an unprecedented size easily broke through the barrier of the mansion and went through three stone barriers, turning them into a pile of rubble. The water barriers scattered across the place with hissing spray. The dense air dome was surprisingly effective. The last barriers of ether burst one after another under the incredibly powerful thrust.

It all happened in an instant. Kyon thought he would die, but only a tiny part of the previous lightning got to him. His own insulation barrier had successfully saved him, averting the danger.

The loud echo of the storm went through the mansion several times. It was so deafening that half of the inhabitants woke up in a terrible fright.

Kyon fell to his knees and laughed with relief, looking at the sky. It worked! He was now the master of four elements! He was one of the greatest geniuses that were appreciated in any family. His future was full of promise. Well, at least his ego had calmed down a bit. And yet, the pungent envy of heavenly geniuses (masters of 5 elements) still bothered him.

Kyon came to his senses and hid all the (now absolutely useless) items in the ring. Then he leaned against the nearest wall and pretended to be frightened and shocked.

When the maids and the guards entered the training ground, they saw the stones from the earthen barrier scattered throughout the site and a slowly restoring protective barrier of the mansion.

Dinah walked around the perimeter, totally ignoring the existence of the short-haired servant. She concluded:

«Hmm… It doesn't look like an invasion, but it's too huge for a natural phenomenon, either. The lightning shouldn't break through our barrier.» – She cast a severe look at the guard. – «Check the generator.»

The second guard cleared his throat and said respectfully:

«It isn't the first lightning this week, Ms. Dinah… What if there is more?»

The girl raised her graceful eyebrows. {Twice in a row? That's a strange coincidence. I don't think it was a powerful practitioner trying to break in. The attempt would have been successful the first time… Should I report it to the patriarch?} – Dinah thought it over and decided that Bai should not be bothered about small matters. He had enough trouble being the head of the family.

Dinah resolutely turned around and went to the exit, giving the order to the guards:

«Return to your duty post.»

The guards obeyed at once. Anna made sure that her sister had left. She ran her fingers through her hair and walked gracefully to the shocked servant. She would never suspect that the powerful lightning could be connected with him.

«What are you doing here, boy? What happened? Why are you awake at this late hour?» – She asked, worried.

Kyon swallowed, pretending to suppress his fear. Finally, he ventured to take a look at the gorgeous blonde and said: «Ms. Anna… I was working out at night to keep up with lady Juno when suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning nearly killed me… As if gods themselves are angry with my good luck!»

Anna exhaled deeply. «I see. If you don't want the lightning to kill you, you'd better sleep at night. Babies need a lot of sleep.»

Kyon quickly rose to his feet. She was messing up with him, but he couldn't understand why. «Do I look like a baby?»

A sweet smile lit up her face, her lips slightly parted when Anna turned to leave. She was sending him a message she treated him like a child.

Kyon smiled wryly, unable to keep his mouth shut. «Ms. Anna, did you think I was a baby when I won, and you lost and hurried to leave?»

The maid stopped and slowly turned around… Her beautiful face darkened. «Hmm, look who's talking…» – There was a shadow of a chilling smile on her face that made her look like Dinah.

Kyon coughed into his fist. He wished he knew how to hold his tongue. «I am sorry, ma'am. It was wrong of me to say that…»

But it was too late. Anna was already heading towards him with an elegant step. In the moonlight, the blonde girl was especially attractive. Her tight short nightie looked thinner than a veil of fog. Kyon admired like enchanted her slim waist and amazing firm C-cup boobs. She had black high-heeled shoes… There must be blades inside if she came running in them.

«A slip of the tongue often speaks the truth. So, the last battle gave you the idea that I gave in. Well, you have grown bolder. Isn't it a bit too presumptuous of you?»

Kyon shook his head.

Anna approached him at arm's length and looked him up and down. «After our last battle, I tried to track you down and take revenge, but you have been hiding… Let me dispel your doubts. I don't want you to think that I am a loser. Get ready for a fight. Now!» – Her voice gained a harsh tone as she was finishing her tirade. Her development fell rapidly to the 4th stage of the base phase.

Kyon had no choice. He clenched his fists and took up a combat stance. It was time for a rematch that had been a long way coming. It was his chance to prove himself. Anna had to know why he was so important to Juno. At the same time, he would dispel any suspicion she might have.

Anna was determined to start a fight. She attacked mainly with her hands and only occasionally used her feet. One wrong move and blood would shed, given that she had sharp blades in her shoes…

Every movement showed her refined technique. However, the long heels reduced her effectiveness, giving Kyon an advantage in some aspects of the battle. He could see through her moves and launch a surprise attack at any moment. Anna was only at the 4th level of the battle fist and had a half-speed advantage. She was no match for him… If she were at the 5th level she, might be.

Kyon chuckled to himself. It was in his power to decide the outcome of the battle. Losing on purpose had its pros, but he prefered to beat the cheeky girl who dared to call him a baby.

Anna was trying really hard to land a single blow. She was naive to think she could mislead him. She turned red and was out of breath… Anna spared no effort to win! It would be so disappointing to lose a baby who needed a lot of sleep.

An evil grin appeared on the Kyon's face. {Hell no, you won't win. You will lose to the baby. What will you feel after your defeat?} – He wanted to humiliate her, make her swallow her words. Perhaps, if the maid wasn't beautiful, Kyon would have only rolled his eyes at her provocation.

Anna growled furiously:

«Arrrgh! And that's it? All you can do is retreat?! What a lousy strategy! Are you afraid to hit me, baby?»

Anna did not understand what was going on. She was an unsurpassed high profile assassin, with a certificate of the 4th level of the battle fist, with half speed advantage, and she couldn't beat the pathetic servant!? It was crazy! The boy's moves were completely illogical! The sly fox kept unpredictably changing the balance of his body. She tried to kick him in the leg, and he deftly dodged away as if he could see her with his third eye. She tried to mislead him, and he had already blocked her punch. It was some kind of twisted dream… No martial art teaches his style of movement. He had no style! Was he a human at all?

A bitter sense of annoyance filled Anna's heart. It hurt so much… What if… What if she quietly raised her development to the 5th stage? No, she couldn't do that. Or maybe…?

At some point, Anna saw a gap in his defense. She ran up to him, ready to strike, so close to winning. Was it her chance?

But then something happened that she didn't see coming… It must have been magic, but the boy managed to dodge and trip her, kicking her ankle. Damned high heels! He swept her off her feet, her head spinned. Anna flew forward and flopped down on the servant with all her weight.

Kyon smelled the pleasant aroma of the young girl and wished he could hug her warm, elegant body… However, he wanted to live even more.

In less than a couple of seconds, the maid pushed him away. Her beautiful face turned pale with fury. «Did you do it on purpose!?»

Kyon looked at her pitifully and replied: «I'm sorry… I wanted to hit you before you fell on me… But then I realized that I just couldn't hurt you… I'm sorry, ma'am.» – He was getting back at her for underestimating him.

Now Anna was furious. She was overwhelmed with an urge to punch him in the face. In a split second, she grabbed the servant by the neck like a toy. «You little shit, don't you dare to underestimate me! We've been fighting for several minutes, but you only defended yourself! If Dinah was in my place, they'd have to scrape up what was left of you! But unlike my sister, I will give you another chance… Get ready to attack!»

As soon as Kyon took up a combat position, Anna threw off her high-heeled shoes. Her neat bare feet touched the cold surface of the arena. Her short nightie was wet with sweat, clinging to her slim body. It was devilishly enchanting.

Anna was in a belligerent mood. At that moment, he wanted to take over her by all means, to conquer her, win her heart and mind.

The fight began. Anna's piercing eyes could wipe her enemy off the world, but Kyon did not even think to look the mad amazon in the eyes.

Kyon's eyes flashed. He showed inhuman flexibility arching his back and kicking the girl to the side.

He thought Anna would get what she deserved when she caught his leg with unprecedented speed and smashed him against the floor with such force that his bones cracked.

«Oh, I'm so sorry. You are so weak that I won in a heartbeat. Please, don't cry, baby. Your battle technique falls short just a little bit. But I'm sure when you grow up, you'll try your luck again. Will you?» – He could hear mockery with a pinch of contempt in her voice.

Anna's infinite insolence was shocking. She had secretly raised the stage of her development. The idea of losing to him was unbearable to her.

Kyon wanted to object, but his big mouth had always got him into trouble. He pulled himself together and stayed lying still on the ground.

Anna looked into his eyes once again, picked up her shoes and quietly left the training ground.

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Chapter 85

A good night's sleep was a luxury Kyon couldn't afford. He yawned tiredly and continued what he had begun. Despite the incident with Anna, he was in a good mood. He had finally mastered the four elements. Now he was a rightful master of pure energy, ether, darkness, and light! Even if they were only of the basic grade… In Rosarrio, they called people like him great geniuses. Now it was no big deal to gain respect in the Stone family. He just had to find out how his elements worked.

His main goal didn't change. Kyon intended to be officially acknowledged in the Stone family, to get a high rank and power over the rest. And, of course, to gain the trust of important people… The right connections would open any door for him, making it easier to get to the top of the world, which was self-evident for Kyon.

He was going to prove himself to the strongest young Stones during the traditional fights at the party. Unfortunately for him, the other families were going to be present as well. So, he had to get as strong and powerful as could be in next to no time.

It was essential to work on his foundation, i.e., the unique body. In addition to special features, the cultivated body significantly increases the development ceiling. The better the body ("E" "D" "C" "B" "A" "S"), the further and faster you can go developing and enhancing the soul.

It struck Kyon as strange that he hadn't found any instructions for creating a unique body or medicine for developing it. There were no techniques, secret knowledge, secret family formations, no money or keys… Nothing but objects with formations inside. What a lame treasury!

Kyon took the sound transmitter, but then he changed his mind and decided not to wake Juno, who was peacefully sleeping. He'd better experiment with darkness and light. He hadn't had the opportunity to use them yet. Would the elements help him get stronger? What were their special features? How does a spatial attribute work? Kyon had learned about it from the books, but it was so tempting to see everything with his own eyes and check how it all worked with his own keys.

Kyon decided to start with the element of darkness. He released it in his hand. Black fog appeared in the center of his palm, spreading gloominess and depression. Kyon felt sullen, everything started irritating him. The element influenced his mind in an unknown way. Kyon supposed that darkness emanated some invisible waves that affected the soul. In its turn, his soul affected his mind and body.

The swirling black fog didn't harm his skin and flesh. Kyon remembered that any released energy had the same frequency with its owner. It had almost no effect on his body. If you release heat, your insides won't turn to ashes. If you use darkness, your organs won't rot. When releasing ether, the electricity flows through the body with no harm to the organism.

Black fog wrapped his hand. He waved it, delivered some blows in front of him. His movements left a beautiful, dangerous dark veil. It beckoned to inhale it and fall asleep forever… And let time gobble up your flesh and take it into oblivion.

{How depressing…} – An evil smile appeared on Kyon's face. If he was experiencing all this, what would it do to his enemies?

He caught an unsuspecting bug crawling up the wall. As the fog touched the insect's armored body, it trembled. In a flash, the carapace and legs became liquid, fell apart, decomposing at once and turning into homogenous yellowish liquid. Just a fraction of the moment and the bug died a terrible death.

Kyon was delighted. The element of darkness was terrifying! However, he knew pretty well that the result would be different in the case of a powerful, well-developed enemy. With each next stage of development, it's getting harder and harder to get through. And still…

Kyon dismissed unnecessary thoughts and continued experiments. He infused darkness into a stone and tapped on it. The stone crumbled into crumbs. His knowledge from the books was confirmed: darkness was good against living as well as other physical objects. It reduced their endurance.𝒩𝔬𝑽𝚎𝑙𝑈𝗌𝓫.𝑪𝓞𝑚

Kyon wondered what would happen if he infused darkness into a weapon? Would it become as fragile?

{No, it won't …} – The answer was obvious. Inside the handle of any weapon, there is a formation that automatically tunes the metal to the same frequency as the soul of its bearer. Not a single element can deform or ruin it. The sword is a real part of the body and soul, i.e., it exists in harmony with the energy of its owner.

Kyon grinned and drew a long sword, enchanted for strength. He grabbed the handle… And frowned. – {Oh shit! I completely forgot…}

Unfortunately, the sword, or rather the formation in it, did not accept the new owner. The frequency of the weapon remained neutral, different from Kyon's. The formation belonged to the Stone family that placed restrictions on the sword. No stranger could use it properly. Only the Stones of 2nd rank and above could own this sword.

An idea flashed across his mind: why not destroy the formation and impose his own. But Kyon ruthlessly rejected it. In this case, the sword would be damaged from the inside and would be useless. The inheritance was protected forever. It made no sense to steal personal weapons without knowing the "code" of the formation.

Kyon groaned in frustration and put the sword back into the ring. This problem had a solution, but he couldn't deal with it right now.

He went on doing the experiments with the element of darkness. Kyon found out that he couldn't possibly keep infusing darkness into a sword for a whole minute to make the blow especially powerful and cut or disintegrate a strong enemy (by analogy with pulling a crossbow).

The black fog keeps in the weapon just a bit more than a second. Then it dissipates in the wind and can't stay inside any longer. However, it would be nice to kill a powerful enemy with one blow even if it took some time to get ready for the attack.

Kyon wondered. {I know two ways to solve this problem partially: either a higher grade of the element or a skillful technique…} – In both cases, the charge of the attack could last longer, respectively, the blow would be much more powerful. There was only one problem: what idiot would ever give him the time to cast a spell?

A few hours had flown by. Kyon was still was doing the experiments. Kyon had found out lots of useful information: flesh rots in contact with darkness; a solid physical object becomes fragile, and the liquid completely loses its properties. Everything useful becomes an ugly, useless mass. For example, tea turns into rat poison, milk turns dark and sour, a cookie crumbles into gray sand fit for nothing and smelling of ammonia.

When he combined darkness with another element, for example, pure energy or ether, nothing special happened, and he didn't notice any negative effects. However, it didn't mean anything, as his energy was of the same frequency, therefore, it couldn't negatively affect him.

Kyon understood perfectly well that darkness could be mixed with his other elements. However, he needed to learn the appropriate techniques, combinations of darkness and energy; darkness and ether; darkness, power and ether… It all came down to using a technique.

According to the books he had read, Kyon knew that darkness absorbed the ether barrier, but he needed a sparring partner to check its efficiency.

He imagined the sweet little angel in agony after tortures by the attribute of darkness.

Kyon concluded that the element of darkness harmed almost everything it came in contact with. Everything but its owner and his energy… It was kind of the element of death, the negative side of life. But if darkness worked even on stones, then everything in this world had life force. Even a zero constant could go into negative… The laws of physics were absolutely illogical here!

Kyon was done with his experiments with darkness. He did not come up with anything special but using the attribute during an attack. All of his grandiose plans to find an infinitely destructive element remained a big challenge. He needed a sparring partner to assess the real power of the attribute.

Next, he had to experiment with the element of light and mix the two elements to create space.

Kyon released the attribute of light in his palm. Fog that appeared on the surface was glowing with soft sunlight, sending waves of peace to his soul. It gave him a feeling that everything was wonderful. Deep inside him rose an unselfish desire to bring kindness, care, and joie de vivre to the world. It was the absolute opposite of darkness.

Kyon noticed a little spider nearby. He "squeezed" a bit web out of it and checked its strength. Then he infused the arachnid with the attribute of light.

The spider was not hurt at all, only… A thin white cobweb shot from its bottom in an indecent stream.

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Chapter 86

Kyon was astonished. He took the cobweb between his fingers and checked how firm it was. It was much stronger than the last time, which was to be expected.

In the course of short experiments, he found out that the attribute of light added life to the matter. The spider had produced the web so quickly because the corresponding glands started working faster.

Kyon picked up two stones. The first one, without the attribute, crumbled into tiny pieces when he threw it to the ground. When he did the same with the second stone infused with the attribute of light, a barely noticeable crack appeared on its surface. The stone had become stronger.

Kyon caught the spider that was trying to run away in fear and mercilessly tore its leg off. Then he infused the arachnid with the attribute. Its leg grew back into something horrible. The faint of heart would wake up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat after seeing that.

{I see. The spiders are not supposed to have limb regeneration. The attribute of light heals only things provided by the genes – a cut, a wound, or a bruise. What if I lost an arm… I don't even want to think about what would grow there… The light attribute can frighten worse than the attribute of darkness!}

Kyon sighed. The element of light had hardly any combat potential. He might need it in rare cases: to strengthen the defense and weapons, dispel the darkness. He could also use it for protection, recovery, and treatment.

Kyon knew that treatment with the attribute of light was not effective. It was more or less acceptable if applied together with the right technique. Anyway, its efficiency was far from high-quality medicine.

Against all logic, it is better to use darkness against poison. The element of light helps to dull the pain, stop the bleeding and speed up recovery.

Kyon pinned all his hopes of improving the quality of his energy on the element of space. Actually, it's not really an element, it's rather the combination of darkness and light, which is difficult to use. You need to control both channels of light and darkness to make them work together in sync. And it's despite the fact that both elements are the most complex ones. Moreover, they are complete opposites.

However, it's not an issue for a bright mind.

Kyon created a dark fog in one hand and a light fog in the other and began gradually joining his hands.

When the fogs met, he could feel the spatial fluctuations even with his undeveloped soul. At the meeting point, the fog turned green and slightly sparkled.

In theory, darkness and light should be mutually destroyed in contact with each other, but instead, they created powerful spatial energy.

Kyon's pupils dilated. The bright green sparkles and emerald like the northern lights fog fascinated and attracted his eyes…

Kyon came to his senses, shook his hands and opened them. This time the fog was green at once. It was easy to create. Kyon had synergized darkness and light. First, the elements came in contact, then they moved as a single entity.

It was unbelievable… It took Kyon a couple of seconds to master things that ordinary people learned for years. It is difficult to direct distinct, complex elements in the same way. However, Synergy had easily memorized the forms of the channel combining two different complicated formulas into one.

Kyon gasped in surprise when he found out that the element did not dissipate over time when it was connected with the channels. The darkness, light, pure energy or anything else stop functioning a moment later and dissipates in the wind. The attribute of space was different. It can be concentrated as long as the energy lasts.

Kyon started experimenting at once and discovered a few details:

1) The green spatial attribute is completely useless in the attack because it has difficulty with absorbing into the matter. The green fog won't do any harm even if it shrouds someone from head to foot.

2) The spatial attribute works without violating the laws of physics and logic. Infuse a stone with the element, create a proportionate amount of the element in the place you want to move the stone to, and activate it with the channel. The stone will teleport, and the clouds will disappear.

The expense of the element required for teleporting something depends on the size of the object.

Kyon deftly caught a fly and imbued with the spatial attribute. Then he created proportional clouds around himself and teleported the fly many times, not letting it fly away.

{It can't be everything this powerful attribute is capable of… I am not going to use it for catching insects.}

Kyon created a dense green cloud in front of himself and directed it ten meters forward. The cloud slowly floated through the air like a weightless fluff.

Then he created another one and put a stick inside of the cloud. After a greenish flash, the stick appeared safe and sound in the distant cloud.

It was an energy-consuming process to move the stick inside, but when the stick stopped, the energy expenses reduced to a minimum.

Kyon grinned. He canceled the teleportation, and the stick broke perfectly in half. One half was in his hands, the other stayed ten meters away.

{Theoretically, if I infuse someone with the element, I can teleport their body parts and organs anywhere. Holy Moly! It's too bad the attribute hardly penetrates even a fly… God, it's a shame. On the other hand, it's even better this way. I would be scared to live here. What if someone teleported my hair… Ouch…} – Kyon ran his hand over his head with a heavy heart. His hair had grown only a couple of centimeters…

Suddenly an extremely dangerous idea came to his mind, but he decided to move ahead with it. Kyon created two dense clouds. The one was at arm's length from him. He directed the other one to the nearest dummy ten meters away. His own flesh easily saturated with the attribute, he decided to teleport his arm and then control as if it was a robot.

Kyon reached out to the thick cloud, nervous. This time the flash was much brighter. He could feel with his soul and the channels huge energy consumption every moment his arm was moving into the cloud. However, if he didn't rush, it wouldn't reach a critical level. He should take it slow, or he risked to lose his arm. Kyon felt nothing.

Meanwhile, his hand slowly crawled out of the second cloud, grabbed the dummy's neck and squeezed it tightly.

«Ha ha ha ha!» – Kyon laughed heartily. It was a strange, indescribable feeling. It looked like his hand was cut off, but in fact, it was ten meters away strangling the dummy! It was like an ordinary hole in space between him and the dummy.

The energy consumption reduced to the minimum as soon as Kyon stopped moving his hand.

He could hold his hand like this for hours! Hardly anyone else was reckless enough to risk their limbs without many years of practice beforehand.

Kyon got another idea. He set flight parameters to the distant cloud… And it flew with his hand: a sight worthy of a lousy horror movie.

{Flying fist technique!} – Kyon thought, laughing. The soaring limb flew into his face in slow motion. It was hilarious like the things that happened in dreams.

Kyon's eyes sparkled devilishly at the next thought… He created a bigger cloud and tried to stick his head in there. It was too risky. One mistake and goodbye to his life.

It was a failed idea. As soon as the key of the element of mind touched the cloud, Kyon's head did not move any further. {Oh yeah… I completely forgot… The spatial attribute cannot teleport souls tied to the keys. I need spiritual trigrams to do this…}

Kyon remembered what he had read and left his illusions behind. He couldn't teleport his body that easily. Unfortunately, the space attribute wasn't omnipotent.

Kyon experimented for a couple more hours until he learned everything he could. He didn't find too many options. There was much more to discover with ether.

He had experimentally confirmed that the spatial attribute wasn't useful in combat. It was impossible to attack with it. However, he could use it to create remote formations that would send various signals and information, such as wiretapping and video. Unfortunately, it was beyond his level of development now.𝒩𝑂𝒱𝑬𝒍𝐮𝓈𝒷.𝚌𝑶𝕞

He could attack with the help of the attribute. He could infuse a technique with the spatial attribute and teleport behind the enemy. Or he could infuse a dagger, quietly move the cloud behind the enemy's back and attack out of the blue.

{I wish I had a gun to teleport bullets and lightning-fast attacks… Uh…} – It wasn't the first time Kyon had thought of creating firearms. He would have realized this idea a long time ago, but in this undeveloped world, where even gunpowder hadn't been invented, he needed power and resources. He had neither.

The practitioners could feel the vibrations of any energy with their souls. It means that the traps, tricks, and sudden attacks were still a major challenge. Take, for example, the cloud. It emitted perceptible noisy vibrations that everyone could feel. However, the level of perception depended on development.

{I wish the attribute moved faster… What if I combined it with the wind… And even better with lightning! It would instantly appear behind the enemy.} – Kyon had to leave this interesting task for the future.

In the end, Kyon was partially disappointed in the two most difficult elements. Their full potential could be revealed only in techniques and combinations with other elements. He had a lot to confirm yet. Everything was ahead.

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Chapter 87

It was early morning when the gates creaked. Juno fluttered inside like a butterfly. A devil in angelic guise! Today she was wearing a black tight-fitting training outfit that emphasized all her delicacies. She had skinny pants on, a seductive T-shirt, a jacket on top, and exercise slippers on her feet. Her attractive slender figure fascinated Kyon, distracting him from his workout.

Juno's beautiful emerald green eyes stared eagerly at him. The girl clenched her fists and approached Kyon.

«Master… Where did you get your divine gift?» – She asked without hesitation or pause.

«Why did you come?» – Kyon said coldly. He was not flattered by the words "divine gift." In his world, anyone could have Synergy. (1% of people)

«Let's make a deal!» – The little angel continued, not paying attention to the grin on his face. – «I suggest you become the head of the Stones Development Center! You will enjoy the highest status among the younger generation! All the resources of the family will be available to you. You will get into my grandfather's good books…» – The servant's laughter made her shut up.

«All in all, you want me to become a cash cow.»

«Not at all!» – Juno exclaimed. – «I want to…»

«Shut up and don't play games with me, or I will never clean any more keys for you.» – He wasn't interested in Juno's terrific offer. He was doing well without her.

When she heard that, Juno jumped from fright, closed her mouth with her hands, and froze with fear. To lose the opportunity to become a talent superior to heavenly geniuses? Not in her lifetime.

If the servant agreed to her terms, she would get rid of her slave shackles. Her revenge would be terrible. She would torture him to make her the master of all the elements… After that, she would hand the pathetic scum over to her grandpa. Their family would rise beyond heaven after grandpa arranged key cleaning on a paying basis. Juno would train hard, and in a year or two, she would humiliate her sister. But the reality wasn't so sweet… The servant had refused even to listen to her. What's the big deal being her master? Sneaky bastard… He wouldn't live long, anyway. Someone would notice the formation on her forehead sooner or later.

«Master… Please, tell me where you got this ability? Who gave it to you?»

Kyon gave her a malicious smile. «What if I was born with it?»

Juno wanted to protest, but she kept her cool. She had the courage of her convictions that would never let her believe a slave could have a divine bloodline. But she didn't want to come back to it later. What if he didn't lie?

«Master, can I do anything to win your favour? Can you clean my key even more?» – Juno made a pitiful-begging expression, folding her arms in front of her. A hungry puppy asking for food would give way to her charm.

Kyon could hardly look away. The little devil annoyed him with her phony behavior and natural magnetism. «First, tell me where I can find instructions and techniques for unique bodies.»

After a moment's hesitation, Juno slightly bowed her head. «Follow me, master.»

Kyon was about to strangle her. Her false deference, phony humility drove him round the bend… What a hypocritical snake! She faked those emotions so well that they could mislead anyone but him. {Little trashy bitch, you can't fool me.}

Kyon followed Juno to the secret library, then to the treasury.

The girl approached the wall, put her hands in certain places, and sent the pure energy the right way.

squeak*

The wall parted, and another secret passage came into view. It looked like an old damp tunnel in the catacomb.

Kyon followed the girl, his lips pressed together into a thin line. He should have guessed that the treasury had another level…What kind of family legacy would it be otherwise? He decided to order Juno to reveal all the other secrets in the mansion after he had explored the treasury thoroughly.

The place was saturated with ancient times. It once again suggested the idea that the mansion was built here for a reason.

«Juno, do you know why the mansion, in fact, the whole estate, was built here?»

Juno slowed down a little and said in a quiet, pleasant voice:

«Many centuries ago, our ancestors settled in this area because of the increased density of energy in the air. Grandfather says that many elements in the crust release energy.»

«And that's all?»

Juno fell silent, thinking if she should continue this conversation but answered, after all:

«He also said that the past civilization must have left something valuable in the local catacombs. But no excavations were carried out because my family was afraid of collapse.» – Juno said, but it was only half of the truth.

«But they carried out excavations in the mines, didn't they?»

Juno turned around in surprise. «How do you know about that?»

Kyon's guess was correct. The Stones didn't build the mines on the site of the catacombs only because they could be easily reconstructed. They also wanted to find something the past civilizations had left. It's hard to imagine the price of the technique that opens the keys or the recipe for breakthrough medicine… That would definitely stir up the whole empire.

Juno didn't get an answer to her question. She turned away and walked in silence. Kyon's expert knowledge surprised her. This information was so confidential that it was not mentioned in any books in case of any greedy competitors scouring for profit. Anyway, she didn't tell him everything.

They walked another hundred meters until there appeared a treasury of about 500 square meters carved in the earth.

Kyon was astounded and fascinated by what he saw. There were lots of racks with shelves with a single cloudy nephrite-sphere in a special niche on each of them. The cupboards were full of boxes with aromatic herbs. Kyon looked closely with his modernized eyes and saw a barely visible barrier that regulated humidity and temperature in each box.

He knew that herbs were stored in the open air for a reason. They got saturated with energy and enhanced their properties with time. He could feel with his soul that the ancient place contained a huge amount of energy.

There were also beautiful glass display cases with boxes on the shelves. Medicine of specific nature was kept in each of them. He found enzymes (for the body development), pills to temper the spirit (helps to stay focused), therapeutic medicine, specialized medicine (for some unique bodies), poisons, and so on. There were ointments, bottles, capsules with powder, pills, and even vapors enclosed in the container. The familiar cloudy green stone with information was next to each box.

Juno looked carefully into Kyon's eyes and waved her hand. «Master, to develop a unique body you need to plant it in your soul and grow. Take one of these pills and follow the conditions. You will get them either in your soul or in the description…»

Kyon glanced at the pills of different colors and asked:

«Is there medicine of all the unique bodies that your family can make in this treasury?»𝒩𝑂𝒱𝑬𝒍𝐮𝓈𝒷.𝚌𝑶𝕞

«No, there isn't. But you don't have to wait till it's created. I recommend that you choose a unique body with ready-made medicine. The unique body of a strong spirit will grant you pressure that is many times more powerful than that of your peers in development. The unique body of strong flesh will boost your physical stamina. I recommend choosing one of these.»

Kyon thoughtfully stroked his chin. He could have only one cultivated unique body, and it was for life. He could always destroy it later, but it would affect the stage of his development. The unique body a second foundation for the soul development. It would take a lot of time and effort to develop a new one.

In addition to continuous enhancement or special features, boost in the development and even changing the talent, the unique body can grant a rare feature or skill. It's the main value of the cultivated bodies. The quality of energy can also increase significantly.

The choice needed careful consideration, that's why Kyon said:

«Thank you for your advice, but I am going to explore the available medicine to see what can be made. You are free to go.»

«No, master. I'll stay here so you won't be lonely.» {And stupid.}

«Suit yourself.» – Kyon said in a cold, emotionless voice and began to explore the treasury. It was going to take some time.

He took the first stone and tried to infuse it with pure energy to retrieve the information. However, he failed.

He heard a quiet, contemptuous laugh behind him.

Kyon turned around – «What is the password to the family formation?»

Juno flashed him a smug smiled and answered confidently:

«Master, you don't need to know the family code to gain access to the family heritage. All it takes is a person with the highest level of access. It so happens that only ten people have access to our heritage, including me.»

Juno approached Kyon proudly, grabbed the nephrite from his hands and put it on her wrist. Then she waved it around. «I have granted access for an hour. Now anyone can use it with the help of pure energy.»

Kyon grunted unkindly. Was it something to be proud of? «You aren't useless, after all. Now take each nephrite and grant me access for at least three days.»

«Are you going to study everything here?!»

«Less talk, more work.» – Kyon smiled and snatched the nephrite from her hands.

Juno laughed inwardly. {Dumbass! If you study too much information at once with the help of pure energy, you will get a strong migraine or even worse. Alright, I'll laugh at you then…}

A few hours later, Kyon was distracted by the sound of stomach rumbling. He looked at Juno, who was applying nephrites to her wrist. Her face gave nothing away, only a treacherous blush appeared on her tender cheeks.

Kyon couldn't help but smile at her sweet face. He remembered it was lunchtime. After lunch, Flitz was going to call on Marina. Kyon should watch the old man closely. If he dared to offend the girl, he could go to hell and rot in the abyss of depression.

Kyon planned to help Marina resolve the conflict from her troubled past. Would she forgive Flitz? Would she reject him? Or would she swallow her pride? In any case, they had to meet face to face. She couldn't defeat darkness by running from it.

«By the way, give the guards the order to add Flitz to the VIP list. He is coming after lunch to walk with Marina in the park.»

Juno raised her eyebrows and shook his head, baffled. Then she frowned angrily, bared her even white teeth like a wild animal and exclaimed – «How dare you make my friend suffer?! If… if Flitz comes, then…» – Each word was an effort for the poor thing. She was torn between the intoxicating lust for power and her duty of a friend.

«Calm down. Marina does not mind. You can ask her yourself at lunch.» – Kyon didn't want to answer any more questions and went to the door. The little demon went up a notch in his estimation.

On the way, Juno dared to ask him to give her some freedom to communicate with Flitz. What if Kyon did something wrong? And she couldn't even raise her voice because of the cage of orders. Kyon agreed.

They left the storeroom. Kyon went to have lunch in his room. Juno and Marina took a seat at the main table. Only the most important persons dined there. But wasn't the lady's close friend one of them?

When they were finishing their meal, Flitz came to the mansion ridiculously dressed. He was wearing a white jacket, trousers, a bow tie… His thin white hair was combed back. He looked polished and put together. However, dark circles under his eyes gave away the state of his health.

Kyon could not believe his eyes. The image of the wise master was completely erased from his mind. Now the talented formacist resembled a gigolo with a warm heart and heavy underpants.

Flitz went into the dining room. The two lovely blonde girls were the main decoration of the room, no doubt about that. The silent waiters walked around the big table.

When Marina saw her former master she felt a sudden loss of confidence. She needed protection and grabbed Juno by the hand.

When Flitz saw Marina's reaction, he hunched over and looked down. His disheartened look meant he was guilty. He was such a weak-willed fool.

«Hello, Juno. Greetings, Marina.» – He said hoarsely.

Juno slammed her little fist on the table. «I would have never let you in if my best friend didn't ask me to! You should be grateful for her kindness and sympathy. She will tell you everything she thinks about you. Will you, Marina?»

The poor blonde wished the ground would swallow her up.

Flitz coughed, pulled a box out of his bosom and handed it to embarrassed Marina. – «Please accept my humble gift as a token of good faith.»

Marina raised her beautiful, surprised eyes at the old man who looked like a skeleton. He handed her a shiny little box with a gift from the bottom of his heart.

When their eyes met, Flitz looked down at once, following Kyon's advice. Marina did not have a chance to do the same.

She opened her mouth, amazed at what he said. There was no trace left of her former master, the tyrant, the despot, the malicious sex maniac. – {What's the matter with him?}

When Marina hesitantly accepted the gift, Juno whispered in her ear:

«Don't take it if you don't want to. Just say a word, and I will drive the old fart away like a dog.»

Marina shook her head and opened the box. There was a deliciously looking nutcake. Her heart started beating faster… Flitz remembered her favorite delicacy: the landan cake with kerker nuts, a rare and very expensive treat.

Marina was torn between two contrary feelings. She looked at Flitz. – «Sir…»

«Please, call me Flitz.» – He smiled, avoiding looking at her.

Marina rose from the table with the sweet present in her hands and slowly approached the old man. Shel had decided to follow Kyon's advice and move on. She wanted to accept and face all her suffering in the past and live on. She wanted a fresh start.

Marina said bravely:

«What about taking a walk, Flitz?

Flitz coughed again at her unexpected offer. It was the first time Marina had suggested going for a walk together. She grew bolder quickly… The friendship with Juno must have given her confidence.

«Yes… Sure.» – He answered with a wrinkled smile.

They left the mansion and went into the beautiful park.

Marina planned to tell her former master that she would not return to him no matter how much he "loved" her. She was fed up with her past life. Nothing would change her mind. He could beg her or threaten all he wanted… At the same time, she felt sorry for Flitz. He would have to abandon his dream to restore his seed and have a child from her. She was unreachable for him now. Marina refused to be his slave. He may look for another sex toy…

Marina wanted to tell him all that right away. She just needed to get the conversation on track… Come on, scaredy-cat, be brave. Speak up!

They had been walking in the park for five minutes, but she could not squeeze out a word! It was hard for her to speak with the former tyrant master… Kyon was right, she should be stronger, but how? The saddest thing was that Flitz was also silent.

Suddenly, he said:

«I used to be a street urchin. My life was based around cheap booze, harlots, and fights. I would never have believed that in a hundred years, I would find a girl I could not live without… Your escape to lady Juno opened my eyes to the ugly truth: who I am and what I am. I realized that I mistreated the woman I loved. I was a loathsome egocentric monster because my senile selfish heart was afraid to have a real relationship. I was afraid to take responsibility. If you had refused me, I would have died of grief… I wanted to believe that if you are my servant, it's your duty to have sex with me, and even love me… What a fool I was, Marina. A million words will never be enough to express how much I regret my terrible attitude towards you. But I'll be bold to ask you to forgive me at the twilight of my years. Have mercy on a skinny half-dead old man.» – He looked at Marina with wet eyes full of regret.

Flitz had prepared his speech to get under Marina's skin, but there was a great deal of truth that he did not want to accept. He was losing his mind without this girl. He had different thoughts going through his head. In many of them, he regretted the abuse and the way he had been mistreating the girl he loved. Flitz used to think she was a stupid naive baby. But Marina's words that she hated him, despised him and wanted to leave were sharper than any daggers. He was afraid to give her the right to speak in their relationship. He was afraid of responsibility.

Marina was at a loss for words, even if she was silent all the time anyway. Her former master said he was sorry for the first time… He was so sincere. She'd been dreaming of hearing this for so long! It was unusual to see him like that. He seemed to be a different person! Marina felt an unbearable burden of responsibility. If she told him what she thought, if she destroyed his hope to have his dream come true, Flitz would die of a broken heart. He had saved her from the hungry street life full of darkness, he had given her shelter, he had raised her. She couldn't say that… She was not a murderer!

«Flitz… I… I can't forgive you straight away…»

«I understand, Marina.» – Flitz said grimly. – «I do have a lot to atone for. I will dedicate my remaining life to make it up to you…»

There was a pause.

Marina was embarrassed like never before. Something absolutely incredible was going on. All of a sudden, she felt so warm and cozy. She wanted to believe in the words of her former master, she wanted things to change for the better and even get better than before!

«How are you feeling?» – She asked him with concern.

Little by little, they started a friendly conversation.

For the first time, Marina had had such a long and relaxed conversation with Flitz. He was no longer a cruel, rude, perverted hypocrite as before. Far from it, the elderly formacist was polite, attentive and courteous. He apologized for all sorts of little things… Was he the same Flitz? Were his intentions really pure? She had no words. He really was a different person! She even smiled once when he joked, she felt so free. Kyon said that the old man would change his attitude, but to this extent?! How could he predict that?! Marina seemed to be dreaming of everything getting better. The wounds from the past healed, everything bad in people turned good… She couldn't break the old man's heart.

A few hours passed quickly. Flitz gallantly kissed Marina's hand goodbye and said respectfully:

«I enjoyed our walk very much. Thank you for meeting with me. Do you mind if I come by tomorrow?»

«Hmm, okay. You may come.» – Marina gave him a little smile, tucking a lock of silky hair behind her ear.

Happy Flitz left the mansion. His old wrinkled face smiled. Warmth and delight reigned in his heart. For the first time, Marina was so talkative… She had never laughed at his jokes before. Her smile was amazing! The brightest ray of light illuminated his dark soul… The bird got out of the cage, spread her wings and showed her true pristine beauty. He had fallen in love with her for a reason. Only she was worthy of his senile, dementia-ridden love.

Kyon was right when he said that Marina would open up if he treated her like his equal. Flitz didn't feel at ease talking with his dear silly girl like this, but it turned out to be the only right approach. Flitz realized that he couldn't get back the old way with Marina, and he didn't want to. Goodbye, beloved maid, hello, beloved potential wife.

Kyon had been watching their walk from beginning to end. He followed Flitz with an indifferent look. The old man did not offend the girl, he even asked for another date. If his intentions were pure, he may spend time with her in the future. After all, Marina would be glad to mend fences with him. She was grateful to him for the good deeds of the past, even if they weren't too numerous.

Juno was following them all the time. She looked like a guard dog, watching careful Flitz, the stranger.

Kyon was already mentally choosing a collar for her. Marina would be a good owner, she would take good care of her…

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Chapter 88

Kyon and his newly acquired student returned to the treasury. The exploring of the family heritage continued.

Kyon took a cloudy green stone that contained the formation with medical formula and infused it with pure energy. The fog seeped through his nose into his mind and there appeared quite legible information about the ingredients, methods of production, properties, including all sorts of nuances and subtleties. Also, there appeared a set of incomprehensible neural connections in his brain. It described how to make the medicine (or rather how to use the elements). Any medicine is created mainly with the help of elemental energy. The alchemists handle the ingredients through the elements.

The same thing happened with the formula for the unique body. Only, there was also the information for the owner on how to develop the body properly, what abilities it got with each next energy phase.

When Kyon took a cloudy stone that contained a technique, the necessary information about the technique appeared in his head: its attribute, energy consumption, power, weakness and much more, including all the nuances and subtleties. And then the same obscure set of neural connections that had to be deciphered appeared in his brain.

Even partucilar formations such as searching marks or directions for enchanting things gave him a new bunch of neural connections. He had to get his head around them.

All the information he had received had one thing in common: he needed to analyze the neural connections and reach enlightenment.

Kyon had a reasonable question: {Why should it be so complicated? Wasn't it easier to give clear directions on how to make things, how to shape the channel so that the technique ran properly, how to make medicine with no mistakes?}

The answer was not long in coming: every channel worked in its own way. Each channel shape set specific parameters for the outgoing energy. There were no two similar channels.𝐍𝑶𝑽𝑒𝑙𝚞𝓢𝒷.𝑪𝒪𝔪

A practitioner studies the nephrite and gets a set of neural connections. They find out their own way to decipher them, translate them into the language of their channels. It's the way of mastering any technique, any grade of elements, the formula for the formation / unique body, the correct dose of the medicine.

For example, everyone sees the blue color in different tones, but it doesn't matter… It all comes down to blue, not any other color. That's how the understanding of neural connections works. Through enlightenment.

There is no common language for the keys. It cannot exist in principle. When a master teaches a student, they need a nephrite with a copy or the foundation of knowledge. The master gives a presentation sitting next to the student. The vibrations emanating from the master, along with hard practice, help the student find common ground. As a result, they reach enlightenment.

Consequently, it is impossible to teach the skills related to the channels without a nephrite. Only the masters can create the nephrite (the foundation), not the ordinary students who have gained the knowledge through enlightenment and come to the result without really understanding how and why it all worked.

Kyon summed it all up:

1) Stealing the original was pure madness. It required a high level of access and a free path to the heart of the family (to the treasury) to get the basic nephrite. Copying nephrites was impossible on the physical level.

2) It was impossible to copy knowledge gained by enlightenment because it's the basic level of understanding. The nephrite could only be created by the master, who understands profoundly the point of the instructions/technique. For example, you can do somersaults, but you can't understand all the details of your movements. However, the method of understanding things with the help of Synergy (complete analysis of information to the smallest detail) allowed Kyon to duplicate any knowledge as he pleased.

The whole thing was fascinating. The good news was another advantage over the others: he could copy the heritage.

The method of transmitting comprehensible information from the formation (nephrite) to the mind was also impressing. Kyon wondered: {Can the brain process the whole book at once?} – He immediately refuted this idea. The duration of short-term memory is only some seconds, the period of long-term memory is also limited.

Only his compartmentalized brain could easily absorb huge amounts of information without sleep. It's not for ordinary people. They could end up with the worst headache possible. Nosebleeds and fainting were pretty common, too.

Meanwhile, Juno had finished granting access to all the nephrites. She was staring at the servant with eyes wide open. The upper treasury contained no nephrites that created neural connections in mind, but this one was full of them. Her "master" had been studying the nephrites for more than ten hours, but it had no effect on him. {Why?! How can he still stay upright? Is he a human?!}

As far as she knew her servant, he would never pretend to impress her. He couldn't care less about her opinion. Something unimaginable was going on.

Kyon was engrossed in studying the family heritage: a lot of techniques for different elements, each with their own requirements and direction. Hundreds of different recipes for medicine, an endless number of recipes for unique bodies, a few dozen directions for enchantment, as well as lots of formations with techniques of a certain direction. He would hardly ever bother to learn them. No need to. He was already a formacist of a divine rank if such existed at all.

Kyon was over the moon when he came across the advanced grade of all the elements. He could now master the ether, the darkness, and the light at the advanced grade, thereby enhancing them (he would remove some of the heaven restrictions). He knew, at least he had a hunch, that the lightning wouldn't attempt to fry him next time. The elements were under his control. He would unleash their true power. However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Kyon was disappointed to discover that every unique body in the Stone treasury was of a "C" rank. And even those were a few.

«Master, there are two bodies of a "B" rank in this secret compartment.» – Juno noticed his discontent and tried to sweet-talk him.

Kyon took a look at the two recipes and carefully studied them. He frowned. Judging by the features they give the owner, their rank was peak "C," not "B" at all. The one who sold those bodies had tricked the patriarch.

Kyon put the recipes back, disappointing Juno a little, and continued to study the unique bodies of a lower rank.

"The body of a powerful master: any weapon in your hands will strike faster than lightning." "The body of accumulation allows you to charge any element for three seconds to make a powerful blow." "The body of a magician transforms the vibrations of the energy you release into a different element. You can give your opponent an unpleasant surprise." "The body of a berserker significantly enhances the pure energy and your body for a while." "The body of an advanced fire bender enhances your element of fire." "The body of a usurper allows you to master the elements of wind and ether easily. In the future, both of these elements can be combined into the element of storm." "The body of lapis lazuli allows you to release destructive azure light."

Kyon noticed that bodies could grant a variety of skills, sometimes at odds with logic, that is, beyond the nine elements. They could amplify, accelerate, deceit, conceal the owner or the energy, help study specific sciences faster. There were bodies for alchemists, formacists, executioners, a hell of a lot of unique bodies, each with its own unusual features. Kyon's eyes sparkled with excitement. The unique bodies could give him anything he could think of. But their featured turned out to be pathetic and weak… Those two bodies of peak "C" rank were something, but the rest, to be honest, was total crap.

He wasn't going to build a foundation of wood. It wouldn't let him create a magnificent skyscraper later. No way. Kyon's heart was boiling from unfulfilled ambitions and deceived expectations. His inner perfectionist was ranting and raving.

He knew that a unique body of a "D" rank wouldn't let the practitioner develop beyond the fifth phase. It would stop growing when it reached a certain stage.

The body of a "C" rank had a higher limit, but it didn't make things any better. Kyon was not going to build his foundation of low-quality materials, even being the master of all the elements and the owner of Synergy. Sooner or later, he would reach his limit and envy those who could rise higher. It gave him a brilliant idea to dig into alchemy and create something unique with essential useful features.

{Yeah… That's what I am going to do.} – Kyon had made his decision, but he was still worried about something… Alchemists create medicine with the help of the elements: pure energy, water, earth, wind, ether, heat, cold, darkness, and light. The number of the elements available to the alchemist imposes restrictions on production, methods of production, ways of purifying the medicine.

For example, you can't create the Magma Grain without the element of heat or the Northern Star without the element of cold.

The Magma Grain can be purified with the elements of light and water, but if you do not have them, you have to be content with other elements (methods), thereby jeopardizing the final purity.

It begs the question: why not take a group of alchemists who have all the nine elements together? Indeed, it makes available all types of medicine, all methods of purifying and production.

The answer isn't reassuring. Each practitioner has an individual frequency of elemental energy, both in the soul and in the body. If more than one alchemists create medicine, it will either explode or go off. That's how heaven made the science of alchemy extraordinarily valuable. High-ranking alchemists wallow in money and fart through silk, living happily for the rest of their days.

{Pure energy, ether, darkness, light… Four elements are not enough to create some nifty medicine for a unique body. What do I do…?}

Another futile idea… But Lovr knew one thing for sure: he was going to lose himself in alchemy until he created a smart unique body.

It was about one o'clock in the morning.

Kyon heard someone sniffing behind him. Juno was sitting on the floor in the tight training outfit. She was leaning against the wall. Her head drooped, her knees bent: the spitting image of a stray kitten. She couldn't leave him alone in the treasury.

Kyon approached the little angel with an insidious smile on his face. He was a little too carried away by her charm. It felt too good to take her to her room last time. He should do it again. But as soon as he touched her, Juno opened her eyes and stood up quickly, frowning.

«Master, I'd rather die than let you take me to my room once again. It's too humiliating.» – Juno murmured with a clear threat in her voice and turned towards her room.

Kyon snorted scornfully, grabbed her little hand, pulled her to himself… And there she was in his arms, like a bride in the arms of a groom. He did not give a damn about her opinion. If he wanted to carry her up, he would do it.

«Aaaaaaaaaaah! What are you doing?! Let me go right now!» – Juno screamed, struggling in his arms.

«Shut up. I am teaching you discipline as your master. Never let anyone influence your emotional state, or else you will lose.» – Kyon calmly lectured her, carrying the writhing bird in her nest.

«What the hell are you talking about?!» – Juno turned red from embarrassment and anger. – «You… That's not what you must teach me! Let me go immediately! Or else… I…» – Juno didn't even know how to threaten the vile servant who had overstepped the boundaries. His touch on her back and under her knees made all her body tremble. He was repulsive.

«Master, let me go! And I… I will show you a secret place! Very, very secret! Just let me go…»

Kyon unceremoniously dropped the girl on the floor.

«Tell me.»

Juno flopped on the hard floor, made a painful grimace, and stood up angrily, rubbing her bottom.

«The master should learn good manners! You are rude and uncouth. You are not worthy of teaching me!»

«You are really going to get it.» – Kyon threatened in a murderously calm voice, stepping toward her.

Juno swallowed hard and stepped back.

«Follow me, master.» – Juno briskly went somewhere only she knew.

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𝗇𝑶𝗏𝔢𝑙𝑈𝕊𝗯.𝑪𝗈𝓂

Chapter 89

Juno went to the far wall and pressed the formation. Kyon heard the familiar squeak of the sliding passage.

«It's always the same.» – Kyon muttered under his breath. He hoped to find an even more luxurious treasury with unique bodies of high rank in the depths of the passage. He would have found this passage, anyway. He had plans to ask Juno about all the secrets of her family. He wouldn't have missed this place.

Juno looked at him with disdain and proudly walked inside.

This time there were no lights on the walls of the passage. They were plunging into the darkness of the unknown. Kyon could see perfectly well in the dark, but Juno had to pull a flashlight out of her spatial ring.

With each step, the damp cold tunnel got scarier, plain spooky.

Another three hundred meters and they approached the dark steps. The spiral staircase descended deep down. There was no end to it.

«Are you scared, master?» – Juno asked slyly, looking at Kyon.

«I am not. But you should be scared to go with me into the deep dark place.» – Kyon grinned ominously.

«No, no… That's not what I meant.» – She shook her head with a smile.

«Then what is it?»

«You tremble like a beaten weak-kneed dog.» – Juno teased him and went carelessly downstairs.

Kyon hastened his step, grabbed her by the hand and gave her a slap with the back of his hand.

«The fact that I made you my student does not mean that I will easily forgive your being rude. Wind your neck in, little piece of trash.»

Juno gave him a sullen look, rubbing her cheek still red after the blow.

«I am sorry… Master.» – The slave girl could barely squeeze the words out.

Kyon walked on. He had just noticed how cold he was. He was really trembling. But how did she dare she to take his trembling for cowardice? It's so stupid of her! It was time for his body to enter the heating mode. He needed to increase the number of mitochondria in his body.

Juno took out her jacket and wrapped herself in it. How thoughtful of her.

They went about half a kilometer down the spiral staircase. The way was not easy. Both of them were out of breath. And the way back was going to be even harder.

The staircase finally ended. As they took the last steps down, they could see the passage into the hall. A strange bluish glow was shimmering there. Kyon was astonished when he entered the hall: the huge cave was strewn with numerous light crystals of azure color. There were as many of them as the stars in the sky. The beautiful sight impressed him to the core.

A pleasant soft light fell on a matte black castle of twenty meters high and fifty meters wide. It was made of some unusual stuff. The mysterious castle suggested an idea of untold secrets hidden inside. It looked intact, but its surface was uneven, bumpy.

Kyon admired it for a while, fascinated until he felt a jab in the back and heard a sarcastic voice:

«Lift your jaw off the floor, master.»

Kyon could hardly smother an urge to slap her one more time. He just walked on.

«The Stones can't have built it… Tell me everything you know about this place.»

Juno approached the locked entrance. It was an almost perfectly smooth wall, only a tiny cut-out slit that denoted a two-by-three-meter rectangular outline indicated that the monolithic slab was actually the entrance. There were no windows, no balconies, or ventilation to be seen.

Juno ran her hand over the doorway and began her story:

«This ancient castle was most likely built by great creatures of the past era. My ancestors discovered it many hundreds of years ago and decided to discover its secrets. That's why they had built their estate here. The information about its existence was passed from one patriarch to another. If the strangers had known about it, our entire estate would have been turned upside down. Something valuable must be stored in there, but you need a special formation to get inside. Or maybe, you need to perform a special action or meet some special conditions… It still remains unknown. My ancestors tried to get inside in every possible way. My father couldn't chip off even the smallest piece, and he had unparalleled strength.» – She looked at Kyon, tired, and yawned widely, covering her mouth with her hand.

«I hope you like the secret that I have revealed to you as promised?»

Kyon grunted thoughtfully, running his fingers over the walls of the castle. They were neither warm nor cold.

Juno didn't get any answer. She wrapped her arms around herself to stop from shivering. Her jacket didn't offer enough protection from the cold. She had to wait till her servant lost all interest in the castle. She wanted to believe this time he wouldn't carry her to her room in his arms.

Kyon's upgraded eyes carefully studied the outline of the closed passage. He used different spectra of electromagnetic waves reception, as well as night vision. He studied every slight difference in shades, breathed on the surface to leave condensation. He even applied the eye microscope.

«It's getting late, master. I am sleepy, and it's cold in here. I'm sure you feel the same. Let's go back.» – Juno asked plaintively, shuddering now and then. «I would also be grateful if you purified my key for taking you here.» – She added, but this time she sounded demanding.

But Kyon did not pay any attention to her. His eye microscope noticed the smallest grooves on the surface of the wall. They made up a pattern… No, it was not a pattern. It was a zero, tiny like the tip of a flea leg. Here's another zero… One… Three… A fraction…

Kyon raised his eyebrows in surprise. The whole wall turned out to be dotted with mathematical symbols. A long advanced mathematics equation left him speechless. It looked like only a worthy person could enter there, the one could solve math problems. A moment later, he was caught up in the excitement. The genius, recognized back home, enthusiastically tackled the task.

Half an hour later, Juno was trembling all over, shivering from the chill in the room. It was a long shot to wait till the servant froze first. He wasn't cold at all!

Juno growled, visibly displeased:

«You are wasting your time, master. My ancestors had tried to enter this damned castle thousands of times, and they didn't get even close! Do you really think you stand a chance?»

There was no response.

«What are you hoping to achieve?! Why don't you just return to your room and go to bed?»

She got nothing again.

«I'm not going to freeze here just because you're so pigheaded! Are you coming with me or not?!» – Juno could not stand it anymore. She wished she had known the idiot would get so interested in the boring castle.

«Stay here, then. I am going to bed.» – Juno stuck her tongue out behind his back and briskly went to the exit. As she was approaching the steps, she glanced at the servant once again. He didn't look cold at all…

Kyon had just solved the equation and got the number "42".

«…»

Following the instinct of the experienced gamer, Kyon put his hand to the circle that was invisible to the ordinary eyes. It was the only figure that had nothing to do with the equation. He infused it with pure energy with the same interval 42 times in a row.

Five seconds later, he heard a muffled rattle. The gate to the castle parted to the sides, opening the passage inside.

Kyon laughed loudly. He loved playing The Tombs of Egyptian Emperors. Now the task was way easier than in the game but no less exciting!

Juno had already climbed a step when she heard an incomprehensible rattle. She darted back at once and stood dumbfounded and shocked.

«Ho-o-o-ow?!»

The gates to the sealed ancient castle were open. Her ancestors had been racking their brains how to get inside for hundreds of years, and then her servant came and set it all in motion?! It was impossible!

«Well, well, well. I'll give you that one. My inner geek is pleased.» – Kyon muttered cheerfully and stepped into the hall. His experience was telling him that he should be cautious. It was a place where strangers were not expected. He carefully studied the whole area without losing vigilance.

The hall was a spacious empty room with a lone staircase in the center leading to the next floor.

With his modified vision, Kyon noticed a circle drawn on the floor that was covered with a thick layer of dust.

Juno cautiously stuck in the door her adorable little head, loudly exclaiming all the time:

«Мamma… Mamma mia! Ho-o-o-ow?! How did you get so lucky?!»

«Baby, if it came down only to luck, your family would have done it already. Or wouldn't. Get the wind here. Let's see what's under this carpet of dust.»

Juno looked at Kyon in disbelief. He used to surprise her when he survived her beatings or parried almost all of her attacks. Then it came as a shock to find out that he had enslaved her. Not so long ago, she nearly gave up the ghost when she found out he could purify the keys. And this time, he had opened the cursed castle that everyone stopped trying to enter!

«You can't be human.» – She stepped away so that the monster wouldn't gobble up her.

«Nom, nom!» – Kyon clacked his teeth ominously.

Juno nearly jumped out of her skin and ran behind the wall, timidly peeking around the corner like a startled little animal that had wandered into the lair of predators.

Kyon could not help laughing at such a funny reaction from the arrogant little lady.

«Silly lovely creature, sweep away all the dust. Don't make me repeat.» – He ordered in a stern voice.

Juno swallowed before she walked warily into the hall. Her heart pounded in her chest with anticipation and excitement. If there were any valuable objects inside, her family would rise to a new level, and she would… Right, she was just a slave. This parasite was going to claim everything that should belong to her by right.

whoosh*

A gust of wind blew all the dust out of the door.

A large circle appeared on the floor, a trigram. The beautiful meandering pattern was symmetrically drawn in six sections, creating a bewitching mesmerizing sight.

«Hm… This teleportation trigram seems to be of high rank. I have never seen this pattern in the books.» – Kyon muttered thoughtfully under his breath.

However, Juno was eager to know something else.

«How did you open it? Tell me, please! My father had struggled to do it for a long time, all in vain. But you did it! How?»

Kyon sighed wearily in response. «I am not telling you.»

Juno stamped her foot. «You are the worst… person… You can't do this! I'll die of curiosity!»

«Okay.» – Kyon nodded indifferently and looked around the hall once again. There was absolutely nothing interesting except the trigram. Some strange aura was coming from the upper floor, but downstairs, there was only an unremarkable hall.

Juno bared her teeth, overwhelmed by an urge to bite her servant to death.

Kyon took her flashlight and carefully climbed the steps. He knew that there existed various invisible barriers-traps but he doubted that any more tests awaited him after the riddle at the entrance. In any case, his curiosity had overpowered caution.

He saw a hall of exactly the same size, in the same style as the one downstairs. There were no windows or doors, either. There was no trigram this time. Instead, he found a dark stone coffin dotted with ornate patterns. A mysterious, gloomy, suspicious coffin.

«A sarcophagus!» – Juno exclaimed from behind. – «It's no castle but a tomb! Something valuable must be in the sarcophagus! The old traditions say the one who rests in peace shall take with them the most valuable things. They put nephrites with ancient heritage inside the sarcophagus!»

Kyon knew the tombs in this world were of extraordinary value. If the information about one of them leaked, it would bring all the empires around in search of personal gain. It's great that the Stones can keep their secrets. Thanks to them, Kyon would skim all the cream off the top and spare them the headache from unraveling the mysteries of the ancient castle.

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Chapter 90

Juno headed off to the coffin, but Kyon quickly grabbed her by the collar and pulled her back.𝗇𝗈𝑣𝑒𝗅𝓤𝕊𝗯.𝒸𝐎𝐦

«Stupid girl! Where do you think you are going?! I don't want to go to the next world, certainly not with you!»

«But…»

Kyon approached the sarcophagus and began to study the patterns in the beam of his flashlight. He was looking for the slightest hint of a trap. He walked around it, crawled underneath, looked on the top, anything but getting inside. Then Kyon touched it with his fingers… He infused the surface Synergy, but it couldn't tackle the hard rock. He made a little tube and blew some saliva into the crevice of the coffin. If there were any elemental barriers inside, his Synergy would reveal them. But the brief search showed there were no traps.

Juno was shivering with cold again. She looked like a plucked chicken, hugging herself with her arms.

«Master, just open it. Any elemental trap would have dissipated for hundreds of years.» – She took out the stick they both knew so well. – «Try this.»

Deep in his thoughts, Kyon looked at the stick that had nearly killed him once. He nodded to himself and slowly walked away to the staircase.

«I order you to remove the lid with the stick carefully!»

«ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!» – Juno cried, turning pale. She was totally dumbstruck. However, she had to obey the formation. Juno poked the stick at the lid, tears streaming down her cheeks. It budged an inch… When she moved the cover about halfway, Kyon ordered her to stop.

Juno fiercely shot a stream of hatred with her eyes at the target that was standing just a bit away. Tracks of tears ran from the corners of her eyes. All her life had flashed before her… She did not want to die!

«You are the most terrible person in the world! There is no one worse than you! The devil will envy you!» – She wanted to give the jerk a load of nasty words, but she was afraid of the inevitable punishment. – «How can you do this to a girl?! Masters don't do that! You have no right to call me your student anymore! What if I died?!» – Juno squealed in a thin voice.

«Then, there would be one bad person less in the world.» – Kyon grinned, approaching the half-open sarcophagus.

Juno clenched her fists, growling softly with rage like a wolf cub. She wanted to kill the smug bastard so much!

Kyon discovered a dried skeleton inside. On its sides, there was a whole bunch of cloudy green stones with formations. His eyes shone with delight. He found ancient heritage! People of antiquity loved to leave all sorts of goodies! Their sense of self-importance and narcissism could be seen even after their death as if they were saying: «Look how great and powerful I was in my lifetime!»

Kyon held out his hand to the first nephrite he saw. Then he stopped, took the stick from the hands of the aggressive-minded little fox and touched the sphere with it, releasing Synergy. He could see no traps. He knew there was a chance that some of the information could be destroyed along with Synergy, so he studied the stones carefully.

He nodded to himself, wished himself good luck and prayed just in case. Then he took the first nephrite in his hand. A relieved sigh escaped his lips: he was alive.

«Master…» – Juno muttered, her teeth chattering from cold. She could hardly restrain her anger. – «You must share the heritage with the Stones, especially with me. My family had discovered the location of the tomb, and I showed you how to get here as a representative of the noble family!»

«First come, first served.» – Kyon said shortly, carefully studying the information contained in the nephrite.

«What do you mean first served?! You just opened the entrance. It was my family who did the dirty job! My family who the first to find the tomb! Ninety percent of the heritage should belong to the Stones! But I'm a generous person, so I will give you twenty… no, twenty-five percent!»

«If it weren't for me, you would keep dancing around the tomb for another thousand years. You'd never get inside. So, at least nine-tenths of everything here is mine. But I'm a truly generous soul. I won't let you suffer any agony or grief over your lost wealth, nor will I tell anyone about it. Your family can go on banging their heads at the gates of the castle as long as they like.»

«How dare you?!» – Juno wanted to tear him into small pieces. He was stealing from her family a real treasure! Thousands of years of toil and everything went to some damned egoist, who opened the door by pure luck! It was unfair!

Juno was shaking with anger. She ran to the coffin in a fit of rage and grabbed the first sphere she could reach with her little hands.

«It's mine!»

Kyon quickly grabbed her hand and squeezed it firmly with his fingers, not letting the little thief snatch the sphere.

«How dare you steal from your master?» – His slave girl was asking for a long-awaited punishment. Kyon guy had already figured out what it would be, but he suddenly noticed something unusual in Juno's behavior.

She fell on her knees and screamed with inhuman horror and panic in her voice:

«А-а-а-аа-аа-аh! It hur-ur-uur-ur-urts-s-ss-s!» – She broke free from his grip and flopped to the floor, whining from hellish pain, twisting and turning, trembling with her whole body, crying through agony for help.

Kyon was near her at once. He pulled her clasped hand. The sight was terrifying: a little sphere of nephrite was biting into her palm, radiating bright light. It looked like some carnivorous scarab from the movies about tomb raids. The sphere had crawled into her wrist and was gnawing a path into her body. Once it got to her vital organs, she was dead.

Without any hesitation, Kyon grabbed the bunchy glowing patch of skin and pressed it with his hand with all his might, trying to squeeze it out.

With the unpleasant sound of torn flesh, accompanied by a heartbreaking girl's scream, the little sphere popped out from under her skin and, like a magnet, flew into Kyon's hand, biting into his flesh.

It got more aggressive this time. It wasn't gnawing its way on the surface but deep inside, tearing muscle tissue and joints with speed ten times more than before.

Everything went dark from unbearable pain.

Juno opened her tear-stained eyes and stared at Kyon. {Did he just save me?}

Kyon raised his pain threshold a hundred times and was about to take his sword out of the ring to cut open his arm when he realized it was too late…

{I never imagined I would die so foolishly.} – He didn't want to die, but all he could do was to rely on his regenerative abilities.

The little ball gnawed through his chest to the heart with unwavering zeal.

Kyon's face took on an ashen shade of gray. He stared at Juno intensely. She was looking at him with pity and horror. Suddenly, he whispered:

«Juno… Do not hurt slaves, you dummy… They are people, too.»

The next moment, the bright sphere penetrated his heart, reached the key of light and started to destroy it. An unbearable hurricane of pain washed over Lovr, his whole body twisted. He lost control of his limbs, they went into spasms and cramps. A violent explosion went off in his head. For some reason, the trick with increasing the pain threshold did not work.

He had a feeling that liquid magma had penetrated his channel of light and was flowing straight into his soul.

The pain was so unbearable that Kyon forced himself into a coma, leaving it to Synergy to save his dying organism. Let the chips fall where they may… Juno might help him, but it was no use counting on her.

Kyon did not have time to think about why he had saved her. On the other hand, if she had died, he wouldn't have left the mansion alive.

Meanwhile, Juno began to lament:

«No! Do not die, moron! You can't die so easily! Please! You have not purified my keys yet… Master, please! I don't want you to die like this!» – She shook Kyon, moaning with unbearable pain in her hand. Drops of her tears soaked his black shirt.

What should she do now? Pain and cold made it difficult to think. First of all, she took out some ointment and applied it to her hand. She also took a painkiller that she had wisely taken from the hospital. The pain was almost completely gone, she started to get things straight.

{Why did he save me? Why? Is scum like him capable of noble deeds?} – Juno failed to find the answer, and yet she couldn't help thinking about his last words. {It's ridiculous… The slaves are not people, and you are no hero!}

Juno gently touched her forehead. The mark did not disappear, which means he was still alive. She pressed her ear to his warm chest and heard his unstable, weak heartbeat and hoarse, intermittent breathing. It's crazy… Why didn't the sphere? However, he had surprised her before. Once he told her all about his regeneration.

The question was what to do next?

If her annoying master died, she would finally be free from the chains of slavery. She would take a deep breath and get back to her life, to fulfilling her dreams. Wasn't it something she had been dreaming of since she got the damn mark?

On the other hand, if he survived, she would have a chance to get the legendary key cleaning, something that only goddess Danna can grant. Oh well, and this bastard, too, which was still hard to believe. If everything went according to her original plan, she would become a super genius in the near future. She would get rid of the mark and get her cruel revenge. The mighty wings of her growing talent would let rise incredibly high… Elsa would finally turn into an obedient servant. Juno would become number one among all the Stones, to her grandfather's and mother's delight. It was breathtaking even to think of. She had to endure the monster beside her. Or maybe, she didn't?

Juno took out the only pill she had. She had specifically asked the doctor for it in case she got a serious injury. She was turning it with her fingers, wondering if she should give it to the servant or not. The pill was not a simple one. It contained lots of healing powers. The servant would almost certainly recover with its help. He was unlikely to survive without it. Without medical care, Kyon was a hundred percent dead. Now his fate was in her hands.

Juno took a deep breath, a cloud of vapor left her cold lips. The chill in the room bit into her and made her numb. She wanted to scurry to the warm bathroom and then to bed. She wanted to leave the jerk to die here… He deserved the most brutal execution. Juno would happily strangle him right away but… Key cleaning… Super talent… And… He did save her…

The last thought was decisive in favor of his salvation. But Juno could not admit this to herself. Instead, she thought: {I am not going to spend my life with impure channels. I want to rise high above everyone else!}

Juno decidedly put the pill in his mouth.

She shivered once again and decided to go back to get warm clothes and some water, but she realized that her servant would definitely freeze to death while she was going all the way to her room and back.

Reluctantly, Juno took off her jacket and covered Kyon with it. Then she took the flashlight and hurried outside.

When Juno came downstairs, she was dumbfounded. There was no azure light… There was no way out, either… As if it had never been there.

«No… It cannot be… Where is it?» – Juno touched the wall in the place where the exit should be, she pushed it but to no avail.

Juno shone the flashlight on the wall in an attempt to find a lever or at least something useful. There was nothing.

«No! Noo-oo-o!» – She drummed her fists on the wall in a fit of despair. It occurred to her that it was all because of her greed. The trap got activated, and the servant was dying. She was to blame. But she did not want to admit it.

Juno took out the sound transmitter, her hands trembling. Then she remembered that the cage of orders forbade her to use the device. For a moment, she regretted giving the master her pill. But she knew that even if he died, no one would open the door for her.

{Am I am destined to perish here because of my greed.} – She concluded helplessly. Then a silly, probably even naive in this situation thought flashed across her mind like a ray of hope. If the servant could get inside, he would find the way outside! He was her last hope.

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Chapter 91

Kyon had an indescribable experience as if he had returned from the other world. Thanks to life-saving Synergy, he slowly regained consciousness. It didn't feel good, worse than a hangover. Kyon's vision was slightly blurred. He seemed to be rocking back and forth like a boat on the waves.

Kyon opened his eyes and turned his head aside. Juno was trembling in the cold. She hid her small tender hands under his jacket and hugged him from behind. She buried her head in his armpit, the warmest place, their legs intertwined.

Juno was clinging to him like a cute little kitten, trying to get the vital body heat. So sweet… His restored heart started beating faster. His hand involuntarily stroked her soft hair.

Synergy helped his body quickly convert fat into heat. Even being naked at -20C (-4F), he wouldn't freeze until he turned into an emaciated corpse.

Kyon finally came to his senses and took his first full breath. Synergy informed him that he had recovered sufficiently in the last 16 hours. His torn heart had healed, the tissues of his chest and arms had partially regenerated. Synergy also reported on a powerful source with healing properties that had entered his body through the oral cavity. The restoration would have been delayed for three days without it.

{Juno had given me a restorative pill, hadn't she? Why didn't she just leave?} – These questions demanded an immediate answer.

«Why did you stay, my apprentice?» – Kyon whispered into Juno's ear.

Juno looked at him, startled. Her lips were white as if she were an ice princess, her eyelashes quivered.

«O-o-o-pen the door…» – She mumbled, barely audible.𝓝𝑶𝓋𝚎𝓁𝓊𝓈𝐁.𝓒𝑜𝓂

«Is the door locked?!» – Kyon immediately got out of her grip and went downstairs.

It was true, the exit was locked. {Damn it! Did she activate the trap?! Or did the door close by itself?!} – Kyon thought anxiously.

He returned upstairs, took off his pants and sweatshirt and put them on freezing Juno. He could not believe that the tired girl had enough willpower to stay awake for 16 hours. If she had fallen asleep, she would have frozen to death. The poor thing tried to keep warm by his side, in the hope that he would come around… She had a strong faith and spirit, indeed.

Kyon suppressed his admiration and went downstairs to study the wall. There were no clues or formulas.

He put his hand to a certain place and tried to infuse it with pure energy, but the passage wouldn't open. {Damn! Pure energy can't penetrate these walls!}

He brainstormed a new idea.

Kyon returned upstairs and whispered Juno in the ear:

«Juno, tell me the frequency of Anna's transmitter. Can you hear me? Juno, don't sleep!» – His heart skipped a beat. Juno opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound as if she was at death's door. Kyon took out his sound transmitter and dialed the frequency he knew, that is, Marina's.

«Shit…» – The sound transmitter did not work.

Kyon took another one from Juno's ring, but it didn't work, either. He knew that the sound transmitter could communicate through hard objects, and no dungeon walls were a barrier for that. It all came down to the ancient barrier that worked as a trap. Was he destined to perish in the cursed tomb?!

The questionable prospects made him moan. Kyon looked at Juno. Her breathing was shallow, her body still shivering. {Fuck…}

Kyon sat Juno on his lap, reached under her clothes and hugged her trembling slender body, trying to give her more heat.

«Don't touch me…»

«This is not the time for being proud.» – Kyon pressed closer. The vital question didn't leave his mind. {How to get out of the indestructible castle?}

He thought of looking for a secret button or a slit through which he could send the spatial attribute outside.

He warmed Juno in his embrace for another ten minutes and went in search of secret switches and ways to get out of the tomb.

After an hour of unsuccessful searches, he was about to give up in despair. He had literally touched each centimeter of the room. There was not a single clue, nothing.

{I can't die here like this!} – Kyon came up to the coffin and began to study the nephrites. None of them were of any use. There were tons of valuable information but not a single useful thing. There were no more traps, either. However, it didn't give him much hope.

Kyon was furious. He sat Juno on his lap again, hugged her in the boobs area, buried his nose in the back of her head and thought hard. Well, it was very relaxing… Or rather, distracting.

«I told you not to touch me, jerk…» – Juno said in a weak but outraged voice.

Kyon lowered his hands a little. «It seems there's no way to get out. At least you won't freeze to death.»

Juno tried to turn around, tickling his nose with her silky hair.

After a short pause, Kyon felt her chest move. He could hear her sob pitifully.

«I don't want… To die… Please get me out of here.»

Her pleasant voice made his heart beat faster. Was it a pity? To her?

«Juno… Your tears are exactly what we don't need right now. I order you not to cry.»

«Let me freeze alone. I don't want to die in your disgusting arms…» – Without turning around, Juno whispered in a contemptuous tone, still whimpering.

«I don't care about your wishes, apprentice.»

In all the confusion, Kyon did not notice that Juno was talking to him with no respect. But he didn't mind at the moment. All his thoughts were about getting out.

«Damned master. Heaven punished you for your sins. Unfortunately, I happened to be around you, and now we are destined to die in the dark. Let go of me… Save my dignity at least before death… Please! You're not hopeless. Grant my last request…»

Kyon felt an urge to hurt the little devil, but suddenly it dawned on him. {The curse of heaven!}

The idea seemed insane, and it was even crazier to count on a successful outcome. He was going to master the basic grade of the remaining elements, and the lightning from heaven would reach the castle with its destructive power and set them free.

It's utter madness to use the curse of heaven this way. They were going to lose their hearing from the impact of the crash or get buried under the rubble if not smashed to bits. Synergy was screaming to him. But if the solid castle survived, the barrier that surrounded it would be destroyed. In this case, communication channels would open for them. Maybe even the door would open. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but there was nothing else left.

{Even if the chances are one in a million, I have to try!} – decided Kyon. He raised Juno in his arms, went downstairs and sat in the center of the trigram.

He briefly calculated the power progression and concluded that the energy of lightning, created by his mastering the remaining five elements wouldn't be enough to get through half a kilometer of land. The castle was so strong that even Jurich couldn't leave a scratch on it.

A solution to the problem suddenly flashed across his mind. He had to master all the five elements at once so that their power focused in one massive jolt. He had no choice. Even slim chances to get out of there would be most welcome.

Kyon directed Synergy into five clusters of neural connections to master the air, the earth, the water, the heat, and the cold…

A heavenly genius, the master of five elements sounds pretentious. What should they call the master of all the nine elements then?

Some people say the more elements you master, the more luck you steal from heaven. The speed of the development becomes faster, the future gets prosperous, and the number of trials grows.

Heavenly geniuses are the gods' favorites. Then who was he? A god himself or what?

Heaven struck him with lightning when he mastered the second element. It means his fate was unenviable. He was scum, destined to work on a farm and shovel the cowshit. However, the new owner of his body didn't intend to give up. His imperial ambitions made him eager to rebel against heaven and write his own great story.

…

A handsome blond guy destroyed a block of stone that was flying at him with an elegant turn of his leg, intending to hit the enemy in the head at the same time.

«Wait! I give up, Yegorka! You have become too strong for me! I am sorry, I'm no longer fit to be your sparring partner.» – A middle-aged man with a mustache exclaimed with a fawning smile.

Soaked in sweat and stained in the mud after the fight, the boy could not hold back his smug smile.

«Don't get discouraged, master. Your swamp technique was excellent. I almost lost in this battle. The main thing is never to give up. One day we will fight like equals, just as we did in the old days.»

The master nearly choked on his resentment. A 14-year-old student had surpassed him in strength! What a shame… Would he have to treat the boy like a respectful adult in a couple of months? However, he was happy to see the result of his hard work. The master had created a sparkling jewel out of a rough diamond. The boy should be taught to respect the elders, but the younger generation respected only strength. Ah, whatever happened to the virtues of the past when masters were revered and almost idolized?

The man sighed. «Hehe, yeah… I'm not going to stagnate. Otherwise, you can't call me your master.»

«You should try harder. Thanks for the sparring.» – Yegorka gave his master a traditional bow.

The master breathed a sigh of relief: the boy was not devoid of gratitude. «Good luck, my young apprentice. From now on, I refuse the title of your master. If you want to find a teacher stronger than me, go and talk to the elder. You have a good reputation here… I think it's time for me to retire. My back hurts, and the joints ache. Besides, my wife and I want to go abroad.» – The master said patting, the boy on the shoulder.

«I was happy to be your student. Take care, stay well.» – Yegorka bowed again and left the training ground with a frown on his face. {I used to respect and revere him, but now I find it difficult to take him seriously. I must be a high-flyer… It's great that he refused to be my master. I need another teacher for the rapid development, someone worthy of my strength.}

On the way home, Yegorka took out a pretty shiny box and gently stroked it. His eyes sparkled with adoration. {My precious… I'll give you to Juno, and then she'll forgive me. I am sure all her thoughts will be devoted to me…} – He could not hold back a silly smile.

He was anxious to return home, take a shower and have dinner. After that, he was going to watch Juno's mansion for an hour or so. What if his little angel deigned to peek out… Or the guards wouldn't drive him away.

All of a sudden, the clear evening sky turned into thick impenetrable darkness. Everything happened so quickly that it looked like someone had turned off the sun. Yegorka couldn't feel a slight breeze…

He looked around anxiously, took out a flashlight and ran home. {What the hell… Is it the end of the world?!}

The atmosphere filled with powerful imperceptible pressure. The concentration of energy in the air increased to an incredible level. Yegorka he could hear a subtle hum of power everywhere. It was hard to breathe. Everyone in the estate felt an imminent danger, a terrible fear and a threat to life. Everything was too unnatural and abnormal… It was the worst nightmare come true.

Yegorka headed to the lane's end that led up to his house, a magnificent mansion. There was commotion all around. Terrified people were running home.

Suddenly a dim purple light appeared and spread across the sky a second later. Everything looked uncanny.

{Is this the end ?!} – This thought must have crossed everyone's mind

The glow concentrated in one point in the "backward explosion," right above Yegorka's mansion. It was getting neither brighter nor hotter. Quite the opposite, it wasn't going to waste an ounce of energy.

«Am I going to die like this?! No, no, please! My life has just begun! Gods, please! I have so many plans! Heaven, have mercy on me…» – The scared boy yelled in a trembling voice, falling to his knees. His eyes welled up with tears.

The energy of the whole sky concentrated at one point. The air rippled. The buzz from somewhere above marked an impending catastrophe.

Suddenly, it transformed into a bolt of lightning ten meters thick and struck the mansion.

BААААААААААNG*

The building turned into dust. A powerful wind destroyed the nearby houses. The thundering roar created whirlwinds and spread across the estate and away for thousands of kilometers. It broke the windows. Half of the residents were scared to death, Yegorka, in particular. The explosion had sent him into a flight.

The thick clouds had lifted at once.

Yegorka came to his senses after a while. He felt all floaty, his ears rang with the shock.

The stupefied blond rose to his feet with difficulty. His heart sank. He couldn't believe it had really happened. He wandered to the mansion, or rather to the ruins.

The strange, powerful lightning had ruthlessly destroyed his house as if it was heaven's will.

Yegorka had given his father's house, resources, and everything he had valuable to get the gift for Juno. And now his last property, his father's gift, was evaporated by heaven's will. He had only his life left, the mercy he'd been praying for.

Now the dirty, smelly, homeless, penniless, and as if it wasn't enough, almost driven to madness boy was looking at the boiling magma pond that was burning his face with unbearable pain.

Yegorka fell to his knees and cried with his arms upraised:

«WHY?!» – His hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes burst into flames.

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Chapter 92

A vague female silhouette emerged from the darkness of the tomb. The beautiful stranger looked surprised. Her eyes were shining brighter than the stars. At the moment, they were fixed on the unconscious boy with the girl snuggling next to him.

{He has found the heavenly pearl of light, hasn't he? It's surprising given the circumstances… As a counterweight, he is destined to die here. Too bad. I was expecting more from him…} – The goddess decided to keep her hands clean and take the priceless piece only after the boy's death.

A few hours passed unnoticed.

~ sigh ~

{He was worth my interest. A resourceful boy.}

…

Kyon opened his eyes. He had just heard five familiar sounds in his head that marked his enlightenment. At once, a muffled rumble shook the entire tomb to the ground.

The thunder stunned Kyon and Juno like a high-pitched hammer, the following quake threw them half a meter up.

«I AM ALIVE!» – Kyon exclaimed joyfully. He couldn't believe his luck. He ran to the exit, carrying Juno on his shoulder, and pushed the stone wall to the side. It opened with a soft creak… His guess was right. It was the barrier that had been keeping the entrance blocked.

His soul rejoiced as he was leaving the unfortunate tomb. However, a strange gurgling sound and heat in his back made him turn around… Kyon saw the castle wrapped with bright orange magma that was coming from somewhere above.

{Holy shit!} – Kyon was amazed at what he saw, but it was dangerous and pointless to stay there. He quickly ran up the spiral staircase.

«Where am I?..» – Juno opened her eyes and asked in a weak voice. Her head was swimming. She couldn't see a thing.

Kyon chuckled and carried trembling Juno in his arms, releasing the element of heat to warm her up.

Juno took a deep breath. A wave of profound pleasure washed over her. She felt free and exhilarated. Instinctively, she hugged Kyon. {How nice… Did I die? I have found the desired peace… I wish I had killed that freak. Too bad, I had to die under such circumstances, but… It feels so good.}

Kyon was out of breath when he climbed the spiral staircase and headed for the treasury.

Juno opened her eyes and sniffed the air. She couldn't see anything, but she could smell the demon she hated with all her heart. The bastard was unceremoniously holding her in his arms as if she was his property!

«I am alive, aren't I? And so are you?! Let go of me!»

«You're a fool. It's dark in here. You'll get lost and die. I need you alive.»

«Let go of me right now!» – Juno screamed. She was disgusted to be in his arms. It felt so sickening as if she was in the embrace of a poisonous snake.

«Shut up. I order you to remain silent until we get to the library. And stop kicking. That's better… You annoy me less when you sleep.» – Kyon couldn't hold back his smile.

He had taken a great risk, but he got out of the castle and mastered the remaining five elements. The heavenly geniuses would turn green with envy. He had achieved perfection! He was the master of nine elements! The world was his oyster now. He could become a sophisticated alchemist, or increase the quality of his energy, adding to the elements his knowledge from the previous world. Kyon thought he would cross this bridge when he came to it.

When they were up in the secret library, Kyon put Juno on the ground and wiped the sweat from his wet forehead.

Juno leaned against the bookcase. She was worn out. «It's madness… You have saved me! How did you do it?!» – But then her charming smile turned sour. – «Why did it take you so long?! Was it your idea of giving me a hard time?! I thought I would freeze to death!»

Kyon sighed tiredly and offered his hand for her to kiss.

«What is it? What do you want…»

«Show more respect to me, darling.»

«You…» – Juno let out a bitter sigh. Her servant was the most insensitive and arrogant person in the world. His way of getting her gratitude was disgusting.

Juno, the little angel, shut her eyes and tried to touch his outstretched hand with her lips, but the effort was too much for her strength. She almost collapsed.

«Oops-a-daisy!» – Kyon was just in time to catch her. He grinned and added. – «Ungrateful little snot…»

«I can handle this!» – She scornfully pushed his hands away and leaned against the shelf. Juno was even more beautiful when she was angry… Proud, arrogant little devil!

«Thank you for saving me, master. But I suffered because of you! You dragged me into that damn castle… Moreover, it was me who helped you recover! Sneaky selfish parasite… I wish I had never met you! Puh!»

Her weak spit did not reach the target.

Kyon did not want and could not be angry with the furious demon. Quite the opposite, her words and actions were nothing but an innocuous growl of a little fox cub. She looked cute and funny…

«Okay, listen to me carefully. I order you to have something to eat, get washed and go to bed. If your maids ask you anything, answer them that you were in the treasury studying the techniques. You got tired and fell asleep. When your grandfather calls, I order you to pretend you're sleepy and tell him that everything is in order. If he starts digging deeper, say that you are tired and sleepy, or try code 5. When you wake up, come straight to me. Your master hasn't had a foot massage from his ungrateful apprentice in a long time. That's all. Now get out of here…» – Kyon complacently finished his tirade.

«How dare you…»

«Please shut your mouth before I beat you up.» – Kyon threatened kindly.

Juno opened her mouth, outraged. She hated the arrogant servant with all her heart. He didn't even let her talk with her grandfather!

The gloomy, cold tomb seemed to be the last thing she saw before her death. The heritage that the Stones had been trying to get for many centuries had fallen into the greedy bastard's hands!

The only pleasant memory in Juno's mind was the sweet warmth she felt when she was at death's door. Every fiber of her being yearned for it. However, her craving disappeared the moment she woke up in the arms of the miserable scum… Juno shivered.

{Ugh! I hope the ungrateful servant will purify my keys or I will rip out his heart and make him gobble it up.}

On the way to the training ground, Kyon saw a couple walking around, Flitz and Marina. The old man seemed to have abandoned all his duties and arrived to cheer up his beloved one. He looked like a gray-haired knight on a white horse!

The servants told Kyon all about what had happened. From their frightened faces, he understood the lightning strike was an anomaly similar to the end of the world.

The guards didn't attribute the strange phenomenon to the invasion due to its scale. That's why nobody expected the full mobilization of the Stones, or anything of the kind.

The short absence of Juno (since the lightning strike) and failures in her formation had really hit the maids' nerve. But now that the young lady was safe and sound, they had nothing to worry about. The worried patriarch might visit the estate soon… Anyway, Kyon would find out the necessary information from Juno and get prepared in advance.

The servants brought dinner to his room. When his stomach was full of yummy food, Kyon went to the training ground to do some experiments.

A smile lit up his face. Despite the curse from heaven, he managed to master all of the nine elements! It felt so good to achieve perfection in this regard… He had risked it all and won.

Kyon decided to leave the recipes from the ancient heritage to a later time. It was time to find out what he could do with the nine elements. He was also eager to know what had happened to his element of light. The nephrite trap had ruined the key, after all.

Kyon thought that the attribute of light would never work. The books told him, a destroyed key could never be restored. It would be a tremendous blow if he lost the whole element and the chance to mix it with darkness and create the attribute of space.

Contrary to his expectations, a light fog formed on his hand. It had changed its glow and density. The beautiful sparkling cloud emanated calmness and kindness.

{Come on!} – He couldn't believe his eyes. The attribute was still there, but its nature seemed to have changed completely.

Kyon did several experiments and found out that the attribute had become more powerful and intense in an absolutely incomprehensible way.

{What's going on? It was a trap, wasn't it?!}

Kyon combined the darkness and the light and created the attribute of space. When he united the elements, he saw the remnants of the light fog, which marked the superiority of light over darkness! Their energies were uneven. He needed to use more darkness to create spatial energy without excess.

{That ravenous little black ball… It was also a part of the heritage! It made my attribute of light stronger! I have a new key of light!} – A tidal wave of sudden awareness washed over him. He released Synergy into his soul through the key of light and noticed some differences compared with the last time. Now the walls sparkled with golden light as if the entire channel had upgraded its quality to a new level.

During his short experiments, Kyon discovered to his delight that he had acquired an advanced grade of the element of light in addition to enhancing the attribute. Now he could use the attribute in even greater ways. His healing techniques had become way more powerful.

Kyon calculated the gain he obtained with the attribute of the advanced grade. The key had amplified the attribute by exactly 50%!

He had never heard of formations or objects that could amplify an attribute by 50%, and even more than that, that could raise its grade! The key he had found in the Stone heritage was the most valuable asset.

It all seemed like a wonderful dream.𝗇𝗈𝑣𝑒𝗅𝓤𝕊𝗯.𝒸𝐎𝐦

Kyon did not know that the heavenly pearl of light had given him the same percentage of resistance to this attribute in addition to raising the grade of the element and increasing its power by 50%. It had also purified the key at 100%, something Kyon could not notice.

The euphoria did not pass at once. Kyon slowly calmed down and admitted it was a great grace. The pearl would have killed anyone else. It was a dubious heritage, indeed. If he hadn't been well prepared, he would have inevitably died from a heart attack or a pain shock.

Kyon began to analyze the wind element.

This attribute allows manipulating any gaseous substance it comes in contact with: carbon dioxide, steam, oxygen, nitrogen, etc.

Kyon also found out that he could concentrate the energy of the attribute in the most harmless gas, nitrogen. For example, in space, he would be able to create wind flows with his own energy of the element. Alas, he had failed to produce anything apart from nitrogen so far.

Time had come for battle experiments.

Kyon directed a gale of wind into the nearest dummy. He squinted and repeated this action, concentrating the flow into a subtle blow that sounded like a whip crack when it touched the dummy.

Kyon grinned, readjusted the channel and tried again. Now, the subtle blow changed into a thin blade of wind that flew into the dummy.

snap*

When it hit the target, Kyon heard a quiet sound. A long thin scratch appeared on the dummy's head.

A subtle air attack quickly loses power over a long distance, its total energy is insignificant. But in some cases, the damage can be great. For example, it is better to send a storm blow instead of a blade to extinguish a flying fireball. It deflects the attack or throws it back to the enemy's face. Therefore, the wind bender has an advantage against the fire bender.

{Juno once used the wind element to parry a blow…} – With this thought in mind, Kyon provided Synergy direction for action. It had to create an imaginary enemy with the 10th level of the battle fist and the same speed of movement.

After a five-minute battle with a shadow, Kyon nodded to himself. {Theoretically, I get an additional battle fist using the wind element to balance my body. In fact, it does not exist! And yet, I can feel an increase in power…}

The wind element pleasantly surprised Kyon. Of course, the ether is more effective, but the wind increases the combat potential. It allows to parry attacks and helps to fight more unpredictably and nimble.

Kyon wanted to implement the principle of vacuum on his skin, but this idea failed. Most likely, his grade of the element wasn't developed enough. The vacuum could give him high resistance to the heat, sound, and harmful shockwaves.

The next step was the water element.

Kyon could control any liquid substance the water element had contact with.

He found out that he could focus the energy of the attribute in the ordinary pure water. He didn't need a bucket of water with him to launch an attack. If he was in the desert, he could always quench his thirst. This water had one disadvantage, though. It was devoid of useful minerals.

It was time for battle experiments.

A stream, a subtle blow, and a blade had about the same power as the wind element. He could deflect an attack, put up an excellent defense, and slightly change the balance of his body, controlling the fluid inside himself.

The two elements combined gave him an additional advantage. He could quickly change the balance of his body and unpredictably attack the enemy. They gave him another nonexistent battle fist.

Kyon decided to implement the principle of a water whip that required the elements of pure energy and water.

During the practice, he easily created a long water whip that did not lose its shape for up to three seconds. In other words, it could be used for a couple of strokes. After that, he would need a new one. It was fragile but could cause serious injury.

Kyon infused electricity into the water whip and struck the unfortunate dummy. It struck him as strange that electricity passed through distilled water, but then Kyon remembered that it had the same oscillation frequency as his soul, and everything fell into place. Any energy from one source (soul) is compatible with its own kind.

The ether had one weak point. It required contact with the enemy. The water element makes it easier. Therefore, the practitioners of both ether and water are powerful. The union of these elements creates a powerful combination. For example, Flitz bends water. Pure energy, darkness, and light to boot make the old man a genius. He is a master of four elements.

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Chapter 93

Kyon went on to analyze the element of earth.

The element of earth can manipulate any solid materials, to a lesser extent, the malleable ones and to a greater extent, the hard ones.

For example, it takes 33% of the earth, the air, and the water to manipulate marshmallow effectively. Likewise, the efficiency is distributed in any substance that consists of different proportions of gas, water, and solid matter.

The earth element is most effective in solids with a pronounced molecular lattice. Kyon started to manipulate his bones at once. It was an immediate success.

While he was fighting with a shadow, Kyon realized that he had added another battle fist to his inborn ten. Taking into account the water and the wind elements, his skills were equal to 13 combat fists. His movements had become so unpredictable, they could confuse any opponent. It was the quality of energy Kyon was eager to get. {Outstanding…}

During the experiments, he found out that he could create and concentrate the element into solid minerals, or rather, a handful of earth.

He scanned it with Synergy and saw no end of various solid chemical elements, including gold and platinum. However, but the more massive the element was, the more complex structure it had, the less amount of it could be created.

{Holy cow! I need to finish the books in the library! Is it possible to produce solid minerals out of nothing?! If some talented bender of the earth starts creating refined pieces of gold, the recovery of precious metals from mines will get absolutely useless!}

Kyon concentrated a certain amount of pure energy and the element of earth in his hand and set the parameters for the outgoing energy. It transformed into a solid piece of granite with an irregular semicircular shape. It was integral, with no impurities.

It takes an ordinary person a couple of months to learn the technique of creating granite. After that, they can create the whole cliffs, as many as they can.

A crazy smile appeared on the creator's face.

In his previous world, it took a huge amount of energy and ultra-high technology to create matter. But in this world, the creation required little mental or physical effort. Kyon could change the shape of the channel to set the parameters of the molecular lattice of atoms for the outcoming energy so that it could take a physical form and become a certain material, a solid element.

The energy of the earth element can't choose what to create. It fills the given lattice like water fills the tank, and creates the item. If the lattice is wrong (more precisely, if the element doesn't exist or is too complicated for the practitioner) the result will be ordinary earth, sand, or dust.

It's difficult to be a bender of earth. They need to study the molecular lattice to create solid matter. If they want to create granite, they need to know its molecular lattice thoroughly. Only then can they create and use it for their purposes.

Chemistry, as a science, does not exist in this world. When they create solid matter, they use inherited knowledge attained through practice. If someone "accidentally" recreates the molecular lattice of a diamond, they will be considered a rare talent and accepted in any family right away. There's a belief that gifted (lucky) people are chosen by heaven to grant the world the technique of creating precious stones.

For example, the dwarves own the secret knowledge of creating some metals. As a result, the short people don't have to buy or produce them. Thanks to this (one of many) feature, the dwarves had achieved authority and greatness among people.

Top jewelers of large guilds own the necessary technology and can create precious stones of the highest standard out of the earth element.

However, no one has ever succeeded in mastering the art of creating gold, platinum, or diamond…

Kyon would laugh if he read about it. His great knowledge was enough to bring any earthbender to their knees… Each of them would beg him to pass on his wisdom in the nephrite so that they could master the valuable skills.

With his knowledge of all available chemical elements and their properties, Kyon could create anything (solid). He knew at once what substance he was dealing with. Synergy obligingly helped him with the analysis.𝓝𝑶𝓋𝚎𝓁𝓊𝓈𝐁.𝓒𝑜𝓂

Kyon managed to create some rare rocks, precious crystals, and metals on the first try. Even the most talented person would take years of practice before they learned how to create them.

All of his creations fell from his hands to the ground like from the cornucopia. For Kyon, it was putting theory to practice and a fun game, but for the rest, every element he created was a new technique that should be examined closely.

Kyon hadn't discovered all the nuances so far. He frowned when he faced a number of creation restrictions. First, he couldn't create toxic, alkaline, or chemically active matter. Second, he failed to make anything difficult, like the carbon structure of diamonds or precious stones, and those he could create were of low strength and cheap. He could not create many crystals, rocks, and the middle and higher mass elements, either. At present, he could make only simple elements and substances of low mass.

Kyon decided that he lacked the necessary grade of the element. {What can the practitioners with the highest (3) grade of the earth element do then? Can they create a bar of platinum just so? Wow… I want to create refined gems!} – His eyes sparkled with indomitable enthusiasm. Kyon lived to play the game of life.

Time inexorably moved forward.

Kyon found out he could control and compress the rocks with the earth element. He could also bend and break metal. All he needed was to infuse the solid matter with his energy of the earth element.

The earth element has little combat potential. In fact, it's a long and costly process to create stones from energy. Any earth attacks are fairly predictable and it takes time to prepare them. It's easy to dodge from a flying boulder or direct it in another direction. Especially if your development is superior to the enemy. However, Kyon's high self-esteem would never let him fight with peers, it was too low for him.

He could use the earth element to create sharp weapons, throwing knives and hail of stones. The rain of fireballs would be more effective, though. The element had great protective potential, though. When Kyon achieved the superior grade he would be able to make complex and durable rocks and even carbon skin.

With the help of the earth element, he could build a stone wall, cover his skin with hard rock, create a strong shield… After he had created a variety of things, Kyon managed to make something unique and extra strong, adamantium.

This rock has outstanding properties: high impact resistance, strength, density and heat resistance, as well as a relatively low mass. Consequently, its creation requires only little energy.

Adamantium is a super-strong stone with a glossy greenish tint.

For the sake of the experiment, Kyon threw a weighty stone and immediately teleported it back. Everything happened in a split second. He was testing the effectiveness of the protection against sudden attacks.

The stone changed its direction and flew back.

Kyon put out his hand for protection. A thin layer of adamantium had grown on its surface.

bam*

The stone ricocheted from his wrist and flew away. There was no visible damage on the smooth green surface of the "armor."

A happy smile lit up Kyon's face. The rock, invented by scientists, had proved its worth. From now on, he was going to use the earth element for protection, creating adamantium. Besides, he would use the elements of wind, water, and earth to balance his body during the battle, which was equivalent to adding three battle fists to his movements. Also, the young talent hoped to use water ether against his enemies to create a powerful discharge.

When he completed the energy recovery cycle, Kyon experienced yet again something indescribable: he'd moved to the fifth stage of the base phase. The feeling of soul and body development intoxicated and excited his mind. Everyone in this world was obsessed with development for a reason. Anyone who was your equal not long ago may become lower in strength and status at any time. The difference in one stage could turn the balance of power.

He created adamantium when he was in the 5th stage. With the help of Synergy, he found out that the stone had become stronger, which surprised him a lot. The matter in this world turned out to have an energy component that determined its strength. When Kyon increased his stage of development, the matter he created became stronger. At some point, his adamantium would surely exceed the Stone sword in strength, it would also surpass the best weapons of the dwarves and not only that. It all came down to his development.

Kyon decided to put theory to practice. He created two small sharp sticks from a different substance. One of them was of medium strength granite, the other was of high strength quartz. He infused the granite stick with pure energy and struck it against the quartz stick. The result was perplexing: the granite stick with pure energy inside could not cut through the quartz. Kyon had expected a different result. Pure energy was to take the blow and help granite cut the quartz.

The results of the experiment proved that infusing pure energy into the weapon doesn't make it stronger. However, the attack significantly gains in power, it gets heavier by a hundred or two kilos.

Kyon knew that pure energy works one-sidedly. For example, at the clash with Juno's fists, it dampened her strength while the surplus of pure energy harmed her. But in the case of the sticks, one of them cut the other before pure energy took effect.

About an hour of experiments later, Kyon learned some new information.

It turned out that pure energy was good for body protection. Kyon could survive the attack of an equal opponent: a fist blow, heat, cold, electricity, a blunt trauma, a penetrating trauma to a lesser extent. However, under certain conditions, pure energy couldn't take effect when two solid objects came in contact with each other.

The condition is as follows: if the difference in the quality of the weapon is high enough, the sharper weapon will cut the less sharp before pure energy takes effect. However, if the weapons are approximately equal in quality and the attacks are crossed… Kyon had to be ready for the full impact of the difference in forces. In the best-case scenario, he would drop the weapon. In the worst case, he would get a dislocated shoulder or even a shattered bone.

{So, it is advantageous to have high-quality, sharp weapons against strong opponents…} – It was rather annoying that his pure energy was just the same as that of the practitioner who was only five stages above him. It means that someone only a phase higher could make mincemeat of him with a single blow. Or if the clash of weapons didn't chop up one of them, he was in for the impact of the blow.

Kyon wondered how he could raise the quality of his weapons.

He infused a sharp granite stick with the attribute of light and hit the durable quartz stick one more time. To his delight, less durable granite cut through the quartz. As expected, the attribute of light made the matter much stronger, therefore, more efficient. There it was the first essencial combat aspect of the attribute of light.

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Chapter 94

The first gentle rays of morning sun touched Kyon's face.

He was eager to test the element of fire. He waved his hand and directed a relatively slow fiery arc towards the dummy. Crimson flames swallowed the training doll and soon went out.

Kyon made a sudden lunge, sending a stream of fire. A mighty column burst from his hand of the same power and speed.

The characteristics of the fire element can be adjusted the moment it leaves the key. The mass, the speed, the power, the range, the shape, the focus can be changed. It's like you are given a certain number of points that can be distributed into the necessary parameters. Unfortunately, any element weakens significantly with each passing step. That's why close combat is usually the preferred option. Long-range weapons could be infused with the element, but it would influence their effect and direction.

The worst part was the flame speed, it was extremely low. Any fool could dodge or run away.

Kyon grunted thoughtfully. He added the wind to the element of heat and relaunched the blow. This time, the speed of the arc and stream of flame was five times higher!

The element of wind can eliminate the main drawback of the fire element, its speed. The faster the stream / arc reaches the target, the less energy it wastes.

This powerful combination is often called the inferno element.

He decided to try again, this time with water vapor. The result was a little different, but still, it had a terrifying effect.

Kyon came to a conclusion: the element of the wind combined perfectly with the heat. It added speed and mass. He could learn powerful and fast techniques this way. Besides, it made it more difficult to dodge / defend from them.

Time was flying by.

Kyon recalled his idea of making a plasma fire. He tried to combine ether and fire inside the electromagnetic shell but… It kept crashing because of his insufficient grade of ether.

Kyon proceeded to the last element of cold.

An arc of a frosty azure substance appeared from his hand. It froze everything on its way. The tiny ice crystals formed in the air. It turned the grass into ice and covered the dummy with frost. Its speed was similar to that of the flame. It was slow.

Kyon combined the water and the cold elements, and waved his hand. A large stream of frosty ice hit the dummy like a hailstorm. It was of greater danger and speed (albeit inferior to the wind element).

{As was to be expected!}

The benders who can combine the cold and the water elements are especially powerful. They can create sharp icicles, icy disks, ice fog, and freezing rain. If they add the wind element, the combination is deadly! A quick and dangerous frozen mist can turn anyone into a numb corpse in an instant.

Next, Kyon created water vapor and infused it with the element of cold. With the help of wind, he sent all that frosty hell at the unfortunate training doll. A powerful impenetrable blizzard enveloped the whole dummy. The concentration of cold was so strong and fast that it froze at once, cracked in half and fell apart. And small wonder. The wind speeds up the stream, hence the more powerful effect.

The water, the cold, and the wind benders are much stronger than those who have only mastered the water and the cold elements. It's hard to imagine ordinary people fight against such demons.

{Note to self…}

The element of ice (water and cold) has combat and defensive potential. You can set traps, fend off the attack, and much more. This element may come handy in some situations. Actually, it's possible to create ice without the element of water, but the effect is hundreds of times worse.

To sum it up, heat is the energy that warms up any matter it comes in contact with. The temperature gets higher with the concentration of the fire element. Heat and cold are opposite to each other. These elements are completely incompatible. Besides, they have a significant drawback, which is their speed. The element of wind can change the situation, though. The water element can be a nice addition, too.

Kyon heard a soft creak of the gate.

He had emerged from the state of triumphant pride to see two 15-year-olds entering the training ground.

There was an air of indifference about Makar, dressed in his best clothes. His long black hair neatly framed his face. Sicily, his pretty companion, looked stuck-up and arrogant. She was wearing a short skirt and skin-tight blouse. The elegance of the couple indicated their high position among the Stones.

They explored the training ground, spotted Kyon and walked in his direction.

«Hmm… Look at this self-confident boy. He is too well-dressed and too well-mannered for a slave, brother. Are you sure he is the guy?» – The girl whispered with a half-smile.

Instead of answering, the long-haired boy took out his sound transmitter and called Yegorka to clear things up. They would face a certain death if they made a mistake and killed an honorable gentleman instead of a miserable slave…

Sicily could feel with her soul the level of development of the possible target. She burst out laughing when there was no curiosity or interest left.

«Your name and rank, junior.» – Sicily said with icy disdain.

Kyon smelled the rat. He took out his sound transmitter and ordered Juno to follow code 4. The point of the order was to grant her decent freedom to protect him.

Now he had to figure out who those mysterious young people were and what they wanted from him. He needed to play for time as long as he could.

Sicily snorted angrily at the sight of the sound transmitter. «How dare you to ignore my question, junior. I am older than you. Haven't they taught you any manners?!»

The couple was approaching closer and closer.

All of a sudden, Kyon smiled graciously and spread his arms as if saying he had nothing to hide. «My apologies, lady and gentleman. My name is Arthur. I am of the second rank. How shall I address you?»

Fear replaced the arrogant expression on Sicily's face. The young man sounded very convincing. She needed to apologize quickly… «Sir…»

Meanwhile, Makar was listening carefully to Yegorka describing the appearance of their target in the sound transmitter. «I see. Yes… I got it, Yegorka. All right.»

He ended the conversation. «Either my friend wants me dead or the bastard is our guy. Let's finish him off and leave, sister.»

Sicily raised his eyebrows in surprise. «Deceived by a miserable slave!? What a shame…» – With the last sentence, she rushed forward like a shadow, raising her hand to deliver a deathblow.

Her brother did the same.

Kyon knew what was going on as soon as he heard the name Yegorka. {Damn it!}

He took the nephrites containing the attacking formations out of the ring and infused them with pure energy. Alas, he had used up all the defensive formations.

whoosh*

A stream of flame shot out of the formation, turned into a fiery wolf and rushed forward.

The stunned girl opened her eyes when her fist collided with the fiery wolf. She did not expect any resistance. Her defensive item worked on time and saved her from further damage. Only, her hand couldn't be saved.𝒩𝗈𝓋𝖊𝐋𝗎𝚜𝗯.𝗰𝞸𝗆

«Аа-а-а-аh!» – Sicily screamed in hellish pain and grasped her hand, charred black.

«SISTER!» – Makar roared in horror. – «You dared to use an attacking formation against my sister?!» – He fiercely looked at Kyon and pulled out a patterned silver crossbow with a barrel.

Kyon silently activated two more formations. In response to the crossbow, he began creating adamantium on his wrist.

A three-meter wave of hot water and a bolt of blasting lightning emerged from Kyon's formations. They formed a single powerful wave of sparkling purple. Kyon resolutely directed it at his enemies…

«DIE NOW!» – Makar shouted in a frantic rage. He fired a shot. An arrow sped up and twisted with the element of wind. It was impossible to dodge the strike.

Kyon focused and stuck out his wrist coated with adamantium at a large angle to the flying arrow.

The green rock made a crunching sound and cracked from the impact. The arrow ricocheted far away. The force of the blow sent Kyon flying a couple of meters aside. He hurt his shoulder but regained the balance at once and rushed to the exit.

Meanwhile, the electric three-meter wave was approaching the siblings…

Makar grabbed his sister, who was still screaming in pain, and jumped aside, holding her hand. He dodged the lightning, but it hit Sicily.

The invisible discharge shot straight through her body. The once lovely face shuddered in silent terror. Her hair flashed with crimson flames, blood poured out of her eyes. The lifeless body that once belonged to the cute girl collapsed on the floor, roasted from inside.

«NO! SISTER!» – Makar shouted in terror when he saw the terrible death of his dear sister. His bloodthirsty eyes darted at the slave who was still alive. He took the crossbow once again. He must kill him whatever it takes. He must destroy him!

The gates to the training ground flew open. Juno ran inside together with two guards. She waved her little white hand in the direction of Makar and said in a stern voice: «Cut off his head. And protect my servant by all means!»

Kyon was walking towards her.

The first guard disappeared from the point he was just standing. With his bare hands, he fended off the arrows that were flying at the servant while the other guard caught up with the furious boy. They heard a blood-chilling scream. Makar was silent forever, his head rolled aside.

«Get rid of the bodies and any traces they left. I order you not to tell anyone what had happened. Bring their rings to my servant's room.» – Juno commanded in an icy voice.

The guards bowed respectfully to the lady and went to carry out her orders.

Kyon looked at Juno in surprise.

Juno flashed a glance at the servant, her green eyes dazzling like emeralds. She flipped her golden hair, turned around and went to the mansion.

Kyon caught up with her. His emotions subsided as if nothing had happened. The unsuccessful killers were dead.

«You could have come faster. And why are being so cold?»

Juno replied without turning around:

«If I don't have your gratitude for today's events and the tomb, I'll kill you, master…»

Kyon smiled. But then he remembered damned Yegorka. {Son of a bitch… I wish I had killed you long ago!} – with those thoughts, he took out the sound transmitter and asked Marina to come to the mansion. Since Yegorka was his enemy now, he had to get rid of him as quickly as could be.

Meanwhile, Flitz was telling Marina another story while she was sitting nearby, listening attentively to him.

When Marina got a call from Kyon, she took a leave to the bathroom with an apologetic smile, promising she would be back soon.

«Uh… my little mouse is gone…» – Flitz took out his pipe with a contented smile, coughed and had a smoke.

At the entrance, Kyon grabbed Marina by her hand.

«Marina, there's something I need to ask you…»

«What can I do for you?»

«Please, talk to Flitz. Tell him a curious incident has recently happened. Say, Yegorka invited you for a walk and confessed his love for you. Then he kissed you with no permission. Juno has forbidden him to enter the mansion since then. He is waiting for you outside and won't cool down.» – He finished his tirade and looked expectantly at her.

«Do you want me to kill Yegorka with my own hands?! He's a decent boy! I won't do it! What's it all about?»

«Marina… Flitz won't kill him…»

«He will! He is the embodiment of jealousy! I won't do it.» – Marina said stubbornly, turning away from him.

Kyon took a deep breath. He had no wish to coax Marina into agreeing to help him, and there was no guarantee that she would do it. Kyon decided to take a different approach. He went straight to the park when Marina headed off to the bathroom.

Flitz was sitting cross-legged, puffing on his pipe, waiting for the woman he loved to come back.

When Kyon approached him, Flitz smiled and shook his hand tightly as if Kyon was an old acquaintance of his.

«I am very grateful to you, kid. You helped me find Marina, meet with her, make things right… She couldn't look me in my eyes before, now I can admire her wonderful smile. It's all thanks to you. Thank you, son.» – He expressed his sincere appreciation.

Flitz's attitude greatly pleased Kyon. «Oh, I'm glad everything has worked out for you two. You are a good couple. But I feel a pang of conscience. There's something I need to tell you… Well…»

Flitz frowned suspiciously. «Tell me what you know. Does it have anything to do with Marina?!»

There was a brief pause. Kyon cleared his throat and continued:

«It does… In those days when you were looking for Marina, Yegorka frequently dropped by. One day I accidentally come across him walking with her in the park and… Well…» – There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

The tall formacist stood menacingly upright. He could tell by Kyon's reaction that he had something important to tell him. «What did you see? Shoot!»

Kyon achieved what he wanted with almost no effort. A little more doubt and uncertainty and Flitz would buy it for sure. The old man was extremely jealous. It was a sin not to take advantage of him.

«I saw him confess his love for Marina. Then he dared to kiss her against her will…»

Flitz couldn't believe his ears. «He did that… To my baby…»

Kyon continued confidently:

«He disgusts me too, Sir! Yegorka keeps sneaking near the mansion, watching her. Juno has forbidden him to enter the premises, but he won't give up. What can I say? He is young. Testosterone makes him reckless. His heart starts a galloping beat at the mere thought of Marina. Therefore, you should get even with him once and for all. Otherwise, he will get his way sooner or later. The girls like beautiful, impudent and persistent guys. I hate those bastards!» – Kyon assured him.

Flitz's soul was absorbed by the rage of jealousy, but he stayed calm.

He laid his hand on Kyon's shoulder. «I will keep my promise to fulfill one of your wishes. Leave the bastard to me, I will make him pay. He will never forget it.» – He looked like thunder by the end of his sentence. Then he quickly left the mansion. If Yegorka was really lurking around the mansion, he wouldn't doubt Kyon's words. Flitz could as well repay his debt. It would be nice to kill two birds with one stone.

Kyon was perplexed. {What does he mean he will never forget it? Is the old man going to leave him alive?}

Kyon planned to get rid of his enemy with Flitz's help. All the problems that went with Yegorka's murder (who was the most promising Stone) would fall on the old man. Kyon didn't feel sorry for Flitz. He would get off the hook, anyway. If not, he would leave Marina alone. If Kyon had sent a guard after Yegorka, major problems could arise in his golden lodge of Juno's master.

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Chapter 95

Yegorka looked impatiently at the mansion, eager to see the little angel he adored. He redialed Makar, but there was still no answer… {What takes you so long?! One blow and he is gone!}

Yegorka was desperate for good news. His estate had turned into a pond of molten magma. His once beautiful face was ugly, at least before his hair grew back. He was left without money, morale, and place to live. Yegorka had to stoop so low as to beg his former master shelter for the night… The master couldn't recognize the bald, dirty, and charred at some places boy as his ex-student.

His friends arrived early in the morning, and he gave them an urgent task to kill the slave. A moment later, Elder Boe called him and said they needed to talk about the recent lightning. The elder added he'd been receiving no end of complaints. People blamed all the mess on Yegorka and demanded compensation for material and moral damage.

The boy could only laugh bitterly. He gave the elder the following answer:

«I am not going to pay for the pants they soiled in fear. I could as well be a god if I was behind the trick with the lightning, don't you think?» – He had to apologize for his rudeness later, but he tried to explain it by a fit of temper.

Yegorka sighed heavily, took out a shiny box and stroked it lovingly. The Soaring Angel pill inside the box gave him hope. If his idea worked, Juno would appreciate his efforts, and he would move in with her after the party.

«I will work out… Everything must work out.» – He kept whispering to himself, with his eyes closed.

When he opened them, he saw the maliciously smiling old man and the hated slave next to him.

«Hello, handsome!»

bang*

Everything went dark. Yegorka fainted.

…

Kyon was surprised when he saw the browless Yegorka. Not so long ago, he scorched Kyon's face, but life was fair, after all. The favor had been returned. However, he had more important things to think about.

Flitz placed the unconscious blond boy on his shoulder and headed in the direction only he knew.

«Mr. Flitz, when I offered you to get even with him, I meant to kill him. Where are you taking him? Do you want to bury him alive? Or maybe you are thinking of torturing him?» – Kyon asked with hope in his voice.

«I don't usually find fault with words, but you said to get even "once and for all." You have to understand, kid, I have no right to kill him. Murdering family members is severely punished. Besides, we have witnesses.» – Flitz nodded at the passers-by who were whispering suspiciously, pointing to them. – «Moreover, Yegorka is the most promising genius among the Stones. They will turn everything upside down, investigating his murder. The elders will either deprive me of all my property and the 2nd rank, or they will imprison me for life. And the cherry on the cake, Yegorka is the son of my former student who choked on a fucking bun.» – Flitz finished with distaste.

Kyon frowned. «But he did kiss Marina! Are you going to forgive him so easily?!»

«Ha ha! Of course not! He will get a fair punishment for his daring move…»

Kyon silently followed Flitz. A gleaming ring on Yegorka's finger caught his eye and quietly appropriated it. Robbing an enemy is sacred even if you have a whole treasury at your disposal. Too bad Flitz didn't want to kill the bastard… He held on to his position in society too tight. It seemed Kyon would have to use the service of Juno's powerful guard.

…

All of a sudden, Flitz burst into the medical office with Yegorka on his shoulder. He threw him on a chair and ordered in a rough voice:

«Bilya, give him a shot of evilball. Let's put aside our differences for later.»

«Uncle!» – The woman gasped. – «You could have warned me! And how dare you come again…»

«Less talking!» – Flitz snapped at her. – «Give him the shot or, I will tear this place apart!»

Bilya nearly jumped out of her skin. She glanced at the cabinet, then at Yegorka, and then at Flitz again. «You know, uncle… A girl who wanted to remain anonymous has taken the last dose today.»

Kyon got to Bilya's office just in time.

«Damn it! Alright then, cut his balls off! It would make no difference, anyway.»

Kyon opened his eyes in surprise. Flitz was a hell of an avenger! Yegorka would suffer the rest of his life. He was sure to remember this punishment well.

«But he is…» – Then the fat woman remembered that the boy had the high-ranking father no more. It calmed her down. – «Alright. But you are totally responsible for this!»

Flitz grinned unkindly. «I am. Anything to stop him molesting my baby. I will get an official reprimand and that's it. Let's calm the boy's hot temper a notch. You'll see, he'll focus on his training and get even stronger.»

Bilya shuddered and squealed in a nasty voice:

«I didn't expect this of you, Uncle! Okay then… Today I'll make an exception for you…» – She was already anticipating the upcoming procedure.

Leaning against the wall, Kyon watched the evil fat woman that was looking for a dull scalpel. {I would even feel pity for him if he wasn't my enemy. This woman is insane. In the future, I have to bury her alive. The world will be a better place without her.}

Flitz took out his pipe and lit it right in the office. The mere thought of some guy trying to kiss Marina infuriated him. What if she really liked brazen daredevils?

Bilya's small eyes lit up with evil fire. She furiously pulled the straps tighter, took off Yegorka's pants and set to work.

The sadist often castrated slaves, but it was the first time she'd dealt with someone like him. Bilya enjoyed the screaming and resistance during the procedure but, above all, she liked the moment afterwards… This guy was unconscious. It only ruined the atmosphere. Although his high position changed everything…

The maniac doctor professionally cut up the scrotum. With a deft movement, she made the testicles slip out and cut them off in the middle of the duct. The incision was so bad that blood squirted into her face.

Yegorka's face did not move. He lost his chance to be a father and take precious sexual pleasures of life, and all because he dared to stand in Kyon's way.

Bilya gripped the seminal ducts with hanging testicles between her fingers and moved them. «You owe me, Flitz. Are you taking his testicles with you?»

«Fry them and eat them up, good for nothing snake.» – Flitz spat and left the hospital.

Kyon shook his head and followed him. «Mr. Flitz, what if this renowned genius surpasses you one day and takes his revenge?»

«I've seen a lot of them, buddy. Such people as Yegorka cannot get through the superior phase. I'll have died from old age or illness by the time he ever succeeds. Khe-khe, or I'll have to leave for faraway lands, and he'll never find me. The world is too big. The only thing that matters to me is that no one bothers Marina, not even my former student's son.»

Kyon coughed nervously. Not so long ago, he kissed Marina, and she didn't resist at all. Moreover, he planned to make her a child. But he already had some doubts about that… He had to be more careful now. The jealous old man shouldn't suspect anything. The future was uncertain. Only time would tell.

…

Yegorka woke up, drenched in cold sweat. He had had a nightmare where he screamed, darted all over the place cursing while the dirty slave had been cutting off his penis until he succeeded.

Sharp pain in his groin forced him to look down. He wanted to touch his soft spot, but his hands were tied up with straps. His heart beat faster.

«What's happening?! Why does it hurt ?! Ahhh!»

A chubby woman came up to him with an unpleasant smile. «You're finally awake, dear! Evil uncle Flitz gave me the order to castrate you. I'm sorry, but I could not argue with him. Cheer up, there's a whole childless life ahead of you! Now, do you want to take these as a keepsake?» – She kindly held out a saucer with two bells.

Yegorka turned pale when he gave a glassy stare at his testicles. He spat blood and blacked out again.

The sadist laughed her ass off. The slaves used to give a weaker response. She should do it again. As the saying goes, what's done is done.

Five minutes later, Yegorka saw the same saucer with…

«Chin up, honey. I don't know what you did to uncle Flitz, but what he did to you was cruel. I can give you a painkiller if you need some.»

«А-А-АА-А-АH!» – Yegorka screamed blue murder, trying to get out of the fixed position.

Bilya got the fright of her life. «Yegorka, please, do not get excited! Flitz is a demon incarnate!» – When the straps snapped, the fat woman ran out of the office yelling. «Guards! He's mentally ill and aggressive! Guards! Ahhhh» – It was her last scream.

Yegorka broke her neck in an affective state. He killed elder Boe's daughter. His appearance could scare anyone. The unfortunate guy checked his groin… With trembling hands, he took his severed testicles. His eyes filled with despair: he had been neutered! His whole world was crumbling, and his groin was sore.

At that very moment, the disfigured boy noticed the absence of the ring and all his belongings, including the expensive soaring angel pill. He had lost all hope. His body went limp. Yegorka fell on the cold floor and roared with rage and despair.𝓃𝑜𝗏𝓮𝓁𝗎𝓈𝗯.𝑪𝔬𝓶

Even heaven would take pity on him. Yegorka searched the entire office but found nothing. Exhausted, he fell to his knees and looked up, his eyes bloody red. «Gods… What did I do? WHY?!»

In just one week, the life of the rich, talented boy, the elders' pet and the first choice for Juno's husband had plunged into the abyss of grief and despair. He had lost everything: his house, all his money, the ring with a valuable pill, even his own balls! Reality spelled a brutal end to all his aspirations and utterly ruined all his plans.

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