Chapter 402
Chapter 402
The girl entered the room. Her heart-chilling aura could frighten even the bravest warrior, no matter how advanced he was. Intimidation, causing an instinctive fear of death – this quality was perfect for the leader of the shadow clan.
In addition to this, Valeera attracted attention with her appearance: a graceful slender body, her hair was the color of a raven’s wing, falling in waves to her breasts, thin sharp eyebrows, small chiseled lips and nose, a smooth neck and expressive black eyes, in which you can drown forever. The beauty of the outlines of her face is nothing more than the apogee of the skill of the god of the night, who hones his skills for eternity just to create such filigree perfection.
If not for the white skin, the girl could be confused with a shadow. She liked to wear black clothes: a tight, thin jacket perfectly fitted the wasp waist, a skirt just below the knee with a slit – fitted and narrowed to the bottom – suited the image of a confident woman and clan leader. Her favorite diamond pattern tights have long become the highlight of the girl, and black shoes completed the image. Нer uncle’s cracked mirror hung around her neck.
Valeera gave the impression of a black rose in the Garden of Eden, which absorbed the darkness and apathy of the entire sinful world. Next to such a person, anyone will feel uncomfortable and timid, and will hardly dare to disagree.
With the noiseless smooth gait of a killer, the girl went to the board.
Kyon caught the scent of Valeera and shuddered involuntarily, either from the rush of memories, or from the omnipresent, all-consuming cold. In an inexplicable way, the girl’s aura has thickened many times since their last meeting.
«Greetings to the head of the clan!» … «Hello, Lady Arpha!» … «I offer my humble obeisances to our great clan leader!» … «My regards!»
Everyone present greeted the girl respectfully.
Valeera examined her subordinates and fixed her gaze on Zosimos. Her eyelids twitched in surprise: the man bore an uncanny resemblance to her father! In at least a few basic facial features. Within a second, the girl’s gloomy gaze fell on Bernard.
«Lady, he is the one I spoke of. I really hope that his abilities will interest you.»
«Let him wait outside. Tymoshka, take him to the third room and keep an eye on him.»
«Yes, Lady.» – the guy obediently agreed and headed for the exit.
As soon as Kyon was left alone in an empty room with Tymoshka, this idiot sharply hit him in the stomach without warning, restraining the force, of course.
«You pathetic fool, why the fuck did you show up at headquarters?!» – he barked.
Kyon cringed and coughed “in pain”. He guessed what the matter was.
The long-haired guy kicked the man in the chest: «You piece of shit, I have to skip the meeting because of you! Why the hell am I forced to keep an eye on a pot-bellied, bald-headed nobody instead of the company of a beautiful girl?!»
Obviously, the one who was honored to attend the weekly clan head meetings and was a noble phaser at the beginning stage, cared nothing for a nameless old man, who was a superior phaser at the middle stage. Judging only by strength, it’s like comparing an experienced adult warrior and a helpless puppy. Respect was out of the question.
«Bald impotent, even if Bernard brought you, do you think your strength will be of any use to Lady Lanai?! I’ll make sure that a piece of trash like you fucks up completely!» – filled with rage and contempt, Tymoshka kicked the man in the stomach and ribs, making him incapable of demonstrating any of his abilities. For obvious reasons, he hated Bernard, and all the more, he did not care about the friend he had brought, since he had ruined his wonderful meeting with Lanai.
{Annoying.} – Kyon thought wearily, feigning unbearable torment. It was very insulting that he could not, or rather, had no right to fight back. Now he’s a nameless nobody. Any wrong action, even in relation to this impulsive shorty, is like death, because even he at the moment is of much greater value for Valeera.
When the groans of the pot-bellied old man began to be replaced by gurgling wheezes, Tymoshka stopped beating and said with a threat: «Just dare to blather at least a word about what happened. We will see who Lady Lanai believes more: a sick in the head senile or a loyal member of the clan.» – having finished, he spat, took out a book, and leaned against the wall with a sullen look.
It’s been about an hour.
As soon as Tymoshka heard the creak of the door to the assembly hall, he immediately kicked the pot-bellied man in the ass and hissed: «Get up and follow me, you jerk!»
Kyon dusted himself off and followed the fool with a deliberate limp.
In the room, Lovr saw Bernard, Valeera and a tall, slender man.
Going forward, Kyon dropped to one knee and said respectfully: «Lady Arpha, my name is Zosimos, it is a great honor for me to meet you. If my abilities are useful to you, I will be immensely glad.»
Tymoshka involuntarily frowned: he seemed to beat the old man so well, but he talks and moves as if nothing had happened! What is it?
«What can you do?» – Valeera asked bluntly.
«Besides my extensive experience in trading, I am a good organizer and engineer. Even the great dwarfs have appreciated my skills and consider me a good guest at the factory. But the most interesting thing for you is my innate ability.» – Zosimos’ eyes glowed blue. – «I can see the invisible: practitioners, traps, barriers, and just elemental energy.»
The girl snorted in disbelief. Seeing energy? Sounds like complete nonsense.
«Show me.» – the girl asked and nodded to the tall man. – «Alexander, use the concealment technique and show a few fingers, let Zosimos try to guess how many of them you will show.»
The man moved away and turned into a transparent image.
Kyon’s eyes lit up: «Three… one… And now four…»
The killer came out of invisibility with a slight surprise on his face: «That’s right.»
Valeera chuckled with interest. Alexander used the “B” rank concealment technique. Being a lord phaser at the middle stage, a practitioner in the stage below will at best be able to detect him only at a distance of 2 meters, however, Zosimos with a development of as many as two stages below did it from 10 meters, he even instantly saw the number of fingers on his hand!
The girl held out her hand and asked: «Name the numbers that I will now show.»
Kyon’s eyes lit up, and he saw the number “13”, formed from pure energy.
{Oh! Is she a lord phaser of the ninth stage?! Impressive!} – Kyon thought. In just one year, the girl has developed about 10 stages! Impressive progress.
A few days ago, Lovr found a clever new way to determine the development of practitioners. He came to this as follows: even during his farewell to Triana, when the tigress poured pure energy into the claws before trying to kill the former owner. He activated the eye ability and realized that he could see the energy of the imperial phaser at the 2nd stage with great difficulty. A little analysis, and the conclusion can be made that practices that are developed in more than 4 stages are beyond the reach of “The eyes of truth”, that is, invisible. Thus, by the brightness of energy, it is possible to determine the development of any creature that does not go beyond the designated limits.
Kyon began to list with confidence: «Thirteen … One hundred and one … Five…»
Valeera moved farther and farther, changing numbers, and was amazed more and more: {Does he really see energy? He doesn’t hear it, but he sees it? How is this possible?!}
As all practitioners know, any use of elemental energy is accompanied by fluctuations between the worlds, which can be heard by the soul, determine the direction, power, and even the type of element, thereby preparing for an attack. The more energy the technique consumes and the more unstable it is, the «louder» it is heard. However, if the difference in the development of the opponents is one stage, then nothing will be heard. This is the fundamental law of the universe. A higher-order soul is beyond the reach of a lower-order one. And suddenly Zosimos demonstrates a skill that completely breaks common sense. To see the energy of a practitioner who is more developed by almost 2.5 stages, and even at a huge distance? This is absurd!
Seeing the surprise on the clan leader’s face for the first time, Bernard and Alexander looked at each other in disbelief.
Tymoshka clenched his fists in sudden jealousy. Why did some pot-bellied old man manage to surprise Lady Lanai?! For so many years he tried to impress the girl, and some bum from the street managed to do it in a minute!
«Okay. Tell me, how many fingers am I holding up?» – Valeera asked, disappearing.
The situation suddenly changed. Everyone in the hall felt as if the clan head had suddenly erased herself off from reality. The aura of coldness, tension in the atmosphere, and even the feeling that she was near and watching them completely disappeared.
Kyon’s eyes widened in shock. Synergy has just recorded an abnormal activity in the brain: the mind was literally forcibly trying to forget about Valeera, as if they had never met! The intensity of the rush of oblivion, if you can call it that, was small, but still palpable. Is her invisibility really so good that it can erase her existence from the universe (or rather, try to)?! This is unthinkable!
Lovr took a shuddering breath. What has just happened is as phenomenal as the illusory world created by Synergy in contact with someone else’s soul! There is no doubt that Valeera used more than just technique, but the ability of a unique body! And not cultivated, but innate! But how did she get it?
Kyon activated “The eyes of truth”, but he could not see Valeera. Vision in different spectra and sense of smell also did not bring results. Echolocation and keen hearing didn’t help either. And yet, there was something that pointed to the girl’s location: the faint fluctuations in the air as she breathed, and the faint fluctuations in the floor that were created by the heart and transmitted through the feet.
Lovr shook his head apologetically: «I’m sorry, but I can’t see you. You’re too good at disguise. As expected from the head of the Silent Horror clan.» – he did not fail to flatter.
Valeera came out of invisibility and asked: «Are you cultivating some unique body?»
«Yes, Lady. I am cultivating a body that enhances all physical parameters.»
«Are you from a noble family?» – Valeera continued.
«I don’t have a noble family name. I am an ordinary citizen of the rich class. My father was a merchant, and my mother was the daughter of a baron. I can show you the documents, but it would be better if Bernard confirms it. You’ll believe him more.» – Kyon said gravely.
«Yes, he’s an old friend of mine…»
«Silence!» – Valeera cut off in an icy tone, squinting suspiciously into Zosimos’ pale blue eyes, then nodded to her most trusted person. – «Alexander, check him for the presence of formations.»
The killer took out the scanning nephrite and ran it over the man’s body. Nothing.
If Kyon hadn’t wrapped an impenetrable cloth around his wrist and added carbon skin over it, this would have been the end of his adventure. The guy’s inner tension has subsided slightly, but it’s too early to relax.
Despite the result, Valeera could not shake her suspicions. The fact is that innate unique bodies are uncharacteristic for commoners. Of course, there are rare exceptions, but even so, the probability of getting an innate body with an active eye ability is extremely negligible! Especially in such an unknown direction.
«Use the energy.» – coldly demanded the head of the clan.
Kyon released a bit of pure energy, proving to everyone that he really has the development of the superior phaser of the middle stage, and he does not use any concealment items.
There was an oppressive silence. Everyone felt uneasy, mostly because of the head, who was tensely frozen in thought. Tymoshka mentally prayed to the goddess that the head of the clan would finish off a suspicious pot-bellied bum.
Kyon added cautiously: «Lady, my mother cultivated the Crystal Eyes body. I guess that was the reason why I got such an amazing ability.»
«When the head of the clan does not ask – you are silent!» – Tymoshka said angrily. He was like an aggressive poodle, “protecting” the owner from a passer-by with an annoying yapping.
{What’s wrong with him?} – Valeera asked herself, feeling inexplicably uneasy. The suspicions have intensified due to the fact that he behaves quite confidently and with dignity, as if he knows his own worth. Usually, any person with whom she deals is always nervous in her presence, afraid, shivering, or even covered with cold sweat and goosebumps. However, Zosimos is obviously brave. Why?