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.

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.