Chapter 14: Slee the Servant
The outer courtyard of the palace, within the lab of Aldas, a familiar scream sounded in the early morning.
Even those brave and strong imperial guards in the distance could not help but fear when they heard the scream. In their perspective, they would rather bleed or die on the battlefield than being tortured with utter, terrifying misery.
It was the same bottles and jars like the previous days, but the role of feeding the potions and the role of trying the potions were switched.
“Slee, how does this potion feel?” Chen Rui looked at the Slee who was lying on the ground and gasping for air.
Slee said feebly, “Master, the potion with Soul-Breaking Grass is too strong. Slee feels like the head is cracked. I am about to die…”
“Oh no, I read it wrongly just now. This is actually a potion made of Dizzy Grass,” Chen Rui showed a puzzled face. “Did I use the wrong dosage? Or is it because of the special constitution of the imps can transform the effect of Dizzy Grass into the effect similar to Soul-Breaking Grass? This can’t be right! I need to take a look at the brain.”
The imp that was dying just now suddenly turned around and sat up, dragging Chen Rui’s clothes and pleaded, “My esteemed master, your despicable slave is just feeling a bit dizzy. I did not feel pain at all. The Dizzy Potion is very very effective! Please don’t dissect Slee’s brain!”
When Slee finished speaking, he saw Chen Rui swaying a bottle in front of his eyes. The bottle clearly stated “No. 81, Awakening Potion”. It was buffing potion specifically for dizziness and sleepiness!
Slee almost cried: People always say that despicable is synonymous for imp. How can this human be more despicable than an imp!?
“My omnipotent master. Your wisdom is comparable to the night sky of the Demon Realm! Your humblest servant should not be blinded by fear. The next time if master let Slee go to the blue lake, I will bring back the poison dragon!” The imp immediately started to utilize his skilled flattery with a devoted and loyal look. It was totally the opposite of“Master Slee’s” previous demeanor.
Bringing back the poison dragon, just you? Chen Rui smiled and said, “If it weren’t for the master-servant contract a few days ago, Master Slee is probably drinking my blood and eating my flesh now right?”
Talking about the incident a few days ago, the imp couldn’t help but feel sad. That was the beginning of Slee’s nightmare – Princess Royal’s most trusted Master Gauss came to Slee with this human. Gauss was a magic-proficient Lich. With his help, Slee was forced to sign a master-servant contract with this human. If Slee dared to defy Chen Rui, he would be heavily punished, and even died.
The imp could only accept his fate now. When he was about to continue flattering his new master, Chen Rui said, “Slee, I know that you are not convinced, but the other day when I told the little princess and master the secret of my inheritance, you were there too. When Princess Royal summoned me and imposed a gag order on this matter. Before I become a master, no one can reveal this secret. You were supposed to be dead, but I saved you.”
Slee was shocked. He immediately recalled the rumor of Princess Royal’s ruthlessness, and he shivered instantly. It seemed that what the new master said was right: Yet, so what if I was saved by this human. In the Devil Realm, the strong ones rule; while the imp race has always been known for bullying the weak and feared the strong. Now, I, Master Slee am actually a servant for a human who is weaker than me!
Among the circle of imps or even the history of the entire Demon Realm, it was likely the first record-breaking!
Chen Rui seemed to read Slee’s mind and smiled, “Slee, your little life is now in my hands. If I wanted to avenge against your previous bad deeds, you would have been tortured to death by now. However, I don’t want to do that. Princess Royal promised me personally that when I reach the master level, I will be given the same honor and courtesy as Master Aldas. What I need now isn’t an experimental subject nor a clown that only praises, but a sincere and loyal follower.”
Slee’s began to think. This human being is actually praised highly by Princess Royal and Master Aldas. His future is bright. If I truly become a follower of a master, not only it is not a shame, but also an eternal glory.
Slee was a bit excited for a moment. The imp was a low-rank demon that had been at the bottom of the Demon Realm. They were weak and often oppressed by others. Initially, in the laboratory, Slee was just an errand boy, not even a servant. Now there was a golden opportunity before him, how could he miss it?
“Master, what do you want Slee to do?” Imp noticed that his owner wasn’t interested with the flattery, so he simplified his words and asked respectfully.
Chen Rui was quite satisfied with the performance of Slee. He immediately applied the carrot and stick strategy learned from Princess Royal, Shea, he wasn’t worried that the imp wouldn’t give in.
“Don’t worry. I won’t use you to try the potions anymore, but you need to learn some knowledge of the herbs and then collect various herbs according to my instructions. Also, you have to scout for various information.”
Slee’s tiny eyes suddenly lit up. Herb gathering was already an apprentice’s task and the master wanted him to learn about the herbs and scout for information. It seemed that the plan of cultivating him as a follower was true. The imp immediately knelt down appreciatively, and habitually praised and expressed loyalty. He then remembered that the master did not like that, so he stopped it immediately. He was merely showing a humble and obedient look. He couldn’t help to express all his loyalty via body language.
Chen Rui was amused at Slee’s look. With the master-servant contract and the carrot and stick strategy, the imp should be completely submitted. Although he got a foothold in the Dark Moon City with his wit, he was still a human. Besides, the final part of the Super System’s start-up progress might require more herbs to test, having Slee to run errands could save a lot of troubles.
“Okay. You go and read this “Basics of Herbs” by the master. First, learn to understand the most fundamental herbs.” Chen Rui gave the thick book to Slee.
Slee was exhilarated. That is Master Aldas’s book! I heard that an ordinary alchemy apprentice has to pay a lot of tuition fees to reach the level of learning knowledge, but master just gives it to me like that! This imp shed tears with gratitude truthfully. He received it respectfully and stepped down.
Chen Rui didn’t need the book anymore. After the soul crossing and merging with Arthur’s consciousness, his memory was improved tremendously; his mind also became extraordinarily clear. Together with the advantageous effect from the symbiotic contract, in just a few days, he had already memorized everything in the “Basics of Herbs”.
The feature of the Super System’s booting progress was that the stronger the effect, the faster it progressed but the effect of repeated poison wasn’t big, even Paglio’s deadly poison was no exception. The lab’s poisons were almost completely tested the last time. Chen Rui wanted to understand the composition of the potions and then try to configure new potions to boot the Super System as soon as possible. At present, he had not tested whether there were other ways to speed up the progress, so he could only research in the field of pharmaceutics.
Slee walked in again and said, “Master, Lady Athena is here.”
Athena walked into the lab and noticed the absence of Aldas, so she asked, “Where’s master?”
“The master studied the Peg’s Solitaire overnight. He is still sleeping.”
The day before yesterday, Chen Rui made a set of Peg’s Solitaire with Slee’s help and gave it to Aldas. As a result, Aldas was as if obtained a precious treasure and immediately indulged in it. Chen Rui suspected that if this continued, the potion master would defect to the mechanic’s faction.
Athena said casually:, “Oh, that was the case. Did Alice come to you these few days?”
“She did,” Chen Rui said with a wry smile. “The day before yesterday, I sent her away with Peg’s Solitaire. She wants something new every day. If this continues, my brain will be worn out. Do you still want to listen to the “Romance of Three Kingdoms” today?”
Athena’s eyes lit up and nodded quickly. In the past few days, Chen Rui deliberately adapted to her taste and selected a few excerpts from the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” to tell her. Of course, due to environmental needs, the abilities of the famous generals were greatly deified, such as Guan Yu’s Green Dragon Crescent Blade became an artifact. One blow could kill thousands of people; Zhang Fei’s howl could make the waterfall flow backward; Liu Bei had water magic that could make his tears flow thousands of miles…
Athena admired the strong ones with extraordinary physical power the most, so he was obsessed with it. She kept going to the lab every day. Yet, Chen Rui only told these stories to Athena and said that it was a tiny secret between them. It was considered a small trick.
“Wait, today… let’s go to the blue lake,” Athena suddenly thought of her intention of coming, but she couldn’t bear the good story. “Tell me on the way back, okay?”
Chen Rui only thought of something important now. He was having a great life these few days. He almost forgot about the Dragon Inscriptions, so he nodded quickly.
“I have already prepared tri-horned rhinos. Let’s go now!”
Slee sent his master and Athena away, and he was genuinely surprised. How long has master been in the Demon Realm? Master Athena actually took the initiative to date! As everyone knows, Athena is someone that not even General Alan can get close…
With his admiration for his master, the imp had an unprecedented vision of the bright future as the “master’s follower”.
Outside the palace, the two sat on the readily-prepared tri-horned rhinos. This time both with a complete set of saddle and stirrup. It was clear that the treatment for human was completely different from the last time. After successfully leaving the city, the two rushed all the way to the blue lake.
At the place previously agreed with Paglio, Chen Rui was shocked seeing the poison dragon in human form absorbed with the rudimentary Peg’s Solitaire. He had obviously spent his energy on this for the past few days.
Chen Rui asked Athena to wait in the distance, then he walked forward alone.
When Paglio saw him he actually asked fiercely, “Who are you?”
Chen Rui suddenly had a vulnerable feeling – Bad memory? But isn’t this too much!? This is clearly Alzheimer’s!