The infinite tower, 981st floor.
"Y-young master?" Psyche asked, his face completely red.
He pressed the back of his hand against his mouth and looked down.
Crouched before Psyche, in between his legs, was the Young Master he served with his bare chest exposed. He caressed all the way up from his knees with his fingers and slowly placed his hands on Psyche's thighs, opening his legs.
In between his confused emotions, Psyche could discern a faint smell of wine and sweat that made him want to cross his legs. But, as always, the Young Master was in the way between
Psyche and his poor self-control.
'He and his not-so-good intentions.'
"What?" He asked, feigning ignorance as he kissed Psyche's inner thigh.
Psyche repressed a tremor. He could already feel goosebumps on his skin, and the blood rushing to other places… Things weren't looking good for him.
"What if someone finds out?" He asked, placing a hand on top of the Young Master's shoulder.
Psyche was just a servant. There were bound to be problems if anyone found out what he and Young Master were up to. Not to mention everything they had done before.
'Like yesterday- no, no! Don't think about that!'
The man in front of him had a mask covering the upper half of his face. However, Psyche could still appreciate how his tongue licked his lips before speaking.
'Ah, right, his tongue- No! Focus!'
"Who would dare disturb me?" The Young Master answered, "Besides, isn't your job to make sure I'm here?"
He was right, Psyche's only job was to keep the main dorm's door closed at night.
"The young master isn't to be left out of his room at night. No matter what. Do you understand?"
… That is what the castle's Chief administrator had told him.
"I-I don't understand. Is there any other-?"
"No. Your only job is to be by his majesty's side for the entire night, and avoid him at all costs during the day. You must never be seen by him in any other place, and while you are with him, you mustn't allow him to go outside."
That was it. He had to keep the room closed at night and hide when the sun was still up. More than a servant, he was a guard. A very powerless one.
Still, being a night's entertainment for the Young master wasn't on his list of duties.
Sigh…
'Just how did it become like this?'
* * *
A YEAR BEFORE
Capital City, The Infinite Tower's first floor.
Psyche thought worshiping the gods was in vain.
After all, no matter what he did, they never came to his aid.
"And now, what you all have been waiting for!"
In the middle of the scenario, a short man wearing a rabbit mask spoke.
"Eternal youth? Beautiful skin? Irresistible charm?"
The chains rattled at his feet as the man yanked the rope towards him, hurting Psyche's ankles.He dragged his feet, covered in blood, across the stage.
"Worry no more! Here, you'll find the answer!"
As always, all energy left his body as soon as he saw the audience, and Psyche staggered across the stage.
"A bottle of his tears to help you erase those wrinkles! A few drops of blood to make you live longer! And a piece of hair to decorate yourself and get back your husband!"
As the short man cut off a piece of Psyche's hair, his voice broke off the awed silence.
With his hair in his fist, raised high in the air.
"The auction starts now!"
And suddenly, no one was quiet anymore.
"5 million!"
"10 million!"
"20 million! No one will fight me on this!"
"30! Ha! You think you will take it!"
"50 million!"
Up until a few months ago, Psyche wholeheartedly believed that, in a world where humans had unbelievable abilities, someone would come and save him.
Until she showed up.
[The Blossoming Pearl watches you silently.]
As always, Aphrodite was watching the auction.
And doing absolutely nothing to help him.
And so, even after praying today, Psyche continued on, with no help and no pity, as his never-ending tears were collected and sold.
* * *
In the end, Psyche fainted and was brought back to his cell.
His previously shining white hair was now badly cut in the back, with bald spots here and there, but never quite reaching the front of his face. As such, when looked at from the front, he almost seemed normal.
Almost.
His arms were a mess of different sized cuts, and his graceful face was painted with a dark red around his eyes that gave him a sick feeling.
The corner of his mouth still tasted like the fingers of the presenter and the bile of his last breakfast two days ago. Both his puke and saliva were said to be moisturizers for the skin, and yet, Psyche could feel the dryness and blisters inside his throat, so he doubted it. Just as he doubted the rest of his bodily fluids actually did anything.
-Clang!
"Hey."
Psyche didn't bother to look up. Judging by the sound, a guard brought him his first meal of the week. However, he was no longer able to find joy in eating. Above all, he did not wish to go to the bathroom after eating. For some reason, his parents had recently created the rumor that his feces could heal rectal cancer, but only when warm.
"This bastard! Hey! You!"
Before he registered what was happening, the guard had already opened the door and grabbed him.
Psyche's head hit the ground with a loud noise.
-Bam!
The corner of an old table hit his back, sending a shiver through his spine. Suddenly, words appeared in front of him.
[Warning! You've received damage!]
He scoffed.
'Yeah, I noticed.'
Before he could even begin to stand up, a big hand abruptly grabbed his shirt's collar and lifted him up.
The man, wrinkling his necktie, a gorilla twice his size, had his face so close to Psyche's he could smell the fish the man had eaten before.
"You really think you're all that, huh?!"
He really didn't.
"Just because of your ability, you think I can't do anything to you and that your family will come to your defense right now?!"
No, not at all. His family wouldn't even bat an eye.
The guard threw Psyche aside with all of his might.
Multiple system windows jumped in front of his vision, warning of damage.
His vision blurred.
He had been doing his best to avoid eating so as not to be forced to collect his residues. However, now that he didn't have the strength he usually did, he had begun to regret it.
Even if he was F-Rank, he had poured all he had into leveling up his strength stat. In his normal state, even he could beat that E-Rank guard in a 1vs1.
Unaware of Psyche's inner turmoil, the guard was starting to take off his pants while he remained on the floor, steadying himself.
"You know, my wife has fertility issues, and we've never been able to conceive."
Psyche flinched.
Even with his head hurting, eyes blurry, and arms weakened, he managed to lift his legs as to kick the guard, but there was no strength behind his attack.
The guard grabbed his legs and lifted them up.
"I wonder whether or not it's true what they say about your cum."
Twisting his body in a useless attempt to escape his grasp, he came face to face with the guard, who was now forcibly grabbing his neck and pinning him to the ground.
Psyche spat on him out of pure hatred.
The man spread his saliva all over his face with a victory grin.
[The Blossoming Pearl shows disgust at the man's actions.]
Psyche was momentarily flabbergasted. Just as he was used to now, his heart held on to a tiny thread of hope.
But as the window disappeared, it became obvious that the goddess wouldn't do anything.
As always.
He was brought back to the present by the guard's next words.
"I'll take some of it to my wife tonight."
'Oh, now, that wouldn't do.'
Psyche managed to look behind the guard, to the surveillance camera placed on one corner of his cell.
Sure enough, instead of completely facing the bed, the camera had ever so slightly moved to the left, to the space on the floor were he was now struggling against the guard.
While Psyche knew his family wouldn't care about whatever happened to him, taking his "products" was a different matter to his family.
'They'll be arriving anytime soon.'
Psyche's body gave in, his vision gradually darkening due to lack of oxygen.
Noticing, the guard let go of his neck and started taking off Psyche's pants.
'Anytime now...'
With all of his remaining strength, Psyche glanced at the camera once again.
Only to watch it move completely from left to right to face the entry door, missing Psyche and the guard entirely.
'Huh?'
Why?
Whywhywhwywhy?
Why would they not care about the byproduct that was about to be stolen?
Realizing that his family willingly turned a blind eye to what was happening, energy hit Psyche's body once again, enough to lift up his arms in a final desperate attempt to free himself.
He dug his nails deeply into the guard's eyes.
Just then-
[A blind night sends you a blessing.]
Everything happened in a flash.
Quite literally.
As Psyche's body was surrounded by a warm, pinkish light, his full strength was replenished and even went past what he was used to.
As such, before he could adjust his newfound strength, Psyche's hands dug deeper into the man's eye sockets.
And accidentally squashed the guard's head in a mass of red and white.