CHAPTER 20.

Just when things were starting to look up, several problems sprung out of nowhere to vex me. I wanted to swear and curse, but I controlled myself. As much as I wanted to vent, until I knew the local divine situation and safe generally accepted swear words, I would have to find other outlets for my rage. This is the kind of problem you have to deal with when you find yourself in a magical world.

My first problem should have been immediately obvious long before now. I could not kill Astrel.

Sure, right now, she was as weak as a newborn kitten to me and it was not an exaggeration to say I could easily crush her with a single stomp of my foot.

But even diminished, she was still my mistress, at least as far as the slave collar was concerned and there were clearly protocols put in place to prevent me from harming her..

If the collar only caused pain on each attempt, she would have been dead the first time I tried to plunge my improvised stake; made from the remains of the room's only chair into her emaciated chest.

But somehow, the collar was able to lock me in place each on each attempt. I guess pain is not really a deterrent to a mentally abused, physically scarred and highly motivated slave.

I tried several experiments, trying to find a way around the restriction with no success.

From what I was able to observe, the collar froze all motor function. This thing was somehow tampering with my brain or spinal column. It needed to go like yesterday.

Another observation was that the collar could detect for lack of a better term, my killing intent. I could think of killing her, even make plans to do so. But as soon as I make any attempt to execute my plan, I temporarily lose control of my body until my need to cause her direct harm passes. There were moments, where I remained frozen for several earth minutes after each attempt. That's how much I hated the blood sucking cunt.

With my new core and essence density boost, the pain from the implant was a minor annoyance to my highly motivated mind.

This restriction would not have been a hindrance while we were connected as Astrel herself created that unique loophole by connecting with me. I don't think any of the monsters here have ever been in a situation where a feeding was used against them in such a deadly manner.

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I suspect that all the slave collars would be recalled for some kind of adjustment and review if it was ever discovered. Just more of a reason to waste the evil bitch.

I finally had to grudgingly accept that as long I had the collar around my neck, I would be unable to kill her.

That resolution lasted all of the three seconds it took me to ponder how to remove the infuriating collar.

Only to discover that the same restrictions also applied each time I tried to remove the collar.

Every time I tried to probe the collar with essence, a sharp spike of pain lanced through me, breaking any attempt at concentration. The fucking arcane device came with anti-tampering capabilities.

Even if I could withstand the pain, I lacked the necessary information on how to go about removing whatever spell, ward or enchantment was on the collar. I couldn't even tell you the difference between the three.

As I sat on the ground, next to Astrel's thin and frail form, it suddenly occurred to me that nobody had come to check on us, not even during my struggle with Astrel, or when we loudly destroyed every single piece of furniture in sight.

Then I remembered her orders to Marc that we were not to be disturbed.

Score one for absolute tyranny. Unless a bigger, badder monster than Astrel came along, we would remain undisturbed till the end of time.

Sooner or later, someone is going to want her for something, and when they do, I'm going to be in big trouble. My meteoric rise in rank took a back seat to my impending doom.

How long had we been here? I queried my implant for an answer and immediately received a reply.

1 day 14 hours 21minutes ET, that's how long I've been locked in battle with this monster. I needed to get out of here, and Astrel looked like she wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

She had entered some kind of coma or hibernated state to conserve energy. With my newly heightened essence sense, I could feel the minuscule notes of essence drawn into her body.

It would be a while before she gained enough strength to twitch, much less call for help, I needed to be out of here before then.

Opening the door peak around the corners, I crept out of the room. I had several objectives to accomplish.

First I had to find my fellow humans without being spotted, I also had to find Zalla, and maybe Aelia so that they could escape with us.

Then we'll need an actual escape plan out of this hellhole and hope fervently that it was daytime on the surface of this world, and that some of the myths about vampires held some merit in order to make a clean getaway.

Zalla would be instrumental to that part of the plan as she seems to be very knowledgeable of everything that goes on around here.

One problem at a time, I said to myself. I would need a proper disguise to somehow hide my large 6foot 8inch frame.