[I acknowledge your intentions. I really want to release your sister, but I would like you to accept my deal]

I said to her, stating my intentions clearly. Before explaining what kind of compromise I would propose, I wanted to hear her thoughts.

[Is this a telepathic conversation? Uhh, I guess it's pretty obvious.

My name is Zaha and thank you for not hurting my sister. She is just very worried about my condition.

Wow! This communication method is very cool and it doesn't make me cough.

How did you do it? I don't have any nano-energy compatibility]

Said her, I like her personality but she seems a bit naive. Anyway I won't turn my plans around, she'll make a good lesser.

[I'm entirely supporting our mental bridge, so that we can speak like this.

And I indeed said that I wouldn't kill this little lady here. But I want you to become my servant.

As simple as it is, this is my term.

Oh, I almost forgot, you can call me Xeno.]

I spouted it out. I didn't want to mask my intentions.

Thinking about it from my old prospective, as a celidre would have never accepted this kind of blackmail.

I've changed I don't know if it is for the better.

But deep down I was relieved. I knew that by turning her I would save her from a pitiful destiny.

She will either die from the sickness or by being forced once more from one of the 'Clients' of the brothel.

I know I did the same with Vix, but in her case her companion really did go too far.

My instincts were telling me that she had to pay, either with her life or by serving me.

[Well Xeno, I may as well agree. But you wouldn't get very much from it.

My condition isn't very stable and don't have any useful abilities too. Since I can't wield

nano-energy… You even let go of my sister...]

Said her in an apologetic tone. What? She thought mine was an act of pure kindness.

From her prospective I spared her sister and proposed to get her out of this place.

Well she was right in some ways.

Other that my intentions weren't totally pure, but these are just details.

[Good! Very good! Now follow me, you'll encounter your future companion too.

I think you'll get along, having so much in common.]

I said, directing my head to meet her eyes and smiling a bit. I hope she didn't find me creepy or something.

I was indeed a bit happy, there would be someone similar to me now!

[Y-Yes]

She answered, a bid scared but then started to walk towards me.

Then I let go of Zaha's sister, she was very scared but as I put her down seemed relieved.

[Say good bye to her, I won't permit a stranger going around me]

I said, I didn't like the one's who didn't share a bond with me sticking around.

I think this is due to my species. I can let Vix and Zaha since I would turn them in lesser very soon.

"Sister, I need to go, stay well. We'll meet again."

Said her, Zaha seemed saddened but I don't want nuisances.

What if her sister during the transformation gets annoying.

I wouldn't like to kill my servant's sister just before her.

She will indeed serve me, but I won't treat her like a slave. More like a subject of mine.

Even more now that my very blood is telling my that outsiders should remain outside.

As we were about to exit the brothel the fat owner tried to stop us. What? He didn't want to lose his toy?

[She belongs to me now. Get lost. I won't kill you, I know that an organization is behind the brothels.]

It was commonly known that the brothels in the slums were part of the criminal circle in Elkatra.

Killing this pig would just put a target on my head.

I indeed could get a good bunch of MP by killing the assassins they would send to me.

But I wasn't confident enough, at least not yet.

[I-I want a remuneration] Said him daringly.

What a greedy bastard. But he already got it.

[You already have it. You are still alive, isn't that enough?]

As I said this I elevated my tail and slowly caressed its blade.

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Hah! I got him, he's totally panicked. Then just like this I got out followed by Zaha.

Cough! Cough!

Ouch, her conditions aren't looking good, we better hurry.

Once arrived inside my hut I made her sit and filled a glass of water.

Then I instinctively searched for something inside of my body.

I started to heat up, as I could sense a strange liquid condensing inside of my abdomen.

Then it started to head up, until it stopped between my jaws.

Next I placed the glass near my mouth.

My long purplish tongue placed a few drop of a dark liquid inside it.

It quickly dissolved, but it was clear that something was very strange with the water.

Something alive. I understood that if Zaha wasn't strong enough this thing would not only devour her body, but even her mind.

Maybe this is why I had to search for specific targets, or from their bodies would be born an entire new creature.

You couldn't speak about a transformation anymore, they would definitely die.

I then placed the glass on the table, near were she was.

[Drink it. To your new life, be careful not to lose yourself.]

Saying so, I just waited for her to respect her part of the deal.

She was indeed scared, but nonetheless gulped it all down.

Seems like it didn't taste particularly bad. Even more she seemed surprise to not sense any actual change in the water.

After about five minutes nothing happened, but I could sense something growing inside her abdomen.

It was very tiny, but I felt a particular bond coming from it.

Clearly that of master and servant, the thing that would come out will serve me.

Whatever it was Zaha or not. I wouldn't dislike both cases, even if the beast won over Zaha it was fine.

Suddenly, as what I could call an embryo, started to grow, Zaha convulsed a bit and lost consciousness.

I think now her and the beast started to fight for the control over the Embryo.

Either way, the actual body of Zaha was slowly dying, drained from the embryo.

As time passed the body became almost entirely skeletal. Only the abdominal zone was a pulsing lump of flesh, almost resembling a cocoon made of skin.

I think that the being absorbed all of the vitality of Zaha's body, concentrating it to develop itself.

Soon after tiny white hands started to rip the skin tissue of the cocoon.

A little white humanoid finally came out. It had an elongated head, like mine. No eyes or nose, Just a mouth under its forehead.

Its physique was very skinny. Even if similar to my body during its baby stage, it didn't have other characteristics.

It didn't have any tendrils, its veins were barely visible and of a deep purple shade.

But I felt our bond even stronger now.

I quickly cut the cord it still connected it with Zaha's body with my tail. Then I waited for it, or her to speak.

[What happened ? What I'm alive! But how?

I clearly felt my body dying and and…

A battle with something, it was an amalgamation of instincts and death.

But I accepted it all…

Huh? Xeno is that him? Why is he looking at me like that? And why is he so big? Wait am I the tiny one? ]

Oh god she didn't get that she's speaking, didn't she?

[Zaha your speaking right now, we are bonded so please contain your thoughts for yourself]

I said, not very annoyed, just to make her realise it.

[Oh, I see sorry. But what did you do exactly?]

She asked me curiously, she didn't seem angry, just very puzzled.

[I just finalized our deal. You're my servant now.]

I said, stating the obvious.

[I can feel that myself, my instincts are telling my about it.]

She said, before pausing and getting up.

[This body is… my second chance right? I'm not sick anymore and I can feel it, nano-energy.]

Then she ended her speech, with a tingling of gratitude.

Well it was true that now she got stronger and all. But if she lost the control of the embryo she wouldn't be that grateful.

Well, anyway I got what I needed, a new servant. Now we need to wait for Vix to come back.

[Well, indeed you are able to wield it. Now try to familiarize with your new body.

Once Vix gets turned too we'll go on a hunt to grow and get stronger]

As I said this, Zaha started to move around the table, making little steps.

Indeed her height was no more than sixty centimetres.

She than tried to focus and channel a bit of

nano-energy onto her hand. Then her palm started to emanate a pale blue glow.

Seeing this I understood something quite relevant.

She was dragging this energy from her body, I could sense her life energy being slowly converted in nano energy.

I didn't notice this in my fights since I didn't really pay attention to it.

But now, in doing so, I realized it.

Probably either I or my species was a special case.

Since I am able to gather nano-energy from the environment, and then convert it directly into my own.

Making my reserves a lot more durables.

My only limit was the speed of which I could gather it.

As night fell we heard Vix knocking loudly at the door.

"Xeno Help me! Open the door!" She seemed quite agitated, even scared.

I rushed at the door an opened up. Then Vix entered, leaking a trail of blood.

She had a dagger penetrating her leg, as she was limping.

"I'm sorry… I think I led them here"

Said her a little apologetic.

I can't really question her since she would have died otherwise.

It's better like that, I didn't want to lose a servant of mine like that.

I'm actually glad to the pursuers to have spared her.

Anyway I doubt that whoever is following her is can be an actual treat to me.

A mere smuggler can't have such strong guards protecting him.

Even more if his employer is just an [Inspector].

The guards that have been assigned to him are clearly inferior to the [Inspector], and that is enough.

"Little girl were are you running? I'm not done with you. Kekekeke"

I sensed the one that was probably tailing Vix.

I'm not sure about his real intentions. If he really did want to know if Vix had companions or if she had been hired by someone else... He wouldn't announce his presence like that.

Huh?! Did he just want to toy with her?

Not a very smart move, well maybe I didn't think about her charm. Since to me she wasn't one bit attractive.

But recalling the standards of celidre females, this guy clearly wanted her body.

As I felt slow steps coming near the already opened door, I dashed forward and extended my tendrils.

Pumping them with nano-energy, I coiled them around the figure legs, holding him tight I then smashed him on the ground.

Then I infused my tail with nano-energy and impaled the individual's head with its blade.

He really was a small fry. I think that if Vix tried harder she could have handled him.

But now he's dead, I'll give the body for Vix and Zaha to eat later.

I channelled some nano-energy on my forehead, then I felt the corpse disappear and enter my alternate space.

[Vix, calm down a bit and explain yourself]

I stated, she was a bit moved but regained a calm demeanour soon after.

[Yes, well I arrived at the little hut you addressed me to go.

Then a shady figure, covered in a black cloth presented over the door.

I spoke about the monster meat to him. As he asked me to state my business.

But he seemed concerned about my statement, as if I talked about something very strange.

He looked at me for a bit and then got inside again.

I think he scanned me somehow, I wasn't protected at all since you made me sell the medium I carried before.

Then the thug you just killed opened the door and sneaked the dagger into my leg.

I threw my bag to him to distract him.

Soon after I started running back here, with him tailing me from behind.]

During her speech I felt various emotions getting out of her.

As she was a little curious about the task I gave her. But at the same time a little angry, since it resulted to be more dangerous than she expected.

I think her medium wasn't just a simple object to her.

Although she won't need it anymore after becoming a lesser.

Thinking this I decided to sell it.

[Whatever, prepare yourself to really become a servant of mine.

See her? She's Zaha, you two will be companions.

And I will be more careful, don't worry.]

I indeed felt to have made a mistake there.

I should have been more attentive. This 'smuggler' was clearly under the [Inspector] that tried to kill me.

But now, at least I have a good trail to start with.

I am certain that this smuggler is something more for the [inspector]. He wasn't just hired for the occasion.

Probably is on of his subjects, or even one of his servants.

Then I made her sit, while preparing another 'special' glass.

This time the burning was even worse.

I recall Aiduth telling me that I couldn't make a lot of this stuff in a short period of time.

Now I clearly understand why, my body needs time to replenish its stock.