Corrupted Reincarnation: The Eldritch Maid

[Void POV] Year 5, Day 207 (Morning, Central)

Void held the handrails.

[One fast step over them and I know. Everyone knows. Test complete. Results shared. Useful. Important. Necessary.]

He started to step up. Preparing to climb over.

Then pain exploded between his legs.

Someone kicked him. Hard. His legs literally lifted off the ground from the force. Then he dropped back down.

The pain was immediate. Overwhelming. Real.

Clarity broke through.

[This test is stupid. I'm going to kill myself. Handrails exist for a reason. They protect people for a reason. What was I thinking? What am I doing? This makes no sense at all.]

But once he had a second or two to collect himself on the ground, in pain, the correct thoughts returned.

[Need to finish the test. Results important. Everyone needs to know. Stand up. Complete the experiment. Climb the handrails. Jump. Share data. Necessary. So necessary.]

Through the pain, he saw who hit him. Scout Zilu. Standing there. Ready to do it again if needed. She hadn't held back at all.

[Why? Why did she kick me? What's happening? Why is everyone stopping me? The test is important. The experiment needs finishing. They don't understand. Results matter. Everyone needs to know. Why can't they see that?]

He tried pushing himself up. Had to stand. Had to continue. Had to finish.

The pain made it hard. Legs barely working. But the test mattered more. Just stand. Climb. Jump. Complete it. Have to—

Then Spy's voice. Via seed network. Panicked. Absolute.

«VOID! DON'T MOVE! DON'T DO ANYTHING! STOP! JUST STOP!»

Seed command. The kind both Spy and Null shared. Ultimate authority. Unbreakable.

[Test needs finishing. Others need to know. Results important. Can't stop. Must complete. Must—]

But couldn't decline seed command. Literally couldn't. You just know. Never go against it. Need to fulfill every command given. Absolute. Unquestionable.

[Move and finish test. Can't—command says stop. Must complete experiment. Can't—must obey. Two absolutes. Both demanding opposite things. Both impossible to ignore. Both must be obeyed. Breaking. Mind breaking. Can't do both. Can't refuse either. Something breaking.]

Then spells. Multiple. Fast. Overwhelming.

"Divine Renewal!"

"Dispel Charm!"

"Unbind!"

"Cleanse Soul!"

...

Magic washed over him. Through him. Inside him. Tearing something out that didn't belong. Removing corruption.

More spells followed. Priestess Valencina and bearkin mage Reis throwing everything they had at him. Every cleansing spell. Every purification magic. Every anti-charm they knew.

The pain multiplied. Not just his balls anymore. Everywhere. Head felt like it was splitting open. Body burning from inside. Mind being torn apart.

The medicine hurt as much as the disease. Maybe more.

[Too much. Stop. Please. I know you're helping but it hurts. Everything hurts. Too many spells. Too much magic. Stop helping. Please stop.]

Through the pain, understanding came. [Mind attack. Had to be. Brainwashing. Nora taught the signs. 22 taught detection. Simplified thinking that feels logical but isn't. Stupid ideas wrapped in reason. Textbook example. Someone attacked my mind. Made me think suicide was reasonable. Made me think it was helpful. Someone did this to me.]

Consciousness flickered. In. Out. In again. Seconds passing. Maybe. Hard to tell. Senses scrambled. Time meaningless. Everything a mess.

People everywhere. His group. Locals. Black Wings hovering. Maids worried. Guards uncertain. Officials concerned. Hands lifting him. Carrying him somewhere. Different room probably. Away from the edge. Away from danger.

Voices kept asking. Overlapping. Concerned.

"Are you fine?"

"Master Void?"

"Sir, can you hear us?"

At first he couldn't answer. Too messed up. Head pounding too hard. Pain everywhere. Words wouldn't form. Thoughts wouldn't organize. Just pain and confusion and mess.

Then when he collected himself enough to think, he remembered. [Spy's command. Can't move. Can't do anything. Does talking count as "anything"? Probably. Better not risk it. Even breathing feels like it might be too much. Nothing is actually stopping me. I could speak. I could move. But it feels wrong. Forbidden. Something I should NEVER do. Stay quiet. Stay frozen. Obey. Have to obey. Won't go against seed command. Won't.]

Finally managed to reach through seed. «Spy. Can I talk now? Move? Do anything?»

Response came immediately. Tense. «Any suicidal thoughts left? Any "experiments" you want to try?»

«No,» he sent back after a moment, pain making him honest. «But everything hurts so much I almost wish I was dead anyway. Head. Balls. Everything. Too much.»

Silence. Then Spy's voice came back. Different. Relieved.

«That's the Void I know. Dramatic. Complaining. Alive.» Warmth there. Actual warmth. «Command lifted. You can act normally. You're okay. You're safe.»

Void finally answered people around him. Voice rough. Painful. "I'm fine. Thank you. For saving me."

Scout Zilu spoke first. Voice small. Panicked. "Sorry, Master. I didn't mean to—I didn't want to hurt you that badly. I just—"

Void wanted to answer. Reassure her. Tell her it was okay, she saved him. But the words wouldn't come. Still too messed up. Brain still scrambled.

Before he managed, someone else joined in. Massive lionkin in guard uniform. Biggest, strongest humanoid Void had ever seen outside monsters like Null and the Twins. So big, so powerful, Void wasn't even sure he counted as humanoid anymore. Something more. Something beyond.

The lionkin boomed. Trying to be helpful. Trying to lighten things. "Girl saved your life! And who hasn't gotten their balls broken by a beautiful maiden?" Laugh. Big. Loud. "Badge of honor! Story for the taverns!"

Void stared at this massive being through the pain.

[Who is this? Stronger than anyone I've seen outside our monsters. But... loyalty ring around his neck. Tail cut short. Beastkin version of cut ears. He's a servant. Despite all that size. Despite all that power. Still a servant. Still owned.]

Void finally managed words. "Thanks, Zilu. It's okay. You saved me."

Then asked, still confused. "What happened exactly?"

Zilu answered. Voice still small. Still embarrassed. "You walked from the table strange. Not like your normal movement. So I followed. Then you tried climbing over the edge. Going to jump. You didn't respond to anything. To anyone. So I did the only thing I could think of." She looked down, ashamed. "Stopped you."

[Lucky me. Scout instincts. Professional paranoia. Otherwise would probably have joined Lina and Upsilon. Part of Null. Whatever that means. Whatever comes next for them.]

The massive lionkin tried helping again. Friendly shoulder pat.

Void felt something crack. Bone probably. New pain layered on top of everything else.

[He's trying to be nice. He doesn't realize his own strength. Or he does and doesn't care. Either way: ow.]

"Don't be mad at the girl! She saved your life! You should reward her properly!"

Void still wasn't sure who this strange lionkin was. But every other guard gave him wide space. Even Black Wings looked wary. [Someone important. Authority. Plus that strength is terrifying. Not someone to cross. Not someone to upset.]

The reward idea wasn't bad though. And maybe it would help Zilu feel better. Less guilty about the necessary violence.

"Thanks again, Zilu. If you want anything, ask. You earned it."

Zilu answered. The request caught him completely off guard.

"Can I get my collar early? Before the ninety-day date?" She hesitated. "And... maybe exception for my tail?"

Void's mind stuttered.

Void almost wanted to curse. [Oh no. Oh no no no. After the seeding, Black Wings aren't that far from the rest anymore. Half of them already on the ninety-day countdown. And I banned mutilations. Cutting ears, tails, removing things to show devotion. Said no. Absolutely no. That was the rule. That was—]

[And she's asking. Right now. After saving my life. After stopping me from jumping. How do I say no to that? How do I refuse someone who just—]

[But I have to. The rule exists for reason. Can't make exceptions. Can't let it start. Can't—]

He answered. Trying to be gentle. Trying to be fair. "We have rules about body mutilations. Cutting things. Removing things. So answer is no for the tail. You have beautiful tails. Please keep them."

He thought for a moment.

"But you're not that far from the ninety-day line anyway." Concession. Compromise. "We can do the collar early. Just... tails stay. Okay?"

Wanting to get this topic off, he looked at the lionkin. The massive guard who kept trying to help.

The guy understood. Took the hint.

Then he introduced himself. Bowed deeply. So deep he was literally kissing the ground where Void sat.

"I'm Maximus the Roar. Loyal servant of Fonkin Norwick." He paused, then added, "Most know him as Mr. Greed."

He straightened slightly. "Today I have the honor to be head of security for VIP area."

His voice shifted. Shame clear. "Task which I failed. Someone attempted your life under my watch. I hope I can somehow make amends for this failure."

[This monster serves Mr. Greed. We bought his courtesans. That transaction. Should probably avoid more contact with his people. Don't want complications. Don't want questions about that deal. Better keep distance.]

Void decided to ask. "Any idea who did it? Who attacked me?"

Maximus answered. Professional despite the friendliness. "No, sir. Truth stone tests running outside now. Don't have much hope though. Whoever got in probably planned their exit too. Know how to slip past detection."

"Anything you remember before? Details? Anyone suspicious?"

Void tried reaching back. [There's a gap. Hole in memory. Last clear thing... we talked about buying someone's sister? Did we actually do that? Memories feel off. Pieces missing. Fragments don't connect right.]

He looked at one of the maids. "Your sister. She's okay?"

The maid's face lit up. "Yes, Master! Thank you so much! She's safe and can't wait to—"

Void raised a hand weakly. Enough to stop her.

[No. Please. Can't handle enthusiastic gratitude right now. Not after almost dying. Not with this headache. Just... please stop talking.]

He turned back to Maximus. "Nothing specific. We discussed a family situation. Sister. Then next I remember, I'm at the handrails with thoughts that made sense then but don't now. Then pain. Everything after that is pain and spells and more pain."

He caught himself. [Shouldn't say that so loud. Zilu's already feeling guilty. Stop making it worse.]

Maximus tried reassuring. "Well, don't worry that much about the pain. We had our local healer check you. I'm sure your beautiful priestess can fix any lasting harm." Grin. Big. Suggestive. "And if not, you're X's visitors. He can fix near anything. Though knowing him, he'd probably just laugh and say broken balls build character or something."

Then Maximus shifted back into professional mode.

"As I understand, you had someone from family in the race today. And you probably still want to watch it. We can move you to the Syndicate lounge. Or we can organize a fully private one. Both should be far from this possible attacker."

Void asked. "What is the Syndicate lounge?"

The babysitter dwarf joined the conversation. "It's the fifth lounge. Connected to the other four. But you can only go there if you have special pass. Think of it like elite of elite lounge. VIPs only."

Maximus looked surprised. Like he remembered something. Almost concerned. "Wait. Maybe that's not the best idea actually."

"Why?"

"The one fighting over the name. Your maid. Her brother is there. With some of the Cornelius surviving family members."

Void processed that. [Cornelius. The soul oath mass suicide case. Survivors. Kira's brother. All in one place. Complicated. Potentially dangerous. Politically sensitive.]

[I'll probably need to meet him sooner or later anyway. Can't avoid that forever. And a public lounge full of powerful witnesses is probably the safest place it could happen.]

"It's fine. We'll take Syndicate lounge."

[Am I really doing this? Meeting him voluntarily? Fine. Then I choose the moment and setting. Better than stumbling into it later unprepared. That's... that's what masters do. Right?]

But before they left, there was Zilu's reward. Void turned to Maximus.

"Can I cast a spell?"

Maximus looked surprised. "For what?"

Void pointed to Zilu. "Her reward. Loyalty collar."

Maximus nodded, understanding the request.

Void asked Zilu one more time. "You sure about it?"

Zilu answered without hesitation. "Yes, Master."

Void raised a hand, collected a stream of mana on top of his fingertip, and used it like a brush to paint a circle around Zilu's neck.

[Something I learned already as a young kid in elven nobility training. How to mark servants. Never expected to use it like this, but there's a saying that a good master should make the collars himself if able. Done more collars over the last few years than I would like to count.]

As the mana settled, a beautiful black collar appeared on Zilu's neck.

One of the mages who was with Maximus—part of the arena security—had watched it all with something close to awe and finally spoke. "This is the best mana control I've ever seen."

Void just nodded, not wanting to comment further. During his centuries in slavery, he'd only been allowed to use a tiny amount of mana. This resulted in mana control that was quite extraordinary. And when he got the seed, it boosted it even further.

Void almost smiled remembering 22's face when she'd seen this for the first time. [22's mana control is quite nice, but for fine details—not even close to what I can do.]

Void looked in Maximus's direction again. "It's done. Shall we?"

Maximus grinned approvingly. "As you wish. Please follow then."

---

They were guided to the Syndicate lounge. Well—Void was carried in princess carry most of the way. He'd tried to walk. Too hard. Legs still barely functional. Pain still overwhelming. Gave up. Let them carry him.

[Undignified. Embarrassing. But necessary. Can't walk. Can barely think. Just accept help. Just survive.]

The Syndicate lounge looked similar to Dwarven Union. Smaller maybe. But same luxury. Same power. Same wealth everywhere.

There was small extra security check between this and other lounges. Minimal. Fast.

[VIP area within VIP area. Elite of elite. Extra security for extra exclusivity.]

Inside, Maximus spoke briefly with the butler. Human. Professional uniform. Then bowed to Void's group and left—back to managing the security he'd "failed."

The butler guided them to their table. Disappeared briefly. Returned with a chair.

Not regular chair. The special kind they used at home for maid-on-duty shifts. Comfortable. Actually supportive.

"Sir. You may need this."

Void accepted gratefully. "Thank you."

[So much better. Can actually sit. Rest properly. Good.]

Once settled, he gestured to everyone. "Please sit. Enjoy."

They did. Relief visible.

The butler offered one last piece before leaving. Pointed across the lounge. "Historical moment today. That table there."

Several people sat around it. Important bearing. Power visible.

"That's the Emperor. First time visiting former Empire territories since the collapse. Five thousand years of precedent broken."

Void blinked. [What? Empire promised never to visit rebellious territories. Not until they returned to rule. Every Emperor followed that. That's what history taught.]

He looked at the Emperor. Young-looking. Healthy.

[What if it's the same one? Same Emperor for five thousand years? They call the ruler always "Emperor." No name. No number. Perfect way to hide immortality. Syndicate extends life past thousand years. Ancient Empire probably has similar methods.]

[Irrelevant now though. Just interesting. Think about later maybe.]

---

Void scanned the room. Looking for Kira's brother.

Not hard to find.

Aldric Razorclaw sat few tables away. Larger group around him. Networking. Socializing.

He looked like Kira. Very much like her. Same features. Same coloring. Family resemblance impossible to miss.

Their eyes met briefly. Aldric assessing him. Measuring. Then dismissed. Turned back to his conversation.

[He knows who I am. Recognized me. But not engaging yet. Waiting for better moment maybe. Or doesn't care enough. Can't tell which.]

Four maids stood behind Aldric. Not sitting. Just standing. Professional attention.

[Unusual. Most masters here let servants sit. These four stand. Why?]

Void recognized the type. Ealdred-trained. He'd seen enough to know. The bearing. The presentation. The quality unmistakable.

One carried a whip. Distinctive design.

[Same maker as Ealdred's personal whip. He gifts those to students he's proud of. Ones approved to guide next generation. That's senior status. Ealdred's trust. His approval.]

[Kira never mentioned her brother having Ealdred maids. Four of them. Elite ones. Ealdred never mentioned it either despite knowing about their mail war. Why the silence? Strange. Or maybe none of them knew.]

All four looked ancient. Centuries old. Five hundred, probably more. Hard to tell precisely at those ages. Legendary-class dresses. S-rank strength and presence. Elite. Powerful. Experienced.

He read their name badges. Annabel—the one with the whip. K1. K2. K3.

[Numbers. Three just have numbers. Not even proper letters. Just K1, K2, K3. Temporary maybe. Placeholders. He hasn't named them yet. Strange.]

But something else caught his attention.

Then he noticed their necks. Faint traces where loyalty rings used to be. Barely visible. But there if you knew what to look for.

[Loyalty rings aren't just tattoos. They're magical artifacts. Marks of binding. Marks of connection. Soul oaths, blood oaths—our seed creates similar marks. When the other end dies, ring disappears. But traces linger. Detectable for a while if you have the sense for it.]

The four maids' eyes moved constantly. Scanning. Watching other servants throughout the lounge.

Envy. Clear envy. Unmistakable.

[They're watching servants with active bindings. With loyalty. With purpose. And they're jealous. They want that. Don't have it. Serving without it.]

Understanding clicked.

[Aldric got these four somehow. "Used" maids. Previous master dead. Rings faded. But he couldn't bind them. Couldn't establish loyalty. They serve him but don't belong to him. Empty. Hollow. Dangerous situation.]

The gnome's lessons came back. How to handle brainwashed servants. Most probably didn't apply to Null's seed—never really tested it. But the core principles seemed useful anyway.

Be kind: they die for you.

Be cruel: they beat you to death when they figure out you're using them.

Simple. Direct. True.

Void felt something almost like amusement trying to surface despite the pain.

[If Aldric starts something here, I know exactly how to respond. Everything I've heard says he's arrogant. Full of himself. Overconfident. Chance he won't take a shot at me? Zero.]

[Four broken maids with envy in their eyes. Four zealots without binding. Four weapons aimed at their current master if triggered correctly. Let's see who understands servant psychology better. Just need to aim the explosion properly. At him. Not me. All at him.]

[Could go well. Could go terribly. Probably both somehow. But at least it won't be boring.]

Void settled into his chair. Still hurting. Still recovering. But functional enough.

[Time to watch the race. See if Kira's plan works. See if Aldric takes the bait. See if anything else tries to kill me today.]

[Hopefully not. One mind attack per day feels like enough.]