Tap tap tap…

The sound of Elena's high heels slowly started to fade from the room as she made her way to the door at the end of the Duchess' huge room.

The Duchess was smiling at the apple of her eyes- her daughter's elegant and noble demeanour. From the very birth of her daughter, she has taken extensive measures to mould her daughter into a perfect girl, just like her.

'Possess everything you want- be it a man, money or power- everything. Crush anything you don't like. Always flaunt your power and show them your appeal in every sense. Do whatever it takes to stay at the top, whatever it takes.'

The Duchess still remembered the words she poured into her daughter back when the Duchess killed her husband in front of her daughter.

That was a perfect example for her daughter. Her husband, Roy Kleine, also called the Duke, was above the Duchess in every sense. Likeable personality, great power, filthy rich, and full of love for his wife- that was who Roy Kleine was. Until he was backstabbed by Duchess, who was hungry for the Duke's possession. Though she could not get a hold of his power, she was able to rule on the Duke's possession. Wealth, popularity, and authority embraced her life. From a member of a small family, she shot up to the ruler of the Central. But that didn't make her happier than the fact that her daughter, soaked in the blood of her father, accepted everything the Duchess said and followed her like an obedient dog. Her personality became like the Duchess', the way she talked, the way she handled men, the way she manipulated everything behind the scenes- everything was just like the Duchess. She was proud of her daughter.

Clack!

The knob of the door turned with a click and Elena went out of the door.

Click!

She slowly closed the door, disappearing from the Duchess' sight. The Duchess looked at her daughter leaving in satisfaction and snapped her fingers.

Two men appeared from a door behind her. Their heads were covered with a black cloth, and they were buck naked, their enormous sticks hanging.

"Shall we start?" The Duchess asked mischievously and headed towards the bed.

The men followed her like puppies. She sat down on the bed and seductively took off her clothes, biting her lips appealingly. The men knelt and looked up to the Duchess who was now naked and rubbing her hole.

"..." The Duchess looked at them commandingly.

The men lifted the cloth from their heads and threw them aside, revealing two blond men, their eyes dead.

The Duchess spread her hole in front of them, filling the room with a sour smell.

"Lick."

The two men crawled towards the hole like moths drawn towards light. One of them stuck out their tongue and headed for the lump on the top of the hole and…

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

… a whole terrifying shout came from the corridor outside of the Duchess' room.

The men stopped and looked at the Duchess whose face was stiffened and fear was eminent in her eyes.

She quickly rummaged for her dress and somehow managed to put it on her.

Fwoosh!

She dashed towards the door using her Potential.

'Please be safe! Please be safe!' She kept on repeating these words inside her mind.

Bam!

She slammed open the door and headed towards the source of the voice, but only despair waited at the end of her destination.

"..."

She was silent, her eyes devoid of any glimmers. Her body was trembling heavily at the sight she was seeing.

Hands splattered in pieces. Legs disgruntledly contorted and torn. Eyeballs full of some kind of black substance with a tinge of blood rolled down to the Duchess' feet and stared with a deathly ghast at the Duchess. The Duchess walked towards the corpse.

The face was devoid of any eyes and ears and tongue and nose- a plain face. The hands and legs were not attached and the black liquid flowed out of the cut hands and legs like a stream. Three spikes stood piercing the corpse's heart. It was horrifying.

"... Elena?"

***

"Phew…" I let out a relieved sigh.

I didn't want to mess with the Duchess but I couldn't just leave after hearing their conversation about me. Just because I was trash and had some looks didn't mean that they could do whatever they want. Slave? No, thanks.

<You said that you weren't a fan of torture?>

'Yep. I am not a fan of torture.'

<Then what was that?>

'What was what?'

<What you did to the girl. You said you would take off her hands and legs and gouge out her eyes. Then what was the need to cut her tongue and ears?>

'Just felt like doing that. After all, the more badly I kill her, the more her mother will despair.'

<A complete psycho…>

'That's harsh.'

<I WAS being harsh.>

'I see.'

<So, what now?>

'Nothing. Gonna continue hunting them down.'

<Mm.>

Boom!

"Ah, seems like she lost it. Hm?"

A man in a suit was running towards the Duchess. Who was he? Alvin? He still didn't leave? Why? Was he going to spy on the mother-daughter pair? Of course, that must be it. He was carrying things like mana suppressors, Cloak of Erasement, and hearing buffs.

"Well, let's leave him be."

<You are not afraid?>

'It's not like he will be able to catch me.'

<...>

He was silent again.

***

I woke up on the same bed I was using three years ago, and today would be my last day in this room. No one bothered to know about my address and thus, I was safe. Food didn't pose too much of a problem since I was a demon, and demons didn't need food for a long while. It was quite convenient if you ask me. Whenever the food ran out, I would go to some food shops and steal a whole lot of food enough to last for a week or so. At the surface, it might seem miserable, stealing, hiding, killing. But honestly speaking, it was luxurious. No one bothered me and no one called me trash like before. I could sleep and train without any care in the world and hunt the rabbits when the moon came out. Because of that, I became very, very powerful. It was very luxurious. And today, I was about to say goodbye to that luxurious life. My high school life was about to start… but before that, training.

***

<Excited?>

'No.'

<Why?>

'Because I am Potential-less.'

<Really?>

As I said, my mana was different from the normal mana. Potential Sages, people who detect Potential, used normal mana. Since I didn't have normal flowing through me, I would always be called Potential-less… and trash.

<Hmm… nothing we can do.>

'Good thing you are thinking this rationally for the first time.'

<Would it kill you to praise me a little?>

'I did just now.'

<Was that praise?>

'Was that?'

<Was it not?>

'I don't know. Might be.'

<Is that so?>

'Yep.'

Silence descended, not the heavy kind though.

Tap.

I finally stopped. In front of me was a building that was going to be my home for the next three years.

"New friends, new teachers, maybe a girlfriend too. I am so excited~"

'What the hell are you doing?'

Fuck, I shouldn't have done that.

'... nothing. Just showing the fuckers, who are going to torment me for three years, an act.'

<And I thought you finally went mad...>

'Too bad, right?'

<Mm…>

"Are you Ken?"

A voice called out behind me. My face stiffened at the name. There should be no Ken here, so why?

I wanted to turn around but then I stopped halfway. Turning to the voice would only give me away. For now, I should ignore them.

I stepped forward when I sensed the man behind me more clearly. My heart almost stopped. I could sense it. The man behind me was someone who was leagues above me. I would surely die instantly if a fight broke out.

"Why did you pause when I said the name?"

My heart was in my mouth.

***