Kyon thoroughly studied the information about the palace. As expected, it was full of secret pa.s.sages and traps. However, it was quite possible to get inside bypa.s.sing the security barriers. He could enter almost every room! There were also several underground exits...

In the meantime, Prince the Hot Underpants had arrived in the department. The news about the Black Queen's escape hit him really hard. Charles's imagination played a dirty trick on him, conjuring up the scene where the masked b.a.s.t.a.r.d was taking the beautiful b.i.t.c.h's innocence. The prince could hear their happy moans, see the treacherous smile under the mask when the jerk made her a child. And then, late in the night, the sly b.i.t.c.h escaped...

Charles could forget about his revenge. From now on, every day of his life would be full of mortal danger. The girl would kill the prince at the slightest opportunity! He risked to wake up with his p.e.n.i.s cut off or even never wake up at all!

«Аа-аа-аа-а-аа-а-а-аh!» – The prince suddenly wailed like a wild animal. – «Why did she escape?! Where is this f.u.c.king investigator?! I want to see him!»

The maddening howl of the unlucky lover scared all the people around.

Charles grabbed the first guard he saw and shook him hard. – «Where is this masked piece of s.h.i.+t?! Take me to him!» - When he saw that the guard had collapsed with foam at his mouth, the prince grabbed the next one...

A group of elite security officers had to drive the prince away. From now on, he was banned from the department. It was going to be a long day with the criminals of the century running away and the mad princes going berserk! This day investigator Rasya was fired without warning!

She left her dear workplace in tears. Rasya bitterly regretted calling Charles. The efforts of her whole life were completely destroyed at the cost of self-indulgence. To find some consolation, she contacted the prince. It was time for him to keep his end of the bargain... However, he told her to get lost, using the most vulgar expression.

…

When Kyon finished studying the secret archives, he took advantage of his newly acquired 2nd rank of the royal investigator to release Byron, who was suspected of robbery.

Byron was in a damp cell. When he heard the sound of the door opening, he raised his head and smiled at the "guest." – «You've come to save me, brother?»

«It's time! Now let's talk about your future.»

«Well… Okay…» – Byron scratched his head.

«You did me two huge favors, and I owe you big time. Would you like to join me on my journey to change the world? In the future, I will give you a more powerful gun, and you will be a sniper! You are guaranteed an unforgettable adventure, a decent life, tremendous power and influence, as well as lots of beautiful women and delicious drinks…»

Byron gave him a shy smile and looked down at the floor. – «Kyon, don't tempt me. I have changed my priorities while sitting in jail. Being a slave in the mine made me realize that I am a freedom-loving person! When I finally murdered the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, I realized that pursuing power was a false dream, a tool to achieve the goal. I will never return home again to those rotten b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Money does not interest me. As for women, after Martha's betrayal... To cut it short, I will manage. I've decided to go on a long journey to explore the vast world and feel the real taste of life!» - His voice was full of happy antic.i.p.ation.

«Are you sure? Wild animals will kill you…»

«Ha! We'll see who will get killed first!» – The big fellow smiled viciously.

Kyon tried to persuade Byron to follow him until he had finally seen how futile it was. Byron had saved him from Dinah and had helped to remove investigator Grek Brown. Kyon's debt to him was now repaid. – «Well, the choice is yours. You decide your fate. But I'll help you, anyway...»

Kyon took out the Kronos unique body pill that he had made in Juno's mansion, improving the t.i.tan unique body pill. It looked like cracked, almost cooled magma, glowing red, boiling with unbridled energy. Its requirements matched Byron's simple-minded personality perfectly.

«Take this pill when you're in danger. It will instantly give you strength. Remember, as soon as you take it, it will enhance your power and unleash your true potential. Your body will grow even more, and you will get more powerful and stronger. It might lead to increased hunger, and you will feel like you're starving day and night. Your character will also undergo some changes. In the end, you will become a giant of all giants, but you will survive…»

Byron took the pill and hid it in the ring. – «Thank you for everything, brother… You are the best person I have ever met. I wish there were more people like you…» - He said gratefully and shook Kyon's hand, patting him on the back.

Kyon scratched his cheek, looking embarra.s.sed. He imagined a world inhabited by himself. Perhaps, there couldn't be a more dangerous and crazy place to live in.

Soon Byron said goodbye to Kyon and headed off on a long journey.

Kyon had received the long-awaited 1% of the light, which met all the requirements of his unique body of the Void. He had met all three (four) conditions and entered a new stage of evolution. The souls he had absorbed were 100%, as well as his elements, and the darkness and the light in his nucleus. Everything was 100%.

He had taken mostly the robbers' souls, only a few of them used to be the thieves. The Stones had helped him to get some of the elements. Kyon had acquired the rest of them blackmailing the top 10 families, being an investigator played an important role in the process. He spent the money from blackmail to order the medicine for his further cultivation. As for the light part of his nucleus, he had received some amounts of positive emotions from Martha, but most of them had come from Byron. Juno and Valeera had mostly filled the dark half, as well as Yegorka, XiaoBai, and Kirsan.

The conditions for harvesting emotions seemed crazy and most unpredictable. And yet, he had managed to fill 100% of the nucleus. Each event that evoked negative or positive emotions had played an important role. If Kyon hadn't received at least 10% of the light or the darkness, his unique body wouldn't have developed to the 2nd stage three days before the tournament. All his efforts would have been in vain.

It does raise some interesting questions... Will his hard work pay off? What extra boons are there in his newly developed unique body? Will it help him win in the tournament and get the best rewards?

Kyon could feel the nucleus in his soul rev up, pulsating with spatial flashes that make him dizzy. The Body of the Void had announced the imminent breakthrough. Kyon had the annoying, itchy feeling like that when he was about to sneeze but couldn't. It was getting stronger with every second.

Kyon immediately left the department. It took all his willpower to delay the inevitable.

It happened as soon as he dashed into his secluded house...

~bam~

There was a soft clap, and Kyon let out an intangible spatial wave that created a mesmerizing effect of the curved mirror. The furniture crashed into pieces, and the window panes shattered! The floors, the walls, and the ceiling had changed beyond recognition. In an instant, the whole house looked like the handiwork of a drunken architect.

«I know that you hate me! But would you stop trying to kill your owner? Don't bite the hand that feeds you!» - Kyon started showing the first signs of schizophrenia. Anyway, that's what an outside observer would conclude. No one in their right mind would ever talk to their unique bodies like this.

The Body of the Void squealed like a child eager to demonstrate the new skills to the parent.

«Oh! Do you have a surprise for me? Way to go!» – Kyon smiled broadly. He started having sudden mood swings. A nice addition his unstable mental state...

Kyon headed for the nearest training hall, dying to find out what boons his unique body had in store for him.

Kyon took a few steps when he noticed that something had changed. He a.n.a.lyzed his body and was genuinely amazed. There had been a major breakthrough, three stages no less! His soul had evolved from the 3rd to the 6th stage of the advanced phase, which made him way stronger! However, if he hadn't been training daily, he would have advanced in two stages only.

His Synergy had also evolved from the beginning to the intermediate level of the second degree.

Kyon was delighted by his unstable unique body. At times, it was about to kill him; at other times, it made him extremely happy! Ordinary unique bodies were more adequate, but they were of significantly inferior quality. Unique bodies of a "B" rank and above could occasionally evolve but one stage max. And this one had evolved three stages at once! What an unpredictable body of the Void...

On the way, Kyon found out that his achievements had been reset. He had to refill the nucleus with new souls, elements, and emotions. He could feel that his core contained 1% of souls at the moment. At least, the excess of the absorbed souls hadn't been lost forever. Why only 1%? Wasn't it too little?

Kyon had been practicing for a few hours.

He rejoiced in his newfound strength. In addition to the evolution in three stages, the unique body of the Void had greatly enhanced the attributes of darkness and light. They used to condense into a light fog; now they looked more like dense clouds. At the same time, their penetrating ability and power had increased. With the same energy costs, the attributes affected the environment much more effectively! As a result, the Flash of Light had also intensified, the one that he had learned to use when Valeera made an attempt on his life.