Chapter 278: 'Ten Fragrances Soft Tendon Powder'
"What have you done to me?!"
Listening to the dark-skinned beauty's blustering question, Haruto chuckled and said, "I've only applied the methods used on prisoners of war to you. I haven't done anything else. Didn't you already feel it earlier? Haha…"
By the end, watching Katerea's ever-changing expressions, he couldn't help but laugh again.
No wonder Akeno enjoyed bullying others—this feeling of standing above and controlling everything about someone truly held an unusual sense of pleasure.
The dark-skinned beauty struggled once more to break free. Her alluring, seductive body writhed on the cold floor, her long, shapely legs kicking desperately. The exertion made her full, perky breasts sway, sending waves of mesmerizing flesh rippling.
Haruto silently admired Katerea's futile struggles.
The dark-skinned beauty's pretty face, framed by disheveled long hair, gradually flushed red, and her legs involuntarily clamped together. Her struggles did nothing but rub the ropes against more sensitive areas, achieving no real effect.
Katerea's heart sank. Despite the abundant magical power within her body, she couldn't muster even a trace of it.
Even without using magic, her Satan-Class physical strength should have easily snapped these ordinary hemp ropes.
Yet, the reality was far from it. Not only had she failed to break them, but the vulgarly tied ropes binding her entire body had only grown slightly damp, without a single frayed thread in sight.
It was as if she had become an ordinary woman—no, even weaker than that.
More like a delicate, frail woman who had gone without food for two days and nights, utterly drained of strength.
After watching for a while and seeing that the dark-skinned beauty seemed to have lost the will to continue her 'performance,' Haruto finally spoke with a grin, "It was worth using so many precious drugs. The effect is truly remarkable."
"What exactly did you use on me…"
Blinded, unable to move, with her perception limited to within a meter of her body, an unprecedented unease washed over Katerea.
In such circumstances, Haruto, the only one she could speak to, seemed to have become her sole anchor.
Even though he was her enemy, a strange sense of dependency began to take root instinctively.
While Katerea's senses were sealed, Haruto's were not. He took in every subtle shift in the dark-skinned beauty's demeanor.
Tsk, tsk. Was it the suspension bridge effect or Stockholm syndrome? Or perhaps a bit of both?
Haruto wasn't entirely sure. He had merely combined vaguely remembered concepts with meticulously prepared drugs and experimented. Unexpectedly, the results were even better than he had imagined.
Katerea had always possessed immense power. When that power suddenly vanished and she found herself in an unprecedented crisis, the vulnerability she displayed far exceeded that of an ordinary person.
Facing her, Haruto felt no psychological burden. Not killing or torturing her was his bottom line.
As for other methods—whether it was psychological manipulation or conditioning—whichever proved more effective in swiftly molding her to his will, he would employ it.
Here, 'molding' referred not only to the body but also to the soul.
Haruto wasn't afraid of Katerea suddenly awakening and betraying him.
If he could suppress her once, he could do it a second time.
Yet, the lovely girls by his side might still be at risk. SS-Class fighters could handle it, but S-Class and A-Class would likely not even have time to react if faced with Katerea.
The Soul Contract hadn't been fully established yet. If the worst outcome were to occur, Haruto would likely carry the guilt for a lifetime.
Because even killing Katerea wouldn't make up for it.
Though dangerous, having such a top-tier cultivation vessel right before his eyes made it impossible for Haruto to resist using her.
In that case, he had to completely conquer the dark-skinned beauty before the drug's effects wore off.
Leaving aside the soul for now, he at least needed to mold her body into his desired shape.
So far, the first step was proceeding smoothly.
Faced with Katerea's question, Haruto no longer played the enigmatic role this time.
"Forbidden Magic Body-Locking Dew," he smiled faintly and slowly explained. "This is something Miss Grayfia and I developed together, with additional assistance from Lord Michael. It was quite difficult to produce."
"As for its effects, the name speaks for itself." Haruto suddenly realized, "Ah, I forgot—you're experiencing it firsthand now, so that should be more accurate than hearing the name."
Forbidden Magic Body-Locking—as the name implies, it seals magical power and immobilizes the physical body.
In simpler terms, it's a magical version of the Ten Fragrances Soft Tendon Powder, except this is liquid and must be ingested to take effect.
Moreover, the stronger one's power, the shorter the duration.
Using numerous rare medicinal ingredients, combined with advanced devil and angel techniques, along with Haruto's unique abilities, they barely managed to produce three doses.
Haruto used his share on the dark-skinned beauty.
Katerea was astonished that Haruto could create a drug with such potent effects even on Satan-Class beings, but she refused to show weakness. The proud Leviathan would never beg for mercy.
"Hmph, I admit defeat at your hands. Do whatever you want—kill me or cut me to pieces," the dark-skinned beauty declared defiantly. Yet her trembling flesh in the darkness and her tightly clenched beautiful legs and feet betrayed her true inner feelings.
"Don't worry, how could I bear to kill you?" Haruto waved his hand dismissively. Not only was the "Ten Fragrances Soft Tendon Powder" his creation, but this dark room was also meticulously crafted by him. He hadn't gone to such great lengths just to kill or mutilate Katerea.
Hearing Haruto's words, the dark-skinned beauty's eyelids twitched, and a sudden sense of security filled her heart. But she retorted, "Oh? So you've taken a liking to me, sister? Weren't you uninterested in me before?"
"Well, I really had no interest in your previous style," Haruto admitted unabashedly, his gaze roaming over the dark-skinned beauty's body. "But later, I realized you have excellent foundations—just hindered by that outfit. After my adjustments... ahem, after my corrections, I believe you'll surely discover your true charm."
Katerea felt both embarrassed and flustered. Haruto made it sound pleasant, but in reality, he was just reshaping her to fit his preferred tastes.
She might have preserved her first time, but that didn't mean she didn't understand men's intentions.
Before the dark-skinned beauty could figure out how to retort further, Haruto had already stepped forward with light footsteps, reaching out to caress her smooth skin.
"Your skin is very smooth and tender, no less than a young girl's. It's just the color that's not quite right," Haruto mused while stroking her. "It would be fine if it were a bit lighter or darker. Why does it have to be this particular shade..."
If Katerea were a bit lighter, she'd have a healthy wheat-like complexion, exuding a sporty, vibrant beauty.
If she were a bit darker, she'd have a pure sun-fired tone, that dark reddish-black shade, which would also carry a unique appeal.
The only thing he disliked was this skin tone resembling that of tropical ethnicities. Modifications to appearance were manageable, but changing this complexion might require more time.
Katerea felt her entire body go limp under Haruto's touch, yet his words filled her with anger.
Half of her skin tone was natural, while the other half was deliberately tanned according to her preferences.
Wasn't Haruto essentially saying her aesthetic taste was poor? How could she tolerate that!
As for whether her taste was actually good... the explosively ugly square-frame glasses and dreadlocks were evidence enough.
Haruto had no intention of arguing with her. After all, he held complete control now - he could position Katerea however he wanted and dress her up as he pleased.
As for the skin tone...
If he could create something like 'Ten Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder', could quick whitening or tanning ointments possibly trouble him?
"By the way, the effects of the Magic-Sealing Body Lotion only last three days."
Haruto lit the dim candle, allowing the ability-sealed Katerea to see her surroundings clearly.
Her earlier inability to see wasn't due to failed night vision, but because all her abilities had been sealed.
This was also Haruto's deliberate doing.
He could observe every movement of the dark-skinned beauty while she could only speak into darkness.
Both psychologically and practically, he maintained absolute dominance.
Haruto carried the tortoise-shell-bound Katerea to the large bed in the corner, chuckling darkly: "Dear Leviathan-sama, if you can endure three days, you might just have a chance to escape."
"Th-three days?"
Katerea gazed at the various blush-inducing tools around her, swallowing hard as she doubted whether she could last three days.
But with this glimmer of hope, she regained some spirit nonetheless.