BUZZ. Xiaolan's mind went completely blank.
'I... what did I just hear?'
She snapped her head up and saw Velin's completely emotionless eyes. To her, however, they looked like a sign of some impending, perverted desire.
Xiaolan couldn't help but recall the "on-the-job training" she received while working at the club—even though she was just a waitress, everyone, male or female, had to go through it.
During that training, she was given the *Ruby Service Guide*, a manual that would change her worldview forever. The manual didn't have many words, but it did have some... very lifelike "illustrations."
For the past two months, she had been desperately trying to forget the images from that manual, but her usually slow mind was uncharacteristically sharp in this one regard—like a pair of sweat-stained white socks that, no matter how many times you wash them, always retain a faint yellow tinge.
"My lord... I..." Xiaolan's voice trembled uncontrollably.
Velin's brow furrowed slightly, puzzled by her hesitation.
"What's the matter? Stop dawdling." He then repeated his request. "Palms on the edge of the desk, knees on the tabletop. Make your back parallel to the floor."
Xiaolan's cheeks flushed crimson, the blush spreading all the way to her ears. Velin was the master, she the servant. A part of her had always vaguely expected this day would come... She didn't dare resist, nor could she.
In a state of extreme shame and fear, she resignedly closed her eyes and tremblingly complied.
The hard wooden desk hurt her knees, but what humiliated her more was the position itself.
The blue and white maid's dress was already form-fitting. Now, on all fours, the hem was too short to fully cover her thighs. She could feel a faint draft wafting across her lower body, from her thighs all the way to her stomach.
Xiaolan didn't dare open her eyes. Her mind raced with wild thoughts. 'Lord Velin seems to be right behind me. What is he looking at? What does he really want to do?'
The next second, a hand lifted her chin. She opened her eyes to find that Velin was somehow now standing in front of her.
"How can you learn the movements with your eyes closed? Look up and watch carefully... Straighten your arms, don't let your lower back sag, and tighten your abdomen."
Velin's voice was flat as his hands occasionally corrected Xiaolan's deteriorating posture.
Xiaolan felt a wave of dizziness. His gaze felt like a dragon's breath; wherever it passed, her skin burned hot.
But Velin was completely absorbed in his own world, picking up his quill to rapidly jot down notes on a piece of paper.
[Initial Posture Test: Subject's upper body strength is insufficient. Core muscle groups need development. This posture is effective for stretching the erector spinae and gluteus maximus, but requires a high degree of shoulder joint stability.]
"Good, hold that," Velin said, putting down his quill. "Now, inhale and arch your back upward... no, like a frightened cat. Let your head hang naturally and look toward your navel."
Xiaolan stiffly complied with the command.
As she arched her back, her skirt was pulled up even higher, exposing every contour of her body to the air without reserve.
"Exhale, slowly lower your back to a flat position, and look forward."
Velin's voice was laced with excitement. He had seen the data!
At the exact moment she transitioned between movements, the parameters of the supplementary material had fluctuated!
"Repeat that movement. Yes, slow your breathing and feel the movement of each of your vertebrae."
His tone grew more and more fervent, which only sent Xiaolan's imagination to more and more outrageous places.
'He... he really does enjoy watching this!'
Tears of shame and indignation welled in her eyes. She bit her lip hard, determined not to make a sound.
"Next movement," Velin said, completely oblivious to her distress. "Keep your palms where they are and lift your hips back and up, so your body forms an inverted 'V' shape."
This was a difficult movement for Xiaolan. She tried a few times, but her body just wobbled unsteadily.
"Shift your center of gravity back. Use the back of your thighs to push." Velin took a step forward and reached out, gently tapping the back of her thigh with his index finger. "Right here. Do you feel it?"
The touch sent a jolt like an electric current through her. Xiaolan's body trembled violently, and she could no longer support herself, collapsing onto the desk.
"Don't... don't touch me!"
Xiaolan finally broke down, the words tumbling out in a choked sob.
Velin's finger froze in mid-air. He, too, was jolted out of his fervent experimental state and looked at the girl collapsed on the desk, her shoulders shaking violently.
'Too... tired? Did muscle fatigue trigger an emotional breakdown?'
He quickly wrote a new observation in his notebook.
[Test subject's psychological threshold is lower than anticipated... Stamina needs improvement. Consider implementing shorter, more frequent training sessions in the future.]
"Alright." Velin put away his notebook. "That's all for today's training. Memorize the postures you learned. Go back and write down every sensation in your body, including any muscle soreness, and report back to me tomorrow morning."
He paused.
"You may go."
As if granted a pardon, Xiaolan scrambled off the desk. Without even pausing to curtsy, she covered her face and stumbled out of the office.
As she fled, crying, she thought, 'Can a lord who's so good at bullying girls really be considered a hero?'
Velin watched her fleeing figure, then glanced down at his notes.
He was completely satisfied.
He couldn't wait to see what kind of power the Mithril bloodline would unleash once activated.
But then, a new worry began to trouble Velin.
Never mind Xiaolan—hundreds of grams of Original Blood Crystal were completely out of the question for now. The only way was to slowly train and reduce the amount of materials needed for the Stripping Potion.
He recalled Barrett's data.
[Name: Barrett]
[Level: Level 3 Warrior]
[Bloodline: Rock-Wall Barbarian (Black Iron-rank) 18%, Mixed Bloodline 82%]
[Abilities: None]
[Overall Evaluation: An experienced Warrior, but his bloodline potential is low. Years of combat have led to bloodline stagnation. Latent injuries in his left arm and leg limit his potential for improvement. Possesses only preliminary value for modification.]
[Purification Magic Potion: Main Ingredient: 35g Standard Original Blood Crystal. Supplementary Ingredients: 100ml Underground Worm Mucus Extract, 50ml Troll Regeneration Blood, 1 Adult Petrifying Lizard Demon Core]
[Preparation Method: ...]
He dipped his quill in ink, writing down a list of the materials in his notebook and annotating them with their market prices.
Velin wrote quickly. The total cost of materials for Barrett's potion would be no less than three hundred Golden Suns.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. And that was just for one person. In his garrison, there were nine other skilled fighters from the former "Gray Wolf" Mercenaries, and they were all cornerstones of the territory's future.
If he were to create a tailor-made bloodline enhancement plan for each of them... Velin didn't even dare to imagine the total cost.
He had to find a stable and efficient way to make money.
Velin picked up his quill and wrote a new line in his notebook.
[Immediate Priority: Establish a biological laboratory and initiate Phase One of the "High-Yield, Salt-Alkali-Tolerant Crop" cultivation project.]
[Objective: Cultivate high-yield seeds within half a month and build a considerable stockpile before autumn.]
He put down the quill and let out a long sigh.
The sun was shining brightly outside. Through the wooden lattice window, he could see everyone participating in the bustling construction of the town.
Velin stared at the notebook on his desk.
On one side was a Magic Potion formula costing three hundred Golden Suns; on the other was the development plan for his territory.
They seemed completely unrelated, yet both pointed to the same simple truth.
—How are you supposed to conduct scientific research with no money?