Demon Legacy - Chapter 6 Abnormal

Inside the room was a big round wooden tub. A girl stood by the side of it, pouring something in. As the two entered the room she gave a small bow before returning to what she was doing. The girl was Sophie. A 16 year old girl who had been taken in by the family when she was 12 to be one of Kaden’s servants.

“Are you done yet?” Burcham questioned the girl.

“Almost Mr. Burcham.” Sophie answered without stopping what she was doing.

“Alright.” Caught up on the progress, Burcham turned his attention to the Young Master, “Everyday after training you will bathe in this wooden tub. The family has a special body refinement recipe. It’ll help your muscles recover and strengthen your body, allowing you to train more without injury and fatigue.” Burcham didn’t waste time, giving a quick explanation of what was supposed to happen, “You’ll go here on your own. Sophie will be present to prepare the bath.”

Kaden gave a nod and seeing that his words had been understood, Burcham took his leave. This left Kaden alone in the room with the servant girl.

“Young Master it’s almost finished. You can go ahead and take your clothes off now.”

Kaden stripped off his clothes and walked closer to see what was happening. Looking inside he saw a mysterious purplish blue liquid filling up the entire tub.

His curious mind made him dip a hand inside and touch the liquid. It was thick and viscous and he felt a hot sensation on his palm when he touched it, even though the liquid itself wasn’t warm. Sophie was distracted with putting something into the tub. She didn’t see what Kaden was doing or she surely would’ve worried.

Next he switched his attention to the wooden tub. Touching it gave him a weird buzzing feeling, and he couldn’t help but ask. “What is this?” Kaden gestured with his head towards the tub as he ran his hand across the sleek wooden texture.

“Ah. The tub?” Sophie paused for a second, “It’s made of wood infused with a high concentration of Aether Essence. It helps retain the effects of the medicinal liquid inside.”

After her explanation she was done filling the tub, “You can go in now Young Master.”

Kaden didn’t need any further encouragement. He was extremely curious regarding this liquid. Putting in one leg after the other, he was caught by surprise when a freezing cold sensation spread through his bones.

He’d been expecting the same hot feeling from earlier but instead he was met with this cold sensation. Sitting down, the freezing cold enveloped his body for a brief moment. But just as soon, a scalding hot sensation took over.

His young mind was puzzled. The mysterious liquid was neither hot nor cold, but stuck in a weird transition between the two.

Second by second, he could gradually feel his body recovering. It wasn’t a painful process, just uncomfortable. Whenever he was enveloped by the cold he felt a sort of ache deep within his bones and tendons. The hot feeling came and remedied that, but instead he felt the ache in his muscles.

By his side, Sophie was looking at him, worry could clearly be seen on her face. “Just 24 more minutes Young Master, try to endure the pain.”

Kaden looked questioningly at her, “Pain? What do you mean?”. He didn’t feel any sort of pain. It felt more like someone pricking him on his body with their fingers. Not painful in the slightest.

Hearing what he said, Sophie was at a loss for words. She’d touched the liquid herself by accident and instantly felt like her skin was tearing apart.

Kaden wasn’t aware of it himself, but his demon physique was the reason that he could have such a leisurely experience bathing in the tub.

Ten minutes passed and there hadn’t been a single wince of pain or complaining from Kaden. Sophie began to worry, fearing that there was something wrong with the Young Master. “Young Master are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s starting to feel kind of good.” Kaden sat still in the tub, enjoying the transitioning feelings of hot and cold on his body.

Sophie was awe-struck. She couldn’t fathom how someone could describe the feeling as kind of good. Doubting the Young Master’s words, she took a closer look at him but she couldn’t find anything wrong. He truly looked like he was at peace in the tub, just enjoying a normal bath.

Starting to doubt her own reality, she hesitatingly dipped her finger into the liquid again. Immediately her skin felt like it was going to burst apart and she let out a sharp hiss of pain.

“Something wrong?” Kaden heard the outburst and turned around.

“I just stubbed my toe Young Master.” Sophie hung her head, grasping her left hand that she had dipped into the liquid.

Seeing her actions Kaden was a bit confused, but he quickly nodded in understanding. “I’ve done that before. Be careful.”

Sophie agreed, “I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“Mhm.” Kaden nodded.

Sophie was so baffled at her own stupidity. She had already touched the liquid once and suffered for it, but then she went ahead and did it again because of her doubt. She even ended up worrying the Young Master.

However she was still at a loss. Why did the liquid hurt her and not the Young Master? Did it have something to do with the family’s martial arts? She knew of the existence of the Two-Headed Piercing Eagle martial art. But as a mere servant she wasn’t allowed to practice it herself. In her mind it made sense to attribute Kaden’s lack of pain to the martial art. Both the medicinal liquid and the martial art were made for the descendants, perhaps they were supposed to go hand in hand.

These suspicions were later denied though. Two years later when Zander went to take his first bath in the medicinal liquid she happened to walk by and had heard his endless screaming. At that time she truly felt that the Young Master was abnormal.