Given the usual schedule of Seinâs visits, he was not supposed to visit Yuri today.
Therefore, his appearance in the laboratory today was a âpleasant surpriseâ for her.
Upon entering, Sein failed to notice any subtle shifts in Yuriâs demeanor.
To him, Yuri had maintained a consistent, withdrawn silence over the years.
It was only when she was retrained on his experiment table, subjected to the scrutiny of experiment instruments that one could truly perceive her as a living, sentient humanoid being through the touch of her skin and the monitoring of her heartbeat.
The coldness in Seinâs eyes when he cast a glance at Yuri caused her to tremble involuntarily due to nervousness.
His gaze was that of a predator eyeing its prey, a reminder of the power dynamics between them. Confined within her glass case, Yuriâs ability to resist was nonexistent.
Over time, Seinâs dominating presence had instilled in her a complex mix of excitement and a perplexing sense of submission.
Human emotions and psyche were indeed complex.
For the time being, Sein had no intention of speaking to Yuri. Her consistent defiance was the reason Sein had to find a more advanced Soul Enslavement magic to control the engineer.
Now that Sein thought about it, it had been nearly three years since he had last spoken to Yuri.
Their interactions were limited to locking eyes and the necessary physical contact during experiments.
Yet, Yuri had changed.
In the first two years following her capture, the female engineer resorted to vocal abuse via mental focus transmission whenever Sein conducted experiments on her.
Yuriâs insults quickly grew repetitive and tiresome for Sein. Her lack of creativity in her insults suggested she was not a verbally abusive woman from the Neisse Civilization in the first place.
However, in recent years, Sein observed a notable changeâYuri had become significantly more reserved.
Yuriâs silence seemed akin to numbness. As a mage who had lived over several decades, Sein had encountered living specimens that gradually became used to prolonged research.
Hence, he did not dwell on Yuriâs behavior. He only had to ensure her survival.
âHmm, have you been eating less lately?â Sein observed, noting the remaining two-thirds of light blue slime on her plate within the glass case.
âThis wonât do. You have to eat more. I need you to stay healthy,â he said.
This slime was a nutritional concoction tailored to Yuriâs dietary needs and based on Neisse Civilization recipes.
Despite its unappetizing appearance, it was packed with nutrients. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Yuri had been subsisting on this monotonous diet for three years, with Sein never considering an alternative recipe or introducing any variety.
Yuriâs observations were accurateâSein occasionally overlooked her very existence.
His absorption in various projects once led to a nearly three-month period during which Yuri was deprived of food. Despite her resilient nature as a Rank One being, the lack of nourishment nearly led to her fainting from starvation.
That was during an intensive phase of Seinâs body tempering experiments with Selinaâs assistance, and he had forgotten about feeding his captive.
Seinâs remark caused an almost indiscernible shift in Yuriâs expression.
She was not sure if Seinâs insistence on her eating more was a genuine display of âconcernâ.
In the past, Yuri might have openly mocked such comments from Sein.
However, now, aside from the slight shifts in her expression, Yuri remained still inside the glass case cover.
Her demeanor puzzled Sein.
It even made him wonder whether this engineer from the Neisse Civilization before him was actually dying soon.
Reflecting on the specimens in his laboratory, Sein noted that some, despite stable vital signs, had succumbed unexpectedly.
Yuriâs current demeanor mirrored these instances closely.
To him, Yuri was a valuable asset. He had gone to great lengths to subjugate this engineer from the Neisse Civilization.
With a rare look of concern and nervousness on his face, Sein approached Yuri, opening the door of the glass case to examine her eyes.
Her vital indicatorsâpupil dilation, body temperature, and heartbeatâsuggested she was in peak condition, yet her withdrawn state and silence worried Sein.
Perhaps driven by experience, Sein reached for the oval bump on Yuriâs forehead without hesitation.
As expected, Yuriâs face flushed when his finger came into contact with her most sensitive spot.
âHmnn... Nggh...â A soft murmur escaped her, a stark contrast to previous silence and withdrawn state.
Her eyes became misty too.
Sein felt a surge of relief at her responsiveness. He had to make sure that she was healthy, otherwise, all the efforts and resources he invested would have been in vain.
âYou understand me, donât you? If you fully relax and embrace my spell, I promise to grant you a certain level of freedom,â Sein communicated to her telepathically through mental focus.
The touch from Sein on Yuriâs most sensitive spot left her face flushed and her mind in a whirl. She was not even sure if she had grasped his every word.
Yet, her current condition was the best time for Sein to cast the soul binding spell on her.
Without hesitation, Sein quickly brought out the various spellcasting materials he had prepared in advance and meticulously arranged them in specific positions to create a hexagram pattern around both of them.
Sein threw a fistful of potent magical spices into the air before putting a Red Spiny Fruit into Yuriâs mouth.
Holding the Cries of Fallen Bird Branch, he recited a complex incantation, eliciting a birdlike cry from the branchâs tip.
A burst of pure silver light shot out and entered Yuriâs forehead.
Upon the lightâs entry, Yuri's body convulsed briefly.
Her features contorted with evident pain. It was clear that having oneâs soul bound by someone else was not a pleasant experience.
The battle between Yuriâs inherent will and Seinâs magic manifested as visible distress, reflecting the struggle for dominance over her soul.
The hexagram array around them glowed softly.
Its light, along with the air filled with pungent spices, served to weaken Yuriâs resistance.
Although the glow of the array and the scent of the magic spices lingered in the air, Yuri gradually calmed down after nearly half an hour.
A tiny silver mark appeared at the center of her forehead.
This mark was barely discernible unless closely examined.