A unique trait of the fehl race, the Fehl Bond united fehls and their first partner for a century. Linked in body, mind, and soul, although they couldn't directly read the other's thoughts, the bonded would experience all emotions and sensations of the other party for the next 100 years.
The Fehl Bond wasn't a choice. The bonded partners couldn't turn it on or off because they found it inconvenient. For that reason, fehls selected their first partners with the utmost care, often picking siblings or companions of centuries. Initially, Jezebel's elder half-brother, Mazdan, had been handpicked by Ashera to enjoy the privilege. However, her two centuries of travel throughout various mortal worlds left him unable to pluck the fruit.
Knowing that her princess had no interest in the chosen mate, Ashera didn't press the matter further. But believing an oddity such as Kilian would fit Jezebel's uncanny tastes, Ashera made her part of the deal. Of course, Jezebel's delight was far from being the only reason behind Ashera's move.
Having obtained vast information on the fehl race from Klaus' archives, Kilian had long been aware of the Fehl Bond. But, for three reasons, he didn't care for it.
First, Jezebel was far more powerful than he was. Although he couldn't determine Ashera's position in the fehl hierarchy with exactness, Kilian didn't doubt she stood at the upper level. The discrepancy between the potency of her boons and Kilian's initial condition ensured that she - at least - exceeded the Fehl Lord altitude. As her daughter and Kilian's alleged assistant, Jezebel's strength undoubtedly surpassed his by a large margin. That being the case, their bond added an extra level of security to his plans.
Second, dra. Jezebel's first time carried with it a massive dra boost for Kilian. He could already feel his veins swelling with the violent surge of dra spreading throughout his body. A brief observation showed that from the initial 5,000, Kilian's dra values rose to 11,000—a 120% boost!
At his current magical level, without his fehl body supporting him, such a massive leap would have blasted Kilian into pieces. The majority of human Archons started with 5,000 dra. Someone like Kilian who'd not even learned how to control dra but possessed more than an Archon was entirely unheard of! Perhaps on dra quantity alone, even Klaus couldn't rival him.
Of course - though dra held substantial weight in the equation - dra quantity and strength were two different concepts.
Third, fehl. Growing the Eye of Fehl and unlocking its new abilities would undoubtedly require vast sources of fehl energies. And in terms of fehl energies, Jezebel was a treasure trove. Kilian could already feel his third eye stirring as it digested the streams of fehl might unleashed by the daemoness.
"As the saying goes, to build your position and career, you need to fuck the right person," Kilian shrugged, visibly unfazed by the words' implications. And when they echoed, Jezebel had to admit that underneath his detached exterior, Kilian hid quite the ruffian.
"Ohh, said like a true Lothario, you'd make your mother proud," Jezebel sighed with grand theatrical gestures. But by the time her eyes fell back on Kilian's, an inexpressive yet bone-chilling glare awaited her.
"Sensitive topic? That means I can't call you son of a bitch next time you shag me? Got it." Jezebel promptly apologized, and nestled up against Kilian's chest. She'd not even spent three seconds in his arms that Kilian shoved her onto the ground.
"Ah!" Jezebel's yelp resounded alongside a loud thud. As if hit too heavily, she didn't stand up, sprawling on the ground with her face twisted in a grimace of pain.
*Sniff* *Sniff* *Sniff*
"Mother, how could you be so cruel as to donate your only daughter to such a savage beast? Now that he's done using me, he's tossing me aside like some worn-out shoes! Aaaaah!" Jezebel sobbed with warm tears while her body writhed in false anguish!
Any bystander would have been tricked by the performance. Fortunately, Kilian was a man of iron will, and wouldn't allow this flippant creature to swindle him! And seeing that her relentless sobbing pulled no reaction from Kilian, Jezebel resumed a serious look.
"Alright, let's discuss proper business," Jezebel began while rising from the ground to sit beside Kilian—eying his poker face with a gentle smile. "What's your big plan, handsome? Although mother wants you to grow the Eye of Fehl to the limit, you undoubtedly have goals of your own.
What is it going to be? World dominion? History's largest harem? Endless wealth? No, my Lothario can't possibly be that dull," Jezebel rattled off. Meanwhile, Kilian closed his eyes. At first, he considered building a world of perfect equality. But as he weighed the means to achieve such an end, the thought soon crumbled.
On Earth, he experienced lawful inequality. On Arcadia, he awoke to a dystopian madness. Between the two, where was the template? Perhaps the problem was never society, but human nature. Man relished in exceeding his peers. Commoners and nobles, lowborn and highborn, lower class and upper class, the cycle just kept repeating. Topple one template, and the next order would build a new form of inequality.
Kilian now realized that a world of perfect equality was nothing but lunacy, a childish yearning. As Klaus often said, nature decreed that men couldn't be equal; therefore, tolerable inequalities were the highest point man could ever reach.
Only God could build such a utopia, a world where all grew with the same opportunities. But God died, and with his current abilities, Kilian didn't dare dream of replacing him. Moreover, as a fehl mutant, the world was his enemy. What time did he have to care for the common man's plight when none of them would hesitate to cast stones at his burning frame? Not cursing their ignorance was generous enough.
No.
The world of men could collapse.
The world of mutants should rise. A world where the tainted needed not burn at wooden stakes, needed not hide like wretched beasts, and live their lives in fear of barbaric slaughter. The fehl-tainted never chose the taint, never chose their mutation, never chose to become beasts.
Unlike the commoners that surrendered to the tyrannical yoke of the aristocracy without the tiniest thought of rebellion, the only thing the tainted never had was...a choice. It was high time they got one.
"Take control of the taint, erase the madness, destroy the Arcadian Empire, the Seven Grand Orders, and build a country for fehl monsters," Kilian finally replied, making Jezebel's eyebrows rise in surprise. Her Lothario indeed was quite the unusual fellow.
"Monsters or monster girls? You vile little thing," Jezebel rolled her head, making Kilian wonder if he shouldn't find a way to permanently keep her mouth shut.
"Such words will make you public enemy number one. From the Arcadian Empire to the Chiropteran Dynasty, from the Wailing Sea to the Undying Horde, none wish to see the rise of the fehl-tainted.
The insanity of fehl beasts is a convenient tool enabling those world superpowers to maintain their desired status quo. How can you break it?" She seriously asked. Although before an existence such as her mother, those superpowers were nothing worth mentioning, the current Kilian was in no position to look down on them. With a casual command, the Emperor of Arcadia could raze the entirety of Orloth to the ground, slaughtering its 160 million denizens. Even the Duke of Kars couldn't survive his wrath.
Kilian naturally understood Jezebel's concerns. But since he dared set foot on the road, he was prepared to face the consequences.
"One step at a time, starting with the Imperial Academy."