The World Devouring System

The skies over Wintram City had cleared completely since the rift's formation. The warm rays of the evening sun bathed the sprawling Goldheart estate in a golden hue.

Caelum found himself walking back to his residence in the Duke's mansion, alone.

He had accompanied Boros to the residential area of the estate to meet his friends and perhaps make some connections of his own. Unfortunately, circumstances did not allow them to entertain him.

There, he met three members of Boros' group—two girls and a boy—but the atmosphere was tense. Apparently, one of Boros' friends, a boy named Kaleem, had been missing for an entire day. His last known location was the training grounds. After a brief discussion, Boros decided to take his group there to search for Kaleem.

The training grounds were part of the Goldheart estate, but that didn't mean they were completely safe. In fact, there had been multiple occasions in the past where young family members lost their lives there. The family's stance on this was firm—this was simply how the cultivation world worked. If a member couldn't survive the training grounds, they had no chance in the far more dangerous outside world and could not contribute meaningfully to the family. While such deaths were mourned, they were not mourned for too long.

As Caelum made his way back, he reflected on his recent meeting. He had encountered three new people: the girls Lyssandra and Emberine, and the boy Ryder. Naturally, Boros had been there as well.

'During the discussion, Emberine seemed unusually tense and fidgety,' Caelum mused. 'It felt like she knew something. Lyssandra also seemed to notice her friend's peculiar behavior but didn't say anything. The boys, however, seemed totally oblivious.'

To an average observer, Emberine's behavior might have appeared as simple worry for her missing friend. But Caelum sensed something more. She seemed zoned out rather than focused, as though preoccupied with thoughts she wasn't ready to share.

Despite his observations, Caelum chose not to say anything. It wasn't his place to meddle in their matters. Instead, he left them to their search, wishing them success as they headed toward the training grounds.

Caelum eventually found himself in the familiar hallway leading to his room. As he approached, he noticed a woman standing outside his door. It was Saya, supposedly his personal maid, dressed in the same uniform she had worn earlier in the afternoon.

Upon seeing Caelum, Saya greeted him with a polite bow. "Welcome back, Young Master."

Caelum returned her greeting with a smile. "Good evening, Saya. I heard from my mother that you've been appointed as my personal maid."

"That's correct, Young Master," Saya replied in a pleasant, sweet voice.

"Let's go inside first, and then we'll talk," Caelum suggested, gesturing to the door. Unlocking it, he stepped inside, with Saya following close behind.

Caelum placed the two manuals he had borrowed on the table and set his sword aside. He planned to begin practicing the "Foundation of Thousand Cuts" manual to improve his combat power as well as go through the Goldheart Family cultivation technique in order to gain some experience with conventional cultivation techniques—partly out of curiosity and partly to understand the standard process. However, before diving into practice, he decided to talk to Saya for a bit.

"You were the one taking care of me for the past four years while I was in a coma, right? Thank you." Though it was most likely her duty, Caelum still expressed his gratitude.

"There's no need to thank me, Young Master. It was my responsibility. I'm happy to see that you're awake and healthy now." Saya replied.

"Responsibility, huh? Speaking of responsibilities, what exactly are you supposed to do as my personal maid?" Caelum asked.

Saya pondered for a moment before replying. "There is no exhaustive set of duties. I'm here to assist you in any way possible. If you'd like me to do something, just let me know. I will try to accomplish your task to the best of my capabilities."

Caelum understood the meaning of her words, but a mischievous thought crept into his mind, and he decided to test her.

"Anything, you say? You would kill yourself if I asked you to?"

Saya's eyes widened in shock, but she regained her composure after a few moments. "Generally speaking, I would prefer not to die a death that serves no purpose. However, if killing myself helps you in some way, I will gladly do so."

Her eyes shone with such determination that it seemed she was genuinely ready to off herself.

Caelum, dumbfounded, hurriedly calmed her down. "Whoa, whoa! There's no need to take it that seriously. I have no intention of asking that of you."

Internally, he thought, 'She seems like the serious and straightforward type. Of course, there's always the possibility that it's just an act.'

"Please forget my ill-humored joke and tell me more about yourself, Saya."

Caelum then began asking Saya a series of questions, aiming to learn more about her. As personal servants typically stayed close to their masters, Caelum wanted to understand everything he could about Saya.

In the ensuing conversation, Caelum learned that Saya had been rescued by his mother, Elara, from devil worshippers in her village when she was young. Having lost her home and family to the cultists, Saya grew up in the Goldheart Estate, receiving education to prepare her for a future as a maid. At one point, her potential was recognized, and it was decided that she would become someone's personal maid rather than serving as an ordinary servant.

Saya was allowed to cultivate using the Basic Cultivation Technique, and it was determined that she would serve Caelum once he reached twelve years of age. However, Caelum's sudden descent into a coma prevented them from meeting. That, however, did not prevent Saya from caring for him during the last four years.

Currently, Saya was thirty years old, although she appeared to be in her early twenties. Her youthful appearance was attributed to her cultivation, which had advanced to the eighth stage of the Qi Condensation Realm.

For cultivators, thirty years was considered quite young, placing Saya firmly within the "younger generation." For reference, Caelum's youngest older sibling, his sister Seraphina, was around thirty-six years old, having been born a full two decades before him. His two elder brothers were even older than Seraphina.

"That is the story of my life, Young Master," Saya concluded.

The fact that she had been personally rescued by his mother and had spent most of her life within the estate walls gave Caelum a reason to trust Saya more. Her demeanor seemed consistent with her story, reinforcing his perception of her reliability.

Caelum's tone became increasingly relaxed as their conversation continued. He made light small talk, and Saya found herself surprised. From her experience, most masters paid little mind to their servants. Caelum's amicable words and demeanor made her relax slightly, and her impression of him grew more favorable.

"By the way, earlier you said you would help me with anything I asked," Caelum began, a teasing smile on his lips. "Obviously, I'm not going to ask you to kill yourself… but what if I asked you to serve me in bed?" His eyes deliberately scanned Saya's figure with a playful, ambiguous gaze.

Saya was taken aback. Though she wasn't as stunning as some of the heavenly fairies and jade beauties out there, she was undeniably pleasing to the eye. Caelum couldn't help but acknowledge her charm. His deliberate inspection of her body left Saya blushing deeply - clearly, she was inexperienced when it came to bedroom matters.

Upon noticing how Caelum was looking at her, she involuntarily checked Caelum out as well. To her, her Young Master was unquestionably the most handsome man she had ever seen. Their eyes met briefly, and in that moment, a flicker of carnal tension sparked between them. However, the moment passed as quickly as it had come.

Saya lowered her head, her voice meek and submissive as she responded. "…Yes, Young Master. If you want me to, I will accompany you in bed as well. Ar-Are we going to do it right now?"