I’ve seen this message so many times already.
Just looking at it now feels like it’s triggering some deep trauma, but I gather my strength and accept it.
Creek…
The door opens, and a heavily suppressed state suddenly returns all at once.
My body is overflowing with power.
I channel that overflowing energy and become one with the lightning spirit.
Clop.
Clop.
The progenitor takes two steps forward, making an appearance.
If there’s no particular response, like an attack, I casually greet them.
“Hello? How much this time…”
Before I can finish, my body transforms into a current and charges forward.
《Progenitor, ‘Lasty Erbenus’ is using Blood Spear!》
Figures, blood spears shoot up from the ground.
This is an attack that you won’t survive if you don’t dodge before the lines are even delivered.
Once the skill is cast, there’s no way to escape.
If I dodge the first attack, it will be my turn to counter.
The body created through union with the lightning spirit becomes a spear of electrical current, flying toward the progenitor.
《Progenitor, ‘Lasty Erbenus’ is using Veil of Blood!》
The spear doesn’t even reach the progenitor and is blocked by a round veil surrounding her.
The overflowing current might flow in the liquid state of blood, but the progenitor’s blood is a power and a separate domain.
Even the likes of lightning can’t dare to flow through it.
Since the attack fails, I quickly retreat with the recoil.
If I can’t break through the Veil of Blood, a counterattack will come immediately.
《Progenitor, ‘Lasty Erbenus’ is using Chains of Blood!》
The Veil of Blood shatters and transforms into several chains.
You might think, “Just a few,” but each one that hits could mean death or near-death.
There’s… no way to dodge.
The blood spears had at least some room to dodge when they were first announced, but these chains are coming from all directions, making it hard to find a blind spot.
Not to mention, attacking from a distance wouldn’t work because the progenitor’s veil is too sturdy.
‘There must be a way…!’
I break the union with the lightning spirit.
After taking a brief breath, I draw forth the power of light.
A being that exists outside of life and light. A vampire.
To oppose a vampire that thrives in darkness requires a strong light that can dispel the darkness.
“Here it is!”
Union with the light spirit.
Now that Leo has become one with the light spirit, he clenches a hand smaller than the progenitor’s.
In her hand is a pure white sword.
Swoosh!!
Chains that had come close are split apart, and the Light Sword unleashes the power of light.
“Light Sword! Slash through the line!”
Creak…
The progenitor’s domain is cracking.
The line made of light creates a fracture, temporarily blurring the domination of blood that had bound the entire space.
Of course, the progenitor’s control recovers in the blink of an eye, but in that fleeting moment…
Not missing that split second, Leo teleports and aims for the progenitor’s back.
Leo, who didn’t miss a moment, teleported to target the Progenitor.
“Light Sword.”
Swish!
《Progenitor ‘Lasty Erbenus’ uses Veil of Blood!》
Sizzle.
The veil was sliced, and blood dripped down Progenitor’s left arm.
Just a little.
“Hmm…”
“…Finally! Finally, I’ve inflicted a wound!”
It was the first wound he’d dealt.
After nine attempts, he’d memorized the pattern and analyzed it to land a hit.
But the problem was what came next.
“Pretty much. The nymph has gotten this strong.”
The Progenitor said this with genuine admiration as she drew a circle in the air.
The elegant carving of Blood Magic.
‘W-What am I supposed to do next?’
After inflicting damage, what should he do?
He had no idea what came next.
The only method was to die again and learn the pattern.
《Progenitor ‘Lasty Erbenus’ uses Blood Thread!》
Whoosh!
Blood threads shot from the Progenitor’s pale fingertips.
Like lasers, the threads sprayed out.
There was no time to dodge; he got hit by all of them.
No, if this continues, he would just die again…
“Huh?”
“The world has changed a lot.”
Time stopped.
The blood threads piercing his body, the blood particles oozing from the wounds, and the mana and power of blood filling the space all came to a halt.
Clang.
In the stillness that even paused the mind-warping penalties, the only moving entity turned to look at him.
“Has thousands of years of history changed all this?”
Lasty murmured and glanced at her thin arm.
Though it was just a scratch, she looked shocked at the fact she had been wounded.
‘…Thousands of years?’
“My sister wasn’t worrying for nothing.”
“My sister… what?”
“Were you called Leo?”
She approached him.
With a seemingly displeased expression.
“Why are you constantly denying it?”
“…Huh?”
“The harmony of power is incomplete. Even though your body has turned into a nymph, your mind keeps trying to revert to being human.”
“…”
“Of course, among beings like you, you’re pretty close to the strongest. But you need to let go of being ‘human’ a bit more.”
Suddenly, a lecture?
When Leo looked at her with a strange gaze, Lasty flicked her hand.
A blood-red sword materialized in her hand.
Just looking at it sent chills down his spine, feeling it was something not even comparable to ordinary mythical-grade weapons.
《Progenitor ‘Lasty Erbenus’ uses Blood Step!》
The blood sword was aimed at Leo’s neck.
A single drop of blood flowed down.
“Don’t deny it. The body and mind are originally one. If you keep spinning a clumsily changing mind, in the end, you won’t be either this or that.”
“But the penalty—”
“Penalty? It’s not a restriction. In fact, the real restriction is returning to being human.”
The blade gets deeper.
More blood flows down.
“Ugh?!”
“Spirits and nymphs have an exceptional union spiritually. It’s incomparable to mere humans with strong affinity. No? The comparison itself is an insult.”
“……”
“So, becoming a ‘nymph’ that’s not even human is a restriction?”
No way.
“The penalty is merely a kind of suppression imposed by the System, one of its powers. It’s a suppression to prevent the powerful force of ‘complete unity.’ You can remove that restriction right now.”
“Lady Lily…”
“Big sis thinks, ‘Humans should remain human.’ She wouldn’t have bothered to tell you this otherwise.”
Big sis is that type of person.
“But do you really have a reason to do that?”
The power of blood penetrates Leo’s body.
Thump.
The heart beats.
“Don’t you sometimes want to live as a nymph? Frolicking through the forest, playing happily with other nymphs, the sensation of becoming one with a spirit isn’t that bad, right?”
“…….”
“Just accept it as it is.”
Thump. Thump.
Is that really the case?
Was it not a penalty, but rather a shackle that was hindering my growth?
“I sense some uncertainty. Fine.”
Now I will help you.
The power of blood completely shakes the body.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The heart beats faster.
The world that had come to a stop begins to flow again.
As the wall that unconsciousness built disappears, the unity with the spirit begins to surge uncontrollably like a runaway train.
And then.
“Uh, huh?”
“Open your eyes, Leo.”
“What the hell?!”
I opened my eyes.
■
Light surges forth.
An overwhelming power spills out so abundantly it’s hard to control, and the Veil of Blood of the Progenitor tears apart like paper.
It’s unbelievably awesome!
Beyond Spirit Ascension, it literally feels like I’ve become the spirit itself.
The Light Sword tears through the veil, rips through threads, and pierces through stakes.
Blood surges in the body of the Progenitor with a power that can’t even be compared to before.
Literally overwhelming!
In this moment, Leo became a complete nymph.
Now, no matter how powerful the Progenitor is, I can win!
“Wonderful.”
The Progenitor wore an interesting expression mixed with some unease.
“…This won’t provoke big sis, right?”
Still, she was going to teach me anyway.
Let’s just consider it a mere taste.
《The Progenitor, ‘Lasty Erbenus,’ wields the Blade of Blood!》
“Stee Erbenus uses the Blade of Blood!”
“…You have died.”
“…Jugeotta.”
The Blade of Blood cast by Lasty was fierce enough to fill half the throne room.
Even when I tried to break the blade and counterattack in a kind of rampage, the progenitor was almost an immortal existence.
Unable to withstand the infinitely flying blades, I shattered into pieces and died.
“…Can we even win?”
An instinctive fear etched itself into Leo’s heart.
Though I thought I had only challenged nine times so far, Leo, having faced countless bosses and strong foes, could tell.
‘Stronger than anyone else.’
Stronger than anyone I had encountered thus far.
Even saying this, I couldn’t confidently say whether Lady Lily could defeat an unweakened progenitor.
I had witnessed myself break through the ‘wall’ yet immediately died after only inflicting a few wounds.
Though I bled a lot, not a hint of ‘crisis’ existed on Lasty’s face.
How on earth did Lady Lily create such a being?
“…….”
Leo clenched his small hand.
It felt both good and squishy.
‘Accept it?’
Accept the fact that I had become a nymph.
I had always been wary of this penalty, this mental state.
I thought that if I became a nymph, I wouldn’t be able to go back, and once I fell into it, I might spend dozens of hours like a young child and never escape.
I had always prepared the medicine to nullify the penalty in case of emergency.
If I felt I had fallen too deep, I would deliberately avoid logging in for a long time.
“Umm…”
But the moment I ‘awoke’ through the progenitor, I realized.
It felt like I had transcended beyond the simple strength of a user into something beyond a dimension.
In my awakened state, I felt I could deal quite a meaningful strike against Lady Lily.
“…Sister. Uum…”
Though I hadn’t directly mentioned it, the sister referred to by the progenitor was certainly Lady Lily.
‘Humans should remain as humans.’
Humans should indeed remain as humans, huh?
What on earth does that mean?
Does this mean Lady Lily could be another race?
What’s more suspicious is the strange video I saw through the condensed stone long ago.
‘Golden Empire. The white woman lecturing in front of numerous students and mana stones.’
Though Lady Lily clearly stated it was an error, I think I understand now.
“I need to meet Lady Lily.”
‘That is not a lie.’
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