Chapter 114: [Crescendo]—Metamorphosis
The forbidden secret technique was activated again, and Diana’s face flushed a deep crimson.
Before Bai and Eleanor’s next attack could land, she crouched down, spinning a cocoon of silk around herself.
Bai’s dagger struck, but was caught in the soft, yet resilient, webbing. She had to channel her crimson energy to break free.
And Eleanor’s spells were also blocked by the cocoon, the remnants of her magic quickly extinguished by the rapidly forming silk.
“We have to break through, now!”
Bai could feel Diana’s aura surging, the forbidden technique granting her an immense boost in power.
This time, it wasn’t just a simple absorption of power. Diana was consuming the very life force of her three teammates.
She was gaining not just their strength, but their potential.
So, although she had absorbed less power this time, the quality was far greater.
And for a Calamity Class being, quality was far more important than quantity.
“I can feel… new life…”
Within the cocoon, fueled by the immense life force, Diana was undergoing a metamorphosis.
Her grotesque spider body began to wither, replaced by smooth, pale skin, her features returning to their former beauty.
Outside, Bai and Eleanor desperately tried to break through the cocoon.
But unless they possessed the innate abilities of a Vampire, even Bai’s [Lingering Mountain Nine Folds], with its dozens of slashes, couldn’t keep up with the cocoon’s regeneration.
And if she couldn’t, then Eleanor certainly couldn’t.
She wasn’t a skilled fighter, and as a young Holy Maiden, she had never seen the front lines.
And her offensive spells were limited.
Although she had gained some experience during their journey through the Savage Lands, it wasn’t enough.
Given time, she could construct a magic circle powerful enough to threaten a Calamity Class being, but they didn’t have time.
The offering ritual was still proceeding, slowly but surely, and Diana’s cocoon now covered the entire square, preventing them from destroying it.
“I told you, I won’t fall here.”
Just then, the cocoon stopped spinning, and it burst open, revealing Diana, her graceful form now completely transformed.
This cocoon, a byproduct of the Hellblood Spiders’ metamorphosis, was spun from an incredibly strong, instinctual silk.
Diana was now naked, her long, crimson hair cascading down her chest, her grotesque spider body gone, replaced by the form Bai had first seen.
Seductive, elegant, yet with a strange, almost holy, aura.
But remembering her earlier, grotesque form, a chill ran down Bai’s spine.
“That forbidden secret technique… it must be similar to your Authority, a way to absorb the power of others,” she said, her voice low.
Everything had a price. For Diana to use her forbidden technique twice in such a short time, someone else must have paid the price.
“A very accurate assessment,” Diana said, sniffing her own body, a flicker of sadness in her eyes.
“This immense power comes from Brute, Kemlin, and Volker… they will be with me always now, fighting by my side.”
Bai recognized the names. She had seen them in the capital, Diana’s teammates.
“You mean…” Bai’s pupils constricted. “You sacrificed your own teammates?”
Unimaginable…
Bai had led a squad herself. She couldn’t imagine sacrificing her comrades, who had trusted her with their lives, for her own gain.
But then, she remembered Uncle Lin’s words. Don’t judge the beastkin by human standards.
And Brute and the others, they knew their place. They just hadn’t expected Diana to sacrifice them so soon.
Which meant Diana had been in a desperate situation, willing to sacrifice even her most valuable assets.
But Bai hadn’t seen through her deception.
“It’s your fault, little… no, Miss Bai. You forced me to do this,” Diana said softly.
“But I’m grateful. I’ve been stuck at the threshold of the Calamity Class for so long… your appearance gave me hope. And your appearance has allowed my bloodline to… evolve…”
With the absorption of her teammates’ life force, not only had her strength reached the mid-level Calamity Class, but her bloodline had also been enhanced.
And her Authority was now much stronger.
This was a battle of wits, a game of trump cards, and Diana had just played her last, and most beautiful, one.
In an instant, a torrent of silk erupted from behind her, covering the entire square, trapping Bai and Eleanor.
“Blood Feast Domain!”
The white silk was quickly stained a deep crimson, as if soaked in blood, greedily absorbing the ambient bloodlust.
Diana’s enhanced “Blood Feast” Authority had expanded into a domain.
As long as they were within the square, they would be under its constant influence.
Eleanor’s face paled, and she grew weak, her life force being drained away, her magic failing.
“Eleanor!”
Bai rushed to her side, catching her as she collapsed.
She was only suffering from a severe loss of blood, not a fatal injury.
But she couldn’t last long. She needed treatment, quickly.
Although the Blood Feast Domain had no effect on Bai, a Vampire’s life force wasn’t so easily taken, the bloodlust stored in her dagger was being absorbed by the crimson silk.
A simple silk undergarment now covered Diana’s body, preserving her modesty.
“Now, the game has just begun,” she said, looking at Bai, who was holding the unconscious Eleanor, and licked her lips.
…
“Uncle Lin.”
“Yes?”
“Tell me,” Lin Yan said, putting down her long-range surveillance device, “do non-human races… possess friendship?”
“Perhaps,” he said noncommittally.
“Is empathy a uniquely human emotion?” she asked.
“Perhaps,” he said vaguely.
“I see,” she said, putting away the device and standing up.
