Volume Three: Academy in Total Chaos - Blood Beast

The body remodeling process was surprisingly fast.

It only took a few minutes from the initial formation of the blood-like figure to its completion.

Finally, the stunningly beautiful girl with long pink hair reappeared before everyone, her beautiful eyes closed as if she were asleep. The force that had been supporting the blood floating in mid-air also disappeared without a trace, and gravity immediately pulled the girl's body down.

"Xiao Ye!"

"I'll do it!"

Givinia vanished instantly, appearing a moment later directly beneath the pink-haired girl, catching her as she fell. Xiao Wu also helped Kogetsu walk over.

How is she?

"I don't know, I'm sleeping..."

"So, does this mean... the absorption was successful?"

"Well..."

Givinia brushed aside the beauty's hair in her arms, carefully examined her face, and then gently rubbed and pinched her body.

"Hey, get your hands off my Xiao Ye right now!"

"This is just a necessary check... You guys come too."

"Us?"

"Yes, based on past experience, after successfully devouring something, her appearance is likely to change—that's what happened last time. After devouring Yan Yi Ming Hua, she turned into an egg for a while, and when she came out, her hair had turned pink."

"What kind of bizarre setting is this... huh?"

Xiao Wu seemed to have made a discovery; she took Ye's hand and examined him closely.

"Hey... does she usually wear nail polish?"

"As far as I know, no."

"Then, look at her fingernails."

The two looked.

"... Red?"

Indeed, the girl's nails, which had originally shone with a pearly luster, had all turned blood red, as if they had been washed with blood, creating an indescribable eerie beauty.

"Toenails too."

Is this a disease? A variation of onychomycosis (fungal nail infection)?

"How could that be!"

"Is that all? Have any other parts changed?"

"Leave the inspection to me!"

Haoyue eagerly touched Ye's body, focusing her attention on his chest and groin.

"Hey, you're the one trying to take advantage, aren't you, Qipao Woman!"

"Tch, tch, tch, that's called being responsible... wait, her breasts seem to have gotten a little bigger?"

"Huh? Let me see..."

Xiao Wu carefully touched the pair of very heavy breasts, gently weighing them in her hands.

"Hmm... the bust size is larger than I originally estimated...3... no, 4cm, I think."

"You can tell by feeling?"

"I have a very keen sense of touch."

"It's not just a matter of sensitivity," Haoyue chuckled. "I bet you really want your breasts to get bigger, and you carefully measure them every night before bed. Over time, you've become very perceptive about changes in breast size, haven't you?"

"Oh no, how could you—no, no, how could I do something like that!"

"Come on, don't mind my flat chest~"

"Flat-chested my ass! I'm only slightly smaller than the average for my age! And compared to you big-breasted (Givinia), huge-breasted (Haoyue), and busty (Ye), I'm smaller than everyone else!!!"

"What the heck is 'big breasts'... I've never heard of that term before..."

Don't worry about such details!

"Don't worry about it, Xiao Wu's breasts are beautiful too. Although they're slightly smaller than average, their elasticity, firmness, and the reassuring feeling of being able to hold them in one hand are unmatched by us. They're even more amazing than huge or voluptuous breasts!"

"Givinia ..."

"But they are indeed smaller than us."

"Wow! For a moment, I was actually moved!!!"

"Let's not talk about that now... Now that A Ye has finally calmed down, let's get out of here quickly. Miss Haoyue, your health..."

"Much better. At least leaving as soon as possible shouldn't be a problem. After all, I received some nourishment from the life force when I brought the Serpent's Egg, and I have the strength to use Healing Moon again."

"That's good. I'll give you directions, you guys—"

Boom!!!!!

A violent tremor suddenly came from above.

"How--"

Rumble!!!!!

The tremors became more intense--

Clang!!!

A beam of yellow light pierced through tens of meters of rock, slicing through hundreds of pipes, and landed at the feet of the three people.

"..."

It happened so suddenly that they didn't even have time to feel a sense of crisis.

It was a huge blade, its yellow color resembling both condensed light and flowing metal.

Then-- Explosion!!!

Every point that the giant blade had sliced through exploded violently. In the confined space of the pipe, an explosion of this scale would have been absolutely fatal! Xiao Wu immediately shielded Haoyue and ran out, while Givinia also immediately teleported her main body out, leaving only her projection to guide the way.

"What's going on?"

"It's Fiaz! He's attacking the underground like crazy!"

"Is he crazy?"

"He's probably just angry and embarrassed! Anyway, we're no match for him! We'd better run!"

When I regained consciousness, I heard a series of explosions.

In addition, there were sounds of falling earth and rocks, rushing water, and women's screams.

It was as if the whole world was roaring.

The sound came from near and far. I wanted to cover my ears, but I felt a strong sense of weakness in my limbs, as if my contents had been drained.

I've had this feeling before.

That was when I emerged from the crystal cocoon after consuming the Yan Yi Ming Hua.

So, does that mean I've successfully devoured it?

In that bloody tug-of-war, was I the one who ultimately emerged victorious?

I stopped letting my mind wander and focused on feeling what was happening inside my body.

Blood Core...

The Blood Core inside my body is still in place. Although I can't see it, I can feel something prickly on it and a warm sensation. These should be the manifestations of the properties of the Crystal Emperor Fruit and the Yan Yi Ming Hua I devoured.

"...?"

It seems like something has been added.

There seemed to be a faint, ethereal aura surrounding it.

I'm very familiar with this scent.

Full of vitality and life.

It was brought about by the Serpent's Egg.

First crystallization, then flames—what will this devouring cause to increase my blood?

Which way to go?

"Over here! Over here! Quickly!!!"

"Is that guy up there really crazy!?"

Rumble rumble rumble rumble!!!!!!!!!

The screams and rumbling grew louder and louder, all indicating that I was surrounded by real danger.

But I don't have the time or inclination to concern myself with what's going on outside.

What does this feel like?

I can feel that in addition to the power of crystallization and the power of flames, there is something else in my blood.

It's somewhat like the vitality brought by the Serpent's Egg, yet not quite the same.

It's like a terrifying Sea Beast hundreds of meters long lurking beneath the calm surface of the ocean.

A deadly trap lurks beneath the calm surface.

Pregnancy is underway.

My blood is gestating something.

It is neither a "crystal" as an inorganic substance, nor a "flame" that exists in the form of energy.

It is something more "alive".

That thing was alive; it was an individual connected to me, but it was far more ferocious.

"Hoo... Ah..."

I couldn't help but make a sound.

The person holding me suddenly paused.

"A Ye? Are you awake, A Ye?"

"What? Xiao Ye is awake?"

"Finally awake! Don't scare me!"

That voice... Givinia, Haoyue, and Xiao Wu?

"Huff... huff huff..."

But I didn't have the time or inclination to talk to them.

It's coming out.

Something inside the body, in the blood—

"Get out of the way..."

"Get out of the way? What are you saying--"

"Get out of the way!!!"

I struggled violently and fell out of Givinia's arms, crashing heavily against the damp walls of the tube. A torrent of blood gushed from every inch of my body, like a cascading waterfall!

"Xiao Ye-- "

"I told you to get out of the way!!!"

Haoyue seemed to want to approach, but I immediately yelled at her to stay away. At this moment, I was kneeling on the ground on all fours, blood was still flowing, and a small Blood Pool had formed around me. Countless bubbles were constantly rising from the surface of the Blood Pool, as if many people were diving in this shallow liquid.

"Hoo... Ahh... Ahhhhhhh!!!!"

The Blood Pool of blood outside my body was still connected to the blood inside, forming a bizarre circulatory structure. Life, life, countless life forces overflowing with the stench of blood circulated between me and the Blood Pool! The Blood Pool rolled and boiled happily, absorbing every last bit of life force!

Life is born in the blood.

That was almost a clone, yet it was fundamentally different from a clone.

If I had to put it in a way, it's like creating offspring as soldiers, or constructing a mobile terminal connected to me.

Pfft!!!

A blood-stained claw, its five fingers spread wide, sliced through the boiling pool of Blood Pool.

Then, something that had been gestating in my blood rose to the surface of the pool.

It was a blood-soaked, terrifying creature that was over three meters long.

It was on all fours, seemingly without skin, its muscles exposed, which was extremely terrifying; its limbs were very thick, and its hands and feet were sharp, giant claws, which were enough to make one's heart tremble just by looking at them; its flesh was red and black, and along the muscle lines, it faintly glowed with a reddish-yellow bioluminescence; a deformed head, resembling both a beast and an insect, was placed on its shoulders, hairless, and its neck was indistinguishable; most of its ferocious face was occupied by a huge mouth full of fangs, and there were no fewer than five scarlet eyes, haphazardly arranged above the huge mouth.

This is neither an ordinary animal nor a monster.

If I had to give it a name, I'd say "Blood Beast".

I see nothing cute about them; their muscles, claws, and fangs tell me they are monsters born purely for killing.

But the monsters bred in my blood are far more than just this one.

Glug glug... Glug glug... Glug glug...

The pool of Blood Pool churned, and one after another, equally ferocious Blood Beast emerged. Their appearance and size were exactly the same as the first one, clearly belonging to the same species, but there were many differences in the details. Some Blood Beast had two spines, some had a single eye like a copper bell, some had three arms, some had a second mouth on their chest, and some had limbs that were not claws, but long bone knives or tentacles covered with barbs.

I feel like I've seen them somewhere before.

This style of monster...

It's like combining the Hunter from Prototype 1 with the color scheme of Prototype 2.

Of course, although they are "small" monsters in the game, they are by no means small.

Each one is an extremely dangerous killing weapon.

"Xiao Ye, they are..."

Looking up, I saw Haoyue and the others still staring warily at the Blood Beast. I waved my hand, signaling them not to make any rash moves.

"All 'Blood Beast'... stand upright!"

The words had barely left his mouth--

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The Blood Beast, who had just been on all fours, immediately stood up on their hind legs, making them appear even larger.

As expected... they were under my command.

It is a biological weapon born from my blood, belonging only to me.

My most loyal servant.

"Ah! Xiao Ye! Your eyes!" Hao Yue exclaimed in surprise after seeing my face clearly.

Eye?

"Take a look for yourself..."

As she spoke, Givinia pulled out a small vanity mirror that she always carried with her and tossed it to me.

I snapped my fingers lightly, and the blood between my fingers immediately began to burn, providing light.

I looked closely at my face in the mirror.

"Ah..."

The eyes—specifically the left eye—have changed, while the right eye remains the same.

Originally, under the influence of Yan Yi Ming Hua, my pupils were a dark reddish-black, while the whites of my eyes remained white.

Now, its eyes are golden, with narrow pupils in the center like those of a wild beast.

And the whites of his eyes... turned dark red.

It was filled with an ominous aura.

But it actually suits my face surprisingly well.

"Never mind that for now... I said, Givinia."

"Um?"

"There's a madman on the ground bombing everything, isn't there?"

"Yes—and if this continues, it will be very difficult for us to escape!"

... very good.

So, today is your first battle.

I gave the Blood Beast my second order.

"The enemy is just above the surface—engage him!"

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Eye reference image

Blood Beast... of course, they're the adorable little creatures from Torture 2.