Volume Six: What She Lost, What I Gained - The Creeping Terror (Part 1)

"Hahaha..."

The girl knelt in the endless Blood Sea, gasping for breath.

"Success...? Did it swallow it...?"

She tried to stand up with her slender legs, but the strong sense of incongruity of the foreign object mixed into her body made her weak and fall back down.

Cough, cough, cough—she gagged violently, the uncontrollable nausea and suffocation causing her great pain. Forcing such a large task into her small body was clearly too much of a strain.

But in any case, we're already halfway there.

Ultimately, my reason for venturing deep into the Starfall Mountain Range was to target them from the very beginning.

The remnants of blood may bring him endless possibilities, but they are only possibilities; the seven hundred million lives he swallowed may bring him great power, but they are only power.

Only when it is different, and can be completely possessed, can it be considered a real step forward.

She was only ten years old when she found this thing and devoured it; such progress far exceeded her expectations.

Devouring... no, saying devouring isn't quite accurate. It hasn't completely become a part of itself. It has merely locked it from the outside world into a cage called Ai Warrensding. There's still a long way to go before it can be assimilated.

But that's okay, I have plenty of time.

The problem lies with your partner.

It's just an empty shell with no inside; it's nothing more than a giant chunk of meat.

Let the search begin.

If you search this entire planet, you'll find it somewhere.

Let's start with the Papacy on this continent.

It just so happens that I also have something I'm curious about.

Does God really exist in this world?

After making simple plans for the future, the girl supported herself with her trembling legs and staggered back the way she came.

"This is it. Blood Sister told me that this was a talisman made for me, and that I should always carry it with me. It was from the moment I started carrying it with me that my health began to improve."

Neumann handed me what he was holding.

She entrusted me with something so important; this must be her way of showing her sincerity.

I examined the object closely, and the others curiously gathered around.

This is a bright red solid, only about half the size of a little finger. At first glance, I thought it was a blood crystal, but upon closer inspection... the material has a paraffin-like texture, and the shape is reminiscent of an irregular block of wax. When light shines on it, it has a blurry reflective effect.

What is this? There's nothing similar among the substances I can create. Could this be a special ability of the Blood Fiend that I failed to inherit?

Moreover... to be honest, this thing looks very ordinary, completely unlike the dazzling brilliance of the Blood Crystal, which doesn't match my impression of Blood Fiend.

"... Um?"

This thing doesn't seem to be solid inside?

I stared intently into its interior, and it seemed as if the inside wasn't completely solidified, but rather slowly flowing like liquid wax. However, this sensation disappeared when I looked at it from a different angle.

What exactly is this... wriggling!

"Holy crap!?"

I almost threw it away, and at the same time, my head jerked back, nearly hitting Little Ying's nose.

What's going on?

For a fleeting moment just now, I thought I saw something... subtly wriggling inside this thing?

Just like some kind of creature!

"You... you saw it?"

"What do you see? Are you crazy?"

"No! Something inside moved!"

"I've been looking at it too, but I can't figure it out... But since Xiao Ye says so, then it must be true!" Hao Yue nodded seriously.

"Be serious!"

"You actually dared to say I should be serious..."

"Miss Ye, did you figure it out?" Neumann asked curiously.

"Something does seem off, but I'm not sure if I'm seeing things... Wait a minute?"

I pondered Neumann's words.

Her body is in this state because of the world's "warning," which feels like a curse.

In a way, isn't this an external manifestation of the laws of the world? That's why any effort to cure her is futile.

There was only one exception: the talisman given to her by Blood Fiend, which was the only one that effectively improved her physical condition.

That is to say, this thing...

"Unbound by the laws of the world... can one isolate or even negate the influence of those laws?"

I told Neumann my idea, and she agreed.

"I can't think of any other possibility, but how could Blood Sister possess such power? This is a curse from the world!"

However, the power of me and Blood Fiend originally originated from a higher realm.

But is there really a connection? To be precise, the seeds of possibility planted within us do indeed originate from the Blood King, but ultimately, the power belongs to ourselves. Neumann previously mentioned that Blood Fiend attempted to regenerate her legs but failed. Does this mean that our combined strength alone is insufficient to shake the laws of the world?

But that doesn't make sense. If this wax-like thing was made solely from Blood Fiend, it shouldn't be able to improve Neumann's condition.

Thinking about it this way, there's only one possibility.

"... I believe that what improved your health was not the power of Blood Sister, but the amulet itself; it is far more than just a creation of Blood Sister."

If I'm not seeing things, there really is something inside this thing.

Is the key thing that's "the wriggling thing sealed inside"?

"My blood..."

Blood seeped from my palm, enveloping the amulet and seeping into it little by little.

"Don't get too close to me, lest something unexpected happens."

Upon hearing my command, they all stepped back a few paces, with Haoyue and Neumann looking on with concern.

Let's begin.

I haven't devoured anything in a long time.

Since my trip through the Starfall Mountain Range, I've almost reached the strength of the original Blood Fiend, so searching for rare and precious treasures to devour probably won't make much progress.

However, now--

I am sinking.

Everything around me—the room, the floor, my companions—was still there. Although I could confirm their presence with my eyes and ears, it was as if there was an invisible barrier separating me from everything outside.

Within the diaphragm, my spirit was rapidly sinking, a feeling akin to having my feet tied to stones as I sank into the Deep Sea.

Incredibly, I didn't feel panicked; everything felt as natural as breathing, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

Is it because I devoured something left behind by the Blood Fiend? Since I inherited her power, her things are naturally mine as well.

Hiss... Lush...

I heard a faint sound.

A faint ripple, a muffled sound of unknown origin, the sound of bubbles that seemed both far away and very close.

I felt like I was approaching something, right below where I was sinking, something that exuded a strong presence.

As I went deeper and deeper, my spirit sank into the depths of the sea, and I suddenly felt a sense of panic, as if I had truly sunk into the Deep Sea beyond the reach of sunlight, filled with the unknown in boundless darkness.

What is that?

Blood Fiend, what exactly are you hiding?

Is this your deepest, most hidden secret?

I followed in your footsteps until the very end, and this is what I got in return?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A total of 140 blueprints were used; reporting the progress of the new construction.

Nan Pang × 1, Jin Kaila × 2, Shokaku × 4, Taiho × 1, Kumano × 1

Then?

And then... hahahaha... Chief, heal me!