Medusa

Biodata

Background / History

Medusa was initially held in a concealed chamber beneath Barbaro's execution platform. At the time, she was described as a thirteen-year-old girl in a sheepskin skirt, with ink-green hair whose developing tips resembled small snake heads. Barbaro intended to remove her petrifying eyes, sell the eyes, and then sell her as a slave. 1

Li Ziran recognized that her value extended beyond her eyes: he considered a living Medusa capable of establishing a petrifying bloodline far more valuable than a harvested organ. He negotiated her purchase from Barbaro, transformed both captives into frogs, and kept Medusa restrained and unconscious while performing the eye transplant. 2

Li removed one of Medusa's eyes and transplanted it into Barbaro. To conceal the operation, he disguised Medusa's remaining eye as a mutilated socket; the deception later left her with one functioning eye and one empty socket. 3 4 14

While concealed at Li's waist in frog form, Medusa began restoring her original size despite the Transformation Spell. Upon awakening, she petrified Li and accused him of gouging out her eye and harming other Medusas. She revealed her royal lineage and forced Li into a tense arrangement: she partially released his petrification so he could assist with Karen's operation, while threatening to petrify him again if he left her side. 14 15

Medusa reacted with extreme fear when Karen was mentioned and later accused him of causing her sisters to become stranded outside their homeland. She warned Li that the supposedly Medusa-ruled swamp was actually protected by a Swamp Dragon, providing crucial intelligence about the planned slave-catching assault. 15 16

During the Corpse Dragon tooth-modification effort, Medusa advised Li to use Petrification Rays to dull dragon teeth with a tartar-like coating. She also recognized one of the enslaved adult Medusas as her aunt, but Li suppressed her reaction because he could not safely intervene. 20

During the destruction of the swamp, Medusa remained linked to Li through mental communication and urged him to save her people. She disclosed that Karen had deceived her aunt by offering the Medusas a new habitat, only to use the information he gained to capture them. She also offered Li knowledge related to devouring the souls of snake-like creatures, while forbidding him from using the Devouring Curse against Medusas. 23

Medusa's connection with Li contributed to his comprehension of the Snake Transformation Spell. Their souls formed parallel spirals during the process, allowing Li to perceive Snake Script and construct the spell's Transformation Array. 24 25

Following the swamp operation, Medusa was left transformed and inactive beside Annie, along with a bottle of Li's blood intended to restore her. 32

By the time of the conflict surrounding Soul Continent and Hippo Ancient City, Medusa had re-emerged as a dragon-shaped being with a woman's face and her missing eye socket still visible. She intervened against Jiawen's fused soul body, stating that Li still owed her an eye. 716

Medusa later acted alongside Lina and Li in the Void Expanse. Despite the unresolved hostility between herself and Li, she helped him investigate the Frozen Continent and contain the dangerous ancient will released from its interior. 729

Appearance

Medusa first appeared as an underage girl with smooth bare calves, a sheepskin skirt, and hair transformed from blonde to ink-green. Her hair ends developed into triangular snake heads, identifying her as a Medusa. 1

After regaining her size from frog form, she was nearly adult-sized and possessed one hate-filled eye; her other eye socket was hollow following Li's transplant. 14

• Ink-green snake hair with triangular, cone-shaped snake heads. 1
• Originally blonde hair before her Medusa traits manifested. 1
• Azure, triangular-pupiled Petrifying Eyes before one was removed. 2
• One remaining eye and one empty socket after the transplant. 14
• In the Void Expanse, she appeared in a dragon-shaped form with a delicate female face and the same empty eye socket. 716

Personality

Medusa is fiercely hostile toward Li Ziran after awakening, viewing him as an executioner rather than a rescuer. She responds to the loss of her eye with immediate petrification, accusations, and threats of the Crushing Stone Punishment. 14 15

Despite her anger, she is pragmatic enough to keep Li alive when his skills are useful. She orders him to accept Karen's corpse-dragon assignment, warns him about Karen's deception, and provides technical advice during the tooth-modification work. 15 16 20

Her fear of Karen is unusually intense, suggesting prior trauma connected to him or the slave-catching groups. Her reaction to seeing her enslaved aunt also shows that she remains emotionally attached to her people despite her combative behavior. 15 20

Medusa retains strict moral boundaries concerning her people. Although she offers Li knowledge of soul-devouring techniques against snake-like creatures, she explicitly forbids him from using the Devouring Curse on Medusas. 23

Her later actions show that she can set aside old grievances when faced with a shared existential danger. She answered Li's request for assistance directly during the Frozen Continent operation, while still carrying the grievance over her stolen eye. 716 729

Abilities & Skills

Petrification Ray

Medusa's eyes gather Stone Elements and release Petrification Rays capable of turning living beings and objects into stone. Her remaining eye is still powerful enough to petrify Li almost completely. 2 14

• Can petrify targets partially or completely. 14 15
• Can reverse or limit petrification she has inflicted, allowing Li to speak or move when necessary. 15
• Her eye's power was sufficient for Barbaro's transplanted eye to petrify Li completely. 4
• One eye was removed and transplanted into Barbaro. 3 4
• Medusa blood retains a petrifying effect, while the gland behind a Medusa's eye socket can extract faint Stone Element from the Elemental Tide. 81

Mental Communication

Medusa can communicate through the mind rather than speech and directs Li to use mental communication while he is unable to speak. 14

• Claims to be able to determine whether Li is lying during mental communication. 14
• Communicates warnings and technical advice while concealed in frog form. 16 20
• Maintains mental contact with Li during the swamp's collapse and provides him with information about the Medusas, Karen, and the Devouring Curse. 23

Royal Curse and Punishment

As a member of the Medusa royal family, Medusa identifies Li as bearing the curse connected to her bloodline. 14

• Threatens Li with the Crushing Stone Punishment, a torture said to shatter a victim's soul into countless stones that repeatedly lose and recover their memories. 15
• Uses the threat to coerce Li into cooperating with her. 15
• The Medusa Bloodline Curse is more difficult to remove than an ordinary curse because its bloodline component must be separated from its curse-grudge force. 82

Transformation Resistance

Although Li's Frog Transformation normally requires his blood to reverse, Medusa begins recovering her original size while transformed, indicating that her race can resist the spell's size-limiting effect. 14

Snake Transformation Knowledge

Medusa possesses knowledge of the Medusa race's secret Snake Transformation ability and the dangerous soul-related process needed to pass it on. 24

• Through Soul Weaving, she helps Li perceive the structure of Snake Script and the Snake Transformation Array. 24 25
• She offers to teach Li how to devour the souls of snake-like creatures, but forbids him from applying the Devouring Curse to Medusas. 23

Dragon-Tooth Knowledge

Medusa knows how Petrification Rays interact with dragons, explaining that a dragon's magic resistance can normally turn petrification into a tartar-like coating that reduces tooth sharpness. 20

• Her advice forms the basis of Li's attempt to modify the Corpse Dragon's teeth. 20
• The plan fails because the Corpse Dragon lacks sufficient magic resistance and its tooth petrifies completely. 20

Dragon Marks

By the Void Expanse conflict, Medusa can employ Dragon Marks alongside her Petrification Spell to isolate an area and prevent the transmission of consciousness and energy. 729

• Her Dragon Marks helped restrain the golden ancient will released from the Frozen Continent. 729
• The technique complemented Lina's spatial separation and allowed Li to continue his examination of the Continental Core. 729

Power Progression

Relationships

• Li Ziran — Captor, buyer, mutilator, and eventual uneasy ally. Li bought her from Barbaro, removed one of her eyes, and repeatedly restrained her in frog form; Medusa later petrified and coerced him while still relying on his medical expertise. Their later cooperation against larger threats does not erase her demand that Li repay the eye he stole. 2 14 15 716 729
• Barbaro — Initial captor and seller. Barbaro intended to harvest Medusa's eyes for himself before selling her, and Li transplanted one of her eyes into him. 1 3 4
• Karen — Feared enemy. Medusa panics at the mention of Karen, calls him deceitful, and blames him for her sisters being stranded outside their homeland. Karen also deceived her aunt by promising the Medusas a new home before exploiting that trust to capture them. 15 16 23
• Her aunt — One of the adult Medusas enslaved by the slave corps. Medusa recognizes her among Karen's hidden captives and reacts violently before Li forces her to remain quiet. Her aunt had previously led Karen into the Medusa camp after trusting his promise of a new habitat. 20 23
• Other Medusas — Her people and implied sisters. She is connected to the swamp Medusas through her royal lineage, reacts strongly to their persecution and captivity, and seeks a means to save them despite their past rejection of her. 16 20 23
• Annie — A Medusa associated with Li during the swamp's destruction. Medusa was later left in frog form beside Annie, together with Li's blood for restoration. 32
• Lina — Temporary ally in the Void Expanse. Medusa and Lina combined Dragon Marks, petrification, and spatial control to protect Li's Frozen Continent operation. 729