Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

Cold liquid dripped onto her skin, bringing an unsettling sensation like a snake slithering over her body.

Anna hadn’t opened her eyes yet, but she could already feel the damp heat in the air, resembling the lair of some reptilian creature.

The weakness from her sealed powers hadn't disappeared, and the cold shackles around her wrists were still there.

But this was clearly no longer the prison of the Silence Mechanism.

In her blurry memories, she vaguely recalled the sound of a violent explosion that had blasted open the walls of the prison.

The warden—the nauseating touch of his blood splashing on her skin—still lingered as an unsettling memory.

“Oh my, you’re awake?”

A familiar yet loathsome seductive voice echoed in her ears.

Anna looked up, meeting the gaze of the femme fatale standing before her, dressed provocatively.

The woman held a fresh, beating heart in her hands, licking it with a rapturous expression as though indulging in a culinary delicacy. Upon noticing Anna’s gaze, she tilted her head and smiled bewitchingly.

“Here we wre again, Anna Kablin.”

Anna said nothing, staring coldly at the woman before her.

“Oh dear, why this face? You know, despite the fact that for certain peculiar reasons, all the powerhouses stationed in the Silence Mechanism’s branch were temporarily summoned away, leaving the place defenseless, we still incurred great losses rescuing you. Nearly a third of our followers had to be sacrificed! Couldn’t you show just a little gratitude?”

“Gratitude? Gratitude for solidifying my reputation as a traitor colluding with heretic followers?” Anna replied expressionlessly.

“Colluding? How could you put it so harshly?”

The banshee pouted with dissatisfaction, her crimson lips forming a playful curve. “We’re family—how could you use a word as dreadful as ‘colluding’ to describe relationships among family members?”

“Family?!” Anna’s hands clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white.

“Oh dear, shouldn't family members be more tolerant and understanding of one another? Or perhaps…”

The woman looked straight at Anna, her gaze suffused with deep mockery.

“Do you have any other safe havens left in this world, Anna Kablin?”

“…”

Anna’s expression darkened instantly. Her once-clear eyes narrowed into chilling, vertical pupils. The shackles on her wrists clinked faintly as they rubbed against her skin, and from her seemingly frail body emanated an aura of overwhelming, bone-chilling murderous intent.

But this transformation didn’t seem to intimidate the banshee. On the contrary, it sent her into delighted laughter.

“Yes, yes! Just like that, Anna Kablin. The more you become like this, the less you can turn back!”

“What do you want from me?” Anna seemed tired, asking dejectedly.

“Is all of this just to turn me into a wanted criminal?”

“Well, there’s no other way. The academy and Campbell’s protection pose significant obstacles to us. To deal with that hassle, we have to strip all of it away, leaving you isolated. As for our ultimate goal… haven’t I already mentioned it? I want to invite you to join us.”

“But there are other ones suffering from snake metamorphosis—not just me. Why are you so fixated on me, going as far as…”

The memory of the banshee’s actions made Anna’s delicate frame tremble.

“Even attacking the Silence Mechanism branch… what good does that even do you?”

“Oh dear, haven’t you realized it yet? Anna Kablin, you are special.”

“Special?”

“Yes, special. For most ordinary snake-metamorphosis patients, the incubation period lasts between one to three years. The longer the incubation period, the better patients adapt to the powers granted by the Great Moon after becoming snakefolk. In other words, the longer the incubation, the more blessings one receives from the Moon.”

“And isn’t that just wonderful?”

“As for you…”

Suddenly, the femme fatale leaned closer, staring deeply into Anna’s increasingly pale face, and a flash of jealousy flickered in her eyes.

“You were born as a snake-metamorphosis patient. So tell me, how long has your incubation period been?

Twenty… one years. You’re twenty-one years old now. Twenty-one full years. Do you know what that means?

Before you, the longest incubation period for any snake-metamorphosis patient was only ten years.”

“I…”

Anna’s face grew even paler, but she took a deep breath, suppressing her panic and fear, and said:

“I don’t know what you mean. I’ve only shown signs of snake-metamorphosis starting from two years ago.”

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Two years ago? What an inept lie.”

The banshee laughed uncontrollably, trembling with delight. Tracing her perfect fingers along Anna’s flawless face, she let her mockery intensify.

“If your symptoms only began two years ago, then tell me this: as someone so beautiful, so innocent-looking…

Why were you abandoned by your own parents shortly after birth?”

“...There are scumbags among parents everywhere. What does that prove?” Anna clenched her hands once again, her knuckles turning white.

“Oh dear, relax, don’t get so upset. I’m merely reiterating a simple fact.”

Disregarding Anna’s anger, the banshee chuckled seductively, “Anna Kablin, aside from us, you have nowhere else to go. We, and only we, are your companions.”

“So, let me ask again: will you join us?”

“No.” The answer came again without hesitation.

“Oh dear, won’t you reconsider?”

“There’s no need to consider something like this.”

Anna lowered her gaze slightly and said softly:

“I’ll never join you. Even if I am left utterly alone again.”

After all, loneliness was something she had grown used to long ago, wasn’t it?

It was just…

Thinking of a certain figure, Anna sighed inwardly with regret.

Junior, I guess I won’t get the chance to teach you more about ancient potion. Hopefully, you'll keep up all of those on your own.

“Well, well, what an unexpected response. I didn’t anticipate you’d truly be so resolute. If that’s the case, I guess I’ll just have to use... a little coercion instead.”

“What are you planning now?” Anna’s eyes narrowed cautiously.

“Nothing much. I only thought we could talk a little… about your life after your parents abandoned you.”

The banshee leaned closer, whispering by Anna’s ear like a demon murmuring dark truths:

“That orphanage—you haven’t returned there in several years now, haven’t you?”

“You...!”

Anna’s delicate chair armrest shattered beneath her grip. Her snake-like pupils glared at the woman in front of her, rare traces of panic overtaking her.

“I’m warning you—stay away from the orphanage!”

“Oh dear, oh dear, relax! I won’t do anything rash. After all, we’ve just stirred up the Silence Mechanism branch—making any blatantly big moves would be inconvenient during such a critical time.

But, if you anger me enough… I might just lose my self-control, you know?”

The banshee giggled and went back to licking the heart in her hands, her gaze directly meeting Anna’s cold stare without any trace of fear.

“What do you think?”

After a long stare-down, Anna slumped weakly into her chair.

“...Despicable.”

“That’s the greatest compliment one could pay me. But, since we’re going to be family, pushing you this much might be unkind of me. So in the spirit of mercy, I’ll offer you a compromise.”

The banshee dexterously twirled her fingers and placed a vial of potion before Anna.

“All you need to do is drink this, and I won’t interfere further.”

“This is…”

“With your skills in potion-making, you should easily recognize what this potion does.”

“…”

Anna reached out and uncorked the vial. She inhaled the compound aroma deeply, and in an instant, the potion’s name and function flashed through her mind.

“Evolution Potion…”

“Exactly! It’s an Evolution Potion—the kind that triggers latent bloodline advancement.”

“But why… are you asking me to take this?”

“Because… time is running out.

I believe you’ve already sensed it. Based on the original trajectory, you likely had years left before your body fully matured, before becoming the most perfect snake-folk hybrid in existence.”

The banshee raised her head to stare at the dim ceiling, her face alight with an expression of pure zeal.

“But recently, the Moon delivered an oracle. The Holy War is imminent, the Divine Kingdom is approaching, and the revered One is about to descend upon this filthy world.

Therefore, we must be fully prepared before that moment arrives.

And you, Anna Kablin—you are the key.”

“The key…”

Upon hearing this, Anna’s delicate form began to tremble uncontrollably. At last, the fog of her destiny lifted, revealing the massive darkness looming ahead, ready to devour her entirely.

She couldn’t let their plan succeed. She had to resist—she had to!

If she didn’t, countless innocent lives would be lost.

But…

“What’s wrong?”

The banshee propped up her chin with a playful smile, tilting her head. Her girlish yet unnerving gaze fixated on Anna as she teased:

“Still gonna refuse?

Well, as your family, I won’t force you. If you don’t drink it, it’s fine. At worst…”

The woman smiled venomously, her grin as malicious as a snake’s hiss.

“At worst, I can always resort to using my boundless love to persuade you. After all, isn’t warming others with love my forte?”

The banshee licked the still-beating heart in her hand, her glamorous smile radiating carnality.

Anyone could see her version of “love” was something wholly malevolent.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

The cold dripping water continued its steady fall, like the pendulum of fate counting down the sands of despair.

“…I’ll drink.”

After a long silence,

“I’ll drink.”

The simple words seemed to drain all of Anna’s strength. Her trembling hand slowly reached out for the Evolution Potion.

It felt impossibly heavy.

“Remember your promise.”

“No need to worry. As I said earlier, I won’t make any moves that would jeopardize the plan during this critical time.”

“I hope so.”

Anna tilted her head back and consumed the potion in one swallow.

A warmth flowed down her throat, spreading rapidly through her stomach, then throughout her body.

The defining characteristic of potions was their frightening absorption rate—a necessity for treatments or mana-replenishment potions in instances of urgent need.

Thus, as soon as the potion’s crystalline liquid entered her body, everything changed irreversibly.

Instantly.

Anna’s body stiffened.

The potion vial slipped from her hand and shattered into pieces on the ground.

Dark, pulsing veins surged beneath her pale skin as fine scales began spreading from her sleeves outward. Her overheated blood gradually turned cold, and Anna felt her heartbeats slowing, as though encased in ice.

The world suddenly looked different. Colors drained away until everything was cast in monochromatic gray, with indistinct boundaries. At the edges of every object, red, yellow, and blue lines flickered vibrantly.

And in the center of this gray void, one object stood out luminously.

It was…the beating heart.

Anna’s gaze slowly rose, fixating on the heart in the banshee’s hand. She sniffed softly, catching an intoxicating scent.

Smell so good.

So good.

She wanted… to eat it.

“Oh, do you want to eat it?”

The banshee chuckled softly, placing the heart in front of Anna.

“You can have it... let's just say... it's a gift from this family member of yours.”

Anna reached out her hand, slowly inching toward the heart.

But just as her fingers were about to touch it, her other hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, pushing it back.

“No...”

Anna’s serpent-like pupils quivered uneasily. She panted heavily, as countless whispers echoed around her ears, eroding her will. Yet she clenched her hand tightly, refusing to relent.

“Absolutely not...”

“Oh? You still have the will to resist?”

The banshee looked slightly surprised but then smirked.

“It doesn’t matter; this is only the beginning. Anna Kablin, enjoy the grand moon’s affection for you as much as you can.”

The banshee straightened up, and just as she was about to leave, she heard Anna mumbling unconsciously, her mind in chaos.

“Junior...”

“Junior? Are you hoping he’ll come to save you?”

The banshee lowered her gaze, mocking her with a sneer.

“How naive. To everyone, you’re already nothing but a complete monster. No one’s coming to save you... no one...”

...

...

After Celicia left, the hospital room grew eerily quiet.

Moen got out of bed, put on his coat, and stepped out.

This was the familiar St. Maria's University Hospital. Owing to the fact that most students knew basic healing magic, the place was rarely frequented.

It was exceptionally desolate.

Moen walked onward without encountering any obstacles, only the middle-aged doctor from before who gave him a concerned look.

Moen ignored it and exited the hospital.

Pale clouds veiled the sun, and an autumn breeze chilled the air.

He wandered through the campus like a soulless shell, drained of life.

Along the way, he passed many students.

It seemed that the incident had been kept under wraps; the students were unaware of the recent turmoil and were still basking in the joy of their campus lives.

Moen walked past laughing and chattering boys and girls.

No one deliberately dodged him anymore, nor did anyone gaze at him with fear. Some brave first-year girls even greeted him proactively.

Moen forced an awkward smile in response, but every sign of change, every casual greeting, felt like a cruel mockery to him.

Because the senior who had done the most to help him on his path, Anna, was now stripped of even the right to remain in the academy.

So why are *you* still here, Moen Campbell?

Moen aimlessly wandered until he reached the sycamore grove he frequented.

It was quiet here, with golden leaves shimmering like a gleaming ocean blanket.

Moen often came, whether to jog, read, or take a nap.

It was a place where he could always calm himself.

But this time, sitting under the familiar sycamore tree, his mind remained chaotic.

The events of last night and today whirled endlessly in his head, like an invisible giant hand tearing at his soul.

He had thought that if fate were to be cruel, its cruelty would be directed at him. He had long prepared himself for that eventuality.

But never had he expected the long-awaited fatal blow to land squarely on his senior instead.

Completely unprepared.

“No. Moen Campbell, you need to pull yourself together.”

Moen slammed his fist into the tree, causing golden leaves to flutter down. The sharp pain in his fingers seemed to finally clear his head a little.

“Senior Anna is now identified by the Silence Order as an enemy of humanity. Even a kill-on-sight warrant has been issued. If you don’t pull yourself together, no one else will be able to save her.”

But saving someone—easier said than done.

Ignoring the murder accusations, the cultists, and the Moon of Silence—each one of these issues could drive someone to despair. To save his senior, there was an even more fundamental problem that simply couldn’t be bypassed.

—The Serpentification Disease.

If the Serpentification Disease couldn’t be cured, everything else was moot.

Yet no matter what Celicia had said or what Moen remembered from the original novel, the disease, as a plague spread by the Moon of Silence, was incurable.

Even the Black Book showed no reaction right now.

“Damn it... if only I’d finished reading the entire original story.”

Once more, Moen fell into regret for not completing the novel. Although the plot had long been derailed beyond recognition and could hardly serve as a reference, it still would’ve been invaluable for gathering intel.

“Besides, now that I think about it, the situation Senior Anna is facing might very well be my fault.”

“It’s because of me—the blonde villain—that the threads of fate were altered...”

“The Moon of Silence, a dark god that only began making moves mid-story in the original, shouldn’t have exposed Senior’s Serpentification Disease this early. After all, later on, she appeared as the owner of a mysterious shop and had many interactions with the protagonist Ariel.”

Wait.

Hold on.

Shop owner?

Ariel?

A spark of insight flashed in Moen’s mind, as if he had just grasped onto something.

“Moen Campbell? What are you doing here?”

Just as Moen tried to hold onto that fleeting idea, a familiar and irritated voice snapped him out of it.

He turned his head, and speak of the devil—there stood Ariel, holding a large bag of black bread, glaring at him as if she’d just stepped in something unpleasant.

“Ariel? What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean, ‘what am I doing here’? Do you own this place? I was just passing by! You’re in the way, Moen Campbell!”

“Oh, right.”

Only then did Moen realize that, indeed, he was blocking the path.

That said, this particular trail wasn’t one people normally took. So what was Ariel doing here, anyway?

Glancing at the black bread she held, Moen decided it was better to play dumb.

“Hmph. Running to a secluded place like this in broad daylight to mope—so annoying.”

Having failed to acquire the ancient dragon's heart blood and spent all her savings on promotion materials, Ariel was now stuck sneaking food from the cafeteria, only to bump into the last person she wanted to see on her way back. She glared at Moen one final time, shoved past him with a shoulder check, and stalked off.

“Wait a second.”

Barely a few steps away, she was halted by Moen’s voice.

“Do you need something, Moen Campbell?”

Annoyed, Ariel turned around—only to find Moen looking at her with an unsettling glow in his eyes, the kind a wolf might have when spotting a rabbit.

“Y-you… what are you doing?”

Startled by his gaze, Ariel instinctively took a step back.

This... this posture of his…

“M-Moen Campbell, have you finally succumbed to your beastly instincts?!”

She glanced at the isolated and quiet path they were on, a wave of caution washing over her. Snatching the black bread out of her bag, she twirled it fancily like a sword.

If this brute dared try anything, she swore she'd beat him half to death with her stale bread!

The legend of the breadstick killer was no joke!

But contrary to her fears, Moen made no evil move. He simply studied her with that eerie glow in his eyes, as though processing some revelation.

“Ariel, can I ask you a question?”

“W-what question?”

“If there’s a girl… someone you’ve interacted with many times but whose true identity you don’t know… and she contracted an incurable disease, what would you do?”

“Incurable disease?”

Ariel blinked, momentarily taken aback. Then her expression turned serious.

“Is this girl pretty?”

“She is.”

“Exactly how pretty?”

“Well...”

Moen pondered for a moment.

“Even prettier than that blonde beauty you ran into a while back.”

“Save her. No matter what, she must be saved—even if I have to sell everything I own!” Ariel declared, slapping her thigh decisively. “So what if it’s ‘incurable’? This world has strong magic everywhere; there’s bound to be a cure!”

“But what if the disease is linked to a dark god...”

“A dark god? So what?!”

Ariel’s brows knitted together as she roared with conviction:

“If a dark god dares to interrupt me from wooing girls—no, from completing strategies—no, from building my harem...!” She paused, flustered. "I mean, from bringing equal happiness to beautiful young women—then I’ll cut that dark god down myself!"

Her domineering declaration echoed through the grove, startling the birds into flight.

“...”

Moen’s lips parted slightly. Gazing at Ariel, the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

It was as if something had suddenly become perfectly clear.

“Of course! Why didn’t I think of it before?”

“W-what?”

“You’re Ariel!”

Moen stepped toward Ariel, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her enthusiastically.

“You’re the ultimate queen of Phoenix Pride! The unstoppable Mary Sue! The woman destined to build the ultimate paradise of maidens’ affection! You’re Ariel Bugard, the true protagonist with both cheats *and* a divine destiny!”

Although he didn’t know the plot’s future, how could Senior Anna, who was intricately tied to Ariel as a mysterious shop owner, easily perish? Or succumb entirely to being a tool of a dark god?

In a Phoenix Pride overpowered novel, killing off a stunningly beautiful female character was guaranteed to enrage readers!

He had faith that the original author wouldn’t be *that* stupid!

In fact, Senior Anna might very well be a key figure in the Moon of Silence plotline! That might explain why the cultists had risked everything to assault the Silence Order to take her away.

In other words… the Serpentification Disease might *not* be incurable after all!

“Ahahahaha! Senior Anna can be saved! Ariel, I love you—ouch!”

Overcome with exhilaration, Moen almost leaned in to kiss Ariel, only to be met with one of her iron punches. Doubling over in pain, he crumpled to the ground like a cooked shrimp, clutching his abdomen.

“Moen Campbell, what the hell is wrong with you now?!”

Ariel glared at him, her cheeks flushed red, equal parts embarrassed and furious.

“I’m warning you—don’t even think about having weird thoughts about me! I’m only interested in pretty girls!”

“Haha, exactly! Pretty girls… that’s the way to go... I only care about pretty girls too...”

Even after taking a hit, Moen seemed even more invigorated. Springing back to his feet like a fish jumping out of water, he sprinted toward the student club building.

But two steps in, he abruptly halted and turned back to Ariel, walking over to her with a solemn expression.

Without warning, he snatched the black bread from her hands and tossed it on the ground.

“How can you keep eating this stuff? Your chest is bound to shrink.”

“M-Moen Campbell! What are you—”

Ariel froze, momentarily stunned at the sight of her evening meal discarded.

Before she could explode with anger, she felt a thick pile of something suddenly get shoved into her hands.

It was dark green, neat, and… a stack of cash!

The fresh ink scent of the brand-new bills jolted Ariel out of her stunned state. She was instantly furious:

"Moen Campbell, are you trying to humiliate me with money? Let me warn you, I’m not that kind of person—"

She hadn’t even finished her sentence.

The second stack.

The third stack.

...

The hundredth stack.

Moen emptied out all the cash he had on him—a total of one million—and threw it all at Ariel in one go.

"Here, take it all. Use it to buy yourself something good to eat. I suggest milk and papaya with every meal. Ariel, don’t give up! Trust me, there’s still hope for you!"

Moen gave Ariel’s shoulder a hearty pat and shot her a thumbs-up.

"You can keep the cash. This is my way of saying thank you!"

"…"

Ariel's mouth gaped open as she stared blankly at Moen, who bolted right after unloading the money. Once again, she was utterly dumbfounded.

What... just happened?

Ariel cast her gaze downward, staring at the mountain of cash piled next to her. Her little head was completely blank.

...

Buried under money, at a total loss for what to do.

...

...

A soft breeze rustled through the trees, whispering through the quiet forest.

At some point, the sun had broken through the clouds, casting a gentle, golden light over the scene.

At the end of the golden road, Moen walked briskly, his steps full of purpose as he ventured toward the unknown ahead.

"Please hold on just a little longer, senior."

This time, Moen's gaze was resolute, devoid of even a trace of hesitation:

"I'm on my way to save you."