After a long silence, the sound of something shifting finally emerged—rustling and scraping, as if unseen things slithered across the entire room. The noise coiled around every heart, thick with mystery and dread.
“…” The shadowed figure seemed about to speak, then halted abruptly, lost in thought. At last, she released a deep sigh, steeling herself with a private resolve.
“I will never stop, Wu. I *will* claim you before they find you…”
As she finished, the figure stepped from the pitch-black shadows onto the glowing symbols etched into the floor, revealing her true form—Xialin.
Her soft cerulean bob still rested obediently on her shoulders. Those eyes, once brimming with mischief in my memory, were now clouded with contemplation. Every trace of innocence and purity had been replaced by an uncanny allure.
Her aura was utterly transformed from the girl who’d parted ways with me that afternoon. The dim, lightless room draped her like a cloak of enigma, perfectly mirroring the dangerous energy radiating from Xialin now.
This Xialin was pure darkness—a stark contrast that made it impossible to believe this might be her truest self.
“Master.”
The door creaked open, hinges groaning in the darkness. Beyond the softly glowing sigil at the room’s center, nothing was visible—not even shapes standing right before you.
“You’re back.”
“Mm.”
“Do you like your new body?” Xialin turned abruptly toward the girl lingering by the door.
“I adore it, Master. Thank you for this priceless gift.” The newcomer’s voice, initially gentle, grew strained the moment Xialin mentioned “body.”
A wet, indistinct friction filled the air. Her breathing quickened, disrupting her words.
Noticing her distress, Xialin’s lips curled into a knowing smile. Their fusion was still incomplete.
“What’s wrong? Is it acting up again? Your compatibility must be low—you should’ve grown accustomed to it by now, using it to interact with the world.” Xialin beckoned her closer. “You must learn to cherish having a body again, my dear senior, Lisa.”
“…Yes, Master.” Lisa bit her lip gently, suppressing waves of rejection surging within her as she swayed toward Xialin.
“Oh my~ Your body’s even better than I imagined,” Xialin giggled, seizing Lisa’s right hand once she stumbled near. Her gaze roved over the girl. Flushed cheeks glistened like dew. Eyes hidden behind glasses shimmered with moisture. The subtle rise and fall of her “macarons,” her bitten crimson lips—Lisa embodied textbook youthful allure, radiating vibrant, blossoming energy.
“Such clumsiness won’t do, senior. If the Seed awakens later, you’ll be completely paralyzed. I can’t allow that.” Xialin pulled Lisa into a tight embrace from behind, mischief glinting in her eyes—a release for her earlier frustration. “Time for extra training. Don’t worry, I won’t break your new toy~”
“…As you wish, Master…” Lisa’s flush deepened—a sign of the Seed both draining and nourishing her body. She could feel it pushing her beyond humanity. By every measure, she was no longer entirely human—neither in flesh nor spirit.
Xialin’s left arm morphed into viscous, whip-thick cerulean liquid, swaying in the air. Once it locked onto the helpless Lisa, it surged forward like a shark scenting blood.
The liquid whip reshaped mid-air, swelling into a human-sized jelly cocoon that swallowed Lisa whole—like an egg reabsorbing its newly hatched chick.
Yet Lisa showed no fear. She understood: Xialin was stabilizing this hard-won body, suppressing rejection before it destroyed her.
After all, not every vessel could withstand the Demonic Seed’s pressure. Many had crumbled during implantation, each loss piercing Xialin’s heart. Thankfully, the Seed never killed its host—it simply faded into motes of mana upon withering.
“Take good care of yourself, senior Lisa,” Xialin murmured, her playful tone gone, replaced by rare gravity. This Demonic Seed was indispensable to her plan.
