boyutpedia Page 26
Page 26
After all, how could anyone choose someone like her?
As Hannah pondered this, the green liquid flowed into her throat.
The warmth and fragrance, like the scent of new life sprouting in spring, brought Hannah to a halt to her wandering thoughts. Was she hallucinating? Why did she feel her body...changing?
Are you kidding me? Or...?
Amidst Hannah's self-doubt, her body began to change in full view of everyone. Her dark green hair grew even deeper, taking on a vine-like texture, yet remaining smooth; her fair skin veered slightly towards a bluish hue, and tendrils materialized out of thin air, wrapping around the girl's limbs, transforming into gloves and stockings. Golden sunflower heads appeared between the girl's dark hair, scattering golden light, giving off a gentle, pleasant, and warm feeling.
"I, I am..."
Hannah Flor looked down at her hands. She could feel that what looked like gloves on her hands were not just simple clothing, but organs like hands and feet, part of her body, and only one of her outward forms, if she wanted to…
The overwhelming amount of information overwhelmed the girl, leaving her momentarily confused and unsure how to cope. Especially with so many eyes on her, the already timid girl felt even more embarrassed and frightened, unsure of how to conduct herself.
The onlookers, of course, paid no attention to her. They stared at the transformed Hanna with a variety of complex emotions, including curiosity, envy, jealousy, worry, and fear. But what they all felt was astonishment and hesitation at the change they had witnessed.
It's one thing if an awakening potion completes an awakening, after all, there are geniuses like that. But what's with those strange changes? Flower plate, green vines... If it weren't for the fact that Hana's limbs and face hadn't changed yet, they would almost think that this was the true form of her bloodline!
However, if this is not the true form of bloodline, then what is this change?
Could it really be a miracle?
Chapter 58: I've never heard of such a request in my life
"Miss Hannah, don't be nervous, trust me."
Amidst the murmurs and clamor, Zhuang Sen took Hana's hand. The large, blue leaf-woven gloves felt incredibly smooth and thin; with a gentle pull, he could even feel the cold sweat on Hana's palm. For Hana, lost and bewildered, this sudden intimacy snapped her back to reality. The warm touch of his hand made her look at Zhuang Sen, and she instinctively followed her gut feeling, nodding slightly, trusting this man she had only met twice.
Zhuang Sen was somewhat surprised, but time was of the essence. He lowered his voice and said quickly but clearly, "Please turn back into human form. Leave everything else to me."
Leaving aside the fact that Zhuang Sen himself had used the bloodline a few times, just based on the personal experiences of Dantalian and Nia, Zhuang Sen knew that monster girls, after awakening, gained the ability to transform back into human form and could switch at will. Although this essentially hindered the effectiveness of their abilities, in this "miraculous" situation, it actually proved to be extremely effective.
Hearing Zhuang Sen's confident and powerful words, Hana's tense mood inexplicably calmed down. She instinctively closed her eyes and changed her form. The green leaves clinging to her limbs disappeared, revealing her green dress again, and her dark green hair returned to its original dry state. Strangely, her fairy-like aura from the forest vanished...
Hana shrank back and looked up at Zhuang Sen, as if seeking his opinion. Zhuang Sen glanced at the small sunflower head in the girl's hair, nodded calmly, and looked at the crowd that had quieted down due to yet another unexpected turn of events. He raised Hana's hand, which she hadn't let go of, and said, "Everyone, the goddess's blessing has descended. Praise the goddess!"
"Praise the goddess!"
Whether the crowd reacted or not, under Johnson's inflammatory words and out of habit, they reflexively cheered, and the applause formed a wave, with even Mr. Sheldon joining in.
But he soon realized what was happening, stopped cheering and clapping, and tried to find the right words to question Zhuang Sen: "It was a great performance, Lord Zhuang Sen, but are you trying to say that the goddess directly elevated Miss Hana Flor to a state where she could manifest her bloodline's true form? Then why can't she do it now?"
Sheldon's words clearly indicated an intention to deny Hannah's awakening, dismissing it as a fabricated illusion by Johnson. However, there was some truth to his statement, as Hannah's appearance just now was obviously not that of a normal person. In the common sense of this world, only the true form of the bloodline could look like that, but it is also common sense that an awakening cannot manifest the true form of the bloodline.
So either Hana's appearance just now was fake, or Zhuang Sen, or the Church of the Vengeance, possesses the secret to make people leap to the third awakening—neither of which is what Zhuang Sen and the Church of the Vengeance want to see.
But this was within Zhuang Sen's expectations, and he had prepared for it in advance, which is why he told Hana to quickly turn back into human form.
He lowered Hannah's hand, raised his head slightly, and gestured with his chin toward Sheldon: "Mr. Sheldon, don't presume to know the majesty of the goddess with your foolishness."
Although Johnson's voice and demeanor were imposing, Sheldon was overjoyed. He had been somewhat uneasy, worried that Hannah Flor had truly awakened. But seeing Johnson's attitude now, he became confident: "I am not questioning the Goddess, Lord Johnson. I merely suspect that someone is misappropriating the Goddess's name to deceive the world! Everyone knows that those who awaken divine blood possess divine power. If poor Miss Hannah Flor, whom you have coerced, truly possesses divine blood as you claim, then could you please ask her to demonstrate it?"
For a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile played on Zhuang Sen's lips, almost unnoticed by anyone except for Lady Leah, who had been staring at him instead of Hannah. Upon seeing Zhuang Sen's triumphant smile, the tense Lady Leah immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"So, you want to personally experience the power of the great goddess's chosen one, the blessed one, the devout Miss Hana Flor, is that right?"
Hearing the veiled threat in Zhuang Sen's words, Sheldon raised his head high and exclaimed, "Indeed! If I could witness the divine power of the goddess, even if my body were shattered and my soul perished, it would still be for my faith!"
This wasn't due to Sheldon's piety or bravery; he simply believed Johnson had been exposed, as Johnson's previous statement was clearly a threat—continuing would be mortal danger. This only reinforced Sheldon's belief that Johnson had run out of tricks. He couldn't believe that Johnson, already punished by Earl Cross in front of so many witnesses, would dare use his underhanded methods to assassinate him, a respectable citizen! A member of the Church of War!
Come on, Johnson! Let me expose your hypocrisy and scheming!
War is the only truth!!
Johnson nodded slowly, as if hesitating, and said slowly, "Alright, although I don't want this to happen, and I absolutely don't want to do such a thing, since you insist so much, Mr. Sheldon, then I have no choice but to grant your request. Miss Hannah, please use your strongest ability on Mr. Sheldon."
Hearing the first half of the sentence, Sheldon was quite pleased, thinking that Johnson had indeed run out of tricks and was now resorting to empty words to plead for mercy. However, the second half, starting with Miss Hannah, suddenly gave him a strong sense of unease. Johnson abruptly sped up his speech in the second half, and by the time Sheldon realized what to say, a fiery inferno engulfed him, turning his witty banter into a monotonous, pitiful howl.
That was the result of Hannah, who was following Johnson's orders, using her strongest ability, called [Solar Flame], on Sheldon.
To onlookers, it appeared as if, following Johnson's command, Hannah Flor, a seemingly timid girl, suddenly raised her right hand and aimed it at Sheldon. Then, a dazzling pillar of light and fire, twice as thick as the girl's arm and as bright as sunlight, shot out and completely vaporized Sheldon from the head down to his abdomen!
Moreover, the pillar of light and fire did not stop there, but continued to spread rapidly forward. Just as it was about to rush directly into the crowd, Zhuang Sen quickly reached out and lifted Hana's arm, causing the pillar of light and fire to shoot into the sky.
Yes, this newly built church will soon need to be repaired again.
Fortunately, Miss Hannah reacted quickly and stopped attacking. In the remaining bright sunlight, she stared helplessly at the dead Sheldon. The crowd reacted similarly, glancing at Sheldon's body, then at Hannah, and finally, as Johnson took a step forward, their attention was passively focused on Johnson.
Meeting the gaze, Johnson made a prayerful gesture in front of him with great compassion: "Mr. Sheldon, congratulations on your wish coming true. May the goddess watch over you after your death."
The crowd shuddered in unison, their gazes toward Zhuang Sen becoming incredibly complex.
Regardless of whether gods exist or not, you're asking the goddess of vengeance to watch over someone who has been questioning your divine choice and is a follower of the god of war? Are you suggesting she watch over him and send him to hell?
And don't think we're really stupid. You clearly killed him on purpose to get revenge! The way you sped up your speech just now made no attempt to hide it!
Regardless of the crowd's murmurs, they fell silent when Miss Hana Flor clearly demonstrated her bloodline power. Whether it was the power of a goddess or not, the fact remained that they couldn't provide evidence to deny it, and Hana Flor had indeed mastered the power of her bloodline!
That's the truth in their minds! Just like they believe that Johnson Leon is petty!
Chapter 59: Mira Koffner (with photos)
Sheldon's body smelled scorching in the sunlight. Miss Hannah, still in a daze after her first murder, instinctively clung to Johnson. Johnson, though wearing a compassionate expression, was, after all, clad in full armor.
The gleaming armor, receiving sunlight streaming through the sun-scorched roof, reflected a striking and powerful aura. Combined with Zhuang Sen's reputation for killing with a smile, and the tantalizing aroma of roasted meat that filled the church, it felt like a heavy boulder weighing on everyone's hearts.
Plate armor shaped from a single piece of steel was a first for the world, naturally attracting attention. However, due to the previous miraculous event, no one was discussing it. But with Sheldon's death, the miracle seemed to be settled, and the crowd's attention naturally shifted elsewhere. In this distraction, they felt even more strongly the imposing and powerful presence of Johnson.
Many people initially thought Zhuang Sen was merely skilled in intrigue and ambushes, but now they have to admit that he is at least a man of considerable courage. Not everyone dares to kill a lackey of the War Church in front of the War Church bishop, even if they are in the right.
In particular, Johnsen has already offended Count Cross, and the Church of Vengeance is no match for the Church of War.
The crowd had gradually calmed down, and whether it was partly to cover up their own shortcomings, their discussion had shifted to whether the Church of Vengeance could protect Johnson as God's chosen one. Meanwhile, Bishop Charles, who had watched the spectacle unfold, slowly walked out of the crowd.
“Bishop Rosa, how dare you kill a brave and upright person in front of the gods and nobles? Is this the kind of person your Church of Vengeance has chosen?”
This clearly indicated a continuation of the fight against the Church of Vengeance, and the crowd once again watched with interest. Of course, this wasn't to say that Sheldon was particularly important; if he were, Charles could have saved his life in the end. But in Charles's eyes, Sheldon was far more useful dead than alive.
At that time, he had already figured out how to use this excuse to pressure Bishop Rosa; this was just the beginning.
Unfortunately, Bishop Rosa did not act as he had planned. Instead, she put on her usual kind smile and scolded, "You mere mortals, how dare you question God's choice and criticize the Goddess! If it weren't for the Goddess's chosen one, I would have been the one to take action!"
Such a ruthless and merciless attack startled Bishop Charles for a moment before he reacted, gritting his teeth in frustration, and the crowd erupted in discussion. The decline of the Church of Vengeance in recent years was no secret. Even though the addition of Dantalian to the Temple of Aranta was a continuation of its strength, Dantalian was, from the outside, only at the stage of awakening. No matter how strong it became in the future, it was useless now.
The Church of War has two Level 3 bloodline users who have awakened three times, one Level 3 bloodline user who has awakened twice, one Level 2 bloodline user who has awakened twice, and three Level 1 bloodline users who have awakened once. Their strength is far greater than that of the Church of Vengeance. If it weren't for the laws of the kingdom, they could have directly wiped out the Church of Vengeance.
So where did Bishop Rosa get the audacity to confront the Church of War head-on?
The answer is the courage given by Count Cross.
At a time when the Church of Vengeance needs to conduct propaganda and recruit soldiers, and when it is about to launch a campaign that covers both sides of the kingdom and may involve the entire nation, neither Earl Cross nor His Majesty the King would allow the Church of War to attack the Church of Vengeance.
Therefore, Bishop Rosa was completely fearless and even wanted to take the initiative to attack—she had naturally seen Nia's work long ago and was confident that its quality could completely crush the Church of War.
In this way, for Count Cross, the greatest use of the Church of War could be replaced by Johnson, while her Church of Revenge had no replacement. Besides, no matter how unlikable her own son was, he was still better than an outsider, right?
Bishop Charles now understood the reason for Bishop Rosa's tough stance, but he could no longer use Sheldon as an excuse, because he dared to target Johnson so strongly this time, just like Bishop Rosa, because he was sure that Earl Cross would tolerate him.
But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up on dealing with Johnson. Sheldon was just a waste of resources; if he could use him, great, but if not, it didn’t matter. He already had a different plan in mind.
Bishop Charles also straightened his face and said in a harsh tone, "Bishop Rosa, I didn't expect you to be so arrogant. Do you really think that Zhuang Sen's secret meeting with Hana Flor is an absolute secret? Do you think that choosing the Flor family's material shop will arouse suspicion?"
Bishop Rosa raised her eyebrows: "According to you, Bishop Charles, everyone here who has been to the Flor family's shop is colluding with them? I wonder if your church grows all the materials it uses?"
Bishop Charles chuckled. "I won't engage in such foolish arguments with you. The Flor family's bloodline is clear and unambiguous; none of them could wield that flame! Besides, Hannah Flor has used awakening potions within the Flor family before, but failed repeatedly. Why did she succeed this time? There's only one reason, and that is..."
"So you're saying Hanna was just cooperating with me to fake it, and that she's actually used the awakening potion many times in private, and may have even awakened long ago, right?"
Bishop Charles had laid the groundwork, about to deliver the fatal blow, but Zhuang Sen calmly uttered the final words, leaving him feeling utterly stifled and frustrated. Mainly, it had been too long since anyone had interrupted him; those who dared not, and those who wanted to, dared not.
But Zhuang Sen clearly had no intention of being polite to his future dog. He looked down at this great man who had awakened three times and casually said, "But I think you don't have any evidence, do you?"
Although he used honorifics, no one could muster a single word of respect in Zhuang Sen's tone. Bishop Charles, who had initially intended to be pretentious, stopped trying and instead looked directly at a group of somewhat out-of-place people in the crowd. A young girl, sensing his gaze, closed her book and gracefully walked down the path cleared by the crowd to stand between Zhuang Sen and Bishop Charles.
The girl was very elegant; that was everyone's first impression.
A black hair ornament draped her long, silver-white hair that reached her slender waist, revealing her fair ears with a rosy tint. Her delicate face was serene and peaceful, so elegant that even her red eyes did not appear frightening. A Lolita-style dress tightly hugged her delicate upper body, highlighting her graceful curves, while flaring out downwards to form a gorgeous skirt that fell above her knees. Black stockings connected to a pair of riding boots that reached her calves, the openings of which were hidden in the shadow of the skirt, slightly digging into the flesh of the girl's thighs, leaving only a glimpse of her fair, absolute territory, which was unforgettable.
“This is…” Bishop Charles proudly prepared to introduce his trump card.
"Miss Mira Koffner?"
However, Zhuang Sen once again beat him to it. This was not intentional on Zhuang Sen's part. It was mainly because as Miss Kophne approached, the listless bat on her head suddenly rushed into Zhuang Sen's eyes and unfolded a screen of light.
Chapter Sixty: It's normal for bloodline scholars to like blood, isn't it?
Bishop Charles looked very unhappy, but Johnson didn't have time to look at him.
Mila Coughnie
[Bloodline: Blood Clan - Ancient Scroll Clan]
[Development Status: Unawakened]
[Development Rewards - Beginner: Random Dark Bloodline *1, Vampire Encyclopedia Unlocked]
[One-time Awakening Potion Recipe: 600cc of Fresh Zhuang Sen's Blood]
"Lord Johnson." Charles suppressed his anger and addressed Johnson politely, but Johnson remained focused on Mira Koffne, showing no intention of looking away. Of course, he was actually looking at the system panel. Vampires... he wasn't surprised by the concept of blood clans, but wasn't the formula for the blood clan's awakening potion a bit strange?
Putting everything else aside, what potion formula only uses one ingredient?! This is no different from Zhuang Sen simply cutting his wrists!
"Jonson!"
Bishop Charles, who held a high position and had always lived a life of luxury, could no longer tolerate this. No one in the entire territory of Leon dared to ignore him like this!
Zhuang Sen was indeed brought back to his senses by his shout, and shook his head helplessly: "Why are you yelling so loudly, Bishop Charles? Don't you have any manners at all?"
“I don’t understand etiquette?!” Bishop Charles was so angry at this blatant attempt to shift the blame that he laughed. “Is repeatedly interrupting me considered etiquette? Is staring at a lady so abruptly considered etiquette?”
Of course, he couldn't say that, but Zhuang Sen was thick-skinned: "I just wanted to help you reduce the time spent talking, everyone's watching, I didn't expect you to be so ungrateful, sigh..."
Charles is really angry.
But before he could continue to be angry, Johnson turned to Mira: "Miss Mira Koffnie, I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you, but please allow me to explain that I was rude because the goddess has just given me another revelation, and you also have the goddess's grace."
Zhuang Sen's sudden seriousness startled everyone, including Bishop Charles, before they realized what he meant—Zhuang Sen was saying that Bishop Charles's people had received the blessing of the Furies.
No, that's not right. We've gotten caught up in this. It must be that Zhuang Sen saw through the bloodline that this Miss Mira Koffnie possesses? That's impossible, isn't it? This girl doesn't look like a local at all. There shouldn't be any silver-haired bloodlines in the entire Falling Star Kingdom.
"Lord Zhuang Sen, do you know me?"
A clear, silvery voice flowed from her thin lips, which were only slightly tinged with blood. Mira Koffney, holding a book, asked a question, but her eyes showed no doubt or curiosity. The crowd, startled by the beautiful voice, suddenly realized—how did Johnson know this girl's name?
This is one of Bishop Charles's men, so he can't possibly be an accomplice of Johnson, can he?
As the crowd's gaze shifted, Bishop Charles grew restless and blurted out, "Miss Koffney, do you know Lord Johnson...?"
Mira shook her head: "This is my first time in the Territory of Leon. Bishop Charles, you should know this."
The cool voice seemed to have some kind of special effect, instantly calming down the somewhat agitated Bishop Charles: "Yes, I'm sorry, Master Koffnie."
Only then did Zhuang Sen leisurely add, "I don't know you, miss. It was the goddess who told me your name—otherwise, you couldn't be Bishop Charles, could you?"
The atmosphere, which had just been normal, became strange again after Zhuang Sen's words. Bishop Charles's mood was even more difficult to understand. However, it was certain that Bishop Charles, who was known for his eloquence and was extremely good at bargaining, was now at a loss for words.
Could it be that there really is a vengeful goddess?
He shook his head abruptly, abruptly ending this fruitless reverie, and cut off the topic with a firm tone: "This is Master Mira Kofne, a bloodline scholar from the Kingdom of a Thousand Towers, author of the famous 'General Treatise on Bloodlines' and 'The Inheritance and Passing of Noble Blood,' and naturally, Master Kofne is also proficient in various techniques, such as the technique of detecting the awakening time of a divine bloodline, or even the technique of tracing the bloodline origin by determining how many awakening potions have been taken."
After recounting this long speech, Bishop Charles seemed unusually pleased, as if he had accomplished something great. Zhuang Sen was also quite satisfied; Bishop Charles had saved him time in gathering intelligence, especially since he was currently too busy, and besides, he couldn't gather any information about the Kingdom of a Thousand Towers anyway.
"So, Bishop Charles, you want Miss Koffney to examine Miss Hannah, is that right?"
“That’s right. What, is the Chosen One feeling guilty?” Bishop Charles raised his head confidently, and the smile returned to his face. He firmly believed that Hana couldn’t have really had a sudden awakening—didn’t he, as the bishop, know whether or not there was a miracle?
Zhuang Sen shook his head: "Of course not, but how can you prove that Miss Koffne's test results are true? After all, it seems that we don't have anyone else here who can verify Miss Koffne's words, right?"
Charles smiled smugly. This question from Zhuang Sen was exactly what he had expected. He replied calmly, "Master Kofne's reputation is the best proof, not to mention the credibility of the Kingdom of a Thousand Towers. Even the great Titan King praised her knowledge. Why would she need to deceive you here?"
Logically speaking, this statement makes no sense; no one would do such a guarantee. But in this era, reputation really does matter, and even Bishop Rosa thought it made sense.
So Zhuang Sen nodded in agreement: "Alright, since that's the case, how about this? You all should know when I awakened, right? So, Master Kofne, please test my blood first?"
Mira Koffney had no objections, but being an employee, she still looked at Bishop Charles. Bishop Charles thought for a moment, then nodded: "Don't try to stall for time, Lord Johnson, this isn't a very long task."
Zhuang Sen shrugged nonchalantly. Hana had definitely just awakened, and it was all done with a single awakening potion, so he wasn't worried at all. The reason he made this condition was simply to see how the vampire in front of him would react to his blood—anyway, as long as he didn't give her 600cc, she wouldn't awaken.
Although Johnson was also very interested in this vampire, he didn't plan to pursue this unexpected surprise until he was sure that Mira Koffney was easy to handle.