Monster Girl Development Master

Page 51

Everyone frowned. At this moment, Count Cross suddenly sent a message? And not just a raven, but a messenger, making such a grand gesture?

"Let him wait in the reception room. I'll go over later."

Lady Liya got up. She had been in the alchemy room for three days, and she was not in a good condition to see outsiders... It was all Zhuang Sen's fault.

The beautiful woman's eyes lingered on the boyish Zhuang Sen for a moment before she and Lydia headed towards their room. Zhuang Sen, of course, switched back to his Unranked Angel bloodline before she even opened the door, and headed towards his own room. Purification was useful, but there was no rush; he might as well take a shower.

……

Some time later, after washing up, Lia, Johnson, and the others arrived at the reception room and met Earl Cross's messenger. The man was sitting politely but relaxed at the round table, where many of the pastries and tea had been touched, and his face was full of joy.

Upon seeing Lady Liya and Johnson enter, he immediately stood up, took out an invitation from his pocket, and handed it out: "Respected Lady Liya and Young Master Johnson, Pal of Kolo pays his respects to you. We, the noble lords, the Lord of Shadow Raven, have ordered me to invite you to the Heir Banquet to be held tomorrow, where the results of the trial will be announced."

Lady Leah gave a signal, and immediately a maid stepped forward to take the invitation. After carefully examining it, she opened it and presented it to Lady Leah for her to see. The contents were indeed similar to what the messenger named Pal had said: a banquet would be held at Leon Manor at 10:00 AM the next morning, at which the results of the successor trial would be announced in advance.

Well, that seems quite reasonable. After all, Zhuang Sen has directly crushed the Church of War, and the other sons of Leon have no chance of competing with him. Not to mention, there are rumors circulating outside that he has already completed the third awakening, making it even more difficult to find a reason for this trial to continue.

But the premise is that Count Cross is a normal count and father, not a madman who keeps sacrificing his children to improve his bloodline. How could he possibly end the succession trial that scattered the sons of Leon in advance... Unless, he is prepared to devour them all at once, or he no longer needs to sacrifice them.

But either way, it's not good news for Johnson.

The former goes without saying; even if Zhuang Sen said he wasn't Earl Cross's child, that madman probably wouldn't believe him. The latter might be a good thing for others, but Zhuang Sen didn't believe Earl Cross's efforts to improve his bloodline were simply to make room for his descendants.

At best, you'll be suppressed; at worst, it'll lead to a direct war...

What Zhuang Sen had thought of was also what everyone else present, except for the clumsy Hana, had expected, causing a slight silence to fall over the atmosphere. This left Pal, the messenger who had assumed they were just there to deliver good news, completely bewildered, and his ingratiating smile became somewhat awkward. Fortunately, it was only for a moment. Zhuang Sen and his party quickly put on polite smiles and put away the invitations: "Thank you for your loyalty. Please convey to the Earl that we will definitely arrive on time... Maid, please give the gift to Mr. Pal."

The maid presented Pal with a small gift bag that was a staple of Glorious Manor. After exchanging pleasantries, the group saw Pal off from the manor and then regrouped in Zhuang Sen's room.

Zhuang Sen spoke first: "Tomorrow will definitely not be good. Nia and Dantalian, you two come with me. The rest of you stay at home."

With three bloodline users who had completed three awakenings, including one with a level five bloodline and one with a level four bloodline, Zhuang Sen felt that even if Count Kross truly became "Shadow Harpy," they could still win. Although Count Kross couldn't possibly fight Zhuang Sen and his two companions one-on-one if a real fight broke out, he still didn't plan to bring anyone else. Level one bloodline users and ordinary people were too vulnerable in this situation, especially Mira. The banquet was during the day, and it would be ridiculous if she didn't get beaten to death but instead died from sunburn.

But Lady Leah objected: "No, I have to go. The invitation specifically mentions you and me. If I don't go, Cross will definitely suspect that we've discovered something amiss, which could lead to even greater danger."

Moreover, if she went there, she might be able to use the banner of the Falau family to make Count Cross restrain himself a bit. He can't possibly kill all the attendees, can he?

Ange also raised her hand: "I want to go too, for the same reason. It's a banquet to decide the heir, how could Leon's son not go? As for the danger, at worst I can just use Shadowmeld to escape when a fight breaks out, and I can even take Lady Lia with me."

"Then I..." Hana was tempted, but Zhuang Sen suppressed her with a swift movement, "Stay at home, okay?"

Hannah collapsed onto the bed, her face flushed. Mira, sitting on the edge of the bed, pursed her lips but didn't say she wanted to go with them. After all, she knew very well that if she went during the day, she would only be a hindrance... Indeed, she still needed stronger power!

Lydia, however, stood up firmly: "Young Master, I am already dead, so it doesn't matter if I get injured again."

Unless purified by divine energy, the headless horseman must be completely destroyed by shattering her entire body, including her head. Therefore, Lydia could leave her head at home and send her body out, which in a sense makes her immortal.

"Alright, alright, but your first task is to protect Lia and get her out of here unharmed."

"Of course, it is your will, Master."

Lydia smiled sincerely, and the lineup for tomorrow's banquet was finalized: Johnson, Dantalian, and Nia were the three mainstays, while Angela, Lady Lia, and Lydia were the stabilizers; if anything went wrong, they only needed to make sure they could escape.

As for now, of course I need to practice the various new abilities I've mastered. I was originally planning to practice all day tomorrow, and then lure Klose out so I could gang up on him and beat him to death.

The plan can't keep up with the changes.

……

Meanwhile, in a secret room at the Leon Manor.

Cross Leon downed the thirteenth vial of [Blood of Origin], closing his eyes to await its effects. Unlike Zhuang Sen, who had a 100% success rate with a single dose of awakening potions, normal bloodline users don't have a guaranteed success rate with awakening potions; there's a significant chance of failure. And that was a specially formulated potion. The success rate of [Blood of Origin] is even lower. Therefore, Count Cross initially brewed a large batch, ultimately producing eighteen finished [Blood of Origin].

However, there are only five bottles left now.

After his thirteenth failure, Count Cross picked up the fourteenth bottle and, with a blank expression, drank it down amidst the silent wails of the illusory, deformed black crows overhead.

The Bloodline Cult duo, who had been slacking off nearby, felt a little uneasy watching this scene. Lizard quietly nudged Vol: "Do you really think this will work?"

"You ask me? Who should I ask? We can't decide either." Wall gritted his teeth, but as soon as he finished speaking, he saw black feathers spreading from Earl Cross's body. His originally thin hands turned into thick feathered wings, his sturdy feet became sharp claws, and even his gloomy face turned into a huge crow's head.

This wasn't the end. From Count Kross's ribs, two smooth, hairless arms burst forth from the flesh, accompanied by a constant flow of blood gushing from the black feathers—a bizarre and terrifying sight. The Bloodline Cult duo, witnessing this, covered their mouths, staring at each other in shock.

"distortion?"

"distortion!"

Count Cross completely ignored the two men's reactions, engrossed in his power: "Did it... did it work?"

He flapped his wings, feeling the immense power within him, and confirmed with absolute certainty in his heart: "I've succeeded! I've achieved my fourth awakening!"

“Zhuang Sen, my delicious son, tomorrow, your blood will be mine—”

Chapter 117: What Does the Holy Bloodline Special Forces Have to Do with Me, a Dwarf?

the weather is nice today.

The azure sky was cloudless, and the pleasant sunlight streamed through the streets and alleys of Starry Night City, making the bustling streets even more lively. Countless carriages roared and passed by, converging on Leon Manor. This time, Earl Cross had not invited the nobles from more distant places in advance, so the transportation was relatively smooth, and Zhuang Sen and his party arrived at Leon Manor as scheduled before the banquet began.

Leon Manor remained unchanged, luxurious and heavily guarded, with many guards even donning plate armor. Because there were fewer nobles present, the manor was less crowded this time. Lydia, who was driving, parked the carriage and then silently stood guard behind Lady Lydia.

Johnson and Lady Lia walked side by side down the corridor. Johnson's plate armor reflected the sunlight, bright and dazzling, making him look dashing, but not particularly unique. Armor was a type of noble attire, and wearing it to a banquet was not impolite, especially in this world of extraordinary bloodlines. Without bloodlines or with inferior bloodlines, you could be killed bare-handed even if you wore two layers of armor. Naturally, regulations in this regard were not strict.

Besides, as an arms dealer, what's wrong with him advertising his products? So not only did Johnson wear it, but Nia, Dantalian, and even Angel wore it, not to mention Lydia. The only one who didn't wear it was Lady Lia, which is unreasonable and Lady Lia herself doesn't have the physique to wear armor, which would actually affect her escape speed.

And so, watching as Zhuang Sen and his group, who seemed to have come to cause trouble, entered the banquet hall amidst the calm gazes of those around them, and came to the side of the kind-looking Bishop Rosa.

"Lord Zhuang Sen, what's going on?"

"Just showing off my Nia's skills to attract guests," Zhuang Sen chuckled. Of course, he couldn't reveal the real reason in the banquet hall, but Dantalian made two gestures behind him, and Bishop Rosa nodded knowingly: "I see. Speaking of which, I was also planning to make a set for Loris. I wonder if Master Nia has any free time recently?"

Nia nodded calmly: "Your Excellency, I am available anytime. May I ask what your specific requirements are?"

The group engaged in a lively conversation, their conversation revealing nothing amiss. They discussed weaponry and doctrine, leading one to believe that the Church of Vengeance had made the right bet and was poised for a resurgence.

And just like that, it was 10:30.

Those who could make it to the banquet had all arrived, mainly Leon's son and nobles and church members from the vicinity of Starry Night City. This lineup was sufficient for announcing the "Crown Prince," since it wasn't like Earl Cross was about to abdicate. Zhuang Sen still had plenty of time to slowly gather his own people and build his own little court.

Well, although Count Cross hasn't said it yet, everyone, including the other sons of Leon, has tacitly accepted that Johnson is the heir. No one wants to compete with him anymore, especially after Ange conveyed Johnson's opinion to them.

Then, Count Cross, who was clearly dressed in finery and looked very handsome and dignified, came out.

Zhuang Sen gazed at the dying black crow above his head, almost stained red with blood, and felt a complex mix of emotions. He felt a faint pang of sympathy for the unfortunate crow, but his disgust for Count Kross only intensified. At the same time, he felt a sense of helplessness and regret, since a man could not transform into a monster girl, and Count Kross's efforts were doomed from the start.

However, he didn't just watch; he opened the system panel and tested one of his hypotheses.

He randomly selected an available bloodline and aimed it at Count Kross. A 0% notification appeared above his head. He tried another, and the result was the same, just like with the other males. Apart from Zhuang Sen himself, all the other males with these bloodlines had an absolute 0% chance. But even Count Kross, who had forcibly obtained the [Shadow Harpy] bloodline, couldn't get it.

That Mira's suggestion last night might come in handy.

Johnson shut down the system panel and continued listening to Count Cross's ramblings until, an hour later, Count Cross finally got to the point: "...Therefore, I hereby declare that my dear son, the inventor of the indestructible plate armor, the restorer of Thorn Manor, the savior of my mother, the chosen one of the glorious vengeful goddess, the one who inherits the sacred bloodline of the Falcon—Johnson Leon! is my rightful and blessed heir! May the spirits of heaven and all those present bear witness to this!"

The guests raised their glasses and echoed in unison, "We are our witnesses!"

I have to say, it feels really good.

In the magnificent hall, a count loudly praises your glory, countless illustrious nobles raise their glasses in agreement, every gaze is incredibly kind, even obsequious, and smiles are everywhere. Various noble ladies and ladies flirt with you, making you feel truly elated.

This is the charm of power.

Zhuang Sen took a deep breath and patted Nia and Dantalian to calm down. Then he heard Count Cross call out, "Come here! My dear child! I have a gift for you."

Count Clos, whose face was usually gloomy, smiled for the first time. He took out an iron box with intricate carvings that made it look very precious. Many people were already guessing whether it contained a small scepter or a seal ring—there were only a few suitable gifts for this occasion.

Zhuang Sen, however, became extremely vigilant and slowly walked along the path cleared by the crowd to Earl Cross.

“You’ve done a good job, my son.” Count Cross smiled as he looked at Zhuang Sen, nodding as he pointed the Box of Blasphemy at Zhuang Sen and activated it.

Puff puff puff puff puff!!!

Six black shadows shot out at incredible speed, covering a distance of less than a meter, and all of them hit Zhuang Sen! The distance was too close, and Zhuang Sen had no time to react. Fortunately, the two blasphemous iron nails that were aimed at his heart failed to penetrate his armor, but the remaining four successfully nailed into his body.

In an instant, the bloodline of the rankless angel, which had been fully developed and constantly provided Zhuang Sen with powerful strength, weakened, making Zhuang Sen feel even weaker and more powerless than when he first transmigrated, as if he had a serious illness!

Moreover, since Johnson blocked Count Cross's movements and there were no other guests near the main seat, the others didn't even know what had happened. They only felt as if they had heard some sounds. Only Bishop Rosa and other bloodline holders who had awakened three times truly sensed that something was wrong.

Count Cross maintained his genuine smile and reached out to help Zhuang Sen, whose bloodline had been sealed. He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. After all, restraint is relative, and the divine bloodline can also purify the filth. However, a single blasphemous nail can greatly weaken the divine bloodline. Being hit by four nails in one go, Zhuang Sen, who was at most a second awakening, would not have the ability to resist.

Next, all we have to do is take him away and enjoy his delicious blood—that blood might just be enough to evolve him into a level five bloodline!

But just as Count Cross was lost in thought, he missed touching Zhuang Sen's hand instead, and everyone in the room realized something was wrong—why had Zhuang Sen suddenly become so much shorter? And why did the box in the Count's hand have a mechanism like a crossbow?

But before they could figure it out, Zhuang Sen, who had switched to the bloodline of the tall and short people, had already broken free from the control of the blasphemous nails. In fact, the moment he switched bloodlines, the nails that were originally stuck in his flesh and blood naturally fell off, so he immediately switched back to the Secretary Angel.

Red and white wings suddenly unfurled, and a childlike body burst forth with powerful strength. Divine energy responded in kind, transforming into pure holy light that crashed down upon the shocked Count Kloss!

The Light of Judgment

Chapter 118: Helping You with a Purification

A dazzling, holy light fell from the sky, crashing down on Count Kross like a waterfall. Count Kross, who had never expected that Zhuang Sen could break free from the effects of the Desecration Box, was caught completely off guard and failed to dodge—just as Zhuang Sen had never expected Count Kross to launch a sneak attack on him in broad daylight.

For most of the other people in the banquet hall, the mere fact that Earl Cross had allegedly attacked Zhuang Sen was enough to surprise and terrify them, not to mention Zhuang Sen's ability to change size at will, and the wings that seemed to appear out of nowhere, possibly the true form of his bloodline! Amidst these successive upheavals, they all seemed to have lost their ability to react, and not a single one stepped forward to help Earl Cross.

Or perhaps they were simply waiting for the outcome of this dramatic change. After all, the conflict between father and son was a family matter, and why should outsiders like them get involved? If they were caught in the crossfire by the two level-three bloodline individuals, then it would be others' turn to watch the spectacle unfold.

Immediately afterwards, they felt incredibly grateful for their choice.

Under the impact of the divine light, Count Kross unleashed his full power without hesitation. The dark, murky light distorted his figure, revealing the twisted and terrifying true form of his bloodline. Clusters of blood-red, jet-black feathers grew, covering his grotesque raven-headed head and his arms with twisted joints and elongated nails, fluttering in the wind like the hair of a dead man. His similarly twisted legs sprouted bluish-black scales, straining open his expensive calfskin boots, inlaid with gold and jewels. His blade-like nails cut through the wind, reflecting the sunlight streaming through the courtyard, their sharpness gleaming.

But what's even more unique are his extra arms extending from his ribs, the antlers protruding from his raven head, and the strangely colored fur and eerie scales peeking out from under his tattered clothes—as if he were a bird, a reptile, and a beast all at once!

Bloodline abnormality!!!

The bloodline users in the banquet hall all changed color. Count Cross's appearance was too terrifying, and it was completely different from the true form of Shadow Raven's bloodline. It was hard for them not to see the problem. Many people were ready to take action. Bloodline users whose bloodline had been mutated to this extent had no reason or intelligence. They were pure monsters.

But once again, these people were taken aback, because Count Cross, whom they believed had lost his mind and reason, actually spoke: "Everyone, seize this imposter, Johnsen! My child can't complete three awakenings in four months!"

Count Cross's articulate, clear, and resonant speech threw the guests, who were prepared to fight, into chaos. Many of Count Cross's staunch supporters even turned their weapons on Johnson and his group. Then, their supposedly numb hearts were struck again—Dantalian revealed her Lamia form.

The already towering figure instantly grew to an enormous size, and the dwarf woman's meticulously crafted armor expanded accordingly, not only covering the increasingly imposing upper body but also extending downwards to conceal part of the erect serpent tail. The serpent tail, no longer displaying its provocative appearance before Zhuang Sen, swept across the surroundings with a majestic and forceful air, sending tables, chairs, furniture, and even guests and nobles flying like trash, lying motionless on the ground.

Yet another true form of bloodline?

And isn't this the priestess from the Church of Vengeance? How long has she been awakened?

Compared to Johnson, Dantalian, who was heavily promoted by the Church of Vengeance, left a deeper impression on the public. Therefore, the surprise was even greater when they saw her enter Lamia form, especially since Bishop Rosa had no intention of denying her church's future star.

The benevolent smile vanished, replaced by a bloodthirsty grin. The bloodthirsty queen bee surveyed her surroundings, and with a soft click, a slender rapier was drawn from her cane and pointed at the ground.

Clearly, the Church of Vengeance has chosen a side.

These events are a long story, but in reality, it was a change in an instant. The moment the divine light fell upon Count Kross, he reacted, began to transform, and started to distort the truth, "slandering" Zhuang Sen as an imposter. Yes, although he had just said that, he still believed Zhuang Sen was his son—otherwise, there was no way to explain why his blood had such a strong enhancing effect on his own bloodline!

He had already tried it; the blood of someone who wasn't his own was ineffective against him!

But Zhuang Sen didn't care about any of that. As Count Kross transformed, Zhuang Sen unleashed his new abilities—[Blessing], [Inspiration], [Shield], [Gift of the Book], [Heroic Legend], [Writtener's Heart], [Being with the Gods], and [Summoning Celestial Weapons]!

Layer upon layer of magic was applied to Zhuang Sen, and his originally slender and petite boyish figure grew considerably, reaching the level of a teenager. He also acquired a warhammer burning with holy flames.

After all this was done, Dantalian completed her transformation, swept away those fickle guests, and looked at Zhuang Sen, one hand flashing with holy light and the other shimmering with green light.

Seeing this scene, Count Cross's excitement cooled considerably. He flapped his wings and took to the air, his cold gaze sweeping quickly around before settling on Zhuang Sen's face: "Is this your reliance? Two level-three bloodline users from the Church of Vengeance? Then you can prepare your last words, you foolish imposter!"

“You can’t even tell your own child apart anymore. You’ve really become completely distorted. It’s truly astonishing…” As Zhuang Sen spoke, his wings flapped suddenly, and he appeared above Count Kross, his blazing warhammer crashing down.

The buffs are all applied, who wants to waste time arguing with you!

At the same time, Dantalian's holy spear and poisonous ray flew out, cleverly blocking Count Kross's choice to dodge left or right. Nia, who had been silent all along, was also ready. As long as Count Kross dodged to the only option of retreating, her prepared attack would take the opportunity to strike.

But the perfect plan still failed, because Bishop Charles and his high priest jumped out together, blocking the Holy Lance and the Poison Ray respectively. Before he could speak, Bishop Rosa had already closed in with her rapier, forcing him to shut up and focus on delaying Bishop Rosa. But the deadly combined attack was still neutralized, and it wasn't just the War Church that attacked.

The bishop of the Healing Church intervened to stop Priestess Loris, while Earl Cross's Minister of Military Affairs and Minister of Justice joined forces to attack Zhuang Sen, and the guards who were standing in various places also raised their crossbows and aimed at Lady Lia and her companions.

But none of these things are as eye-catching as one particular event.

In mid-air, Count Cross faced the falling warhammer without dodging or avoiding it, but instead flapped his wings to meet it head-on! Although his wings and hands were deformed and terrifying, they were still flesh and blood. They collided with the warhammer and easily withstood the blow!

The only person capable of doing this is...

"A fourth-level bloodline?!"

Someone screamed, and a triumphant smile appeared on Count Cross's狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) raven head as he seized the opportunity to shout: "That's right! I'm not a bloodline mutant! I've completed four awakenings! I've unleashed the true form of the Shadow Raven Blood! Foolish deceiver! I'll pay for your folly—Aaaaaah!!!"

Before he could finish his triumphant words, Count Cross was left only with screams. What terrified him even more was that his power was also waning!

"what have you done!!!"

"It's just a purification of your mixed and mutated bloodline, you're welcome."

As soon as Johnson uttered the first word, he swung his warhammer again, aiming it at Count Cross, who was covered in black smoke.