Chapter 53: The Serpent’s Embrace

Amidst a haze, a woman’s voice whispered into Gern’s ear, yet it was so ethereal, so otherworldly, that he struggled to pinpoint its source.

Gern hovered between the realms of illusion and reality. The agony that had wracked his body seemed to recede, replaced instead by an inexplicable, pervasive tingling.

He felt his legs melding together, their distinct sensations blurring into one. His bones were restructuring, and his limbs stretched, elongating.

Two mounds began to swell upon his chest. Gern let out an involuntary groan as his entire body writhed and coiled, like a venomous serpent.

“Ah, yes, just like that. Transform into my image.”

A sickly flush crept across Selina’s face, her expression twisting into something increasingly warped.

“Selina, are you certain this is wise?”

Snow, witnessing Gern’s plight, felt a pang of worry. As she observed the young woman gradually transforming into a lamia, a knot of apprehension tightened in her chest.

After all, she might be her elder brother’s descendant, and Snow found herself unable to stomach the sight of such agony.

“Relax. Look, isn’t she alright now?”

No sooner had the words left her lips than Gern ceased her struggles, slowly undulating her lower body to lift her torso, which still retained its human semblance.

Gern shook her head, her long, dark hair swaying with the motion. It was then that her gaze fell upon her own transforming body.

Dark, obsidian scales now adorned the prominent mounds on her chest. These scales, like intricate tattoos, spread downwards, covering her entire lower half.

Gern’s lower body had now utterly transformed into a sleek, black serpent’s tail. Above the shimmering scales, her fair, youthful skin gleamed.

Whether it was due to the pearl or Gern’s naturally superb physique, the girl’s sculpted abdominal muscles were sharply defined, as if carved by the hand of a master sculptor.

From her spatial ring, Selina produced a mirror and held it before Gern, allowing her to behold her transformed reflection.

‘Ah!’

Gern shrieked upon glimpsing her new form. She hadn’t been startled because her transformed appearance was unsightly; rather, her face was exquisitely beautiful, bearing such a striking resemblance to Selina that, at first glance, they might have been mistaken for twin sisters.

Slender eyes, a graceful chin, and a delicate, upturned nose.

Accompanying Gern’s startled cry, a long, slender tongue flickered out—a serpent’s tongue. Through it, Gern could instinctively perceive the whereabouts of living creatures nearby.

Her clear, feminine voice reverberated through the room. Having never encountered a lamia quite like this, Gern instinctively recoiled, a primal urge to flee seizing her—but this was her own body.

“Alright, alright. You’re a little sister now. Surely, this isn’t the first time you’ve experienced such a sensation, is it?”

Gern snapped back to reality, her hands instinctively crossing over her chest. Her eyes widened, her silver-black vertical pupils blazing with indignation.

“I wasn’t even prepared! You… how could you do this!”

Selina covered her mouth, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. Observing the girl’s adorable indignation, a stir of desire began to awaken within her.

“Little sister, wouldn’t you like to get intimate with big sister? Your big sister here is quite adept at knowing every sensitive spot of the serpent folk.”

Gern, who had been seething moments before, instantly deflated. Her tail swayed, and her entire serpentine form retreated by half a body length.

“You… you mustn’t do anything reckless!”

“Alright, alright, let’s focus on the task at hand!”

Miss Snow, standing nearby, finally couldn’t stomach the sight any longer. She instinctively considered delivering a headbutt to Selina, but then, realizing such an act might be construed as a reward, she merely fixed her with a stern glare.

‘Ahem…’

Chastised by Snow, Selina instantly composed herself.

“Little sister, I won’t tease you this time. Come now, let big sister examine you.”

Gern remained somewhat timid, but upon meeting Snow’s gaze, she finally moved closer to Selina.

This time, no further mischief occurred, and Selina swiftly completed her examination of Gern’s body.

“How utterly peculiar. I’ve truly never encountered a situation like yours.”

“Ordinarily, a person can only bear one Kindling. Subsequently, they gradually merge with it, eventually assuming its form.”

“This is something we’ve confirmed countless times. But for you to be capable of bearing multiple Kindlings, and even shifting your form at will—it’s truly bizarre.”

She circled Gern several times, tutting in wonder, making Gern quite dizzy with the motion.

“Did you find anything else?”

Snow inquired.

Selina shook her head, indicating there were no further significant discoveries.

Snow’s expression remained largely unchanged, for she too had previously examined Gern’s body, only to find nothing remarkable.

However, at that very moment, Selina suddenly spoke.

“Vice-President, you recall the characteristic of a Kindling, don’t you? Before it fully merges with its host, if the host’s primary body sustains fatal damage, the Kindling automatically switches to protect the host’s life.”

Snow nodded, a glimmer of understanding dawning in her eyes, as she vaguely anticipated Selina’s next pronouncement.

Selina then gently lifted Gern’s arm, whispering softly into her ear.

“Little sister Gern, bear with it for a moment.”

The next moment, Gern felt her arm go numb, a tingling sensation preceding the onset of pain.

Gern stifled a groan, biting back the scream that threatened to escape.

Snow’s brow furrowed in concern, and just as worry began to churn within her, she witnessed rays of light blossoming from Gern’s form.

A wisp of silver then materialized before their eyes. The moment Selina beheld the adorable little loli, her nose gushed blood, splattering Gern entirely.

“‘Ahem,’ Selina cleared her throat. ‘Vice-President, the power of the Kindling cannot fully integrate within her. This means that the more Kindlings little sister Gern takes on, the more lives she will possess.’”

“‘Perhaps, once she accumulates more and more Kindlings in the future, confronting the Chaos God head-on might not be an impossible endeavor.’”

Upon hearing this, a flicker of hesitation undeniably crossed Snow’s eyes.

The last war remained vivid in her memory; even a formidable army had been powerless against the might of the Chaos God. Could Gern truly succeed, relying solely on herself?

“‘Vice-President, there’s no time for hesitation. Our time is truly running out; why not give it a try first?’”

Selina wiped the blood from her nose, earnestly imploring.

Snow remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded, signifying her reluctant agreement to Selina’s plan.

Only Gern, standing by, remained utterly bewildered, unable to fathom the true nature of their conversation.

Snow glanced at the bewildered Gern, offering a gentle smile before she spoke.

“‘Gern, you don’t need to concern yourself with these matters just yet. However, I believe once you witness the great war from all those years ago, you will truly comprehend our ultimate objective.’”

“‘Selina, I’ll take her to experience the world first. We’ll return shortly.’”

After bidding Selina farewell, Gern reverted to her original form and departed, following closely behind Snow.

Selina watched Gern’s departing figure, her eyes alight with a mixture of admiration and longing.

“‘Ah, truly a perfect little lab rat. I only hope my deduction isn’t mistaken this time.’”

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