Chapter 65: The Price of Kindling

The individual, having rushed with great haste, finally arrived just before Glot’s execution and managed to rescue him. Once their purpose was made clear, neither the jailers, the executioner, the priest, nor the spectators gathered below offered much objection. The esteemed reputation of Theoviga Academy had long since spread far and wide; their nation was merely a small, remote country, and thus, they naturally dared not defy the Academy’s commands.

The subsequent matters proceeded smoothly enough. That individual then took Glot and set off for Theoviga Academy. Having narrowly escaped the jaws of death, Glot was immensely grateful to the person who had rescued him. He had initially believed he was doomed to die there, never imagining such a turn of events. Who, after all, would choose death when life was an option?

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As dusk gradually settled, Gern, rather than returning to his dormitory to rest, spent half the day in the small courtyard, engrossed in researching hypnotic potions.

Earlier, when Snow had mentioned her desire to improve the Heretic God Cult’s hypnotic potion, Gern had already begun to formulate some ideas.

At its core, this hypnotic potion functioned by disorienting an enemy’s spiritual energy to achieve its hypnotic effect.

Given that this substance was related to spiritual energy, it could presumably also enhance the user’s own spiritual power. This conviction was why he had dedicated the entire afternoon to studying the potion.

To his regret, however, Gern hadn’t yet found a particularly effective method for its improvement.

He had, however, managed to analyze the primary ingredients of the hypnotic potion. Within this single bottle, he identified Slumberweed, Phantasm Orchid, and Ethereal Dream Dew.

Gern couldn’t yet decipher the remaining parts of the formula. Perhaps only by transforming into his snake-girl form could he hope to fully unravel all of the potion’s components.

Among these, Slumberweed’s primary function was to induce unconsciousness; it was commonly used in the preparation of anesthetic potions.

The Phantasm Orchid’s principal effect was to ensnare one’s spirit. As the primary component of the hypnotic potion, it possessed potent hallucinogenic properties.

As for the Ethereal Dream Dew, Gern remained unsure of its specific use, though he surmised it might serve to harmonize the potion’s various effects.

Gern pondered, yet no definitive answer presented itself. Consequently, he decided to summon forth his snake-girl form.

However, the moment he attempted to commune with the mystical orb within him, an intense, searing pain instantly swept through his entire body.

Before Gern could even react, he collapsed on the spot. Fortunately, his fall was backward, sparing the potions on the table from being disturbed.

At that moment, countless beads of sweat erupted on Gern’s forehead. He felt two distinct, warring powers clashing violently within him.

His long black hair cascaded loose, and a single strand among them gradually took on a sacred white hue.

“This… this… what… what is happening?”

Gern was utterly bewildered by what was happening to him. He only felt a strange sensation in his legs, as if they were attempting to fuse together.

Judging by this alone, it was undoubtedly the snake-girl form manifesting. However, he also felt something new beginning to sprout from his forehead.

Gern laboriously raised a hand to touch her forehead.

It felt like… a pair of dragon horns?

“Wait a moment, this isn’t right, is it?”

The excruciating pain persisted, making Gern feel as though her body had been cast into a raging sea of fire.

Her hair alternated between shimmering silvery-white and pure black. This was the overt sign of the two Kindlings within her fiercely battling for dominance.

The two Kindlings battled fiercely, utterly disregarding Gern’s suffering. Wracked with unbearable pain, she writhed desperately on the ground.

She couldn’t help but let out a sound, a clear, melodious maiden’s voice echoing hauntingly around her.

She suddenly remembered she was still in her dormitory, and Lilia’s room was not far from hers.

If Lilia were to hear her voice, it would undoubtedly be disastrous.

Clinging to a sliver of consciousness, Gern laboriously grabbed a handful of branches. These were what she had cleared from the courtyard earlier, and now they might just serve a crucial purpose.

“Ugh! Mmph!”

The fierce battle between the two Kindlings raged on. Outside Gern’s dormitory, Lilia, who had just returned to her own room and tidied up, distinctly heard a maiden’s scream.

Initially, she was puzzled, as there were no other female residents nearby aside from herself.

Then, a sudden thought struck her: Gern lived right next door. Could something have happened to her?

Without another thought, Lilia abandoned her makeup and rushed out of her room.

In the dormitory’s backyard, Gern was still writhing in agony on the ground. Her consciousness was growing increasingly hazy, and she didn’t know how much longer she could possibly endure.

No one knew what trials awaited her. The relentless war between the two Kindlings showed no signs of abating, not even for a moment.

Perhaps this was the inevitable price of harboring multiple Kindlings.

Just as Gern’s consciousness teetered on the brink of plunging into darkness, she felt a glimmer of light appear before her eyes.

The moment this light manifested, Gern felt the two tumultuous powers within her grow considerably gentler.

However, the two still refused to yield to one another. The Dragon Girl Kindling had now gained the upper hand, and it was certainly not about to simply give up.

Yet, under the illumination of this gentle radiance, even though these two powers remained defiant towards each other, they were unable to exert their full strength.

This significantly alleviated Gern’s pain, allowing her to breathe a huge sigh of relief. She slowly sat up and beheld her current, transformed appearance.

Her lower body was now a black snake tail, while her upper body resembled that of a dragon girl—a veritable chimera.

It was then that Gern finally noticed: the power that had previously harmonized the two Kindlings within her was precisely that sacred, luminous orb, seemingly blessed by a Divine King.

This power nourished Gern’s entire body. The sensation was incredibly comforting, and for a time, it even overshadowed the intense pain of the two Kindlings’ battle.

“Is Gern home?”

Suddenly, a female voice echoed from the doorway. Gern’s body stiffened, and she looked towards the front entrance of the dormitory, where a golden-haired figure had already pushed open the door.

“Oh no, this is bad!”

Gern looked at her current body, neither fully dragon nor fully snake, and felt a pang of despair. If Lilia saw her in this state, she would surely be taken for a monster. Knowing Lilia, she would certainly try to cut her down if she saw her like this. Although her current strength surpassed Lilia’s, she had only reached this realm by relying on her past life’s experience to take a shortcut. Once Lilia found a truly suitable cultivation method for herself, catching up to Gern would be a matter of mere moments, given her talent.

“Gern?”

“Gern, are you home?”

Lilia’s voice grew closer, her footsteps clearly reaching Gern’s ears. She seemed to be heading towards the backyard. ‘What should I do? What should I do?’ How could she transform back now? Gern was experiencing this situation for the very first time and felt a surge of panic. To buy herself more time, Gern quickly hid in a blind spot, praying that Lilia would leave quickly. But this wish remained unfulfilled. Lilia’s voice grew nearer and nearer, as if she knew exactly where Gern was. Gern bit her lip as she looked at her current body.