Seraphina vividly recalled the pitiable state of the mage, whose body had been devoured by tentacles.
Their body trembled, slick with mucus. Their hair, drenched and matted, clung in sticky strands. Their eyes, rolled back, were dull and lifeless.
Had it ended there, the young woman’s appearance would have been no more tragic than any ordinary female adventurer.
Yet, tentacles endure as a timeless classic in monster lore precisely because of their unique advantage.
Like intrepid explorers, yet akin to arrogant colonizers, those tentacles mercilessly probed the very ground beneath them.
Neither towering peaks that pierced the clouds nor abyssal caverns could escape their invasive reach.
Merely observing the ground’s surface—once fair, now soiled for various reasons—one could discern the protrusions and indentations beneath the earth.
It was as if the entire underground realm had been utterly claimed by them.
Just as Shulk stared, bewildered,
“Splat!”
“Ugh… ugh… ugh…”
For some inexplicable reason, the mage before them suddenly arched their back violently, letting out a wretched moan.
Sadly, their mouth offered no escape, causing the agonizing sound to emerge as a low, raspy groan.
Nearly splattered, Shulk recoiled in alarm, stumbling backward.
Yet, merely gazing at the gushing fluids before him, a pungent, acidic sensation, like regurgitated food, surged instantly up Shulk’s (Seraphina’s) throat, threatening to spill forth.
‘Ugh.’
‘Tsk.’
Watching Shulk double over, clutching his staff and retching, Avril’s expression hardened with distaste as she sternly offered him a handkerchief.
“Can’t you show a little more fortitude, you wretch?”
“Hurry up and finish. Once you’re done, help me rescue this one.”
Later, Avril severed all the grotesque tentacles, freeing the young mage from the dark, damp bronze coffin.
It took the four of them a full two hours to cleanse the superficial tentacles from her body.
Even so, after she was taken to the hospital in Hermes Town, the doctors still spent a grueling four hours removing every tentacle, both inside and out.
Furthermore, even after their removal, the ‘mating’ with the octopus left the young mage with severe after-effects that even Shulk’s [Purification] and [Life Recovery] could not cure.
Consequently, the young woman would never again be able to perform physical labor, let alone become an adventurer.
It would have been more merciful to simply sever her head and then resurrect her with a revival spell.
This incident left an exceptionally deep and negative impression on Seraphina.
So much so that later, when confronted with Iphya’s tentacles (or rather, her outfit), Seraphina was instantly triggered, nearly losing all her composure.
****
Back in reality…
‘Damn it all…’
Extending her hand, Seraphina carefully adjusted the spell’s intensity, restoring Sevilya’s body to a semblance of its former state.
‘It’s a good thing I pulled her out. A few more days, and she would have ended up just like that mage!’
‘And if the elves found out about this… Iphya, currently in their hands, would likely face a dire situation.’
Simultaneously, worrying about Iphya, who was far away, Seraphina found herself unconsciously concerned about the captive’s condition.
“Hey, Cardo, she’s in this state. Can she still be used for practice? What if we damage her?”
Cardo merely chuckled dismissively.
“Rest a hundred percent assured. Given her physical constitution, she won’t be ‘played with’ by tentacles even by the day you’re broken by Claire.”
“Alright, alright, Miss True Ancestor, hurry up and teach me, how exactly do I do this?”
“Mmm…” the True Ancestor said, “First, you must still cultivate a new [Fragment]…”
Carefully placing the True Ancestor on the ground, Seraphina retrieved the [True Ancestor’s Blood], clasped her hands together, holding it within her palms, and then pulled.
‘Mmm… it’s warm.’
Feeling the warm current of magic between her hands, a hum resonated, and then, from the surface of the [True Ancestor’s Blood], a tattered black rectangle suddenly detached itself.
“Then, implant it within her.”
“How do I do that?” Seraphina asked, a hint of difficulty in her voice.
“It’s simple. Use something to deliver it into her body,” the True Ancestor instructed.
The True Ancestor added, “Like the black ray I used back then.”
“Or rather… like this.”
Twisting her remaining head and neck, the True Ancestor vigorously hammered her skull against the ground.
“Oh, I understand now. I’m familiar with this.”
A smirk playing on her lips, Seraphina gently hooked her fingertip under Sevilya’s chin, lifting it.
“Mmm… huh?”
Immersed in the aftershocks of the tentacle assault, Sevilya’s hazy mind couldn’t comprehend the playful touch of Seraphina’s fingertip. She only felt a slender finger rubbing against the back of her head.
“This feeling… you’re that bloodsucker named Seraphina, aren’t you?”
“So, so itchy. What are you trying to do?”
“Relax, just calm down~” Seraphina chuckled mischievously, gently gripping Sevilya’s neck and steadying the Knight’s head. “It’ll be quick, just one moment.”
“Mmm… Hey! Wait!”
Realizing something was amiss, Sevilya’s pale cheeks flushed crimson. “What exactly are you trying to do… M-mmph!”
Before Sevilya could finish, Seraphina swept her hand forward, sharply tapping Sevilya’s forehead and directly implanting the [Fragment].
“Mmm… Oh!”
For some unknown reason, as if jolted by an intense stimulus, Sevilya’s body convulsed violently, her eyes rolling back instantly.
‘Damn it all…’
Observing Sevilya’s taut, curled toes, Seraphina couldn’t help but inwardly complain.
‘What, are all these sisters high on ice? They’re practically moaning… Oh, hohoho…’
“Alright, now nothing is missing…”
Seraphina glanced sideways at the True Ancestor. “What’s the next step?”
“With the separation and implantation of the [Fragment]…” the True Ancestor began.
“You should be able to feel an additional branch in your soul.”
Closing her eyes, Seraphina looked within herself.
In the darkness, she saw two faint points of light: one within herself, and one within… Sevilya.
‘Yes, that’s right.’
“Good. Now, focus on the other branch, gather your spirit, and imagine that branch as a whirlpool, drawing you into its depths.”
Seraphina paused, concentrating.
With her eyes closed, Seraphina followed the True Ancestor’s guidance, imagining.
Suddenly, she felt vast expanses of seawater surge around her, instantly submerging her spiritual world.
Concurrently, the glowing point of the branch transformed into an abyssal whirlpool, pulling her and the surrounding seawater into its maw.
“Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh!!!!!”
Seraphina shrieked inwardly, a sound like an electric bat’s wail.
She then plummeted into an expanse of utter darkness.
As she fell endlessly through the darkness, boundless weightlessness and solitude washed over her, filling her with profound unease.
“True Ancestor? What’s happening?”
No one answered her.
“True Ancestor? True Ancestor!?”
Free-falling, Seraphina’s speed accelerated, faster and faster.
She continued to fall, for an unknown duration.
Finally, a point of light appeared beneath her feet.
‘Th-that… is…’
As the distance closed, the light expanded, growing larger and larger, gradually stretching into an immense space.
Seraphina could finally discern the world contained within the light.
“A garden!?”
Before Seraphina could ponder further, her body suddenly burst forth from the void, entering the world within the light.
‘Wait… this speed… could it be!?’
“Aargh!!!!!”
Before she could think more, she crashed heavily to the ground, landing hard in the meadow on the garden’s periphery.
‘Ah, hell, that hurt like hell…’
Dizzy and disoriented from the fall, Seraphina’s vision filled with a flurry of countless snowflakes.
Amidst this swirling snow, she heard a familiar voice.
“You… how are you here?”
No sooner had the words left their lips than a powerful, hard, icy iron hand seized Seraphina by the neck, lifting her bodily into the air.
“Seraphina…”
Perhaps due to the external stimulation, or perhaps her recent upgrade, Seraphina’s vision gradually cleared.
“You wretch… how dare you leave me to be defiled by tentacles.”
As if truth had finally been revealed, a silver-white figure gradually materialized before her.
“Even if you are the one Lady Goddess desires… I will absolutely have my revenge for this!”
It was Sevilya.
Clad in full armor, Sevilya was completely armed. Through the gaps in her silver plate, Seraphina could discern the raging inferno of fury burning in her blue eyes.
‘Wait, wait, wait…’
Seraphina panicked.
“True Ancestor? Are you still there? What’s going on?”
‘I didn’t hear anything about having to fight when using the [Fragment]!’
“Hehe.”
Fortunately, the True Ancestor’s voice reappeared within her mind.
Unfortunately, the True Ancestor’s voice was distinctly playful.
“Have you forgotten, Seraphina?”
“Back then, when I wanted to control you… didn’t I also have to fight you first?”
“Hey!”
At the same time, perhaps realizing Seraphina was ignoring her, the silver-armored Sevilya erupted in fury.
“You wretch, who are you talking to!?”
“N-no, no, no, not like that,” Seraphina stammered, instantly breaking into a sweat. “You mean I have to fight this one in a duel?”
“Hehehehe… Hmph~” The True Ancestor could no longer conceal her amusement. “That’s right, and it’s just like last time, when I dueled you~”
“Win and there’s a reward~ Lose and there’s a penalty~ Good luck~”
With that, the True Ancestor’s voice vanished.
‘Lose and there’s a penalty…’
Grasping the silver hands before her, Seraphina struggled to break free from Sevilya’s vice-like grip.
It was painfully clear, however, that Sevilya’s strength was utterly beyond her.
No matter how she tried, she couldn’t budge an inch.
Worse, it was completely counterproductive.
Noticing Seraphina’s resistance, Sevilya’s brows furrowed in a stern gaze.
“You dare resist… Seraphina, a rat must know its place.”
Slowly raising her arm, Sevilya, still gripping Seraphina’s neck, lifted her clean off the ground.
“Though you are the one the Life Goddess desires… the Life Goddess merely desires *your person*.”
Kicking her legs and twisting her waist, Seraphina struggled in vain. Yet, Sevilya’s arm remained utterly unmoving.
“Within the Goddess’s permissible bounds… I will absolutely make
Seraphina vividly recalled the pitiable state of the mage, whose body had been devoured by tentacles.
Their body trembled, slick with mucus. Their hair, drenched and matted, clung in sticky strands. Their eyes, rolled back, were dull and lifeless.
Had it ended there, the young woman’s appearance would have been no more tragic than any ordinary female adventurer.
Yet, tentacles endure as a timeless classic in monster lore precisely because of their unique advantage.
Like intrepid explorers, yet akin to arrogant colonizers, those tentacles mercilessly probed the very ground beneath them.
Neither towering peaks that pierced the clouds nor abyssal caverns could escape their invasive reach.
Merely observing the ground’s surface—once fair, now soiled for various reasons—one could discern the protrusions and indentations beneath the earth.
It was as if the entire underground realm had been utterly claimed by them.
Just as Shulk stared, bewildered,
“Splat!”
“Ugh… ugh… ugh…”
For some inexplicable reason, the mage before them suddenly arched their back violently, letting out a wretched moan.
Sadly, their mouth offered no escape, causing the agonizing sound to emerge as a low, raspy groan.
Nearly splattered, Shulk recoiled in alarm, stumbling backward.
Yet, merely gazing at the gushing fluids before him, a pungent, acidic sensation, like regurgitated food, surged instantly up Shulk’s (Seraphina’s) throat, threatening to spill forth.
‘Ugh.’
‘Tsk.’
Watching Shulk double over, clutching his staff and retching, Avril’s expression hardened with distaste as she sternly offered him a handkerchief.
“Can’t you show a little more fortitude, you wretch?”
“Hurry up and finish. Once you’re done, help me rescue this one.”
Later, Avril severed all the grotesque tentacles, freeing the young mage from the dark, damp bronze coffin.
It took the four of them a full two hours to cleanse the superficial tentacles from her body.
Even so, after she was taken to the hospital in Hermes Town, the doctors still spent a grueling four hours removing every tentacle, both inside and out.
Furthermore, even after their removal, the ‘mating’ with the octopus left the young mage with severe after-effects that even Shulk’s [Purification] and [Life Recovery] could not cure.
Consequently, the young woman would never again be able to perform physical labor, let alone become an adventurer.
It would have been more merciful to simply sever her head and then resurrect her with a revival spell.
This incident left an exceptionally deep and negative impression on Seraphina.
So much so that later, when confronted with Iqiyah’s tentacles (or rather, her outfit), Seraphina was instantly triggered, nearly losing all her composure.
****
Back in reality…
‘Damn it all…’
Extending her hand, Seraphina carefully adjusted the spell’s intensity, restoring Sevilya’s body to a semblance of its former state.
‘It’s a good thing I pulled her out. A few more days, and she would have ended up just like that mage!’
‘And if the elves found out about this… Iqiyah, currently in their hands, would likely face a dire situation.’
Simultaneously, worrying about Iqiyah, who was far away, Seraphina found herself unconsciously concerned about the captive’s condition.
“Hey, Cardo, she’s in this state. Can she still be used for practice? What if we damage her?”
Cardo merely chuckled dismissively.
“Rest a hundred percent assured. Given her physical constitution, she won’t be ‘played with’ by tentacles even by the day you’re broken by Claire.”
“Alright, alright, Miss True Ancestor, hurry up and teach me, how exactly do I do this?”
“Mmm…” the True Ancestor said, “First, you must still cultivate a new [Fragment]…”
Carefully placing the True Ancestor on the ground, Seraphina retrieved the [True Ancestor’s Blood], clasped her hands together, holding it within her palms, and then pulled.
‘Mmm… it’s warm.’
Feeling the warm current of magic between her hands, a hum resonated, and then, from the surface of the [True Ancestor’s Blood], a tattered black rectangle suddenly detached itself.
“Then, implant it within her.”
“How do I do that?” Seraphina asked, a hint of difficulty in her voice.
“It’s simple. Use something to deliver it into her body,” the True Ancestor instructed.
The True Ancestor added, “Like the black ray I used back then.”
“Or rather… like this.”
Twisting her remaining head and neck, the True Ancestor vigorously hammered her skull against the ground.
“Oh, I understand now. I’m familiar with this.”
A smirk playing on her lips, Seraphina gently hooked her fingertip under Sevilya’s chin, lifting it.
“Mmm… huh?”
Immersed in the aftershocks of the tentacle assault, Sevilya’s hazy mind couldn’t comprehend the playful touch of Seraphina’s fingertip. She only felt a slender finger rubbing against the back of her head.
“This feeling… you’re that bloodsucker named Seraphina, aren’t you?”
“So, so itchy. What are you trying to do?”
“Relax, just calm down~” Seraphina chuckled mischievously, gently gripping Sevilya’s neck and steadying the Knight’s head. “It’ll be quick, just one moment.”
“Mmm… Hey! Wait!”
Realizing something was amiss, Sevilya’s pale cheeks flushed crimson. “What exactly are you trying to do… M-mmph!”
Before Sevilya could finish, Seraphina swept her hand forward, sharply tapping Sevilya’s forehead and directly implanting the [Fragment].
“Mmm… Oh!”
For some unknown reason, as if jolted by an intense stimulus, Sevilya’s body convulsed violently, her eyes rolling back instantly.
‘Damn it all…’
Observing Sevilya’s taut, curled toes, Seraphina couldn’t help but inwardly complain.
‘What, are all these sisters high on ice? They’re practically moaning… Oh, hohoho…’
“Alright, now nothing is missing…”
Seraphina glanced sideways at the True Ancestor. “What’s the next step?”
“With the separation and implantation of the [Fragment]…” the True Ancestor began.
“You should be able to feel an additional branch in your soul.”
Closing her eyes, Seraphina looked within herself.
In the darkness, she saw two faint points of light: one within herself, and one within… Sevilya.
‘Yes, that’s right.’
“Good. Now, focus on the other branch, gather your spirit, and imagine that branch as a whirlpool, drawing you into its depths.”
Seraphina paused, concentrating.
With her eyes closed, Seraphina followed the True Ancestor’s guidance, imagining.
Suddenly, she felt vast expanses of seawater surge around her, instantly submerging her spiritual world.
Concurrently, the glowing point of the branch transformed into an abyssal whirlpool, pulling her and the surrounding seawater into its maw.
“Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh!!!!!”
Seraphina shrieked inwardly, a sound like an electric bat’s wail.
She then plummeted into an expanse of utter darkness.
As she fell endlessly through the darkness, boundless weightlessness and solitude washed over her, filling her with profound unease.
“True Ancestor? What’s happening?”
No one answered her.
“True Ancestor? True Ancestor!?”
Free-falling, Seraphina’s speed accelerated, faster and faster.
She continued to fall, for an unknown duration.
Finally, a point of light appeared beneath her feet.
‘Th-that… is…’
As the distance closed, the light expanded, growing larger and larger, gradually stretching into an immense space.
Seraphina could finally discern the world contained within the light.
“A garden!?”
Before Seraphina could ponder further, her body suddenly burst forth from the void, entering the world within the light.
‘Wait… this speed… could it be!?’
“Aargh!!!!!”
Before she could think more, she crashed heavily to the ground, landing hard in the meadow on the garden’s periphery.
‘Ah, hell, that hurt like hell…’
Dizzy and disoriented from the fall, Seraphina’s vision filled with a flurry of countless snowflakes.
Amidst this swirling snow, she heard a familiar voice.
“You… how are you here?”
No sooner had the words left their lips than a powerful, hard, icy iron hand seized Seraphina by the neck, lifting her bodily into the air.
“Seraphina…”
Perhaps due to the external stimulation, or perhaps her recent upgrade, Seraphina’s vision gradually cleared.
“You wretch… how dare you leave me to be defiled by tentacles.”
As if truth had finally been revealed, a silver-white figure gradually materialized before her.
“Even if you are the one the Life Goddess desires… I will absolutely have my revenge for this!”
It was Sevilya.
Clad in full armor, Sevilya was completely armed. Through the gaps in her silver plate, Seraphina could discern the raging inferno of fury burning in her blue eyes.
‘Wait, wait, wait…’
Seraphina panicked.
“True Ancestor? Are you still there? What’s going on?”
‘I didn’t hear anything about having to fight when using the [Fragment]!’
“Hehe.”
Fortunately, the True Ancestor’s voice reappeared within her mind.
Unfortunately, the True Ancestor’s voice was distinctly playful.
“Have you forgotten, Seraphina?”
“Back then, when I wanted to control you… didn’t I also have to fight you first?”
“Hey!”
At the same time, perhaps realizing Seraphina was ignoring her, the silver-armored Sevilya erupted in fury.
“You wretch, who are you talking to!?”
“N-no, no, no, not like that,” Seraphina stammered, instantly breaking into a sweat. “You mean I have to fight this one in a duel?”
“Hehehehe… Hmph~” The True Ancestor could no longer conceal her amusement. “That’s right, and it’s just like last time, when I dueled you~”
“Win and there’s a reward~ Lose and there’s a penalty~ Good luck~”
With that, the True Ancestor’s voice vanished.
‘Lose and there’s a penalty…’
Grasping the silver hands before her, Seraphina struggled to break free from Sevilya’s vice-like grip.
It was painfully clear, however, that Sevilya’s strength was utterly beyond her.
No matter how she tried, she couldn’t budge an inch.
Worse, it was completely counterproductive.
Noticing Seraphina’s resistance, Sevilya’s brows furrowed in a stern gaze.
“You dare resist… Seraphina, a rat must know its place.”
Slowly raising her arm, Sevilya, still gripping Seraphina’s neck, lifted her clean off the ground.
“Though you are the one the Life Goddess desires… the Life Goddess merely desires your person.”
Kicking her legs and twisting her waist, Seraphina struggled in vain. Yet, Sevilya’s arm remained utterly unmoving.
“Within the Goddess’s permissible bounds… I will absolutely make your life a living hell.”
Confronted by this overwhelming power, Seraphina could only manage a strained gasp from her throat.
“H-hey, can we… negotiate?”
In response to Seraphina’s plea for mercy, Sevilya’s answer was swift.
“At this very moment? Heh, you must be joking, aren’t you?”
If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂