[I'll send you a gift. Accept it, then consume it.]
Tulip accepted the gift his lady had sent. It was a small, round, pink pill. He swallowed it immediately, trying to ignore Celestine's screams behind him.
{Unknown pill consumed.
Initiating the following procedures:
– Modifying body structure to match that of a fully grown human (up to a maximum age of 250 years).
– Enhancing physical fitness, intellectual maturity, and strength according to the parameters of temporary adulthood.
Note:
Duration of the transformation cannot be determined due to the lack of data regarding the pill's properties.}
Tulip felt his clothes tearing as his body rapidly grew. Every inch of him was expanding.
[Do not panic. Your current growth is safe and will cause you no harm.]
[Listen to me. Celestine feeds on your emotions, and her body is healing because of them. I know her appearance frightens you, but running like this is pointless.]
Tulip gradually slowed his fast pace until he came to a stop. He raised his hands to look at them—they were big… and strong.
[Draw your daggers from the 'inventory' and attack her. As much as Celestine loves emotions like pain and fear, she dreads courage and self-confidence. Kill her before you return to your former shape… Also, you might want to wrap a cloth around your waist!]
Tulip looked down at his body in surprise at her words—only to realize he was completely naked! Luckily, no one else was there except Celestine and his lady, and it seemed the planetary cameras hadn't arrived yet.
He grabbed a piece of cloth from the 'inventory' and quickly tied it around his waist. Then he calmly turned around. Celestine was quite far—about 15 meters or slightly more. Tulip smirked slyly, hiding his fear deep in his chest.
He raised his dagger and ran his tongue along its sharp edge under the watchful, uneasy eyes of Celestine. The next moment, Tulip charged at her—and the roles reversed, as Celestine began to scream in fear and fled from him.
__________
Elena stood close to the statue of the warrior lady they had seen this morning. In front of her stood a young woman with reddish-auburn hair. She had been staring at a painting on the wall—then suddenly found herself here.
"I truly pitied you when your friends abandoned you," said the young woman with a sad tone, her expression grim.
"What are you talking about?" Elena asked, her brows furrowed as she simultaneously pulled her daggers from the 'inventory'. She was alone now; she had to stay alert, or she might end up as prey to this strange woman.
"Alright, we had the crystal. Whoever wants to obtain it must give up someone dear to their heart. And Alvin chose to give you up!"
Elena stared silently into the girl's golden eyes, her expression neutral. She dropped her fighting stance and stood upright, letting her arms hang by her sides.
"I think that's… a rather cheap trick."
"Huh?" The young woman didn't catch her words due to how softly they were spoken. Elena smirked sarcastically, then spoke louder:
"I said you should keep up with the times. Lines like 'Alvin gave you up' to mess with someone's nerves and emotions are way too outdated."
Elena sighed afterward. That was a really long sentence for her, and she wasn't used to speaking like that, despite her recent attempts at conversation with Meril.
The young woman's expression remained still for a moment, her eyes locked onto Elena's jet-black ones. "I see… You're trying to deny it so you don't go into shock."
She clasped her hands near her chest, frowning as she spoke in a sympathetic tone: "It must be painful for your heart. You love him. And what Alvin did was—"
"Excuse me," Elena cut her off flatly, "First: there are no romantic feelings between me and Alvin. Second: Alvin would rather die than leave me behind."
Reverie stood frozen in place, stunned—then within moments, her expression twisted into a mocking smirk as she sneered, "And who was it that traveled to Serynthia and left you behind?"
"The nose is for breathing, not for sticking into other people's lives." Elena resumed her previous combat stance and added sharply, "Now, tell me where Alvin and the others are—or I'll tear you to pieces!"
"Alvin is in my sister Zalia's arms, enjoying their time together. Accept reality, Elena… Alvin has—" Reverie stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Elena plant her back foot—then suddenly burst forward.
Elena spun her body halfway and flung her arm back, striking Reverie across the face with the back of her hand.
Before Reverie could regain her balance, Elena spun again swiftly, lifted her right leg high, and struck her in the side of the head—sending her crashing to the ground.
Then she stepped back to her previous position, planting her feet in a wide stance, knees slightly bent. Her torso remained steady, hands raised in front of her, fully prepared to strike again as she watched Reverie struggle to rise—laughing loudly.
"You're pathetic, Elena!" Reverie spat mockingly as she sat up, one hand pressed to her head.
"If I were you, I'd just admit he left me for another woman. After all, Zalia's way prettier than you."
"His love life doesn't concern me," Elena replied calmly, then launched forward again as soon as her opponent was back on her feet. With her dagger in her right hand, she struck toward Reverie's eyes in a lightning-fast motion—hardly moving the rest of her body.
Reverie swiftly ducked, narrowly avoiding the strike—the fist whooshing just an inch above her head.
Without missing a beat, she countered with a punch straight to the abdomen. Elena staggered back several steps, a sharp, tearing pain shooting through her gut. Unlike Elena's earlier hesitation, Reverie offered no time for recovery.
She followed with a flurry of blows—one to the chest, a second to the chin, and the third back to the stomach. Spinning quickly on her left foot, she delivered a fierce kick with her right leg to the side of Elena's head.
This time, it was Elena writhing on the ground, pain tightening every muscle in her body as she struggled to push herself up with trembling arms.
Fresh blood trickled from her lips, and the system screen floated in her vision, listing offers from various planets, each vying to make her their champion.
"Admit it, Elena!" Reverie shouted, her tone edged with frustration as her patience wore thin. "Say it—you feel betrayed because Alvin left you!"
Elena closed the planetary request tab, finally managing to sit upright with great effort. She muttered something under her breath—too faint for Reverie to catch.
"What did you say?" Reverie asked, eyes wide and lips curled in anticipation, thinking Elena was about to confess at last.
"Behind you…" Elena whispered.
Reverie's expression shifted into puzzled suspicion, and she glanced over her shoulder to see what was there. In that split second, Elena seized the chance—pulling a vial of elixir from her inventory and downing it in one swift motion.
Before Reverie could react, Elena's wounds sealed and her strength returned, her body regenerating right before Reverie's furious eyes.
"I said," Elena spoke with a provoking smile, "you're insane."
She clutched the dagger with its gleaming red edges, then leapt high into the air, spun her body in a full circle, and launched a high kick aimed at Reverie's head from behind.
Reverie quickly raised her arm backward and blocked the kick before it could hit her head. Despite the force of the blow, she barely managed to stay balanced.
She then lifted her foot and kicked her in the back with force, sending her a meter forward and crashing to the ground.
"You'll need a lot more strength and experience to defeat me, little girl!" Reverie scoffed mockingly. "Seems to me you're disappointed because you beca—"
Elena suddenly appeared in front of her, cutting her off mid-sentence. Elena raised her leg straight up and struck her in the stomach with power, making her stumble back and bend over in pain.
Elena didn't stop there; she drove her leg into her opponent with a strong side kick. Reverie managed to block the blow with her arm at the last moment.
Elena followed with two sharp elbow strikes—one to the face, the other to the jaw—both of which Reverie successfully blocked.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Reverie taunted as she watched Elena being forced to retreat.
Taking advantage of the opening, she spun in the air and landed a backward kick directly to Elena's chest, sending her crashing to the ground under the impact.
"Pathetic. No wonder he abandoned you," she added, watching Elena's body curl up from the pain.
"You know what? I won't wait for your pathetic confession. I'll kill you now!"