Monster Girl Development Master

Page 67

Holy Light Impact

【Sacred Eagle Mark】

A divine light appeared out of thin air, swiftly traversing the "battlefield" and shooting towards Ange, whose shadows were shifting around her. The illusory image of the holy eagle was even faster, landing directly on Ange, marking her location, and dispelling the shadows within two meters of her.

Holy bloodlines are indeed more effective against shadow bloodlines.

Ange glared resentfully at Lilith and Colm in the distance, who smiled in response. Then, they released holy light once more, which fell upon the soldiers fleeing in panic around them—[Group Courage]!

Although not as powerful as [Eagle's Arrogance], it was enough to offset the effect of [Fearful War Cry]. The Farau soldiers, though no longer as high-spirited as before, reorganized and charged once again at the thin defensive line formed by Lady Lia and Angela's mere twenty or so guards.

However, before the soldiers arrived, those bloodline warriors who had finally rid themselves of their warhorses and their fear had already charged towards Lydia, who had broken through the battle line, under the blessing of the [Group Courage] spell.

The armored knight, wielding heavy axes in both hands, let out a roar no less powerful than Lydia's [Fearful War Cry]. His muscles instantly swelled and enlarged, his physique slightly taller, seemingly activating some kind of self-enhancing ability. Lydia swung her sword forward, a faint, eerie green light flashing across the rune-covered blade, silently activating [Necromantic Strike].

Watching the two charge at each other, the Farau bloodline knights hidden on both sides flashed a hint of smugness in their eyes. Then, they activated their abilities instantly. Their bodies, which should have been heavy and clumsy due to their armor, transformed into hard and swift battering rams under the effect of the [Charge] ability, attacking Lydia from both sides, who was "unaware of being trapped."

The heavy axe knight's ability did indeed have a self-enhancing effect, but its true power was to "attract the enemy's attention, making them target the user as their primary attack target," essentially a taunting ability. Those who lost control of the battlefield situation essentially relinquished their keen senses, making them extremely vulnerable to surprise attacks.

This isn't the first time this trio has used this tactic, and it's unlikely to be their last.

Clang—Pfft!

The sword blade pierced the armor, the metal-on-metal collision creating a loud bang, but it was immediately drowned out by the sound of a head flying off and blood splattering.

Lydia sheathed her sword, raised her leg, and stepped on the battle axe that the heavy axe knight had missed and slammed into the ground. Using it as a fulcrum, she spun around again and beheaded another charging knight who had struck her armor but failed to break through her defenses—come to think of it, she seems to enjoy beheading people more and more these days.

Lydia thought to herself and looked at the heavy axe knight.

The latter's blank gaze met Lydia's helmet. He could see nothing, no bloodlust, no pity, no mockery, only darkness and nothingness. Then he felt a chill on his neck. The expensive plate armor he had bought had failed to protect his head. But now he had only one question in his mind—why had his ability failed to work?

Because the dead are immune to psychological attacks.

Lydia looked at the remaining bloodline users who had surrounded her, kicked away the heavy axe at her feet, and was also somewhat disappointed—if only she hadn't used Necromancer's Strike, there would have been no need for the instant-death effect!

……

Witnessing this incredibly swift "execution" from afar, Lilith and Colm's expressions turned serious. Lydia's combat power didn't seem like that of someone who had just awakened. If she continued killing, all the lower-ranking vassals she had brought with her might die, which would be a huge loss!

So Colm and Lilith made a tacit decision: Lilith, who had mastered the [Holy Eagle Mark], continued to target Ange, who was struggling to escape through the shadows, while Colm adjusted his target and unleashed his signature move—Holy Light Impact—on Lydia!

A dazzling holy light swept across the sky, striking Lydia and triggering her battle instincts. The difference between a first and third awakening was enough to threaten Lydia's life, not to mention the natural advantage of holy attributes over dark attributes and over the undead. The bloodline members surrounding Lydia, who had been anxiously waiting, perked up and prepared to take advantage of the situation and attack her.

To their shock, Lydia did not dodge the holy light impact. Instead, she ignored the impending deadly attack and launched the first attack on them—did she think that since she couldn't dodge it anyway, she might as well kill them one by one?

Although they are enemies, we acknowledge their loyalty and courage!

The bloodline members of Farau thought this, and then they stepped forward one after another. Their courage was not suddenly aroused by Lydia, but encouraged by the approaching [Holy Light Impact] and by the merit represented by slaying Lydia.

Then, an even more brilliant holy light pierced the sky, annihilating Colm's [Holy Light Impact] into nothingness. At the same time, a long stone wall appeared, blocking the weak defensive line formed by the twenty-odd guards and completely blocking the Farau soldiers who tried to approach.

The sudden change brought silence to the battlefield. Colm and Lilith looked toward the source of the attack and saw Johnson, Dantalian, and Nia emerging from the carriage, along with Lysander, Piper, and Princess Celine beside them. They also saw behind Johnson and the others the Azure Star Guards in blue robes, the "Duchy of Star" soldiers in gold robes, and the soldiers of the Leon Territory in black robes.

A trap! This is a trap!!

Alarms blared in Colm and Lilith's minds. The doubts that had been masked by "Don't I know Lia Farau?" quickly surfaced, but it was too late. Princess Celine's loyal guardian knight and excellent romantic assistant had already raised her sword and issued the order to win over the princess: "Azure Star Guardians! Charge with me!!!"

"Oh--"

The author says:

作者的话：进度更新：月票29/50，催更票25/50，打赏800/5000

Chapter 161: Immunity to Divine Attributes

Azure stars fell like rain, and the flowing cloak transformed into a canopy of sky.

Count Cameron also raised his longsword and roared, "People of Gold!"

"We pledge our courage first!!!"

The golden waves surged forward, and the Bloodline Order's henchmen displayed a level of discipline far exceeding that of the regular soldiers of the Duchy of Star, keeping pace with the Azure Star Guardians in perfect unison.

Just as Zhuang Sen was about to say something, he looked at the blue-robed and gold-robed men, who were even more excited than the soldiers of Leon's territory, and raised his hand: "The crows are cawing—"

"The feast has begun!!"

Soldiers adorned with black raven emblems roared and shouted, their rune-covered armor gleaming, their heavy armor suddenly lightening, and their swift warhorses neighed and cheered, charging into the battlefield first, over the waves of gold and blue!

The Farau soldiers, already affected by the [Fearful War Cry], were wasting a lot of energy and turning back on the battlefield in fear, even abandoning their weapons. They were slowly advancing when they faced the Royal Guards of the Azure Star Guard with the "Princess's Personal Campaign" buff, the elite thugs of the Blood Order with the "Bloodlust" buff, and the elite Shadow Raven Knights squad, who also had the [Count's Personal Campaign] buff, plus the [Saving the Count's Mother and Sister] buff, and were equipped with a full set of rune gear. Even though the latter three were not many in number, probably only seventy or eighty people in total, the battle was a foregone conclusion and there was no need to describe it.

The phrase "decisively crushing" suffices.

……

However, compared to reaping the minions... well, not exactly minions... Johnson's focus was still on Colm and Lilith, who were trying to escape the battlefield. He had gone to such lengths to put on this act precisely for these two big fish.

With crimson tips and pure white wings unfurled, Zhuang Sen reached out and pulled in the air, drawing out a two-handed battle axe radiating holy light—[Summon Celestial Weapon]—and then flew towards "Uncle and Aunt," whose figures were beginning to twist and change, clearly unleashing their true bloodline forms.

Lilith and Colm transformed into giant eagles with wingspans exceeding three meters, each feather pure and flawless, emitting a faint white light. Their flight speed increased dramatically, bringing a slight sense of relief to the two who were filled with shock and anger. Many people know that the Holy Eagle bloodline possesses healing abilities, making it an indispensable and irreplaceable component of the Fallen Star Kingdom, a guarantee of life. However, few mention that the Holy Eagle bloodline's speed is also extremely high, especially when unleashing its true form. Within the entire Fallen Star Kingdom, their speed ranks among the top three!

Regardless of Zhuang Sen's bloodline, since he's not a Holy Eagle, he couldn't possibly catch up with them when they've already accelerated...?!

Colm performed a daring roll to dodge the warhammer crashing down from behind. His eyes were filled with rage as he looked back, but he could not hide the fear within them.

Zhuang Sen flapped his wings, his body shimmering with various buff abilities, and steadily followed behind the two holy eagles: "Uncle Colm, Aunt Lilith, why are you in such a hurry to leave? I haven't even spoken to you two yet."

The Light of Judgment!

A torrent of holy light descended from the sky, forcing Lilith and Colm to roll away again, further reducing their speed until they landed at the same level as Johnson.

Then, Zhuang Sen struck with a powerful blow!

The Celestial Battle Axe slammed down, its sharp blade digging deep into Colm's right wing, golden blood flowing out. However, being a third-level bloodline in its true form, Zhuang Sen's axe strike didn't sever Colm's wing; instead, it jammed his weapon. Colm and Lilith didn't miss this opportunity. The former, enduring the pain, twisted his eagle head to peck at Zhuang Sen's face, his beak glowing with holy white light. Lilith was even more ferocious; she spread her wings and claws, grabbing Zhuang Sen from behind, countless golden rays flashing among her feathers.

【Holy Light Impact - Roaring Strike】!

【Sacred Arrow Rain - Feathered Arrow Transformation】!

Unlike Zhuang Sen and his monster girls, ordinary bloodline users can only adjust the output size, range, and form of their bloodline abilities after completing three awakenings and possessing the true form of their bloodline. Therefore, these altered abilities are often the killer moves of bloodline users. The more one understands "normal abilities," the more easily one is tricked by these altered abilities.

Just like Zhuang Sen! Lia Farau must have told Zhuang Sen what abilities the Holy Eagle bloodline has and how to use them. Moreover, as a fellow level three bloodline user, Zhuang Sen would definitely study it carefully. Of course, he would also consider controlling and changing abilities in the true form of the bloodline, but without information, no matter how careful he is, he cannot guess such things in advance! On the contrary, his suspicions would affect his judgment.

So, take this full-force, point-blank attack from me!

Faced with attacks from both sides, Zhuang Sen, whose weapon was stuck, shrugged slightly, raised his short hand, and slammed it heavily on the back of the axe, causing the Celestial Battle Axe to completely pierce through Colm's wing. Colm, furious and in pain, staggered, but still stubbornly pointed his beak at Zhuang Sen. Even in pain, he broke through a bottleneck and injected more bloodline power into [Holy Light Impact]!

Without a sound, a beam of light, like a tailed beast cannon, shot out and struck Zhuang Sen squarely. At the same time, Lilith grabbed Zhuang Sen, and arrows of holy light hidden within her feathers shot out, sending the much smaller Secretary Angel Zhuang Sen flying.

"Win, win?"

Relying on [Healing] to repair his wounds, Colm, barely able to maintain flight with only one wing, descended while glancing at Zhuang Sen, who was enveloped in dense holy light. He could vaguely see that Lilith's claws were deeply embedded in Zhuang Sen's legs, tearing out blood. He was somewhat familiar with Lilith's trump card; in this situation, Zhuang Sen had no way to dodge or block it—he was doomed no matter what.

Thinking about it this way, Colm suddenly felt invigorated.

With the death of the newly crowned Earl Zhuang Sen, the territory of Leon will inevitably descend into chaos. Wouldn't that be an opportunity for the Farau territory to make a fortune? No, without Zhuang Sen, a powerful level-three bloodline holder at his peak, perhaps the Farau family could directly annex the Leon family and take over the entire territory of Leon…

"Colm! What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up—"

As Colm was lost in his fantasies, trying to ease the pain of his broken wing, a loud shout suddenly rang out. Before he could react, Zhuang Sen's fist rapidly enlarged in his eyes and then slammed into his eagle's head.

With a thud, Colm, who was already seriously injured and had exhausted almost all of his bloodline power, fainted. Zhuang Sen grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up like a chicken. Lilith, who should have been "embracing" Zhuang Sen, had already had her throat gripped by his hand and was struggling to break free.

Lilith was filled with confusion and fear. She couldn't understand why Johnson was able to remain unharmed from the attack that combined all of her and Colm's bloodline power, without even expending much of his own bloodline power, and was even able to retaliate by squeezing out the two of them who had exhausted too much of their bloodline power and fallen into weakness.

This isn't bloodline!

Although Zhuang Sen couldn't see Lilith's expression behind him, he roughly understood what she was thinking from her tone just now, so he kindly answered for her: "[Immune to Holy Attributes]! Auntie."

Chapter 162: I'm going to give away the whole plot!

Zhuang Sen landed beside the carriage with a Farao in each hand.

Below, the Farau family's soldiers had already been completely routed and were being captured one by one by their pursuers. Although they outnumbered the Azure Star Guardians, Star soldiers, and Shadow Raven Knights combined, their low morale, broken organization, and the sheer difference in individual strength left them almost powerless to fight back. They managed to injure only a dozen soldiers and failed to take a single kill.

Lady Lia came forward to greet Zhuang Sen, taking the opportunity to mock her dear sister: "Lilith, my foolish sister, I know you hate me and are jealous of me, but I never imagined you would be so foolish as to dare to send troops to ambush and assassinate me, your sister, a noblewoman with noble blood flowing through her veins, the mother of a venerable count! Where did you come from, some mountain bandit or savage? You have truly disgraced the name of Farau!"

“You—” Lilith struggled, wishing she could bite a piece of flesh off Lady Leah’s smug face, but her struggles were futile. Zhuang Sen’s small hand was like cast iron, gripping her fate by the throat.

Colm, on the other hand, was more pragmatic. He pitifully begged for mercy, "Lia, my cousin, please let Johnson let me go. I swear, I won't run away!"

"You should tell my son that." Lady Leah tilted her head back, feeling a surge of relief, especially when she felt the intense hatred, anger, and jealousy in Lilith's eyes. She was overjoyed, as if she had suddenly become twenty years younger. If there weren't so many outsiders, she would have liked to celebrate with Zhuang Sen.

“Alright, Mother, there will be plenty of time to entertain Uncle and Aunt later.” Zhuang Sen held down the two Faraus, and had Nia and Dantalian use the prepared chains to bind them tightly. “But for now, please bear with us for a while. Don’t worry, once we have received your ransom and the Faraus family’s compensation for this disrespectful, despicable, evil, and utterly dishonorable assassination, I will release you.”

Hearing Zhuang Sen's sarcastic remark, Colm was alright. Zhuang Sen had cut off half his wing, and after reverting to human form, he was missing an arm. His personality wasn't exactly "brave," so he simply ignored it. But Lilith wouldn't let it go so easily. Normally, she could be cunning and calculating, never showing her weakness even in defeat, but she wouldn't do that in front of Leah Farau. She couldn't swallow this insult!

“Lia Farau, Johnson Leon, you two despicable schemers, you actually… umm umm umm.”

Lady Lia immediately shut Lilith up. Although she enjoyed watching her sister break down, she had no intention of engaging in a verbal battle with her. She could just use force; why should she give Lilith the energy to talk back?

After releasing the two Faraus, whose joints had been dislocated and who were now bound hand and foot, Zhuang Sen had them dragged to a prepared prison cart, ready to be transported back to the dungeon of Glory Manor. Although he had obtained a pretext for declaring war, it didn't mean Zhuang Sen would launch an attack immediately. The mobilization of troops, the preparation of logistics, and the fermentation of public opinion all required time, and "delaying" this time was advantageous to Zhuang Sen, especially after Princess Celine and the two princesses of Starr had sided with him.

……

After dealing with the two prisoners, Johnson did not immediately prepare to return. Instead, he calmly approached the three noble ladies who stood on high ground, far from the filth and bloodshed: "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Lysander, Piper, and Your Highness. The incident has been dealt with. Let's continue our journey."

Despite being the only one of the three to be addressed with respect, Princess Celine's expression became even more haughty: "What a show, Earl Johnson."

Zhuang Sen smiled tolerantly, the deeper meaning of which made the proud dragon girl a little angry but she couldn't find a reason to lash out. Her expression was very delicious - Sigh, I'm so bad.

Zhuang Sen looked at Lysander and Piper. The spirited young girl was alright, but little Piper was clearly a bit frightened. So Zhuang Sen used a purification spell, immediately attracting Piper's attention. With his clever way of coaxing the little girl, Piper slowly regained her normal innocent charm and climbed into Zhuang Sen's arms. Lysander watched this scene with a mixture of relief and helplessness, and said with a touch of sourness, "Zhuang Sen, you really do like Piper."

"Because Piper is cute, isn't she, Piper~"

Piper put her hands on her hips and struck an arrogant pose, which made Lysander laugh. She patted her sister's head and said, "You little rascal, now you've found a backer."

Zhuang Sen chuckled and casually remarked, "By the way, now that His Excellency the Grand Duke has granted my previous presumptuous request, Lysander and Piper, are you two ready to awaken your bloodlines?"

Yesterday, when Johnsen informed Earl Cameron that the Starr sisters wished to stay overnight, he attached to his reply the Duke of Starr's response, which clearly approved of Johnsen's presumptuous request. In other words, Lysander and Piper are now Johnsen's legal fiancées.

Although Lysander knew about it last night, she still felt it was all a bit unreal. She thought it would be a complicated and fraught affair, but it was accomplished so easily and without any obstacles. She even wondered if things would have turned out the same way if she hadn't sneaked to Johnson's house yesterday... no, they would have been different.

Meeting Zhuang Sen's somewhat fiery gaze, the girl felt a sweet joy rise in her heart: "Anytime is fine, Zhuang Sen, it's up to you. But what about Count Cameron and the others..."

"It's alright, you can stay at Glorious Manor from now on, although the wedding might not be able to take place anytime soon." Zhuang Sen shrugged. "Besides Earl Cameron, what about the Grand Duke..."

“It’s your decision.” Lysander smiled brightly, like a blooming tulip. “After all, it was Father’s own decision, and Piper and I gave him two invaluable pieces of bloodline knowledge in return.”

Princess Celine, standing to the side, looked at the two riddle-solving individuals, her haughty demeanor turning into a slightly aggrieved expression: "What are you two talking about?"

Lisander's smug smile only made Princess Celine feel more aggrieved and upset. Johnson picked up the conversation, no longer teasing the haughty princess, but still unable to shake his riddle-like manner: "Your Highness, have you heard of the Bloodline Order?"

But Princess Celine, who had a deep impression of the name Bloodline Order, grasped the key point. Her expression hardened, her girlish innocence vanished, and her mature royal demeanor returned. Her mind started working again: "Zhuang Sen, you mean Earl Cameron and the Bloodline Order... no, could it be Uncle Borodi as well?"

The princess was deeply shocked.

The author says:

作者的话：进度更新：月票40/50，催更票25/50，打赏1000/5000

Chapter 163: Rebellion

The sun revolved in the sky, and the early autumn mountain wind rustled through the golden leaves, the sound like a lament or a celebration, ringing out simultaneously in the ears of both the Zhuang Sen side and the Farau territory side, and also awakening the shocked Princess Celine.

"Zhuang Sen, are you kidding me?"

Lisander's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on Princess Celine, who had suddenly changed her way of addressing Zhuang Sen, but the gaze quickly dissipated. Firstly, it seemed to be merely due to surprise; secondly, Princess Celine's involvement was actually quite good, provided, of course, that Zhuang Sen wasn't dragged into the great vortex of the struggle for the throne.

Johnson squeezed Lysander's hand and said to Princess Celine, "No, I'm not joking. At least Earl Cameron and his group are definitely from the Bloodline Order, because I invited them. I'm very interested in some of their technologies—but I never expected them to come under the name of the Grand Ducal Mission of Starr."

As he spoke, Johnson looked at Lysander and raised an eyebrow smugly: "Although this is actually a good thing for me, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see Lysander and Piper."

Zhuang Sen's relaxed attitude affected Princess Celine. The princess, who had been tense and confused because of Zhuang Sen's bombshell, gradually calmed down. However, she had not yet returned to her jealous thoughts and was still anxious to deal with the matter: "So, Zhuang Sen, what are you going to do? Are you really planning to cooperate with them?"

Zhuang Sen calmly raised his hand to greet Dantalian and Nia, who were walking towards him, while responding to Princess Celine: "Don't rush, Your Highness, let me finish. It's surprising that you don't know anything about the Bloodline Order. I thought His Majesty the King would know about this peculiar organization."

Princess Celine gazed at Zhuang Sen with a wistful expression and said, "For the past two or three decades, Cross has been in charge of intelligence for the kingdom."

What else could Zhuang Sen say? He could only enter Dantalian's embrace and get down to business, which was to give the Starr sisters and Princess Celine a clearer explanation of the Blood Order's specific information, such as what technologies they had, how these technologies were developed, and what price they would have to pay to use them.

Some of this information came from the confessions of Lizad and Wall, some from the explanations of Count Came and his group, and some from Zhuang Sen's reasonable deductions. In total, he obtained information about three beautiful girls who almost made him vomit.

"Strange, monster..."

Lisander's face paled slightly; the thought of spending so much time with such a group of people sent chills down her spine. As for suspecting that Johnson was lying, putting aside the fact that Johnson had no reason to deceive her, her own upbringing in Golden Castle seemed to provide evidence.

Needless to say, Princess Celine had no connection with Earl Cameron and the others, and given that Johnson had already reported the matter of the Bloodline Order, she naturally tended to believe Johnson.

It was rather strange that Piper, the little guy, completely believed it.

“Piper is now Johnson’s wife, so of course she should trust Johnson!”