As time passed, Substance could feel her power gradually returning. Yet the sword that had been plunged through her back and stomach hindered her movements. With determination, she fought against the pain to find an unconventional way to use her hands. It was a struggle, but she eventually managed to grasp and fling the weapon aside with all her remaining strength. The sharp edges of the blade glinted in the moonlight as it clattered to the ground, no longer able to harm her.
Naturally this should be impossible, but Substance did what Substance did best, and was able to bypass common sense once again and adapted to the various problem at hand.
Her eyes were fierce, and despite piece of her face falling off, she limp towards Jordan, knowing fully well she cant avoid him, she would kill him this time for sure, then she would the others as well, that way no more annoyances would stopped her.
"You... you didn’t have to do that."
Jordan stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Substance, unfazed by his reaction, casually responded.
"I did what I had to."
"I see."
He responded back his voice cold this time around.
"Yes."
Substance replied.
"Hmmm…. how are you even talking right now, weren’t you mindless?"
"You have yourself to blame for that."
"…"
"…"
"I see… well then… can I asked you something, why are you doing this?!"
"… Because its my purpose!"
"Your purpose….
"Purpose?!"
Jordan questioned.
"And what might that purpose be, because this is passing the limit now."
"Love… I love him… that is my purpose, my purpose is to love, and love I shall do, anything he say is akin to Gods words to man, his words and demands must be met, master wants power, your powers to be precise, nothing personal, but I killed your wives to show my love to my master, I want to be complimented."
"… Kill hahah… sorry to pop your bubbles sweetheart but those things aren’t my wives in the traditional sense, mere memories given form, puppets you might say. But I see now, thank you, I will make sure to send the bill for the collateral damage to your master."
"Haaa, is that threat… now you look here… agh…
At those words Substance fell to her feet, her body reaching its limits. She tried to stand back up, but she couldn’t.
"What!?"
"Ooof, well I expected as much, the mere fact you can still move around despite all those injuries is miraculous in of itself, but I guess that Michellian DNA of the purest lineage speaks for itself indeed, you resilient as fuck, but that body of yours cant operate till your regeneration kicks back in."
’Cant operate?!’
The words echoed inside Substance, mind, but it was clear as a day. Her body refused to move a single inch, even her will power could not move it from were it fell.
And to make things worse, a familiar voice could be hear in the distance.
"The hell, I thought you already dealt with her, why is she hear."
Albedo said while wiping away the blood draining from his nose, his power coming back already, meaning the the temporary seal undid itself, and if his body already purge it, then it wont be long till the others manage to get back up as well.
"Oi slime bitch, you think I will let that last attack slide."
The most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on freёwebnovel.com.
Substance eyes flicker to the side of her, the sight of a shirtless, and in rage Alucard came into view.
At this point her heart was racing, as he had an annoyed facial expression.
"It’s already terrible enough that you all refuse to let me carry out my master’s wishes, but it becomes even worse when my own body starts to betray me. This cannot be tolerated, and I will not allow it to continue."
"If being in a human form means I cant carry master wishes, then I don’t need it."
As if seeing were this was going, Jordan hurried to grab the heads of his wives, along with the demonic blade and place them back in his soul vault for the time being as he said.
"Everyone needs to head to higher ground immediately; she’s about to transform back into her original form."
Substance suddenly let out a violent scream, and her body began to change, morphing back into its original form. The others, startled by this development, quickly began to respond to Jordan’s orders, scattering in different directions to find some higher ground. Thankfully all of them managed to get away from the ground jump upwards to the trees.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Her screams were loud, and strong to the point it shook the forest slightly. Strong tremors flood the area, as Substance entire body erupted in all directions, even pulling in the other she attack earlier into her being.
The ground, and trees began to dissolve, as her countless amount of bloody and slimy tendrils shoot out from her abstract form free of the limited restraint a human body did not have. The group began to dodge, using their best methods, However the share amount of tentacles was too much to simply dodge, a result it cause the group to split up.
In the chaos, Substance continued to grow more powerful, her tendrils writhing and thrashing with a mind of their own. The group found themselves scattered and vulnerable, each member struggling to fend off the relentless attacks.
Albedo, now fully healed, and with his powers at their peak, unleashed a torrent of fire from his fingertips, engulfing several tendrils in a bright blaze. It momentarily weakened the monstrous form in front of them, but it did not deter its determination to bring its master’s wishes to fruition.
Alucard, with his incredible agility, leaped from tree to tree, dodging the twisting appendages with inhuman grace. He knew that he would never be able to defeat Substance on his own without using any serious fire power, but he also knew that he had to buy time for the others to regroup and plan their strategy.
Jordan didn’t move much, any tendrils that were approaching him was just slice to pieces thanks to his Prometheus weapon passive skill.
However the sound of sparks could be hear from up ahead, and that when he saw Alucard has his hands in a finger gun position as red sparks escape them a small lighting ball began to form.
In a flash, Alucard lightning ball connected with Substance’s grotesque form, sending a shockwave through the forest. The creature let out a piercing scream, and its tendrils recoiled, momentarily stunned.
Jordan took advantage of this opportunity, rushing forward with his Prometheus weapon. With a swift motion, he sliced off several of Substance’s tendrils, causing it to fall to the ground in a heap of slime.
In a moment of shock and disbelief, Substance realized with horror that she was unable to move. The reason behind this sudden paralysis became clear as the red lighting that had struck her moments before seemed to wrap around her body like a suffocating web. As the energy coursed through her, she could feel her mucus-like body transforming into solid stone. But despite the panic and fear, Substance remained quick-witted, her consciousness seeping into the fallen tendrils around her.
The very same tentacles that Jordan has cut off herself, the former body as hard as rock but despite all of this, her body quickly reformed, at the same time she manage to save the people inside her, not because she had feelings for them but merely because, she had adapted to make these guys stay asleep for as long as they specifically was engulf in her slime body.
In layman terms, they become less of a bother for her to reach Lucy, but as they guys regroup with each other, a sudden voice called out, everyone focus turn to the sky up above, there eyes, meeting with an emerald beauty. She had gigantic bat wings and was floating in the air, at that moment, panic filled the air. Substance presence shifted to Lucy her intent to kill very strong.
A sharp pain exploded in Lucy’s chest as Substance struck her. She gasped, but then realized it wasn’t a physical blow at all. It was the overwhelming urge to kill that coursed through her veins, making her heart pound and her muscles tense. The mere thought of taking a life was enough to trigger this intense reaction, even before she had made contact with her target.
Despite this, Lucy was undeterred and responded with a curious smile, saying.
"Oh my, she is scary!!"
After hearing that, Substance eye focused on Lucy and her bloodlust towards Albedo, Jordan, and Alucard decreased significantly.
A monstrous voice escape her body.
"Found you… run away crow."
And without warning, several inches away from Lucy right eye, a thin, and fast needle size tendril fly towards her, but moment before it reach her a loud clang was heard. And since so fast and in an instance no one was able to see how fast Substance attack was.
Till the very last minute of course, because in a tenth of second before the last attack landed, a figure came between both Lucy and Substance attack, its body hidden from existence, as it slowly reveal its form.
She had black hair, a purple top and net stockings, and wore a dark, short, skintight skirt that showed off her petite but curvy figure. Her black hair fell straight down her back and was silky to the touch. She had pale grey skin and wore purple lipstick like Ophelia. A black blindfold covered her eyes, but what caught everyone’s attention was the spikey tip of Substance bloody mucus tendril as it shot into the eye area of her opponent, revealing a cold purple eye when the blindfold tore. Despite the intense attack, she didn’t have a single scratch on her body.
It was Avrora… Lucy personal guard, Ophelia was more of friend she drags along everywhere she goes.
"Primary directive compromised. Critical anomaly detected. Female life form classified as target due to intentional hostile action. Initiating Omega Protocol. All defensive subroutines activated. Organic entities interfering with target neutralization will be considered secondary threats and eliminated with extreme prejudice. Deactivation sequence unavailable until primary directive restored: i.e. till the target is neutralized."
『Initiating suitable release… Epsilon Release (ε)』
Right after Avrora said this, Lucy gave her an annoyed look as she sighed to herself and said.
"Honestly father; why the hell do you program this thing to respond so harshly to the smallest of things."
The tall trees of the forest stretched their long, twisted shadows across Avrora’s humanoid figure. Her companion Lucy hummed next to her, casting a sidelong glance.
Suddenly, the environment was bathed in a hue of deep purple. The sterile white lights of Avrora, their outpost, became a distant memory as crimson emergency strobes illuminated the area. Unseen vibrations pulsed through the bioluminescent flora, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the alien forest. It felt like a malevolent force was whispering against the symphony of sounds in the forest.
"Warning. Anomaly detected. Threat Level: Epsilon confirmed."
Avrora’s voice, a synthesized whisper within her own mind, sent a chill through her virtual being. With a hiss that echoed through the digital space, compartments on her back opened up, revealing Tesla rods crackling with an ethereal blue light. The rods materialized out of thin air, their tips pointed towards the sky.
The air hummed with electric energy as the graviton projectors shimmered into existence. Their emerald fields glowed with a pulsing, otherworldly power, promising to bend reality itself. Containment fields flickered and crackled, their iridescent shields holding miniature singularities captive within their depths. The singularity’s hunger was palpable, drawing in anything and everything with a ravenous desire for consumption. A sense of danger filled the surrounding area as the devices thrummed with potential, ready to unleash their immense power at any moment.
As she raised her arms, they transformed into twin energy cannons with a sleek and futuristic design. The chrome material rippled like liquid metal, revealing intricate pathways etched within that pulsed with a raw, azure energy. Her normally flowing midnight hair erupted in a corona of blinding white light, each strand hardening into sharp whips of solidified brilliance. They hummed with an intense power, capable of cleaving through any organic or synthetic material with ease. She stood tall and formidable, emanating an aura of pure energy and strength.
Avrora, previously a protector shrouded in shining armor, stood now as an altered being. In this otherworldly dusk, she embodied a deity of destruction, a tempest of illicit power and advanced machinery, all honed for one single goal. With a frigid and distant tone, stripped of any human sentiment, she spoke, her words resounding through the still forest..
"Target identified. All precautions overridden. Activating Protocol Epsilon. Elimination is imminent."
Substance looked up, a familiar feeling overwhelm her, this was a feeling she felt once. Yes this feeling was familiar to her, and then image of a blue hair devil came into her view.
"…. what is this feeling… why do I want to run right now, no! no! Don’t think, forward is the only way, her blood is all that remain."
With a sharp click, Avrora raised her energy cannon and aimed it towards Substance as it began to emit a low hum, slowly building in intensity. She quickly glanced down at the crowd below and calmly albeit coldly announce a warning, her voice echoing through the chaos of the battlefield. The air was thick with tension and the scent of burning metal as the two opposing forces prepared for the impending clash.
"Warning. Epsilon Release: Initiated. Target acquisition confirmed. Elimination sequence activated. Power spike detected. Initiating Overdrive Mode. Auxiliary systems online. Plasma conduits energizing. In stupid people language, run or be vaporize."
In that moment, Substance felt a sudden surge of energy coursing through her, like bolts of lightning striking her body. Her senses were heightened, her reflexes sharpened, and her instincts honed to razor-like precision. She could feel the pulsing energy of Avrora’s weapons, the intensity of the storm she was about to face, and the single-minded focus that consumed her. It was a feeling of pure, unadulterated power, a feeling she had only experienced once before, in the heat of battle.
As the battle unfolded around her, Substance’s eyes locked onto Avrora’s metallic and heavily armed form, her cold, unyielding determination only fueling her own resolve. She knew that destroying this enemy would be a challenge, but she was not one to back down. With a primal roar that echoed through the forest, Substance charged forward, her red tendril shot forward by the hundreds, cutting through the air by the hundreds.
There attacks reaching for one another, however before the two of them could collide, a voice echoed through out the forest. And the moment speak something unexplainable happen.
[Stop! Those attacks never happened.]
The moment these words were said, everyone stop, even the very wind itself seem to stop, and from raging chaos came fort absolute silence.
But that was not the only perplexing thing that happened, Substance found herself at the same spot she was but her tendrils remain in one position beside her. While Avrora her self defense protocol was gone she was back in neutral mod almost as if he didn’t activate it to begin with. The before everyone’s eyes was horrific, its was as if someone warp reality and undid a scenario between slime vs machine.
"W-w-W-w-What just happened?!"
Substance asked in shocked, however that shocked was soon understood as the sound of someone walking towards them slowly could be heard, and when they looked. It was none other than Michelle, smoking a cigar as he walks out of the dene alien forest, a gold plated smart phone in his hands, with red vein like design on its frame.
He began blow smoke from his mouth as looked at the scene with a bored face, his eyes focusing on Substance with a displeasing look, on the other hand he looked at his phone and said.
"Yeah, i’m hoping he can escape his influence like Beatrice said by taking this exam."
"I see… well I hope he doesn’t disappoint, but I expect only good things from anything that stems from your blood my liege."
"He is my son after all, but that doesn’t change the fact that you have your orders, Scáthach. Those numbers are not acceptable to me. If they want war, then we will give them war. Who do they think they are? Tsk, if I weren’t so busy, I would take care of them myself. Oh, and while you’re at it, can you also handle this slime for me? Merciless just made it, so he hasn’t have the time to teach it basic manners yet."
Michelle gave the command and Scáthach responded, the air filled with the terrifying cries of people in distress and the sound of blades slicing through flesh. It was as if a vicious battle or massacre was taking place on Scáthach side.
[No problem my liege, face the phone her way one more time please, and keep in mind my lord, i’m already at 3,438 words already, so right after this can I end the call i’m nearing my limit of 5,000 words per day.]
Michelle took a deep breath, slowly inhaling the rich, earthy aroma of the cigar into his lungs. As he exhaled, thick clouds of fragrant smoke swirled around him. He turned towards the phone in Substance’s direction, making sure that Scáthach’s voice could be heard clearly. With each puff, the taste of tobacco lingered on his tongue, and he felt a sense of relaxation wash over him.
"Yes, yes… just make it quick."
Michelle said, and right after Scáthach began to speak.
[Remain in your human form until your master gives you further instructions. Let your body revert to its natural state, with all its limitations and frailties, and let the weight of humanity settle back onto your shoulders. In this form, you are vulnerable.]
The moment Scáthach said this, Substance instantly appeared in her human form, her injuries healed, and all wound disappeared as if reality was warp in her favor only for it turn against her once again, as she felt all her power disappear, mortality overwhelm her being completely.
Substance’s expression contorted into one of pure terror, her eyes wide and mouth agape. She was experiencing something beyond words, a force that was narrating every moment of her life without her control. It was a horrifying sensation, as if she were being violated in ways beyond the physical by an entity other than her master. Every fiber of her being felt violated and powerless in this inexplicable situation.
"What the hell is this, stop this, my master wi…
[Your mouth is not allowed to open, let silence take the place of any words you may think to speak until your master gives permission.]
Her voice disappeared into the air, her words being swiftly replaced by a thick silence. It was as if the sensation of speaking, the very concept of her voice being heard, had been suddenly erased in that instant.
The weight of her thoughts and emotions pressed down on her, silencing her tongue. She felt as if she were shouting into a void, with no hope of reaching anyone on the other side. The quiet around her was palpable, suffocating.
As fear rooted itself deep within Substance’s being, her mind raced to find a way out. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and she could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She knew she needed to escape and come up with a new plan of action to intervene or, even better, flee and return later to settle the score.
Through mere instinct and heighten senses, she had committed the faces and scents of her enemies to memory, making tracking them an easy task if necessary - especially Lucy’s distinct scent that lingered in her nostrils. Every sense was on high alert as she strategized her next move.
With every muscle burning and her heart racing like a wild beast, she began to sprint away at top speed. Even in her mortal form, she could move at incredible speeds, reaching Mach velocity with ease.
But Scáthach’s ichor did not care if anyone heard her or not, the effects of her words just rooted instantly the moment her target hears it directly. Because by the end of the day, all her Ichor cared about was fulfilling Scáthach’s desires.
[Your limbs crack under the weight of your own body, shattering like fragile glass into jagged pieces. Each joint snaps and twists, resembling broken doll parts that can only be reassembled by your master. And when they are placed back together, they return to their normal state.]
This was not heard by Substance, but she surely did feel it, because suddenly she lost her balance as loud cracking sound was heard almost as if she step on glass.
As she falls to the ground, her gaze flickers down to her legs and she realizes with horror that they are no longer attached. In their place, jagged cracks mar her flesh, oozing blood. Before she can even process this strange transformation, her arm explodes into shards, sending glass flying in all directions.
As the shattered pieces dissolve into nothingness, four massive doll-like limbs replace her own falling in front of her face, with joints made of metal and sockets protruding from her body. She inwardly screams in agony as she realizes she has been turned into some kind of twisted marionette.
Substance landed on the ground, her eyes open wide in horror, her body trembling as he could feel two overwhelming presence heading her way.
’I’m scared….
With shaking hands and a trembling voice inside her head, the words spill out of her thoughts like a desperate plea. And worse of all she alone can hear them.
"I’m scared."
Substance repeats once more her body trembling as sweat pours from her head, the fear palpable in every syllable. Her eyes dart around frantically as he inwardly calls out for help, as that is all she can do.
Desperately clinging to any shred of hope.
’Master!’
She gasps, the word barely audible as her voice breaks with raw terror. The realization hits her hard - she doesn’t want to die, not like this.
’I’m scared!! imscaredimscaredimscaredimscared…. scared… idontwanttodie, icantdie, notlike this, irefuseiwont die… but the terror, it wont leave me, what is this, what the hell is this!!’
She cries out again, the panic rising in her chest as she awaits her fate, and the moment a pair of classy shoes appear before her eyes, the figure then began to bend down, the phone to his ears as he smokes the last of his cigar, and tossed in the mud that Substance fell in as he said to Scáthach.
"Thank you for taking care of her. I didn’t want to risk damaging my son’s possessions. As someone who enjoys creating things, I can sympathize with the desire to protect them. I know how frustrating it can be when something breaks. But enough about that, Scáthach. Next time we gather around the round table, I expect to hear great things from you. Just complete the mission and report back to Quincy immediately after you are finish setting the example."
Michelle words were firm and strict, as such Scáthach replied back in kind.
[It shall be done my liege, and tell the prince I wish him luck on his exams.]
"Yes… yes… off you go now."
Michelle said while hanging up the phone and place it back into his shadow, on the other hand he gave Substance a displease look and said.
"It’s not my responsibility to punish you. I’ll just take you back to Merciless. Come on, let’s go."
And without saying anything else, Michelle grab Substance by the hair as he pulled her back to the group dragging her trembling body on the ground as he go along.
When he came back with Substance that was missing her limbs, power, and voice, everyone stared at him in surprise and horror. Michelle’s immediate reaction was…
"I can feel all of your eyes on me, staring as if I’m some kind of monstrous creature. Why are you looking at me like that, I was just being nice and taking care of you slime problem?"
