Symphony for the Insect Princess

Nellis sat on the chair with her head slightly lowered, and she fell asleep in this position. Her not-so-thick bangs half-covered her closed eyes.

Chloe and Ellen's conditions did not change. Chloe seemed to be forcing herself, while Ellen wished the murderer would come and fight her immediately.

York and Lukes sat at the two ends of the sofa, their eyes wide open, feeling the passage of time.

In order to keep spirits up, the two began to chat casually.

"Come on, Lux."

"Ok?"

"Do you feel that Nelris..."

"Very suspicious?"

"It's not suspicious, but do you think she seems different?"

"……what!"

Luke's eyes lit up, and it was obvious that he had realized it too.

"I always feel that she is becoming more...how should I put it, more beautiful?"

"Her face doesn't seem to have changed at all, does it?"

"That's right... but it feels like that... never mind. Compared to that, what do you think?"

"What do you think?"

"Of course, it's about the great secret treasure."

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Uh, there are serious spoilers for the blood transformation in the next chapter.

Please consider before viewing...

Chapter 14 The Long Night (Part )

If you have read the previous work, Blood Change, please start reading from the second half of this chapter, as there are serious spoilers.

If you haven't seen it, it doesn't matter.

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York and Lukes sat at opposite ends of the sofa, their eyes wide open as time passed. After a long moment, Lukes tentatively whispered, "York, what do you think of that thing?"

"what do you mean?"

"What else could it be? Of course it's a great secret treasure."

"..."

York sighed, his expression becoming more serious.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to possess it, but... on the other hand, I also wish the Zelah family hadn't acquired this calamity in the first place. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had to live in fear for hundreds of years, and this incident wouldn't have happened."

"...To be honest, I agree with you."

"Isn't that right? If we can get through this crisis safely, I hope..."

"hope?"

"You know, only the most powerful organizations and groups can keep the great secret treasure. The Zelah family simply doesn't have that kind of power. I hope... that the great secret treasure can be handed over to the royal family of our Kingdom of Aaron."

"Giving up this hot potato? That's not a bad choice. As the saying goes, 'A gentleman is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure.'"

"Hmm? This sentence is..." York frowned and thought for a moment, "Is it the slang for 'Earth World'? Or is it the 'Cultivation World'?"

"I don't know either. I overheard it while discussing business with outsiders. Anyway, it seems to be a colloquialism from another world."

"Ha, the gate to the world, the border battlefield... To be honest, I also want to go and see it one day."

"Let's deal with this crisis first."

The chat eased their tension a little, and they gathered their courage and continued their vigil in the first half of the night.

The so-called world-crossing gate is a miracle that suddenly appeared sixteen years ago in the sky above the Starry Sky Ruins, one of the ancient holy places in this world.

It possesses an incomparable magical power - the power to connect other human worlds and lead to the higher world.

The appearance of the interdimensional portal shook the world, not just this world, but the other 665 worlds as well. The previously separate human worlds, like fragments of shattered fragments, were suddenly connected by the interdimensional portal. Only then did people learn of the existence of other worlds, and realized that they were not the only human species.

Of course, as history has repeated countless times, the intersection of these vastly different civilizations initially led not to peaceful exchange, but rather to a clash of barbaric forces. This conflict escalated further after people discovered that the gates could lead to a higher realm—a new world known as the "Demon Realm."

The gate wasn't just a passage; it opened up a new world—the Border Battlefield. It was the border of the Demon Realm, a buffer zone between the Demon Realm and the Underworld, and a region where the people of the Underworld could roam relatively safely. Although it was called a "border," its confirmed area alone exceeded the combined area of ​​dozens of fragmented human realms.

For those in the lower realms, the border battlefield is a vast treasure trove. The power of the demonic realm differs from that of any other mortal realm. That power—dubbed "True Magic" by someone—is more turbid, yet also more powerful, so powerful that it can directly form solid minerals. A single fist-sized piece of True Magic Crystal—the magic essence—contains enough energy to sustain an entire world's population for a year. Beyond its resources, the border battlefield also boasts a variety of extremely precious specialties and hidden treasures, offering countless benefits.

Faced with such a lucrative pie, everyone wanted a bigger piece, and so conflict naturally began. The world's top fighters launched a vigorous land grab, and various frictions escalated. Less than a year after the World Gate appeared, a super war involving all worlds was already on the verge of breaking out.

However, at that moment, a big man stepped in and took control of the situation before the conflict escalated into war.

That person claimed that he had been directly involved in the construction of the gate, was one of the root causes of all the events, and was also the person with the most say.

Such arrogance naturally drew the disdain of the world's top leaders, and that person's method of quelling opposition was simple: force. The unparalleled power he displayed shocked everyone. It's said that after leaving a mysterious remark at the negotiation table, "You bunch of useless people are at best top-level," he unleashed a ruthless crackdown.

The actions of the great, combined with the efforts of doves within the various human realms, ultimately led to the formation of the "Border Council." While the various worlds continued to feud privately, they at least maintained a semblance of peace. They dispatched their world's top talents to expand their influence on the border battlefield, striving to secure a larger piece of the pie.

As for that big shot, he is now the leader of the largest force in the border battlefield and is also recognized as the strongest among the top figures in the world.

By the way, it is said that those tacky-sounding names like "True Magic Power", "Demon Marrow", "Demon Realm", and "Border Battlefield" were all given by that guy.

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Time passed minute by minute, and in the second half of the night, the four woke up the other four and completed their shift.

Even Ellen, driven by grief and hatred, couldn't hold on any longer. After uttering the question, "If that bastard shows up, wake me up. I'm going to slowly kill him," she fell asleep. Chloe, already exhausted, felt as if she had been granted amnesty and fell into a deep sleep the moment she closed her eyes.

The short sleep did not soothe Molly's emotions; instead, she became even more nervous. Lillian and Nia also looked very reluctant, but they also felt relieved that they no longer had to worry about unexpected events while sleeping.

York and Lux ​​carefully instructed Nelris, who seemed to be the most reliable, and then fell asleep leaning on the sofa. Both of them used the magic scrolls they carried with them to protect themselves with a simple but long-lasting shield.

A long time ago, magic scrolls were in the form of a roll of thick paper fastened with a strap. However, after a long period of development, magic scrolls became smaller and smaller, more and more portable, and were no longer limited to paper products. However, out of habit, people still call these things magic scrolls.

For example, the magic scrolls used by York are in the form of small metal tubes, which contain miniature scrolls filled with spells, while the magic scrolls used by Lux look like a stack of metal sheets.

Nellis changed to a more comfortable position and sat in the original chair, releasing a few small flying insects for reconnaissance to hover in the room. Now that the four older people had gone to bed, the task of guarding was naturally given to her.

Click, click, click.

The clock's hands ticked, the dull notes slowing the passage of time. The long night seemed endless. The refined magic crystals that served as the light source for the hall's chandelier cast a dim glow, casting a hazy halo over everyone, making it difficult to discern each other's expressions.

"..."

Lilith looked even more anxious. Ever since York confessed about the secret treasure, she had always seemed to be hesitant to speak, and her hand was still covering her stomach in a vague manner. Nia would sometimes ask her worriedly if she was feeling unwell, but she would always be scolded.

"..."

Molly looked even more haggard. Fear and anxiety almost crushed her. She was eager to talk to someone, preferably to have a good chat. If she continued like this, she was afraid that she would really go crazy.

"Um, um... Lillian...?"

After hesitating for a long time, she finally tried to strike up a conversation with Lillian.

"...Huh? What's wrong?" Lillian was obviously a little impatient.

"Uh...uh..."

Although she spoke on impulse, she hadn't thought about what to say, so she thought for a while before finally finding a topic.

"Um, Lillian, you've been holding your stomach..."

“——!??”

"...Do you want to go to the bathroom?"

"Y-Just don't mind—huh? What did you say?"

"I say... do you want to pick a flower (to go to the bathroom)?"

"That's what you're talking about! It's...it's nothing...I don't want to."

"That's good, but..."

Molly's pale face finally showed some color, a blush.

"But, I kind of want to."

""...""

Lillian and Nia were speechless.

It was Nelris who responded.

"Molly."

"Nellis?"

"Is it the little one? Can't help it anymore?"

"...It's small, small! And...if I keep holding it in any longer, I might..."

"That's no problem."

As she spoke, Nellis stood up from her chair.

Molly immediately looked delighted and asked, "Nellis, are you... going to accompany me?"

"How can it be."

Cut, nail, and cut through iron.

"So, what are you going to do..."

Nelris didn't say anything. She dragged a few unoccupied benches to the corner of the wall, forming a small barrier.

"Let's settle it here."

"No, no, I can't do it!"

"But leaving the hall will be dangerous. Don't forget, you are the most vulnerable person right now, so please be patient, for your own sake and for everyone else's."

Her face showed 60% guilt, 30% apology and 10% helplessness. Both her expression and tone were perfectly controlled. Molly blushed, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally compromised.

"But, Nia, Nia, you...you must not look over here! And cover your ears!"

"Yes, yes, I understand!"

Before Jasmine could finish her words, Nia covered his ears and curled up on the ground with his face down, his ears turning red. Lillian, feeling a little unhappy, pinched him hard.

Molly ran behind the benches, and after a few seconds, she could hear the sound of water dripping, which lasted for quite a long time. After a while, Molly came back jogging, covering her face with her hands, and kept muttering "I can't get married anymore, I can't get married anymore."

Lillian hesitated for a moment before asking Molly, "How does it feel?"

“…………I can’t get married.”

"I'm asking if you can get used to peeing there—picking flowers?"

"It'll be troublesome once you get used to it... woo woo... but these are extraordinary times, there's nothing we can do!"

“Really… There’s nothing I can do…”

Lillian bit her lip and suddenly stood up.

"You all! Close your eyes and cover your ears! I will kill anyone who dares to come near me!"

After saying that, he also rushed to the temporary toilet as if escaping. After a few seconds, the sound of dripping water was heard.

"It turns out she can't hold it back anymore..."

Molly blinked awkwardly, and as if trying to improve the strange atmosphere, she began to try to talk to Nelris.

"Um, Nelris...are you okay?"

"You mean the urge to defecate?"

"Wow... what else could it be! And I see you haven't had... that thing... so I'm a little worried."

"Don't worry, I have insects in my aquarium that feed on the excrement of other creatures—"

"—Whoa whoa whoa whoa stop stop I don't want to hear it!"

Chapter 15 Blocking

Through the windows of the hall, one could see the eastern sky turning pale, and morning dew forming on the grass and leaves in the courtyard. The long night was finally over, and day had arrived.

As soon as the sky was getting light, the three people except Nellis immediately woke up the people who were sleeping, and then fell asleep. The people who were awake continued to be on duty. Considering everyone's mental state, it is better to get enough sleep as much as possible.