Chapter 157: A Brand-New Rebirth

Chapter 157: A Brand-New Rebirth

"Ligeia……"

A call mixed with the chilling winds of the soul resounded in Ligeia’s ears. In her vision, Cotton extended his hands in despair, staring fixedly at her. That sharp gaze caused Ligeia to shudder involuntarily. The heart that had originally been immersed in blazing heat grew much calmer in that instant.

Why was Cotton here? Why? Wasn't he dead? Was that a ghost? Could it be that Cotton's ghost had come to find her? But what was she doing? Her current, utterly shameless state had actually been witnessed by Cotton… Thinking of this, Ligeia couldn't help trembling. But very soon, she was surprised to discover that upon realizing this fact, what welled up from the depths of her heart was not shame and unease, but excitement.

Look at me! Cotton!! Look at your wife! This is what I look like right now!!

A silent cry echoed from the depths of Ligeia's heart, ringing through her soul. She stared at her husband, feeling increasingly excited. Yet, deep within Ligeia's mind, a voice was still warning her that doing this was wrong. You are his wife, and right now, you are beneath another man. Do you not feel ashamed? Have you lost your love for your husband?

For a moment, Ligeia fell into a daze. She merely stared blankly at the ghost imprisoned within the prison of souls, having no idea what she was actually thinking.

"Ligeia……!!"

Cotton shouted his wife's name once more. He wanted to tell Ligeia to leave this man immediately; he was an evil, terrifying demon. He had come here only to seduce her. Leave his side, escape from this place!

Unfortunately, Cotton could not utter a single word. A soul was inherently more fragile than a physical body, and at this moment, Cotton's fury had completely taken over his form. He was incapable of speaking a coherent and complete sentence. Coupled with the barrier between the mortal and the spiritual realms, even if he had spoken, Ligeia likely wouldn't have understood a word of what Cotton was saying. Therefore, he could only call out his wife's name, over and over again, yearning for her to "turn back from her lost path."

It was at this very moment that Jean leaned down once more, speaking softly into Ligeia's ear.

"It seems your husband has witnessed something rather unpleasant… It looks like this is as far as we go, Mrs. Black?"

"As far as we go?!"

Hearing this, Ligeia trembled violently. Those words pierced through her heart like a sharp sword. As far as we go? Did that mean the happy, sweet days she had obtained with such difficulty were about to end? Was she going to return to that dry, tasteless life of the past? Where no one could comfort her, and she could only sit desolately in the courtyard, spending the rest of her days like a dying statue?

"No, Master!!"

At this thought, Ligeia suddenly turned her head and threw her arms tightly around Jean.

"I am not Mrs. Black, I am Ligeia. I am your most loyal servant! Master, please do not abandon me. Cotton is already dead! I will no longer be deluded by him!!"

"Ligeia……!!"

Hearing her words, Cotton let out another roar. He slammed his hands heavily against the walls of the soul prison, yet not the slightest sound was produced.

"Ligeia!!"

"Stop calling my name, Cotton!!"

Ligeia screamed, cutting off Cotton's cries. She turned her head away, refusing to cast even one more glance at the man she had once loved.

"I finally found a new happiness with such difficulty, and you still want to make me despair once more? What did all my bitter waiting in the past bring me? Cotton! You already stripped happiness away from my side once. Do you want to do it again? No! This time I have made up my mind. I will never leave Master again. I am his loyal servant, and he will bestow everything upon me! Those are things you could never give me!!"

Saying this, Ligeia embraced Jean tightly, lifted her head, and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Master, please do not leave me. I swear I shall remain loyal to you forever, for all eternity! I beg you, grant me that supreme ecstasy once more. Only you, only you are my true love!!"

"————!!"

Hearing this, Cotton emitted a piercing shriek, flailing his limbs frantically. But at this moment, there was nothing left for him to do.

"Very well."

Hearing Ligeia's reply, Jean smiled faintly.

"Then, prepare to welcome your rebirth, Ligeia……"

"Master… Master… Master…!!"

"Your soul shall entirely belong to me… Ligeia, accept it!!"

"Ahahahaha!!!"

Accompanied by this final whisper, a surging tide of magical power erupted, finally able to accept Ligeia's body without the slightest hindrance.

Immediately after, her form began to gradually transform.

Under the erosion of the magical power, Ligeia's body began to change. Her originally human pupils contracted, turning into slender, snake-like slits. Her ears began to morph into triangular shapes resembling those of a half-elf. Lines formed of magical power crawled across her body, concentrating upon her back where they slowly condensed and shaped into a pair of pure, beautiful white wings.

"No……………!!!"

Witnessing this scene, Cotton finally went completely mad. The fury within his heart devoured the very last shred of his sanity in that instant. Soon, raging flames could be seen erupting from Cotton's eyes, mouth, and nose, completely enveloping him from the inside out. That ghostly figure flailed and struggled frantically within the flames before gradually fading away.

When the flames finally dissipated once more, all that remained within them was a crystalline, translucent, cone-shaped crystal a few dozen centimeters in height. It gleamed with the radiance of fire and the power of the soul, captivating to behold, like the most flawless gem in this world.

"Finally… it's a success."

Only then did Jean let out a long breath. Looking at Ligeia, who lay unconscious before him, he felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment. It was not the joy of conquering a woman, but rather the elation any researcher feels when watching their theoretical research successfully transform into reality. Although the "education" of Ligeia had taken a long time and was even somewhat tedious, Jean knew that such a process was indispensable for any research endeavor. No matter what kind of invention or creation it was, the initial stage always demanded high costs and numerous practical steps. Yet no matter how time-consuming or cumbersome the process might be, once success was achieved, it proved he had chosen the correct path. With the foundation and conclusion of success secured, simplifying the steps and accelerating the process henceforth would merely be a matter of time.

However…

Thinking of this, Jean looked at Ligeia once more. The success of demonization was beyond doubt, but her current form left Jean somewhat puzzled. Although demonization would inevitably alter one's appearance, demons invariably retained certain distinct markers—such as a tail, black wings, or sharp horns. Yet Ligeia possessed none of these things. Aside from the demonic imprint on her chest and her pupils, she looked remarkably like an angel… Wait a minute, wasn't this script a bit off? Humans could "fall" into angels—what kind of trend was this?

Fortunately, Jean had the system to help answer this question.

[Dungeon Construction System]
[Lord: Jean]
[Level: Level 4]
[Development Progress: 1542/50000]
[Dungeon Resources: Ore (76100), Mercury (63500), Gems (48240), Crystals (73080)]
[Special Resources: Sulfur (10280), Wood (500)]
[Subordinates: 203 people]
[Exclusive Vassal: 1 person]
[Owned Buildings: Dungeon Heart, Study, Bedroom, Lair, Black Stone Watchtower, Prison, Dark Sanctuary, Forging Workshop, Grand Library, Training Ground, Portal, War Chess Room]

Exclusive Vassal!

Seeing this information, Jean raised an eyebrow. He reached out to open it, and the details swiftly materialized before him.

[Exclusive Vassal: Succubus Fiend-Human (Specific/Unique/Created)]
[Combat Prowess: ★☆ (Her graceful posture and alluring silhouette are the finest weapons)]
[Management: ★☆ (A gentle whisper brushing against the ear can shake even the hardest resolve)]
[Influence: ★☆ (Everyone holds the image of an idealized woman in their heart)]
[Traits]
[Magical Emanation — Magical power surges, enveloping all (Magical diffusion range +5)]
[Perfect Transformation — Before you stands the most flawless art piece in this world (Demonic Concealment)]
[Possessed Skills]
[Mental Pollution: The ability to infiltrate and pollute the target's mind]
[Magical Transformation: The ability to utilize low-level dark magic]
[PS: Exclusive Vassals improve as the Dungeon level increases]
[Vassal: Ligeia Pastina]

"This is……"

Seeing this information, Jean was dumbfounded. In truth, within his original plan, he had assumed that even if Ligeia fell, she would merely become one of the ordinary demons of the nether realms. He had never expected that with the system's enhancement, such a mutation would occur. He could be certain that this race did not exist anywhere in the Demon Realm.

This meant that… he had created an entirely unfamiliar, unprecedented new race that had never before appeared upon the continent! (To be continued.)