Elsa’s impossibly beautiful eyes shone with a brilliant light.

  “My Lady,” she said with a smile, her voice vibrating with excitement, “That 【Reshaping】… felt absolutely amazing!”

  She described the sensations from her fierce battle with the Rot-Spider in the other passage. Her strength, speed, overall combat reactions—all had undergone a complete, evolutionary leap forward. She had regained that solid sense of power, the confidence that she was strong enough to protect her Lady!

  “And,” Elsa added, her tone turning more serious, “through this 【Reshaping】, I found some… disharmonies in my old abilities. It seems… the alchemical resource allocation from my last upgrade was off. Some abilities didn’t fully manifest, only releasing in a kind of ‘compensatory’ way…”

  “But this time,” her eyes filled with gratitude and reverence, “because My Lady granted me permission to 【Freely Access the Alchemical Resource Pool】, I was able to use the resources based on my most instinctive needs during the 【Reshaping】. I apologize for consuming so many of My Lady’s resources… but the results are worth it! I swear the resources My Lady invested in Elsa will not be wasted!”

  Hearing this, Pandora was equally pleased. But unlike Elsa’s apologetic mood, Pandora had expected this level of resource use. It was well within her means.

  Sure, compared to the last time at the manor, when she performed 【Myriad Alchemy】 to create the 【Sword of Elsa】, this consumption wasn’t even in the same ballpark…

  With a thought, she pulled up the resource consumption list for the 【Reshaping】:

  【Flesh: 74 units】

  【Flora: 76 units】

  【Salt-Gold: 24 units】

  【Ether: 219 units】

  【Soul: 152 units】

  The Soul Points alone were 152—a bit less than Ether, but way more than the other three. If not for the fact that a single ordinary zombie usually gave 7~9 Soul Points, and a casual slaughter could net dozens, gathering the amount Elsa needed all at once would’ve been tough. The Demon Hunter Academy’s Contribution Points could be exchanged for living creatures, but the exchange rate was terrible. Her starting funds from the academy would never have covered it.

  As for the 【Freely Access the Alchemical Resource Pool】 permission Elsa mentioned, that was because Pandora used a 【Flexible - Resource Allocation Mode】 for 【Myriad Alchemy】 this time, something she hadn’t tried before.

  The first time, for the initial 【Myriad Alchemy】 at the manor, she’d used the system’s default 【Fixed - Resource Allocation Mode】. Back then, it used up all the alchemical resources Pandora could get her hands on. The conditions didn’t allow Elsa free access, and Pandora wasn’t in the mood to experiment with other system modes.

  The result was that while Elsa’s abilities were strong, that state didn’t fully unlock her potential.

  This time, Pandora tried the 【Flexible - Resource Allocation Mode】. It freed her from fixing resource amounts. Instead, it gave Elsa temporary permission to access a 【Freely Accessible Alchemical Resource Pool】 with a set upper limit.

  Within this permission, Elsa could freely draw from Pandora’s resource pool during her own 【Reshaping】. This way, she could make the most perfect allocation based on her optimal needs. It also saved Pandora the headache of figuring out how to allocate resources for her.

  For Pandora, this was perfect!

  But…

  Considering Elsa had only used a little over a hundred Soul Points in the end, Pandora instinctively checked her current alchemical resource pool:

  【Flesh: 232 units】

  【Flora: 187 units】

  【Salt-Gold: 98 units】

  【Ether: 451 units】

  【Soul: 839 units】

  Leaving the others aside, just looking at the Soul column… over eight hundred points remained.

  This was why Pandora didn’t think Elsa’s consumption was “too much.” She’d just prepared an excessive amount to ensure Elsa’s 【Reshaping】 succeeded!

  Looking at the number, Pandora felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. For Elsa’s advancement, she’d basically cleared out the zombies in this underground mall, yet… she couldn’t use it all up. Just couldn’t use it up!

  But Pandora had a good attitude about it. Leftover resources were fine. The extra could serve as a backup. What if some special potion or alchemy required a huge chunk of Soul Points later? Besides places like the “zombie-infested Ruined City” where they could be got in bulk, other places might not be so easy. Mass slaughter of living beings always drew unwanted attention.

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  Having a reserve was always good!

  Pandora thought happily.

  “Alright, our objective for this trip is done.”

  Pandora’s voice echoed in the empty underground mall. “It’s getting late. If we delay, night will fall, and I have no desire to sleep outside. Let’s move.”

  Gathering enough alchemical resources for Elsa’s advancement had long been finished. The 【Reshaping】 result was perfect. Now, it was time for the most important goal for ordinary freshmen: “finding a place to live.”

  “Yes, My Lady.”

  Elsa replied softly.

  A soft red glow emanated from her body, covering her silhouette as her form began to change. Pandora watched, instinctively narrowing her eyes.

  Elsa could feel herself losing the warmth of being “human,” losing the limbs that defined her human shape. Instead, she entered a body completely different from a human’s, yet equally familiar—even more habitual to her. It was an extremely sharp, resilient greatsword, its blade covered in crimson thorn patterns.

  In Elsa’s consciousness, she could feel that “herself” in this form was basically incapable of independent movement. After all, in this state, she was just a sword. In special moments needing peak power, she could rely on the intangible, potent “Ether” within her for short bursts—like she just did.

  But such methods consumed immense energy. Not sustainable. She couldn’t travel long distances or move continuously using only Ether, that precious “fuel.”

  But Elsa wasn’t worried.

  The next moment, those incredibly familiar, warm, soft hands gripped her steadily.

  That was her hilt.

  This was also the “core” where all her senses met, the most sensitive center. Her perception soaked through every fiber of her blade, but all feeling finally fed back to this starting point. Calling it the “most sensitive” was no stretch.

  She could feel Pandora’s delicate, smooth skin.

  Feel the slightest tremor in her hands.

  Feel that slightly cool, yet vibrant, living warmth.

  From this, without needing to share a thought, she could work out Pandora’s exact state, stance, even every tiny shift in posture through these subtle, intimate contacts.

  Most important,

  that warm, intoxicating blood was being steadily drawn through the small thorns curled secretly around Pandora’s wrist, flowing into her body…

  That blood entered her cold, metallized frame. It felt less like blood and more like searing magma. The intense rush threatened to melt her in blissful, drunken happiness.

  But her heart was split.

  On one hand, she craved it. She loved it. She was addicted to that blood.

  On the other, she could clearly feel Pandora’s growing blood loss, her Lady’s slight shivers, her presence growing fainter, weaker…

  It brought self-blame. Even… a fear of herself. She feared becoming just a “burden” who only took, giving her Lady nothing in return.

  But, as her Lady said, this was the “necessary” 【Price】.

  If so, her job was to make sure this 【Price】 paid back tenfold. Twelvefold.

  “Ready?”

  Pandora tightened her grip on the slightly warm Sword of Elsa.

  Their minds were linked. Pandora could feel Elsa’s anticipation, her excitement to prove her worth.

  “My Lady,” Elsa’s voice resonated straight in the depths of Pandora’s mind, “Please, wield Elsa as you wish.”

  Hearing it, Pandora gave an almost invisible nod.

  Then she looked beside her, at a full-length mirror in a long-dead clothing store.

  The mirror clearly showed her reflection—noticeably taller than her normal self, looking more mature. Like she’d changed from a young girl into a woman of twenty-one or twenty-two in her prime.

  Because of the changes from Elsa’s power merging with hers, and the power of the Witch’s Blood unconsciously stirring inside her, her aura had shifted subtly.

  Though her face had only changed a little, she now looked striking. Beautiful. Captivating, to an unforgettable degree.

  “Still, not enough.”

  Pandora gazed at the “grown-up Plus version” of herself in the mirror, murmuring softly.

  “The difference between the current ‘you’ and my real self is still too small.”

  Pandora whispered as she pulled a small vial from her pack. Inside swirled a peculiar blue-green liquid.

  The potion looked strange. When she gently shook the vial, the liquid inside moved with a gelatinous quality, weirdly like the Rot-Spider’s core…

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Pandora drank the specially prepared “Disguise Potion.”

  The potion, with a texture like congealed blood plasma, slid down her throat.

  Soon, within just minutes, the skin on Pandora’s face took on a state like the potion, becoming as malleable as soft gel!

  Pandora immediately raised her hands, carefully and quickly sculpting her own face.

  Not long after, her face was completely remade.

  One side kept mostly her old look, though she deliberately sharpened minor details to seem more mature, more defined.

  The other side became terrifying. Horrible. It bore gruesome scars, like flesh seared by violent flame!

  Her whole aura transformed, as if a different soul lived there now. The mesmerizing, eerie light in her eyes hardened into a weather-worn toughness, the look of a survivor who’d walked through fire. Her alluring curves were buried under harshness and ruin, giving off a cold warning for others to stay away.

  This way, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to connect the current “her” with that somewhat frail-looking “Pandora”…

  “Good. This should do.”

  “Lady of the Scorched Visage… I’ll call you ‘Ember’.”

  Pandora smiled at her reflection.

  The “Ember” in the mirror showed a cruel smile back, looking almost too callous.

  The underground mall entrance was covered again behind her by a dust-heavy poster board.

  Pandora—or rather, now she was “Ember”—stood under the hazy, unsettled night.

  Next, it was time to find a place to stay.

  “Kamiyama Front, Tsukimidaira, Sakura Road”—these were her three original choices.

  Even after getting fairly detailed intel from the broker Nicole, her core idea hadn’t changed. The original plan just needed… adjustments.

  She cut Sakura Road first.

  That place, with multiple third-rank heavyweights eyeing it and conflict everywhere, was too much trouble. She didn’t want or need to get pulled into high-rank apprentice drama early, under unsure conditions.

  As for Kamiyama Front…

  “Chef” Nelson lived there now. According to Nicole, he lived alone, no companions, but had solid connections.

  Theoretically, that was a decent pick too.

  But Broker Nicole also said that while the housing was good, the fact that “masters” changed often meant it wasn’t a peaceful spot.

  Pandora wanted somewhere relatively stable. A place where nobody would bother her every few days. Even if the difficulty was a bit higher, with Elsa now leveled up, plus her own solid second-rank foundation and the terrifying combat instinct honed in the “Red Moon Nightmare”…

  A higher difficulty wasn’t a big problem.

  So,

  the seemingly most dangerous Tsukimidaira, as Nicole described it, became her top choice.

  But “top choice” didn’t mean only choice. She just planned to make it her first stop for a real look.

  She wanted to see what this “suspected third-rank” zombie dug in there was really like.