Chapter 174: Phoenix Ao Tian

Drip. Drip.

Cold liquid fell on her skin, bringing with it a sickening sensation like a snake slithering over flesh.

Even before opening her eyes, Anna felt the damp, muggy air clinging to her like a reptile’s nest.

The powerless sensation from having her strength sealed hadn’t faded. The coldness of shackles still gripped her wrists.

But this was no longer the prison of the Silencers.

She could barely recall it—the deafening explosion, the wall being blasted open.

That jailer, the splatter of blood... she could still feel it on her skin.

“Oh my, you’re awake?”

That familiar, repulsive, honeyed voice rang in her ear.

Anna raised her head to look at the scantily clad, seductive woman in front of her.

The enchantress was holding a freshly beating heart, licking it with decadent delight as though savoring a delicacy. When she noticed Anna’s gaze, she tilted her head and gave a coquettish smile.

“We meet again, Anna Kaplin.”

Anna didn’t reply, only stared coldly at the woman.

“Oh, how unfriendly. You know, even though most of the powerhouses stationed at the Silencer branch were recalled for... certain reasons, leaving the place rather hollow, we still paid quite a price to rescue you. Nearly a third of our followers were lost in the process. Couldn’t you be just a little more grateful?”

“Grateful? Grateful for you helping cement my conviction of colluding with heretics?” Anna said flatly.

“Colluding? What a nasty word,” the enchantress pouted.

“We’re family. Would you call it collusion between family members?”

“I’m not family with the likes of you!” Anna’s hands clenched suddenly, knuckles turning white.

“Tsk, tsk. Isn’t family supposed to be about understanding and acceptance? Or...”

The enchantress stared at her, mockery flashing in her eyes.

“Do you even have anywhere else to go now, Anna Kaplin?”

“......”

Anna’s expression darkened. Her clear eyes transformed into icy vertical slits. The shackles clinked against her wrists as she moved, and from that seemingly delicate body burst forth a chilling murderous intent.

But rather than fear, the sight made the enchantress burst into delighted laughter.

“Yes, that’s it! That’s what I want, Anna Kaplin. The more you resist, the more you seal your fate!”

“What do you want from me?” Anna asked, exhaustion slipping into her voice.

“All this scheming... was it just to turn me into a wanted criminal?”

“Well, what can I say? The Academy and that Campbell boy’s protection were thorns in our side. We had to cut all of it away first. As for the real reason... haven’t I said it before? I’m inviting you to join us.”

“But I’m not the only one with the snake transformation disease. Why obsess over me to this extent—even...”

Just thinking about what this woman had done made Anna’s body tremble.

“Even going so far as to attack the Silencer branch. What does that get you?”

“Oh dear, haven’t you realized yet? Anna Kaplin, you’re special.”

“Special?”

“That’s right, special. A normal snake transformation patient takes one to three years to hatch. The longer the incubation period, the better they adapt to the Great Moon’s power. More time means more blessings.”

“Isn’t that just wonderful?”

“But you...”

The enchantress leaned in close, eyeing Anna’s increasingly pale face. A flash of jealousy crossed her eyes.

“You’ve been a snake transformation case since birth. So tell me... how long has your incubation been?”

“Twenty... one. You’re twenty-one, aren’t you? That’s a full twenty-one years. Do you know what that means?”

“Before you, the longest anyone had incubated was just ten years.”

“I...”

Anna’s face turned ghostly white. But she drew a deep breath, forcing down the panic and fear in her chest.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. My symptoms only started two years ago.”

“Fufufu~ Two years? What a terrible lie.”

The enchantress laughed so hard she shook. Her fingers slid across Anna’s flawless cheek as she grinned cruelly.

“If it only started two years ago, then tell me this...”

“Why were you abandoned by your parents as a baby? A girl as pitifully beautiful as you?”

“...There are terrible parents in this world. That proves nothing.” Anna clenched her fists tighter.

“Now, now, don’t get upset. I’m only reminding you of the facts.”

The enchantress giggled.

“Anna Kaplin, you have no home left but us. Only we are your companions.”

“So I’ll ask again. Will you join us?”

“No.” Her answer came without the slightest hesitation.

“Oh my, not even going to consider it?”

“There’s nothing to consider.”

Anna lowered her gaze and spoke softly:

“I’ll never join you. Even if I end up all alone again.”

Loneliness—she had long since grown used to it.

But still...

She thought of someone. A faint sigh of regret passed through her heart.

Junior... Looks like I won’t have the chance to teach you potion theory anymore. I hope you’ll keep working hard on your own.

“Well, that’s unexpected. I didn’t think you’d be so firm. In that case, I’ll just have to resort to a little trick.”

“What are you planning?” Anna narrowed her eyes, tense.

“Oh, nothing. I just thought we could talk... about what happened after your parents abandoned you.”

The enchantress leaned in and whispered, like a devil murmuring in her ear:

“That orphanage... I heard you haven’t returned there in years. I wonder if that’s true?”

“You—!”

The armrest of the chair shattered under her grip. Her pupils morphed back into snake-like slits. Anna glared at the enchantress, unusually rattled.

“I’m warning you. Don’t touch the orphanage.”

“Relax, relax. I wouldn’t do anything. Not now, anyway. We just hijacked a Silencer branch, remember? Bad timing for anything too attention-grabbing.”

“But if you do make me very unhappy... I might get a little impulsive.”

The enchantress licked the heart in her hand, her gaze unwavering against Anna’s frozen stare.

“What do you say?”

Anna collapsed back into the chair, defeated.

“...Despicable.”

“Oh, that’s the sweetest praise you could give me. But since we’re family now, I suppose it’s not very kind to keep pushing you like this. I’ll be merciful and take a step back.”

She twirled her fingers, producing a vial of potion, and placed it in front of Anna.

“All you need to do is drink this. I won’t force anything else.”

“What is it?”

“With your potion skills, I’m sure you can figure it out.”

Anna reached out, opened the vial, and took a light sniff.

In an instant, the name and effects of the potion surfaced in her mind.

“Evolution Potion...”

“That’s right. A potion to awaken dormant bloodlines.”

“But why... why give it to me?”

“Because... there’s no more time.”

“You must have felt it too. Under normal circumstances, you’d still have a few years before your full transformation—before you became the most perfect Snake-Person this world has ever seen.”

The enchantress looked up at the dim ceiling, face alight with fervor.

“But recently, the Moon delivered its oracle. A Holy War is coming. The Divine Kingdom is descending. Our noble deity... is about to walk this filthy earth.”

“So before that happens, we have to prepare everything.”

“And you, Anna Kaplin—you're the key.”

The key...

At those words, Anna’s body began trembling uncontrollably. The fog of her fate lifted, revealing an overwhelming darkness threatening to swallow everything.

She couldn’t let their plan succeed.

She had to resist.

Otherwise, countless innocent lives would be lost.

But...

“What’s wrong?”

The enchantress tilted her head, watching her with playful eyes.

“Still planning to say no?”

“As your family, of course I won’t force you. So if you don’t want to drink it, that’s okay.”

She smiled wickedly.

“I’ll just shower you with love. Warming hearts with love is what I do best.”

She licked the still-beating heart, beaming seductively.

No one could mistake what kind of "love" she meant.

Drip. Drip.

The cold droplets continued ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) to fall, like a clock of fate counting the grains of despair.

“...I’ll drink it.”

After a long silence—

“I’ll drink it.”

Just three words, but they seemed to drain every ounce of strength from Anna.

Her trembling hand reached for the Evolution Potion.

So heavy.

“Remember your promise.”

“Relax. Like I said, I won’t jeopardize our plan.”

“I hope so.”

Anna tilted her head back and drank the potion in one gulp.

The heat rushed down her throat into her belly, spreading like wildfire.

One of the core features of a potion was its terrifyingly fast absorption rate—designed to take effect at critical moments.

And once it entered her body, there was no turning back.

In an instant.

Anna’s body stiffened.

The glass vial fell from her hand and shattered.

Black veins pulsed beneath her pale skin. Tiny scales spread from under her sleeves. Her once-heated blood turned icy. She felt her heartbeat slow, as if encased in ice.

The world changed. Colors drained, leaving only a hazy monochrome. At the edges of every object, red, yellow, and blue lines danced.

And in the center of that grayscale world—one thing stood out in vivid color.

A heart.

Anna lifted her head, dazed, staring at the heart in the enchantress’s hand. Her nostrils twitched slightly.

So fragrant.

So fragrant.

She wanted... to eat it.

“Oh? You want it?”

The enchantress chuckled and set the heart before her.

“Go ahead. Consider it a gift... from your loving family.”

Anna reached out, fingers slowly extending toward the heart.

But just as she was about to touch it, her other hand seized her wrist and forced it back.

“No...”

Her snake-like pupils trembled violently. Her breath came ragged. Countless whispers echoed in her ears, wearing down her will.

But she clutched her hand tightly.

“I can’t...”

“You still have the will to resist?”

The enchantress blinked in surprise.

“Well, no matter. This is only the beginning. Anna Kaplin—savor the Great Moon’s affection.”

She straightened up. But just as she turned to leave, she heard Anna murmur in a broken whisper.

“Jun... ior...”

“Junior? You think he’ll come save you?”

The enchantress glanced down with a mocking smile.

“How naïve. Everyone sees you as a monster now. No one’s coming for you. No one...”

...

...

After Celicia left, the hospital room grew still and quiet.

Muen got up from the bed, put on his coat, and stepped out into the corridor.

This was the familiar Saint Maria Academy infirmary. Since most students knew at least a bit of healing magic, the place was rarely visited.

It was particularly silent.

No one stopped him along the way—just that same middle-aged doctor from before, who gave him a look of concern.

Muen ignored it and left the hospital.

Clouds veiled the sun. The autumn wind blew, chill and sharp.

He walked without direction, like a soulless husk.

He passed many students on the way.

It seemed the incident had been kept under wraps. The students had no idea what had just happened. They continued to enjoy their peaceful academy life.

Muen passed by laughing boys and girls.

No one avoided him anymore.

No one looked at him with fear.

Some first-year girl even greeted him with bold cheer.

Muen forced a stiff smile in return.

But each small change, each casual greeting, felt like a cruel joke.

Because the one who had helped him the most on his path of change—Anna-sunbae—no longer had the right to step inside the academy.

So why are you still here, Muen Campbell?

He wandered, eventually arriving at his usual spot in the grove of phoenix trees.

It was peaceful here. The golden leaves spread out like a shimmering sea.

He used to come here to jog, to read, to nap.

This place helped him calm down.

But today, even as he sat beneath that familiar tree, his mind remained a whirlwind.

Everything from last night... and everything from today... kept spinning through his head.

Like some invisible giant hand was trying to rip his soul apart.

He’d thought—he’d prepared—for fate to treat him cruelly. He was ready to face it.

But he never imagined the fatal blow would fall on her instead.

He never saw it coming.

“No... Muen Campbell, you have to get a grip.”

He punched the tree beside him hard. Golden leaves fell in flurries. The pain in his knuckles brought a sliver of clarity.

“Sunbae’s already been declared an enemy of humanity by the Silencers. She’s been issued a kill-on-sight warrant. If you don’t pull yourself together, no one else will be able to save her.”

But saving her?

That was no small task.

Never mind the murder charges, the heresy, the Silent Moon—any one of those alone was enough to make someone’s head explode.

But the real issue, the one they couldn’t avoid...

—The Snake Transformation Disease.

If they couldn’t cure that, then none of the rest mattered.

But from both Celicia’s words and what Muen remembered from the original novel, the disease—created and spread by the Silent Moon—was incurable.

Even the Black Book was silent.

“Damn it... if only I’d finished reading the whole novel.”

Muen sank again into the old regret of never finishing the original book. The plot had already gone completely off the rails, sure—but the information still might’ve helped.

“And honestly... thinking back, isn’t sunbae in this situation because of me?”

“Because of me, the yellow-haired villain... the entire timeline shifted...”

“In the original novel, the Silent Moon didn’t even make moves until mid-game. Sunbae’s condition shouldn’t have been revealed this early. She was supposed to run a mysterious little shop, interacting with the protagonist Ariel all the time.”

Wait.

Hold on—

Shop owner?

Ariel?

Muen’s mind lit up like a flash of lightning.

“Muen Campbell? Why the hell are you loitering here?”

Just as that thought crystallized, a familiar voice—equal parts annoyed and grating—cut into his ears.

He turned around. Speak of the devil.

Ariel was standing there with a huge bag of black bread in her arms, staring at him like he was trash in her path.

“Ariel? What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean what am I doing here? Is this your yard? I’m passing through! You’re in the way, Muen Campbell!”

“Oh. Right.”

Muen realized he was standing smack in the middle of the path.

But this path was rarely used by anyone. So why was Ariel...?

One glance at the black bread in her arms, and he decided it was better to play dumb.

“Hmph. Running off to sulk in some remote corner in broad daylight. How pathetic.”

After failing to get the Ancient Dragon’s Lifeblood and spending all her savings on upgrade materials, Ariel had resorted to sneaking into the cafeteria for cheap black bread. And now—of all times—she ran into the one person she least wanted to see.

She shot Muen a fierce glare and bumped past him with her shoulder.

“Wait.”

She hadn’t gone far when he called out.

“What is it now, Muen Campbell?!”

She turned around in a huff—only to find Muen staring at her with glowing eyes, like a wolf spotting a lone bunny.

“You... what’s with you?” Ariel flinched under his gaze.

This look—

“M-Muen Campbell, have you finally lost control of your inner beast?!”

She glanced around. This remote path was completely empty. A wave of danger prickled her spine.

She pulled out her black bread, twirled it like a sword.

If this bastard tries anything, I’ll beat him into the dirt with this baguette!

The legendary breadstick that had slain countless foes was no joke!

But Muen didn’t do what she expected.

He just kept staring at her, eyes shining even brighter, as if he’d figured something out.

“Ariel, can I ask you a question?”

“Wh-what question?”

“If a girl—someone you’ve talked to often but don’t really know—suddenly came down with an incurable disease, what would you do?”

“Incurable?”

Ariel paused, then asked seriously, “Is she hot?”

“She’s hot.”

“How hot?”

“Hmm...”

Muen thought for a moment.

“Hotter than that blonde bombshell you saw the other day.”

“Then we cure her. No question. Sell my house if I have to. I don’t care what it costs!”

“Even if the disease is linked to an Evil God...”

“So what?!”

Ariel’s eyebrows shot up. She shouted:

“If some Evil God dares to interfere with my girl-hunting—I mean, my romance—I mean, my Crystal Palace building—no, I mean, my sacred duty to bring happiness to beautiful women—then I’ll cut it down myself!”

Her domineering declaration echoed through the grove, scattering the birds.

“......”

Muen opened his mouth slightly, stunned. He looked at Ariel. The light in his eyes grew even brighter.

That’s it. Why didn’t I think of this before?

“Wh-what?”

“You’re Ariel!”

Muen stepped closer and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her with excitement.

“You’re the ultimate yuri sea king! The invincible Phoenix Ao Tian! The woman destined to build a Crystal Palace! You’re the real protagonist—Ariel Bugaard!”

He didn’t know what happened in the rest of the novel—but if Anna was supposed to interact with Ariel as a mysterious shopkeeper, there’s no way she was meant to just die!

No way she’d become some Evil God puppet so easily!

In a yuri Phoenix Ao Tian novel, slashing a beautiful woman like that would get the author lynched!

He believed the author wasn’t that stupid!

Maybe Anna was even a central figure in the Silent Moon arc. That would explain why the cultists risked everything to attack the Silencers and take her away.

Which meant—maybe snake transformation wasn’t truly incurable!

“Ha! Sunbae can be saved! Ariel, I love you—oof!”

Drunk on euphoria, Muen hugged her tight, nearly going in for a kiss.

Naturally, Ariel greeted him with a steel fist.

He crumpled to the ground, clutching his stomach like a cooked shrimp.

“Muen Campbell! What kind of sick joke is this?!”

Ariel’s face flushed red as she snapped:

“Don’t get any funny ideas! I only like pretty girls!”

“Haha, that’s right. You only like pretty girls... And I only like pretty girls too...”

Writhing from the punch, Muen somehow looked even more excited.

He flipped back onto his feet with a kip-up and sprinted toward the clubroom building.

But then he stopped, turned back, and walked over to the still-bewildered Ariel.

He snatched the black bread from her hands and threw it to the ground.

“You can’t keep eating this. It’ll shrink your boobs.”

“M-Muen Campbell! You—what the—”

She stared at her ruined dinner, stunned. But before she could explode, something heavy landed in her hands.

A stack of dark green bills.

The fresh ink smell of crisp banknotes jolted her mind.

She scowled.

“Muen Campbell, are you trying to insult me with money? I’m warning you, I’m not that kind of—”

Second stack.

Third stack.

...

Hundredth stack.

Muen dumped every last bit of cash he had—exactly a million—into her arms.

“Take it. Go eat something good. I recommend milk and papaya every meal. Ariel, don’t give up. I believe in you. You can still grow!”

He clapped her on the shoulder, gave her a thumbs-up.

“No need to pay me back. This is my thank-you.”

“......”

Ariel stood there, mouth agape, watching Muen dash off into the distance.

Her mind was blank.

What just happened.

She looked down at the mountain of cash in her arms, eyes dull with confusion.

...

Buried in money, stunned speechless.

...

...

The breeze rustled the grove.

At some point, the clouds had parted, letting the sun shine gently through.

And at the end of that golden path, Muen strode forward, his steps light, his direction clear.

“Just hold on a little longer, sunbae.”

This time, his eyes were firm.

No more hesitation.

“I’m coming to save you.”