Ninike jumped around in a panic, the halo on her head wobbling along with her.
“Um... wait a moment?”
“I don't want to wait! B-but what else can I do if I don't wait? I'll wait, okay! Waaah...”
Feeling utterly aggrieved, Ninike curled up and squatted on the ground.
“Alright, since you've already eaten it, let's test your strength!”
Qimeng stepped down from her throne.
Although Ninike had gained the light attribute, she had absolutely no idea how to use light-attribute power.
Fortunately, Qimeng did!
Back when she was human, she had been an active-duty Light Knight!
Although she had lost the light attribute now, her memories remained intact.
She gave a few pointers on the essentials of light combat techniques. Although Ninike only half-understood, she mimicked the movements and swung out. Her strike actually sliced through the air, leaving a streak of brilliant light!
After a round of practice combat, the effects of the 【Mutated Magic Fruit】 reached their time limit.
The strange glow fading from the other White Feather Clan girls, they gradually returned to their original forms.
However, Ninike was still sporting her halo and wings of light, standing in place while trembling.
“Eh?”
Ninike passed her small hand through the halo above her head. Why was it still there?
“Me?! Oh no! I'm not going to be like this for the rest of my life, am I?! Lord Qimeng, you have to take responsibility for me! I-I-I!!”
Qimeng put on a stern face.
“Slave Ninike, you have no right to question your master.”
“Then I'm not going back to the Wind-Thunder Mountains! I'm going to cling to you for the rest of my life!”
Ninike cried out, acting like a spoiled child.
“But you now possess Dominator Rank strength.”
Qimeng added.
Ninike fell into thought, her large eyes blinking.
“I-is that so?”
“Do you still want to change back?”
“Uh... I think I'll stay like this then! Strength is more important. And looking closely, this halo actually seems pretty cool!”
Ninike's expression flipped in an instant, seemingly accepting the fact that she had mutated into a Phantasmal Beast, a Light Angel.
“Alright then, here, eat another one.”
Qimeng stuffed another fruit into her hand.
“Ah?! More?!”
Ninike shrieked.
After consuming it again, Ninike's appearance did not undergo any further mutations, but her strength experienced a secondary surge in a short period of time.
Qimeng picked up an ink pen and quickly wrote down her summary.
【Mutated Magic Fruit】
First-time use has a probability of triggering a permanent species mutation.
If a permanent mutation is not triggered, it can also serve as a wartime burst potion, significantly boosting combat power for a short duration. However, maintaining this state requires consuming mutated magic stones.
“In that case, we can never have too many of these mutated stones!”
Qimeng immediately issued an order, telling Xiaomi to lead a team. She would partner with the Stone Giants and Treasure Tanuki girls to deeply cultivate and clear out the mutated woods to the west!
However, considering that the forest might be completely overrun by mutated magical beasts, she had to give her vassals a major upgrade first!
Qimeng smiled as she looked at Ninike, officially taking the halo-wearing little girl in as her 【fourth vassal】.
Hearing this news, Ninike was incredibly moved, completely throwing her previous resentment of being turned into a special-effects bird to the back of her mind!
“I bestow upon you the name, Ninike Astra!”
To make it easy to remember, Qimeng kept her original name.
Along with it, she branded her with the three-leaf spirit rune.
Personal pocket dimension, Tree Vein Recall, and the newly developed mutated magic rune!
Having performed meritorious service by testing the drug, she was naturally rewarded handsomely!
Qimeng had Ninike return to the Wind-Thunder Mountains with a batch of mutated stones and 【Mutated Magic Fruit】 to bolster their forces.
Once the White Feather Clan left, Qimeng summoned her two-leaf vassals to the main hall.
Xiaomi and Morona had brought back a massive amount of resources this time, achieving outstanding merits.
Yinzhi managed the Tree Court's internal affairs and foreign trade, keeping everything in perfect order as well.
Qimeng saw all of their hard work.
“Thank you for your hard work, everyone. This is your reward.”
Qimeng took out her carefully formulated Tree Court potions and distributed them.
After Xiaomi and Morona consumed the high-grade potions, the barrier of High-tier Intermediate Rank was shattered, and they directly stepped into the Advanced Rank!
Following that, Qimeng took out the Extraordinary Secret Potion.
Morona downed hers in one gulp. A red light erupted around her, and she smoothly promoted to the Extraordinary Rank!
But things were a bit awkward on Xiaomi's side.
She gulped down two bottles, but her level remained stuck at High-tier Advanced Rank, unable to take that final step no matter what.
By the time she drank the third bottle, she had become completely immune to its effects.
Qimeng did not force it, smiling as she rubbed her head.
But Xiaomi hung her head, twisting her fingers in deep guilt.
“I'm sorry, My Lord... Xiaomi is too stupid, wasting such precious secret medicine...”
Yinzhi took Xiaomi's hand and comforted her softly.
“Don't say that. Everyone has seen your hard work during this time, Xiaomi. Strength isn't the only standard to measure everything. Your feelings for Lord Qimeng and the Tree Court are what's most precious.”
Standing to the side, Morona crossed her arms proudly, turning her head away with a huff.
“Hmph! You humble microbe, just recognize your own position! If you can't be a good fighter, then just be the First Lieutenant honestly! Being able to complete the mission of collecting mutated stones is a skill in itself! Do you understand, you dummy?!”
She was clearly trying to comfort her, yet she insisted on acting all fierce.
The silly Xiaomi sniffled her small nose.
“Waaah... Morona, Yinzhi...”
“Alright, next is this.”
Qimeng stepped forward with a smile, branding all three of them with the latest three-leaf spirit rune and allowing them to try activating the 【Mutated Magic Rune】.
The three girls couldn't wait to use their new ability and test the magic rune's effects.
In the next second, an astonishing scene occurred!
A brilliant light suddenly erupted from Xiaomi's body, too dazzling to look at directly!
Was that... a permanent species mutation?!
Her strength underwent an earth-shattering surge, and her species rank leaped forward.
A breakthrough! Extraordinary Rank?!
No, even higher than the Extraordinary Rank!
Dominator Rank!
In one fell swoop, Xiaomi had become the strongest powerhouse in the Tree Court's territory!
She was no longer a simple bee girl, but a Bee Empress who commanded thousands!
Even her abilities had sublimated, blending with the Empress's pressure and transforming into the power of imperial command and recruitment!
She could manifest a Hive Fortress out of thin air, summon across space, and dominate countless swarms of bees!
Bee cavalry, self-detonating bees, giant bee guards, venomous sniper bees... as long as she wished, she could assemble a devastating magical beast legion at any moment!
However, her body shape also changed along with it!
This caused everyone's jaws to hit the floor.
Her petite and cute loli body stretched and developed amidst the golden light...
This little dummy had actually transformed directly into a tall, busty, mega-sized bee girl standing over three meters tall?!
“Ultra-stacked?!”
Qimeng's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
Everyone was utterly dumbfounded.
The three-meter-tall Xiaomi stared blankly as she looked down, only to find that her chest was so massive she couldn't see her own feet. Before her lay the now-miniaturized hall and throne.
She immediately began to sob.
“W-what happened to me? Waaah! My Lord! How did I turn into this?!”
Rate on N.U.
