Lynelle and the others didn't have to wait long before the elevator in the Seclusion Zone chimed once again.
"You're finally here, Ruan Mei."
"My apologies, organizing the data took a bit of time."
Ruan Mei's gaze swept over the central area of the Seclusion Zone before finally settling on Corruption-chan standing beside Lynelle.
Almost instinctively, Corruption-chan took half a step back, shrinking behind Lynelle.
"Well, looks like she still retains memories from before becoming human…" Herta couldn't help but find the scene amusing.
After all, though Lynelle usually came across as timid, perhaps because of her ability to revive, Herta had almost never seen an expression of "fear" on Lynelle's face.
Even when Herta had pinned her to the bed to experiment with all sorts of strange little gadgets, her expression was mostly one of 'pretending to be scared while actually looking forward to it.'
"Not really, it's probably just a subconscious reaction," Lynelle patted Corruption-chan's head and smiled.
"But if we think about it that way… wouldn't Ruan Mei also be her mother?"
Hearing this, Corruption-chan shook her head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.
"This person… feels very scary to me…"
"It doesn't really work that way," Ruan Mei showed no sign of disappointment at Corruption-chan's rejection.
On the contrary, she seemed rather curious.
After all, both were her creations, yet the Cake Cats and Corruption-chan had completely opposite attitudes toward her.
Even someone as emotionally detached as Ruan Mei couldn't help but feel a flicker of interest.
"Even though she has taken human form now, at her core she is still a Starcrusher Swarm King."
"For such swarms, reproduction occurs through fission—strictly speaking, she was born from the fission of your Blessing of Abundance, Lynelle. So you are her only mother."
"Still, I'm a bit curious. Now that she's in human form, will her reproductive methods change as well? Or perhaps she'll develop a dual system capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction?"
"My guess is it's probably a dual system. After all, when she was fighting me earlier, she could still use the Abundance blessing to hatch a swarm of little bugs directly from fruits."
Lynelle thought back to the strange ways Corruption-chan had used her abilities earlier and couldn't help but feel a little weary.
Last time she saw Firefly, she'd been tricked by Sparkle into squeezing Firefly's full, rounded chest.
And this time, she had a Starcrusher Swarm King by her side…
Once they reached Penacony, would an agitated Firefly launch a 'set the seas ablaze' campaign against her?
"In any case, all of this will require further observation and experimentation. However…" Ruan Mei swept a meaningful glance over Lynelle and Corruption-chan.
"Never mind, let's save the topic of reproduction for later. For now, let's first discuss the matter of Corruption-chan's survival."
"Herta has likely already explained the circumstances of Corruption-chan's birth to you, so I won't repeat it."
"First, I must apologize for this incident. Initially, I only wanted to test how long the Abundance blessing could extend a Starcrusher Swarm King's life under extreme conditions."
"I didn't expect such an unexpected outcome."
"As for the Blessings of Abundance and Path power within you, they should no longer be treated as ordinary abilities. Direct blessings from an Aeon are truly vastly different from those of a typical Pathstrider."
"So… to be safe, I also advise against granting your Blessings of Abundance to anyone or anything else—note that inanimate objects count as well."
"After all, a high-level Abundance blessing can theoretically animate anything."
"I know that… One daughter is enough. If it turned into a whole swarm…"
Considering her own peculiar constitution, Lynelle couldn't help but shrink her neck in.
She really didn't want to be… enjoyed by a swarm of daughters in a basement every day!
"Good that you understand. Now, regarding Corruption-chan's physical condition… I've analyzed some observational data and residues and have reached a preliminary conclusion."
Hearing Ruan Mei finally get to the main point, everyone perked up their ears.
"After taking human form, her body has achieved a basic dynamic equilibrium—but this is under the condition that the Blessings of Abundance within her isn't heavily depleted."
"So, like your own situation, Lynelle, she also needs to regularly replenish the Abundance blessing."
"The difference is that you replenish yours at the Ambrosial Arbor, while she needs to replenish hers through you."
"Replenish… the blessing?"
Recalling what Herta and Ratio had mentioned earlier, Lynelle's face paled slightly.
"Um, it wouldn't involve… having Corruption-chan regularly eat a part of my body or something, would it?"
"In extreme circumstances, that is indeed a fast method to replenish the blessing," Ruan Mei didn't deny it, merely shrugging.
"Of course, such extremes usually aren't necessary."
"Considering how Yaoshi previously seemed intent on marinating your entire body in blessings, regular fluid exchange should suffice."
"However, you'll need to consciously infuse a certain amount of the Abundance blessing into these fluids."
"Otherwise, under normal circumstances, the blessing content in your bodily fluids is quite minimal."
"!"
Lynelle's face gradually flushed.
Clearly, even though Ruan Mei likely didn't mean it that way, someone who spent every day engaged in strange activities had already jumped to the wrong conclusion.
"As for frequency, it doesn't need to be too often—roughly once for every two trips you make back to the Xianzhou… Oh, and one more thing."
At this, Ruan Mei's tone suddenly turned serious as she looked at Corruption-chan.
"I must remind you, although you probably still retain the ability to revert to a Starcrusher Swarm King, I advise you not to use that skill frequently, and especially not to use the Ovum of Collapsed Star while in that form."
"Otherwise, the physical balance you've worked so hard to stabilize could be disrupted again."
"In severe cases, it might even cause your body to collapse entirely… So, for your own safety, I suggest you forget you even have this ability."
Corruption-chan nodded vaguely, only half-understanding.
"Well then…" Like a doctor coaxing a child step by step into getting a shot, Ruan Mei offered a faint smile.
"Next, come back to the lab with me. I'll give you a thorough physical examination to make sure there are no hidden risks in your body."
"Huh?!"
Corruption-chan instinctively nodded again, then suddenly snapped to awareness with an adorable gasp.
She then looked at Lynelle with a pitiful expression, seeking a bit of comfort from her mother.
"Don't worry, I'll go with you," Lynelle said with a smile, patting Corruption-chan's head before turning to Stelle beside her.
"As for the Express crew, could you please help explain the situation to them first?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.