The longsword on the floor shot into the air, hovering a ter off the ground, its point trembling with a low hum.
Pandora’s vision swam as countless specks of light erupted from nowhere, swirling toward the blade like moths to a fla.
She didn't need to be a genius to know what they were.
They were her 【Alchemical Elents】.
A dense green stream—49 units of 【Flora】, all of it—shot out and coiled around the blade like a hungry vine.
A thick, dark-red mist seeped into every inch of the steel. 13 units of 【Flesh】, mostly from Elsa.
The 5 units of 【Salt-Gold】 beca shimring silver-white particles, branding intricate patterns onto the tal. And the 13 units of unpurified 【Soul】, carrying Elsa’s very essence, beca a hazy, milky white halo with a warm glow.
Slowly, like a living thing, it wrapped around the hilt and seeped inside.
In that mont, the entire study was lit by this strange, chaotic radiance!
Green, red, silver, and white lights intertwined, spun, and rged!
Before Pandora’s eyes, this massive, slowly rotating orb of light completely enveloped the sword. The air grew thick, heavy, and she could almost see the space around it twisting.
Then, the form of the sword began to change.
It lengthened and widened, tiny, thorn-like spikes erupting along its edge. The hilt was completely remolded by the milky soul halo, twisting into the shape of intertwined, living vines. The weapon gained a ferocious and eerie beauty.
The light grew brighter, shifting from white to a piercing red. Pandora instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes but refused to look away, her gaze locked on the core of the orb, on the thing being born.
A monster? Or a miracle?
Finally, the light reached its peak, then suddenly retracted!
Every speck of light was sucked back into the blade, vanishing without a trace.
The study fell silent. Only the scarlet moonlight spilled peacefully across the room.
Floating in the air was no longer an ordinary knight’s longsword.
It was a greatsword of a bizarre and terrifying design!
Its blade was a deep, dark red, its edge lined with sharp, barbed spines. The hilt was made of twisted, thorny vines that looked almost alive. The entire weapon gave off an indescribable aura that made Pandora’s heart skip a beat.
【Alchemical Product: Unnad】
【Properties: Two-Handed Sword, Blood, Thorns】
【Effect: Bloodsiphon (This two-handed sword can draw blood from wounds to strengthen itself. The drawn blood will be consud when used. If blood cannot be drawn from the target upon attack, it will inevitably draw from the wielder.)】
【Price: While the Alchemical Item is manifested, the Host will be in an “Anemic” state.】
【Form: Humanoid; Two-Handed Sword (Currently in this state)】
A flood of information slamd into her mind, and Pandora’s eyes widened.
So this was “Myriad Alchemy”?
A bloodsiphoning sword? And the price was to make herself anemic?
Was this so-called 【Price】 the 【equivalent exchange】 the System had ntioned?
Just as her thoughts were churning, the blood-red greatsword shuddered, as if sensing her presence, and sent out an inviting pulse—
Hum!
The greatsword floated before Pandora.
She instinctively reached out and grasped the hilt, made of countless intertwined thorns.
Hiss!
Excruciating pain shot up her wrist!
The sharp thorns, without a hint of surprise, pierced her skin, sinking deep.
“Gah!”
Pandora grunted as a strange pulling force ca from her palm. She could feel her blood rapidly draining...
No, it was being siphoned!
The warm liquid flowed along the grooves of the thorns, greedily absorbed by the eerie red sword. A wave of dizziness washed over her. The world swam. A high-pitched ringing started in her ears. Her strength… it was leaking out of her.
The “Price” of Anemia… had begun.
And just then, a voice she knew better than her own, laced with panic and confusion, suddenly echoed in her mind: “My Lady Pandora? Where is this? Did you co to heaven too? What’s wrong with ? Why do I taste blood? Hmm… whose blood is this? Why… is it… so… sweet?”
Elsa?!
Pandora’s eyes flew wide open. She stared at the sword in her hand, then snapped her gaze back to the System information—
【Form: Humanoid; Two-Handed Sword (Currently in this state)】
Humanoid?!
It could change forms!
“System! Switch forms! Switch to Humanoid!” Pandora scread in her mind.
But the System gave its usual rigid, inflexible reply:
【Please explore on your own, Host.】
Pandora cursed under her breath and changed tactics. She spoke to the greatsword—no, to Elsa’s soul. “Elsa, calm down! It’s , Pandora. You… you can try… try to change into your human form... I an, try to change back. For !”
The barrage of questions in her mind finally stopped.
Elsa seed to have heard her and was trying to understand.
It’s working!
Pandora felt the greatsword shift slightly, but perhaps it was her first ti, because Elsa didn't quite know how. After a few failed attempts, her panic started to rise again…
Pandora felt Elsa’s panic as if it were her own. She forced herself to calm, then slowly coaxed in a steady voice:
“Elsa, believe , you can do it…”
“Believe .”
Hummm—!
The greatsword let out another low hum.
This ti, the blood-red thorns on the blade ca completely alive, writhing violently! They twisted and reford, rapidly taking on a human shape!
A hazy red mist appeared and then dissipated.
Standing before Pandora was no longer the ferocious greatsword, but a person.
A person Pandora knew better than anyone.
It was Elsa!
But… not quite.
The face was Elsa’s, her features seemingly unchanged, yet it subtly held an indescribable uncanny air, as if dark flas burned deep in her eyes.
Her maid’s uniform, already fine, was now magnificent. The fabric looked like so kind of dark-red silk, but tougher, and it was embroidered with complex thorny patterns. The hem of the skirt was dotted with tiny, ruby-like particles.
But what caught Pandora’s attention most was the corner of Elsa’s mouth.
It was a sar of fresh, still-wet blood.
A grim reminder of the sword’s first al.
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