Chapter 91 : The Everlasting Love of Love

An endless sea of vibrant flowers stretched in every direction, as if reaching the world’s end.

In this dazzling ocean stood a simple, plain wooden cabin, beside which was a long swing chair.

A young boy with radiant golden hair sat on the swing, reading a book larger than his head with a serious, almost stern expression.

Beside him was a gentle woman with the same golden hair, her long locks flowing softly, her aura blending with the flower sea and the heavens.

“Anselm.” The woman sighed, “Is your mother such a boring woman?”

“No, it’s just that reading is more interesting.” The young Hydra replied without looking up.

“Isn’t that saying I’m boring?”

The woman gently tugged his ear: “I’m getting angry.”

Young Anselm obediently raised his ear but kept reading: “Choosing the interesting over the boring, and choosing the more interesting over the interesting, are two different concepts, Mother.”

The woman helplessly released her barely forceful grip, saying somewhat sulkily: “Fine, I can’t outtalk you anyway.”

Her words and feigned attitude didn’t earn her son’s comforting words.

What troubled her more was that her son wasn’t emotionally unaware but too clever.

The little boy beside her knew exactly why she was acting this way and found her behavior childish, so he didn’t respond.

—This was what young Anselm, at nine, told the woman.

Being called childish by a child, the woman sometimes wondered if she was an unfit mother or too perfect a one.

The woman could only sigh again and read with young Anselm.

“What’s this book about?”

“On the Empire’s End.” Anselm answered, “Written by Great-Grandfather.”

His index finger glided gently over the page, his brow slightly furrowed, critiquing in a faintly arrogant tone: “So far, Great-Grandfather was clearly somewhat detached from reality.

As long as neither of our two ‘races,’ we or the Flame-Feasting, has issues, the Empire has no possibility of ending.”

“And obviously, the chance of both having issues simultaneously doesn’t exist.”

“Thus, violent means can never end the Empire.

The true way to change the Empire is…”

Whenever discussing these, young Anselm would talk endlessly.

After gaining self-awareness, he immersed himself in a sea of knowledge from another world.

Though most of that vast treasury couldn’t be practically applied in this world, it still gave the young Hydra an unimaginably broad perspective.

However, his parents weren’t interested in this.

Most of the time, he was just entertaining himself.

“Alright, alright… Mother understands.”

The woman couldn’t help interrupting her son, changing the topic: “Anselm, you’re already ten.

Shouldn’t you have your first Contract Head by now?

Haven’t you chosen?

Should Father take you to find one?”

“Father still has plenty of time.” Anselm frowned, “I don’t have a great need for Contract Heads, so I’m not in a hurry.”

Only Hydras truly understood what Contract Heads meant to them.

Young Anselm held himself in high regard, and mere strength or talent wasn’t enough to catch his eye.

“You…”

The woman helplessly rubbed his head: “Anselm, time passes quickly.In a few years, you’ll be a big kid.”

“In terms of mental age,” Anselm said meticulously, “I don’t think I’m small.”

The woman paused, then burst into laughter: “Only kids say they’re not small, Anselm.

Hmm… Mother’s relieved, you’re still somewhat a normal kid.”

The young Hydra didn’t respond, though he felt a bit annoyed inside.

Then he told himself only kids get annoyed at being called a kid, so he stayed calm.

The woman quietly watched Anselm, then suddenly hugged him silently.

Anselm didn’t react, clearly used to his mother’s actions.

In his knowledge, mothers were such creatures.

They often felt inexplicably anxious, but touching their children calmed them instantly.

“Anselm.”

The woman said softly: “Do you… not want to be a Hydra?”

“…What are you saying, Mother?” Anselm looked at her, puzzled, “Do you think I’m dissatisfied with my life?”

He closed the book, saying calmly: “I was born with things most people couldn’t gain even by sacrificing everything—status, wealth, power, and the most important force in this world.Everything is within my reach.Moreover…”

The boy paused, looked up, reached out, and pinched the woman’s cheek hard.

“On top of that, I have the best father and mother in the world.I gained all this without sacrificing anything, so what could I be dissatisfied with?”

The woman looked down, meeting those large sea-blue eyes, and couldn’t help laughing, vigorously ruffling Anselm’s head: “Anselm’s right… Mother overthought.Hmm… since your life is so fulfilling, can you promise Mother one thing?”

“Is there any necessary connection between the two?”

“Because I gave birth to you!” The woman puffed her cheeks, pinching Anselm’s face, “Is that connection necessary enough!”

With his face squished, young Anselm nodded expressionlessly.

The woman’s expression softened.

While holding Anselm, she said gently: “Promise Mother to be a kind person.”

“Kindness is a bit far from me and Father, Mother,” Anselm replied.

“…No, Anselm, you have that wisdom and strength.”

The woman hugged her son tightly: “Those with both strength and wisdom have greater choices.You told me that, Anselm.”

She locked eyes with Anselm, her beautiful light purple eyes filled with the purest hope and tenderness:

“You must be the person with the most choices in this world, aren’t you?”

Young Anselm was silent for a moment, then nodded.

“You’re right, Mother.If it’s the kindness you expect, I think it’s not hard to achieve.”

He had that confidence.

In that other world, even actions deemed oppressive would be considered saintly in this backward era of systems and thinking.

The woman laughed happily: “I’m not forcing you to do this, just…”

“Just which mother wants her son’s hands stained with blood, wrapped in sin, right?”

Anselm said in a timely.

“You bad thing!” The woman slapped Anselm’s forehead, “Such touching words should be mine to say!”

After the slap, she rubbed Anselm’s head, saying warmly: “But, blood-stained hands and sin don’t matter.”

“Anselm, whether kind or sinful, as long as you never feel pain for what you’ve done, you’ve never betrayed my expectations.”

Anselm touched his head, looked at his mother for a long time, then suddenly said: “I think I understand a bit why Father is called the longest-living Hydra.”

The woman smiled, tapping his forehead: “Rare smooth talk… Alright, I’ll make some food.

Read slowly.”

She left the swing chair, heading into the cabin.

Young Anselm, flipping through the book, watched her back.

When his mother closed the cabin door, he immediately shut the book, closed his eyes, leaned back, and let his mind sink.

Compared to this era’s knowledge, that other world fascinated Anselm more.

Technology, ideology, social systems, historical development, cultural entertainment… Anselm spent ten years glimpsing just a corner of that vast world.

Though it lacked transcendence, compared to this Empire, stagnant for a millennium, it was far more vibrant.

While his mother cooked, Anselm enjoyed that world’s entertainment in his mind.

He balanced work and leisure; a guy sitting there studying or working all day could be anyone, but not him.

“Pity, in this transcendence-driven society, no one explores energy beyond ether.”

Young Anselm sighed inwardly: “Recreating that world’s entertainment is too difficult.”

In the entertainment section, he searched for new, interesting things.

Half a month ago, he found a fascinating product called video games, but he could only watch the memory’s owner operate, unable to interact.

“What to watch this time…”

Anselm muttered, countless images flashing by.

“Maybe just… hm?”

His consciousness paused, catching a familiar scene among the fleeting images.

Extracting it, the cover of this “game memory” surprised Anselm slightly.

“Tianxin…”

He whispered, puzzled: “Why Tianxin?”

The Imperial Capital Tianxin, though gamified, was unmistakably the Empire’s Tianxin City.

Curious, Anselm delved deeper, watching everything about this game.

But within ten seconds, the memory’s scenes blackened and shattered like burning paper.

“…Damaged? How unlucky.”

Much of this transmigrator’s memory was destroyed by the Flame-Feasting fire.

Anselm, used to this after ten years, skipped the ruined parts, finding intact sections to continue.

“Hitana Lansmarlos… a remote northern village…”

Anselm sped through this part—the protagonist was too foolish, uninteresting.

“Mingfuluo… Babel Tower? Isn’t Babel Tower the new ether research institute?”

The female protagonist’s perspective deepened Anselm’s doubts.

Though he hadn’t heard of Mingfuluo, Babel Tower and some people in this perspective matched those he’d seen in reality.

His father interacted with Babel Tower, and Anselm visited the institute rivaling the Ether Academy.

The Babel Tower’s founder he saw… was nearly identical to this perspective.

Anselm didn’t dismiss it as coincidence.

His accumulated knowledge and wisdom stirred an ominous feeling.

He sped up, until—

Until the four bold, blood-red words “Hydra Chapter” appeared.

“…”

The boy stared at the title, rendered in a terrifying font, silently advancing the scene.

“The Hydra is finished.”

In the rain, a tall, slender white-haired woman spat blood.

Despite her wounds, her proud, aloof aura remained intact.

She raised her chin, sneering: “All eight of your heads are done.Still want to fight four of us alone?”

“End it quickly,” said another woman in a white coat beside her, lazily, “We don’t have time to waste.”

“Then, I’ll end his sins.”

An ethereal voice echoed in Anselm’s ears.

In this memory, he watched as an observer.

“…No, Miss Xin, let me.”

The “Hydra,” so wounded his vision blurred, heard boots splashing closer.

He struggled to stand but fell pathetically.

[This is… a Hydra?]

“You think…this can kill me?”

“Hehehe… hahahahaha! Hydras don’t die! I’m the end of magical beasts, the abyss’s end! Even without all Contract Heads, with just my origin, I’m the hunter who’ll destroy you—”

Boom!

A roar exploded in the rain.

The white-haired woman, just stretching, instantly reached the “Hydra,” snapping his spine with a kick, brushing her hair back irritably:

“Shut up… Hey, Saintess, are you doing it or not? If not, I’ll finish him.”

Anselm watched, incredulous, as this “Hydra” struggled so pitifully.

The power that made the Empire tremble seemed absent, like a broken-spined mad dog, roaring unwillingly, trampled, unable to change anything.

How pathetic, pitiful, laughable.

Anselm relaxed slightly, certain no Hydra could fall so low—

“…Sorry, Miss Hitana, I won’t waste time.”

In the blurry rain, Anselm saw a woman with shoulder-length hair approach the pinned Hydra, kneel, and draw her sword.

“I’m sorry.”

She said with deep regret:

“For failing to save you, I’m sorry.This is… the only thing I can do for you—”

“—Mr. Anselm.”

Boom—

Lightning, as if tearing the sky, split the memory and Anselm’s consciousness.

[What did that woman just say?]

[She called that dog-like thing… what?]

As Anselm stood stunned, the lightning-split scene transitioned.

From deep black to hazy clarity, a childish cough and joyful shout emerged, the scene turning emotional.

Then, Anselm saw his father and mother.

Childhood memories flooded back.

The same eyes opening, the same scene, his parents’ smiles etched in his memory, identical to now.

His father’s hearty, joyful laugh, his mother’s tired yet happy expression… This “game’s” scenes matched Anselm’s indelible memories perfectly.

So real, so—

Terrifying.

***

“Fate.”

Anselm opened his eyes.

He coldly stripped away the surging emotions, muttering the word he hated most.

Fate, even now, must be watching everything.

He was certain his feelings for Hitana were unnatural, a delusion fueled by fate.

Just a girl, foolish, arrogant, proud, always causing trouble.

Anselm had met gentler, prettier girls, equally infatuated with him.

He knew countless such girls, so why care so much for Hitana, inferior in every way?

Why did his feelings for her surge this far?

Undoubtedly, fate was meddling, Anselm told himself.

Why? Simple—to drive him, in this emotional impulse, to ignore the beast king’s threat, to believe in the baseless “love” that Hitana wouldn’t become that domineering beast.

His feelings were fate’s manipulation, but Hitana’s essence was an established fact.

She was a beast craving evolution and transcendence, a tyrant allowing no one above her, a humanoid monster surpassing even Hydras in beastly essence.

One year, two, three… Hitana’s loyalty might last a decade or more.

But a decade later, Anselm might be a different person, and she would eventually become the future Celestial Wolf Empress.

At that moment, he would become her fodder.

“So, I’ve won this round.”

Anselm whispered, his figure vanishing.

He appeared near the Red Ice Python’s activity, expressionlessly watching the tiny figure.

“Even if I didn’t foolishly rush to bond with Hitana, your plan won’t fail.You always have more preparations, more choices.”

Hitana, now on the verge of third-tier, undoubtedly wouldn’t die here, meaning… as she said, she’d gain insight or opportunity in this battle.

“Hitana must understand this, to abandon her childish notions.”

Anselm knew Hitana.

For her now, the most unacceptable thing was falling under fate’s control.

Her words were more to move herself, but if fate’s “gift” arrived, she’d never accept it.

She’d realize her thoughts and actions were still guided by fate.

Thus, in her disgust for fate, to gain Anselm’s help, she’d ultimately abandon her delusions.

Though their relationship might never return to before, Anselm didn’t care.

He watched the girl charge against the rolling cold wave, red frost forming on her hair and cloak, his expression unwavering.

Each transcendent tier’s rise was a leap.

The higher the tier, the more exaggerated the transformation.

The gap from third to fourth tier could be likened to a rifle versus a top-tier heavy tank.

No exaggeration— the fourth-tier pinnacle Red Ice Python could freeze Hitana dead with one breath.

A normal second-tier would die before reaching it.

In fact, Hitana already felt close to death.

The bone-piercing cold, worse than the Great Cold Wave, was intensified by other elements in the Python’s relentless chill, making her limbs stiffer.

“This thing… even if I hit a third-tier, I might not kill it.”

The girl muttered through gritted teeth: “That Anselm guy really gave me a tough job, but… heh…”

The wolf, lips faintly purple, smiled without resentment or fear:

“This also shows how much that awkward guy trusts me!”

Step by step, her sprint slowed to a jog, then to a trudge.

When she reached the fifty-meter-long colossus, she could barely stand, let alone swing a fist.

“…This is, really.”

Hitana, face covered in frost, whispered shakily: “Those words earlier, really like a joke.

Too arrogant.”

She took a deep breath, clenched her fists, forcing her frozen muscles to swell, her blood to warm and flow, carrying strength.

“But, at the very least… I can’t just stand here—”

“And die without throwing a single punch!”

Bang!

The red ice crystals covering Hitana’s body shattered instantly.

Veins bulged on the girl’s snowy neck and forehead.

Her small, pale fist, in that moment, cracked skin and burst blood vessels, the spurting blood turning to ice crystals in an instant.

Hitana’s fist, amidst the scattering ice crystals, struck heavily against the Red Ice Python’s crystalline body.

Then, with the crisp sound of breaking bones, nothing happened except for Hitana’s arm twisting and snapping.

Oh, one thing did happen.

The slowly advancing Red Ice Python seemed to feel the scratch on its shell.

It slowly turned its massive head, casting a chilling gaze on the infinitesimally tiny ant beside it.

It merely glanced at Hitana, then turned back.

The magical beast didn’t want to waste its ether on such an insect, too lazy to even exhale a breath.

Thus, its mountain-like body casually rolled toward Hitana.

A few seconds later, the vast snowfield, covered in ice crystals, gained a deeper shade of crimson.

Hitana collapsed on the ground, looking up at the sky.

Her pale face and purplish lips held no trace of color.

“It’s so cold… but there’s some benefit to it.”

She trembled, lowering her head slightly, tugging at the corner of her mouth: “It doesn’t even hurt.”

In this cold, even if Hitana sensed the impending death, it was a bit too late.

Below her waist… the colossal beast had casually crushed her into a pulp of flesh mixed with bone shards.

“Ah, I failed.”

Hitana spread her arms, lying flat, staring blankly at the sky.

“I failed.”

No matter how the wild beast in her soul roared in frenzy, she remained unmoved.

“Am I a joke to Anselm?”

Her long lashes trembled constantly.

Her eyelids slowly closed, only to be forced open with all her strength.

All of Hitana’s remaining strength went into breathing and keeping her eyes open.

“Ho… ho…”

As her breathing grew heavier, her eyelids drooped further.

Only the slight trembling of her lids showed her effort to keep them open.

“Sorry… Anselm.”

The girl murmured weakly, sadly: “I seem… to have messed up again.”

“I didn’t live… to the moment you’d trust me.”

“Really… sorry.”

“So… tired.”

Just before her eyelids fully closed, a glass bottle’s mouth roughly forced open her teeth.

Cool liquid poured quickly into her throat.

Hitana, her consciousness slowly clearing from the haze, heard a voice she’d never heard before.

The ever-gentle, smiling boy roared with violent anger:

“Hitana! Are you insane! Why didn’t you advance! Do you want to die here!”

“Damn it… damn it… you should’ve felt it.How could you die here? Fate wouldn’t—”

…No.

Something’s wrong.

Anselm looked at Hitana, her abdomen spilling organs, her lower body reduced to a pulp of flesh, his heart throbbing painfully.

Fate would let Hitana advance to third-tier… but Hitana refused?

No, that’s not right.

Hitana had no way to consciously resist it.

If her thoughts and actions weren’t under my command, they’d be entirely dominated by fate, meaning—

Fate wants… to kill her.

Only at this moment did Anselm truly understand the deadly endgame fate had crafted in this chess match.

At this moment, rather than letting Anselm gain a wholeheartedly loyal Hitana who’d never betray him, fate would rather let her die.

And if Anselm didn’t want Hitana to die, then… he’d have to accept the betrayal that would come sooner or later.

“Ah… Anselm.”

The girl, almost fully crossing the line of death, was still dazed upon waking.

She struggled to open her eyes but couldn’t see the face of the person beside her.

She couldn’t even hear what he was saying clearly, only that the voice was furious, incredibly furious, and carried a panic she’d never heard before.

Countless images flashed through Hitana’s mind—her own thoughts and desires, and… memories not her own.

In those memories, Hitana saw a woman who seemed much like her.

Anselm back then… seemed to act like this too.

What did she say back then?

Ah, she remembered.

“Anselm…”

From Hitana’s throat, fully infused with the potion, came a faint murmur.

“Anselm, Anselm… don’t be afraid.”

Young Hydra stared blankly at the bloodless girl, her eyes unable to open, hearing her murmur dreamily:

“Anselm, don’t be afraid.”

Don’t be afraid.

Anselm clearly remembered, back then, his mother had stroked his head, telling him not to be afraid.

Afraid.

In the eyes of that gentle, great woman, and now in the eyes of this foolish, clumsy girl, Anselm was afraid.

Afraid of fate, afraid of everything destined to happen, afraid that it all couldn’t be changed.

“Hi-ta-na.”

Hydra slowly tightened his grip on Hitana’s wrist: “You won’t die, and don’t speak like my mother.”

But the girl seemed not to hear him, murmuring hazily, clumsily, with words she thought could comfort Anselm:

“Don’t be afraid… Anselm, I won’t… betray you.”

“…”

The boy’s eyes burned with uncontrollable fury, but the hand gripping Hitana’s wrist, though veins bulged, didn’t hurt her.

“Hitana, I’ll repeat, I’m not afraid, and this isn’t something you can decide.”

“But you… are… afraid.”

Regaining some consciousness, Hitana said softly:

“Otherwise, why… so angry? So… don’t be afraid, I…”

“Hitana Lansmarlos!”

The words “don’t be afraid” seemed to touch Anselm’s untouchable scale.

He roared uncontrollably again, his sea-blue eyes swirling with dark hues, the abyss’s essence burning fiercely.

He grabbed Hitana’s throat with one hand, squeezing out a savage growl:

“Don't speak like my mother!”

“Cough… cough, cough…”

The girl kept gasping and coughing, struggling to raise her trembling hand, her five fingers brushing Anselm’s cheek.

“For so long, Anselm, you’ve only… cough, cough… only been… alone…”

“I came… cough, cough, cough! Too late…”

The hand gripping Hitana’s throat began to tremble, while Hitana’s hand steadied, firmly pressed against Anselm’s face.

“Leaving you alone for so long… I’m sorry.”

“Anselm… I’m scared too, scared of becoming that, scared of the betrayal you spoke of.”

“But, but by your side, I’m not so scared.I just thought…”

She struggled to sit up, her forehead touching Anselm’s, saying softly:

“If I could always stay by your side, Anselm… would you not be so scared?”

Six years treading on thin ice.

Probing, despair; resisting, despair; failing, despair… the being named Anselm Hydra lived like someone surviving in the cracks, every moment, every second, thinking, preparing to fight fate.

Because no one knew what despair he’d faced, what his world looked like, he walked with no one.

Because he trusted no one, not even himself.

He was truly afraid.

The deeper he understood, the more he resisted, the closer to success, the more afraid he became.

But in this fear, this terror, Anselm received awe, worship; enjoyed feasts, beauties; wielded authority, power.

He lived as a great Hydra, an evil Hydra, hearing countless praises or curses.

But never… “Don't be afraid.”

At this moment, Anselm finally understood… why, why it had to be Hitana.

Those prettier, gentler, more loyal, more dependent girls could never compare to Hitana.

Because only this stumbling, foolishly selfish girl could recklessly squeeze to his side, stand on his thin-ice path, and tell him not to be afraid.

Because she, like him, knew fate’s cruelty, feared it, and fought it.

So, Hitana was different.

So, those feelings weren’t pushed by fate.

So, his hesitation, his wavering, his dilemma, were never due to fate’s interference.

He might hurt, might sacrifice those he liked.

But he couldn’t hurt one of the few in this world who could walk with him, stand by his side as a comrade.

Among the four heroes, the other three didn’t strongly resist so-called fate.

Perhaps—no, certainly.

Hitana must be the only one in this world who could join him, raising a rebellious blade against fate.

Yes, so from that moment, from the moment he made that vow—

He had already fallen for Hitana.

Anselm released the hand that wasn’t really gripping Hitana’s throat, gently placing it on her hand still touching his face.

The young Hydra closed his eyes and sighed:

“You won.”

He opened his eyes, the warm smile in them and on his face no longer a facade.

“You and fate both won, Hitana.”

Anselm rubbed the back of Hitana’s hand, saying in a voice no longer wavering: “I can’t hurt the one who’s unique to me.”

“I can’t hurt you anymore, nor watch you keep hurting yourself.”

Hitana’s smile nearly flew to the sky.

She tried not to grin too widely, coughing lightly.

“That’s… all?”

Anselm paused, then smiled helplessly, touching the girl’s cheek and lightly kissing her lips.

“I love you, Hitana.”

“!!!”

Hitana covered her face, twisting back and forth, forgetting the sharp pain from her lower abdomen.

If Anselm hadn’t held her down, she might have rolled around in joy.

“Hehe, hehe… that’s enough, that’s enough! Anselm, let’s go home! Leave that big python to the Revolutionary Army.

We’ll go back and figure out my advancement!”

Having gotten what she wanted—or rather, more than she wanted—Hitana happily pressed her cheek against Anselm’s.

With Anselm’s trust and love, she had no regrets.

As for fighting, there’d be plenty of chances later; this moment didn’t matter.

“No, Hitana.”

Anselm shook his head: “Since I’ve made my choice, there’s no need to think of other ways.”

“…Huh? You mean I should advance now?”

Hitana tilted her head.

“Your condition isn’t good.Become my Contract Head first.”

“Oh, that works… wait?!”

The girl’s eyes widened: “What’s going on? How’s it suddenly possible?”

Anselm smiled, reaching for the snake-headed ring on Hitana’s left index finger.

With a light pinch, the ring crumbled to dust.

“This—” Hitana froze for two seconds, then punched Anselm in embarrassment and annoyance, “You gave me a fake?!”

“The Contract Head ring is just a formality.The essence comes from me… well, you’ll understand soon.”

Anselm could complete the half-said words of Flamel.

If the issue wasn’t with the Contract Head, then who else could it be?

Back then, he refused to admit it, stubbornly believing his feelings were fate’s manipulation.

Now, it was clear why Hitana couldn’t become one—it was so simple.

A Contract Head was nearly part of a Hydra.

To become part of the body, there was only one requirement.

Purity.

Either dominate or enslave them with absolute force, or build an inseparable, deep bond.

As long as it was pure, there could be no issue.

Anselm couldn’t bring himself to enslave Hitana, nor could he acknowledge his feelings for her.

Wavering between both… without understanding his own heart, how could he make Hitana his Contract Head?

“This time, there won’t be any issues.”

Anselm said, extending his right hand, thrusting it into his chest, and unhesitatingly slicing a large gash.

Hitana jumped, frantically grabbing Anselm’s hand: “Anselm, what are you doing? I’m not mad, don’t—huh? This is—”

In Anselm’s self-opened chest, Hitana saw a pure black heart.

The heart wasn’t the key.

The key was… eight rings embedded in it!

“An, Anselm.”

Hitana stammered, staring at the steadily beating heart and the rings deeply embedded: “This, this is—”

“This is the symbol of the Contract Heads.”

The Hydra, exposing his heart to the cold wind, smiled: “It’s also the oldest bonding ritual.

The Contract Head personally takes the ring of their chosen role from the Hydra’s beating heart.”

“From now on, my heartbeat is at your fingertips.”

Hitana didn’t know about Anselm’s heartbeat; she felt her own was about to explode.

Never understanding romance, she now just wanted to faint in Anselm’s arms.

The girl took a deep breath, steadying her hand, and reached her slender fingers into Anselm’s chest.

She immediately saw the most ferocious snake-headed ring, unlike before.

Hitana felt it calling her, eagerly longing to connect with her.

Watching Hitana carefully remove the ring symbolizing the Head of Strength, Anselm couldn’t help but laugh: “No need to be so careful.

I’m not that fragile—”

“Anselm.”

Having taken one ring, Hitana still stared intently at Anselm’s heart.

She suddenly looked up, her eyes blazing: “Can one person only be one Contract Head?”

Anselm was stunned.

Before he could answer, Hitana abruptly took another ring, slipping both onto her index and middle fingers without hesitation.

“Hitana!”

Anselm grabbed her hand: “What are you doing! Even I don’t know—”

“What are you talking about, Anselm?”

The moment she wore both rings, Hitana felt two indescribable, limitless, terrifying forces surging within her, nearly bursting her body!

Her crushed lower body began regenerating at a hair-raising speed, faster and faster.

Her frame seemed to grow, her already tall height stretching further, yet maintaining its graceful curves.

The girl’s face twisted uncontrollably from the pain, but she forced a smile, saying in a hoarse voice:

“You love me, Anselm, and I love you… I don’t understand what love is, but…”

“I won’t let you pay the price alone, I won’t let… you lose to fate!”

“The one who wins—”

She kissed Anselm’s lips fiercely, laughing loudly:

“As long as it’s me, that’s enough!”

Anselm was silent, only tightly gripping Hitana’s hand.

Her body was fully restored, but the immense power still couldn’t be vented.

It relentlessly reshaped her body.

Another equally powerful force seemed to alter her senses and her near-perverse intuition.

The pain of this transformation made Hitana curl up, howling.

Her bones broke and reconnected, muscles tore and reformed.

In her perception, the world spun, her mind exploding with pure pain, but her heart’s clarity didn’t waver—it burned brighter!

Devour, devour, devour!

The wild beast in her soul roared in ecstasy, matching Hitana’s mood.

Every bit of pain was proof of her growth, every torment her nourishment.

She would devour everything, aiming for the endless peak—

With this burning belief, Hitana felt what Anselm described… her soul transforming and sublimating from within.

Her consciousness sank through the pain to the depths of her mind, sinking, sinking, sinking.

Finally, she arrived in an endless white void.

“This is…”

“This counts as our first meeting, I suppose.” A proud, aloof voice sounded behind Hitana.

The girl turned and saw… another herself.

“No need to be surprised.” The arrogant Hitana crossed her arms, “I am you, you are me.”

“It’s just that during the advancement, you still hesitated, so we’re talking like this.”

She tilted her head: “What, don’t want to accept the real you?”

Hitana narrowed her eyes, also crossing her arms, sneering: “What makes you the real me?”

The beast-like Hitana grinned: “Because I’m destined to touch a broader world, own a vaster hunting ground, devour stronger prey.

So, I’m the real me.”

“The current you, the current me, is like this only because you’re still a village girl not long out of the village.”

“…”

Hitana was silent for a moment, then asked: “Will I devour Anselm?”

“What are you saying? Isn’t that obvious?” Beast-Hitana scoffed, “In this world, is there a more valuable prey than the one I love?”

“Oh, I see.”

Hitana nodded, then the next second—

Bang!

She instantly pinned the other self to the ground, her expression growing fiercer.

“I don’t think the most valuable prey is Anselm.”

“The most valuable prey, of course, is…”

“Myself.”

In the infinite white void, two distinct laughs echoed.

“This body’s master is me, my soul’s master is me.Elements? Beast elements?”

Hitana Lansmarlos disdainfully gripped the other self’s throat, saying word by word:

“You need to understand one thing—it’s not you influencing me.”

“It’s me… dominating you!”

Hitana suddenly understood why that other self became the Celestial Wolf Empress.

Her life was hopeless, her sister fell to hell, her village was destroyed, and her like-minded friend was partly responsible for killing her kin.

She chose to let beastliness rule her, merging with it.

Thus, that ever-hungry beast was born.

But now… her life was full of hope!

Her family lived happily, she found a goal worth sacrificing everything for, and she loved a strong, rich, indulgent, sweet-talking handsome man who loved her back!

“I won’t let this perfect life… be handed to a gluttonous fool like you!”

“I am Hitana…”

In the depths of her soul, facing her beastly nature, the girl roared:

“I am Anselm’s Hitana!”

In that instant, Hitana felt something become utterly clear.

She sensed every detail in her body, the flow of ether in minute precision, the breath of the world, an indescribable resonance.

Her consciousness moved freely through her body, the perfect harmony making her want to cry out in bliss.

At that moment, Hitana opened her eyes.

“How is it, are you okay?”

The moment she opened her eyes, Anselm immediately reached out, wiping her head, then let out a long breath: “Soul intact… good.You did it, Hitana.”

He smiled, ruffling the girl’s hair: “You not only advanced to third-tier and awakened Spiritual Essence, but unprecedentedly inherited two Contract Head powers.”

“Remarkable.”

“Hehe, hehe… I didn’t expect it either.Huh? Anselm, why do you seem shorter?”

“…You got taller.” Anselm looked helplessly at Hitana, now nearly one meter eighty, “The Head of Strength reshapes your body to its optimal form.”

“Also, while you were unconscious, I changed your clothes.”

“Oh… huh? Clothes? Do you carry spare clothes?”

Hitana looked surprised at the perfectly fitted pants: “And they fit just right.”

“Made on the spot.A small spell I learned before, didn’t expect it’d come in handy now.”

Anselm adjusted Hitana’s collar: “Didn’t change the top, it still looks good.This is the grand stage I prepared for you, Hitana.”

The young Hydra showed a proud smile:“I no longer have doubts or hesitations, and neither do you, right, Hitana?”

The girl raised her brows: “Do you even need to ask? I’m gonna beat that big caterpillar into the ground!”

She felt the surging power within, sensing she could leap hundreds of meters with ease!

With dual Contract Heads and her terrifying Spiritual Essence, even Anselm didn’t know how strong Hitana now was.

“Anselm, this time, you really have to watch closely!”

Hitana cracked her neck, smiling brightly: “I’ll show you, no matter how many Contract Heads you have later, I’ll always be the best!”

“Oh, right, one more thing—”

She rummaged in her cloak’s inner pocket, pulling out… a collar?

Under Anselm’s slightly surprised gaze, Hitana fondly touched the collar: “Good thing it’s not broken… hm!”

She naturally, fluidly fastened the collar tightly around her neck, then took a big step forward, wrapped her arms around Anselm, and kissed him deeply.

“Dummy Anselm.”

The girl’s face flushed slightly: “I don’t know what you were hesitating about…”

Transformed into a loyal hound, yet undiminished in her beastly nature, the wolf gripped the collar on her neck with utmost reassurance:

“I’ve long been yours.”

After saying this, she turned away in embarrassment, bent her knees slightly, and, as if fleeing, leaped into the sky in an instant.

With a wild, unrestrained laugh, unlike her earlier shyness, she announced her existence—Hitana Lansmarlos—to the entire Chishuang Territory, the Empire and the world.

“Big worm!”

“Time for round two!”

Anselm looked up at the exuberantly laughing girl proclaiming her presence to the world, smiling genuinely.

Perhaps this was why he fell for Hitana, but it was never just about loving her.

Hitana.

You must be the best.

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