Diary of the Improper Monster Girl Transformation.

Chapter 385 You're really arrogant! (5K views, please subscribe!)
"Ophelia~"

"shut up!"

Ophidia's reaction was quite awkward after Herbert called her name.

She could no longer maintain the mystery and aloofness she had displayed in front of the Rusty Nail Bishop, and glared at Herbert.

"Don't call me that!"

Enraged, Ophidia's long hair trembled, bursting open her hood and thrashing about like dozens of mad snakes.

Although the strands of hair did not actually make a sound, Herbert still vaguely felt that he heard some hissing sounds in his ears.

Hiss—ha!

Hmm, it looks like it's breathing on it.

However, although the other party's attitude did not seem very friendly, Herbert's reaction was unusually calm.

Instead of being afraid, he took a step forward.

"Hey, it really moves!"

Herbert watched the dancing snake hair with childlike curiosity, even reaching out to touch it... before being lashed out by one of the strands.

whoosh-

Before being struck by the snake's hair, Herbert decisively withdrew his finger, pretending nothing had happened, and casually put it behind his back.

He stood with his hands behind his back, looked at the Ash Bishop in front of him, and said with a smile, "Haha, so that's your name."

"Ophidia, what a lovely name."

“You…” Ophidia couldn’t keep breathing on Herbert after seeing his calm demeanor.

This scene makes it seem like she's petty.

"Tsk!"

She glared at Herbert fiercely.

She wasn't the kind of girl who would get angry or shy when someone called her name; she wasn't that fragile.

The unexpected turn of events caught her completely off guard.

"..."

Ophelia was silent for a moment, her hair slowly falling back down. She looked at Herbert with a complicated expression, and then snorted:

"Hmph, I thought you would avoid this topic."

Ophidia thought Herbert would deliberately avoid the topic and pretend he knew nothing about "dreams" to argue with her.

Unexpectedly, he chose to self-destruct right from the start.

This caused her, who had mentally prepared herself for the struggle, to break down on the spot.

Why aren't you playing by the rules!

Don't they even have this much understanding?

Herbert shrugged and calmly replied, "Why would I deliberately avoid it?"

"I don't think I have any reason to hide this, do I? I don't think I've done anything outrageous."

Nothing out of line?
Ophidia couldn't help but roll her eyes, wanting to retort loudly.

You lied to me!
And you even said I let you down, that I did things that wronged you... Isn't that what you said?!?
"..."

Of course, although she thought this in her heart, Ophidia did not actually say the complaint out loud.

The reason is simple.

Shame on you!
If I say it out loud, wouldn't that be tantamount to admitting that I've been deceived?

Although Ophelia was not a person with a strong sense of self-esteem, she was unwilling to admit her mistake in this matter.

Furthermore, for some reason, when facing this guy, she especially didn't want to admit her defeat or be inferior to him.

In the end, all the anger could only be helplessly gathered into a soft snort.

"Humph!"

Seeing her reaction, Herbert chuckled to himself.

"hehe."

He knew he had passed the test and that the small offense he had done to her in the dream was now behind him.

I decided not to pursue the matter any further and gave up on continuing my attack – it's time to call it a day, or I'll probably get beaten up if I say any more.

Although he has now successfully entered the legendary realm, he is still not enough to compete with the epic-level powerhouses.

He changed the subject, his smile fading slightly as he stared quietly at Ophidia and asked, "Your Excellency, now that I have passed the final test, have I become the [Guardian of Secrets]?"

Seeing Herbert become serious, Ophidia had no choice but to suppress her last bit of dissatisfaction and frown into deep thought.

After a moment, she nodded quietly.

"……Yes."

Ophelia said softly in a voice filled with helplessness and melancholy:
"When you break free from the illusion of silence and noise, the moment you awaken, you have already become a true keeper of secrets."

No matter how much she wished Herbert wouldn't get involved in this mess, no matter how much she wished Herbert wouldn't suffer the same fate as her.

But a ceremony is a ceremony, and rules are rules.

From the moment Herbert passed the ritual test, he had already gained the world's recognition and become one of them.

This is an unchangeable fact.

She looked at the boy in front of her with complicated emotions, and for a moment she was in a daze.

Herbert was unlike any of the secret keepers she had ever known.

He was not so taciturn, nor did he have the stiffness of other secret keepers; he was full of vibrant life.

Like a vibrant, innocent, and ignorant teenager full of curiosity about the world.

But Ophidia knew it was just an illusion.

Herbert may still be a teenager, but he is never naive or an ignorant child.

He was intelligent, even cunning.

He is mature, even seasoned.

This is a boy whose appearance is extremely different from his harmless appearance.

Herbert is truly outstanding and worthy of the expectations placed upon him.

Ophidia shook her head helplessly, feeling somewhat wistful.

He is better suited to be the future leader of the monastery than a keeper of secrets.

In the end, Ophelia couldn't help but look at him and sigh, "Herbert...you know what this will mean."

You will embark on a lonely road.

"I know, I've always known."

Facing the Ash Bishop's pitying gaze, Herbert gently shook his head: "Ophidia, you don't need to feel sorry for me at all. This is the path I chose myself."

"As for the so-called 'cost' involved, I was clear about it in the past, I understand it now, and my thoughts will not change in the future."

Herbert never needed anyone's pity.

It wasn't necessary in the past, and it certainly won't be in the future.

To be honest, it was always the arrogant Herbert who pitied others, never the other way around.
"And now, I just want to confirm one thing with you."

Herbert stared intently at Ophidia and asked in a deep voice:
Now that I have become the Keeper of Secrets, am I qualified to share the burden of your burdens?

Am I worthy to stand beside you?

"To share my burden?"

The Ash Archbishop was momentarily dazed, then subconsciously asked, "So, is this really your reason for wanting to become the Keeper of Secrets?"

"Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't, it's up to you to interpret it," the newly appointed Keeper of the Secrets replied calmly.

"..."

Although Herbert had insisted on this before, Ophidia instinctively thought it was just a joke.

To this end, she even gave Herbert a difficult test, without expecting him to actually pass it.

She was silent for a while, then shook her head and said, "I need to explain. Although you said you wanted to share my burden, what I'm carrying isn't burden."

"It is a mission."

hum-

The moment she spoke, all the ancient texts in the entire demiplane trembled simultaneously.

Those secrets that had been dormant for countless years have awakened and begun to speak.

She raised her head, her eyes resolute, and said in a deep voice, "No matter what outsiders call them, whether they call them knowledge, secrets, or even curses... none of this can conceal the fact that this is a mission passed down by countless keeper of secrets for our ancestors."

“We collect these secrets and guard them not for our own benefit, but to prevent them from being destroyed by the gods, so that mortals may also know this knowledge.”

"This is the mission that the Keepers of Secrets have undertaken since their inception."

The Keepers of Secrets are not merely an organization of collectors; they were born out of a desire to rebel against the gods.

Since the birth of gods, they have been in control of everything.

The sky, the land, the sea... everything material was divided up by the gods.

Having already conquered all material things in the mortal realm, these greedy beings now sought to control even the thoughts of mortal beings.

The gods brand the minds of mortals, bind them with shackles, and harvest their faith.

Countless years have passed, yet everything in the mortal world remains unchanged, with little progress.

Are mortals simply too foolish?
No.

The gods are in control of everything.

They restrained the development of mortal things, keeping the progress of the world within a controllable range.

It won't be too low, nor too high. If it's too low, they will bestow divine grace to help them develop.

If they go too far, they will be punished by God, destroying their efforts.

Any action that threatens their rule is considered blasphemous.

In the most insane times, acquiring knowledge was considered an unforgivable crime!

Although the oppression of the mortal world by the gods gradually decreased as some new gods of mortal origin rose to power, the overall situation remained largely unchanged.

The creation of the Secret Keepers organization was related to these things; their mission was to protect knowledge from being destroyed by the gods.

Ophidia has always adhered to this principle and is proud of it.

Therefore, after seeing Herbert's "pity," although she understood Herbert's thoughts, she still showed her dissatisfaction.

This is not just to prove my own persistence, but also for all the generations of secret keepers who have persevered.

Despite the wrath of the entire demiplane, Herbert remained calm, his expression unchanged.

“You misunderstand. I did not mean to belittle the Keepers of Secrets.”

He shook his head and said calmly, "But whether it's a mission, a responsibility, or even so-called destiny, they are all essentially the same."

"No matter how many ways you put it, this is not something that one person should bear alone."

Herbert never denied the Keepers' achievements, nor did he belittle their ideas.

On the contrary, he greatly admired the courage of these people, who had the perseverance to confront the divine.

This does not mean that he would belittle the pressure these people bear or ignore the effort they put in.

Pain is pain, and stress is stress.

No matter how much is said or how noble the reasons are, it cannot cover up the hardships endured.

"I admire the courage of those who came before me, and at the same time I feel sorry for their sacrifices. These two things are not contradictory."

"There may be such a person as a savior in this world, but there should not be only one true savior."

In a world where extraordinary powers exist, an individual's energy is amplified infinitely, enough to accomplish some astonishing feats.

Even so, it is far too difficult for one person to save the world.

That was really too hard.

Are all the others dead?
Why must the "savior" bear the burden alone?
Herbert stared at Ophidia and said seriously, "You are not a savior, and you should not bear these things alone."

He even said rather bluntly, "In my opinion, this is nothing more than a shackle that you have put on yourself."

“You know this in your heart, but you pretend not to know… No, you know it, and you are even proud of it.”

puff.

He couldn't help but chuckle, teasingly saying, "So, do you think you're some tragic hero from an epic novel? Needing to bear all this alone? That you're the only one who can shoulder all of this?"

"If you're in pain, why not ask others for help?"

"you……"

Herbert stepped forward, staring intently at the increasingly silent Ophidia, and slowly said, "How arrogant you are!"

!!!

Snapped!
The runic serpent tail behind Ophidia slammed heavily onto the ground, creating huge cracks in the hard ground of the demiplane.

The enormous impact of the impact even caused the entire demiplane to tremble.

anger.

Herbert's deliberate "provocation" has successfully enraged Ophidia.

Even in such a fit of rage, she maintained her composure and did not lose control.

"What...what do you know?"

Ophidia propped herself up with her snake tail, looking down at the ignorant and rude boy.

She was furious because Herbert knew nothing and yet dared to spout such nonsense.

"What happened back then? What did we go through? You know nothing!"

Do you know the pressure we faced back then? Do you know what we encountered?

do not know!
Herbert's words seem to be from a moral high ground, but in essence, they are just empty talk.

But Herbert remained calm in the face of the approaching pressure, the raging fury, and even the faint killing intent.

He took another step forward, almost touching the other person's body, and said in a deep voice:

"Yes, you're right. I don't know anything. What I'm saying is just an irresponsible and arbitrary judgment from an outsider."

"But! I know that there are no sacrifices that are taken for granted in this world."

He reached out in a reversible manner, grabbed Ophidia by the collar, and said in a deep voice, "Whether it was voluntary or involuntary, no one should be sacrificed!"

"Don't you understand this at all?!"

"Back then, were they really so willing to let you sacrifice yourself?"

!!!

Herbert's words jolted Ophidia, instantly bringing her thoughts back to that moment from years ago.

Even after countless years, those people's last words still echoed in her ears.

"Child, don't do this!"

"Ophelia, no—"

"Silly child, don't be so impulsive!"

You don't have to bear all of this alone!!!

At that time, she hesitated, but in the end she went against their wishes and chose to take on the mission of all of them alone.

Perhaps, as Herbert said... this is arrogance.

To think that you can bear everything and shoulder everything is also a form of arrogance.
Just as Ophidia was reliving painful memories, Herbert suddenly laughed.

He released his grip on her collar, instead gently embracing Ophidia's waist, and whispered:

"and……"

“I don’t intend to remain unclear about this forever. If you’re willing to tell me, I’m willing to listen.”

"You don't have to bear all of this alone."

!!!

In an instant, Ophidia's anger dissipated.

There is no such thing.

Different times, different places, different people, yet they said similar things.

They tried to persuade her not to bear everything alone, that she didn't have to bear everything alone.

The former no longer had the ability to share her burden, but the latter had already made their own efforts.

I am willing to share the burden with you.

"..."

Her body trembled, her arms fell limply to her sides, and then she slowly and unnaturally raised them again.

Ophidia hesitated for a moment, but ultimately gave her a gentle hug back.

Feeling the warmth emanating from Herbert, she slowly closed her eyes...

How long has it been since we felt this warmth?
So long that she had forgotten that the human body could be so warm.

The two embraced quietly, neither speaking, feeling each other's breath and heartbeat.

After an unknown amount of time, Ophelia finally spoke, murmuring in a voice almost like a dream, "Herbert, you really are arrogant..."

Herbert said Ophidia was arrogant, but in fact, no one was as arrogant as her.

Herbert readily admitted this with a light laugh.

"Yes, I know, and I've never denied it."

So what if I was arrogant?
Does anyone disagree?
"Although some people say that arrogant people will eventually experience loneliness, I think that's not true."

"I am not alone, am I?"

"You will travel with me."

Herbert laughed, winked at Ophidia who was still in shock, and teased, "As your only colleague, you wouldn't abandon me, a novice Keeper of Secrets, would you?"

"You wouldn't be that heartless, would you?"

Ophidia laughed upon hearing this, shaking her head and saying, "Hehe, you... um?"

Before Herbert could react, he suddenly felt everything go black.

"Ok?"

“Your Excellency the Watcher, I’m here to see Herbert. He… um?”

After bowing, the Rusty Nail Bishop blinked at the empty demiplane, looking at it with a puzzled expression.

Hmm... Where's Herbert?
I clearly saw him walk in.
What about people?

Ophidia: "..."

Yes.

What about Herbert?

"...Speaking of which, is there really nowhere else to hide?"

Herbert pursed his lips, then turned to look at the snake's tail beside him and shook his head.

"Yeah, I think this place is pretty good."

(End of this chapter)