Diary of the Improper Monster Girl Transformation.

Chapter 540 Freya's Gift (Bonus Chapter 300, 6.2K words!)
"Divine essence crystallization..."

Herbert stared blankly at the dazzling crystal before him, almost silently uttering the name as he felt the surging power emanating from it.

The crystal was a thick, earthy yellow color, with countless tiny golden grains flowing slowly inside, conveying a sense of calm and powerful strength.

The nature of this force was not unfamiliar to him; it even carried a hint of destiny.

Undoubtedly, its origin lies in a deity familiar to Herbert.

Not long ago, it was the mastermind behind this power who orchestrated the tragedy of the Beast-Ear Clan, and ultimately perished in the combined efforts of himself and Freya.

However, beyond the texture that should belong to "sand and gravel", the surface of the crystal is entwined with fine, vine-like emerald green patterns.

Like the veins of life, it exudes a pure and gentle natural aura, completely neutralizing and purifying the deathly stillness and desolation of the sand and gravel itself.

Herbert could feel the "breath of life" bestowed upon him by Freya throbbing joyfully within his body, resonating strongly with the green patterns on the crystal.

Without a doubt, the power that seals the divine crystal comes from the Goddess of the Forest.

He took a deep breath and slowly stepped forward.

As he approached, the emerald green patterns seemed to come alive, and a faint light shone through them.

Then, a soft female voice quietly entered his mind: "Herbert... I hope this little gift will be of some help to you."

The voice left behind by the Forest Goddess is peaceful and gentle, evoking images of a vast forest and calming the mind unconsciously.

“I have cleansed away all the impurities that should not exist in it. What you see before you now is the crystallization of pure authority, which originated from sand and stone, but has returned to nature.”

Impurities...

Herbert silently realized that behind those two seemingly casual words lay the immense effort and power that Freya had expended to strip away and purify the lingering madness and resentment left behind by a fallen god.

This is by no means an easy task.

Even for Fulingya, it would take a considerable amount of effort.

“Herbert, there’s no need to refuse. It’s just a small gift, nothing to be a burden or a danger. No one will know about it.”

May it become a cornerstone on your journey.

May you one day ignite the divine fire.

After Freya finished her message, the divine power vines that had been covering the divine crystal slowly dissipated. With just a wave of Herbert's hand, they would automatically fly into his palm.

Herbert could sense that the natural divine power that held the message and the final seal together, like a firefly that had completed its mission, quietly dissipated into the air without a trace.

The message he just left was merely a pre-programmed divine power sequence that played automatically upon sensing Herbert's presence and then dissipated on its own, giving him no chance to refuse.

"..."

Herbert gazed silently at the crystal, squinting as he carefully sensed the power structure within it. He quickly grasped its essence and let out a soft sigh of admiration.

The sigh contained surprise, gratitude, and a touch of helplessness towards the way the gods acted.

"Are all gods the same? Or are they just really capricious?"

The gift that Freya left for Herbert was none other than the crystallized divine essence of the God of Sand and Stone.

Moreover, it is not a fragment of the original divine essence containing the mad will and chaotic memories of the God of Sand and Stone, but one that has been carefully processed by Freya.

He carefully removed any remaining divine will and malicious influence, allowing Herbert to easily absorb the pure divine essence within it after obtaining it.

Unlike divine positions, which are not so special or unique, divine status does not have additional requirements on the power of the absorber; it is a universal power that any strong person can absorb.

It represents the status of "gods" as beings, a key to higher life forms, but it is not bound to any specific domain of power.

"Whoa!"

Nenasha, who was standing on his shoulder, also stopped joking. She touched her chin with her little hand and clicked her tongue in amazement. She never expected that Freya had such a skill.

"I underestimated that tree spirit girl. Although she's not very smart, she's quite generous and willing to spend money!"

It's important to know that this gift was something Freya had prepared long before, not something added after things progressed with Herbert.

He made the decision from the very beginning.

Even considering the value of his first "pure" ritual, a single "tree spirit's embrace" was not enough to reward Herbert. Only the addition of divine crystallization would roughly satisfy His own psychological expectations.

No matter how you look at it, this really shows a lot of sincerity.

"Do you want to refuse?"

"They're giving it to me for free, how can I refuse?"

"Yes, she's so thoughtful~ What a good woman!"

Herbert ignored the God of Harmony's sarcastic remarks, but he knew in his heart that this was a great gift.

However, in terms of value, although it is not as good as directly sending the god of sand and gravel to inherit the specific powers related to "sand and gravel", it is still a valuable opportunity.

It is enough to qualify a mortal to step into the realm of the gods!

This is a qualification that countless ordinary people and powerful individuals dream of...

Without hesitation, he reached out and passed through the emerald green halo without any hindrance, holding the crystal in his hand.

It feels warm and smooth to the touch, without the roughness of sand or gravel. Instead, it feels like fine warm jade, containing a gentle and docile power.

"Is it slippery? Does it remind you of anything? Stop now!"

Nenasha whispered in Herbert's ear, "Tell me, what are you thinking? What are you comparing it to?!"

Herbert ignored Nenasha, who was trying to drive, and a thought suddenly occurred to him about another matter related to divinity.

"Nenesha, do you still have the divine essence you absorbed from that pocket watch?"

[“Eh?”]

Nena immediately put on a pitiful look and huffed, "Who asks for something back after giving it away?"

"Just tell me if it's still there or not."

"You bad man—heh."

Nenasha hummed insincerely for a while, then shrugged easily and said with a smile, "Of course it's still there~ That little bit of divinity is nothing to me, so I naturally planned to leave it to you."

【"after all……"】

His voice lowered, carrying a barely perceptible tenderness, as he softly said, "What's mine is yours, isn't it?"

Then, just as Herbert was feeling moved, Nenasa's tone changed, and she smugly hummed, "How about it? Weren't you moved after hearing that?"

"Yes, I'm so touched. Nenasha, you're so kind."

Herbert nodded perfunctorily, his brows furrowing slightly, and said softly, "...If it's still there, then that means..."

"The conditions are all met."

As Nenasha whispered, another, smaller fragment of divinity emerged from the shadows beneath Herbert's feet.

Then, with the help of two shadowy tentacles, the two pieces of divine essence were pressed tightly together.

hum-

A deep, resonant sound, seemingly originating from the very rules of the world, echoed in Herbert's heart.

The moment the two crystals touched, a brilliant light shone forth!

Then, under the control of the divine power, the two crystals quickly merged together, and the original color faded, turning into a brand new crystal that was crystal clear.

A pure, unblemished crystal of divine essence; any powerful individual who obtains it can successfully advance in rank.

The two stared silently at the newly formed crystal, as if witnessing a completely different destiny.

Even Nenasha's tone carried a hint of complexity as she couldn't help but remark, "Your luck is truly both good and bad."

If you say Herbert was lucky, he was unlucky from the start and then had many connections with various gods, always being pushed forward by fate.

But if you say he's just unlucky... can this guy really be called "unlucky"?

Putting aside the issue of his luck with women and his popularity with women, his luck in other aspects is astonishing.

Looking back, it seems like those guys who opposed him were just unlucky.
Wealth, power, strength, divine favor, the mercy of fate...

What ordinary people find difficult to obtain, and what they cannot reach even after a lifetime, is nothing more than commonplace in his eyes, all readily available.

"..."

Herbert silently sensed the two divine powers that shared the same origin but differed in nature.

What Astrid's teacher left behind were even more ancient fragments of divinity, which, though few in number, were of extremely high quality.

Although we do not know anything about that ancient god, we can be certain that at his peak, he was at least a high-level deity.

Even such powerful gods suffered a number of casualties in the ancient war of the gods.

The "Sandstone" divine essence given by Fulingya, although of inferior quality, was abundant and only lacked a little bit.

The combination of the two, quantitative change is enough to trigger qualitative change.

With the addition of the divine essence Herbert had absorbed from the pocket watch left by his teacher Estelle, he had accumulated enough divine essence to advance to demigod status.

Looking at others, all we can say is that their lives are marked by blood and tears.

"If poor Finn knew that you just casually got what he'd been dreaming of, he'd probably be so angry he'd crawl out of the River Styx and die again."

For years, Fein schemed and plotted within the Witch's Guild in his quest to advance to demigod status with a divine spark. He relentlessly pursued this goal throughout his life, even at the cost of sacrificing everything, but ultimately failed to take that final step.

The goal that Finn had devoted half his life to, even at the cost of betraying others, was achieved by Herbert with such ease.

"Tsk tsk, how pitiful."

Nenasha made a sarcastic remark at the opportune moment, but Herbert shook his head and said quite calmly, "Don't be so quick to lament, he's not quite dead yet."

"It's practically the same as being dead, isn't it? Do you think he could survive in the Astral Plane?"

"It's possible that as long as I haven't witnessed his death, he's still alive with me."

"How cautious."

Nenasha pursed her lips, somewhat disapproving of Herbert's caution, but she had no intention of continuing the argument. Instead, she asked, "So, what are you planning to do now? The conditions are all met; are you going to take this opportunity to advance to demigod status?"

Advancing to demigod status and entering the realm of gods seems to be the pursuit of all the powerful, without the slightest hesitation.

However, despite holding an opportunity that could drive countless powerful figures on the continent mad, Herbert was in no hurry to advance, showing little interest or enthusiasm.

He pondered carefully, silently assessing the actual changes brought about by advancing to demigod status. After a long while, he sighed in a strange tone, "It seems there aren't any significant benefits..."

【"You noticed that?"】 Although Nenasha seemed to be asking Herbert, she had already guessed his decision—he would never be so reckless as to attempt to advance.

"The realm of demigods is essentially an initial sublimation of one's life level; it is the 'qualification certification' for mortals to ascend to the throne of gods."

Nenasha, unusually, explained in a serious tone:

"Its primary function is to elevate your status, enabling you to better bear and understand divine power, laying the foundation for future divine office and the establishment of a divine kingdom."

"Just as you said, regarding the improvement in combat power... well, there is, but not as dramatic as some claim."

Herbert agreed with this assessment.

"There aren't many practical benefits, but it might make me stand out more among the gods."

His current strength relies on the superposition of various blessings from the monster girls, giving him all sorts of strange and troublesome abilities, so he doesn't have much need for a specific rank.

An improvement in rank might raise his power level by a notch, but it won't instantly give him a devastating trump card.

The most powerful enemy he currently faces is the true god incarnation who relies on rules and authority. The demigod's status does not offer a significant advantage in front of these beings.

Moreover, once one steps into the realm of demigods, it means truly touching upon the interests of the "gods," which may prematurely attract unnecessary trouble.

After all, he is now nominally a pure-blooded god-slayer fighting for mortals, and has no intention of colluding with the gods.

This identity did indeed make some gods wary of him, but at times it also served as a form of protection.

Once one advances to demigod status, this ambiguous stance may become clear, thus losing some room for maneuver.

Overall, the title of demigod offers him no real benefit at the moment.

His conclusion was clear and calm: being a demigod is an elevation in rank, a prerequisite for advancing to true godhood, but it doesn't involve much actual improvement in strength.

Perhaps we will take this step in the future, but there is no need to rush it.

Herbert's concerns and considerations were one aspect, but Freya's gift was indeed very significant and something he couldn't refuse.

Herbert felt indebted to Freya.

Especially when recalling that in the Sanctuary of Nature, Fulingya went from clumsy "rewards" to the final moment of passionate abandon and shyness...

This goddess of the forest may appear naive and stubborn in many ways, even a little too innocent, but her heart is quite pure and untainted.

Freya may not know how to skillfully use charm, nor does she understand those insincere calculations; she simply uses what she believes is the best way to express her gratitude and recognition.

For a moment, a feeling mixed with gratitude and apology welled up in my heart.

He suddenly felt, and was glad, that he hadn't blindly let Him push him down.

If at the time I was really half-heartedly resisting, or if I had a deeper relationship with Freya on impulse without Nenesha's reminder...

So now, facing this weighty, pure gift, untainted by any coercion or scheming, he might feel an indescribable sense of guilt.

That relationship should not begin with a chaotic, compensatory, or transactional "reward," but should be something purer...

Since arrogance should be met with arrogance, purity should be met with purity.

He looked at the crystal in his hand, which seemed to still retain a natural fragrance, and thought to himself.

"Such a thoughtful and kind goddess deserves a better first experience."

A more beautiful and solemn beginning, one that is not arranged by others, is free from complicated calculations, and truly stems from the sincere desires of both parties.

This crystallization of divinity is a gift, an affirmation, and an aid, but it should never become a "bargaining chip" or "compensation" for the advancement of any relationship.

"Oh? What, have you had a change of heart?"

Nenasha tilted her head, her tone odd, but her previous jealousy seemed to have faded considerably. She pouted and snorted, "Now that you know, be nicer to people from now on, and put Him on top of the list when the time comes~"

?

God the hell is on top!

Herbert's lips twitched slightly, but he didn't answer. He tossed the divine crystal back into the shadows.

He remembered this favor, and he also felt the pure intentions of Fulingya.

The road ahead is long, and this gift, and the goddess who gave it, can be repaid in due time.

He took one last look at the ruins that bore witness to the past of the Beast-Eared Clan and the sentiments of the Forest Goddess, then turned and walked into the mirror-like lake, disappearing from sight.

……

……

As night deepened, in a wooden house on the edge of the village, Theresa tossed and turned on her simple but clean bed.

She unconsciously curled up and stretched, her brows furrowed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, clearly immersed in a very turbulent dream.

But eventually, she regained her composure and began to breathe evenly.

A moment later, her heavy eyelids slowly opened, and the girl stared blankly at the ceiling. Instead of a clean ceiling, she saw a low wooden roof with some mold spots.

"here it is……"

Theresa got up in a daze and looked around. Sunlight was squeezing in through the cracks in the window, forming beams of light. The dust kicked up by her getting up swirled in the beams of light.

This is not Elda, but my hometown from my memories.

"I... um!?"

She turned over, intending to use the snake's tail to propel herself off the bed, but a wave of intense fatigue held her back.

My body is so heavy!
She looked down at her hands. Her skin was a healthy wheat color, and her knuckles were slightly rough from years of labor, but... they were human hands.

She touched her legs again, feeling their warmth and human-like limbs, not the cold, slippery snake tail.

It was as if she had suddenly stopped being the snake-woman girl who had awakened the bloodline of a demon, and instead became an ordinary human village girl.

Just like before.

"Where...where exactly is this place?"

She struggled to sit up and looked around.

The cramped room, the rough wooden table, the strings of dried, blackened meat hanging on the wall—everything was exactly the same as the home she remembered.

The sound of a neighbor's dog barking came from outside the window, along with the familiar local accent of an elderly woman calling her husband to eat.

Theresa pinched her arm, feeling a sharp pain.

"Is it a dream? But it feels so real..."

But all of this felt incredibly real; she could even feel the prickly texture of the straw mat beneath her and smell the aroma of rye bread wafting through the air.

The excessive detail caused her previously firm belief to begin to waver.

This gave her a confusing thought, and she couldn't help but think that all her previous experiences were an absurd and long dream.

"Could it be that all those terrible experiences, and Lord Herbert and Eunice... were just a long and horrific nightmare?"

Did I just take a nap and have a long nightmare?

Once the thought arose, it carried a tremendous allure, like a warm tide, threatening to completely overwhelm her.

If only it were all a dream...

The girl's heart was violently shaken.

She could still be that ordinary Teresa, living in a peaceful village, with...

However, just as she was about to be convinced by this "truth," a very faint yet incredibly sharp sense of unease came from deep within her body.

It's an impulse of the tongue to unconsciously probe out and perceive more information in the air, a sense of familiarity with another way of moving that comes from muscle memory.

These subtle "marks" that do not belong to the human village girl Theresa are like tiny needles, piercing the perfect facade of the dream.

"No, that's not right..."

She shook her head violently, trying to dispel the intoxicating sense of comfort.

"Yunier's face is so clear, the warmth of Lord Herbert's hand, and the feeling of my scales growing during my metamorphosis..."

Theresa took a deep breath and began to recall her past experiences, the plants and trees of Eldar, trying to grasp those anchors of "reality" to fight against this bizarre dream.

This is a dream.

Yes, it must have been a nightmare!
She struggled to wake up, trying to escape from the dream.

Theresa struggled to get out of bed, wanting to rush out of the room and run outside to break the dream with a stronger stimulus.

She stumbled out of the bedroom and pushed open the door to the living room.

The sunlight streaming through the window became warmer, the sounds outside became more pleasant, and even the aroma of bread in the air became more enticing.

Everything remained unchanged despite her panic; the dream did not change at all, and she showed no signs of waking up.

"I want to escape, but where can I escape to? In the end, which side is the real one..."

Just as Teresa's will was violently oscillating between "indulgence" and "sobriety," like a taut bowstring about to snap—the kitchen door was gently pushed open.

"Oh dear? Not going to continue your afternoon nap?"

who!!?
Theresa turned around abruptly, squinting in the direction from which the sound came.

A figure stood against the light at the doorway, its features soft, carrying an aura that was both incredibly familiar and long-lost.

She saw it.

She was a woman dressed in a simple linen dress, with a clean apron tied around her waist, and her hands seemed to have some flour on them.

Her face was not clearly visible, the details blurred by the light, but Teresa's heart suddenly stopped beating at that moment.

But just as she was about to wake up, she saw a woman she had never seen before, yet knew perfectly well who she was—

She had never seen her in person.

She died in childbirth before she was born.

She only exists in the stories that man mentions intermittently when he's drunk.

However, at this moment, a resonance from the deepest part of her bloodline, a confirmation at the level of her soul, made her subconsciously utter that name.

"...Mom, Mom?"

(End of this chapter)