Chapter 136: A Nekomata's Transformation
The moment the disgusting liquid entered Lisa's lips. She felt a desire to vomit, the wretched taste worse than when she needed to rely on expired food before finding her current work. Yet, the moment she saw Nikolai's face approach, she couldn't stop. The sweet taste she enjoyed that drunken night changed her entire life.
Although Lisa played it off as a joke and tried to misdirect him the morning after with her crude wit and uncaring attitude, that night was a first for her.
'At first, I was just going to tease him; there was no need to go that far for his essence...'
Nikolai caught Lisa's eye the moment she saw him in the training centre—before she knew he would be joining her mercenary team, he became her target.
'His body overflows with an immense vitality, more than the monsters and nobles we meet during work. So I placed my scent on him. A casual brush of my hips as he stepped past me, and I could find him no matter where he went in the city.'
However, two scents caused Lisa to back away. The dense scent of a female wolf, as if she had sprayed her scent all over his body for months, and the sweet scent of a vampire. Though small, it was thick and constantly flowed around him.
'At that point, I had given up. Then the same boy joined Ryan's group, and it felt like fate.'
She couldn't believe her luck, but the closer he was, the more frustrated and irritated she could smell. Those scents remained, and her marking faded. At first, she remained guarded; since Lisa could survive without getting involved, it felt okay to give up this time.
The mission continued without issue. The rookie even did well.
However, when Nikolai returned to the jeep, she couldn't believe what she saw. His essence grew larger, and the lingering aroma of his body was more intense than before, driving her to the brink of going into heat.
Because she always acted the part of a lascivious female with lots of partners. It became a fatal mistake to let her guard down and not bring her special inhibitors that dulled her feline instinct and desire for essence. A special tool that the SSS developed for their monster co-operators.
To the public, the SSS killed non-nobles and other monsters without care; however, in reality, they only killed dangerous monsters and those that feasted on humans.
Vampires came into a delicate category because of their ability to control the amount they drink, and most clans bought blood from the hospital and government for money, boosting the economy, so the SSS higher-ups would hate to lose that.
In return for giving a portion of their blood each month, Monsters could become mercenaries and help the SSS. Although their phones would monitor them, and if they broke the rules, it would lead to deportation or execution.
'This was the best path to survive, or at least the only path for me.'
Without her inhibitor, Lisa lost control and became intoxicated by both the alcohol and the natural aroma emitted by Nikolai at the dinner.
Thus, she tricked him into sharing a room at a hotel nearby.
'However... I never expected that to happen! Normally, to feast on their essence. It was fine to sit close to the person and read a book or pretend to browse the internet, but he... he was too different!'
Lisa became overwhelmed by his thick essence, and by the time she regained her mind, her body was already numb, and the immense bliss she felt from being full to the brim with the essence of the highest quality only added to her climax.
'I can't believe he made me squirt... his stupid face acted so natural and didn't even flinch or become embarrassed. Ah~ I thought I would die for real! No, I did die!'
After that, she found herself stalking and prowling close to where his scent was the strongest each night, a strange action that made her embarrassed.
Then she realised that normal essence couldn't satisfy her anymore. She needed his. So, after going hungry, she waited for him, desperately hoping he would pass by.
'Then he did~ and took me into the dungeon, but he's so annoying and teases me too much.'
Her mind returned to the current moment, once again drunk on his essence and the handsome face inches from hers, while sucking on his tongue despite the ichor tasting horrible. Once it came from his mouth, the taste became unbearably sweet, and Lisa couldn't resist.
Suddenly, while immersed in the bliss of his kiss, she felt pain inside her core. The small orb formed when she awakened as a Nekomata; because his essence overflowed from the kiss, it began to throb and swell. Lisa felt terrified it might crack. The next moment, her muscles started to spasm, convulse and deform under her skin, creating immense pain.
'It hurts... I want it to stop... please... stop my bones keep breaking, my organs are burning... My neck feels like it's swollen, and air can't get through!'
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The sharp ache caused her mind to become hazy. She tried to suck the air from his lips, a fain comfort each time she swallowed his essence, making the pain fade and the more she sucked on his tongue, the easier it became.
"Mmmph~ Hrk.... Gmmmph Guhhh... Glk!"
For what seemed like an eternity of pain, suffering, and joy, the black liquid stopped flowing into her mouth. She felt the soft sensation leave her mouth and watched as the beautiful pair of lips left her. Lisa then felt something prick her neck as he drank a blue-coloured tonic.
After that, she could no longer maintain her consciousness. At some point later, her eyes opened to watch in wonder. Her eyes felt different... beautiful colours danced inside the body of Nikolai: blue, red and then a mixture of purple and black mixing, weaving the colours constantly together.
"Ugh... I feel strange... my body is full of power, but I feel like I am lighter than before..."
'Eh? My voice sounds softer, elegant and rather sexy! Like those voice actresses who perform ASMR professionally!'
"How is your body? Do you feel anything different other than that?" A deep, husky voice, the source sitting opposite against the wall chewing on some jerky with a sly grin.
'Ah... he looks even more radiant! His essence is denser than before, and he seems a little different?!'
"Hmmm~ if a perverted little wolf didn't take advantage of me then...."
"I'm being serious, Lisa. Look at yourself with this mirror."
"What? Oh, my~ look how smooth my skin is... and my hair!"
The texture and colour had vastly improved. Lisa knew what they meant the first time she ate Nikolai's essence. It affected not only her core but the entire body.
Despite looking twenty-five when she had just turned thirty-five. In reality, the human blood from her father made her age slightly faster than her peers, but now. Her face looked even prettier than she did five years ago, and all the blemishes vanished, and her skin became tight.
"My eyes... they're green, and my blonde hair is now black like obsidian..."
Lisa sounded a little unhappy at first, but when she pulled on the skin beneath her eye, she noticed the vibrant light inside her body, like Nikolai's.
After the transformation, most of her energy carried a purple tint, with a small amount being black, which seemed to have stained even her core black.
'This essence... it's identical to Nikolai's?! Ah... I can smell him on my body—it's like his arms are constantly wrapped around my body; I feel so stable and calm.'
"So? How is it? Are you alright? What changed?"
Lisa looked at Nikolai, her eyes almost entranced by the way his energies would swirl and mix, always changing colours and shades. Yet she knew he wanted a serious answer despite her desire to joke.
Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to this time.
"I can see your energy, the black, purple, red and blue all mixing and coexisting inside you... Also, your core, unlike mine in my lower body, you have three in your chest..."
"I see... so because of me, you gained that ability—it will help you survive." Nikolai seemed to speak to himself, whispering and muttering, but her ears picked the words up easily. Even before, her enhanced senses weren't this strong.
Yet now she could smell his scent with pinpoint accuracy. Her ears could hear the water dripping at the entrance of this floor, and her eyes saw the dust and mites in the air.
"Do you see the amount? How much does it shine, or rather the sheer density? That's what indicates a supernatural or monster's strength." He began to write something on his phone while speaking to Lisa. "If you can estimate your total essence using these eyes, then it might save your life in the future."
Lisa focused hard on the various colours swirling inside his body.
"This feels embarrassing... It's like watching you naked from head to toe... Hmhm, but I must work harder! After seeing such a sexy man up close, it can't be helped~ ahaha!"
'I feel so embarrassed. Once again, we ended up kissing, and he seemed so calm! What should I do? Are we dating? Am I just a toy for him? No, he doesn't seem interested in me like that...'
She sighed inside.
He truly seemed uncaring, so she played along as if nothing had happened—however, now that they were alone in the tower. With her mind thinking straight because of being satisfied with energy, she suddenly panicked.
"Idiot..."
The next moment, her phone buzzed, and information on the various colours of energy and what he knew and understood about supernaturals was written with some notes in bold.
'This man... why is he so confusing?!'
Nikolai, however, seemed excited to test out their new abilities and opened the doorway to the third floor. "Shall we head further? I don't want to go back just yet."
'Do you really think I would say no? Can I make my feelings any more obvious, you fool?!'
"Hmph!" With a huff, Lisa climbed to her feet and walked towards the portal, a sly smirk on Nikolai's face when she vanished from sight.
"She's so fun to tease. I always wanted a cat growing up." He laughed silently, humming to himself in amusement, and entered behind Lisa into the third floor.
***
As they stepped onto the next floor, a dense white fog greeted them.
They stood at the start of a long wooden path above water and surrounded by wooden buildings. Wooden pillars formed a maze-like structure on either side, but most were connected to an elevated platform overlooking the centre.
"I guess the third floor is some kind of mining area? It's still a cave, but the walls seem less corrupted and safer."
"Nikolai! The monsters have changed. They are alive and making strange sounds...."
He looked back into Lisa's eyes and noticed the emerald orbs had silver pupils that glowed brightly when she focused on something.
'That must be why she can see things that even I can't without my Obsidian Eyes activated.'
"Are you ready to test your vision? First, let's estimate their strength using your new ability. Okay?"
"M-Mmm... will you make sure..."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you while you focus, and until you can use them instantly and understand in seconds, I won't leave you to fight alone. Here or with Ryan."
"Nn.... such an annoying man... hmmph."