Monster Girl Development Master.

Outside the black robe stained with yellow mud, a layer of purple thorns crackling with purple lightning suddenly appeared, their sharp thorns and flashing lightning clearly indicating their danger.

[Protective Thorns]

Creates a layer of thorny armor around itself, causing electric shock damage to those who touch it.

The heavy boulder crashed down, crushing the thorns with steel and rock, but failing to harm the flesh within. Meanwhile, the flashing lightning pierced through the shattered rocks, penetrated the metal armor, and struck the fragile mortal body.

Lydia groaned, feeling spasms and numbness in her body. The armor that had once held her up so easily now felt like a steel cage, firmly suppressing her movements. But she didn't give up, still struggling to use her longsword to slit the throat that was so close at hand. But another hand gripped her wrist tightly and then roughly ripped off her helmet.

Lydia's handsome face, glistening with sweat, was exposed to the air. But the next second, she struggled to lift her head and try to bite her enemy's wrist, only to be met with a heavy blow. Her forehead swelled rapidly, her not-so-fair skin turned bluish-purple, and blood pooled and flowed out. Dizziness made it increasingly difficult for her to control her body.

But she still fought bravely and tried to attack the enemy.

Kate dropped the expensive helmet she was holding, grabbed Lydia's wrist, and forcefully pressed it against Lydia's own neck. Under the overwhelming force, Lydia's joints gradually twisted, and the longsword that was meant to slit Kate's throat gradually pressed against her own neck.

Then came the less-than-satisfying sound of metal hitting flesh.

Kate tossed aside the longsword, picked up her mud-covered weapon, and limped to her feet. Her once mysterious and elegant appearance was now smeared with mud and blood, making her look like a vagrant. But Kate wasn't angry. She looked down at the head she had severed with her own hands, and instead of the expected fear and regret, she saw a smile.

idiot.

She thought that although it had indeed caused her some trouble, it was only because of the armor, and she couldn't save her master anyway; it was just a self-satisfied foolishness.

Kate glanced at the closed door and easily kicked it open. Looking at the seemingly composed Lady Leah before her, she shouted, "Madam, don't struggle, face your fate—"

Before she could finish speaking, she heard the sound of horses' hooves behind her. Her body sensed an angry gaze, which made her turn around alertly, but she didn't have time to complete the action.

A pale fist punched through her stomach, causing her to collapse in pain.

Then, as she fell to the ground, she saw Johnson, who shouldn't be there, a strange and terrifying giant horse, and Angela Leon and Mira Koffney on the horse.

Is this... a hallucination?

Kate murmured, like Lydia, who was ethereal and transparent in mid-air.

The author says:

Author's Note: The female lead won't die.

Chapter 88: A Chance Encounter Due to a Misunderstanding

"The fire is really big."

As Ange rode on her horse, gazing at the flames that had been burning fiercely in the distance for so long, her tone tinged with schadenfreude. Thanks to her farsightedness, even though she was currently near Radiant Manor, she could still see the towering flames emanating from Thorn Manor.

However, after admiring this scene, she immediately turned her gaze back to her brothers and sisters. At every intersection leading from Glorious Manor to Thorn Manor, there were many more soldiers, including many of Leon's sons who had awakened their bloodlines.

Clearly, they were faithfully carrying out the orders conveyed by the Church of War through Ange, although Ange herself was not involved.

She certainly wouldn't get involved, because she never thought it was a good idea. The Church of War's plan was clearly flawed. Thorn Manor and Radiant Manor were so far apart, how could they possibly believe that Radiant Manor would be the first to discover the attack on Thorn Manor, let alone be able to rush to its aid?

Of course, this wasn't a problem for Zhuang Sen's enemies. They were willing to do anything to cause Zhuang Sen trouble, as long as the cost wasn't too high. And if they could also gain benefits, it would be even more worthwhile.

So Anjie didn't refuse at the time, and neither did the others. However, Anjie had a tiny bit of doubt.

So, why would the Church of War do something so pointless? Is it to help their enemies, like Zhuang Sen's? Is the Church of War really that selfless?

Ange didn't think so. She believed the Church of War must have its own purpose in doing this. That's why she was on this small hill. From here, she could see not only the fireworks of Thorn Manor in the distance, but also the entire plain where Radiant Manor was located.

She could clearly see the smug smiles of his brothers and sisters, the guards searching around Glorious Manor, and even one of them suddenly collapsing.

Ange frowned. She almost thought she was hallucinating, but her farsightedness allowed her to clearly see a guard patrolling the inner wall of Thorn Manor suddenly collapse. He was alone, positioned out of sight of the others, so he didn't attract their attention. As he fell, a figure shrouded in black clothing swiftly swept across that section of wall and entered the interior of Radiant Manor.

A strange chill crept up Anjie's spine. Her knowledge and the books she had read clearly revealed the most likely possibility of this scene—an assassination.

Within Glory Manor, there is only one person worthy of an assassination attempt—Lady Leah, the wife of Count Cross, the head of the Falau Merchant Guild in Leon Territory, and the mother of Johnson Leon.

The chill turned into real fear. Angela could hardly imagine what crazy things that madman, Zhuang Sen, would do to them when he discovered that his mother had been assassinated and that they, the sons of Leon, had actually acted as accomplices to attract attention.

Even disregarding Zhuang Sen's retaliation—after all, if the War Church could really harm Lady Lia, they would likely kill Zhuang Sen in return—simply out of respect for Lady Lia and out of a businesswoman's conscience, Ange felt that the War Church's mad actions could not be tolerated.

Even Zhuang Sen never said he would lay a hand on their families.

Thankfully, the figure just now didn't look like Bishop Charles or Wall at all. And Nils and Nott did indeed head towards the vicinity of Thorn Manor, having gone through their anti-Zhuangsen alliance. This means that the assassin was at most a level one bloodline user, probably no match for Ange.

What else is there to say? Of course, Anjie is going to save Zhuang Sen's mother. She has wanted to join forces with Zhuang Sen for a long time. What happened before was just a misunderstanding. Businessmen are bound to have some competition, but competition is just competition. It doesn't mean that they can't cooperate.

Okay, that's right. Ange felt that Zhuang Sen's rise was unstoppable and was preparing to jump ship. If she couldn't beat him, she'd join him. Anyway, she had thought about allying with Zhuang Sen back when she was still hanging out with Jem, but later, well, due to a slight error, a slight prejudice, and—ah, well, anyway, he's jumping ship now.

As for the anti-Johnson alliance, well, good luck to them.

While Ange was lost in thought, she had already spurred her horse and galloped towards Glory Manor. The defenses within Glory Manor certainly couldn't stop a Level 1 Bloodline user; if she arrived too late, she might only find Lady Lia's corpse.

Ange's mount was, of course, a fine horse, carrying her swiftly down the mountain, past the allies who had crowded and blocked the road, and arriving at the gates of Radiant Manor. However, at that moment, her guardian knight suddenly cried out in terror, "Lady Ange!"

Ange turned around in surprise, then swallowed her question. She had already seen the strange, terrifying horse galloping out of the forest.

It was tall and robust, with mixed fur, bloodshot eyes, and an eerie mist emanating from its body as it ran. The two riders on its back were covered in blood, looking like demon knights who had crawled out of hell.

But thanks to her farsightedness, Ange was still able to see the faces of the two demon knights clearly—it was Zhuang Sen.

……

When Ange saw Zhuang Sen, Zhuang Sen didn't notice her at first because he was in a strange state of mind. He was experiencing the strange feeling of being sucked by a vampire.

Even though he knew perfectly well that the sharp teeth biting his neck were drinking his blood and might even endanger his life, the pleasure coming from the wound still made Zhuang Sen feel incredibly excited and joyful. It felt like drinking fine wine and eating a delicious meal, and it was exactly the kind of food that suited his taste.

It was an unparalleled pleasure and excitement that permeated both body and soul, and it never waned, but continued to grow, making Johnson crave more and want to engage in deeper and closer interactions with the vampire behind him.

Moreover, it seems that this is not just his reaction; judging from Mira's increasingly rapid and passionate breathing, she seems to feel the same way.

However, neither of them completely lost their minds. They both knew that now was not the right time and did not actually make a move. However, compared to Zhuang Sen, a scumbag who had tried many times, Miss Mira, who was still a virgin, could only look around and distract herself with the scenery. So she used her dark vision to see Miss Ange and told Zhuang Sen.

So the question is, in the eyes of Johnson, who has learned that the Church of War is planning to assassinate Lady Lia, what kind of image do these anti-Johnson alliance members, who have long been confirmed to be colluding with the Church of War, and their leader, Miss Ange, have?

Zhuang Sen provided the answer with his actions; he slapped his horse hard, and the nine-dragon horse beneath him immediately galloped towards Anjie.

Before Ange could even say anything, the Kowloon Horse, modified by the monster girls' abilities, had already arrived in front of her, followed closely by Zhuang Sen's furious fist.

He held nothing back. He was prepared to send his sister, who had been causing him so much trouble, into eternal slumber. Anjie naturally sensed Zhuang Sen's murderous intent, and driven by her survival instinct, she blurted out at lightning speed: "The assassins of the Church of War are inside."

Zhuang Sen's fist still landed on Anjie, but the target changed from her neck to her shoulder. Therefore, Anjie still had a chance to cry out in pain and surprise.

Zhuang Sen dragged his bratty sister directly onto his horse. Mira, who was biting Zhuang Sen's neck, understood his meaning, and her eyes flashed red. Caught off guard, Ange was immediately controlled.

Mira cut to the chase: "Are you in cahoots with that assassin?"

"Of course not, I wanted to go and save Lady Lia."

While Mira was asking questions, Johnson had already ridden into Glorious Manor and rushed into the inner courtyard where Lady Lia lived.

Before the tightly closed door, the resolute female knight lay decapitated in a pool of blood. The assassin, clad in black robes, had just burst through the closed door and shouted:

"Madam, stop struggling, face your fate—"

The author says:

Author's note: My little brat is about to get some discipline!

Chapter 89: The True Headless Horseman

"Jonson——"

Lady Lia threw herself into Zhuang Sen's arms, wrapping her arms around his strong body. Her ripe, soft peaches deformed against Zhuang Sen's chest, turning into flat, round pancakes, and her plump buttocks trembled slightly, revealing the unease beneath her calm exterior.

As an ordinary person, she couldn't help but feel fear when faced with Kate, a bloodline member brimming with murderous intent. Only her strong will and proud beliefs kept her from showing it, especially Lydia's unwavering loyalty, which made her unwilling to reveal her fear and pain to this murderer. But when facing Johnson, her "son," and the hero who saved her, Lady Lydia completely unleashed her emotions.

She almost kissed Zhuang Sen on the face, but the sound of footsteps interrupted her. She released him as if electrocuted, and, filled with regret and shame, tried to regain her composure, changing the subject: "Zhuang Sen, Lydia, she..."

Her mature voice gradually lowered as Lady Lia thought of her loyal guardian knight. The relief of surviving the ordeal and other emotions in her heart dissipated, replaced by heartache and sorrow.

Zhuang Sen also looked at the female knight he wasn't particularly familiar with. The signs of battle around them and Kate's appearance spoke volumes about her bravery, making Zhuang Sen somewhat emotional. If he had arrived sooner, perhaps he could have saved this valiant female knight… or perhaps, if it weren't for Lydia's bravery and loyalty, he might not have made it in time… no, maybe in that case, Angela would have arrived earlier to save the day?

But in any case, Lydia's sacrifice was irreversible. The injury of being decapitated was something even a bloodline member would suffer... um?

Zhuang Sen blinked, wondering if he was hallucinating.

Why did he see a blurry chibi-style figure above Lydia's head, looking like a knight, but without a head?

and many more!

Zhuang Sen quickly opened the system panel and selected the [Duraham] bloodline, which is the Headless Horseman bloodline.

Lydia Ston

[Duraham's bloodline compatibility: 100%]

[Development Rewards - Beginner: Random Dark Bloodline *1, Duraham Species Encyclopedia Unlocked]

This should be 100%!

Without hesitation, Zhuang Sen clicked the "Confirm Use" button, and then a pop-up window appeared:

[Awakening Potion: 300 ml of Zhuang Sen's Blood]

Okay, okay, so you're waiting for me here, right?

As Mira drained blood from his wrists, Zhuang Sen cursed inwardly. He hesitated for a moment, looking at Lydia's body and head, but finally walked towards her head and slit his wrist.

A moment later, Zhuang Sen stood up weakly, and under the puzzled and disapproving gazes of the crowd, he found a chair and sat down.

Then, it seems nothing happened.

Only as Lydia floated in the air, her strength waning, did she sense something was wrong.

She had been watching with relief as Johnson arrived, overjoyed that Lady Lia had been saved, even though she was growing weaker and seemed about to vanish completely. She was fearless. She had fulfilled her vow, saved her master, and died in a direct confrontation—for a guardian knight, there was no better end.

The only hope is that the lady can find another equally excellent guardian knight, but hmm, that's probably unlikely.

As she approached the end of her life, the female knight, finally revealing a hint of pride and arrogance, thought this to mask her fear of annihilation.

But at that very moment, a powerful suction force shattered her mental composure. Her body, her lifeless corpse covered in blood and dirt, suddenly beckoned to her once more.

Cold and empty.

These two feelings, like two spears, pierced Lydia's heart abruptly, filling her with both fear and excitement. Even this coldness and emptiness was better than the feeling of gradually entering a void where even the sense of emptiness ceased to exist. That was the end that would instinctively terrify even the most courageous knights who would die for their cause, the end that would make even the most fearless yearn for life.

Therefore, Lydia seized the call without hesitation and returned to her body.

Then, change finally occurred.

Lydia's hair and eyes became deeper and darker than the darkest night, her skin paler than the whitest snowflake, her breath as cold as the coldest winter wind, her heart as silent as the oldest dead. The feeling of cold and emptiness bound her soul firmly to this body devoid of all feeling, leaving her only with the act of moving itself.