Silence.
A silence heavier than death pressed down on Leticia's heart.
The Chaos Space Marine's massive boot, poised to stomp down, froze in mid-air, less than half a meter from her head.
His scarlet ocular lens locked onto her; that pure intent to kill, like magma frozen in an instant, stagnated just before the moment of eruption.
But in its place was a kind of madness, a more scorching greed.
He saw, deep within her pupils, that nascent, nebula-like pink-purple light.
He caught the scent of that wisp escaping from her soul—the ultimate fragrance that made him tremble and drove him mad.
"Obtain her..."
"Must... obtain her!!!"
That frantic, possessive intent no longer came through telepathy, but leaked from the giant's loudspeaker as heavy, static-filled breathing.
He no longer wanted to crush this ant.
He wanted to peel her, complete and perfect, from this mundane shell, to offer her to his god as a unique work of art that transcended all sacrifices.
No, she herself was the incarnation of a deity walking among men!
The crisis escalated in an even more bizarre way.
Yet at this moment, Leticia's heart sank into a bottomless abyss.
She would rather face pure violence than this thick, blasphemous greed.
Just as her will was about to be swallowed by this new despair.
A voice, without warning, sounded directly in the deepest part of her consciousness.
The voice was grand, cold, and devoid of any emotion, as if it were the first law from the dawn of the universe.
"Host's will to 'protect' detected, threshold reached..."
Leticia's thoughts stalled for a moment.
"Conditions met."
"[genesis system], activating..."
What is this?
"Newbie guide module unlocked... loading..."
"Loading complete."
"Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the initial authority: Power of Slaanesh (Pure Version)."
"Passive aura [Divine Charm], automatically activated."
A series of prompts, like an oracle from beyond the heavens, exploded successively in her soul.
Before Leticia could understand the meaning behind these words.
An indescribable, surging warm current erupted from the core of her soul!
It was a soft, pure pink-purple light.
The light shone from within Leticia's body, instantly enveloping her entirely.
It was not blinding, but carried the warmth and Vitality of creation's dawn.
Wherever the light passed, the fatal internal injuries caused by the impact and the hideous wounds sliced by metal fragments healed and vanished at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The heart-wrenching pain, like snow melted by the warm sun, quickly faded, replaced by an unprecedented, powerful sense of comfort.
But this was only the beginning.
That warm power did not stop after healing her injuries.
It began to reshape her body from the most fundamental level in a gentle yet tyrannical manner.
Her bones emitted a faint, jade-like chime, becoming tougher, and her contours approached a perfection that could not be described by geometry.
Muscle fibers were rewoven one by one, filled with supple explosive power.
Her skin became finer and smoother than the finest mutton-fat jade, flowing with a divine radiance under the pink-purple halo.
Leticia could clearly feel all of this.
She could feel her height increasing imperceptibly, and the proportions of her limbs being adjusted to be more slender and symmetrical.
She could feel her facial features being carved by an invisible hand of a god, undergoing the final, most delicate refinement.
Her long, jet-black hair grew wildly under the catalysis of the light, like the most magnificent black satin, flowing past her shoulders, past her waist, all the way down to her ankles.
This was a transformation that shed her old self.
An ascension from "human" to "god".
If the chaotic power of Slaanesh was a poison that led to corruption, filled with desire and stench.
Then what Leticia radiated at this moment was the purest, most pristine "divine beauty" that made one willingly offer up their entire soul and faith.
The Chaos Space Marine's body began to tremble violently and uncontrollably.
His body, encased in heavy armor, felt the emotion known as "awe" for the first time.
In his scarlet ocular lens, what was reflected was no longer a mortal girl.
It was a goddess in the making.
She was enveloped by a nascent nebula; her face was enough to make stars dim and time stand still.
Her existence itself was the ultimate definition of the concept of "beauty".
That was a perfection his barren soul, filled with slaughter and desire, could not imagine, let alone withstand.
"Ah..."
A hoarse groan, filled with fanaticism and obsession, squeezed out from the giant's throat.
His massive boot, frozen in mid-air, slowly and stiffly retracted.
Then.
"Clang!"
The hideous Chainsword, stained with the blood of countless living beings, slipped from his hand and slammed onto the deck, making a piercing, loud noise.
Immediately after.
There was an even heavier, teeth-grinding sound of metal friction.
This battle-hardened Chaos Space Marine, who took pleasure in spreading fear and pain, slowly and devoutly knelt on one knee before Leticia.
He lowered his proud head, which had never bowed to an enemy, and prostrated himself in a posture bordering on pilgrimage.
From the loudspeaker came not incomprehensible blasphemous syllables, but a twisted prayer mixed with ecstasy, repentance, and extreme worship.
"Lord... of Pleasure..."
"Supreme... Prince..."
"Your incarnation... has descended..."
"Forgive me... forgive this filthy wretch for daring to gaze upon your divine form with mortal eyes..."
The pink-purple light slowly dissipated.
Leticia stood there quietly, looking down at the prostrate, god-like giant at her feet.
She raised her hand, looking at those slender palms that had completely transformed, perfect to the point of not seeming mortal.
Feeling the brand new power surging within her, filled with the fragrance of life.
She looked again not far away at the Blonde Girl, who was still unconscious but no longer trembling because of her aura, instead showing a peaceful sleeping face.
Finally, her gaze fell back onto the prostrate Chaos Space Marine.
In those jet-black pupils, so deep they seemed to swallow light, there was not a trace of fear or panic.
Only a cold, nearly indifferent calm remained.
She understood.
She understood the essence of this power of hers.
It was not a weapon, not an energy cannon, not any kind of power that could directly cause physical destruction.
It was a more terrifying authority that pointed directly to the root of the soul.
A kind of... fascination.
A supreme "Divine Charm" that turned her own existence into the target of the other's faith.
To this follower of Slaanesh before her, her current existence was likely even more attractive, even more... "orthodox" than the "Prince of Pleasure" he worshipped.
She was the destination of his faith.
The desperate situation was completely reversed in just a few dozen seconds.
But Leticia's mind was clearer than ever at this moment.
The crisis had not been resolved.
This level of mental control could absolutely not last.
Once he broke free from this fanatical worship, the consequences would be unimaginable.
She had to use this short, precious window of time to escape.
Her gaze passed over the kneeling giant and cast toward the other end of the corridor.
That was the direction of the bridge.
As long as she could enter the bridge and activate the ship's emergency jump procedure, they would still have a glimmer of hope for survival.
Leticia did not hesitate.
She bent down and, with an unprecedented, gentle, and steady strength, scooped up the unconscious Terrania horizontally.
The girl's body was light as a feather, her warm body temperature coming through the clothing, allowing her heart, which had just experienced a drastic change, to settle a little.
Carrying Terrania, Leticia stepped forward.
She walked past the prostrate Chaos Space Marine without looking at him again.
As if walking past a meaningless stone.
Her pace was not fast, but every step was incomparably steady; her high-heeled military boots clicked on the metal deck, making a crisp, rhythmic "click, click" sound.
That sound became the only sound in this deathly silent space.
And... the only glimmer of hope.
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