CHAPTER 91: 91 SHADOW TENTACLES! (3/3)

"..."

He hesitated as he raised his fingers, gently grasping the translucent-like tentacle, shaking it up and down a bit.

Cool, with a slight elasticity.

Hmm.

Case closed, it was this!

It was you, damn tentacle creature, taking advantage of me from behind just now!

"Nenasha, are you really hiding in my shadow now?"

["Of course~ not, how could I possibly hide in such a place? I’ve always been in your soul; manipulating shadows is just a form of expression."]

["I can do even more, for example..."]

The shadow tentacle melted, escaping from his hand, swaying smugly, transforming into shapes of a hand, sword blade, and axe head, then quickly returning to its original form.

["As for the materials I need..."]

The shadow tentacle moved downward, felt around Herbert’s leg, and finally slipped into his pocket.

!!?

"Wait, what are you doing? You... hmm?"

Before Herbert could dodge, the tentacle rummaged carefully in the pocket, pulling out a piece of crystal-clear, tender leaf.

This leaf was something Herbert had casually plucked from a vine chair when he went to see Svanni earlier, idly tucking it into his pocket.

["This one’s not bad."]

Herbert: ?

["Hmm, why were you nervous just now? I sensed your heartbeat quickening."]

"It’s nothing, mind your own business."

["Oh~"]

Herbert, full of resolve, ignored the prying of the Harmonious God, staring intently at the leaf as if discovering a new continent.

"Did you say this is material for Demons?"

["Yes, didn’t you notice?"]

"...I really didn’t."

Herbert raised his hand to take the leaf from the tentacle, but with a thought, the tentacle automatically delivered the leaf to his hand.

"Hmm?"

Herbert suddenly realized something and attempted to give the tentacle a command.

Sure enough, there was no need to speak; as long as a thought appeared in his mind, the tentacle would immediately perform the corresponding action.

The movements were agile and nimble, without the slightest delay, as if an extension of his own arm.

The feeling, it was like Herbert had gained a third arm!

Thinking that, the tip of the tentacle transformed into a hand, whose fingers moved in rhythm with his thoughts.

However, this thing looked a little familiar.

Let me think...

The hand moved back and forth, finally jogging Herbert’s memories.

Right.

The Unseen Hand!

Hmm, since it’s visible, you’re the — Seen Hand!

Alright, I can now be a knock-off version of the Sin of Sloth Bishop...

Nenasha didn’t notice Herbert pondering cosplay, and pridefully said: ["Happy now? Hehe, this is a small authority I can grant you."]

["As long as you want, this shadow tentacle can become your third hand, capable of doing anything you desire."]

["Currently, it can only exert High Tier power, but in the future, it can become stronger! More robust and powerful."]

["By the way, I can control the others, but this one is entirely yours; I won’t seize control from you."]

After Nenasha finished speaking, five pitch-black shadow tentacles emerged from the shadow, thrust right up to Herbert’s face, with one nearly poking into his mouth due to overzealousness.

In the dimly lit room, the handsome, clear-browed teenager faced five thick, dark tentacles that kept shaking... the scene was quite overly stimulating.

One has to say, if outsiders saw this scene, they couldn’t help but have wild imaginations.

But Herbert’s mind wasn’t on those potentially censored tentacles; he focused intently on the leaf.

Why did Nenasha say this leaf is material for Demons?

Could it be that tree is also a plant Demon?

Finally, he noticed a slight anomaly at the base of the leaf.

At the broken stem, there weren’t plant fibers but rather extremely fine, muscle-like textures.

"This isn’t a leaf, but... flesh?"

["Yes."]

"So, it’s not it, but... her?"

Herbert squinted, feeling that the development of this matter was somewhat beyond his expectations.

The tree, transformed into a treehouse, wasn’t actually grown by Svanni from a seed, nor transplanted from the outside.

Instead, did she evolve it from her own flesh and blood?

["That’s right! Just as you thought, that big tree isn’t actually a tree but a part of her flesh-formed creation."]

["In a sense, the entire tree is her body; every time you enter the treehouse, you’re essentially entering inside of her~"]

Hiss—

What is this, Song of Saya?!

["Ha..."]

Even Nenasha felt a bit emotional, but unlike Herbert’s shock, her perspective was one of admiration:

["That little one’s research in flesh transformation is no worse than some flesh-type aberrations."]

["If her research progresses further, she might fully transform that entire flesh tree into her own body."]

"Will I really eat it?"

Herbert instinctively felt some resistance.

["Be good~ There’s nothing to fear."]

Nenasha reassured with a giggle: ["Also, I have a feeling it might provide you with quite remarkable abilities!"]

["Especially in terms of physical transformation, isn’t this exactly what you need right now?"]

Herbert sighed and nodded helplessly.

This was indeed the ability he needed most at present.

["So, open wide~"]

Herbert looked at the leaf, raised his eyebrows, experiencing a rather subtle feeling, like he had become a cannibal...

But on second thought, realizing it’s not much different, having already consumed scales, blood, and hair, what’s this in comparison?

No turning back now!

"...I really owe you one."

Herbert remarked wistfully, then resolutely opened his mouth, biting into the leaf.

Squish.

When the tips of his teeth pressed against the leaf, instead of the crunch of biting into a vegetable, there was a strange texture akin to chewing on beef jerky.

Crunch, crunch.

But the taste wasn’t unpleasant, lacking the bloodiness or other strange flavors, only a faint plant fragrance.

Gulp.

"This plant meat, no, this meat dish scores only three points, at most five..."

Just as Herbert was savoring and assessing, his consciousness suddenly went dark.

When he opened his eyes again, he had entered another world.

"Where is this..."

Unlike the previous times, Herbert felt that his body hadn’t changed; he remained in his original form.

However, what was slightly unsettling was that he was in a bizarre world entirely made of scarlet flesh.

He could hear the ground’s breathing as he stepped on it.

Turning his head, he saw flowers made of flesh opening scarlet eyes at him.

The whole world was alive!

"What the heck is this place..."