A good distance from the city, Nova and Anny stood in a hidden alcove where the moon barely reached the ground. The surrounding trees cast long shadows across the small clearing, swaying gently in the night breeze. Small patches of moonlight filtered through the leaves, creating shifting patterns on the forest floor.

Nova arranged a set of protective formations around them while Anny paced back and forth, disturbing the fallen leaves with each step.

"You really think it's going to happen again?" Anny stopped pacing and turned to face him.

Nova finished the last formation before answering. "I don't know. The way your trait interacts with the Thousand Beast Sovereign technique is hard to predict since no one else has done anything similar. But based on last time, I wouldn't be surprised if it does."

"...I'll be even larger this time, then. The stronger beasts will be greater in size." Anny looked down at her arm where faint stripes still showed beneath her skin. The patterns seemed to pulse faintly in the dim light, a visible reminder of the power growing within her. "But I am excited about condensing their power. We need the strength, after all."

"We really do. Plus, it wouldn't do for my new masterpiece to be wielded by some weakling."

"Can't you show me already? I'm so curious!" Anny's eyes lit up with anticipation.

"After you finish. It could potentially be dangerous to wield, so better prepare yourself first." Nova gestured toward the center of the formation where the kilosouls waited.

Anny took a deep breath and stepped into the center of the protective formation. The kilosouls floated before her, each one a perfect sphere of swirling energy no larger than a marble. Blue and white light twisted within the transparent orbs, occasionally flashing with brighter sparks as the power inside shifted and pulsed.

She reached out and took the first one between her fingers. Nova watched as she pressed it against her chest, directly over her heart.

The orb melted into her body as if passing through water. A soft gasp escaped her lips as the power entered her core. Nova could sense the immediate effect as her Soul Power increased, though outwardly she remained unchanged.

"Remember to breathe with the technique," Nova reminded her. "Keep your essence steady."

Anny nodded and began a controlled breathing pattern. Her chest rose and fell in a precise rhythm as she reached for another kilosoul, and another.

Each absorption went more smoothly than the last, as if her body was adapting to the influx of power. More kilosouls flowed into her body. Twenty. Thirty. Forty. The air around her began to shimmer with heat as her power increased.

The last few kilosouls disappeared into her body, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then her eyes flew open with a golden flash of light. A pulse of energy expanded outward from her body, strong enough to bend the grass around her in a perfect circle.

"Welcome to the hundred thousand club," Nova said, studying her carefully. "How does it feel?"

"Different," Anny replied, looking down at her hands. "But something else is happening—"

Her words cut off as her body suddenly tensed. Her eyes widened in shock as her unique trait activated, unlocking access to all the new beast powers her growth had made available.

"The beasts," she gasped. "I can feel them all—so many new ones!"

"Sit down, and keep breathing with the technique," Nova said, watching as her skin began to ripple with changes.

Unlike her previous transformation, she immediately started the breathing technique of the Thousand Beast Sovereign, sitting down in a lotus position in the center of the formation. Her chest rose and fell in the controlled rhythm he had taught her.

A multitude of beast features began manifesting simultaneously—scales emerged along her forearm, fur sprouted at her neck, claws extended from her fingertips. But with each controlled breath, Anny mastered the chaos. She focused on each manifestation in sequence, displaying its power, then folding it neatly back into her human form as she integrated it.

Nova watched in fascination. Where her previous transformation had unleashed all beast abilities at once in a chaotic mess, this time Anny maintained perfect control through the breathing technique.

'Wait, is she… growing? Is her body too young to handle the power, so she's forced to grow like me when using the Unification skill?'

Fangs elongated from her mouth then shrank away. Her eyes shifted from human to feline then back. A tail began to form at her spine but disappeared as she directed the power inward.

Her body had now clearly aged, outgrowing the cute and rounded features for more pronounced ones.

"Almost... there..." Her voice had changed, deepening and resonating with power as she processed the final transformations.

A final wave of energy pulsed outward from her body. Then everything went still.

Anny sat in the center of the formation, nearly unrecognizable from when she sat down. The golden flecks were now even more prominent in her eyes, and white streaks had appeared in her hair near her temples. The silver lines contrasted with her dark locks, creating a striking pattern that framed her face.

But the most obvious change was, of course, her sudden increase in physical maturity. Her clothes, which had ripped in several places due to the beast parts sprouting out of her, now looked way too small on her. The sleeves ended above her wrists, and the hem of her tunic no longer reached her knees.

"How do you feel?" Nova asked, stepping closer. He circled her slowly, studying the transformation.

A smile spread across Anny's face, looking at him with confidence. Her new features gave the expression a different quality—less cute mischief and more self-assured pride. "Strong. Very strong."

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"And… how old do you feel?" Nova stopped in front of her, tilting his head back slightly to meet her eyes. The height difference felt strange after months of seeing her at his level.

"What?" She furrowed her brows, looking down at her body. Her hands explored her face, then moved to her arms, as if mapping the unfamiliar terrain of her new form. "Oh, what? How long was I sitting here?"

Nova chuckled. "It's been years. But really, you look like you've entered puberty already."

Her clothes were particularly tight around her chest, though it wasn't too noticeable. The rips and tears in the fabric were more prominent, drawing attention away from the subtle changes in her figure.

"This must be like… Twelve? Thirteen? How do I look?" Anny turned her hands over, examining the longer fingers and more defined knuckles with wonder.

"Now you're both cute and pretty." Nova smiled, trying to make an honest judgement. The sharper features undoubtedly gave her a more defined and beautiful look, making it clear she would get even more beautiful in the future.

"...I mean… Well, thanks." A hint of pink colored her cheeks as she ducked her head slightly, uncharacteristically shy about the compliment. "It will be nice to no longer look like a small girl.

"I can imagine." Nova studied her closely, trying to estimate exactly how much she'd grown.

"Do you have to inspect me so intensely?" She asked, folding her arms defensively.

"Sorry. I'm just trying to figure out how much you grew. I wouldn't mind growing a bit myself, but it can wait."

Anny stood up from her spot, now standing nearly two heads higher than Nova. She looked down on him with a smile, stretching her arms above her head to test her new range of motion. "Yeah, take your time. I could get used to this."

He suddenly regretted his words. The difference was somewhat bothersome. 'Maybe I should prioritize it more than I had planned…'

Anny continued stretching her body, testing the limits of her new form. Her movements had a fluid grace that wasn't present before—as if the beast powers had enhanced not just her strength but her coordination as well. "This will take some getting used to, but with the power increase, it's more than worth it."

"How high are your physical aspects now?" Nova asked, putting aside his discomfort at being the shorter one.

"The bonus from the beasts is close to three hundred thousand, so they're all close to four hundred thousand now in total." She flexed her arms together, and Nova could see faint ripples of power beneath her skin.

"That's good… Level nine will definitely be a challenge, but with this, we can at least survive." Nova crouched down and touched the formation, remaining unused.

"Yeah, we still have another three hundred kilosouls to use as well. I think most should go to you, unless you're planning to use the Regis fragment for most of it." Anny tucked a strand of white-streaked hair behind her ear.

"Right… I think we should save them for now, and figure that out when we reach the floor. There might be an effect that will weaken one of us." Nova deactivated the formation with a gesture, letting the runes fade back into the earth.

"Good point." Anny looked up at the night sky visible through gaps in the foliage above. Stars flickered against the dark backdrop.

The forest around them had gone quiet during the ritual, but now a few insects resumed their chirping.

"Oh! Show me my new weapon!" she demanded, pointing at him with a sudden intensity. The excitement in her voice seemed a bit more out of place in her new form, but considering her true age, nothing would be surprising.

Nova smiled and summoned the two amulets he had made, holding them up for her to see. The moonlight caught the metal, highlighting delicate inscriptions etched across their surfaces. "Before that, you can put this amulet on. It will displa—"

"What's with that design?" Anny interjected, putting a hand on her forehead. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the amulets. "You're doing that on purpose, right?"

"Huh?" Nova turned his hand and looked at the amulets, not seeing anything particularly special about them. The craftsmanship was excellent, but the design seemed practical rather than ornate to his eyes. "Which part?"

"They look exactly like a heart when you're holding them together. And they're inscribed with pink runes for some reason." Anny's expression shifted between amusement and exasperation.

Nova examined the amulets more closely, noticing for the first time how the curved edges formed a heart-like shape when placed side by side. The runes did indeed have a rosy hue he hadn't consciously chosen. "...Oh, yeah. Well, the pink is for the displace—"

"You're incredible." Anny cut him off, betraying a hint of fondness beneath the irritation.

"Are you allergic to the word displace?!" Nova asked, trying to keep his voice calm. He had spent hours crafting these amulets, focusing on function rather than form.

"No, go ahead." Anny composed her expression, folding her arms across her chest and waiting for his explanation.

"...They put you somewhere else if you activate them, up to fifty meters in any direction. But it's a one time thing, so once you use one, that's it."

"Good… Good… And the sword?" Impatience crept into her voice. Her eyes darted to his storage ring, making no secret of what she truly wanted to see.

Nova threw her one of the amulets, putting the other around his neck. Intentionally unromantic, for her sake. The metal felt cool against his skin as it settled into place.

Then he retrieved the sword from his ring, still in its sheath. The weapon appeared in a shimmer of light, immediately filling the small clearing with a subtle pressure.

"The sword is made from elecite and infused with the crystal core of the sky-wyrm. It will store electrical energy in its blade, which will release when you swing it. It is extremely durable, and it can repair itself as long as you give it essence." Pride tinged his voice as he described his creation.

Anny stared at it with wide eyes. "I can feel it from here… Gimme!" Her hand stretched out toward him, playfully gesturing for him to give it to her.

Nova handed it over carefully. "It's my second legendary product in this world. Take good care of it."

"I swear it on my life." Anny's voice took on a solemn quality, but it was hard to say if she was being serious. He assumed she wasn't.

"...Well, that's good enough." He nodded, satisfied with her promise.

She grabbed the sheath in her other hand, slowly pulling the blade out. The metal whispered against the leather, a sound both menacing and beautiful. Small streaks of electric power coursed down the blade, gently touching her hand.

"Ahh, it tickles! I think it likes me." Her smile widened as the electricity wrapped around her fingers without causing harm.

"Let's hope it likes us both. I'd rather not get caught in the electrical blast." Nova took a cautious step back, giving her space to test the weapon.

Her eyes were fixed on the blade as a smile played on her lips. Then she grabbed it tightly and held it out in front of her. And the scene changed.

No longer was she a young girl with a sword in her hand. Instead she was a terrifying warrior holding a blade that could cut through the heavens themselves. Her eyes held an incredible focus Nova hadn't seen in them before. The transformation was subtle but profound—a shift in posture, a hardening of expression, a stillness that spoke of centuries of battle experience.

"This will do. The sword is perfect." Her voice carried a weight that matched her stance, echoing slightly in the quiet forest.

"I'm glad you like it." Nova found himself oddly moved by the sight. This was Anny as she truly was—a warrior soul temporarily housed in a young body, now closer to her true nature than before. "Let's head back for some sleep before we dive again."

"Right. I can't wait to test it out. Tomorrow." She sheathed the blade with care. The electric currents disappeared as the metal slid back into its housing, though a faint glow remained visible along the hilt.

With that, they headed back to Bergrott, flying through the air.

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