Chapter 27: The Nest of the Mother Serpent (Part 2)
Though the nurse seemed not entirely comfortable with her new form, she accepted it happily because Lu Li liked it. Lu Li noticed that her tongue had become long and slender, but not a forked snake tongue, and her teeth remained normal without developing venomous fangs.
At this point, her new abilities began to manifest. Perhaps due to her professional habits or for other reasons, the nurse could now form syringes with magic and create a type of healing potion. This potion was nearly identical to the one Lu Li created using his spells.
However, unlike Lu Li's potion which contained "worms," her potion contained eggs, likely reflecting the beast type's reproductive capabilities. She could produce numerous small snake eggs, which were influenced by the giant type's gigantification and vitality absorption abilities.
Once these eggs entered a host's body, they would greedily absorb the host's life force, rapidly hatching into small snakes. Provided sufficient nutrition, these snakes could grow quickly, bursting out from the host's body. With enough food, they could even reach lengths of several dozen or even hundreds of meters.
The strength of these unborn giant snakes was yet untested, but their sheer numbers were already intimidating. A single syringe from the nurse could contain hundreds of snake eggs.
Moreover, although the nurse's healing potion was not as potent as Lu Li's, it was available in greater quantities. With support from the shadow mask's magic, and considering the mask's own recovery rate, the nurse could produce ten syringes worth of potion every hour.
Combining healing and mass production capabilities, the nurse instantly transitioned from a redundant unit to Lu Li's most valuable asset. This transformation was akin to turning waste into treasure, prompting Lu Li to nod in satisfaction, which in turn excited the nurse even more.
"Since your appearance has transformed so much, like a rebirth, it's fitting to change your name as well," Lu Li said, finding it unsuitable to keep calling her "nurse." Observing the beautiful snake woman before him, a peculiar feeling washed over him, prompting him to discard the casual name he had in mind. In a solemn tone, he declared, "From now on, you shall be known as Lilith, the Mother Serpent's Nest."
Unbeknownst to Lu Li, the serpent patterns on the nearby bronze tree glowed faintly, as if conveying or foretelling something. This name might one day become incredibly significant.
Upon pronouncing the name, the peculiar sensation gradually faded. The name seemed imbued with magical power, representing the snake woman entirely, becoming her true name. Already deeply connected to her, Lu Li found that this naming intensified their bond, granting him greater control over her than over any other shadow servant.
Lilith softly repeated her new name, sensing its link to her master, and accepted it with profound happiness.
At that moment, the space shook more violently. Lu Li approached the thorny ball, noting that the insectoid creature within, still intact due to its unbroken mask, clung to life.
Touching the exposed spear handle, Lu Li exerted his muscle strength, effortlessly lifting the insectoid. Lilith, slithering behind with her tail, followed Lu Li to the bronze tree.
Seeing the bronze tree, Lilith's expression turned odd, but she calmed down upon inhaling Lu Li's scent. Lu Li presented the insectoid as an offering, infusing some magic into the tree. The serpent patterns morphed into a three-eyed serpent, opening its mouth in anticipation.
The space trembled more violently. Lu Li grabbed Lilith's hand, transforming into a stream of light that entered the serpent's mouth, and they once again traversed to the mortuary space.
Familiar cold air surrounded Lu Li and Lilith. Trembling, Lilith coiled her tail, its tip rising and swaying gently as she collapsed onto her tail. Seeing her exposed body under the torn nurse uniform, Lu Li shook his head and threw his hospital gown's top at her. Dressed in just the vest, she gazed at him in a daze.
In the distance, a violent noise erupted, winds scattering the cold air. Lu Li looked up to see an endless red mist descending, a blood-red mushroom cloud rising from the ground. The crimson wind whipped against Lu Li and Lilith, staining them both red.
Wiping the cool, red blood foam from his face, Lu Li anticipated the impending disaster.
"The chain reaction is still ongoing. At this rate, it won't be long before the mortuary space collapses back into a normal-sized mortuary." Using his connection with the bronze tree, Lu Li assessed the situation. While he couldn't perceive it as clearly as the shadow mask, he could determine the potential collapse of the space.
The mortuary was the largest space the bronze tree supported. Without spatial constraints, the beast types reproduced uncontrollably, even including gigantic ocean and giant types.
Since the bronze tree absorbed the overflow energy during the collapse, it wouldn't directly harm lives. However, if the space collapsed, it would revert to its normal size, compressing everything within into a super-dense mass.
Countless beast types and other creatures would be squeezed into a paste along with the air. This vast space would shrink to the size of a regular mortuary. Once the spatial barrier broke, releasing the compressed energy, the pressure within the mortuary would skyrocket, eventually causing a massive explosion potentially capable of destroying most of the city.
"Wait, there might be a way!" Lu Li's mind raced. The explosion's root cause was the spatial collapse. To prevent it, he needed to stabilize the mortuary space, interrupting the domino effect. The key lay in the bronze tree. By utilizing the ritual, Lu Li might maintain the space, but the tree's main body wasn't here. To access it, he needed the hospital's help.
Suddenly, the space trembled violently, reminding Lu Li that time was running out. He had about half an hour before the mortuary space collapsed. It was too late to negotiate with the hospital now.
His mind racing, Lu Li turned to Lilith and asked, "Do you have Morse code here?"