'I have seen a lot of scary things since I have come here, but Beatrice aside, this woman takes the cake.'
Dane said to himself as he looked at the woman standing before Priscilla, who was speaking as such.
"Hah, so that's the situation, huh? A Shinso human? Hmmm... Never heard of it, and I'm old."
The woman said in a casual tone... amused even.
"Sigh… You really like making weird stuff, don't you, Priscilla? Though Rakasha isn't much better. That girl has a talent for finding the strangest crap imaginable at the most random moments too. Just last week, she picked up some cursed draconic spear that turned her into a man for a day; if you hadn't purged it, she would have been stuck like that forever, and now this week? She finds a literal human kid in a trash can. Hahaha!! How amusing."
Priscilla looked at the woman before her.
One of the 13 Crowns of the Monster Realms, and one of the 13 Payoneers of the Realm's Creation, you could say, and also the leader of the Shinso Family... Shinso Minerva.
The woman standing before Priscilla was very tall, easily 6'9 in height, with a physique that was both tempting and powerful. Her long, dark purple hair was woven into a single massive Viking-style braid, thick and heavy, ending in a glowing red blade that shimmered ominously at the end, keeping the entire thing together.
Her skin was the color of ash itself, a muted gray that made the deep crimson of her tattoos stand out even more on her body. The markings were simple in design; it was a series of roses curling around and up her legs, spiraling over her stomach and back, creeping over her chest and neck, before finally stopping just beneath her right eye.
And those eyes, god, they were unsettling. A glowing, almost hypnotic purple against the pitch-black void of her sclera. They had the kind of stare that made you feel like she was looking straight through you, peeling you apart layer by layer. But despite her almost monstrous presence, there was no mistaking her figure. She had a body that could only be described as a perfect mix of raw strength and beauty, given how curvy she was.
She was both fit and feminine, which was the best way to describe this woman. And for someone from the Thirteen Crowns, she dressed... surprisingly relaxed.
It was like she was the type who didn't worry about overdressing.
She wore simple black sweatpants, soft and loose but still clinging just enough to show off the shape of her lower body.
But what stood out the most was the fact that she wasn't wearing a proper shirt. Instead, a blood-stained or full red sarashi was wrapped tightly around her chest, pressing her breasts in place with almost painful tension. If you were to look at how massive her breast was and how tight those bandages were pushing them inwards, the fabric itself looked like it was straining to hold everything in place.
It looked like it had been hastily put on, more practical than modest, as if the very idea of wearing a proper top had never even crossed her mind a day in her life.
Tied around her waist was a long-sleeved red jacket, knotted casually at the front, its loose ends swaying as she moved. She wore a pair of black geta's, the deep red socks covering her feet adding a final, almost regal touch to her otherwise reckless appearance.
That aside, though, this woman was clearly dangerous, if not outright powerful.
Because as Dane looked at her, laying on her back, arms folded, and legs raised towards her desk inside her office, his eyes saw her for what she truly was.
'I dont understand... what the hell is Minerva?'
Dane stared at the half-drunk monstrosity before him, the overwhelming scent of alcohol clinging to her like a second skin. He couldn't tell if she was just drunk or if this was her natural state, but something about her presence sent a chill down his spine.
Yet, the real problem wasn't her drunkenness; it was her existence itself.
Minerva didn't look normal, not in the slightest. She reminded him of the shimmering, star-like particles in the air, except they were usually colorless, glowing faintly like distant celestial dust.
But Minerva? She was like a humanoid version of them, dense, vibrant, and purely purple. It was as if her entire body was made of Astrum, not flesh, not spirit, but something beyond either.
Was she even alive? Dane wondered to himself.
The question gnawed at him, his mind struggling to piece together what he was seeing. But before he could spiral any further, the system chimed in with an answer.
『Notice! Searching archives… Information found』
-Subject: Minerva.- Origin: My Overpowered Wife is a Ghost (Shoujo Game)
- Synopsis: As a result of the DLC merger, Minerva—originally a ghost from her respected game—has evolved into a Shinso Aberration, a Yokai of the highest order.
『Aberrations are spiritual entities that gain immense power over time through the collective belief of others; they are embodiments of chaos itself. In Minerva's case, she has ascended beyond normal yokai status, stepping into the the Shinso status of her species, becoming a True Aberration: and name myth: Shuten Doji』
The system's voice echoed in Dane's head, its tone as clear and unwavering as ever. But the moment the words registered, he froze. His mind went blank for a second before it all came rushing back.
"My Overpowered Wife is a Ghost...
'Wait. Wait!... WAITTTT!!!...
He felt his heart sink as the realization hit him like a truck.
'I remember that game! Isn't that the Yandere Shoujo game I bought on sale? The studio behind that game was practically giving it away... bundling the base game with all the DLCs for dirt cheap. But I never actually played it because I found out the story wasn't even halfway finished. And then... it got dropped! The company scammed thousands of players, promised all this extra content, and then just vanished off the face of the earth!'
Dane swallowed hard, his head spinning.
'No way... are you seriously telling me that a character from that game is the head of this family?!'
He barely had time to process the absurdity of it all before Minerva, arms crossed, cast her gaze toward him. Without a word, Dane felt his tiny body lift out of Priscilla's grasp. The air around him thickened as the surrounding Miasma, or rather Miasma that leaks from Minerva's body, coiled around his form, lifting him effortlessly.
The sensation was… strange.
It was like swimming through a river, except the water was thick, polluted, and clung to his skin like oil. It was suffocating yet weightless at the same time.
His baby instincts kicked in, making him squirm and let out a muffled whimper, but the unseen force didn't relent.
Meanwhile, Priscilla sighed, shifting her tired gaze toward Minerva.
"I already told you how the brat ended up here."
Said Priscilla, as she continued.
"Honestly, Rakasha isn't fit to be a parent, and White? Even worse. So, what is the verdict? Will you keep the kid or get rid of him? Though, if you ask me... he would make a nice addition to the family."
She spoke as if she didn't care, but her tone betrayed her indifference.
Minerva, however, remained silent, her glowing eyes locked onto him as he floated before her. She studied him closely, her expression unreadable. As she observed, the Miasma and Astrum particles around him seemed to react, shifting and swirling, almost as if they were drawn to him.
Minerva narrowed her eyes.
It was familiar.
The way the energy embraced the child, almost like it adored him... It was similar to her; just as she was loved by Miasma more than any other monster in the realm, this child seemed to be loved by both Miasma and Astrum to a great degree, especially Astrum.
This caused Minerva to take interest in the boy, as she said.
"Hah? So this is the weird little thing Rakasha picked up... Well, I don't really see a problem keeping him. The only rule to join our family is either being a Shinsoo or lasting thirty seconds against me in a fight. Since the kid's already a Shinsoo, I'd say he is good to go. Thought... tell me, has Rakasha even bothered to name the brat yet?"
Minverva asked Priscilla, who responded as such.
"No... we just call him blue because of his eyes."
"Hmm… fine. I will give him a name... As per tradition, those of the Shinso family carry two names: their independent name and the family name. First, I'll grant this child the independent name of Adam Novels. And as for the family name... from now on, he will be known as Shinso Adam of the Shinso family."