V2: Chapter 67: Miss Tentacle's Painful Memories
Liang Di was quite capable; by the time Octaville brought the Tower Master to the room, her breathing was very weak, and her face was deathly pale, as if she might die at any moment.
"Tsk."
The Tower Master frowned, looking annoyed.
"Don't let her really die."
After thinking for a moment, he sighed, "Never mind, it would be difficult if she really died. Uh... alright, Octaville, you take care of her for a while. Once she's recovered and her self-healing system is back, take her there immediately to be a test subject for the magicians."
"Okay."
For some reason, Octaville was quite happy, but she didn't show it outwardly.
This "care" lasted for three months.
"Octaville, how is the child?" the Tower Master asked.
"She's still quite weak. I think we shouldn't send her yet."
This delay lasted for three years.
Until, large patches of strange changes appeared on Liang Di's face.
It was one morning.
“Fu, Fu Mama…” Liang Di called out to Octaville in a childish voice.
She stood before the mirror, her trembling hands gently stroking her cheeks. Her once smooth skin now bore a chilling, grotesque transformation.
It was a glaring red, like a burn mark, deeply etched onto her right cheek. Not a simple red patch, but a twisted, outstretched pattern like tentacles, writhing beneath her skin as if alive. Each tentacle seemed to emerge from the abyss, carrying endless evil and curse.
The surface of the tentacles was rough and uneven, like an ancient stone tablet eroded by time, covered with mottled marks. They twisted, sometimes intertwining, sometimes separating, forming a bizarre and terrifying pattern. Around these tentacles, the skin was an unhealthy dark red, as if corroded, appearing dry and fragile.
Even more terrifying, the tentacles seemed to continue growing and spreading, as if alive, wreaking havoc on her face. Liang Di could clearly feel the tentacles wriggling beneath her skin; the cold, piercing touch sent chills down her spine.
She tried to squeeze the tentacles, hoping to expel them from her face. But each attempt only drove them deeper into her skin, causing even more intense pain.
The red, tentacle-like mark on Liang Di's face was like a curse, an inescapable nightmare. It had not only changed her appearance but also turned her into a monster in everyone's eyes, turning her once peaceful life into chaos.
Octaville came running at the sound and saw the change in Liang Di's face. She fell silent.
Liang Di's large, watery eyes filled with tears, large teardrops falling one by one. She staggered to Octavian, stumbled, and could only hug the other's long legs, sobbing loudly.
"Waaaaah! Fu-Mama! My face! My face! Look at my face! What happened to it? Yesterday it was just a little bit, why is it like this today? I'm so scared, so scared, waaaaah..."
Octaville, who had raised her for three years, felt terrible seeing her crying so sadly in front of her. She immediately knelt down and gently comforted her, "It's okay, Liang Di. You'll be better when you grow up. Right now, it's just a process of transformation. Have you heard the story of the ugly duckling turning into a swan?"
Liang Di stared at her with her big, innocent eyes, then shook her head. "I... I haven't heard of it."
"Then I'll tell you." Octaville gently patted Liang Di's head, then picked her up and carried her to the bed. "Come on, Mommy will tell you a story, but you have to be good, okay? Don't run around in the Magic Tower, stay in your room, and don't let anyone see you, understand?"
"Oh... okay."
Octaville, while telling the story of the Ugly Duckling turning into a swan, worried inwardly.
A three-year-old child, so lively and active, how could she not run around? If such a vibrant child were seen by those unscrupulous magicians, she would surely be captured and used as a test subject, suffering endless torment.
".....the end."
After finishing the story, Octaville held up her little finger. "Come on, Liang Di, let's pinky swear. You mustn't sneak out of the room again, okay? If you do, I...I...I'll be angry! You don't want Mommy to be angry, right?"
Although Liang Di was small, she understood. She immediately shook her head, her chubby little face filled with determination, and also held up her finger, hooking her little finger with Octaville's.
"Yes! Of course, I'm the most obedient child!"
But, she was only three years old; how could she possibly remember all those words?
The change occurred on the day Liang Di turned four.
Octaville returned to her room in the Magic Tower, exhausted from a mission. Opening the door, she found no one there to greet her; instead, the room was empty.
"Liang Di?"
Octaville called tentatively, but received no response. Liang Di had played hide-and-seek with her before, and she would always appear smiling if she called a few times.
"Liang Di?"
"Liang Di!"
She called seven or eight times, but still no small figure. Octaville panicked. She rushed into the room, searching every corner, calling Liang Di's name as she went, but she couldn't find her. A bad premonition immediately rose in Octaville's heart.
"It's over."
Liang Di must have sneaked out to play again, right? It's alright, as long as I find her again this time, it'll be fine. How could it be such a coincidence that those busybodies would just happen to catch her?
Yeah, everything will be alright, right?
It will…
"Waaah!"
"Aaaah!"
Upon reaching the hall, Octaville heard heart-wrenching cries. The voices were so innocent, so cute, clearly those of a child.
It's over.
This was the first time in years that Octaville had felt utterly exhausted. She staggered forward, almost collapsing to her knees.
Without seeing anything, just hearing the sounds, she knew what those people had done to Liang Di.
"No, no…!"
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