"No turning back now… I can't let her rot in this cave or be eaten by some other monster."
With one last look at the Princess, Maddy gently lifted the baby away from the body and held him close for a moment. Then she set him down safely, steadied herself, and forced the words out.
"INGEST!"
The icon above the Princess flared. Black and red shadows burst outward, swallowing the corpse in a swirling veil of darkness. From within it, a massive Hellmouth tore open in a single motion, it devoured the Princess whole.
CHOMP!
[System Notice]
[You have ingested an object containing a trait.]
[Trait Acquired: Divine Magic — Absolute Light Manipulation]
[A sacred power granted by the Primordial Saint. You can bend, solidify, and shape light into any form—whether weapons, armor, or any object your mind can conceive.]
[Trait acquired: Divine Body]
[Grants extreme regeneration and immunity to all negative status conditions. Features absolute nullification of light element damage, incredibly high magic resistance, and transcendent physical senses.]
[Trait acquired: Divine Sight]
[The eyes of the holy. Grants the ability to see through lies, perceive the true feelings of others, and detect hidden or invisible beings.]
[Trait acquired: Divine Voice]
[Your words carry weight. Allows for direct telepathic communication and the ability to command, weaken, or inspire others through vocal resonance.]
[Trait acquired: Demigod Body Parts]
[You may now manifest any portion of the demigod's anatomy—arms, legs, or the entire physical form with perfect precision. These examples are not limiting; any part can be used.]
[Apply these traits to yourself, or store it?]
Maddy took a heavy breath before responding to the system prompt. She couldn't just apply the traits at random—she had to imprint the Princess perfectly, so she would come out exactly as she was meant to be, like an ordinary human again.
"A-Apply it. Apply everything. Use the Demigod Body Parts… all of them."
She closed her eyes and focused on the princess's face, her height, even the exact length of her violet hair. She didn't want a monster this time; she wanted to be human. She pictured every detail with a clarity that made her head ache, refusing to let the image slip away.
"Oh gosh… okay… here we go…"
[Initializing Full Reconstruction... Please remain calm.]
Maddy's small worm body didn't pop or tear this time. Instead, she was enveloped in a pillar of pure, blinding white light that shot straight through the ceiling of the cavern. Inside the glow, her form stretched and shifted, bone and muscle knitting together in perfect harmony. She felt fingers grow, toes lengthen, and a heartbeat beating.
When the light faded, the little beige worm was gone. Standing in the center of the bloody cave was the Princess, her skin flawless and her eyes glowing with a faint, divine gold.
[Your transformation was successfully completed. You may return to your original form at will. New form added: Demigod Princess… Updating… Done.]
She looked down at her hands, flexed her fingers, and felt the soft fabric of a reconstructed gown against her skin.
"I… I have hands again. I have legs… w-wait…"
She swallowed and slowly looked down at herself.
"Calm down. Breathe. Hands? Okay. Legs? Okay. M-my… boobs?"
She grabbed her chest, then let out a long breath.
"Oh thank God… everything's normal. I missed having a body like this for what feels like forever..."
She took a moment to touch herself, exploring her new body—the human body she once had. The softness of her hair, the smoothness of her skin… yet even in this perfect form, it replicated the scars and damages the demonic ogres had inflicted.
"Princess… your body will never feel that pain again. I will make absolutely sure you suffer nothing. I will not use this body for my own selfish desires… not just to chase dreams, not just to give birth. That would make me no different from that scumbag or from my old husband."
She closed her eyes, finally understanding. A woman's essence isn't defined by childbirth. It shouldn't be taken for granted or abused.
"I will keep your body safe and care for it as if it were my own. I promise."
Then her chest seized. Her heart pounded hard, pain and power surging at the same time.
"W-what—ahh… what's happening to me?"
Her body throbbed with every heartbeat, and a wave of energy burst from her, making the air and ground tremble as a visible aura flared from her skin and flashed in her eyes. Her magic and strength felt overwhelming, far beyond the princess, far beyond the chief ogre and that realization made her eye twitch.
"I feel like… I could whoop any monster's ass!"
Staring at her hands as they trembled with contained strength. Then a breathless laugh slipped out of her.
"Oh my God… I'm basically a god."
Her new strength surged violently. The Divine Body, Divine Magic, and Demonic Ogre traits collided within her, so dense that the air itself seemed to hum and crackle. The ground shuddered beneath her feet as the pressure radiated outward.
Deep in the cave, and even beyond its mouth, other monsters shrieked and recoiled at the overwhelming presence. Some retreated deep into their homes, trembling. Others, those who saw themselves as predators… felt something else: a challenge. A new competitor had risen, not just for food or territory, but for survival itself, for their lives and the lives of their offspring.
Unaware of the wave of presence she had just unleashed across her surroundings, Maddy reached down and scooped up the baby, who had been climbing at her feet and reaching out. She held him gently, cradling him as if he were her own, while he cried—a soft, desperate sound, as if he had just seen his mother alive again.
"There, there, little one… I may not be your mother inside, but I cannot leave you here alone. Even if you came from that abusive Demonic Ogre you call a father, you are still the son of a woman whose body I borrowed. For her sake… and for the longing I've always carried for a child… I will protect you. I will raise you."
The baby quieted, soothed by the warmth in her voice. He relaxed against her chest, comforted as if he had truly found his mother. And Maddy, feeling the life and trust in her arms, let herself break.
She sobbed quietly, holding him tight, grief, relief, and longing flooding through her. A full minute passed before she could steady herself, still clutching the child she had longed for so desperately.
Once she felt a little composed, her gaze shifted to the remaining corpses scattered across the cave.
"I can't just leave them here to rot… it would be a waste not to take them after what I did."
She stepped into the center of the fallen, studying them carefully. They were a family, and yet…
"You know, I never intended to kill you all… but your ways… I could not ignore them."
With that, she raised her hand and activated her Ingest skill again. One by one, the corpses were consumed, their traits and power flowing into her.
[System Notice]
[You have ingested multiple objects containing a trait.]