Chapter 2: The Test Results
Morgana gently placed her hand against Lyra’s stomach, directly above her mana core.
Lyra immediately stiffened.
“Relax,” Morgana said calmly. “I’m only observing.”
Soft silver mana flowed from Morgana’s fingertips into Lyra’s body.
The reaction was immediate.
Pink mana surged instinctively through Lyra’s pathways, wrapping around Morgana’s mana instead of rejecting it. Warmth spread beneath Lyra’s skin while the glow surrounding her body brightened softly.
Morgana’s eyes narrowed.
“…Interesting.”
Lyra’s breathing became uneven.
“W-What’s happening?”
Morgana increased the flow slightly.
The pink mana reacted almost eagerly, circulating faster as warmth spread deeper through Lyra’s body. Her senses sharpened. Her heartbeat accelerated. Every nerve suddenly felt strangely awake and sensitive.
Then Morgana abruptly stopped.
Silence settled across the room.
Lyra looked at her nervously.
“What is it?”
Morgana stared quietly at the drifting pink glow around Lyra’s fingers.
“…You should be dead.”
The words hit like ice water.
Lyra froze.
“…What?”
“That mana inside you carries traces of demonic succubus mana,” Morgana explained quietly. “Human mana should not be compatible with it.”
Lyra stared blankly.
“The crystal should have destroyed your mana pathways instantly,” Morgana continued. “Most humans would have died the moment it entered their body.”
Lyra slowly looked down at her trembling hands.
“…Then why didn’t I?”
For the first time since meeting her, Morgana looked genuinely impressed.
“Because your body is abnormal.”
Lyra blinked.
Morgana stepped slightly closer.
“You spent years forcing your body through training your mana could barely support,” she explained. “Pain tolerance. Endurance. Physical conditioning. Mana circulation control.”
Her violet eyes narrowed slightly.
“You unknowingly built a body capable of surviving stress far beyond what a normal Level 6 should ever endure.”
The words hit Lyra strangely hard.
All those years.The exhaustion.The humiliation.The endless training everyone mocked.
Not meaningless.
Morgana gestured toward the pink mana drifting around Lyra’s fingertips.
“That body gave the crystal enough time to stabilize instead of killing you,” she explained calmly. “The mana adapted to you.”
Warm pink light curled softly around Lyra’s fingers.
Alive.Responsive.Wrong.
Then Morgana’s expression became more serious.
“Lyra,” she said quietly, “your mana is no longer fully human.”
A chill ran down her spine.
“…What does that mean?”
“It means your mana structure is evolving toward a succubus mana type,” Morgana explained. “The more sexual stimulation, indulgence, pleasure, and desire it experiences, the stronger it becomes.”
Lyra stared at her blankly.
“…You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
“And the more people desire you,” Morgana continued calmly, “fantasize about you, crave you, obsess over you…”
The pink glow brightened faintly.
“…the stronger your mana grows.”
Silence filled the room.
Lyra felt sick.
Not just because of what Morgana was saying—
but because part of her body reacted instinctively to hearing it.
Warmth lingered beneath her skin.Her heartbeat refused to calm down.The pink mana pulsed softly, almost happily.
“That’s disgusting,” Lyra whispered.
“It’s demonic,” Morgana corrected calmly.
Lyra stood abruptly from the bed.
Pink mana flickered unevenly around her arms.
“So what?” she snapped. “I’m supposed to become some pathetic addict who gets stronger through lust?”
Morgana remained calm.
“As your mana grows, it will continue evolving your body into a better vessel for itself,” she explained. “There are three major evolution phases tied to Levels 25, 50, and 75.”
Lyra crossed her arms tightly.
“…Evolution phases?”
“The first phase refines your body while keeping you human,” Morgana explained calmly. “Better mana circulation. Sharper senses. Greater beauty. Greater physical ability.”
Lyra grimaced immediately.
“Of course.”
“The second phase pushes your body beyond normal human limitations,” Morgana continued. “Denser mana. Faster regeneration. Greater reflexes. Stronger emotional resonance.”
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
“By then, ordinary people would instinctively feel overwhelmed simply standing near you.”
Lyra looked visibly uncomfortable.
“And the third?”
For the first time, Morgana hesitated slightly.
“The final phase at Level 75 transforms you into a true succubus demon.”
Silence.
Lyra stared at her.
“…A demon.”
“Yes.”
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Her breathing became uneven again.
A demon.
Not cursed.Not influenced.
Changed.
Actually changed.
“And that can happen to me?”
“If you choose it.”
Lyra blinked.
“…Choose?”
Morgana nodded once.
“The evolutions are optional,” she explained calmly. “You may accept them or reject them whenever you reach the threshold.”
That caught Lyra completely off guard.
“So I’m not forced?”
“No.”
Lyra slowly sat back down.
Her thoughts felt chaotic.
A demon.A monster.Something inhuman.
And somehow even worse—
something inside her body already wanted it.
Not mentally.
Physically.
The warmth beneath her skin.The sensitivity.The instinctive craving for more stimulation.
It terrified her.
“You said it gets stronger from indulgence,” Lyra said quietly. “So eventually my body just starts craving it more and more?”
Morgana didn’t lie.
“Yes.”
The honesty made Lyra feel nauseous.
“But your mind remains your own,” Morgana added calmly. “The mana changes your body, not your free will.”
Lyra looked up slowly.
“The transformations increase sensitivity, desire, emotional responsiveness, and pleasure,” Morgana continued. “Your body gradually adapts to encourage the behaviors that strengthen your mana.”
The pink glow drifted lazily around Lyra’s fingertips.
“But your thoughts, memories, judgment, and identity remain yours,” Morgana finished quietly. “If you become someone different, it will be because of your own choices—not because the mana controlled you.”
Silence settled across the room.
Lyra looked down at the glowing pink mana around her hands.
She should have hated it completely.
Part of her did.
But another part—
the weak Level 6 girl everyone mocked and pitied—
couldn’t stop thinking about one thing.
Power.
Real power.
The kind of power that could have stopped Marshall from ever looking down on her.
Morgana studied her silently before speaking again.
“You know what fascinates me most about this?” she asked softly.
Lyra looked up warily.
“You survived.”
The pink glow drifted softly around Lyra’s fingertips.
“Most people would have died instantly,” Morgana continued quietly. “But your body endured long enough to adapt.”
Her violet eyes narrowed slightly.
“You built a foundation through suffering that most people could never survive.”
Lyra remained silent.
Because for the first time in her life—
someone powerful was looking at her like she possessed genuine potential.
Morgana’s voice lowered slightly.
“With proper growth,” she said calmly, “you may eventually become a monster by this world’s standards.”
The pink mana pulsed softly.
“Possibly even a future Paragon.”
The room fell silent.
And what terrified Lyra most—
was how badly she wanted that.