"Wu... Ju— Arrrghh!"

Viora’s scream was even louder than mine. No, it wasn’t a scream, it was far worse than that. She was actually trying to speak in between her pained shouts.

"ARRRRGGGGHHHH! Mum... It... Hits....!"

She was acting like a child telling her mom that she was hurting like hell. She didn’t even say that when she was having seizures. This must be a lot more painful than that. I have to do something.

I tried to stand up again. But fell hard just like before. The only difference was I didn’t give up this time. I kept trying until I was able to stand up on the fourth try.

However, standing up was one problem and staying still was another. My legs were wobbling slightly and I struggled to keep myself from falling to the ground.

Then, my eyes fell on Viora’s withering form, and subconsciously I forgot about my pain and my mind got filled with only her screams and her turning over and over again.

"No..." I let out weakly as I fell onto my knees at the side of her bed and grabbed her hand tightly. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"It’s okay. It’s okay. I am here." I shouted as I watched her body arching and convulsing in unbearable pain. I couldn’t watch it. I didn’t want to see her like this but I had no other choice.

"Arrrghh!"

"Just bear it for a few seconds then everything will be alright."

I may have said that but even I don’t know how long it will go on for. The screen was just showing percentages and it was still only at 10%.

"Damnit."

I pulled her toward me and hugged her face to my chest. Then, I began to caress her hair.

"Please, please, stay with me."

My words were completely different from my actions. On one hand I was trying to assure her by stroking her hair and on the other I was telling her to stay with me, which actually was my real fear.

Because, I don’t know if she will be able to bear the pain until the end. It was like the system was trying to tear apart her muscles and sew them back together again.

I know it because I could feel her body throbbing and her muscles getting smaller and bigger simultaneously under my hands. Just like that her legs were also moving aimlessly.

"Arrrghh!"

She kept screaming and no matter how much I tried to help her, the screams never ceased even for a bit.

’Was this even helping?’

I don’t know. I was just hugging her closer and was doing nothing else other than stroking her head.

"Please, just stop it!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Ding!

[Soul-Link complete.]

[Host and Wife are now bound.]

[If one dies, both perish.]

As soon as all of the shitty soul thing finished, Viora’s screams slowly turned into uneven gasps for air.

Ha... Ha... Ha...

She was breathing really heavily. Every single breath was long and I could feel the hot air hitting my chest.

"...Vu... Jin..."

After her breathing had stabilized a bit she spoke out my name and I just hugged her even tighter.

"It’s okay. Everything is alright now. You aren’t gonna get hurt now. And no one is gonna shout at you. So, just relax."

I said and her stiffened body loosened in my embrace.

"That is right. Relax."

"Dat... Hit... Lyk... Hall..."

"Yeah, it may have, but now it won’t."

I said and assured her that nothing like that was gonna happen again. This time I really thought that everything was over for good.

Only until I felt her body getting hotter and something sharp stabbed my hand which was on her head.

Instinctively, when I felt the sharp pain I pulled my hand away from her only to find blood trickling down from it like tears.

"What is this..." I whispered to myself and glanced over at Viora’s head.

What I saw there made my eyes widen and left me a little stunned. There was something sharp slowly coming out of her head.

Wait, there are two. Don’t tell me they are horns and they are protruding out of her head like antennas. Really?

"Hed... Hits..."

I turned my head and looked at the screen at my right side. There it was, the reason for Viora’s hurting head.

[Achieving Evolution Phase 0]

[4% Complete]

As I stared at the screen for just two seconds it immediately began to show me a warning.

Ding!

[Warning: Short on Mana.

Host’s 4 mana points have been used. 96 Mana points needed to complete Phase 0.

Postponing the transformation.]

Well, that is understandable. Since I had zero mana a few days ago. And the mana I might have recovered in the last three days must amount up to only 4.

But, for now the most important thing is how are we going to hide Viora’s horns. They may be small for now but they still aren’t tiny enough to be covered by her hair.

’Is there a way to detransform her? Like can she change forms or not?’

I had only thought it in my mind but the system was a step ahead of me and showed me what I wanted to know.

[A Quest has been created!

Please gather enough mana points to complete ’Phase 0’.

Current Progress: 0 Mana Points / 96 needed

Note: The transformation is absolute, once it has taken effect there is no reverting back to the previous form.]