Chapter 156: The Girls’ Awakening

The first to undergo the experiment were Angus, Beck, and a few other houndmen.

Wu Qingsong had always preferred to awaken the latent abilities of these warriors. Abilities imply responsibilities, and if possible, Wu Qingsong would rather not have the girls enter the battlefield.

Yet, the outcomes were consistent with previous experiments. Despite Wu Qingsong devising new methods, including utilizing a weakness curse to adjust and control their heart rate frequencies to near-unison, the electric-like force capable of unleashing the beastwomen’s latent abilities never manifested, without fail.

“Then, we have no other choice,” Wu Qingsong concluded. “Ram, Ling, bring them over.”

The experiment involved five carefully selected beastwomen, whose brothers and fathers mostly served under Wu Qingsong, ensuring no risk of betrayal.

They were all aware of tales where entire families or villages were slaughtered for harboring the so-called demonic seeds. Even without explicit instructions from Wu Qingsong, they understood the critical importance of secrecy. However, upon learning what the experiment entailed and what could happen, they still responded with excitement and even eagerness, willing to undergo Wu Qingsong’s tests and hoping to fight for him.

This sentiment left Wu Qingsong reflective, and the experiment promptly began.

The first participant in the experiment was a houndgirl, Angus’s niece. She was about the same age as Liuli. 

Wu Qingsong, standing before her, felt slightly uneasy due to her palpable excitement and impatience.

Calming her down took some effort, but just as Wu Qingsong began to doubt the outcome, the electric-like force he hoped for finally emerged.

“How did it go?” Ram was the first to approach, followed by Ling, who usually led them.

There seemed to be no significant change in her appearance, yet Wu Qingsong was confident of success.

“Don’t worry, let’s do some tests,” he encouraged the girl with a smile.

They had prepared in advance, uncertain of the nature of the powers that would awaken. Heavy tree trunks were ready for strength testing, foot-sized stakes for assessing balance and agility, and running through the forest to check speed and maneuverability. Various weapons were also on hand. It wouldn’t be surprising if it took days to understand their awakened abilities, especially if they were as unique as Ram’s.

“I don’t know, I just felt that shooting in that direction would hit the target,” the houndgirl said, slightly puzzled.

“Fantastic! You have the potential to be an exceptional archer,” Wu Qingsong encouraged her.

The girl felt a tad disappointed. She had hoped to become one of the powerful female warriors from the legendary stories Wu Qingsong had shared with them. Nevertheless, cheered up by Wu Qingsong’s continuous praise and Ling’s support, she joyfully accepted her new role.

At the very least, she made significant strides toward her dreams, far beyond her childhood friends.

As the experiment proceeded, the abilities of the second girl improved markedly across the board, with her strength being the most pronounced. She effortlessly rolled heavy tree trunks and could pick up and throw wooden stakes with ease.

This left Angus and Beck feeling somewhat disheartened. These were girls they had watched grow up, who had once idolized them. But now, despite needing Wu Qingsong’s help to activate their powers, these abilities far surpassed those of ordinary houndmen. How would they face them in the future?

“Congratulations, you’re bound to be a formidable warrior,” Wu Qingsong declared.

Elated, the girl moved aside to excitedly talk about her newfound abilities with her companion.

The third girl wasn’t as lucky. Her abilities were indeed awakened, but the sensation it triggered in Wu Qingsong was faint and strained. While her capabilities in various aspects improved, the degree of enhancement was minimal. She might have reached the average level of a regular houndman soldier, but for Wu Qingsong, such an improvement held little significance.

“Simply awakening your ability is an achievement,” Wu Qingsong reassured her, patting her head. “With this foundation and serious training, you’ll definitely become much stronger.”

She nodded, her eyes brimming with tears, and trudged back to her peers.

The fourth girl, faced with this situation, grew even more nervous and fearful, prolonging the awakening process. Nevertheless, she succeeded, and in her excitement, she accidentally conjured a burst of fire, nearly setting herself alight.

She was clearly a girl with a knack for magic, yet her talent was considerably weaker than Feya’s. Which possibly explained how she safely passed the lord’s army inspections. Even after roughly learning to control her spirit and power under Feya’s guidance, the strongest flame she could muster was merely at the level of a Molotov cocktail.

Still, Wu Qingsong held great hope for them. He believed that these abilities could be developed further. Although none of the girls displayed extraordinary talent, they were young and had unlimited growth potential.

“Keep it up! I hope you can be as diligent as Ling and become a powerful fire controller.”

The girl nodded energetically and ran toward her peers. The four houndgirls huddled together, whispering among themselves and casting somewhat exclusionary glances at the only beastgirl of a different race participating in this experiment.

“Alice, how are you feeling?” Wu Qingsong asked. “Are you nervous?”

He had a favorable impression of this girl, the most mature and quiet among all. As Morin’s assistant, she had taken on much of the temple’s duties.

Wu Qingsong genuinely wished for her success and for her to obtain significant power.

The girl shook her head, “I’ve been ready for a long time, my lord*.”

Wu Qingsong misunderstood her, thinking she said “my master,” and so he nodded, allowing her to lie down.

“Relax,” he advised the girl.

She smiled, a smile both devout and serene, and closed her eyes.

As a rabbitgirl, she was significantly smaller and more delicate than the hound girls, resulting in a much weaker heartbeat.

Wu Qingsong silently shook his head.

He had gleaned some insights. The beastwomen with stronger and more steady heartbeats tended to have more powerful abilities after awakening. This was true for Nina, Xeila, and Feya. He couldn’t recall exactly what Liuli’s heartbeat was like, but Ram’s was notably strong, whereas Ling’s was weak.

If it hadn’t been for Ling’s resilience, which completely contradicted her appearance, and her persistent training whenever possible, her strength might never have reached its current level.

Among the beastgirls tested today, the second one, a strength-type, had the most forceful heartbeat, although not notably so, while the third was much weaker. However, compared to Alice, she was significantly stronger.

Even if Alice’s ability could be awakened, it likely wouldn’t be very powerful. Nevertheless, out of respect for her, he continued the attempt.

He just hoped it wouldn’t be too weak.

Just then, their heartbeats began to resonate, and at that moment, the electric-like power surged out of his heart in an unprecedented way, rushing crazily toward Alice’s heart.

What was this? This had never happened before.

Wu Qingsong watched her, both surprised and delighted. As this power slowly returned to normal, a soft glow began to emerge around Alice.

“The light of the Silver Moon?” Ram exclaimed, surprised.