It wasn't until the third day that Liuli finally consented to give it another try. Observing her nervous demeanor, Wu Qingsong couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Yet, the secret they were pursuing could very well determine everyone's future. His only option was to reassure and encourage her until she felt at ease.
"It's going to be alright," he assured her, softly patting her head to calm her down. Then, with a more serious expression, he placed his palm over her heart.
Liuli's heartbeat spiked, clearly a manifestation of her anxiety. Wu Qingsong smiled reassuringly at her, intending to offer further words of comfort. But before he could, a pulse of energy suddenly burst forth from Liuli's heart, resonating quickly with his own. A transformation unfolded, once again.
In just a few fleeting seconds, she abruptly metamorphosed into that enormous catwoman.
Despite their mental preparation, everyone in the room drew a sharp breath. The catwoman rubbed her eyes, stretched languidly with a big yawn, and then sat up.
"Meow~ Finally, I can come out and play!" she declared with palpable excitement.
"Who are you, really?" Wu Qingsong asked.
"It's me, Liuli," the catwoman responded, blinking her large eyes in bewilderment. "Wu, don't you recognize me?"
"Put on some clothes, first," Ling interjected, already holding out a generously sized robe.
"Being this size is so troublesome~"
The catwoman ran her hands over her body, even curiously pinching her chest, which compelled Wu Qingsong to turn his head aside awkwardly.
"But it does feel comfy. Wu, you'd probably enjoy it too, wouldn't you? Oh? Why is your neck turning red? Hahaha, don't tell me you're getting shy."
"This... you..."
Words failed everyone present. She might have looked like an adult version of Liuli, but this audacious character bore no resemblance to the Liuli they were accustomed to seeing.
"Quick, put on your clothes," Ling chided, a note of irritation edging into her voice.
"Fine, fine!" The catwoman finally began to move, though at her own unhurried pace. She quickly leaned in and whispered, "Ling, you're a bit jealous, aren't you? Haha!"
"Do you remember what happened earlier?" Ram asked.
"Absolutely. Those bad guys were all defeated by yours truly. Liuli is truly awesome," the catwoman instantly boasted, her bushy tail rising and swinging contentedly behind her as if constantly urging, 'Praise me! Praise me!'
"It's just because of you that we've survived," Wu Qingsong said, finally appearing somewhat relaxed after she had dressed. However, upon taking in her fully-grown, astonishingly voluptuous form, a physique arguably surpassing both Ram and Nina, he felt a wave of overwhelming sensations. "Liuli, are you aware of what happened afterward?"
"Of course, you carried me all the way here, didn't you?" Liuli replied casually. "Wu, you're the greatest!"
As she reached out to embrace Wu Qingsong, he sidestepped quickly to avoid her.
"Why couldn't you remember the fight earlier, then?" Ram posed the question, her brows slightly furrowed.
"How would I know?" Frustrated at missing her chance to hug Wu Qingsong, the catwoman's tone turned a shade sullen. "How much longer are you all going to question me? Did Liuli do something wrong?"
"Absolutely not," Wu Qingsong hastily clarified. "But don't you wish to understand your situation better, perhaps to wield this newfound power more reliably?"
"Meow?" The larger Liuli scratched her head, nodding in puzzled agreement.
"Let's start again then," Ram suggested. "How does your body currently feel?"
"How should it feel?"
"What I mean is, did you do anything specific at the moment of your transformation? Or did something feel unusual?"
"Meow~ I really have no clue." The catwoman scratched her head again, appearing genuinely perplexed. "What am I supposed to be feeling?"
"There must have been something different this time, right? Try to remember, especially the moment just before your body underwent that transformation."
"I remember Wu's hand feeling incredibly warm, followed by a sensation that was both hot and tingly."
'That doesn't sound particularly encouraging,' Ram thought, casting Wu Qingsong a skeptical look.
"Could you feel my heartbeat?" Wu Qingsong interjected.
"Absolutely! Our heartbeats were beating at the same time."
Both Ram and Wu Qingsong wracked their brains, desperately trying to discern any critical elements behind the phenomenon. Besides the synchronized heartbeats, they couldn't uncover any additional meaningful insights. Growing increasingly impatient, the catwoman started clamoring for food. Ling quickly moved to grill some meat for her, but before she could even step out of the room, the catwoman let out a massive yawn and fell asleep on the bed.
Shortly afterward, her body rapidly contracted, reverting back to her true form as Liuli.
Harold, who had remained silent the entire time, examined Liuli's condition and then nodded at Wu Qingsong. "Exactly half an hour."
"What is actually happening here? I feel even more confused than before," Ram vented, nearly at her wit's end. "What could the necessary conditions possibly be?"
"We'll discover them eventually. The answers will make themselves known in due time," Harold assured her.
Unsatisfied with this vague response, Ram couldn't bring herself to ask Wu Qingsong to experiment on her again. Instead, she selected several wolfmen of various ages and physical conditions, directing Wu Qingsong to conduct individual trials.
As expected, all the experiments failed.
Ram's gaze then shifted toward Ling. But before she could utter a word, Ling dashed off in a fluster.
"We should wait for Nina and the others," she muttered, casting a resentful look at Wu Qingsong as if she couldn't help herself.
Nina?
For some inexplicable reason, Wu Qingsong felt his heart begin to race.
This time, Liuli didn't sleep nearly as long as she had previously. She woke up after just over two hours. This offered Wu Qingsong and the others some insight. The state she was in post-transformation affected both her capabilities and her energy expenditure differently. However, whether this was due to her prior injuries or the toll taken by the intense fight, they couldn't be certain without further testing.
"This ability comes with its own set of complications," Harold noted to Wu Qingsong during their nighttime vigil.
Wu Qingsong nodded in agreement.
If the transformation only lasted half an hour and she could engage in full-power combat for a mere ten minutes, then Liuli's ability would have limited use. It could only function as a last-resort trump card. Wu Qingsong and Harold continuously pondered this dilemma. In her transformed state, Liuli became a veritable killing machine, but her fighting was purely instinctual and lacked any sort of finesse. She was virtually unstoppable against unprepared or mediocre foes, but her effectiveness significantly decreased against well-armored and prepared adversaries.
"The silver lining is that she retains her memories post-transformation," Harold added. "Enhancing Liuli's day-to-day training could potentially improve her combat skills, making her more useful even when not transformed. Perhaps we should equip her with a weapon that can fully unleash her capabilities?"
Immediately, Nina's massive greatsword sprang to Wu Qingsong's mind.
The image of a fully awakened Liuli wielding such a weapon while charging into enemy lines seemed extraordinarily captivating.
"That's an excellent suggestion," he affirmed to Harold.
Simultaneously, another question plagued him, ‘If Liuli could achieve this, why couldn't Ling?’
Could it be that Liuli possesses some sort of royal bloodline? He should probably find a way to convince Ling to give it a try.
