Ethereal Ascendance: A Journey of Transformation

This was a grand hall. From the carved walls, tiled floors, and placement of statues, everything exuded luxury and magnificence.

A white carpet ran down the central aisle, and at the far end, a figure stood with hands clasped behind their back.

"Lady Elara..."

Another figure knelt on one knee before her, quickly reporting something.

"We've completely lost contact with the Cycle..."

"What about the spell formation?" Elara anxiously interrupted.

"I don't know why..." The other hesitated before continuing, "The formation is still active, it doesn't seem to have failed."

"How is that possible! Without the Cycle's support, it should have completely failed!" Elara couldn't understand at all. The Cycle was the core of the entire formation, absolutely indispensable. But reality was constantly challenging her knowledge.

"And it's operating without any issues, everything's normal," the messenger said strangely, seemingly also unsure how to respond.

"That's unbelievable!"

Elara pondered for a moment, seeming to make a decision and issued orders.

"No matter what, you must hold on! Persist to the end no matter what."

...

Where was this? I looked around, only seeing endless white all around.

Didn't I get drunk?

Although I seemed unable to move, suspended in this white glow felt extremely comfortable. Like my whole body was immersed in a hot spring, the blissful sensation made me want to moan.

Uh, it seemed I couldn't even make a sound. Logically I should be very panicked in this situation. But I had no thoughts at all, as if I could stay like this forever, free of desire and worry.

After an unknown amount of time, the white glow finally seemed to diminish, becoming thinner and thinner. Mist seemed to rise in all directions, slowly dissipating.

Finally I could sense my surroundings again.

My hearing returned first, the gradually noisy sounds flooding into my mind. I seemed to hear urgent voices, but I couldn't understand their language at all.

What bird language was this?

But very quickly, a torrent of things suddenly rushed into my brain, overwhelming me for a time.

I suddenly realized I could understand their words!

"We can't hold on any longer! What do we do?"

"Tell everyone to retreat quickly! ...Retreat quickly!"

...

What did this mean? Even understanding it, I was totally confused about the situation. It sounded like two women talking, was this coming from a TV?

My eyelids still felt so heavy, by now I sensed only darkness around me. I could only force my eyes open a sliver.

Well, I didn't know what words could properly describe this. Peering through blurry eyes, I found myself suspended not far above the ground. But this was definitely not the familiar KTV lobby. The earthen floor was etched with countless shining golden complex patterns. And several naked maidens floated around.

Even more shocking, with just that glance, I was certain they all had a pair of white wings spreading from their backs. The scene...was so bizarre! The air was full of an indescribably lewd atmosphere, yet also strangely intermingled with a hint of holiness.

I say only a glance, because the next moment, a huge shadow descended from the sky. A boulder whistled past right before my eyes, heavily smashing into the ground.

In that instant, everything shook violently. I felt a sharp pain in my head, almost passing out entirely. And the torrent of chaotic information flooding my brain also abruptly ceased, leaving only countless tiny fragmented pieces.

Along with the intense headache, I tightly shut my eyes, feeling like I was on a rollercoaster plummeting down at high speed. But I was soon caught by someone below, then all I heard was the roaring wind, alternating with unending wretched screams.

Yet not long after, I lost that support again, once more dropping down.

This time, I completely lost consciousness.

When I regained awareness again, I was surrounded by chirping noises. It was like hundreds of birds passing by, calls rising and falling continuously.

How annoying! The birds downstairs always cried out like this every morning. But today was exceptionally awful, it sounded like several times the usual number. Did they open a zoo down there!

I was irritated and wanted to curse out loud. Opening my eyes, I saw not the familiar ceiling.

Wisps of white cloud drifted lazily across the clear sky. I could vaguely see the treetops on both sides, and the air held the smell of decaying leaves.

Uh, I was instantly wide awake, where was this? Wasn't I at home?

Bizarre images instantly flashed through my mind, seeming highly unreal. My head felt a little painful, so was I just dreaming earlier...

I struggled to sit up, but when my right hand touched the ground, it met something very soft and fluffy.

What was this?

Just as I wanted to lower my head to take a look, a sharp tearing pain radiated from my back on the right side, agonizingly painful...

"Ahhhhh!"

My shriek was like a lark's clear sorrowful cry to the heavens. I froze, what was that sound?

And that wasn't all, I probably had no mind to worry about the sound now, because when I had glanced down just now, it seemed I had two extra mounds on my chest. And also, it appeared I wasn't wearing any clothes?

As I glanced down again, it seemed to pull at the wound on my back.

"Ahhh!"

This time I managed to restrain my cry by keeping the movement gentle, but my face still twisted violently from the pain.

Was I injured? What happened to my back?

Suddenly so many questions popped up and I felt my scalp go numb, unsure which one to focus on first.

But one thing I could confirm - when I looked just now, those were definitely breasts that only girls have on my chest! How did they get on my body? Though just modest handfuls, I was certain I didn't imagine it.

And indeed I didn't feel any clothes on me, it really seemed I was completely naked.

This was insane! Too much information, my brain felt totally overwhelmed.

I should inspect the back wound first. I slowly raised my right hand towards my back, already imagining a terrible gash there, maybe even bloody.

But actually I didn't feel any wound, though I did inadvertently touch something strange midway. Critically, I could feel it when my hand made contact. It felt my touch just as I felt it being touched.

Too bizarre! It was like...my left hand touching my right hand, and furry, warm, reminding me of petting a cat's back.

Was this...

A flash of insight hit me. Recalling that bizarre scene I'd seen while floating in midair, could these be wings?

Sure enough I was right. Stroking up and down the edges several times, I finally accepted this reality. And finally understood why my back hurt―because a whole wing was spread out on the ground. Naturally it pulled at my back when I put my hand on it to get up.

So there was no injury at all!

I felt my entire worldview was about to collapse. I desperately hoped for someone to come tell me what had happened. I was just at my high school reunion at the KTV earlier right? How did I wake up suddenly transported to this desolate wilderness? Did I cross over?

Where were the others, Quinn, Reilly, Astrid, and my other classmates? Was it just me alone? And crossing over was one thing, but why did I become like this, with wings growing from my back? If not for the annoying protrusions on my chest, I'd have almost thought I crossed over as a bird!

Since I understood what happened now, it would be much easier to deal with. Avoiding the scattered feathers on the ground, I easily sat up. Only then did I finally see the full appearance of this body.

Despite some mental preparation, I was still shocked speechless by the sight. Indeed it was no longer the familiar form I'd lived with for over 20 years.

Instead it was a delicate, graceful body. Creamy smooth skin, slender tender limbs, and a lock of blue hair trailing from the back of my head...

It was like a precious, flawless work of art. I tremblingly reached out, almost not daring to believe my eyes.

Indeed, it was all gone! All of it! Not a single hair left!

Yes, not one hair except on my head!

I didn't know whether to mourn that thing that had accompanied me for over twenty years, or scoff that it had never been of use all those years before vanishing.

In any case, it was clear to me―I had become a girl.

Clutching the hair already grown to my thighs, I smiled wryly. And it was light blue too. Aside from anime and manga, this was my first time seeing such a hair color, and it just happened to be growing from my head.

No, what about those wings on my back?

So in other words, I had become an angel?