[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-an-improper-monster-girl-s-transformation-diary":3,"chapter-an-improper-monster-girl-s-transformation-diary-an-improper-monster-girl-s-transformation-diary-chapter-404":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","An Improper Monster Girl's Transformation Diary",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2312333,4517,"Chapter 404: I","an-improper-monster-girl-s-transformation-diary-chapter-404",404,"\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A heavy knock echoed from the Keeper’s demiplane, followed by a low, strained growl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Herbert!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ash Bishop, sprawled on the ground, gritted his teeth and pounded the floor with all his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn! Damn! Damn!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aphrodia sharply yanked back her hood and shook her long purple hair violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every strand of her hair floated against gravity, like countless violet serpents hissing in silent fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Tch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She bit her lip hard, face flushed with humiliation, eyes brimming with resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, I lost completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert, you’ve made me lose so utterly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She never imagined she’d be dragged into Herbert’s trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This isn’t right!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was supposed to test him—how did it become him testing me!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No! How is he completely unaffected!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why isn’t Herbert affected at all!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Aphrodia originally told Herbert, the legendary potion’s power was to make the drinker forget everything upon entering the mental realm, utterly unaware they’d been hypnotized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she never expected Herbert, who drank it, to remain unharmed—while she suffered the consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Aphrodia herself had once consumed [Silence and Noise], even as a Shi Shi, she sank deeper than anyone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did she fail to sense the anomaly, she forgot a thousand years of memories, completely manipulated by Herbert’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though this mishap was mostly due to her carelessness—if she’d prepared properly, she wouldn’t have been drawn into the illusion—yet from the outcome, no excuses mattered: she had been thoroughly toyed with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lost badly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since no outsiders were present, Aphrodia lay half-collapsed on the ground, muttering complaints under her breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Herbert, are you even human? You said I hurt you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you even say that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are you still a Holy Knight? Do you still possess the dignity of a Holy Knight? Do you still have the moral boundary of a Holy Knight!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aphrodia erupted in fury, her angry accusations echoing through the entire space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn! Damn—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After raging helplessly for a long while, her emotions gradually calmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at the books scattered across the floor, trembling as if shivering, then down at her own disheveled state, her lips twitching involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is really humiliating… Pfft, hah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled helplessly, shaking her head in disbelief. “This guy dared to perform like that without knowing a thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling their conversation, Aphrodia suddenly realized the flaw in Herbert’s words—he’d been playing the con artist, successfully extracting a wealth of information from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This kid… how many women has he secretly tricked?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She muttered bitterly, certain from his smooth, casual demeanor that he’d pulled this trick on others many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scumbag!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Playboy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After grumbling for a while longer, she exhaled slowly and slumped like a discarded serpent, utterly limp on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Herbert… he’s quite an interesting fellow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she’d been deceived, she had to admit—he was truly unique and fascinating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He wasn’t fooled by the illusion at all—no, not just unfooled, he was controlling the situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not just me—any other illusions he encounters would likely be easily shattered by him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Wait, did I forget something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aphrodia mused silently, suddenly sensing something off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She snapped her gaze toward a tome, reached out, and yanked it— the book fell from the shelf and flew swiftly toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In midair, the book dissolved into runes that settled upon her body, leaving a new mark on one scale of her serpent tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ash Bishop touched the rune with his fingertip, reading its contents, his brow tightly furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she herself had once consumed the potion, she hadn’t paid it much mind, hadn’t recalled its details carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Aphrodia finally realized something was wrong, it was already too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“[Silence and Noise] is the Keeper’s first and most difficult trial; only those who pass it may truly become high-ranking Keepers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This information matched her memory closely, but the critical detail lay in a small, overlooked footnote.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“However, the recipe for this legendary potion was not invented by the Keepers—it was simplified from an ancient text.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When first discovered, this potion bore another name—[The Glimpse of Fate].”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is a divine elixir from the fallen Ancient God, the Goddess of Fate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reading this, Aphrodia’s brow clenched tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s the elixir of that Ancient God…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The [Goddess of Fate] mentioned here was not today’s [Goddess of Fortune], but a far older deity who perished before the Age of Faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current Goddess of Fortune was born from the corpse of the fallen Goddess of Fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new deity—yet not entirely her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of other matters, in power alone, the Goddess of Fate was a Gao Jie-tier divine being, wielding the Divine Office of [Fate].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Fate was not merely the destiny of mortals—she could even interfere with the fates of gods!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, some believed this very power was the true cause of her downfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current Goddess of Fortune, by contrast, barely reached Zhong Jie-tier divine power, her domain reduced to only [Luck] and [Misfortune], affecting only mortals, with negligible influence over gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was utterly outmatched in power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To worshippers of the gods, she remained an Ancient God from a bygone age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to even older entities, the Goddess of Fortune was not their peer—she was a newborn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Keeper’s potion originated from that ancient Goddess of Fate, it could not possibly be as simple as it appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she was certain she’d given Herbert the modified version of [Silence and Noise] left by the Keepers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the world of the transcendent, nothing is surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when it involves the domain of “Fate”—a realm brimming with uncertainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fate is the most elusive thing in this world—just as the Goddess of Fate’s capricious mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aphrodia steadied herself and read the remaining text.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once the [Glimpse of Fate] ritual begins, it must continue until a result is obtained—whether success or failure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The stronger one’s own fate, the greater the trial’s difficulty… Hss, trouble!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aphrodia sucked in a sharp breath, her expression shifting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait—if even I’m not the true trial, then what is the real trial for him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hss!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, Aphrodia’s eyes widened sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is bad!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be… the Old One!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh no!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aphrodia’s spirit trembled— the more she thought, the more certain she became that the Grand Master had appeared in Herbert’s illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet for Herbert, the current situation might be even worse than Aphrodia imagined!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert felt he had dreamed a long, long dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dreamed he was no longer the helpless orphan, but a noble son born into a frost-laden kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had a childhood friend, loving family, a gentle older brother—all the things he’d lacked in reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wealth, status, beauty…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same soul, yet a radically different life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dream, he forgot all of reality, growing up as a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything began normally, without incident—the true twist came after he came of age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that day, everything changed, unfolding into wild, impossible turns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered the reality beyond the dream—this sinking illusion became a lucid dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert possessed a unique talent in the dream: he could make monster girls become infatuated with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he began interacting with all sorts of monster girls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying on this ability and the wisdom accumulated over two lifetimes, he walked cautiously through this wondrous, fantastical world—joking aside, he was reckless as hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this was just a dream; what was there to care about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he died in the dream, what difference would it make?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would only mean waking up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dragons, mermaids, vampires, elves, demons, devils, angels… all manner of monster girls gathered around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming he was truly destined, he began doing things he would never have dared imagine in reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept courting death, yet somehow never died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was both executioner and savior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To some, he was a madman; to others, a hero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But none of them knew Herbert did all this without any special purpose—only following his own inner thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t care how others saw him, nor did he care about their fates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert simply wanted to do what he wished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since this was a dream, he must begin indulging freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the few short months after waking, Herbert experienced far more thrilling events than in the first half of his dream life—or in the world beyond the dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He indulged without restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, slowly, he sank into the dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nearly forgot who he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reality beyond the dream had become a distant, distant memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So distant… he now felt it belonged to a past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, the moment of awakening had come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That truly was a past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon seeing the face he had nearly forgotten, Herbert felt a heavy hammer strike his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he saw that face, he felt strange—unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like encountering someone he knew, but not well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The feeling was eerie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was himself, yet not himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without reason, a sense of emptiness arose within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if he were merely a fleeting bubble, entirely dependent on the reflection in the mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Herbert remained silent, the reflection in the mirror spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You finally decided to look at me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Herbert” grinned at Herbert: “You’re no longer pretending you didn’t hear me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you had enough? Stop it. Wake up. You have work tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are still many cases to handle. You can’t keep sinking like this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must remember to donate to the orphanage tomorrow. The children are waiting for us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, you must clearly reject the match Zhang Jie introduced. I checked her out—she’s not after my handsome face or body, but my savings. I can’t let her drain me dry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good thing I dodged fast—if I’d gotten close, she might’ve sued me. Well, I’m not afraid of lawsuits, given my background, but it’s still a hassle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, tell them to stop setting me up with divorced women with two kids. I really don’t like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the mental world, Herbert chattered endlessly, while the phantom monster girls remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In reality, the reflection in the mirror spoke alone, while the man outside stood frozen, mute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noisy past. The silent present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, Herbert finally let out a long, weary sigh and shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at his reflection and asked softly: “Who are you? Who am I? Who… are we?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who am I? Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Herbert” blinked, puzzled: “You forgot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert stared at him silently, neither nodding nor shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forgot?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt he hadn’t forgotten, but the other’s expression suggested otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is troublesome…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reflection in the mirror clicked his tongue, muttering irritably: “Fine, I forgot again. I’ll have to explain this all over. Whatever—after all, I chose this myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He convinced himself, raised his head, and said to Herbert: “Who are we? That’s a complicated question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Simply put, I am your real self; you are the dream version of me. We are one, with no distinction between you and I.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you insist on an explanation—do you understand dissociative identity disorder?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am the personality of reality; you are the fabricated personality created to enjoy life in the dream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our lives have been too bitter. We needed an escape. Since there was no hiding place in reality, we fled into the dream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shrugged, casual: “Nothing more to say. And this isn’t the first time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the dream, we’ve experienced countless versions—fantasy worlds, xianxia worlds, cyber worlds, h-games… wait, you still don’t remember?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Herbert” frowned slightly at Herbert’s calm face, growing impatient: “How much more detail do you need?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you want me to recount the plotlines from our h-game world?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, Herbert felt a flicker of interest at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dammit, he kind of wanted to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But hearing his past self describe his own erotic fantasies? That was oddly abstract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it was far too abstract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he shook his head, sighing: “Regrettable, but no need. It’s just too weird.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Herbert” nodded, grimacing: “I don’t have such strange kinks. Besides, this dream’s been great—I like it. Let’s pick it up again next time we sleep…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, stop for a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert raised his hand, interrupting: “You don’t need to say more. I understand everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Herbert” paused, unfazed by his blunt tone, and nodded: “Since you understand, wake up now. Sleeping too long tires you. Find a memory anchor, then get up and wash up…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, let’s cut to the conclusion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert clapped his hands sharply, shook his head at his reflection, and whispered: “I am not you. You are not me. I have never had a second personality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled faintly at the reflection, blinked: “You… are the illusion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re saying… I’m fake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing Herbert’s words, “Herbert” didn’t get angry—only sighed helplessly: “Ah, this reaction again. You still don’t get it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re going to say I’m your past self, and you’re your present self? That reality is just a memory from your past life, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I get it, I get it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scratched his head, exasperated: “Think back—when you’re in your so-called reality, don’t you often feel dazed? Don’t you constantly yearn for the past?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you keep making obscure jokes no one understands? Don’t you use them over and over to prove you once existed, to keep from forgetting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did often recall his past, and he did use his own methods to anchor his mind, to avoid forgetting everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert didn’t answer, but his expression said it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reflection snorted: “You can fool everyone—but never yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These are our keywords. Every time you do this, it’s an unconscious signal to wake up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wake up. Don’t sink any deeper.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is just a game. A ridiculous, beautiful dream. When it ends, we must return to reality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Herbert” grew serious: “Enough. Stop playing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The dream… must end.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was quiet, his tone mild—but it gave Herbert the sense of having lived a thousand lifetimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt his body grow heavier, yet his soul lighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long-absent sounds reached his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump. Thump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heartbeat, the flow of blood, his steady breath, the birdsong outside the window—all converged within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reflection in the mirror was falling asleep. The man outside was about to awaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long night is over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dream has ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as Herbert was about to close his eyes and break free from the dream, he let out a soft sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, it was only a dream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and free of any trace of sleepiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at his past self reflected in the mirror with regret, whispering: “You tried to imitate me, to pretend you are me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you are not me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I truly miss everything from the past, constantly missing it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert never denied his longing for his past life, even though it had not been so beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything from the past shaped who he is now, made him what he is today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would not forget what he had endured—not to glorify suffering, but to remember the version of himself who overcame it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was his path forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But so what if I miss it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert raised an eyebrow and whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Memories are like carving marks on a boat to find a lost sword in the river—we all do it, but no one can live in memory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one can live in the past.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter how much you miss it, memories can stay behind, but the living cannot remain frozen in the past.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-haired boy gazed at the black-haired young man and smiled peacefully, blinking as he added: “Besides, even if I miss it, I’ve never wanted to go back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because here, I already have people and things I can’t let go of.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never mind anything else—his past life didn’t have real demon girls!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That matters!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert nodded silently, then whispered to his reflection: “Where I am is my reality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The past will not become a chain binding me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will move toward the future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life is a one-way journey; whether you wish it or not, you can only go forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And… you overlooked one thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, the reflection in the mirror lifted its head and looked at the boy outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had he overlooked?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert smiled: “I’ve always said that I reached this point through my own effort and sweat—no other help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said it shamelessly, then shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But deep down, I know it’s just a joke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I hadn’t met that guy, I’d probably be a completely different person, living a completely different life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I might still be a rigid, rule-bound miserable Holy Knight, training my iron groin with my fellow knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This dream was perfect—it shook me deeply—but it strangely forgot one character who matters most to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Herbert paused, then laughed, asking not in doubt but in certainty: “You’re here, aren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“I am.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the slightest pause, the Harmony Goddess—supposedly asleep, absorbing divine power—whispered softly in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“I have always been with you.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2852,"2026-06-20T12:31:07.945Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7fd19af9f87dc838b56102c6c8b1cf279eb5e04641fb76fba0bc53b62689d271","an-improper-monster-girl-s-transformation-diary-chapter-405","an-improper-monster-girl-s-transformation-diary-chapter-403",453,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fan-improper-monster-girl-s-transformation-diary-cover.jpg"]