Oh shit…
The world seemed angry, responding to the intensity of her fury.
"What… is happening?" Tobias asked softly, sensing the strange situation.
But a moment later, the feeling of pressure vanished as if it had never existed.
"Well?" the hooded figure took a step toward the portal. "Shall we enter?"
Her voice was still sharp but carried a touch of calm indifference. It was different from before.
The others had no time to respond before the figure entered the Rift.
"Damn, buddy…" Golia said, patting Roman on the shoulder. "You really seem to attract trouble. What the hell did you do this time? That girl seems to hate you."
Roman could only smile helplessly.
Of course she hated him.
It seemed his suspicions were correct.
Miss Xixi was indeed his mana supplier, the head of the bank he kept drawing mana from without repaying.
Anyone would be angry.
With a helpless sigh, Roman did not respond.
All four entered the Rift in silence.
Judging by the power of that woman, she was no ordinary figure; they could not keep her waiting too long.
Inside the Rift…
The area around them was different from the previous day. They were in a forest, with enormous trees and vibrant blue foliage glowing unnaturally, making the environment less gloomy than it should have been.
The wind whistled through the leaves, while the sounds of various monster cries and roars made the atmosphere tense.
In this strange place, a girl appeared, followed immediately by four boys.
The woman carefully removed her hood, revealing her appearance.
A strange silence fell, broken only by the boys' sharp gasps.
"Holy crap, it's Goddess Xixi!" Zun murmured, incredulous, his mouth agape in shock. He could not believe his eyes.
The same could be said for Tobias.
Wide eyes, slight trembling in their legs…
Golia, who did not openly express his love for Xixi like the other two, was still shaken.
The only one relatively calm was the person in question, Roman.
He was the reason they were in this situation.
But before the girl could speak, several cries echoed around them.
"Pathetic beasts!" This time, the girl's voice was not sharp and shrill.
On the contrary…
It was so melodious and angelic that the three completely ignored the monster sounds to listen to her words better.
As for Roman…
That voice sounded to him as calm as a demon from hell.
Before they could even focus on their new enemies, Xixi moved, her stunning blue hair flowing in the wind.
In her place, a faint blur as she rushed with fury and violence toward the enemies.
The monsters, a group of giant birds with royal blue feathers, screeched as they charged at the girl.
A sword appeared at her side as she faced those monsters fearlessly, dancing through the space with grace and mastery.
The four stood with their mouths agape, watching her slice through the birds with speed.
"How the hell is that possible?" Golia asked weakly, observing the surreal scene.
Xixi was not using even a sliver of mana, yet she moved with unnatural speed, fighting the four monsters alone.
"She really is a goddess!" Zun murmured, his eyes heart-shaped.
Tobias simply swallowed, still incredulous. How was it possible that the goddess of their dreams was in their group?
Roman furrowed his brows. If she wants me dead, there is nothing I can do… she does not even need mana to kill those things. He thought, sighing helplessly.
The birds were not simple low-level monsters; they were level 40, just like the dinosaur they had faced—or rather, fled from in fear—the day before.
Sharp wind blades kept shooting from their wings, but Xixi dodged them all effortlessly.
Under the group's incredulous gazes, the last bird crashed to the ground, turning into mere blue particles. In their place, Mana Crystals, promptly ignored by Xixi.
She did not need money.
Swiftly cutting through the air with her sword, the last drop of blood flew off it.
Xixi stored it in her Storage, then slowly approached the four, her deep eyes fixed on Roman's figure.
"Goddess Xixi!" Zun stepped forward, not grasping how tense the atmosphere was. "You were amazing! A true goddess!"
"Do not come closer—" The girl shot an intimidating glance at Zun, but instead of being scared, the boy got even more excited.
"As you wish, my goddess!" he stopped abruptly, admiring her even more.
The true definition of a simp…
"Come with me," the girl said finally, shifting her gaze back to Roman.
Tobias approached the boy, giving him a light pat on the back, whispering good luck before turning and leaving the area.
Golia, on the other hand, forcefully grabbed Zun and pulled him back.
The situation was obvious.
Roman had to face Xixi one-on-one.
There was no place for them in that confrontation. Not that they would have made a difference anyway.
Roman's black eyes were fixed on Xixi's blue ones.
He was not exactly afraid of facing her.
Even if she killed him, it would not matter much. He did not need to level up, so missing Rift access was not an issue.
Besides, he did not think someone as influential as her would stoop to killing him over something like this.
Well, having a parasite attached to you for life was not exactly pleasant, but still…
"So it's you," Xixi began, her voice composed. "Now I understand why you refused to fulfill my request yesterday; you were afraid I would find out."
Roman did not respond, simply staring into her eyes, honestly a bit enchanted.
"Well, it did not take me long to find the irregularities in your case, Roman Red." she continued, taking a step forward, never breaking eye contact.
At this point, a slight sweat formed on Roman's forehead.
"Now, explain why your body has no mana and takes it from me."
Her words were clear. She wanted an explanation.
But the truth? Roman knew nothing about it. He had only received a reincarnation bonus, that's all.
The air grew tense, and Roman could only sigh.
"It is because of my talent, or rather, my title."
"A title?" Xixi's calm expression broke at the mention of a title, her eyes slightly widening.
Some time ago, when she told her father she had received the title "The Chosen One," his reaction had been shock, then joy.
He said she was the only one in the world to have such a thing.
But he said no more.
And Xixi did not ask. She knew her father would only say what he wanted to. If he did not say something, it was because it was not yet time to know.
But now?
Another title? She was more curious than anything. She had encountered an anomaly even her father had not anticipated.
Roman nodded before continuing. "The name of my title is The Chosen One Among the Chosen Ones."