Chapter Twenty-Four: The Maiden

The girl before him had long, jet-black hair that cascaded down to her hips. Yet, whether it was the natural hue of her hair leaning towards a subtle red, or the effect of the crimson light surrounding them, Zhong Shenxiu could glimpse a faint reddish halo under the sunlight. Her irises were a pale gray, and a single glance from her eyes carried the serene contempt of a deity gazing down upon the multitude of ordinary souls.

Her complexion was fair, her nose delicate and elegantly high, and her lips formed a shape so perfect one might only find it in a manga. However, they were somewhat pale at the moment—if only they bore the vivid shade of fresh arterial blood or the tempting red of ripe cherries, it would have been all the more enchanting.

She was slender—relatively speaking. Her collarbones stood out in sharp relief, the gentle swell of her bust already well above average for her age, her stomach flat, her waist slender, and her petite navel was as beautiful as a diamond-shaped gem. Further down, her hips curved like ripe peaches, transitioning smoothly and naturally, as if sculpted by flowing water, leading to a pair of long, straight legs.

Her knees showed no typical bend; instead, they were as straight as chopsticks. Her calves were not entirely thin, but carried just a hint of baby fat—not too much, not too little, the precise equilibrium between plump and slender. And below, her delicate feet touched the air lightly, as if crafted by the most masterful sculptor of ancient Greece.

She hovered in the air, as if unwilling to let her pristine, fair feet be soiled by the dust and dirt of the world below. Though the crucial parts of her body were veiled by that incongruous red radiance, much of her porcelain skin was still exposed to the air. This girl who had manifested so suddenly was an utter mystery, but as Zhong Shenxiu watched the red light swirl about her so naturally, he felt as though he had encountered a boss at the very first level of a game.

Without hesitation, he stuck out his tongue and feigned a simple-minded expression. “Nom nom nom, eating a peach, mm—so cool and refreshing—” Even as he performed, Zhong Shenxiu kept a sly eye on the girl, watching for any change.

And so, sky-blue eyes met pale gray in a silent clash. Yet from her godlike gaze, Zhong Shenxiu only detected a look of gentle, almost pitying concern. Damn! Forget the act—time to come clean! This was unlike him, but if the boss came looking for you at the start, what could you do?

He stepped back a couple of paces, putting some distance between them, and fixed his gaze on the girl. At least he still had over one thousand mana left as a trump card. If he couldn’t win, he could still run.

The girl, however, drifted closer, ghost-like, until she was even nearer than before. Through the veiling red light, Zhong Shenxiu could make out glimpses of forbidden softness. But she did not attack; instead, her lovely face showed a trace of confusion as she asked, “Why did you change your appearance?”

Oh? The boss wanted to talk?

Was she referring to his transformation from a Sino-American youth into his current short, stocky, dark-skinned form? Had she seen through his Skrull Transformation spell? No, she couldn’t have—otherwise she wouldn’t have asked why he looked different.

Zhong Shenxiu’s thoughts raced behind his calm eyes. He replied, “The sun was too strong, so I got tanned.”

The girl considered this, then answered, “Is that so? Let me dim it a little.” With a graceful sweep of her hand, the blazing sun instantly dulled. The surrounding white light was suddenly draped in a grayish filter, as if noon had shifted to dusk in a heartbeat.

Zhong Shenxiu could only stare in shock. He really had run into the boss right from the start!

At first, he’d only suspected, but now there was no doubt. Still, after just two exchanges, he realized this boss was willing to communicate. If talking could solve things, he’d never choose to fight—after all, a thousand mana didn’t come easily!

“Why are you shorter now?” The crimson-lit girl pressed on with the curiosity of a child.

Zhong Shenxiu pondered, then replied, “Getting old, so my bones have shrunk.”

“Oh, let me help you.” Again, the girl waved her hand, this time toward Zhong Shenxiu.

He instinctively tried to back away, but nothing happened. Instead, the girl looked at her hands with growing confusion, even as three large, glowing question marks appeared above her head, pulsing with her bewilderment.

At length, she fixed her pale gray eyes on Zhong Shenxiu and asked, “Why can’t I control you?”

How should I know? Zhong Shenxiu was just as baffled; he hadn’t felt a thing. Before he could answer, the girl waved her hand several more times at her surroundings: the emerald-green grape-durian tree shot skyward, the plump swallow flying by suddenly grew two ten-meter-long claws that trailed behind it like strings, and even the nearby rocks leapt into the air.

Satisfied with these results, the girl turned again to Zhong Shenxiu and waved her hand.

Still, nothing happened.

Her beautiful face froze, full of tangled astonishment. “Why is it that when the Little Jiu comes near you, it stops listening to me?” She closed her eyes, sensing intently, then finally couldn’t contain her confusion.

By now, Zhong Shenxiu understood: this boss’s power didn’t work on him. Relieved, he asked, “Who is Little Jiu?”

To his surprise, the girl brightened, her face lighting up with delight as she conjured two globes of red light. Like a child showing off her best friends, she introduced, “This is Little Jiu One, and this is Little Jiu Two.”

So that was it—the red light couldn’t affect him? But that didn’t make sense; after all, when he woke up this morning, he’d fallen into that bizarre childlike world. He’d genuinely felt his subconscious revert to that of a young child.

He pondered this for a moment, then decided to ask another question. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Wanda,” she replied without hesitation, distracted as she played with the two red globes.

[Ding! Main quest triggered.]

[Main World: This world-altering red light seems familiar—should you investigate further?]

[Quest Objective: Save Wanda]

[Quest Reward: Chaos Magic, +10 Spirit]

A series of quest notifications resounded in Zhong Shenxiu’s mind. Main world quest: save Wanda?

He gazed at the girl who hovered in the air like a carefree spirit, his mind filling with doubt. Did she really need saving?

Sensing his gaze, Wanda paused and asked in return, “What’s your name?”

“Lu Shu,” Zhong Shenxiu answered, recalling a certain “Saint of Mischief” from his previous life.

“Ew—that’s a strange name.”