The sound of rain pitter-pattered outside the window, drumming against the eaves as if the forest itself were trembling from the onslaught of the wind and storm.
On the large bed inside the house, a girl slightly larger than Eilris lay on her side. Her eyelids grew heavier by the second.
One side of her loose white pajamas had slipped off her shoulder, revealing a smooth, pale curve. Below her short, light-red skirt, the absolute territory between her hem and socks carried a hint of allure.
Her chubby legs were clad in black over-the-knee socks. One was pulled up perfectly, while the other had slipped down to her ankle, likely due to her kicking the blankets in her sleep.
The girl still possessed the memories of her previous life. She was Su Xiaoya, now known in this world as Sophia Omnia.
‘Emmm… I probably ended up in the world of Titan Chronicles: Star Wish because of that idiot Ai Lei.’
Sophia had transmigrated earlier that day into an open space not far from the house. Having participated in the game’s beta test, she knew she was one of the female protagonists—a Magic Swordswoman. In her memory, Sophia was supposed to live in the Arden Forest with her younger sister, Eilris. However, there was currently no sign of her sister anywhere.
‘Eilris is probably just a local native of this world, and I’m the unlucky transmigrator. How can a transmigrator interfere with the illogical daily life of a local monkey anyway?’
In her previous life, Su Xiaoya had the attributes of a little chef. Looking at this home filled with a witch-like atmosphere, she found that the kitchen utensils were surprisingly complete.
As she looked toward the oven, a flash of inspiration struck her. She took out flour, yeast, water, butter, sugar, and eggs from an unknown animal to create her very first decent-looking batch of homemade otherworldly bread!
After filling her stomach, she saved the remaining half of the bread for tomorrow. After a simple wash, she stopped thinking altogether. When faced with difficulties, the best solution was to sleep!
Zzzzz…
***
The sound of rain stopped at some point. Amidst the silence, Sophia suddenly jolted awake. She could faintly hear a subtle clicking sound coming from the crack of the door downstairs—the sound of a lock being picked.
‘Is there a thief in the house?!’
Instinctively, Sophia sprang up in an emergency response. She quickly grabbed the short sword by her bedside and ran downstairs, entering a combat-ready state.
“Sigh… What bad luck. It got dark shortly after I entered the forest, and this rain really came at the perfect time.”
Water droplets fell from the brim of the girl’s witch hat. Her clothes and pleated skirt were soaked through.
“Who goes there! A monster from the forest in the middle of the night! Give up your life!” Sophia lunged forward with a sudden burst of speed. Before the other girl could react, Eilris was tackled directly onto the floor.
“Ugh, ahhh!” The girl beneath her let out a delicate cry of surprise. Her brain was about to shut down.
Both Sophia and Eilris simultaneously activated their innate skill, Appraisal Eyes. This was a divine exclusive skill that locals did not possess, allowing for the rapid inspection of an enemy’s information.
**[Name: Sophia Omnia (Su Xiaoya)]**
**[Class: Apprentice Magic Swordswoman]**
**[Name: Eilris Omnia (Ai Lei)]**
**[Class: Apprentice Mage / Apprentice Priest]**
The atmosphere in the dim room changed completely. The previous tension and anxiety were replaced by a thick, awkward air.
“Ara~ I see. So it’s Ai Lei, my dear little sister~”
“You… You’re Su Xiaoya?!”
Ai Lei had been worried about Su Xiaoya’s safety; he was relieved she had transmigrated along with him. Wait… Didn’t this mean his “lucky break” had actually dragged her into this mess?
Eilris pursed her lips bashfully, perhaps due to their current physical positions. She spoke up flusteredly:
“I… I’m sorry. I dragged you into this, Xiaoya… There’s no point in saying anything now.”
“You couldn’t help that kind of thing, could you? Look, aren’t we both alive and well right now?”
Sophia slowly stood up and hooked a finger under Eilris’s chin. Then, with a teasing tone, she said, “Go wash up and change your clothes. It seems like little Eil had a really hard time today~”
Having known each other inside and out for twenty years, Ai Lei’s sense of crisis spiked. At this moment, she felt that things were not as simple as they seemed.
***
The rain had stopped outside. Eilris took the simple washing supplies from the house to the lakeside not far away. She shed her clothes and began to wash her body thoroughly.
Her skin, as white as frost and snow, looked like flawless white jade under the moonlight. Ai Lei looked at her own soft hands and then smoothed her cherry-white hair.
Everything before her eyes had previously only existed in fantasy, yet now it felt so real.
The white-haired girl lowered her head bashfully and touched her little buns.
‘They’re a bit small…’ Eilris sighed softly.
“It’s fine! I’m still young; I have huge growth potential!” She threw her arms up and cheered, puffing out her modest chest with full confidence.
“Pfft.” Unbeknownst to her, Sophia—who was hiding in the bushes by the lake watching this scene—curled the corners of her mouth upward. Her expression then turned into a mischievous grin.
After washing up, Eilris sniffed herself and felt she smelled quite fragrant. She then changed into the pajamas Sophia had prepared for her.
*Grumble…* The girl’s little stomach sent out a distress signal. Today’s physical exertion had been too much, and she urgently needed to replenish her energy.
‘Hungry. Need food. The baby’s tummy is thundering!’
She pushed open the door and saw that Sophia had prepared a portion of bread and a freshly made vegetable salad on the dining table in the center of the first floor. Little Eil’s eyes sparkled with tiny stars.
“Good job today. It really wasn’t easy. Hearing about your adventure just now made me break into a sweat for you~” Sophia said with concern.
“Seriously, thank goodness I remembered this map bug during the beta test. It wash a narrow eshcape.” Eilris’s mouth was full as she chewed, making her words slurred.
“Eat slowly. Don’t talk while you’re eating, or you’ll choke.”
“Got it!”
“Lei, go upstairs early and get some rest. I still need to do some housework. After all, this is our home. Before, it didn’t really belong to us, but now we need to tidy it up properly.”
Sophia’s form of address suddenly changed. This move further closed the distance between them, reminding Eilris of the little moments from their previous life.
She truly had to thank her. Eilris had once thought she was the only one who had transmigrated, imagining how lonely and helpless she would be.
Now that Sophia was with her, she didn’t feel so afraid of this strange world. They had the courage to walk forward together.
Furthermore, Sophia bringing her “master chef” and “housekeeping expert” attributes into this other world was simply divine!
Eilris was truly exhausted today. Although she still had many questions about this world, her eyelids began to fight as soon as she lay on the bed. She couldn’t keep them open no matter what…
***
“Good child, I am sorry…”
“The forest’s barrier was set up to protect you sisters. Please forgive me for being such an inadequate mother…”
“Go to the marshlands of the forest. Ann is waiting for you there. She is trapped.”
“Please do not underestimate yourselves. You are naturally the hope of the continent of Desoryn.”
“Head to Heliwood Town as soon as possible and enter the Sierra Temple. May Omnia be with you, and may the world bless you…”
In her sleep, a healing, gentle voice whispered constantly in Eilris’s ear, but she could only make out intermittent fragments.
She felt a strange sense of familiarity with this voice, but if asked where she had heard it before, she couldn’t say.
This was a vast, white space that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Eilris slowly turned around and could only see the back of a woman ahead. She had the same hair color as her and was dressed in the robes of a holy priestess.
The woman released a holy aura at every moment, and her powerful presence caused the entire space to tremble.
In a fleeting moment, after a burst of dazzling light, the back that radiated maternal brilliance gradually vanished.
***
The unknown woman disappeared, but Eilris remained in that white space.
‘I should still be in a dream. Though the space is unfamiliar, it feels warm and peaceful.’
‘Who was it? Why did she appear in my dream?’
Eilris wasn’t just a block of wood; she had already begun her analysis. In this game world, although Eilris and Sophia were the two protagonists, their early growth environment was essentially “hell mode” difficulty.
During the beta test, no one chose these two characters. It was as if the developers had specifically prepared them for Souls-like fans; they were immediately labeled as “not for beginners.”
Their safe environment was compressed within the Arden Forest. Outside, posters for a witch bounty were plastered everywhere.
If she remembered correctly, the captain of the Witch Hunting Squad was the pure and righteous Knight Princess, Christina Parisio. The Parisio family protection she carried, along with the anti-witch items bestowed by the Pope, were extremely troublesome—especially since they could temporarily nullify Divine race powers.
The key point was that, according to the game settings, if the two of them went to a major town in the early game, there was a high probability they would run into Christina. This was considered a major main story event.
‘Tomorrow, I’ll discuss our future combat strategy with Sophia.’ Ai Lei, who had just graduated with a master’s degree in his previous life, brought out the same determination he used when his supervisor assigned him a research topic.
***
The morning light filtered through the window and into the room. Sophia had used Eilris as a body pillow all night, her face blooming with a sweet smile as she smacked her lips in her sleep.
Eilris, who had long since woken up, had a dark expression. She couldn’t move even if she wanted to, and she couldn’t fall back asleep.
‘When exactly did she stick herself to me?’ Eilris had really been too tired yesterday.
The older girl in front of her held her firmly. Sophia let out unintelligible nasal sounds, her faint fragrance constantly stimulating Eilris’s reason.
With her heart racing, Eilris’s body gradually tensed up. Even through their clothes, the heat of the other’s soft skin was clearly transmitted.
‘In my past life, I never had this kind of development with a girl!’
His male dignity would never be trampled upon! He was a man who stood tall in his previous life; how could he be reduced to a girl’s body pillow?! Well, at least that was what he believed for now.
‘No, I absolutely cannot compromise like this!’ Ai Lei’s male consciousness once again occupied the mental high ground.
Eilris made a symbolic effort to resist, but it was in vain because a certain Magic Swordswoman had overwhelming physical strength.
With her cheeks puffed out like a hamster with a mouth full of food, she finally shouted impatiently:
“Let—Go—Of—Me—You—Brute!!!”
Sophia beside her finally woke up. She let out a yawn and said leisurely:
“Good morning, my dear sister Eilris. Did you sleep well last night~”
Once released, Eilris, filled with immense resentment, sent a silk-stocking-clad foot flying toward Sophia’s face.
It seemed that life ahead would be filled with many difficulties, in more ways than one…