Chapter 4: Nanalia

“Take it back!”

Kang Jie wasn’t exactly a gifted orator, but his speech came from the heart and that was enough to rally a crowd.

Or perhaps, in that moment, people just needed a direction, a mission, anything to help them forget the pain of losing their homes.

And Kang Jie’s words became the lifeline they clung to.

Wu Xiaomi didn’t comment on the speech either way.

“Xiaozhi, hide yourself well.”

There was still a bit of time left before the laws and morals of the old world would completely lose their hold over these desperate survivors.

But a few days from now? Who could say.

With what looks like hers, she might not be able to escape fate straight out of a hentai doujin.

[Strategy mission starting soon.]

A notification box appeared before everyone—silver-gray with a metallic sheen.

Wu Xiaomi tried to touch it, and it vanished.

[Accessories distributed. Countdown: three seconds. Prepare for teleportation.]

Her ankle tightened.

Looking down, Wu Xiaomi saw a new anklet on her left foot.

Silvery rings interlaced and coiled around the lower part of her leg, like two snakes entwined in a dance.

Her already elegant, slender ankle looked even more enticing beneath the shimmering metal.

She now resembled a princess in chains, still bearing the remnants of her shackles.

Runes etched across the anklet whispered a tale of sealed hearts—noble yet fallen, sorrowful and alluring.

How awful.

Now she was even more likely to catch the attention of the local pervs.

Each person received a different accessory— some got rings, others necklaces. 

Bai Xiaozhi received a bracelet.

But in Wu Xiaomi’s field of view, her anklet was one of a kind.

Could this special treatment have anything to do with that witch?

[Teleportation commencing.]

Before she could think more deeply, the milky-white world vanished from sight.

………

“Wake up. Wake up!”

Ugh—my head hurts.

Something soft and fuzzy was brushing against her cheek—ticklish, but also… kind of nice?

She opened her eyes to see an adorably curious face peering at her from up close.

The girl had long cherry-pink hair and drooping fox ears.

She looked about fourteen or fifteen, dressed in a robe of white and soft pink—likely a priestess or shrine maiden, judging from the design.

So young, and yet already radiating the kind of beauty that could bring empires to ruin.

“Are you hurt?”

The girl gently supported Wu Xiaomi, helping her sit up against a tree.

Her head still throbbed faintly.

“I… I don’t know.” 

Wu Xiaomi was still dazed, unsure of where she even was.

“This is the Misty Forest. Lots of dangerous beast-faced tribes live here. It’s too dangerous for you to be out in the open.”

The girl frowned with concern.

After a moment’s thought, she reached out her hands.

“!”

She slipped her arms around Wu Xiaomi’s waist and lifted her up, cradling her like a doll.

Snuggled against the girl’s chest, Wu Xiaomi felt the softness and warmth envelop her making her head spin even more.

“You don’t look well. I’ll take you back to our village. There’ve been some problems lately… but it’s still safer than here.”

The girl gave a warm, comforting smile. 

It was the kind that melted away worry like sunshine after rain.

Wu Xiaomi didn’t know what to say.

Being held like this by another girl was… a bit embarrassing.

But she didn’t have the strength to resist, either.

Damn teleportation.

I hope Xiaozhi’s okay.

Left with no choice, she curled quietly in the girl’s arms and murmured weakly:

“Your village… problems? What kind?”

“It’s those horrible beast-faces again. They stole the Sacred Source Crystal that protects our village,” the girl sighed, troubled. “We need to get it back quickly.”

[Current mission: Help Harvest Village recover the Sacred Source Crystal.]

So that’s how you gain strategy points, huh?

“What’s your name?”

“Wu Xiaomi.”

“I’m Nanalia, priestess of Harvest Village, and servant of the Spirits of Abundance and Fertility.”

Nanalia curled her big fluffy tail around Wu Xiaomi, shielding her from the cold wind drifting through the forest.

The smile on her cheeks was sweet as honey, delicate as flower dew—refreshing and comforting all at once.

“There’s a scent on you… something that feels familiar. Like her blessing…”

The blessing of the Spirit of Abundance and Fertility?

Wu Xiaomi raised an eyebrow. 

She hadn’t heard of any grand divine figure like that.

Sorry, the only one I know is a perverted witch.

And she stole my little Xiaomi.

“Um… aren’t you tired?” Wu Xiaomi asked weakly.

Nanalia had been carrying her through the forest for quite a while now, without even the slightest sign of fatigue.

She looked slender, almost delicate like a strong breeze could knock her over.

“How could I be tired from such a short walk? And besides, you’re super light~” the little priestess replied matter-of-factly.

Even if she was light, it still didn’t make sense. 

A girl with no visible muscle tone was carrying her effortlessly through the woods.

Putting it all together— the Sacred Source Crystal, the beast-faced tribes, the spirits of abundance and fertility—

It became clear.

This world had magic.

Hope kindled in Wu Xiaomi’s heart.

If magic existed here, then maybe… maybe she could learn it too.

And if she could learn it— she might finally be able to protect herself.

Protect Xiaozhi.

“We’re here.”

Harvest Village sat at the edge of the forest, a quaint place split by a clear little river, where a waterwheel spun slowly over the current.

Beyond the trees lay an endless sea of golden wheat fields. 

Strange animals Wu Xiaomi had never seen before pulled plows through the soil.

Above a flock of sheep, a shepherd dog hovered midair— its paws stepping on flickering flames as it barked down orders from the sky.

“…Huh?”

As they entered the village, Wu Xiaomi was surprised to find she wasn’t alone.

That man from the white space— Kang Jie, the one who’d made the speech was also here.

In fact, quite a few familiar faces from Earth had been transported to this place.

“I see…”

So it wasn’t just her. 

Many people had been summoned to this world.

Maybe everyone only scattered across different locations.

But clearly, not everyone had her luck.

“Is this some kind of beauty privilege…?”

Envious eyes followed Wu Xiaomi as Nanalia proudly carried her straight through the village streets.

While everyone else was still clueless bumbling around like headless chickens, desperately looking for beginner quests—

Wu Xiaomi had already been scooped up and cradled by a cute fluffball and was being personally carried into a shrine.

Even in an isekai, do good looks open doors?

Wait… don’t tell me the fluffball’s into girls?

They say nine out of ten foxes swing that way…

Suspicious, jealous muttering swirled behind them like fog.

“This is my shrine,” Nanalia said cheerfully.

She carried Wu Xiaomi all the way into the inner quarters right into her bedroom and gently placed her on a bed that still carried the scent of her hair.

“Thanks…”

It wasn’t like Wu Xiaomi was trying to take advantage of her kindness.

She just… literally couldn’t move.

She felt completely drained, like her body had been hollowed out.

For some reason, she was the only one who came out of the teleportation like this— weak, aching, and barely able to lift a hand. 

Everyone else looked perfectly fine.

“I’ll go get the village chief. He knows medicine… Oh, he’s here.”

The wooden door creaked open.

In walked the village chief— a sharp-eyed middle-aged man, his gaze radiating calculation and cunning.

His presence instantly made Wu Xiaomi uneasy.

Something felt wrong.

“Nanalia, go wait outside,” the man said flatly.

“Huh? Okay~” Nanalia obeyed without a fuss, never suspecting anything.

She didn’t think the chief would do anything inappropriate.

But the moment she left—

The man walked to Wu Xiaomi’s bedside.

Slowly, deliberately, he drew the longsword from his waist.

Wu Xiaomi blinked, confused.

And then, without warning, the cold steel touched her throat.

“Now it’s just you and me—

Demon.”