Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough?

Chapter 38 I Admit I'm a Little...

The reason why "The Sin of Bloodlust" is so terrifying is not just because it drains the blood of its victims.

The fundamental, real problem is that it will drag those who are exploited into an eternal cage from which they cannot escape.

Yes, this is a mental barrier.

Once marked by [Bloodlust], Rhode will instantly be drawn into Ivina's mental sea and confront those terrifying mental consciousnesses—

Rhodes stood amidst this crimson, blood-filled storm of water, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The sky was shrouded in crimson clouds, while below, an endless ocean of blood stretched out, the world utterly fragmented into an abnormal state.

"This is... the ocean of the spirit." Rhodes' eyes swept left and right before finally arriving at this conclusion.

Moreover, the existence of such a chaotic and violent spirit is most likely due to Ivina's spiritual ocean.

But the question is, why was he pulled into this ocean of consciousness?

"hiss……"

Only the stinging and burning sensation in his body remained, constantly stimulating his nerves and making him certain that what had just happened was absolutely real.

And there's something else... He felt like someone was sucking his blood from his neck.

My body is gradually getting cold, like a dried-out corpse.

what……

He recalled Ivina's story and instantly realized—

"This is a world of skills she can't control." Rhodes' eyes swept across the mental ocean. "So this is what makes her skills so terrifying? We need to break through her mental world before she's completely drained."

"Indeed... even with my healing abilities activated, it probably wouldn't last more than five minutes, let alone anyone else."

but……

Boom boom boom—

From within the sea of ​​blood, like a giant whale churning in the abyss, a distant and eerie sound emanated.

In that instant, the waves were swept up, and a terrifying ball of red thread, hundreds of meters high, flew up and hung high in the sky—

But this thing is clearly not just a ball of red thread, but rather—

【Eye】.

It was Ivina's scarlet eyes.

The moment Rhodes opened his eyes, he felt as if he were being stared at by a god, and pressure swept over him.

"Rhodes... welcome to my world."

Rhodes stared into that crimson eye:

"What are you? Ivina, or the chaotic personality that grew out of her inner barrier to protect her?"

"I...don't understand, what are you saying..." The voice in the eyes was distant and hollow, as if it had transcended time and space.

"Then it seems to be the disordered Ivina."

"I am... Ivina. Ivina is me." Her eyes blinked for a moment, then opened again. "Why... did you save me?"

Rhodes held his breath slightly.

Is this considered a psychological interrogation question?

If I answer incorrectly, will I be permanently locked out?

"You...you can just kill me without saving me, or you can protect the town. Clearly, you don't need to go through all this trouble, you don't need to get hurt."

The eyes, filled with sorrowful mourning, poured all their negative emotions onto Rhodes.

"Hmm." Rhodes sighed slightly. "Of course I can't say anything like 'I like you,' after all, we only just met today."

"Then, why...?"

Of course, Rhodes would never say something like "completing the mission will reward you with three linked scrolls," nor would he say that he is a saint or a philanthropist.

In fact, from the beginning, he didn't have much desire to help this stranger girl; he only wanted to help her from a self-interested perspective.

but……

Her weeping truly moved Rod.

A pitiful, wretched child is struggling in agony.

She possesses the purest kindness and the most endearing folly.

Everything was something he considered precious.

The purpose of life is to find a few people who bring you joy...

Therefore, he was determined to save her.

Rod said calmly:

"Do you remember what Miss Ivina said this morning?"

"What...?"

"It's like you're calling me a perverted lolicon or something."

"Ah...yes, yes..."

"Okay, I admit it now, I'm a little bit of a lolicon."

brush--!

In an instant, the scarlet eye flashed with a terrifying light, radiating an overwhelming sense of excitement, and—

"Nausea……!"

"Disgusting? Well, there's nothing we can do about it."

"I can't go on... Rhodes, come on, let's fight. If you win, you can... go back."

Rhodes raised his arm and nodded:

"Alright, how do we fight?"

"Compared to creativity."

"Um?"

"From now on... you can imagine anything you can imagine, and defeat what I imagine, tear the world apart, and then you can get out..."

Rod was slightly taken aback.

【creativity】?

Is he competing with Ivina in terms of creativity?

That's hilarious...

Rodburn thought this predicament would be difficult, but it seems he was worrying too much.

The so-called vastness of the universe and the so-called fusion are nothing compared to the medieval level of knowledge that Ivina has only seen in nature the greatest calamities.

Moreover, even in this world, Ivina is far inferior to him;

How could Ivina possibly compare to the experience of facing the celestial body of the [Soaring Dragon God] head-on?

But at this moment, the eyes have already begun to act—

"Giant waves..."

The moment the voice in the eyes uttered the eerie word "giant wave," the entire ocean surged with immense power, and a wave ten thousand meters high instantly crashed towards Rhodes!

A crimson and damp power surged forth, seemingly intent on burying Rhodes here!

Boom—! Boom—!

The world seemed tilted, creating an oppressive atmosphere. Rhodes, beneath this giant wave, felt as insignificant as a speck of dust.

The sky is obscured, and everything will destroy Rhodes here;

But at this moment, Rhodes simply spoke calmly:

"Ivina, you can sense it, can't you? I'm being controlled within your mental ocean."

He gazed at the sky, as if trying to find her true identity.

Rhodes was certain that Ivina, as the protected individual, was watching him at that moment.

And that is indeed the case.

"I...can..."

Ivina's normal soul was floating in the air, unable to control itself as it watched this spiritual creation of the world;

She gritted her teeth, feeling devastated by her inability to control her body. No matter how she tried to shrink the ocean, it was all in vain.

She understood that her soul was fundamentally incapable of controlling her creations.

This is something she has honed her skills for countless years but still couldn't achieve, and it remains so even now.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

She frantically smashed the mental barrier protecting her, attempting to infiltrate the battlefield and destroy it all.

But there was nothing she could do... she could only watch helplessly as the war began and the ocean advanced toward Rhodes.

"Rhodes..." She bit her lip hard, her fingertips turning white.

She didn't know what her mindset was towards the person who had suddenly appeared and saved her, but she only knew that she didn't want him to die, and she didn't want him to die because of her...

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Her voice was soft and weak, and could not be heard at all.

Rhodes gazed at the crimson, towering wave and said softly:

"Whether you're watching, Miss Ivina, or not, please don't worry. I will leave safely."

His eyes narrowed slightly at the giant wave:

"Frosty Giant Waves"