Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough

After all, she trusted Rhodes, and if Rhodes asked her to do it, it meant she had to do it.

It was precisely this pressure that forced her heart to become increasingly distorted.

Unbeknownst to her, her body trembled so much that her legs went weak, and a thin mist appeared in her eyes.

Her blue fish ears twitched at that moment, and her chest began to rise and fall as she breathed.

Why...?

"You don't want to do this, do you?"

"..." Clara remained silent, only tears dripping onto the ground.

"why?"

"No killing or anything like that..."

"But they will bully you and break your heart. They might even kill you if I weren't there."

"And if you don't kill them, you won't be able to awaken. If you can't awaken, we won't be able to leave this space."

"But, but you're here now."

Clara grasped at this straw as if it were her only lifeline.

Just like her brother, Rhodes, who shielded her from danger in various dungeons, undoubtedly became her mother and kin in her eyes.

She tried to rely on others to help her solve these problems, just like she had done in the past.

Naïve...it is indeed naïve.

But in the end, she really is just a child.

At this moment, Rhodes sighed softly.

There was no other way, or rather, there was only one way in front of him to directly solve these problems.

Ultimately, this is the child's last chance to escape, so why not let her escape?

The moment her soul awakens, Charlotte, the true goddess with a proud consciousness, will completely erase Clara's kind and innocent soul.

Therefore, the Clara that is now in front of Rhodes is actually a spirit that is about to die.

So, that's it.

“I understand, then…” Rod paused slightly, “you don’t need to worry about it.”

That's all.

As if frozen in time, the girl's sobs stopped abruptly.

She raised her head in confusion, tears still streaming down her face.

"what?"

"Adult matters should be handled by adults, right? You're just a child, so you don't need to worry about these things."

"Go ahead and run if you want, avoid it if you want. At least for now, I can help you solve this problem."

"But……"

"But what?"

"Don't I have to kill them before we can leave?"

Rod smiled:

"I was just kidding you from the beginning... These things are not a big deal. I can leave whenever I want, so you don't need to feel burdened."

"what?"

"What? What I'm saying is definitely true. I would never lie to you, would I?"

Rod's voice reached Clara's ears.

These words, like an order to release a death row inmate, instantly shattered Clara's inner defenses.

She lunged at Rhodes and clung to him tightly with both hands—

"Hey……"

The sobbing did not decrease but rather subsided.

It even gradually escalated from a soft sob to a loud wail.

Tears, like pear blossoms in the rain, soaked Rod's clothes.

But she still didn't blame Rhodes for deceiving her, or say anything like Rhodes shouldn't have said such things.

She simply buried herself in his chest, freely venting her emotions, and was happy that her soul didn't need to kill others.

There aren't many complicated thoughts... after all, he's just a child.

It took her several seconds to react, and she weakly and calmly cried out:

"You scared me! You're so mean..."

"Okay, I'm sorry. But anyway, there's something I need to ask you."

"Hmm?" Clara wiped away her tears and looked up.

"Stretch out your hand."

Clara's body stiffened slightly, but she still did as she was told.

"so?"

With the back of her hand facing up, her fingertips were incredibly delicate, appearing even more distinct in the sunlight.

Rhodes remained silent for a long while after that.

If Clara had been a girl who grew up normally, instead of a human form chosen by Charlotte, would her future have been more peaceful?

This thought didn't last long.

In a split second, Rod placed his hand on her fingers and gripped them tightly.

"From this moment on, your power belongs to me."

Rhodes' eyes were fixed on Clara, his gaze never wavering.

"what?"

Clara hadn't said anything yet.

Instantly, she felt her body twist and contort, her strength dissipating as she flew towards Rhodes—

Countless spiritual particles dissipated wildly, and immense power began to surge into Rhode's body like a tidal wave.

That's right, her soul is being absorbed by Rhodes, or rather, her [soul power] is being submitted to Rhodes' soul.

This was the only easy method Rhodes could come up with.

It's incredibly crazy, yet it's a very clear and straightforward method.

The spiritual world is, in essence, a false world constructed by souls. In other words, the strongest in this world are those who lay the foundation for its order.

As the master of the spiritual world, Clara's belief that her power can belong to Rhodes is true will make this possibility a reality.

but……

I believe this was actually just an initial requirement.

The real requirement lies in the strength of Rhodes' soul.

Because, in the end, the soul strength of [Clara] that was fused with by Rhodes will become part of his soul.

In other words, if Clara's soul was not actually pure, but filled with violent resentment,

Or perhaps Rhodes' soul strength is not even enough to accept everything Clara has, then Rhodes' soul will explode and be pulverized into dust!

This was undoubtedly a crazy act, but Rhodes remained calm, letting his souls continue to merge together.

His soul swelled wildly like a balloon, embracing and merging with Clara's soul. The stinging sensation was like needles piercing the soles of his feet, making his head throb.

Meanwhile, Clara's soul was constantly sensing the soul of the [host].

Countless slideshow-like images flashed and played in Clara's eyes... These memories were all Rhodes's personal experiences.

At this moment, one side was constantly in pain, feeling the expansion of its soul, while the other side was staring blankly at Rhodes' memories.

Therefore, time seemed to stand still.

But... that's clearly not the case.

The moment Rod absorbed Clara's soul power, the entire soul world began to erupt in a frenzy!

Heaven and earth are upside down and distorted.

Houses and school buildings began to collapse madly, and water like blood seeped from the ground, beginning to engulf the world.

The sun has once again disappeared from the sky, and the blood-red moonlight reflects onto this festering sea of ​​blood.

Hundreds of skeletal whales surged wildly from the ocean, converging towards the center—

Bones shatter and overlap, continuously building up the body of this new monster.

This is a monster formed from the resentment within Clara.

Like a colossal beast, its tens of thousands of meters long body was made of stacked bones, transforming into a terrifying monster.

It has scarlet pupils, ferocious teeth, and a massive body that inspires despair at first glance.

As it treads upon the ocean, every step it takes causes the sea of ​​blood to churn wildly!

In an instant, a massive destructive beam of light condensed in its mouth, and its overwhelming power pierced directly towards Rhodes!

Undoubtedly, it was attempting to kill the man who was about to change the world.

It must also stop this dull-witted outsider!

"bump--!"

The light beam hit Rhodes.

But he remained completely still.

The painless, mosquito-like bite made Rhodes casually glance at the monster.