Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough

"Well, Cecilia and you will probably end up choosing the same thing anyway, so it's pointless for me to choose, since it's your birthday."

"That's true."

"Hmph hmph hmph~"

She looked left and right, her brows furrowed, unsure whether she could make a decision.

However, at this moment, Cecilia spoke up.

It's a cake shop.

"Hmm, what's wrong?" Rhodes tilted his head.

He glanced at Cecilia, then quickly looked away.

Kind of embarrassing.

Although it wasn't his fault, the idea of ​​her performing "that" in front of him was still a bit abstract when he calmed down and thought about it.

Or rather, Ivina's presence on his other side was the real reason he felt embarrassed.

"Shirley, that monster opened a cake shop in the capital after you died."

"Oh, is that so?" Rhodes was taken aback.

Of course he wouldn't know if Cecilia hadn't told him.

However, after she told him about it, he didn't question it at all.

Because Shirley likes sweet things, hates bitter things, and hates pain even more.

Moreover, she's essentially someone who only has a short attention span, so it's perfectly normal for her to casually open a cake shop or something like that.

Yes, it's an animal... not a human.

This time, Cecilia truly didn't speak ill of Shirley; she was absolutely right to call Shirley a monster.

Because Shirley is indeed not human; to call her an animal would be an understatement.

She is an unknown cursed creature, whose true form is a chaotic, twisted being.

It was only because she obtained the special ability of the [God of Souls] that she possessed an extremely terrifying ability to control souls, allowing her to freely possess other people's bodies.

However, her true form was already capable of transforming into human form after she had undergone seven ascensions...

The reason she still likes to possess other people's bodies is actually a kind of morbid curiosity. She only deliberately separates her original body when she is intimate with Rhodes.

After all, she was a germaphobe and wouldn't allow a dead person to touch her lover.

“However, she should still be a sealed beast in the Melanie Empire right now,” Rhodes pondered.

"It's hard to say," Cecilia shook her head. "She acts erratically; she might already be in the capital."

"..."

Rhodes remained silent.

If someone says she's crazy, he can accept it, but for Cecilia to say that is a bit unbelievable.

Compared to her, you seem to be about the same, right?

Even Shirley is actually quite normal to most people; she's just excessively cruel to her enemies and excessively fond of the people she likes.

Actually, not many people on the team disliked this unknown creature.

Because her emotions are so straightforward, so straightforward that she would use her body to split wildly to protect everyone in the team.

Yes……

She is the tank in the team.

Because of the characteristics of the [Unknown Body], she can contort her body to an extremely terrifying degree, making her quite insane in combat.

"I've chosen! This is the one I want!"

Suddenly, Ivina's voice drew their attention back.

At that moment, Rod also paused slightly, looking at the cake Ivina had chosen.

"?"

I need to take a break to work on my makeup exam.

I failed two subjects last semester because I was writing a new book at the end of the semester. I have to take the make-up exams these two days. I'll be studying tonight!

Chapter 147 I'm not a child!

Ivina didn't choose a strange cake; at least this cake had long been quite well-regarded during the Linlank Empire's history.

The reason why Rhodes and the others were slightly surprised was simply because cakes had become incredibly diverse among the fancy craftsmen in Linlank, yet Ivina was able to pick out the original version of the cake at a glance—[Star Tower].

This was made by the first Star God and was a gift to celebrate the prosperity and multiplication of his descendants.

Of course... it's also Lilith's memory.

Because her childhood was filled with nightmares caused by this thing.

After all, the character used by the original Star God to celebrate her birthday was of course her.

"That's it?"

Rod's eyes were fixed on the cake, which was covered in blueberry sauce and decorated with a few cute cartoon characters that read "Happy Birthday." He asked again.

"Mmm." Ivina nodded, gently touching her long silver hair, a little confused herself.

"I don't know why, but when I saw this cake, I felt that it was the most special one."

Ivina's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and at the same time, the ends of her hair were once again tinged with a light red, as if she had broken through the changes she had undergone before.

Her hair was dazzling, shimmering with a fiery, burning hue, and when it appeared at the ends, it was truly stunning.

She didn't understand where this feeling of familiarity came from, and her heart would beat unusually fast whenever she thought about it deeply.

"Gurgle~" Suddenly, Ivina's stomach started growling again, interrupting her thoughts.

"Huh?" A flash of scarlet ferocity crossed her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it, opened her eyes, and looked blank.

"You just drank so much blood last night, how could you be hungry again?"

Rhodes said, "It's probably because you just broke through last night."

"By the way, after you broke through yesterday, did you experience any unusual or abnormal conditions?"

"No, I feel more energetic, stronger, and I've gained new skills, that's all." Ivina shook her head.

“Is that so?” Rhodes walked over to the counter and pointed to the [Star Tower]. “Boss, this is it.”

The hunched old woman put on gloves and opened the display case:

"Okay, sir, please wait a moment."

After saying that, she started packing the cake for Rod and the others.

Exquisite blue box, silk bandages, wrapped around it one by one...

"So what new skill did you acquire?"

Rod asked again, then extended his hand and offered it to Ivina.

"A new skill? I can make blood imbued with magic explode, that's about it."

After Ivina finished speaking, she immediately took Rod's hand and played with it in her own hand for a moment.

Rod's hands were always ugly, nothing like her small and soft hands.

Although she was secretly badmouthing Rhodes in her heart, she became cheerful and lively, and then, like a giant panda, she held Rhodes' hand tenderly, raised it, and took a bite.

Her lips pressed intimately against his wrist, followed by a slight stinging sensation.

Ivina's teeth pierced his skin and began to suck his blood.

Blood was replenished into her body again.

And her throat was gently bobbing as she swallowed Rhodes's blood.

The crimson in his eyes grew increasingly intense, but his actual emotions were steadily calming down.

Having advanced three times... her aura is rapidly consolidating, and she no longer feels the weakness she had when she first broke through and advanced three times.

Rhodes stared calmly, calculating the difference in energy intake based on the degree of blood loss.

ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

……

After about thirty seconds, she finally released her mouth and left, her face flushed and her eyes glazed.

ten times.

The amount of blood she absorbed was approximately ten times greater than when she was promoted twice.

In fact, this was only because his attribute values ​​had already broken through to a considerable level; otherwise, the amount of blood she absorbed would probably have been enough to drain him dry after he had leveled up three times.

Rhodes' first reaction was joy, joy at Ivina's immense potential—the fact that she could continuously grow stronger simply by consuming his blood was, in fact, utterly shameless.

However, this joy quickly turned into a headache.

He needs to hurry to the capital to improve his cultivation level, otherwise it would be terrible if one day his blood supply couldn't satisfy her and caused her to fall into a state of frenzied thirst...

"Now that you've had your fill, let's go."

Rod had already picked up the packaged cake and waved it in front of Ivina a couple of times.

"Oh~!" Ivina's legs swayed from side to side, causing her waist to sway gracefully twice.

However, the petite Ivina's movements were not seductive, but rather cute and girl-next-door-like, as she wiggled silly.

Then, she took Rod's hand and walked ahead, while Rod nodded to the old woman and quickly followed Ivina's steps, leaving the cake shop together.

The door to the cake shop was pushed open.

The lively, noisy sounds that once filled the cake shop have once again disappeared from the quiet winter scene.