Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough

Rhodes?

No, why is he standing so close?

Her heart was pounding, and she felt like a deer was running wild.

"Huh!" Ivina pursed her lips, blood trickling from her ears, and said nervously, "I... I just woke up, this can't be happening, can it?"

She instantly thought of the contents of various books.

Think about it, after the incident, once the female lead regains consciousness, the male lead will definitely do a lot of things, right?

Let out all your previous worries, and then shower me with love and affection...

Thinking of this, she curled up even more, but did not push Rod away; her face simply flushed red.

but--

Rod simply reached out and gently stroked her cheek:

"What are you thinking about? I was just worried because you were stunned."

Upon hearing this, Ivina's body stiffened.

Seemingly exasperated, her face flushed even more: "I wasn't thinking anything...!"

"Anyway, it's good that you woke up safely." Rhodes' voice interrupted Ivina's little thoughts.

"Hmm... Hmph." Ivina turned her head away with a hint of arrogance. "Rhode is very powerful, but this time, I also played a role."

"Yes, Ivina was very strong this time, and she will be even stronger in the future."

"You should cherish me."

Having said that—

Ivina's expression was no longer so high, but revealed a trace of inner shock. She reached out her hands and hugged Rhodes directly.

Her cheeks were buried in Rhodes' chest, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, rubbing against him, and at the same time, a rare, weak moan escaped her lips again:

"I really thought I was going to die when I encountered the Celestial Bow."

“I’m thinking that there are still so many things I haven’t finished with everyone. Not to mention building houses, or those things that are still a long way off, at least I haven’t gone on many dates with you.”

"Are you scared?" Rhodes asked softly.

Ivina didn't respond; her proud and aloof nature wouldn't allow her to easily reveal her softer, more endearing side. But after a long silence, she still replied in a sweet, gentle voice:

"Yeah, I'm scared, at least scared that I won't be able to kick you anymore..."

"Of course, I also regretted it a little at the time. I regretted that on the day you gave me the ring, I couldn't continue to satisfy my own desires."

"After all, what if you die without ever having done *that*, wouldn't that be a huge loss..."

"You rascal." Rhodes was a little taken aback by Ivina's straightforward honesty. "I will never let you come into contact with any dangerous situations again."

"Wrong, I'm already a powerful sixth-stage Ascension expert, of course I have to help you with your affairs!"

“If I stay cooped up in one place every day out of fear and dare not come out, then I’ve wasted my time leaving the Duke’s mansion.”

"..." Rhodes opened his mouth slightly, then closed it, resting his head on Ivina's head, and softly replied, "Mmm."

Chapter 182 Everyone's Love Balance

"That's all there is to it."

Ivina rubbed her slightly red eyes and explained to Rhodes what had happened after she touched the Celestial Bow.

"The previous generation of Star God?" Rod stroked his chin, and breathed a sigh of relief.

If this person appears, then the probability of Ivina being possessed is zero.

This old man, who was born with a love for entertainment, had a final wish that... was to pay off his sister's debt?

That sounds a bit unbelievable.

But he didn't care much about these older people.

He simply picked up a glass, filled it with hot water, and handed it to Ivina to drink.

Ivina held the warm water glass in both hands, looked down into the glass, and her reflection was mirrored on the water's surface.

She gently swayed, and her face became quite blurry in the water—

"Rhodes, when are we going to fight?" Ivina looked out the window.

In winter, especially in the capital, once it reaches four o'clock in the afternoon, the sunlight is basically just the last rays of its afterglow.

The crimson color seemed to be burning the earth, but the dark clouds would occasionally dim its luster.

"We can't wait. We want to wait, but it seems the witch is determined to fight to the death."

The unusual events of the morning made it very clear to Rhodes that since the witches dared to start spreading the contamination, they must have prepared a backup plan no matter what.

They are not fools.

That's why he can't leisurely waste time.

Rod slowly walked to the edge of the window.

Ivina's sanatorium was located on the upper part of the church bell tower, so from there he could see many scenes of the capital.

Although adventurers are of a much higher status than witches, they are essentially the same low-level combatants, making a living by killing low-level demons and taking on small quests.

Therefore, the infection that had contaminated the military headquarters like it had in the early morning was now faintly appearing in the streets and alleys, especially on the [adventurers] who had killed demons.

Military personnel are rapidly clearing problems from the city, their uniforms and armor gleaming as they move through bustling areas and remote alleyways.

Visitors from other empires watched with amusement as the empire gradually descended into chaos.

Everything seemed to be the last vestige of order being maintained before the chaos of war.

What exactly does Cecilia want to do? Actually, Rhodes had already figured it out after he returned.

She should have sought revenge on Lilith and ensured the divine sacrifice proceeded perfectly.

But she also surely understood that with the witch's remaining power, continuing down this path, even with the help of other forces, would not be enough to secure victory.

The Dragon God Empire only has one force left to help them, and Victor, who cannot be called a spy, was identified by Shirley this morning.

Therefore, their current goal is nothing more than to gather their last strength, attempt to rebel in the academy, seize the divine position, disappear without a trace, and then go to the next empire to continue plundering the divine position.

“We went to the military headquarters this morning to discuss things with the people there, and some things happened.”

"So, as soon as we got back, we started preparing to take action immediately, without waiting for other opportunities or to make our combat strength more abundant."

"The military leader we contacted is named Axel. He has already reported to the military commander, so both the military and the church will send reinforcements to suppress this group of rats who are secretly trying to seize the throne."

"The timing of the operation may be early this morning or early tomorrow morning."

"No matter what, we must nip this in the bud before the witch can react."

“Yes!” Ivina nodded vigorously. “Once we defeat Cecilia, won’t the Dragon God be our only enemy left?”

Rhodes' figure froze, a dark glint flashing in his eyes:

"That's not necessarily true. It's possible that once Cecilia is dealt with, this will be the end of it all."

"Maybe then we can live a peaceful and good life."

Having successfully plundered the first fragment of the Demon God's position from Cecilia, he had the opportunity to try to liberate the Dragon God, or rather—this was the easiest and most likely opportunity.

Once the Dragon God is freed and fulfills her promise to return Lilith's divine position, the crisis will be almost completely resolved.

Therefore, it is naturally the [end point].

"Anyway, just be good, behave yourself, and don't get into any trouble."

Rod took two steps, then returned to Ivina's side, reached out and gently pinched her cheek, shaking it twice.

"Ugh!" Ivina shook her head awkwardly, trying to shake Rhodes' hand off. "I'm still holding the water glass!"

"Then don't move. If you don't move, you won't get splashed with water, right?"

"You wretched Rod! It's all because you pinched my face, let go of me...! Ugh..."

"OK OK."

Rhodes tried to comfort Ivina, but at that moment, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"咚咚-"

Following the sound, Rod turned his head and looked toward the door.

Lilith's figure appeared faintly behind the door, and she called out, "Rhodes."

Of course, after Lilith knocked on the door, she didn't actually wait for Rhodes to open it. Instead, she lightly pushed the door open a crack and secretly glanced at them with her blue eyes.

Rhodes paused. "What's wrong?"

"Merrick is here. It's about time to make your move." After saying this, Lilith closed the door without disturbing anyone further.

Of course, Lilith would never normally be so timid. There is only one reason why she became so obedient: on his way back, Rhodes visited the shop that sells mechanical gods and bought the tail.

In other words, she's not avoiding Rhodes now, she's avoiding the possibility of being planted with a tail.

"Really, it doesn't matter whether it's sooner or later." Rhodes didn't pay much attention and turned his head back to say, "Get up, Ivina, let's start the pre-battle meeting."

"it is good!"

……

...

[Church Pilgrimage Courtyard]

This is the location where the church holds its daily morning assembly and where some worship activities are arranged.

This is why the central courtyard is extremely spacious, capable of accommodating at least several thousand people.

At this moment, Rhodes and his companions were surrounded by towering church walls, with only the sky being open, allowing countless blue threads to hang in the sky, reflecting the sunlight and displaying a bright and dazzling color.

This vast area was now occupied by only a dozen or so people.

There was a lieutenant general from the military, as well as a high priest from the church—and naturally, Valerie and Axel, who were leading them, were also present.

However, Rhodes was still the quickest to spot that figure—