Feeling the icy chill beneath her feet and the white stockings clinging tightly to her legs, Castorice hastily stepped out of the stream... followed by another "plop."
She hadn't slipped; her movement had startled several fish in the water. They whipped their tails and darted away, creating small splashes. Two of them accidentally brushed against Castorice's calves as they swam. In the next instant, both fish floated to the surface, eyes rolled back in death.
They had died instantly.
Cipher watched silently for a few moments. After pondering briefly, she bent down, picked up the two dead fish, and decided to take them back to eat. As long as I don't say anything, no one will know I caught them with my feet instead of my hands.
Castorice, meanwhile, had found a relatively flat stone on the bank and sat down. She removed her completely soaked high heels and white stockings, revealing her delicate, bare feet. Unlike Cipher, Castorice's toenails were unpolished, bearing only their natural hue.
After setting aside her shoes and white stockings and thoroughly examining her appearance, Castorice naturally moved on to testing her abilities. Just as Cipher had sensed her Trickster Authority earlier, Castorice closed her eyes, stilled her mind, and began to feel the Death Authority within her new body.
First was the ability to kill with a touch, already bravely demonstrated by the two fish who had sacrificed themselves. This passive ability was continuously active, but Castorice discovered she could actively toggle it on or off, and even amplify it, likely due to the System's influence.
When deactivated, she could touch others normally without causing instant death, allowing for normal physical contact. When amplified, the Touch of Death effect would radiate outward from her body, creating a special zone around her where all living beings would be subject to the lethal touch.
Next, Castorice raised her right hand, palm down. A stream of deep purple 'fluid' flowed from her palm, coalescing in mid-air into a strikingly elegant scythe.
To be honest, Castorice had always found scythes to be impractical weapons. Wielding one looked cool, but actually hitting an enemy with the blade seemed rather difficult. Whether she tried vertical chops or horizontal slashes, the scythe felt awkward in her hands, nowhere near as intuitive or convenient as a sword or dagger.
After all, scythes weren't originally designed as weapons; they were tools for harvesting crops. It was only through artistic embellishment in games and films that they became romanticized as such.
So, all things considered, such a clumsy weapon... even a cat wouldn't...
...use it! But that's exactly what she was using! Who cared about its combat effectiveness? Style was forever, and Castorice clearly wasn't lacking in power anyway!
Closing her eyes, she continued to focus. Deep within her Authority, she sensed a "place" and a feeling of profound reliance.
As if guided by an unseen force, Castorice extended her right hand and gently swiped it through the air. In the next instant, a massive rift tore open in the space where her fingers had passed. Visible purple gas—energy—leaked from the fissure, drifting outward.
Castorice immediately recognized it as the Underworld's "death energy," the purest form of negative energy in this world. Ordinary people who merely approached it would have their life force drained away until they died.
The other side of the rift was self-evident: the Underworld itself.
A colossal dragon cautiously poked its head through the rift. After surveying its surroundings, the dragon's gaze settled on Castorice. Though the creature uttered no sound, Castorice sensed a profound sense of kinship and dependence emanating from it.
Without a doubt, this was Pollux. However, this "Death Dragon" wasn't the one from the HSR game. Instead, it was a completely new lifeform created by the System when she acquired the Castorice identity.
No wonder the System stalled briefly when I drew Castorice, she mused. So that's why.
Castorice extended her right hand, and Pollux eagerly pressed against her. In that moment, Castorice clearly sensed Pollux's emotions, including thoughts of "Mommy," "I love you," and "Cuddle."
Castorice paused, then said, "I'm your older sister, not your mother."
Technically, Pollux's true "mother" was the System itself. But the colossal dragon was remarkably obedient. The instant Castorice spoke, Pollux immediately corrected herself: "Sister!"
Though Pollux had only been born moments ago, her immense size was staggering. Even the half of her head protruding from the rift was several times larger than Castorice herself.
If Pollux were to lick her, Castorice feared it would be like taking a full-body bath.
Watching this gigantic dragon act cute and whine affectionately in her mind left Castorice utterly bewildered. She didn't know what expression to make.
Moreover, Pollux's presence posed a serious problem: Castorice's Identity could no longer be stored in the System Warehouse.
Unlike Mydei, who could conveniently switch to an alternate account to show off with his "Sweep Through All Nations" skill and then store the identity back in the System Warehouse when he was done, Castorice's situation was different. Even if Cipher returned the Castorice identity to the System Warehouse, Pollux wouldn't disappear; she would continue to exist objectively in the world.
Cipher didn't know, and she didn't want to imagine, how Pollux would react if her only relative suddenly vanished into thin air in front of the newborn dragon cub.
"So, does this mean I'll have to dual-wield identities from now on?" Cipher muttered, almost in unison with Castorice. While multitasking had become second nature after successfully deceiving Aria, this sudden turn of events still caught her off guard.
Originally, Cipher had planned to draw the new identity, release it briefly to see what it was like, and then store it back in the Account Warehouse. Who could have predicted that once released, she wouldn't be able to retract it?
Wait a minute. The System had glitched during the gacha draw. Pollux had been born at that moment. That meant the instant Cipher drew Castorice, her fate to maintain two identities had been sealed.
"Fine, I'll just have to multitask," Castorice murmured, gazing at the 'adorable' baby dragon before her. A gentle, soothing expression spread across her face as she stroked its cheek.
However, now that she'd made this decision, she couldn't just let Castorice idle away in some forgotten corner, raising dragons for fun. After some thought, she decided to send Castorice ahead to Chaos City.
While Cipher, Aria, and the others continued their journey, Castorice could scout ahead, investigating the city's true nature. If possible, she could even stir up some trouble and boost her Fame along the way.
As for how Castorice would get there? Naturally, Cipher would carry her, using Divine Speed to race across the distance.
With this plan in mind, Cipher swiftly returned to camp. She found Feidric just waking up and immediately handed him the two fish she was carrying.
Feidric was still yawning when Cipher approached and offered him something. He instinctively reached out and took it, only realizing the slippery texture in his hand moments later. "Where did these fish come from?" he asked, utterly bewildered.
"I caught them by the river," Cipher said. "But that's not the point! Remember that Alliance map you bought? Can I borrow it? And could I have another Purify scroll like the one you gave me earlier?"
"But the problem is, there isn't a river within ten kilometers of our camp," Feidric pointed out, his lip twitching slightly. So Cipher woke up early and ran at least ten kilometers just to catch fish?
Is she really that desperate for fish? Feidric suddenly remembered Cipher's Catfolk heritage and understood. He placed the two fish on the ground, wiped his hands, and began searching for the map and scroll.
In truth, Cipher had run that far to avoid being disturbed during her lottery draw.
After receiving the map and scroll from Feidric, Cipher waved dismissively. "You start grilling the fish. I'll be right back!"
Meanwhile, Castorice was trying to wring out her white stockings, but even with her best efforts, they wouldn't dry quickly. Her high heels were in even worse shape. She would either have to walk barefoot for a while or waste another Purify scroll.
Theoretically, Castorice could wear Cipher's spare set of clothes, but then Cipher would have no explanation for the sudden disappearance of her original outfit.
While waiting for Cipher, Castorice turned her gaze back to Pollux beside her. Wasn't she just sitting on the stone a moment ago? Now, Pollux was gently resting her chin on Castorice's thighs, as if enjoying a lap pillow. Of course, Pollux was holding herself rigid, so Castorice felt hardly any pressure.
She wondered if she could shrink Pollux a little.
In the game's storyline, Pollux was a construct created by Castorice's younger sister, Polyxia, using the Death Titan's Authority. She died the instant she sent Castorice out of the Underworld, her corpse blocking the exit.
Later, Castorice encountered the Death Dragon. After a fierce battle, she successfully cleared the passage out of the Underworld. Reuniting with her sister there, she obtained the complete Death Authority and restored the Death Dragon to life.
During her ultimate move in the game, Castorice would shout, "Embrace Life, Pollux!"
Lost in thought, Castorice began experimenting with her Death Authority. A glob of deep purple liquid materialized in her palm. With her will, she manipulated it like putty, molding it into a palm-sized, plump, round purple Round Sparrow.
"Success!" It turned out to be simpler than she had imagined. However, the Round Sparrow was merely an empty shell. Castorice turned to Pollux, perched on her lap, and asked, "Can you transfer a portion of your consciousness into this sparrow? That way, you can stay by my side forever."
No further encouragement was needed. The moment Pollux heard the words "forever" and "by my side," she began trying earnestly. Soon, the motionless sparrow in Castorice's palm opened its eyes, tilted its head upward to gaze at her, and chirped twice.
With this arrangement, Pollux's true form could rest in the Underworld, while this adorable little Round Sparrow, carrying a fragment of her consciousness, could remain by Castorice's side indefinitely.
Pollux's dragon head slowly retracted, and the rift connecting the Prime Material Plane to the Underworld vanished. Castorice gazed at the small Round Sparrow in her hand, unable to resist tracing its tiny head with her index finger and gently poking its plump little belly.
This baby is just too adorable! she thought.
Just then, Cipher returned and tore open a Purify scroll, aiming it at Castorice's high heels and white stockings. Under the magic's influence, the dampness instantly vanished, leaving them pristine and renewed.
Castorice had intended to perch Pollux, the Round Sparrow, on her shoulder, but the tiny creature had instead leaped onto her head and curled up there. Well, this works too, she thought, shifting her attention to her newly refreshed white stockings.
She remembered buying clothes in Stone Pine City. Cipher had spotted black stockings, and Aria had asked if she wanted to buy a pair. Castorice had instantly refused, declaring she would never wear stockings.
Yet how long ago was that? Now, gazing at the white stockings in her hand, she felt surprisingly little resistance.
Perhaps it's true that "every beginning is difficult." Since Castorice first appeared wearing white stockings, technically, this is only her second time wearing them.
Well, that's just an excuse. The real reason is that from Cipher's perspective, Castorice looked utterly adorable in white stockings earlier! It was simply irresistible!
Castorice lifted her right foot, pressing her toes against the stocking's edge. Her arch stretched into a perfect curve as she slowly pulled the white stocking up with her small hand. She could clearly feel the cool, smooth fabric gradually encasing her slender, hairless calf, then her thigh. Lifting the hem of her skirt slightly, she drew the stocking all the way up. With a soft snap, a barely visible mark appeared at the top of her thigh.
Feeling the snug embrace around her entire right leg, she instinctively flexed her foot. From Cipher's vantage point, every curl and stretch of Castorice's stocking-clad toes was now vividly visible. Her entire little foot looked like a delectable cream popsicle, making Cipher's mouth water.
P.S.: In the game, Castorice doesn't appear to be wearing white stockings, but rather white high-heeled boots. Strangely, she has a white stocking garter on her right leg, while her left boot looks like it's part of a pair of tights. It's all very peculiar, so for this story, let's just assume she's wearing white thigh-high stockings, like those typically seen in cosplay.
P.S. 2: Pollux here is a baby dragon who coos and whimpers. She's intelligent, but not very bright—just adorably naive and clumsy.