Otto sat dazed in the snow, his right index and middle fingers pressed against his lips.
Why are people in this world so strange? And why did she kiss me and run off like that?
His lips pursed slightly, as if savoring the lingering sensation.
He drew his knees up to his chest, pressing his forehead to the ground, his face a mixture of conflicting emotions.
But I didn't feel anything at all, Couldn't she have kissed me longer?
Everyone said girls' lips were soft, but that fleeting contact gave him no real experience.
It felt like a kitten was scratching at his heart, a hazy sensation that made him want to try again. But when he looked around, the only companion Otto had was the pale expanse of snow.
After a long while, Otto exhaled, his breath misting in the frigid air.
"She..."
"Does she... like me?"
Otto had misunderstood. Though Sirin's actions might have stemmed from mere curiosity and innocence, how could a sensitive young man like Otto overlook them?
Feeling his face burn, he knelt down and buried his face in the snow.
His flushed cheeks felt the icy chill against the cold snow. After a long while, when the heat had finally faded, Otto pulled his head out of the snow.
Honestly… Otto patted his cheeks, shook his head, and flicked off the snow clinging to his hair.
His mind now calm, he stood up and gazed across the vast, snow-covered landscape at the towering spire that faintly emerged from the swirling blizzard.
Otto turned his back on the tower and strode forward.
He wouldn't approach it. The girl who had stolen his first kiss had told him to stay away.
If he remembered correctly, his own world also had such a tower, Schicksal's Babylon Labs.
The strange ability Sirin had used to instantly teleport them here must be one of the Herrscher of the Void's powers.
Sirin, Babylon Labs, the Herrscher of the Void.
Piecing these elements together, Otto wasn't stupid. He realized he must be in the midst of the Second Eruption.
More precisely, he was in the era before the Second Eruption had fully erupted.
'Intriguing', Otto was deeply intrigued. In his original world, the Second Eruption had ended fourteen years ago, while in this world, it was only just beginning.
The people and events here would undoubtedly differ from his own world's.
Still, he chose to stay far away from the epicenter of the Second Eruption, for he had only one life left.
With his soul now fused with this body tainted by Quantum Corruption, death would be permanent, with no possibility of resurrection.
This realization made Otto abandon any thought of helping Sirin.
Just as Sirin wouldn't abandon her vengeance for someone she'd just met, Otto wouldn't sacrifice his life for someone he'd just met.
He was no longer the lonely Otto, desperate for others' approval. He was the Overseer of Schicksal, surrounded by many followers.
"Good luck."
Amidst a torrent of unspoken words, only this heartfelt blessing escaped his lips.
Otto strode forward resolutely, determined to leave this place and find a way out of this world.
Then he got lost.
In this vast snowy wasteland, Otto initially found some amusement in crunching through the snow, enjoying the crisp, crunching sounds.
Otto estimated he'd been walking for hours, but the unchanging scenery bored him.
Schicksal Headquarters was full of fascinating things. He'd even discovered their version of Anti-Entropy's Schicksal Mecha, but he hadn't had time to study it yet.
Compared to all that, how could snowy landscapes hold any appeal?
He turned to look back, but the Babylon Research Institute's tower had vanished behind him, obscured by the intensifying blizzard.
Perfect. Now he couldn't even tell which direction he was going.
He'd been using the tower as a landmark to orient himself, but now he was completely lost.
Maybe I'm walking back the way I came.
Otto continued forward, but even in this alien world, the sun still set and the moon still rose. He used the cycle of night and day to estimate how long he'd been walking.
He'd been walking for four full days. Despite his body's Quantum Corruption, Otto discovered it was in a strange state.
It felt more like flesh and blood than Soul Steel.
It retained normal physiological functions, but without the need to relieve himself, minimal bleeding, and better mobility than his Soul Steel body.
Otto wasn't just blindly marching in one direction anymore. He was taking his time getting used to his new body.
As he walked, his left hand wriggled, instantly transforming into a girl's form.
There was no self-awareness; it was merely his palm changing shape, but Otto could feel the immense power contained within his left hand.
If his hand transformed into a whip, it could lash out a hundred times in a single second.
If it became a handgun, it could fire hundreds of bullets in the same instant.
Moreover, the transformed volume didn't need to match the original size of his palm.
In a flash, Otto's left hand morphed into a dozen tentacles, each possessing the strength to drag a ship into the sea. The tentacles writhed menacingly, as if they could devour the very sky.
"Heh heh."
Otto grinned at his transforming arm, then just as quickly, it reverted to its original form.
The grin was pure and innocent, like a child who had discovered a fascinating new toy.
But gazing at the snow-covered landscape and the snow-white thighs nearby, Otto lost interest.
It was as if he had no one to share his amusement with.
In this snowy wasteland, who could he share the joy of his transforming arm with? The snow-white thighs?
'Huh?' Otto stopped 'Something feels off.' looking in one direction.
There.. were snow-white thighs?
What the fuck?
Otto's face was a mask of confusion. How could snow-white thighs be growing out of the snow? Was this world really that strange? Could thighs sprout from the ground?
And those legs had just twitched. That gave Otto the creeps.
Still, he couldn't resist walking toward the snow-bound legs. Curiosity about the bizarre pulled him forward.
As he got closer, he saw it clearly: a pair of perfectly straight, snow-white legs rising from the snow, their feet clad in purple high heels.
Lowering his gaze, Otto could even see the curve of a buttock, wrapped in dark purple lace-up panties, where the legs met the snow. The round, firm shape was enough to set his imagination racing.
Even Otto couldn't tear his gaze away.
The stark contrast between the purple fabric and the surrounding snow-white skin was overwhelming.
Could I just pull on that lace, and this flimsy material would easily tear off?
Could this plant be luring men lost in the snow with its long legs, only to prey on them once they got close?
Remembering something he'd read about plants with similar properties, Otto startled awake.
He cautiously scanned the snow-covered ground, his left hand transforming into sharp claws, ready to deal with any danger.
But after a moment, no danger emerged. Only the pair of slender, beautiful legs twitched slightly.
Otto's gaze narrowed as he noticed fabric buried in the snow. Suddenly, he realized—
This was likely a person buried upside down.
After all, even if plants could grow long legs, no plant grew with high heels, panties, and clothing all attached!
Otto frantically morphed his left hand into tentacles, binding the beautiful legs. The remaining tentacles began digging through the snow.
He didn't dare pull directly, fearing he might accidentally rip the lower half of the body off with too much force.
The tentacles moved quickly, not only securing the legs but also rapidly clearing the snow around them.
Otto's eyes narrowed slightly, that strange throbbing sensation returning. Even with his left hand transformed into numerous tentacles, the sensation remained.
Otto clearly felt the smoothness and softness of those beautiful legs. Unlike Bronya's feet, these limbs were fuller and more supple. With a gentle squeeze, the tentacles pressed against the soft skin, the exquisite rebound sending shivers through Otto's core.
Yet the tentacles didn't penetrate deeper. If this was indeed a person, and given her recent movements, she might still be alive.
Saving her was the priority.
Digging her out was effortless; Otto had no reason not to act.
Soon, her upper body emerged from the snow, her dark purple clothes covered in snowflakes. Even her waist-length ash-blonde hair was matted with snow and mud.
But Otto could see the slight rise and fall of her chest—she was still breathing. There was still hope.
Otto wiped the snow from her face, but his eyes widened in surprise.
He recognized that face. He recognized the girl whose upper body had been buried in the snow, leaving only her legs visible above the surface.
Otto spoke her name.
"Rita?!"