We Have a Deal

Ahri raised her hand, and a firefly landed on her curved fingertip. She narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled.

"Kid, see this tiny firefly on my fingertip? It isn't a real soul, but a fragment naturally broken off from a powerful soul after it dissipated."

"These are memories from when certain beings were alive, and the last proof that they once walked the Material Realm. Though the living can neither see them nor know about this, of course."

"When creatures in the Material Realm die, the powerful forces of nature batter the rift between the two realms. Through that fissure, their souls are carried here. After being nurtured for a while, they form into spirits.

"Newly born spirits can't fully recover their consciousness yet. They forget who they are and what they're supposed to do. And if they're left to wander this world for too long, they'll gradually be tainted by its resentment and become Akana."

"Of course, I'm not saying anything bad about the Akana, so don't misunderstand."

"Getting a second life while clinging too tightly to the past isn't a good thing."

Ahri lifted her hand higher and pursed her lips. She blew the firefly away, her rosy sleeve fluttering in the breeze, then continued with a beaming smile.

"Me, I'm called Ahri. I'm a soul in this world, too, but I'm not quite like them, and I'm not like you, either.

"I was Naturally Born in this world. It entrusted me with a responsibility: guiding lost souls in the right direction, helping them find what they truly want and discover their own way of living in this world—or helping them leave it."

"So, kid, you've already left this world. Why did you come back?"

Ahri held up both hands, pointed her index fingers at her eyes, then at Li Ke, and smiled. "I can tell your life force is boundless, and you're healthy. You don't belong here yet. You came here on your own, right?"

Ahri asked Li Ke in a genuinely mature, gentle voice. Combined with her ever-present smile, her warmth was off the charts.

Li Ke did like Ahri. After all, when he played League of Legends, Ahri was one of his favorite champions.

Whenever he saw someone say that Ahri's damage was like a tickle, Li Ke would argue with them and defend her.

But Li Ke was still wary. He was afraid of saying something wrong and drawing Ahri's attention. Yet looking at her expression, he found himself answering without thinking. "I came here to get stronger."

As soon as he said it, Li Ke's expression turned a little awkward.

Hadn't Ahri even used her E Skill on him?

So why couldn't he keep his mouth shut?

But how could Li Ke have known that this was one of Ahri's abilities? As the Spirit of Salvation of this world, Ahri had been born with her charm maxed out. Anyone who saw her felt warmly toward her, even the Deities among the Akana.

That was why, although Ahri's territory was Lotus Valley, she could go anywhere in the Soul Blossom.

"Oh?"

Ahri drew out the sound, set one hand on her hip, and stepped forward, her long, shapely legs emerging from beneath her short skirt.

"Getting stronger? Mm. You have, actually. Your soul's stronger than when I last saw it by about this much." Ahri held her thumb and index finger a tiny distance apart in a teasing gesture, then smiled with her foxlike eyes. "Just a smidge."

Li Ke's mouth twitched, and he leaned back a little. Ahri's seductive charm came naturally, but what made her most alluring was the innocence and purity she revealed as she moved. Her allure was languid, not sharp; it wasn't deliberate or ostentatious. It was devastating.

Because that was exactly the kind of thing that got to men.

King Zhou hadn't lied to me!

"Don't be wary of me. I don't care about your secrets, and I won't stop you from getting stronger here. Just don't hurt the souls here or lose yourself, all right?"

Ahri stretched, then lowered herself and transformed into a Little Fox again. She scratched her neck with a hind leg and looked at Li Ke.

"But you'd better be careful. If Thresh or Cassiopeia finds you, they won't be as easygoing as I am. Your soul really is fascinating. It's delightful."

Li Ke nodded to show he'd keep her warning in mind. Then he checked the time and saw that he had only thirty seconds left in the Soul Blossom.

"Huh? Why is your soul starting to dissipate?" Ahri had noticed, just as Thresh had realized something was wrong with Li Ke before her. She held her snow-white tail high and circled him gracefully. Her little head drew close, its pointed face tilted toward him, and her small black nose sniffed him twice.

"You're leaving, aren't you? Wow, you can come and go from this world whenever you want. Even I can't do that. You really are fascinating. Hey, kid, you still haven't told me your name."

"My name's Li Ke. I'm a Zaunite."

"Zaun? Where's that?"

"A city across the sea from Ionia."

"You're not Ionian?" Ahri asked in surprise.

The Soul Blossom and Ionia were essentially intertwined. It was only thanks to the Spirit of Ionia that the Soul Blossom, this Mental Realm World, could connect with Runeterra on that magic-rich land.

So although Ahri was a powerful Deity, she was also a Country Bumpkin.

"No."

"How interesting. If I could, I'd like to see the outside world, too," Ahri said.

Li Ke raised an eyebrow and quickly replied, "If there's a chance, how about I take you out?"

"You?" Ahri paused, then shook her head. She didn't mock Li Ke for being weak or for overestimating himself. Instead, she said softly, "Thank you, but this world won't let me leave. It still needs me."

"Who knows?" Li Ke said with a smile.

Li Ke remembered clearly that in the Soul Blossom event, once a character's affinity reached Life and Death Friendship—that was, after he'd earned 1,200 affinity points—he could request that character's help in battle.

Was that like a summon?

If so, maybe Li Ke really could bring Ahri to Zaun.

If he actually managed it, wouldn't Li Ke become the King of Two Cities?

Ahri was a genuine Strong Demigod!

But...

Looking at Ahri's affinity score of just one, Li Ke couldn't help feeling a little exasperated.

Then, suddenly, the system notification sounded.

[Ahri's affinity toward you +1]

"So we have a deal~" Ahri stopped arguing and raised a paw to rest it on Li Ke's pant leg.

It went up by one more point.

"My time's up, Ahri. See you next time."

With three seconds left, Li Ke looked at Ahri and said.

[This Advent has ended!]

[Calculating exploration points.]

[Claiming cumulative rewards]

[Calculating rewards for this Advent—

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