"If you do not fear the chill of the River of Souls."
Castorice's ethereal voice, tinged with pity, echoed through the room. The cold aura of death wreathed her like something tangible.
Luo Li's throat went dry, and his reason screamed a warning: Danger! Get back! This was the Battlefield Saintess whose touch meant instant death!
But just as he wrestled with himself, an emotionless electronic voice abruptly exploded in his mind:
[Ding! Special life-form "Castorice" detected arriving. All Heavens and Myriad Worlds Romance Assistance System activated!] [Initial quest issued: Gather your courage and boldly take Castorice's hand (time limit: 10 minutes)!] [Quest reward: Remove Castorice's "Death Curse," so she is no longer cut off by the laws of life and death!] [Failure penalty: The host will randomly forget one Honor of Kings hero combo (including but not limited to Yuan Ge)!]
Luo Li: "???"
A system? These things actually existed?! And what the hell was that failure penalty? Forgetting a combo was worse than dying!
But... removing the Death Curse?
Luo Li's gaze snapped to Castorice's hand, which looked soft and boneless yet seemed shrouded in an invisible force field.
Holding her hand could remove that damned curse?
He'd risk it! For... for Castorice to be able to-definitely not because he was afraid of forgetting a combo.
Luo Li took a deep breath, suppressed his pounding heart, and forced what he considered his most harmless smile onto his face (though it might have looked a little stiff and strange to Castorice).
"Um... Miss Castorice? Uh, Castorice? Could I... hold your hand? Just for a moment!"
Luo Li's voice trembled with the resolve of someone marching to his death.
A flicker of surprise crossed Castorice's violet eyes. She tilted her head slightly, studying this strangely behaved man from another world.
In all her long life, this was the first time a human had learned of her curse and, instead of fleeing, actually asked to touch her.
"Do you... know the consequences?"
Her voice remained gentle, but carried a note of warning.
"I do..." Luo Li looked ready to risk everything. "But I just feel... maybe today will be different!"
He tried to use the confidence the system gave him to conceal his inner panic.
He slowly extended his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly with nerves.
His eyes stayed fixed on Castorice's hand, clad in a delicate half-palm glove.
Castorice watched him quietly, neither moving nor stopping him. Like an exquisite glass doll, she awaited fate's decision.
At last, Luo Li's fingertips touched the back of Castorice's hand.
In that instant, the expected scene of life force being drained away and all things withering did not occur.
What reached his fingertips was not the bone-piercing chill of the River of Souls, but a... warm, soft sensation.
It was like the finest warm jade, carrying the faint warmth of a living person.
Luo Li froze, instinctively taking that hand in a gentle grip.
Her hand was small, her skin smooth and warm, utterly unlike the cold death he had imagined.
"Oh?"
Castorice, too, let out a soft sound of puzzlement.
She clearly felt the invisible power of the curse that had accompanied her for years, automatically drawing life from anyone she touched, quietly dissipate like an ebbing tide the instant the man before her touched her.
His hand was very warm, and that warmth reached her without any obstruction.
[Ding! Quest complete! Reward granted! The "Death Curse" has been removed from the target, "Castorice"!]
The system's notification sounded right on cue.
Wild joy surged through Luo Li. He abruptly looked up at Castorice. "Did you feel that? The curse... seems to be gone?!"
Castorice lowered her head to look at their clasped hands, her violet eyes filled with disbelief.
The taboo of a thousand years, the ironclad law that her touch meant death, had been broken in this unfamiliar world by this unfamiliar man?
"How... how did you..." A rare tremor entered her voice.
"Well... that's a long story!" Luo Li excitedly released her hand. To verify it, he scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on a pot of rather droopy pothos on the windowsill.
"Wait a moment..." He hurried over, picked up the potted pothos, and ran back to Castorice. "Here, try touching this!"
Castorice looked at the green plant, a hint of hesitation showing in her eyes.
In the past, every flower or plant she touched had withered and died in an instant.
Under Luo Li's encouraging, certain gaze, she extended her slender index finger and gently touched a pothos leaf.
One second, two seconds... the leaf remained green.
"See? It really is fine now."
Luo Li was so excited he nearly jumped. "The curse is gone-Castorice, you can touch things normally now."
Castorice stared blankly at her finger, then at the thriving plant. It felt as though a warm current had been poured into her cold heart.
She gently stroked the leaf, feeling the rough, real texture of life. The corners of her lips unconsciously lifted into an exceedingly faint yet genuine smile.
"How... incredible."
She spoke softly. Even the eerie quality in her tone seemed to have faded considerably, replaced by a relieved gentleness. "Thank you."
"Haha, you're welcome, you're welcome!"
Luo Li scratched his head, in excellent spirits.
Only after resolving the greatest threat to his survival did he have the presence of mind to consider practical matters.
First, he had to help this holy maiden from "Amphoreus" understand this new world.
"Um, Castorice, this is my world. It might be... a little different from Amphoreus."
Luo Li began serving as a temporary guide, pointing around them. "This glowing board is a 'computer.' Earlier, I was using it to watch... uh, learn about Amphoreus's story.
"This is a 'keyboard,' and this is a 'mouse.' They're used to operate the computer."
Castorice curiously examined these glowing "alchemical creations" covered in strange symbols. To her, they were indeed harder to understand than the Titans' miracles.
Luo Li then pointed out the nearby "bed," "chair," and "wardrobe." These were all basic pieces of furniture, and though Castorice found their designs unusual, she could roughly guess their functions.
As for the "window" and the "mirror" hanging on the wall, she recognized those, though she was surprised by their purity and the clarity of the images they produced.
"This is the 'bathroom.'"
Luo Li pushed open a door and explained, "This is the 'toilet.' It's for relieving yourself.
"This is the 'showerhead.' Water comes out when you turn it on, so you can bathe.
"These bottles contain 'body wash' and 'shampoo,' for cleaning your body and hair..."
Castorice looked at the gleaming porcelain and shining metal fixtures, her eyes filled with confusion.
Water came out automatically? No one needed to fetch it? Those fragrant liquids were even more refined than the scented balms used by Amphoreus's nobles.
Watching Castorice look so bewildered while trying so hard to understand, Luo Li inexplicably felt a little of the pleasure of raising someone.
"You've only just arrived, and those clothes you're wearing..."
Luo Li pointed at her magnificent, butterfly-wing-like holy maiden's attire.
"They stand out a little too much here. They're like... cosplay?
"That means dressing up as a fictional character. Would you mind wearing my clothes for now? Though they might not fit very well."
Castorice looked down at her dress. It was indeed out of place in these simple surroundings.
She nodded gently. "Sorry for all the trouble."
Luo Li rummaged through his things and found his cleanest cotton T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. "Here, wear these for now. I'll teach you how to use the bathroom..."
He demonstrated in detail how to adjust the hot and cold water, how to pump out body wash and shampoo, and how to turn the shower on and off.
Castorice learned attentively, nodding from time to time and occasionally asking questions. "So, the temperature of the water from this silver branch that makes rain can be controlled?"
"Right. This side is hot water, and this side is cold."
After some effort, he finally gave Castorice a basic understanding of how to operate these "modern divine artifacts."
"Then take a bath and relax. I'll go get you something to eat."
Luo Li considerately closed the bathroom door.
Through the frosted glass door, he could hear the faint sound of running water, along with slight sounds of fumbling as Castorice seemingly dispensed too much body wash by accident.
Luo Li leaned against the outside of the door and let out a long breath.
Everything he had experienced today was simply too fantastical.
His in-game wife had crossed worlds, he had activated a system, and he had even helped lift her curse... right, the livestream!
He abruptly remembered that his stream had suddenly gone black before ending. His fan group must have exploded.
He picked up his phone and, sure enough, saw countless mentions and private messages.
[Li Dog! Where are you? Fall into the toilet?]
[Holy shit, the screen went black halfway through the stream and he just vanished?]
[Did Yuan Ge get assassinated?]
[Don't tell me a vampire crawled down the internet cable and snatched him?]
Luo Li gave a wry smile. Not in the mood to invent an explanation just yet, he could only send a message to the group: "Guys, something urgent came up. Ending today's stream early. I'll make up the hours tomorrow!"
After sending the message, he listened to the pattering water from the bathroom and looked at the hazy, graceful silhouette behind the frosted glass, his feelings complicated.
A holy maiden from another world, untouched by worldly concerns, had suddenly appeared in his home.
From today onward, his days as a slacker streamer would probably come to a complete end.
(PS: Oh, what's this? 616 710 334. Turns out it's a mysterious code from a certain penguin!)