Anos accepted his fate, albeit grudgingly. The system, with all its quirks and oddities, had thrown him into an utterly ridiculous situation. Here he was, tasked with impressing a fiery, pint-sized teenager who seemed to have no patience for him. He stifled a sigh, glancing at Zoey, who was looking back at him with a mixture of annoyance and distrust.
Zoey turned sharply, her twin ponytails swinging defiantly as she crossed her arms. "Not a chance! He can find his own way," she declared, her voice laced with youthful arrogance and a hint of ice.
The old man chuckled, watching the exchange with an amused glint in his eyes. "Now, now, Zoey. What did he do to upset you so much?"
Anos blinked, genuinely baffled. Upset her? How? He'd barely spoken two words since entering the room, and they hadn't even exchanged glances until now. Yet, somehow, she looked at him as if he'd committed some grave offense.
Zoey let out an indignant huff, her small nose wrinkling in disapproval. "Hmph! Men are all the same. Can't trust a single one of them!" she said, her voice carrying a dramatic weight far beyond her years.
Anos couldn't help but suppress a groan. If it weren't for this absurd mission hanging over his head, he might have just walked away. But instead, he found himself forced to engage. "Alright, alright, little lady. Aren't you being a bit dramatic?" he said with a forced smile, trying to keep his tone light.
Zoey's eyes narrowed, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Who are you calling a little lady?" she shot back, her voice as cold as it was defiant.
Anos shrugged, barely managing to mask his irritation. "Look, I'm just here for the mission. Nothing personal."
Zoey scoffed, clearly unconvinced. She tilted her head and gave him an accusing glare. "And don't think I didn't see where you were looking when you walked in. Right at Sister Nora's chest, you pervert!"
Anos froze, momentarily at a loss for words. He hadn't intentionally looked anywhere inappropriate, but Zoey's accusation hit like a slap to the face. For a second, he considered protesting, but the way she was staring him down made it clear that any explanation would fall on deaf ears.
Nora, who had just placed a cup of coffee in front of Anos, seemed caught off guard by Zoey's outburst. She gave him an apologetic smile, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden tension.
Anos forced a chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood. "Really, Zoey? Jumping to conclusions that quickly?"
Zoey's gaze sharpened, her lips curling in a self-satisfied smirk. "I don't need to jump to conclusions. I know exactly what kind of guy you are," she said, her tone dripping with superiority.
Anos clenched his jaw, barely restraining a retort. This mission was shaping up to be far more frustrating than he'd anticipated, and he couldn't shake the feeling that the system had set him up with an impossible task, just for its own amusement.
Anos cleared his throat, trying to deflect the tension. "Hey, now, Zoey. Just because I looked in her direction while talking doesn't mean I was... you know. It's called making eye contact—it's respectful. Are you going to accuse me of every little thing without proof?"
Zoey's gaze sharpened further, eyes flashing with indignation. "Oh please, as if! You think I didn't notice? Men like you think you can get away with anything just by playing innocent!"
At that, a familiar ding echoed in his mind:
> Ding... Zoey's favorability towards you -5.
Anos inwardly groaned. This mission was quickly becoming a nightmare. He'd barely spoken a few sentences, and he was already in the negatives.
The old man, noticing Anos's discomfort, chuckled softly. "Don't let her get to you, boy. Zoey's quick to judge, but she means well... sometimes."
Anos forced a smile. "Of course, sir. No need to get too serious with a kid's assumptions."
Zoey, unfazed by the oddity of the situation, marched over to one of the youths and extended her hand. "Give it to me," she demanded, her tone commanding and unyielding. The youth glanced at the bowl of instant noodles in his hand, then back at Zoey, his face filled with reluctance.
"Wait, Sister Zoey, I haven't even eaten yet," he said, looking for a way out.
Zoey didn't soften her approach. "Either you hand it over, or I'll take it myself," she said, her voice leaving no room for argument.
"Fine, fine," the youth sighed, handing over the noodles, which Zoey took without hesitation and began eating.
Anos watched, surprised at how easily these older youths were deferring to Zoey. Despite their age and clear strength, they treated her with almost complete reverence. Looks like she's not just some brat after all, Anos thought, impressed by the dynamic.
"Hey, Sister Zoey, is Brother Matthew not coming with us today? You're leading us to Chillwater Valley, right?" one of the youths, Xander, asked, a grin on his face.
Zoey barely looked up from her meal as she answered. "Of course, I'm leading. Do you think I'm going to let you guys go without me?"
Anos almost laughed at how easily Zoey asserted control over the situation. It seemed like she had their complete trust, despite her age.
Zoey turned her sharp gaze toward Anos, clearly noticing the small smile creeping onto his face. "What's so funny? You think it's weird that I'm leading? Got a problem with that?" she asked, her eyes challenging him.
Anos quickly shook his head, his grin widening. "No problem at all. Actually, I'm impressed," he admitted. "You seem to have complete control over them."
Zoey gave him a half-smile but said nothing more, continuing her noodles with a quiet confidence.
Anos, intrigued, activated his Mythic Perception , expecting to see more about the situation. His eyes landed on the three youths, and he was surprised to see their cultivation levels: all three were at the Stage-One Elemental Foundation Realm. So, they're decent, but nothing spectacular, Anos noted inwardly. It makes sense, though. They spend their time in the Demonic Beast Domain, completing dangerous missions, so their cultivation would naturally improve.
Zoey, however, didn't show any signs of needing protection. The youths treated her with the utmost respect, which only deepened Anos's curiosity.
As Anos was still processing this, Xander noticed his contemplative look and decided to introduce himself. "Hey, I'm Xander," he said, offering a friendly handshake. "Nice to meet you, Anos."
Anos shook his hand. "Anos. I'm just tagging along to Chillwater Valley with you guys. You could say I'm a bit of a Loafer ," he said with a slight chuckle.
"Ding... Zoey's favorability towards you +5."
Anos blinked in surprise. Wait. I say I'm a Loafer and her Favorability increasing?
Zoey, still chewing her noodles, glanced at him briefly. "Not bad. At least you know your place," she muttered, almost imperceptibly smiling.
The other youths chuckled, clearly used to Zoey's straightforward manner. "I'm Knox. Nice to meet you, Anos," one of the other boys said, smiling.
"I'm Oscar. Welcome aboard," the third youth added, nodding at Anos.
Anos couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with the group. Despite Zoey's unusual dominance over them, there was no mistaking the bond they shared. They were strong, capable, and clearly respected Zoey. As for Zoey herself, she was far more than just a young girl—they might call her "sister," but there was clearly a lot more to her than met the eye.
.....