CHAPTER 86: EIRENYSSA MEET ARIN

W–Was she... asking me for a date?!!!

That was the very first thought that froze Ron’s mind the instant his eyes landed on Lia.

Both Lia and Selene walked side by side, a picture of elegance and poise.

Lia wore a deep burgundy velvet gown that hugged her figure with timeless grace, the rich fabric glowing softly under the dim light. A gentle sweetheart neckline framed her collarbone, with subtle draping across the bodice flowing into a skirt that swayed like liquid silk with every step. The warm, luxurious color contrasted beautifully with her golden-brown hair while drawing all attention to her dusk-pink eyes. Gold accents adorned her gown, amplifying her natural radiance.

Beside her, Selene carried herself with her usual serene dignity. She wore a flowing gown of soft caramel, the silky fabric shimmering faintly with every movement. Delicate embroidery in muted gold and deep blue traced along the edges, subtly echoing the midnight shade of her hair. The warm caramel hue made her golden-amber eyes glow even brighter, while the understated elegance of the gown emphasized her refined poise—and the delicate curve of her pointed ears.

As the two approached, Ron stood utterly silent, staring blankly—his thoughts in disarray.

A low whistle cut through the air.

"Well, damn..." Jax muttered under his breath, unable to help himself.

Selene’s amber eyes flicked toward Jax, taking in his outfit.

"Jax, you’re on time... and the same color, huh?" she remarked, noticing how his caramel vest matched her gown.

Jax smiled with effortless ease, tilting his head slightly.

"You know me..! I always know what you’ll like."

For once, Selene’s confident demeanor faltered. A faint pink brushed her cheeks, and she turned her gaze aside in quiet embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Lia had walked up to Ron, who was still staring blankly as though lost in another world. She leaned closer, waving a delicate hand in front of his face.

"Hello? You there?"

Ron blinked, snapping out of his daze.

"Oh—oh yeah...!" he stammered, forcing an awkward smile. His face betrayed him, though, a light blush creeping across his cheeks as he looked at her.

Lia smirked, her dusk-pink eyes glinting with playful mischief.

"You like what you see?" she teased.

Ron froze for a second, then scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"Well... yeah."

The teasing smirk on Lia’s lips softened. She glanced away, her voice dropping to a near whisper.

"You too... looking good."

Both of them fell into silence, the air between them suddenly heavier, though neither knew what to say next.

Jax stepped in with perfect timing, clapping his hands.

"Okay, you two. Enough flirting—we have to go."

A sharp smack landed on the back of his head.

"Always ruining the moment," Selene sighed, rolling her eyes at him.

The group broke into laughter, the tension fading into something warmer.

Before long, they reached the academy gates, where a guard stood watch. After a brief check and permission granted, they walked forward.

Ron and Jax had already arranged a carriage, waiting with polished wood and brass fittings gleaming faintly under the lantern light.

"Alright, let’s go," Jax announced.

The four of them climbed in, the wheels creaking softly as the carriage rolled out. Their destination: the renowned restaurant, The Whispering Orchard.

As the carriage rolled out of the academy gates, a faint hum followed in the distance. A small bee-shaped drone buzzed quietly overhead, its wings glinting under the lantern light.

Far away, in the teacher’s residence, Zane lounged comfortably in his room. A large bowl of popcorn rested on his lap, and his deep purple eyes gleamed with amusement as he leaned back in his chair.

"Romance genre is quite good sometimes," he murmured, watching the carriage disappear through the window of his holographic screen. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Let’s see how the situation unfolds."

With a flick of his fingers across the laptop’s touchpad, the feed shifted. The live image of the departing carriage shimmered, dissolving into another scene.

The hologram now displayed a quiet chamber. Inside, Arin sat stiffly, lightning crackling faintly around his arm as though reacting to his emotions. Across from him stood Eirenyssa—Zane’s servant. Her calm expression and soft, deep ocean blue eyes contrasted sharply with the storm in Arin’s gaze.

Zane popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth, his smile widening.

"Now this," he whispered, "is going to be interesting."

Sometime earlier...

Arin Blake paced back and forth in his room, his brows furrowed and his jaw tight with frustration.

"What is wrong with this system...?" he muttered under his breath. "It’s been more than a week, and still nothing. No missions, no announcements, no progress tabs—nothing!"

He stopped near the desk, fingers drumming impatiently against the wood as he pulled up his status window.

"The heroine progress tab isn’t working either," he growled. "I’ve been spending time with her these past two, three days, but the bar hasn’t moved an inch. It’s like it’s frozen..."

His eyes scanned the translucent screen in front of him. His stats barely shifted—only the slightest improvement in speed, so small it didn’t even reflect properly on the display.

"Damn it," he hissed. "Before, with system missions, I was able to raise my power from rock bottom to where I am now in just two months. But now—" He clenched his fist. "Now I can’t even tell if I’m moving forward at all."

The lights in Arin’s room suddenly began to flicker, shadows dancing across the walls. His system window, once unresponsive, blinked back to life—but instead of clear text, it glitched, words tearing across the screen like broken code.

Arin’s stomach dropped. "W-What’s happening...?"

The screen stabilized just enough for one chilling line to appear:

[Administrator has descended.]

Before he could process it, a voice unlike any he’d ever heard echoed in his mind—calm, commanding, yet heavy with divine weight.

"Stand ready for my arrival, mortal."

His breath hitched. "W-Who...?"

And then he felt it—a presence behind him, so overwhelming that his instincts screamed in terror. Slowly, with trembling hands, he turned.

Floating in the center of his room was a woman.

Her silvery-white hair shimmered as though woven from moonlight, cascading down her shoulders. Ocean-blue eyes, cold and fathomless, bore down on him as if he were nothing more than an insect beneath her gaze. Her figure radiated an untouchable divinity, her very existence commanding reverence and fear.

Arin froze, eyes wide, his heart hammering in his chest. Despite the suffocating aura pressing on him, his thoughts faltered on one thing alone—

So... beautiful...

He could hardly breathe as he stared, entranced by her ethereal presence.

But Eirenyssa did not move, her expression blank and stoic, as if carved from flawless marble. The divine aura she released cloaked her in an unapproachable majesty.

Inside, however, her thoughts simmered with disdain.

Why... hasn’t my Lord already killed this creep?

Her eyes narrowed slightly, though her outward mask did not waver.

I cannot understand my Lord, Eirenyssa thought, her ocean-blue eyes narrowing ever so slightly. But if He commands, then I shall follow.

Her voice rolled out like a decree, cold and absolute.

"Mortal, I am the governor of the gift you have been given. What have you done with it? I came to investigate."

Arin blinked, stunned at her words.

"M-Mortal...?" His heart raced, and yet, a crooked smile twitched on his lips. So she’s the Administrator... and the otherworld-type heroine too, huh?

But the irritation in his chest boiled over. Weeks without system support, without progress. The so-called "blessing" mocked him every day.

Arin clenched his fists.

"I don’t know why the hell I’ve been stuck with such a shitty system! That damn guy or whatever gave it to me in the first place—and now, instead of fixing it, he made someone as beautiful as you shows up to fix it instead of coming here himself?!"

Eirenyssa’s expression didn’t flicker, but inside, bile rose in her throat. The heat in his gaze, the presumptuous tone, the twisted desire—everything about him made her feel unclean.

"Shut up, mortal." Her words cut like a blade, filled with divine disdain. "Your relationships, your strength, your very survival... all of it exists because of the gift granted to you by Lord Sylas ."

Her declaration struck him harder than any spear.

Arin’s face burned, half from shame, half from fury. "You—!" His spear flared into existence in his hands, golden light sparking along its shaft. With a roar, he lunged at her.

The spear passed straight through. No resistance. No wound. No sound.

Eirenyssa hadn’t even moved. She simply watched him as one might an insect battering itself against glass.

Arin froze. His body shook. Cold sweat drenched his back. The divine pressure radiating from her pinned him in place. The weapon slipped from his fingers as his knees buckled.

He collapsed onto the ground, stiff and trembling, staring up at her in mute horror.

Meanwhile, in the quiet of his residence, Zane leaned back in his chair, a bowl of popcorn balanced on his lap. On the hologram screen projected from his laptop, the bee drone’s feed showed Arin kneeling on the floor before Eirenyssa.

Zane tilted his head, crunching on a kernel.

"I mean... what the hell is he even thinking?" he muttered, eyes narrowing in disbelief.

Then, with a wry grin, he glanced toward the screen.

"Not that I can’t read his thoughts, mind you." He tapped his temple. "But really—his IQ is dropping second by second."

He gave an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head, before tossing another piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"Honestly, watching him is like watching a rock try to learn calculus."

But then, as Eirenyssa continued her cold, divine act flawlessly, Zane smirked.

"...But damn, Eirenyssa is quite good at acting."