2 Chapter 2: Sherine

Riven waved his hand, and a door opened before Zephyr. It reminded him of a certain teleportation gadget a blue cat used in anime.

Riven hopped off the chair and twisted the doorknob, pushing the door open. "Go…"

Zephyr sucked in a deep breath and punched his chest. The impending meeting with Riven's daughter filled his head with curiosity… and some anxiety.

'What kind of girl did this trap make?'

He stepped forward and the teleportation door sucked him into its magic. He reached a massive room painted in bronze. The epics in Riven's room couldn't compare to the ones found on this room's walls. The flame coming out of a dragon gave off a surreal heat. He shuddered to even look into the crimson eyes of the God Devouring Wolf of Norse. Riven most likely kept his daughter's earlier illustrations in his room as a memory.

While he scrutinized the arts, Riven's daughter emerged from the void. Zephyr instinctively turned around as though he could feel her gaze.

Whereas Riven barely reached Zephyr's chest, Riven's daughter almost matched him in her sandals. Unlike Riven, she was a beauty with a matching pair of royal blue eyes and shoulder-length hair. Her blue Arabian dancer dress showed her belly, which had strange silver marks. What stood out even more was the presence of a horn on the left side of her head, wrapped in a black cloth with golden ornate design. Clearly, the woman fancied the ancient Arabic clothing.

(A/N: Pic in paragraph comment)

Regardless, she was an extremely beautiful woman, one who could topple countries if it was a cultivation story. Riven's daughter was the opposite of him in every sense.

'Her mother's genes, probably.'

The woman pointed at something behind Zephyr. He looked back to see a canvas on which his face was drawn. The breathtaking detail of each strand of his hair gave him goosebumps. He never thought he'd see a brilliant portrait of himself. To say he wasn't touched would be a lie.

"You drew it?"

Another silent nod.

"What's your name?"

She remained hushed as if she didn't want to give out her name.

"Hello, can you hear me?"

The woman acknowledged his question with a nod.

"Can you speak?"

"She can't." Riven's voice boomed in his head. "Her name is Sherine."

"Ah," Zephyr scratched the back of his neck. 'How? Isn't she a goddess like you?'

Zephyr wasn't familiar with Riven's power or the powers of any real god. But carrying the moniker of god should give them the power to fix these faults. Really, what was the point of being divine if you were plagued with the same issues as mortals?

Riven gritted his teeth, the sound echoing in Zephyr's ears. "Sherine's mother gambled her ability to speak in the last Game of Multiverse… That wench deserves a thousand deaths. I want to strangle her. Arghhh!"

Gambling a daughter's speech might be the peak of gambling addiction.

'That woman is a monster.'

"Sherine is a pretty name," Zephyr said with a smile. He touched his portrait, which resembled a frail prince's portrait from the medieval era. "Can I take it?"

Sherine's cheeks dimpled as she narrowed her eyes and bobbed her head.

'Cute… So cute…'

Zephyr cleared his throat before he unconsciously made some weird expression. He wasn't here to creep Riven's introvert daughter.

Sherine stared at him as if her eyes could pierce through his calm facade. He was quite proficient at hiding his pain and suffering with a poker face. Yet it all melted before her innocent gaze.

"You fool, don't you dare covet my daughter!" Riven fumed. 'Just be good friends with Sherine. I'll give you as many women as you want.'

'This trap of a father.'

He had plenty of relatives who genuinely cared for him and parents who would give up their life for him. None of them acted like Riven. His protectiveness most likely stemmed from his inability to save his daughter from becoming a part of a gamble.

"My dear daughter." Riven made his presence known as he exited the void. "Your champion is this man. Zephyr Cyrus. Eighteen years old. You think he has what it takes to be victorious?"

Sherine tilted her head at Riven's introduction of Zephyr. She didn't need those details as she had observed Zephyr's life far more than Riven. In fact, she was the one who proposed the idea of Zephyr becoming her champion.

Riven cleared his throat. "Sherine?"

Sherine went along with whatever game her father was playing and nodded at her father's words. She joined her hands and closed her eyes like she prayed to a god above her. A small white board magically manifested before her as the painting brushes drifted to the board and began moving. Sherine's single horn emitted a golden light. An ethereal, almost divine air surrounded her.

Zephyr watched in awe as the painting finished itself. A knight stood in a dark cave stared up at a giant dragon in the sky and the numerous small ones behind it.

"Nice weapon." Zephyr praised the massive great sword in the knight's eyes. "I always loved these heavy weapons."

"That's you, Fool," Riven said with a blank stare. "Sherine's divinity can peer into the future. She inherited it from her mother… the Dragon of Fate."

Sherine's mother was the leader of dragons. The ever-greedy race which refused to learn from their past. As much as Sherine despised her mother, she never stopped using the power she inherited from her mother.

Why should she cripple herself in the greatest competition among gods?

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, WAIT!" Zephyr interrupted Riven. "Will I fight that humongous thing?! Am fucking dying again… Riven, you better give me a dragon-slaying weapon before you send me to some unknown world."

"That will have to wait until you get strong enough to wield them," Riven said. "First, choose a world from these."

Riven snapped his finger, and a hologram-like menu appeared before Zephyr.

[Worlds under Riven Fae's Domain]

[Hydralae: A world plagued by a powerful curse known as 'Brood.' Kingdoms are shattered and civilization is collapsing. Only the sorcerers and witches have the might to contest against the devouring armies of brood.]

[Current Chosen One — The Golden Siren Annalise]

Source of Power - God of Wealth Reya]

[Current Overlord — The Brood Queen Olgath

Source of Power - Outer God Blood Moon]

[Soul Limit: Lord Rank]

"Chosen One? Is that… the protagonist of the world? This Overlord Brood Queen is the antagonist. Typical bitch out for world domination?"

"Yes, indeed. The world itself creates these individuals to fight against the invasion, the Brood Queen in this case. The will of the world gave birth to a pantheon of local gods and heroes to stop the outer gods from messing with its land. You got that?"

Zephyr carefully listened to the 'rules' of the world with a frown. "Will I be considered an invader?"

If the world had a consciousness like Riven said, it wouldn't take his presence lightly.

Riven's mouth curled in a twisted grin. "You are sharper than I assumed. Yes, you will be marked as a threat by the world. It will send its apostles to remove you. If that doesn't work, it will create heroes to deal with you! It will do everything in its power to remove the invader."

Riven put his hands on his hips and laughed like a villain. Sherine glared at her father's ill behavior with a deep frown.

"You asshole," Zephyr cursed under his breath. "You are using the world's wrath to train me."

Being alone in a huge new world was unnerving already. Now he had to fight the troubles the world created for him.

Wasn't it too unfair?

"Prrrrecisely. Sloth creates demons and chaos creates heroes," Riven said, grinning from ear to ear. "I want you to push your body hard and unlock your full potential. I have prepared an artifact if, by any chance the world's threats grew far stronger than you two can handle. I hope it doesn't come to that."

"That's reassur—what do you mean by you two?" Zephyr glanced at Sherine. "Is she—"

Sherine confirmed his doubt with a small nod.

"The world will limit her soul to Lord-Rank. Her physical strength will remain top-notch. She will be a great help."

Having Sherine's company somewhat soothed Zephyr's troubled mind. Riven wouldn't throw his precious daughter without a safety measure. Of course, her strength would greatly assist him.

"I'll start the divinity sharing process," Riven said as his cheeks flushed. "T-Take off your clothes."

"..."

Sherine slapped her father, and the shockwave alone blew all the papers away. The five red fingers marked on Riven's smooth face was enough proof of the extraordinary strength packed in Sherine's thin arms.

The father and daughter truly shared a unique relationship.