Sitting on the boat and watching the burning scenery pass by, Shiro couldn't help but narrow her eyes at the Guide.

His level was obscure and so was his class. Hell, there wasn't even a boss sign next to his name which should have been the norm. However, this wasn't the case as all she knew about him was his name and that was it.

Thinking about it for a moment, Shiro decided to ignore it for now and focus on the next boss.

"Do you want to explain the next boss or is there nothing that we need to worry about?" Shiro asked curiously since Lyrica was silent.

"Mn? Oh there's nothing too bad about the next boss. You just need to make sure that you don't lie in front of him meaning you can't do feints. Like the last boss, there is a checkpoint of sorts where he will summon the court and ask the party three questions. If you lie about any of these questions, he will gain a buff. It's just embarrassing and annoying if anything. Though I suppose you do get a debuff if you lie. It's called the Judges Contempt and your movement speed is reduced heavily along with your attack." Lyrica explained before looking out into the horizon once more. Her eyes glossed over as alarm bells started to ring in Shiro's mind.

"Are you ok?" She asked. Noticing that everyone seemed to be looking over the horizon with a gloss over their eyes, Shiro glared at the Guide with killing intent.

"Explain." She demanded.

"They are seeking for that of which is amiss. A lingering attachment. Make sure they stay on the boat, or else they may never return." The Guide chuckled darkly as Shiro furrowed her brows.

"Then why am I not the same?" Shiro asked while making sure that nanotech wires wrapped around her friends. They seemed to be in a semi conscious state right now which caused Shiro to worry as they could fall off at any moment.

"Your will is strong. You hold many attachments but you accept their outcome. You seek the future but don't focus on the past. While you may dream of the past, you don't seek it out. Curious yes…" The Guide explained while glancing towards her.

A pair of cold blue eyes locked with hers before a mist seemed to wrap around the area.

"This transition was supposed to give a trial to those that arrive. Show them what they seek and if they ignored it, they had proved their will. However, you have remained steadfast, unwavering. You deserve a reward, a chance at a second trial. Would you accept?" The Guide narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean by a second trial? How would it affect the party?" Shiro question.

"It is as I had described, a second trial similar to this one. It will not affect the party no… When you complete the trial, we will have reached the Judge. Should you fail the trial, you may be lost in the river's of time. What will you choose?" The Guide smiled.

"What are the rewards? And what does the trial entail?" Shiro narrowed her eyes.

Depending on what he meant by river's of time, this could be a serious boon for her.

"As you do not seek the past, why don't we peer into the future? The Guide shows you the path and should you walk that path, you may stand before the Judge. However, what consequences will it bring to this raid? I do not know. But it may change this place. This is the sanctuary of sin, a place where people confront their demons. You have slain the guardians despite the limitations, your rage over the past is not one to be looked down upon. But the gods are now watching little one…The gods are now watching… They choose to tamper and they choose to wait. They choose to observe… and then they choose to answer... Do you accept this trial?" The Guide smiled as Shiro furrowed her brows.

'The gods are watching? They choose to tamper and they choose to wait… have they tampered with this raid? And what does he mean by they choose to wait… what are they waiting for?' Shiro questioned herself as she analysed his words.

From what she understood, her previous actions of bypassing the system has caused the gods to now observe her. She knew that as the age comes closer, more and more powers will appear. She had already notified one of the demon gods due to her interaction with his anchor, so it wouldn't surprise her if there are more gods making anchors in this world. What confused her is why they decided to tamper with this raid.

Thinking about it for a moment, Shiro decided to accept but she wanted to know the goal of this trial.

"What's the goal? If I choose to accept, what do I have to do in order to pass?" She asked.

"That is for you to find out little one. Now… I ask again, do you accept this trial by the gods who have tampered with this raid?"

". . ." Staying silent, Shiro looked up at the Guide.

"I accept."

Suddenly, a wave of fatigue hit her mind as Shiro held her head.

"Good luck little one. May the blessing of The Guides help you."

Gritting her teeth, she could only watch as her vision flicker before collapsing on the boat deck.

###

"Are you watching goddess? The little one has accepted your trial. She has decided to peer into her future." The Guide called out to the sky.

"Indeed. Quite a courageous one is she not? I suppose, one needs to be this courageous to be an Empress rather than a queen." A feminine voice rang out as the fire started to disintegrate. A night sky could be seen above the river as the Guide kneeled on the ground and bowed.

"Though I must say, the system is rather strict about her. The amount of things I must do to actually interact with her is quite numerous." The voice laughed as a graceful woman with long black hair landed softly against the boat. Her mere presence made one feel calm while her eyes watched over you with gentle warmth.

[Avatar of Nyx – Greek Goddess of Night]

"Let this be a taster for her before she comes to Olympus." Nyx chuckled before cupping her hand around Shiro's cheeks.

###

"Mn…." Groaning softly, Shiro rubbed her eyes before sitting up straight. Looking around her, she could see herself in a room of sorts that was decorated in a way that suited a small child.

"The hell…" She muttered. Upon hearing her own voice, her pupils constricted as it was ominously young.

Looking down, he could see that she was in a body that suited a 5 year olds.

'What the f*ck???' She cried out in her mind with surprise.

Quickly glancing at her system interface, she wanted to check her stats but it was empty. In all her three lives, there had always been an icon for the system. But this time, it was empty. Her vision was clear.

There was no system.

Hearing footsteps from outside of the room, Shiro turned towards the door.

*Krr…

Watching the door open, Shiro's breath halted in shock.

"Oh? You're awake. Was your sleep ok darling?" The woman smiled softly and picked her up.

Her hair was snow white while her eyes a deep shade of red.

Her facial features were delicate as there was a soft charming smile on her face that was filled with motherly love. However, despite the woman's charming appearance, Shiro was not charmed.

After all, it was one that she had seen basically everyday.

It was herself.

"Mn? Darling are you ok?" The other Shiro furrowed her brows with worry before placing a hand on Shiro's forehead.

"Hmm… there's nothing wrong with your body. Are you hungry? If you want. I can get your big sis Yin to cook you something. I know how much you like her food." The older Shiro smiled before walking out of the room with the baby Shiro in her arms.

Walking down some stairs, she entered the living room.

"Is little sis awake?" A voice called out.

Popping her head around the corner, Shiro could see an a.d.u.l.t version of Yin with an apron on while carrying what seemed to be a giant bowl of soup.

"She's just woken up now. She's probably hungry so could you cook something for her?" The older Shiro asked with a soft smile.

"Mn, sure. Attie and Lisa are coming back soon anyways so it's probably a good time to cook." Yin nodded before placing the soup down on the table.

While this was all happening, the baby Shiro sat there with a confused face.

'What the f*ck???'

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