In the early morning, sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting dappled rays onto the bed.
Sophia frowned, then slowly opened her eyes.
She felt as if she had a dream last night, dreaming that she was sleeping in the silent depths of the sea.
“How strange…”
She mumbled, pulling her thoughts back, and glanced at the two still-sleeping figures on either side of her, feeling it was all very real.
“Is this world… truly fake?”
With a hint of doubt, she snuggled closer into Li Andy’s embrace.
His breathing… his body temperature… his touch, all felt incredibly real.
Recalling her memories of living here before, they were equally vivid.
If not for the appearance of the two of them, she would have felt as if she had come to another timeline.
“Perhaps…”
Just then, Li Andy’s voice rang out,
“In a certain dimension, it is real…”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Sophia looked up, her sapphire-like eyes meeting his.
Li Andy shrugged; he himself wasn't very sure, so he didn't know how to explain.
“Grumble~”
Just as Sophia was about to press for an answer, her stomach suddenly rumbled.
Recalling last night, she seemed to have forgotten to eat dinner, only later supplementing with some blood and water protein.
She stared at Li Andy’s neck and shoulder, licked her lips, slowly leaned in, opened her mouth to reveal her fangs, and bit down.
“Hiss—go easy on me…”
Li Andy’s expression showed displeasure, but he still reached out and held her slender waist.
“Hmph~”
Sophia pouted playfully, enjoying her breakfast, and thought to herself:
【It doesn't matter if this world is real or fake, as long as the two of them are real, that’s enough…】
The rustling movements also woke Youxi beside them.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a golden-haired vampire feeding on her brother.
After a few seconds of grogginess, Youxi slowly curved her lips into a smile, resting her arm under her head, and lazily watched the two with infatuated eyes overflowing with love, as if she greatly enjoyed this warmth.
The gentle embrace was intoxicating.
So much so that the matter of investigating the sea monsters and rescuing people was temporarily forgotten by the three of them.
It wasn't until nearing noon, when the light outside the window suddenly dimmed, that the three of them became somewhat alert.
“Is it going to rain?”
Sophia frowned, looking out the window.
The dense clouds gradually swallowing the sky looked somewhat strange in color.
When she focused and saw clearly, she was completely stunned:
“Are… are those clouds?!”
“It’s not clouds…”
Youxi, beside her, gripped the thin blanket tightly with her small hands, her gaze equally shocked,
“It’s water, it’s seawater!”
A vast amount of seawater poured from the horizon, engulfing white clouds and flying birds.
Half the sky turned into an inverted ocean!
At the docks, this apocalyptic phenomenon drew everyone’s attention.
The air was silent for a few seconds, then some people began to question themselves, their bodies trembling from an unknown fear:
“Am I dreaming?!”
“Divine punishment! It must be divine punishment sent by the gods!”
Some believers knelt, praying and pleading incessantly.
Unease spread from then on, and the cries of some children tore through the air, further intensifying the fear.
Large numbers of people threw down various items and fled towards the shore.
However, the seawater was much faster than them.
In just a moment, it swallowed the sky, leaving only a faint glowing horizon line.
“Brother, what’s going on?”
Youxi felt uneasy and instinctively hugged Li Andy’s arm tightly.
Li Andy opened his mouth and replied,
“Perhaps those monsters… possess the ability to control Heart Source Heart Imagery!”
At this moment, everyone, whether outside or hiding indoors, stared intently at the sky.
Watching the sky of seawater rise higher and higher, pressing closer and closer, with the waves on the surface clearly visible…
Suddenly, the sky collapsed!
Li Andy’s pupils constricted rapidly, and he quickly shouted,
“Sophia, don’t be afraid! Our house won’t collapse, and we can breathe underwater!”
“Huh?”
Sophia was stunned.
But the seawater had already fallen, with a “Whoosh—!” sound, collapsing many houses.
Even the sturdy Jasmine Manor developed numerous cracks.
The seawater smashed through the glass and poured into the house.
Youxi promptly summoned the Sleepless Nun, who braced against the wall to protect the three of them, blocking the impact.
But the cold seawater still engulfed everyone.
Li Andy felt suffocated, knowing Sophia hadn't realized yet, so he pulled her close, and like last time, pried open her mouth.
With a gentle exchange, Sophia also recalled the sensation of breathing underwater.
Finally, this “abnormal rule” was embedded into the world’s operation.
The two separated, no longer feeling suffocated.
Youxi, who was still holding her breath beside them, also mimicked him and attacked Sophia.
A few seconds later, she too could breathe underwater, and slowly retracted her small tongue.
Sophia’s cheeks were slightly flushed; though she was naive and easily trusted him, her cognition and imagination were clearly insufficient.
A “simple code” for underwater breathing actually required trigger conditions, and the scope of its coverage was unknown.
Tsk, if only he hadn't been so infatuated with the bed, he would have had Sophia train her ability to control Heart Imagery earlier.
“First, let’s go find those Jasmines!”
“Since those monsters have this ability, their goal must be the Heart Source!”
Li Andy’s voice was muffled, but the two girls could still hear him clearly.
They nodded and, along with him, pried open the door and swam into the corridor.
At the same moment, a large number of merman monsters fell from the sky and quickly swam towards Jasmine Manor.
Li Andy animated various objects, but still felt their movement speed was too slow.
He looked at Sophia, wondering how to trick her.
But just then, the red carpet in the corridor suddenly twisted, pointing towards the wall beside them.
Li Andy paused for half a second, then quickly pulled the two girls and plunged headfirst into the wall.
“Pfft…”
The three landed in a meeting room free of seawater.
At this moment, the five Jasmine sisters were sitting around a round table, the scene in disarray.
Third Miss’s eyes were furious, and she slammed the table, scolding,
“Those filthy things actually stole First Miss’s power!”
Little Six was teary-eyed, clutching her skirt:
“Sister, there’s too much seawater, I… I can’t drain it all… boo hoo…”
The usually silent Fourth Miss looked at the outside, which had become an ocean, and reported,
“I’ve stabilized the central area of the manor, but the outer perimeter… I can’t manage it.”
Second Miss sighed deeply and looked at the three soaking wet figures on the carpet:
“Guests, did you sleep well last night?”
Beside her, Fifth Miss playfully winked at Li Andy, saying carelessly,
“Guest, I’m the one who brought you here~”
Li Andy frowned.
Indeed, these five Jasmine sisters could also use some Heart Imagery abilities.
They were called the “House of Witches,” likely for this reason.
“Monsters… so many monsters are swimming over!”
Little Six was so scared that she burrowed into her Fifth Sister’s embrace.
Outside the window, a large number of sea monsters swam over, densely packed, like a locust plague.
They completely surrounded the entire manor.