Ahri raised her hand, and a firefly landed on her curved fingertip. Squinting her eyes slightly, she said with a gentle smile:
"Little child, do you see this tiny firefly on my finger? It is not a true soul, but a fragment that naturally broke away after a powerful soul dissipated."
"These are all memories from a being's life, the final proof that they once walked the material realm. Although... the living cannot see them, nor do they know of this."
"When a living being in the material realm dies, the powerful forces of nature strike the fissures between the two worlds. Through these cracks, their souls are transported here. After a period of gestation, they form into spiritual bodies."
"Newly born spiritual bodies have not yet fully recovered their consciousness. They have forgotten who they are and what they are meant to do. If they are left to wander lost in this world, they will slowly be tainted by the resentment here and transform into Spirits of Obsession."
"Of course, I'm not speaking ill of the Spirits of Obsession, don't misunderstand."
"To live again with a fixation that is too deep... is not a good thing."
Ahri raised her hand higher, puckered her red lips, and gently blew the firefly away. Her long, pink sleeves fluttered in the breeze as she continued with a beaming smile:
"My name is Ahri, and I am also a soul of this world. But I am a little different from them, and also different from you."
"I am a soul born naturally within this world. This world has entrusted me with a responsibility, and my duty is to lead the lost souls in the right direction, to guide them so they can find what they truly desire, to find their own way of life in this world... or to leave it entirely."
"So, little child, you have clearly already left this world. Why have you returned?"
Ahri held up both hands, pointing her index fingers first at her own eyes, then at Leo. She smiled. "I can see it. Your life force is limitless; you are very healthy. You do not belong here yet. You came here on your own, didn't you?"
Ahri's voice was that of a mature woman, yet it was incredibly gentle. Paired with her constant smiling expression, her natural charisma was off the charts.
Leo certainly had a soft spot for Ahri; after all, she was one of his favorite champions when he played League of Legends. Every time he saw someone say his "foxy gal's damage is like getting slapped with a wet noodle," he would jump in to defend her.
But he was still wary, afraid he might say the wrong thing and draw her unwanted attention. Yet, looking at Ahri's expression, Leo found himself blurting out, "I came here to become stronger."
After the words left his mouth, Leo's expression turned a bit awkward.
It's not like she hit me with her Charm ability, right? Why can't I control my own mouth?
But how could Leo know that this was one of Ahri's abilities? As a Spirit of Salvation in this world, Ahri's charisma was innately maxed out. Any being that saw her would feel an affinity for her, even the divine spirits of the Obsession faction. This was why, although her domain was the Spirit Blossom Valley, she could travel anywhere in the entire spirit realm.
"Ooh-ho~"
Ahri drew out the sound, placing one hand on her hip. Her long, beautiful legs extended from beneath her short skirt as she took a step forward.
"Become stronger? Hmm... you certainly have. Your soul is a bit stronger than the last time I saw it, by about..." Ahri made a tiny gap between her thumb and index finger in a cheeky gesture, winking her fox-like eyes with a grin. "...this much."
The corner of Leo's mouth twitched, and he instinctively recoiled slightly. This Ahri... her enchanting allure was completely natural. But the most captivating part was the hint of innocence and purity she revealed amidst the charm she exuded with every movement. Her allure was languid, without a sharp edge; it wasn't a deliberate performance. That kind of subtle charm was truly lethal.
Because it was precisely this type that hit all the right spots for a man.
King Zhou of old truly did not deceive me!
"You don't need to be wary of me. I don't care about your secrets, and I won't stop you from getting stronger here. As long, of course, as you don't harm the souls here or lose yourself."
Ahri stretched lazily, then dipped her body down and transformed back into her little fox form. She scratched behind her neck with a hind leg and looked at Leo.
"But you must be careful. If Thresh or Cassiopeia find you, they won't be as easy to talk to as I am. Your soul is truly fascinating. It's... delightful."
Leo nodded, indicating he had taken her words to heart. Then, he glanced at the time and realized he only had thirty seconds left in the Spirit Blossom realm.
"Hm? Why is your soul starting to dissipate?" Ahri noticed it too. Just as Thresh had sensed something was off with Leo, she could also see it. With her big white tail held high, she circled Leo elegantly. Her small, pointed face drew close, and her little black nose sniffed at him a couple of times.
"You're about to leave, aren't you? Wow~ You can enter and exit this world at will. That's something even I can't do. You really are amazing. Hey, little child, you still haven't told me your name."
"My name is Leo. I'm from Zaun."
"Zaun? Where is that?"
"It's a city across the sea from Ionia."
"You're not Ionian?" Ahri asked, a little surprised.
The Spirit Blossom realm and Ionia had a symbiotic relationship. It was because of the magic-rich land and the unique nature of Ionian spirits that this spiritual realm was able to connect with Runeterra. As a result, although Ahri was a powerful deity, she was also a bit of a country bumpkin when it came to the outside world.
"No, I'm not."
"How interesting. If I could, I would love to see the outside world too," Ahri said.
Leo's brow shot up, and he quickly replied, "If there's a chance, what if I take you out?"
"You?" Ahri paused, then shook her head. She didn't mock Leo for overestimating his abilities despite his weakness. Instead, she said softly, "Thank you for the kind offer, but this world will not allow me to leave. It still needs me."
"You never know," Leo said with a smile.
He remembered clearly that in the favorability system for the main Spirit Blossom characters, once the relationship level reached "Bosom Friends"—that is, after gaining 1200 favorability points—one could request combat support from the character.
In other words... like a summon?
If that was true, Leo might actually be able to bring Ahri to Zaun. If he really pulled that off... wouldn't he instantly become the king of the twin cities? Ahri was a genuine, powerful demigod!
However...
Looking at Ahri's favorability score, which was only at 1, Leo felt his composure crack.
But suddenly, a system prompt sounded.
[Ahri's favorability towards you +1]
"Then we have a deal~" Ahri no longer argued. Instead, she lifted a paw and placed it on Leo's pant leg.
It went up by one again...
"My time is up, Ahri. I'll see you next time," Leo said, looking at her during the final three seconds.
[Current Manifestation has ended!] [Calculating exploration value...] [Accumulated rewards being acquired...] [Calculating rewards for this session— Final Tally as follows:]