The Xyrin Twins before them, eerie in every aspect, made Qianqian grip Chen Qian's hand tightly, and the latter's palm was also damp.
But the twins did something entirely unexpected.
They stood at attention, their right fists striking their left chests. In unison, with voices tinged by a strange vibrato, they announced, "Xyrin Space Force Commander, Positive Space Whistler Asida, Negative Space Whistler Asidora, in the name of the Empire's Glory, following the command of the great Emperor, we come to heed your orders!"
The sudden development left Qianqian and Chen Qian momentarily stunned.
They looked at each other, and then Qianqian hesitantly asked, "Sister Chen Qian, what's going on?"
"I don't know... I've never traveled through dimensions either!"
The fact was that, two novices who had never crossed dimensions encountered a situation never mentioned in any travel novels—a plot where two seemingly domineering and beautiful twin girls swear allegiance the moment one arrives in an otherworld. Such a scenario was so outrageously fantastical that normal travel stories dared not mention it.
Luckily, this story was never normal from the start...
"Um... hello... which of you is the elder sister and which is the younger one?"
Qianqian cautiously greeted them. Unsure if otherworldly beings thought like Earthlings, she expressed her goodwill simply to build rapport.
"It's an honor to converse with you," replied one of the twins with a gentle smile, a girl whose left eye radiated a blue halo. "I am Positive Space Whistler Asida, the elder sister of the Xyrin Space Twins. This is my younger sister, Negative Space Whistler Asidora. We are assigned to protect your safety, noble Empress, until we reunite with the great Xyrin Emperor."
"What did you call me?!" Qianqian exclaimed, shocked. When had she become someone's Empress?
"Empress," Asida repeated with the same gentle smile, "You are the partner of the great Xyrin Emperor. Only you are worthy of this noble title."
"Hold on!" Qianqian interrupted her immediately. "I think you've got it wrong. I'm just an ordinary Earthling, not an Empress. I don't know your great Emperor, so please, leave!"
Though the twins might be powerful, and although the mysterious Emperor undoubtedly held overwhelming power, Qianqian refused to succumb to their authority. Having read plenty of travel novels, she already imagined various scenarios that might unfold. In her mind, she outlined a storyline she believed realistic: some arrogant and overbearing Imperial Emperor had inexplicably taken a liking to her, sent her to another world, and hoped to conquer her heart and mind with masculinity—an outdated ploy she had read many times on Qidian...
But Qianqian resolved that she would never yield!
Because, back on Earth, there was someone waiting for her.
Asida and Asidora exchanged looks. They hadn't anticipated this. Since coming to the Emperor's side and successfully opening a flower shop at the street corner, they hardly paid attention to outside events. Thus, they had no idea the Xyrin Empress they were tasked with protecting was completely ignorant of the Empire's affairs!
It wasn't their fault. The Xyrin Twins had unique personalities; their high mental synchronization led to unconventional thinking. They focused on a single task, often disregarding their surroundings. Apart from the Emperor's orders and the Empire's interests, the Twins showed no interest in other matters. Instead of dealing with tasks requiring low-efficiency information gathering, they preferred endless Mind Communication to pass the time.
Asida seemed to want to say more, but Qianqian shook her head firmly, "Enough said. I have a boyfriend, and that ridiculous Emperor has nothing to do with me."
Obviously, there was plenty to criticize in that statement, leaving Asida and her sister unsure where to start...
"I believe you need to know something. Actually, our Emperor is..."
Sister Asida carefully chose her words, ready to correct the Empress's logical fallacy. But her sister, Asidora, interrupted, "Alright, there might be a severe misunderstanding between us. But before anything else, allow my sister and me to protect you because this world is far more dangerous than you think. As Emperor's loyal warriors, we must fulfill our mission."
Asidora's words left Qianqian speechless. Eventually, she nodded, saying, "Seems we have no choice. But I still have no fondness for your Emperor, and when I meet him, I demand an immediate return to my world!"
If I were here, I'd surely be in tears.
In a distant swamp, a little loli with volatile tendencies appeared to be in dire straits.
Facing a tidal wave of disgusting monsters, Pandora's small face was cold as ice.
A deep voice came from behind, "Little sister, get out of there! Those Swamp Mud Dwellers are too dangerous!"
Pandora turned her head slightly. Behind her, about ten humans in heavy armor or robes gathered, all somewhat injured. The runes of anti-gravity magic on them were dimming. Once those runes faded, the merciless swamp would swallow them, even if the monsters did not.
Judging by their disorganized yet comprehensive gear, this was a small troop of adventurers who ventured into this perilous swamp hoping to make a fortune from a valuable magical beast. Unfortunately, their courage lacked matching strength and luck. An encounter with Swamp Mud Dwellers had wiped out most of their main combat power. If not for Pandora's sudden appearance with intense space waves startling the mindless demonized creatures, these adventurers would already be monster food.
Pandora scrutinized the adventurers as if confirming something. She turned back, her violet pupils devoid of emotion, coldly eyeing the massive, slug-like black monsters that stood three to four times her height. Under her gaze, those demonized creatures instinctively retreated a few steps, feeling primal dread as if spotting their natural enemy.
Indeed, they had.
Slowly floating upwards, Pandora's body was covered by flowing alloy Light Armor. Countless rigid, golden patterns hovered in the air, solidifying into massive rectangular metal boxes. Each box's end bristled with honeycomb-like openings, glowing a sinister white, while dark red energy circuits on the boxes' exterior pulsed like blood vessels.
From these metal boxes, which obscured half the sky, the demonized creatures felt an oppressive fear. Despite their fearless mutation, they found themselves unable to suppress their terror.
They didn't recognize these objects, but some power within them did.
They were facing a natural enemy.
Together, the demonized creatures arched their backs and spat highly corrosive black liquid at Pandora.
Though this liquid was a death sentence for adventurers, Pandora seemed unfazed. Her eyes flashed red, and she announced in a cold mechanical tone, "Eplorer-5K Cluster Particle Cannon, full attack!"