Is it Wrong to Copy Abilities in Apocalypse?

Chapter 99: CHAPTER 98 - Ridha Negi.

00:02, 15 July, 20XY.

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.

[The Flame of Wars is huffing in anger.]

Under the starry sky, filled with multicolored stars that sprinkled dim light upon the world, making it so that it never goes completely dark, sat a girl with coffee-colored hair sitting on a piece of debris, staring up at the sky with a thoughtful look, when a notification flashed in front of her eyes.

Her bright orange eyes shone with intrigue as she saw the message of her contracted goddess.

She was already used to this god's antics, as she knew what kind of goddess she had contracted with.

"What got you all grumpy, dear goddess?"

The girl questioned with a smile, respect audible in her voice as she broke out from her thoughts about a certain someone with cold golden eyes.

[The Flame of Wars is saying that he was arrogant.]

The girl, Ridha Negi, frowned at her goddess's words.

"He? Who are you talk—wait!"

She didn't understand what the goddess was talking about before something clicked in her mind.

Her eyes quivered as she thought about that possibility.

"A-Are you saying t-that you met him?"

Her lips trembled as she gulped in a mouthful of saliva, nervousness gripping her heart.

The one she was talking about was, of course, Alex, the only person who stepped forward when she was going to face something she never imagined, even in the worst of her nightmares.

It was a heart-wrenching experience for her, a situation where she just wanted to die, but the creatures that had set their eyes on her—the repulsive creatures whose looks alone were enough to make her nauseous—wouldn't even let her do that.

Those were the worst moments of her life as she screamed, pleaded, and begged for someone and anyone to save her.

She didn't even know how many times she had desperately tried to call for someone's help, but none of the people standing in the group had the courage to come forward.

All of them just stared at her with pity and excitement in her eyes.

Men just wanted her clothes to be torn apart so they could get a nice view of her body, while women, who knew how she was feeling, just stood in their spots with sorrowful looks on their faces.

She prayed to every god she knew of, desperately clinging to the hope that maybe, just maybe, even if it is not many, even if it is just one person, they would come forward to help her.

*Tear*

Even after her clothes were getting torn apart and her tears rolled down her cheeks without stopping, she still stared at the crowd with eyes filled with whatever hope she had.

'J-Just save me. Someone. Anyone. I-I will do anything for you.

I w-will turn into your most devoted s-slave.

*Hic* J-Just save me…'

These were her thoughts; she just wanted to be saved at that time.

And it was then that she saw him...

Each step was as fast as lightning; it was as if he was of a different class; she couldn't even see much of him, but she could still perceive his blood-red hair and cold golden eyes—something that sent chills down her spine.

It was Alex, someone who had moved because of the system's warning, but for Ridha it was different; he became her everything the moment she saw him.

His eyes, although cold, still held some humanity within, and most of all, his gaze didn't have the slightest hint of lust within.

His hauntingly handsome face only elevated her feelings for him.

It was love at first sight, and Alex, at that moment, was her prince charming, but before she could even get a good look at his face, her world darkened; the effect of poison and constant pressure from the situation finally took a toll on her body.

By the time she woke up, she had changed a lot; her eyes, which used to have a haughty and entitled look within them, had changed, turning as calm as a lake.

She had matured after a single event.

In her dream, she had seen the scene play out many times, but each time, she would have a single guy rushing to save her.

She couldn't even imagine the trembling bastards from the crowd being brave enough to come forward; they now looked like a bunch of inferior beings to her.

There was only one person among the men she would truly give herself up to now, and it was her prince charming, her savior, Alex Matthew.

[The Flame of Wars is nodding her head.]

The new notification, however, broke Ridha out of her thoughts, but the contents of the message caused her body to tremble as her eyes widened in elation.

[The Flame of Wars is saying that he seems strong but he is conceited.]

Ridha, who was trying to control her excitement about the fact that she could finally meet him, frowned the moment she heard her goddess words, her eyes turning cold.

"Please do not speak bad of him."

She muttered with a frown, her voice as frosty as she could make.

She would be fine with anything; you can curse her, you can try to attack her, you can have vulgar thoughts about her; she wouldn't even look at you. She would counter, only if she thinks it is necessary, though.

But say one word about the one she had decided to give her life for, and you would have the same ending as the guys who had their blood pooling around her feet as their bodies, all scorched up and torn apart, lay on the ground.

Their bodies seemed like they had been burned under the heat for just the amount of time for their skins to turn into nothingness, leaving only flesh and bones that leaked blood—a lot of blood.

[The Flame of Wars is speechlessly looking at you.]

The goddess, however, didn't take her words lying down.

[The Flame of Wars is glaring at you.]

[The Flame of Wars is saying that she would not forgive another discretion like this one.]

*Rumble*

The sky rumbled as if trying to warm Ridha, and her eyes widened in horror, finally realizing her mistake.

"I-I apologize, dear goddess; i-it's just that I couldn't control my emotions."

She stammered as she realized the gravity of the situation.

Her goddess was easygoing and forgiving, not really minding the formalities like other gods, but she was a goddess nonetheless.

A god would never like their follower talking back to them or trying to reprimand them.

[The Flame of Wars is staring at you in silence.]

Ridha kept her head bowed, as she really didn't mean to do that; it was just that Alex had turned a bit too important for her, and she just couldn't stand for anything spoken against him.

[The Flame of Wars is sighed in resignation.]

[The Flame of Wars is saying that it was her fault for getting into a contract with a love-struck girl.]

Ridha, who saw that message, widened her eyes as she exclaimed.

"I-I'm not a love-struck girl!"

For the first time, there was a hint of panic on her calm face, along with a soft rosy blush on her cheeks.

The goddess wasn't serious with her last words; Ridha knew it as well, and that was why her reactions turned out like this.

She could already feel her goddess staring down at her with a mocking light in her eyes.