Chapter 746: Accidental Progeny

"Miss Reinhart. Is it okay if I-"

"Yes, Rodenia. Go ahead, I can finish up this batch of hard candy myself."

"Yay!"

Like an overactive puppy, Rodenia quickly stepped away from her work station and made her way to the door leading back to the main shop and surface, forgetting about her work apron in the process.

In a noticeable contrast to Rodenia’s energeticness, Leon and Isa looked a touch more hesitant. It was evident enough that Elsa felt compelled to see what the issue was.

"What’s wrong with you two? You both are looking like Rodenia is about to go and walk the plank."

"Huh? Oh, it’s... nothing Elsa. It’s just...," Leon partially answered before trailing off, not entirely sure on what he should be saying. Thankfully, Isa picked it back up for him.

"It’s just that... we’ve been travelling by Rodenia’s side for a while now and it just seems like...like..."

"Seems like this might be the last time you’re going to see them?," Elsa finished for the missionary couple. This action illicited a nod from the two of them.

With a knowing smile, Elsa shared her thoughts.

"I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Z-the kaijin lord happens to be a very kind individual and one who seems to be a bleeding heart. A very strange trait to have for someone who can create beings like Rodenia and my baby, Kit."

"So you say, but how can we be sure that’s still true?" Leon retorted.

"You can’t. Not unless you go and see for yourselves," Elsa replied while gesturing the two to go and follow Rodenia.

The couple looked at each other for a moment and nodded before turning towards Elsa.

"Thank you for everything," they said with a bow, moments before following after their large insectile friend.

"What do you think this kaijin lord is like? For real, I mean," Isa asked Leon as they walked up the stairs.

"I’m not sure...but they’d have to be crazy powerful and intimidating to create warriors as powerful Rodenia and Kit," Leon concluded.

Evidently, they were sorta right on the powerful bit...not so much on the intimidating bit.

________________________________________

Once again, Zhen Liu was reminded that he understood very little about the nature of Kaijin, his abilities and [Chaos] as a whole.

Shortly after being brought to Elsa’s candy store by Kit, Zhen Liu and the girls were introduced to Rodenia, this supposed rogue mutant insect kaijin woman.

Evidently, Kit’s description of her was not too far off.

"Alley-oop! Gotta make sure I don’t bump my head this time!"

Exiting from the underground door that Elsa used to access her main workshop, was a giant woman that was about the same height as Frosttusk. However, instead of being covered in fur and being made of metal, she was all muscle and chitin and had four giant arms. Logos and Pathos had also informed that Rodenia was originally a giant pill bug...unsurprisingly, she actually had that motif going on.

"Oh...you were not kidding about her being huge."

"I barely like lying on a day to day basis, master," Kit replied. "I wouldn’t lie about the nature of a...co-worker...sibling...cousin? What is my relation to the other kaijin you make?"

"I don’t know, and I’ve stopped trying to figure that out."

"Alright, I’m going to go put these ingredients away and go tell mom that I’m back."

"Yeah..."

Kit proceeded to leave Zhen Liu alone with the apparent rogue kaijin, entering through the door that Rodenia had just exited from.

The four armed insect woman took a moment to readjust an apron she was given before finally paying attention to Zhen Liu.

Needless to say, her eyes lit up.

"So you’re my creator! So nice to finally meet you!"

"Uh...."

On the list of things Zhen Liu had seen in this lifetime, he did not expect "insect-themed amazon" but to be touched upon twice. Granted, Rianna was simply an amazonian woman with insect armor while Rodenia here was a mutant insect woman kaijin.

Evidently, the eternal discussion of the "furry scale" raged on even in other worlds.

Also, he did not expect Rodenia to sound so...chipper and friendly. It was bit unnerving to be honest.

"You’re much smaller than I had antici-antci... you’re smaller than I thought you’d be!," Rodenia said with no malice, but with incredible blutness.

"Huh..."

"In fact...I could swoop you into a hug like Leon and Isa! I’m going to do that now!"

"Of course she’s a hug-whoa!"

Before Zhen Liu could finish his comment, Rodenia proceeded to literally sweep him off his feet and pulled him into a big ole four armed bear hug.

It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation, but it was shocking to say the least...especially when he felt her squeeze against him.

’She is as strong as she looks...maybe even stronger, holy shit!’

Zhen Liu had no idea who this Leon and Isa were exactly, but if they had been the ones to travel with Rodenia for who knows how long...they were either very used to this or had surprisingly strong necks.

Thankfully(?), he was about to find out in a couple of seconds.

Zhen Liu was currently being held in such a way that he could see the door connecting the main floor to the workshop below, giving him a chance to see arrival of what he presumed to be a young couple around his age, maybe a touch older, that carried this feeling that he hadn’t felt since his days as "Thomas Lee".

Missionary vibes to be more precise.

Needless to say, both sides ended up sizing each other up in this moment.

...

Zhen Liu’s perspective.

’Huh...they look like missionaries. Strange, I figured religions would have a significantly weaker presence in this world. Given that aether warriors could literally cultivate into becoming deities...or maybe there’s a distinction like "true god vs aether god" or something like that? I should ask Logos and Pathos...’

...

Leon’s and Isa’s perspective

"This...is the kaijin lord?"

"He is not what I was expecting in the slightest."

"I mean...I can’t sense any aether off him like Elsa said, and I do feel that weird energy that’s similar to Rodenia’s, but..."

"He reminds you more of a puppy than a hellhound, right?"

"Yeah!"

...

What they both thought in the end:

’Well...might as well formally introduce myself/ourselves.’

________________________________________

[Hold the front door and let the cat come in, you mean to tell me that there was whole other kaijin just...roaming around that none of us knew about in the slightest? When and how?!]

[I’m not sure what to tell you, Hurricroak,] Nepherage answered. [As it turns out that even our handlers had no idea this event had occurred. Also, what the fuck was that saying?]

[Wait... didn’t they say that they knew about it and just forgot about it due to all the bullshit that’s been happening lately?,] Razorstella corrected.

[Doesn’t...matter... it’s.. happening...now...,] Frosttusk added.

[Are things normally this chatty when we’re not fighting at the manager’s behest?]

[Usually,] Spring Brawler answered Screamira. [It helps to pass the time and is better than just sleeping.]

[Huh...alright...so what the deal with this giant insect kaijin?]

[We’re trying to figure that out ourselves.]

[Huh...I can detect that we’re kind of connected to her like the director...but it’s like...way weaker and feels almost one way.]

[Wonder why....]

[Secondary note, why did the girls decide to tag along for this little venture?,] Hurricroak suddenly pivoted due to her attention span being rather short. [They technically have no reason to be here.]

[If I had to hazard a guess, it’s because they enjoy seeing our lord being out through uncomfortable situations like this.]

[That...is a fair assessment, Nepherage. Huh.]

[I have my moments.]

________________________________________

Meanwhile, all of the above was happening...

"Should...should we be trying to free him from Rodenia’s hug, or..."

"Nah...I think he’s fine."

"Have y’all noticed that most of Xiao Liu’s kaijin are warrior women or is that just me?"

"They are, but that might have to do with influence from Lady Daria..."

Jin Fang, Rianna and Jinju Ren had decided to tag along with Zhen Liu’s latest escapade because they figured that something interesting might happen if they did. That and they wanted to try these mysterious sweets that both Zhen Liu and his grandfather seemed to have a fondness for.

They were not disappointed in either regard as the candy was delicious and Rodenia proved to be an interesting "new" kaijin that seemed to be surprisingly cuddly for someone so chitinous.

As the three of them continued to watch though, Jinju Ren ended up blurting something she heard when Leon and Isa entered the room.

"More like a puppy than a hellhound?"

"What?"

"Uh...those two just commented that Xiao Liu seems less...dangerous, than what they had in mind. Like, he reminds them of a puppy."

"That...huh."

In that exact moment, the three of them began to imagine Zhen Liu as a dog, well...various breeds of dogs.

"I mean...kind of..."