I Need Wives For My Gacha System
Chapter 76: Zoe’s Background( - -76)

Chapter 76: Zoe’s Background(Chapter-76)

Zoe Pearce, the third daughter of the main bloodline of the Pearce family. She was a very active girl since young, her elder brother would always play with her but after turning a little older, he had things to do and couldn’t play with her anymore. She also wanted new playmates and the academy was the biggest chance of getting them. But something unfortunate happened, she couldn’t attend the academy due to her mother’s choice.

The reason being, the military had forcibly taken a talent from the academy. It wouldn’t be very big if it had been from the commoners but this was from the nobility. It rang alarm bells for every noble household. If their children, especially talented ones who were supposed to lead their families were to be taken away, they would have no choice but to grieve of the loss. There wasn’t a guarantee that their children would be highly valued and given priority if the masses of talents were to be taken.

But even without that, they would have to suffer from the loss of a talent for their family which would be in their care. For Zoe who wanted to make friends in the academy, this was a blow which she didn’t expect. The highly active little girl was forced to stay at home. The only sense of her enjoyment was games. She found out about these games from browsing through the internet and she as a highly energetic competitive girl was instantly hooked, her in game name being DarKnight71. Throughout the years of gaming, she had made two best friends one being Sarah.

She just wanted to continue to enjoy her life when her mother told her that she had been tasked with becoming a baroness in the territory of their Pearce. She could choose which territory she wanted to and the one she chose was one nearing the borders of their Pearce territory, it was nearing the border of the grimes and close to the border of the country. Her mother immediately told her not to choose that territory.

How could it stop the choice of a girl who was always energetic adventurous who had been locked up inside her house. Till finally her mother let her choose that territory but on some terms which she had to accept. She was given a lot of help from her mother going to this place. She couldn’t help but feel a little guilty thinking about the amount of people her mother let her bring with the price being teleportation. It wasn’t easy to bring them here though it was a bit lower because it was within their territory.

This was her first journey but soon after she had just started taking over, there was a threat that had become apparent. Her researchers had found out about the recent mana and space fluctuations as well as the recent appearance of beasts which had become a bit higher.

"Investigate these anomalies thoroughly," she instructed, her voice firm.

The subsequent analysis was that her gut feelings were correct. The calculations pointed to a high probability of a gate opening, a portal to another dimension, and the location was close, situated between her territory and the Grimes border.

She wanted to see who was the near leaders were. She was soon given a list of the nearby nobles and was shocked to see the name of Rex Grimes. The infamous Rex Grimes, The one who had been ransacked into the army for his talent. The one who had also caused her to not go to the academy. She was both shocked and a little bit scared at the same time. But it also caused her adventurous spirit to rise and went to this person whom was given many stories some good some bad for help with this gate, a co-operation per se. She couldn’t handle it on her own that was true.

Zoe didn’t want to get help from her mother again and even if her mother didn’t do this much before, because of her adventurous spirit she wouldn’t ask for help from her either.

Finally meeting him, she was surprised to see that he was undeniably handsome, his bright silver hair and icy blue eyes radiating an intensity that both captivated and unnerved her. A strange sense of familiarity washed over her, a feeling that she had seen that face before.

__ __ __

(Flashback)

{Zoe: So tell me the reason}

{Sarah: Do you remember about the brother I had}

{Zoe: The one that came back after all the years}

{Sarah: Yes, he helped me win}

{Zoe: Talk about cheating}

{Sarah: Hey, its called helping}

{Zoe: Whatever, how did he even win in such a disadvantageous spot}

{Sarah: The entire race should be recorded, you will know once you see it}

After Zoe had watched the video,

{Sarah: So how was it?😏}

{Zoe: .....Amazing}

{Zoe: Don’t be smug about it, you only won because of your brother}

{Sarah: You are just jealous that I have a brother who is both handsome and good at the game}

Zoe on her bed scoffed, rolling her eyes.

{Zoe: You think every guy with a decent face is a god?}

{Sarah: You don’t believe me huh}

{Zoe: Whatever, I’ll believe it when I see it}

{Sarah: I’ll prove it}

The next morning, after a grueling cultivation session, Zoe found a notification on her phone. It was a picture sent by Sarah. Curiosity piqued, she opened it. The image that filled her screen was of a man with striking features, a handsome face with silver hair and icy blue eyes but most importantly, he was bare chested at the moment, sweat was covering him but it made him even more handsome with he angle. A wave of heat flushed her cheeks, and her heart skipped a beat. He was far more handsome than she had imagined.

Her nose almost started to bleed, she quickly closed the image and tried to calm her racing heart.

{Zoe: That’s your brother, you are lying}

{Zoe: Don’t send photos you find off the internet}

But her hand still clicked to download the photo lest her friend deleted it.

__ __ __

That was what had happened before but at the current moment, she was entering the gate with him. Since they were the heads of their groups, their personals went in first. She couldn’t help but be excited as she looked at the gate but she couldn’t also help but also feel a bit anxious and there was a tugging feeling in her heart.

"Stop! Don’t go in!"

Panic laced his tone, his voice breaking slightly from urgency. The person who said this was none other than the main researcher from her camp who had given a lecturer before.

Her panic began to rise, a knot tightening in her stomach. Before she could react, a warm, firm hand enveloped hers. It was Rex, his touch grounding her, a silent reassurance amidst the chaos.

With his hand still firmly clasped around hers, they stepped into the swirling portal. The world dissolved around them, a dizzying kaleidoscope of colours and sensations. Zoe felt a wave of nausea wash over her, a disorienting lurch in her stomach. This was her first experience with gate travel, and the sensation was far more intense than she had imagined.

The air crackled with energy, a strange, metallic taste filling her mouth. The ground beneath her feet seemed to shift and sway, as if she were standing on a turbulent sea. Her vision blurred, she felt dizzy.

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the disorientation subsided. The swirling colours began to show their originals, and the shifting ground solidified beneath her feet. They had arrived, inside of the gate.

Zoe blinked, her eyes adjusting to the new environment. The air was thick and humid, heavy with the scent of damp earth and unfamiliar flora. The landscape was strange, numerous towering, bioluminescent plants and strange, crystals were all around them. A low, guttural growl echoed through the dense foliage, sending a shiver down her spine.

The growl intensified, closer now, accompanied by a series of heavy thuds. The ground trembled slightly, a subtle vibration that sent a shiver of apprehension through Zoe. Whatever was approaching was large, and undoubtedly hostile.

A creature emerged from the dense foliage, its form a grotesque amalgamation of reptilian and insectoid features. Its eyes, glowing with a malevolent red light, fixed on the group, its jaws dripping with viscous saliva. It let out a deafening roar, a challenge that echoed through the forest.

Rex stepped forward, his spear raised, a silent declaration of a challenger.

"Stay behind me," he commanded, his voice firm.

Zoe, despite her initial excitement upon going through the gate, she couldn’t move her legs as she looked at the monster. This was it, the moment of truth, the moment of survival. They were no longer observers, but participants in a deadly dance, a battle for survival in a hostile place.

The creature, a hulking monstrosity of chitin and muscle, lunged. Its massive claws, tipped with razor-sharp talons, tore through the air, aimed at Rex. He moved with a speed that belied his size, his spear flashing in a blinding arc, deflecting the blow. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the ground, shaking the nearby flora.