After work, start to speedrun the other world-Chapter 229 - 77 Smoothly My Ass!_2

"If you wish, go to the Magic Kingdom or Sky City," Xi Mu turned around, his back facing the two.

"Just say I sent you; they should take you in." With that, he walked out of the room and summoned a small mare.

Then, he left with Suna.

The snow and wind brushed past.

Elizabeth stood at the doorway, unable to snap back to reality for a long time, as everything had happened too quickly for her to understand.

It felt as though the story between her and Ahtal had ended before it even began.

But she did remember Ahtal’s words about seeking refuge in the Magic Kingdom or Sky City.

Staying in the village was definitely not an option.

...

...

Not even three days had passed.

The underworld.

Xi Mu and Suna, riding the small mare, returned underground to the front of the dwarf master’s blacksmith shop, where the sound of hammering echoed from inside.

The dwarf master was fully engaged in repairing the Red Dragon Blood Armor until he noticed the figures of Ahtal and Suna.

He stopped his work.

"Here is the meteorite you need." Xi Mu handed over the meteorite, and after the dwarf master took it, he pointed to Suna beside him and said,

"She claims to be the "substitute" Saintess of Destiny, Suna."

"Is that so?" The dwarf master’s expression subtly shifted as he looked at Suna, dressed in a petal-like red gown and called the "substitute" Saintess of Destiny.

He understood the hint in Ahtal’s words, asking him not to reveal any secret information that might attract the attention of the Church of Destiny.

Though he had long given up hope on the Church of Destiny, he had hidden near the Church’s temple, claiming to live under the gaze of the Three Goddesses of Fate.

Yet he was still pulled out by the Destiny Witch and Ahtal to do blacksmithing.

"The materials are sufficient; just wait." He turned, maintaining the aloof demeanor of a master blacksmith, and picked up his forging hammer.

"If you have something to say, wait until I’m done forging." With that, the hammer in his hand fell on the Red Dragon Blood Armor, sparking brilliant sparks.

Truly a master, always focused.

Suna marveled, immediately focusing on the forging after receiving the materials, unwilling to waste a single moment.

"Let’s go," Xi Mu turned and led Suna out of the blacksmith shop.

After the two left.

The dwarf master’s hammering slowed slightly, then suddenly sped up again, the sounds mingled with a hint of grudge.

...

...

Fire.

Flame.

Blaze.

Xi Mu stood on the cliff, looking at the nation wrapped in a barrier, feeling as though he was standing in front of the sun.

Under the scorching temperature, everything had turned to lifeless objects, except for the God of Fear, whose collar was gripped by the origin of fear.

"How should we... approach now?"

Xi Mu asked, pointing to the nation engulfed in flames, "Just entering would burn us to death, right?"

Suna: "..."

With the current temperature wrapped inside the barrier, any person entering would be burned to ashes, making it physically impossible to approach the source of fear.

However, she soon seemed to receive a divine revelation.

"Destiny has provided a revelation." Suna clasped her hands together and explained to Ahtal beside her,

"Our bodies cannot cross the flames, but our spirits can."

"Are we to communicate spiritually with the God of Fear?" Xi Mu nodded in understanding, but also expressed his doubt, "But how do we interfere with the spirit on a divine level?"

To this, Suna provided an explanation.

"Let us pray to the God of Dreams."

"Now?" Xi Mu frowned, glancing at the bright sky and then at the snowy surroundings.

"Are we going to sleep here, in a dream?"

"Perhaps a better environment would do." Suna shook her head; she didn’t want to sleep in the snow. If possible, she hoped for a soft bed and a warm fireplace.

...

...

After a while.

Near the barrier.

The town.

"Sir Knight, can you spare some food?" A beggar by the roadside, clutching Xi Mu’s trouser leg, showed a pleading expression.

Xi Mu looked around and noticed several beggars all casting hopeful glances at him, ready to swarm him as soon as he pulled out any food.

"I’m not interested in feeding those who do nothing, you need to help me find a suitable inn to stay in temporarily."

"Yes, yes, yes." The beggar responded eagerly, standing up and leading Xi Mu along with Ahtal and Suna to the best tavern in the town.

A moment later.

At the entrance of the inn.

Xi Mu gave the beggar a piece of bread as a reward, then raised a question, "Is food really that scarce now?"

"Sir Knight, there isn’t exactly a shortage of food," the beggar explained to Ahtal while eating the bread, "but the prices of food have become very expensive. After the snow disaster hit, the prices of anything edible have been... sky-rocketing."

He smiled wryly.

"Soon a piece of bread will cost fifty Gold Coins."

"It’s really tough." Xi Mu sighed, then turned and walked into the inn. This was the gaming environment after the snow disaster struck; there weren’t any significant changes initially, but as the snow disaster continued, people began to realize the importance of food.

Food, once cheap, would skyrocket in price, causing ordinary people who couldn’t afford it to have fierce conflicts with nobles and rich merchants.

Once the check-in was completed.

Entering the guest room.

Xi Mu lay on the soft large bed, while Suna sat next to him, casting a glance his way.

"You seem quite sad?"

"Not exactly," Xi Mu closed his eyes, "but is the snow disaster really necessary?"

Suna responded, "It’s to maintain the balance of life and death."

"Is it so." Xi Mu’s reply was serene, his voice devoid of emotion, but Suna sensed something was off from his indifferent response.

She frowned and asked tentatively:

"Ahtal, you surely don’t have the intention of assassinating the Ice and Snow Goddess, do you?"

"..."

Xi Mu didn’t answer, appearing to have fallen asleep.

He must be harboring such thoughts.

Suna deciphered unsettling information from Ahtal’s reaction; this hero in the eyes of the people held no reverence for the gods and even harbored thoughts of slaying a deity to end the snow disaster.

"Well, mere mortals can’t possibly slay a deity anyway," she muttered, extending her finger to scribble some indecipherable text on the bedside table to set the time for a return from death.

She then lay down in the same bed as Ahtal.

Consciousness began to fade.

The gaze from the God of Dreams, guided by Destiny, fell upon Ahtal and Suna.

Entering the dream began.

...

...

The cold moon hung high.

Devotees of Fear in black robes moved past him on both sides, the castle on the distant mountains exuded an almost despairingly oppressive feel.

"This is the dreamscape of the God of Fear." Suna’s voice came from beside him, Xi Mu turned to see Suna brushing aside her red hair at her ear and explaining:

"Next, we just need to find the God of Fear and explain the truth to him."

"Let’s go then." Xi Mu seemed to concur with Suna’s assessment, and the two headed toward the distant castle together.

Everything was going so smoothly.

Find the God of Fear, explain that everything was a lie, make the God of Fear realize that the imaginary King of Ash is not to be feared.

All crises would be resolved... my ass.

Reality.

Suna blinked her eyes, looking at her finger pressed on the bedside table where she had drawn the text, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead.

Everything had been going very smoothly, but when she and Ahtal met the God of Fear, the situation turned completely upside-down.

The source of Fear descended directly, struck her and Ahtal dead, and forced her to return from death.

"Wait, don’t fall asleep yet!" She pushed Ahtal, who had closed his eyes, forcibly waking him up and explained in his dissatisfied gaze.

"I think going directly to meet the God of Fear might not be safe."