"Bang!"
Mo Shuying's fists blazed with fire. Undead creatures swayed closer, only to be sent to their graves with a single punch.
He could feel the entire city of Kutha enveloped by an aura of death. It was precisely due to this deathly influence that all the deceased civilians had transformed into undead.
"Ah!!!"
Wails and howls filled the air.
As Mo Shuying pressed forward, he encountered some higher-level ghost monsters.
One was a skeletal white ghost, extending pale, ghostly claws and howling as it lunged at Mo Shuying, only to be shattered by his punch.
By this point, Mo Shuying had arrived before a ruined Temple. This Temple was the epicenter of the death aura. As soon as he approached, numerous ghosts drifted out, like a hundred demons on a night parade.
"Quite a lot, aren't there?"
Mo Shuying pressed his palms together, muttering in a feigned solemn manner.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Let me see you off one last time."
With that, Mo Shuying moved. The soul flame in his hand transformed into a roaring beast, charging into the throng of ghosts and devouring many of them.
These ghosts were not weak in their own right, and they were immune to physical attacks, making them troublesome opponents. However, before Mo Shuying, none of that mattered.
"Bang!"
The last ghost that rushed out of the Temple was pulverized by Mo Shuying. There was no longer any danger in front of him.
He walked straight into the Temple. It was heavily damaged, but through the broken walls, he could vaguely make out a divine tower deep inside. Around the tower lay various corpses, their attire suggesting they were witches.
"Sigh, what good does summoning a Deity do if you end up like this? I really don't understand what these witches are thinking."
Mo Shuying remembered that Ishtar was summoned by these witches. After Ishtar was revived, Ereshkigal, her twin, was also revived. Then, these witches, and even all of Kutha, had their lives taken by Ereshkigal.
Of course, Ishtar was unaware of this. Ereshkigal could possess Ishtar's body and act without Ishtar retaining any memory of it. When Ishtar awoke, her surroundings had already become like this.
Without lingering, Mo Shuying turned back. The undead in the city had been largely cleared. It was time to return and rendezvous with Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others.
Fujimaru Ritsuka and her two companions were already preparing to camp. They hadn't chosen to enter any of the houses, perhaps out of some apprehension.
Mo Shuying didn't say much upon his return. Everyone took turns resting; they still had to climb the mountain tomorrow.
To ensure everyone got a good night's sleep, the first half of the night was covered by the three girls, each taking an hour. After midnight, Mo Shuying took over the watch.
He stood atop a damaged building, gazing into the distance, towards Mount Ebif.
Towering into the clouds, this mountain also played a significant role in mythology. Hmm, it was blown up by Ishtar.
In this Singularity, however, it had become Ishtar's residence. Looking at the situation…
…it seemed she had no other place to live and was forced to settle on this mountain.
"Whoosh~"
A cold wind blew, making the lit bonfire flicker. Mo Shuying turned his head and saw a figure in the reflection of the firelight, seemingly behind a nearby building.
"Whoosh!"
Mo Shuying instantly used Flash to appear behind the wall, but there was nothing there.
"Was that my imagination?"
Mo Shuying flew back to the rooftop with a puzzled expression, continuing his watch.
Soon, the night passed.
In the morning, Anna twitched her nose and suddenly sat up. She then saw Mo Shuying stirring a clay pot; the aroma was coming from inside.
Seeing Anna, Mo Shuying smiled and waved her closer.
Anna hesitated for a moment but eventually got up and sat on a stone by the bonfire. Mo Shuying then took out a bowl, filled it with a large serving of porridge, and handed it to Anna.
"I know you like sweets. This is eight-treasure porridge, sweetened. Be careful, it's hot."
Mo Shuying also served himself a bowl and slowly drank it, sitting beside Anna.
Holding the bowl, Anna watched Mo Shuying eat with such enjoyment. She then took out a spoon, gently scooped a spoonful into her mouth, and her eyes lit up. Without further hesitation, she buried her face in the bowl and began to eat.
Soon, the bowl of porridge was finished. Mo Shuying was surprised to see Anna finish before him. Can this little girl eat that much?
At this moment, Anna was still staring at the pot, her meaning quite clear.
Mo Shuying smiled and extended his hand.
"Want another bowl?"
"…Mm."
Mo Shuying took the bowl Anna handed him and gave her another serving. This time, the little girl ate very slowly, clearly savoring it.
"Um, during our previous adventure, we received help from Euryale. You, uh, you should know Euryale, right?"
"…"
Anna's movements paused for a moment, but then she looked up in confusion.
"Who? I've never heard of her. That name sounds a bit unreliable."
"Haha."
Mo Shuying didn't press Anna further when she denied it. Anna was crucial to fighting Gorgon, and if possible, Mo Shuying didn't want her to sacrifice herself.
Silence fell between them, and the atmosphere grew a little awkward. But soon, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash also woke up, rubbing their eyes as they approached.
"The weather's great today, perfect for climbing. Stick together, everyone, don't get left behind."
Mo Shuying pulled the donkey cart up the mountain. The reason he didn't have Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others ride in it was because the cart was already piled high with jewels.
Before starting the climb, Mo Shuying had found a large cloth to cover the cart, then reached inside and released a considerable amount of treasure. These were all bargaining chips for his negotiations with Ishtar.
The four began their ascent, but the climb was far from smooth. Suddenly, a beast's roar echoed from ahead!
*"ROAR!"*
Mo Shuying saw a gigantic wild boar charging towards them!
"What the—! Did Second Senior Brother just reveal his true form?"
While Mo Shuying was still marveling at how imposing the boar looked, Anna had already pulled out her scythe and leaped past him.
"Leave it to me! Haaa!"
Anna sprang into the air, her scythe descending from above!
*"Swoosh!"*
The moment she landed, she severed the Demonic Boar's millstone-sized head. The headless boar ran a few more steps before dissolving into black smoke.
"Hmph, just a minion."
Anna twirled her scythe a few times, about to return.
*"RUMBLE!"*
*"ROAR! ROAR!"*
A cacophony of sounds erupted. Anna sharply turned her head and saw a horde of Demonic Boars charging, numbering in the tens.
"Ugh..."
Anna was speechless. With so many Demonic Boars, even if they stood still, killing them all would be exhausting, let alone when they were charging.
"Anna! You got this! I'm counting on you!"
Mo Shuying shouted with a grin, giving Anna a thumbs-up and a trusting smile.
Anna's face darkened. She could tell Mo Shuying was teasing her, but Anna didn't back down. Gritting her teeth, she charged forward with her large scythe! Facing the charging horde of Demonic Boars, Anna let out a low growl!
"Goddess's Embrace!"
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Read 777+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Join our Discord: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------