Brain bloom

But this does not satisfy the desire to end the myth.

"In the past, I would have stopped my curiosity upon arriving here. But I have lived for a long time, and I am human. It is rare for a withered soul to feel a glimmer of curiosity after so long. Since there is no price to pay, how about you answer my questions?"

"This is not something that can be answered in a few words. Apart from me, all those who once held this question have temporarily left the torrent of history. This includes the primordial gods and darkness."

"You guys?" He squinted.

“We can see something different, refine everything, or measure everything in an intuitive way. Or perhaps, that’s what the world should be like? That’s what I was discussing with the coffin bearers.”

Even though time has left its mark on it, the ancient demon king still doesn't know how to answer all of this.

The ending of the myth felt somewhat awkward; the words of the ancient demon king, though connected, were difficult to comprehend… After much thought, his heart withered again, and he decided not to delve into such tedious matters.

Volume 1, Chapter 367: Border Affairs

The Demon Realm is a place devoid of seasons. No matter how the climate changes in the human world outside, it remains perpetually hot and humid, filled with the unique characteristics of a tropical climate. Even the air you breathe is thick with heat.

It was for this reason that Mori Toki dressed up for the height of summer.

But once they left that spot, their sandal-clad feet sank into the knee-deep snow, instantly turning bright red and steaming. Unbeknownst to them, the power of winter had already begun to engulf the world, offering a chilling gift to all things reborn from the ashes.

"Senshi, are you cold? Do you want my clothes?" Dandelion touched her robe, then mocked in a weak voice, "This person's outfit is utterly ridiculous..."

"N-no, it's nothing. It's summer everywhere, but I'm perfectly cool..."

Mori took out her staff, lit a small fireball beside her, and cast a continuous wind spell. With the help of this simple magic, gusts of hot wind brought her back to life. She secretly challenged the weather, feeling that if she wore more clothes, she would lose.

Speaking of which—where is this place?

The request she made to the Ancient Demon King was to move to the border of the Holy Coffin Kingdom's capital. Although she considered walking step by step along the border, the long, coin-like border on the map made her abandon this leisurely idea. But given the country's wealth and prosperity, this desolate, almost barren place was rather rare, especially considering its proximity to the capital.

Moreover, before we knew it, night had already fallen.

"We've stayed in the Demon Realm for too long... Will we be able to find a place to spend the night?" Dandelion looked at the world covered in silver and white, feeling somewhat worried.

“It’s okay if we can’t find it, we’re magicians.” Sen Shi braved the cold and reached his hand into the seemingly soft and friendly pure snow to feel its depth. “We’ll build a snow house and make do for one night. Snowy nights are quite beautiful.”

"Our high-ranking coffin bearer is surprisingly easygoing..."

Spending the night in the snow house was only a last resort, a safety measure. Morishi scratched her head; hidden among the branches and leaves was Fukufu, its presence like a breathing light enhancing the buds. Since Morishi had picked it up, Fukufu reluctantly woke from its slumber, flew into the sky, and used its speed to determine its location.

Exploring the terrain was also one of the sea god's specialties.

Less than half a minute later, Fufu ran back, deliberately using the force of her flight to smash the snowman that Senshi had just built. She pretended she hadn't done anything, simply giving a brief report—

“Sister Morishita, this might be the border of the Holy Coffin Kingdom. I’ve looked at the map too.”

"This... sigh, it's still many days' journey to the capital. Since he's no longer the devil, that guy has become unreliable. I really miss the owl who ensured fair and equal transactions."

"There are many wild and ferocious monsters around, and their lairs. There is a village on the other side, and the people seem to be living quite well. I can smell roasted chicken, but the people are reluctant to add salt."

"Then let's go to the village and stay for the night..." Dandelion was rummaging through her pockets, trying to find some loose silver coins; gold coins weren't necessary in this situation.

Mori was deeply interested in the monsters and lairs around her. After checking her character panel last time, killing the fat evil god had given her a considerable amount of experience, bringing her closer to the level 70 mark.

In case a powerful monster lives in the so-called lair, she can successfully grow strawberries in the spring, because she still needs them.

"In addition..." Fu Fu stammered, "there is also a group of robbers who are preparing to deal with a poor little girl."

Mori's eyes widened, and she immediately asked for the location, intending to go and help her people.

Dandelion frowned, realizing things weren't so simple: "There are many monsters around here, and even their lair. But there's a wealthy village... It's evening now, and everyone fears the night, yet there's a lone little girl with a band of robbers?"

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes."

"Let's go take a look," Mori said.

"Too."

Fufu led the way, with Senshi and Dandelion following behind. But after only a few steps, Senshi's feet were tangled in snow, forcing her to eat quite a bit of it. She looked up and saw that Dandelion was expertly using plant magic to sweep away the snow.

She could only follow behind the dandelion, walking the path it had paved.

“If you’re going to lend a hand—then I’ll step in, and you can just watch,” Dandelion said without turning her head.

"Huh? Why?"

"This looks like a conspiracy no matter how you look at it. Think about it, a girl in distress would definitely throw herself into the arms of someone who offers help and be extremely grateful. You should stay away from such good things."

Mori could only sigh and agree… She completely understood this sentiment, because when the divine power descended from the sky, seemingly about to take her life, the dandelion had just saved her. At that moment, Mori had indeed considered the possibility of throwing herself into someone's arms.

Then, Dandelion added, "Human hearts are treacherous. Saving suffering girls is the driving force behind many bachelors choosing the profession of adventurer. After all, it might solve their marriage problems... Besides, many people deliberately seek out misfortune..."

"...Isn't this all written in the book?"

"Yes."

Mori lost interest in the topic and gradually began to hear strange, discordant noises. These were harsh and unpleasant sounds that even the silver snow couldn't tolerate.

Amidst this cacophony, profanities and anxious questions frequently broke the silence. This was exactly the kind of behavior favored by drunken, impulsive, and rude bandits. It seemed they had indeed set their sights on their prey…

These piercing sounds allowed Mori to calm down, because in any case, this was a situation accompanied by death and killing.

Trees dull and lifeless, snow dazzlingly white.

Through the gaps in the pine forest, beneath the snowflakes occasionally swirling in the winter wind, several dark figures were struggling to make their way. The accumulated snow hindered their steps, stifled their agitated hearts, and caused them to utter even more profanities.

Following these figures, Mori's gaze swept forward—

A delicate touch of crimson brought a rare vibrancy to the world.

According to Fufu, that was the girl being chased. But on the snow, the girl moved with incredible speed, not at all like someone who couldn't shake off the bandits. She was wrapped in a crimson robe, covering her entire body, and from time to time, white vapor would flow out from it, proving that her life was just as vibrant.

This incident at the border of the Holy Coffin Kingdom was clearly unusual, which piqued Mori's interest.

Based on her own experience and intuition, she judged that the prey was a robber, and the hunter was a young girl trying to lure the robber. Whatever the truth, it certainly wasn't, as Dandelion jokingly suggested, an attempt to solve marital problems through misfortune.

Volume 1, Chapter 368: Enjoy your meal

"Sure enough, something's not right..."

"Hmph, of course, that's based on experience."

At this distance, they dared not speak loudly, but instead leaned close to each other and whispered in each other's ears. However, both were highly skilled individuals, which did not hinder their speed.

The bandits weren't used to the cold weather. Their clothes were thick enough, but their arduous progress and shouting had taken a toll on their energy, and their panting was becoming more frequent than their curses. The girl in the red robe, however, hadn't yet made a move; she was skilled and composed, a clever fellow.

"leader……"

"What are you doing... Hmph, if you have something to say... let it out so we can hear it."

"Something's not right."

"I know, but aren't you angry? Being teased by such a little girl... teasing her so much. If I catch her, I'll have to... stew her. I don't like girls that are too young."

"Then... what about the treasure? The clues to the legendary treasure have gone cold again."

"Who cares... After we eat this girl, let's raid a village... and then ask around."

This wasn't the first time they'd mentioned "treasure." It might be useless, but Mori was still reminiscing about the game era… if you call it a game—anyway, she was trying to recall if there were any side quests or accounts of something like treasure in the vicinity. But her location was uncertain, leaving her somewhat at a loss.

Just then, a clear, crisp voice, like that of a young girl, drifted over from ahead.

"—The treasure is right here."

"You're still playing us! You little vixen..."

"Damn it, we were just asking for directions, we weren't planning on robbing you..."

The girl let out a soft, pleasant laugh. Dandelion stopped, signaling to Mori to prepare. She was walking in front, so she saw something rather ominous.

The girl stopped in her tracks.

That crimson figure, no longer drifting amidst the pristine white snow, stood serenely in place. She even extended a hand from beneath her red robe, extending an invitation. With a sweet allure beyond her years, she seemed to be luring bandits into her secluded chamber.

Besides the shouting and cursing, Morishi noticed that there was also some kind of noise that was neither the wind nor made by the two of them.

Just like...

But she hadn't yet found the right adjective to describe her intuition; yet she had already seen with her own eyes what it was.

Pairs of crimson eyes gathered in the pine forest. These eyes, as vibrant as coral, had a black vertical line—the pupil. They radiated the most primal instinct, a thirst for flesh and blood.

Ten pairs...twenty pairs.

Mori counted thirty pairs of eyes; finally, their numbers stopped increasing. This was a race, a monster race that had accompanied the girl in the red robe. His long-lost experience from his past life finally came in handy. A beat too slow, Mori realized these monsters were troublesome.

Bloodwolves, with an average level exceeding 70, always appear in packs and possess absolute confidence in their ability to hunt down their prey. For Sen Shi now, they're something to flee from at all costs, as these creatures are often hungry and poor, and using divine power would be a waste…

The surrounded bandits also noticed these terrifying pupils.

Intuition has extinguished their arrogant banditry, leaving only a tremor born of the harsh winter.

"Who...who are you...?"

“Listen carefully, in the beginning, we really…really didn’t have any ill intentions towards you.”

"We have over a hundred gold coins with us, please accept them. We just want to leave..."

The bandits raised their weapons, but these blood-stained creatures offered no courage to their master. Eyes drew closer, and wolf claws finally emerged from the depths of the snow.

The silent wolf pack instinctively opened their mouths. Saliva clung to their sharp teeth, and their breath, thirsting for blood, released white puffs of steam.

Its body beneath the fur was soft and silent. Only its feet left behind adorable, plum blossom-like footprints.

"You really are just here to ask for directions," the girl said with a smile, "but I'm a robber too."

"...Let's give it our all!"

"kill!"

But their initial momentum was quickly dispelled by the howls of wolves. In an instant, the wolf pack pounced and, with their formidable strength, secured a satisfying meal without sustaining any damage.

The stench of blood from being gutted finally reached Mori's nose on the wind, though it wasn't pleasant.

The wolf pack, orderly and practiced, was expertly devouring the robber's corpse. They tore off his clothes, then ate the skin and fat, crushed the bones, and rummaged through the nutrient-rich internal organs. The liver, rich in glycogen, was the most delicious part.

As blood-stained mouths tore at their prey, a slender, white hand stood out starkly. Even the ravenous wolves made way for it. She didn't plunder the corpses for flesh and blood; instead, she searched the purses and indeed found a hundred gold coins.

"Next year, the year after, and the year after that, we won't have to worry about going hungry anymore..." Her equally red eyes finally broke into a smile.

then--

The wolves, who were at the bottom of the pack and waiting for food, smelled something strange because of the change in wind direction. It had been there all along, but it had been so natural that they had mistaken it for wildflowers and weeds.