I really didn't want to burn it.

Jeersikorgul nodded.

“Oh, right, and…” Skadi rubbed her temples and called to the Valkyrie who was about to leave, “Go and call Freya over, I need to talk to her.”

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

In the courtyard, on the frozen lake, a small golden boat is slowly moving forward.

Despite the lake being several meters frozen, a small boat glided across the ice as naturally as if it were floating on the rippling water.

There were two women and one man on the boat; they were, of course, Leon and me, the Chaldean duo.

Leon stood at the stern, rowing the boat with an oar, while Mashu and Ritsuka sat in the middle facing him.

"Li Ang, is this the right thing to do?"

Mashu asked hesitantly.

An hour ago, Leon and Mash gave the two Asgardian soldiers a sound beating and stripped them of all their equipment. From their armor and weapons to their small boat, everything was their spoils.

Not only that, after binding the two men hand and foot, Li Ang threw them into the mouth of the dead giant and sealed the giant's mouth with ice.

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Li Ang sneered. “If they were my soldiers, I would have skinned them alive. I really don’t know how those kinds of people got into the Asgardian army.”

At this moment, they were crossing the lake at a slow and comfortable pace.

"Robbing someone's property...isn't that a bit too much...?"

Mashu's tone was somewhat hesitant, and she glanced around.

“To be honest, Mashu.”

Mashu hesitated for a moment, imagining all sorts of possible reactions from Leon.

Will telling the truth embarrass him? Will it anger him if I say he's a bit brutal?

“I just… I just felt that they shouldn’t be tortured like that.”

“I didn’t kill them,” Li Ang said unhappily. “They’ll only suffer for a few days. They’ll be out once the ice melts.”

"Why then?"

"Although I really wanted to kill them, Asgard would find out, so they had to disappear."

Li Ang gritted his teeth, his expression turning serious. "As for them coming out in a few days, by then we'll have already abandoned this ship and sneaked into Asgard."

The fact that every Asgardian soldier carries a trace is a suggestion that Leon made to Odin.

Now, it's clear that Li Ang has gotten himself into trouble.

"Is that so? That's good."

Hearing that Leon had only made those two soldiers suffer, Mashu visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

But Mashu seemed to have forgotten that Leon didn't not want to kill the two soldiers, but rather that he couldn't.

Or rather, Mashu deliberately ignored this statement.

The person remained silent for a while and stopped speaking.

Leon scanned the lakeshore on both sides, observing the pine trees and bushes, wary of any monsters that might be hiding there and launching an attack.

Soon, the small boat passed through the lake and entered the canyon's river channel.

This area was also completely frozen over, but due to the difference in elevation and the presence of riverbeds and reefs, it made navigation difficult for boats.

For an outsider like Li Ang, such a river basin is simply a challenge.

Fortunately, Asgardian ships are incredibly sturdy, and even two collisions won't cause any problems.

Relying on the boat's safety, Li Ang maneuvered it left and right, finally managing to pass through the canyon river.

As the canyon receded into the distance, the river leveled, and the surrounding boulders transformed into massive rocks covered in snow and moss. Li Ang knew they had arrived at a new map.

"Phew... I'm exhausted. That's enough for today."

Li Ang moored the boat at the shore and let out a long sigh of relief.

The canyon's river was too unfriendly for navigation, greatly delaying their journey, and now it was already dark.

However, Li Ang did not regret choosing to row. There were several sections of flowing water in the river, and it would have been very dangerous to walk there.

"Sure enough, after all these years, I still can't row a boat."

Li Ang complained as he tied the boat up.

"Thank you for your hard work, Li Ang."

Ritsuka smiled and wiped the sweat from Li Ang's forehead with a handkerchief.

"Cough cough!"

Mashu coughed forcefully twice.

Ritsuka teased, "Mash, if you want me to wipe your sweat, just say so."

"Senior, please have some self-respect!"

Mashu blushed.

Li Ang shrugged and lay down on the edge of the lawn not far from the ship. If anything happened at night, this place would allow him to get back to the ship immediately.

Mashu and Ritsuka exchanged a glance, then lay down on either side of Leon.

Each person covered themselves with a layer of leaves as a blanket, and with the help of runic magic, they had no problem getting through the night.

"Li Ang."

"Ok?"

"Traveling together as a group of three is really nice."

"indeed."

"Once the roads are repaired, shall the three of us take another trip like this?"

"Okay, where's Mashu?"

"I...I will stay with you, senior."

"You guys have such a good relationship."

"Fufu~"

"Don't worry, you lecherous dog will get your comeuppance then."

"Fufu!"

The conversation ended, and the meadow fell silent.

Chapter 259 Welcome to Asgard

The cuckoo flew under the first cloud of dawn, its clear call waking Li Ang and his companions.

"Birds still come out in winter."

Ritsuka sat on a tree stump, drinking her hot soup breakfast while watching the birds chirping in the sky.

"Don't you know how long this winter has lasted? If you don't come out and find food, you'll starve to death sooner or later."

Leon finished the last bit of soup in his bowl, then handed it to Mashu to wash it for him. He then took the ropes that had been tied to the boat on the riverbank and prepared for their continued journey.

Will we be able to reach our destination today?

Ritsuka asked, propping her head up.

"I don't know," Li Ang answered readily. "After all, I've never paddled this route myself. Yesterday's canyon took longer than I expected. What, you think it's too slow?"

Ritsuka smiled and said, "It's alright. If it weren't for saving humanity, I would still find it quite interesting."

“Ritsuka, you really enjoy these leisurely times.” Li Ang nodded with a hint of indulgence. “That’s good. At least it’s much better than me, an old guy who’s been fighting and killing for thousands of years.”

"Li Ang, haven't you always claimed to be forever 20 years old?" Ritsuka teased.

Li Ang did not answer, but instead turned his gaze to Mashu.

"Mash, what about you? After saving humanity, what is your wish?"

"me?"

Mashu was stunned; she hadn't expected to be asked that question.

"my words……"

Mashu's eyes were first filled with anticipation, as if she was thinking of something she longed for.

But then, the pink-haired girl's eyes dimmed, as if she had lost all hope for the future.

Finally, Mashu let out a long sigh.

"As for me... I hope to watch the sunrise with everyone."

Ritsuka was slightly confused: "Sunrise? Mash, didn't you see it this morning?"

Li Ang knew that Mashu was referring to his own android, whose lifespan was only a short one year.

"The true sunrise of the second day, without an aperture, belongs to humanity's tomorrow. Then, senior, Fufu, Li Ang, DD-jie, Chloris-jie... we'll all be together..."

In that instant, Mashu's smile became incredibly radiant, captivating even Leon.

“Mashu, don’t worry,” Leon said gently. “A miracle… I believe your wish will come true.”

Li Ang originally wanted to say "miracles and magic exist," but that was too ominous, so he quickly changed his words.

"really?"

“Of course, right, Fufu?” Li Ang winked at the little one in Ma Xiuhua’s arms.

"Fufu..."

Fufu's forehead was covered in black lines.

If it could speak human language, even Old English, it would certainly say it righteously:

"I may not be human, but you are the true evil of humanity!"

However, Fou is just Fou.

and so……

Li Ang rowed silently, no longer provoking the white beast.

Li Ang did not speak again until they had left the river.

"Here we are."

Li Ang stopped the boat.

"Where are you?"

Ritsuka quickly stood up and looked around at the scenery.

However, all she could see was blue water and ice floating on it.

"maritime."

"The sea? How do you know it's the sea?"

Ritsuka couldn't see any difference between this place and the previous large lake; both were the same—she couldn't see the other side.

Li Ang's answer was straightforward: "Because the lake water won't taste salty."

Ritsuka gave Li Ang a dissatisfied look and muttered, "It might be a saltwater lake!"

"Puch..."

Li Ang almost spat out his water. He pointed at Ritsuka and shook his head with a wry smile.

"We're supposed to be going to Asgard, so why are we in the sea?"

"Because the passage is here, look—"

Li Ang held his hand to the distance.

Through the thick mist, Ritsuka saw a tall statue with one hand on its hip and the other holding a short-handled hammer aloft.