I'm in another world, and I start out transformed into Lancelot.

Her delicate chin was slightly raised, carrying a hint of "This goddess will reluctantly accept your kindness."

But the action was extremely swift and efficient!

With a light touch of her toes, like a luminous butterfly fluttering above the shadows of the River Styx, she gracefully turned—

With extreme precision and stability, it landed on the warm, light-particle-filled cushion suspended in Zero's palm.

He even gave a soft "hmm" of satisfaction.

...Indeed, the comfort level is perfect.

Zero felt the almost negligible weight and stable touch in his palm, and grinned.

The supporting hand was as steady as a rock, and the fingers even carefully tucked together to create a safer space for this special passenger.

"Sit tight!"

He held aloft the plasma spark in his other hand, which shone like a lighthouse, and his blazing eyelight swept over all his companions as he shouted with boundless pride:

"Everyone—Target! The Land of Light—!"

"go home--!!!"

Chapter 74 That woman is still so greedy.

The moment Aileen sat down on the warm, light-particle cushion, the warm and vibrant pulse of light clearly transmitted through the "cloud of light" beneath her created a strange, subtle, harmonious resonance with her own cold and orderly "underworld" authority, like gears interlocking between light and darkness.

This subtle touch, along with Zero's trust and invitation—as straightforward, fervent, and open as pure sunlight—quietly settled deep within her (and the true goddess of the underworld behind her). Perhaps this encounter will mark the beginning of a wondrous bond born in the cold, cosmic sea…?

However, when Zero's sunny voice, filled with sincere anticipation for fighting side by side in the future, rang out: "Goddess, you've really been a great help this time! It would be wonderful if you could lend a hand again next time!"

The girl (Harunia)'s eyebrows immediately and subtly twitched upwards. Her lips tightened instantly, the faint touch from before vanishing as if instantly submerged by the icy waters of the River Styx, replaced by a goddess-like displeasure mixed with "Just as I thought!" and "They're pushing their luck!"

Here it comes! That blunt statement that says I'll continue to do this for free next time!!

High-risk fieldwork expenses, compensation for emotional distress, maintenance and depreciation of underworld authority... aren't all of these astronomical!

But then, a subtle thought sprouted like a star bud breaking through the soil: ...Speaking of which, the remnants of a star's core left over from the birth of the universe...Although the boss (the world consciousness) is stingy, it will definitely be written on the bill...But according to the spatial database, the warm properties of the primordial laws of the universe contained in this thing...For beings that eternally dwell in the cold underworld...

She glanced at Zero's enthusiastic profile, and a bolder plan quietly took shape: if she could get her hands on it... perhaps... it could be a gift?

A thought that even startled her slightly quietly emerged: Dedicated to... that true Ereshkigal, who can only feel the warmth of the stars through my eyes...

Although it is unknown when I will be able to stand before the true goddess in my complete form... this glimmer of light from the vast universe, carrying the warmth of life... may be able to temporarily dispel the one in a billion of loneliness surrounding the eternal throne.

This secret thought made her heart skip a beat, but as a working person, she had to maintain appearances!

Thus, a combination of motives arises! They want to settle accounts! They also want a gift!

"Hmph!" Ai Lei snorted softly, her chin slightly raised in a more reserved manner than when she had been sitting down.

Outward demeanor must be elegant! Absolutely no lapses! (A woman surnamed Tohsaka sneezes)

But the shrewd calculation in the depths of his golden eyes seemed to be covered by a deeper, more elusive color.

Her voice remained clear and cold, but it carried an unmistakable, solemn tone befitting a creditor, imbued with an absolute sense of authority: "Your request... is extremely presumptuous."

"I am the supreme goddess who governs the journey of the dead, Ereshkigal."

"Providing assistance for this mission is already an act of kindness in consideration of the principles of the world and your efforts in protecting it."

Her gaze swept over Zero's enthusiastic eyes, as if she were looking at a junior supplier who didn't know the rules but had good qualifications.

"As for lending a hand next time..."

Aileen paused deliberately, a sly glint in her eyes, before she flashed a greedy smile: "If you wish to once again employ my authority to traverse the cosmos and cleanse the filth..."

"Then, firstly, seven portions of the remnants of star cores from the birth of the universe must be paid in advance as a basic payment;"

Secondly, the lamp oil used to guide the deceased during the site cleanup process will be reimbursed in full.

"Thirdly, and most importantly..."

Her voice became clearer and more forceful, a declaration not directed at Zero personally, but at the world's rules that recorded cause and effect in the unseen realm: "This request will be added to and combined with the reward previously promised by the world's consciousness!!"

"All of this is detailed in the invoice, in duplicate—one copy to be submitted to the Cosmic Bank of the Land of Light, and one copy… directly imprinted on the Light Bulb Spirit…" She paused, then changed her words, "...into the core log of the Plasma Spark! Valid for 30,000 stellar years! No credit! Prepayment accepted!"

After delivering this long "contract declaration" that combined taking advantage of both the goddess's dignity and the protection of the workers' rights, Ai Lei seemed to have completed an important task. Satisfied, she adjusted her posture, making the light particle cushion beneath her emit a more comfortable "glowing hum," and then calmly (even with a hint of satisfaction at having achieved her KPI) gazed at the boundless starry sea.

Well, this "rideshare" is still quite cost-effective. It would be perfect if he could just shut up and focus on driving.

...I wonder if the real goddess...would like these fragments that still retain warmth...?

It may not be as good as real sunlight... but it's still a little better than eternal emptiness...

...Once I get my hands on it...I'll need to ask the system space to make a beautiful box...and include an anonymous little card: May the lingering warmth of stardust temporarily comfort the eternally silent hall. Only then will it be perfect!

Zero, still in flight: "..."

His heart, which had just experienced a great battle and was filled with heroic passion and longing for a better future... was a little dazed.

Wait a minute... what the goddess just said seems a bit like borrowing money? Or... did she prepare the bill for the next cleaning fee in advance?

Although he wasn't quite sure what those "embers" were, from Ereshkigal's solemn words, he roughly understood that they were some kind of "energy" that was very important to the Underworld.

He gripped the plasma spark tightly, his initial passion subsiding and transforming into a solemn warrior's promise: "Understood! My Goddess! I will definitely find what you need! Next time... leave the preparation of the tickets to me!"

(Ultra Galaxy Empire Treasure Hunt Mission Goal: Seven Cosmic-Grade Hand Warmers!)

Deep within the underworld, the true Ereshkigal, seated on her cold throne, listened through the shared senses of her agents to the string of logically rigorous terms, filled with "Harunia-esque" shrewd calculations... The corners of her almost eternally calm lips seemed... to curve upwards with an extremely faint, almost imperceptible arc.

Chapter 75 (3K) Can't I really just pry off a piece of the Land of Light's floor?

As Zero placed the plasma spark core, which contained the life force of the universe, into the frozen spark tower base like a star returning to its nest.

In an instant! Centered on the Spark Tower—a pure and warm light, carrying the tragic grandeur and ecstatic joy of tearing apart the eternal cold prison, erupted with a roar!

Boom boom boom boom——! ! !

The despairing, frigid ice covering the entire planet was like the mist from a supernova storm, being frantically vaporized, rising, and decomposing amidst deafening roars.

Countless frozen light particles were instantly endowed with a violent, yearning life force.

The frozen crystal spire, the canal of light, the energy ridge... like a thawing galaxy, shines again with a brilliance that surpasses the universe!

The Land of Light! This great civilization, born of light, dependent on light, and glorified by light, has rekindled its unparalleled brilliance after the cataclysm!

When the last wisp of ice crystal vapor, symbolizing the Frozen Hell, transforms into stardust particles that nourish the light... the Kingdom of Light that unfolds before our eyes is far more breathtaking than the magnificent scene before it was frozen!

The entire surface of the planet is covered and reshaped by unimaginable veins of light. Towering crystal spires, like solidified cosmic lighthouses, refract the core light source; meandering canals of light, like streams of liquid starlight, outline magnificent geometric patterns among the city clusters.

The Plasma Spark Tower is like a manifestation of the cosmic tree canopy. The eternal stream of light that bursts forth from the top of the tower gently yet firmly envelops the entire planet, infusing it with an inexhaustible life force.

"Wow! This...this is the Land of Light?!"

Inside the bridge of the Panlong, Oki's screams mixed with excited roars almost shattered the communicator.

Captain Hyuga's mouth was agape, and he even forgot to give the most basic navigation instructions.

Haruna covered her mouth, her eyes reflecting the monstrous "ocean of light" outside the window, a sight that defied all common sense, leaving her speechless with shock.

Even seasoned veterans like Seven and Leo showed a tenderness and pride in their eyes as they returned home.

"Friends of Earth, welcome to the Land of Light."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The light of the Land of Light seems to have its own heartbeat, flowing and permeating every inch of the magnificent city structure built from pure light energy crystals.

It is no longer a cold light source, but a warm, hopeful particle of life, indiscriminately and gently enveloping and nourishing all creations that enter it—even a visitor from the realm of death.

After enjoying the delicacies that were supposedly made with Earth's recipes, Eresh declined the enthusiastic directions and was now walking alone on a wide street in this magnificent city that resembled a small starport platform.

She walked very lightly, with the caution of a pilgrim stepping into a divine realm.

The inhabitants of the Land of Light—those enormous giants radiating a gentle glow of life—would naturally pause and slightly lower their massive heads, which bore the weight of wisdom, as she passed by.

The eye-shaped lights, each a different color—red, blue, silver, and gold—curved in arcs filled with goodwill and curiosity, as invisible streams of thought converged:

(Welcome! Goddess from afar...)

(A friend Zero brought? Her radiance... is like the stillness of the night.)

(How peculiar... It has a calming, end-of-the-world feel, without being aggressive...)

The girl appeared outwardly calm, but inwardly she was already complaining: ...! A giant street lamp has come to life?! And it even has a telepathic group chat?!

However…the way they looked at me…there was no greed or fear…only curiosity…

She paused at the edge of a crystal viewing platform made of condensed light energy, radiating a soft warmth.

Below, a ceaseless torrent of light particles flows, resembling an inverted galaxy. Pure life energy, like flowing diamond dust, surges slowly in the invisible riverbed, refracting a dreamlike and enchanting halo.

Aileen raised her slender fingers slightly, with curiosity and hesitation, and gently touched the surface of the condensed light energy—

hum...

A temperature of unparalleled purity and gentle warmth, like the softest core of the nascent universe, instantly flowed up her fingertips!

It is not the scorching pain of flames, nor the scorching heat of stars, but the burgeoning warmth that embraces all things at the moment of birth of life and the first sprouting of all things, like caressing the most tender and softest newborn buds in spring.

"..."

Her golden-red eyes widened. Pure surprise, like a star thrown into a calm lake, exploded clearly in her eyes.

This is a more primal and powerful interpretation of the concept of warmth, beyond the experience of Earthlings!

Her slender fingers lingered almost greedily on the stream of light, her fingertips carrying the reverence of an archaeologist touching an ancient artifact, slowly caressing the smooth energy surface, rippling out delicate yet dazzling waves of light.

This warm current of energy, which is commonplace for the native inhabitants of the Land of Light, is more worthy of being greedily remembered than any rare treasure in the universe for the body of this visitor from Earth and the will that eternally dwells in the cold underworld behind it.

...So it wasn't a light bulb demon after all...it was a super-constant temperature fully automatic central air conditioning system...

She involuntarily raised her head and looked at the eternally brilliant artificial sky of the Land of Light—there was no sun, no moon, only billions of light bands interwoven and flowing according to the grand rhythm of the universe, like the neural network of the universe, weaving a magnificent star map that was like a dream.

Countless artificially manipulated "starlight" flickered and shone in an orderly fashion, each one brimming with hope and an unparalleled sense of regularity. This magnificent scene, full of order and stability, vaguely reminded her of the cold divine realm that also required meticulous management... only here, the scale was far more vast, and it was imbued with a miraculous undertone called the warmth of life, a quality that the underworld could never possess.

Her gaze was captured by the magnificent galaxy of light, and she couldn't look away for a long time. That dazzling scene, like a brand, was silently etched into the deepest archives of her memory.

"It's time to leave." Finally, the whisper was as light as stardust brushing across the surface of the River Styx.

She turned around, tilted her head slightly, and looked at the towering, radiant giant—Zero—who had silently landed beside her. In this ultimate radiance, the tiny Earth girl and substitute Grim Reaper gazed up at the warrior of light who brought hope. His golden-red eyes, clear as a mirror lake reflecting the stars in the underworld, held a tranquility that transcended time.

"...Thanks." There was no exaggeration, the voice was light and straightforward. But this gratitude, which transcended the boundaries of life and death, civilization and divinity...heavily penetrated all the noise and reached the core of the other person's heart.

Zero paused noticeably. He was adept at fighting with light, but handling this kind of solemn gratitude that transcended dimensions was a bit of a chore. He nodded slightly, "Come anytime you want. We have plenty of pillars of strength here, although they're tall—" A slightly clumsy yet exceptionally sincere joke, characteristic of a young warrior, slipped out: "—But don't worry! There's plenty of light! I promise you won't be... uh, in the dark!"

Zero's clumsy, teasing remark, "Enough light! I guarantee you won't be in the dark!" had barely faded when a sudden change occurred! The plasma spark core, high atop the tower and pulsating like the heart of the universe, unleashed a pure, gentle stream of white light—pure to the extreme and warm to the very soul—directly toward Ereshkigal! In the blink of an eye, before Zero and the other Warriors of Light could react, it had completely enveloped Ereshkigal, who was standing on the observation deck.

hum...

A vast, boundless torrent of cosmic warmth, seemingly originating directly from the very beginning of life, instantly engulfed her. It was a hundred times more profound than her previous experience touching the River of Light! This energy did not repel her icy, lifeless divinity; instead, it was like a gentle dawn infusing the cold, dark night, creating an indescribable, sacred resonance rooted deep within the laws of the universe!

In that instant when the light enveloped her—in the "core domain" that only Ereshkigal, her true self deep within the distant underworld, and the world's consciousness could perceive, the card representing Ereshkigal's underworld powers—on the ancient patterns on the back of the card, an unprecedented, deep blue six-pointed star emblem, shimmering with a profound cosmic luster, suddenly lit up like the most exquisite star engraving and was completely imprinted within it!

A cold notification sounded in the channel between Ereshkigal's consciousness core and the world's consciousness: "Contract complete. Enhancement certificate: [Deep Star Mark] (Crowning Certificate) has been imprinted. Function: Anchor to this universe's coordinates. Enhance the stability of cross-dimensional life and death authority invocation. Link to local universe law resonance."

Aileen's body trembled slightly in the golden light! Her right hand instinctively covered her chest! An indescribable complex expression appeared on her cold and exquisite face.

The warm current that enveloped her seemed to have completed its mission, quickly and gently receding and dissipating as if it had never existed. Ai Lei slowly lowered her hand from her chest, but her aura had undergone a subtle and profound transformation, imperceptible to others, gaining a deeper sense of connection as if she had established some mysterious link with the star of light beneath her feet.

She didn't look at Zero or any other being, but suddenly raised her head. Her golden-red eyes, filled with unprecedented solemnity and a kind of… almost divine recognition of equality, precisely locked onto the towering, eternally burning core of the Plasma Spark Tower. Facing that eternal source of light, she bowed deeply, with the highest rites a goddess of the underworld would perform for a cosmic relic!

After the ceremony, she abruptly turned around! Resolutely refusing to look back at this dazzling world. Silvery-white particles, like the Styx Legion awakened by an invisible command, rose from her body. Aileen's figure rapidly became transparent and blurred in the surging silver light.

In the instant before she completely vanished—her almost invisible lips seemed to twitch very slightly. "...The gift...has been received..." This voice did not only point to the world consciousness and the Spark Tower, but also, through the link of the deep blue six-pointed star, reached a certain core of will deep within the underworld.

The next second, the observation deck was completely empty, leaving only a fleeting glimmer of silver light.

Chapter 76 Even cards have to be arrogant? Hagiret, you... (End)

The dazzling teleportation beam dissipated, instantly switching from the endless sea of ​​light back to the familiar cool-toned system space.

Halonia's figure slowly solidified within it.

"Calculation complete—SSS-class field mission reward payment received! Cosmic credits overflow warning! Energy reserve index soaring!!"