Chapter 294: Return to the Surface

Wu Qingsong wouldn’t blindly trust the path the Flame Overlord had shown him. He sent numerous undead as a vanguard and conducted extensive reconnaissance of the surrounding area before cautiously entering the passage with Nina.

Perhaps the Flame Overlord had led him into a trap, but he had no better options. If it truly turned out to be a deceit, the Flame Overlord would pay dearly for its second betrayal.

However, Wu Qingsong’s suspicions seemed unnecessary. The Flame Overlord was fed up with his existence and seemed genuinely intent on expelling him back to the surface.

The passage they entered was remote, devoid of insectoid settlements. Thankfully, water remained readily available, and their stock of dried meat was sufficient. After many days of sporadic, winding ascents, Nina suddenly exclaimed with excitement one day, “The air smells different!”

“I smell soil!” she said joyfully.

They quickened their pace immediately. Half a day later, even Wu Qingsong could catch the faint scent of earth, grass, and sunlight. Weak sunlight filtered through cracks above them, and dirt had fallen into the crevices, where resilient moss had taken root. Encouraged, they climbed with renewed vigor.

Hours later, they finally emerged from a narrow crevice.

The sun, reduced to its last streaks of twilight, still dazzled their eyes. They were unaccustomed to its brilliance after so long.

Wu Qingsong collapsed onto the grass, kissing the ground with abandon. Nina, uncharacteristically, threw her head back and howled at the sky.

Laughter, uncontrollable and full of relief, bubbled between them as they embraced tightly, falling into the soft grass. Overwhelmed by emotion, they soon gave in to their passions, unable to resist the tide of joy.

When their passion subsided, a new moon had quietly risen into the sky, casting a long-lost sense of peace over them.

“We really made it back…” Wu Qingsong murmured as he gazed at the stars above.

Nina adjusted her position. The constant light, the ability to see each other clearly at all times, felt strange to her, almost otherworldly. Yet, seeing Wu Qingsong so clearly also brought her an indescribable sense of security.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

“I’m thinking about how beautiful you are,” Wu Qingsong said, kissing her again. “I’m thinking this is the life we deserve. Not lying on cold rocks, warming ourselves with burning moss.”

Flustered by the openness of their setting, Nina tried to shy away. Wu Qingsong caught her hand, interlocking their fingers to keep her close.

Under his passionate gaze, she felt her body warming again. Hastily, she changed the subject.

“Where do you think we are?”

“It must be a mountain range,” Wu Qingsong said, shaking his head. “What do you think?”

“When the sun was setting, I saw snowy peaks in the distance,” Nina replied. “But they’re definitely not the peaks of the Tecks. They looked much bigger.”

“Then we might be on the western or northern edge of the continent,” Wu Qingsong speculated. “Don’t worry. We’ve already overcome the hardest part. Nothing else can stop us. Maybe we’ll find a town or village tomorrow and be home before long.”

Nina wanted to say something, but Wu Qingsong’s wandering hands distracted her again. She eventually gave in, lost in their shared happiness.

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The morning sunlight soon woke the pair from their sleep, their biological clocks completely out of sync with the surface’s rhythm.

Nina tried to get up but was pulled back by Wu Qingsong, who dragged her into the shade of a tree. However, even the shade couldn’t shield them from the intense midday heat, and they were forced to rise under the blazing sun.

“I never thought the midday sun could be this glaring and hot,” Wu Qingsong muttered.

Nina quickly dressed in her moss-woven clothes and walked ahead.

“Let’s find a town or village!” she said energetically, tying her long silver hair with a thin vine.

The sunlight bathed her in a radiant glow, making her appear to shimmer. Wu Qingsong paused, momentarily stunned, before hurrying to catch up.

“Let’s go! Bread, vegetables, fruit, I can’t wait to eat real food again!”

With the undead scouting ahead, finding a suitable path wasn’t difficult. Before long, they spotted a village nestled at the base of the mountain, hidden among the trees. Wu Qingsong left the undead in the forest and ran toward the village with Nina.

It was an ordinary mountain village with just seven or eight households. The homes were clustered on a small hill, surrounded by a wooden fence. Farmlands were sparse, and a few young tigerfolk were carving wood in their yards, likely making bows or spears. When they saw the pair approaching, the tigerfolk warily grabbed their weapons and stood up.

“Hello!” Nina called out. “We mean no harm. We got lost in the mountains and only just made it here.”

“You must have been wandering for a long time,” said a middle-aged tigerfolk, squinting at them suspiciously.

Wu Qingsong and Nina’s original clothes had long since been ruined. The hides of underground insectoids couldn’t be used to make garments, so they had woven their own from moss stalks and leaves.

What had seemed practical underground now looked strange and out of place.

“What’s your relationship?” the tigerfolk continued.

“She’s my wife,” Wu Qingsong said quickly, before Nina could respond.

“A half-elf and a wolfwoman? Ha!” a young tigerfolk sneered.

The mocking tone irritated Wu Qingsong slightly, but it wasn’t enough to provoke him.

“We have some dried meat. Could we trade it for clothes and some fresh fruits or vegetables?” Nina asked.

Her calm demeanor silenced the jeers. The tigerfolk exchanged glances, and one of them said, “Follow me.”

Before they could proceed, a roar echoed from the nearby forest. The tigerfolk immediately sprang into action, grabbing their weapons and rushing out of the village.

A tall tigerfolk came running from the woods toward the village.

“Uncle Sertans, what happened?” one of the younger tigerfolk called out.

“There are a lot of insectoids in the forest!” the tigerfolk shouted as he reached the village. “Quick, retreat inside! Get the women, children, and elderly to safety!”

The tigerfolk quickly mobilized.

“What are you standing there for?” the tigerfolk who had spoken to them earlier yelled. “Get over here!”

Insectoids?

Wu Qingsong gave a wry smile. Could this Sertans have mistaken his undead beetles in the forest for an invasion?