Chapter 515
"I'm sorry, I don't know about that. The Creator's actions and deeds do not need to be reported to us. The most urgent task is to close the Mega-structure Gate in the north. As for the hole the Creator created, we'll fix it later when we have time."
Shi Lei understood that if he stood idly by and allowed Higher Dimensional Being to enter, things would be disastrous. Not only would his family in Sami be doomed, but the entire world would be in danger.
It wasn't that he lacked strength, but rather that he had never dealt with Four-dimensional creature before and didn't know how to handle them. Now, he had no choice but to try his luck, even if it seemed hopeless.
"I can agree to that, but I have other things to do in Sami this time. After I finish, I'll send my family back, and then I'll come back to help you close the Mega-structure Gate. This round trip will take at most five days. You have to give me that little preparation time, right?"
Hearing that Shi Lei had agreed to help, Anmatar Talu finally felt relieved and nodded in agreement:
"Of course, I'd be very grateful for your help. I wonder what brings you to Sami this time? Perhaps I can be of assistance."
Anyway, it's only a little over a hundred kilometers from the cave of the Ice Seal Fire Giant, so it doesn't matter if Shi Lei tells it:
"Two months ago, I was teleported nearby by a lich's Teleportation Array. Deep in a cave, I discovered a Fire Giant Ice Seal. The Flame Greatsword it threw before it was frozen has some connection to a friend of mine who has amnesia. So, I brought her to Sami to see if I could awaken her past memories."
The Fire Giant that Shi Lei saw was what he witnessed when he touched the tree. Anmatar, as the Mother of Sami, could communicate with the Tree Spirit and naturally knew about this.
"I know that cave; it's not far from here. Do you need me to show you the way? I can accompany you."
Shi Lei filled the cave of the Ice Seal Fire Giant with Rock Constructs, knowing its exact location:
"No need, I know the location. But if you want to follow, then come along."
With that, the negotiations between the two parties concluded. They turned and left the lake together to rejoin the others. Seeing Anmatar follow them out didn't surprise anyone; they already knew that Anmataru had sent a guide, meaning it must have something to ask of them.
To save time, Shi Lei stopped strolling leisurely and instead summoned the Rock platform, which carried everyone directly to the cave of the Ice Seal Fire Giant.
Seeing Anmatar's humble demeanor, Exusiai and Lappland felt incredibly proud. They could boast to others when they returned that they had met the Mother of Sami.
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Chapter 589 Dimensional Strike (4K)
Traveling by Rock platform is much faster than walking slowly. In less than an hour, they arrived at the cave of the Ice Seal Fire Giant.
Since Shi Lei had agreed to close the Mega-structure Gate, he didn't mind revealing his abilities to Anmatar. Moreover, when he was first teleported to the Endless Icefield by the Magic Array, he was also flying at high speed. If it had any sense at that time, it should have known about his flight ability.
The cave ahead was unremarkable and looked quite ordinary. If Shi Lei hadn't led the way, none of them would have known that there was a hidden world beneath it.
"Arrive."
After dismantling the Rock platform, Shi Lei went straight to Surtr's side. In case anything unexpected happened later, he would be able to provide support at any time if he was close by.
Seeing the other person's clenched, snow-white fist, he tilted his head slightly and asked with concern:
"What's wrong? Are you nervous?"
Surtr knew he couldn't hide it any longer, so he grinned and frankly admitted it:
"Yes, a little."
"Hehe, it's normal to be nervous. We're all here with you, so relax."
"Yes, I know."
Muelsyse heard that there were Ice Seal giants and Ancient Tree in the cave and wanted to collect some samples. So she asked Shi Lei to lower the large Rock platform first, and she carried out a refit, along with a drone and equipment specifically for data collection.
Once everything was ready, the group set off down the cave. Shi Lei also removed the Rock Constructs that had been filling the cave, making it easier for everyone to pass through.
Seeing that the flashlight's illumination wasn't very good, Texas turned around and called out:
"Exusiai, come to the front."
The halo above her head provided a continuous and stable light source, illuminating the dark and deep cave as if it were daytime. It seems that Kuku's usual boasting about high-calorie foods hadn't been in vain.
Anmatar, more like a tour guide than Typhon, explained that this place used to be the lair of Frost Giant. He said that a Fire Giant had once broken in and killed many of the Frost Giant's Tribe Members. In the end, the chieftain used the forbidden Eternal Frost to freeze him here for thousands of years.
As the group ventured deeper, Reine des Neiges, nestled in Surtr's arms, began to react. Although it was terrified of Shi Lei's strength, it couldn't help but unleash flames.
Surtr felt a little heavy-hearted, but thankfully her friends were around, which made her feel much better.
As Anmatar spoke, the group arrived at the end of the narrow passage.
Seeing that the Exusiai's head couldn't reach that far, Muelsyse took a flare from his bag, pulled the trigger, and threw it. A flash of light, and everyone's vision was instantly cleared.
Seeing the scene before him, which resembled the Elf Lair, Muelsyse' eyelids twitched. However, this place was desolate and lifeless, a world apart from the elven territory.
"It's just ahead, and it's still alive."
Ever since Surtr gained self-awareness, she has taken Reine des Neiges across the Terra. Having no memories of her pre-awakening period, she has been searching aimlessly.
Faced with the impending answer, Surtr couldn't help but feel lost and uneasy. For a fleeting moment, she even wanted to escape immediately, because she was afraid of disappearing and felt extremely reluctant to leave.
"Don't be nervous, we're here for you."
With everyone's encouragement, Surtr gradually calmed down. She took a deep breath and stepped forward onto the cracked ice that resembled a spiderweb.
Surtr arrived at the ice wall and shone a light inside to peer inside. There were two lifelike ice sculptures, each about ten meters tall.
Seemingly sensing Reine des Neiges's approach, the Fire Giant opened its eyes on its own. This startled Surtr, who stumbled backward and nearly bumped into Shi Lei.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here. If the Fire Giant dares to attack you, I'll take care of it immediately."
Now, not only is he protecting them, but powerful figures such as Mother of Sami Anmatalu, and Mudrock are also here.
If you can't get over your mental hurdle today and choose to run away, who knows when you'll have to come back next time.
Surtr desperately wanted to escape, but having come this far, she couldn't just give up. With that thought, she raised the Reine des Neiges in her hand, and with a whoosh, it burst into raging flames.
Oh well, so be it if I die.
What's meant to happen will happen; there's no escaping it.
The ice began to melt in just over twenty seconds after it came into contact with Reine des Neiges's flames.
Large amounts of liquid began to spread down the ground, but were completely blocked by the Rock Constructs created by Shi Lei.
No extra steps are needed; simply placing Reine des Neiges on the ice will gradually pierce through it, like a fire poker from a martial arts hero, creating a large hole.
Surtr stepped inside and slowly brought the Reine des Neiges in his hand closer to the Fire Giant.
The moment it was touched, its body was like dried firewood, ready to be ignited by the slightest spark.
"Sizzle sizzle~"
Wisps of steam rose from the surface of the Fire Giant's skin. The flames within its body gradually revived, slowly emerging from their millennia -Ice Seal state.
Five minutes later, the Ice Crystal covering the Fire Giant's body melted completely. It stiffly moved its severely frostbitten limbs, feeling immense numbness and pain.
Now that Reine des Neiges is right before its eyes, the Fire Giant could summon him directly. But such an action would undoubtedly anger the top-tier powerhouses who came with it. It could tell what was more important.
My body is too weak right now. Even if I'm resentful and want to fight, I have to wait until I'm back to my full strength.
The feeling of being Ice Seal for a thousand years, with active consciousness but no physical energy, was simply too unbearable. In any case, the Fire Giant did not want to experience it again.
Seeing that it didn't snatch the Reine des Neiges from her hand, Surtr asked the question that had been bothering her for a long time:
"Am I an avatar you created?"
The Fire Giant heard the Red-haired Sarkaz Woman speaking beside him and turned his head to look:
What are you saying?
It is a creature from a thousand years ago, and it uses a very ancient language.
Seeing the blank looks on Surtr's and the others' faces, Shi Lei immediately understood. He used the system's built-in simultaneous interpretation function to translate in real time:
"She just asked you, is she an alternate version of yourself that you created?"
Upon hearing that Shi Lei could speak his hometown dialect, the Fire Giant's pupils dilated in surprise. It was extremely curious about the other's identity, but knew it had no right to ask. Its lips, Ice Seal for so long, began to move, struggling to organize its thoughts:
"A clone, what is that?"
Seeing that the Fire Giant didn't understand, Shi Lei continued to act as the translator and quickly figured out the answer.
It does not have the ability to create clones.
Surtr's confusion didn't stop there. Knowing that only Shi Lei could communicate with her at the moment, she said to him:
"Lord Zhongli, please ask him for me. If I'm not an avatar created by it, why do other memories keep appearing in my mind? Those scenes and images are so familiar, as if I've been there before. But in fact, I don't remember anything."
Shi Lei relayed these words to the Fire Giant. Its language ability hadn't recovered, making communication extremely time-consuming. The Exusiai and the others, bored while waiting, actually started playing cards about ten meters away. If Texas hadn't been in the mood, she would have even gathered four people to play mahjong.
After some discussion, Shi Lei got the answer:
"He said those weren't your memories, but Reine des Neiges's. They can act as a memory carrier, transferring the memories of other holders into your mind."
"I see."
This explains why memories sometimes feel very familiar, yet the details are completely forgotten.
Surtr had actually guessed this was the case long ago, but he had been struggling to find concrete evidence to prove it. Now, with the Fire Giant's reply, his confusion was completely dispelled.
"Lord Zhongli, could you please ask again? I can't recall any memories from before I first awoke. Could it be due to its influence or Reine des Neiges's?"
Shi Lei relayed the information, but the Fire Giant said it had nothing to do with her and was probably her own problem.
Although not entirely satisfied with the result, Surtr accepted the explanation.
After she finished asking questions, Shi Lei inquired:
"What are your plans now? Are you going to return Reine des Neiges to it and start a new life?"
Surtr nodded, a sense of relief washing over her. This was the life she had always longed for.
"Yes, I don't usually need Reine des Neiges, so let's settle this here and now. Lord Zhongli, please pass it on to him. I have no other questions."
Surtr knows she's just a swordswoman; her so-called strength is all thanks to Reine des Neiges. Even without using it, a single Originium Crawler could ambush her.
Shi Lei took Reine des Neiges and casually tossed him to the Fire Giant. The latter, enduring excruciating pain, reached out and caught him steadily.
The moment they touched, Reine des Neiges erupted in a torrent of flames, which swirled within the Fire Giant's body like dragons, alleviating the aftereffects of his long-term Ice Seal. With just a little more rest, he would be back to his peak.
Great! I'm finally free!
At the same time, Anmatar, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up:
"Mister Zhongli, are you finished with your work?"
Shi Lei nodded in response and prepared to leave the cave.
"I'll send them back first, and come back in a few days. Don't worry, I never go back on my word."
"No, I'm not worried about that. Now that your matter is settled, it's my turn to settle accounts."
The Fire Giant committed the crime in Sami's territory a thousand years ago, so it's appropriate for Mother of Sami to handle it. Shi Lei, not wanting to get involved, shrugged, indicating that the other party should do as they pleased.
"Whatever you say. See you outside the cave in four or five days."
"Okay, see you outside the cave."
When Shi Lei and the others returned to the Cave Entrance from the Underground Space, Anmatar's aura surged.
It emitted a dazzling white light, awakening the Frost Giant that had been Ice Seal along with it.
"Awooo!"
An angry roar filled the surroundings. Even with Reine des Neiges, the Fire Giant would likely not escape this calamity.
What goes around comes around.
Hearing that sound, which seemed to strike at one's heartstrings, Surtr, now a mortal, felt a lingering fear.
Shi Lei, walking alongside him, saw this and offered a suggestion:
"It won't be long before Reine des Neiges is ownerless. If you can't bear to part with it, we can wait here with you. I'll get the sword from Anma then, and you'll be its only owner from now on."
Faced with another chance, Surtr didn't linger too long:
"No need, thank you for your kindness. In the end, it is Reine des Neiges who is powerful, not me. I won't need it in my future life, so it's useless to me."
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei stopped trying to persuade them and respected their choice.
"It's good that you're not tempted by power. I'll arrange bodyguards for you and Lisa from now on, so you won't have to work so hard every day and can enjoy life in peace."
Surtr nodded, offering his heartfelt thanks:
"Yes, thank you."
The group followed the narrow passage outwards and soon reached the Cave Entrance. Muelsyse frequently turned back, seemingly hesitant to speak, before finally asking:
"Mister Zhongli, you said you'd send us back and then come back. Did you run into some trouble? Perhaps Rhine Lab and I can help."
Shi Lei grinned, not holding out much hope.