Embrace

Xin Mu forcibly interrupted the diverted topic, leaving Zhang Ruofeng to offer a bitter smile in his heart. Beyond practicing combat martial arts in middle and high school and having early social interactions with adults, Zhang Ruofeng possessed no special abilities. He had realized the gravity of Xin Mu's concerns from the start; he was frantically absorbing the knowledge of this world every day—equipment, gods, Familia, conflicts, medicine, monsters, materials, currency, and nobility—to the point where his head felt ready to burst. Most importantly, Xin Mu and he shared the unique status of being from another world. Fortunately, their goddess was on good terms with many other deities and had deep connections with both Zeus and Hera; otherwise, Zhang Ruofeng wasn't sure if anyone would have attacked their Familia base—Fura Flower Shop.

"Time is the most terrifying thing," Xin Mu whispered. "I feel that even if we are still alive in a year or two, we won't remember many things that belong to our own world."

"There's no help for it. We'll just have to slowly refamiliarize ourselves once we go back, just like we are doing now," Zhang Ruofeng said, feigning a relaxed tone. Although his mouth tasted bitter, he couldn't let Xin Mu see his sorrow.

"Then how many years will it take?" Xin Mu asked, her voice trembling. "I know this world. I only watched it because you loved its world-building and settings."

Zhang Ruofeng remained silent, his back already damp with cold sweat. It was clear that Xin Mu's emotions were on the verge of collapse. Only then did he recall seeing a strange, large bottle on the dining table; it must have been the wine Perman and Evan had brought. He had drunk so much that he hadn't noticed Xin Mu had consumed quite a bit as well.

"Ten years? Twenty years? Although I am very happy as long as I am with you, I also worry that my parents will go mad searching for me..." Xin Mu said dejectedly. She knew that Zhang Ruofeng was just as uncertain about whether they could return, which was why he constantly sought out adventurers and merchants who traveled extensively, buying them drinks to hear bizarre stories others didn't know, hoping to find some clue. "You've asked so many travelers, but you haven't reached any conclusions, have you? And every time you come back covered in wounds, if you were to..."

"Shh." Zhang Ruofeng turned and pulled Xin Mu into an embrace, not letting her continue. He knew exactly what she wanted to say, but he had no answers. He spent almost all his spare time gathering intelligence, yet the most heartbreaking thing was that he remained ignorant about how to get home. Whether it was the Four Great Dragon Kings, the Battle of Red Dragon Bay, the Mountain Beast King, or the Plains Goblin Tribe, the world outside Orario was filled with constant warfare and chaos. What frustrated Zhang Ruofeng most was that there were no rumors of other-worlders, portals, or teleportation arrays. It seemed the only path home was the rumor Fura had heard from other gods. "Don't worry, I will definitely go back to our world with you."

"Mm." Xin Mu tried hard not to make a sound, burying her face in Zhang Ruofeng's chest as she wept. Zhang Ruofeng stood stunned for a long moment, thinking of how miserable he and Xin Mu had looked after being beaten. He could only offer a bitter smile. In the blink of an eye, Xin Mu had fallen into a deep sleep in his arms without him even realizing it.

"What about the future? What should we do?" Zhang Ruofeng's heart was filled with confusion, and he drifted into a hazy sleep while lost in thoughts of the various wild rumors he had heard.

In the morning, Zhang Ruofeng was awakened by movement in his arms. He opened his eyes to find that at some point, the roles had reversed; instead of Xin Mu holding him, he was now clutching her tightly. Xin Mu clearly realized he was awake, struggled slightly, and pulled away from his embrace with a faint blush. Zhang Ruofeng felt his own face heat up. Between the alcohol from the night before and his own mental fog, he had forgotten to carry Xin Mu back to her own bed, and he had even spent the morning holding her tightly in his sleep. He had been far too careless.

"Ah, sorry! I'll go make breakfast!!!" Not knowing how to resolve the awkward and ambiguous atmosphere, Zhang Ruofeng chose to flee, rushing out of the room in a flurry.

"Pfft." Xin Mu gripped the hem of her pajamas and laughed as she watched Zhang Ruofeng's panicked retreat. She wondered if causing him to make such a mistake was due to her own drunkenness or if the topic had struck too close to his deepest anxieties. Zhang Ruofeng always appeared calm, but that calmness carried a trace of sorrow and loneliness. Since arriving in this world, that loneliness seemed to be constantly diluting, perhaps because his mental strength had grown, significantly increasing his resistance to the heartache she felt for him. Even when she and the goddess Fura teased him, while he still couldn't handle it well, it no longer felt like a knife twisting in her heart as it once had.

While Zhang Ruofeng prepared breakfast, Xin Mu took out the set of daggers she had bought with him outside the city the day before. There were eight in total—six short and two long—all forged from fine steel. Each blade featured a blood groove, ensuring that even if they couldn't pierce deep, the sharp edges and grooves would inflict significant damage on enemies. She strapped the sheaths of the two long daggers horizontally across her waist and tied the remaining six to her thighs, three on each side. Although the crude iron daggers given to every novice were no longer of much use, she still strapped two to her legs as a precaution.

"Mm, not bad. You're looking more and more like an adventurer," the goddess Fura remarked after finishing her own morning routine, looking at Xin Mu's attire. After all, Zhang Ruofeng and Xin Mu had previously worn modern clothes and trousers, the materials and styles of which were completely out of place in this world. Especially with Zhang Ruofeng wearing his massive arm guards, the overall look had been quite incongruous.

"Thank you," Xin Mu said, nodding at Fura. She believed Fura knew that she and Zhang Ruofeng had recovered to their peak state, meaning their journey into the Dungeon would continue.

"Mm, be careful," Fura always supported whatever her Familia members wanted to do. She never restricted her adventurers, even when they were reckless; after all, most of them were free spirits, and they were the ones who had to decide what kind of life they wanted to lead.

"Breakfast is ready!" Just then, Zhang Ruofeng brought three plates to the table. The goddess and Xin Mu exchanged a smile and sat down to eat with him.