Come to the Overworld

Inside the clinic.

"You little rascal, what exactly are you trying to do?" Natasha finally couldn't help asking.

"I'm not trying to do anything. It's just that you work so hard every day, Natasha, and I work pretty hard too, so I thought I'd find a chance for us to take a break." Jing Yan blinked, his gaze clear and bright.

Natasha narrowed her eyes, as if to say, Yeah, right. I believe that.

Jing Yan noticed her expression, but with his thick skin, he didn't show the slightest embarrassment. Instead, he spread his hands and launched into a smooth-talking explanation. "Natasha, people in the Underworld deserve to enjoy a good quality of life too!"

"Look, you even have a record player in your clinic..."

Natasha was taken aback.

"I brought it back from an expedition to search some ruins. Besides, it helps the patients relax. It's not there just for my own enjoyment."

"Natasha, you really are..." Jing Yan was taken aback too.

"When the time comes, I'll take you to see a performance at the Golden Theater in the Overworld."

At that, Natasha looked even more flustered.

[Natasha's favorability increased by 3%. Current favorability: 78%]

"You really are a smooth talker. I wonder who you learned that from. Once I find out, I'll give him a good scolding!"

Natasha was still trying to brush him off, but her tone had softened considerably.

"I'm not just saying that," Jing Yan said calmly.

"Besides, I'm an adult already, and you're not much older than me—just a year or two. How did I become a kid?"

"Hmph!" Natasha still looked a little flustered as she chided him. "You're a kid. You used to be a pretty good one, too. I don't know where you picked up these bad ideas."

"Then do you like good kids or bad kids, Natasha?" Jing Yan pressed indignantly.

"Of course I like..."

"Neither," Natasha said firmly, putting on a stern expression to hide what she really thought.

Then she quickly turned around and pretended to get back to work.

She started wiping down the workbench with a handkerchief.

"You already wiped it today," Jing Yan said, somewhat speechless.

He could clearly see that Natasha was acting a little awkwardly, unlike her usual calm and composed self. His earlier words had clearly stirred something in her heart.

Even though Natasha hadn't received the divine creation in Jing Yan's hands, the Emotion Stone, and hadn't been affected by it,

just talking with Jing Yan had already stirred her emotions, and it seemed to be in a good way.

"It's fine!"

Jing Yan took Natasha by the hand and led her outside.

"The people from the Underworld Fire can hand out mushroom soup to the children and take care of things like that. But if you're interested in this stone I'm holding, then you'd better do as I say, okay?"

Jing Yan led Natasha by the hand toward the Goethe Hotel.

"Hey, where are you taking me?"

Natasha made a token attempt to pull away, but couldn't free her hand.

Her cheeks flushed, but she didn't resist again. She let Jing Yan lead her along.

Outside the clinic.

Some children from the Moles stood by the roadside.

Julian the Master of Disguise, Alina the Heartthrob, and Luke the Great Thief.

Hook wasn't there. She was probably still at home recovering from her injuries.

Hook hadn't been badly hurt during the earlier incident. Perhaps because she was small and nimble, the Fragmentum Monster hadn't managed to injure her, though she had exhausted herself and passed out.

Of course, if Seele and Jing Yan hadn't arrived in time, Hook would have been badly injured, if not killed.

"Big Sister Natasha, Big Brother Jing Yan, thank you for saving our boss!"

Julian's clear, young voice rang out.

Natasha didn't say anything, but Jing Yan waved to Julian as he ran.

Then, just as he turned back, he saw Julian wink at him with his left eye and give him an encouraging thumbs-up.

It seemed Julian had figured out that Jing Yan was flirting.

Jing Yan found it a little ridiculous and thought to himself, Kids these days!

"Don't ask questions. Anyway, I'll give you this gem when we get back," Jing Yan said.

Natasha looked surprised. She glanced at the stone in Jing Yan's hand, wrapped in seven-colored light, and regarded it with interest. Then she obediently replied, "All right."

"But don't do this again!"

"If you pull another stunt next time and show up uninvited, I'll show you who's boss in this clinic!"

Natasha added.

By then, Jing Yan had brought Natasha to the boundary between Boulder Town and the Overworld.

Through this hidden entrance, they could reach the Overworld. Jing Yan knew about it because Sampo had told him.

Perhaps because Sampo, a Pathstrider of Elation, had a unique ability to sense emotions, he had grown quite close to Jing Yan. When he heard Jing Yan was interested in the Overworld, he told him about this passage between the Overworld and the Underworld.

As a trader who moved goods between the two districts, Sampo was good at getting along with everyone and knew how to work the angles.

As for this secret entrance, plenty of people knew about it.

For example, members of the Underworld Fire, as well as Natasha, who had once gone up that way to gather herbs.

However, many people in the Overworld weren't particularly welcoming toward those from the Underworld. And with the Supreme Guardian's edicts in place, people from the Underworld rarely went up to the Overworld.

But Jing Yan wasn't too worried about being questioned by the Silvermane Guards. His divine power had partially recovered, and even if the Overworld's Silvermane Guards did stop them, he could adjust their emotions and persuade them to let the two of them pass.

"My treat today. What would you like to eat, Natasha?"

Jing Yan stopped in front of a snack shop.

"Belobog Sausage."

"Rock-Roasted Olm."

"And a Black Bread Soda Iceberg."

Jing Yan placed the order.

The shopkeeper smiled politely at that.

Natasha, however, furrowed her brows slightly.

"You brought me to the Overworld just to treat me to food?" Natasha asked, looking somewhat displeased.

"What's wrong? I saved up these Shields myself. Don't you want to come, Natasha?" Jing Yan asked, puzzled.

"But your money..." Natasha said, still hesitant.

Jing Yan immediately understood what she was thinking.

She probably thought he was wasting his money.

The food he'd just ordered wasn't especially extravagant, but that was by Overworld standards.

In the Underworld, people could manage eighteen to twenty meals a week, but twelve of them were usually just bread and potatoes.

By comparison, what Jing Yan had ordered was naturally a bit of a luxury.

"What's there to worry about? A thousand gold pieces spent will come back again!" Jing Yan said casually.