Testing the Waters

Hearing this bizarre question with no clear meaning, Bai Mo felt a throbbing in his temples, and then said with a somewhat speechless tone, "Isn't the Underworld meddling a bit too much? Or is this just the Underworld god's twisted sense of humor?"

Bai Mo spoke slowly to the stone door, but "Ishtar" behind him felt a surge of anger and indignation. She pounded on the door with her hands in a frantic manner, exclaiming, "Wait a minute! What is this? This isn't how it's supposed to be!"

That's not the kind of question I set! I don't have that kind of perverse sense of humor. That wretched fellow not only infiltrated my territory but also usurped my rights!

At this moment, she was already itching to hang that troublemaker up and give him the treatment of a Venus goddess. She had meticulously planned everything just to let him experience the beauty of the Underworld and become a partner in their struggle.

But so far, nothing has happened that she anticipated.

Faced with their questions, Shi Men acted like a machine, mechanically replaying the sounds he had just heard.

"Answer me... answer me..."

Looking at this shameless demeanor, Bai Mo thought to himself, "That's exactly why I don't want to negotiate with the gods."

Bai Mo pointed to the stone door and asked the goddess behind him, "Can I just destroy this thing?"

Upon hearing Bai Mo's words, Ishtar shook her hands so hard they were almost blurry. She said anxiously, "No, no! This thing is very complicated to make... no, it's that destroying it will definitely anger the souls patrolling the Underworld."

Hearing her words, Bai Mo sighed and withdrew his fist. Now, all he could do was think about the stone gate. Bai Mo put himself in her shoes and considered which woman he had found peace with...

Then, he raised his head, like a student who had guessed the last bonus question on an exam, his eyes gleaming with absolute certainty. He slowly said:

"Do we really have to choose one from these groups? Won't any of them lead to endless trouble?"

Thinking of Circe, that chirping little bird, or Arcueid, who was always full of energy, Bai Mo felt a wave of weariness. And then there was that Brother Bai pseudo-man and that mentally ill patient on the ground who called himself a prince the moment they met.

The future looks bleak.

He glanced silently at the cage not far away, rubbing his temples, and said, "Now that you mention it, I'm starting to envy those souls who are put in cages after they die."

He couldn't help but sigh, but when those words reached the ears of the goddess behind him, they had a completely different meaning.

Upon hearing this, "Ishtar" behind him was initially incredulous, then covered her mouth and smugly delighted. She thought to herself, "So, they get along surprisingly well? I knew my Underworld couldn't be completely useless. Should I ask him what kind of prison he prefers..."

However, Shimen seemed very dissatisfied with this answer. He said, "Are you an idiot? Staying in a place like this after death will only dull your brain."

Upon hearing this, Ishtar glared at him, put her hands on her hips, and demanded, "Hey, what... what grievance do you have against me, against this Underworld?"

"Isn't that obvious? It offers nothing, what's so good about a place where there's no light of day? All of humanity's strengths and weaknesses are rotten here! Even a cup of hot cocoa can't be provided after death, so what's the point of coming here?"

"Just existing? Then it's not even as good as a goldfish in a fish tank."

Ishtar was stumped. The stone gate was right; there was nothing here. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't find the words. If it were any other Ishtar would have already cursed back without a second thought.

But all she could do was put on a pitiful expression as if she was about to cry, squatting to the side, drawing circles on the ground with her hand while muttering to herself, "What can I do... I've already tried my best, I'm really sorry I don't have any authority over life."

They traded a portion of the Underworld's authority for power, but that only resulted in continuous destruction...

Even warmth can't provide for the soul... I thought I'd gain the power of the sun in the bet, but instead I was forced to accept the power of a virus..."

As Ishtar grew increasingly gloomy, the atmosphere grew even colder. But the stone door in front of them lit up, and the voice continued, "Alright, hurry up and answer. The drainage system here isn't very good; it's a bit too dark and damp."

Why don't you just close your eyes and pick one? I'll give you a hand.

After he finished speaking, the inscriptions on the stone door in front of him began to change, turning into familiar names. Bai Mo frowned; all the names on it were familiar to him, from Atalanta to Sajyou Manaka, whom he had just met.

Bai Mo looked troubled, glanced at the goddess drawing circles beside him, sighed deeply, then glanced at the stone door and tapped a character on it with his middle finger knuckle.

"Oh, I see. Hehe, it would have been better if you had done this sooner."

After the stone gate finished speaking, it slowly opened. Bai Mo patted the goddess beside him on the shoulder, but she just muttered to herself, "Don't worry about me... just let me stay here, it's so peaceful..."

She hugged her knees; if there were a bed right now, she would definitely lie down without hesitation and stay in that position until she fell asleep.

Perhaps because she looked so unsightly, a small white beast emerged from Bai Mo's sleeve. Cathy Palug silently landed on her shoulder, then growled, "F... (Ha...)"

However, the low growl of the cute White Beast really startled her, causing her to fall to the ground with a thud. In that instant, Bai Mo saw that a deep red cloak suddenly appeared on Ishtar's body, and even her hair turned golden.

Wow! What's Cathy Palug doing here?!

"This guy was definitely an accident, but I'm keeping him for now." Bai Mo picked up Cathy Palug, watching a goddess so frightened by this somewhat cute creature, and couldn't help but think to himself: Even Ereshkigal knows about it, could it really be some kind of amazing magical beast?

"Anyway, the door's open, let's go." Bai Mo pulled up his sleeves, and Cathy Palug slipped inside with practiced ease. She then poked her head out from behind Bai Mo, leaving half her body outside like a seal clinging to a ship.

Seeing the open door, Ereshkigal's eyes lit up, a hint of surprise flashing across her face, before she muttered with a slightly dejected expression, "It's open? I thought you really wanted to stay here..."

But he immediately waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. By the way, you have quite a few lovers. Although you're good-looking enough not to get killed, there will still be retribution for flirting."

Bai Mo shook his head and said as he walked, "I don't have a lover. Although someone has confessed to me, I'm not a good choice. I have a lot of things to deal with, and I wouldn't be happy with someone like that."

Did you just see that? Please don't tell anyone, or I'll be so ashamed. That person has probably already found their own happiness. After all, she's capable of anything. Once she understands love and stops being dormant, she'll definitely embrace life and meet someone who truly loves her.

"She and I... are at most book lovers. Maybe it's because I like the tranquility of reading, that I subconsciously chose her."

After learning from Artoria that Shiki had indeed repaired the world, Bai Mo finally felt relieved.

Therefore, among a group of women who constantly caused him trouble, this woman who helped him solve his problems did indeed receive a fairly good evaluation. But to say that she could bring him peace? No one could.

Bai Mo looked up at the dark sky, at the underground Underworld that Ereshkigal had painstakingly built, and exhaled, saying:

"Calm down... There are still things to finish, what's the point of talking about calm down?"

As the two walked along the road to the Underworld, cold lights suddenly rose around them, like will-o'-the-wisps. Upon closer inspection, they were revealed to be skeletons burning with blue flames, surrounding the two.