Erica's steps involuntarily became lighter.
As she walked through the thin layer of snow, her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly, as if afraid to make a sound.
She was a little scared, worried that Professor Victor might overhear her inner conversations.
If this goddess overheard their conversation, would she be furious?
After all, this is a matter of life and death concerning the gods.
But the determination and fearlessness that Professor Victor showed when he said those words lingered in Erica's heart.
Confident, determined, and fearless.
It's as if they don't take these gods seriously at all.
This gradually relaxed Erica, and her steps became lighter.
At this moment, Vega, who has only one eye, is standing on Erica's shoulder.
Seeing her anxious yet excited expression, he narrowed his eyes and silently communicated with Viktor in his mind:
Did you scare her?
Viktor remained silent for a moment.
He originally wanted to add a few more words, such as that he had killed countless gods.
But if these words were actually spoken, it might be too shocking for a "local" like Erica.
After all, they grew up listening to myths and legends.
The sublime image of the gods was already deeply imprinted in their hearts.
Not everyone can be as unashamed of these conceptualized, sublime things as Victor.
Viktor pondered this in his mind.
In the game, the names of each god match those in real-world mythology, and their relationships are even remarkably similar.
For example, the relationship between Hades and the Queen of the Underworld.
He wasn't sure if it was intentionally designed.
When players enter the game, each deity they encounter corresponds to a god in ancient mythology.
In the game, the gods are named after real-world mythological figures, so Victor naturally doesn't have much reverence for them.
Not to mention, he has defeated them more than once.
However, it wouldn't have mattered if he had told Erica about these things.
"Never mind, we've already dealt enough of a blow to Erica today."
Viktor thought to himself, then quietly shut his mouth, carefully sensing Erica's complex emotions.
Finally, Erica followed closely beside the Queen of the Underworld, filled with trepidation and anticipation.
The two walked together to the edge of this vast land.
The Queen of the Underworld stood on the shore, closed her eyes, stretched out her arms, and took a deep breath of the fresh, vibrant spring air.
The refreshing scent made her feel relaxed and happy.
The excitement and joy in my heart gradually subsided under the gentle caress of the spring breeze.
Before them, beyond the edge of the earth, flowed a river of utter stillness and profound silence.
Seeing the scene before her gave Erica goosebumps all over her body.
She still remembers when she boarded that transparent ship.
The countless tormented and frantic souls beneath the River Styx left a deep and indelible impression on her.
The deep, lifeless river and the land covered with flowers and grass appear extremely disjointed.
At this moment, the Queen of the Underworld slowly lowered her arms and placed her hands together on her lower abdomen.
The smile that had been on his face softened slightly, replaced by a more composed and dignified demeanor.
She gazed at the River Styx, then spoke gently to Erica:
"The River Styx is a river that no living person is allowed to set foot on. You should have realized this when you came to find me by boat."
This was said to Erica.
Erica listened, her anxiety gradually dissipating, and nodded blankly.
She remembered that when she first boarded the ship, Professor Victor told her many rules, such as not making a sound on the ship and not looking back after leaving the ship.
These actions were all intended to deceive the boatman, making him believe that the passenger was merely a dead man heading to the depths of hell.
“By exploiting loopholes like this, Charon can indeed lead you across the river.”
"But no matter what, you can never reach the deepest part of the underworld—Tartarus."
After hearing this, Erica seemed to suddenly understand, and whispered behind the Queen of the Underworld:
"Is it because I am a living person?"
"That's right."
Persephone nodded, then pointed to the golden branch clutched tightly in Erica's hand and explained:
"But as long as you possess this, you will be able to enter the underworld as a living person."
Erica lowered her head, gazing at the branch in her hand that shimmered with a warm golden light, when she suddenly heard a smug chuckle.
She looked up at the sound and saw Persephone standing there, hands on his hips, leaning back slightly, smiling confidently.
She said proudly:
"Because Charon will definitely take you to the underworld for my sake."
Erica blinked, looking at Hades with a knowing look.
That's true, after all, she is the queen of the underworld.
His status was prominent, second only to one person.
Of course, a boatman should give her face.
Just then, a thick, pale mist suddenly rose from the river in front of them.
The smoke spread rapidly and soon covered the entire river surface.
From the white smoke, a massive figure, wrapped in a long pole, slowly emerged and glided toward the shore.
Having learned from her previous experience, Erica was mentally prepared this time.
She wasn't as scared as last time, and watched helplessly as the boatman reached the shore.
Just like last time, the boatman paused for a moment when he saw them.
Then it slowly opened its mouth, which was inlaid with gold teeth, and exhaled a wisp of deep white smoke.
Through the swirling smoke, the boatman looked at Erica, a faint flame flickering in his empty eye sockets.
It seemed to be wondering why it needed to pull Erica again after it had just done so.
But soon, he stiffly turned his head, his gaze falling on the Queen of the Underworld.
Persephone noticed the boatman's gaze and looked quite pleased with himself.
She gently hooked her arm around Erica's:
"Alright, it's time for us to board the ship."
But just as Persephone was about to step onto the boat, the boatman suddenly grabbed a golden oar.
It slammed down on her head very quickly.
state!
That crisp sound was ethereal and clear.
In the blink of an eye, the news spread throughout the entire River Styx and the vibrant grasslands.
Erica was startled and looked at the Queen of the Underworld with worry in her eyes.
She covered her head with both hands, and tears even welled up in her eyes from the pain.
"Waaah... How could this happen?"
Even Erica was confused.
She raised her head again, her gaze sharp as she stared at the boatman opposite her.
The skeleton boatman put the oars back on the boat, and then stretched out a withered arm from his bulky robe.
He held up three fingers to the Queen of the Underworld, indicating "three".
The Queen of the Underworld rubbed her head, slowly raised her head, and looked at Charon's three outstretched fingers.
At that moment, her eyes widened, filled with shock and disbelief:
"What?! You're actually asking for three gold coins before you'll let me board the ship?"
"I am the Queen of the Underworld!!!"
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