'?????'
'What nonsense are you spouting?'
'I already took off my pants, and you tell me you're on your period today?'
'Young man, I advise you to stick to the script!'
'rn/
The popularity she had painstakingly gathered might be lost if she retreated now, and it wasn't her style to back down based on mere speculation.
Seeing the mood calm, Mo Zhi cast aside distractions and refocused her attention on the game.
"Ahem... but before that..."
Xiao Hua picked up Furi's line about breaking the barrier to save the underground monsters, then poured cold water on it, "We have to survive until that moment first."
"Survive until then..."
Furi murmured, her expression complicated. She turned to look at Xiao Hua calmly, "Xiao Hua, do you think we can survive until then?"
"Ah, um..."
Xiao Hua's voice was filled with uncertainty, "Furi, I... I... I will do my best to help you, I will risk my life to protect you!"
"Thank you, Xiao Hua."
Furi's uneasy heart gradually calmed under Xiao Hua's reassurance. Although in her eyes Xiao Hua did not possess the ability to fight others, Xiao Hua's words gave her hope.
"Furi, do you miss home?"
"Home?"
Furi was momentarily stunned by the question, then said bitterly, "In my memory, I don't have many happy memories of home."
"I rarely saw my father, and I was raised by my mother."
"My mother often told me: no matter what happens, always remain kind."
"I also followed my mother's request and always suppressed my anger. Perhaps this is what my father called my weakness."
"Come to think of it, it seems all my happy memories are related to my mother. I don't think there will be any more in the future."
Her emotions were very low, as if she were making final arrangements. Xiao Hua couldn't listen any longer and said firmly, "Furi!"
"Ah!"
"I'm sorry, Xiao Hua, I got carried away with my memories."
Furi was like this, always being so cautious with everyone.
"I understand."
Xiao Hua said earnestly and sincerely, "I truly hope you can return to your mother's side."
"Thank you, Xiao Hua." Furi asked, "Do you have family too?"
"Me?" Xiao Hua hesitated for a moment and said lightly, "My family is a bit complicated. I have my family, but I can't go back."
"Why?"
"Um... I'm sorry, that's my privacy." Xiao Hua looked troubled, Furi smiled in understanding, "I understand. You don't have to say if you don't want to."
"Thank you for understanding."
After speaking, Xiao Hua closed her eyes.
Furi, being sensible, didn't press further. The two of them tacitly took another short rest. After waking up, Furi's condition had recovered considerably.
The fire in the fireplace still flickered, filling the room with warmth.
Xiao Hua was still asleep in the rocking chair. Furi quietly got out of bed, then tiptoed to pull the blanket covering Xiao Hua up a little higher.
"Furi..."
Xiao Hua's eyes were drowsy, "Furi, you're awake."
"I'm sorry, Xiao Hua, did I wake you?"
"No, I just woke up too."
Xiao Hua stretched her branches and yawned, "So, what's our plan for today?"
"Climb to the surface!"
Furi clenched her fists, her face resolute.
"That's great! It looks like your body has recovered!" Xiao Hua cheered, "Perhaps it's unlikely we'll make it, but it's worth a try!"
"By the way, don't you want to stay?"
"If you stay now, even if you die, you can reload your save."
"At least compared to the surface, you can have more choices."
Facing Xiao Hua's sincere advice, Furi gave a warm smile, then extended her hand for Xiao Hua to climb onto her shoulder and walked towards the hotel exit.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
When Furi walked onto the city streets, a cold wind blew, making her shiver.
"It's so cold!"
She could exhale a puff of white air with just a casual remark. She rubbed her hands, blew warm air into them, and then resolutely strode towards the outskirts of the city.
Gradually, the houses surrounding Snow Town gave way to trees.
Furi searched with her eyes as she walked—where was Sans?
She hadn't seen the steamed bun since leaving the inn, which made her a little puzzled.
Perhaps he was near the guard post?
While lost in thought, Xiao Hua's frightened voice suddenly broke through, "Furi, look! There seems to be something over there!"
Furi cautiously peered forward. In the distance, a red figure, faintly obscured by the falling snow, slowly emerged...
!!!
Furi instantly panicked, and even Mo Zhi, who was watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but grip her mouse, veins bulging on the back of her hand. The shadow cast by the little devil Paparis was immense.
Rustle rustle rustle—
As the distance closed, the figure seemed much shorter than Paparis, and from afar, she could see the golden shining large golden tooth in the sunlight.
If not Sans, then who else?
"Phew!~"
Furi let out a long sigh, her shoulders relaxing and drooping.
Sans sat at the guard post, leaning on the windowsill, his chin resting on one arm, looking quite relaxed.
"I didn't expect you to prepare to go this far," he said.
Furi spread her hands and shrugged helplessly.
This sister is this brave, what about it?
Hmph~
Sans chuckled, "I thought you would stay in Snow Town. You know, it's warm, safe, and there's food."
"Paparis only comes back occasionally. If you're lucky, you might never run into him."
Furi shook her head, pointing upwards with her finger, her intention very clear: she wanted to return to the surface.
Sans stared at her for a few seconds, then shook his head, "Are you really determined, sweetie?"
His white pupils shifted towards the golden flower that covered half of her face, and he mumbled, "There are many puzzle traps outside."
"Set by Paparis," he added:
"If you can solve the puzzles quickly enough, you might even be able to leave Snow Town before Paparis returns."
Furi turned to the path ahead, nodded at Sans, and rushed forward without looking back.
A few minutes later, she arrived in an open space.
"A human!"
Abruptly, unexpectedly, and unforeseen, Paparis appeared right before her eyes.
Even Mo Zhi was seeing Paparis's true form in Au for the first time. How to describe it...
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a demon.
His bloodthirsty eyes exuded a chilling deathly aura, and the ferocious scratches at the corners of his eyes added a touch of wickedness. The red scarf and black shoulder armor looked exactly like the original.
However, the demon Paparis standing before her appeared unusually cold and merciless. Throughout it all, Paparis only spoke that one sentence.
Then,
Furi felt as if her soul was being forcefully dragged out, pulled into a combat phase.
......