"Mommy? Me?" Tian An pointed at herself incredulously.
"?"
"Ah, no, sorry, Big Sister Theresia, I accidentally spaced out," Clara apologized, blushing.
Just now, the more she looked, the more she wanted to run up onto Tian An's shoulder and snuggle... After all, that aura was too hard to resist.
That scared Te- I mean, me! I thought Clara was going to be unreasonable too.
"Alright everyone, shouldn't we pick up the pace?" Natasha watched the two in front of her exchanging words back and forth with an "amiable" expression.
Clara picked up the flower that had just fallen, quietly tucked it into her pocket, and then continued walking forward.
Come to think of it... things like flowers should be rare in the Underworld....
Tian An pondered.
Could I turn Theresia into a field of flowers....
Along the road, many people were walking in the opposite direction, among them quite a few panicked vagrants. However, since they weren't causing trouble, Natasha acted as if she didn't see them.
"Na.... Na... Natasha!" A man in work clothes stuttered out words from afar, running towards them.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Natasha looked at his panicked state.
"Th-th-those b-bugs... bugs!" The man's stutter grew worse. Frustrated, he slapped himself twice, then continued.
"Those b-bugs... fused... fused together into a b-big bug!" After saying this, the man nearly suffocated himself.
"Th-then it... it smashed... smashed everything in the... the mine!"
No way.. could it be that clumsy Originium Slug Tian An encountered in the Simulated Universe before?
And her son (just kidding)?
As the man spoke, he waved his hands wildly, gesturing the size of the bug. Although it was clear he was agitated, the scale he indicated—larger than an adult man—was a bit exaggerated, wasn't it?
"Do you know where these bugs came from?" Tian An pressed.
"From... from.. from under the mine, drilled...."
"Drilled out from under the mine?" Natasha found his speech too slow as well and started helping him complete the sentences.
"We also don't.. don't.. don't—"
"You don't know the reason either?" Tian An also helped him finish.
The man nodded, his expression growing even more anxious.
"Lots of people... people... people—"
"Lots of people got hurt?" Clara joined the chorus.
The man nodded again.
"Alright, we understand. You go back and rest first."
"Okay ^ω^"
"???"
Ignoring the departure of the stuttering man, the three decided to quicken their pace. Tian An felt like flying over right now to see what was happening.
"Clara, let me carry you. We'll run," Natasha suggested proactively while jogging.
"N-no need, Clara can keep up!" Clara struggled to match their pace.
"Clara, let me," Tian An stopped and bent down.
"Maybe not... I..."
"It's okay, I'm very strong," Tian An looked at the hesitant Clara with sincere gentleness.
"Th-then alright," Clara finally yielded to the gentleness.
Natasha: Sigh, the child has found a new mommy (not really).
....
Meanwhile, in another part of the mining area, a group of people stood outside a sealed metal door, nervously watching it being repeatedly slammed against.
"Hey boss, can you stop pulling my pants?" A man at the very back, covered in dirt, tugged at his trousers. His belt had disappeared during the escape earlier, though he didn't know how.
The man trembling while clutching his pant leg was in an even worse state. Not only were his shoes gone, but his pants were torn into jagged strips, making him look like an abused young lady... uh, man?
"I... I don't want to either, I... I can't control it!"
"You big man, scared like this? Look how sturdy I am."
"Bullshit! You went to relieve yourself, saw those bugs, and ran off without even buckling your belt! You even took the paper with you when you left!" the man accused while tapping the other's leg.
"Wait, hold on... how did you run out without paper....."
"....."
"Brothers! They're just lousy bugs, what's there to be afraid of? Let's charge back in together!" The burliest man at the front of the group shouted.
Long-term labor in the mines and constant struggles with vagrants had cultivated a highly combative atmosphere among these people.
Many workers began raising pickaxes and similar tools, joining the call, shouting about charging back in.
"Bullshit! You want to lead them to their deaths?!" The man without the belt rushed to the front and shoved the lead worker aside.
"That bug is huge, taller than any of you! What are you going to fight it with!" He exaggerated the proportions dramatically, trying to convince the surrounding crowd.
"No, listen to me, brother," the lead worker tried to interrupt him.
"Get out of the way! Let me tell you, people are already injured! We should wait for Big Sis from Wildfire to arrive before doing anything!.."
"Your wallet is inside," the lead worker stated flatly.
"...."
"Brothers, what are we waiting for?! Let's go together!" Before the audience's perspective could even shift, our "Beltless" Bro had already dashed to the front of the door, shouting loudly.
"For the Mines!"
"For the Underworld!"
"For the Wallet!" A crowd of people, chanting slogans, began to madly surge towards the iron door, accompanied by the clang of metal striking metal.
"Crazy... they're all crazy," the man who had been clinging to someone else's pant leg moments ago struggled to his feet, then slowly shuffled outwards, clenching his buttocks.
"Just one more step... just one more step," his eyes were determined, fixed on the blue sign not far ahead.
—— TOILET ——
"Ah... Lao Ba's midnight snack..." Seeing the destination getting closer, his face gradually lit up with joy, as if he had won some great war.
"Almost... Oof!" Just a few steps away, intense kinetic energy struck his left side, sending him flying.
"Buga!" With a puff of smoke, he himself, after crashing onto the ground, showed no further movement.
"Big Sis Seele.. maybe, maybe we should slow down a bit,"
"Wait, did I just hit someone?" Seele ignored the reminder from behind her and looked around, only then noticing someone lying on the side of the path.
"Hey, are you alright?" Seele hurried over.
But before she could get close, the man raised his hand, signaling her not to approach further.
His face held a look of release; he felt that nothing in this world mattered anymore....
He had already burned out....