It used the light of stillness to force Elise back.

  Elise continuously retreated, passing Mithra.

  Their gazes briefly met.

  Clang!

  Mithra again intercepted the light of stillness, her arm stiffening. She threw her Night Worship Greatsword.

  The greatsword collided with the light of stillness, shattering the branch that fired the beam.

  Another group of branches rapidly approached.

  Mithra, using her strength amplified by Frozen Distortion, threw her remaining weapons, shattering the approaching branches!

  She was rapidly deteriorating due to the effects of Frozen Distortion; she took advantage of her ability to throw to give her weapons a single, critical use.

  After throwing her weapons, Mithra held her hands out in front of her.

  Ice Creation—

  Crack crack! Crack crack!

  Ice crystals rapidly formed, coalesced, expanded, and elongated…

  Mithra held a massive ice mountain the size of a small peak, exhaling a plume of frigid air before smashing it forward.

  BOOM!

  This time, the mountain range truly shook.

  More than half of the Snow Flower Demon’s branches were shattered by the ice mountain, separating them from the main trunk; this included one of its secondary branches.

  No matter how quickly or relentlessly the Snow Flower Demon's branches regenerated, after being constantly depleted, losing more than half its branches left it unable to keep up.

  The newly formed branches couldn’t stop Mithra and Elise. The last remaining secondary branch might only cause a slight delay, but Elise and Mithra were two people; which one would it stop?

  Without time to judge, Elise was somehow near its main trunk.

  The Snow Flower Demon swung its last secondary branch, but Elise, instead of swinging her blades, gracefully rotated her wrist, changing her stance, leaping and spinning like a bird taking flight.

  The powerful branch struck the ground in front of Elise, and she spun.

  Her twin blades whirred like turbines, rapidly slicing along the Snow Flower Demon’s secondary branch, heading straight for the Great Flower at its core!

  It could only evade; it couldn’t stop Elise!

  Thump!

  A violent collision interrupted its movement. Its main trunk struck the mountain below, where Mithra charged, enveloping its main trunk.

  What was she doing?!

  An intense paralyzing sensation answered the Snow Flower Demon.

  Mithra was going to uproot it.

  The Snow Flower Demon mobilized its remaining branches to attack Mithra.

  Even if the Great Flower on the main trunk was destroyed, it could regenerate; the root was its most vital part!

  Let go!

  Attacks rained down on Mithra. Even with the weakened price of Frozen Distortion, she was at her limit. Although these attacks weren't threatening, they chipped away at her already fragile, icy form.

  The Snow Flower Demon's final struggle caused the cracks on Mithra to spread rapidly, as if she were about to shatter.

  It seemed to glimpse hope…

  Swish!

  Elise’s spinning blade sliced through the Snow Flower Demon’s central Great Flower.

  The finger-petals were severed; a massive cut ran straight through the center, clean and deep, with liquid flowing out.

  The attacks on Mithra ceased, though the effect on her was minimal.

  Because the moment Elise cut the Great Flower,

  The earth shook, the trunk lifted, and the roots beneath writhed violently. These roots, though quickly absorbing energy, were incredibly fragile, even weaker than the outer branches.

  Under Mithra's immense strength, the frail roots snapped one by one, separating from the trunk.

  The Snow Flower Demon had no resistance left.

  Rip rip!

  It was completely uprooted!

  Mithra's hands plunged deep into the trunk, gripping it firmly before suddenly opening her hands—

  With a powerful rip, the now powerless Snow Flower Demon was torn in two.

  On a mountain peak, Mithra released her hands, allowing the fragments of the Snow Flower Demon to fall, the liquid mixing with the snow, like a bizarre snowstorm.

  Her tall figure remained with arms outstretched, accepting this cleansing "blood" from the defeated foe.

  Far away, the children on the hillside watched in stunned silence.

  Yang Xue, witnessing this, couldn’t help but think: Compared to the Snow Flower Demon, Teacher Priestess was far more godlike?

  ...

  After a long wait, slow footsteps approached through the wind and snow.

  The children waited silently, seeing Mithra’s unsteady figure emerge.

  But Mithra was in terrible condition.

  If she hadn’t used the Snow Flower Demon’s fluids to cleanse and stimulate her regenerative abilities, she would have shattered at the moment she ripped it apart.

  Being able to make it back was a testament to her resilience.

  Though Frozen Distortion had stopped, the effects were profound.

  Because the price was weakened, she pushed her power to its absolute limit, so deeply that if the temperature didn't rise and her condition didn't improve soon, she would collapse.

  Elise followed behind Mithra, her twin blades sheathed, regaining her elegant posture.

  “Clearly it has nothing to do with you, yet you made this dream into what it is, Ms. Passerby. Rather unsightly,” Elise's tone remained blunt, even now.

  “When I agreed, it wasn’t unrelated,” Mithra replied, her voice slurred. As she spoke, a crack spread across her lip, nearly severing her chin.

  Elise sighed, saying nothing.

  “Besides, I’m a little stuck,” Mithra said again.

  “That means you’re extremely weak in this dream. My guardian spirit allowed you to awaken before dying while maintaining a conscious state in this dream,” Elise replied.

  “We'll deal with that later. Ms. Passerby, for safety's sake, we should part ways here.”

  But Mithra didn’t respond, silently walking forward.

  “Ms. Passerby…?” Elise called out.

  Mithra ignored her.

  So Elise silently accompanied her.

  Finally, they reached the children.

  “Teacher Priestess!” Yang Xue rushed forward.

  Suddenly, Mithra collapsed. Elise, prepared, caught her, gently moving her to sit beside a large tree.

  “I’ve worked with many strange people, and you’re among the strangest,” Elise said softly.

  Mithra blinked, then looked at Yang Xue, who had run up to her.

  “Teacher Priestess… one wreath isn’t enough, all the flowers from Hope Mountain wouldn’t be enough to make a wreath for you,” Yang Xue said weakly, holding out the wreath.

  “Wait, I’ll take you down the mountain…” Mithra, seemingly unconcerned, uttered these stiff words in response.

  Zheng Zhan’s dream, a wish from twenty years ago, passed to Yang, then to Mithra with a kneel and a blow.

  But after saying that, Mithra couldn’t fight the drowsiness.

  Her eyes slowly closed.

  Yang Xue quickly reached out, placing the wreath gently on Mithra’s head.

  …

  Mithra opened her eyes.

  The light weight and icy touch on her head quickly brought her back to consciousness.

  Looking up, a rising sun pierced the clouds and leaves, shining on the snow-covered expanse, illuminating the white snow with a brilliant glow.

  Mithra subtly moved her head; the wreath, somehow now composed of snowflakes, had fallen apart, adorning her.

  Mithra was stunned for a moment, then simply leaned back against the tree, gazing at the sky.

  “The snow has stopped.”

  ...

  Zheng Zhan woke up in his professor's dormitory.

  Without lingering, he got out of bed, changed clothes, and washed his face.

  Lately, he'd been having strange dreams.

  Dreams of that year.

  But this time, the dream seemed to have progressed differently. Strangely, he even encountered Yang and Mithra.

  After twenty years, he still hadn't let go?

  Zheng Zhan splashed cold water on his face, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

  After a moment, he left the bathroom.

  He had things to do today and no time for sentimentality.

  He went to his office, seeing a furtive figure at the doorway.

  “Yang?” He called out directly.

  Yang jumped, standing stiffly.

  “Te-te-teacher!” Yang stammered.

  “What are you doing loitering at the doorway?”

  “Because… you weren’t here just now, Teacher.”

  “You're here rather early. I thought you weren't paying any attention to your graduation matters.” Zheng Zhan led Yang into the office, sat down, while Yang stood awkwardly beside him.

  By this point, most of the graduating students' issues had already been dealt with. Given Zheng Zhan's teaching abilities, if they focused, there wouldn't be many problems.

  But Yang had missed the makeup exam, nearly driving Zheng Zhan crazy.

  Although he'd returned late, logically, he shouldn't have had another chance, as the makeup exam was already a supplementary opportunity.

  However, shortly after, the student affairs office arrived to vouch for Yang. With Zheng Zhan's assistance, they arranged a very formal individual examination for Yang.

  High-ranking university officials and representatives from the student affairs office observed, making it extremely formal.

  But Zheng Zhan was worried that Yang, in this state, wouldn’t perform well.

  However, Yang performed exceptionally well, passing with flying colors.

  If this hadn’t been a makeup exam, and he’d shown this level of performance earlier, he would have been a top graduating student.

  When others praised Zheng Zhan's teaching, he remained bewildered.

  What did he do? Even he thought Yang had been faking it before.

  But Yang sincerely insisted that his teacher had taught him very well.

  Zheng Zhan was perplexed.

  “I’m truly curious what you experienced during your disappearance. Please thank your real teacher for me.” Zheng Zhan took out Yang’s prepared graduation certificate from his drawer and handed it to him.

  Yang stared at the certificate, lost in thought.

  Taking it with both hands, he said, “I wasn’t lying, you did teach me well, Teacher.”

  Zheng Zhan's expression turned strange: “Do I really disgust you that much? This might be our last meeting; are you still trying to deceive me?”

  Yang quickly shook his head, stammering, “I have an agreement with the City Defense Team; I can’t disclose anything yet. I’ll tell you once I’m allowed to.”

  The same excuse again.

  When Zheng Zhan had previously inquired with the student affairs office about Yang, they'd given the same vague response.

  He could only guess that Yang's disappearance involved a significant event.

  Yang's demeanor was remarkably more composed; those few days seemed to have transformed him. Zheng Zhan sensed a familiar yet alien aura in his strength.

  Truly extraordinary.

  At that moment, a knock came from the office door: “Is anyone there?”

  Mithra’s voice came from outside.

  Zheng Zhan immediately responded, “Come in!”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Mithra had also disappeared with Yang for those few days. He'd also tried to find her, to no avail. Later, Yang returned, but Mithra didn’t.

  Apparently, she was cooperating with an investigation.

  The door opened, and Mithra entered carrying a large vase.

  Several soft, white flowers were arranged inside; Zheng Zhan didn’t recognize the species, they didn’t seem to be from Hope City.

  Mithra placed the vase on Zheng Zhan’s desk. Zheng Zhan immediately felt the icy chill emanating from the flowers, sensing extraordinary power within them.

  Before Zheng Zhan could speak, Yang exclaimed in surprise, “Mithra, is your investigation over?”

  “It’s over. Nothing much happened, but the authorities are having trouble handling the mass death of Frozen Syndrome patients, so they need to prepare thoroughly for the investigation,” Mithra said casually.

  “What? What happened to the Frozen Syndrome patients?” Zheng Zhan had been about to ask Mithra about her investigation, but her words shifted his attention.

  For several days, all monitoring of Frozen Syndrome patients had ceased, sparking discussion in Hope City.

  Many speculated about what had happened to the patients, with varying opinions.

  Yang's expression darkened.

  Mithra stated plainly, “They died.”

  Zheng Zhan fell silent. After a moment, he said, “So, this is related to what you experienced?”

  “To put it bluntly, can I be considered an indirect killer? The online hate after the news breaks at noon will likely be intense,” Mithra said indifferently.

  Zheng Zhan looked at Mithra suspiciously: “What exactly happened during your disappearance?”

  Mithra glanced at Yang, then said, “Let’s talk as we walk; it’s rare to have such nice sunshine in Hope City. Oh, and you should take these flowers.”

  She pointed to the vase.

  Zheng Zhan was puzzled but followed Mithra's instructions.

  ...

  The three strolled through Hope City, Mithra slowly recounting the twenty-year-old dream on Hope's snowy mountain to Zheng Zhan.

  Zheng Zhan was stunned, almost thinking it was an over-the-top script.

  However, with Miracles existing in this world, it wasn't impossible. Moreover, the student affairs office had clearly reacted, confirming the events' veracity.

  So, it was true: twenty years ago, he'd taught Yang, and Yang had undergone a transformation and breakthrough in that dream’s extreme environment.

  And the nascent Snow Flower Demon, a potential threat to Hope City and a wider region, had been silently resolved before it could cause harm.

  They reached a river formed by melting snow in Hope City. The park along the riverbank was relatively quiet today.

  “So these in my hands are…”

  “The Snow Flower Demon.”

  “…”

  “I’m not joking. It’s the Snow Flower Demon, but it’s a Snow Flower Demon controlled by those children; I brought them down the mountain to visit you.” Mithra said to Zheng Zhan.

  Zheng Zhan looked at the flowers in his hand. They gently moved, their icy petals touching his skin.

  His vision blurred with tears, yet Zheng Zhan couldn’t help but smile.

  “…So good… so good, you’re still here… you’re still here… it’s good…” Zheng Zhan carefully touched the flowers, his head bowed, his forehead resting against them.

  Yang, witnessing this, remembered their farewell in the dream, his nose tingling.

  The flowers swayed gently, as if comforting and responding to Zheng Zhan.

  Suddenly, Zheng Zhan slapped Yang hard on the shoulder: “Well done, Yang! Thank you!”

  Yang was flustered: “I… I didn’t do much, it was all you, Teacher. Without you, I’d be nothing.”

  Zheng Zhan laughed and cried simultaneously, shaking his head, his emotion palpable.

  Suddenly, Yang noticed wrinkles on Zheng Zhan’s face.

  “Teacher!” Yang exclaimed.

  Zheng Zhan, alerted, also noticed the change.

  He’d aged.

  His body hadn't weakened, only his appearance had matured. He’d transformed from a young man to a handsome, older man.

  Although Zheng Zhan knew his stagnation was only superficial, his physical condition had continued to change with time, only his outward appearance had remained perpetually young.

  Now, his twenty-year-old appearance had finally changed.

  Zheng Zhan smiled even brighter.

  His stagnant life, his buried memories, the melting snow, transforming into clear water, flowing once more.

  Compared to the stagnation caused by past trauma, what he truly gained was far more important and precious.

  “Alright, these are a small portion of the Snow Flower Demon’s creations. Remember, these are Wandering Gods; be careful.”

  Then Mithra began to instruct Zheng Zhan on how to care for Wandering Gods.

  Mithra herself hadn't raised a Wandering God before, but she had extensive experience communicating with them. Moreover, the Snow Flower Demon was, in the truest sense, a benevolent Wandering God; many concerns were unnecessary. The focus was on its impact on the surroundings.

  Zheng Zhan carefully noted everything.

  Because this was only a small portion of the Snow Flower Demon, and it was on Planet Blue, there wasn't much to worry about, only basic containment measures were needed.

  After Mithra finished, Zheng Zhan suddenly remembered something and asked, “Keeping the Snow Flower Demon, is there any procedure to report to the city?”

  “No.” Mithra replied directly, “Unless you want the children to be unable to leave the mountains.”

  Zheng Zhan fell silent for a moment, offering no objection.

  While Planet Blue wasn't overly fearful of Wandering Gods residing within its borders, the Snow Flower Demon’s precedent remained, and Hope City wouldn’t allow any part of the Snow Flower Demon to appear within the city.

  Mithra's report to the city regarding the Snow Flower Demon was that “the concentrated power had been weakened to its limit.”

  Under the children's control, the number of cursed beings would drastically decrease. Although the lingering effects couldn’t be completely eradicated, the reduced number might lead to the remaining Snow Flower Demon cursed beings becoming "rare animals" in the future, given Planet Blue's attitude.

  Mithra didn't mention that the children essentially rendered the Snow Flower Demon harmless.

  This was a result of communication with the children. To avoid being entangled in Planet Blue's affairs, they decided to keep the Snow Flower Demon on the snowy mountain, without expanding its influence.

  Mithra led them down the mountain along the branches and entrusted them to Zheng Zhan.

  Zheng Zhan would take them to see the world.

  The Frozen Syndrome matter was truly helpless.

  When they were absorbed by the Snow Flower Demon's resentment, they were already dead. The Frozen Syndrome appearance was merely a false hope created by the stillness.

  Now, with the absorbed consciousnesses entirely consumed in the dream battle, the Snow Flower Demon’s resentment shattered, and the stillness dissipated.

  Those called "patients" were only truly dead now.

  Mithra didn't feel she had liberated them from the Snow Flower Demon’s resentment.

  After all, she'd only focused on destroying the Snow Flower Demon, not on the victims' consciousnesses.

  The Snow Flower Demon, driven to desperation, was overwhelmed by the victims' vengeful spirits attacking it.

  As a result, the tragedy caused by the Universal Hands cultists, spanning over two decades, was temporarily concluded.

  For Zheng Zhan, he was once again facing the future. For the city, the hidden threat of the Snow Flower Demon was resolved, and the reduction in future cursed beings would significantly lessen border pressure—all good news.

  However, those who hoped for the recovery of their Frozen Syndrome loved ones would need time to cope.

  Yang was one of them.

  The snow stopped, but the air remained cold.

  ...

  That afternoon, Hope City held a press conference, publicly disclosing the “liberation” of the Frozen Syndrome patients, the hidden events in the Hope mountains, and their resolution.

  Hope City originally planned to keep the participants, Mithra and Yang, out of the spotlight, as a form of protection.

  But Mithra refused, stating her familiarity with the events and her involvement in the mass deaths.

  Mithra chose not to hide; Yang showed no intention of avoiding responsibility either.

  The news caused a huge uproar.

  Many questioned the events.

  【Was there really no way to save them? Can more authoritative experts provide a thorough explanation?】

  【Why wasn’t a more appropriate solution implemented despite the breakthrough? So many lives were at stake!】

  【Who is Mithra? Why does she have the authority to decide the fate of so many people?】

  Many of these were fueled by the grief of bereaved families.

  However, more rational voices also emerged.

  【In fact, there were early articles expressing this viewpoint. Professor Zheng Zhan participated in the research, and those familiar with him and his connections in the relevant circles should know. The research results already indicated a high probability that the Frozen Syndrome patients were already dead, frozen by the stillness just before death. Families were advised to prepare. This is simply the worst-case scenario materializing.】

  This post directly linked to the article.

  【A bunch of idiots! Don’t you see Mithra was fighting a Wandering God? You’ve lived such comfortable lives you don't even know what a Wandering God is? Even if it's a weakened Wandering God, you expect someone to fight it and save people at the same time??】

  This kind of heated response was common.

  【Funny. I never paid much attention to this before. My grandfather froze a long time ago, and I visited him in the hospital every year since I was little. Honestly, his passing was a relief for our family; we were already preparing for it, there was nothing we could do. Now it turns out there are so many good people in the world.】

  There were many contradictory reactions.

  Mithra once again stirred up public opinion.

  Many large and small online streamers and bloggers joined the discussion.

  Among them, Ke Yen, Nafei, and Aspirin consecutively voiced their support for Mithra, emphasizing their presence at the scene. They didn’t see Mithra directly confronting the Wandering God, but the Snow Flower Demon did appear!

  They awoke early and, following Yang Xue's instructions in the dream, planned to report the matter to the City Defense Team.

  The wind and snow were fierce, the surrounding cursed beings went berserk, and the snow seemed to come alive, trapping them.

  At that moment, they realized it wasn't just a dream; it was connected to reality.

  However, many online comments questioned whether Mithra had actually won the fight with the Wandering God, suggesting the possibility of exaggeration.

  After all, how could a battle with a Wandering God not cause a significant disturbance?

  There were many tourists on Hope's snowy mountain that day. While the heavy snowfall and the cursed beings' activity were unusual, they weren't unprecedented.

  Hope City's official description was vague; they didn’t understand dreamscapes and could only describe it as a spiritual battle.

  At this point, Aspirin finally completed a comprehensive article on the Dreamscape Gap, meticulously researched and referenced, which was immediately released.

  The temperature of the discussion soared.

  The Dreamscape Gap! A hidden aspect of Dreamland!

  The article received massive attention, increasing Aspirin's popularity and further supporting Mithra.

  However, some still insisted on needing concrete evidence.

  Ke Yen, seeing some comments under her live stream, clenched her teeth in anger, almost abandoning her streamer persona to personally engage in the online debate.

  She angrily picked up her camera.

  “You’re so useless! Why you doesn't flim the dream!”

  The camera: …

  Previous investigations had only yielded footage of their entry into the dream. While this provided some evidence of their experiences, it wasn’t easily accepted as direct evidence by the outside world.

  She frantically reviewed the footage.

  After they entered the dream, the camera fell to the ground, the lens buried in the snow, continuously recording until the battery died.

  But as Ke Yen played the footage back, she noticed something unusual.

  After the black screen, a feather suddenly flashed, and the recording continued!

  “Huh? Huh?!” Ke Yen exclaimed, “Was this part there before?”

  Then, the black screen brightened, revealing… footage from the dream!

  Ke Yen almost jumped out of her chair!

  Elise hadn’t lied! With enough concentration, it was possible to film things within a dream!

  She quickly reviewed the rest of the footage. Much of it was incoherent, fragmented, as if deliberately edited, and much of the crucial information was missing. Elise wasn't visible; only snippets of conversation could be heard.

  The footage continued until the moment she was forcibly awakened.

  She'd awakened from the dream, but the camera was still recording!

  Then, blurry footage from within the blizzard:

  Mithra battling the Snow Flower Demon!

  “Damn! Damn!” Ke Yen stared, dumbfounded. Many details were blurry, and the battle was too fast for the camera to capture clearly, but it undeniably showed Mithra fighting the Snow Flower Demon!

  When the footage ended with Mithra destroying the Snow Flower Demon, she was completely stunned.

  After a long moment, she hurriedly connected the camera to her computer.

  She had to release this video! Whether people believed it or not! She had to release it!

  …

  A Dreamscape Gap.

  In a field of pale white flowers, a withered tree stood in the center.

  Elise sat on a branch, swinging her legs gently. She released the camera, placing it on her lap.

  “I actually interfered with reality using a dream, and for such a boring reason… It seems prolonged sleep does cloud the mind.”

  Elise looked up at the flower field, leaning against the branch.

  “May you dream beautifully in your wakefulness, Ms. Passerby~.”

  ...

  Nie Hong: 【Mithra, didn’t you say you were going to find a quiet place for a peaceful vacation?】

  Mithra: 【That's right.】

  Nie Hong: 【And then you again caused such a huge commotion?? By the way, how many Wandering Gods have you destroyed now? Other people on Planet Blue have difficulty encountering a real Wandering God in their entire lifetime, and you’ve killed several in the last six months?】

  Mithra: 【They were old, weak, and sickly. Nothing to make a fuss about.】

  Leo Duncan: 【…Even knowing Mithra is serious, if someone else said this, I'd think they were gloating.】

  Liyu: 【Mithra is truly amazing!】

  Nie Hong: 【But some of the online comments are infuriating. Mithra clearly helped everyone again, yet many are only focusing on those with Frozen Syndrome.】

  Liyu: 【That's outrageous! (Angry Little Fire Spirit.jpg)】

  Leo Duncan: 【It’s only human nature to hold others to higher standards than oneself. It’s unavoidable; wasn’t it the same last few times? However, Mithra, you really shouldn’t have revealed yourself this time; there’s no need to make yourself a target for those hypocrites.】

  Mithra: 【Because I genuinely don’t care about those absorbed souls. It’s just giving those families an outlet.】

  Liyu: 【(Little Fire Spirit applauds.jpg)】

  Nie Hong: 【Ruthless!】

  Leo Duncan: 【Well, that’s just like you.】

  【Yang has joined the group chat】

  Nie Hong: 【Who? How did someone suddenly join?】

  Leo Duncan: 【Yang? Isn't that the guy who was behind Mithra during the Hope City incident? I heard he's a recent graduate. It seems we have a new member.】

  Nie Hong: 【Oh, I didn't pay attention to the name next to Mithra's. So that's how it is.】

  Liyu: 【Hello~.】

  Yang: 【Greetings, everyone. I'm a recent Hope University graduate specializing in Ice Miracles. Mithra invited me to the group.】

  Mithra: 【Consider him my dog.】

  Yang: 【Yes.】

  Nie Hong: 【?】

  Leo Duncan: 【?】

  Liyu: 【Does Mithra need more doggos? (Little Fire Spirit is curious.jpg)】

  Mithra: 【?】

  Nie Hong: 【?】

  Leo Duncan: 【?】

  Yang: 【?】

  【Liyu retracted a message】

  Everyone turned their attention back to Yang. After learning the reason from Yang's explanation of the dream events, Mithra remained silent as usual.

  Mithra was preparing to leave Hope City; it was time for her and her three little ones’ summer vacation group trip.

  Although the destination was still undecided, she planned to return first.

  Yang stated he was currently free and available at Mithra’s disposal.

  Mithra told him to get his own affairs in order first; finding a job after graduation was a necessity for ordinary students. Yang followed his pre-planned schedule, intending to enlist in the Hope City City Defense Force.

  While the City Defense Force was largely self-organized within the city, with many civilian semi-professional believers participating, the main management remained under the military. It could be considered a branch of the military—essentially a citizen militia.

  This kind of force only existed in cities with a need for it. Although the major threat of the Snow Flower Demon had been resolved in Hope City, the lingering curses necessitated the continued role of the defense force.

  However, the City Defense Force's workload would be significantly reduced.

  Yang had known the members of the Hope City City Defense Team since he was a child.

  After all, he'd been rescued by them, and even after growing up, he frequently visited his aunts and uncles on the snowy mountains, considering it his second home.

  Even if the City Defense Force’s size decreased due to reduced efficiency, Yang still intended to pursue a long-held dream: fighting alongside them.

  It’s worth mentioning that Zheng Zhan, known as an iron man in school and social circles, took a long-term leave of absence.

  Given Zheng Zhan's status, his actions were essentially unrestricted, but for those who knew him, this was quite unusual.

  Furthermore, although Zheng Zhan seemed slightly more mature recently, the icy stiffness in him had noticeably lessened.

  Zheng Zhan used his largely untouched savings to buy a car, carrying those curious white flowers, embarking on a long solo journey.

  Mithra was also on a plane around the same time.

  Unfortunately, because she only defeated a resentful embodiment of a Wandering God, not the actual Wandering God itself, the Snow Flower Demon was still alive and well.

  Therefore, she failed to receive one of the three rewards.

  But Yang Xue sent Mithra a report.

  They pooled some of their power, giving it to Mithra, who absorbed it with the Maw, gaining a portion of the power of stillness.

  Mithra had learned to use the “Silence” Miracle after witnessing its usage by the Universal Hands cultist.

  The plane took off and landed. Mithra dozed on the plane; upon landing and checking her phone, she found the group chat had exploded.

  Initially, she thought only those four were chatting, but she discovered they were all @ing her.

  Mithra: 【? Just landed】

  Nie Hong: 【You're famous! Someone posted this video! Check it out!】

  Below was a link to a video on the Dreamland forum and its affiliated website, essentially the largest video site in this world.

  Mithra slowly clicked on it, first seeing the uploader’s name: “Ke Yen.”

  Then she saw the video’s content.

  The first part showed Ke Yen’s footage from the day of the incident. The three streamers appeared, preparing to explore the Snowwind Village ruins, then encountered Yang and the strangely dressed Mithra.

  The video was unedited, so after the real-world events, there was a long period of seemingly useless footage.

  Mithra skipped ahead.

  Until she saw white feathers appear on the black screen, Mithra’s eyebrows rose.

  Content that should only exist within a dream appeared in the video.

  Although the subsequent images were highly fragmented, after some editing, one could discern Ke Yen's experiences in the mysterious dream.

  The video omitted some private content, focusing on the group's encounter.

  When the Snow Flower Demon appeared, the comments almost overwhelmed the screen.

  The Snow Flower Demon incident had occurred twenty years ago; aside from a few blurry photos, most people alive then had never seen this Wandering God capable of existing and posing a threat on Planet Blue.

  And now, they saw it, even through a screen. The moment the gigantic white flower of countless fingers bloomed, it terrified countless people.

  This made Mithra’s subsequent battle against the Snow Flower Demon even more impressive.

  Comments below the video:

  【If I encountered that thing, I'd probably kneel on the spot.】

  【But that thing was ultimately defeated by Mithra! Mithra is awesome!】

  【No way… How did she do that?? Mithra’s power during the Ember City incident didn't seem this exaggerated!? Now she can tear apart a Wandering God??】

  【Aspirin-sama mentioned in a previous article that many things are blurred in dreams; if you're brave enough, you can fight a Wandering God!】

  【What? Me, fight a Wandering God? Seriously?】

  【The video is too blurry; it's hard to see clearly… Could it be fake? After all, only fake videos are intentionally made blurry. With advancements in camera technology, many urban legends have disappeared (laughs).】

  【The Dreamland video Hongya District official account posted this video; the result is clear.】

  Dreamland's video website and discussion forum both have official accounts that only address public matters, usually posting positive content.

  The Hongya District official account posting this video clearly shows their approval.

  The speed of posting also indicates excellent internal communication.

  【So it's real! Aspirin’s article mentioned that the dream world is real! And it's accessible from both Planet Blue and Dreamland!】

  【Wow! I want to go dreaming!】

  【I noticed someone who never appeared in the video. The guide with the soothing voice, the pretty girl with the sweet voice. I want to dream and meet her!】

  【Hurry, hurry, hurry! Find a stable way to enter dreams quickly! Does Mithra maybe have one? She looked so familiar in the dream.】

  【This is actually possible… Although the overall outcome is usually good, Mithra seems to cause incidents wherever she goes. Is she planning to post updates on her account to help everyone avoid danger?】

  Many agreed.

  Mithra checked her Dreamland account.

  Wow, she had become a popular blogger with tens of thousands of followers, yet she hadn’t posted a single update.

  As for the jokes about her causing incidents, Mithra ignored them.

  She only used the forum to get information; although she had become a topic of conversation herself recently, she had no intention of managing any online accounts.

  She didn’t want to, didn’t need the money, and easily got annoyed; therefore, she didn’t bother.

  However, this video effectively settled the online debate.

  After watching the video, no one could claim Mithra should have held back when facing such a monster to protect those people.

  The images of the Snow Flower Demon attacking Mithra, fueled by the absorbed human consciousness, silenced those who called Mithra cold-blooded and heartless.

  After all, although Mithra didn’t save anyone, she was undoubtedly attacked.

  Many also felt sympathy for the children of Snowwind Village; Zheng Zhan's story was unearthed, with many understanding his sudden long leave.

  The debate ended; people began to reflect on the capriciousness of fate and the wickedness of the previous culprits.

  Under the gaze of countless people, Mithra silently put away her phone and quickly left the airport.

  If she didn’t leave, she would be surrounded.