Surtr didn't speak.
Her strength depleted, she knelt on the ground, her crimson hair like a flame, her clear, cold eyes like gems dug from the depths of the snowfield. The cold wind from the northern tundra blew past, lifting Surtr's hair, with stray strands brushing against her cheek. She actually looked a little bit cute.
She fell into deep thought.
To be honest.
Having walked this path alone, Surtr didn't like traveling with others, nor did she like joining any organization or team. But now, after pushing Laevatain to its limits, Surtr's remaining strength had been drained. This was the first time in many years she had faced such a predicament.
Her legs were weak, her strength was gone, and she would need some time to recover just to walk normally. Traveling with this team didn't seem so bad...
And..
Surtr's senses were extremely sharp. She could sense the arrival of danger, except, of course, when she was spacing out.
Sensing no danger and feeling no malice, Surtr wasn't worried that this group of fellow Sarkaz would harm her.
And...
*Growl.*
With the 'scream' coming from her stomach.
Surtr knew she was hungry.
Why?
She had just eaten a day ago, why would she be hungry? Was it because she had consumed too much energy just now?
The temporary exhaustion of her strength, fatigue, and hunger now plagued Surtr, causing her to frown. After thinking for a moment, she nodded.
Seeing the other party agree, Mudrock was about to help Surtr up, but she was dodged. The aloof girl didn't want any intimate contact with strangers. It was best to be mere nodding acquaintances. Becoming close friends who talked about everything?
Annoying....
Surtr picked up the flaming greatsword stuck in the ground. The massive sword felt as light as if it had no weight in Surtr's hands. She casually lifted it with one hand and used it as a crutch, slowly walking forward.
The other members had no objections to a newcomer temporarily joining the Mudrock Squad; in fact, they welcomed her warmly.
Too many of their comrades had died along the way.
They also longed for new members, especially a newcomer who was incredibly strong and had saved them. Although they were afraid of the flame monster Surtr summoned, since she had chosen to join, it meant she was not an enemy, and there was no need to be too afraid.
Since Surtr was hungry.
The already scarce rations had to be split among one more person, but no one had any complaints.
Chewing on the hard, dry rations, she felt as if something was missing and asked faintly.
"Is there any... ice cream?"
"?"
This bizarre request completely baffled Mudrock.
"Never mind..."
Surtr sighed, grabbed a handful of snow from the ground, and stuffed it into her mouth. It was all ice. Although it had no flavor, it would have to do.
After eating the dry rations, Surtr's stamina recovered a little, and she could walk on her own. During the subsequent march, Surtr always followed behind, not wanting to get too close to the team. The Mudrock Squad had already gotten a sense of this 'monster's' personality and didn't bother her. Moreover, her constitution seemed different from ordinary people's.
In such cold conditions, an ordinary person's energy consumption should increase to maintain their body temperature, but Surtr was somewhat abnormal. If necessary, she only needed to eat once a day or even once every two days. She was very easy to take care of.
The reason Surtr always followed behind Mudrock's squad was that she was communicating with Lucas Reeve.
On the flaming greatsword in her hand, a small wisp of flame in the shape of a person floated next to Surtr.
"So, little lady, you don't remember what happened to you before?"
After a brief exchange between Lucas Reeve and Surtr, Lucas Reeve had a general idea of the situation of this well-built young lady. She had a severe memory deficit. She couldn't remember memories that were even slightly distant in time, only being able to remember memories from the most recent years. And even then, as time passed, those recent memories would become increasingly blurry. Only the present, the memories of the now, were the most real.
However, this memory deficit was different from simple amnesia.
Surtr had far too many memories in her mind, and they were too fragmented, causing her own memory fragments to be like sand in water—gone in a flash. This was what caused this special form of amnesia.
"Yeah, Laevatain."
Surtr said.
Her voice was calm, but not cold. It was the kind of aloofness that comes from being alone for too long, not being used to talking or getting along with others. In short... a bit of a recluse..
"My name is Lucas Reeve..."
"Yeah, Laevatain."
"..."
Laevatain must be the name of that flame giant.
Lucas Reeve couldn't be bothered to argue about names with Surtr anymore. Call him whatever she wanted.
"About the memory problem, I think I know some of the reasons?"
As soon as Lucas Reeve said this.
Surtr's eyes suddenly widened, and her pupils became a little brighter. A flash of surprise crossed her face, and deep within her eyes, there was a little more longing. She cared a lot about her past. The chaotic memories in her mind made her forget the past, even forget who she was. She only knew that her name was Surtr, and this sword was called Laevatain.
She knew nothing else.
So.
In these years, she had been traveling all over Terra, constantly seeking the places that flashed in her memory fragments, hoping to find her true memories. However, over time...
Surtr had even forgotten her initial memories. She didn't even know when she had started her journey anymore, only that she had to keep searching and searching.
She was a person, after all....
She had walked through many places over the years, met many people, and witnessed the happy and ordinary lives of many ordinary people. She also envied how easily ordinary people could recall their past and live with their families. As for herself, let alone family, she didn't even know who she was. Parents? Family? The past?
Lucas Reeve's words surprised Surtr slightly.
"I want to know, Laevatain."
Lucas Reeve said slowly, "Your soul has too many memories that don't belong to you, which is the reason for your amnesia. And the source of these memories, I think you've probably guessed it before, comes from this sword. This sword is a divine weapon, once belonging to an ancient flame god. After the god's death, its power shattered, and a part of it merged into this sword. And this sword has been constantly searching for its next wielder. These memories of yours come from the previous masters of the sword."
"When you inherited this sword, your soul merged with the power of Laevatain within the sword, and the fragmented memories contained within Laevatain were also inherited into your soul."
After hearing Lucas Reeve's explanation.
Surtr's expression dimmed slightly. Her beautiful face even looked a little pitiful, cold and yet moving.
"Is it really like that?"
In fact, she had already guessed most of it. Now, her guess had just been confirmed by Lucas Reeve.
"Then what should I do? Laevatain..."
Lucas Reeve said with regret, "I'm sorry, Miss Surtr, I'm powerless to help. The memories in your mind are too chaotic, and I don't know which memories belong to you and which belong to others."
Surtr sighed, a little disappointed. She had originally thought she could find the memories she had lost...
At least to let her know her past, her parents, where her former home was.
Just then.
Lucas Reeve suddenly said something.
"However, I can use my spiritual power to create a special barrier in your soul to completely enclose your current memories. That way, from this day forward, none of your memories will disappear. Instead, you'll be like a normal person, able to recall them easily."
"!!!"
After hearing Lucas Reeve's words.
Surtr's heart trembled.
However, the expression on her face remained very calm, even a little cold. As a former otaku, Lucas Reeve knew exactly why Surtr had this expression. It was purely because she rarely talked to people, so for a moment, she didn't know what to say or how to show her emotions.
"Relax your mind, I'm coming in."
The little flame figure of Lucas Reeve gently touched Surtr's cheek, and then his soul power instantly poured into Surtr's body. After careful and meticulous work, a special barrier was created in Surtr's soul, 'packaging' all her previous memories, while another completely blank area was used to store new memories.
"All done."
Lucas Reeve clapped his little fiery hands.
"If all goes well, you shouldn't have amnesia anymore. However, you'll still have to find the memories from before today on your own."
Surtr was silent for a moment, finally managing to squeeze out a 'hmm'. Her expression was still cold, as if she didn't want to accept Lucas Reeve's favor at all.
However..
+1500
When the Prayer Power poured into Lucas Reeve's soul, the corner of his mouth twitched.
What a tsundere.
And in the Mudrock Squad ahead, a Sarkaz mercenary was quietly complaining to his captain.
"Captain, Captain, Miss Surtr seems to be talking to that little flame!! That little flame can't be the monster from before, can it?"
On the contrary, Mudrock was unconcerned.
"What's so strange about that? I used to talk to my 'partners' all the time."
With that, Mudrock lifted her hammer and the small stone figure in her armor pocket.
"..."
After walking for a few more hours, the Mudrock Squad's luck didn't improve. They still couldn't find any place to rest. Moreover, some of their comrades who were seriously injured in the previous battle were also starting to fail. At most, they could only last for another two days if they didn't receive treatment.
One could only say.
The constitution of the Sarkaz was terrifying.
With injuries of this severity, an ordinary person would have long since passed away without immediate treatment, but this Sarkaz mercenary had managed to hold on for three days.
Soon.
It got dark.
The sky in the snowfields darkened faster than in other places. And after dark, the temperature dropped sharply again. The Mudrock Squad habitually set up tents for shelter from the wind and found a relatively sheltered spot to start a fire. A large group of people sat around the fire, the flames reflecting on their faces.
Surtr, like a student with no friends, sat alone in a corner, silently sipping a cup of hot tea. She was wearing a skirt, revealing her long, slender, snow-white legs. In this sub-zero temperature, a normal person's thighs would have long since frozen into popsicles, but Surtr's legs were still soft and showed no signs of frostbite. They were even warm to the touch.
"Big Sis Mudrock, where's our next stop? Our supplies are almost gone, and we don't have any medical supplies...."
Another person said, "But... even if we go to a supply point, can we afford anything? We're penniless right now, not a single Lungmen Dollar to our name."
"I'll sell my underpants!"
"Who wants your original-flavor underpants that you haven't changed in a year? They've probably got a crust on them?"
"Tsk...."
The tall Mudrock had no solution either. She added a piece of wood to the fire and sighed softly.
A place to stand?
She had been leading the squad in search of one for a year.
But what was the final result...
They hadn't found a place to stand, but two hundred members of the team had sacrificed their lives.
Shameful....
Just as a few Sarkaz mercenaries were teasing each other to liven up the atmosphere, the slightly younger Sarkaz mercenary who had just said he was going to sell his underpants suddenly froze. His expression contorted, and in this cold weather, sweat began to bead on his skin.
"What's... what's wrong with you?"
The Sarkaz mercenary who had just been talking to him was stunned and quickly asked.
However.
The Sarkaz mercenary suddenly fell to the ground in pain, trembling all over. On the skin of his left arm, terrifying Originium crystals began to grow wildly.
An Oripathy outbreak!!
Mudrock also quickly got up, but...
Even knowing what was happening, there was nothing she could do.
This disease... was incurable. All they could do was wait for death, praying to the heavens that he could survive this disaster.
Lucas Reeve was also powerless to help.
He was sealed within Laevatain and couldn't get out at all. The reason he could help Surtr shield her memories was because of the mutual connection between Surtr's soul, his own, and Laevatain's from their final battle.
Fortunately.
After an hour of agony.
The Sarkaz mercenary pulled through. Although the number of Originium crystals on his body had increased significantly, surviving was the greatest blessing.
After their comrade survived.
The others also expressed their happiness and well-wishes, but they all knew one thing: given his current condition, he probably wouldn't survive the next outbreak.
Just then.
Lucas Reeve floated out as a small flame figure.
"Um..."
Everyone turned to look at Lucas Reeve. Some of the Sarkaz were a little afraid, because they had just witnessed that flame monster instantly vaporize several hundred Ursus regular soldiers today. The current, somewhat cute little flame figure was just a deceptive appearance.
"Excuse me, is there something you need?"
Based on Mudrock's afternoon of speculation.
The flame monster didn't entirely belong to Surtr; it had its own separate consciousness. It was more of a symbiotic relationship than a subordinate one. So Mudrock also treated Lucas Reeve as a powerful, conscious being.
"You guys seem to be out of food and medicine?"
"Yes..."
Mudrock nodded.
"I know a place with supplies and medicine, even medicine that can alleviate Oripathy. If you're willing, I can take you there."
"Alleviate Oripathy?!!"
Everyone was shocked, their expressions filled with horror.