There's a big problem with dreams in this world.

"Phew, Ling, let's go." Lu Qing took a deep breath and looked at Ling.

"Mmm!" Ling shook her body vigorously.

Climbing the stairs beside the outer wall of the steel core, Lu Qing arrived at the scorching hatch and saw that its interior resembled a miniature sun, with spherical fire elements covered in crimson flames.

"I won't be burned to ashes, will I?" Lu Qing asked, looking at the flames surrounding the fire elemental.

"Oh no, this is so scary! Lu Qing, you have to protect me!" Ling cried out in fear, hiding behind Lu Qing.

“I know…” Lu Qing said with a hint of helplessness. It seemed that she had no choice but to confront the flames of the fire element today.

Thinking this, Lu Qing took out the Guardian Mask and put it on her face.

Silver-white armor covered her body. Although it was armor, it was different from metal armor forged by physical means, and it did not feel hot at all.

Lu Qing held Ling protectively in her arms and approached the fire element at the center step by step.

"Ding-dong..."

Just then, the sound of a coin hitting the ground rang out. In a daze, Lu Qing saw a coin made of gold. On the reverse side of the coin, the words written in ancient Elvish language emitted an eerie light.

"puff!"

Will, sitting next to the steel core, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face filled with disbelief.

"The fire element... has gone berserk!"

------------

hehe

I've been adjusting my biological clock lately. This book isn't abandoned yet, but adjusting my biological clock makes me feel uncomfortable every morning when I wake up.

I've pretty much figured out the rest of the storyline, and I'll start updating officially tomorrow.

Well, it can't be called a bad ending. I had plans to write a good story after it ended.

That's how it is.

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. . .

Day 1: After resting for so many days, it's time to get back to writing.

Day 2: Rest for another day, definitely tomorrow!

Day 3: Posting a separate chapter, I'll definitely update tomorrow!

Day 4: ......

Day 5: No, I can't be lazy anymore.

Day 6: Aba aba aba aba.

........

I will definitely update tomorrow, I promise!!!

I swear!

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Chapter 612: I can't leave!

"Why now of all times..." Mage Moruni looked at the rioting reactor with disbelief, and quickly went to Will's side, asking, "How is the reactor? How much longer can you hold on?"

"Cough cough cough..." Will coughed violently, spitting out dark red blood continuously.

"Hurry, take Her Highness the Princess..." Will looked at his teacher anxiously and said, "The reactor is already overloaded. In my current state, it will only take two minutes for the fire elemental energy to blow up the entire Steel City."

“Take Her Highness the princess and leave through the emergency exit below. You can avoid most of the impact there. With Her Highness’s strength, she will be fine!” Will said as he pulled the safety device on the right and then pressed the button for the city-wide alarm.

This is a city-wide alarm system designed from the very beginning of the construction of the Steel City. When the alarm sounds, regardless of the identity or status of the people in the city, they must go to the shelter dug beneath the Steel City the moment they hear the sound.

The moment this alarm sounds, it signifies the end of the steel city.

"Waaah—"

The piercing alarm sounded from every corner of the Steel City, and everyone who heard it couldn't help but look up at the metal building in the very center of the Steel City.

"No, impossible!" A man who was relatively well-off looked at the building in the center of the steel city with a face full of horror, and knelt down on the ground in despair.

"Only forty years have passed, I haven't lived enough yet!!"

"I knew it was a mistake to come here with the Iron Order!"

"Aaaaaah, I don't want to die!!"

"......"

The streets were filled with panicked screams. For most people, the world might be about to end, but it certainly wouldn't happen in their generation.

Instead of thinking about what will happen to their future generations, most people are busy keeping themselves occupied, so much so that they forget those cold, terrifying realities. They are intoxicated by the illusion of steel and numb their bodies with sex and alcohol.

However, when the piercing alarm sounded in their ears, they finally remembered the cold reality that the sacred tree had withered and the world was heading towards death.

The terrified crowd rushed toward the entrance to the underground shelter, seeing it as their last hope for survival.

Meanwhile, in the dark, damp tunnel, the dim firelight shone on four emaciated men.

“There are only four of us left,” a woman said in a hoarse voice.

"Hmm." The old man beside him squinted his eyes, seemingly oblivious to the alarm, and nodded calmly.

"Aren't you going?" a middle-aged homeless man asked, leaning against the tunnel wall and looking at the three people sitting around the fire.

"It's too far, my legs aren't very strong, and I don't have enough time, so I won't go," the old man said slowly after hearing the middle-aged homeless man's words.

Hearing the old man's words, the young man beside him chuckled softly and said, "I still have some strength, I can carry you there."

The young man was originally a bartender at a pub, but two days ago, his right hand was broken because he couldn't repay his loan shark debts, and he was fired from the pub.

The debt collectors eventually evicted him from his house and forced him to sign the property transfer documents. Perhaps they had their eyes on that area from the beginning?

"Huff..." The young man tightened the tattered cloth around his body, his body involuntarily moving closer to the fire.

Let the city be destroyed, he just wants to stay by the warm fireplace. This may be the last part of his life. No matter what, he doesn't want to leave here. He then tries his best to run to the nearest refuge, which he doesn't even know is full of people and may even be occupied by rich people.

......

"The fire elemental has become so volatile!" Ling said, nestled in Lu Qing's arms, watching the flames churning around the fire elemental.

"..."

Lu Qing didn't speak. She stared intently at the fire elemental floating in mid-air in the distance and slowly extended her right hand.

The closer they get to the fire elemental, the more the temperature of the flames increases exponentially. At this distance, the Guardian Mask can barely hold on, but if they go any deeper...

Lu Qing withdrew her hand, which was in excruciating pain. Without even looking, she could tell that her right hand was severely burned.

"The temperature at this distance is already unbearable. It's impossible to get close to the fire elemental," Lu Qing thought, holding her trembling right wrist with her left hand as she looked at the fire elemental in the distance.

She could force herself to continue forward through the flames, enduring the burns all over her body, but the problem was that the temperature would rise even faster if she continued to get closer to the fire element.

It's just a burn now, but if we continue, she might be burned to ashes.

"It just so happens to be this time..." Lu Qing looked helplessly at the rampaging fire element. She knew very well why the fire element had suddenly gone berserk at this moment, and her heart was filled with frustration.

If she hadn't used the lucky coin, or if the lucky coin had landed heads, would the outcome have been different?

Lu Qing stepped back a short distance, and after feeling that the temperature was still within a tolerable range, she took out the [Weeping Mask].

The unlucky effect of the Lucky Coin has been triggered; you cannot use the Lucky Coin at this time.

"As expected, it didn't work." Lu Qing shook her head in disappointment. Although she had already guessed the result, she still held a sliver of hope.

It probably won't be long before the steel core explodes due to the excessive output caused by the rampaging fire element. Unless she can purify the void power inside the fire element before the core explodes, everyone in the city, including her and Ling, will be blown into the sky by the violent energy.

"Phew... I'll give it a try."

Taking a deep breath, Lu Qing braved the scorching heat and walked step by step toward the core of the fire element.

If you do nothing, the fire elementals will blow the entire city to the sky, and the mission will probably fail. If you continue forward and get burned to ashes, the mission will also fail.

But if she keeps moving forward, there's still a chance of success. Now, she has no choice but to take this gamble.

“Uh…” Blazing flames coiled around the armor summoned by the Guardian’s Mask, and inside the unseen armor, Lu Qing’s face showed a trace of pain.

Just then, a pale blue light appeared, and the temperature around her suddenly dropped significantly.

The pale blue light emanating from Ling's body was fully released, and the originally raging flames calmed down after being illuminated by the light.

"Well done, brilliant!" Lu Qing couldn't help but praise, then quickened her pace and approached the location of the fire element core.

Meanwhile, outside the blazing furnace...

"Your Highness, Your Highness!?" Eileen stood beside the core's outer shell, sweating profusely as she called out towards the entrance Lu Qing had entered through.

“No, Her Highness shows no intention of coming out. I don’t even know if she heard me,” Eileen said anxiously to Councilor Dis.

“But the reactor can’t hold on much longer…” Councilor Dees said, looking somewhat anxious.

The steel core is about to explode. Councilor Dis desperately wants to leave, but if Princess doesn't come out...

“You can leave here first, you don’t need to wait for us,” Eileen said, seeing through Councilor Dis’s thoughts.

"Cough, cough cough, if Representative Dis wants to leave, then go ahead. No one will blame you," Will said with a heavy cough.

“This…” Councilor Dis hesitated for a moment, glancing at the stove. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, his expression hardened, and he said:

"Your Highness is still here, I cannot leave!"

P.S.: Suddenly came back to life!!

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Tomorrow after tomorrow...

Tomorrow is tomorrow, tomorrow is so much.

The more I try to update, the less I can update.

so......