The way into the Underworld was simple: just step into that land where life and death converged.
The boundary there was fragile. The moment one set foot in it, they would be instantly transported to the Underworld.
Castorice slowly stepped into that area. In a single instant, the scenery around her underwent a massive shift.
One moment, she was in the daytime city of Kutha; the next, she found herself in a desolate world.
This cold, barren world was filled with nothing but stones and cliffs—endless cold, carried by a wind that could freeze even the soul.
If an ordinary soul were to arrive here, it would freeze in mere moments, eventually dissipating into this world, becoming part of the Underworld's power.
Only a very few souls, still clinging to resentment, would turn into vengeful spirits, lingering in this boundless, frigid realm, forever gazing toward the warmth of the world above.
"A bit chilly, but… just right for me."
Even though this cold was enough to freeze souls solid, to Castorice, it was merely a slight coolness.
For her, coming to the Underworld was like coming home.
The only drawback was that the authority over this realm wasn't hers—she couldn't move freely through the Underworld at will.
If she wanted to find Ereshkigal, she would have to go on foot.
Still, that wasn't much of a challenge for Castorice. She could sense it—that undeniable presence deep within the Underworld.
To be honest, it was only because Ereshkigal was kind-hearted and bore no ill will toward humans. If she truly became an enemy, she might well be the one who posed the greatest threat to humanity.
After all, here in the Underworld, with authority in her hands, Ereshkigal's power was terrifying.
Sensing a sinister aura behind her, Castorice calmly turned around.
And there, right in that instant, she saw a decaying spirit clad in black robes.
At that moment, the distance between them was dangerously close—close enough for the specter to reach out and seize Castorice by the throat.
She could even see the rotting flesh on its face, peeling and twisted. Hmm, what an… interesting little thing, even its nose had fallen off.
Faced with this sudden, close encounter, Castorice showed no panic. Instead, she studied the spirit with careful attention.
"A living soul… a living soul."
"Why is there a living person here in the Underworld?"
"We were brutally slain, left with no dignity, no prayers, just abandoned to suffer in this cold, boundless hell."
"Are you here to mock us? To plunder from us?"
While Castorice was still processing the scene, more spirits began to gather from all directions, murmuring lowly as they moved toward her.
"Unforgivable!"
The next moment, all the spirits erupted into a frenzy, charging madly at Castorice, eager to seize her life force.
"I'm not here to mock or plunder…"
A violet boundary unfolded around her. Countless spirits nearby froze in place as if time had stopped, their dead-fish eyes filled with fear and panic.
They had no consciousness, only instinct—the emotions in their eyes were nothing more than a reaction to Castorice's overwhelming presence.
Even ghosts looked as if they'd seen a ghost.
Faced with these lost souls, Castorice didn't stand by idly.
Countless dead souls had gathered here. In this Lostbelt, the Underworld had no cycle of reincarnation. After humans died, their souls flowed into this realm, only to be eroded and assimilated into its fabric.
What Castorice would do was grant these spirits peace.
Before becoming vengeful spirits, they too had been ordinary people.
"I understand your suffering, but I'm sorry—I cannot avenge you. All I can offer is peace.Sleep now, and may you no longer be tormented by the cold of this realm."
With that, she gently waved her hand, releasing these trapped souls.
For Castorice, it was an effortless task—done with just a thought.
In the next moment, an endless flow of water from the River of Souls surged from her palm, gradually enveloping the vengeful spirits.
Though they appeared to have physical form, they were still spiritual entities. Washed by the river's currents, their resentment was cleansed, leaving only purified souls.
One by one, faintly glowing souls hovered around Castorice, as if expressing their gratitude.
[Congratulations, Master. Hidden Quest completed: Ferryman of the Styx.]
[In this cold world where souls face eternal suffering, O you who embrace death, use your warm hands to save these innocent souls.]
[Quest Reward: Flower of the Underworld.]
A hidden quest?
Castorice stared in surprise at the quest panel that had suddenly appeared.
Ever since she'd crossed over, this system had been as good as dead. Aside from issuing a few quests early on, it had shown no activity at all.
Even the notifications for defeating demonic beasts had stopped after Castorice found them annoying and disabled them.
She never expected that coming to the Underworld would trigger a hidden quest.
She had originally thought the system's only purpose was to facilitate her transmigration. Now, it seemed it had other functions.
Turning the thought over in her mind, Castorice accepted the quest reward—the Flower of the Underworld. As the name implied, it was a flower that could bloom in the Underworld.
But this flower had another use: it could house and shelter souls.
It could bloom in this frigid realm and offer refuge to wandering souls, protecting them from freezing to death.
It also had the ability to send these souls into reincarnation, but with the world on the brink of destruction, rebirth was rather pointless. They could worry about that after surviving the current catastrophe.
Strangely, even though Castorice's hands could wither any form of life, the Flower of the Underworld did not fade at her touch.
The way to use it was simple: just plant it in the ground.
Holding the flower in both hands, Castorice gently placed it into the soil of the Underworld. In the next instant, the flower seemed to come alive—green leaves sprouted from its stem, and the blossom swayed softly.
A faint shadow of a soul slowly entered the flower.
Inside, it would be protected from the harsh cold.
But one flower alone could never shelter so many souls.
As the blossom swayed gently, it began to multiply. The souls seemed to nourish it—one after another, new flowers grew, slowly but steadily.
Watching this, Castorice couldn't help but smile.
Soon, all the souls here were properly settled.
And in this cold, barren Underworld, a sea of flowers had emerged.
These flowers were incredibly resilient, so even without care, they would thrive.
Still, Castorice thought, maybe she should let Ereshkigal know. Given her nature, she'd probably be willing to tend to them, right?
After dealing with matters here, Castorice headed deeper into the Underworld.
Worried that her companions might grow anxious if she took too long, she quickened her pace.
The path was unobstructed, and soon she reached the deepest part of the realm—the throne of the Underworld's goddess, Ereshkigal.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.