​Three days had passed since the matte-black Jeep left the gates of Castle Zero behind.

​The Forest of Lamentation welcomed them with an eternal, suffocating twilight. Obsidian trees loomed like silent giants, watching every movement with wooden indifference. Sulfurous mists rolled lazily between massive, twisted roots, and occasional blood-curdling howls echoed from the depths—a constant reminder that in this realm, they were far from being the apex predators.

​Dayat sat in the driver’s seat, his focus absolute. His hands moved with practiced precision, spinning the steering wheel to dodge protruding roots, moss-slicked boulders, and gaping sinkholes. The Jeep snaked through the obstacles, its heavy-duty tires clawing into the mud with relentless stability.

​”Hmm~” Dola stretched her body in the passenger seat, her silver hair cascading like a waterfall of moonlight. “Three days confined in this metal box, Master Dayat. Are you not bored yet?”

​”You’ve been chattering in my ear the whole time, Dola. I haven’t had a spare second to feel bored,” Dayat replied without turning his head, his eyes glued to the treacherous path ahead.

​Dola flashed a saccharine smile. “I’m delighted to hear that. Does that mean I don’t need to be quiet?”

​”Did I say that?”

​”But Master Dayat’s eyes say otherwise.” Dola leaned in, her face drifting mere centimeters from his cheek. “Or could it be… that Master Dayat is just feeling shy?”

​Dayat felt a creeping warmth flush his face. “Dola, the road is terrible. Don’t get too close.”

​”Excuses.”

​She pulled back, but the playful smirk remained. Her gaze drifted out the window, watching the mist swirl. “This forest is fascinating. My internal database identifies twenty-three species of high-level predators in this sector alone. We have already encountered three of them since yesterday.”

​”The ones that chased the car and the ones that tried to stick to the glass?” Dayat grimaced. “What kind of monkeys were those? They looked like lemurs but with teeth as long as fingers.”

​”Thorned Howlers,” Dola stated matter-of-factly. “Nocturnal primates with claws capable of shredding light-grade steel. However, the ones yesterday were likely juveniles; they couldn’t breach the reinforced glass.”

​”If those were just the kids, I don’t ever want to meet the parents.”

​Silence fell between them for a while, filled only by the low thrum of the engine and the squelch of tires against wet earth. Occasionally, Dola would rest her head on Dayat’s shoulder, and this time, he didn’t pull away.

​By the fourth day, supplies began to dwindle.

​”Rations are down to half,” Dayat muttered while navigating a steep incline. “Still okay. My estimate says we’ll make it to Bakasa. At worst, we’ll be a bit short, but we can just buy some—”

​”Master Dayat.”

​”Hm?”

​”We have no money.”

​The Jeep screeched to a sudden halt. The tires skidded in the mud, throwing their bodies forward against the seatbelts. Dola remained perfectly poised, while Dayat stared at her, his eyes wide with disbelief.

​”What?”

​Dola repeated herself in a disturbingly sweet voice. “We do not possess any Brassvale currency. No coins, no gold, no valuables suitable for trade. We will starve and be unable to pay for lodging once we reach Bakasa.”

​Silence.

​A long, agonizing silence.

​A silence filled only by the twitching vein at Dayat’s temple.

​”You… you only remembered this NOW?” Dayat’s voice rose an octave. “We’ve traveled eight hundred kilometers, Dola! Eight hundred! We’ve spent four days fighting off crazed monkeys, legged snakes, and moss wolves, AND YOU JUST REALIZED THIS NOW?!”

​Dola gave him a mischievous, cat-like grin. “Well, I simply wanted more alone time with Master Dayat.”

​”…”

​Dayat opened his mouth to retort, then closed it, then opened it again. No words came out. His face was a chaotic blend of irritation, disbelief, and a strange, grudging affection.

​”You,” he finally gasped. “You’re just…”

​”I am?” Dola looked at him with shimmering eyes.

​”Annoying.”

​”But Master Dayat still loves me.”

​Dayat didn’t answer. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stabilize his blood pressure. “So, what’s the solution? We head back to the castle? That’s another eight hundred kilometers, Dola. Sixteen hundred round trip. Do you want this romantic getaway to last until the apocalypse?”

​Dola shook her head. “No need to backtrack. There is a much better alternative.”

​”Which is?”

​”Terragard.”

​Dayat furrowed his brow. “The Dwarven Kingdom?”

​Dola nodded. “Master Ironbeard owes you a great debt. You helped them resolve the Void Breach in their primary mines. We can borrow gold coins from him. It will be more than enough to live in Brassvale and recruit new members for our cause.”

​Dayat grew quiet, weighing the options. He looked out the window toward the northwest—where the peaks of the Terragard mountains loomed behind the veil of mist.

​”How far?”

​”From our current coordinates, approximately three hundred kilometers to the south. It is still within the Forest of Lamentation, but closer to the mountain foothills.”

​”So, a detour.”

​”A slight one.”

​”And you’re sure the Dwarf King will just hand it over?”

​Dola smiled brilliantly. “He will give you far more than that, Master Dayat. In their eyes, you are the ‘Hero who Saved Terragard.’ Plus…” She touched his arm softly. “I will be there to help you convince him.”

​Dayat let out a long, weary exhale. He looked at Dola—the woman who was once an AI, then a goddess, and now his wife. The woman who had just lengthened their journey by three hundred kilometers for… whatever reason she truly had.

​”You really are something,” he muttered.

​”Am I?”

​”Lucky for you, I love you.”

​Dola’s smile widened into a triumphant grin. Dayat spun the wheel. The Jeep made a sharp left, abandoning the direct path to Brassvale and carving a new route toward the northern mountains.

​Four days prior, during the first leg of their trip…

​A Mutant Lagomorph had burst from the underbrush. The creature was as large as the Jeep they were driving, with a spiral horn glinting on its forehead and jagged fangs bared in a hungry snarl. It blocked the center of the path, ready to pounce.

​”FLOOR IT!” Dola shouted, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

​Dayat slammed his foot on the gas.

​The wheels spun, mud sprayed everywhere, and the Jeep surged forward—but the Lagomorph was faster. It leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the collision, then spun around to give chase.

​”Whoa, it’s chasing us!” Dola patted Dayat’s shoulder. “Go on, Husband, show me what you can do!”

​”It’s right beside the door! You want me to ram it or what?”

​”Just get out and fight!”

​Dayat grumbled but hit the brakes. He hopped out of the vehicle, Silver Thorn still strapped to his back—but this time, he didn’t draw the blade. He closed his eyes, centering his thoughts.

​The green veins beneath his skin began to pulse with light.

​In his hands, a firearm began to materialize. An M4 Carbine—simple, reliable, and easy to handle. It wasn’t the most powerful weapon in his arsenal, but it was more than enough for a giant rabbit.

​Dola cheered from inside the car. “Go get ’em, Darling! You can do it!”

​The Lagomorph had already turned for another charge. Dayat took aim.

​Pop. Pop. Pop.

​Three shots. Two hit the head, one caught the neck. The monster stumbled but kept coming. Dayat took a step back, realigning his sights—this time aiming for the eyes.

​Pop. Pop.

​The Lagomorph collapsed two meters in front of Dayat, its body twitching for a moment before going still.

​Dayat exhaled. “Man, those things are tough.”

​Dola hopped out of the car, clapping her hands. “Wonderful! My husband is so capable!”

​”You just sat in there and watched.”

​”I was providing moral support. That is vital.”

​Dayat shook his head, unable to suppress a small smile. “Get back in. We’re moving.”

​On the first night in the forest, Dayat parked the Jeep in a relatively clear area—at least, one without massive trees that could potentially fall on them. He stepped out, scanning the darkness warily. Strange sounds echoed through the gloom: long, mournful howls, the sound of tearing flesh, and occasionally, whispers that defied explanation.

​”We sleep in the car,” he decided. “It’s safer.”

​”Agreed.” Dola was already settled in the passenger seat. “But Master Dayat should create something as a precaution.”

​”A security measure?”

​”In case any nocturnal predators decide to sneak up on us at midnight.”

​Dayat thought for a moment. Then his hands moved, the manifestation beginning. Outside the car, a small device took shape—a Tripwire Sensor System. Three thin laser beams projected in a triangle around the vehicle, linked to a small alarm inside the cabin.

​”If anything crosses those lines, we’ll know,” Dayat explained.

​Dola nodded approvingly. “Clever.”

​They slept inside the car, the seats reclined as much as possible. In the middle of the night, Dayat was jolted awake by a brief alarm—but it only lasted a second. Another Thorned Howler had approached, tripped the laser, and bolted in terror.

​”It works,” Dayat whispered.

​Dola, sleeping with her head on his shoulder, merely mumbled an incoherent “mmh” and drifted back to sleep. Dayat smiled. In the middle of the most terrifying forest on the continent, he felt… at peace.

​Day Two: They encountered a Legged Snake—a five-meter reptile with rainbow scales and small, clawed legs that gripped the trees. It lunged from above, nearly crushing the roof. Dayat responded with a manifested shotgun, obliterating its head in a single blast.

​Day Three: Three Moss Stalkers pursued them for nearly a kilometer. These wolves were draped in living moss, making them nearly invisible against the foliage. Dayat had to step out and fight with a manifested combat knife because they were too fast to track with a scope.

​Day Four Morning: A Shadow Stalker—a translucent feline with active camouflage—stalked them for hours. Dayat only knew because Dola detected its heat signature. They chose to retreat slowly, avoiding a pointless confrontation.

​”High-level predator,” Dola commented. “The energy expenditure isn’t worth the kill.”

​”Agreed.” Dayat stepped on the gas.

​Now, on the fifth day, following the “Dola forgot the money” incident and the change in route, the journey felt significantly longer.

​Dayat drove in silence, occasionally glancing at Dola sleeping beside him—silver hair messy, breathing soft, her face at peace. His wife.

​Crazy, he thought. I’m in another world, I have a former goddess as a wife, I’m driving a Jeep through a monster-infested forest, and I’m about to go beg a Dwarf King for a loan.

​Life really was strange.

​Dola stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open. “Are you daydreaming, Master Dayat?”

​”No.”

​”Liar. I can read your breathing patterns.”

​Dayat sighed. “I was just thinking. Back in Jakarta, I was just a regular guy. Wake up, work, go home, sleep. No monsters, no magic, no…”

​”No fallen goddess turned wife?”

​”You know what I mean.”

​Dola smiled tenderly. “Does Master Dayat regret it?”

​Dayat was quiet for a moment. Then he shook his head. “No. It’s weird as hell, but… I don’t regret it.”

​Dola didn’t reply, but her smile widened as she rested her head on his shoulder once more.

​The Jeep surged forward, leaving deep tracks in the mud. In the distance, the silhouette of the Terragard mountains began to sharpen—a sign that while they had come far, the road was still long.

​Meanwhile, back at the castle, Lunethra and Kancil maintained their routine.

​Every morning, Kancil was up early, patrolling the perimeter. The boy gripped the Desert Eagle Dayat had given him, his eyes sharp. Occasionally, he’d pick off a stray monster that wandered too close.

​Lunethra spent her time in The Azure Glade, brewing potions and maintaining the castle’s mana balance. In between, she cooked, cleaned, and… waited.

​”Sister Lunethra, when will Brother Dayat be back?” Kancil asked one afternoon.

​”In a month, Kancil. Or perhaps longer.”

​”Oh.” Kancil sat beside her. “You miss him, don’t you?”

​Lunethra offered a thin, sad smile. “A little.”

​”Me too.” Kancil stared at the sky. “But they’ll come back, right?”

​”Of course.”

​They both fell silent, accompanied only by the distant howls of monsters.

​Inside the Jeep moving through the black trees, Dayat suddenly sneezed.

​”Caught a cold?” Dola asked.

​”No. Probably just someone talking about me.”

​Dola smirked. “Lunethra, most likely.”

​Dayat didn’t answer. He simply pressed the accelerator, driving them closer to the mountains looming on the horizon.

​The journey was far from over.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep