After work, start to speedrun the other world-Chapter 167 - 48: Declaring War... on the Entire World_2

Chapter 167: Chapter 48: Declaring War... on the Entire World_2

After the tender gaze fell upon him, he began to recount his decision and expressed that his visit was to say farewell.

Then came some reluctant words, and the tender gaze that rested upon him became even more gentle and... helpless.

It seemed as though there was a helplessness mixed with a smile regarding Xi Mu’s choice.

"..." Xi Mu sighed, put down his clasped hands, and took a deep look at the statue of the Goddess of Life, that slender-waisted, bountiful figure, which was very much missed.

He turned and walked out of the church.

The sunlight, streaming through the stained glass, fell upon him, imbuing him with a sacred yet sorrowful aura.

Bidding farewell to the gods and walking alongside the demon.

From then on, the righteous Knight and the Witch walked a path that turned their backs on the whole world.

He stepped out of the church.

"Even if you become the Witch’s chosen, Ahtal, you are still my child," said a gentle yet embracing female voice that spread throughout the Puppet Kingdom.

This was a recognition from the Goddess of Life.

Even if he had become the Witch’s chosen, Ahtal was still favored by the Goddess of Life.

Xi Mu’s footsteps hesitated just as he was about to leave the church, then he took a firm step forward, as if he had resolved a knot in his heart.

With that one sentence from the Goddess of Life, even if he were watched by everyone as he received the power of the Witch of Death, he would not be branded a cultist and remain a hero in people’s eyes.

Moreover, he could feel that he was under a deeper favor of the Goddess of Life.

Outside the church.

"Congratulations, Ahtal," Eden looked at the Knight in silver armor who emerged, showing a genuine smile.

The little mare beside him was a bit... uneasy, scuffing the ground with her hoof, seemingly a bit overwhelmed.

When she first met Ahtal, it must have been out of his foresight.

To deceive even the gods, and to succeed at that, deceiving a monster like her was all too easy.

However, it seemed that Ahtal was oblivious to the little mare’s helplessness, he stroked her neck and smiled:

"Partner, take me to the Witch of Death."

The words fell, and he mounted the little mare and flew towards the Puppet Kingdom in the sky.

At that moment.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the Black Rose Kingdom, all the cultists included.

Ahtal came before the Witch of Death, placed one hand on his chest, and knelt down, bowing his head to the cold and mysterious Witch of Death in allegiance.

"Witch of Death, I am willing to become your... Knight."

"How boring, I thought you were going to abandon everyone," the puppet girl came over cheerily, standing next to Ahtal, "Since you’re willing to become the Witch of Death’s Knight, then kiss... the Witch of Death’s feet, perhaps?"

The atmosphere grew tense.

Xi Mu looked up at the bare feet of the Witch of Death, seemingly caught in a difficult struggle, and then he saw the Witch of Death hide her feet beneath her long dress.

Looking up, he saw the Witch of Death extending her slender hand and even explained to him.

"There’s never been a ceremony of swearing fealty by kissing feet."

"Yes," Xi Mu nodded, then stood up, his expression serious as he took the Witch of Death’s hand and gently kissed it.

Under normal circumstances, to have a close physical contact with the Witch of Death was not a simple matter. In the game, there were two chances for... intimate contact, one was when receiving the highest-level of death power, and the other was achieving a marriage accomplishment.

However, if one was determined to create an opportunity, such as slightly altering the loyalty ceremony, from having the Witch of Death touch the shoulder with a sword, to changing it to directly kissing the back of the hand, it was also possible.

"From this day on, you will be my Knight of Death." The Witch of Death calmly withdrew her kissed hand, and then with a finger, she touched Xi Mu’s forehead, inscribing a rune and bestowing upon Xi Mu a deeper power of death.

"This favor will take your life, causing you to die in thirty days, transforming you into my Knight of Death."

It was no idle threat, if Ahtal didn’t find a way to extend his life, he would die after thirty days; such was the cost of accepting an excessive amount of death power.

But since Ahtal had already obtained the dragon-kin magic’s correct interpretation, there was no need for her to worry. As long as Ahtal found an opportunity to slay a dragon and take its power, he could extend his life.

So she didn’t need to worry about Ahtal’s short life.

"Understood," Xi Mu calmly nodded, then stood up and came to the side of the Witch of Death, like a true knight in her service.

The puppet girl clicked her tongue in surprise, "You adapt so quickly. Do you really hold faith in the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Death?"

Naturally, she knew that Ahtal was the true mastermind behind everything, deeply favored by the Witch of Death—yet Ahtal indeed was also a believer of the Goddess of Life.

That caused her to start feeling baffled as to why someone could be a follower of the Witch of Death and still be a believer of the Goddess of Life at the same time.

Take herself for example; she too had once worshiped deities, but later, to walk the path of pursuing the ultimate dollhood, she abandoned her human body and could no longer receive the grace of the gods.

However, Ahtal broke this common understanding.

Everyone knew Ahtal was granted special permission by the Goddess of Life; even as a witch’s kin, she could still retain the benevolence of the Goddess of Life.

This... what exactly entitled her to that?

Many, especially cultists, were bothered by Xi Mu receiving the beneficence of the Witch of Death, feeling a sense of imbalance.

If everyone was a follower of Death, why could Ahtal gain the power of Death personally bestowed by the Witch of Death just by pledging loyalty?

While they received no such treatment.

"Damn pretty boy!" someone cursed through gritted teeth in a low voice, feeling very put out by Ahtal.

Wishing it was themselves who received the favor of the Witch of Death.

"Maybe it’s because Ahtal has that... aptitude," the Bloody Countess laughed softly, amused by the cultists’ discontent.

"And isn’t Ahtal only left with thirty days to live? Maybe this is a disguised punishment from the Witch of Death."

"That does make sense," someone nodded in agreement, feeling the Bloody Countess made a good point.

For a hero to have only thirty days left to live was indeed a very sad affair, even though Ahtal might not have had much longer to live to begin with.

From what could have been years to merely thirty days.

Tragic.

"So, you all have nothing to be envious of," the Bloody Countess said, waving her hand dismissively to comfort them.

She was one of the few who knew the inside story; others thought that Ahtal was a lucky newcomer graced with favors from the Witch of Death upon her first pledge of loyalty.

In reality, she had long been a follower of the Witch of Death and was even highly esteemed by her.

Even though she thought the phrase cursing Ahtal as a "pretty boy"...

might indeed be accurate.

And it was at that moment...

Xi Mu leaned a bit closer to the Witch of Death and asked, "Witch of Death, may we spare the Black Rose Kingdom now?"

"Yes," the Witch of Death nodded calmly, then her tone changed, "But you need to do something first."

Xi Mu inquired, "What is it?"

"Declare war against All Gods," the Witch of Death spoke calmly, voicing a statement that left people astonished, but considering the identity of the Witch of Death, it seemed reasonable.

In this world... the only being who has been recorded to have defied All Gods and yet remains unslain was the Witch of Death alone.

Although history had seen many talented and extraordinary witches and demons, they all vanished in the sands of time.

Among them were strong and weak.

But it was certain that the Witch of Death was strong enough and influential enough to matter.

After all, she had survived.

"...Alright," Xi Mu fell silent for a moment, then lifted his head to look at the Black Rose Kingdom, knowing it drew the gaze of many deities, including the Goddess of Life. As long as he spoke out officially to make the announcement,

the world would rapidly spiral towards ruin.