After work, start to speedrun the other world-Chapter 212 - 70 Ash Kingdom

The moon was bright and stars were sparse.

Silver moonlight filtered through thick clouds, spilling over a serene Western-style mansion, intermingling with the dim yellow light emanating from the windows.

Xi Mu placed the empty bottle of magic potion on the table. After using the Sword of Light, his magic power was in a state of deficiency.

And just at that moment.

"Ahtal, are you feeling any better?" A gentle female voice suddenly came through. Xi Mu looked toward the source of the voice and saw a golden mist forming across from him on the table, which coalesced into the figure of Eden.

She took off her hood, revealing a delicate face.

"Perhaps we need to talk."

"It’s not as if there’s anything else to do right now." Xi Mu revealed a gentle smile, lacking the danger and madness displayed during the day; instead, he appeared very amiable.

"Ahtal, it’s still not too late to seal the ’Sulter’ flame." Eden raised her hand to lightly gather her golden hair around her ear, her emerald eyes serious, "I can still seal the Sulter flame for you completely."

"Sealing it is meaningless," Xi Mu shook his head, turning to look out the window, "Even if the magic power is temporarily sealed, there will be situations where it must be used, maybe to save someone or possibly... to resist."

"..."

Eden did not argue.

These days, the era was collapsing; nobody could stay out of it. Looking for a place to retreat was impossible, all the more so for Ahtal, who was entangled with the Witch of Death, making it even less likely for him to keep distant.

"Actually, there is another way to delay the impact of the Sulter flame." Meeting Ahtal’s inquiring gaze, she explained, "The stronger the life form, the less it will be affected by the Sulter flame."

Xi Mu nodded: "Which means to become a Demon, right?"

"Correct." Eden nodded in acknowledgment, "I can tell you how to become a Demon."

"The method for each person to become a Demon is different, isn’t it?" Xi Mu shook his head. According to the game’s official setting, one needed to complete a unique ritual to transcend the human realm.

The specific conditions for the ritual varied from person to person, and the way to achieve them also differed based on the nature of one’s abilities.

For some, the method to complete the ritual was to keep their fate from showing in the stars, and for others, it was to kill themselves with their own hands.

In theory, only through one’s own exploration and research could the conditions for completing the ritual be found. It was impossible for outsiders to know.

And even if one knew the conditions to complete the ritual, it wouldn’t necessarily mean they could achieve it, since the conditions might very well involve killing oneself or creating a moon of their own.

However, the game developers wouldn’t set an impossible ritual for players; theoretically, all could successfully complete their ritual.

And even if the players found it troublesome, the developers had considerately arranged an unconventional route: by completing Eden’s side quests, with Eden’s help, one could directly discover their own ritual’s conditions.

Then, with Eden’s assistance, become a Demon or a Witch.

"I can let you directly know the conditions for the ’ritual.’" Eden’s voice was gentle as if speaking of a very mundane matter.

Xi Mu looked puzzled.

"Anyone who goes to the Tree of Omniscience can gain the knowledge they seek," Eden explained, "Even the rituals to become a Demon can be obtained beneath the Tree of Omniscience."

"Any knowledge at all?" Xi Mu asked excitedly, "If I want to acquire the knowledge to make everyone happy, is that possible?"

"Yes," Eden calmly replied, "But the way to achieve it is something you cannot accept."

She lowered her eyelids.

"You will learn a recipe for a magic potion that makes people feel happiness, and then, the Tree of Omniscience will provide a specific method to make everyone use the happiness magic potion."

"If you follow the Tree of Omniscience’s method, everyone in this world will be happy, but the cost of happiness afterwards is not within the Tree of Omniscience’s consideration."

Xi Mu: "..."

"Please don’t expect too much from the Tree of Omniscience." Eden, seeing Ahtal’s disappointed expression, said, "The Tree of Omniscience is not a wish-granting machine but can offer a ’feasible’ plan based on the knowledge that already exists."

"Then I’ll add a condition, that everyone must be happy until their natural end comes?" Xi Mu posed another question.

To this, Eden responded.

"Then they would no longer be considered human. They would only have the emotion of happiness without the ability to feel distress, sorrow, loss."

"They’d just be a kind of monotonous emotional creature, possibly even less than... ants."

Xi Mu thought for a moment and asked:

"Eden, have you already posed related questions to the Tree of Omniscience?"

"Yes," Eden calmly replied. As guardian of the Tree of Omniscience, she naturally had many opportunities to interact with the Tree, gathering knowledge that ordinary people—or rather, All Gods—could not fathom."

"Understood, I won’t ask impractical questions anymore." Xi Mu accepted reality, or rather, he had anticipated Eden’s reply from the start.

He smiled and said, "I will only ask the Tree of Omniscience how I should become a Demon."

"Then I won’t disturb your rest any longer." Eden stood up, smoothing her dress, her body beginning to turn into a golden mist.

But just before she vanished,

"Can’t you stay a bit longer with me, this patient?" Xi Mu brought out a jug of wine, placing it on the table.

"We haven’t had a proper chat, have we?"

"..." Eden fell silent for a moment, looking at Ahtal’s expectant eyes. She sat back down.

"So unfair, to leave me out." A complaint suddenly came, and both of them looked toward the noise, to see the Goddess of Lies by the window, with slightly puffed cheeks.