Chapter 48 “At that moment, Beelzebub’s demeanor was as if he wanted to cast the entire world into hell…” (This chapter contains a bit of a romantic subplot)

Chapter 48 "At that moment, Beelzebub's demeanor was as if he wanted to cast the entire world into hell..." (This chapter contains a bit of a romantic subplot)

Jenny never thought she would fail.

She was the most talented Dark Archmage of the continent, with countless individuals kneeling before her, unable to count the number of puppets under her control.

She once, all by herself and unnoticed, turned an entire city into her playthings.

At Jenny's whim, she could see through the eyes of any puppet. She knew their lives and manipulated them like dolls, bending them to her liking.

But even the most amusing toys become dull after excessive use. It was at this point that the boss found her.

"Would you like to see the world of a true deity?" the boss asked.

Jenny was uninterested, "A place inhabited by just luminous beings, how dull."

"It's not the world of that worthless one." The boss opened his palm, and the white statue of the deity on the street shattered into pieces.

He turned to the young girl, pointing at the sky with a mysterious and tempting tone, "It's the real higher-dimensional world, a place we have never and may never be able to reach."

"There live the true gods. Now, Jenny, do you want to use your current world as a stepping stone to journey with us to the realm of the real deities?"

"To become a god, watching the ants struggle beneath your feet." The boss spread his arms wide, a golden sun casting brilliant and blinding light behind him, "When that time comes, the entire continent will be your toy box."

Jenny agreed.

Then she witnessed the boss's power.

With the boss's help, the artificial demon Pemoris was born.

No mage within the monastery could match it; they all believed it to be a real demon.

No, perhaps even stronger than a real demon, Pemoris must be the Demon God.

The boss gently caressed Jenny's head, saying, "Look, as long as you wish, gods or demons, anything can be created."

Finally, a flicker of light ignited in Jenny's otherwise lifeless eyes.

Later, she received the task of [Searching].

"We must find the foundation of the Great Ice Plain." Jenny saw an unprecedented seriousness on the boss's face, "That thing is the foundation of our stairway, Jenny, there must be no mistakes, absolutely no one else can get their hands on it."

The more crucial it was, the more cautious she had to be.

So Jenny spent a lot of time investigating and infiltrating, accepting Lance's allegiance, promising that if he found any clues, he would save the lives of most people in the Great Ice Plain.

Until today.

She watched in horror as the young witch swallowed the foundation, and then burst forth in a golden light that was, no, even more insane than the boss at that time.

The pillar of light was like a deity's divine punishment, its searing edges burning through her personal combat puppets.

Merely basking in that light, Jenny felt as if her entire being was undergoing execution by fire.

"Absolute dominion over darkness... huh?" She blinked slowly, feeling her puppets disintegrate at an inhuman speed.

Jenny couldn't comprehend her failure, especially since that annoying insect had only been in the Northern Territory for less than four days.

She thought she had reacted quickly enough, being able to detect the witch's presence immediately, with many residents as her puppets.

But it was still a step too late.

Why did the witch know so much about the foundation? As if... she had been to this place countless times.

Jenny didn't get a chance to understand, as the intense light source had already reached her.

A black cloak unfurled with the force of thunder, yet the golden light behind it was holy and noble.

It was too contradictory.

The witch should have been the first to be incinerated by the power of light, not become its center.

There were too many things Jenny couldn't understand, but she would never have the chance to figure them out.

The witch grasped her head, like a burning salamander, channeling the overwhelming energy to engulf her completely in the dazzling light.

"Ahh—!!"

The Dark Archmage's scream echoed throughout the entire city!

The remaining puppets, like moths to a flame, threw themselves at Jenny. But instead of extinguishing the golden light, they only made it more pure and brilliant.

"Fi!"

Beelzebub, enduring great pain, reached Fi's side, its human form rapidly dissolving. Truly dissolving, with chunks of flesh and thick blood dispersing swiftly in the wind.

As it dissolved, the demon used its magic to heal itself.

Fi watched, thinking Beelzebub looked like a mosaic.

But now wasn't the time for such thoughts.

She dodged the demon's outstretched hand, ignoring its stunned expression, and pointed outside the city, shouting, "We need to leave here first!"

Jenny continued burning until midnight before stopping.

The powerful Dark Archmage was reduced to a pile of black residue in the end.

Nearly a quarter of Lulubi City's population perished.

But many more, especially the children, survived.

Lance stood amidst the corpses, his head throbbing uncontrollably.

He remembered so many things in an instant, the instructions given by the deceased former steward in the dead of night, and the inherited spell of oblivion.

"Always protect the foundation of the Great Ice Plain, even if you forget, don't let it fall into anyone else's hands."

"The oblivion spell only fades in the presence of the dead."

He had used that spell on himself countless times, forgetting and then remembering again and again.

Yet, he still couldn't save everyone.

The residents of Lulubi City had all mobilized; they silently collected the bodies and repaired buildings damaged in the battle.

Some people spontaneously organized to bring food and water to the workers, and despite the deep night, lights still illuminated every inch of the streets.

No one hid away; everyone worked together as they had in every past battle, dealing with the aftermath of the riot.

Beautiful snow leopards also weaved through the crowd, with those grieving often burying their faces in their thick manes to cry.

Soon, many others would come to comfort them.

Despite the somberness, there was still a vibrancy in the air of survival.

The Ice Mage, standing in the vast snowy field, suddenly lost all his strength.

Thankfully, the Great Ice Plain was still there, and Lulubi City too.

As Eugene had said, what does it matter if the foundation is gone? People are alive, and having people alive is more important than anything.

If the Northern Territory became uninhabitable, as long as there were people, they could relocate.

It's just that he realized this too late.

Lights shone brightly in Lulubi City, while the distant snow mountains loomed dark and ominous.

Beelzebub turned his hands over and over, examining the deep, bone-visible wounds that had just been seared into his flesh.

And all this, just because he touched Fi.

"What garbage food did you just eat?" The demon sat in front of Fi, restraining itself, trying to keep its tone and expression unchanged.

But its tail tip was tightly hooked around a corner of the cloak, as if letting go would make the person in front of it drift further away.

Fi didn't intend to hide it, "A heart, I ate the heart of a deity."

She hesitated for a moment but then lifted her collar to reveal a small part of the inverted triangle shimmering with golden light.

Then, looking up blankly, "There was no choice at the time, other than to eat it."

If the Dark Archmage had managed to steal it, all her efforts would have been in vain.

So, she instinctively followed the instructions of Small World.

But she really didn’t know that eating it would turn her into a being immune to darkness! How would she continue her studies? Could the Witch Academy keep her without exterminating her on the spot?

Beelzebub’s expression became incredibly animated in an instant.

"You—ate—what?!"

Adding fuel to the fire, a warm voice whispered low in Fi's ear.

"Don’t worry about it, Fi. The world line correction rate has risen to 66%, congratulations."

This time Fi was completely stunned; she patted her ears, making sure she wasn’t hallucinating.

What’s happening? Small World has a voice version now?!

"Your reaction is really cute," the voice softly grazed her ear bone, as if someone was leaning on her shoulder, "It's me. As the correction rate increases, my energy recovers a lot."

"More importantly, you ate the heart of a deity. Remember? Part of my power was in it, so now, I can finally speak to you directly, Fi."

No more cold text, but real language.

It has existed since the dawn of chaos, but failed twice, only this time, it finally had its first communicable person.

At that moment, Fi detected an unmistakable joy in Small World’s voice.

But Fi couldn’t feel the slightest bit happy.

She stood up, straightforwardly asking, "Can I directly attack and destroy the boss of the Black Moon now?"

The incredibly irritated demon stiffened, turning its head, "Who are you talking to?"

Ignoring this question, Fi pressed on sharply, "Can I?"

Small World was silent for a long time before slowly replying, "No."

"Although the heart contains the power of the world, your body is still ordinary. Without strong faith to support you, you can't become the next deity. Apart from the initial burst when you merged, you temporarily can’t use my power."

"But absolute dominion over darkness does exist," a cold wind brushed the demon’s agitated face, Small World seemingly reveling in schadenfreude, "No dark power can touch you again."

The souls of the monks Fi had contracted with contained faint traces of light faith, which is why her physical body had no issues.

The surroundings fell into a grave-like silence.

Fi rubbed her temples, throbbing with pain, under her eyes a heavy gloom.

She suddenly picked up a key piece of information from Small World's words.

As long as she gathered enough faith, she might be able to reshape her body, to a state capable of withstanding the golden heart’s energy.

What would happen next?

Fi stared at the snow under her feet, slowly biting down on her molars.

Would she become the new deity of this world?

Since her arrival in this world, every single moment played rapidly in her mind.

From accepting Small World's request, starting to correct the world line, eliminating bosses around the world, fighting against Black Moon, to forming her own power base.

Gathering followers was necessary, inevitable.

Without soul sacrifices, Fi's journey would be incredibly difficult; she couldn't possibly do everything alone.

So from the beginning, was Small World deliberately leading her in this direction?

Small World wanted her to become a deity? Could she still go home then?

Her temples throbbed intensely.

"Fi... Fi!" Beelzebub grabbed her wrists, the power of light instantly burning a layer of skin off the demon’s palms.

The witch instinctively tried to pull her hands away but was gripped even tighter.

"Who are you talking to? Who told you to eat that heart?"

The demon seldom showed such a pressing demeanor, which clearly didn't sit well with the other party.

"Tsk." Fi heard a slightly mocking tone from Small World, "Why does Fi keep this ugly and noisy green lizard around? If you want to keep something, why not choose something cuter?"

The exhausted girl felt as if her head was being drilled into with pain.

She suddenly felt tired, exceptionally tired, the kind of weariness where even if the sky fell, she had no desire to move.

"Did I forget to drink my energizing potion?" This was the last thought that flickered through Fi's mind before she, having not slept for three days and nights, engaged in a magic-intensive battle, and experienced a massive outburst after swallowing the heart of the previous deity, finally collapsed from complete exhaustion of both physical and magical energy.

The world fell silent.

When she next opened her eyes, she saw a bright, warm ceiling.

Her forehead was cushioned by a towel soaked in warm water, a soft blanket covered her, and she was dressed in a comfortable cotton nightgown.

The fire crackled softly, and the scent of steaming hot tea wafted from a small table nearby, accompanied by wheat porridge suitable for a patient.

The room was empty, but the floor was marked with a complex black magic circle.

Fi blankly stared at her nightgown, her mind a complete void.

A breeze suddenly brushed across her face.

She paused, with the sluggishness typical of the sick, "Small World?"

"Fi..." A gentle voice sounded lowly, tinged with nervousness from Small World, "I'm sorry, Fi... I overlooked your physical condition, and for now, you can't support the immense energy in the heart..."

It sounded like a child who had done something wrong, its voice tinged with panic.

At the moment Fi fainted, Small World had only intended to push that green lizard away, but it was the first time it had been caught off guard.

In that instant, Small World belatedly realized, had it been too eager for quick success?

In its desire to speak with Fi, it had completely overlooked the necessary warnings.

For instance, preparing Fi in advance or suggesting Fi to divide the heart into pieces, allowing her body to adapt gradually.

But it had forgotten all about the consequences. No, it would be more accurate to say... it deliberately overlooked them.

Fi should have been able to withstand it, right? It gambled on this possibility, and was immediately punished for its assumption.

The snow mountain was fraught with low temperatures and fierce winds. Had Beelzebub not been there, once Fi fainted, Small World would have had no means to bring her back.

Even though it is the will of the world, even though Fi now carried a part of it within her.

"I'm sorry, Fi... I am not..." It had just begun speaking when the room door was pushed open slightly.

"You're awake?" A familiar face appeared at the door, showing a surprised expression. The Ice Mage gestured behind him, and two or three people squeezed into the room.

Fi watched as they sat about half a meter away from the bed, except for a female doctor who approached to examine her.

"You still have a low fever," the doctor said, "And... sorry, the energy inside you is still very chaotic. I can't describe it. It's my first time encountering something like this. But thankfully, you've finally woken up."

"Yes," Lance exhaled quietly, "Lord Beelzebub can finally be at ease."

Catching the key name, Fi's eyes moved to him, "Beelzebub? Where is he? And how did I end up here?"

Remembering something, Lance touched his forehead, "It's a long story..."

It turned out that after Fi fainted, Beelzebub, without any hesitation, had picked up Fi and dashed towards the nearest city of Lulubi.

But it had overlooked the changes in Fi's body.

The light of brightness acted like a branding iron, and vast areas of the demon's chest instantly blistered with a scarlet and hideous glow.

"When he fell into the monastery, he was like a burning fireball," Lance described the scene with difficulty, "I’ve never... never seen such an expression on a human’s face. Miss Fi, may I call you that? At that time, Lord Beelzebub looked as if he wanted to send the entire world into hell..."

But Lance later understood that the lord was only trying to save someone.

At that time, neither healing magic nor potions had any effect on Fi. The demon, who hadn’t walked among humans for many years, was slow to remember the existence of a profession called "doctor."

"We gave you some herbal medicine," Lance swallowed hard, "Fortunately, they worked."

The room fell into a profound silence.

Even the usually loquacious Small World was unusually quiet, with only the doctor preparing new medicine, creating the sound of tools clinking.

Fi recalled the way the demon looked at her and slowly exhaled.

"Where is it now? I mean, Beelzebub."

"Lord Beelzebub went out..." As he spoke, Lance subtly shifted towards the door, hardly daring to let his gaze linger on the bed, "He said he was going to find something... a way to suppress the heart? Sorry, I didn’t quite catch it. He told us to take good care of you, that he would return before dawn."

Only then did Fi sluggishly turn towards the window, the world outside pitch black, only the magic lamp in the room burning brightly.

"Doctor Garry bathed you and changed your clothes..." A new layer of cold sweat appeared on Lance’s forehead, "She was the only one, no one else was present."

"I understand, thank you," Fi nodded slightly to them, "Can I have some time alone? I feel much better now."

"Of course, of course," Lance and the others immediately stood up, "Our people are just outside the door. If you need anything, just make a sound."

The doctor placed the medicine bowl on the table and left with the others.

Only Lance couldn’t resist peeking back in as he closed the door.

"Though it's a bit late... I still want to say 'thank you.' Thank you for saving me and Eugene from the Snow Wolf King, and thank you for saving the entire city of Lulubi. The fact that so many of us are still here is all thanks to you dealing with the greatest danger."

Fi looked up at him.

"When we were cleaning up the battlefield... we found a part of Jenny..." Lance earnestly looked at her, explaining, "She had a residue of the same aura as yours. It must have been you who killed her. Everyone knows this now. So, on behalf of the entire city of Lulubi and the Northern Territory, I sincerely thank you."

Having said this, Lance deeply bowed to her, then slowly closed the door.

The fire in the fireplace flickered as the wind stirred.

Fi sat on the bed, motionless for a long time.

After enduring a silence that was almost maddening, she finally spoke her first words.

"Small World, so what's the method?"

"...What method?"

"The method to suppress the deity's heart." Fi pressed her chest expressionlessly, "I need to return to the academy. I haven't found a way to break the divine punishment, the issue with the Earl of the Hill family is unresolved. There are also my extracurricular tutoring sessions, the tutors like taking me for teleportation, and I must visit Principal Lilith's office."

"I still have to live in the abyss," she slowly tightened her grip, wrinkling her nightgown, "So tell me, how can I temporarily suppress this heart."

Small World didn't answer.

Fi felt inexplicably irritated, "You want me to become a deity, don't you? Why? Did you know from the very beginning this would be the outcome? Do you want me to leave everything in the abyss behind, to go to a place no one has ever been? But you said after completing the task, you would let me go home."

"Fi," Small World's voice finally caressed her ears, "Isn't becoming a deity a good thing? Everyone wants to be a deity. Even Black Moon, it's because they wanted to become a higher existence that they—"

"I don't want to," Fi took a deep breath, "I don’t want to become a deity."

"If becoming a deity means I have to sever everything in the abyss, say goodbye to the Witch Academy, never see my tutors again, not eat delicious food, enjoy the beauty of mountains and rivers, not experience the joy of new games, never again... then I don't want this opportunity."

Her tone was more serious and firm than ever, "I want my life to have at least some choice. If I have to give up everything, leave behind my chance to go home, then I will immediately remove this heart."

There would always be other ways to deal with Black Moon; she was not afraid of the hardships ahead.

"Don't!" Small World’s voice suddenly rose in pitch, then slowly fell again, "I'm sorry, Fi... I didn't... consider things more comprehensively for you..."

In its most desperate moments, it was Fi, only Fi, who gradually pulled it out of the mire.

Working hard to repair the broken world, a true savior.

Under any circumstances, it didn't want to be disliked by Fi.

"So what should I do now?" Fi asked.

"The heart has already merged with your body," after a long pause, Small World slowly uttered, "If forcibly removed, you would die too. Growth potions are a good way, a fully matured body can accelerate absorption and control. But for temporary suppression..."

Its voice was barely audible.

"The opposite of light is darkness. To successfully suppress it, you must... stay in absolute darkness until the golden light fades."

Absolute darkness?

Fi rubbed her temples, "Can I go back to the Abyss? Or maybe, Teacher Gaia can also plunge one into darkness."

"No..." Small World spoke slowly, "It’s a darkness even more pure than those... a darkness that even I... can't erase."

Author’s Note:

Some readers previously questioned the sudden emergence of Small World's emotions. Finally reaching this point, let me give you a glimpse into Small World's perspective:

I used to be a lively, happy little being, but suddenly, due to a disaster, I was left paralyzed and disabled.

They used to manipulate me into various strange positions every day for their own benefit. Then Fi appeared.

She was the only one who avoided the villains and secretly treated me. She helped mend my broken bones, fed me porridge, exercised my atrophied muscles, gave me the confidence to stand again, and even taught those villains a lesson.

She's strong and resolute, kind and decisive, shining so brightly.

Although she didn’t do it solely for me, what could I do? I couldn’t control it.