Chapter 49 “I’ve succeeded.”

Chapter 49 "I've succeeded."

"Becoming a deity isn’t necessary..." Finally, Small World promised her, "When all is settled, I will respect your decision."

Fi didn’t respond.

She carefully recalled every word Small World had said, quickly identifying the loophole.

Yes, [absorption] and [control].

"A fully matured body can accelerate absorption and control time." This was Small World's exact words. Did this mean the deity’s heart was something she could control and utilize?

If removing it meant death, having complete control wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Recalling the two options given by Small World—

1# Growth Potion: Absorbs and controls the heart, but the process is likely not to be fast.

2# Absolute Darkness: Temporarily suppresses light.

The Growth Potion was easy to understand; it was a "maturing potion" that, when applied to a human, would accelerate the body's maturation by many years.

As long as she could control the variables, her body could become any age during the effect of the potion.

Indeed, substantial changes would occur after the body's growth, and logically, it made sense that it would accelerate absorption and control speed.

The remaining concept was the so-called "absolute darkness." In the gaming world, this was a broad concept. Fi only knew it was like one half of the yin and yang, opposing light, counterbalancing each other, forming the basic framework of the "Land of Gods and Demons."

Both options seemed logically sound, but now she couldn’t trust Small World as blindly as before.

So this time, Fi decided to test them herself.

What would happen if both options were pursued simultaneously?

As this thought crossed her mind, a soft light streamed through the window into the room.

Fi slowly turned her head, a swirling mass of darkness appearing where the sunlight fell beside the bed.

The one who had left arrived punctually at the agreed time.

However, the demon's condition was far from "not bad."

The scars from the light's burning were horrendous, viciously spread across his palms and chest. Even with clothes covering, one could still see the frightening light-brown scars at the junction of his neck and shoulders.

Magic could heal wounds, and potions could mend flesh and bone, but the marks left by the light were difficult to fade.

Fi watched as the figure engulfed in gloom emerged from the vortex, then suddenly, as if sensing something, looked up at her.

What followed was immense relief.

"You're awake?"

"Yes," Fi propped herself up on the bed with one hand, "I’m already—"

Before she could finish, Beelzebub suddenly lunged at her.

Her head was forcefully pressed back, her forehead pressed tightly against his chest. The sound of three beating hearts was right next to her ear, and even her waist was tightly entwined by a dark green tail.

It took Fi a moment to realize that this was an embrace.

Slower to realize this was the light within her body.

A blindingly bright golden light column explosively burst forth, its raging energy like an angry golden dragon!

Startled, Fi instinctively tried to push him away.

Such a handsome face would be such a waste to ruin!

But the arms wrapped around her body were like iron clamps, not allowing her to move even an inch, and tightened even more as she struggled.

"It's okay," a slightly irritable voice murmured close to her ear, the veins on Beelzebub's hand pressed against Fi's head bulging.

"It's okay," he lifted his head, "I'm just... conducting an experiment."

Only then did Fi notice that the black vortex behind the demon had not disappeared but had become denser, slowly expanding like a black hole.

The light, upon touching the vortex, seemed to be immediately absorbed by the darkness.

However, there were still a few marks left on Beelzebub's wrist.

He could resist some of it, but not all.

But Fi felt Beelzebub's body suddenly relax.

"It seems those old guys didn't lie to me..." Finally releasing his grip, Beelzebub pulled a chair over and sat down.

Aside from his reddened ears, Beelzebub didn’t appear any different than usual.

"So, what were you doing last night?" Fi, composed, brushed past the recent embrace, leaning to take a tea cup from the table, sharing the still-warm tea with him.

"That thing inside you," Beelzebub's gaze briefly settled on the white nightgown before swiftly shifting away, "Last night I went back to some old friends, inquiring about a solution."

Seeking old friends meant digging up thousand-year-old skull scholars who loved research from their graves.

Raiding the monastery's great tombs, abducting every holy soul with knowledge of the deity.

Kicking open the door of the Witch Academy principal's office, coercing the prophetic Lilith to help with divination.

After a whole night of effort, Beelzebub consolidated all the information, arriving at the only viable conclusion.

In true darkness, light would be infinitely weakened.

"So," the demon curled his fingers slightly, "Fi, do you want to try it with me?"

Gulping down the herbal medicine in the bowl, the young witch stared intently at the demon beside the bed.

"Coincidentally, that's what I was thinking. But before that, we need to prepare some other things."

*

Despite Beelzebub’s wish for Fi to rest more, the action-ready witch immediately climbed out of bed.

She listed a set of materials and sufficient gold coins, entrusting Lance to gather them in the shortest time possible.

Although there were potion shops in Lulubi City, Fi decided to concoct the potion herself.

She wanted the best – a legendary-grade growth potion.

She hated being controlled by others.

"To make the deity’s heart my own in the shortest time."

With this resolve, she didn’t even bother changing out of her cotton nightgown, discussing everything about darkness with Beelzebub back and forth.

Fi: "Will there be dangers there? If so, how should I handle them?"

Beelzebub: "There's no danger. I was born from darkness; that place is just a void of nothingness. No danger, but also no hope."

Fi: "How do we leave once we're inside? If we get separated accidentally, how can I escape?"

Beelzebub: "Why would I let you go alone??"

Fi: "If the darkness can’t suppress the golden light, or if it's overwhelmed by it, what should we do to ensure you aren’t affected or harmed?"

Beelzebub: "I won’t be harmed or affected. Fi, I am immortal, the most—"

Fi: "The deity also claimed to be immortal, and now it's just dust, even its heart was eaten by me."

Beelzebub: "…"

He fixed his gaze on the girl close at hand, his tail coiled into a knot behind him.

Suddenly, he said, "Fi, are you nervous?"

The girl with furrowed brows suddenly paused.

The next moment, a black cloak fell over her, covering her exposed skin.

Beelzebub raised his hand to tie a bow—something he’d secretly practiced for a long time, "Don’t worry, if you can’t do it, then no one in this world can."

*

All the materials were delivered before lunch. Fi thanked everyone, then started the potion-making process alone.

The growth potion wasn’t a complex recipe; she had made it countless times during her first life on Blue Star.

This time was no exception.

When the orange-yellow potion appeared in her hand, Fi smelled a familiar scent from it.

She cast a shielding spell, took off her clothes and shoes, then drank the potion in one gulp, enduring an excruciating transformation.

Even though she had deliberately adjusted the formula and dosage, the accelerated growth still placed a significant strain on her.

It felt as if every bone in her body was being broken and reassembled, every patch of skin stretched taut, like a ball of rubber thrown into a pile of snow leopards, trampled and tossed about.

Finally, she couldn't suppress a trembling whimper.

Fortunately, the potion quickly completed its final stretching, and Fi slowly got up from the ground, moving step by step to the mirror, leaning on the wall for support.

Then, she saw a face incredibly familiar to her.

It was the face she had used for 23 years on Blue Star before the transmigration. Except for the gray hair and dark purple pupils, every part of her body resembled her former self on Blue Star.

"What is this?" Fi, expressionless, tugged at her face, "Small World, is this your idea of a joke?"

"...It’s not like that," Small World's voice was low, "The longer you stay in this body, the more your soul will influence it. Fi, I..."

"Okay, I get it." Grabbing the clothes the doctor had prepared in advance, Fi interrupted, "Let’s just hope this turns out well."

Otherwise, she didn't know what she might do.

Small World remained silent, offering no response.

A breeze blew in from the window; she paused for a moment, then picked up the cloak, awkwardly tying a bow around herself.

Then, she pushed open the door.

Beelzebub, seeing the person, stood frozen for a full five minutes, his tail, green for who knows how many years, turned red for the first time.

"Is it strange?" Fi, not used to this body and its sudden change in perspective, asked.

"No... not strange." Beelzebub, as if finally regaining his senses, walked over and pulled down her hood, covering half of her face.

"Then, let's start," said Fi.

They stood at the entrance of the potion shop, just as Lance happened to pass by.

The Ice Mage, seeing the familiar figure, was about to greet her when he suddenly saw under Lord Beelzebub's feet, rings of intense darkness rapidly spreading.

Lance stood rooted, never having seen such pure darkness before. Grass, snow, streets, and insects – everything touched by that darkness was instantly consumed and assimilated.

Until the darkness reached the feet of the unfamiliar lady, the two seemingly fell into a black hole, plunging down, then completely vanishing.

Lance's mouth opened wide, forming an 'O'.

He hurried over, but the darkness on the ground had already completely disappeared.

What just happened? Who was that unfamiliar lady? The dark mass... why did it resemble an ominous legend from memory?

Cold sweat again trickled down his forehead, and remembering something, Lance quickly headed back to the monastery.

If Lord Beelzebub really was... and if that unfamiliar lady was who he suspected...

They had to do this!

*

As Fi plunged into darkness, she finally understood what Beelzebub meant by "no danger, but also no hope."

This was a space of absolute void, where she lost her sight, hearing, and even the sound of her own voice was instantly devoured as soon as she uttered a word.

There was no difference between opening and closing her eyes; it felt as though she had been completely erased from the world.

An instinctive immense fear overwhelmed her, yet a clear and sharp voice remained.

Thump—Thump—

The strange rhythm came from within her body, her heartbeat turned into a dual tone, and pale golden lines slowly emerged from her heart, spreading across every inch of her body.

In the absolute darkness, a ball of light appeared.

But apart from herself, everything else remained a pure, unadulterated black.

Only then did Fi feel a rough texture on her wrist—it was scales.

She quickly calmed down, focusing all her mind on her heart.

The deity's heart immediately emitted intense heat, and a dazzling golden light surged upwards—

It was resisting being dominated.

You're in my body and still not behaving?!

Fi, determined, pressed all her magic power around the heart.

Resistance, rejection, the light burning the magic, trying to break free from the body, but the outer darkness slowly devoured it bit by bit, pulling it back into the chest. The magic inside her surged and came back stronger, relentless, never giving up.

It was like a tug-of-war, except this battle was taking place inside Fi's body.

She felt as if all her organs were squeezed into a patty, the pain even more intense than what she experienced from the growth potion, tearing her apart viciously.

Her heart suddenly contracted and then inflated in the next second. Her blood vessels twisted like hemp rope, thrashing each piece of flesh inside her body.

She clenched her teeth, swallowing all her screams.

I can do this.

I absolutely can; I’ve defeated every monster in the game! I even instantaneously took down a level 90+ dark sorcerer!

I can't give up, no matter how long it takes, I will persevere!

I've come this far, nothing can stop me!

I absolutely, must, control, my own, life!!

Boom!

After an indeterminate amount of time—time itself seemed non-existent in the darkness—the familiar sound of the giant wheel rolling suddenly erupted!

A holy figure abruptly appeared in her vision!

The scales showed no signs of movement, so was this scene visible only to her?

Wispy white fog swirled and steamed, the sound of bells accompanied by the flapping of birds' wings continually washing over her eardrums.

Yet, Fi could distinctly feel that the white fog was immensely angry.

No, not just anger.

She suddenly realized whose figure this was.

"Are you sad?" she asked, looking straight at the vague face, "You don't want to be controlled, don't want to give up the last thing that belongs to you."

All the soft, faint fog suddenly turned into sharp spikes, all aiming at Fi!

The sound of bells had turned into the roar of an earthquake.

But Fi had no intention of backing down.

She couldn't retreat, nor would she.

The young witch stepped forward, gently grasping one of the sharp spikes with her hand.

“I know all your pain and regret; I've experienced the future where you failed,” she said deliberately, her gaze firm and serious.

“I've traversed every inch of the despairing lands you least wanted to see—the blood-stained earth, the miserable creatures, the subjects toyed with at will. I've seen it all. I understand your feelings and know what you want to do.”

The flock of white doves gradually grew immense wings that blotted out the sky, sharply enclosing the girl.

But Fi showed no fear, her voice steady and strong, “The mistakes you once made can no longer be changed. Your regrets, even turning back the timeline, cannot be redone.”

“But I can, and that's what I've been striving to achieve. You know this, you’ve always known, haven’t you?”

The terrifying flock of doves paused abruptly.

She released the spike formed of condensed mist, a fire seeming to ignite in her dark purple pupils.

“Entrust to me, your heart, your power, all your unfulfilled wishes and pleas, secret prayers and expectations. Let me clear all the shadows from your path, returning everything to the state before despair descended.”

The witch extended a hand, the inverted triangle on her chest emitting a black light.

“I'll fulfill your wishes. That's what a witch does, isn't it?”

Within the white mist, the hazy figure gazed at her for a long time.

Until, a golden hand slowly rose and then reached out towards her.

The next moment, the steaming mist exploded, and the figure dissipated with a bang!

The Wheel of Fate behind her erupted with majestic and immense magical power, and a summoned demon gently embraced her, stepping on thin air.

A layer of transparent barrier was broken; for the first time, Fi moved the Wheel of Fate on her own, without relying on Small World.

Magic power increased by 660%, concentrated at one point, furiously striking the beating heart.

“Crack!”

The shell protecting the golden heart shattered under the screeching magic, revealing a tiny gap.

However, this tiny gap acted like the opening of a massive dam, allowing a torrent of gold to burst forth.

The dazzling power interwove with the pitch-black magic, spiraling through every part of her body like a double helix.

At that moment, half of the golden triangle on her chest shattered thunderously.

Countless fine lines, like nails, pierced into the three main lines of the inverted triangle.

Fi slowly opened her eyes, her dark purple pupils flashing with streaks of gold like shooting stars.

She attempted to control the gold as she would her magic, and soon the meteor-like light moved from her neck to her wrist, obediently forming a circle.

"Thump—Thump—"

The dual heartbeat began to merge slowly, and Fi saw a flurry of chaotic images flash before her eyes.

She witnessed the early chaos of the world, the rise and fall of the sun and moon, the rapid proliferation and development of humanity, and the interplay of light and darkness hovering over the world like a chessboard.

These sudden flood of images were too many, too heavy, too complex; Fi felt her head might burst. She quickly used her magic to seal the gap on the golden heart.

This action finally pulled her from the brink of a near-death experience.

Breathing heavily, Fi stared at the golden circle on her wrist for a long time.

This must be what Small World meant: without sufficient faith, an ordinary body couldn't withstand the power of the world.

Just releasing a little bit of it, she almost exploded on the spot.

She couldn't rush.

Striving to calm herself, she carefully managed the remaining golden light within her body.

Fi snapped her fingers.

A beam of light danced at her fingertips, weak but pure enough to dispel a patch of darkness and illuminate the astonished face of the demon beside her.

"I did it," she said, her eyes curving into a triumphant smile.

*

The effects of the growth potion lasted only one day; when Beelzebub pulled her out, she had just reverted back to her original form.

Does time flow slower in the darkness?

The face from her previous life felt like a dream, but Fi was determined to turn that dream back into reality.

The knights standing guard outside were stunned to see the two suddenly emerge.

The quick-reacting ones immediately contacted Lance, and the white-robed head of the monastery hurried over.

They all tacitly avoided mentioning what had happened before, and Lance prepared a lavish feast for them.

Fi single-handedly polished off three large bowls of butter-fried fish with mashed potatoes, red flesh grass ice slush with creamy corn juice. As for Beelzebub, it devoured the contents of eight tables.

Lance didn't know where to put his hands as he accompanied them.

After eating their fill, Fi placed a stack of gold coins on the table.

She assumed the old demon Beelzebub had no money, given all his clothes had been burned through several times. Had he any gold, it would have scattered everywhere.

So Fi automatically took on the role of paying the bill, wiped her mouth clean, and bid farewell to Lance.

Lance paused, “You... and Mr. Beelzebub... are you both leaving?”

“Yes,” Fi glanced at the person beside her, Beelzebub staring at her with wide eyes.

“...We’re leaving together,” the young girl turned her head, “If we hurry, I can still make it to my final exam tomorrow.”

“You’re still in school?” Lance hesitated, asking softly, “May I know... which academy you are studying at?”

“Shouldn’t you have guessed by now?” Fi smiled, “Otherwise, red flesh grass wouldn’t have appeared on the table.”

Almost every meal at the Witch Academy includes red flesh grass juice, a small health potion beloved by witches.

Even though his guess was confirmed, Lance maintained his composure.

Indeed, from the moment he saw that unnatural expanse of darkness, he had been certain of Beelzebub's identity as the legendary demon.

Apart from a demon, no other being could personally open such a nightmarish space.

To walk alongside a demon, with the strength to vanquish Jenni and a penchant for wearing black clothing.

All these factors combined led Lance to one conclusion.

However, upon closer interaction, he realized she was not as frightening as the rumors suggested.

The Ice Mage accepted all this well, having experienced similar situations himself.

Even Eugene had once accused him of being a traitor to the Great Ice Plains, a despicable opportunist, a dog of those people.

But what others thought didn't matter; what mattered was doing what he believed to be right.

He had delayed the massacre or puppeteering of the entire Great Ice Plains.

Lance had faced firsthand the cruelty of those people.

This was the best outcome possible.

But there was still one unresolved issue.

Lance knew that Jenni was just one of them. They were planning something earth-shattering, and Lulu Bi City was merely a part of their scheme.

Now that Jenni was dead, if those people realized it, what would become of Lulu Bi City?

"No one can remain unscathed in a vortex unless we have the power to stop it. But clearly, we don't," Lance had said in a recent town hall meeting in Lulu Bi City.

Following this, they had held a public vote.

Now, Lance stood up and bowed to Fi.

"The world is changing, and we cannot predict what lies ahead. We must seize every opportunity."

Fi was somewhat puzzled by Lance's impassioned speech but nodded politely out of courtesy.

"Every resident of the North is a born warrior; we naturally possess stronger physiques than those from the inland," Lance continued with an unchanged expression, almost like making a sales pitch, "We can command snow leopards, and most of us can use basic ice magic. In the event of a large-scale urban war, Lulu Bi City would certainly be a formidable force."

Fi nodded in agreement.

She had witnessed the valor of Lulu Bi City's people in their battle against the snow wolves.

Even without considering magic, these people were indeed stronger than the average inland army.

But was Lance sharing a bit too much with her?

“But we're powerless against truly formidable foes,” Lans's tone shifted, suddenly heavy, “Even a single Jenny almost led to the total annihilation of the North.”

Looking at Faye, he spoke earnestly, “Lulubi City is on the edge of the world, and we've never expected favoritism from the gods. But that doesn't mean we haven't pleaded for help. I worry about the safety of our townspeople, about the future of the North. So, your arrival gives us the only chance we've ever had.”

The head of the academy clasped his hands together and slowly knelt down.

“Now, I earnestly make a wish to the witch, offering my unfulfilled future as a sacrifice, in hopes of gaining the power to protect the Great Ice Plain.”

The foundation of the Great Ice Plain was gone. Now, they were like a leaf on a colossal wave, a scale without weights, utterly powerless against those people.

Lans understood that he must secure, at the last moment, a chance for everyone in the North to survive.

No matter the cost.

Faye remained unmoved, “Mr. Lans, what you're asking for might be too much.”

Author's note:

I've read every comment earnestly, and I'm sincerely grateful for every word written by you, my dear readers. I might not have handled some aspects well enough, but I will take note of every suggestion to improve and adjust in the future. The fact that you're reading this far means a lot to me! Feel free to express whatever you want; I'm deeply thankful for your likes, and I'll ponder over any doubts to avoid similar issues next time. I write with effort, and you read at leisure, hoping we can both find more joy in this journey – bows gratefully.

PS. The small world isn't the male lead, as decided from the start; it's Beelzebub. The small world doesn't even have a body (sigh).

Lastly, the draw has ended! Let's see who the lucky winner is!